Cologne

We had planned to visit the Rhineland of Germany for the past several weeks. Airplane tickets had been purchased. An apartment was found and pre-paid (as usual, I had a hard time finding an apartment for our 6 people). Then came the volcano. Most flights in Poland, Germany, and most of Europe did not move for 7 days. 100,000 flights were canceled during this time. Airspace only started to partially open up the day before our trip- and Poland to Germany had not opened up. As of midnight the night before, they had not made a decision if our flight was going to go. By the time we woke up the morning of- all flights were planning to leave. We decided to get to the airport early- having no idea what to expect. As Lisa mentioned in her blog- the airports (Gdansk and Cologne) looked as it they did on any day. We were quite surprised. I know some of the larger airports had long lines- but fortunately we had a seamless experience.

We flew into Cologne (Koln) Thursday afternoon. First after finding a cab that would fit our family, we headed towards the apartment. Finding a cab for a party of six is one of my most frustrating experiences. I feel we are like a bunch of circus freaks, walking from minivan cab to minivan cab asking if they will take 6 (almost always they say no)- 5 at the most. I finally grabbed a cab steward- who had to call his supervisor to send over a “special” cab to fit us. I am rarely in a good mood by the time we are loaded in the cab and on the way.

Cologne is a great city, I had been to the Rhineland once (but a little further south)- I knew Lisa would love it. Cologne is the 4th largest city in Germany and it is dominated by the Cologne Cathedral. This grandiose building took 600 years to build. For me, an old church fan, this is right up there with Notre Dame and the Vatican. Our apartment is maybe .5 miles from the Cathedral. Cologne is a very old city (3th century AD) founded by the Romans. Every time they try to build a new building and dig the foundation- they run into Roman ruins. Here is a site they are excavating now. It was suppose to be an extension of city hall.

I am trying not to repeat too much of what already placed in Lisa’s blog. As always- she tends to focus on the family activities, while I am usually unaware they are with us- and thus concentrate on the history and culture. So make sure you read http://anamericanhouseholdinpoland.blogspot.com/2010/04/so-far-i-am-loving-germany.html and anamericanhouseholdinpoland.blogspot.com/2010/04/splash-of-cologne.html to get the entire story.

We have been in the Cathedral several times. Once for a long tour. Of course, I purchased a guide and made the family walk with me from fascinating object to fascinating object. Catholic pilgrims have been coming to Cologne for centuries. It holds a special relic, which has been in the Cathedral for several centuries. It is the sarcophagus made of gold that hold the remains of the Three Wise Men (pictured below). The Magi sarcophagus is prominently displayed above the high alter (also quite a sight in its own right). The Catherdal has spectacular stain glass windows and alters all around. On Sunday we attended Mass at the Cathedral. It was the High Mass- which we learned meant: really, really long.

The city skyline is dominated by the Cathedral. It can be seen from most anywhere (and is actually a good landmark when you get lost).  (I did not take this arial shot, just to clarify).

The Cathedral sits on the bank of the Rhine. In addition to old churches, I Iove big ornate bridges. When we were in Budapest, seeing all the bridges were my favorite part. As with Budapest and the Danube, Cologne has many great bridges crossing the Rhine. My favorite is the one right in from of the Cathedral called Hohenzollern bridge. You can walk or bike across it.

The Rhine was a very important part of the battle field during WWII. First, the Germans easily went west into France and Belgium. But as the Allies started to push the Germans back- the Rhine became an important barrier. As the Germans retreated back to the east- they blew up the Hohenzollern bridge (and the others) to slow the allies down. Here is a before and after (1945 and today) of the bridge.

Also, in pursuit of research- they have a special style of beer here called Kolsch. By law, it can only be brewed in and around Cologne. It is a light, hoppy Ale, rather low in alcohol content. Not bad- I have tried about 5 different brands. Uniquely, it is served in very tall, but skinny glass (.2 Litres). One of the major Kolsch breweries is Sion.

On our first night here we saw a good steak house that advertised “American steaks”. It even had US flags all over it. The steaks started at 15 Euros (which is not very cheap). But I miss steak and we decided to try it. Once inside, you find out their menu is for Argentinean steak. Then they give you a menu supplement that indicates if you want to substitute the Argentinean beef with US beef- add an additional 10 Euros per steak.... I stuck with the Argentinean- still better than pork.

Besides walking the city and enjoying the warm air and great shops, we took the kids to the Chocolate museum. It was a great kid friendly place, that is owned by Lindt Chocolates. It shows from the cultivation of the chocolate plant all the way to the packing of fine chocolates.

Lisa and I about got into a fight with one of the museum guides. He was in the same room as we were, giving a loud talk to a group of tourist. I was on the other side of the room explaining something to the kids. He stopped his talk and told me to “keep it down”. I politely told him we paid the same amount of money as everyone else did- and I was just explaining something to my children. He moved the group off in a huff. He was quite rude to me- as he called me out from across a room. I complained to a supervisor (who actually saw the incident).

But that did not stop us from buying good chocolate for all of us. I got a Lindt white chocolate bar, that had white chocolate moose filling. Amazing! I did learn something else. I have had a academic curiosity with coffee industry (like the beer industry). I frequently take my students on a tour of the Roasterie Coffee plant in KC. Knowing little about chocolate- I was surprised to see the similarities in the cultivation, production process and other issues with coffee. Will have to maybe add a little research to that area as well. beer, coffee and chocolate (and of course health care).

Finally, as we are on the Rhine, we spent an hour boat tour just going up and down the river. I am enjoying the fact that the kids are seeing (and riding on) some of the most famous rivers in Europe- so far Danube, Vistula, Rhine.

Of course the food is great. Bratwurst and Currywurst at every meal.

Funeral and Volcano

This has been a somber week of mourning for the Poles. This weekend is the funeral for President, his wife and the other 94 who died in the plane crash last weekend.

Although the country has been in mourning all week (7 days)- life pretty much goes on as normal. The major exception are all the Polish flags with a black ribbon on it. You see these on every house, public building, trams, buses, fences, and many personal cars. Also, you see candles in a white or red vase all over memorial cites (Poles do like their candles).

This weekend, the weekend of the actual funerals, most activities came to a stop.

At 8:56am on Saturday all the church bells and national warning sirens went off for 2 minutes. That is time, a week ago, that the plane went down. I was actually teaching that morning and we stopped for the two minutes. The funerals started at noon on Saturday- and that is when most of the city and country shut down. Our University shut down from noon Saturday through all of Sunday. We end our class at noon anyway, so it was a easy transition for me.

At noon, just as we were finishing class- the church bells and national sirens went off again. This signified that the national service had begun in Warsaw, and they were reading the 96 names of the dead. By then I was downstairs at the University and we had a big screen on where I watched the reading of each name. They read the name, their age and their position. For me, it was eerily similar to the services for 9-11, I remember seeing.

Most countries have had a national tragedy, and Poland has had many tragedies over the centuries. In September 1939, the Nazis invaded from the West and 17 days later Stalin invaded from the East- millions of Poles died at the hands of each. Much of the Holocaust occurred on their soil. Martial law from the Communist was established in 1981 and lasted 18 months. Before that, Poland has been invaded and exploited from almost every major empire that existed in European history. But this is certainly the current generation’s national tragedy- it is like 9-11 is for us Americans.

Now this air tragedy has certainly reinforced why it is a good idea that “important” people never travel on the same airplane. We would never have a single plane loaded with so many dignitaries and officials- due to the one in the million chance something might happen. As we saw- that one in a million chance does happen. I am sure the Poles will drastically change their policy.

The political transition has been quite smooth. Although the President died, most of the other high political leaders were not on the plane. The Prime Minister and higher level members of Parliament did not travel with him (they frankly don’t like him). So the appointment of a new/temporary President was seamless. Also, frankly the President does not do much with the day to day running of the government in the Polish system- that is the job of the Prime Minister.

What was decimated was three other groups. First was the military: 6 of the 7 highest military leaders (equivalent to our Joint Chiefs of Staff) were on the plane. Second was lots of high level cabinet members who were responsible for things like the Central Bank of Poland and also for foreign affairs. Third were the dignitaries. A past President, several symbolic leaders of the Solidarity movement and other people who were very iconic to the Poles. So, although the world news is about the President- to the Poles it is a much larger event.

During my class on Saturday, I spoke to my students (they are mid-20 year old Master’s students). We talked about their reaction. Of course, they were sad and shocked- but they had a very interesting observations about the process of things. They were shocked and “sick” of all the TV coverage this has received. This has been on TV 24/7 pretty much all week, non-stop. They had never seen so much attention paid to one event on TV. That was odd to me, as we are now use to cable TV’s 24/7 coverage of anything semi-important. But we also know the coverage gets ridiculous at a point. This is the first time something occurred in Poland to get that 24/7 cable TV coverage. All my students were sick of it. One commented that when they interviewed a shopkeeper who was the last person to sell something to someone who was on the plane- he finally turned off the TV.

The other thing they commented on was how the world is perceiving Poland. First they thought the heated debates Poles were having about where the President is to be buried was hurtful to the country. He is being buried in the Wawel Castle in Krakow along with Kings and Saints, some think that is inappropriate for a politician to be buried there along with national heroes. They thought the public arguments were petty and embarrassing to Poles. I assured them this debate is getting very little news coverage outside of their country.

With that is the perception of the country itself. They realize most people (like in America) know little about Poland. I even tell them most Americans could not find Poland on a map. However, what people DO know about Poland tends to revolve around WWII, The Holocaust, Communism, etc. They don’t want to be known for their tragedies anymore- but rather their growth and accomplishments. Really, this is the first time Poland has been major international news since 1989. That is not the Poland they want projected to the world.

Saturday was a service in Warsaw for all 96 victims (Warsaw is about 4 hours south of us). They had a big stage and memorial with all of their pictures on it. We will be in Warsaw next month, and we hope it will still be up. It lasted a good part of the afternoon.

Sunday was the State Funeral just for the President and his wife in Krakow (Krakow is about 9 hours south of us). The funeral Mass was said at St. Mary’s Cathedral and then they had a funeral march (about a mile) to Wawel Castle (by the way- Wawel is also the Cathedral where John Paul II was Arch Bishop and Cardinal before he was elevated to Pope). The Sunday service in Krakow was were Obama and the other world leaders were suppose to attend. Only a few world leaders made the trip (mostly ones from neighboring countries that could travel by train or small plane). The Iceland Volcano keep most of the world leaders grounded. We have watched the impressive funeral march from St. Mary’s to the Wawel on TV (my favorite part, along with the reading of the 96 names on Saturday). There are 100,000s of people along the funeral route. We have been to all of these places during our travels.

This brings me to the last part of the blog- the volcano. This Volcano in Iceland has literally shut down all the airspace through out most of Europe. Only the most southern areas such as Spain and Italy are not yet effected. No airport is open though most of the continent. Here is a Satellite photo so you can see just how big the ash cloud is and why is has shut down so much (click on the picture to see the full effect). European airspace is completely closed until at least Monday- and very possibly longer. Just to give an idea- The Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel was coming home from a summit in the US. She was only able to fly as far as Italy. Then, the Chancellor of Germany had to take a bus from Italy back to Berlin.

We have a flight planned to Cologne Germany on Thursday. I give about a 50/50 chance that the airspace will be open by then. The bigger concern of this volcano is the one next to it- which is much, much bigger. It has a tendency to erupt after this one does. Airports from the UK to the Russian border are closed. On the news, it is showing major airport runways being opened to the public to ride bikes and fly kites. Some are taking the opportunity to paint.

The Hague- Finally a Day off

After three days of the hard labor of attending a conference- I “took a day” to relax and walk the city.

As mentioned in my last few posts- my morning was shockingly interrupted by the news of the Polish President. My Facebook (which now has lots of Polish friends and Fulbrighters) was in a major buzz. I called Lisa to check in with her.

After I found out what I was going to learn for now- I headed into the city.

The Hague is a small city that can easily be seen in a couple of days. I hit city center about noon- so it was lunch time. I ate at this fabulous outdoor cafe that was teaming with tourists. No one seemed to mind it was rather chilly. Now, when I typically travel to sea based communities- I am always in search of fish. First, Lisa does not care much for fish and does not make it at home very often. Second, good fish is hard to find in KC. However, Poland is not known for its beef (of which I am). In fact, sadly McDonalds probably has the best beef. Poland is a pork country. So, even though I am on the sea in Holland- I have been in search of good beef. So, I had a nice steak sandwich. (My first day back in the States will be to Gates for lunch. Lisa wants to go to J. Alexanders for dinner).

I visited both the Old Church and the New Church. The New Church is only 450 years old- hence its name. It is famous for the burial place of the Royal House of Orange. William of Orange, I, II, IV, V, etc. Where is the William III?- actually buried in England at Westminster. He smartly married Queen Mary and became King (they are famously known as William and Mary- England’s only co-rulers). It was ironic, as I had just read some stuff on them and their rule in England.

One thing I am always fascinated with in Holland is their use of bikes. Everyone from the youngest boy to the oldest woman rides bikes as private transportation. Also, interesting is the type of bikes they ride. They are not the modern 24 speed or mountain bikes- but rather bikes we would associate with the 1950s and 1960s; even with wicker and wire baskets in the front. There are many more bikes on the road than cars. Men in suits, women in expensive dresses riding from place to place. You actually have to watch out for bikers more than you do cars.

Here is a typical Holland “parking lot”. 

After seeing my churches- I went to the Mauritshuis a small museum with a few Rembrandts and other Dutch artists. However, the most famous painting in this gallery (by far) is the “Girl with the Pearl Earring” by Vermeer. A book and movie was done about this girl and the painting. Lisa read the book- I did not.








I bought her a print of the “The Girl”. I really do not have much of an art lover’s eye- but I do like the Dutch masters and like seeing their work. I think I like their hats. As mentioned in a way earlier blog- The museum in Gdansk has a nice collection from the Dutch Masters including a Rembrandt and Vermeer.

Next to the Mauritshuis is the Parliament Building. Again, it is quite old and ornate- but still active. That said- I have yet to find a Parliament building that rivals the one in Budapest. I walked around this Renaissance era complex and soaked in the history. It sits right on a canal (which Holland has hundreds of them and is part of its charm).

The evening ended with another steak, as I am back to Poland.

This week should be interesting with events. There is a national mourning called for seven days.

The Hague

Hello, I am in The Hague in Holland (Netherlands) for a few days. I had meant to get this out yesterday- but I pushed out my unplanned blog on the President of the Republic of Poland's death instead.

I left on Wednesday morning for a three day conference on European Health Policy. It took two taxis, two planes, and one train trip to get here- but I made it. Only after all those journeys, and I was two miles from my hotel did my phone ring. It was Lisa telling me she had an allergic reaction to something, her tongue was swollen and had moderate difficulty breathing. Our neighbors were taking her to the ER. Talk about feeling helpless.... If you have not read about her adventure-

http://anamericanhouseholdinpoland.blogspot.com/2010/04/unexpected-medical-tourism.html

Thank God all was ok and at worse, she got a shot in “the ass,” and a nice look at the Polish health care system. And thank God for Charles, Basia and Mariusz, our neighbors and landlords!

With that good news, I was able to get back to my business.

This is my second trip to Holland /Netherlands (I am never sure what to call it) in less than a year. Last May, I was in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Now I am at The Hague (the capital “T” in The is part of the name; like The Ohio State). Here, it is called Den Hagg. It is the seat of government. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands lives and works in The Hague. The Hague is the second UN city after New York.

Holland and Belgium are quickly becoming one of my favorite parts of Europe. Unlike Poland which is huge- you can travel from city to city and back and forth between the two countries in an hour or less. Maybe this a good place for my next sabbatical..... I am sure Lisa would love to work on her Dutch. But first, I have to get her on another international flight. I think if I can find Scottie and have her beamed between the US and EU, I might have better luck with getting her on more of these trips.

Now Holland is an interesting place. Rotterdam is a beautiful sea port (one of the deepest in the world). Those gigantic ocean ships navigate the waters and dock here. Last spring I spent a day on a tour boat just floating around this amazing sea port and looking at the size of these ships. (Many of them are even too wide to fit through the Panama canal). Amsterdam of course, is great, too. The home of Heineken, over-the-counter marijuana shops (called Coffee Houses), and open prostitution (The Red Light District). For those who like their vices- Amsterdam is a mecca.

Now, just when you think Holland is a permanent frat party- you go 30 minutes south from Amsterdam to The Hague. The Hague is the serious place. It is the home to all the international courts that prosecute war criminals, genocidal war lords, and the like (The Peace Palace). “Alleged” criminal leaders from Serbia, Rwanda and West Africa are all here being tried for the systematic murder of tens of thousands of people, and accused of either profiteering or genocide. A little more on that later.

The purpose of this conference I was attending was to bring together health services researchers and policy makers from across Europe and dialogue. Not surprisingly, researchers and politicians rarely understand each other. About 250 of the aforementioned people were here from almost every country in the EU. I was one of three from Poland.

During the course of the discussions- the recent US health care legislation process came up many times (and not in a good way- more in a mocking way). Frankly, as I have traveled Europe this year and people find out I am 1.) an American and 2.) Doing health services research- the people usually pose the same “what in the hell are you people doing over there” question (it is just said more professionally- but their point is clear). I sit and try very hard to explain this ideological debate we have in the US and all sides. I have yet to make a single person understand....

The conference was just ok- but I am glad I went. I met some people, learned a few things. On Friday afternoon I had some time available and decided to see a little bit the of the city.

I was hoping to catch a tour of the Peace Palace at 3pm. I left the conference at 2pm and ran down there. Unfortunately they were booked. The Peace Palace is one of the most famous buildings in The Hague. It is where many of the courts are held for the war criminals. Some of the worst dictators of the second half of the 20th Century have been tried there.

As with most cities- locals tend to have no idea where their most famous sites are located (can you give someone directions to the Truman House in KC or Arthur Bryants?). I had walked to the general area of the Peace Palace- but was lost in the surrounding neighborhoods. I asked a twenty-something man if he knew where it was. He said yes- and told me to keep walking straight (south) and I would see it. After a half mile I was just deeper into neighborhoods- so I asked a forty something women if she knew where the Peace Palace was. She said sure. I had to go around the corner and get on the bus and take it several stops and I would see it (taking me much further east). She was rather confident, but I was not. As she disappeared, I asked a third guy drinking a beer on his patio. Again he said sure, just go back straight (north), turn left and you will see it. For whatever reason the guy with the beer’s answer felt the best- so I basically went back to where I started. I found the Peace Palace about 1 block from the first guy I had ask (but in the opposite direction he told me).

The Peace Palace is a grand old building that has heard some of the worst atrocities committed in the past 50 years. It is part of the United Nations.

I did find it odd that they had a souvenir store in front. I did not know if to expect little Slobodan Milosevic dolls in handcuffs or a commemorative plate of an African war-lord being interrogated.... But it was mostly UN stuff. Radovan Karadic is current the high profile case on trial now. He is another Serbian leader who is accused of leading the massacre of 8,000 men and boys (all the men and boys in the entire city) in Srebrenica in Bosina. Also Charles Taylor (Liberia) is on trial for his atrocities in West Africa during his pursuit of blood diamonds.

In front of the Peace Palace is the ubiquitous WWII memorial. As I have traveled from one side of Europe to another, east, west and north and south- everyone has a memorial to the dead and destruction of the war. It really starts to sink in the scale of this war and devastation. Really, very little of Europe was untouched.




Also, in front of the Peace Palace is a rock garden with a rock representing the 192 countries that participate in the UN court. It is symbol of peace. Of course, the US has one of the bigger rocks....

Finally, The Hague sits right on the sea. I ended my week with a stroll along the boardwalk and ate at a restaurant literally on the beach. As it was about 7pm- I saw the sun setting over the sea. Not a bad way to end a Friday.

More on Saturday and the rest of my trip in the next blog.

A Reflection on the Polish President

I am in Holland for a few days and awoke to the news that the President of our temporary country was killed in the plane crash this morning, along with several cabinet members and dignitaries.

Now, I realize most people could not pick Lech Kaczynski’s name off a list, but he has been involved in Polish Politics for 30 years. He earned his PhD in Gdansk.

He was an advisor to Lech Walesa during the Solidarity strikes and a member Solidarity movement in the 80s and 90s. He was even jailed during martial law for his political activity. He was Vice Chairman of the Solidarity Party and a major player in Lech Walesa’s Presidential cabinet in the early 1990s.

He broke ties with Walesa several years ago. He and his twin brother formed their own political party- Law and Justice in 2001. He was elected President in 2005, and for two years his twin brother served as Prime Minister.

Law and Justice is known as a rather far right wing party with close ties to the Catholic Church. Their approval ratings have been down in the last year or two, and he was not expected to be re-elected in the next Presidential election. These days his main political rival is the current Prime Minister- Donald Tusk (also from Gdansk). Tusk is part of the center-right party, Civic Party. They currently control much of parliament.

Ironically, Kaczynsk and his delegation were on their way to the Katyn Forest on the Russian border. It is the 70th anniversary of one (of many) of Poland’s tragedies.

Most people know that the Nazi’s invaded Poland from the west in 1939. However, Stalin took advantage of the weakened Army and invaded Poland from the east a few weeks later. In April of 1940, the Russian army had gathered 22,000 Poles from the army and political prisoners- marched them into the Katyn forest and executed them by shooting them in the head. Hundreds per day for several weeks. They were all buried in mass graves in the Katyn forest.

Poland has multiple memorials with the simple word “Katyn” inscribed on it. Double ironically, it was the Nazi’s who found the mass graves on their march to Moscow in 1943. At the time, they tried to paint the Russians and Stalin as mass murderers in the press and expressed their disgust. Russia did not even fully claim responsibility for Katyn until the 1990s, and it is still a sore subject between the two countries.

I bring up this history as it is playing a major part in the discussion (and already conspiracies) of the death of President Kaczynski. As both the leaders of Poland and Russia were to be at the Katyn ceremony- it was to represent a softening of relationships between the countries.

To add more controversy- as this occurred on Russian soil- Russia has named Vladamir Putin as chief investigator (he is not all that popular in Poland either). I found these interesting comments by Polish citizens on the internet- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8612920.stm

Per the Polish Constitution, the leader of the lower House is now President- and he is required to call a new election to be held within 60 days.

It will be interesting to see the activities that occur over the next week. As far as I know, this is the first modern leader to die/be killed in Poland.

I see Paris, I see France...

About a month ago, our Vice Dean (in Poland) asked if I would be interested in representing the University at a program in Western France- and of course they would pay for my trip. Frankly, I did not even ask what the program was about (nor did I care)- I just accepted on the spot. A few days later I had tickets to Rouen, France in Upper Normandy.

I later learned the program had something to do with international study programs. Again, who cares? I am accompanied by our Vice Dean (and my friend) Magda.

I left Gdansk on Wednesday. But I first had to teach a few classes that morning- then headed to the airport. Gdansk is much like Kansas City when it comes to flying. You pretty much have to fly to a hub from Gdansk, then to your final destination. So I flew from Gdansk about 45 minutes to the large airport in Copenhagen. I ate dinner in Copenhagen while I awaited my flight to Paris.

So, three languages in three hours.

We flew into the large airport in Paris, Charles DeGaulle. It was an great flight. You fly over the city and see the Paris lights. You are able to see the Eiffel Tower from the air, all lit up.

After I deplaned, I felt all professional and dignified when waked off the jetway and a driver was holding a sign “Dr. Gartland”. Life is good!

Rouen is about and hour and a half away from Paris. The driver was also taking another faculty from the airport who is attending the conference. So, I rode in the back with this beautiful faculty from Madrid named Fatima- life is really good! (I still have no idea what this program is about- but all the perks are good).

As I mentioned, Rouen is in upper Normandy. It is probably an hour inland of where the D-Day invasion occurred and the American cemetery is located (Remember Saving Private Ryan?). It is unfortunate, but I will not have time to get out there.

This morning we went to the University for our program. We are at École Supérieure de Commerce de Rouen (Rouen Business School). I finally found what I was doing here. The program has two components to it.

First, it is a place where schools which do student exchanges with each other can meet and network. There are about 135 faculty and administrators here from six continents. I was surprised to see people from US schools here, including some of our US Jesuit schools.

Secondly, while all these faculty and administrators are here- Rouen Business School puts them to work. All students of Rouen Business School have to do an international trip or internship as a part of their degree program. Then they have to write a presentation and present it to us faculty to be judged and graded. Students at the Bachelors and Masters degrees discuss their international experiences and topics. We did two today and have several tomorrow.

These are very stressful to the students, as they are presenting to eight faculty all from different countries, whom they have never met AND presenting in English- which is not their native language. As an example- our student today had to present to a group of faculty from Poland, US, Finland, Spain, and Malaysia.

Finally tonight we went to a traditional French dinner. Pate, wine, cheese, duck, wine, bread, dessert, wine, then expresso.

Probably the thing I found most fascinating about the day was the location of the restaurant. Rouen is a very old city. The building where our restaurant is located is very old too. History occurred right in front of our restaurant’s door. Joan of Arc was burned at the stake right across from the front door. I stood in the very spot (then went in to gorge myself with French food).

I found the description below from on the internet- “Eyewitnesses described the scene of the execution by burning on 30 May 1431. Tied to a tall pillar in the Vieux-Marche in Rouen, she asked two of the clergy, Fr Martin Ladvenu and Fr Isambart de la Pierre, to hold a crucifix before her. A peasant also constructed a small cross which she put in the front of her dress. After she expired, the English raked back the coals to expose her charred body so that no one could claim she had escaped alive, then burned the body twice more to reduce it to ashes and prevent any collection of relics. They cast her remains into the Seine. The executioner, Geoffroy Therage, later stated that he "...greatly feared to be damned."

Lost in Translation

Some of you may recall the 2003 movie by the same title.

Working at a Jesuit based University in the States we are taught always to reflect. Reflect, reflect, reflect.

So as I reflect on my teaching experience in Central Europe- I am learning much about my own strengths and weaknesses as a teacher/professor. Professors are successful in the classroom for many different reasons. My reflections have always led me to the conclusion that my success is based on my approach and how I use examples.

Granted, I have no idea what it is to be like a 20 year old today. Having four kids, a mortgage and my own college experience a generation behind me- it is fair to say I don’t walk in the same shoes as my students. I don’t see the movies they see, and I have never heard of most of the bands on today’s top 40. I also remember when MTV played music. The students don’t.

With the obvious generation gap- I still try very hard to be “current” with my students. Instead of doing cases on semi-conductors, airplanes and widgets- I find companies and products they are familiar with- Beer! Ipods! DVDs, Walmart!, McDonalds!. I have found I can still get the same lesson across, but with using these more familiar products. It is a better experience for them. I know these products and companies well, and tell stories and anecdotes (lots of anecdotes) the students can relate to.

Secondly, is my odd (a little off center) sense of humor. For those who know me well- I need to say no more. Fueling that, there are always a few students in each of my classes who I politely tease, and this also tends goes over well and helps creates a bond. I joke about all things- but hopefully it leads them back to a lesson or point. I interact with students by engaging them in light conversation, and get them to discuss relevant issues- so they don’t realize they are in the middle of a lecture.

And anytime I think I have been talking too much- I always have the fall back question “What do you think”?

I call my teaching style conversational lectures (I am sure educational professionals have a formal name for this- but it what I call it). I still lecture- I just try to keep my students from realizing it.

The above approach has worked for me for years and years.

I was then curious how this style and my normal bag of tricks, examples and humor would translate to a European audience of 20 year olds. Would they get it? Would they get me?

I am pleased to say- the European students have reacted as well- maybe even better than my Rockhurst Students.

I say better, as my style is much rarer over here than in the States. I am rather a novelty here. The EU students are use to much formal- black board style lectures.

They get me, or at least seem to based on their student evaluations. I can still politely tease a few (with brings me in closer), and for the most part my humor and conversational lecture is well understood (and appreciated).

About the only thing I have to do- is change up products. A common example I use with my American students is the competition and difference between Walmart, K-Mart and Target. Every student in the US has been in these stores numerous times and can visualize the example I am giving them. So I use lots of trivia about these stores. Same thing with Beer. In the US I speak of Bud, Coors and Miller. I also like to use Amazon as an example.

Well, the EU (specially Poland) do not have these products or companies (although they have heard of Walmart and know some about it)- the rest they have never heard of. So instead of Walmart, K-Mart and Target- I had to quickly learn about retailers Real, Leclerc and Carrefour. Also, Instead of Bud and Coors- I had to learn about Tyskie, Żywiec and Lech. Also, most here don’t use Amazon (so I have moved to Google). So, other than this minor modification in product and companies- I seem to translate well to the EU students and can use my style.

I keep saying EU students- as my classes are really international. They have strong exchange programs at Politechkia- so besides Poles, I have French, Germans, Czechs, Spaniards, Portuguese, Slovaks, and even someone from Nigeria in my classes. So English is their second, third or fourth language.

Finally, with over 14 years of teaching at the University level (nine years full time)- I have become somewhat proficient at reading faces and body language. I can typically tell when they are bored, confused, need a break, etc. I can then adjust, based on how I am reading the group. I have found the student body language is basically the same between the EU and US students.

There is a BUT to my story.

I also have classes with Chinese students. Politechnika has an ever increasing exchange and recruitment programs with China. They tend to keep them together in a single cohort.

Now, I have had lots of Asian students in the US for years. And for the most part it has never been an issue- as most of these Asian students are already well indoctrinated into the Western world (both language and culture).

My currrent Chinese students are different in two ways. First- most are just learning English (they are far from competent in it). Secondly, most have just recently left China and are new to the Western world.

So given this barrier- my proud teaching style of “conversational lecture” falls absolutely, positively, unquestionably flat.

They don’t get me, they don’t get my style. They don’t get my jokes. I don’t dare tease one of them. Plus they are not familiar with any products, etc.

As they have trouble with language- my fall back question of “What do you think” just gets me a blank stare. Conversations are almost impossible. My anecdotes don’t register.

When teaching this group- I always am reminded of the old Johnny Carson bit during his monologue. When something he said got no response from the audience- he would tap the mic and ask “is this on”? That is exactly how I feel in teaching this group. “Is this on”?, as I get absolutely no reaction to anything I say.

I have yet to even be able to read their body language. They look like they understand the concept I am talking about and ready to move on- so I ask a simple question to verify their knowledge- and I get nothing. But what does this mean? I can’t tell.

Now, lets be fair to these Chinese students. I cannot blame them. They are all bright and friendly. They actually do well with written work. If I give them written instructions or a written question- they can it take home- slowly translate, think about it and carefully write a response. When I allow this- they respond pretty well and do decent work.

But in the classroom itself- they cannot verbally respond to my questions and comments or have regular conversations. But unfortunately, my entire style is based on this form of interaction. So, where it is my success with western students- it is my Achilles heel with these students. I have one of these classes for three hours- it seems like 10. I walk out drained.

I have yet to come up with a solution for this, but keep trying. But it is obvious, I am lost in translation.