Hi all! I have been wanting to write this post for awhile, but I have been busy and always feel like I should keep you updated on day to day activities. But this week has been relatively uneventful, just going to classes and doing schoolwork, so now is my chance. Can you believe it, I have been here for more than 3 weeks!? Crazy how fast it is going by. But in the mentoring group I do at school, at the beginning of each meeting, we all share our highs and lows for the week. It is a really good way to reflect on what has been going on in your life, and get a sense for how everyone else is going in others. So I thought I would do my highs and lows for the trip so far! Since I am such a positive person, highs first...
Highs
-Wine tasting and the castle visit during Orientation
-Getting my passport stamped when I arrived in Dusseldorf. I was totally exhausted, but it was exciting
-Eating lunch with my family
-Spontaneously eating enormous gelato sundaes for dinner one night in the city with a new friend
-Taking classes in a castle is pretty cool...
-Come to think of it, my classes themselves are pretty cool...favorites so far- Witch Hunts, Hitler, and Museums
-Finding out, after an xray and doctors visit, that I don't have TB and can stay in LUX! (It was a mandatory test)
-Reading a National Geographic - the only magazine in English- in said doctor's office that was literally published in 1980.
-Realizing how much I appreciate various things now that I don't have them- including central heating, my lovely Wedgie roommates, my favorite oatmeal and cereal, Kyle, Bodos and Christians, my family (especially Gabby), texting, and Panera soup. Even though its hard to be away from this stuff- mostly the people- not talking all the time makes it more exciting when we do and I feel like I am so much more aware of how great they are! (sorry to be a sap)
-Feeling like I am getting better at maps, public transportation, and all things direction related.
-Skyping and emailing with people that I miss
-Potentially coming up with a topic for my history thesis...
-The chocolate tour in Bruges, the waffle and beer is Brussels, the frites on the street- basically all the food and drink of Belgium
-Not being rusty while skiing and having the rush feeling when you go down the mountain
-All the traveling already, and all the plans for the future. Making preparations is so exciting...
-Running through my town and Differdange and exploring the area
-Cheap nutella and fruit at the grocery store!
-Buying souvenirs for people at home, and myself too :)
-My french teacher and the two male deans, who are so French its great
-Asking someone in french "where is the war?" instead of "where is the train station?" by accident. They sound the same, but it was an awkward moment!
-Meeting new friends who I already feel comfortable with
-Live music with the locales at the bar in Brussels
Lows
(not trying to be negative, but of course life isn't perfect and some things are tough)
-Not having the most welcoming host family in the world
-Always being cold. Lux is experiencing one of its coldest winters in a long time, and its a little rough. People here keep their houses a lot colder than the US, and its an adjustment.
-Sometimes getting homesick
-The time change making it hard to get in touch with people
-My shower- which is a handheld one where the water is always luke warm or cold...
-Sometimes rude Luxembourgish/French people. Some are super nice, some are not. It just takes awhile to get used to the cultural differences where people aren't friendly. I miss smiling at everyone I pass!
-That everything closes for a long lunch break, early in the evening, and all day Sunday
-Not being in charge of what I eat...the lunch at school is ok but very cafeteria style and breakfast everyday is white bread. Being relatively health conscious, its a little hard to get used to...but Im just trying to go with the flow.
-The Smoke! It is legal everywhere and extremely popular and I have accepted the fact that my clothes will just all reek of cigarette smoke. Still, its gross! I actually went up a ski lift with a women smoking a cig...ick
As you can see, far more highs than lows, so overall life is good! Sorry this is kind of random, I just wanted to write it all down and get it out!
Miss you and happy Wednesday!
Care
PS- feel free to comment on here! I would love it!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
No falls!
Hi friends!
I hope everyone had a nice weekend. It is Sunday night in Luxembourg, and I am at that Portugese internet cafe. A strange sidenote- my roommate and I discovered that it is part internet cafe or bar/part bowling alley. There is a random side room with one lane of bowling. Weird I know, sometimes Europeans can be tres bizarre...
Anyway, I wanted to give you an update on skiing yesterday! It was a lot of fun! I woke up yesterday morning at 4:15 am, bundled up in a ton of layers to compensate for the fact that I had no snowpants or ski gear, and headed to the train station. Unfortunately, the group of us who live in Bettembourg had thought a train would be coming at 5:20 to take us to the city where the bus would pick us up, but we read the schedule wrong. At 5:35 we realized the schedule we had read did not include Saturdays! After a minor freak out, we called some people and the bus was able to pick us up directly from our town. Phew, crisis averted.
After a three hour train ride through some beautiful Lux and French countryside (that I mostly missed since I was sleeping) we arrived at Lac Blanc ski mountain. Lac Blac is located in the Alsace region of France, not in the Alps sadly. The teacher who organized the trip warned us that it was not as huge, and super resorty like the Swiss Alps where Louis Vuitton stores can be found in the lodge, but that it was a decent mountain where people took skiing seriously. I think his description was pretty accurate. The best place I have skied is in Vermont, and that was when I was pretty young, but I would say Lac Blanc was comparable to that. When we first got there and were standing at the bottom of the mountain, we saw people skiing down the huge, very steep hill in front of us. They all looked intense, especially the ones who were wearing very tight spandex suits, and I think we were all intimidated.
Although I learned to ski when I was little (thanks for the ski school Mom and Dad) and went very frequently in middle school, I had not been in several years. I think the last time was sophomore or junior year of high school. I was pretty nervous that I would be really rusty. But after getting our rentals at the lodge, and heading up to the mountain, I was eager to start. It was strange, there was one lift to the middle, sort of base portion of the mountain. Then from there, you could take these individual t-bar lifts up to the top or if you skied to various locations on the side, to other top points. The t-bars went between your legs, and jerked you pretty hard. After watching several Europeans go up, my friend Kelly and I decided to brave the odd contraption and get started. She went first, the French man helped her sort of sit on the thing, it jerked, and...she completely whiped out and landed on the ground in about 2 seconds. I tried to explain in French that we were American and had never done this before, and the men sort of laughed at us. Kelly came back, tried again, and....fell again! At this point, the men were getting a little frustrated. I decided to try. I held tight, and tried to stand tall (which is what I think the men were saying in French) and went! I didn't fall, and made it to the top! Kelly made it on her next turn- 3rd times the charm.
The very top was were they had the bunny hills, and since Kelly and I both aren't experts, we started there. Several people in our trip had never skied before, and they were up there trying to learn with the help of some of the more advanced people. I was surprised how easy skiing came back to me!! It really was like riding a bike. I did not have much trouble at all- no falls! I tried to work on my technique, and refrain from doing pizza all the way, and instead ski parallel. Most of the time, I was able to do this, sometimes on icier steep parts I had to revert to pizza. I kept thinking of the advice my Dad used to give me to use the whole mountain and how to turn. Skiing brought back a ton of great memories of times with my family and the Grabers and Higdons. I saw a few bright neon jackets, and was reminded of mom's sweet pink and purple one!
Kelly and I skied together for the whole day. When we were ready to move on from the greens, I asked a man in French what the difference was between the colors- they don't use shapes like in the US, but the colors were pretty much the same. Green was very easy, blue easy, red somewhat hard, and black very hard. There were 2 blues open, and we did them a bunch of times. We also went on several reds, which were pretty challenging, and probably like some of the hardest ones I had skied in the states. I got more confident as the day went on and I think I handled the reds pretty well. The conditions were decent, although there was some ice, but it wasn't too bad. One annoying thing was that the French seemed to have no concept of lines. Getting on the main ski lift, everyone just sort of bunches up, and then people just randomly step in front of each other. Not at all like the orderly way at home! Another cultural difference I suppose! We broke for a quick lunch and a few photoshoots, but otherwise skied all day from about 10-430. It was really fun, and made me miss skiing so much! I am vowing to go at least once next year when I am back home!
We all met in the lodge at 5, and since they weren't serving dinner until 7 (those french eat so late) we convinced our very nice bus driver to look for some place to stop on the way home. We were all exhausted and very hungry, and were thrilled when he pulled off at a McDonalds after we had been driving for about an hour. I hardly ever eat McDonalds at home, but man it tasted so familiar and great, just like at home! We got home around 9:30 and while some people headed to the bar, I headed for bed. I watched a movie on my laptop, and just clonked out, it was a tiring day!
Today, I slept in and had a leisurely sort of afternoon. I did a little reading for class, and went for a run around my town. I met my friend Kelly in the city around 430. We planned on shopping a little, but forgot almost all stores in Lux are closed on Sundays. We got a cup of coffee at a bar and then went to a nice restaurant right in the city center. We got there a little before six, and although they seated us, they didn't take our order for awhile. I think they were shocked we were wanting to eat at such an early hour. We were the only diners in there for a bit, and it was pretty awkward. We eventually ordered though, and the food was great. We got a price fixed menu that came with quiche, coq au vin (chicken in wine-very french), and dessert. It was all delicious. We also each tried a glass of vin chaud- hot red wine that we had heard about. It was freezing and snowing outside, so it was a nice warm up.
Ok this is all I got for now! Look for a post later this week about my highs/lows of life in Lux so far! Love you all, and to everyone going through rush, hope it is going well! I can almost hear the T-R-I chant when I think of you all!
Care
I hope everyone had a nice weekend. It is Sunday night in Luxembourg, and I am at that Portugese internet cafe. A strange sidenote- my roommate and I discovered that it is part internet cafe or bar/part bowling alley. There is a random side room with one lane of bowling. Weird I know, sometimes Europeans can be tres bizarre...
Anyway, I wanted to give you an update on skiing yesterday! It was a lot of fun! I woke up yesterday morning at 4:15 am, bundled up in a ton of layers to compensate for the fact that I had no snowpants or ski gear, and headed to the train station. Unfortunately, the group of us who live in Bettembourg had thought a train would be coming at 5:20 to take us to the city where the bus would pick us up, but we read the schedule wrong. At 5:35 we realized the schedule we had read did not include Saturdays! After a minor freak out, we called some people and the bus was able to pick us up directly from our town. Phew, crisis averted.
After a three hour train ride through some beautiful Lux and French countryside (that I mostly missed since I was sleeping) we arrived at Lac Blanc ski mountain. Lac Blac is located in the Alsace region of France, not in the Alps sadly. The teacher who organized the trip warned us that it was not as huge, and super resorty like the Swiss Alps where Louis Vuitton stores can be found in the lodge, but that it was a decent mountain where people took skiing seriously. I think his description was pretty accurate. The best place I have skied is in Vermont, and that was when I was pretty young, but I would say Lac Blanc was comparable to that. When we first got there and were standing at the bottom of the mountain, we saw people skiing down the huge, very steep hill in front of us. They all looked intense, especially the ones who were wearing very tight spandex suits, and I think we were all intimidated.
Although I learned to ski when I was little (thanks for the ski school Mom and Dad) and went very frequently in middle school, I had not been in several years. I think the last time was sophomore or junior year of high school. I was pretty nervous that I would be really rusty. But after getting our rentals at the lodge, and heading up to the mountain, I was eager to start. It was strange, there was one lift to the middle, sort of base portion of the mountain. Then from there, you could take these individual t-bar lifts up to the top or if you skied to various locations on the side, to other top points. The t-bars went between your legs, and jerked you pretty hard. After watching several Europeans go up, my friend Kelly and I decided to brave the odd contraption and get started. She went first, the French man helped her sort of sit on the thing, it jerked, and...she completely whiped out and landed on the ground in about 2 seconds. I tried to explain in French that we were American and had never done this before, and the men sort of laughed at us. Kelly came back, tried again, and....fell again! At this point, the men were getting a little frustrated. I decided to try. I held tight, and tried to stand tall (which is what I think the men were saying in French) and went! I didn't fall, and made it to the top! Kelly made it on her next turn- 3rd times the charm.
The very top was were they had the bunny hills, and since Kelly and I both aren't experts, we started there. Several people in our trip had never skied before, and they were up there trying to learn with the help of some of the more advanced people. I was surprised how easy skiing came back to me!! It really was like riding a bike. I did not have much trouble at all- no falls! I tried to work on my technique, and refrain from doing pizza all the way, and instead ski parallel. Most of the time, I was able to do this, sometimes on icier steep parts I had to revert to pizza. I kept thinking of the advice my Dad used to give me to use the whole mountain and how to turn. Skiing brought back a ton of great memories of times with my family and the Grabers and Higdons. I saw a few bright neon jackets, and was reminded of mom's sweet pink and purple one!
Kelly and I skied together for the whole day. When we were ready to move on from the greens, I asked a man in French what the difference was between the colors- they don't use shapes like in the US, but the colors were pretty much the same. Green was very easy, blue easy, red somewhat hard, and black very hard. There were 2 blues open, and we did them a bunch of times. We also went on several reds, which were pretty challenging, and probably like some of the hardest ones I had skied in the states. I got more confident as the day went on and I think I handled the reds pretty well. The conditions were decent, although there was some ice, but it wasn't too bad. One annoying thing was that the French seemed to have no concept of lines. Getting on the main ski lift, everyone just sort of bunches up, and then people just randomly step in front of each other. Not at all like the orderly way at home! Another cultural difference I suppose! We broke for a quick lunch and a few photoshoots, but otherwise skied all day from about 10-430. It was really fun, and made me miss skiing so much! I am vowing to go at least once next year when I am back home!
We all met in the lodge at 5, and since they weren't serving dinner until 7 (those french eat so late) we convinced our very nice bus driver to look for some place to stop on the way home. We were all exhausted and very hungry, and were thrilled when he pulled off at a McDonalds after we had been driving for about an hour. I hardly ever eat McDonalds at home, but man it tasted so familiar and great, just like at home! We got home around 9:30 and while some people headed to the bar, I headed for bed. I watched a movie on my laptop, and just clonked out, it was a tiring day!
Today, I slept in and had a leisurely sort of afternoon. I did a little reading for class, and went for a run around my town. I met my friend Kelly in the city around 430. We planned on shopping a little, but forgot almost all stores in Lux are closed on Sundays. We got a cup of coffee at a bar and then went to a nice restaurant right in the city center. We got there a little before six, and although they seated us, they didn't take our order for awhile. I think they were shocked we were wanting to eat at such an early hour. We were the only diners in there for a bit, and it was pretty awkward. We eventually ordered though, and the food was great. We got a price fixed menu that came with quiche, coq au vin (chicken in wine-very french), and dessert. It was all delicious. We also each tried a glass of vin chaud- hot red wine that we had heard about. It was freezing and snowing outside, so it was a nice warm up.
Ok this is all I got for now! Look for a post later this week about my highs/lows of life in Lux so far! Love you all, and to everyone going through rush, hope it is going well! I can almost hear the T-R-I chant when I think of you all!
Care
Friday, January 22, 2010
Week in Review 1/22
Hi everybody! Ah, I am at my friend's house- she has internet so we have been hanging out here- and we have just been booking hostels! We have off for a week in February for carnivale break- and we booked a trip to Italy! We will be going to Rome, a beach town called Viareggio in Tuscany that has a huge carnivale celebration, Florence, and Venice. It is slightly overwhelming booking flights and hostels, but also extremely exciting!! We went out to dinner at an Italian restaurant to celebrate and plan and it was really nice.
But so this is supposed to be a week recap not a future review, so here is what I've got...
Monday- Classes started and I have 4 in a row and was still exhausted from Brussels so it was a little rough (or ruff if you are Natalie Booth) but not too bad. After classes, they were offering a free tickets to a classical music concert at the Philharmonic Symphony Hall in Luxembourg, and I just decided, what the heck I might as well take advantage of these opportunities so I went. The building itself was gorgeous, and although I am not a connoisseur of classical music, I really enjoyed it. The orchestra was conducted by a woman who also played violin, she sort of led with her body movements as she played the whole time. They did Motzart and Vivaldi and I recognized some of it, and then they did this really cool jazz sort of set, the songs were all named after different cities like Prague, Buenos Aires, etc. I was glad I went to the concert.
Tuesday- I had classes in the morning and then hung out at the Chateua in the afternoon, nothing too exciting. I went to the doctor, to get approval to stay in Luxembourg, and he literally took my heart beat (to make sure I was living I guess) and asked me if I had any chronic diseases before declaring that I was in perfect health. I then had a paper for witch hunts due on Wednesday, so I went home pretty early to write that. I still have to get an xray to make sure I don't have TB and can stay in Lux, hopefully I pass...
Wednesday- My friends and I started talking about travel plans, and during a break in the day, I went for a walk around Differdange, the town that the Chateau is in. It is pretty small, but I am trying to get to know it well. Each Wednesday we have a mandatory meeting/lecture in the evening, normally they bring in speakers or we have activities, and they started this week with a movie called "Shadow of a Vampire." It is about the filming of Dracula, and has John Malcovitch and that guy who is the green goblin in Spiderman in it. The key point though was it was filmed in LUX (perhaps the only movie ever filmed here haha) so that was neat. But the movie itself, especially the end, was extremely bizarre and I don't really recommend it.
Thursday- What a crazy day! We only have one class in the morning, so my friends and I planned on doing travel planning and errands in Lux city the afternoon. We were going to get xrays but didn't make it to the crazy hours they were open but that was no big deal. We booked our plane tickets to Italy and went to the celebratory dinner mentioned above. My friend Kelly and I are in a class about museums and we had to go to the Museum of the City of Luxembourg for an assignment. We kind of got lost finding it and were frustrated when we had to go, but in the end it was awesome. The museum was really nontraditional and interactive, it told the story of the city, but also challenged visitors to form their own interpretation of Lux's identity and story. If my parents and I come to Lux when they visit, I want to take them there.
Today/Friday- Today we had classes in the morning- in my museums class we talked about our visiting experience and that was cool, and Hitler lecture was really interesting as well- and then a free afternoon. A friend and I went running in Diff after school and that was great- I haven't had much time for exercise yet besides walking, but I really want to get back into running so I am glad I started today! After that, I came to my friend Kelly's neighborhood and we went to a big walmart type store as well as a outdoor sporting goods store (kind of like REI) that surprisingly also had really cute clothes as well. We are looking to buy backpacks for our longer trips, but we didn't end up buying anything yet, we need to look into it more and decide which are the best. Then we came back to her house, booked our hostels, and are now just hanging out!
This week, has been fun and busy, but homesickness has hit me a little more than the first week and a half. Sometimes I just get waves of missing people or sadness or frustration with the unfamiliar culture, but then they normally fade in a few minutes. It seems like everyone here is going through this, it is a lot to get used to and so much is new! I am trying to keep busy, and keep things in perspective and enjoy every minute. But I really miss you all!
Skiing tomorrow is in Lac Blanc, France! We leave at 6 am! Its not the Alps, but apparently still pretty great! I am exciting, I haven't skied in awhile and I have missed it.
Full update on skiing to come!
Care
But so this is supposed to be a week recap not a future review, so here is what I've got...
Monday- Classes started and I have 4 in a row and was still exhausted from Brussels so it was a little rough (or ruff if you are Natalie Booth) but not too bad. After classes, they were offering a free tickets to a classical music concert at the Philharmonic Symphony Hall in Luxembourg, and I just decided, what the heck I might as well take advantage of these opportunities so I went. The building itself was gorgeous, and although I am not a connoisseur of classical music, I really enjoyed it. The orchestra was conducted by a woman who also played violin, she sort of led with her body movements as she played the whole time. They did Motzart and Vivaldi and I recognized some of it, and then they did this really cool jazz sort of set, the songs were all named after different cities like Prague, Buenos Aires, etc. I was glad I went to the concert.
Tuesday- I had classes in the morning and then hung out at the Chateua in the afternoon, nothing too exciting. I went to the doctor, to get approval to stay in Luxembourg, and he literally took my heart beat (to make sure I was living I guess) and asked me if I had any chronic diseases before declaring that I was in perfect health. I then had a paper for witch hunts due on Wednesday, so I went home pretty early to write that. I still have to get an xray to make sure I don't have TB and can stay in Lux, hopefully I pass...
Wednesday- My friends and I started talking about travel plans, and during a break in the day, I went for a walk around Differdange, the town that the Chateau is in. It is pretty small, but I am trying to get to know it well. Each Wednesday we have a mandatory meeting/lecture in the evening, normally they bring in speakers or we have activities, and they started this week with a movie called "Shadow of a Vampire." It is about the filming of Dracula, and has John Malcovitch and that guy who is the green goblin in Spiderman in it. The key point though was it was filmed in LUX (perhaps the only movie ever filmed here haha) so that was neat. But the movie itself, especially the end, was extremely bizarre and I don't really recommend it.
Thursday- What a crazy day! We only have one class in the morning, so my friends and I planned on doing travel planning and errands in Lux city the afternoon. We were going to get xrays but didn't make it to the crazy hours they were open but that was no big deal. We booked our plane tickets to Italy and went to the celebratory dinner mentioned above. My friend Kelly and I are in a class about museums and we had to go to the Museum of the City of Luxembourg for an assignment. We kind of got lost finding it and were frustrated when we had to go, but in the end it was awesome. The museum was really nontraditional and interactive, it told the story of the city, but also challenged visitors to form their own interpretation of Lux's identity and story. If my parents and I come to Lux when they visit, I want to take them there.
Today/Friday- Today we had classes in the morning- in my museums class we talked about our visiting experience and that was cool, and Hitler lecture was really interesting as well- and then a free afternoon. A friend and I went running in Diff after school and that was great- I haven't had much time for exercise yet besides walking, but I really want to get back into running so I am glad I started today! After that, I came to my friend Kelly's neighborhood and we went to a big walmart type store as well as a outdoor sporting goods store (kind of like REI) that surprisingly also had really cute clothes as well. We are looking to buy backpacks for our longer trips, but we didn't end up buying anything yet, we need to look into it more and decide which are the best. Then we came back to her house, booked our hostels, and are now just hanging out!
This week, has been fun and busy, but homesickness has hit me a little more than the first week and a half. Sometimes I just get waves of missing people or sadness or frustration with the unfamiliar culture, but then they normally fade in a few minutes. It seems like everyone here is going through this, it is a lot to get used to and so much is new! I am trying to keep busy, and keep things in perspective and enjoy every minute. But I really miss you all!
Skiing tomorrow is in Lac Blanc, France! We leave at 6 am! Its not the Alps, but apparently still pretty great! I am exciting, I haven't skied in awhile and I have missed it.
Full update on skiing to come!
Care
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Hi all! I just finished my paper that was due today, and now have time to update you about the second part of my trip- Brussels! I really did not know much about the city before I left, besides that it was the seat of the EU, but in the end, I loved it! A lot of groups who went said they did not enjoy it or find much to do, but my friends and I were really busy and got to see a lot of beautiful things!
After Bruges, the bus dropped us off at the central train station and we had to get to our hostel. Using our map, and the metro system, we managed to get there quickly and easily. We checked in, and when we got to our room, realized that we would be sharing a 4 person bedroom with a stranger. After studying the contents of the suitcase that was on the bed (cologne was the giveaway), we deduced he was likely a male. But we left shortly after (after locking our valuables up don't worry) and figured we would meet him later. This hostel was a lot nicer than our one from the night before, and in a great location about 5 minutes from the center of the city.
It was raining, but we set out walking and made our way to Grand Place, the gorgeous city square in the heart of Brussels. I had read it was beautiful, but I was not expecting it to be so gorgeous and huge (I think the name grand is very appropriate). It was neat to see it all lit up at night, and the rain kept most people away, so we had a great view to ourselves. All around the square are tons of windy streets full of shops and restaurants, and we wandered around for several hours. We stopped in a bunch of stores, including a candy and chocolate shop where we got a pre dinner "snack" of cookies that included the best chocolate cookie I have ever tasted (it was crumbly, and rich, and sort of like a brownie but not). We walked about 3 blocks over to the symbol of Brussels, the statue Mannekin Pis of a little boy peeing, and it was pretty strange. I can see why my fake uncle chip said it was not worth visiting. It was really small (the chocolate statues of it in nearby stores were bigger) and anti-climatic, but at least we saw it! Finally, the sugar high from our cookies and waffles ran out, and we decided to get dinner. We found a tiny street packed with restaurants, each offer a similar deal which men in tuxedos tried to sell to you as you walked by. After being hounded for a few minutes, we choose one where the man literally wouldn't let us say no and we couldn't argue with his suggestion we sit by the warm fireplace! We got champagne, soup, dessert, and salmon all for only 12 euro! It was really delicious and relaxing.
After dinner, we decided to try to find a bar that looked like it had young people in it, and we randomly stopped in one when we saw a big group of people our age sitting inside. We were so lucky, it was a great choice! A live singer and guitar player were just setting up and they were great. The girl sang a lot of American songs- including Norah Jones, the Police etc- and we enjoyed some more Belgian beer while listening. We also met a local guy named Max, who sat near us and was sketching a portrait of his friend the singer. When we asked how he could tell we were American, he joked we had an "American smell." He also advised us that like him, we should drop out of school and just live since it didnt really matter. We didnt take that advice, but decided to take his other suggestion to visit a bar called Delirium. It was huge, with several floors, and served over 2,000 kinds of beer! We got the one called Delirium itself that was close to 10% alcohol, and needless to say quite strong. We met some American students who were studying abroad in Brussels and compared experiences so far.
When we headed back to the hostel, we were anxious to meet our roommate and were hoping he was not sketchy. But in the end, we never did- we actually never saw his face! When we got home, he was sleeping and completely cacooned in his sheets, obscuring himself completely from view. Then he woke up at 5 am and quietly packed and left. What a mystery!
The next day, despite our late night, we woke up early and headed out on foot again and got waffles covered in chocolate and fruit for breakfast (even though true Belgians don' eat waffles for breakfast, we decided to embrace our tourist status and do it). We saw Grand Place in the light, and then walked across town to the big art museum. We wandered through for a few hours and saw their ancient and modern collections as well as the big Magritte exhibit- he is a famous early 20th century Belgian surrealist. I didn't know much about him, but my friend, and art major, educated us about what we were seeing. We were lucky to get the early, because as we were leaving, it was getting very crowded. It was really interesting!
After the museum, we had a few hours to spare and wandered through the nearby hip neighborhood of Sablon. We browsed a flea market, and ate lunch in a great cafe. The whole area felt more authentic and less touristy than the area around Grand Place, and was very nice. Finally, we headed back to our hostel- stopping to get famed Belgian frites with mayo like sauch on the way- and caught a train back to Luxembourg. I really loved Brussels, and felt like we got a really great feel for it despite being there for a short time. The food was great, the people relatively friendly, and the beer strong. The two girls I went with and I really bonded and we are planning to travel together for most of the other weekends! We just hit it off and laugh a lot!
I hope this is not too long and boring! Glad I got to share!
After Bruges, the bus dropped us off at the central train station and we had to get to our hostel. Using our map, and the metro system, we managed to get there quickly and easily. We checked in, and when we got to our room, realized that we would be sharing a 4 person bedroom with a stranger. After studying the contents of the suitcase that was on the bed (cologne was the giveaway), we deduced he was likely a male. But we left shortly after (after locking our valuables up don't worry) and figured we would meet him later. This hostel was a lot nicer than our one from the night before, and in a great location about 5 minutes from the center of the city.
It was raining, but we set out walking and made our way to Grand Place, the gorgeous city square in the heart of Brussels. I had read it was beautiful, but I was not expecting it to be so gorgeous and huge (I think the name grand is very appropriate). It was neat to see it all lit up at night, and the rain kept most people away, so we had a great view to ourselves. All around the square are tons of windy streets full of shops and restaurants, and we wandered around for several hours. We stopped in a bunch of stores, including a candy and chocolate shop where we got a pre dinner "snack" of cookies that included the best chocolate cookie I have ever tasted (it was crumbly, and rich, and sort of like a brownie but not). We walked about 3 blocks over to the symbol of Brussels, the statue Mannekin Pis of a little boy peeing, and it was pretty strange. I can see why my fake uncle chip said it was not worth visiting. It was really small (the chocolate statues of it in nearby stores were bigger) and anti-climatic, but at least we saw it! Finally, the sugar high from our cookies and waffles ran out, and we decided to get dinner. We found a tiny street packed with restaurants, each offer a similar deal which men in tuxedos tried to sell to you as you walked by. After being hounded for a few minutes, we choose one where the man literally wouldn't let us say no and we couldn't argue with his suggestion we sit by the warm fireplace! We got champagne, soup, dessert, and salmon all for only 12 euro! It was really delicious and relaxing.
After dinner, we decided to try to find a bar that looked like it had young people in it, and we randomly stopped in one when we saw a big group of people our age sitting inside. We were so lucky, it was a great choice! A live singer and guitar player were just setting up and they were great. The girl sang a lot of American songs- including Norah Jones, the Police etc- and we enjoyed some more Belgian beer while listening. We also met a local guy named Max, who sat near us and was sketching a portrait of his friend the singer. When we asked how he could tell we were American, he joked we had an "American smell." He also advised us that like him, we should drop out of school and just live since it didnt really matter. We didnt take that advice, but decided to take his other suggestion to visit a bar called Delirium. It was huge, with several floors, and served over 2,000 kinds of beer! We got the one called Delirium itself that was close to 10% alcohol, and needless to say quite strong. We met some American students who were studying abroad in Brussels and compared experiences so far.
When we headed back to the hostel, we were anxious to meet our roommate and were hoping he was not sketchy. But in the end, we never did- we actually never saw his face! When we got home, he was sleeping and completely cacooned in his sheets, obscuring himself completely from view. Then he woke up at 5 am and quietly packed and left. What a mystery!
The next day, despite our late night, we woke up early and headed out on foot again and got waffles covered in chocolate and fruit for breakfast (even though true Belgians don' eat waffles for breakfast, we decided to embrace our tourist status and do it). We saw Grand Place in the light, and then walked across town to the big art museum. We wandered through for a few hours and saw their ancient and modern collections as well as the big Magritte exhibit- he is a famous early 20th century Belgian surrealist. I didn't know much about him, but my friend, and art major, educated us about what we were seeing. We were lucky to get the early, because as we were leaving, it was getting very crowded. It was really interesting!
After the museum, we had a few hours to spare and wandered through the nearby hip neighborhood of Sablon. We browsed a flea market, and ate lunch in a great cafe. The whole area felt more authentic and less touristy than the area around Grand Place, and was very nice. Finally, we headed back to our hostel- stopping to get famed Belgian frites with mayo like sauch on the way- and caught a train back to Luxembourg. I really loved Brussels, and felt like we got a really great feel for it despite being there for a short time. The food was great, the people relatively friendly, and the beer strong. The two girls I went with and I really bonded and we are planning to travel together for most of the other weekends! We just hit it off and laugh a lot!
I hope this is not too long and boring! Glad I got to share!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Bruges Report
Hi everyone! Today was a hectic day, on Mondays I have 4 classes in a row with a break only for lunch. I went home for a bit and then went to a classical musical concert at the Philharmonic Concert Hall in Luxembourg City! I am tired and I have a lot of work to do, but I thought it sounded like a really neat opportunity, and my program offered it for free, so I decided to go! I am glad I did but more on that later. I have a few minutes though and wanted to start my update about this weekend so here goes….
Wow! It was an absolute blast first of all. I was a little bit nervous about my first weekend traveling in Europe. There was a ton to think about and plan, but in the end it worked out great. My school organized a portion of the trip (the bus ride to Bruges, the hostel there, a tour in the morning, and then a bus to Brussels) but we had to make our own arrangements for the day in a half in Brussels that we were there. In the end, I learned that I can actually read a map and navigate. You kind of realize that when you have to get from the train station to your hostel or you will not have a place to stay, you just figure out how to take the metro and then walk there. My friends and I were proud of how much we figured out with only getting lost a few times haha. We also realized that although traveling in a big group has its perks- like neat tours and comfy buses- being independent is when you really get to know a city better. You meet more local people and other travelers, and don't have to stick to anyone else's schedule but your own, you can be spontaneous and not worry about messing up the itinerary. The two girls I went with are both really fun and easy going, and we worked well traveling in a threesome. We think we are going to plan a lot of trips together in the future!
So lets start at the beginning. First, on the way to the Bruges, we stopped in the Belgian college town of Ghent at a brewery called Grutt. Our bus was supposed to drop us off in the front, but the streets were so narrow and windy, our bus actually could not fit up them and we ended up walking. We just saw a bit of Ghent, but from what I saw it looked like a really exciting, hip town. The brewery was an interesting place. It was owned by a very tiny, very fashionable, very blonde woman in her 50s. The interior was very modern, and the pretty decorations reminded me a little of Veritas vineyard in Charlottesville that I visited over my birthday celebrations. Grutt specializes in making unusual brews, and we tried three beers that were all unique in some way. The first one was made with herbs rather than hops, the second one was unfiltered, and the third was made with no added sugar. I actually liked them all! Three beers later and considerably happier, we headed back on the bus and drove a little more to Bruges.
When we got there, it was already dark, but as we tried to find our hostel- an American sort of place called Charlie Rockets with pool tables and US license plates (I took a pic of the MD one woo) covering the downstairs bar- we passed through the middle square of the town and were in awe of how beautiful it was. That night, we went to dinner at a little restaurant off the square and then we visited some of the bars and one discoteque nearby. I followed my Fake Uncle Chip’s wise advice and always asked the bartender or waiter which beer they recommended when ordering a drink in Belgium. It was a good plan and I got to sample a lot this way- but don’t worry not too much! One interesting one was Kriek, it is cherry flavored and tastes more like cherry snowball flavor than beer!
After a few hours out in Bruges, we returned to Charlie Rockets for our first ever hostel experience. All of the girls I was with that night- we had a 6 person room- were slightly nervous, and we tried to avoid seeing images of the movies Hostel and Taken as we climbed up the neon green stairs, past the dirty showers, to our crammed in 3-bunkbed room. In the end, although it was not the Ritz, I really didn’t think it was that bad. The main problem with this one was it was kind of dark and musty since it was in a very old building. But overall, it was totally fine for a one night stay (or at least the bed bug bites have not appeared yet).
In the morning, we awoke and after a hostel provided breakfast, met in the square. Over 60 kids from my program had come on the trip, and we were split into groups of 20 for the private tour of Bruges. My group had a nice lady named Kate as our guide and we enjoyed a tour that combined two of my favorite things- chocolate and history. We walked all around the city, and learned about Bruges’ rich history. It was an important medieval port town (the many canals give it the nickname the ‘Venice of the North’) and is preservered to look exactly as it did during the Middle Ages. We saw the gorgeous town hall, the romantic Lover’s Bridge, the Church of Our Lady, and several cobblestone narrow streets and alleys. We learned that the bear is in the Bruge’s coat of arms because legend has it that the area was inhabited by a huge bear until a brave knight with an iron arm fought him and established the village. Another interesting detail Kate pointed out that I never would have seen was the crowns that decorate the chimneys of the town hall. They were commissioned by a former duke of Bruges who thought the words of his ministers in the town hall were so wise that the breathe they were spoken in deserved to be crowned as it rose in the air. Inside the Church of Our Lady we saw Michaelangelo’s statue Madonna and Child, one of the only of the artist’s works that can be found outside of Italy today that was transported during his lifetime and with his approval.
After the history, we moved on to the sweets! We visited two candy shops. The first one was a very modern, specialty store where they make pieces of hard candy that have tiny words anything from a newborn baby’s name to a “just married” wish on them. We saw them rolling and cutting the hot slabs of sugar mixture that harden to make the candy. They make each teeny letter individually in huge quantities, and then combine them to make the words. The next one was a more old fashioned shop that used to be operated in someone’s living room! An older lady owns the candy shop, and next door her husband owns a beer store that sells over 900 Belgian varieties. Both candy stores gave us samples of course! My favorite was a styrofoam-like pink capsule that had a sweet white powder inside that you discovered when you took your first bite! I had never had anything like it. After that, we finally made it to a chocolate shop to enjoy my favorite thing ever. We tried pralines, which are like truffles but filled with a hazelnut type cream, as well as some more unusual types of chocolates flavored with spices like clove and pepper. The lady who made the chocolates explained that while the traditional ones were made for eating, the more unusual were made for tasting. At first I wasn’t sure of the difference, but after trying the rich, boldness of the clove one, I knew what she meant.
After the tour, we had about an hour and a half to spend in Bruges. We walked around and did some shopping at the many chocolate and lace (Belgian’s other specialty) shops. For lunch, we picked up a Belgian waffle (which made me think of my mom who loves them) and it was delicious. We had one that was a legoise style, which means the sugary topping is baked in. It tasted like a mix of fried dough and a waffle and was almost as good as the Chocolate Chip waffles my dad makes on Christmas morning (don’t worry pops yours are still best).
I have to go do schoolwork now, but look for an update on Brussels soon! And I am going to try to put some pics on fbook today as well!
Care
Wow! It was an absolute blast first of all. I was a little bit nervous about my first weekend traveling in Europe. There was a ton to think about and plan, but in the end it worked out great. My school organized a portion of the trip (the bus ride to Bruges, the hostel there, a tour in the morning, and then a bus to Brussels) but we had to make our own arrangements for the day in a half in Brussels that we were there. In the end, I learned that I can actually read a map and navigate. You kind of realize that when you have to get from the train station to your hostel or you will not have a place to stay, you just figure out how to take the metro and then walk there. My friends and I were proud of how much we figured out with only getting lost a few times haha. We also realized that although traveling in a big group has its perks- like neat tours and comfy buses- being independent is when you really get to know a city better. You meet more local people and other travelers, and don't have to stick to anyone else's schedule but your own, you can be spontaneous and not worry about messing up the itinerary. The two girls I went with are both really fun and easy going, and we worked well traveling in a threesome. We think we are going to plan a lot of trips together in the future!
So lets start at the beginning. First, on the way to the Bruges, we stopped in the Belgian college town of Ghent at a brewery called Grutt. Our bus was supposed to drop us off in the front, but the streets were so narrow and windy, our bus actually could not fit up them and we ended up walking. We just saw a bit of Ghent, but from what I saw it looked like a really exciting, hip town. The brewery was an interesting place. It was owned by a very tiny, very fashionable, very blonde woman in her 50s. The interior was very modern, and the pretty decorations reminded me a little of Veritas vineyard in Charlottesville that I visited over my birthday celebrations. Grutt specializes in making unusual brews, and we tried three beers that were all unique in some way. The first one was made with herbs rather than hops, the second one was unfiltered, and the third was made with no added sugar. I actually liked them all! Three beers later and considerably happier, we headed back on the bus and drove a little more to Bruges.
When we got there, it was already dark, but as we tried to find our hostel- an American sort of place called Charlie Rockets with pool tables and US license plates (I took a pic of the MD one woo) covering the downstairs bar- we passed through the middle square of the town and were in awe of how beautiful it was. That night, we went to dinner at a little restaurant off the square and then we visited some of the bars and one discoteque nearby. I followed my Fake Uncle Chip’s wise advice and always asked the bartender or waiter which beer they recommended when ordering a drink in Belgium. It was a good plan and I got to sample a lot this way- but don’t worry not too much! One interesting one was Kriek, it is cherry flavored and tastes more like cherry snowball flavor than beer!
After a few hours out in Bruges, we returned to Charlie Rockets for our first ever hostel experience. All of the girls I was with that night- we had a 6 person room- were slightly nervous, and we tried to avoid seeing images of the movies Hostel and Taken as we climbed up the neon green stairs, past the dirty showers, to our crammed in 3-bunkbed room. In the end, although it was not the Ritz, I really didn’t think it was that bad. The main problem with this one was it was kind of dark and musty since it was in a very old building. But overall, it was totally fine for a one night stay (or at least the bed bug bites have not appeared yet).
In the morning, we awoke and after a hostel provided breakfast, met in the square. Over 60 kids from my program had come on the trip, and we were split into groups of 20 for the private tour of Bruges. My group had a nice lady named Kate as our guide and we enjoyed a tour that combined two of my favorite things- chocolate and history. We walked all around the city, and learned about Bruges’ rich history. It was an important medieval port town (the many canals give it the nickname the ‘Venice of the North’) and is preservered to look exactly as it did during the Middle Ages. We saw the gorgeous town hall, the romantic Lover’s Bridge, the Church of Our Lady, and several cobblestone narrow streets and alleys. We learned that the bear is in the Bruge’s coat of arms because legend has it that the area was inhabited by a huge bear until a brave knight with an iron arm fought him and established the village. Another interesting detail Kate pointed out that I never would have seen was the crowns that decorate the chimneys of the town hall. They were commissioned by a former duke of Bruges who thought the words of his ministers in the town hall were so wise that the breathe they were spoken in deserved to be crowned as it rose in the air. Inside the Church of Our Lady we saw Michaelangelo’s statue Madonna and Child, one of the only of the artist’s works that can be found outside of Italy today that was transported during his lifetime and with his approval.
After the history, we moved on to the sweets! We visited two candy shops. The first one was a very modern, specialty store where they make pieces of hard candy that have tiny words anything from a newborn baby’s name to a “just married” wish on them. We saw them rolling and cutting the hot slabs of sugar mixture that harden to make the candy. They make each teeny letter individually in huge quantities, and then combine them to make the words. The next one was a more old fashioned shop that used to be operated in someone’s living room! An older lady owns the candy shop, and next door her husband owns a beer store that sells over 900 Belgian varieties. Both candy stores gave us samples of course! My favorite was a styrofoam-like pink capsule that had a sweet white powder inside that you discovered when you took your first bite! I had never had anything like it. After that, we finally made it to a chocolate shop to enjoy my favorite thing ever. We tried pralines, which are like truffles but filled with a hazelnut type cream, as well as some more unusual types of chocolates flavored with spices like clove and pepper. The lady who made the chocolates explained that while the traditional ones were made for eating, the more unusual were made for tasting. At first I wasn’t sure of the difference, but after trying the rich, boldness of the clove one, I knew what she meant.
After the tour, we had about an hour and a half to spend in Bruges. We walked around and did some shopping at the many chocolate and lace (Belgian’s other specialty) shops. For lunch, we picked up a Belgian waffle (which made me think of my mom who loves them) and it was delicious. We had one that was a legoise style, which means the sugary topping is baked in. It tasted like a mix of fried dough and a waffle and was almost as good as the Chocolate Chip waffles my dad makes on Christmas morning (don’t worry pops yours are still best).
I have to go do schoolwork now, but look for an update on Brussels soon! And I am going to try to put some pics on fbook today as well!
Care
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Back in Lux
Hi all!
Just a quick note to say I have returned safely to Lux. I had an amazing weekend and loved Belgium, both Brussels and Bruges were so interesting and beautiful. Traveling really takes it out of you though, I am exhausted (not to mention stuffed from Belgian chocolates and frites)! I am going to post a full recap and upload photos hopefully tomorrow or Tuesday, but just wanted to check in and say miss you all and hope everyone had a nice weekend.
C
Just a quick note to say I have returned safely to Lux. I had an amazing weekend and loved Belgium, both Brussels and Bruges were so interesting and beautiful. Traveling really takes it out of you though, I am exhausted (not to mention stuffed from Belgian chocolates and frites)! I am going to post a full recap and upload photos hopefully tomorrow or Tuesday, but just wanted to check in and say miss you all and hope everyone had a nice weekend.
C
Thursday, January 14, 2010
First Week Recap
Hi everyone! I hope everyone has had a nice week, things in Lux are going well. I started classes on Monday, and I really like them all so far. Here is a list of what I am taking...
-History: The Rise and Fall of Hitler- I have only had one day of this so far, but it seems really interesting. From what I have heard, the professor is a very well known historian in Luxembourg. In March, we will be visiting Prague, Crackow, and Aushwitz concentration camp for a five day field study trip. I am really looking forward to this, I am not sure if I would ever visit Poland on my own, and I think it will be a really emotional, but moving experience.
-History: Medieval Witch Hunts- This class is taught by a professor from Miami University, he just moved to Luxembourg and lives upstairs in the Chateau. We are going on a field trip to some small towns in Germany and France where the hunts were particularly bad in a few weeks, and a trio of expert historians in the field called the "Three Witches" are meeting us there.
-Politics- Formation of the European Union. This one is taught by an older Belgian man, who has a lot of first hand experience with the topic. I think it will be really cool to learn about the EU while living in one of the founding countries!
-French- My French course is taught by an older French lady, who is so French it is great. We spend most of the time talking about our travels and current events in France. I have been communicating with salespeople and waitresses and my host family ok so far, but I really want to get better and I think this class will help.
-Museum Culture- This is an American studies class taught also by a professor from Miami (She and her husband and their two young kids have been living in Lux since Septmember). We are going to visit several museums as part of the course, and talk about their role and purpose in modern society. The teacher seems really nice and helpful and one girl who I have become friends with is in the class with me.
In terms of the workload, it doesn't seem like I will be completely overwhelmed with homework like last semester, but things won't be a total joke either. Since everything is so interesting, and includes a lot of experiences and travel, I don't think I will mind doing the work during the week. I will keep you updated on how classes go!
Besides going to school, I have been getting acclimated to life in Lux! I am learning to ride the trains and buses, and hopefully am improving my awful sense of direction. On Sunday, my family invited me and my two roommates up for lunch. The parents speak only French and Portuguese, and their 15 year old son Anthony, speaks some English. One of my roommates speaks French at about the same level as me, and we can mostly communicate with the parents but sometimes need Anthony's help to translate. The meal was really nice, and in European fashion, very long- we stayed for 3 hours- and with lots of red wine and bread. The family was more friendly than initially and I think they opened up to us more. I am still not sure how often we will see them since we and they are both very busy, but I feel a lot more comfortable with them after lunch. (A funny story about my family, the first night they had us up for dinner right after we met, and it was slightly awkward. Most people reading probably know that when I get nervous, drink alcohol, or even just touch my necklace, i get red sloshes on my neck/chest. Well during dinner I guess I was nervous and also drinking wine, and I got a bunch of red on my neck. My host mom freaked out and thought I was allergic to her food and started asking me all these questions in french about allergies, i had to do my best to explain in french that really I am just awkward hahaha).
I have also been running a lot of errands to get myself organized and settled in. I went to the grocery store, where I learned that Nutella and wine are very cheap here, and apparently in Europe you don't have to refrigerate your milk and eggs. I also bought a pay as you go cell phone, mostly to talk to friends in Lux about plans, from a very nice man who didn't speak much English. Today, I went shopping in Lux City, and (shout out to Dana, Lisa, and my Mom) a little store that was like a mini china town place!! My friend and I were told to go downstairs, to a strange little room, to look at the shoes. They had tons of boots for very cheap, and I got a pair of very Euro, shortish black ones for a deal.
At night, there is a bar in Differdange right across from the chateau called Das Boot, where you can drink Luxembourgish beer out of, you guessed it, boot shaped glasses. It is almost always packed with American students from the chateau and is a lot of fun! I have gone there the past few nights, I am trying to meet as many people as possible. My roommates and I also frequent an internet cafe (which is actually a bar) about a block from our house since we don't have internet access at home. I am currently writing this post from there. I think it is a hang out for the many Portuguese immigrants who live nearby, all the tables are filled with Portuguese men right now watching a football game, plus me and my roommate, the strange Americans, on our laptops.
One interesting thing I have been noticed is that although we were warned Europeans just aren't as friendly as Americans (our very french dean told us that if you smile at a European you pass by on the street they think you are coming onto them or just stupid), some people in Lux are super nice! Last night, I got dinner at an Italian place with two friends. When we were leaving, we were the only ones left, and the owner gave us each 2 huge slices of pizza for free since he was about to close. We started chatting and he told us he had recently moved from Italy to Lux and opened his restaurant. He suggested a little city for us to visit if we go to Italy during Carnivale break (this is our current plan) and was just so nice.
Sorry this is so long!! I have to go write my first short paper now. But I am going to Bruges and Brussels this weekend so hooray! Long post to come on Sunday or Monday with a full recap. Have a good weekend and happy back to cville for my uva friends and go ravens for the Baltimore gang!
Care
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
A Little Bit about Luxembourg
Ok, so before I left for abroad, whenever people asked me about my upcoming semester, they were confused when I shared that I would be living and studying in Luxembourg. Some had never heard of the tiny country, others thought it was an obscure town in France or Germany. I didn't even know much about it myself. Now that I have been here for almost a week, I think it is unfortunate that it is so often overlooked! Below is some info I have learned since arriving...
-Luxembourg is very small!! It is 998 square miles (Baltimore County is 598.59 square miles by comparison).
-Despite its size, Lux is its own autonomous country, a Grand Duchy to be exact- the only Grand Duchy that exists today.
-Luxembourg was originally created as a fortress, and passed hands throughout the history of Europe, serving as a military stronghold for the the Holy Roman Emperors, the House of Burgundy, the Habsburgs, the French and Spanish kings, and finally the Prussians. You can still see the remains of fortress in Lux City.
-Luxembourg as a Grand Duchy was established in 1815, after the Napoleonic Wars in the Treaty of Paris. One of my professors called it an "accidental country," and it really was. It was essentially granted as a concession to seal the deal between Napoleon and the victor countries.
-Luxembourg has remained a neutral, grand Duchy since then, and is ruled by a monarch, the Grand Duke, as well as an elected Prime Minister. The current Duke's grandmother, Duchess Charlotte, ruled the country for much of the twentieth century and is a beloved national hero.
-In World War II, the Nazis invaded Luxembourg, and unlike other places it occupied, such as France and Belgium, it actually became a part of Germany. Thousands of Luxembourgish people were forced to fight in the German army against there will. American soldiers liberated Luxembourg in Sept of 1941, and there are over 100 monuments honoring the Americans. Several streets are also named in honor of this.
-In December of 1941, the Battle of the Bulge broke out, and was fought largely in Northern Belgium and Luxembourg. Both the German and American militaries have monuments and graveyards honoring the battle. The differences are quite distinct, while the US' is very proud, and made of white marble, the Germans in a dull, brown concrete. Each German marker marks the death of 4 soldiers, in contrast the the US' 1 person per marker.
-In Lux, people speak French, German, and Luxembourgish. In the schools, kids are taught English and Luxembourgish, and mostly speak the small dialect of Luxembourgish amongst themselves. Never before have I seen so many people easily switch between languages, it is amazing and makes me feel very inadequate by comparison.
-Lux has the highest GDP per capita in the world. In the mid 20th century, it became very wealthy when iron was discovered, and although it has all been extracted, steel processing still occurs (Differdange, where school is, is the industrial center of the country). Banking has also created a great deal of prosperity, and many have moved their money to Luxembourg as trust in Swiss banks has declined.
-Lux is a very international place! Around 40% of the population was not born in the country, and over 30,000 commuters come to Lux every day to work- mostly residents of France, Belgium, and Germany. Two recent waves of immigrants- from Italy, and then Portuguese- add to this diversity. My family is Portuguese!
Ok, I will keep updating as I learn more. Hope you enjoy!
Care
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Here is an update that I sent to a few people, describing orientation and the first few days..
I think the best way to describe the towns and cities of Luxembourg is sort of like a fairy tale. Everything is small and quaint and charming. The villages are all sort of built in to valleys, and when you drive through the country, you turn a corner and are looking down on what looks like a postcard. The houses are all tall and like townhouses, and painted different bright colors. The chateua where we have our classes is about a 25 minute train ride from the village where I live. The big city, Lux City, is about a ten minute ride. Our hosue is in a nice location, in the middle and easily accessible. We have cards that give us free public transportation to everywhere in Luxembourg, so that is really awesome and I hope to take advantage of it. So far, we have toured the town of Differdange (where the chateua is), toured and gone out to dinner and bars in Luxembourg city, visited the American and German military memorials and graveyards from the battle of the bulge, visited a castle in Vidande, and a winery in the Moselle region where we tasted their specialty Charmante, a sparkline wine that is like champagne. It has been a whirlwhind, but great.
Hi!
Hi everyone! Although my lovely sister Jackie got me a beautiful journal for xmas (which I promise to still use), I decided writing about my trip on a blog would be a lot easier and accessible than by hand. This way, whoever is interested can learn about my trip and it saves me from writing lots of individual updates. I hope you enjoy my tales and provide me with any advice or insight you have! I miss everyone but I am really excited to share these next few months with you!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)