The weather was certainly not unpleasant or uncomfortable but overcast and cool. The early morning became the early afternoon, but the sky did not grow brighter.
It is somewhat cliche to claim that everything worth saying has already been said. Some things, however, can only be described as they are.
It wasn’t until I saw the grave of Anne Frank that things became real to me.
We had been touring Bergen Belson for several hours. Another interesting and informative tour about NAZI Germany and the Holocaust was, until this point, all that I had seen. Reverence was only natural as we walked from the museum to the campgrounds. Reverence was an instinct; not evidence of any kind understanding.
We walked until we reached the memorial. Upon our arrival, it began to rain.
Could it be any more appropriate that as we stood in the place the sky itself did cry? As I kneeled before this symbolic headstone placed at random in the honor of one girl out of thousands who had died, my eyes became wet and my face red.
Stuffed cats and small toys were placed at her stone. What better for a child of twelve?
Anne Frank was a living, breathing person.
We look at numbers so much that we forget that everyone of the thirty-thousand people who died at this camp and the millions more who died over the course of the war were all living and breathing at one point; that all of them had a life story, and that all of them are worth crying over.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
Swine and Poultry and Cows, Oh My!
This is a repost of what I would've written when the blog was down (I posted it on my personal blog at the time instead.)
Part of the reason I was so excited to do this specific study abroad program (Studying abroad was always part of my college plan) is because it was specifically targeted to my area of interest, something not super common among science majors and something pretty much non-existent for animal science majors.
The thing about the trip thus far though is that it's pretty much been all human medicine. Don't get me wrong I considered being pre-med and I think human medicine is fascinating, but program wise the past two days have been the best we've spent thus far. We're staying in Hannover right now which is home to Germany's longest running Vet School, the TIHO (sp?). Yesterday started out like some of our other days, we woke up early and rode the subway out to the MHH (M-Ha-Ha) which is a German Med. School in Hannover. There we talked with the head of the Nephrology department about the differences between the USA's health care system at present and Germany's present Health Care system (and education a little bit.) This was super interesting and informative, but I'm definitely still riding in my "capitalist corvette." After that we spent the rest of the morning learning about kidney failure and dialysis, we got to watch a patient who was in the process of getting hemodialysis, and we learned about some interesting kidney drug research. This was all well and good but the best part of the day was after lunch.
In the afternoon we took a bus out to the veterinary school's teaching farm. This is a place they send all their students for two weeks so the suburbian and city kids can learn what it's like to be around and interact with farm animals and what the industry is like today. This was super cool because I got to really see things we'd only really talked about in my animal science classes. The EU has more strict animal welfare laws to some extent which means they have to test out new methods of raising animals that are not yet used in the USA. They also as a teaching farm had some very interesting technological advancements we'd only talked about in ANSC 107H or ANSC 310, like a robotic milker or an automatic feed dispenser that both use bluetooth-like technology to identify the animals.
If all of that wasn't cool enough in the evening we went to a cook out at the TIHO where we were able to meet German veterinary students and 3rd and 4th year veterinary students from the big 10 schools in the USA who were on a school trip abroad also. It was a really unique and wonderful experience because the US veterinary student were from all different schools (including the U of M) and they were really kind and gave me some really great advice.
So Wednesday night I went back to the hotel happy as a clam, but today things got even better. We woke up early and started the morning out at TIHO's anatomical collection which was really fascinating and laid out in such a way that each case allowed you to compare the anatomy of say, the stomach in large and small ruminants with that of a hind gut fermenter and a monogastric.
After this, we went to the cattle center of the school and it was absolutely amazing. We got to rectally palpate a cow and watch the collection of oocytes for in vitro fertilization, for the first time in my life I saw an intact male dairy bull, we saw part of a surgery to correct a displaced abomasum and were able to feel the knee of a cow who's ACL was torn. Not to mention the camel we looked at and the adorable two (maybe three) week old calf we saw who accidentally inhaled some amniotic fluid during his birth by cesarean section and was in critical condition with pneumonia as a result. We were blessed to really be taken around to see everything exciting or interesting there was to see and it was so amazing and really really makes me think that I want to work with cattle. They're so sweet and gentle (except the bulls, who are actually quite dangerous) for example the cow who we saw surgery being performed on had only local anesthetic, and here there were two veterinarians and two students sticking their hands in her abdomen (not all at once) and 7-15 of us crowding around watching it all and she was absolutely chill about it, just the sweetest thing. We also got to learn a lot about in vitro fertilization techniques in cattle, which was very interesting and not something I've really learned a lot about before, having not taken repro. yet.
After lunch we went to the new campus and got a tour of the pathology department, which was interesting despite the extreme weariness of our entire group. The most interesting thing was talking to our guide about the most interesting necropsies he'd done. It was really interesting to talk to someone who works with animals only really after they're dead about the things they look at and the methods they use. I still prefer live animals and the people associated with them though.
Anyway that's all for now, I've got to go eat dinner.
Ciao!
Caitlin
Part of the reason I was so excited to do this specific study abroad program (Studying abroad was always part of my college plan) is because it was specifically targeted to my area of interest, something not super common among science majors and something pretty much non-existent for animal science majors.
The thing about the trip thus far though is that it's pretty much been all human medicine. Don't get me wrong I considered being pre-med and I think human medicine is fascinating, but program wise the past two days have been the best we've spent thus far. We're staying in Hannover right now which is home to Germany's longest running Vet School, the TIHO (sp?). Yesterday started out like some of our other days, we woke up early and rode the subway out to the MHH (M-Ha-Ha) which is a German Med. School in Hannover. There we talked with the head of the Nephrology department about the differences between the USA's health care system at present and Germany's present Health Care system (and education a little bit.) This was super interesting and informative, but I'm definitely still riding in my "capitalist corvette." After that we spent the rest of the morning learning about kidney failure and dialysis, we got to watch a patient who was in the process of getting hemodialysis, and we learned about some interesting kidney drug research. This was all well and good but the best part of the day was after lunch.
In the afternoon we took a bus out to the veterinary school's teaching farm. This is a place they send all their students for two weeks so the suburbian and city kids can learn what it's like to be around and interact with farm animals and what the industry is like today. This was super cool because I got to really see things we'd only really talked about in my animal science classes. The EU has more strict animal welfare laws to some extent which means they have to test out new methods of raising animals that are not yet used in the USA. They also as a teaching farm had some very interesting technological advancements we'd only talked about in ANSC 107H or ANSC 310, like a robotic milker or an automatic feed dispenser that both use bluetooth-like technology to identify the animals.
If all of that wasn't cool enough in the evening we went to a cook out at the TIHO where we were able to meet German veterinary students and 3rd and 4th year veterinary students from the big 10 schools in the USA who were on a school trip abroad also. It was a really unique and wonderful experience because the US veterinary student were from all different schools (including the U of M) and they were really kind and gave me some really great advice.
So Wednesday night I went back to the hotel happy as a clam, but today things got even better. We woke up early and started the morning out at TIHO's anatomical collection which was really fascinating and laid out in such a way that each case allowed you to compare the anatomy of say, the stomach in large and small ruminants with that of a hind gut fermenter and a monogastric.
After this, we went to the cattle center of the school and it was absolutely amazing. We got to rectally palpate a cow and watch the collection of oocytes for in vitro fertilization, for the first time in my life I saw an intact male dairy bull, we saw part of a surgery to correct a displaced abomasum and were able to feel the knee of a cow who's ACL was torn. Not to mention the camel we looked at and the adorable two (maybe three) week old calf we saw who accidentally inhaled some amniotic fluid during his birth by cesarean section and was in critical condition with pneumonia as a result. We were blessed to really be taken around to see everything exciting or interesting there was to see and it was so amazing and really really makes me think that I want to work with cattle. They're so sweet and gentle (except the bulls, who are actually quite dangerous) for example the cow who we saw surgery being performed on had only local anesthetic, and here there were two veterinarians and two students sticking their hands in her abdomen (not all at once) and 7-15 of us crowding around watching it all and she was absolutely chill about it, just the sweetest thing. We also got to learn a lot about in vitro fertilization techniques in cattle, which was very interesting and not something I've really learned a lot about before, having not taken repro. yet.
After lunch we went to the new campus and got a tour of the pathology department, which was interesting despite the extreme weariness of our entire group. The most interesting thing was talking to our guide about the most interesting necropsies he'd done. It was really interesting to talk to someone who works with animals only really after they're dead about the things they look at and the methods they use. I still prefer live animals and the people associated with them though.
Anyway that's all for now, I've got to go eat dinner.
Ciao!
Caitlin
Thursday, July 16, 2009
What a week!
So, I haven't blogged all week because we've been so busy. We've been in Hannover all week and I can't believe it's already Friday!
The week began with a lecture from Dr. Wasser about Nazi euthanism. It was easily one of the most interesting lectures we've had thus far. It's hard not to get upset about the subject. I cannot believe how much hate existed in the world at this time. So many questions come to my mind....Why didn't more people revolt against the Nazis? How could you possibly believe everything they were telling you was true? Did anyone think for themselves? In about thirty minutes we get on a bus to go visit a former concentration camp, Bergen-Belsen. I'm not sure how it's going to affect me. We also may make a side trip to Poland on Monday before we meet everyone in Vienna to visit Auschwitz.
This week has also been huge for me because I've gotten some clarity about what field I want to go into! It's hard to say, but I'm not sure if veterinary medicine is for me anymore. On Tuesday, we visited a cardiovascular clinic and I got to watch a pacemaker surgery. I honestly thought it was one of the most interesting things I have ever seen. I'm really meticulous and I could really see myself as a surgeon! I have a very close family friend who's a surgeon, so I'm excited to talk to him about all of this. This is exactly one of the reasons I was going on this trip.
Other things we did this week include learning about telemedicine, which was super interesting. I really wish they had this when my grandma was still alive. We had so much trouble with doctor visits and having something she could send from home would've been 100 times easier. We also visited two areas of animal research. We got to see a cow surgery and even palpate a cow! Almost everyone did it and there's pictures to prove it haha.
I'm having such a great time over here. I'm not stressed and the group of people is so great. Last night we ate a wonderful Thai food restaurant and then walked around downtown Hannover. This weekend, almost the whole group is going to Prague! I'm excited to do some shopping and just walk around. From what I've heard, our hostel is really nice too.
Like always, I'm reminded every day how lucky I am to have the opportunity to go on this trip. Thanks Mom and Dad! haha I know you're reading this...
Cheers,
Coral
The week began with a lecture from Dr. Wasser about Nazi euthanism. It was easily one of the most interesting lectures we've had thus far. It's hard not to get upset about the subject. I cannot believe how much hate existed in the world at this time. So many questions come to my mind....Why didn't more people revolt against the Nazis? How could you possibly believe everything they were telling you was true? Did anyone think for themselves? In about thirty minutes we get on a bus to go visit a former concentration camp, Bergen-Belsen. I'm not sure how it's going to affect me. We also may make a side trip to Poland on Monday before we meet everyone in Vienna to visit Auschwitz.
This week has also been huge for me because I've gotten some clarity about what field I want to go into! It's hard to say, but I'm not sure if veterinary medicine is for me anymore. On Tuesday, we visited a cardiovascular clinic and I got to watch a pacemaker surgery. I honestly thought it was one of the most interesting things I have ever seen. I'm really meticulous and I could really see myself as a surgeon! I have a very close family friend who's a surgeon, so I'm excited to talk to him about all of this. This is exactly one of the reasons I was going on this trip.
Other things we did this week include learning about telemedicine, which was super interesting. I really wish they had this when my grandma was still alive. We had so much trouble with doctor visits and having something she could send from home would've been 100 times easier. We also visited two areas of animal research. We got to see a cow surgery and even palpate a cow! Almost everyone did it and there's pictures to prove it haha.
I'm having such a great time over here. I'm not stressed and the group of people is so great. Last night we ate a wonderful Thai food restaurant and then walked around downtown Hannover. This weekend, almost the whole group is going to Prague! I'm excited to do some shopping and just walk around. From what I've heard, our hostel is really nice too.
Like always, I'm reminded every day how lucky I am to have the opportunity to go on this trip. Thanks Mom and Dad! haha I know you're reading this...
Cheers,
Coral
Off to Prague
It's the end of our week in Hannover :( but we are all heading to Prague! The week here in Hannover was crazy because we were always doing something. We went to the Heart and Diabetes center in Bad Oeyhausen and we were allowed to watch Open Heart Surgery! It was amazing and suprisingly I didn't get sick. My group got to see the VADs (artificial hearts) that are used in patients waiting for a transplant. We also met a patient who is currently living with a VAD and he seemed to be doing great.
We went to the MHH and saw the nephrology department, where people were on dialysis. Then came the fun stuff...the vet school. The TIHO has a research farm that we toured. When we went to the actual vet school we were able to see the anatomy departments collection of models which was really cool because some of them were from the beginning of the 19th and 20th century. Another impressive part of the vet school was the clinic for cattle. It was hugh and there were a lot of things to see. One cow was having surgery done to repair a displaced abomasum. It was really interesting to see the vet shove his arm into the cow's stomach. At the clinic they do a large amount of artificial insemination research which requires the retrieval of the cow's eggs. This is done by palpating the cow's uterus through the rectum, which we all had the chance to do!!! This was really gross and exciting. I'm off to Prague for the weekend. :)
We went to the MHH and saw the nephrology department, where people were on dialysis. Then came the fun stuff...the vet school. The TIHO has a research farm that we toured. When we went to the actual vet school we were able to see the anatomy departments collection of models which was really cool because some of them were from the beginning of the 19th and 20th century. Another impressive part of the vet school was the clinic for cattle. It was hugh and there were a lot of things to see. One cow was having surgery done to repair a displaced abomasum. It was really interesting to see the vet shove his arm into the cow's stomach. At the clinic they do a large amount of artificial insemination research which requires the retrieval of the cow's eggs. This is done by palpating the cow's uterus through the rectum, which we all had the chance to do!!! This was really gross and exciting. I'm off to Prague for the weekend. :)
July 10, 2009
We are on the train to Switzerland now, and everything is going surprisingly smooth. I thought it would be so much more stressful getting on our first real train, but it's not too bad. We're going on this trip without any boys to protect us, and that's really pretty scary for me. I couldn't find any pepper spray at the store today either.. ughh. But I'm sure everything will be okay.
Stephanie, Coral, Brittany, Caitlin and I are the girls going on this trip. I think we're going to go skydiving tomorrow! I really hope we can!
I don't really know what to expect once we get there. I hope everything runs smooth and we're able to get there easily because it's going to be nighttime by the time we arrive. I really don't want to get lost in a completely strange country that speaks four different languages!
We've been playing cards the second part of the trip. We're in this cool compartment like in Harry Potter!
We just got into Switzerland and it's like a complete scenery change. It's beautiful. There's even more greenery than is in Germany and the views are breathtaking.It's exactly what I pictured Switzerland to be- AND we just saw a farmer on a horse-drawn plow!!
Stephanie, Coral, Brittany, Caitlin and I are the girls going on this trip. I think we're going to go skydiving tomorrow! I really hope we can!
I don't really know what to expect once we get there. I hope everything runs smooth and we're able to get there easily because it's going to be nighttime by the time we arrive. I really don't want to get lost in a completely strange country that speaks four different languages!
We've been playing cards the second part of the trip. We're in this cool compartment like in Harry Potter!
We just got into Switzerland and it's like a complete scenery change. It's beautiful. There's even more greenery than is in Germany and the views are breathtaking.It's exactly what I pictured Switzerland to be- AND we just saw a farmer on a horse-drawn plow!!
Hanover
We left Bonn early on Tuesday and made out way to Hanover.
Going to the hospital and watching surgery was amazing. I watched an operation where the arotic vavle was being replaced with a valve from a pig. I was really worried that it would bother me but I was pleased to find out it didn't. It was a little embarassing having to take off all our clothes minus our underware and just stand around. When I finally got into the OR I completly forgot. The person was obease and the yellow/oranage fat was pretty nasty but it was interesting watching the surgon work. I really apperciated being able to watch and ask questions. I have been studying biomedical engineering for 4 years now and I was thrilled to see a device saving a life. When the heart was finally filled back with blood it was nothing short of a mircle. I watched a humar heart beat!
Today we went to the vet school and then the department for pathology. I enjoyed the vet clinic. I find it sader to me to see sick animals because you can see that they are scared and don't really understand what is happening. I am not sure what the reason for the pathology department visit was. I think that might be my least favorite part of the program.
I am excited for tomorrow. I think it is important to see a concentration camp. We should always remember the past even if it is something horrible and sad.
Going to the hospital and watching surgery was amazing. I watched an operation where the arotic vavle was being replaced with a valve from a pig. I was really worried that it would bother me but I was pleased to find out it didn't. It was a little embarassing having to take off all our clothes minus our underware and just stand around. When I finally got into the OR I completly forgot. The person was obease and the yellow/oranage fat was pretty nasty but it was interesting watching the surgon work. I really apperciated being able to watch and ask questions. I have been studying biomedical engineering for 4 years now and I was thrilled to see a device saving a life. When the heart was finally filled back with blood it was nothing short of a mircle. I watched a humar heart beat!
Today we went to the vet school and then the department for pathology. I enjoyed the vet clinic. I find it sader to me to see sick animals because you can see that they are scared and don't really understand what is happening. I am not sure what the reason for the pathology department visit was. I think that might be my least favorite part of the program.
I am excited for tomorrow. I think it is important to see a concentration camp. We should always remember the past even if it is something horrible and sad.
No, but seriously.
Although I was only in Bonn for a week, having a host home there and getting to know the regional public transportation system and the town made it seem like a place to call home. Realizing that I would be away from Bonn for the next two weeks was, at first, disappointing because it felt like the majority of this trip was going to take place away from the city that we are stationed in. Having spent that last couple of nights in Hannover has made me realize how much I appreciate staying in another city as a group. I am having a lot of fun staying at the hotel and being able to room with the people that I have become close with over the course of this trip. Because we all live in the same building now, we have been able to hang out later into the night before we go to sleep giving us more time to get to know one another.
Going to the Heart and Diabetes Center in Bad Oeyhausen was one of my favorite excursions so far. The telemedicine institute was very interesting. Doctors are capable of checking up on a patient's ECG results, blood pressure values, weight, and pulse using Bluetooth technology! The surgery that I was able to stand in on was a pacemaker implantation, which was way more interesting than I thought it was going to be. Despite the lack of large amounts of blood, an open chest, or a beating heart, I was able to witness the precise and tedious workings of a surgeon. With the task to send the leads of the pacemaker through an opening in the patient's left shoulder, the surgeon took over an hour and half after explaining that this procedure normally took twenty minutes. He was having trouble getting the leads to maneuver through the openings in the heart for proper placement in the left and right side. He even explained that, after more than thirty attempts, he was willing to give up soon and try again in the patient's right shoulder on a future date. Fortunately for the patient, the surgeon was able to place in the leads properly, connect the pacemaker and sew up the opening in the shoulder.
The other excursions in Hannover dealt with veterinary medicine more than human medicine but I enjoyed being exposed to areas that I would not otherwise be interested in enough to venture to on my own. The clinic for cattle that we visited today was a lot of fun. I appreciated the tour progressively continuing with the prognosis of a single cow (or patient). We were able to visit the cow with the torn ligaments in the knee before, during and even after this diagnosis by looking at the x-ray and determining with Dr. Bruning that there was no fracture in the bones of the leg. Although more interested in human medicine, I do love animals so it was neat to see medicine in a different perspective.
Cheers,
Brittany
Going to the Heart and Diabetes Center in Bad Oeyhausen was one of my favorite excursions so far. The telemedicine institute was very interesting. Doctors are capable of checking up on a patient's ECG results, blood pressure values, weight, and pulse using Bluetooth technology! The surgery that I was able to stand in on was a pacemaker implantation, which was way more interesting than I thought it was going to be. Despite the lack of large amounts of blood, an open chest, or a beating heart, I was able to witness the precise and tedious workings of a surgeon. With the task to send the leads of the pacemaker through an opening in the patient's left shoulder, the surgeon took over an hour and half after explaining that this procedure normally took twenty minutes. He was having trouble getting the leads to maneuver through the openings in the heart for proper placement in the left and right side. He even explained that, after more than thirty attempts, he was willing to give up soon and try again in the patient's right shoulder on a future date. Fortunately for the patient, the surgeon was able to place in the leads properly, connect the pacemaker and sew up the opening in the shoulder.
The other excursions in Hannover dealt with veterinary medicine more than human medicine but I enjoyed being exposed to areas that I would not otherwise be interested in enough to venture to on my own. The clinic for cattle that we visited today was a lot of fun. I appreciated the tour progressively continuing with the prognosis of a single cow (or patient). We were able to visit the cow with the torn ligaments in the knee before, during and even after this diagnosis by looking at the x-ray and determining with Dr. Bruning that there was no fracture in the bones of the leg. Although more interested in human medicine, I do love animals so it was neat to see medicine in a different perspective.
Cheers,
Brittany
hannover
hello all,
we arrived in hannover on tuesday! since then we have seen alot of the vet and human medicine stuff! on tuesday we visited a hospital and everyone got to see open heart surgery! it was very interesting. we also learned about radiology and conducted some small magnetic experiments with the MRI machine.
on tuesday we went to MHH (M ha ha...lol) there we spoke with the head of the nephrology department! he was very interesting and we talked about the german health care system. prior to that discussion i didn't know much about germany's system. i took alot of notes so that i could talk about the comparisions in medical school interviews. tricky, i know.
we were all going to see harry potter last night but unfortunately the theather that has 2 showings in english is sold out till monday....................................
i wasn't happy about that.
tomorrow we're visiting bergen belson! i'm looking forward to this. since we visited anne frank's house last week...it will be a conclusion to exploring the latter years of her life. i have seen where she grew up and hid from the nazis and tomorrow i will get to see the place where she perished. it will be a very sad experience.
over and out,
s
we arrived in hannover on tuesday! since then we have seen alot of the vet and human medicine stuff! on tuesday we visited a hospital and everyone got to see open heart surgery! it was very interesting. we also learned about radiology and conducted some small magnetic experiments with the MRI machine.
on tuesday we went to MHH (M ha ha...lol) there we spoke with the head of the nephrology department! he was very interesting and we talked about the german health care system. prior to that discussion i didn't know much about germany's system. i took alot of notes so that i could talk about the comparisions in medical school interviews. tricky, i know.
we were all going to see harry potter last night but unfortunately the theather that has 2 showings in english is sold out till monday....................................
i wasn't happy about that.
tomorrow we're visiting bergen belson! i'm looking forward to this. since we visited anne frank's house last week...it will be a conclusion to exploring the latter years of her life. i have seen where she grew up and hid from the nazis and tomorrow i will get to see the place where she perished. it will be a very sad experience.
over and out,
s
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Amsterdand and Beyond
This weekend was our first free time in Europe. I chose to go to Amsterdam with nine other classmates and we had a great time visiting museums, breweries, and districts within the city. I had an art history class this past semester and didn't truly believe my prof when he said that an artpiece cannot truly be appreciated without seeing it in person. In the Van Gogh museum, the best part for me was seeing the art in person and experiencing the paint strokes in person and wondering what Van Gogh was thinking when he actually painted the art two feet away from my face.
This week so far has been interesting concerning medicine. Yesterday, I witnessed a live heart surgery and the surgeon thankfully explained what was going on as he finished up the mitral valve replacement. It was amazing seeing a "lifeless" body and then looking into the hole and seeing a live beating heart! It was amazing!
Today was a great day!!!
This week so far has been interesting concerning medicine. Yesterday, I witnessed a live heart surgery and the surgeon thankfully explained what was going on as he finished up the mitral valve replacement. It was amazing seeing a "lifeless" body and then looking into the hole and seeing a live beating heart! It was amazing!
Today was a great day!!!
Monday, July 13, 2009
i'm so 2000 and late
hallo! wie gehts?? danke gut, i hope.
NOTE: this is the 2nd required posting for WEEK ONE.
so basically, germany has been amazing so far. i love bonn. ten of us went on an adventure to amsterdam over the weekend. needless to say, it was sketchy but tons of fun! we visted the Reichs museum and the Van Gogh museum and also went on the Heineken experience! it was very interesting. The Night Watch is insane up close!! There are a bunch of small details in the painting..it blows my mind someone created that with just paint and brushes. Sunday we went to the Anne Frank house...very moving experience. it was very crazy standing in the same room her family hid in during those years. it was very sad to hear her father speak about her diary..also there was a picture of otto a few years after the war..and the pain and sorrow in his face... i honestly couldn't imagine losing my whole family.
apart from the weekend......... last week we went to Koln twice! The Koln cathedral is out of control. it was pretty much the coolest thing i've seen so far. it didn't look real! literally you look to the right and there are just regular shops and food places..then you turn left and there's this HUGE beautiful building, with thousands of mini-spires...it just looked unreal. it was so pretty. the roof top tour was LEGIT. i'm not sure how safe that scaffolding really was..but it was very cool to see the city from that vantage point. i'm very lucky i was able to be apart of that experience.
side note: olaf's puppy dog COSMO is so cute. he is so energetic and just huffs and puffs all over the place. i love him.
anyways i've gotta be at the train station in 5 1/2 hours so i should probably sleep now.
tata,
shyanie
NOTE: this is the 2nd required posting for WEEK ONE.
so basically, germany has been amazing so far. i love bonn. ten of us went on an adventure to amsterdam over the weekend. needless to say, it was sketchy but tons of fun! we visted the Reichs museum and the Van Gogh museum and also went on the Heineken experience! it was very interesting. The Night Watch is insane up close!! There are a bunch of small details in the painting..it blows my mind someone created that with just paint and brushes. Sunday we went to the Anne Frank house...very moving experience. it was very crazy standing in the same room her family hid in during those years. it was very sad to hear her father speak about her diary..also there was a picture of otto a few years after the war..and the pain and sorrow in his face... i honestly couldn't imagine losing my whole family.
apart from the weekend......... last week we went to Koln twice! The Koln cathedral is out of control. it was pretty much the coolest thing i've seen so far. it didn't look real! literally you look to the right and there are just regular shops and food places..then you turn left and there's this HUGE beautiful building, with thousands of mini-spires...it just looked unreal. it was so pretty. the roof top tour was LEGIT. i'm not sure how safe that scaffolding really was..but it was very cool to see the city from that vantage point. i'm very lucky i was able to be apart of that experience.
side note: olaf's puppy dog COSMO is so cute. he is so energetic and just huffs and puffs all over the place. i love him.
anyways i've gotta be at the train station in 5 1/2 hours so i should probably sleep now.
tata,
shyanie
I am starting to write this blog without having decided on a name for the title. The reason being I don't know exactly what i want to say in this blog...
Let me begin by talking about Amsterdam. The first trip weekend of the Germany program was surreal. It was a very good feeling to step off the train and be in an extremely foreign land with a group of college students my aged who were essentially going out simply for the experience. We didn't have homework to think about or obligations to anyone (besides our friends and loved ones to make it out alive and unscathed.) For a bunch of college kids who could easily have gone to a city like Amsterdam and abused some of the things it offered, I believe we behaved pretty scholarly! We decided to see Das Reichsmuseum in Amsterdam and the Van Gogh museum. I preferred the Reichsmuseum because I personally like the realistic paintings done by Rembrandt. One of the paintings moved me to tear up a little bit and it was the one of the prophet Jeremiah lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem. Something about that painting...I don't know. We also went and got the Heineken Experience which was incredible. The ride was so incredibly fast that only 20 year old males with extreme hearts can go through the whole thing without passing out!! The ride was basically putting us in the position of beer in its process of being made. On Sunday we saw the Anne Frank Museum and it was truly incredible. It is funny to me how the life of one girl can have a larger impact on our spirits more than the death of millions. The personal touch to the story is one that is much easier to relate to and I find that fascinating about ourselves.
Now I would like to adress Andrew's blog post titled Thou Shalt Want. I just found it interesting Andrew, how you came to know me so well and know the inner-workings of my mind, my daily decisions, and my motivations. I think it is presumptuous of you to say a lot of the things you said in your blog. After reading it twice I still didn't understand what point you were trying to make...please inform me of that point if there was one. Andrew, if you read this, know that I would like to talk with you about your blog and see where you are coming from.
Let me begin by talking about Amsterdam. The first trip weekend of the Germany program was surreal. It was a very good feeling to step off the train and be in an extremely foreign land with a group of college students my aged who were essentially going out simply for the experience. We didn't have homework to think about or obligations to anyone (besides our friends and loved ones to make it out alive and unscathed.) For a bunch of college kids who could easily have gone to a city like Amsterdam and abused some of the things it offered, I believe we behaved pretty scholarly! We decided to see Das Reichsmuseum in Amsterdam and the Van Gogh museum. I preferred the Reichsmuseum because I personally like the realistic paintings done by Rembrandt. One of the paintings moved me to tear up a little bit and it was the one of the prophet Jeremiah lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem. Something about that painting...I don't know. We also went and got the Heineken Experience which was incredible. The ride was so incredibly fast that only 20 year old males with extreme hearts can go through the whole thing without passing out!! The ride was basically putting us in the position of beer in its process of being made. On Sunday we saw the Anne Frank Museum and it was truly incredible. It is funny to me how the life of one girl can have a larger impact on our spirits more than the death of millions. The personal touch to the story is one that is much easier to relate to and I find that fascinating about ourselves.
Now I would like to adress Andrew's blog post titled Thou Shalt Want. I just found it interesting Andrew, how you came to know me so well and know the inner-workings of my mind, my daily decisions, and my motivations. I think it is presumptuous of you to say a lot of the things you said in your blog. After reading it twice I still didn't understand what point you were trying to make...please inform me of that point if there was one. Andrew, if you read this, know that I would like to talk with you about your blog and see where you are coming from.
On the road again...
We just got back to Bonn yesterday and we are already leaving. :( We are heading to Hannover to visit the vet and med school there. We also are going to (hopefully) see open heart surgery! Hannover is going to be fun but I'm going to miss Bonn.
We spent today learning about the Nuremberg Code that came from the "Doctor's Trials." This was quite interesting because the prosecution had a slight problem, they couldn't actually prove that these doctors broke any written laws. This is baffling when you learn about what these doctors did to people. However, they hadn't broken any written law so the prosecution proved that there was an unwritten ethics code that almost all doctors follow and this was not honored by the Nazi doctors. We also had a German lesson with Fenja and boy is she tough! She will ramble off like 500 words then look at you like you were supposed to understand what she said....I'm not very good at this. Time to pack for Hannover!
We spent today learning about the Nuremberg Code that came from the "Doctor's Trials." This was quite interesting because the prosecution had a slight problem, they couldn't actually prove that these doctors broke any written laws. This is baffling when you learn about what these doctors did to people. However, they hadn't broken any written law so the prosecution proved that there was an unwritten ethics code that almost all doctors follow and this was not honored by the Nazi doctors. We also had a German lesson with Fenja and boy is she tough! She will ramble off like 500 words then look at you like you were supposed to understand what she said....I'm not very good at this. Time to pack for Hannover!
Catching up
Alright, since the first time I used my host family's computer I got the blue screen of death (in German) I've decided only to post from the AIB computers, which means I'm like a week and a half behind so I'm catching up now.
My host family:
I love my host family, it's just my host mom and I most of the time because her children have grown up and moved away. She makes really amazing food, it reminds me of home where Mom makes amazing food without a recipe and just by looking at what's in her cupboard. At meals is when my host mom and I socialize the most, she teaches German to international students at the University, so I'm learning a little German too, although not much.
Class Activities:
Already we've done so much in just a week or so. We've visited Köln twice already, the first time we had a tour of the medical school's anatomy collection as well as a tour of the city and a special rooftop tour of the Cathedral. It was absolutely amazing. I'm one of those people who tends to actually like visiting Cathedrals, even when you've already seen a ton, and the Köln Cathedral is definitely one of my favorite experiences for a couple of reasons:
1) It's gothic, but so towering and impressive in its appearance that it really epitomizes what I imagine all Gothic architecture is meant to look like, you feel the power and strength and magnificence of it.
2) We got a rooftop tour, which was an amazing experience. We got to go into the eaves and learn about how it was built, both in the middle ages and the 19th century, and we took an elevator ride and then some stairs up to 70m and were able to go out and see an amazing view of the city.
3) I really feel like to the umm... Köln-ers (people who live in Köln) the Cathedral is theirs and they love it and cherish it. Some other Cathedrals I've been in have really felt like the people who live in the city have basically abandoned it to the tourists and really feel no attachment to it, but the Kölner Dom (sp?) felt like the people of Köln were really proud of it and loved it and actively used it, kind of like the church in Assisi.
Our second time in Köln we went an old SS headquarters that has been turned into a museum. There are some amazing messages prisoners scratched in to the walls of the cells that have been translated for visitors, but there was also a wonderful museum showing what life in Köln and the surrounding area was like during the Nazi regime and how life changed and didn't for the people living there.
After our very busy week, Nicole, Stephanie, Brittany, Coral, and I went to Switzerland for the weekend. My brother's friend had recommended a hostel for us to stay in and said of all the places that she'd been in Europe, Switzerland was the absolute best, so we had very high hopes.
The train ride to Switzerland from Bonn is not direct, we had to take a tram to Siegburg, then catch an ICE train to Mannheim where we got on our final ICE to Interlaken Ost. For pretty much first time train travelers (I'd only ridden in groups before) we did very well, mainly because of the kindness of strangers. We had reserved seats on both of our ICE trains, but the first train we got on there were people in our seats already so we were confused as to wether or not we'd actually reserved specific seats or if we just had space in the compartment. We turned to a kind looking woman and asked if she spoke English, she referred us to I think her son sitting next to her who was probably in high school, we could tell he was a little annoyed, but he didn't show it in his mannerisms to us and answered all of our questions politely. He was such a Godsend because from then on we were pros at finding our place on the trains we rode. On the next train, on which we had a 4 hour ride, we were in a little compartment for 6, our extra member of the compartment was first an very nice Swiss man, and next a kind rock climber, both of them we were blessed to have.
Anyway this is getting a bit long and so I'll be brief in the next bits. My traveling companions have already described our wonderful experience canyoning anyway.
We arrived at our hostel as it was getting dark but this didn't stop us from enjoying the absolutely beautiful view. We took a cable car into the mountains where the hostel was nestled in an adorable Swiss community highly recommended by Rick Steves (who is the favorite travel guide of PBS, my mother, and our neighbor Marsha.) I don't think there are words to describe how beautiful the mountains were, but I can say this: I have been to Alaska and Colorado and sat wondering why my mother made such a big deal of the mountains and why we needed to take so many pictures of them, but that time I spent nestled in snug among them in Switzerland I think is the closest I will ever come to understanding Mom's and Laura Davis' love of mountains.
I'm going to end here, but I'll try to go further into detail about a few of these things on my livejournal for my friends back home, so if you have a great desire to hear more you can find in here: http://lalaith7.livejournal.com/ . I cannot guarantee that the posts will always be unlocked, but generally on the whole most of what I write is open to the public. That's all for now.
Ciao!
Caitlin Vanasse
Weekend adventure number one
So this weekend 10 of us from the group went to Amsterdam for the weekend. The first thing we did, of course, was visit the Red Light District, but that is such a small part of the city... i think it gets a bad wrap. We went to a few art museums. The Van Gogh Museum was my favorite. Being able to see the paintings that I studied in art classes was amazing. The pictures of the paintings out of books do not do them justice; so much more feeling and emotion comes across when you are actually standing in front of a self portrait of Van Gogh, staring into his eyes.
The city of Amsterdam itself, outside of the red light district, is quite nice. It has a canal/river system runs though the town past its tall buildings. And the people were nice as well, different than the people here in Germany...not to say that the people here arent nice... The people in Amsterdam were more willing to talk with you and have a conversation. They would smile back at you as you passed on the street, something that doesnt happen here in Bonn.
This was also my first hostel experience. It wasnt as bad as i thought it would be. The beds were surprisingly comfortable and the room was clean. It was a little strange sharing a room with 4 other people I had never met before but I guess it wasnt that bad.
The city of Amsterdam itself, outside of the red light district, is quite nice. It has a canal/river system runs though the town past its tall buildings. And the people were nice as well, different than the people here in Germany...not to say that the people here arent nice... The people in Amsterdam were more willing to talk with you and have a conversation. They would smile back at you as you passed on the street, something that doesnt happen here in Bonn.
This was also my first hostel experience. It wasnt as bad as i thought it would be. The beds were surprisingly comfortable and the room was clean. It was a little strange sharing a room with 4 other people I had never met before but I guess it wasnt that bad.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
I never knew something could be this beautiful!
So, for this blog I can’t help but write about my weekend trip to Switzerland. I can easily say that Switzerland is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Five girls (Brittany, Stephanie, Caitlin, Nicole, and myself), took a lovely 7 hour train ride to the beautiful town of Interlaken, Switzerland. As soon as we crossed the German/Swiss border the scenery immediately changed. Gorgeous waterfalls, blue-green water, and incredible mountains were just some of the key sights. After a small train ride and bus ride, we took a cable car up to our hostel! We finally got there by about 9pm and hung out, met some awesome people, and had a few glasses of wine to put us to sleep.
The next morning was the start of our real adventure. Our original plan was to go skydiving but our budgets just weren’t ready for that. So instead, we asked around and decided on CANYONING! Canyoning is a mixture of climbing, repelling, sliding, and zip lining. It was extreme….believe me. We repelled down a 50m wall, jumped off of huge cliffs, climbed through waterfalls, and slid down huge cliffs. We left at noon and didn’t get back until about 6pm. It was an awesome time and totally worth the money. Not to mention, I was in love with one of our guides... Reto from Switzerland…one day we will meet again.
I also must add that on the way there, Reno (another gorgeous guide) asks us if we know German…in German..Me, being the confident German-speaking girl that I am, decides to speak up. I tell him yes, a little. So then he proceeds to ask me my name. And I reply…Danke, gut….So now my name is Thank you, good…great. Fenja will be proud.
It was such a relaxing and much needed trip. Even though we were only there for 2 days, it felt like much longer. It was nice only having 5 people (not that I don’t love you other 10…I’m just saying) because it was easier to agree on things. I’m very proud of the 5 of us. We made it to Switzerland and back without really any problems. I’m excited for the week ahead in Hannover and then to Prague and then to Vienna and then to Italy…wow, lots of traveling. Again, I can’t believe how lucky I am to get to do the things I’m doing. This is something I will remember forever.
Cheers,
Coral
The next morning was the start of our real adventure. Our original plan was to go skydiving but our budgets just weren’t ready for that. So instead, we asked around and decided on CANYONING! Canyoning is a mixture of climbing, repelling, sliding, and zip lining. It was extreme….believe me. We repelled down a 50m wall, jumped off of huge cliffs, climbed through waterfalls, and slid down huge cliffs. We left at noon and didn’t get back until about 6pm. It was an awesome time and totally worth the money. Not to mention, I was in love with one of our guides... Reto from Switzerland…one day we will meet again.
I also must add that on the way there, Reno (another gorgeous guide) asks us if we know German…in German..Me, being the confident German-speaking girl that I am, decides to speak up. I tell him yes, a little. So then he proceeds to ask me my name. And I reply…Danke, gut….So now my name is Thank you, good…great. Fenja will be proud.
It was such a relaxing and much needed trip. Even though we were only there for 2 days, it felt like much longer. It was nice only having 5 people (not that I don’t love you other 10…I’m just saying) because it was easier to agree on things. I’m very proud of the 5 of us. We made it to Switzerland and back without really any problems. I’m excited for the week ahead in Hannover and then to Prague and then to Vienna and then to Italy…wow, lots of traveling. Again, I can’t believe how lucky I am to get to do the things I’m doing. This is something I will remember forever.
Cheers,
Coral
End of Week 1!!!!!
So, its the end of the first full week in Germany and I'm exhausted. On Friday, we started talking about the history of medical and veterinarian schools. This was really interesting because it showed how this profession began. We also had our first cultural studies session with Steffi. This was a lot of fun because we all discussed things that we have noticed since being in Germany. Someone mentioned that there are no water fountains, which is true and odd! Back home we have water fountains EVERYWHERE.
Once class was over everyone headed to the train station. Ten of us went to Amsterdam this weekend and it was awesome. We got to see a very different type of culture while we were there. Things are definitely more laid back in Holland. On Saturday we saw a lot of art. We went to the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum, which contains a large number of Rembrandt's paintings. We also went to the original Heineken brewery, where we got to walk through a museum that explained how the company started. It also allowed us to see the type of equipment used to make beer. We were given a sample of wort, which is barley and water. It was surprisingly delicious! :) On Sunday we went to Anne Frank's house where her family was hidden during the WWII. It was very powerful and it made everything more real. We got to walk in the Secret Annex and see exactly where everyone slept. Due to rainy weather, we weren't able to do a canal ride so we went shopping instead!
Hopefully the rest of the trip is this much fun!
Once class was over everyone headed to the train station. Ten of us went to Amsterdam this weekend and it was awesome. We got to see a very different type of culture while we were there. Things are definitely more laid back in Holland. On Saturday we saw a lot of art. We went to the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum, which contains a large number of Rembrandt's paintings. We also went to the original Heineken brewery, where we got to walk through a museum that explained how the company started. It also allowed us to see the type of equipment used to make beer. We were given a sample of wort, which is barley and water. It was surprisingly delicious! :) On Sunday we went to Anne Frank's house where her family was hidden during the WWII. It was very powerful and it made everything more real. We got to walk in the Secret Annex and see exactly where everyone slept. Due to rainy weather, we weren't able to do a canal ride so we went shopping instead!
Hopefully the rest of the trip is this much fun!
No one messes with the Swiss
I have found my new favorite sport and you can only do it in Switzerland! okay so maybe you can do it in other countries but i bet it would not be nearly as beautiful, exciting, breath taking, and all around as BA as it is in Switzerland. What is this sport she is talking about you may be wondering...Canyoning!!
Take zip linning, repeling, jumping into practically zero degree Celsius water, and using rocks a water slides! and you have the intermediate version of this awesomly amazing sport!
Now some may wonder what this is a picture of and how did i get this. Its my left hand after doing a kart wheel while repeling. The guide said it was the best one he had ever seen! The gear we wore included swim suit of some sort, a wet suit overalls with long legs and sleeve less, a wet suit jumper with long sleeves and shorts, a life vest, neopreen socks and shoes, a neopreen hat, and finally a helmet. On the helmets we each had a name that we did not get to choose. I was ever-so-fittingly named "Hippo." "Lady Boy" was Coral. "Lala" was Nicole, and Brittney and Caitlyn had ones with T names that i had never heard before that were pretty fun! After determining that sky diving was too expensive we go the DL (down low) on this amazing sport and decided to make sure it was safe enough for our fellow travellers who should give it a try when they go to Switzerland.
If I had to describe the scenery of Switzerland in one word it would be ...... well I wouldn`t be able to describe it in one word! There are mountains with and without snow all around you and in all sorts of shapes. waterfalls spewing out of thier sides and streams from the melting glaciers making paths down the mountains. lakes that are the color of a pale blue-green. Its absolutely one of the prettiest and most relaxing places I have ever been!
Missing Switzerland Already,
Stephanie
Friday, July 10, 2009
70 Meters High
Continuing our first week with two trips to Cologne was one of my favorite excursions so far. The Cologne Cathedral was absolutely breathtaking inside, outside and up top. I was unaware of my fear of heights until I was 70 meters high standing on a tower of the cathedral. It was so surreal. The view looking out was beautiful enough to capture my attention distracting me from the streets directly below. Having an interest in art history, I took a course my freshmen year of college and was amazed just by looking at the pictures on the presentation during class so, one can imagine how I felt being there looking at such an impressive building. Although interesting in structure, the cathedral also had many facts and figures. Over 6 million euros are spent annually on renovations, which are not destined to be finished but continuous. Over 180 tons of iron resides in the underlying structure of the cathedral roof. Unexpected statues lie amongst the gargoyles, which took even the tour guide a couple of years to find. The cathedral even has restrooms on one of the higher levels containing what many consider the most expensive toilets.
The beginning of the week was a lesson in history laying the foundation of the trip but it was nice to tour the medical school to begin our lessons in medicine. Other tours included walking around Cologne City and through the Gestapo prison. I am happy to know that Cologne is not very far from Bonn.
The beginning of the week was a lesson in history laying the foundation of the trip but it was nice to tour the medical school to begin our lessons in medicine. Other tours included walking around Cologne City and through the Gestapo prison. I am happy to know that Cologne is not very far from Bonn.
Anticipating my first weekend trip to Switzerland in only a few hours, I can tell that these weeks are already slipping away. I love that my agenda each day has been full from morning to night because I want to do and see as much as I can. Although tired, I am having a wonderful time.
Brittany
Sprechen Sie deutsch? bitte
9-6-09
Today was our 2nd lesson in German. We learned numbers, ordering and paying for food in a restaurant and a couple other things. The lessons have been very fun and interactive. She starts off the day with Wie heisst du? (What is your name?), Wie gehts? (How are you?), or Woher kommst du? (Where do you come from?). She asks each of us one of theses questions or has us ask eachother.
On our first day of lessons, we had a little green ball that we threw at eachother. Whoever threw the ball had to ask the question and whoever caught the ball had to answer. You can tell we all feel quite inadequate in our German pronunciation, but I think we are getting better the more comfortable we feel about speaking German. I can't remember who said it, but one girl explained it pretty well. She said that we feel awkward saying or asking things in German, because in our minds it doesn't really sound like we're saying something. But when we hear a responce to our statement in German it's so exciting because that means it made sense to someone!
Guten Tag!
Stephanie
Today was our 2nd lesson in German. We learned numbers, ordering and paying for food in a restaurant and a couple other things. The lessons have been very fun and interactive. She starts off the day with Wie heisst du? (What is your name?), Wie gehts? (How are you?), or Woher kommst du? (Where do you come from?). She asks each of us one of theses questions or has us ask eachother.
On our first day of lessons, we had a little green ball that we threw at eachother. Whoever threw the ball had to ask the question and whoever caught the ball had to answer. You can tell we all feel quite inadequate in our German pronunciation, but I think we are getting better the more comfortable we feel about speaking German. I can't remember who said it, but one girl explained it pretty well. She said that we feel awkward saying or asking things in German, because in our minds it doesn't really sound like we're saying something. But when we hear a responce to our statement in German it's so exciting because that means it made sense to someone!
Guten Tag!
Stephanie
Doner Party
Germany has been amazing. My host family is great. They own a weinstuben and restaurant so I am constantly eating and drinking wine. I know, life sucks. I was also lucky enough to be here when my host brother was honored with an award for his successes in computer science. My host family celebrated by having an extravagant dinner party. I was worried I was going to miss dinner because i was 45 minutes late but little did I know that this meal was to last 4 1\2 hours. It was like nothing I had ever experienced. Note: Nicole was lucky enough to also be invited. The meal consisted of pork steak, sausage, t-bones, beef steak, ribs, salad, peppers, ham, and of course BREAD. It was accompanied by 5 bottles of wine 4 of which were from 1982 had been kept until now for a time like this. Lets just say I slept great that night. Conversation consisted of German ranting, laughing, seriousness, and the occasional break and explanation in English. My host brother's professor was there and was treated like a king in every aspect of the meal. The night ended with a fried banana and 5 types of cheese which I will not try again. It was my first time to actually dine in this manner. I must say, I do a feel a bit more cultured yet still not refined!
End of week 1
I have now survived one whole week in Germany. I have already really enjoyed my visit. My favorite part so far has been going to the Cologne Catherdral. It was hard to believe that the building is around three hundred years older than the United States! It was amazing to go on the top. I was definetly a little scared to be up so high.
I also have really enjoyed the lectures on this program. I was very interested in the lecture on homoepathy. Listening to how it works seems like it wouldn't work. I talked to my host mom and she told me that she had tried it more than once. She said it works really well and has no side effects.
This weekend I am going to Amsterdam with a few other students. I am very excited to visit. I can't wait to go visit Ann Frank's house and the muesem of Van Gogh. I have wanted to go for years. We had some trouble getting our train tickets and I was very worried we wouldn't be able to leave today and I was very sad. Luckily everything worked out.
I also have really enjoyed the lectures on this program. I was very interested in the lecture on homoepathy. Listening to how it works seems like it wouldn't work. I talked to my host mom and she told me that she had tried it more than once. She said it works really well and has no side effects.
This weekend I am going to Amsterdam with a few other students. I am very excited to visit. I can't wait to go visit Ann Frank's house and the muesem of Van Gogh. I have wanted to go for years. We had some trouble getting our train tickets and I was very worried we wouldn't be able to leave today and I was very sad. Luckily everything worked out.
things i have noticed...
1. everyone recycles. my family has a recycling bin for glass, plastic, paper, and even a compost. they have places on campus where you can take your plastic water bottles immediatly after you're done using them to be recycled for money.
2. there are close to no trash cans along the streets. even though there are no trash cans there is very little trash on the streets... except for the glass beer bottles. we were told that homeless come along and pick these bottles up and recycle them for money...although i'm not sure if this is correct.
3. they really like bubble water. i accidently bought a bottle of it the other day and it tastes like soda without flavor...i'm not sure what the big deal is. my host parents like to mix it with orange juice and think its strange that i just drink the juice plain. they also think its strange that i like plain tap water, but i think its strange that they like the bubbles so i guess we're even.
4. they're key boards are different. there are y's where the z's should be and the @ isn't where it is suppoed to be. it's confusing.
5. everyone eats alot of bread. this weekend while we were staying in the hostle, people would come out from the breakfest line with stacks of bread slices. There are also bread shops and bakeries on every corner it seems.
6. their dogs are very well trained. they will follow their owner around the streets, without leashes, with out ever straying. my dog would never do that among a large group of people.
2. there are close to no trash cans along the streets. even though there are no trash cans there is very little trash on the streets... except for the glass beer bottles. we were told that homeless come along and pick these bottles up and recycle them for money...although i'm not sure if this is correct.
3. they really like bubble water. i accidently bought a bottle of it the other day and it tastes like soda without flavor...i'm not sure what the big deal is. my host parents like to mix it with orange juice and think its strange that i just drink the juice plain. they also think its strange that i like plain tap water, but i think its strange that they like the bubbles so i guess we're even.
4. they're key boards are different. there are y's where the z's should be and the @ isn't where it is suppoed to be. it's confusing.
5. everyone eats alot of bread. this weekend while we were staying in the hostle, people would come out from the breakfest line with stacks of bread slices. There are also bread shops and bakeries on every corner it seems.
6. their dogs are very well trained. they will follow their owner around the streets, without leashes, with out ever straying. my dog would never do that among a large group of people.
July 8, 2009
Today we went to Cologne! It was wonderful! I just wish I wasn't so tired.. last night, I probably had the most expensive/amazing dinner I've ever had. Justin and I want to his host house to celebrate his host brother, Ulley's award from the city of Bonn in Computer science. He designed a program for the baseball teams to minimize their travel time between cities. He used C++ and he is a genius!
So we went to dinner, not expecting much, and they pulled out a four hours, probably ten course meal. If was filled with steak, sausage, vegetables, salad, bread, cocktails, and $1000 wines... Yeah, I had probably five glasses of probably the most expensive wine I will ever drink. They were celebrating with wine from 1982, which was Ulley's birth year, so the wine was 27 years old! We had one red wine and four Reislings. It was absolutely terrific, and we learned so much about their culture at the meal.
Ulley's proffesor was at the meal, and he was so interested in us. He was asking us questions about our impressions f Germany and every once in a while would translate what the family was talking about into English. Dr. Wasser had told us that professors were very prestigious here, and we got to see it first-hand. The family would push food on him, not accepting no. But I don't think he cared too much because the food was so good and the wine so expensive.
So, then in Cologne, we first took a tour of their medical school. The anatomical collection was amazing! I had such a good time there, and my favorite exhibits were the elephant parts!
Then, we went to eat. We ate curry sausage, which was supposedly the city's dish, but I didn't like it much. We went across the city on a tour for the next aprt of the day , then went to get beer and icecream! Then, to the Cologne Cathedral. Amazing. It was breathtaking and so interesting. I never thought I was at all interested in history, but this trip is really cathcing me off guard.
So we went to dinner, not expecting much, and they pulled out a four hours, probably ten course meal. If was filled with steak, sausage, vegetables, salad, bread, cocktails, and $1000 wines... Yeah, I had probably five glasses of probably the most expensive wine I will ever drink. They were celebrating with wine from 1982, which was Ulley's birth year, so the wine was 27 years old! We had one red wine and four Reislings. It was absolutely terrific, and we learned so much about their culture at the meal.
Ulley's proffesor was at the meal, and he was so interested in us. He was asking us questions about our impressions f Germany and every once in a while would translate what the family was talking about into English. Dr. Wasser had told us that professors were very prestigious here, and we got to see it first-hand. The family would push food on him, not accepting no. But I don't think he cared too much because the food was so good and the wine so expensive.
So, then in Cologne, we first took a tour of their medical school. The anatomical collection was amazing! I had such a good time there, and my favorite exhibits were the elephant parts!
Then, we went to eat. We ate curry sausage, which was supposedly the city's dish, but I didn't like it much. We went across the city on a tour for the next aprt of the day , then went to get beer and icecream! Then, to the Cologne Cathedral. Amazing. It was breathtaking and so interesting. I never thought I was at all interested in history, but this trip is really cathcing me off guard.
July 26, 2009
Today, we went on a historical tour of the city. There were several interesting points. We learned how the early Germans protected their land and used the two rivers alongside them as protection. We also went to a Seminary School to see the ancient Roman exhibit (which was underneath the school). The way they heated their pools and floors was pretty interesting.
After the tour, we stopped at the Bonn University to get lunch. It was alot of fun! Coral and I got some slugs to eat.. at least they looked like slugs. Olaf ate with us and he was too funny! I'm really glad he is our coordinator.
This afternoon, we were supposed to go to a beer garden along the Rhine, but it was supposed to rain. Instead we went to a restaurant and got a few beers with Dr. Wasser and Olaf. It was a great day, overall!
After the tour, we stopped at the Bonn University to get lunch. It was alot of fun! Coral and I got some slugs to eat.. at least they looked like slugs. Olaf ate with us and he was too funny! I'm really glad he is our coordinator.
This afternoon, we were supposed to go to a beer garden along the Rhine, but it was supposed to rain. Instead we went to a restaurant and got a few beers with Dr. Wasser and Olaf. It was a great day, overall!
July 26, 2009
Today, we went on a historical tour of the city. There were several interesting points. We learned how the early Germans protected their land and used the two rivers alongside them as protection. We also went to a Seminary School to see the ancient Roman exhibit (which was underneath the school). The way they heated their pools and floors was pretty interesting.
After the tour, we stopped at the Bonn University to get lunch. It was alot of fun! Coral and I got some slugs to eat.. at least they looked like slugs. Olaf ate with us and he was too funny! I'm really glad he is our coordinator.
This afternoon, we were supposed to go to a beer garden along the Rhine, but it was supposed to rain. Instead we went to a restaurant and got a few beers with Dr. Wasser and Olaf. It was a great day, overall!
After the tour, we stopped at the Bonn University to get lunch. It was alot of fun! Coral and I got some slugs to eat.. at least they looked like slugs. Olaf ate with us and he was too funny! I'm really glad he is our coordinator.
This afternoon, we were supposed to go to a beer garden along the Rhine, but it was supposed to rain. Instead we went to a restaurant and got a few beers with Dr. Wasser and Olaf. It was a great day, overall!
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Where did the first week go?
So here we are at the end of the first week of the trip, on the doorstep of the first weekend of the trip (which should be pretty interesting haha). This first week was so jam packed with fun and program excursions that it is hard to believe that it went by so fast. Since my last post we have made both trips to Köln, which were so incredible.
The first day in Köln we went to the anatomical collection at the medical school and went on the rooftop tour of the cathedral. The exhibition of the anatomical collection was very interesting, but eerie at some points. This was most notably when we went into the room that had all of the cadavers on the tables. On a lighter note, the cathedral was beyond words. The sheer height and prowess in itself were impressive, but being 70 meters up on one of the towers looking out over the city definitely brings a new perspective to how neat the cathedral is. So intense.
Tbe next day in Köln we toured the Gestapo police station. This was also a museum that had its sense of eerieness because of the happenings that were going down in the cellars. The part that is hard to grasp is that these things weren't happening too long ago. It also freaks me out that Joseph Goebbels lived in my host family's house while he was studying in Bonn. Anyways I really enjoyed the museum and the information that was presented.
Now looking forward, I am planning to go with the group to Amsterdam. I can only see this being a weekend that we won't soon forget. Nonetheless, I am excited to see what is in store for both the weekend and the weeks to come. Besides, we had to work pretty hard just to get the reservations for the train :)
Tschüss,
Matt
The first day in Köln we went to the anatomical collection at the medical school and went on the rooftop tour of the cathedral. The exhibition of the anatomical collection was very interesting, but eerie at some points. This was most notably when we went into the room that had all of the cadavers on the tables. On a lighter note, the cathedral was beyond words. The sheer height and prowess in itself were impressive, but being 70 meters up on one of the towers looking out over the city definitely brings a new perspective to how neat the cathedral is. So intense.
Tbe next day in Köln we toured the Gestapo police station. This was also a museum that had its sense of eerieness because of the happenings that were going down in the cellars. The part that is hard to grasp is that these things weren't happening too long ago. It also freaks me out that Joseph Goebbels lived in my host family's house while he was studying in Bonn. Anyways I really enjoyed the museum and the information that was presented.
Now looking forward, I am planning to go with the group to Amsterdam. I can only see this being a weekend that we won't soon forget. Nonetheless, I am excited to see what is in store for both the weekend and the weeks to come. Besides, we had to work pretty hard just to get the reservations for the train :)
Tschüss,
Matt
6 Days in Germany....
My first day in
Our first week of class and activities was very eventful. We had a tour of Bonn, 2 Germany lessons, a rooftop tour of the Cologne Cathedral, and a tour of an old Gestapo Prison. The Cologne Cathedral is beautiful. The architecture is so intricate and detailed with every statue being different. We also got to see the extensive anatomical collection at the University in Cologne.
Can't wait to see what happens this weekend in Amsterdam!! It's going to be unforgettable.
The BEE STING to the NECK
Well... blogs are supposed to be about program stuff so I will first talk about the amaying first week I've had so far before I go into the awkward and not so funny moments. And please mind my spelling...I donät know how to do the spell check on this computer because I'm just typing in the blog box rather than on Word.
Probably the most memorable moment of the week was the Cathedral in Köln. It was truly an amaying architectual achievement by man. I say this because it never really looked real to me. It looked like a picture from up close and far away. I've seen Notre Dame in Paris and even that paled in comparison to this massive cathedral which I learned (from the very exclusive tour that needs to be booked one year in advanced) has the largest free swinging bell of any cathedral in the world! The name of the bell is St. Peter and weighs 23 tons!! I couldn't believe that when I heard her say how much a single bell weighed! It only rings one day a year and that is on Easter Sunday. Steffi, my host mother has been great as a host mother. Dinner has always been very good and today we had a really German dinner with some big potatos and vegetables with some fish. I don't know if fish is really Germanesque but the potatos and other parts of the meal certainly were.
We also went on a scavenger hunt with the group which turned out to be more fun than I thought it was going to be because it required that we actually interact with the Bonn denizens. We also found out a lot about Bonn and learned how to navigate the city.
Ok now to the awkward stuff. I am known in my group as being the expert navigator because I find my way around the city so well... ;). Well, today for some reason people got the idea to follow me from the AIB to the Bonn Central Station. I was showing some people my wine cork trick and lost track of time and it seemed to me that we had been on the bus for a while so I got off on the stop I believed to be the one at the station.
It turned out to be a stop too early and everybody got on my case about it!!! During the yelling at me a bee decided to punish me too and it stabbed me in the neck with it's stinger! It really surprised me. Shyanie pulled out the stinger and we continued on with our day...good times in Germany :)
Probably the most memorable moment of the week was the Cathedral in Köln. It was truly an amaying architectual achievement by man. I say this because it never really looked real to me. It looked like a picture from up close and far away. I've seen Notre Dame in Paris and even that paled in comparison to this massive cathedral which I learned (from the very exclusive tour that needs to be booked one year in advanced) has the largest free swinging bell of any cathedral in the world! The name of the bell is St. Peter and weighs 23 tons!! I couldn't believe that when I heard her say how much a single bell weighed! It only rings one day a year and that is on Easter Sunday. Steffi, my host mother has been great as a host mother. Dinner has always been very good and today we had a really German dinner with some big potatos and vegetables with some fish. I don't know if fish is really Germanesque but the potatos and other parts of the meal certainly were.
We also went on a scavenger hunt with the group which turned out to be more fun than I thought it was going to be because it required that we actually interact with the Bonn denizens. We also found out a lot about Bonn and learned how to navigate the city.
Ok now to the awkward stuff. I am known in my group as being the expert navigator because I find my way around the city so well... ;). Well, today for some reason people got the idea to follow me from the AIB to the Bonn Central Station. I was showing some people my wine cork trick and lost track of time and it seemed to me that we had been on the bus for a while so I got off on the stop I believed to be the one at the station.
It turned out to be a stop too early and everybody got on my case about it!!! During the yelling at me a bee decided to punish me too and it stabbed me in the neck with it's stinger! It really surprised me. Shyanie pulled out the stinger and we continued on with our day...good times in Germany :)
End of First Week
It has already almost been a week since I have been here in Bonn. I know this trip is going to go by fast, so I am trying to enjoy it as much as I possibly can! Tomorrow some of us are leaving for Amsterdam. After a little scare at the train station, mainly due to a language barrier, the ten of us booked a reservation on the train. Personally, I never believed that lady behind the counter who said the five or six trains from Köln to Amsterdam tomorrow were all booked.
Anyways, I met a nice old lady at the train stop today who liked to talk but once she found out I was from Texas, automatically brought up the Bush family. I thought that was a little weird, but understandable, now I guess Texas will always bring up an immediate negative image because of Bush, at least in Europe. This place is just a little too liberal for me, I don´t mind their ideas, they just really enjoy bashing anything conservative....
And.... I ate a schnitzel sandwich today! It was kind of like chicken fried steak, but pork.
Anyways, I met a nice old lady at the train stop today who liked to talk but once she found out I was from Texas, automatically brought up the Bush family. I thought that was a little weird, but understandable, now I guess Texas will always bring up an immediate negative image because of Bush, at least in Europe. This place is just a little too liberal for me, I don´t mind their ideas, they just really enjoy bashing anything conservative....
And.... I ate a schnitzel sandwich today! It was kind of like chicken fried steak, but pork.
Did we get off too early again?
The first week of AIB is coming to an end and I have had such a great time packed into it that I cannot even imagine what these next few weeks will have to offer as well. The rooftop tour of the cathedral was absolutely incredible and one of the best experiences of my life. I love old and grand things like that. It would be my luck though that just as we were getting ready to go to the best place my camera dies, some people said that they would send me pictures of while we were at the top so I dont feel as bad anymore.
Perhaps the one of the best parts of this trip is whenever we get lost, or when Alex gets us lost should I say, which tends to happen often. It's really funny because by now we know our way around town for the most part, yet we still manage to get off a stop early or get lost trying to find a place to eat every now and then.
I am very excited for this coming weekend in Amsterdam. There are many things I would like to see in this city, such as Anne Frank's house and the Heineken experience, because I have heard that both those things are a great experience to do. I believe the plan tomorrow is leave Köln around 3 and arrive in amsterdam around 5:30, however once we are their we will have no idea where to go to find our hostel or how to get around, but this is normal for us I believe and its nothing to worry about yet, not until we are stranded at 4 in the morning somewhere in Amsterdam, then we can start to worry. I will look at the glass half full and say that that will not happen though, but even if it does this is going to be a trip that we will not soon forget.
Tschüsse
Roger
Perhaps the one of the best parts of this trip is whenever we get lost, or when Alex gets us lost should I say, which tends to happen often. It's really funny because by now we know our way around town for the most part, yet we still manage to get off a stop early or get lost trying to find a place to eat every now and then.
I am very excited for this coming weekend in Amsterdam. There are many things I would like to see in this city, such as Anne Frank's house and the Heineken experience, because I have heard that both those things are a great experience to do. I believe the plan tomorrow is leave Köln around 3 and arrive in amsterdam around 5:30, however once we are their we will have no idea where to go to find our hostel or how to get around, but this is normal for us I believe and its nothing to worry about yet, not until we are stranded at 4 in the morning somewhere in Amsterdam, then we can start to worry. I will look at the glass half full and say that that will not happen though, but even if it does this is going to be a trip that we will not soon forget.
Tschüsse
Roger
Thou Shalt Want
Much energy is spent by a great lot of people in studying and considering the ways in which people interact with each other. Self-help books filled with the perspectives of those who claim the secret to getting along with your fellows line the shelves of Barnes-a-Million for purchase by those who wish to reap the successes that come with the understanding and practice of the principles between their covers. Careers are built often on the basis of nothing else than ones ability to communicate with others; the ability to influence others to want as you want.
It doesn't take a scholar to observe and interpret the actions of people within a group as they try to communicate their wishes and fears to each other; to see their motives and agendas and the different means by which they attempt to fulfill them. Even when people are doing different things or want different things, they are doing it for essentially the same reason: they want to.
Basically, people act out of self-interest. Why else would people spend so much to come to Germany if it was not something they genuine wanted or thought they wanted to do. There are things we want to do and see, and things we want less to do and see. Naturally, we are compelled to follow the necessary steps to get what we want.
There are fifteen of us. That means fifteen different wants and fifteen different steps to getting them.
Everyone is attempting to do the same thing. Some follow; others lead. Many suggest; several coerce. Acquiescence and subordination have the same motivations, even if they have different results. Everyone wants to be part of the group. That's the whole point of the trip as far as I'm concerned. But it could also be said that everyone just wants a group. We do what we can to stay with or around or related to the group, because we want to. At the same time, we try to fit all of those things we've seen in our favorite travel brochures, our personal priorities for what to do and where to go, into the plans of the group.
It makes for laughing and head-shaking and eye-rolling and ranting and raving and hugs and picture-taking. A constant to and fro of emotional flotsam and jetsam that, when looked at from a distance, becomes innocent and amusing, despite being wholly selfish (punctuation?). It's how we've been programmed to behave, though it's easy not to notice that it's even happening. For all I know, I only observe as I want to observe, and none of this actually means anything. But wouldn't that actually serve to prove my point?
Either way, it's four-thirty, and I have a paper to write.
It doesn't take a scholar to observe and interpret the actions of people within a group as they try to communicate their wishes and fears to each other; to see their motives and agendas and the different means by which they attempt to fulfill them. Even when people are doing different things or want different things, they are doing it for essentially the same reason: they want to.
Basically, people act out of self-interest. Why else would people spend so much to come to Germany if it was not something they genuine wanted or thought they wanted to do. There are things we want to do and see, and things we want less to do and see. Naturally, we are compelled to follow the necessary steps to get what we want.
There are fifteen of us. That means fifteen different wants and fifteen different steps to getting them.
Everyone is attempting to do the same thing. Some follow; others lead. Many suggest; several coerce. Acquiescence and subordination have the same motivations, even if they have different results. Everyone wants to be part of the group. That's the whole point of the trip as far as I'm concerned. But it could also be said that everyone just wants a group. We do what we can to stay with or around or related to the group, because we want to. At the same time, we try to fit all of those things we've seen in our favorite travel brochures, our personal priorities for what to do and where to go, into the plans of the group.
It makes for laughing and head-shaking and eye-rolling and ranting and raving and hugs and picture-taking. A constant to and fro of emotional flotsam and jetsam that, when looked at from a distance, becomes innocent and amusing, despite being wholly selfish (punctuation?). It's how we've been programmed to behave, though it's easy not to notice that it's even happening. For all I know, I only observe as I want to observe, and none of this actually means anything. But wouldn't that actually serve to prove my point?
Either way, it's four-thirty, and I have a paper to write.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Ich spreche nur ein wenig Deutsch.
My experiences here in Bonn have already amounted to much more than I expected. My flight in was successful and I was relieved that I was able to make it to Bonn safe and all on my own. I have had time to get to know my host mom, Eva, since she and I are the only two in the house. She is very sweet and has made many delicious meals for me already. I have actually been writing the ingredients and methods down because they are so good! We love to talk and tell stories and when she doesn't know the translation for a word to english, I am usually able to figure out what she is saying and give her the correct word. She has also tried teaching me some german, which I like. She treats me like her own daughter and I think everyone agrees that I have one of the best host homes ever :)
I have enjoyed the first two days at the AIB because they have been a nice introduction to both the city of Bonn and German culture in general. The lectures, tours and german language class made it easier to get around Bonn and to understand why we are here in Germany for a course in medicine. Just being in a place with so much history has been unbelievable. The lectures, like the one today with Mr. Zinnikus, have much more meaning when they are given by those that are truly passionate and knowledgeable about the topic. I am amazed at how the things we are learning about took place either here in Bonn or in Germany where we can walk the streets and see the buildings that were here years ago. I really enjoyed the Scavenger Hunt around Bonn today and was amazed at how well we were able to get around the city after only being here for a few days. We were even able to make requests in german! I felt more comfortable speaking german today than any other day.
The other students in the program are all amazing! We get along so well and have had a great time getting to know one another. When everyone is together all we can do is laugh and tell story after story. It feels like we have been here for such a long time because of how many stories we are able to come up with. I cannot wait for what's to come.
Cheers!
Brittany
I have enjoyed the first two days at the AIB because they have been a nice introduction to both the city of Bonn and German culture in general. The lectures, tours and german language class made it easier to get around Bonn and to understand why we are here in Germany for a course in medicine. Just being in a place with so much history has been unbelievable. The lectures, like the one today with Mr. Zinnikus, have much more meaning when they are given by those that are truly passionate and knowledgeable about the topic. I am amazed at how the things we are learning about took place either here in Bonn or in Germany where we can walk the streets and see the buildings that were here years ago. I really enjoyed the Scavenger Hunt around Bonn today and was amazed at how well we were able to get around the city after only being here for a few days. We were even able to make requests in german! I felt more comfortable speaking german today than any other day.
The other students in the program are all amazing! We get along so well and have had a great time getting to know one another. When everyone is together all we can do is laugh and tell story after story. It feels like we have been here for such a long time because of how many stories we are able to come up with. I cannot wait for what's to come.
Cheers!
Brittany
First few days in Germany
My first few days in Germany have been exciting. I am enjoying it even more than I thought I would. The trip here was much longer than I would have liked. I felt so gross when we finally arrived at the AIB in Bonn. Luckily I didn't have to wait long for my host mom and sister to pick me up. At first I was worried when the daughter refused to speak English. She soon started to speak to me and bonded some over music. My host mother, Ingrid, is one of the nicest people. She is always cheerful and eager to answer any question I may have. It is fun to compare cultures and learn more about each other. She also is a very good cook but I have yet to have German food. I don't think I could ask for a better arrangement here.
I have really enjoyed walking around the city. When it isn't raining the weather is amazing! Everything is also so beautiful. I was worried at first about taking public transportation but I now love it. I would say the one thing I don't like is that Germans don't smile or say hello when passing each other on the street. I said hallo to one person while wondering around Tannensbush and he stopped me I think to ask if he knew me. I like our tradition in Texas. Its really hard not to say hallo when walking to my tram stop!
Even though we have only completed our second day of the program I have really enjoyed it. Everyone at AIB is extremely friendly. I really enjoyed the lecture on 20 century history from the perspective of a German. The scavenger hunt today was a lot of fun. I enjoyed walking around the city talking to some of the natives and learning more about the places we pass each day. I also think it made me more comfortable going up to people and trying to communicate. Germans really do speak English really well!
I look forward to enjoying more of this wonderful country!
-Laura
I have really enjoyed walking around the city. When it isn't raining the weather is amazing! Everything is also so beautiful. I was worried at first about taking public transportation but I now love it. I would say the one thing I don't like is that Germans don't smile or say hello when passing each other on the street. I said hallo to one person while wondering around Tannensbush and he stopped me I think to ask if he knew me. I like our tradition in Texas. Its really hard not to say hallo when walking to my tram stop!
Even though we have only completed our second day of the program I have really enjoyed it. Everyone at AIB is extremely friendly. I really enjoyed the lecture on 20 century history from the perspective of a German. The scavenger hunt today was a lot of fun. I enjoyed walking around the city talking to some of the natives and learning more about the places we pass each day. I also think it made me more comfortable going up to people and trying to communicate. Germans really do speak English really well!
I look forward to enjoying more of this wonderful country!
-Laura
Germany so far...
So, I have arrived in Germany without any problems. I didn´t get lost in the airports and I have all my luggage!
My host family, Peter and Maria, is very nice. They have been working with the AIB host program for 7 years so they are use to students and really make me feel at home. This weekend we all went for a bike ride along the Rhine (they have a double bike they like to use) and then we walked up a hill to some old castle ruins. Peter likes sweets alot and I think I have had ice cream every day...which i dont mind so much, its really good!
Today we did a savenger hunt around the city of Bonn. Our German lesson from the day before came in handy for this. Starting a conversation off with 'entschuldigung' rather than just running up to them and asking 'hey do you speak english?' tended to make the german people more willing to help. But all-in-all every one was very nice and helped when they could.
Tomorrow we will be going to Köln to have a roof-top tour of its cathedral. I´m excited!
My host family, Peter and Maria, is very nice. They have been working with the AIB host program for 7 years so they are use to students and really make me feel at home. This weekend we all went for a bike ride along the Rhine (they have a double bike they like to use) and then we walked up a hill to some old castle ruins. Peter likes sweets alot and I think I have had ice cream every day...which i dont mind so much, its really good!
Today we did a savenger hunt around the city of Bonn. Our German lesson from the day before came in handy for this. Starting a conversation off with 'entschuldigung' rather than just running up to them and asking 'hey do you speak english?' tended to make the german people more willing to help. But all-in-all every one was very nice and helped when they could.
Tomorrow we will be going to Köln to have a roof-top tour of its cathedral. I´m excited!
First Bonn Post
I have been in Bonn for a total four days now and it has been amazing! I arrived by train where my host sister, Suzi, picked me up since my host mom was out of town. After I unpacked, she brought me back into town and gave me a short tour of the towncenter, university, and the biergarten!! My family lives right on the edge of the town of Bornheim, so I am surrounded by cool little farms and ranches that even have llamas and camels! The next day, I met my host mother, Dana, who is British but has lived here for over 30 years. So far, we have gotten along great!
As for the actual program, our classes started yesterday and have included German history lessons, German language class, a visit to the Museum König, and an interesting scavenger hunt today! Probably the most interesting thing I learned from the 20th century history class today was his perspective of the aftermath since WWII. He said he was proud that students like us were so interested in Germany and learning more about its culture, which proves much progress has occured here in the past 60 years.
Oh yeah, I had my first döner today. I have found my newest cheap German-Turkish fast food!!
As for the actual program, our classes started yesterday and have included German history lessons, German language class, a visit to the Museum König, and an interesting scavenger hunt today! Probably the most interesting thing I learned from the 20th century history class today was his perspective of the aftermath since WWII. He said he was proud that students like us were so interested in Germany and learning more about its culture, which proves much progress has occured here in the past 60 years.
Oh yeah, I had my first döner today. I have found my newest cheap German-Turkish fast food!!
The Week Up to Now
So I finally made it to Germany this week and I am having a blast, but I think that the travel arrangements should definitely be noted because they are a story to tell. So the day of my flight from Dallas to London, everything started like a normal plane ride would. The flight was going well until the lights went out in the cabin of the plane, and the captain came over the speaker telling us that we would need to make an emergency landing at the Chicago O' Hare airport. Then, when we were landing, there was some sort of fire the started on the tire. I know that this sounds ridiculous, but I seriously can't make this stuff up. Anyways we had to be evacuated and stuff which delayed like 4 hrs in the states before I could get to London, where I had to wait another insane amount of time. Then when I finally made it to Bonn, my luggage was missing (which I thankfully got the next day). So all in all the trip just getting here was out of control!
Now that I finally made it, in one piece and settled in to my host room, I am having a blast. My host mom, Ms. Rosa Hemmers, is really a neat lady and I am having a fun time getting to know about both her life and the German culture in general. It seems like every time that we have dinner or just talk at the house I learn something new. When I am not at the house, the other people on the trip seem to get together in the streets, and we can always find something fun to do. We always seem to be laughing about something.
Anyways, the lecture today from Mr. Zinnikus was very interesting, and he brought a whole new perspective to the German history that I know. He seemed very dedicated to the history and I think that his passion for the material made things much more interesting for me. Also the Darwin exhibit was pretty neat today, aside from all of the German texts. I liked the displays with all of the animals and such that he researched, and I think that he has published and researched many important topics that we can still learn from today. Overall, I thought that the exhibit was very interesting. Well hopefully the following days and weeks are as fun and adventuresome as these few days have been.
Matt
Now that I finally made it, in one piece and settled in to my host room, I am having a blast. My host mom, Ms. Rosa Hemmers, is really a neat lady and I am having a fun time getting to know about both her life and the German culture in general. It seems like every time that we have dinner or just talk at the house I learn something new. When I am not at the house, the other people on the trip seem to get together in the streets, and we can always find something fun to do. We always seem to be laughing about something.
Anyways, the lecture today from Mr. Zinnikus was very interesting, and he brought a whole new perspective to the German history that I know. He seemed very dedicated to the history and I think that his passion for the material made things much more interesting for me. Also the Darwin exhibit was pretty neat today, aside from all of the German texts. I liked the displays with all of the animals and such that he researched, and I think that he has published and researched many important topics that we can still learn from today. Overall, I thought that the exhibit was very interesting. Well hopefully the following days and weeks are as fun and adventuresome as these few days have been.
Matt
The Long Road Here
My first week in Germany has gone splendid so far. Getting here was a bit of an issue though. Let me explain. The plan was to fly from Houston to Washington D.C. to London to Cologne-Bonn airport. This is not how it unfolded however. Getting to London was alright, just a one hour delay on the runway in D.C. but London was a different story. Our 3:00 flight to Cologne was cancelled because the "aircraft was unfit for flight" so we got put on a plane to Duesseldorf. This plane was delayed for a total of another 5 or 6 hours. Leaving Shyanie, Sarah, Matt, and myself in the London airport for a grand total of around 10 hours. Finally arriving in the airport in Duesselforf at midnight that night, we then had to take a taxi to Bonn. My first experience on the Autobahn was intense. The taxi driver was going around 110 mph which is the fastest I have ever gone in a car before. All in all I arrived at my host house at 2:30 in the morning after the longest, yet still great, day of my life!
Roger
I wish I understood more German...
Thus far in Bonn I've had a few minor adventures.
I live right in Bonn, which makes me very close to things, but I use the public transportation less than everyone else. I'm getting the hang of things pretty quickly, mainly because I have a weird knack for public transportation. On Sunday, Stephanie, Andrew, and I took the tram out into the countryside to this rock climbing place. The people there were so immensely helpful in explaining things. Although Andrew only had a little rock climbing experience and I had even less, Stephanie teaches at the A&M rock wall so they put her in charge of teaching Andrew and I what we needed to know. I had a lot of fun mainly because Stephanie and Andrew picked the easiest walls out for me. On the way back though I forgot to get my house keys out of Stephanie's backpack so I couldn't get into the house. Luckily Stephanie had only gone to the AIB, unluckily I got lost 3 times trying to find the AIB and had to call my host mother and tell her to go to dinner without me. I was worried that she was mad that she'd waited for me, she and some friends were going on a picnic, but I think she was just concerned.
Monday I made sure to be on time for dinner with my host mother, we chatted about the Museum König, a natural history museum in Bonn, and also about Konrad Lorenz a pioneering animal ethologist that Dr. Friend (my ethology prof.) is very enthusiastic about. It was fun because she told me a few interesting stories.
The German parliament first met in the Museum König and they hid all the taxidermied animals except the giraffe so in the pictures there are all these dignitaries and towering above them is this stuffed giraffe.
She also told me about this famous swan that imprinted on this boat (I think in Holland?) and so it would follow the tourist boat all around and got so sad when it was taken out of the water for the winter that they put it back in this special pond and tourists from all around the world would come to see the swan. It reminded me of The Trumpeter Swan this old E.B. White book my family listened to on tape when we were kids. In the story this swan cannot trumpet, but his father steals a brass trumpet for him and the swan spends some time bugeling for a summer camp and in a pond playing for a swan boat all in pursuit of this special lady swan who gets stuck in a zoo.
Today, Tuesday, we visited the Museum König to see a Darwin exhibit and we're supposed to write a couple paragraphs about one of the exhibits. The problem is that the exhibits explanations were all in German. Dr. Wasser and Stephie sorf of translated for us but it was a bit difficult and I'm one of those people who likes to read all the signs in an exhibit (this is why my mother and I were kicked out of two museums in Washington D.C. because they were closing and I was still reading the exhibit descriptions.) I can't help but feel that once again on this trip I would get more out of it if I understood more German. I think when I get home I'll endeavor to actually learn German, I've always preferred it to Spanish or French, I think German just sounds wonderful to listen to and maybe I'll have a German Expressionism movie binge while I'm at it.
Anyway This is already way too long so I'll end it here.
Tschüss!
Caitlin
I live right in Bonn, which makes me very close to things, but I use the public transportation less than everyone else. I'm getting the hang of things pretty quickly, mainly because I have a weird knack for public transportation. On Sunday, Stephanie, Andrew, and I took the tram out into the countryside to this rock climbing place. The people there were so immensely helpful in explaining things. Although Andrew only had a little rock climbing experience and I had even less, Stephanie teaches at the A&M rock wall so they put her in charge of teaching Andrew and I what we needed to know. I had a lot of fun mainly because Stephanie and Andrew picked the easiest walls out for me. On the way back though I forgot to get my house keys out of Stephanie's backpack so I couldn't get into the house. Luckily Stephanie had only gone to the AIB, unluckily I got lost 3 times trying to find the AIB and had to call my host mother and tell her to go to dinner without me. I was worried that she was mad that she'd waited for me, she and some friends were going on a picnic, but I think she was just concerned.
Monday I made sure to be on time for dinner with my host mother, we chatted about the Museum König, a natural history museum in Bonn, and also about Konrad Lorenz a pioneering animal ethologist that Dr. Friend (my ethology prof.) is very enthusiastic about. It was fun because she told me a few interesting stories.
The German parliament first met in the Museum König and they hid all the taxidermied animals except the giraffe so in the pictures there are all these dignitaries and towering above them is this stuffed giraffe.
She also told me about this famous swan that imprinted on this boat (I think in Holland?) and so it would follow the tourist boat all around and got so sad when it was taken out of the water for the winter that they put it back in this special pond and tourists from all around the world would come to see the swan. It reminded me of The Trumpeter Swan this old E.B. White book my family listened to on tape when we were kids. In the story this swan cannot trumpet, but his father steals a brass trumpet for him and the swan spends some time bugeling for a summer camp and in a pond playing for a swan boat all in pursuit of this special lady swan who gets stuck in a zoo.
Today, Tuesday, we visited the Museum König to see a Darwin exhibit and we're supposed to write a couple paragraphs about one of the exhibits. The problem is that the exhibits explanations were all in German. Dr. Wasser and Stephie sorf of translated for us but it was a bit difficult and I'm one of those people who likes to read all the signs in an exhibit (this is why my mother and I were kicked out of two museums in Washington D.C. because they were closing and I was still reading the exhibit descriptions.) I can't help but feel that once again on this trip I would get more out of it if I understood more German. I think when I get home I'll endeavor to actually learn German, I've always preferred it to Spanish or French, I think German just sounds wonderful to listen to and maybe I'll have a German Expressionism movie binge while I'm at it.
Anyway This is already way too long so I'll end it here.
Tschüss!
Caitlin
Hallo from Bonn!
Guten Tag!
I have arrived in Bonn safely, and it has already been an adventure this far. There were no problems with the flight other than that Nicole and I didn't sleep at all. I was picked up from the AIB office by my host mother, Mrs. Hannelore Biermann. Mrs. Biermann is the nicest woman I've ever met. She's been a host mother with AIB for over ten years so she really knows how to make us feel comfortable in her home. The German home is not too different from my own. The only barrier is when it comes to language. Usually I just sit and listen when they have conversations...laugh when they laugh, agree when they agree...it seems to work.
I've felt very lost at times trying to make my way alone on the public transportation systems. I live farther away from Bonn than anyone, but in time, I think I'll get used to it. I love the group of people on the trip. We seem to laugh all the time and there's always someone to talk too. The program is also set up very nicely. It's structured enough to fill our day but it also gives us alot of free time.
So far, my favorite part of the program was hearing from Mr. Zannikus today about 20th century German history. I love learning about the history of WWII and he had a different perspective from anyone I've ever heard before. Probably, because he is German haha. He spoke very strong about his feelings when he has visited concentration camps. We will be doing this later in the trip and I'm really looking forward to the experience. Tomorrow, we head to Cologne to see it's famous cathedral. It should be a very fun day.
Other than that, I am very relaxed and content. We go out at night and try some German beer and have a good time. I feel very lucky and blessed that I am a part of this trip. Until next time!
Cheers!
Coral
I have arrived in Bonn safely, and it has already been an adventure this far. There were no problems with the flight other than that Nicole and I didn't sleep at all. I was picked up from the AIB office by my host mother, Mrs. Hannelore Biermann. Mrs. Biermann is the nicest woman I've ever met. She's been a host mother with AIB for over ten years so she really knows how to make us feel comfortable in her home. The German home is not too different from my own. The only barrier is when it comes to language. Usually I just sit and listen when they have conversations...laugh when they laugh, agree when they agree...it seems to work.
I've felt very lost at times trying to make my way alone on the public transportation systems. I live farther away from Bonn than anyone, but in time, I think I'll get used to it. I love the group of people on the trip. We seem to laugh all the time and there's always someone to talk too. The program is also set up very nicely. It's structured enough to fill our day but it also gives us alot of free time.
So far, my favorite part of the program was hearing from Mr. Zannikus today about 20th century German history. I love learning about the history of WWII and he had a different perspective from anyone I've ever heard before. Probably, because he is German haha. He spoke very strong about his feelings when he has visited concentration camps. We will be doing this later in the trip and I'm really looking forward to the experience. Tomorrow, we head to Cologne to see it's famous cathedral. It should be a very fun day.
Other than that, I am very relaxed and content. We go out at night and try some German beer and have a good time. I feel very lucky and blessed that I am a part of this trip. Until next time!
Cheers!
Coral
`ich habe mich verlaufen
5-6-09
One of the hardest adjustments i've had, besides the lack of water fountains and the fact that beer is cheaper than water, is the transportation system. Figuring out where to get off the bus, which bus to ride, and everything was quite overwhelming the first couple days. But after getting on my bus heading in the wrong direction for about 20 minutes, I started to get the hang of it.
i found walking around the city to be very helpful. learning the street names or stop names has helped because learning where you are based solely on the stores around doesn't necessarily work here. there are at least two or three of every store!
All the times i just started walking and didn't really know where i was going have led me to on memorable adventures and fun times. on sunday, Caitlyn, Andrew, and I set out to find the rock climbing gym called Bronx Rocks. we knew the train number, the stop we had to get off at and the street names we needed to follow. With a hand drawn map and our packs on our back, we got off the train and found our selves in what looked like the middle of know where, but we saw the street name we needed and just started walking. After about 10-15 minutes of walking we found the place! It was so kool. They had indoor and outdoor rock climbing, bouldering, and slacklining. After lots of silly photos and climbing till we dropped, we headed back to town.
Rock on!
Stephanie
Monday, July 06, 2009
first week in germany!
so our first week in germany has been...pretty eventful to say the least. i really like everyone in the group! in the four days we've been here we already have too many inside jokes and laugh at absolutely everything. its amazing.
my host family is AWESOME!!!! My host dad's name is Ralf, host mom-Michi, host brothers- Dennis and Lucas. The house is really cute and very spacious and I really like my room. Its the perfect size for me. It also has a cool overhead window that keeps my room at the perfect temperature! I can even keep it open when it rains =)
today was our first day of the program! we had a historical tour of Bonn led by the head of the AIB. he's a funny guy and gave a good tour. the overhead view of the Rhine was pretty sweet. today we also had our first german lesson!! HAHA, it was so funny. the guttural sounds we have to make are ridiculously hard. all i can confidently say is, "sprechen sie english?" and "ish hiesse Shyanie." I need to start learning numbers..stat. i think the following german lessons will be a big help..and give me and everyone else a good laugh!!
tomorrow is our first time to visit Köln!! i'm pretty excited. we also have a scavenger hunt in Bonn in the afternoon. I hope we can do the hunt in teams...or i will end up in a different city most likely. (i have no idea where i'm going in town) TEAM RAISIN WILL PREVAIL! bahaha.
over and out,
S
my host family is AWESOME!!!! My host dad's name is Ralf, host mom-Michi, host brothers- Dennis and Lucas. The house is really cute and very spacious and I really like my room. Its the perfect size for me. It also has a cool overhead window that keeps my room at the perfect temperature! I can even keep it open when it rains =)
today was our first day of the program! we had a historical tour of Bonn led by the head of the AIB. he's a funny guy and gave a good tour. the overhead view of the Rhine was pretty sweet. today we also had our first german lesson!! HAHA, it was so funny. the guttural sounds we have to make are ridiculously hard. all i can confidently say is, "sprechen sie english?" and "ish hiesse Shyanie." I need to start learning numbers..stat. i think the following german lessons will be a big help..and give me and everyone else a good laugh!!
tomorrow is our first time to visit Köln!! i'm pretty excited. we also have a scavenger hunt in Bonn in the afternoon. I hope we can do the hunt in teams...or i will end up in a different city most likely. (i have no idea where i'm going in town) TEAM RAISIN WILL PREVAIL! bahaha.
over and out,
S
Week one Blog 1
Well it is Monday of the first week of classes and so far Germany has been a blast! My host mother, Steffi, works for AIB and lives really close to the center of the city of Bonn so I feel really lucky to have been put with her. She is very nice and accomodating in everything that a foreign kid can expect in a new environment. On the weekend Steffi took me on the autobahn for the first time in my life and that was very exciting for me because of two things; the word 'autobahn' sounds really col and secondly because I've always heard about how fast and crazy it was growing up. We drove to Duesseldorf to meet up with her sister-in-law and ate a very good lunch over there. We saw the famous Gary Buildings also, designed by an American architect if I do believe.
As far as Bonn goes, the first night out in the city by myself couldn't have gone much worse. I got extremely lost all by myself after the concert and both my american phone and the cell phone AIB gave me were about to run out of battery! I finally conceded into calling a taxi, but I didn't know Steffi's adress and the taxi driver couldn't read the map because his eyesight wasn't very good! He assured me it was good for driving however! Finally, after the taxi driver pulled over and asked some Bonn denizens about the destination I needed to get to I made it safely home about two hours later. (Steffi's house is only five minutes from where I started my way home from the train station on foot).
Today was the first day of real classes and we went on a historical tour of Bonn and had a German Language class. We also had a history lesson with Dr. Wasser. All the diferent formats for the classes are engaging and fun and I like the switch-ups. So far, my favorite part of the trip has just been exploring the streets of Bonn. It doesn't get dark here until about 10 pm and walking around in the dusk the other night was really peaceful.
As far as Bonn goes, the first night out in the city by myself couldn't have gone much worse. I got extremely lost all by myself after the concert and both my american phone and the cell phone AIB gave me were about to run out of battery! I finally conceded into calling a taxi, but I didn't know Steffi's adress and the taxi driver couldn't read the map because his eyesight wasn't very good! He assured me it was good for driving however! Finally, after the taxi driver pulled over and asked some Bonn denizens about the destination I needed to get to I made it safely home about two hours later. (Steffi's house is only five minutes from where I started my way home from the train station on foot).
Today was the first day of real classes and we went on a historical tour of Bonn and had a German Language class. We also had a history lesson with Dr. Wasser. All the diferent formats for the classes are engaging and fun and I like the switch-ups. So far, my favorite part of the trip has just been exploring the streets of Bonn. It doesn't get dark here until about 10 pm and walking around in the dusk the other night was really peaceful.
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Long-Distance Blues
The blues I'm referring to are not at all related to my country of origin. No, I am actually talking about something more current. My host home, the only place in this entire country that I have taken a shower, is a full thirty minutes out of Bonn.
Maybe Olaf and J.Wass knew that I had experience with such mini-commutes, as I traveled similar distances throughout my primary and secondary schooling, and, thus, would be more equipped to handle the inconveniences associated with taking the early bus and while others were rolling out of bed.
Alas, the scars of such distances run deep. Many hours have been spent in transit. Many moments have I missed because I could not have arrived any sooner.
For me to enjoy this trip, however, I will have to look past the distances that have plagued my still-short life, and appreciate each moment that I am not, at the time, in transit.
Maybe Olaf and J.Wass knew that I had experience with such mini-commutes, as I traveled similar distances throughout my primary and secondary schooling, and, thus, would be more equipped to handle the inconveniences associated with taking the early bus and while others were rolling out of bed.
Alas, the scars of such distances run deep. Many hours have been spent in transit. Many moments have I missed because I could not have arrived any sooner.
For me to enjoy this trip, however, I will have to look past the distances that have plagued my still-short life, and appreciate each moment that I am not, at the time, in transit.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Euro Trip 2009
It is crazy to think six months ago I decided to accompany Dr. Wasser to Germany this summer. Now it is only minutes before I leave for the airport. I’m either getting old fast or time has flown by. Preparing for the trip has been an experience all in its own but made comfortable by Dr. Wasser, Alisha, the Schrempp's, MY MOM and my fellow study abroaders. The facebook blog got a little out of control and it was anything but settling booking hostels on the "legit" websites provided.
Thinking about stepping foot in Europe brings about anxieties similar to my first day of junior high and an excitement that is new to me. I can't wait to eat some German food, sip on some wine with my host family, and learn and learn. I have had thoughts about returning with a new fashion sense, acquiring a liking for hot tea, or obtaining a new taste in music. All may be incorrect dispositions of a eurotrip but all I know is that I am ready for whatever is thrown my way.
Thinking about stepping foot in Europe brings about anxieties similar to my first day of junior high and an excitement that is new to me. I can't wait to eat some German food, sip on some wine with my host family, and learn and learn. I have had thoughts about returning with a new fashion sense, acquiring a liking for hot tea, or obtaining a new taste in music. All may be incorrect dispositions of a eurotrip but all I know is that I am ready for whatever is thrown my way.
Tomorrow, Here I Come!
When I first got into Europe two weeks ago, I faced my first of many fears, how to get from the airport to our hotel. Somehow, we had forgotten to ask for directions, and without a phone or map, my mother and I (mainly me) had to find our way through Rome. She kind of freaked out but I kept my cool, although I was hiding the fear inside. We eventually found our way through the subway system and the streets to our hotel. Another fear I had that was calmed was the language barrier, which I found to be no problem at all. Also figuring out the train system from one city to another at first seemed incredibly confusing but turned out to be a piece of cake.
Now I sit here in Munster, Germany, waiting out my last night before I meet my host family. I can honestly say this is the last worry I have. I know that they will gladly welcome me, but I have never stayed in a stranger's house for five weeks before!
I hope and know that I will learn a lot through Dr. Wasser and Olaf's program. I am excited to visit various German cities and medical practices. Perhaps even the most exciting part is going on weekend trips to other countries, without supervision! My two weeks with my mother have been a blast, but I am ready to experience Europe with kids my own age now!
Farewell and see ya'll tomorrow....
Now I sit here in Munster, Germany, waiting out my last night before I meet my host family. I can honestly say this is the last worry I have. I know that they will gladly welcome me, but I have never stayed in a stranger's house for five weeks before!
I hope and know that I will learn a lot through Dr. Wasser and Olaf's program. I am excited to visit various German cities and medical practices. Perhaps even the most exciting part is going on weekend trips to other countries, without supervision! My two weeks with my mother have been a blast, but I am ready to experience Europe with kids my own age now!
Farewell and see ya'll tomorrow....
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Can Somebody Pinch Me Please?
Tonight, as I sit here on the couch in my living room with my dogs fast asleep and my sister intently reading the seventh Harry Potter book to the dull roar of the Food Network on the television, I find myself finally realizing that this is one of the last nights that I will be spending in my bed (much less the entire North American continent) this half of the summer. It seems that right about now someone should pinch my arm and remind me that I am daydreaming about this long-awaited trip to Germany, but this time the prospect is knocking on my door.
Now, aside from the packing that has yet to be fully completed, I find myself thinking about both how I got to this moment and where I am planning on going from here. For starters, looking back I think I was literally the last person to sign up for this trip, and the fact that I only was able to go to the last pre-program meeting has not helped my anxieties about the process one bit. It is funny to think that one day Dr. Wasser mentioned to our class that there was an opening in the program, and then in the next few days I was signing and initialing the paperwork on the necessary dotted lines. I think that reality began its gradual descent when I purchased my plane ticket because I remember my dad telling me that there was no turning back now, but still to this day I can find myself wrapped in a daydream of walking in the streets of Bonn or hanging out at the Eiffel Tower.
It is hard for me to think that this trip is actually about to happen.
Looking ahead to what the trip will hold gives me a whole new meaning to the word ‘uncertainty’. Immersion into a new culture in this manner is definitely out of my comfort zone, but I am anxious for what is in store. I went to Europe once for a family vacation in Spain, but solo international travel is something that I am somewhat nervous to endeavor. One element of European travel that I have most assuredly not experienced is the rail system. With my Eurail pass in hand I will attempt to master the train system, but the timetables that are provided are overwhelming to say the least. Also, aside from the fact that we have made some correspondence, I am eager/nervous to meet my host mom and her 24 year old daughter. Aside from all of the uncertainty and anxiety about what is before me, I can find relief in the fact that the sights, sounds, friends, and experiences will greatly outweigh any worries I may have about this trip.
So as I sit here, contemplating packing my bags yet again, I can’t help but flood my mind with the images of beautiful countryside, historic architecture, priceless artwork, and unforgettable memories that wait on the far side of the Atlantic. Of all the things I want to be able to take from this trip, most of all I hope that I don’t take this experience for granted. I hope that each day will bring new adventures and new surprises, and that I will be able to appreciate them for all that they are. I cannot believe this incredible adventure is about to start!
Now, aside from the packing that has yet to be fully completed, I find myself thinking about both how I got to this moment and where I am planning on going from here. For starters, looking back I think I was literally the last person to sign up for this trip, and the fact that I only was able to go to the last pre-program meeting has not helped my anxieties about the process one bit. It is funny to think that one day Dr. Wasser mentioned to our class that there was an opening in the program, and then in the next few days I was signing and initialing the paperwork on the necessary dotted lines. I think that reality began its gradual descent when I purchased my plane ticket because I remember my dad telling me that there was no turning back now, but still to this day I can find myself wrapped in a daydream of walking in the streets of Bonn or hanging out at the Eiffel Tower.
It is hard for me to think that this trip is actually about to happen.
Looking ahead to what the trip will hold gives me a whole new meaning to the word ‘uncertainty’. Immersion into a new culture in this manner is definitely out of my comfort zone, but I am anxious for what is in store. I went to Europe once for a family vacation in Spain, but solo international travel is something that I am somewhat nervous to endeavor. One element of European travel that I have most assuredly not experienced is the rail system. With my Eurail pass in hand I will attempt to master the train system, but the timetables that are provided are overwhelming to say the least. Also, aside from the fact that we have made some correspondence, I am eager/nervous to meet my host mom and her 24 year old daughter. Aside from all of the uncertainty and anxiety about what is before me, I can find relief in the fact that the sights, sounds, friends, and experiences will greatly outweigh any worries I may have about this trip.
So as I sit here, contemplating packing my bags yet again, I can’t help but flood my mind with the images of beautiful countryside, historic architecture, priceless artwork, and unforgettable memories that wait on the far side of the Atlantic. Of all the things I want to be able to take from this trip, most of all I hope that I don’t take this experience for granted. I hope that each day will bring new adventures and new surprises, and that I will be able to appreciate them for all that they are. I cannot believe this incredible adventure is about to start!
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