We are the guardians of our own humanity

For those that don't know, I have a fascination and love for Arabic calligraphy. I think it's one of the most beautiful forms of art. Two metro stops from me is the most well known Arabic calligrapher, Hassan Massoudy, in the world. Today I went to his studio to look at his work, and possibly buy something. When I arrived, I was frustrated to see that none of his work was selling for less than 1500 euros, which is way out of my price range. There were only two other people in the studio so I went up to Mr. Massoudy and explained to him that I am a student in Paris and I study Arabic, and it would mean so much to me if I could have my name written in Arabic by him. And he did it...for free! So now I own an original piece of artwork. It is so beautiful and below is a close up picture of the calligraphy.
Here is some background information on Hassan Massoudy: He was born in southern Iraq in a very religious area of the country. Because of the Islamic atmosphere, art was forbidden, and in the 1960's, Mr. Massoudy moved to Paris where he attended the prestigious Fine Arts School, working in figurative drawing, but never stopping his calligraphy. He is best known for being the first Arabic calligrapher to use color in his calligraphy, instead of the traditional black ink. He now lives in Paris and has his own studio and is by far the best known Arabic calligrapher in the world.

Heaven on Earth: Geneva, Switzerland

For as long as I can remember I have wanted to go to Geneva, Switzerland. In my mind, I always imagined Geneva to be a very chic, international and cosmopolitan city. My expectations were exceeded. Words do not do justice to the beauty that Geneva offers. Geneva truly is an international city with over 250 international organizations headquartered there. By far, the biggest of these organizations is the United Nations. Geneva is situated on the border of France and Switzerland and is located on Lake Geneva, with the Swiss Alps and Mont Blanc as the backdrop for the city. I have never in my life seen a place as stunningly beautiful as Geneva. I flew in and out of the city in one day, and in all honesty, one day is plenty of time as there really isn't a lot to do other than admire the beauty. The biggest attraction is the Jet d'Eau, the large engineering feat of a fountain, in the lake. I strolled through the Old Quarter and enjoyed a lake cruise. Of course, I ate lots of chocolate, saw lots of banks and took plenty of pictures. The picture in this post is of the Jet d'Eau, Lake Geneva, and the Swiss Alps. After spending time in Zurich and Geneva, one thing is clear: I must one day live in Switzerland!

And now ladies and gentlemen...Zurich!

The last stop on the Spring Break Extravaganza was Zurich, Switzerland. I only stayed two days in Zurich, but it was just enough time to absorb the tranquil atmosphere and lovely views. Zurich is located in the German speaking part of Switzerland, so I did have difficulty communicating with the natives, but the citizens of Zurich are very friendly and many do speak English. Zurich is the banking capital of Europe and everywhere I turned there were banks. The dominating scenary is the lake, which surrounds the city and is walled by the massive Swiss Alps. The weather was cool and pleasant and reminded me a lot of the weather in northern California, which is where I'll be spending my summer. After the visits to Vienna and Munich, I found Zurich to be very relaxing. Zurich was beautiful, and I hope one day to have a Swiss bank account, just so I can go back to Zurich!

Munich

After Vienna, my trip didn't end. From Austria, I flew to Munich, Germany. The first thing that should be said about Germany is that it is a stunningly beautiful country. Whenever I travel, I always try to overlook stereotypes and discover the "true" city or country that I'm visiting. But the stereotypes of Germany are the realities of Germany. When you think of Germany, if you think of beer and pretzels...you are right. When you think of Germany, if you think of cuckoo clocks...you are right. When you think of Germany, if you think of dachsunds....you are right (I actually saw a dachsund that looked just like my old dog, Duke!). The most impressive feature of Munich, in my opinion, was the old Town Hall with its enormous cuckoo clock, which is pictured to the left, while the exterior of the Town Hall is to the right. There were also beautiful gardens within the city of Munich. My friends and I took a day trip to Dachau, which was the first concentration camp built by the Nazis. Overall, I really liked the atmosphere of Munich, the people were very friendly, and I thoroughly enjoyed the three days that I visited the city.

Can I come home now?

"Euro hits all-time high against US dollar" - CNN
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/BUSINESS/04/16/inflation.europe.ap/index.html

To put this into perspective:

100 USD = 62.77 Euro

I'd like to be in Dallas, please. Thanks.

Austrian Crown Jewels

I have been in Paris since September and during that time I have seen the Crown Jewels of England, France, Denmark and now Austria. The crown in Vienna was particularly impressive, and I snapped a picture of it. Enjoy.

Vienna waits for you

Last Friday I packed my bags and headed off for Vienna, Austria. To be honest, I knew nothing about Vienna, except for Billy Joel's song "Vienna" (which was in my head the entire time I was there). Vienna is an old city and was home to one of the most powerful monarchies in the history of the world, the Hapsburg Dynasty. To give some reference, Marie Antoinette, the final French queen who was beheaded in the French Revolution, was part of the Hapsburg dynasty. By far, the most impressive feature that Vienna offers is the city's beautiful architecture. Most of the city is done in an ornate, baroque style which is stunning. The most classic piece of baroque architecture is the Schonbrunn Palace, which the Palace of Versailles was modeled after. The palace was huge and the gardens were beautiful, as the picture on the right shows. Of course, Vienna is also known as the birthplace of classical music as musicians such as Mozart and Beethoven both lived in and composed many of their pieces in Vienna. The city had a distinctly different feel than any other European city I have visited, and I think this might have to do with the fact that it is so close to Eastern Europe. In a way, Austrians are very similar to Germans because they speak the same language, but more importantly, they make delicious desserts! I had some of the best chocolate cake I have ever eaten in Vienna! After three days in Vienna, I had seen everything there was to see: the Opera house, the famous St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Crown Jewels of the Hapsburgs, the Town Hall, Karlskirche Church (pictured on the left), and of course Schonbrunn Palace. Vienna might be far away from other major European cities, but it is worth a visit...if nothing else, you'll get great chocolate cake!