Gary BUTTERWORTH Online

SCHILTIGHEIM, FRANCE

Alright folks, I know I haven’t updated in a while. I’ve been really busy doing nothing particularly interesting. I’ll elaborate on that a little later. But first thing’s first: THERE’S A NEW CHOOSE MY OWN ADVENTURE!

Remember back in November when I let you decide who I went to see Barenaked Ladies with? Well, that was a complete success in every possible way, so I’m going to follow in my own footsteps and let you decide where I’m going for spring break!

Ok, so here’s the deal: Spring break runs from February 27-March 07. I’m right smack in the middle of Europe and I’ve got some money saved up, so I think I should do something cool (unless, of course, I have to work at the Council of Europe over the break, which is at least somewhat possible, but I have no idea how likely because I still really have no idea what exactly I’ll be doing over there and when I’ll be doing it). I have several ideas in mind:

• Gibraltar/Morocco: My original idea for Spring Break was to go through Spain (and possibly Andorra) and head on down to the British colony of Gibralter and play with the monkeys. Then, I had planned to take the ferry across the Straights of Gibralter and spend a few days in Morroco. And I still might do that. I would REALLY like to see Gibralter, and Morocco would be totally different than anything I’ve ever experienced before. Plus, it would be really cool to say that I’ve been to Africa. But I’m having second thoughts. Early on after we arrived in Europe, people started asking me what I was going to do for Spring Break. I mentioned that I was thinking about doing this trip, and apparently other people liked that idea because now a group of five Syracuse people are taking this same trip and they want me to go with them. I really do like these people, but there’s at least one person I’m pretty sure I’d get sick of, and between my summer in Washington and my solo trip to Toronto, I’ve really grown to like the freedom you get in travelling by yourself. So you have two options here: if you want me to go to Morocco and Gibraltar, you can vote for me to do the trip by myself or you can vote for me to do the trip with the other Syracuse people. If I go with the other Syracuse people, I’ll probably also have a day in Barcelona and a day in Seville, Spain. And FYI, I’m going to count the votes for both Gibraltar/Morocco categories together, then look at the individual tallies if this wins.
• The Former Yugoslavia (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovenia, Serbia and Montenegro, Albania, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia): In addition to the fact that Syracuse is headed to Africa in droves, the one other thing that made me think twice about heading to the Maghreb is the fact that for a little more than $200, I can get a 15-day unlimited use Eurolines bus pass. Eurolines is the European equivalent of Greyhound, and I think they cover something like 31 cities, mostly in Southern and Eastern Europe. That’s a pretty good deal, and you all know about my love-hate relationship with long-distance busses. And I really do like the flexibility that comes with bus travel. The Balkans are supposed to be beautiful, and as an International Relations major, I think it would be pretty neat to go to a region where there was just a major war about five years ago and where there are still active UN Peacekeepers. Plus, the professor of my class on Contemporary Central and Eastern Europe has really been encouraging people to head down to this area. I think it’d be fun. On the maybe-an-up-side/maybe-a-down-side-side, another SU student has expressed an interest in going with me if I take this trip. But on the definately a downside-side, there’ll probably be a VERY big language barrier.
• As much of Scandanavia as I can afford: For me, it’s a toss up between Morocco/Gibraltar and the former Yugoslavia. I wish I wasn’t graduating this summer. Then I could do both! Still, I’m not married to either trip for spring break. I like hockey, and there’s a lot of hockey in Scandanavia. Plus, you can fly to Oreboro (sp?), Sweden really cheaply. Thing is, there’s not much near Oreboro. Still, I could probably figure something out.
• As many tiny countries as I can see: I don’t know why, but I think little countries are neat, and there’s a bunch of them in Europe. I’m taking a field trip to Brussels, Belgium, this Thursday, and we’ll drive through Luxembourg. Still, even with that out of the way, there’s still a bunch of other tiny countries: Andorra, Monaco, Lichenstein, San Marino, and the Vatican. I could probably reasonably see three of them over the break. It might be fun, but honestly, I think the novelty might wear off.
• Stay in Strasbourg: Strasbourg is very nice.
• Cuba: Logically, this trip makes the most sense, but I really don’t feel like taking it. But if I don’t, I might regret it later. American’s can’t go to Cuba legally, but if you fly there from a third country, there generally isn’t a problem. I’d really like to see Cuba while Castro’s still in power, and this might be my only chance. Still, that would entail me flying further than home, and it would cost some serious money.
• Other: Do you have a better idea? E-mail me!

So there you have it. You get to pick where I go for Spring Break. Once again, I encourage you to vote early and often, but no large-scale ballot stuffing. Oh, and last time I promised that I’d do whatever you voted for. This time, since whatever option I go with will involve substantial costs, there is a chance I might have to do something other than what you vote for. I’ll probably go with the vote, but I just wanted to give you a heads up in case I can’t for some reason. And I have no idea how long I’ll leave this poll up, since I really should decide very soon. So vote now, and TELL YOUR FRIENDS! I’m counting on you!

La musique francaise

I’m proud of what I accomplished today. More than half of the music that you hear on the radio in France is in English. And of course all of my CDs are in English. I’m really trying to get myself more into a French mindset and somehow learn to speak French while I’m here. So I’m trying to rid myself of English as much as possible (and yes, I realize the irony of writing that statement out in English). So, I’ve been in the market for some French music. Four or five times, I’ve gone to music stores and listened to CDs for an hour or so trying to find a good French CD to listen to on my discman while I’m on the bus, walking around town, etc. Well, today, I finally found not one but two French CDs I liked enough to buy. I got A l’interieur by MacZde Carpate and Sombres Efforts by Aqme. I haven’t listened to the second one all the way through yet, but the first one is pretty good. If, by any chance you know of any good French bands, please let me know. Especially if you know any loud, emocore-ish stuff. I think that’s what I like.

Passer un pont, traverser un fleuve…

Syracuse tells you that they don’t schedule classes on Friday in their overseas centers so that students will be able to travel and really experience a foreign culture. Well, so far I’ve had class every Friday since I’ve been here, and next Friday and I’m taking a field trip to Brussells, Belgium. This weekend was actually supposed to be my first real 3-day weekend, and I had planned on taking a train to Fribourg, Switzerland, to see a hockey game with The Official International David Aebischer Fan Club. Well, when one of my classes got rescheduled for Friday evening, it became apparent that Fribourg couldn’t happen. But that actually turned out to be a great thing. Let me give you a little background.

I’m having a very nice time here. In fact, you have no idea exactly how happy I am to finally be here. Getting prepared for this trip was extremely nerve-racking. Even though I loved last semester in Syracuse and even though I hated to pack up and leave for good, I have to say that I really was glad when I finally left, simply because leaving was so tough and I was glad to finally get it over with. And winter break really wasn’t much of a break. I’m just not that happy in South Jersey anymore. So I’m very glad to be here, and I’m having a very nice time.

Still, I’d say that so far “very nice” is all that this is. The one thing standing between me having a “very nice” time here and me having the time of life here is the Syracuse people. Now, I don’t have anything wrong with the people here at all. There are a few I’m not particularly fond of, but by and large, I like my group. The vast majority of the Syracuse students are genuinely nice people. There are a couple of people that I really respect. There are a few more who I think are a lot of fun. But there really aren’t m/any whom I feel any sort of bond with. And maybe it’s just because I spend so much time with everyone, but there are some things that people do that just don’t make sense to me. Like when we were on the traveling seminar, there were people who would eat at Italian and Middle Eastern restuarants every day. And even when we were in Belgium, beer co-capital of the world, people were going to Irish bars. It’s no big deal, but it’s just that a lot of people do stuff that I wouldn’t do and it gets on my nerves a little bit. I guess I just got spoiled by the people I met through Habitat for Humanity and being an RA. Overall, it just kind of bugs me that even though I’m in France, I just can’t seem to break away from a big cluster of Syracuse people. I’m here, but I’m definately trapped in an American bubble that I desparately want to get out of.

ANYWAY I finally got to break out of that American bubble over the weekend, and it was the coolest thing ever! For some reason, I woke up on my own early on Saturday morning, and I went out wandering by myself. I saw a lot of the city of Strasbourg that I hadn’t seen yet, then I took the bus to the last stop before Germany so I could walk across the border. So I walked over the Pont de l’Europe to Kehl, Germany, then I came back. On the way back, I found the actual border marker (it’s very inconspicuous) and I walked across the border 14 times. I would have crossed it a few more times, but I figured the people in their cars were probably looking at me. And it did kind of start to get boring.

Anyway, after walking across the border, I met up with Hal and Cliff, two guys who are studying here through Syracuse. We went to the ice hockey game. Strasbourg has an ice hockey team, L’Etoile Noire (The Black Star), that play in the French First Division, which is really the second level of ice hockey in France (the first level is called the Super 16). I’m not sure if it’s a professional league or not, but if I had to guess I’d probably say that it’s semi-pro, along the lines of the QSPHL. The arena is certainly not professional by any standards. Even I have to admit that it’s a dump. The glass doesn’t even go all the way around the rink! But they were still able to draw about 900 people there for a game, and although most of the players are French, there were a couple of Canadians and Eastern Europeans. The quality of play was a hair better than I expected, but it wasn’t much. Well below ECHL-level. Very slow, lots of standing around, and everyone coasts into their turns. And I think I saw one or two long passes up the middle. So it was frustrating to watch, but it was still enjoyable. And the fans were pretty good too. A couple of people brought drums and were playing them throughout the whole game. I had a good time, and it was definately worth the 4 Euro admission (I think there’s a student discount that I asked for but didn’t get).

Hal and Cliff left the game with about 5 minutes to go to meet up with some people for dinner. I met up with some other people and went to a pizza place. It was after dinner that things really got cool, though. Katie, a sophomore at SU who’s here studying the organ, met another Syracuse student who’s time here was ending just when ours was starting. Through this other girl, Katie met Dave, a New Zealander who arrived here in September without a word of French. So Dave calls Katie up on Saturday night and invites her and anyone she wants to bring to hang out with some of his friends. So Katie, Me, and Craig, another Syracuse student go. We meet up at somebody’s apartment, hang out there for a while, and then go to a big birthday party at someone else’s apartment for some other guy. I think his name was Raoul, but I never met him. At least I don’t think I did. Anyway, everyone at the party is either a college student or a grad student. And except for Katie, Craig and I, everyone was either French or an Erasmus student (Erasmus is a European exchange student program, mostly for grad students. I think it’s named after an explorer from the 15th century or something. So that’s Erasmus. Not to be confused with The Rasmus, which is a British band that’s really popular here. Are they popular in the States now too?).

So we’re at this party. Now you all know that I didn’t go to many parties at all in Syracuse because I worked weekend nights and they really didn’t appeal to me that much. To me, though, I thought that this seemed much better than any of the big Syracuse parties. People were actually talking to each other and the random groping was at a minimum. There was no keg, people just seemed to all walk around with their own bottles of champaign or wine or beer in a wine bottles. Most of the music was in English and people were singing along, but some of it was in French. Anyway, I really wanted to try talking in French, but I really don’t know how you go about meeting people at big drunken parties since I worked at Kimmel during the big drunken parties. So I’m standing there, talking to Craig, and from time to time talking to one of the Erasmus guys who trecked over to this party with us from the first apartment we were at. Mostly I was talking to Dave (the Kiwi), two Swedish guys (one who didn’t speak English that great–I didn’t know there was such as thing as a Swede who didn’t speak perfect English), and a guy from Poland. The Swede who spoke great English was a Master’s student in International Relations, which I thought was neat.

At some point, I was talking with Craig. Then I turned my back for 45 seconds and he was gone. So I go looking for him, and there he is in the living room, talking, in French, with three French girls. Now maybe I don’t know how to randomly start talking to strangers at a big drunken party. But I’ve had French since 8th grade. Craig’s had it for two weeks. If he was able to break the ice somehow, then certainly I can join in. So I went over there, and I started talking French to real French people! Yes, I got to speak French with real French people my age!!! It was freakin’ amazing. They could understand me, and I could pretty much understand them (although I have to admit, when I asked if I should go to Morocco or the former Yugoslavia, I really am not sure what the response was, although I think it was Yugoslavia). It was a half hour long walk home at 3am, but I was just giddy the whole way. Talk about a natural high. I really have to find a way to do some more of that. With the exception of learning about the names of baked goods, my French hasn’t improved at all since I’ve been here. But after this weekend, I really think that I could learn French if I started hanging out with French people my age. Easier said than done, but maybe I can make it happen. I know that every Monday there’s an International Student Night somewhere around town that everyone talks about. I would have gone tonight, but I’m feeling a little under the weather. Maybe I’ll go next Monday.

The first Sunday of every month all of the Strasbourg museums are free, so I went with some other Syracuse people late Sunday afternoon. We went to the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, and I thought it was really neat. I’m not a very artistic person. I know a tiny bit about literature and a tiny bit about film, but pretty much nothing about music, theater, or poetry. But I do know a little bit about French impressionism and post-impressionism, and their impressionist and post-impressionist collection was neat. And the contemporary stuff was just cool. I think anyone can appreciate that. Then we walked around town for a while

So that was my weekend. Oh, and as it turns out, the David Aebisher Fan Club was in the U.S. last weekend, so I would have missed them anyway. And I would have missed a lot of fun here. So everything worked out great after all!

What else is new?

What else is new? Well, not too much. I was really busy last week doing a lot of nothing. Going to the supermarket, doing laundry (which is quite a chore here, since my washer takes almost an hour and a half per load and I don’t have a dryer). And I had a 5 page paper due last Friday. Other than that, there really hasn’t been that much going on. Last Sunday (the 25th), Syracuse took us on an excursion through Alsace. That was nice. We got to see Haut Konigsbourg (a medieval castle), the town of Colmar, and a World War II cemetary with a monument to American soldiers. It was a nice time.

Last Saturday me and a couple of guys took the bus over to Germany for no particular reason. I bought some Mezzo Mix soda, the stuff I mentioned in my last blog update. I also bought some American-style notebooks. (In France, everyone writes on graph paper.) Then I went to the third period of the hockey game and came home. So I guess you’re almost all caught up.

Random observations

Lastly, here’s a rundown of my observations so far:

• France is almost as French as Québec. Seriously, there’s more French in Québec. There, KFC is called “PFK” and stop signs say “ARRET.” Here, KFC is still called KFC and stops signs still say stop. Weird.
• Here’s another France-Canada comparisson: Montréal smells just like Schiltigheim. The Molson brewery is in Montréal and there’s a Heinekin brewery here in Schill-town. I liked the smell at first; I don’t anymore. Thankfully, you only smell it in the morning.
• I had always heard about how in France you always have to watch where you step because dogs shit everywhere. And that’s true. The one thing I wasn’t expecting, though, was children relieving themselves everywhere. Twice now, I’ve seen little girls peeing in the middle of the street. One was squatting and the other was being held by her mother who was aiming the kid like a weapon. What’s up with that?! (I’ve mentioned this to a few people, and so far no one else has witnessed this phenomenon. But I swear, I’ve seen it twice!)
• I stopped watching the exchange rates about two weeks ago. It was too depressing (for me as an American in Europe. Overall, I have to admit a weak dollar is probably just what the doctor ordered about now). And if I’m trying to live like a real European, then I have to suck it up and forget that the dollar is my native currency. BUT, if things turn really really good for the dollar, I’d really really appreciate it if someone would let me know.
• Here’s a list of some things that are at least somewhat popular over here that really aren’t popular back home: longwave radio, Orangina, Fanta, flan, zip-up sweaters, cheese (duh), nutella, bread with chocolate in it, unrefridgerated milk, fountain pens, graph paper, doner kebabs, serious public displays of affection especially on public transportation, military time, shutters that really shut, tiny cars, and driving on the sidewalk.
• Dustin Covello.
• After the first day in Paris, I quit wearing my Syracuse hat cold turkey. I miss it, and I look terrible without it.
• France might be expensive right now, but even with the bad exchange rate, supermarkets are pretty cheap here. And so are passport photos.
• I always thought pretzels were invented in Bavaria, probably because there’s that place in the mall called the Bavarian Pretzel Factory or something like that. Bavaria is a region in Germany probably about 3 hours away from here. But I’ve since been told that pretzels were invented right here in the Alsace region of France. I don’t know which is correct. But regardless, there are a lot of pretzels here and I have to admit, they’re pretty good. And that’s quite a compliment coming from a guy like me who’s from the Philadelphia area. There are two things that are bugging me about the pretzels, though. One, you don’t put mustard on them. And two, the French word for “pretzel” is “brezel.” Easy enough, right? I can’t say it! grrr!
• I now refer to Rick Steves as simply “Rick.”
• Before I left, I told a bunch of people about how I was paranoid about my shoes. I’ve heard that Americans always stick out in crowds because of their shoes. Well, I had wanted to go out and spend big money on a pair of shoes before I left, but I didn’t. I got a $30 pair of black shoes and so far they’re holding up really well. They’re a little stretched out, but that doesn’t bother me if I wear thick socks. And they’re pretty comfortable. And so far, no one has been insanely jealous of them, unlike my Perry Ellis sneakers. Anyway, why am I even bringing this up? Well, the first night I was here, at dinner my host parents started talking about shoes. Then they looked at mine and told me they were nice. And I’m pretty sure they meant it.
• The waffel is an art form in Belgium. It’s not just a waffel. You need to have one to really experience it; words don’t do it justice. Seriously, though, it’s more of a pastry than a breakfast food. Kind of like a donut. You can get them glazed, with filling, etc. I can’t wait to go back to Belgium this weekend to have another. Here’s a picture of me eating a waffel on the street in Antwerp.
• Also in Belgium, we visited a town called Bruge. Or Brugges. Or Brugge. Or something. I still have no idea how to spell it.
• I’ve been told by Iranians that I must have been Persian in a past life. My friend Amit thinks I’m secretly Indian. I haven’t been told by any French people that I act French (and I don’t think I ever will), but I must look European enough. In Paris, I was stopped twice and asked for directions, in French. In Brugges (or however you spell it), I was asked for directions in Dutch. And I’ve been asked for help with the bus system here in Strasbourg in French. Just today, someone pulled over on the street and asked me for directions to the Cathedral here in Strasbourg, and I think I might have been a help. The guy who was hasseling me on the Pigalle in Paris asked me if I was Swiss and the other day when I was having a hard time ordering pasta in French (given a choice, I wouldn’t even know what kind of sauce I want in English), the woman working at the restaurant started talking to me in German. Now I am not at all embarassed to be American, but I’m still very proud of the fact that I seem to be able to blend in.
• Chateau de Gary is amazing. It’s ridiculously nice. This is probably the first time I’ve ever had something that was so nice that I’m just itching to show it off. If you’re in the area, stop on by! Here are some pictures. There’s also a picture of where I lived in Washington DC last summer mixed in with them. See if you can figure out which one that is.
  
  
• In case you’re getting confused about all of the place names I’m throwing around (Nan!), I’ll try to clarify. I go to school in the city of Strasbourg. I live in a town just outside of Strasbourg called Schiltigheim. Schiltigheim and Strasbourg are both in the département of Bas-Rhin (lower Rhine), which is in the region of Alsace in the country of France which is on the continent of Europe. Cross the Rhine River from Strasbourg and you’re in the town of Kehl, Germany.

In conclusion…

So there you have it. That’s the rest of what I’ve been up to since I left the states. You’re all caught up, and I can sleep easier tonight knowing that. Like I’ve said, I’ve been having a nice time, even though I really haven’t been doing anything interesting, except for this past weekend. Unless I start doing a lot of interesting stuff, I might keep on updating only once a week or so. We’ll see what happens. In case you don’t hear from me for a little while, here’s a peak at what I have planned for the rest of the semester

• Trips to Brussels, Belgium and Geneva, Switzerland with one of my classes
• Trips to Prague, Czech Republic; Fribourg, Switzerland; and either Mannheim or Freiburg, Germany to watch hockey games.
• Rent a bike
• Go see Lost in Translation at the movies. It’s playing here, in English with French subtitles, and a bunch of people have seen it and remarked about how interesting it was to see it abroad because so much of the movie really was lost in translation.
• Starting my internship at the Council of Europe
• Day trip to a spa in Baden-Baden, Germany
• Cooking pancakes for my host family at some point

That’s about it for now. Keep me posted about any news from the homefront. Oh, and my host father’s birthday is on Saturday. Any ideas?

Current Mood: Tired and happy.
Current Music: None

Filed under: Ice hockey, Interactive, international, Music, Study Abroad, Travel