tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25796640803697810952024-03-08T12:34:09.578+01:00das Blogemily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.comBlogger347125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-75994534593744337502012-12-19T15:37:00.000+01:002012-12-19T15:37:05.002+01:00Freaking beautiful HighlandsI was trying to think of a better name for this post, but just look at these pictures and you'll understand why I couldn't. It's seriously amazing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1a5G-j5LYN8/UNHNidIXgYI/AAAAAAAADSE/HvvrrDsxqoM/s1600/IMG_0129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1a5G-j5LYN8/UNHNidIXgYI/AAAAAAAADSE/HvvrrDsxqoM/s640/IMG_0129.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skye Bridge with Isle of Sky in the background</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EFXgBx6d7VM/UNHMt7AaqXI/AAAAAAAADQ8/D7xpI_55aqo/s1600/IMG_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EFXgBx6d7VM/UNHMt7AaqXI/AAAAAAAADQ8/D7xpI_55aqo/s640/IMG_0003.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drive from Sterling to Mallaig </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VWYGM3MQ8SI/UNHMzRsympI/AAAAAAAADRE/gl3G2NoRn4c/s1600/IMG_0026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VWYGM3MQ8SI/UNHMzRsympI/AAAAAAAADRE/gl3G2NoRn4c/s640/IMG_0026.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drive from Sterling to Mallaig</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUgk6C7ohsi_UZoDHtZBiXCkDhXmfutmCcAvZAHrdeNgWrZ2SVkGeC6wyyqq6NELdiEac_hzKPL0gobaJpDmPKrBEc95uZUxE3ms3IqiqffARZC3udbiU2j60vwe7zuubL3vXS7LNmMI/s1600/IMG_0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUgk6C7ohsi_UZoDHtZBiXCkDhXmfutmCcAvZAHrdeNgWrZ2SVkGeC6wyyqq6NELdiEac_hzKPL0gobaJpDmPKrBEc95uZUxE3ms3IqiqffARZC3udbiU2j60vwe7zuubL3vXS7LNmMI/s640/IMG_0033.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fort William</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X7avEqh1AZg/UNHM8byydWI/AAAAAAAADRU/humrKJ6i_v4/s1600/IMG_0034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X7avEqh1AZg/UNHM8byydWI/AAAAAAAADRU/humrKJ6i_v4/s640/IMG_0034.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way to Mallaig</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--UNEli1NUUs/UNHNBbTrkdI/AAAAAAAADRc/5CO0VBeHvBw/s1600/IMG_0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--UNEli1NUUs/UNHNBbTrkdI/AAAAAAAADRc/5CO0VBeHvBw/s640/IMG_0035.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">on the way to Mallaig</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0XQmY9q2kAU/UNHNGowF5aI/AAAAAAAADRk/qm6rSV2gSvU/s1600/IMG_0039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0XQmY9q2kAU/UNHNGowF5aI/AAAAAAAADRk/qm6rSV2gSvU/s640/IMG_0039.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way to Mallaig</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EgO0NM2IxLg/UNHNOl5fRZI/AAAAAAAADRs/HnHJk2xU9Y0/s1600/IMG_0041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EgO0NM2IxLg/UNHNOl5fRZI/AAAAAAAADRs/HnHJk2xU9Y0/s640/IMG_0041.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way to Mallaig</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bV429XcxDrM/UNHNXMV2ctI/AAAAAAAADR0/eSCUDjlxGkE/s1600/IMG_0059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bV429XcxDrM/UNHNXMV2ctI/AAAAAAAADR0/eSCUDjlxGkE/s640/IMG_0059.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the Atlantic Ocean </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MX2M4MACR8E/UNHNdXe1V_I/AAAAAAAADR8/SG5W9ViakIw/s1600/IMG_0074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MX2M4MACR8E/UNHNdXe1V_I/AAAAAAAADR8/SG5W9ViakIw/s640/IMG_0074.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mallaig</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRna27m2dd0/UNHNm7k679I/AAAAAAAADSM/QAwvxcRkAik/s1600/IMG_0136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRna27m2dd0/UNHNm7k679I/AAAAAAAADSM/QAwvxcRkAik/s640/IMG_0136.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eilean Donan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EBy553k3oYc/UNHNw3y39kI/AAAAAAAADSc/DDefe_2pVEI/s1600/IMG_0274.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EBy553k3oYc/UNHNw3y39kI/AAAAAAAADSc/DDefe_2pVEI/s640/IMG_0274.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">on the drive home </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MCXwmBgtJGE/UNHNsdq-cZI/AAAAAAAADSU/t4gaSGish1A/s1600/IMG_0183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MCXwmBgtJGE/UNHNsdq-cZI/AAAAAAAADSU/t4gaSGish1A/s640/IMG_0183.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inverness</td></tr>
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And this is just the abridged version. Let's just say between Italy, Edinburgh, and the Highlands, I had to buy an extra memory card for my camera.emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-28422864757756228912012-12-18T14:58:00.001+01:002012-12-18T23:39:01.996+01:00driving on the left<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For my final hurrah in Scotland, Shahida and I decided to do something neither of us had done before: <span style="font-size: x-large;">a Road trip in the UK</span>. Of course we'd both been on road trips before, but in the good ol' US of A as well as Sweden (and basically anywhere that's not a crazy British place) we like to drive on the right side of the road... So together, with the emotional support of Simon, we rented a car with the driver's side on the right and drove for 3 days on the left side of the road. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cexj-rCO0Zg/UNB0qQ5eIAI/AAAAAAAADP4/tP9VG_jWO5w/s1600/IMG_0110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cexj-rCO0Zg/UNB0qQ5eIAI/AAAAAAAADP4/tP9VG_jWO5w/s640/IMG_0110.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N1mXgPcLHTU/UNB0wgWLU_I/AAAAAAAADQA/ipiRWVksSwE/s1600/IMG_0113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N1mXgPcLHTU/UNB0wgWLU_I/AAAAAAAADQA/ipiRWVksSwE/s400/IMG_0113.jpg" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, the actual driving on the left isn't really a problem. you get used to that almost immediately (<i>just be sure to stay on the correct side when you're in... say... a parking lot... <span style="font-size: xx-small;">oops</span></i>). We would always remind each other which side to be on when turning though, just for a little extra help: <span style="font-size: large;">"turn into the far lane!" </span>for right turns, and <span style="font-size: large;">"stay on the left!"</span> for left turns. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For me, though, the real challenge was sitting on the right side of the car. It's very strange how much your spatial reasoning is disrupted when all the sudden you have to learn to account for half the car being to your left instead of your right. When you focus on the road, you have no idea where you should be sitting in the lane to make sure your car is centered. This resulted in Shahida and I continuously driving too far to the left (which was especially unfortunate when there was a high curb). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We also established that it's terrifying to be a passenger on the left side. It really feels like you're going to hit everything that's even remotely close to the road. This lead to a lot of terror-inducing gasping. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But we made it there and back unscathed with only one flat tire (<span style="font-size: xx-small;">but more on that later</span>). We even managed to conquer the single lane windy roads, master roundabouts (<i>driving </i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>clockwise, mind you!</i>), and enjoy some scenery along the way! </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z-WXe36M-eQ/UNB00q2g3EI/AAAAAAAADQI/rFzMqmgNhSY/s1600/IMG_0217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z-WXe36M-eQ/UNB00q2g3EI/AAAAAAAADQI/rFzMqmgNhSY/s640/IMG_0217.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-54376078656014564862012-12-08T18:43:00.000+01:002012-12-08T18:43:43.826+01:00would you like a spot of tea?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Afternoon tea has pretty much become mandatory for Shahida and I when I'm in Edinburgh. We love to scope out new places and rate all parts of the experience. And yes, there are many things to consider when rating an afternoon tea experience, but here are a few of the important ones:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>1. Atmosphere</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">where are you dinning? In a fancy hotel restaurant, in a cozy coffe shop, or in the museum of modern art cafe? There are many different places to enjoy your afternoon tea, so make sure you find the one that is right for you! </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9mAYN-J8ZJc/UKuP9giLeXI/AAAAAAAADOM/ZliH-Ow60XE/s1600/IMG_8091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9mAYN-J8ZJc/UKuP9giLeXI/AAAAAAAADOM/ZliH-Ow60XE/s640/IMG_8091.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>2. Presentation</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As any competition show on Food Network will remind you: presentation is key. How does your display of tea and treats look? Appetizing? Any extra touches? Anything as awesome as these tea cozies? </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yi3VdEFqTZQ/UKuoq8e1t7I/AAAAAAAADPA/aMt4iBDg_Mc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-11-20+at+10.57.46+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="324" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yi3VdEFqTZQ/UKuoq8e1t7I/AAAAAAAADPA/aMt4iBDg_Mc/s640/Screen+Shot+2012-11-20+at+10.57.46+AM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>3. The food</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">oh yes, afternoon tea is not just a nice tea and crumpets shared with the queen while doting on her yorkies. It involves an array of sweet and savory treats alike to be enjoyed over the course of the tea. Standards include egg sandwiches and scones, among many others.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnch7nPFPkzvLiEPtep7J9n3zhJ78CdXuC3ZJFUzZiTeXtg4E7zdNqEefIlxHJYcs7atplnflNf94ffI7i8_brJFjAQrfd4Lj7IXymeXy95ftm4o67e4tttoBJhEPDy3uwmdpe3nNuC3A/s1600/IMG_0115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnch7nPFPkzvLiEPtep7J9n3zhJ78CdXuC3ZJFUzZiTeXtg4E7zdNqEefIlxHJYcs7atplnflNf94ffI7i8_brJFjAQrfd4Lj7IXymeXy95ftm4o67e4tttoBJhEPDy3uwmdpe3nNuC3A/s1600/IMG_0115.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>4. The Tea</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last but definitely not least - the tea - the namesake of the whole event plays a largely important role. In my day-to-day tea endeavors I don't venture far from my standard Earl Grey. When it comes to afternoon tea, though, there is no way to not try some of the exciting new flavors they've got out there! So no matter what you may stick to regularly, when it's time for afternoon tea, don't be afraid to get a little adventurous!</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wn74LTYKwz0/UKuPp4iKJGI/AAAAAAAADN8/mPJDQFHU8UQ/s1600/IMG_0117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wn74LTYKwz0/UKuPp4iKJGI/AAAAAAAADN8/mPJDQFHU8UQ/s1600/IMG_0117.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So needless to say, afternoon tea was the first thing Shahida and I did when I arrived this summer. And I'd have to say, it was one of our best overall experiences to date! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP7OVrZOIbL2KjX2EpVtx3dLIze-MrEZVZYutQKe189xS4pkTz0uCz7NfK9qBT7cRYfZovg5zRaUiQPqHymWEoJ-rIfN16RDle79_HrzuRn3SUB2REI80yHTnNbHY1iBR2CLcQUqjL7EM/s1600/IMG_0333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP7OVrZOIbL2KjX2EpVtx3dLIze-MrEZVZYutQKe189xS4pkTz0uCz7NfK9qBT7cRYfZovg5zRaUiQPqHymWEoJ-rIfN16RDle79_HrzuRn3SUB2REI80yHTnNbHY1iBR2CLcQUqjL7EM/s1600/IMG_0333.JPG" /></a></div>
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emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-27105017814973599272012-11-24T20:55:00.000+01:002012-11-24T20:55:38.909+01:00Rose Street<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So after my little hiccup in the Mallorca airport, I arrived safely in Edinburgh with Shahida! As you may have <a href="http://ejg-das-blog.blogspot.com/2012/01/if-you-only-have-one-day-in-edinburgh.html">noticed</a> (<span style="font-size: x-small;">and <a href="http://ejg-das-blog.blogspot.com/2011/03/and-im-off.html">noticed</a></span> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">and <a href="http://ejg-das-blog.blogspot.com/2010/08/innocent-gun.html">noticed</a></span>), I visit Edinburgh quite a bit. It has a lot to do with the people I get to see, but over all the visits, I've grown to really fall in love with the city too (<i>oh who am I kidding, it was love at first sight</i>). So I have a pretty set routine when I'm there, regarding what I do when Shahida has to work. Go to the city, walk around the Royal Mile and find a good cafe on the old side of town. </span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This trip, however, I decided to broaden my horizons a little bit and actually ended up spending most of my time on the other side of princes street in the new city on a cozy little street called <span style="font-size: x-large;">Rose Street</span></span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What's special about Rose Street? Well it's basically a long street of pubs and restaurants. Most famous for the oldest pub in the city as well as many pubs that were frequented by the famous literary big names to come out of Edinburgh. For me, it was the perfect resting place to enjoy a seat, a pint, and some free wifi after a few hours of roaming the city. </span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you ever find yourself in Edinburgh -<i> which everyone at some point should definitely find themselves in Edinburgh</i> - you can't miss an afternoon, or better yet, a night out on Rose Street</span>emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-33629066153070950272012-11-20T14:43:00.000+01:002012-11-22T04:47:16.789+01:00how not to get deported<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If they make one thing abundantly clear at Fulbright orientation, it is that you <i>can not </i>overstay your visa. The thing is, when you enter the EU as a US citizen, you get an automatic 90 days to stay, travel, visit, etc. If you stay beyond that (say, for 2 years), you have to have a visa. But more likely than not, your visa will have an expiration date on it - the day your job, education, internship, etc. ends, and on that day you have to leave. Not just the country, but also not the entire EU, you just have to make it out of the countries that make up the Schengen Zone (basically continental, western Europe). </span><br />
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</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They always stress the fact that you have to leave by the day your visa expires. Even one day after and you could be in serious trouble. Of course, I've also had plenty of friends who've over stayed their visas by quite a bit and had no problems. So basically, it's all hit or miss, but when push comes to shove, you're not really allowed to. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even though my visa expired on July 6, but I was determined to hold on to Europe till the bitter end (<span style="font-size: x-small;">I didn't move home until 3 days before the semester began</span>), my plan was to escape to Shahida in Scotland then return to Germany as a "tourist." The plan was to fly straight from Italy to Edinburgh on what I dubbed "<span style="font-size: large;">deportation day</span>" (no really, it was labeled in my calendar). Not returning completely home after a visa expires, though an accepted method, is still frowned upon. However, when I saw that flights the day after deportation day were about 30€ cheaper, I decided one day couldn't hurt - especially not leaving from Italy, they're really lax people, right?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I didn't take into consideration was that I'd have to make it through 2 airports on the hopes that no one noticed/cared, as I had a layover in Mallorca. I figured they'd be just as relaxed as the Italians, being a nice vacation Island and all... also, my visa was all in German, and even though dates are in numbers, I was hoping coming across words like "<i>Aufenthaltstitel</i>" and "<i>Aufenthaltserlaubnis</i>" would scare them away from really checking. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Things I didn't take into consideration: when you fly Ryan Air, regardless of the fact that you're traveling within the EU (where they don't normally check passports), if you're not an EU citizen, you have to have your passport checked. Also, German words don't scare the people of Mallorca as that is the main travel destination for vacationing Germans. So much so that it's often referred to as the 17th German state. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6HN0hXFUmA4/UKjz2qmrUpI/AAAAAAAADLs/04VznhxnMp0/s1600/IMG_1400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6HN0hXFUmA4/UKjz2qmrUpI/AAAAAAAADLs/04VznhxnMp0/s640/IMG_1400.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So when I arrived in Mallorca with 2 hours less than intended because of a last minute rescheduling (thanks, Ryan Air), I was already flustered about missing my next flight to Edinburgh. So I ran to passport check, and that's where the shit hit the fan. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was one of those situations when they asked me if I was in the EU as a resident, where I didn't know if a simple "no" would be a quick get away or a sure fire ticket to trouble. I'm still not entirely convinced this was the right decision, but having never been asked that question before at the Ryan Air passport check, I panicked and opted for honesty - "<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Yes, the visa's in the back</i></span>" - Hoping they wouldn't really look at the date, or figure that it was just one day so who cares. But when I saw her start counting the days on her fingers and I immediately knew I had picked the wrong answer.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">"This expired yesterday."</span> Not even a question. 3 words. And then the worst case scenarios started flashing before my eyes:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Calling Shahida from the US telling her I had been redirected from Edinburgh because of an over-stayed visa</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Calling my mom from the Atlanta airport. Surprise! </i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Having to pay exorbitant fees.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Being black listed by the EU from ever returning. </i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Something involving a plot very likely to appear on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1020109/">Locked Up Abroad</a></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At this point, I decided honesty had failed me and started going for anything that sounded good "<span style="font-size: large;"><i>I'm flying straight back to the US from Edinburgh! I got a connecting flight from there because it was cheaper! I'm going to miss my flight </i></span>(which was kind of true)." Whatever conversation occurred between us next is all a blur by this point, the next thing I really remember: she discusses the situation in Spanish with her coworker, stamps my ticket as being checked, and without another word sends me on my way. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For all I know, she stamped my ticket with "detain this person upon arrival," but nonetheless I ran to my gate with an overwhelming sense of relief. Now I just had to make it through the real passport control in Mallorca, arrival passport check in Scotland, leaving Scotland and arriving in Germany.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I did make it, never to be almost detained for breaking international law again. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
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</div>emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-42005604691331855872012-11-18T14:30:00.000+01:002012-11-18T14:30:21.410+01:00my 2nd favorite holiday ever<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since we are very quickly approaching my favorite Holiday ever, I thought I should back track (or fast forward from the Italy posting?) a couple weeks to my second favorite: Halloween! After two years of appreciating the slowly growing German Halloween but always longing for a little something more, I was glad to finally get the chance to celebrate a good ol' Murikan Halloween! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I, of course, repurposed an old German costume (from Karneval, <a href="http://ejg-das-blog.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-i-ended-up-in-at-least-10-random.html">as you may recall</a>). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And while I was worried the heavy German theme would not carry over into American culture very well, I ended up being the hit of town. Well, at least in my eyes! But despite the many comments on got on my look, it's still the home-made/witty/hilarious costumes that I like best</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">yes, his back feet did roll. It was impressive.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This guy was probably over 10 feet tall</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">lolz, assholes. get it?</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But probably my favorite part of Halloween spending it with my biffle Jess! I don't know how it happened, but many years ago Halloween became our holiday, and whenever we're in the same country together, you better believe we will be taking Halloween for all it's worth!</span><br />
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<br />emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-44035508396269470022012-11-16T20:08:00.000+01:002012-11-16T20:08:20.901+01:00Thirsty?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're in Italy, don't worry about paying ridiculously high prices for bottled water. Instead, bring your own bottle and fill up at the one of many ANY fountain in Italy. Because yes, they are all (<span style="font-size: xx-small;">mostly...</span>) safe drinking water. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If it's in the Vatican, does that automatically make it holy water?</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please be prepared for bottle leakage. I suggest having bandaid's on hand. Not terribly effective, but you can still pretend. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Of course, not ALL fountains in Italy are drinking water.... </i></span><br />
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emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-26410225483328186352012-11-16T01:29:00.000+01:002012-11-16T01:29:11.915+01:00the day we saw a lot of old stuff in Rome.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know if I mentioned this or not, but anywhere you go in Italy there are lines everywhere. Sometimes you can just stick it out, but after a while<i> it just gets old</i>.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">waiting in line is F-U-N! </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is always an alternative... <i>for the right price</i>, that is. Anywhere there is a line in Italy, there is a tour group willing to offer you a guided tour plus a free pass to jump the line. Usually for about double what you would pay normally. Of course, being the cheap people that we are, Matthew and I opted for the slower, more economic virtue of patience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until our last day, that is. What I dubbed as "<span style="font-size: large;">old stuff day</span>" was scheduled as our day to visit the Colosseum and Forum (<i>aka old stuff</i>). And since neither of us knew much about the two, we decided if we were going to blow our money anywhere, we should do it here. So we cashed out the 28€ (<span style="font-size: xx-small;">as opposed to the normal entry price of 12€, I believe</span>) for a combined tour of both the Colosseum and the Forum and waited for our tour guide. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">don't I make a great gladiator?</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BkYNsbqta8c/UKWHQl0jg7I/AAAAAAAADHc/vOuB1dsQUts/s1600/IMG_1340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BkYNsbqta8c/UKWHQl0jg7I/AAAAAAAADHc/vOuB1dsQUts/s640/IMG_1340.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3nDv9EObTwc/UKWHRssrqMI/AAAAAAAADHk/9SpOZnt7B1A/s1600/IMG_1341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3nDv9EObTwc/UKWHRssrqMI/AAAAAAAADHk/9SpOZnt7B1A/s640/IMG_1341.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">this was right before we lost each other for the next hour or so. Oops. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's just say the tour of the Colosseum left us wildly unimpressed and feeling a little embarrassed of the scam we apparently just bought into. But it was still an amazing place. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When it was time for the second part of the tour, though, things started looking up. We got a new tour guide and had a tour that, by itself, was worth the 28€. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bYzy-iAYAZU/UKWHS3knbqI/AAAAAAAADHs/EcJTBdqQmcM/s1600/IMG_1358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bYzy-iAYAZU/UKWHS3knbqI/AAAAAAAADHs/EcJTBdqQmcM/s640/IMG_1358.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GbWeAwO0gF4/UKWHUGEw2aI/AAAAAAAADH0/BhNvilcNUOk/s1600/IMG_1361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GbWeAwO0gF4/UKWHUGEw2aI/AAAAAAAADH0/BhNvilcNUOk/s640/IMG_1361.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F4DwXKglStQ/UKWHVKcykuI/AAAAAAAADH8/k34C1ISAoBM/s1600/IMG_1381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F4DwXKglStQ/UKWHVKcykuI/AAAAAAAADH8/k34C1ISAoBM/s640/IMG_1381.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So in the end, the paid tours can definitely be worth it if you're up for it! </span>emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-1989433152619640722012-11-07T00:53:00.000+01:002012-11-07T00:53:18.016+01:00alimento (yes, I do speak Italian) (not really)<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know what you think of first when you think of Italy... but I'm not gonna lie, my first thoughts are "WINE AND PASTA!" (<i>and yes, I do think it in all caps</i>). But unfortunately, Rome being a <strike>pretty</strike> very touristy city, food/wine prices can get unreasonably high. Luckily, after a good tip from our Hostel lady on the first day, Matthew and I found the secret gem of Rome. </span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_LMMfF6ioXM/UJmh7q4Lm7I/AAAAAAAADGc/7gWbC4SwXpo/s1600/IMG_1389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_LMMfF6ioXM/UJmh7q4Lm7I/AAAAAAAADGc/7gWbC4SwXpo/s640/IMG_1389.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In this little are of the city (just across the river) food and wine is a plenty, and all for completely reasonable prices! I don't think we ever spent more than 10€ on our dinner and drinks for any one meal! </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S25zQLJeEPk/UJmhuXjDoII/AAAAAAAADF8/2AukfF5_6GQ/s1600/IMG_0298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S25zQLJeEPk/UJmhuXjDoII/AAAAAAAADF8/2AukfF5_6GQ/s640/IMG_0298.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA88cKORevwABW3H4vCCi7CeUKjvpiKSJjs4VvvyhTg-OgFqfaMxsPRqFy96gUly2mpV9-yOy4r7IHfBCbI6b-sPQ3lTIQw515z7vfToeedSkV87DTD-gfWgLR6nJh1qDIY0p8EQXDxgU/s1600/IMG_0299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA88cKORevwABW3H4vCCi7CeUKjvpiKSJjs4VvvyhTg-OgFqfaMxsPRqFy96gUly2mpV9-yOy4r7IHfBCbI6b-sPQ3lTIQw515z7vfToeedSkV87DTD-gfWgLR6nJh1qDIY0p8EQXDxgU/s640/IMG_0299.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, and a tip... if you order a tomato salad, that is exactly what you'll get. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u9QHeZXVAzA/UJmhwqWr1LI/AAAAAAAADGM/EoU1rsRX1Cw/s1600/IMG_0325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u9QHeZXVAzA/UJmhwqWr1LI/AAAAAAAADGM/EoU1rsRX1Cw/s640/IMG_0325.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, on the nights we didn't feel like making the trek out there, we paid a visit to the grocery story across the street. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3hlx-aS6kVQ/UJmh3SSE-QI/AAAAAAAADGU/I3ugUnHixPs/s1600/IMG_1179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3hlx-aS6kVQ/UJmh3SSE-QI/AAAAAAAADGU/I3ugUnHixPs/s640/IMG_1179.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-40946705224667313752012-10-25T04:19:00.000+02:002012-10-25T04:21:59.636+02:0026 Hours<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last weekend I left the office at 12pm on Saturday and did not return until 3pm on Sunday. For those glorious 26 hours I did not do one single school related thing! Instead I packed up and headed to Atlanta for the night to head to a concert with a friend! </span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the record, if you ever have the chance to see Ingrid Michaelson in concert, you should drop everything you're doing to make it happen. I've been to one concert before and this one did not disappoint either. That girl can sing and puts on amazing show! To say her live performances are infinitely better than her [already amazing] CDs would be a bit of an understatement. </span><br />
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-lj710FkEQMA/UIigwGU3rtI/AAAAAAAADFE/BbFv7kJgXRo/s640/blogger-image--65863762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-lj710FkEQMA/UIigwGU3rtI/AAAAAAAADFE/BbFv7kJgXRo/s1600/blogger-image--65863762.jpg" /></a></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although we bought the tickets for the first act, the headliner was Rufus Wainwright. I don't know much by him, but man, what a performance from him as well! So much talent and awesomeness in one night. And that guy is truly a fantastic performer. </span><br />
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ryjaXhnADuY/UIigvmihYuI/AAAAAAAADE8/BgLw2dBemZw/s640/blogger-image--1220665208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ryjaXhnADuY/UIigvmihYuI/AAAAAAAADE8/BgLw2dBemZw/s640/blogger-image--1220665208.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A great show by everyone, and a lovely weekend with a good friend! So I'll leave you with a clip from what was, for me at least, the absolute highlight of the night. Ah-mazing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><object height="640" width="360"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="movie" value="https://www.facebook.com/v/10101673194601450"></param>
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emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-89037787068756078562012-10-16T14:26:00.000+02:002012-10-16T14:26:24.233+02:00The Dress Code<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So now that my couple of posts have made you all desperately want to go book a flight to Rome and visit the Vatican, here is something you should know before packing:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">There is a dress code!</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XzTa_VapD-o/UHlvbwoIjAI/AAAAAAAADD8/gJ9XUlSmM8A/s1600/IMG_1191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XzTa_VapD-o/UHlvbwoIjAI/AAAAAAAADD8/gJ9XUlSmM8A/s640/IMG_1191.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since Italy gets pretty hot and all - you know, most the year - the thought of traipsing around the Rome and the Vatican in your Sunday best is probably not the most appealing idea. So what is the dress code exactly? Well according to this sign, it pretty clear, right?</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AeCgjWLGXac/UHlvoXxPb7I/AAAAAAAADEM/TW1PG4erCHU/s1600/IMG_1231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AeCgjWLGXac/UHlvoXxPb7I/AAAAAAAADEM/TW1PG4erCHU/s400/IMG_1231.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, if you don't speak Italian cartoon... just know you can't wear your short shorts (I think we decided covering the knees was the trick) or your spaghetti strap tops. I managed to follow the rules swimmingly while still maintaining a breezy comfort on that hot day. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jsk0R0pGhwc/UHlvjydthVI/AAAAAAAADEE/a-vvpKGBjx4/s1600/IMG_1193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jsk0R0pGhwc/UHlvjydthVI/AAAAAAAADEE/a-vvpKGBjx4/s640/IMG_1193.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is actually a dress code for most of the churches in Italy. Of course, for the bigger, more touristy ones, instead of denying you entrance, the just give you a giant paper dress to hide your shame in.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O8mP2tZLVG8/UHlvV-C0OwI/AAAAAAAADD0/BVEOQUgxHVk/s1600/IMG_1121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O8mP2tZLVG8/UHlvV-C0OwI/AAAAAAAADD0/BVEOQUgxHVk/s400/IMG_1121.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<br />emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-31777096696869001692012-10-13T15:20:00.001+02:002012-10-13T15:20:42.384+02:00My new favorite artist<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know if you caught this from <a href="http://ejg-das-blog.blogspot.com/2012/10/holy-mother-of-big-churches.html">the last post</a> - but the Vatican has a big Wow-factor to it! And while I was walking around the halls and halls of amazing art, I realized I was kind of in love with Renaissance painter Michelangelo!</span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I remembered learning about it when learning about the Renaissance in 8th grade, or maybe just because it's an amazing work of art. But I could have craned my neck all day looking at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JTlgR36za-I/UHlpW4i5J_I/AAAAAAAADC8/7hWWjTOcWgw/s1600/IMG_1220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JTlgR36za-I/UHlpW4i5J_I/AAAAAAAADC8/7hWWjTOcWgw/s400/IMG_1220.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iwzvBP1p5-w/UHlpMKCDf8I/AAAAAAAADC0/DLDZfw4tTW4/s1600/IMG_1219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iwzvBP1p5-w/UHlpMKCDf8I/AAAAAAAADC0/DLDZfw4tTW4/s400/IMG_1219.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5T5jdDG19Ug/UHlpB0yOKAI/AAAAAAAADCs/Wc47Pil4PLk/s1600/IMG_1218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5T5jdDG19Ug/UHlpB0yOKAI/AAAAAAAADCs/Wc47Pil4PLk/s640/IMG_1218.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, my favorite work of all was nestled in a front corner of St. Peter's Basilica.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QIXd-xD9kwA/UHlpeq32kRI/AAAAAAAADDE/iLts81uz1yM/s1600/IMG_1275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QIXd-xD9kwA/UHlpeq32kRI/AAAAAAAADDE/iLts81uz1yM/s640/IMG_1275.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If anyone wants to call up the pope and see if he'll give me Michelangelo's Pieta for Christmas, I'd really appreciate that. </span></div>
emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-87522418093523243102012-10-11T14:15:00.000+02:002012-10-11T14:15:26.955+02:00Holy mother of big churches!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok, so maybe "church" isn't the right monicker for likes of St. Peter's Basilica, but seriously guys - <span style="font-size: x-large;">whoa! </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ogjbn2p7FVk/UHa20SYDtUI/AAAAAAAADB0/xhfz2lABopc/s1600/IMG_1293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ogjbn2p7FVk/UHa20SYDtUI/AAAAAAAADB0/xhfz2lABopc/s640/IMG_1293.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After heading back to Rome, Matthew and I knew we wanted to dedicate a whole day to the Vatican. We figured the Vatican museum would take up a large portion of the day - which it did - and heard that it's full of amazingly awesome art, artifacts, and what I generally refer to as "old stuff" - which it was! We Spent no less than 3 hours in that museum (<span style="font-size: xx-small;">and actually, it was probably quite a big long than that</span>), and to be honest, it never really got boring. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A05QAJlqDqI/UHa2wiyh3gI/AAAAAAAADBs/61wcyd9XoGc/s1600/IMG_1288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A05QAJlqDqI/UHa2wiyh3gI/AAAAAAAADBs/61wcyd9XoGc/s640/IMG_1288.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>And we high-fived the Swiss Guard.... Not really. But I wanted to. </i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But we new we had to make our way out to get into the Basilica. And man did we get our timing right! Not only did we walk in the middle of a mass (<span style="font-size: xx-small;">don't worry guys, the place is so massive, you could have about 15 different masses in there without anyone realizing it</span>), which meant live choral music was floating ethereally throughout, but we even had the sunlight on our side, creating this wildly impressive trick of light as we walked in. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_zOEG_hP7lc/UHa28ySRoUI/AAAAAAAADB8/uqcRKUPNOSM/s1600/IMG_1240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_zOEG_hP7lc/UHa28ySRoUI/AAAAAAAADB8/uqcRKUPNOSM/s640/IMG_1240.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">so for the next, oh, probably good hour, we just walked around with mouths agape, impressed by the overwhelming awesomeness of it. And I, for one, could not get over just how <span style="font-size: x-large;">massive</span> it was! I think I just kept taking pictures hoping that one would capture the sheer size of the place. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Matthew and I concurred afterwards, if you have only a short time in Rome, you definitely have to make it out to the Vatican! </span>emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-40257568010111361912012-09-30T04:27:00.000+02:002012-09-30T04:27:39.061+02:00Sometimes.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes you get more reading done than you expect so you can go hang out at awesome breweries you work at and meet your teenage idols and turn back into a 12 year old in the process.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes my crazy grad school life is pretty ok.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qXjgqfLNY48/UGes-KG9NHI/AAAAAAAADAI/SjcBhVwX-Sc/s1600/224466_10101627421585940_830416547_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qXjgqfLNY48/UGes-KG9NHI/AAAAAAAADAI/SjcBhVwX-Sc/s640/224466_10101627421585940_830416547_n.jpeg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I'd like to dedicated this to all my German students who asked me if I'd ever met a star. Especially because all of them are so young that they'll have no idea who <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JC_Chasez">this guy</a> is anyway. </span>emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-76600568772860947062012-09-28T18:06:00.000+02:002012-09-28T18:06:17.018+02:00life, sort of.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why yes, I do still exist... </span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>but only just barely</i>! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the record, grad school is a lot of work. Reading 100+ (<span style="font-size: large;">with an emphasis on the +</span>) pages of German every week, writing papers in German, planning lessons, preparing materials. Eventually it all just makes your head spin! I mean, this is the syllabus for just one of my classes - each of those highlighted or underlined words are books/plays we have to read. And I find this syllabus to be the best visual representation of my life right now. I can try to plan things out, but really it just ends in chaos!</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sUTTiZSmOpQ/UGXIlgEKdtI/AAAAAAAAC_c/uyU6mczZpl0/s1600/Photo+on+9-28-12+at+11.36+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sUTTiZSmOpQ/UGXIlgEKdtI/AAAAAAAAC_c/uyU6mczZpl0/s640/Photo+on+9-28-12+at+11.36+AM.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which is why I'm horrible at blogging right now! So now I'm going to hang my head in shame and try to power through some Kafka before Monday. </span></div>
emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-47070121333763487572012-09-16T23:28:00.000+02:002012-09-16T23:28:18.860+02:00Duomygod! <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pretty much everything in Florence is a famous piece of art and/or some kind of symbolic structure. But whenever I think back to the Tuscan city, the image that always comes to mind is the <span style="font-size: x-large;">Duomo</span>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I mean, guys, the thing is massive! And very photogenic. Of course, I always knew it as the home of Brunelleschi's dome, which was one of my favorite stories when learning about the Renaissance. Basically, to decide on who should be the architect of the of the dome, the powers that be said the man to get an egg to stand on it's end could do it. So Brunelleschi, being a 15th century Italian smart ass, flattened the end of his egg so that it stood up easily, thus securing himself the job. <i>My kind of guy! </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my favorite parts of the Duomo was climbing up to the top of the dome. At one viewing level, you actually walk around the inside base of the dome, up close and personal to ornate painting that covers it. The view from the top wasn't that bad either! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even though we only spent one afternoon actually exploring the Duomo, it was pretty much a constant of our trip to Florence. We walked by it more times than I can count and snapped pictures of it from every other museum/church/building we visited! A definite Florence must-see/can't-miss! </span><br />
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<br />emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-5558913488010801972012-09-09T21:21:00.001+02:002012-09-09T21:21:34.437+02:00Walking and Waiting<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If there is anything I can promise you about a trip to Florence, it is the following:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. you will walk a lot</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. you will wait in a lot of lines</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. you will see some of the most amazing art in existence</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On our first day in Florence, Matthew and I didn't have a real plan. Instead, we checked into our hostel and headed into the city, leaving the rest up to fate (<span style="font-size: xx-small;">and our map</span>). When the first site we ran across was the famous Ponte Vecchio, we figured our plan would be successful enough.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the end, we managed to cover quite a lot of ground and saw some really awesome sites/art</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, when you running around a city with no real plan of action, you end up doing a lot of unnecessary walking. And I can't lie, by the end of the day, we were pretty dead. </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TF10rqDBpXw/UEv9-wsD1mI/AAAAAAAAC8w/I0vjUizyF44/s1600/IMG_1101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TF10rqDBpXw/UEv9-wsD1mI/AAAAAAAAC8w/I0vjUizyF44/s640/IMG_1101.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next day and a half were a little more structured. They involved much less walking and way more standing in line. To get into the Accademia di Belle Arti to see <a href="http://ejg-das-blog.blogspot.com/2012/07/oh-my-what-big-hands-you-got-there.html">Michelangelo's David</a>, we spent almost 3 hours in line. The line to the Uffizi Museum lasted around 2 hours. But, you know what, getting to see pieces like Botticelli's Birth of Venus made all the waiting pretty worth while.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So you're not technically supposed to take pictures in the Uffizi, but I figured that was more of a suggestion than a rule...</span></td></tr>
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emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-78094492577787427392012-09-04T04:03:00.003+02:002012-09-06T01:50:38.249+02:003, 2, 1, blast off! <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ok, ok, I didn't fly around Europe in a rocket ship, but I feel as though the saying is still appropriate for the madness of my big July travel itinerary. 17 days, 4 planes, countless trains and busses, opposing extreme climates, and one carry-on suitcase. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You may remember bits and pieces of news from my whole <a href="http://ejg-das-blog.blogspot.com/search/label/project%20urlaub">Project Urlaub</a> endeavor, but there are a number of stories that were not able to be told via an iPhone and Instagram. 15 to be exact. From Rome to Edinburgh, with sunburns, good food and great art, deportation scares, flat tires, and unbelievable views... it all started with a plane ride with Matthew Boyle*</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pFBpkNp2res/UEVhOWlynJI/AAAAAAAAC5U/Df0h47EECgg/s1600/IMG_0294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pFBpkNp2res/UEVhOWlynJI/AAAAAAAAC5U/Df0h47EECgg/s400/IMG_0294.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*<i>where he stole the window seat then slept through almost the entire flight. Jerk. </i></span></div>
emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-50722270158386214862012-09-04T03:42:00.000+02:002012-09-04T03:46:38.567+02:00Beethoven lives upstairs<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you've ever studied music at any point, chances are you've had ceremonious viewings of this film with hoards of your nerdiest friends. I know I definitely did throughout my undergrad (<i>no shame</i>). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well imagine the nerdiest of all your music friends coming to visit when you live 2 hours from the birthplace of Ludwig, himself. So during Matthew's visit, to Bonn we went - basically on a pilgrimage for Matthew, who is more or less a collector of Beethoven houses (<i>you'd be surprised at how many locales cash in on having his name on the mailbox at various points throughout the composer's life</i>).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7H7u-CCS7yaYjOI7zcRzZHj3wt2kLSjaCNOUiDAhW9-92leElPUwcw69mTwxIJzu7YaqqxI-4EYtuB3LYMFdRHKgSEnuDFDuDFRhfZGDbgJjXC0GbipT2H1FV7qEaMvLq32pXUf_KLFA/s1600/IMG_0916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7H7u-CCS7yaYjOI7zcRzZHj3wt2kLSjaCNOUiDAhW9-92leElPUwcw69mTwxIJzu7YaqqxI-4EYtuB3LYMFdRHKgSEnuDFDuDFRhfZGDbgJjXC0GbipT2H1FV7qEaMvLq32pXUf_KLFA/s640/IMG_0916.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While in Bonn, I got to witness the kind of excitement usually reserved for small children meeting their favorite super heroes at amusement parks (<span style="font-size: xx-small;">or maybe that was just me meeting <strike>spandex-clad</strike> Batman at Six Flags...</span>).</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">yeah, sorry it's blurry... you're not actually allowed to take photos inside the house.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, on a completely unrelated note, I'm in the process of google-proofing myself. Everything will be running the same (and what was public before will most likely remain public) but hopefully now when enquiring minds google my name (<span style="font-size: xx-small;">and I'm thinking mostly students</span>), nothing of interest will pop up in the first few pages of results. Why do you all care? Well, a lot of account name changes are taking place. So for now, note that das Blog has a new URL and my <a href="https://twitter.com/ejg37">twitter</a> also has a new username! </span>emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-87193540771755370222012-08-28T03:46:00.001+02:002012-08-28T04:35:13.139+02:00I'm kind of a big deal<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know I've just got a little blog here. My 36 followers (<i>while special to me</i>) pale in comparison to the hundreds upon hundreds I see on some of my friends blogs. And yes, I do still get excited every time I see an email that someone left a comment on a post. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>But the bar has just been raised.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While working this weekend, a girl came up to me and the following conversation occurred: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Her:</b> Umm... this might seem creepy, but is your name Emily?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Me:</b> ...yes... do I know you?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Her:</b> I read your blog!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, you understood correctly - random strangers recognize me from my blog! That absolutely made my night. So excuse me while I go put my rockstar face on. </span><br />
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emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-45285126894492442822012-08-27T03:13:00.000+02:002012-08-28T04:32:25.159+02:00Yes, I do have a favorite Cathedral<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once Matthew woke up from his train naps, our first stop was Aachen. You might recall that I've been to Aachen a few times before (<span style="font-size: xx-small;">pretty much every time I've ever had visitors</span>), so I know that it's a fantastic little city. But, hands down, my favorite site it offers is the Aachener Dom - or the cathedral, if you will.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cool story: the cathedral is the oldest one in northern Europe and holds the remains of Charlemagne. That's pretty legit, if you ask me. But even beyond the fun facts, this cathedral is absolutely amazing. I've collected my best pictures, but still, none of them really do it justice. It's average, bordering on small in size, but is the most ornate building I've probably ever seen (and I say this even after having been to the Vatican). Even Matthew was gushing about it's awesomeness the entire time he was there. </span></span></div>
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emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-47037925952993284952012-08-19T22:13:00.000+02:002012-08-19T22:13:58.306+02:00Matthew Lies<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When <a href="http://ejgauld.blogspot.com/2012/06/meet-matthew-boyle.html">Matthew Boyle </a>came to visit, we kept ourselves very busy visiting lots of different cities around Dortmund. We went to Cologne, Düsseldorf, Aachen and Bonn, to name a few. And because of our traveling, this meant we were on the train quite a bit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our first trip was to Aachen - the longest of all our journeys. The train ride is about 2 1/2 hours from Dortmund, so Matthew suggested we bring cards or something to do during the long ride. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But it turns out he had other plans for the trip.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6O_JMv-NaEE/UDD0C35bMiI/AAAAAAAAC00/0qh3SuW1L-s/s1600/IMG_0282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6O_JMv-NaEE/UDD0C35bMiI/AAAAAAAAC00/0qh3SuW1L-s/s400/IMG_0282.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since it was his 2nd day in Germany, I let it slide, knowing he was still adjusting. Of course, over the next week he did nothing but proclaim how much he <strike><a href="http://ejgauld.blogspot.com/2012/05/sixth-graders-thoughts-on-my-made-up.html">did not have a jet-leg</a></strike> <i><span style="font-size: large;">was not jet-lagged.</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like how he wasn't jet-lagged when we went to Bonn.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or how he was completely adjusted to the time when we went to Düsseldorf. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4nIlpyVXB5I/UDD0D1tCQOI/AAAAAAAAC08/9FiRPGI3FjM/s1600/IMG_0288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4nIlpyVXB5I/UDD0D1tCQOI/AAAAAAAAC08/9FiRPGI3FjM/s400/IMG_0288.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So the moral of this story? Matthew lies. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-8241372583706019942012-08-17T20:10:00.001+02:002012-08-17T20:10:05.243+02:00breaking promises<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have to apologize, because I'm about to break 2 promises I made in my last post. First, that I wouldn't be posting for a while (<span style="font-size: xx-small;">I barely made it two days</span>), and second that when I did post it would be about fun, exciting things that happened during my final weeks in Europe. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But guys - <span style="font-size: large;"><i>I got a bookcase!</i></span> Few things make me feel more adult than a nice big bookcase. It really doesn't take much, people. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As soon as the new (<span style="font-size: xx-small;">to me</span>) bookcase was moved into my room, I didn't waste a minute to start organizing it. And I'd say I ended up with a pretty good system!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a little ridiculous just how excited I am about my bookcase... So excuse me while I go make googly-eyes at it for a little bit!</span>emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-24212606020030621392012-08-15T04:19:00.000+02:002012-08-15T04:36:34.306+02:00I've got bad news and good news<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last 10 days have been crazy. Of course I've been enjoying plenty of the good side of moving home: seeing old friends, visiting old places, enjoying being home. But it's also been incredibly busy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week I had 2 and a half days of orientation activities before diving right into classes on Monday. Wanna know what I've already learned about grad school after two days? <span style="font-size: large;">There is a lot of reading!</span> These are the books I've got for one class alone (plus 5 more that aren't in the picture). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>So here comes the bad news</i>: posting is probably going to be sparse till I get into the swing of things. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>But the <strike>good</strike> news</i> (<span style="font-size: xx-small;">which is actually a little bit unfortunate for me</span>): I'm way behind on my posting from the last 6 weeks of Germany, which means I have lots of exciting things to write about.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So for the coming months, instead of boring you about my reading lists and lesson planning, I'll be playing catch up with everything from Matthew's visit to Dortmund, our trip to Italy, my Scottish adventures, the return to Franken, Gemma's visit and the great journey home!</span></div>
emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2579664080369781095.post-53918894823435809152012-08-07T22:04:00.001+02:002012-08-07T22:04:48.018+02:0013 wordsI'm back! Bear with me as blogging will be slow for a while!<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-AnD1_ShMZxs/UCF03NaTFfI/AAAAAAAACyY/9e9NR3s9Iqo/s640/blogger-image-1087632239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-AnD1_ShMZxs/UCF03NaTFfI/AAAAAAAACyY/9e9NR3s9Iqo/s640/blogger-image-1087632239.jpg" /></a></div>emily g.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00183514413119521591noreply@blogger.com1