Feb
27
Well, It is finally time to depart for wonderful Europa. After a full day of checking, double checking and triple checking my luggage, and a little period of wanting to kick my suitcases when they would hardly zip, I am ready!!! I leave at 10am and have a 3 hour layover in Dallas, then straight to Frankfurt. I will wait at the airport for my other OU friends to arrive (possibly a trip into downtown Frankfurt with a friend while we wait for the final person), then off to Heidelberg. I usually cannot sleep while flying so there is a good chance that I will be very very tired when I arrive, then have another 12 hours worth of stuff to do :(. First blog from Heidelberg soon to come!!!!
Feb
24
Well, Russia continues to offer nothing short of a fascinating life. St. Petersburg is undeniably beautiful, a fact I do not think I can stress too much. Despite the fact that the city is only slightly older than America, the amount of culture, history, and architechture that has been amassed in this area in that short amount of time is tremendous.
To begin with, St. Petersburg, or “Piter” as it is known by the locals, is set upon the mouth of the river Neva. The city is littered with old bridges, each with it’s own character and unique style. Although the temperature here has dropped significantly since I arrived, from around freezing to -20 Celsius, walking through the city has proven to be a great way to pass the time. Argueably, meeting with friends in a warm cafe afterwards may be a slightly better way to do so.
On my strolls through the snow beaten, ice covered streets of the old Russian capital, the “Venice of the North,” I have seen a number of grandiose cathedrals and palaces that rival those of France and Italy. It seems to me that everyone in the Romanov family, not just the tsars were owners of luxurious housing that make the White house look like servants quarters.
Piter is also amazingly resilient despite the bonechilling weather that would hold any American city I’ve been to hostage. Although the snow piles relentlessly upon the sidewalks, I’ve discovered many Russians simply sleep in in order to avoid trudging through the chemical mix of the acidic salt and dirty snow, as they know there will be someone to shovel it away each morning. And even last night, as I walked through the blizzard to a nearby cafe to watch the Olympics, the streets were suprisingly full.
This city has undergone so much, and after reading more about the history of Piter, especially during the Second World War, the ability of the people here to endure whatever natural or man made force that is thrust at them amazes me.
Patriotism, especially from that war was rampant yesterday, on a holiday entitled “Defender of the Fatherland Day”. Essentially, it is a holiday for men. As I walked to the store to buy a text book, I watched an impromptu parade of cars, not just of civilians, but of police and the military too, which drove down the main street, Nevsky Prospekt, with Russian flags of all sorts flying from the back windows. Sirens and horns filled the air and the lamposts and walls were all emblazened with slogans, flags, and placards for the holiday. It was truly a spectacle to see.
Feb
23
So, I am on “spring break” with snow and ice.
Although here there are two “spring breaks” one early and one late. So really a late winter and an early summer break.
I went to northern Germany for break; with a friend.
Currently just hanging out and shopping of course 🙂
Tip of the day: Don’t forget in Europe… you must bring your own grocery bags… or buy them at the store (don’t do that all the time, duh) In Germany you must weigh your own produce and print a price sticker.
Feb
22
It seems impossible that the time is already almost here for me to depart to Germany. It seems like only last week that I was stressing over where to go and all of the paperwork that needed to be done. Well with the choice made and the paperwork not nearly as difficult as expected, I cannot wait to finally arrive in Heidelberg, Germany. Luckily I have almost everything on my list completed!! The only thing that remains is to pack and leave :). The 6 days that remain are going to kill me possibly. The classes I will take once there do not really worry me……yet. Strangely, the only thing on my mind is where my dorm will be and how it will look. Heidelberg Universitaet was originally founded in 1386 and is the oldest university in Germany, so like many other universities in Europe that are old, there is not one central campus location. So my dorm could be multiple miles away from my classroom, but I am looking forward to the walking and sightseeing along the way!
Well I think this is a good start to my first blog on OU BlogAbroad!! I leave this Sunday (the 28th) and will be updating you all on life in Germany very soon (as soon as I wake up from jet lag haha)!!
Feb
22
Well, 26 University of Oklahoma students and I have successfully made it to Arezzo, Italy!  Sorry for the delay in updates, but the internet can be tricky, or expensive, to access.  Arezzo is located in Toscana, about 75 kilometers south of Florence, if one is taking the A1, or “Autostrada.”  Just a couple weekends ago, in fact, two of my friends and I joined my landlord on a journey to Florence (Firenze as an Italian would call it) to attend a jazz concert.  Approaching Florence at night as we zipped past European semi-trucks, which appear to either be completely out of control or abiding by the lower speed limit required of them—much like Illinois actually, my landlord pointed out the orange glow emanating from behind one of the countless Tuscan hills, which are a hallmark of this area of Italy.  The curve of the Autostrada brought us through a tunnel and then all of a sudden we descended the off-ramp in a tight curve, paid our toll, and were on the streets of Florence within seconds.  Needless to say, at that point I had no idea where I was.  The place we arrived at was actually called “American Bar,” with a second more memorable name, but alas, I was a bit too distracted by the “American Bar” sign’s pink letters glowing under a massive building with an colonnaded façade.  But that’s Italy, and the jazz concert was certainly a night I’ll remember for the rest of my life.
This past Sunday, however, three of my friends and I decided to take a day trip to Cortona, about 30 kilometers south of Arezzo, near the border between Toscana and Umbria. Â This hilltop town may sound familiar for some not so historical events that took place with the release of the movie Under the Tuscan Sun, in 2003. Â Frances Mayes’ blockbuster novel incorporating almost every known stereotype of the Italian countryside, especially that of Tuscany, has caused a huge increase in tourism to this town since its release. Â Whether it was Diane Lane’s performance, or the arrival of Sandra Oh’s pregnant belly, Cortona had definitely felt the Hollywood effect. Â In a cafe on the main square, Piazza della Repubblica, in fact, there was a large black and white photograph of Diane Lane and who I believed was the owner of the cafe. Â After contemplating how, even in this hilltop town of the steepest roads and sidewalks I’ve encountered so far here in Italy, an American actresses’ face could somehow be staring back at me with some strange familiarity solidified how I think that many Americans’ impression of what Italy is can be rented at your local video store. Â But I have to include myself in that group, because I remember the impression Under the Tuscan Sun had on my early perspective of what Italy is too.
After visiting the Museo dell’Accademia Etrusco, founded in 1727, which is an extremely important museum full of Etruscan, Roman, and Egyptian artifacts, and includes the library of Onofrio Baldelli (website here: http://www.cortonamaec.org/english/museum_symbols.php), we visited the Diocesan Museo, where Fra Angelico’s Annunciation, works by Pietro da Cortona, and other important works seem odd for such a small town. Â Yet, that’s Italy, and certainly something one should understand about this place: 60 percent of the world’s art masterpieces call Italy home. Â And with that much art, there’s always something to see. Â A family friend told me before I left for Italy, “Go into every church in Italy, every one of them is somehow worth it.”
And on that note, I’ve included two pictures. Â Certainly no picture could capture the view from the top of Cortona, where a Medici Fortress lies and is used by the local population as a gathering place for special events. Â Just another day in Italy.
Feb
22
I am blogging from Norman, Oklahoma. Â I leave for Peru 2 weeks from today! As my departure gets closer, I find myself making millions of to-do lists. Â My most recent list consisted of the following:
- Meeting with Alice Kloker about Visa process
- Appointment with travel nurse at Goddard for vaccinations and malarial medication
- Buy camera
- Set my sister up on Skype
- Register with the US Consulate (travel.state.gov)
- Let my bank know I’m leaving the country
- Laminate/put photo on my ISIC Card
- Get extra debit card in case I get mugged :/
- Make a Peru Folder to bring with me consisting of the following:
- OU FAN or bank statement to prove financial solvency (for Visa)
- Official acceptance letter from PUCP (for Visa)
- List of classes I would like to take
- Copy of Passport
- Homestay address and telephone number
- Flight itineraries
- Proof of vaccinations/shot record
- Make copies of documents in my Peru folder for family members/others back home
- Purchase Atlas Series Travel Health Insurance
- Brush up on my Spanish
- Meet with my friend who studied in Lima last spring
- Sign up for the PUCP compañero program (kinda like OU cousins)
- Call/email OU Med and make sure I’m caught up on paperwork, etc.
- Re-make my budget
- Visit  with the OU Scholars, parents and sister, and other friends before I leave
- See the new Alice in Wonderland movie coming out March 5th!
The list is long, but it definitely helps to make one when a smooth trip depends on so many factors.
Feb
18
Well I’ve been here three and a half weeks now and I always seem to be busy! If I’m not in class or hanging out with new friends, we are traveling. First, let me strongly suggest taking any school sponsored trip. They are a great way to see the country and it is usually at a discounted price. So far we have been to Cambridge, London, and Windsor Castle.
Windsor Castle was amazing. The amount of history there was shocking. It felt so surreal to be standing in the same place that so many heads of state and Kings and Queens had stood before me. I saw paintings that I had just been learning about in class the last week and saw where King Henry VIII and Charles I were buried. I could have spent all day soaking up the history that was there. You aren’t allowed to take pictures inside the castle, but the outside was beautiful. And the Queen was taking residence there while we were visiting, so we were hoping to spot her all day with no luck. I think that the amount of history that can be experienced here is what I am most excited about continuing to visit.
Feb
17
Hello Everyone!
I am new to OU blog abroad so just to give you a quick update..
This semester I am at NHL in Leeuwarden, Netherlands. The school is one of our partner schools and I am here studying International Business. It seems to have a fairly good selection for business students going abroad but it is not necessary to be in that field. For instance, there is another girl from OU here this semester and she is a Psych major. Basically she is taking classes that will hopefully transfer as gen ed.
Since I am a marketing major I’m not sure how many of my classes will count towards degree requirements, most will probably end up being upper division business electives. Although choosing a school and course where credits will transfer is important, I don’t recommend it being your central focus. Pick a school where you are interested in the culture, the lifestyle and the world around you. It won’t matter if all your credits transfer but that you took advantage of your abroad experience.
Ok that is probably long enough for now 🙂 but I will post often with tips and what’s going on in school/life.
Hope you enjoy!
Lindsey
Feb
12
My friends didn’t warn me about kasha. Kasha is the Russian version of grits, and just as flavorless without butter. Almost every day it is the staple of my breakfast. Otherwise though, the food here is excellent. St. Petersburg has a chain of restaurants called “Teremok” that serve “blini” which are thin pancakes, much like crepes. I tried one the other day filled with red caviar, cheese, and potatoes. It was delicious and I washed it down with a glass of “Kvas” which is a drink made from bread and water. I’m sure it’s not for everyone, but I like it very much.
This week in Russia is called “Maslenitsa”. It’s a holiday festival marking the end of winter.  Although, the irony of the situation doesn’t escape me, that as we celebrated today outside by burning an effigy of winter, winter fought back with heavy snowfall.Â
And so is usually the story here. Snow, snow, and a bit more snow. It’s beautiful of course to see the white lining on the many sights here, but it’s discouraging having to trudge through snow that has accumulated on the street since you walked on it an hour before when it was clear.Â
As for housing, I live with an old Russian woman named Nina and her dog, name Lyulyu. Nina is very nice and loves to chat, although my Russian is still very limited and often times fails to propel the conversation forward. But, what is very nice is that I live just outside the center of the city, in a place called “Petrogradskaya Ostrov”. From my apartment it’s five minutes to the subway, fifteen to the university, and ten to the nearby attractions at the Petropavelskaya Krepost’ which is an old fort where all of the Romanovs are entombed.   Next to it stands a beautiful mosque that when it was built surpassed all the others in “Europe”. Europe is a delicate phrase here, especially as Russia is simultaneously European and not, but fully Eurasian.
I’ve also visited a few of the many cathedrals here and the other sites. There is so much to see. The Hermitage is, of course, quite beautiful, and stands right across the river, which is frozen solid, from the fort. It’s a strange thought though, thinking that walking by this Winter Palace so casually as people do now only a hundred years ago would have seemed impossible. But then again, this country has certainly seen many changes in that century…
Feb
8
So just a few things I have discovered since I arrived in England:
* Credit Cards and bank cards only work some places. They use cards with chips in them here instead of “swipe” cards, so there are some places that can’t take our type of cards. I always carry cash on me now.
* They use “cheers” for many things. It can mean ‘Thank You’, ‘Bye’, ‘Good Job’, or, of course, what someone says when clinking a glass together at the pub.
* Oklahoma is known as Cowboys and Wild West. When I tell someone I am from Oklahoma, they always ask me if I can ride a horse, and if I have any cowboy boots. It is so funny!
* Classes here have much less homework. For all four of my classes, I only have a paper and a final exam. They also have final exams for 4 weeks. It is a very long exam period.
* The fashion here is very different. The girls mostly wear leggings and boots all the time. It is much colder here in England than it is in Oklahoma, so I can only imagine that those girls are cold!
* Culture shock DOES happen in England. I assumed coming to England that I wouldn’t get much of a shock. I was wrong. The first few days were hard with everything being done differently and the organization is very different here, but I just rolled with the challenges as they came and things are looking up. It helped to talk to friends who had been through it before who could let me know I wasn’t alone in the process.
* They have a lot of the same brands here, but with different names. ASDA is WalMart, LYNX is AXE, etc. And the things you would expect to be the same (such as Coke or Pepsi) tastes different here. Not a huge difference, but a slight one. It took some getting used to.
Just a few little things I have learned in my first two weeks here!
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