Experiential Blog 9

Throughout this study abroad program, I have encountered new information every day. The most meaningful part of this trip was seeing all the different countries, and being able to interact with other people in a country different from my own. Some of the places I went to, I ran into some really nice people who ask us about where we are from and I found it most interesting that they all ask the same question: What do you like most about America? I couldn't even answer that. I feel like our cultures are similar but also so different. I feel like if I am in a situation where cultures differ, I will be able to handle it. Being aware of the cultures and asking questions because asking them questions is okay will help understand who they are and what their culture is. Having the knowledge then will reduce the stereotypes we make on other countries and maybe change our behavior in the future.

Experiential Blog 8

During this study abroad experience I have been introduced to what empire is. We see empire in our every day life from government, architecture, officers, and much more. My learning is different when studying abroad. I feel like this is a more hands on learning in a way that we get to go to the places where our readings are taken place. There is a lot of history I have learned through the readings and the places I have been to. The palaces and tours we have been to helped me personally retain the information rather than learning this information in a classroom back at home. Physically being in the area and seeing the history itself changes your perspective on how you learn and see things. In my case I have learned about what empire is, and how to see empire in my life.

Experiential Blog 7

Throughout my trip thus far, I have been able to observe people's attitudes, how people think about time, personal space, and how to treat foreigners. Each place I have visited they all treat time the same way. They follow military time which is different from how we tell time. During my free weekend I went to Paris. I noticed that they don't have much personal space. I saw multiple people kissing on both sides of the persons cheek, while we would never do this. I noticed that some places I went to were more touristsy than the rest. People in Grantham, London, and Vienna were easy to get along with, while Paris and Prague the people weren't so great. When I was in Prague those who would be working at a store or restaurant and i wouldn't give them exact change, they would have s rude attitude. Paris was different, but the locals there don't seem too friendly towards the tourists. I met a couple while in Paris during one of our tours and they mentioned how they had been traveling for a little while. They mentioned that it was very frowned upon in Germany to rest your foot on a subway seat and they threatened that they would have to pay a fine if it happened again. It is interesting to hear others experiences. I can tell by someone's body language and facial expressions on how their attitude is. It is important to respect another culture and to acknowledge others in your surroundings.

Content Blog 7: Kafka's writing contributes to understanding of empire

Kafka was born into a middle class German speaking Jewish family in Prague. He wrote a lot of letters throughout his life, but he liked to draw more than writing. His writings were gothic, but some of his works were influenced by the expressionist movement. He revolves around concepts of struggle, pain, solitude, and the need for relationships. The museum showed some of Kafka's drawings in how he would fall into nothingness. I think this is very gothic not knowing where he goes.

Content blog 6: The Ossuary of Kutna Hora. Creepy/sublime

The ossuary of Kutna Hora was the most fascinating church I have ever seen. For those who don't know, the ossuary is a bone church located in Prague. The church looks like any regular church on the outside, but on the inside it is creepy. There are skulls and human bones from about 40,000 people arranged around the church. People may be thinking this is creepy, and it is. There was a monk who wanted to add on to the church but needed more space. But there were huge graves that needed to be uprooted to make room. The monk thought to dig up the graves and use the bones for the church. The bodies were of people unknown from the plague and war. So you may think why did the monk do this? I think it is possible that he was doing this to honor them and to show their respects.

Content Blog 5: Describe Konopiste as a classic empire location

Konopiste palace was the home to Franz Ferdinand. It is located in the Czech Republic, southeast of Prague, outside the city of Benesov. He was the archduke of Austria. Like most of the males in the Habsburg line, he entered the army. He was given multiple titles such as lieutenant, captain, and colonel. He was a big hunter who had over 4,000 dead animals in his house. I interpret his trophies as being a symbol of his power. Similar to the other palaces, you had to jump from room to room. The palace had baroque interior. He was assassinated, and the irony is that he was hunted like his animals were.

Content blog 4: Describe Sisi, explain how she is an empire heroine

One of my favorite stories we read was about Sisi and Franz Josef. Sisi was a young 16 year old who travelled to upper Austria with her mother and sister Helene. Helene was to be the bride of their cousin Franz Josef. Franz fancied Sisi over Helene. Sisi was young and more appealing. She didn't go to all her meals and had an eating disorder. She did enjoy writing, and she was provided with a writing station. Sisi wished that Franz wasn't a prince. She was hesitant in marrying him even though she loved him. She didn't want to be a mistress and change herself to fit that image. At the Schonbrunn palace she felt like she was trapped in a cage. At the Hofburg palace Sisi was given more. She had bigger rooms and her own bathroom. She felt more comfortable here because she had more stuff at the Hofburg.

Content blog 3: Compare Palaces

There were three palaces I visited, those being Schonbrunn, Hofburg, and Kew. The Schonbrunn and Hofburg palaces were both in Vienna, while Kew was in London. The two palaces in Vienna were very similar compared to Kew Garden palace. In the Schonbrunn palace, Sisis lived in a cage. She was confined to only a few rooms. This palace was considered a vacation spot. Mainly to get away from the town. The gardens at Schonbrunn were used for the men and women to walk around. It was very private. The other palace, Hofburg, had bigger rooms but less privacy. In order to get from one room to the other you had to walk through other rooms. There was less interaction between Sisi and Franz at the Hofburg because of the locked doors. The Kew palace was different from the rest. This palace looked like an ordinary house. It differed largely in that there were hallways, so they didn't have to go through other rooms to get to where they needed to go. The building was also very symmetric. The Kew gardens had different areas and a green house.

Content Blog 2: compare Cathedrals

   I have been to multiple cathedrals during this study abroad experience. The four I will be discussing are Saint Stephan's, Saint Vitus, Saint George, and Saint Wulfrum's.
   Saint Stephan's cathedral is a Roman Catholic Church located in Vienna. In the church there were statues of saints which were a symbol of Heaven. It is the church of earth and heaven with the community of saints. There was a private chal for the upper class. The Habsburgs built a higher steeple for political power. The church then was too small for the Habsburgs and dedicated it to Saint Stephan's.
   Saint Vitus and Saint George are located in Prague at the Prague castle. Saint Vitus is gothic, while Saint George is far from gothic. Saint George is considered to to be Romanesque. Saint Vitus looked to be much bigger than Saint George. Vitus has more depth and detail. Both are Roman Catholic Churches similar to Stephan's church.
   Saint Wulfram's is smaller due to not knowing at the time how to support the church. They made it as tall as they could but didn't know how to build it at the time to make it taller. It has a chained book library. It is different from the others because it is an episcopalian church.

Content Blog:Freud's contribution to understanding the Empire

In Vienna I visited the Freud museum. Freud was an Austrian physician who created psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis is a psychological theory and therapy which the goal is to treat mental disorders by investigating the interaction of conscious  and unconscious elements in the mind and bringing repressed fears and conflicts into the conscious mind by techniques such as dream interpretation and free association. Freud's contribution to empire is through the psychoanalytic education in "Red Vienna". After the First World War, there was a change from the Habsburg monarchy to the Republic of Austria. This was characterized by new sociopolitical intentions. "Red Vienna" was the center of progressive education. There was a need for child-oriented education. They applied psychoanalytic teaching methods, which offered children freedom and necessary restrictions. August Aichhorn was the leader of the Child Guidance centre of the city in Vienna. Aichhorn was a psychoanalyst and worked with Anna Freud whom she was a teacher. Psychoanalysis then found its way in public institutions.

Experiential Blog 6

Throughout this trip I have heard German, English, and Czech. Being in London I would hear some words that didn't sound familiar. London and Grantham are both similar in the way they speak. From what I observed when they greet or give introductions, it is similar to how we say things. We say hello and introduce one another in a similar manner. What I found interesting was one word in particular which was "cheers". They used this to say goodbye, your welcome, and basically a nice way to say have a good day. When in the grocery store I would hear children call their mothers "mum" which I thought was cute. They also speak in a softer tone than us Americans. We are loud, so it was hard to hear what they would say at times. In general I think of London and Grantham  speak more proper English, but we are similar in speech.

Experiential Blog 5

When abroad there are a mix of emotions that you experience which range from excitement to frustration. I have travelled to Grantham, Vienna, Prague, London, and soon Paris. Before leaving this trip I was nervous and excited. I wasn't sure what to expect. I feel as a whole group we all feel the same way. When we left Grantham we didn't realize how much we would miss it. On our way back home from London we were so excited to be back at "home"(Harlaxton). I feel we are an open group when it comes to our emotions. It is nothing like Vienna and Prague. They tend to keep to themselves while we pour our emotions out for everyone to hear. It is interesting to see the differences in how other countries are more reserved.

Experiential Blog 4

   While in Prague, I visited Hradkny Castle tour, Konopiste/Kutna Hora, and the Kafka Museum. These included the Castle in Prague, Saint Vitus and Saint George, Kafka house, and the bone church. Before coming to Prague I was told how beautiful it is, and everyone was right. I wasn't expecting Prague to be as big as it was. Prague consists of the old town and new town, which is connected by the Charles Bridge. The landscape was not smooth. There were cobblestonesevery step of the way. The buildings were close together and a mixture of Roman and Gothic architecture. Similar to Vienna, they don't speak English. Czech was harder to follow, while in Vienna I could pick up on some German.
   It was interesting to see the Castle and see where the people I read about once lived. Visiting the various cathedrals and comparing them on whether they are gothic or Roman architecture was interesting. It is important to be aware of your surroundings in a new area. You take in a lot of information and learn something new. It is different being here than learning about a culture elsewhere. I learned to adjust with the language differences, and I take in the beautiful buildings around me.

Experiential Blog 3

While in Vienna, I didn't have any set expectations. When I arrived people spoke German, and the majority of signs and restaurant menus were not in English. We went to different excursions which were the Freud Museum, Saint Stephan's Cathedral, Schonbrunn castle tour, and the Hofburg palace tour. I became very familiar with Vienna from riding the Ubon. Each area I went to was very pretty. The gardens for example at the palace was designed in a certain way. It had to grow a specific way and the paths were interesting. The buildings were gothic and very historical. The way the architecture of the buildings deteriorates over time affects people. The buildings and statues have great detail. I enjoyed the town feel and seeing thes older buildings in good condition.

Morton and shaw reading

     In both stories I found a common point that was prevalent. There were father and son conflicts and major deaths.

     The two father son conflicts were between George II and his eldest son, and Franz Josef and Rudolf. During George II's reign, he had a bitter and long running feud between father and eldest son. The text mentioned they squabbled about money. Similar in a way, Franz Josef and his son Rudolf didn't have a good relationship. They had different political views which caused problems. Rudolf had little power, he wasn't given anything to do. 

     There was a common theme in the covering up of suicide. In the shaw reading, Cumberland claimed that the valet had attempted to murder him in his sleep. According to Duke, he had fought off his assailant, who then fled and decided to take his own life rather than submit to arrest. A verdict of suicide was brought against Sellis. The Duke got away with murder. Similar to the Morton story, Rudolf murdered mary and then committed suicide. There were various news headlines trying to cover up what happened. They had to say it was a suicide with a mental illness that way he could be buried in the church. Both stories covered up a murder.

What is Empire?

When I think of empire, I think of a a group of countries that is held under a form of government. An empire is considered to be powerful. I believe they fight for land, or if they have more power they can  conquer it. I don't have a great answer, but I will learn what empire is in the course.

Experiential blog 2

     Coming to Harlaxton has been a continuing experience that I didn't have any expectations before I came. Going to a country I've never been before is s whole new experience. When I first saw the Harlaxton manor I thought it looked giant and beautiful, but now that I'm here I see how small of a community we are here. Even in the town of Grantham.
     The locals here are very nice. It's amazing how they know we are American. What I found most surprising was that a way for them to know we are Americans is because we usually don't say please and thank you. It is crazy how just a few people can not say please and thank you and it sets a standard for the rest of us. I feel like we stick out like sore thumbs. While walking in town everyone has an accent to us, but to them it is normal. So when they hear us talking it stands out.
     Because I am in a new environment I had to adjust to the time difference which was hard at first. There are things I'm not used to here such as not tipping, driving on other side of the road, and food. With the food I always try something even if it is new to me. That also goes for when I'm at home. I may be a little more hesitant while here because I'm in a different culture.
     What I have learned about myself thus far when approached with something new such as the no tipping I have accepted it and tried to adapt to the differences.

Experiential blog 1

It is the third day being at the Harlaxton manor. When I first arrived I was tired from traveling, but I didn't want to sleep when arrived because it is such a beautiful place. We got lucky with the weather because it was a beautiful day! The manor is giant and I explored inside and around it. This place has a lot of history and it is neat to find random passageways. Quite a few of us went to the town in Grantham. We shopped and grabbed a drink at The Goose. The locals are very nice, but they are a lot more quite than we are. So far I have been having a great experience, and I look forward to going to the other countries.

I have three goals for myself on this trip...
1. Get a better understanding of empire and learn more of the history in the countries I visit
2. Learn about myself and try to grow as an individual
3. Learn about the different cultures and try different things

Stereotypes

What kinds of clothing or behaviors might make a person stand out in London, Vienna, or Prague in ways that might affect the group, positively or negatively?

It is important as a group to dress and behave appropriately while abroad because we are representing ourself as an individual, university, and the United States. We all have stereotypes, and Europeans have stereotypes for us. When we get dressed for the day, we shouldn't have something that is see through or very low cut. That could reflect poorly on us. We don't want to be disrespectful, we should try to ask questions in their language. It is important to make an effort especially since we aren't in the U.S. we shouldn't have to make them do all the work to communicate. Some clothing may come off as offensive. Some shirts have phrases or a flag that wouldn't be appropriate to wear. Overall it is important to be respectful, because if someone was visiting the U.S. you would want them to be respectful as well.

German Cultural History Course

While abroad, I will be taking the German Cultural History and Civilization course. I don't know much about this course, but I am excited to learn something new. I know we will be discussing the Hapsburgs in this course. One of the Hapsburgs was a guest speaker here at UC, and I was lucky enough to be able to attend this. I am curious to see how the course and what he had to say are similar. It will be different learning about this in Europe rather than being in Cincinnati, so I am excited for the new experiences and all the new information I will learn.

Getting Ready

What are you doing to prepare for trip?

I plan on packing a variety of clothes in my bag. I don't know what the weather will be like, so I will pack about a week and a half worth of clothes. It is good to have a pair of jeans and jacket in case it gets cold. I will bring a back pack and a carry on suitcase. In the suitcase I will have my basic toiletries: makeup, toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush, shampoo. The shoes I plan on wearing are either tennis shoes or sperries. I will probably shop for more comfortable shoes before the trip that would be more stylish. I am currently working to have extra spending money for the trip. I will need to contact my phone provider to make sure I can use my phone abroad.