I am sitting at gate 14 at JFK aiport in New York. "Feliz Navidad" is blasting from the speakers, interrupted by frequent passenger calls and announcements. With my laptop on my lap (what a fitting name) and connected to a wireless hotspot, I feel very jet set.
A 4am alarm clock this morning ended a great 10-day Thanksgiving break, and I am heading back to Babson, bracing myself for two more weeks of non-stop stress and a couple of all-nighters before I wrap up my semester.
Photos are still on various cameras (my own was left behind in DC and will be sent to me soon), but while I am waiting for uploads I will give you a little report of my whirlwind trip.
1st stop: New York, comme d'habitude.
Refusing to spend money on a cab, I dragged my big suitcase through the pouring rain in Chinatown. After being soaked from head to toe, I gave in and took the subway to Bleecker Street. This time I shared a (queen size) bed with Sascha for lack of his neighbor's mattress. When we were lying next to each other and I told him "This is what it must feel like to be married", he did not seem amused. He graciously offered to build a wall of books between us for propriety reasons, but I declined. We're both skinny people, and the night ended up being quite comfortable.
On Friday morning I donned my business suit and zipped around various Manhattan locations all day, interviewing for internships. I think they went well, and decisions will be made this week. Walking into various gigantic corporate buildings and having your bags checked several times made me a bit nervous. But stopping for a take-out cup of coffee on Dag Hammaskjold Plaza does feel cool.
2nd stop: Silence
Nevertheless, I was glad to change into my jeans that night and hop on a train with Colin for a two-day retreat at "the nuns" in upstate New York. The days were quiet, peaceful, and mainly spent in the chapel, going for walks along little streams, reading and drinking tea.
3rd stop: Washington D.C.
Walking all over the Mall, stopping over in the National Air and Space Museum and the Museum of Natural History (where we used to spend many a Sunday exploring space shuttles and skeletons), and finding our old house on Massachusetts Avenue brought back many memories. I hadn't been back since we moved away in 1991, which makes it fifteen years! The house looked a lot smaller, our favorite climbing trees and sand box were gone, but it's funny how you can still remember things so vividly after such a long time.
4th stop: Pittsburgh
After Christian has visited me in Cairo and Vienna, it was about time to check out his 'hood. He and his family took me on a tour of everything from his old school and office to major Pittsburgh sites like the Cathedral of Learning and Mount Washington. We had a huge Thanksgiving dinner with 18 people, watched videos from our time in Spain and Egypt, hit a few bars in South Side, and even got to see a hockey game - Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Boston Bruins! I decided to forsake my temporary hometown and cheer for the Pens ... and they lost. Memorable tidbits of American culture included: Pancakes at Pamela's Diner, pumpkin pie, turkey carving, glimpses of a tailgate party, watching football on TV, standing for the national anthem in the stadium, cheerleaders, rides in Christian's Mustang, and many more.
I feel refreshed and ready to take on that last bit of school. It will be quite a challenge to juggle papers, exams, presentations, visa extensions, room search in NY (any ideas?), and saying goodbye to Babson, but I'll hang in there and get it over with.
Alright, we're boarding. Photos coming soon!
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Turkey time
Over the next week, most people will be worried about THIS...
I say, bring it all on - the big bird, the gravy, the sweet potatoes, the pumpkin pie.
I will be back online in ten days or so with many stories to tell.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I say, bring it all on - the big bird, the gravy, the sweet potatoes, the pumpkin pie.
I will be back online in ten days or so with many stories to tell.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Le weekend en photos
(I just realized that I've been going increasingly international with my post titles lately.)
Anyway, weeks are increasingly filled with work as there are only three (!!) weeks left of the term if you count out Thanksgiving holidays. This means papers, group meetings, assignments and a lot of desk time.
Last weekend, the J/Ge(o)ffs from New York came to visit. I met both of them through the World Youth Alliance while I was interning in Brussels in the summer of 2005, and they hooked me up with Meaghan here in Boston. We had a great time hanging out by the banks of the Charles on a beautiful autumn day, cooking Kaesnockerln (Austrian food) and going out for salsa and swing dancing. Here's the photo coverage:
Get Your Own! |
Plans for the Thanksgiving break: An interview for a possible internship in NYC on Friday (keep all available limbs crossed!), a little retreat, a trip to Washington D.C. to revisit memories from my childhood fifteen years ago (I feel old), and a few days in Pittsburgh, visiting Christian and spending Thanksgiving with his family.
Can't wait!
Anyway, weeks are increasingly filled with work as there are only three (!!) weeks left of the term if you count out Thanksgiving holidays. This means papers, group meetings, assignments and a lot of desk time.
Last weekend, the J/Ge(o)ffs from New York came to visit. I met both of them through the World Youth Alliance while I was interning in Brussels in the summer of 2005, and they hooked me up with Meaghan here in Boston. We had a great time hanging out by the banks of the Charles on a beautiful autumn day, cooking Kaesnockerln (Austrian food) and going out for salsa and swing dancing. Here's the photo coverage:
Get Your Own! |Plans for the Thanksgiving break: An interview for a possible internship in NYC on Friday (keep all available limbs crossed!), a little retreat, a trip to Washington D.C. to revisit memories from my childhood fifteen years ago (I feel old), and a few days in Pittsburgh, visiting Christian and spending Thanksgiving with his family.
Can't wait!
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Salsa y chocolate
You know what latinos are really good at. Lovin'? Yeah. Salsa? Duh. But CHOCOLATE??
You wouldn't have thought, would you.
On Thursday night, Julian, Erminela and I attended our first-ever chocolate tasting event at Babson College. If you've done wine tasting before, you sort of know what it's like - minus the buzz. A plate with six different, delicious (albeit tiny) pieces of chocolate, crackers and water to cleanse your palate, accompanied by a rundown of the chocolate making process and input from Edison, a Quechua from Ecuador. The Kallari initiative works with the local cocoa farmers and makes sure that (unlike all other chocolate producers, even FairTrade!) ALL revenues flow back into the region. Also, dark chocolate is actually healthy! It lowers your blood pressure and cholesterol, and can prevent heart desease and even cancer. So throw out the Hershey Bars, this is the real thing!
The Latin mood continued when Meaghan and I met a bunch of her friends on Saturday for dinner and salsa at the Havana Club. A large ball-room, live music, classes to brush up on your rusty merengue, and largely creep-free dancing until the early hours of the morning. Who needs gyms when you can work your legs, hips and abs on the dance floor? Trust me, you work them. I realized when I limped home from Meaghan's house the next morning - after a delicious omelette breakfast, of course. You've got to stock up on calories.
And, speaking of calories, I had the most enjoyable project group meeting ever yesterday when we headed down to Harvard Square to conduct some market research interviews at Burdick's Chocolate Cafe.
Of course, some extensive product tasting was in order.
You wouldn't have thought, would you.
On Thursday night, Julian, Erminela and I attended our first-ever chocolate tasting event at Babson College. If you've done wine tasting before, you sort of know what it's like - minus the buzz. A plate with six different, delicious (albeit tiny) pieces of chocolate, crackers and water to cleanse your palate, accompanied by a rundown of the chocolate making process and input from Edison, a Quechua from Ecuador. The Kallari initiative works with the local cocoa farmers and makes sure that (unlike all other chocolate producers, even FairTrade!) ALL revenues flow back into the region. Also, dark chocolate is actually healthy! It lowers your blood pressure and cholesterol, and can prevent heart desease and even cancer. So throw out the Hershey Bars, this is the real thing!The Latin mood continued when Meaghan and I met a bunch of her friends on Saturday for dinner and salsa at the Havana Club. A large ball-room, live music, classes to brush up on your rusty merengue, and largely creep-free dancing until the early hours of the morning. Who needs gyms when you can work your legs, hips and abs on the dance floor? Trust me, you work them. I realized when I limped home from Meaghan's house the next morning - after a delicious omelette breakfast, of course. You've got to stock up on calories.
And, speaking of calories, I had the most enjoyable project group meeting ever yesterday when we headed down to Harvard Square to conduct some market research interviews at Burdick's Chocolate Cafe.
Of course, some extensive product tasting was in order.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Black and white
Over the past few days, I've made my first experience with how Americans (or at least those on this campus) deal with racism.
On Halloween night a white Babson student wore a Paul Pierce basketball jersey, an afro wig and black face paint to the campus party. It was later discovered that he had posted several offensive comments and pictures about black, Asian and hispanic people on his Facebook page. This incident has resulted in a wave of protest, and, quite frankly, I don't know what to make of it. The Babson Free Press is full of angry articles, the Student Government Association held a giant protest rally yesterday, reiterating over and over again that racism has no place on the Babson campus, and we spent our entire Social and Political Philosophy class discussing events.
I have talked about this story with several people: Lance, who is half native American, has started a group called "We're not going to protest". He thinks taking racist comments personally puts you in a position of weakness, and he does not want to let his life be ruled by fear of rejection. Alvin, president of the Student Government Association, formerly head of the Black Student Union, told me that many black students, coming from a largely black environment to a predominantly white campus, feel out of place and need black role models. Rebecca, editor in chief of the Babson Free Press and native Hawaiian, is very concerned about racism on campus, which, she says, has been an issue for a while.
Here is what I have come up with so far.
1) Racism is wrong, no doubt about it - and above all, it is simply stupid. It is nothing more than hatred and aggression grounded in false stereotypes about a group of people. In my opinion, it is usually the result of a bad experience or, more commonly, a way of compensating for a lack of self-esteem. There is no place for it in any environment, especially, one should think, in an environment where people think of themselves as educated.
2) If there are people on campus that feel afraid and marginalized because of their race, religion or sexual orientation, this is a problem that needs to be addressed - in my opinion, by each of us individually more than by the college as a whole. I do not believe in institutionalized tolerance, because it is hardly ever genuine. I believe it is about being respectful and considerate of our differences, but, more than anything, about accepting the person as a whole, and showing an interest in who someone is and why they think the way they think.
3) Shunning someone who obviously has racist tendencies to a point where he is refused a sandwich in the campus dining hall is as wrong, if not worse, than the racism we are trying to fight. What is happening here is that someone, again, is marginalized for his beliefs. True, his beliefs are obviously wrong, but lets think about the future. If this kid is expelled from college, and even if he is allowed to stay, he will be hostile towards both the college community and black people for the rest of his life, because in his view, they have made it miserable. It will definitely not help him realize that he is wrong.
What he needs is not for people to shun him, but to sit down and discuss his views with him. Again, it is about accepting the person, while rejecting the act. This is an important distinction, and, as far as I see it, the only solution that will break the vicious circle.
Wow, I think I sound like a political activist.
Any thoughts?
On Halloween night a white Babson student wore a Paul Pierce basketball jersey, an afro wig and black face paint to the campus party. It was later discovered that he had posted several offensive comments and pictures about black, Asian and hispanic people on his Facebook page. This incident has resulted in a wave of protest, and, quite frankly, I don't know what to make of it. The Babson Free Press is full of angry articles, the Student Government Association held a giant protest rally yesterday, reiterating over and over again that racism has no place on the Babson campus, and we spent our entire Social and Political Philosophy class discussing events.
I have talked about this story with several people: Lance, who is half native American, has started a group called "We're not going to protest". He thinks taking racist comments personally puts you in a position of weakness, and he does not want to let his life be ruled by fear of rejection. Alvin, president of the Student Government Association, formerly head of the Black Student Union, told me that many black students, coming from a largely black environment to a predominantly white campus, feel out of place and need black role models. Rebecca, editor in chief of the Babson Free Press and native Hawaiian, is very concerned about racism on campus, which, she says, has been an issue for a while.
Here is what I have come up with so far.
1) Racism is wrong, no doubt about it - and above all, it is simply stupid. It is nothing more than hatred and aggression grounded in false stereotypes about a group of people. In my opinion, it is usually the result of a bad experience or, more commonly, a way of compensating for a lack of self-esteem. There is no place for it in any environment, especially, one should think, in an environment where people think of themselves as educated.
2) If there are people on campus that feel afraid and marginalized because of their race, religion or sexual orientation, this is a problem that needs to be addressed - in my opinion, by each of us individually more than by the college as a whole. I do not believe in institutionalized tolerance, because it is hardly ever genuine. I believe it is about being respectful and considerate of our differences, but, more than anything, about accepting the person as a whole, and showing an interest in who someone is and why they think the way they think.
3) Shunning someone who obviously has racist tendencies to a point where he is refused a sandwich in the campus dining hall is as wrong, if not worse, than the racism we are trying to fight. What is happening here is that someone, again, is marginalized for his beliefs. True, his beliefs are obviously wrong, but lets think about the future. If this kid is expelled from college, and even if he is allowed to stay, he will be hostile towards both the college community and black people for the rest of his life, because in his view, they have made it miserable. It will definitely not help him realize that he is wrong.
What he needs is not for people to shun him, but to sit down and discuss his views with him. Again, it is about accepting the person, while rejecting the act. This is an important distinction, and, as far as I see it, the only solution that will break the vicious circle.
Wow, I think I sound like a political activist.
Any thoughts?
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Fright Night
You know it's that time of year when front yards turn into graveyards, skeletons hang upside down from trees, and you spot a plastic rat gnawing away on a bloody hand in the bushes...
Our big campus Halloween party went down on Saturday, and since I was still coughing and sneezing, I lay low and went to bed before midnight. I was told I missed a downright orgy. I tell you I didn't miss a thing... I take a cup of tea and a good book over half-naked sweaty bodies and bad music any day.
Today I could tell it was Halloween because I saw professors wearing 17th century cloaks and students with their faces painted green. But most of all, it was the "Fright Night Dinner" at Trim Dining Hall which rocked the party. Skeletons, cobwebs and jack-o-lanterns everywhere, a corpse-shaped cake for dessert, pirates wiping tables and horror movie soundtracks instead of the usual U2/Dave Mathews/Jack Johnson mix.
Half the school is out clubbing in costumes, but I am a) royally sick of college parties and b) buried in work, so my I ditched plans to go to the witching town of Salem and wrote papers instead.
I have to say, I'm dying to wrap myself up in my bedsheet and go out for some trick-or-treating. But college life doesn't always allow for all that fun.
Instead, I'll go dream of monsters.
Happy Halloween!
Our big campus Halloween party went down on Saturday, and since I was still coughing and sneezing, I lay low and went to bed before midnight. I was told I missed a downright orgy. I tell you I didn't miss a thing... I take a cup of tea and a good book over half-naked sweaty bodies and bad music any day.
Today I could tell it was Halloween because I saw professors wearing 17th century cloaks and students with their faces painted green. But most of all, it was the "Fright Night Dinner" at Trim Dining Hall which rocked the party. Skeletons, cobwebs and jack-o-lanterns everywhere, a corpse-shaped cake for dessert, pirates wiping tables and horror movie soundtracks instead of the usual U2/Dave Mathews/Jack Johnson mix.
Half the school is out clubbing in costumes, but I am a) royally sick of college parties and b) buried in work, so my I ditched plans to go to the witching town of Salem and wrote papers instead.
I have to say, I'm dying to wrap myself up in my bedsheet and go out for some trick-or-treating. But college life doesn't always allow for all that fun.
Instead, I'll go dream of monsters.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
OMG, like, how are ya?
Coming to the United States, I expected to encounter all kinds of things that would need some getting used to. The food, the shopping malls, dorm life, et cetera.
The one cultural particularity that I have not managed to get used to to this day are cultural differences connected to the language.
During my first days here, I was constantly being greeted with a friendly smile and the question: "How are you?" - "Fine", I answered. "Still a bit jetlagged, but I like it. And you?"
At best, my lengthy response would earn me a puzzled look. In the worst case, by the time I had gotten to "fine", they were already around the next corner.
And so I learned my first lesson: "How are you?" is not a question. It is a statement.
Then again, people make their stories sound like a series of questions. "The other day, I went to the mall? I looked around and saw this realy cute sweater? And I thought, oh my gawd? I think I need to have this?"
Con-fusing.
My other favorite: Fillers. Those useful little words and phrases can turn the smallest comment into a real semantic beauty. Take this example: "So OK, I was totally like, you know, 'I have no idea' or something!" Wow. Talk about adding spice to the phrase "I said 'I have no idea'."
The other day, my friend Alvin took a little tally counter to class, and we kept track of the amount of times that people used the word "like". We got to 115 in an hour.
And finally: Abbreviations. Why bother articulating words if a couple of letters do the trick? A few of my favorite examples:
DTR. Define The Relationship. The uncomfortable conversation between a boy and a girl to figure out "where they are at". Happens frequently and is hated, above all, by the male half of the pair.
BYOB. Bring your own beer/booze/bottle. Especially in a dry town like Wellesley, where bars and liquor stores are illegal and restaurants are not allowed to serve alcohol, people bring their own bottle of wine when they go out to have a pizza.
AWOL. Absence Without Official Leave - originally used in a military context for deserting soldiers, it is now used for people who have been gone or out of touch for a long time. The best part: It is actually pronouced! "She's been ay-wall for weeks now."
FYI. For your information. I knew that one before - what I didn't know is that it's actually a word. "Eff-why-eye, I am not coming to work tomorrow."
Oh, those Americans. Gotta love 'em.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Family reunion in NYC
What a combo
The view from our hotel room window (39th floor!)
... and the next morning
Grand Central Station at rush hour
Photo shoot at the UN
One tends to forget that Manhattan is an island(Can anyone spot the Statue of Liberty?)
Meeting Sascha (UN buildings reflected in the background)- Fajitas and margaritas at Mi Cocina
- Breakfast at Pain Quotidien
- the Frick Collection
- getting lost walking around Lower Manhattan
- a day in Central Park
- LOTS and LOTS of quality time with Papi
Back at Babson (drove back with Jo and arrived at midnight on Sunday), I woke up on Monday with a vicious cold and spent Tuesday morning in bed. A little down time and Jo's homecooked pasta a la puttanesca got me back on track and, though coughing and sneezing, I can face the load of work that's coming my way. And a load it is - November is so full of due dates, I don't even know where to start.
Speaking of which, I have a ton of work to do until tomorrow...
Buona notte to all.
Friday, October 20, 2006
Switching libraries
Why squeeze in between dusty bookshelves at Babson when you can jet (or rather fung-wah) to the Big Apple and do your reading in a beautiful marble reading room at the NY Public Library?While waiting for my father to arrive from Washington for a father-daughter reunion weekend, I decided to spend the rainy afternoon in here with my Babson-supplied laptop and Sandel's "Liberalism and its Critics", a book I need to read for Social and Political Philosophy (I am not that nerdy).
Maybe I am just imagining things, but somehow it is a lot easier to wrap your brain around theories of entitlement and distributive justice in a place where many a great novel has been written.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Meet the gang (Episode I)
Alright. It is past midterm, and I still haven't introduced the people that I share all my joys and sorrows with on a daily basis. Everyone.... meet the gang.
Julian, also known as Pappa Peters, the King of Bavaria, or the Governator (because he not only looks, but also talks just like him).
He lives down the hall from me and has become my favorite lunch and dinner company and closest buddy on campus. A self-proclaimed misanthropist, it's sometimes hard to get him to smile, but he is always the first one there to cheer me up, calm me down or just provide for hours of heated discussions - on every topic from football to monogamy. He and Cameron are the stars of the rugby team, so when it's pub night, I've got my personal squad of bodyguards to keep me safe.
Cameron, or Gramps, is the oldest undergrad on campus at age 29, but age does not stop him. He managed to get a job at the Blank Center for Entrepreneurship, the university's most prestigious institution, interviewing in a pair of old pants and a smelly old T-shirt. He can pull off tight running shorts and a red ribbed tank top at rugby training and rides his race bike to a from his off-campus home every day. He knows everyone on this planet and manages to get exactly what he wants just because he is never too shy to ask. Running two businesses in Australia via Skype and Internet and taking a full course load here, he spends his (seemingly extensive) spare time goofing around campus on his longboard, shooting pictures for his photography class and partying the nights away with Julian, his wingman. The big question is - when does the guy do his homework??
Montse, or Monchito, is a little Spanish lady with the biggest smile. She is 5 foot (or, for those among us who use the normal metric system, 1,50m) tall and weighs no more than 100lbs (45kg). She's an absolute beauty, as you can see, but so frail that when a big guy hugs her, I am always afraid that her bones might snap. Her strong Spanish accent and uncontrollable squeals of laughter always provide for a good time, especially when she shakes her head in utter desperation over an insurmountable cultural difference between Spain and the States.
Favorite quote: (munching on some raw broccoli:) "Now I know chhow feels my rrrrabbit!"
Ah, Francesco. He refers to himself as "italianissimo", and since he is a real Sicilian from Palermo, no one dares to disagree. However, if the Cosa Nostra depended on him, it would be a lost cause - he is the gentlest, most friendly guy in the world. Always complaining about American food ("Ma che e questo - questo si chiama pasta!!?? Ah, gli Americani, incredibile!!"), he piles tons of salad onto his plate at lunch and shuns the American-style Italian specialties offered at the cafeteria. Francesco is a man of culture - if someone gets him started on the Latin origin of Italian words, he'll gladly lecture you for 20 minutes. However, his facial expressions when he is in "professor mode" are priceless, so I just sit there and enjoy lo spettacolo. (Which, incidently, comes from the latin word spectaculum, spectaculi, meaning sight, show, or spectacle...)
To be continued.
Julian, also known as Pappa Peters, the King of Bavaria, or the Governator (because he not only looks, but also talks just like him).He lives down the hall from me and has become my favorite lunch and dinner company and closest buddy on campus. A self-proclaimed misanthropist, it's sometimes hard to get him to smile, but he is always the first one there to cheer me up, calm me down or just provide for hours of heated discussions - on every topic from football to monogamy. He and Cameron are the stars of the rugby team, so when it's pub night, I've got my personal squad of bodyguards to keep me safe.
Cameron, or Gramps, is the oldest undergrad on campus at age 29, but age does not stop him. He managed to get a job at the Blank Center for Entrepreneurship, the university's most prestigious institution, interviewing in a pair of old pants and a smelly old T-shirt. He can pull off tight running shorts and a red ribbed tank top at rugby training and rides his race bike to a from his off-campus home every day. He knows everyone on this planet and manages to get exactly what he wants just because he is never too shy to ask. Running two businesses in Australia via Skype and Internet and taking a full course load here, he spends his (seemingly extensive) spare time goofing around campus on his longboard, shooting pictures for his photography class and partying the nights away with Julian, his wingman. The big question is - when does the guy do his homework??
Montse, or Monchito, is a little Spanish lady with the biggest smile. She is 5 foot (or, for those among us who use the normal metric system, 1,50m) tall and weighs no more than 100lbs (45kg). She's an absolute beauty, as you can see, but so frail that when a big guy hugs her, I am always afraid that her bones might snap. Her strong Spanish accent and uncontrollable squeals of laughter always provide for a good time, especially when she shakes her head in utter desperation over an insurmountable cultural difference between Spain and the States.Favorite quote: (munching on some raw broccoli:) "Now I know chhow feels my rrrrabbit!"
Ah, Francesco. He refers to himself as "italianissimo", and since he is a real Sicilian from Palermo, no one dares to disagree. However, if the Cosa Nostra depended on him, it would be a lost cause - he is the gentlest, most friendly guy in the world. Always complaining about American food ("Ma che e questo - questo si chiama pasta!!?? Ah, gli Americani, incredibile!!"), he piles tons of salad onto his plate at lunch and shuns the American-style Italian specialties offered at the cafeteria. Francesco is a man of culture - if someone gets him started on the Latin origin of Italian words, he'll gladly lecture you for 20 minutes. However, his facial expressions when he is in "professor mode" are priceless, so I just sit there and enjoy lo spettacolo. (Which, incidently, comes from the latin word spectaculum, spectaculi, meaning sight, show, or spectacle...)To be continued.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Autumn Leaves
I've always liked autumn - but the colors of the leaves in New England are just nothing short of spectacular! I had been marvelling at the bright red, orange and green for days, so I decided on the weekend that it was time to go on a little trip to see the Foliage.
It turns out that we headed straight for the region where trees were just beyond their peak, but the landscape what beautful nevertheless.
A little cultural gem on the way: The all-American conveniece store.
A stunning road trip and a good hike were topped off with delicious Spanish tapas, Sangria and Rioja, and an excellent movie called The Bycicle Thief (or, rather, the first 15 minutes of it before we all fell asleep).
On Sunday night I accompanied Kitt, my friend from Wellesley College, to a conference on Feminist Sexual Ethics. I wasn't too sure what to expect, given that my past experiences with feminist events have been more on the terrible side, but it was surprisingly interesting and a nice little knowledge boost.
When I got back to campus and heard all the stories about crazy rugby parties, boys drinking from beer bottles taped to their hands, and others getting stoned in the car, I couldn't help but think that my weekend had been a helluva lot more enjoyable - and my head, compared to the others', felt just fine.
It turns out that we headed straight for the region where trees were just beyond their peak, but the landscape what beautful nevertheless.
A little cultural gem on the way: The all-American conveniece store.
A stunning road trip and a good hike were topped off with delicious Spanish tapas, Sangria and Rioja, and an excellent movie called The Bycicle Thief (or, rather, the first 15 minutes of it before we all fell asleep).
On Sunday night I accompanied Kitt, my friend from Wellesley College, to a conference on Feminist Sexual Ethics. I wasn't too sure what to expect, given that my past experiences with feminist events have been more on the terrible side, but it was surprisingly interesting and a nice little knowledge boost.
When I got back to campus and heard all the stories about crazy rugby parties, boys drinking from beer bottles taped to their hands, and others getting stoned in the car, I couldn't help but think that my weekend had been a helluva lot more enjoyable - and my head, compared to the others', felt just fine.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
The shortest week
I love it when the weekends are longer than the weeks. Monday was Columbus Day, which provided for four wonderful days in... take a wild guess... New York!
Is this getting old? Maybe. But if you ask me, one could spend many more weekends there.
I took off around noon on Thursday, thanks to my brilliant class schedule. This time the long trip (an hour from campus to the station, an hour's wait and 4.5 hours in the bus) was drastically improved by Ee-Ling (Australia) and Kris (California) who happened to travel to the Big Apple on the same bus, and some dubious Chicken McNuggets and Mustard Sauce at the mini-stopover in Connecticut. It is strange that while McDonalds is still quite a big deal in Europe, it really is pretty disgusting here. You're talking to an expert - we are served burgers, chicken nuggets and the like on a daily basis at Babson.
Thursday night was spent with Sascha on the roof of his Noho apartment house. We snuck past the landlady's door with a bottle of sparkling wine, two glasses and a camera and enjoyed the view of the lower Manhattan skyline. A glass and a half made us feel adventurous, so we climbed across a couple of ledges to the neighbor's roof garden. The comfortable lounge chairs looked like a grand idea until we were caught red-handed by the owner, who screamed at us and then called her boyfriend to stand guard while we guiltily retreated.
Is this getting old? Maybe. But if you ask me, one could spend many more weekends there.
I took off around noon on Thursday, thanks to my brilliant class schedule. This time the long trip (an hour from campus to the station, an hour's wait and 4.5 hours in the bus) was drastically improved by Ee-Ling (Australia) and Kris (California) who happened to travel to the Big Apple on the same bus, and some dubious Chicken McNuggets and Mustard Sauce at the mini-stopover in Connecticut. It is strange that while McDonalds is still quite a big deal in Europe, it really is pretty disgusting here. You're talking to an expert - we are served burgers, chicken nuggets and the like on a daily basis at Babson.
Thursday night was spent with Sascha on the roof of his Noho apartment house. We snuck past the landlady's door with a bottle of sparkling wine, two glasses and a camera and enjoyed the view of the lower Manhattan skyline. A glass and a half made us feel adventurous, so we climbed across a couple of ledges to the neighbor's roof garden. The comfortable lounge chairs looked like a grand idea until we were caught red-handed by the owner, who screamed at us and then called her boyfriend to stand guard while we guiltily retreated.
Looking out on the Big apple from Sascha's roof
On Friday I met up with my cousin Sophie, who is currently painting murals at some ridiculously luxurious mansion in the Hamptons. We did some shopping (well, she did, and I watched), checked out some design, contemporary art and photography the MoMa, had a hot dog and a coffee and just generally enjoyed each other's company.
I then joined Bill Grace and his sister Mara for dinner in Greenwich Village, where I was treated to some fine food in order to, as Bill put it, cure my cafeteria-induced scurvy.
On Saturday I met Colin at Grand Central Station in the early morning and we caught a train up to Tarrytown for some hiking (actually, strolling) with Scott in the Rockefeller State Park.
Can you tell we had been up early...?
Some Canada geese and a hawk on the pole that sat motionless in this exact same position for 20 minutes
Scott in the greenhouseAfter coming back on Sunday afternoon, I went for an evening stroll through the beautiful neighborhood of Chelsea with Sascha, who was trying to find a house that had once been inhabited by his favorite designer Robert Brownjohn. We peeked through windows at classy livingrooms and stylish kitchens and felt very New York.
On Monday I walked a dozen blocks south to visit the Ground Zero site for the first time since 2002. I felt strange, like an intruder, as I aimlessly wandered around between thoughtful tourists and Chinese souvenir salesmen, looking at larger-than-life photos of terrified businessmen and devastated firefighters.
The afternoon was spent in Central Park, reading and napping, before I took off to Yonkers to meet up with Jo who, after serving me a fantastic beef chili, gave me a ride back to Boston and spent the night on an air mattress in my dorm room.
Next week is midterm, and the semester is halfway over. I am enjoying all my little adventures and trying to make each day special, but somehow I don't entirely feel at home here. For someone who has never been prone to homesickness, I think about my family surprisingly often and miss many things that made life so comfortable in Vienna. Luckily, it's only a week and a few days now before I return to New York to see my father, who will be there for some UN business.
Can't wait!!
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Time flies.
I always thought that only old people say that. But in fact, ever since I've arrived at Babson, time just seems to slip by. Weeks feel like days, months like weeks, and sometimes I find myself lying in bed at night thinking: "Where the heck has this day gone?"
Between figuring out basic campus survival rules (like, don't stick your favorite jeans or delicate T-shirts into the dryer if you want them to fit afterwards), making friends, good old homework, classes, group meetings, and the odd bit of fun, there hardly seems to be a minute that I am actually idle.
Again, I need to incorporate a list of highlights into this post for the sake of brevity.
Almost Famous. Last Saturday, Montse and I went downtown to meet Meaghan for a bit of Latin dancing at Havana Club in Boston. It turned out that MTV was shooting an episode of Made at the club that night, so if you look carefully, you might be able to see a little Spanish girl and a tall Austrian girl samba-, mambo- and bachata-ing in the background.
Rudderless on the Charles. Four men and a lady in a canoe - sounds like Pocahontas, minus the rowing skills. While we were happily zig-zagging from bank to bank, we rammed nearly all Harvard Rowing Team boats that were training on the Charles River. "Keep to the right hand side!" was about the nicest comment we got.
The crew: Moi, Jesper (Sweden), Aaron (Texas), Steve (Massachusetts), and Bjorn (Sweden) filling out the required test pre-takeoff
You better know what to do with your paddles...
Slaves on the galley
Between figuring out basic campus survival rules (like, don't stick your favorite jeans or delicate T-shirts into the dryer if you want them to fit afterwards), making friends, good old homework, classes, group meetings, and the odd bit of fun, there hardly seems to be a minute that I am actually idle.
Again, I need to incorporate a list of highlights into this post for the sake of brevity.
Almost Famous. Last Saturday, Montse and I went downtown to meet Meaghan for a bit of Latin dancing at Havana Club in Boston. It turned out that MTV was shooting an episode of Made at the club that night, so if you look carefully, you might be able to see a little Spanish girl and a tall Austrian girl samba-, mambo- and bachata-ing in the background.
Rudderless on the Charles. Four men and a lady in a canoe - sounds like Pocahontas, minus the rowing skills. While we were happily zig-zagging from bank to bank, we rammed nearly all Harvard Rowing Team boats that were training on the Charles River. "Keep to the right hand side!" was about the nicest comment we got.
The crew: Moi, Jesper (Sweden), Aaron (Texas), Steve (Massachusetts), and Bjorn (Sweden) filling out the required test pre-takeoff
You better know what to do with your paddles...
Slaves on the galleyAcademic tidbits. Wrote my first-ever philosophy paper: "Pity or Power - The view of human nature at the heart of Berlin's concepts of freedom". It required me to wreck my brain like I had never done before. There is just no way you can wing it when your work will be subject to the merciless scrutiny of a philosopher. They might say there's no money in philosophy, but there's definitely a lot more brain than in business.
On the not-so-nerdy side: When going through one of his assignments with Francesco last night, I had a good laugh at the Italian way of using metaphors even in a business context. On business incubators: "The group should have evaluated venture proposals by identifying the seeds, nurturing them as long as necessary, and eventually sometimes spinning them off. They had to hatch the eggs, as an incubator should do. It’s not so easy like for a chicken." And a couple of lines down: "So we can consider this a great move in order to hatch the egg, because from the egg should arise a new chicken."
On the not-so-nerdy side: When going through one of his assignments with Francesco last night, I had a good laugh at the Italian way of using metaphors even in a business context. On business incubators: "The group should have evaluated venture proposals by identifying the seeds, nurturing them as long as necessary, and eventually sometimes spinning them off. They had to hatch the eggs, as an incubator should do. It’s not so easy like for a chicken." And a couple of lines down: "So we can consider this a great move in order to hatch the egg, because from the egg should arise a new chicken."
Plans for the weekend. Monday is Columbus Day, so I am taking off for yet another long weekend. Saturday and Sunday we'll go to upstate NY to do some hiking in the Beaverkill Valley, and the rest of the weekend is yet to be determined.
Friday, September 29, 2006
A virtual campus tour
... as promised. I am missing a couple of important buildings because my photo tour was cut short, but here is a little taste of my surroundings.
(Click on the picture to start the tour)
(Click on the picture to start the tour)
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
You three-inch fool!
Thou loathsome scab in Greece!
You ruinous butt!
Poisonous, bunch-backed toad!
Diffus'd infection of a man!
These and other Shakespearean insults were screamed at each other in tonights acting class. It was all about vocal focus, energy, diaphragmatic breathing and all that technical stuff, but ultimately, the best part was givin' it to each other in Shakespearean English. "Your bum is the greatest thing about you; so that, in the beastliest sense, you are Pompey the Great."
EAT THAT.
Anger management aside, time is flying by, and I realized today that it was exactly a month ago that I arrived on campus. In the past four weeks, I have met a mind-boggling amount of people, settled in to entirely new surroundings, and even turned my dark, smelly, damp room into a bearable living space.
Jo has been a regular visitor to our humble abode in the past weeks, making use of Julian's and Antonio's spare room and providing for a steady supply of beer, laughs, good music and high quality female company. She lives in New York, but just started her Doctoral degree in Jazz in Boston and, instead of finding a room for two nights a week, lightens up our rather dull business student routine with her spunky presence. Given that we only spent a month together in 2000 and haven't seen each other since, it's quite a miracle that I feel like I've had her around for ages.
Coming up at Babson: Homecoming weekend, boating on the Charles, and Salsa at Havana Club on Saturday.
Coming up on the blog: A virtual campus tour, and an e-introduction to the Babson gang.
And, now that we're at it, let me close with another of old Will's quotes:
I bear a charmed life.
You ruinous butt!
Poisonous, bunch-backed toad!
Diffus'd infection of a man!
These and other Shakespearean insults were screamed at each other in tonights acting class. It was all about vocal focus, energy, diaphragmatic breathing and all that technical stuff, but ultimately, the best part was givin' it to each other in Shakespearean English. "Your bum is the greatest thing about you; so that, in the beastliest sense, you are Pompey the Great."
EAT THAT.
Anger management aside, time is flying by, and I realized today that it was exactly a month ago that I arrived on campus. In the past four weeks, I have met a mind-boggling amount of people, settled in to entirely new surroundings, and even turned my dark, smelly, damp room into a bearable living space.
Jo has been a regular visitor to our humble abode in the past weeks, making use of Julian's and Antonio's spare room and providing for a steady supply of beer, laughs, good music and high quality female company. She lives in New York, but just started her Doctoral degree in Jazz in Boston and, instead of finding a room for two nights a week, lightens up our rather dull business student routine with her spunky presence. Given that we only spent a month together in 2000 and haven't seen each other since, it's quite a miracle that I feel like I've had her around for ages.
Coming up at Babson: Homecoming weekend, boating on the Charles, and Salsa at Havana Club on Saturday.
Coming up on the blog: A virtual campus tour, and an e-introduction to the Babson gang.
And, now that we're at it, let me close with another of old Will's quotes:
I bear a charmed life.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Cultural pleasures
The play, I remember, pleased not the million; 't was caviare to the general.
Hamlet, 2. 2
Who ever said that Americans have no culture? On Saturday, Julian (Germany), Cameron (Australia), Aaron (Texas) and I decided to take Cameron's friend Kitt up on her invitation to come see "Hamlet" at Wellesley College, where she studies.
Wellesley is an all-girls college, quite prestigious, proudly boasting alumnae like old Hillary and Madeleine Albright. It is 130 years old, with a huge campus, a lake and a beautiful theater hall. Unfortunately we only caught a glimpse of it at night, but I am definitely going back. Since I seem to be hanging out mainly with guys around here, it is time to immerse myself into a world full of wonderful ladies.
Other highlights of the weekend:
Watching my first rugby match - boy, what a violent sport. Thirty men, covered in sweat and mud, tackling each other like there is no tomorrow. Black eyes, dislocated shoulders, and sprained ankles. Julian (Germany) and Cameron (Australia, affectionately referred to by the name of Gramps) did their thing, and I still haven't decided whether I am shocked or intrigued.
A visit to the Mall - while I am not a big fan of giant shopping centers, there are stores I just can't resist. Also, I finally got my running shoes, and went for an inaugural jog this morning.
Dinner in Chinatown - our new friends Reagan (yes, like the president), Brooke, Zach and Preston took a bunch of us exchange students out to Boston Chinatown for some do-it-yourself fondue-style Chinese dinner. We loved it, although some of us had tears streaming down our faces due to extreme soup spiciness.
Carol, Lysiane and Zach enjoying their meals
Pub Night at Rodger's on campus - it's a Thursday night regular, always nice to kick off the weekend with.
Top: Me, Montse and Tere (from Barcelona)
Bottom: Tere, Montse, Francesco (Palermo) and Carol (Barcelona)
Other than that, papers, prep reading and classes don't leave much room for laziness. I haven't watched TV since I came here, and have only read half a book (of my own choice, that is). Those who know me will realize how unusual that is. Still, I am enjoying both the challenges and fun of college life.
I am a bit short on words and imagination tonight.
I will let the photos do the talking.
Hamlet, 2. 2
Who ever said that Americans have no culture? On Saturday, Julian (Germany), Cameron (Australia), Aaron (Texas) and I decided to take Cameron's friend Kitt up on her invitation to come see "Hamlet" at Wellesley College, where she studies.
Wellesley is an all-girls college, quite prestigious, proudly boasting alumnae like old Hillary and Madeleine Albright. It is 130 years old, with a huge campus, a lake and a beautiful theater hall. Unfortunately we only caught a glimpse of it at night, but I am definitely going back. Since I seem to be hanging out mainly with guys around here, it is time to immerse myself into a world full of wonderful ladies.
Other highlights of the weekend:
Watching my first rugby match - boy, what a violent sport. Thirty men, covered in sweat and mud, tackling each other like there is no tomorrow. Black eyes, dislocated shoulders, and sprained ankles. Julian (Germany) and Cameron (Australia, affectionately referred to by the name of Gramps) did their thing, and I still haven't decided whether I am shocked or intrigued.
A visit to the Mall - while I am not a big fan of giant shopping centers, there are stores I just can't resist. Also, I finally got my running shoes, and went for an inaugural jog this morning.
Dinner in Chinatown - our new friends Reagan (yes, like the president), Brooke, Zach and Preston took a bunch of us exchange students out to Boston Chinatown for some do-it-yourself fondue-style Chinese dinner. We loved it, although some of us had tears streaming down our faces due to extreme soup spiciness.
Carol, Lysiane and Zach enjoying their meals
Top: Me, Montse and Tere (from Barcelona)Bottom: Tere, Montse, Francesco (Palermo) and Carol (Barcelona)
I am a bit short on words and imagination tonight.
I will let the photos do the talking.
Monday, September 18, 2006
From Beantown to the Big Apple
The good thing about living on your own somewhere is that you are free to do whatever you please. For me, this meant acting upon a random desire to go to New York over the weekend and hopping on an early-morning Chinatown bus on Friday.
For someone who always looked at $350 tickets to one of my favorite cities with a certain longing, spending fifteen bucks on a crummy old Fung-Wah felt like heaven.
For someone who always looked at $350 tickets to one of my favorite cities with a certain longing, spending fifteen bucks on a crummy old Fung-Wah felt like heaven.
I arrived in New York Chinatown roughly four hours later and made my way to the Subway in the pouring rain to stop over at Colin's "Skypad" (a beautiful hideout on the tenth floor of an Upper East Side apartment building) for lunch. Plans to wander around fell through due to the water pouring from the sky, but I caught up on homework instead and then met my Aussie friend Jo and her man James for some soup dumplings and a good chat in Chinatown before heading out to Yonkers, NY to spend the night at their funky basement studio.
The weather luckily cleared up and allowed for a boat ride, a hot "dawg" and some live music in Central Park the next day, followed by a 65-block walk through Manhattan with Sascha. I had the honor of being Sascha's first official visitor since his move to NYC a year ago, and got a tour of his Noho neighborhood and a peek at some of the work he did at art school last year.
We met up with Colin again for dinner at Perbacco in the Village before I crashed on a cozy mattress on the floor of Sascha's room.
Sunday we did 8 a.m. Mass at St. Vincent Ferrer and had a nice brunch at Pandora's before I headed back down to Chinatown with Sascha and caught the 12 o'clock bus back to Boston.
No Empire State Building, no Times Square, none of the usual touristy stuff - but I have the feeling that I drank in more New York spirit than during any of my previous visits.
That Apple, I just love it.
My picture-taking discipline was a bit on the weak side this time (for example, not a single graphic record of my reunion with Jo), but here is a selection.
Some NYC architecture
Colin on The Lake in Central Park (Can you believe this is New York City??)
Mag in the row boat (the only women workin' the oars on the entire lake!)
Sascha and his apartment on Bleecker Street
Friday, September 15, 2006
A Riddle for the Weekend
It's a piece of fruit.
It is large.
I am going there for the weekend.
Any guesses?
Excited ... see you on the flip side!
It is large.
I am going there for the weekend.
Any guesses?
Excited ... see you on the flip side!
Monday, September 11, 2006
Germ ridden
Last week, they put up hand sanitizers all over campus. I guess they were trying to prevent us from getting sick by making us rub a strange-smelling liquid onto our hands. Well, it didn't work ... I caught a cold.
My nose is runny, my eyes water, and I cough, but the nicest bit is my 1-800 number sex hotline voice that causes classmates to turn and stare whenever I make a comment in class. Which, being the chatterbox that I am, happens quite frequently.
Apart from that, college life is good. I am working away on my freshman 15, stuffing myself with carbs and fatty foods at the cafeteria every day. Don't get me wrong, I try to avoid them - but the choice of foods seems to diminish by the day. I hit my limits yesterday when I tried to have maccaroni & cheese for brunch. Don't try that.
My bold plans to join both the Women's Rugby team and the Jukido Jiujitsu self-defense class were postponed for the lack of energy and proper clothing. Once I feel better and buy running shoes, I"ll need to find a new excuse.
Classes never cease to surprise me. After having worked on a case involving 3M in my Corporate Entrepreneurship course, the prof pulled out a phone from underneath her desk today in the middle of class and actually called up one of the executives we had read about so we could ask him questions.
I have more homework than ever before and spend pretty much the entire day reading cases and articles, coming up with business ideas (wait till my new handbag organizer hits the market) and plowing through pages of Thomas Hobbes in old English.
Sound nerdy? I suppose so, but I love it.
Tomorrow my long-lost World Vision Youth Ambassador friend and talented jazz singer Jo Lawry will visit me on campus and spend the night. I haven't seen her since the summer of 2000, so I am very excited.
Alright, time for lunch. Burgers, burritos and chocolate muffins, here I come.
My nose is runny, my eyes water, and I cough, but the nicest bit is my 1-800 number sex hotline voice that causes classmates to turn and stare whenever I make a comment in class. Which, being the chatterbox that I am, happens quite frequently.
Apart from that, college life is good. I am working away on my freshman 15, stuffing myself with carbs and fatty foods at the cafeteria every day. Don't get me wrong, I try to avoid them - but the choice of foods seems to diminish by the day. I hit my limits yesterday when I tried to have maccaroni & cheese for brunch. Don't try that.
My bold plans to join both the Women's Rugby team and the Jukido Jiujitsu self-defense class were postponed for the lack of energy and proper clothing. Once I feel better and buy running shoes, I"ll need to find a new excuse.
Classes never cease to surprise me. After having worked on a case involving 3M in my Corporate Entrepreneurship course, the prof pulled out a phone from underneath her desk today in the middle of class and actually called up one of the executives we had read about so we could ask him questions.
I have more homework than ever before and spend pretty much the entire day reading cases and articles, coming up with business ideas (wait till my new handbag organizer hits the market) and plowing through pages of Thomas Hobbes in old English.
Sound nerdy? I suppose so, but I love it.
Tomorrow my long-lost World Vision Youth Ambassador friend and talented jazz singer Jo Lawry will visit me on campus and spend the night. I haven't seen her since the summer of 2000, so I am very excited.
Alright, time for lunch. Burgers, burritos and chocolate muffins, here I come.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Sights and sounds
The first week has been very eventful. Pub Night at Roger's (the campus pub), a Joshua Tree concert and one of the famous Knight Parties, named after the Knight Auditorium where it is held, demonstrated the reality of the American alcohol policy. Coming from a country where the consumption of wine and beer is legal at age sixteen, it really takes a while to get used to the procedures:
1) Show your passport to the scary-looking cop at the door
2) Receive a plastic bracelet indicating that you are of legal drinking age
3) Proceed to the designated drinking area, get a beer
4) Sip it quietly while watching the jealous faces of those who are denied entrance into the Halls of Glory, unable to decide whether to feel stupid or special
5) DO NOT (!!!) leave the designated area with your beer cup, or else you will be dragged back by your collar.
Hmm.
Apart from these college activities, we explored Boston despite the rainy and cold weather on Saturday, ate some lobster and fudge (not together, I must add) and walked part of the Freedom Trail.
1) Show your passport to the scary-looking cop at the door
2) Receive a plastic bracelet indicating that you are of legal drinking age
3) Proceed to the designated drinking area, get a beer
4) Sip it quietly while watching the jealous faces of those who are denied entrance into the Halls of Glory, unable to decide whether to feel stupid or special
5) DO NOT (!!!) leave the designated area with your beer cup, or else you will be dragged back by your collar.
Hmm.
Apart from these college activities, we explored Boston despite the rainy and cold weather on Saturday, ate some lobster and fudge (not together, I must add) and walked part of the Freedom Trail.
Fun on and around campus
Exploring Boston
The academically most impressive experience of the week was a meeting with Prof. Taylor, who specializes in entrepreneurship, specifically social entrepreneurship. Not only did she take time to talk to me for more than an hour, she was also genuinely interested in my thoughts and made a huge effort to go through ideas and options for my thesis with me. In Austria, no professor talks to you for such a long time, unless they have a personal interest. I am seeing the benefits of American education.
On the "downside", I think I've found out where our housing and tuition money is going. Last week's "What's up Wednesday" was advertised as "Make Your Own Fishtank Night". I didn't go, but a couple of hundred freshmen did. The college gave away free goldfish, tanks, and all the gadgets that go with them. Now that is what I call an efficient use of my money. It made a tank full of Nemos very happy this week.
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