Week 5-Part 1

As it turns out it was very nice to have a relaxing weekend in Bonn, although it doesn’t make for very exciting blog material. On Saturday, I took a little road trip to watch some baseball. The weather was great and the first of the two games exciting. It was nice to spend the day on something completely American; they even sang “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” On Sunday I went to Schloss Drachenburg just outside of Bonn. This structure, somewhere between a castle, villa, and mansion was built in the 19^th century. It was originally intended to be the builder’s residence but he never actually lived there. Since it’s construction it has served many different purposes, from a summer resort to a Nazi elite school. The castle is now a historical site and has been returned to its original state. The interior of the castle was beautifully ornate and I really enjoyed taking a tour complete with hidden doors.

It’s hard to believe that this will be our last week in Bonn. I have grown very fond of Bonn, and I will be sad to leave it. In my opinion, it has been the perfect environment for our study abroad experience. The public transportation system makes it easy to get around and the city is just the right size such that it is relatively easy to navigate and learn where things are. I will miss walking to the market from class to grab a bratwurst and some fresh fruit, H&M, and a variety of other little things. Most of all I will miss the people we have met. My host family has been absolutely wonderful, and I definitely plan on visiting them in the future. These few weeks have gone by so quickly with all of the traveling we have been doing that I wish I had had more time to spend with my host family. Looking forward to our last few days in Bonn. Until next time. 

Week in Vienna

For our week in Vienna I was really not sure what to expect. The city sounded like a great city after our introduction from Olivia, but I had not really heard that much about it before coming to Europe so I was really excited to experience something that was going to be quite new to me and I was also excited about a whole week with the program in a city other than Bonn.

We got there a little early on the first day after a very long hot night train, so everyone was pretty tired and also very hungry. We walked to our hotel and put our luggage away and then went and found a café for breakfast. WE ACTUALLY HAD REAL BACON! I knew Vienna was going to be okay in my book after that delicious breakfast of bacon and eggs for less than 5 euros. After breakfast we went to a park down by the river and just relaxed until we could check into the hotel and take a much needed shower. The first thing I noticed about Vienna from our city tour was how much smaller the city felt than its actual population. The city was all compacted into a small area and many of the streets were narrow and made from stones. After the city tour we went to the catacombs of the St. Stephens cathedral, which is definitely one of my favorite tours we have been on so far. It was fascinating that the remains of the dead were separated into different churches around the city; one got the guts, one the heart, and one the body. My favorite part of the tour however was the older section of the catacombs where older graves had been discovered. The older section was right under the square in front of the cathedral which was cool in itself, but I was more amazed by the number of bodies that were all together in the catacombs and the fact that prisoners had to scrape the flesh of the bones of the dead and then stack them several meters high in these mass graves. I don’t think even a bottle of rum would make me happy about doing that job.

The next day a familiar looking Dr. Schnabel took us around Vienna for another walking tour around the city. We got to see the beautiful old medical school and walk around in a magnificent lecture hall that would surely intimidate just about any student. Another interesting thing that I got from Dr. Schnabel’s tour was the prison where students could be held if they were being too unruly. I was amazed that they dueled in college with swords, and that a scar on the cheek was something to be proud of. After the tour we went to the funeral museum, which was much more interesting that I initially thought it was going to be. Vienna’s obsession with death and the funeral process was nothing short of fascinating. The most interesting thing from the museum was that they actually had a bell system that led from the coffin to above ground so that someone could be notified if one happened to wake up in the coffin six feet underground. It was also quite funny that there was actually a phone you could have placed in a coffin so that you could talk to the dead for another full year over the phone.

We got a lecture from Dr. Marz the next day about medical school in Europe and in Vienna that has been one of the most surprising lectures of the trip for me. I didn’t realize how many differences there were in the American medical school system compared to the European one. The biggest differences were entering medical school when you are 18 and one admission test being the single factor in acceptance. Personally I liked the system and agreed with many of the things it tried to accomplish. I like how you have a longer medical school and that you start in a clinical system much earlier than you do in the US. Later that day we went to Fool’s tower and took a tour of the old psychiatric ward which contained thousands of interesting preserved specimens. My favorite specimen was a pair of siamese twins that were fused at the head, with a face on each side of the skull, a condition called cephalopagus or janiceps.

On Thursday we focused on a very interesting man, Sigmund Freud. His method of psychoanalysis was quite strange. Smoking 20 cigars or more a day, he sat in his apartment just listening to the dreams of his patients, relating everything back to a persons Id, or type of inner drive that cannot be controlled. I found it interesting that even his daughter followed in his footsteps in psychoanalysis.

The Josephinum and body worlds were two of the most medically applicable tours we have done. It was incredible how detailed both of the exhibits were and in the Josephinum how accurate the models were without the use of the technology we have today. My favorite part about Body Worlds was the fact that many of the models were of a body in motion and you were able to see the detailed contraction of one muscle or a group of muscles and the elongation of others.

Week 5

This shortened week started off on a great foot with a trip to the zoo! I really love zoos and could spend hours walking around looking at all of the creatures but this trip was especially cool since we got to go behind the scenes. First we got to feed the giraffe, which was so so cool. Its tongue was really long and its lips felt like sandpaper. On our way to the food house we got to stop by the cute little prairie dogs that live in the same enclosure as the alpaca. I thought their take on the enclosures was really cool and especially liked the dry mote in the camel enclosure. It does make the animals look more natural and less like prisoners. I also found it funny that there were raccoons in the zoo. If you want to see a raccoon in Texas, all you have to do is leave some trash out at night and they’ll come! The behind the scenes elephant house was really interesting and we got to get closer to an elephant than people ever get! It really did look like Jurassic Park back there and it was cool to hear about how cooperative the elephants are with the keepers. After the zoo we got some much needed knock-off chipotle and a group of us headed to the Chocolate Museum. Unfortunately it is closed on Monday so we didn’t get to go and decided to head back to Bonn.

We had a very early start on Tuesday but once I put those scrubs on and stepped into the OR it was all worth it. I got to watch a mitral valve replacement surgery. The case was especially interesting because the patient had had two previous cardiac surgeries: a coronary bypass surgery and a mitral valve repair. He had also had a post-op infection in the sternal incision site so the surgeons didn’t want to use the same site due to a build up of scar tissue. The three surgeons on the case huddled around the patient for a couple of minutes confirming their plan to open him up on the right side underneath the nipple line. It took over an hour to prep the patient and then another hour to expose the heart in order to attach the heart and lung machine. From there it was hard to see what was going on until they began to remove the dysfunctional valve and prepped the site for the prosthetic. The replacement valve was from a cow, which is preferred over mechanical in this situation. Seeing the valve fit into place over 4 hours after we had entered in OR made all of the waiting worth it. It is so crazy that a part of a cow can work properly in a human heart! Every time I see a procedure I get refreshed and more excited to continue on with my plan to become a doctor.

            After the surgeries we returned to the AIB for two lectures from Dr. Wasser. The first was about Hildegard von Bingen and the second about Paracelsus. Both were very interesting people and played large roles in the history of medicine. As Dr. Wasser has said from the beginning, we have to try to not look down on the ideas that earlier doctors had as they all led to the knowledge that we have today and someday people will be learning about medicine in this time period and will most likely think that we were wrong about some of the ideas that we have too. After class it was finally time to celebrate Jessica’s 21^st birthday! It was so fun being all together and the concert that Jacob’s host sister, Makeda, put on for us was incredible. We all had a really good time and it was a good last night out in Bonn.

            Wednesday was another full day. We left early for Bingen and got to take a nice nap on the train before arriving at the small town on the Rheine. There we visited the Hildegard von Bingen museum. My favorite part was the garden that held some of the different plants that she had written about. I find the use of Digitalis in patients with cardiomyopathy to be really interesting and a true use of an active ingredient found in a plant. After the museum we got some gelato in the town, ate lunch by the river then hopped on the boat for a cruise to St. Goaz. The cruise was really nice and relaxing. I wish we could’ve stayed on it all day. In St. Goaz we hiked up a small mountain to the “Catselbow” Castle (I cant remember the word in German).  It is funny to think about all of the little kingdoms with their own castles scattered in the Rheine valley. The tour of the castle was really fun and the view was absolutely beautiful. Crawling through the meter high pitch-black tunnel was definitely an experience and I’m glad we made it out without any serious injuries. We wrapped up our Rhinecruise and headed back to Bonn for most of ours last night in the city.

            Today (Thursday) was a sad day for me. It was the last day that we were all together in our new home city of Bonn. I can’t believe how quickly our time flew by here. I miss it already and we still have 9 days left! As I lay here in bed writing this blog, my cab pickup time of 4:20am is quickly approaching. I am looking forward to spending the long weekend in Barcelona but am sad to leave Bonn.

Amsterdam

Starting off the weekend with a cancelled train was not ideal. Luckily we had Olivia with us to look up a new route and we only arrived in Amsterdam an hour later than planned. When we go there we checked into our hostel- Stayokay Vondelpark and were pleasantly surprised that the bathroom and shower were inside the room! That was a first for us! It really is the little things in life. Then we decided we would make the obligatory trip to the red light district. It wasn’t exactly what I had expected but it was pretty close. It is a very strange place to be. After that we were pretty tired so we went back to the hostel and got some sleep.

In the morning we woke up a little later than intended and ate breakfast/lunch at a pancake house. I got the ham and cheese pancake and it was really good! Then we split up and the majority went to the Rijksmuseum but Kyle, Jessica and I went on a bus tour. It was a nice change from the usual walking and bike tours and we got to learn a lot about the city in a short amount of time. After the tour we went to the canal to watch the Gay Pride Parade. At first when I learned that there would be 2 million people coming in for the parade I wasn’t too happy about it but it was a really cool thing to see and be a part of. Everyone was so excited and music was playing from the boats. People were dancing and wearing crazy outfits: it was one big party. After the parade we all met up again and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon relaxing in Vondel Park.  We went to an Italian restaurant for dinner then took a nap before our reservation at the ice bar. We had always wanted to go to an ice bar and had talked about it in every city we’d been to over the trip so we bit the bullet and paid to go inside. It was a lot colder than I thought it was going to be which sounds dumb but it’s true. Everything was mad out of ice: the bar, the benches the cups, everything. We only lasted about 30 minutes in the room before we were worried our toes were going to fall off so we left to thaw out. When we walked outside of the bar, the whole city was in the streets going crazy. Bars were overflowing with people and we had to hold hands to not get lost in the crowd. It was definitely a sight to see.

Sunday morning we got up and went straight to the Anne Frank house. We had heard that if you didn’t have tickets already the wait would be around 2 hours so we were prepared for it but luckily we only waited around 45 minutes before getting inside. The preserved house turned museum left me speechless. I couldn’t believe I was standing in the very place where the 8 people I had read about in Anne Frank’s Diary had hid from the Nazis. I read Anne Franks Diary in 8^th grade and as the whole world had been, was deeply affected by her story. Her honesty and dedication to recording her true feelings has enabled millions to get a little closer to understanding what it was like in that surreal time period. It was a time of extreme measures in every aspect and it is so hard to wrap my head around it. I don’t know how I would cope with the fear and oppression that the inhabitants of the Annex and millions of others felt everyday of the war. Anne’s actual diaries were in the museum as well as video interviews of people who knew her including her father, Otto, who survived his time in Auschwitz and was liberated by Soviet troops. It was especially eerie that we were at the house on that day as it was the 69^th anniversary of the day the Annex was found by the SS and its inhabitants along with two of the helpers were arrested and sent to concentration camps. After spending all of this time here, I can’t picture this beautiful country filled with such horror.

After the museum we decided to end our visit on a lighter note and went to the Heineken factory. We got to see the big copper barrels where the beer is made as well as go through a short exhibit about the history of the company. Unfortunately in the tasting room I discovered that I don’t much care for Heineken but it was still a good experience. Overall I really enjoyed our weekend in Amsterdam! I only wish I could’ve stayed longer and learned more about all the history that the city holds. I am sure I will be back!

Week 4- Hannover and Norderney

On Monday I was really happy to be back in Bonn. It had been a long 9 days of travel and I was ready for a little break. The morning was slow and relaxing as we all caught up from the weekend and worked on our blogs. In the afternoon we bought our body weight in Haribo at the factory store then ate it alongside of our pizza during the movie night. “The Life of Others” was a really interesting movie and I was surprised by how much I liked it. It’s crazy to think that a group of like people could be separated and forced into two totally different situations in a matter of hours and that that separation changed the way Berliners are even today.

The rest of the week was a whirlwind. After the anesthesiology museum and class on Tuesday afternoon we were going nonstop. Hannover was the first stop. After grabbing some lunch from the grocery store we went to the MHH and talked with one of the Cardiosurgical residents. She was very personable and obviously knowledgeable about the heart procedures that the patients in the ward undergo. We also got to talk to several patients and touch their LVATS, listen to the internal portion of the LVAT with a stethoscope and try to find their nonexistent pulses. I found it really interesting that heart patients have to physically wait in the hospital for 6 to 8 months in order to remain on the transplant list. I also thought about the possibility of a heart transplant not being the golden standard. As the resident explained the way the LVAT works and how LVAT patients are able to do everything normally without the undergoing a risky transplant surgery, I began to think about what I would choose if I were in a situation where my heart was compromised and surprisingly I started leaning towards an LVAT. This is one of the many times on this trip that my opinions have changed about something that I feel that I would have otherwise been stubborn about if I hadn’t had this study abroad experience. After that we went to the axolotl research lab and got to look at all the cute little creatures. The free-living spider lab was interesting as well but not even close to as cute. After our short time in Hannover we made our way to Norderney. Once we got off the ferry we didn’t waste any time. We hopped on bikes and headed to the mudflats. I really liked squishing my toes around in the cool mud and seeing all of the animals that were living there especially the jellyfish. After the mudfluthking we headed to the hostel then rode bikes to dinner and finally watched the sunset at the beach. It was a beautiful view and I kept having to remind myself that this wasn’t just any beach, but the North Sea off the coast of a beautiful German island. It was definitely one of my favorite nights of the trip.  Friday morning came quickly and we were back on the bikes and off to a long adventure around the island. I was exhausted by the end of it but the physical activity wasn’t over yet. After the bike ride we visited the IFR clinic and learned about the interesting view that German have on recuperation in clinics like these around Germany.  I agreed with some of the thought about relaxation, exercise, low stress and diet but a lot of the data didn’t totally convince me of the claimed extreme benefits. The rock-climbing wall and gym time was really fun though! I had forgotten how much I like to play around like that.  Once we finished our time at the clinic and took the obligatory group picture, it was back on the bikes and off to catch the ferry. Our not-so-relaxing time on the German relaxation island had come to a close and a weekend in Amsterdam was on the horizon. 

Week 4: Bonn, Hannover. and Norderney

            This week again was another busy one, especially considering we were in three different cities within five days. On Monday we learned about the history of anesthesiology, such that when nitrous oxide was first tested in 1845 by William Morton that it did not work, but when Ether was used just a short time after it worked and was then used in surgery. The next day we went to the Stoeckl Museum for the History of Anesthesiology, which was fantastically set up. It was also very cool to have Dr. Stoeckl himself give the tour of the museum that he had personally founded. We had a lecture in the afternoon about “Medicine in the West” where I learned, among other things, that the medical school in Salerno chose the Galenic form of medicine over the Methodist form, which affected all of the other medical schools in countries such as Italy in the future.

            On Wednesday we departed for Hannover. Once there, we went to the MHH (“M-ha-ha”), the medical school in Hannover. This was one of my favorite visits of the entire program thus far, I think mainly because we got the opportunity to meet with not only a heart surgeon, but also some of her patients that have had “artificial heart” LVADs put in. The doctor overall was very encouraging, and even though I personally don’t want to go to medical school, she made me seriously think about it through seeing how much she enjoyed doing what she does. I can’t wait to be a part of medical development some time in the future, hopefully helping to develop even better devices for patients like the ones at this hospital. After that, we went to the Axolotl Rehabilitation Research Center, where we learned from Dr. Reimers about the factors that allow Axolotl’s to regenerate different parts of their body. She also showed us how the research done on Axolotls is used to apply to human medicine and how they are currently applying their research to mice. I enjoyed seeing the curiously cute and amazingly regenerative Axolotls a lot. What I did not enjoy as much was the spider room, in which there were free hanging spiders hanging everywhere you looked, whose webs are used to apply to medicine as well for wound healing. I wish we could have stayed longer in Hannover to explore it more, but in the few time we were there I learned a lot and enjoyed every minute of it.

            The next morning we departed for Norderney. After getting off of the ferry to the island (on which we were able to see seals), we went straight to a bike rental location. We got on the bikes and went to the mud flats, which are extremely unique to the region. I have definitely never experienced anything like the mud flats before, but being ankle deep in the mud was actually quite soothing. We also got to learn about the mud flats from Mr. Rahmel, who showed us some of the different species living there such as crabs and worms. The next day was started with a bike tour of the island from Mr. Rahmel as well. Along with seeing the absolute beauty of the island, we got to learn about different birds that live there such as the one which travel the longest nonstop distance to migrate out of any other bird in the world. After that, we went a health clinic on the island, which works with patients through the island’s non-pollinated air and temperate water through therapy in order to heal patients of complications such as “burning out” and COPD. Presented with the data that shows how and why the center actually works, it was intriguing to see how they are able to help patients through simple therapy and relaxation. I can definitely see why Norderney is a resort type of island where Germans go to heal and rest, with it’s beautiful beaches, clean air, and laid back atmosphere there is no way to not enjoy yourself there.

            This week (like the others) went by extremely fast due to being so busy, but everything that we did was extremely worthwhile and I benefitted a lot from it. I am definitely ready to be back in one location for more than two days though, as travelling so much is exhausting. 

why did I ever leave Norderney

That one day that was spent in Hannover had to be the most interesting day study wise of the trip so far. What I expected to be a little old town that was past it's industrial peak turned out to be a bustling city alive with some of the best medical facilities that Germany has to offer, notably the MHH. We spent most of the day touring the MHH and it's facilities. There we met up with the chief resident of cardiovascular surgery with a specialty in heart transplants and ______ hearts. She took us through everything that had to do with the procedures including the before and after for the patients. Her ability to make such a complicated subject seem so elementary astounded me when after two hours of listening to her I felt as though I was fully capable of transplanting a heart of my own. The artificial heart transplants were really mind blowing when talking about the success rate and the quality of life to follow for these patients. Most of the time these patients would get an artificial LVS transplant,  an operation made minimally evasive in respect to most heart surgeries requiring only two small incisions one above the sternum and one underneath the lowest rib on the left side of the patients abdomen. The best part of this visit was getting to talk to and have some hands on experience with the patients in the ward who had either undergone surgery or were yet awaiting surgery.Turns out in Germany if you want a new heart you have to show how dedicated you are by waiting in the hospital the entirety of the time. Most cases the patients wanting a heart transplant must wait 8 months in the ward without leaving. Although many of these patients were now limited and in most cases forced to carry batteries in satchels with tubes sticking out of them to save their lives,  they had an upbeat positive attitude about it. This one particular gentleman I bonded with seeing as how we share the same birthday, he has a kid my age, and is a man of faith had a particularly amazing attitude.
After our visit to the MHH cardiovascular center we went to their research facilities where they were studying the regenerative properties of axolotales. axolotales are curious little creatures that display the astounding regenerative abilities such as to grow limbs, organs, and even sections of the brain back. The researchers there are working to separate these enzymes that cause this and use it to someday maybe treat humans along the road.  Kinda like the lizard man in one of my favorite comics growing up Spider man.

From there our next trip took us to the beautiful island of Norderney off the north coast of Germany in a chain of islands with it being the biggest.  It is a very popular tourist spot amongst many Germans and rightfully so.  Our time there was spent biking and learning about the national park there that for the most part consists of the mud flats. At first when I had found out these mud flats had been made into a national park I questioned the decision. Now after having hiked through there extensively and learned of all the different bio systems and niches that live in this park, I am in love. Everything about the island just screams fresh and living. People actually go there on leave paid for by the government to unwind at their clinic using a sort of therapy thought up by the French called thalyses I do believe (although most likely spelled wrong). The data presented, although pulled from a small sample size, showed significant gains and rendered healthy living conditions for these patients that was proven to having a lasting effect on overall health.

Those 3 days spent traveling over the past week were some of the most informative yet and am very glad for the opportunity for those visits. And now for Amsterdam....

Amsterdam: A City that Everyone Should Experience (Maybe)

            Well, Amsterdam was definitely interesting. Upon getting there really late on Friday night after a train cancellation in Norddeich Mole, we checked into our hostels and then decided to take a walk over to the infamous Red Light District. It was exactly as I had imagined: a sketchy looking area with a bunch of bars intertwined with doorways displaying half naked women with red lights on overhead, each making sexual gestures towards every man that walked by. After about 5 minutes we decided that this wasn’t probably the place we should be so late on a Friday night and went back to our hostels.

            On Saturday we awoke very early to go to the Anne Frank House. We hadn’t made reservations, so decided to go an hour before the museum opened in order to ensure that we wouldn’t have to stand in line for hours. Luckily we got there and were twentieth or so in line (when we got out the line was around the block and at least a few hundred people long).  I had read the book back in middle school, but decided to read it again before we went to the actual location and I am so glad that I did. As we walked through the front offices and then the “Secret Annex” (where the two families stayed), I could envision a lot of what was said in the book, and got to fully experience where and how the two families lived. Probably my favorite part of the museum though was getting to see the actual diary entries of Anne Frank. It was a surreal experience and one that anyone has to do upon coming to Amsterdam. Meeting up with the others who hadn’t gone to the Anne Frank Museum, we then went to the Rijks Museum. The museum, which has been undergoing renovations for the past 10 years only to be opened back up a few months ago, was full of famous art. Some of my personal favorite paintings included “The Night Watch” by Rembrandt, “The Milkmaid” by Vermeer, and “Waterloo” by Pieneman. I am not normally very into art, but thoroughly enjoyed the few hours we spent at the museum. This was recommended over many other art museums within Amsterdam and I definitely now know why; it had an extensive collection of paintings and different art from as far back as the 1600’s and featured some of the most recognized paintings in the world.  

            Following the Rijks Museum, we watched some of the Gay Pride Parade festivities, which just so happened to be occurring the same weekend we were there. For the parade, there were over 2 million people lining the canals to watch all of the themed boats. This was not nearly as vulgar or racy as I expected it and was actually really fun. Some people definitely could have put on a few more clothes though! After having enough of that, we hung out in Vendel Park, a humongous and people-friendly park in the middle of Amsterdam.

            On Sunday I decided to go on one of the “free” walking tours. I definitely should have done this earlier, as I was able to learn a lot of useful information about the city. One historical things that I found interesting was that the Netherlands was the richest nation in the world in the 1600’s due to a booming sailing industry through companies such as the East India Trading Company. This prosperity ended due to war and disease, but Amsterdam made a profound impact on the world a few hundred years ago. Going along with the history, I also learned how marijuana use and prostitution, two things that are synonymously connected with Amsterdam, came to be accepted and decriminalized by society. There are many reasons for both being decriminalized and I am not saying I agree with either, but the people and the city of Amsterdam are very proud of their city and all of the freedoms it has to offer.

            Amsterdam wasn’t one of my favorite cities that I have visited thus far, but it was an experience nonetheless that I will never forget and a place that I would have regretted not going to. I would not advise families to go there, but any teenagers or young adults would have a fantastic time in Amsterdam. 

A Weekend in Amsterdam

On Friday, we left Norderney and went to Amsterdam. Unfortunately, our first train was canceled, but we managed to figure out a new path and arrived perfectly fine, just a little later than expected. Some of the group went to go explore the red light district, but that was a little more than I though I wanted to see so I went on to bed. In the morning, we visited the Anne Frank house. This museum and the Rijks musem were my favorite parts of Amsterdam. The Anne Frank museum was a very somber place created by her father in honor of her wishes to become an author. When you first walk into the museum, you are shown a short film about the time and the situation of the Jewish people in Germany and the Netherlands during World War II. Then you can proceed throughout the office building and hiding place. The bookshelf that hid the secret door is still there and quotes from Anne's writings are placed on the walls throughout the houe. The thoughts she wrote were so deep for a 13-15 year old girl, and the thoughts of ther father on the films were upsetting and sad to watch. You saw at the beginning of the tour how much he loved this little daughter of his because he brought all of her magazine pictures from their home to their hiding place so that she could make her room seem less empty by pasting them to the walls. At the end, there was a film of Mr. Frank in which he mentioned that most parents will never truly know their children. This museum left me wanting to write and read as much as possible and to leave something good behind me when I myself am gone. I was very happy that even though Anne did not survive the war, her thoughts and writings are known around the world. The Rijks museum was also amazing and unforgettable. We all met there together to buy our tickets but then branched off into all parts of the museum to explore on our own. It is so large that I never saw anyone from our group until five mintes before our set time to meet again. My favorite part of the museum was the first projector. The slides were circles about the size of the bottom of a canned good set alone or in fours in a rectangular wooden frame. They had some pictures of animals and butterflies while others told stories or depicted different trades of the time. I also liked many of the landscape and seascape paintings that were on display, especially the pen drawings of ships. Rembrant sketches are now also another favorite of mine because it only took him a few strokes of chalk or penscil to create amazing life forms. I am very glad that I got the chance to see this museum because my mom told me stories about it and her visit here since I was a little girl.

Week 4: Bonn - Hannover - Norderney

Bonn: Monday night we watched the German movie The Lives of Others. It was a very good and very enlightening movie. Even though the movies I usually watch over and over are happily ended Pixar films, I would rewatch this one several times and recommend it to friends. It is not a happy movie, just as that time in East Germany was not happy, but it is nonetheless an excellent representation of a past time that leaves viewers hoping to never let it happen again. Hannover: The first place we visited on Wednesday was a medical school in Hannover where they do heart transplants and transpants for other organs such as lungs. They also do artificial heart implantations. We got to see what one of the devices looks like before it's put into a person. It's basically a small pump with tubes on both ends that allows the blood to bypass the malfunctioning part of the heart and continue on the path it is supposed to go. The dowside of this device is that it is connected to a large controller and two battery packs that seem like they would be cumbersome and frustrating and difficult to deal with, but you must keep them with you to stay alive. To help with the extra luggage though, the device comes with a bag or a belt or a vest type thing to carry it around more easily. We also got to meet one of their patients who was the neatest guy ever. He only knew a little English but he showed us how his deviec was hooked into him. He taught us how to change the batteries, which you have to do ever 4-6 hours and how to plug it inot the wall, which you have to do every night. He also showed us how he carries his around. This man was very greatful for his and named it Maria, as in the mother of Jesus, because in five years he will need to be ready to make the deision to try a heart transpant or keep the device. He had been doing well on his device, but recently acquired an infection where the tube leaves his body which is common fo most artificial heart patients. The part that was the most exciting was when he let us listen to his pump and it did sound exactly like a litte whirring motor. The really weird thing with artificial hearts, though, is that people have no pulse or very weak pulses since the pump makes a continuous flow. We met some other patients who were waiting for their heart transplants. Most looked fine, but in reality, they could not take many steps before beomming exhausted and out of breath and going home was too dangerous for them. The way the waiting list works in Germany is that a patient can get on a priority list, but they have to wait in the hospital. They cannot leave or their name is taken off the list. The average waiting time is 8-10 mnths. Just imagine though, you are sitting in this hospital room that is larger than those in the United States, but you share it with two or three other people. You cannot leave, you have to wait for our family to come see you, and every time the doctor waks into your room you get excited because you think they found you a heart, but most likely the really didn't. The hardest story for me was one patient who had a new family. He was very young and very tall; almost exactly the same height as my best friend at home. For him to get a heart, someone also very tall and relatiely young would have to lose their life. It is awful all ways around. The next place we visited was not as hard as the first. It was a research center that uses axolotls to study their regeneration. These little creatues can heal wounds in their tails without any scarring. They can aso regrow entire limbs and some other portions of their bodies. They are hoping to use what they learn from the DNA and chemicals that these little guys produce and incoorporate it into human medicine for wound and burn victims. The research ceter also has an entire room filled with Australian spiders that they use to harvest silk. The silk can be used as a bandaid of sorts for skin and even organs. Since it is also very strong, it could also be made into suture material with enough product testing. The body will not reject the material since it is a completely natural and biodegradable substance. This was probably the most incredible thing to be because when I was in highschool, I read a magazine article about research with spider silk and mixing it with silicon to make medial materials. That article is what got me interested in material science for the first time and is the reason I chose to major in chemical engineering as a freshman. I feel like I've come full circle with vetinary medicine as my career choice. Seeing the spiders again assured me that I have not strayed too far from that origional dream. Norderney: In Norderney, we spent a lot of quality time with our rented bikes and got to know each others quirks such as the sticky lock on my bike that took a little wiggeling to unlock and my bikes small desire to avoid shifting gears. The bikes here in Germany, though, are much nicer I think for long rides than the normal bikes in the United States because they have larger seats and the handlebars are tall enough that you can sit up staight. They also have baskets so you can carry all of your things withough needing a backpack that keeps your back all hot and sweaty. On Thursday, we toured the mudflats, the area of the sea ground left exposed when the tide goes out. The first few steps are through plants at the shore line, one of which is edible and tastd eally nice and salty. I wouldn't mind it at all in a salad. I was also assured later by some of the others on the trip that it does not actully make you loose your hair unless your tour guide is missing some of his own. We then took our first steps into the mud and there were so many tiny worm-like crab creatures crawling through the mud we stood in that my feet felt like they were just waking up from being asleep when all the needles begin their poking. That was the only uncomfortable part of the entire hike. The rest was amazing. We held stranded bright bluish purple jellyfish, played with mussels and crabs, learned how to tell male and female crabs apart and raced worms that dig deep into the mud. That first night we went to dinner at a little place near a lighthouse and a small airport. Afterards, some of us managed to get lost and turned around in the middle of grass covered sand dunes. There came three forks in our path and we tried all three. The last one finally brought us back to recognied territory and we found our way back to the hostel. In the end it was a fun and enjoyable side adventure that was followed by a relaxing time watching the sunset over the beach. Friday afternoon we spent some more time with our bikes touring the island and then visited a clinic that is like a combination of a physical therapy place, a hotel, and a spa. It was an extremely busy week and there is so much to remember.

I'll take the West train, just by the side of Amsterdam

The weekend started out a little crazy, beginning with the cancelation of our original train out of Norderney. Luckily, everyone was in the same boat. We quickly found a back up plan, involving two train changes, the second of which included only a nine minute layover. First train change was fine, but our second train was delayed five minutes, leaving us only four minutes to make it to the other one. Thirteen of us made a mad dash to the platform, only to find a blank screen and no train. After asking one of the workers, we discovered our train had changed platforms but luckily we all made it there on time! There was one point where a lady told us we had to get off the train and switch once more to go to Amsterdam. I think half of us had gotten off before someone else told us that was wrong, and everyone hopped back on the train. Pretty stressful journey to say the least, and I can't even describe how relieved I was once my feet finally touched the ground in Amsterdam at midnight. 

We made our way to the hostel, checked in and dropped off our bags. At this point, I was still pretty wired from the journey, so we wandered around the city for a while. There were tons of people out and about, so it really didn't even feel that late. After abut two and a half hours of sleep, some of us got up early to go the the Anne Frank house. Even though sleeping in would have been nice, I am so glad we got up early to go. There were maybe fifteen people in front of us, and we waited in line just a short time before they opened the doors. The museum impacted me a lot. It is just so hard for me to imagine what that must have been like, to be forced into hiding for two years. Anne's father, Otto, was the only survivor from his family and it was really sad to hear his stories, about how he was waiting after the war to hear the fate of his little girls. I'm glad that the museum was established, to help people understand the past. 

After the Anne Frank house, we had pancakes for lunch and then went to the Rijksmuseum (I hope I spelled that right). That museum was huge and pretty confusing, although I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not only were the paintings fantastic, but they had some really interesting furniture and jewelry pieces. I'm not much of an art buff, but I was blown away by the pieces in that museum. We spent hours in there, and I still didn't get to see everything. After the museum, we checked out Vondelpark and then had some pizza. We had an early night, since we were all running on less than three hours of sleep. 

Sunday, we had to check out of our hostel. We were able to leave our luggage there and walked around the city some more. We visited souvenir shops and eventually made our way to the Heineken factory, where we looked around the gift shop for a while. We had a quick lunch, grabbed our luggage, and headed to the train station. The train back to Cologne was absolutely packed, and that was easily the best four euros I've spent to reserve a seat. I have officially used up all the days on my Eurail pass, and I have mixed feelings about train travel. On one hand it is so convenient when everything runs smoothly. It just seems that more often than not, everything doesn't run according to plan. We've had delays, platform changes, and cancellations. However, despite all of that, we made it everywhere we needed to be, so I can't complain. I'm glad to be back in Bonn, although it will be hard to say goodbye in a few days. For the time being, I'm just going to relax and enjoy it!

Week 4-Part 2

I have mixed feelings about trains. As convenient as it is to hop on a train or bus and relax while it takes you to your destination, it sure is a bummer when they don’t go according to plan. We just left Norderney to start our second to last weekend in Europe. This week was definitely my favorite so far. Our week began with a visit to the Haribo outlet store. I never really appreciated the term “like a kid in a candy shop” until fifteen college students were turned loose in a store full of every kind of Haribo under the sun. All of my friends and family back home have a whole lot of delicious gummy bear treats to look forward to. On Tuesday we visited the anesthesiology museum with Dr. Stoeckl. As a surgery technician I found many of the items in the collection interesting. Since I mostly experience surgery as it applies to the equine world, I thought many of the machines we encountered seemed rather small compared to what I am used to. Though the tour was a little long and tedious, Dr. Stoeckl was a charming gentleman and had a lot of interesting personal insight into everything we encountered since he was the reason for the museum’s existence.

In phase two of this week we made our way to Hannover. Our visit to the MHH and Axolotl research center was by far my favorite activity so far. At the MHH we met with a cardiac surgery resident who taught us about heart assistance pumps. She explained that these pumps allow blood to bypass a part of the heart that is no longer accomplishing what it needs to because of disease, trauma, etc. I find it incredible that modern medicine has the ability to use these devices as well as heart transplants to improve and save people’s lives. We even had the opportunity to talk with some of the patients there. The first man we met had a great outlook on the whole situation; he even named his machine “Maria.” He let us listen to the pump, which makes a continual soft whirling sound instead of the characteristic “lub dub” that we are accustomed to. Another fascinating feature of this machine is that the person has no readable pulse since the pump provides a consistent instead of pulsing flow. After the MHH, we visited the axolotl research center. Axolotls have an amazing ability to regenerate limbs, spinal tissue, and several other regions of their bodies which makes them useful for research in trying to accomplish the same result in humans. It would be quite a feat to be able to regenerate the skin of a burn victim or the lost limb of a traumatic accident. It is also worth mentioning that the axolotls are absolutely adorable; they look like smiling aliens. I will definitely be looking into a pet axolotl when I return home.

On Thursday we headed to Norderney for some nature-filled excursions. This time around I was happy to be on a bike instead of on foot for the amount of travel we did. The highlight of the day was mudfluthiking. After shedding our shoes we trudged into the tidal flats, which at first glance looked like just a bunch of mud.  It didn’t take long with Mr. Rahmel to realize the amount of life below our feet and above our heads. We observed crabs of several varieties, worms, mussels and all kinds of birds. The tidal flats and salt marshes were truly unique ecosystems to experience. This morning we continued to experience the natural flora and fauna of Norderney. We learned about the development of the island and the incredible biodiversity that needs to be preserved on the island. We even saw one of only a few mating pairs of a very rare bird species on our adventure. Finally, we visited the IFR clinic. When we talked about these types of clinics in class, I was a bit dubious about the effectiveness of what I viewed as a spa. After learning more about the clinic, doing some rock climbing, and experiencing the benefits that the natural healing powers of the island itself have to offer I can see why this unique type of clinic has a place in modern medicine. I keep thinking I just might have to give it a try!

Right now I am on a train bound for Bonn since I made the stupid mistake of leaving my Eurail pass behind. I am bummed to be missing Amsterdam but I am looking forward to the adventures to come. Until next week, tschüss!

Weekend in Frankfurt!

     This Weekend I traveled to Frankfurt! I went there for the Banking center and found so much more! Upon Arrival I found myself in a big modern city unlike the appearance of most the cities we went to before. Unlike most the cities we went to in the trips before this city put forth modernism before the past. I traveled around the city and did find the historical buildings near what is called the iron bridge! They were very nice to see and I enjoyed my time there. However, this section of the city was very small but saved so the city could remember its past. The Hostel I stayed at was very nice and very “American”.  First everyone spoke English and I enjoyed that! I even showed off my German skills because most could not speak much German at all! The showers were Amazing! I actually had before this trip researched the type of showerhead that the hostel used because I wanted to buy on for college station. Basically, the shower head is like a waterfall and wastes so much water it is unbelievable! I was amazed that they used there at the hostel for this fact! When I turned it on it felt like standing in a rainstorm except without the cold wet feeling! So the Hostel was nice and secure actually. Finally on Sunday I made it to the Geld museum and was given my own personal tour of the museum! It was extremely interesting and I learned a great deal about the EU banking systems in comparison to the US banking systems. Finally before I left the city I was able to take a tour on a boat! It was a lot of fun and it was a very comfortable day to do something do to the sun was covered and the wind was strong. Overall a great weekend! 

Bonn, Hannover, Norderney!

This Week we traveled to Hannover and Norderney! It was a very fun and interesting experience in these places! First let’s start with what we did in Bonn before we left for these places later in the week.

      In Bonn, the most significant thing we did was go to the Anesthesiology Museum, One of the very few in the world actually. We got to see so many interesting devices and artifacts that were historically used in previous times. I learned a lot about the different forms of Anesthesiology. I also thought it was a little funny to see Dr. Wasser smile when the tour guide (who was also a Dr. and the director of the museum) would mention something we covered in class the previous day.

     In Hannover, we were able to travel and see the Heart ward of the transplant hospital and the axolotl research facility. Once we got to Hannover we checked into the Hotel and left for the Hospital. Upon arrival at the fifth floor of the hospital we kindly were greeted by a orderly who spoke no English and wondered what we were doing there. Also, Dr. Wasser and Olivia were not there yet and we had to make do with the German we knew. Once we got to the Heart ward we met a wonderful chief resident who gave us a short introduction into the artificial heart systems and procedures through her drawings. After we got to see the patients and interact with them. This was very fun for me. Lastly we went to see the Axolotl’s which were very cute.

      In Norderney, It was very strange in a good way. Upon arrival we saw a town that looked much like any other island town you would expect to see. However as we traveled it became very appearent that it was not anything like you normal island town. Wildlife was everywhere and interacted peacefully with humans. As we travel into the mud flat we saw some of these many life forms that crawed all over your feet. On the last day this bond with nature on this island became even more appearent. As we traveled we saw so much undeveloped land that was very beautiful. The tour guide even showed us how the island developed. My last words are that even if you do not like nature that much (like me), this island will change your opinion drastically. I will never forget that experience. 

Prague: Where the Currency Makes Less Sense than the Language

With the train from Vienna to Prague not having any switchovers, we got there without any problems and even in a nicely air-conditioned railroad car! After getting to Prague, we converted some Euros to Crowns and then went to go and get a temporary rail ticket so that we could get to the hostel. That was an experience to say the least. We realized that we had not gotten enough money through exchanging Euros, had to get more from the ATM, and then once we got money, had to put it into the machine to get our ticket. The machine would frustratingly not take any of my change, and we ended up getting a ticket from a very sketchy looking guy. I will never know if that ticket was valid, but it got us to the right hostel nonetheless so that it all that matters.

             Immediately upon seeing Prague and entering the hostel I could tell that I was going to like it. The city itself gives off an old feeling of importance and history with its cobblestone streets and worn brick building. The hostel was extremely welcoming, with the man at the front being extremely easy going and informative, making us feel comfortable. Upon hearing my last name of Parizek, he responded with “Hey that’s Czech!” and said he new a guy in a good band with the last name Parizek. There aren’t many Parizeks in the world, so I sincerely hope that I am related to that one.

            After getting some sleep on Friday night, I woke up early on Saturday and walked around Old Town with Susannah and Chris, which was on the other side of Charles Bridge from where our hostel was located. The bridge, which is absolutely jam packed with people and vendors during the day, is very long going over the Vtalva River, and has many nicely carved statues on it. Once across the Bridge, you definitely know why it is called Old Town: the buildings have a genuine antique look about them and you get the feeling that they have been there a very long time. We went to a few shops and saw most of the major tourist landmarks along the way, including the Astronomy Tower, the Prague National Theatre (where Mozart performed), and many beautiful churches. Chris and I ate a delicious lunch that included some sort of potato salad, a huge sausage, and bread…it was legitimately the first meal since being here that I have not been able to finish. Upon coming back and meeting up with the others, we trekked our way to the Prague Castle. I purposely say trek because it was definitely not an easy journey. Being on a steep incline on the same cobblestone roads and sidewalks as the rest of the city, it made for a good workout (it also didn’t help that the sun was shining with all of its might and the temperatures were in the 90’s). We made it though, and were able to walk around the exceptionally big castle. I would normally associate this type of expansive structure with the word “palace,” but it was fit for royalty nonetheless. Following the castle and cathedral, we walked uphill some more to the Strahov Monastery, which is known for brewing beer since the 1100’s. The beer was very delicious and much needed! That night before going to bed, I walked across the bridge and along the Vtalva River until I got to the “Dancing House,” which was one of the most unique buildings that I have ever seen. Its architecture is very curvy and abnormal, drawing attention from anyone who passes by. Walking along the river and viewing at the Prague Castle at night was definitely worth the walk as well.

            Although Prague was a short trip, I am very glad that I chose to go there for the free weekend. Not only did I get to go to the country where a lot of my family comes from, but I got see some of the most beautiful sites that I have experienced so far. 

Vienna: Where the Wiener Schnitzel is BIgger Than Your Face (Week 3)

            I absolutely love Bonn, but after being there for a little over two weeks it was time for a bit of a scenery change. Going to Vienna definitely accomplished this; its big town atmosphere was drastically different compared to the small town feel of Bonn. From the very first night in Vienna, we saw some things that I will never forget. A tour of the city helped us understand the sub-par sanitary conditions that people used to live in within the city, but also showed landmarks such as where Mozart used to live and perform. Much more bizarre though was the tour of the Catacombs beneath St. Stephen’s Cathedral. It started off with seeing where some of cardinals were laid to rest, then got a little weirder with the intestines of the Habsburg Royal Family, and got downright spooky with windows allowing us to view a few different mass graves, one of which belonged to victims of the Plague. The bones and skulls did not seem to be real to me for some reason and I almost felt like I was in a Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Nonetheless, those images will forever be engrained into my mind.

            Definitely the most interesting part of the week was getting to learn and experience first hand the medical history of Vienna. We went on many different tours, including the medical history tour with “Dr. Snabel,” a tour of a Funeral Museum, Fool’s Tower, Freud’s house, the Josephinum, and the Natural History Museum. Each tour was unique in it’s own way and I feel as though I benefitted immensely from each one. With “Dr. Snabel,” we learned about the University of Vienna and it’s Medical School and got to see a beautiful lecture hall within a building where part of the medical school used to be. Along with this, we saw a prison where students from the University could be held, the site of where the first known c-section occurred, and where the doctor who came up with the modern and standard examination lived.  At the Funeral Museum, it was extremely odd to see Vienna’s fascination with funerals and the dead, especially how people absolutely made sure that their loved ones that they were burying were dead. For instance, they sometimes had a device put into the coffin that would ring a bell in the curator’s office if pulled (which it often was due to decaying, not the person still being alive), or even had a dagger put straight through the person’s heart to fully ensure that the person was dead. We also learned of modern techniques of preserving the deceased, including the possibility of having a person’s ashes turned into diamonds that can be then turned into jewelry and worn on the body. The tour concluded with the option of being put into a real casket, of which I declined to do due to the downright creepiness of the situation. In going to Fool’s Tower, I was legitimately expecting a tour of a psycho ward, so I was shocked upon seeing all of the different preserved specimens and wax models in the building, some of which were hundreds of years old. The preserved specimens included different organs such as the lungs, body parts such as skulls, and whole skeletons. Most if not all of these had abnormalities, such as the two girl’s skeletons which were deformed due to Rickets. The wax models were crazy, recreating the appearance and symptoms of different diseases of real patients in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. All I can say is that I am extremely glad that most of these diseases are not commonly around anymore today. Most conditions looked extremely painful, deforming the skin in ways that sometimes made the person/body part unrecognizable. A lot less gruesome than Fool’s Tower was Sigmund Freud’s house. Before we went into the house, Dr. Wasser gave a lecture on the life and major points within Freud’s life. I learned a lot of new things about Freud, including that he did work on cocaine before going into psychoanalysis and that he missed an impactful scientific discovery in that cocaine can be used as an effective anesthetic. The actual inside of the residence did not completely resemble the original residence (besides the entry way), but it still served as a good museum, allowing us to see some of Freud’s possessions such as some of his figurine collection, the original nameplate to the house/office, and the room where the Wednesday Psychoanalytical Society Meetings used to be held. The Josephenium, which looked like a palace in itself, was funded by Joseph II and houses hundreds of unbelievably realistic and detailed wax models and an extremely impressive and old medical library. The wax models were absolutely stunning, each looking like the actual interior and/or exterior of real people, clearly and accurately depicting what they were intended to. Most interesting to me was the birth section, where we got to see visible instructions through different models on how to use forceps to help a women give birth to a baby. The National History Museum of Vienna, whose architecture and size was impressive in itself, housed the Venus of Dusselfdorf, one of the biggest meteorite collections in the World, countless taxidermied animals, and Maria Theresa’s flower bouquet of precious stones. Following the tour of the actual museum we went to the  “Body Worlds” exhibit. It featured the life cycle of humans starting from the embryo, going into the different organ systems and organs (comparing normal and abnormal hearts and lungs), to sex, and ending with old age. It also featured different models ranging from a girl shooting an arrow, a man giving another man CPR, and one showing the different nerves within the body. I would definitely pay to see it again if given the opportunity and would have loved to spend even more time there, which could also be said for every single one of the museums we went to. After experiencing and learning all that Vienna has to offer, I definitely understand why we came to Vienna on this History of Medicine study abroad program because of its immense richness and impact on medicine as we know it today.

            We were there for the learning, but I absolutely loved the culture and the food of Vienna as well. Some of the delicious things we were privileged enough to eat were wiener schnitzel with potato salad, beef goulash with dumplings, a coffee and ice cream sundae, and we even got to have eggs for breakfast! Besides just the food though, we also went to go and see a concert of an extremely talented orchestra quartet in St. Mary’s , which doubled as both a stunning and musically pleasing Church. I have no complaints about Vienna and would definitely like to visit it again if given the opportunity to.             

Week 4 – 2/3 Done

All I can say after this Amsterdam experience is that I’m glad to be going back to Bonn for a week. I have mixed feelings about Amsterdam as a whole. The daytime experience and life was perfectly normal, but the second nighttime came around the city changed completely. All the strange people started coming out of the creepy alleys and trying to sell you things you never knew they could sell on the street.

              As usual we came in late Friday night and immediately went to check into the hostel and settle down. I was planning on falling asleep early in preparation for the Anne Frank House, however that was a fail because about an hour into lying down the group bothered me. Therefore, instead of sleeping I made an interesting adventure to the red light district. We had to ask at least three times where the street was. If I could go back now I definitely would’ve stayed asleep. The red light district was on the brink of traumatizing, I practically ran through the streets just to say I had been there. I didn’t feel comfortable again until I saw the hostel, it didn’t help that we also passed through the homosexual district during gay pride week.

            The gay pride parade was actually and interesting point about Saturday. Saturday was the conclusion of the festival so we got to see a very flamboyant parade. Along with the flamboyant parade came the not so commonly half dressed men walking around expressing their sexual preference wearing not so manly garments. Also on Saturday, we went to the Rijks museum because it had recently been reopened after a ten-year remodel. Not to hate too much on it, but I don’t know who remodeled that museum because had they not given me a map I would have been lost multiple times. Even with the map I got lost once and somehow exited the museum. Luckily I was able to show my ticket again and reenter and continue what was seemingly a scavenger hunt. Apart from the terrible layout the museum was quite enjoyable and large. Out of the entire museum I’d have to say my favorite exhibit was the arms collection. It was a large room full of old pirate like pistols and cannons. To narrow it down even more, my favorite piece was a gun that was about two and a half feet long with a pistol grip on it.  I don’t know if you are supposed to mount it to a ship or free hand hold it. All I know is that if you had to free hand hold it you probably hardly ever hit anything.

            Sunday was more of a relaxing day because we didn’t get up until about 10 o’clock. I think for the most part we all slept in due to the fact that every other day on this trip we’ve been getting up earlier than 8. It was finally time to get a late start to a day and get a full night sleep. Also, Amsterdam really didn’t have as much to see as I was expecting. They had a number of museums, but none really seemed to constitute a visit by me. Instead of more museums we decided to do a little shopping around the main square and Heineken experience building. I think I’ve officially got a gift for everyone I needed to, except for my dad. I got three different pieces from the royal delftware store for the ladies in my life, grandma, mom, and girlfriend. I also got a few things from the Heineken store for my brother. The only person left on my list is my main financial contributor and greatest father ever. It’s extremely hard to pick for him though, so hopefully I come up with something good sooner rather than later. I’ve got about two more weeks by myself with the program, then a week with my parents. The end of the program is closing in fast, but until then I will have a few more blogs. So…until next time.

Week 3.5 - Oven Week

I think this week, by far, was the hottest one so far being in Germany and the adjacent countries. Between sweating in the day and sweating at nights it's been a little miserable at times. To add on I've also accomplished in contracting the cold that's being passed around the group. It's funny how close contact and confined spaces amplifies the effect common illness have on repopulating. Had I been back home I would be avoiding the sick people as much as possible, but here it's alot harder to do so. It's either you have to tell them directly to stay away or try to avoid being anywhere around them. Of which both are difficult because most of the time we don't have a choice. To get off my soapbox, apart from the sickness and heat the week, per usual, has been fantastic.

This week consisted of a heart clinic, axolotl clinic, and rehab island visit. Out of the three my top favorite would probably have to be the heart clinic because that is almost spot on with what I would love to do. They showed us the physical device they implant into people and allowed us to see actual patients with it inside them. It's amazing how such a device can do the inevitable, at one point, and sustain a person's life for more than 5 years. Working with devices and people like that wouldn't be work anymore. Stuff like that is what I strive for. When fun and work come together that is happiness, you can't buy that kind of happiness.

For example, the researcher at the axolotl clinic started her project because she owned one first as a pet. She turned something she loved and cared for into a job and something that could be useful to human kind at some point. Even if it takes her 10 years, or a lifetime, to discovery something that would be a win in my book. When we were at the clinic, both the main researcher and her assistant researcher seemed to enjoy greatly what they do and care for their lab specimens with care. Even though they don't name them you can tell they have some kind of emotional attachment to them. I would suppose it is natural to bond with them since they are always there and working with them. Even the spiders interested the researchers. I don't think I know any group of people who are more fascinated with spiders. However, the fact that they have utilized the webs they harvested and saw a noticeable result, all power to them. I would use spider webs as stitches/sutures if it worked well and reduced the amount of scarring. If it works and produces no unreasonable side effects, I'm all for it.

Norderney was a little up and down for me because that was when the peak of my cold virus was happening. The first day on the island was hard for me, it was really enjoyable intellectually, but I felt like I had a fever the whole day. With that said it produced a major headache for me and made the bike ride murder. Despite that, the mud flat hiking was really entertaining and great for my feet. It was hilarious when Jacob, Chris, Susannah, and Shannon were trying to walk to the yellow pole. They were completely confident that they were walking the correct direction, but in reality were totally off. Susannah almost did a 180 and was heading back out to sea. Had that been real fog they probably would've been lost at sea never to be found again. Luckily for them, and for A&M, it was only an imaginary fog and we all made it out of the mud safely. Friday, another bike ride, was alot better for me because I felt physically better even though the ride was longer and hotter. I'm not a big bird watcher, but some of the birds he showed us were quite cool looking. My favorite was probably the bird of pray. I don't remember the name of the bird I just liked it because it was supposedly a rare bird to find. A close second was the bird that could fly in one spot by fluttering its wings and then dive to catch it's pray.

That's the main highlights of the week and my favorite parts. As of now we are on a train to Amsterdam, or as my mom calls it, "the land of sin". So as usual, until next time...

Bonn, Hannover, and Norderney! Oh my!

After nine days of travel, it was nice to finally be back in Bonn, even if it was only for a short while. Monday's class was about anesthesiology, to prepare us for the museum visit the next day. It's interesting to learn about the change in the perception of pain, how it used to be viewed as good, even necessary.

Monday night, we visited the Haribo factory, which was great! I definitely stocked up on a lot of candy. Then we had movie night, where we watched the Lives of Others. I have to admit, I went into that movie not expecting much but it was really good. It gave a very informative view into what life was like in Eastern Germany, and it held my attention through the length of the whole movie. Tuesday began with the visit of the anesthesiology museum. It was amazing to see all the different exhibits. There was a lot more there than I expected when I first saw the small size of it. We were supposed to have a soccer tournament Tuesday afternoon, but due to the rain we went bowling in the states. It was really fun, and it reminded me of home. 

Wednesday we set out for Hannover. Travel always makes me tired, so I was a little worried I'd be sleepy for our other activities. However they were so interesting, I didn't even have time to be tired. The visit of the MHH was fantastic, and it was awesome to talk to real cardiac patients. Then the visit of the axolotl research center was also really cool. I think it's really fascinating that they are researching the axolotl regeneration abilities in hopes of applying that to humans. 

Wednesday, travel began even earlier than the day before as we made our way to Norderney, and island in the north coast of Germany. I was really excited to go hiking in the mudflats, and it was even better than I expected. We saw jellyfish, birds, crabs, and worms. After that, we had a nice dinner with a view, and then headed to the beach to watch the sunset. So beautiful. Woke up the next morning to go on a bike tour of the island. It was interesting to learn about he biodiversity of the island. After that, we headed to the clinic, which seemed more like a spa. I knew beforehand about these German spas, but it was really cool to actually see the scientific backings for what they are doing. I also really enjoyed that we got to play some basketball and climb a rock wall. After that we caught the ferry back to the mainland, and our week was over! It was a little crazy with all the traveling but I loved every minute of it!