Wildcats Around the World
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Back in Davidson By Yannick Pilgrim - May 24, 2010 Back at Davidson. My plane touched down in Charlotte around 2:00 am on Friday the 7th. Even though I was coming back to the familiar, I was nervous. Maybe it was because I was excited to see my friends, teammates and other Davidson randoms who brighten my day, or maybe it was because a wonderful semester abroad had finally come to an end. Costa Rica had really become a home to me and leaving beautiful Central America was almost as hard as leaving my beloved Trinidad on my first trip to the US. My last day in Costa Rica was an emotional one. My host family had problems of their own but still managed to keep it together in order to give me a very special dinner and farewell. Their kindness and unselfish ways were part of the reason I really enjoyed my time in Costa Rica. Not only did this family open their house to me but they let me into their home. From babysitting my host brothers to occasionally cooking dinner, I always felt like I was actually a member of their family. They introduced me to nearly all of their relatives and went above and beyond in terms of hospitality. If I had to suggest one thing to someone going abroad it would be to form a bond with your host family. Have conversations with them, surprise them from time to time with small gifts, and treat them as if they were your real parents or real siblings. Before I stepped on the bus to leave the town of Puntarenas my host family stopped me. My host mom put her hand in mine and gave me a key. My host dad then explained that it was the key to the front door of the house. They said that I could return to Puntarenas anytime I wanted and would have a place to stay at their house. Back in my soft days I would have cried, but now hard and experienced, I just looked up to the sky and avoided the tears from leaking out. This exchange was truly symbolic of the relationship I formed with this family. To be honest I cannot picture my future without seeing them again. My trip to Costa Rica has afforded me the opportunity to take a step outside of my hectic life in the States and recognize the more important things and the things about myself that I need to change. Sometimes we are too busy to actually think, and living what the Costa Ricans call ‘pura vida’ for the last four months has allowed me to approach obstacles in a very calm way. I feel rejuvenated and ready to take on my senior year at Davidson. I formed some great bonds in Costa Rica and I know that my friends there will be awaiting news from me in the future. The thought that a group of people cares for you is enough to produce a motivation within that inspires one to live a life that revolves around making these people proud to be associated with you. Knowing that someone stands with you through the good and bad inspires you to live for the good. “Para siempre” I will remember this far away family and “para siempre” I will carry with me the lessons learnt on our journey together these last four months ... “Gracias por todo,” and thank you Davidson for giving me the opportunity to experience this eventful semester abroad. |
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Adeu Barcelona! By Josh Zipin - April 28, 2010 Hello Davidson family. My semester in Barcelona is coming to a close and this will be my final blog entry as I will be flying out back to the US of A this Thursday. The semester has flown by and I can’t believe my time is up here. The last month has been very full with visits from Wildcat star athletes and friends from home. Showing friends the city has really allowed me to get to know the city much better. At the beginning of the semester I felt a little bit lost, not knowing how to get to places, especially with any kind of punctuality. But I’ve evolved into a real tour guide here, with walking and metro routes of the city that I’m comfortable with. It’s different than Davidson or my hometown of Silver Spring, Maryland, because I go so many places by foot so often. I feel almost as if I know my way around this city better than either American ones. The weather has been incredible here for the last month, and one of my favorite activities during that time has been playing ping pong outside in the Ciutadella park. It’s a huge park, but in the corner of one of its many entrances there are 6 outdoor tables lined up. It has actually been a great way to meet local Catalans, just by goofing around and playing small, very informal tournaments. Small things like ping pong helped me feel much more connected to the city and its people. It is a bit bittersweet because I feel so comfortable here now, but I am so excited to get home and get back to Davidson. I’ve developed a genuine affection for everything Barcelona, and it is almost like I am a real citizen now. I couldn’t be happier with my decision to study abroad, and especially choosing to study here. My Spanish has reached a level of fluency I did not anticipate reaching and I have become much more independent here. I’ve also experienced some completely new cultures, and of course, been privileged to be inundated in a soccer-crazy environment, home to the best team in the world, FC Barcelona. I just finished my last exam of the semester, and am now officially a Davidson senior. That is really weird to think about. My flight is scheduled for Thursday morning but knowing this city, there are probably a few twists and turns left for me before I leave. It’s been great connecting with people at home through this blog and I hope everyone has enjoyed it as much as I have. Make sure to catch the Barca Champions League game today! Visc a Barca y Visc a Catalunya! Adeu. -Josh |
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Nicaraguan Adventure By Yannick Pilgrim - April 13, 2010 Hola Amigos, Life is good over here in Costa Rica. In fact it rained yesterday for only the third time since I’ve been here. The temperature is still easily 95 degrees and higher on a daily basis, and I’ve gotten used to waking up in my own sweat. If the ocean was not so close, I probably would be going crazy right now. Well enough with the weather update; I have much to tell since my last blog entry. Studying abroad is an experience, and anyone who has done it can tell you that some days are harder than others. With the travel and exploration of a foreign country comes certain risks, and for me, I learned a painful lesson crossing the border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Let me first say that I have nothing against Nicaragua as a country. In fact it is a beautiful place with remarkable geography and an interesting culture. The problems I experienced in Nicaragua were limited to the border crossing. The people that know me well can tell you that I am the kind of person who loves to do stuff on their own. Despite the warnings from my host parents, I decided to head to Nicaragua by myself for four days. I did sufficient research and planned my trip accordingly. I also spoke to some students on my program that had gone to Nicaragua in February in order to have an idea of what to expect at the border. From Puntarenas it took me 5 hours by bus to get to the border at Penas Blancas. The Costa Rican officials handled my paper work quickly and things were moving along faster than I expected. After being done with customs in Costa Rica, I had to walk about 100 meters to a gate that was the crossover point for both countries. When I entered Nicaragua I felt a difference in the atmosphere. People were shoving customs papers in my face, asking if I needed a guide or a taxi, and telling me that if I didn’t have either, I would find myself in some trouble. I guess it was a moment in my time abroad where I really felt like an outsider. I had grown so accustomed to the “tranquila” life in Costa Rica. After breaking through the barrage of hustlers, I had to deal with a different problem. I have always heard of corruption on the border, but now I can say that I was a victim of it. The corruption practiced by police officers and custom officials at the border has become so common place that they can now do it in plain sight. I had a minor physical encounter with the border authorities who requested that I pay extra money to get into Nicaragua. They also told me I was not allowed to speak to anyone besides them. My Spanish deteriorated as my anger increased, making the situation even worse. I was outnumbered and with the law on their side I had no choice but to pay the price. It was a tough lesson to learn and I really did not plan on using a blog entry to talk about the problems I had crossing the border. But I figure that while studying abroad a person is going to experience good and bad. Hopefully if you were planning on crossing the border to Nicaragua soon, this testimony can be of some assistance. I am doing fine now and have long since moved on from the incident. In fact, while in Nicaragua I spent time in San Juan del Sur, a beautiful beach town about 1 hour from the Penas Blancas border. While there I visited Playa Madera, a secluded beach great for surfing. It was a bit hard to find, but after hitchhiking a ride on the back of a tractor I finally found it. I spent two days in San Juan del Sur and then I went on to Isla de Ometepe. Nicaragua has one of the biggest freshwater lakes in the world. Isla de Ometepe is also a world phenomenon, being one of the largest fresh water islands on the planet. But what makes this place so impressive are the two volcanoes located on either side of the island. I have grown very fascinated with volcanoes during my time here in Central America. They truly are magical to say the least. Beautiful yet dangerous. On the island I rented a dirt bike and went on one of the most fun adventures of my life. I stopped to see waterfalls, crystal clear streams, and to let cows cross the road. Everyone there was really friendly and was always interested in where I was from. A guy there was also kind enough to tell me that my name was a woman’s name in Nicaragua and I should change my name to Geoffrey for the duration of my stay. What a nice guy… My Nicaraguan adventure. I must say my time at San Juan del Sur and Isla de Ometepe sure did make up for the trouble I had on the border. The thing is I had to cross it to go back. I’ll save you the details and just say that my exit was no greater than my entrance. I am enjoying my time here in Costa Rica but I would be lying if I said that I was not missing my team and playing for Davidson. I get to play soccer here almost every day but it’s not the same. For the most part I miss the organization and scoring countless goals on Chip during practice. Too easy… Until the next time… PuRa vIdA |
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Touring and Tour Guiding By Josh Zipin - April 5, 2010 It’s been too long since I checked in last, and I’d like to say I’m sorry, but it’s not like I’ve been sitting at home doing nothing. Since the last time I wrote I’ve been real busy, including taking trips to Paris, Spain’s Costa Brava, and the South of Spain with my parents for my spring break. I’ve also been lucky enough to play host to some Davidson friends in Barcelona. Paris was an exciting trip that I made with two of my best friends from home who also study here in Barcelona. Other than getting food poisoning in transit (not pretty), the trip went smoothly and we experienced what Paris is all about: the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum and the Mona Lisa, the Orsay Museum, the Notre Dame Cathedral, Arc de Triomph, and of course, crepes. We spent roughly the first ten minutes of our time at the Eiffel Tower looking for the perfect Heisman trophy pose on the Tower, but after a few puzzling looks, and of course, the perfect picture, we went to the top and got a view of the whole city. I felt like I was in a Google Maps screenshot with the view we had. We could see all of the other major destinations we were visiting from the top. We even picked out our hostel from the top. A few incredible art museum visits (I saw Van Gogh’s self-portrait and the Mona Lisa in two days!), an Arc de Triomph, Notre Dame Cathedral trip (to see the Hunchback of course), and roughly 3 banana and Nutella crepes later, we headed home to Catalunya. For my spring break, I was lucky enough to spend about a week and a half with my parents. We spent the first couple days in Barcelona as I led them around and saw some things I’d been waiting to see and experience, including the Picasso museum, Montjuic, and Barcelona’s best restaurants. We were even able to go to a Catalan seder for Passover here, which was quite an experience. I was also lucky enough to have my parents over to my host family’s house for lunch. My host mom cooked for my real mom and asked her quite seriously how she was able to feed me at home. I had to do a good deal of translating as I was the person at the table with the best knowledge of both English and Spanish. It was great to introduce my family for the last few months to my blood family and vice versa. After our time in Barca, we headed to the South for sunny beaches and the freshest paella. We spent time in Malaga, Granada, Nerja, and Cordoba. While some people might think that spending a week and a half alone with their parents would be nothing short of the most boring time ever, I realized that I actually really enjoy spending time and travelling with my parents. Maybe it’s because I haven’t seen them since January, but it was great fun teasing my Mom and catching an FC Barcelona basketball game with my dad, among other fun excursions. The weather in the South was perfect and actually reminded me of what it is probably like in Davidson right now. I have less than a month left here in Barcelona but it still feels like I just got here. I feel like I really know the city well and it’s almost like I’m a real Barcelona citizen now (minus the mastery of the Catalan language). I realized how comfortable I am with the city and getting places when I’ve had people visiting. About three weeks ago I had my first long visit from friends. Wildcat field hockey stars Courtney Tobe and Ellie Syzkowny came and stayed the weekend here. Besides seeing the local sights including the famed Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell by renowned architect Antoni Gaudi, I showed them some of my favorite food and night spots. I also showed off some of my much improved Spanish and cultural knowledge by steering them clear of the petty thieves and teaching them the tricks of living in Barcelona (watch your purses closely ladies!). It was an epic visit and it felt surreal to spend time with people I’ve known so well for three years, albeit pretty much exclusively at Davidson, in Barcelona. With my time left here I really want to get to the Barcelona aquarium as I hear it’s one of the best in the world, and of course I need to see another FC Barcelona game. Barca plays Arsenal in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, the competition that crowns the best club soccer team in Europe. The whole city is on pins and needles in anticipation and I’m still holding out a sliver of hope that I’ll be able to score a ticket somehow. I’m not done with travelling as I still have one free weekend, as well as a trip to Amsterdam planned. In addition, this weekend I’ll be welcoming volleyball stud, Anna Bradbury, another Wildcat superstar, to Barcelona. It should be another great time. I miss Davidson a lot, including my team, my friends, the weather, lake campus, and of course girls in sundresses. That’s all I got for now. Hope everyone is well and healthy in Davidson. Hasta luego! -Josh |
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Estoy bien en Costa Rica By Yannick Pilgrim - March 16, 2010 Hola Amigos, Estoy bien en Costa Rica. I have so much to tell since my last entry. It is unbelievably cheap to travel around Costa Rica. They have a really efficient bus system that I take full advantage of on the weekends. I usually travel around in a small group with about two other girls, one from North Carolina and one from New Zealand. Our program only has about ten guys to the forty girls, so the men of the group usually have to do some bodyguard work. Our first major trip together was to a place called La Fortuna. This town has a very interesting history and is one of the most visited sites in Costa Rica. It is especially known for the active Arenal Volcano that dangerously looms over the town. We took a tour of this volcano and this tour included a visit to nearby hot springs, stops at breathtaking waterfalls, and a night tour in search of snakes and other nocturnal creatures common in La Fortuna. Our tour guide (a great guy who took us to play a pick-up game of soccer against him and his brothers) also told us the story of Arenal Volcano and I must say it was a bit sad and disturbing. The volcano got the name ‘Arenal’ because this was the name of the town it destroyed when it erupted. In the 1960’s, the people from this pueblo were caught off guard when what they thought was just a mountain ended erupting, and scorching vapor swept through their homes killing many and injuring dozens. For me, this story is disturbing because according to the guide, despite the rumblings from the ‘mountain’ and many suggestions from the elders of the community that this mountain was an actual volcano, the authorities and the scientists assured the residents of Arenal that there was nothing to concerned about and it was simply a mountain. Now a lake covers the remains of this pueblo. The steeple from the church can still be seen protruding from beneath its watery grave. Currently I am enrolled in a Latin American Field Studies class in which we have many field trips to different parts of the country. One thing for me that really stands out about Costa Rica is its natural beauty. A lot of the care that goes into taking care of the environment in Costa Rica stems from the Costa Rican’s reliance on nature’s products. They are a major exporter of pineapple and coffee. Even though they can never rival the quantity of coffee produced in places like Brazil and Colombia, the quality of Costa Rican coffee is in a class of its own. We visited the mountainous town of San Ramon where coffee and sugar cane dominate the hillsides, a true representation of the success of these industries in Costa Rica. Also with this class we had an excursion to a fishing community called Costa de Pajaros. The people of this town are very humble and have a remarkable relationship with the mangroves that border their community. Speaking with one of the fisherman it was clear that he understood and respected the laws regarding fishing and preservation of the mangroves. ‘We need these mangroves’ he told me, “Without them there is no fish and no fish means no food and money.” Even though I spend a lot of time learning about Costa Rica I find some time to have fun here and there. It is out of respect for those of you who struggled with a cold winter that I do not mention my surfing trips, 90 degree weather, and trips to sandy secluded beaches. I mean I don’t want anyone to feel jealous or anything. With that said I must mention my highlight for the month of March. I was in San Jose this past weekend and stayed at a guest house for two nights. The family who runs the guesthouse was very “agradable” and showed extreme hospitality. On my last day there, I went to thank the lady of the house for everything she had done for us that weekend. She ended up trapping me in a conversation that turned out to have a pleasant surprise at the end. It turns out that her husband is the head coach of the Costa Rican National Team. She introduced me to him and I had the pleasure of chatting with him for a while. He is quite a remarkable man with loads of coaching experience, from being the Assistant Coach for Nigeria during the France 1998 World Cup to now being the head coach of La Seleccion de Costa Rica. He gave me a book he wrote and was kind enough to autograph it. It’s crazy how things work out over here, but stuff like this happens to me all the time in Costa Rica. We’ll see what adventures lay ahead. PuRa vIdA Yannick |
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Davidson Sports Blog Episode 2 By Josh Zipin - February 28, 2010 What’s good Davidson family? I haven’t checked in for about two or three weeks, but they’ve been packed with travelling, some “futbol,” new cultural experiences and of course a little school here and there. The last two weekends have been my first two weekends travelling outside of Barcelona and they have both been fantastic. Last weekend I went to Andorra with four other friends and skied in the Pyrenees, and as I write this, I’m finishing up a trip to Bilbao in Basque Country, the North of Spain. The weekend in Andorra was definitely the best skiing experience I’ve ever had. Four of my friends from Barcelona and I took a bus from Sants Estacio to Andorra, one of the smallest nations in the world, sandwiched between Spain and France. We rented a small apartment for the weekend and we had an amazing view of the Andorran valley in between some enormous mountains. Unlike ski resorts I’ve been to previously, skiing in the Pyrenees means skiing multiple mountains and sometimes deviating from the obvious slope. To quote Robert Frost (wutup Mo), “I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference”. The slopes, especially for very advanced skiers and snowboarders, were more of a suggestion or push in the right direction (towards the bottom). We blazed our own path to the bottom a couple of times and those were the most exciting runs - weaving between trees, slow skiers, and a few moguls. The snow was actual powder instead of human-produced, and made for really smooth skiing. Euskadi, or Basque Country, was a great trip this weekend too. We started in San Sebastian, and learned about the local cuisine there, called Pintxos (pronounced “peent-chose”). They are little one or two bite dishes, usually put on top of a thin slice of bread. We went to a local cooking school and learned how a few were made, and then we actually got to eat some. It reminded me of a special day in Commons where you walk around and get lots of little things on your plate to try. We also visited the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao. The architecture was amazing and some of the exhibits inside were unbelievable with names like Van Gogh, Picasso, and Jackson Pollock popping up more than once. I learned a little bit of Basque, the historically-forbidden language they speak there. It was really interesting to see locals’ reactions when we said something to them in Basque. They were so much more excited than when we used Spanish. As for what’s going on in Barcelona, I’ve just started doing yoga classes at my local gym—in Spanish. It’s a bit of challenge, both physically and linguistically. I have to sometimes stop and look around to see what pose we’re doing to make sure I’m not the only one looking awkward. I also recently toured Camp Nou (FC Barcelona’s stadium) and the 1992 Olympic museum and stadium. I also went to a flamenco show with one of my host brothers which was pretty different from any dancing I’d seen. I’ve also started playing futbol with a new group of guys. It’s a very interesting group of players, with some former semi-pro guys, some scrubs, and a host of geographic diversity. Sometimes I’m not sure what language to speak on the field because there are guys from Ireland, Scottland, England, Ivory Coast, Germany, Sweden, and of course Spain. In addition to my Spanish class, I’m learning Catalan, the local language spoken by natives of Barcelona and Catalunya, so sometimes I speak to the Spanish guys using that. As for the immediate future, I have a midterm on Thursday next week, and then immediately I fly to Paris for the weekend. The weekend after that I’m heading to Costa Brava. Should be a good time. Hasta luego! -Josh |
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96 Degrees in The Shade: Pura Vida en Costa Rica By Yannick Pilgrim - February 23, 2010 My name is Yannick Pilgrim. I am a third year English major from Trinidad and Tobago and a member of the Davidson Men’s Soccer team. I am currently spending my spring semester in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. I chose this location because the size of the town seemed ideal for meeting and interacting with locals. The town is about ten miles long and no house is further than a three minute walk from the ocean. Despite being one of the poorest provinces in Costa Rica, the people of Puntarenas are very welcoming, and after only three weeks, I have become well acquainted with many of the locals. Coming from a small island in the Caribbean, their lifestyle was a bit similar to what I was used to back at home in Trinidad. I am really focusing on improving my Spanish while I am here. I am currently taking four Spanish courses which include composition courses as well as a conversation course. I am also enrolled in a Latin American Cultures Class, a field studies class. However, my favorite class has to be my dance class. I figured that while I’m here I might as well immerse myself as deep as I can into the Latin American culture. Besides, it is a nice workout as well. When I first met my host family, I felt a genuine connection to them. My host mom is a 32-year-old psychologist and my host dad is a 30-year-old elementary school teacher by day and a DJ by night. I have two host brothers aged six and three. The set up of my host family was perfect for me because their family structure mirrored that of my actual family back at home. At times when I see them interacting with each other it is like looking at and old photograph of my own family. What made my living arrangements even better was the fact that my host Dad was an avid football fan. When I told him that I play soccer in college the expression on his face was that of a man who had just won the lottery. Every afternoon he takes me to the beach to find “un mejengon” (a pickup game). The guys I kick around with are maybe two or three years older than me. Most are good enough to play professionally, but each has their reasons for not making the most of their sporting potential. Some say that they have families to take care of, while others say that they just want to be ‘”fiesteros” (party boys). This made me realize that being a professional requires a truly different lifestyle and having skill is only half the battle. My host dad also took me to see the local club team play these past two Sundays. This team, Puntarenas F.C. was the runner up in the Costa Rican Championship last year. The team resembles Arsenal F.C. in England because it is a young team with explosive attacking abilities. After watching two games I was attracted to their style of play, which is fast paced and very characteristic of Central and South American futbol. They play in pretty decent stadium located in the center of town. It seats about 5000 people. The fans here are passionately crazy about their team and turn the Puntarenas stadium into hell for the referees and opposing team players. After the Tiburones 1-0 defeat this past Sunday to the reigning champs, Liberia, the referees were bombarded with rocks and had to be escorted by the police out of the stadium. All in all, it has been a great time here so far in Costa Rica. It’s been filled with interesting soccer experiences and great adventures. I’ll keep you posted. Pura Vida. |
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Studying Abroad in Barcelona By Josh Zipin - February 14, 2010 Whatsup Cats! My name is Josh Zipin and I’m a junior on the men’s soccer team at Davidson. I’m currently lucky enough to be studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain and I’m having a great time. I’m here studying through a program called IES Abroad, and I’m taking classes right in the heart of Barcelona at Plaza (pronounced Plah-Tha) Catalunya. I’m living with a host family in a neighborhood called Gracia. One of my Davidson classmates, Mike Foglia, actually stayed with them last semester, pure coincidence. The host family is amazing, with one mom, and two sons, ages 19 and 23. I’m right in the middle so I get to hang out with both of them. She cooks for us every night, but I don’t think it’s necessarily Coach Spear approved, with a lot of fried food served and a noticeable lack of green vegetables. When I was choosing where I wanted to study abroad, I knew I wanted to use the Spanish I’d already learned at Davidson and go to a Spanish-speaking country. Being a soccer player, naturally, I wanted to go somewhere with a great soccer culture as well. Barcelona has fit the description to a tee and I’ve already improved my Spanish immensely and experienced what it means to be a “futbol” (never say soccer!) fan in Barcelona. If you live in Barcelona, you are an FC Barcelona fan. There is no wiggle room, and very few exceptions. The team has an immense worldwide following, but here in Catalunya, it borders on obsessive. During games, you can find most people at a bar or café with eyes glued to the screen, living and dying with every pass and shot. This connection with the team goes deeper than just being a fan of the local side. For years, Catalunya has lobbied for its independence from Spain. FC Barcelona, as the team of Catalunya, has been an example of how the people feel. To be a fan of Barcelona is to be a patriot for Catalunya in a way. FC Barcelona’s motto is “Mes que un club,” or More than a club (in Catalan, the local language here). The club acknowledges that their on-field product goes deeper than just entertainment and extends into the political realm. I have to say, that living here has almost forced me into becoming an FC Barcelona fan. Being neutral is not an option and viewed with the same disdain as cheering for Barca’s opponents. I went and saw Barca play Getafe at Camp Nou, Barca’s home stadium, and a kind of mecca for fans. The game was wild, with Lionel Messi, the world’s best player, scoring and assisting on Barcelona’s goals, and two red cards for Barcelona. Tonight they play Athletico Madrid, and they are going to have to use one of their young players from the second team to fill in for the regulars that are out due to suspension. It should be pretty exciting. Okay, well that’s all I got for now. Hope everyone is doing well in D-town and I’ll blog again soon. |