[Merged Thread]NYT: Overseas, lost in transition -- feature on Hartley & McBride | The Boneyard

[Merged Thread]NYT: Overseas, lost in transition -- feature on Hartley & McBride

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Interesting read. I feel for them a bit. But like Sue Bird said, “The advice I’d give is just relax because it’s really not that bad. Once you find your way and get comfortable, you’re good to go.”
 
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Wonder how much of the whine was served-up by the author.
Nonetheless, comments are interesting.
With Vienna about 45 minutes away, they are hardly "in the middle of nowhere". Embrace the experience for the months you're there.

Then, there's always Rosetta Stone.
 

UcMiami

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I have lived and travelled abroad quite a bit and it is never easy arriving in a new place. I would say the same about moving to new places in the states as well which I have done quite a bit of as well. Language and culture can be a barrier but I would also say that 'electronics' can be as well. The more you are able to block out your local environment and live in an familiar electronic world, the less effort you put into interacting with the local environment.
A very interesting article and I suspect it will get better - it takes an exceptional person to be comfortable in a new environment in a little over a month.
 

Aluminny69

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“The only reason I said I would go is because she was here,” Hartley said.

I'm sure the money had something to do with it.
 

RadyLady

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I have lived and travelled abroad quite a bit and it is never easy arriving in a new place. I would say the same about moving to new places in the states as well which I have done quite a bit of as well. Language and culture can be a barrier but I would also say that 'electronics' can be as well. The more you are able to block out your local environment and live in an familiar electronic world, the less effort you put into interacting with the local environment.
A very interesting article and I suspect it will get better - it takes an exceptional person to be comfortable in a new environment in a little over a month.

you bring up an important point and a personal pet peeve...if everyone everywhere lived a little less in their electronic world and paid attention to the real world around them, they would be inspired, enriched, motivated, and perhaps would do more to make the world a better, safer place.

JMO of course.
 

UcMiami

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you bring up an important point and a personal pet peeve...if everyone everywhere lived a little less in their electronic world and paid attention to the real world around them, they would be inspired, enriched, motivated, and perhaps would do more to make the world a better, safer place.

JMO of course.
It started with personal stereos that blocked out the auditory world and has progressed through game boys and now smart phones that block out the visual world as well. This summer I was having lunch with three friends and they all had their phones out texting/reading texts so I got mine out and started texting them asking how they were doing and what they were planning after lunch. Eventually they got the message and we actually had a conversation while looking at one another! It really is so easy to be elsewhere and not experiencing the present moment.
 

ChicagoGG

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Sitting in your apartment playing Xbox is not going to make it easier for a transition...on the contrary. Even a small place must have some cultural outlets, or interesting shops. or music venues, or...you see where I am going. I think every time they went out of the country previously, they were either with family of, better yet, with their teams,. So it was first class all the way and sheparded from place to place. Spread your wings time!
 
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TroyHouse66

Making friends in Sopron is like pulling teeth?

Learning Magyar is fairly difficult... like Basque, there isn't a good base of Spanish/Italian/French word similarity to fall back on. BUT 45 min from Vienna! That's like Storrs to West Hartford...

Wear your UConn logo gear and the World will be your friend.
(Kayla... you could borrow some from Bri... if you wear the other stuff, folks will think you're from Paris)
 

Sakibomb25

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“The only reason I said I would go is because she was here,” Hartley said.

I'm sure the money had something to do with it.

Actually the article states they had an opportunity to play on separate teams but came to Sopron because of McBride. I took that to mean that she was taking a pay cut to be with McBride.
 

Sakibomb25

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Interesting to read the comments. Everyone seems to be bashing Hartley and McBride for not being more cultured and adventurous. I think living abroad takes a certain personality - it's not suited for everyone. They signed up to play basketball because they love it - but they may not have ever wanted to live abroad.

It also sounds like they aren't part of the team - whether it's because they haven't made an effort or the team hasn't accepted them. It's tough when you don't click with your team.

Tough situation for them to be in, though the article didn't exactly paint a flattering picture of them. However, people should be more sympathetic rather than bashing them.
 

Orangutan

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Interesting to read the comments. Everyone seems to be bashing Hartley and McBride for not being more cultured and adventurous. I think living abroad takes a certain personality - it's not suited for everyone. They signed up to play basketball because they love it - but they may not have ever wanted to live abroad.

It also sounds like they aren't part of the team - whether it's because they haven't made an effort or the team hasn't accepted them. It's tough when you don't click with your team.

Tough situation for them to be in, though the article didn't exactly paint a flattering picture of them. However, people should be more sympathetic rather than bashing them.

It's important to remember how young they are. Just after college is a tough time for a lot of young adults. I know it was for me. Doing it in another country where you don't speak the language adds a whole other degree of difficulty.

That being said, as a fellow Erie, PA native, I can tell you that McBride isn't exactly from a cultural hotbed! :p I can't imagine Sopron is that much of a step down.
 

bschwartz

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I wish the BY could find a way to to send Bria and Stef a care package.
 

UcMiami

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I am not knocking either of them for being homesick or having a hard time settling in. It is early days at this point in both their life experience and their time in Sopron. Some people are adventurous about food, and others like only hamburgers and fries. Same goes with any foreign experience - if you aren't into it and the adventure of it, it isn't fun. Often it only takes making just one or two local connections to change a persons perspective and the whole experience.
 

RadyLady

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I have to tell you - I have been to Hungary, and everything is very different there. the language, forget it, it is nothing like the romance languages that likely they have been exposed. I was in a larger city, yes, and I did not know the language, but I got out the guidebooks and started exploring - this is in my nature. The food is delicious, but a bit heavy, and the wine is top notch. I believe that the area they are in is within wine country. There is so much history in these countries, that I am sure with a little effort they can discover some wonderful things. The city itself has history going back to ancient times. It, too suffered greatly in the second world war, and if it is anything like Budapest, the ruins of the destroyed buildings could be found in the new buildings that were literally built around them. I am almost positive that there would be some great cultural events there, given that the city housed such musical greats such as Liszt, Lehar, and Bartok. This is such a huge opportunity to open their minds to new things and step outside of their cultural footprint.

And finally, the city as noted is on the Austrian border and not so very far from Slovakia, and I say, have passport will travel. Seriously. They could travel to the Danube and take a river cruise, they could go to Budapest, such a wonderful city...They are also appear to be on or near a large lake, so that would open up some possibilities as well.

I was 17 when I went to Europe for the first time and you could NOT get me to sit still for a minute. I shunned the orchestrated tours and went exploring with a bunch of like minded friends anywhere and everywhere we could. It was the most wonderful experience of my life.

I hope - I hope - that these girls can shed the homesickness and get out and see this beautiful country. This is a great opportunity and they should take advantage of it if at all possible.
 

semper

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Unbelievable. To me Hungary is just great; and the people are so warm and deep. And the food is really interesting. But the language is a bear, so learning some Latin would be great. :) Also most people speak Russian and or German, so it could be a good time to learn one of those languages. So much music! Such history! They could be having the time of their lives. Eat and watch TV, I find that amazing.
 
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Seems like Bria and Kayla could be doing more than sitting around their apartment, watching tv and bemoaning their fate. I think they were a bit naive speaking candidly to the N.Y.Times reporter. The comments from readers to the Times article are almost uniformly negative and the article is unlikely to endear them to the fans in Sopron. I've spent over a month in Hungary and the people are wonderful, the food is good, the baths are great and the strudel is incredible. I hope they make the best of their time and explore a little. There's more to life than WalMarts.
 
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It also sounds like they aren't part of the team - whether it's because they haven't made an effort or the team hasn't accepted them. It's tough when you don't click with your team.
You may be onto something. They probably make a LOT more $$ than their local teammates, they don't speak the language - in fact THEIR language is spoken in practice. Lots of opportunity for resentment. They'll just have to turn on the charm...
 
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On the Geno radio show today, he said the team had been to Sopron and that it was a nice little town. Remember, Kayla and Bria's young lives have been quite structured to date. Classes, practice, study, eating as a group when traveling, little free time. They are just now striking out on their own so it might take them a while to appreciate their new independence.
 

DaddyChoc

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no team activities, sight-seeing tours etc?
 
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I have lived and travelled abroad quite a bit and it is never easy arriving in a new place. I would say the same about moving to new places in the states as well which I have done quite a bit of as well. Language and culture can be a barrier but I would also say that 'electronics' can be as well. The more you are able to block out your local environment and live in an familiar electronic world, the less effort you put into interacting with the local environment.
A very interesting article and I suspect it will get better - it takes an exceptional person to be comfortable in a new environment in a little over a month.

I am most glad for your well measured comment. I do like these 2 young ladies, but they suffer the American illness (and their college experiences have re-enforced the problem: reproducing home-away-from-home. During my time at Uconn I remember graduate students being picked by their parents every Thursday/Friday for the weekend.). (Most)Americans do not travel well. All others are to be blamed for not being American. As long as they are not stoning them, they should get out- use the x-tra time to attend a language school. Yet, It is not all that great to be a foreigner in Hungary today. There is a lot of downright racism against gypies, Chineses and Africans immigrants. But these are 2 smart women, so they'll do what is necessary. And of course I personally would prefer to be in Budapest or Vienna, so no envy here

On a different note. It is so nice that these women have tried to murder oneanother for 4-years and, hey- are we friends. Glad Bria said no to McBride and ND 4 years ago.
 
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