Sunday, February 22, 2009
Pavia!
Not having a computer has really limited my ability to write about my time in Pavia but the town is so beautiful and everything is so easy that I really don't have much to say. There are bus schedules and stores are open so I am not running into any of the problems which plagued my first few weeks in Greece. Last weekend Melissa, Gary, and myself took a tour around Pavia and have some amazing pictures to show. The highlights of the tour were the 500 year old building of Colegio Borromeo, the covered bridge, the fifth largest dome in Italy which sits atop the cathedral, countless brick towers, an enormous medieval castle, and of course the delicious pizza. Hopefully these pictures will give you a better idea of how wonderful this little town is.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Final Days in Greece
My last month in Greece was one of the most intensive periods of study that I have ever had. I had at least one project, homework, and exam for every class. Every day was jammed wall to wall with class and work. I spent almost all of my time in the study room, but luckily in true Greek fashion the monotony was occasionally broken by a furry four legged visitor. I didn’t get the chance to see any more sights in Greece and I only made it into Patras twice! The good thing about doing all of the work was that I finally started to understand the basic concepts of earthquake engineering. Despite my early frustrations with the professors I know that I learned a lot and can tell I now have a feeling for how a structure will and should behave when subjected to seismic loadings. These instincts were learned not a minute too soon and served me well in my final exams.
After the last exam I was lead back to the study room by what must have been muscle memory. I set up at my normal work station and then realized we were finally free. I could feel that a weight had been lifted from the group and big smiles started to stretch over everyone's faces. Within five minutes the jubilation had taken hold and we were running around the room making paper airplanes like a bunch of preschoolers strung out on Fun Dip. In a state of elation we left the campus of the University of Patras for the last time and headed downtown for further celebration. Our first and only stop for the night was the bozoukia for a real Greek farewell. We all had a great time watching the live music and getting on the stage to dance. I think the bozoukia really epitomizes the Greek experience. It is all about getting together with a big group of your friends, watching the world go by, and staying out way way too late.
The next morning I woke up to a telephone call from Enrique. He was on the bus leaving Patras and realized he had packed everything except for his passport; apparently these things are necessary for international travel. After pleading with the driver he said he finally got the bus to pull over on the side of the highway. I quickly got a cab and tried my best to explain to the driver that we were going to get on the highway to find a bus. After reassuring him several times that I knew what I was doing and exactly what I was saying we found the bus sitting on the shoulder of the road. I knew it was the right one because I heard people yelling and then saw Enrique pop his head out of the door. This event basically epitomized the stressful pace of the last month in Greece.
When I got back to the house I realized I only had about fourteen hours before I had to leave. I flew around the house trying to clean up as best I could and get everything packed. I went downtown to buy my bus ticket and walk around for the last time. The sun was just starting to set over the sea. The cruise ships were all lit up and everything was decorated for carnival. It was a really beautiful sight and I could have sat there for hours just soaking it all in, but knew I should be going. As I was leaving I saw Tamara and Sanja and we stopped for one last Greek coffee. We sat and talked about the events of the last month and our upcoming trip to Italy. The time had absolutely flown by and I think Sanja summed it up best when she said that it felt like we were escaping rather leaving.
That night everyone got together for dinner at one of our favorite tavernas. Keeping with the Greek tradition for we were seated at 8, appetizers at 9, and I had to leave the table early at 11. We ate plates and plates of delicious Greek food telling stories and cracking jokes. I was sad to say goodbye to my Greek friends, but equally as thankful for having the opportunity to meet them and study in such an amazing place. I learned a lot about myself through my experience in Greece and can tell that I have become a more well rounded person, more tolerant and knowledgeable about other cultures as well as more curious about what else this world has to offer. I am really happy with everything that I accomplished while in Patras and all the traveling that I got to do. As the plane left Athens I could see the many ships lined up at the port of Piraeus and know there is a warm spot in my heart for this beautiful place. I still have many things that I want to see in Greece and know that I will be back, not as a stranger but a friend.
After the last exam I was lead back to the study room by what must have been muscle memory. I set up at my normal work station and then realized we were finally free. I could feel that a weight had been lifted from the group and big smiles started to stretch over everyone's faces. Within five minutes the jubilation had taken hold and we were running around the room making paper airplanes like a bunch of preschoolers strung out on Fun Dip. In a state of elation we left the campus of the University of Patras for the last time and headed downtown for further celebration. Our first and only stop for the night was the bozoukia for a real Greek farewell. We all had a great time watching the live music and getting on the stage to dance. I think the bozoukia really epitomizes the Greek experience. It is all about getting together with a big group of your friends, watching the world go by, and staying out way way too late.
The Greeks like to do a really "heavy" dance.
The next morning I woke up to a telephone call from Enrique. He was on the bus leaving Patras and realized he had packed everything except for his passport; apparently these things are necessary for international travel. After pleading with the driver he said he finally got the bus to pull over on the side of the highway. I quickly got a cab and tried my best to explain to the driver that we were going to get on the highway to find a bus. After reassuring him several times that I knew what I was doing and exactly what I was saying we found the bus sitting on the shoulder of the road. I knew it was the right one because I heard people yelling and then saw Enrique pop his head out of the door. This event basically epitomized the stressful pace of the last month in Greece.
When I got back to the house I realized I only had about fourteen hours before I had to leave. I flew around the house trying to clean up as best I could and get everything packed. I went downtown to buy my bus ticket and walk around for the last time. The sun was just starting to set over the sea. The cruise ships were all lit up and everything was decorated for carnival. It was a really beautiful sight and I could have sat there for hours just soaking it all in, but knew I should be going. As I was leaving I saw Tamara and Sanja and we stopped for one last Greek coffee. We sat and talked about the events of the last month and our upcoming trip to Italy. The time had absolutely flown by and I think Sanja summed it up best when she said that it felt like we were escaping rather leaving.
That night everyone got together for dinner at one of our favorite tavernas. Keeping with the Greek tradition for we were seated at 8, appetizers at 9, and I had to leave the table early at 11. We ate plates and plates of delicious Greek food telling stories and cracking jokes. I was sad to say goodbye to my Greek friends, but equally as thankful for having the opportunity to meet them and study in such an amazing place. I learned a lot about myself through my experience in Greece and can tell that I have become a more well rounded person, more tolerant and knowledgeable about other cultures as well as more curious about what else this world has to offer. I am really happy with everything that I accomplished while in Patras and all the traveling that I got to do. As the plane left Athens I could see the many ships lined up at the port of Piraeus and know there is a warm spot in my heart for this beautiful place. I still have many things that I want to see in Greece and know that I will be back, not as a stranger but a friend.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Sorry But We Are Currently Experiencing Technical Difficulties.
I am sorry that I have not had a chance to post anything since my birthday, but I recently got done with a horrendous round of exams, a move from Greece to Italy, and also I managed to pour an entire bottle of water on my laptop completely destroying it.
Other than that everything is going extremely well and I couldn't be happier. I finished all of my work in Greece and am pretty sure I passed all of my exams. The trip over to Pavia was extremely easy and I am definitely looking forward to learning Italian and touring around the country. Pavia is a beautiful little town with great cathedrals, squares, and cobblestone streets. The town is full of people walking or riding bikes and it is really just a great experience. The dorms are extremely nice and located in the center of the city so I am close to everything. The pizza and pasta are delicious and plentiful allowing me to "Mangia!" all I want.
I will write when I can and should hopefully have a replacement computer very soon so I can catch up on my final days in Greece as well as my first in Pavia and my course on Earthquake Loss Assessment.
Other than that everything is going extremely well and I couldn't be happier. I finished all of my work in Greece and am pretty sure I passed all of my exams. The trip over to Pavia was extremely easy and I am definitely looking forward to learning Italian and touring around the country. Pavia is a beautiful little town with great cathedrals, squares, and cobblestone streets. The town is full of people walking or riding bikes and it is really just a great experience. The dorms are extremely nice and located in the center of the city so I am close to everything. The pizza and pasta are delicious and plentiful allowing me to "Mangia!" all I want.
I will write when I can and should hopefully have a replacement computer very soon so I can catch up on my final days in Greece as well as my first in Pavia and my course on Earthquake Loss Assessment.
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