Friday, January 20, 2012

Living large in Lugano

Today I explored the beautiful city of Lugano with three friends from the program. Our goal, more or less, was to reflect on Lugano's unique history while acquiring a cultural and geographical taste of the city. We aimed to pursue the latter by traveling atop Monte San Salvatore, which, resting 3000 ft above the city, offers arguably the best view in Lugano. The trip would require us to take a funicular just outside of Paradiso, which is generally about a 20 minute walk from the main station. Upon starting our journey towards the lift, we decided to cut through Via Nassa, one of Lugano's more historical and renowned streets. As we walked by $24,000 Rolexes and $8,000 dresses, the opulence of the area became obnoxiously clear. Plagued with designer shops and boutiques, Via Nassa typifies the city's heavy reliance of the tourist elite. Thriving off a strong combination of banking and tourism, Lugano has garnered the nickname "The Monte Carlo of Switzerland" by attracting the wealthiest of athletes, entertainers, and politicians. Seemingly every other neck was decorated with Burberry plaid, Louis Vuitton purses were more common than not, and the occasional large fur coat would gracefully flow up and down the street.  However, what really took me by surprise was spotting a collection of cell phones that ranged from $5,000 to $9,000! In the U.S, I have never seen a cell phone cost anymore than a few hundred bucks. Regardless of how ostentatious or wealthy an American is, the best you'll see them with is the most current iPhone. This cultural difference further emphasizes just how important designer brands and similar tokens of wealth are to the Euro elite.
Mind if I make a quick call?

After throwing down a couple thousand for some fresh Prada socks, we made our way to Lake Lugano and continued our walk along the water's edge. Blanketed by a light morning fog, the calm waters of Lake Lugano offered a sense of serenity that can match up to some of the more beautiful lakes of the world. Once you avert your gaze back to the opposite direction, however, the banging and grinding of Lugano's construction-filled streets quickly wake you to reality. It amazes me how such a juxtaposition can exist in this city.





















After about half an hour of walking through the morning streets of Lugano, we arrived to the outskirts of Paradiso. The swarm of designer logos and patterns had long ago vanished, and we were now in an area of the city that was suited for the more average income residents. Local bars and restaurants were found at every corner, accompanied by the occasional budget-friendly clothing store. The streets wore the dirt and cracks typical of a regular city, and the buildings merely complemented the look. After arriving to the funicular and realizing that it's actually closed until mid-May, we stood defeated, trying to think of a possible alternative to our seemingly brilliant plan. It was then when we decided to walk across the street to the London Pub, grab a few expressos, and try our luck with the locals. Assuming that bartenders seem to usually have a unique insight of their city's history and culture, we attempted to try and communicate with our bartender to gain any possible recommendations. Unfortunately, although it was called the "London Pub", the lady serving us didn't speak a lick of English, so we used a combination of Italian, French, Spanish, and flailing arm signals to communicate. After 10 minutes of  painstakingly hazy communication, we finally explained our intentions and after some thought she suggested that we visit the city's tourism office.

Church of S. Maria degli Angioli being pushed to
side by an upcoming hotel.
Deciding against the bartender's suggestion, we went to visit a small church that we passed along our way to Paradiso. Built in the 16th century, the Church of S. Maria degli Angioli is located on the corner of a block at the end of Via Nassa. Showing the signs of several centuries of aging, the small, austere church seemed incredibly out of place among the surrounding luxuries of Via Nassa. Even to its immediate left, a lavish grand hotel was being built practically atop the church's shoulder. The inside of the church didn't prove any more extravagant, and seemed as if it was in desperate need of restoration work. The sounds of clashing metal could be heard throughout the building, and the vibrations of a jackhammer could be felt along the left-side wall. Regardless, as we sat within the church for a small rest, we witnessed several people come inside and kneel in prayer among the faded music of construction. I began to wonder whether the lack of extravagant and over-the-top design prevented the church from garnering the same respect as the two larger churches in the city (the Cathedral of S. Lorenzo, and the Church of S. Rocco).

Tupac graffiti found in downtown Lugano
We decided that our final destination for the day should be the city's university. After asking a few locals for directions, we headed our way towards downtown Lugano. Upon arriving, it was clear that this area of the city had its own distinct personality from the other areas that we've seen. It was alive, bustling, and vibrant. Modern graffiti decorated the walls of buildings and stickers advertised the occupy movement at seemingly every corner. It was also lunch time, and locals of all ages crowded the pavements of the city. The cafe bars were flooded, high-schoolers hung out among the shopping centers, and music lingered through the air as musicians played in the streets. The atmosphere was so energetic and lively that we couldn't help but to immerse ourselves among the people of Lugano; we window shopped among other students, looking at the crazy costumes for carnival; we stopped to get some local food at a street stand; and we went in the local bakery to smell the freshly cooked loaves of bread. It was truly an amazing experience to see this city unexpectedly come to life as the locals simply enjoyed themselves during their lunch break. We never did reach the university, but that didn't matter. Our goal was to experience a part of Lugano's culture, and there it was, moving vibrantly all around us.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

While I'd hate to burst your bubble...

I recently read an article detailing the necessity of American college students to break out of their comfort zone when studying abroad in foreign countries. It described how most students have a tendency to group together with their American counterparts and create comfortable "bubbles" within an unfamiliar place. While offering a unique sense of security and relief within an otherwise seemingly unwelcoming environment, these tendencies effectively hinder the student's likelihood of gaining the appropriate insight and experiences that are characteristic of learning to adapt to a new country. The article also touches on how technology has been serving as a recent pillar to the problem, as services like Facebook and Skype allow us to stay connected to our friends and family while half way across the world. This connection helps alleviate the sense of isolation that is typical of such an experience. Unfortunately, it's that very sense of isolation that often forces students to dive into unfamiliar situations and cultures. When paired with a clique of familiar people, these connections effectively lessen the experience of adapting to a new, foreign country to that of going to a new college in a different state. While it is important to have a few comfortable friends to share unique experiences with, it's important not to allow these familiarities from preventing you from having those experiences in the first place.