Wofford College - Study Abroad

Public Transportation

This is Me and Beth (my roommate)

  

TOday was much better than yesterday. It still is truly strange to be in a different country and to feel different, but my perspective changd today. In the morning we had to take the bus to Centraal Station to get on a tram which took us to the IES center for orientation.  Being inth the center of town was great. Amsterdam is SUCH a great city!! So interesting and cool. All of the buildings and alleys have such character. The canals are beautiful. The city was exciting because so  much is going on and everything is colorful and grabs your attention.

I am so excited to go back and take pictures. We had orientation today and though all of the informations is relevant and helpful, its boring and I am ready for it to end! We also had to get our citizenship cards today. I am a citizen of Amsterdam!

I really like my roomate and I am excited because we seems to be similar. The students in my program are crazy!! They are all northerners and dress similar to the Dutch. They are mostly very liberal students with tatoos and piercings who are there to learn but mostly to smoke!They go to the "coffee shops" which is where pot is NOT legal but tolerated . Everyone has the misconception that all drugs are legal here but actually theyre not. And theyve gottan stricter lately. But marijuana is tolerated as long as its not in public. Luckily my roomate is not into that either so I dont have to worry about her smoking in our room!

I've made some friends and they are all very different than me, but cool people nonetheless. This will definitely be a new experience for me! Getting to see so many diff perspectives. From Dutch people as well as other Americans. There is one guy here named Tony also who I underestimated at first, but it turns out he is very intelligent and mature. He is from Chicago and is the coach of a college soccer team there and is very political. He's traveled around a lot and he is well-read and open-minded.  Tony went to the inauguration for a seminar and was able to meet high ranking officials from George Bush's administration as well as Obama's and we had a great conversation about politics. His perspective was insightful. As we talked about Obama's plan for foreign aid we discovered we both have the same passion: human rights law. It was great to meet someone with a similar vision. We have a class together which will be confusing since were both named "tonni/tony" but were going to share books. There is also a girl who was born here, lived in Switzerland, now lives in the US and goes to school there, and is here studying abroad. She was in Italy last semester! See how neat the other students are??

I  can't wait to get a bike so I can explore the city and get to know my way around.

CHANGE!!

 

*ME on the day of President Obama's inauguration supporting what he stands for...CHANGE!!*

 

On Tuesday, January 20, 2009, history was made as Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44^th President of the United States of America.  I was extremely happy to be able to witness such a historic event, even if I am currently living in the Caribbean!   With Monday, January 19 having been Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and Tuesday, January 20 the inauguration of the first African-American President of the United States of America, I was really homesick.  I wanted to be in Spartanburg, SC with my closest family members and friends to celebrate these two dynamic men.  If I had been at Wofford on Monday, I would have attended the annual MLK Jr. Day Breakfast along with some of my closest friends.  On Tuesday morning, I would have attended the viewing of the Presidential Inauguration and then later on probably would have driven to my house, which is only 15 minutes away, and watched more of the inaugural events on CNN with my mother.

            Since I wasn’t in Spartanburg, SC or even in the United States, those two days were celebrated A LOT differently.  Monday hardly felt like a holiday.  I got up and went to class at 8:00 a.m., but to my surprise, my professor in my first class of the day mentioned the fact that it was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  This made me happy and even though none of my other professors mentioned it, I was glad to know at least one of them was aware of the holiday and what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood for.  On Tuesday morning, I didn’t have class until 10:00 a.m.  I had discussed plans for viewing the inauguration the day before with some friends in my program.  After discussing several options, my friend and roommate at Wofford, Keshia, and I decided to go to her house after class and watch the inauguration during lunch.  We arrived at her house just in time to watch all of the VIPs as they were coming to the stage.  As soon as they showed Barack Obama heading toward the stage, tears began to stream down my face. 

These were definitely tears of joy and at that moment I thought about all of the people around the world who would be inspired by President Obama during the next 4 years.  Right when it was time to eat, Barack Obama was about to be sworn in and we didn’t want to miss it.  Keshia’s host mom, Fior, called us to come eat about 5 times and each time Keshia replied, “Okay”, as our eyes remained glued to the television.  We finally ate with only about half an hour left before we had to return to class at the university but trust me, the brisk walk back to school wasn’t bad at all because it was spent reminiscing on the historic event that we had just witnessed. 

 

 

*I was so happy that I could hardly sit still long enough to take this picture after I read the fact at the bottom of the t.v. screen!*

 

            As we all know, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was one of the most famous civil rights activists during the civil rights movement and President Obama wants to carry out the dream that Dr. King had when he was living.  Here in the Dominican Republic, many people have never even heard of a civil rights movement, much less witnessed one.  Many Dominicans have, however, been informed about the history of relations with their neighboring country, Haiti.  The relationship that exists between these two countries who share the island of Hispaniola has not been the best and because of that some Haitians, or people with darker skin who people may assume are Haitian, are sometimes victims of discrimination.  Several of my friends witnessed this discrimination when they attempted to enter two local discotecas (dance clubs) here in Santiago the weekend before President Obama’s inauguration.  All the students in my program had been warned about the problems that some students with darker skin had witnessed in the past when trying to go to certain clubs.  However, the clubs that my friends tried to go to were not the same two that we had been warned about.  We all knew the day was coming when someone in our program would witness this discrimination but we never thought it would happen so soon.  Discrimination based on racism is not against the law in the Dominican Republic as it is in the U.S. so some clubs and restaurants choose to discriminate and only allow people with certain skin tones to enter their facilities.  My friends who were denied entry to the two different clubs were told by a man at the door that there was a private party being held and they would need an invitation in order to enter.  They knew the man was lying because they had just seen him let two Caucasian females from our same program into the club who didn’t have invitations.  When they told him this he came up with another excuse and said there was a dress code and they weren’t dressed properly which wasn’t true either.  Needless to say, my friends were highly upset and offended when they were denied entry to these two clubs just because their skin was too dark.  Even though I wasn’t present when either of these events took place, just to see the look on their faces when they told me what happened was sad enough.  This is just an example of the type of problems that still exist in some parts of the world…even in the country that I chose to study abroad in.  I am so glad that I voted for CHANGE!     

 

  

*Barack Obama being sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America and our new first lady, Michelle Obama!* 

Fears, Failures and Regrets?

Today was one of the hardest days I've ever had... started off the morning with a drive to Charlotte, then got on a plane to D.C. In D.C. I had a terribly boring 4 hour layover and I wasnt hungry so I just sat around and read. Well I finally got on the plane and then we left two and a half hours late because of ice and snow!!!

Well one good thing happened. I had a seven hour flight left and I was super bored but someone came to sit with me. You see: I turned my head and some guy said something to me. I didnt understand so I said "What?" He repeated his question and so did I. I did not understand. Then he realized and asked "Do you speak English?" I answered yes! So he though I was Dutch and I had assumed he was American bc he was wearing a Chargers sweatshirt. Well he came over because he said I looked bored and he just sat down and began to talk. At first I thought he was gonna be a creeper so I was hesitant but as we continued to talk I discovered he was a Dutch student who was returning from San Diego where he just studied abroad! We was very friendly and VERY talkative. We talked about politics, Amsterdam, the US, and his newly aquired love for American football among other topics. It was a neat experience. When I landed he helped me get on the train from the station towards my apartment.

But i made a FATAL mistake! I got off at the wrong station so I still had to take a farily long taxi ride to my building. Well that got me mixed up and I was feeling very scared and unconfident. I wanted to cry because I was lost and I couldnt read any signs and I didn't know what to do. Finally I found that taxi and got to my home. I checked in but when I got to my room I cried! Hyperventilating-cried. I was just tired, I hadnt' eaten enough, I was scared, my room was not what I expected- at first glance it was terrible! and the city and ppl were just overwhelming. I cried and for those moments I was full of regret for coming. I wished I hadn't come and I felt like I would be miserable all semester. I felt terrible, but I talked to a friend on skype who helped me to calm dowm. I knew deep down that things would be 100% better in a week, I just had to be patient. But its hard to start over.

Well as the day progressed things began to get better. My roomate got here and shes really nice. We talked some and then went on a tour of the area. By night time I had made some new friends, got some groceries and found critical shops and began to feel more confident in myself and in what I was doing. I still feel wierd. I feel like I dont belong but I know that as long as I am patient and open-minded I will enjoy this semester. Maybe not this week.

I've never been in a crowd of ppl and have not understood a word said. I can't read any of the signs here! Theyre all in Dutch!! I clearly did not fit in and did not understand the way things worked. Shopping was very difficult. I dont yet know the exchange rate well enough or the language or the set up of their markets and shops. The city is full of very different people than I've ever known. Everyone rides bikes. And they are ugly, torn up bikes. And its a big city full of people and cars and huge buildings (I have never never seen so many tall buildings anywhere) and there are trains and metros and buses. It's craziness! It really is a very interesting and different place and I can't wait to get used to the changes and to the quirks and rhythms of Amsterdam, but until then it's going to be hard.

I am thankful for my friends (specifically today Stevie, Caroline and Landon) and my family for their support and prayers. It means more than they could know. I am ending this day exhausted and weary but confident that tomorrow will be a better day.

The Beginning

I am currently 3 hours from leaving for the airport, 8 hours from actual departure, and 42 hours from arrival in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. Over the next two days I will spend 20 hours in flight, wait 7 hours in a Paris airport, and crossover 8 time zones. This morning when I woke up, I felt anxious for the first time. My previous abroad experiences include a one-week trip to London my senior year of high school and one to France when I was 2 (which I obviously don't remember so much). Now, I am about to spend four months in a third world country. On top of that, Madagascar was just put on the State Department's Travel Alert List, due to rioting that has been taking place in the capital over the past couple weeks. Since Monday, 33 people have died, the majority of which were trapped in a burning building. However, our abroad program has dealt with situations like this before, and according to them, they will keep us out of harm's way. As one of the sixteen people on my trip put it, it sure makes for an adventuresome time while we're there. Once we arrive, we will spend the first five days with no contact with the outside world. We will undergo extensive on-site orientation, and then if all goes according to plan, we will move in with our homestay families in Antananarivo. Wish me luck!

(I'm on the right)

I saw nothing, but I was there

Hola everyone. The last time I blogged I was sitting in my room in Santiago, Dominican Republic. As I sit in the nation's capital with my heater pointed directly at me, I realize that I am no longer in my warm, Caribbean home. Nevertheless, words can not express the excitement and events that have transpired in the past few days.

 

If you don't live in a box, you know that  last Tuesday was the inauguration of our 44th President, Barack H. Obama. Because of the historic nature of this election, everyone and their cousin and their best friend were planning to come to Washington to watch Mr.Obama being sworn in. Luckily for me, I just moved here, so I was excited about being closer to the festivities than others. However, as last week passed, I grew less excited about this event. Daily, news reporters would report that crowds and conditions would be worse than expected. I don't like being in crowds—therefore, the thought of enjoying this event from the comfort of my couch began to sound great to me.

 

Nevertheless, I got up on Tuesday morning and walked two miles to the National Mall to witness this historic event. Although I did not see Mr.Obama or even a Megatron broadcasting the event, it was truly a day and a weekend I will never forget.

 

Friday

On Friday, I went to a PreInagural Celebration at Howard Law School. The event featured and honored many Howard Law Alumni who worked for the Obama campaign. To my surprise, there was a special honoree. Senator Burris, the newly appointed Senator from Illinois to replace President Obama's vacated seat and a Howard Law alum spoke at the event. He talked about the challenges that he has faced assuming the seat and the legal battles he would face. Although I am not his biggest fan, he was my first celebrity politician sighting here in DC.

 

Saturday

On Saturday, I attended the DNC's (Democratic National Committee) Inaugural Celebration at the Smithsonian Museum of American History on the National Mall. I had never imagined going to a party in a National Museum but the Democratic Party did not fail to please me. The museum was decorated in red, white, and blue. This event was an invite only event and luckily for me, I have a friend who is semi connected in DC. The celebration centered on former Chairman, Howard Dean's leadership of the Democratic Party. He gave his going away speech and introduced the new chair of the DNC. It was a red carpet event and I was so glad that I was invited.

Sunday

Sunday began the ‘Inaugural madness’ with the opening ceremony of the Inauguration being held at Lincoln Memorial. The Concert was slated to have many big names: John Legend, U2, Usher, Beyonce, Mary J Blige, and Stevie Wonder. Consequently, big crowds were expected to turn out. Not one to stand in the cold for hours for any celebrity, I left my house two hours before the concert began. By the time I arrived to the Lincoln Memorial, security lines to get the park stretched for blocks, and my hopes of seeing the concert faded. After standing in an unmoving line for an hour, we were told that the park was filled to capacity. We were then herded to the Washington Monument where we proceeded to watch the concert on an inflated screen. The concert was good but after two hours, the DC cold overtook my excitement to hear the concert, and we headed home.

Monday

On Monday night, I attended South Carolina State Society’s Inaugural Ball in the National Air and Space Museum. Although this was not one of the official balls hosted by the Presidential Inaugural Committee, it was invaluable chance for me to meet with the ‘big wigs’ of South Carolina. Members of the South Carolina delegation to Congress, SC State Representatives, Former Governor Dick Riley, and other politically important people from South Carolina were present. I had the pleasure of meeting  Bakari Sellars, the youngest member elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives and Congressman Clyburn, with whom I intern for. However, not only were politicians in number at this event, but I also ran into to many current Terriers interning in DC for Interim or Terrier alumni (first picture). We danced the night away and I had a wonderful time, even though President Obama did not stop by.

Tuesday

Tuesday was the big day. I don’t like crowds and I contemplated not attending the ceremony. I set my alarm and planned to get up at 5am to beat the crowds to the National Mall. Well 5am rolled around and then 9am came. At this point, I knew that all the spaces on the National Mall were gone within eyesight of the ceremony. Nevertheless, I felt obligated to go out and be in the moment for all of you who could not make it. A classmate and I left our house, which is normally 10 minutes from the farthest side of the Capitol. It took us 30 minutes on Inauguration day to reach this point and an hour later, we reached the Washington Monument. For those of you not familiar with the National Mall, the Capitol is at one end of the mall, the Washington Monument is in the middle, and the Lincoln Memorial is at the other end. 

We were pushed literally in crowd to the Washington Monument to a valley in which there were no inflated screens broadcasting the inauguration. The worst spot, right? Luckily, we were not the only people stuck in this predicament and even though we could not see the ceremony, the people around me provided equal entertainment. Ten people to the left of me climbed port-a-potties and sat on top of them to view the nearest screen while others climbed in trees to view it! These people were entertainment enough and I spent the ceremony watching them and shushing others so that I could hear what was going on.

After the ceremony, we were caught in the crowd of 2 million people and a normal 30 minute walk home lasted 2 hours. At home, I google mapped our walk and found out that I had walked 2 miles each way to the Inauguration! Needless to say, I stayed in bed for the rest of Tuesday.

In essence, my first Inauguration weekend was fun. Even though I did not see much, I was there.

Regina

Picture 1: Wofford Alumni and I at the SC Ball, Picture 2:DNC Inaugural Event, Picture 3: Crowd on Inauguration day, Picture 4: Me in in the crowd on Inauguration day, Picture 5: Person in tree trying to see Inauguration, Picture 5: Ticket holders line, Picture 6: My room mates, Picture 7: Me posing with a picture of the First Lady Obama in the Smithsonian Musuem of American History

Tomorrow...

This is it finally! I leave tomorrow. Its 10:20 pm and I am putting the last few things in my suitcases. I am a little nervous that I won't be able to carry them very far- which Amy and Kemper said is a big NONO but I still feel like I'm not taking that much!

I'll leave my house around 9:30 to get to Charlotte in time for my 12:50 flight to DC. I didn't notice on my ticket that I have a FOUR hour layover in DC before leaving for Amsterdam! Ahhhh. And the flight itself is about 9 hours! so even though I am anxious, excited and nervous it looks like tomorrow will be a long and totally boring day! It will include a lot of sitting around and waiting and reading.

I have been at home during interim waiting around to get on this plane so by now I am very ready to just go! Interim was great! I went to Wofford a lot and I worked at Family Video and worked on some projects, but now I am ready to be there. Saying bye to friends was very hard today, yet not as bad as I thought. I think it's because the trip still doesn't seem real. I'll probably cry on the plane tomorrow!

To all of my friends, to my family (and especially those I did not get the chance to say goodbye to):

I will miss you all dearly and think of you often, but I'm sure I'll be enjoying myself. I hope everyone has a wonderful semester! I'll see you all again in June. Please email me and skype me as much as you can!

Tonni

Mmmmm......crepes......

Charles and me watching the Inauguration at Webb Ellis

 

So, I had a great blog planned out for everyone. I was going to write about Obama’s inauguration and our trip to Mt. St. Michel and St. Malo’s. However, I missed out on seeing the beautiful site of Mt. St. Michel and writing an exciting blog by sleeping through my alarm. Although it’s not entirely my fault; I was staying at Charles’s house Friday night and he said he would set an alarm....he just forgot to wake up to the alarm. O well, c’est la vie. But if it provides any condolences to ya’ll, know that I was deathly sick Saturday night and Sunday with a cold, proving once again that one should always be mindful of karma.

Now you might be asking yourself, “Why did Pete and Charles sleep in and miss their bus?” The answer: we were invited to a private night club. If you need to read that phrase again, “We were invited to a private night club”. It’s a really complicated story about how we got invited, but let’s just say that we met some French kids who knew the DJ at the club and let us come as guests. This club was unlike anything I have ever been to; it looked like a club straight out of “Scarface”. Needless to say, we didn’t make it back to Charles’s house until the wee hours of the morning, and we slept well into the afternoon. Now, can you please forgive me for not going to Mt. St. Michel? I mean, after a story like that I think some forgiveness is needed for missing out on one France’s most beautiful sites.

Anyway, since I can’t write about the trip, let me describe Inauguration Day ’08 in Nantes, France. IES had planned for us to watch the Inauguration at the center, then we would have our Club de Conversation (where we practice French with students from the University), and finally we would have dinner at a crêperie together. Well, Charles, Julie and some others did not feel like watching the Inauguration in French (which is what IES would have shown); we felt that since this was a day for America we should watch it in English. We went to our favorite bar where they had the Inauguration on the big screen. There was some chatter going on during Biden’s inauguration and throughout the formalities of the ceremony, but once Obama placed his hand on that Bible the bar fell silent. The entire bar watched in solemn silence as Obama was inaugurated and as he gave his speech. It was this moment that made me realize how small the world has become, and how our country’s every action is watched and scrutinized by others. I know that times are bad right now, but know that we are still influential in the rest of the world. You would be surprised by how many aspects of American culture I see here: a McDonald’s, NFL highlights on TV, half the movies at the movie theater are American, and many more. I know I came here to learn about another culture and language, but it is comforting to be reminded of my home.

 

"Star-Spangled  Banner" not "La Marseillaise"

If you were wondering, the crepes were absolutely delicious! But there is a difference between a crepe and a galette. A galette is made of buckwheat and you eat it with eggs, ham, cheese, and other toppings. A crepe is made from flour and sugar and you put chocolate and other sweet things in them. That’s all for this week, adieu!

 

Me outside the creperie, notice the satisfied look.

 My galette: ham, cheese, mushrooms and sauce. Delicious 

Goodbye Hawaii, Hello Melbourne!

Aloha!!  I'm Laura Macaulay, and I spent most of my interim in Hawaii studying Medicinal Plants.  Below is a scenic view from Oahu. The weather in hawaii was beautiful- 80 degrees and sunny, similar to the weather I'll be experiencing once I'm in Melbourne!  Australia's seasons are complete opposite from ours, with the summer being from Dec-Feb.
  This is a view of the coastline of Oahu in Hawaii.
This is a photo of Kelli Rush and myself at the International Marketplace in Honolulu, Hawaii sporting our plumeria and orchid leis. 

I'm not in Melbourne yet, so this is a pre-departure blog..which makes the title a tad misleading. The planning for going abroad is astounding! I don't mean just the registration and Visas- but all the 'what ifs'. I just spent a larger majority of the afternoon creating notebooks for myself and my parents of all the documentation and copies of passports, credit cards, and everything else that might be needed. But, I know once I arrive after the 2 days of flying (the flight from LA to Melbourne is 16 hours!) it will all be worth it.  I'm nervous, excited, scared, anxious, and just about any other emotion you might could think of.

I'm also trying to arrange for all my plans once I return from Australia (crazy I know, I haven't left yet and I'm already planning for a return!)  But, despite the stress of planning I'm really looking forward to my time abroad, meeting new people, and have a change of pace from Wofford. The Univsersity of Melbourne has 30,000 students (only 30 times the size of beloved Woco) and I'll be taking a different variety of coursework!

 I love Wofford, but this will be a great opportunity to leave the nest before having to leave for good upon Graduation in a years time.  Well, thats about it for now.. I imagine I'll write my first real blog upon arrival in Melbourne, my flight leaves Feb 8 and arrives Feb 10, so look for a blog around that time!  Until Then,  Mahalo!

Power outages, Presidents, Protests, and PDA

 

in the clouds, literally, at the top of the teleferiQo

 

The past week or so here in Ecuador has been interesting—to say the least.  The fun began with a huge power outage last Thursday early in the evening.  Quito is a rather large city, much larger than any city I’ve ever lived in before.  Needless to say, being without power turned the city absolutely upside down.  That’s not even the worst of it all.  It wasn’t too long before I discovered that it wasn’t a local power outage but a power outage which left 70% of the entire country without power! 

People drive like maniacs here: honking their horns at everyone, running red lights, and pedestrians certainly do not have the right of way.  So, you can only imagine what it was like without traffic lights.  The roads were crammed with cars that didn’t budge for hours, and the buses that run off of electricity obviously left a large majority of people without transportation.  Fortunately, I arrived home just before the power went out, but I watched from my bedroom window as the streets erupted in chaos.  I never imagined that being left without power would create such chaos nor did I imagine such a massive loss of power was even possible. But, it’s all part of my adapting to life in a big city in a fairly small country.

Tuesday was also a very interesting day as I watched the presidential inauguration as it was broadcast on virtually every television in Quito.  It was a very strange feeling for me to watch it alongside Ecuadorians because I think it was the first time that I have really felt the distance of being away.  I felt so close because everyone was watching my country on television, but at the same time, I felt very far away since I was surrounded by people who don’t completely understood the change that our country is undergoing. 

 

   

My host mom and I at the Presidential Palace

Tuesday was also a big day at the Presidential Palace here in Quito (which I visited last Saturday).  On Tuesday, a large majority of the indigenous people who live outside of the city traveled to Quito.  In particular, they traveled to historic Quito to the Presidential Palace to protest a new mining law which has just been passed.  Unlike the United States, you can walk right up to the front of the Presidential Palace.  Therefore, many of the streets were closed, and many of the buses in the area did not run their usual routes in an attempt to decrease the amount of protesters.  While I did not attend, I have seen many indigenous women throughout Ecuador.  I didn’t expect it to be easy for me to be able to identify them, but here they wear distinct clothing and shoes, which I saw for the first time when I was in Riobamba a couple of weekends.  It is very interesting to see the difference between the city and the outskirts as I travel to Cumbaya each day for school.

 

 

the indigenous women in the parade in Riobamba

I am still finding it very difficult to adjust to the amount of PDA (public display of affection) that exists at my university, on the streets, in the buses, and any other place you can think of.  Maybe it’s because here, it generally is not accepted for a boy to go to his girlfriend’s house or vice versa.  Not to mention, the kids generally live in the house with their parents until they are married.  However, PDA is big here in two ways: 1) they like to partake in PDA a lot and 2) they like to watch others who do.  It’s a little strange.  In fact, just today two friends of mine and I were on a shuttle to the TeleferiQo (cable cars that take you to the top of one of the mountains, and you can look out over all of Quito).  Meanwhile, there was a grown couple sitting behind us who were practically attached at the hip, and for our short trip, they could not refrain from making out.  To this, I am not accustomed. 

 

 

at top of the teleferiQo

However, our trip to the TeleferiQo was very fun. However, it was cloudy, and once we were at the top, it started to HAIL! Who knew that they had hail at the equator? I didn’t. We did a little hiking, but with the hail, we decided that we’ll have to go back another day to hike to Pichincha which is one of Ecuador’s volcanoes (it’s actually made up of two: one which is dormant and one which is active).  It was a beautiful sight to look out over Quito, but it was even cooler to be standing in the clouds!  With quite an interesting week, I can wait to see what the next week brings!

 

      

Quito through the clouds                                  Yes, it was hailing at the equator.

 

 

Tuscan Countryside and Underground Cities

This past week has been somewhat eventful.  During the weekend, I decided to venture out into Siena

for the first time at night, a decision which in the end, turned out to be somewhat of an adventure.  The evening started off with meeting a group of students in the Compo, and heading out from there to do some wandering of the streets and chatting.  In Siena, there are bars and a few discotecs, but a lot of people walk the streets and talk for social activity. As a result, the town thrives late into the night, and there are always a lot of people walking around.

                                    

                                                        The Compo in the Rain

Since we haven't been used to going to bed late, Stevie and I got tired, so we decided to catch the bus back home.  We were told that a particular bus ran all of the routes and that it was the only one coming at the time we wanted to leave.  Taking this advice, we got on the one bus that came to the piazza, only to find that it made one stop 20 minutes outside of the city.  We rode and rode, hoping that something would begin to look familiar, but all of a sudden the bus stopped and everyone got off.  We asked the bus driver in broken Italian about our street, and he told us that this was the final stop and that we had to get off.  Ha, you can imagine our surprise and somewhat anxiety at being forced to get off the bus in an area where we had no idea where we were.

 

After getting off, we called another student and got the number for a taxi, only to find that the system was automated and wouldn't take the address.  Long story short, the streets were deserted, and we were forced to call the director.  In the end, we found there was a discotec somewhat nearby, and after talking to the police, discovered that there was a shuttle running back to town from there.  We caught that back to the piazza and took a taxi back to our apartment, getting in roughly 3.5-4 hours after we were planning on. 

Siena is an extremely safe city, so we were never worried, only tired and cold.  The experience definitely gave us (and others) some laughs though, and it definitely makes a good story.                    

 

 

Official intensive Italian classes also started this week, and we are in class for 3 hours a day.  While the pronunciation of Italian is difficult, it has been really interesting to learn, and there are many similarities to Spanish, which is helpful for me, since I've taken a few years of it.  Our teacher doesn't speak much English, so sometimes we have to help her, but she gets a lot of laughs from all of our pronunciations and guesses at words.

 

                                                                      

   

 Wofford in Tuscany: Anna Jones, Stevie Fields, Guide, McCown Bridges, Cameron Moss, Fran Battles

 

On Monday we went to a winery and learned all about how they make wine and the differences in types of wine.  It was really interesting, and the vineyards were beautiful.  It was kind of rainy and stormy, so no pictures do it justice, but it was gorgeous.  We also got to see where they pressed the grapes and stored the wine so it could ferment and gain flavor.  A lot of the spices in wine are derived from the wood (primarily oak in this case) that the barrels are made from.  The guy that gave us our tour said that the big barrels could cost as much as $25,000, which is crazy!  They can be used for some time, but many wines have to sit for at least a year before being put into a bottle, where usually they have to wait longer.  After the tour of the storage facilities, we had a wine tasting in which we got to sample a Chardonnay, Cantico Classico, and what is called a Super Tuscan Wine (a term generated by American journalists).  The Cantico Classico is the wine the winery that we were in was famous for making.  We also had cheese and bread with real olive oil, and everything we were served was very good.  We were instructed to smell the wine and swish it around before drinking because apparently each person's nose can detect a different scent (such as a fruit or spice) in the wine that would give it more character.  I just smelled alcohol, so I guess I'm not very good at wine tasting. :)

 

On Tuesday, we visited what is called a Contrada, which is basically like a separate state in the city of Siena.  There are 17 I believe in all, and each one has its own constitution, church, fountain, etc.  Depending on what area of the city one is born into, the child is baptized into the corresponding Contrada.  A huge part of the Contradas also centers around the Palio, which is a huge horse race held in the Compo of Siena.  The Compo is transformed twice a year (once in June/August) into a horsetrack, and each Contrada is represented by a horse.  The horses are drawn for, and once they are determined, are blessed in the church of the Contrada.  We were able to visit the Onda Contrada and go inside their church and museum, where we saw all sorts of things including the Contrada's flag, jockey uniforms, and banners/tapestries that they received for winning the Palio.  It was beautiful and fascinating to learn about.  I know we will be learning more in our culture class, which I am excited about.

   

                                         

 

On Wednesday, we went to the bottini, which is like an underground city in some ways.  It was and still is used as a type of aqueduct system from which the city of Siena gets its water.  It is a system of tunnels and waterways under the city, and it was really cool.  We had to take flashlights and walk single file the entire way.  Thousands of years ago, the people started out of two sides of the city, excavating these tunnels and eventually meeting in the middle.  It was really neat but also kind of creepy.  

   

    

                 
We have no class tomorrow, so we might take a trip to

Florence

. Until next time, Ciao!