Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Canoeing the Danube
Today we went on a little canoe journey down the Danube from a little ways in Austria, back down past Devin Castle to Bratislava. The canoe trip was slightly off from what I had pictured since we ended up securing two canoes together to make a catamaran. Being a major waterway, the Danube had some boat traffic that we had to deal with and manuever around. Wakes created by the boat traffic were more the problem than the boats themselves.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Szechenyi Bath and Spa Budapest
Szechenyi Bath and Spa Budapest
On Saturday May 19th, we visited the Szechenyi Bath and Spa in Budapest. I have never experienced a bath house and it was quite interesting. First when you walk in you change into your swimsuit and shower off. Then you just walk around and choose a bath depending on the temperature of your liking. The place is very popular and even though it was a Saturday, this bath house was filled with people of various age groups but mainly consisted of middle aged to elderly. There are many baths outside and inside of the complex. The baths outside seemed more enjoyable and the views of the bath house from outside were very beautiful. I would suggest coming to the place on a cool or cold day so that the hot thermal baths are even more relaxing. Other amenities include steam rooms and massage areas. The paragraph below explains a little more about the history and information about the bath house we visited today. If your in Budapest and need a relaxing moment I highly suggest this place.
Budapest can rightly be called the city of spas,
and the Szechenyi Bath and Spa was its first thermal baths on the Pest
side. At the time, back in 1881, it was called "Artesian Bath", and was
only a temporary establishment. In 1913, it was converted into a
permanent bath, and received its present name and most parts of its
pretty yellow building complex. In 1927, beach sites, as well as public
bathing departments for gentlemen and ladies were added. In 1960,
another expansion added a group thermal section (for use in bathing
suites), and a daytime outpatient hospital. The year of 1999 saw a
complete reconstruction of the swimming pools. Water filtering and
circulation devices were added, and the fancy bath received high
standard equipment and modern elements. The renovation and
reconstruction work continues, partially closing down different sections
each year.
Agency
While in Sighişoara, Schäßburg auf Deutsch, and a beautiful town at that, I saw a rather interesting incident involving two adults, a child, and what would appear to be an unavoidably tempting shop with its colourful open air display.
In the middle of my enjoying a delicious apple and blackberry pie in the middle of the old town I noticed a small family making its way across the square - mom, dad, and junior. As they were on their way out of the greater town centre, junior noticed a shop that had an impressive display of toys, flags, and other potential souvenirs, the kind that are often bought with someone at home in mind, but, shortly after the giving and receiving of such gifts, quickly lose their significance and are added to that greater assortment of junk that everyone is wont to have.
Anyway, junior was soon captivated by the collage of colours and craftsmanship and came under the impression that he would very much enjoy a visit to this particular shop. However, his parents had a different agenda; it was their aim to continue their walk out of the square, in direct opposition to junior's hopes. As he began to realize that there was the coexistence of two mutually exclusive sets of goals, he became visibly upset. A great crying and weeping and gnashing of teeth followed from the boy.
The interesting part was how the parents decided to handle their child. Many of us, myself included, value the notion of being free and having the option to exercise agency in making decisions for ourselves. So, the parents, instead of demanding that he follow them or picking him up bodily, gave him an implicit choice. They simply continued their course away from the shop and out of the square leaving the wailing boy to make his choice.
Being faced with not only the gravity of making the choice, junior also needed to understand the implications associated with each alternative. Choose the shop and forgo the care and attention of the parents for some unforeseeable amount of time, or play it safe and follow mom and dad. With tears in his eyes, junior turned his back on the shop and trod out of sight.
Knowing, even at his young age, that he needed his parents, his decision to forsake the risk associated with being alone reflects what can be seen in many of us. Fear of the unknown can drive people to disregard and ignore whole swaths of life. Maybe, in time, junior will grow into a well-rounded adult capable of making meaningful decisions on his own and of leading a fulfilling life. In a way, that is the point of my being here now. I am hoping that by shining light into previously dark and unknown corners of the world, I too will become something more like a well-rounded and less ignorant person.
In the middle of my enjoying a delicious apple and blackberry pie in the middle of the old town I noticed a small family making its way across the square - mom, dad, and junior. As they were on their way out of the greater town centre, junior noticed a shop that had an impressive display of toys, flags, and other potential souvenirs, the kind that are often bought with someone at home in mind, but, shortly after the giving and receiving of such gifts, quickly lose their significance and are added to that greater assortment of junk that everyone is wont to have.
Anyway, junior was soon captivated by the collage of colours and craftsmanship and came under the impression that he would very much enjoy a visit to this particular shop. However, his parents had a different agenda; it was their aim to continue their walk out of the square, in direct opposition to junior's hopes. As he began to realize that there was the coexistence of two mutually exclusive sets of goals, he became visibly upset. A great crying and weeping and gnashing of teeth followed from the boy.
The interesting part was how the parents decided to handle their child. Many of us, myself included, value the notion of being free and having the option to exercise agency in making decisions for ourselves. So, the parents, instead of demanding that he follow them or picking him up bodily, gave him an implicit choice. They simply continued their course away from the shop and out of the square leaving the wailing boy to make his choice.
Being faced with not only the gravity of making the choice, junior also needed to understand the implications associated with each alternative. Choose the shop and forgo the care and attention of the parents for some unforeseeable amount of time, or play it safe and follow mom and dad. With tears in his eyes, junior turned his back on the shop and trod out of sight.
Knowing, even at his young age, that he needed his parents, his decision to forsake the risk associated with being alone reflects what can be seen in many of us. Fear of the unknown can drive people to disregard and ignore whole swaths of life. Maybe, in time, junior will grow into a well-rounded adult capable of making meaningful decisions on his own and of leading a fulfilling life. In a way, that is the point of my being here now. I am hoping that by shining light into previously dark and unknown corners of the world, I too will become something more like a well-rounded and less ignorant person.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Romanian Life
On Thursday May 24 we took a trip to Biertan, Romania to check out the fortified church in the town. The trip was kind of a let down, because it started to rain a short while after we got to looking at the church. However, on the ride back I was able to talk a little with our cab driver. From our conversation I was able to glean, even in a small way, the true Romania. While as tourists we enjoy the beauty of the countryside, the rich history it offers, and the low, low prices of just about everything we don't get a chance to see the often harsh reality of Romanian life. The cabbie explained how the cops extort bribes by pulling people over to they can charge them a fee, which goes in their own pocket, in lieu of a ticket. Albeit a smaller fee than the ticket, this demonstrates the corruption of local government. He also pointed out the prostitutes that hang out by a round'a'bout at the edge of town, explaining the indifference of law enforcement. Our cabbie also told of how investors bought up land outside of town to build a Dracula theme park. (We are in Transylvania after all.) In doing so the investors bought out some nice cabins that were bringing in money to the area. He shared that this raised the hopes of everyone in the area that this would create jobs. In a country where around 38 percent of the rural population is below the poverty line people are desperate for work, and any jobs would be welcomed. This short cab ride was an eye opening experience for me. I don't believe I will be able to look at Romania in the same "it's-awesome-because-everything-is-so-cheap" mindset again. That being said I'm truly grateful to have had this conversation with the cabbie whose name I never caught.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Art Nouveau Architecture
Art Noveau Architecture is characterized by long, straight lines, smooth corners, and bits of natural ornamentation. In Budapest this style of architecture is very easy to spot once you see what to look for. Dr. Jones pointed out a few examples to get us started and then assigned us to look for various instances on our own.
I chose two buildings in two parts of town-- both have tall vertical elements, a few curved elements, and different types of decorative elements. I'm going to stick in some photographs so you can see what I'm talking about, and compare and contrast the Art Nouveau elements under each.
curved archways
long, straight lines of brick
wreath-like accents
floral accents behind each balcony
horizontal and vertical lines
detail of fruits, leaves, and scrolls
curves along the ledges
These two buildings look different, but the similarities in style mark them both as Art Nouveau. After learning about Art Nouveau architecture, it's easy to see pretty much everywhere. Later in our trip we visited this church in Bratislava, Slovakia which was also designed after the Art Nouveau style.
I chose two buildings in two parts of town-- both have tall vertical elements, a few curved elements, and different types of decorative elements. I'm going to stick in some photographs so you can see what I'm talking about, and compare and contrast the Art Nouveau elements under each.
curved archways
long, straight lines of brick
wreath-like accents
floral accents behind each balcony
horizontal and vertical lines
detail of fruits, leaves, and scrolls
curves along the ledges
These two buildings look different, but the similarities in style mark them both as Art Nouveau. After learning about Art Nouveau architecture, it's easy to see pretty much everywhere. Later in our trip we visited this church in Bratislava, Slovakia which was also designed after the Art Nouveau style.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
hello everyone
For this year's study abroad group, we created this handy blog for posting pictures, assignments, stories, and other fascinating information. We're spending three weeks in Eastern/Central Europe, and we will have tons of awesome experiences to share.
Everyone in the group will have a chance to post at least twice, but if anyone wants to write more or add links or anything else, by all means go for it!
Everyone in the group will have a chance to post at least twice, but if anyone wants to write more or add links or anything else, by all means go for it!
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