Happiness

"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it." -- Elizabeth Gilbert, "Eat, Pray, Love"

I love this quote.

The other night, taking a break from studying and paper writing, some friends and I went to watch a futbol game at an Italian restaurant around the corner. We met our Italian friend Tomasso and two guys from Jordan and Bahrain.

Walking into the place, the Italian owners were taking shot of tequila and having a great time. After the games were over, a Venezuelan woman bartender sat down with her guitar and played music for us. She had the most amazing voice ever. She switched in and out of French, Spanish and Italian, with a few English words in there as well. She was a little shy after having 4 shots of tequila but I couldn't tell. It was unbelievable.

The men were so proud of her. Her daughter was also a singer and they played us her cd on the stereo system. I could just imagine how she would have felt.

Happiness :)

xoxo,
A

Thanksgiving and PARIS!!

(I apologize for being a little behind on my posts, busy busy with school. Finals are next week already!)

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the States!! I was definitely jealous last Thursday thinking of everyone at home being together and having delicious meals of turkey and pies! Obviously, thanksgiving isn't celebrated in Switzerland, so I sat through my Middle East class instead. However, our advisor did invite us to lunch and made an amazing homemade Pumpkin Pie! After class I had a skype date with my whole family that I was looking forward to all day :) I even got to talk to my Grandpa, I think he was pretty amazed that he could actually see me from so far away! Everyone sat around the computer while we chatted. It was so nice to see everyone!

The next morning I had to get up early to catch a flight to PARIS for the weekend. I once again almost slept through my alarm and had to be woken up. Good thing I have such good friends! But Megan, a classmate of mine, and I made it just as the plane was boarding without any problems. We had planned this trip as a Viennese family reunion with my roommate and neighbor from Vienna.

We got to Paris early on Friday and made it to a Marina's friend Kristen's apartment in the 7th District. It's about a block from the Seine, a gorgeous apartment! That afternoon, we walked a few blocks to the Eiffel Tower and we climbed the 700 stairs to the top!! We couldn't go all the way to the top on that day because it was closed the view was amazing! It was sunny and not too cloudy.




We walked down to the Arc de Triumph and along the Champs Elysees toward a Christmas market. They had stands along both sides of the street selling candy, crepes and Christmas ornaments. It was picture perfect. :)



The next day we got up and went to lunch as a sushi place that a friend in the group's cousin owned. Afterward we walked to the Louvre and Megan and I decided to go to the Musee Rodin.


That evening we met up with two of Megan's friends for dinner in Montmarte, the old artist's quarter where Picasso, Giacometti and Hemingway all hung out in the first half of the 20th century. I was in heaven :)

We met up with our group of host and roommates for the weekend at their friend's house on Rue de Bac in the 8th district. Super nice area. The apartment was unbelievable. From the balcony you could see Andy Warhol's old studio. The man that bought it keeps the light on constantly, apparently wants to be like Andy too.

The next day the group walked around the Jewish quarter called Marais and had falafels. Marina and her friends are all from Dubai, UAE so they were craving some Arab food. The line was a little long but definitely worth the wait.

After walking around Marais and then walked toward the Pompidou Centre, a large modern art museum that I visited a few years ago, for crepes and cafe at happy hour prices. By this time it was dark, so we walked toward Notre Dame Cathedral to see it by night.

Inside they were having Mass in French. The cathedral is stunning.


Our host and tourguide for the weekend, Kristen, was a master at the Paris subways and took us up to Montmarte to see the lights at night. The touristy Moulin Rouge is there. There was also a lights show on the Eiffel Tower which we climbed the top of some steps to see that evening.

After that the group went to smoke Sheesha and have hot tea in a little sheesha bar, another Arab tradition. In the states it's called Hookah, the Hebrew word for it.

The next morning Marina and Aldina and I got up to check out the Cemetery that is home to Gertrude Stein, Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Pissaro and lots of other artists and people in history. It was a gloomy day but gorgeous. We walked around and found a few of our favorites.


Oscar Wilde's tombstone, it's a French tradition for girls coming of age to kiss the grave of an influential historical person in their lives. Mr. Wilde is a popular one.

After that we met Kristen at Le Sacre Couer, which overlooks the entire city of Paris. We went on a walking tour of Montmarte and found the square where artists work and sell their work from little stands. We saw the original Moulin Rouge were Lautrec, an artist I love used to hang out and do work from inside the bar. Walking through the city is incredible. I wish everyone could have the experience. :)


The trip was amazing, full of sight-seeing and friends.

xoxo,
Amy

Fondue Swiss Style

Yesterday I attended a conference about "Renewing the Western Community." It was put on by Webster and mediated by a professor here. They had some great speakers from all over the globe. My favorite part was the conclusion when the mediator, a Hungarian immigrant to the US, and now professor here, went on a tangent and pretty much attacked everyone sitting around him. He had the Japanese ambassador to his right and a Swiss professor to his left and I quote "Europeans and the Japanese need to be more like the Americans." It was hilarious.

(skate ramp in Plain Palais.)

After getting home from the conference, we quickly changed and met up with everyone for our dinner reservations at 8. It was a busy restaurant not far from our apartments in Plain Palais. We ordered 6 pots of fondue!! Some steak and some cheese. I haven't eaten steak since I've been here and it was delicious! I miss meat!

The meat is brought out raw and cooked in the oil in front of you.

Over-indulgence :)

The group from Tomasso's POV

We all over-indulged and enjoyed ourselves. It was AMAZING! Everything got eaten :) The restaurant owners were Italian so we finished the meal with a round of limoncellos. Soo good.

Megan, Roberto and Me

Afterward we went to Cafe De La Presse and had drinks. It turned into an interesting night with a group of dancing men surrounding my chair in the middle of the floor and another shirtless man dancing on the bar. Imagine a classy wine bar with dark wood and church pews for seating. Not what I expected from the night, but fun either way!

xoxo
A

Quarter Century Club

Yesterday I turned 25! I'm officially a quarter century old now. It was a busy day with lots of discussion of IR and a little bit of celebrating :)

I spent the morning in a lecture on the WTO and ICTSD (International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development). It was interesting hearing another point of view of the ag business (not the only thing they talked about but what I found the most interesting). I had to write and ask my mother about subsidies for farmers after that topic was brought up. So if any of you farmers want to give me the other point of view, feel welcome! International trade doesn't look too highly on them. Understandably, no one else wants the US to be self-sustaining.

In the afternoon I attended a NATO workshop. The Italian speaker, Antonella Cerasino is the head of the Public Diplomacy Division. She was an excellent speaker and gave a good overview of NATO's role in today's Post-Cold War era. (It doesn't sound that interesting but it was, I swear!) Afterward, the mediator had students give their opinion of NATO. He chose students from the US, Macedonia, Czech Republic, Africa, Russia, Ukraine and Brazil. Each gave their biased opinions of their nations. The Russian and Ukrainian opinions from two blonde haired skinny girls were both stereotypical of the Eastern view of NATO.

The evening was spent in class with our 80 year old Iranian professor that shows VHS! I haven't seen a VHS in years. It's amazing. But he is really a fascinating man. He is the former Director of the Third Political Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Former Chargé d’Affaires of the Permanent Mission of Iran to the Office of the United Nations in Geneva. His teaching style is a bit bland at times but if you get him on a tangent he will talk forever.

Finally, at about 11 o'clock I made it back to Geneva from campus and headed to a bar with about 10 friends to celebrate! We had a good time and headed home to stay up and listen to Italian music in the kitchen, of course with the Italian singing along.

Tonight the plan is to go out for a Swiss fondue dinner!

Better get back to the last conference of the week. Just heard a speech from the ambassador of Singapore. Cute little man :)

until next time

xoxo,
A

Clash of Cultures, In a Good Way

Inspired by a deep conversation with my mother over Skype. I thought you would all find it interesting the new neighbors and friends I have met since I've been in Geneva. Webster in Europe caters to a different crowd than in the States. Many of the students are sons and daughters of ambassadors, royalty, and even one of the fourteen judges at The Hague! (his son coincidentally failed International Law... so I guess he didn't take after his father's footsteps)

On my floor alone here in Geneva, there are students from Peru, Libya, Bahrain, Lebanon, Germany, Britain, Nigeria, South Africa, Trinidad, America, and a few other nationalities. Most of us share a community kitchen which happens to be where I've had some of my favorite conversations and meals :) including Afghani tea, Nigerian spicy chicken and Lebanese deserts. It is definitely a clash of cultures, but in this setting there are no wars, only new friendships over loose-leaf tea and baklavah.

My new friend Ayoob from Afghanistan, has opened my eyes to a different way of thought. He is a fullbright scholar and ex-Afghan soldier. His English is amazing and has spent almost a year in Northern California for studies. His story is amazing... One of his brothers was killed fighting the Soviets years ago and he still carries his Koran with him. I've heard his stories of the wars he's fought and the pride he takes in being a soldier. His Muslim beliefs give him a different view of women where women can do no wrong and a man should never say no to her. (this is my understanding, not Islamic law) His ideas for Afghanistan's development are much different than that of Obama's plan, hopefully we can get it right. I've realized that even if I don't agree with everything he says and believes in, I can learn a lot from listening to him as well as enjoy a new friendship.

My neighbor is a member of the royal family in Bahrain, Al Khalifa. She is actually one of two members of the family in the building.

Agada, my Nigerian neighbor has told of his father's four wives and family of over one hundred people. We asked him if he wanted four wives and didn't think it would be a good idea with this economy the way it is right now.

I've been exposed to Italian superstitions, Mexican music, French films, Romanian dances, Balkan slang, South African tea, Czech folklore and countless other experiences and firsts. I wish every one could have these conversations that open you up to another part of the world. It truly changes perspectives on what it means to be an American, a Catholic, and anything else you thought didn't need to be questioned.

Here are some pictures of my amazing new friends

Girls with Vlad, our Romanian Dance Coach!

A night out in Vienna with my Balkan loves :)

Halloween! (An American holiday, but we found the other ex-pats in Geneva!)

King's Arms in Old Town, Geneva

Geneve!

This weekend I took a walking tour of Geneva, my new home for the next 2 months. It is such a beautiful city. Right now the fall colors are bright and wonderful. Here's a few photos of the day.

Chess Game in the park.

I love fall.

Old Town

Lake Geneva

After exploring all afternoon, my classmate Steve and I stopped for a drink and met some Swiss guys and ended up talking to them for several hours. It was amazing conversation with another IR student from the University of Geneva and a Swiss watch maker! After being told that there are few people truly from Geneva, Steve and I found some that were interesting and fun! Discussing foreign policy and getting French lessons over drinks is always a good time :)

xoxo,
A

A Week of Food, Art and Traveling

Hi Everyone!

I apologize for my lack of posts lately, busy with finals and traveling and it got away from me. But this last Saturday I arrived in Geneva after a week of traveling.

I left Vienna after finishing up with school work on Sunday afternoon, and found a night train to Milan, Italy. A girlfriend from high school, Kristen, and her fiance live north of there in Gallarate. So she met me at the train station and took me north to her apartment in the city. We spent the afternoon making crepes, cafe and carbonara (an Italian specialty with pasta, eggs, ham and cheese). The two of us drank wine and caught up on the balcony overlooking the town church most of the afternoon and afterward explored her city a little bit.

(View off the balcony)

That evening was her fiance Matt's brithday, and in the Italian tradition, he took us all out to dinner at a proper Italian restaurant called Gufo Nero. We had all the food we could eat with plates such as donkey and veins. We talked with his Italian friend Salvatore about the differences between the North and South of Italy and I learned a lot about the culture in Italy over wine and drinks.

(My wonderful hosts for the week out to dinner :)

The next day my friend my school, Megan, met us in Milan so we picked her up and went to a small town on a Lake Maggiore called Arona. We walked around and ate gellato on the shoreline and drank cafe macchiatos.

(Arona, Italy)

That night we went out to dinner at a small pizzeria in Gallarate. It was amazing pizza with everyone having their own pizza!

(Matt, Me and Kristen out for drinks)

The next day Megan, Kristen and I traveled in to Milan for the day. We visited the Brera Gallery with old Italian masters. Not necessarily my kind of art but still fun to visit and look around a bit.


(Milano Duomo)

We walked from there through the Galleria towards the Duomo. Megan and I went inside the Duomo and viewed the massive cathedral. It always amazes me walking inside European Cathedrals and their wealth and size.

I lit a candle and said a prayer for my grandpa that passed away a few months ago and for my grandma that is now alone.


That evening Matt took Megan and I out to dinner in Verese, Italy for a dinner of risotto and gnocchi. It was in an underground restaurant that looked like an old wine cellar. Sooo good!!


As you can see my vacation had a reoccurring theme of food this week!!

The next day Megan and I traveled to Lyon, France for two nights. We arrived late on Thurday evening and didn't do much.

(Lyon is the city of two rivers. Outside our first stop on our art tour, La Sucriere)

Lucky us, there was a Biennale in the city for about two months and we timed it just right! I've always wanted to visit a city hosting a Biennale and so we hit all the hot spots!

(Me inside the exhibition by Portuguese artist Pedro Cabrita Reis called The Sleepers)

(View of the city center in Lyon, Statue of Louis the XIV)

It was a little like a treasure hunt around the city as many of the exhibitions were in abandoned buildings and warehouses around the city. We saw some amazing art and a lot of different parts of the city. It was one of my favorite days in Europe so far!!

( a produce vendor in Lyon)

That night we went out to dinner at a restaurant by the chef Paul Bocuse. We had escargot and I had fish. The creme brulee was the most amazing desert I've ever had!!! The dinner was full of delicious food and good conversation :)

The next day we headed to GENEVA! Our new home. The week was relaxing and wonderful, now back to work!

xoxo,
Amy

Mozart, Cesky and OKTOBERFEST!

Last week the girls and I had a ladies night out to the symphony! The building was beautiful and they played Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro (the only one I recognized). The concert was interrupted by cellphones twice and the crowd and the flute player was pretty angry. Good to know even Europeans aren't perfect either! We finished the night with sacher torte and wine at the original home of the dessert. I love ladies night in Vienna :)

Megan, Me, Chrysty and Dena



I have a video as well but will have to add that later on..

This past weekend I finally got to travel! With all this schoolwork it has been extremely busy. But I can say that I did survive midterms last week, barely.

The school organized a trip for all of the globals to go on to Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic on Saturday. We all headed out in the morning taking a train to Linz and then a bus up to Cesky. The ride up was so nice, the countryside reminded me of home. It followed a small river with campsites and canoers closer to Cesky.

We got there and took a short walking tour with our guide, Stan. He was adorable and hilarious. It was the best tour ever! The city was filled with people because it was the day of the patron saint of the Czech Republic this weekend. (the reason the pope was in Prague)


There were food and craft vendors everywhere! And a large stage with dancers in traditional outfits singing and dancing. It was the perfect weekend to visit.


That evening we went out to dinner at a traditional Medieval restaurant. They served us wine in goblets and the food was amazing. Duck, rabbit, ham and chicken! Definitely one of my favorite meals thus far!


We went out that evening to a traveler's bar and took absynthe shots. There were two birthdays that day so we HAD to celebrate! To take the shots you have a spoon of sugar that you light on fire and then stir in the bright green shot. The birthday girls had a memorable night!


The next morning we got up and had breakfast at the street vendors again and sampled almost everything. The fresh food was sooooo good. I believe I've had more sausages since being in Europe than ever before.


Two of my girlfriends and I then walked around the city and explored some of the shops. We made it up to the top of the castle to check out the view overlooking the city. The view was breathtaking. (Check out the video at the bottom!)


We left Cesky and headed towards MUNICH!
My girlfriends and I left the group and hopped on another train to meet the twins' friend Vince. He met us in Munich and showed us around Octoberfest! He was an awesome guide. We found a beer tent and drank liters of beer out of huge glass mugs. Vince was explaining all of the German songs to us and showing us the dances that everyone else there knew. There were people from all over the world there. We became friends with a group of Italians and Germans, even though they didn't speak much English. Language barriers seem to always fade with alcohol. :) I was able to cross that off my list of things to do before I die this! But I'm definitely going back someday as well!!

These are cookies that all girls wear around their neck, Vince says you will be in a lot of trouble if you don't buy your girlfriend one.

Dena, Megan, Vince and me

My friend Megan and I rode the train back in the morning and sat with two Australian boys and talked with them during our four hour ride back. They were fun and helped pass the time. Sharing traveling stories about Asia and showing us pictures. I love the interesting people you meet while traveling!

Just got back to Vienna and beginning to prepare for finals. Wish me luck!

xoxo,
Amy

Sturm!

Last week my friends and I ventured up to the North of Vienna to the wineries. It was very quaint and beautiful. We ate dinner from the small kitchen inside and listened to the accordion player throughout the night.


The deli style restaurant in the winery.



We tasted the house sturm, which is the freshest batch of wine that only comes out this time of year. (It's more fruity and a little thicker.)


My favorite part of the night was when a young Austrian boy was leaving with his family and stopped by our table and handed me a Buckeye! I wasn't sure what he said or why he handed it to just me, but it was so cute!

My roommate Marina and I.

xoxo,
Amy

Getting Lost in Vienna

The other morning I woke up with an itch to get out of my apartment and began looking at my guide book of Vienna and decided to explore on my own. I made a few notes before heading out and jumped on the UBon towards Schonbrunn. After two train changes and a few pages of my book, I made it to the correct stop and hopped off with the rest of the crowd. I turned the

corner and walked into the plaza of a gorgeous palace that was once the home of Maria Theresa and Napoleon. The color of the buildings was striking in its bright yellow, a favorite of Maria Theresa.

I wandered through the gardens and took pictures of the archways of foliage and ponds filled with water lilies. I walked through these gardens and found myself on the other side of the palace and looking down a huge garden that was perfectly manicured. They put SLU’s campus to shame…

This is also where the Michael Jackson tribute concert was supposed to take place, but I just found out yesterday it was canceled.

At the end of the gardens was the Neptune Fountain leading up to a BIG hill, which I climbed and ended up looking over the palace and a view of Vienna.

After walking through the gardens and finding my way out, I ended up in a small neighborhood. I had to ask for directions which is not easy given I don't speak German. But I found my way to the bus stop and then back to the UBon and finally back into the city. It's always a good feeling to navigate your way through being lost.

My next stop was Karlsplatz back in the center of the city. Here the Ubon station was designed by the architect Otto Wagner.

I sat for awhile under a big tree and read some more of my book on International Organizations before taking off again. I wandered down a street and came across the Greek Embassy and a beautiful neighborhood park. And right when I was feeling like I should figure out where I was, I ran into the Belvedere Palace. Another gorgeous castle in the middle of the city. I know now I need to go back because that is where Gustav Klimt's famous painting "The Kiss" is.

After all of my walking around I needed a break so I met my friend Dena for some tea at a coffee shop, where we ran into a very talkative professor from Webster. He suggestion some other good coffee shops and places to study.

I finished the night by walking through the city

and taking pictures all the monuments

at night with some new friends.

It was an amazing day.

xoxo,

Amy