oh, naïvety.

As we grow up, we realize that not everything is as innocent as we once thought.  Supposedly, Disney films such as Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, The Rescuers Down Under, Bambi, and The Lion King all have some sexual innuendo incorporated into the film that would give them a big boost to their male teenager sales.



Along with these seemingly unnecessary additions, there's ever-present propaganda to keep in mind. Whoooooo's your favorite German dictator?  Leni Reifenstahl would be so proud
(good stuff starts around 1.35)



Propaganda at it's finest:



Not as good as...http://www.jogyjogy.com/watch.php?id=19825&hd=1


Feel free to post any others that you may think of

my blogging has been shitty because, well, i don't own a computer. pictures, videos, and writing galore to arrive over the summer.  in the meantime, i'll be seeing rome, nice (+cannes+monaco), paris (+versailles), and muff & head zolf.  can't wait. 

i wish i could upload the pix and vidz for ya'll, but here's what i saw yesterday on an @rt History trip to the world's second oldest university: when students earn their doctorate, their friends help them celebrate by dressing them up and forcing them to drink in front of the university.  if the doctor's mother is present and asks for mercy for her child, the hazing gets worse.  the literal translation of their chant is, "doctor, doctor, doctor asshole. fuck you, fuck you."  i'm pretty happy i saw this; i'm getting back to elmhurst on may 26 and my youngest brother, henry, is graduating from 8th grade on may 28.


big ups to friends out there on the web

“random thoughts for the masses”
So far, I’ve done a lot of new things while abroad.  I don’t think it’s possible for me to do justice to my feelings and experiences by trying to describe them on some internet site.  However, one thing that I have learned that I can articulate is that in order to learn, you must do.  Whether it’s talking to new people or climbing to new heights, do something new every day.  See a new movie, phone an old friend, read a new book, walk a new path, try a new food, start to a new club…anything as long as you’re learning.  It’s easy to go through the motions and call it a day after an unsatisfying day of class, work, or going out, but it doesn’t have to be that way.  Find out more about yourself by doing more with yourself.  “I can’t wake you up.  Only you can wake you up.” – John Winston

"Don’t put limitations on yourself – let other people do that for you.  Take risks." -- James Cameron 

lahndahntahn

insert churchill or beatles quote here
Whoaman, London's been quite the ride.  And I thought I was burnt out after Amsterdam.  I have never expended so much energy over such a small amount of time.  From the time I touched down in London town, I kept meeting up with friends, old and new, and the fun never stopped.  I am so happy that I have had the opportunity to connect with friends from back home; it’s definitely helped ease the transition of traveling to foreign lands.

Some of the things that surprised me about London:

• the genial and honest air about the London natives
• the wealth!
• the amount of alcohol regularly consumed by people in London
• how easy it is to fall in love with British girls
• its size and assorted beauty

the long weekend
Danny Schufreider showed me around to a pub and club for the first night of surprises.  the night started out that I was nearly tackled by Brendan O’Neil when I walked in the club, and the last surprise was that I ended up in a bed.  I spent Thursday playing a sport for the first time since I’ve been here and although I played like crud, it was great to get out and shoot some hoops.  For dinner, we met up with Nick Kool and the Gang and after some very long-awaited greetings we frequented an American diner look-alike that makes me laugh when I think about it.  After, we went to O’Neills and I’m pretty sure that I had the time of my life.  A lot of my closest friends and I went out and sang, shot plenty of shit, and danced like we’ve never danced before.  Think jockeys.  Also, I had my first cigarette break, where I met a bunch of British guys and got a crash course in Black Humour 101.  It’s getting harder and harder to have ‘the best night of my trip’, but I think this was it.  It’s nights like these that make me glad to be here and really miss a lot about home at the same time.  Also, dancing with friends to (I Would Walk) 500 Miles can make for a very happy place.

The next morning, Nick led a tour of sightseeing and catching up that started with Big Ben and ended with Admiral Nelson.  In between, Parliament was AMAZING! and Westminster Abbey was just as cool.  I’ve seen some Duomo’s and cathedrals in my day but the Abbey surpassed any religious building I’ve seen thus far.  We were supposed to meet back up at Nick and Mal’s living quarters, but they left without me and Matt, so it was up to us to find our way to a place called Walkabout without cell phones.  Unfortunately for us, there are two Walkabouts in London and we chose the wrong one.  We got there, Matt and I got separated, and it turned out to be a loooong night getting back to Brendan’s.

I woke up the next morning (afternoon) and we went straight to The Crabtree, a pub just down the lane from Fulham Stadium.  My friends all had tickets to the game and I didn’t, but I figured I’d be able to scalp some close to gametime.  I was right – I ended up paying around 40 USD for front row seats to a quarterfinal match between two London rivals. The game ended in a tie, and after hanging at the pub for a little while afterwards, we grabbed some food and cider drink and went back to Brendo’s for some much needed catching up.  We told ghost stories, made some shitty food, and had a pretty great end to a pretty great day.  I wrapped up the weekend by spending the next day seeing more things and meeting up with my U of I friends for one last night.  If you ever read this, thanks Moni, Mal, Emily, Nick, Kyle, Max, Matt, Jake, and Chad for sharing an unbelievable weekend with me.

friends
London wasn’t the most different, eye-opening place that I’ve been to so far during my stay in Europe.  Having said this, my five nights in London were the wildest, funnest that I’ve ever had.  It was me and Matt pretty much all weekend, but we ran into friends from each stage of my life.  I could have written a lot about the ironies and joys that occurred during this trip, but I think it’s better for you readers if I just say that I appreciate everything that my friends have done and will do in the future.  Much love to all my homies out there. 

amsterland

This is going to be stoopid.  Here is my attempt at writing-as-I-go in Amsterdam.

Day 1

13:30 –  So I just made it to my hostel after my first encounter with legal prostitution and public urination.  We have about seven hours to kill before we can check our stuff into the hostel, so here goes nuffin.

21:00 – Those guys down there said all the weirdest stuff and it made complte sense to them and almost no stuff to me.  Barney kinda looked like Horstmann!  And said a lot of retarded stuff, too.  In fact, I bet The Parent Trap was based on them and Barney’s the British one.  Oh and what an amazing game of chess I’ve just had!  I concentrated so hard that I would lose concentration.  I wonder if there are prostitutes for delivery?  Nap-time and then friend Mitch will be here and we will see the world.

Day 2

09:00 – Yesterday = suck-sess.  Success in the sense that I had a great time but suck-sess in the sense that I literally did nothing for about eight hours.  I guess it comes with the territory.  I never woke up from that nap so I figure that must have expended a lot of energy on that chess match.  Time to go eat a hearty breakfast and then junk food all day!

20:00 – That sex museum was amazing.  I know I shouldn’t judge because I know little about them, but I feel like everyone associated with that building is going to hell.  Kyle, Mitch, Katie, Catherine, BAJORSK, and Chow are here now and we’re straight strawberry jamming right now.  Finna be a party tonight.  That guy who was swingin’ for the fences today was amazing.

                Day 3

08:30 – I don’t want to raise kids here.  Not mine, anyway.  No way, no how.

27:30 – Today I saw the Van Gogh Museum, Heineken Experience, and some other very cool things.  Van Gogh was awesome but I really wish I could have seen Starry Night and the flower one.  Heineken was pretty cool but I think it would have been better had I not been spoiled by the Guinness Factory last week.  Tonight I went to Paradiso which was a real funky place.  I watched a whole floor of people dance for a while and I felt strange standing by the side, so I decided to go in and start dancing by myself. I figured that of all places, a former church turned disco-club in Amsterdam was the last place to judge me.  Then, I realized that it’s weird anywhere for guys to dance by themselves.  Goodnight, and good luck.

                Day 4

I’m on my way out of Amsterdam and it was quite the trip.  I’m not sure it was everything I was looking for, but then again, I had no idea what I was looking for.  If I had to do it again, I suppose I would stay for a shorter time…who needs to sit in a coffeeshop for four days?  It was fun and eye-opening but I feel a little burnt out.

ayrlund

here. we go.

I can't believe I'm startin off wif dis lame sentence, but Dublin was jess plain spectacular.   Fom the historical sites like Trinity College and St. Patrick’s Cathedral to funner places like the Guinness Factory and Temple Bar, the place was studded with culture.  I loved being there because it helped me realize the incredible differences in culture, history, and personality that are present in different parts of the world.  For instance, while it’s a mortal sin to grab your crotch for any reason in Italy, you’ll find people pissing all over the busiest parts of Dublin at night.  My Italian roommates would have been out of place, to say the least.  It was awesome to see that like the Italians, though, the Irish have so much national pride and have such a unique identity.  They’re kind of like the Elven-folk of Middle Earth in the sense that they have fair skin and their own secret language that they use only when they want to tell secrets or tell stories about fallen warriors and stuff.

We spent one night in Dublin, where we went on a pub crawl that was full of cool English-speaking people from all over the world (England, Australia, America, Canada, South Africa, Ireland, and New Zealand, to name a few).  My favorite stop was at Legend’s, where they had traditional Irish dancing and folk singing **.  We then travelled to Galway from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon.  The city itself reminded me of Verona because it’s a medium –sized city with a ton of history and few tourists.  We went out a little that first night to a pub with a KoL cover band playing and woke up early the next morning to meet up with Amy K for our bus tour around the area.  During this short but absolutely necessary trip, I went in a cave where bears once lived, saw the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, and a bunch of old castles among the Irish countryside.  I’ve seen some pretty beautiful natural landscapes in my day, but I don’t think any of them compare with the cliffs.  If you’re thinking of yourself, “Isn’t that the place where Harry and Dumbledore go in The Half-Blood Prince to find the locket Horcrux?”-- you’re right.

That night, I went to dinner with Mary Alice Acton from good ole ICGS.  It was fitting to see her there: she’s got red hair with freckles, Irish danced into college, and is studying abroad in Ireland for the year.  We ate fish and chips and Guinness for dinner.  My fondest memory then occurred as I met and spent the night with an Irish dude named Sean.  He treated me to a couple drinks (side note: do not ask for Irish Car Bombs or Black & Tans in the UK) because he appreciated that I was American and not a douschebag.  We met his cousins (who ranged in age from 18-60), danced to an awesome band, and talked a little The Wire and other stuff.  The Irish nightlife was so much fun – there was always music to dance to, the natives were outgoing and friendly as hell, and it never got so crazy that you couldn’t find a place to go and chat over a pint.  Such was the experience in both Galway and Dublin, where I can’t believe that I spent my Sunday night hanging out with Taylor Spaulding.  Literally everywhere I’ve gone in Europe so far, I’ve seen someone from Elmhurst on accident.  It’s a small world after all when you’re as sweet and outgoing and likeable as me  ;)

in conclusion,
I will go back to Ireland at some point in my life.  The country itself is really pretty and the girls would make perfect housewives.  I will find my mate there in the future. I pierced my ear.

Sláinte 

Jase '-Face' Roan

Even though I would love to tell you all about my trip to Venice with Meeetch, Rob, KyKy, and all the other Rome friends, I wanted to take this opportunity to write about my friend Jase.  He's new to this 'reading blogs' thing so I thought it would be nice to 'throw a little shout-out' his way.

Jason Anthony Roan has always lived two blocks from me, yet we were never close until high school.  I blame this on the fact that I was just a lowly IC Knight and he was the cool public school kid...I mean, he actually DATED Mayar Sakr!  Over the years, I've gotten to know Jase pretty well and am happy to say that he is one of my closest friends.  He's always on time, he's nice, he tells funny stories, and he can grow a mean patch of hair on his chin.  Another great thing about Jase that few of you probably know is that the kid's dad is the SPORTS GUY FOR W.G.N.!!!!!  Talk about having an in when meeting girls.  Speaking of a sweet family, Deb Roan is a saint and I don't think you could find two cooler brothers out there: while DJ Matt Roan keeps him up on the music scene, Handy Dandy Andy Roan makes sure he's gettin $$$. 


A history of ballin with my man J-Rider
I got to know Boner best from our time together playing sports.  Here is a quick timeline of our relationship.

• Teammates on the Indians for EYB baseball
• YMCA and York summer camp rivals
• 'Friends' at John Paxson basketball camp
• Airborne teammates/ brothers
• He was on the A team and I was on the B team freshman year
• York Tennis York ||||| Tennis York Tennis
• World's #1 player-fan tandem during the Dukes 2006 season
• Jase's Driveway ballas 4 life

That's all I got for now.  Check back in another time for updates on what's going on in Jase's life.

Firenze: The Cradle of the Renaissance and American Tourism

My time abroad has been pretty unpredictable.  Every day really is a new day...I should be in my photography class right now, but my teacher is currently on the other side of the world.  As soon as we find out where the gym is, Matt and I are going to go to the Università di Verona and get in a pickup game with a bunch of Italian dudes.  Other than the fact that they'll be hairier and have more sex than me, I think we should be able to let them know what real men are like.  One of my favorite things about being here is that I can't foresee having a dull day when there's so many new people and experiences waiting for me.  It kind of makes me think about how much I miss out at home by taking things for granted.

culture time

It's amazing how accessible Europe is.  I took a four hour train ride from Verona to Florence last weekend and witnessed some of the most historically and artistically significant figures in a matter of hours.  There was a large group of us traveling and I knew that a bunch of friends were coming from Milan, meaning that I had to be ready for anything.  I think I handled the weekend pretty well and I'm glad I did...there was no way I was climbing 414 steps with a hangover.  I was pretty moved when I saw The Birth of Venus and some of the other works in gli Uffizi, and of course the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio were awesome, but they could not compare with my favorite part of Florence: the Galleria dell'Accademia.  When people talk about Michelangelo's David, they say that it depicts a young King David as he contemplates his upcoming battle with the giant.  This is a research mistake on my part, but I had never really heard about all its history and impact that is what makes this work truly awesome.  I literally gazed at it for two hours straight.  Not only was the size incredible, but its precision was breathtaking.  It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend seeing it sometime.

One thing I didn't really like about this city was that it was ridiculously touristy.  Don't get me wrong, it was nice to meet other Americans and not have to make up words to make conversation flow, but everywhere we went, there were Americans that were allowed to be American.  Florence was a sweet place that everyone should see in their lifetime, but I am perfectly happy in Verona.  It's less boisterous and you can't really expect to get by in the city without adapting to the Italian way.  Maybe I've already established loyalty to my home city, but I feel really fortunate to get to live in a place that I feel can show me authentic Italian lifestyle.

old faces, new places

It was pretty hilarious to run into my grade school buddy, Mike Higgins.  The kid likes to get a little drunk, is very forward with girls after a few drinks, and realizes that we're in another country for little time...the perfect wingman for a discoteque. At one point during a normal conversation with some girls, he said, "Dude let's get out of here, these girls suck."  I didn't think they were that bad, so I said that we should stay.  Little did I know, he had already told them that they sucked and we therefore had no choice but to leave.  My man!  I hope I run into him again at some point during my time here. I also got to see my bros Jake and Chad, which brought back memories from being back with my friends in Champaign (unreasonable alcohol intake, disregard for strangers, unwillingness to pay cover charge or wait in line at bars).  Being in a program with 36 girls and one other guy, it was nice to be able to relate my friends for a little while.  It's not easy sitting quietly as girls talk about their favorite Jane Austen movie adaptation or Desperate Housewives characters.  Che coglione.

more new experiences

I learned a lot about culture from seeing David, il Duomo, and gli Uffizi, but I think I learned just as much from the interactions at the discoteque.  For any Elmhurst homeboys/skanks out there, imagine the exact opposite of Ryan Borchert.  The venue was Space Electronic and while it smelled better than any campus bar, it still kind of made me want to throw up.  (Station * 2) + (Eurobros) = Space Electronic.  I knew from the moment I walked in that this was the kind of place where you really couldn't have that great a time without acid.  With all of the mirrors, oddballs, flashing colors, and N*SYNC techno remixes going on, I figured that I could use a cocktail or two before making a fool of myself on the dancefloor.  The upper level was a dancefloor where I distinguished myself as the only guy suitable for American females to dance with.  Not only am I a fantastic dancer in this kind of setting, but all European males in this kind of place are scum, so I got a lot of security dances, which was fine by me.  It took so long, but with all the English speaking people grinding up on my d, I finally felt like I was back home where I belonged.  It was a fun experience overall, but I vowed after that first night I would never go back again.  I was wrong...we went back the next night.


in the meantime

After our Italian 1 test was finally over (no more 9:30 class every morning!), a bunch of my friends went to Milan for Friday and Saturday.  I decided to stay in town to go with Davide to check out some parts of Verona that I hadn't yet experienced.  We went shopping, got some gelato, and touched Juliet's b00bs for good luck.  A couple out-of-towners were in for Saturday night, so I decided to join them for dinner at their hosts' place.  It was a cool little get-together with plenty of food and drink, which was very fun, but I learned that little good comes from plastic jugs of wine.  The next morning, our group got the chance to take a day trip to Salò, Sirmione, Borghetto, and Castellaro, which were dreamy.  With mountains on one side and Lake Garda on the other, this tranquil site was my ideal summer home.  On Sunday alone, I had pizza 'frutti di mare', donkey, and rabbit.  None were anything special, but I had to know, ya know?

This past Wednesday night, I stayed with Jake and co. in Milan so that I could get to Torino early on Thursday.  I didn't really get to see much of the city, but it was a fun time going to aperitivo and a club with some friends.  I hadn't been very successful with meeting foreign girls at this point, so I made it my goal for the night to charm some girl in Italian.  After a few minutes of successfully dancing with one girl, I said in Italian, "Dancing is the universal language."  She smiled and replied, "I think I need a drink."  Oh well.  Matt and I made our way to Torino the next morning and had a really awesome experience.  We went to a car expo and a couple museums, but the best part of the day was when Old Man befriended us at Palazza Reale.  He showed us around some of the coolest parts of the town and recounted a lot about his travels abroad.  He was born in Torino and still lives there in the winter, but we gathered that over the years, he'd lived in the US, South America, Australia, Russia, and different parts of Italy.  It was so cool to see that this wealthy, worldy old man was still humble and willing to take the time to reach out to two American strangers and pass along some of his knowledge.  It was a really intimate, moving experience for me and although I never learned his name, I think it's better off that way.

the future

My upcoming outside-of-Italy trips are Ireland and Amsterdam and I don't think I could be more excited.  Ireland is guaranteed to be a blast and for Amsterdam, I'm staying in a five-star hostel by the name of 'Bulldog' with Miiiiiiatch and P-Crowe.  These upcoming weeks very well may be some of the most memorable of my life.  "But what will I wear!?"

Wish You Were Here

"Your documentation of your trip thus far has been poor," he said to me.

 This is my response.

overview.

It's a strange world, this Italy.  The natives are quite big (naturally, but I'm stronger than a lot of them), their keyboards are difficult to understand, and there is little water in their toilet bowls.  I like it so far, though.  The Italians are very friendly and they seem to be laid back with a sort of peace at mind that you often can't find in America.  Unfortunately, they don't really use ice here and I'm starting to understand how Tom Hanks felt in Cast Away.

My time here will be comprised of class (Italian language, cinema, art history, and photography), traveling, laughing at Joanna Lucca, watching tons of TV shows, learning to cook and live on my own, and hopefully finding out a little about what it's like to not be sheltered anymore.

roommates, lifestyle.

I think that you learn most when you take time to hear what different people have to say.  I think I'm beginning to understand the importance of actually listening to people who are different.

I don't have the best physical apartment, but I firmly believe that I have the best living situation of anyone in my program.  His name is Matt and Matt is good.  An Italian roommate of mine, David, is currently walking around the apartment in nothing but his tight Italian underwear.  He speaks a decent amount of English and he is the MVP--Most Valuable PastaEater--of the apartment.  He teaches me bad words, tells me all about Italian culture, picks me up when I'm feeling blue, shows me how to be Italian, and has sex with me.  Riki (pronounced Reeeeeee-keeeeeee) is my other Italian roommate and he, too, is a stud.  He doesn't speak as much English but we make it work.  Before getting an apartment together, they had never met and although they are different in their mannerisms and interests, they are fast friends.  Both are very easy to get along with and I am very happy to be living with them because it's how I'm going to learn most about the lifestyle.  It's interesting because l'Università di Verona literally just threw two Americans into these kids' apartment and I don't think there's anything Riki or David could have done about it.  That is simply baffling to me.  I think that this further demonstrates how laid back, understanding, and easy-going these people are.  I have to imagine that it would be a big deal if they just threw two Italians into some American students' apartment.

the past week.

I'm going to skip all the "OMG I JUST LANDED IN A DIFFERENT COUNTRY!!!" stuff for now and tell you about the past week.  If I ever write a book about my first 2 weeks in Italy I'll be sure to let everyone know via Raw Dawg's Blawg or Twitter.

Saturday - Woke up at 7:00, went skiing in the Alps, met a well-known Italian journalist at dungeon pub, and saw first-hand why it's okay to get driven home by a drunk Italian man.  All in all, it was a very, very good day.  Then again, aren't most days very good days?  I think that they can be if you want them to...

Sunday - Slept in past 8:30 for the first time in 17 days.  Didn't really have anything to do so I walked around the city.  I'm extremely lucky to be able to spend time in a place like this with people like them.  I have a pair of sweet parents to thank for this good fortune.

Monday – I want to make my days here ‘long days’ no matter what.  Even if it’s just going to class and getting the most out of it, there’s no reason I shouldn’t be dogg-tired at the end of my day.  I had my typical Italian class, followed by my first Art History class, and cooking with Francesca to cap off a great Italian day.  That night, I got to Skype for the first time with two besties ;)

Tuesday - Booking tickets to places, losing my mind, cinema class

Wednesday (probably the best day of the trip thus far) – The day started with a hearty breakfast with the birthday boy and got better and better all the time. Italian class was hilarious and encouraging as I started to get the hang of this language thing.  We had to book sum’mo trips, but the rest of the day included my Twain meeting (I’ll be teaching Italian kids about Mark Twain…wait what?), and getting lost with Courtney.  A developing tradition with our friends here is Wednesday night dinner where some people cook for everyone else.  This night, Matt and I made a delicious meal for 15.  The ensuing festivities may go down as some of the most memorable of the trip.

Thursday –I slept slept slept (through class), read The Old Man and The Sea, and began dis blawg.  It was a mental health day.

Friday – Embarked upon our first solo trip: Florence.  Much more to come soon.

trips. AKA holy shit i’m going to be in debt for the next 20 years.

Our program is pretty fortunate because we have an Italian man, Claudio, who often takes us on trips to places in Italia that he thinks are important for us to know.  These are listed in bold letters.  I’m going to be travelling a lot more than I anticipated, but I think this is the way to go about it.  “Better to see it now and be in debt for a while than never see it at all,” a prostitute once told me.  I think she was right…I mean, I may never get the chance to get away and see all of these amazing, important things.  The trips that I’m not positive about are underlined, but I’m pretty sure they will end up happening.

Mantova-Bevilacqua, Alps, Florence, Salò-Sirmione-Castellaro, Venice, Dublin, Hamsterdam, London, Venice-Murano-Lake Garda, Barcelona-Granada for spring break, Santorini-Athens-Cinque Terra for Easter break, Asiago, Paris, Amalfi Coast-Pompeii-Capri, Rome, Cannes, the World.

That just about wraps it up for the first raw post; I hope you’ve enjoyed it. I am going to try hard to make this a consistent thing so that I’m not so disconnected with everyone, so please spread the word for others to follow!