I Love George Bush!

Holy mother! Did I just hear what I think I heard? Someone from the Middle East said, "I love George Bush." Ok, so Turkey is not officially the Middle East, but the place this guy is from might as well be Afghanistan. And he declared his undying love and support for George W. Bush?!?! His English is not so great, so perhaps I heard him incorrectly. Asking him to repeat himself, he said it again! I asked him if he knew what the word "love" meant and he assured me that he did and that he thought George was great. Huh? What? What kind of bizzaro universe was I in? Then he went on to clarify that because George Bush killed Arabs and he hates Arabs, he loves George Bush. In fact, he continued, he wished he could join the American Army so he could kill Arabs too. Yeah. He said that. Outloud. That pretty much sums up the "Kurdish situation" here in Turkey. Don't believe anyone when the say it's getting better, or the government is fixing relations between the Kurds and the Turkish government. Bullshit. When there are people walking around the streets of Istanbul who feel this strongly about killing people in cold blood for no reason other than their heritage, something is rotten in Denmark. Or, in this case, Turkey.
The Kurds and Turks have been killing each other for years and will continue to do so as long as people feel this way. The man I was speaking to told me that his cousin was killed by the Turkish Army and that his own village was burned down by the Army because someone living there was suspected of helping members of the PKK (a terrorist organization in the east and southeast of Turkey who fight for Kurds to have their own land, and barring that, the ability to speak their own language and practice their culture). Of course, when I pointed out to him that his cousin was a member of the PKK and had most likely murdered some Turkish soldiers, he got quiet and agreed. But, he assured me, he still loved George Bush and hated the Arabs.
I was pretty quick to assure him that George Bush was not going to return his feelings and would not hesitate to kill him too if there was some vague notion of rich oil fields to be found under Kurdish tribal lands. It all fell on deaf ears though. The man had formed a one way admiration society for GW and that was that!
Now if only American propaganda had been that good in favor of Bush. Scary thought!!!

The Sound of Ryan Air Landing

Last night when I was talking with some Australian girls, the subject of Ryan Air came up (see previous post for how in love I am with them) and we compared notes about our experiences flying them. In particular, we all wondered why everyone on all flights we've been on have broken out into applause upon landing. And to be fair, it's not just Ryan Air. It's every inter-European flight I've ever been on. And really, this is strange to me. I've not encountered any European flights that were particularly turbulent, or would cause me enough alarm to be grateful to be back on the ground. I think I was caught by surprise the first two, maybe three times I witnessed the whole plane break into a round of applause. However, when flights four, five and six and so on, also ended with the passengers all spontaneously clapping in tandem as if scripted, the pattern was painfully (and annoyingly) obvious. However, what the hell was going on? Was the entire plane so excited to arrive in each destination that they could not contain themselves and their joy for landing in Milan, or Marrakesh or Madrid? I mean, yeah, I was glad to be there too, but I never thought of applause as an appropriate way to show I was excited about a new leg in my journey. Just what was going on with these spontaneous clappers?

It seems like I'm not the only one who has questioned just what the hell this is all about. I googled it and it turns out there are a few websites written about this phenomenon. Are Europeans just so amazed by flying machines that they are in awe of actually landing? Really? They're so happy that the pilot did his job and got them where they needed to go safely? In that case, I think all passengers in my car should clap for me from now on when I get them where they need to go. Actually, now that I think about it, as my mom would agree, everyone who has ridden with me should be grateful!

Krakow

So, I'm currently back in Krakow, after spending a week here about three weeks ago. I don't know what it is about Poland, but I really like both cities I've been to (Gdansk and Krakow). I actually came back here for two reasons, neither of which really have anything to do with Krakow, but now that I'm here, I remember how much I loved the feeling of the city and this hostel I'm in in particular. I actually left a sweater (the only really warm piece of clothing I brought with me and therefore, very necessary as the nights begin to grow cooler) here at the hostel, so I came back to get it and to meet up with a woman I met at my hostel in Berlin. She and I went out for drinks last night as well as dinner tonight and it turns out that we're both going to be in Budapest at the same time as well. It's truly odd how these things work out. Maybe there are several obvious routes to take when touring Europe?

It IS a small world after all

Sorry I haven't written about Krakow or Berlin, two cities I really loved and just didn't find the time to write about. I'm in Gdansk, Poland now and found a great internet cafe, thanks to Dan Gant, a former Echo Bridge colleague, who sent advice about Gdansk.

I've been really lucky to meet some great people in my travels thus far and have only had rare moments of being actually lonely. Since Carolyn and I split up in Barcelona, I was nervous about meeting people, but it's been quite good so far and I hope I will continue to be able to meet fellow travelers even as the summer ends and there are fewer people staying in hostels. Who knows, perhaps that will be even better?

I met an Australian chick, Sheena, in Milan who I got along with well and we talked about meeting in Berlin. I decided to go there before she and her boyfriend had a chance to make it there and met another Australian woman, Lara, who was staying in my hostel room. Lara and I hit it off immediately and I plan to meet her tomorrow in Krakow for dinner. I just went to add Lara as my facebook friend and it turns out that we have a mutual friend in common...Sheena! How crazy is that, that I met two friends in two different cities who know each other?

But, that's not all. One of the people I became friends with last year is Morocco is now teaching English in Brest, France. We recently had a chance to meet up in Prague to catch up. It was already strange enough to me that we were in Prague at the same time, but when I met another of his friends randomly a few weeks later, I really started to wonder about this whole six degrees of separation thing. There was a girl from New Zealand staying in my hostel room in Berlin and she and I hung out one day. When she told me that she too was teaching English in Brest, I asked if she knew Xac. It turns out that he's one of her best friends. Crazy, huh? I just wonder how many other travelers I've met who are also separated by one degree to someone I know. It really makes the world seem like such a small place when these things happen.

More Prague

Prague was definitely one of my favorite cities so far on this trip, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes any of the below three things:
Architecture
Beer
Pork knuckle

Don't knock the knuckle either. It's freaking fantastic. Imagine 650 grams of pure pork deliciousness (no bones) for a mere $7. Throw in one of the fantastic Czech beers, and you have a delicious way to consume more than one day's worth of calories. Awesome. I'm not sure what kind of pig these "knuckles" come from; they must look pretty funny with giant boneless knuckles, walking around on the farm. Somehow I think the word "knuckle" is mistranslated or something. Suffice it to say, it's a giant chunk of meat and leave it at that.

Besides the pork festivities though, Prague has a lot to offer and so many amazing and beautiful sights to see. I've heard from quite a few backpackers that it's "too touristy," yet at the same time, there they were visiting it. Somehow I think it's "cool" to say things disparaging tourists from *hardcore* backpackers; somehow they forget that they too, are tourists. And, the reason Prague is so touristy, is that it's an awesome place to visit. Duh.

While in Prague, I was able to meet up with my friend Xac, with whom I studied Arabic last year, while I was in Morocco. He's working in France now, doing an English language teaching assistantship through the French government that sounds really interesting to me. I've looked into it and I'm trying to apply for the fall. If not this year, it's something I'd love to check out for next year. I'd get to practice my French and earn a little money, all while living in France, getting to use their healthcare system AND get all of their holidays. I swear there is no other country on Earth that has more holidays than the French. That, on top of a mandatory maximum 35 hour work week, just sounds perfect to me.

I could just marry someone from the EU so I can get a work visa here. Just think. If the US had never won the Revolutionary War, we'd have EU membership too. And neither George Bush would have been elected. And we'd use the British Pound for currency. Wow. That's not sounding like such a bad deal right now, with this economy!

Next stop: Krakow, Poland.

15% !!!

So I've now visited 7 countries (Ireland, England, France, Spain, Morocco, Italy and Czech Republic) on this trip so far. I've found that each country has its own unique tipping scheme and it can be very confusing when first arriving in a country to remember what is what. For example, in Ireland (I think), if you order at the bar, and only order a drink, no tip, but otherwise, leave 5%. Then, in some other country, it's a personal affront not to tip the bartender. In another country, 10% is customary, unless it's the third Tuesday of the month and a full moon. Then you leave 7.3%. Ok, so it's not really that specific, but it's still difficult to keep track of what is normal and what is too much or not enough, when you change countries every 3-5 days.

After arriving in the Czech Republic, I forgot to ask at what the customary tip is, before venturing out into the city. I met a guy, Matt, who was staying in the same room as me, in my hostel, and we took off to go explore Prague together. After walking around for a while, we decided to sample some of the local beer. We sat down in a beer garden and had a couple of beers each while comparing notes on where we'd visited and where we wanted to go next. After an hour or so, we asked for the check (which is kind of funny when you ask a Czech person for the check). Anyway, we got the bill and our (up-until-then) nice waitress says, "Service is not included," as she puts down the check. So, yeah. She wants a tip. No problem. Also, it's printed very clearly on the bill that Service Is Not Included. Got it. Give the woman a tip. So, we figure out what we owe and see that she's overcharged us for pretzels, as we didn't have any. So, she says just to not pay for it, but again, tells us that service is not included. Gotcha. We throw some money together and give it to her and wait for our change. She takes the money and says, "And for the service?" since she apparently wants to take that money out now, too. I told her not to worry about it, that we would leave her something, just to give us the change. So, the total bill was like 220 kronas (Czech currency) and we put down a 20 krona coin to leave for her. She comes back over before we leave, and looks at us, aghast. She exclaims, "15%! Service is 15%!"

Um, okay. It's at this point that it's no longer as funny as it was before. I asked her if that was a Czech law to leave 15% and she all of a sudden no longer spoke English. "Huh?" she asked. I asked again, if it was a rule in the Czech Republic for everyone to leave 15% for a tip. She put on a puzzled expression and feigned ignorance. So, I clearly told her that she was incredibly rude to demand any amount from us and that she should be ashamed. Then, pulled out another 7 kronas and tossed them on the table. From the coins, she picked out the 5 krona coin and pushed the 2 krona coin back at me. Then walked away. Um, what???? So, that wasn't even 15%. Honestly, there was no rationale I could see behind her outburst.

The two of us left, slightly stunned by her fierce reaction and puzzled by local customs. Later we verified that 10% was quite a good tip (like 20% in the US would be), and she was just a nut case. Glad we got that straightened out!

Milano appertivo

When I arrived in Milan, I had no idea what to expect; I wasn't planning to stay there at all, so I had read nothing about the place. It turns out to be a one hit wonder with respect to tourist attractions. There is the Duomo, a huge cathedral that is definitely cool. However, is this reason enough to visit Milan? Nope. However, if there is one reason to visit, it is for the Milanese version of Happy Hour. I can't imagine a better Happy Hour anywhere and I am glad I got to partake each of the three nights I was there.

The deal is this: every bar/restaurant in the city participates to varying degrees, charging between 7 and 10 Euros for each drink, no matter what you order (mixed drinks, beer, wine) and here's the kicker...there is a free buffet to go along with a single drink order. So, effectively, you can eat your fill and have a drink for as little as 7 Euros. Obviously, some places put on a better spread than others, but with a little looking around, you can eat some really awesome food (and plenty of it!) for almost nothing. This was a great help to the old wallet, and I spent less than 30 Euro a day while there, including my hostel. Considering how much I spent in some other places, this was a downright steal!

It's still not worth a trip to Milan though. If you happen to be there, check it out. But, don't go checking out airfares just for this.

Madrid museums

Carolyn and I walked around the Prado yesterday during its late afternoon free hours and took in some culture. I´m not big on museums, but did go to the Louvre while in Paris and spent the requisite time in the Prado. However, there is one museum that I love, here in Spain. It´s not big on history or art or culture, but what it lacks in typical museum appeal, it more than makes up for in atmosphere. Of all of the museums in Madrid, my hands-down favorite is the Museo de Jamon. Ah yes, the Museum of Ham is most fantastic. They have the best sandwiches for cheap and 1E beers. A definite score. Standing at the counter with locals and tourists alike, everyone is treated to the sights of curing meats hanging from the ceiling and all kinds of offerings, centered around (but not wholly including) many varieties of Spanish hams. Museo de Jamon is one museum where I will never turn down a visit.

Sunday Soiree

A couple of months before we left for our trip, I read an article in the New York Times about a phenomenon called the Sunday Soiree here in Paris. It began many years ago and was a time for artists and thinkers to get together and eat and drink and talk and exchange ideas. There are still a few long-running Sunday soirees following in this tradition here in Paris. One of the most well known, is at Jim Haynes' house in the 14 arr in Paris, quite close to where I happen to be staying. So, I made reservations and Scott, Allison, Carolyn and I made our way to Jim's house to meet him and 46 other strangers to share dinner and exchange ideas. It was a lot of fun!

There were a few very odd people, a handful of "regulars," people from all over the US, France and some other European countries. The "official" language of the night is English, so it was easy for us all to talk to the guests and I enjoyed chatting with quite a few. Some of our new friends made their way with us to a bar afterward in the shadow of Notre Dame cathedral.

While there, I was talking to a couple of guys sitting next to us at the bar, and then noticed a big commotion just to my right. I turned and saw a woman lying on the floor in the midst of a seizure. It seemed no one knew what to do, but (surprisingly), my First Aid training came back to me almost instantly, even though I haven't had a refresher course in years! I have to hand it to those American Red Cross classes...they really do prepare you for these situations. Luckily, the ambulance arrived within 5 minutes of someone calling, and the woman was beginning to come out of it already. She was upset and scared and I did what I could to reassure her and remind her that she was in a bar and had had a seizure. Her boyfriend was with her and seemed so grateful for the help because I think he had a bit to drink and was a little in shock on top of that.

After the girl was taken away in the ambulance, we realized that the Metro had stopped running, so we were stuck with either walking home, or taking a cab. Before deciding, Carolyn and I decided that the end of a very crazy night called for a crepe. However, no such luck, as even the late-night creperies were closing. We did find a Greek place, still serving up french fries and shwarma though. And, with our love of the French fry, we settled on that, then found a cab to take us back home, marking the end of a very strange night, Paris-style.

The Irish diet

Now in London, Carolyn and I made our way through Dublin in a few short days and I don't feel like I have to go back there. I liked it well enough, but really, how many French fries can one person eat in a 24 hour period? Well, I think I now have an answer to that question. After eating "chips" at breakfast, lunch and dinner, I have fulfilled my lifelong dream of consuming my body weight in French fries. Sweet. However, to offset all of that fat, I tried to eat away at it with alcohol, and consumed a comparable amount Jameson Irish whiskey. I'm now an "official" Jameson taster, with a certificate and everything. I went on the Jameson tour and was one of the lucky few picked to taste the differences between scotch, Irish whisky and American whisky. I lied and said the Jameson was the best, even though I'm a Jack Daniels girl to the end.
Carolyn has her own stories about black and white pudding...which is not actually pudding consistency, but that's really the least of your worries when consuming it! At least in London I've had a few vegetables (and less whiskey, but not necessarily less booze.) Now that we're on our way to Paris, I forsee the Jameson to be replaced with red wine. It's chock full of antioxidents and therefore, qualifies as a health food in my mind.

Budget airlines

My newest travel obsession is European budget airlines. We don't have such a thing in the states and since I haven't spent much time in Europe, I've only used them occasionally. However, now that Carolyn and I are finally getting around to planning our itinerary, I can't believe the deals I've found. I just booked flights for us from Barcelona to Marrakesh, then from Tangiers to Milan for ZERO Euros each for each actual flight. Seriously. ZERO!!! Nada. Zilch. Nothing for the flight. There is a slight catch of having to pay booking fees and for any checked luggage. However, even after that, when converted back to dollars, each flight is only about $28 each. That's ridiculous.



We're paying less than a tank of gas for each flight to go from Spain to Morocco, then Morocco to Italy. I have no idea how they make money and as long as we (and our luggage) get there okay, I don't really care. Maybe they're using the plane as a really big drug mule. Or to transport nuclear waste. Maybe they're shipping prisoners from Gitmo to some other secret location. Who cares? This is what's making it possible for us to see so many places and stay for so long on really limited funds. Sweet. Maybe I won't have to pimp out Carolyn after all.

My own stimulus plan...

I came back to the states in mid-November, after spending a great 8 months overall in Morocco, to the worst economic crisis of my life. Sweet. I got to enter the job market as someone who hadn't worked or networked in a year, up against some stiff competition and unsure of what I wanted to do with my life, career-wise. After hitting up every online resume site and spamming everyone I knew with a plea for a job through whatever means necessary, I realized it just wasn't going to happen. I went on a handful of interviews and found that I was way over-qualified for every job offer I received. I was looking for something to do with my life, some way to have meaning, and was just getting depressed and feeling worthless. I was rejected from pretty much every job I actually wanted and also didn't get into the graduate program at Tufts that I applied to. So...what to do now.

It was around that time that I was driving to the gym with my cousin, Carolyn, when I asked her if she was interested in going away on a trip after her forthcoming college graduation. Carolyn and I have been spending a lot of time together lately, since I returned home from Morocco and she's fantastic. I can easily imagine myself traveling with her, as we get along so well and I really love her company. So, we decided then and there that we'd leave for Europe shortly after her graduation and I would find a job post-haste that I could work in the interim to earn some much needed cash. I was stressing before about just taking any job that I knew I would hate and falling into the same situation I was in before I left my last job. I imagined I would take some position that was way too easy for me, that I found boring, that I would get stuck in and my drive to excel would leave. Now though, when I had a plan and plane tickets to leave in the near future, I could take a job...any job, and do something besides apply to all of these jobs I knew I didn't want, while I worried about getting older and still not doing anything I could be proud of in this world.

So, now I have a job at a well-known patent law firm in downtown Boston, where I make decent money, covering for someone on paternity leave. It's just database management stuff and pretty dry, but at least I have a reason to get up every day and SOMETHING to look forward to in my life.

Our plan originally was to go for two months and make up our journey as we went along, going from place to place on a whim and seeing where we ended up. That's still mostly the plan, although a list of things I want to do and see has taken shape over the last few weeks. Also, I decided that maybe 2 months is not really long enough. Maybe I'll stay over there indefinitely. Why not? Me, a backpack and some great company for a couple of months, then hopefully meet some new people and check out some cool places after that on my own. Right now, I'm trying to remain flexible and just take each day as it comes. C'est la vie and all that!