“City of Lights,” Camera, Action!

It only seemed appropriate that my mom’s last weekend in Europe be in Paris. So that’s precisely what we did! At the Paris Nord train station, built for Queen Victoria’s visit in the 1860s, we began venturing the “City of Lights.”

As we walked through the Montmarte, an area of Paris known for steep hills and sweeping views, we stopped at the Sacré Coeur, which was built to celebrate the freeing of Paris from Prussian invaders. The grand, white basilica surely draws surprising expression since it is nearly hidden from the street. We continued to Moulin Rouge. Most people remember the recent movie starring Nicole Kidman, but Parisians know Moulin Rouge as the only place in Paris that still performs “the real cancan”.

Passing through the Lafayette Galleries, we made our way to Opera Garnier, Palais Royal, and the Louvre. The Opera Garnier, with a facade of complete marble, is known as where the Phantom did his haunting. Past the Opera house, the Palais and the Louvre are popular Paris attractions. The palace, once the world’s largest royal palace and former home to Louis XIV, is magnificent in detail with its imperial image. The Louvre houses the Mona Lisa and is arguably the world’s greatest art museum.

Mom and I strolled along the Seine River to reach the Paris Town Hall and Notre Dame Cathedral. The world-famous cathedral is truly more beautiful in person and open free to the public. Plus, you can climb its towers to see the malicious gargoyles and stunning views of the city.

As the evening approached, we completed our Paris tour with the Arc de Triomphe, Avenue des Champs Élysées, and the Eiffel Tower. The Arc de Triomphe, the world’s largest triumphal arch, is a phenomenal monument to tribute the victories of Napolean’s Grand Armée. The Arc also brought a few astonishing sights – bride and groom taking wedding photos, stopping traffic and break-dancers battling directly below the Arc. Quite memorable moments in my opinion! Mom and I continued down Avenue des Champs Élysées, overflowing with shoppers in designer stores. Here, we visited the famous flagship store of Louis Vuitton, which was beautifully decorated and sparkling for the holiday season. And at last, we reached the Eiffel Tower, synonymous with Paris for the 1889 Universal Exhibition. Weighing 7,000 tons, the tower was glowing in the night. Appropriately, it was once denounced as the “world’s greatest lamppost.”

After touring Paris thoroughly, we spent Sunday at Versailles. With 40,000 workers over 50 years, Louis XIII’s former hunting lodge was transformed into this extravagant palace by King Louis XIV, who installed his court and government here.

First, we toured through the chapel and 17th century galleries, filled with the finest 17th century French art. From the royal courtyard, Mom and I gawked at the state apartments, including the Hall of Mirrors and the King’s chamber. We finished the palace tour with the history of French galleries before strolling through the royal gardens and estates.

At the far end of the estate lies the Queen’s Hamlet and Farm, the Grand Trianon, and Marie Antoinette’s estate. Marie Antoinette was the only queen to impose her personal tastes on Versailles, scoffing at Court traditions. In the Trianon estate, she found a haven of privacy from the rigors of court etiquette. As one can imagine, the Versailles Estate was a rich, over the top, massive, opulent, stately, bright, magnificent, prestigious, shiny, imperial, brilliant, overwhelming, extravagant, legendary, mythological, spacious, grand, elaborate, serene, romantic, and vogue fairytale palace. Interpret it as you will, but our day spent at the estate was fit for a king (no pun intended!). So let them eat cake and then, off with their heads!

All Aboard: Amsterdam & Antwerp

To continue our travels throughout the week, my mom and I visited the city that truly has something for everyone – Amsterdam. Famous for its 47-mile network of canals, the small city has been reclaimed from the sea. Our welcome wagon was a Heineken horse and buggy, as Amsterdam is home to a former Heineken brewery. Needless to say, the brewery is a popular tourist destination.

Our first stop was a deeply moving visit to the house of Anne Frank. As one of the most inspiring figures of the 20th century, the museum tells Anne’s story of her and her family’s 25-month life in the secret annex above her father’s office. Otto Frank, Anne’s father, was the only survivor of the eight people in hiding. He published his daughter’s diary and was active in making the secret annex accessible to the public as a museum. Open since 1960, nearly 1 million people visit the museum each year. “To build up a future, you have to know the past,” said Otto Frank in 1967.

My mom’s only request of our Amsterdam excursion was to shop at the Royal Delftware store. Of course, I had no complaints! The blue and white porcelain has been a Baker family tradition. Several purchases later, I left with my favorite European mementos.

The Dutch adore flowers, particularly tulips, which are throughout the city. While Mom and I were admiring the flower markets, we stumbled upon Amsterdam’s infamous “Red Light District”. As one of the city’s greatest tourist attractions, the world’s oldest profession not so modestly occupies Amsterdam’s oldest quarter. From the photo, Mom and I were lucky enough to find a Dutch knight to escort us out of the seamy side of Amsterdam.

We trotted along to the Van Loon Museum, a traditional 18th century canal house. Home to the co-founders of the Dutch East India Company, the family opened the prestigious property to the public in 1970, fully restored to its appearance in the 1750s. The delightful and charming canal house is unlike most preserved museums, as nothing is roped off, so visitors can enjoy every nook and cranny.

With street performers, adorable shops and cafes, we concluded our visit at Dam Square. The very heart of Amsterdam marks the site of the original 13th century dam on the Amstel River. Today, “the Dam”, as the locals call it, includes the town hall, national monument, Madame Tussaud’s Scenerama, and stunning canal views.

To see the European source of cutting-edge fashion design firsthand, my mom and I took another day trip on Friday to Antwerp, Belgium. Antwerp is Belgium’s second largest city and has one of Europe’s busiest ports.

Immediately off the train, I began snapping photos, as the Antwerp Central train station is an architectural monument in its own right – modern with several stories of platforms on the inside and Neo-Classical preservation from the outside. Directly adjacent to the station is Diamond District, including the Diamond Museum, dedicated to the world of the precious stone.

Continuing through Diamond District, we reached the Meir, Antwerp’s premier shopping street. The pedestrian high street is packed with boutiques, including popular European and designer brands. As we passed the main shopping area, Mom and I stopped at Rubenshuis, the artist Pieter Paul Ruben’s home and studio from 1611 to 1640. After being carefully restored, the home now showcases Ruben’s formal gardens, art gallery, main studio, and private living quarters.

Our next stop was Grote Markt, which reflects Antwerp’s golden age of trade in the 16th century, as the cosmopolitan town hall was built by architects from all over Europe. Around the Grote Markt sits the Onze Lieve Vrouvve Kathedraal, the largest Gothic cathedral in Belgium. The construction of the cathedral took nearly two centuries to complete and now occupies 2.5 acres in Antwerp’s city center. Mom and I finished our visit of Antwerp at the pier of the River Scheldt. Here, we toured the National Scheepraartmuseam, the maritime museum located inside Antwerp’s original fortress and oldest building of the city, known as the Steen. And of course, no trip with Mom could end without a surprising twist... On our return, we passed Brussels’ very own “Red Light District” at the Brussels Nord train station. Never a dull moment!

Where in the world is...

Merely ten hours later, I was yet again at the Brussels International Airport. Rather than returning from Berlin, this time I had arrived to welcome my mom to Europe. Immediately, I began playing tour guide, showing off the highlights of the city - from the Parc du Cinquantenaire and the Grand Place to the European Parliament and Avenue Louise. Oddly enough, my mom's jetlag seemed to affect me as well. Over the past few years, my immune system tends to leave on holiday whenever my mom visits. This trip was no exception. Due to my unexpected illness, we slept for only two hours. To top it off, our scheduled 3AM cab did not show! I've never been stood up before, so I'll add this to my list of European firsts. Regardless, we made our flight and arrived to Europe's home of fashion - Milan, Italy.

Surrounded by art galleries and ancient churches, Mom and I spent most of the day in awe. After countless reviews of our map, finding the Duomo Cathedral felt like an enormous accomplishment. The cathedral took nearly 430 years to complete and now stands as the world's third largest church. The cathedral's massive exterior upholds its nickname, "Milan's forest," as it is nearly hidden in the center of the city. Adjacent to the Duomo is the Palazzo Reale, Milan's Neo-Classical Royal Palace built in the 18th century, and the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuelle II, former 19th century high-class shopping arcade and now home to designer threads and upscale restaurants. The Galleria further connects La Scala, the world's greatest opera house built in the 1770s by the Austrians. Following our history lesson through Milan's city center, we quickly took to the immense shopping meccas. As we were leaving the city, we visited the Palazzo Dugnani, 17th century palazzo and former home to the Dugnani family in the Giardini Pubblici, and the Pirelli Tower, a modern skyscraper with the highest vantage point in the city. Our final tourist stop was the Castello Sforzesco. Originating in 1451, it stands as a complex of fortresses, castles, and towers to protect Milan. The Castillo is massive and known as the "sun-baked" bastion. Today, it holds art and sculpture collections from as early as the middles ages to the 18th century. Before our departure, we ate like Italians - pizza and gelato! :)

Two hours and two trains later, Mom and I arrived to the Swiss Alps of Bern, Switzerland. Our hotel, the Golden Schlüssel (aka Golden Key) is the oldest in the city since the building is 500 years old, but it is totally modernized on the inside filled with flat screens and bubble chairs. Even in the rooms, guests must use their key cards to turn on the electricity! On Thursday, we began exploring the capital. For once, I had no trouble navigating through the charming streets. We began at the clock tower, the city's first gate, where we learned that the city was named after the first animal that the Duke caught, a bear. We continued past the theatre and casino, before stopping at the Swiss Parliament and Bern Town Hall. Following our stroll through the main part of the city, my mom and I took a tour of Albert Einstein's 2nd floor apartment. He lived here from 1903-1905, when he taught physics at the University of Bern. At the museum, we learned about the young Einstein's family life and career goals before hearing about his famous days. I was most surprised by Einstein's mobility during the 1920s and 1930s. The renowned scientist lived and worked in places such as Bern, Berlin, Prague, Zurich, Serbia, Pasadena, and Princeton. Further, he visited and spent extended time throughout England, Israel, South America, Japan, etc. Where didn't he go? Of course, he wrote: "It was a really beautiful time in Bern." And I could not agree more. Feeling a bit wiser after being in Einstein's apartment, Mom and I moved on to the highlight of the day and my personal favorite, the bear bit. The heraldic animal of Bern has been released into a spacious habitat along the Aare River, where the bear couple can climb, fish, play, and retreat. Bjork, the nine year old female from Denmark, is a reserved and independent character, yet a cougar with her young companion. On the other side, Finn, the three year old male from Finland, is adventuresome and playful - which we saw firsthand. During an hour of spectating (yes, I was truly intrigued and spent over an hour watching my new furry friend, while my mom felt as if I were a toddler again), Finn climbed the hill, ate an apple, dug a burrow, teased Bjork, hunted, swam in his private lap pool, and strutted for his audience. I nearly thought Finn was some actor in a grizzly costume! I finally broke my gaze from Finn when his show ended and he retreated to his indoor palace, but do not fear, I took nearly 100 photos! So, mom and I continued though the town's arcades, known as the largest covered shopping promenade in Europe. With romantic, medieval streets, enormous stone bridges, flower bedecked houses, a natural river landscape, and a largely unchanged medieval townscape, Bern is included on UNESCO's world heritage list. Up to this point, it is my favorite city in Europe and I feel compelled to return. Plus, it's just icing on the cake that a few of my ancestors once lived here.

Mom and I moved on to Monte Carlo on Saturday. Known as the famous, rich Riviera city, most of us have heard of it as a popular celebrity destination for it luxury hotel and casino. To discover Monaco's 700 year history, we boarded "the little red engine" to guide us through the City of Princes. Starting at the Oceanographic Museum along the coast, our little train took us to the Place d'Armes, past Port Hercule with hundreds of mega yachts, drove down the course for the Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit, stopped at the Monte Carlo hotel and Place du Casino, passed the Old Town and markets, watched the changing of the guards at the Princely Palace, and finally ended at the Cathedral, which holds royal weddings and ceremonies. Following our tour, Mom and I took on foot through the gardens. We made our way to the Place du Casino, where I spent two Euros to be able to say I've pulled the handle on a slot machine in the famous Monte Carlo casino!

For another take on the Riviera, Mom and I admired the flower markets and cafés of Nice, France. Never have we seen so many people strolling in the rain! Our first stop - the beach. Even with the poor weather, Mom and I were pleasantly surprised by the clear, crystal water. From the ocean's color, we would have thought it were a sunny, summer day. Immediately adjacent to the boardwalk is the city's Opera House and Palais de Justice.

Unlike my previous fall breaks during my Furman career, this one takes the cake with five countries and a visit from my beloved Mama Baker!

Lions, Tigers, and Bears ! Oh, Berlin !

I have returned from Deutschland (aka Germany), feeling as if I entered American soil. Home to 3.4 million people, Berlin is a beautiful city, comprising of historical landmarks with a modern twist. Unlike most European cities, Berlin is spread out, similar to urban American cities. Paired with restaurants like Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds (just to name a few!), I felt as if I were back across the pond!

Moments after landing, I spotted a Steiff store. For those of you who may not know, Steiff created the first stuffed animal and is well known for their line of teddy bears. My family has collected many over the years. Needless to say, the store was a child's dream. I made sure to pick up a souvenir to add to my collection! Adding to Berlin's bear fetish (as a bear appears on the German flag and coat of arms), I tried to spot nearly all of Berlin's 140 United Buddy Bears. Nearly two meters tall, each bear represents countries recognized by the United Nations. The bears promote "living together in peace and harmony." In 2003, the bears were sold and many stand outside owner's residences and offices.

In keeping with the animal theme, I visited the Berlin Zoo, considered to be the most visited zoo in Europe and one of the most popular worldwide. For your information, it was certainly not disappointing! The animals were very lively, coming towards visitors like they were ready to pose for photos! The Berlin Zoo is home to the polar bear Knut, who became famous in 2006. As you may recall, Knut was the center of worldwide media attention after being rejected by his mother at birth and subsequently raised by zookeepers. To add to the Berlin Zoo's fame, it is also home to Bao Bao, the eldest known Giant Panda in a zoo worldwide. Even though I have visited the San Diego Zoo and live only minutes from the Columbus Zoo, recently named the USA Travel Guide's number one zoo in America, the Berlin Zoo impressed me to no end. I would gladly fly halfway across the world to visit Knut any day!

In preparation for our visit to the Stasi headquarters and GDR Museum, our Furman class read Anna Funder's Stasiland, representing what occurred behind the "Iron Curtain." November 9th marks the twenty year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Our group also visited the Jewish Museum, focusing on Jewish-German religious persecution as a whole. While the city of Berlin marks historic significance, monuments like the Royal Palace and Hitler's bunker no longer exist. The missing sites portray Berlin's continuous efforts to move forward and its hope to a prosperous future as a world partner. We must never deny history but learn from it, so we can strive towards global peace and human rights.

Renowned Scientist vs. Eerie Witches

This week, I attended the Annual Lecture of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre - my first European Union event. The keynote speaker, Dr. Alan Leshner, is the Chief Executive Officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Executive Publisher of the journal Science. The event marked the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of the European Commission’s first research site. I was especially excited that my fellow Furman students were in attendance to discuss "Europe and the United States: A crucial moment for science and cooperation."

Dr. Leshner was quite energetic, framing deliberate points, while making the speech amusingly engaging. For the betterment of our global society, it is vital for the nations of the world to collaborate in science and research. While the public seems to lack enthusiasm for science, it is time to empower our educational system from the start. The United States’ science education is one of the worst in the world! It is imperative to start now and improve science and research, as it leads to improved technology, improved economy, and improved quality of life for its citizens. The US must engage the public with science to create a dialogue, not a monologue of "intimidating scientists." If the US can accomplish this, and the EU and the US can collaborate, this will bring countries and people together. I am eager to follow the progress and excited to see what positive outcomes may occur.

On Thursday, I experienced another protest in Brussels for the Lisbon reform treaty and climate debt. Who would have known that Furman's study away program would make me an expert in navigating through angry protestors. On the other side, I was able to score an invite to Ogilvy Brussels' Halloween party. What an opportunity to see my supervisors and colleagues dressed as pirates, goblins, monsters and devils! (Halloween has been "Americanized" in Belgium, so people only dress up as scary things - no Disney princesses or Ninja turtles.) Ogilvy Brussels office was decked out with pumpkins, spider webs, fake bats and eerie candles. As you can tell from the photo, I did not know what I wanted to be this year - notice the witch's hat, vampire teeth and skeleton earrings!

Today I am headed to Berlin for my final class journey with our Furman group. Prior to this trip, we read Stasiland by Anna Funder. The book is based on events from behind the Berlin Wall during the GDR regime. I was deeply moved as I had not even heard any background about neither this post-Nazi government nor the Stasi secret police that controlled and manipulated their citizens. I will visit the Stasi museum and hear more insights that seem so secret from our side of the world.

Plus, Halloween in Berlin should be memorable!

Day In and Day Out

These last few weeks, I’ve been sharing about the wonderful countries I've had the opportunity to visit. Today it's time to focus on my daily journey, day in and day out! Along with my Furman classes, I am taking two of my classes at Vesalius College (VUB) - French and International Business Negotiations. Vesalius College is a small private international college, where I have been enjoying my classes. In International Business Negotiations, there are students from Portugal, Italy, Belgium, India, United States, Canada, France, Spain, Latvia, Germany, and the list goes on. Collaborating with students from these diverse countries and cultures is truly a learning experience in itself. Since our class is a simulation of former international negotiations, we are constantly exposed to each country's ideas, prejudices, and goals. This is certainly an opportunity one would only have while being in the minority in an international setting, so I'm appreciating this opportunity to learn and grow. Plus, my French is improving dramatically (oui!) and I can actually pronounce basic phrases - quite a relief when you're constantly meeting people who speak French or Dutch! In addition to these two courses, we meet with our Furman Brussels group once a week for European Studies and to review our internship experiences. In European Studies, we discuss our readings for our group trips, including books about WWI, WWII and the German Stasi regime, and current EU and US affairs. I especially enjoy our discussions relating to current events. We discuss and debate health care, sustainability/climate change, and science and research - all of which relate to my internship responsibilities. While it's enlightening to hear opinions from my peers, it's even more interesting to gain perspective on what the EU is trying to initiate in respect to these topics versus the US. I am gaining a completely new sense of the world we live in and the responsibilities of being global neighbors.

Of course, things in an unfamiliar country are never perfect, but always interesting. I recently spilled water on my keyboard, watched my keyboard sizzle and slowly die. On the brightside, the computer and mouse work! Haha, regardless of what happens in Europe - it's a constant adventure, testing you in simple and complicated ways. Now that I've been here more than two months, I'm beginning to notice how my peers and I are adapting to our new ways of life. It has become second nature living in a large urban city, using public transportation, being at least bilingual, interacting with professors and other students who have strong opinions about our home country, along with balancing classes, internships, travels, and communications with family and friends back home. It's no easy feat, but we are all making the best of every moment - growing with each step.

This week, three Furman friends came to visit. It was great showing them around like we were natives of Brussels – it reminded me that I haven’t been to many of the tourist spots since August! The second time around I see it through Belgium eyes, giving me an entirely new appreciation. Now that my roommates have had family and friends visit, I am more than eager for my mom to arrive! Even though I’ve been away at Furman for the past three years, there’s nothing better than feeling at home and that typically only happens when Mama Baker (her feelings on her nickname are debatable Haha!) is around! =) The countdown to her arrival begins - 9 days!

Social Media – Trick or Treat?

Social media is forever changing the way we live, work, think and play. If you are asking what is meant by social media, you are likely amongst the majority of users who are unaware that marketers have labeled it. As stated by bigmouthmedia, “social media incorporates the online technology and methods through which people can share content, personal opinions, swap different perspectives and insights into world issues and generally discuss the evolution of media in itself.” Though not a bad summarization, it’s so much more. The Trick – consumers question if this is just another ploy by businesses and marketers to intrude on their personal lives. The Treat – consumers create relationships with businesses, consequently becoming influential partners in their products and services. I beg to agree with the latter. The central difference between social and traditional media is that you are able to engage in social media, even while monitoring it. The sweet social media haul: the touchback to consumers detects issues, evaluates campaign impacts, increases website traffic, improves crisis management, evaluates competitors, expands brand awareness, increases consumer loyalty, becomes influential, and discovers points of need.

Bet you are wondering what sparked this blog? Through my previous and current internships, I’ve seen firsthand the importance of social media – not just for business, but consumers, essentially EVERYONE! This past week I attend a Digital Influence Training for my internship at Ogilvy PR Brussels. Their strategies were simple, yet effective. “Listen, Plan, and Engage.” it’s not just about the businesses. Too many people hear “social media” and shy away. Again, everyone is able to participate through a multitude of avenues. RSS Feeds, sharing widgets, blogs (Yay, I’m one step ahead!), Facebook, Twitter, Social Media releases, fluidbooks, Flickr, Netvibes, YouTube, WikiAnswers, virtual worlds, etc. are all a part of this growing ambiance. “Social media has turned the monologue of advertising and PR into a dialogue between consumers and businesses.” I think this was the most important aspect of the seminar – create ongoing conversations and relationships between businesses and consumers. This new platform, whether you like it or not, is here to stay and will further evolve. As you all know, I love Public Relations and branding management, but the social media venues is about being able to help the consumer. I advice us all to join in! Don’t be scared.

And let me be the first to wish you an early Happy Halloween, as this insight will be what I hand out this year! Trick or Treat!