So wine tasting is incredible. Now I can go home and act like a pretentious snob in front of my friends about how I know so much about wine! Well the wonderful wine here is posing a problem...the alcohol limit of bringing it back to the states...Dang 1 Liter! I will pay my extra tax and enjoy the wonderful wine that I bring home. It really isn't for me, but my wine loving family! I really enjoyed the Rhine excursion yesterday; however, it would have been nice if it didn't rain. The Castle was really nice as well. It was incredible actually being in a medieval castle as opposed to Neuschwanstein that was built like a medieval castle. But I have to say that Neuschwanstein put this castle to shame. It was so impressive and ornate that I don't think much can compare. The Rhein castle also had a lot of bees...and as we all know very well, I don't get along with bees.
This trip has not had as much medical observations as I imagined; however, I am still very grateful for the experiences that we have had and will have. I am very excited about the heart and diabetes center. I have never seen a heart surgery and I am looking forward to it so much. I also had never seen a lung transplant, so that was pretty amazing as well (to say the least). All I know is that if I am ever a surgeon, my operating room is going to be ice cold. All of the operating rooms we have been in have been pretty warm. After you combine that will all the robes and accessories you have to wear, I feel like I am going to pass out. I love observing surgeries, and it's not the sights that make me squemish, it's the heat! So cold or none for me! Let's hope tomorrow's ORs will be cold!
So I hate the Euro...it is kicking not only the dollars butt, but my wallet's butt as well! I just wanted to buy some new running shoes because mine are getting worn out, and they are so expensive here! People say that Europeans are healthier than Americans...I beg to differ! Maybe the average of all Europeans is healthier than the average of Americans, but so many Europeans smoke, don't work out, but just walk everywhere! I think that's why the running shoes are expensive...because no one runs here! I think my host mom and maybe the two other people I see in the morning are the only people in Dusseldorf that run....so it makes the running shoes really expensive! Yay for a lot of Americans that like to run to increase the demand, which increases the supply, and lowers the price! Whoop!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Rhine River Rapids
Yesterday we got to take a river excursion that was quite unique. We got to see the green landscape of the this area. Every 5 minutes or so a new castle would pop out from the hills overlooking the Rhine. It felt like we were back in the middle ages and about to fight in the Crusades. Clusters of towns hugged the banks of the river. After a while the towns seemed to look the same. Hills of fresh green surrounded the Rhine. I thought this was the most beautiful part of the surrounding area of the river.
As soon as we stepped onto the boat, it began to rain and thunder. As soon as we left the boat, the sun came out. The rain did not take away from the boat because I figured this was the natural rainy environment of the Rhine. I thought this was a good time to relax and view the countryside of Germany. We are mostly stuck in the city during the program so this was a pleasant change.
As soon as we stepped onto the boat, it began to rain and thunder. As soon as we left the boat, the sun came out. The rain did not take away from the boat because I figured this was the natural rainy environment of the Rhine. I thought this was a good time to relax and view the countryside of Germany. We are mostly stuck in the city during the program so this was a pleasant change.
Cultural learnings for make benefit glorious nation of USA
A weekend in Bavaria was a welcome change of scenery and culture while not being too different from that German lifestyle to which we've become acquainted. It only supported the stereotype I've heard about political views becoming more conservative the closer to the equator one gets. Life there seemed a little closer to the laid back Texas lifestyle most of us know well. I noticed more people strolling, and many fewer people in suits. Visiting the alps and seeing brilliant castles, biking to and swimming in alpine lakes, all of it was breathtaking. The eye candy was matched by the deep historical stories that surrounded each. Even the seemingly simple natural alpine lake had history which included being used to test Nazi U-boats before sending them to the ocean in the second world war.
This week, I've gotten the chance to eat a time or two with both of my host parents together. I've enjoyed getting to speak with locals about everyday issues. I also got to visit another host family that speaks English a little better. They asked about my life in Texas and I told them a bit about my life, including my parents divorce after I left for college. This sparked good conversation about relationships today and what it takes to have a good one. Talking about these things helped me to see first hand that despite the differences, Europeans face many of the exact same problems we face in America and go through the exact same situations. Our differences stick out so much that we often overlook the similarities. I don't have a lot of time left here in Germany, but I'm going to use what I have to focus more on the similarities; as for the differences I find, I hope to better understand the reasons behind them and take home everything I learn.
This week, I've gotten the chance to eat a time or two with both of my host parents together. I've enjoyed getting to speak with locals about everyday issues. I also got to visit another host family that speaks English a little better. They asked about my life in Texas and I told them a bit about my life, including my parents divorce after I left for college. This sparked good conversation about relationships today and what it takes to have a good one. Talking about these things helped me to see first hand that despite the differences, Europeans face many of the exact same problems we face in America and go through the exact same situations. Our differences stick out so much that we often overlook the similarities. I don't have a lot of time left here in Germany, but I'm going to use what I have to focus more on the similarities; as for the differences I find, I hope to better understand the reasons behind them and take home everything I learn.
A bit behind...
So, I'm not very good about blogging when I'm supposed to, so now i need to play a bit of catch up. I guess i'll start with the most recent stuff and work my way backwards.
Yesterday was pretty fun--Rhine tour, castle, and wine tasting. Sounds pretty romantic. The Rhine was beautiful even in the rain. It was fun sitting up on the top deck of the boat watching the wind blow the chairs into people. Peter got to be the photo subject of a tipisch Japanese tourist while he was curled up on his little covered bench. The scenery was gorgeous, all green and covered in churches and half-timbered houses. We passed at least one castle every 5 minutes...small ones, but none the less, castles. The castle we got to tour, Schloss Stolzenfels, was gorgeous. i find royalty a bit ridiculous...the fact that Stolzenfels was just their summer getaway for having parties is crazy to me. I wish we could have taken pictures in the rooms. Skating around in the shoe cover slippers was really fun. :)
The wine tasting was not exactly what i had imagined-it was better. i was not anticipating food or being down in a 150 year old cellar. The wine was good as was the food, but i was ready to be done after 6 wines, so it was perfect.
Class time...gotta cut this one short too.
The Weekend and Bonn
This weekend was great!!! I loved not having to travel somewhere on Friday. We just stayed in Munich and relaxed. The English Gardens were beautiful! On Saturday we went with Mike Bike Tours to Neuschwanstein Castle. It was an amazing day! We biked to Swan Lake and went swimming. I have never seen a lake so clear and clean. It looked like glass. It was pretty cold, but it was such a nice swim, with the Alps rising right out of the water. I'm so excited to say that I have swam in an alpine lake! Then we had lunch and hiked up to the castle. It was gorgeous from the outside. The inside, even though only 16 of the 60 rooms were finished, was incredible. Everything was so ornate and intricate. Man did Ludwig have an obsession with Vagner. He had a hall just to perform his operas and a room made to look like a cave based from one of his operas. His bad was amazing, taking over 15 carpenters around 4 years to carve it. The country side was so pretty. I went to mass on Sunday at St. Peter's Cathedral. The inside was breathtaking. It was very interesting not knowing exactly what was being said. Overall a very nice and relaxing weekend.
Monday's excursions were okay. I did not really get a lot from the morning trip to the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Consumer Protection. I felt like a lot of the information was a little over my head and the other information not the most interesting or relative to my interests. Hearing a little about the set up of the vet schools, particularly their certification process, was interesting. I enjoyed the afternoon a lot more. The Museum of the History of Anaesthesia was really neat. Horst Stockel had a very wide collection of artifacts. It was very informative to learn about all the different devices and the beginnings of anaesthesia. I would have preferred to have used some of the time in the morning at the museum instead. I felt very rushed at the end of the tour, and I think there was a lot more to learn. He was very entertaining, and I feel like he could have made it even more interesting if he included some of his stories if we had more time. Today has made me want to learn more about anaesthesia in general.
Monday's excursions were okay. I did not really get a lot from the morning trip to the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Consumer Protection. I felt like a lot of the information was a little over my head and the other information not the most interesting or relative to my interests. Hearing a little about the set up of the vet schools, particularly their certification process, was interesting. I enjoyed the afternoon a lot more. The Museum of the History of Anaesthesia was really neat. Horst Stockel had a very wide collection of artifacts. It was very informative to learn about all the different devices and the beginnings of anaesthesia. I would have preferred to have used some of the time in the morning at the museum instead. I felt very rushed at the end of the tour, and I think there was a lot more to learn. He was very entertaining, and I feel like he could have made it even more interesting if he included some of his stories if we had more time. Today has made me want to learn more about anaesthesia in general.
Where have the weeks gone?
Our 4th week in Germany is almost over... the time has flown by fast. Yesterday we had the pleasure of spending our day with Britta. Our Rhine excursion on the boat was a lot of fun. I was definitely impressed by the size of this boat. I thought we would be on a little ferry boat or something of the sort. Although it was raining and it got a little too windy to sit up on the top deck, I always enjoy talking to the people on this trip. Not only has this trip been such a great experience of Germany and the history of medicine, it has been an opportunity to meet some really great people that I probably would have never met; they would just be another face in the crowd of 50,000 students.
After our tour on the Rhine we had lunch in a local restaurant in Rhens. I had schnitzel once again, it seems to be consistently good wherever I go. After my delicious lunch, we got back on our really cool charter bus, cool because we each had two seats to ourselves and we got to watch Little Miss Sunshine and Ratatouille, unless you are Evan, in which he had 4 seats to himself:) Watching American movies was a nice break from Germany... I start to feel kind of homesick every now and then, but watching those movies made things much better! I'm ready for more Germany now! After lunch we arrived at Stolzenfels castle and had a good little hike up to it. I know I will have really nice calves and thighs when I leave here- watch out! haha The castle was really neat because it had all of the old knight armor and swords, but it wasn't as elaborate as Neuschwanstein. ;) It was really neat to see a replica painting of the three kings with Mary and Jesus along with Ursula, because we had seen this painting in the Cologne Cathedral. One of the most mind blowing things at the castle was the replica of the Cologne cathedral made of sugar! We could have done the experience without the bees though... darn bees.
After our tour with the castle we got back on our awesome bus and went to Ahrweiler to have our wine tasting. It was really neat to see how they keep the wine and how they paint they decipher red wine barrels from rose wines by just painting a simple red rim around the barrel. I thoroughly enjoyed the wine tasting. It was informative, and so gooooood.
The way back home was great. I was a kid again, playing games at the back of the bus. Good times, good times. I like excursions such as these in which I can see and learn about beautiful places, drink good wine, and laugh with great friends.
Home
I feel almost spoiled with the host family that I have been matched with. I dont even think my parents at home have gone out of their way so much to spend so much quality time with Ashley and I. That is an explicit difference between households here and America that I am most appreciative towards and I believe most students on this trip have found to be true. After meals whether they last ten minutes or an hour, we are expected to sit for another hour or so in conversation. In this they always discuss important matters and news around the world as well as personal things just trying and genuinely caring to get to know Ashley and I. At my house after my mom cooks, anyone home rushes in to devour whatever is served at get back to their own business. Honestly, I have no idea where my brothers and sister stand politically, religiously, or on several other substancial matters, and I speak their language fluently!
Also, both host parents are off for the summer because their careers are both in teaching so their time dedicated to us is quite flexible. These are the things I am thankful for: They are up in the morning with breakfast ready and coffee on. We alway have clean clothes on Fridays folded and brought to our rooms. We can be assured of a hot meal ready for us when we get home waiting in the oven. Mrs and Mr. Banach called the mail service everyday until I got my medicine when I had poison ivy...I think I could go on for awhile. I feel like I am being completely absorbed in German culture at the family level living with them from things like these to being exposed and forced to learn certain German phrases. I absolutely love it here...it has become my home and it always feels safe and comfortable returning to Dusseldorf like I would my own home in Texas.
Also, both host parents are off for the summer because their careers are both in teaching so their time dedicated to us is quite flexible. These are the things I am thankful for: They are up in the morning with breakfast ready and coffee on. We alway have clean clothes on Fridays folded and brought to our rooms. We can be assured of a hot meal ready for us when we get home waiting in the oven. Mrs and Mr. Banach called the mail service everyday until I got my medicine when I had poison ivy...I think I could go on for awhile. I feel like I am being completely absorbed in German culture at the family level living with them from things like these to being exposed and forced to learn certain German phrases. I absolutely love it here...it has become my home and it always feels safe and comfortable returning to Dusseldorf like I would my own home in Texas.
On the bus...always meeting new people
A few weeks ago, I met a girl on the bus that made me really appreciate the system of schooling we have in America. She was a dental student and sort of explained the way her schooling and career would pan out. To begin with, admissions works differently because you just sort of apply without really any experience or credibility to your name because it`s just like you are right out of high school. The dental schools receive the pool of applicants and choose seemingly almost blindly compared to the particularly strenuous application procedure that we go through. Needless to say, she had waited a few years of reapplying and being patient before she could even start. When she did, she found that much of the curriculum had become hazy which did not help the already rigorous load which is thrown in their lap. Plus, she was hurting for money because they just started heavily charging dental students in the last few years, which was not expected beforehand. Basically, her frustrating situation was that she had not passed a semester yet, so said she would probably be there for 9 semesters or so and get out with a black hole of debt that would not allow her to save at all for a house, a comfortable life, and retirement until later in her career of which she must retire at 65. I actually appreciate that strenuous application method that I am about to begin because of the kind of doctors it puts out into society. Im certainly not saying our system is perfect, for it is far from that, but the dental student that day made me appreciate at least the long process medical and dental schools undertake.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Back Home... Almost
When returning to Duesseldorf this week, I felt like I was coming home. I find it strange how quickly i became comfortable with the city and my host mom. I missed knowing which train to get on, the bed i would sleep in, the musili would be waiting for me in the morning. I will miss my life in Duesseldorf. I have fallen in love with Germany and hope to return very soon.
On Monday, I enjoyed going back to Bonn. It reminds me of college station in a way because of all the students walking around. Although it was interesting to see how the ministry was set up and worked, I would have prefered if we had discussed more about the actual animal wellfare laws they have set up and there reasoning behind them.
I thoroughly enjoyed the anesthesiology museum. Although it was hard to concentrate because of how unbeliavable hot it was (by the way, i am greatly missing the consistence of temperature in buildings and homes in Texas), I wish we had more time to hear the retired doctor's stories. I enjoy talking with older doctors who have seen a lot and I think he was anxious to share his knowledge with us if we had been able to make the time. I found seeing how the different equipment and procedures changed throughout history interesting. I can't imagine being the first doctor to try putting someone under, not knowing how the patient would react.
Today was a very relaxing day. Last week was very moving and emotional due to the amount of holocaust information we discussed. Although it would have been nicer to have sunshine on the rhine cruise this morning, I have grown accustom to the daily rain in Germany and almost find it relaxing now. The wine tasting was not what i had in mind but was wonderful just the same. Overall it was yet another wonderful day in Germany!
On Monday, I enjoyed going back to Bonn. It reminds me of college station in a way because of all the students walking around. Although it was interesting to see how the ministry was set up and worked, I would have prefered if we had discussed more about the actual animal wellfare laws they have set up and there reasoning behind them.
I thoroughly enjoyed the anesthesiology museum. Although it was hard to concentrate because of how unbeliavable hot it was (by the way, i am greatly missing the consistence of temperature in buildings and homes in Texas), I wish we had more time to hear the retired doctor's stories. I enjoy talking with older doctors who have seen a lot and I think he was anxious to share his knowledge with us if we had been able to make the time. I found seeing how the different equipment and procedures changed throughout history interesting. I can't imagine being the first doctor to try putting someone under, not knowing how the patient would react.
Today was a very relaxing day. Last week was very moving and emotional due to the amount of holocaust information we discussed. Although it would have been nicer to have sunshine on the rhine cruise this morning, I have grown accustom to the daily rain in Germany and almost find it relaxing now. The wine tasting was not what i had in mind but was wonderful just the same. Overall it was yet another wonderful day in Germany!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Just What the Doctor Ordered!!
Well this weekend was awesome to say the least. Sharon and I cruised to Locarno, Switzerland and were in awe of the beautiful landscape. We were literally surrounded by huge mountains and clear lakes that beckoned to be swim in. So I obliged and dove in the second I found an opening! We wanted to have a relaxing weekend so the only appointment we made was a bungee jump called Goldeneye that is the biggest in the world. It was probably the most terrifying thing I have ever done, but it was totally worth being scared out of my hosen. I think I appreciate life more and being on solid ground and not falling 800 feet to my death.
The first night we met Swiss Germans from the north that were vacationing in Locarno. Their German was slightly different and was rough sounding. It sounded like there was something stuck in their throat when they were speaking. However, me and them hit it off because we liked all the same music. We ended up singing a song from Mando Diao, an awesome Swedish band, at the end of the night together.
The rest of the weekend was spent by the vast lake Maggiore which connects Switzerland and Italy. We had a meat sandwich picnic and enjoyed locals shooting Roman candles at pestering swans. The highlight of the night was the superb firework show that was set to begin at 10;45, but did not start until midnight. This lateness would never fly in Germany. The people of Switzerland were extremely nice and helpful and I would recommend it for anyone who loves lakes and mountains and beautiful scenery. If you do not like these things, then you have a problem.
The first night we met Swiss Germans from the north that were vacationing in Locarno. Their German was slightly different and was rough sounding. It sounded like there was something stuck in their throat when they were speaking. However, me and them hit it off because we liked all the same music. We ended up singing a song from Mando Diao, an awesome Swedish band, at the end of the night together.
The rest of the weekend was spent by the vast lake Maggiore which connects Switzerland and Italy. We had a meat sandwich picnic and enjoyed locals shooting Roman candles at pestering swans. The highlight of the night was the superb firework show that was set to begin at 10;45, but did not start until midnight. This lateness would never fly in Germany. The people of Switzerland were extremely nice and helpful and I would recommend it for anyone who loves lakes and mountains and beautiful scenery. If you do not like these things, then you have a problem.
Last week in Dusseldorf
Finally after an entire week of travelling we made it back to Dusseldorf. It felt great to finally be back in the city I feel most comfortable in. Travelling all over Europe is great and everything, but it definitely starts to wear on me after about day 4 or 5. Nuremburg, Munich, Austria, and renting a car and driving through the Black Forest were all amazing. They were right, the Black Forest really does look black from a distance, and Salzburg was a nice city to walk around and site see in. Driving in Germany was definitely an experience, the rules really aren't that different from the states, but the signs sure are. It is also intimidating to drive in the cities (if the other drivers smell fear, they eat you alive). Also, Pete's video of him freaking out on the bunjee jump was hilarious, if I had been there, I would've laughed at him with everyone else on the bridge that was watching.
I am really looking forward to the wine tasting tomorrow. I'm sure most people here know that I really like beer, but wine is something to sit back and enjoy. I'm glad that I much prefer white wine to red wine as well. The boat cruise should be fun also, and I'm sure the bus will be cramped like always. Today's events were good as well, the government agency we visited today was interesting, though a little long, and I thought the anethesia museum was great. There's nothing like an experienced retired doctor telling stories about all the experiences he's had and the history behind the devices. It felt like I was talking with my Grandfather back home.
We aren't sure where this weekend will take us yet, but it's Europe man, you really can't go wrong.
I am really looking forward to the wine tasting tomorrow. I'm sure most people here know that I really like beer, but wine is something to sit back and enjoy. I'm glad that I much prefer white wine to red wine as well. The boat cruise should be fun also, and I'm sure the bus will be cramped like always. Today's events were good as well, the government agency we visited today was interesting, though a little long, and I thought the anethesia museum was great. There's nothing like an experienced retired doctor telling stories about all the experiences he's had and the history behind the devices. It felt like I was talking with my Grandfather back home.
We aren't sure where this weekend will take us yet, but it's Europe man, you really can't go wrong.
Munchen and back to Bonn
Staying in Munich for the weekend was probably the best decision. I did your daily things.. ya know, biked in a beautiful city near the alps, swam in Alpine lake, and saw the inside of Neuschwanstein, had a beer and an expensive pretzel at the Hofbrauhaus, and then topped it off with watching fire works in the olympic stadium... just your typical day.
I truly got to experience Bavaria. It is what I pictured when I think of Germany... and I LOVED it. Nothing like hanging out, relaxin with good friends.
Today we went to Bonn and got to see the Agriculture and Food Ministries, it is a very different system than ours. Some of it was hard for me to comprehend because it was presented as if I already understood their legislation. It was also awesome to see the museum of anaesthesiology. One of my favorite parts was seeing the cattle intubation tube, as well as enjoying the company and knowledge of our tour guide, Professor Stoeckel. It would have been nice to have more time there though... to hear more about the development of each piece of equipment and not just their use.
All around lovely days.
I truly got to experience Bavaria. It is what I pictured when I think of Germany... and I LOVED it. Nothing like hanging out, relaxin with good friends.
Today we went to Bonn and got to see the Agriculture and Food Ministries, it is a very different system than ours. Some of it was hard for me to comprehend because it was presented as if I already understood their legislation. It was also awesome to see the museum of anaesthesiology. One of my favorite parts was seeing the cattle intubation tube, as well as enjoying the company and knowledge of our tour guide, Professor Stoeckel. It would have been nice to have more time there though... to hear more about the development of each piece of equipment and not just their use.
All around lovely days.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
When in Munich...
This weekend 7 of us decided to stay in Munich to relax a bit and see more of the countryside. Friday started out with a tour of Munich University to see the hall Sophie and Hans Scholl distributed their flyers for the White Rose. The tour ended quickly because the only English speaking tour guide was out sick. After about 30 minutes in the memorial we left and had the rest of the weekend free. Thus giving us most of Friday and all of Saturday and Sunday to do what we pleased. The highlight of Friday was a trip to the English Gardens where we brought wine and cheese and enjoyed a beautiful sunset over a distant tree line in the middle of the city.
However the highlight of the weekend came with a trip out to Neuschwanstein Castle through Mike’s Bike Tours in Munich. To begin the trip we rode bicycles out to a natural alpine lake near the castle. The water was unbelievably clear and cold but we decided to swim out in it anyways. I mean when else are you going to have the opportunity to do something like that. After changing we left for lunch and got to witness a storm rise up off the mountain and rain for a bit. Towards the end of the rain we left for a hike up the mountain to the castle. The castle was absolutely awesome. I am told this is the same castle Walt Disney used as a model for building Cinderella’s castle. The castle was built and owned by King Ludwig II who died before all the interior of the castle was completed. However the part he had completed was amazing. Every wall was covered with paintings and every trim was very ornate. I can understand completely how our tour guide said this is the prettiest castle on Earth.
The rest of the trip couldn’t compare to the trip to Neuschwanstein, yet we did see a very impressive fireworks show at the old Olympic Stadium in Munich. It was complete with fireworks, music, pyrotechnics, and lazer lights. To add to the impressiveness was the amount of people that attended the show. Never before, including college football games, had I seen so many people in one place. After that we went home and caught up on some much needed sleep and are now ready to start the final two weeks of this already awesome program.
Jordan “Juice”
However the highlight of the weekend came with a trip out to Neuschwanstein Castle through Mike’s Bike Tours in Munich. To begin the trip we rode bicycles out to a natural alpine lake near the castle. The water was unbelievably clear and cold but we decided to swim out in it anyways. I mean when else are you going to have the opportunity to do something like that. After changing we left for lunch and got to witness a storm rise up off the mountain and rain for a bit. Towards the end of the rain we left for a hike up the mountain to the castle. The castle was absolutely awesome. I am told this is the same castle Walt Disney used as a model for building Cinderella’s castle. The castle was built and owned by King Ludwig II who died before all the interior of the castle was completed. However the part he had completed was amazing. Every wall was covered with paintings and every trim was very ornate. I can understand completely how our tour guide said this is the prettiest castle on Earth.
The rest of the trip couldn’t compare to the trip to Neuschwanstein, yet we did see a very impressive fireworks show at the old Olympic Stadium in Munich. It was complete with fireworks, music, pyrotechnics, and lazer lights. To add to the impressiveness was the amount of people that attended the show. Never before, including college football games, had I seen so many people in one place. After that we went home and caught up on some much needed sleep and are now ready to start the final two weeks of this already awesome program.
Jordan “Juice”
Oh ya know....Swimming in Alpine Lakes...
So Munich has been amazing! I know it´s ´touristy´ but I love the Bavarian culture and history. This weekend we got to relax on Friday! Wait maybe you didn´t hear me...we got to relax! It was great! It was so nice just staying the weekend here without needing any extra traveling. We maximized the time of our weekend. This calm feeling is really making me think about staying in Düsseldorf next weekend, but maybe Prague will be calling my name. I would really like to go to Prague, because I heard it wasn´t damaged that much in WWII so it has a lot of old architecture. Also, I heard it is very Catholic. So we shall see if I end up going there or relaxing in the big D!
One thing I have enjoyed very much is the difference of Catholic masses everywhere I have gone. The Catholic church is universal, as is the mass; however, some of the masses I have been to here haven´t been quite the same. One in Düsseldorf, which I have gone to twice, only had one reading, no psalm, and doesn´t say the creed. Notre Dame was pretty much on the money and was amazing, awesome (true meaning of the word), and I can say I have gone to mass in Notre Dame! This weekend I went to St. Peter´s right off of Marienplatz. It was really pretty inside. It had a high altar and the altar´s gold work reminded me of St. Peter´s in Rome. They also only had one reading, and they didn´t give peace to each other. Next week I want to go to Köln, which is another reason why I might want to stay in Düsseldorf. Seeing the differences in the masses has been a huge part of my culture experience in Germany. I can´t wait to come back again and get to experience different churches, food, lifestyle, usw in Europe. I have been to mass at St. Peters in Rome, a church in Lucerne, Notre Dame, St. Pauls in Düseldorf, and St. Peters in Munich. It has shown me how awesome Catholicism is, and has fueled my faith which I have been here in Germany.
This weekend we also got to see Ludwig II´s Neuschwanstein Schloss. It was awesome. It wasn´t just the castle that was great, it was the whole day. There were 7 of us, and we went on a Mike´s bike tour trip there. We go to go on a bike ride around the area, GO SWIMMING IN AN ALPINE LAKE, go to the castle, and see some magic (our tour guide was a magician as well!). When spent most of the day there, and I am so glad that we went! There were some tourists there, but it was really fun regardless! Then after we got back into town we went to the Hofbrau house and had 1L of beer...of course! I love German dark beer! Then we went to the Olympic Center and saw a phenomenal firework/light show! It was incredible! I am so glad we go to go and experience that and see the Olympic park! So now I have seen fireworks twice in Germany, so I think I´m over missing the 4th of July! Plus these firework shows put the ones I have seen in the US to shame!
Well I am glad we are going back to Düsseldorf next weekend. I need to get some unique Düsseldorf gifts for some friends (Mustard, Killepisch (sp?), usw). Also, it´s our last week with our host families, which makes me sad! But I am also looking forward to Berlin. So Tschüß for now, and bis später!
One thing I have enjoyed very much is the difference of Catholic masses everywhere I have gone. The Catholic church is universal, as is the mass; however, some of the masses I have been to here haven´t been quite the same. One in Düsseldorf, which I have gone to twice, only had one reading, no psalm, and doesn´t say the creed. Notre Dame was pretty much on the money and was amazing, awesome (true meaning of the word), and I can say I have gone to mass in Notre Dame! This weekend I went to St. Peter´s right off of Marienplatz. It was really pretty inside. It had a high altar and the altar´s gold work reminded me of St. Peter´s in Rome. They also only had one reading, and they didn´t give peace to each other. Next week I want to go to Köln, which is another reason why I might want to stay in Düsseldorf. Seeing the differences in the masses has been a huge part of my culture experience in Germany. I can´t wait to come back again and get to experience different churches, food, lifestyle, usw in Europe. I have been to mass at St. Peters in Rome, a church in Lucerne, Notre Dame, St. Pauls in Düseldorf, and St. Peters in Munich. It has shown me how awesome Catholicism is, and has fueled my faith which I have been here in Germany.
This weekend we also got to see Ludwig II´s Neuschwanstein Schloss. It was awesome. It wasn´t just the castle that was great, it was the whole day. There were 7 of us, and we went on a Mike´s bike tour trip there. We go to go on a bike ride around the area, GO SWIMMING IN AN ALPINE LAKE, go to the castle, and see some magic (our tour guide was a magician as well!). When spent most of the day there, and I am so glad that we went! There were some tourists there, but it was really fun regardless! Then after we got back into town we went to the Hofbrau house and had 1L of beer...of course! I love German dark beer! Then we went to the Olympic Center and saw a phenomenal firework/light show! It was incredible! I am so glad we go to go and experience that and see the Olympic park! So now I have seen fireworks twice in Germany, so I think I´m over missing the 4th of July! Plus these firework shows put the ones I have seen in the US to shame!
Well I am glad we are going back to Düsseldorf next weekend. I need to get some unique Düsseldorf gifts for some friends (Mustard, Killepisch (sp?), usw). Also, it´s our last week with our host families, which makes me sad! But I am also looking forward to Berlin. So Tschüß for now, and bis später!
07.27.08
So this last week was pretty interesting and intense. We went to Nurnberg and Munich. While in Nurnberg we took a city tour and saw the Nazi Rally grounds, which was interesting. It was kinda hard to imagine that many people there. The grass has grown over all of the steps but the main side, and there is a soccer field in the middle of the grass... It was just hard to picture even though I was looking at the place where Hitler used to adress the people.
We then went to the Documentation center. When I was there I had an interesting experience I thought. I was expecting to go and be sad at what I saw, and when I looked around that is what I saw in most people's faces that were there. But I didn't feel saddness. I felt anger. I was legitatmately pissed off at everything I was seeing and reading and listening to on our audio guides. It was very weird for me and not at all what I was expecting to feel. I don't really know if anyone else felt that way. It took about 3.5 hours to get through it all, and by that time I was so emotionally exhausted I didn't really want to talk about it at that time. Then there was so many other things that happened this week that I just haven't yet.
We went to Dachau a few days ago which was very intense. It was weird to think about the different people that were there 60-70 years ago and what was going on in the rooms that we were in. The weirdest thing for me was the gas chamber and the creamatorium rooms. I wasn't expecting to see it when I did, I don't think our guide told us what we were walking into, then I turned a corner and bam. There is was, staring me in the face. It was pretty shocking. Out of everything we saw I think that made it more of a reality of what went on there. And then to see pictures that a prisoner took illegally from right where I was standing, with smoke going out of the chimney... which meant the creamatorium was in use... is was eye opening for sure.
This week was pretty emoitionally draining for me really. I'm looking forward to getting back to Dusseldorf and relaxing and letting my mind rest a little. It is something I feel I should have seen and I'm glad I did, but I look forward to getting back to Dusseldorf.
We then went to the Documentation center. When I was there I had an interesting experience I thought. I was expecting to go and be sad at what I saw, and when I looked around that is what I saw in most people's faces that were there. But I didn't feel saddness. I felt anger. I was legitatmately pissed off at everything I was seeing and reading and listening to on our audio guides. It was very weird for me and not at all what I was expecting to feel. I don't really know if anyone else felt that way. It took about 3.5 hours to get through it all, and by that time I was so emotionally exhausted I didn't really want to talk about it at that time. Then there was so many other things that happened this week that I just haven't yet.
We went to Dachau a few days ago which was very intense. It was weird to think about the different people that were there 60-70 years ago and what was going on in the rooms that we were in. The weirdest thing for me was the gas chamber and the creamatorium rooms. I wasn't expecting to see it when I did, I don't think our guide told us what we were walking into, then I turned a corner and bam. There is was, staring me in the face. It was pretty shocking. Out of everything we saw I think that made it more of a reality of what went on there. And then to see pictures that a prisoner took illegally from right where I was standing, with smoke going out of the chimney... which meant the creamatorium was in use... is was eye opening for sure.
This week was pretty emoitionally draining for me really. I'm looking forward to getting back to Dusseldorf and relaxing and letting my mind rest a little. It is something I feel I should have seen and I'm glad I did, but I look forward to getting back to Dusseldorf.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Bavaria- an original title
We've seen so many things that I have no idea where to start! Seeing the rally grounds, courthouse, and documentation center in Nuremberg was a different and memorable experience for me. It is hard to explain the feelings I have had at these places because I have never had these feelings before. Now we are in Munich, and I absolutely love it here. Dr. Wasser wasn't kidding when he said it is a walkable city! The people here are wonderful and very nice.
Today we visited Dachau... I didn't like starting my day off there. As Mark, our tour guide, walked us through the camp grounds and told us of the torture that the prisoners undertook, I just kept asking myself "how can anyone be so cruel?!" I just couldn't grasp the fact that another human being would do that to another. I felt enraged and sad all at the same time. What got to me the most was seeing pictures... because the words that Mark said turned into reality with just a glimpse of a black and white photo outside the crematorium. It was also frustrating to see high schoolers laughing and non-chalantly walking through like there was nothing to remember. It was a great experience and an emotional roller coaster that I wish I never have to repeat.
I left with words of wisdom on the statue of the "unknown prisoner"- "To honor the dead and warn the living."
Today we visited Dachau... I didn't like starting my day off there. As Mark, our tour guide, walked us through the camp grounds and told us of the torture that the prisoners undertook, I just kept asking myself "how can anyone be so cruel?!" I just couldn't grasp the fact that another human being would do that to another. I felt enraged and sad all at the same time. What got to me the most was seeing pictures... because the words that Mark said turned into reality with just a glimpse of a black and white photo outside the crematorium. It was also frustrating to see high schoolers laughing and non-chalantly walking through like there was nothing to remember. It was a great experience and an emotional roller coaster that I wish I never have to repeat.
I left with words of wisdom on the statue of the "unknown prisoner"- "To honor the dead and warn the living."
Munich
I love this city!!! I have walked all over the place by now and I don't think it could get old. I had no idea that Munich was so young in comparison to the rest of the country, but the architecture still looks so old to me. Of course, America is practically a baby compared to Munich so anything over 300 years old looks really old to me. The people have all been very nice as they have been all over Germany, and the beer....oh yeah! The fact that they come in 0.5L glasses just makes it all the better. I just love the traditions and culture of this area. It seems much more down to earth, not to say that Dusseldorf isn't. I just feel like I can connect to this city much more than up north. If I had to come back to Germany for just a few days, I think I would choose Munich. Of course, I haven't been to Berlin yet and I know Dr. Wasser really loves that city so I guess I should reserve my judgement until then.
I do have to say though that this week has been absolutely exhausting, both physically and emotionally. Today at Dachau was alot. I felt so much personally that I don't feel like I want to share it with everyone, but I think it is fair to say that it moved me to the point that I wanted to run out and throw up. I'll keep the rest of my thoughts to myself but I just wanted to let you know that I did feel something while I was there.
I do have to say though that this week has been absolutely exhausting, both physically and emotionally. Today at Dachau was alot. I felt so much personally that I don't feel like I want to share it with everyone, but I think it is fair to say that it moved me to the point that I wanted to run out and throw up. I'll keep the rest of my thoughts to myself but I just wanted to let you know that I did feel something while I was there.
Munich
I am loving this city! It is so nice to just walk around, and there is always something to see. The tour yesterday was really informative and helped me get a good feeling of the city and directions. I loved all the churches! I am going to try to go to mass on Sunday, since I haven't been able to this whole trip. I am very excited to experience mass in Europe! I still can't get over all the history in these cities! I love this area and the people.
Today was very hard for me. Seeing Dachau really hit me. Standing there, having the pictures in my mind of all the people who did not survive, gave me a very eerie and disturbing feeling. Hearing the descriptions of the torture, the experiments, and the deaths, I felt so ashamed of what humans did to other human beings and horrified that something so atrocious was even possible. To think that concentration camps are not completely a thing of the past is incredibly frightening. The movie brought me to tears, seeing the faces of those who died and their emaciated bodies. It was a good experience to see the camp, but I don't really ever want to see it again. I feel it is important for us to know about the past in order to change our future, and I feel visiting these places is a way to accomplish that. I was hoping to hear more medical details about the experiments. Not necessarily all of the specifics about the experiments, but maybe discuss the physiology behind some of the results. I feel like this week has not been focused on medicine as much as I was expecting. I am still learning a lot though, about the history, the culture, and myself.
Today was very hard for me. Seeing Dachau really hit me. Standing there, having the pictures in my mind of all the people who did not survive, gave me a very eerie and disturbing feeling. Hearing the descriptions of the torture, the experiments, and the deaths, I felt so ashamed of what humans did to other human beings and horrified that something so atrocious was even possible. To think that concentration camps are not completely a thing of the past is incredibly frightening. The movie brought me to tears, seeing the faces of those who died and their emaciated bodies. It was a good experience to see the camp, but I don't really ever want to see it again. I feel it is important for us to know about the past in order to change our future, and I feel visiting these places is a way to accomplish that. I was hoping to hear more medical details about the experiments. Not necessarily all of the specifics about the experiments, but maybe discuss the physiology behind some of the results. I feel like this week has not been focused on medicine as much as I was expecting. I am still learning a lot though, about the history, the culture, and myself.
60% of the time.....is done and over with
-We spent last weekend in Paris exploring the city and doing touristy things. The eiffel tower and the rest of the city were as gorgeous as all the postcards and books have made it out to be. Although most of our visits were rushed, in between the running and crowds of people was time to really observe the minor cultural differences. The French aren't quite as American-despising as we have been told...in fact some were pretty darn friendly. Naturally there are always a few rotten apples in the basket, so we did run into some people that fit the French stereotype. The beauty of Paris was tarnished by the tons and tons of people. Much of my time was spent in a state of constant alert: hands on valuables and a mindfulness to the safety of my backpack. At times this felt overwhelming as some of the stores we were shopping in were six floors high with no more than a meter's worth of radius of personal space at any time. At the end of the weekend, most of Paris was unexplored giving rhyme and reason to another trip in the future.
-Our week began with an excursion to Nuremberg. We toured ruins in Disibodenberg with a lovely woman who's life has been basically dedicated to this site. Through the tarnished stones and moss covered steps, I think we all found some sort of peace. The group was relatively quiet during the whole tour because we the majority of us were finding symbolism in what we were seeing. The isolation and reflection of our own life "labyrinths" is still fresh on our minds.
-Tuesday was the day we visited the Nazi rally grounds. I expected a much more surreal feeling than I actually felt. I credit this to the fact that much of what we see in pictures has been destroyed; the giant swastika was dynamited in the 1940s and much of the rally grounds themselves are covered with grass and weeds. The memorial and our tour guide really proved that the rallies themselves were not the disciplined, neo-patriotic events that history books have taught. They were actually more like parties....with entertainment and substances of all types to keep the people "rallied." It's kind of appalling that this is not more well-documented and publicized....I think it would give a lot more perspective that the majority of these followers were not as gung-ho about the movement as we have all thought.
-Wednesday began with a trip to Munich where we met our tour guide, Marc. I knew from the second we met at city hall that Munich was going to be my favorite city in Germany. The architecture and city layout were exactly what I expected when I signed up for this trip. While there were plenty of tourists like us, I saw a lot of natives living their daily lives in a large European metropolis. However, the bliss of this city was temporarily dulled the next day.
-Thursday we visited the notorious Dachau memorial that we were told would affect us negatively. All is well until you walk through the rod-iron door with the words "Arbeit Macht Frei". Afterwards, the sheer size of the place begins to affect you; it's all downhill from there.
-Friday we toured the University where the movie about the White Rose took place. It was a lot smaller than the movie portrayed it to be. The exhibit was in German, so unfortunately we could not quite understand everything.
-Our weekend in Munich began with a group of us venturing out to the English Gardens. We sat on the lawn and ate while we watched the sunset. Saturday morning involved a visit to Neuschwanstein castle by bus, a bikeride to and a swim in an alpine lake, nearly paragliding, a rain-soaked hike to the castle, a tour of the castle, and finally a busride home to the fireworks show at the Olympic park. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend in Munich.
Two weeks left!
-Our week began with an excursion to Nuremberg. We toured ruins in Disibodenberg with a lovely woman who's life has been basically dedicated to this site. Through the tarnished stones and moss covered steps, I think we all found some sort of peace. The group was relatively quiet during the whole tour because we the majority of us were finding symbolism in what we were seeing. The isolation and reflection of our own life "labyrinths" is still fresh on our minds.
-Tuesday was the day we visited the Nazi rally grounds. I expected a much more surreal feeling than I actually felt. I credit this to the fact that much of what we see in pictures has been destroyed; the giant swastika was dynamited in the 1940s and much of the rally grounds themselves are covered with grass and weeds. The memorial and our tour guide really proved that the rallies themselves were not the disciplined, neo-patriotic events that history books have taught. They were actually more like parties....with entertainment and substances of all types to keep the people "rallied." It's kind of appalling that this is not more well-documented and publicized....I think it would give a lot more perspective that the majority of these followers were not as gung-ho about the movement as we have all thought.
-Wednesday began with a trip to Munich where we met our tour guide, Marc. I knew from the second we met at city hall that Munich was going to be my favorite city in Germany. The architecture and city layout were exactly what I expected when I signed up for this trip. While there were plenty of tourists like us, I saw a lot of natives living their daily lives in a large European metropolis. However, the bliss of this city was temporarily dulled the next day.
-Thursday we visited the notorious Dachau memorial that we were told would affect us negatively. All is well until you walk through the rod-iron door with the words "Arbeit Macht Frei". Afterwards, the sheer size of the place begins to affect you; it's all downhill from there.
-Friday we toured the University where the movie about the White Rose took place. It was a lot smaller than the movie portrayed it to be. The exhibit was in German, so unfortunately we could not quite understand everything.
-Our weekend in Munich began with a group of us venturing out to the English Gardens. We sat on the lawn and ate while we watched the sunset. Saturday morning involved a visit to Neuschwanstein castle by bus, a bikeride to and a swim in an alpine lake, nearly paragliding, a rain-soaked hike to the castle, a tour of the castle, and finally a busride home to the fireworks show at the Olympic park. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend in Munich.
Two weeks left!
Week 3 in Munich and Nurnberg
This past week in the program has been full of forgettable places. It started with a trip to Nurnberg on Monday and a tour of the city on Tuesday. On Tuesday morning we woke up to a miserable, rainy, and cold day. The weather was fitting for what we saw that day. We went to Nazi party rally grounds and saw the massive plans the Nazis had for Nurnberg. Also during the day we saw the actual court room the first Nurnberg trial took place. Seeing the party grounds and court room first hand really put a certain realness to it for me. Where as before I knew they existed, everything just takes on a whole new meaning when you actually see it for yourself. That same principle definitely applied today when we visited the Dachau concentration camps. We began our tour by seeing the 300 dungeon cells the SS used to torture and execute prisoners. Then off to the reconstructed barracks to witness living conditions for the prisoners. The tour ended at the gas chamber and crematoriums set up at Dachau. During all this I was composed and did not feel any stress until I saw the film. Seeing deceased prisoners whose bodies looked like skin covered skeletons and then realizing that I am actually at the same place all this happened, got to me. I think at that point I realized the horribleness of what happened and I myself felt a hatred towards the Nazis for what they had done.
Anyways, tomorrow we are off to tour a Munich University and then myself and a few more are touring around Munich on bicycles this weekend. It should be another fun and slightly relaxing weekend in the Deutschland.
Jordan “Juice”
Anyways, tomorrow we are off to tour a Munich University and then myself and a few more are touring around Munich on bicycles this weekend. It should be another fun and slightly relaxing weekend in the Deutschland.
Jordan “Juice”
It's not any easier the 2nd time.
Well, this was Dachau day and it was intense. I was fortunate enough to visit it on my prior trip to Europe, so I knew what to expect. I was 16 then with no clue what I would end up doing in school or as a career, so the medical experiments impacted me on the same level as any other human being. However, that aspect of the atrocities hit me from a new angle this time; these experiments were perpetrated by people who had expressed interest in my chosen profession. One of the most critical aspects of medicine to me is the ethical behavior of its professionals. The things done to prisoners at Dachau and other such camps can be described as anything but ethical. What's even more shocking is that they found themselves justified. They carefully crafted defenses in court in order to explain how logical and humane they were being, though they themselves understood that they should not broadcast their actions publicly. I think that is tacit acknowledgment of the immorality of their actions.
I overheard someone asking a question about how people, the doctors and guards at the camps, could have been okay with what they were doing. Obviously, there hadn't been a mysterious increase in the proportion of psychopaths born in the population at the time, so that means that ordinary guys had been convinced that what they were doing was necessary and beneficial. That fact in particular scared me. The attempt the Nazis made was thwarted, thankfully, but I think we still need to be careful of similar campaigns to shape the human race or divide populations based on such factors. I always get most of my news from sources outside the US, but I think that attitude will only be strengthened now. Even in places today like South Africa, attempts to segregate or isolate populations should be inspected carefully and discriminatory practices should not be allowed. Heavy stuff.
On a lighter note, I am really enjoying Munich. The atmosphere seems a little different here, but I haven't spent enough time here to notice the true differences. We plan on going out to some bars tonight, and I hope to meet some locals and get to know some of their views over a beer, naturlich.
I overheard someone asking a question about how people, the doctors and guards at the camps, could have been okay with what they were doing. Obviously, there hadn't been a mysterious increase in the proportion of psychopaths born in the population at the time, so that means that ordinary guys had been convinced that what they were doing was necessary and beneficial. That fact in particular scared me. The attempt the Nazis made was thwarted, thankfully, but I think we still need to be careful of similar campaigns to shape the human race or divide populations based on such factors. I always get most of my news from sources outside the US, but I think that attitude will only be strengthened now. Even in places today like South Africa, attempts to segregate or isolate populations should be inspected carefully and discriminatory practices should not be allowed. Heavy stuff.
On a lighter note, I am really enjoying Munich. The atmosphere seems a little different here, but I haven't spent enough time here to notice the true differences. We plan on going out to some bars tonight, and I hope to meet some locals and get to know some of their views over a beer, naturlich.
Bavaria!
So Munich has been pretty much all I expected it to be...German clothes, beer, food, steins, oktoberfest, and more! I am staying here over the weekend and I cannot wait to go to the English Garden and ride my bike around Munich! It will be a chance to relax and possibly have some alone time. That has been a real shock being here - not having alone time. It's totally different from home becaus whether you're in your car, or walking to class, you are usually alone and can get lost in your own thoughts. Not here. I understand that it isn't really possible to have a lot of down time here because of the short amount of time we have and the large amount of things we want to do. We are past halfway through now, and everyone is getting pretty tired.
Even though we are tired, we have seen some incredible things. Today we went to Dachau concentration camp. I don't even know what to take from it because it's so shocking to actually see a place like that after hearing about them your whole life. I know that the US has a lot of history, but German history goes straight to your bones. I am so glad I am here learning all of this, and I can't wait for more to come. But for now, I am going to enjoy the fruits that Munich has to offer. I think I could get used to this place!
Even though we are tired, we have seen some incredible things. Today we went to Dachau concentration camp. I don't even know what to take from it because it's so shocking to actually see a place like that after hearing about them your whole life. I know that the US has a lot of history, but German history goes straight to your bones. I am so glad I am here learning all of this, and I can't wait for more to come. But for now, I am going to enjoy the fruits that Munich has to offer. I think I could get used to this place!
Damn I look good in these pants....
Well after a crazy week of being away from Dusseldorf we finally made it to Munich. I dont know if its something in the air, or in the liters of beer perhaps, but I absolutley love Bavaria! The people are jolly and their is fashion uber super cool. This morning we went to Dachau and it was an enlightening experience. I had never seen such a horrible place in my life, but it was something that will benefit me greatly. I didnt talk too much the whole time, which is unusual for me, because I just wanted to take the whole thing in and digest it. Well now that I have digested it, I learned so much that you cant read in books. The conditions the prisoners lived in were atrocious and the punishments were inhumane to say the least. I found it interesting to learn about the experiments done on the prisoners by the Nazis. Even though the experiments were not voluntary and disgusting, the results should be used to gain some good out of the obvious bad.
In Munich I searched all day for liederhosen. Finally when I was losing hope and about to give up, I came across a second hand shop and found a beautiful pair for only 80 euros compared to the usual 160 euros. Half priced liederhosen, but full price effect. I am really excited to wear them tonight and look like a complete idiot. Maybe the Germans will let me into their culture for the night. Well we will just have to find out.
In Munich I searched all day for liederhosen. Finally when I was losing hope and about to give up, I came across a second hand shop and found a beautiful pair for only 80 euros compared to the usual 160 euros. Half priced liederhosen, but full price effect. I am really excited to wear them tonight and look like a complete idiot. Maybe the Germans will let me into their culture for the night. Well we will just have to find out.
Bavaria
The last week has been great so far. We just walked around Munich for the last two hours so Pete could get his damn lederhosen, which he finally did at a second hand store. This last week has been incredibly interesting and full of historical significance. Nuremberg was an incredible city, it was creepy to be at the rally grounds and stand where Hitler once stood. I also thought that the documentation center, while long, was a great museum and did a great job showing how the nazi party worked through propoganda to control the people. Dachau was also a creepy place to know that I was walking in a place that contained so much pain and suffering within it. It was definitely a meaningful experience, and one that I won't soon forget.
Last weekend was amazing as well, I almost didn't go to Paris but was incredibly glad that I did. Drinking wine underneath the Eiffel Tower during the light show is something that I will never forget. Paris did make me appreciate greatly appreciate Germany, though. While it was a beautiful city and full of history, the people suck. When they're not trying to swindle you out of money they're just plain rude to you. I guess that comes with living in the most tourist visited city in the world. Either way I was glad when I heard german at the train station and got back to the order and familiarity of Dusseldorf, not to mention getting a good night's sleep. I'm looking forward to this weekend also, especially renting a car and driving through the Black Forest.
Last weekend was amazing as well, I almost didn't go to Paris but was incredibly glad that I did. Drinking wine underneath the Eiffel Tower during the light show is something that I will never forget. Paris did make me appreciate greatly appreciate Germany, though. While it was a beautiful city and full of history, the people suck. When they're not trying to swindle you out of money they're just plain rude to you. I guess that comes with living in the most tourist visited city in the world. Either way I was glad when I heard german at the train station and got back to the order and familiarity of Dusseldorf, not to mention getting a good night's sleep. I'm looking forward to this weekend also, especially renting a car and driving through the Black Forest.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
ok this last week we visited some med and vet schools. we went to the hannover schools and saw some surgeries and got to visit their facilities. it was pretty cool. The pre-med people got to see a pig lung transplant. That was real cool to see the lung re-inflate after they were done, and really anytime you see a heart beating, it's a cool experience.
now we are in nurenburg about to head out to munich for the rest of the week. I'm looking forward to Munich. Everyone told me that was the place they loved the most.
I haven't said much about the host family I'm with so I guess I should do that. There is the mom the dad and the daughter. I have really enjoyed living with them so far. I haven't had any huge culture shock here, that I can put a finger on. I like their culture. It fits me. I love the fact that everything has order and a reason and everything is on time when they say it will be. It is how I am at home, so it's very nice. The biggest issue I've had is not hearing English. Whenever I do my heart skips a little beat. I get very excited. So really I think that has been the hardest thing adjusting to. Other than that, I'm loving being here so far.
now we are in nurenburg about to head out to munich for the rest of the week. I'm looking forward to Munich. Everyone told me that was the place they loved the most.
I haven't said much about the host family I'm with so I guess I should do that. There is the mom the dad and the daughter. I have really enjoyed living with them so far. I haven't had any huge culture shock here, that I can put a finger on. I like their culture. It fits me. I love the fact that everything has order and a reason and everything is on time when they say it will be. It is how I am at home, so it's very nice. The biggest issue I've had is not hearing English. Whenever I do my heart skips a little beat. I get very excited. So really I think that has been the hardest thing adjusting to. Other than that, I'm loving being here so far.
Nurenberg
I have learned a lot, or what I thought was a lot, about WWII and the Holocaust. I had seen documentaries and pictures, but today was a whole new experience. The bus tour around Nurenberg was very informative. Getting off the bus and seeing what the Nazi's had designed and built was very sureal and disturbing. To picture all the plans they had of roads, stadiums, fields, and a congress building blew me away. I never realized just how much power Hitler held over so many people and how much of a "vision", if you can call it that, he had of what he wanted Germany to be. Being designed to display power, it really creeped me out how much of an effect the building had on the people in attendance. Seeing pictures of children with their mothers infront of Zepplinfield, or hearing witnesses talk about how excited they were to go see a rally, completely confused me on why they would view Hitler and the Nazis in such a positive light. And it scared me to think that many of them would be considered normal people. To go into room 600 in the Nurenberg courthouse was a once in a life time experience. To picture all that occured in that one room and to realize the magnitude of those trials and verdicts made something so foreign to me seem very real. I found the Documentation Center incredibly enlightening. It was helpful to see pictures combined with the history in order to gain a much better understanding of how the Nazi party was able to start at all, and how things progressed during and after the war. The pictures in one of the last hallways of the people in the concentration camps really disturbed me. It was an overwhelming day, of information and emotion. I am very nervous for Dachau.
Taking it all in...
Today was alot to take in. Between getting the creeps by standing in the former rally grounds to trying to take in all I can at the documentation center, I'm not sure what all I'm supposed to feel. When we were at the rally grounds, the weather definitely added to mood I was in. All I could imagine was thousands of angry Nazis standing around looking up at Hitler. Hitler was actually there, on those grounds. It just really creeped me out. I couldn't even get up on the grandstand pedestal thing that he stood on. I didn't want to know what that felt like. It was kind of the same thing everywhere else we were, except for maybe the castle. I was just trying to imagine how it was used back in the times of the Nazi party. The documentation center was pretty amazing though with all the red brick and stuff. It was alot to take in though, but I tryed to listen to everything because I felt like it wouldn't be respectful to the people who died during Hitler's time to zone out and not care. What I did like about everything today though was the fact that our discussions did not focus mainly on the Holocaust. I know that it was a major factor to the war but it was interesting to learn about everything else that was going on and not have it overshadowed by the concentration camps and genocide. One thing I have noticed though is that with all of the World War II talk no one has mentioned Japan. They were the reason we entered the war so obviously we talk about them in our history classes but I have yet to hear about them from any of our tour guides. If I remember, I plan on asking one of them about that.
Reality slap to the face!
So today we were in Nürnberg and went to the place where the Nazi rallies were held...it was incredibly eerie standing in the place where Hilter used to address the Nazis. It is very hard for me to imagine it actually happening. Then we went to a document museum and learned a lot more about the occurrences during the Third Reich. I can´t believe it really occurred or how people actually let it happen. I know it probably is easy to say today looking back at the atrocities. It is a similar question I ask myself when I think about being Christain. I think today that I believe 100 percent that Jesus Christ is my savior, but when Jesus was alive, would I have been someone brave enough to stand up for my beliefs as so many were afraid to do against Hitler during the Third Reich.
On another note, it is very odd spending your birthday abroad. It definitely makes you realize you are away from your close friends and family. But I guess that just makes it possible for me to celebrate my birthday when I get back home! Two birthdays for me! Also I am happy that Germans go running. My host mom runs with me and she is 62 years old. I have to run really fast because I don´t want a 62 year old woman to beat me at running 3 miles! Everyone that I see in the morning is very friendly and also mostly in Germany as well! It´s hilarious when they say that they can only speak a little english and then they are fluent! I´m afraid to try any of my german on them if they think their english is a little...what will they think of me!? Hah oh well! I know how to be polite and get around...I guess that will just have to suffice for this trip! So onto München! I´m so excited for Bavaria!
On another note, it is very odd spending your birthday abroad. It definitely makes you realize you are away from your close friends and family. But I guess that just makes it possible for me to celebrate my birthday when I get back home! Two birthdays for me! Also I am happy that Germans go running. My host mom runs with me and she is 62 years old. I have to run really fast because I don´t want a 62 year old woman to beat me at running 3 miles! Everyone that I see in the morning is very friendly and also mostly in Germany as well! It´s hilarious when they say that they can only speak a little english and then they are fluent! I´m afraid to try any of my german on them if they think their english is a little...what will they think of me!? Hah oh well! I know how to be polite and get around...I guess that will just have to suffice for this trip! So onto München! I´m so excited for Bavaria!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Back home ...in a sense
With each passing day I grow more comfortable here. I really enjoy Germany and its people, but I wasn't sure if that was because it's the only European country in which I've spent much time. After a few weekends in other countries now, I feel I can say with a little more assurance that it is the German lifestyle specifically with which I identify. I am an ordered and regimented person myself. I enjoy clean places and respectful people who do not interfere with others. What I've seen of the Netherlands and France leave different impressions. Whether I see kids spray paint a French tram on my first ride, or get offered elicit drugs just as I walk out of the Amsterdam main station, I can definitely tell the difference.
A strange feeling I experienced this weekend was something like a saturation of new, beautiful, interesting places. Paris is an amazing city, and I think everyone should experience it at least once, preferably for more than a day and half like me, but I couldn't see myself staying there. Perhaps it was just because it is such a huge international city, but I felt a general difference in attitude and culture. I really enjoyed the free walking tour we took starting at St. Michel, but I think after a few weeks of seeing more and more buildings with historical significance and lasting beauty, that my brain needed a break.
I'm glad to be back in Germany. It was amazing to me that the sound of the German language is now a comforting one. The little German vocabulary I have is vastly greater than my French one. The time of the Nazis and the history involving is it extremely intriguing me, so I think I'll be back in the mood for some more sightseeing.
A strange feeling I experienced this weekend was something like a saturation of new, beautiful, interesting places. Paris is an amazing city, and I think everyone should experience it at least once, preferably for more than a day and half like me, but I couldn't see myself staying there. Perhaps it was just because it is such a huge international city, but I felt a general difference in attitude and culture. I really enjoyed the free walking tour we took starting at St. Michel, but I think after a few weeks of seeing more and more buildings with historical significance and lasting beauty, that my brain needed a break.
I'm glad to be back in Germany. It was amazing to me that the sound of the German language is now a comforting one. The little German vocabulary I have is vastly greater than my French one. The time of the Nazis and the history involving is it extremely intriguing me, so I think I'll be back in the mood for some more sightseeing.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
The second week
I have been incrediby amazed by the European countryside. Travelling by train has allowed me to see some of it. The first weekend that I had free most of the group and I were able to travel to Trier and Amsterdam. I completely enjoyed it and I feel that it was a good chance to get to know the group a little better. In Amsterdam we got to go to the Ann Frank house. The museum was really well done and it helped me visualize what really happened. It is one thing to read it and imagine what it looked like, but it is another to actually stand where it happened. It makes it easier for you to emotionally connect with history and better understand what she and her family had to go through to hide from the Nazis.
During the week, we got to study in Bonn, Hannover, and Köln. I thought that the medical school at Hannover was really interesting, but the Institute of Aerospace Medicine was my favorite. I have never thought about all of the medical issues that effect astronauts, and also about physicians that have to work along side them to make sure they remain healthy in space. It seems to me like it would be a very interesting and exciting job to have, and it has brodend my my knowlege of what physicians can have carrers in. I also really enjoyed seeing the equipment that the physicians and scientists use to run tests and record research, especally the centrifuge.
This past weekend most of the group and I went to Paris. It was a lot cleaner and safer than I remember it. The only problem was that the people were still rude. Once again I feel that I got to know the group a little better and it made me more excited for the remainder of the time that I get to spend with them.
During the week, we got to study in Bonn, Hannover, and Köln. I thought that the medical school at Hannover was really interesting, but the Institute of Aerospace Medicine was my favorite. I have never thought about all of the medical issues that effect astronauts, and also about physicians that have to work along side them to make sure they remain healthy in space. It seems to me like it would be a very interesting and exciting job to have, and it has brodend my my knowlege of what physicians can have carrers in. I also really enjoyed seeing the equipment that the physicians and scientists use to run tests and record research, especally the centrifuge.
This past weekend most of the group and I went to Paris. It was a lot cleaner and safer than I remember it. The only problem was that the people were still rude. Once again I feel that I got to know the group a little better and it made me more excited for the remainder of the time that I get to spend with them.
Grosse post
I am going to be a blog-exclusive rebel and not post with well-written eloquence and connecting thoughts. Instead, I feel poor grammar and dated thoughts will yield better insight.
7/4: Our host family speaks no English. Our dinner consists of outstanding food and furious page flipping through a translation manual to figure out what we are being asked or told.
7/5: Juice and I decided to wake up early and go walking down the Rhine before we met up for our tour. I pulled out a notepad and tallied responses to “Guten Tag” and “hello” to test how people treat friendly Texans. Most people who didn’t avoid eye contact gave us scorns. Favorable responses were usually from the elderly or young women our age. I blame Juice’s good looks for this deviation. I am hoping a free afternoon and a biergarten will yield a similar survey on courtship.
7/6: We got lost on the public transportation system and ended up spending 3-4 hours touring far suburbs and different parts of the city. We were told lots of people spoke English here. Our parts of the city must have been ‘dead zones.’ Ironically my cell phone didn’t work in one of the areas either.
7/8: Today was our first German workshop. We followed it with a scavenger hunt that sent us around the older yet ironically ‘hipper’ part of the city. The city is quite pretty and the people treat us pretty well.
7/9: Cologne is fantastic. I don’t think anyone believed that we would have such a wonderful tour of the cathedral. The Elde Haus pulled a bit of emotion into everyone. Seeing is truly understanding and all that. We ended with some breathtaking heights on top of the cathedral.
7/10: After lecture and another German workshop my associates and I headed up to the ruins north on the Rhine to find a similar riverside beauty like that of the Benrather ‘pink castle’. It was pretty, but the pink castle still is the group favorite.
7/11: Our guest lecturer was really engaging and entertaining. His knowledge was vast without coming off as overwhelming. We shared our feelings in cultural studies and found that many of us feel the same way about things. The consensus is the lack of personal space is our main concern.
7/12: We journeyed to the beautiful city of Trier and found that its small town feel was exactly what we all needed. Involved was a walkthrough of a building from 16 BC and many beautiful churches. I would compare it to Fredericksburg in Texas with the exception of architecture diversity, automobiles, and a language barrier.
7/13: Amsterdam is gorgeous. Amsterdam drivers are jerks. Between gorgeous architecture and rich history are drivers born with the intent of mowing you down. The Anne Frank house was the most positively moving part of the trip due to its actual artifacts and actual walkthrough of the living situations that we have all read about. Any one of the many walkthroughs of an Amsterdam alley was the most negatively moving part of the daytrip. There are some pretty sketch stores and characters that are all but ubiquitous in portions of the city. Luckily, it was completely overshadowed by the beauty of the city and the good company of fellow group members.
7/14: A beautiful journey through the German countryside brought us to a tour of a research farm. They were extremely informative and seem to be doing great things with such a small setup. They could probably do just as much groundbreaking research as A&M if they had similar resources.
7/15: We toured the Cologne zoo. Talking with other tourists reminded us of the progress we have made with both our German linguistically and culturally. After returning home from Cologne, Juice and I realized how we have come to understand Germany as home. We no longer miss our morning drives to school and we know our public transportation routes and times. I tried to celebrate this personal groundbreaking time by ordering extra mustard on my sandwich during dinner. The lady just gave me an empty expression and had to speak English to me to try to understand what I was saying. Totally shot down. Despite the language butchering, she was quite nice.
7/17: The Hannover facilities are fantastic. We stayed the night on a hostel and ended up suiting up to watch a lung transplant. Additionally we toured the mice facilities that are used with an emphasis on genetics. The rest of the tour showed us different parts of a hospital and several doctors talked to us about the pros and cons of the German healthcare system. I am a strong believer in American healthcare and was disappointed to see a punishment system for malpractice and a lack of ability to choose a doctor for surgery. I refuse to believe that healthcare should be practiced with anything short of excellence and was therefore disappointed to see what I feel is a tolerance for exactly that.
7/18: The DLR added a new angle to what medicine is used for. I think we all thought about it but never actually got to see how and where they do physiological tests for prospective and current space travelers. Apparently they pay people to be bed-ridden to test the physiological changes in order to mimic zero gravity conditions. We toured these rooms and nearly unanimously agreed that they would need to increase the compensation to make us participate in such studies. The experts had no comment.
7/4: Our host family speaks no English. Our dinner consists of outstanding food and furious page flipping through a translation manual to figure out what we are being asked or told.
7/5: Juice and I decided to wake up early and go walking down the Rhine before we met up for our tour. I pulled out a notepad and tallied responses to “Guten Tag” and “hello” to test how people treat friendly Texans. Most people who didn’t avoid eye contact gave us scorns. Favorable responses were usually from the elderly or young women our age. I blame Juice’s good looks for this deviation. I am hoping a free afternoon and a biergarten will yield a similar survey on courtship.
7/6: We got lost on the public transportation system and ended up spending 3-4 hours touring far suburbs and different parts of the city. We were told lots of people spoke English here. Our parts of the city must have been ‘dead zones.’ Ironically my cell phone didn’t work in one of the areas either.
7/8: Today was our first German workshop. We followed it with a scavenger hunt that sent us around the older yet ironically ‘hipper’ part of the city. The city is quite pretty and the people treat us pretty well.
7/9: Cologne is fantastic. I don’t think anyone believed that we would have such a wonderful tour of the cathedral. The Elde Haus pulled a bit of emotion into everyone. Seeing is truly understanding and all that. We ended with some breathtaking heights on top of the cathedral.
7/10: After lecture and another German workshop my associates and I headed up to the ruins north on the Rhine to find a similar riverside beauty like that of the Benrather ‘pink castle’. It was pretty, but the pink castle still is the group favorite.
7/11: Our guest lecturer was really engaging and entertaining. His knowledge was vast without coming off as overwhelming. We shared our feelings in cultural studies and found that many of us feel the same way about things. The consensus is the lack of personal space is our main concern.
7/12: We journeyed to the beautiful city of Trier and found that its small town feel was exactly what we all needed. Involved was a walkthrough of a building from 16 BC and many beautiful churches. I would compare it to Fredericksburg in Texas with the exception of architecture diversity, automobiles, and a language barrier.
7/13: Amsterdam is gorgeous. Amsterdam drivers are jerks. Between gorgeous architecture and rich history are drivers born with the intent of mowing you down. The Anne Frank house was the most positively moving part of the trip due to its actual artifacts and actual walkthrough of the living situations that we have all read about. Any one of the many walkthroughs of an Amsterdam alley was the most negatively moving part of the daytrip. There are some pretty sketch stores and characters that are all but ubiquitous in portions of the city. Luckily, it was completely overshadowed by the beauty of the city and the good company of fellow group members.
7/14: A beautiful journey through the German countryside brought us to a tour of a research farm. They were extremely informative and seem to be doing great things with such a small setup. They could probably do just as much groundbreaking research as A&M if they had similar resources.
7/15: We toured the Cologne zoo. Talking with other tourists reminded us of the progress we have made with both our German linguistically and culturally. After returning home from Cologne, Juice and I realized how we have come to understand Germany as home. We no longer miss our morning drives to school and we know our public transportation routes and times. I tried to celebrate this personal groundbreaking time by ordering extra mustard on my sandwich during dinner. The lady just gave me an empty expression and had to speak English to me to try to understand what I was saying. Totally shot down. Despite the language butchering, she was quite nice.
7/17: The Hannover facilities are fantastic. We stayed the night on a hostel and ended up suiting up to watch a lung transplant. Additionally we toured the mice facilities that are used with an emphasis on genetics. The rest of the tour showed us different parts of a hospital and several doctors talked to us about the pros and cons of the German healthcare system. I am a strong believer in American healthcare and was disappointed to see a punishment system for malpractice and a lack of ability to choose a doctor for surgery. I refuse to believe that healthcare should be practiced with anything short of excellence and was therefore disappointed to see what I feel is a tolerance for exactly that.
7/18: The DLR added a new angle to what medicine is used for. I think we all thought about it but never actually got to see how and where they do physiological tests for prospective and current space travelers. Apparently they pay people to be bed-ridden to test the physiological changes in order to mimic zero gravity conditions. We toured these rooms and nearly unanimously agreed that they would need to increase the compensation to make us participate in such studies. The experts had no comment.
When in Paris....
So, I’m on a train headed back to Dusseldorf at the moment after a weekend in Paris. Coming to Paris I really didn’t have any ideas on what the city would look like nor did I realize all the historic areas that are in the city. We arrived late Friday night and headed to the hotel to prepare for the next day. Saturday we started with a free tour of Paris and was probably the best thing we could have done. The tour guide was a college student from Oregon who lived in Paris for the summer and worked as a tour guide only paid by tips. She was hilarious and knew the city well. After the tour was over we decided to walk around a bit more and see more of the city. After some time we went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. We slapped on our nice clothes and went out to the top of the hill where a big white church was on the top and Moulin Rouge was at the bottom. After we hiked to the top we found a very nice outdoor restaurant and celebrated life. We left the restaurant, walked around the top of the hill and headed back to the hotel. Today we went back to the Eiffel Tower and climbed the stairs to the second platform which was 670 steps high. After which it was time to head back to the train station to head to Dusseldorf.
Our time in Paris was not nearly long enough. After the free tour we realized just how much there was to do and knew immediately that we could never see what we wanted to see in just one weekend. However just being in Paris and seeing the city made me want to come back as soon as I can to see more of this amazing city.
Our time in Paris was not nearly long enough. After the free tour we realized just how much there was to do and knew immediately that we could never see what we wanted to see in just one weekend. However just being in Paris and seeing the city made me want to come back as soon as I can to see more of this amazing city.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Second Week
The program has really started to pick up speed. This week we spent everyday traveling. It started with a tour of a research farm on Monday followed by a zoo visit on Tuesday in Cologne. Along with Dr. Wasser’s lectures and German language classes we stayed completely busy. So busy I have had no free time in the day except for lunch. Wednesday and Thursday we traveled to Hannover and stayed the night there; my first hostel experience. In Hannover we toured the medical school and teaching hospital. The most interesting thing by far was watching a lung transplant in swine. We were welcomed there with a BBQ for supper on Wednesday night. After a few beverages we returned to the hostel and resumed consuming beverages. The next day, Thursday, we returned to Dusseldorf in time to repack our bags for a day trip to Cologne and the weekend in Paris. The day trip to Cologne turned out to be very interesting and I wish we had more time to tour the institute which dealt with aerospace medicine and the European Space Agency, very interesting.
Anyways this weekend we are traveling to Paris, which should be a good time. I’ll blog about the weekend later. Till then…..
Jordan “Juice”
Anyways this weekend we are traveling to Paris, which should be a good time. I’ll blog about the weekend later. Till then…..
Jordan “Juice”
Friday, July 18, 2008
ELDE Haus...intense.
Blogging a bit late about my visit to Köln and after watching Sophia Scholl, I thought it appropriate to preview my experience at the ELDE Haus, a main site of administration and execution in Köln during the Nazi regime. As we were able to peer into a meer crack in the hollow darkness that hellaciously defines the era, I was able to open my eyes like never before to a piece of history that quickly became tangible reality as we silently walked down the eery, narrow halls as the tour guide outlined the procedures of extermination beginning with an unjustifiable measurement of features to inhumanely categorize innocent citizens into what would become "lives unworthy of life" or not. My eyes slowly ran down the pages and pages of charts that merely gave statistics on who a person is, apparently at the time determined only by words on a page. Graphs outlined how much taxpayers spent on indigents like the deaf, blind, or mentally retarded only for the purpose of attempting to justify throwing those citizens out for the success of creating their "master race." We continued down into a cold, dim basement of which a few lights illuminated deeply engraven scripts desperately beseeching freedom in a time of inevitable injustice and imminent execution. My heart sank and every face of every portrait I have seen in my history books suddenly came to life. This experience is one which everyone should know, and of which I am appreciative to have taken part of.
I can not believe how quickly the time has gone on this trip. I am glad that we are getting to visit different parts of Germany and making good use of our time even if we are super busy.
Hanover was very exciting because we were able to begin viewing and discussing the medical field in Germany. The lung transplant was unbelievable. Last summer, I was able to observe many complex surgeries due to my internship in a hospital. I did not think watching a lung transplant in a pig would be that interesting. I was wrong. I found I love being in the operating room, no matter who is having the operation. I enjoyed hearing about how these experiments on animals is how we perfect human transplants. Seeing the newly attached lung inflate for the first time was an exhilarating feeling. I can not wait to be the one holding the scalpel one day.
I also enjoyed hanging out with some high school students we met Wednesday night in the hostel. I found it funny when they told me at age 16 they could drink a beer with us but would not be allowed to get their drivers license until they turned 18. This is so strange to me. It makes sense in a way though. They learn there tolerance for alcohol before they can even get in a car. I wonder if this prevents more drunk driving accidents in Germany?
We just finished watching the movie on student resistance in the Third Reich. It is weird to think that at my age Sophia had the courage to stand up to her country and say what was happening was wrong. I do not think I would do this. I like to follow the rules and would find it very difficult to take this stand, even if I believed what the government was doing was wrong.
I am excited to go to the aerospace medicine institute this afternoon. I have never considered the health problems associated with space flight. I look forward to being informed about such health issues that exist. I am also excited that we will be in the city of love by 10 pm tonight!
Au revoir!!
Hannover and more
I just got home from Hannover yesterday, one of our excursions with the program. The experience was very wonderful, s the pre-veterinary students (or veterinary students, in the case of Amanda) went separately to the vet school there in Hannover, where we shadowed the students there for their evening rounds. I got to give a cow an injection of ampicillin, give another cow an oral medication (which was quite difficult, since the cow had a weight advantage on me and knew the score), and examined another cow for a displaced abomasum. It was very interesting, and the opportunity for the hands-on experience here in Europe was invaluable.
We also went to see the amazing anatomy department at the school, with all of the old skeletons and models, which was very impressive. Some of the models date back the the end of the nineteenth century, and there were a number of posed horse (pferd) skeletons from famous horses that had been donated to the school. The accessibility of the model was impressive, as I believe A&M's models are all higher on shelves, as a general rule.
The aquaculture center was likewise very fascinating, especially as I have a strong interest in fishkeeping as a hobby. The fact that the center there conducts not only research, but also treats the fish that are simply pets is quite astonishing. I do not believe such a service is readily offered in the States, though of course all fish stores will offer advice and medications. There was also an impressive display aquarium, which had several freshwater rays, which had also recently given birth! That was a rare sight indeed, though I had actually seen more freshwater rays at the aquarium at the zoo in Köln.
Speaking of the zoo in Köln, I saw some amazing things there, too. The elephant exhibit there is very, very impressive, especially when compared to the paltry enclosure found at the Dallas Zoo. I was likewise impressed by the set up of the facility--the animals always seemed very close and accessible, a unique arrangement. And the zoo had a number of Przewalski's horses there, which I was able to see at a very close range, something that, given my interest in equids, was very exciting to me personally.
All in all, the past few days have been wonderful, and I am now very excited to see the aerospace center in Köln. Also exciting, though not relevant to the program, is the trip I will take immediately after the program to Paris, a place I never dreamed I would visit so early in my life. I can't wait to see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Arc d'Triumph, and maybe even the Louvre, if I can. I can hardly wait! Expect more from me soon!
We also went to see the amazing anatomy department at the school, with all of the old skeletons and models, which was very impressive. Some of the models date back the the end of the nineteenth century, and there were a number of posed horse (pferd) skeletons from famous horses that had been donated to the school. The accessibility of the model was impressive, as I believe A&M's models are all higher on shelves, as a general rule.
The aquaculture center was likewise very fascinating, especially as I have a strong interest in fishkeeping as a hobby. The fact that the center there conducts not only research, but also treats the fish that are simply pets is quite astonishing. I do not believe such a service is readily offered in the States, though of course all fish stores will offer advice and medications. There was also an impressive display aquarium, which had several freshwater rays, which had also recently given birth! That was a rare sight indeed, though I had actually seen more freshwater rays at the aquarium at the zoo in Köln.
Speaking of the zoo in Köln, I saw some amazing things there, too. The elephant exhibit there is very, very impressive, especially when compared to the paltry enclosure found at the Dallas Zoo. I was likewise impressed by the set up of the facility--the animals always seemed very close and accessible, a unique arrangement. And the zoo had a number of Przewalski's horses there, which I was able to see at a very close range, something that, given my interest in equids, was very exciting to me personally.
All in all, the past few days have been wonderful, and I am now very excited to see the aerospace center in Köln. Also exciting, though not relevant to the program, is the trip I will take immediately after the program to Paris, a place I never dreamed I would visit so early in my life. I can't wait to see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Arc d'Triumph, and maybe even the Louvre, if I can. I can hardly wait! Expect more from me soon!
Inflated Lung
Yesterday we got to go to the Hannover Medical school. It was by far the coolest thing we've done academically on this trip so far. As soon as we arrived at the organ transplant center, we were dressed from head to toe in protective gear. I even had to use hairnets for my shoes because my feet are gigantic and apparently don't fit normal shoe covers. We then proceeded into the operating room where a lung transplant was occurring on a pig. A team of surgeons we're huddled around the sliced open swine and meticulously threading together a transplanted lung. I had never seen any large surgery as this in action and it was a completely enlightening experience. To be able to see the beating heart of the pig while it received a new lung was amazing. The periodic thump of the heart nudged the doctor's hand as he flawlessly pieced together the organs. It is was one thing to listen about a lung transplant, but another to actually see this life saving operation in progress. These procedures are first tested on animals and then implemented on humans. Without these animal tests, human organ transplantation could never be executed. So to say the least, these are crucial experiments and operations. I found it even more impressive that the surgeons were able to answer questions while their hands were inside the pig. As the operation came to an end, the surgeons demonstrated the newly attached lung. The transplanted lung inflated with air and successfully performed its task.
Hannnover, Paris
This week has absolutely flown by with all the trips that we have been taking. I really can't believe that it has already been two weeks since I have arrived in Germany, and that we only have three weeks left. This trip has been awesome so far, and everything that it has been described as and more. I'm glad that we have started with the different medical/vet excursions, even though I am interested in German history and culture, it's still nice to be able to go out and see different things in the field and speak with experts about their research. Even though the speakers are extremely nice and outgoing with their work and research, I still feel that it is hard to come up with questions to ask them and are relevant to their field of study. Since I do not know nearly as much as they do in their field, it's hard to come up with questions that either 1 - make me look like an idiot, or 2 - are not really relevant to what they are actually working on. Hopefully I will get more experience in this and be able to come up with good questions. As far as this weekend I'm looking forward to going to Paris and being able to experience another European city and get more stories for when I go back home.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
to DLR
I'm going to try this pre-excursion blog and then get back to you about our trip! We just finished watching "Sophie Sholl- the Final Days." This movie really touched me. I was sad and angry all at the same time. I tried to hold back tears but it didn't work. I'm really looking forward to Munich and seeing the University where the Scholls distributed the leaflets. I think that if I were to feel great emotions at any other location we visit, it will be seeing this University. I'm a pretty emotional person as is, so I don't doubt that I will also have strong emotions as we stand in Berlin where they burnt the books and going to see other historical places of world war II.
On a much lighter note, I'm anxious to visit the German Institute of Aerospace Medicine in Cologne today. Although much of their research is about developing better measures to protect humans from muscle atrophy in space, and it may not all pertain to veterinary medicine, having taking physiology last semester, it is always a great experience to apply what I've learned from a book to real life troubles. It is great to practice my knowledge and see how it applies.
This weekend I will travel to Amsterdam, and thanks to Amanda, we have our e-tickets to the Anne Frank Huis. Like I've said in my past blog, I've always enjoyed learning about this part of history, and I have no doubt this will also be a place that I will have strong emotions at. So, safe trip to everyone going to Paris, and a safe trip to us as we further explore the rest of Europe!
Hannover
This week has been awesome so far. Yesterday and the day before was Hannover, which has definitely been my favorite part of the trip so far. Seeing the vet school there, talking to the professors and students, and learning the similarities and differences between our medicine and theirs has been quite an experience indeed. It was so cool to visit such an old vet school and attempt to comprehend the history that has gone on there. As we found out (along with the German doctors) there are many things that are the same in German and English like abscess, edema, and mastitis. It was also really cool to see and work on Holsteins. All in all, I really loved Hannover, but class is starting, so I'll blog again later. Tschuess!
Travel Travel Travel
This week has been so busy with all the traveling! The Farm was really neat and I loved getting a chance to see rural Germany. I found the information about dairy cows very interesting since my family raised dairy cows when I was younger. It did not seem to pertain to medical school very much, but it was very informing and neat to see how they do research on animals on a farm. The Zoo was awesome! I love zoos, and I had never seen one with such nice exhibits for the animals. The tour was nice, but I was expecting something more behind the scenes. I felt like a lot of the information was similar to what they put on the informational plaque and that we could have gotten almost the same information from going around ourselves with Dr. Wasser. The medical and vet schools were really neat! I really enjoyed learning about the research and seeing the labs and operating rooms. I'm excited I learned more about knock out mice, since I will be doing research with them this year. I was very impressed how they can keep all of the rats and mice germ free. The last hour where the vet students went to do examinations on cows and the med students when back to the conference room was interesting, but seemed a little repetitive from that morning. I really enjoyed the discussion the next day on Germany's health care system. It sounded very different than the US. I'm still a little confused on the differences between it and Canada, seeing as how Canada's doesn't work very well at all. I still hear of people from Europe coming to the US for health care though. The system seems to do okay for Germany, especially since they are so used to it, but I don't believe it would work in the US. I don't think the people would like it very much. The lung transplant was incredible!!! It was amazing to see a beating heart and the new lung inflate!! It was also interesting to learn about kidney transplants and dialysis. I was pretty exhausted by the end of the day because we had been going to so many different places. I was hoping to see more of the medical school and get a better understanding of what medical school was like in Germany compared to the US. I am excited to visit the Aerospace Medicine DOR! It is a topic I have never heard much about, so I think it will be very informative. I am getting a little tired this week with all the traveling, especially in comparison to last week's more laid back atmosphere. I kind of wish we did one of this week's excursions last week to kind of break it up a little more. This weekend we are going to Amsterdam and Brussels! I am very excited to see the museums and try the food! Hopefully I can catch a little rest on the train ride!
So much fun, too little time
This week has been pretty much amazing. We've done alot but it was so much fun and informative. The vet school was absolutely superb. The hands on experience was very cool because I had never handled a cow like that. I've pushed them around the pasture but I've never been able to give an injection or listen to their rumen and I'm so glad we got to experience that. I even sat on a cow's neck! The students that we were shadowing were also really nice. I had one girl pull me into a stall to help her but she couldn't really speak english. She still got me to do what I needed to do because she smiled the whole time and didn't get frustrated when she couldn't remember a certain word. I am really grateful for those kind of people since it really helps me out and I'm sure everyone else in the group to have a patient person try to help you out. On the tour of the cattle clinic we also learned a few differences between how we would practice bovine medicine as compared to how they do. Apparently, and it makes total sense I just never thought about it, some of the drugs we use in America are not legal to use here in Germany, but it makes no difference to them because they use the drugs they have and we use the drugs we have. Everything else has been really similar, which shouldn't be very surprising sense we aren't in a third world country or anything and they have top notch doctors and medicines.
The fish presentation was not too bad. Unfortunately he chose to just give a power point presentation in a dark room so it made it a little hard for us to stay awake, but we still learned alot. For instance, I have never thought about doing surgery on a fish, but it happens. We also talked about some of the parasites that fish can get, specifically the pectoralis, or sea lice, that he had worked with. Again, I had never thought about these things. When I hear about fish, I think about the catfish or trout that will be on my plate covered in butter. It was an interested perspective to take so I found the whole thing very informative. So all in all, this week has taught me alot and shown me things that I never would have thought to even look at, which I guess is kind of the point of this trip so kudos to everyone who set up these excursions.
The fish presentation was not too bad. Unfortunately he chose to just give a power point presentation in a dark room so it made it a little hard for us to stay awake, but we still learned alot. For instance, I have never thought about doing surgery on a fish, but it happens. We also talked about some of the parasites that fish can get, specifically the pectoralis, or sea lice, that he had worked with. Again, I had never thought about these things. When I hear about fish, I think about the catfish or trout that will be on my plate covered in butter. It was an interested perspective to take so I found the whole thing very informative. So all in all, this week has taught me alot and shown me things that I never would have thought to even look at, which I guess is kind of the point of this trip so kudos to everyone who set up these excursions.
An Excursion to Remember
This week has flown by fast! We just got back from Hannover where I got to visit their Veterinary school. Being there and getting hands on experience with their cattle has made me even more eager to study mixed animal practice. Having worked at a dairy clinic back in west texas it was great to see the similarities and differences between the techniques taught here, and our techniques back home. As we got the chance to walk around the clinic and help out, the meaning of 'order' was totally displayed. The first time we walked through we gave each cow their medications, but before that, we got everything completely ready (seringes, cottonball with alcohol, etc) on a pan before going into each stall. This was done for every cow there (~40). Afterwards we did one more walk through before heading out, and this included looking at their written list of medications for which cow and then comparing it to their chart outside each stall. Then a quick examination of each cow. I absolutely loved the dairy clinic I worked for, but I don't ever think we were the thorough, and everything was much more fast paced when giving injections or vaccines. --- the vet school was a great experience---
I really enjoyed this trip not just because of getting to visit the vet school but because I learned a lot about things I never thought to think about. I guess coming from a semi small town, seeing cows or feed lots never bothered me. I never thought to myself was it right or wrong. I do not necessarily think it is wrong right now either, but it has made me see the oposing view. I've always loved to hear what others had to say on particular issues, and I feel that being in the animal field it is very important to have an open mind and be well informed about these topics at hand. With this being said, I noticed a difference in the way we treat our livestock and how German's do so here. They seem to seek out the best possible environments for their cattle, horses, dogs, etc. Everytime we went to a stall to see another cow, if they weren't a 'downer' cow, they would be in a stall where there was a lot of sunlight and fresh air because Dr. Meyer assured us that it is very important for them to have that natural environment while they were at the clinic. When we got home, my host father was talking to us about horses, and how he refuses to use and bit, harness, or any restraint on horses, and he was very adiment about any of those harm them. Regardless whether they are right or not, I am absolutely enjoying the fact that I am hearing different views from a different country.
This is only the second week and I have found everything very interesting to me. I feel so much more informed on topics I never thought to be informed about. I can't wait to see what else Germany and the rest of our excursions will bring!
I really enjoyed this trip not just because of getting to visit the vet school but because I learned a lot about things I never thought to think about. I guess coming from a semi small town, seeing cows or feed lots never bothered me. I never thought to myself was it right or wrong. I do not necessarily think it is wrong right now either, but it has made me see the oposing view. I've always loved to hear what others had to say on particular issues, and I feel that being in the animal field it is very important to have an open mind and be well informed about these topics at hand. With this being said, I noticed a difference in the way we treat our livestock and how German's do so here. They seem to seek out the best possible environments for their cattle, horses, dogs, etc. Everytime we went to a stall to see another cow, if they weren't a 'downer' cow, they would be in a stall where there was a lot of sunlight and fresh air because Dr. Meyer assured us that it is very important for them to have that natural environment while they were at the clinic. When we got home, my host father was talking to us about horses, and how he refuses to use and bit, harness, or any restraint on horses, and he was very adiment about any of those harm them. Regardless whether they are right or not, I am absolutely enjoying the fact that I am hearing different views from a different country.
This is only the second week and I have found everything very interesting to me. I feel so much more informed on topics I never thought to be informed about. I can't wait to see what else Germany and the rest of our excursions will bring!
Cologne and Paris
Our excursion last week was incredible! I was not expecting so much from Cologne. The tower tour obviously sounded fun, but just the city itself I did not know what to expect. We walked out of the train station, and BAM there is the cathedral. It was awesome! The tour of the town was very interesting, especially with its Roman background. I am still constantly shocked the amount of history towns have here. It was fascinating how their town hall was designed as a mixture of so many different types of architecture. I had never seen anything combine three very different types of architecture. The cathedral tour was breath-taking. I was really nervous climbing up the tower, but it was so worth it. The beauty and effort that was put into the cathedral is amazing. I felt so moved just to be walking above all the pews in narrow hallways and winding stairs. The stained glass was gorgeous, and everything was so intricate. It was such a contrast to going to the ELDE house. To see something so beautiful and then something so horrific was very errie. I learned a lot about the beginnings of the Nazis. I had no idea they started at such a young age with children, trying to change the way they think. And seeing the jail cells and learning about how neighbors would turn people in. It was chilling and scary. I just don't understand. The day was one of stark contrasts. I love Cologne!!! I'm glad it is close and we go through it often.
Paris was awesome! It started out a little stressful when we realized we were supposed to leave Cologne at 5:14, instead of leave Duesseldorf at 5:14. But luckily it all worked out. Some people on the train were very helpful in telling us the platform so we could make our next train. We had a little adventure when we got there trying to find our hostel. Everyone was very friendly though, which surprised me. I was expecting very rude people, but I never encountered that. We actually met some very friendly French. lol I think the French get kind of a bad rap, like a lot of citizens do when their country isn't currently popular with the world. On Saturday we got our fill of sightseeing, visiting the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, and Arc de Triomphe. Most of the day was very relaxed, walking or taking the metro around town and just taking in the sights. The Eiffel Tower was incredible! We went during the day and then went back at night to see the light show. We just relaxed on the lawn, visiting with some of Amanda's friends. The food there was incredible too! So good! We had a little adventure when we got back. The maids cleaned our hostel room, taking Jamie and Susan's things. We never got them back, so that kind of stunk. We all were not very happy to have our stuff thrown out by the hostel itself. Don't recommend Aloha Hostel to anyone. But other than that, the trip went great! I'm so glad I finally got to see Paris, and I have some amazing pictures to always remember it! When we got home, our host family had made us French hats! They are really nice! I love our host family! They are definitely making this trip even more memorable!
Paris was awesome! It started out a little stressful when we realized we were supposed to leave Cologne at 5:14, instead of leave Duesseldorf at 5:14. But luckily it all worked out. Some people on the train were very helpful in telling us the platform so we could make our next train. We had a little adventure when we got there trying to find our hostel. Everyone was very friendly though, which surprised me. I was expecting very rude people, but I never encountered that. We actually met some very friendly French. lol I think the French get kind of a bad rap, like a lot of citizens do when their country isn't currently popular with the world. On Saturday we got our fill of sightseeing, visiting the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, and Arc de Triomphe. Most of the day was very relaxed, walking or taking the metro around town and just taking in the sights. The Eiffel Tower was incredible! We went during the day and then went back at night to see the light show. We just relaxed on the lawn, visiting with some of Amanda's friends. The food there was incredible too! So good! We had a little adventure when we got back. The maids cleaned our hostel room, taking Jamie and Susan's things. We never got them back, so that kind of stunk. We all were not very happy to have our stuff thrown out by the hostel itself. Don't recommend Aloha Hostel to anyone. But other than that, the trip went great! I'm so glad I finally got to see Paris, and I have some amazing pictures to always remember it! When we got home, our host family had made us French hats! They are really nice! I love our host family! They are definitely making this trip even more memorable!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
A summary to date
The program so far has been amazing. The sheer volume of history in Germany is astounding, and the opportunity to see all the sights of Europe that I have is something I never thought I was going to be able to experience at such an early stage in my life. From the moment I first set foot off of the airplane, everything has been absolutely amazing. Düsseldorf and the Altstadt are wonderful, and meine gestmutter is very nice.
All of the excursions and activities have been very exciting, too! The scavenger hunt through Düsseldorf was great fun, even if the prize was for Subway, which might require me to break my oath to not enter an American chain restaurant. Of course, Köln was absolutely amazing. The tour on top of the alter point was mind-blowing, as terrified as I was of the sheer height we were up, and in the rain to boot! The history and size of the cathedral was astonishing, and that first moment when I exited the Köln hauptbahnhof and caught sight of it was something I'll remember for a long while.
Living in Germany is also a blast, even though the language is still giving me some trouble. Putting what I've learned in German class to use on the streets is a bit hard, and I've found it easier just to speak English, since the entire population here seems to know at least enough to get by with day-to-day requirements. Learning what I have is fun, though, and I try to use it when I can.
Not that there isn't any culture shock. The public transportation didn't take too much getting used to, since I've been all over Dallas's DART system, and I've had no trouble getting used to German food--in fact, I may come home ten pounds heavier--but the style of living here is very different. Orderly is a good word for it, I think, which does fit in with the stereotype. It's the little things that have a way of throwing me off--the way that lights turn yellow before turning green, and how the first floor here would be the second floor in America, and how I have yet to see a single pick up truck.
The little differences can be very good, though. For instance, I love the German attitude towards dogs. Everywhere I go, I see dogs! I love it, though it makes me homesick. I've been pretty good with the homesickness, though. I have yet to call home, though I do find myself ducking into internet cafes fairly regularly to check email and update facebook, and to chat with my boyfriend back home. But my host mother is very nice, and all in all, I am so busy having fun I barely have time to think about what I've left in the states!
My free weekend was again amazing, though that is perhaps a story for another blog. Trier, Köln, and Amsterdam make for a busy weekend. Likewise, Lehr und Forschungsstation was very enjoyable to see, especially as a pre-vet student. And now, I am very excited to see the zoo in Köln, and in fact, I need to leave to go catch the train there. More soon!
All of the excursions and activities have been very exciting, too! The scavenger hunt through Düsseldorf was great fun, even if the prize was for Subway, which might require me to break my oath to not enter an American chain restaurant. Of course, Köln was absolutely amazing. The tour on top of the alter point was mind-blowing, as terrified as I was of the sheer height we were up, and in the rain to boot! The history and size of the cathedral was astonishing, and that first moment when I exited the Köln hauptbahnhof and caught sight of it was something I'll remember for a long while.
Living in Germany is also a blast, even though the language is still giving me some trouble. Putting what I've learned in German class to use on the streets is a bit hard, and I've found it easier just to speak English, since the entire population here seems to know at least enough to get by with day-to-day requirements. Learning what I have is fun, though, and I try to use it when I can.
Not that there isn't any culture shock. The public transportation didn't take too much getting used to, since I've been all over Dallas's DART system, and I've had no trouble getting used to German food--in fact, I may come home ten pounds heavier--but the style of living here is very different. Orderly is a good word for it, I think, which does fit in with the stereotype. It's the little things that have a way of throwing me off--the way that lights turn yellow before turning green, and how the first floor here would be the second floor in America, and how I have yet to see a single pick up truck.
The little differences can be very good, though. For instance, I love the German attitude towards dogs. Everywhere I go, I see dogs! I love it, though it makes me homesick. I've been pretty good with the homesickness, though. I have yet to call home, though I do find myself ducking into internet cafes fairly regularly to check email and update facebook, and to chat with my boyfriend back home. But my host mother is very nice, and all in all, I am so busy having fun I barely have time to think about what I've left in the states!
My free weekend was again amazing, though that is perhaps a story for another blog. Trier, Köln, and Amsterdam make for a busy weekend. Likewise, Lehr und Forschungsstation was very enjoyable to see, especially as a pre-vet student. And now, I am very excited to see the zoo in Köln, and in fact, I need to leave to go catch the train there. More soon!
Woche Zwei!
So this week has been super busy! However, we are getting to know different parts of Germany so it´s definitely worth it! From now on we only have 1 day when we are in Düsseldorf for an entire day for the rest of the program! That´s incredible to think about! I am so excited about the different parts of this amazing country that we are going to be able to see!
Yesterday we went to Bonn and saw a little of the city, but then we went to Königswinter to see the Animal Research Institute there. I am not that interested in animals, but they were so cute and I had never seen farm animals that up close! It was a once in a life time experience, I learned a lot about veternary medicine, and can say that I have pet a cows head while wearing a Beastie Boys music video outfit! :)
Today we are going to go to the Köln Zoo and the Hannover tomorrow. We are staying overnight in Hannover in a Hostel. This will be my first hostel experience! I´m a bit nervous, but I know that they wouldn´t put us up in some shanty...but I guess we shall see!
My birthday is this coming weekend and apparently in Germany it is bad luck to celebrate your birthday earlier! Hmm....well in Germany I would be having a lot of bad luck! Oops! But on Thursday night we are going to celebrate into my birthday, which is looked upon favorably! So we are going to go to AltStadt on Thursday, take a train to Paris and arrive late on Friday night, and then see the sights and keep on celebrating on Saturday and Sunday!
I am a bit afraid of Parisians being mean because I don´t know any French, minus my butchering of words of ´my name is..´´I would like...´and so on! So that´s it for now! I´m can´t wait to see what all these excursions hold!
Yesterday we went to Bonn and saw a little of the city, but then we went to Königswinter to see the Animal Research Institute there. I am not that interested in animals, but they were so cute and I had never seen farm animals that up close! It was a once in a life time experience, I learned a lot about veternary medicine, and can say that I have pet a cows head while wearing a Beastie Boys music video outfit! :)
Today we are going to go to the Köln Zoo and the Hannover tomorrow. We are staying overnight in Hannover in a Hostel. This will be my first hostel experience! I´m a bit nervous, but I know that they wouldn´t put us up in some shanty...but I guess we shall see!
My birthday is this coming weekend and apparently in Germany it is bad luck to celebrate your birthday earlier! Hmm....well in Germany I would be having a lot of bad luck! Oops! But on Thursday night we are going to celebrate into my birthday, which is looked upon favorably! So we are going to go to AltStadt on Thursday, take a train to Paris and arrive late on Friday night, and then see the sights and keep on celebrating on Saturday and Sunday!
I am a bit afraid of Parisians being mean because I don´t know any French, minus my butchering of words of ´my name is..´´I would like...´and so on! So that´s it for now! I´m can´t wait to see what all these excursions hold!
B.O. and other marvels of Europe
So this weekend I went to Paris and was so excited about it. We got there and we saw how dirty the subways were among other somewhat unmentionable things and smells, and my expectations started to slowly decline. Anyway, we went to buy some metro tickets and we were trying to pay attention to how the people in front of us were doing it because the machine was all in French and none of us spoke french. Well, some nice Canadians saw us and helped us out and we were very grateful for it. I started to feel a little bit better about the weekend since there are some nice people around and such. Then, after a little bit of a crisis and panic attack we managed to get to our hostel. I want to right now black list this hostel and let everyone know that no one should ever stay there, EVER!!! It was called the Aloha Hostel and it was nasty. The entire place smelled like b.o. and I was a little scared to go to the restroom. So anyway we checked in and then went to grab something to eat. I personally think that the French tend to smoke more than Germans. Our waiter was smoking as he was taking our order for pizza with egg on it. It was definitely interesting to say the least. The one thing I really liked about Paris though was that we didn't have any trouble getting around. You always hear that the French people will be snobby and rude if you try to speak English to them but we never got that. It was a good surprise and made the weekend much better.
Also, the research farm we went to yesterday was a really informative and fun experience. I personally am very interested in reproduction technologies so I found everything he was saying to be extremely interesting. Also, I had no idea that it was such a popular trend within their industry. I know our dairy industry is almost completely dependent on A.I. but I never heard that it was such a big deal over here so that was fun to learn. Also, the fact that their cattle are used for dual purpose instead of strictly dairy or strictly beef like our industry was really interesting. I never knew about that either. In other words, yesterday was alot of fun and I learned alot so I'm really glad we got to go.
Also, the research farm we went to yesterday was a really informative and fun experience. I personally am very interested in reproduction technologies so I found everything he was saying to be extremely interesting. Also, I had no idea that it was such a popular trend within their industry. I know our dairy industry is almost completely dependent on A.I. but I never heard that it was such a big deal over here so that was fun to learn. Also, the fact that their cattle are used for dual purpose instead of strictly dairy or strictly beef like our industry was really interesting. I never knew about that either. In other words, yesterday was alot of fun and I learned alot so I'm really glad we got to go.
Monday, July 14, 2008
You had to be there.
This place is great. After being here just over a week, I am already comfortable with the general aspects of everyday German life. I do not always understand exactly what people say to me, but we almost always end up getting our respective points across. I usually at least try to start in German, and though I quickly have to ask them in English, I think that is better than merely relying on the dominance of English and expecting them to know my language. My pronunciation may be horrible and by grammar flat wrong, but people seem to generally appeciate the effort, just like Dr. Wasser said.
One of the highlights for me on this trip was going to be my host family. They are extremely nice people, but they do not seem that interested in getting to know their host students. They have two daughters at the house and another student from Japan who is here studying German. The daughter near my age is never there and the younger one spends most of her time in her room with the door shut, as does the Japanese student. Last week I only really saw them on Monday and Friday, but I was staying out late and getting up early.
I may try visiting some other families which I know enjoy talking about our cultures and their characteristics. I think the stereotype of superconservative Texas is known throughout the world and I enjoy talking to people about it and letting them know I have always lived there and I am fairly liberal. In America, I usually enjoy speaking more with adults about these issues, but over here it often seems that the younger Germans are more interested in talking about it. They may just be more comfortable with English though.
This weekend I visited Trier and Amsterdam. Both amazing cities in their own ways. Both of them had more historical importance than I can fullz comprehend. The Anne Frank house brought back so many memories from Dachau. The two are not directly related, but I think the general feeling I had started to bring back memories of my trip to Dachau and I could remember more details. Both put me in an odd mental state, disgust at the tragedies that happened and appreciation that they were preserved for me to experience.
One of the highlights for me on this trip was going to be my host family. They are extremely nice people, but they do not seem that interested in getting to know their host students. They have two daughters at the house and another student from Japan who is here studying German. The daughter near my age is never there and the younger one spends most of her time in her room with the door shut, as does the Japanese student. Last week I only really saw them on Monday and Friday, but I was staying out late and getting up early.
I may try visiting some other families which I know enjoy talking about our cultures and their characteristics. I think the stereotype of superconservative Texas is known throughout the world and I enjoy talking to people about it and letting them know I have always lived there and I am fairly liberal. In America, I usually enjoy speaking more with adults about these issues, but over here it often seems that the younger Germans are more interested in talking about it. They may just be more comfortable with English though.
This weekend I visited Trier and Amsterdam. Both amazing cities in their own ways. Both of them had more historical importance than I can fullz comprehend. The Anne Frank house brought back so many memories from Dachau. The two are not directly related, but I think the general feeling I had started to bring back memories of my trip to Dachau and I could remember more details. Both put me in an odd mental state, disgust at the tragedies that happened and appreciation that they were preserved for me to experience.
Trier, Koln, and Dusseldorf
Our first completely free weekend of the trip turned out to be full of new experiences accompanied with some relaxation for myself. On Saturday, 9 of us left for Trier to see old ruins and what we told was a more traditional German town. Of course when we got there it was raining and stayed cloudy all day. Trier was fun and interesting, but the real excitement of the trip came on the ride back to Koln. Basically to make a long story short we partied with a bachelorette party on the train and one of us (Madeline) even brought the Soulja Boy dance to the Deutschland. We got off the train in Koln to see the fireworks and have a few drinks. Finally we got back to Dusseldorf around 2:00 am. The next morning I opted no to travel to Amsterdam and stayed in Dusseldorf all day. I experienced the French Festival in Aldstadt and enjoyed the beautiful weather.
During my short time here I have been thinking of things here that I think should be started in the States. First, Duners should come to the states. Duners are Turkish sandwiches made from huge slabs of meat and some good sauce with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. Amazing simply describes it. Another is all the ice cream stands. Around every corner there is sure to a bar and close that is usually an ice cream stand. And for just a few cents you can try one of a number of flavors, pure genius. There will surely be more to come in later blogs, but for now, tschuss.
During my short time here I have been thinking of things here that I think should be started in the States. First, Duners should come to the states. Duners are Turkish sandwiches made from huge slabs of meat and some good sauce with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. Amazing simply describes it. Another is all the ice cream stands. Around every corner there is sure to a bar and close that is usually an ice cream stand. And for just a few cents you can try one of a number of flavors, pure genius. There will surely be more to come in later blogs, but for now, tschuss.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
"Dude, there's a hair on my pillow"
Me and Pete are here in the Amsterdam public library waiting for our train to arrive later on this evening, and we figured this would be as good a time as any to post to the blog. Amsterdam has been great, at first I was a little intimidated by everything but now that we have been here since Friday I feel like I am getting the hang of things. The Dutch are a completely different culture from Germany, at least as far as I can tell. They are extremely laid back (for obvious reasons) and are not afraid to be open about everything (such as other certain sights in the city). Whether it was the 5 year old kid wearing a shirt that says "HOLY SHIT", the children's museum with an entire floor dedicated to sex and what goes down during puberty, or the people that seem to anywhere and anytime bust out a joint (the steps leading up to the library for example), it is very obvious that this is a completely different place from America, let alone Germany. Pete and I had some great adventures here, but I am definitely dragging and really looking forward to getting back to Dusseldorf and actually sleeping. I also experienced my first hostel (what the title is referring to), it was dirty in place, but not bad at all. You really get a great chance to meet a lot of people that are just like you, travelling around looking for a good time. I never thought that I would go out and party with 2 Canadians, an Austrailian, and a Brit in Amsterdam one night. This entire trip has opened me up to so many new experiences it's amazing. I'm looking forward to Zoo and travelling to Bonn this week, and having a real meal from my family as opposed to the crappy 1 Euro frozen pizzas we bought at the grocery store here to eat at the hostel (though it sure is easy on the wallet). I think Pete is going to give the low down on everything that happened this weekend, so I'll quit typing and yall can read his.
Withering away in Amsterdam
Well at the moment I am lounged on a sofa with a state of the art Mac at Amsterdam's awesome free library/mutimeddia center located close to the central station. Allen and I have been walking all weekend discovering Amsterdam and its unique features. Needless to say we are exhausted and need a break while we wait for our train back. To begin the trip our 1st train go canceled so we had to take one 45 minutes later that was slower. That was disappointing. Next on our new train to Amsterdam we proceeded to get off on the wrong stop and ended up in Utrecht. So we then had to take a 100 euro taxi ride 30 km to Amsterdam.
When we arrived the luxurious hostel Anne Marie, we were greeted by a fat orange cat named Andy that I promptly renamed Garfield. I'm not a picky guy so the hostel was not the best living conditions, but I did't mind because we were in the famed Amsterdam. We quickly drropped off our backpacks and began our exhilarating journey.
We did all the typical museum stuff such as the Van Gogh museum and Anne Frank house. However the best was the science museum called Nemo. It is full of hands on experiments and exhibits that made feel like I was 7 years old and watching Power Rangers again. There was a sex/puberty exhibit that I found quite puzzling at a museum aimed mostly for kids. The Dutch are obviously extremely liberal because there were giant tongues teaching kids how to French kiss and different models of sexual positions. As an American I know this would NEVER see the light of day as a children's museum exhibit on American soil. It just goes to show the complete openess of the Netherlands. However I found it quite amusing watching the kids swordfight with the giant tongues. And yes I took many pictures.
Also Allen and I cruised the city at night. The stories are true, Amsterdam is completely insane. The first night we walked around the city and happened to end up in the Red Light district. It was quite frightening every time a girl tapped on the window and beckoned you inside. I feel sorry for them. The second night we befriended some Canadians, Austrailians, and an energetic Brit at the hostel. We then talked at a pub for a while and got to know each other. To end the night we went to a club and danced the night away. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know my new friends from all over the world.
Amsterdam was awesome. We did everything we planned to do and learned so much about the Dutch and backpacking in general. I highly reccommend this crazy city.
When we arrived the luxurious hostel Anne Marie, we were greeted by a fat orange cat named Andy that I promptly renamed Garfield. I'm not a picky guy so the hostel was not the best living conditions, but I did't mind because we were in the famed Amsterdam. We quickly drropped off our backpacks and began our exhilarating journey.
We did all the typical museum stuff such as the Van Gogh museum and Anne Frank house. However the best was the science museum called Nemo. It is full of hands on experiments and exhibits that made feel like I was 7 years old and watching Power Rangers again. There was a sex/puberty exhibit that I found quite puzzling at a museum aimed mostly for kids. The Dutch are obviously extremely liberal because there were giant tongues teaching kids how to French kiss and different models of sexual positions. As an American I know this would NEVER see the light of day as a children's museum exhibit on American soil. It just goes to show the complete openess of the Netherlands. However I found it quite amusing watching the kids swordfight with the giant tongues. And yes I took many pictures.
Also Allen and I cruised the city at night. The stories are true, Amsterdam is completely insane. The first night we walked around the city and happened to end up in the Red Light district. It was quite frightening every time a girl tapped on the window and beckoned you inside. I feel sorry for them. The second night we befriended some Canadians, Austrailians, and an energetic Brit at the hostel. We then talked at a pub for a while and got to know each other. To end the night we went to a club and danced the night away. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know my new friends from all over the world.
Amsterdam was awesome. We did everything we planned to do and learned so much about the Dutch and backpacking in general. I highly reccommend this crazy city.
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