University of North Texas Athletics
Keeping Up With The Juniors: Venice
8/25/2018 11:18:00 AM | Men's Basketball
During the Mean Green men's basketball team's nine-day foreign tour through Italy, travel roommates JJ Murray and DJ Draper (Real names: Joseph Murray Jr. and David Draper Jr.) have been keeping a log of some of their favorite things in each city the team visits, Rome, Florence and then Venice.
Last week, the team packed their things and flew from Venice to the United State. But before they left the land of 100 plus islands, JJ and DJ gave their final thoughts on Venice and the Italian trip.
FAVORITE PART OF VENICE
DJ: The canals that go through the city are awesome. It's pretty cool that they don't have cars and that this entire city is built on water and canals. They don't even really have things like grass. We heard stories about situations such as trying to find a place to burry your loved ones or how its very different to just try and get to the hospital. You have to get in a boat and the hospitals look nothing like our hospitals.Â
JJ: I think the most interesting part is how Venice is "the sinking city." There are buildings that you can see that are completely leaning or shifted because they're both old and built on water but they're somehow still safe. Or how a lot of times when they get rain and the tides build up the main plaza and walk ways are completely flooded. It's interesting how they're always prepared for that but also don't worry a whole lot about it. They just take it as it comes and will worry about the future when it comes.
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES THEY NOTICED
DJ: It's interesting how their culture just is revolved around eating food on the go or to take out. We were eating on St. Mark's square and asked for to go boxes and they refused. Their culture is all about sitting down and enjoying your meal and eating there. Where as in our culture we're all about go, go, go.
JJ: Out of the city of Venice where there are streets and cars. When you're crossing the street there's no hesitation. It's just go and hope the driver sees you. But it's kind of crazy, because they always see you.Â
FAVORITE MEAL IN VENICE
DJ: WE GOT CHICKEN PIZZA! We were finally able to find pizza with chicken on it at a pizzeria by our hotel one night in Venice and it was pretty good so that was definitely my favorite meal.
JJ: Yeah chicken pizza would be mine too. We were surprised to see they had it because no where else in Italy did they have it but it was really good.Â
ROME vs. FLORENCE vs. VENICE
DJ: Florence still was my favorite but I did like this last stop a lot. We didn't stay right in town but instead in a beach town outside of Venice and it was nice. There wasn't a whole lot to do so we did a lot as a team and hung out on the beach and it was nice. We rode bikes and just hung out.
JJ: As a whole, Florence, but when we were here in Venice a group of us rented bikes and road to a carnival a few miles out and had a good team bonding time and carnival. It was a lot of fun and interesting seeing how other cultures do carnivals and how there were a lot of similarities. Â
FAVORITE ITALIAN WORD/PHRASE
DJ: "Congratulazioni" It means congratulations. It sounds pretty cool and we heard it a lot on our trip.
JJ: "Buongiorno" (Good morning). We heard it every day and I like the way it rolls off the tounge.Â
ONE ITALIAN WORD THAT DESCRIBES THE TRIP
DJ: Molto bene
JJ:Â Perfezionare
Â
Last week, the team packed their things and flew from Venice to the United State. But before they left the land of 100 plus islands, JJ and DJ gave their final thoughts on Venice and the Italian trip.
FAVORITE PART OF VENICE
DJ: The canals that go through the city are awesome. It's pretty cool that they don't have cars and that this entire city is built on water and canals. They don't even really have things like grass. We heard stories about situations such as trying to find a place to burry your loved ones or how its very different to just try and get to the hospital. You have to get in a boat and the hospitals look nothing like our hospitals.Â
JJ: I think the most interesting part is how Venice is "the sinking city." There are buildings that you can see that are completely leaning or shifted because they're both old and built on water but they're somehow still safe. Or how a lot of times when they get rain and the tides build up the main plaza and walk ways are completely flooded. It's interesting how they're always prepared for that but also don't worry a whole lot about it. They just take it as it comes and will worry about the future when it comes.
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES THEY NOTICED
DJ: It's interesting how their culture just is revolved around eating food on the go or to take out. We were eating on St. Mark's square and asked for to go boxes and they refused. Their culture is all about sitting down and enjoying your meal and eating there. Where as in our culture we're all about go, go, go.
JJ: Out of the city of Venice where there are streets and cars. When you're crossing the street there's no hesitation. It's just go and hope the driver sees you. But it's kind of crazy, because they always see you.Â
FAVORITE MEAL IN VENICE
DJ: WE GOT CHICKEN PIZZA! We were finally able to find pizza with chicken on it at a pizzeria by our hotel one night in Venice and it was pretty good so that was definitely my favorite meal.
JJ: Yeah chicken pizza would be mine too. We were surprised to see they had it because no where else in Italy did they have it but it was really good.Â
ROME vs. FLORENCE vs. VENICE
DJ: Florence still was my favorite but I did like this last stop a lot. We didn't stay right in town but instead in a beach town outside of Venice and it was nice. There wasn't a whole lot to do so we did a lot as a team and hung out on the beach and it was nice. We rode bikes and just hung out.
JJ: As a whole, Florence, but when we were here in Venice a group of us rented bikes and road to a carnival a few miles out and had a good team bonding time and carnival. It was a lot of fun and interesting seeing how other cultures do carnivals and how there were a lot of similarities. Â
FAVORITE ITALIAN WORD/PHRASE
DJ: "Congratulazioni" It means congratulations. It sounds pretty cool and we heard it a lot on our trip.
JJ: "Buongiorno" (Good morning). We heard it every day and I like the way it rolls off the tounge.Â
ONE ITALIAN WORD THAT DESCRIBES THE TRIP
DJ: Molto bene
JJ:Â Perfezionare
Â
Thursday, March 05
Thursday, March 05
Monday, February 23
Monday, February 23