This week’s adventures so far included a trip to Hannover as
well as a trip to Norderney. Honestly, both exceeded my expectations
(particularly Norderney). Our first night in Hannover involved a slight mishap
on my part. I booked a reservation at Hotel Marjani but turns out, there are
three Hotel Marjanis. Of course, we ended up at the wrong one. I mistakenly
figured there was only one and since I don’t have service, we all “Google
Maps-ed” the wrong hotel. Hilariousness ensued. The struggle was so real that
night… For starters, there was a woman at the wrong hotel trying to help us. However,
her English was limited and she believed that we were trying to check into the
hotel and brought out a manager. In reality, we were asking for help finding
the other Hotel Marjani. Three of our friends were already at the correct Hotel
Marjani and were confused. To top it all off, the real Hotel Marjani manager
was on the phone thinking we were near his hotel. Struggles, what struggles? Oh
and of course, the cab service we called could not understand our pronunciation
of “Charlautenstrausse”. So… our friend tried spelling this street, but failed
to pronounce the letters in the German way. For example, “H” is pronounced “Ha”
in Deutsch. Needless to say, this night was a struggle bus.
After we made it back safely, we met our full group the next
morning at the Hannover HBF. Then, we had a lecture on some curious creatures
called “Axolotls”. These creatures are researched because of their ability to
regenerate limbs, organs, etc. Perhaps one day, scientists will find a way to transfer
these genes onto humans. After seeing these adorable lizard-like creatures, we
went to the Hannover Medical School for a lecture. The youngest certified
cardiac surgeon visited with us briefly and then, his colleague showed us
various devices used for heart treatment. We then briefly visited with patients
with heart implants waiting for heart donors. It was a bit eye-opening; these
patients clearly made the most of their situation. My concerns seemed petty and
this experience helped put life in perspective. I will be honest—Hannover was
not my favourite city. The hospital and research facility was amazing, but the
city was a bit underwhelming. The next
day was the highlight of the week: the island of Norderney!
The past three days could not have been any more perfect.
The weather was a breezy 70 degrees (Fahrenheit, I promise) and it was sunny
all three days. To travel around the island, all 16 of us received bicycles.
Imagine 14 college students riding bicycles together… Yeah. The first night, we
went to the beach and swam with my professor and program coordinator in the
North Sea. We also saw one of the most beautiful sunsets and took photos
together, one of which was the most awesome human pyramid ever!!! The diversity
of the past week overwhelmed me: from Salzburg to paragliding to Munich, to the
beach. I never expected such a beautiful beach to exist in Germany; Norderney
was paradise.
Day 2: bathhouse. After a lecture on alternative medicines
(particularly in Norderney through the climate, natural remedies, and the spa),
we had the opportunity to utilize the baths in the bathhouse—an application of
our knowledge per say. The spa was absolutely amazing. There was a shower with
a head from 60 m above—basically a waterfall (and unusually pleasant back
massage), a “fire bath” that basically made me infertile (water temperature of
40 degrees Celsius), a salt-water bath, and of course, the mud bath. Norderney
is very special. The air is so fresh and clean that for visitors, there is a
tax of 3 euros/day to breathe this air. Their mud also has various minerals
that provide benefits to skin. Fortunately, our group was given the opportunity
to use this mud bath. The only catch—we were nude. Someone told me people bond
quickly on study abroad trips and for sure, they were not wrong. After we
enjoyed this relaxing spa, we had the awesome opportunity to visit the boat of
a sea rescue service. They rescue humans trapped in the water, lost, injured,
etc. and they are essentially a volunteer organization. The nice men showed us around
the boat and described their work. And of course, for group dinner, we sat in a
restaurant by the beach and ate a fish platter with wine—yum!!! Afterwards, our
professor bought us gelato. Best day ever!!!
And Day 3: today. Right now, I’m on a train back to Bonn for
the first time in 12 days. Today consisted of our group presentations, which I
felt that everyone nailed! Afterwards, our program coordinator led us in a
workout with power walking, skipping, planks, squats, lunges, crab-walking, and
some yoga with Tai Chi. Afterwards, I felt amazing. The Tai Chi and yoga were
on the sands of the North Sea and my mind and body felt at peace. I will come
out and say it: I’m in love with Germany.
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