Ireland...

In the course of my time in London, I have become wonderful friends with Ben Kelly.  He studies English as well and was in Into the Woods as Jack.  Over Easter Break he invited me to see Ireland and learn about his country.  He is from Derry, which is a part of Northern Ireland, a place that has for many years been full of violence and religious tension.  Things have calmed down, but they have a very bloody past.  Similar to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, each person has their own connection and their own story to tell.

I am not going to get into too much about the politics of Northern Ireland as it is upsetting and subjective.  I will say this: seeing Derry was such an educational experience.  In America, I feel that Ireland was sort of glossed over in history class (as are many things) and I found Ben's 'tour' to be very informative.  The present history is very raw.  They are used to violence, but as Ben has told me, now there isn't a time for violence--that time has passed.

The history and politics aside, Ireland is a beautiful country.  The Irish are an extremely open and welcoming people.  They do have Irish banter, openly joke and criticise about their family and friends, but this is all in good fun and not unusual.  What I found most beautiful, however, was the sense of trust and family the Irish have.  I had the opportunity to meet much of Ben's family.  I was immediately welcomed into their homes and their lives.  I was shocked how everyone, after only knowing me for a few hours welcomed me back to their homes and genuinely meant it.  Ben's Mom told me that here, they mean it.  I could come back to Ireland with out Ben and say that I was his friend and they would trust that and let me into their home.  These people don't take crap, but they do open their hearts and homes to those they trust.  I find that sense of trust, openness, and family no matter who you are truly touching.  I got asked a lot if my family came from Ireland (since so many Americans do).  When I responded that I really don't have any ounce of Irish blood in me (I'm half Chinese and half Jewish--and by Jewish, from the shtetls in what is now Poland) they said that I am perhaps the only American who does not have Irish roots, but that I now have Irish family. 

What I have found most touching about being abroad is the welcoming nature of people no matter who you are and where you are from.  This was one of those rare, and truly touching times.  Thanks, Ben for showing me your country and its beauty!

Oh Amsterdam...

It's been seven years since I was introduced to Amsterdam by my loving Great Aunt and Uncle. It was a quick visit, as was this most recent one, but I knew I wanted to come back. Amsterdam is SUCH a beautiful city with so much culture. And there's something so progressive about the city and yet so historic. What made this trip even more special, however, was the fact that I got to see the city through my Dutch friend, Barbara.

Barbara and I went to Stella Adler together. When I first found out she was from Amsterdam I boasted about my trip to that wonderful city and my obsession with Stroopwafels (two thin wafer/waffles held together by honey). When she visited home she kindly brought genuine Stroopwafels back to New York. Back in her home country and bubbling with creative energy, reconnecting with Barbara was refreshing. But seeing her with her friends, in the neighbourhood she spent so many years in before coming to New York, I saw Amsterdam through the eyes of a city native. The benefits do not just include zipping through the main attractions in about two hours and not having to navigate a map, but seeing Amsterdam separate from the touristy bits.

What sticks out most in my mind:

1) The Dutch are a very open society (i.e. Marijuana is legal and sold in coffee shops and Prostitution is partially legal and regulated by the government)
2) The HOUSES. They are tilted from the foundations shifting after hundreds of years. Plus, the doors are so narrow that people, even today, use pulleys outside the house to hoist furniture into flats.
3) The staircases! Visiting Anne Frank's House and going up those stairs are very steep. But the stairs to Barbara's place were equally dangerous!
4) The canals. Oh so beautiful. Water is soothing, and those canals are just so romantic and really do transport me back to what I would think Amsterdam was 50, 100, 200 years ago.
5) Bikes/trams. They are everywhere. And crossing the street is dodging traffic from all directions!

I found, or maybe it's because I'm on holiday, that the Dutch seemed to be a fairly relaxed group of people. They ride bikes, they go to museums, they love their friends, their lovers, their beer, and they love to have a good time. I feel like that's something general I've seen in Europe and I think America should incorporate that sense of relaxation. They don't hang around and do nothing, far from it, but the worries or anxieties of the world don't consume them. They enjoy life and the people in it. Whether it's the numerous cups of coffee they drink at home, in the cafes - it's amazing! And the homes, are just so cozy. It's expensive to eat out in Amsterdam, but it's not that expensive to buy food - and just being in Barbara's house and seeing the atmosphere around her place: the home is an important place. (So is the cafe!)

Back to touristy things: I visited the Dutch Resistance Museum, the Anne Frank Huis, and the Van Gogh Museum. The DRM was nice in the same way the other museums I've been to in different countries. I like to learn how WWII affected each country, city, and group of people. What happened in Amsterdam was different from Copenhagen, from London, etc. And boy did the Amsterdam-ers resist. Newspapers, radio, sabotage. And the Amsterdam-ers didn't like the Dutch who cooperated with the Nazis either. What it highlighted, however, was how the Dutch in the beginning easily gave the info to the Nazis (Jewish or non - many people were sent to work camps or to work for the Nazis) and how they didn't think twice in the beginning. Also, few Jews in Amsterdam survived. And the exhibition highlighted how difficult it was for Jews to find hiding.

On the WWII theme... revisiting Anne Frank's Huis was difficult for me. The first time I saw it it was interesting. This time, I was choked up from the first part of the exhibition. Everything sunk in more: Anne's innocence and youth was taken away from her at such a young age. She had to know so much pain and fear and once that started, there was really no redemption. Her diary showed her complex thoughts but it also showed how quickly she grew up. As for Otto Frank, I don't know how he could bear losing everyone in his family, especially his children.

But I don't want to end this blog on a sad note. Instead, I want to emphasise how much I love Amsterdam. And... how being away from London makes me love London more. I also have begun to realise how at home London feels. And... when it comes time to leave I will be sad and will hope for the day when I get to live back in London again. Maybe if this acting thing works out I'll get a job here for a few months... One can dream.

Copenhagen!

Hello from Copenhagen! I am visiting one of my childhood best friends, Sarah. Firstly, Copenhagen is COLD. It's literally a short ride across the water to Sweden and that means we are pretty far north! This is most definitely Scandinavia. Besides the snow, the cold, the grey (sounds a bit like Cleveland...) Copenhagen is a very beautiful and welcoming city. They don't really have cafes here, but they have this thing called "hygge" which means "cosy". Everywhere you go, a bakery, a sandwich shop, a restaurant is exactly that: cosy. I think it's because outside is FREEZING so when you go inside it's very welcoming and home-y. Candles are always lit and it sort of feels like you're walking into someone's home. The first day I got here Sarah took me to a sandwich shop near Nyhavn (a beautiful harbor) where when you walked in there was a girl standing at a till and she made your sandwiches in what looked like a tiny apartment kitchen. It sort of felt like I was buying a sandwich from someone's home.

I haven't really visited the many historical museums in Copenhagen as things are very expensive and I haven't had a lot of time. I did go to the Design Museum which talked a lot about sustainability and environmentally friendly design for the future (very Danish!). We also took a tour to Christiania - a commune in Christianhavn. It's a commune... almost small utopia literally in the middle of Copenhagen. They don't like to be a part of Copenhagen let alone the EU. Even though marijuana is illegal in Denmark, in Christiania they sell it on the street (we're talking... a small road that looks like a farm) where, funnily, the Danish police come in and try to shut it down (consequently, you're not aloud to take photos on that street). But everyone pretty much recycles everything, BUILDS THEIR OWN HOUSE (I'm serious!), and rides bikes to carry everything. The children all have their own day care and they have a blacksmith, a *womens blacksmith* (yes... women who are blacksmiths), and someone who repairs old furnaces. Very interesting... very odd.

That said. I am tired. I've met some Danes - very lovely, reserved, and warm. I leave tomorrow but still have ample time to explore... that may include the Resistance museum! (FYI: Denmark was occupied by the Germans in WWII as Denmark borders Germany. Many Jews from Denmark fled to Sweden because of this).

Then... it is off to Amsterdam. As good as it is for me to travel - I miss London. I feel very much at home there and feel... like it IS my home. I miss my friends, the familiarity, and just the sense that in London everything is okay. I will be glad to get back there on Saturday.

But if there's one thing traveling does, especially in Europe, it makes me see how DIFFERENT cultures are in such close proximity. Sometimes, the more time I spend away from America the more I realise how crazy America is!

Hello, London!

Well, that was quick! Yes, a quick pit-stop back on the East Coast of the US of A. It was comforting to go back to the States and eat many bagels, pretzels, good Chinese food, and goldfish. I have also brought back with me goldfish, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, AND pretzels.

Is it also weird being back in London? Yes. Yes because it's odd to feel that a foreign country is now... familiar. Have I started to develop a network here? Yes. In someways I've started to develop a network bigger than I had in New York. And what's wonderful about my *limited* travel experience is even though there are cultural differences (no matter how small), it's nice to encounter people who really do like the same things I like and that we can share a common interest (read: musical theatre).

That said, being in London, as much as I could see myself here - I do feel that New York is my home. London you come in second place. But I've also accepted that no matter WHAT side of the Atlantic I'm on I always have issues and worries going on in my mind so really... no place is perfect. It's just learning to accept and deal with myself that's the real task.

But London has a charm and history that I will always love. And that biting British humor.

I also secretly love that I am considered a "Yank." Because let's face it... I never became patriotic until I left the country I used to feel so un-patriotic about.

A Return

After three months I have returned back to the United States. I'll be back in London in two weeks, have no fear, but being back is both surreal and soothing. I think for anyone who lives abroad for an extended period of time coming "home" is surreal... accompanied with fears about what you left, what you have to go back to, and the familiar, "home" is almost harder to deal with emotionally because it accompanies a whole range of pain, love, fear, and hate. But on some odd level... it's soothing. It's soothing to come back to familiar faces who have known me since I was a baby, to a familiar house. It's also surreal - I love London and can't wait to go back because I have friends and a sort-of-life there too. But right now, amidst all of the angst and love, I'm happy and excited to be back... even if it is for a short while.