I posted a few photos on my flikr page. You can access them at this link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoots1/
I know there are not a lot of them, but I mostly shot video and it is going to take me a while longer to get that up and running.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Monday, July 2, 2007
Anatomy of Trip Home
I finally made it back home. I’m too tired and don’t have the emotional resources to know how I feel about being home yet. I also am not exactly sure I’ve come to grips with what the trip means and how I was affected. I think it will take a few months to let those things sink in. I will be trying to note them over the next few months.
It was very weird being in the
I did run into someone I know on the flight from
Here is an account of my travel day home.
12:00 AM - put my book down and try to go to sleep.
3:00 AM – fire alarm goes off in the building and I’m up for half an hour before they finally get the alarm turned off. It was a bit disturbing because we were the first guests back in the place since it burned down.
4:30 AM – a “you have to be kidding” me alarm goes off. I start to get up and get ready for the day.
5:30 AM – my shuttle to the
6:00 AM –
6:35 AM – We arrive in
6:55 AM – Arrive at the airport
8:13 AM – Arrive at gate H14 and await the boarding call for flight LH480 from
8:46 AM – Boarding Begins
8:52 AM – I get in line to board the plane
9:01 AM – Seated on the plane; actually not too bad for how long it usually takes to get on a plane.
9:33 AM – Wheels up on flight from
11:05 AM – Lunch is served
11:20 AM – Lunch is finished – Local time in
12:44 PM – Fill out Customs form. Luckily I didn’t spend over $800 in
1:00 PM – Movie Blades of Glory Starts
2:49 PM – I realize I’ve only seen 3 movies in the last month. All of them on the plane flying over the
5:41 PM – Dinner Served
7:37 PM – Wheels Down in
8:37 PM – Cleared passport control, picked up baggage, cleared customs control, re-check bags, go through domestic security
8:50 PM – Call the folks and schedule a pick-up at 4:30 PM
10:00 PM – Hit the wall – tired of traveling
10:25 PM – Seated and ready to fly to
10:43 PM – Wheels up for
11:49 PM – Wheels down in
12:25 AM – Folks pick me up at the airport
12:40 AM – Arrive at home. Total time in transit – 19 hours and 40 minutes. Boy am I glad I don’t have to go to work tomorrow.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
The Last Day at Elmau
The last day in Elmau a group of us hike up to a little chalet not too far from the castle. The hike up was fairly steep and it took around 40 minutes. Once we got to the top, we took some pictures and then ordered some beer. It was a gorgeous day out and the view at this place is to die for.
The group from the conference that was on a guided hike ended up showing up about an hour after we did. There was a lot of BSing going on and finally someone gave Isaac a guitar. He played us a couple of songs and then gave the guitar to Alfredo. Alfredo must have played us about 30 songs. Many of the folks joined in singing. Of course I had to really belt out “Magic Changes” from Grease when he started to play that.
It was a magical time. I was pretty amazed at how the group had bonded over the last 23 days. We had met as strangers and here we were at this chalet as a group of old frieds. It was a powerful reminder of how traveling across
I would have to say the
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Headed Home
I'm sitting in the lobby of Schloss Elmau waiting to leave on the 5:30 AM shuttle to Munich. From there I'm on a plane to Denver. It is definitely going to be a long day.
I don't know what kind of travel conditions I will be running into today. With the bombing in Scotland, I'm thinking that travel will be a little slow. Hopefully we get out of town on time and I'm knocking on wood right now in the hopes that all goes well today.
I'm not too nervous about everything, but it certainly makes you feel a little different traveling today. I know that if I was at home, I would think the bombings were unfortunate, but that they don't really effect me. It is a much different feeling sitting in Elmau and having to get on a plane today. It was hard to get much news here, my TV and radio weren't working (but that is another story). I was able to get on the web this morning and read things over. It was helpful in understanding.
However, it brings the terrorism that is going on in England and Scotland a lot closer to home when you are in Europe when these things happen. It is not nearly as bad for me either. One of the guys traveling with me had his family arrive in London yesterday. They are fine, but he thinks it will be hard for him to join them there. Several of the people at the conference are flying through London, so there travel plans may be a bit rough today.
Well I need to get going. See you when I get home.
I don't know what kind of travel conditions I will be running into today. With the bombing in Scotland, I'm thinking that travel will be a little slow. Hopefully we get out of town on time and I'm knocking on wood right now in the hopes that all goes well today.
I'm not too nervous about everything, but it certainly makes you feel a little different traveling today. I know that if I was at home, I would think the bombings were unfortunate, but that they don't really effect me. It is a much different feeling sitting in Elmau and having to get on a plane today. It was hard to get much news here, my TV and radio weren't working (but that is another story). I was able to get on the web this morning and read things over. It was helpful in understanding.
However, it brings the terrorism that is going on in England and Scotland a lot closer to home when you are in Europe when these things happen. It is not nearly as bad for me either. One of the guys traveling with me had his family arrive in London yesterday. They are fine, but he thinks it will be hard for him to join them there. Several of the people at the conference are flying through London, so there travel plans may be a bit rough today.
Well I need to get going. See you when I get home.
Friday, June 29, 2007
The Mountains
We are on the last lag of the trip. It has been a little hectic that last couple days, so I have not been able to reach a computer.
We are at the Transatlantic Conference at Schloss Elmau. I'm very happy to be here because it is in the mountains and it feels a little bit like home. The setting is absolutely gorgeous. The conference is for former Fellows to get back together and discuss transatlantic issues. There looks like some good topics and we have had a couple of good talks already. However, I'll probably find some time to get out and about.
Here is a link to the resort we are staying at:
http://www.schloss-elmau.de/
We spent about a day in Munich before we came up to the castle. Munich is a very beautiful city. It was great to have 18 people back together again and we were sharing all the stories about our trips. We also got to tour the BMW factory in Munich which was quite impressive. It looked a little like a robot factory. The robotics they have working there was incredible. We had a nice little lunch and then got on the train to Klais. That was the stop to get up to Elmau.
The train ride was great. A nice view as we headed to the mountains.
Not a whole lot else to report. I will be flying home on Sunday. It promises to be quite a long day.
Not sure if I will get a post up between now and then.
We are at the Transatlantic Conference at Schloss Elmau. I'm very happy to be here because it is in the mountains and it feels a little bit like home. The setting is absolutely gorgeous. The conference is for former Fellows to get back together and discuss transatlantic issues. There looks like some good topics and we have had a couple of good talks already. However, I'll probably find some time to get out and about.
Here is a link to the resort we are staying at:
http://www.schloss-elmau.de/
We spent about a day in Munich before we came up to the castle. Munich is a very beautiful city. It was great to have 18 people back together again and we were sharing all the stories about our trips. We also got to tour the BMW factory in Munich which was quite impressive. It looked a little like a robot factory. The robotics they have working there was incredible. We had a nice little lunch and then got on the train to Klais. That was the stop to get up to Elmau.
The train ride was great. A nice view as we headed to the mountains.
Not a whole lot else to report. I will be flying home on Sunday. It promises to be quite a long day.
Not sure if I will get a post up between now and then.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Hot, Hot, Hot
The days we have spent in Bucharest have been very hot. It has been a little over 100 the last couple of days. Coming from Istanbul, I didn't see a problem the first couple of days. However, it has been really hot on Monday and Tuesday. We fly to Munich, where it will be 66 tomorrow. It will be nice to get on the plane and land in a cooler climate.
This is as hot as it has been in Bucharest for the last 60 years, and yesterday the temp here was hotter than several cities in Africa. The average June temp in Bucharest is 68, so this is a big change for them.
We have had meetings over the last couple of days and usually dinner is with a European fellow from Bucharest. We always have very interesting conversations with the Europeans that have been to the States. Yesterday lunch was at Pizza Hut. I can say it was not much different that if we were in Billings, except the restaurant was a lot nicer and the menu had a few less choices. It was still a slice of life from home for all of us.
Today we visited the Palace of the Parliament. It is a very grand building. The Parliament is in the last week of their session, so people are quite busy. They were up late last night and will be up late again tonight. They may even go into special session if they can't reach a compromise this week. Sounds like the Montana legislature.
The politics over hear is still quite different. They are fairly new to politics as they have only had it since about 1990. A lot of people still run for Parliament because they can make money. They have no interest in serving, only lining their pockets. It makes it difficult to do the things they need to do to move their government and economy ahead. But like I said before, they are making progress and we always seems to forget in the States how long it takes us to make any real change. Our time line for fixing Social Security is much longer than that reform would take in Romania. They have a pension crisis looming and I would bet they fix theirs before we fix ours. Anyway, here is a link to some info on the palace.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_the_Parliament
This is as hot as it has been in Bucharest for the last 60 years, and yesterday the temp here was hotter than several cities in Africa. The average June temp in Bucharest is 68, so this is a big change for them.
We have had meetings over the last couple of days and usually dinner is with a European fellow from Bucharest. We always have very interesting conversations with the Europeans that have been to the States. Yesterday lunch was at Pizza Hut. I can say it was not much different that if we were in Billings, except the restaurant was a lot nicer and the menu had a few less choices. It was still a slice of life from home for all of us.
Today we visited the Palace of the Parliament. It is a very grand building. The Parliament is in the last week of their session, so people are quite busy. They were up late last night and will be up late again tonight. They may even go into special session if they can't reach a compromise this week. Sounds like the Montana legislature.
The politics over hear is still quite different. They are fairly new to politics as they have only had it since about 1990. A lot of people still run for Parliament because they can make money. They have no interest in serving, only lining their pockets. It makes it difficult to do the things they need to do to move their government and economy ahead. But like I said before, they are making progress and we always seems to forget in the States how long it takes us to make any real change. Our time line for fixing Social Security is much longer than that reform would take in Romania. They have a pension crisis looming and I would bet they fix theirs before we fix ours. Anyway, here is a link to some info on the palace.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_the_Parliament
Monday, June 25, 2007
Social Event of the Season
I've have been anticipating going to a wedding in Romania since I received my itinerary for the trip. I thought it would be one of the great cultural events on my trip. Thus I'm a little torn over the wedding I got to go to. On the one hand, I attended the "Social Event of the Year" in Romania. The wedding was between a member of the Romanian Parliament and a top model. So this was a very big deal for Romania, and I am blessed to be able to attend the wedding.
On the other hand, this was anything but a traditional wedding in Romania. It was, by far, the nicest wedding I have ever attended.
But let's start with the ceremony. The ceremony was at an Orthodox church and there were a ton of paparazzi at the wedding. There must have been 20 still cameras, 15 video cameras, and three people doing interviews. During the ceremony there was never a moment when the cameras and flashes weren't going. The ceremony was in Romanian, so I didn't understand any of it. There were three attendants for the bride and groom. Also, his godparents performed the role of best man and maid of honor. At one point they wore crowns for a while. There were four priests performing various duties throughout the ceremony, a choir up in the balcony, and they danced in a circle around the alter a few times toward the end.
Barely anyone at the church sat down during the ceremony and if you did, you missed seeing anything. Not that there were a ton of people there, but everyone else was standing. The ceremony lasted about 45 minutes and then we shook the bride and groom's hands. After that it was back to the hotel to freshen up for 15 minutes.
We then headed north out of town for the reception. It was held at the summer palace of the former dictator of Romania. There were tiki lights lining the roads, so I knew it was going to be a party.
We were dropped off in front of the biggest outdoor wedding tent you could imagine. There was a lounge area with couches, two open bars, the seating area which held 41 tables, there was a stage and dance floor, the nicest outdoor bathrooms you have ever seen (I mean nicer than some indoor bathrooms), and a kitchen area, all under the tent.
We shook hands and had a picture with the bride and groom, then mingled among a few people. We were seated and had to wait about 30 minutes for the rest of the guest to be seated. A few estimates that the group came up with: 450 - 500 guests (One of which was the President of Romania, the mayor of Bucharest, and 20 Members of Parliament), and 150 wait staff. None of us was brave enough to give an estimate on the cost.
We were served five meals through the course of the evening. They called them courses, we called them meals as each was a large plate of food. About 3:30 AM we had traditional Romanian BBQ to go with the Romanian Folk music. There were four different bands throughout the course of the evening. There was also a lady that was supposed to come in from New York to sing, but she missed her plane.
The wedding cake was to die for and even though I was completely full by that time, I still couldn't stop eating wedding cake. There were also a couple of rounds of fireworks. I'm sure I'm missing a couple of elements, but I hope you get at this point that this was a blowout of a party and the Social Event of the Year. The only thing more I could do would be to put up some pictures, but at this point I can't download them.
We got home at about 5:30AM as the party was beginning to wind down. I don't think we were border line impolite, because quite a few people had left by then.
It was certainly a great experience and one I won't have again in Romania. At least I would expect as much. It was a lot of fun to be there and I'm glad I had the opportunity.
The rest of the trip in Romania has been going well. You can certainly tell you are in Eastern Europe. There are still signs of communism every where you look. There is also progress everywhere you look. It is going to take some time and money for Romania to catch up with Western Europe, but they do have a lot going for them.
Tomorrow we are back at Parliament and have individual meetings. Then on Wednesday we travel to Munich on the way to the last stop on the trip. I have to admit that I'm getting ready to come home. I'm really looking forward to the conference, because I think it will sum up our experience. But it will be nice to be back in Billings.
On the other hand, this was anything but a traditional wedding in Romania. It was, by far, the nicest wedding I have ever attended.
But let's start with the ceremony. The ceremony was at an Orthodox church and there were a ton of paparazzi at the wedding. There must have been 20 still cameras, 15 video cameras, and three people doing interviews. During the ceremony there was never a moment when the cameras and flashes weren't going. The ceremony was in Romanian, so I didn't understand any of it. There were three attendants for the bride and groom. Also, his godparents performed the role of best man and maid of honor. At one point they wore crowns for a while. There were four priests performing various duties throughout the ceremony, a choir up in the balcony, and they danced in a circle around the alter a few times toward the end.
Barely anyone at the church sat down during the ceremony and if you did, you missed seeing anything. Not that there were a ton of people there, but everyone else was standing. The ceremony lasted about 45 minutes and then we shook the bride and groom's hands. After that it was back to the hotel to freshen up for 15 minutes.
We then headed north out of town for the reception. It was held at the summer palace of the former dictator of Romania. There were tiki lights lining the roads, so I knew it was going to be a party.
We were dropped off in front of the biggest outdoor wedding tent you could imagine. There was a lounge area with couches, two open bars, the seating area which held 41 tables, there was a stage and dance floor, the nicest outdoor bathrooms you have ever seen (I mean nicer than some indoor bathrooms), and a kitchen area, all under the tent.
We shook hands and had a picture with the bride and groom, then mingled among a few people. We were seated and had to wait about 30 minutes for the rest of the guest to be seated. A few estimates that the group came up with: 450 - 500 guests (One of which was the President of Romania, the mayor of Bucharest, and 20 Members of Parliament), and 150 wait staff. None of us was brave enough to give an estimate on the cost.
We were served five meals through the course of the evening. They called them courses, we called them meals as each was a large plate of food. About 3:30 AM we had traditional Romanian BBQ to go with the Romanian Folk music. There were four different bands throughout the course of the evening. There was also a lady that was supposed to come in from New York to sing, but she missed her plane.
The wedding cake was to die for and even though I was completely full by that time, I still couldn't stop eating wedding cake. There were also a couple of rounds of fireworks. I'm sure I'm missing a couple of elements, but I hope you get at this point that this was a blowout of a party and the Social Event of the Year. The only thing more I could do would be to put up some pictures, but at this point I can't download them.
We got home at about 5:30AM as the party was beginning to wind down. I don't think we were border line impolite, because quite a few people had left by then.
It was certainly a great experience and one I won't have again in Romania. At least I would expect as much. It was a lot of fun to be there and I'm glad I had the opportunity.
The rest of the trip in Romania has been going well. You can certainly tell you are in Eastern Europe. There are still signs of communism every where you look. There is also progress everywhere you look. It is going to take some time and money for Romania to catch up with Western Europe, but they do have a lot going for them.
Tomorrow we are back at Parliament and have individual meetings. Then on Wednesday we travel to Munich on the way to the last stop on the trip. I have to admit that I'm getting ready to come home. I'm really looking forward to the conference, because I think it will sum up our experience. But it will be nice to be back in Billings.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Two Words
Romanian Wedding.
I wish I could leave it at that, but the guy is also marrying a top fashion model. And you may not hear from me for a while. It is considered to be borderline impolite to leave a Romanian wedding at 5AM. You need to stay at least until 6AM. Leaving any time before that is considered very impolite. Sooooo, I may be sleeping all day tomorrow.
For those that don't know, I'm going with the other fellows to the wedding of a European fellow that is getting married. There may be no better way to see the culture of a country than to visit a wedding.
I will fill you in when I get a chance.
UPDATE: We are back at the hotel waiting to go to the reception. We had a short break and decided to come back for 15 minutes.
The paparazzi at the wedding was amazing. The ceremony was at an Orthodox church. I think there were almost as many photographers as guests. I counted three people with microphones that were doing interviews of the guests. It was like the Brad and Angelina wedding in Romania.
Quite the experience.
I'll fill you in on the reception when I get a chance.
I wish I could leave it at that, but the guy is also marrying a top fashion model. And you may not hear from me for a while. It is considered to be borderline impolite to leave a Romanian wedding at 5AM. You need to stay at least until 6AM. Leaving any time before that is considered very impolite. Sooooo, I may be sleeping all day tomorrow.
For those that don't know, I'm going with the other fellows to the wedding of a European fellow that is getting married. There may be no better way to see the culture of a country than to visit a wedding.
I will fill you in when I get a chance.
UPDATE: We are back at the hotel waiting to go to the reception. We had a short break and decided to come back for 15 minutes.
The paparazzi at the wedding was amazing. The ceremony was at an Orthodox church. I think there were almost as many photographers as guests. I counted three people with microphones that were doing interviews of the guests. It was like the Brad and Angelina wedding in Romania.
Quite the experience.
I'll fill you in on the reception when I get a chance.
Istanbul
Istanbul has been my favorite stop on the trip thus far. It is such a historic city that I feel great to have visited. You can see some relics all around and having the sea right next to the city you get a sense of the history of the place. One of the roads we took often goes under a 4th century Roman aquaduct. They don't use it to move water, but it still looks solid.
The first night in Istanbul we ate a great restaurant right on the sea. I was eating about three feet from the Bosphorus. I've already written about the food, but the setting was incredible. I feel like I'm running out of superlatives for Turkey, so you know I really did enjoy it. We had three dinner guest associated with business, so the conversation was engaging. You just had to look out over the water every once in a while to take in the view again.
I wish I was able to describe it, but the scene is beyond my writing ability. I wish I could show you a picture, but I can't download them with my camera. You will just have to wait until I get back.
The next morning we had meetings with the three recognized minority religions in Turkey. They are Armenian Christians, Greek Orthodox Christians, and the Jewish Religion. It was hot and I have to say I didn't find the meetings terribly interesting. Lunch was at a very famous restaurant. Of course they were know for their seafood, so it was good, but not really my cup of tea. Our guest works with foundations in Turkey.
The afternoon was absolutely great. We took a boat tour on the Bosphorus. It is the body of water between the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea. You get an amazing view of Istanbul from the Bosphorus and we had a big cruise ship all to ourselves. It was even better than the trip up the River Rhine. Just slightly better. The homes on the Bosphorus reminded me of upscale homes on Flathead Lake. We crossed under two bridges and saw a big castle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosporus
After we got off the boat we traveled to the Hagia Sophia. It is the fourth largest building constructed as a church in the world. St. Peters in Rome, One I can't remember, the Nortre Dame in Paris and the Hagia Sophia. The kicker is this was built in 537 AD. It was an amazing site from the inside. Again, words don't really do it justice. I anticipated seeing this as part of the trip because I had heard about it in a podcast. It did not disappoint.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia
We also visited the Blue Mosque that is right around the corner. We didn't get much time in Turkey to explore Islam. The country is 98% Islamic, so there are a lot of current topics we could have covered, but alas, we had only so much time. From there it was on to the grand bazaar. We stopped for a short overview of Turkish rugs that was very interesting. Then we visited the Grand Bazaar. They will tell you there are 4,000 shops there. I will tell you there are 4. There is a jewelry store, a carpet store, a clothing store, and a trinket store. There are just a thousand of each.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Bazaar
We finished with a closing dinner. Again, mostly seafood. Everyone else loved it, and I thought it was OK, just not my favorite. Then the guys on the trip hit the Turkish Bath or Haman. It was an experience Eric had wanted since we started our trip. I went along because...When in Rome, and when else would I get the chance.
It was great. A nice steam room, a good wash down, a nice massage. It was an experience unlike any other. It was a great cap on a good day.
Of all the places we have been so far, Istanbul was the first that I really want to go back to. There was so much stuff I didn't get to see and I would love to spend more time at the Hagia Sophia.
The next morning we hoped a little commuter plane to Bucharest.
The first night in Istanbul we ate a great restaurant right on the sea. I was eating about three feet from the Bosphorus. I've already written about the food, but the setting was incredible. I feel like I'm running out of superlatives for Turkey, so you know I really did enjoy it. We had three dinner guest associated with business, so the conversation was engaging. You just had to look out over the water every once in a while to take in the view again.
I wish I was able to describe it, but the scene is beyond my writing ability. I wish I could show you a picture, but I can't download them with my camera. You will just have to wait until I get back.
The next morning we had meetings with the three recognized minority religions in Turkey. They are Armenian Christians, Greek Orthodox Christians, and the Jewish Religion. It was hot and I have to say I didn't find the meetings terribly interesting. Lunch was at a very famous restaurant. Of course they were know for their seafood, so it was good, but not really my cup of tea. Our guest works with foundations in Turkey.
The afternoon was absolutely great. We took a boat tour on the Bosphorus. It is the body of water between the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea. You get an amazing view of Istanbul from the Bosphorus and we had a big cruise ship all to ourselves. It was even better than the trip up the River Rhine. Just slightly better. The homes on the Bosphorus reminded me of upscale homes on Flathead Lake. We crossed under two bridges and saw a big castle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosporus
After we got off the boat we traveled to the Hagia Sophia. It is the fourth largest building constructed as a church in the world. St. Peters in Rome, One I can't remember, the Nortre Dame in Paris and the Hagia Sophia. The kicker is this was built in 537 AD. It was an amazing site from the inside. Again, words don't really do it justice. I anticipated seeing this as part of the trip because I had heard about it in a podcast. It did not disappoint.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia
We also visited the Blue Mosque that is right around the corner. We didn't get much time in Turkey to explore Islam. The country is 98% Islamic, so there are a lot of current topics we could have covered, but alas, we had only so much time. From there it was on to the grand bazaar. We stopped for a short overview of Turkish rugs that was very interesting. Then we visited the Grand Bazaar. They will tell you there are 4,000 shops there. I will tell you there are 4. There is a jewelry store, a carpet store, a clothing store, and a trinket store. There are just a thousand of each.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Bazaar
We finished with a closing dinner. Again, mostly seafood. Everyone else loved it, and I thought it was OK, just not my favorite. Then the guys on the trip hit the Turkish Bath or Haman. It was an experience Eric had wanted since we started our trip. I went along because...When in Rome, and when else would I get the chance.
It was great. A nice steam room, a good wash down, a nice massage. It was an experience unlike any other. It was a great cap on a good day.
Of all the places we have been so far, Istanbul was the first that I really want to go back to. There was so much stuff I didn't get to see and I would love to spend more time at the Hagia Sophia.
The next morning we hoped a little commuter plane to Bucharest.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Gastromic Delights
Another fellow and I flew into Bucharest from Istanbul this morning. We are waiting around at the hotel for the four other fellows on this leg of the trip to arrive from Porto and Bilbao.
Thanks to Mom and Bobbi for updates on the M's. It is a little tough to keep up on this side of the pond. Let's hope they pick it up and the Angels start to lose some games.
So the whole Turkey thing...
I had an absolutely wonderful time in Turkey. I would have to say the highlight would be the food in Turkey. It was a gastronomic delight to eat Turkish food noon and night. They bring lots of food, a great variety, and it is all good. They have this amazing flat bread that is good by itself, but there is always something good to put on the bread to make it even better.
I was a little less enthusiastic about the first lunch. It was primarily seafood. The brought the bread and a tray with six different appetizers. I left the sea food along, but the vegetables were great. Lunch was a sea bass, which everyone else said was to die for, but I was just able to eat most of it. Seafood has never been my thing, so I'm doing all right with that. But it would not be my favorite meal. Dessert on the other had was an amazing chocolate/ice cream concoction that was just wonderful.
Dinner that night was just down the street. I had the chicken kabobs. We started dinner with mini pizza's and cheese rolls that were outstanding. The bread and toppings kept flowing until the main course arrived. No dessert that night because we had already eaten too much. It was a great dinner.
Lunch the next day was another fabulous meal. The bread, the toppings, and I ordered a pizza with mince meat, Turkish sausage, and pastrami. It was very, very good. The dessert tray was large and I had an eclair with ice cream in the middle instead of cream. I also had a bite of a Turkish dessert that was quite good.
Dinner in Istanbul that night was, again, very very good. Of course you had the bread with assorted toppings, I ordered a steak that was wonderful. The service of the waiter was outstanding. I had some ice cream for dessert. By this time I am hurting from all the Turkish food. You are full, but it is so good you can't stop yourself.
Lunch and dinner yesterday were seafoody, so I didn't eat a lot. That was just fine with me. I needed to recover a little. Everyone that went to Turkey just loved the food.
I can't think of enough superlatives to describe the great delights of Turkish food. I know we ate in some upscale places, but they were great.
The programs in Turkey were good for the most part. The first day in Ankara we visited Anitkabir, the resting place of Ataturk, the founder of the country. It was pretty neat and definitely large in scope.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anitkabir
We also visited the Turkish Parliament. They were out of session, getting ready for the elections in July. The elections were a topic of conversation that was brought up several times. The elections will possibly change many of the policies, but no one knows for sure.
Lunch was with a diplomat from the US, Turkey, and Germany. It was a good and sometimes heated discussion on the US-Turkey-EU relationships that are very dynamic at the moment in all directions. Turkey's integration into the EU is a constant theme in Turkey and Europe.
In the afternoon we met with the President of Religious Affairs. It is a post in Turkey that has no US equivalent. It was a very formal meeting and you got a slice of the official meeting protocol in Turkey.
Dinner was on are own at Tike. Please see the above description. We went up to the Hilton Tower in Ankara to have tea and coffee with a view. We had meetings in Ankara the next morning. The first was with Flying Broom, a woman NGO that works on communication. Then we had individual meetings.
I met with two guys in the Ministry of Agriculture. We talked about pollution from runoff and how it harms fisheries. It was an interesting bureaucrat-to-bureaucrat discussion. The stamp on his desk could just as well have been on my desk. It was nice to see that red tape doesn't change depending on location. I'm sure the red tape in Turkey is somewhat different than in Montana, but I saw way to many similarities.
We headed out to the airport to catch a flight to Istanbul. We stayed in a hotel right next to the Galata tower in Istanbul.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galata_Tower
I have to say that I have never see traffic like you see in Turkey. There are virtually no traffic rules, people cross the street where ever and when ever they want. Drivers shift lanes constantly. You have to be so alert as a driver. I will never be able to complain about traffic anywhere in the states after see the chaos that is the streets of Ankara and Istanbul.
As I have said before, Istanbul is a beautiful city. It is dirty, but beautiful. There is something to a city that was founded in 700 BC and was the home to two of the great empires in history. Istanbul is the only municipality that straddles two continents. There is the European side and Asian side of the city. It is city of anywhere from 14 to 17 million.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul
Well I got to get going at the moment. I will fill you in on the details of Istanbul when I get a chance.
The trip is going well. I'm still going strong.
Thanks to Mom and Bobbi for updates on the M's. It is a little tough to keep up on this side of the pond. Let's hope they pick it up and the Angels start to lose some games.
So the whole Turkey thing...
I had an absolutely wonderful time in Turkey. I would have to say the highlight would be the food in Turkey. It was a gastronomic delight to eat Turkish food noon and night. They bring lots of food, a great variety, and it is all good. They have this amazing flat bread that is good by itself, but there is always something good to put on the bread to make it even better.
I was a little less enthusiastic about the first lunch. It was primarily seafood. The brought the bread and a tray with six different appetizers. I left the sea food along, but the vegetables were great. Lunch was a sea bass, which everyone else said was to die for, but I was just able to eat most of it. Seafood has never been my thing, so I'm doing all right with that. But it would not be my favorite meal. Dessert on the other had was an amazing chocolate/ice cream concoction that was just wonderful.
Dinner that night was just down the street. I had the chicken kabobs. We started dinner with mini pizza's and cheese rolls that were outstanding. The bread and toppings kept flowing until the main course arrived. No dessert that night because we had already eaten too much. It was a great dinner.
Lunch the next day was another fabulous meal. The bread, the toppings, and I ordered a pizza with mince meat, Turkish sausage, and pastrami. It was very, very good. The dessert tray was large and I had an eclair with ice cream in the middle instead of cream. I also had a bite of a Turkish dessert that was quite good.
Dinner in Istanbul that night was, again, very very good. Of course you had the bread with assorted toppings, I ordered a steak that was wonderful. The service of the waiter was outstanding. I had some ice cream for dessert. By this time I am hurting from all the Turkish food. You are full, but it is so good you can't stop yourself.
Lunch and dinner yesterday were seafoody, so I didn't eat a lot. That was just fine with me. I needed to recover a little. Everyone that went to Turkey just loved the food.
I can't think of enough superlatives to describe the great delights of Turkish food. I know we ate in some upscale places, but they were great.
The programs in Turkey were good for the most part. The first day in Ankara we visited Anitkabir, the resting place of Ataturk, the founder of the country. It was pretty neat and definitely large in scope.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anitkabir
We also visited the Turkish Parliament. They were out of session, getting ready for the elections in July. The elections were a topic of conversation that was brought up several times. The elections will possibly change many of the policies, but no one knows for sure.
Lunch was with a diplomat from the US, Turkey, and Germany. It was a good and sometimes heated discussion on the US-Turkey-EU relationships that are very dynamic at the moment in all directions. Turkey's integration into the EU is a constant theme in Turkey and Europe.
In the afternoon we met with the President of Religious Affairs. It is a post in Turkey that has no US equivalent. It was a very formal meeting and you got a slice of the official meeting protocol in Turkey.
Dinner was on are own at Tike. Please see the above description. We went up to the Hilton Tower in Ankara to have tea and coffee with a view. We had meetings in Ankara the next morning. The first was with Flying Broom, a woman NGO that works on communication. Then we had individual meetings.
I met with two guys in the Ministry of Agriculture. We talked about pollution from runoff and how it harms fisheries. It was an interesting bureaucrat-to-bureaucrat discussion. The stamp on his desk could just as well have been on my desk. It was nice to see that red tape doesn't change depending on location. I'm sure the red tape in Turkey is somewhat different than in Montana, but I saw way to many similarities.
We headed out to the airport to catch a flight to Istanbul. We stayed in a hotel right next to the Galata tower in Istanbul.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galata_Tower
I have to say that I have never see traffic like you see in Turkey. There are virtually no traffic rules, people cross the street where ever and when ever they want. Drivers shift lanes constantly. You have to be so alert as a driver. I will never be able to complain about traffic anywhere in the states after see the chaos that is the streets of Ankara and Istanbul.
As I have said before, Istanbul is a beautiful city. It is dirty, but beautiful. There is something to a city that was founded in 700 BC and was the home to two of the great empires in history. Istanbul is the only municipality that straddles two continents. There is the European side and Asian side of the city. It is city of anywhere from 14 to 17 million.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul
Well I got to get going at the moment. I will fill you in on the details of Istanbul when I get a chance.
The trip is going well. I'm still going strong.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Frankfurt to Ankara
The travel from Frankfurt to Ankara was a little rough. Right as we got to the desk to check in with Turkish Airlines, they told us ıt would be at least a 1.5 to 2 hour delay.
So we roamed around the airport for quite a while before headıng to the gate. They never dıd gıve us a tıme for departure and when we showed up at the gate ıt was just mass chaos. They started takıng tıckets, but there was no lıne. It was just a mass of people each tryıng to get through. We sat ın the waıtıng area for a lıttle whıle and fınally boarded the plane.
Of course we were goıng to mıss our connectıng flıght to Ankara. We were flyıng from Frankfurt to Istanbul to Ankara. When we dıd fınally arrıve ın Istanbul, we had to get a travel vısa, check through cutoms, walk to the domestıc termınal, and chage our flıght to Ankara. It was a lıttle dauntıng to change planes and termınals lıke that ın Istanbul and I was defınately out of my comfort zone untıl we got on the plane to Ankara.
Luckıly there was a great gate agent that made the change quıckly and we had tıme to sıt for 10 mınutes before gettıng on a bus to board the flıght to Ankara. I was a lıttle worrıed about my bags makıng ıt, but I'll save the suspense and tell you that they were ın Ankara when we arrıved.
Istanbul ıs a beautıful cıty from the aır, and I was pretty excıted to be comıng back ın a few days. But for the moment we were headed to Ankara.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankara
We landed, got our bags, and headed for the hotel. We were there at 10PM, so we mıssed the ınıtıal dınner. The hotel was very nıce and the rest of the trıp to Turkey has been excellent.
That ıs all I have ın me for wrıtıng tonıght. I have had a wonderful tıme ın Turkey and I know ıt wıll be a long post, so I'll save ıt for tomorrow. Hopefully a computer wıll be at hand.
So we roamed around the airport for quite a while before headıng to the gate. They never dıd gıve us a tıme for departure and when we showed up at the gate ıt was just mass chaos. They started takıng tıckets, but there was no lıne. It was just a mass of people each tryıng to get through. We sat ın the waıtıng area for a lıttle whıle and fınally boarded the plane.
Of course we were goıng to mıss our connectıng flıght to Ankara. We were flyıng from Frankfurt to Istanbul to Ankara. When we dıd fınally arrıve ın Istanbul, we had to get a travel vısa, check through cutoms, walk to the domestıc termınal, and chage our flıght to Ankara. It was a lıttle dauntıng to change planes and termınals lıke that ın Istanbul and I was defınately out of my comfort zone untıl we got on the plane to Ankara.
Luckıly there was a great gate agent that made the change quıckly and we had tıme to sıt for 10 mınutes before gettıng on a bus to board the flıght to Ankara. I was a lıttle worrıed about my bags makıng ıt, but I'll save the suspense and tell you that they were ın Ankara when we arrıved.
Istanbul ıs a beautıful cıty from the aır, and I was pretty excıted to be comıng back ın a few days. But for the moment we were headed to Ankara.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankara
We landed, got our bags, and headed for the hotel. We were there at 10PM, so we mıssed the ınıtıal dınner. The hotel was very nıce and the rest of the trıp to Turkey has been excellent.
That ıs all I have ın me for wrıtıng tonıght. I have had a wonderful tıme ın Turkey and I know ıt wıll be a long post, so I'll save ıt for tomorrow. Hopefully a computer wıll be at hand.
Auf Vedersane Germany
Sorry about missing a few days on the blog. Internet access was a little hard to come by in Ankara since the business center at the hotel was not working. And we have been keeping a pretty tough schedule, so there ıs not much free tıme to find an Internet cafe.
A couple of links I missed last tıme:
www.ruedesheım.de/en/
www.k-d.com
The region and boat cruise we went on.
Before I talk about my experience in Turkey, I have a few unfinished thoughts on Germany.
I found it very interesting to note that a couple of the German's that spoke to us were so open and honest about the German's role ın WWII. They basically said we started it, we are to blame for the destruction of much of Europe and we have no qualms about taking the blame. It was striking how bold and matter a fact they were about it. It was a good thing, but you usually don't hear that much candor about any issue with such a sordid past.
The German's do like things to run on time. On time is 10 min early.
I find it interesting that you don't have to remove your shoes at foreign airports, even though the shoe bomber was on a flight from London. I have not asked anyone, but my personal view is they see through the facade we have tried to create with airport security. They know that making Grandma take off her shoes at the airport wıll not stop a determined terrorist and they don't pretend it will. I've commented on airport security before, but I have to take my shoes off to fly from Billings to Denver, but I don't when I fly from Frankfurt to Ankara. Seems like if there was a real threat, I would have been checked on the flight to Ankara.
They also served dinner with real metal knives, spoons, and forks on the flights in Turkey. Look on a map, see who they have a border with, see who we have a border with, and then decide how big a threat real silverware is to our security.
I mentioned in the previous post that German's start their discussions with what is right and move forward from there. Two other observations on that front. I don't claim to be an expert on either of these topics, but they did strike me. When the country was reunified, West Germany had to pour lots and lots of money into East Germany. It almost broke their economy and there are still strains, but that was the right thing to do. When Europe was deciding on the Euro, it was primarily the German Central Bank that had to give up a lot to make the Euro currency happen. They did it because it was the right thing to do. And it has turned out great from them.
The new European Central Bank wıll be located in Frankfurt in the old warehouse district.
Frankfurt has about 600,000 residents, but jobs for 1.2 million. The region is about the geographic size of London. It is a very diverse city and you can get ahead in the city even without old family ties. That is not as true in other German cities. It was compared with Boston a couple of times during our visit.
The economies of Brussels and Frankfurt must be good because there are cranes all over both sky lines.
The Frankfurt Allemande (a pretty large German newspaper) has 3 correspondents in Washington DC. Two will cover the American Presidential election full time.
The German-American connection is very strong because of all the miliatry that have been stationed over here for so long. When the military leaves town ın Germany, it is similar to when they leave ın the US. Much of the economy of the regıon suffers when the mılıtary leaves town.
The European tourıst towns I have been to are great because they are so old. Theır authentıcıty ıs unmatched. It ıs tough to beat a town that has been around sınce 500 BC.
I dıd get to the Zoo on Sunday. It was OK, but a little old. But zoo's are some what the same because the kıds love them no matter where they are located.
I thınk that ıs all I have on Germany. I can not type much more tonıght, so you wıll have to waıt on my Turkey report. Just know ıt ıs an amazıng experıence up to thıs poınt and we have an even better day planned for today.
A couple of links I missed last tıme:
www.ruedesheım.de/en/
www.k-d.com
The region and boat cruise we went on.
Before I talk about my experience in Turkey, I have a few unfinished thoughts on Germany.
I found it very interesting to note that a couple of the German's that spoke to us were so open and honest about the German's role ın WWII. They basically said we started it, we are to blame for the destruction of much of Europe and we have no qualms about taking the blame. It was striking how bold and matter a fact they were about it. It was a good thing, but you usually don't hear that much candor about any issue with such a sordid past.
The German's do like things to run on time. On time is 10 min early.
I find it interesting that you don't have to remove your shoes at foreign airports, even though the shoe bomber was on a flight from London. I have not asked anyone, but my personal view is they see through the facade we have tried to create with airport security. They know that making Grandma take off her shoes at the airport wıll not stop a determined terrorist and they don't pretend it will. I've commented on airport security before, but I have to take my shoes off to fly from Billings to Denver, but I don't when I fly from Frankfurt to Ankara. Seems like if there was a real threat, I would have been checked on the flight to Ankara.
They also served dinner with real metal knives, spoons, and forks on the flights in Turkey. Look on a map, see who they have a border with, see who we have a border with, and then decide how big a threat real silverware is to our security.
I mentioned in the previous post that German's start their discussions with what is right and move forward from there. Two other observations on that front. I don't claim to be an expert on either of these topics, but they did strike me. When the country was reunified, West Germany had to pour lots and lots of money into East Germany. It almost broke their economy and there are still strains, but that was the right thing to do. When Europe was deciding on the Euro, it was primarily the German Central Bank that had to give up a lot to make the Euro currency happen. They did it because it was the right thing to do. And it has turned out great from them.
The new European Central Bank wıll be located in Frankfurt in the old warehouse district.
Frankfurt has about 600,000 residents, but jobs for 1.2 million. The region is about the geographic size of London. It is a very diverse city and you can get ahead in the city even without old family ties. That is not as true in other German cities. It was compared with Boston a couple of times during our visit.
The economies of Brussels and Frankfurt must be good because there are cranes all over both sky lines.
The Frankfurt Allemande (a pretty large German newspaper) has 3 correspondents in Washington DC. Two will cover the American Presidential election full time.
The German-American connection is very strong because of all the miliatry that have been stationed over here for so long. When the military leaves town ın Germany, it is similar to when they leave ın the US. Much of the economy of the regıon suffers when the mılıtary leaves town.
The European tourıst towns I have been to are great because they are so old. Theır authentıcıty ıs unmatched. It ıs tough to beat a town that has been around sınce 500 BC.
I dıd get to the Zoo on Sunday. It was OK, but a little old. But zoo's are some what the same because the kıds love them no matter where they are located.
I thınk that ıs all I have on Germany. I can not type much more tonıght, so you wıll have to waıt on my Turkey report. Just know ıt ıs an amazıng experıence up to thıs poınt and we have an even better day planned for today.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
River Rhine
It has been a little hard to find the time to get to a computer in Frankfurt. The hotel doesn't have a place to get on the Internet and finding Internet cafes that are open late hasn't gone well.
Friday was another good day. We visited a new elementary school that was built with passive house design. It had several great design concepts. It will cost 5-8% more than the average school construction, but the pay back time on energy savings is 10 years. We asked several questions about statistics on the school, but the Germans don't seem so concerned with statistics as we do. They didn't know if test scores were higher in the school, if there were less absences, or any of the metrics we use to measure progress in the US.
They take a very different look at the school. They first decide if it the right thing to do. If it is the right thing to do, then they move forward. They don't ignore the economics of the situation, but 5-8% is an acceptable price to pay for a pay back of 10 years. And since it is the right thing to do, they do it.
We then stopped at the city offices to discuss their environmental policies. Frankfurt has a very forward looking city environmental policy. They are even considering not allowing the biggest polluting cars in to the city center. They are not sure how this will be received, but again, it is the right thing to do. They will deal with the fall out after they implement the plan.
We went out to the old helicopter base for lunch in the afternoon. The US government gave the base to the German government about 15 years ago. It took the German government 10 years to sell it to the city of Frankfurt. Now that sounds more like government in the States.
The city of Frankfurt has incorporated the area into their greenbelt around the city. I have the link, but I forgot the paper. I will put the link in a future post. What they have done with the old helicopter base is incredible. They have turned it into a great space for people to walk, people to rollerblade on the old runway, and some neat wetlands. When we were there, the kids were having a great time out there. It would be a kid paradise.
After I get out of here, I'm going to walk around the inner green belt. It is the site of the old walls that fortified Frankfurt. Might check out the zoo also.
Friday evening we had a wonderful dinner at a former European Fellows flat. The meal was delicious. The conversation was great. Her son joined us for dinner after just getting back from his studies in England. He is headed to New York to train for his new job in London.
We had a little trouble getting to the dinner. The first cab driver dropped us off not very near where we were supposed to be. He stopped, pointed down the street and told us to walk there. It wasn't there. We took another cab to the address we were given, but the lady had moved. Luckily, they only moved two blocks away and the neighbors knew where they lived.
Saturday was a gorgeous tour of the River Rhine. Again I forgot the link to the boat we took. The River Rhine is a UNESCO world heritage site, and it is easy to see why. Quaint old German towns, several castles, and some of the most beautiful scenery.
Yes, MOM, I did get a little sunburned, but nothing that can't be overcome. I know, I know, I know. If you makes it feel a little better, I did hear from one of the ladies on the trip that I should have put sunscreen on.
We had lunch at Rudesheim and came back to Frankfurt.
I did think the baseball game I saw in Washington DC would be my last bit of Americana, but I was wrong. We went to the Frankfurt Galaxy NFL Europe game last night. It was really a lot of fun and not that different than a NFL game. It was a slice of the states for three hours.
http://www.nfleurope.com/teams/FRA
The World Bowl is in Frankfurt next weekend and the Galaxy will be playing. I think there fans will be excited. We saw a good game and had a good time.
I'm taking a little personal time today to be out and about in Frankfurt.
I will have to say that the food has not been a problem thus far. The cuisine is a little different, but nothing I can't handle. I do still have Turkey and Romania on the agenda, but I have been quite happy thus far.
Friday was another good day. We visited a new elementary school that was built with passive house design. It had several great design concepts. It will cost 5-8% more than the average school construction, but the pay back time on energy savings is 10 years. We asked several questions about statistics on the school, but the Germans don't seem so concerned with statistics as we do. They didn't know if test scores were higher in the school, if there were less absences, or any of the metrics we use to measure progress in the US.
They take a very different look at the school. They first decide if it the right thing to do. If it is the right thing to do, then they move forward. They don't ignore the economics of the situation, but 5-8% is an acceptable price to pay for a pay back of 10 years. And since it is the right thing to do, they do it.
We then stopped at the city offices to discuss their environmental policies. Frankfurt has a very forward looking city environmental policy. They are even considering not allowing the biggest polluting cars in to the city center. They are not sure how this will be received, but again, it is the right thing to do. They will deal with the fall out after they implement the plan.
We went out to the old helicopter base for lunch in the afternoon. The US government gave the base to the German government about 15 years ago. It took the German government 10 years to sell it to the city of Frankfurt. Now that sounds more like government in the States.
The city of Frankfurt has incorporated the area into their greenbelt around the city. I have the link, but I forgot the paper. I will put the link in a future post. What they have done with the old helicopter base is incredible. They have turned it into a great space for people to walk, people to rollerblade on the old runway, and some neat wetlands. When we were there, the kids were having a great time out there. It would be a kid paradise.
After I get out of here, I'm going to walk around the inner green belt. It is the site of the old walls that fortified Frankfurt. Might check out the zoo also.
Friday evening we had a wonderful dinner at a former European Fellows flat. The meal was delicious. The conversation was great. Her son joined us for dinner after just getting back from his studies in England. He is headed to New York to train for his new job in London.
We had a little trouble getting to the dinner. The first cab driver dropped us off not very near where we were supposed to be. He stopped, pointed down the street and told us to walk there. It wasn't there. We took another cab to the address we were given, but the lady had moved. Luckily, they only moved two blocks away and the neighbors knew where they lived.
Saturday was a gorgeous tour of the River Rhine. Again I forgot the link to the boat we took. The River Rhine is a UNESCO world heritage site, and it is easy to see why. Quaint old German towns, several castles, and some of the most beautiful scenery.
Yes, MOM, I did get a little sunburned, but nothing that can't be overcome. I know, I know, I know. If you makes it feel a little better, I did hear from one of the ladies on the trip that I should have put sunscreen on.
We had lunch at Rudesheim and came back to Frankfurt.
I did think the baseball game I saw in Washington DC would be my last bit of Americana, but I was wrong. We went to the Frankfurt Galaxy NFL Europe game last night. It was really a lot of fun and not that different than a NFL game. It was a slice of the states for three hours.
http://www.nfleurope.com/teams/FRA
The World Bowl is in Frankfurt next weekend and the Galaxy will be playing. I think there fans will be excited. We saw a good game and had a good time.
I'm taking a little personal time today to be out and about in Frankfurt.
I will have to say that the food has not been a problem thus far. The cuisine is a little different, but nothing I can't handle. I do still have Turkey and Romania on the agenda, but I have been quite happy thus far.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
One of the great nights of my life
Again, many sorrys for the time it takes me to get your comments posted. Working in different time zones and traveling make it hard for any consistency's in posting or getting your comments up on the site.
So on to the good stuff.
I'm in Frankfurt at a little Internet cafe. We left Brussels on Wednesday morning and I would have to qualify Tuesday night\early Wednesday morning as one of the great nights of my life.
Three of us were invited to the home of Lorenza, who was a fellow from Europe last year. She works in Brussels for a group from Italy. I would explain more, but to really understand what she does I would need to type up two days of meetings on the EU and I'm not up for that.
She was a great host and lives in a perfect little apartment that is the picture of a European home. It is on the third floor, so we had to buzz in and have her come to the door to let us in. Zeke and Lorna from the program joined me as well as Lorenza's three friends from Italy, a Belgian, and a Welsh gentleman named Desmond.
We started the evening with a little champagne and moved into the living room and the discussions for the evening. It was great to be able to have such an intimate discussion on a wide variety of topics. It is so interesting to talk to Europeans, because they see the world so differently than we do. It all has to do with history and ours is very different than theirs. We also had to talk about that 2008 elections in the States. They are all very interested in who will win and even have their favorites. Desmond made some incredible insights into the election that I was amazed he would know that much detail and nuance of the election.
Dinner was tortellini because it is famous in the region that Lorenza is from. We also had a salad and some meat. It was quite, quite good.
Desmond was able to answer a cultural question that I had since arriving in Europe. Sometimes they greet each other with handshakes and some times it is a kiss on each cheek. Or at least the act of touching cheeks. I wanted to know what level of friendship that is needed for the kiss on the cheek greeting. He said that if you have met someone once in an intimate setting, like... oh I don't know...a dinner... you can feel free to do the kissy, kissy. So I was very happy to use the kissy, kissy, (my term, not theirs) as we left.
It was a spectacular evening. We didn't leave until 11:30 PM and only then because we were meeting the rest of the group. It was an amazing way to get in touch with transatlantic issues. It just a terrible lot of fun.
We did meet the rest of the group at a bar afterwords. It was our last evening together as a group of 18, so we wanted to say goodbye before we meet up in Munich at the end of the program. We drank and were merry. Certainly the picture of the loud Americans in the bar. When that was closing we went for some dancing at the Salsa bar.
We got home about 3 AM and there was no way I was going to sleep. I needed to pack, I was glowing from the dinner, and I knew if I went to sleep, I would have a real hard time getting up.
We had an outstanding tour of Frankfurt with the best local tourist guide, then a great traditional Frankfurt meal. We had to try the apple wine, and it was good. I had the sausage sampler platter and it was good. Everyone said their meal was good. Dessert was a flame cake with strawberries. Very Goot.
We are hosted in Frankfurt by the Hertie Foundation. http://www.ghst.de/en/index.php
I must say it was nice to get to sleep that night and thus, no Internet. Our program today was very good with the highlight being meeting with the US consulate general for the embassy in Frankfurt.
We also visited a business recruitment organization for the area. http://www.frm-united.com/
We have another good day planned for tomorrow with a home dinner in the evening.
That's all the news that's fit to print at the moment.
So on to the good stuff.
I'm in Frankfurt at a little Internet cafe. We left Brussels on Wednesday morning and I would have to qualify Tuesday night\early Wednesday morning as one of the great nights of my life.
Three of us were invited to the home of Lorenza, who was a fellow from Europe last year. She works in Brussels for a group from Italy. I would explain more, but to really understand what she does I would need to type up two days of meetings on the EU and I'm not up for that.
She was a great host and lives in a perfect little apartment that is the picture of a European home. It is on the third floor, so we had to buzz in and have her come to the door to let us in. Zeke and Lorna from the program joined me as well as Lorenza's three friends from Italy, a Belgian, and a Welsh gentleman named Desmond.
We started the evening with a little champagne and moved into the living room and the discussions for the evening. It was great to be able to have such an intimate discussion on a wide variety of topics. It is so interesting to talk to Europeans, because they see the world so differently than we do. It all has to do with history and ours is very different than theirs. We also had to talk about that 2008 elections in the States. They are all very interested in who will win and even have their favorites. Desmond made some incredible insights into the election that I was amazed he would know that much detail and nuance of the election.
Dinner was tortellini because it is famous in the region that Lorenza is from. We also had a salad and some meat. It was quite, quite good.
Desmond was able to answer a cultural question that I had since arriving in Europe. Sometimes they greet each other with handshakes and some times it is a kiss on each cheek. Or at least the act of touching cheeks. I wanted to know what level of friendship that is needed for the kiss on the cheek greeting. He said that if you have met someone once in an intimate setting, like... oh I don't know...a dinner... you can feel free to do the kissy, kissy. So I was very happy to use the kissy, kissy, (my term, not theirs) as we left.
It was a spectacular evening. We didn't leave until 11:30 PM and only then because we were meeting the rest of the group. It was an amazing way to get in touch with transatlantic issues. It just a terrible lot of fun.
We did meet the rest of the group at a bar afterwords. It was our last evening together as a group of 18, so we wanted to say goodbye before we meet up in Munich at the end of the program. We drank and were merry. Certainly the picture of the loud Americans in the bar. When that was closing we went for some dancing at the Salsa bar.
We got home about 3 AM and there was no way I was going to sleep. I needed to pack, I was glowing from the dinner, and I knew if I went to sleep, I would have a real hard time getting up.
Instead of going to sleep, Zeke and I roamed the City of
We had an outstanding tour of Frankfurt with the best local tourist guide, then a great traditional Frankfurt meal. We had to try the apple wine, and it was good. I had the sausage sampler platter and it was good. Everyone said their meal was good. Dessert was a flame cake with strawberries. Very Goot.
We are hosted in Frankfurt by the Hertie Foundation. http://www.ghst.de/en/index.php
I must say it was nice to get to sleep that night and thus, no Internet. Our program today was very good with the highlight being meeting with the US consulate general for the embassy in Frankfurt.
We also visited a business recruitment organization for the area. http://www.frm-united.com/
We have another good day planned for tomorrow with a home dinner in the evening.
That's all the news that's fit to print at the moment.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
NATO and EU
Well I got a little busy yesterday to put anything on the blog. Plus you have to pay for internet access at the hotel, so I’m trying to budget my time wisely.
A bit more on the Belgian elections. Voting is required, thus the tournout for elections is 98%. If you do not vote, you get a visit from the police to find out why you did not vote. If you do not have a good excuse, you pay a 100 dollar fine.
We started Monday at NATO. We had briefings in one of the hottest meetings rooms of all time. And I smartly chose to sit next to a window that was getting a lot of sunlight. The third speaker of the day, a British speech writer, called the room purgatory. We finally got the air conditioning on, so the last couple of speakers were more enjoyable.
The website for NATO is http://www.nato.int/
We had lunch right there at NATO and we had good meetings. One of the things they say about this trip is that you will learn more about what it means to be American that what it means to be European. Listening to the discussions about how the US related to NATO, some of our greatest allies, in both Afghanistan and especially Iraq really gave to a very different perspective on those conflicts. I did get a sense of being American when we talked about those things, but I can’t say I was a very proud American. Let’s just say we could have handled the situation a little better.
I can’t say too much more, as we were using the Chatham House Rules. Which is European for “off the record”. We did get some great swag from NATO.
After NATO we spoke with a former European Fellow that now works for the European Commission. It was interesting and I think I’m starting to get a handle on how the European Union works. I’m certainly no expert and there is much more to it that you would think.
I then had an individual appointment with a gentleman that works with the 19 municipalities that make up Brussels. There is really no Brussels city per se. I walked five blocks to his office and went from one city to another. It would take an act of the Belgium Parliament to consolidate the governments, and the politics are tricky. I wouldn’t hold my breath that the 19 will come together soon.
His English was a little rusty, but all in all, it was a good appointment. I did end up talking with another lady there that used to live outside Atlanta, but now is back in Brussels.
I didn’t have a dinner, so a group of us went out looking for an authentic Belgian meal. We roamed the streets of Brussels for about 1.5 hours before finally settling on a place. I asked lots of people for directions and did best with a group of guys that contained a guy from New Jersey. He has lived in Brussels for 35 years, still spoke good English, but he had definitely taken too the culture of Brussels.
We had a great meal at a nice little restaurant. Most folks had the sampler platter, but I chose the steak and pomme frites. It was quite good and is actually a traditional Belgian meal. Chock up another great European experience to the list.
Today we met with European Parliamentarians and watched a little of their session. They are meeting with Parliamentarians from the different countries of the EU this week. Then off to the Grand Plaza for lunch where I was able to pick up a painting of Brussels city hall. It is THE city hall, no one of the other 18.
There is something very cool about being in the city. I have a great desire to try to speak French. I think if you lived here for a few months, you would catch on very quickly. Many do speak English, but it is not their first language. I would be nice to have the time to learn the language and the city.
We have some meetings this afternoon and I have dinner tonight with two others and a former fellow. Then we fly to Frankfurt early in the morning. I’ll try to check in when I get to Frankfurt.
Bon soir.
A bit more on the Belgian elections. Voting is required, thus the tournout for elections is 98%. If you do not vote, you get a visit from the police to find out why you did not vote. If you do not have a good excuse, you pay a 100 dollar fine.
We started Monday at NATO. We had briefings in one of the hottest meetings rooms of all time. And I smartly chose to sit next to a window that was getting a lot of sunlight. The third speaker of the day, a British speech writer, called the room purgatory. We finally got the air conditioning on, so the last couple of speakers were more enjoyable.
The website for NATO is http://www.nato.int/
We had lunch right there at NATO and we had good meetings. One of the things they say about this trip is that you will learn more about what it means to be American that what it means to be European. Listening to the discussions about how the US related to NATO, some of our greatest allies, in both Afghanistan and especially Iraq really gave to a very different perspective on those conflicts. I did get a sense of being American when we talked about those things, but I can’t say I was a very proud American. Let’s just say we could have handled the situation a little better.
I can’t say too much more, as we were using the Chatham House Rules. Which is European for “off the record”. We did get some great swag from NATO.
After NATO we spoke with a former European Fellow that now works for the European Commission. It was interesting and I think I’m starting to get a handle on how the European Union works. I’m certainly no expert and there is much more to it that you would think.
I then had an individual appointment with a gentleman that works with the 19 municipalities that make up Brussels. There is really no Brussels city per se. I walked five blocks to his office and went from one city to another. It would take an act of the Belgium Parliament to consolidate the governments, and the politics are tricky. I wouldn’t hold my breath that the 19 will come together soon.
His English was a little rusty, but all in all, it was a good appointment. I did end up talking with another lady there that used to live outside Atlanta, but now is back in Brussels.
I didn’t have a dinner, so a group of us went out looking for an authentic Belgian meal. We roamed the streets of Brussels for about 1.5 hours before finally settling on a place. I asked lots of people for directions and did best with a group of guys that contained a guy from New Jersey. He has lived in Brussels for 35 years, still spoke good English, but he had definitely taken too the culture of Brussels.
We had a great meal at a nice little restaurant. Most folks had the sampler platter, but I chose the steak and pomme frites. It was quite good and is actually a traditional Belgian meal. Chock up another great European experience to the list.
Today we met with European Parliamentarians and watched a little of their session. They are meeting with Parliamentarians from the different countries of the EU this week. Then off to the Grand Plaza for lunch where I was able to pick up a painting of Brussels city hall. It is THE city hall, no one of the other 18.
There is something very cool about being in the city. I have a great desire to try to speak French. I think if you lived here for a few months, you would catch on very quickly. Many do speak English, but it is not their first language. I would be nice to have the time to learn the language and the city.
We have some meetings this afternoon and I have dinner tonight with two others and a former fellow. Then we fly to Frankfurt early in the morning. I’ll try to check in when I get to Frankfurt.
Bon soir.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
A European Experience
Today is Election and Fathers Day in Belgium.
In the morning we visited the Atomium. It was fairly neat. A look at their website should tell you all you need to know.
http://www.atomium.be/ Then click on the English button:
After that a group of us took the train out to Brugge. I was not certain I wanted to go, but it was fun. It takes about an hour on the train to get to Brugge. We had a great view of the Belgian countryside on the trip out and back. Being from Montana, I can spot a tourist town a mile a way. Brugge is truly the best tourist town I have ever been in. The town is small, ancient, great little shops, canals, windmills, plazas, and magnificent buildings. Five of the guys rented bikes at the train station and rode them around town. There are blocks and blocks of small winding, interconnected cobble stone streets. Riding a bike through this town was a great European experience.
Tomorrow we visit NATO and I have an individual appointment with a guy that runs the city association in Brussels.
Jet Lag seems to be gone. Just my normal bad sleeping patterns at this point.
In the morning we visited the Atomium. It was fairly neat. A look at their website should tell you all you need to know.
http://www.atomium.be/ Then click on the English button:
After that a group of us took the train out to Brugge. I was not certain I wanted to go, but it was fun. It takes about an hour on the train to get to Brugge. We had a great view of the Belgian countryside on the trip out and back. Being from Montana, I can spot a tourist town a mile a way. Brugge is truly the best tourist town I have ever been in. The town is small, ancient, great little shops, canals, windmills, plazas, and magnificent buildings. Five of the guys rented bikes at the train station and rode them around town. There are blocks and blocks of small winding, interconnected cobble stone streets. Riding a bike through this town was a great European experience.
Tomorrow we visit NATO and I have an individual appointment with a guy that runs the city association in Brussels.
Jet Lag seems to be gone. Just my normal bad sleeping patterns at this point.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Járrive en Brussels
We left DC on a jet plane headed for Brussels. We were chasing the sun.
Anyone that has chased a sibling around a kitchen table knows the best way to catch them is to reverse course. Our plane did that with the sun. We left DC in the early evening and raced the sun to Brussels headed east. We arrived at dawn, so I´ll call it a tie. But still the shortest night I´ve ever experienced. They even served breakfast on the plane on the cusp of dawn to denote the day had passed. Never mind that 2 days earlier it would have been 9:30 PM in my world.
I slept for about 1.5 hours at the hotel this morning. I´m thinking I might come out all right on this jet lag deal after all.
My trip sunk in a little bit when I looked at the little map in the back of my seat and saw we were half way across the Atlantic Ocean. A big smile on my face when that happened. Getting off the plane in Brussels didn´t have big effect on the trip sinking in. Maybe part of the reason was there was a big ExxonMobile advertisement in English on the jetway.
I was a little tripped up ay customs when they asked if I was there for business or pleasure. I just ended up saying Fellowship. Must be OK because they let me through.
We had a nice introduction today followed by a tour of this great city. Dinner is coming up in half an hour.
It´s interesting typing on a different keyboard. Not exactly the same as the ones we have in the States. Just a couple of letters off.
Anyone that has chased a sibling around a kitchen table knows the best way to catch them is to reverse course. Our plane did that with the sun. We left DC in the early evening and raced the sun to Brussels headed east. We arrived at dawn, so I´ll call it a tie. But still the shortest night I´ve ever experienced. They even served breakfast on the plane on the cusp of dawn to denote the day had passed. Never mind that 2 days earlier it would have been 9:30 PM in my world.
I slept for about 1.5 hours at the hotel this morning. I´m thinking I might come out all right on this jet lag deal after all.
My trip sunk in a little bit when I looked at the little map in the back of my seat and saw we were half way across the Atlantic Ocean. A big smile on my face when that happened. Getting off the plane in Brussels didn´t have big effect on the trip sinking in. Maybe part of the reason was there was a big ExxonMobile advertisement in English on the jetway.
I was a little tripped up ay customs when they asked if I was there for business or pleasure. I just ended up saying Fellowship. Must be OK because they let me through.
We had a nice introduction today followed by a tour of this great city. Dinner is coming up in half an hour.
It´s interesting typing on a different keyboard. Not exactly the same as the ones we have in the States. Just a couple of letters off.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Day Zwei
Since I live on the Rocky Mountain Front, it is impossible to get to DC before about 2:30 in the afternoon. Thus I needed to be out in DC a day early to ensure that I made it to the orientation session. The session was at 3:30 today, so it's not good to risk coming the same day.
The orientation session was informative. The line I liked the best all day was that we will be taken out of every comfort zone we know. I have no doubt that is true and I'm really looking forward to being taken out of my comfort zones. It makes for a great experience. I will do things I've never done. I will learn things I would never learn otherwise. I may regret saying this later, but it really put a smile on my face to think about being jolted out of every comfort zone I have.
One I'm most worried about is food. I like my American cuisine, so hopefully I can have an open mind as I dig into some European dishes I don't know much about.
I also get the feeling that the baseball game yesterday will be my list bit of Americana for about a month. Oh well, it will make the firworks on the 4th all that much better.
We have a dinner tonight with a speaker. Then a meeting in the morning, lunch and then we head for Europe. We leave DC at 5:30. It's a seven hour flight. When we land in Brussels it will be 7:30 AM. Or in Billings time, about 10 PM, usually my bed time. I'm going to take a wild stab and say I will have some jet lag. A nice little jolt out of my comfort zone to start the trip. Don't know when I'll get a chance to post again, but probably some time on Saturday.
It still hasn't set in that I'm going on this trip. I've been to DC a few times, so that doesn't seem like a new experience. I've been in meetings way to many times to make for a new experience. I've told the "Shoots" story to a group many times. I've had dinner with a group many times. I have a feeling I won't feel like I've really started my trip until I walk into the airport in Brussles. Or may be the Dulles International Flight. I'm waiting for the moment when it really sinks in that I'm going to Europe and I'm going for quite a while.
Well, I'm off to dinner.
The orientation session was informative. The line I liked the best all day was that we will be taken out of every comfort zone we know. I have no doubt that is true and I'm really looking forward to being taken out of my comfort zones. It makes for a great experience. I will do things I've never done. I will learn things I would never learn otherwise. I may regret saying this later, but it really put a smile on my face to think about being jolted out of every comfort zone I have.
One I'm most worried about is food. I like my American cuisine, so hopefully I can have an open mind as I dig into some European dishes I don't know much about.
I also get the feeling that the baseball game yesterday will be my list bit of Americana for about a month. Oh well, it will make the firworks on the 4th all that much better.
We have a dinner tonight with a speaker. Then a meeting in the morning, lunch and then we head for Europe. We leave DC at 5:30. It's a seven hour flight. When we land in Brussels it will be 7:30 AM. Or in Billings time, about 10 PM, usually my bed time. I'm going to take a wild stab and say I will have some jet lag. A nice little jolt out of my comfort zone to start the trip. Don't know when I'll get a chance to post again, but probably some time on Saturday.
It still hasn't set in that I'm going on this trip. I've been to DC a few times, so that doesn't seem like a new experience. I've been in meetings way to many times to make for a new experience. I've told the "Shoots" story to a group many times. I've had dinner with a group many times. I have a feeling I won't feel like I've really started my trip until I walk into the airport in Brussles. Or may be the Dulles International Flight. I'm waiting for the moment when it really sinks in that I'm going to Europe and I'm going for quite a while.
Well, I'm off to dinner.
Leaving Comments
I apologize in advance for how long it takes for your comments to be posted. I didn't want trolls ruining the blog, so I have to approve all comments before they are posted. If I'm away from a computer for a while, it may take a while for me to complete the OK process.
Please bear with me and I will get your comments posted. I do want to hear from you and it wouldn't be a blog with out your comments.
Just don't expect them to be up right after to make them.
Please bear with me and I will get your comments posted. I do want to hear from you and it wouldn't be a blog with out your comments.
Just don't expect them to be up right after to make them.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Leaving on a Jet Plane
So…day one started a little early in my book, especially since I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. Mom dropped me off at the airport and I flew away. I’m usually baffled by the security we go through at the airport. I’m not real scared of the 50 year old ladies bringing their lighters on the flight, but what I don’t know about airport security could fill the Grand Canyon. Anyway, we all seem to accept the ritual at airport security, put out heads down, take our shoes off, hope the machine doesn’t beep, show your boarding pass for the 8th time, and move with meaning toward our departure gate.
First stop was Denver. I always walk through the airport expecting to see people I know, but today that didn’t happen. I’m even more alert in airports like Denver and Washington DC. Considering that about 125,000 people move through DIA each day (Yes, more people fly in and out of DIA each day than live in Billings) I don’t know why I’m so sure I’ll see somebody I know just walking through the concourse. The nice ticket counter lady in Denver told me that United alone handles 30 to 40 thousand airline passengers each day.
I’m a bit amused with all the hoopla that now goes on trying to impress travelers. I think United had no less than 4 different VIP groups that had various perks associated with boarding the airplane. I’ve never understood why the people in first class want to get on the plane so early. But then again, I’ve never flown first class. I do think they take some satisfaction in watching the steerage head to the back of the plane while they sit with a drink in their hand. United even has a red carpet for special VIP boarding. I was in economy class, so no perks for me.
The flights were uneventful and I landed in DC at about 4PM local time. I took the Metro to Dupont Circle and hiked up to the motel. I’ve stayed at the Jury’s Normandy before, so it was a little old home week for me.
I had to come down a couple of blocks to the Courtyard by Marriott to find a computer. I need to check on the details of the Nationals Baseball Game. I got my times and route and headed over to the ball park. I was able to scalp a $34 ticket for $20. Thus, my $10 supper of a sausage and Diet Pepsi didn’t seem as ridiculous. I guess my evening washed out about even on what I was going to spend.
I left in the 8th inning with the Nat’s up 5 to 1. Checking the scoreboard I see the Pirates scored 4 in the 8th to tie the game and the Nat’s scored one in the ninth to win. Maybe I should have stayed a little longer.
Well I should get going. I have a few more things I jotted down to write about. They were airport related, so I’ll relay them the next time I fly. That would be Friday.
Tomorrow I will talk about the day but I also want to cover the fact that this whole fellowship opportunity still hasn’t fully sunk in yet.
First stop was Denver. I always walk through the airport expecting to see people I know, but today that didn’t happen. I’m even more alert in airports like Denver and Washington DC. Considering that about 125,000 people move through DIA each day (Yes, more people fly in and out of DIA each day than live in Billings) I don’t know why I’m so sure I’ll see somebody I know just walking through the concourse. The nice ticket counter lady in Denver told me that United alone handles 30 to 40 thousand airline passengers each day.
I’m a bit amused with all the hoopla that now goes on trying to impress travelers. I think United had no less than 4 different VIP groups that had various perks associated with boarding the airplane. I’ve never understood why the people in first class want to get on the plane so early. But then again, I’ve never flown first class. I do think they take some satisfaction in watching the steerage head to the back of the plane while they sit with a drink in their hand. United even has a red carpet for special VIP boarding. I was in economy class, so no perks for me.
The flights were uneventful and I landed in DC at about 4PM local time. I took the Metro to Dupont Circle and hiked up to the motel. I’ve stayed at the Jury’s Normandy before, so it was a little old home week for me.
I had to come down a couple of blocks to the Courtyard by Marriott to find a computer. I need to check on the details of the Nationals Baseball Game. I got my times and route and headed over to the ball park. I was able to scalp a $34 ticket for $20. Thus, my $10 supper of a sausage and Diet Pepsi didn’t seem as ridiculous. I guess my evening washed out about even on what I was going to spend.
I left in the 8th inning with the Nat’s up 5 to 1. Checking the scoreboard I see the Pirates scored 4 in the 8th to tie the game and the Nat’s scored one in the ninth to win. Maybe I should have stayed a little longer.
Well I should get going. I have a few more things I jotted down to write about. They were airport related, so I’ll relay them the next time I fly. That would be Friday.
Tomorrow I will talk about the day but I also want to cover the fact that this whole fellowship opportunity still hasn’t fully sunk in yet.
Monday, May 21, 2007
The List
I have listed the items I need to get gathered up for the trip. Some I thought of and some were recommended by past fellows. These are the items I still need. I have gotten a few things lined up already (See the entry on my new toy). If you can think of anything, let me know.
Earplugs – for sleeping in noisy hotel rooms
Small Fan – for sleeping in non air conditioned hotel rooms
Business Cards – approximately 200
Febreeze – for clothes that take a beating in the hot sun
Local artist CD’s for city hosts – Six needed
Raincoat
I need to look into a Travel Visa Card at my bank.
I may have to add to the list as the trip gets closer.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Learning German
I bought some CD’s in the hopes that I can learn conversational German between now and when I arrive in
I’ve never been great with foreign languages. I’ve studied French and Spanish, but couldn’t speak them to save my soul. I just wanted enough German to try to get by. The CD’s work fine, but I have to listen to the lessons twice before I get most of what is going on.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
MT Economic Development Summit
I'm counting down the days till I leave, but in the mean time I’m in
I had a list of things I’ve learned at the Economic Summit.
Many of the people involved in Leadership Montana are at the
I’m very bad at paying attention to speakers that are not very dynamic. I spend much of my time visiting with people while I should be listening. Alec Hanson from the Montana League of Cities and Towns says I could have a great career in lobbying because I would rather be outside visiting than inside listening to the speakers.
Anheuser-Busch has a very snazzy presentation and they buy a lot of barley from
A Montana Tech tie is $15.00 at the bookstore.
You have two choices in retail outlets for a pair of shoes in
Clean coal technology is of much interest in
Things on campus change, but pretty slowly.
They have replaced the couch I got donated to the ASMT office with a nice leather couch. I wish it was there when I was in the office.
This is a very nice event. Well attended. Good Speakers. But I’m not sure how much it will do for the economy of
Friday, April 27, 2007
My New Toy
I’ve been wanting a video camera for a while now, at least a couple of years. So as my trip got closer, I broke down and finally bought a nice Sony. I went with a beefed up hard drive, because I was afraid I might run out of memory on the trip. So… I did end up spending more than I planned.
I do like my camera quite a bit. I also bought some video editing software at the same time. I took my little buddy to the fire house the day I bought the camera and I had a movie ready to go by within 20 hours. I stayed up a little late editing the footage, but I’m overly proud of my work. I must have watched the movie 10 times now and I think I’m finally done tweaking the movie. I need to try to get it burned onto a DVD.
So, hopefully I’ll be able to put together a nice movie from the footage I shoot over in
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
T minus 44 Days
I am definaltey counting down the days until departure. I get incrementally more excited each day. Since the press release went out (http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/04/20/news/local/72-shoots.txt) I've had lots of well wishes, conversations about the trip, a round of applause at the council meeting on Monday Night, several people willing to go with me, and a few tips by people that have visited Europe previously. It is great to visit with everyone and many people have shown an interest. It certainly keeps the anticipation up.
I'm in Missoula this week to put on some training. Got to have supper with my brother tonight and we'll probably do that again tomorrow. Then it is back to the Big City. Well it's almost time for "Deadliest Catch".
I'm in Missoula this week to put on some training. Got to have supper with my brother tonight and we'll probably do that again tomorrow. Then it is back to the Big City. Well it's almost time for "Deadliest Catch".
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Welcome to Shoots Marshall Fellowship Blog
Hi All,
For those of you that don't know me, I'm Shoots Veis. I'm a city council member in Billings, MT. Recently I received the good news that I was selected by the German Marshall Fund to be a Marshall Memorial Fellow for 2007. For more information on the City of Billings or the German Marshall Fund please click on the links to the right.
One of the benefits of living in Montana (as most of us here see it) is that we are pretty rural and a little isolated. An appealing aspect of the fellowship is the ability it gives me to make connections in Europe. I’m very interested in the mission of the fellowship to promote transatlantic relationships. It would be very difficult for me to make these connections in a different manner.
While I wish I had the budget to take all of you with me on the trip, so that we all could make transatlantic connections, that isn't a possibility. But I would like to take all of you with me virtually – through this blog.
My goal is to take as many Montanan's and kindred souls on this trip as I can. I will be using this blog to communicate with you before and during the trip. I hope to give updates of how the trip is going and provide insight as to what I’m learning on the trip.
For those of you that don't know me, I'm Shoots Veis. I'm a city council member in Billings, MT. Recently I received the good news that I was selected by the German Marshall Fund to be a Marshall Memorial Fellow for 2007. For more information on the City of Billings or the German Marshall Fund please click on the links to the right.
One of the benefits of living in Montana (as most of us here see it) is that we are pretty rural and a little isolated. An appealing aspect of the fellowship is the ability it gives me to make connections in Europe. I’m very interested in the mission of the fellowship to promote transatlantic relationships. It would be very difficult for me to make these connections in a different manner.
While I wish I had the budget to take all of you with me on the trip, so that we all could make transatlantic connections, that isn't a possibility. But I would like to take all of you with me virtually – through this blog.
My goal is to take as many Montanan's and kindred souls on this trip as I can. I will be using this blog to communicate with you before and during the trip. I hope to give updates of how the trip is going and provide insight as to what I’m learning on the trip.
Monday, April 16, 2007
The Trip
The Marshall Memorial Fellowship (MMF) provides a unique opportunity to explore societies, institutions, and people on the other side of the Atlantic. The MMF program draws Fellows from the United States for a three- to four-week traveling program.
Fellows each visit five cities in Europe per trip. They meet formally and informally with a range of policymakers and prominent members of the business, government, political, NGO, and media communities. The German Marshall Fund works closely with partner institutions and individual consultants in each city, providing Fellows with an invaluable local perspective on the transatlantic and domestic issues on the agenda.
My itinerary for the trip is as follows:
2 Days in Washington, DC
4 Days in Brussels
5 Days in Frankfurt
4 Days in Ankara
5 Days in Bucharest
4 Days in Elmau, Germany where I will attend the 2007 Marshall Forum on Transatlantic Affairs
Return to Billings, MT
UPDATE: I will be traveling to both Ankara and Istanbul Turkey. We get two days in each city. I'm really exciting to be traveling to Turkey. I'm hoping to see some great old history and learn more about a nation in transition, facing some issues similar to the US
Fellows each visit five cities in Europe per trip. They meet formally and informally with a range of policymakers and prominent members of the business, government, political, NGO, and media communities. The German Marshall Fund works closely with partner institutions and individual consultants in each city, providing Fellows with an invaluable local perspective on the transatlantic and domestic issues on the agenda.
My itinerary for the trip is as follows:
2 Days in Washington, DC
4 Days in Brussels
5 Days in Frankfurt
4 Days in Ankara
5 Days in Bucharest
4 Days in Elmau, Germany where I will attend the 2007 Marshall Forum on Transatlantic Affairs
Return to Billings, MT
UPDATE: I will be traveling to both Ankara and Istanbul Turkey. We get two days in each city. I'm really exciting to be traveling to Turkey. I'm hoping to see some great old history and learn more about a nation in transition, facing some issues similar to the US
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Traveling Tips
One of the reasons that I was selected as a fellow was that I had not previously traveled in Europe. It will make for an exciting trip, but I also don’t know what to expect as I travel the continent.
One of the flights I have to take as part of the trip is from DC to Europe. I'm sure it will be a fairly lengthy flight.
Any good tips on how to make the flight more enjoyable?
How about flying in Europe? Any good tips on flying in Europe versus flying in the States?
For those world travelers out there, any tips you can give me about traveling in Europe would be greatly appreciated.
Local customs I should be aware of? What was the biggest adjustment you had to make when you traveled to Europe?
Thanks for the help.
One of the flights I have to take as part of the trip is from DC to Europe. I'm sure it will be a fairly lengthy flight.
Any good tips on how to make the flight more enjoyable?
How about flying in Europe? Any good tips on flying in Europe versus flying in the States?
For those world travelers out there, any tips you can give me about traveling in Europe would be greatly appreciated.
Local customs I should be aware of? What was the biggest adjustment you had to make when you traveled to Europe?
Thanks for the help.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Press Release from German Marshall Fund
57 emerging leaders selected as 2007 American Marshall Memorial Fellows
Contact: Neil Sumilas, Tel. +1-202-745-6671, nsumilas@gmfus.org
Washington, DC (December 13, 2006) - Fifty-seven emerging American leaders representing 20 states and the District of Columbia have been awarded the prestigious Marshall Memorial Fellowship (MMF) for 2007. They will each spend 23 days in Europe visiting institutions, societies, and cultures and learning about economic, political, and social issues facing the United States and Europe. Now entering its 25th year, the MMF program currently includes Fellows from 21 European countries and the United States.
"The MMF program brings together the best and the brightest from across the United States, and gives them a unique opportunity to explore Europe and the challenges of the transatlantic relationship." said Craig Kennedy, President of the German Marshall Fund. "As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of this program, we are pleased to welcome this latest group into the MMF network."
The goal of the Marshall Memorial Fellowship is to educate the next generation of American and European leaders on the importance of the transatlantic relationship and encourage them to work with each other on a range of international and domestic policy challenges. Fellows are selected through a competitive nationwide process and come from politics, government, media, business, and the non-profit sector. The MMF program began in 1982, when the inaugural group of German MMFs visited the United States. Since then, GMF and its partner institutions have been instrumental in developing and maintaining a vital network on both sides of the Atlantic committed to transatlantic relations.
Each year, GMF works with partners across the United States to identify and select the American Marshall Memorial Fellows. Partners include the Cleveland Foundation, the Forum at the University of Washington's Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, the Citizens' League of Minnesota, the Pacific Council on International Policy, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth, the International Visitors Council of North Carolina, the University of Denver School of Public Policy Studies, and the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta. National partners include the American Council of Young Political Leaders, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Council of State Governments, and the National League of Cities.
The Marshall Memorial Fellowship (MMF) was created by the German Marshall Fund in 1982 to introduce a new generation of European leaders to America's institutions, politics, and people. In 1999, GMF launched a companion program to expose future U.S. leaders to a changing and expanding Europe. Fellows come from across the United States and from 21 European countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, France, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia - including Kosovo - Slovakia, Spain, and Turkey). GMF works closely with partners in more than 50 cities on both sides of the Atlantic to make the MMF program possible.
The German Marshall Fund of the United States (www.gmfus.org) is a nonpartisan American public policy and grantmaking institution dedicated to promoting greater cooperation and understanding between the United States and Europe. Founded in 1972 through a gift from Germany as a permanent memorial to the Marshall Plan assistance, GMF maintains a strong presence on both sides of the Atlantic. In addition to its headquarters in Washington, DC, GMF has six offices in Europe: Berlin, Bratislava, Paris, Brussels, Belgrade, and Ankara.
To view the complete list of 2007 AMMFs, click here.
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