Exploring Normandy

Omaha Beach, Normandy, France

            Today is another long bus ride - 2 hour trip from our hostel in Normandy to Le Mont St Michele. So far the bus ride there has been very enjoyable - I finished the first book of the Hunger Games. It took me a day and a half to finish. There was plenty of time to read yesterday as well, as we were on the bus multiple times shuttling back and forth from a few historic sites.
     Actually, yesterday was my favorite ‘fieldtrip’ day so far. We started out by visiting battlefields in Normandy of WWII. The beautiful fields of wheat and occasional red flowers seemed endless. It was so calm, the remains of the forts used during battles seemed out of place. Beyond the fields, the waves crashed at black rocks along the beach. It was picture perfect! I could imagine myself spending day after day going on walks along the field and ending up at the beach. Being engulfed by the beauty would be an amazing way to relax.

Forts from the battlefields

     The next stop was U.S. soil! After WWII, the French president declared the American cemetery at Omaha Beach U.S. soil - a touching gesture. A very important point for the allies in WWII was D-Day - a collaboration between Great Britain, United States, France, and Canada to attack the Germans by air, water, and land by sending thousands of soldiers from Britain to the coast of France via the English Channel. It was a successful, but difficult battle - many men lost their lives, including lots of American soldiers. Omaha Beach was home to the worst battle, a battle that killed many American soldiers. Today, beyond the sand of Omaha Beach, there is a huge cemetery for the American soldiers, and as well a museum that tells the story of WWII.
     When we first arrived, the entered the museum. It was not a typical museum, but instead it was very modern and uncluttered. I am not very excited for history, so this started out as just another museum visit until I saw a video being shown about the courageous acts soldiers committed during D-Day. The stories brought tears to my eyes, but also made me curious to explore the rest of the museum. There were detailed descriptions of the war and the battle. For the first time since this trip, the main language was English and the small translations were in French! I found myself wrapped up in the story of the war - I read every sign. After that there were more plagues and pictures of other heroes from the war and the battle, which also brought tears to my eyes. 

At the Musem

     When I was done with the exhibit most of my classmates had already moved on, but a couple were reading along with me. We walked around the cemetery which was very well kept. There were a few monuments surrounding it which reminded you that this was no ordinary cemetery. The crosses were all the same size, perfectly lined up. In front of some of the crosses there were fresh flowers. It must be a very proud moment to bring flowers to a grandfather or father that fought in such an important battle. We reconnected with the big group and made our way down to the beach. There we had a mini picnic and ate our sandwiches, chips, cheese, and lemon pastry. The sandwiches were the best so far - crab meat! When my friend Danielle and I were finished eating, we started wondering off towards the water. It was a very wide beach with perfectly patterned sand. The walk was very calm, a perfect time to reflect on everything I head read in the museum. Today it is all such a beautiful area - the beach, the calm ocean, the perfectly symmetrical cemetery. It is hard to believe that not so long ago many men lost their lives there, their blood falling on the very sand I was walking on. It was a very touching experience.

Omaha Beach

     
     The final destination for the day was another WWII museum in Caen. This museum touched me in a different way than the cemetery and beach. It wasn’t focused on just one aspect of the museum but it explained the war in greater detail. There was a large section dedicated to the Holocaust It talked about the progression of the prosecution of the Jews, and the inhumane acts committed against Disabled people and the Roma Gypsies as well. The horror and misery these people experienced was just not right I can’t believe how one person was able to recruit so many people to accomplish these disgusting things. Yes, I do agree that Hitler must have known more than a thing or two about leadership in order to captivate and manipulate the minds of so many, but it is wrong to use that power in such a negative way. It scared me, because if people fell for it once, what will stop them from falling for it again? Today’s world is more developed - technology and machines are bigger and meaner - that if the wrong person comes to power we can ALL be in trouble. The section of the museum that touched me the most was dedicated to all of the Jewish children that were murdered in a matter of years. I once again found myself captivated by history. 

     This trip we have been touring numerous historic sites, looking at a lot of art, and learning about Europe but nothing has had such an impact on me as these three locations we visited. They brought so many emotions - I felt disgusted with the events that took place, proud of the courage soldiers had to save strangers, and terrified of the idea that history can repeat itself. I would recommend to all to visit these places especially since someone like me, who has never been a fan of history, had an amazing time learning and connecting with the past.

Day trip to Germany

Hello from Saarbrucken!

    
      It was hard to decide what we wanted to do on our last weekend in Metz. Initially we planned on going to Nice (a large city in Southern France along the coast) but that turned out to be out of our price range. Five of us girls decided we can have a fun Girl Day in Germany! Our director had given us a sheet of recommended cities to visit, and Saarbrucken, Germany was on there. Just an hour away by train, it was supposed to be a great spot for shopping and what better activity for a day out with the girls. We woke up around ten and by one in the afternoon we arrived in Germany. We decided to be adventurous and just figure out what we wanted to do once we got there - so my research went as far as checking the weather predictions for the day. We were very lucky that the train took us right at the heart of the city - a huge shopping area.

Walking through the main shopping area

     There was a huge indoor mall right in front of the train station! It had a three story H&M, Mango, The NewYorker, Zara and everything else a girl could ask for. The same street hosted hundreds of other stores. Some were big, some were little boutiques, some were local stores but many were world-known brand names. The store I was most surprised to see was TK MAXX - the equivalent of a TJ MAXX back in the USA. Between the stores were little cafes, restaurants, and lots of gelato stands. It was a perfect place to let loose and have a simple day. We tried looking for souvenirs but weren’t able to find anything that said Germany or Saarbrucken on it. We took that as a sign that most of the people that flooded the streets were not tourists.
     Even though this town was only a short distance from Metz, there was a huge difference. Everything seemed much more modern - from the houses to the streets. The people were dressed in fashion clothes, there were not afraid to wear colors unlike the French. We all felt that we fit in a lot more there than in France. I could tell we looked much more like the young people roaming the streets here versus than back in Metz. This town reminded us very much of the United States, and if you take away the sky scrapers it felt as if I was walking the streets of Chicago.

Exploring the streets off the center

     I really wish we had allotted more time to Germany. It seems like a great country to explore. On my next journey in Europe, which there will be (hopefully soon), I want to at least visit Berlin and Munich. Too bad that German seems very hard to learn!

Weekend in Amsterdam

The famous IAMSTERDAM sign

      I was really unsure of what to expect from our weekend trip to Amsterdam. It was something the group had talked about since the first days we were all gathered in a friend’s room playing card games. I was probably the only person who was not aware that so many taboo things were legal there. Nevertheless, I was excited to visit the Netherlands. It was a rollercoaster trip - all of the logistics were very inconvenient, but our time out on the town was fascinating. On the way to Amsterdam we had to change trains in Belgium. It was a nine hour trip but it passed quickly. There were 21 of us, and also a big group of students from Georgia Tech. Even though we were spread out throughout two train carts, it was fun to see everyone playing games and hear English being spoken all over. From the train station we took a TRAM to our tiny little hostel. A tram is like a bus but runs on electricity. I have taken much smaller trams in Bulgaria. Since there were so many of us, we were spread out among 4 different hostels.
     When we arrived to our hostel we were in for a treat. Online we had booked one 10 person room for 2 nights - Friday and Saturday. We had paid a deposit and let the hostel know that we would be arriving later on at night. This in the United States would guarantee the 10 person room we had booked. When we were checking in we found out that that isn’t necessarily the case in Amsterdam. For Friday night, we had for us one room with six beds, and a second room with three beds. There would be one mattress put on the floor of the six people room for the 10^th person to sleep. On Saturday night they only had the six people room available. This meant that they would just add one extra mattress on the floor and all ten of us would be expected to fit and sleep in there. It sounds outrageous right? Well it was, but we also knew that we had no option. Complaining in Europe does not get the customer anywhere, since here the business is king unlike the US where the customer is always right. We suffered through it. The room smelled horrible, the shower was in the middle of the bathroom without a curtain or cabin around it, which meant that the bathroom flooded every time someone showered. With the two mattresses on the floor there was no room to keep our backpacks on the ground, they had to be stashed underneath the bottom bunk beds. The hostel had a cat that would dive into our room whenever the door was open and hide in the already clustered room. This weekend made us all probably a little too close than we were hoping.
     Friday night we discovered a center of the town - two streets full of cafes, bars, and clubs. Since most of them were free of a cover charge we hoped around a bunch of them. They were mostly filled with tourists. There were people of all ages and nationalities. You could definitely tell when someone was European versus when you spotted other college students from the States. The music was a combination of techno and popular radio music that we listen to in the US. We were having a really good time - definitely not expecting most of the places to shut down at 4am. We found out that all of the food places closed at 4 as well, which was inconvenient since we all had the munchies. There were many American food places in the area - McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Domino’s, New York style pizza. I was really craving some good ol’ American pizza but I was out of luck. Then just our luck - it started pouring. I was the only one of our group that had brought an umbrella so I did not get too wet.
      Saturday we woke up early. Well actually, one of the girls felt a spider and freaked out. The tight quarters left no choice but for the rest of us to wake up as well. The room was so disgusting we just had to get out of there. We stumbled upon an open air market nearby our hostel. There was everything you could imagine there - fruits, clothes, cheese, make-up, shoes, waffles, smoothies. It was heaven for the girls. It was an easy way to buy souvenirs. The waffle stand was delicious. For 2-3 euros, you could get a freshly made waffle with a variety of toppings - white chocolate, cinnamon and powder sugar, milk chocolate, M&Ms, sprinkles, or a combination of any of the above. I enjoyed a white chocolate waffle - it was amazing! We eventually separated into little groups because it was too hard to keep together on the busy streets. Nicole, Adam, Benard, and I ended up wondering all over town. We discovered the IAMSTERDAM sign. I am embarrassed to say I could not climb on top of the letters for a picture, so I posed next to an M & a T instead. We also walked past the Heineken brewery/museum. It looked like a fun place to visit but we were trying to save money and did not want to splurge on a tour. The Van Goth museum also looked fascinating, but we only looked from the outside. The city had canals running all through it. There were many houses on the canals, and as well tourists cruising on little boats. That is one of the things I would love to do if I could go back to Amsterdam. We also, accidentally, stumbled upon the Red Light District. It was during the day, so there weren’t any ‘attractions’ out yet so it took us a while to recognize it. It was swarmed of tourists but also many people that looked like locals who had young children with them. It was very strange for me to see parents take their child to a place full of prostitutes and drugs - that is definitely something that would be frown upon in the US and the rest of the world actually. 

There were canals throughout the whole city

       Another thing that stood out about Amsterdam was the use of bicycles. The bike lanes were very wide. At first we were very confused because we could not tell the difference between bike lanes and pedestrian side walks. We all had our problems with the bikes, but I think I struggled the most. I almost got hit by a bike two times, and I accidentally knocked a parked bike down as well. The one good thing about bikes is that it was usually locals who were riding them. Whenever we needed directions, we would ask someone on a bike since it seemed like most people walking were tourists like ourselves. A group of people from our program rented bikes on Sunday, and they only paid 7 euros for three hours. They said it was definitely fun and a much easier way to get around town.
     At night time we returned to the Red Light district again to see it in full action. It was something that I could have never imagined. Someone from the group had went on a guided tour earlier that day, and explained to us that most of the women were freelancers and just rented window space. The guys were acting like guys, but me and the girls could not help but notice the sad look on the women’s faces. Some of them looked very young, much younger than us and we were surprised they were allowed to be working. You could see the devastation and fear on their faces.
     We ended up making our way back to the little center that we had discovered Friday night to spend the rest of our night. Most of us headed back earlier than the previous night since we were exhausted from a long day of walking. Also we wanted to get first picks from the limited amount of pillows and blankets. The girls ended up crashing on the two mattresses on the floor, and the boys each had a bed.
The trip home was much more exhausting and annoying than the one on Friday. To start off our train from Amsterdam was canceled, so we had to wait an extra hour at the train station for the next train. From there we changed trains twice in Belgium, and once in Luxembourg. It was a very long trip. I wish I could sleep on trains, but unfortunately I wasn’t able to even take a 20 minute nap. We were all very excited to finally have some privacy, shower normally, and sleep in a clean bed.
     As unpleasant as some part of the trip were, overall I really enjoyed it. Amsterdam was a huge city - filled with so many people. The biggest city I have ever been to before was Chicago, and I think Amsterdam made it look like a joke. I do not know if Amsterdam does have a bigger population or if it is bigger size wise but it sure seemed like it. The streets were full of people, there was not a quiet area in sight. The streets and canals seemed to never end. There were much more Asian people in Amsterdam, than I have seem so far in France or Luxembourg. Come to think of it, the diversity of people was much broader than in France. I would definitely go back to Amsterdam but in a smaller group. I would like to spend more time there, so that I am not in such a rush. It would be nice to take a 4-5 day vacation there so I can rent a bike and not have to rush everywhere. One day, I will be back!

Departing from Metz

     Today is a bittersweet day. I am currently sitting on a bus, about to depart from Espace Pilatre de Sant Rozier, my residence for the past three weeks. The school part of our trip is over, we have taken our last exams and moved out of our rooms. We are headed to Brussels, Belgium to visit the EU Council. After that we will be spending a couple of days in Normandy visiting World War II Memorials and such. Then the last two days of the program will be spend in Paris. I am excited for all of the adventures we have ahead of us, but I will dearly miss the little life we had going on in Metz.
     It was quite simple actually, but it was so relaxing. We joked around many times that we felt disconnected from the real world because the days were so enjoyable and carefree. My only responsibility was attending class, which was only for a couple of hours a day and was usually pretty interesting anyways. Back home I am constantly juggling multiple tasks and running on a tight schedule - I would never have the time to take a relaxing two-hour lunch or a stroll late at night around town. This trip allowed me to rediscover how much I enjoy the simple things that I have had to exclude from my life because they weren’t a “good investment” of my time. What I liked the most was that enjoying life was part of the culture here, it was acceptable and an easy fit in the lifestyle. My personal opinion is that in the United States people are encouraged to always be on the go, to lead a busy aka ’fulfilling’ lifestyle. People who take time out for themselves and their enjoyment are seen as lazy and unproductive. Isn’t that just sad? Yes, it leads to a rich and productive society, but many people pass their lives without really enjoying them or feeling happiness. I personally am a go-getter, I like to be a winner, and I fear that if I continue my life in the United States I will have to sacrifice a relaxed lifestyle so I can come out on top.
     Overall, this trip has reassured me that studying international business is right for me. I am much more comfortable with the idea of pursuing a career outside of the United States. I will also be applying to graduate schools abroad. I think it will be amazing if I find a university that is right for me in Spain, Luxembourg, or even Germany. It is sad that if I choose to go on with this move I will be starting all over again in a new place. It means starting friendships from scratch again and building a brand new self-image. The idea of not really being able to live in a place where I have a lot of history and childhood friends does scare me and will probably be one of the forces that has potential to hold me back. I can only wait and see what will happen, and the decisions that I will be making!