Somehow this week

has slipped from beneath my feet. Already Wednesday; how time flies.


As I was saying, we went to a modern art museum called Flaming Something, which featured much conceptual un understandables and a fascinating interactive piece which looked like a ghost woman trying to get back to the living. A cold glass pane separated us and her, you could touch the pane and meet her hand. Description is futile. Modern art! I guess you just had to be there...

We wandered outside full of these artsy ideas and noticed crowds of people walking towards a glowing opera house. What could this be?
Classical music, of course! Just to see, we walked in. The hall was stunning and filled with Rich People wearing Rich People clothes and having Rich People conversations.
I say this because we stood out in our everyday dress. Just to see, we went to the ticket office. Tickets were reduced to only ten euro. We'll take two! Spent the rest of the evening enjoying a Beethoven piano concerto.


The next day was go day. As it happened, we ended up stuck in Slovakia for ten hours. But that is another (long) story for another day.


In a few hours, I'll be off to work at the National Literacy Trust. Last month, I tried to describe my duties, but the blog refused me. This topic deserves another go,

The Trust is a privately funded charity that seeks to increase literacy standards in England for all ages. It runs several initiatives that focus on at-risk subsets of society. Refugee mothers, prisoners and young boys, to name a few. I work with an initiative called "Reading The Game" under a man named Jim.

This project uses the motivational power of football(soccer) to encourage and inspire young boys to read. We set up literacy events, make connections between teams-schools-libraries, send reading promotion materials, arrange free books for disadvantaged kids, manage a website, all sorts of football-literacy things.

For an intern, my duties are actually sort of substantial. Some of my peers spend their days photocopying and making tea. Though I do make a mean cup of tea, I also write invoices, edit and update the website, phone people, do research for Jim and the others, compile spreadsheets, organize files and press clippings, and whatever else I am asked. Although I do not particularly enjoy staring at a database, I am proud to tout my new skills. They will be invaluable for future employments.

After all, how many former arts and crafts teachers can say they worked a block from Buckingham Palace?

City of Music

Last weekend, Hayley and I discovered Vienna!
And it was beautiful!
Markets and music and palaces!


Okay okay, enough with the exclamations.

We left London early at four on Friday morn. Took a black cab, found the bus, arrived at Stanstead in plenty of time. By nine we had arrived and were greeted by two smiling strangers and a sign in bubble letters, "Kristi Goldade!!!" Our worries were erased; we knew we would be welcomed.

We planned to stay with a friend of my family's former exchange student, Carolina. Her parents picked us up, drove us to Vienna (we had arrived in Slovakia), chatted us up. And then, to our surprise, the mother declared that she would show us her city.

Did she ever. We walked up down all around. Saw the palaces, cathedrals, stunning architecture. The city is built such that baroque buildings neighbor renaissance styles, art nouveau next to classical. Even the cafes feature high painted ceilings, gold decorations, and marble floors. We toured the imperial palace, discovering the myths surrounding the tragic life of Sisi. We crept down wine cellars, strolled the Christmas market, laughed at a sugar sculpture of Bill Clinton. She told us of the history of each place, describing how and why what came to be.

Then we went home to a typical Austrian meal of cabbage with sauce, meat and potato casserole, oranges and wine. Wine is Austrian’s largest and most profitable crop. They are very proud of this fact, and have many stories tall shops with wine on every shelf.

The next morning, Carolina and her twenty-something brother took us around. Went to the street markets with every kind of food and spice from every where, and then the flea markets. Saw a big castle called Schonbrunn. And then we salsa danced the night away.

Sunday was just me and Hayley, so we did what we do best: modern art museums and classical music.

will conclude this later, must work on my resume, Happy Thanksgiving!

When in Wales

Last last weekend, just when I felt like I couldn't travel another step, I took another trip.


Destination? Wales

Wales is a country just west of England, and a hefty handful of us ventured there for a weekend of exciting outdoor adventure. My program sponsor CAPA planned the trip in conjunction with a company called Presili Venture.. Here's what they have to say for themselves,

"Preseli Venture is the perfect place to come and stay to satisfy your need for Fun, Adventure and good spiritual chemistry.

Surfing, Coasteering, Partying
Team building, Cliff Jumping, Kayaking.
You can Explore, Refresh, Detox, Invigorate, and Relax...

Your perfect outdoor adventure playground on the western edge of Europe, the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park."

Friend Allison and I took the train out together. We had by mistake arrived five minutes late to Paddington and were thus five hours late to Presili. But it was okay! When we dragged our weary bodes in, we were greeted by a welcoming man - and chattering friends - who took our bags, sat us down, fed us lasagna and cake. Very nice indeed.

The cabins were beautiful. Spacious rooms for sleep, warm ones with fireplaces and comfy chairs for socializing, a many windowed dining room.

On Saturday I did sea kayaking in the morning and costal hiking in the afternoon. Kayaking in the sea requires a different set of expectations/gear/precautions than in say a lake. Wetsuit, gloves, stretchy cloth to cover the top. And you're in the sea and it's swirling, crashing, swelling. We explored caves, learned about sea ecology, paddled on our own.

The afternoon hike was not what I would call leisurely. Invigorating in the best way, maybe. Up the rocky coast we went, past sheep, through forests. We ran into an obstacle when a herd of cows decided to block our path. We couldn’t go around them – sea on our left, herd on our right – couldn’t go through them – they were huge! – I guess we’ll just moo at them. And so we did. Making much noise till they understood and charged down our skinny path as we looked away, holding our breath.

That night we were welcomed by a home cooked curry meal, a bonfire, board games.

Next morning my activity was coasteering,
"Coasteering is a unique adventure sport where you experience the exhilaration of sea level traversing, rock climbing, cliff jumping and swimming into sea caves. It's a coastal exploration along the wild and beautiful Pembrokeshire coast.”
Incredible. I need not say more.

All in all, one of the best weekends yet.

…

Yesterday, we had a mandatory Minnesota student meeting. We assumed it would be some drawn out lecture on being a student overseas, how are you coping, do you miss your Mom and the USofA. Instead it was a lecture on Muslim women and the veil. This is a huge issue in Britain but especially in London, microcosm of the world.

I had no idea the politics of this cloth. The often choice women have [to wear or not]. Should a teacher teach wearing a head scarf? Is it oppression? What do the different ways of wearing it mean? What do the non extremists say?

Living with Alia, who has one family in Egypt and another in Minnesota has shown me a whole side of being Muslim. Of being a normal not oppressed in fact feminist person who happens to be born into Muslim background. So often the news flashes will only say, Muslim = men = bombs. Which is unfortunate for the many.

End rant. Sorry it was on my mind. Hope all is well and happy with you!

Santorini

We took a five hour fast ferry to Santorini, the largest and most traveller accessible of the Greek isles. Upon stepping off the plank we were welcome-accosted by a swarm of hotel owning, middle aged Greek ladies who saw our backpacks and thought, "Student!"

Their strategy [to entice you to their hotel] is as such,
See young people
Show young people large and brightly coloured photogs of the hotel
Let other owners haggle and display and entice
Unveil your best deals like cheap breakfast
Watch young people frantically compare and argue and decide Repeat steps 3 through 5

We decided on a woman named Toottie who gave us breakfast for five euro, drove us to the ports, set up tours, and let us stay in the above locale for only 15 euro each.

The next and very best day we took a small ferry tour. It boated us to a couple smaller islands off the coast of Santorini. At first stop, we climbed an active volcano, marveling at the view and the steam and how lucky we were. Then we stopped to swim in bubbling sulfur hot springs. Next was a smaller island with a lunch spot where we devoured the few dishes the menu offered: calamari, feta, olives, tomatoes, some strange sticky white rice, and much bread with even more olive oil. The afternoon ended with a hike up to the largest port city to watch the sun set over an old temple.

Night came and two friends were tired, went back, but we loved this port city. Whitewash and cobblestone small streets, vendors and the smell of the sea. Alia and I walked talked explored for what seemed like ever. Finally met with the boys, bought market wine, found cheap eats with a roof and sea view. Stayed till late. Then a cab driver named Nico took us home, tucked us in after a very, very good day.


*I hope this new site and these pictures will work! Happy Monday!

"Next Ferry Out" (why am I not able to create a title?)


Athens is a city much like St. Paul's Midway neighborhood, only much worse by several turns.

Walking down an average street will greet you with stark stories tall concrete apartments next to barred up shops with orange tags on every item next to trash rubble next to stray cat after stray cat. Children vending roses and plastic light up things. Men yelling after you, good deals on this food. Make no mistake, walking Athenian streets is not a pleasant experience.

In the words of a friend, “It’s just so eerie and quiet that you’re sure something shady is going on in the next alley!”

The group – Grant Alia me Daniel Christine – combined our [decision making] powers and decided that we had arrived in Athens a couple thousand years late. After seeing the Acropolis, we booked the next ferry out to the islands.

…

The first island on the list was Santorini as it was the furthest away, by a five hour fast ferry. As well, because we were traveling in the tail end of tourist season, it was one of the only operating islands. Santorini looked precisely how I imagined…

I have little idea of where to begin, so I suppose I’ll start at the very beginning (a very good place to start!),

We arrived in Athens late into the evening.

Cheap tickets work this way. You fly early early or Late, but never a time where regular people or buses or trains might run.

But now, finally, “We’re in Greece!” It’s dark and we’ve passed customs, our four-strong group abuzz with excitement. To the streets we march, stuffed backpackers backpacks in tow. The signs are all in Greek and totally incomprehensible and wow, I think, this is nothing short of surreal.

Step onto the bus. Punch the tickets. Look out the window.

Used car dealerships every other business. Ads of Greek singers posing in groups. Billboards written in English-Greek . McDonalds next to feta gyros. Tall grey building upon tall grey building.

Find the metro. Decipher the signs. Try to find the hotel. Try to find the hotel.

After an hour of wandering dark streets with vendors on every corner, bars across every shop window, we find the hotel. Are greeted with, "Welcome to Greece! Do whatever you like! Do you want to push beds all in one room? Okay! Fine! Let me show you where are the clubs..." This is typical Greek hospitality; they take the phrase 'the customer is always right' to a serious extreme.

That same night, we walked to a cafe for our first taste of Grecian food. Gyros, feta, and, could we please share a bottle of wine? It's not on the menu, says accomodating owner, but just you wait, I'll get it for you! No no don't bother, we say, we'll only take water. No please, insists the owner, Hey boy! Go next door and buy some wine for these people!

Needless to say and despite protest, we got the wine...