some uposted blogs:
June 27, 2009
I’m now waiting at Mykonos Old Port to take the hydrofoil to Santorini. I have no idea how long it will take to get there, but at this point, I’m thinking the longer the better.
Georgia and I went out last night and had an interesting/funny time. We met some Albanian guys at a bar and while I was having a good time chatting with them, Georgia was rather reserved. What I wasn’t aware of was that the Albanians of Greece are like the Mexicans of the United States and the Romanians of Spain. However Georgia’s reservations were not based just on stereotyping, in fact there is a high rate of date rape-type crimes on the Greek Isles, committed especially by Albanians.
Albanians in general have immigrated to Greece because of poor economic and social circumstances at home, and are more or less looked down upon by Greek people. Georgia said that Albanians children growing up in Greece tend to excel in school (different from the trend that Mexican immigrants set in the US) but they still are seen as a rather sketchy group of people.
Georgia shared this information with me, which I am thankful for, because I usually treat people as “innocent before proven guilty,” that is, I wouldn’t think anything unless they outwardly showed strange behavior. Still that doesn’t mean I would break the common sensical rules I have when it comes to meeting guys: never leave a public place, never accept a drink unless you see it made or opened in front of you, never follow guys down unpopulated streets/alleys, always accept their phone number rather than giving out yours, never get in a taxi unless it is agreed upon where you are going.
(In the end, these Albanian guys turned out to be really nice. They were never pushy or sketchy as expected. And the one who couldn’t speak English very well turned out to be a hilarious dancer—bonus entertainment for the night.)
Some may consider me naïve or idealistic because I enjoy conversing with mostly anyone who speaks to me (most times because I find it entertaining or humorous) but still after 21 years of life and 6 months of traveling, I remain roofie-free and unraped, alhamdulliah, knock-on-wood. So something that I am doing must be working.
Speaking of talking to most anyone who talks to me, some guys (who we thought were gay) at the same bar last night used one of the worst pick up lines I’ve ever heard on me and Georgia. They asked if we thought an 8 or 10 dress size would be better for the cousin that he was buying it for. We took him seriously and chose the 8 (obviously accepting this conversation because we found it humorous), but anyway we kept talking and about 15 minutes into the conversation, I find out they are AIESECers! He mentioned Baruch in NYC and I told him I was familiar with the school because I am part of an organization with a “branch” there. He looked at me quizzically and asked “What organization?” When I replied AIESEC, he told me that both he and his friend across the table were part of AIESEC-Athens and did traineeships in Canada and Tunisia, respectively. We even knew some of the same AIESEC people. Sometimes (a lot of times, actually) I get fed up with the bureaucracy and drama of AIESEC, but these are the moments that I remember that its totally worth being a part of it. You have an internationally network of friends just waiting to be met. For some reason, there is an increased trust with others they are members of an organization that’s relatively similar across the globe; you know the responsibilities, commitments, and even the songs and dances that the other person is familiar with. So yes, it is cult-ish, there is a lot of alcohol involved, and there can be drama, but at the same time it provides you countless more opportunities than the next guy.
Speaking of thinking that people are gay, its true what they say about Mykonos—big attraction for gay people! Last night at a bar, I got all excited because two really good looking, well dressed young men were sitting at the table behind us. I asked Georgia what she thought of them, and she replied “ Son guapos, pero no importa porque son una pareja” (we always speak Spanish when we don’t want people around us to understand) or in other words “They’re cute, but it doesn’t matter because they’re a couple.” So, point of the story: go to Mykonos if you’re looking to relax at the beach, walk amongst picturesque whitewashed buildings and spend loads of money on delicious seafood, but not if you’re looking to meet guys (that is, unless you’re gay yourself).
Despite my idealism and naivety at times, I must admit that I am catching onto some of the negativity towards certain ethnic groups based on how other people treat them. For example, I used to be really nice to Gypsy children who try to sell me their crap, but now I have a very hard time tolerating it and rather than responding to them shoving their glow bracelets or plastic toys in my face with a polite “No, thank you,” the response has turned into a firm “No, go away” or “ I don’t want your crap” or “No, don’t touch me.” They may or may not understand, but that’s just the response that comes out. Part of this transition is because its annoying when people bother you when you are eating at a nice restaurant or having a drink at a bar, but I also believe that I let these responses come out because its not socially unacceptable to do so. Additionally, I have learned about Greek efforts to build neighborhood for Gypsies, but this didn’t help the Gypsy population, as they moved in for a few weeks, neglected the bathrooms, trashed the place, then moved on. I’m torn between accepting that this is a type of “nomadism” is part of Gypsy culture which has existed for centuries, but at the same time I have very little sympathy for people who have opportunities right in front of their noses but do not take advantage of them.
In the US, I do not accept intolerance of any one person simply because of their belonging to a certain ethnic group. However, that is because I am American and more or less know and understand the demographics of my home country. However its hard to be so accepting abroad when you are always a guest. If someone tells me to watch out for Nigerians because they are schemers, I am going to believe them because in the short time that I will be in that country, I don’t want to be schemed. If someone tells me not to trust Albanians because there is an increased incidence of rape by Albanian men on the Greek Isles, I’m surely going to believe that person because I’d rather be safe than sorry. Its difficult because my instinct tells me to treat every ethnic group with the same warmth and kindness I would treat any person. Yet when my first priority is to protect myself, my instinct changes and tells me to discriminate in order to keep myself safe---even though I feel that I’m going against all the qualities and values that I normally preach. I hope that’s understandable. If not, may god forgive me of my sins!
PS I can’t believe the King of Pop is dead. RIP MJ.
June 30, 2009
I am now on the Hellenic Seaways ferry back to Athens via Piraeus port. It’s a 4 hour ride and Georgia and I have 50 Euro tickets for Economy Class. IT seems that this ride will be rather interesting, as its loud, smoky and rather similar to the environment of a wating room (in regards to lot of chatty people) / mall food court (in reference to the café in the middle). I know I won’t get any sleep, but hopefully I won’t get seasick. I never thought that boats made me sick, but on the last ferry, I ended up feeling like my stomach was in a knot, ready to blow chunks at any minute. Georgia and I took puke-stop medicine (literal translation from Greek) before we boarded so we’re hoping that will help.
Once we reach Athens, Georgia and I will then head to her dad’s village Itea which is close to the ancient port of Delphi. We will spend a few days there before returning to Halandri to celebrate Georgia’s birthday (july 6).
Santorini was another beautiful island. The most beautiful thing about it though, it not any man made structure, but the natural beauty of the island. It is not actually an island, but a sunken volcano. This creates in interesting view (of the caldera) from the inner cliffs of the outer ring. Imagine a ring with a solid circle in the middle. The inner circle is the top of the volcano and the outer circle is what didn’t sink underwater when the volcano imploded. It is said that this sunken island is somehow related to the Lost City of Atlantis. I don’t know all the details though; you might want to Google that one.
I think 2.5 days on the island was a perfect amount, especially when you’ve spent the previous 4 days under the sun in Mykonos. There is not much to do on the island other than walk around, take pictures and lie at the beach. When you lay in the sun for 4 days straight, it’s relaxing, but then adding 2 more days makes you feel like your trapped in a salty, sticky sauna. Again though, I can’t complain because it is an absolute paradise.
The first day we walked around Fira (the main town), took pictures and watched the sunset. The second day, we went to the black sand beach (though its more like small rocks and pebbles) and then went to a winery (Santo Winery) to watch the sunset from their terrace. The third day, we went to the red beach and then to Oia (another bigger town) to explore. The red beach was an interesting experience, as we had to get off the bus at a stop a 15 minute walk away from the beach. And it wasn’t your average 15 minute walk. We first walked along a beach, then up a path that followed a seaside cliff, then up some rocks, then down the cliff to finally reach the beach. Georgia and I decided to spend 7 Euros to get a beach chair because the beach was pretty gross because of all the seaweed washed up. That was a good decision because about 30 minutes after we sat down, there was an avalanche on the cliff behind us and some people who were laying on towels under the cliff were covered in rocks and dirt. Luckily, no one was hurt, though an old Italian couple who was sitting on lounge chairs started yelling and complaining to the Greek guy who handled renting out the beach chairs. The Italian guy wanted his money back since he was close to the avalanche. The Greek man replied that he didn’t own the rocks, he warns people every day no to sit there, and that the Italian man wasn’t even touched by even the smallest piece of debris. So the Italian man finally gave up after much pouting and shouting. Before leaving though, the Italian man took a rock that had fallen, put it on his lounge chair, and took a picture. Not sure exactly what he was planning on doing with that picture.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Mykonos
since I haven't had internet connection in a few days, here are a few posts that i've saved up:
June 23, 2009
I just arrived in Mykonos and we’re waiting in the hotel lobby for our room to be ready. We left Athens via the port or Rafina on a hydrofoil this morning at 7:45. Luckily, the water was relatively smooth except for a few rough moments when I thought my stomach was going to fly up my esophagus and out of my mouth. Didn’t happen though. Alhamdullilah
The coach bus ride to the resort/hotel was also rather interesting, as the roads are about 1.3-1.5 lanes and up, down and around hills, mountains and cliffs. There was one point in which the tour bus was going up a 45-degree incline, no exaggeration. The 20 minute ride felt like a slow motion rollercoaster.
Since I arrived back in Athens from Turkey, Georgia and I took a few days to go to Thessaloniki, a few days to explore Athens nightlife, and a few days to sit around the apartment.
Thessaloniki is a city about 4.5 hours by train north of Athens. It has a lot of history, as it was a stop along the ancient road from Constantinople to Rome. There are two great museums –the Byzantine Museum and Archeological Museum—in Thessaloniki which display the city’s history beginning with prehistoric homes all through the Byzantine era, the Schism and the changes in Greek art. The city center is located right on the sea, and for that reason I liked it a little more than Athens-aesthetically speaking at least. Otherwise it’s pretty similar to Athens.
Georgia and I stayed in a hotel, but met with her family friend, Dino. He is a really nice guy who used to coach Greek pro basketball, but now has is own sports clothing business. We spent one afternoon swimming in the pool at his house on a hillside a little ways outside the city center. Another too-good-to-be-true experience, as we sat at Dino’s private inground pool, sipping freddos (a popular coffee drink which is basically sweetened espresso added to whipped milk over ice), looking over Thessaloniki and the gulf of Thermoaikos with the outline of Mount Olympus in the background.
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June 25, 2009
I wish there were other, stronger descriptors for “gorgeous,” “beautiful,” “stunning,” and “amazing” since I’ve used those words so many times. I feel like I’m at the point where these words have totally lost their meanings. I’ve said them so many times at so many different locations that I don’t even believe myself anymore. But really, what other words are there to describe the Foro Romano in Rome, the Nile in Upper Egypt and the clash of the blue sea and eggshell white buildings on the rocky sand-colored slopes? Let me know if you have any ideas for me.
I suppose I could take a picture or movie, but even still its hard understand the beauty from a picture or a movie because you’re not physically in the environment—you’re not feeling the sun and the sea breeze and seeing the colors of the clouds against the rocky mountains against the beach against the blue-green of the sea.
There are so many picture perfect moments on this island, as you’ll hopefully be able to understand from my pictures. I am not a cat person normally. In fact, normally I think cats are either too fat or too skinny and disgustingly furry. But here on Mykonos, there is something about the street cats that make them cute and make their black fur or sky blue eyes picture perfect against the whitewashed buildings and bright blue doors. I may have just lost about 15 coolness points for saying that, but its true!!
Otherwise, I don’t really have a lot to say about my time here in Mykonos. All we are doing is sitting by the beach and pool, alternatively, and heading into town for dinner each night. Our hotel the “Royal Myconian” is about 30 minutes by bus away from the city center. It’s a five star hotel, but we get a deal on the normal room rate because Georgia’s dad has a environmental engineering conference here. Its very well the nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed in. Continental breakfast is included in the room rate and has everything type of breakfast food you could imagine, including any made-to-order coffee drink and even non-breakfast foods like champagne. If you know me, you would guess that I would stash food to last me the whole day so that I don’t have to buy the 14 Euro pizzas or 11 Euro smoothies from the poolside hotel restaurant. When I was at breakfast this morning, I approached the table to sit down and one of the cute young Serbian servers swooped over to pull out my chair for me. This is great!
Today we are leaving the five star resort to stay in a hostel in Mykonos Town-the main port city on the island. It will be quite the change from this luxury paradise hotel, but it will be fun to go out on the town tonight. Apparently, Mykonos has great nightlife.
June 26, 2009
Sadly, the only African people that you see in Greece are men selling fake bags or ripped DVDs on the street and women cleaning bathrooms and sweeping floors. On Mykonos, I saw a group of 3 African (I’m guessing Nigerian) women and in Athens I saw a handful of African-American tourists. But that’s about it. Anyway, back to my main train of thought—if the African men selling fake bags on the street (on top of a blanket rigged to make a sac to pull over their shoulder should the police come) can afford to make it all the way from Nigeria (the country from which many of them come) to the island of Mykonos and acquire the plethora of faux Gucci handbags, why would they not just take all that money and do something a little more productive with it? I don’t know the economic situation of Nigeria (and that’s something I’ll need to look into) but it must be a pretty crappy if thousands of men and women come all this way to sell bags and clean bathrooms.
June 23, 2009
I just arrived in Mykonos and we’re waiting in the hotel lobby for our room to be ready. We left Athens via the port or Rafina on a hydrofoil this morning at 7:45. Luckily, the water was relatively smooth except for a few rough moments when I thought my stomach was going to fly up my esophagus and out of my mouth. Didn’t happen though. Alhamdullilah
The coach bus ride to the resort/hotel was also rather interesting, as the roads are about 1.3-1.5 lanes and up, down and around hills, mountains and cliffs. There was one point in which the tour bus was going up a 45-degree incline, no exaggeration. The 20 minute ride felt like a slow motion rollercoaster.
Since I arrived back in Athens from Turkey, Georgia and I took a few days to go to Thessaloniki, a few days to explore Athens nightlife, and a few days to sit around the apartment.
Thessaloniki is a city about 4.5 hours by train north of Athens. It has a lot of history, as it was a stop along the ancient road from Constantinople to Rome. There are two great museums –the Byzantine Museum and Archeological Museum—in Thessaloniki which display the city’s history beginning with prehistoric homes all through the Byzantine era, the Schism and the changes in Greek art. The city center is located right on the sea, and for that reason I liked it a little more than Athens-aesthetically speaking at least. Otherwise it’s pretty similar to Athens.
Georgia and I stayed in a hotel, but met with her family friend, Dino. He is a really nice guy who used to coach Greek pro basketball, but now has is own sports clothing business. We spent one afternoon swimming in the pool at his house on a hillside a little ways outside the city center. Another too-good-to-be-true experience, as we sat at Dino’s private inground pool, sipping freddos (a popular coffee drink which is basically sweetened espresso added to whipped milk over ice), looking over Thessaloniki and the gulf of Thermoaikos with the outline of Mount Olympus in the background.
---
June 25, 2009
I wish there were other, stronger descriptors for “gorgeous,” “beautiful,” “stunning,” and “amazing” since I’ve used those words so many times. I feel like I’m at the point where these words have totally lost their meanings. I’ve said them so many times at so many different locations that I don’t even believe myself anymore. But really, what other words are there to describe the Foro Romano in Rome, the Nile in Upper Egypt and the clash of the blue sea and eggshell white buildings on the rocky sand-colored slopes? Let me know if you have any ideas for me.
I suppose I could take a picture or movie, but even still its hard understand the beauty from a picture or a movie because you’re not physically in the environment—you’re not feeling the sun and the sea breeze and seeing the colors of the clouds against the rocky mountains against the beach against the blue-green of the sea.
There are so many picture perfect moments on this island, as you’ll hopefully be able to understand from my pictures. I am not a cat person normally. In fact, normally I think cats are either too fat or too skinny and disgustingly furry. But here on Mykonos, there is something about the street cats that make them cute and make their black fur or sky blue eyes picture perfect against the whitewashed buildings and bright blue doors. I may have just lost about 15 coolness points for saying that, but its true!!
Otherwise, I don’t really have a lot to say about my time here in Mykonos. All we are doing is sitting by the beach and pool, alternatively, and heading into town for dinner each night. Our hotel the “Royal Myconian” is about 30 minutes by bus away from the city center. It’s a five star hotel, but we get a deal on the normal room rate because Georgia’s dad has a environmental engineering conference here. Its very well the nicest hotel I’ve ever stayed in. Continental breakfast is included in the room rate and has everything type of breakfast food you could imagine, including any made-to-order coffee drink and even non-breakfast foods like champagne. If you know me, you would guess that I would stash food to last me the whole day so that I don’t have to buy the 14 Euro pizzas or 11 Euro smoothies from the poolside hotel restaurant. When I was at breakfast this morning, I approached the table to sit down and one of the cute young Serbian servers swooped over to pull out my chair for me. This is great!
Today we are leaving the five star resort to stay in a hostel in Mykonos Town-the main port city on the island. It will be quite the change from this luxury paradise hotel, but it will be fun to go out on the town tonight. Apparently, Mykonos has great nightlife.
June 26, 2009
Sadly, the only African people that you see in Greece are men selling fake bags or ripped DVDs on the street and women cleaning bathrooms and sweeping floors. On Mykonos, I saw a group of 3 African (I’m guessing Nigerian) women and in Athens I saw a handful of African-American tourists. But that’s about it. Anyway, back to my main train of thought—if the African men selling fake bags on the street (on top of a blanket rigged to make a sac to pull over their shoulder should the police come) can afford to make it all the way from Nigeria (the country from which many of them come) to the island of Mykonos and acquire the plethora of faux Gucci handbags, why would they not just take all that money and do something a little more productive with it? I don’t know the economic situation of Nigeria (and that’s something I’ll need to look into) but it must be a pretty crappy if thousands of men and women come all this way to sell bags and clean bathrooms.
Monday, June 15, 2009
back in Greece
I've been back in Greece since Wednesday and it really feels like "summer." Georgia and my travel plans to Sparta fell through due to a family emergency so we spent the last few days in Athens rather than Sparta. We've basically seen all the tourist places in Athens so now I really feel like I'm living here: especially because Georgia's family has moved into the apartment building for the summer. The door is always open and aunts, uncles and cousins are always walking in and out. And at the same time, I'm meeting tons of new people (friends of Georgia and then their friends), and I honestly feel like I'm in the show "Sex and the City." In Madison, I'm used to going to house parties or a bar here and there. But here in Athens, the night life (as far as I've experienced) is very classy and there are beautiful people everywhere. I suppose they aren't more beautiful in the US or in any other country, but they do dress and carry themselves nicer. We go out and the bar tenders are 20-something Abercrombie and Fitch model-looking fellows wearing V-necks, and the crowd ranges from young Greek women having margaritas with their friends to older businessmen in suits having whiskey at the bar. The larger clubs have a stage for the male and female go-go dancers and open out to the beach and the Aegean Sea. Anyone who is anyone gets their own table with their own bottles of 100 Euro vodka or drink of choice. The party really starts at 1 or 2 am and "bar time" is announced by the sunrise. Rather different from the basement parties and beer kegs of Madison, WI.
I could say I'm living like a true European young person. That is, summer means no school, no work and living off parents money. The only thing is that I'm not living off my parents money. In the United States, I thought it was relatively common to be financially independent from one's parents by age 21, but meeting all these people abroad, I see its not as common as I thought for both Americans and non-Americans alike. The downside is that I have to be annoyingly frugal when out to eat with friends and I don't have an unlimited cash flow. But on the upside, I can do whatever the heck I want (no one withholding allowance if I do or don't do this or that) and I can be proud that I worked for everything that I am experiencing. It makes it kind of a double whammy that I have worked for all this money on my own (or earned it from scholarships) and then I'm using it to be able to travel the world on my own. One side of me feels guilty for not having a "productive" summer by American standards. But while I'm not working in a prestigious office building or doing an internship this semester, I still believe I'm gaining invaluable skills in accounting, decision making, leadership, problem solving, etc. (Even the clubbing and going out experiences help, I swear!). I have said this a billion times, but I truly believe that the things I'm learning in my travels are priceless lessons and vital facts that I could never learn from a book, course, conference, or lecture even at the highest regarded university.
For example, you may take a course about society in the Middle East that teaches you that some people in Islam believe that homosexuality is a mental disease and that any gays or lesbians need to seek immediate psychological help. But that's kind of hard to believe until you're sitting at a restaurant with a young Egyptian man who tells you that he feels uncomfortable around gay people because they're not normal and that they should see a psychologist in order to be "cured."
Or you read about the problems between Greece and Turkey and it doesnt seem like it should be such a big deal since it was so long ago in history. But then you go to Greece and hear daily about the bitterness towards Turks for kicking out over a million Greeks from Asia Minor over 50 years ago.
Or you learn about Turkey's desire to become part of the European Union but think it's silly because Turkey just isn't part of Europe--it's a different continent, different history, different culture. But then you go to Istanbul and feel like you haven't set a foot out of Athens if it weren't for the call to prayer being broadcast 5 times a day.
Some stuff just gets the wheels a-turnin.
I could say I'm living like a true European young person. That is, summer means no school, no work and living off parents money. The only thing is that I'm not living off my parents money. In the United States, I thought it was relatively common to be financially independent from one's parents by age 21, but meeting all these people abroad, I see its not as common as I thought for both Americans and non-Americans alike. The downside is that I have to be annoyingly frugal when out to eat with friends and I don't have an unlimited cash flow. But on the upside, I can do whatever the heck I want (no one withholding allowance if I do or don't do this or that) and I can be proud that I worked for everything that I am experiencing. It makes it kind of a double whammy that I have worked for all this money on my own (or earned it from scholarships) and then I'm using it to be able to travel the world on my own. One side of me feels guilty for not having a "productive" summer by American standards. But while I'm not working in a prestigious office building or doing an internship this semester, I still believe I'm gaining invaluable skills in accounting, decision making, leadership, problem solving, etc. (Even the clubbing and going out experiences help, I swear!). I have said this a billion times, but I truly believe that the things I'm learning in my travels are priceless lessons and vital facts that I could never learn from a book, course, conference, or lecture even at the highest regarded university.
For example, you may take a course about society in the Middle East that teaches you that some people in Islam believe that homosexuality is a mental disease and that any gays or lesbians need to seek immediate psychological help. But that's kind of hard to believe until you're sitting at a restaurant with a young Egyptian man who tells you that he feels uncomfortable around gay people because they're not normal and that they should see a psychologist in order to be "cured."
Or you read about the problems between Greece and Turkey and it doesnt seem like it should be such a big deal since it was so long ago in history. But then you go to Greece and hear daily about the bitterness towards Turks for kicking out over a million Greeks from Asia Minor over 50 years ago.
Or you learn about Turkey's desire to become part of the European Union but think it's silly because Turkey just isn't part of Europe--it's a different continent, different history, different culture. But then you go to Istanbul and feel like you haven't set a foot out of Athens if it weren't for the call to prayer being broadcast 5 times a day.
Some stuff just gets the wheels a-turnin.
Friday, June 12, 2009
reflecting on turkey
For the last week or so, Tolga has been getting really frustrated because nothing here in Turkey really shocks me. He remembers his time in the US and thinks that I would have thought this city/country is polluted, chaotic, conservative, etc. But coming from Egypt, the shock factor for any of these things is totally gone.
The other day, we went to a place in Istanbul to buy ripped DVDs and computer programs for about $2 each. We started in some little shop off the main road where men sat around drinking tea and trying to lure each passerby into their respective shops, then followed the shop owner down some more hidden streets to another place to buy the DVDs.
Tolga commented "Pretty creepy, huh? Does this freak you out?"
"Not really, I replied. I’ve been to places like this in Egypt."
He was disappointed that he couldn't shock me.
When we were in a minibus on the way to the beach, we saw a man on a motorcycle with his young son in front of him, neither of them wearing helmets.
"Check that out!" Tolga said. " Can you believe they're riding like that?
I replied “Ha, I’ve seen worse,” referring to the time in Egypt when I saw a whole family (Dad, 2 small children and an infant in the Mom’s arms) on a motorcycle.
Again, Tolga was mad that I wasn’t surprised.
That’s not to say I wasn’t pleasantly surprised by Istanbul. Other people who had been there had painted a rather negative picture for me—a place where women are called at, where the streets are over crowded, where people are restricted because of Islam. Some of these things are true in some areas of Istanbul, but I don’t see them as a factor that will overcome all the positives. There are negatives when traveling to any place and you just have to take them with a grain of salt. In Egypt a 15 year old offered camels, cows and chickens for my friend and in Istanbul someone grabbed my butt. I will never forget these things, but when someone asks me about Egypt and Turkey, these are surely not the first things that will come to mind.
I believe that is the fault of many Westerners when the come back from countries like Egypt and Turkey. Many Americans that I have previously talked to are disgusted by similar situations that have occurred to them. Rather than sharing the positive things they know about the country they or someone they know has visited when I tell them of my travel destinations, they put on a face of panic and proclaim “Oh, but when I/my daughter/my friend was there, this or that happened to her! Can you believe it? You’ll never feel safe over there”
The sad thing is that Westerners can’t get past the idea that many men in Muslim countries are sexually suppressed and don’t know how to deal with those feelings in a socially acceptable way. They judge those poor (financially and intellectually), uneducated men by our American standards. This is the biggest mistake. It’s not like all men in Egypt and Turkey find it acceptable to degrade women in these ways. In fact, if you ask any educated man—young or old—they will tell you its an embarrassment to their country and many times apologize to you for something that isn’t their fault.
On that same note, I don’t mean to make direct comparisons between Egypt and Turkey. From my experiences in those countries, I gathered that Islam is viewed in a different light in each of these places. In Egypt it is what people would think of as a stereotypically Muslim country—alcohol is harder to come by, women fit in better the more conservatively they are dressed, men and women belong to separate social circles. Turkey, however, treats Islam and the United States treats Christianity. Some people take religion as the only guide for living, some people believe in God and pick and choose what rules they want to follow, while others just laugh at some of the silly doctrines the religion dictates and ignore them altogether. You can get a beer at any restaurant, there is great night life, women wear shorts and tank-tops but you still see a woman covering her head here and there and the call to prayer still sounds 5 times a day. But there are many Turks who really look down upon women who cover their head. Like I mentioned in a previous blog, it’s a strange mix between traditional and the West’s view of modern.
I think that’s why I enjoyed the city so much. Additionally, I’ve realized that it’s not just about the sights and the food that make the experience (although Istanbul gets an A+ in both of those areas), it’s the people! In Egypt I went to visit one friend, but he had an opportunity to go to the Gaza strip with his university, so I had at the end a week where I stayed with someone who I just met and chilled with a whole new group of people that I had met through my American friends. In Turkey, I was lucky enough to have two Turkish hosts who introduced me to a lot of their friends. And that’s not even including all the people who I met randomly at clubs, bars, museums, at the beach, on the street. In the US, I am very skeptical meeting people at these kind of places, but when traveling, you have to be very open minded (but at the same time very cautious) about the people you meet. Many times, you find people in the same situation as you—traveling, looking to learn from others and their experiences. I have met some very interesting people just by saying hi or by not being weirded out by random people who say hi to me. Additionally, I have learned so much by listening and asking questions rather than blabbing about myself. I have been surprised at how much people will share if you ask the right questions, and if you ask the right questions, people will let you in on some very important insights about life and people in general.
Break time.
The other day, we went to a place in Istanbul to buy ripped DVDs and computer programs for about $2 each. We started in some little shop off the main road where men sat around drinking tea and trying to lure each passerby into their respective shops, then followed the shop owner down some more hidden streets to another place to buy the DVDs.
Tolga commented "Pretty creepy, huh? Does this freak you out?"
"Not really, I replied. I’ve been to places like this in Egypt."
He was disappointed that he couldn't shock me.
When we were in a minibus on the way to the beach, we saw a man on a motorcycle with his young son in front of him, neither of them wearing helmets.
"Check that out!" Tolga said. " Can you believe they're riding like that?
I replied “Ha, I’ve seen worse,” referring to the time in Egypt when I saw a whole family (Dad, 2 small children and an infant in the Mom’s arms) on a motorcycle.
Again, Tolga was mad that I wasn’t surprised.
That’s not to say I wasn’t pleasantly surprised by Istanbul. Other people who had been there had painted a rather negative picture for me—a place where women are called at, where the streets are over crowded, where people are restricted because of Islam. Some of these things are true in some areas of Istanbul, but I don’t see them as a factor that will overcome all the positives. There are negatives when traveling to any place and you just have to take them with a grain of salt. In Egypt a 15 year old offered camels, cows and chickens for my friend and in Istanbul someone grabbed my butt. I will never forget these things, but when someone asks me about Egypt and Turkey, these are surely not the first things that will come to mind.
I believe that is the fault of many Westerners when the come back from countries like Egypt and Turkey. Many Americans that I have previously talked to are disgusted by similar situations that have occurred to them. Rather than sharing the positive things they know about the country they or someone they know has visited when I tell them of my travel destinations, they put on a face of panic and proclaim “Oh, but when I/my daughter/my friend was there, this or that happened to her! Can you believe it? You’ll never feel safe over there”
The sad thing is that Westerners can’t get past the idea that many men in Muslim countries are sexually suppressed and don’t know how to deal with those feelings in a socially acceptable way. They judge those poor (financially and intellectually), uneducated men by our American standards. This is the biggest mistake. It’s not like all men in Egypt and Turkey find it acceptable to degrade women in these ways. In fact, if you ask any educated man—young or old—they will tell you its an embarrassment to their country and many times apologize to you for something that isn’t their fault.
On that same note, I don’t mean to make direct comparisons between Egypt and Turkey. From my experiences in those countries, I gathered that Islam is viewed in a different light in each of these places. In Egypt it is what people would think of as a stereotypically Muslim country—alcohol is harder to come by, women fit in better the more conservatively they are dressed, men and women belong to separate social circles. Turkey, however, treats Islam and the United States treats Christianity. Some people take religion as the only guide for living, some people believe in God and pick and choose what rules they want to follow, while others just laugh at some of the silly doctrines the religion dictates and ignore them altogether. You can get a beer at any restaurant, there is great night life, women wear shorts and tank-tops but you still see a woman covering her head here and there and the call to prayer still sounds 5 times a day. But there are many Turks who really look down upon women who cover their head. Like I mentioned in a previous blog, it’s a strange mix between traditional and the West’s view of modern.
I think that’s why I enjoyed the city so much. Additionally, I’ve realized that it’s not just about the sights and the food that make the experience (although Istanbul gets an A+ in both of those areas), it’s the people! In Egypt I went to visit one friend, but he had an opportunity to go to the Gaza strip with his university, so I had at the end a week where I stayed with someone who I just met and chilled with a whole new group of people that I had met through my American friends. In Turkey, I was lucky enough to have two Turkish hosts who introduced me to a lot of their friends. And that’s not even including all the people who I met randomly at clubs, bars, museums, at the beach, on the street. In the US, I am very skeptical meeting people at these kind of places, but when traveling, you have to be very open minded (but at the same time very cautious) about the people you meet. Many times, you find people in the same situation as you—traveling, looking to learn from others and their experiences. I have met some very interesting people just by saying hi or by not being weirded out by random people who say hi to me. Additionally, I have learned so much by listening and asking questions rather than blabbing about myself. I have been surprised at how much people will share if you ask the right questions, and if you ask the right questions, people will let you in on some very important insights about life and people in general.
Break time.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Yet another beautıful day ın turkey.
Today Tolga and I rented a car and drove about an hour north of Didim to see the ancient city of Ephesus, the house of Mother Mary, and a small town called Sirince (pronounced SHIR-in-je) where they produce wine.
We forced ourselves to get out of bed at 9am after a late night out in Didim and started the day with a traditional Turkish breakfast in a nearby village called Akkoy. SO DELICIOUS. Everything was fresh from the farm: eggs literally taken from the chicken coop, tomatoes and cucumbers plucked from the garden, olives taken from local trees, olive oil squeezed fresh at the house, not to mention the homemade bread, butter, and honey. This is the way food is supposed to be enjoyed.
Ephesus is one of the largest intact of all world's ancient cities. At many historical sights you see one building: the Colosseum, Temple of Zeus, a monastery. But Ephesus is actually a whole dang city where at its high point 200,000 people lived over the last five thousand years. People like Cleopatra, Marc Antony and other Greek and Roman leaders made visits. If you look at it, its just a bunch of heaps of rocks and stone carvings thrown together—some buildings are mostly intact but others just consists of walls and pillars here and there. But learning about each building individually allows you to put the picture together.
In the US, our history classes teach us about events mostly in the last 200 years as being the most important in terms of issues that impact us as Americans. A lot of times we put Western society in high regard and forget “the east.” But looking at these sites really makes you think beyond what you have learned in textbooks . Also you are able to tie together everything you have learned from movies or in world history classes and visualize it in the place where it actually took place. For example, Ephesus has a huge meeting hall where the leaders came together to discuss government and democracy. There are huge bathhouses where people came together to wash and socialize and then waterworks that brought water to different parts of the city. There are even rows of port-o-potty style toilets at the bathhouse that let the waste drop into a deep pit where it was then washed away by the water system.
Kind of makes you think twice about what constitutes modernity and who we can thank for who we are today. How much have we really changed over time? How is it that 5,000 later we are still using similar structures and enjoying similar past times?
Additionally, visiting these kind of sites in various countries over the past few months allows me to make a lot of global connections. Sure, today these isolated sites are in different countries and accessing them requires different currencies, methods of travel and knowledge of different languages, but then you realize that in the time that these cities were thriving and the buildings were in business, the world was organized in a wholeee different manner. You realized that they weren't so isolated as they seem today.
For example, I was in Rome over Spring Break. In a few different places around the city, there are obelisks which were gifted to the Roman empire by the ancient Egyptians. In Egypt, I saw the places where those obelisks were made and the tombs of the people who commissioned them and sent them abroad. In Istanbul, there is another obelisk and in Ephesus, statues and tablets with Greek gods and inscriptions are scattered around. In Greece, I visited the archeological museum where some of the most well known statues in the same styles are displayed. No matter how much you read about this stuff or how many multiple choice questions you answer correctly about ancient Mediterranean relations, it doesn't really soak in until you see it.
Turkey is a really beautiful country. The drive to Epehsus was beautiful with many views of the Aegean sea and the nearby Greek isles, as well as small towns buried among fields of olive trees, the donkeys and chickens that live there, and the mountains and rolling farmland that you see in between. From my limited time here, this country seems a strange mix of old and new, modern and traditional, east and west. Here in Didim its especially unique. For example, I can sit on the beach, next to the topless woman tanning a few chairs away, sipping a beer, hearing the call to prayer every so often, seeing a woman swimming in a full body swimsuit including head cover. Then on the way back to the apartment, you see the man on his porch reading the Qur'an out loud, pass the street cats and dogs that wander the street and have to remember to not talk or laugh to loud for fear of what the neighbors might think. Then at the clubs, people are absolutely schwasted, dirty dancing on the floor, having sex on the roof of the club (yes, I really saw this and consequently, am scarred for life). Its important to note here, though, that there are a lot of British tourist here. Still, there are plenty of Turkish people who take part in this debauchery is well.
As for Istanbul, it could be Europe (but no, I am not asserting here that Turkey as a whole should be part of the European Union). There is traffic, but people follow traffic lights. There is litter, but there are trash receptacles here and there. You see women who are wearing hijabs, but they are the minority and I have yet to see anyone wearing a full niqab. It even seems from the people that I've talked to that they are looked down upon. There are great bars and clubs, and you have no problem finding alcohol.
At the same time, I do feel limited at times in terms of what I can wear due to disgusting creepers who roams the streets. I even got my ass grabbed twice the other day when there was a celebration going on for a soccer team that won. Its so incredibly degrading because you can't do anything about it. A wise woman once told me that God punishes. Insha'allah that is true. If God is cruel enough to allow war, then he must be cruel enough to rip off these men's balls and grill them in front of their noses. Inshallah.
Well, I'm off to take homemade jello shots with Tolga.
Güle güle!
We forced ourselves to get out of bed at 9am after a late night out in Didim and started the day with a traditional Turkish breakfast in a nearby village called Akkoy. SO DELICIOUS. Everything was fresh from the farm: eggs literally taken from the chicken coop, tomatoes and cucumbers plucked from the garden, olives taken from local trees, olive oil squeezed fresh at the house, not to mention the homemade bread, butter, and honey. This is the way food is supposed to be enjoyed.
Ephesus is one of the largest intact of all world's ancient cities. At many historical sights you see one building: the Colosseum, Temple of Zeus, a monastery. But Ephesus is actually a whole dang city where at its high point 200,000 people lived over the last five thousand years. People like Cleopatra, Marc Antony and other Greek and Roman leaders made visits. If you look at it, its just a bunch of heaps of rocks and stone carvings thrown together—some buildings are mostly intact but others just consists of walls and pillars here and there. But learning about each building individually allows you to put the picture together.
In the US, our history classes teach us about events mostly in the last 200 years as being the most important in terms of issues that impact us as Americans. A lot of times we put Western society in high regard and forget “the east.” But looking at these sites really makes you think beyond what you have learned in textbooks . Also you are able to tie together everything you have learned from movies or in world history classes and visualize it in the place where it actually took place. For example, Ephesus has a huge meeting hall where the leaders came together to discuss government and democracy. There are huge bathhouses where people came together to wash and socialize and then waterworks that brought water to different parts of the city. There are even rows of port-o-potty style toilets at the bathhouse that let the waste drop into a deep pit where it was then washed away by the water system.
Kind of makes you think twice about what constitutes modernity and who we can thank for who we are today. How much have we really changed over time? How is it that 5,000 later we are still using similar structures and enjoying similar past times?
Additionally, visiting these kind of sites in various countries over the past few months allows me to make a lot of global connections. Sure, today these isolated sites are in different countries and accessing them requires different currencies, methods of travel and knowledge of different languages, but then you realize that in the time that these cities were thriving and the buildings were in business, the world was organized in a wholeee different manner. You realized that they weren't so isolated as they seem today.
For example, I was in Rome over Spring Break. In a few different places around the city, there are obelisks which were gifted to the Roman empire by the ancient Egyptians. In Egypt, I saw the places where those obelisks were made and the tombs of the people who commissioned them and sent them abroad. In Istanbul, there is another obelisk and in Ephesus, statues and tablets with Greek gods and inscriptions are scattered around. In Greece, I visited the archeological museum where some of the most well known statues in the same styles are displayed. No matter how much you read about this stuff or how many multiple choice questions you answer correctly about ancient Mediterranean relations, it doesn't really soak in until you see it.
Turkey is a really beautiful country. The drive to Epehsus was beautiful with many views of the Aegean sea and the nearby Greek isles, as well as small towns buried among fields of olive trees, the donkeys and chickens that live there, and the mountains and rolling farmland that you see in between. From my limited time here, this country seems a strange mix of old and new, modern and traditional, east and west. Here in Didim its especially unique. For example, I can sit on the beach, next to the topless woman tanning a few chairs away, sipping a beer, hearing the call to prayer every so often, seeing a woman swimming in a full body swimsuit including head cover. Then on the way back to the apartment, you see the man on his porch reading the Qur'an out loud, pass the street cats and dogs that wander the street and have to remember to not talk or laugh to loud for fear of what the neighbors might think. Then at the clubs, people are absolutely schwasted, dirty dancing on the floor, having sex on the roof of the club (yes, I really saw this and consequently, am scarred for life). Its important to note here, though, that there are a lot of British tourist here. Still, there are plenty of Turkish people who take part in this debauchery is well.
As for Istanbul, it could be Europe (but no, I am not asserting here that Turkey as a whole should be part of the European Union). There is traffic, but people follow traffic lights. There is litter, but there are trash receptacles here and there. You see women who are wearing hijabs, but they are the minority and I have yet to see anyone wearing a full niqab. It even seems from the people that I've talked to that they are looked down upon. There are great bars and clubs, and you have no problem finding alcohol.
At the same time, I do feel limited at times in terms of what I can wear due to disgusting creepers who roams the streets. I even got my ass grabbed twice the other day when there was a celebration going on for a soccer team that won. Its so incredibly degrading because you can't do anything about it. A wise woman once told me that God punishes. Insha'allah that is true. If God is cruel enough to allow war, then he must be cruel enough to rip off these men's balls and grill them in front of their noses. Inshallah.
Well, I'm off to take homemade jello shots with Tolga.
Güle güle!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
more musings on the Muslim world
While Turkey is a majority Muslim country, coming here from Cairo, these places are hardly even comparable. The only similarity that comes to mind is the call to prayer that you hear five times a day in all parts of the city. However, its even hard to compare the calls to prayer. In Cairo, its like an air raid attack with sounds coming at you from all directions... the mosques all have their different styles so that when you walk down the street, its a cocophany of voices. You've got the Allaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahu Akbar, the Allahhhhhhhuuuuuu Akbar and you can forget the Allaaahu Akbar Akbar Akbar. Everyone's got his own style. The athan goes, people turn down their car stereos or music in the shop and you see people wander into the nearest mosque.
Here in Istanbul, its the same idea, but the athan itself sounds a little cleaner and crisper, if that's possible. And the reaction to this sound is not the same as I experienced in Cairo. When I was with my friend the other day, she remarked on how loud and annoying it was. "Can't they turn that down?" she complained.
Last night when we were out at a Nargile cafe, the athan for fagr (first prayer of the day) sounded, the cafe cut the music, and everyone went on chatting and smoking thier nargile as usual.
I personally love hearing the call to prayer. It doesnt bother me or wake me up as it does some people. In fact, I think it gives my day consistency and also reminds me of the time. For example, after a night on the town or wherever I may have been, I always know its about time to head in when I hear the first athan at about 4:30 AM or so. While I highly doubt that is what the first call to prayer is meant for, it does come in handy for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
Before setting off on this epic Mediteranean journey of mine, I thought it would be easy to jump from one country to the next. I never thought about the connections I would make and also things I would have to leave behind as I left the country. If you told me 5 years ago that at one point I would actually miss the polluted, chaotic Cairo, Egypt, I would probably never have believed you. Now I find myself wanting to go back despite everything. Every day I was there I felt so many ups and downs --hating standing out, loving the food, hating the pollution, loving the people I met, hating the heat, loving the Red Sea and Mediteranean coast, etc, but in the end the love won me over.
Cairo is just such an exciting place where so many WIERD and unexpected things happen on a daily basis that life never gets boring. Its a place where you are learning something every day-- it could be a historical fact or a street smart skill. Its a place where there are no rules, a place where its all about who you know. Its in a country where you can never worry about tomorrow because you know you have such little control over what does and doesn't happen around you. Cairo is a city where you don't think twice, because by the time you do, your chance to cross the street, to get the bargain, escape the creepy man who's following you, is gone.
Cairo is interesting because being a foreigner/westerner sucks but at the same time makes you a superstar. You walk down the street and people greet you left and right.
"Hello! Welcome in Cairo! Welcome in Egypt!"
"How are you? Where are you from?"
But at the same time you are called at and hussled at every street corner.
"You have a nice ass!"
"Hello, come into my shop!"
"Hello friend, I make you good deal!"
On one hand you can pass by any check point, enter any hotel, mall, store, musuem with the flash of your American passport, no questions asked. Or just by opening your mouth and showing that you suck at the Arabic langauge, you're in. Need to use the bathroom? Make a quick stop at the Nile Hilton or Four Seasons. Want to enter a Synagogue? Just pull out your passport and show the guard. That is, only if its American. If you're an Egyptian man in a galabaya off the street, sorry, no luck. In fact, this story epitomizes this point:
The friends that I stayed with in Cairo wanted to go to a David Guetta concert (popular European DJ). It got to be the last minute and they hadn't yet bought their tickets. So, they come up with a scheme to get into the concert sans tickets. It was 6 people total, 5 guys, 1 girl. They were to act like they were Virgin Record representatives flying in from New York to see the concert. Each person had an identity: the DJ, the manager, the producer, the hot babe just along for the ride and of course the body guard. It helped that one friend was a bıg black guy who just got off of work and was still in his suit and who drives a really nice Audi. He also added a black ipod earbud just for the affect. He of course was the body guard.
Here in Istanbul, its the same idea, but the athan itself sounds a little cleaner and crisper, if that's possible. And the reaction to this sound is not the same as I experienced in Cairo. When I was with my friend the other day, she remarked on how loud and annoying it was. "Can't they turn that down?" she complained.
Last night when we were out at a Nargile cafe, the athan for fagr (first prayer of the day) sounded, the cafe cut the music, and everyone went on chatting and smoking thier nargile as usual.
I personally love hearing the call to prayer. It doesnt bother me or wake me up as it does some people. In fact, I think it gives my day consistency and also reminds me of the time. For example, after a night on the town or wherever I may have been, I always know its about time to head in when I hear the first athan at about 4:30 AM or so. While I highly doubt that is what the first call to prayer is meant for, it does come in handy for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
Before setting off on this epic Mediteranean journey of mine, I thought it would be easy to jump from one country to the next. I never thought about the connections I would make and also things I would have to leave behind as I left the country. If you told me 5 years ago that at one point I would actually miss the polluted, chaotic Cairo, Egypt, I would probably never have believed you. Now I find myself wanting to go back despite everything. Every day I was there I felt so many ups and downs --hating standing out, loving the food, hating the pollution, loving the people I met, hating the heat, loving the Red Sea and Mediteranean coast, etc, but in the end the love won me over.
Cairo is just such an exciting place where so many WIERD and unexpected things happen on a daily basis that life never gets boring. Its a place where you are learning something every day-- it could be a historical fact or a street smart skill. Its a place where there are no rules, a place where its all about who you know. Its in a country where you can never worry about tomorrow because you know you have such little control over what does and doesn't happen around you. Cairo is a city where you don't think twice, because by the time you do, your chance to cross the street, to get the bargain, escape the creepy man who's following you, is gone.
Cairo is interesting because being a foreigner/westerner sucks but at the same time makes you a superstar. You walk down the street and people greet you left and right.
"Hello! Welcome in Cairo! Welcome in Egypt!"
"How are you? Where are you from?"
But at the same time you are called at and hussled at every street corner.
"You have a nice ass!"
"Hello, come into my shop!"
"Hello friend, I make you good deal!"
On one hand you can pass by any check point, enter any hotel, mall, store, musuem with the flash of your American passport, no questions asked. Or just by opening your mouth and showing that you suck at the Arabic langauge, you're in. Need to use the bathroom? Make a quick stop at the Nile Hilton or Four Seasons. Want to enter a Synagogue? Just pull out your passport and show the guard. That is, only if its American. If you're an Egyptian man in a galabaya off the street, sorry, no luck. In fact, this story epitomizes this point:
The friends that I stayed with in Cairo wanted to go to a David Guetta concert (popular European DJ). It got to be the last minute and they hadn't yet bought their tickets. So, they come up with a scheme to get into the concert sans tickets. It was 6 people total, 5 guys, 1 girl. They were to act like they were Virgin Record representatives flying in from New York to see the concert. Each person had an identity: the DJ, the manager, the producer, the hot babe just along for the ride and of course the body guard. It helped that one friend was a bıg black guy who just got off of work and was still in his suit and who drives a really nice Audi. He also added a black ipod earbud just for the affect. He of course was the body guard.
So this group pulls up to the concerts, and demands to get in. At first the security was somewhat skeptical, but then as my American and British friends got increasingly heated and claimed that they they flew 9 hours from New York just for nothing, yelling that they were about to call some boss on their their Blackberry, the concert security let them in. And not just to the general concert which cost upward of 80 american dollars, mind you. They got into the VIP section, and then some got into the VVIP section later on. This was all while “normal” people outside were getting taisered by the concert security for being too pushy in line My friends didnt have to pull out their passports, but they did use “being Western” to their advantage.
One other similar story:
The first weekend in Egypt, a group of friends (British and American) went to the resort city of hurghada on the Red Sea Coast. Our friend Ali offered to drive. On the way down to Hurghada, driving through the Egyptian desert, Ali decided to pick up the pace since there weren't too many people on the road. We weren't aware that there was a speed limit until we got to a highway checkpoint and were stopped by the guards who said that we had been speeding. We were stopped by the guards, and Ali went out to talk to them. While I was starting to worry what these guys could do to us at 1 AM in the middle of the Egyptian desert, Ali came back in the car and declared everything was “sorted out,” as he likes to say. Due to Ali's job, he has a diplomatic license plate. An Egyptian guard popped his head in the window and apologized to us...for us speeding...
“I am sorry! Welcome in Egypt!” he said, and then let us on our way. Apparently, if we were not all Americans and if Ali didn't have a diplomatic license, then we would have been screwed. They could have ordered us out of the car and searched us for whatever they wanted. Its so strange to be so high above the law.
But on the other hand, you are treated like an American even when you don't want to. Egyptians see your light skin, light hair, uncovered body and automatically think you're a walking money bag. You try to pay a fair price for a taxi ride, but the cab driver gets out and shouts at you in Arabic, telling you that 10 pounds is not nearly enough (even though it really is MORE than enough). You ask how much a felafel sandwich is at a local, hole in the wall restuarant and they tell you that it is double the price that they normally charge Egyptians. Even though its a difference of 20 American cents, its really the concept behind it. At hotels in the tourist Red Sea cities and even in Cairo, someone bartering in Arabic with the hotel staff could get a hotel room for 20 American dollars, while some white kid in swim trunks and sneakers would only be able to get it down to 50 dollars or so. (That's why when we went to Hurghada, we sent in our British-Sudanese friend to do the bartering first and then once it agreed on a fair price, we would exit the car and lug in all of our crap, much to the surprise of the hotel staff)
Another downfall is not being able to speak the language fluently. I do speak some Arabic, and I can get by with what I know. However, its really hard to live a normal life if you cant understand the basics. For example—eating out. Since I was only in Cairo about three weeks, bouncing from city to city, apartment to apartment, I never really cooked for myself. I thought Cairo would be a really cheap city in terms of eating, but then I realized since I was choosing to eat at all the places with menus translated into English, it wasn't so cheap. Say that there are two eateries of some sort side by side on a street. One has an English and Arabic menu, the other just Arabic. If I couldnt read Arabic and understand the menu, I would be forced to eat at the more expensive restaurant with the English menu. And many times the price difference would be huge. You can eat at the all-Arabic menu place for under a dollar for a few felafel sandwiches, or you can eat at the English menu restaurant for 5 or more dollars. Even just being able to read “Sandawich felafel” and say “ I want this or that” in Arabic can make a world of difference when eating out.
It is annoying to think that you can never, ever fit into a society no matter how hard you try. Lucky for me I have darker skin and darker hair. If I dress the part (aka jeans, a turtleneck and heavy make-up in 100 degree weather) I can totally fit in. In fact many people would speak to me in Arabic thinking that I was Egyptian or Lebanese. I would would start speaking in a very basic, but grammatically correct Arabic and then the other person would go on, trying to make jokes or start a conversation with me. I was somewhat flattered, yet somewhat sad because it meant I had to let out the secret that I am in fact American, of no Arab descent.
But anyway, for fair skinned, light haired people, there's no hope. They are all doomed to a life of “Welcome in Cairo!” and “How are you, where are you from?” After experiencing that for just three weeks (since I didn't take the initiative to dress very Egyptian while I was there), I dont know some of the Western students put up with it for a semester or even a year.
Now, I must sleep, but more on Cairo coming soon...
O-BA-MA
WOW
I just watched Obama's speech from Cairo on CNN.
WOW
What a man.
The American president, speaking frankly about democracy in a clearly non-democratic country, sharing hard facts about the horrors Holocaust and flat out telling people that its wrong to deny it in a place where some people think its made-up, making references to the Holy Qu'ran, saying " Peace be upon him" after mentioning Prophet Mohamed, stating clearly that Israeli settlements must be stopped in the Palestinian terroritories...
I couldnt be more proud to be an American at this point. If only every American could open his or her eyes and ears to hear and understand what Obama is talking about. While this address was made towards the Muslim world, I am hoping the people of the United States also were listening intently.
Knowing a little more than average about the Middle East and especially Egypt, my eyes were GLUED to the TV for that hour (while Tolga snored beside me). Can you imagine being a Muslim in any part of the world and for the first time in who knows how long, hear positive things about your way of life and listen to speech that makes particular references to things that you are familiar with?
Everyone always says that Obama is such an eloquent speaker and the only problem is putting his words into action, but lets be honest. Just by saying the words that he did, Obama WAS and IS taking action. I am convinced that hearing such ideas from the American president will surely affect the opinions of at least some of the Muslim world. As Obama said: While it is our duty as Americans to not stereotype "the Muslim" as a terrorist or womanizer it is similarly the duty of the Muslim world not to pidgeonhole Americans as a hyper-sexualized people or soceity in degeneration. Insha'allah this is possible.
I just watched Obama's speech from Cairo on CNN.
WOW
What a man.
The American president, speaking frankly about democracy in a clearly non-democratic country, sharing hard facts about the horrors Holocaust and flat out telling people that its wrong to deny it in a place where some people think its made-up, making references to the Holy Qu'ran, saying " Peace be upon him" after mentioning Prophet Mohamed, stating clearly that Israeli settlements must be stopped in the Palestinian terroritories...
I couldnt be more proud to be an American at this point. If only every American could open his or her eyes and ears to hear and understand what Obama is talking about. While this address was made towards the Muslim world, I am hoping the people of the United States also were listening intently.
Knowing a little more than average about the Middle East and especially Egypt, my eyes were GLUED to the TV for that hour (while Tolga snored beside me). Can you imagine being a Muslim in any part of the world and for the first time in who knows how long, hear positive things about your way of life and listen to speech that makes particular references to things that you are familiar with?
Everyone always says that Obama is such an eloquent speaker and the only problem is putting his words into action, but lets be honest. Just by saying the words that he did, Obama WAS and IS taking action. I am convinced that hearing such ideas from the American president will surely affect the opinions of at least some of the Muslim world. As Obama said: While it is our duty as Americans to not stereotype "the Muslim" as a terrorist or womanizer it is similarly the duty of the Muslim world not to pidgeonhole Americans as a hyper-sexualized people or soceity in degeneration. Insha'allah this is possible.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
now in Istanbul
Hey all--
another quick post as I am in between touring by day and going out by night.
I arrived in Istanbul last Saturday and so far, I am loving it. I am staying with Tolga for a majority of the time, but I am also (currently) staying with Arin who is another AFS student who lived in Waukesha. Its wonderful to be able to have such great and familiar hosts because it means that I can really experience Istanbul not just in terms of the architecture and history, but also in terms of the culture, people and homelife.
In the last three days, I have done a lot of the tourist stuff (Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace) but also just met Tolga and Arin's friends, gone to bars and nargile (hookah/sheesha) cafes and eaten some great home cooked meals. I haven't seen Tolga in 10 years and Arin in 3, but we've seemed to pick up right where we left off. With Tolga its fun because when he was in the US 10 years ago, I was 11 and he was 18 so there was a gap between us in terms of development. But now, I am 21 and he is 27, and though there is the same age gap, we can relate more and hang out as friends rather than annoying little sister/ too-cool-for-school older brother.
Tonight I will be going out with Arin's friends, tomorrow Tolga and I will be sailing the high sea to Prince's island in his AFS friend's boat, and Friday we will be road tripping to the south of Turkey to stay at Tolga's family's summer home.
I am hoping to be able to fully update yall on my intellecutal musings from the past 3 weeks when I arrive back in Athens and have a few days of downtime to upload pics and sit at the computer all day long.
Side note: My blog access has recently been limited because when I go to my blog page, the words in top are always in the language of the country that I'm in. Since I am not too skilled in reading Greek, Arabic or Turkish I always need assistance before I am find the button to push for "sign in." O, the troubles and hardships that I must go through.
another quick post as I am in between touring by day and going out by night.
I arrived in Istanbul last Saturday and so far, I am loving it. I am staying with Tolga for a majority of the time, but I am also (currently) staying with Arin who is another AFS student who lived in Waukesha. Its wonderful to be able to have such great and familiar hosts because it means that I can really experience Istanbul not just in terms of the architecture and history, but also in terms of the culture, people and homelife.
In the last three days, I have done a lot of the tourist stuff (Hagia Sofia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace) but also just met Tolga and Arin's friends, gone to bars and nargile (hookah/sheesha) cafes and eaten some great home cooked meals. I haven't seen Tolga in 10 years and Arin in 3, but we've seemed to pick up right where we left off. With Tolga its fun because when he was in the US 10 years ago, I was 11 and he was 18 so there was a gap between us in terms of development. But now, I am 21 and he is 27, and though there is the same age gap, we can relate more and hang out as friends rather than annoying little sister/ too-cool-for-school older brother.
Tonight I will be going out with Arin's friends, tomorrow Tolga and I will be sailing the high sea to Prince's island in his AFS friend's boat, and Friday we will be road tripping to the south of Turkey to stay at Tolga's family's summer home.
I am hoping to be able to fully update yall on my intellecutal musings from the past 3 weeks when I arrive back in Athens and have a few days of downtime to upload pics and sit at the computer all day long.
Side note: My blog access has recently been limited because when I go to my blog page, the words in top are always in the language of the country that I'm in. Since I am not too skilled in reading Greek, Arabic or Turkish I always need assistance before I am find the button to push for "sign in." O, the troubles and hardships that I must go through.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Quick Update
Greetings my loyal followers!
It has been a minute or two since I was last able to write so sorry for that. Right now I am living the dream in Cairo, Egypt. There is so much to say about this trip that I don't know where to start. I've experienced everything from the Pyramids to the Valley of the Kings to nasty Egyptian men commenting body to American-themed British parties to meeting incredible people to boat rides on the nile to riding in a $60,000 Audi thats been to Darfur and back to road tripping through the Egyptian desert AND MORE. These last (almost) 3 weeks have been a whirlwind of experiences to fill a lifetime. I have learned so much--not just about modern and ancient Egypt, but about myself, my limitations, my abilities and my perception on people and the world.
Since I have a slough of topics that I want to touch on, I will save this wall post for when I have more time. Right now I am headed downtown Cairo to a Synagogue with a bunch of British friends that I met over the last few weeks. I have recently experienced many non-Middle East things in Cairo, but not yet have I experienced the Jewish Middle East. I'm excited.
Before I sign off, I will share with yall my mostly-finalized itinerary for the rest of the summer.
May 30-June 10: Istanbul, Turkey and some time on the western coast/Aegean Sea with Tolga (my Turkish AFS brother who lived with our family in 1999)
June 10-June 23: return to Athens, travel throughout Greece. Possible destinations: Thessaloniki, Sparta, Delphi
June 24-July 1: Greek Islands of Mykonos and Santorini
July 2-July 5: Dublin, Ireland
July 5-July 15: Galway Ireland
July 15: return to my homeland of Wisconsin, live in Waukesha as I once did in a former life.
July ??-July ??: trip to Washington DC mainly to have a Egypt 2006 reunion and visit Khalid but also to see various other friends who will be there
August 10: move to Madison to begin MRC training
August 10-May 2009: clinical depression begins as I resume a normal life
Thursday, May 7, 2009
the art of relaxation
ya sas!
In the last week or so, I have been able recall why its called "the lazy days of summer." I have been in Athens for almost a week now and while we have been going out into the city, doing some shopping, walking around different neighborhoods, we really have nothing pressing to do. When I made plans to come here, I kind of just, bought the ticket. I didn't really consider what the plans were. Up until yesterday I was feeling really guilty that I wasn't doing anything "productive," but then I talked to my parents and I was reminded that for the rest of my life I will have something productive to do. Never again (well, maybe when I retire, if there is such a thing as retirement when I get to be 60) will I be able to sit around for days on end, watch re-runs and movies from the 80s on TV and sleep til 11 am every day. In Spain, I surely was spoiled and my life was more relaxed than it was in the US, but I still had papers to do, classes to go to and deadlines to meet. But here in Greece this is like VAY-CAY-SHUN! Thus, the title of this album, the art of relaxation. That is, you really have to know how to do it to enjoy it.
Next week Tuesday I will be heading to Cairo! After writing in my Facebook status update Maria is "going to Cairo in a month" and after telling a few Egyptians that I would be in Cairo, I remembered what Egyptian culture is all about: hospitality, hospitality and more hospitality. I got offers to be picked up from the airport, to be taken out to dinner, to stay at people's homes, to go out for coffee. I'll be flying to Cairo by myself, but I have the idea that I won't be alone while I'm here.
I am trying to plan a trip to Istanbul for late May/ early July, but I don't have a travel buddy for that trip. So at this point I am trying to contact the Turkish people I know there and see what I can conjure up.
I would like to try to tell all about what's new and surprising in Greece, but to be honest, there's not a lot new and surprising. I am not as "immersed" in Greek culture as I was in Spanish, and I am living with Georgia who is Greek, but also American, so I do understand that I am not getting the full cultural experience. But even if I was, I question how different things would be. Yesterday, Georgia and I went downtown Halandri (the subburb that we live in) and found ourselves stopping by Hagen Daas to use the bathroom, then heading to Zara and Bershka to shop. Zara and Bershka are found all over Europe and the prices are in Euros. The music they played was by artists like India Arie and Chris Brown. The names of the clothing articles are all in english (T-Shirt, Blouse, Bags, Jacket). The only thing that reminded me that I was in another country was when a woman asked me something in Greek and I just stared at her dumbfoundedly.
Something I realized since I came to Europe is that I always find myself with tons of change. Very rarely do I just have bills in my wallet. It has gotten worse since I came to Greece. This is why: One of my weaknesses in the Spanish language is numbers. If someone says to me "that will be 45.87," I don't even try to process the rest of the number I just hear "cuarenta," round up, and give them a 50. Thus, I end up with almost 5 euros in change. It was especially bad at the beginning because I couldn't tell the difference between Euro change.
Especially here in Greece where I can't understand a dang word (except for thank you, yes and no) I hope to GOd that there is a computer screen that will show the price and otherwise just hand over the biggest bill that I've got.
By the way: way to go, Maria , for choosing to go to the only European country with non-latin alphabet. Other than recalling what the lazy days of summer are (when at home relaxing in the apartment), I am also recalling my first few days (wait, no, the whole 6 weeks) that I was in Egypt. I am beginning to be able to recognize signs and words, but by no means can I read Greek. For example, if you put the greek words for Pharmacy and Theater in front of me, I can discern them. But if you told me to say what they are right now or spell them, not gonna happen.
Much love yall, until next time.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
a continuar...
The goodbye dinner was wonderful, my roommate Ojilve made chicken and salad and rice (while Luis helped by cutting up some fruit.) I made a cold cous cous salad with feta, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. My roomies also surprised me with a “Happy Birthday Miss Wisconsin” cake at the end! They are such great people and I was so lucky to have been placed with them. We weren’t great friends nor did we spend all our time together, but I always felt comfortable coming home and I got to know each one at different points during the semester. If I ever make it to Latin America or the Caribbean, I have homes in the Dominican Republic and Mexico.
Leaving the Resedencias last night was really odd. I only lived there for 4 months, but upon leaving for the last time I realized that felt such an attachment to that place. It’s the shittiest shithole I’ve ever lived in, what with the nazi graffiti on the signs, the bathrooms smelling like sulfur, the unreliable and awfully slow internet connection and the broken heaters in 0 degree weather, but despite all that, what a great four months I’ve spent there.
Many times I was frustrated being surrounded by Americans all day long. I had classes with only American students, I traveled almost every weekend with Americans and the when I went out, I at least started the night with Americans. But in the end, I realized how many connections with Spanish and Latin American people I made. Just starting in the last month, I would find I was the only American a group of Spanish people. Even though I had a cell phone for the whole 4 months, I actually started using it in the last month. In fact in this last week, my cell phone was blowing up! I was getting calls and texts from people left and right: something that did not happen 2 months ago. I was even invited out for drinks and to people's houses in Alcalá. Great timing, eh?
And in terms of spending a lot of time with Americans...While it may not have been the best way to culturally immerse myself, it was great having people in the same situation around. Seeing that my roommates were all masters or doctorate students in law, computer science, engineering and business administration, they did not have the same semester goals that I did. They were were not able to travel every weekend or go out every Wednesday night to Nivola. For that reason, it was great having other people on my program to do those things with. And in fact, I hung out most with people from UW Madison who interestingly enough, I had never met before. It is very interesting that we all grouped together and it could be for a variety of reasons: we all lived in the Residencias, we all have common backgrounds, we could talk about people and places which were familiar to all of us. But at the same time, there were other people in the residencias and there were other people whose backgrounds were more in common with my own, but I still ended up chillin with Madison people. Figure that one out.
So now when I get back to Madison, I have a group of new buds with whom I can spend time, rave about Spain, share Residencia gossip, swear in Spanish and most importantly, drink wine and calimochos (a drink popular in Spain made with Coke and cheap boxed red wine). Ahh...thinking of all that me pone triiisssteee!
So as you can tell from my blog, there have been ups and downs throughout the semester but it was DEFINITELY a positive experience. As I sit here now in Georgia's Athens apartment I cant believe its done. I'm most sad I wasn't able to develop relationships with a lot of the Spanish, Latin American and Arab people that I was just getting to know, but at least we all have Facebook, MSN messenger and Tuenti (a facebook-type site that is popular in Spain).
Well, I need to move on to a happy story to keep me from going on to Facebook and flipping through everyone's pictures.
Today, as Georgia and I were opening her Athens apartment and listening to the Cuban group Orishas, I realized I accomplished one of my life goals in the last week. Have you ever seen Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights? Well, that's one of my favorite movies and I watched it several times last summer over and over (when I was unemployed). After watching it, I was enamorada with the scrawny Cubano main character. It became one of my life goals to dance with a Cubano. Turns out I met a guy in Alcalá who is Cuban, and who has a real name but who everyone calls Cubano anyway. Turns out I see him at a party and turns out that we dance. together. just like I had always dreamed. life is good.
Speaking of the good life, I am now in Greece with my friend Georgia. I have been here since yesterday, and so far we have just been relaxing. Since we are the first people here since last August, we had to open the apartment and do a bunch of cleaning. So we did that yesterday and today, went to the grocery store, and then moved in our stuff. I didn't realize how pooped I was until I had a moment to sit down and relax. But now that its just Georgia and me in this quiet apartment in northern Athens, windows open and birds chirping, I can't peel myself off this couch.
I wrote about this earlier, about not knowing anything about Athens, but when I arrived to this city, I realized that I am really helpless without Georgia. Luckily, she is very helpful and doesn't mind speaking and translating for me. But let's be honest with ourselves, I do not know a ANYTHING in this language. I can't say excuse me when I want to pass someone or thank you for the waiter bringing me food. I can't even read a dang menu at a café or labels at the grocery store. When we went this morning, I was just picking things up and being like "wellll, this looks like what I normally eat." Also, luckily, its a Carrefour grocery store (just like they have in Spain) so I was able to recognize a lot of the same products and buy some of the things that I usually did in Spain ( I can't believe I'm writing about Spain in past tense!). It's strange going from a country where I was finally able to communicate and where people were asking why I could speak the language so well to a place where I turn into a complete mute. Being such an independent person, it is rather frustrating, but it also makes me more inspired to learn some Greek phrases. Right now, I'm trying to learn the alphabet so I can at least start sounding things out and thus, be able to write down the words that I learn.
So the plan for the rest of today is research Greece, take a siesta, watch Spanish movies that I stole from my roommate's pindrive and then make dinner.
Downtown Athens tomorrow.
Reminder: my birthday, May 9th.
On my way to athens
FEWSH!
I’m in the airport right now waiting to board my flight to Athens. What a week it has been. There are so many things that could have gone wrong, but luckily, Alhamdulillah, everything has gone well. Let me explain:
1. Exams: I finished exams Tuesday morning and got 2 of 4 grades back. Both A’s. I just made it with a 93 and 94 in those classes. With the amount of studying I did this semester, that is quite a miracle. Fewsh.
2. Packing: Since I am going to Greece, which is an inter-Europe flight, I was limited to 28 kilos of luggage total. 20 for the checked and 8 for the carry on. I had to send some stuff home. I had three options: send a suitcase home with a friend, UPS or Correos (Spainish post). After checking all the prices, Correos told me it would be 115 Euros to send a 20 kilo box of stuff to the US, UPS told me 300 and United is $200 for an extra suitcase. I obviously went with Correos. I was stupid enough to put this task off until the day before I left just because I just didn’t want to deal with it. (One of the things about studying abroad that you realize is that if you don’t do it, no one else will do it for you). SO, I finally lugged all my winter clothes and shoes to the post office and after having to go in and out of line several times after being advised what to and what not to do, I finally got the dang box sent to good ol’ Oakview Dr. And although I had to pay 95 Euros, it was less than I expected. Fewsh.
3. Transportation Strike: Georgia’s mom sent Georgia an email yesterday telling her about the public transportation strike in Athens, of all days, today (Friday). So we had two issues to deal with. 1) Would our flight to Athens be canceled since it we are flying with a public Greek airline? And 2) How would we get from the airport to the apartment? Luckily, Georgia’s mom got in contact with her uncle who lives in Athens and he 1) called the airline for us this morning and then called Georgia to let us know that the flight was still on and 2) will be picking us up from the airport. Fewsh.
4. Luggage Weight: On the Olympic Air website, it says that for every kilo over the regulations, you have to pay 15 Euros. I looked high and low in the Resedencias and there was no scale to be found, so basically I was shitting my pants thinking I was going to have to pay upwards of 100 Euros in overweight fees. We get to the airport. I’m wearing 6 layers of shirt, one light sweater, a scarf and a spring jacket. And tennis shoes. I was obviously trying to wear as much as I could on my body so that it wouldn’t add to the weight of my suitcases. We get to the ticket counter. Put the bags on. JODERRRR, my big one was 24 kilos and the smaller one was 10 kilos. (and I had a purse with my computer and a huge book in it, which I was trying to hide behind the counter so that the airline people wouldn’t see). As I stand there sweating like a pig (not in any reference to swine flu, by the way), I get ready to pay (6 kilos x 15 Euros=) 90 Euros and then the man was like, “Well, here’s yalls tickets!” and then Georgia and I took our tickets, trying our best not to make eye contact with the people at the ticket counter. We walk around the corner and then jump up and down in celebration that we just saved 200 Euros. FA-YEWSH.
So its 2 hours later and we are now on the flight to Athens. Hasta luego, España! Que triste. Although Thursday was technically my last day, I celebrated the “despedida” on Wednesday. First of all, Jan, Lauren and I headed to Parque Retiro in Madrid to drink wine (which we later found out is highly illegal in el Parque Retiro) and take in some sun. There’s also a pond in the middle, so of course we had to rent a rowboat for a while. On our way back home, we passed El Prado (the famous art museum) and it occurred to Lauren that she had never seen Las Meninas before. It also just happened to be that it was 6:05 and the hours of free entry are from 6-8 pm every weekday. Jackpot!
We speed walked to the entrance, picked up our free ticket and ran to the entrance (we had to get home soon to prep the “cena de despedida.”) Before being able to enter, we had to pass our bags through a machine like they have at the airport. First, Lauren was stopped as the woman turned the screen around asked “What is this?”
Lauren answered “ Umm.. es para el vino,” as she wasn’t exactly sure how to say “It’s the corkscrew with the cork still on it.” Then they stopped Jan who was right behind her because there was a large object inside her bag. Jan pulls out an empty bottle, the woman security guard looks disgusted and the man just laughs and lets us though.
We booked it to the Las Meninas room and then back to the Atocha Renfe station to get back to Alcalá.
We’re about to land, must close laptop.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
officially done
hola chicos y chicas
i have finished all my exams for the semester. my semester in spain is over.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo
4 months is no where near long enough to really, thoroughly learn anything. sure my spanish has improved, i have met tons of people from all over the world, and I have had wonderful travel experiences. But I have yet to see Flamenco show (other than the one I saw at the UW Memorial Union Theather). I still have only enjoyed Madrid nightlife once, and limited are the times that I've spent with just Spaniards. I obviously cannot complain about the amazing last semester that I've had, but there are still many things that I have yet to.
I chose this shorter study abroad program because I was planning on going to Sudan for a wedding on May 5 and having and AIESEC traineeship this summer, but in the end that didn't work out. I am really sad that the trip to Sudan didn´t work out ( a tear falls everytime an Arabic song comes on my ipod) but again, I can´t complain because I have a crazy amazing summer coming up.
I am leaving for Athens on friday at 12:55 PM and we´ll arive around 5 pm.
I really have no idea of what to expect in Greece. I know that I'll be staying with Georgia in her family's apartment in Athens. I know they have air conditioning and that Georgia's aunt and uncle live below us. I also know how to say ''I want water, please'' in Greek (Theló neró s'para kaló,) but that is about it. Oh, and I have checked out some NYT travel section slideshows on Athens. I am diving straight in without really knowing anything
I´ll be in Greece with Georgia until May 12th (we are thinking of going to Sparta for a few days) and then on May 12th, I´ll be heading to Cairo until May 23 (just bought my ticket a few days ago!).
At first I was really nervous about returning to Egypt after being there 3 years ago because I realized that when I was there last time, I had everything made for me. The airport pickup, the itnerary, the meals, a place to stay. But then after starting to contact all my American and Egyptian friends, I remembered I have nothing to worry about. I have a place to stay for all 10 days, a friend is picking me up for the airport and my AFS host family told me I can come over whenever. Although the host family then added that added that they´ll be there ''Inshallah.'' So I'm hoping that God is, in fact, willing that day.
WEll I was going to add more, but I have to head to our "graduation" and the "entrega de diplomas." Hasta pronto!
i have finished all my exams for the semester. my semester in spain is over.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo
4 months is no where near long enough to really, thoroughly learn anything. sure my spanish has improved, i have met tons of people from all over the world, and I have had wonderful travel experiences. But I have yet to see Flamenco show (other than the one I saw at the UW Memorial Union Theather). I still have only enjoyed Madrid nightlife once, and limited are the times that I've spent with just Spaniards. I obviously cannot complain about the amazing last semester that I've had, but there are still many things that I have yet to.
I chose this shorter study abroad program because I was planning on going to Sudan for a wedding on May 5 and having and AIESEC traineeship this summer, but in the end that didn't work out. I am really sad that the trip to Sudan didn´t work out ( a tear falls everytime an Arabic song comes on my ipod) but again, I can´t complain because I have a crazy amazing summer coming up.
I am leaving for Athens on friday at 12:55 PM and we´ll arive around 5 pm.
I really have no idea of what to expect in Greece. I know that I'll be staying with Georgia in her family's apartment in Athens. I know they have air conditioning and that Georgia's aunt and uncle live below us. I also know how to say ''I want water, please'' in Greek (Theló neró s'para kaló,) but that is about it. Oh, and I have checked out some NYT travel section slideshows on Athens. I am diving straight in without really knowing anything
I´ll be in Greece with Georgia until May 12th (we are thinking of going to Sparta for a few days) and then on May 12th, I´ll be heading to Cairo until May 23 (just bought my ticket a few days ago!).
At first I was really nervous about returning to Egypt after being there 3 years ago because I realized that when I was there last time, I had everything made for me. The airport pickup, the itnerary, the meals, a place to stay. But then after starting to contact all my American and Egyptian friends, I remembered I have nothing to worry about. I have a place to stay for all 10 days, a friend is picking me up for the airport and my AFS host family told me I can come over whenever. Although the host family then added that added that they´ll be there ''Inshallah.'' So I'm hoping that God is, in fact, willing that day.
WEll I was going to add more, but I have to head to our "graduation" and the "entrega de diplomas." Hasta pronto!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
mission accomplished
This will be short, since I should be studying for my exams coming up next week.
So last night there was hippie themed party in the Residencias sponsored by the Residencia committee or something. It was 10 Euro to get in and for an open bar. So of course after one or two drinks I became a little more social and began to work the crowd. I met some random guy and we began talking. After a few minutes he asked me where I was from and I told him "from the United States, as you can probably tell from my accent."
and here's where it gets good:
His response was " No, you don't have an accent."
i dont have an aaaccent, i dont have an aaaccent ! ! ! !
how exciting is that?
Monday, April 20, 2009
Spring Break in Italy, 2 weeks left in Spain
And the countdown begins; just two weeks until I leave Spain. On one hand, I am happy to end these classes which I haven’t exactly enjoyed and to leave behind my crazy obsessed roommate who thinks he’s in love with me. Also, I feel like I’m just getting started making Spanish friends and just reaching the point where I have the Spanish language basics down so that I can start catching onto slang and “modismos.” But on the other hand, I have a lot to look forward to.
When my program here in Spain ends, I will not be heading back to the US of A (glory be to God for that). Rather, I’m headed to Greece where I will stay with a friend of mine who I met who is studying here in Spain with me. She is Greek-American, so she lives in the US, but spends each summer in Greece in her family’s apartment in Athens. And I was lucky enough to be invited to spend the summer with her there! The plan is to be based out of Athens, but travel around the country to visit her family members in different parts of the country (Sparta, to name one) and also head to some of the islands (Mykonos). Needless to say I am VERY excited to have this opportunity to experience a culture that comes out of one of the world’s oldest and most sophisticated civilizations, hopefully learn some of the language as well as be able to see all the historic monuments and sights. Not to mention spend two months with a good friend in a beautiful country!
Let me say, these Greece plans were totally unplanned. I was initially planning to travel to Sudan to attend the wedding of one of my best friend’s sister and also just see his country after hearing so much about it. However, due to the nutjob Sudanese president, a decision taken by the International Criminal Court and a suspension of US Embassy services for all Americans traveling to Sudan, I decided that I would be better not to go. While my friend Khalid assured me that I would have no problems, I didn’t want to put myself (nor him or his family) in any unnecessary danger or through any unnecessary trouble. Its really unfortunate because it would have been a wonderful experience and a great time, but I suppose there could be more opportunities in the future…Insha’Allah.
So basically, my original plans (a summer in the Middle East) have totally fallen apart, but I am not complaining. While Greece (and maybe Turkey, Egypt and Ireland) are not exactly what I planned, I will be learning about a whole new part of the world of which I really know nothing about. And as a wise man once told me, "life is the greatest school, struggle is the best teacher, and traveling is the most useful textbook". J
After looking at my plans for two weeks down the road, I’d like to share the events of the last two weeks of my life. Last week was la Semana Santa (Holy Week), so being the Catholic country that it is, Spain’s universities have vacation the week before (April 3-13). After taking so many weekend trips in the last few months, I was just going to take this 10 day break to stay around Alcalá, rest, and get all my work done for the rest of the school year. But lo and behold, I was talked into going to Italy for a week (April 7-14) by some friends who are studying on the same program but also are from UW-Madison. It was a very disorganized decision, as we bought the tickets one at a time, from different airlines, in and out of different cities, with no plans of how to get from one city to another. But it ended up working out swimmingly, and I ended up falling liking Italy more than I had ever imagined.
We began the trip in Milan in the north. After buying our ticket into Milan, I called Enrico, the exchange student who lived with my family in Waukesha for one year about two years ago. I was really only expecting to meet up with him since I called on short notice. BUT, it turns out that he let us stay at his family’s extra apartment in Milan, and that his and his family’s efforts really made our stay in Milan. We had a two bedroom apartment to ourselves (me and my two girl friends), we had an Italian guide, and we made instant friends when Enrico introduced us to all his cool 17-19 year old buddies. When Enrico was in the United States (to be honest), I didn’t find him to be to coolest person in the world. But when we arrived in Cadorna Square in Milan where Enrico picked us up, what a man he had become! He was very enthusiastic, his English was great, and he took us all around the city to eat, drink and see the sights. He introduced us to all his friends, and they all spoke English with us which was really nice. They even took us to the VIP section of a high schoolers club. While the crowd was a little younger than I was used to, it was still a great time. What I’m still baffled by is how this group of teenagers was able to buy 6 liter bottles of Belvedere and Grey Goose vodka in addition to a few bottles of champagne for the night. But again, I’m not complaining.
Furthermore, Enrico’s dad took us out to a wonderfully delicious dinner of lobster, spaghetti, prosecco and some equally delicious Italian deserts. We were worried that because we had had such a great first day, the rest of our trip would not be able to compare. But not to fear, the trip maintained its amazing-ness for the next 7 days.
On our second day in Milan, we met up with an acquaintance I had met at the World Affairs Seminar in Whitewater, WI in 2005. Paolo and I had briefly met, and had only kept in touch a little on Facebook throughout the last 4 years. Still, I contacted him on a whim to see if he lived anywhere near Milan, Florence or Rome (the three cities that we would hit within the week), and it turned out that he lived just an hour train ride from Milan. He even offered to be our guide in Milan for the day, and let’s admit it, you can’t having an local Italian take you around the city. And just being able to reconnect with him was great. Because not only does he know a lot about his country, he knows a lot about Wisconsin so we already have a point of connection. So needless to say, our second day as well turned out to be a success.
The third day we headed on to Florence on our own (just us three girls). We didn’t make hostel reservations until a few days before, so we were pretty limited in our options. Instead of spending 50 Euros to stay in a hotel, we decided to take a chance and stay in a place called “Camping Michaelangelo:” a campground situated on a hillside and in which your room is a metal-frame tent with bunkbeds inside. For only 15 Euros a night, we got a beautiful view of Florence from the campground’s terrace which served 7 Euro carafes of vino roso. Not bad at all.
Because we only had one day in Florence, we skipped entering all the famous art museums and sights and just walked for hours around the city. The best part about the girls that I was traveling with was that they (like me) like to experience a culture by eating their way through it. Instead of eating a hearty meal at any one place, we hopped from café to café, trying different Italian cuisine, wines and desserts.
Before coming to Italy, I didn’t understand all the hype around Italian food. But now I do. The ingredients are so simple, but the resulting dish is so rich and flavorful. In the United States, we are used to putting the most we can on a sandwich, making a pizza with 7 different toppings, preparing a hamburger with “everything.” In Italy the food is much simpler but even more delicious. For example, the Caprese pizza was a piece of fresh, crispy bread drizzled with olive oil, topped with fresh tomato and mozzarella slices and then sprinkled with fresh herbs. Very few ingredients, but very savory and still very filling.
After Florence, we headed on to Siena for a day trip: a very small, but also a very beautiful, city. To arrive to the main square, you have to weave through a bunch of narrow streets lined with small shops and restaurants. But walking down these enclosed alleys makes the square all the better. That is, the main piazza in Siena is a huge clearing with a beautiful brick building at the focal point. Tourists sprawl out on all parts of the piazza, sitting, snapping pictures, eating gelato. We were lucky enough to be there on a beautifully sunny day, and for that reason, we really enjoyed the city.
Siena was also fun because we could try the Italian that we learned in the last few days. Upon making plans to go to Italy, I tried to learn a few key phrases from a pimsleur language podcast, but that failed. But when I arrived in Italy and became absolutely enchanted by the Italian language and accent, I started trying hard to pick up at least some phrases. Though Siena is a very touristic city, Jan, Lauren and I decided to weave around in the streets further away from the main piazza to find a place to eat. When we did, we realized that the place had nothing translated to English and that the waiters did not speak English. Whereas some Americans may have been disappointed or frustrated, this is just the kind of thing that gets me going. I put on my best mock-Italian accent and ordered “canollini” and “vino roso!,” “per favóre!” Rather fun, if I can say so myself.
After just 4 or 5 hours in Siena, we headed back to Florence where we then hopped a train to Rome. This is where it gets interesting.
The day before, we had bought tickets to Rome on the 4:49 train. We look at the message board at about 4:30 and see a train heading to Naples, but stopping in Rome, leaving at 4:49 from Florence. That must be our train, we thought. So we got on.
We were expecting to arrive in Rome at 9:30pm because we had paid for the normal velocity train. But at about 6:00 PM, just before I was about to call Costa (my would-be host in Rome), I asked the man across from me what time we would arrive in Rome. He answered that we would arrive in about 30 minutes, since this was the high-velocity train. My eyes opened wide, as I was rather confused. We had purchased cheap tickets for the slow train, and we thought we had got on the slow train. But no, we were actually on the fast train. Oops.
I told Jan and Lauren who were sitting in some seats down the aisle. While they proceeded to crack up, my palms began to sweat as I nervously looked to the next car to see if the ticket-checker-man was coming. I only had about 3 Euros and some change in my purse and the Italian man who I talked with told me that they could fine us up to 100 Euros…per person. So for the next 25 minutes, I waited impatiently for the train to reach the Rome Termini station so we could hop off and run for our lives.
Turns out the ticket man never came to check our tickets, and we got off paying less than 20 Euros for a 50 Euro ticket. And we got to Rome in 1.5 hours rather than 4.5. We got pretttty lucky. (But I would like to mention how nice the two Italian men were in helping us stupid Americans realize what was going on)
The next leg of our journey, Rome, was no less amazing than the last. In fact, the sights in Rome are some of the most breathtaking sights I’ve seen in my life. I would say even better than the Pyramids. Again in Rome, I was lucky due to an AFS connection from the past. In 1996-97, Costa lived in Waukesha. While he didn’t live with our family, he spent a good amount of time at our 2733 Oakcrest Dr. home. I was only 9 years old when he was in the US, but when I called him from Spain to see what he would be doing during the time I was in Rome, it was like not a day had gone by since we had seen each other last.
He offered to pick us up from the train station, take us to dinner, and then be our tour guide in the city for the weekend. Jan and Lauren ended up staying with one of their good friends from Madison who they had come to visit. But since I had never met their friends, I opted to spend the weekend with Costa. I had my very own room and bathroom in Costa’s new apartment which was located about 30 minutes outside the city. He took me to dinner at a great restaurant down the street form the coliseum on Friday, dinner at his parents’ house on Saturday, and Easter lunch at his aunt and uncles house on Friday. So not even including the historic monuments and sights we saw, I had a great cultural experience. I met his friends and family, ate fresh, homemade Italian food, and was totally immersed in an all Italian environment. I forgot how tiring it is to be in another, unfamiliar culture 27-4, but it also reminded me how much I love it and how lucky I am to experience that kind of thing in so many different places around the world.
In addition to experiencing Italian culture, Costa took me around all of Rome on an extensive two-day tour. Its amazing to think how old some of the buildings are. In the us we call a historical building something form the 1920s, but in Rome, the historical buildings come from 2000 years ago. How are these things still standing?! To stand in the Middle of the Coliseum, Foro Romano or Palatine and look around is absolutely mind-blowing/ breathtaking/ stupefying. Its like you’re on another planet or like you time traveled 2000 years back. Its like something out of the movie Dune. Its not just pillars and broken walls that remain, its whole buildings and doors and houses and ponds and marble floors. The building where Julius Cesar’s body was burned still stands and people still come to place flowers and letters and pictures upon it.
Another great part of being in Rome during the Holy Week (something which we didn’t even realize until Saturday) is that the Vatican City is right in the middle of the city. So on Sunday morning we trekked a whole 4 blocks to St. Peter’s square two hours before mass and got a spot to sit for Easter Sunday mass at the Vatican. It was the most excited I’ve ever been to go to church. I am not religious at all (ask anyone who knows me), but when I entered the square, I my eyes started tearing. It was the weirdest thing (and also rather embarrassing, because I hadn’t the slightest idea why I was crying.) I think what got to me was just the view of thousands of people from all over the world in St. Peter’s square, the basilica ahead, and some buildings with columnar structures surrounding the square. It was a beautiful sight. Then when the pope walked in and some man with a really good voice (unlike the woman with no neck who sings opera at St. Joe’s Church in Waukesha) began to sing, I was just like “Wow… this is kind of cool.” Some people probably dream of attending a mass given by the pope in St Peter’s square for their whole lives, and here I am, at mass with the pope, just because I happened to end up in Rome for Easter.
At the end of the week, I was absolutely pooped. This was the longest trip that I have taken all semester and really the longest trip that I have been on where I have had to plan everything on my own. I knew it was time to go home when I went out on the last night, and literally fell asleep at a bar. Traveling is great, but it is also exhausting.
I bought tickets to Italy thinking that it would be somewhere fun to go during spring break, thinking that it would be something to fill my time. But the trip itself turned out to be a very enriching experience and the country turned out to be a country that I really fell in love with. (In fact, I even enrolled in Italian 201 (Beginning Italian for Speakers of Romance Languages) next fall in Madison.) Beautiful sights, nice people, great fashion and delicious food. What more can you ask for?
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