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

[Striper69]

I missed this back in November. Hope they're getting used to it by now.

I couldn't go to Hungary when I was in Europe in the '80s (Iron Curtain). The military had a little program that introduced you to the local culture when you first got there. That helped.

I'm pretty independent though and I traveled around as much as I could on my own on off days/weekends. I loved the service and great food at the restuarants.

 

[cferraro04]

In Photo number two...the first woman to the left looks like Svetlana Abrosimnova

 

[watanabe]

I've been in some srange places working long hours, not knowing anyone. Solution? Go to the local pub, buy a big lager and watch the Huskies womens BBall game = lifesaver (even if no one else knows what the heck your doing or cares).

 

[Striper69]

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.

Yeah, I hope they take advantage of this opportunity and explore as much of Europe as possible. Each country is different and has it's own unique culture. Even the people are different with their own languages etc. I took tours that didn't cost much although I don't think the U.S. military has any presence in Hungary. They might find something similar if they look around. The great thing about Europe is that the rail system connects all the countries and you can get around pretty easily.
This time of the year I used to go skiing in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and even Spain. In the summer I'd go to beaches in France (the Riviera) and Spain. I'd also take tours around Germany and Holland.
I'm thinking about trying to transfer within my company over there soon if possible. Two of the best years of my life were spent over there.

 

[Intpseeker]

I thought the article was a hatchet job. Brie and Kayla spoke with the NYT's reporter and, voila! Instant Ugly Americans. Most of those who commented in the Times on the original article were oh so smug about how travel "should" be done. "Whatever could be wrong with these two pampered dolts."

Missed was the fact that these two didn't go to the continent for the grand tour. They weren't doing the obligatory '60-'70's backpack-around-Europe-after-graduation scene. They were there to do, I assume, a six-figure job of relatively short duration, and where attempting to deal with a completely foreign, in the truest sense of the word, environment.

If you want to comment on how their structured college experience failed to prepare them for 'real life', then you best be prepared to apply that judgement to damn near every traditional-aged college grad at the elite schools who go out into the world of work. Just ask the corporate world. They have been moaning for decades that graduates are not ready for what the business world asks of them.

NYT. I call bullshit.

 

[Wonkster]

... Then, there's always Rosetta Stone.

Good luck with Rosetta Stone. Hungarian is not an Indo-European language, despite its geographic position in the middle of Europe, so there's very little to relate it to any language you'd be likely to be familiar with.

Vienna, on the other hand, is one of the treasures of the Old World.

 

[Striper69]

Yeah, the article kind of blind-sided the girls. It took place right after they had arrived there and they were still trying to adjust to their new lifestyle. Give 'em a break!

I posted about what it was like for me cause I hope they try to visit the other countries. It's great that they're experiencing it together. Maybe they can travel a bit together and share the experiences.

 

[Striper69]

Good luck with Rosetta Stone. Hungarian is not an Indo-European language, despite its geographic position in the middle of Europe, so there's very little to relate it to any language you'd be likely to be familiar with.

Vienna, on the other hand, is one of the treasures of the Old World.

Beautiful place. I loved visiting it and have fond memories of it.

 

[hoophuskee]

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.

I couldn't disagree more. From the article below in italics I took out snippets -- all of these imo no way suggest "they took a pay cut." Even the comments they make that they wanted to be together- imo does not suggest that just because two close friends wanted to go together that it also means they were taking a pay cut.


Hartley and McBride, both 22, completed their first W.N.B.A. seasons in August, and made the trip to Sopron to try to maximize their on-court earning potential . . .

“Everyone’s like, If you want to make money, overseas is where the money is,” said Hartley, whose W.N.B.A. team is the Washington Mystics.
Internationally, players regularly earn more than double that playing for teams that are often financed by local governments and private sponsors, or through funds shared with more profitable soccer club partners.

Boris Lelchitski, an agent for Hartley and McBride, said smaller towns often had the best women’s basketball teams because they viewed them as a source of pride and would “gladly afford those teams out of the budget in the town.”

But for Hartley and McBride, who, as W.N.B.A. rookies, had salaries that were among the league’s lowest, the extra money available from playing in Europe was difficult to eschew, even though other players had negative experiences in Sopron.

 

[Striper69]

Good for them if they're making more money.

I just hope they take advantage of being able to work in Europe.

Once they get used to using the currency (it's tricky cause other countries use other currencies or do they all use the Euro now?). Use the rail system and learn to recognize certain signs they can travel all over Europe pretty easily. You don't have to be fluent in every language cause there are people in every country who can answer any question you might have.

Once I got left at a ski resort in Switzerland and was snow-blinded to boot. I stood at the entrance of the place and a nice lady asked what was my problem. I told her and she took me down into the town and even paid for my room at a hotel (I spent all the money I had cause I thought I was going back to the base that night). That's how some of the people are over there. She said "Don't worry. I'll take care of you".