Farewell - Post by Brandy Ray

While I was walking around Vienna on my last day in Europe, I started to think about my experiences over the last month. I thought about my expectations of the trip and how it was completely different from what I had imagined. I was anticipating a month in Europe full of free time and having fun, with a bit of schoolwork. I was expected a relaxing experience. I couldn’t have been more wrong. We had a total of four days off this entire month, we were expected to be awake and alert every morning around 9am, and taking nine hours in six weeks was definitely not relaxing. However, I think that I can speak for the entire group when I say that we have all grown as people. It has been a difficult month, but I will always look at this trip as a turning point in my life. Before I left, I thought that I knew exactly who I was…but I can definitely say that it is frightening how much I have learned about myself. When we all get home, our families and friends will ask us what our favorite part of the trip was. Professor MacDermott told us not to answer that question right away, but first to tell them who we have become as a result of our study abroad experience. We have all become strong, independent people, who can easily navigate the world (no matter what language is written on the street signs). We have all become people who know how to act, speak, and carry ourselves confidently in whatever situation we may find ourselves. Finally, we have all become people who simplify the complex, who take positions for which we can make the case, and who never, ever give up.

Final Days....

We rounded out our Vienna visit with three company visits: The ExPat Centre, IAC Group, and Bridge It (two pictures of the group included here). Last night we enjoyed a wonderful farewell dinner at a lovely restaurant here in Vienna. We celebrated with traditional food and music from all 4 countries we visited: The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Austria. Today we are all saying our final farewells, packing, doing last minute shopping (can there possibly be any more room in these suitcases???) enjoying one last dinner, one last embrace...It has truly been a trip of a life time -- for us all!

Kerry Richardson: Danube Island Festival

Note: please scroll down our blog page - there are several new posts today!

Our last “cultural” event for our program was to attend the Danube Island Festival which is held yearly in Vienna and is free to the public. A quick ride on the U-Bahn put us only steps from the festival entrance. We were welcomed by a beat-boxer accompanied by another guy playing the Didgeridoo. After watching his “act,” we set out in search of music and other activities. The path was crowded with attendees and vendors which made for a slow pace. We stumbled upon a crowd cheering and music blaring loudly so we made our way to the front to see what was going on and found a BMX exhibition in progress. We watched as several of the riders displayed their awesome skills then decided to continue on. After walking for a while we came to the end of the path where a huge crowd was gathered with a really awesome DJ setup on the middle of the stage. He kept the crowd entertained for several hours and we spent the rest of our time there enjoying the music. To end the night we made a pit stop on the way to the entrance so a couple of the guys could join in on a Turkish line dance. Great night in Vienna!

Lestat Vaughan shares thoughts about post communism

The after-effects of communism and fascism run thick through the air of central Europe as evidenced in both the lingering pain and the attempts to move forward. To a business major, the drive to entrepreneurism in most of the region is startlingly low. However, our first night in Poland we went out to a restaurant and I noticed something very peculiar for European wait-staff. While our waitress was providing European-style service to others, we were provided American-style service. Her energy went up, she spoke perfect English, and she checked the table often. The overjoyed group tipped her generously. This was a common trend among Polish people. They were entrepreneurial in ways that other Central Europeans were not. Instead of giving up in the face of failure they invent new ways to try for success. Though we spent little time there, I am convinced of the spirit of the Poles and hope to return some day.

Friends

It has been an amazing 30 days. We will say goodbye and go our separate ways very shortly...ah, parting will be such sweet sorrow. To life-long friendships!

Vienna

We have reached our final destination: Vienna. Here we will spend the week, sight seeing, visiting companies, and soaking in every last minute of our sweet time together. Here are some shots from our city tour, our first day in Vienna: St. Stephen's Cathedral, some of the 343 steps to the top and the beautiful view from the top, along with a terrific group shot in front of one of many amazing pieces of art this city holds!

Post by John Allison: Hot Air Balloon Ride Anyone?

After leaving Brno, our next stop was Kubicek Balloons. This company produces many different products including recreational, racing, commercial, and promotional balloons. The company was founded during the Communist era. During this period Kubicek needed to use clever tactics to get the rights from the government because of the fear that people would use balloons to escape across borders. Kubicek suggested to the communist government that Kubicek could use balloons to transport parts for nuclear power plants. This rationale seemed to work.

In addition to learning about the history of the company, we also learned about the many different uses, shapes, and balloon designs. The balloon shapes vary, even coming in special designs such as a cathedral balloon. Our visit began with a slideshow showing us some of the different products Kubicek offers. We then headed upstairs to the manufacturing floor where we saw balloon panels being cut and sewed together. Finally we saw the baskets being woven. Seeing such a unique product being made by hand was amazing. The only thing missing from the experience was watching a test flight in the field outside the factory – and a balloon ride!