That's all folks

I leave tomorrow, and when I look back at the past 4 months I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every minute of it. Sure I had to do school work and it is hard adjusting to a new culture that I did not necessarily come to terms with on every aspect, but I would do it again in a heart beat. I got to see a small portion of the world and got a better understanding of who I am and where I stand on this enormous world. The same goes for understanding how the United States is perceived as well.

I have been fortunate enough to have this opportunity to see and experience numerous cultures and several threads of history. I wish every one could have such an opportunity. To learn, grow, and change. I have been enriched and encourage everyone to try and see the world with an open mind if they get the chance. I would like to say a special thanks to all of my family and friends who have stayed in touch or just read the blog, and a special thanks to my family for the financial support as well.

I know I have not directly stated what I have learned but that could fill volumes, and I want to keep this post short, but feel free to ask me if you see me(or e-mail me). However, I will leave a list of the 5 things that I will miss the most about my travels and 5 things I definitely won't miss.

5 things I will miss (in no particular order)

1. The various friends that I have made and the differences that brought us together. (shout out to Khaled, Mohamed, and Abdul!)

2. Trying new foods in new areas of the world.

3. The delusion that girls won't talk to me because they don't speak English and thinking that when they curse at me they are actually saying very naughty things.

4. The freedom and ability to travel to different cultures, locations, and what seemed like times on a relatively cheap budget and when I wanted to.

5. The sense of wonder and newness that I got to experience all over again. Like when I was a kid.

5 things I won't miss (in no particular order)

1. The copious amounts of dog crap, or at least what I hope is dog crap, on the sidewalk.

2. Being taken advantage of because I'm different and can not speak the local language. (I think there is a lesson on being charitable and kind in there to people of different nationalities, ethnicities, and races especially in a place like the melting pot of the U.S.A.)

3. The geriatric parades that would block the sidewalk.

4. The smog and pollution of a big city.

5. The lack of convenience, Internet, and video games

See you all State side soon.

Czech me out!

Yes the title stinks I know, but I thought it was slightly clever. By clever I mean that I saw it on a bunch of t-shirts and stickers and made it my own.

So, on December 14th my roommate and I arrived in Prague, Czech Republic at about 6 in the morning. We took the night train there and slept on the uncomfortable seats. When we got off we toured the city on foot, of course. Prague is a lot like Budapest but smaller, cleaner, people are nicer, and a little more touristy. The city is laid out in a similar fashion to Budapest. There is a large river that splits the river into two parts, a hilly side with castle and a flat more urban side. However, the old town of Prague is on the flat side, and there numerous old towers around the city as well.

We spent our time walking around mostly old town, saw Tyn Church in the center of town along with the astrological clock on the old town hall tower. We went to the top of this tower as well to see the breathtaking views. Earlier we went to the hill laden side of the river to walk around the park and the castle area. This castle is actually in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the largest castle compound in the world. I said compound not castle. While we were there we walked around the various courtyards and churches. Then we stopped into a small cafe and were promptly ripped off for a cup of tea and a ham sandwich that tasted like paper. We were a little worried about the prices from then on, but were reassured when we got to the old town square where a huge Christmas gathering was occurring. It was like the one in Bratislava but a little bigger and slightly more magical just because we were surrounded by the towers which are extremely imposing but inspiring nonetheless.

The town square was where it was happening. The one night we were there we feasted like kings upon bratwurst, sausage, roasted almonds, goulash soup, and pork. All of it was delicious and heart clogging. Most of it only was about 2 dollars and came in very generous portions. We then took in a jazz/blues show in a little club that, we think, B.B. King played in behind Tyn Church. It was very um... jazzy. I enjoyed it.

We then woke up the next day, Friday, shopped a little bit, burnt some time in the pub, and caught the night train back to the sister city of Budapest. Check the pics foo!

Old Town Square with the Astrological Clock in the foreground and Tyn Church in the background.

A closer look at the Astrological Clock on the side of the Old Town Hall.

Tyn Church as seen from the Old Town Hall tower.

My goofy face with Tyn Church in the background.

The festivities below in the square. LOOK AT HOW THEY TREMBLE BEFORE ME!! Does anyone notice how I like to pretend like I am important and awe inspiring?

This is the river that divides the city into two. The bridge is named the Charles bridge (seriously). After all, I am well known and loved by many all around the globe. The bridged is lined with statues of me on each side, or of saints which ever you choose to believe. In the background the church can be seen on the hill, and St. Nicholas church is off to the left. It has the green roof and spire.

The guards stationed outside of 1 of the 3 gates to the castle's compound.

The changing of the guards occurs every hour on the hour at each gate. we say it at two different gates, and I can vouch for the fact that it is the same.

A parting picture of the river from the castle.

Who needs a car. (Bratislava)

On Sunday the 10th, I went to Bratislava, Slovakia for the day. Why you ask? Quite simply because I can and it was cheap. It only cost me 20 dollars round trip to take the train and I only used 50 dollars for the day when I got there, and I had to try and spend that. That was for a copious amount of food, sights, and transportation.

While in Bratislava I went to Devin Castle which is in actually just outside of the capital. This ancient castle has been there since the Romans, but parts of it dated back to the 5th century B.C. It was right next to the Danube and is actually one of the castles I saw from the hydrofoil when I went to Vienna. After that my friends and I went to the old town center of Bratislava and were pleasantly surprised by the Christmas festivities. There were a bunch of stands set up in the town square selling delicious food and small presents. Oh and delicious hot mead. Man that stuff is sooo good. There was also a large Christmas tree set up in the square right next to the church. Right next to the tree there was a stage set up for choir and dance performances. Most of the time was spent here and just walking around the rest of old town. It was relaxing and very gratifying. Slovakia is actually very pretty.

Well I have 2 finals done and one more to go and then I think I am going to Prague tomorrow until early Saturday. Fun. Then I get to come home on Sunday. So much traveling.

The Palace in Bratislava.

The Palace at night.

Devin Castle

Me in front of the larger part of Devin Castle.

Looking across the Danube from the main part of the Devin Castle.

The Devin country side seen from the castle.

The streets of old town Bratislava.

The Christmas tree in the square. Happy Holidays!

I'll post pics of Prague once I get back. Cheers.

It's been a while

That's right kiddies, it has been a while since I have updated this blog. I have been busy working on my finals. As fun as it is to wirte a 10 page paper on Immanuel Wallerstein's World Systems Theory and how it relates to the relationship between the semi-periphery nation of the Republic of Korea and the core nation of the United States as evident through GDP statistics and historical politics, I have decided to take a break and sit down to chat with you. So come and grab a seat by the fire my friend. You have to imagine one, or you can go so far as to start one in the trash bin. Whatever works for you.

Last week, Alex, my roommate, had family over from the US. His parents and sister came over to see the sites and were nice enough to treat me to dinner a few times. During their visit we went to see the interior of the Parliament and even took in the famous opera show Madam Butterfly. All in all, it was a good, enriching time. I would like to say thank you to Alex's parents who were super nice and more than generous.

Aside from that I have not been up to too much aside from studying and trying to get these essays out of the way. I have finals from the 11th to the 13th, and then I am off to Prague for a few days. Then on that Sunday I come home! It only seems like I got here a few days ago.

Now here are some pics from the interior of the Parliament. Enjoy!

These are the real crown jewels. The ones in Matyas church are just replicas. You know, it's really hard to build a relationship with a country when she keeps lying to you.

This is the room where all of the government reps meet.

Here is the main starcaise from the main entrance up to the main meeting room.

2 weeks to go. Go Bears 10-2 NFC North champs! Urlacher is my boy. Sorry Dad but your Vikings couldn't cut it, but I still love you.

1 Month to Go, and Poo!

I have been here for a little over 3 months now, and I am sooo ready to go home. As fulfilling and culturally enriching (or any other feel good terms you can think of) as this experience has been I just miss the good ol' U.S. of A. I miss being able to go get a giant grease ball, what we know as burgers in the U.S., at any freaking time of the night. Mmm MEAT! I really miss my mother's cooking too. I really could go for some rice and kimchee right about now. I need to replenish my ninja skills after all. I would kill for some homogenized, pastuerized milk too. In general I just miss the over processed, hormone pumped food they have in the United States. Don't get me wrong, I love traveling as much as the next person, I am getting tired of eating the food over here and the resulting rager stomach aches that I get about once a week. That includes all of the symptoms which come along with that. Perhaps a little too much information? Plus I am getting tired of going to stores that specialize in 300 different color felt fabrics. Okay so that's a gross exaggeration, but the point is the same. I just want to be able to go to a Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, or a Sam's Club and buy a 40 pack of socks, a couple of movies, a video game, a bushel of bananas, 4 or 5 books, a refridgerator with a television in it, and a Snickers, no, a Twix bar to top off the amazing evening that will follow. (What I do in my own time with cows errr... things is my own business.) I just want to go to one store and get most of what I need.

Anyway, I changed my flight so that I get in late on the 17th. As for traveling around Europe, well funds are low and it is crunch time around here. I have finals, projects, and essays for school. Plus I am trying to work on some digital art so that I can add some morsel of talent to the online resume I am trying to create. Plus I still need to process wedding photos I took before I left. So Croatia will have to wait. My roommate and I still plan on visiting Prague, but we have pushed that excursion back to early December.

Oh wait... I want to share what I saw with you a few days ago. As I was walking up from the subway station (they call it a metro here) I saw an old homeless lady evacuating, ummm..., everything in front of everyone. What I am trying to illustrate here, aside from the grizzly scene that has been seared into my memory, is that this are the things I notice now. I rarely notice the various beautiful monuments and natural wonders around Budapest but the filth instead. I just want to come home now so that I can be sheltered by Americana.

Go Bears!, 9-0, Charles

Italy, a guide

While in Italy I noticed a few things that might help those of us who want to be Italian, appear more fashionable, or look more important.

1. Have black hair, or hair that has been dyed auburn.

2. Wear designer everything. Even if your 80 and on the verge of death you should sport a Gucci colostomy bag.

3. Find the biggest pair of sunglasses that fit on your face and wear them at all times of the day. Rain or shine, day or night, indoors or outdoors.

4. Drive as fast as possible on anything that has a motor. It doesn't matter if your driving a Ferrari or a riding lawn mower, just pretend like you're freakin Mario Andretti and that at your desired destination there is a burning pile of a million dollars waiting for you to put it out and spend it as you wish.

That's it. By following these steps you too can be Italian and all around fashionable and important.

Some random counts taken in Italy:

Lamborginies seen: 4

Ferrari f430's seen: 4

Hot Italian women: a lot

Famous pieces of art: somewhere in the hundreds?

Large bug-eye sunglasses: I honestly can't count that high.

Nov. 4th, Milan

I was told by a lot of people that there is nothing to do in Milan. Much like anything else they have to say, they were incorrect. Milan is a large city and Italy's business and fashion capital but still boasts a lot of older marvels as well. While in Milan, my roommate and I experienced numerous things. First of all, we wanted to go see the fresco by Leonardo known as "The Last Supper." I was expecting a large grandiose church. So when we got to the street corner which had a little church on it we were quite confused. We actually walked around a couple of other blocks looking for a larger church for about half an hour before we decided to go inside the little church. When we entered we were confused a little more because there weren't that many tourists, and even though there were a lot of other frescoes on the walls we still had yet to see The Last Supper. After another half hour of being really confused we found out there was a side entrance that had the fresco but you had to pay for a ticket. Alright, fair enough I thought, but when we tried to purchase a ticket the lady said they were sold out of tickets for the next month. So I left not too much wiser but a whole lot more confused. The moral is that anyone trying to see this famous fresco needs to purchase tickets anywhere from 1 to 2 months in advance.

After shaking off my stupor we headed over to the Duomo which is right next to a famous shopping arcade. After window shopping we were greeted with a large gothic church which also had an impressive interior as well. In the end though it's another church. We then made our way to an old castle in the area and walked around there for a bit.

Then, like a couple of really rich Italian school girls, we went shopping for purses in the most expensive district in Milan. No I'm not gay. The purse was for my mom. The Quadrilatero, as it is known by the natives, is actually 4 main streets that encompass about 2 or 3 blocks of high class shopping. This is the place to be seen. All of the most expensive shops are here, Gucci, Dolce and Gabanna, Louis V, and others I can't remember or have never heard of. (I'll stick to my affordable jeans, hoodies, and skater shoes.) Adults, teenagers, and their dogs all wear high end designer everything here. We went into quite a few shops here to find the right purse for my mom and within the price range afforded. It was great! I got a small taste of what it is like to be a, as we American youth would say, "balla" and what it is like to "roll like a playa." I had a few hot women staff members stroll around in different purses under the guise that I had a lot of money and was going to buy a few things. They pranced and twirled around for me and struck a few poses. Some wanted to try the purses on while they sat in my lap... man they wanted me!(Okay I made up the last part.) I loved it nonetheless! Eventually I settled on a Gucci purse but decided to milk the experience a little longer with a little goading from my roommate. Alex told me that sometimes the staff will bring water or soda to you on a silver platter. So I asked the guy if they had water because I was a little "parched", and viola 5 minutes later we were being treated to a 10 dollar bottle of designer water on a silver platter for free. Being rich sure is fun. After purchasing my purse, I mean mother's purse, I took the gift wrapped treasure outside towards reality, also known as being a broke college student. However, I made this cute little Asian staff member try on one more purse which was on a shelf just out of her reach. It was fun to watch her strut her stuff after a few minutes of jumping up and down to get the purse down. I don't think any of the males reading this blog would disagree with my actions.

The spires on the Duomo.

A model or art shoot in the plaza outside the Duomo.

This is the photo shoot crew tending to the model after she ate pavement from slipping on her shoes. The shoes can be seen in the hands of the guy who is running towards the camera.

The shopping arcade next to the Duomo.

In the arcade there are pictures of various astrological birth signs. In Italy it's good luck to step on Taurus' testicles and spin. If you look there is actually a divit in the ground from where people have done this over the past years. I think there are some underlying hostile feelings toward men in this country.

A statue of Leonardo just outside of the arcade.

One of the Armani stores in the Quadrilatero.

Final stop, home.

Nov. 3rd, Florence

We arrived in Florence by train on Thursday, and after settling into the relatively bare hostel my roommate and I set off to see as many sites as possible. I have to admit this city has a lot to see and offer, especially to those who love art. I recommend at least 2 or 3 days to see this city. The first stop was the Duomo (large church) since it was near our hostel. This thing is freakin huge! The outside is ornate and very grand. Now that I was all excited for religion and stuff I decided to head in with the promise of an exquisite interior. "What the hell?" where pretty much the first words out of my mouth. The interior was as plain as can be. Nothing was even inside! Religion was ruined for me yet again. Promises undelivered, I, a dejected husk of my former self, marched on towards other attractions. I decided to head over to a famous piazza which has numerous replicas of famous sculptures. Again, I can't remember the name; however, the David replica was there, the Uffizi Museum, which has the Birth of Venus painting, and several other museums were all in one spot. All I have to say is that the lines were long and the day was slipping away. So all I saw were the sculptures in the plaza and the exterior of the museums which were nice. Off to the Medici palace! We crossed the river on a bridge which actually has a bunch of houses and shops built on it. It was definitely different. After crossing the unique bridge we came upon the massive Medici palace which has been turned into a museum. The museum hosts a number of modern art collections and displays how the palace use to look in some areas. The interior is beautiful each room had some kind of fresco on the ceiling and marble everything. The most rewarding part of the trip was the Boboli gardens which is behind the palace. The gardens are gigantic and easy to lose yourself in. There are shrubs, trees, and hidden paths everywhere. There were rewards at the end of each path or hiding between large shrubs. Fountains and sculptures were waiting to be discovered. The views were amazing too. After the palace and its gardens we decided to try and head over to Sante Croce which houses the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, and other famous Italians. Again, no dice. The day was late and the place was closed, but the exterior is nice. My roommate and I then decided to walk around aimlessly, eat dinner, and call it an early night.

The Duomo.

The Duomo side. No pics of the interior though, you'll just be disappointed.

Ponte Vecchio bridge stretching across the Arno river.

The replica of David. Hello sack!

The Boboli Gardens

Reverse angle

One of the main paths.

One of the main fountains.

Me in all my splendor.

The Florence skyline as seen form the top of the gardens.

A view of the country side as seen from one of the various side gardens.

Next stop, Milan!

Nov. 2nd, San Marino, San Marino

Okay, you got me. This is not Italy. But it is the oldest surviving republic on Earth. San Marino is also the 3rd smallest country on Earth. It comes after the Holy See and Monaco and measures only 7 miles wide at its widest point. Don't let its small size fool you though as it has a lot to offer and was definitely one of the most beautiful places I have been to. The capital city is, you guessed it, San Marino. Creative huh? It sits on top of a small mountain and is walled in by a stone wall. The streets are narrow, steep, but beautiful. It's like walking through a medieval town but with electricity and tourist shops. Hmm, so it's really not like walking through a medieval town. This town is famous for it view of the Mediterranean Sea on the East side, and the Italian country side on the West side. It's also known for its three towers which have been there for a long time.

The view from the base of the town.

The town's plaza and city hall or court room. I can't remember. It could be both.

The Church on the right with part of the city's wall on the left.

1 of 3 towers high above its surroundings.

Me in front of one of the towers.

Um...1 of the other 3 towers. Give me a break! The path was winding and all of the towers look alike!

I have no freaking clue which tower this is. It's the 3rd one as far as I'm concerned. Or was it the 1st one?

And finally, I leave you with this awesome tiled painting of super Jesus.

Next up, Florence

Nov. 1st, Venice

On November 1st we went to Venice and as soon as we exited the train station (we got a train from Milan, which is where we flew into) we were greeted with a beautiful view of the Grand Canal and various ornate buildings. While in Venice we walked around the various small streets and tried to navigate the labyrinth that is Venice. I swear the city was designed by a 5 year old who drew a bunch of squiggly lines with a crayon. As nice and romantic Venice is it's actually kind of a dump. Many of the buildings are in need of some new paint and are crumbling. Plus its frustrating to get anywhere on foot because you are likely to run into a dead end or a canal.

Anyway, only having a day there my roommate and I headed to ST Mark's square where most of the attractions are. At the square we visited St. Mark's Basilica which is beautiful because the whole ceiling is covered in mosaics. The plaza also has the Palace of the ruler of Venice, a great view of the other islands around Venice, and various other museums and attractions. After that we took a water bus up the Grand Canal which is pretty. It's interesting to see how the architecture differs when you have to build it around a bunch of little canals. We would have taken a gondola but they're freakin expensive! That's what we did there in a nutshell. Now look at the pics!

The first thing I saw coming out of the train station.

Oooh a small canal.

Oooh me floating above a small canal, or sitting on a bridge believe what you want.

The Santa Maria church on the Grand Canal. I think. They have a church every other block in this city.

In February there is a 1 or 2 week long carnival to celebrate the end of winter. Everyone wears masks, including me! I don't even care if it is November. This shop is where masks were purchased for the movie Eyes Wide Shut.

St Mark's Basilica in St. Mark's Square. Mark sure is popular around here.

Me on the tip of St. Mark's Square. Other smaller islands can be seen behind me.

A gondola at the mouth of the Grand Canal by St. Mark's Square

The sun setting behind another church at the mouth of the Grand Canal.

Next up, San Marino