GROSSE POINTE –
Hey all!
La vita continua here in Grosse Pointe as I am now 23 years young. Crazy isn’t it? For my birthday my family took myself, my godparents (and JD), my buddy Bryan, and my grandma out to Buddy’s Pizza to celebrate. It was a grand ol’ time. My main birthday present was four tickets to go to see A Bronx Tale at the Fisher Theatre. It was a play in one act by one man (Chazz Palmenteri)! Ross from high school, Cat from Padova, and Jenny from Florence all lucked out and got to come with me. We had a pregame spritz (naturally) a postgame venture to Fishbones and then capped off the night (late) with another spritz at the house. All in all a very fun night.
As some of you may know, I am now an assistant coach for the boys’ freshman basketball team up at Grosse Pointe North. I am coaching with my longtime buddy and basketball teammate, Bryan Bennett. We are learning with the kids on how to coach but fortunately it appears pretty obvious to us what the kids need to work on (basically everything - including academics). We have started off 0-2 with losses to De La Salle and Detroit Community. While we weren’t surprised about the loss to DLS, we played Detroit Community to the bitter end, falling 40-43. We are excited about our game Friday (today) 4:30 , at Chippewa Valley – you should come!
Unfortunately, I missed the game vs. Detroit Community yesterday because I was meeting a potential employer in Canada (exciting!). The meeting went well and I hope that a position might open up in the near future. In the meantime I am going to continue coaching and hopefully start substitute teaching while actively carrying on my job search. This weekend I am planning a trip to Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo to see some friends before they all go home for Christmas. I am hoping to get to the DIA for an art exhibit sometime soon, and really enjoy what Detroit has to offer during Christmas – it’s a lot!
Keep in touch let me know what ya’ll are up to… Go Norsemen!
STEVO
Friday, December 12, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Change? What Change?
In the past week or so there has been a lot of talk about the “Change” that President-Elect Barack Obama will bring to the White House. But what is this “change” they speak of? What actually is the significance of Barack Obama being elected President of the United States? It may come as a surprise to some, but Obama’s victory signals more than just a change in office – it secures the United States’ position as the most important and influential country in the world. It is a resounding declaration by the American people that they are willing and capable of carrying that burden.
It’s a New Day…
As polls closed across the country on November 4th, America sang a song in unison led by the young senator from Illinois. America sang loudly that they weren’t happy with the current situation and that something needed to be done. Despite commonly held mistrust and doubt in the political system, a man emerged through the rubble virtually unscathed by political corruption, silencing critics of the system, and with an unmistakable mission of clearing out the mess left in his hands.
November 4th America proved its resilience and dedication to being THE leader of the free world by electing a man who understands the enormity of the task before him and with the intelligence and boldness to do what needs to be done. It is evident through his emphatic and well written speeches that Barack Obama understands what it means to be a true leader: one who not only inspires and encourages, but also demonstrates and explains how it should be done so that all can participate.
November 4th also revealed how America is a leader and innovator in technology and communications as his message reached millions of people through various types of cyber-mediums: Blogs, Family e-mails, YouTube songs and films, podcasts, Facebook applications and groups, Twitter updates, and, of course, conventional websites and news broadcasts.
Obama and his team had the foresight to use the various means presented by the Internet and were savvy enough to make them work to their advantage. Because of this, Obama was able to get his message of hope and change out to the schools of California, the cornfields of Iowa, the basements of New York and everywhere in between. And with a resounding “Yes we can” America stood by these time-tested beliefs as priorities, giving fear and doubt a middle finger and removing the stranglehold they have had in recent years.
It’s a New Day…
As polls closed across the country on November 4th, America sang a song in unison led by the young senator from Illinois. America sang loudly that they weren’t happy with the current situation and that something needed to be done. Despite commonly held mistrust and doubt in the political system, a man emerged through the rubble virtually unscathed by political corruption, silencing critics of the system, and with an unmistakable mission of clearing out the mess left in his hands.
November 4th America proved its resilience and dedication to being THE leader of the free world by electing a man who understands the enormity of the task before him and with the intelligence and boldness to do what needs to be done. It is evident through his emphatic and well written speeches that Barack Obama understands what it means to be a true leader: one who not only inspires and encourages, but also demonstrates and explains how it should be done so that all can participate.
November 4th also revealed how America is a leader and innovator in technology and communications as his message reached millions of people through various types of cyber-mediums: Blogs, Family e-mails, YouTube songs and films, podcasts, Facebook applications and groups, Twitter updates, and, of course, conventional websites and news broadcasts.
Obama and his team had the foresight to use the various means presented by the Internet and were savvy enough to make them work to their advantage. Because of this, Obama was able to get his message of hope and change out to the schools of California, the cornfields of Iowa, the basements of New York and everywhere in between. And with a resounding “Yes we can” America stood by these time-tested beliefs as priorities, giving fear and doubt a middle finger and removing the stranglehold they have had in recent years.
Yes We Can
More importantly the November 4th election signaled to the world that the United States is capable of making the changes necessary to remain a world power, and seeks to do what is considered right regardless of the cost. As a friend from Italy puts it: “It just goes to show that America is still way ahead of the rest of the world.”
There is no question that the road to recovery will be difficult, and that obstacles and critics exist, but by electing this particular man, the American people have proven that the American Dream still exists, that righteousness is colorblind, and that Americans are committed to the ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence regardless of uncomfortable and inconvenient, though necessary changes.
It goes to show that America is not as divided as previously suggested and has a desire to move forward and is capable of doing so. It’s a new day, America, finish your coffee and eggs and let’s go to work.
More importantly the November 4th election signaled to the world that the United States is capable of making the changes necessary to remain a world power, and seeks to do what is considered right regardless of the cost. As a friend from Italy puts it: “It just goes to show that America is still way ahead of the rest of the world.”
There is no question that the road to recovery will be difficult, and that obstacles and critics exist, but by electing this particular man, the American people have proven that the American Dream still exists, that righteousness is colorblind, and that Americans are committed to the ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence regardless of uncomfortable and inconvenient, though necessary changes.
It goes to show that America is not as divided as previously suggested and has a desire to move forward and is capable of doing so. It’s a new day, America, finish your coffee and eggs and let’s go to work.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Weekend Warrior
Wednesday, October 15, 2008 -GROSSE POINTE
Hey everyone - Ciao a tutti!
It has been about 6 weeks since I have been back home and a lot has gone on.
First things first, I FOUND A JOB!
Well, kind of. My buddy Bryan asked me to assist him in coaching freshman boys basketball over at North this winter. I am stoked. I don't know how long I am going to be around as my job search has been anywhere BUT Detroit but I am hoping to get a little bit of the season under my belt. It's coming up after all...
Other than that, my job search has been rather fruitless. I have applied to jobs in New York, DC, Toronto, Switzerland, Vancouver, and Austria. Haven't heard back from any. I'm shootin' for the long shots right now hoping one of them bites (and soon), but I'm pretty confident it will happen in due time.
Meanwhile I have been doing some travelin'... So much so I woke up yesterday in my own bed but had NO idea where I was or what time it was (could be because no light gets into the basement, but still). It's been fun, I haven't spent a week in the same bed since early July. Kinda crazy right? You'd think it would get old but I really haven't tired of it... I think it's because my bed here gives me back aches.
Let's see, Since I got back the week before Labor day I have been:
1. Up North
2. Ann Arbor
3. East Lansing
4. New York City
5. Ann Arbor
6. Ann Arbor
and
7. Muncie, IN and Cincinnati
That about brings me up to this weekend where I am hoping to get back up north and then down to EL to celebrate my brothers' birthdays. The only thing holding me back is good ol' St. Joan of Arc Homecoming on Saturday. I think I might stay for that, but I heard the trees up north are pretty....
Aside aside, I have also got to do some pretty cool stuff since I have been back.. Unfortunately I don't have pictures of it all but here is a quick idea:
Shea Stadium, Yankee Stadium, The Big House (x2 and on the field - thanks Mike), Spartan Stadium, a Zucchero concert, a Boss concert, an Obama rally, the Red Wings banner raising ceremony/first game, Lafayette Coney Island on multiple occasions, dinner with Danielle Dipert, and canoed the heck out of the Au Sable.
It's OK to be jealous because all of those things are pretty sweet and lady luck has been my friend of late (bout my only lady friend but that's another story). On top of it all I have been able to hang out with Dan the man, my grandparents, the Bennetts and a bunch of people that I haven't been able to for a couple of years. Despite the fact that I don't have a "real job" I still consider my days productive. Not to mention my music collection has been benefiting from the extra time.
It's great keeping up with my friends, too. In the past 24 hours I have caught up with friends from Paris, up and down Italy, 2 friends in Germany, one in Australia, one Croatian, and several good ol' Americanfolk spread throughout the US. Life is good, thank God for the Internet.
PLEASE leave a message and let me know what you are up to, it's great hearing from ya'll!
Na zdravje!
Stevo
Friday, September 26, 2008
My Political Manifesto
Hey all,
The following is an e-mail I wrote to members of my family in response to a set of exchanged e-mails. I wrote it mostly for myself in order to help me define my political platform and determine where I stand between the two major party candidates. It was a great exercise that I encourage EVERYONE to do. I have decided to share it online to have my views be heard to whoever will hear them. I don't expect everyone to agree with all that I have written and I encourage dissenting opinions.
Without further adieu...
Hey Guys!
God Bless America!
As most of you know the Italians love a good argument and seeing as I am recently returned from over there I couldn't help but join in on the fun.
I want to start off by saying that these are MY views and how my experiences thus far have shaped how I view the world. I am not anticipating changing anyone's opinion; however I do sincerely hope that I can bring something new to the table that maybe NO ONE has thought of. If I can do this, I will be happy. I also realize that in order for me to put myself out there fully, I'll need to write a lot. Grab a drink, and I encourage you to read to the end and respond at your leisure.
Also, I love the fact that we can talk about this and I think e-mails are a great forum for us to communicate our thought-out beliefs and share with our family for whom we all want the best.
I ask you all to keep in mind the fact that I have been abroad for a greater part of the last two years while I have studied political systems and their impact on the world stage. I have been able to see how our great country has effected a substantial portion of the world from Padova to Casablanca. I have read about, studied, and experienced how people from abroad view America and Americans in particular. These are all issues I would love to talk about and these are the issues which I, Steve Schrage, see as most pressing to our present state of the State.
I am going to try and be as objective as possible, but I know that we are all trying to be and in discussions such as this there are NEVER clear right or wrong answers. The duality of our political system oftentimes deceives us into believing that there is ONE candidate or party that has all of the right answers. I do not believe this, nor do I think that you all do. The reason I bring this up is because I believe by taking a stand on any issue, we can only do so utilizing the knowledge that we posses. This goes the same with the current political candidates. I want to stress that no matter at what point one may be politically, educationally, or spiritually, everyone is capable of making informed decisions and it is very important to realize that views, opinions, and even what is considered "Right" and "Wrong" can and often does CHANGE. Time and again has history proven this to us and time and again have non-reformed beliefs, ideas, and cultures succumbed to their own demise simply by refusing to reconcile change with the current status-quo.
I believe that is what you will see this year with Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan football program. There was a generally accepted consensus that change was needed and the decision to hire RichRod was an extreme remodeling of the previous system. Seeing as Mr. Rodriguez refuses to reconcile his system with the resources and players that he has NOW the team and the program will suffer this year. Due to the fact that the players circulate through the system every four years it might not be for another four years until any progress can be seen within his new program.
Transferring this idea to the political stage I think it is easy to agree that:
1. Change is needed. And fast. Our current state of the economy and the general animosity of the rest of the world towards our current administration convinces me of this.
2. Change MUST be reconciled with current administrative practices. Not doing so would be irresponsible and unproductive in the immediate and distant futures. An elected official need assess the situation at hand BEFORE making decisions.
That being said, both major party candidates appear on the surface to be capable of change though it would appear that McCain and the Republican party would have the advantage: Since Republicans are already in office, it would be easy to transfer people, departments, objectives over to the same people without much hassle. HOWEVER, I contend that the changes McCain suggests AND the persona that he has portrayed to ME via his website, RNC appearances, and through the mainstream media are not strong enough to bring about a sufficient CHANGE that can be readily and accessibly felt by the average American in the next four years.
This brings us to an ideological debate. One must first assess their own philosophical beliefs on the role of the government in any society BEFORE they make a decision on how to vote. I, personally and ideologically, desire a government to be an entity created by the people and for the people. In practice, this is not and cannot be the case and I realize this. Our government was created by an ELITE group of men, "The Founding Fathers", who wrote numerous letters to each other and drafts of the constitution(s) and in the end it was THEM (the elite electoral college) who were able to vote in the presidential elections (with the interests of the average American in mind, of course).
Through time this ideology has been downplayed, some of it lost, and in the real life many don't quite understand it. Our nation was built on the principle that the needs of the people and the needs of the nation undoubtedly change and so must the government. The Founding Fathers also accounted for the fact that the general population was incapable of making a truly informed decision. Not because of their stupidity or ignorance, but simply due to the fact that Americans have a work ethic unlike any other country. The average American, whether due to improper schooling, disinterest, or simply the fact that they have too much to do cannot possibly take the time to understand all of the issues and make well-rounded decisions. The electoral college was implemented for this precise purpose.
As time has told, no government is perfect and the perversion of the system by money through the political parties has caused the corruption of those ideals once held by the elite American men in the late 1700s. However tainted the system may be, I still believe that the objective of the government should be to strive to obtain those goals of being run by the People and for the People: with People meaning the average American.
It is here where ideals separate and the system (along with the parties) perverse the average American thought. The political parties, family allegiances, MONEY, and the media convince the average American that there are two trains of thought and that a good and well informed American must be on one side or the other. I can tell you with 100% confidence that this is not and never will be true. As long as our fingerprints are different, so will our thoughts and beliefs be different. It is possible, however to find similarities between fingerprints and beliefs and it is important in our social atmosphere to align ourselves with the right set according to our knowledge and what we know of the other sets. There is definitely strength in numbers and our political system rewards this rather handsomely.
I, in turn, find myself in accordance with what I believe to be the views of Barack Obama. Never in my life have I seen a major party candidate with such an innate grasp of the task that potentially lies before them or (more importantly to me) with the audacity AND THE KNOWLEDGE to successfully challenge the system and change it to benefit the average American as intended by the Founding Fathers.
To emphasize this I will bring up three points that are intrinsic only to Barack that might help to understand this:
1. His name. Barack Hussein Obama. Are you kidding? The mere fact that a man without a common name as George, Bill, or John actually has a shot at this thing already starts to challenge the way things are working. But to add references to THE TOP TWO of the U.S.'s most wanted list in the past decade to a major party candidate's name? Well that's just absurd. But wait, there's more...
2. He's black. So wait, you're telling me that there is a black man, running for office, with the name of Barack Hussein Obama and he still has a shot at this? His resume must be EXTRA impressive...
3. Umm... Well, he was in the Illinois State legislature for a while, was in the Senate for a couple of years, oh AND he graduated from Columbia and Havard Law. That's gotta count for something right?
I would argue yes. In my opinion the lack of political "experience" could only help a politician seeking true reform due to the lack of monetary and political ties one would have when entering office. Not only this, Obama is a smart man. Anyone who has heard him speak or graduated from Harvard Law could probably attest to that. He is so smart, in fact, that he chose the 6th longest running member of the senate to be his running mate (McCain is 24th). Biden, I believe, will be an excellent source for Obama to tap when the expert advice is needed in passing a bill. Also, when it comes down to it, it will be the PRESIDENT who signs the bill. Having an informed, rational-thinking, and intelligent president WHO IS NOT INDEBTED monetarily or politically to other institutions can effectively make a decision with the least amount of biases.
Furthermore, my experiences have led me into contact with a number of international viewpoints drastically different from those of the majority of Americans. No matter where I have traveled, I have found that biases and commitments due to culture and life experiences consistently affect the views of the average citizen. Moreover, I have found that listening to and thinking about all of the different viewpoints can lead one to challenge their own and question whether or not their previously held beliefs take into account all of the possibilities. This is not a bad thing.
It is my assessment that the majority of people in the international community (and one could argue also at home) have a strong opposition to the current practices of our government. It is my understanding that foreign communities will begin to put more pressure on the US and it's policies in order to accommodate a more globalized market not governed by America and it's corporations. For me, this is an issue of utmost importance that must be dealt with extreme care and tact. A thorough understanding of the international system and the interests of America's corporations MUST be at the forefront of a newly elected presidents' mind.
Barack Obama was born in Hawaii, is of Kenyan and Kansas descent, lived in India and graduated from Columbia with a Political Science degree specializing in International Relations. He worked with the Business International Corporation - "a publishing and advisory firm dedicated to assisting American companies in operating abroad" (Wikipedia). John McCain's international experience involves traveling with his family through naval bases through his youth and culminates in 23 separate bombing missions followed by 5 and a half years of imprisonment in a North Vietnamese prison.
I believe that these experiences are BOTH invaluable to each individual and will affect their policies abroad. It is my preference to have the former set of experiences when dealing with diplomatic situations.
But those aren't the only issues, Steve! Ahh yes, I know. I have given the other issues a thought, too. I don't expect you all to agree with me, but again I would like to put myself out there. Again, most of my beliefs are reinforced by an ideology that believes a government should exist on behalf of the people with an emphasis on the average American.
That being said, my mom and Kevin have each touched on some of them already and since Kevin's e-mail was clearly organized into sections I'd like to address my opinions on those issues first:
Abortion:
First and fore-most I think that the term "Pro-Life" is deceiving. One who is "Pro-Choice" can also be "Pro-Life" and vice-versa. Like you, Kevin, and I'm sure the rest of us, I am Pro-Life. Though I have never been faced with the situation (knock on wood) I would like to think that I would have no problem choosing Life over Abortion. The important part, however, is the choice. Though I concede that perhaps this current constitutional right can be taken advantage of, I can't help but think that in some situations it might be for the better. In order for a human to become a productive member of society, one must be raised under the right conditions. If a dysfunctional family sees that a baby is going to have Fetal Alcohol Sydrome or a rape victim decides that it is probably in the baby's best interest not to be born for fear of what might happen to him or her, I don't see it has the ultimate sin.
Don't get me wrong, I think it's a sin and I believe that one will have to answer to a higher authority than the US government when their time is through, BUT I personally feel less responsible when a mother makes the decision to have an abortion as opposed to the government telling her it must live and then have it die 7 months later out of neglect or encounter a similar fate.
Furthermore, I still consider myself Pro-Life when dealing with Capitol Punishment. I do not believe the government should kill a man on behalf of the people of which I am a member. I want no part in that whatsoever. I do, however, believe that some people are beyond rational thought and incapable of being "cured" by current medical practices. I do not disapprove of these people being separated from the general population.
Which leads us to...
National Security:
This is a topic which I find very abstract and unavailable to the general public in most areas. One can argue that McCain has more knowledge in "serving to protect our country", but no one person can claim past experience as executive in chief other than previous Presidents. The President of the United States, I believe, comes into the know of national security threats on a need-to-know basis and intervenes only when he (or she) sees necessary. The chief executives of the many governmental agencies (CIA, FBI, all the Armed Forces, etc) all report to the Pentagon (a physically separate entity from the White House), though in the end they all report to the President. A Commander-in-Chief, therefore, in my opinion, must synthesize all reports and intelligence rationally before making extreme decisions such as war. From what I have seen of the two politicians, I believe Obama and his diplomatic tendencies will have an easier time at this than McCain would with the tradition of war hawks in the Republican Party.
I must remind you that I am of the mindset that intelligent political leaders can interact with foreign officials to find solutions and avoid war. It has been done in the past and needs to be done in the future in order to preserve our national economic security. We cannot and must not continue to spend money we do not have on a war that most likely cannot be won nor directly benefits us. In fact, many foreigners believe that the entire reason we went to war with Iraq was because Saddam wanted to change the oil trade from trade in US Dollars to Euro. Which leads me to...
Energy:
This one I like. Currently I support the drilling for oil in Alaska. I think the only way our energy crisis will be solved is if there ACTUALLY is a crisis. Though I do not believe that complete independence from foreign energy and governments is healthy for an ever-increasing globalized economy, I do feel that it is a resource that could be tapped. An option that a President and his staff should consider.
In quick response to Kevin's e-mail, I do not believe foreign governments are all evil or that we as Americans are entitled to anything (including oil). I think it's important to recognize the abundance of natural resources that we possess in America and rather than exploit it as our God-given right, learn to cultivate it so that it can be used most efficiently and keep us running the longest. Pressure MUST be put on the automotive industry OF AMERICA to find more efficient energy resources for use in their cars and I still believe that Obama has an awareness of this crisis that is parallel to McCain's.
Free-Enterprise
The Industrial Revolution paved way for capitalism. America helped invent the ways to regulate it in order to produce desired effects.
> From what I have studied, I deduce that a complete and unregulated
capitalistic system would produce extreme instances of severe and massive poverty while at the same time producing a minute group of insanely wealthy individuals. This is the case today in many third world countries where a government plays an ineffective or insignificant role in the regulation of industry.
The American and French Revolutions however played an important role in the assurance of a regulatory government to help lessen the blow for the average citizen. Americans still receive the money that they earn, however the government plays a role evening out the disparity between the extremes as well as aiding the incapable (be they handicap or unemployed) in finding decent and humane living situations.
Similarly, the government allows the American Dream to become a reality for many more people. By providing tax incentives for business owners, the regulation of the government helps to promote and encourage free-enterprise. These programs help ensure that businesses are run responsibly and effectively.
This must also be the case with the government. I have taken several macro-economic classes at the university level and have a decent understanding of the effects of taxes and government interference on the macro-scale. The government effects the economy and the GDP and GNP under it's borders significantly. Taxes undoubtedly hinder a free-enterprise system.
But is this a bad thing? I agrue no, so long as it is done responsibly.
The government MUST have some form of income in order to pay for national security, social security, education, etc. These are commitments that the government has taken on at the request of the People. In order for these programs to successfully run with minimal interference in the every-day workings of the free-enterprise system, they must be paid for with real money from that system - not borrowed or non-existent money.
The effects of the national debt on the average American and the capitalistic economy can be seen by the devaluation of the US Currency compared with foreign currencies. This effects our pocketbooks tremendously as previous goods become more expensive.
There is one positive aspect of a falling US dollar that I can think of that works to promote our economy, and that is our trade. Since our Declaration of Independence, Americans have always bought more from overseas than what we have sold. This leads to money directly leaving the US and it's economy. With a falling USD, our goods become more attractive to foreign buyers (as they are cheaper) and our trade deficit begins to even out. The more currency we have flowing into our country, the more the American dollar buys, the better off we are.
The problem now lies within the government to protect the American dollar from falling in the first place. Spending money that it doesn't have to support a war that is costing TRILLIONS of dollars is not only irresponsible, it is economically hindering each and every American when they go to the store.
Enter:
The Iraq War
This a topic that could be debated for years and already has been. My assessment of the situation in Iraq is a naive one, as I would I assume is most of ours. In order to have a proper discussion and form an opinion about it one must seek to understand what they know and then realize their knowledge is incomplete and distorted. This is not because one is ignorant, but due to the fact that the current administration has been misinformed and perhaps has misguided the American public in order to produce various ends.
That being said, I agree with Kevin that the decision to enter Iraq is irrelevant today. I also agree that immediate withdrawal from Iraq is unacceptable. I do believe, however, that a re-assessment must be made by the "powers at be" who are privy to information that the general population does not have access to.
My understanding of the situation is as follows (with obvious neglect to the situation prior to George W.'s presidency):
- The Bush Administration, following the Sept. 11 attacks, receives intelligence that Iraqi officials have begun to pursue WMD's and that this posses an imminent threat to the American population.
- Support for military action is gathered from allies in England and a few smaller countries but is never really accepted worldwide. The United Nations cannot confirm the US Intelligence, and therefore does not support military action.
- President Bush, under heavy pressure by war mongering leaders in his Cabinet, decides that action is necessary.
- Here it is my belief that very little connection was established between Saddam's government and the terrorist group Al Qaeda. I also believe that Saddam's interest in trading oil in Euro instead of USD caused panic in the White House about the potential economic impact it could have in the US.
- Invasion of Iraq by coalition forces led to a quick and utter destruction of the Saddam government. The Commander-in-Chief then commits our troops to the rebuilding of a nation under the assumption that democratic and capitalistic ideals will prevail.
Since then, the US has had advances and setbacks with no clear objective other than a "stable Iraq". Al-Qaeda continues to grow despite (and many argue BECAUSE) of our presence in the Middle East.
I don't believe in the possibility of a stable Iraq led by American forces can exist any time soon. The situation calls for a close look at the culture of Islam which MANY Americans (especially the "Mavericks" in office) have no chance of understanding for various reasons- lack of interest, religious beliefs, indifference. I was fortunate enough to take a course in Italy on the sociology of Islam, and then travel to an Islamic country in Morocco. I can testify that the very basis of the Islamic culture is DIRECTLY contradictory to a capitalistic society.
Under the Koran, the merging of church, state, and even monetary system is essential. In fact, the term "Islam" means "submission" and the idea is that Muslims submit themselves to the Islamic community and God. The difference from capitalism can be seen within this sense of community. Under Capitalism, a person is expected to "pull themselves up by the bootstraps" and make capital for themselves. In Islam, however, one "works" in order to benefit the community as a whole. One of the Five Pillars is alms-giving which is controlled by an Islamic bank. The idea with the central bank is that those who can give to the bank, give, and those who are in need are able to take.
To an American this idea sounds absurd, but the faith of the Muslim people makes this system just as real in their mind as our faith in our system makes ours real. The important thing to take away from all of this is that theirs is a system drastically different from ours with little desire to change. No amount of bombs is going to change this.
What needs to occur is a reassessment of what the US is capable of doing in Iraq. If diplomacy is still an option, I think that should be of utmost urgency. If this is not the case, the US should work with a true coalition of forces from around the world in order to determine the best course of action and maybe be willing to relinquish the objective of a free and capitalistic country in Iraq. I do not consider this a "surrender" nor do I believe it will jeopardize our national security any more than staying there would. I also do not see this as an international humiliation for our country any further than what the current administration has warranted.
Again, I believe that Barack Obama understands this situation and is knowledgeable enough to rationally sort out a situation before choosing a course of action.
My faith in Obama is not unfounded, I have read his book "The Audacity of Hope" and have heard him speak. His calm and insightful demeanor encourages my beliefs that he deep down understands the issues and seeks to reconcile them in the best and most efficient way possible regardless of party lines.
McCain has not convinced me of this. The Republican Party machine is so strong and well-rooted in the current system that it would be nearly impossible (and politically suicidal) for him to part ways with it, despite the fact that it is this precise machine that has driven our country into the economic and political lows. I do not fault President George Bush for everything that has happened during his administration, though I do fault him for failing to think about the actions that members in his party were telling him were the best for the nation as a whole. While I do, ambitiously, believe that McCain will be perhaps more critical of the tasks put before him than his predecessor, I do not believe that he will be able to rid himself of the ghosts of Republican past enough for any real change to occur and quickly.
I want to stress that I have no allegiance to the Democratic Party and consider myself an independent, despite the political candidate I endorse.
I do not know of either candidates' health care plans - this is an issue that only recently has come into my consciousness. I can tell you that I was truly amazed by the ease of the socialist health care system I experienced while in Italy, though I am not convinced that a total revamp of our system is a good idea - especially for our economy. I also am not afraid of it.
I want to highlight one important thing that my mom brought up in her e-mail and that is the importance of financial responsibility. I agree with Kevin that McCain is not a mirror image of the current administration, though as I said before, I do not think McCain has the youthfulness or knowledge to substantially challenge the machine that is already set in motion.
In conclusion, I want to simply bring into light a couple of observations that I have had about the election process and the way we, as Americans, treat it. The amount of money raised by presidential candidates this year is over $1 Billion. Despite the amount of money that goes into it (or perhaps because of it) the process is still flawed and many people only receive or seek out the news that they want to hear. I would encourage everyone to pay attention very critically when listening in the next couple of weeks. If you watch closely the media spreads rumors in all directions. Watch the debate on Friday and make a decision on your own. Base it as best you can on the issues as well as the perceived capacities of the candidates.
Be aware of political bullying and realize that terms such as "NObama" have a psychological effect on you as well as your audience. Similarly, beware of unjust and inappropriate associations. Even as a joke, a comparison between Kwame and Obama reeks of racism.
I have enjoyed writing this and want to thank any of you who have read this all the way through. I appreciate that you value my opinions and I would love to discuss them with whoever (I think grandpa would approve as long as there was a beer involved).
Voice your opinion. Listen. Vote.
Much Love,
Steve
The following is an e-mail I wrote to members of my family in response to a set of exchanged e-mails. I wrote it mostly for myself in order to help me define my political platform and determine where I stand between the two major party candidates. It was a great exercise that I encourage EVERYONE to do. I have decided to share it online to have my views be heard to whoever will hear them. I don't expect everyone to agree with all that I have written and I encourage dissenting opinions.
Without further adieu...
Hey Guys!
God Bless America!
As most of you know the Italians love a good argument and seeing as I am recently returned from over there I couldn't help but join in on the fun.
I want to start off by saying that these are MY views and how my experiences thus far have shaped how I view the world. I am not anticipating changing anyone's opinion; however I do sincerely hope that I can bring something new to the table that maybe NO ONE has thought of. If I can do this, I will be happy. I also realize that in order for me to put myself out there fully, I'll need to write a lot. Grab a drink, and I encourage you to read to the end and respond at your leisure.
Also, I love the fact that we can talk about this and I think e-mails are a great forum for us to communicate our thought-out beliefs and share with our family for whom we all want the best.
I ask you all to keep in mind the fact that I have been abroad for a greater part of the last two years while I have studied political systems and their impact on the world stage. I have been able to see how our great country has effected a substantial portion of the world from Padova to Casablanca. I have read about, studied, and experienced how people from abroad view America and Americans in particular. These are all issues I would love to talk about and these are the issues which I, Steve Schrage, see as most pressing to our present state of the State.
I am going to try and be as objective as possible, but I know that we are all trying to be and in discussions such as this there are NEVER clear right or wrong answers. The duality of our political system oftentimes deceives us into believing that there is ONE candidate or party that has all of the right answers. I do not believe this, nor do I think that you all do. The reason I bring this up is because I believe by taking a stand on any issue, we can only do so utilizing the knowledge that we posses. This goes the same with the current political candidates. I want to stress that no matter at what point one may be politically, educationally, or spiritually, everyone is capable of making informed decisions and it is very important to realize that views, opinions, and even what is considered "Right" and "Wrong" can and often does CHANGE. Time and again has history proven this to us and time and again have non-reformed beliefs, ideas, and cultures succumbed to their own demise simply by refusing to reconcile change with the current status-quo.
I believe that is what you will see this year with Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan football program. There was a generally accepted consensus that change was needed and the decision to hire RichRod was an extreme remodeling of the previous system. Seeing as Mr. Rodriguez refuses to reconcile his system with the resources and players that he has NOW the team and the program will suffer this year. Due to the fact that the players circulate through the system every four years it might not be for another four years until any progress can be seen within his new program.
Transferring this idea to the political stage I think it is easy to agree that:
1. Change is needed. And fast. Our current state of the economy and the general animosity of the rest of the world towards our current administration convinces me of this.
2. Change MUST be reconciled with current administrative practices. Not doing so would be irresponsible and unproductive in the immediate and distant futures. An elected official need assess the situation at hand BEFORE making decisions.
That being said, both major party candidates appear on the surface to be capable of change though it would appear that McCain and the Republican party would have the advantage: Since Republicans are already in office, it would be easy to transfer people, departments, objectives over to the same people without much hassle. HOWEVER, I contend that the changes McCain suggests AND the persona that he has portrayed to ME via his website, RNC appearances, and through the mainstream media are not strong enough to bring about a sufficient CHANGE that can be readily and accessibly felt by the average American in the next four years.
This brings us to an ideological debate. One must first assess their own philosophical beliefs on the role of the government in any society BEFORE they make a decision on how to vote. I, personally and ideologically, desire a government to be an entity created by the people and for the people. In practice, this is not and cannot be the case and I realize this. Our government was created by an ELITE group of men, "The Founding Fathers", who wrote numerous letters to each other and drafts of the constitution(s) and in the end it was THEM (the elite electoral college) who were able to vote in the presidential elections (with the interests of the average American in mind, of course).
Through time this ideology has been downplayed, some of it lost, and in the real life many don't quite understand it. Our nation was built on the principle that the needs of the people and the needs of the nation undoubtedly change and so must the government. The Founding Fathers also accounted for the fact that the general population was incapable of making a truly informed decision. Not because of their stupidity or ignorance, but simply due to the fact that Americans have a work ethic unlike any other country. The average American, whether due to improper schooling, disinterest, or simply the fact that they have too much to do cannot possibly take the time to understand all of the issues and make well-rounded decisions. The electoral college was implemented for this precise purpose.
As time has told, no government is perfect and the perversion of the system by money through the political parties has caused the corruption of those ideals once held by the elite American men in the late 1700s. However tainted the system may be, I still believe that the objective of the government should be to strive to obtain those goals of being run by the People and for the People: with People meaning the average American.
It is here where ideals separate and the system (along with the parties) perverse the average American thought. The political parties, family allegiances, MONEY, and the media convince the average American that there are two trains of thought and that a good and well informed American must be on one side or the other. I can tell you with 100% confidence that this is not and never will be true. As long as our fingerprints are different, so will our thoughts and beliefs be different. It is possible, however to find similarities between fingerprints and beliefs and it is important in our social atmosphere to align ourselves with the right set according to our knowledge and what we know of the other sets. There is definitely strength in numbers and our political system rewards this rather handsomely.
I, in turn, find myself in accordance with what I believe to be the views of Barack Obama. Never in my life have I seen a major party candidate with such an innate grasp of the task that potentially lies before them or (more importantly to me) with the audacity AND THE KNOWLEDGE to successfully challenge the system and change it to benefit the average American as intended by the Founding Fathers.
To emphasize this I will bring up three points that are intrinsic only to Barack that might help to understand this:
1. His name. Barack Hussein Obama. Are you kidding? The mere fact that a man without a common name as George, Bill, or John actually has a shot at this thing already starts to challenge the way things are working. But to add references to THE TOP TWO of the U.S.'s most wanted list in the past decade to a major party candidate's name? Well that's just absurd. But wait, there's more...
2. He's black. So wait, you're telling me that there is a black man, running for office, with the name of Barack Hussein Obama and he still has a shot at this? His resume must be EXTRA impressive...
3. Umm... Well, he was in the Illinois State legislature for a while, was in the Senate for a couple of years, oh AND he graduated from Columbia and Havard Law. That's gotta count for something right?
I would argue yes. In my opinion the lack of political "experience" could only help a politician seeking true reform due to the lack of monetary and political ties one would have when entering office. Not only this, Obama is a smart man. Anyone who has heard him speak or graduated from Harvard Law could probably attest to that. He is so smart, in fact, that he chose the 6th longest running member of the senate to be his running mate (McCain is 24th). Biden, I believe, will be an excellent source for Obama to tap when the expert advice is needed in passing a bill. Also, when it comes down to it, it will be the PRESIDENT who signs the bill. Having an informed, rational-thinking, and intelligent president WHO IS NOT INDEBTED monetarily or politically to other institutions can effectively make a decision with the least amount of biases.
Furthermore, my experiences have led me into contact with a number of international viewpoints drastically different from those of the majority of Americans. No matter where I have traveled, I have found that biases and commitments due to culture and life experiences consistently affect the views of the average citizen. Moreover, I have found that listening to and thinking about all of the different viewpoints can lead one to challenge their own and question whether or not their previously held beliefs take into account all of the possibilities. This is not a bad thing.
It is my assessment that the majority of people in the international community (and one could argue also at home) have a strong opposition to the current practices of our government. It is my understanding that foreign communities will begin to put more pressure on the US and it's policies in order to accommodate a more globalized market not governed by America and it's corporations. For me, this is an issue of utmost importance that must be dealt with extreme care and tact. A thorough understanding of the international system and the interests of America's corporations MUST be at the forefront of a newly elected presidents' mind.
Barack Obama was born in Hawaii, is of Kenyan and Kansas descent, lived in India and graduated from Columbia with a Political Science degree specializing in International Relations. He worked with the Business International Corporation - "a publishing and advisory firm dedicated to assisting American companies in operating abroad" (Wikipedia). John McCain's international experience involves traveling with his family through naval bases through his youth and culminates in 23 separate bombing missions followed by 5 and a half years of imprisonment in a North Vietnamese prison.
I believe that these experiences are BOTH invaluable to each individual and will affect their policies abroad. It is my preference to have the former set of experiences when dealing with diplomatic situations.
But those aren't the only issues, Steve! Ahh yes, I know. I have given the other issues a thought, too. I don't expect you all to agree with me, but again I would like to put myself out there. Again, most of my beliefs are reinforced by an ideology that believes a government should exist on behalf of the people with an emphasis on the average American.
That being said, my mom and Kevin have each touched on some of them already and since Kevin's e-mail was clearly organized into sections I'd like to address my opinions on those issues first:
Abortion:
First and fore-most I think that the term "Pro-Life" is deceiving. One who is "Pro-Choice" can also be "Pro-Life" and vice-versa. Like you, Kevin, and I'm sure the rest of us, I am Pro-Life. Though I have never been faced with the situation (knock on wood) I would like to think that I would have no problem choosing Life over Abortion. The important part, however, is the choice. Though I concede that perhaps this current constitutional right can be taken advantage of, I can't help but think that in some situations it might be for the better. In order for a human to become a productive member of society, one must be raised under the right conditions. If a dysfunctional family sees that a baby is going to have Fetal Alcohol Sydrome or a rape victim decides that it is probably in the baby's best interest not to be born for fear of what might happen to him or her, I don't see it has the ultimate sin.
Don't get me wrong, I think it's a sin and I believe that one will have to answer to a higher authority than the US government when their time is through, BUT I personally feel less responsible when a mother makes the decision to have an abortion as opposed to the government telling her it must live and then have it die 7 months later out of neglect or encounter a similar fate.
Furthermore, I still consider myself Pro-Life when dealing with Capitol Punishment. I do not believe the government should kill a man on behalf of the people of which I am a member. I want no part in that whatsoever. I do, however, believe that some people are beyond rational thought and incapable of being "cured" by current medical practices. I do not disapprove of these people being separated from the general population.
Which leads us to...
National Security:
This is a topic which I find very abstract and unavailable to the general public in most areas. One can argue that McCain has more knowledge in "serving to protect our country", but no one person can claim past experience as executive in chief other than previous Presidents. The President of the United States, I believe, comes into the know of national security threats on a need-to-know basis and intervenes only when he (or she) sees necessary. The chief executives of the many governmental agencies (CIA, FBI, all the Armed Forces, etc) all report to the Pentagon (a physically separate entity from the White House), though in the end they all report to the President. A Commander-in-Chief, therefore, in my opinion, must synthesize all reports and intelligence rationally before making extreme decisions such as war. From what I have seen of the two politicians, I believe Obama and his diplomatic tendencies will have an easier time at this than McCain would with the tradition of war hawks in the Republican Party.
I must remind you that I am of the mindset that intelligent political leaders can interact with foreign officials to find solutions and avoid war. It has been done in the past and needs to be done in the future in order to preserve our national economic security. We cannot and must not continue to spend money we do not have on a war that most likely cannot be won nor directly benefits us. In fact, many foreigners believe that the entire reason we went to war with Iraq was because Saddam wanted to change the oil trade from trade in US Dollars to Euro. Which leads me to...
Energy:
This one I like. Currently I support the drilling for oil in Alaska. I think the only way our energy crisis will be solved is if there ACTUALLY is a crisis. Though I do not believe that complete independence from foreign energy and governments is healthy for an ever-increasing globalized economy, I do feel that it is a resource that could be tapped. An option that a President and his staff should consider.
In quick response to Kevin's e-mail, I do not believe foreign governments are all evil or that we as Americans are entitled to anything (including oil). I think it's important to recognize the abundance of natural resources that we possess in America and rather than exploit it as our God-given right, learn to cultivate it so that it can be used most efficiently and keep us running the longest. Pressure MUST be put on the automotive industry OF AMERICA to find more efficient energy resources for use in their cars and I still believe that Obama has an awareness of this crisis that is parallel to McCain's.
Free-Enterprise
The Industrial Revolution paved way for capitalism. America helped invent the ways to regulate it in order to produce desired effects.
> From what I have studied, I deduce that a complete and unregulated
capitalistic system would produce extreme instances of severe and massive poverty while at the same time producing a minute group of insanely wealthy individuals. This is the case today in many third world countries where a government plays an ineffective or insignificant role in the regulation of industry.
The American and French Revolutions however played an important role in the assurance of a regulatory government to help lessen the blow for the average citizen. Americans still receive the money that they earn, however the government plays a role evening out the disparity between the extremes as well as aiding the incapable (be they handicap or unemployed) in finding decent and humane living situations.
Similarly, the government allows the American Dream to become a reality for many more people. By providing tax incentives for business owners, the regulation of the government helps to promote and encourage free-enterprise. These programs help ensure that businesses are run responsibly and effectively.
This must also be the case with the government. I have taken several macro-economic classes at the university level and have a decent understanding of the effects of taxes and government interference on the macro-scale. The government effects the economy and the GDP and GNP under it's borders significantly. Taxes undoubtedly hinder a free-enterprise system.
But is this a bad thing? I agrue no, so long as it is done responsibly.
The government MUST have some form of income in order to pay for national security, social security, education, etc. These are commitments that the government has taken on at the request of the People. In order for these programs to successfully run with minimal interference in the every-day workings of the free-enterprise system, they must be paid for with real money from that system - not borrowed or non-existent money.
The effects of the national debt on the average American and the capitalistic economy can be seen by the devaluation of the US Currency compared with foreign currencies. This effects our pocketbooks tremendously as previous goods become more expensive.
There is one positive aspect of a falling US dollar that I can think of that works to promote our economy, and that is our trade. Since our Declaration of Independence, Americans have always bought more from overseas than what we have sold. This leads to money directly leaving the US and it's economy. With a falling USD, our goods become more attractive to foreign buyers (as they are cheaper) and our trade deficit begins to even out. The more currency we have flowing into our country, the more the American dollar buys, the better off we are.
The problem now lies within the government to protect the American dollar from falling in the first place. Spending money that it doesn't have to support a war that is costing TRILLIONS of dollars is not only irresponsible, it is economically hindering each and every American when they go to the store.
Enter:
The Iraq War
This a topic that could be debated for years and already has been. My assessment of the situation in Iraq is a naive one, as I would I assume is most of ours. In order to have a proper discussion and form an opinion about it one must seek to understand what they know and then realize their knowledge is incomplete and distorted. This is not because one is ignorant, but due to the fact that the current administration has been misinformed and perhaps has misguided the American public in order to produce various ends.
That being said, I agree with Kevin that the decision to enter Iraq is irrelevant today. I also agree that immediate withdrawal from Iraq is unacceptable. I do believe, however, that a re-assessment must be made by the "powers at be" who are privy to information that the general population does not have access to.
My understanding of the situation is as follows (with obvious neglect to the situation prior to George W.'s presidency):
- The Bush Administration, following the Sept. 11 attacks, receives intelligence that Iraqi officials have begun to pursue WMD's and that this posses an imminent threat to the American population.
- Support for military action is gathered from allies in England and a few smaller countries but is never really accepted worldwide. The United Nations cannot confirm the US Intelligence, and therefore does not support military action.
- President Bush, under heavy pressure by war mongering leaders in his Cabinet, decides that action is necessary.
- Here it is my belief that very little connection was established between Saddam's government and the terrorist group Al Qaeda. I also believe that Saddam's interest in trading oil in Euro instead of USD caused panic in the White House about the potential economic impact it could have in the US.
- Invasion of Iraq by coalition forces led to a quick and utter destruction of the Saddam government. The Commander-in-Chief then commits our troops to the rebuilding of a nation under the assumption that democratic and capitalistic ideals will prevail.
Since then, the US has had advances and setbacks with no clear objective other than a "stable Iraq". Al-Qaeda continues to grow despite (and many argue BECAUSE) of our presence in the Middle East.
I don't believe in the possibility of a stable Iraq led by American forces can exist any time soon. The situation calls for a close look at the culture of Islam which MANY Americans (especially the "Mavericks" in office) have no chance of understanding for various reasons- lack of interest, religious beliefs, indifference. I was fortunate enough to take a course in Italy on the sociology of Islam, and then travel to an Islamic country in Morocco. I can testify that the very basis of the Islamic culture is DIRECTLY contradictory to a capitalistic society.
Under the Koran, the merging of church, state, and even monetary system is essential. In fact, the term "Islam" means "submission" and the idea is that Muslims submit themselves to the Islamic community and God. The difference from capitalism can be seen within this sense of community. Under Capitalism, a person is expected to "pull themselves up by the bootstraps" and make capital for themselves. In Islam, however, one "works" in order to benefit the community as a whole. One of the Five Pillars is alms-giving which is controlled by an Islamic bank. The idea with the central bank is that those who can give to the bank, give, and those who are in need are able to take.
To an American this idea sounds absurd, but the faith of the Muslim people makes this system just as real in their mind as our faith in our system makes ours real. The important thing to take away from all of this is that theirs is a system drastically different from ours with little desire to change. No amount of bombs is going to change this.
What needs to occur is a reassessment of what the US is capable of doing in Iraq. If diplomacy is still an option, I think that should be of utmost urgency. If this is not the case, the US should work with a true coalition of forces from around the world in order to determine the best course of action and maybe be willing to relinquish the objective of a free and capitalistic country in Iraq. I do not consider this a "surrender" nor do I believe it will jeopardize our national security any more than staying there would. I also do not see this as an international humiliation for our country any further than what the current administration has warranted.
Again, I believe that Barack Obama understands this situation and is knowledgeable enough to rationally sort out a situation before choosing a course of action.
My faith in Obama is not unfounded, I have read his book "The Audacity of Hope" and have heard him speak. His calm and insightful demeanor encourages my beliefs that he deep down understands the issues and seeks to reconcile them in the best and most efficient way possible regardless of party lines.
McCain has not convinced me of this. The Republican Party machine is so strong and well-rooted in the current system that it would be nearly impossible (and politically suicidal) for him to part ways with it, despite the fact that it is this precise machine that has driven our country into the economic and political lows. I do not fault President George Bush for everything that has happened during his administration, though I do fault him for failing to think about the actions that members in his party were telling him were the best for the nation as a whole. While I do, ambitiously, believe that McCain will be perhaps more critical of the tasks put before him than his predecessor, I do not believe that he will be able to rid himself of the ghosts of Republican past enough for any real change to occur and quickly.
I want to stress that I have no allegiance to the Democratic Party and consider myself an independent, despite the political candidate I endorse.
I do not know of either candidates' health care plans - this is an issue that only recently has come into my consciousness. I can tell you that I was truly amazed by the ease of the socialist health care system I experienced while in Italy, though I am not convinced that a total revamp of our system is a good idea - especially for our economy. I also am not afraid of it.
I want to highlight one important thing that my mom brought up in her e-mail and that is the importance of financial responsibility. I agree with Kevin that McCain is not a mirror image of the current administration, though as I said before, I do not think McCain has the youthfulness or knowledge to substantially challenge the machine that is already set in motion.
In conclusion, I want to simply bring into light a couple of observations that I have had about the election process and the way we, as Americans, treat it. The amount of money raised by presidential candidates this year is over $1 Billion. Despite the amount of money that goes into it (or perhaps because of it) the process is still flawed and many people only receive or seek out the news that they want to hear. I would encourage everyone to pay attention very critically when listening in the next couple of weeks. If you watch closely the media spreads rumors in all directions. Watch the debate on Friday and make a decision on your own. Base it as best you can on the issues as well as the perceived capacities of the candidates.
Be aware of political bullying and realize that terms such as "NObama" have a psychological effect on you as well as your audience. Similarly, beware of unjust and inappropriate associations. Even as a joke, a comparison between Kwame and Obama reeks of racism.
I have enjoyed writing this and want to thank any of you who have read this all the way through. I appreciate that you value my opinions and I would love to discuss them with whoever (I think grandpa would approve as long as there was a beer involved).
Voice your opinion. Listen. Vote.
Much Love,
Steve
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Saluta dalla citta' Eterna
Cara famiglia,
I am writing from an Internet point in the center of Rome (between Piazza Navona and Campo dei Fiori for those who have been here). I took the night train last night from Monasterace and arrived here this morning around 7:00 AM. Other than the fact that I didn't sleep in the train I am considerably well-rested and well-fed. I am currently waiting for two of my high school friends to get in from Paris so I thought I would write a quick letter explaining a little bit of what I have done. It looks as though you received my last letter (pardon any errors - it was written hastily) and that has a lot of what I did in Calabria. More importantly, though, than what I did was how I perceived life down there. For those of you who don't know, southern Italy (mostly Sicily and Calabria) are often considered different countries for very good reason. While the Northern provinces try to modernize and capitalize on their cultural and artistic heritage, the South has noticeably stayed away from this road. In my opinion, and I think others would agree, it is not just a lack of desire or inability to change, but rather a way of thinking that lends itself to tradition and (more importantly) distrust in anything outside of the family.
Fortunately, I am inside the family.
Living with the Chieras for a week was honestly like spending a week at Fern with all of you guys. We stayed up late and played cards and chatted for hours, the Uncles came over every night or we went to one of their houses. Not only did the things that we did remind me of Fern but also the PEOPLE. There were Uncle's that reminded me of specific people in our family back home in their mannerisms and how they looked. The southern dialect was at times difficult for me to understand but that was part of the experience. I learned a few words of dialect myself. They want us all to know that we are welcome anytime to come to Guardavalle or in Calabria and experience life the way it was meant to be: With good food and family.
With everything we did it's tough for me to remember the little things but last night two car loads of people came to see me off at the station.... the best part was that we weren't the only family to do that. There were probably 4 or 5 other families at Monasterace alone who brought the entire clan to say goodbye to someone who was leaving. They said that I was Calabresan because I had my backpack plus plastic bags full of food and stuff leftover for the trip. The scene was priceless. All throughout Calabria at different stops you could hear the families saying their "ciao"s and "arrivederci"s until at least the next August rolls around. I totally could picture all of us doing that. It was little things like that all week that let me feel at home even though it was a very foreign land. Packing a gazillion things to go picnicing in the mountains. Uncle's arguing about things they can't change just for the sake of arguing and the mothers taking care of the kids and the food. It was really tough to leave. Yesterday I was able to go to another cousin's house (Taverniti) and managed to snap a photo with several of some of your first cousins. Almost all of them live in Torino and carry the name Taverniti. When I get home I will upload the pictures and try to explain who everyone is - the names might be difficult to remember but I wrote them down so I will try. I can't explain how many times they invited us and whoever wanted to come to Calabria. They are very hospitable but they don't speak a lick of English. They mentioned a hundred times that their parents often talked about a brother who went to America and some of them remember when he came back in the 1950s. They also said they remembered that he had a son that came to Italy during WWII and was stationed in Italy (Uncle Sam or Uncle Tony?).
I hope this e-mail stirs up a memory or two. If nothing else, it is nice to know that we have FAMILY in Italy and that we are still in contact. Tanti baci ed abbracci dalla Roma.
Steve
PS - Being abroad during the Olympics really helps to increase your patriotism. To make you all a little more jealous, Michael Phelps bought me and my friends some beers last year at the Brown Jug in Ann Arbor because he wanted our table. Him and Braylon Edwards. It's crazy to think he has more medals than Mexico. Alright I hope to hear from you guys, Ciao-Ciao!
I am writing from an Internet point in the center of Rome (between Piazza Navona and Campo dei Fiori for those who have been here). I took the night train last night from Monasterace and arrived here this morning around 7:00 AM. Other than the fact that I didn't sleep in the train I am considerably well-rested and well-fed. I am currently waiting for two of my high school friends to get in from Paris so I thought I would write a quick letter explaining a little bit of what I have done. It looks as though you received my last letter (pardon any errors - it was written hastily) and that has a lot of what I did in Calabria. More importantly, though, than what I did was how I perceived life down there. For those of you who don't know, southern Italy (mostly Sicily and Calabria) are often considered different countries for very good reason. While the Northern provinces try to modernize and capitalize on their cultural and artistic heritage, the South has noticeably stayed away from this road. In my opinion, and I think others would agree, it is not just a lack of desire or inability to change, but rather a way of thinking that lends itself to tradition and (more importantly) distrust in anything outside of the family.
Fortunately, I am inside the family.
Living with the Chieras for a week was honestly like spending a week at Fern with all of you guys. We stayed up late and played cards and chatted for hours, the Uncles came over every night or we went to one of their houses. Not only did the things that we did remind me of Fern but also the PEOPLE. There were Uncle's that reminded me of specific people in our family back home in their mannerisms and how they looked. The southern dialect was at times difficult for me to understand but that was part of the experience. I learned a few words of dialect myself. They want us all to know that we are welcome anytime to come to Guardavalle or in Calabria and experience life the way it was meant to be: With good food and family.
With everything we did it's tough for me to remember the little things but last night two car loads of people came to see me off at the station.... the best part was that we weren't the only family to do that. There were probably 4 or 5 other families at Monasterace alone who brought the entire clan to say goodbye to someone who was leaving. They said that I was Calabresan because I had my backpack plus plastic bags full of food and stuff leftover for the trip. The scene was priceless. All throughout Calabria at different stops you could hear the families saying their "ciao"s and "arrivederci"s until at least the next August rolls around. I totally could picture all of us doing that. It was little things like that all week that let me feel at home even though it was a very foreign land. Packing a gazillion things to go picnicing in the mountains. Uncle's arguing about things they can't change just for the sake of arguing and the mothers taking care of the kids and the food. It was really tough to leave. Yesterday I was able to go to another cousin's house (Taverniti) and managed to snap a photo with several of some of your first cousins. Almost all of them live in Torino and carry the name Taverniti. When I get home I will upload the pictures and try to explain who everyone is - the names might be difficult to remember but I wrote them down so I will try. I can't explain how many times they invited us and whoever wanted to come to Calabria. They are very hospitable but they don't speak a lick of English. They mentioned a hundred times that their parents often talked about a brother who went to America and some of them remember when he came back in the 1950s. They also said they remembered that he had a son that came to Italy during WWII and was stationed in Italy (Uncle Sam or Uncle Tony?).
I hope this e-mail stirs up a memory or two. If nothing else, it is nice to know that we have FAMILY in Italy and that we are still in contact. Tanti baci ed abbracci dalla Roma.
Steve
PS - Being abroad during the Olympics really helps to increase your patriotism. To make you all a little more jealous, Michael Phelps bought me and my friends some beers last year at the Brown Jug in Ann Arbor because he wanted our table. Him and Braylon Edwards. It's crazy to think he has more medals than Mexico. Alright I hope to hear from you guys, Ciao-Ciao!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Cara famiglia
- Guardavalle -
Cara famiglia,
I am writing from Guardavalle, Calabria in a room given to me by our distant cousins the Chieras. I am currently staying about two stone throws from the sea and enjoying it thoroughly. I arrived here last Tuesday the 12th and will be staying here until this Tuesday the 19th. Already I know that it is not enough time.
The is so much to recount that I don't know where to begin!I guess the best place to start is with the food - I think we can all agree on that. I arrived tuesday to a lunchtime pasta with sausage and eggplant as side dishes, from there the meals have just gotten better: Lasagna, pasta al forno (made in the oven), another dish that I forget what its called but it was like a lasagna but made with zucchini, prosciutto (ham), mozzarella... heavenly. Parmigiana - that's it.
Yesterday I went with Salvatore (my grandma's first cousin) to visit the grave of her grandfather Salvatore Taverniti whom which, we found out, is non longer buried there. Just the same we went to the city where Domenico Taverniti was born and lived for 19 years. The city Placanica is situated in the mountains a good 30km from the sea. It is strategically located on a mountain top that overlooks the water which historically served as a lookout for invaders coming from the african seas just aszio Salvatore will tell you that they still are (in recent years there has been an increase in foriegners or ex-patriots that vend trinkets in many touristy cities).We continued our trip to a beautiful grotto where a church had been built to honor the virgin Mary. Legend has it that Mary came in from the sea to this grotto where she drove out a demon that was hiding there.
As soon as I get a chance I will try and post some pictures but they can't do justice to how beautiful it was in that place. As we continued our journey someone somewhere had to be smiling to see the two of us together. Despite our drastic differences in age, language and origins we managed to find commonality in the little things that we could both appreciate: a beautiful view, fresh air, and a long sip of water from a fresh spring - we stopped at 4 different places that he has known of for years. We passed by the church of saint rocco as well.
I was just interrupted by Zio Tonino (who I am staying with) who reminded me to write that HE cooked last night and that it was good. haha we had hot dogs and french fries and onions and peppers which he made. Most of the food that they eat here comes from the compagna that they own and where they grow their food. Zio Tonino works in the local communal office and takes care of his fields as well.Life here in Calabria is very different and it would take pages to explain it and unfortunately I don't have the time or the patience (I am writing from an itouch and it is kind of a pain) but when I get back or when I get to Rome I will try to write some more. Suffice it to say that one of the main reasons that Calabria is as beautiful and undeveloped as it is is due to the heavy presence of a very real mafia. I am learning a lot down here and I hope I get a chance to tell you in person buy for now it is time to eat. ciao chow.
Steve
Cara famiglia,
I am writing from Guardavalle, Calabria in a room given to me by our distant cousins the Chieras. I am currently staying about two stone throws from the sea and enjoying it thoroughly. I arrived here last Tuesday the 12th and will be staying here until this Tuesday the 19th. Already I know that it is not enough time.
The is so much to recount that I don't know where to begin!I guess the best place to start is with the food - I think we can all agree on that. I arrived tuesday to a lunchtime pasta with sausage and eggplant as side dishes, from there the meals have just gotten better: Lasagna, pasta al forno (made in the oven), another dish that I forget what its called but it was like a lasagna but made with zucchini, prosciutto (ham), mozzarella... heavenly. Parmigiana - that's it.
Yesterday I went with Salvatore (my grandma's first cousin) to visit the grave of her grandfather Salvatore Taverniti whom which, we found out, is non longer buried there. Just the same we went to the city where Domenico Taverniti was born and lived for 19 years. The city Placanica is situated in the mountains a good 30km from the sea. It is strategically located on a mountain top that overlooks the water which historically served as a lookout for invaders coming from the african seas just aszio Salvatore will tell you that they still are (in recent years there has been an increase in foriegners or ex-patriots that vend trinkets in many touristy cities).We continued our trip to a beautiful grotto where a church had been built to honor the virgin Mary. Legend has it that Mary came in from the sea to this grotto where she drove out a demon that was hiding there.
As soon as I get a chance I will try and post some pictures but they can't do justice to how beautiful it was in that place. As we continued our journey someone somewhere had to be smiling to see the two of us together. Despite our drastic differences in age, language and origins we managed to find commonality in the little things that we could both appreciate: a beautiful view, fresh air, and a long sip of water from a fresh spring - we stopped at 4 different places that he has known of for years. We passed by the church of saint rocco as well.
I was just interrupted by Zio Tonino (who I am staying with) who reminded me to write that HE cooked last night and that it was good. haha we had hot dogs and french fries and onions and peppers which he made. Most of the food that they eat here comes from the compagna that they own and where they grow their food. Zio Tonino works in the local communal office and takes care of his fields as well.Life here in Calabria is very different and it would take pages to explain it and unfortunately I don't have the time or the patience (I am writing from an itouch and it is kind of a pain) but when I get back or when I get to Rome I will try to write some more. Suffice it to say that one of the main reasons that Calabria is as beautiful and undeveloped as it is is due to the heavy presence of a very real mafia. I am learning a lot down here and I hope I get a chance to tell you in person buy for now it is time to eat. ciao chow.
Steve
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Baia di Gombero
10:05 AM Thursday, August 7, 2008 – Sicily
A couple of stomach aches and a couple of drinks later, here I am sitting on the patio looking out at the water and writing. This is the point where my computer died. I didn’t get very far.
11:07 AM Saturday, August 9, 2008 – Baia di Gambero
Hello again, I’m back on the patio here at Giuseppe’s house for another try at writing. This morning I got up around 10:00 and made French toast, bacon, and eggs for Beppe, Marco and Beppe’s mom. It didn’t come out very well, the bacon was only OK and I didn’t make enough eggs but in the end it could’ve been worse.
A couple of stomach aches and a couple of drinks later, here I am sitting on the patio looking out at the water and writing. This is the point where my computer died. I didn’t get very far.
11:07 AM Saturday, August 9, 2008 – Baia di Gambero
Hello again, I’m back on the patio here at Giuseppe’s house for another try at writing. This morning I got up around 10:00 and made French toast, bacon, and eggs for Beppe, Marco and Beppe’s mom. It didn’t come out very well, the bacon was only OK and I didn’t make enough eggs but in the end it could’ve been worse.
Today we are going to the beach again and then mass around 7. These are basically the goals for today. Come bella è questa vita? I’m excited to go around here because I think it will be a lot different than up north. I’ll get back on that though.
Yesterday Beppe, Simone, Marco, Cristina, and I went to visit Mount Etna, the volcano from earlier. We climbed all over the rocks and took some pictures – hopefully I can get them up ASAP. Again, internet here is hard to find. After Etna the five of us went to a little touristy town called Taormina. It was beautiful with small streets and fancy little shops. It reminded me a lot of a vacation town up north except with 2 thousand year old arenas and a blue sea that can’t possibly be described.
The past two nights we have gone to friends’ houses to eat dinner. The first night (Thursday) we ate over Carmela’s house and we had a barbeque: sausage, steak, bruschetta, and fried pizza. At the end I taught them how to play a couple of refined American drinking games: Beer pong, flip cup and “Never have I ever”. We said goodbye late to Mary (from Napoli) and Carmela who left for Napoli and Messina the following day.
Last night it was over Rita’s house where the girls made a huge pasta (really good) and we hung out in the backyard. We tried to play soccer for a little before dinner but that didn’t end up working out. I’m kind of happy it didn’t because I didn’t have shoes and I am: A. Out of shape and B. Horrible at that sport. It’s times like these where I know someone upstairs loves me. I’ll go thank whoever it is later today.
Beppe and Marco just left to go to the beach. I am going to meet up with them later – I am still pretty burnt from before and I wanted to write a little more and do some laundry (here it’s all done by hand of course). I am excited to have today to do what I want.
Contorni:
As I sit here again and just contemplate how beautiful it is, it’s very easy to see why there are so many cultural differences between Sicily and both the US and the rest of Italy. When there are so many beautiful things to be appreciated and you always have your friends around, what more could you ask for? For other people (myself included) it can become very trying being around people like this so much. For instance, making breakfast this morning there were 4 people around me asking a million questions and wanting me to explain things to them. It was very difficult because I just wanted to make the darn meal and serve it but they were always there asking “Well why did you put the bread in the egg?” or “That egg broke let me get you another one” (No, it doesn’t matter I am going to beat it anyways) or simply commenting “I don’t understand how you can eat such heavy things in the morning”.
As I sit here again and just contemplate how beautiful it is, it’s very easy to see why there are so many cultural differences between Sicily and both the US and the rest of Italy. When there are so many beautiful things to be appreciated and you always have your friends around, what more could you ask for? For other people (myself included) it can become very trying being around people like this so much. For instance, making breakfast this morning there were 4 people around me asking a million questions and wanting me to explain things to them. It was very difficult because I just wanted to make the darn meal and serve it but they were always there asking “Well why did you put the bread in the egg?” or “That egg broke let me get you another one” (No, it doesn’t matter I am going to beat it anyways) or simply commenting “I don’t understand how you can eat such heavy things in the morning”.
Being in a different cultural atmosphere there are things that you are expected to do that you aren’t normally used to. Seeing as I rarely do things like fold my clothes and organize my stuff like normal people, they are always asking me if I want help with that stuff and I’m just like “No, really. It’s fine the way it is”. It’s nice now because I am being asked if I want help. In a couple of years when people stop asking me these questions I am going to want them to. Vabbe. That’s the way it is.
Here I am noticing I am getting older and older. The group of friends that I have been hanging out with are basically all in their twenties from 20-29. But most of them are not in school or in the military or doing something else. A major difference is that they don’t let their work define who they are. I haven’t really had one discussion about what someone does for a living. I have been asked what I studied and what I am going to do with it, but that’s as far as I have gotten. Here it doesn’t really matter just as long as you enjoy yourself it seems. Well shoot, I can do that.
At the same time I feel the need for myself to return to the states and try to plant my foot somewhere I know. There is a saying here Donne e buoi dei paesi tuoi. Basically what it says is “Women and cows from your own town”. Though I have never seen so many naturally beautiful looking people in my entire life and the food here is unbelievably good - it’s becoming more and more apparent to me that things would be much easier if I established myself somewhere and tried to live for a while. By no means am I saying that I want to do this or that I will do this when I get home, but I understand that it would be a heck of a lot easier. Here I am making friends from all over and I know that I want to come back here but the more friends I make the more difficult it is to keep in touch with all of them. As it is now I have a difficult time keeping contact with all my friends from St. Joan, GPN and now even UofM.
I am really excited to be able to go home this fall and hang out with some of the guys from GP. Even though we have all gone and done our separate things (and I know we have all changed a bit) there is a loyalty there that can’t be forgotten. Thinking about who I am, I know I have a tendency to detach myself a little from a group of people before they start to rely on me to be there. I don’t see this as a bad thing, just who I am. I don’t consider myself unreliable I just try to avoid situations where I am counted on in case things don’t work out. Alright, enough of this discourse. I should go wash my clothes.
TWO MORE THINGS: The music here is awesome and I need a haircut.
TWO MORE THINGS: The music here is awesome and I need a haircut.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Sicily (cont.)
8:19 PM Wednesday, August 6, 2008 Sicilia
Hello again,
Here in Sicily things are going quite nice. Yesterday we had a really nice dinner with Giuseppe’s family… they made pastefritte which are basically like the bread for elephant ears and we put salt or sugar or honey on them. Good stuff. We stayed at the table for a long time discussing many different things from the differences between the US and Italy as well as the differences between Sicily and the rest of Italy. I learned a lot last night and its very interesting the situation here. For instance, the Sicilians (most importantly the Mafiosi) subscribe to a code of conduct called the “Omertá”. Basically what it consists of minding your own business. Despite all of the criminal activities that “may or may not” go on around here, everybody knows about them and keeps their mouth shut because if they were to speak, they won’t have a mouth to speak from much longer.
I found out that the mafia here is very well organized and they basically have their “mani in pasta” (literally: hands in pasta; symbolically: some type of influences) in basically every operation down here. I asked if it would be possible to live here and still remain honest and out of the mafia’s eye and I was told yes, but if I were to start a business or any type of work, sooner or later someone will come knocking on my door.
Hello again,
Here in Sicily things are going quite nice. Yesterday we had a really nice dinner with Giuseppe’s family… they made pastefritte which are basically like the bread for elephant ears and we put salt or sugar or honey on them. Good stuff. We stayed at the table for a long time discussing many different things from the differences between the US and Italy as well as the differences between Sicily and the rest of Italy. I learned a lot last night and its very interesting the situation here. For instance, the Sicilians (most importantly the Mafiosi) subscribe to a code of conduct called the “Omertá”. Basically what it consists of minding your own business. Despite all of the criminal activities that “may or may not” go on around here, everybody knows about them and keeps their mouth shut because if they were to speak, they won’t have a mouth to speak from much longer.
I found out that the mafia here is very well organized and they basically have their “mani in pasta” (literally: hands in pasta; symbolically: some type of influences) in basically every operation down here. I asked if it would be possible to live here and still remain honest and out of the mafia’s eye and I was told yes, but if I were to start a business or any type of work, sooner or later someone will come knocking on my door.
We talked about how different the people are in the US and those here in Italy. A prime example – one that has come to mind before but never this potent – was the simple fact that in the US people agree with the statement: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Putting this in a political context, it makes much more sense to me now when Italians ask me “If Bush has done all of these bad things, why don’t you get rid of him?” and my only response before this was “It’s not that easy”. Here in Italy, things are the complete opposite. Over here they elect representatives that have switched parties multiple times even from the Left and Right. Can you imagine a candidate running in the US that has gone from the Democrats to the Republicans to the Libertarians and STILL won the seat?
Perhaps we are more stubborn in our ways, but what I see also stems from the fact that we take our political gestures and thoughts personally. Here if you talk politics it is not as if you are offending someone by disagreeing with them – in fact it is oftentimes welcomed because then it makes for a heated discussion (if you’ve ever met an Italian you might have noticed they get excited quickly). Instead, we DON’T talk politics at all because if someone disagrees with us and or one party doesn’t know how to defend their belief we think of it as a personal attack on who we are and what we believe. Here it’s assumed that both parties are right from the start and they litigate just to litigate, if someone changes their mind – it happens, if not both go away satisfied with a good argument under their belt.
This I like, but it also means that very little actually gets done here in Italy because people are always changing their mind. How can you build a bridge from Sicily to Calabria with 7 different plans (I’m making this up) for bridges – each from a different party, each with it’s own pros and cons? At the end, who gets to decide this? On top of that, what if the land where you want to build on is under the hands of the mafia? (That part is true from what I understand – I hope I don’t get a knock on my door anytime soon.)
As you can see Italy is a beautiful place with many problems, though the problems are different from ours back home. It doesn’t take away, either, from the fact that no matter where you go here in Italy you are bound to find an absolutely beautiful view.
Speaking of beautiful views, I went to a waterpark today called Etnaland where you could see a beautiful view of the smoking mountain (Etna). I went with Giuseppe’s friends while Beppe and Marco slept. Haha I was the “American Boy” all day long. Giuseppe’s friends were basically all from Sicily and there was one girl from Napoli. They could not have been nicer to me. They really took care of me and thought to include me in everything they did. OK it’s time for dinner.
Speaking of beautiful views, I went to a waterpark today called Etnaland where you could see a beautiful view of the smoking mountain (Etna). I went with Giuseppe’s friends while Beppe and Marco slept. Haha I was the “American Boy” all day long. Giuseppe’s friends were basically all from Sicily and there was one girl from Napoli. They could not have been nicer to me. They really took care of me and thought to include me in everything they did. OK it’s time for dinner.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Ciao Bedda
Ciao a tutti,
I made it to Sicily for my first time and I could not be happier. Things here are about what I expected – different, but not as much as everyone says. At least so far. I do feel a little out of place here because everyone talks a lot faster and in a different dialect (especially when talking to each other) but in the end I feel a lot more welcomed then I did in northern Italy. Whereas here being an American is still somewhat of a novelty, in the north Americans are sometimes considered a nuisance. I’m going to try and recount a little of my trip so far.
Saturday I left the villa around 10 o’clock to go into Florence. I had sent my big suitcase with my professor (Giorgio) to Le Marche where he lives. I am eventually going to go there and pick it up – his family owns a restaurant and I am excited to go there and eat some grub! So I left the villa, said goodbye to Helen and Blake and the rest of the crew and headed to the train station where I had a 12:38 train to Padova with Sarah (from Michigan) and her friend Natasha (from the UK). Though I was a little tired from the past week, they kept me entertained during the ride telling me about their crazy encounters with the Dutch and Italians in Florence and elsewhere. Funny stuff.
Finally we arrived in Padova, they checked their bags and we took the tram to the Piazza del Santo where St. Anthony’s Basilica is. This was Natasha’s first time seeing the city so we hit the Saint, another church (San Giustina), Prato delle Valle, via Roma, then up to Piazza Signore, and Piazza del Duomo (right next to where I lived last year). We drank a spritz of course and then went back to the train station to find both Courtney (from the villa program) and Marco who came to pick us up.
When we arrived at Marco’s house there were already his friends there helping to make dinner with his mom and dad. Meat was on the wood stove grill and wine was to be drunk. Right about dinner time his parents took off to a dinner themselves and left the house to the ten 20-some year olds that we just sitting down to eat…
About 7 courses and countless bottles of wine, spritz, etc. later his parents came home and we sat around and talked with them for a while – finally the Americans taught the rest of the kids how to play “Never have I ever” and we ended up going to bed around 2:00 –ish. The following morning I didn’t wake up until around noon because there was absolutely NO light entering my room (I stayed in Marco’s sister’s room because she was in Poland). We left around 1:30 to go to the beach (Jesolo) where DJ was going to be later. We were supposed to get there around 2:00, but in the end didn’t get there until 4:30 after stopping here and there for various reasons (the most important getting food and drinks). Courtney and I picked up material for PB&J’s thinking it was going to be a hit – in actuality it was just us who ended up eating them.
We spent a beautiful 4 hours on the beach playing card games (I taught Marco’s friends Andrea and Mozzo a.k.a, Wolverine how to play “screw the dealer”) and with the soccer ball. In the end we had some drinks and headed to the concert around 7:30, 8:00 and waited to hear Tiesto who came on around 8:30.
As soon as we got in Courtney and I lost the group – it was a mess trying to find everyone and so we decided to just go in and look for a place. We made it comfortably close to the stage and jammed out with the DJs. I had never been to a trance concert like this before and I absolutely loved it. Despite the fact that all I could think about was the political and artistic implications of a concert like this (It would take me a whole different post to explain that) I really enjoyed the people and the atmosphere. I will try to upload a video or some photos as soon as I’m able.
With about a half hour left for Tiesto to spin, Courtney and I took off to go for a swim and listen to the music (really cool) and then we went and met Checca and Nick (my roommate from last year and her boyfriend) who came from Treviso just for the a little while to see me. We hung out with them for a little bit and then met up with Sarah, Natasha, Marco and his friends after the show. We went swimming again then made it to back to the cars and eventually back to Marco’s place around 2 or 3.
We got up around 10 the next morning and the three girls and I went to Padova in the bus while Marco stayed and had a lesson back in his area. From Padova, Sarah and Natasha took off for Florence while Courtney and I headed to Venice where we met up with Kate and her mom (Sandy) and Janice (the interpreter from the program) for lunch. We ate at Brek and then walked around for a gelato and I shopped for a Murano watch for my mother (I think you’ll like it, Mom).
Around 3:30 I said goodbye to them all – Courtney was on her way to Greece while the rest of them were sticking around Venice for the night – and I started looking for trains back to Padova. Marco and his dad picked me up from the train station and we headed directly to Verona where we had an 8:30 flight to Catania, Sicily. By 10:30 we had touched down in the land of the lost and then Giuseppe and his sister Chiara took us to the city center where we met their friends and walked around for a little. As soon as we got there to park there was a man that came up to us and offered us “protection” for the car for a small price. It was amazing to me to think that I was in Venice just 6 hours ago. Completely different world. Beppe’s place is about an hour away from Catania so we didn’t get home till around 3:00AM.
This morning we woke up rather late (around 11) and went to the beach which you can see from Beppe’s house. The view here is unbelievable. Right next to his house outside is a bunker made by the Americans during WWII. Now its no longer useful but it’s crazy because it overlooks the sea and there are holes in it where fighter plans had shot at it. I took pictures of that as well.
We went to the beach and spent a couple of hours in the water and laid out. I’ve already gotten quite a bit of sun and I’ve barely been out there! We came back and ate dinner with Beppe’s family who are extremely nice fed us a seafood pasta with a second of Italian Sausage (buonissimo) and vegetables. We finished it off with fruit and figs which they picked from the trees right here. The colors you could see where we ate were unbelievable: The bluest sea contrasted by the white of the terrace with the green palm trees and the dark purple of the wine complimenting it all. It was awesome. In the distance you can see the volcano Etna which is actually erupting right now as I type. It has been erupting for a while and sometimes when it’s clear out Giuseppe said you can see red of the lava at night. Right now I can see the smoke.
What I am living right now is something out of a work of art: a poem, a painting, a book, movie, etc. The vistas and the landscapes like this that the Italians know how to enjoy with their food and wine make it that much easier to understand why this is a country of poets, artists, chefs and family.
Contorno (side dish): Some thoughts and observations so far…
Here in Sicily it is easy to take the time to think about what is going on around me so I am going to. Read if you’d like.
I wanted to hash over a little bit in my head what I had felt about the concert from the other night. This was no 60’s or 70’s Bob Dylan or Jimi Hendrix Woodstock concert. This was a new millennium, shirts off, trance party where the music was loud and continuous, while the beats and the atmosphere cycled from high to low. Despite the fact that we were in Italy and it’s important to comport yourself in a fashionable manner, people danced their own style while they followed the stages of ups and downs. At the time I found it very interesting the implications of a concert like that – thousands of people dancing to a beat put out by one DJ. Everyone subscribing to the same channel and wave of music. Not only that but the visuals of lights and screen behind the DJ made for a very contemporary expression of artistic capacities. New technologies are embraced and exploited to serve the cause – in this case the concert.
Don’t worry Mom, despite what this post may portray I didn’t take any drugs. I guess it’s just what happens after you follow the political science and Italian courses that I did. It’s a shame though I haven’t written down everything I thought of because I have had some great thoughts the past couple of days and I don’t remember them all.
Time to go to the beach.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid. Goethe said that. (Almost Famous)
Monday 1:40 AM – SESTO FIORENTINO
Hi everybody!
I am excited to write this post tonight because I have a lot I want to get out in it. I have decided that I am going to take a little bit of a different route with my postings from here on out - enough with the recap of the week’s (or month’s) events. Now I am going to try and focus on defining and (perhaps more importantly) redefining myself through the recollection of my experiences or even those of others.
I am going to start off right away by saying that the past year and a half has been pretty crazy in terms of where I have been and who I have been around. I have constantly been around friends, family, and people who have kept me busy with various activities or just wanting to hang out. I am beginning to realize now that I haven’t allowed myself time for me. Stevetime. Lately here in Sesto while the majority of students have been away on weekend trips, I have been able to find some time to relax and re-evaluate who I am and where I am looking to go.
I decided that I get a lot of my thinking done while I’m at a computer and that I needed a project or a hobby for myself so I bought a website and will publish it as soon as I am happy with it. That may not be for a while since I am only going to have access to my computer for a couple of more days, but I will work on it as much as I can. I have really found it grueling, yet fun trying to re-learn HTML and though it is really frustrating trying to figure out how to make it work, it gives me a chance to be creative in how I go about it. More on that to come.
I end work here at the villa Friday and begin my 3-week long Italian tour Saturday. I am both excited and antsy to get it underway; excited because I will be going to parts of Italy that I have never seen and relaxing with some friends, antsy because I am anxious to get home and find a job to make back all the money I am about to invest in this trip.
Another objective of my new blogpost format will be to simply describe some of the observations I make all the time but never seem to remember or jot down. I think they are interesting and I’m sure some of them might interest you as well. I would really enjoy it if other people added to or even contradicted my observations with some of their own but who knows what kind of readership this new format will get. Either way I am anticipating some sort of response and will be delighted to hear from others. If nothing else at least maybe Danny will post and call me a dork or something.
To try and describe the millions of observations I have made in the past year would be an impossible task but at least now I think I will try more often to post and think out through my ideas when I have alone time. I think uncertainty has played a greater factor in my current lacking of a self-definition. I have gone hastily through some of my thought processes and have not been pleased with the outcomes. It took a meeting last week with a Chief officer at the embassy in Rome to realize that I know who I am and what I am capable of, I just have to stick with it and trust that it is going to work out. I will find a job when I get home, I’m not going to fret too long over here and not enjoy my time.
Hi everybody!
I am excited to write this post tonight because I have a lot I want to get out in it. I have decided that I am going to take a little bit of a different route with my postings from here on out - enough with the recap of the week’s (or month’s) events. Now I am going to try and focus on defining and (perhaps more importantly) redefining myself through the recollection of my experiences or even those of others.
I am going to start off right away by saying that the past year and a half has been pretty crazy in terms of where I have been and who I have been around. I have constantly been around friends, family, and people who have kept me busy with various activities or just wanting to hang out. I am beginning to realize now that I haven’t allowed myself time for me. Stevetime. Lately here in Sesto while the majority of students have been away on weekend trips, I have been able to find some time to relax and re-evaluate who I am and where I am looking to go.
I decided that I get a lot of my thinking done while I’m at a computer and that I needed a project or a hobby for myself so I bought a website and will publish it as soon as I am happy with it. That may not be for a while since I am only going to have access to my computer for a couple of more days, but I will work on it as much as I can. I have really found it grueling, yet fun trying to re-learn HTML and though it is really frustrating trying to figure out how to make it work, it gives me a chance to be creative in how I go about it. More on that to come.
I end work here at the villa Friday and begin my 3-week long Italian tour Saturday. I am both excited and antsy to get it underway; excited because I will be going to parts of Italy that I have never seen and relaxing with some friends, antsy because I am anxious to get home and find a job to make back all the money I am about to invest in this trip.
Another objective of my new blogpost format will be to simply describe some of the observations I make all the time but never seem to remember or jot down. I think they are interesting and I’m sure some of them might interest you as well. I would really enjoy it if other people added to or even contradicted my observations with some of their own but who knows what kind of readership this new format will get. Either way I am anticipating some sort of response and will be delighted to hear from others. If nothing else at least maybe Danny will post and call me a dork or something.
To try and describe the millions of observations I have made in the past year would be an impossible task but at least now I think I will try more often to post and think out through my ideas when I have alone time. I think uncertainty has played a greater factor in my current lacking of a self-definition. I have gone hastily through some of my thought processes and have not been pleased with the outcomes. It took a meeting last week with a Chief officer at the embassy in Rome to realize that I know who I am and what I am capable of, I just have to stick with it and trust that it is going to work out. I will find a job when I get home, I’m not going to fret too long over here and not enjoy my time.
have been fortunate, since I have been here in Florence, to have the opportunity to explore a lot of artistic ideas though I haven’t put many into practice. I just got a call from the hospital. Time to work. Catch up later.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Update from Italy
2:24 PM - SESTO FIORENTINO
Hey everybody back home! Here is a quick update of my life for the month of June and the beginning of July...
I am back in Sesto Fiorentino this week and trying to catch up a little bit more on my summer sports knowledge. I saw Kobayashi lost in the July 4th hot dog eating contest. I followed Tiger Woods' crazy US Open. I see the Tigs are 50-50 and that they started tearing down Tiger Stadium. On this side of the pond I watched the epic Nedal - Federer battle and saw Spain take care of Italy and Germany for the European Cup.
In between all of this a new group of students have arrived, I have been to:
Rome. Where I saw Tom Hanks and Ron Howard filming Angels and Demons.
Padova. Where I saw my old roommates Sara, Johannes and Mede. I also saw my Michigan Men Marco, Marco, and Giuseppe. Hakim, Toolong... the list goes on. I also went to the study center where it was really nice to see the ladies that took care of us last year. I was only there less than 24 hours when I took off with Hakim for...
Bardolino. I got to see Giulia and her family and all of her friends again. It was a lot of fun but the same there I was only able to stay less than a day because I took off to...
Desenzano. Where I met up with Marco. He took me sailing with his dad and I participated in my first Regatta (We came in 7th. Of 8 I think.)
I made it home late to find myself locked out of the villa and had to sleep outside on a park bench where I got eaten alive by mosquitos. Good times.
That weekend the new students arrived as well. 58 students: 50 girls, 8 guys. 4 professors and 3 spouses, 3 children and 1 librarian. The villa is full now.
Since they have arrived we have made day trips to Siena, Le Cinque Terre, Lucca (Where we tandem biked around the city walls), and Pisa (see above).
Today I am going to head into Florence to buy tickets to go see Paul Simon up north in a couple weekends. I am really excited. This weekend I am off to Perugia and Assisi. In Perugia this weekend the Umbriajazz Festival will be going on so I am looking forward to that.
In other not-so-exciting news my job search has begun as I have some free time during the week. I have many different ideas of how I want to go about it but haven't really started hammering nails in just yet.
Well I should get my show on the road. Hope all is well, let me know what you are up to! I miss you all,
Steve
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Sesto
Hey there,
I am writing from my room right now as I sit here sweating in the 90 weather here in Sesto Fiorentino. We just finished lunch – the food here is unreal – and now the kids have classes and voice lessons and I have some free time. Ok I haven’t written anything recently so I will try and catch you up.
I arrived on a Tuesday in the middle of the afternoon. The eight music students were already here and I just kinda wafted around all day with nothing to do. I started to get to know the layout of the villa and meeting the music kids. I spent the next couple of days preparing for the Honors students to get here and checking out Sesto Fiorentino as well as Florence which is about a 10 minute train ride from here. Here in Sesto we are stuck between some really big hills (I would call them mountains, they call them hills here) so I went and climbed for a little bit. It really is nice to be back in Italy.
Up until yesterday really it has been pretty overcast and rainy since I got here. Yesterday and today have just been really hot but sunny. It’s crazy to think I have been here two weeks already. So some of the highlights:
- Cinque Terre – We went hiking through these five towns right on the water, it was beautiful weather that sprinkled just when we needed it to.
- Kiko and his girlfriend Erin came and visited last week. We watched the Champions League final around the corner from the villa and then we went into town to a disco. It was fun being with them but the disco was kind of stupid. Just what I expected really, Italian men praying on American girls.
- Some of the music kids and I went to a real disco outside of the city, closer to Sesto, the other day and it was a lot of fun. They had an Elisa cover band and the singer who was supposed to be Elisa was really good.
- We were playing soccer with one of the professors kids and I got scraped up. He was good.
- Haven’t stayed up to watch the games yet but I will probably these next couple of days
- All the kids are from Michigan and Wisconsin so Euchre is frequently played which I dig.
Some thoughts so far:
- Tigers need to pick it up.
- Comparing Sesto to Padova is useless. PD has a unique charm for kids of my age.
- The flowers here are beautiful and bountiful.
- If it’s this hot now, I don’t want to know what July is going to be like.
- The music students are really good and it’s really pleasant listening to the piano while staring up at the frescoed walls of the villa.
- Frisbee is a great time killer.
- The Tigers really need to pick it up.
- Florence has a lot to offer but is REALLY really touristy and doesn’t give you the feel of true Italian culture unless you seek it out.
- I feel like my Italian is getting worse in the villa because all we talk is English. Kind of a bummer but I am trying to get out more even if it’s just by myself.
- I really should go to Church.
- Country music makes me think of summer
- I really wanted a hot dog for Memorial Day
- I think I want to write a book for how to behave in Europe for the American population
- First Entry would be – SHUT UP. The world already thinks we are LOUD, arrogant and ignorant, why prove them right by opening our mouths?
- Hockey should be more popular.
- Seriously Tigers, what’s goin on?
That’s all for now. Tonight at 8:30 the music students are putting on a performance. I’m excited for that. I’ll try to keep this up, cheers ya’ll.
I am writing from my room right now as I sit here sweating in the 90 weather here in Sesto Fiorentino. We just finished lunch – the food here is unreal – and now the kids have classes and voice lessons and I have some free time. Ok I haven’t written anything recently so I will try and catch you up.
I arrived on a Tuesday in the middle of the afternoon. The eight music students were already here and I just kinda wafted around all day with nothing to do. I started to get to know the layout of the villa and meeting the music kids. I spent the next couple of days preparing for the Honors students to get here and checking out Sesto Fiorentino as well as Florence which is about a 10 minute train ride from here. Here in Sesto we are stuck between some really big hills (I would call them mountains, they call them hills here) so I went and climbed for a little bit. It really is nice to be back in Italy.
Up until yesterday really it has been pretty overcast and rainy since I got here. Yesterday and today have just been really hot but sunny. It’s crazy to think I have been here two weeks already. So some of the highlights:
- Cinque Terre – We went hiking through these five towns right on the water, it was beautiful weather that sprinkled just when we needed it to.
- Kiko and his girlfriend Erin came and visited last week. We watched the Champions League final around the corner from the villa and then we went into town to a disco. It was fun being with them but the disco was kind of stupid. Just what I expected really, Italian men praying on American girls.
- Some of the music kids and I went to a real disco outside of the city, closer to Sesto, the other day and it was a lot of fun. They had an Elisa cover band and the singer who was supposed to be Elisa was really good.
- We were playing soccer with one of the professors kids and I got scraped up. He was good.
- Haven’t stayed up to watch the games yet but I will probably these next couple of days
- All the kids are from Michigan and Wisconsin so Euchre is frequently played which I dig.
Some thoughts so far:
- Tigers need to pick it up.
- Comparing Sesto to Padova is useless. PD has a unique charm for kids of my age.
- The flowers here are beautiful and bountiful.
- If it’s this hot now, I don’t want to know what July is going to be like.
- The music students are really good and it’s really pleasant listening to the piano while staring up at the frescoed walls of the villa.
- Frisbee is a great time killer.
- The Tigers really need to pick it up.
- Florence has a lot to offer but is REALLY really touristy and doesn’t give you the feel of true Italian culture unless you seek it out.
- I feel like my Italian is getting worse in the villa because all we talk is English. Kind of a bummer but I am trying to get out more even if it’s just by myself.
- I really should go to Church.
- Country music makes me think of summer
- I really wanted a hot dog for Memorial Day
- I think I want to write a book for how to behave in Europe for the American population
- First Entry would be – SHUT UP. The world already thinks we are LOUD, arrogant and ignorant, why prove them right by opening our mouths?
- Hockey should be more popular.
- Seriously Tigers, what’s goin on?
That’s all for now. Tonight at 8:30 the music students are putting on a performance. I’m excited for that. I’ll try to keep this up, cheers ya’ll.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
High thoughts
Monday, May 12, 2008 – 5:04 PM Eastern Standard Time –
Hi all,
I’ve decided to restart my blogging as I should have some more time to do it these next couple months. I have every intention of keeping with it though I’m not sure what to expect. For those of you who have come back – thanks for thinking about me :-)
I am currently a little over an hour into our flight and we are due north of New York flying wayyyy into Canada (I’m assuming the jet stream is up here somewhere). It is still very bright outside and that made me realize that I still have to pass an entire night in this airplane - we are due in around 5:45 AM in Frankfurt.
I spent my time in the airport checking out the McNamera terminal and buying little things that I needed or wanted: Chapstick, comb, handkerchief (just kidding pops), and I picked up converters and a book (Michael Crichton’s latest called NEXT). I also got a Hani deluxe to go and scarfed that down just in time to be (I think) the last person on the plane. I found a spot in the front row in the middle (I didn’t take my seat next to the little old lady who would’ve had to move) but I have a ton of leg room now so life is good.
During takeoff I started Barack Obama’s book The Audacity of Hope which, after only 30-some odd pages, has sufficiently convinced me of his aptitude and justified his candidacy. If you have listened to one of his speech’s I’m sure this will come as no surprise to you but the ideas and level-headedness the man possess sincerely makes me believe that his goals will be pursued and conceivably followed. Luckily for you, I’ll have to stop my rant, dinner just showed up. See you in a bit.
6:19: Chicken dinner. Wasn’t bad.
Wasn’t necessarily good either.
I was able to read a bit more of Obama’s book… I won’t be able to do his words justice and by giving a brief synopsis I will inevitably omit important topics he covered so I will give a quick analysis of my thoughts:
He is thorough and intelligent enough to remain remarkably independent despite his democratic affiliation. His stubbornness and determination not to bow to political pressures and to remain committed to his liberal ideals is a breath of fresh and hopeful air in the polluted politics of today. Any oppositional assertions of his political ineptitude or overreaching goals (really the only two grievances I have heard) have been easily and sufficiently dispelled in the opening chapter.
I hate to go on, but my political convictions could not let me put that aside and I truly encourage anyone reading this to go to the library and borrow or just sit in a bookstore and read through the first chapter just to get an idea of who this candidate is and what he promotes. It will help to make an informed decision this coming election period no matter what your personal convictions may be.
Alright, I’m off the pulpit.
But I’m still on the plane.
5:08 more hours. No big deal. I am really thinking a nap is in order though. The sun is still shinning quite bright out which is really weird – I feel like this night will come and go in a matter of minutes.
I am beginning to get more and more excited for the trip - this morning I woke up feeling quite sick and now I am ready to roll. I just realized though, I didn’t bring a connector cord for my camera. How silly of me. I should be able to get my pictures on a disc though, but that’s a pain. Oh well. Anyway, I am going to put some jams on and try to take a nap - I may or may not write s’more. We’ll see how lucky you are.
10:29 EST – So I haven’t really slept at all. I just got done watching the movie “Jumper” because it was set in Ann Arbor. It was ok, Hayden Christiansen was in front of Michigan Book and Supply for about a fraction of a second. That’s just about all of Ann Arbor you see. It was either that or the Bucket List which I wanted to watch but I figured I’d watch that another time. I’m amped right now, it’s primetime back home. I hope Billy’s alright…. More food? What it’s breakfast time already??
Hi all,
I’ve decided to restart my blogging as I should have some more time to do it these next couple months. I have every intention of keeping with it though I’m not sure what to expect. For those of you who have come back – thanks for thinking about me :-)
I am currently a little over an hour into our flight and we are due north of New York flying wayyyy into Canada (I’m assuming the jet stream is up here somewhere). It is still very bright outside and that made me realize that I still have to pass an entire night in this airplane - we are due in around 5:45 AM in Frankfurt.
I spent my time in the airport checking out the McNamera terminal and buying little things that I needed or wanted: Chapstick, comb, handkerchief (just kidding pops), and I picked up converters and a book (Michael Crichton’s latest called NEXT). I also got a Hani deluxe to go and scarfed that down just in time to be (I think) the last person on the plane. I found a spot in the front row in the middle (I didn’t take my seat next to the little old lady who would’ve had to move) but I have a ton of leg room now so life is good.
During takeoff I started Barack Obama’s book The Audacity of Hope which, after only 30-some odd pages, has sufficiently convinced me of his aptitude and justified his candidacy. If you have listened to one of his speech’s I’m sure this will come as no surprise to you but the ideas and level-headedness the man possess sincerely makes me believe that his goals will be pursued and conceivably followed. Luckily for you, I’ll have to stop my rant, dinner just showed up. See you in a bit.
6:19: Chicken dinner. Wasn’t bad.
Wasn’t necessarily good either.
I was able to read a bit more of Obama’s book… I won’t be able to do his words justice and by giving a brief synopsis I will inevitably omit important topics he covered so I will give a quick analysis of my thoughts:
He is thorough and intelligent enough to remain remarkably independent despite his democratic affiliation. His stubbornness and determination not to bow to political pressures and to remain committed to his liberal ideals is a breath of fresh and hopeful air in the polluted politics of today. Any oppositional assertions of his political ineptitude or overreaching goals (really the only two grievances I have heard) have been easily and sufficiently dispelled in the opening chapter.
I hate to go on, but my political convictions could not let me put that aside and I truly encourage anyone reading this to go to the library and borrow or just sit in a bookstore and read through the first chapter just to get an idea of who this candidate is and what he promotes. It will help to make an informed decision this coming election period no matter what your personal convictions may be.
Alright, I’m off the pulpit.
But I’m still on the plane.
5:08 more hours. No big deal. I am really thinking a nap is in order though. The sun is still shinning quite bright out which is really weird – I feel like this night will come and go in a matter of minutes.
I am beginning to get more and more excited for the trip - this morning I woke up feeling quite sick and now I am ready to roll. I just realized though, I didn’t bring a connector cord for my camera. How silly of me. I should be able to get my pictures on a disc though, but that’s a pain. Oh well. Anyway, I am going to put some jams on and try to take a nap - I may or may not write s’more. We’ll see how lucky you are.
10:29 EST – So I haven’t really slept at all. I just got done watching the movie “Jumper” because it was set in Ann Arbor. It was ok, Hayden Christiansen was in front of Michigan Book and Supply for about a fraction of a second. That’s just about all of Ann Arbor you see. It was either that or the Bucket List which I wanted to watch but I figured I’d watch that another time. I’m amped right now, it’s primetime back home. I hope Billy’s alright…. More food? What it’s breakfast time already??
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Significance of Graduation
To the U of M Community:
It is important to realize the significance of moving the graduation ceremony from the Ann Arbor campus. For myself and many of my classmates the Big House represents a sacred place to congregate for Michigan fans regardless of age, sex, color, and financial background. It is a place that represents our devotion to universal equality. It represents our tradition as one of the oldest Universities in the United States and allows us to sit alongside our alumni who contribute generously to our education. We are a notoriously proud community and it is this pride in our university that prompted Fielding Yost in 1922 to say: "...let me reiterate the spirit of Michigan. It is based upon the deathless loyalty to Michigan and all her ways; an enthusiasm that makes it second nature for Michigan men to spread the gospel of their university to the world’s different outposts; a conviction that nowhere is there a better university, in any way, than this Michigan of ours.”
Not to graduate in our Ann Arbor would mean an incomplete adieu to several of the most influential years of our lives.
Stephen Schrage
Graduating Senior
It is important to realize the significance of moving the graduation ceremony from the Ann Arbor campus. For myself and many of my classmates the Big House represents a sacred place to congregate for Michigan fans regardless of age, sex, color, and financial background. It is a place that represents our devotion to universal equality. It represents our tradition as one of the oldest Universities in the United States and allows us to sit alongside our alumni who contribute generously to our education. We are a notoriously proud community and it is this pride in our university that prompted Fielding Yost in 1922 to say: "...let me reiterate the spirit of Michigan. It is based upon the deathless loyalty to Michigan and all her ways; an enthusiasm that makes it second nature for Michigan men to spread the gospel of their university to the world’s different outposts; a conviction that nowhere is there a better university, in any way, than this Michigan of ours.”
Not to graduate in our Ann Arbor would mean an incomplete adieu to several of the most influential years of our lives.
Stephen Schrage
Graduating Senior
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