The Price of Exchange

Cultural work exchanges in the U.S. are a wonderful thing, and many young people from other countries have benefited from these programs and gained a very unique and personal view of America-- from horseback in Wyoming, from amusement parks around the country, and from ocean resorts. But that being said, these foreign workers are NOT merely cheap labor, nor are they an opportunity to out-source in-country.

While the majority of sites for cultural exchanges provide a positive experience, there are still a disturbing number of young people working slave-like 16-hour shifts or being partnered to nanny with families that are unstable or unsafe for the foreign student. The terror at the Hershey plant seems to be yet more proof that these programs need careful review and reform.

It should also be noted that most of these programs cost the foreign student multiple thousands of U.S. dollars to participate, often not including airfare. The argument is that participants will earn back the cost of the program in wages, but the majority of these jobs pay only minimum wage. Indeed, the nannying positions offered through the cultural exchange groups pay foreign nannies in America only a fraction of the market price, with large cut going back to the organization. Perhaps the price is justified in the stability, security, and support system offered by finding a job through a cultural exchange organization. But let us ensure that that support system is actually in place.

A Glimpse of Erasmus in 30 Seconds

So many languages from all over the world, same message. Because washing machines live longer with Calgon.



Calgon jingle sung by native speakers in: Romanian, German, Italian, Polish, French, Portuguese, and Croatian.

Christmastime in Poland

December is, of course, a very busy time of year with all the preparations for Christmas, and I'm afraid that I've neglected my blog terribly. My days have mostly been filled with teaching, visiting as many Christmas markets as possible, and packing for a pan-European holiday week (actually, only PL, UK, and NL, but still).

I shared the American classics How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Charlie Brown Christmas, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with my students and European friends. I've been amused to learn that apparently the media tradition in most European countries, especially Poland, is to watch a different movie on Christmas: Kevin Sam w Domu (Home Alone)!

Also, besides these American imports, Poles generally do not have secular Christmas songs or stories, and the holiday remains very strongly tied to religion. Every town has a grand nativity scene beside its Christmas market. (Though my favorite has been in Toruń, where the Christchild was surrounded by artists and other historical figures). And one of the most beautiful Polish Christmas carols that I've heard is a lullaby sung by Mary to the baby Jesus.

Merry Christmas, and Wesołych Świąt!
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Finally, on an unrelated note, the Telegraph wrote this great travel article about Poznań in a nutshell: Poznań, the Birthplace of Poland

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

If someone has visited Poland, chances are they've been to Kraków. Perhaps they've also been to Warsaw. Maybe Gdańsk (but probably not). But the longer I'm here, the more I learn about gems that are hidden below the surface and off the beaten track (or at least, off the radar of most American and Western European tourists). The following list is a work-in-progress that I will continue to add to as I learn more. In no particular order, here's just a few of the amazing places I would like to visit:

• Przemyśl, Krasiczyn Castle, and the Bieszczady mountains (also Lviv, Ukraine, which is just across the border)
  
• picturesque Kazimierz Dolny
  
• Zakopane and the Tatra Mountains -- a hugely popular summer and winter destination for Poles, but a place I had never heard of before coming here
  
• Białowieża Forest-- huge primeval forest in eastern Poland and western Belarus. They have bison!
  
• Toruń, a red brick city from the days of the Teutonic Knights, has fantastic gingerbread. Also, Copernicus was born here.
  
• Lancut castle
  
• Gniezno, the first capital of Poland, and today famous for its cathedral doors
  
• Warmian-Masurian lake region
  
• Malbork castle near Gdańsk, headquarters of the Teutonic Knights and the largest Gothic castle in Europe
  
• Częstochowa, famous for the Black Madonna icon
  
• German bunkers in Miedzyrzecz area
  

And of course, the cities:

• Poznań, Lublin, Wrocław (whose Old Town is connected by 100 bridges), Katowice, Łódź, Szczecin, and more!

Here's a Map of Attractions from Stay Poland.com

Earth from Above

Earth from Above: A stunning collection of aerial photographs from around the world. Absolutely gorgeous and really makes you want to travel!

Zapraszamy do Poznania

Welcome to Poznań, Poland! Here's the second of two videos that provide an artistic tour of the city.

Mission Impossible

I'm attempting the impossible. Due to new airline fees and restrictions, I'm attempting to pack for a year abroad using one suitcase, one carry-on, and a satchel bag. Nothing else. It's well-documented that I hate packing, but this is just ridiculous.

If it were just clothes, that would be one thing. Clothes can be left behind or replaced. But then add in a year's worth of medications, contact solution, and other heavy items, many of which are liquid and thus need packed in the checked bag. 44lb. 22kg. Seems like I'm only started to pack, and I've already passed the weight limit.

All my winter clothes will be shipped, but that only scrapes the surface of this packing monster.

Frugal Travelers

NYT Frugal Traveler Matt Gross has passed the baton to a new FT, Seth Kugel. Kugel will be traveling across South America on a tight budget this summer.

One of Gross' final columns was regarding a journey from Vienna to Budapest by foot. The Danube hike sounds beautiful, though walk steadily for so many days can take its toll. In Vienna proper, the NYT today is highlighting the resurgence of the Karmeliterviertel and Jewish life.

From Paris with Love

Google continues to not only create innovative services and products, but clever and adorable ads. This one aired during the Super Bowl 2010, and it strikes the heart of anyone who has studied abroad, anyone who has traveled, and anyone who has been in love.

'Tis the Season

I loved this article on Weihnachtsmärkte in Germany. Such Christmas markets can be found across Germany, but the Berlin markets have especially specified and diversified. The NYT offers examples of a market for kids, a market for GLBT, and a market for environmentalists.

Hurry, because these markets traditionally close by Dec. 24!


Can't get to Deutschland or Österreich this year? A number of U.S. cities have adapted the tradition and added their own Christkindlmärkte.

Frohe Weihnachten und ein gutes Neues Jahr!

Rust Belt Tourism

USA highlighted Buffalo today and its efforts to regain its place as a city of architectural grandeur. As one who enjoyed architecture and an amateur urban explorer, I found the images intriguing and the building listed probably worth a visit, even if not fully restored.

Some more images of Buffalo, courtesy of Flickr.

Souvenirs

As one whose favorite souvenirs are often a pebble from a beach (Cinque Terre) or a collection of napkins and coasters from bars and restaurants (across Europe), I find the Frugal Traveler's essay on souvenirs to echo my sentiments exactly: Souvenirs on the Road

Simple Instructions

For the wanderers, the children-at-heart, and those who simply desire straightforward instructions to a complicated world: "Instructions" by Neil Gaiman, which will be published with illustrations in the near future. Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures to share of his book signing yesterday, as the auditorium was so full that the security guards would not allow me to enter. Ah, the curse of always running late.

So instead, an image of a word for all those restless wanderers and linguistic geeks out there (courtesy of C):

Why We Travel

The New York Times released this project today to display photographs (and chronicle stories) from around the work.
Why We Travel (Submit your photos here)

Introverted traveling

I tend to consider myself an "introvert with extrovert tendencies"(Myers-Briggs usually gives me an I rather than an E, but I'm borderline), so it was very interesting to consider how differences in personality affect how a person travels. (via kottke)

A Writer's Haven in Paris

This writer and bibliophile is thrilled by the offer: writers in Paris can sleep at this historic bookshop for only one small cost--they must read a book a day.

During the 1920s, the famous patroness Sylvia Beach supported many aspiring writers in Paris by setting up cots between the shelves of her bookstore, Shakespeare and Company, and offering these penniless poets a place to sleep. Many great names frequented this shop, including Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, Thornton Wilder, Gertrude Stein, and James Joyce (Beach helped publish Ulysses, widely regarded as one of the greatest works in the world, when no one else would).

The current Shakespeare & Company (since 1962) continues Beach's tradition. Food and a bed are offered to writers, and their only rule or cost is that they must read one book every day. The Guardian recently visited the shop and wrote a great article about the unique bookstore. Down and Out in Paris: Revisiting Shakespeare and Company

Sounds like my kind of place. Definitely worth a visit when I finally make it to Paris.


A writer's cot among the shelves of Shakespeare & Co.

Check out the full list of some of the Most Interesting Bookstores of the World.

Seattle

For a long time Seattle and San Francisco have waited at the top of my mental list of West Coast places to visit. I'll get out there one of these days.

The Times features Seattle this weekend.

Study Abroad and write for National Geographic

Why did this program not exist while I was abroad?
National Geographic Glimpse Correspondence Program

Goin' to Bethlehem

I traveled one last time for the summer this past weekend and went to Bethlehem, PA. This small city in the Lehigh Valley is a great get-away from New York.

Getting there: I took the Trans-Bridge bus from the NY Port Authority terminal to Bethlehem. Tickets work like those for a commuter bus, so you purchase a ticket to the location and you can get on any bus you want (no set date or time). Round trip cost about $40 from NYC; the ride was only about 2.5 hours each way, and the bus came frequently. Not bad!

Things to See Around Bethlehem: Bethlehem is a very relaxing place and a great break from the hustle bustle and crowds of Manhattan. In its heyday, it was the home of the great Bethlehem Steel Mill, the remains of which still stand by the river and rust away. (This otherworldly collection of massive brownish-red pipes, towers, cranes, and warehouses served a great otherworldly backdrop for some footage in the upcoming Terminator film). Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley are also home to many colleges, and the town caters to its college populations. Finally, Bethlehem is a great location for the history buff; it was founded in the 1700s by Moravian settlers seeking freedom of religion and still has many signs of this long history.

However, I came to town for MusikFest, one of the many festivals hosted by the city. As such, there were plenty of crowds, but this had the feel of more of a carnival-craft fair-concert rather than a daily rush. This year, MusikFest started August 2 and continued until the 9th. Everywhere there were signs of the festivity--food vendors along the river*, craft stalls selling everything from quilts to sprinklers to Native American art. Stages were set up all over, and crowds gathered to hear rock, celtic, bluegrass, jazz, funk, opera, punk, and more unique performances, including the performers dancing on flexible stilts and the Phantom-like Bell Master who played the carillon. I loved it all. The Main Street was also very interesting, but packed around 9 at night as the crowds surged toward the stages and bars. I rather wished for more time on my visit to be able to check out all the fascinating little shops that lined the street. Ah well, that will have to be another trip.

Be sure to check the festival schedule before planning your trip--there always seems to be something going on, and something not to miss! However, even if it is a quiet weekend, there will always be something to do in Bethlehem, even as simple as a walk through the old cemetery, a drive up to an overlook of the steel mill, or a picnic in a park along the river. True to its name, there is a star on the hill above the city; it is turned on every night and lights the way to all those around.

*Most of the vendors refrain from using cash this weekend. Instead, the festival sets up booths by each entrance for visitors to purchase tickets worth 50 cents each. Visitors pay the food vendors in tickets rather than cash, and vendors later turn in those tickets to get their profits.

Bostonian Adventures

Nothing's quite like visiting (one of) the cradles of democracy for Independence Day.

Getting there: I took Lucky Star Bus from NYC to Boston, heading up Thursday afternoon to try to get ahead of the crowds. Despite some mechanical difficulties and delays (the bus broke down along the way), I would use Lucky Star again. The drivers were safe and the service was fine, especially considering the price--$15 each way! And for the record, the ride back was uneventful and we even made it in 4.5 hours despite lots of heavy traffic. Other buses include Fung Wah (the original Chinatown bus), Bolt bus, and Mega bus.

Events for the 4th: Friday we got up early and spent the day on the Esplanade for the free Boston Pops concert. We got in at 10:30 am (after stringent holiday security lines) and camped out with out trash bags, towels, and food to stake our location for the concert (which would start at 8:30pm). It was drizzling in the morning, but thank goodness that cleared up by the mid-afternoon! Many people had brought tents, chairs, coolers, blankets, board games, and more. Kat had made a gallon of pasta salad that we split. Mind you, I'm not usually a pasta salad fan, but this was phenomenal. We basically raided the fridge for anything healthy to put in--zucchini, cherry tomatoes, sprouts, shrimp, diced hard boiled eggs, kale, red and yellow peppers, goat cheese, and so much more! Kat lightly marinated the veggies in balsamic vinegar before adding them to the pasta. It was delicious!

But pasta salad was only the beginning. The Fourth is the day to be in Boston, it seems. Though there are thousands of tourists (the busiest time of the year!), there are also lots of free things. On our way to the T (subway) that morning, we received free granola bars. On a trip to CVS that afternoon, we were handed free containers of organic salad and (right on the next block!) free Pom juice... as much as we wanted! Excellent.

The Pops were quite good. By the time of the concert, the newscasters reported that there were 500,000 people there. Yep, arriving early was necessary. They started with a Bernstein tribute, which included Mambo! from West Side. They switched to some Sondheim, an abridged "Sweet Caroline", and others that I didn't recognize. In honor of the Red Sox's win over the Yankees, the conductor donned a Red Sox jersey and the Pops played baseball tributes, including the Sousa's "The National Game" (with rhythmic whacks with a baseball bat), the theme from The Natural, and a reading of "Casey at the Bat". The first act concluded with the Pops' annual rendition of the Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture", complete with the cannons (the national guard had been practicing all day and freaking us out) and fireworks. (The main fireworks show was after the Pops finished, of course.) After Intermission, Rascal Flatts took the stage. They opened with "Life is a Highway" and played some of their other big songs, while we gathered our belongings and relocated to find a spot to watch the fireworks. We listened to the end of the concert by radio (one more from Rascal Flatts and then the Pops' "Stars and Stripes Forever") and at 10:35pm, the fireworks began over the Charles River! I've seen many many fireworks shows, but Boston surprised me by breaking out some new tricks. Very beautiful! In addition, they were well-coordinated with some pre-recorded music that everyone played over the radio. It was not only a visual display of art, but almost a dance to the music.


Things to See Around Boston: Saturday we went into Boston to explore the city. I met up with a group of friends from Vienna and enjoyed a mini-reunion in the States. We headed to Faneuil Hall (aka Quincy Market) for lunch. This huge market consists of hundreds of stalls of all different sorts of food. I eventually decided on the obligatory breadbowl of New England Clam Chowder--absolutely delicious! The canned versions or college-food versions can't compare. We walked for a while to the Old North Church, the graveyard, and along the waterfront, watching boats on the harbor and catching up. I was told that I *must* have a Boston cannoli before I left, so we headed to Hanover Street in the North End. We walked past numerous appealing Italian restaurants and eventually found Mike's Pastry. This famous location was ridiculously crowded, so we headed one block further to Modern Pastry. There was also a line out the door here, but much shorter. (Remember, Independence Day is the busiest time of year in Boston!). We waited only about five minutes and soon were order.

Modern Pastry offers the choice of a variety of cannolis. Shells: plain small ($1.50), plain large, large with chocolate-dipped edges ($2.75), or large and completely chocolate-covered shell. Filling: Ricotta, vanilla creme, whipped creme, or chocolate creme. I chose the chocolate-dipped edges and ricotta. The filling was freshly squeezed into the shell right after you order, and it is topped with powders sugar. We took our string-tied boxes from Modern Pastry and sat on a bench a block down to enjoy our prizes; we attracted quite a few stares from hungry passerbys who then headed to the bakery themselves. ^_^

From the North End, we wandered South for a while, exploring the posh Beacon Hill neighborhoods and finally ending up in the Boston Commons. I relived my childhood and found the "Make Way for Ducklings" statues and the swan boats. :) Also, the little kids wading in the Frog Pond were ridiculously cute.

To finish the day, we jumped on the T and headed to Cambridge and Harvard Square for dinner. We stopped at the delicious Pho Pasteur Vietnamese restaurant (the stir-fried noodles were amazing, and be sure to get some tea for only a dollar!) and topped it off with some ice cream from Lizzy's. Charles River Crunch= dark chocolate and toffee crunches. I'm sold. :) With our ice cream cones in hand, we wandered the grounds of Harvard and sat on the steps of some of those grand buildings. Unfortunately, I did not get a frappe, which I have learned is the quintessential (Bostonian) milkshake. I'll use that as an excuse for another trip. :)

Sunday morning we headed out for one last meal before I left. We chose an amazing breakfast joint in Somerville--the Ball Square Cafe. The Moroccan eggs and home fries were delicious (I sampled), but I ordered the french toast special--each slice consisted of two thick pieces of french toasted Challah bread sandwiching goat cheese and pears in the middle. I've never had anything like it, and it was amazing. Highly recommended! Also, the waitress was very friendly, the owner eagerly socialized with the guests, and the main chef (Omar) was very approachable in the back. It felt like a very friendly community oriented place--and the prices weren't bad either! (Rumor is that Omar used to be the main chef next door, but after a fight with the management there, he moved over to Ball Square Cafe and lowered his prices).


Final Thoughts: Boston felt friendly, interesting, and easy-to-maneuver. Also, I hadn't realized how many colleges are in the area, and so close to one another (MIT, Harvard, and Tufts are consecutive stops on the T). The T felt clean and clear; I'll post more on this later. For reference, rides cost $1.80 with the Charlie Card. Sometimes the crowds were overwhelming (read: heading back after the concert and fireworks), but for the most part it was a healthy break from the insanity of NYC. Not to say that Boston isn't crazy in her own way. :)