Hey Everyone,

Hope everyone is doing well and that summer is going great. Summer here has been going pretty well so far, not much to do but I’ve been managing to keep myself busy. I’ve been working two jobs and going to class so the weekdays have been going by the fastest, but weekends have been pretty boring besides the whole sleeping factor!!! Anyway, I have done a few things that I will talk to you guys about, so I hope you enjoy this entry!
AT300- This class is amazing! It is my 9:45 class every day (Mon-Thur) and the professor, Marv Smith, is pretty much the most amazing man in this entire world. He knows how to make class fun, funny, but still gets the information across to you. The class is so easy too, I got a 90 on my first test without even studying! So we have our next test very soon and I hope to do really well on this one as well!
AS254- Aviation Legislation is going a lot better, as I told you all last time, we have to do two presentations and write two papers and blah blah blah…. Well I’m done with both of them and now I only have to worry about the final. I really am learning a lot in the class though and I’m really enjoying it.

So I will tell you exactly why I don’t have much to write about and it can be summarized in my weekly schedule:
Monday- Thursday : Class 9:45- 11:15, Lunch, Class 1:15 to 2:45, work til 5:30, Homework
Friday- ERRSA stuff
Sat & Sun: BOREDOM!

That is seriously what this past month has been like, but in a way it’s kinda nice because I don’t have to worry about meetings popping up or things like that. I really like having a set schedule it just gets a little repetitive!

Okay so FUN STUFF!!!

I WENT TO THE SHUTTLE LAUNCH!!! WITH PRESS PASSES!!!
That’s right, I was in the press site! It was amazing! So the night before the launch they do a tower rollback and we, as press, get to go to that and it is literally like 1000 feet away from the shuttle where we get to stand! So that was the night before the launch. The next day we got to Kennedy Space Center at 10:00 for a 5:02 launch… We got to go to crew walkout and we were like 50 feet away from the crew and astrobus! I was in awe the whole day and when that shuttle took off and you’re the closest that anybody can get (3.1 miles) you experience something that not many get to. The beauty of it, and especially the sound that you hear, it was so loud it shook me, it is something I will never forget! PLEASE GO CHECK OUT THE PICTURES ON MY WEBSITE www.virb.com/joejaworskiatc they are truly amazing!!!

So that’s been my much needed excitement for the past two weeks, but coming up I’m looking forward to my mom visiting me next week so I’ll be sure to write about that in my next entry. I really hope you all are having a great summer and if you have any questions at all about anything on campus or anything in general please feel free to contact me whenever you want!!

Until Next Time,

Joe Jaworski
AIM: HYPORBOY226
Email: Jaworksj@erau.edu
Pics: www.virb.com/joejaworskiatc

Wow. Traveling abroad can be a real struggle at times. This week was filled with so many mistakes and miscommunications that I’m just grateful it’s over and we’re all back in Siena. Let me start from the beginning.

In preparation for our planned trip to Florence, Dr. Parker had assigned each of us an artist of the Italian Renaissance to study and report on. My artist was Masaccio and Joe had the more well-known Botticelli. Others included Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. We gave our presentations Tuesday, in order from the earliest artist to the most recent. This way we would have a better understanding of what we were seeing when we visited the Uffizi, a famous art gallery in Florence.

The trouble started the next day after lunch. We were scheduled to take a wine-tasting tour of south Chianti, the area in which Siena is located. As everyone left the classroom and moved out into the hallway, I ran ahead to make a quick trip to the bathroom before we left. I told Joe, so he waited for me, but when I came out everyone else was gone. We hurried to the bus stop, practically sprinting across town only to realize they must have meant another bus stop because no one was there. So we turned around and headed back to the school, hoping someone would have come back for us once they realized we were missing. Well someone did come back, but they left again before we could get there, so we missed the wine tour altogether. We later found out that we could still take the tour, but we would have to go another day with a different group. I felt pretty miserable for missing out on the fun our classmates had together, but at least we will still get to go. Either way, this was only the first of our problems.

The majority of Thursday went fairly smoothly. We all took an hour-long bus ride to Florence, which is called Firenze in Italy. Our first sight to see was the Church of Santa Maria Novella. The inner walls were lined with frescoes and great paintings from the Italian Renaissance. Several of us recognized works of the artists we had studied, including one of the most famous frescoes, the Trinity, of my own artist Masaccio.

From there Dr. Parker and her husband took us to lunch at a lovely restaurant near the Medici Chapels. Florence is famous for its steaks, and we were all amused to see the gigantic slices which Brian and Jon ordered. They were like something out of The Flinstones –caveman-sized chunks of juicy meat. The rest of us took the opportunity to try other Italian dishes which we had not tasted before. Joe had an interesting mix of penne pasta, Gorgonzola, and bacon. My dish was linguini pasta with alfredo sauce and shrimp, plus two giant prawns. Absolutely satisfying.

After lunch, the Parkers gave us a few hours to explore Florence on our own, with the instructions to meet back up in front of the Uffizi gallery at 3:45. A few of us decided to use this time to find the hostel we had booked and deposit our backpacks which we had been lugging around the city. The others stumbled across an intriguing tourist trap –a so-called “museum” of torture, which they decided to explore.

When we found each other again in front of the gallery, Dr. Parker had our tickets for us. We did not have to wait in line because our group had paid for entrance at a set time. Inside, we climbed four stories to the top in order to work our way down. Fantastic statues lined the halls and the rooms were filled with grand Renaissance art. Again many of us recognized works by our artists. I did not find many by Masaccio, but there were two of the most famous pieces by Joe’s artist, Botticelli –Primavera, which is “spring”, and The Birth of Venus. I really loved both of these paintings in particular. We also saw some of da Vinci’s lesser known works among the hundreds of pieces in the gallery. It was a nice tour of some of the truly great works of art that we studied in class.

At this point we decided to split up and explore the city some more. However, we were unable to meet up again for the rest of the weekend due to some unforeseen problems. First, neither Joe nor I have a phone to reach anyone while we are abroad. Until that night it had not been much of a problem, but when the others decided not to stay at the hostel and to return to Siena instead, they could not find or call us to let us know. Their rooms at the hostel were uncleaned and their beds unmade, and they were so furious that they decided to cancel and leave. We had no idea that they were gone or that they had broken their plans to go to Rome for the rest of the weekend. Joe and I figured we would find them at the hostel there and we continued with our plans unaware.

Before we left Florence, Dr. Parker required us to visit one more monument or museum on our own. Joe and I decided to climb Giotto’s Tower and visit the Duomo Museum. Giotto was one of the earlier artists from the Italian Renaissance who had a profound effect on the development of later artists’ work. We climbed 414 steps up his bell tower to get a beautiful view of the city and the Duomo, which is Italian for something like “grand church.” The one in Florence is a Gothic cathedral with the most amazing artwork from corner to corner across its outer surface. It is a wonder to behold as there is hardly an inch of space undecorated. We did not go into the Duomo because our guidebook told us that there was not much to view inside as most of the art has been removed to the Duomo Museum, which is where we went next. There we saw many more paintings and sculptures, including Donatello’s Mary Magdalene.

Joe and I spent the rest of that day traveling to Rome. On the way, we discovered by expensive accident that we had taken the wrong train. At the station in Florence there was no way to tell for which train we could or could not use our tickets. Thankfully the lady sitting next to us on the train translated this to the woman checking the tickets and was able to convince her not to charge us the full price. We paid only eight more euros each, rather than a miserable thirty euros. Though we arrived at our hostel in Rome fairly early in the afternoon, Joe and I decided to take the rest of the day to rest and wait for our classmates to show up. They never did.

Despite being a bit worried and irritated that no one had yet met us in Rome, Joe and I got upearly the next day to see the sights. We used a cheap guidebook to get us to what we thought was Trajan’s Column but turned out to be a different one which wasunlabeled in the book. By the time we had realized our mistake, we had already found our way to the Monument to Victor Emmanuel II which was a grand castle-like building decorated with magnificent statues and sculptures. Nearby we found the actual column we had first been looking for. It stood on the ruins of Trajan’s Forum, next to the partially restored Trajan’s Market.

There we made another mistake which cost us more time than anything else. Confused by the cheap guidebook and the unclear explanations on a free pamphlet, we spent a few hours exploring the Market which had been used to house the Museum of the Roman Forums. For the majority of that time, I thought we were in fact looking at the actual Roman Forums, not just a museum. Even so, it was an excellent place to explore; dark alcoves and steep stairs led from one level of ancient ruins to the next. Many broken pieces of columns and sculptures still lay strewn on the lawn of the Market where they had likely been marked and counted by archaeologists. We got quite a workout making sure that we had seen every interesting hidden corner of the ruins that we possibly could.

Next we strolled alongside the true Roman Forums, choosing to mostly ignore them in favor of the more exciting destination ahead of us –the Colosseum. Our anticipation grew as we caught short glimpses of the massive amphitheater between buildings. When we got a better view I took a volley of photographs as we approached. It felt amazing to see in person the great site which I had previously enjoyed finding in Google Earth, an online view of the entire earth by satellite images. Unfortunately we were pressed for time and the lines were long, so we did not go inside the Colosseum. But as Joe said, sometimes just being there and seeing it is enough.

Originally we had planned to see the Vatican City and the Sistine Chapel on our way back to the hostel, but by the time we had gotten on the metro we decided to save it for the next day. It would have been better if we had just gone that afternoon, for when we had hiked all the way to the Vatican the next morning we learned that the Sistine Chapel was closed on Sundays –something we could have easily discovered if we’d just researched beforehand.

But that was only the beginning of the worst day of the week. Joe and I took the metro back to the train station and made certain that we got on the right train. However when the train reached Florence, where we already had tickets for the return bus-ride to Siena, we got off at the wrong station. We didn’t even know Florence had more than one train station until after we had walked up and down the street outside and finally looked in our guidebook to find out where we were. Fortunately tickets from that station to the main one only cost us about one euro each.

At the main station we walked in circles again trying to figure out where exactly the bus station was. Our guidebook map was not exactly clear but we finally managed to make it show us the way. Unlike the bus we had taken to Florence on Thursday morning, the return bus made many more stops and took much longer to reach its destination. By the time we arrived, the inner-city buses that ran to Vico Alto were no longer running. We asked one bus driver which bus we should take to get to the train station, where we knew that we could get a taxi. But the one he told us to take went nowhere near the station. Instead it took us on a wild, frightening ride through the north side of the city, out into the country on dark twisting roads, and finally right back to the bus plaza where we started.

By this point Joe and I were exhausted, hungry, and clueless as to how to get to Vico Alto. We thought to go into our favorite pub and ask the bartender to call a taxi for us, but just before we did we saw someone we recognized –our classmate Christian. He told us everyone else was in the back of the pub playing darts and they planned to take a taxi home later. Considering the weekend we had just had, I convinced Joe to stay and we spent the evening catching up with our friends and making up for being separated from them for three days.

So, after two very interesting weeks working with American Airlines, it’s time to update you on what’s been going one here. Working in the flight communications department, I have been able to experience first-hand what is being said between the pilots and upper management here at American Airlines. Two weeks ago American had their annual stockholders meeting, right down the street from where I am at the flight academy. During the meeting the reality of low profits (even negative profits) for an airline, when forced to operate at $130 a barrel fuel, was stated very clearly and plans for change within the company began to be laid out.

That afternoon I was able to sit in on a conference phone call where Mark Hettermann, VP of flight operations in Dallas spoke on what these changes meant for the pilots. After he was done speaking, I sat and listened to chief pilots from around the country take their turns in expressing their concerns and the moods from their bases. Sitting in an office in Dallas, yet being able to listen to pilots from round the country speak, allowed me to see just how big this operation is and how decisions made in upper management ripple down throughout the company.

Aside from all of that, I have also been involved in different tasks in flight communication. Every morning there is a summary report published containing all the data from flights from the previous day, and every morning I start off by finding this report and republishing it on a website for thepilots, and other employees at American to be able to access. Other tasks have included sending HI6 messages or what could be considered one-way e-mails to pilots via our own computer database. Sending messages with topics ranging from a group of Army troops that were flying aboard an American flight on Memorial Day, to a medication that the FAA decided was unsafe for pilots to take and fly; these HI6 messages keep pilots informed and are an easy way to get information to a selective group or the entire pilot population at American. I also go through customer service reports, picking out the positive ones to be sent to the crew bases of the crew being noted. These letters are then put into the crewmembers file and the crewmember notified of the report.

I also have gone through a monthly list that has all the First Officers who are becoming Captains with American. One would expect this to be a relatively simple task but the problem arises when some have already been a Captain before or others get deferred or withheld from upgrade training. Acting as a detective, it has been my job to search through the database and figure out who is actually going to become a captain, then after they complete their upgrade training, I make a plaque in recognition of their accomplishment.

Finally, I also take care of retirement postings on our web site. Receiving yet another list, this one contains the name of retired pilots; I go through and draft a short biography on each, to be later posted on our website. These have actually been very interesting and rather humbling. The vast majority of our pilots have served our country in some branch of military service, flown with other companies, gone through times of furlough and then been with American for 30 years!! At just the starting line of my career in aviation this appears to be huge shoes to fill.

Aside from all the eight-to-five office work, I have actually gotten to do a good amount of traveling and sightseeing. Going to both Dallas and Ft. Worth here in Texas, I highly recommend both. Dallas is very dressy and expensive from what I have seen, but they have an awesome fresh produce market on the east side of town. Farmers from around the state bring whatever they grow and the prices are unbeatable. Ft. Worth is a little more causal and a very good place to hang out. The downtown is very well maintained and shops, restaurants, and bars line the street, all within walking distance of each other.

My first weekend of travel benefits, another intern and myself flew out to San Francisco, California where we had a place to stay. Leaving the 90+ degree Dallas we were surprised to find a low 60 degree San Fran. Walking all over town on Saturday we saw the Golden Gate Bridge, China Town, and the rest of downtown. Skeptical of what San Fran would be likebefore I went, I was truly surprised at how cool most of the city was. While expensive I would definitely go back sometime! This past weekend I traveled up to Detroit, Michigan in hopes of getting to see the Red Bull Air Races. A sold-out event, another intern and I found a parking garage right on the river that was selling access to their rooftop. After sitting in the sun for about four hours, they finally called off the time trials due to high winds. More than a little disappointed we left straight to a hotel near the airport. Downtown Detroit, which we heard from everyone was not a very good place to be at night in small groups, looked like aninteresting place to see during the day. Situated right on a river that separates it from Windsor, Canada  the river and the river walk are a must see when traveling to Detroit.

Well our flight from Detroit is almost back to Dallas and I’ve already written too much, so I will check back with you in two weeks and let you know what is going on here in Dallas and around the country.

Cheers,

Jacob Velky

In my last entry, I wrote about China through the sense of taste. However, to fully understand the country, the next obvious sense is that of sight. As the home of the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Mount Everest, the Terra Cotta Warriors, journaling every single abundant site makes my job complicated. However, most of the sights you can Google and envision them in their splendor and what it might feel like in person. So, I thought it would be better to show you the sights of Beijing and Xi An not included in our travel guides.

At 12,000 feet above sea level, Xi An’s altitude and increased industrial pollution restrict the lungs, dry the skin and chap the lips. The humidity and our inability to pack shorts, made hiking to the Terra Cotta Warriors, the Hot Springs and Mount Hua-Shan strenuous. As the toxic sun beamed onto our foreign skin, the women of Xi An carried parasols, reminiscent of the Antebellum South. Perhaps they had gotten the memo that fair skin is in and skin cancer is out. Mighty rivers that once fed the nation now streamed polluted sludge through Xi An, where the runoff is still used for drinking water, bathing and bathroom. Welcome to our second stop.

As you can tell, Xi An has not been my favorite stop. I had waited for many years of my childhood to see the Terra Cotta Warriors, and don’t get me wrong, they were splendid. The hike to the top of Mount Hua-Shan produced more than just amazing pictures and sore muscles; its clean air and challenges were revitalizing. But, the transition from a crowded, smoggy Beijing, to a fairly crowded and increasingly more smoggy and humid Xi An has provided its own challenges. But, enough about Xi An. Let’s get to the odd sites.

Lost in Translations

As I said in the last entry, it has been very difficult to order food because everything is in Chinese and I speak very little Chinese. Trying to order food at a KFC that uses only Chinese characters is like trying to decipher Hammurabi’s Code without the Rosetta Stone; it is just impossible. However, even when the menus or signs are in English, the translations are just as hard to decipher.

Food and Drinks

After a long day of trekking through Beijing, our group got lost in a back alleyway. Now, when the whole country seems to be a back alley, we were not worried. However, we were growing hungry, and started looking for food. We came across this sign outside of a literal hole-in-the-wall restaurant. We guessed their Internet translation missed the whole translation all together.

But, sometimes it is better just not to have a translation. This bottle of liquid, possibly recycled water, is called “toilet water.” If that is just a flavor, I pity the poor worker in charge of quality control and testing.

The worker in charge of quality control at this restaurant should ask for hazard pay. The restaurant, known for its greasy calzones and American style pizza, promises to put you in a coma. In a country whose pollution threatens early lung cancer and taxi drivers threaten paralysis, a food-induced coma is probably not on high the list of “must-dos”.

Bathroom Etiquette

The traditionally natural process of “going potty” usually needs little instruction, but the bathrooms in China apparently come with a set of instructions. In our first hotel in Beijing, a couple of the rooms had the following sign over their toilets, “Beware of Landslides”. Before you wonder how the hotel knew we would get the Beijing Belly (thanks to my culinary misadventures), it refers to the water that leaks out from the showers. Not only do the showers not work occasionally, but the plumbing is sometimes sub-par. In one restaurant, the owners had posted a sign, in English, explicitly telling the user to not do Number 2 in the restroom.

Helpful Instructions and Warnings

All in all, the Chinese know that there are many English speakers in their country and they are trying to be helpful by including warnings and instructions. But, sometimes those helpful hints are also lost in translation. While visiting the Ming Tombs, I came across a sign that read “Thunder Storm Weather. Do Not Use Mobile Phone”. I could only imagine how they realized that this was necessary to warn foreigners about potential cellular electrocution in the middle of the forest. Another sign said, “The non-staff member pleases not an operation! Thanks.” Pooling together, our study abroad group thinks it refers to someone who is not an employee changing the television or something, but the jury is still out. But, it was the next sign that needed a photo to fully understand its intricacies. Hung above a construction site, we think it asks for patience and cooperation in the construction process, but again, its translation is lost.

In recent years and especially in anticipation of the Olympics, China has attempted to qualm a few “bad habits” of its populace, including smoking. While visiting Lao Long Tou, or Large Dragon Head, every corner and possible blank wall held signs proclaiming, “You are actually polluting yourself when you are polluting,” “Be a spreader of civility; be a protector of morality” and “Abandon bad habits and embrace civilization.” I am not a smoker, nor do I condone smoking for its nasty effects on the body, but I would see these signs causing a stir in the United States. And what an ironic place to position these signs but at a site named after a fire-breathing creature. The final sign we found at the Jiaoshun section of the Great Wall in Qinhuangdao. The city is known for its greenery and roses, a nice transition from Xi An and Beijing. In protection of this status, there were signs placed in front of large grass areas and flowers saying, “Flowers are smiling and grass is sleeping, don’t disturb them.” The translation is understandable and just like the other signs, it simply made us smile.

The Great Wal(l)-Mart

All of us on the trip have been a bit homesick here and there during our travels. However, despite the language barriers and some cultural differences, Beijing looks like a bit like home. Every corner houses a KFC, Starbuck’s, McDonald’s, and Pizza Hut (called Big Pizza in China). I had Starbuck’s at the Great Wall, KFC after class one day (not the same as the United States) and McDonald’s twice when I really felt homesick and underfed. But my favorite has been Wal-Mart. At four stories high, the Beijing Wal-Mart located next to the subway station is truly a wonder across the world. With name-brand knock-offs, and floors devoted to beauty supplies, baby gear, electronics and unrecognizable food, the non-air conditioned Wal-Mart made a stark contrast to the outside vendors and peddlers. Although it was quite a walk for our group from Beihang University, it felt a little like home when we passed it on our way to the subway station.

Famous in this Country

I can’t say I have ever wondered what it is like to be David Hasselhoff in Germany, but I have thought of what it might be like if I was famous. Everyone wants to take your picture as you walk down the red carpet at a movie premier or rock out at a concert, followed by groupies. Well, change the red carpet to the Great Wall and substitute the concert for a Chinese karaoke bar. Welcome to our three-week fiasco everywhere we have traveled. Although Beijing is the capital and therefore attracts many foreign tourists, Xi An and especially Qinhuangdao do not normally have any foreigners, much less a group of sixteen very diverse college students.

Our group, comprised of three tall blondes, two Hispanics and a couple brunettes, have been chased after and endured multiple spontaneous photo sessions with ancient relics in the background and new friends in the foreground. It takes us hours to get through a room or to get down a mountain, stopping every few moments for photo sessions with people we don’t know, but who want to get to know us candidly. Old and young all want to ask personal questions, like “Where are you from?” and “How old are you?” I have gotten very good at saying “Wo shì mei guó rèn” and “Wo shì èr si yi”, but by the time I spit out those phrases, it is back to saying “Qíe zi” for the camera.

As a big group, we understand the hassles of taking photos. However, the crowds that gather do not understand this delicate dance. The groups – scratch that, swarms of followers all want to take individual photos with you even though their group contains thirty people. Then, like homesick college students to a McDonald’s, another group of thirty flocks just in time to take photos with the foreigner who has just become a smiling cardboard cutout. Then again, how could I document my trip better than through a 1,000 pictures worth a thousand-words. The first time the impromptu flashbulbs blinded us, I was at the Summer Palace in Beijing with our lone Icelander, Gutti, who stands 6’3 with bright blonde hair and blue eyes. The 4’11 Chinese women flocked to him, shoving in true Chinese form to better their position in line. With beaming smiles and peace signs, they hugged onto his legs and bumped their heads on his hips.

However, the most stunning backdrops and sporadic photo sessions occurred on our hike up Mount Hua-Shan, one of China’s most dangerous mountain ranges. Making due with my bad knees, empty stomach and sea-level lungs, I trudged up the mountain, sweat rolling down my brow as I attempted to make it past the first 100 feet. As I stopped to rest and video my first entry, I noticed a giggle gaggle of middle-aged women. Somehow their makeup was still pristine and through broken Chinese and translation help from a random gentleman, we started our daily photo session. Along the way, Nikki and I picked up a groupie following of seven Chinese businessmen, climbing the mountain on casual Friday in their Sunday best. During our four hour trek to the top, I continuously stopped to catch my breath that I had left at the bottom of the 7087 foot tall mountain. Viewing their opportunity for yet another photo, the businessmen propped up my drooping head and sat down for photos. They grabbed Nikki and another student, Brett, to add flavor to the Chinese-American dish. Reaching the third highest peak on our way to the top, Nikki and I rested, took in the view and munched on indecipherable Chinese snacks. Out of nowhere, the businessmen plopped down next to us and offered baked goods. Nikki joked that it was payment for all the photos we had taken. Ignoring our mother’s warning against taking food from strangers, we enjoyed the snack and thought about the interesting and entertaining trek up the mountain.

Next Stop: Qinhuangdao

While walking with my language partner, I tripped on the uneven cobblestone. He laughed at me while I tried to explain that the sidewalks in the United States are usually evenly paved. Again he laughed and told me that “Americans are spoiled.” Living in hotels sub par to even Motel 6, eating food that is sitting next to week old garbage, breathing air that Olympians don’t want to breathe and dodging traffic that uses stoplights as decoration has made us shiver a few times. But, if we bring nothing back from China (not possible with my spending habits or vaccinations), we have had taken in so many sights that would never been found in a travel guide. Well, except for this one.

A week has passed since we have been in Italy, and so many things have happened. The most vital thing has been getting to know the other members of the group. My apartment houses the only girls on the trip. Liz, Allison, and Soo are all friendly and fun-loving. Joe lives in an apartment of five, and his roommates are Travis, Christian, Nick, and John. Next door to Dr. Parker and her husband Captain Tom Parker of American Airlines, there is another apartment of three boys. They are Mike, Brian, and Dr. Parker’s student assistant Luca. Because two of the original 14 students were unable to make it, one student, Ahmed, is living in town near the school. So far everyone seems to be getting along well and generally enjoying each other’s company.

On our first day of classes, I did not know what to expect. At 8 a.m. Dr. Parker and her husband led us to the bus stop which took us from the village of Vico Alto, where the monastery is located, to the bus station near the center of Siena. From there we walked up and down endless cobblestone streets which seemed to twist and turn with no planned pattern whatsoever. The buildings all seemed to look the same –medieval rows of shops and apartments with no breaks between them, only continuous walls. There are no patches of grass anywhere, though the occasional tree has been carefully planted here or there. To those of us who had not before been exposed to such an atmosphere, it was as if we had been transported back in time into a medieval Italian city. It would take most of us a couple of days to even begin to know the way through the confusing streets.

Though on our first journey through the streets of Siena, the confusion and twistedness made the greatest impression on my mind, don’t misunderstand… I soon found myself in love with the medieval feel of the streets and shops. It inspires stories and images along the same lines as the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Chronicles of Narnia. I can’t get enough peeks into the shops filled with glittering jewelry and amazing art, or enough tastes of little sandwiches and pastries. Siena has a charm all its own…

The building in which our host school, Dante Alighieri, is located appears to be just another part of the continuous inner walls of Siena. The inside is just as twisted and convoluted as the streets outside. However, the people who work here are friendly and helpful to us, just as they are to the many other visiting foreign students. Embry-Riddle is one of several American schools to partner with Dante Alighieri for study abroad programs.

The director of the school, Luca, introduced himself to us, apologizing for his broken English, but giving us a warm welcome to the program. Next, he introduced us to our Italian teacher, Enzo. He is in his late 30’s, a little on the short side, thin, bald, and wears what seems to be the trendy Italian style of clothing. He teaches well, likely in part due to his friendly, casual, and understanding personality, as well as his sense of humor. I cannot speak for the others in class, but Joe and I are enjoying the Italian language class and do not find it too difficult, though it is sometimes a little confusing.

After lunch, for which we have an hour to eat anywhere in the city, we have Dr. Parker’s Italian Art and Literature class. The morning subject matter feels light and easy compared to the deep and rather personal topics we have covered so far in our afternoon class. In the first week, Dr. Parker talked about divisions of culture with relation to our position in the world. We discussed cultural differences between the U.S. and Italy; gave personal definitions of ourselves to the class based on things such as birthplace, family upbringing, and religion; and began to consider our two projects for the summer –a presentation on an Italian artist and a report on different levels of Dante’s Inferno. Despite the tendency of this second class to be sleep-inducing in its depth and weightiness, I find it entirely intriguing and do my best to focus and participate.

After classes, in the first week we have found ourselves generally hanging around (ironically) a certain Irish pub near the bus station for a couple hours. I believe the main reasons for this are the free Wi-Fi internet offered there and the wonderful laid-back atmosphere. It is something familiar to us in this typically unfamiliar city. We discuss classes and plans for weekend trips over a pint of brew and our favorite American-based websites. Also we all seem to like visiting a nearby grocery store which has a wide variety of Italian foods to experiment with.

Each day this week has brought new surprises and experiences, but in, general the days with classes tend to go the same way. As we approached our first three-day weekend, several of us had different ideas for where to go and what to see. In the end, three of the boys went to see Rome and a group of seven chose to fly up to London to see the city and the new Indiana Jones movie which just came out in theaters. Joe and I had plans to see Rome the following weekend and we both felt that flying all the way to London was out of the question when we were really here to see Italy. So we chose an Italian city nearby with the least expensive train ticket we could hope for –about seven euros each to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa and its neighboring monuments.

Two of our fellow classmates, Nick and Allison, were planning to fly out of Pisa on their way to London. They chose to take the bus, which left early in the morning, giving them several hours to see the city before flying on. Joe and I joined them on the bus so that we could explore as a group rather than just the two of us. The walk from the station to the Leaning Tower was nice after two hours on the cramped bus. We ate lunch outdoors at a local cafe and continued on into what was the most tourist-filled sight we’ve yet seen in Italy. Everyone around seemed to be trying to hold up the Leaning Tower like mimes in line with hundreds of cameras.

Despite the crowd and the cheesiness, we enjoyed the monuments which, though not overwhelmingly large, did produce some sense of wonder and awe. Inside the cathedral the grand paintings and gothic architecture instilled a silence among the tourists. I don’t think I have ever noticed before how much presence a building can have. Though I do not practice much religion personally, I felt myself caught up in the spiritual curiosity and solemnity of the place. Even while I experimented with my camera to see how far it would focus and how best to steady it, I found myself talking with Joe about deep religious questions and considering what the people who built the cathedral felt when they knelt before the altar and allowed themselves to reach for something beyond the physical world.

When the four of us finally emerged from the cathedral’s heavy darkness, we were all in need of some sugar and a rest. We sat on some steps and indulged in some delicious gelato, the Italian version of ice cream, which we have been enjoying almost every day since the first in Siena. Afterward we explored some of the local shops before walking back across town to the train station.

It is hard to believe that already one out of five weeks in Italy is over and behind us. Despite the little bits of culture shock that sometimes make things difficult, it is hard not to love everything about this trip so far. Everyone in our group seems to be agreeable and fun, Siena is lovely if not inspiring, and our exploration of other cities in the country has only just begun.

College graduation is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, no matter what level degree is being accomplished. It is what every senior pines for at the end of four (or five) years and in May, I had the graduation green light. My name was printed in the graduation program. The cap and gown had been purchased and my friends and family were in the crowd. But, I was also sitting in the crowd watching my fellow Class of 2008 classmates walk across the stage and receive their diplomas. However, sitting in the crowd didn’t make me bitter because I had delayed my graduation for another once in a lifetime experience.

When my best friend, Nikki, asked me what I was doing summer of 2008, I replied, “Enjoying the beach and relishing in my graduatory status.” However, she had a different idea. Instead, she suggested studying abroad. The program had so many countries to pick from so I told her just to pick a unique place. Both of us are regulars of Europe, so she suggested Japan or China as alternatives. Without hesitation, I picked the host of the 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing China.

China. This communist state is populated with 1,330,044,605 people who speak a dozen plus languages with a land mass of 9,596,960 sq. km. and so many stereotypes. Known for many years as “Red China,” the country is also known for their intricate architecture, the Great Wall, panda bears, cheap exports and, most recently the Olympics and the Sichuan earthquake.  The history and sites are intensely overwhelming, so a professor of mine advised me to “be prepared to be unprepared.” I realized what an understatement that was when I arrived with eight of my classmates at Beijing International Airport after 18 hours of travel. Through my seatmate’s 2 x 1 airplane window, I got snapshots of Beijing through heavy clouds of smog. It looked like every other sprawling Midwest city, complete with fields and industrial architecture. That was until we landed.

Beijing, a sprawling metropolis, resembles any U.S. Chinatown. The people speak Chinese. The signs are in Chinese. The taxi drivers only speak Chinese. But, this isn’t America and I only knew how to say “Hi” and “What is your name.” After a week, I have mastered a few more phrases, learned to use the public transportation, seen one of the Wonders of the World, and visited many other famous sites. However, the most challenging part thus far has been eating. I nearly have a panic attack when someone suggests getting dinner. In fact, I would rather listen to my stomach rumble than have to explain to the waitress that I do not want anything spicy or still moving. I have had many culinary disasters, misunderstandings and eaten some unconventional food. So for my first entry, I decided to introduce the reader to China through the sense of taste.

I set out for China wanting to try the bizarre foods and brag that I could keep them down unlike contestants on Fear Factor. But, things are always easier from the Laz-Y-Boy.

Fork Fiasco   

After a disastrous introduction to Chinese food our first night, which left me on the bathroom floor at 3 a.m., Nikki and I decided to venture off to another Chinese restaurant that looked more sanitary. The first restaurant only had the menu in Chinese characters so we looked for a sit down restaurant with a picture menu. Ironically, we found a restaurant located next to the previous culinary disaster spot. We were seated by the hostess who proceeded to hover over our table, eyeing our food decisions. Nikki chose a dish which resembled chicken and vegetables. Somehow, through sign language and pointing to words in our handy travel guide, the waitress told us we had a side dish option. I picked rice. She pointed to four listings under the rice, all with different prices and different Chinese characters. I picked the cheapest, but she kept muttering something in Chinese. Finally, frustrated and hungry, I pointed to the dumplings which had nothing written underneath them. That was sufficient   and they brought out the meal. Neither Nikki nor I had really used chopsticks in America sans a few times at a sushi bar. Eating the very spicy mystery meat and toxically spicy vegetables proved difficult. While Nikki and I laughed it off, our very patient waitress brought over two forks. We all giggled and exchanged laughter, only to be joined by the remainder of the 10 + occupied restaurant. Ever get that feeling that everyone is talking about you. Yeah, welcome to China!

These Feet are Only Meant for Walking

Our next culinary escapade occurred after a class field trip to the Ming Tombs and the Great Wall. Our group stopped at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant after the tour and my culinary ambitions kicked in.  I hadn’t really fulfilled my desire to eat a “weird” food, so I asked the professor to help me pick out a selection. The menu, luckily in English, had a wide array of chicken’s feet, cow tripe, tongue and various other traditional offal, or animal byproducts. I settled on the chicken feet based on my professor’s suggestion. The feet arrived intact with nails, claws and bones still attached. Unsure where to begin, the waitress told me to chew on the feet. “Chew on the feet,” I said, starting to regret my decision. One bite and I knew this poor bird had died in vain. The foot, cooked in a hot pepper sauce, was clammy and off-white. It was slick and difficult to pry off the bone. You had to use your molars to pry off the little bit of meat, so it continuously threatened to claw its way back from my throat to my mouth. After seeing my reaction, my classmates also tried, but they had similar strange facial contortions. I hoped karma would forgive me for my transgressions against the bird, for it was not going to be eaten.

Corner Cuisine

Before I left, a friend gave me advice about eating at a street vendor. “Eat at the one with the most people in line,” she said. But, what do you do if you and your classmates make the entire line? Every night since our arrival, the guys have been frequenting a local vendor located right outside of the Beihang University gates. After a long day touring the Summer Palace, Nikki and I followed the guys to the corner. Every night, the vendor, with a large smile and dimpled grin, displays his eats on a makeshift bicycle/trailer/display case. He wasn’t quite set up yet when we arrived at 8 p.m., so we grabbed a few drinks at the local newspaper stand and settled in next to his hibachi grill. Soon after we sat, five or six people began taking the meats from the display case and placing them on the grill. Most of the meats were unrecognizable and the smell of stale fish filled the smoggy Chinese air. The boys had their favorites ranging from the recognizable lamb and chicken patties to the seemingly inedible chicken heart and squid tentacles. Under peer pressure, I ate chicken heart, squid tentacles, egg patties and sweet buns. The chicken heart was slightly squishy, but well cooked. The squid tasted like fresher calamari from the States. The egg patties were a mix of egg, minced onions and chives and a bread crumb outer shell. They were very spicy, but closely related to hash browns and scrambled eggs. As I tried each concoction, I made sure to keep a straight face even if I didn’t like selected pieces. After all, this vendor spent time and plenty of effort to catch and prepare the meats and he was proud of his final product. I didn’t want to cause him concern or upset by rejecting his meal. However, after paying 1-3 yuan (roughly 50 cents) for each of my six kebabs, I wondered what profit he actually made. In China you can’t tip, but the group all wished we could show how appreciative we  were of his work.

Mao’s Munchies

The following day, the same group went to visit Tiananmen Square, site of the infamous 1989 massacre. Among the sites visited were Monument to the People’s Heroes, the Forbidden City and Premier Mao Zedong’s body. Mao, the creator of the People’s Republic of China, has been lying in state since 1976. Vendors crowded the 100 acre square hocking Mao paraphernalia. Cheap watches, Chinese flags and Mao’s famous Little Red Book lined the plaza that had seen two massacres, numerous famous speeches and now a major tourist attraction. After enticing my appetite with talk of massacres, propaganda, and the Great Helmsman, we headed into downtown Beijing for street vendor food.

After walking past McDonald’s and a Westernized shopping mall, we stumbled upon an alleyway crammed with street vendors. Most were selling caramelized fruits, lamb and pork skewers and Coca-Cola. But, one vendor caught my eye. Originally, I had walked past, eyeing a vendor selling donut-like pastries. But, upon doing a double take, I noticed this aforementioned vendor’s food was still moving. There in the storefront were live scorpions, grasshoppers, cicadas and starfish pushed onto wooden sticks. The line was long so I decided to jump in for my turn. I chose the scorpions that were not moving based on the broken English advice of a local bystander. I watched the moving scorpions as they were dipped into the frying pan and handed quickly to me. Still steaming, I took a breath and crunched down. Much to my surprise, the scorpions tasted good. Ironically, it tasted like over-fried chicken.

However, my next two dishes were not so fortunate. I am an avid viewer of No Reservations: Anthony Bourdain and I used clips from the China show to plan my culinary adventures. Anthony had tried cow’s stomach while in China and raved about the texture and taste, even praising the chef for his attention to cooking by keeping it basic and lightly seasoned. So, while in Beijing, I did as Anthony did and ordered a heaping plate of white and black-grey cow’s tummy. My stomach and the unlucky cow’s stomach were both quickly in my mouth, attempting another jail break. I held it in, but not without the disgust of my fellow classmates sitting directly in the line of fire. I guess I just can’t stomach stomach.

I thought my misadventures were over until another classmate decided to purchase the starfish. Being from Florida, I have never had the desire to eat such a cute specimen. After much peer pressure again, I bit down on the tough skin. Much to my dismay, it tasted like I was eating a piece of fried sand. I figured my digestive tract needed a break, so I settled for a caramelized crab apple and went shopping.

Memorial Meal

After a half a bottle of Tums and a few nights of digestive distress, my other sorority sister, Emily, along with Nikki and I, decided to find the local Beihang Café that served American-style food. We all craved different things like pancakes, lettuce, mayonnaise and pizza and the café served them all, though not together obviously. While eating, a Chinese man approached us. He was out of breath and we just thought maybe he worked at the café. He said, “I have important information for you…At a 14:28 we are going have a memorial for earthquake victims.” He rushed us from our meal, as everyone in the three story café crowded around the big screen television. Although we couldn’t understand the announcer, the images of people being pulled out of buildings, of workers hauling material and of people crying spoke our language. The screen went black and displayed white Chinese characters. Everyone got quiet as the air sirens began to wail. After a minute, car horns joined in and a minute following that, boat horns completed the ceremony. The only sounds sans those from the television were sniffles and the occasional sigh. The three minute ceremony concluded and those crying quickly hid their faces and bolted for the door. The gentleman thanked us for our cooperation and disappeared with the rest of the patrons. We paid our bill and left in near silence.

On the walk home, we realized what had just occurred and we were thankful that we were a part of this country’s mourning. Though the gentleman thanked us, we are human beings and feel their pain. Although our recent country disasters differed, one intentional and one natural, we still can understand the pain of losing fellow countrymen.

With 50,000 dead and expected to climb, we leave Beijing next week for Xi An, a city located close to the Chinese Ground Zero.  The distance between the two is like the distance between San Francisco and Los Angeles. A Chinese student studying English was paired up with me to practice conversational Chinese and English. He is from Sichuan, the province affected most, and said he has yet to hear if anyone he knows has perished. As we walked by the television, he just shook his head and said, “You are lucky you don’t have that in America”. Although that is not completely accurate, we are lucky. China is great, but it is hard to visit a country and know what you leave behind. So, enjoy those hamburgers and fries I am missing so much and I will fill you in when we get to Xi An.

Hello everyone, my name is Dodd Bailey Allen Jr. I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. Currently, I am a senior at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the Aeronautical Science program with a minor in Aviation Weather. I began flying at the age of 17, and obtained my Private Pilot Certificate during my senior year in High School. Since then, I have obtained my Commercial Pilot (Single/Multi), Instrument rating, Certificated Flight Instructor rating, and Certificated Flight Instructor Instrument rating. Last August, I was given the opportunity to work at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University as a part-time flight instructor. This is where my dream of flying has finally begun. Not only do I get to fly everyday, but I get the pleasure of enlightening students on the wonderful world of flying. I typically go to class from 9 am to 1 pm, then flight instruct from 5 pm to 9 pm. I could not be happier with how my flying career has jumpstarted, and it’s about to become even more exciting. This summer, I was granted the opportunity to participate in an internship with Continental Airlines. This journal will note my experiences this summer with this fantastic opportunity.

I began my Journey to Houston, Texas on May 9th, where I moved in to the place I will be living in for the summer. A previous Continental intern, and Express Jet captain is providing me and two other interns housing for the summer. He provides us with a place to stay in a convenient location for an affordable price. After getting settled in to a wonderful townhouse in Downtown Houston, I prepared for orientation on Friday, May 9th.

Bright and early on Friday,the 7 other internsand I proceeded to the Continental building. We were all super excited about this opportunity and could not wait to get started. The day began with an orientationPowerpoint explaining the duties, benefits, and responsibilities of each intern. I will be working in the Safety Department with my partner Matthew Casile, who is also a student at Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach campus. As an intern with Continental we receive many benefits, including a tour of the Houston tower and approach control, the Continental Maintenance facility, and the fire protection department at Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport. One of the most beneficial aspects of the Continental internship is the privilege to sit in on several classes at the training center, and receive 20 hrs of 737 Level D simulator training. Finally, we are allowed to travel anywhere Continental flies as long as there is room on the flight. Continental wants the interns to receive the full airline experience. They also promote international travel so the interns can experience cultures from all over the world. After the orientation, we proceeded to the Bush Intercontinental Airport to receive our badges. The airport badges give us permission to pass through security without a boarding pass and allow us to perform preflight inspections with the pilots. The day ended with lunch at the airport. We proceeded home and relaxed for the weekend. Houston is a very friendly city with a lot of fun places to eat and hang out.

On Monday, May 12, it began. I woke up at 7am, got dressed, and began the first of many walks to the Continental Headquarters. My boss met me and Matt downstairs to explain to us the first task we will perform everyday. Continental has a very proactive stance on safety. Every airplane is equipped with a device that records the flight parameters of every flight. It records such inputs as taxi speed, airspeed, pitch attitude, bank angle, etc. Every morning, it is our responsibility to receive these disks and input the data into one of many supercomputers. Once imputed, the supercomputer organizes the data and points out any hazardous flight behavior. The analysts then proceed to investigate these situations, and if necessary, contact the flight crew to discuss ways to prevent unsafe situations. After we input the data, we proceed over to our desks. Here, we analyze and input Captain Safety reports into the Continental safety database. These reports can include anything from a passenger smoking in the lavatory, to a hydraulic malfunction. This provides future pilots ways to prevent safety issues in the future. After these entries are made, we proceed to lunch. When we come back, we are provided with a safety related task for the day. Each of these tasks represents a different part of the safety department. This allows us to get the full experience of what it is like to keep the flight operations safe everyday. The day concludes at 4 pm where we proceed home to relax.

This first week was a true learning experience to say the least. Matt and I perfected our skills at each task, and by Friday, we were able to run the show without incident. Now, that was a taste of our first work week. Every week, our tasks will become more complicated and I look forward to the challenge. But now it is time to explain to you just how fun and exiting an internship can be. Remember the flight benefits? Well, the interns and I decided to try them out this weekend and all I have to say is WOW. Friday at 5 pm, we proceeded to the Houston Airport to catch a plane to San Jose, Costa Rica. This was my first time traveling outside of the Country and I was super excited. We arrived at San Jose at 9 pm, where we proceeded to our hotel. We dropped our stuff off at the hotel and proceeded to dinner. We ate at a wonderful Costa Rica restaurant and experienced their friendly atmosphere. The food is amazing, and consists mostly of chicken, beef, and rice. It is similar to the typical Mexican food you eat here in the states, just more authentic. We then proceeded to experience the true art of salsa dancing. I have to say, that was the most fun I have ever had dancing. The cultural experience was truly priceless. After dancing, we proceeded back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep. The next morning, we got up, ate breakfast, and took a taxi for our tour for the day. We drove through the mountains on the outskirts of San Jose, andto the rainforest. Yes, the actual rainforest in Central America!!!! We arrived and experienced something that I never thought would be possible. We rode on a railway above the treetops and saw the rainforest from above. I will have pictures of this amazing adventure up soon. It was an hour long ride that allowed us to experience just how fascinating Mother Nature can be. After the tour we proceeded back to San Jose for dinner. We relaxed and socialized with locals that night and flew home at 7 am the next morning. We were in Costa Rica for a total of 36 hours, and I have to say, those were the most exciting 36 hours of my life!

As I am writing this article to you tonight, I still can’t believe I was in the rainforest 24 hours ago! I am getting ready for bed and to start week number two. I wish all of you a wonderful week ahead. I look forward to sharing with you my experiences this summer. Time for bed.

Hello Everyone!

Well I’m just going to jump into what I myself have just jumped into.  It is halfway through the first week of my internship with Lockheed Martin in West Palm Beach, Florida.  Specifically I am working for their Maritime Systems and Sensors branch which has a website at http://lockheedmartin.com/ms2/.

I started at Embry-Riddle in the spring of 2007 as a Space Physics Major.  This past semester I also added on Engineering Physics because I cannot decide between two majors I like so much.  With a lot of help from some excellent teachers and awesome friends I have been doing very well.  This has afforded me this wonderful internship opportunity for the company I intend to work for when I graduate.

I arrived in West Palm Beach last Thursday to check around town and find out what was going on.  A relocation company was paying for up to seven days of a hotel stay with everything included so I had no worries about finding a place and getting settled.  Two of the other interns starting at the same time were discussing with me about being roommates but made no solid plans yet.  After a relaxing long weekend on the beach I began to prepare for my first day on Monday.

There were six interns starting for the summer that day and we all met in the security and visitors building outside the main building complex.  The human resources representative, Paula met us and we were brought into the secured building complex.  What followed was a long but very interesting morning which introduced us to many of the projects being worked on here as well as how things were run in general.  We also got to meet several of the project and site managers, received our employee badges, and had a tour of the vehicle testing facilities.

As the morning ended, each of our individual managers we would be working directly under came into the conference room we were at to take us to lunch, and then to the actual building and floor we would be spending most of our time at.

For the rest of Monday and Tuesday I met my new co-workers, had my computer set up, and became introduced to the many projects I might be working on.  I also found an awesome roommate with a house who is a project manager here at Lockheed as well.  What better way to meet more people at the company I want to work for than that!  Their house is also by the beach, which does not hurt at all.

Well I will post again next week with a lot more details about what exactly I am doing because hopefully I will know by then too!

First a little background on EDS. Electronic Data Systems is a global company and is actually now HP-EDS (having recently been purchased by Hewlett-Packard). They are a computer systems company started by Ross Perot. I am lucky enough to work in the Flight Department located in McKinney, Texas. The hang a r houses three Gulfstream corporate jets: a G4, G5, and G550. Although most interns of my degree want to fly these aircraft, I will be working alongside the mechanics and helping to maintain them as well as observing some of the flights.

My first day went pretty smoothly, of course you have the paper work of any job, but for the most part it went smooth learning some of the finer points of working with Jet A. I will be partially responsible for the fueling of the aircraft and the refueling of the 5,000 gallon fuel truck, this is apart from the two 15,000 gallon fuel tanks the company also owns. The first part of the day we topped off the fuel truck with a meager 2,330 gallons which only took about half an hour.

The G5 had taken off earlier the previous day and was scheduled to come back the late that night. Coming into work on Friday, I learned that the Gulfstream had incurred a few discrepancies that required us to replace the galley’s oven and a few effect lights, so nothing major. The most I learned was when we went over all the systems throughout the aircraft. Prof. Garrett’s    systems and components class sure did pay  off.