A very delayed update: Berlin

Happy New Year!
The first morning of 2013 we were allowed to sleep in (with breakfast going all the way to 1pm) until we met up for a city tour at 1:30ish pm. Our guide met us at the hotel and took us around the many sites of Berlin (including the Berliner Dome, site along the Unter den Linden, a variety of churches (the most interesting note I found being that the one had paper machete styled to look like marble), a creative chocolate store, Checkpoint Charli (never knew the guys playing the guards were in fact male strippers), buildings once belonging to certain Nazi group heads, to the street where East Berliners finally marched to freedom, past the Jewish Memorial, back to the Brandenburger Gate). We then all headed to a famous potato restaurant, Der Kartoffelkeller (The Potato Cellar), and ordered a beer and meat/ potato platter. The rest of the night we had to ourselves and in that time I went back to the the Brandenburg Gate and Jewish memorial to snap a few photos and grabbing some hot tea and cappuccino before heading back.
We woke up somewhat early so as to eat breakfast (the hotel had kindly provided us with a packed lunch, though I still made an extra sandwich for the trip) and then headed on our way to Dresden. The train ride was quite fun, for our group got to sit in cool train cars with 6 people to a compartment (though it was awkward having a group of women standing outside all of our doors the entire ride over).
Just by walking out of the station I could tell how new the city of Dresden was compared to that of Bonn or even Berlin. It almost had a shine similar to that of psy-fi futuristic cities, where the buildings were varying colors of silver and windows. The first main square we reached was huge, stretching what seemed the length of a football field in both width in length (or at least to my memory). We continued on to walk across streets, twisting past more modern buildings and construction sites until we stood in front of the Church of Our Lady. There we met our tour guide who interestingly told us that up until 10 to 20 years ago the little square we were standing in had been pasture land for herds of sheep. She went on to tell us how the city was burned in a terrible fire storm, bringing the city to the ground during the end of the WW2 era and how Germans still find the event somewhat sensitive to discuss (especially with those originating from former allied powers).
From there we toured the riverside where we snapped away with our cameras. We walked to the Grünes Gewölbe (or their Museum of Treasury Art) and toured the green room with head sets attached to our bodies. I found in amazing how some of the items (especially the once piece, The Royal Household of Delhi on the Occasion of the Birthday of the Grand Mogul Aureng-Zeb) were never fully paid off by the emperor since he was still paying off for the artist's other item (the fabulous tea set) and in the end would die not paying it off. Another interesting fact I found was that though the signs put a price on the stone, that the famous 41 carat Green Diamond is (like most rare beautiful gems) said to have uncalculated value. But what intrigued me the most was the ship carved all out of ivory and that even still today we do not know how the artist bent the ivory to form the sails/masts. We were then able to eat lunch and head back to take a look inside the church we had originally started in front of. We would walk to the Hygiene Museum where we were sent in pairs to each of the sets of rooms (excluding the last room) so as to at the end present a quick 5 minute presentation on our given body focus (Austin and I toured the mind and even though the game didn't work the way it should I found the alpha and theta wave measuring machine my favorite item in the room). From there we took the train back to Berlin and had the rest of the night off.
Our third real day in Berlin was probably one of the most packed days on the trip. First we went to what seemed the more run-down part of the outskirts of Berlin to tour the Max Delbürck Center for Molecular Medicine, showing us the center's timeline of events, receiving a research textbook, having a number of mini lectures based on research interests of some of the staff there, and getting to check out their lab areas). Afterwards we ate a quick lunch at their cafeteria and rushed to catch the bus heading to the train station. We then headed for the Charitè's museum which I found the most interesting part of the Berlin trip, for the preserved specimens were just stunning/ horrifying for their age and for all the hard times they lasted through. Taking a short walk across the complex, we met up with 2 German medical students who discussed the German system of medicine training and then showed us a few practice skill sets (most people's favorite being the one using electricity current to create the handshaking found in the elderly). From there we set off for the German Reichstag Building where we toured with a variety of people (including 2 New Yorkers who couldn't help but ask a bunch of questions). We walked through the glass dome, symbolizing their parliament being transparent to the people and afterwards heading out with a few of the others to grab something to eat. At the end of the night I had made sure to grab a hotel for my 2 night stay in Hanover and did my last minute packing up for traveling the following day.
The last day of Berlin had us going back to the Charitè for Dr. Wasser to give a presentation on several famous medical influencers before heading to their cafeteria for some German food. When leaving, we were forced to walk in the rain and eventually take a taxi to the Otto Bock Science Center. There we split into 2 small groups and toured what they had to offer (learning that though they made simple car dashboards they specialized in prosthetic limbs, one leg piece costing over 30,000€). From there we all made our way back to the Hotel Alex for the last time to pick up our luggage and head to the train, mine taking only an hour and a half, so as to start our free weekend.

Leo Zingg's Bonn Update

Guten Tag!  BLOG FROM LEO ZINGG!
Time period from arrival until new year's party:

The flight to Frankfurt was great! I did not sleep at all but I was lucky enough to
share the long flight with Monica, Kitty, and Ariana. I am so happy I was wrong to
think the cold here would be unbearable. When we arrived we could be outside
with a light sweater so it was smooth coming in. I have had a great time learning a
little of everything, drinking, hanging out with everyone, exploring, eating, etc etc.
Oh yeah, it has also been funny to see how in basically every tour that we have
received there has been people tagging along.

From a thought initially planted by Dr. Wasser, there is definitely a post World
War II sentiment in this country. The nazis left a scar that will never be forgotten
in this country or the rest of the world. It is amazing to see how Germans act
and how much they have tried to make up for what has been done in the past.
However, as mentioned by the tour guide in the Elde Haus museum in Cologne,
what has happened cannot be changed and the country has to move ahead with a
positive mentality. The Cathedral Kolner Dom was amazing. It is unbelievable to
think construction for the cathedral began in 1248 and continued for 100 years!
It has an amazing history and I am extremely glad it was not destroyed in the war.
What a wonderful place full of history and pride it brings me for being a Catholic
as well.

I am extremely excited for Berlin and the new year!! I want to commit a little
more time to learning Deutsche, getting to know everyone a little more
personally, and keeping it real! As we continue traveling to Berlin on the ICE train
or Deutschebahn, it is clear the country invests in these forms of transportation
more than car highways.

Finally, there have been some things I did not expect from here. Alcohol, more so
beer, is extremely normal here. It is normal in most parts of the world but in
Germany kids as young as 16 can drink, one can drink while walking on the
streets, riding the train, just about anywhere! I am also surprised to see many
German words being similar to the English version of them, to see dogs nearly
everywhere, all the graffiti, and fortunately a slightly warmer weather than I was
expecting. thanks Aaron for letting me post through your account.

Goodbye Berlin (01/04/13)

Today was one of the few days that we got to wake up late. Dr. Wasser and Suzanne told us the night before that we did not have to meet downstairs until 11:00am. Unfortunately, Ari and I still have to do laundry, but by the time we were done with the day’s program the night before, it was not enough time for us to go to the waschsalon. Therefore, we still had to get up fairly early to do laundry because we desperately needed to wash our clothes. Ari woke up a little before I did to shower and I finally got up when she got out of the restroom. We both packed our dirty clothes in a bag and headed out our hotel room around 8:00am. We did manage to whip up a quick sandwich to take with us to the waschsalon. We also asked the reception guy how to get to the waschsalon, but his English was poor and gave us directions that were not as specific as we would have hoped. Ari and I walked around two blocks in distance before we finally arrived to the laundromat. We would not have had to walk that far if we kept our eyes open, but nope; we did not pay attention and totally missed the waschsalon completely. We had to ask directions again from these two ladies at a corner store. They were a lot more helpful than the reception guy. Anyways, at last we found it and Cassie was there, almost done with her batch of clothes. Ari and I each picked a washer and started maneuvering through it. We were completely lost at first, but Cassie and this lady there helped us. Cassie left when Ari and I finally got our washing machine working. We both had about 25 minutes on the clock of the washer. We ate and talked while waiting and next thing we know, our clothes were done “washing”. The nice lady was still there when we were putting our clothes in the dryer so she helped us operate that, too. She left not too long after though. The sad thing was that I packed my clothes in the washer, so by the time I had to throw them in the dryer, they were still soaked. Therefore, the drying time took twice as long as Ari’s clothes to dry. We were not able to leave the waschsalon until 10:10am because of me. Right after Ari and I got back to the hotel room, we finished packing and headed to downstairs we our luggage to catch what was remaining of breakfast, which was not bad at all. Dr. Wasser and Suzanne appeared at 11:00am and told us we were able to leave our baggage in a room at the hotel so we did not have to stroll them around. After that, we headed out to one of the building we were at the night before to receive a lecture from Dr. Wasser. The lecture covered a range of scientist who made a contribution to the many things we know today in the medical world. After lecture, we rushed out to a cafeteria place to have lunch. AIB paid for us again and we had a really good meal. I enjoyed what I got, especially the salad because it was a satisfying small portion with AMAZING vinaigrette. I cannot wait to go home, look up for the recipe, and make it. It was very good and even Ari agree! After lunch, we headed out the building and noticed that it was raining. Of course, it rains here and there, but it never stopped us from carrying out what was planned for the day. However, this time it was pouring and the fact that Suzanne and Dr. Wasser were not really sure how to get us to our next destination was not helping the case. Therefore, Dr. Wasser and Suzanne ended up stopping taxis and getting them to take us to somewhere close to the Otto bock because it was the fastest way to get us there. Our appointment was at 2:30pm and we were all actually running late. When we finally got there, it was about ten minutes past our appointment time and we were all pretty much soaked. We headed downstairs to put away our coats and bags to start our tour. This tour was actually very interesting and it was definitely one of my favorite ones. I learned about the new technology behind prosthetic legs and arms. Sadly, the tour was cut short the group can head back to the hotel to pick up our luggage and catch the train to our designated places for the free weekend. When we left Otto bock, the rain slowed down a bit but it was still sprinkling. We all made it back to the hotel and got our luggage. After that, the whole group rode the tram to Alexanderplatz and that was were we split up. Ari, Aaron, Austin, Kassie, and I caught the next train to Berlin Haupbanhof and got to designated platform right on time to catch our train to Hamburg. We were all very excited we made it because we were kind of cutting it close. When the train arrived and we got on to look for our compartment, we saw that an old lady was already sitting in the compartment we have reserved. We stumbled and fumbled around until we got all the baggage up and then we finally sat down. We were so loud the entire process that I think we startled the old lady. The ride from Berlin to Hamburg took about two hours and I thought it was a tad bit awkward because of the old lady. Due to that, we kind of did our own thing – Ari was watching the office, Austin was writing his blog, Aaron was playing a game on his computer, Cassie was watching Aaron play his game, and I was watching the big bang theory. According to Austin, the old lady was “watching” Aaron play his game, but we will never know if that was what she was really doing. We got to Hamburg around 7:30pm and when we got off the train, I can immediately feel the difference of it being another city because even the train station was different. The feeling of anxiousness rushed through me briefly because we were on our own completely without guidance from Dr. Wasser or Suzanne. Thankfully, I still got Ari, the twins, and Cassie. When we finally go out of the train station and into the street, Cassie split ways with us. Us four kept walking in the direction the tourist information guy told us to go and eventually we arrived to our hotel – Hotel Continental. Outside did not look as nice as in the picture, but we had no other way to go but into the hotel. After we checked in and everything, we went on upstairs to our room. We got room number 46B and the boys 41B, which means we were heading to the same floor, but the elevator was so small, only two of us can fit in it at the same time with luggage. The twins were great gentlemen and went ahead and took the elevator first. Ari and I just shook our heads at them. When Ari and I finally got to our room, we were left with dropped jaws. Our room was literally a bed with four walls. There was barely any walking space and the closet door could not even open all the way because the bed was in the way. The twins called it our little prison. Their room was just down the hall and it was bigger compare to ours. We all hung out together in the twins’ room for a little bit, but then Ari and I headed back to our room to rest. We both headed to bed not too long after. Right before I went to sleep though, I made sure I held on tight to the edge of the bed because unlike the other hotels we were in, we were actually sharing a single “queen” size bed. With my crazy sleeping habits, I did not wants to pull something random on Ari. Therefore, I made sure I remain on my side of the bed for the night. Nonetheless, it was relieving going to bed and knowing we did not have to wake up the next morning at a certain time. Finally a day we can sleep in peacefully.

Hallo from Deutschland! Bonn and New Year’s Eve in Berlin (Dec. 26 – Dec. 31)

It’s only been slightly longer than a week since we got to Germany, but so much has already happened. I want to first say that the cultural and historical excursions have been an incredible eye-opening experience for me. I do not intend for this post to cover every exact thing we have done, but rather I would like this post to be a way for me to describe the particularly interesting portions of the trip and my thoughts regarding them. On December 27^th, we arrived in Frankfurt and our group traveled by bus to Bonn where we resided in Hotel Mercedes from the 27^th to the 31^st of December. After orientation at the AIB Study Center, our group went to dinner in a traditional Reinish restaurant. I’ve heard that German meals consist of half meat and half potatoes and that news is for the most part correct. It’s interesting that diet is something so dependent on where you live. More than the enivronmental cues, I think the cultural aspect plays a huge role in this. For one, I don’t get why Germans don’t really like “leitungswasser”, or tap water. They drink so much soda and beer. Personally, I’m not a drinker of carbonated beverages so me and my water bottle have definitely bonded on this trip. Anyway, on the 28^th, we visited the University Clinic of Bonn where all of us got to observe real surgeries. There were liver transplants, hip and shoulder replacements, and vascular surgeries. I got to observe an atherectomy in which a blockage was removed from the carotid artery of a man. I didn’t get nauseous at the sight of the blood so that was a plus. For lunch that day, we ate at a Turkish kabob eatery. Dr. Wasser explained that there are many Turkish people in Germany because following WWII, Germany lacked the manpower to rebuild as many men died in the war. So they allowed the Turkish people to come into Germany to help in the rebuilding. An interesting aspect is that Germany thought they would leave after the reconstruction was completed, but many Turks stayed, thus leading to a permanent Turkish influence in Germany today. Dr. Wasser held a lecture that discussed the various health care systems of the world and it gave me a perspective on how different health is viewed across different cultures. Access to health care is also so very different among the nations of the world. It seems no one can agree on how health care should be distributed. I thought it was interesting that French people believe health is centered in the liver. German people think it’s centered in the heart, and British people believe it is centered in the gastrointestinal system.

On the 29^th, we began with a lecture over the Nazi Euthanasia killings. The Nazis advocated the killing of Jews, but they especially wanted to get rid of the sick and handicapped people of German. This was all in an effort to create a perfect Aryan race. Afterwards, we visited a history of anesthesia museum that was guided by Dr. Schoekel, a well-known anesthesiologist. He went over the incredible field of anesthesia and went really in-depth into how anesthesia developed. It covered everything from ether to isoflurane. To be honest, I started to phase out near the end because of the detail in his impartings. I really do find the field of anesthesia rather interesting especially because it has implications in the research lab that I am a part of back at A&M. For the next excursion of the day, Dr. Wasser took us to a post-WWII German history museum and he talked about the changes that occurred within German as a result of the Berlin Wall. With so much information about Germany’s involvement in WWII, it seems that the history of Germany after WWII is often not emphasized, especially in history classes taught in America (well, the ones taught in my high school anyway). This tour also allowed me to remember that majority of Germans during the Nazi regime were not at fault but they were the ones forced to clean up the mess caused by the Nazis. In fact, many of the Ally bombings took the lives of many innocent Germans. The social stigma that resulted from viewing the atrocities of the concentration/extermination camps plagued Germans for many decades after the war. It reminds me of the prejudice against Muslims and Arab people after the 9/11 terrorist attack: it only takes the wrongdoings of a few people to change the way the world looks at a certain representative group of people.

The next day we took a day trip to Cologne; it was our first excursion out of the city. after a 20 minute train ride, we emerged from the station and immediately saw a grand view of the Cologne Cathedral. It’s one thing to see pictures of it and study it, but it’s another thing to be right in front of it. After taking an architecture history course in which I studied Gothic architecture, I immediately identified elements of the structure. The cathedral boasts impressive facades, pediments, sculptures, flying buttresses, and spires on the outside. The tympanums under the recessed arches lining the doorways tell biblical stories in picture form. On the interior, I noted the elevations of the clerestory, triforium, and arcade, beautiful stained glass windows, quadripartite ribbed vaults, pointed arches, apse, transepts, nave, chapels, sanctuary, and narthex. I also met up with Hanna, a high school exchange student who I haven’t seen in almost 3 years; it was great to see her again. She temporarily joined our group for tours of the Cologne Cathedral and the Praetorium. The Praetorium were the Roman ruins that are remnant of the Roman Empire in Germany. This made me realize that Germany has so many influences from its past; not just from the Nazi regime, but also from way back in the time the Roman Empire had an influence as far West as Germany. Our last destination of the day in Cologne was the Elde Haus, an infamous Nazi prison from WWII. The tour included a look at the actual prison rooms and accounts from survivors and victims. We even got to see a creepy Gestapo typewriter with a special Gestapo symbol on one of the typing keys. This place definitely evoked more emotion than a lecture over Nazi prisons that I remember back in high school.                

As the next day arrived, we packed up our belongings and boarded a high-speed train that traveled at 200 km/hr towards Berlin. We arrived at the Alex Hotel about 5 hours later and shortly after, headed for Straße des 17. Juni near Brandenburg Gate and the Victory Column to celebrate until the New Year arrived. It was an interesting experience but I got the chance to jump off the ground as the old year expired and land as the new year began; it was temporarily a sort of clean slate moment for me. We got to watch an impressive fireworks display that lit the night sky up and I was able to experience my first New Year’s celebration outside of the US.

Finally, throughout the trip so far, we have had free time to go hang out, socialize, and eat dinner in various restaurants.  I know I only really talked about the educational aspects of this trip, but I want to stress the importance of this experience for myself as an opportunity to learn and grow as an internationally aware student, not just some college student who studies abroad for fun and games. Overall, I like the group and I enjoy getting to know them, but learning about medicine, history, and culture in Germany has been the real selling point of the trip for me. I am excited to be in Berlin and I hope that family and friends are doing well.

Auf wiedersehen until the next post! Hope you had a wonderful New Year’s Eve.

Austin Wang  

Goodby Bonn, Hello Berlin!

For the Days Dec 26 - Dec 30
As I write this entry I am watching the rolling green hills that comprise the German landscape from a train headed east to Berlin. The truth is that I have mixed emotions about this part of the trip because it means my days in Bonn are over. I am excited about seeing this nation's capital, but I truly enjoyed my time in Bonn and it seems as though I am leaving too soon. I enjoy small friendly towns, and Bonn is definitely the kind of city I meshed well with. An ironic fact considering how much I hated the town when I first arrived.

My first impression of Bonn was not exactly great. The plane ride was long and the cramped conditions were not suitable for a 6 ' 3'' guy, and the three crying babies certainly did not help. Needless to say, I didn't sleep. Tired and agitated as I was,  the little annoyances of Bonn really got to me. I hated that there was graffiti almost everywhere, and thought the city seemed bleak and depressing. However, after the first night I saw the city in a new light and truly started to enjoy its charm.

Our first real day in Bonn was pretty neat. We shadowed a surgery, which is always fun, and got to take a city tour and learn about a typical German's life. Personally I thought that talking to the doctors about the German medical system was the most interesting part of the day. However, I also liked hearing both Wasser and the German doctors talk about what it means to be a German. You can hear about different cultures in a classroom in America and it seems like it's not real, but in Bonn you could see the differences firsthand. For example, Dr. Wasser had told us that the education system was different in Germany and that it is really difficult to explain our system to a German, a fact I did not believe until stumbling though a half hour conversation with a German doctor about the differences between our systems of medicine. While walking home I noticed how quiet and peaceful the town of Bonn was, and that's when I started to appreciate its history and beauty. I don't know if it was because of the beautiful prince electorate palace that was converted into a University, or because of a simple telephone booth donated by England, but Bonn had a elegant feel that I had never encountered in America.

By the second day, I truly started to feel as though I fit in. I wasn't jet lagged anymore and was able to have more interactions with Germans without the comfort of the full group being with me. I seriously started to feel as though I could survive in Germany if left on my own, and even started to pick up some German. I found this interesting because I was actively trying not to become assimilated and actually came to Germany with no intention of learning any German. I think this day was the day when I started to understand that this experience was different than a normal classroom one, and then I started to embrace my surroundings and started to enjoy myself much more. In fact, I think the tour of the history of Germany museum was one of the most fun tours I have ever been on. I really enjoyed hearing Wasser talk about his theories on the German culture. I watched our German coordinator Susanne as she spoke, and her agreeing with him validated his observations in my mind. It's not that I doubted him, I just struggle to believe things I am told about other people without experiencing them firsthand.  Which is another way of saying that I could have never learned anything about the German culture without coming here.
On the third day after landing we went to Köln for the entire day. Our tour guide was fantastic and her lecture on the city's Roman history was truly fascinating. Honestly though, the thing I will remember the most is the Köln cathedral. Massive is an understatement when describing this cathedral. The guide said it was 148 meters tall with means it's well over 400 feet, and it looked even taller than that because of the wide open landscape. Unlike the Empire State Building or the Eiffel tower, this building was massive in length as well as height, which made it seem like the most incredible building in the world. It took over 300 years to complete because the town ran out of money and had to wait till they were joined with the Prussian kingdom to finish the construction. However, the city people will tell you it took so long because there were magical dwarfs who were angered because a shopkeeper's wife caught them working in the middle of the night and so they stopped working. There's nothing more I can really say about it except that it was equally gorgeous on the inside. Inside it had a golden tomb holding the bones of the three wise men surrounded by stained glass that was over 700 years old. This glass told bible stories in picture form and allowed the common person to understand the Bible without being able to read. Despite its beauty the town did have a dark past, which we explored at the house which used to be the headquarters of the Gestapo in western Germany. It was horrifying to learn how the Gestapo treated people and walking around their prison was very emotionally draining. Learning about how the Nazis manipulated the German people with as few as 100 soldiers was mind-blowing as well. And to learn that most of these Gestapo operatives were not punished for their crimes was just sickening. Honestly I think this was probably the most emotional I have ever gotten on a museum tour. Standing on ground were people actually died was overwhelming and for the first time I think I started to understand the horror of war. Still though I think Köln has been my favorite city I have seen so far, and I cannot wait to see what Berlin is like!

First Week in Germany

This first week in Germany has been the great experience I expected combined with the exhaustion I wasn't expecting. We have done so much already in so little time, and although I am dead tired at the end of the day, it has all been worth it.

Our first day of the program was really great because we got to see surgeries in the ORs of the University Clinics in Bonn. It was a huge learning experience as we got to see (in our pair's case) an orthopedic surgery in the neck, as well as the roles of the different people involved in the OR.

The rest of the days we got to tour the History of Anesthesia Museum and the German History Museum in Bonn, and we took a day trip to Cologne to see their beautiful cathedral, a Roman archaeological exhibit, and ELDE Haus, and old Gestapo prison. After every tour I feel more appreciative of scientific advances as well as architectural beauty, something I haven't ever really experienced in the U.S.. Although I left the ELDE Haus feeling sad, it made me more appreciative my life and how I have been allowed to live it.

On New Year's Eve we travelled to Berlin and celebrated the new year at the Brandenburg Gate festivities. It was a really fun night with all of my peers. We enjoyed music, performances, food and drinks. It was crazy to see that many people though and all of the mess in the streets that night. There were beer bottles and firework messes everywhere on the walk back to the train station! Dr. Wasser explained to me the next morning that the clean-up crew started at 3 am to make the city viable by the morning.

On New Year's Day we had a great tour of Berlin in which we saw a lot of great landmarks, including royal palaces, Humboldt University, Checkpoint Charlie, and the last remaining piece of the Berlin Wall. So far this trip has been amazing because of all the beautiful and memorable landmarks we've seen and the great food (my favorite has been Currywurst)!

Bonn Voyage: Days 1 through 5

Guten tag! So we have left Bonn where we have been since we arrived in Germany on December 27^th 2012. This is for the dates December 27th through December 31st and the days have seemingly gone by slowly but in a good way. Just as I was learning to get my way around Bonn, the old capital of Germany, we had to leave for Berlin, the current capital city of Germany. 

Me meeting some peeps, Kitty and Leo, at the airport.

So to recount the last few days, the first day, December 27th, we groggily arrived at the airport in Frankfurt where after meeting my fellow students proceeded to leave for Bonn via charter bus. The weather was surprisingly mild and has been since I have been here. It is not much colder than a cold College Station night but I blame global climate change, as snow seems unlikely as of now which is unusual this time of the year in Germany. Upon arrival to Bonn, we checked into Hotel Mercedes where I roomed with Austin and Leo in a three-bed room unit. We then met up with Suzanne and Nils at the AIB, had an orientation of sorts and then went to go eat at a traditional German restaurant. I ordered a paprikaschnitzel, a traditional German cut of pork slathered with not-very-spicy pepper sauce. People are right when they say German food is all meat and potatoes. My plate was half schnitzel and half French fries and 100% “unhealthy”. Also, I tried a Kolsch beer made by a brewery called Gaffel, which I did not find to be in good tastes. I did not get to experience a lot of Germany that day in Bonn as I quickly went to sleep that evening. It felt surprisingly familiar to be in Germany even though I have never been here. The buildings and environment appeared differently than what I am used to in Texas but it still felt rather similar in a way. I suppose that since we are still on planet Earth that is to be expected!

Dark and early to go see those surgeries!

On day two, December 28th, we woke up super early at around 5:30 AM to eat breakfast and go to a Bonn hospital to observe surgeries. We put on scrubs and then split into pairs. Suzanne and I saw some sort of shoulder joint surgery and it was kind of interesting to see that open gash considering it was the first surgery I have ever seen in my life. The environment was pretty chill though since there was conversation going on between the nurses and doctors and music playing from a radio. We talked a little and the surgeon offered me a screwdriver that was used to adjust a joint or something and the kicker was that it was about 220 euros! It was probably disposable anyway but it was pretty cool and nice of them to let me keep it. And after the first operation and rather quickly, the next patient came. The second surgery was a hip replacement which was extremely blood and slightly unnerving to watch. The heat scalpel used to cut the individual getting the procedure done gave off a rather interesting scent and the surgeons were wearing face shields so one could know immediately that the procedure had some flying fluids. Overall from this experience, German medicine, to me, seems very efficient and pretty much what I imagine a surgery would be like in the USA. And it was really awesome to see my first surgeries but now I know for sure I do not want to be a surgeon. We then went to eat lunch at a Turkish place and then went to the AIB where Dr. Wasser lectured us on comparative health systems. Most of us in the room slept sometime in that lecture but I made my best effort to stay awake. It was very interesting hearing about how the USA had the most expensive healthcare costs but not the best stats compared to other countries that had lower healthcare costs. After that lecture, the head of the AIB took us around some interesting points in Bonn such as a church down the street that had a Roman ruin underneath and the Rhine River. He was very informative but I remember it being dark, cold, and drizzly so the weather was slightly distracting. We then returned to the AIB for some German films. We only watched a portion of the first film about a man who went through non-public school and did not have any fun experiences but went back to high school to relieve a better version of his high school career. The second film was a hilarious British short called “Dinner for One” about an old woman who hosts a party with her butler for all of her friends who are already dead. They also provided a traditional drink that consisted of a heated red wine/rum with hints of orange and cinnamon. It was an interesting drink but definitely did not suit my tastes. Later that evening, we explored Bonn more and visited a few of the clubs there. Bonn is a beautiful city and is easily my favorite place thus far.

Getting schooled by the good doctor.

As for day three, December 29th, we ate breakfast and then started the day at the AIB for another one of Dr. Wasser’s lectures. He talked about the Nazi Euthanasia program and how they killed not only Jews during WWII but also their own “Aryans” who were not fit for life such as sickly children or disabled individuals in general who could possibly “taint” the “perfect Aryan” gene pool. Hearing about all that mess was pretty crazy since some people actually thought like that back then and it was not even that long ago. Anesthesia was also discussed since we went to the Museum of the History of Anesthesia. The curator/tour guide was a man who made many innovations to the science and art of anesthesia and took us around his collection. There were so many anesthesia tools and devices from the creation of the first sleep inducing to the present time and seeing that transition was incredible. It is hard to imagine that at one time, anesthesia was unknown and pain prevailed during a surgical operation. Old medicine seems not only wrong but extremely brutal as well. Even so called “new medicine” is always improving as at one time, ether was considered to be a new, cutting-edge anesthesia agent but now, other substances such as isoflurane are now used since they are much safer and more effective. After lunch, we then went to the German History Museum. We learned more about the history of Germany, which went beyond whatever the Nazis did during WWII. Germany has a unique history much like any other nation in the world and it was nice to see objects and other bits of knowledge from German history. However, the most I remember being there was being extremely tired and wanting to sleep, which I did when I got back to the hotel.

The Cologne Cathedral was one of the most incredible things I have ever seen in my life.

And for day four, December 30th, we went to Cologne where I met up with my friend Hanna who attends a gymnasium, or high-level academic high school, in Germany. She went to my high school during my 11^th grade and stayed for the whole year where she was in two of my high school classes. She then joined our tour group and proceeded to see the sights with us. The first structure I saw upon exiting the Cologne train station was the giant cathedral. The Cologne Cathedral was awe-inspiring, an enormous medieval structure towering above the city, juxtaposed against the modern Cologne architecture. After that we visited other places around Cologne with a very knowledgeable tour guide who took us around where I saw places such as the old Roman ruins in Cologne. We then ate lunch at a restaurant whose name escapes me but I ordered a schnitzel, which came with croquettes and mixed season vegetables, which I was extremely thankful for since fresh vegetables are slightly difficult to come around here. After lunch, we then went to the Elde Haus, a former SS Nazi prison turned museum. Part of the horrors of the Nazi regime was shown there and it felt weird to be in a place where so many people suffered and perished. I can’t imagine fitting in a tiny cell with 29 or so other people waiting to be tortured and executed. Afterwards, we retuned to Bonn. The plan that night was to eat dinner around 7:30 PM in Bonn and go to Cologne to visit the clubs around the city but after resting at the hotel for a few minutes, I fell asleep unable to do any of the above activities with the rest of the group but a few people who were too tired did stay like I did.

Berlin has an artistic side. It is not a bad thing but Bonn is definitely a more home-y place.

The last day of 2012 was the fifth day, December 31st, and we rode the ICE from Bonn to Berlin. The ICE is the fastest type of train in Germany and travelled around 200 km/h during our ride. We then proceeded to check-in at Hotel Alex where I am again sharing a three-bed room with Austin and Leo. After a bit of city exploring and having a krakauer, a type of German wurst/hot dog, we then went back to rest up for the large New Year’s Party at Brandenburg Gate in an area called the Fest Mile. Down the mile, there were food stands, souvenir stands, live music, fireworks, lights and everything! As it so happens, my friend Maura who attends Texas Tech University, who I have not seen since 2010, was visiting family and was able to meet up with our group for the Fest Mile. There really is no better way, I think, to ring in the New Year with festivities. Though the party was crazy and the whole night just seemed like a night of anarchy and revelry, the songs that rang throughout the streets, the dancing that clutched everyone, and the fireworks that blazed the night sky for moments at a time definitely put the fest in Fest Mile. 

Beethoven's House in Bonn.

Overall with how my view of Germany has developed, it is not completely what the stereotypes would portray it as except for the food, which is totally by tradition, pork and potatoes. It is a modern and developed country that has its traditions fairly locked into place and its modernisms ever-changing. The medical system in Germany is extremely modern and seems like something that America could learn from as America has the highest medical costs of any country but does not have the best statistics in infant mortality and such and I only hope to witness more on this topic while I am here. It has been a great experience so far to witness all of this for myself and I am glad to have spent the New Year Day in another country like Germany. The gigantic celebration was definitely a highlight of the trip so far. It feels strange that it is already 2013 already. Another year has past just as the year before and it seems like this time of the year comes around way too quickly every year. Time plays a fickle game with us. It is just year after year and I suppose it is up to us to make something of the time we have here on this planet. All the losses, struggles, and victories of the year, though not completely forgotten, will seemingly fade away just a bit, and I, like many out there, could use a new year with a clean slate.

Let's Start at the Very Beginning...

(First I have to apologize for the very long post, I hope to keep up a little better in the future so that they end up shorter).
(Dates Dec 27 through Dec 31, 2012)
The last few days have been a blur of excitement. It's funny to think we took a flight here starting on a Wednesday evening and upon getting to Germany it was then considered Thursday morning. We were made to wait for all of our 13 fellow students to arrive before leaving to Bonn, Germany. Due to jet lag a majority of us passed out on the bus ride(including myself). We then walked in the drizzle/ cold to the hotel a good number of blocks away. After we got done settling in, we took a quick walk around the city (getting a feel for the place) and we ended our day by eating a "popular" German dinner (all of us having gotten beer and a variety of schnitzel).

On the second day we were made to wake up really early to meet at the A1 bus top so as to head over to the hospital where I got to watch a cardio bypass surgery along with them replacing the man's aortic valve. Afterwards we ate lunch at the one popular Turkish cuisine and then met up at AIB for lecture. Afterwards we went on a quick city tour of Bonn (seeing some ancient roman ruins, town hall, the Rhine river) and then met back at AIB to have a hot cup of a popular cold weather German drink (I don't remember the name but it was alcohol heated over sugar). We watched then 2 clips of 2 "movies", the more popular being an 11 minute video of a 1960's English comedy "Dinner for One" ("...same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie? Same procedure as every year, James.."). Afterwards we headed out as an almost complete group to the 500 year old restaurant where I ordered a kosch (beer) with sprite along with ordering a pretzel with butter. The rest of the night was spent enjoying Bonn's nightlife with the group.

Next day, we headed by bus to the anesthesia museum where we stayed for a little over 2 hours. Though the concept was interesting I think that the tour should only be around 1 hour long. After getting 2 hours for lunch we proceeded to head for the U to go to a post WW2 german history museum. We stayed until closing and then headed out for another fun night with the group.

The third day of the trip, we headed out for Koln (Cologne in English). Right after getting off the train the church loomed before us in all its splendor. With a guide we traveled around to parts of the city, seeing the famous brewery, hearing the children's tale of the gnomes, seeing some more Roman ruins. We proceeded to going inside the Cologne Cathedral with the 3 kings within it (the insides were very beautiful and though the Arch Bishop may not like the "newest" stained glass additiono to the church, I found it a good addition to the architecture), then we headed to the Elde Haus, where the Nazi's had tortured and imprisoned their convicted criminals (the walls still containing final written messages). I cannot begin to describe how sickening the Nazi history was, and it makes me feel worse when I learn about more of the terrible things that they have done (like rewarding women to have more kids by giving them medals, treating animls to the same "Aryan" code). What makes me glad is seeing how German's have accepted that era of their history and have shown the world that they can move past their miseries and become one of the top nations in the European Union today.
After visiting the Nazi SS Headquarters we were then given some free time and we all headed back to Bonn where a good group of us went to see Beethoven's house. After this we ate dinner at an Italian restaurant and took one last walk around Bonn, going and seeing the Rhine up close and grabbing a small prayer book from the telephone booth.

On the last day of the year, we woke up and checked our room for any last items and ate breakfast. We walked to the train station where went on platform 2 to get on train 7 to Berlin. The couple hour train ride allowed me to write a majority of this post along with getting to move at a max speed of 253 km/hr through the German countryside. Upon arriving in Berlin we took a number of transportation stops to arrive at Alexanderplatz and, finally, our hotel, The Alex Hotel. We did a brief exploration down the street around the area of Alexanderplatz (trying out the New Year's celebration of food) until heading back to get ready for the last day of 2012.

The night was one to remember. So I end this with HAPPY 2013!!!! (whoop!)

Arrival to Deutschland (12/27/12)

After the long flight to Frankfurt finally came to an end, half of the group (Ari, Monica, Leo, Austin, Connor, Cassie, and I) congregated outside where we got off the plane around 9:15am. It still did not sink in to me that I am finally in Germany! All of us then headed to baggage claim to collect our compact luggage. Afterwards, we were all figuring out how to get to the meeting point where the AIB director will collect us to head to Bonn. Finding the meeting point was not too challenging considering there was a group of us, but we arrived at the meeting point with 1.5 hours to spare so we decided to walk around the airport and “explore”. Although not much to see, the feeling of anxiousness rushed in me. I was so excited I decided to go through with this program. I do not think I would have traveled to Europe under any other circumstances. It is one of the best decisions I have made. I am so glad Ari talked me into doing this program. After walking around for a while, we decided to head back to the meeting point to see if the other group members have arrived. We met up with Samantha, Kaitlyn, and Patrick at the spot and we chilled for a little until the AIB director arrived. None of us knew who was picking us up but we were all anticipating to meet him/her. Not too long later, Suzanne arrived and introduced herself to everybody. The first impression I got from her was that she was very nice and friendly. It made me very glad to know that she was very approachable. We waited for a little more until the rest of our classmates to arrive and we met Aaron, Max, and Tyler. After all 13 of us are finally together, we got on the bus around 1:00pm and headed to Bonn. The ride was about one hour and 45 minutes, but I was very sleepy already. I suppose sleeping on the plane did not help with jetlag at all. I passed out on the bus as soon as the driver took off. Although not certain, I assume that the rest of the group also knocked out because it was super quiet on the bus. The next thing I know when I opened my eyes was that we are right in front of the AIB building in Bonn. It was an abrupt awakening and I did not even have time to collect myself. I literally felt like we got kicked off the bus and our luggage were thrown out. After all of us got our luggage, we hurried over to the Mercedes hotel because it was “raining”. Although not too far of a walk but it felt like it was so long because I was still shaken from the sudden wake. When we arrived to the hotel, it turns out that Ari and I got the top floor and we had to climb our way up with our luggage. It is not as bad as it sounds though because we got our awesome backpack luggage. Everybody only had until 4:00pm to meet back downstairs so we can head to the AIB building together. It was about 3:15pm when we got to our room but right when we settled in our room, I immediately seek for Internet. I needed wifi so bad because I needed to let the people at home know that I arrived safely. Due to that, I took a little longer to get ready and cause Ari and I to get downstairs late and got called out. It was embarrassing, but I sure learned my lesson. We all headed to AIB together and met up with Dr. Wasser. Both Suzanne and Dr Wasser gave us a brief run-through of what is going to happen for the next two days or so and handed us our folder with lots of good information. In addition, Suzanne gave each of us 17 Euros to spend for lunch for two days. Afterwards, they took us downstairs to make phone calls home. I only gave a call to Mami, but she was too busy for small talk so letting her know I arrived safely was pretty much the only thing I said. When everyone was done making calls home (which was not many of us), we headed out for dinner. As of now, I really do not remember what was the name of the restaurant and I really did not take many pictures either because I was so burned out by that time. We all pretty much order the same thing, but with different toppings. I did enjoy the food but partly because I was famished. However, I believe I would have survived with skipping dinner and just going to sleep. I really think I could have slept standing. I was really and super sleepy. Dinner could not finish any faster. When everyone was done and we were free to go back to the hotel and sleep, I could almost sing hallelujah if had the energy, but I did not. Walking back to the hotel was torture itself and I would have rolled back if I could. When Ari and I got back to the room around 9:00pm, I changed into my pajamas as fast as I could and I knocked out unconscious. If I had to use one word to describe the first day in Germany, it would be exhausting. Germany really took my breath away and I was exhausted. I really cannot find a better word to describe my day 1 – EXHAUSTING.

After the first few days I have been having a blast!! but it's also been very tiring. I got to administer some drugs to a patient with the anesthesiologist and manually breath for the person, We also go to go see a museum of anesthesiology which was very neat! What was really cool was seeing the museum about the history of Germany and then SS HQ in Cologne! It is ridiculous how humans could create such terrible living conditions and torture so many people. I have had such a great time and it's only been 4 days! I cant wait to see what other cities have to offer.Tonight we are going to check out the night life in Cologne, hopefully it is more happening than Bonn.

Pre-Departure Blog

As I try to fit the final bits and pieces into my confined suitcase, checking and double checking that I have everything: snow boots, plug adapter, winter hat, all the things never needed in Texas, I find myself thinking that in less than twenty four hours I will be hurtling across the Atlantic at nearly 600 mph. I just thumbed through a little German phrasebook my brother gave me for Christmas and realized again how little I know about the German language. I am very excited about the prospect of being immersed in an entirely new culture, and am slightly anxious to see how I fit in. I talked to a friend who lived abroad for many years in Indonesia and said that Western Europe is basically an extension of America culturally so I don’t think that there is that much to worry about. Most of all I am excited about all the history that I will be submerged in. Simply walking through Berlin will be fascinating and I only wish to get there sooner.

Germany Day 1

I know this is a little late but better late then never.  The realization that I was leaving for Germany did not set in until the night before we left on Christmas Day.  After traveling overseas once, I was not looking forward to the flight but I knew this trip was going to be a lot of fun.  Not actually knowing anyone going on the trip was exciting and nerve wracking. However by the few conversations on our Facebook group page, I knew this was going to be a fun group.

Pre-Departure Thoughts

Howdy! My name is Kitty and I am waiting to board on the plane to Germany now. I cannot believe I will be in another country in just a few hours. I am feeling very excited but anxious at the same time. The weather from yesterday kind of gave me a feeling of how it is going to be over there. I hope I packed warm enough clothes for the climate there. It was painful trying to fit everything in a tiny luggage, but I managed. I am boarding now. See you all in Germany! :)

Pre-Flight Thoughts

Howdy, I am Tyler Galownia, a junior Radiological Health Major. Ever since freshman year I have wanted to go on this exact study abroad program, so when I finally was able to apply and get accepted I was over the moon with excitement. This feeling has yet to leave me, I have just completed my packing, 6 hours before my plane takes off, I sure hope I didn't forget anything.
My expectations for this trip are very high, I plan on going in and trying everything that the German culture has to offer. I want to try all the food and drinks they have, and yes even buy a pair of those leather pants. I cant wait to get there! I have gotten a bit of nervous feelings from time to time, mainly because I have never been over seas before and will be without a cell phone or wifi.
Some of the things I think I will see are probably pretty skewed from media and stuff. For example When I land I half expect to see tons of beer bars. I doubt it will be like movies portray it but I don't know what else to expect. Well I'm off to go have my last american cheese burger, before leaving the country.
Thanks and Gig'em!

TLDR: I plan on eating everything in Germany. Link

Final pre-departure thoughts

Howdy, I am Kaitlyn Cortez and I am a senior animal science major. When I heard about this trip, I was beyond excited to apply and get accepted. Studying abroad has always been an interest of mine because I love to travel and try new things. I am so thankful for the opportunity to experience this adventure. The practice of medicine has always been an interest of mine, whether it's animal or human medicine. There are so many similarities between them. 

As far as feelings of nervousness or anxiety, those really haven't hit me yet.  I have been out of the country before so that is not really a fear for me, nor is becoming home sick. The only concerns I have are running into delays due to weather issues at the airport, and the language barrier. Also the only other concern I have is being able to see our bowl game, as I am a die hard fan and I love college football. 

I can't wait to get to Germany and meet up with everybody. I wish everyone safe travels! 

Thanks and Gig'em. 

Life Before Germany!

I am sitting here on Christmas day in my nice cozy bed with 17 hours until I board a plane to go to a different part of this planet. I am trying to think about how I feel without giving the typical emotions of a student who has never left the country (except for two cruises to Mexico). I have had so many contrasting feelings in this past month that I feel like it has caused a cancellation of emotions. I am anxious yet calm; excited yet scared; confused yet prepared. They tell you that you are suppose to have a roller-coaster of feelings when you study abroad...I am dreading the moment when it finally hits me that I am leaving for THREE WEEKS. Many people would say "yeah so what, three weeks is nothing compared to a semester," but three weeks can be both a very long and very short period of time. I have not flown since I was in 8th grade (7 years ago). Keeping this in mind I cannot fathom that in about 17 hours I will be on a 10-hour flight to Germany. I will have to deal with this side emotion tomorrow when I go through the loads of security and try to find my gate scrambling through the hustle and bustle that is what I can only imagine my inner mind would look like if I were to peek inside. I of course have the feeling that I have forgotten something and have lost everything that I have already packed without even rolling my suitcase out of my front door. I have been preparing for this trip for about four to five months now and cannot believe that the time has finally arrived that I have been so bravely and casually talking about to friends and family when this is anything but casual. I want to go to Europe and do all the right things, but I am starting to realize that I need to as the saying goes "go with the flow". I have been told the Germans are mean; the Germans are nice. I have been told not to do anything I would not do in the US. I have been told to keep my morals, but do not second-guess myself on new things. I have been told to be open-minded. I have been told the food is amazing. I have been told the Germans are blunt. I have been told stop worrying. I have been told to just take it all in. I have been told this is only an appetizer of Europe, and that I can always go back again. I have been told flying is not safe. I have been told Germany is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. But of all the things I have been told the one advice that keeps ringing in my ears is to let Europe engulf you and allow it to change you in the way it is suppose to. All the advice I have been given just makes me that much more grateful that I will be able to start forming my own opinions in 27 hours when I first arrive in Frankfurt, Germany!!!

Final Countdown

Howdy! My name is Cassie Stump (Cassandra has always seemed too formal in my opinion) and I am a Junior BIMS major at A&M (A-A-A-WHOOP!) with a double Psychology and Neuroscience minor. I have lived in Bryan, Texas almost all of my life and I can not wait for the change in scenery.

Christmas has been over for only a few hours and I still cannot believe that in less than a day from now I will be on the long flight to Germany. Ever since signing up for this trip back in the spring semester of 2012 I have felt that the date of December 26th has been one big countdown: 8 more months, 4 more months, 2 more weeks, 3 more days... It almost seemed this day would never come!

Throughout this time I've had a mix of feelings and expectations, alternating between those of excitement and others of anxiety. It has been a couple of years since I have taken a trip out of the country. In fact, I realize that the last trip I took over seas was to both Germany and Austria! I remember when I was there thinking how the city of Berlin looked so new and vibrant compared to the Berlin we were always taught about in school. I remember it being exciting to walk around the city and take in the many sights, such as the Jewish Museum, Unter den Linden, and the Holocaust Memorial. I recall the people as rather friendly and helpful, though one memory I hope to improve on this trip is that of their food (I have never been a big fan of sausage and pan-fried meat).

All of this, though, was during the summer months where temperatures were high enough to not consider a jacket. Having lived in south Texas all of my life, the idea of cold weather both intrigues me and worries me. The silly little questions keep popping up in my mind: How cold is it really going to be? What if I didn't pack right for the weather? I don't even know how many times I have repacked my bag to add or subtract articles of clothing that I have thought I may or may not need. Luckily I remember Germany (especially Berlin) having quite a few nice clothing stores!

These worries are all but forgotten when I think about New Years Eve. Just to see how German's celebrate the New Year is a reason to battle the temperature! And to be experiencing it along with our still unplanned weekend with my fellow Aggies makes it all the more exciting.

All this having been said, I should probably get some sleep for all the excitement to come. T-12 hours...

Howdy!

My name is Patrick McGrade I am a junior Biology major.  I have been looking forward to this trip for some time now and it is hard to believe it is finally here.  December 26th has felt like a day that would never get here.

I have always wanted to travel to Europe so I hope this trip will be the first of many for me.  I have been fortunate enough to travel abroad to central american on several medical mission trips but I have never been as far away as Germany.  I have to admit that I am dreading the flight there, I have a feeling I will be cramped in between two very large individuals that will not share the arm rests, but I am sure I will find a way to manage. I have done my best to avoid watching taken over the break to avoid freaking myself out about the trip as well. The only other issue I have run into is packing and how to fit everything in such a small space (something I am sure everyone else has experienced as well).

I think overal this will be a life changing experience and something that will stick with me and help with my global perspective on many issues. I cannot wait to check out all of the sites that we have planned to see and I hope to squeeze in some historical spots as often as possible as I am a bit of a history nerd.  I am also looking forward to enjoying many of the local customs and foods, I think everyone I have told about this trip as told me to be careful with the Germany beer.  I cannot wait to see everyone over in Germany and hope we all have a great time!

Auf wiedersehen, goodbye to the US of A!

 

To start off, I'd like to introduce myself. Howdy, I'm Austin Wang, a sophomore Biomedical Sciences and Psychology double major from Houston, Texas, but most importantly, I'm the loudest, proudest member of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 2015! A-A-A-A-A! Just to clarify, I'm usually not that outgoing when I make introductions but that's not the point of this post.

In 2 days, we will be soaring over the Atlantic Ocean towards Germany. I'm extremely excited and nervous right now because I will finally get to meet everyone and experience German culture for myself. What makes me apprehensive of the coming days are the simple truths that I can't speak German and I have no idea if I'll be prepared for the frigid weather seeing that I grew up in Texas my whole life. Considering we are living and traveling from hotel to hotel and city to city, this will be a new and unique adventure for me (and for all of us, I think!). So just a bit about me. I have an identical twin brother, Aaron, who is also going on this trip. I'm an avid musician and I play principal oboe in the Texas A&M Wind Symphony; that's why I'm pumped about going to see the opera (I think it's L'Italiana in Algeri). 

I've been to Italy once right before my freshman year at A&M, so it's not my first time to Europe, but it'll be my first time officially studying abroad, so to speak. I guess that's why I'm not too worried about culture shock. I'm really looking forward to learning not just about how medicine developed in Europe, but how our world is now a highly integrated and dependent system. As technology improves, the world becomes a smaller place and as educated citizens, we have to acknowledge and respect differences in customs and cultures. I want this trip to be a way for me to look at the world from another perspective. As long as I can get over the weather and my inability to communicate, I think this will be an unforgettable study abroad trip. I know that we'll have a great time learning about Germany and how the field of medicine flourished in Europe; I'm also really excited about visiting the various destinations and all the famous landmarks that I've only read about in books. Alongside the excursions and tours, partying on New Year's Eve in Berlin will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience! 

Aside from all of that, I'm thrilled that we are about to depart and I look forward to meeting and getting to know each of you. Gig 'Em!

3 days to go

 
   It's December 23rd 2012 and for the first time in my life, I will read and contribute to a blog. A few weeks ago, I bought my first set of winter clothes ever. And in three days, I will leave the United States for the first time. I am surprised with all the new experiences I have already had because of this trip to Germany, and I cannot imagine how many more I will gain when I actually get off the plane in Frankfurt. Although I am anxious about all the travel, I am much more excited to be doing something different this winter.

   Currently I am in Tucson, Arizona visiting my family. Although its been fun, and I will miss spending new years with my parents, I am looking forward to having a new experience. I think my biggest concern about the trip is the weather. I was raised in the dessert, and as I write this, it's still 63 degrees outside. I have never been up north, and having to rely completely on other people's advice is difficult. It's not that I don't trust others, it's just that this is a new experience, and I have no idea on what to expect once I get there. My only other concern is in dealing with German people. This is mainly because I don't speak any German, and I am worried about running into some kind of emergency. Everyone who has gone tells me that it is not a problem because so many Germans speak English, but I won't be able to believe that until I experience it myself. Still though these concerns are definitely secondary to the excitement I feel.

   Maybe it's because I don't travel often, but I view this trip as an adventure and am really excited to get going. Even when I get to thinking about all that can go wrong I don't worry to much because, I feel like its going to be a good time. Anyway I look forward to meeting everyone in the next couple of days, and I hope everyone has safe travels.

The Waiting is Over!

It's hard to believe that in a few days I will be in Germany! As the departure date nears I am starting to feel a lot of mixed emotions. I am very excited to go on this new adventure. I am anxious to experience a different culture, see new things, and have what I hope will be the time of my life. However, I am also very scared for many reasons. I am afraid of being so far from home, missing my loved ones, and being out of my comfort zone. I'm scared of the drastic change in climate compared to what I've been used to my whole life, and I'm scared of feeling "lost in translation." Most of all I think I'm scared of being unprepared, especially not packing the right things! I hope that when I get to Germany all of my worries will go away and I will find myself having an amazing time.

I never imagined I would participate in a study abroad program but now I can't imagine a better way to experience Europe, and overseas in general, for the first time. Everything is planned out for us, all the excursions, hotels, and cultural experiences. All I have to do is show up! This seems a lot easier than having to plan a family vacation. I am looking forward to the course History of Medicine. My interest in the medical field made it that much easier to make the decision to take this course over all the other study abroad opportunities I saw in the past.

I'm excited to visit and learn about all of the historical places in Germany, to try a lot of new food (I love new food!), and to party all night on New Year's Eve!

Let the adventure begin. See you all in Germany! 

a little somethin' somethin' about me

 

HOWDY from Austin, Texas!

I am very excited to be posting my first blog...ever. I want to begin by telling everyone a little about myself. I am originally from Venezuela in south America and my family and I moved to the United States around ten years ago. I have lived in south Texas and College Station. I am a second year in Texas A&M pre-med Psychology major with a Business minor.

I have two brothers and two sisters and I am the fourth. I love all kinds of food, like to think I can easily adapt to changes (we'll see if that is true soon), love to play sports, love the outdoors, and like warm weather much more than cold.

I am very excited to get to know everyone of you personally and have a blast in Germany!

I have never been to Europe so I am feeling somewhat anxious but I think Dr. Wasser has advised us very well prior to take off. My dad studied in Germany when he was around my same age in Stuttgart for around three years and my ancestors from his side are from Germany too. Zingg is German as well. I wish it would be longer than three weeks already even though we are not even there yet! I hope to learn a lot, gain great friendships, and do something else abroad before I graduate.

THANKS & GIG' EM!

 

Pre-Deutschland Thoughts: Pre-Departure

 

Probably how I will be dressing for the most part. With a few more layers of course.

Howdy! My name is Aaron Wang, a sophomore Biomedical Sciences major pursuing a double minor in English and Genetics. I am from Clear Lake City in Houston, Texas and have lived there since birth. I am currently on a pre-med track and plan to attend medical school after I graduate in 2015. I have an identical twin going on this trip as well but since he got a hair cut, I hope we are not going to be too hard to tell apart. I am pretty excited about this trip and am looking forward to meeting all of you guys!

So unlike my typical procrastination habits, where I often end up blitzkrieg-ing myself pretty badly, I decided to write my pre-departure thoughts not the moment before the flight took off but rather few days before so I hope I am not being a prick by getting this done this early. So anyway, I was first interested in this study abroad opportunity a little over a year ago and has the time flown right by. In a few days, granted the global apocalypse does not occur on tomorrow on December 21^st 2012, I should be boarding a plane for Germany with a connecting flight in Amsterdam and it is definitely something I am looking forward too since this is also my first time traveling to Europe. So I am pretty excited about this whole thing and I know this is said quite often for something like this but it seems kind of unreal.

As part of something I am looking forward to, several questions regarding this experience-to-be come to mind. Is Germany going to be like what I picture in my mind? Is it going to be as cold, dreary, and snowy as it was made out to be? Will there be wiener dogs everywhere? Will chocolate and beer be in as much abundance as water? Regardless, like every stereotype in existence, there is a degree of truth to them but the truth is usually at least slightly tamer than what the stereotype suggests. I can look at pictures or videos on the web but that only show part of the story about what something really is.

In terms of the German language, I will be honest. There have been moments during the trip orientations where I have had to stifle a small laugh or giggle when I heard Dr. Wasser say some incredibly sounding German word or phrase. German is a complex Indo-European language ranging from its seemingly arbitrary gender assignments to its overwhelming conjugations and sounds. Though I will not have the time during or before this trip to learn German to a highly usable level, I hope it will be something that I will have an increasing level of appreciation and understanding for. I expect this trip to be a fun, albeit educational in terms of German medical history and culture, which is a good thing. 

Another thing to note is that I do expect to see how German or European medical practices differ from those in America. I understand that with socialized healthcare, taxpayers receive close to free medical coverage due to high taxes, but overall, healthcare is more accessible to those who need to it most. In America, we have a system of healthcare that is non-government run and as a result, far more expensive than the system that exists in countries with socialized healthcare. I wonder if there will be any discernible difference in level of care or even how they train their physicians and veterinarians and they are things I am looking forward to seeing for myself as much as I can. 
 
As for the excursions, museums, and such, those should probably be interesting but I will wait and see till I get to those places to experience the history, culture, knowledge that awaits at those places. 

Regardless of my expectations of this trip, I am looking forward to spending an amazing time in Germany where I will be exposed to not only the bitter cold but also the history and culture that made Germany the place it is today. I am trying to dump any stereotypes I may have of Germany that I have acquired by simply being an American. As soon as I land, I should forget about the ten-gallon pitcher of beer, the crazy-looking pants, the fat-lady with the Viking helmet at the opera, and the number of other German things that come to mind. I hope to redefine my image of Germany on this trip and experience a culture and society that will expand my cultural horizons in addition to increasing my knowledge about the history of medicine in Europe. It is easy and done far too often to have judgments about things looking from the outside in but I have heard things appear differently looking from the inside out so I am waiting for that opportunity on December 26^th 2012 to climb onto the other side of that window and see the view from the inside myself.