Natalie Bedon

31 July 2015

Ibiza (Updated)

Ibiza, Balearic islands, Spain -- This week was our last week to travel so I decided to take a trip to the little island of Ibiza (somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit). I would be traveling with just my friend Danielle who was visiting me from the States. This was the perfect time to visit Ibiza because it is peak season. The season starts in June and ends around October, during these months the nightlife picks up and it’s pretty much an ongoing party then rest of the year the island is quiet. Ibiza has a long history that has made it the hub for music lovers today. Located on the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and Africa, Ibiza is comprised of two islands, Ibiza and Formentera. The island’s history dates back as far as 654 BC when The Phoenicians established Ibiza as a trading port. Many years later the island was given the name Ibossim, after the Phoenician dedication term ‘iboshim’ to the Egyptian god Bes of music and dance. Bes was also a deity, a demonic fighter, a god of war, and associated with sexuality, humor, music and dancing. Since then the small island has been re-settled numerous times by the Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantine Greeks, Moors, Norwegians and now the Spanish. In 1235 the island was allowed to self govern which has helped it gain this global status today as a center for dance music celebration. The hippys, gurus, and Vietnam draft dodgers were the first to embrace the island’s free way of life. The love for music grew here with the open-mindedness, cheap, and rural ways allowed people to lose and rediscover themselves. There is still talk of the secret full-moon parties (that started with the hippies) today in Ibiza. I have read many blogs online of people who have come across these parties, they are usually held in caves off the shores of beaches, and everyone who knows about it’s location is sworn to secrecy. It’s a magical tale known to Ibiza because the idea is that you must set out to find it on your own and when you do it’s almost as if you’ve become one with the island. The island has changed much since then, becoming over populated by tourists who are attracted by the big club names like Space and Pacha. In the last decades it have moved to a more tech-house music scene and become very commercialized, but the island is finally finding a balance between what it originally was and what it is today. The local beach parties and smaller more disco house clubs are bringing back that natural feel of Ibiza which in time will only get better!

To say I was excited is an understatement, the day had finally come- with our bags packed and feet itching to dance to the music of Ibiza we headed to the airport. Our flight arrived around 11pm Monday night, we jumped in a taxi and of course expecting for everything to go smoothly was too much to ask for. Somehow we were unfortunate to get into a cab that had no idea where the address of our Airbnb was. He was a cab driver, he should know where everything is! Luckily communicating was not an issue, since I speak Spanish I was able to help him search for the street on a map. After we had crossed the bridge from the airport to the main town of Ibiza he pulled over realizing together we were not going to have any luck finding the place. I told him if he couldn't figure out where it was to just take us back to the airport. Most cab drivers I’ve had experience with (being from New York City) are rude but he quickly surprised me. When he pulled over he stopped the meter and said is Spanish “you got in my cab so I could get you to this place and I will get you there one way or another, don’t worry about the meter because I stopped it and I am not going to charge you any more.” He went on to tell me that cab drivers in Ibiza have no interest in ripping you off, that all they want is to get you from one place to another and pick up another person. He advised me that if I ever felt I was being charged more than I should for a taxi to ask the driver for a receipt. If the price and miles don't match up you could get a cab driver in a lot of trouble. Finally after asking one of his cab driver buddies he figured out what street the place was on and now it was just a matter of finding the house. Danielle and I walked up and down the street until I heard someone from above yell “Natalia”, it was our hosts! They were expecting us and spotted us from their rooftop.

Five flights up and we had finally arrived at our place, it was closer to 12:30pm by now and we were in desperate need of some sleep. Our host Isa greeted us at the door with the typical two kisses on the cheek, I had forgot this was the common greeting and it was a little awkward when she went to kiss my other cheek and I turned my face away. She introduced us to her boyfriend Angel and her two adorable dogs. Their home was lovely and embodied what I thought a typical Ibiza home would look like. The wall’s were made to keep the place cool, they had a balcony area connected to each room, and they had a large open rooftop terrace. There also wasn’t any air conditioning but I’m use to that by now thanks to Erfurt. Isa took us on a little tour of the place and showed us where everything was. The location was perfect because we were close to the beach and the main street with all the clubs and restaurants.

It was late but we were hungry so decided to walk to get some food. After a little wandering we came to the main street which was actually closer than we thought. Within five minutes of walking down the street we were approach by numerous promoters. They were very friendly and were trying to convince us to come into their bars or buy tickets to a club. I’d say there were probably between 5-10 promotes on each block of the main stretch in Ibiza. Some of them were a little pushy while others were really nice and would strike up conversations with us. Most of the promoters that we talked to told us they were not from there and kind of just picked up and left their homes to come to Ibiza. Bars/clubs would invite us in and we did stop in at a few, there weren’t many people in them but it was already late. Apparently it was still very early in the night for Ibiza and we were told by locals that you don’t really start going out until 2 am, and the parties don’t get really good until 5am. After walking around for a while we started to see a lot of people heading our way, which for us meant we had strayed too far away. Two guys walked passed us and warned us not to keep walking down, they said there's nothing else down there besides people selling drugs. We stopped them and asked what they were talking about, they told us that all the men who are sell sunglasses in the streets really sell drugs and use that as a cover up. Later that night one of them actually did come up to me and asked if I wanted to buy some marijuana. I just walked away, it was about to be 4am and we were so exhausted we headed back to our place. The next morning we woke up around 11am, thinking we would get a late breakfast. We went to the same street and it was dead outside. Danielle and I were confused as to where all the people were. I saw a restaraunt that looked good but was completely empty, I even had to go up and ask if they were open because I was unsure- it turns out it was open we were just the first two people there. I ordered a Spanish omelet, which is potatoes inside an omelet served on a baguette with tomato. Unfortunately for Danielle she ordered a hamburger, which when they brought it out was actually a burger made of ham. Not what we were expecting but we couldn’t really complain because it was literally what it said- a HAMburger. I then asked our waiter why it was so empty, and he said it was still pretty early and people party till almost 8am so they don’t come out until about 3 in the afternoon. That made a lot of sense, and certainly around 3/4 pm we started to see people fill the streets.

Prior to coming to Ibiza I had joined a Facebook page where people would meet up and go out together. So during breakfast I posted on the page asking what the best thing to do that day was. I was skeptical but everyone else on the page seemed very friendly and I thought it would be the perfect way to meet people and experience Ibiza. I received a messaged from a guy from Egypt on the page and he said if we wanted to go to a pool party. After a little Facebook stalking we agreed to go with him. He happened to be staying relatively close to our place too which made it easier for all of us to meet up. We went to meet up with our new Facebook friend and he was so nice! He approached us as if we already knew each other, it wasn’t awkward for single second. He was 26, traveling alone, worked for a marble company, and lived right by the pyramids in Egypt. It was his last day in Ibiza and he told us he really sad about that. He had been here longer and knew his way around better than we did, he took us to a bus stop and said we were headed to the other side of the island. In ibiza they have this bus called “The Disco Bus” which takes you from one side of the island to the other. Where we were staying is called Playa de Bossa and the other side of the island is called San Antonio. It’s called the disco bus because it's used mostly for people to go to the different clubs on the entire island. The bus picked us up from the main street of Playa de Bossa and off we were to spend the day in San Antonio. The ride was about 20 minutes, there were only two other girls on the bus, and we got a nice view of the rural area between Playa de Bossa and San Antonio. This side of the island looked different, it had almost like a board walk called the Sunset Strip and a port for boats. The street gets its name because on this side of the island you can see the sunset right over sea, from Playa de Bossa sadly you can’t because there are mountains in the way that cover the sunset.The pool party was nice, it was an open space with lots of lounge chairs, good music, and dancers in the sky. We met a lot people that day, all foreigners, from England, Australia, and more people from Egypt. Our new friend showed us a good time and after spending the day with him we wished he was staying longer! But we still had a whole night ahead of us.

Ibiza day (Ocean Beach Ibiza) and night (Club Space). 

We decided that we would all go out together that night again. We hit up one of the famous clubs called Space, it was a lot of techno music which I liked. The night was fun and we got to dance a lot. It wasn’t until we were ready to go home that the night took a weird turn. I was standing near the exit about to leave when a guy came up to me and asked plain out if I wanted to buy some crystal meth, cocaine, or pills. I looked at him like he was crazy, said no and he quickly left. I think in one of my previous post I had said that I had yet to experience any real cultural shock but this was certainly one of the biggest cultural shocks yet. While one man in the street had asked me to buy weed this man was selling hard drugs. The fact that he asked so casually was what really shocked me.. I’m sure he went on to ask other people at the club the same but I couldn’t shake this strange feeling that this could be such a normal thing to do here. I pretty soon learned that it wasn’t just him but it was also other promoters on the street. On another night a girl tried to sell us pills and was very persistent about it. It was the strangest thing and I had so many questions. Did they work for somebody? or did they work for themselves? like in Amsterdam with the prostitutes. Where were the drugs coming from and were they real or was it a scam to rip off tourists? and they were everywhere we went. I think at first we were so excited to be in Ibiza that we were oblivious to what was in front of our faces the whole time. There was probably just as many or more men selling sunglasses as promoters in the streets. Of course they weren't making a living off of selling cheap sunglasses on the street, there was no way! With all this drug solicitation going on you would expect there would be lots of cops right? Thats what I thought, but there wasn’t, I think I saw maybe one cop in my whole four days in Ibiza. It’s a little sad to say but I think this is a part of their culture or maybe it’s an effect that has followed with the commercialization of Ibiza. It is certainly an easy way to make money when you have all these tourist who are just looking to party but I don’t think it’s a true reflection of what the island is. None the less I was still in shock about the whole thing. It could trace back to the root of the island being self governed in the past, also the hippies were known for using marijuana and LSD in the past so maybe it’s just different time, different drugs? I’m not entirely sure but its almost like everything was a free for all, nothing seemed to have consequences here.

We visited the local flea market which the people of ibiza call the “Hippy Market”, because it’s actual hippies. Colorful clothing, dreadlocks, widely colored hair, covered in tattoos and piercings, these were the hippyest hippys I had ever seen. Ibiza was interesting in that way, you had such diverse groups of people that all lived in this one tiny island. Each embraced their own cultural and you could easily identify the hippies, the Caribbean’s, the locals and the tourists. The hippy market was right by the beach of Playa de Bossa where you had different kind of promoters. Danielle and I were laid out on the beach when two very beautiful people approached us. They were trying to sell us tickets to a boat party, we had one more day left in Ibiza and said why not. We asked them about their job and one of promoters was actually the boss of the company. She was 34 and had being doing this job for six years now, for 5 months she promotes on the beaches, for 3 months she works in the office, and the rest of the year she’s free to do whatever she wants. It seemed like the perfect lifestyle and I was almost ready to ask her where can I sign up?

Sunset over the mountains of Ibiza on our way back from Formentera. While you can’t see the sunset from the beach of Playa de Bossa you can see it out in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. 

Our trip was approaching its end and the boat party was our final hurrah before going back to Erfurt. The boat’s name was called Captain hook, the workers were all Spanish and a lot older. This boat party was about nine hours long with a stop on the island of Formentera for a few hours. Formentera was different than Ibiza because it had no clubs or bars. It was a very rustic beach with water much clearer than Ibiza. It also had a flea market right on the port but everything was a lot more expensive on this island. This island is even smaller than Ibiza so I assumed everything was more expensive because they had to make there money somehow. The best part of the boat party was watching the sunset on our way back from Formentera. It was still light out but on one side you could see a full moon and on the other side the sunset. I looked up at the moon and thought about the hippies and their secret full moon parties, maybe one day I too will find it. If you couldn’t tell I didn’t want to leave Ibiza, I was up late that night and heard the rooster that had been giving us a wake up calls (literally) for the past few days. It reminded me of Ecuador because roosters wake up the whole town too at about 5/6 am. The rooster signified the end of this trip for me and was time to get back to reality.

I’ve heard people talk about Ibiza as a magical island but I didn’t really know why until now. It’s a special place, from sunset till sunrise, Ibiza brings all kinds of people together through their love of music. From the warmth of the sun on your skin to the slight breeze you get from the sea to the beats that make you move your feet, it’s a pure state of ecstasy. Like the island was before, it still is today, a place to get lost in and even rediscover yourself.

02 August 2015

Amsterdam

Amsterdam -- My initial reaction upon arriving in Amsterdam- tourists everywhere, aggressive bikers, and an overwhelming smell of marijuana. It was strange to see coffee shops (places where you can buy and smoke marijuana) left and right. The coffee shops sold all different strains of marijuana and the smart shops sold truffles (psychedelic drug). I never seemed to shake the fact this was legal, all these people could be high all day and it was acceptable.

The dutch people were extremely nice, perhaps because they’re always high? I’m not sure, but very friendly regardless. Our group made friends with one of the hotel workers who was born and raised in Holland. We mentioned we were from the states and I think thats why he took a real liking to us. He told us that this coming year he had planned to road trip through the States with his girlfriend. Unlike most Germans, the Dutch entertain small talk which makes them easier to talk to.

Our first night we took a stroll through the Red Light District, because you know when in Amsterdam right? I actually had completely forgot that prostitution was legal in Amsterdam until I randomly stumbled upon two prostitutes working earlier that day. The streets of the Red Light District were crowded with a mixture of tourists and men looking to purchase a prostitute. Back in the States prostitution is illegal, yet there I was walking through the red light district where it was completely acceptable to have sex for money. On one single street you had a restaurant, a museum, a bar, and two to three prostitutes working a window front- it seemed so normal which was a difficult idea to wrap my head around. A friend of mine noticed that all the girls would do different things while working. Some were talking on their phones, some would open their doors and some would tap on the glass. She thought that most of them were only pretending to talk to people on the phone, which we couldn’t understand the purpose of. Maybe it was a way to get more customers? Still not too sure. Some smiled, others had a blank face and some were just sitting there like they weren’t really trying.

The following day we visited the prostitution museum located in the Red light District. The woman who worked at the museum encouraged us to come in telling us not to worry that it was nothing like the live sex shows down the street (which yes there are live sex shows all over the red light district). We immediately walked into a replica of a common room, with a window, where a prostitute would work. The room had a little stool, some music and a few shabby decorations set up. Next to the windows which was lit up by the red lights was sign that said “How to get a customer? 10 tips to become a successful prostitute.” We were all having a little too much fun and I started dancing in front of the window. I quickly saw a gathering of people down on the street in front and I realized what it looked like. They were cheering me on, I started to laugh and quickly stepped away from the window.

One thing which I had not even questioned before was the use of the red lights. I quickly learned at the museum that the original purpose of the red lights was to hide STDs that were visible on the skin of prostitutes, it also made the women’s skin look more radiant, attracting more customers. Also, if a prostitute has a blue/purple light in their window it means they are transgender.

The red light district encourages prostitutes to work independently. Prostitutes pay around 150 euros to rent out a window for 8-12 hour shifts. Rooms on the corners are usually more expensive because they have a better location and gather more attention, making for more customers. To put it all into perspective a prostitutes rate start at around 50 euros per customer, so in order for them to break even for the room, they would have to have at least three customers per shift. Each visit on average only lasts six to eight minutes.

Two more replicas of a typical prostitute’s room followed, where we saw prostitutes hair products, makeup, and even the bed where they would entertain their customers. Each room had a woman’s story attached that talked about how and why they got into prostitution. It was interesting to see the different perspectives on this work and their reasons for doing it. In one story the girl said she was ashamed and that she was forced into in by her boyfriend also known as a “lover boy” (lover boys are boyfriends who force their girlfriends into prostitution). Another one spoke positively on her experience as a prostitute. She started doing this kind of work so she could pay for school, in three years she was able to pay for all of her own education without having to ask her parents for any money. She said she didn’t regret her choices and was going on to law school.

The most interesting thing I learned about the red light district was that not all work has to involve sex. S&M, sadomasochism,for example is another line of work you can find in the red light district. S&M is the giving or receiving of pleasure from acts involving pain or humiliation.. In this story the woman talked about how working as S&M mistresses she made almost three times as much as a prostitute and she never had to sleep with her customers. She said it was actually very difficult to get into this kind of work because you have to be good at playing the role. It takes lots of practice and classes but once she mastered it she was happy with her decision.

Most of central Amsterdam was geared towards tourists with sex shops, live sex shows, smart/coffee shops, and your typical souvenir stores. It wasn’t until my friend Danielle and I went to an Indonesian restaurant further from the center that we got a glimpse of a calmer Amsterdam. The tourists all seemed to disappear and we saw the canals filled with old Dutch style houseboats. The idea of these houseboats was pretty interesting, they were all too big to pass under the canals so it was obvious they weren’t built to move from their spot. Each houseboat has a smaller boat attached from transportation through the canals. Here we are able to see the dutch people as they actually were. They all seemed laid back. People layed out on their houseboats, walking their dogs, sitting outside a little coffee shop and laying in the grass in the nearby parks. It was a lot quieter around this part of Amsterdam which was a nice break from the hectic center. The bikers on this side of town were also less aggressive so we weren't in danger of being hit on every corner we turned. After a couple of days in Amsterdam I think most of the group was ready to get back to Erfurt. Leaving was a little sad though because we all knew this was our last group trip we’d have together. Now it was time to get back to a busy weekend of school and get ready for our last and final trip.

31 June 2015

Intercultural Adaptation Theory

Erfurt, Thurinigia, Germany -- Intercultural Adaptation Theory (IAT) looks at how you have adjusted to a new culture. The scale ranges from one to four, one being the honeymoon stage and four being a total adjustment to the culture. Number two on the scale is culture shock and three is culture adjustment. Its difficult to identify myself on the scale after being in Germany for some time now. In theory (according to IAT) I would fall into the honeymoon stage (number one) still, but I think I have also made some cultural adjustments (number three). This theory is tricky because it only takes into account cultural shock in a negative way. I have not had any moments so far where I have experienced such a severe negative cultural shock. Part of the reason why I might still fall into the honeymoon stage is because I have not stayed in one place for too long. Since I arrived in Germany I’ve been constantly traveling so I haven’t fully immersed myself in one single culture because I have not had enough time in any given place.Erfurt is one place where I could say I have been the most and I certainly have made some cultural adjustments. None of the adjustments I’ve made have been because I've experienced cultural shock but simply because I have learned by observing the people around me. I’ve adjusted to the concept of not having free water when you go to a restaurant by bringing my own water when I go out to eat. I don’t jay walk because that’s frowned upon in Erfurt. I learned that through a negative experience another SPICE student had. Another small adjustment I have made is being very aware of bikers. In Erfurt they are everywhere and my mind has almost automatically learned to walk closer to the inside of the street so I don’t get in the way of passing bikers. It’s small changes in your behavior that make it easier to interact with another cultural. I think that the theory shouldn’t just focus on the negative cultural shocks but also the positive. Those are just as important in helping us interact and adapt with a new culture. Although I haven’t fully adapted according to the theory to the new culture I’ve been living in I can say I have adjusted to adjusting to different cultures in a short amount of time.Traveling so often in these last few weeks everything from the language to the people change. I think many of the other SPICE students could agree with this. We are traveling almost every week to places so diverse. For many of us its the first time and we have to quickly adjust to the culture we are presented with in order to make the most of our time there. That includes everything from trying to speak the native language to common greetings. Adjusting to a new culture is definitely not an easy task, but in doing so we grow and learn so much more. Sometimes we may make cultural mistakes but you live and you learn, and next time you get it right.

30 July 2015

Berlin

The Brandenburg Gate, located in West Berlin, symbolized freedom and
the desire to unify the city of Berlin after the gates opened up in 1989.

Berlin -- Berlin quickly became one my favorite cities. It think it was mostly because it reminded me a lot of New York City. It was an all too familiar scene, from the dingy almost scary looking trains to the homeless people who just wouldn’t seem to leave you alone, to the art and street performers looking to “make it”. It was a nice change from the calm little town of Erfurt.

The Berlin Wall, built overnight, separated West Berlin from East Germany. The walls original purpose was to keep Western “fascists” from entering East Germany and undermining the socialist state. During the Cold War the wall acted as a physical boundary between a democratic Western society and what quickly became an Eastern communist society. Imagine living in the East knowing that right over this wall was all this freedom that you just couldn't have. Of course people built up a lot of anger over this and tried to go over to the West. The Berlin Wall opened up its borders in November 1989 and it was taken down in 1990. Parts of the wall still stands today where you can see the graffiti and art it is known for.

The West side of the Berlin Wall.

I have only seen the wall through pictures and videos of friends who have visited. I was more than excited that I was finally getting the chance to see it for myself. I rented a bike with another SPICE student, Ben, figuring we’d get to the wall faster this way. We headed to The East Side Gallery, an open air exhibition that stretches about a mile, where you can walk along both sides of the wall. Its known as an international memorial for freedom and in this section the border was actually the river Spree. Ben and I left our bikes at the beginning of the wall and walked along what would of been the East side of the wall. This side which belonged to the communist sector was covered in graffiti. The West side of the wall was covered in more of a mural like style of art.

The difference in styles between the West and East was especially interesting to me. Graffiti in most areas is frowned upon because it's seen as a form of vandalism. Which makes so much sense that the East side, where people didn't have any freedom, would be covered in it. The graffiti was like a form of defiant behavior from the the people in the East. They lived in a society where they weren't allowed to speak their mind without suffering consequences. What better way to make a statement than to vandalize the wall that was only thing standing (literally) between the people of the East and freedom? The West side of the wall’s art showed freedom, the complete opposite of the East. The murals of the West were beautiful, detailed, abstract and ranged in all themes that represented freedom. I even caught a glimpse of a Banksy's painting on the West side interestingly enough. Banksy’s art is all about freedom of expression so you would think maybe he would've left his mark on the East side, as to comment on the lack thereof freedom in the East. It’s not dated though so who's to really know when Banksy's left that there.

Thierry Noir's typical character profiles.

One artist that caught my eye in particular was Thierry Noir, a French artist who is known to be first street artist to paint the Berlin Wall. His paintings, brightly colored and often featuring cartoon-like profiles, are now considered iconic. His work reminded me a lot of Keith Haring and after doing a little research I found out that they meet in 1986 in Berlin. Haring had been asked to paint the Wall after Noir’s paintings had been painted over with yellow paint. Keith said: 'In New York you can get killed for that'. Noir and Haring were born in the same year and both started their careers on the streets. These two made an interesting duo, I wonder if Haring would not have passed at such an early age if they would of gone on to work together. They could have done great things.

I could talk about the wall forever! But moving on to another aspect of Berlin that I loved- the people. The people of Berlin were extremely diverse, similar to that of New York City. I think in one single day I met people from Australia, Ireland, England and Mexico. Those who had moved all said they came to Berlin because there was more of a opportunity to live a freelance life. They had at least three jobs and did gigs on the side, whether it was art or music related. It's a great place for fun tourist jobs which is why I think so many people move there. Everyone for the most part spoke English too which was nice!

A "Look How Beautiful" spelled out in 

ripped up cloths on the gate of the entrance 

to the abandoned airport Tempelhof.

Renting a bike was the best decision I made during this trip. I was able to explore places that otherwise would of been too far to get to. Ben and I biked to the abandoned airport Tempelhof which was also next to an old abandoned U.S military base. The airport was surrounded by a huge plain open field where people were rollerskating, skateboarding, playing sports, and even flying kites. I had never seen a field this massive in size, it went on further than I could see. Then we ventured into the abandoned military base, sadly we couldn't get inside but we rode all around it. At one point we came to a dead end and heard music playing from an open window above. It was a little eerie because we were alone and the sun was going down. A car pulled up and out stepped a man with a beard, we asked him if there was a way to get into the building and he said no. We did learn that the rooms in the abandoned military base are used as studios for musicians, which explained the music we heard. We got on our bikes and started to head out until our ears caught music coming from further down the road. We biked right outside a studio where a band was in a full swing rehearsal. They sounded great and we lingered outside their door until they finished playing. On our way back to the hostel we stopped at Alexanderplatz, a large public square in the central Mitte district of Berlin. I was impressed by one artist in particular, who was making a drawing of a young girl in chalk on the ground. Ben and I sat and watched him for awhile to see what the final product would look like.

On my last day in Berlin I biked all over the place. I ventured into a little town called Friedrichshain, formerly a part of East Germany. It was very different from Mitte, which is the center of Berlin, where I had been for the last few days. Friedrichshain was an interesting town covered in graffiti. There weren't any apparent tourists and it was also quiet. The stores were very different from Mitte. There were a lot of vintage stores, record, rocker, and tattoos places. All the stores were unique and I couldn't find two that were alike. Further into Friedrichshain was a main street with many restaurants and bars. I stopped to have lunch at a local thai place here. I noticed that people where very much on their own. I saw more people having lunch alone then in large groups of people. There wasn't an overbearing amount of chatter either. For being the main street, it was very quiet. After lunch I rode the bike back towards Mitte, making a stop a garage that went into some train tracks. The garage was also covered in graffiti and the other garages also seemed to be studios for artists. On my way back to the hostel I stopped at Alexanderplatz again, where I listened to a couple from Los Angeles perform a duet and a man from New York sing. I really did not want to leave Berlin, but I hope to back in the near future.

13 July 2015

Costa Brava, Platja Mar Bella

 

"Las pasiones son los viajes del corazón" by French diplomat, novelist, playwright and poet
 Paul Morand. It doesn't translate perfectly but says- The passions lie in the travels of the heart.

Barcelona -- It was refreshing to be in a country where I could speak the language. It made everything from finding our flight to hostel to directions much easier. I also came in handy with my group since no else spoke spanish. The first day we all went snorkeling and kayaking in Costa Brava, an hour and a half outside of the city. Our tour guides were awesome, one was from Britain and another from the states. They told us how they ended up in Barcelona and that they loved their job. They also had traveled the world and we ended all having a great connection. An hour and half bus ride later we arrived at the beautiful Costa Brava beach where we were handed snorkels and kayaks.

The scenery was absolutely breath taking. The water was crystal clear you could almost see all the way to the bottom. There was not a single cloud in the sky and the sun was shining bright. We weren’t expecting to kayak all the way out to the middle of the Mediterranean Sea where we ended up getting off to snorkel. It was windy so the current was a lot stronger and Destiny (another spice student) and I capsized our kayak. We lost our sunglasses, sunscreen, and water bottles in the sea. I was trying to get on and destiny was trying to balance the kayak and it just ended up flipping over. It was actually pretty funny and I couldn’t stop laughing. Eventually we were able to get back on and rescued everything but our sunglasses :(.

Our guide captured this shot after Destiny and I

finally got unstuck from one of the caves.

Snorkeling was fun- we saw a starfish, an octopus, and a sea cucumber. I couldn’t bring myself to touch the sea cucumber because it looked very strange. Our guide did get very excited about the octopus we saw though. Apparently there had not been many octopus around recently because they were being catched by fisherman. We explored some caves and of course Destiny and I even got stuck in one where the walls were covered in poisonous animals. Don’t worry we eventually did get unstuck.

On our way back to shore we ran into one of the other tour guides and his group and he asked if anyone lost some sunglasses because he found two pairs. We couldn't believe it, he found our sunglasses! Kayaking back was easier because the wind had died down by the afternoon. We hung out at the beach had lunch and then headed back to the city on the bus. 

Early next morning we headed for the beach, a quick 20 min walk from out hostel. Upon arriving to the beach we realized a lot of people were nude. At first it was unsettling and we didn't know what to make of it. Then we realized we're in Barcelona and that this was normal here. We found a cabana and rented it out for the day. We talked about wanting to join in and tan in the nude like everyone else because you know who actually likes tan lines! After laying out for a little we decided we wanted take part in Barcelona’s culture. We probably weren’t going to get another chance to go to a nude beach so we said why not and joined the nudists. It did not feel at all uncomfortable for me and it was an interesting experience. What I thought would be awkward was talking to people in my state but I even ordered a drink it wasn’t a big deal. When in Barcelona right? I’m glad I had the chance to this and really experience the culture. It says a lot about the people of Barcelona when they can be so incredibly comfortable being naked in front of strangers the beach.When we left the beach we noticed the gay flag waving above the entrance and that also quickly explained the men making out in the ocean and the bar called "Begay”.

Our final day in Barcelona was unexpected. We wanted to visit Parque Guell which is known for it’s beautiful overlook of Barcelona. We took the metro (which by now we could easily navigate) and met a family who was also headed there. They had a gps so we followed them the whole way. What we failed to realize was that it was about a 2 mile hike up to the top of the park. We had already checked out of our hostel and had all our bags with us. It was about 90 degrees out and we weren't wearing proper shoes for hiking. Eventually we got to the top and the view was worth it. In the distance you could see the beach and there was not a cloud in the sky. We noticed there is almost never clouds in the sky in Barcelona. It was the perfect ending to a great trip. 

12 July 2015

First-Half Reflections

Erfurt, Thuringia, Germany -- It’s crazy to think that it’s already been a month since I've been in Germany, the time has gone by so fast. There are so many places I’ve seen and so much I have learned. I didn’t think in the beginning that Erfurt would become like a second home to me, but it really has. This has been the first week I haven't spent traveling and I’ve enjoyed getting to the know all the little places of Erfurt. I’ve also gotten to know the German students a little better. A lot of people had a misconception that the Germans were mean people but it’s the total opposite. They are really nice and I think the misconception about them being means come from the fact they are just very straight forward. They don’t tiptoe around anything because if they have something to say they’re just going to say it. That can definitely be taken as being mean but they’re just more practical in that way.

Girl's night out at Musikpark in Erfurt.

All of the German students speak English so it hasn't been incredibly hard to communicate with them. I had no expectations for what the they would be like. I knew that I could probably learn a lot from them so I went in with an open mind. I’ve seen that the German students are lot more mature for their age- which I love. They don’t act like college kids rather like civilized young adults. Not saying that us american students are animals but there is huge difference in the way that we act. I think for us we are use to college students being seen as rowdy and here they are just so calm and laid back. It probably also comes from the fact that they are actually a little older than us. The typical age for a German college student is around 21 to 22, back the states you’re usually turning 21 your junior or senior year. They are very insightful and have definitely encouraged my desires to keep traveling. Most of the German students I’ve met have traveled all over, lived in different countries for long periods of time, and speak at least 3 languages.

One of my most interesting experiences with the german students was the other night when we all went to Musikpark (a club in erfurt). There was conversations happening simultaneously in 4 different languages- German, Turkish, Spanish, and English on on our way to the club. I couldn’t help but laugh, because someone would speak german and somebody would answer in spanish. It was definitely the most multicultural group outing I’ve been apart of and I loved it every second of it. That same night a met a gay german bartender at the club who was known as the “britney spears” of Musikpark. He spoke very little english but we hit it off anyway. By the end of the night we were dancing and having a blast. The germans laid back personalities also translate to their wardrobe. People here don’t really dress up to go to the club for example. They wear what they normally would and rarely have I seen girls wearing heels. I think it’s really cool cause it takes the pressure off of trying to ‘look good’ and puts more importance on the fact that everyone's there to have fun.

One other difference I’ve noticed is the way the germans drink. I have never seen anyone at a party or at club “drunk” because they don’t really drink to get drunk like some college students in the states. I think this goes back to the maturity level and the fact that the drinking age here is 16. Since they’ve been drinking since 16 it’s not a crazy thing for them anymore. They do smoke a lot here though, like everywhere, all the time. It’s strange because you can legally drink here at 16 but have to be 18 to buy cigarettes. 

I’m very pleased with the german students I’ve met so far. Having them in a classroom dynamic is interesting because we have been exposed to such different things. It makes for a very interesting class especially when we talk about media. I’m excited to see what else I learn from the german students in this next month. These next few weeks were traveling to Berlin and Amsterdam which should be really fun. It’ll be interesting to see how the germans from the west are in comparison to the germans from the east. Next stop Berlin!

3 July 2015

Face Negotiation Theory

Erfurt, Thuringia, Germany -- The concept of “face” was first introduced by sociologist Erving Goffman in the article "On Face-work: An Analysis of Ritual Elements of Social Interaction" (1955) and the book Interaction Ritual: Essays on Face-to-Face Behavior (1967). According to Goffman face, “is a mask that changes depending on the audience and the variety of social interaction.” The theory (Face Negotiation theory) was then later proposed by Stella Ting-Toomey in 1985 focusing on the concept of face pervading across cultures. The theory was used to understand how different cultures respond to conflict. Looking specifically at how individuals aimed to protect (save) their self image (face) and/or the face of their communication partners in interactions.

Plaça d'Antonio López monument was dedicated  to banker
and businessman Antonio Lopez y Lopez.  The original statue
was created in 1884 and destroyed in 1936, the one
we see today is reproduction by Frederic Marès.

My example of Face Negotiation theory comes from my first day in Barcelona. My group and I had a kayaking and snorkeling day trip planned.Our guides instructed us to meet them in a place called “Plaça d'Antonio López”, being that I speak Spanish I didn’t think asking to find this place would be difficult. I asked the woman at the front desk of our hostel in Spanish “how do I get to Plaça d'Antonio López form here?” and she just looked at me confused. I showed her the name written down in my email and she said “Oh! it’s pronounced Plaza.” In this moment she tried to save my face because she realized that while I did speak Spanish it was not Spaniard Spanish. I learned Spanish in Ecuador and had never seen the letter “ç” so in trying to save my own face I pronounced it as you would the letter “c”. Turns out that “ç” letter in Spaniard Spanish is pronounced the same as the letter “z”. I’m glad she corrected me because had I continued to pronounce the word “plaza” as “placa” I would of never been able to find directions.

26 June 2015

Communication Accommodation Theory

Frankfurt, Cologne, Brussels, & Erfurt -- Communication Accommodation theory (Giles, 1973) formerly known as Speech Accommodation theory developed to explain adaptations in speech styles during interactions. The concept of code switching in this theory refers to alternating between a variety of languages in conversation. CAT explained that people adjust their speech styled based on their interaction partners speech style to improve the efficiency of the overall communication. Early studies focused on accents and the name of the theory later changed because scholars saw that there was a lot of other ways people were accommodating their communication without speaking the same language (non-verbal communication).

I have seen CAT in action during my trip to Brussels. In Erfurt people speak English, and some who didn’t, spoke Spanish, which worked to my advantage. On the way to Belgium though it came to a point where the train operator switched from German to french and I don’t know German or French! The only German phrase that I could really say was “sprechen sie English?”, which means “do you speak English?” but I had not a clue how to ask that in french. I found myself approaching people just blurting out “English?” and I was able to ask what I needed to, but people who didn’t speak English tried their best to help me. The times where I have CAT the most is in my asking for directions. One hotel worker who spoke okay English helped my group and I find a hostel with the use of circling places on maps and drawing out how to walk to them and even simply pointing left, right, and straight ahead on the street. Although our communication wasn’t the best, his accommodation to my speech style made for an easy understanding.

When we finally found a place to sleep for our last night in Brussels we experienced even more communication accommodation. The couple whose Airbnb we stayed at quickly accommodated to our lack of french. Luckily for us they spoke very good English. When they came to a word in the middle of their sentence they didn't know how to say they would make some kind of hand gesture and add “how do you say?” and we would help them through.

People in Brussels were very accommodating in their communication to my group and I which was great, but I also have learned to accommodate to the speech style of others here in Erfurt. Ordering food has been one of the ways I’ve used CAT. I learned that if you just put the German word for one, “ein” in front of the food you want and add a “bitte”, which means please, at the end it’s pretty simple and far more polite than pointing at stuff. When you receive your food you say “danke”, which means thank you, and ta-da you’ve successfully order a meal in German without the other person having to accommodate to you.

I think one of the funniest code switchings that I have seen, which a lot of the SPICE students and myself do, is we’ll ask something in English and get a response in English from a English speaking German and then say “Danke” at the end. Like that makes up for the fact we can’t speak any other bit of German. Hopefully in the coming weeks my German improves and I will less accommodation from those around me. Germany has been incredible so far! Can’t wait for my next trip (maybe Italy?) and to see what else Europe has in store! 

28 May 2015

Introduction

Queens, NY -- Hi! I’m Natalie Bedon from Flushing, Queens- I live right by Citi Field where the Mets play. I’ll be going into my junior year at West Virginia University with a major in Communication studies and a minor in Art Administration and Leadership studies. I lived in Ecuador until I was seven years old and since then have traveled back over the summers to visit family. I love everything about traveling abroad and have always wanted the opportunity to go to Europe. SPICE seemed like the perfect combination of education and exploration. Immersing yourself in a culture unlike your own is something that has always been fascinating to me. I'm excited to see what adventures await for us mountaineers in Germany!