Tag Archives: EuroTrip2010

Yeah, there are photos. Here are the best from Germany, thus far – Berlin and Munich, courtesy odf soon to be future-famous photographer William Tan.

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Today, from Utrecht, the Netherlands

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As I mentioned before, this is my 5th trip to Europe. Most Europeans seem surprised that I’ve traveled to Europe so many times already, and get another surprise when they find out that I can speak French.

But the wide-eyed, 19 year old Nithin who came to Europe seven years ago and the much wiser, far more attractive ;-) and more self-confident Nithin who’s here, today, in Utrecht, a city I’d never even heard of before three years ago. Why? Because, by chance, I met a Utrecht native on the road in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia almost three years ago, and the rest is history.

It’s my third time to the Netherlands, having made two trips to Amsterdam. It took me barely three hours with Stef, my aforementioned Dutch friend, and his friend Ki-Chul, to realize how little I’d really learned about Dutch culture during those previous two trips. For example, did you know…

• Sprinkles are Dutch? And, a typical Dutch breakfast (modern Dutch – traditional Dutch breakfast, now basically extinct, is porridge) is butter, topped with sprinkles, on break. Mmmm!

• Ice Skating on frozen canals is a Dutch pasttime – and, as I learned the hard way, much, much tougher than skating on an indoor rink (which Dutch don’t really get – why would you want to skate indoors?)

From trekking 1 1/2 hours (halfway across the country) for the best pancakes, to ice skating, to a underground, all night party in the harbor of Amsterdam, I’ve gotten an entirely different perspective on a country I thought I’d been to, but now realize, I barely scatched the surface off. A theme of this trip, so far.

Next entry, from Germany, on how we can combine European and Californian ways to create an environmentally aware utopia!

Over the past two weeks (which sometimes feels like months) I’ve, for the first time in my life, truly lived in a foreign language. Everyday, I have had a long, detailed conversation in French, everyday, I’ve learned a new word of slang, and everyday, my head has ached from spending hours concentrating as my French friends fired back and forth in rapid, colloquial speak.

For the first time, I began to understand how many of my friends in the US, those who are from other countries, feel living and learning English in the US.

• Accent – for the first time, I became aware of my accent when I speak French. I could hear it, and it sounded…bad.
• Mental Exhaustion – listening to people speak in a foreign language takes effort, it takes time. By the end of the night, I felt woozy, like I’d just taken the GMAT’s, mentally exhausted.
• Perpetual Concentration – I was having dinner with a friend, speaking in French. If I stopped concentrating on her for a single second, I’d miss what she was saying. Keeping this concentration for an entire evening – quite the mental exercise.
• 99% Ain’t Good Enough – if that one word you didn’t get is the most important one.

My FOB friends – I know have a newfound sympathy for you. However, that still won’t stop me from using lots of slang around you.

From Marseille, France

Agrandir le plan

I promised this post – exposing some of the French (and also European) myths that pervade our (read: American) thinking about Europe. There’s a motto about traveling, especially when you go to a place with expectation, that you end up seeing what it is that you want to see. We go to places like France with certain expectations - perhaps, it’s bakeries on every corner, perhaps it’s something as simple as wine with every meal. Sometimes, it more, leading to disappointment. But more often, we just see what we want to see

I’ve seen that France before, but this trip, I’ve done and seen things differently. Strangely, compared to my previous trips, this France I’ve seen while spending all my time with French people.

So, my myths exposed. Disagree? Post in the comments!

#1 – French people drink wine with every meal.

MYTH – If that is so, how come I haven’t had wine once yet, even though I’ve had at least one meal with French people every single day that I’ve been in France?

#2 – French (and Europeans) don’t get drunk like Americans – because they began drinking at a younger age, they know how to better handle alcohol than Americans who can’t legally drink till they are 21.

MYTH – Certainly not the case at the big university party I went to in Cergy, France. Lots of obnoxious binge drinkers, lots of people way too drunk, causing fights, etc. I even heard my friend, who had previously lived in America, tell her friends that AMERICANS can hold their alcohol much better than French people. Myth busted (don’t sue me Discovery Channel)

#3 – The suburbs of Paris are dangerous – never go there.

MYTH I had expectations here too – images of disenchanted youth, riots. So, hence my surprise – the suburbs are quite nice, and very clean. Like American suburbs, not much to do, but, I never once felt unsafe during almost four days out there.

#4 – All French people smoke

Ask my sore throat this. Sadly, true - smoking is very common among French people, even youth. By smoking I mean cigarettes, but Europeans also mix tobacco when they smoke weed.

#5 – European Integration = United States of Europe

If you spend a lot of time in the European capitals, you often feel like Europe is really becoming a single country. Europeans of all nationalities everywhere, everyone speaking English, the European flag flying proudly.

And it’s true, Europe is getting closer. But I’ve been surprised to find, in my travels, how little most French people have traveled around their neighboring countries. To give some context, France as a country is smaller than Texas. Germany is the same size as California. Yet many French people have made few treks outside of their Texas to California, or Florida (Italy). So this is a MYTH – albeit one with a caveat.

Regionalism remains strong even in this age of integration, and it’ll be many generations before integration’s true promise is realized. We forget that Europe is sedentary – America the country where you can be born in California, go to elementary school in Seattle, high school in Kansas, and then work in Washington DC, and not be considered weird. In Europe, this sort of fluid movement is rare, in communities that have stayed fairly stationary for years. In France, you have many who move from the countryside to big cities, but little movement beyond that.

#6 – French people hate fast food

Alright, I have a confession to make. Many of you know me as the guy who never eats fast food. Well, I failed. My 4th night in Paris, I met my friend William and his friends, all French, before we were going to a huge party. They’re from the suburbs, and we didn’t want to spend much money for dinner. I told William to show me his life in Cergy, which meant take me to places you would go normally.

Where did they go for dinner that evening?

KFC.

Fast food is as common in France as the US, though it’s different. KFC’s in France have no bisquits (NO BISQUITS! What’s the point?) or original recipe – and don’t even think about asking for KGC. The non-original recipe fried chicken runs about 2 to 3X what original recipe chicken goes for in America. But with Sandwich Grec (mmmm) stands everywhere, kebabs, french fries, fast food is as ubiquitous in France as the States, but with it’s own local flavor.

The most shocking thing about KFC? It was full of well dressed, good looking, young people. In America….it’s usually more like this.

What’s Next?

In Marseille today, two days here, then back to Paris before leaving France for the Netherlands and, more cold. Next post on Marseille and my reasons for coming to visit this oft hated and loved city, the 2nd city (and distant 2nd) of France.

From Avignon, France

Agrandir le plan

My first post from the road, almost a week after departing. Apologies for taking so long, but internet can be tough to find from the road, especially after your laptop battery dies in a country where the cafe’s rarely have outlets.

This is my fourth time to France, but I really feel like I’m in a different country, one I never visited before. With a new worldview, numerous French friends, and an appreciation for reality, I’m now seeing France with new eyes.

My first time in France – specifically, Paris – was when I was 19 – when I studied abroad. I arrived knowing no French, knowing not a single soul in all of continental Europe, and having never been to a bar, or a club, or even having female friends. I was throwing myself into the first, and the experience changed me. But France was nothing more than the place that I happened to go – I only choose Paris because it was the best program, not because of any particular love or hope.

The second time was also a lesson in life. I went back to Paris after spending a summer in Ireland to remember the good times. Instead, I was left with a pervasive sadness – Paris, though still beautiful, wasn’t the same. My favorite plaza now had a Starbucks, and all the people with whom I’d make memories the first time in Paris were gone. It was a hollow, empty city, me wandering aimlessly, unable to recapture the feeling of the past.

The third time was with my parents two years ago – a very short stopover. It felt like visiting Disneyland.

–

This trip is different. Over the past eight years, I’ve changed. Now, I can speak French. Now, I’ve traveled alone all across the world, made friends with people from everywhere, and am confident. I came to Paris not to recapture the feeling of the past, great memories but ones that cannot be relived, but to create new memories. To visit my good friend William Tan in the suburb of Cergy, one hour from Paris, to see other friends, Helene, Sabrina, Amelle, and, by luck, Maya. The first five days in Paris I hung out with French people every night and one Korean, a friend of my girlfriend’s, with whom I spoke only in French.

Through these friends, I got to see the country of France through a completely different light. The lifes of immigrants in a country that hasn’t quite come to terms with it’s own identity in the modern world. The cosmopolitan side of Paris, where Boulangeries (bakeries) don’t dot every corner, instead, you find Turkish kebabs stands, Chinese grocery stories, competing with McDonald’s and KFC.

Instead of forcing a French experience by eating French food, I created a real French experience by telling my friends to show me their lives, how they live, where they eat. They took me to get sandwich grecs, Cambodian food, home-cooked Chinese food, and even KFC. I’ve been in France for six days, and every evening I’ve spent with French people, but I’ve only had traditional French food once.

Of course, that will tonight, as I’m in Avignon, and today is the national day for Crepes, so I will be attending a Crepe party at the home of my Couchsurfer, Marie, who I met in San Francisco and only by chance found that she was in Avignon.

Next post – French myths exposed. All the French myths I’ve destroyed – and the ones I’ve confirmed – during my time in this country. Please leave comments, and tell me what you think of my opinions, as every experience is different.

From Avignon, France

Agrandir le plan

My first post from the road, almost a week after departing. Apologies for taking so long, but internet can be tough to find from the road, especially after your laptop battery dies in a country where the cafe’s rarely have outlets.

This is my fourth time to France, but I really feel like I’m in a different country, one I never visited before. With a new worldview, numerous French friends, and an appreciation for reality, I’m now seeing France with new eyes.

My first time in France – specifically, Paris – was when I was 19 – when I studied abroad. I arrived knowing no French, knowing not a single soul in all of continental Europe, and having never been to a bar, or a club, or even having female friends. I was throwing myself into the first, and the experience changed me. But France was nothing more than the place that I happened to go – I only choose Paris because it was the best program, not because of any particular love or hope.

The second time was also a lesson in life. I went back to Paris after spending a summer in Ireland to remember the good times. Instead, I was left with a pervasive sadness – Paris, though still beautiful, wasn’t the same. My favorite plaza now had a Starbucks, and all the people with whom I’d make memories the first time in Paris were gone. It was a hollow, empty city, me wandering aimlessly, unable to recapture the feeling of the past.

The third time was with my parents two years ago – a very short stopover. It felt like visiting Disneyland.

–

This trip is different. Over the past eight years, I’ve changed. Now, I can speak French. Now, I’ve traveled alone all across the world, made friends with people from everywhere, and am confident. I came to Paris not to recapture the feeling of the past, great memories but ones that cannot be relived, but to create new memories. To visit my good friend William Tan in the suburb of Cergy, one hour from Paris, to see other friends, Helene, Sabrina, Amelle, and, by luck, Maya. The first five days in Paris I hung out with French people every night and one Korean, a friend of my girlfriend’s, with whom I spoke only in French.

Through these friends, I got to see the country of France through a completely different light. The lifes of immigrants in a country that hasn’t quite come to terms with it’s own identity in the modern world. The cosmopolitan side of Paris, where Boulangeries (bakeries) don’t dot every corner, instead, you find Turkish kebabs stands, Chinese grocery stories, competing with McDonald’s and KFC.

Instead of forcing a French experience by eating French food, I created a real French experience by telling my friends to show me their lives, how they live, where they eat. They took me to get sandwich grecs, Cambodian food, home-cooked Chinese food, and even KFC. I’ve been in France for six days, and every evening I’ve spent with French people, but I’ve only had traditional French food once.

Of course, that will tonight, as I’m in Avignon, and today is the national day for Crepes, so I will be attending a Crepe party at the home of my Couchsurfer, Marie, who I met in San Francisco and only by chance found that she was in Avignon.

Next post – French myths exposed. All the French myths I’ve destroyed – and the ones I’ve confirmed – during my time in this country. Please leave comments, and tell me what you think of my opinions, as every experience is different.

First, the big news – I’ve officially quit my job at the Sierra Club. If anyone has been paying attention to this blog, you’d have noticed that my blog posts took a serious dive around the same time that I started working. As work took up my political and writing time, and sedentary lifestyle led to condensed, short, weekend trips, my blogging suffered.

But now, I am free! And this blog will, after a ill-designed attempt at a redesign with a buggy theme, will once again be the home of my thought and dreams and everything in between.

First, Europe. Yes, Europe. I’ll try to incude, or at least, a map showing where I am. Today, here is where I am.

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Tomorrow, I board a plane to Paris, France, via Chicago (sadly, no direct flights from Kansas City to Europe. Why, I can’t figure out). And here is the, tentative, map of where im planning to go in Europe.

View 2010 EuroTrip in a larger map

Why am I doing this trip? Well, unlike my previous world travels, where I was wandering around aimlessly, seeking myself, this trip is all about people. Unlike before, I know have numerous friends in Europe, people I met during my around the world trip and also people I met in America since returning. With pinpoints of friends on my Euro map, many of whom I haven’t seen in ages, I figured it was time for a new type of travel.

Photos and more will be posted here, definitely, depending, of course, on internet access. Looking at adding new features too. Next update – from the city that introduced me to the world, Paris, France!