blog ideas and pre-packing misadventures by Christy Illius

I’ve been reading a few blogs lately, trying to decide how I should go about sharing all of my experiences with everyone, and I have to say that my favorite blog so far actually isn’t a blog, but a facebook page. My lovely roommate’s boyfriend is over in Asia right now, and he is doing this sort of “status update mini-blog” in multiple parts, like, part 1, so on so forth. They are short little updates, but I have had a ton of fun reading them! I am going to try to be tech-savvy here and put his link in so you all can read them. http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=12316885&ref=mf  If that doesn’t work, friend him. His name is Mikey Smith. He loves new people, really. Tell him I sent you : )

Anyways, since my last entry, I’ve successfully semi-packed my bags, gotten together the majority of my laundry I need to finish, purchased my Euros, and scheduled my taxi for the airport in Paris. The euros look far niftier than US currency, which is good for me, because they are just too pretty to spend : )

The booking of the shuttle/taxi was a little more difficult than I thought it would be. First of all , the website is paris-shuttle.com and you can pre-pay ( that way you won’t be taken for a billion dollar ride around town as the newbie) and the driver meets you with a sign. However, I have a feeling the website was translated from French to English, because there were some holes in the forms, like where my state was supposed to be, how I’m supposed to choose the terminal I will be coming out of ( I don’t know, the American one? ), and when I tried to call the company, several things went not-so-well.

First, Paris is a (few) hours different from us. Ooops. I think I called them at maybe around 1 am? Secondly, when I did try to call at a more appropriate hour, the phone was busy. For 4 hours. Needless to say, I am a tad nervous about my arrival into Paris .

Also, packing for a month is hard!! How am I supposed to fit a month’s worth of daily items into only two bags?! I had to pack bags inside of bags just in case I bring home more than will fit into my already exploding suitcases. Did I already mention that I still have more to pack? I read somewhere that you are supposed to take “half of what you think you need, and twice as much cash”. Right. Oh and another fun side note — I’ve been told to hide my euros in different parts of my luggage. So what happens if I lose my luggage? At least I’ll have my list of where I hid all of my euros when I lose them.

The homesickness is definitely starting to show its lonely head as well. I already miss my family and fluffy companion, and my boyfriend ( who can sometimes be considered the fluffy companion : ) I went ahead and bought some mailing manila envelopes at Target today and pre-addressed them to everyone , this way, all I have to do is fill them up with trinkets and momentoes when I’m in Paris, and I don’t have to worry about paying an extra 10 e for an envelope each time I want to send some Parisian love to the states. Pretty nifty, eh? Speaking of nifty, I should probably blog about all of the nifty sites I found while shopping for travel things for Paris. I am a google goddess.

Later gang!

c

Editor’s Note: The OEA recommends that you carry all your money with you when traveling. Stash it in your wallet/purse, a money belt, and your carry-on luggage. Cash and important documents should never be packed in checked luggage. Lost and stolen baggage is unfortunately a reality.

I’m going to Paris?! by Christy Illius

Yes, I’m going to Paris. It still hasn’t sunk in, and I leave in exactly a week. For a month. How in the world am I supposed to pack for a month? My little dog (Isabella) keeps following me around the house as I try to get my laundry together, as if she knows something is about to happen. I have to leave her sweet little face for a month, I have to leave my cellphone “off” for a month, I won’t be able to see my parents for a month. These are all things I keep thinking about, but for some reason, it hasn’t truly sunk it.

It’s surreal for me. I have SO much to get ready! I still have yet to arrange my transportation from the airport to the university where we will all be staying. That in itself could be a huge disaster. Then there’s everything I have to remember to bring with me. Of course if I forget things, I will be going to a big city, so it’s not like I can’t go to a corner store, but there are some items that might be harder to find internationally.

Then there’s the whole language difference. Yes, most of the world speaks English, so there will be someone who could help me almost everywhere I go, but I don’t want to be that “typical American” ( make sure you pronounce that with a sheik accent), and then I don’t want to be the “stupid American”. I have been warned several times –even from a few local Frenchies– that pick pocketing is a big problem, and tourists are target #1, and my “American accent” might as well be a big “come rob me ” sign.  But I don’t want to think of the negatives. Only the positives. Positives such as delicious French food, amazing landmarks and history that I have seen on tv and in books and magazines,  the wonderful memories and experiences that I am about to have.

I suppose I’m mostly excited, but a little nervous. I am going to miss home .

Ciao for now!

Christy

Exploration and Affirmation by Elizabeth Tippett

 While I find my classes interesting and love Avignon, (winding streets, Wizard of Oz like mistral (strong wind), and all) I was more than ready for the quarter’s four-day weekend. Some friends and I decided to take advantage of it by travelling to Lucca, Italy. It was most certainly an adventure.

 In order to get to Italy, we navigated Europe’s vast network of trains. While I am a huge fan of Europe’s efficient public transportation system, it’s difficult to appreciate when your trains keep getting delayed or just decide to stop dead on the tracks, causing a vicious cycle of missing connections. We all practiced deep breathing and fit in some impressive cardio workouts in the train stations. However, after much stress and frantic checking of train schedules, we made it to Lucca and had a fantastic experience.

           

We were shown around by a man named Enrico, my friend’s family friend. He drove us through Italian roads that wound haphazardly through the mountains and we saw old monasteries, precariously placed villas, and, similar to France, seemingly endless strips of vineyards. I rolled down my window and absorbed the cool, floral scented air. He even took us to see the leaning tower of Pisa. Even though the place was almost as touristy as the Eiffel Tower, I have to admit that I thought it was fascinating. And yes, it does actually lean.

           

Enrico and his wife were incredibly generous and, in addition to allowing us to stay in the villa, made us authentic Italian pizza. While attempting to gracefully eat our pizza, we talked in French to Enrico’s wife, who could speak French and Italian, but no English. I couldn’t help but be impressed that, without knowledge of the French language, we wouldn’t have been able to properly thank her for her hospitality.

           

The weekend came to a close and we boarded our first train, bracing ourselves for thirteen hours of travel and trying to soak in some last fleeting views of the Italian countryside.

           

When we switched from Italian trains to French ones, I was struck with the realization that I could actually understand the conductor’s announcements. I realized how much I had missed French while I was in Italy and how much French I am now able to understand. In Italy, I usually had no idea what people were saying around me. But even just on the French train, I knew that the conductor was telling us that we were headed for Nice and that the men seated behind us were quietly discussing the results of a bike race.

           

Although going to Italy took us out of the French language for a while, it also allowed us a chance to appreciate our progress in French and to crave and relish all of our opportunities to speak French. It offered us a glimpse into the French with drawl we will experience upon returning to the United States.

           

I am starting to realize that the days left in the program are numbered. Going to Italy renewed my conviction to immerse myself as much as I can in French before I land in the Cleveland airport after the program. After all, June comes closer every day, and I doubt I’ll return to find that Ohio has a suddenly booming French population.

 

Paris and Rome and I Don’t Want To Go Home! by Rachel Csaszar

The last two weekends I have been spent traveling through Europe, visiting the cities I have always wanted to see: Paris and Rome!  I started off my adventures in Rome, Italy. We spent much of the first day seeing the popular sites, including the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, and Vatican City. From there, we were lucky enough to meet up with distant cousins of one of the girls I traveled with. They were true Romans, and took us to see many places in Rome that tourists don’t know about. One place included an overlook up a mountain where we could see the entire city laid out beneath us. The view was breathtaking! We also got to eat true Italian food at their house and learned more about Jayme’s family history. It was a fantastic weekend,  spent truly doing as the Romans do.

After another whirlwind week of classes and sightseeing that included seeing the show “Love Never Dies” (the sequel to “Phantom of the Opera”) with the original cast, and a trip on the London Eye to see all of London beneath us, it was time to travel again, this time to France.

At the Coliseum!

It has been a whirlwind of two weeks, and I feel so grateful to have been able to visit those cities. I only have 2.5 weeks left in London, and I can’t believe how fast the time has flown. It’s bittersweet, but I am so glad I have been able to do the things I’ve done the past two months.

Adventures of a Lifetime by Ben Holschuh

After my week long break from school in Japan, things have really kicked into high gear.  I’ve been 100 kinds of busy in the past couple of weeks with exams, quizzes, homework, and travel, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

My fellow foreign exchange students and I recently took an overnight trip to the history rich town of Nara, and some of the outlying areas.  It was a great experience in many ways.  The cultural importance of the places in Nara was just overwhelming.  You want to see the oldest wooden structure in the world?  Well I saw said 1,300 year old building both inside and out when I went to Nara.  How about the worlds largest wooden structure that houses Japan’s largest statue of Buddha?  Yeah, definitely got to see that too.  Maybe even a trip to the Ninja Museum of Iga villiage, birthplace of the Igaryu style of Ninjutsu.  Yes Ninja’s did actually exist, and this museum was more than happy to display the real tools tasks and everyday life of a Ninja; none of the made up stuff that popular culture has created.

The entire trip was a wonderful experience, and all of us got to see many of Japan’s great National Treasures.  I really wish I could’ve taken pictures, but they are a little sensitive about photography in most places.

Other interesting things I’ve done?  Well on said Nara trip I had my first experience in a public bath.  Man was that ever strange for an American to get used to.  Just taking a shot in the dark, but most people in America would find it weird for a whole bunch of men to sit down, bathe, and then get into a hot tub naked together, but not the Japanese… oh no.  Once the initial shock of it was over though, it really wasn’t that bad.  I just stopped caring after awhile, and after that it was actually a pretty relaxing experience.

I’ve been in Japan for a month and a half.  Just saying that seems surreal.  I’m sure it will only get stranger when I can say I’ve been here for 2 months, or even 3 months.  This is definitely the adventure of a lifetime and I don’t think I would ever want to trade it for anything.  Sure I’ve been in uncomfortable situations, I’ve had trouble fitting in (blonde haired and blue eyed people stick out like you wouldn’t believe here), but that’s all part of the experience.  Even if I’ve been here for so long already, I still have a lot to learn, and I look forward to it with an open mind and an open spirit.  This is sure to be the highlight of my university career.