A very large part of my study of Japanese came from my love for Japanese movies and dramas, with its wide range from the silly to the poignant. Sadly, many of these movies are hard to access when I was in the US and are only released in Japan or selected theaters. Fortunately, I had the chance to watch the live action movie Gintama during my stay in Japan. The movie is about a world where aliens have invaded Japan and declared the age of samurai to be over. It follows a ex-samurai named Gintoki (the silver hair one) and his various everyday shenanigans.
The movie posters for Gintama. I highly recommend it.
The movie theater we went to was Toho Cinemas in Shinjuku. It was a high-rise building with a giant Godzilla statue towering over it. For the most part, it was the same as going to the movies in US. However, there were a few differences that made it an interesting experience. For example, there were areas in the lobby where the movie goer could buy merchandise that features characters or something from the movie. I got some Gintama postcards after watching it that I’m super excited about. When we were watching the trailers, there were some American movies such as Spider-Man and Star Wars featured, but the voices were dubbed in Japanese which took some getting used to. Before the movie began, there was a reminder for people to turn off their cell phones, to not talk during the movies, and for some reason, to not kick the seats. Of course people at the movie theater in the US are generally quiet during the movies, but there was a noticeable difference in the level of quietness in the Japanese theater.
Spot the Godzilla.
The entire movie was in Japanese with no subtitles, and I was happy to have been able to follow most of what was happening or said. The movie was hilarious and really well-done, and it was neat to be able to understand a joke or the punchline in another language.
When you walk to your gate and see this waiting for you, you can anticipate a good trip
Or, if we’re being a bit more precise, I’ve been here for two weeks now. Flying in to Tokyo was one of the most pleasantly overwhelming moments of my life. Navigating international travel, currency exchange, and Tokyo’s intricate train system for the first time was challenging, though who can complain about flying on a BB-8 plane? My experience has been a mix of that daunting challenge and sense of wonder, so it’s taken me a while to finally sit down and write about it all.
Quite a bit has happened since my arrival, so I will split my first two posts between the liveliest points of my stay thus far: city life and campus life. This first post of mine will center around the city life and attempt to give a worthy summary of my experience. My friends and I have crawled the various sections of this vast metropolitan monster numerous times now, and it’s left a lasting impression with me.
Train tracks that seem to stretch on forever
As of July 20th, I have been to Shinjuku, Asakusa, Shibuya, Akihabara, Ikebukuro, Musashi-sakai, Mitaka, and, of course, the International Christian University. A lot, I know. I owe my travels to the wonderfully affordable Tokyo train system. I can’t imagine there’s anything quite like it. Once you become accustomed to the lay out of the city, the large swaths of people, and abandon the ticket system for a much more convenient Suica or Passmo card, the train system becomes your very best friend in Tokyo. This is a somewhat strange thing to rave about, but my hometown, Houston, has little in terms of public transportation. South Bend has a more extensive bus system. So, from my perspective, the train system is a work of modern ingenuity, even if it’s as common as morning coffee for the denizens of Tokyo.
Godzilla says hi
Another dazzling sight is the sheer size of the buildings in major shopping centers. Everything with the exception of large crosswalks and certain roads are much narrower than what I’m used to in the States. Due to the ground space being narrow, when you go to your large department stores, expect to look up. Way up. Some companies capitalize on this architecture in fantastic ways. The picture to the right is TOHO Cinemas and its overgrown guardian turtle. While not every establishment is wonderful enough to warrant this protection, it’s common to see giant screens playing advertisements or banners that are multiple stories high. You’ll see a lot more of that in my later posts.
So what other general impressions do I have after two weeks in Tokyo? Shopping and food. I could easily write an entire post about each of these, but I’ll try to limit myself to one paragraph each.
Directly in front of Shinjuku station right after sunset
Tokyo shopping is… Vast is perhaps the best word I can think of at the moment. You can find just about anything in the sprawling city. Sometimes, all in a single building. You might spend an hour browsing on one floor, head toward the escalator to look for a certain type of goods, and then discover nine other floors to search through. Sometimes more. Window shopping is fun in and of itself simply because there is so much to see. Often prices will be absolutely reasonable, and the more populated and popular areas are often tax free hubs where simply presenting your passport will exempt you from tax on anything over 5,000 yen (about fifty dollars). And, of course, plenty of areas are packed with people.
Delicious beef dish including miso soup, rice, and a salad
Now for the food. This could easily be my favorite part of living in Japan. I’m not a foodie or anything, but you really can’t beat the prices on food here. For 650 yen you can get a meal similar to that depicted on the right. And these meals aren’t McDonald’s quality “food.” They are delicious, (probably) nutritious meals that are very filling. No questionable quote unquote meat. No extra four to five dollars for leafy greens. No two dollar bottles of water. You can buy fairly large bottles of water at a supermarket for less than 100 yen and bottles of tea for a comparable price. It’s simply wonderful in my opinion. It helps that I love washoku or Japanese cuisine. I’ve also become accustomed to using chopsticks for anything and everything. Rice, the floating bits of miso soup, salads, and even chips. Yes. I’m very proud, thank you for asking.
So that’s Tokyo the city thus far. These are all the most general of impressions, but I hope to share more specifics later down the line, because I’ve already had some great times in the various sections of the city. However, that will have to wait. Next up is ICU campus life.
Reflect on your language learning and acculturation during your SLA Grant experience. What insights did you gain into the language acquisition process? How did you engage and understand cultural differences. Did you meet your goals for language learning that you articulated on the blog before you started your program? Why or why not?
This question is a bit hard for me, as I have spent the past year studying abroad gaining insights into the language acquisition process. However, changing the school at which I studied certainly helped me gain more insight into the process of teaching one’s brain to easily and rapidly use a foreign language. The professor’s at L’alliance Française had clearly received great training in the way the brain functions in relation with foreign languages. My professor taught me numerous new tools for helping learn a language, which I had never even thought of before. Gone are my days of believing that French television is enough comprehension practice! Overall, I am extremely happy with the results of the program, and I can confidently say that I honored my pact to only speak French (with minor exceptions…) during my SLA. My ability level has certainly risen during my studies, and I can even say that my ability to speak fluently (as opposed to translating back and forth between french and english) is much more concrete than before.
2. Reflect on your SLA Grant experience overall. What insights have you brought back as a result of this experience? How has your summer language study abroad changed you and/or your worldview? What advice would you give to someone who was considering applying for an SLA Grant or preparing to start their own summer language study?
This experience has been especially impactful, in part, because I engaged the language in an incredibly diverse class. Students came from all over the world, were different ages, some married, some with children, and some college students like me. Not only did I enjoy the diversity after a year in a University setting, but these students offered me valuable insight into their fields, how they moved to France, and how they have utilized their French skills to work their way into certain careers. This has been incredibly important, as a few students in particular really steered me into a new career direction. Living in Paris also helped me broaden my worldview, as I was constantly encountering French culture and the cultures of the immigrants who surrounded me each and every day. The city truly helped me learn and experience culture in a way that I never have before.
In terms of advice, I would certainly advise students to speak solely in their target language. In addition, I would recommend that students make sure to spend time with native speakers. While it can be comforting to find friends who speak your language and understand your culture, speaking with natives will help you learn to speak colloquially and without accent (well, at least not a bad accent…!).
Where do you go from here? How will you maintain, grow and/or apply what you have learned? How might you use your SLA Grant experience during the rest of your academic career and post-graduation. How will your SLA Grant experience inform you as you move forward academically, personally and professionally?
I will hold my SLA experience near and dear to my heart no matter what my future holds. However, I can also say that this experience has helped me understand that I want to continue to work with the French language for the rest of my life. Because of this, I will be using each and every opportunity on campus to continue my French progression. This includes French Club, Café Français, and (hopefully) conversation opportunities with native speakers. Further down the line, I will ideally work within the International Development field, in which French will be an integral skill, as much of the work takes place in French speaking countries. Not only this though, but I will also take what I have learned about cultural sensitivity, personal growth, and language growth with me when I (hopefully) embark on Western Africa to aid in the development process. Overall, my SLA grant has been a breath of fresh air that has acted to reinvigorate my passion for language, culture, and respectful humanitarian aid.
Perhaps one of the most important things I have learned over the past six weeks is, put simply, learning a language is difficult. I would venture to say that before arriving in France, my language abilities were already decent. Therefore, mastering small grammar concepts, acquiring new and more precise vocabulary, and simply speaking that language in most nearly all of my daily interactions have been the factors which most greatly accelerated my language acquisition. As I mention later in this post, the most important skill I acquired this summer was a greater confidence to speak French. This was only made possible, however, by actually speaking with native speakers, whether that be an employee of a museum of my “host-parents.” In addition to building confidence, speaking to native speakers provides further opportunity to employ techniques and vocabulary learned inside of the classroom. This opportunity complements the opportunity to make errors and be corrected, something which the French like to do but is actually helpful to those learning the language.
In reviewing and reflecting on my goals which I set for myself at the beginning of the summer, I believe that I achieved a degree of success relating to every one of them. As already mentioned, my inhibitions of speaking French to native speakers has been greatly diminished, largely through the experience of living in with a host family and having to sustain dinnertime conversation in French. The classroom lessons during my first four weeks at the institute very muted aided me in achieving my second goal which focused on grammar and verbs. Moreover, phonetics practice and simple classroom discussion advanced my pronunciation. Referring to my third goal on my blog page, while I did not study as much literature as I would have liked, I read independently and learned more than I imagined about French art. Regardless, I believe that my progress in other areas of my language capacity will aid me in my study of French literature at Notre Dame this fall. Lastly and on a more cultural note, my appreciation for the French political scene has greatly increased especially considering the unique nature of this year’s election. Seeing the shared problems between France and the United States, and those problems unique to France, deepened my political knowledge and made me thing about American problems from different perspectives.
Considering that this is my first time traveling to France, and Europe in general, my SLA Grant experience in its entirety has been more than rewarding. I now fully realize the impact of history on the differences between American and French culture. I also realize that the United States attracts a great deal of attention from other countries. While the US is obviously extremely powerful no the world stage, I believe that it is easy to forget that many people from other countries follow American news somewhat regularly. Another component of American influence is the prevalence of the ability to speak English among students from other countries. As my new friend from Taiwan, Jennifer, said, “America is the only place I know where it is so common to be monolingual.” It is true that as an American the need to speak another language is simply not that strong, but I now better comprehend the danger of this mindset. By adopting monolingualism as convenient and expecting others to speak English, one runs the risk of creating cultural disturbances and limiting his or her own potential. While I have has several opportunities in my life to change languages or stop pursuing one altogether, I now know that I will be forever thankful for my decision to continue to pursue French and the opportunity to become closer to mastering it through the SLA Grant opportunity. For those students considering applying for an SLA Grant, my first piece of advice is: Apply! As your trip approaches, you may be nervous about entering into a new culture for an extended period of time, I certainly was. Just know that as long as you make an effort to speak and learn, most native speakers will appreciate that and want to help you. After all, isn’t that what you would do too?
In the coming weeks when I travel independently around France and in the coming months and years when I continue to study French at Notre Dame and hopefully abroad, I will call upon my experience gained through the SLA Grant for guidance. I firmly believe that the most valuable thing I will take with me upon returning to Notre Dame is the confidence to speak French in a variety of situations, a skill which only the experience of being abroad can provide. During my first semester at Notre Dame, I typically hesitated to speak up in French class and the same was definitely true when I arrived in Tours earlier this summer. Fortunately, I believe that I have made enormous strides in the sphere of my character and language capability. To speak further of the general experience of being abroad for an extended period of time I look forward to my junior year at Notre Dame, when I hopefully study abroad in France, and will therefore already know(to a certain degree) what I can reasonably expect in terms of the culture and language. In addition to the academic advancements I have made during my time in Tours, my personal mindset has developed to a great degree. Namely, I have become very aware that as a student, I must be always be conscious of cultural differences and willing to respect those. And while I am certainly more knowledgeable of French culture, the friends of various nationalities whom I met enriched my view of the United States, life in other countries, and the common bond which humans, and particularly students, are capable of sharing.
While a professional utility of my SLA Grant experience may not have manifested this summer, I believe that it will considering that I would very much like to pursue an internationally oriented career, particularly with a Francophone nation. Together, the improvements in my language skills and cultural competency will permit me to not only continue my studies of the French language but form deeper connections with the cultural and its people.
As a concluding note, I would just like to take one last opportunity to everyone who has made my time in Tours possible. To the donors to the SLA Grant, the Nanovic Institute for European Studies, and the Center for the Study of Language and Culture, I say thank you. Also, I would like to express my gratitude to the Institute de Touraine, my host family, and all of the friends I made in Tours who truly made my summer remarkable. While I can view my time in Tours and in Europe in general as a valuable experience in and of itself (which it certainly is), I believe the true value of my trip manifests in the knowledge and experience which I will be able to use in coming years to continue to expand my relationships and knowledge in the most worldly way possible.
Attached I have included pictures of my independent travels after my program in Tours finished. The SLA Grant enabled me not only to study French and French culture but travel and see Europe in a much larger capacity than I anticipated.
As my time in Tours came closer to its end, I took greater advantage of my time this week by visiting several important cultural sites. While the beginning of last week was difficult for me because most of my friends returned to their respective homes, I have realized the gift of being able to start over and meet students from other universities and, during this session more than last, other countries including, but not limited to, Italy, Sweden, and Switzerland. To begin, I visited the Musée de Compagnonnage on Wednesday. This museum showcases the work of craftsmen from disciplines ranging from carpentry to copper workers to masons. While I believe that I prefer traditional art museums to the Musée de Compagnonnage, the extremely intricate craftsmanship on display is truly incredible. For example, the wood spiral towers of which I attached pictures were truly unique in not only their detail but their scale and size.
Additionally, I visited the Museum of Contemporary Art which opened only a few years ago. Officially known as the “Centre de Création Contemporaine Olivier Debré,” the museum itself is relatively small but rich in its offerings. The primary exhibit is an exposition of paintings from the museum’s namesake artist Olivier Debré, a French painter who fell in love with Norway and spent extended time there painting everything from glaciers to the setting of the sun. Moreover, one of his most impressive works is a massive canvas which depicts his interpretation of the Loire River which runs right through Tours. As one of the docents explained to me, in order to understand Debré’s works, one must appreciate that Debré preferred to paint not necessarily what he saw but what he felt.
In addition to visiting the mentioned museums in Tours, I visited three separate towns around Tours which each offer unique and valuable cultural landmarks. On Wednesday I visited Saumur which is only 45 minutes away in the direction of Angers. While I did not visit what one would exactly consider works of art, I took a tour at both the Distillerie de Combier and a “cave” of the winery Louis de Grenelle. Combier was founded in 1834 as a candy manufacturer. The owner and founder only became interested in the production of liquors and syrups because they could be added to chocolates. In fact, the orange-flavored liquor triple-sec, most commonly associated with brands such as Cointreau and Grand Marnier originated at the Distillerie de Combier as additions to candy. Today, despite the fact that the business has grown expansively, all of Combier’s products are produced on site and sold locally. On the wine front, the producer Louis de Grenelle also makes a product unique to Saumur and the surrounding region. The wine which is called Saumur is a sparkling red which is really unlike any other wine produced in France. While I have frequently had opportunities to test products ranging from cheese to which which encapsulate the French way of life and more accurately the customs of a particular region, the opportunity to actually visit the production sites of such products gave me a newfound appreciate for the labor dedicated to products which often seem so commonplace in the modern world.
Château de Saumur
Distillerie de Combier
Members of Cameroon’s Military Marching Band in Saumur for an international festival of military bands
On Saturday, I used my afternoon to travel to Blois, a town which is also 45 minutes away, but in the opposite direction. I originally intended to use Blois as a base to visit Château de Chambord (located about 25 minutes from the center of town) but discovered upon arriving that there were no buses running between the two. Nonetheless, Blois provided me with enough sites to capture my interest. For me Blois’ best offerings were it churches. The Basilica of Our Lady of the Trinity (Notre Dame de la Trinité) was especially interesting to me because, unlike most churches which one finds in France and Europe in general, the building was relatively new. And while the new style of construction did not exactly carry the same gravity as the older churches in Blois with their massive stone edifices and foundations, the carvings within the church were truly remarkable. The garden located adjacent to the Château de Blois was also incredibly beautiful. In particular one of the fountains was a small cave which was covered in gems such as amethyst which reflected the light of the sun onto the water to the small pool situated below.
Blois from across the Loire
Interior of Notre Dame de la Trinité
Steps leading to Cathedral Saint-Louis
The following Monday I visited what was probably my favorite of all of the smaller towns which I visited during my time in France, Amboise. It is hard for me to really describe which I preferred Amboise to Saumur or Blois, but I believe that the reason was simply the feel of the town and the way it was designed. Like the others, Amboise is situated on the Loire River which contributes to the beauty of the town. Unlike the others, however, the château of Amboise is located prominently next to the Loire on top of a hill more or less directly in the center of town. The narrow streets lined with shops, local grocery stores, and restaurants lend themselves to a very lively and welcoming environment. Removed from the central business district is Clos Lucé, the home of Leonardo da Vinci. Beautifully restored and complemented by extensive gardens with life-sized and model recreations of da Vinci’s inventions, Clos Lucé provides an invaluable look into one of the greatest minds in human history. Everything from da Vinci’s bed to his workshops are meticulously restored in order to emit in visitors the feeling of being at the house during da Vinci’s own era.
The end of week four at the institute was difficult because many of my friends from other American universities, namely the University of Alabama and Wake Forest University, finished their respective programs and returned to the United States. Fortunately, however, a new “session” of classes starts next week so I have hopes that I will be given the chance to meet more students from across the globe. This Wednesday I took advantage of Tours’ public transportation (one of Europe’s greatest assets in my opinion) to go to Villandry, the home of a château and accompanying gardens (pictures attached). While my visit was cut short by the rain, I have to say that walking around the perfectly manicured gardens was one of my favorite experiences thus far. I know understand why my host family urged me so much to go. While the château itself is pretty (I did not actually go inside), the gardens are something not-to-be missed. This week I also went to the Basilica of Saint Martin with my host family to get a detailed explanation of Saint Martin’s life and the specific components of the “Year of Saint Martin” which has been ongoing for over a year. Last week I went to the bookstore and bought a few books in French, some of them written by Albert Camus, in an attempt to pass my free time in a productive way while making use of the public parks here in Tours (another one of Europe’s greatest features). I must say that while it does not happen all of the time, it is rewarding to recognize vocabulary which I have read. Lastly on the cultural front, I attended a light show at the cathedral which actually occur every night during the summer. The illuminations tell the story of Tours in approximately 18 different “scenes” to provide, in the shows entirety, something truly spectacular even without any prior knowledge of the city’s past.
In addition to exploring châteaux and trying to catch up with some of France’s best known literature, I have worked to expand my knowledge of French culture through talking to native speakers. Considering the absolutely historic elections which have swept France over the past two months, I wanted to learn more about what citizens think of their new president, Emmanuel Macron. While a lot of French citizens have strong feelings toward Mr. Trump (while I am writing this it was announced that he will be in France to help the French celebrate Bastille Day), I have been confused by M. Macron himself and the general public attitude toward him. For a little bit of context, here is some information I gathered from the news and daily discussion in class: Macron defeated Marine Le Pen of the far-right Front National but did so but a historically less significant margin than other candidates. This fact is even more interesting considering the voter turn-out was very low for both the presidential and legislative elections. Furthermore, Macron’s “party,” Le République En Marche (LREM) is more of a movement than a traditional political party and therefore is not well defined. With these facts in mind, I sought out individuals to get their specific opinions on Macron as an ordinary person and as a political.
Because I have grown closer to my host family during the past four weeks and the fact that we regularly discuss current political affairs over dinner, I decided that it would only be natural to get their opinion on the political environment which seems to transcend multiple facets of daily French life. Being supporters of the traditional right, the party known as Les Républicains, the Laumonnier’s were skeptical of Macron’s political agenda because they view him as being too liberal on the social front. Moreover, the Laumonnier’s expressed their discontent with the future prospects of French education. They fear that the more generous criteria for the BAC, the large exam which students take upon completing high school, will continue under the Macron administration. Lastly, the Laumonnier’s called attention to the relationship between Macron and his wife Brigitte who is 25 years his senior. For the Laumonnier’s the essential intrigue in Macron’s personal life, an intrigue which I believe is not uncommon, is that the relationship between the two started when Macron was a middle school student. Regardless of this fact, the essential problem which Marie-Dominique and Hervé have with Macron’s movement is that it is simply too young and not well defined. Simply, Macron was a socialist part minister under François Hollande, with whom the Laumonnier’s vehemently disagree and whom they think was overall an unsuccessful president, so they feel that Macron’s own political heritage is deeply tainted by these facts.
In addition to interviewing Marie Dominique and Hervé and seeing as I had just recently, I stayed after class one morning to get the opinion of one of my new professors on the entire LREM phenomenon and its long term impacts on the French political scene. Marie-Pierre expresses the sentiment that many people, including some who supported Macron’s presidential bid, were becoming increasingly concerned about whether or not the new president would be capable of accomplishing all that he promised. As a teacher Marie-Pierre allowed us to directly engage with the Macron political wave by having us analyze his speech in which he set the stage for his presidency. We, along with Marie-Pierre, came to the consensus that by calling upon historically significant French presidents and making extremely clear the choice which the French people made, Macron demonstrated in implicit and explicit ways the greater role which France can play in international politics. Despite all of the excitement which Macron has generated over the past few months, Marie-Pierre was quick to remind me that voter turnout in this spring’s election was markedly lower than it has been historically. Therefore, while Macron gives the appearance of being a unifying force, one must not forget that many French simply did not go to the polls to elect him.
In another interview, I discussed Macron’s impact with my other new professor, Sylvie Bertrand, who showed me the picture of Macron’s new cabinet and Macron’s presidential portrait to help explain some of the impact which Macron has had on French politics. In the photo of Macron’s cabinet, the diversity and unity which the new president preaches were noticeable. Despite the unity for which Macron strives, however, Sylvie explained her discontent for the fact that Macron changed the position in charge of women’s affairs from the level of minister to secretary, seemingly lowering the position’s importance and sending a message that the republic and administration will direct less attention to this issue despite its apparent social liberalism. The real problem in this demotion, however, lies in the fact that as a secretariat position, the “agency” will receive less funding from the national budge. Sylvie put it well by saying that while Macron can project an image of promoting women’s rights but his administration with be objectively less capable of promoting them. In terms of the portrait of Macron, every detailed seemed to be meticulously planned from the clock which sat on Macron’s desk to the very fact that the portrait depicts Macron inside and in an office rather than outside in a natural setting. Sylvie expressed her admiration for then symbolism contained within the portrait and said that it is a show of good will on behalf of Macron to work diligently to realize what he promised to voters (despite growing doubt).
In a few weeks Macron will meet with both the national assembly and the senate at the Château de Versailles in order to discuss his intentions for his term. Most nearly everyone, regardless of political affiliation, expects him to unveil sweeping changes to the traditional French political system. While it is impossible to know whether Macron’s youthful energy and ambitions will lead him to success or failure, one thing is certain; the foundations of French politics have been irreversibly altered.
The title of this post “Immer in Bewegung” roughly means “always on the move” and it sums up pretty well my activities over the past week. On Tuesday I hopped on a train and headed 45 minutes out to the nearby city of Augsburg. Augsburg is a great city filled with history and offers a bit more of a relaxed pace than Munich. It played an important role in the past as a meeting place of the Imperial Diet and was also the home of Bertolt Brecht. My chief interest in going there was to visit its incredible medieval cathedral, which contains the oldest stained glass windows in all of Europe. Although badly damaged by Allied bombs during the war, the windows and much of the artwork survived. The attached Diocesan museum had incredible artifacts, including the cathedral’s original 11th century wooden doors. While wandering around the city, I haphazardly entered an evangelical church and encountered a group of American Lutheran pilgrims from Indiana and Illinois. It turned out the church and convent was where Martin Luther had been imprisoned for a short while in 1518. There’s history at every turn in Germany!
On Thursday, I took the S-Bahn out to the town of Tutzing to hike the Ilkahöhe. One of the benefits of staying in one place for an extended period of time (as opposed to standard on-the-move tourism) is that I’ve been able to see many places not commonly visited by regular tourists on a schedule. The Ilkahöhe is one such example. The trail is about 7 miles roundtrip and leads up to a mountain overlooking the Starnberger See and a chain of the Alps. It’s an extremely peaceful place with cows grazing, families biking, and older couples taking a stroll. There was a small pretty parish church and a convenient beer garden there as well. I sat on the lookout vista of the Ilkahöhe and spent several hours reading.
On Friday afternoon, I grabbed a Flixbus down to Innsbruck. Although it was pretty rainy, I spent the evening exploring around the old town and the nearby University district. I stayed the night at a great local hostel that also serves as a work training center for disabled individuals. The next morning, on the recommendation of the Rick Steves tour book, I took the bus about a half hour to a small town called Hall in Tirol. It was very pretty and had an interesting coin minting museum and a beautiful basilica. I enjoyed eating a delicious Wurst at the ongoing farmer’s market and watching daily life in a regular Austrian village. I went back to Innsbruck and spent a few more hours exploring, visiting the Golden Roof museum and the St. Jakob Dom before going to an English Mass at the Jesuitkirche. After three weeks of only attending German liturgies, it felt a bit weird hearing it in English again.
On Sunday I needed to relax a bit, so I stuck around Munich and visited the Egyptian Art Museum and the Deutsches Museum. After a nice Currywurst lunch, I headed down to the Isar and spent the rest of the day lounging, reading, and swimming at the river.
Classes are going great! I’m getting a lot more comfortable with my vocabulary and speaking abilities.
Last week was an exciting one! Being immersed in the language has helped my German speaking skills and confidence improve, and the language classes are going great. After class last Thursday, a group took a trip to the famous Schokolade Museum, or Chocolate Museum, right in the middle of Cologne! Not only did we learn about the history of chocolate cultivation and consumption, but they also displayed a chocolate packaging machine in which the chocolate is poured, hardened, separated, and bundled up for delivery! Pope Francis even made an appearance as a chocolate mold on display!
Of course, there was also a giant chocolate fountain, and I did get to sample some as well!
Perhaps one of the best memories of last week, even better than chocolate, was a conversation I had with Sugras, a 23-year-old Mongolian native who has been living in Germany for over a year. He lives in the same house as me, two doors down, but we actually ran into each other by chance at the Straßenbahn stop down the street on Saturday evening.
We went back to the house and Sugras offered to make dinner. He prepared Chinese beef dumplings — who would have thought I would get the chance to enjoy Chinese cuisine in Germany?! As he made dinner, we had a good, long conversation which covered many topics. He talked about his experience as a minority in Germany — that is, a non-native German.
To him, many Germans appear cold at first, especially in public places like the Straßenbahn or on the street. People don’t smile at him, and it would feel out of line for anyone to talk to a stranger. In my experience in the U.S. and especially the Midwest, by contrast, it’s not completely out of the ordinary for someone to have a conversation with a total stranger as if they’re good friends. He wishes people would be a bit more friendly. Interestingly, he has found that when he speaks English – and not German – people pay more attention to him and are more willing to talk to him.
We also talked about politics and religion; Donald Trump is always an interesting topic of conversation for people who get a chance to talk to an American about it! Sugras, like many Mongolians, practices Shamanism, a spiritual religion which pays special respect to ancestors and forefathers. Interestingly, Sugras had only a vague idea of what Christianity was, and offered some views of religious conflict after I gave him a brief overview of Jesus’s story.
I’ve also had some conversations with Niyyat, another tenant in our house and my next-door neighbor, who comes from Azerbaijan. He speaks primarily English as he’s studying IT networking at a local university. He commented on his experience telling Germans where he’s from — most people can’t locate his country on a map, he says. He finds this issue extends beyond just Azerbaijan, and notes that Germans struggle with other countries’ geographical location in his experience as well. If people were more educated about where countries are located and what’s going on in the world, he thinks xenophobia would be much less prevalent. For instance, German UN forces are in Syria; if people realized this, they might be more welcoming toward Syrian refugees.
It’s always fascinating to learn about how people from other countries view the world, and Germany is a country full of migrants today, offering a unique opportunity for cultural exchange. Food, ideas, and conversations are always great, and Germany is a great place for all of those things!
Before I arrived, my understanding of Siena was that it was a “medieval Italian city.” This is certainly true, but what this description does not accurately point out is the degree of unique Sienese culture which still survives to this day. For example, I’ve been surprised on multiple occasions by the amount of slang words used solely in Siena. The word “Ciaccino” is just one of the Sienese words which I have picked up while staying in Siena, a word which refers to a very specific type of pizza. As my professor informed my class, if one used this word to order food in Florence, the shopkeepers could possibly be unfamiliar with the term; there, the closest word to “ciaccino” is “focaccia.” However, this is an extremely tiny piece of Sienese culture which pales in comparison to the importance of Siena’s Contradas and Palio.
The Contradas are the remnants of guild-like organizations from centuries ago. Each Contrada has a specific territory within the city, yet it would be remiss to mistake the Contradas for the territories themselves. In actuality, they are similar to social clubs, comprised of individuals from all ages. Historically, they had a number of roles in Sienese life, ranging from janitorial upkeep in their sector of the city to providing military might in case of attack from their primary rival, the nearby Florence. While the Contradas do not perform these tasks today, they are far from inactive. They organize community events, serve as clubs which create social gatherings, and most importantly are the backbone of Siena’s Palio.
My first encounter with a Contrada was on the first day that I arrived. Two other Notre Dame students and myself encountered a number of individuals marching in medieval clothing while twirling flags and playing the drums. At the time, I assumed that this was some sort of production put on by the city. I would later find out that this was the parade of only one Contrada and that sixteen others still exist today. My Professor would later explain the role of the Contradas in Sienese society and allow us to visit the museum for his Contrada, the Torre (tower).
I was also given the opportunity to visit the Pantera Contrada (panther).
However, I was then offered an unexpected opportunity: due to an unprecedented number of attendees, my Professor asked me and my classmates as to whether or not we would be willing to help serve food to the patrons at the upcoming Contrada dinner, one day before the Palio. Rather than sit and eat in one spot, we would be paid to serve food (we would also be fed) and attend to those at the dinner. I accepted. The service was somewhat of a nightmare at first, in part because all of the servers spoke Italian very quickly. In such a high energy environment, it was almost impossible to understand anything and due to the speed at which everyone worked, stopping to ask questions was not possible. However, after two hours, everything settled down slightly and we were able to fraternize with the other workers.
Serving at the Torre Contrada dinner.
Overall, it was quite a remarkable experience. However, this was only the beginning of the excitement; the rest came tomorrow.
The Horse-race
The Palio itself is a biannual horse-race which takes place in Siena’s largest square, the Piazza del Campo. The race is only three laps around the piazza and usually lasts no longer than ninety seconds. However, there is a great deal of importance behind the race and Sienese residents take it very seriously. Each Contrada is represented by a horse and every time that Contrada wins, they are metaphorically reborn. Additionally, some Contradas have rivals, and it is even more important that one’s rival not win than that Contrada do well themselves. Although the race itself only lasts for roughly 90 seconds, it is by no means a short ordeal. There is a large procession which takes place beforehand, and the race does not start at a preordained time; rather, the last horse begins the race upon crossing the starting line and there is no time limit restricting how long they can wait.
My roommate and I were lucky enough to see the blessing of the Panther’s horse. This is exactly what it sounds like; the race horse is brought into the church of the Contrada and blessed. The crowd is absolutely silent.
If you look closely, you can see the horse in the church. He is brown with a black mane.
Afterwords, we watched the processions of individuals march around the city, finally entering the piazza just before 5 P.M. We were lucky, as we were within the last 100 people to be let in. Some of our friends had been waiting in the square since 11 A.M. Thankfully, they had staked out a nice spot by the railing. We joined them and watched the procession in the square.
My friends and I were on the side of the semicircle closest to the camera, near the grid of individuals in the parade on the left of the photo.
Finally, the horses were led in with their jockeys. Unfortunately, one of the horses refused to behave. The tartuca horse (turtle) was too skittish to compete and so was eventually retired. However, this meant another hour of waiting for the race. After what seemed like an eternity, however, the Palio was run.
The Palio is run!
The Giraffe contrada ended up being the winner. I saw members of the contrada crying in the streets with joy. My friends and I ended up wandering the streets, observing the festivities, and eventually having an aperitivo at a local bar. We also returned to the campo at some point, where Giraffe members would occasionally come through in crowds while singing the song of their Contrada. Though it was exhausting, the Palio was unlike anything else I have ever seen. I like to think I’ll be tuning in on TV when the second one is run in August of this year.
Last weekend I rented a car and explored the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, to the northwest of Reykjavík. You may remember from my first post that Snæfellsjökull (“Snow-mountain-glacier”) features as the point of entry deep into the earth in Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth. Here’s a photographic summary of my trip! I didn’t journey to the center of the earth or anything, but I definitely saw some magnificent natural wonders!
Not far out of Reykjavík, on my way to Borgarnes, I came across this beautiful stream which apparently is also a great fishing spot. Don’t try fishing here without a permit, though! This stream is on private land. Borgarnes can boast of the outstanding Settlement Center Museum, which houses wood sculptures of the great Icelandic saga Egils saga Skallagrímssonar. As a medievalist, it was so exciting to see the medieval stories brought alive through art!
Scene from Egils saga: Egil’s father Skallagrim meets King Harold of Norway to seek compensation for his brother’s death.
Below are some lava fields on the way to Grundarfjörður, a town where I stayed the night.
Here I am climbing Kirkjufellsfoss (“Waterfall of Church Mountain”), which overlooks Grundarfjörður.
Morning view of Grundarfjörður.
One of my favorite aspects of driving around Iceland is seeing Icelandic horses almost everywhere I go! Though they are smaller than many breeds of horses, whatever you do, don’t call them ponies. These horses were brought to Iceland by the Norse settlers who came beginning in the late 9th century, and Icelanders are very proud of them. These horses are conveniently near a picturesque ruin, making for a great pic!
Pictured below is one of the many lava fields of Snæfellsjökull National Park. In the back of the picture you can see two enormous cliff-like rock formations jutting out of the shore into the water.
Here’s Snæfellsjökull itself (below)! One of my favorite medieval Icelandic stories is Bárðar saga Snæfellsáss (Saga of Bard the Snow-Mountain god), and yes, he is supposed to have lived here. There’s a statue of him in Arnarstapi which was made in the 20th century by the sculptor Ragnar Kjartansson. You can read the story in English in Icelandic Histories and Romances, translated by Ralph O’Connor (Stroud: Tempus, 2002).
The Cliffs of Arnarstapi (below) are astonishing beautiful, and the area echoes with the cries of the many seagulls which make their home here. Restaurants in Arnarstapi are known for their incredible fish & chips, and their reputation is not understated! This was probably the best fish & chips I’ve ever had.
As I’m writing this I’m sitting in a café in Reykjavík sipping a latte which I ordered in Icelandic! I’m proud that I managed to have a conversation with the barista in Icelandic and pretty much understood all of what she said (not to mention, she could understand me). Icelandic is definitely difficult to pronounce and speak, but I’m making some great progress while here.
Stay tuned! Next post I will talk about Iceland’s medieval heritage and its continuing role in Modern Icelandic culture!
the famous Schokolade Museum, or Chocolate Museum, right in the middle of Cologne! Not only did we learn about the history of chocolate cultivation and consumption, but they also displayed a chocolate packaging machine in which the chocolate is poured, hardened, separated, and bundled up for delivery! Pope Francis even made an appearance as a chocolate mold on display!
rse, there was also a giant chocolate fountain, and I did get to sample some as well!
Borgarnes can boast of the outstanding Settlement Center Museum, which houses wood sculptures of the great Icelandic saga Egils saga Skallagrímssonar. As a medievalist, it was so exciting to see the medieval stories brought alive through art!
Restaurants in Arnarstapi are known for their incredible fish & chips, and their reputation is not understated! This was probably the best fish & chips I’ve ever had.