Today we traveled to Cologne, Germany to visit an old Gestapo police Headquarters that was also used as a prison. It was transformed into a museum like many Nazi establishments preserving and revealing its dark history. There was no medical aspect to the museum but I found it quite educational. We had an extremely knowledgeable guide who took us down into the orison first . I knew this place was serious when a metal chain barrier was pulled down to block the entrance once we had entered.
The prison was located in the basement. On the walls were inscriptions of past inmates, some still very defined and others faded. We were able to walk around in some of the cells but other had been glassed off to preserve the wall inscriptions. The guide informed us of the many interrogations, beatings, and murders that place in here. This knowledge and reading the inscriptions alone brought about a real sense for the pain and suffering experienced in these rooms.
Upstairs, in the old headquarters portion, a brilliant museum of Nazi Germany was available and our guide explained and pointed out many interesting aspects of that time period that I did not know of. Afterwards Olaf took us to get currywurst. I may never try that dish again.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Always Look on the Bright Side of Death
This week has been filled with tombs, catacombs, and a cemetery. For the Catholics here (as I'm sure they are in other places and with most religions) are very serious about death and how the body is prepared and what can be done to the bodies. Well after hearing about this process and seeing that we were walking in this cemetery for 3 hours and barely even scratched the surface of all the people it contained, I came to the conclusion that there were too many graves in this world, and when I die I will not add to its ranks. Instead I want to be cremated. Then I would like my ashes to be spread throughout the Swiss Alps. But half during the summer and the other half during the winter. Why you may ask. Well here you go. Some of my ashes can go snow skiing, some rock climbing, some sky diving, some hang gliding, some whitewater rafting, some canyoning, and any other possible sport involving nature in Switzerland : )And if ever my family wants to visit my "grave site" they can go to Switzerland and do one of these many awesome things and think of me. They could even just enjoy the scenery and think of me, because I'm sure some of my ashes will be doing that as well. They would celebrate the time I had on earth by participating in some of the things I love to do!
Auf wiedersehen
Stephanie
P.S for those of you who don't know this song reference go to this web site http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHPOzQzk9Qo
Auf wiedersehen
Stephanie
P.S for those of you who don't know this song reference go to this web site http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHPOzQzk9Qo
A week in the city of music
Vienna, or Wein to the natives has been an interesting place. We're here in what seems like the off season for t would have been nice to see the Vienna Boys choir in concert or an opera or something. Wednesday we did catch a tourist-y Mozart concert and the string orchestra was really good, but the two singers were not at the same level.
Today started out in the Vienna graveyard where we spent quite a long time searching fruitlessly for the graves of Sigmund Freud's parents and the people who've donated their bodies to science. It reminded me of spending 45 minutes looking for Jim Morrison's grave in Paris and then not having time to look at any other graves. I think because of that experience and being able to visit the church the morning was actually pretty pleasant. In contrast with the medical tour of the city on Tuesday morning, which if I'm being honest I found uninteresting and boring, this tour actually had things that were still there we wer looking for (even if we couldn't find them) we weren't just imagining what the Jewish section of a cematary would look like because we could see it.
Also the best part of the morning was certainly the Cemetary church. I've always kind of tough that Art Deco was a tacky style of art, but this church which was decorated inside completely Art Deco was wonderful. The simple repetition of paterns and the wonderful color choices were just so appealing and the inside of the dome was more beautiful and moving than a more traditional mural by tenfold.
I split off from the group when we had free time for lunch to practice my traveling alone skills before this weekend, Stephansplatz was quite pleasant this afternoon.
Desert at Cafe Demel started off the afternoon activities right and I had a delicious piece of super chocolately cake. Then we went to the University's History of Medicine museum which had a bunch of interesting old instruments and information about developments in medicine as well as an absolutely amasing collection of wax anatomical models that were so well done they relly reminded me of Gunther Von Haagen's plasticine models, they were truly pieces of medical art.
The day ended with wonderful traditional Vienese (sp?) food and a rain storm that will hopefully tame the terrific heat that's plagued our entire time in Wien.
-Caitlin
Today started out in the Vienna graveyard where we spent quite a long time searching fruitlessly for the graves of Sigmund Freud's parents and the people who've donated their bodies to science. It reminded me of spending 45 minutes looking for Jim Morrison's grave in Paris and then not having time to look at any other graves. I think because of that experience and being able to visit the church the morning was actually pretty pleasant. In contrast with the medical tour of the city on Tuesday morning, which if I'm being honest I found uninteresting and boring, this tour actually had things that were still there we wer looking for (even if we couldn't find them) we weren't just imagining what the Jewish section of a cematary would look like because we could see it.
Also the best part of the morning was certainly the Cemetary church. I've always kind of tough that Art Deco was a tacky style of art, but this church which was decorated inside completely Art Deco was wonderful. The simple repetition of paterns and the wonderful color choices were just so appealing and the inside of the dome was more beautiful and moving than a more traditional mural by tenfold.
I split off from the group when we had free time for lunch to practice my traveling alone skills before this weekend, Stephansplatz was quite pleasant this afternoon.
Desert at Cafe Demel started off the afternoon activities right and I had a delicious piece of super chocolately cake. Then we went to the University's History of Medicine museum which had a bunch of interesting old instruments and information about developments in medicine as well as an absolutely amasing collection of wax anatomical models that were so well done they relly reminded me of Gunther Von Haagen's plasticine models, they were truly pieces of medical art.
The day ended with wonderful traditional Vienese (sp?) food and a rain storm that will hopefully tame the terrific heat that's plagued our entire time in Wien.
-Caitlin
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
July 23, 2009
I just got out of the shower and I'm already sweating again. I will never take advantage of the air conditioning at home ever again. I woke up this morning sweating and I have a feeling I'll be sweating the rest of the afternoon. Lovely.
So last night we went to a concert at the Konzerthaus here in Vienna. It was an orchestra playing mostly Mozart, with two opera singers who would accompany the orchestra every once in a while. All of the performers were dressed in old fashioned clothes (like what Mozart would wear) and wigs. I thought that part was a little cheesy, but overall I enjoyed the concert.
We also saw the catacombs yesterday. It was pretty much unreal. There were thousands of bones and skulls in a small, dark and creepy room. What really scared me when we were down there (besides the possibility of getting locked in) was the room with the bones stacked in organized piles with the heads placed on the edges. It was so creepy that it was underneath the Cathedral. I would have never guessed that there were graves under the beautiful church.
Oh! I can't forget about karaoke! We went to karaoke on Tuesday after we ate at a Mexican food restaurant down the street. I was feeling pretty good when we got to the bar, so I jumped right in to sing. Justin and I sang Jay Z's "Dirt Off Your Shoulders." Hah that was funny. I was his backup dancer/singer. After the first song, I was addicted. I just kept requesting songs and made everyone listen to my beautiful voice. Well it sounds beautiful to me at least.
These are the songs I serenaded everone with:
1. Justin and Nicole- "Dirt Off Your Shoulders"
2. Coral and Nicole- "Come on Over"
3. Stephanie, Caitlin, Laura and Nicole- "Oops I did it Again"
4. Matt, Justin, Andrew, Mark, Roger and Nicole- Backstreet Boys
I hope I don't become a karaoke junkie...
So last night we went to a concert at the Konzerthaus here in Vienna. It was an orchestra playing mostly Mozart, with two opera singers who would accompany the orchestra every once in a while. All of the performers were dressed in old fashioned clothes (like what Mozart would wear) and wigs. I thought that part was a little cheesy, but overall I enjoyed the concert.
We also saw the catacombs yesterday. It was pretty much unreal. There were thousands of bones and skulls in a small, dark and creepy room. What really scared me when we were down there (besides the possibility of getting locked in) was the room with the bones stacked in organized piles with the heads placed on the edges. It was so creepy that it was underneath the Cathedral. I would have never guessed that there were graves under the beautiful church.
Oh! I can't forget about karaoke! We went to karaoke on Tuesday after we ate at a Mexican food restaurant down the street. I was feeling pretty good when we got to the bar, so I jumped right in to sing. Justin and I sang Jay Z's "Dirt Off Your Shoulders." Hah that was funny. I was his backup dancer/singer. After the first song, I was addicted. I just kept requesting songs and made everyone listen to my beautiful voice. Well it sounds beautiful to me at least.
These are the songs I serenaded everone with:
1. Justin and Nicole- "Dirt Off Your Shoulders"
2. Coral and Nicole- "Come on Over"
3. Stephanie, Caitlin, Laura and Nicole- "Oops I did it Again"
4. Matt, Justin, Andrew, Mark, Roger and Nicole- Backstreet Boys
I hope I don't become a karaoke junkie...
July 23, 2009
This week we are in Vienna. It is much bigger than any of the cities we have been to so far. Everywhere you turn there is a historical government building. We went on an open bus ride through the city and I'm pretty sure we only covered a fraction of Vienna's many districts. On the bus tour, we stopped at the Hunterwasser Haus, which is an apartment building designed by a modern artist. He believed in using organic shapes and colors to allow for the people living in the building to truly express themselves. The building is very colorful and has trees and plants everywhere.
One thing I wish we had more of was free time. There are so many museums and things to do here and not enough time. At some point, I would like to visit the Leopold Museum were the Klimt paintings are kept. We will see if time allows.
One thing I wish we had more of was free time. There are so many museums and things to do here and not enough time. At some point, I would like to visit the Leopold Museum were the Klimt paintings are kept. We will see if time allows.
Where am I?
This post is intended for July 19.
Aside from the exciting and exhilarating events that we enjoyed in Hannover, the second weekend travels brought me to Prague, in the Czech Republic. Prague was one of the most beatiful cities architecturally that I have ever seen. This is right up there with Vienna, which we were in this week, but back to the weekend...I had a blast!
Although first impressions were not the best, what with the damp, rainy weather on the first day, the irate security woman in the train station, and the temporary inability to hail a cab that would take us to the hostel, the overall atmosphere of the weekend was one that will not soon be forgotten. It was almost as though walking through the streets of the historic town center was like taking a trip back in time. There was the huge cathedral and a strangely arranged astrological clock, which a group of us sat in front of and enjoyed a warm capuccino and soup as a pickup on the cold rainy afternoon.
The hostel, Sir Toby's, was a space that had a very unique atmosphere. There was the meeting room out front, the pub/relaxing area downstairs, and five floors of rooms that contained a varitable melting pot of cultures. For example my room, which I shared with Andrew and Roger, contained some German people, Dutch people, a Canadain, and an Australian. It was just a neat concept to think that little ol' me from a small town in Texas would be in a hostel in Prague that would be shared with such a variety of people.
Probably my favorite part of the weekend was walking. We saw the historical parts of town, the Prague castle, the Charles bridge, and other social aspects such as the pub crawl, but the most interesting thing for me was seeing the town at night. Being able to walk around in a foreign city in Europe with no restraint but my own often makes me take a step out of reality and make sure where I am. While I am in the moment of the trip and the excursions with friends and teachers, I feel like some of the importance and grandeur of the things we are seeing and participating in is lost. So there, around midnight in the streets of Prague chillin with Roger, I found myself stepping out of reality and looking at the big picture in the hope that this is actually happening and I am experiencing this trip to the fullest. I think that this innocent question will help me to get back down to earth and realize that this is reality, and the reality is that this trip is only half-way over!
I literally have no idea what adventures the last half of the trip will bring, but I am sure that they will be priceless.
Until next time,
Matt
Aside from the exciting and exhilarating events that we enjoyed in Hannover, the second weekend travels brought me to Prague, in the Czech Republic. Prague was one of the most beatiful cities architecturally that I have ever seen. This is right up there with Vienna, which we were in this week, but back to the weekend...I had a blast!
Although first impressions were not the best, what with the damp, rainy weather on the first day, the irate security woman in the train station, and the temporary inability to hail a cab that would take us to the hostel, the overall atmosphere of the weekend was one that will not soon be forgotten. It was almost as though walking through the streets of the historic town center was like taking a trip back in time. There was the huge cathedral and a strangely arranged astrological clock, which a group of us sat in front of and enjoyed a warm capuccino and soup as a pickup on the cold rainy afternoon.
The hostel, Sir Toby's, was a space that had a very unique atmosphere. There was the meeting room out front, the pub/relaxing area downstairs, and five floors of rooms that contained a varitable melting pot of cultures. For example my room, which I shared with Andrew and Roger, contained some German people, Dutch people, a Canadain, and an Australian. It was just a neat concept to think that little ol' me from a small town in Texas would be in a hostel in Prague that would be shared with such a variety of people.
Probably my favorite part of the weekend was walking. We saw the historical parts of town, the Prague castle, the Charles bridge, and other social aspects such as the pub crawl, but the most interesting thing for me was seeing the town at night. Being able to walk around in a foreign city in Europe with no restraint but my own often makes me take a step out of reality and make sure where I am. While I am in the moment of the trip and the excursions with friends and teachers, I feel like some of the importance and grandeur of the things we are seeing and participating in is lost. So there, around midnight in the streets of Prague chillin with Roger, I found myself stepping out of reality and looking at the big picture in the hope that this is actually happening and I am experiencing this trip to the fullest. I think that this innocent question will help me to get back down to earth and realize that this is reality, and the reality is that this trip is only half-way over!
I literally have no idea what adventures the last half of the trip will bring, but I am sure that they will be priceless.
Until next time,
Matt
Good Stuff
I have to wonder whether our trip is intentionally scheduled to become more impressive every time we travel to a new city. Bonn is quaint in it's being our first experience in Germany. Amsterdam is a good time, but nothing you couldn't do at home (illegally, but still). Hannover is a clean and pleasant university town that would probably be a great place to live. Prague is interesting and cheap enough to do everything you could possibly want on a weekend without breaking the bank. Vienna, however, is somewhat astonishing.
Every street is decorated with so much pride that your first instinct is to reach for your camera, whether or not you have already take one or more pictures. The sheer number of monuments and the detail that is put into them easily rivals our nations capital, and probably outdoes D.C. as far as international influence. I could spend weeks here, and not be bored for lack of things to do and see.
That said, I can't imagine how impressive Berlin must be. If things continue on their current trend, we have a lot to be excited about in the weeks to come.
Every street is decorated with so much pride that your first instinct is to reach for your camera, whether or not you have already take one or more pictures. The sheer number of monuments and the detail that is put into them easily rivals our nations capital, and probably outdoes D.C. as far as international influence. I could spend weeks here, and not be bored for lack of things to do and see.
That said, I can't imagine how impressive Berlin must be. If things continue on their current trend, we have a lot to be excited about in the weeks to come.
A terrible ending to a wonderful weekend
Moin Moin! Which is hello if you're a northern German.
(Dr. Wasser please consider this to be from the weekend of July 17-19)
On Friday when at the Hauptbahnhof in Hannover I made my first big split from the group as a whole. While all 14 of my fellow students went to Prague for the weekend I took a pleasant one hour and 4o minute train ride north to Hamburg. You may wonder why I decided to venture to this city, which is (strangely) not well known in the United States. Hamburg, aside from being the second largest city in Germany and a port city renowned for its fish and nightlife, is also where two of my friends from high school live.
The weekend and Hamburg itself were wonderful, I was so blessed to have my two friends to stay with and to see the city with. We went clubbing until 4 am together (that's early by Hamburger standards) wandered around the city sights, and woke up super early on Sunday to see the fish market, which had some of the best fresh fish available than I've had since my Uncle gave us some fresh walleye in May.
Sunday afternoon it was time to go and my friend Ellen, who I'd stayed with, brought me to the train station and waited with me until my train came in. This is where the weekend took a turn for the worse: I had reserved seats on both my train to and from Hamburg on Monday when I'd still been in Bonn and it had worked wonderfully on the way there. When I tried to look up my car on the handy train guide at the gate I couldn't find it. I figured that they'd probably just switched the trains and it didn't really matter if I my reservation was messed up I would just find one of the unreserved seats to sit in. Unfortunately when the train arrived it was all compartments. If you've never been on a train with compartments, imagine the Hogwarts express from HP but not scarlet or magical. This means that every single seat was reserved so I basically spent the first two hours of my 4 hour train ride to Koeln siting in the aisle of the train. Finally a seat opened up when someone got off at Muenster, so I snatched it and was li=uckily able to spend the rest of the ride sleeping in a chair.
Of course this was probably all a little my fault, I could've done a few things to fix it:
1. I could've tried to ask someone if they knew what was happening or what to do. I've had good luck asking people for help on trains before.
2. I could've tried asking the woman who checked my ticket.
3. There was a woman who I think had a similar problem (she was speaking German so I'm not sure) and I could've asked her if she was having the same issue and for help.
4. I could have looked up and down the train for an open seat after the first couple stops.
Of course I was too chicken to do any of these things, but at least there were a few things that made the whole experience better:
1. The first hour I got to sit next to this really cute German boy until he got off at some B named city.
2. Right as the Cute German boy started leaving I found the super wonderful candied almonds Ellen and I had bough at the fish market and I snacked on them along with our 8 euro supply of candy.
3. I was able to catch up on some of my daily Bible reading.
4. I was able to see some really cute little German children when people watching.
So all in all it wasn't totally terrible. I'll leave you with a bit of advice:
1. Visit Hamburg
2. Eat Franzbroetchen and quarkballs when in Hamburg.
Ciao!
Caitlin
(Dr. Wasser please consider this to be from the weekend of July 17-19)
On Friday when at the Hauptbahnhof in Hannover I made my first big split from the group as a whole. While all 14 of my fellow students went to Prague for the weekend I took a pleasant one hour and 4o minute train ride north to Hamburg. You may wonder why I decided to venture to this city, which is (strangely) not well known in the United States. Hamburg, aside from being the second largest city in Germany and a port city renowned for its fish and nightlife, is also where two of my friends from high school live.
The weekend and Hamburg itself were wonderful, I was so blessed to have my two friends to stay with and to see the city with. We went clubbing until 4 am together (that's early by Hamburger standards) wandered around the city sights, and woke up super early on Sunday to see the fish market, which had some of the best fresh fish available than I've had since my Uncle gave us some fresh walleye in May.
Sunday afternoon it was time to go and my friend Ellen, who I'd stayed with, brought me to the train station and waited with me until my train came in. This is where the weekend took a turn for the worse: I had reserved seats on both my train to and from Hamburg on Monday when I'd still been in Bonn and it had worked wonderfully on the way there. When I tried to look up my car on the handy train guide at the gate I couldn't find it. I figured that they'd probably just switched the trains and it didn't really matter if I my reservation was messed up I would just find one of the unreserved seats to sit in. Unfortunately when the train arrived it was all compartments. If you've never been on a train with compartments, imagine the Hogwarts express from HP but not scarlet or magical. This means that every single seat was reserved so I basically spent the first two hours of my 4 hour train ride to Koeln siting in the aisle of the train. Finally a seat opened up when someone got off at Muenster, so I snatched it and was li=uckily able to spend the rest of the ride sleeping in a chair.
Of course this was probably all a little my fault, I could've done a few things to fix it:
1. I could've tried to ask someone if they knew what was happening or what to do. I've had good luck asking people for help on trains before.
2. I could've tried asking the woman who checked my ticket.
3. There was a woman who I think had a similar problem (she was speaking German so I'm not sure) and I could've asked her if she was having the same issue and for help.
4. I could have looked up and down the train for an open seat after the first couple stops.
Of course I was too chicken to do any of these things, but at least there were a few things that made the whole experience better:
1. The first hour I got to sit next to this really cute German boy until he got off at some B named city.
2. Right as the Cute German boy started leaving I found the super wonderful candied almonds Ellen and I had bough at the fish market and I snacked on them along with our 8 euro supply of candy.
3. I was able to catch up on some of my daily Bible reading.
4. I was able to see some really cute little German children when people watching.
So all in all it wasn't totally terrible. I'll leave you with a bit of advice:
1. Visit Hamburg
2. Eat Franzbroetchen and quarkballs when in Hamburg.
Ciao!
Caitlin
July 20, 2009
Vienna is so much more beautiful than I expected. I had no idea that the architecture here was so impressive. The streets are lined with beautiful apartment buildings and shops. I just wish I had enough money to go to all of these expensive stores I have to walk past everyday.
This weekend we went to Prague, which was also very beautiful, but in a different way. The style was completely different. I feel like Prague was more about taking in the landscape, while Vienna is about the immediate wow on the streets.
Today we went on a quick tour of the bus system and the area around our hotel. Then, we went to an italian restaurant. It was really good pizza, pasta and wine. Everyone had a great time at dinner, and they definitely gave us a good share of wine!
After we split from Dr. Wasser and Dr. Zect, everyone went back to the hotel and we all hung out in Roger, Matt, and Justin's room. We played "telephone pictionary" (I think) and it was so much fun! You start with a sentence and from there everyone passes the paper and alternates drawing the sentence or interpreting the drawing. that's a really bad explanation of the game, but it's fun!
This weekend we went to Prague, which was also very beautiful, but in a different way. The style was completely different. I feel like Prague was more about taking in the landscape, while Vienna is about the immediate wow on the streets.
Today we went on a quick tour of the bus system and the area around our hotel. Then, we went to an italian restaurant. It was really good pizza, pasta and wine. Everyone had a great time at dinner, and they definitely gave us a good share of wine!
After we split from Dr. Wasser and Dr. Zect, everyone went back to the hotel and we all hung out in Roger, Matt, and Justin's room. We played "telephone pictionary" (I think) and it was so much fun! You start with a sentence and from there everyone passes the paper and alternates drawing the sentence or interpreting the drawing. that's a really bad explanation of the game, but it's fun!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
End of Week 2
For July 17th-19th.
Today (Friday) was Bergen-Belsen concentration camp near Hannover. Before this program started, I was able to visit Dachau, which gave me a really graphic image of the Nazi concentration camps with the reconstructed barricks, solitary confinement cells, and an intact gas chamber. So, although I didn't think the two would be exactly the same, I was not expecting what I saw at Bergen-Belsen.
With most of the buildings destroyed, Bergen-Belsen has started to revert back to its natural state before its landscape was used for hatred and frequently death. It really was a beautiful area, and somewhat resembles how Germany has reacted since the WWII time period. Of course, there were plenty reminders of the past, including the mass graves and countless memorials.
This weekend, most of us went to Prague, which was a beautiful area despite our initial reaction. After being kicked out of the train station at 1 AM by the "ne" lady with no money, we eventually made our way to the hostel who graciously welcomed us. The next morning and day were quite rainy and cold, but the sights were amazing. Many great memories were made there with my fellow students and hopefully more will come as we proceed to Vienna and the rest of the program!
Today (Friday) was Bergen-Belsen concentration camp near Hannover. Before this program started, I was able to visit Dachau, which gave me a really graphic image of the Nazi concentration camps with the reconstructed barricks, solitary confinement cells, and an intact gas chamber. So, although I didn't think the two would be exactly the same, I was not expecting what I saw at Bergen-Belsen.
With most of the buildings destroyed, Bergen-Belsen has started to revert back to its natural state before its landscape was used for hatred and frequently death. It really was a beautiful area, and somewhat resembles how Germany has reacted since the WWII time period. Of course, there were plenty reminders of the past, including the mass graves and countless memorials.
This weekend, most of us went to Prague, which was a beautiful area despite our initial reaction. After being kicked out of the train station at 1 AM by the "ne" lady with no money, we eventually made our way to the hostel who graciously welcomed us. The next morning and day were quite rainy and cold, but the sights were amazing. Many great memories were made there with my fellow students and hopefully more will come as we proceed to Vienna and the rest of the program!
Wait, is this the right stop?
We went to Prague this weekend and getting there was almost more eventful than the rest of the trip! We had to run from Platform 4 to 11 in like five minutes. Then we almost got off at the wrong station in Prague because people on the train told us different things! When we finally got to Prague we were forced out of the train station, without being able to withdraw money, and we had to find a way to our hostel because all the buses and trams had stopped running. We took a taxi.
Sir Toby's (hostel where we stayed) was really awesome. Shyanie and I had a room on the 5th floor, which turned out to be the very top of the hotel. The breakfast there was amazing and only 100 Czech dollars. It rained all day Saturday but we still walked around the city. Prague has to be one of the most beautiful places I've been so far, even in the rain. We went to this really nice cafe to warm up and drink some coffee. It was one of the best cups of coffee I've ever had but it was pretty expensive...like 190 Czech korunas. To cap off the day we did a pub crawl with our hostel, which was interesting to say the least. It was a lot of fun and we were able to make friends with some of the people staying at our hostel. On Sunday we walked around some more and saw the city. We also went shopping!!!
This week we are in Vienna and it's going to be lots of fun. Today we went on an open air bus tour and a walking medical history tour. We then saw the Sigmund Freud museum. Tonight we are all going to Karaoke.
Sir Toby's (hostel where we stayed) was really awesome. Shyanie and I had a room on the 5th floor, which turned out to be the very top of the hotel. The breakfast there was amazing and only 100 Czech dollars. It rained all day Saturday but we still walked around the city. Prague has to be one of the most beautiful places I've been so far, even in the rain. We went to this really nice cafe to warm up and drink some coffee. It was one of the best cups of coffee I've ever had but it was pretty expensive...like 190 Czech korunas. To cap off the day we did a pub crawl with our hostel, which was interesting to say the least. It was a lot of fun and we were able to make friends with some of the people staying at our hostel. On Sunday we walked around some more and saw the city. We also went shopping!!!
This week we are in Vienna and it's going to be lots of fun. Today we went on an open air bus tour and a walking medical history tour. We then saw the Sigmund Freud museum. Tonight we are all going to Karaoke.
Week 2 Blog 2....Prague
Well the trip is flying by and we've all already completed the second weekend. Most of the people in the group decided to go to Praha! The train ride from Hannover to Prague was pretty intense but fun. We did some dancing and kareoke ;). We arrived at the Prague Central Station around 1 am and had a crazy time trying to find a way to the hostel we were staying at. The hostel is called Sir Toby's. My room was a 10 person room and I shared it with Stephanie. I was glad to have a person I knew in the bunk under me.
Prague's nic-name (The Golden City) lived up to it's name. The beautiful and unique thing about Prague is that at moments while on bridges you could literally see what looked to be the entire city! The layout was amazing and the architecture was incredible. On the last day there we saw a cool Hindu Parade happening in the Old Town Square where we goot a really good meal the day earlier. Walking around Prague also was fun because a lot of the turns we made led us into very foreign and amazing territory. As an example, my group wandered into a place we like to refer to as Narnia!! We literally walked from a busy city street into a fantasy garden area with peacocks and a huge palace that we found out to be the Czech Senate.
Prague's nic-name (The Golden City) lived up to it's name. The beautiful and unique thing about Prague is that at moments while on bridges you could literally see what looked to be the entire city! The layout was amazing and the architecture was incredible. On the last day there we saw a cool Hindu Parade happening in the Old Town Square where we goot a really good meal the day earlier. Walking around Prague also was fun because a lot of the turns we made led us into very foreign and amazing territory. As an example, my group wandered into a place we like to refer to as Narnia!! We literally walked from a busy city street into a fantasy garden area with peacocks and a huge palace that we found out to be the Czech Senate.
The Red Light City
Amsterdam is a very unique place. It is full of culture, art, museums, drugs, and sex, which is a combination like no other found in the world. One minute we are looking at famous and beautiful Van Gogh paintings and the next some guy on the street is trying to deal everyone cocaine. All in all though the weekend in Amsterdam was fantastic.
Among other things, we went the the Rijks museum and saw some wonderfully detailed Rembrandt paintings (including The Night Watch), the Van Gogh Museum, had the Heineken experience, and the Anne Frank House. The art was great, and the beer at the experience tasted like heaven, but my favorite was the Anne Frank House. The 45 minutes spent waiting in the rain to enter was well worth it. Anne Frank was a courageous person and going through that bookcase into the Secret Annex where they hid made me feel so many emotions that it is hard to explain.
The night life in Amsterdam is also something that other cities cannot compare. As a group we walked through the Red Light District and observed the odd goings on. There is a certain awkwardness about watching "business" take place while in the district, making it a very interesting place. I believe that the Amsterdam group had a good weekend and had great hostels despite not being able to stay together. This trip is amazing!!!
Prost,
Roger Jordan
Among other things, we went the the Rijks museum and saw some wonderfully detailed Rembrandt paintings (including The Night Watch), the Van Gogh Museum, had the Heineken experience, and the Anne Frank House. The art was great, and the beer at the experience tasted like heaven, but my favorite was the Anne Frank House. The 45 minutes spent waiting in the rain to enter was well worth it. Anne Frank was a courageous person and going through that bookcase into the Secret Annex where they hid made me feel so many emotions that it is hard to explain.
The night life in Amsterdam is also something that other cities cannot compare. As a group we walked through the Red Light District and observed the odd goings on. There is a certain awkwardness about watching "business" take place while in the district, making it a very interesting place. I believe that the Amsterdam group had a good weekend and had great hostels despite not being able to stay together. This trip is amazing!!!
Prost,
Roger Jordan
July 17, 2009
Today we went to Bergen Belsen. It’s a concentration camp. I didn’t really know what to expect..
We just got to the train station to leave for Prague. The concentration camp was not at all what I had pictured. The camp was burned after Britain liberated it, so all that was left of the buildings were the foundations. The one thing that really got to me was the mass graves. There were 14 mass graves filled with anywhere from 500 to 5000 bodies.
It was in a beautiful area of Germany, with butterflies, flowers, and gorgeous tall trees. It was so ironic that this was the site of a concentration camp. The hard thing was thinking about the fact that the victims were all tortured, starved, and forced to work on the ground we were walking on.
All in all, the concentration camp made me feel blessed to have the things and the freedom I do. It didn’t evoke as much emotion from me, as I expected, but it was still very impacting to me.
We just got to the train station to leave for Prague. The concentration camp was not at all what I had pictured. The camp was burned after Britain liberated it, so all that was left of the buildings were the foundations. The one thing that really got to me was the mass graves. There were 14 mass graves filled with anywhere from 500 to 5000 bodies.
It was in a beautiful area of Germany, with butterflies, flowers, and gorgeous tall trees. It was so ironic that this was the site of a concentration camp. The hard thing was thinking about the fact that the victims were all tortured, starved, and forced to work on the ground we were walking on.
All in all, the concentration camp made me feel blessed to have the things and the freedom I do. It didn’t evoke as much emotion from me, as I expected, but it was still very impacting to me.
July 16, 2009
I just did a cow palpation. It was so weird! We dressed up in white outfits (like oompa loompas) and stuck our whole arm in a cow’s butt. Justin and I both had our hands in the cow’s anus at the same time, it was so romantic.
After removing my cow manure clothes, we got to see a surgery. It was really cool! We observed open heart surgeries yesterday, and I was doing okay at first, but after about 10 minutes, I felt like I was about to faint. I’m pretty sure it was a mental thing, because I was really interested at first, but as soon as I started to think about it being a real person under the blanket, I started getting woozy. But today, I was surprised at how easily I was able to observe a cow surgery. There were two vet students and two vets sticking their entire arms inside the cow’s torso. They were even pulling out organs to show us, and he pulled out the pyloric sphincter!!
Today made me think about considering vet medicine. Just thinking about it, nothing permanent.
After removing my cow manure clothes, we got to see a surgery. It was really cool! We observed open heart surgeries yesterday, and I was doing okay at first, but after about 10 minutes, I felt like I was about to faint. I’m pretty sure it was a mental thing, because I was really interested at first, but as soon as I started to think about it being a real person under the blanket, I started getting woozy. But today, I was surprised at how easily I was able to observe a cow surgery. There were two vet students and two vets sticking their entire arms inside the cow’s torso. They were even pulling out organs to show us, and he pulled out the pyloric sphincter!!
Today made me think about considering vet medicine. Just thinking about it, nothing permanent.
Hangin in Hannover
Aside: This post is meant for the previous week.
My week in Hannover went wonderfully. From the nice hotel, and roomie, to the cow rectal palpation I had a great time. Speaking of the rectal palpation (never thought I would say that), it was an experience that I can't really describe and I am trying to decide whether or not that is something to brag to my friends about when I return to Texas. Either way the Vet school had some very interesting portions, such as when we were discussing how bacteria in the cows stomach produce oxygen even after the animal is dead, resulting sometimes in the cow exploding during dissection.
This entire trip as a whole presents so many opportunities that there is no way I would be able to experience otherwise, such as going to and talking to physicians at the Hannover med school and observing the differences that medicine has depending on the location it is being practiced. Everywhere this program goes I feel that we get to see things that not many people get to see and I like that a lot, makes me feel important haha.
My week in Hannover went wonderfully. From the nice hotel, and roomie, to the cow rectal palpation I had a great time. Speaking of the rectal palpation (never thought I would say that), it was an experience that I can't really describe and I am trying to decide whether or not that is something to brag to my friends about when I return to Texas. Either way the Vet school had some very interesting portions, such as when we were discussing how bacteria in the cows stomach produce oxygen even after the animal is dead, resulting sometimes in the cow exploding during dissection.
This entire trip as a whole presents so many opportunities that there is no way I would be able to experience otherwise, such as going to and talking to physicians at the Hannover med school and observing the differences that medicine has depending on the location it is being practiced. Everywhere this program goes I feel that we get to see things that not many people get to see and I like that a lot, makes me feel important haha.
Remember when we ended up in Narnia...
Post for July 19th.
The tour at Bergen-Belsen wasn't what I was expecting. Having been to Dachau and having seen the camp reconstructed with barracks, gas chambers and prison cells resulted in me expecting the same of Bergen-Belsen. Although it was not what one may think of as a typical concentration camp, like Dachau, Bergen-Belsen was unique in that it was the landscape that was there during the tragedies of 20th century Germany. Seeing and walking on the land that was part of the atrocities of the holocaust was impactful in a different way. I felt as if the trees and the beautiful flowers that have grown in since then are a sign of the ability to overcome; the land will not lose its somber past but it can and does house a more beautiful landscape today.
Prague: my favorite city so far. My friend told me that I would love Prague. The city is so beautiful and kind of easy to get around even in the pouring rain. Somehow we ended up at the Czech Senat courtyard area (Narnia), which was my favorite find of the entire weekend. There were fountains and gardens, statues, and even a family of peacocks! A group of us sat at a small cafe in the middle of old town square, which was amazing! To sum it up, there were heaters, I had the best cappucino ever, we all got soup, spent 2100 crowns for 7 people and Roger kept saying "guys, we are sitting at a really nice cafe right now in Prague!" I loved every bit of it. Sightseeing is my favorite expecially because it is free and there was definitely a lot to see in Prague. I had another great weekend!
Now I am in Vienna and having a good time but more on the topics of this excursion at a later date and time.
Brittany
The tour at Bergen-Belsen wasn't what I was expecting. Having been to Dachau and having seen the camp reconstructed with barracks, gas chambers and prison cells resulted in me expecting the same of Bergen-Belsen. Although it was not what one may think of as a typical concentration camp, like Dachau, Bergen-Belsen was unique in that it was the landscape that was there during the tragedies of 20th century Germany. Seeing and walking on the land that was part of the atrocities of the holocaust was impactful in a different way. I felt as if the trees and the beautiful flowers that have grown in since then are a sign of the ability to overcome; the land will not lose its somber past but it can and does house a more beautiful landscape today.
Prague: my favorite city so far. My friend told me that I would love Prague. The city is so beautiful and kind of easy to get around even in the pouring rain. Somehow we ended up at the Czech Senat courtyard area (Narnia), which was my favorite find of the entire weekend. There were fountains and gardens, statues, and even a family of peacocks! A group of us sat at a small cafe in the middle of old town square, which was amazing! To sum it up, there were heaters, I had the best cappucino ever, we all got soup, spent 2100 crowns for 7 people and Roger kept saying "guys, we are sitting at a really nice cafe right now in Prague!" I loved every bit of it. Sightseeing is my favorite expecially because it is free and there was definitely a lot to see in Prague. I had another great weekend!
Now I am in Vienna and having a good time but more on the topics of this excursion at a later date and time.
Brittany
Vienna...
We arrived in Vienna yesterday afternoon. The view from the train was beautiful. I mainly just started out the window. Once arriving in Vienna, we went from the train station to the hotel without seeing anything remarkable. Once the whole group got together I soon learned we were very close to gorgous old buildings. This city is so beautiful!!
This morning we went on a bus tour. I really enjoyed the chance to see the city from the bus. I am still amazed at the buildings in Europe! The naration was also nice and a good way to learn a little more. Visiting the Vienna catherdral is really interesting. The gift shop was a little odd. I really don't think a church should sell shot glasses though. The roof is really neat and different with the mosaic.
The Frued museam was interesting. I wish I knew more about his theories so visiting his old offices and home would have more impact. He definetely sounds like an interesting man to say the least. I think when I get home I will do more research on Fruedian thinking.
This morning we went on a bus tour. I really enjoyed the chance to see the city from the bus. I am still amazed at the buildings in Europe! The naration was also nice and a good way to learn a little more. Visiting the Vienna catherdral is really interesting. The gift shop was a little odd. I really don't think a church should sell shot glasses though. The roof is really neat and different with the mosaic.
The Frued museam was interesting. I wish I knew more about his theories so visiting his old offices and home would have more impact. He definetely sounds like an interesting man to say the least. I think when I get home I will do more research on Fruedian thinking.
Czech Please
Weather it's night or day, rain or shine Praha is a beautiful city. Filled with history and majestic buildings and bridges, Praha holds a beauty uniquely its own. I wish I could say everyone there was friendly like in Switzerland and Germany, but sadly its not the case. The staff at Sir Toby's was very friendly, and this old man who helped me was nice. He didn't know english very well so he spoke German to me. I got the legist of what he was telling me!
One word of warning for those planning on visiting Praha, not very many locals seem to speak English and if they do it's not very much it seems. Also if you plan on taking a showering when you go to hostels, bring your own towel. Luckily for me Sir Toby's rented out towels.
Besides the open markets where the Asian people haggled with you and literally dragged you into their shop, I really enjoyed the ballet we went to. It was called Swan Lake with music by Tchekofsky. The way those dancers can move so gracefully yet powerful and quickly was stunning!
Chio,
Stephanie
czech it out
POST FOR LAST WEEK
Hannover, Germany
hannover is a very very pretty area. its very quiet and picturesque. we were there from tuesday-friday. we stayed at the lister hotel (named after joseph lister, the man who founded listerine) we visited a few medical hospitals, watched some open heart surgery and learned about the german health care system. we also did some veterinary related excursions this week as well. we visited a farm that had over 20,000 animals on it ranging from little chickies to the BIGGEST cows i've ever seen.
we also did a rectal examination on a cow!!!! pictures will be posted of that soon! it was the craziest thing ever. we got to feel the ovaries and see how they do IVF in cows. very interesting, once in a lifetime experience :D
we also had THE BEST THAI food as well. literally top 2 restaurant. it was amazing. hmm i'm blanking on what else we did in hannover...
it was nice that everyone was finally in one place. host families are awesome but it sucks when everyone has to take a thirty minute tram back and we can't hang out till late!
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
over the weekend alot of us went to prague. VERY PRETTY CITY!! it was kinda dirty though and the local people were very rude to us. we visited the senate building, a castle and some other really prominent buildings. our hostel was pretty nice and we met some cool australians and english people there!
over and out,
s
Hannover, Germany
hannover is a very very pretty area. its very quiet and picturesque. we were there from tuesday-friday. we stayed at the lister hotel (named after joseph lister, the man who founded listerine) we visited a few medical hospitals, watched some open heart surgery and learned about the german health care system. we also did some veterinary related excursions this week as well. we visited a farm that had over 20,000 animals on it ranging from little chickies to the BIGGEST cows i've ever seen.
we also did a rectal examination on a cow!!!! pictures will be posted of that soon! it was the craziest thing ever. we got to feel the ovaries and see how they do IVF in cows. very interesting, once in a lifetime experience :D
we also had THE BEST THAI food as well. literally top 2 restaurant. it was amazing. hmm i'm blanking on what else we did in hannover...
it was nice that everyone was finally in one place. host families are awesome but it sucks when everyone has to take a thirty minute tram back and we can't hang out till late!
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
over the weekend alot of us went to prague. VERY PRETTY CITY!! it was kinda dirty though and the local people were very rude to us. we visited the senate building, a castle and some other really prominent buildings. our hostel was pretty nice and we met some cool australians and english people there!
over and out,
s
Monday, July 20, 2009
Three for 1
okay so instead of posting these entries in 3 different posts i'm just sticking them all in one!
14-7-09
So Jena and I (after getting in full scrubs with a hair net and mouth/nose cover) got to see an open heart surgery. The aortic and the mitral valves were replaced with mechanical ones. We were standing by the patients head where the anesthesiologist was located. I was not really sure what to expect in a surgery room. At first when they were putting in tubes to redirect her blood flow, it was very serious and solem atmostphere, this i expected. onces the first valve had been sewn in the physicians said,"where is the music. play some lady marmalaud." at this he and the other physicians started laughing. everything seemed so routine to them after that point. they were jsut chatting about different things. they of course were speaking german , so i'm not really sure about what. but i know that the word snitzel was some where in that conversation.
it was fun to watch them joke around. only once did i hear them say "oh no" and that was because the string he was sewing with had broken which was luckily an easy fix.i was sad when they told Jena and I we had to leave.
15-7-09
at the nephrology hospital, i enjoyed our discussion on health insurance in the us and germany. it was very informative and enlightening. but the amount of time we spent in the dialysis room was far too long. There were interesting parts, but they could have been summed up in a shorter amount of time. i felt we were just standing there while the guy repeated himself. In general i'm not that interested in the kidneys. i like to learn the effects of hormones on the kidneys and how they help in ion homeostasis.
the man showing us around the research farm was very animated and funny. The robotic cow milker was nifty and fun to watch in action. I could have done without seeing ALL the pens where they fattend up the birds. I think we should have only gone to one and that would be the one with the ducks in it because that one had all the extra stuff in it, like the hay and showers. Overall I did not find this day as interesting and fun as other days.
16-7-09
14-7-09
So Jena and I (after getting in full scrubs with a hair net and mouth/nose cover) got to see an open heart surgery. The aortic and the mitral valves were replaced with mechanical ones. We were standing by the patients head where the anesthesiologist was located. I was not really sure what to expect in a surgery room. At first when they were putting in tubes to redirect her blood flow, it was very serious and solem atmostphere, this i expected. onces the first valve had been sewn in the physicians said,"where is the music. play some lady marmalaud." at this he and the other physicians started laughing. everything seemed so routine to them after that point. they were jsut chatting about different things. they of course were speaking german , so i'm not really sure about what. but i know that the word snitzel was some where in that conversation.
it was fun to watch them joke around. only once did i hear them say "oh no" and that was because the string he was sewing with had broken which was luckily an easy fix.i was sad when they told Jena and I we had to leave.
15-7-09
at the nephrology hospital, i enjoyed our discussion on health insurance in the us and germany. it was very informative and enlightening. but the amount of time we spent in the dialysis room was far too long. There were interesting parts, but they could have been summed up in a shorter amount of time. i felt we were just standing there while the guy repeated himself. In general i'm not that interested in the kidneys. i like to learn the effects of hormones on the kidneys and how they help in ion homeostasis.
the man showing us around the research farm was very animated and funny. The robotic cow milker was nifty and fun to watch in action. I could have done without seeing ALL the pens where they fattend up the birds. I think we should have only gone to one and that would be the one with the ducks in it because that one had all the extra stuff in it, like the hay and showers. Overall I did not find this day as interesting and fun as other days.
16-7-09
even though i don't plan on going to vet school, it was really neat to tour this one. in some ways it reminded me of our vet school, which (I can't believe i'm saying this) made me miss A&M. i mean i practically lived at the place this past year when 3/4ths of my classes were in that one building. The only variation i had somedays was going from the 1st floor to the 3rd!but back to germany... we saw a surgery on a cow, and they pulled out this cows pylorous! not out as in removed it but out as in outside the body! this i found really neat because the cow seemed to be like whatever.
then we got to do one of the coolest/grossest things I think i have ever done! stick my arm not just the hand ARM up a cows butt to feel its ovaries. (the cow here was very chill and like whatever) I just wished it wouldn't have moved so much. it was wierd trying to move with this cow since my arm was in its rectum.
it is now that i realize what wierd things Dr. Wasser has scheduled for us before we have lunch! lol
tschuß
Stephanie
Sunday, July 19, 2009
The Week in a Nutshell
Alright so although this posting to the blog may have been posted a little bit later than acceptable, that doesn't discount the fact that we have had such an incredible week. We left Tuesday and headed to Bad Oeynhausen where we went to the Heart and Diabetes center. This was so neat becausee we were able to see some of the procedures that were being performed in the operating rooms. Next, we shipped it out to a fun-filled week in Hannover.
This part of the week was mostly centered around the veterinary medicine aspect of the trip, despite the fact that we did visit the medical school in Hannover (MHH) and take a tour of the nephrology department as well as some dialysis patients. I enjoyed this because of the devices and mechanical aspects that are needed to perform the necessary aspects of the patient care in the hospital. Now back to the vet med part, we toured a farm where we witnessed the Robo-milker at work, which was phenomenal haha. We also toured a center that housed three types of birds: chicken, turkey, and duck. Then we went to the TIHO and saw the medicinal aspects that we have covered previously in the human medicine portion applied to the animals, which was interesting. We saw a surgery to re-attach one of a cow's stomachs because it had been displaced, we saw x-rays of a cow with a torn ACL, we went through the reproduction department, and we literally palpated a cow. That was pretty out of control, and I was actually not going to participate until I saw that I would be one of the only people left out from this eye-opening experience. I thought that the TIHO was interesting because it brought my definition of medicine into a new light.
Finally, Friday was a very moving experience. We checked out of our hotel(which was a blast because we got to in close contact with the rest of the people in the program) and headed toward the former concentration camp named Bergen-Belsen. There was definitely a somber atomsphere at the camp because it brought to reality the horrible events that have taken place on the very ground on which we were walking. When we were walking by the mass graves and memorials I was wrapped with a chilling feeling as to what actually happened. It was hard for me to fathom how many victims there were in these types of atrocities. There were some videos in the exhibition hall that showed the prisoners of the concentration camp, and the way in which they were treated upset me.
After we finished the emotional walk through Bergen-Belsen, we headed back to the bus to start out second weekend trip which was to Prague. So far the weekend has been wonderful, and this is probably my favorite city thus far (apart from my newly found home in Bonn). But the weekend post is gonna be later.
P.S. I am writing my post next to Coral, and upon the much desired completion of her post there was some deletion of paragraphs...I am sorry for her in this traumatizing time.
Until next time,
Matt
This part of the week was mostly centered around the veterinary medicine aspect of the trip, despite the fact that we did visit the medical school in Hannover (MHH) and take a tour of the nephrology department as well as some dialysis patients. I enjoyed this because of the devices and mechanical aspects that are needed to perform the necessary aspects of the patient care in the hospital. Now back to the vet med part, we toured a farm where we witnessed the Robo-milker at work, which was phenomenal haha. We also toured a center that housed three types of birds: chicken, turkey, and duck. Then we went to the TIHO and saw the medicinal aspects that we have covered previously in the human medicine portion applied to the animals, which was interesting. We saw a surgery to re-attach one of a cow's stomachs because it had been displaced, we saw x-rays of a cow with a torn ACL, we went through the reproduction department, and we literally palpated a cow. That was pretty out of control, and I was actually not going to participate until I saw that I would be one of the only people left out from this eye-opening experience. I thought that the TIHO was interesting because it brought my definition of medicine into a new light.
Finally, Friday was a very moving experience. We checked out of our hotel(which was a blast because we got to in close contact with the rest of the people in the program) and headed toward the former concentration camp named Bergen-Belsen. There was definitely a somber atomsphere at the camp because it brought to reality the horrible events that have taken place on the very ground on which we were walking. When we were walking by the mass graves and memorials I was wrapped with a chilling feeling as to what actually happened. It was hard for me to fathom how many victims there were in these types of atrocities. There were some videos in the exhibition hall that showed the prisoners of the concentration camp, and the way in which they were treated upset me.
After we finished the emotional walk through Bergen-Belsen, we headed back to the bus to start out second weekend trip which was to Prague. So far the weekend has been wonderful, and this is probably my favorite city thus far (apart from my newly found home in Bonn). But the weekend post is gonna be later.
P.S. I am writing my post next to Coral, and upon the much desired completion of her post there was some deletion of paragraphs...I am sorry for her in this traumatizing time.
Until next time,
Matt
Czech, Czech, Czech, Czech, Czech, Czech, Czech it out :)
So I'll be honest...I knew nothing about Prague before this weekend. I really wasn't even that excited. All I knew was that the shopping was good. So after a 7 hour crazy train ride, I still wasn't convinced. We got pushed out of the train station when we arrived because it apparently was closed and had to take a sketchy taxi ride to our hostel. The hostel was impressive, but it was 1am and I wasn't in the best of moods. We all got our room assignments and finally headed to sleep...
Tomorrow our group takes a train to Vienna, Austria to stay the week and then we're spending our long weekend in Italy! :) Sooooo excited! This blog entry doesn't do Prague or my weekend justice. Headed to bed. Laterrr
Cheers,
Coral
I woke up to a rainy, dreary morning...great. We took a tram into town, and suddenly everything changed. Prague is one of the most spectacular cities I have ever seen. I know, I know...I said that about Switzerland too, but it's a different type of city. Rain or shine, it didn't matter. The architecture was absolutely stunning. Each building had so much detail and told a story. The culture wass so rich. We walked around all day in the rain, but it really didn't matter. Around lunch time we decided to stop at a cafe right in the middle of the city and have coffee and soup. As mundane as this may sound, it ended up being one of my favorite parts of the weekend...great conversation and great people. We walked around some more and finally ended up back at the hostel for free BBQ. We then got convinced to go to a pub crawl with our hostel. We went back and forth on it for a long time, but we were so glad we went! We hopped around to 4 different bars/clubs, and ended in Europe's biggest night club! It was so fun and we got a free t-shirt...the deciding factor on us even going.
Today was defenitely more chill...of course, we walked around all day, but we weren't on any type of schedule. Our only scheduled activity was to go see Harry Potter. We have some major HP fans and found an English theatre, so we had to go. My HP background consists of listening to my Ron Weasley obsessed sister and watching every movie with her, so I was just along for the ride. This became very obvious when I feel asleep in the movie...oops. Nothing against the movie...I was just running on 4 hours of sleep and I fall asleep in every movie I watch. Plus...Cedric Diggery wasn't in it...:)
Tomorrow our group takes a train to Vienna, Austria to stay the week and then we're spending our long weekend in Italy! :) Sooooo excited! This blog entry doesn't do Prague or my weekend justice. Headed to bed. Laterrr
P.S....this is my second time to write this because I accidentally deleted the majority of the blog the first time around. Matt's here sitting next to me for mental support. Running on 4 hours of sleep, I'm not sure I could've done it without him. Thank goodness for Matt.
Cheers,
Coral
No Translation Necessary
I have been sitting in the pub of hour hostel for several hours. My company has varied between some Australians, a couple British guy, and my Canadian hostel-mate. Despite any historical disagreements between our nations, the lot of us are enjoying each others company as we nurse what remains of our sickness from the bar crawl last night.
Times like these are what trips like this are really about. The whole idea behind travel abroad is that we learn more about the world beyond our country, and how better to do that than to seek to understand the people who live in it.
Honestly, in the case of our racially similar pals from the pub, our similarities vastly outweighed our differences. Fish and chips and kangaroos are hardly significant when you are having a conversation about Survivor Man or Segway scooters.
Obviously, the commonality of our language is a big part of the reason we have so much in common, but there are groups of people within our own country who don't get along with each other. People from Salt Lake City and people from Las Angeles are arguable no less different than the average American and the rest of the Western world.
I have finished a liter and a half bottle of water since I sat down and finished a box of pizza. The Brits are knocking down a couple beers before they go to the bar down the way, and the Aussies are talking about their plans for the coming days. The Canadian observes quietly, but has know issue with mentioning that I had fallen off the top bunk my first morning in Prague. We're all laughing and enjoying ourselves. Times like these, its easy to get to know the world outside our country.
Times like these are what trips like this are really about. The whole idea behind travel abroad is that we learn more about the world beyond our country, and how better to do that than to seek to understand the people who live in it.
Honestly, in the case of our racially similar pals from the pub, our similarities vastly outweighed our differences. Fish and chips and kangaroos are hardly significant when you are having a conversation about Survivor Man or Segway scooters.
Obviously, the commonality of our language is a big part of the reason we have so much in common, but there are groups of people within our own country who don't get along with each other. People from Salt Lake City and people from Las Angeles are arguable no less different than the average American and the rest of the Western world.
I have finished a liter and a half bottle of water since I sat down and finished a box of pizza. The Brits are knocking down a couple beers before they go to the bar down the way, and the Aussies are talking about their plans for the coming days. The Canadian observes quietly, but has know issue with mentioning that I had fallen off the top bunk my first morning in Prague. We're all laughing and enjoying ourselves. Times like these, its easy to get to know the world outside our country.
Worst first Impression EVER
Late Friday night we arrived in Prague. I had been wanting to visit for years. We arrived late and we were all ready to just go to sleep. We had no money and the first thing we needed to do was withdrawl from an ATM. However a lady working at the station yelled at us and would not let us get any money. To make things better the police told us that no bus or train was running and wouldn't tell us where another ATM was located. Panic started to set in. As a group we finally found some taxis and after much frustraion we all finally arrived safe and sound. The first thing I saw when I walked into my room was a naked, out of shape, older man. I finally crawled into bed and was started to drift asleep. Then I was awoken by a second person climbing into the bunk above me. I couldn't believe that people would "make love" in a ten person room!!! There was nothing I could do but hope the welds were strong and the bed wouldn't collapse on me.
The next morning I awoke and we went to the castle. It was so interesting and beautiful. I had seen nothing like this before. We had a lot of fun walking around the museums in the buildings. It is so hard to imagine how old these buildings are. The only thing I didn't like was how rude the people are here. Everyone I have met in Germany has been really helpful and welcoming. Last night several of us went to see the ballet Swan Lake. I loved it! I got goose bumps which means I really thought the music was incredible. Today we went into the Old Town Square. It was so incredible. Prague really did turn into what I was expecting! I love all the old buildings. My favorite part is just going up in tall buildings and taking in the scenery. I also got some great gifts for my family and myself here. The street vendors had some really awesome things! I really am enjoying the culture of Prague as well as meeting people from other countries.
The next morning I awoke and we went to the castle. It was so interesting and beautiful. I had seen nothing like this before. We had a lot of fun walking around the museums in the buildings. It is so hard to imagine how old these buildings are. The only thing I didn't like was how rude the people are here. Everyone I have met in Germany has been really helpful and welcoming. Last night several of us went to see the ballet Swan Lake. I loved it! I got goose bumps which means I really thought the music was incredible. Today we went into the Old Town Square. It was so incredible. Prague really did turn into what I was expecting! I love all the old buildings. My favorite part is just going up in tall buildings and taking in the scenery. I also got some great gifts for my family and myself here. The street vendors had some really awesome things! I really am enjoying the culture of Prague as well as meeting people from other countries.
This week we went to Hannover and I think, so far, it has been my favorite part of the program. We went to the MHH (the medical school) on Tuesday and saw an open heart sugery! We also went on a tour of their telecommunications medical program. It was interesting to see the way care could be heading.
On Wendesday, we visited the TiHO. This is the vet school is Hannover. The campus (which might not really be considered a campus) is so much bigger than I expected. There was also a farm which all of the students have to live and work on for a few months. This is to allow students to learn animal husbandry for farm animals since many have not had such contact. I thought it was interesting to see that they actually get that kind of training; its something we don't necessarily get in our vet schools. Oh! And we got the rectally examing a cow... that was a hightlight.
This weekend a group of us went to Prague and though it didnt start out that great, it has become my favorite place so far. As soon as we got off the train and finally found an ATM, we were kindly escorted out by a lady yelling at us in cezch. By kindly, I mean not kindly at all; more like pushed us out the door. Then we had to walk around the most broken down, smelly train station I have been to yet just to find a taxi that cost a bajillion dollars. The next day, though was much better. This is a city I will definitley have to come back to.
On Wendesday, we visited the TiHO. This is the vet school is Hannover. The campus (which might not really be considered a campus) is so much bigger than I expected. There was also a farm which all of the students have to live and work on for a few months. This is to allow students to learn animal husbandry for farm animals since many have not had such contact. I thought it was interesting to see that they actually get that kind of training; its something we don't necessarily get in our vet schools. Oh! And we got the rectally examing a cow... that was a hightlight.
This weekend a group of us went to Prague and though it didnt start out that great, it has become my favorite place so far. As soon as we got off the train and finally found an ATM, we were kindly escorted out by a lady yelling at us in cezch. By kindly, I mean not kindly at all; more like pushed us out the door. Then we had to walk around the most broken down, smelly train station I have been to yet just to find a taxi that cost a bajillion dollars. The next day, though was much better. This is a city I will definitley have to come back to.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Realization
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.
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.
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
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