St Moritz - er, Sankt or San?

So now we are back in St Moritz, Switzerland. The classy, world famous ski resort/ celebrity hang out....so they say. It is beautiful, if you wander through the forests and manage to avoid other people, somehow. It's nicknamed "The top of the world," because of elevation, both physically and reputation wise.

Even on top of the world, however, you can have bad weather. I can't believe it, but it's actually snowing in St Moritz...in August. Well, up high in the mountains at least. And worse, down here, it's raining, a cold, miserable rain, which never seems to end. One of the girls' tennis instructors, Donato told me that anything is possible in St Moritz. Even snow isn't unusual for this time of year. It used to always snow in the summer, he told me.

The nature is still beautiful, if you ignore how cold it is. While we ride our bikes around, I like to play my favorite game: guess the language of the tourist. It's always kind of a challenge to decide what language to use to say, "Watch out," or "Coming up on your left!" It's easy to resort to Italian, since half the people here are either from Italy or speak the language as their native tongue. However you also always have to weigh in the potential for a Swiss German to walk by, which more than 50% of the time this happens. Then you have the handful of Swiss French, or Swiss that speak Romantsch, that language that nobody seems to know about, hidden in the mountains somewhere. In the end, it takes me so long to decide what to say, I just ring my bell, and hope they get the point.

Milan in August

It's only logical that I write about Milan too, since I wrote about Vienna and Zurich, although admittedly I've been to Milan even more times than I've been to Zurich.

There are unique moments that can happen in Milan, however. For example, Milan is very different in August, when everyone magically disappears to go on vacation. Although it is the ultimate concrete jungle, filled with business men and well to do upper crust, in August the place is practically a ghost town. You can walk on one of the biggest streets in the city, and feel like you own the place, walking by all of the closed stores and shops. In a way it's a rather peaceful feeling, since you feel unique, and individual.

The problem with Milan in August is that it's usually really HOT, which is an understatement in a way. I've never seen such a hot an humid non-tropical location in my life, and that's saying something. Well, I suppose Budapest is pretty bad too. At any rate, that may be the other reason why people hide away in August, because they all have air conditioning in their offices and homes, and to walk outside in the heat is a less enjoyable experience than normal. They hide away, or run to the beach as fast as they can.

Despite the emptiness, it's still a treat to see Milan and the area in the summertime. Everything is so bright, and it couldn't feel more like summer anywhere else. I went to Monza, a city near Milan, for the first time, and to my surprise it was very beautiful. What the city lacks in size and sheer massiveness, it keeps its quaint town style, as well as an impressive castle and huge public park that dwarfs any of the parks in Milan. It's surprising how places that seem so insignificant become actually interesting once you go there.

Zurich

Ah Zurich.....after having been there for at least 8 times, I feel like this city merits a post or two, at least.

There's something about Zurich that's very appealing. Even though the people have a reputation for being somewhat...."apathetic," (my great aunt loves telling me the story of how she fell on a sidewalk in Zurich and nobody helped her up....)I disagree. As a matter of fact, I find Swiss people, even in Zurich to be rather friendly folk. Admittedly the few times that people have attempted to talk to me, they don't get very far before they realize that my German is what we would call nonexistent.....I've still had a surprising number of laughs with people on trains, or in stores, those few times I've attempted to buy chocolate on my own....

Nevertheless, whether or not the people are polite, or shy, or too stressed about being on time, I hold judgement. As for the city itself, it is like magic. Everything works, clocks are always set to the right time, and trains always arrive on time, or early. Somehow everything is clean, and the public restrooms are really stylish.

Yet, once you get past the touristy "old town," or the scenic viewpoints of the lake, where there are always mobs of tourist, there are always things to see. The best part is finding those hidden places that you didn't know existed, because they aren't publicized for the tourists, and the locals don't always tell you about them. Everytime I've been, for example, I've always found a green house, large parks, and hidden odd places. Everything is so neat, green, and very "natury," you know, the kind of stuff I like.

There's never a shortage of greenery or forests, and sometimes you just wonder how the Swiss got it right. Is it all that money they have from the banking that makes them want to show off their wealth in some "green, environmentally friendly" style, or do they just have some connection to nature that would exist, regardless of how expensive their standard of life is? Is Zurich pretty because of its wealth and cleanliness, or is it all the room they have for nature? I'll go with the latter, because I've never spent time with the wealthy and powerful in Zurich, and instead have friends of more reasonable standards of living. And I have to say, the best times have been kicking back in the large green lawn, in the summer heat (well, not this summer), drinking a beer and just talking.

Vienna

Before I left for Vienna, I heard different comments from almost every person who had been there. Some people really loved it, others absolutely hated it. I could not wait to test it out for myself. And finally, a moment to go back to old traveling techniques of what I fondly call the "wander and conquer" approach. For a person like me who completely lacks what we call "sense of direction" but is pretty good with a map if enough time is allowed, this technique is probably the most efficient.

So I finally made it to Vienna, to the 19th century apartment of my relatively new friend and fellow couch surfer Sophie. Admittedly I dont know very many Austrians, but the ones I do know make me wonder if there are common trends in the overall population. For example, the funny sense of humor, the mountains of stories to tell, and the ability to talk??? Who knows, but that is definitely Sophie in a nut shell. We spent most of the evenings talking about traveling.

So today I just woke up, grabbed my map, and ten minutes later was walking around in some sort of loosely defined direction that my relatively new friend Sophie advised. Somewhat to my surprise, it seemed like almost any direction I chose ran me into a sort of perfectly groomed palace garden, or huge marble statues. The boulevards were so green and it seemed like I couldn´t find a place that didn´t have something interesting. Perhaps travelers who don´t like Vienna find it too groomed, or too clean? I guess I´m not one of them.

I took the metro to the palace, wondering if I could maybe peek in through the gates without paying, but to my sheer joy and amazement the palace gardens were all free, and I wandered around for hours, photographing the huge fountains and walkways that I stumbled upon. I think Marie Therese was pretty impressed by the French when she started vamping up the gardens, because it almost seemed like something out of Versailles. And, like Versailles in August, it was sweltering hot.

Although it´s pretty hot in Vienna in the summer, at least it seems cooler than Budapest. It´s surprising how different Vienna is from other places I have been. Admittedly I didn´t meet very many locals aside from Sophie, but then again I was only here for a day. Despite what people say, I think the city is very authentic, with quite the history. Tomorrow I´m going to visit Beethoven´s grave (sadly he´s not an Austrian). I´m so excited.

Budapest: the city of a thousand histories

While I'm studying in Budapest, it's time I wrote something new and exciting. After all, I have internet again....

I've finally made it to Budapest, a city full of surprises and excitement at almost every corner. Admittedly I haven't had a lot of time to explore since I'm taking a very intensive TEFL course (for those of you unfamiliar with the acronym, it's fancy speak for English teacher training). Still, if you're living in a foreign city, it's your responsibility to explore, no matter how busy you may be.

Hungary is such an interesting country, that has been taken over so many different times that it has become influenced in so many ways by other cultures. It's odd to think that the first people to establish themselves here were the Magyars, a group from Asia somewhere. Then you have the Ottomans, the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, the Germans, the Soviet Union....and yet Hungary proudly keeps its unique language, Magyar, one of the most complex languages in the world.

And Budapest is the capital, with its bustling, unique mix of Turkish baths, Medieval castles, and exciting nightlife. I think the most attractive things about Budapest is how different each district feels. Every day when I cross the Danube River, I feel like I'm changing cities, from one side to the other, which ironically is logical since Buda and Pest used to be two different cities that outgrew their boundaries and merged to became what they are today.

It seems that Budapest is almost too dangerous a place....to study that is. While I slave away trying to learn how to teach English verb tenses, all I really want to do is hop on the oldest underground metro in continental Europe and go explore the gardens, cathedrals, and parks of this place I only get to call home for such a short time.

A brief update from Madagascar

So while I have internet at my disposal, I think it's a great opportunity to update my blog. However I don't even know where to begin with Madagascar!!! Sometimes it's difficult for me to explain a place that is so different from anywhere I've ever been.

First you have to realize that I'm traveling with my good friend and former neighbor Roxanne, an eager and well traveled young lady from the London area. With her expertise and my general desire to adventure, we have been traveling in our own unique way. We wake up in the morning, look at the guidebook, and decide where we want to go, and where we want to stay. Admittedly Madagascar is probably the best place to do this, as almost every hotel we've stayed at has been rather empty and the people around us have been more than eager to host two "vasahas" (malagash for foreigner).

We've also confused almost everyone we've met with our method, since we've refused to stay in the four star hotel and insist on eating in the street with the locals. In addition we don't have a private driver but have been using the "taxi brousse," a van like vehicle that is used for public transportation all over the country. Needless to say we've had many laughs with the locals, and despite the language barrier at times, everyone seems interested and eager to meet us.

Here in Madagascar we have met so many people, whether by traveling together or just a random crossing of paths in the street. What sticks out foremost in my mind when I think of all of the people we've seen, from the wealthy doctor of the town to the poorest family in the tiniest shack is their appreciation of life. Even though the people in Madagascar may be some of the poorest people in the world, living on less than a dollar a day at times, they seem to have some secret to being happy. While we wander around, you see an array of smiles and laughs, and snippets of conversations. Even when these people don't see us and greet us with smiles, you can still tell that amongst themselves, they are enjoying a private moment of sheer joy. I wonder how often that happens in our lives?

As we pass by, we see so many people living their lives: mothers talking to their children, brothers playing together in the street, school children running around each other, a couple taking a walk in the evening, lovers falling in love. These are the things you can see, and are things I've seen all around the world, no matter what culture or place I've been. It just reminds me that we are all very human, and there are many things that are commonplace for everyone.

So whoever you are, and whatever you are doing right now, take a moment to remember to forget about all of those things that bog you down, and aren't really important. Do what the Malagasy do: appreciate those things in life that really matter, take a deep breath, and just laugh.

Saying goodbye

It's difficult to leave a place, especially one you know so well. Of course it's easier when you know you're going to somewhere new and exciting. Yet still, saying goodbye to all of those friends you leave behind, and letting go of all of those fond memories, that just become distant past souvenirs of what was. It's hard to say goodbye, but not hard enough to avoid saying hello to what is new.