Today, we set off for Germany on our 9.5 hour flight to Frankfurt. The journey was easy enough, except for the crying, nay, shrieking baby three rows in front of me. After our landing, we were surprised to find the weather rather mild as we took an hour and a half bus ride to Bonn, where we have our first stay. The city certainly lives up to the “sleepy” description provided by Dr. Wasser. The town is a quaint, pedestrian friendly town located on the Rhine. The sound of traffic is noticeably absent, and the brick-laden streets placidly welcome anyone willing to take a stroll.
The orientation just got me excited. We’re getting the chance to do and see things that are really unique in the scope of traveling in general, as well as from the standpoint of engineering itself. We’re lucky to be a part of this program, and the group is already gelling nicely. I’ve got a fair amount of learning ahead of me, but rather than feel anxious as I would for school during a typical semester, I’m genuinely excited for what lies ahead.
My first beers in Germany were two dunkels at a local restaurant in Bonn. My German was a little sketchy, but I managed to order my Jagerschnitzel with a little flair.
The first full day of the program (in my mind) began the next day. We started off by going to a hospital in Bonn to watch surgeries. After a few people ran off when I asked if they spoke any English, a friendly doctor who had studied at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston for a year hooked us up with some pretty awesome procedures. Shelby and I managed to shotgun a coronary bypass surgery. Sure, lots of people have seen these surgeries, but this wasn’t your garden variety viewing. We suited up in scrubs an walked into the operating room and stood literally 2 feet from the patient’s heart. Shelby chickened out when the initial incision was made and the sternum was sawn apart (she claims she was hungry). Anyways, I watched at this man’s chest was opened and the wound was cauterized with an electric tool. Saw the lungs breathe in and out and for a moment realized what a miracle the human body truly is. Step by step the surgeons walked us through the process and we watched inquisitively as the patient’s heart was stopped. The vein was removed from the leg, trimmed, and used for the heart.
The heart is evidently a durable organ, as the surgeon would occasionally poke the heart, and all you want to do is scream, “Dude! That’s a guy’s heart—cut that out!” Ha, but the surgery ended up a success (that is to say, when we left it appeared this way). The other thing to note is the smell of burning flesh is truly disgusting. The idea that you are smelling the smoke of fried skin, blood, and muscle is a bit much to handle. Consequently, I would take a deep breath and watch the surgery, and then Shelby would cyclically retreat to do this same. In this way we didn’t spill our breakfasts in the operating room.
Later that night the group was exposed to some culture. Apparently, German’s are obsessed with this video called “Dinner for One” and as a modern day tradition play it on New Year’s Eve while drinking the traditional winter sugar-wine called… ferzangenbowle? If you have a chance to check this video sketch out, I recommend it!
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