Friday, October 29, 2010

Three observations about daily life in Europe: Transportation, Language, Religion

1. In Switzerland, Germany, and Austria the public transportation is great.  One woman I spoke with in Geneva said she had a car, but rarely uses it because of the traffic.  She said it is better just to use the public transportation for everything including shopping and going to work.  She felt public transportation was a little expensive, but worth it because it is less of a hassle.  In Leysin I noticed even the high school aged kids used the trains to get home from school which I thought would be fun if I was in there shoes, but to them it is probably normal.  I really enjoyed using the trains, trams, subways, and buses.  They took us everywhere we wanted to go and we didn't have to deal with parking and things.  In the US I feel limited by the public transportation, but not in Europe.  On our discovery weekend we used sleeper trains to get to our next destination.  They were convenient, but small and cramped.

2. Language was definitely a barrier on this trip.  A lot of the advertisements and things included English words, but it seemed like a lot of the important things were not…for example directions or names of things.  I would become lost or confused and didn't want to ask for help because either I didn't know the language or didn't know which language to use.  It was challenging, but at the same time it made it fun and adventurous.


3. The role of of religion in European everyday life seemed very minimal to me.  It seems very similar to that of the US, in which God and religion is not talked about much in public life.  The only time I saw religiousness is when I toured cathedrals and there would be people praying.  I did have the opportunity to attend the first bit of a Catholic mass to get a feel of the devotion of the members…which the members there were devoted.  The mass took place on a Friday afternoon, so people on a lunch break came to worship.

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