A B-town reunion in Barcelona

Despite a few troubles – mainly a rather unpleasant sore throat most likely caused by a 15-hour delay in the Paris-Orly Airport on Wednesday and a broken (brand new!) camera on Thursday, I had an absolutely awesome weekend in Barcelona!

The Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business sponsored my attendance at the Doing Good Doing Well Conference. For a full synopsis, check out kelleygoodwell.blogspot.com – where we give a more “official” synopsis of the experience. But in general, over the course of four days, I learned a lot, left inspired, and thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful city along with 6 fellow Kelley/LAMP students – and some of my closest friends – Scott Berger, Melissa Frye, Liz Kitto, Aimee Light, and Nic Perfetti.



Like I said, my original flight out of Paris was cancelled due to the air traffic controller strike in France. They moved me to a flight 13 hours later, only to have that one delayed two hours! At least I got a lot of work done in the airport on Wednesday; and luckily I had a DVD of The Office in my computer, so that was a welcomed distraction. By the time I navigated the Barcelona air, bus, and taxi system - we had to fly around French airspace which made the flight increase from 1.5 to 3 hours – it was 3am by the time I arrived at my friend’s Aimee’s homestay. So kind of her host mom to let me stay there the night!

Thursday morning I checked out la Catedral de Barcelona while Amy was in class. While enjoying a café con leche at a nearby café, I discovered my camera was broken. Fantastico! Oh well – c’est la vie, oui? The day soon picked up though: As I was checking into my hotel, the man at the front desk told me: Your friend from Indiana is here , Scott; he is in the room next to you! Soon thereafter, we met up with another of my best friends (I realize I was spoiled this weekend), Missy, who is studying in Barcelona and was a wonderful guide throughout the weekend.

On a side note, I (surprisingly) didn't have as much trouble with Spanish as I thought I would! I certainly forgot a lot of vocabulary, but it came back relatively easily. And, unfortunately, I can understand spoken Spanish much better than spoken French so far. Je crois que j'ai besoin de rester a Rouen pour beaucoup de practiquer!

That afternoon, we explored Parc Guell, a Gaudi-designed masterpiece a bit outside the city, while enjoying the beautiful weather. It’s on average 20 degrees warmer in Barcelona than Rouen. As I’m writing this, I’m looking at the line to board the plane to Paris with dread: I’m going to miss this weather! Later on Thursday afternoon, we grabbed lunch at a restaurante along the Mediterranean with other friends studying in Barcelona, including my roommate Stacy! It was certainly a B-town reunion this weekend. The afternoon was capped by a visit to la Boqueria: Absolute heaven! A great fresh food market - I absolutely adored the fresh fruit juices. Apple & banana was my juice of choice.

Nic arrived later that evening and we all went out for dinner at a good restaurant not far from our hotel. I got (vegetarian) paella – a traditional Spanish meal – for the first time. Rice, eggs, veggies, etc all cooked together in a hot skillet – absolutely delicious!

Friday began the DGDW (Doing Good Doing Well) Conference. We soon learned that we were the only undergraduates there, but we all agreed that it was an extremely engaging and interesting conference. The keynote speaker that morning was the CEO of SimplySo, a company that helps NGOS, those of the government sector, etc, coordinate activities. His presentation was fantastic! Throughout the day, we each attended several breakout sessions and panels, all of which were equally impressive and brought in experts on a variety of topics. And being true college students, we devoured the fantastic food they provided throughout the day!

We were all quite exhausted after the first day of the conference, so after a decent nap we all went out for dinner for traditional tapas, essentially small dishes to be combined and shared. I enjoyed patatas bravas, pan tostada, a bean salad, and a few other dishes. Then it was off to bed to rest up for day number 2 of the DGDW Conference.

Day two was a more difficult start: College students simply aren’t accustomed to waking at 7 or 8am on a weekend! But my fatigue soon diminished after the CEO of Escuela Nueva delivered Day 2’s keynote address. Since I am extremely interested in education, hearing about the success this organization has had in Latin American rural areas was really exciting. Later on, we would find out that the speaker has a lot of ties to IU, so we’re going to try to bring her to speak at Kelley!

After attending few more panels, on topics such as the problems of urban slums and water scarcity, “Team CIBER” can very happily report that the conference was a great success, and one that we would recommend to other Kelley students abroad in the future. That night, after an even longer nap, we headed out for one last great meal. We met up with Stacy and her friend Maxi, a German exchange student we all know from IU. Sharing tapas and wine again with friends was certainly a great cap to the evening. And I even dared to break my vegetarianism for a small piece of squid. I say this quite shamefully: It was kind of tasty! Afterwards, we walked along the Mediterranean and explored the city a bit before heading to bed.

We were able to sleep in a bit before checking out of the hotel today, and a donut and a few munchies from Dunkin Coffee (same as Dunkin Donuts, different name) was the perfect start of the day. God bless Spain for having a Dunkin Donuts! Then, Liz, Nic, Scott and I headed to La Sagrada Familia, potentially Barcelona’s most famous spot. A modern, nature-inspired cathedral designed by Antonio Gaudi in the late 1880s, it’s completely unlike any church I have ever seen. It was his obsession for quite some time: He lived in the cathedral during the 1900s and died two days after some of the construction materials struck him. Now, over 100 years later, it’s still not completed. Its expected completion date is 2025.



After a grabbing a cookie and sandwich at Subway (Subway and Dunkin Donuts, who knew Barcelona would be such the culinary heaven?), I departed from the group because I had the earliest departure amongst the group. Now after 2 metro rides, 1 bus, 1 flight, 1 RER, another metro, and 1 train ride, I’m about 40 minutes from arriving in Rouen. It will feel good to be back at ma maison francaise!

Sending some Barcelona warmth and Parisian love your way! A bientot!

Kite-flying in Athens and Pizza in Pisa

Last week, I was lucky to explore Greece and Italy with two friends of mine in the ESC Rouen program and both IU students, Joey Saporito and Nathan Wendte. I wish I could record every great moment, awesome sight, and fun interaction of the past week, but that would take me days to write! So I’ve decided to just list my favorite moments of the journey. (See my facebook for more photos and videos!)

ATHENS – If I had to pick a favorite spot, it most likely was Athens, partly because I didn’t know what to expect. Overall, Athens had much fewer tourists than the cities of Italy, especially fewer non-national (non-Greek) tourists. While seeing the Parthenon and reliving much of ancient antiquity was great, my favorite day was Monday the 15th. We started off touring a park near our hostel, and it was a very nice, relaxing stroll with fountains, beautiful greenery, and even a little zoo! But the highlight of the day was when Joey and I went to Filopappos Hill, a park area south of the Parthenon.



Because Monday was a national Greek holiday, it seemed as though all of Athens descended upon that hill! We first came across a band playing traditional Greek music to a huge mass of people. In the center, about thirty were doing a traditional Greek dance!



After a few minutes we continued up to the top of the hill, where were found ourselves surrounded by kites as far as the eye could see. It was an absolutely beautiful site. Overlooking Athens with a bright blue sky and warm sun, Athenians were almost competing (that must be why they founded the Olympics – the competitive spirit is in their blood!) to see how far up they could get their kites. After spending quite a while enjoying the view, we headed back down the hill where we came across a group of at least 40 men dancing, singing, and clapping to the beat of a drum. I dearly wanted to jump in.



Honestly, my description cannot do these fantastic, fun, and beautiful moments justice – please check out the videos on facebook!

ROME – Sadly, I didn’t take enough opportunities to say “When in Rome” enough, but no worries: I threw a coin over my shoulder at the Trevi Fountain, which ensures one’s return to Rome.



Trevi fountain was my favorite moment in Rome. After first doing the “tourist photo shoot,” the boys and I broke apart for a little over an hour. I decided to return to the fountain, but only after first grabbing a Coke and two slices of pizza at an off-the-beaten-track shop. It was all Italians in there, and I was overjoyed when I heard a few teenagers mistake me for French. Epique!



Upon my return to Trevi, I found a corner to sit in that was a bit secluded, and the sound of the water drowned out all the commotion of the tourists. (I recognize that I was also a tourist, but I pretended not to be!)The sun came out and I even closed my eyes for a few moments. To be sure, I had a lovely “Roman Holiday!”

FLORENCE – Florence was quite the delight. Not only is it an extremely pleasant, wonderfully Renaissance-intense city, but I was met by one of my best friends, Nic Perfetti, and his friend (and I’m happy to say my new friend) Stephani Tindall. Nic and I have been friends since we met at IU my senior year of high school, and he’s studying in Bologna, Italy, this semester.



We covered a lot of ground that day, and we saw the classic Renaissance pieces: The Birth of Venus, Michelangelo’s David, and the Venus of Urbino. But overall, my favorite memories were enjoying two great meals with my “Italian” hosts. And they were certainly great hosts, putting up with my Italian-language deficiencies and my inability to read the menu.



But the highlight of the day was dinner! Recommended by a friend of Stephani who lived in Florence, the restaurant we went to with great, dinner, wine, company, music, and dessert (we split chocolate cake, a fruit tart, and cheesecake) were all amazing.

PISA – My guidebook says that “Pisa is a charming city, but it won’t captivate you for long.” Well, I find that wrong. In fact, I have found that I tend to enjoy the lesser-recommended locales during my travels!



Upon our arrival in Pisa, we certainly made a beeline for the tower, where did the classic “Look, I’m holding up the tower!” photos, and I mixed in a “Pizza in Pisa” shot for good measure.



But afterwards, we had at least 5 hours before we needed to head to the airport for our flight. So we enjoyed walking around – although by this point my backpack was very heavy – enjoying cappuccinos, gelato, and even some Indian fare. At one point, we hopped up on a ledge overlooking the Arno river. With the sun coming out of the clouds and shining down upon the fast-moving river in this very Tuscan city, it was the perfect conclusion to the day.



I took the opportunity to record the moment in my recently-purchased leather journal I bought the day before in Florence (I know, I know, I’m vegetarian – but I was in Florence!)

Traveling back to Rouen certainly took a lot out of me. And silly me, I forgot that the ticket booth at Gare St. Lazare wouldn’t be open when we arrived for our train – the last departing of the day – at 11:50 PM. And since US-based credit cards don’t work on the automatic ticket dispensers, I was in a bind. Luckily, however, my American French and pleading eyes convinced the conductor I could ride back for free, saving about $15! Soon after we headed out to the station, I fell asleep, my head like a heavy weight on my backpack. Later I learned that a 3 year old boy across the aisle looked at me and asked his mom (In French): “Is she American?” I don’t know if it was my massive backpack or exasperated expression, but somehow my month in France and week of Europe-trotting hasn’t fooled anyone. O well!

Now time to get started on homework! Hope you enjoyed la histoire!

La Vie Politique en France

In France, knowledge of politics, current events, and social issues must be revered. Everywhere I turn, I find that – for the most part – the French are debating, learning, reading, watching, and doing anything to stay informed. It’s a trend I’d like to copy myself (and I wish that many Americans did too).

I’m often surprised by how pervasive la vie politique is here. Once, I went downstairs at about 11pm and found my 19-year-old host brother Benoit not watching the French version of MTV, if that exists, but a student debate on education. When I picked up a copy of Telerama, their version of TV Guide, the front did not highlight some celebrity scandal but the debate about what it means to be French. The title was: “Nous sommes tous de mauvais francais.”




One excerpt I found interesting in the article: “Un citoyen American qui vit en France, meme s’il parle tres mal notre langue, sera considere, dans sa vie de tous les jours o meme dans ses rapports avec l‘administration, comme moins etranger qu’un Francias d’origine malienne: il aura moins de mal a trouver du travail, il sera moins souvent controle par la police, il fera l’objet de moins de prejudes.”

Or, “An American citizens, who lives in France, even if he speaks our language very poorly, will be considered, day-to-day or with his interactions with administration, less of a foreigner than a Frenchman from other origins: He will have less difficulty finding work, he will have less difficulty with the police, and he will be the victim of fewer prejudices.” Interesting.

Politics are persuasive at school as well. Even at my school, ESC Rouen, which is not a large campus, the former Vice-President of the European President and Minister of European Affairs, Pierre Moscovici, was brought in for a Q&A session with students. And they were not easy questions! At one point, they posted the results of a popularity poll among French politicians on a PPTX which showed he was in dead last – less than 5% approval rating. They asked him what he thought was the cause of that, and he was momentarily at a loss for words. Members of the audience had even more difficult questions for him.



One day, my host parents and I watched a national show featuring Nicolas Sarkozy, France’s president. It was called “Paroles de Francais,” in which he was surrounded by about 10 French men and women who all had questions and complaints for him. The first was a girl who was unemployed (chomage = unemployment) and complained that she has been that way for 5 years. Another man, a businessman or owner of a mid-size company, complained about the movement of goods, and Sarkozy said that what is unfortunate is the cheaper goods coming from countries that don’t respect labor laws.One of the more interesting exchanges (keep in mind, I could only follow about 15% of the conversation) was between Sarkozy and a milk farmer. Apparently prices for dairy decreased significantly last year, and the farmer lost 54% of her income.

So from here on out, I will try to keep on top of current events in France better (and around the globe). Guess I should hop on lemonde.fr right now…

10 Things I Love About Paris

1. The Eiffel Tower at night. It will never be a cliche.



2. Witnessing an American loudly running up to a Louvre employee and asking (in English), "How do I get to Egypt?" (She meant, "How do I get to the Egyptian Art wing?") After a brief pause, he answers with a thick accent that makes her focus intensely: "Well, you go down that corridor and take the hall to the right. Then you exit, and take the #4 metro west to la Gare X, then you take that to Charles De Gaulle airport. After several thousands kilometers you will arrive there." She did not appreciate the humor: "Ugh, please! The museum closes in 20 minutes." Classic American in Paris.



3. Being able to navigate the Metro system correctly...about 90% of the time.

4. Utilizing my HappyCow website to find vegetarian or vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Paris. L'Ebouillante was good, but Le Potager du Marais near Le Centre Pompidou was absolutely amazing! I will be a repeat customer.



5. Answering questions for Parisians, in French! Never thought I'd see the day.

6. Persuading the ticketer at Le Centre Pompidou that I was from Europe, and permanently living in France. Got into the center free with just my Carte 12-25!



7. Arriving at my French "grandma's" condo in the 16th after several phone call mishaps, a wrong address, and one humorous encounter with the concierge at a nearby hotel who let me use the phone. But Madame was an extremely helpful host; and one of the sweetest, bubbliest, most energetic ladies ever. Her place was so charmingly French too!



8. Still being disappointed by Jackson Polluck, despite the locale (Le Centre Pompidou - National Museum of Modern Art).


9. Accepting the fact that everything is more expensive in Paris. A bouquet of tulips in Rouen = 3 Euro, in Paris = 6.

10. Finishing "Les Soldes" season at Paris' Galleries Lafayettes.