Being Busy

"My own resolute idleness has mostly been a luxury rather than a virtue, but I did make a conscious decision, a long time ago, to choose time over money, since I’ve always understood that the best investment of my limited time on earth was to spend it with people I love. I suppose it’s possible I’ll lie on my deathbed regretting that I didn’t work harder and say everything I had to say, but I think what I’ll really wish is that I could have one more beer with Chris, another long talk with Megan, one last good hard laugh with Boyd. Life is too short to be busy."-Tim Kreider
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/the-busy-trap/

Granada

I wrote this months ago and never finished it, but I figured if I have it I may as well publish it.


We only spent about a day and a half in Granada, but I had spent a couple of days here before in the middle of the summer when I studied abroad in Cadiz. I remember running along a river in the sweltering heat of the early morning and looking up at the mountain that contains the Al Hambra. Russell and I had made our Al Hambra reservations for the afternoon we arrived, and we decided to walk (or sometimes race) up the mountain to Al Hambra. We stopped for 2 euro tapas and ended up going up the back way through a beautiful residential neighborhood.

Fried Sardines... Yum

I thought that I had missed autumn while being in South Africa. Autumn is one of my four favorite seasons, as you saw from my post, and I was devastated to have missed it. When we got to the top of the hill, I realized that it was full fledged autumn in Granada. I didn't realize the trees in Spain were so similar to those at home. I started laughing and running around through the leaves, SO excited for the smell of fall and the sight of the wind sending leaves in various shades floating to the ground.

FALL!!!

The Al Hambra is one of the coolest parts of Spain's history. It was the last Islamic stronghold in Spain, and although it was used afterwards by Catholic monarchs, it still contains much of the Islamic design that its original residents cultivated.

If you ever go to the Alhambra, make sure to reserve your tickets online, as they only let in a certain amount of people every half an hour and it would be ridiculous to go all the way to Granada and not see what some people consider one of the 7 wonders of the world.

The Opposite of Loneliness

The link at the bottom of this page has popped up repeatedly over the past few days on my facebook newsfeed. So have many statuses remarking "Rest in Peace Marina Keegan." After the fourth or fifth time this link popped up, I decided to click on it, and I was absolutely blown away. This girl is phenomenal. She is a powerful writer, but not only that, you can see so much of her vibrant personality through her writing. She writes exactly what everyone else is feeling when they graduate, but don't have the skill or ability to put into words. Not only am I incredibly impressed, I think this girl is awesome. She's my wish friend. This link is her last editorial for the Yale Daily News, where she graduated from a couple of weeks ago. This column, which tragically talks about how she and her Yale classmates have so much lift ahead of them, is a truly real piece of writing. One that sits with you for days afterwards. She perfectly articulates exactly what I want out of my own life. What everyone wants out of life:

"We don’t have a word for the opposite of loneliness, but if we did, I could say that’s what I want in life. What I’m grateful and thankful to have found at Yale, and what I’m scared of losing when we wake up tomorrow and leave this place.

It’s not quite love and it’s not quite community; it’s just this feeling that there are people, an abundance of people, who are in this together. Who are on your team. When the check is paid and you stay at the table. When it’s four a.m. and no one goes to bed. That night with the guitar. That night we can’t remember. That time we did, we went, we saw, we laughed, we felt. The hats."

While driving down to the Cape with her boyfriend, their car mysteriously drifted off the highway, and Marina was declared dead on the scene. I can't even count the number of times I've driven down the Cape with friends. In fact, I did so just 3 hours before Marina did. Marina went to Buckingham Browne and Nicols, a high school very close to my own and whose students I spent a lot of time with in high school. Her boyfriend, Michael, who is thankfully said to be in stable condition, went to Regis High School in New York, a high school that also sends lots of students to Villanova. When someone so close in age and circumstance to you, as naturally selfish as we all are, we think about ourselves. So while Marina's column talks about the amount of life she and her classmates have left to live, all I can think about is how fragile mortality really is and how I am so unaware of its precariousness. These gifts that all of us already have, even at age 21, are so incredible, and most of the time we don't even notice them. Just as Marina says, we're all in this struggle toward the opposite of loneliness together. We're on the same team. So I wish i could thank Marina for calling all of this to my attention when I still have one year left to figure out all the stuff about undergrad that she already seems to get.

This column has gone viral because of the wisdom beyond her years that Marina expresses, as well as for the tragedy that followed its publishing. Marina was about to move on to a position as an editorial assistant at the New Yorker, and I like to think that if she hadn't passed away, I would've stumbled upon her eventually in some editorial or Pulitzer Prize winning book. But instead, I've stumbled upon her this way, and I can't help but pass on a little bit of her legacy in the little way that I can.

Read it: The Opposite of Loneliness (Click!)

Ecualove

Due to the gracious contributions of my fabulous and incredibly supportive family, On March 3, 2012, at 2 a.m. I left with Villanova with thirteen other students to embark on what would turn out to be a twenty-two hour journey to Duran, Ecuador.  Though this trip was qualified as a “service break experience”, my group and I would not be doing anything concrete while living in Ecuador. We would not be building a house, constructing a clean water filtration system, or demolishing a devastated house. We were sent to Ecuador to “be” rather than to “do.” We were told that we would be spending the week living in Arbolito, one of the poorest communities in Duran, which is an economically destitute community just outside of the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador. We would be living in the same manner that our neighbors do on a day-to-day basis, and were told to bring no technology (including cameras), jewelry, or snacks.  We were also told that it was wet season, which means it rains every day, all the time. I was so, so incredibly excited to be challenged by this trip. I know that I learn the most from being as far outside of my comfort zone as possible, and I felt that I could really learn a lot from Ecuadorians by living right alongside them.

When we arrived, we were driven into a gated compound in the middle of one of the poorest neighborhoods I have ever seen. While my neighbors lived in houses made out of sugar cane, scraps of wood, and tin, I lived in a house with solid walls, tiled floors, and mosquito nets over the bed to block out the swarms of mosquitoes that gathered near the swamp and river that ran along side of the house. Poverty and violence often go hand in hand, so it was understandable that there was such a high gate around the house, a security guard, and a guard dog named Wooky, but even within the community it sometimes felt like we were living in a little island amidst a sea of poverty. We lived with 4 year long volunteers with a Catholic organization called Rostro de Cristo, or face of Christ, whose mission is to unite Americans and Ecuadorians in order to find long-term solutions to the challenges of poverty. My favorite part of the mission statement is the goal to “inspire life-long commitments to service, social justice and solidarity in the global community.”

Me and Josue

So far, I have only described the conditions that I saw in Ecuador as destitute and wrought with poverty. It is very true that the community that I lived in has both infrastructural and social problems that need to be addressed, but the community of people that we met were incredible. Not only did they welcome us into their homes with generosity, sharing their food, stories, and families, but those that we met had a lot in common with us. One of our closest friends in the community was a college student, Aide, who had been an incredible student and was now getting a degree in sociology from a local university. Though it is their summer now, she was taking night classes at her university to get ahead, and also worked with Rostro de Cristo at their after school programs and helped with hosting student groups such as ourselves.  Another woman, Lupe, had just ended her marriage with an abusive husband, and was now being manipulated by her children for more money. At one point, she was in tears telling us her story, but it was important to her that we hear it. 

  Even though I met many of people from Ecuador who greatly moved me, the most inspirational person that I met was Pat, a former nun who left her order because they didn’t agree with the work that she wanted to do in Ecuador. She founded a high-end school for the upper class citizens of Guayaquil, stocked with SMART boards, air conditioned classrooms, and the finest teachers money could buy and called it Nuevo Mundo.  It charges a high tuition and requires an average of a 16.5/20 on all exams in order to remain enrolled (grades are given on a scale of 20 in Ecuador instead of 100). Due to lack of infrastructure for school buildings, it is also common in Ecuador to have two sessions of school per day, splitting up the students into the morning group and the afternoon group in order to decrease class sizes. Nuevo Mundo has a morning class of wealthy children, and afterwards, a select group of students who have the scores to qualify are brought in for the afternoon session. The children in the afternoon session get to benefit from all the resources that the children in the morning session receive, at a mere fraction of the price. 

The afternoon school, or the Fundacion, stops at the high school level, mostly because there are very few students who maintain the academic standards that Pat requires of the Nuevo Mundo students. However, those who receive an A average are invited to join the morning students for high school. Each year, there are 10 spots reserved for these high school students, but unfortunately all ten spots are never filled. Next year, 5 new students from the afternoon school will be joining the morning school for their high school experience with the some of the wealthiest members of the Guayaquil community. We had the chance to meet with these 5 students, and talk with them (in English) about their studies, hobbies, and university life in America. They were so excited, engaging, and educated about their county. One boy was particularly impressive: not only did he have the goal of becoming the president of Ecuador, but he also had a concrete, step by step plan of how he was going to accomplish this. 

After explaining all the logistical details of the school to us, Pat presented us with a challenge. She asked us, “How are you going to get your way into heaven?” She continued, “I know I already have a spot up there, and no one ever told me that I need to secure it. You don’t have that excuse. Now someone has told you that you need to go out and make an impact on the world. You just need to figure out how you’re going to do it.” At that moment, I could feel something twinge in my heart. I’ve known that I want to work in international development since I was 15, but I still haven’t figured out in what capacity. Pat’s talk about her school, how she had moved down to Ecuador, separating herself from her family and all the creature comforts of living in the country she was born in, and how she had given her entire life for the students in the Fundacion really inspired me.  It made me want to make an impact now, which was frustrating because I have 2 and a half semesters of school before I can commit to something concrete. But then I realized I could make a real impact simply by incorporating what I learned on my trip into my life. By living simply, I live in solidarity with the people that I felt so connected with while in Ecuador. By being generous, I show others the kindness I saw in my neighbors in Ecuador. By telling others about Pat, Aide, Lupe, and my favorite young boys at the after school program (Manos Abiertas)I make the situations that they are facing seem much more real to my family and friends at home. 

We fried plantains every single night with the help of our neighbors. I can't find plantains anywhere in Philadelphia to replicate them... let me know if you know a place...

Paris Top Ten

One of my favorite stops on my whirlwind trip to Europe was the week I met up with Russell in Paris. I had a LONG to do list for Paris, and he was great for putting up with my extensive list of my priorities. We tried to do a mix of just wandering around getting completely lost in the city and the touristy/standing on the corner with an upside-down map/couple-y things that you can't miss when you go to Paris. At this point, my camera had gotten stolen, so we shared Russell's iPhone as a camera. There were so many moments that felt so surreal. We had been talking about this trip for about 6 months, and felt so, so, so incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to do this.

Here's my Paris top ten (in no particular order):

1. The most decadent chocolate desert, salted caramel macaroon, and tea at Laduree:

I cannot express to you how delicious that desert was. Chocolate heaven on earth.

2. Tuileries:

3. Having a picnic of brie and a baguette in the park in front of the Eiffel Tower. It was the last thing we did before we left, and we walked around for 20 minutes trying to find a bakery with a baguette, and it was so delicious and worth it:

4.  Escargot at a Michelin Star restaurant on Ile de St. Louis, my favorite place in Paris: 

5. Wandering around the catacombs deep, deep underneath the city. I got seriously claustrophobic toward the end and dragged Russell out of there. Picture walking for over an hour among the bones of 6 million people, 1.5 kilometers below ground, in the dark...Cool, but only for so long...

6. The Louvre at night. The Louvre is open until 10 pm on Wednesday and Friday nights, so we went and spent hours getting completely lost in the biggest art museum in the world. It was much less crowded at night, sometimes we were the only people in the gallery. How DaVinci code is this picture Russell took of the full moon and the Louvre pyramid?

7.  Getting lost at night. We spent pretty much every night just wandering around, keeping our eye on the Eiffel tower to see the lights going off every half an hour. This is a fantastic picture that was taken of me in the middle of one of these walks. Walking around with no where to go and nothing to worry about was one of the coolest way to get to know the city. 

8. You know those meals that you'll never forget, whether its because of the food, the atmosphere, or the people you're with? This was one of them. We went to Au Pied de Cochon late one night after our Louvre trip for dinner. This was one of Julia Child's favorite restaurants, and they are famous for their french onion soup. I don't think I can ever have french onion soup again after this one because it was so flawless. I'm drooling just looking at that picture. The atmosphere of the restaurant as well as the fact that it was so late at night gave the entire meal this surreal feeling. We were surrounded by wealthy old French people, and it was a fabulous place to people watch. 

This was technically Russell's birthday dinner because I couldn't
see him on the actual day, so we decided to splurge on creme brulee for desert:

No words.

We were clearly just broke American college students (ordering the cheapest thing on the menu) who couldn't speak French, but our waiter was so welcoming and friendly. This may have been my favorite night in Paris.

9. Sacre Coeur Basilica

10. Versailles. The palace was beautiful, but wandering around the extensive grounds was the most fun. There is a maze of bushes, fountains, and a man-make lake as Versailles backyard. It was a gloomy, cold and overcast day, but that somehow only made walking around even more perfect: 

We were incredibly lucky to be under 26 and EU residents at the time (Russell had his Spain visa, and I pretended that Villanova University was in Spain), because every museum we went to (except the Catacombs) was free for us. So if you're under 26 and studying abroad in Europe or have a Spanish/French/German/etc sounding university name GO to Paris and get one of the best deals Europe has to offer.

So sorry that this is so late and not very detailed, but I'm trying to productively procrastinate, and I figured it was about time. I left out mass at Notre Dame, Musee d'Orsay (my favorite, but I don't have any pictures), Napoleon's tomb, Shakespeare and Co, Montmarte, Moulin Rouge, the top of the Eiffel tower at night etc, but you all get the picture.

 I wouldn't change a single moment about the week (even my extended missions to find the perfect French restaurant).  I am such an incredibly lucky girl to have spent a flawless week wandering around the city with the perfect travel partner, who was down for whatever.

Au revior until later my friends!

Wear Sunscreen

Daycations in the City of Brotherly Love

One my goals after coming abroad was to take the adventurous spirit I gained home with me to Philadelphia. So my friend Molly, who studied abroad in Perugia, Italy, and I decided that every Saturday we would explore a different neighborhood in Philly; eating in a local restaurant, buying weird and yummy ingredients to cook dinner with later on, and stopping into random shops we pass by, orienting ourselves to the city in the process.

Philly is such a cool city, and as cozy as Villanova's campus is, simply BEING in a city-people watching, window shopping, eating too much- is so much fun.

We started the tradition last weekend, with a trip the Italian neighborhood on South 9th street right near the famous Philly cheese steak shops Pat's and Geno's.  Its definitely in an out of the way area, but the shops sell the most delicious Italian ingredients and there are some great family run restaurants.

 Molly and Tricia exploring the neighborhood.

 An ad hanging in the sandwich shop we went to. I was too full to get anything but Molly and my roommate Bridget got a sandwich with mozzarella, prosciutto, egg plant, red peppers, and garlic. Heaven.

 The best cannoli in the world.

A vintage books and records store (called Molly's Books and Records) that we took some serious advantage of. 

The Italian neighborhood also sells fresh (and super cheap) vegetables on street stands, fresh italian meats and cheese in authentic Italian delis, and as I said, has some incredible restaurants. I did my grocery shopping for the week (LOVE not having a meal plan) and came home and made some delicious prosciutto, provolone, and spinach paninis on Italian bread. Molly bought sweet potato gnocchi and cooked it with a cream sauce, with figs wrapped in prosciutto on the side.

This weekend started off unfortunately... but I woke up this morning to snow outside my window and refused to let  the events of Friday night ruin my weekend.

So after coffee and an omelet made with the portobello mushrooms I purchased on our previous weekend, with the above for my view, Molly and I were off to Chinatown!

We parked far away so that we'd be able to walk around the city to get to Chinatown.  The town hall always surprises me when I walk around the corner. Its such a beautiful piece of architecture.

I absolutely love that arc.

 

This was the street we found the restaurant we went to.  The red lanterns strung across the street every half block look incredible. I wish I had the photography skills to capture it.

Here's Molly in front of the restaurant we found for lunch. The one Molly had looked up was closed, but across the street we found a noodle restaurant called Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle House. The menu was in both English and Chinese, and its so popular that people share tables with whoever walks in. We shared a table with a small family and a couple, both of whom ordered the beef tendon, which looked phenomenal. Two other items on the menu were marinated intestine and spicy pig ears. Molly and I weren't that adventurous (maybe next time) but I ordered roasted duck noodle soup and Molly got the same, but with egg and vegetable instead of duck. All the noodles are homemade (as the name of the restaurant suggests).

I cannot express to you how delicious this was. Nor does the picture do justice to the immensity of that bowl. I couldn't even finish half of it.  The best part is that none of the items on the menu are more expensive than 6 dollars. You can get a huge plate noodles in peanut sauce for $3!! They serve delicious tea in those little glasses to every customer, and the combination of the two was a perfect meal on a cold and snowy day. So happy we stumbled upon this gem.

Over lunch Molly and I decided that we were not done blogging even though we're back to our normal lives. Even if no one reads these, we get so much out of writing about our experiences.

After lunch, we wandered around Chinatown, stopping in grocery stores, bakeries, and craft shops.

Still wondering what this fruit/vegetable is....

This one Chinese arts and crafts shop had the most beautiful china on sale for nothing. They also had ninja suits on sale, in case you're missing yours.

 

So no trip downtown would be complete without a stop at Reading Terminal market, where Moll and I picked up ingredients for dinner (she taught me how to honey glaze brussel sprouts, yem).  We also stopped at 4th Street Cookies and got oatmeal cookies, straight out of the oven. 

 

On our way back to the car we walked through the town hall, and there was one solitary flutist playing. It was empty except for him, and it was so beautiful.

After stopping for some shopping, we drove home blasting exclusively country music, which may have been my favorite part of the day. Red Rag Top has been on repeat ever since I got home.

We're going to pretend we're abroad every Saturday, and we decided we want to bring someone we don't know really well each time, because exploring is such a fun way to get to know people. So if you're somehow reading this and like the activities listed above...let us know and come with us!! Later this semester we want to go see the Van Gogh exhibit at the art museum, a Moroccan restaurant called Marrakesh, to South Street, and to a funky vintage clothing shop neighborhood that we discovered early sophomore year. When the weather gets nice, we're also going to drive out to a park and go for a day long hike so I can relive my Cape Town hiking experiences. I'm so so excited for our Saturday adventures... Oh and Molly's going to post about today, and her blog is a lot cooler than mine, so check it out here.