Lee in Haiti; Hawks vs. Vancouver

BANKSIDE, LONDON, UK -- Hello again from London!

Before anything else, I want to share a friend's blog with you. My friend Lee Malfar, who was at Stevenson with me, just arrived last week in Haiti, and in the last day or two set up a blog. It is very powerful and provides a great first-hand account of what is happening there. A few general disclaimers before providing you with the link. First, the blog is of her personal opinions, and should not be taken as anything more than that. Second, some of what is covered is very disturbing, which while should be expected, can nonetheless be shocking. Finally, due to extremely limited power supplies, internet, and "free time," the entries will be rather erratic, and will not always come off with the expert prose you may otherwise expect.

With all of that said, again, I just read her first two posts, and already I can say I have learned a few things. As the media attention has really died down, and the money has really started to stop trickling in, and with the rainy season beginning and the Hurricane season looming only 2 months away, these are really the dire months in Haiti. The cleanup is probably only at about 5-10%, where most major roads have opened and the airport and port are undertaking limited access, but beyond that, hardly any of the buildings have been taken apart/cleaned up/rebuilt. The vast majority of the population is living in tent cities, which with the rain starting really poses a huge risk for disease or other catastrophes. With all of that said, kudos to Lee and her team out there trying (and unquestionably) making a difference. In the last two days she told me personally that she had delivered medical assistance to 200 Haitians. That's right, while you and I are sitting on our ass writing and reading my blog entry, someone is out there helping hundreds of Haitians in a single day, people who would otherwise go untreated.

Here is the link to her blog: http://leeinhaiti.blogspot.com/. Or, if you prefer, CLICK HERE.

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In other news, while feeling far inferior to my ass-kicking friend, yesterday was without a doubt the most productive day I have had academically in months. I was up early, had a review class from 9-10am, then went straight to the library and really put a huge dent in this essay I have to write. I had another class 12-1pm, then a quick lunch (some pretty decent fish and chips, believe it or not), and was back in the library. A few hours later, I actually finished up my 3,000 word essay. In a single day. In between classes. I had yet another class from 4-530pm, and then came back to Bankside. I had my first burrito in a solid month or so, and then intentionally went to sleep quite early.

After a 4 hour nap, I woke myself up at 130am and got things running! ESPN score tracker, twitter updates, and two different radio broadcasts all steaming at once. What could the occasion be? You guessed it, PLAYOFF HOCKEY! Game 6 in Nashville, the Blackhawks won a crazy game by a 5-3 final to close out the series 4 games to 2. That said, the Hawks 5th goal was an empty netter with 7 seconds left, and the score at the end of the 1st was 4-3... probably the most stressful 40 minutes of play over the course of almost 2 hours I have ever heard on the radio or watched, that's for sure. But at the end of the day, a ridiculous penalty kill, timely goaltending, and timely scoring (the Preds tied the game at 3-3 with under 1 minute left in the 1st... 7 seconds into a powerplay with under 30 seconds left, Toews got what ended up being the game-winner to make it 4-3), all combined to a great road victory to close out the series.

Up next... what will surely be an extremely passioned and violent series against the Vancouver Canucks. For those who are not in-tune, last year, the Hawks and Canucks battled in an epic 6-game series, also in the second round, which the Hawks ultimately won 4-2. The final game in that series, Game 6, was the single best hockey game I have ever seen. Given that I've literally been to hundreds over the years, that says a lot! The game, like the series, was constantly back-and-forth, and with about 8 minutes left in the game, the Hawks were scored on to make it 5-4 in favor of the Canucks. Within the next 6 minutes, the Hawks scored 3 goals, including the 3rd by Patrick Kane for his first-ever hat trick, and the United Center absolutely exploded. I'm talking, lights shaking at the top exploded. Roberto Luongo, the Vancouver goalie, was in full-blown tears exploded. For the first time in decades (literally decades), the Hawks were in the Western Conference Finals, after a truly epic comeback in the game and in the series.

This time, the roles are reversed. The Hawks have home ice, and will be the favorite to win this series. Vancouver, as if they did not want to win badly enough anyway, is going to be blood-thirsty for revenge. Unlike the endurance test that a game (and two weeks of games) against Nashville was, this is going to be more of the end-to-end, amazing saves, and then incredible scoring plays style of a series. Hard-hitting, fast-paced, lots of action. Even if the score is low, neither team plays a trap, and it will be because goalies are making great saves, not because you've been bored to death. And so it is... Round 2, Game 1, United Center, Chicago. The game will either be Thursday or Friday, but the day/time has not been announced yet.

In other hockey news... tonight Phoenix is playing Detroit, in Phoenix, in Game 7. Winner plays San Jose in the other Western Conference 2nd round series; loser is playing golf tomorrow. In the Eastern Conference, Montreal beat Washington last night to take them to a Game 7 tomorrow night. Winner of that will face either Pittsburgh or Philadelphia (depending on whether it's Washington or Montreal), and the loser will also be hitting the tee box. Boston also beat Buffalo last night to close out their series, and will play either Pittsburgh or Philadelphia.

Eastern Conference:
EITHER Washington OR Montreal

Pittsburgh

Boston

Philadelphia

Western Conference:
San Jose

Chicago

Vancouver

EITHER Phoenix OR Detroit

That's all from here - happy playoff hockey, please read Lee's blog, and updates to come!

ITALIA 2010

ROMA, ITALIA & LONDON, UK -- What a trip!!!

I don't really even know what else to say.

Observations:

-There is no word in Italian for "organized."

-The food and wine are world-class and super-cheap, everywhere you go. This is law in Italy.

-There is no such thing as a "scenic point" in Capri - the entire Island is an enormous scenic point.

-Firenze is the Italian word for Florence. Pisa = Pisa, Roma = Rome, Napoli = Naples, Capri = Capri, Pompei = Pompeii, Italia = Italy. These all are obvious. Firenze = Florence is not so much.

-Public transportation, like in all of Europe, is superb.

-The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the most expensive thing in the country. Climbing fee is 15Euros. Don't think twice - the pictures are cheesy, yes, but it is SO WORTH CLIMBING! Ever climbed a castle or a dome or anything with the small winding staircases? Imagine that, but on a sideways angle... feels like you've had too much to drink, but you haven't. The views from the top are just as good as the fun you'll have getting there.

-Italian and Spanish are by far the most similar of all Italic/Germanic based languages. I didn't have any trouble picking it up, without a phrasebook, in only a week. Plenty of English-speakers too.

-Always bargain in markets. This is a global rule.

-When the line at the Uffizi Gallery is all the way to the river, it won't take 1 hour. Nor 2. More like 2-3. Instead of waiting, for 4 Euros, go wait in the much shorter line at Door 1, and you will get a timed ticket for later. We waited for 2 1/2 hours, and after a line that long, it was hard to appreciate the Gallery for what it is worth.

-Go to La Galleria dell'Academia (Firenze, Michelangelo's "David"), the Vatican Museums (Sistine Chapel), and the Colosseum & Forum (Roma, next to each other) at the opening. Everything in Italy opens at 9am. The lines will be ridiculously short, and the sites are far more powerful when not packed deep with people. We did all of these within an hour of them opening and had a great time.

-If you see a Pizzeria charging 10+ Euros, keep walking.

-Don't go to Naples. Seriously. Just don't go. Reminded me more of Cairo than anywhere else in Italy. The best part about Naples is that from there you have access to both Pompeii and Capri. If you want to keep your budget cheaper, the hostels are great in Naples, but find a cheaper hotel in Sorrento and stay there. Sorrento is in between Pompeii and Capri (better access to both), is a destination in and of itself, and you also have access to Positano and the Almafi Coast. But yeah, Naples sucks. Avoid it.

-If you INSIST on staying in the hostel in Naples, and you're into the stench and pollution the city offers, then the one thing worth doing is checking out the Pizzerias. By far the best in Italy. Pizza is famous in Naples (more than the rest of Italy), and rightfully so. That said, still not even close to being worth a visit. The pizza is great everywhere else too.

-There is no such thing as too much pizza in Italy.

-There is no such thing as too much gelato in Italy.

-There is no such thing as too much wine in Italy. Okay, that's a lie, but my point remains the same.

-Get gnocci gorgonzola in Rome.

-Get ravioli in Firenze.

-Get fresh mozzarella in Capri.

-Take the cable car to Capri Town from Marina Grande in Capri.

Okay I think I am going to cut the list off there. I could go on for ages but in sum, we had a phenomenal week, saw everything we wanted to really (except for the Blue Grotto in Capri - it was closed the day we were there). Weather was great, and our timing could not have been better. We left London about 12 hours before European airspace was closed, and we got back into London about 24 hours after it was re-opened. Couldn't really have planned that better (though obviously it was pure luck).

ALSO, we were in Italy during their annual "cultural week." In essence, their tourism takes a hit after the Easter break, and before summer really kicks off, so they have a "cultural week" (which is really 2-3 weeks), and ALL of the cultural sights are FREE! That's right - we paid all of nothing to see the Colosseum, Pompeii, the Medici Chapels, Firenze Gardens, the Forum... the list goes on. The only things we paid for were the Vatican Museums (8Euros with student ID), Leaning Tower of Pisa (15Euros), Il Duomo in Florence (free to enter, but 6Euros to climb to the top), and the Great Synagogue of Florence (3Euros with student ID). Not sure if we paid for anything else that could be considered cultural. We probably saved 100Euros per person in total. Lesson: visit Italy a few weeks after Easter!

In non-Italy related news, the Blackhawks have started to turn it around. Down in their series 2-1, they outworked Nashville and were rewarded with a 3-0 win in Nashville on Thursday night to tie up the series 2-2. Then, last night, despite blowing a 3-1 lead late in the 2nd period at the United Center, they pulled off the improbable. Down 4-3 with 1 minute left in the 3rd period, Marian Hossa made a stupid move and took a 5 minute major penalty. Despite this, with 13.6 seconds left in the 3rd, Patrick Kane scored on a rebound from Toews and Seabrook on what was a shorthanded AND empty net goal. The Hawks pulled Niemi, but were shorthanded, so it was 5 on 5 with an empty net, and somehow they got the game tying goal. Then, to start overtime, the Hawks still had to kill off the final 4 minutes of Hossa's major penalty. Between some great Sopel and Madden shifts, and a few phenomenal saves by Niemi, the Hawks killed it off. In one play, Hossa joined the shorthanded rush out of the box, and deflected in a Sopel shot for the game-winning goal just seconds after the penalty ended. Final score: Hawks 5, Preds 4, in OT. Currently the series is 3-2 Hawks with Game 6 set for tomorrow (Monday) night in Nashville.

In the English Premier League, Chelsea just wrapped up their game today with a resounding 7-0 victory... completely dominated in every facet of the game, and now they are back at the top of the table, 1 point clear of Manchester United, with only 2 games left to play. Chelsea plays in Liverpool on May 2, then at home against Wigan to close out on May 9. Man U is at Sunderland on the 2nd and closes at home against Stoke. If the Blues win out, we win the Premier League (and I win a nice chunk of change from a bet I placed in Vegas back in August - no pressure!).

That's all for now. Back to classes tomorrow for the next month before finals.

Pictures are all uploaded on Facebook, from Italy.

Album 1: Rome, Vatican City, Pisa, Florence: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2707289&id=8623973&l=0c5130d956

Album 2: Florence, Naples, Capri, Pompeii: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2707687&id=8623973&l=b7cd4165de

Have a great week!

Greetings from Italia!

FIRENZE, ITALIA -- Bonjourno! Boker tov! Buenos dias! Good morning from Florence! Not much time to update, but the short of it is...

Rome was incredible. Saw the Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo's Adam, and Raphael's School of Athens. Did St. Peter's Basilica. Walked by and through the Castle of St. Angelo, Piazza della Minerva, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and Piazza del Rotunda, Campo de Furi, Spanish Steps, Piazza Bernini, the Colosseum, the Forum, Constantinte's Triumphal Arch, Trajan's Column, and a whole ton more...

Two days ago took the train up to Pisa and saw the Piazza del Miracles, and climbed the Leaning Tower to the top - what a view!

Came over to Florence, and yesterday saw Michelangelo's David at La Galleria dell'Academia, as well as the Rape of the Sabines, and then in the Uffizi Galleries saw the Birth of Venus. After that we went to Il Duomo and climbed 497 steps all the way to the top - the mountains around Florence, WOW!

Now we are off to the Medici Chapels and then another day in Florence, tomorrow to Naples, then Capri and Pompeii.

Have a great week everyone, and LET'S GO HAWKS!!!

Apollo 13

On a completely different note, since this week is the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission to the Moon, and today specifically is the 40th anniversary of the explosion on the aircraft (April 13, 1970), I wanted to share a few links that the BBC has posted of their coverage from the event.

BBC's Reg Turnill - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8616751.stm

BBC Apollo 13 Astronauts in Danger - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8145427.stm

BBC Interview with Jim Lovell - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8612007.stm

Youtube video of the explosion in the movie Apollo 13 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ9qdGAE8L8

Off to Italy

BANKSIDE, LONDON, UK -- Cheers from a sunny London-town! I wanted to give a quick update before I head off yet again, this time to Italy tomorrow!

The last couple of weeks I have stayed in London and generally tried to cross a few more things off my list, catch up on sleep, get into somewhat of a routine of working out, and I suppose most importantly I've actually started to get some work done again.

First, I crossed off the last of my primary museums off my list. Last Sunday and Monday we had major internet issues at Bankside, so a few of us decided to check out the London Sports Cafe, which is between Trafalgar and Piccadilly. I have been asked how it was a number of times, and the best way I can describe it is as London's best attempt at an American-style sports bar. We checked out the ATP Miami 1000 finals, which Andy Roddick won, which was pretty cool, especially given that it was in the US, so he had a home crowd behind him which is always that much more exciting.

The next day we set off for the National Portrait Gallery, which is actually in the same building as the National Gallery off Trafalgar, though kind of hidden on the other side. In any case, it was a phenomenal museum. For starters, it was free (like most of the major UK museums - I'm going to miss this when I get back to the US). Beyond that though, the collection was superb - from the Tudor Dynasty all the way into modern British portraitures. The layout was nice, the casual tourist traffic was minimal (except for a couple of rooms, which is fine... I just don't like the insane crowds for 2 hours straight). A few interesting observations... first, I was surprised and a bit impressed that they had a nice portrait of George Washington intermixed with those from King George III's era (he was King during the American Revolution). That said, it was an interesting placement for sure... the Washington portrait was one of only two American portraits, and it was in a far corner of the room (and the museum) where very few people would actually see it. Plus, it was surrounded by portraits of double and some times triple the size of all of the British Generals (Howe, Gage, Clinton, Cornwallis, etc.) who fought in the Revolutionary War. Now, that's somewhat understandable, except for the part where all of these guys got their asses absolutely handed to them by Washington & co. at the end of the day. So yeah I thought that was an interesting feature. Then, in the next room, there was a portrait of the American writer Thomas Paine which was larger than any of those in the previous room! He is the writer of Common Sense, the pamphlet which provided the justification to the American colonists (who were actually largely against independence originally) for joining the fight against the British.

In any case the museum was superb and I would easily go back to spend more time there. With that, I want to go through a list of the museums I have seen and then the London museums and sights I still want to get to, neither in any particular order:

Museums visited:
1) National Gallery

2) National Portrait Gallery

3) Tate Modern

4) Tate Britain

5) Imperial War Museum

6) Natural History Museum

Still to go:

1) Victoria & Albert Museum

2) Monument

3) Kew Gardens

4) Wimbledon

5) Westminster

6) St. Paul's Observatory

7) Greenwich

8) Canary Wharf

Obviously there are tons more places I've been to as far as historical sites and whatnot, but it would be impossible (or take a very long time) to list, so for now that's what I'm sticking to. If I could get to those last 8 places though (which shouldn't be terribly difficult - none of them would take more than half a day) before leaving in July I would be very happy.

Besides all of this, the sports update... the Wisconsin Badgers men's hockey team made the Frozen Four this year, and won the semi-final game over RIT by a commanding 8-1. Then, in the National Championship Game, they skated in a defensive duel the first 40 minutes only to be down by 1-0 to Boston College. In the third period, however, it all went to hell, and they ended up losing by a final 5-0. That said, they had a phenomenal season. Nobody, and I mean nobody, picked them to make the final game, and despite the loss, they had a great year and it was fun to see them get some national recognition. Next time I'll have to make sure I'm in the building like in 2006 to ensure they bring home the trophy! In NHL-land, the regular season has come to a close! The Blackhawks finished as the 2nd seed in the Western Conference, and set franchise records in wins (52), away wins (23), points (112), and many other things. This really was an unprecedented season in so many ways. All of that is moot, however, if this doesn't materialize in the playoffs now. As the 2nd seed, we draw the 7th seed, Nashville. While the consensus is that it would take some sort of a miracle for Nashville to actually take 4 games from the Hawks in a 7 game series, that does not mean it will not be a physically demanding and intense series. The Hawks have home ice, and the best thing they can do is come out on Friday and absolutely destroy the Predators in front of what is sure to be a rocking United Center. Take care of game 1 - maybe a 5-1 final? Close out game 2, and then you seek a split in Nashville and win it on home ice in game 5. A lot of people are upset that the Hawks don't start until Friday night, but it works for me. I'll be in Italy and generally unable to follow the first few games, and this way I only miss 3 games, and can catch games 4 and beyond from London when I get back. Here's hoping the Hawks are up 2-1 or even 3-0 by the time I get caught up to speed!

In football, Chelsea is on a roll as of late. They won their FA Cup semifinal draw against Aston Villa 3-0, and now face Cinderella story Portsmouth in the FA Cup Final in May. Before that, however, we have 5 more games remaining in the Premier League. The Blues face off against Bolton in a late start tonight, 8pm, and this is their game at hand over second-place Manchester United. Chelsea is already up by 1 point, and a win tonight will give us a commanding lead with only 4 more games to play for each side. COME ON YOU BLUES!!!!!!

On the weather note, things are FINALLY looking up! The sun is seemingly out for at least a part of every day, and we're back to being consistently in the 50F degree range. Right now I think it's 52, but yesterday 59, etc. So cheers to that!

Academically, as promised, I am actually getting some work done. I have formally submitted my dissertation proposal, which is due at the end of the month, and am waiting to hear back from my Advisor about that. Regarding these assessed essays, I have picked my questions for each and started constructing my actual argument for the first one due - I think I have a pretty good idea and argument on my side.

Next up - ITALY! Itinerary as follows:

Wednesday April 14, Day 1 - Fly to Rome

Thursday April 15, Day 2 - Rome

Friday April 16, Day 3 - AM Rome, train to Pisa for the late afternoon, night in Florence

Saturday April 17, Day 4 - Florence

Sunday April 18, Day 5 - Florence

Monday April 19, Day 6 - AM Florence, PM train to Naples

Tuesday April 20, Day 7 - Ferry to Capri

Wednesday April 21, Day 8 - Happy Birthday to ME! AM Pompeii, PM Rome, fly back to London

That is the plan! Hopefully at some point I'll get to update from Pizza-land, but no promises.

Have a great week everyone, I'll catch ya on the flip side!