Two days after coming home from Montreal, I was on the road again! This time to the Schenectady County Community College, to take a Biology CLEP test. I passed, so now I have 4 lab science credits at UVM! I stayed the night at my Aunt Peggy and Uncle Ron's house in Loundenville.
The following morning I took the train from Albany to Syracuse, which was probably the most relaxing mode of transportation I have ever taken. I was also surprised to find a lot of deaf people and high school musicians, all heading to Rochester.
I spent the next few days in and around Chittenago, New York. The main highlights were spending time with my relatives, learning who the Knicks were, and crying through a theatrical production of A Christmas Carol. My brothers then made fun of me by saying, "Louisa, a play and a water park!"
After the play, we were driving down Erie Boulevard in Syracuse, which is the extreme version of South Burlington, when my mom suddenly spotted a Polish market. We stopped, and were amazed at not only the inventory, but also how most of the costumers were from Poland, Ukraine and Russia. Also, the clerk kept on telling us not to get this because there was no flavor, or don't get this because it's stale. But, he also said that most of the inventory came from Green Point, an Eastern European neighborhood in Brooklyn.
Sunday we came home, but I was there for only an hour packing. I then went to my aunt's house in Norwich, so that I would be ready to commute the next morning to my Wilderness First Responder course on Lake Morey. That Monday, I was the last one to arrive, because of the weather, so that was a little awkward. Then I realized that I was the youngest in the class, and the least experienced! Everyone introduced themselves as being EMTs in Alaska or guides. When it finally came to me, I was so intimidated, that I just said that I took a WFA course in October. I felt like nobody needed to hear how I was on my gap year, and was in an outdoor based experiential learning program at my public high school in little Brandon, Vermont. I did drop things about myself here and there, but nothing too extensive, over the next ten days. But, I was there to learn, not to socialize, and I did acquire knowledge! I learned how to monitor vital signs (heart rate, respiratory rate, etc.), clear the spine, form a traction splint, and how to make a makeshift liter.
In the beginning I felt like I was behind and didn't know what I was doing, mostly because I had no past medical work, but by the end I felt like if I really ran into someone that was critically injured
in the woods, that I would be able to help them the best that I was capable.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Thing One!
Procrastination- I never thought I would use that word to describe myself, but here I am. The past three weeks have been very busy, so this post will have two entries. Honestly, I don't want you, readers, to feel like you're drudging through a long National Geographic article on angiosperms (I'm sorry if you're into that.)
Months ago my parents were thinking of spending Thanksgiving somewhere other than Vermont; St. Johns, Nassau, Bogota, etc. But once mid-November rolled along we couldn't imagine leaving New England in November! (I mean who can resist Vermont during the shoulder seasons.)
So the Tuesday before Thanksgiving we were Boston bound! We went to the Museum of Fine Art, and saw a really cool Singer Sargeant exhibit. My favorite exhibit, though, was Colonial America, mostly because I knew all of the artists from American Studies (I couldn't resist taking a picture of Watson and the Shark, even though the original is in D.C.) That evening we went to The Christmas Story, which I really liked (I've never seen the movie) but my brothers hated it because they couldn't stand the child actors (go figure!)
So the Tuesday before Thanksgiving we were Boston bound! We went to the Museum of Fine Art, and saw a really cool Singer Sargeant exhibit. My favorite exhibit, though, was Colonial America, mostly because I knew all of the artists from American Studies (I couldn't resist taking a picture of Watson and the Shark, even though the original is in D.C.) That evening we went to The Christmas Story, which I really liked (I've never seen the movie) but my brothers hated it because they couldn't stand the child actors (go figure!)
The following day I had to go to the Spanish consulate in order to get my visa. I was nervous and didn't know what to expect. After standing in line for an hour it was finally my turn to hand in my paper work. The woman on the other side of the glass wall told me I didn't have everything, even though it didn't say on the consulate's website or in the visa instructions from CIEE that I needed two copies for everything. This got me a little angry, and I almost gave that woman a piece of my mind (she was really mean!) but my mother stopped me. She then told me about how when she was in Budapest, in 1985, she and her friends had to go to the Czechoslovakian embassy to get a visa in order to pass through Czechoslovakia to go back to Poland. When they went embassy was closed when they went, and her friends had a tantrum (despite being "mature" 23 year old women.) When they went back the next day, the people at the embassy refused to give them a visa because they acted so poorly. Being students, they had no money, but fortunately the US government was willing to pay for their tickets to fly over Czechoslovakia, but the moral of the story is to always be calm and respectful while at foreign embassies. Also, I almost forgot my passport there, then realizing that I was going to Canada. Hopefully I will get my visa before I leave!
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Later that afternoon we went to the Isabelle Stuart Gardener Museum, which was someone's house. Everything was the way Mrs. Gardener left it, so there are no labels, the lighting was very dim (you want to go on a bright June day, opposed to dusk in late November), and it really needed to be clean. But, I felt like there were some interesting highlights, like the chapel that she made herself (she collected pews and religious art from Italy, and held mass once a year on her birthday), the empty frames of the paintings that were stolen in an art heist in 1990 (mostly Vermeers) and the Singer Sargeant paintings (who she had an affair with. Go figure!) My dad said it reminded him of Disneyland, whatever that means?
That evening we spent hours walking around Boston, following an iPhone GPS while walking (which does not work what so ever), looking for an Irish pub. The first one we went to we were kicked out because my parents were the only ones that were over 21, so we tried to look for another. We did not get anywhere (we stumbled into Chinatown, if that counts), so we had to take two taxis to the Charles Playhouse to see the Blue Man Group, which was awesome! Andrew actually knows a Blue Man in the New York production, and he contacted him to see if he would be in Boston, but he said that one of his friends was in it. So, Andrew wowed us once again by making a Blue Man speak.
Thursday was Thanksgiving, of course, and we headed to my aunt's house in Norwich to have a modern yet rustic Vermont meal. Since Thanksgiving is an iconic American holiday, my cousins and I thought it was a good idea to watch Borat. I mean, Borat is trying to find the REAL America!
Friday we headed to Montreal, which I hadn't been to in six years. I was amazed over how within three hours from Brandon, I felt like I was in a different culture. Yes, everyone bilingual and are nicely dressed, but I felt like I was in Europe due to the sense of sophistication from others, as well as the architecture and rich history. We stayed in an apartment in the Old City, which was interesting because it was above a bar that played very loud and profane rap after hours, but I was asleep through it all, so whatever! We were "musuemed" out, so we mostly ate our way through by going to several Marches, a Jewish delis (Schwartz?), and ethnic restaurants (Chinese and Polish.)
Thursday was Thanksgiving, of course, and we headed to my aunt's house in Norwich to have a modern yet rustic Vermont meal. Since Thanksgiving is an iconic American holiday, my cousins and I thought it was a good idea to watch Borat. I mean, Borat is trying to find the REAL America!
Friday we headed to Montreal, which I hadn't been to in six years. I was amazed over how within three hours from Brandon, I felt like I was in a different culture. Yes, everyone bilingual and are nicely dressed, but I felt like I was in Europe due to the sense of sophistication from others, as well as the architecture and rich history. We stayed in an apartment in the Old City, which was interesting because it was above a bar that played very loud and profane rap after hours, but I was asleep through it all, so whatever! We were "musuemed" out, so we mostly ate our way through by going to several Marches, a Jewish delis (Schwartz?), and ethnic restaurants (Chinese and Polish.)
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
South of the Border (No Not Massachusetts!)
So if the blog title didn't make sense I'll just clarify that I was in Mexico with our family friends, the Mondlaks. Our trip was certainly a great adventure, but I could not have imagined traveling without the company of Joel, Janet, or Jessa Mondlak! Their incredible knowledge on the culture and language of Mexico was far greater than any guide that I could have hired. Thanks again guys!
When we arrived in Mexico City we were picked up by Joel's sister's (Betty) driver, Juan Carlos. Between the airport and Betty's apartment I saw some of the craziest driving in my life, but thanks to Juan Carlos I'm still able to write this blog. When we got to her apartment we were exhausted, considering that we had to get up at 2:30 am to catch our 5:30 flight from Burlington, so we chilled out.
The next day we went to the bus station to pick up Ariel and her New Zealand friend, Tamlyn. At the moment they are studying this semester at the Universidad de Vercruzana in Xalapa. After a series of fiascos we went to to our next stop, Xochimilco. Xochimilco is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it still has the canals that the Aztecs built to drain the large lake that once occupied the valley where Mexico City is located. Anyways, Xochimilco is like a smaller and more colorful version of the canals in Venice, where the banks are lined with farms and vendors coming to your boat asking if you want grilled corn, jewlery, or tortillas, which is certainly something that I have never seen before, especially on water.
The following day we went to to the main Zocalo (plaza at the center of a town) in Mexico City, which is surrounded by the Cathedral Metropolitana, Sagario Chapel, Templo Mayor, and the Presidential Palace. The churches in Mexico were unbelievable, even if they were located in the middle of nowhere. The Cathedral Metropolitana had several alters made out of gold, with huge pipe organs, and all of the other aspects of a European cathedral. Although it's impressive, the Cathedral and Chapel were built from the stones of the next door neighbor's house, the Aztec's Templo Mayor. Templo Mayor is one of the last remains of the Aztec city, Techoticilcan, which was actually discovered in the 1970s when the government was expanding the subway.
On the Zocalo there are unlicensed vendors everywhere! We were buying something from one of them but then all of a sudden she had to go and hide because the police (las baccas) showed up. I almost got ran over twice by vendors, who were running into this tiny alleyway, where everyone obviously couldn't fit. Unfortunately the hot dog vendor got caught, but apparently if you are caught you are only fined 15 pesos, which is about $1.25.
Saturday we went to the artisan market in San Angel. It was really cool seeing all of the different colors and mediums of Mexican art. I did my Christmas shopping there, which was awesome!
Later we went to Casa Azul, which was where Frida Kahlol lived most of her life. My favorite part was the exhibit on all of the dresses and braces that she wore to cover up here disfigured body (she was in a serious street car accident while studying medicine.) She dressed in a Oaxcan style because of its big clothes and it showed matriarchal dominance.
Sunday we drove from Mexico City to Papantla, which took us six hours because we got lost and the speed was a little slow in some places. While on the road I saw some of the craziest driving, like buses passing cars on narrow windy roads with steep banks on both sides (on a double solid line, but I don't think that mattered much to them.) When I wasn't paying attention to traffic I noticed that within hours the biodiversity changed from a dry city, to a humid temperate mountainous rainforest. We got to Papantla, which is a major vanilla producing area and is also near El Tajin, a famous Totonac ruin. That evening we walked around the Zocalo, and since it was Sunday it was very crowded. Apparently we were the evenings exotic specimens, especially when a bunch of tweens came up and asked if we spoke English (in Spanish) (#culturalexperience?)
Monday we went to El Tajin, and had a Totonac (the indigenous group that occupied El Tajin) guide, which was cool because we got an accurate perspective. We learned so much, but in I'll just retell a few random if you had any sort of handicap, you were offered to the gods because you were special. Also, the upper class was the only ones that could speak to the gods, and were also the only people allowed to play on the ball courts (any of the 17 there.) The winner of the game was also offered. Also, the descendants of the Totonac are allowed to live nearby the ruins, but if the head of a household dies, the rest of the family have to leave. After our tour we watched the voledores, which are a group of five guys, who go up a 30 meter pole. Four of them tie themselves to ropes, while one stands up on top of the pole to dance and play music. The boldeores go around the pole a total of 52 times, which represents a century.
Afterwards we went to Xalapa so that Tamlyn and Ariel catch their Monday class. I went to their History and Culture classes, which I could understand a quarter of all the Spanish spoken. I was pretty proud of myself!
Tuesday we went to to the Archaeology Museum, which is the second best in Mexico. There were 2,000 artifacts from almost every pre-Hispanic civilization that had existed in Mexico.
Wednesday we left Xalapa and went to Chapultepec, which is a Magic Town. I got a kilo of coffee beans, but it was just like going to the Mexican version of Woodstock, Vermont (nothing too interesting on the surface.)
Then we went to Puebla, which was one of the first colonial cities established by the Spanish in Mexico, so there were a lot of old edifices (I kept on thinking of the painted ladies in San Francisco) and beautiful churches. (Personally, I thought the churches in Puebla were far more impressive than the ones I saw in Mexico City.) One of the churches we saw had an interior made completely of gold and silver while another had statues of saints that were out of this world (the artwork, not the saints!)
Later, when we were walking to this mole (think mole negro) place, we saw people watching the Mexico vs. New Zealand World Cup qualifier game. All of a sudden we hear a big explosion of screaming! Mexico was winning 4-0! Afterwards we walked down Calle de Dulces (Sweet Street) which had only shops full of sugary goodies! We also went out to churros!
Our last day we went to Chalula to see la Iglesia de Santa Maria (the Church of Saint Mary.) This place was in the middle of nowhere, but inside were thousands of cherub faces lined with gold and just blasts of color in your face. It was a small place, but it was unbelievable to know that this was being built in the 17th century and was still so intact.
We went back to Mexico City and ended our trip with a bang when we had to be transferred to our original hotel, because the pipes were busted to the second best hotel in all of Mexico City. Watcha' ya know! Oh, and lets not forget the pictures of food. And also, thanks to Janet Mondlak, considering that almost half of these photos were taken by her!
When we arrived in Mexico City we were picked up by Joel's sister's (Betty) driver, Juan Carlos. Between the airport and Betty's apartment I saw some of the craziest driving in my life, but thanks to Juan Carlos I'm still able to write this blog. When we got to her apartment we were exhausted, considering that we had to get up at 2:30 am to catch our 5:30 flight from Burlington, so we chilled out.
The next day we went to the bus station to pick up Ariel and her New Zealand friend, Tamlyn. At the moment they are studying this semester at the Universidad de Vercruzana in Xalapa. After a series of fiascos we went to to our next stop, Xochimilco. Xochimilco is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it still has the canals that the Aztecs built to drain the large lake that once occupied the valley where Mexico City is located. Anyways, Xochimilco is like a smaller and more colorful version of the canals in Venice, where the banks are lined with farms and vendors coming to your boat asking if you want grilled corn, jewlery, or tortillas, which is certainly something that I have never seen before, especially on water.
The following day we went to to the main Zocalo (plaza at the center of a town) in Mexico City, which is surrounded by the Cathedral Metropolitana, Sagario Chapel, Templo Mayor, and the Presidential Palace. The churches in Mexico were unbelievable, even if they were located in the middle of nowhere. The Cathedral Metropolitana had several alters made out of gold, with huge pipe organs, and all of the other aspects of a European cathedral. Although it's impressive, the Cathedral and Chapel were built from the stones of the next door neighbor's house, the Aztec's Templo Mayor. Templo Mayor is one of the last remains of the Aztec city, Techoticilcan, which was actually discovered in the 1970s when the government was expanding the subway.
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| Templo Mayor |
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| Cathedral Metropolitana |
Saturday we went to the artisan market in San Angel. It was really cool seeing all of the different colors and mediums of Mexican art. I did my Christmas shopping there, which was awesome!
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| All of us at the San Angel Saturday Market |
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| Casa Azul |
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| Frida's Outfits |
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| Frida's Bed |
Sunday we drove from Mexico City to Papantla, which took us six hours because we got lost and the speed was a little slow in some places. While on the road I saw some of the craziest driving, like buses passing cars on narrow windy roads with steep banks on both sides (on a double solid line, but I don't think that mattered much to them.) When I wasn't paying attention to traffic I noticed that within hours the biodiversity changed from a dry city, to a humid temperate mountainous rainforest. We got to Papantla, which is a major vanilla producing area and is also near El Tajin, a famous Totonac ruin. That evening we walked around the Zocalo, and since it was Sunday it was very crowded. Apparently we were the evenings exotic specimens, especially when a bunch of tweens came up and asked if we spoke English (in Spanish) (#culturalexperience?)
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| Papantla's Zocalo |
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| The state at the Mirador |
Monday we went to El Tajin, and had a Totonac (the indigenous group that occupied El Tajin) guide, which was cool because we got an accurate perspective. We learned so much, but in I'll just retell a few random if you had any sort of handicap, you were offered to the gods because you were special. Also, the upper class was the only ones that could speak to the gods, and were also the only people allowed to play on the ball courts (any of the 17 there.) The winner of the game was also offered. Also, the descendants of the Totonac are allowed to live nearby the ruins, but if the head of a household dies, the rest of the family have to leave. After our tour we watched the voledores, which are a group of five guys, who go up a 30 meter pole. Four of them tie themselves to ropes, while one stands up on top of the pole to dance and play music. The boldeores go around the pole a total of 52 times, which represents a century.
Afterwards we went to Xalapa so that Tamlyn and Ariel catch their Monday class. I went to their History and Culture classes, which I could understand a quarter of all the Spanish spoken. I was pretty proud of myself!
Tuesday we went to to the Archaeology Museum, which is the second best in Mexico. There were 2,000 artifacts from almost every pre-Hispanic civilization that had existed in Mexico.
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| Aztec Map |
Wednesday we left Xalapa and went to Chapultepec, which is a Magic Town. I got a kilo of coffee beans, but it was just like going to the Mexican version of Woodstock, Vermont (nothing too interesting on the surface.)
Then we went to Puebla, which was one of the first colonial cities established by the Spanish in Mexico, so there were a lot of old edifices (I kept on thinking of the painted ladies in San Francisco) and beautiful churches. (Personally, I thought the churches in Puebla were far more impressive than the ones I saw in Mexico City.) One of the churches we saw had an interior made completely of gold and silver while another had statues of saints that were out of this world (the artwork, not the saints!)
Later, when we were walking to this mole (think mole negro) place, we saw people watching the Mexico vs. New Zealand World Cup qualifier game. All of a sudden we hear a big explosion of screaming! Mexico was winning 4-0! Afterwards we walked down Calle de Dulces (Sweet Street) which had only shops full of sugary goodies! We also went out to churros!
Our last day we went to Chalula to see la Iglesia de Santa Maria (the Church of Saint Mary.) This place was in the middle of nowhere, but inside were thousands of cherub faces lined with gold and just blasts of color in your face. It was a small place, but it was unbelievable to know that this was being built in the 17th century and was still so intact.
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| There was actually a guy in the tower swing the bell by hand! |
We went back to Mexico City and ended our trip with a bang when we had to be transferred to our original hotel, because the pipes were busted to the second best hotel in all of Mexico City. Watcha' ya know! Oh, and lets not forget the pictures of food. And also, thanks to Janet Mondlak, considering that almost half of these photos were taken by her!
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| Tostados |
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| Pan de muerte |
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| Mole Poblano |
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| Hot Chocolate and a Churro |
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Cornucopia
Before I forget, I would just like to quickly mention one of my most embarrassing moments (for the time being.) So last week I was picking up my brother Andrew from pit orchestra rehersal (being a cool sister, right?) So I wait a while, and then I get a phone call. "Uh, Louisa, I don't know how I'm going to tell you this, but I'm locked in the front lobby of the school." When it comes to life lessons, Andrew tends to learn from his actions, which isn't always easy. So, I had no other choice but to go into the band room, with my whole entourage: flannel pajama bottoms with a Patagonia jacket on top. I thought it was only in nightmares when you had to speak to your teachers in your pajamas, but no, it can happen in real life. So there I was, speaking to my old band teacher, Mr. Roberts. But don't worry, Andrew escaped, thanks to Nora, but I was a little angry at him from not having some common sense (who goes through school hallways after dark?)
Anyways, this past weekend I went to East Burke, Vermont to take a Wilderness First Aid course. The course was held in one of the back rooms of the Kingdom Country Store, which is right next to the entrance to the mountain biking mecca, Kingdom Trails. I actually took the WFA course through an organization called SOLO (Stonehearth Outdoor Learning Opporutnities) which was founded in 1976 by Frank Hubbell and his wife Lee Frizzell. The main campus is located in Conway, New Hampshire, but the organization holds classes all over the world (my instructor had actually been to Tanzania and Serbia to teach classes.) I definitely learned a lot, like making a splint and how to treat dislocations. Here's a picture of my skills (I didn't have a proper mat so I had to use a styrafoam pad and use spare rope in our garage. Oh, and don't worry, Andrew was not hurt before or during this process.)
Since I didn't have much to say about my WFA experience, I'd like to write about my job as a lab intern at Omya. Omya, which is an international company, based in Switzerland with locations all around the world, grinds up marble to produce calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is used in a lot of stuff: toothpaste, Kix cereal, and paint, just to name a few. Each plant has its own focus, so the in Florence,VT distributes mostly to plastic and chemical companies. I've been working at Omya since the beginning of August and my last day is November 1st. When I started, I was shocked over how large the factory was. For those that aren't familiar with the Otter Valley area, Omya is located in the "hamlet" of Florence, so the factory is pretty much located in a forest. Personally, I think it would be a great place to escape a zombie or alien invasion (just saying.)
So here at Omya there are two plants, the East and the West. Each plant has a lab, and I work mostly in the East lab, which focuses more on quality control. I take a lot of tests on the calcium carbonate, such as color, particle size, moisture, solubility, and viscosity. At first I was very overwhelmed because I didn't know how to use any of the machinery, and I probably over thought a few things too, but eight weeks later, everything is a piece of cake (except for insols.)
Overall, I have learned a lot about "real world" and also that being a science major may not be right for me (or working in a large factory.) I've learned that having communication skills are key and how a large corporation functions. Most importantly, I'm learning how important it is to get a college education in something that is useful and that I am passionate about. However, the negative part of my job is that because I'm an intern, people don't know what to do with me.
The first few weeks were the hardest. When it comes to long term things, like school, transitions are really hard. I'm usually quiet, keeping to myself, and feel insecure about asking questions. At first, I was really lonely and angry that I was working at Omya (it didn't help that I just came back from an awesome trip to Ireland.) Seeing everyone else go back to school made me feel like a loser because I was staying home and working in the local factory. But I got myself straightened out by thinking, "Louisa, you have a plan, and all of the money you're making will is for when you go to Spain." Also, like I said before, I was a bit bored because no one knew what to do with me. So, I had to figure out what to do with my time. Although I only know about ten peoples (out of 200) names, I am glad to have become friends with my two main co-workers Adam and David.
All the people that I work with are nice and willing to correct me when I make mistakes. Sometimes, though, I feel like my co-workers are doing "The Office," renactments, by telling stories about their co-workers and arguing with one another WAY TOO MUCH!!! (If you want to here any of these incidents I think you'll have to contact me privately, because this blog is public.)
But overall, for someone that has never had a real job, I think my internship here at Omya has been really helpful with gaining new insights on myself and the world.
Anyways, this past weekend I went to East Burke, Vermont to take a Wilderness First Aid course. The course was held in one of the back rooms of the Kingdom Country Store, which is right next to the entrance to the mountain biking mecca, Kingdom Trails. I actually took the WFA course through an organization called SOLO (Stonehearth Outdoor Learning Opporutnities) which was founded in 1976 by Frank Hubbell and his wife Lee Frizzell. The main campus is located in Conway, New Hampshire, but the organization holds classes all over the world (my instructor had actually been to Tanzania and Serbia to teach classes.) I definitely learned a lot, like making a splint and how to treat dislocations. Here's a picture of my skills (I didn't have a proper mat so I had to use a styrafoam pad and use spare rope in our garage. Oh, and don't worry, Andrew was not hurt before or during this process.)
Since I didn't have much to say about my WFA experience, I'd like to write about my job as a lab intern at Omya. Omya, which is an international company, based in Switzerland with locations all around the world, grinds up marble to produce calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is used in a lot of stuff: toothpaste, Kix cereal, and paint, just to name a few. Each plant has its own focus, so the in Florence,VT distributes mostly to plastic and chemical companies. I've been working at Omya since the beginning of August and my last day is November 1st. When I started, I was shocked over how large the factory was. For those that aren't familiar with the Otter Valley area, Omya is located in the "hamlet" of Florence, so the factory is pretty much located in a forest. Personally, I think it would be a great place to escape a zombie or alien invasion (just saying.)
So here at Omya there are two plants, the East and the West. Each plant has a lab, and I work mostly in the East lab, which focuses more on quality control. I take a lot of tests on the calcium carbonate, such as color, particle size, moisture, solubility, and viscosity. At first I was very overwhelmed because I didn't know how to use any of the machinery, and I probably over thought a few things too, but eight weeks later, everything is a piece of cake (except for insols.)
Overall, I have learned a lot about "real world" and also that being a science major may not be right for me (or working in a large factory.) I've learned that having communication skills are key and how a large corporation functions. Most importantly, I'm learning how important it is to get a college education in something that is useful and that I am passionate about. However, the negative part of my job is that because I'm an intern, people don't know what to do with me.
The first few weeks were the hardest. When it comes to long term things, like school, transitions are really hard. I'm usually quiet, keeping to myself, and feel insecure about asking questions. At first, I was really lonely and angry that I was working at Omya (it didn't help that I just came back from an awesome trip to Ireland.) Seeing everyone else go back to school made me feel like a loser because I was staying home and working in the local factory. But I got myself straightened out by thinking, "Louisa, you have a plan, and all of the money you're making will is for when you go to Spain." Also, like I said before, I was a bit bored because no one knew what to do with me. So, I had to figure out what to do with my time. Although I only know about ten peoples (out of 200) names, I am glad to have become friends with my two main co-workers Adam and David.
All the people that I work with are nice and willing to correct me when I make mistakes. Sometimes, though, I feel like my co-workers are doing "The Office," renactments, by telling stories about their co-workers and arguing with one another WAY TOO MUCH!!! (If you want to here any of these incidents I think you'll have to contact me privately, because this blog is public.)
But overall, for someone that has never had a real job, I think my internship here at Omya has been really helpful with gaining new insights on myself and the world.
Monday, September 30, 2013
The Eph and I
Even though we had eaten dinner before, we went to the Jewish Sabbath dinner anyways. We sort of intruded right in the middle of it and everyone saw us awkwardly coming in, but we were warmly welcomed. Abby was feeling a little uneasy about things, which was totally understandable because we were kind of getting the cold shoulder, so we left and then went to the Pop Rocks Catholic club "party." There was no one there, some party right, but across the hall we heard a bunch of laughter and chatter, which was from the Muslim Student Association. Abby recognized her friend, Bushra from Dubai (who also took a gap year working as a journalist,) and we went over there to see how it was "crack a lackin" (AKA what was happening.) Bushra invited us to join them, but I felt a little uneasy at first, maybe because I haven't been around many Muslims, but my time with them was by far the highlight of my time at Williams. They were the brightest people that I had met on campus and were also seemed happiest. I didn't feel like I was out of place at all. We spent over two hours sitting playing "fish bowl" (which is kind of like charades) and then went to do the typical college thing, eat ice cream at 12:30 in the student center.
Three months ago, I thought I knew that I wanted to be a dual major, maybe with History and Chinese or Environmental Science, but my past few experiences have changed my thoughts. My mother has said that if you want to become fluent in a language then you should really enjoy being around native speakers. Although I have met some lovely native Chinese speakers, the majority of them have not been people that I would find myself being friends with. But after my time with the Williams Muslim Student Association, learning Arabic is definetely on my checklist, as well as starting to be a Bollywood fan. (I am a little disappointed that UVM doesn't have an Arabic program.)
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
A River Runs Through It (Utah That Is!)
Travel can give one new insights on the world and themselves. After my past few trips I have come to greatly appreciate Vermont and have narrowed down on where I would like to live and what career I'd like to pursue. While in Utah I was able to appreciate the scenery but also able to appreciate Vermont's protection of natural resources and the people that inhabit it.
Late Friday night my dad and I arrived in Salt Lake. Despite being exhausted we drove to Park City, where would be staying at the Canyons Resort, one of three ski areas in Park City, Deer Valley and Park City being the others. The Canyons is actually one of several mega hotels owned by David Siegel, who sponsored Newt Gringrich's 2012 campaign (no comment.) Because it is a ski hotel it is only navigable coming from the slopes,which my dad and I were doing, so we were pretty much stuck in a never ending labrynth with migrant housekeepers popping out of nowhere (they were helpful.)
Saturday I was very light headed, partially due to exhuastion and high elevation (Park City is at 7,000 feet opposed to Brandon, VT which is 431 feet.) Later we went to the fly shop in Heber City to get our fishing licenses and to meet my guide, and to meet my guide Jim O'Neil. Later, when we were getting ourselves geared up to fish in the Provo River, I told Jim that I had no expectations of getting a fish, and he give me a bewildered look. I got three brown trout: a 15 inch, a 16inch, and an 18 inch. The fishing is actually really good in Provo, due to the constant current speed and temperature (57 degrees Farenheit all year,) which are controlled by the Jordanelle Dam.
Sunday we had another guide, Brian, who was a transplant from North Carolina (there are a lot of transplants from the south in Utah) and is actually a snow patrolmen at The Canyons. After three hours of fishing I hadn't been able to catch anything, and was growing extremeley frustrated, mostly due to the fact that my dad had already caught five by that point. After changing my fly and getting the right cast I got a bite and striked. After a long fight the fruit of my patience was a 19 inch brown (which I don't have a picture of.)
Later on we went to the house of the woman who was organizing the conference that my dad was attending at The Canyons. It was pretty awesome, but the most interesting aspect of the house was how it was built around this big red sandstone table that sort of looked like Aslan's table from The Chronicles of Narnia.
That eveing we went to the local hotspot for dinner, in nearby Altamont, which was pretty much the equivalent of eating in my parents old shipping room with the walls painted orange while eating food served by the FFA booth at the fair. But this was the only decent place for 25 miles, so who can complain, especially when two meals cost $10. While driving to Altamont we went by the natural gas processing plant (the flame below is from the plant.) Oil is a pretty big industry out there. Across from where we ate was a huge brand new high school. It was bigger than Otter Valley with the student body the size of Proctor.?
Wednesday we were supposed to have a guide, but because of the all the rain the streams were off color and the currents were extremely strong. So instead my dad and I went on another hike to another lake, but could not reach it because the trail was blocked by a another raging river. We did have beautiful views of aspen forest and the highest point in Utah, Kings Peak. While I was hiking I kept thinking about how everywhere I had been the weather had been off: Ireland the weather was ridiculously dry, Vermont had way too many thunderstorms, and Utah was having a wet autumn.
Thursday we drove to Falming Gorge, which is the dammed up portion of the Green River. We stopped in the fly shop in Dutch John and met the owner who was actually from Paul Smith, NY. He told us all about his crazy canoe adventures in Canada, mostly in Algonquin Provincial Park. He mentioned how he had been through Indian Lake, which you can only camp on islands because there is a group of recluse Indians on the shore. Because of the Indians, adventurers are only allowed to bring flare guns as protection, which they actually need because polar bears will track them down. We went on our way and fished on the lower part of the Green River. We were fishing in a canyon, which was awesome, but the coolest thing was when we saw two deer, a mother and her fawn, swim across the river. We didn't catch anything, despite there being 20,000 fish per mile, mostly because of the wind, but we were entertained by the drift boats. When we got back to the parking lot we saw a group of ambulance and an emergency helicopter. We later learned that it was one of the women that were staying at Falcon's Ledge. She dislocated her hip but her pain tolerance was high because she was taking oxicotin.
Friday we had a guide and we did fish. Our guide, Mike from Kansas, was one of the managers at the lodge. He graduated from Kansas State a year ago and spent a season working at a fishing lodge in Patagonia, Argentina. We fished the Rock Creek, where I caught three rainbow trout. I had to stop for a while to give my dad a chance to get a fish, which he did. Afterwards we headed back to Heber City.
Saturday we hiked up to Stewart Falls, which is up the road from the ski resort that Robert Redford owns, Sundance. There were over a hundred cars in and around the parking lot, which is understandable since we were near the metropolis of Utah (Provo, Salt Lake, Park City.) After hiking we went back Heber and fished in the Provo one more time. Within five minutes I caught a fish. I was actually incredibly proud of myself because I did all of the handywork independtly.
After the trip, I have come to several conclusions. First, I don't think I could tolerate living in the Wild West. Yes, it is beautiful and I do live in a rural place, but some of these towns are so desolate and it's a distance to anything. Maybe I am a little biased when it comes to Vermont, but I need some sort of natural green, not manicured type. But overall, after my past few experiences, I really wish that I had done two years worth of Moosalamoo, opposed to one semester. Maybe it would have been better for me, considering how terribly junior year went, but also I would have had the opportunity to learn how to fly fish and how to properly steer a canoe. But life shouldn't be all about regrets. Right now I'm thinking of the Shel Silverstein poem about all of the didn'ts and the wished and the won'ts, well I did and I will. I think I'll make that my "catchpoem" for my gap year.
Late Friday night my dad and I arrived in Salt Lake. Despite being exhausted we drove to Park City, where would be staying at the Canyons Resort, one of three ski areas in Park City, Deer Valley and Park City being the others. The Canyons is actually one of several mega hotels owned by David Siegel, who sponsored Newt Gringrich's 2012 campaign (no comment.) Because it is a ski hotel it is only navigable coming from the slopes,which my dad and I were doing, so we were pretty much stuck in a never ending labrynth with migrant housekeepers popping out of nowhere (they were helpful.)
Saturday I was very light headed, partially due to exhuastion and high elevation (Park City is at 7,000 feet opposed to Brandon, VT which is 431 feet.) Later we went to the fly shop in Heber City to get our fishing licenses and to meet my guide, and to meet my guide Jim O'Neil. Later, when we were getting ourselves geared up to fish in the Provo River, I told Jim that I had no expectations of getting a fish, and he give me a bewildered look. I got three brown trout: a 15 inch, a 16inch, and an 18 inch. The fishing is actually really good in Provo, due to the constant current speed and temperature (57 degrees Farenheit all year,) which are controlled by the Jordanelle Dam.
Sunday we had another guide, Brian, who was a transplant from North Carolina (there are a lot of transplants from the south in Utah) and is actually a snow patrolmen at The Canyons. After three hours of fishing I hadn't been able to catch anything, and was growing extremeley frustrated, mostly due to the fact that my dad had already caught five by that point. After changing my fly and getting the right cast I got a bite and striked. After a long fight the fruit of my patience was a 19 inch brown (which I don't have a picture of.)
Later on we went to the house of the woman who was organizing the conference that my dad was attending at The Canyons. It was pretty awesome, but the most interesting aspect of the house was how it was built around this big red sandstone table that sort of looked like Aslan's table from The Chronicles of Narnia.
Monday my dad had meetings with educators from around Utah, so I went to work out, then I got lost and went groccery shopping. After his last meeting with dual language curriculum coordinators we headed to Falcons Ledge, an Orvis sponsored fishing lodge in Altamount, to spend the week hiking and fishing in the Uintas. We were originally going to backpack all week but after my father's double henia surgery and the 90 mile canoe race he wasn't feeling up to carrying a 50 pound pack. During our stay there was a beginners adult fly fishing camp, which consisted of mostly people from the south who didn't know much about the outdoors and really just wanted to drink and eat the whole time.
Tuesday we hiked into Granddaddy Basin, where a chain of small lakes are located. The trailhead was at 10,000 feet, so the temperature was already cool, but when we reached our destination the temperature had to dropped to above freezing. By then we were under a horrendous thunderstorm with hail and the whole schaBANG! We didn't see any fishing rising and the storm didn't look like it was lightening up, so we headed back. On our way back we noticed that the top of the Uintas were actually covered in SNOW! No wonder I was so cold! While driving back we noticed that although we were on national forest land, there were cows everywhere by the streams. This got me slightly outraged, because I had learned that fertilizer, which sometimes comes from cow poop, causes water to become polluted. Thursday we drove to Falming Gorge, which is the dammed up portion of the Green River. We stopped in the fly shop in Dutch John and met the owner who was actually from Paul Smith, NY. He told us all about his crazy canoe adventures in Canada, mostly in Algonquin Provincial Park. He mentioned how he had been through Indian Lake, which you can only camp on islands because there is a group of recluse Indians on the shore. Because of the Indians, adventurers are only allowed to bring flare guns as protection, which they actually need because polar bears will track them down. We went on our way and fished on the lower part of the Green River. We were fishing in a canyon, which was awesome, but the coolest thing was when we saw two deer, a mother and her fawn, swim across the river. We didn't catch anything, despite there being 20,000 fish per mile, mostly because of the wind, but we were entertained by the drift boats. When we got back to the parking lot we saw a group of ambulance and an emergency helicopter. We later learned that it was one of the women that were staying at Falcon's Ledge. She dislocated her hip but her pain tolerance was high because she was taking oxicotin.
Friday we had a guide and we did fish. Our guide, Mike from Kansas, was one of the managers at the lodge. He graduated from Kansas State a year ago and spent a season working at a fishing lodge in Patagonia, Argentina. We fished the Rock Creek, where I caught three rainbow trout. I had to stop for a while to give my dad a chance to get a fish, which he did. Afterwards we headed back to Heber City.
Saturday we hiked up to Stewart Falls, which is up the road from the ski resort that Robert Redford owns, Sundance. There were over a hundred cars in and around the parking lot, which is understandable since we were near the metropolis of Utah (Provo, Salt Lake, Park City.) After hiking we went back Heber and fished in the Provo one more time. Within five minutes I caught a fish. I was actually incredibly proud of myself because I did all of the handywork independtly.
That evening we went into Salt Lake, which is sort of a mega Burlington with Mormon headquarters mixed in. We went out to dinner at The Copper Onion, which was so good, considering the food that we had prior to then. After dinner we were orignially going to go to the Olympic Square, but our waitress told us that it was under construction, so we went to a nearby mall. Walking to and from was sort of eerie, considering that it was a Saturday night and there was barely anyone around.
After the trip, I have come to several conclusions. First, I don't think I could tolerate living in the Wild West. Yes, it is beautiful and I do live in a rural place, but some of these towns are so desolate and it's a distance to anything. Maybe I am a little biased when it comes to Vermont, but I need some sort of natural green, not manicured type. But overall, after my past few experiences, I really wish that I had done two years worth of Moosalamoo, opposed to one semester. Maybe it would have been better for me, considering how terribly junior year went, but also I would have had the opportunity to learn how to fly fish and how to properly steer a canoe. But life shouldn't be all about regrets. Right now I'm thinking of the Shel Silverstein poem about all of the didn'ts and the wished and the won'ts, well I did and I will. I think I'll make that my "catchpoem" for my gap year.
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