Experiential Blog #9

        In completing this wonderful month abroad, I reflect on the knowledge that I have gained from these experiences. It has been apparent to me that the most meaningful knowledge has been learning how to interact with the people from these different cultures. It is fun and also intimidating at times. It has made me more conscience of how people from other cultures may interpret what we say and how we interpret what they say or do. Interacting with foreigners has been one of the best exercises for me. I feel it has helped in the process of really thinking before you speak. It is especially prominent that you do that in other countries, for what you say in America may not be very kosher in another place. In addition, the overall care you have for other cultures is essential. I do not believe I was ever disrespectful; however, I have been much more careful to be respectful while over here. It never hurts to be respectful, after all. 
        Knowing how to speak more delicately with others may have helped when meeting my friends from Italy. My friend's family was in town for a week before they headed back to Italy, when they invited me over to have a real "authentic" Italian dinner. The whole time I was so nervous. I felt so out of place and did not know how to properly respond to them when I did not understand what they were saying. Only my friend knew how to speak fluently in English; the rest of the family was kind of reliant on her to translate most of what I said, for they only knew broken English. It seemed like I was being rude when I just stared at them as they asked me a question, but I was unsure of anything else to do. 
         After having gone to these non-English speaking countries, I was once again flashed back to that great Italian dinner. I have realized, upon speaking with some Czechoslovakians,  that you can communicate to people without fully knowing their language. We had a good conversation, a lot of smiling and pointing, but we made it through. I was forced to work on it because I did not have anyone to help me translate. If I were to go back to that dinner, I would probably try to pick up what they were saying without sitting in quietness. I do know some Spanish; which, when listening to my Italian friend is very similar to their language. So, if I had really tried, I may have been able to pick up on what they were saying to me. Of course, not fully. It would have been a much better experience, I am sure of that. 
           My new found care of other cultures will help me very much in the future. Now, everything I read, write, or do will most likely try be from a worldview rather than an American view. It seems to me that understanding other cultures will be important in the workforce. Especially if a company you work for is international. You never know who might be at your conference dinner or who your next boss might be. It is important to have an understanding of different cultures so that you can interact and collaborate with them in harmony. Cultures work best together if they understand the customs, ideals, and practices of each other. From learning to understand cultural differences, I have now been less quick to call judgments on people. Since America is considered the "melting pot", I believe this conclusion will help me a lot back in the States. There are so many different cultures around us and we have to be aware of them before we exclude those who seem different to us.
             In the end, this overall experience has been so enlightening. I am so thankful for this trip and all that it has shown to me. It has given me knowledge that I can look back upon and, also, knowledge to share with others. Those who may not have the chance to come over here any experience the wonderfulness that is Europe. I will be able to continue my understanding of cultures by spreading the cultural awareness to those around me.
           

Experiential Blog #8

Throughout these three, almost four weeks, we have been learning about the concept of the empire. The different roles of the emperor or empress have been shown through many readings we have done. Learning about the struggles Sisi went through as an Empress; and not to mention her son, Rudolph, who had trials that led him to suicide. We also have been exploring the idea of empire through satirical or fictional stories. We have not only learned about content knowledge, but also how different cultures function.
We are learning differently in that we are seeing and experiencing the places we are learning about. Where we are having class may also play a part. Being in a manor, with an almost castle like appearance in the classroom, you feel as though you are in the empire with the rulers.
I feel like the most important thing I have learned is cultural awareness. Hearing and understanding the opinions of the locals gives you a deeper knowledge and appreciation of the world.

Location:Grantham,United Kingdom

Experiential Blog #7

While in Ireland, I noticed a lot of different behaviors than the places we had already been. The people are happy and friendly with almost anyone, which can be different. The concept of "personal space" does not exist there. I liked their kindness, personally, while others may find it to be fake or creepy. This kind of attitude, I feel, is different from our previous encounters. Vienna felt kind of stone cold, maybe even rude. Prague was nice and pleasant, and, disregarding the night life, not extremely outgoing. In most cases, I would prefer the Prague way of handling things; however, Ireland is temping too.
Honestly, I thought that everyone in everyplace would be nice and friendly. We are Americans after all, shouldn't we get special treatments? No. Their attitude not changing towards me had helped my America-centric point of view that had not left me yet. This point hit me hardest in Vienna, I would say.
It has taught me to be a little more straight forward with everything I do, and to not expect much from anyone. In the end, then, I can still think of the words from Michelangelo, "I'm still learning".


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Visual Essay Photos

Experiential Blog #6

While in London, even at Harlaxton, every person that speaks sounds so polite. I have heard many people say, "Lovely to see you", "Cheers" and "Oh, I am terribly sorry" and have seen friends kissing on each others cheeks, which was not too surprising to me. In comparison, America seems to be very blunt and loud and sometimes obnoxious.
It made me want to study the etiquette of the English people. It shows their obvious cultural differences. If we had similar cultures, then we would speak the same way as them.

Experiential Blog #5

Overall, I have been very happy on this trip. I normally am not a very expressive person in general and not much has changed with that. I have felt I cannot express as much in certain locations, because it may be too loud, etc. I try to stay very neutral with everyone, so keeping my expressions to a minimum is key. I am not exactly sure with how everyone feels; however, it seems to me that others may be a little more expressive and/or emotional than I am (for both the group and the people of Czech Republic). The people of Austria seemed a little more stoic and did not seem they desired interaction with tourists. Personally, I love people. Even the Austrians. It is so interesting to me observing how different people interact. It has shown me that different culture do not all act like ours, which can be frustrating at times. It is a very fun thing to think back on, and it makes me want to travel to many other places to see how they might interact.

Experiential Blog #4

The buildings are magnificent. Very close together and varying in different types of structures. Some goth some not. In the country, there are many hills and rape seed plants; it's beautiful. The cobblestones very uneven but nice to look at.
After going to Vienna, I expected it to be dirtier and more worn down. I did not feel that was the case. When we first came up on the train it looked as how I expected, but once we hit the city it was perfect. Clean, unique, and more stylized than that of Vienna.
The buildings influence the what we're learning in that the old and new town show the rise and fall of empire.
The people in Prague were very friendly. I believe the buildings influence the uniqueness of the people and cause a greater understanding of history.

Experiential Blog #3

At first, the buildings seemed very tall and any building related to royalty was extremely intricate.I think this make the people more intricate and different because they are constantly surrounded by this wonderful architecture and old history. Whereas in the states, our history is very young so we often are influenced by the present rather than the past. 

I had always imagined it would be amazing; however, it takes your breath away when you actually see it. Pictures will never do it justice because with pictures see--you cannot feelthe scenery. It is completely different.

Explain how Kafka Contributes to the Understanding of the Empire

Both of Kafka's writing, both the Castle and the Judgement, demonstrate his view of the empire. The Castle, after seeing Prague, perfectly described the castle they have there. It therefore, gave a better idea of how the Empire functioned in Prague. Very bad communication and the amount of buildings that were apart of this castle was so Kafkaesque that he had to write about. I only imagine it being confusing and frustrating when I saw it.
In the Judgement, Kafka explains the relationship between a son in his father. The story is interpreted in many, many ways. However, in this case, his father represents the empire. Constantly concerned about who his son is communicating with and who is marrying (which in this case, he approves of the wife). The struggle between pleasing himself and pleasing the empire (his father) shows the annoyance that takes place in the inner politics of the empire.

Describe the Ossuary of Kutna Hora: Explain why it is creepy/sublime

The Ossuary of Kutna Hora was a church basement that had been transformed by using skeletons, mostly skulls to decorate. The skeletons are said to be people who had suffered from the plague or other disastrous past events. It was very odd and disturbing to me that the remains of people were used in showcase for this church. It felt kind of weird to be taking pictures and admiring (for lack of a better word) people who had suffered and now are on display. Almost as if we are mocking them.

Describe Konopiste as a classic empire/gothic location

The hunting lodge Konopiste was full of a gothic interior. The hallway with the taxidermy animals that had been hunted filling the walls, all 300,000 of them. It was a very gothic feeling. Death surrounding you everywhere. It also tells you about Franz Ferdinand. Having that much free time to hunt all of those animals could imply that he was more concerned with his own affairs rather than that of the empire he is supposed to be running. It is also much more secluded from the castle where the political affairs took place.

Describe Sisi: Explain how she is a(n) Gothic/Empire heroine

In her new role as Empress, Sisi took on the new task of being immersed in the empire. It appears she is more opposite of an empire heroine, in that, she rebelled against the ideas of her Aunt Sophie. She was not educated on diplomatic affairs like her sister, Helene, so she did not adhere to the constraints the empire desired. She was; however, a good asset to the making peace in Hungary. She much more easily described as a Gothic heroine. Due to her many tragedies as a mother and her cage that she was held in at Schonbrunn, Sisi is the embodiment of Gothic heroine. 

Compare and Contrast Palace's

Vienna: Schonbrunn and Hofburg
Schonbrunn, the summer palace of the Habsburgs was where they held many political occasions. Although it is described as the summer get away, this is the palace in which Sisi was caged. It is a large palace, with an interior that is breathtaking. The rooms of the palace, though, are all connected with each other, making it hard to have any place of privacy. The gardens, or mazes, were also beautiful but not very peaceful.
The Hofburg, or the Imperial Palace, had more of political feel to it. It felt political; however, I believe it was more of a place of freedom for Sisi. They had many more of her activities displayed at this palace and more privacy for her as the rooms were not connected like they were at Schonbrunn.
London: Kew
This palace was totally different than the palaces in Vienna. It even seems odd referring to it as a palace. It was a lovely place, however. This is what made it different. It looked nothing like the very impressive Habsburg palaces in Vienna. The garden was also much larger. This palace, in comparison, was strictly for the purposes of a family home. Therefore, there was much more privacy and not one iota of politics.

Compare and Contrast Cathedrals

Vienna:
St. Stephen's Dom was a very large and impressive structure.The stain glass windows were very plain, but this was not purposeful. The once detailed and beautiful windows had been destroyed in the baroque period. The one thing that stood out to me about it, though, was how the tour guide made no mention of the actual religious purposes it had. He probably did not mention any religion because it was mostly used for political reasons. Its large size showed political power in the empire. It was not where the Habsburgs attended; which was the Capuchin Church. They most likely required this church for reasons to impress, rather than for the sake of spreading religion throughout the empire.
Prague:
St. Vitus Cathedral was absolutely stunning; externally and internally. In an obvious state of being Gothic, this church was much more complex than that of Vienna. It is hard to compare them, as they are both magnificent in their own ways. St. Vitus had glorious stained glass windows unlike Vienna, but it also felt a little more showy. Vienna had a service going while we were there which made it feel more like a cathedral. The fact that most of the Prague population is Atheist may have played a part in this observation. It was wonderful in appearance and empty in religious meaning.
St. George Basilica was completely different than both of the other cathedrals. It had an extremely plain exterior as well as interior. It did not necessarily leave a bad feeling; however, it did not leave a good feeling either.
Grantham:
St. Wulfrum's in Grantham seemed large at first, for I had seen it before the other cathedrals. Now, I would describe it as a quaint cathedral. Beautiful exterior and the potential of a beautiful interior (due to the construction at the moment). In comparison to the other cathedrals it was small, but the people who gave us a description about the chained book library seemed to be more enthusiastic about the Episcopalian values. Overall, it was a very charming church.

Freud's Contribution to Understanding the Empire

   In discovering something that would presumably be unheard of, Sigmund Freud created a way to help the mental health of women in the late 19th early 20th century. The husbands of these women were gone in the day performing work tasks as well as in the evening for their own entertainment. As they were stuck in the house all day, it not too difficult to assume they went a little crazy. Freud tapped into this enigma of the time and, suddenly, women came desiring his help. He understood that the empire was not perfect; that there was someone suffering behind all of the grand palaces.
   His daughter, Anna Freud, helped with an institution that allowed psychoanalysis in public schools. The need supposedly came when there was a change from the Habsburg monarchy to the Republic of Austria, during the first World War.  The goal was to use psychoanalysis in a balance of freedom and restrictions in an decent format for children. The community once saw the physicality of the Empire;however, now, Freud has shown the mental background of the Empire in all of its flaws.

Morton and Shaw

        The Crown Prince, although it sounds impressive, is but a name for the early 30's Rudolf. He had many titles, Rudolf; however, they did nothing for him. More like he could do nothing with them. Politically, he was much on the side of Liberalism. Not like his father, Franz-Joseph. Franz-Joseph was very conservative minded, and had a completely opposite view from his son's. Their differences may cause conflict in the empire. Though the Crown Prince was optimistic about new liberal policies, at the time of his death, it appeared the people were not as enthusiastic about the new turn of events. Like most media sources, theories started spreading like wild-fire. This eventually came to an end; and when the truth came out about Rudolf's suicide, there had to be someway to allow a true Catholic burial for him. The piece describes the solution most clearly when it states, "Rudolf had not been quite lucid when he placed the revolver against his temple.By the lights of the Catholic Church he was not a suicide. Hence he could be buried, after the Habsburg manner and with Habsburg solemnity, in the crypt of the Capuchin friars, like all of his ancestors before him" (254). This turn of events show cases the mysteriousness that the Empire will hold when its authenticity is being questioned.
            The stories in the Royal Babylon show the fraudulence in the Empire. Many of the leaders that were on display in this book were involved in some sort of inappropriate behavior. Any kind of activity that was seen as sin by the Catholic church, they did. All they had to do was ask for forgiveness and go on their way. For example, Philip D'Oreleans, who had around one-hundred ladies in which he was involved. Even more unusually promiscuous, King George II had regular arrangements to see women. In fact, his wife would make some of these arrangements to be sure that he would get someone uglier than her. His daughter was even aware of this occurrence as the book reads, "...Princess Anne, hoped he take even more mistresses so that "Mama might be a little relieved from the ennui of seeing him in her room"(195). This was the way of life in the Empire. The rulers often engaged in terrible activities or habits. This is not a defense; rather, a note that not just some but most were engaging in these activities.
               In the end, then, we see the overarching corruption of the Empire in both stories. Not only the poor relationship it caused Rudolf and Franz-Joseph to have; but also the coldness of covering up Rudolf's true reasoning for suicide for the sake of the Empire. It is much more easily seen in the Royal Babylon. Every story gives the specifics as to what happened behind the scenes in the Empire. An interesting look inside the lens with more of a disturbing feeling in the end. Unfortunately, this corruptness lives on; in different shapes and forms, the Empire still lives.

Surprises

         Thankfully, these first few days have had many more pleasant experiences than negative. It was not necessarily a surprise, per say; however, it was very pleasant hearing the locals speak. They have such a polite way of saying just about anything, which is refreshing. The overall size of the manor was bigger than I had expected. It makes for more adventure, which I almost always consider positive. As for the negative, I do not believe there has been anything negative regarding the culture or the manor itself (I will note: the horror movie I was forced to watch last night would be considered unpleasant to me; though, I do not think that fits in this blog post).
          Dealing with the culture and differences has been simple so far. I feel as though, since we have not ventured out from Harlaxton that much, we have not dealt with many culturally shocking things. I do feel like I am being more careful as to how I act, only in fear that I may say or do something that is offensive in this culture. At home, everything is familiar so dealing with certain things is just second nature.
           It is my understanding that whatever I have been or will be surprised by shows my ignorance and disconnection from the culture or place. I do not take this in a bad light; rather, something that is a new experience and will eventually be learned throughout the journey of this trip.

Goals

            It seems it would be apparent that upon applying for this trip, we should already know what our goals are. Though we know what our goals are, others do not. When I applied for this study abroad adventure, I was taking a European History course at UC Clermont. My professor, Dr. Krome, made the class so interesting that when Avery told me about the trip, I was more than intrigued. I wanted to know even more about the culture in Europe than I ever had before.
            So, on to the goals. I would like to, of course, learn more about the Empire and how it function(s)(ed). During my European course, my professor would mention bits and pieces of the empire and what went along with it; however, because it was a general course, he never went into full detail. It will be interesting, and already has been interesting, to learn about the specifics that went into leading an empire, how it has changed, and how it effects those around it. The second goal happens on the exterior portion of the trip. Culture. I have already had a small taste of this, but I am sure that there is more to come. In the United States, we often do not hear about other places unless there is an event related to us. From having friends that were from different cultures, it has made me curious about the actual places they are from. To be totally immersed in an unfamiliar world--although attractive--has its challenges I am sure. This is a challenge I am willing to accept.
               The goals may be achieved in many ways. There are only a few ways that I personally can come up with. As for the course, it is important to pay attention in class, during tours, museums, readings, etc. If we do not pay any attention to all of these activities, there is no way we will walk away with a rich experience. It could be difficult sometimes to keep up, but it will be important to do so, if you or I want to gain an extra sensibility about the history in Europe. For the culture aspect, I already am immersed in it since I am staying here for a month. How can I learn more, though? A person can be here, but if they are in their room all day and night, how will they learn the culture? Well, it never hurts to ask questions. Back in the States, I always loved when foreigners would ask about my country or culture. Another way is to simply be observant. Sometimes this may be hard to intake everything if we move at a fast pace. Just try to listen, observe and ask questions. That is how I plan to achieve my goals.

The Empire

               The empire is the basis on which we will be learning about in our German Culture course; so, it is most appropriate that it is defined.
               The empire is the compilation of states and/or areas which are run by a higher authority. This authority is, in most cases, referred to as an Emperor or Empress. In most government systems, there is a need for a person or persons that control (for lack of a better word) the needs and overall betterment of the community. Sometimes, in old empires, it is more about the betterment of the ruler rather than the people.

The Importance of Proper Dress and Conduct

           The departure of our trip to Europe is near; and so, commence the final details and preparations of travel. Due to the differences in European culture, we as a group need to be wary of our clothing choices. For both men and women this quote from fashion designer Tom Ford applies, "Dressing well is a form of good manners". Now, to dress well does not necessarily mean that you need a suit and tie or a formal gown with pumps.  It is a possibility; however, that too would stand out. What we require as a group is a perfect balance of sophisticated yet casual. You would be surprised at how nice a plainly colored t-shirt can look if you hold yourself in the right way or pair it with something unexpectedly complimentary. Because of the size of our group, there is no way we can escape from the fact that we are going to look like tourists. When the locals look over at our group, let's not give them anything bad to say about us. Meaning, we should not wear any clothing boasting American patriotism, or anything that might appear offensive towards that specific area. Modesty also plays a role in what is appropriate while traveling. Women should not wear anything too low or too high. Any shirt should not be too low cut, shorts or skirt should not be too short/high, and any dress should not be both low and high. Hopefully, the same should not concern the men. Pants and shirts should not be screaming for mercy (too tight). this applies to both men and women.
            The conduct (or behavior) should reflect what you're wearing: respectful. Try to keep the volume of your voice medium to low, we don't want the Queen to hear us in her sound proof rooms! Unless of course, you are in desperate need of help. We should behave kindly to each-other. Quarrels or loud obnoxious laughing may cause a negative view from locals. In addition to being respectful to the people who live there, we also need to keep in mind the other travelers. We should be overly curious about our surroundings, therefore shenanigans will not occur.

Course Knowledge

        When looking at this course, German Culture History, I realize I have learned about the Hapsburgs and the Windsors. The Hohenzollerns; however, I have never heard of before (or at least remember). I am excited to learn about this Empire. I took a European History course last semester and heard "Hapsburg" a lot. Their empire grew like a wild fire. Through offspring and different marriages to other dynasties, the Hapsburg Empire totally surrounded France. This may be incorrect: it is understanding that the Hapsburg Empire was also a part of the Holy Roman Empire. This meant that the ruler of the Hapsburg Empire was also considered "Holy Roman Emperor". I may be wrong, though. This is a very sad description of their empire, for it is much more complex and very interesting from what I remember. I'm excited to learn the details of the Hapsburgs.
  As for the Windsors, I absolutely love the British Royal family history. I do not know everything about it, but I am very fascinated by it.  The time the Windsors were/are in rule would be considered the "House of Windsor". It has not always been the House of Windsor, however. Prior to this is was the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. This was changed in the early 1900s due to a germanophobia of sorts during the First World War. The Windsor Monarchy is still alive today, with its ruler Queen Elizabeth II.
    Unfortunately, I have no knowledge of the Hohenzollern Empire. I cannot wait to learn about it! European history is so interesting to me because it has influenced most of what we do today. It's fun to know where something originates and how it started. I really look forward to this summer semester course!

Getting Ready

                 After meeting all of the lovely people that will be joining me on this British Study abroad trip, I am feeling more and more excited about the preparation that will need to take place for this adventure. Prior to the trip I have had to consider the costs, packing, and the overall experience. The costs, although pricey, were thankfully not an inconvenience. I have money of my own saved and  my parents and grandparents will be helping as well. I will bare most of the costs, however. The thought of packing has become less stressful. Knowing that we should only pack the bare essentials comforts me in that the list is shorter to remember. I would rather not test my forgetfulness; the short list will help me in that request. I hope to go to Ireland or Italy for my free weekend; however, anyplace in Europe will be outstanding, I'm sure. I'm very excited for this adventure and what it has in store.