Bonn and the World Cup Final

July 7^th was the first full week in Bonn. Within this week I became more comfortable with using the bus system and other local transportation. We had our first History of Medicine class and German class as well. Monday morning Dr. Wasser gave us our first lecture on the health care systems of Germany and some other European nations compared to the US. I really enjoyed and valued this lecture. It was very eye opening to be informed about how other countries deal with the complex and ever growing issue of public health. I have been aware for a couple years throughout my internships at hospitals of some of the problems with our health care system in the US. The mentality and logistical methods that Germany uses to finance and structure their health care seems to be very much more simplified and practical than our current system in the US. I also had no idea how many things in the Affordable Care Act, enacted by President Obama, was similar to the current European system. Personally, I feel like the current American health care system has let private health insurance companies obtain a monopolistic role over Americans. Instead of the companies being non-profit, many of them are for-profit which resulted in them all being able to charge whatever they wanted to maximize profits. There was not enough incentive to compete, but with a government option that should be more affordable, they will have to compete. Also, the fact that certain people with pre-existing conditions could be denied coverage makes no sense to me. The reason we have health insurance is so that people with large health expenses will not go bankrupt from the sky-rocketing medical costs of treatment today. In Europe, almost everyone if not everyone has some form of health care available so they do not have to worry about not having access to care if they need it. One mentor of mine put the current American health care system and its effects on society this way: we not have health care, we have sick care. Due to the current system many Americans must wait until their health issues are at a critical emergency status to get care instead of having preventative medicine and regular checkups.

We also had our first of five German classes on Monday with Susanne. We started with the basics and played fun games for practice with pronunciation and conversation skills.

Later in the afternoon, we went on a historical city walk with Rainer Zack. I knew Bonn had a strong rooted history, but it wasn’t until our walk that I realized how long it is and the many sites within Bonn that hold strong historical significance in Roman times and in World War II. Rainer made the walk very enjoyable and fun. We went to the Biergarten next to the old AIB and the Rhine. One of my favorite spots was the old Roman villa ruins that were discovered underneath the monastery. I was surprised that the Romans had established small civilizations and homes in present day Germany. I especially enjoyed Rainer’s explanation of the innovative engineering that went into these ancient Villas.

Tuesday we went to the House of History guided tour. This was one of my favorite tours that we have gone on so far. The set-up of the museum was very well done and our guide was excellent. Having a guide who has actually lived through these important events in history and hearing about his first hand experiences with life in pre and post WWII was priceless. Most of the museum focused on WWII and the division of Germany after it up until the fall of the Berlin Wall. Bonn was the formerly the capital of West Germany before the Berlin Wall was taken down in the 80’s.

Later that night we went to the public viewing of the Germany vs. Brazil semi-final game. Since it had been raining so much we went to an indoor viewing. This was my first public viewing so I was very much anticipating what the atmosphere would be like. The social experience was one of a kind. Because we were all standing and there is a lot of tall Germans I was not able to see much of the game but still enjoyed being around my group and other locals. I will never forget the game because of the number of goals Germany made on Brazil, the host country, in such a short time frame. Everyone was going crazy and I almost thought I was in a dream since I didn’t get to actually see how the goals were scored. By the end of the game we were all singing along to the German chants.

Wednesday we paid a visit to the Anesthesia Museum and was guided by one of the leading pioneers in Anesthesia in Germany. The tour was very informative and again, I was very appreciative to be guided by someone who has experienced much of the history first hand. We went through the inception and evolution of anesthesia to how we know it today.

Tuesday and Wednesday I experienced how much the weather in Germany can fluctuate. The entire day Tuesday was rainy and cold, at least by my standards. Wednesday and the rest of the week was very unpredictable. It would be bright and sunny for a couple hours, then become dark and rainy for about 30 minutes and then the sky would clear up and be sunny again. I have rarely ever experienced weather that has changed so fast.

Thursday we took a day trip to Cologne and nice warm weather returned for the whole day! We started off with a historical city tour through the city center area around the love lock bridge, the infamous Cologne Cathedral and market areas. Much like Bonn, there is a rich Roman and medieval history in Cologne. We ate lunch as a group at the Gaffel Dom restaurant where we got to try a lot of the German novelty drinks and dishes that Olivia and others had told us about upon our arrival in Germany. One of my all-time favorite moments of this trip was being able get a rooftop tour of the Cologne Cathedral. I took an architecture class my sophomore year at A&M and much of the class was studying the gothic cathedral period. Since that class it has been a dream since then to experience seeing one of these in person. The three wise men are known to rest there which made the visit even more special. The views of the cathedral and the surrounding city from the rooftop were breathtaking.

Friday we had our final German class with Susanne and afterwards she took all of us out for ice cream! It was nice conclusion to our lessons and was a good feeling being able to order my food in German. That afternoon we finished off the week by visiting the Haribo outlet store.

Now we are to my favorite part of the week, and maybe even the whole trip. Sunday July 13^th was the 2014 FIFA World Cup final match between Germany and Argentina. While watching the world cup games at home in the US and seeing how solid Germany came out in their opening game, I had considered how amazing it would be if Germany advanced to the finals while I was going to be here. Once they won their semifinal game, I was counting down the days until the final. That day and a couple days previous I had tried to find a jersey to wear for the final but all the stores I went to were sold out. I made do with what I could find and geared up for the game. We went to a public viewing in an outdoor park with a huge stage and a giant screen big enough that I could actually see the game this time. A massive crowd had formed by the time kickoff came and the town was buzzing! We all watched in terror and anticipation as each team had shot after shot and still no goal. There was a couple close calls where Argentina scored but the referees called it offside and the goal was taken back. Then Germany had a near goal that hit the post later on in the second half. By the end of the 90 minutes in regular time the crowd was anxious for a goal. Toward the end of the second half it started to rain and pour down on everyone. Some left and I was tempted to watch the rest of the game inside but I knew I would never forgive myself if I missed something so I stuck it out in the rain. A little later it stopped and shortly into the first extra time period one of Germany’s youngest player had a spectacular goal off a volley past the Argentinian goalie. It was as if someone had just popped the cork off a champagne bottle. The entire crowd erupted in screaming, jumping, beer-tossing, and hugging. Some people around me even started to cry. It was just a matter of time until the game was over and sure enough Deutschland came out as the Welt Meister!!! That evening was an absolutely priceless moment that made the entire trip worth while and made me feel very privileged and lucky to have been able to truly experience the mentality and love for soccer here in Germany.