Category: SLA

Добро пожаловать!

A view of the Moscow Kremlin from a pedestrian bridge

Доброе утро из России! Though it is late in the night back in the United States, here in Moscow the sun is shining high in the sky at 10am. I arrived in Moscow a week ago and moved in with my host family on Tuesday evening, and subsequently had two days of classes at the International University of Moscow (Московский международный университет). Tomorrow, I will start with my first full week of classes, which include lectures in Russian history, economics, grammar, video, and conversation.

My host family has been very nice and accommodating, and despite the language barrier between us, we have managed to communicate effectively so far. Still, the number of times that I have had to ask “Ещё раз?” or say “Я тебя не понимаю” in just a few days has been mind-boggling. I can usually understand them if they speak slower than normal, but at a regular pace it is very difficult for me. Nonetheless, I am learning that this is normal and acceptable. Now, I am working towards starting more conversations without prompting by others.

In spite of the language difficulties, Moscow is absolutely stunning. For the past few days, I have had the chance to explore some different parts of the city. With beautiful churches, historic sites, museums, and numerous cafes and restaurants, Moscow is perhaps one of the most complex and diverse cities in the world. Additionally, it is one of the world’s most populated – in addition to the 12 million people that call Moscow home, about 1.5 more million are here for the World Cup in Russia. I have seen fans from countries across the globe gathering in Moscow together and admiring the sights and sounds of this historic city.

In terms of education, the language program at my host university seems very intense and focused on acquisition. From Monday to Thursday, 9am – 3pm, I am in different classes, all taught in Russian. In our program, there are roughly 25 students, but we are split into smaller groups based on strengths and weaknesses. My group consists of five students, and it seems that the professors will probably target speaking and conversational skills for the next few weeks. Additionally, the whole group of 25 has two lecture courses together – 20th century Russian history, and the Economic and Social Geography of Russia.

For now, I am still adjusting to everyday life in Moscow, and I am sure that despite my best attempts I still stand out as a foreigner. However, I believe that some of my language skills and some of the confidence is improving. I look forward to the challenges of the coming week and will challenge myself to even more immersion and language interaction.

Greetings from Munich!

Hallo! Herzlich Willkommen!

It’s been nearly two weeks now since I’ve arrived in Munich, and I think I’ve finally settled in. At first, the city seemed large and confusing, but by this point it nearly feels like home.  Munich is home to 1.5 million people, which is certainly more than South Bend, but is still relatively small compared to other major cities in the US and around the world. And yet Munich is indeed a major city in Germany; it’s the capital of Bavaria and, one might argue, the heart of traditional German culture.

German culture as Americans often think of it, with its beer and pretzels and lederhosen, is actually primarily focused in Bavaria, which today is a state in the federal republic of Germany. Munich, as the capital of Bavaria, is home to some pretty authentic German experiences: bars and breweries abound, as do lederhosen-adorned accordion players and massive medieval churches.

Part of the reason Munich feels like such a small city is due to its most famous church. Frauenkirche (“The Cathedral of our Dear Lady”) has twin domes, which stand 99 meters tall. After Frauenkirche was built, an ordinance was passed prohibiting future buildings of a height greater than 99 meters. As a result, Munich has no skyscrapers and no typical big-city skyline. It’s more like a sprawling village, with countless small buildings and public spaces. This construction makes Munich feel far more cozy than intimidating, despite its relatively large population; and after less than two weeks here, I already feel at home.

The school where I’m studying German is just a 10-minute tram ride away from my apartment, where I live with my host “family” (which consists only of one middle-aged woman). After school, I typically head out with my friends to explore the city. We walk 2 or 3 minutes to another tram station and set off for the English Garden or Hauptbahnhof or the Deutsches Museum. Everything is very cozy, very simple and comfortable (very, as the Germans might say, “gemütlich”). The city is truly organized to make you feel right at home.

With some photos of a few favorite spots in Munich so far, I now conclude my first blog post. I’ve found Munich to be incredibly intriguing and welcoming, and I look forward to sharing some stories and experiences that really highlight the great aspects of Munich and of Germany in my future posts.

The entrance to the Deutsches Museum, a famous science museum in Munich.
An authentic German phenomenon–the ethnic Turkish restaurant! Home to delicious kebaps (and more!)
The district court in Munich, across from a lovely park I visited.

St. Columba’s Pilgrimage

Dia duit from Gleann Cholm Cille, Ireland! These past two weeks have gone by so quickly already, but I have been more immersed in the Irish language than I’ve ever been before. One of the aspects of the Oideas Gael program that I love is that language immersion comes in many forms, not just in the classroom setting. Each night, there is some sort of activity during which we are able to practice our Irish–poetry, dance, song, and even walking. One activity that I participated in was the annual pilgrimage to honor St. Columba, for whom the town is named after (it is said that he lived here for a few years).

The pilgrimage started at midnight on the feast day of St. Columba, and my housemate and I were one of 13 people participating. Over the course of four hours, we followed a local man through the dark wilderness surrounding the town in order to find 15 turas, or standing stones, around which we prayed and performed certain actions. The experience was unlike any other. There I was, walking through the bogs and forest and climbing up the side of the mountain with almost complete strangers and yet I felt I had a connection with them. What made it even more amazing was that the prayers were said in Irish, and everyone around me knew them. It meant so much to me to be a part of such an intimate, spiritual, historical, and deeply Irish experience within the first week of coming to the country. It proved to me that this immersion program is not just about the contact with the language that I will get in the classroom setting–it is not solely about grammar and perfecting my sentences. It’s also about the history of the language, the way it’s still used today (even though so few people can speak it). It’s about the way it connects strangers, and the way it can communicate so much more than meaning. Even after just two weeks here, I have already felt the way Gaeilge can impart the deepest love, friendship, and joy.

Here are a few pictures of a beach near the town, a sheep posing on the trail up to one of the turas, and a turas that I took a picture of during the day

Siena Week 2-Community Interaction: Il Palio

If you have spent any time traveling through the Tuscan region of Italy it is probably very likely that you have head of Siena’s great summer holiday “Il Palio”.

I briefly learned about “Il Palio” before I knew I was going to study Italian in Siena for the summer, and what I had learned about it was very vague and unmemorable. Either way, two days into my study abroad trip I had already encountered several people who briefly mentioned this holiday and so I was interested in finding out more.

I asked two ordinary people the significance of “Il Palio” and compared their responses to one I received from the tourist information office. You’d be surprised by how beautifully unique all the answers were!

I’ll start with the information I received at the tourist information office so that you all have a brief understanding of the history of this holiday.

Il Palio is a horse race that occurs twice a year during the summer, July 2ndand August 16th. There are ten horses and riders that participate and represent 10 of the 17 “contrade” of Siena. A “contrada” can best be described as a city region/ward. The two dates mentioned above have religious connections: July 2ndin honor of Madonna of Provenzano, and August 16thin honor of the Assumption of Mary. The historical origins of “Il Palio” began as sports competitions between the contrade that took place in the city’s central piazza. The first modern Palio took place in 1633.

The race consists of 10 of the 17 contrade so not all 17 participate at the same time. However, the 7 that did not participate in that month of the previous year are automatically included, the other 3 are chosen at random.

Now let’s go over the community responses I received about “Il Palio”.

The first interview I conducted was with a young lady who lives in Siena currently but grew up in a city a few miles away.

She explained that “Il Palio” is a very unique holiday that the people of Siena are very passionate about. It is a very important event for the Contrade of Siena, and people often spend weeks preceding “Il Palio” celebrating and preparing for the event. One moment she’ll never forget about “Il Palio” is leading up to the race when the announcer is introducing the competitors and the entire crowd falls dead silent. Thousands of people, still, silent and unified for a few moments in recognition of the sanctity of this beautiful holiday.

Lastly, she described the details of the race itself. She explained that the temporary “track” around Piazza Del Campo is not like a normal horse track. It is much smaller and the turns are much tighter, making it common for riders to fall off their horses. However, even if a rider loses his horse, if the horse still manages to come in first place without the rider, that contrada still wins the title for the year. “Palio” is also common place for corruption, which only increases the air of competition around the race.

The second person I spoke with was a young man who lives in Firenze but visits Siena often.

He explained that “Il Palio” is a truly beautiful experience. Not being from Siena he didn’t know much about the historical origins of the holiday, but he still loves to attend “Il Palio” every year. He said “The Palio is an event that beautifully unifies all the spectators, tourists and Italians, whether they are Sienase are not.”

He also went on to describe the details of the race to me. He explained that the race is a very short event, a small track that the riders complete three times, which is usually finished in about 90 seconds. And despite the fact that this event lasts only 90 seconds there is so much anticipation and excitement leading up to the race that makes every second worth it. He said that the most interesting thing about the race (to him) is the importance of tradition. Since the beginning of time there has been in a rule in place that the race cannot start until all the horses are in a straight line at the starting point. This can take 3 minutes to 3 hours. If the horses are off by even an inch the race cannot begin. It is VERY important that they all start from the same spot.

I’ve also began noticing the changes in preparation for “Il Palio”. Every week each contrada holds different events and parities to rally the spirit of their fans. On my way home from school this week I noticed the fence that has been erected in Piazza Del Campo marking out the course of the track.

After all my research on “Il Palio” I’m looking forward to seeing the event in person as well. Sadly, I made my plan tickets before I knew the importance of this holiday in Siena and the first race (July 2nd) is three days after I am scheduled to depart from Italy L. Oh well, that just means I’ll have to be back next year to see it in person.

A recap for my language learning process: At the end of my second week here I feel a lot more comfortable navigating the city by myself. Siena can be a labyrinth to navigate sometimes, but I have finally identified major landmarks and can navigate the city with ease.

 

Along with being able to navigate successfully, I feel a lot more comfortable and confident when conversing with natives even if my Italian isn’t perfect. Most of the time people are very happy to see a foreigner learning the language, and are often surprised by how well I speak! Other times, some people aren’t as willing and respond in English much to my dissatisfaction. But for the most part anytime I enter a restaurant or café I am speaking Italian.

This week I made some friends at Dante Aligheri. They are all very unique and interesting. My class consists mostly of people older than me by 10-20 years and yet it is beautiful to see that friendship can be found in any age/culture. I really enjoy conversing with my friends from school whose primary language is not English, because this way Italian is clearest form of communication.

I did some sight-seeing of cities and areas around Siena, and visited the hot springs (Le Terme), San Gimignano and Chianti Castellina. The hot springs were so wonderfully relaxing and I was able to see another aspect of “la vita Toscana”. The people who live and work in the country side are very different from those I interact with in Siena. The following day I visited San Gimignano and Chianti Castellina. They were both very tiny but entirely beautiful. I also had the chance to visit the town my host, Azzurra, grew up in (Chiusdino). These towns are so tiny (less than 1000 people) but its so beautiful to see how rich the culture and community is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am so eager to learn and converse! I am determined to make the most of my last 3 weeks here.

Diving into Cusco: Week 1!

Well, that’s a wrap of week one in Cusco. What a week it was! From traveling and tasting new food to engaging in authentic Spanish conversation and adventuring around the city, I have already learned so much.
The travel experience I had on my way to Cusco was great! I had three flights from Chicago to Panama, Panama to Lima, and Lima to Cusco. The flight from Chicago to Panama was like most other flights I have taken in the past, except for the delicious in-flight meal. (Pictured Below) I had a beef, veggie, mashed potato dish with a dinner roll, salad, and shortbread cookies. I am always surprised by how hungry traveling makes me, and this meal hit the spot just right!

My Spanish-speaking skills proved to be quite helpful during the second and third flights. In-flight instructions were now listed in Spanish before English and all the flight attendants spoke Spanish as well. When making any announcements over the speaker system, they were reported in Spanish before English, and the on-screen commercials were in Spanish, with English subtitles, not the reverse. Though these seem like minute details, they were small preparation for the world I would soon encounter here in Cusco.

After my arrival, everything else blurs together. My first week was all about adjusting. It has been an incredible whirlwind of meeting people, seeing sights, and tasting amazing food. I can finally say that after a week, I have my bearings set, and can navigate the city well. I have a daily routine, and quite enjoy my classes! Here are some pictures from my week (along with a little more explanation):         This was taken in the middle of San Fransisco Plaza.The fountain changes colors and I just couldn’t resist the photo opportunity! Right across the street is a little restaurant called La Quadra where my friends and I love to enjoy the view and unwind from a long day.

The city is at no loss for these curious animals. Tourists can snap a photo with baby llamas or alpacas on nearly any street corner. Shops everywhere sell sweaters, socks, hats, and mittens all made of warm alpaca fur. Given that it is winter here, these certainly come in handy!

The entire month of June is the month of Cusco. There are festivals and celebrations every single day! Some are religiously affiliated while others are simply to celebrate the city itself. Regardless of the occasion, both music and dancing are guaranteed. All shapes, sizes, and ages of people can be seen celebrating in bright costumes of all different colors. This reflects the cultural priority of dance and celebration. My Spanish teacher here informed me that in Cusco, there is always something to celebrate and EVERYONE dances, men included!

     

This crepery was the food highlight of my week. Steep inclines and many stairs await anyone in search of the restaurant, but it is well worth the struggle! In addition to having any sort of crepe imaginable, the atmosphere is so warm and welcoming. I think that all the bright colors, variety of plant life, and creative pottery made the food taste even better.

The city of Cusco has some amazing sights! I decided to experiment around with different angles, lightings, and colors to see what perspectives I could capture. Each one is a small reminder of the many ways to approach a new lifestyle here in Cusco. I am so excited and looking forward to new experiences in the weeks to come!

       

Machu Picchu!

This weekend was an absolute dream. I went on a weekend tour of Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. Bright and early on Saturday morning I hopped on a tour bus along with a bunch of other people from Maximo Nivel and we started our bus tour of the Sacred Valley.

We stopped at the ruins of Pisac and Ollantaytambo, where our tour guide explained a lot of Inca history (such as how they believe the Inca constructed many of their towns and building with shocking precision).

After exploring the ruins, we hopped on a train leading into the town of Aguas Calientes, the main site for people to stay and rest before or after going to Machu Picchu. It’s a very touristy town and when a large amount of our group went out to dinner that night we actually had a problem with the staff trying to charge us a non-existent 30% service tax that we had to spend an hour arguing to get removed (we won).

The next morning, the group that I traveled with all met at 4:00 am to wait in line for the buses that would take us up the mountain. By the time we got up to Machu Picchu it was around 6:00 am but we made it in time to watch the sunrise. It didn’t even feel real.

After exploring the ruins and learning a lot about the history of Machu Picchu, its “discovery,” and its restoration in the present, I am extremely grateful for the chance to have seen and walked around this wonder of the world. Especially because our tour guide told us that in the near future there are plans to greatly reduce access to the ruins to avoid erosion and damage from all of the human foot-traffic.

After visiting the ruins and seeing everything up close and personal, it is not hard to understand why this is one of the seven-wonders of the world, nor is it difficult to understand why it is on the bucket lists of so many people. No picture that I took can do Machu Picchu justice.

This trip has truly been the experience of a lifetime for me so far, I highly recommend Peru to anyone with an adventurous spirit and open mind. Every single day I spend in Peru comes with more stories and memories that I can tell and hang onto for the rest of my life.

Back to Berlin

I have spent some time now finally settling in to my German language courses here in Berlin after being here for 3 weeks. This is my second time visiting this amazing city, the first being back in March 2018 for my art and architecture class. My apartment is located in Mitte, a very nice neighborhood in the city that is quiet for the most part. After I got here for the first week of my SLA, I already had my routine of buying groceries for the week and working out at the local gym. My favorite meal that I’ve cooked so far (meaning one that I haven’t messed up) has to be my stir fry.

I have found some beautiful parks and cafes in Kreuzberg, one of my favorite neighborhoods in Berlin, to do my homework in and relax. I have already done many of the “touristy” things here in Berlin, such as seeing the East Side Gallery, Brandenburg Gate, Tiergarten, Alexanderplatz, and many of the museums on Museum Island.  Everyone that I have spoken with in German has been very helpful and understanding thus far.

After my first weeks in my language course at the Carl-Duisberg Center, I feel that I have already gained so much knowledge of the language.The classwork is centered around discussion and presentation so that speaking becomes a natural habit. My favorite part about this language school is that it is composed of people from so many different backgrounds. One day I am sitting between a man from Bangladesh and woman from St. Petersburg, the next between a woman from Japan and a woman from Venezuela. There are endless combinations, but what makes it exciting is that more often than not, German is our common language. My favorite exercise that we have practiced in class involved speaking German to discuss taboos from our native countries. Although one thing in the United States may be perfectly normal to do on a daily basis, it may be completely strange in another. These things were fun to discuss, because it is hard enough to explain in English why it is normal for us, so using German is a bit harder to defend common social constructs.A common theme that I have heard from other students here is that they are learning German so that they can study at a university here. The reason so many people from other countries come to Germany to study is because of how cheap it is to go to a university. I remember learning in my courses at Notre Dame that school can cost almost nothing here, as opposed to the crippling tuitions that leave students in the U.S. with student debt. One of the requirements to study here is to learn German up to a certain proficiency level, and after speaking with so many of classmates who want to study law, economics, and other fields, I think it would be great if I could use my experiences here this summer in order to help me on my path to study science after Notre Dame. I plan on returning to Berlin next summer by applying for a research position in a lab, so these two summers will hopefully not be the last times I see Berlin. I believe that this city has a heartbeat to it unlike any other major city that I have been to in the U.S. including Chicago, Boston, or Los Angeles. It is more calm, yet still has an exciting pace to it. I look forward to making more friends from all over the world in my class and exploring the city even more.

Slán go fóill, Dún na nGall.

Last night in the pub, we sang The Parting Glass. Time is officially up. There is a saying here apt for the occassion: Imíonn na daoine ach fanann na cnoic. While I am leaving, I know that the hills will remain.

And what’s more, I know that I will see them again. I will undoubtedly return to Gleann Cholm Cille to take another course in Oideas Gael. In the past week, I have progressed exponentially in my ability to hear and understand the spoken word. When I first got of the bus, I was greeted with a hearty cad é mar atá tú, a phrase I have seen in written form. But to hear it spoken (it sounds like one word) for the first time in a thick Donegal accent was bewildering. This simple greeting was a point of intimidation. But, gradually cad é mar atá tú became distinct and an invitation to respond. As I left town, I picked up a CD of a local poet reading his own work. On the ride back to Dublin, I listened with suprising comprehension to the intonations and cadences that have become familiar to me. I am in Dublin now and already the pervasiveness of English feels odd. I am continuing to use my Irish here in Baile Átha Cliath, but the community is not here. I have found a few people willing to exchange a word or two as Gaeilge, but for the most part, they are eager to just get to the point and switch to English. That’s ok. I will keep trying. De réir a chéile a thógtar na caisléan.

Sliabh liag.

While we spend a lot of time practicing Irish (we generally go from 10 to 5 and then meet again in the evening for one last session), I have been spending all of my free time hiking, as you will no doubt have already noted if you have been reading this blog. Today I took my favorite hike. Ever. I have backpacked up and down the Appalachian Trail (more on this in a minute), and I have yet to see anything this stunning. Sliabh Liag is known for its cliffs which are some of the highest in Europe. I would describe the beauty of it, but it could only be done as Gaeilge and my language is not strong enough to even try. So instead, I will focus on the practical benefits of hiking for learning the language. Just like all of the road signs in Ireland, trail signs are all in Irish and English. I was able to stop at the trail head and read the rules and information as Gaeilge and then check my comprehension with the Bearla side. Bhí mé ceart, den chuid is mó. I learned the name for a Peregrine Falcon is fabhcún gorm, which was important as I saw one. Right on the other side of these cliffs.

 

As promised, a word on the Appalachian Trail. It turns out, the trail has been extended. Quite a bit. There is a theory that the hills in Northern Ireland were once part of the Appalachian range during Pangea. Now, the an International Appalachian Trail committee is reuniting Donegal with Canada via paths. Considering I have spent a lot of time hiking the AT, especially in Virginia, and a lot of time reading about the hills of Ireland, this bit of information brought two disparate parts of my world together. Maith thú, international AT committee!

Chonaic mé neamh!

The parish of Gleann Cholm Cille where I am staying is named after the area’s most famous resident, and while the name literally translates to the the glenn of the church dove, it is really the glenn of Colm’s (or Columba as he is known elsewhere) church. St. Colm was a sixth century abbott and missionary who would go on to found churches in Scotland as well. On Saturday, locals and pilgrims from across the country will come here to do the Turas Cholm Cille, a 3 mile loop that connects 15 prehistoric cairns with pagan and Christian markings. Now, before I learned this, I had already hiked nearly every inch of this beautiful glenn. I was especially struck by one cairn with a a cross etched into it about five feet off the ground and a hole bore through the center of that cross. I peeked through and was reminded of a trip I took to Rome last summer. In Rome, on the Aventine Hill, there is a large gate with a keyhole, and if you look through the keyhole when the light is right, you can see the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. It is a little keyhole, a portal, with which one can view heaven. This rock in Dún na nGall did the same for me.

Days after taking this photo, I learned the lore behind this particular stad on the turas. If you look through the hole while in a state of grace, a local informed me, you will see heaven. While I cannot swear I am living in a state of grace, I did see heaven. After peeking through the rock and seeing that summit, I climbed to the top. Bhí sé foirfe!