A Day Downtown

Day Four
The weekend began enjoyably with Saturday morning free time, which I used to walk through the few acres of the Chateau's park with a group of friends. We walked the trails taking pictures of the beautiful greenery and making a mostly unsuccessful attempt to use a map to locate the artwork scattered around the park. Some of the art we saw included large sculptures of ears in a forest, a pipe that twisted over a rock, and a painting inside a large tree trunk. 

After the relaxing walk, the whole group headed into downtown Strasbourg for a boat tour of the city. I was expecting it to be exciting, but unfortunately the resulting two hour trip was severely disappointing. The boat had a plexiglas domed top making it impossible to take pictures without glare and reflection. In addition, the combination of summer weather, boat with no A/C, and a tape recorded voice droning in my ear about the number of bridges in Strasbourg caused me (and most of my classmates) to fall asleep. My first downtown experience quickly improved when I went to a museum full of Alsatian artifacts (Alsace is the region Strasbourg is located in) and walked through a beautiful Cathedral afterwards. 

Things I Noticed In Downtown Strasbourg:

• There is a separate lane for bicycles apart from the sidewalk
• The city is planned in smart growth style meaning that there is a focus on density and resident interaction: the city is walkable with wide sidewalks and shops are set up right against the street to foster a social and lively downtown atmosphere
• All the cars driven are small and compact. There is no land used only for parking. All parking is either on the streets or sidewalks. 
• It seems like French people are more relaxed. They take their time when eating a meal, interact more with each other than we do in America, and have a "work to live" rather than the "live to work" attitude we have in the States. Possible causes may be that they look at schedules more flexibly (store hours not always guaranteed), have enforced thirty-five hour work weeks, and are given five weeks of vacation time. If only we had that luxury in the U.S

Peace, Love, and Strasbourg ~ Naomi 

Pictures of the Day

Adam and I in a piece of art that represents a tribal fire circle

A piece of art I have entitled "pipe on top of a rock"

Back of the chateau from the park

 Listening to a forest full of ears

Cathedral in downtown Strasbourg

The less-than-enthralling boat tour of Strasbourg

French Torah in the Alsatian museum

Hebrew written in French colors in an attempt to assimilate and avoid exile 

(never does seem to work out that way does it?) 

 

Carousel in the middle of the city

Young French girl dancing to the band 

Anne says "We're back!"
 

Merci Beaucoup

Day Three
On Friday, we dressed in our business attire and headed to the European Parliament for a tour and a lecture, both of which were fantastic! The building is a beautiful glass structure with an open central courtyard and trees planted on the top to create urban green space. Using glass represents the parliament's transparency, since all the debates are open to the public. It is located on the Rhine River next to the buildings for the Court of Human Rights and the Council of Europe. The inside of the ground floor is lined with smooth rocks and green vines stretch from them up to the ceiling. The main staircase is a double helix and is called the Staircase of Honor and its design is based on a staircase in Chambord Castle designed by Leonardo da Vinci. Our group was able to sit in the main chamber of Parliament and had a guest speaker who worked for the EU Parliament as an administrator.

Interesting Facts About EU Parliament:

• With 27 member states and 751 seats (including the president) it is the largest chamber in Europe. 
• The members sit by political party, not by nationality. 
  
• Romania and Bulgaria were the last two countries to join in 2007.
• Turkey, Croatia, Macedonia, and Iceland are current pending applicants.
• The parliament rotates between Brussels, Strasbourg, and Luxembourg (administrative).
• There are two official parliament languages: English and French. 
• Twenty-three different languages are spoken by members and each is allowed to speak in their native tongue.
• This requires 500 translators, which make up 1/3 of the organization's employees

After touring the Parliament, we headed across the river to Germany to do a company visit at the Rhine Center for Dow Chemical Company. We were given a presentation about the vision regarding environmental and community goals by a speaker who was in charge of community relations for Europe and specifically Germany. Afterwords, we were given a tour of the plant, which produced liquid latex. I thought the tour was interesting, but there was not much to be learned about government policy there. I asked the speaker how much waste was produced by the company per year and she responded that she didn't have that statistic. I wasn't surprised but was slightly disappointed that she wasn't forthcoming about the impact that a chemical production company has on the landscape.


Some Interesting Facts About Dow Chemical Company:

• It is the #1 chemical company in the United States and #2 worldwide behind BASF in Germany.
• They produce 5,000 products at 185 sites in 35 different countries.
  
• Dow offers students a paid apprenticeship where they prepare young people for a career while they are still in school. 
• It was founded in 1897 in Midland, MI.
  
• In 2010 they saw $53.7 billion of sales.
• Each chemical production company has a signature color and Dow's is light blue.

After returning to the Chateau, Sven planned a movie night and we watched the film L'Auberge Espagnole about a student doing a study abroad program called Erasmus in Barcelona and living in an apartment with six other students, all from different countries with different languages. Of course, while we watched indulged in bread, cheese, and wine. We are in France after all!

Peace, Love, and Strasbourg ~ Naomi

Pictures of the Day

 Naomi in front of EU Parliament

Flags line the entryway to the building

EU Parliament Open Atrium

Urban greenspace growing on the building

Vines lined inside of the building and stretched up to the top (not real plants though!)

 Staircase of Honor originally designed by DaVinci

EU Parliament Chamber 

Safety first for the Dow Chemical Tour!

Ready to go see some latex in my hardhat

Bonjour a Strasbourg!

Day One
Technically, I spent my entire first day on an airplane. I went to my final class of the semester at noon last Wednesday and went straight from GSU to the Atlanta airport for my flight to Paris. The flight at eight hours was probably about seven hours too long, and of course I got the dreaded middle seat next to a friendly but large British woman who was constantly searching for her neck pillow and had apparently decided that she owned all the armrests. Thank goodness Air France served wine and champagne with the meals/snacks because that was the only thing making the flight bearable. We landed in Paris around nine A.M., took a second much shorter flight from Paris to Frankfurt, Germany, then a two hour bus ride from there to the Chateau de Portales in Strasbourg, France.

Day Two
After arriving at the Chateau, the group was given some free time to go up to our rooms and unpack our things. Unfortunately, there is no elevator in the Chateau (which I probably should have suspected) and I was stuck hauling my forty-nine pound suitcase up three flights of stairs to the top floor. Even more unfortunately, my roommate Christa did not have to haul anything since her luggage (along with six other member of the group) was left in Paris and would not be reunited with her for a day and a half. After resting we were given a tour of the Chateau by our guide Sven, a young German with a blonde mowhawk.

Interesting Facts About Chateau De Portales:

• The Chateau is 300 years old and was originally a hunting lodge for a wealthy family
• In the 1970s it was converted into a university and then the study abroad program began 10 years ago
• The reception area of the Chateau is use for weddings and fancy events. It is booked a year in advance.

After the tour, we made our way down the path of the chateau to the entrance where a small french restaurant is located right outside the gates. The food was delicious (and pictured here by request of my boss Mike) and I talked to Sven about the food in Germany. I learned some interesting things like the fact that organic produce is the same price or cheaper than normal produce and that they had always been strict on food in Germany. Before the EU there was no artificial color allowed, which Sven said meant "no gummy bears." Afterwords I walked to the grocery store with a friend and bought some chicken, vegetables, and wine for the nights that we are on our own for meals. Unlike the United States, the grocery store does not provide free plastic bags. Instead, people bring their own bags or can buy a reuseable one at the store for one euro. I think this is a great idea to help the environment, reduce waste, and save money! Another environmental difference I noticed was that all the lights are on timers, so that they don't waste energy by being on if no one needs them. In my opinion, this really should be implemented in the U.S. The night ended with a group of students sitting outside and drinking wine before heading to bed. Just as a night in France ought to be in my opinion!

Peace, Love, and Strasbourg! ~ Naomi

Pictures of the Day 

The Chateau de Portales

Gate to the hotel attached to the chateau 

Chateau ballroom for weddings and events

Courtyard outside the Chateau

Welcome to France champagne toast 

Dinner appetizer of tuna and rice (for Mike Robl!)

Roommate Christa eating our first European dinner

Entry gate to the chateau

Entrance walkway

Lamppost

I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane

Oh boy am I in trouble with myself! I can't believe I haven't updated this blog in over two months! Bad Naomi! What is even more incredible is that I leave for Europe in exactly one week. For you non-math people that's 7 days! Woohoo! I have a lot of updates to give out!

First of all let me say I DID IT! I successfully raised OVER $4000 of trip money, and I have all of you to thank. Honestly, I couldn't have done it without your help and I continue to be amazed at all the generosity that has been show to me by family, friends, classmates, and anyone else who helped make this possible. Here are some really awesome things that have happened since I last posted:

• Received my Maimonides (Jewish class) stipend for $300
• Raised $130 and 30 euros taking my jar (pictured in this post) around to all my classes
• Given a generous donation of over $600 by my coworkers
• Awarded $800 for the IEF Scholarship
• Awarded $500 Honors Program Scholarship from the Alumni Foundation

Now with just a week left I have a long to-do list of things before I am ready to fly away for the next three weeks, but I'm really not able to contain my excitement. I know I have promised in the past, but I will be blogging from Europe and doing so more constantly than I have been in the past. In fact, I am getting a class of college credit for creating a photo journal of our trip and will be posting my entries here as well. I hope you continue to follow my blog as I begin this new adventure. Lastly, I cannot say thank you enough to anyone and everyone who supported me through this six month effort. It means more to me than you know.

Peace, Love, and soon to be in Paris ~ Naomi

Skirt Interview

From Lindsay Lohan's questionable attire in court last week to the latest episode of the Jersey Shore, one might easily lose hope in the productivity of our up and coming generations. There is, however, no need to worry because I am here to offer you a little peace of mind. The world is full of smart, strong, talented women who are more than capable of carrying us through the next 50 years and who often never get the credit they deserve.  I got to sit down and talk with one of these amazing stand-out women and I just knew I had to share her story with all of you amazing Skirt! readers.  This college senior's take on the current needs of our country is awe inspiring.  She is a breath of fresh air amid a sea of mindless drama.

I caught up with Naomi Klein as she was curled up in a big comfy chair at Panera Bread, quietly sipping her tomato soup and crunching on her grilled cheese.  Her black scarf and flower headband complimented her friendly smile as she waved for me to sit down with her.  Her confident and calm persona reminded me of someone much older. It was hard not to be enthralled by her excitement for her upcoming trip to study public policy in Europe. I was grateful that she let me ask her some questions about her studies, her trip and her future.

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When did you first begin to become interested in public policy?

When it became time to graduate high school and choose my major to enter the big world of college I had to think about what made me passionate. I realized that for the past ten years of my life the only thing I did consistently in my life was watch The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. It was then that I realized I wanted to pursue a career in politics/government. I started as a political science major in the school of liberal arts, but the college was so big I felt lost in a sea of undergrads. After taking a semester off to work as a staff member on the Obama campaign, I changed my major to public policy. Some people might ask “What is public policy and how is it different from political science?” Political science is more about the theory and philosophy of politics (focus on elected politicians) whereas public policy is more practical approach to government almost like applied political science (focus on professional government like bureaucracy ex: city managers, city planners). I am really happy with my decision to change to public policy because it focuses more on the relationship between government and the public and less about the power/party struggle between politicians. In addition, I went from being in the school of liberal arts to the Andrew Young School of Public Policy, which is a much smaller school, so I got the opportunity to build relationships with the faculty and had lots of one-on-one time to work with my professors and advisors.

What inspired this trip?

Well, I realized that after taking a full schedule this spring semester I will still have three classes left to take over the summer to graduate (because I took time off for the campaign). When I heard about this trip, I was immediately interested. There is no comparison in both excitement and learning opportunity between sitting in a classroom and going abroad for a hands-on experience (I learned more on the campaign than in any class). In thinking about going abroad, I realized that the only thing holding me back was not having the money, and I decided that a lack of funding should never be the reason keeping me from such an amazing experience, and studying broad in college is one of the cheapest ways to travel. This is my first time studying abroad and my first time going to France, so I am going to be exposed to so many new things! I would have to say that this trip was inspired by my ongoing desire to explore and experience the diversity the world has to offer even things outside my comfort zone.

Why Europe?

First let me say, "Why not Europe?!" Europe is so amazing in its history, culture, architecture, arts, etc. My major has been amazing in preparing me for government but my education has been almost completely US-centric. Students of US government can learn so much from the EU and this program will give me the chance to learn public policy on an international level. Like America, the EU is a developed post-modern world leader that encompasses/unites a group of smaller governments. These similarities allow for comparisons to be made between them! And studying the us/eu similarities and differences would add a new dimension to my policy knowledge. In addition, history is an important part of politics. America has European roots and we can always learn from where we came from.

What do you hope to learn on your travels?
I hope that experiencing and comparing the European public administration process to the American process will give me a wider and deeper understanding of what changes can be made from both sides to make government agencies more efficient and effective. For example:
In Freiburg, we are visiting the Environment Protection Authority and I hope to use that experience to develop ideas that could be theoretically applied in suggesting changes and improvements that could be made to an American agency like the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency).

What are you excited about seeing in Europe?
Some of the things I am excited to see are entirely cliché like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, but in addition, I am excited to tour the European parliament and take a boat tour of Strasbourg as I have been told that those are some of the most exciting stops on our trip. I wouldn't use excitement to describe my feeling but I am anticipating my visit to Struthof Concentration Camp. I am Jewish and even though I have visited Holocaust museums in Washington D.C. and Israel, I have never experienced the history first hand. My great grandparents were survivors and it will most likely be an emotional and self-fulfilling experience to be there in person.

 

What do you plan to do after graduation?
Ideally, after graduation I would like to get a mid-level position on the Obama reelection campaign. I worked on the 2008 campaign as a field organizer and hopefully that previous experience along with the fact that I've maintained connections with the network of former staff will be enough to get me a position. Working on a (hopefully winning) campaign is a great way to propel yourself into an administrative government position (I have campaign friends that now work for the White House, Department of Education, and Department of Defense). If I don't end up on the campaign, after graduation in August, I will begin studying to take the GRE and get ready for grad school. I would like to study public policy or public administration, but take a couple years off to recuperate from undergrad before going back to school. Ultimately, I aspire to work as a program manager for either the Department of Education, Department of Health (the new bill created lots of new jobs!) or the EPA.

What change would you like to see in the world?
I chose to go into government work because I saw government as an entity bigger than myself that I thought had an immense amount of untapped potential to bring positive change to people's lives on a large scale. My hope is that I can serve my community and the public at large to improve public services by working toward government change that looks past the polarizing division of party lines in order to find reasonable and effective solutions for social problems. I
believe the answer lies in collaboration from both sides in order to work together on agreed principles instead of constantly compromising or having to give up ideals, which leaves everyone somewhat dissatisfied.

 

How can we help and why should we follow you on this journey?You can help by going to my blog and giving me a donation through Paypal or passing this message on to someone who might be interested in sponsoring me (I am sending pretty thank you notes to everyone who donates!). I still have almost $1000 to raise before May! You should follow me on this journey at travelingnaomi.blogspot.com because I plan to share my learning experiences and the wealth of knowledge I gain from this experience with anyone who is interested to hear about it. I also believe I have a lot of potential in my future and this trip is just a small part on the journey to unlocking it.

I can sing my own praises but I would rather leave you with someone else's words on why you should support my journey. Debbie Quigley was a woman I met while working on the 2008 campaign in south Georgia. She was an amazing person with such a drive and inspiring passion for bringing a positive change to her community that she organized and led the registration of hundreds of voters in her hometown. she gave me a donation last week but what I truly treasure is the message that came with it. She said, "...we do have new by-laws (I revised them), and are electing new officers, I just do not want us to be in a situation like we were in '08 when you asked for Dem party help from my county... I am focusing on '12 elections. And we had meetings every month for a whole yr. NO small feat. I figure you are a great investment in the future of this state, country, and the world... you are that smart, focused, and just really special."
I am overcome with gratitude for her support and faith in my abilities and astounded that I was able to make a lasting impression (I haven't talked to her in person in over two years!) on someone so amazing.

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I am so excited that Naomi is taking us with her on this journey to Europe. I am even more excited by the idea that there are young women out there who are taking chances and choosing to make a difference in their community and country.

SouthernDaisy

Over Halfway There!

I'm sure some of you who have been following my fundraising efforts are simply astounded at how I've jumped up $1,000 in about a month, and honestly so am I! The new thermometer calculation is actually taking into consideration future money coming in (about $700) that has been confirmed by not yet received. My textbook sales initiative was super successful, bringing in $200! Future money raising plans include submitting my IEF Scholarship application, which will bring in at least $500 and making a donation jar to take everywhere with me for donation soliciting.

In other Traveling Naomi news, I'm famous! Ok maybe there won't be a red carpet rolled out anytime soon, but my incredibly brilliant friend Tracy Brown interviewed me and blogged about my trip for Skirt Magazine! I can only hope that it will help get my name out there and so far it's had 199 views. Feel free to link over to her blog, but I will post it here as well for convenience.


Getting closer to packing time. Ready to make my next $1,000!
Peace, Love, and Paris ~ Naomi

Naomi's Advice on Makin' It Rain!

Happy Thursday Everyone!

Before I begin with my words of wisdom on how to get pockets full of green, I have some great news! The due date for the final payment of my trip has been extended until February 28! That means that I have an extra three weeks to come up with the rest of the money (and believe me I'm going to need it!) Even more great news is that one of my good friends Christa is going to be my roommate in France. So far, everything is looking up :)

Now on to my pieces of vital advice on how to get people to show you the money:

Tip 1: Ask, Ask, and Ask Some More!
I'm sure most of you are thinking "Well duh Naomi, that's obvious!" If you don't ask, you won't receive. When I sent out my Hanukkah cards asking for donations, I decided to only send them out to family and family friends. I didn't send them out to my personal friends because I felt rude asking for money from people who were also broke and in school like me. Now I know how wrong that decision was! I got crap from lots of friends, even those I wasn't close with, saying that they would be happy to give $10. Ten dollars may not seem like much, but if half of my Facebook friends gave me $10 then my trip would be fully funded! My advice for anyone else trying to raise money is to ask anyone and everyone available to your disposal: ask relatives even if you don't know them, ask friends even if you aren't close, and talk about your trip to anyone who will listen! Get the word out there because the more people that know, the more chances you have to get the dough.

Tip 2: Think Outside the Box
Applying for scholarships is one of the most effective ways to get your study abroad funded, but unfortunately my white upper middle-class status severely limits my scholarship opportunities at Georgia State. Applying for the IEF Scholarship has the potential to bring in $700, but I had to take a more unorthodox approach to financing the remainder of the cost. I have been sending out handwritten letters to family and friends. In these letters I have included an itinerary of my trip (to give an idea about what I will be doing) and a stamped, self-addressed envelope. The envelope makes it easy to donate: just write a check and stick it back in the mailbox. This approach cost me only $20 for the card stock (my parents covered cost of stamps for Hanukkah) and it brought in $1000! In addition to my cards, I am taking a class with a $300 stipend, selling old textbooks online, and putting in extra hours at work.

Tip 3: Take Advantage of Free Tools
This blog and the fundraising thermometer are completely free (If you are interested I will give you the links), and are great tools for letting people track my progress. Instead of asking for birthday gifts or graduation gifts, I am instead asking for trip donations, and plan to have a collection jar at big events like my family's Superbowl party, birthday party, and friend get-togethers. Using social media like Twitter and Facebook are also great ways to spread the word about your trip to everyone you know. If you are really tight on cash, instead of sending hand-written letters, you could use the beauty of the Internets to send out completely free and unlimited emails to friends and family.

Unfortunately, many of the great things in life aren't free. The Paypal button on my blog is a great tool for raising money because it offers the convenience of using credit/debit cards and allows for people to give on their own time, but like any business its motives are anything but altruistic. For each donation I receive, Paypal takes a 3% processing fee. At first, seeing Paypal take money that ought to be in my bank account made me feel  like they had pick-pocketed me, but I've decided that offering this convenience is worth it for me, especially if I wouldn't have gotten those donations otherwise.

Tip 4: Start as Early as Possible
I began the process of applying and raising money for this study abroad in December, which gave me four months to find the funding. I would recommend that anyone who needed to raise the full amount for their trip start at least six months ahead of time if not more. It takes a long time to put out your asks, depending on how many people you are trying to reach. After receiving donations, saying thank you can also take a long time. Filling out forms and making trip plans on top of fundraising has been sucking up much of my free time, and I wish I had sorted out all the trip details long before I even began looking for donations. That way, I would have only had to tackle one piece of the trip of the time. Oh well, lesson learned.

I have one month left to raise $1000 and I'm ready to kick ass and take names! If you're reading this now and haven't donated yet, please consider giving me $10! It will be repayed with hugs, gratitude, and a pretty thank you note from me!

Peace, Love, and Paris ~ Naomi