globetrotter
Globetrotter magazine May 2016
Challenge Accepted! The Most Daring Projects The Most Difficult Challenges The Most Thrilling Adventures
EDITOR’S NOTE
CONTRIBUTOR CORNER
Martin Výbošťok Designer & Writer
We humans are pretty extraordinary beings. Centuries of development, countless successes and quite a number of failures have made us stronger and fearless. However, at the very beginning there was only a vision with a bit of curiosity – and that’s how it all started. Today when I look around me, I realise that despite all the problems that the world faces, I live in the best possible era of our race. We can travel around the world and far beyond, we explore oceans and the deep universe and we are pushing our limits every single day and with every generation. If you sometimes doubt that people (or even you) are creative and capable of great things, I believe that the following pages will change your mind. This edition of Globetrotter brings the stories of man’s triumphs and challenges– from traveling to the universe and attempts to change the world to more personal yet important achievements. We hope it will inspire you to make your own daring projects and to push yourself beyond your own limits.
-Bianka Urbanovská, Editor
Bianka Urbanovská Editor & Writer
Izabela Grundová Writer
Kim Smit Writer
Keith Weber Writer
Yosef Indarto Writer
Patricija Saltupe Writer
Paula Pop Writer
Terri Ling Writer
Hannah McGinty Writer
Eleonora Dimitrova Writer
Adriana Munteanu Writer Irina Strugaru Writer
Ana Carolina Campera Writer
Elvis McKenzie Writer Aristidis Chatzidakis Writer
Special thanks: Nicki van Campenhout - Chief editor
globetrotter Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.
Karen Ravn
06 10 12 14 18 22 Budapest, Hungary
Search for the greatest view:
From Kenya down to Zambia
Travelling to East African Countries:
The Story of Andrew Carnegie
The man who dies rich, dies disgraced
The parallel world of LARP
Part 2- The First and the next missions
Murmurs of Earth
Part 1- The infinite mission of Voyager 1 and its golden record
Murmurs of Earth
24 26 29 31 32 34 37 The annual Cultural Fair is back at it again
Hebos did it again!
The netherlands in the spotlight
Focusing on aid and innovation
Part 3 - leaving home
Saying yes is not always a wrong decision
Part 2 - Finishing what i started
Saying yes is not always a wrong decision
Part 1 - Growing up
Saying yes is not always a wrong decision
Outstanding projects of the US government
Travelling around the world for free
It’s all about the adventure
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Murm Wouldn’t it be exciting to know that there are other life-forms in space besides ours? What if we were to receive a message from a distant civilisation? Wouldn’t we want to know what they look like?
©ESO/José Francisco
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murs of Earth By Martin Vybostok & Kim Smit
Part 1 - The infinite mission of Voyager 1 and its golden record
T
here was an implausible roar that would put lions to shame. Ferocious fire heated the air and spread around in a wild dance. The earth started trembling and the Titan reached for the sky. On September 5, 1977, Voyager 1 was sent into space on board the Titan III-Centaur expendable launch system (just a fancy name for a space rocket). Voyager 1 and his brother Voyager 2, which was sent into space 16 days before that, are two robotic space probes launched to space to study the outer solar system, each following
a different direction. These two probes were to take pictures, to measure and to study planets of the solar system from up close. Various measuring devices were installed on the probes to be used even in space beyond the planets. Scientists knew that once the Voyagers’ power source depletes, their mission would terminate. But these clever scientists also knew how to extend the Voyagers’ mission to infinity: They mounted a gold-plated disc, a golden record, onto the probes, which carries info about the human
race. Along with instruction for its decoding, the golden record contains coded pictures, sounds and music. It is a message of who we are and how we felt. Voyager 1 is currently the furthest man-made object from Earth. It has a new mission: it is now cruising at tremendous speeds through the vast nothingness of space… hoping… that one day, an intelligent race would pick it up and find out about those who have selflessly sent this message in bottle, this interstellar greeting.
8 Cosmic connection
People have always dreamed big. The night sky has always been our source of inspiration, but also our map. Through most of human history, people found meaning in the seemingly endless sea of bright lights in the sky. And our ancestors learned to read them. The relationship between the stars and humans was very intimate. Hunters, gatherers, settlers, sailors, storytellers or farmers, they were all once cosmically connected. For them, it was a calendar and a navigational chart. The human ability to recognise patterns allowed them to use the sky to their advantage. They could count hours, days, seasons and years, all thanks to the bright lights above their heads. Our forefathers wandered if the sky could ever be reached. Despite the amazing progress, innovation and improvements, it seemed an impossible feat. But thousands of years later, on April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin has done it. He conquered the sky as the first human in space. His achievement has triggered an insatiable hunger to explore more.
Voyager's vintage tech
Since the start of space exploration, The Voyager program was one of the most exciting projects. Originally, Voyager 1 was supposed to observe Jupiter and Saturn, and was well equipped for this task. It was loaded with the best technology that 1977 had to offer. It has a high-gain antenna, infrared
interferometer spectrometer and a radioisotope thermoelectric generator. Cool, isn’t it? Actually, not at all. Voyager 1 can execute about 81,000 instructions per second. Now look in your pocket. Your average smartphone sitting there is approximately 7,500 times more powerful and faster than the Voyagers’ devices. Voyager 1 has a total memory of almost laughable 69.63 kilobytes. Look at your smartphone again. It would easily store 200,000 times more data than the Voyager. Remember, we are still talking about a once-stateof-the art space probe that is examining the far reaches of our solar system. The Voyager is capable of transmitting data back to earth at 160 bits per second. To compare, your slow dial-up internet connection is capable of at least 20,000 bits per second. Voyager 1 still communicates with earth today. To save energy, some important devices have already been shut down, such as the camera. It took its last photo in 1990 which portrayed the solar family of planets, our system from afar. But signal transmitters are still working. Voyager 1 has a 22.4 watt transmitter (an equivalent of a light bulb in a fridge).
By the time the signal reaches earth, it is reduced to less than a billionth of a watt. NASA uses a huge 70-meter satellite dish just to pick up this small signal. The most daring estimates say that we will be able to communicate with Voyager 1 for another 15 years.
The golden record
Scientists believed that at least one of the Voyagers would escape our solar system, and they were right. They made sure that the Voyager probes had a mission even after all of their devices are powerless. They mounted a gold-plated disc on the probes which is ready to reveal the secrets of Earth to aliens advanced enough to intercept it. Its mission is now to travel through space, waiting for it to be picked up by curious minds like our own. The Golden disc comes with instructions to read it. There is a drawing of a phonograph and an included stylus in a position to start playing. There is information on the disc about the playing speed. On the cover of the disc, there are information about the fundamental time reference and the position of the Earth in binary.
This is a present from a small, distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts and our feelings. We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours. -President Jimmy Carter
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An infinite quest
39 years ago, the day Voyager 1 was launched, scientists would have never expected Voyager 1 to function this long. Scientists were given orders to build the Voyager so that it would live long enough to examine Jupiter and Saturn. But scientists didn’t listen. They did what they wanted to make it capable of reaching interstellar space and they succeeded in this challenge. Thanks to them, we are still able to gather data from the two Voyagers today.
The cover of the golden record with instructions
The contents of the record were selected for NASA by a respected astro-physicist Carl Sagan. Sagan and his associates assembled 116 images and a variety of natural sounds, such as those made by surf, wind, thunder and animals (including the songs of birds and whales). To this they added musical selections from different cultures and eras, spoken greetings in 55 ancient and modern languages, and printed messages from U.S. president Jimmy Carter and U.N. Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim. Among the music included on the disc is a song by Chuck Berry, but also
The golden disc is a timecapsule that carries a message about a hopeful and ambitious planet. Put simply, Voyager 1 is an incredibly outdated piece of metal some 20 billion kilometres from Earth travelling at around 17km/s. It will reach the closest star in some 40,000 years. You and I will probably not be around to intercept it. But somebody will. And when they do, they will learn about a wonderful little green and blue planet and the ambitious people that live on it. And even if nobody picks it up, the Voyager, a symbol of our thirst for knowledge and adventures, will just wander through the Milky Way galaxy, forever exploring. Its last mission will be to carry a message that we, humans, overcame a challenge.
globetrotter - May 2016
compositions from Beethoven, Bach, and many more. After the Aliens scan the disc, they can find many interesting photos that show how we humans used to live on Earth.
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PART 2 - THE FIRST AND THE NEXT MISSIONS Tyuaratam, the 4th of October 1957, the Russians launch their rocket Sputnik into an unfamiliar, mysterious darkness called the universe. This event marks the beginning of a new era. An era in which people try to discover what is out in our solar system and far beyond that. Dozens of mission have been send into the great unknown. It all started with developing rockets and traveling into outer space. Later, living beings are being send into space. Laika was the first animal and Yuri Gagarin was the first human to make a spaceflight. In 1969 Neil Armstrong made a small step on the Moon, but it meant a giant leap for mankind. Several programs were set up to start discovering the galaxy with the help of modern technological instruments. They use satellites to send us information about the weather or to create communication as we know it today. Next to that, they use orbiters to photograph the planet from the surface and landers to study the planet from the surface. Lastly, they send flyby probes to record scientific data. The Ranger program (1959) was a series of space missions to obtain the first closeup images of the Moon. The total costs for the research, development, launch and support was $ 170 million. In addion to this program, the Surveyor program was
developed to demonstrate the soft landings on the Moon and served as a preparation for the Apollo program. NASA sent two probes to Mars with the Viking program (1975). It turned out to be a great success as it performed scientific operations forming most of the knowledge about Mars. The Mars program (1960-1973) existed out of small rockets launched by the Soviet Union that were intended to explore Mars. In addition to this program, the Zond program was established, but this one failed. After that, the Venera series (1961-1984) were developed by the Soviet Union to gather data from Venus. The probes successfully transmitted data from the atmosphere of Venus. The Mariner program (1962-1973) was designed to investigate Mars, Venus and Mercury. Next to that, other probes were designed. These include: Galileo which went to Jupiter, Cassini-Huygens which went to Saturn and the Magellan which went to Venus. Total costs of this program was $554 million. The future will bring us so much more. Currently there are developments regarding the space traveling outside of our solar system; ‘interstellar travel’ which literally means travelling between stars. Here are some of the projects that are being developed at the moment.
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PROJECTS OF THE FUTURE - InSight will be launced to Mars to study the planet beneath the surface. - Russia sends Venera-D to Venus - NASA’s solar powered Juno spacecraft will arrive at Jupiter
2017
2018
- Inspiration Mars will launch two people to Mars on a 501-day mission to flyby the Red Planet and return to Earth. – NASA’s Solar Probe Plus will launch and will approach the Sun to within 8.5 solar radii (5.9 million kilometres). It will be the closest any spacecraft has been to the Sun.
2019
– A proposed NASA telescope called EXCEDE (Exoplanetary Circumstellar Environments and Disk Explorer) will launch to observe planet formation around nearby stars.
2020
– Russia will launch an orbiter, lander and rover to the Moon on the Luna-Grunt 1 mission. – ESA and NASA may attempt a Mars sample return mission.
2021
2022
2023
– NASA’s Orion spacecraft will fly with a crew for the first time, possibly taking astronauts to visit an asteroid.
– ESA will launch its new deep-space probe JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer) to study the Jovian system, specifically Ganymede, Callisto and Europa.
– Mars One expects to land the first human settlers on the Red Planet.
globetrotter - May 2016
2016
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THE PARA T
hese were the very first words that I heard when we arrived at Legendfalls, the home of LARP in the Netherlands. In fact, there are several other places in this country and thousands more around the world that turn into a magic (and in this case also medieval) world full of warriors, elves, orcs and other creatures for couple of days. For live action role-playing game noobs such as I was back then, seeing quite a number of painted and on the first glance weird looking people was rather strong experience. In fact, my first thoughts were something like: “Where the hell am I?” I am pretty sure I told that to my friend who caught me on the phone in a mild panic. Actually, why would I think otherwise? Let’s face the truth. I was in the middle of nowhere with orcs, elves and hobbits running around armed with hammers of my size, blades, swords and axes. However, few minutes later a cup of tea with a gamemaster (a name used for the event organisers) changed my mind completely. I was introduced to the world where PC games become reality and Lord of The Rings seems to be based on a true story – the world of LARP.
“I was in the middle of nowhere with orcs, elves and hobbits running around armed with hammers of my size, blades, swords and axes.“
13 By Bianka Urbanovská & Ana Carolina Campera
“Don’t forget to hold one of your hands up so that they know they cannot kill you!”
I
must say that hearing all the stories behind this magic dimension made me feel curious more and more about it. It was rather calming to find out that it all makes complete sense and those people are not just some crazy geeks lacking social interaction. In fact, this game requires use of sense, logic, and first of all IMAGINATION. The players also learn to be good actors as they have to create a persona to represent. As I have learned, there are also very talented blacksmiths whose brilliant and pedant work I could see and touch (I would never have thought that chainmail armour is that heavy). But what LARP actually is? At first glance, LARPing might seem like a group of people just dressing up and being crazy in public. However, when analysing more deeply (even as a participant), this conception couldn’t be more inaccurate. LARP is an acronym for Live Action Role-playing, which can basically be seen as a continuation of traditional role-playing games. Only in this case, participants choose to perform a role of an actual character. What’s more, they can even go as far as investing in the accurate clothing and take part in small or grand venues. The main idea behind LARPing is that it’s an activity of collaboration, establishing a pretend plot including a set of common rules, which form the common framework. Even though in the beginning it might be seen as very
individualistic and character-oriented, the events make it possible to create a new society and establish several relationships revolving around this fantastic alternative world. Another interesting thing about LARP is the pretending element. Essentially, this role-playing act is possible only due to the imagination of the participants. This might sound strange for us adults as the make-believe universe has long been forgotten in the childhood. Nevertheless, believing with acting and being recognized as a character in the game allows people to escape the routine of everyday life and be part of an extraordinary experience. One’s belief in a positive and encouraging position during the game can be translated in real life, preparing us better to our new challenges. Right now, taking part in LARP is relatively easy. There are several websites about LARPing explaining how to prepare, what to expect and what to pack for the events such as www.larping. org. Besides these websites, there are several groups on Facebook talking about LARPing as a general or a specific role-playing activity. Summer is coming, so why not do something extraordinary yet charming? One never knows and maybe you meet your friend, colleague or a teacher face to face in a battle dressed-up like this.
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ALLEL WORLD OF LARP
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THE MAN WHO
Peace Palace, the University of Birmingham, CIT and Carnegie Hall - have you ever heard about any of these? I bet you have! And did you know that what connects all of these is one quite smart and nice man called Andrew Carnegie? No? Then you will know it in 5 minutes!
Peace Palace
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The story of Andrew Carnegie - the philanthropist, innovator and supporter of the Peace Palace By Izabela Grundová and Irina Strugaru
A
s it usually is in every American story, this guy was from a poor family - except that the story didn’t begin in the US but in Scotland where Andrew Carnegie was born. The family decided to move to Pennsylvania when he was 13 years old. His father established a business there, although it failed and the family was in need of money again. Little Andrew was bound to work all day long as a bobby boy in a cotton mill. The next year, he scored a job as a telegraph messenger, and then full of hope, he advanced
to the position of telegrapher in 1851. Moving more up during the years, he became the assistant of one of the railroad’s top officials. Sneaky boy Andrew learned many great things about the railroad industry and about professional business in general. In consequence, three years later he was promoted as a superintendent. These years he also became very passionate book lover. Through books he got most of his education. During his job at the railroad, Carnegie started making many wise investments, finding out that it brought him substantial returns. He mortgaged his house by which he obtained enough money to buy shares and soon the first success in form of dividends started to appear. He invested a lot in the railroad industry; his biggest investment went to the idea of sleeping cars on the railways which happened to be complete strike for his future business.
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O DIES RICH, DIES DISGRACED
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H
e left the industry in 1865 to concentrate on his other business interests. By the next decade of his life, his main focus was on the steel industry. Carnegie Steel Company was revolutionizing steel production in the United States. His business was moving at a progressive rate, using state of the art technology and methods that made manufacturing steel easier, quicker and more dynamic. The entire value chain was his and his alone: the raw materials, ships and railroads for transporting the goods, and even the coal fields to fuel the
steel furnaces. Around 1870 he started to realize how he could use the money for better purposes than just earning more money. He well remembered where his education came from the libraries. As already said, he was passionate reader and believed that books can bring peace and solidarity to the world, that everyone can become successful through books and that it also helps an emigrant in America to acknowledge the American culture and traditions. He started to build free librar-
Andrew Carnegie
ies – he begun in his native Dunfermline and extend to all English-speaking countries around the world. Not only was he supporting the libraries with money, but also wrote his own books. One of these was The Gospel of Wealth where he tried to encourage the rich to invest in happiness of others instead of their extravagance and luxury. Carnegie’s determined strategy helped him become the dominant force in the marketplace and a remarkably wealthy man. He was also called one of America’s “builders”, mostly
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Besides his business and charitable interests, Carnegie enjoyed traveling and meeting and entertaining leading figures in many fields. He was friends with Matthew Arnold, Mark Twain, William Gladstone and Theodore Roosevelt. By the end of his life, the main goal was worldwide peace. He believed in international law and that future conflicts could be averted through mediation. Andrew Carnegie wanted to donate money for establishment of the international law library so that the needed knowledge of international law could get spread. In 1900 there was a movement for providing home for Permanent Court of Arbitration. This movement convinced Carnegie to invest $40.000.000 to build the house of the court with the international law library included. And this is how the Peace Palace in The Hague became to be real in 1903. Carnegie died in August 1919 with the knowledge of new war ahead of the civilization.
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because his business helped fuel the economy In addition to libraries, he paid for thousands and shape the nation into what it is today. The of church organs all around the world, helped largest of its kind in the world by 1889 was to establish colleges, schools nonprofit associaCarnegie Steel Corporation. It is believed that tions and much more. Carnegie donated almost the reason for this is that the success came from $5 million to the New York Public Library, so it the outlay of the workers. When the company’s could expand and open several branches. Cumanagement tried to lower wages at the plant in rious learner by nature, Carnegie founded the Pennsylvania, the emCarnegie Institute of ployees went on strike, “To try to make the world in Technology in Pittsrefusing to work and burg a.k.a. the Carnesome way better than you blaming Carnegie gie-Mellon University for the actions of his in 1904. The following found it is to have a noble managers. year, he made the motive in life.� Carnegie Foundation In 1901, Carnegie for the Advancement changed his life around. He sold his business to of Teaching from scratch. One can say that he the United States Steel Corporation and earning opened a big record of 2,800 libraries. With the him more than $480 million. After this, he sense of peace, he opened the Carnegie Endowstarted to invest more to philanthropic work. ment for International Peace in 1910.
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The road less traveled
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P
robably for many people, travelling has become an effective way to release their stress. Dreaming about where you will go and what you will do when you get there can really be mind-blowing. But choosing a right place to go can also be stressful. Especially when you plan to visit uncommon places on the basis of fulfilling your personal satisfaction, there are many things that need to be considered before
people can really enjoy their adventure. To get maximum benefit from travelling, you need to determine the purpose of why you want to do that. Different people could have different or similar answers. The stories below share just a couple of reasons for travelling to uncommon places and the extraordinary experience gained on the way.
globetrotter - May 2016
Adventures of Traveling to “none mainstream� Countries
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Travelling to East African Countries: From Kenya down to Zambia By Arif Wibowo Indarto
I
t has always been a dream of mine to visit and probably work in Africa someday. And so I decided to undertake my internship in two African countries in 2015: Kenya and Zambia. I did my internship at one of the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) in Kenya where I was responsible to teach and protect the vulnerable children. During my free time, I always asked the local people and searched for some information on where to do the best safari in Kenya. Then I found a region named Masai Mara, which offered me the answer. When I was planning my budget to do safari in Masai Mara, one thought remained in the back of my head: It would cost me a lot of money (it was around $312). I questioned myself, whether it was worth it to pay such an amount for the feeling of camping out in a reservation? But I
could not defeat my curiosity as this could be once in a lifetime experience - so why not? The price also included accommodation for three days and two nights. After a long-drive from the capital my friends and I finally arrived in Masai. We were welcomed by the red-dressed local Masai men. They showed us around their village, where they lived without electricity, and explained some traditions and common beliefs. It was nice to hear their story, and I also figured out that the key method of their survival is utilizing abundant natural resources in the area they are living in. For example, in order to make a fire without matches, they use a stick of soft wood which is rapidly turned between two hands onto a piece of hard wood until smoke and then a flame is produced. The next morning, we hopped on an openair jeep as we were doing the game-drive for
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My next destination was Tanzania. I took a shuttle bus from Nairobi to cross the Kenya-Tanzania border. Unfortunately, I got robbed by the well-organized local thugs in a place so-called immigration, where there were no single police on duty. It shocked me at first, but luckily I did not lose any important documents. After a short stay in an area called Arusha, I took another nine-hour-long trip by a local bus to visit Dar es Salaam. From there, I took a ferry to enjoy sunrise at Zanzibar Island the next morning. After that I went straight back to Dar es Salaam where I needed to continue my trip to Zambia by train for 58 hours. The scariest thing was that my Zambian visa had not been issued until seven hours before I entered the train. I was about to cancel my trip, but it just You feel the came in time. In the end, force of the I had safely arrived to
Zambezi flowing past you and crashing down over the precipice; a hundred meter drop.
Livingstone, my primary destination in Zambia, although I was two days late from my initial plan. I began my volunteering in community development sector where I helped a local builder to build a school for rural children during weekdays. I spent most of my weekends by visiting Zambia’s neighboring countries, such as Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. One of the major attractions in Zambia is the Victoria Falls which splits Zambia and Zimbabwe in two. In other words, we could visit the waterfall from the both sides. From Zambia’s side, I reckon it has a slightly worse view, but we could swim on top of the waterfalls in a pool called the Devil’s pool. The view from the edge is totally exhilarating as you feel the force of the Zambezi flowing past you and crashing down over the precipice; a hundred meter drop.
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the whole day, searching the existence of the infamous ‘Big Five’ animals: lions, buffalos, elephants, leopards, and rhinos; although we missed the last. Time flew fast and the time of my amazing life in Kenya came to an end.
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w
By Hannah Christina McGinty
hen trying to decide on a recent trip with a group of friends, we wanted to go somewhere that was considered obscure but exciting. This led us to a plane on the way to Budapest. It is the largest city in Hungary and it is also considered to be one of the biggest in the European Union. The city itself is divided in two by the river Danube and is identified as Buda and Pest. As the plane landed in Budapest Airport the beauty of what was to come over our time in the city was evident. Our challenge was clear: find the most incredible view.
Our challenge was clear: find the most incredible view.
The ground level experience was amazing, every corner led to another enrapturing experience. Discoveries could be found on every street. During our early explorations we discovered the Dohany Street Synagogue, which is the largest synagogue in Europe with breath taking architecture, located in the center of Pest and the prevalent Jewish community in the city. From this point we wandered through the city to our next unearthing of Hungarian culture. From exploring the streets we discovered our first opportunity for the greatest view. This came in the form of St Stephen’s Basilica on the Pest side of the city. This Basilica is the 6th largest church building and most importantly the 3rd highest in Hungary. The journey to the top came with an extensive amount of stairs. To reach our goal we had to climb up the narrow spiral stairs to reach the glorious panorama view. The dome offers the opportunity to walk around the top and take in the wonderful view of Budapest from almost every angle. The main view is of Pest, the central hub of the city where you can see endless amounts of mesmerising buildings. Even though this was our first experience and an incredible view was absorbed, we sought more. We knew Budapest had so much more to offer. We had to experience what Buda had in comparison. The following day led us across the Chain Bridge to Buda. This bridge spans over the Danube River and connects Buda and Pest together. This trip across provides a breath-taking view of the buildings on the river edge and a taste of what was to come. As you leave Pest behind, you can be nothing but hypnotised by the sight on Buda.
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Search for the greatest view: Budapest, Hungary
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O
nce we reached the side of Buda, our expedition to find an incredible view began. Walking along the main street in Buda, you can see the Castle of Budapest facing to the sight of Pest. However, this was not high enough to satisfy our goal. The target to accomplish it successfully was the Gellert Hill of Budapest. This hill has many sights to keep the hike interesting, with lots of history and statues to represent its story. The trek that we chose to take led us through the forested front of the hill. The first monument that we reached was the statue of Bishop Gellert (after whom the hill is named). He is considered to be the Saint Bishop that was killed by the pagans during their rebellion in 1064. This large statue offers the wondrous view of the Elizabeth Bridge, which also connects the two sides of the city. This, however, is only the start of the climb to the top of the hill. The closer we got to the Liberty Statue in front of the Citadel, the more hopeful we were for reaching the glorious top. Near the peak, amongst the greenery, we discovered a small cove where you could see the beauty of Budapest. We knew then that it could only get better the higher we continued to climb. The small path towards the final destination led us through the deepest part of the forested area, with thick-flowered bushes and trees. As the light began to break through the trees, we knew we were almost at our final destination. As we reached the final steps in front of the Liberty Statue and turned around, not a single word was uttered by any of us. Breathtakingly speechless were the final sights. Just from a single spot you can see the entire city, all of Buda and Pest. The differences of each side can be seen clearly, the bustling Pest and the calm beauty of Buda. We stayed for a number of hours and took advantage of our viewpoint and watched the sunset with the city come alive. Traveling is something that should be embraced and encouraged. Pushing yourself to discover can never lead to disappointment. Whether it be to immerse yourself in an entirely new culture, push yourself to a physical limit or simply let yourself be amazed with the beauty that the world possesses. There is so much out there for each of us to explore that we should not waste the time wondering whether it’s a good idea and take that leap of faith to the next destination and see for ourselves the truth of our dreams.
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It's All About
the Adventure Travelling for Free Around the World By Eleonora Dimitrova and Paula Pop
I
f you have the courage to get out of your comfort zone, hitchhiking could be the way through which you can reach your final destination. However, as everything that exists in life, hitchhiking has its pros and cons. The biggest advantage of hitchhiking is, of course, traveling for free. The second biggest advantage is that you meet new people with whom you can share your experience and vice versa. On the other hand, there are more drawbacks than the advantages. For instance, hitchhiking might be dangerous, because you don’t know the person that is willing to pick you up. Secondly, you might not reach your final destination immediately because the person is going into the direction that you want but is not heading to your final destination. Thirdly, sometimes it might take a while until someone stops, and guess what; the person is not going to the city that you want to
Pack up your stuff because we are going on adventure. Most people dream of traveling around the world, visiting amazing new places, and meeting new people. However, is it possible to do that for free? Well, it is. If not totally for free, then at extremely low price. Besides the fact that you can book a flight for a low price, there are other ways through which you might spend not even a cent - neither for traveling nor for a place to stay. reach. If you mix all of that with a bad weather (too hot or rainy – either way) you might find out that spending some money might not be such a bad idea after all. By the way, did you know that hitchhiking is not always related to traveling by cars? Hitchhiking might be related to many other sorts of transportation (except few such as airplanes). In some cases, people can choose to use a boat as well. If you’re feeling somehow ashamed that you are not able to pay the person for picking you up, you can always repay with voluntary work. For instance, you can help with cooking or sometimes even conversations are enough.
Besides traveling for free, you can also find an accommodation for free. A website called Couchsurfing gives an opportunity for travelers to stay in other people’s home. Couchsurfing has 10 million users in more than 200,000 cities. The main idea behind the creation of this website was to connect people (i.e. travelers and hosts) and make traveling a more social experience. So if you are open-minded, friendly and willing to meet new people, this is one of the ways through which you can save some money. On the other hand, if you are a person that prefers safer and less unpredictable situations, you might find the tips shared below very useful.
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Plan ahead
Book your tickets early. Most of the time, you can find plane or train tickets at really accessible prices if you book them months or weeks in advance. Choose your destination and then try to find out as many things as possible about it so that you’ll know what to visit and do while you’re there. Check for discounts Check for seasonal promotions and subscribe to airline newsletters so you’ll get e-mails with the best offers on a regular basis. Some of the best „cheap airlines” are Vueling and Ryanair, who often have great offers and discounts for flights. For example, you can go to Milano from Amsterdam for €9 or to Berlin from Brussels for just €5. I’d say that’s quite a deal.
Budget your money in advance
Calculate how many days you’re going to be away and try to think about a budget for every day and then stick to it. That way you won’t have any surprises when you get back home.
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Use Hostels and Couchsurfing for accommodation
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Travel light
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Just go
Hostels are one of the places you can choose to stay over night, but one of the best things ever is Couchsurfing. It’s a website where people literally offer their couch to travelers. Oh, and did I mention it’s for free? You just need an account, and you’re set. You won’t have to spend any money on accommodation and you’ll make friends with whom you can exchange stories too. From my point of view, that’s a win-win situation.
Don’t pack 3 suitcases and 2 backpacks. One backpack should be enough and don’t fill it up at its maximum capacity. You will always buy souvenirs which you will later have to bring back, so you may want to make sure you have enough space for them.
Don’t overthink it. If there’s a place you always wanted to visit and you see a great flight deal for it, book it. Trust me, the experience and the friends you’ll make along the way will be worth it and make your college years unforgettable.
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Outstanding
Of the US government By Adriana Munteanu and Keith Weber
A
goal is a simple but powerful way to motivate people and communicate priorities. Leaders in states, local governments, federal programs, and in other countries have demonstrated the power of using specific, challenging goals (combined with frequent measurement, analysis, and follow-up to improve performance and cut costs.
In this article we will show you some of the unbelievable projects the US government has been working on - from placing a man on Mars to changing human’s brains. Technology has become so advanced and technology development agencies like DARPA are responsible for developing the craziest projects that any human being could even imagine. Their aim is to transform these projects into real possibilities. So let’s explore some of US government outstanding projects…
Putting a man on Mars The year was 1969 and the entire planet held its’ breath. For most of humankind’s existence we have looked into the stars as if it was a magnificent piece of art that was just out of reach. But that was yesterday, and today’s dreams are bigger. We will do the impossible – we will put a man on the moon. We are now 47 years in the future – more colloquially known as present day. With success of the moon landing a challenge to trump that original mission is still just out of NASA’s grasp. In 2010 the space program of United States made themselves a couple of goals: first to send humans to an asteroid by 2025; second, to step foot on Mars within the decade of 2030. After the original landings success, the Mars mission was optimistically expected to launch 17 years ago. But the Mars mission is a little trickier than originally anticipated. To be honest, it isn’t much of a surprise in hindsight. Flying to Mars takes six months. That means that after an 18-20-month-long stay on the surface the crew would be gone for two and a half years. To prepare for this, astronauts have
recently been growing vegetables in space as well as spending at least a year orbiting earth to study the strains on a human body during their extended stay away from gravity. So what exactly makes NASA want to send humans deeper into our solar system? Mostly for the knowledge it could provide us. Mars’s beginnings as well as its evolution are very comparable to the ones of Earth helping us learn about our own planet’s history as well as its future. At one point in time Mars had suitable conditions for life, and with more exploration we might still find it there. Answering that ages-old question: Does life exist beyond Earth? And with recent discovery of water being present on Mars that answer seems more and more likely to be yes. But why that need to land on some asteroid? NASA plans to capture and redirect an asteroid to orbit the Moon. They will be exploring and returning samples from it throughout the 2020’s. All while training for the larger mission at hand: Mars. Although much of the technology they will be using is far out of the scope of this article, a lot of their systems seem extraordinarily futuristic. One of them, Solar Electric Propulsion, plans to use solar rays to help propel cargo throughout the depths of space. Let’s hope these projects are the spark to rekindle that wonder and awe the world felt back in the 1960’s during our first trip to the moon.
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projects
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Stimulating the brain’s long-term productivity
E
nergy stimulants like coffee and energizers containing caffeine are used to increase productivity and mental sustainability of work effort. They are considered to be helpful in reducing those sleeping hours or increased tiredness, although not for a long-term period of time. A project called DARPA (The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), based in Arlington, Virginia, is about reprograming soldier’s brain productivity with the help of deep brain stimulation. At this point, this project is experimenting with high advanced medicine, chemicals and neuroscience.
According to DARPA’s latest investigation, brain stimulation is possible using ultrasonic brain stimulation machines that work by pulsing tiny soundwaves directly into the subject’s brain. DARPA is working on development of emerging technologies for use by military. It focuses specifically on reprogramming soldier’s brains to ease long periods without sleep during battles - soldiers should not have time to sleep. More specifically, a researcher at Arizona State working under DARPA has developed transcranial pulsed ultrasound technology designed to be implanted in troops’ battle helmets. This could allow soldiers manipulate their brain functions to help relieve stress and alertness or reduce effects of traumatic brain injuries.
But what if humans were tireless like machines?
Being the generation of continuous development of highly advanced technologies, using all the fancy equipment and weapons does not stop us being humans and loose our realistic shortcomings that make us imperfect. No matter how active or super busy your life is, we people need the time when we have to go back to our basic physiological needs like food, water, shelter and most importantly - rest. But what if humans were tireless like machines? Can we play with people’s brains and stimulate it to work on its fullest with no need for sleep and other time-consuming needs?
Deep brain stimulation has long been a topic of interest for DARPA in maintaining the sharpness of the mind - highly desirable feature in military cases. Conversely, in this kind of neurosurgical procedure, the technology still remains insufficiently developed.
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Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
Growing Up Finishing What I Started Leaving home
“I’m too young,” he said. “I’m too inexperienced,” she said. “You’re not capable,” they said. These all are excuses or put downs that inhibit you to be the best version of yourself. If there is one thing we have all learned growing up, it’s that at every moment that we feel like giving up or incapable, we must try harder. The funny thing is, you never know what kind of surprise you may be in for. We even have three stories of our own to share with you.
globetrotter - May 2016
By Patricija Saltupe, Aristidis Chatzidakis & Terri Ling,
Saying Yes
Is Not Always a Wrong Decision
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Growing up I
wouldn’t say challenges are my thing. Yet, as I look back at my childhood I realise that I had taken up tasks and tried things that I wasn’t necessarily good at or where out of my comfort zone. And the pattern hasn’t changed; I still catch myself doing the same. I guess it comes to the fact that I am my biggest critic and my biggest challenger. As a kid, everybody is usually good at something, whether it’s dancing, singing, drawing or being athletic. I did it all – sang in a choir, danced, took art classes, did crafts and even took up floristry at one point. Out of all, dancing was my thing from traditional Latvian dances to chacha, rumba and hip-hop. On the other hand, being athletic was never my thing. I was that short girl in class who just wasn’t good at sports - ever. On top of that, every time I would try new sports or athletic activities I would end up with broken bones, sprains or bruises. Sometimes it felt like universe was making fun of me. I mean, my history with sports became a family joke and visits to
trauma centre a tradition. Despite all, in 7th grade I decided to really challenge myself. And so, with no preparation, my friend and I signed up for a marathon in my city. For a kid who had never liked running or actually ran and who wasn’t planning to train, I still don’t know why a 5-kilometres-long marathon seemed like a good idea. When the day came, I ran the marathon. However, as I had not trained, I wanted to quit mid-way. The feeling was overwhelming and the pain was real. Out of all, marathon has probably been my dumbest idea. When I finished the marathon, I didn’t really feel proud of myself. Then I realised everyone has their limits and maybe there is a reason why I am not good at sports. I love running since then, although it took me quite some time to start doing it again. And while I may not be as careless as I used to be, I still do believe that if we don’t challenge ourselves, no one else will.
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B
ack in high school, I joined a basketball club and found my favourite hobby. At first I was quite bad at it but everything comes with patience, practice and passion. That was my mentality and my strategy. After a year or so I was improving; my teammates supported me and my coach encouraged me. I was in good shape, performing sharply on the court and the season was satisfying for the team. However, one day in the playoffs for the nationals, the worst-case scenario came
true. My ankle was sprained in a rough landing. I literally lost the world under my legs. It was impossible to bear. The physical damage was a pinch on the skin when compared to the psychological trauma that came along with my injury. I was devastated. The doctor prescribed 2 weeks of rest. The season was over for me. Moreover, next year were my university exams and I had to cut off basketball. I couldn't give up. I would feel like a loser if I did. So I talked to my coach and the
team trainer and they agreed to help me recover my injury in time to get back on track before the season was over; and so it happened. I was practicing carefully yet hard and I made it! Our team went on to the nationals and we secured a decent spot in the ranking. It was a big challenge for me to get back on my feet both physically and mentally. No one said it would be easy. Life is a challenge and we can't help but accept it.
globetrotter - May 2016
Finishing What I started
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Leaving home M
ost people struggle leaving their comfort zones at some point in their life. As for me, I took the leap recently. Having lived in a safety net of Vancouver almost my entire life, I knew deep down that staying forever wasn’t an option. I wanted a taste of foreignness and adventure. Having only heard about my university’s co-op program for a few months,
I decided to apply and see where it would take me. Little did I know the way in which I saw the world would change completely with a single, seemingly microscopic decision. Arriving in Hong Kong wasn’t culturally shocking, but at the same time it was. I was born there but never officially “lived” in the city. Asia is nothing like North
America, let alone Canada. You enter the airport and you can immediately witness a flood of crowded people, strong odour of authentic Asian cuisine, and even a McDonalds that serves broccoli and macaroni soup for breakfast! My first day on the job was even more bewildering. Once a British colony, Hong Kong has become a
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financial hub known for its workaholics and fast-paced lifestyle. Day by day, it took more and more courage for me to absorb the way in which life worked in the big working city. I followed my supervisor and manager around, learning the works of the office of a giant company only to find that I had yet another problem to face: a language barrier. My Chinese was by no means horrible, but it also carried room for improvement.
Working abroad for the first time also meant living alone for the first time; and that meant cooking and surviving without my wonderful mother who is also my chef and anchor. But soon, days collected into weeks, weeks into months and before I knew it, I was nearing the last two weeks of my internship abroad. Looking back, taking courage to leave home, my family and friends was far from easy. What made it easy was the unconditional support I received from
them, and the additional new friends, mentors and colleagues that I met along the way of this daring journey. Leaving home to pursue something all on your own is by all means the most daring action anyone can take. To dare to do something takes a whole lot of courage and faith in oneself. Whether it be when you’re 9, 10 or in your 20s and beyond, just know that it’s never too late to take that leap!
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FOCUSING ON AID AND INNOVATION As time goes by, the world has undertaken lots of endeavours to succeed in many fields and in often chaotic moments. Many countries are suffering due to famine, terrorism and poverty. Fortunately, after pain comes peace. That’s what The Netherlands and other countries are aiming for through many innovative projects. Therefore it might be quite accurate to say that the Netherlands is creating a change!
H
elping hands ‌ just aid. The Netherlands has many ongoing projects -both outside and inside the country. The Dutch government and the volunteers involved make it their mission to help others and improve the living situation in many countries. The Dutch innovative sectors belong to the world's best. The government wants to further strengthen their international position. The Netherlands has nine top sectors: horticulture and propagation materials, agrifood, water, life sciences and health, chemicals, high-tech, energy, logistics and creative industries. Few of these have
The Netherlands in the Spotlight By Elvis McKenzie
EPO (European Patent Office) - Visualisation - Rijswijk
been spread to other countries in time of need. It is reassuring to know that good times are not far away. When it comes to hope, The Netherlands has had many ongoing projects – one of them being humanitarian aid. In fact, the country is currently discussing a partnership with Rwanda with the aim of bolstering its opportunity to become a middle income country. By helping Rwanda, the Netherlands can create a favourable climate for business community and phase out development assistance. Very important factor in this process
is collaboration with the Africa Improved Foods partnership in the manufacturing of affordable, nutritious and high-quality foods to improve the nutrition of people in the country. Moreover, a factory is being built in Rwanda that will produce a highly nutritious micronutrient-rich porridge mix from soya beans and maize. This mix produced locally by farming co-operatives will be used by children older than six months to complement breastfeeding. In addition, production of this product it will create 230 direct jobs, while offering 9 000 local farmers a stable, sustainable income for a portion
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Jordan has received 1.5 million euros by the Netherlands. The Dutch Ambassador Paul van den Ijssel has described Jordan as a “key EU partner” by which even Dutch companies are operating in agriculture, water, renewable energy,
I
nnovative and Dutch - What’s Next? The upcoming years promise a growth in investment opportunities for the Netherlands. The country has already started its adventure garnering investments projects in Indonesia. In fact, President Joko Widodo has personally invited the Netherlands to invest in his maritime sector development programme. He had a meeting with the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to express his appreciation for the Maritime Axis plan. This plan “aims to boost fisheries, ship construction, infrastructure and marine resource clusters as well as humanresource capacity building through vocational training programs”. After all, it’s no surprise that the Netherlands, as Indonesia’s main partner in trade and investment in Europe, was given this task. The task involves improving the investment climate of Southeast Asia's largest economy. Dutch solar power solutions provider Hyet Solar
logistics, recycling and industry sectors. Also the Netherlands has 45.4 million euros for emergency aid meant to help Syrian refugees living in the region. It has been estimated that the Dutch government spent more than 291 million euros in humanitarian aid. In the Netherlands alone, the Dutch government agency responsible for housing asylum seekers has opened the doors of prisons in 12 locations around the country so that it may facilitate refugees from Syria. One of these, De Koepel prison, is located in Haarlem. These facilities are uniquely suited to serve as temporary homes given their wide-open spaces and array of amenities. Another ongoing project out of the Netherlands is the Dutch Surge Support (Dutch water expertise), widely known for responding to the needs during water-related disasters around the globe by deploying excellent experts from the Dutch water sector.
BV signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Indonesian steel construction firm Duta Cipta Pakarperkasa, ensuring the development of a solar panel factory in Surabaya. Besides foreign endeavours, The Netherlands also has interesting domestic construction projects lined up for this year alone. The Netherlands is currently transforming Rotterdam into a City of the Future with many new trams and buses added to service the city in the past year. The most recent constructions as of 2015 were Timmerhuis, Skilledin Office, Smog Free Tower, just to name a few. The Smog Free Tower uses patented ion technology to produce smog-free bubbles of public space, allowing people to breathe and experience clean air for free. On the other hand, Timmerhuis offers an inner city, urban structure that unites offices, public space and residential area. It was
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of their harvest. Many other sectors are receiving the support and collaboration they need with the help of the Netherlands, for instance in the field of Food and Nutrition Security and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). Food and Nutrition Security exists when all people at all times have physical, social and economic access to food, which is consumed in sufficient quantity and quality to meet their dietary needs and food preferences. Now, Integrated Water Resources Management is a process which promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to maximise economic and social welfare.
36 conceived as an example of sustainability and a reflection on the city’s architectural identity.
80 000 square meters and will be a visual expression of EPO’s commitment to the Netherlands.
In addition, the Netherlands will be at the forefront of architectural sustainability with the construction of EPO’s (European Patent Office) new building in Rijswijk, near The Hague with a budget of 205 million euros. It will be Dutch expression of modern architecture, reflecting EPO’s mission of fostering innovation and the role it has in Europe. EPO is a modern example of how a building impacts the environment while ensuring very healthy, safe and comfortable indoor conditions for the staff. For example, the building will provide a flexible working environment of
Compared to other countries, Netherlands has made a huge effort to change the world by using its own resources such as empty prisons offered to Syrian refugees, and also by providing sustainability programmes in places like Indonesia, Jordan, Rwanda and Syria. As the world continues to develop, it can be certain that he Netherlands will also be at stake. All the current developments in humanitarian aid, innovation and water development are sought out, needed as well as appreciated by those who are asking for it!
Smog Free Tower, Rotterdam
Cultural Fair
globetrotter - May 2016
And now for something completely different
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Hebos did it again! The annual Cultural Fair is back at it again. By Hannah Christina McGinty & Terri Ling
D
amn, HEBOS! Back at it again with the annual Cultural Fair! This time, 16 different countries brought to the table diverse yet delicious meals for our home and exchange students to enjoy. Heaps of different kinds of traditional food, informational pamphlets and friendly participants were available for the students who came to enjoy cultural diversity. We conducted a set of short interviews throughout the different countries revolving around cultural tips that can help future students and visitors overcome any challenges when travelling to a certain country.
e to v i g u yo d l u o w ry?� s t p n i u t l o viva ng your c r u s t “Wha one visiti some B razil
: A good surviva l tip for people going to Brazil is to alway s be careful and aw are, especially w ith things like jewelr y, wallets, and ot her valuable things. Oh, and also bring sun tan lotion!
39 e a country with four se aso Make sure to ns all year round. visit all the different locations th at our coun try has to offer, such as the beautifu Masonic jun l coastline, gles, ice lan ds and mountains.
Czech Re
public:
re o Learn t our weird exp most of the f e o u ll beca s ough. Also, also a culture en e t h o t n h wit wine), self is it h c ecially n p re s F e ( e l o in im t oh o blend ts of alc t e s e e drink lo t ch and ea smoke
always a g It is ood idea t o learn th before or e languag while you e are there one speak as no s English. A s for food traditiona , our l potato s alad is a s that is on pecialty ly made fo r our Chris feasts. tmas
further.
Iran
ea Belgkniuowmn fo: Wr eitars history, food the
country know both ity. Get to al it sp o at make h d an cultures th h is m le F d cheer for French an make sure to Belgians d an m iu lg up Be am, as al football te their nation ! m e ud of th are very pro
: A lot of people do n’t know t his, but Ira season w n eather co untry – bo is a foursouth. Yo th north a u can go s nd kiing or sn at least s owboardin ix months g of the ent The beach ire y is 2 hours away while ear. mountain the s are easily accessible too!
China
: Look several times before cros sing the road as traffic in China is extremely hectic and at times da ngerous. Also, be sure to indulge in som e authentic Chine se food – especially dumplings!
oid to as to av ice is avelers go give v d a and st tr e key : Som s that mo earn more f our t o n t t a m ur ou o aurant resta touris the best t f ic f t o is d r al res t e tou es fe rder to ge r find a loc c la p uch most uality. In o fficiently o eat m d n e q a r h lity lowe earc s. e qua ry, res eliciou to th d g count in is d r o h food y acc to pa Spanis
Spain
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ything ve Aruburacu: Taltkeureevisernot so much fadst
slowly. O relaxed an ther a more ra ut b to people, ed ac p n it comes he w y tr un important flexible co me – unless ti d an es ed. Also, ul sched es are involv lin d ea d d ! meetings an Happy Island n to be One we are know
O
nce all the food was gone, another cultural feast was held, although this time in the form of presentations. Each group was given the opportunity to give an extra taste of their culture from traditional Dutch games, the Ecuadorian national anthem to Spanish dancing. After all the presentations, the winners were announced. Best stall went to Brazil with their vibrant green and yellow design and display. Most importantly, the Best Food prize went to Latin America with their collective mix of different traditional dishes. A final congratulation is in order to all participating countries for their amazingly diverse dishes and cultural displays!
a s, Peru, Ameerlaic Latin ondura H , zu e n food bia, Ve
(Colum Try all the : Eat a lot. a) al m e on, and at u G your hands t e g n ca u as you can that yo elf as much rs u o y e rs e imm lture. ity of our cu in the divers
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sure to treme ch for its ex ine. Also, if you is known uis and our c Polish, people will seasons of s w word learn a fe earts to you. ir h open the
The Netherlands
: Make sure to se e all of what the Dutch culture ha s to offer and als o know how to rid e a bike, as that will come in hand y.
globetrotter - May 2016
ut : Frasnpecakenot only Fsresniocnhsbto fit in
Ecuador: We ar
Globetrotter - May 2016 Design - Martin Vybostok Magazine made by students of The Hague University of Applied Sciences