Taking a break...

I've decided I'm going to take a break from traveling this weekend. It's only a 2 day weekend, so I'm not missing out on too much. I think it'll be good to take some time to relax and recuperate for the last few weeks of my time here. I'll probably going into Metz tomorrow for lunch. I have yet to check out the cathedral, and it would be a shame to miss out on that before returning home. I think I'll spend the rest of my time relaxing in my room, watching movies, reading The Kite Runner, and, of course, UPDATING MY BLOG!!! I've been slacking quite a bit lately, but I will make up for it this weekend. I have lots to share about my last weekend in Barcelona and maybe even about my trip to Prague and Salzburg from two weekends ago. We'll see though; let's not go too crazy just yet.

First things first...I have a crazy story about what happened to me and a group of friends last night. Yesterday, it was Brian David's 21st birthday, so we decided to go into Metz for a nice meal to celebrate. We went to this great Mexican restaurant in Metz. It was one of those classy Mexican restaurants; although, I have a craving for cheap Mexican food and unlimited chips and salsa now. I'm definitely going to one once I get home. Continuing with my story, we had a great dinner and enjoyed just hanging out in Metz. I haven't done that much this summer, so it was nice to get away from GTL on a weeknight. I paid for it a little bit by having to cram in my Probability & Statistics homework this morning, but it was definitely worth it. After dinner, we walked to where we needed to be to catch a night bus back to where we live. This is where the story really starts.

So, we get on the bus on time no problems and sit in the back. We were a group of 5 guys (Scott, Brian, Brian, Patrick, and I), which of course makes us the stereotypical group of GT students. Anyways, we're on the bus just talking and laughing about whatever when these 2 teenagers (probably a couple of years younger than us) get on the bus and sit across from us. It's really weird because one of them spits on the floor in front of us. Nobody spits AT ALL in Europe, so we were all pretty shocked that he did that but didn't think anything else of it. At another stop, an older French guy (probably mid to late 20's) gets on the bus and sits around all of us as well. By this time, we've started getting some pretty ill looks from the two teenagers, and it's immediately obvious that this new guy doesn't like us either. He wouldn't stop staring at us with a look of hatred and started speaking with in French with the two boys across from us. I don't speak much French, but it was obvious he was saying some pretty nasty things about us. They kept looking at us as if to mock us and show how much disdain they had for us. It was almost like we were being taunted. At this point, we were all like "seriously, what's going on and what did we do to deserve this." We add a feeling something bad was going to happen, but at the same time we were a group of 5 guys. Now, I'm not the biggest guy in the world, but Brian and Patrick both play rugby and the other Brian is quite built and very intimidating (his beard definitely has something to do with that). Scott is kind of the X-factor though. He's definitely a big guy, but like me is pretty calm and wouldn't be the fighting type. However, if you've ever played soccer with Scott or watched him play, then you know there's another side of him that's pretty scary. But that's not the point. Anyways, we thought there was no way they would think about doing anything to us. Nonetheless, the group of French guys continued to talk bad about us while throwing in English cuss words as well and spitting in our direction. It was all incredibly surprising and unbelievable. It was almost amusing to us that they would act that way. I understand Americans aren't well liked but still.

We decided just to get off the bus at an earlier stop because it would be faster to walk back, and it obviously just wasn't a good situation in there. We accidentaly pressed the button to demand a stop a bit early. Brian (the one with the beard) felt bad that we did that, so he just got off and decided to walk from there. We waited for the next stop, although we ended up waiting for Brian to catch up with us before heading back to our dorms. I'm getting ahead of myself now though. Back to what happened when we were getting off the bus....

So I'm the first to get up and press the button to open the doors and get off the bus. With my back turned to the group of French guys and about to walk out, the older French guy proceeds to jump out of his seat and punches me in the back of the head. Yes, that sounds absolutely ridiculous, but I assure you it happened. I WAS PUNCHED IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD FOR ABSOLUTELY NO REASON. We all could tell that there was the possibility of something bad happening, but we did nothing to provoke the guys whatsoever. I think our first reaction was pure shock at what had happened. I got punched!!! After hitting me the guy immediately backs off behind his seat. At this point I'm already off the bus and completely bewildered as to what just happened. The guy then proceeds to swing at Patrick. This all happens pretty quickly of course, and by now we're all pumped up with adrenaline and pissed off at what was happening. However, I think we all knew that the group wasn't a threat to us at all, so there was no point in retaliating. Our group continued getting off the bus while getting swung at, spat at (this time they actually were directly aiming for us), and even kicked at. The teenagers joined in at this pont. It was absolutely BIZARRE. As I said, we really didn't feel threated at all, which I is why I think none of us retaliated. It's probably best that we just got off the bus as well since we're in a foreign country and who knows what could have happened to us legally or whatever. So, we all get off the bus and are yelling and pissed off at what happened to us for no reason. The group of French guys continue cussing and spitting at us from the bus. I think they definitely knew better than to follow us. The rest of the people on the bus were shocked as well. Everybody, including us, was like "did that really just happen?" There was an attendant on the bus who started making his way back to where the group that attacked us were. I'm not sure what happened or what he said because the bus then started to pull away. All the while, we're on the side of the street absolutely pissed off about what happened and completely at a loss for why it happened. Like I said, we waited for the other Brian to catch up with us before heading back to our dorms. He was a bit disappointed to have missed out on all the action and was surprised about what happened but not really shocked either. We all knew that there was danger of something bad happening. It was clear that the French guys loathed us. They were definitely looking to start something. Once again, I still can't believe all that actually happened. I got punched in the back of the head!!! We are all pretty sure they hated us because we were Americans. We weren't even being dispruptive or acting like the stereotype though. By now, we've learned how to fit in and respect the standards and expectations of French culture/social behavior. It's awful what those guys did to us.

I'm not sure what's going to happen next. It looks like we're going into Metz on Monday to file a police report. There are surveillance cameras on the bus as well. I definitely want some form of justice. It's not right to let such horrible behavior go unpunished. I just wish I knew what was going on through the minds of the people that attacked us. There's no way I can possibly understand why they did what they did, but I would like to know their reasoning. I've never really been the victim of a crime (...well I did have $775 stolen from me when fraudalent charges were placed on my debit card). But there's no direct contact between criminal and victim in that case. It really is unfortunate that some humans can be so awful to the people around them. Crime is inexcusable.

Here are pictures of our group of guys on the bus. I took these just before things turned bad.

Scott

Brian

Patrick

Brian (...notice the awesome beard)

I'll be sure to keep the blog updated with what happens.



...and on a lighter, happier note - TODAY IS ANNA AND I'S 6 MONTH ANNIVERSARY!!! I love you Anna! Thanks for all the wonderful memories we've shared, and I am so happy to be in a relationship with you. You make everything better! I can't wait to be back home with you soon. I promise we'll celebrate when I get back :)

5 Story Club + The Sound of Music = Fun Weekend

So I've had a very busy week and never actually got to updating my blog about last weekend. I have a huge to do list to take care of today before I head to Barcelona for the weekend, so it's looking like I won't get a chance to write any stories about my adventures. Sorry to disappoint! Feel free to check out pictures on my Picasa!

CHECK IT OUT!!!

I'm on the cover of the new GT Viewbook!

http://www.admission.gatech.edu/viewbook/

I remember Amsterdam :P

This last weekend was my last one in Europe with Anna. She flew back home Monday morning. I am so thankful for the time I get to spend with Anna in Europe. I had an amazing traveling across the continent with her. I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to travel around with her. I am very blessed!

...but about my weekend!!!

I left Metz on Thursday, and it couldn't have come fast enough. I was really not feeling school at all last week. I'm not really sure why; maybe it was because I had a great weekend ahead of me but whatever. I was so happy to leave class and walk to the train station Thursday afternoon. My plan for the weekend was to hang out with Anna in Amsterdam on Friday and maybe go to Brussels on Saturday before meeting my family in Paris on Sunday. Anna and I ended up just staying in Amsterdam for both days because we liked it so much. I ended up taking a roundabout route to Amsterdam because August Burns Red, a favorite band of mine, was playing in Strasbourg Thursday night. I took a train from Metz to Strasbourg Thursday afternoon, went to the show, and then train hopped my way through Germany overnight. I'm really glad I decided to go see the band play. It was a great experience and really interesting to compare it with going to a show back home. The venue was tiny and the band came out and talked with the crowd before and after, although I was one of the few people who spoke English. The French crowd was a bit different from what I'm used to back at the Masquerade, but I still had fun. It was also nice just to go to a show in general since it's been forever since I've been to one.

The trip from Strasbourg was a bit rough, especially after getting sweaty at the concert and not being able to clean up. I found a fountain outside of the train station and washed up a little at least before getting on my train into Germany. I also had a lovely conversation with some random guy in front of the train station. We spoke in French, English, and Spanish. It was probably the most random thing ever, but I was quite amused. I had to transfer quite a few times on my way to Amsterdam. The most stressful time was when I only had 2 minutes to get from one train to another before it departed! I made it but let's just say I was a little worried about making it.

Either way, I met up with Anna in Amsterdam without any trouble. I will admit that I REALLY liked Amsterdam. It's extremely unique, and I think it's unfortunate that it has the reputation it does. The city is quite beautiful with tons of fun things to do. It's also great to hang out, walk around the city, and enjoy the wonderful parks. Highlights of what we did in Amsterdam are: Anne Frank Museum, Van Gogh Museum, Biblical Museum (lots of museums in Amsterdam :P), Thai food takeout for dinner, staying in a 3-star hotel (fancy fancy...although they did put is in the basement...haha), and splurging on a nice dinner and not how much or if to tip at all. It's been fun to do pretty much anything with Anna in Europe. We enjoy each other's company so much that we don't reallly have to do much to pass the time. We have become quite good at walking around cities and sitting together in parks, chatting away the whole time of course :)

All in all, I had a great time in Amsterdam and was really surprised with all that the city had to offer. Also, the city probably has the greatest number of different forms of transportation available for public use. There are the usual ways of getting around like roads, sidewalks, and metros. However, there is also a tram system, a huge network of bike lanes (every road consists of a lane for cars, a lane for bikes, and then the sidewalk), and the canals...crazy I know.

I took a high speed train from Amsterdam to Paris Sunday morning after my "see you later" with Anna.

Meeting up with my family in Paris was an awesome way to end the weekend and mark the halfway point of my summer abroad. It was also Father's Day, so what a great way to celebrate! I met up with them outside of a cathedral near Gare du Nord, and we went all around Paris for the day. Sunday was also the first day of summer, which is celebrated in France with free music festivals and concerts EVERYWHERE! Like I said, it really was the perfect day to be in Paris. The best music was at night when we went to the Sacre Coeur for sunset. There were DJs all around the area putting out techno music, while the Parisians danced in streets. I hope I get to go back sometime and experience it all over again! We spent our day exploring the Louvre and the Latin Quarter before grabbing a nice family dinner together. I got to meet a lot of the group they're traveling with too! It was fun sharing stories back and forth and laughing about stupid things that have happened (most of which happened to me of course :P). For the night, we went to see the Moulin Rouge (just the building...maybe I'll see the show some other time) and the Sacre Coeur. Like I said, the Sacre Coeur was awesome and is probably even my favorite area in Paris. It was definitely a great time with too many stories to share!

All in all, it was another successful weekend. I had a great time with Anna (no surprise there!) and was really glad to see my family. I'm definitely even more super excited about the rest of my summer here after last weekend. I have some great weekends still ahead of me: Prague, Salzborg, Barcelona, and Croatia!

...halfway done

Just wanted to point out that I am past the halfway point for my study abroad experience.

maybe a little bragging

I want to take a moment just to brag about everything I've done today...

I started off today in Paris. I woke up around 5:30 AM to get ready, say goodbye to my family, and head across the city to the train station. I took the 7:00 AM train back to Metz and got back to my room around 9:15 AM. I got unpacked and then headed to my first class. After class, I came to my room to clean up some more and then went to lunch. After lunch, I went to my second class of the day and went to be in the group photo of everybody at GTL. Next, I went shopping for the week and got some great fruit. I decided to splurge a little this week. Once I got back, I gave Brian a haircut, and then he trimmed me up as well. Then I cooked dinner, which was a bacon, egg, and cheese baguette. I must say it was pretty delicious. I just got done with finishing up with cleaning my room which included: washing dishes, taking out the trash (recycling too!), sweeping the floors, and mopping!

I would say I've been pretty productive today :D

My weekend in Deutschland

I LOVE GERMANY!!!

It's the best country in Europe. I want to come back to Europe and just tour around Germany. There's still so many parts of it that I haven't been to. I went to Munich last weekend and feel like I need another week to go back and see/do everything. I had a great time in Munich. Everything was perfect. The weather was great; the food was delicious; and the company was good (...another weekend with Anna, Joe, and Katie!).

My train left for Munich around midnight on Friday (...late Thursday night to be specific but I guess that would technically be midnight on Friday right?). I decided to hang out in Metz for the night until my train left, so I walked to and around the city for a few hours. I was hoping to go into the cathedral because I haven't yet, but it was already closed. I'll go eventually! I ended up running into a few friends downtown, who were also waiting for the train to Munich. They were on their way to a karaoke bar, and I decided to tag along and hang out until it was time to head to the station. The karaoke bar was a blast! The French are so funny when it comes to karaoke. They're not as crazy about it as Americans are. They definitely take it quite seriously, though. Every French person that sang had a great voice! We were definitely the worst singers in there...hahaha. I had my first couchette experience on the train ride to Munich. It went quite well despite the fact that everybody in the room with me was already asleep when I get on, and I accidentally woke the person below me up in the process of setting up my bed. I couldn't get the bed locked in, and it took many tries, lots of help, and grunts of frustration from the guy below me to get it all set up. I was pretty embarrassed as I went to sleep but whatever. I slept well and enjoyed the couchette experience!

I got to Munich early in the morning on Friday and had the full day to myself since Anna, Joe, and Katie weren't coming in until later in the afternoon. I decided to explore Munich for a while before heading out to the German country to visit a small town called Landshut. Munich is an incredible mix of an old German village with a cosmopolitan city center. There are so many beautiful parks, statues, and buildings to walk around and see, but there was also awesome shopping! There were 4 H&M's in a row in the Marienplatz area. All of them had different themes/styles too! There's too much about Munich that I loved to desribe it all. I walked through the Frauenkirche (largest brick cathedral in Europe) and roamed around the market place in the city. The market was an organic dieter's dream come true. Once I was satisified with getting my bearings straight in Munich, I headed back to the train station to catch a regional train to Landshut, which is about 2 hours from Munich by train.

I am so happy I chose to go to Landshut! It was fun to go off on my own and explore the Germany countryside. I felt like quite the world traveler. Landshut is a beautiful, quaint German town. Two large, cobblestone streets lined with shops and cafes run through the center of town. There is also a large brick cathedral and a castle that overlooks the town from a nearby hillside. I spent my time exploring the city on foot and hiking up to the castle. I hung around the city for the majority of the afternoon before taking a train back to Munich to meet up with Anna, Joe, and Katie. Hanging out in Landshut made me want to travel throughout the rest of Germany visiting small, off-the-beaten-path villiages.

My reunion with the group didn't go exactly as planned. Anna and Katie got of the train, but Joe was no where to be found. It turns out they had to sprint from their train in Stuttgart to get on the transfer to Munich. They all got split up, and Joe got left behind in the process. We went back to the train station later to see if he was able to get on the next train from Stuttgart. It turns out he did, so there was nothing to worry about.

We spent the night exploring the city of Munich. Anna and I went off on our own for dinner and had a great time enjoying the old city area and good German food. Friday was definitely a great start to the weekend.

We took a trip to the Dachau concentration camp on Saturday, which was quite the experience. I have been to the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC, but it was quite overwhelming to stand on the same ground where so many prisoners of the camp lived and died. Probably the most erie moments of the visit were entering through the same gate that was there during the camp's operation and standing in the gas chambers and crematorium. I'm really glad we chose to visit, and I think it was good that we paid our respects to the past and learned more about the evils of WWII. I'm not sure if I would ever go back, but I might want to visit Auschwitz one day.


We spent the rest of Saturday hanging out in the old city center of Munich. We went shopping and found all sorts of neat things. I had my fair share of fruit from the market and German eis. Munich is the perfect "let's just hang out" city. I had the best time just walking around and talking. There were all sorts of fun things going on in the streets. There were tons of street performers to watch, markets to explore, and cafes/parks to relax at. One of my favorite street encounters was a man on a horse giving out free pretzels! Before going out to dinner, we had to find a place to stay for the night, which was a bit of a challenge since Depeche Mode had a concert that night in Munich. We ended up fitting all 4 of us into a double in a 3-star hotel near the train station. I haven't talked much about my hotel/hostel experiences, but let me just say that staying in a 3-star was something I hadn't done up until then because the more stars, the more exensive the hotel is. I'm pretty much a 1-star kind of guy. We got a good rate though and splitting the room 4 ways made it a good deal. We decided to have dinner that night at the renowned Hofbrauhaus; it was definitely a worthwhile experience and maybe even a little overwhelming with all the people that were there.

Sunday was a packed full day of Munich. We walked all around the city visiting churches, parks, markets, and famous buildings. There was also a huge festival going on in the city with tons of cool things for sale. We spent a few hours just walking around and looking at stuff. It was like being at a German version of the Dogwood Festival! The highlight of the day for me was going to the Allianz Arena (soccer stadium for Bayern Munich). I'm still waiting for them to call me about signing a contract with them :P

....but yeahhh there's a lot more to say about the weekend. However, I don't really have time because I'm leaving for my next one soon! I'm super excited about this weekend because tonight I'm going to an August Burns Red (one of my favorite bands) show in Strasbourg before training up to Amsterdam. It should be quite the experience; I have no clue what to expect from a show in Europe!