Upon entering the now-infamous "Monty," I came across what will history will surely deem one of the rarest species on our planet: the Hauter. The first time I saw this guy, I thought he was a distant cousin of Rivers Cuomo (the singer of Weezer). Upon further inspection, I would compare Hauter to a taller, slimer version of Zack Galifanikis from the Hangover, especially during the scene when he wakes up and is still dazed and confused from all the rufees (i.e. before he realizes there is a tiger next to him in the bathroom).
Regardless of what reminds you of Hauter, no one person is ever going to be able to replicate this living legend. The guy was awesome and I'm sure I am not the only one who believes that he definitely enhanced our trip. From the countless courtyard cookouts, to the truly remarkable spectacles he caused every meeting (i.e. the time he told us Katie had mono), Hauter will play an integral role in my memory of Antwerp. Without him, the trip would not have been as fun, and by all means, could have been a lot worse.
Alex, I don't know if you'll ever get to read this, but if you do, know that the smartest thing Newell Wright ever did was asking you to serve as the Monty Hall Director. Regardless of what other semesters may have thought about you, we truly appreciate all that you did for us and hope to see you sometime in the future. Until then, keep holding down the fort.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The Flight Over...and My First Interaction with Coach
Like newborn gazelles, we hit the ground running...and never looked back.
After a tense seven hour flight from Dulles International Airport, a large majority of the gang stumbled wearily off the plane and into the unknown...the mysterious playground known as Brussels International Airport. With carry-on luggage in tow, we all exited like lab mice trying to find a way out of a never-ending maze. After going through customs, we exited into one of the main wings of the airport and were greeted by an eagerly awaiting group: Dr. Roof and Adele, Dr. Wright and Coach, and, of course, the lovely Joyce Guthrie.
After we said our hellos, I remember my first interaction with Coach (who I had stupidly thought was Alex Hauter). It went something like this:
Me: "Hey, are you Alex?"
Coach: "No, I'm not Alex" (no pause), "Why, should I be Alex?" "Who's Alex?"
At this point I remember thinking, "wow, either this guy's had too much coffee or he's got a screw loose." Nonetheless, I managed to say something like "Oh...I thought you were Alex Hauter." To this Coach responded something like "Nope, not Alex...sorry to disappoint...he's back in Antwerp holding down the fort."
I slyly sauntered away, not realizing that this was Coach at his finest...no coffee, no screws loose, just plain old Coach doing what he does. Similar episodes would play out throughout our three months. Please add your favorite coach moments so we all may remember this ethereal creature.
After a tense seven hour flight from Dulles International Airport, a large majority of the gang stumbled wearily off the plane and into the unknown...the mysterious playground known as Brussels International Airport. With carry-on luggage in tow, we all exited like lab mice trying to find a way out of a never-ending maze. After going through customs, we exited into one of the main wings of the airport and were greeted by an eagerly awaiting group: Dr. Roof and Adele, Dr. Wright and Coach, and, of course, the lovely Joyce Guthrie.
After we said our hellos, I remember my first interaction with Coach (who I had stupidly thought was Alex Hauter). It went something like this:
Me: "Hey, are you Alex?"
Coach: "No, I'm not Alex" (no pause), "Why, should I be Alex?" "Who's Alex?"
At this point I remember thinking, "wow, either this guy's had too much coffee or he's got a screw loose." Nonetheless, I managed to say something like "Oh...I thought you were Alex Hauter." To this Coach responded something like "Nope, not Alex...sorry to disappoint...he's back in Antwerp holding down the fort."
I slyly sauntered away, not realizing that this was Coach at his finest...no coffee, no screws loose, just plain old Coach doing what he does. Similar episodes would play out throughout our three months. Please add your favorite coach moments so we all may remember this ethereal creature.
Oranges of the World, Unite!!
Fellow Oranges,
A year ago this month 37 of us embarked on an transcontinental journey that will undoubtedly go down as the best three months of our lives. From January 22 - April 25, 2009, we traveled through Europe, learning about the people, places and culture of some of the coolest places on Earth. While most of the memories from our three months abroad are etched in our brains forever, I created this blog so that each of us can share his or her favorite memories from any point during our journey. I am hoping that by the time summer rolls around, every one of you will have at least one post on this and that we can all treasure the memories from our experience for years to come.
Sooooo..."what is my part?" you may ask... It's simple: recreate a story from Antwerp or anytime during our three months abroad and talk about it in as many words as you would like.
There will be no restrictions or subject that must stay off-limits, although use common sense and don't put anyone else in a bad light.
Just as you will be, I too am learning all the features of this site. If anyone has any hints on how to make it better, let me know.
I look forward to reading your memories so that we remember: Spring 2009 - The Semester That Lived in Infamy.
A year ago this month 37 of us embarked on an transcontinental journey that will undoubtedly go down as the best three months of our lives. From January 22 - April 25, 2009, we traveled through Europe, learning about the people, places and culture of some of the coolest places on Earth. While most of the memories from our three months abroad are etched in our brains forever, I created this blog so that each of us can share his or her favorite memories from any point during our journey. I am hoping that by the time summer rolls around, every one of you will have at least one post on this and that we can all treasure the memories from our experience for years to come.
Sooooo..."what is my part?" you may ask... It's simple: recreate a story from Antwerp or anytime during our three months abroad and talk about it in as many words as you would like.
There will be no restrictions or subject that must stay off-limits, although use common sense and don't put anyone else in a bad light.
Just as you will be, I too am learning all the features of this site. If anyone has any hints on how to make it better, let me know.
I look forward to reading your memories so that we remember: Spring 2009 - The Semester That Lived in Infamy.
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