Photo Book

My photo book highlighting some amazing FSU London experiences!

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Day 22: Friends

Three weeks ago, I was very excited and nervous to study abroad in London. I really wasn’t sure what to expect, and didn’t know whether the experience would match my personal goals. Even more so, I didn’t really know anything substantial about the individuals that were going along with me on the trip. This was added to the fact that I was going to be the only male in the group of 16 other participants.

When I found out in early May about being the only male participant, it was a culture shock. I have always been fortunate enough to have a mixture of female and male friends and colleagues. Even in my undergraduate years I joined a co-educational fraternity because I couldn’t stand the idea of being surrounded by guys everyday. On the other end of the spectrum though, I have to admit, I have struggled at times during my graduate studies as I found myself being one of only 2-3 males in classroom settings. It’s easy to forget the discomfort of others when your part of the majority. Given this information, you can see why I was slightly hesitant to find out our classroom demographics. Don’t get me wrong, I pride myself in connecting with individuals and having good interpersonal skills, but there does come a point where I need some guy time.

You can be assured that all my worries were put to rest within the last 3 weeks. Not only did I make some amazing friends, but also I really received some amazing inside knowledge into the world of women. And all of this happened while taking in some cultural values across the pond.

I really appreciated the diversity of individuals in our class. Many people think of diversity as physical characteristics of an individual (which are valid) but often overlook the diversity of opinions, backgrounds, and interests. Our class really excelled in this remark. I really felt everyone that I spoke to (which is everyone in the class) brought some interesting perspective to the activities, places, and projects that we completed over the course of the three weeks. I found myself asking some individuals about the historical context of Les Miserable, while asking others about their favorite football (soccer) team, and still others about their involvement with ALA. I really connected with people on different levels, which is the environment I enjoy the most (and based on the Meyers-Briggs Personality test).

I know I made some friends that I will continue to connect with for a long time. I’ve already spoken to a few classmates about next year’s ALA in Las Vegas (which is going to be amazing).  The FSU London experience was unforgettable primarily because of these individuals. Although I think everyone was very awesome, I wanted to give a special shout out to Jessica, Keila, Katie, and Melissa for making me feel at home away from home, making some great memories, and giving me the inside scoop and a crash course on women. These lovely ladies rock my socks. I learned and took a lot of educational, social, and practical experiences from London, but perhaps most importantly, I think I came out learning not to be hesitant of getting out of my comfort zone. It also doesn’t hurt to have met some amazing people either! 

 Keila and Katie

Jessica and Melissa

Till next time,

Lil Veniz

PS I’ll be posting some cover album pictures soon. Get ready.

Day 19-20: Dublin

Dublin was awesome. When I started thinking about what to write about, it occurred to me that we did so many things in the span of 36 hours, I wouldn't know where to begin. I guess for the sake of consistency and for my own sake, I'll take you on a tour from the beginning of the trip to the end, highlighting the amazing parts.

Act I
We arrived in Dublin in the early afternoon. Our first course of action was to visit the (amazing) Guinness Storehouse. I am a huge fan of beer, and I've been fortunate enough to visit an array of breweries (I believe 5 or 6 over the last two years). This tour tops them all. Easily. It was like a giant beer museum. Yes, a GIANT Beer museum. Remember Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? This tour should be titled Miguel and the Guinness Factory. Except I don't own a multi-billion dollar factory at the end of the day. The tour was very informative, engaging, and full of beer. My favorite part was the end of course, where we arrived at the 7th floor and saw a 360 view of the City of Dublin while drinking a fresh pint of Guinness.

Act II: 

I was very excited when I found out my long time friend katie (Cait, as she is known in Ireland), was able to meet me out for a night in Dublin. And man, was it a great night. Right off the bat she made it clear that she wanted to show me a true Irish night out. I was definitely not disappointed. We started out with a few drinks at her place and then went to an amazing local pub with live Irish music. I had an amazing conversation about life in Ireland with her friend Lenny, who was an awesome guy. Afterwards we went to a bar/club to meet up with some other friends. This was the highlight of my night. 

I have to say, I am not a good dancer...at all, but by the dancing in the bar, I could be considered Usher. Coming into the night club, I was excited to hear some great electronic music, only to find out that I was in the middle of a seventh grade dance. The guys were standing in a corner, while all the girls stood and moved in another corner. I really wanted to show them how it's done, so I grabbed my friend's hand and started dancing. It was fantastic. I definitely had some stares, and it was worth it. I even talked to the DJ and requested some music to be played. 

Along with this, I met some of Katie's amazing Irish friends, who talked to me about Irish culture, music, education, and politics  (as far as a 4 a.m. conversation goes anyway). I really enjoyed my time with everyone. 

 Bar DJ

Katie and some new friends

Katie and Lenny

Act III

I essentially completed an amazing walking tour of Dublin with my good friend Jessica. We walked kilometers and kilometers and saw some amazing things. Everything from an amazing pub singer to good food, there was something to see and do. I requested a song (Wagon Wheel) from the singer at the pub while drinking some good beer. Dublin has a strong sense of identity, with a deep culture and customs, along with some of the nicest people I've ever collectively encountered. I'll definitely be coming back again!

Chimney Bread

Street Band (One Direction who?)

FSU Video Production

Check out the video my FSU Multimedia group produced for the FSU International video contest! Pretty good video if I do say so myself.

   

Day 18: Lil Veniz Conquers Europe

I'm writing this post from the Express train going to Heathrow Airport. No, I'm not going home. To the contrary actually, I'm continuing my adventures in another country. Where you ask?  Dublin.

Ok. So I took a break and now I'm waiting for my flight at the airport. I'm just saying all of this to give you context for what I'm up too and why my post is delayed. 

I'm really excited to be going to Dublin. It's going to complete my trifecta of my awesome Western European tour in three weeks. Paris, London, and Dublin in three weeks is not to shabby I would say. But honestly that's not what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to take this time to formally introduce myself. Not as Miguel, but as my rapper alter ego: Lil' Veniz. 

I don't have any tracks to lay down for you to listen (I'm working on my first self- titled album as we speak). I also already have ideas for my second and third album. My inspiration has come from my multi nationalist tours throughout Europe. Along with this I've made some really good friends that I know I will keep in touch with for the long run. Some of them have been fortunate enough to earn their own rap names. They are as follows:

1. DJ BA

2. Lil' Bit

3. K-Swiss

4. Short Stak

I really have had a great time getting to know some great people. It's because of them that my trip has been great in London, Paris, and Dublin (I know it will be fun). I'll definitely be collaborating on some beats with them in the future. I know this post has been all over the place, but Ill write a second post on this topic in the near future. For now I have to get on my flight. 

Day 17: Your a Wizard Harry

I have to admit, I've only read the Harry Potter books once. I think my brother has read them once every year since they came out, not counting the times he read them again when new titles were released. That's not to say I'm not a fan of the books or the movies. They're amazing. And today I had the opportunity to visit the England Studio set (Making of Harry Potter). It was amazing too.

Model Hogwarts used in the films

There was a lot to see and do throughout the studio tour. What really made the tour different than many other tours was the fact that the sets, props, clothing, and masks were the real items used in the movies. I'm also not just talking about trinkets and pieces of cloth. I'm talking about fully erected sets. Everything from the Great Hall to Hagrid's Shack. It was really a sight to see. 

Going along with this though, it was slightly sad to realize the secrets within the Harry Potter universe. It was almost (but not quite) like the moment you find out Santa Clause isn't real. I mean, you know deep down inside that it's really impossible that he exists, but you still hold on hope that something surreal and magical is really happening. Seeing the sets staggered and pieced together was interesting, but along with this came the sobering realization that it was all made up, computer generated, and not real magic. On the flip side, it goes to show how amazing of a job the movie studio and everyone involved did in bringing such a surreal and unbelievable story to life.

On another note, I was really impressed with the Great Hall studio set. Although it didn't have candlesticks glowing in mid-air, it was great to see all the other parts of the set brought together. It was particularly interesting to be able to compare the set to the original dining room area from Oxford university, from which it is based on (and was utilized in the first movie). I actually thought they looked quite different, but I could see some connections. 

The architectural drawings that were presented throughout the studio also really caught my attention. I came in knowing that movie productions were complex and extensive, but I actually did not know that full scale architectural drawings, scale models, and renderings where an important part of the process. It really felt like they were building an entire city. I wonder if they hire actual urban planners, architects, and landscape architects.

Architectural Drawings

It was really a fun tour, and I bought some very cool souvenirs.

Day 16 Part II: Regal

Today was a very regal day for me in London. It really felt like I was immersed in how the other half lives. I hesitate to say the 1% just because of all the political ramifications that come along with it, as well as the fact that the places we visited were primarily filled with non-1%’ers like myself.

So what places did I visit today? Well we visited the Kensington Palace along with enjoying ourselves to some nice and fancy English High Tea.

Kensington Palace: regal indeed

There was a lot to see at the Kensington Palace, mainly based on how large it was. The building consisted of numerous rooms serving seemingly endless purposes. To give you a perspective, along with having rooms with 15’+ ceilings, there was a circular dance hall located in the middle of the first floor. This goes along with the enormous amount of “stuff” that was inside the museum. Although I am not a fashion student nor do I know anything about high-class English clothing, I really enjoyed looking at the princess dress exhibits (yes, I’m confortable enough with my manliness to admit this). The aspect that was most interesting about the dresses was evaluating and looking at how fashion has changed over the decades, and how it has stayed the same. Luckily, I was surrounded by very smart women from class who, when I pointed, indicated a positive or negative opinions of the dresses. That was rather fun.

There was plenty of regal art, clothing, and furniture to look at throughout the palace, but honestly, I was a bit confused by the layout of the exhibits. I often found myself being uncertain of what I was looking at since many artifacts did not have labels.

                          Melissa the English CEO                   Queen Artifacts Galore

The highlight of my day was having High Tea (afternoon tea) at a really fancy restaurant. I was clearly very underdressed, but it was great to taste the tea. I put two brown sugar lumps, and lots of cream (?). It was really great. I know I will definitely be drinking more tea when I get back to the states. The tea was accompanied by an amazing assortment of pastries and sandwiches. I’m not sure exactly what it was I had, but it ranged from salmon and cheese to strawberries, tarts, and chocolate. It was fantastic.

Maybe I’ll find some High Tea locations in the states. Although I’d probably gain a lot of weight.

Kings were portly right?

Day 16: Fred's Fantastic Voyage

I have some horrible news. As of around 2:34 p.m. London time on Monday, July 23rd 2013, Fred (Frederick Law Olmsted) was reported missing in London. He was last seen in the London Underground transit point between Charing Cross and Tottenham Court Road. As of today, we assume Fred has gone on to bigger and better things.

I have created a digital story in memory of Fred. It's titled Fred's Fantastic Voyage. I hope that one day we will meet again.

  leaves by airtone is licensed under a Attribution Noncommercial (3.0).

Day 15: Westminster Abbey

I want to write a shorter post for today, not because there is not much to write about, but rather because it is almost 10:00 p.m. and I'm really tired.

Today we went to visit Westminster Abbey and the National Gallery. Both places are tied very closely to England's identity (Westminster Abbey extremely so) and both offer some enlightening attractions that really shouldn't be missed. I did not spend much time in the National Gallery because I was honestly not in the right state of mind to see more religious images. Not that they're not important to history or culture, but I've seen enough religious symbolism over the past two weeks. Instead I wanted to say a few things about Westminster Abbey. There's no religious symbolism there.

Westminster Abbey: 
So I just want to put it out there that I was amazed at how many famous and important dead corpses (is that redundant?) lie within Westminster Abbey. This includes the likes of Charles Dickens, Isaac Newton, Queen Elizabeth, and Charles Darwin just to name a few. I find it really interesting that Charles Darwin, the father of evolution, is buried in an Anglican Church (which used to be a Catholic Church). It's almost (but not quite) ironic, and at the very least, extremely funny. Honestly though, what I was really impressed with was the fact that I stood less than five feet away from Isaac Newton's rotting corpse. That was really the highlight of my day. I'm not really all about royal weddings or crowning ceremonies (both interesting in their own right), but to stand next to the inventor of calculus and discoverer of the laws of motion is really something else.

I couldn't take any photographs of the actual church, but the rest of the Abbey (although it's not really an Abbey anymore apparently) is very interesting architecturally. It is based on the French Gothic Style with elements of the English Gothic Style as the building was expanded and renovated over the last 8 centuries. It really is an amazing example of 13th century architecture:

Day(s) 12-14: From Paris with Love

Merci! For reading my blog. That is frankly the only word I know in French. I found out that it's rather hard to be in a country in which I don't know the language. I've been to four different countries in my life, all of which have native or primary languages, which I speak fluently. Going along with this, I am a strong believer that everyone should travel to a location where they experience a different culture and different language. I honestly believe there would be a lot less ignorance and racism.

Traveling to a new country with a completely separate set of traditions, customs, physical features, language, etc. than your own really lets you appreciate the global diversity as well as your own home. And no, I don't mean this in the cliché "let's go around hugging everyone" sort of way. I mean this in the, "oh my god, how am I going to survive in this country" sort of way. Traveling to France, although very far away from traveling to a developing country (or another similar amazing experience of the sort) was very eye opening, and reaffirmed my belief that not enough people get out and travel (especially in the United States). Otherwise, I think we would be a very different country.

Language:
I don't know a lick of French. I can't tell you how embarrassing it was to go around trying to ask for directions, communicate my order to a waitress, or let the taxi driver know where I was headed, all while butchering the French language. I also don't believe in this false sense of entitlement that many American's who travel have. By this I mean the belief that everything in the whole world should be available in English, and people should cater to our needs as such. I'm surprised how many American's (some of my friend's included) believe this (even if they don't want to admit it). It's already amazing enough that people in other countries speak their native language and speak English. Don't complain if someone else can't speak English in another country, I doubt you know more than one language.

Being placed in this position really helped me further appreciate the struggle that people (like my parents) face when moving to a new country and a new culture. Speaking of which:

Culture:
French culture has both similar and distinct qualities than those of the United States. I mean, it is a developed Western European nation after all. Given this, it was really interesting to see (through pointing and site seeing) the unique flavor that Paris has to offer. Some highlights of Paris include the amazing food and really expensive clothing. Most people, especially the very beautiful women, were dressed to impress (by American standards anyway). The crazy part is, I'm sure whatever they were wearing was just casual. It's a sharp contrast with Chicago city life, where there is a stronger mix of plaid shirts with jeans than button ups with slacks.

Another aspect of culture that I noticed was a strong sense of identity and tradition. French "things" are very French. Be it the food or the clothing, like I've mentioned, or the lifestyle, architecture, and entertainment. Parks are flooded with individuals sleeping and reading, and everything seems to slow down a bit. Why does everything have to be so fast in America? I'd like to enjoy some bread, wine, and cheese every once and a while.

Visiting:
I had a great time in Paris. That's not to say the city is a bit rough around the edges, and definitely a culture shock. I was very fortunate to have spent a few hours with Jessica and her cousin, Pierre, who is actually a Parisian. He gave us an amazing night tour and took us out to a Latin Night Club. I could spend another post talking about that night, but I won't. In a nutshell; it was a blast, I can't dance, and a beautiful woman rejected me. Case closed.

O.K. my stream of consciousness is now complete. Enjoy some pictures of Paris:

                                     Eiffel Tower                                The Seine

Accordion Man

Day 11: Off With His Head

Most Western European nations have a tumultuous history, and England is no different. Whether through war, plague, disease, or murder, England has not escaped the worst of moments that effects mankind. I don’t think I’ve been to another place in the world that exhibits such a troubled history as much as the Tower of London.

It is ironic in a way, that such a place of torture and murder would be considered one of the premiere attractions for celebrating English history. In an essence, I am glad that the Tower of London includes such an honest look at the damaged and dramatic history of kings, queens, and prisoners.

Tower of London Entrance

Within the walls of the imposing architecture lie exhibits presenting both real and recreated artifacts that represent the best and worst in English nobility and lifestyle over 400+ years.

The Tower of London holds the Crown Jewels for England. As we passed by the four rooms filled with treasures from the crown, I honestly began feeling desensitized to gold. The quantity of gold truly represents an introspective view of the overabundance of flamboyance of British royalty. It is truly an area that shouldn’t be missed. I do wonder how many components of those jewels and crowns were taken by force from other countries over the course of the British Empire.

I think what is even more interesting is that just beyond the building where the Crown Jewels are safeguarded stand the locations where some of the most torturous activities in English history have occurred.  It is a sharp contrast and interesting juxtaposition, which I believe it really serves to exemplify some of the underpinnings of the English Empire in the 17^th - 19^th century.

 

So let’s talk about the Scavenger’s Daughter. No, I’m not talking about a young British woman, but rather a tool for torture. Imagine having your head placed on a metal bracket, while your knees sit buckled and bent right below your chin. Now imagine someone compressing that piece of metal so that your legs and head are compressed together slowly and painfully over the course of an hour. Not very fun now is it?

Isn’t it strange that this torture device is just a short walk away from some of the most well renowned jewels in all of Western Europe? This is not even taking into consideration the beheadings, deaths, and plague that have occurred within the confines of this tower. Some of the areas of the Tower of London are not for the faint of heart. 

A long walk for any prisoner

Day 10: “Don't gobblefunk around with words.”

Can you guess where the title of my blog post comes from? I'll give you a hint; it’s from a book.

On a completely separate topic, we visited the Roald Dahl museum in Great Missenden today. It was a fun experience for multiple reasons, a primary one of which included my desire to be a kid again. Although the museum wasn’t very large, it provided ample space for visitors to move around and enjoy the exhibits. I’ll get to that in a bit, but first I wanted to mention how funny it was to see the kids running around the courtyard playing hide-and-go-seek, and even funnier to see the scrambling parents trying to calm down the wild children. I swear the Discovery Channel could have filmed a pretty good show on how parents manage their children in the wild.

Although I will be entering the academic library profession with a different focus, it was very good to see and immerse myself in storytelling and children’s literature. Along with wanting to be a well-rounded professional, I grew up reading the likes of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, and Fantastic Mr. Fox.

Before I came to the museum did not know anything about Roald Dahl as a person or author. I just new he made some really unique, witty, and funny children’s books. It turns out he had a pretty adventurous life (I won’t get into the details, and instead let you buy a ticket to England and visit the museum yourself). The museum's three exhibits provided some engaging, informative, and fun areas that I think Dahl would have approved of. Along with his personal life, it was interesting to see all of the original mementos from his life. The collection is eclectic, and includes things such as his “idea journals,” letters to his mother, and his complete study hut.

From a personal perspective, I really appreciate the emphasis they play on creation and authorship. The museum does a really effective job of combining educational and historical information on Dahl as a person and author, as well as providing a stimulating environment for children to play and learn. I really think that contemporary learning methods constrain originality and creativity, so seeing a proactive approach to letting children express themselves always gets my thumbs up approval.

                                     Chocolate doors!                Chocolate wrappers!

I also really love chocolate, and apparently Dahl did too. I’m sure we would have been best friends if I knew the guy. Oh, and I found out I'm taller than an Oompa Loompa. Yay!

Officially taller than an Oompa Loompa

P.S. For those coming from Facebook: the picture on the left is Dahl's study, while the one on the right is Mr. Fox's (very) small office. Oddly familiar huh?