An Academic Conference in Tallinn, Estonia

Being a PhD student, you are expected to produce, produce, produce. Publish, present, or perish, is the saying! Once I found out I was going to Oxford for a semester, I perused all of the international academic conferences and found one that fit my research agenda and was still accepting proposals. I submitted two papers to the International Bilingual Conference on Academic Mobility and what would you know...both of them were accepted. I have done many presentations in my life, but these two were perhaps the most nerve-racking to prepare for. You see academics like to challenge and critique each other's work. Therefore, you have to be prepared for all sorts of questions, comments, and critiques. Hence, my time in Estonia (a quick three-day trip) was absorbed by preparing, presenting, and listening to other presentations. But, in the end all went well and now I can say I have finally presented at an academic conference.

Now for Tallinn, Estonia...what little I got to see. As I stepped off the bus I immediately felt like I was back in Finland; the smell in the air, and the sights and sounds were all familiar. Yet, I was a bit surprised by how expensive and BLING, BLING Tallinn has become since independence in 1991. Capitalism has a way of nesting quickly. Tallinn is the capital of Estonia and the Old Town area, an UNESCO World Heritage Site, is certainly quaint. Plus, the entire city is "connected" meaning wifi is everywhere.

A side story: I went to an Indian restaurant for lunch...I was craving delicious, as the food in this region rarely satisfies my palette (I know this from my time in Finland). But, the chicken tikka masala was maybe the worse I have EVER eaten. It had boiled eggs in it and nasty pieces of chicken (like the liver, sternum, rectum, and lots of grizzly fat) ICK! A word of warning do not eat Indian in Tallinn, eat bear instead.

A Friend Comes to Town...

Oh, the fond memories I have of the students I worked with during my salaried adult career at the University of Colorado at Boulder. In fact, I still keep in touch with a handful of my "rock star". One of them, Mallory, was visiting London and decided to pop over to Oxford for a quick visit. As we got caught up on life stories, I toured her around a sunny Oxford and we stopped for a lovely afternoon creme tea. Great to see you Mal, best of luck in your Master's program!

The UGA Students Have Arrived!

31 undergraduate students. 2 graduate student residents. 1 large English Manor house in Oxford. 1 bread machine. 1 big screen TV. 2 dishwashers. 1 alarm system. 7 computers. 4 wash machines. 987 rolls of toilet paper. 1 large English garden.

Stay tuned for details.

Travel Statistics!

After traveling 4,202 miles, 6,762 km, here are my stats:

10 buses + 1 (nearly missed)
8 trains + 1 (nearly missed)
12 boats
4 rides in cars/trucks
2 mountain gondola rides
4 hostels
3 homestays
1 pension
1 five star hotel
9 t-banes (Oslo)
9 metros (Paris)
1 tube (London)
1 muddy footpath (with fat cows)
2 hikes with the sheep
1 hike at 10,000 feet (3,000 meters)
3 Ryan Air airplanes (of which all 3 landed on time and people clapped)
4 visits with HEEM alumni (hooray!)
2 visits with people still trying to finish their Master's thesis
1 visit with dude trying to finish his PhD dissertation
1 visit with my adopted Italian family


Too many bottles of wine, gelato, and pizza to count...


All of this within three weeks! Awesome.

Detained for 2.5 Hours at UK Immigration

So much for the “fast” train to London. I was detained in immigration for 2.5 hours as they “checked” my credentials and proof of work/studies in the U.K. In all of my travels, this was the first time I became one of those pathetic-looking travelers tapping my feet on the floor wondering if I would make it to my next destination. The experience was humbling and made me realize that student mobility is not as easy as I have come to know. After I handed over my passport to the female immigration officer she began to ask me questions, “What are you doing in the U.K.? (studying and working) Do you have proof that you are working and studying? (yes, but the letter had the summer semester dates on it) When do you fly back to the U.S.? (December) What are you doing until December? (studying and working) Can I see your return ticket to the U.S.? (I do not have it with me) Are you being paid in the U.K.? (No, I am being paid by the U.S. university) Do you have a U.S. bank account, if so how much money is in it?” Finally, I said, “That is a weird question.” (Even though I know it is not a strange question, as they need to know that I can financially support my stay in the U.K.) She did not like my response and said, “You are now being detained and there is no guarantee that you will be admitted to the U.K., students and researchers must have a visa to enter.” She escorted me to a metal bench and instructed me to wait.

As other happy travelers gawked at me like I was a caged animal in a zoo, I peacefully let the grains of sand in the hour glass slowly float away as I studied. Yet, as time continued to melt away, so did my nerves. After one hour of waiting and missing my train, the female immigration officer said, as she scooted past me quickly, “I am waiting on documents from the U.K.” Well, WTF does that mean? More waiting. Finally, after another hour passed, I received a phone call from Angela, a staff member at UGA at Oxford, informing me that she had just faxed a letter confirming my position. Ahhhhh. The officer came out and gave me a new train ticket for the 12:13 p.m. train (original train was scheduled for 10:13 a.m.) and said I could enter the U.K. Then, her supervisor came over and explained that he made a “special” decision in my case. He said he could have easily rejected my entry because I did npt have a visa for the work/studies. As he was explaining the points system for visas, I began to sweat and wanted to scream, “DUDE, I am going to miss my train!” Instead, I thanked him cordially for allowing me to enter the Queen’s country and ran to board the long-awaited train to London. The joys (and frustrations) of student mobility!

Paris

A quick three day trip in Paris was enough to catch up with my dear friend Preet (from my European Master’s program) and see many Parisian sites under sunny blue skies. The days were spent studying and discovering the city on my own, as Preet attended her classes at the University of Paris-Sorbonne. By the way, this is reported, by historians, to be the second oldest university in Europe. Another medieval European University marked off of my list (hooray!) I visited the BIG public library right smack in the center of Paris and was blown away by its colossal feel as well as the announcement over the loud speaker, “Attention, pick-pocketers have been reported, please make sure your belongings are attended.”

At night, we walked until our legs hurt and then walked some more, as she showed me beautiful sites around every corner. The street vendors selling crepes and baguette sandwiches were happy to sell us their delicious chow and even pose for a few photos (See photo to left). On my last night in Paris, we had a picnic under the lit-up Eiffel tower. Apparently this is one of the “things” to do in Paris; we were not alone. We joined other jolly folks drinking wine and enjoying picnics under a sparkly Eiffel tower. A great trip for sure!!

Venice for Six Days!

Venice for six days, wow where do I even begin...

Let's just make this entry simple. Top 10 memories in Venice:

1.) Getting lost in the non-touristy areas of Venice.

2.) Osteria's! These are little local pubs in the narrow streets in Venice. The best are located in the less-touristy residential areas in Venice. They are cheaper and in my opinion more authentic. You walk up to the bar and order a glass of vino for 1-3€ drink it up and move on to the next Osteria.

3.) Food! Pizza, gelato, proscuitto, salami, cheese and more gelato. Need I say more?

4.) Enjoying the posh hotel, the Hilton Molino Stucky...complete with a FREE Turkish spa, a rooftop pool overlooking Venice, a robe and slippers, and 27€ internet access/day (yikes!)

5.) Vino...

6.) Lazy mornings with no alarm clock!

7.) What a small world! My friend Martina just so happened to be in Venice the same time as we were...so we invited her over for some appetizers and then hit the town.

8.) My partner-in-crime.

9.) The Vivaldi Four Seasons concert. A favorite of mine...right there in Venice.

10.) The park where we spent many relaxing moments.

A Nice Surprise in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy!

We arrived in Cortina, Italy in the afternoon and had a few hours to blow off before catching the bus to Venice. Cortina is the poshest ski resort in Italy (it is the Aspen of Italy)...everyone wears expensive sunglasses and struts around in the hottest alpine style. As we walked through the town centre, we noticed live bands playing on every corner. Lucky us, we were about to experience one of the biggest summer events in Cortina, the Great Festival of Bands. And, the culminating event of this week-long Festival, the parade, was starting in one hour. Woohoo! We hunkered down on some steps lining the parade route, with festival food in one hand and left-over wine (that we had poured in a plastic water bottle) in the other. Oh yeah...and gelato too. The mountain backdrop was the perfect frame for this sunny music-filled event featuring the best bands in Northern Italy. You know you are in a mountain town when the Olympic committee and the local ski and snowboard teams march in the parade. What a nice way to spend the afternoon...

On Top of the World...in an Italian Mountain Hut.

Another bus ride through the Alps brought us to our next destination, a mountain hut high in the Italian Dolomites. At Passo Falzarego (2,105 meters or 6,906 feet) we took the gondola to Lagazuoi (2,762 meters or 9,061 feet) and climbed a steep embankment to arrive at the mountain rifugio, where we would spend the night. The European Alps have a circuit of mountain huts sprinkled throughout the Alps. Actually these mountain huts are more like mountain chalets, as they are beautifully decorated in alpine style and most of them offer full room and board. The Lagazuoi rifugio sleeps 74 in bedrooms or dorm style rooms. We booked the full-board option (including dinner and breakfast) and enjoyed a lovely bedroom complete with a balcony and a spectacular view of the surrounding mountain range, all for 55euros/person. I was feeling a little under the weather, so being nestled in a cozy mountain hut under down comforter duvets was medicine for the soul. After a much needed health rest, I joined Charlie for lunch and we ventured out for a little hike. Being above tree line and as high as the clouds has its advantages and disadvantages. When the clouds roll away, the 360 degree mountain view takes your breath away, but when the clouds roll it can become hard to see a few feet ahead of you. Blue skies, sun, clouds, mist, blue sky, sun...and so one. But, this is what I love about being high up in the mountains, you feel like you are under the guidance and swift control of mother nature.

Dinner was served at 1900 and we sat next to a lively same-sex Canadian couple who reside in France. They were hiking from hut to hut and their tales enticed us to strap on 60 pound packs, forgo the expectations of our everday life, and hike in the serene beauty of the Dolomites. Maybe someday!

Charlie's internal alarm clock woke him just in time for the sunrise. The beauty was too much to take, so he woke me and we braved the 0c/33F degree weather to watch the sun float up over the Dolomite spires. The remainder of our morning was spent hiking around the open air museum of the Great War. It was tough to leave this special place on earth, but more travel adventures await...

Ah yeah...the Italian Alps!

During a leisurely walk to the Verona train station, we suddenly realized we might miss our train to the Italian Alps. Oh no! So, I decided to run ahead of Charlie and purchase our tickets at one of the fast-serve ticket machines. He thought I had gone to the ticket office, so with two train tickets in hand I frantically ran around the train station trying to locate my partner-in-crime. With one minute to spare we miracously met on the train platform and launched our bodies and luggage onto the train, sweaty and out-of-breathe. "We made it!" After a good laugh and a few high fives we were on our way to the sweet valley town of Bolzano. In Bolzano, the gateway to the Italian Alps, we had a quick hour layover before jumping on a bus. We found a park bench and feasted on the cheese and meat left-over’s from the opera.

The bus ride into the Dolomites was incredible! The rugged mountain landscape was enough to propel me into a state of mountain euphoria...a sense of calm set in while the perma-grin prominently displayed my excitement. The bus made its way up and down switchbacks, as we kept "oooing" and "awwwing." We had a quick stopover in a German-inspired mountain town, Ortisei, where we lavished our palette with strudel and vanilla gelato. Oh yeah...there are benefits of being so close to the German border (strudel), yet traveling in Italy (gelato). YUM!

After another scenic bus ride we arrived at our destination, Corvara. This famous ski town is nestled between two mountain passes, the Passo Gardena and Passo Campolongo, and you can only imagine the 360 mountain backdrop. We stayed in the cute Valbona pension, ate pizza, and tried out the bidet.

Verona, Italy

Home of Romeo & Juliet and the third largest Roman amphitheatre in Italy, the Arena, Verona was a perfect locale to start a nine-day Italian sojourn with Charlie. We settled into the sweet Rigoletto bed and breakfast, then explored the city that was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000. We walked the old town, ate our first (and certainly not last) gelato, and climbed the roman stairs for a beautiful outlook over the romantic Italian town. On our way back through old town, we found a little meat/cheese shop and picked up Italian salami, prosciutto, two local cheeses (one of which was infused with wine), and a box of red wine. When in Europe, especially in Italy, this is my favorite type of dining experience.

With dinner in hand, we made our way to the Arena for the Aida opera. Being that I am an opera neophyte, I took great pleasure in the romantic storyline, the melancholy songs, and the incredible theatrics (costumes and staging). As the show opened, the lady next to us was crying and it made me realize the emotional impact opera has on some people...it probably helped that she was Italian and could understand the song lyrics. Charlie and I did not cry, rather we bit off chunks of cheese (see video) and drank from the box of red wine while enjoying the lovely sounds of opera bouncing around the ancient arena. It was one of those heavenly travel moments. But, heaven does not last forever…Charlie started dozing off; he became victim to Mr. Jet-lag. Considering there were four intermissions already and it was midnight, we decided to forgo the ending. Our first dreamy night came to an end as we walked back to the B&B.

My Adopted Italiano Famiglia!

In a small town in Northern Italy, Caldogna, there is a sweet Italian family, the Breccas, who live a simple Italian life. I first met them 14 years ago, when my father took us kids on a European adventure. Some of our family friends back in the U.S., the Minch family, rented a house from the Breccas when they lived in Italy. The Minch family encouraged my dad to stop in and meet the Brecca family. We met them with the intention of only staying one day, but our stay quickly turned into three days as the Breccas welcomed us with open arms and homemade pasta.

On this trip, I spent 24 hours with the Brecca family and had another lovely visit. The father has died since I saw them last, but otherwise the family has expanded with more spouses and babies. Luca, who is my age, is the only one who speaks English, otherwise I have learned to communicate with the other family members by means of an Italian dictionary and animated hand and body gestures. Luca visited us a few times in the U.S. and loves America (more than I do!) He owns a BIG red American truck and listens to American rap music. He has a beautiful daughter, Elenora, and is getting married to Miriam in June. Luca and his brother, Diego, own a meat shop of which I was honored to get a full tour of the beautiful (and busy) shop. During my stay, I visited all of the family members...the grandparents, the cousins, and even the spouse's family. It is always funny (and amazing) how the entire extended family is involved with our visits. Grazie Breccas! And, Rosetta...next time I will stay longer for your homemade pasta.

Bologna, Italia: an Important City for European Higher Education

The University of Bologna is the oldest higher education institution in Europe. The date of conception is uncertain, but the historians believe it was founded around 1088. In 1999, Bologna was also the location of the famous meeting whereby 29 European education ministers voluntarily signed the Bologna Process (a higher education reform aimed at harmonizing the European higher education systems). As you can imagine, the word "Bologna" rolls off my tongue often when discussing European higher education and I have looked forward to stepping foot in the place I speak of so often. So, the time had come for me to set my eyes on the famous location that is rich with higher education history.

I flew into Bologna, via Ryanair, and arrived at 11 p.m., I decided to grab a taxi from the bus station since it was late and I did not know the city. However, when I showed the driver the address he proclaimed, "walk" (in Italian and with his two fingers making a walking gesture). I pressed and asked, "Cuanto cost?" (How much?) He said eight euros. NO WAY.

I decided to walk across the street and ask the hotel if it was safe to walk and sure enough he said, "Si!" So, I walked about 10 minutes to the quaint little Holiday Hotel.

The next day I toured the city and the university. The old university, just one small building, is located in the city centre, whereas the newer university buildings are located on the outskirts of town. The old university includes the anatomy theatre which has a huge table located smack in the middle of the room for dissections. There are various wooden sculptures on the ceiling depicting the zodiac and carved heads of professors line the wall (let's hope they are not stuffed heads, after all this room was the dissection room.) The entire medieval building is quite ornate and seeping with the pursuit of academic knowledge. It put a little extra kick in my step.

NEW: Oslo Opera House

Oslo has a new Opera House. My review: very modern, linear, and funky (you can walk on the roof...not sure you would want to do that when it is cold and icy in Oslo). It reminds me of the Sydney Opera House that sits right on the harbour, yet the Oslo Opera House does not have the big pillars jetting into the sky. Here are a few photos...I was lucky enough to get a blue sky day. Ah! And, of course they were selling hot Norwegian waffles at the entrance.

Ryanair: A SCREAMIN’ Deal!

Ryanair is a cheap, no-frills European airline that I have a special love affair with. Yes, the seats are cramped, the bright yellow seat covers are over-the-top, and the “free-seating” makes for long, pushy lines of impatient people. BUT…it is such a frugal way to travel throughout Europe, you cannot help but smile as you deal with an overall lack of customer service and a no-frills flying experience. The way they make their money is by charging high prices for luggage check-in, food on the plane, ground transportation to/from the major cities, and there is a slight possibility the Irish-based airline will begin charging to use the loo, water-closet, bathroom, toilet or whatever you like to call it. During this three-week sojourn around Europe, I am flying Ryanair.

Here is what I paid (including one bag check-in):

Glasgow, Scotland to Oslo, Norway= $36

Oslo, Norway to Bologna, Italy=$28

Venice, Italy to Paris, France= $24