Weeks 2 and 3 in Beijing: Forbidden City and Imperial Gardens

Posted on July 24, 2016 by Connor

Time continues to fly in the capital. I feel like there is so much I could write about that these posts might as well have not end. Every new day presents new opportunities, and you are only limited by how adventurous you are. Never seen, let alone heard of, that dish before? Try it for yourself. Wondering what’s off to the east of campus? Go for a walk and explore. In Chinese, there’s a saying: 入乡随俗, literally “enter village, follow customs”, which is essentially the Chinese equivalent of “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”. And in order to experience Chinese culture to the fullest, you have to be willing to leave your comfort zone. Instead of ordering beef dishes every meal because they are what you are most familiar with, try something new. There are so many foods here that don’t even have proper English names (they tend to just attach “Chinese” to the front, e.g. Chinese broccoli and Chinese yam). You never know when you’ll find something new you really like. For example, I have discovered that I really enjoy red bean, common in deserts, and a fruit called Chinese hawthorn.

This goes for exploring as well. On more than one occasion my classmates and I have gone to an area called “Wudaokou”. It is not far from campus and has tons of good restaurants, bars, and other attractions such as karaoke. Exploring the area we found a place to do some karaoke and a cool little bookstore with a bunch of children’s books, that are quite frankly at around our reading level. Similarly, to the south of campus is a large mall complex called “Zhongguancun Mall”, that I haven’t even completely explored yet, despite being there on multiple occasions. We found a pizza place there whose pizzas are not only larger than any I’ve ever seen before, but whose taste rivals, and even surpasses,that of many pizza places back in the states. On the Fourth of July, we went out to yet another area of Beijing, known for being home to many Americans, and celebrated with some very good barbecue sandwiches. What I’m trying to say is keep exploring and don’t settle, because you never know when you’ll find something you’ll really enjoy.

A week after the Great Wall expedition, we found ourselves headed towards the heart of Beijing: Tian’anmen Square and the Forbidden City. Tian’anmen Square is a massive city square south of the palace. There are many buildings of interests along its edges, including government buildings, the National Museum, and Mao Zedong’s final resting place. The large scale of the square prepares you for the grandeur of the Forbidden City, where it seems everything is larger than life. Multiple layers of towering gates, spacious courtyards, shrines, and countless buildings, all in traditional Chinese architecture. It was very crowded and incredible hot that day, but I was still rather awestruck by the place. I’ll attach some photos that will hopefully give an idea of what I’m talking about.

After exiting out the north gate, we walked through some of Beijing’s old neighborhoods, called “胡同” (hutongs). These areas are characterized by thin, winding alleys and lots of small shops. They definitely have a unique vibe. Afterward we went on to Houhai, a really nice area around a small lake, which contains shops, temples, bars, restaurants, etc.

It’s especially nice after sunset when all the lights reflect off the water and live music abounds. The next morning we went to Beijing Zoo. The zoo is huge, we were there for at least of couple of hours and I don’t think we saw even half of the displays. If you’re a fan of zoos, it’s be a great place; most of us just got exhausted and left a little early.

That next Saturday we went to an area of Beijing simply known as “798” (qijiuba). This district is most famous for its artistic significance: the area of home to tons of art galleries of various kinds, from contemporary, traditional, and everything in between. Some of them were solely on display, some places were selling art. There were also a lot of small shops selling all sorts strange or unique things. Shirts, cloth, postcards, model trains and cars. An exhaustive list of the wares of these shops would simply be ridiculous. You could probably spent an entire day just exploring the shops of 798 and not see everything available.

The following day is probably one of my favorite days so far. That Sunday I woke up fairly early and took a long subway ride to “潘家园” (panjiayuan), also known as the ‘Dirt Market’, on the other side of Beijing. This is a huge open-air flea market that primarily sells more traditional Chinese objects. There are literally hundreds of vendors, selling jewelry, art, calligraphy, pottery and ceramics, books, and other assorted goods. It’s immense, and to be honest I liked it better than the Pearl Market. Vendors weren’t as obnoxious, and don’t call out to you as you pass by. Additionally, a lot of stuff sold there is more uniquely “Chinese”, and make good souvenirs (at least in my opinion). You still haggle, like at the other markets (unfortunately my bargaining skills are rather deplorable). This time around I didn’t buy much, mostly some ceramics, but I plan to go back some time.

Afterward, on the way back, I stopped at 北海公园, Beihai Park, a large public park not too far west of the Forbidden City. Like Houhai, Beihai surrounds a small lake. I personally loved this park. It was a beautiful day, if a little hot. Besides the wide roads the went around the lake, there were many smaller paths weaving around the trees that surround the lake. Every so often along these paths were pavilions of various sizes, places to find shade from the particularly relentless sun. Besides those seeking refuge from the heat, many pavilions also had musicians playing traditional Chinese instruments (admittedly I don’t know what any of them are called). After walking around the market all morning and standing on the subway, these pavilions were a nice reprieve. One particular pavilion caught my attention. It was a bit large, built over a small pond and surrounded by trees. It was far enough away from the city and the more crowded parts of the park that it was very peaceful. You could have painted the scene. The only noises were the birds and an older man playing some sort of flute instrument. Nearby a family was having a picnic, and occasionally people would pass by. I must of stayed there a half hour, just relaxing and enjoying the atmosphere.

Finally I got up to explore the rest of the park, which now mostly consisted of the island in the lake. The island housed the “White Pagoda” and a Buddhist temple. It was a small island, but it hid a deceptively large number of old, traditional-style buildings. I tried to wander through as much of it as I could, but I’m sure there’s plenty that I missed. Afterward I finally returned to the dorms. And I think that is where I’ll leave off this entry. Until the next time!

One-Liners, Caramel, and Striped Shirts

Posted on July 23, 2016 by Haejin

Thanks for tuning in, here is an observation for the week:

I realized one day during our familial afternoon snack that Nutella and peanut butter sandwiches are shockingly NOT a thing in France. Apparently, as peanut butter in general is scarcely found in your typical French households, the idea of putting the two together in a sandwich was strange to my host family. In the end, they did try it, and said it was better than they thought it’d be. At the same time, they unanimously declared that stereotypical Americans enjoy mixing sweet and salty (fair enough). Instead, they put straight salted caramel on bread, which is an interesting and literally mouthwatering experience.

Thankfully, it’s also pronounced CARE-A-MEL in French. None of this CAR-A-MUL business…

Turning now to my French,

Well, I feel like my oral comprehension has vastly improved from last week (or should I say recovered, I thought that at ND I did ok understanding French), as evidenced by picking up on more things at the dinner table. I can now consistently follow the general flow of conversation, and I even recognized some sarcasm and jokes (Like what do you call yogurt in the forest? Natural yogurt ‼! My kind of joke right there). However, when arguments take place, the French somehow becomes even faster, at which point I lose track, so I just smile and eat until I can rejoin. And so it goes…

The problem for me seems to be circumlocution; it’s tough to find ways to talk around my holes in vocabulary. I never realized until now how many words you need for decent conversation. And there’s no help from my family, as none of them know English more than I know French. So at times I find myself desperately gesticulating my thoughts while my family gives me a depressing bewildered look. It’s getting better beyond a doubt, and I’ve got like 100 new words already down, but more work need be done.

This week in class, we delved much more into new grammar: expressing regrets, giving reproaches, and objective pronouns. At this point, I feel quite satisfied with my ability to learn in the classroom (that is to say, obtain theoretical knowledge of French), but various intricacies and random rules continue to nuisance me in writing. And while I do think I am well retaining what I learn, we learn specific aspects of the language that I sometimes only infrequently practice them. One silver lining, I did well on my first test though, so there you go.

On a lighter note, I am learning French through interacting with the family outside of meals too. By just participating in random aspects of daily life, I learn some vocabulary and expressions for the occasion. For example, last Monday, my host family dad and I baked a Kouign Amman. That’s Breton (not French) for butter cake, and you can get it at our Hesburgh Library ABP, 2 for $5. I’d like to say ours was better, but we forget to let the dough rise so it really wasn’t. Still, it was good practice to read through a long recipe with Mr. Da Rocha, and over the next few weeks we vow to improve.

Mr. Da Rocha says it’s essential to learn the language AND the food of France. So here we are

Now here’s a little bit on a quadrennial local holiday. Since I arrived, I had been seeing these signs advertising for “Brest 2016”. My host family simply told me it was a festival celebrating Brittany’s maritime heritage, and for 15 euros, you can go on boats and listen to Breton music, as well as buy food and knickknacks. I later talked with the tour guide who works for C.I.E.L Bretagne, and well, yeah more or less it was the same thing. She gave a bit more detail on its origins as the expansion of a popular boat rally held at Brest in 1980, but yeah, there’s nothing substantially important about this holiday than enjoying the traditional nautical culture. Simply put, Bretons like boats, and everybody get together every four years to have fun on them.

Ships are what’s it’s all aboat during Brest 2016

So I went on Thursday, and….

Meh.

I saw lots of boats, heard lots of bagpipe music funnily enough (Is that from the Gaelic influence? I couldn’t tell you), and went through a bunch of stores. I did buy a chic Breton striped shirt, which is called a marinière in French (I learned they were originally made to identify sailors who fell overboard) and bought this thing advertised as a Breton Hot Dog (a sausage on a baguette served with mustard, fries on the side) which was amazing although quite expensive. But overall, not exactly a great deal for 15 euros in this humble American’s opinion. There wasn’t much there I could do that I couldn’t already in the city.

Me with new friends and a new shirt. Ahoy!

So that’s all for this week, I think I can say much general improvement has been made, but learning a language is tough work. On to the next week!

Festivities Blooming in Glenn Cholm Cille

Posted on July 23, 2016 by Mairead

Today marks the end of my last week in Glenn Cholm Cille and the beginning of my time in Glenn Fhinne, a town in the heart of the Bluestack Mountains. Some of the Oideas Gael language courses are moving there for a few weeks as their expanded offering of cultural classes (in harp, weaving, tapestry, hillwalking, and the like) takes over their facilities in Glenn Cholm Cille. Also set to take over Glenn Cholm Cille in the next few weeks is the 2016 Glencolmcille Agricultural Show, which I was lucky enough to discuss with a local in Glenn Cholm Cille. In order to protect his privacy, I’ll call him Toby in this blog post.

Although my time in the Glenn didn’t overlap with any festivals, it very well could have. The upcoming agricultural show is one of three this summer that I know of, the first being a stonemasonry festival that took place before I got there, and the last being a family festival that will take place in the second week of August (see picture below). However, according to Toby, the agricultural show is the festival that means the most to the community.

The basis of the agricultural show is a number of contests comparing livestock and other entries. According to Toby, most of the festival will take place on the town’s GAA football pitch. The thing that makes the festival so special, though, is that it’s huge—the list of winners from last year’s show that is posted on the Glenn’s website is 31 pages long. Toby estimates that thousands of people come to town for the show, among them people who grew up in the Glenn but have moved to other places to work. The agricultural show is an excuse for people to come home, and everybody does.

Glenn Cholm Cille is a tiny town. Like I said when I first got here, it sometimes seems like something out of a movie. But during my time here, I’ve come to realize that in spite of its size, the town has a lot going on. I think that events like the agricultural show are part of what makes the town feel like it’s thriving: people may leave for a while, but they always come back. I hope that one day, I’ll be lucky enough to come back, too.

More information on the agricultural show: http://www.glencolmcille.ie/glenshow.htm

This sign for a festival later in the summer is at the start of the main road in Glenn Cholm Cille. The sign reads “Festival”, an alternative spelling for the town’s name, and “2016, 6th-13th August” in Irish.

Final Thoughts

Posted on July 23, 2016 by Hye Sim

Spending two months in Germany taught me a lot about how I personally acquire language best. I have always been on the quiet side, and this experience really pushed me to talk as often as possible with as many new people as possible. Aside from speaking, being constantly flooded with German songs, writing, and people definitely influenced the rate of my improvement. It was very helpful being in class most of the day, where I received a steady and consistent amount of German grammar and practice. I believe I have reached most of my goals, such as speaking more comfortably and with less hesitation, making less grammatical errors when speaking, and improving the overall level of my German in writing, reading, listening, and speaking. But I know that I am still quite far from fluency, which I wish to continue to work towards.
Living in Germany taught me about communication with people around the world. There were plenty of people who spoke English but for the most part, everyone opted to use German instead. Being able to communicate with people from different countries provided me new insight about the world; I feel that my world view has broadened greatly. There were always different cultural expectations from country to country, but generally, being polite or friendly was never difficult. I also just learned a lot about the way other people view the United States, as well as how other people view Germany. I never really thought about what the USA looked like to other countries, and I now have a better understanding of other countries’ world views. I would definitely advise someone applying for an SLA grant to be respectful and they will pick up on social cues and norms as they become more accustomed to the country they go to. Just speaking with people and making a best effort to get along goes quite far.
I bought quite a lot of books when I was in Germany, and I am slowly tackling my way through them. There are so many words I don’t know but reading the book helps me remember my grammar as well as improve my vocabulary. This experience has made me want to return to Germany and hopefully become fluent in the language some day. I will begin TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) classes soon at Notre Dame, and I am excited to potentially work with the German language after college. Being abroad taught me to take more responsibility and also be less afraid to take steps forward even when I am unsure of myself. I believe the things I have learned from this experience will apply greatly to my continuing experience at Notre Dame and I will continue to keep the lessons from my experience in Radolfzell in mind as I move forward in my education and in the future.

The Immersion at Work – 4

Posted on July 23, 2016 by Weronika

After four weeks in Moscow, I experienced my greatest language-related success when someone in the Metro station assumed I was a local and asked for directions. Not only was I able to direct him to the appropriate location to transfer lines, he did not question my use of Russian and we were able to have a casual exchange of small talk afterwards.

A second language triumph was a conversation I had with some friends about movies. We were able to communicate various film recommendations and feelings about cinematography in our respective languages. Since both parties had some knowledge of the other language, we were able to speak primarily in Russian, reverting to English occasionally in order to teach me new words. Google translate only had to be employed three times in the duration of the conversation.

Living in such a large city, I have noticed that it is far too simple to fall back on English in uncomfortable situations because so many people in Moscow learn English and are very eager to practice it with foreigners. In restaurants especially, much of the wait staff is keen to use their English and sometimes even give out English menus. It is a proud moment when the waitress at a restaurant doesn’t switch from Russian to English after hearing me utter a single sentence. Very rarely, we encounter people with minimal or no knowledge of English. I am truly able to practice my Russian in those situations because I have had more language instruction than most of our language group and need to act as interpreter. Sometimes this is more successful than others, especially depending on the clarity and speed at which the Russian is speaking. I have gained a much better grasp of vowel reductions and consonant cluster reductions, which was one of my goals for the summer. Native speakers do this unconsciously, but it is tough for someone learning the language to understand let alone mimic. A simple example of this is the common greeting, здравствуйте, meaning “hello”. It can be used with anybody in any situation, but is usually reduced to “здрасте” in colloquial speech. Catching these differences is an accomplishment that makes me realize the degree to which language immersion makes a difference in lexical acquisition.

Oh, Italian Food.

Posted on July 23, 2016 by Regina

Other than the people and the beautiful views, one thing I would definitely miss is the food. From the €1.50 piece of pizza, the freshly made and customized panino (fun fact, it’s actually “panino” for one sandwich, and “panini” is the plural word!) the cheap but also fresh pasta from the bottega, the full four or five course Italian dinner that takes 3 hours, to the scrumptious but cheap gelato, the food here is just heavenly. It might be the fresh ingredients, or the time, dedication, and passion the locals pour onto preparing them.

(Before reading the post, I’d like to apologize in advance for te lack of photos- I always got too busy enjoying the meals/the conversations or cooking to take photos! But hopefully my writing would suffice.)

Let me tell you something. Even the things that I don’t like (or would rather not eat) back home, somehow taste 100 times better here in this country. I’ll list a couple of them as examples: red pepper, mushroom, chicken liver (I would gag if I had to eat them back home or in the US!), eggplants. But here, they taste oh-my-goodness so delicious you don’t even care what you’re eating! The chicken liver here is processed and seasoned so so well, and then put on top of the crostini/bread like a spread. It’s actually become one of my favorite antipasti! Another unique food that I tried here, which I have tried before but am not really passionate about, is tripe. It’s the inner muscle walls of a cow, and is a regional specialty here in Tuscany. I tried this dish, which is called “la trippa”, in one of the restaurants that had been recommended by a local, and I really liked it!

clockwise from the bottom left: penne arrabbiata, bistecca, pici boscaiola, and la trippa!

While staying here in Siena, I’ve also had the opportunity to attend a cooking class with the other Notre Dame kids here at the school! It was so much fun, and we learnt to cook a full Italian dinner, which consists of the antipasto or appetizer, primo piatto (first course, normally pasta or rice), secondo piatto (second course, which would be meat, chicken, or other protein), and dolce (dessert, yum!). We all worked as a team with the chefs who helped to teach and supervise us while we prepare the food. For the antipasto, we made some bruschetta and crostini with vegetables on top. For the primo piatto, we made a thin pasta called “stracci.” We all got to make the pasta from scratch! It was my first time making pasta from flour and eggs, and using the pasta machine. It was so much fun, kneading the dough and rolling the pasta machine. And then for the secondo piatto, we prepared rolled turkey breast with spinach filling. I also had the privilege of whipping the cream for the dolce, and stirring it all together with the gelatine, milk, lemon zest mixture. The dessert was a scrumptious creamy concoction with berries and a cookie on top, called the Bavarese alla Crema.

my proud face upon seeing that the bavarese alla crema turned out well!

But I think that what I enjoy the most about my meals in Italy is how much they brought the people together. The dinners I had with my friends take at least 1.5-2 hours (sometimes more). Whether it was at a full meal in a restaurant, an aperitivo (a pre-dinner warm up, yum!), a picnic, or a homemade dinner in my own kitchen, we had really good conversations during those meals. There were dinners when we talked about the Brexit issue, politics in Spain and the US, about life in Siena, about the meaning of friendship, about the places we had gone to, about our faith and beliefs, about our home and family, or just about life in general. Friendships were started and built through inviting people to have meals together. During those conversations, you got to know the person’s perspectives on things, their cultural and family background, their values and identity. It was beautiful, as I look back now, how much the power of food could really bring people together. It’s definitely something that I would miss as I leave Italy, but it’s also something that I want to keep doing as I go back to Notre Dame.
Here’s to all the good meals in the future! :).

A Thing Called Life in Japan- 6

Posted on July 22, 2016 by Joshua

So here I am. The last day. Saigo no hi. This program has been long, and always difficult, but also incredibly rewarding. Not only have I learned much more about Japanese language and lifestyle, but I have learned much more about myself, as well. Transplating onself into an entirely new environment–new in every way imaginable–almost forces introspection. During these eight weeks, I asked myself questions like: who am I? What am I capable of? What do I truly feel connected to?
Last week, I talked about a certain listlessness and sense of disconnect from my studies. Now writing after that crag has been crossed, I can say that I was truly confronted with many doubts about my studies, my future, my personal ability. And in the week that followed, every day, every experience was another reflection directed at finding a way to calm these doubts.

Though a final exam ate into this week’s schedule like an insatiable time-fiend, time was made for recognizing and affirming those connections made over eight weeks. I spent time with friends made through the program. I visited the places in Kanazawa that felt particularly special. And, of course, I spent evenings with my host-family.
Perhaps due to a choice that was too cliche, I also had a sushi lunch. In Kanazawa Eki, the large and well-known train station of Kanazawa, there is a sushi restaraunt tucked into a back corner, a pocket of great, traditional food.
Though I did not need to confirm the importance of sushi to Japanese culture (because what foreigner does not connect sushi and Japan in the space of a breath?), talking with people at the restaraunt did reveal some interesting information. For example, even though one may be in Japan, and the sea seems always close-at-hand, some areas are much better for sushi than others. Saying nothing about bias, people I talked with at the sushi-restaraunt regard Kanazawa as the place for sushi. The sea is incredibly close, so close that the sushi’s freshness cannot really be beat. Someone told me that even Tokyo sushi is not as fresh, a comment I hesitantly took as truth (because what do I know?).

What I particularly enjoyed about the restaraunt was its openness. The sushi chefs stand right the counter, slicing various fish and plating them on plumps of sticky rice. Customers can interact with the chefs directly, an exchange that I feel demonstrates the seriousness and attraction with which Japanese traditionally treat sushi. The nature of sushi is–and I may be stretching here–akin to that of wine; the origin, the preparation, the atmosphere are all key in the appreciation of sushi. Which is to say nothing on just how Japanese a food like sushi is, composed of two of Japan’s most consumed foods: fish and rice.
Needless to say, eating sushi in such a restaraunt, hiding away in Kanazawa Eki, was definitely the kind of Japanese experience befitting a final week.

Later today, I leave Japan. Not for long, admittedly (I am returning in the Fall for a fuller study abroad experience), but the idea of leaving Ishikawa after spending so much time here, being so challenged in so many ways, is a strange one. I am so thankful to the people that not only helped me learn Japanese, but helped me feel a part of this country and its culture.
One day, I will return. And I will continue my studies. And I will only grow closer to a country I already love.

Joshua Kuiper

カイパーヨシュア

Adjusting to Geneva

Posted on July 21, 2016 by Brittany

While I have only recently begun my course in French, my time in Switzerland has already begun to set in fully, owing to my internship (also in Geneva) preceding the SLA Grant period. Upon arriving to Switzerland in the early summer months, I felt as though I’d inched in small steps from day-to-day life in West Africa into a more familiar, distinctly Western context. Following my study abroad semester in Dakar, Senegal, I felt relieved to experience a short transitionary period splitting my time between stays in Senegal and Switzerland due to their polarity in terms of pace of life, social structures, and certain social nuances such as gender relations. Leaving Senegal, I visited friends in both Togo and Morocco, witnessing the socioeconomic distinctions between rural areas of Togo (some of which were geopolitically and culturally reminiscent of certain areas in Senegal) and the urban, equally wildly beautiful cities of Rabat and Tangier, Morocco. As I split from the Francophone world and moved into Spain for several days, I was warmed by linguistic familiarity, the sounds of Spanish spilling into my ears and easing my transition into Europe. Arriving in Switzerland a few days later, I felt ready to return to a Francophone sphere, however different pace of life and economic development would prove to be in the Swiss context.

Within Switzerland, linguistic distinctions comprise the whole of the small country, with four national languages claiming corners of particular regions. Of course, I find myself in Geneva in the Francophone region of the country, though a short weekend hiking trip or bus ride to visit friends across a border line radically changes the composition of language predispositions- I feel at a loss, at times, for my lacking German and Italian skills. As an international center, Geneva hosts the United Nations, a plethora of international organizations, NGOs, corporate entities, and more. Walking along Lac Leman, I pick up on conversational bits in French, Spanish, and on rare occasion, Wolof. Linguistic and national distinctions are too numerous to name, yet a strange homogeneity hangs over Geneva, clad in similarly branded pressed suits and skirts and walking with determination to perfectly scheduled tram arrivals. I am looking forward to continuing my progress through engaging this space, unfolding its complexities, and making its many languages (French in particular) grow in vibrancy and meaning with time.

“Facciamo una passeggiata!”

Posted on July 21, 2016 by Regina

The title, in Italian, means “Let’s take a walk.” It’s definitely something that I’ve been doing a lot since I got here. Taking a walk isn’t something that I do a lot back home, not something I’d do to get to places- but here in Siena (and other cities in Italy that I’ve visited so far), it has become my favorite means of transportation. One main reason is that it’s super economical, AKA free. But another reason is the things you see, or bump into, along your way: the interesting stores and alleys, unexpected opening between the buildings with a beautiful view, random artworks on the streets, a parade of people from the contrada marching in medieval costumes, vibrant markets, etc etc.

A beautiful chalk painting on a street in Siena

I bumped into a parade of young people from the contrada Bruco!

A vibrant fruit market in Venice that I found as I walked from the station

Siena is particularly fun to walk around, with little “vicolo” or small streets, random openings in between the buildings with amazing views, and very interesting buildings with medieval architecture all over the town. The town is located on a series of hills, which sometimes makes it more like an exercise than a casual walk. But these so-called “struggles” make it even more worth it when you discover something beautiful!

One of my favorite views is on a hill near the Basilica of San Domenico. I was just wandering around a small alley next to the church after attending mass, when I saw that there was a pizzeria that my friend had recommended to me the day before. I decided to walk up the alley to check out the menu of the pizzeria, and as I walked along the street, I reached an open area with three restaurants on the right side, and a beautiful view on my left! I could see the black and white stripes of the Duomo, the tower at the main piazza, and basically most of the historic center of Siena!

what a view!

Other than Siena, I’ve also had the opportunities to travel to a couple other cities in Italy, like Florence, Venice, Padua, Rome, and San Gimignano. I did visit some museums and saw a lot of beautiful art–especially in Florence and Rome! I was overwhelmed with joy as I saw the works of the Renaissance masters like Michelangelo’s Pieta, Raphael’s School of Athens, Leonardo da Vinci’s Annunciation; and also the magnificent Baroque sculptures and monuments by Bernini all over Rome! Being an art history nerd, I couldn’t stop smiling as I walked through the Piazza San Pietro in Vatican, and also the galleries at the Uffizi and the Vatican Museum. These artworks–and my weekend in each cities–need another separate blog post, as they were just so amazing.

The beautiful piazza and Basilica di San Pietro in Vatican

One of my favorite artworks of all time: Michelangelo’s Pieta

But other than the beautiful artworks in the museum, I also enjoyed walking around the cities, where I was able to people watch, wander around the streets and shops, marvel at the buildings with medieval, venetian, or classical architecture. In Padua (one of my favorite cities so far!), for example, the vibrant energy of the young people and modern shops blend well with the renaissance buildings, the charming roman porticoes, the spacious piazzas, canals and bridges around the city.

The famous clock tower in Padova, at the Piazza dei Signori

Another beautiful piazza in Padua, Piazza delle Erbe

One of the canals in Padua!

Walking around, I discover a little bit more about each of the cities. In some ways, the cities are like artworks themselves, the works of urbanization from many years ago which are well-preserved, beautiful piazzas and green parks with buildings carved surrounding it, cobble-stone streets lining around it, with blocks of sunlight going in between the trees and buildings. These “passeggiate” that I took around each cities reminded me of my art history class last semester, where my professor talked about the urbanization in Rome and other cities in Italy in the past- he more or else said that the process of urbanization is like carving a space with the buildings and monuments, creating a livable area for the people. I could truly understand and appreciate what he was talking about, as I walked through the colonnades, along the rivers and canals, or sat down at a piazza.

An early morning walk along the Arno River in Florence, on our way to the Uffizi!

A peaceful and beautiful early morning walk along the Arno River in Florence, on our way to the Uffizi!

The view from Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence, after climbing what felt like hundreds of steps of staircase

The lovely Venice 🙂

A panoramic view that I found when I walked at San Gimignano

Texting Slang “as Gaeilge”

Posted on July 20, 2016 by Mairead

Sometimes, when I learn a new lesson for the first time, it feels like I’ll never remember it. But because I’m speaking all day in Irish, I have to use what I learn, and I’ve found some lessons coming in handy over and over again.

One topic that has come up a few times is the use of abbreviations in Irish text messaging. It seemed strange to me at first, but I suppose it’s logical that Irish speakers would find text abbreviations useful just as much as English speakers would. Some of these are common—I’ve received an email containing “GRMA” (short for Go raibh maith agat, which translates as “thank you”) from a teacher before. Others seem to be used only among younger people, or barely at all. My favorite example of this category of texting slang is “NASAA,” which a young Irish speaker told me means “Níl ach saol amháin agat”—the equivalent of You Only Live Once.

Although my teacher this week didn’t know exactly what NASAA meant when I first asked her, she made a pretty good guess. She also took some time at the end of class one afternoon to teach us other, more common text abbreviations, including how to say in shorthand “Okay,” “No problem,” and “Where are you?” In fact, all of my teachers have been pretty knowledgeable about putting the language to use online. They have to be, because a lot of people learn their Irish on the internet. Many of the adults taking classes here live in countries or in regions where no Irish classes are offered, and have learned most of their Irish through programs like Duolingo. From what I’ve seen, the result of that has been that those invested in teaching the language have worked hard to make online resources for learning the language better and more accessible. Since the language is widely used online, it makes sense to have a set of abbreviations for messaging.

I think that my newfound knowledge of Irish text messaging reflects the way that my vocabulary has been getting richer in general since I’ve been here. Before I came here, one of the biggest problems I ran into when trying to communicate in Irish was that even if I knew how a sentence should be constructed grammatically, I just didn’t have the words to say what I wanted to say. At Oideas Gael, the teachers encourage us to speak and teach us vocabulary for a variety of situations. So far, I’ve practiced renting an apartment, describing a job, and, yes, text messaging, to name a few.

There was no picture with my last post due to technical difficulties with my phone. Luckily, a friend got this shot of me looking at the Glenn. Wellies are a must! But we usually get a few hours of sun a day. Just of screen: The famous Glenn Cholm Cille burger and chips van.

SLA Profiles (2016)

Yearly Archives: 2016