Hey guys,
The next posts for the next couple of weeks will be my Midterm Exam. In the blog I will talk to you about what I have learned over the first and second quarter. In the very beginning our class learned about Afghanistan and the situation over there. I learned that Afghanistan is the way it is because of the tribal mentality of the people. The next couple of things that we learned were about the theory of Guns Germs and Steel. In it was Jared Diamond and he proposed why is Europe and the United States so powerful and well off compared to the rest of the world. IN a nut shell he stated that because of the advantage of having guns germs and steel and utilizing it drove the European society to be so advanced and influence the whole world. Another thing we learned was about the industrial revolution and the impact it had on demographics, disease and poverty. The movie Oliver Twist showed us the world of the First Industrial Revolution happening in the early 1800's and how people usually got sick when they entered in the booming cities, and people mistreated the poor not knowing that their way of Industrialization created most of the poor. The Second Industrial Revolution occurred in the late 1800's. It was similar to the first but the important resources changed from coal and steam in the early 1800's to steel and electricity in the late 1800's. Recently our class has learned about nationalism and its impact in Europe. Europe in the 1800's was swept with nationalism. There were mixed feelings about nationalism in different countries/empires. I hope that these next blogs would be enjoyable and informative.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Baghdad, Iraq بغداد ، العراق
A map of the City of Baghdad
The statue of Saddam Being hauled away from its pedestal.Hey everybody. Here I am supporting the troops by making a visit to Baghdad. You might not know it but Baghdad was built by one of the earliest civilizations called the Sumerians. I learned that when I got a brochure to come to Baghdad. It also said that some archaeological sites are being destroyed by this war. Because of the war the economy of Iraq stagnates and not much can be done with that until the war is over. What was a monument of Saddam that you could have seen was taken down and so was his regime. In recent years Baghdad is facing better than it had before. There are less and less occurrences of terrorist attacks but the people are still vigilant. In the early start of the war the city was a mess with destroyed houses and rubble everywhere. One survivor told me that he couldn't get water because he had to get it from the outside but was to scared to go out and get it. One bad thing is that not every body has access to clean water during war. The rebuilding of some apartments are being demanded by those that are homeless because of the war he tells me. He also tells me that the citizens can vote now which is a very good thing because the power is in the hands of the people. I would not recommend coming here until the war is over and then it would be safer to look at the ancient history of this city.
Page source:
http://i-cias.com/e.o/baghdad.htmhttp://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/baghdad.htm
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Kiev, Ukraine Київ, Україна
Parliamentary buildings in Kiev.
A prime example of Byzantine architecture.
Hello from Kiev have to enjoy the splendors of this city. This city is so beautiful and as over one hundred churches within Kiev's borders. With a book in my hand from one of the city's libraries I learned that Kiev is very old. The city can trace its root to the ninth century. Kiev was the capital of Kievan Rus. Rus is where we get the word Russia from but Ukraine is called Ukraine because it meant borderland. After the Mongol hordes invaded Kievan Rus in the fourteenth century the are was going to be dominated by foreign powers before it became independent in 1991. The whole entire country is mostly Orthodox and many orthodox Churches can be seen in Kiev. These churches attract many pilgrims from across the globe to amaze its viewers with the beauty of the byzantine style. Going to convert my money i learned that because Ukraine isn't apart of the European Union the Ukrainian currency is worth less than the dollar. A congressman of Ukraine told me that Ukraine has a major role in European politics because of the gas lines that run through the country giving oil to the rest of Europe. The city has some old roads in it nearby the Churches but downtown is completely modern. There was a need for better health care because Kiev was so close to Chernobyl some children are being born with cancer in their throats. Because Ukraine is now a democracy the people can enjoy the lifestyles of the west because the people were cut off from the rest of the world under Soviet leadership. The only environmental impact that come from Kiev was the Chernobyl accident. With the beauy of religion andd hte secular combined make Kiev a wonderful place to visit. Go there and be amazed and humbled.
Picture Sources:
http://rollmops.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/02-kiev-church-white.jpg
http://arsenal777.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/kiev-maidan.jpg
Page Sources:
http://www.kiev.info/about/history.htm
http://www.kiev-life.com/info/info.php
Berlin, Germany
Berlin Wall an icon of the Cold War.
A beautiful overlook of the city.Guten Tag! from Berlin, Germany. I have finally visited Europe on my trip. I chose Berlin for my next trip because of this cities historical significance in the last century. Berlin is the biggest city in Germany. Too bad I missed Oktoberfest that happened months earlier. Oktoberfest is a festival where the Germans celebrated their harvest just like back in the States with Thanksgiving. As I traveled throughout the city I found remnants of the Berlin Wall. I wanted to find out why there was a Berlin Wall. I went to the city's museums and looked around. The city was founded in the thirteenth century and was the capital city of the Prussians. One place said the western half of the city was occupied by America, France, and Great Britain. Each country controlled its own zone while the eastern part of the city was under Soviet control. A wall was built so that Germans on the east stay on their side. There are some awkward streets and roads because of the Berlin Wall but its not that bad. Today after WWII the Germans live peacefully and want to forget their turbulent past. As I was told by someone working at the museum told me that the economy of Germany is the third biggest in the world. With that the people are rich and have a similar lifestyle like us in the United States. Like all big cities Berlin isn't innocent of polluting the Earth with its many cars. Berlin is a place infamous in the Cold War and today a unified city. I would definitely recommend coming to Berlin and become apart of the new history of Berlin.
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Mexico City, Mexico
An overview of Mexico City
The angel statue of Mexico City.¡Hola! I'm brushing up my Spanish here while I am in Mexico City. I know, I know, I shouldn't be going when there is a swine flu outbreak but I'm vaccinated os everything will be Okay. On my flight I heard that his city is the capital and the biggest city of Mexico. The first thing that I saw out my window was the shear size of the city. After unpacking at my hotel like always I go to the museums and learn a Little history of the city. I learned that this city used to be called Tenochtitlan which was the capital of the Aztec empire. As time went on for this city it was renamed to Mexico City by the Spaniards and was he capital of New Spain. Then Mexico City became the capital of the new country of Mexico. In the museum there were works of art form famous Mexican painters like Diego Rivera and Freida Kahlo. A cab driver told me that Diego Rivera's is very popular and his works of art can be seen scattered across the city. Just like NYC, Mexico City has too many cars, and there is smog in Mexico City. That smog could create some health problems if you are outside to much and breath that polluted air. The city is really big in area as I saw on one map and the city's suburbs could be considered towns said the cab driver. Like all modern day cities Mexico City has a grid pattern of roads with some European roundabouts. A businessman told me that Mexico City also has built new skyscrapers in downtown with a modern look. I would recommend coming to Mexico City if you would like to see the historical aspects of the city or enjoy the museums.
Page Sources:
http://www.city-data.com/world-cities/Mexico-City-History.html
http://www.allaboutmexicocity.com/
Picture Source:
http://www.dynamicarchitecture.net/Events/NUOVI_Events/14_ENADII_28-30-APRIL_MEXICO-CITY/MexicoCity.jpg
http://www.faculty.fairfield.edu/faculty/hodgson/Courses/so191/Projects2007/Borello/October16/mexico-city.jpg
New York City, New York
Just a regular day in Manhattan.
The Burroughs of New York!Hey everybody! I'm in New York City on my next leg of my trip, and this place is a marvel. You have to see it in person to believe it. The place is so huge and there are so many people, its like your a sardine in a can of sardines. This city has a a rich history that comes with it. In one museum it said that this place was first a Dutch colony before it belonged to the British. Also New York City was supposed to be the capital of the United States and George Washington was inaugurated in NYC. Also the museum had a map that stated that NYC is divided into five Burroughs. They are Manhattan, Staten Island, the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn.The city is a great place to visit. There are many things to do, it would be a lie to say that there isn't anything to do in NYC. There is everything a city needs to keep you busy, there are museums, zoos, amusement parks, theatres, and the Statue of Liberty a famous landmark of the city. From looking on a map I think that the city is neatly oriented and organized with roads and railways all inter winding. When going back to the lobby of my hotel room I read in some magazine that New York City is taking some changes and is deciding to go green. Well with so many cars to on the streets polluting the environment i think it would be good if NYC went green. The trip to NYC would be one well spent. There is so much to do, play, and work in NYC. I definitely recommend coming to the Big Apple.
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Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Beijing, China 北京，中国
Feels just like home with McDonalds.
The Forbidden City, the home of the Emperor!Nihao, My name is Orest and I am on a trip around the world. My first stop was Beijing, the capital of China. The first thing after the long plane trip I wanted to visit the famous Imperial Palace. When I got there the most of the place has become a museum. There I learned about the interesting history of this ancient land. I read on one plaque that stated that in one thousand B.C. Beijing was once a trading post and not until the fifteenth century did it become the capital of China. After leaving the museum/palace I came to a place called Tienanmen Square. I remembered from the museum that this place in the 1980's had protest. This protest was against communism by mostly young people who wanted China to become a democracy. Eventhough the people look to me that they like their government, that memory is still in the back of many peoples minds. When getting to my cab the cab driver told me in broken English that I was in the Dongcheng District, one of the sixteen districts of Beijing. I asked the cab driver to tell me where was the nearest shopping plaza was and there was one in the Chaoyang District. I then realized that my hotel is in that district too and i couldn't wait to visit the district's many restaurants. The place is covered with western brand names in blazing lights and also some homeland companies. I think that the people here have accepted western culture and embraced it while retaining their own Chinese style. Like al cities there are some bad areas of town but it would be best ot avoid the narrow alleyways in some of the slums. I would recomend to go to Beijing and have a great cultural experience while your there but be warned not everyone knows english so have a handy Chinese/English dictionary on hand.
Page Sources:
http://www.drben.net/China Report/Beijing/Landmarks-Hotspots/DongCheng/Gugong-Palace_Museum/Beijing-Landmarks-Hotspots-Menu_Forbidden_City_Palace_Museum.html
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