visited 12 countries (5.33%)
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Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Öko Test
So while I, along with my fellow Bowling Green State University study abroaders took a 3 hour boat tour in Berlin, I observed the Germans around me. Across from me, a German woman was telling all of the people at her table that they just had to try her new sunblock. It got a 1 (best grade you can get) on the eco-test, which is proudly displayed on the label of the product. I wanted to laugh so hard. That is so typically German. What American would care that a product got a 1 on an Eco-friendly test? I will be the first one to admit that I wouldn't give a flying ****.
Germans never seize to make me laugh :)
**Molly**
Germans never seize to make me laugh :)
**Molly**
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Berlin
While I have enjoyed my stint in Berlin and have had the opportunity to visit 2 good friends of mine while being here, I don't feel as if I could ever live in this city. I feel as if the people as well as the environment is so incredibly alternative, and here I am, something akind to Allie Lowell of Kate and Allie. The naive one. The one who studied art history and married the first man she ever dated. Ok, so my situation is not as extreme, but still.
So picture me, this 23 year old who has traveled but still has some of those conservative values her good ol parents taught her, walking into a building covered in grafitti, where alternative artists of all ages sell their stuff. Each floor brings something new; everything from earrings and bracelets to pictures of people on the toilet to bondage scenes. The artists are in the corner, either working on their craft or smoking pot, hoping perhaps that you will buy their product. I looked around, perplexed, taking everything in, and then walked out. It somehow reminded me of Ann Arbor, where the peace, love, recycling, and living in filth (as in co-ops where there are bugs in the food) seem to be the norm. Guess there are people like that everywhere.
In stark contrast to that, I saw many other things; Checkpoint Charlie, the DDR Museum, the Kennedy Museum, an Anne Frank exhibit, and many beautiful buildings and other monuments.
My time here has been well spent. I will, however, be coming back to Salzburg exhausted, hopefully ready to tackle my last month here. On June 30 I will be done and off to Goslar, Germany. And you know what? I AM SO READY!
Love, Molly
So picture me, this 23 year old who has traveled but still has some of those conservative values her good ol parents taught her, walking into a building covered in grafitti, where alternative artists of all ages sell their stuff. Each floor brings something new; everything from earrings and bracelets to pictures of people on the toilet to bondage scenes. The artists are in the corner, either working on their craft or smoking pot, hoping perhaps that you will buy their product. I looked around, perplexed, taking everything in, and then walked out. It somehow reminded me of Ann Arbor, where the peace, love, recycling, and living in filth (as in co-ops where there are bugs in the food) seem to be the norm. Guess there are people like that everywhere.
In stark contrast to that, I saw many other things; Checkpoint Charlie, the DDR Museum, the Kennedy Museum, an Anne Frank exhibit, and many beautiful buildings and other monuments.
My time here has been well spent. I will, however, be coming back to Salzburg exhausted, hopefully ready to tackle my last month here. On June 30 I will be done and off to Goslar, Germany. And you know what? I AM SO READY!
Love, Molly
Change
Everybody is changing. My friends and I just graduated, and I am living in Salzburg, while some of my friends are living in Cali, at home working, or God knows what. I hate change and it is all so scary. I wish I knew exactly where my life was going. I'd be afraid to stay here, and at the same time I'm afraid to go home. I don't feel like I know where my home is anymore.
I just wish things could stay the same, the way they were when I was in college, and that everyone I love could always be near me. I wish I wish I wish. I know life has to go on, but somehow I am so scared sometimes that I don't even want it to.
I just wish things could stay the same, the way they were when I was in college, and that everyone I love could always be near me. I wish I wish I wish. I know life has to go on, but somehow I am so scared sometimes that I don't even want it to.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Life in Salzburg
I have enjoyed my life in Salzburg so much. With only four weeks to go, there is much I'll miss.
I am trying to enjoy everything as much as possible. This week I had the usual: school and work, but I did manage to do some fun things, too. On Monday I had lunch at Cappomio, the wonderful restaurant behind my Studentenwohnheim (dorm) with my Austrian friend, Tina. The weather was gorgeous so we were able to eat outside. I will so miss the outdoor cafes here. Everytime the weather is nice all of the residents of Salzburg sit outsides at cafes, drinking an Aperhol spritzer. Sometimes I wonder if any of them work...
That evening I had dinner with Steffi and Verena, two friends of mine that I met through the prayer group I was apart of. We all leave so near each other that we try to eat together when we have time. With our busy schedules that isn't easy...
On Tuesday I had class and then work, and in the evening I went out to O'Malleys, the local bar, with some of the Americans from my program. I didn't buy a drink, but I did enjoy the company. Yesterday I had class and then taught English to 2 little Austrian girls, and today I had to work until 1. Now I'm off to go swimming at an indoor pool with people from my program.
Now, towards the end of all of this, I am wishing I had written more about my everyday life in Austria. Sometimes I take being here for granted, but I really love it! And I want to remember my time here :)
I am trying to enjoy everything as much as possible. This week I had the usual: school and work, but I did manage to do some fun things, too. On Monday I had lunch at Cappomio, the wonderful restaurant behind my Studentenwohnheim (dorm) with my Austrian friend, Tina. The weather was gorgeous so we were able to eat outside. I will so miss the outdoor cafes here. Everytime the weather is nice all of the residents of Salzburg sit outsides at cafes, drinking an Aperhol spritzer. Sometimes I wonder if any of them work...
That evening I had dinner with Steffi and Verena, two friends of mine that I met through the prayer group I was apart of. We all leave so near each other that we try to eat together when we have time. With our busy schedules that isn't easy...
On Tuesday I had class and then work, and in the evening I went out to O'Malleys, the local bar, with some of the Americans from my program. I didn't buy a drink, but I did enjoy the company. Yesterday I had class and then taught English to 2 little Austrian girls, and today I had to work until 1. Now I'm off to go swimming at an indoor pool with people from my program.
Now, towards the end of all of this, I am wishing I had written more about my everyday life in Austria. Sometimes I take being here for granted, but I really love it! And I want to remember my time here :)
Getting Used
I always try and help people if I can, and have often helped exchange students or expats adjust to life in Michigan. I am so thankful for all of the people that helped me this year. I also discovered something else: some people only care about you when you can do something for them. When you need help and you ask them, they don't respond. Or they don't care enough to keep in touch, until they need something from you. I'm not going to stop helping people. It's who I am. But I guess I just have to realize that there are people out there that are going to try and use me. They're not worth it. They are not worth the effort.
So thanks to those of you that have helped me during this year abroad. I appreciate you more than you know.
So thanks to those of you that have helped me during this year abroad. I appreciate you more than you know.
Monday, May 23, 2011
ON A WEEKEND IN V’RONA(ON AN EVENING IN ROMA=the real name of the song, but hey, I wasn’t in Roma, was I?)
For the past 6 months I’ve been dying to go to Verona. Unfortunately the idea normally comes to me right after returning from another trip, at which point I am usually broke. I have done more than my fair share of traveling this year, so I knew if I wanted to go to Verona, I would have to save up, and travel on the cheap. I looked for youth hostels-which they unfortunately don’t have in Verona, and then basically decided I just couldn’t afford it.
But it doesn’t end there. I recently wrote to an Italian friend of mine on Facebook. We met at 18 when she studied abroad at my high school. We became good friends and I really missed her when she left. She and I have written to each other now and then over the past 5 years, and, being in Europe and all, I thought it was a good time to say hi. I let her know that she could come and visit me whenever, and that if she had time for me I’d like to visit her.
She wrote, back, saying that I could come visit her in Verona, where she goes to college. A real coincidence! It ended up that the weekend I wanted to go and see her in May (20-22) was perfect for her, and after dealing with the financial logistics I booked a train ticket. I was so excited to experience an Italian city for the first time!
Elisa was the perfect hostess-she planned a dinner for me on Friday evening so that I could meet her friends. Together, we enjoyed pizza, wine, and dessert on a hill overlooking the beautiful city of Verona. For breakfast on Saturday morning she had the fridge stocked with Oreos :) and after such a healthy breakfast, we were ready to climb up to a castle and enjoy the view of the city. In the afternoon, after having enjoyed pasta at home, she showed me around the city.
First Stop: Juliet’s House, where every tourist in the world was trying to get a hand on Juliet’s breasts-it is said that if you rub the right breast of the statue it will bring you good luck. After fighting Italians and tourists alike to get my picture taken with the statue, I went into Juliet’s house, took a picture on the balcony that was added in the mid 1930s for tourist purposes, and then followed a sign that caught my eye: Letters to Juliet.
I had never expected that the club that was talked about in the film was actually real! When I arrived at the top of the steps I went into the small room that contained letters written by dozens of generations of women all over the world. These women write to Juliet like children write to Santa Claus, except they are asking for advice on love and relationships, rather than for children's toys. I wrote my own letter to dear Juliet and put it in the mailbox. According to their website, they answer every letter, and according to my hostess Elisa, even students are hired to help answer the letters that are written in many different languages from all over the world.
After walking around the city a bit we found a place that sold frozen coke! So, for the second time since I moved abroad (the first having been at a movie theater in Abu Dhabi), I enjoyed a frozen coke. We saw more of the city, including another castle, and walked along a river, and by that point we were utterly exhausted. We headed to an outdoor cafe to enjoy cocktails and appetizers, and then headed home and crashed at about 9pm like little old ladies. This morning she brought me back to the station, and now I am sitting on the train, watching Punky Brewster and drinking a cold Latte Macchiato.
I had a wonderful 2 days with an old friend. I hope she enjoyed showing me around just as I enjoyed showing her around Michigan 5 years ago.
Ciao Bella ☺
Molly
But it doesn’t end there. I recently wrote to an Italian friend of mine on Facebook. We met at 18 when she studied abroad at my high school. We became good friends and I really missed her when she left. She and I have written to each other now and then over the past 5 years, and, being in Europe and all, I thought it was a good time to say hi. I let her know that she could come and visit me whenever, and that if she had time for me I’d like to visit her.
She wrote, back, saying that I could come visit her in Verona, where she goes to college. A real coincidence! It ended up that the weekend I wanted to go and see her in May (20-22) was perfect for her, and after dealing with the financial logistics I booked a train ticket. I was so excited to experience an Italian city for the first time!
Elisa was the perfect hostess-she planned a dinner for me on Friday evening so that I could meet her friends. Together, we enjoyed pizza, wine, and dessert on a hill overlooking the beautiful city of Verona. For breakfast on Saturday morning she had the fridge stocked with Oreos :) and after such a healthy breakfast, we were ready to climb up to a castle and enjoy the view of the city. In the afternoon, after having enjoyed pasta at home, she showed me around the city.
First Stop: Juliet’s House, where every tourist in the world was trying to get a hand on Juliet’s breasts-it is said that if you rub the right breast of the statue it will bring you good luck. After fighting Italians and tourists alike to get my picture taken with the statue, I went into Juliet’s house, took a picture on the balcony that was added in the mid 1930s for tourist purposes, and then followed a sign that caught my eye: Letters to Juliet.
I had never expected that the club that was talked about in the film was actually real! When I arrived at the top of the steps I went into the small room that contained letters written by dozens of generations of women all over the world. These women write to Juliet like children write to Santa Claus, except they are asking for advice on love and relationships, rather than for children's toys. I wrote my own letter to dear Juliet and put it in the mailbox. According to their website, they answer every letter, and according to my hostess Elisa, even students are hired to help answer the letters that are written in many different languages from all over the world.
After walking around the city a bit we found a place that sold frozen coke! So, for the second time since I moved abroad (the first having been at a movie theater in Abu Dhabi), I enjoyed a frozen coke. We saw more of the city, including another castle, and walked along a river, and by that point we were utterly exhausted. We headed to an outdoor cafe to enjoy cocktails and appetizers, and then headed home and crashed at about 9pm like little old ladies. This morning she brought me back to the station, and now I am sitting on the train, watching Punky Brewster and drinking a cold Latte Macchiato.
I had a wonderful 2 days with an old friend. I hope she enjoyed showing me around just as I enjoyed showing her around Michigan 5 years ago.
Ciao Bella ☺
Molly
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