02.20 06.20 writings abroad
07
07
table of contents 03 ...................... 2014 05 ...................... 01:22:00 07 ...................... 0037 09 ...................... february 11 ...................... march 26 ...................... april 36 ...................... may 39 ...................... june 52 ...................... july 53 ...................... writer’s desks 54 ...................... & special thanks
a note from the writer: entries in this book were originally posted on Tumblr. com merely as recordings of firsthand experiences and memories during my stay in europe. soon upon arriving back to the states, it became a compilation of stories. along with time and place, sounds were also noted and marked with an asterisk as a reminder to myself of the aura at presence during each transcription.
2014 2.20
krakow poland
3:15
dresden germany prague czech republic brno czech republic bratislava slovakia vienna austria budapest hungary
3.16 3.18 3:19 3.21
4.15
bologna italy venice italy
4.19
rome italy
4.24
barcelona spain
5.01
london england
5.17 5.18 5.19 5.20 5.21 5.23 5.24
03
katowice poland wroclaw poland poznan poland lodz poland tum poland torun poland gdansk poland warsaw poland lublin poland zamosc poland belze poland radruz poland chotyniec poland lancut poland
5.30
berlin germany
6.01
gottingen germany
6.12
oslo norway
a place never departs a person. a person departs a place; and so i make promises of my return. *countries visited indicated in yellow
04
01:22:00 3:52
all of me john legend
3:47
breezeblocks alt-J
3:52
chewin’ the apple of my eye the flaming lips
3:34
desperado eagles difference maker needtobreathe down down down charlie simpson dream on aerosmith
5:40 3:19 4:25
3:22 3:50
5:03 4:30
heart of gold neil young house of the rising sun the animals
2:38
love interruption jack white
2:10
people are strange the doors
6:43 4:35 3:28
5:34
05
fire and rain james taylor FU miley cyrus
soulshine the allman brothers band the weight the band to be with you mr. big whole lotta love led zeppelin
through my studying, my traveling, and my feelings, i listened to these songs. without intention, a soundtrack was developed. *songs most played indicated in yellow
06
0037 dean professors
07
rafal zawisza agnieszka kaminska anna palej bartek hominski edyta galat jacek czubinski kryzsztof bojanowski maciej motak stefan dousa
utk
billy yang jennifer nguyen joseph wessels kevin tang michael turko paige jessop tucker tingle
pk
anna urbanik lukasz zabski maria petri weronika krol
erasmus
agnieszka kaczmarska alberto catini bartek luzny carlos campos ewa scrczynska ivan barbosa jo woogi lilyana miteva mikii casas monika marie pa ola pedro prieto piotr pasierbinski
travelers
alexander emmerick letty payan patrick the writer rome from venice shelley reck
37 people i will remember forever. some of whom i interacted with everyday; others just a fraction of my stay. *utk students indicated in yellow; photos include pk and erasmus students
08
02.19 | DAY 000 | 00:03 COUNTDOWN I stayed up ‘til midnight for this very reason. 1 more day until poland. *sound I hear: kody by matchbox 20
02.27 | DAY 008 | 17:34 KRAKOW, POLAND
got here. I couldn’t stop smiling while watching my crew struggle to get the pronunciation right. There were times when I giggled so uncontrollably, the only thing that stopped me from doing so was when the professor caught my eye and picked on me to answer a question in polish. “Nie weim?!” Clueless and shocked, my laughing stopped abruptly. To be so limited in a language is a challenge that leads to frustration and this was proven the first several days we were here. Most of us came into this with only the knowledge of saying ‘good day’ and ‘thank you’… now we’re forming complete sentences and spittin’ out each other’s numbers in polish like little kids reciting their address or singing their ABC’s. I knew that we’ve all been looking forward to this class in particular. I knew that we were all eager to be more confident in our efforts to speak the language and excited to become more familiar with it. And now that we are, we can’t stop.
Time has not allowed me to record the first few moments of my trip in Krakow until today and I’m confident to say that was probably a good thing. The words I would have written then would not have been the same words I’m writing today. My first thoughts still ring loud in my head, though. Ugly thoughts they were and recorded too in text messages and my sketchbook. As bitter as they were and as much as I wanted to avoid them, they are still of presence today and I can’t seem to push them aside. Nevertheless, I’m glad to say that they exist not to influence the words I have now but only to contrast it. I’m writing this right after our first Polish Language class. It was probably the most I’ve laughed since we 09
Just a little bit of familiarity anywhere makes it easier to settle in. Being at a place so new and foreign, I think it’s human nature to search so desperately for this without even realizing it right then. It was something I went through and at the time, I wasn’t sure what I was looking for until I heard one of Britney Spears’s first single playing in a pub one night… such an old song that I haven’t heard in so long. I remember hearing a friend saying that Poland is where the radio goes to die. This may be true, but it nevertheless lifted my spirit. In fact, I don’t think any 90’s tunes can ever fail to lift anyone’s spirit. First it was the music, then it was the language. Soon it’ll be the places, and then the people. I look back now and say that I definitely came into this too confused, thus too impatient. I
should’ve known it was going to take time, but time is often forgotten when you’re in a whirlwind. Culture shock really hit me hard and because it did, it managed to slow down time at a pace so unimaginable, it allowed anger and sadness to echo endlessly. But as familiarity eases its way through our everyday lives in Krakow, there’s no doubt that time coming to a stop is all we’ll be yearning for within the next 4 months. Crew Polski has been here for only 6 days and already I can feel June 20th creeping up on us. From dawn to dusk, Krakow, Poland is a beautiful place and so far, I am incredibly grateful for this story in which it has given me to think and write about. Here are the words that greatly contrast my first thoughts and I’m glad it came to me. It really couldn’t have come any sooner. *sound I hear: paige telling me, “it’s paper birds by parachute playing right now.”
02.27 | DAY 008 | 18:17 FIRST SKETCHES
it’s a comfort to sketch. with every edge observed and every line drawn, i felt more at ease with the new... i felt more at home.
02.28 | DAY 009 | 16:40 UNTITLED I left for the City Centre alone for the first time today. Before this I relied much on my friends to get around the city, but after today I’ve come to realize that the bus and tram systems here 10
are actually not that hard to grasp. Being by myself, I became more aware and alert of my surroundings and the roads that took me to my destination.
03.01 | DAY 010 | 20:51 RECORDING 01
sound I hear: wash away - reprise by joe purdy. red espresso with a view of main square, right across the street from the St. Mary Cathedral. the sun is seeping through the window and it’s beginning to get a little too hot on the other side. as the sun sits lower, people’s shadows grow longer: it’s almost golden hour. more at home.
“There is a secret bond between slowness and memory, between speed and forgetting. consider this utterly commonplace situation: a man is walking down the street. at a certain moment, he tries to recall something, but the recollection es11
capes him. automatically, he slows down. meanwhile, a person who wants to forget a disagreeable incident he has just lived through starts unconsciously to speed up his pace, as if he were trying to distance himself from a thing still so close to him in time. the degree of slowness is directly proportional to the intensity of memory; the degree of speed is directly proportional to the intensity of forgetting.” 1995 | slowness | milan kundera
03.03 | DAY 012 | 08:28 CITY CENTRE
first week, first impressions. Besides the dorm and going to class, I’ve spent very little time outside Krakow’s first ring of fortification. Located 30 minutes away by bus, I’ve gradually grown used to the ride and more re12
cently have even come to find it a pleasant one too.
And everyone included me too. I felt assured.
Exploring solo here as a new traveler, it seems to be more comfortable to walk the streets of cobblestone than it is to ride the roads of transit.
We showed up early and I remember my group hesitating to walk into the nave while the mass before ours was coming to an end. We stood and waited, and maybe I needed that because I was in shock of the interiors, its meticulous details and color palette. The smell, the echo, the hollowness of such a large space, and above at the cross of the transept, Jesus Christ. I thought that by now I’d be accustomed to the scale of the cathedral. I pass by it everyday, looking up as high as the towers could reach from afar. I even stood by the door once and was reminded of how very small I am. But when I stood inside…., I felt almost insignificant. I felt nervous.
And though it takes both to get to the City Centre, I still often leave for the square and stay there for hours into the night.first week, first impressions. Besides the dorm and going to class, I’ve spent very little time outside Krakow’s first ring of fortification. Located 30 minutes away by bus, I’ve gradually grown used to the ride and more recently have even come to find it a pleasant one too. Exploring solo here as a new traveler, it seems to be more comfortable to walk the streets of cobblestone than it is to ride the roads of transit. And though it takes both to get to the City Centre, I still often leave for the square and stay there for hours into the night.
03.04 | DAY 013 | 19:35 ST. MARY CATHEDRAL I attended my first mass this past Sunday. Crew Polski has talked about going to church since the first weekend we were here and I was pumped to do so since then. I’ve never attended mass or church services of any kind, and after looking into countless cathedrals in the surrounding area, I was glad we settled with St. Mary for our first. It was the night before Sunday when my friend Tucker and I talked in depth about the history of cathedrals in Europe. I learned about the Catholics and the protestant churches, the messiah and the disciples. I learned that Catholics only go to cathedrals, but that cathedrals are open to everyone. 13
I sat at the pew and listened to the priest. He spoke in Polish and it sounded like a hymn. It was loud, yet soft. I remember it to be soothing too, enough to make one feel relaxed but for some reason, Icaught myself hunched over multiple times. My chest and stomach pulled back and my chin sat low. I kept my eyes down most of the time, and my hands underneath my scarf. Every now and then, I would glance over to my two friends sitting on either side of me to find comfort, but at that moment, they seemed almost like strangers to me as strange as the feelings I felt and the people I shared the space with. We stood up and we sat down. We kneeled and we mumbled. I was starting to get use to the routine until the lady in front turned around and made eye contact with me. She wore a red hat and had eyes as dark as my hair. Her curls fell lightly from beneath her hat and her face carried deep wrinkles, but soon softened when she smiled at me. I nodded in return and she turned back around to greet
another man in front of her. It was the Meet and Greet. I looked further up the nave. Heads were turning everywhere and low muffles swept the cathedral. My attention quickly snapped back to where I stood when my friend Turko put out his hand for a handshake. I took it happily and felt warmth running through me.
the St. Mary Cathedral was on the cover. It consists of 2 short stories and they both take place in Krakow, Poland. In his writing, the author writes about the atmosphere of the city as well as details that only those who have lived or visited Poland could understand enough to relate. What better souvenir is there to have?
Before the Meet and Greet, it almost seemed as though I was holding my breath the whole time. But afterwards, I felt only greater warmth. The kind that gave me the courage to look further towards the altar and almost directly above me at Jesus Christ. I felt insignificant from the moment I walked in and I can’t say that I felt any different when we walked out, but my eagerness still grew. I want to attend another mass this coming sunday. and the sunday after next. and the sunday after the next sunday. Unsure if what I felt was right, I want to attend mass until I’m clearer about my emotions. Even writing this blog, I am uncertain about my use of terms relating to the religion. Hopefully, though, after some more Sundays, I’ll become quicker to identifying my feelings and even more precise on expressing them through words. *nowa prowincja [new province], my hub #3. they have coffee here but it’s not quite a coffeeshop because they also serve beer and shots. It’s not a pub either because they don’t serve food, only pastries. I don’t know what to call it, but it reminds me of the Leaky Cauldron in Harry Potter. I’ll call it the Leaky Cauldron. No… It has a name. I’ll call it Nowa Prowincja.
03.04 | DAY 013 | 19:35 ST. MARY CATHEDRAL
the st. mary cathedral: originally built in the 13th century but was destroyed during the Mongol invasion. Rebuilt in the 14th century, it sits adjacent to the main square and stands 262 feet tall.
I found a really small book by James Hopkins at the bookstore the other day. I didn’t hesitate to buy it because
When we left mass this past Sunday, we heard the trumpet signal like we always do when we’re in the square. 14
But for the first time during our stay, the crew and I spotted the trumpet player in the tallest tower and we waved vigorously in hopes that he’d see us from so high above. He did. *The trumpet signal is called the Hejnal Mariacki and the tune cuts off in midstream in honor of the 13th century trumpeter who was shot in the throat while sounding the alarm before the Mongol attack on the city. Today the hejnal is heard all across Poland and even broadcast on the radio at the 12th hour each day.
03.05 | DAY 014 | 13:16 EARLYBIRD waiting for studio to begin
03.05 | DAY 014 | 17:23 15 ZLOTYS TOTAL 5 zlotys to get in as a visitor, 5 zlotys to take pictures and another 5 zlotys for a ‘homeless’ guy asking for food. 15 zlotys total in less than half an hour, but it was probably the best thing I’ve done all week.
15
03.10 | DAY 019 | 19:54 AUSCHWITZ & BIRKENAU Only 6 of the 7 went on the Auschwitz & Birkenau tour in Oswiecimia along with two friends visiting from Rome. One decided to stay in Krakow and when I came back, I couldn’t find any words to describe the trip to him except that it was tough. It was tough to hear the story in detail and to walk through the same rooms the Jewish walked through. It was tough to stand on the same platform the Jewish once stood on, so hopeful and calm as they arrived to what they thought was a place of brighter future, of good labor and of a better life. I remember the camp to be really quiet when we entered. I questioned whether it was like that during the 1940’s when the Jewish suffered; whether anyone could hear their cries of suffering in the gas chambers or their whisper of prayers before their restless sleep. As a visitor roughly 70 years later, I could only hear the muffled voices of the tour guides talking to their group and the gravel beneath me shifting with every step I took towards the memorial. I kept my hands in my pocket the whole time I walked the platform running in parallel to the railroad tracks. They were numb much like my feelings. I only knew to take in what I saw in front of me including the solemn vast field that felt so empty, the countless prisons that seemed so distant, and the row of naked trees that stood so dark against the white sky. It all seemed so peaceful, but for some reason, I felt like to think or to even feel that was wrong. It wasn’t ever peaceful, not even after the liberation.
of the prison. It felt harsh and painful. And it watched me walk quietly, not sharing a word with anyone else, but only to let the numbness take over. I was at loss for words then and I still am now. But maybe that’s it. Maybe saying that I am at loss for words is the most accurate depiction of what it was like at Auschwitz; how something so heavy and so powerful can knock your breath out for so long and so hard, you can’t ever recover enough to find the right words… but only to give in and let it sit in secret, unknown to others and unclear to yourself. *sound I hear: sleeping at the wheel by MB20 at the castor coffee club “for ever let the place be a cry of despair and a warning to humanity, where the Nazis murdered about one and a half million men, women, and children, mainly Jews from various countries of europe.” auschwitz - birkenau 1940 - 1945
It seemed to me that the cries and suffering then are only trapped and kept silent by the still air now. I could feel it lingering between the wooden panels
16
03.10 | DAY 019 | 21:43 LETTERS FROM ROME
03.11 | DAY 020 | 16:57 ULICA GRODZKA
a sense of scale *photo of e. gill, t. tingle, and k. arnold I have always believed that if I waited long enough, something good would come along in just the nick of time to lift my heart again. And here is another case to prove that theory right. Emma and Kelly came this past weekend to visit Crew Polski and it truly brightened up my stay here in Krakow. I began to see the city differently and became more appreciative of it too. Sometimes, when they were telling stories of their stay in Rome, I didn’t really comprehend it, but that’s only because I was distracted by their voices. I don’t think I truly understood how much I missed them until I heard their voices, saw their faces, and watched as their enthusiasm grew for their weekend stay with us. They haven’t changed one bit and that made me happy. I didn’t think they had, but it was good to be reminded. I needed it. 17
03.14 | DAY 023 | 19:43 NORMALITY It only took a single trip to one of Krakow’s farmer’s market to see the people of this city come together and function as a community. Before this, I’ve always felt a sort of strong and distinctive disconnection between buyer and seller, local and tourists, or even stranger and stranger. Though each combination has its definite differences, they have always at least been held together by a structural mannerism that humans have grown familiar with. For instance, a friendly smile or a handshake or a nice word of greeting is something shared in just a matter of seconds that invites one and the other into the same comfort zone. But they don’t just throw around that kind of stuff here in Krakow, no. You don’t make eye contact with someone and share a brief smile. What you do is incidentally make eye contact with
someone and then turn away with a blank face like a disobedient child who’s processed nothing the parent has taught them. Like a friend once pointed out, you can’t just get a smile here, you have to earn one. Although I still struggle with holding back my smile to any stranger I meet, I have, in fact, gotten use to the city, both inside and outside the first ring of fortification. I’ve found both security and comfort walking its roads of cobblestones and transit. My balance has gotten a lot better on the bus, too, avoiding tripping or falling over the person next to me everytime the bus brakes. And I don’t always have the desire to find a seat on the bus anymore, regardless of the fact that it’s a 30 minute ride everywhere I go. I want to say that I can almost enjoy standing up the whole time and easily spotting familiar faces who so often sharethe same route as me both in the mornings and evenings.
tral Europe. These capitals include Dresden, Prague, Bratislava, Vienna, and Budapest. Any trip I go on, I’m going to say that it feels unreal before and after the trip, and it’s the truth. I remember when my friends and I met people of 10 different nationalities in one night. It was an experience like no other. I can’t imagine travelling to 5 countries in 9 days! I am absolutely stoked. There’s no better words for it. *sound I hear: assassin by john mayer
03.15 | DAY 024 | 10:09 DRESDEN, GERMANY
Crew Polski has also grown to become a local as a group and as an individual. We all are well aware of the nearest post office, public library, markets, and barber. We can each even locate our favorite places, too, and introduce it to one another as though we’ve lived here for so many years now. The percentage of vodka consumption each night, the beers, the cuisine, the language – they have all become of a normality to us. What once stood out as unusual to us has now become a sort of backdrop to the things we do every day. So I guess the beginning of our adaptations here for this country is our queue to travel to 5 more in less than 2 weeks? I have known about this trip for over a month now and it still blows my mind. Tomorrow, on the 15th of March, we will be visiting 5 capital cities of Cen-
18
19
Dresden was dreadful. I’ve been really tempted to say that because of the similar phonetics the two words share, but also because it’s true. However it wasn’t the city that was dreadful, it was the experience and weather. We arrived late that afternoon with sharp winds blowing our scarves in our faces and our bags over our shoulders. And well, that continued until we left their border. In between the gusts of winds, I remember the city’s color palette to be shades of grey. From the bridge to the water to the overcast above us, it sent chills through my bones. Even the warm glow from behind windows or lampposts along the cobblestone roads was not enough to bring comfort to the solemn night. It’s a place of adolescence, I think, but so respectful and so monumental, it leaves a deep imprint in every traveller’s mind.
03.16 | DAY 024 | 10:31 PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
20
Prague was an immediate favorite for all of us as soon as we walked the roads leading to the city square. Colorful like Krakow, and even more petite and precious. The city’s streets were narrower and more playful in a way that makes one believe that navigation here was a game. To guess whether the turn should be left or right is to take a risk of walking another 3 hours. And to follow the crowd is the most tempting. People scramble like ants here, drifting in and out of stores. One could be carried away by the crowd to the other side of the river and not even realize. Although the city grid is much like a maze, it’s quite enjoyable and pleasant because every turn is like an entrance to another village, all capped with red roofs. And sitting only a couple of feet beneath the ground is the world of pubs. It is here that I developed a scent for this seemingly innocent city and it is that of smooth, dark beer.
03.18 | DAY 026 | 10:41 BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA 21
A deceivingly flat city, Bratislava is like a treadmill set at a five degree slope. So subtle it is, yet enough to make you look back with every step and scan the street with suspicion as though sensing something has changed, much like a paranoid per-
son would if he thinks he’s being followed. What’s not so subtle, though, are the graffiti that covers almost every part of the city. From the bridges, to residences, to a honey shop just behind the main square, it’s covered by such poorly done graffiti. Maybe it’s because of this reason that the city centre seems to be left so deserted. I remember wondering where the people were and what they were doing. Then I looked through the windowpanes to a line of bookshelves along the wall. It was a coffeeshop. I made a note in my sketchbook: ‘in slovakia, their coffeeshops/bar has shelves and shelves of books. It’s a small place to get lost in. Between the pages of books and the sips of coffee or wine, it’s a place to hide in, to take cover, and to be away from the graffiti and the empty streets that transform into dark alleys at the sight of the moon.’
03.19 | DAY 027 | 10:51 VIENNA, AUSTRIA
It was here when we walked right through the season of winter and into the first few days of summer. We stripped our heavy scarves and coats, and pulled out our short sleeves and sunglasses instead. To add to that, I carried with me today a very saturated and vivid image of the green grass that grew in between the tram tracks. Neatly trimmed and luscious, it seemed to be a soft cushion for the 22
manmade machine that ran all day carrying tons and tons of people every hour. It was a comfort to see this, actually. It was a comfort to see a soft quality in parallel with one of the most heavily populated and reliable transportation system in Central Europe. Vienna roads and streets are laid out in strips bookended by buildings of the 18th century. Between one edge of the street to the other, there lay a strip for vehicles, a strip for trams, a strip for greenery, and a strip for pedestrians. If I had to pick a favorite strip, I have to say it’s the strip of greenery. Vienna chooses the best places for playgrounds, dog parks, skate parks, or simply just a line of benches and it’s here in the middle of the road. Hard to imagine, I know, but Vienna made it work and it works perfectly too. The city should be crowned the queen of public spaces… and obedient dogs.
03.21 | DAY 029 | 10:41 BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
23
We arrived to Budapest on the first day of Spring. Perfect timing it was because it made my stay there extra special. Even though we stayed in Pest, we hiked Gallert Hill of Buda first where the country’s liberty statue stands, overlooking the river and the scenic panorama of Pest. I remember smelling honeysuckles and the aura of California. Immediately, I claimed the city to be my favorite of Central Europe. I must have crossed all 4 of their bridges about 8 times, all within 24 hours. We walked along the river, and though lined with neatly places cobblestones, it felt so much like the coast. Lines of boats and yachts were parked with barefoot locals closing near the water. The river was wide and the streets were lined with trees, dappled by cherry blossoms. I stood for a minute overlooking the river and made a note to myself that if I ever left the States, I’d come to Hungary and settle in Buda and work in Pest. It’s too perfect.
03.28 | DAY 036 | 19:59 RECORDING 02
03.29 | DAY 037 | 11:42 ERASMUS ‘ESN: Erasmus Student Network is an international non-profit student organization created to support the development of international student exchange. We provide opportunities for cultural understanding and selfdevelopment under the principle of “Students Helping Students”.’ It is the biggest student organization in Europe with a total of 29,000 active members serving 180,000 exchange students each year. ESN operates at 3 levels: local, national, and international, and here at Politechnika Krakowska (Technical University of Krakow), our branch is entitled ESN PK. So far, they have held events such as weekend festivals in the city centre, pretend “Olympics” with fun outdoor activi24
ties, one day trips to the salt mine or auschwtiz, and even a weekend trip to Budapest! I was actually unaware of all this until our mentor recently added Crew Polski to the appropriate Facebook page and boy did I wish she did it sooner! One of their events they held I attended last Monday night and it literally blew me away. I almost wanted to do a cartwheel. It was held at a bar right smack dab in the middle of City Centre called Tandem. It was the most open bar I’ve been in Krakow and there must have been 20+ tables set up in rows with seats for up to 8 people. Each table was labeled a different language. There was English, Polish, Spanish, Italian, German, Hungarian, Turkish, French, and many, many more! It was countless and overwhelming, but it definitely got me dancing on my tip toes. The point of this event is to attempt to learn different languages taught by a native of that country, and in this way, make new friends from all around the world. It’s the coolest ever and I don’t remember the last time my jaw dropped so low. I was surrounded by people of my age from every direction sluggishly spouting out their native language half drunkenly to each other from across the bar. Standing in the middle of the room that night was like standing in the center of Europe. A big melting pot it was and I just knew I had to record the names of all whom I will meet throughout the night. Jumping from table to table, I soon ran out of room on my coaster and gave up on writing down new names and familiar nationalities. Even the signs that were originally on the table now had names of other languages on there, handwritten by those who have previously sat at the table. And that’s when the 23rd hour rolled around and the stage lit up for open karaoke.
25
I’ve never doubted that English was the universal language. As soon as karaoke started, it seemed like all languages were dropped and English was sung in unison, bringing every single person in that bar together. The place erupted with tapping feet, clapping hands, and swaying hips (who knew that Wonderwall by Oasis could do such a thing to students of at least 20 different nationalities?). It was at its utmost contagious vibe. Note that this is held by the school of higher intellectuals who must’ve came together and said something along the lines of “Hey! We should hold this every Monday night with discount on beers for the Erasmus students! ….oh and make sure they don’thave an early class the next morning.” That’s how I imagined this got started. And I say this because students here really do not have morning classes on Tuesday. It’s true and it was done intentionally for this very reason. Hashtag TANDEM all the way, man. Mondays are no longer a day to dread, but more of a day to live for. *sound I hear: pompeii by bastille. hub #5 biblioteka. to be more involved in ESN, visit esn.org. and a note to my american peers reading this, i want to say that this is much like AIAS in the States and I want to suggest that everyone gets involved, especially those studying abroad now and/or in the near future.
03.29 | DAY 037 | 11:42 BEERCOLOURING
04.09 | DAY 048 | 01:02 SELF-PORTRAITS
beercolouring (v.): watercolouring with beer while beer sampling; ignore stares from bartender or from anyone else in the bar; keep drinking.
04.02 | DAY 041 | 17:40 CATHEDRALS
[7 seen, 3 inhabited] the lord’s prayer: our father, who art in heaven / hallowed by thy name / thy kingdom come / thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven / give us this day our daily bread / and forgive us of our trespasses / as we forgive those who trespass against us / and lead us not into temptation / but deliver us from evil / for thine is the kingdom, and the power / and the glory, for ever and ever / amen 26
Hello from me all across Central Europe! I’m halfway there.
04.11 | DAY 050 | 00:02 A SONG
*sound I hear: this song [an original score of ‘Life is Beautiful’]. I watched an Italian film tonight suggested by a Spanish friend of mine. Directed by Roberto Benigni, it is titled ‘La Vita e Bella’ meaning ‘Life is Beautiful’ in English. The plot took place in 1936 Italy, where a Jewish man uses his humour to shield his son from the horrors of the Nazi death camp. I don’t think this film would have effected me the way it did had I not gone on the trip to visit Auschwitz & Birkenau just several weeks ago. I’ve always been a firm believer of things happening for a reason and in a certain sequence, too, and this counts as one. I’m grateful that my friend Carlos has shared this with me, and so I too would like to share it with you.
04.11 | DAY 050 | 00:45 A FILM I’ll always remember this film as the mark to the ending of our 9 day trip through Central Europe. How perfect it was to watch a movie that took place in the city of Budapest but filmed in Dresden - both of which Crew Polski was lucky enough to visit within the first month of our studies abroad. 27
04.15 | DAY 054 | 01:02 BOLOGNA, ITALY
Bologna was only meant to be a connection from Krakow to our first planned destination of Spring Break: Venice. But with a 6 hour layover there, the time allowed for Tucker and I to walk through and around the main square. We agreed that the city is a good icebreaker to Western Europe. It is in many ways different from Cen28
tral Europe and the Italian language is less harsh than that of Poland’s. I definitely picked up more Italian there in a day than I ever could with polish. I also read that Bologna is the largest city and capital of the EmiliaRomagna Region of northern Italy. I’m not quite sure what that means but just reading that should give anyone a good idea of how incredible the city was in my eyes. We walked down Via dell’Indipendenza, a street that led us straight from the train station to Piazza Maggiore, the city’s main square. It was a beautiful walk regardless of the energy it took us the whole time to lug our bags around. We grabbed lunch there under a green awning and sketched quickly before our food was brought out. I got my first dish in Italy there and it’s a shame that I forgot what the pasta was called. It was small and green and stuffed with potatoes. It came with a basket of bread that cost us an extra 2 euros (I guess bread brought out before the entrees aren’t free here), and Tucker had a chicken salad. We had a taste of each other’s dishes and agreed that they were both ‘benissimo!’ I remember only one color that existed in Bologna and it is that of a rotten peach. I am uncertain on how accurate that metaphor is for the city’s color, but that’s how I remembered it. It was a thick creamy caramel color with a hint of rich orange, red, and a highlight of yellow. Every building was of that color. From shops to residential building to monuments, they all carried the same tone. It was also the first city where I spotted extreme public display of affection too. But it was Italy. I expected that. I couldn’t stop laughing. It was official. Jennifer Nguyen has made it to Italy.
04.15 | DAY 054 | 01:47 VENICE, ITALY 29
We arrived to Venice late at night and it made an impression that overjoyed me so much, I was almost swept off my feet. The first bridge of many illuminated in front of me. It was called Ponte della Costitiuzione (the Constitution bridge) and it led us to the steps of the Venezia Santa Lucia (the city’s main railway station) across from the beautiful church capped with the green dome of San Simeon Piccolo. On these steps, I made a note to myself to cross the canal sometime before my departure date and hug 1 of the 4 columns of that church. And so I did, my last night there. The city of Venezia was my all-time favorite. The canals snuck up on us everytime and so did the bridges. Every corner we turned was another bridge grander than the one before it. Looking up, we always spied an Italian woman in a nightgown with rollers in her hair hanging up wet clothes right outside their window. Back on ground level, there were gondola men standing at every 5 blocks luring tourists to take a ride on the main canal. In addition to all this, Italian expressions were heard everywhere, sung from across the canal to right next door at one of their snack bars. The most beautiful language I have ever laid my ears on… I decided that if I ever came back as a trilingual, Italian would be the reason for it. Their rich tasting white wine and seafood pasta were at top notch. Dining at night in Venice outside by the canals during sunset is a dream come true. During the day it was all the same with a bite or two of their Tramezzino sandwiches. Cheap and delcious, Tamezzinos are crustless triangular sandwiches that were stuffed with all kinds of meat and vegetable of our choice. My favorite was always the salmon. “Amo frutti di mare!” Of course, we couldn’t go without grabbing gelato for dessert. It became one of the most memorable nights Tucker and I shared along with our new friend Patrick. We sat and ate gelato at 30
one of the angled piers right in front of San Simeon Piccolo that night. The weather was fine and the air was still. I remember saying to myself that I’d do anything to go back to this city… then bring back with me the Rialto bridge on my shoulders and the Santa Maria Della Salute in both arms with a little bit of fish stink on me. I wouldn’t mind it one bit.
04.19 | DAY 058 | 01:57 ROME, ITALY
Rome was a blur for reasons I’d like to keep to myself and close to my heart. I couldn’t pull myself to take pictures during the tours led by some of my closest friends studying abroad there. Not the Spanish Steps or the Piazza del Popolo. Not even the Pantheon or the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi: 4 of my favorite sights in Rome. I snapped only two pieces of architecture, 3 photos total. One of the colosseum, a special night shared with a good friend and photographer, JP and two of Renzo Piano’s Parco della Musica. Though Rome was the city in which I took the least photos, it resulted in being the most unforgettable of the four visited during my spring break. I’m unclear about which part of Rome I want to write about… or to share. So for now, I’d like to keep quiet about it. Just for now.
04.24 | DAY 063 | 01:57 BARCELONA, SPAIN 31
There’s this app for iPhones that a friend told me about. It’s called the Ulmon app: an offline GPS navigator of some of the most well-known cities that allow for the user to “pin” any of his or her favorite places on the map. If anyone opens my app to Barcelona, he or she would find that it’s covered in pins - even more so than Venice. Not to mention that this is Tucker’s favorite place since his early years in high school. The theme here seems to be of Art Nouveau, a style of art and architecture inspired by natural forms and structures of curved lines. I have to say that I’m not a big fan of this sort of architecture but it was still a thrill to walk amongst Antoni Gaudi’s most famous works including Park Guell, Sagrada Familia, and Casa Mila/Batllo.
32
What struck me the most was Mies Van Der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion: a piece of architecture that had the capability of arousing such strong emotion within me, I almost forgot to breathe at first sight… resulting in me only gasping for air in between watering eyes. I told Tucker that there was only one other piece of architecture that has ever made me feel this way and that was of Louis I. Kahn’s Salk Institute in La Jolla, California 3 years ago. But then of course, with my luck, something happened that was only a hair away from ruining the moment: I found that my wallet was stolen. Abruptly, entering the pavilion was put on a halt. It’s one of those things that people repetitively and continuously warned me about, but I failed to take seriously. It’s also one of those things that one can only laugh about 5 minutes after it already happened. Even with Barcelona’s threatening side exposed to me, I’d still like to name it the most relaxing city because its aura was too much like California. With the sea on one side and the mountain on the other separated by a thin line of palm trees, my mind had a hard time veering away from the memories I’ve carried with me of California. Tucker and I walked the full length of the 2 main axis in Barcelona (also in my opinion, the 2 most beautiful boulevards of all boulevards I’ve travelled down on): the first one was La Rambla, a street that led to the Columbus Monument. The second is Avinguda Diagonal, pinpointed at the end by the Torre Agbar tower. What made it more of an adventure were the 2 markets we unexpectedly came upon: Mercat St. Josep la Boqueria and Nou Mercat dels Encants. As a traveller, there’s certain places that become more dominant in memory than others and when boulevards and markets overshadow the Mediterranean Sea 33
located just a few miles away, that’s when you know urban architecture and city planning can indeed be living architecture.
04.30 | DAY 069 | 01:57 SHORTCUTS photos collected of signs leading us down the shortest path to the Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy. These shortcuts are to be well trusted. posted throughout the city by locals:
04.30 | DAY 069 | 13:09 MIES VAN DER ROHE
05.01 | DAY 070 | 11:47 LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
“simplicity of construction, clarity of tectonic means, and purity of materials have about them the glow of pristine beauty.” 1968 ludwig mies van der rohe 34
town. Anyone who is familiar with the metro system of the UK would know that a tourist usually only stays within zone 1 and 2 of the city (also known as the Westminister area). But excitingly, the Banksy scavenger hunt brought me out to Zone 6. I was hesitant at first to stray so far from where I was staying, but even in the rain, it was still so thrilling each time to stand in front of Banksy’s work of art. The man didn’t make them easy to find, but he did make each one worth finding.
Shortly after arriving back to Krakow, a friend asked if I did all the usuals while in London. “Sure”, I said, thinking back on my visit to the Big Ben, the Parliament building, the Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, and the London Eye. In addition to that, I also rode the double decker, attempted to talk in a British accent, and pretended to be a wizard at Platform 9 3/4. But it’s the unusual that I’d like to record down for this entry. One of my main goals I had before arriving to this city was to locate all 25 of Banksy’s most well-known graffiti work in London. Though I failed to find all 25 within the 5 hours I had to myself, I did find 13, some of which were located in the sketchiest part of 35
The following day, Bingham and I visited Portobello Road located in West London. It is the world’s largest antique market with over 1,000 dealers selling every kind of antiques and collectibles. At the corner of Portobello Road was where I got my first falafel and hummus pita sandwich (also probably the most filling and cheapest thing anyone could get there), and my first local British ale. This all built up to the most spectacular ending of the night: The Lion King Musical at London’s Lyceum Theatre. I don’t know if she’ll ever read this, but although this trip to London was planned to be a solo one, I felt extremely grateful to spend it with Bingham at the last minute. It was good to see a face I haven’t seen for a long time, to hear stories different from what I have already heard, and to be reminded that a lot of things are still the same. I knew this trip would turn out to be a healthy one. Whether because it was good to hear the English language be used so vastly again or because traffic on the left hand side was so amusing to me, I felt renewed. With a department store like Harrod and a skyscraper like The Shard, London is less like a European city and more like an American one. This may be one of the reasons why I enjoyed it as much as I did: because it felt like home. Regardless of the blinding fog and freezing rain, in my head it still remains to be
one of the world’s most classiest and fun cities to visit in the world.
05.03 | DAY 072 | 17:30 THE LION KING MUSICAL
04 Elton John: It’s a wheel of fortune. It’s the leap of faith. It’s the band of hope… till we find our place. *seat J 36, Lyceum Theatre, London, UK. The Lion King Musical with E. Bingham
05.06 | DAY 075 | 11:47 A LOVE LIST things I love about Krakow: our public library / bus and tram system / cheap food and drinks / St. Mary cathedral / the city centre in the sun / our dorm’s green lawn / somersby and sausage / bubble tea at the mall / small coffeeshops and hidden bookshops / bartek and piotr / the river / tomato soup / the bus rides *sound I hear: this is the life by two door cinema club words of reminder: 01 Pumbaa: It’s times like this my buddy Timon here says: you got to put your behind in your past. / Timon: No, no, no. Amateur. Lie down before you hurt yourself. It’s “You got to put your past behind you.”
05.09 | DAY 078 | 23:57 THE ONLY ALL-NIGHTER from dusk to dawn: our 1st all-nighter.
02 Pumbaa: Hey, Timon, ever wonder what those sparkly dots are up there? Timon: Pumbaa, I don’t wonder; I know. / Pumbaa: Oh. What are they? Timon: They’re fireflies. Flireflies that, uh… got stuck up on that big bluish-black thing. / Pumbaa: Oh, gee. I always thought they were balls of gas burning billions of miles away. / Timon: Pumbaa, with you, everything’s gas. 03 Elton John: There’s more to see than can ever been seen / more to do than can ever be done / more to find than can ever be found.
36
05.12 | DAY 081 | 13:45 BANKSY works of Banksy discovered in London, England: 5 hours, 25 plots, 13 founded 01 Tag, tottenham court rd / 02 Giant rat smashing tv, rivington st / 03 Master artist, portebello rd / 04 Illegal rat, clipstone st / 05 Prison guard poodle, rivington st / 06 Happy choppers, old st / 07 Unknown, rivington st / 08 Needle fisher boy, bermondsey / 09 Shop till you drop, bruton ln / 10 Placade rat, king’s cross / 11 ‘!’ placard rat, englands ln / 12 Temple placard rat, victoria embankment / 13 Very little helps – tesco kids, essex rd
37
final for urban design theory 06. excerpt from proposed essay: Although Rome is an ancient city, it is also a stage for the modern life. It is a space for physical expression shown through its open piazzas of cobblestones and vast fields of the Seven Hills. From pieces of architecture to designs of landscape, the idea of activating a city dates back to the very beginning days of this city. The Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps exist from the past only to live and be the stages of today.
05.13 | DAY 082 | 00:07 ANOTHER LIST things I miss: doughnut holes / bottomless chips and salsa / more doughnut holes / television / driving / driving with music blasting / driving barefoot / my longboard / my chacos / rootbeer / my piano / my kaylee / biscuits / a green tea frap and a blackberry creme soda / knoxville / singing out loud [added on May 25] *sound I hear: fly by phillip phillips *a founding later that night: i found a little pressed flower in my sketchbook today. i had forgotten about it. so quiet, so precious, …so sweet. *sound I hear: soulshine by the allman brothers band
05.13 | DAY 082 | 16:43 THEORY FINAL 38
05.13 | DAY 082 | 20:15 LYRICAL SOUND
can’t help but to reach out through the open window and ask for the summer season to pass through my fingers again. *sound I hear: how country feels by randy houser *another tanka written later this night tanka 03
*a reblog from lainmensola don’t leave my hyper heart alone on the water / cover me in rag-and-bone sympathy.
05.27 | DAY 096 | 15:00 SUMMERTIME So hot. It’s so hot. It’s 73 degrees Fahrenheit right now, but it feels like an oven in our room. The sun is burning right through the window and the blinds are of no help whatsoever. Through the same window, I can see shirtless boys and barefoot girls laying their heads back on the cool briskly grass in hopes for a nice long breeze. Even the pigeons seem like they want to shake their feathers off as they scout for a puddle of water. Walks around the city center and along the planty are beginning to feel different as well. It’s light and cheerful under the shade - a good feeling. Krakow looks ten times more colorful and brighter in the sunlight too and even occasionally through the heavily humid air. It’s that time of year, and although this oven has the potential of killing me, I 39
too unnatural / the change of a stubborn mind / heart at its weakest / watching the work of our art / disappear into the light sound I heard: drunkards outside my window
06.01 | DAY 101 | 01:07 GOTTINGEN, GERMANY
left Vietnam. I saw her last two summers ago during my trip to Saigon and I really thought that was the last time I’d see her. This trip was planned at the last minute and I’m really glad it happened. She looked different, but I’m sure she could say the same thing about my tan skin, short hair, and sleepy eyes. The first thing we did after dropping off my luggage at her suburban apartment complex was meet up with her friends to attend a get-together at their garden house. Apparently the use for garden houses is a lot like that of beach houses in the states. It’s a piece of land bought for families to go and get away on the weekends. Each piece of land was enough for a house with natural ventilation and any sort of farming the owner chooses to do. We had fried pancakes (banh xeo) here for lunch with 15 of her Vietnamese friends and drank beer in the sun. It was a great to see a normal family doing normal summer activities and to feel so welcome to be a part of it too. I was close to forgetting summer hasn’t actually started for me. What was most bizarre was to hear Vietnamese people speak fluent German to each other. They switched back and forth between languages so quickly, I remember wishing I could do the same thing but then came to realized that I do… just with English. It was still so different to hear it done with another foreign language.
I left for Gottingen, Germany alone on Sunday morning at 8:22. Gottingen is a small city located in Central Europe (west of Berlin) where my aunt chose to live 18 years ago when she
During my stay here, I visited four families who lived in European houses. This was something special to me because since my time abroad, I’ve never really stepped into an actual house before. I have only gotten familiar to dorms or apartments students rented. Being with a family, everything felt right and normal; the way things should be. Not only that but I think I was able to understand their lifestyle a little better and to really grasp why things are the way they are.
40
It reminded me of my own home and how anxious I’ve become to get back home to Olive Branch. *sound I hear: flaws by bastille
06.01 | DAY 101 | 21:13 A SCHEDULE 7:30 woke up / ate breakfast / had a walk around the neighborhood / visited 2 families / walked back to the house / took an hour nap had lunch /took another 2 hour nap / 15:00 real estate man came / took a bus to the city centre / ate ice cream shopped / went back to the neighborhood / visited another family showered / had dinner watched CNN [pres. Obama is coming to Poland tomorrow] / 21:12 crawled into bed i think i just lived a typical summer’s day in gottingen, germany when everything was played by ear and nothing productive was done.
06.03 | DAY 103 | 10:32 CREMATORIUM crematorium baumschulenweg 2000 shultes frank architeckten
*written minutes before arriving to gottingen, germany. actual time of visitation to the crematorium: dawn of june 01. Since before we left Krakow for a school field trip to Berlin, I knew I wanted to see the Crematorium building located on the outskirts of the city. 41
A good friend of mine reminded me of this piece of architecture - a piece that I was familiar with from second year of architecture school. I was aware of this building’s location, interiors, and most importantly function. But upon arriving shortly after sunrise on the 1st of June, it was clear that I was not mentally prepared for it. The building sat deep behind the ivycovered gate and away from the main road. Glimpses of headstones could be seen pass the trees and through the gates, and even further along what I knew was the river. Although the river is not visible from the site, I could still feel its air hovering above the water and over the cemetery. Maybe it was that. Maybe it was the river that gave me the chills. I wasn’t sure then and neither am I now. It could’ve been so many things: the silence, the gravel, the empty benches, or the dark shadows that lay over the headstones. Maybe it was the building itself: the concrete, the voids in elevation, or the glazing I tried so hard to see through but couldn’t because of the sun’s glare. What if it was the fact that I was being timed, that I had a train to catch in an hour and half, or that I had left my luggage hidden underneath one of the benches to preserve the place’s essence and my body’s energy? Ten stations away from where I needed to be at 6:37, I was alone in the middle of a cemetery. It wasn’t until the end of my visit did I see one lady dressed in black walking towards the forest with her head bow down. She disappeared so quickly, it was almost like she was never there. At first sight of the crematorium, I didn’t have the courage to walk underneath the deep threshold and up the steps to the main entrance. Instead I veered to the far right where I saw smoke rising from the ventilation and walked along the path to the back. It
was here that I looked through the window and finally saw the columns I have been anticipating. They huddled together, so tall and skinny. Even with the waking sun sitting low to the horizon, the natural light still pierced sharply through the punctures of the ceiling. The space was so spacious and so deserted; it left the light blinding and the lobby cold. I was reminded again that I was alone. Outside there were headstones that looked as though they had fallen over and altogether it seemed almost of no order and too scattered. I remember seeing the name Miller, dark against the marble with grass so tall, the dates were covered. I saw some with no names but others with small portraits. The cemetery book-ended the crematorium and the path I took back to the front ran in between. I knew I was there to observe the building but like always, curiosity towards people and solemnity drew me more towards the graves. I never laid my eyes on any of the headstones for more than 5 seconds though as I began to feel my pace pick up and the air get colder. I was starting to get goosebumps. Suddenly, all I wanted to do was to get back to my luggage and be in visible distance of the main road; of taxis, of buses, and of people. I wanted to get back to the train station as soon as I could. I don’t know how long I was there, but I knew it wasn’t long. Looking back at the pictures now on this train ride to Gottinberg, I knew that I could’ve taken better photos. I knew that I could’ve taken ones where my shadow wasn’t in the frame or where the reflection of the sun wasn’t in the way. But I knew how I felt then, and that was more important than capturing it accurately in photos. It was a pity that I didn’t get to inhabit the space formed by the columns, but time did not allow me to visit during opening hours. It was still a beauty though. I
42
can’t imagine experiencing it the same way had I not been alone. It would’ve felt too different. *sound I hear: breezeblocks by alt-J. 12 minutes away from point of arrival: Gottingen, Germany
06.03 | DAY 103 | 18:40 BERLIN, GERMANY *written 2 hours and 15 minutes before arriving back home to Krakow actual travel dates: may 30 - jun 01 This trip with Bartek and the college’s dean was so much more relaxing. Bartek still walked at a fast pace but I could always count on the dean to fall behind a few paces. Because of this there was no need for me to take longer strides or run to catch up. The amount of walking we did was at a minimum too… or maybe it felt like it because I already knew the expected distance and energy it takes to complete these trips now. We definitely took more “coffee breaks” now, though, and I think I finally understood how that can replace “lunchtime” and how that also causes lunchtime to be pushed to 20:00 or so. If you eat a breakfast then grab a coffee and pastry around noon, your stomach should be set until the evening when a big meal usually awaits around dinner time at 21 or 22:00 – a couple of hours before sleep. That way you will never grow hungry when midnight rolls around. Makes sense, right? Sort of, not really. I still have to eat like every 2 hours. It’s always been a lifestyle of mine. Berliners are super kind people. My friend was right. Every time a Berliner see you look at a map with a frown on the face for longer than a minute, they’ll approach you to help. They do it from pure kindness too and nothing more. This happened to me several 43
times while I was by myself to visit the Crematorium in the early morning and then during my travels alone to Gottingen. And maybe this is a strong statement, but Berlin has a reason to be known for their beers. I tried several and the sweet aftertaste existed in all of them. I also got the opportunity to try a White Irish drink. I’ve never tasted anything so creamy and soothing before. Veronica, a polish friend and studiomate of ours, was kind enough to share everything she ordered at the table with me, Tucker, and Kevin. From lunch to dinner, she always pushed her meal towards us and invited us to try it. It was great to get to know a Polish friend outside of studio. We went to an Indian restaurant for lunch and boy was it the most amazing meal I had in Germany. We all ordered a mango lassi for drinks and ended the meal with free mango shots. The waiter informed us that they earned the name of Best Mangoes for 3 years straight. I could believe it. It was delicious. How wonderful that it was Tucker’s first indian meal too. Kevin and I promised that we’d take him to Taj in Knoxville as soon as school starts again – it’s definitely a must-go for a newfound curry & coconut lover.
06.03 | DAY 103 | 02:04 REICHSTAG BUILDING 1894 foster & partners
06.03 | DAY 103 | 02:10 02 MEMORIAL OF JEWS 2004 peter eisenman
44
06.03 | DAY 103 | 02:10 03 POTSDAMER PLATZ 1685 r. piano, c. kohlbecker, and k+t
06.03 | DAY 103 | 02:19 04 PAUL LOBE HAUS 45
2001 stephan braunfels
06.03 | DAY 103 | 02:28 05 NEUES MUSEUM
2001 daniel libeskind
1855 david chipperfield architects
06.03 | DAY 103 | 02:19 06 JEWISH MUSEUM 46
06.06 | DAY 106 | 21:00 TOURIST SEASON I took a break from studio this evening and went shopping for family and friends back home. Never have I heard so much English spoken or seen so many Asians in Krakow. It’s another something to adapt to, but also a reinforcement to who I’ve become in this city: a local. *shall we let the countdown begin? exactly 2 more weeks left until home sweet home.
06.06 | DAY 106 | 21:58 A VIMEO SHORT
“traveling is a brutality. it forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. you are constantly off balance. nothing is yours except the essential things - air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky - all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” cesare pavese
06.09 | DAY 109 | 11:00 A CALENDAR jun 09 _today jun 10 _tomorrow jun 11 _the day after tomorrow jun 12 _oslo jun 13 _oslo jun 14 _oslo jun 15 _oslo jun 16 _preparation jun 17 _anticipation jun 18 _presentation jun 19 _celebration jun 20 _flight back to america *sometimes it’s better to see it written out. sounds I hear: boy bands and an open window.
06.10 | DAY 110 | 08:22 FIRST LOVE first love never die by SOKO forever a part of my soundtrack
47
i feel like walking / do you feel like coming? / i feel like talking ‘cause it’s been a long time / 4 years and I still cry sometimes / first love never dies
06.12 | DAY 112 | 10:44 OSLO, NORWAY
I didn’t know what to expect, really. From the moment I left for the krakow airport to the moment I stepped off the bus in Oslo, I had no idea what this city had to offer. The flight was short and the check-in to the hostel was smooth. I lived in the present moment and even after stepping into the heart of downtown Oslo at approximately 20:30, I had no d esire to go explore the city but to instead stay in the hostel for the night and work on studio. How lame, right? Well I might as well not have pulled out my laptop because it was this night, my first night in a Scandinavian country downstairs in the hostel by the kitchen that I met people who lived for themselves and no one other. People who traveled to 48
see and listen - to live and learn - to find the new and keep the old; basically, people who had nothing to lose. There was Chase. A guy from Utah in his late 20’s or early 30’s. Skinny with long hair, he had a bad posture but was very creative with his cooking the 3 nights we were there. He spent most of his time in Oslo walking along the rivers, witnessing low waterfalls and drinking beer. It almost seemed as though he had no idea we were staying in the heart of downtown. The man only wanted to be buried in the fjords. He was going on his 7th month of touring Europe. Then there was the Paris guy in his mid-30’s. I never learned his name but boy was he a stubborn person. He refused to walk through the park on an overcast day and through an outdoor folk museum in the scorching sun. Not to mention that he was also stereotypical of the urban fabric and thinks that there should only be one good side to a city and that’s the rich side. Hence, his reason in Oslo, Norway; one of the world’s most expensive city. He had an obsession with stories of the Vikings’ and had been touring northern part of Europe for a month now. I can’t forget about Mitta. I don’t know much about her except that she’s a retired Danish architect. She’s in her late 60’s or early 70’s and we shared a room together. Of course, I was excited to room with an actual architect from Denmark and she was excited to room with an architecture student, and so she decided to quiz me as though she was my professor. “Do you know B.I.G.?” Of course I do! “What about the standard ratio for stairs?” 6:12 or 7:11. Duh. “And who’s the architect of the Sydney Concert Hall?” Uh…..? On the last day, she left me a list of architects I needed to study by the foot of my bed.
49
And in the farthest north of the city, in the inner fjords of Norway at the lake of Sagnosvann, i met 3 people on a business trip to Oslo. They were from Mumbai, India who worked for a company that was under a bigger company. If only I could understand their accent better, I would be able to record down exactly which company they worked for but decided that wasn’t important. What was important was that they were fun and loved to take selfies as much as I do when traveling alone. There was also the Professor Jean Mouho. He was always there when I came back to the hostel to make food in the kitchen. It wasn’t until later did he introduce himself to me as a professor in Belgium at Cass University. The first time we met, I only saw him as another huge FIFA fan because he was cheering along with me for Brazil. Neither of us knew why we were cheering for that team besides the fact that this year’s World Cup actually took place there. He was a genuine, sweet man and always asked me about my day. It was like coming home to a grandpa every night and conversing about life in Oslo three nights in a row. And we knew by the end of the trip that we couldn’t part without giving each other a hug. And the friend I cherished the most during my time there was Alex Emmerick: a Canadian who lived an hour north of my favorite city in Canada: Toronto. We met about an hour into my stay in Oslo and from then on, we hung out with each other every night. We watched all the FIFA matches together during our stay there and ate minke whale steak and reindeer stew for dinner the very last night. Besides salmon, these two dishes are what Norwegians are known for and it was probably the best food I’ve had in Europe (not to mention the most expensive, too). He was the sort of kid that
always left his mom worried at home, travelling without planning and quitting his job without warning. But it’s spontaneity, I think, that allows life to happen the way it should. *sound I hear: the whistling of my laptop
06.21 | DAY 119 | 05:10 ARRIVAL I’m home. *sound I hear: the fan in my room
06.22 | DAY 120 | 17:22 JETLAG It’s been a challenge getting myself to do anything this weekend. I’ve been moving slow and taking multiple naps. I’d wake up at abnormal hours during the night and sleep during the day. In the meantime, my list of things-to-do grows longer and longer every minute. But this is the weekend of the summer solstice. My lazy days are excused. *sound I hear: FIFA game USA v Portugal
06.23 | DAY 121 | 10:56 OSLO CONT’D
The sun never completely sets in Oslo. Even with a friend, we lost track of time each night. The north sits not far from us and neither does the Scandinavian conifer forests. We slept in the heart of downtown and played by the inner fjords. I listened for the seagulls among the boats that sailed away into the speckles of water. I wanted to walk down the waterfront just one more time, but failed to get another chance to do so. Instead, I walked the morning streets to a supposedly well-known coffeehouse of Oslo only to find it closed. But the streets were still pleasant and the sky was still blue. I knew the water that made it blue, too, and the carpet that made the clouds white. It was that of the opera house located on the harbor - eighteen thousand square meters of la facciato 50
marble. To anyone who was riding on deck, it was seen as Skateboard Paradise. But to those who sung and danced, it was home of the norge’s national performing arts. There was another precious jewel of Renzo Piano’s down towards the waterfront, too. He also liked the water, I think. He built a canal on site and a beach to go along with it. He wanted glass sails to match the boats in the distance. They see it too – the speckles of his glass roof. They follow it back to land. And maybe they rode along the fjords like the wind does, through the pine trees and up to the Sagnosvann Lake. I saw long piers reaching towards the middle here. The water was as shallow as the forest was deep. People in the water swam with the ducks while those on land rested on the coastal grass. The trolls also used to be here. They said they owned the lakes and forests. They’d walk around ugly with small beady eyes and an oversize nose. I wonder if they too sat at the end of the pier and ponder on the farther north of the fjords where the sky never turned black. Edvard Munch saw the sky black though. He did. He saw it in his mind and also on canvas of his painting entitled “The Scream”. I was there at Munch Point. It wasn’t far from the 19th century artist James Turrell’s exhibit of SkySpace. There’s a timeline of art on this hill of Ekeberg. In Oslo, art transformed just as swiftly but quietly as the minke whales in the North Sea. But in fashion, the people walked like models dressed in nice suits, white shoes, and dresses that flow as long as the seagulls’ wings. Humans are of high class here. Their hands always sparkled with wineglasses and their eyes were always shielded from the sun… leaving the Norwegian’s identity unknown and untouched. Amongst 51
the conifers that buries mischievous stories of the Vikings, the coast played a scene of year 2025. And for someone who has been living and visiting some of the oldest cities in Europe, it was definitely a wake up call. *sound I hear: disney junior on Disney Channel
06.23 | DAY 121 | 15:34 DESIGN FINAL Design Studio Project: entitled Waz meaning ‘snake’ or ‘serpent’ initially the reason why we were sent to Poland... I think.
07.01 | DAY 129 | 21:40 TANKA 04 made it to july / summer’s second month; my first / i was steps behind / and you were always ahead / but we’ll both meet in august. *sound I hear: humming of the AC
07.16 | DAY 144 | 19:00 BACK INTO PLACE I haven’t been able to keep up with all the different versions I’ve told of my trip. There’s the short version, the long version, the detailed version, the thrilling version, and the version that only asks for another version... if that makes sense. It seems almost unreal everytime I tell it, but each time, it makes a deeper imprint in my mind. I’ve had to tell myself numerous times since I’ve gotten back that it really did happen, Jen. It really did and you lived every moment of it. Every version I’ve told, I’ve lived it and most moments lived, I’ve recorded in this book. Besides this book, it’s the memories that live within me. It is the same memories now that surface between each stroke of paint on my birdhouse, or between the pages of my summer read, or between each pose of yoga. It took me a couple of weeks, but I am back on my summer routine.
of euphoria and confidence. And that in the silence of our hearts, we know that we are proving ourselves worthy of the miracle of life.’ I like to believe this. These entries were able to capture honest feelings, but not every feeling. Like in a photo, every entry has a frame and what happened beyond that frame when the photo was taken is left to the imagination. It’s quite impossible to record down all the emotions and/or happenings that occurred on this trip, but these 63 entries are the puzzle pieces that helps make the story whole. They are the pieces that asks for more pieces... if this makes better sense. The other 60 days that I went without writing were accompanied by friends, beers, vodka, tears of joy and tears of sadness. Sleepless nights ended with prayers and early mornings began with God’s answers. Eventful afternoons overflowed me with happiness and wild evenings left me wanting more. It was all there in Europe and it’s everything I’ve found here upon arriving back to the States. It just all fell back into place. It’s what we call home.
It also took me a couple of weeks, months actually, to realized that this study abroad experience, like love, is a further impetus. It has become a stimulus to disinter my dream and to see more of the world. Paulo Coelho, author of The Alchemist, writes ‘the secret to life is to fall seven times and to get up eight times - that any defeat we overcome, we are filled by great sense
52
writer’s desks Ulica St. Skarzynskiego 9/203 31-866 Krakow Poland
9309 Bryant Trent Blvd. Olive Branch, MS 38654 United States of America
& special thanks to the keeton family and l. jeffries back home for the encouragement to write more, p. jessop and t. tingle for both the times together and alone while these words were written, and most importantly europe for giving me something to write about.
Jennifer G. Nguyen
07
07