The Difference Between Me and You

The time has come again for the Beloit Mindset List. As Tom McBride shares the givens of the class of 2012 he points out their relationship with Harry Potter, Pearl Jam, Haagen-Daz, and Seinfeld. While not technically by dates, but in my experience of the world, I still have a few things in common with this incoming class.

I have always been looking for Carmen Sandiago.
I have felt that some people just don't get it.
Macauly Culkin has always been Home Alone.
The Green Bay Packers had the same starting quarterback for as long as I've been watching. (And now he's come to New York so I can still see him play and cheer for the 'home team.')


Unlike them:
I've seen Pee-Wee's Playhouse.
I remember the Rosanne Barr National Anthem, though I didn't care.
I saw the original The American Gladiators.
The only Iced Tea I had (before moving to Arkansas) was made by my grandmother and we called it Sun Tea.

How do you compare to the class of 2012?

Fuengirola Zoo

My series of European journals is over, but there is one more thing that I would like to share with you: The Fuengirola Zoo. It is a small zoo in the heart of the city, but it feels much larger. There was only one spot in the entire zoo where I could see the high rises outside. It is a cageless zoo, so the animals all looked happy and there were monkeys swinging in the trees above our heads. In the places where we were separated from the animals, it felt much more like we were in a cage than the tiger on the other side of the glass. I haven't found any proof or documentation, but the people in town told us that it was designed by the same people who built Animal Kingdom. What do you think?

Disney's Animal Kingdom:

Fuengirola Zoo:

If you find yourself in Spain and anywhere near Fuengirola, you should definately go see it. It is just a short walk from the bus stop, and a great adventure.

It isn't without cultural differences though. As Mike and I walked the zoo, I decided that I was going to pick up some Fuengirola Zoo coloring books for my friend's triplets. I even considered some cute little monkey stuffed animals if I could convince Mike that we had room in the bags for them. When we walked though gift shop I was surprised to find out that they didn't sell anything at all that said Fuengirola or Fuengirola Zoo on it. Nothing at all. Even the postcards, which were obviously pictures of the animals we had just seen were missing the name and logo on both the front and back. I was disappointed, and I felt like an American consumer.

6-3-07 Malaga

I know that Spain was not part of the trip that I have to report back on, but I do want to say something about it. Spain is the first place that I truly felt uncomfortable and out of place. First, it was not visitor/stranger friendly. There were no signs anywhere. Not in the stations. Not in the streets. Not even in the lobbies of tourist heavy buildings. I'm not talking about the beautiful multilingual with diagram signs that I had gotten use to everywhere else. I'm talking about signs in general. There were none anywhere; not even in Spanish. In addition to that, it was the first place that I looked different. I've written about my excitement when I may have blended in, I think it would be much harder here. The people we encountered before we got to the resort were shorter with dark hair, dark eyes, and darker skin. This white skinned red-head was clearly out of place.

5-31-07 Paris

There was a familiar smell in almost all of the cathedrals we went into on this trip. It wasn't until Brussels that I was able to place it. It was in Notre Dame and Sacre Cour too. I'm not exactly sure what it is. It is incense or a candle, I'm not sure, but it is something that burns. The reason I recognize it is because it is the smell of Catholic special events. There is a special ceremony that a priest does where he takes a little ball on a chain full of this smoky smell and waves it at the congregation as he walks up and down the aisles praying. A similar thing is done with holy water, and he flicks everyone with it. Growing up, I only remember this happening on special occasions or unique days like when a visiting priest was speaking. It seemed like this was just the regular smell for the churches we visited, but it really made me uncomfortable. Having that smell and thinking of special events make me even more aware of how much of a visitor I am. I feel like I am intruding on their religious ground even though it is a religion I could claim as my own.

5-30-07 Paris

I had my "Wow, I'm in Paris" moment our first night here. We decided to eat near teh Champs-Elysees so we could check the hours on the tourist center. It's a good thing that we did because they moved the tourist center to the other end of the Champs-Elysees and it would have been awful to go looking for it with the entire group. Dr. Ness joined us and we took the metro to the Arc de Triomphe. The entire city is full of wonderful sights, but nothing prepared me for coming out of that metro exit. We walked up the stairs to the street and right there was the Arc. It was surreal. I actually teared up. It was an amazing sight. The sun was setting in a hand painted sky and wrapped the Arc in a pink glow. The Arc itself was so much more majestic than I had expected. I had seen tons of pictures, but none of them were able to capture the truth. I now understand why Pairs is such an inspiration to art. It is not just a saying, my breath really was taken away. I had a similar experience with the Eiffel Tower, but it wasn't quite as powerful or shocking. We saw the tower from everywhere. I didn't much want to go up in the tower, so I thought that I had seen it. Fortunately, Mike insisted on taking Brandi and me to the base. It wasn't quite as shocking as the Arc because we got off the metro and watched it grow as we walked closer instead of it just being there. I could feel my mind struggle as it tried to comprehend just how big it really is.

5-28-07 Brussels

I've never really had an occasion to use my French, and I assumed that I would lose all of my ability. There have been a couple times on this trip where I heard announcements in several languages and I wasn't sure if I had heard French or not. Between that, and seeing how similar Dutch and German are (in my mind which has never spoken either), I was afraid that soon I wouldn't even be able to recognize the language. I certainly never let myself believe that I was a master of the language by any scale, but my hearing comprehension was starting to near conversation speed,a nd my vocabulary was almost enough to read the news. When Mike asked me to look at some of the Paris website and help him find the information he needed for the tour, French was clearly foreign again. I had to exercise my memory, and eventually sing a little song to remember the days of the week. Being here has made me feel much better. I can't understand anyone's conversations, and I can't completely read any of the signs we come across. I am remembering things. I asked for the bathroom in French yesterday, and in the shops, I don't need to ask them to speak in English. These are not situation where a lot of verbal communication is taking place. It is usually just smiling and nodding, but they've made me feel good for a couple of reasons. First, it has been nice for them to not immediately speak in English for me. I like the idea that I could fit in here if I learned the language. Secondly, I like that I don't have to make them stop and rework their thoughts into English for me. As a girl who majored in communications, I hate the feeling of being the cause of a communication barrier. French was fresher in my mind when I was in Switzerland, and I probably could have spent more time talking in French than I realized. Unfortunately, I was young and scared, and my host family was eager to practice their English. I vividly remember the panic I felt each time someone spoke to me in French. In response to that panic, people spoke to me in English. There have been a couple occasions on this trip in which I've seen that same discomfort. In response, all I can do is appologize. I can't offer the same courtesy that I've been offered.

5-27-07 Masstricht

Some things are universal. Last night while we were walking we saw a guy cat call and rev his engine at the woman crossing the street in front of him. She responded with what I would assume was Dutch profanity. I was very glad to find out that it wasn't a successful pickup in their culture either.

I noticed in both Amsterdam and Maastricht that when we tell people we are from the states they become a type of modest, and expect us to want things bigger and better. Both of the universities we were at emphasized how small they were. The University of Maastrict has as many students as UCA. All the people we talked to in Maastricht and Aachen began by telling us that it was a small city, but they loved it because... I guess they don't expect Americans to come from small towns or value small communities.

Mike and I have always talked, though rarely seriously, about moving out of the country for a couple of years. I think that it is something that I've wanted more. Mike has already lived in Germany for 3 years, so he is not as intent on it as I am. I've thought about Australia a lot because I am worried about the language barrier, but it is becoming clear that I would have quite a bit of time to learn the language in Europe if I could only find a job that would hire me. This trip is doing a lot to make my desire stronger. At this blissful moment the only thing that worries me is my family. I have an aunt who refuses to watch Johnny Depp movies because he moved to France, and, "The French hate Americans." I'm afraid my reasons for wanting this would be lost on them. It really would be a great adventure and Mike seems to be getting easier to persuade. We'll see I suppose.

5-25-07 Maastricht

The train ride yesterday morning started out a little crazy, but it was in no way an indicator of how the day was going to go. Maastricht is beautiful. It is exactly what my mind fantasizes about when I think of a European town. The old buildings, the small shops, and the cobblestone sidewalks are what my mind's eye had predicted.

The campus tour was interesting, and ours fortunately went very well. One of the only difficulties we had was finding the Student Center. it seemed to me that it would be very difficult to find things at that university unless you knew exactly what to call what you were looking for. We were assured by everyone we asked that there was not a student center, but they all also recommended we lunch at the Econ Building. We ended up spending on hour and a half, if not more talking with a student who works in the Communications and Relations Department. She was mainly working on putting together the university's Open Day which sounded like UCA's Welcome Week.

Now that I've gone on about how quaint the city looked, I must admit that I was surprised by the brands of the stores we saw walking around. I also saw several Jesus statues and crucifixions, and they had the think Jesus faces that I am use to. I wonder how many other things I have decided were cultural differences that really weren't.

5-24-07 Amsterdam

If you think of embarrassment as a spectrum, I'd say that I've never been more than mildly embarrassed before yesterday. I've been embarrassed several times on this trip, but none of them were comparable to how I felt when our speaker made a comment about our decisions in Iraq. Here I am American. I am not a democrat or a liberal. I am not even a college student before I am American. At home, I can exercise my freedom of speech; I can use my right to vote. Here, I am responsible for those decisions. I could feel the heat of my entire face turning read as I thought about the news stories I heard of who did and who did not support us and our decisions in Iraq. I was embarrassed of my country. I was embarrassed for not knowing what our decisions made us seem like for them. I was embarrassed for wanting to make excuses.

The campus visit to Vrije University was very nice. I've known about the binary system for a while, but it is still amazing to see it in action. I'm turning 24 next month and I still haven't decided what I plan to do for the rest of my life. Right now, I am still planning out experiences to have that will help me narrow down my options. I can't fathom making that decision at twelve. At twelve I wanted to be an animator. My aptitude tests said I should be a mime or a puppeteer. Higher Ed Administration is pretty far off from all of those. I remember being horribly upset when my career test came back. I was a very talkative kid, and I couldn't understand how I would be best at a job where I wasn't allowed to speak. The irony of the whole situation is that my current desire is to work for Sesame Street.

I wonder if there are societal status differences between the students who go to the research universities and the students who go to the professional universities. I have a friend in Switzerland. They use the same system and her track was to go to the university, but her family couldn't afford all of it. While I was visiting her, she was taking a year off to waitress and save money to pay for it. She would tell me stories of how guests would look down on her because they thought that she wasn't going to the university. I know that there is a clear separation between honors students - regular(?) students- and the at risk student in our education system. I also know that there are classism issues in America. I wonder fi the binary system supports or reinforces those problems.

After the visit Mike and I went to the Van Gogh Museum. I loved it. I spent a year studying the impressionist artists so I knew the Van Gogh story. I could see the influences of the other artists in his work, and I appreciated watching how his work changed. I don't know if Mike enjoied it as much; I'm glad we went.

Last night we went back out to the Dam. There we got to see the Amsterdam police in action, some very interesting hookah bars, and a restaurant that only served fries. In the square there was a huge crucifixion statue. I'm not sure how I missed it earlier, but fortunately I didn't miss it all together. It was neat to see Jesus through their eyes. He was still in the submissive/beaten pose, but his face was so different from what we normally see. Our Jesus face is petite, fragile, and feminine. So often in the crucifixion, he looks broken. In this statue the face was strong, full, and masculine. He looked like a Roman hero. It reminded me of art made of the Greek and Roman gods. I wonder what the difference I'm seeing is. I don't know if it is a European difference, a Protestant difference, or just one artist's preference.

5-23-07 Amsterdam

Yesterday was a good day despite my lack of sleep crankiness. As a group we went to the Anne Frank House. It was somber, but in a good way. In fact, it reminded me that I was cranky because I was traveling the world and wonderfully privileged. I guess the most cultural observations that I did there were of the tourists. It was hard to watch people being less than somber, but I suppose you can't force anyone to be respectful, especially Americans. I was disappointed in myself for how much I had forgotten about her book. I remember it affecting me in school, but now I'm starting to wonder if I was old enough to appreciate all of it. I'll have to read it again.

They had a little movie running after going though the house. It was about human rights and freedoms, and it was clearly biased and liberal. According to the pamphlet it was an EU production, but it struck me as very similar to American, liberal propaganda directed at college students. I don't know that I expected Europe to be more subtle. In fact, I don't even know if they strive for impartial and unbiased like America claims to. I value unbiased reporting, but I think that opinionated reports have their place too. Whether the Anne Frank House is a place for those opinions is something I hadn't thought about. I know what bothers me in America is the claim to be neutral when it is not. I know that some countries have a blatant and open bias for the government (usually because the networks are government controlled), and I don't think that is always good. If all of the media works on behalf of the government, and the people get upset with the government, the media won't be able to tell them anything - even if it is good or unrelated.

I knew in my head that people rode their bicycles everywhere in Europe. I even envied the stories I heard about well-sized and well-respected bicycle lanes. My head never worked out what it looks like to see people riding their bicycles everywhere. When I previously thought of bicyclists, I imagined kids, and people in sportswear. Here it is everybody and every type of attire. The men and women in their business suites is what I couldn't imagine before. It makes sense, but it still caught me by surprise to see. The women in skirts still makes me curious. Do they do something (like wear shorts underneath) that makes it ok, or is it completely a social difference? If I rode a bike with a skirt I would be extremely self conscious. Short skirts I would worry about riding up and long skirts I would worry about them flapping against the tire and possibly getting stuck in the spokes.

Bicycle Parking Deck

5-22-07 Amsterdam

A friend recently returned from Spain which reminded me that I have not shared my Europe journal yet. So for the next couple weeks, I'll be sharing my journal. This journal was an assignment for the cultural diversity class, but the content and topics were not chosen for us.

I've been accused of having Disney radar before, and it just might be true. The very first thing that I saw in Amsterdam was a kid in a Cars t-shirt waiting for someone to get off the plane. It made me smile. I like it when kids like the movies that I like. Then I had to stop and think about how American Cars is. It is very American.It is about how our country changed when the small towns on the interstate were bypassed. Does that mean I should feel the same way about kids here liking Cars as I do about McDonalds? I realize that Disney is corporate and I understand the concept of McWorld, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to share my favorite movies. Those fairy tales are European stories, and no matter how much I love Ariel, that is not how the story goes. Is Disney depriving them of their own culture? In America Disney was the story & everything else was a version. As much as I enjoy Disney, I hope that it is not like that here.