Monday, May 31st, 2010

· Itinerary

o 10:00am-11:00am: Wake up, shower, dress, breakfast at Le Pain and Cake

o 11:00am-1:00pm: Dr. Kohn Review Class, marked my “Biutiful” paper to read

o 1:00pm-2:00pm: Talk about race, class, gender and “You are a white male,” with Jasmine Bonds, JD Williams, and Austin, break, lunch

o 2:00pm-4:00pm: Jen Smith Production class

o 4:00pm-5:00pm: Run through Antibes, beyond and back

o 5:00pm-6:30pm: Juan Les Pais Beach

o 6:30pm-7:40pm: Shower, dress, talk to Cody

o 7:40pm-10:00pm: Go to Antibes, Dinner at La Cascade (chicken with mushroom and cream sauce, salad, fries), then Gelato (1/2 liter Mango and Raspberry)

o 10:00pm-10:30pm: Walk back from Antibes

o 10:30pm-11:00pm: Talk in Lobby, talk to Anna Beaver’s parents

o 11:00pm-1:00am: Writing

· Today we had a great discussion on race, class, and gender. It was nice to actually be able to hold a non-hostile conversation that I think helped many as opposed to the usual divisive result that follows such discussions.

· Though one person did essentially try to discount another’s views saying that “Well you are a white male” in reference to why this person’s views might not be as valid as another minority group (whether race, gender or otherwise). While this set my blood to boiling, I kept my calm and the whole class ended up with a pretty good discussion. Also, upon discussing the issue further with a smaller group of students, I was happy with the mutual understanding we came to at the end of the day. We both came to understand the frustration, bitterness, and harm that result from disconfirmation of one’s viewpoint (essentially dismissing one’s opinions as irrelevant). Whether a white person’s views are being disconfirmed by the phrase “Well you are a white male” (therefore implying or explicitly stating that as a white mail you can’t understand, life is harder for everyone else, and therefore your opinion is irrelevant) or whether it is a black person’s views being disconfirmed by the phrase “Well you are just playing the race card” (therefore presuming that one’s concerns are purely based on racism and dismissing what may be valid, non-racially motivated issues), both are offensive and hurtful.

· I know as a straight, white, protestant, male, there is nothing more annoying than someone telling me that your views on any social issue are null and void because of the way you are born. It is also infuriating because with that simple phrase, “Well you are a white male,” not only are they insulting my culture and heritage, but with one blow they dismiss all of the things that I have done to combat negative stereotypes and do God’s will in loving everyone. I have also learned that this is the similar feeling my black friends have when someone says, without knowing the details of the situation, that “Oh, you are just playing the race card.” So that was a very eye opening experience.

· We also talked about the American dream and the conception that all you have to do is work hard and everything will come to you. While I believe that much can be accomplished through hard work, sometimes it is simply not God’s will for certain things to happen, and if we are dead-set on our own designs, then we will be unhappy if we don’t attain them all. Thus I think a more appropriate approach would be to say that hard work is a prerequisite for maximizing your future, but sometimes we just cannot accomplish all that we hope to accomplish. God’s plan will happen no matter what we desire, and therefore we should not dismiss the poor in general as merely being lazy. Anyway, just some thoughts.

· After classes I decided to go on 45 minute run through the next town over, Antibes, and then went down to the beach for a couple hours. I really love the beach because it is so beautiful and relaxing just sitting out on the French Riviera. It’s so conducive to everything enjoyable – talking with friends, thinking and reflecting, writing, and enjoying the warmth of the beach and the coolness of the ocean.

· Later in the evening, we went over to Antibes for dinner and finished it off with a ½ liter of Mango and Raspberry Gelato. It was so delicious it literally tasted like I was back in Africa eating a fresh mango. Incredible.

· Finally, I came back home to write and journal a little before going to bed. And thus we have only 3 days left in France. Where have all the days gone?! Anyway, it has been fantastic and we still have much to look forward to!

The Eagle's Nest and Our Final Hourse in Salzburg

After this last night’s sleep in our beloved little bed and breakfast, the Trumer Stube, Austin and I woke up early to book a last minute tour of “The Eagle’s Nest.” For those of you who are not history buffs, “The Eagle’s Nest” was Hitler’s second home in the Bavarian Alps just outside the German town of Berchtesgaden on the Austrian-German border. The compound consisted of a single story house with a concrete bunker underneath. If I had thought the Hohensalzberg heights and views were amazing, it was nothing compared to “The Eagle’s Nest,” which was actually on top of a mountain in the Alps!

The sheer audacity of the project was baffling as steep cliff faces rose up around the construction site in all but one direction. It was quite beautiful with mountains, valleys, trees and rivers surrounding you on all sides. Also, due to the location of the house at the peak of a mountain, it was quite solitary, calm, and relaxing. When I think of the Furher sitting up there on cool summer days just 65 years ago, I think how oddly his genocidal thoughts contrasted with the serenity and life on that mountain perch. Moreover, I think about how odd it is now that the privileged home of the once unstoppable Hitler have been converted to a bustling restaurant for the common man. Meanwhile, the rest of the compound has been laid open to the trampling feet of tourists from around the globe. It just goes to show how fleeting human life, power, and glory can be on this Earth. It is for this reason that I am all the more resolved to place my ambitions and identity in something far greater than this existence – God.

Therefore, my trip here to Salzburg has been one of the best experiences of my summer so far. Not only did I learn something about another culture, another history, another city, but I learned a great deal about myself. In a world in which I was constantly confronted with the victories and ruins of the past, I could not help but think about my present and my future, my motivations and my life, my hopes and my dreams. So thank you Salzburg, thank you Austria, and thank you my family for allowing me the opportunity to better myself and to strengthen my commitment to my faith in Christ.

Saturday Afternoon in Salzburg (End of 2nd Day)

Picking up where my last post left off in the afternoon of our second day in Salzburg, we grabbed some lunch at the Gyro place with a Turkish twist. It was the same place we grabbed a late night snack at yesterday. On Blake’s recommendation, I had gotten the Durum “Classic” yesterday and I got the same thing again today. Man, that burrito style sandwich is awesome! It is made with spiced lamb which they have run-through with a huge rotating skewer and you get to see them slice it off right there. Then they add lettuce, some tomato, and this awesome sauce that is kind of like ranch, but with an extra ingredient. They also put curry and some other spices into the mix to add more zest. It is served warm and the result of all this is an explosion of flavor that is filling, warming, and satisfying.

Then we proceeded to wonder around Salzburg town for a little while, making sure we hit all of the best shops, the big town squares, giant marble statues, fountains, and yes, the monster Castle Holhensalzburg looming upon a mountain overlooking the ancient city of Salzberg. In fact, Austin and I bought tickets to enter the Castle and it was absolutely amazing! The sheer scale of the Castle is astonishing as it really takes up the entire top of a mountain. Its walls extend even further out than that with the last wall snaking through several mountains and leading to other smaller forts. There are many keeps and just as many different layers of walls. Construction on the Castle was begun in 1077 A.D. and was built kind of in phases, with each Arch bishop that ruled over the town adding their own section. The first Castle Hohensalzburg was built between 1077 and almost 1100 A.D. and was built over the reigns of a couple of Archbishops (ending with Konrad I) in the Romanesque style architecture. Then succeeding Archbishops continued to add new walls, buildings, keeps, and layers. The last piece added on was finished in the early 1700s, but the Castle remained in use until the 1950s and into the 1960s.

Not only did the exhibits in this castle teach us about the history and beauty of the castle, but they also informed us about the history of the town and surrounding region. In fact, there have been numerous inhabitants of the region, including the Romans, as well as even older civilizations. It was simply breathtaking as I constantly imagined old Austrian soldiers marching up the steep road to the monolithic fortress. Whenever I saw a tower and its arrow slits or the gaping holes in the exterior wall overhanging the approach below, I would envision what it would be like to storm such a castle while being showered with arrows from the towers and boiling oil from the overhang. But castles were not just places of violence; they were also a major center of commerce and often included large courtyards in the middle for markets. The courtyard at Hohensalzburg was huge! It was about 150 yards long by 100 yards wide with a large stone well right in the center.

The views over Salzburg and the surrounding countryside from such a high perch were expansive, but what caught my eye most were the many signs posted all around the castle indicating when each part was built and by whom. I loved this part because it constantly sent me back in time. Each sign made me think about what was going on in Austria as well as the rest of the world at the time, and also about the progression of the castle through hundreds of years of change and renovation.

Anyhow, after the castle visit, Austin and I met back up with Blake, Katie, and Jordan (the other three friends of ours on the trip) and retired to the hotel for napping, journaling, blogging, and skyping. After about 2 hours we struck out for the town again, this time in search of some grub. We found a little Italian place by the river and decided to go in. The food was great, the company better, but the interior decorating was quite atrocious. In fact, it served for great table talk as we waited for our food. I had some spicy pasta with bacon, salami, and tomato sauce while the others got fish or pizza.

We finished our dinner around 9:30pm and decided to cap off the night with some dessert. We decided to go to the Sacher Hotel where they served the supposedly world renowned Sacher Chocolate Torte, which was delightful even though I had never heard of it. Finally, after the pasta had filled our bellies and the torte had satisfied our taste buds, we headed home and fell fast asleep.