THINKING is Critical

WEEK 6

I went to Germany this past weekend (Sat. 21.02.09) with a friend who's also in Vienna, and we had a blast!! She wanted to check out the Fasching celebrations (comparable to a Mardi Gras parade) in Munich; she had not yet been to Germany, so we hopped on the train and behold! we were there in a little under four hours. It was great to be back to what I call my "hometown in a past life." We also saw quite a few musicians performing in the main square, and one in particular was absolutely fantastic because he was both a musician and a comedian. I took a video with my camera, which is posted here for you. Please excuse the my hysterical laughing and awful camera techniques, but this guy was insanely awesome. Here we go:





WEEK 7

The following excerpts are from an assignment for my critical thinking class. In this assignment, we were asked to examine the elements of knowledge, belief, faith, and opinion. Somehow they are different from one another, but how? My thoughts on knowledge and opinion that are written here are also applicable to other recent events/thoughts this week. Time to bust out a bit of philosophy here ... just bear with me a little longer - if you haven't thought of these things like this before, I promise! it's interesting :o)

Q1 What are the necessary conditions for something to be considered knowledge?

A1 The concept of knowledge is rather hard to define. Knowledge surely encompasses the study of the past, of history. In this regard, however, knowledge not only includes knowing the historical events themselves [the Magna Carta was written in 1215] but also the motives behind such events [the Magna Carta was drafted in order to set some limits on the authority of the king]. Knowledge also requires also a certainty in the speaker's mind. It would make no sense for me to say "I know" to something that I don't have certainty about. I'd say "I think that ... " or "I've heard this..." instead. Knowledge is unbiased (although what we know about certain things can and does change.) Something happened. We are aware that it happened. Simple as that. Whether the event was or is deemed good or bad by so-and-so is not significant. The specifics of knowledge can become less clear as time lengthens between the event and our awareness of that event; the transfer of ideas is subject to the "lens" of the transporter, just as water collects different minerals, gasses, and particles on its way from the sky to the rockbeds.

It is widely accepted that "knowledge is power." Therefore because knowledge is the awareness of things, this awareness allows one the choice of action or application of that awareness in the present state of affairs.
The absense of knowledge, or ignorance, is therefore the absense of the same things knowledge "guarantees." If we don't know, action or application cannot be possible. This is only theory. There is, however, rarely an absense of knowledge. If you know one thing, but do not know another, it should not be considered ignorance. When someone says, "I know..." it typically implies: "I am aware of --" or "I am able to do --" This usage fits what I consider the purpose of knowledge: to offer choices in action or application. Take this example: I know how to ride I bicycle, but I do not know how to drive a car. I know how to get around the city, but the options I have - the roads I take, distance, weather conditions, load, etc. - will vary depending on if I know how to ride a bike or drive a car.

Q2 What are the conditions for something to be considered opinion?

A2 Opinions are categorized viewpoints (or better, judgements) concerning knowledge. For almost each passing of evnts there exists many theories which are in favor/not in favor of the event. Opinions seem to look at alternatives to what has occured, and more specifically, alternatives to other opinions. Opinions are often not as personal as beliefs are, and in everyday speech this is made clear. "I am of the opinion that --" or "That's just my opinion --" suggests that the opinions are already out there, "lined up in a row," and I have simply chosen one, and as more opinions become more available, I am open to choosing another one.

Believe it or not, this assignment has caused me to look very carefully at how I think, learn about, and react to events around me...
_____

Studying and living in a city is, as I mentioned a few weeks ago, not at all an easy endeavor. One of the hardest things about such an experience is the knowledge that I have and acquire. Because the environment is new, I observe each event with a special keeness, noticing every detail, in an effort to acquire more knowledge about my surroundings. I observe and recall everything - people's behavior, the topics in the newspapers, the advertisements, the layout of the city, the ideas brought forth by classmates - with an extraordinarily specific accuracy that I didn't even know existed! However, such keen observation can be discouraging. Because I do not observe and remember this culture with the specificity that I observe and remember culture in St. Louis, there is nothing for which I can readily find an equivolant. The most pressing examples that has been on my mind this week are: first, a great frustration and gripping sadness with the current state of the world; and second, a search for the delicate balance between "imitation on the assumption that that is accepted" and still holding out "resistance to being 'the status quo'"

I will talk about these two in more detail very soon.



[Photos: 1. little shops radiate their lights under the arches of the cathedral at Marienplatz (Munich) 2. my street on a snowy night in Vienna]

Photo Albums - Links

Links to Photos:

January & February I
January & February II
February & March
Spring Break 2009

English as a Foreign Language?

Recent Events

Everybody around here is ON THE MOVE, taking trips to this and that place, and boy am I jealous! A few guys from our group have already been to Hungary, Romania, Linz, Germany, the Czech Republic, Salzburg; Istanbul, Hamburg, Munich, and Paris are on Spring Break lists for some others. I'm still rather timid about traveling alone, but that's the result of not enough research rather than actual fear. Last week a friend told me this as she recounted a trip to Italy that she took by herself: "I missed so many trains and busses and didn't have a phone or anything with me. The coolest thing is to wake up in a totally new and different city, and then realize, 'No one in the world knows where I am at this very moment. No one.'"
Sounds scary? Well, I'm ready. I nearly had a cow when I had to fly to Munich and back by myself, and I'm up for a thrill again. I plan to book train tickets to Salzburg in the next few days, and some friends and I will head out on Saturday and check out Austria's main attraction.

This week overall has been pretty relaxing. On Wednesday I went out to coffee with the young woman that I met in the Strassenbahn, and we had a great time. We, both being expats, wanted to find out more about how the experiences of Vienna is going so far. We went out again on Saturday, shopping near Stephansplatz, enjoying Sachertorte at one of Vienna's most well-known cafes, quickly passing through the Spanish Riding School area and the Hapsburg Palace, and turning to blocks of ice in this wind!

The ease with which I can go out, meet up with folks, join in on this or that activity, is something that I've never experienced in the States. Back home, for me to get together with someone or take part in this or that, it seems to be such a hassle. The spontaneous nature of get togethers here in Vienna is something that, for those who like concrete plans for each day, is a bit hard to get used to. Getting past that feeling of "Can we just make a decision now and stick to exactly that?" is indispensable. Often times, I realize, I've felt bogged down because of the scheduling of events, and at last! liberation has come!! The public transportation is to thank for such liberation; freed from the hassle of finding a ride, or allowing two or three hours travel time for a 10-mile distance, going out on the town is EXCITING.

Valentine's Day was this past Saturday, and although it was as big a celebration as in the US, it was still a neat thing. My boyfriend and I spent the day together the day before, lucky for us becuase the weather was actually pretty nice. He also has introduced me to the church here that he attends - the International Baptist Church of Vienna - which we've gone to together for about a month or so. To find a church to plug into was one of my main priorities after getting myself settled. There are people from all over the world at this church - and I do mean all over the world. There are folks from China, Korea, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, the US, Portugal, Brazil, and many many other countries. It's just the type of church that I've always wanted to go to. There are also quite a lot of students, many of whom study at the Viennese universities. A great group of individuals who love God, love to worship Him, and are serious about His place in their lives.

Thoughts

Something that I also find interesting: specialization. As far as my knowledge can tell me, businesses in Europe are more specialized than in the U.S. A grocery store is just that: a building which holds foodstuffs and perhaps a few home goods. Clothes are not included; neither are pharmaceuticals. A pharmacy, or Apotheke, is exactly as the name implies: a business which specializes in medical goods. Same goes for florists shops, gas stations, Tabak shops (tabacco, newspapers, and sometimes subway passes), stationary stores, and so on. In other words, I have yet to see a "mega supercenter" of any kind, and I am enjoying the time away from such supercenters. I prefer to walk to a store, quickly locate what I need, and be on my merry way; rather than walking twice down each aisle and being confronted with enough merchandise to almost erase your original thougt/need for coming in the first place.

English is also beginning to sound like a foreign language to me. I remember very distinctly: I was taking the U-Bahn on the way to a concert with some friends. Someone was talking in English a few rows down, and I stopped, dropped all thoughts, and stared ahead. I just sat, trying desparately to figure out what was happening and why that language sound so strange and out of place. I hung my head in shame when I realized that it was in fact English I was hearing, and moreover, the speakers were part of our little group on the way to the concert. Unlearning English or German overload? I don't know; you decide.

February in Vienna!

Recent Events

A few weeks ago on the way to a friend's place, I met someone from Washington D.C. who is teaching here in Vienna. It was a rather strange coincidence: the weather outside was, as it often is, cold, windy, and surely unpleasant to endure for even a short 5 minutes or so. A young lady ran up to the doors of the Strassenbahn after the doors had already closed, and asked (with facial expressions, of course) that someone press the button and let her in. I got up and let her in, as I was in the end seat, and she looked so grateful. I exclaimed "Gut! Sie haben es geschafft!!" (Great - you made it!!) So - as she told me a little later - she thought I was from Austria, until she heard my friend and I conversing in English. Soon we were in a conversation about our studies, where we're from and so forth. A completely random incident, but interesting too. We'll be getting together for coffee this week to share somethings about our times and experiences here in Vienna.

Each Thursday there is an event, "Thirsty Thursdays," in which Webster students and others head out to a particular bar in town to have some drinks and a good time. I personally am not big on drinking, as I have seen the problem of substance abuse in all forms have a devastating effect on family members and other people I know. However, I realize now that it is a mistake to think that everyone who, for example, drinks or goes to bars, is going to end up like those I know with problems. It is mistake that I'm sure many make, in some form or another, and is also one that can put unncessary barriers between people or groups. So - this past Thursday - I joined the group and we went out together. And although I didn't drink much, just a small glass of weak beer, I had a blast and met others who are studying here and who also have high standards regarding education and career goals.

The aspect of Vienna that I am enjoying the most is the public transportation system. Very intricate, far-reaching, timely, efficient - really puts the public transport in many U.S. cities to shame. Yesterday I was talking to a good friend about the recent decision by the Obama administration to increase the cigarette tax. She said she supported it 100%, even though she's a smoker, because the extra funds will go towards aid for low-income families and children. It reminded me of the recent election, when St. Louis could either vote for or against an increase in state tax for the benefit of our Metro public transportation system. The bill did not pass. I have suggested often that perhaps the reason it didn't pass was because of the drastic drop in gas prices around the time of the election. During the summer, the price of gas per gallon had jumped almost to $5.00 per gallon - nationwide - and I heard many complaints about the inefficiency of our public transport system. It's odd that when we get the chance to possibly improve the system through a very small increase in taxes, we (as a whole) deny it and take what seems at the time the best - a lower percentage taken from our incomes. If St. Louis had been voting for or against that bill under the same conditions that America saw during the summer months, I think that bill would have passed.

At least from what I can see, when citizens are aware of the use of their tax dollars and not doubtful of that use, and moreover, when the use is for a common cause that needs to be addressed, those citizens are more willing to accept the tax.

On Saturday night, some friends and I went to a nearby district to have a look at the Donauturm (Danube Tower), a huge radio tower that is a pretty prominent tourist attraction here in Vienna. We went to the top and enjoyed a spectacular view of the city - which including walking on the outside terrace. We remarked afterwards that it was best that we went at night - the lights really made all the difference. I could see the topogrophy of the entire city, how the elevation rose and fell, just by these lights. There was a nice little cafe at the top, where we sat for an hour or so and sipped hot drinks. Then someone noticed that, oh my goodness! the FLOOR is moving! So we sat there, puzzled and confused. Does the floor appear to move because the ceiling actually rotates, or does the ceiling look like its moving because WE are moving? The conclusion: the floor was moving. One of the most interesting things I've seen in quite sometime.

I caught a nasty cold or something-or-another and have been "hackin' up a lung" for a few days. The cold and windy weather finally caught up with me!

As I'm being introduced and re-introduced to questions concerning topics like truth, justice, the state, freedom, reality vs. realivitiy, and similar things in my classes, new light is being shed on each and every thing that I think about. As I wrote in the previous post, I have always had a great desire to "change the world," have an impact on things - big or small - and to be "an agent of change." Yes, that's all good, but this world is not so easy to change, because while change is good and desired by many, it is not at all easy to let in. But one thing I do know, particularly in light of the recent inauguration of Obama, changing things is possible. Change for the worse is just as possible, if not more likely, as change for the better. It's now up to us to decide which to choose.

Other Thoughts

This semester in Vienna, I feel, is when my college education is truly beginning, and I'm now grateful that I did this so soon and didn't wait until I had time or money or until they offered this or that class or until I felt completely "ready" to spend a semester in another country.
My thoughts and discussions with others are becoming increaasingly rewarding and insightful, particularly concerning ideas about culture and language. You will never really understand your culture until you have experienced another. A cure for xenophobia? Perhaps not entirely, but a start in any case.

During my first year of college, some folks in our dorm stayed up to the wee hours discussing things like this. I remember one topic in particular: the responsibility of our generation. Sometimes it may seem that, although just about every young person wants to have a voice, change the world, do something BIG, we are not taking full advantage of what is available to us. So many times I've talked to students who are frustrated the so many are "throwing their college education out the window" or "not taking full advantage of the opportunities they have." And the question is raised: how can we change something we're not actively engaged in right now? Why are we (youth, students, etc) skipping class or staying out too late and not taking college seriously, making bad use of thousands of dollars of someone's money (family, state, national, private funds)? I too have often wondered about this. I am finding more and more that there are folks who recognize the responsibilities and privileges of our generation and our times and who are seizing every opportunity to be the best they can be.

I'm a "BIG IDEAS" kind of person, and I know a bunch of other people who think about big ideas often. This trait of mine -for better or for worse [I don't know] - is causing me to grow tired of small and trivial topics and concerns. Now that is not to say that day-to-day, practical knowledge and typical discussion is trivial, small, or useless. It has its place, like everything else. But I delight most in hearing a statement or discussion about ideas that move an individual, a society, a nation. I understand why questions like "Why does it seem that we as a whole are not taking our education seriously?" or "How are we to change that which we are not knowledgeable about?" are being raised. These questions seems to show this frustration with the small things, the itty-bitty nuances that are like distractions to the BIG ideas.

It could be that this kind of thing is old-fashioned, or that I haven't run across enough folks in my age group just yet who think about these sort of things regularly and try to express their thoughts coherently. Either way, I think we (young or old) will return to such ideas, thoughts, and topics some time soon.

[Photos: 1. U-Bahn station at Kaisermüllen - Vienna International Center by night, 2. view of Vienna and the Danube from the Donauturm 3. President Obama's Inaugural Address; "...we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations, and worn out dogmas, that have far too long strangled our politics."]

January and February in Vienna!

WEEK 2

During my second week here in Vienna, I became increasingly independent in the public transportation system and the location of things within the city. "Schwedenplatz" and "Stephansplatz" were the two main spots that we considered first when looking for something to do. Tons of shops, restaurants, clothing stores, you name it!

We also stopped by the Naturhistorisches Museum, or Museum of Natural History. It was absolutely fascinating, so much so that we spent at least three hours in there. The museum collection began over 200 years ago, and the place it filled with exhibits - from the Ice Age to the present day.

There was a Welcome Party for Webster Students that was held at a local discotheque and bar, and I had a great time. It was a good chance to at least become familiar with some of the students, even if conversation other than name and year proved to be impossible. The bar atmosphere and techno didn't allow for all that, but it wasn't needed and I had fun anyhow. This is where I met the young man who I am currently dating, a Nigerian who has been studying here since October. I knew before I came that it would be a hard time leaving this city; now you see what I mean?

I was also in the middle of applying for a rather prestigious scholarship through the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) and the amount of paperwork and correspondence was enormous! I hope to be able to study in Munich in March of next year at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet; I'm very interesting in German linguistics and synthax, environmental science, architecture, and urban planning. Many passions which I'm hoping I can somehow combine when I embark on my career after graduate school.

I also began preparing my presentation on Plato for my Political Theory classs (which is one of the most interesting classes I've taken thus far) and reading literary works by Austrian authors for my German class. It's an independent study: two students (myself and my roommate) who are advanced in their knowledge of German, and a native Austrian teacher. A challenging course by all means - blazing through these German literary works week by week and discussing them in depth in a language that is not yet completely my own.

It will be one of the best classes I will ever take.

One of the biggest differences that I've noticed is that I have so much more time here in Vienna than I've ever had in the U.S. With work, meetings, and other such obligations no longer taking up every ounce of free time, I feel a new sense of freedom! I actually have TIME to devote to do my favorite thing: think.

It is however an extraordinary challenge to study and live in another city. Easy to pack your things, yes. Easy to save or acquire the money necessary to go, yes. Easy to become a bit knowledgeable with the language and culture, yes. Easy to plan this and that, yes. Easy to become as familiar with this new city as you are with, say, a city in your home country, no. An identity crisis, I'd call it. Originally, before leaving the U.S. to come to Vienna, I thought that my knowledge of the language and the culture would make the process of adjusting easier. This is, I'm sure, a commom mistake that many people with a desire to assimilate into another culture make. But people don't talk about history on the streets, or the structure and synthax of the German language, or even politics. The popular discussion between two friends do not revolve around events that occured 300 years before, or why someone says this word in this context, or other such similar matters. As I am coming to this realization, I am also slowly realizing that although such sophisticated knowledge is not useless, it can rarely be applied to this process. Like a majority of college students, I have a great desire to "change and impact the world" for the better. But on each new endeavor that I embark on, I realize that this world will not be so easy to change.

I am perhaps much too young to be contemplating such things, nineteen years old! But where else would I be if I did not do so?

[Photos: 1. the intricate ceiling of the Museum of Natural History, 2. Karlsplatz by night]