The past weekend we had gone to Spreewald as a group. Spreewald is nature reserve, unique for the large amounts of channels/creeks that run all across the region. It is located 100km south east of Berlin, about an hour's train ride. We had gone primarily to go kayaking in the the creeks of Spreewald, which was a very unique and relaxing experience, and which I look forward to repeating again someday. Half way through the trip we had stopped to have a traditional meal, which included the region's famous pickles (gurken). The region is traditionally inhabited by
A week into life in London has flown by, and at the same time, my arrival seems like ages ago. No matter how long it feels, these past few days have been packed with a city tour, Global Skills Training, my first few days at work, getting lost, finding my way home again, and of course, the World Cup.
You are one American sitting in a tram full of Frenchmen and Algerians. 30 minutes earlier, the USA beat Algeria 1-0 in the World Cup, earning themselves a berth at the 16s, something that has not been achieved for decades. This should be a monumental victory for all American fans, I should be wrapping myself in an American flag and screaming USA USA USA like an idiot. But I’m not; thankfully I had the good sense not to nor did I have a flag.
Compared to the last two days, today was relatively calm; I got to work as usual, albeit more tired than usual since I was out late last night. I'm disappointed to write that I had a bit of misfortune today; during lunch I was peeling an orange when I accidentally knocked a bottle of my Orangina on my laptop's keyboard. Since I haven’t gotten my work PC yet, I’ve been bringing my personal netbook to work.
It's been a little over a week here in Madrid and my Spanish comprehension has dropped to absolute zero. Well, maybe it hasn't dropped so much, but it's definitely not the effortless path to fluency I envisioned. I used to think of myself as a Spanish whiz kid -- I got good grades without effort and really understood the grammar. I could hold a fairly decent conversation. Coming to Spain, I thought, was just the next step in a natural progression, one I'd take to with the same ease and nonchalance as learning how to read and write the language. But no. No
I can already tell my time is going by very quickly here. This Friday will officially mark the quarter way point. I arrived almost 2 weeks ago, with little idea of what would be in store for me. My first week was spent getting lost, learning the metro system, and picking up on the Spanish vernacular. Wait, who am I kidding, I´m still doing that! The metro in Madrid is great. Supposedly the best in Europe and I believe it. Not only is it affordable (1 Euro each ride) but it is always on time and takes me wherever I need to go in the city in less than a half hour.
One thing that has surprised me about Beijing is how modern it is. I think because Beijing just recently started to go through a period of rapid development, it has the unique opportunity to expand using the best technological resources and design plans. Some of the buildings I have stumbled across are truly amazing. They are so chic and advanced looking that I almost feel like I am stepping into the future. I have never seen anything like it in the United States. One of my new favorite places to go is this area called Tuanjiehu.
The Paris night life is so amazing here! I got my first taste of it two days ago. I ate a delicious dinner and got to see the famed Notre Dame at night! Afterwards, I hit the Latin Quarter and went to a salsa bar. Since I was still a bit jet lagged, and had work the next day, I didn’t stay out too long, but it was definitely a VERY memorable if short experience :)
The experience still feels so surreal. In the course of about a week, I have experienced so much of Japanese culture firsthand, and I am at a loss of how best to process all of it. I think I need some time still for it to sink in. My 5 day stay at the Olympic Center in Yoyogi has come to an end. Long hours of Japanese crash courses have been the springboard into my first few days of work. We said our goodbyes to our senseis, and we were officially off on our own, keigo-ready or not.
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