Monday, July 25, 2005
Our weekend in Paris
Most of us spent the weekend in Paris. We only slept about 4 hours each night but we saw EVERYTHING. Beth was referred to as "Tour Guide Barbie" and I was "Tour Guide Skipper" since we are both huge planners and ran the group all our Paris during our 2 days there. The one thing that got all of us through the day without passing out was definately the crepes. Of the smaller group I toured with, each of us probably had about 4 crepes in 2 days. The sites were all gorgeous and being there was just so amazing. Some things I didn't like about Paris were that the city was really dirty and the men were too! Also, our service by one waiter in a cafe was horrible. He took 2 breaks between bringing all our food out to lean against a wall and smoke. It was so digusting! Now I know why people think Americans are germ-a-phobes. He completely grossed me out! Going to the Tour de France was really neat. How many people can say they were there the year Lance Armstrong won for the 7th (and final) year in a row? Well, actually, by the crowd, I would say alot of people will be able to say that. But it was still so cool! The most relaxing thing we did this weekend was laying out in the grass by the Eiffel Tower and watching the sun go down. Just amazing! I'm so happy I had the opportunity to go to France but I am glad to be back in Germany now. I love this city!!!
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Just when you start to think that Germany, as a culturally and technologically advanced western nation is just like the good ole USA, a quick comparison of pop culture iconography, as exemplified by what’s on TV, quickly disabuses you of this silly notion. Now, don’t misunderstand me--we have an amazing amount of unbelievably weird and I’m sure to a foreigner, incomprehensible stuff in our own pop culture idiom. I’m not making a comparative value judgment here—just pointing out two examples that have struck me this summer as both, hilariously funny and consummately strange.
“Hausmeister Krause”, a sitcom of sorts here featuring as the main protagonist a sort of bumbling concierge and his family. In the episode I caught last week, Krause is attending a meeting of his dachshund fanciers club—I’m not kidding. Now I’ve known since my first time living amongst the Germans that der Dackel was the dog of choice. Not the deutsche Schaeferhund, not the Doberman Pinscher, but rather the wiener dog is top dog in these parts and don’t you forget it! Germans enjoy a wide variety of wiener dogs with the, rare for us in the States, wirehaired dachshund seemingly the most popular of all (unofficial survey conducted by me). I am by no means the first amateur sociologist to make this observation. In fact, some former dweller in my apartment in Düsseldorf (a fellow Ausländer, I presume) left a rather funny little book behind, “The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs” by Alexander McCall Smith (a Zimbabwe born Brit now living in Scotland and author of the “No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” series).
Back to Krause. In this episode, Krause meets his Dackel buddies, all men, for their regular meeting and there they are. Large, middle-aged German men, in their Dackel club uniforms, lots of medals, you get the picture and each is holding his personal Dackel. Some are of the wirehaired sort, others the smooth or longhaired (the dogs, not the men). Their club leader rules with an iron hand and, on command, all the members rise, their Dackels in their arms, and proclaim “Alles für die Dackel, alles für die Gruppe!”, “All for the Dachshunds, all for the Group!” I just about plotzed it was so funny and so completely alien.
Perhaps even weirder, no wait, definitely weirder is Bernd das Brot. Bernd is sort of a German Muppet, except that he is a walking, talking, singing, loaf of bread. I suppose he is intended to appeal principally to children but I’m not sure. Saturday nights he shows up on TV with his buddies, a sort of giant, animated Brussel sprout and a sheep. Bernd also like to sing and performs regularly on the show with a full band and backup singers and dancers. Only a picture does this concept justice and I‘ve included one with this post. Now we all know how much the folks here love their Brot and their Brötchen, and their Kuchen and I do too. It is one of the many pleasures I enjoy when in Germany, I go on the ultra-high carbohydrate diet! Perhaps Bernd springs from the carb saturated collective unconscious of the German Volk. For myself, Bernd, who speaks in a rather resonant baritone, reminds me disturbingly of the current governor of California. Bernd’s tag line, however, is not “I’ll be back” but rather, at the end of each episode, “Geh nach Hause!”, “Go home!”.
“Hausmeister Krause”, a sitcom of sorts here featuring as the main protagonist a sort of bumbling concierge and his family. In the episode I caught last week, Krause is attending a meeting of his dachshund fanciers club—I’m not kidding. Now I’ve known since my first time living amongst the Germans that der Dackel was the dog of choice. Not the deutsche Schaeferhund, not the Doberman Pinscher, but rather the wiener dog is top dog in these parts and don’t you forget it! Germans enjoy a wide variety of wiener dogs with the, rare for us in the States, wirehaired dachshund seemingly the most popular of all (unofficial survey conducted by me). I am by no means the first amateur sociologist to make this observation. In fact, some former dweller in my apartment in Düsseldorf (a fellow Ausländer, I presume) left a rather funny little book behind, “The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs” by Alexander McCall Smith (a Zimbabwe born Brit now living in Scotland and author of the “No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” series).
Back to Krause. In this episode, Krause meets his Dackel buddies, all men, for their regular meeting and there they are. Large, middle-aged German men, in their Dackel club uniforms, lots of medals, you get the picture and each is holding his personal Dackel. Some are of the wirehaired sort, others the smooth or longhaired (the dogs, not the men). Their club leader rules with an iron hand and, on command, all the members rise, their Dackels in their arms, and proclaim “Alles für die Dackel, alles für die Gruppe!”, “All for the Dachshunds, all for the Group!” I just about plotzed it was so funny and so completely alien.
Perhaps even weirder, no wait, definitely weirder is Bernd das Brot. Bernd is sort of a German Muppet, except that he is a walking, talking, singing, loaf of bread. I suppose he is intended to appeal principally to children but I’m not sure. Saturday nights he shows up on TV with his buddies, a sort of giant, animated Brussel sprout and a sheep. Bernd also like to sing and performs regularly on the show with a full band and backup singers and dancers. Only a picture does this concept justice and I‘ve included one with this post. Now we all know how much the folks here love their Brot and their Brötchen, and their Kuchen and I do too. It is one of the many pleasures I enjoy when in Germany, I go on the ultra-high carbohydrate diet! Perhaps Bernd springs from the carb saturated collective unconscious of the German Volk. For myself, Bernd, who speaks in a rather resonant baritone, reminds me disturbingly of the current governor of California. Bernd’s tag line, however, is not “I’ll be back” but rather, at the end of each episode, “Geh nach Hause!”, “Go home!”.
Friday, July 22, 2005
Tap tap tap-a-roo!
This week went by ten times faster than the first week. I am still learning all kinds of new things everyday about all this country has to offer. We are having a lot of fun, but I think that we are keeping a good balance of enjoyment and business.
Story:
A group of us were on a train back after spending a few hours in Cologn with Olaf one night this week. As we got onto the train, I wasn't paying any attention to who I was sitting behind. After riding for a few minutes, I noticed a girl who I thought was in our group, sitting in front of me with long blond hair and a pony tail. Being in my normal somewhat annoying nature, I decided to gently tap the top of the head of the girl in front of me. To my surprise, the person wasn't part of our group, or even a GIRL! It was a man that we didn't know that probably didn't appreciate me tapping on his beautiful blond hair. Thank goodness he did not react in a harsh manner.
Lesson: Don't tap strange people on the head while on a train in Germany.
Story:
A group of us were on a train back after spending a few hours in Cologn with Olaf one night this week. As we got onto the train, I wasn't paying any attention to who I was sitting behind. After riding for a few minutes, I noticed a girl who I thought was in our group, sitting in front of me with long blond hair and a pony tail. Being in my normal somewhat annoying nature, I decided to gently tap the top of the head of the girl in front of me. To my surprise, the person wasn't part of our group, or even a GIRL! It was a man that we didn't know that probably didn't appreciate me tapping on his beautiful blond hair. Thank goodness he did not react in a harsh manner.
Lesson: Don't tap strange people on the head while on a train in Germany.
Rush rush rush (and my arm up a cow's rectum)
Well, this week has been exciting...especially since we are finally doing medicine-related stuff. It has also been a roller coaster of highs and lows.
My highlights from this week were (in no particular order):
1. playing with a German kint on the Rheintour (I love little kids!)
2. sticking my arm up a (pregnant) cow's rectum
3. sleeping on trains
4. going out for drinks
5. taking 'shortcuts' to get up to the Marksburg
6. good long conversations on the train rides :)
Some lowlights were:
1. Fainting in cardiac ICU and then missing out on the open heart surgery
2. Getting a bummer of a cold and sniffling my way through the Thursday and Friday
3. Having to pay for a taxi to get to the Hauptbahnhof in time because I overslept
4. Not getting tickets early enough to go somewhere this weekend
5. The smell in Bacharach (really, now, that town *stinks* on trash day!)
Today, Frau Pilartz talked to us about her personal experience of the era after WWII...and that was very very interesting. She basically told us the same thing as the professor who lectured to us, but it was an intimate look from her eyes and her feelings. All I can say is powerful, very powerful. This was aprpopo also since on Thursday we got to see the Haus du Gershishta (tut mit leid about the butchering of the German spelling). The history of Germany after the Third Reich is something that I have studied in less detail than the history leading up to and including WWII.
My highlights from this week were (in no particular order):
1. playing with a German kint on the Rheintour (I love little kids!)
2. sticking my arm up a (pregnant) cow's rectum
3. sleeping on trains
4. going out for drinks
5. taking 'shortcuts' to get up to the Marksburg
6. good long conversations on the train rides :)
Some lowlights were:
1. Fainting in cardiac ICU and then missing out on the open heart surgery
2. Getting a bummer of a cold and sniffling my way through the Thursday and Friday
3. Having to pay for a taxi to get to the Hauptbahnhof in time because I overslept
4. Not getting tickets early enough to go somewhere this weekend
5. The smell in Bacharach (really, now, that town *stinks* on trash day!)
Today, Frau Pilartz talked to us about her personal experience of the era after WWII...and that was very very interesting. She basically told us the same thing as the professor who lectured to us, but it was an intimate look from her eyes and her feelings. All I can say is powerful, very powerful. This was aprpopo also since on Thursday we got to see the Haus du Gershishta (tut mit leid about the butchering of the German spelling). The history of Germany after the Third Reich is something that I have studied in less detail than the history leading up to and including WWII.
Too few words
So much has happened that requires digestion. We went to a farm and saw animals, a reproductive research facility, and a cow ultrasound. We cruised down the Rhein and toured a castle. We went wine tasting. We went to a history museum and this all just in the last 2 days.
On Wednesday we cruised the Rhein. The area was beautiful. My favorite part was seeing the Lorelei. We had to memorize the poem by Heinrich-Heine in my High School German class so actually seeing the cliff was very moving for me. It is a poem about a Siren who sits at the top of the cliff and sailors would crash into the bottom because they were distracted by her. It is like the Sirens in the Odessy.
We then toured the Marksburg which was a fort. It had 12 gates before one got to the actual fort so it was never successfully attacked. They did everything for defense. They made their spiral stair cases rotate clockwise going up so that attackers could not ascend because their swords would hit the wall, but defenders could come down (this is assuming you are right handed). They made the windows smaller after a few centuries to protect themselves more. They also kept the door open when they went to the bathroom incase someone attacked from underneath, but closed the door when the bathroom was empty so that if a person did come up to the bathroom they could not enter the main area. These people were paranoid but I guess it worked.
After that we went for a wine tasting. It was a lovely experience. We were in a cellar and had wine glasses. We tried 6 types of wine. I discovered I prefer sweeter wines. Heather and I bought a bottle for our host mother. It was a very pleasant evening.
Thursday we went to a farm and I am even more sure that I do not want to become a vet. We saw pigs and one was the size of a pony!! It was HUGE. I have never seen a pig that big. We also saw piglets, calves, cows grazing, sheep and chickens. We then saw a research facility that deals with reproduction experiments. I had seen pictures of a sperm and egg, but actually looking through the microscope and seeing the egg and watching the screen of the slide for the sperm was an amazing experience. I never knew that a few drops of liquid can contain 20 million sperm. He had to dilute it about 150:1 to get it thin enough to see on screen and then 150:1 again to see the sperm individually on the screen. It was truely amazing. We saw a cow having an ultra sound and I am glad I am doing human medicine. That will be an experience I will never forget.
We went to the House of History museum which is the history of Germany from after WWII to the present. It was the first time I had SERIOUS trouble understanding what was going on so we all tried to stay near Olaf to hear what he had to say.
We are off to Paris this weekend and I am very excited. I think it will be a lovely trip.
On Wednesday we cruised the Rhein. The area was beautiful. My favorite part was seeing the Lorelei. We had to memorize the poem by Heinrich-Heine in my High School German class so actually seeing the cliff was very moving for me. It is a poem about a Siren who sits at the top of the cliff and sailors would crash into the bottom because they were distracted by her. It is like the Sirens in the Odessy.
We then toured the Marksburg which was a fort. It had 12 gates before one got to the actual fort so it was never successfully attacked. They did everything for defense. They made their spiral stair cases rotate clockwise going up so that attackers could not ascend because their swords would hit the wall, but defenders could come down (this is assuming you are right handed). They made the windows smaller after a few centuries to protect themselves more. They also kept the door open when they went to the bathroom incase someone attacked from underneath, but closed the door when the bathroom was empty so that if a person did come up to the bathroom they could not enter the main area. These people were paranoid but I guess it worked.
After that we went for a wine tasting. It was a lovely experience. We were in a cellar and had wine glasses. We tried 6 types of wine. I discovered I prefer sweeter wines. Heather and I bought a bottle for our host mother. It was a very pleasant evening.
Thursday we went to a farm and I am even more sure that I do not want to become a vet. We saw pigs and one was the size of a pony!! It was HUGE. I have never seen a pig that big. We also saw piglets, calves, cows grazing, sheep and chickens. We then saw a research facility that deals with reproduction experiments. I had seen pictures of a sperm and egg, but actually looking through the microscope and seeing the egg and watching the screen of the slide for the sperm was an amazing experience. I never knew that a few drops of liquid can contain 20 million sperm. He had to dilute it about 150:1 to get it thin enough to see on screen and then 150:1 again to see the sperm individually on the screen. It was truely amazing. We saw a cow having an ultra sound and I am glad I am doing human medicine. That will be an experience I will never forget.
We went to the House of History museum which is the history of Germany from after WWII to the present. It was the first time I had SERIOUS trouble understanding what was going on so we all tried to stay near Olaf to hear what he had to say.
We are off to Paris this weekend and I am very excited. I think it will be a lovely trip.
James Doohan, the Canadian actor made famous by his portrayal of “Scotty”, the chief engineer of the (original) starship, Enterprise, died yesterday at the age of 85. As an original “Trekkie” from way back (we’re talking the 1960s here!) I mourn his loss as I did that of Deforest Kelly (“Dr. McCoy”) several years ago.
“Star Trek” has become an icon of American popular culture and an industry, spawning spin-off shows (ST the NG, ST Deep Space Nine, ST Voyager, and finally Enterprise, the prequel series) and a pile of movies that ran (in my opinion) from laughably terrible (the ones directed by William Shatner) to quite good. My favorite with the original cast, “Save the Whales”, actually titled, “Star Trek IV, The Voyage Home”, directed by Leonard Nimoy (“Mr. Spock”). Classic lines from this film include Kirk, after having landed their spaceship in Golden Gate Park, reminding the crew to “…remember where we parked.” Or Scotty, after “beaming” the two humpback whales onto the ship exclaiming “Admiral, there be whales here!”.
But of course, Scotty’s own contribution to American English was spoken to him and not by him, “Beam me up, Scotty!”. Nerd Trekkies will rush to tell you that these lines as written are never spoken by anyone in ST the OS or the movies, but so what! They now belong to the ages, as does James Doohan aka Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott!
I’ll leave you with these lyrics from the Tom Rush song, “Beam me up Scotty”:
“Beam me up Scotty! Beam me aboard.
I’m just a poor old Trekkie, in a world he can’t afford.
All my life supports have failed,
All the other ships have sailed.
So,
Beam me up Scotty! Beam me up!”
“Star Trek” has become an icon of American popular culture and an industry, spawning spin-off shows (ST the NG, ST Deep Space Nine, ST Voyager, and finally Enterprise, the prequel series) and a pile of movies that ran (in my opinion) from laughably terrible (the ones directed by William Shatner) to quite good. My favorite with the original cast, “Save the Whales”, actually titled, “Star Trek IV, The Voyage Home”, directed by Leonard Nimoy (“Mr. Spock”). Classic lines from this film include Kirk, after having landed their spaceship in Golden Gate Park, reminding the crew to “…remember where we parked.” Or Scotty, after “beaming” the two humpback whales onto the ship exclaiming “Admiral, there be whales here!”.
But of course, Scotty’s own contribution to American English was spoken to him and not by him, “Beam me up, Scotty!”. Nerd Trekkies will rush to tell you that these lines as written are never spoken by anyone in ST the OS or the movies, but so what! They now belong to the ages, as does James Doohan aka Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott!
I’ll leave you with these lyrics from the Tom Rush song, “Beam me up Scotty”:
“Beam me up Scotty! Beam me aboard.
I’m just a poor old Trekkie, in a world he can’t afford.
All my life supports have failed,
All the other ships have sailed.
So,
Beam me up Scotty! Beam me up!”
Smiling...
So according to almost everyone, smiling at a German is bad. First we get told that making eye contact for too long with a stranger is considered a come-on. A smile in Germany is the same as a wink in America-forward and an invitation to flirt. A wink is an even higher level of an invitation. Which is obvious. Anyway, my point is smiling at strangers is bad.
In Texas we consider smiling to be friendly. You smile at everyone-people you know, people you don't know, people who open doors for you, people you pass on the street. Especially at A&M, where smiling and saying "Howdy" is why we're considered a very welcoming campus.
According to Frau Pillartz, if she sees someone smiling at her she thinks they're ridiculous and fake. In the morning at least. She said that in that case a smile is just a cover over a normal attitude, like you're trying too hard. I don't know if this has anything to do with what we've heard about Germans being traditionally pessimistic while Americans are traditionally optimistic, but I personally don't think that a grumpy attitude is normal. It definitely isn't for me at least. Unless I'm really hungry, I'm usually generally optimistic and in good spirits. Yes, even in the mornings. And if I'm not having a good day, laughing and smiling usually makes me feel better. As most of you have figured out, I'm only grumpy when I'm hungry. I do my best "mean German" face when I'm hungry. So I guess by Frau Pillartz's standards I'm only 'normal' and not 'fake' when I'm hungry. That's weird.
I'm practicing my "bored European" face so I won't stick out so badly as a smiling, optimistic American. But I do have to say, one thing I miss about Texas is being able to smile at people without thinking about it.
In Texas we consider smiling to be friendly. You smile at everyone-people you know, people you don't know, people who open doors for you, people you pass on the street. Especially at A&M, where smiling and saying "Howdy" is why we're considered a very welcoming campus.
According to Frau Pillartz, if she sees someone smiling at her she thinks they're ridiculous and fake. In the morning at least. She said that in that case a smile is just a cover over a normal attitude, like you're trying too hard. I don't know if this has anything to do with what we've heard about Germans being traditionally pessimistic while Americans are traditionally optimistic, but I personally don't think that a grumpy attitude is normal. It definitely isn't for me at least. Unless I'm really hungry, I'm usually generally optimistic and in good spirits. Yes, even in the mornings. And if I'm not having a good day, laughing and smiling usually makes me feel better. As most of you have figured out, I'm only grumpy when I'm hungry. I do my best "mean German" face when I'm hungry. So I guess by Frau Pillartz's standards I'm only 'normal' and not 'fake' when I'm hungry. That's weird.
I'm practicing my "bored European" face so I won't stick out so badly as a smiling, optimistic American. But I do have to say, one thing I miss about Texas is being able to smile at people without thinking about it.
surgery excitement
Today’s visit to the hospital was quite an experience for me! On the way there I was amused by some of my fellow Aggies, as they came straggling into the train station looking a little worse for wear 8-).
It was so great to be able wear the scrubs, and the mask, and the hair net, and those special green clogs. I was a little nervous about going in the operating room, to be honest. I was really hoping that I wouldn’t get queasy, because, how would that look if an aspiring surgeon couldn’t handle blood and guts? Luckily, I surprised myself by being really enthusiastic in the operating room! I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the procedure, and I hope that my steady stream of questions wasn’t distracting for the anesthesiologist. I don’t thnk I’ll ever be able to forget that pivotal moment in the operating room when I realized I was staring at a living, pumping human heart.
In trading off prime viewing spots with Lindsay, I got a chance to speak with the anesthesiologist about his experience as a doctor here in germany. After a few minutes of conversation, I found out that he had actually practiced in several other places, including Houston, Texas! When I asked him about the primary differences between the US and Germany he immediately listed respect and cooperation between anesthesiologists and surgeons. He actually said he felt he was more respected here in Germany, and he like dbeing able to be in control of his working hours, instead of being at the disposal of the surgeons (as he put it). When I brought up the subject of malpractice insurance in the States, he repeated what Dr. Penner had said, which was that malpractice suits in Germany are far less common, and that he felt is was much more expensive in the states to be insured.
One interesting thing I noticed about my time at the hospital in Bonn was the lack of female doctors, at least in the three operating rooms we were observing. I wonder if the medical field here (specifically the surgical specialties) is even more male-dominated that it is in the US….?
It was so great to be able wear the scrubs, and the mask, and the hair net, and those special green clogs. I was a little nervous about going in the operating room, to be honest. I was really hoping that I wouldn’t get queasy, because, how would that look if an aspiring surgeon couldn’t handle blood and guts? Luckily, I surprised myself by being really enthusiastic in the operating room! I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the procedure, and I hope that my steady stream of questions wasn’t distracting for the anesthesiologist. I don’t thnk I’ll ever be able to forget that pivotal moment in the operating room when I realized I was staring at a living, pumping human heart.
In trading off prime viewing spots with Lindsay, I got a chance to speak with the anesthesiologist about his experience as a doctor here in germany. After a few minutes of conversation, I found out that he had actually practiced in several other places, including Houston, Texas! When I asked him about the primary differences between the US and Germany he immediately listed respect and cooperation between anesthesiologists and surgeons. He actually said he felt he was more respected here in Germany, and he like dbeing able to be in control of his working hours, instead of being at the disposal of the surgeons (as he put it). When I brought up the subject of malpractice insurance in the States, he repeated what Dr. Penner had said, which was that malpractice suits in Germany are far less common, and that he felt is was much more expensive in the states to be insured.
One interesting thing I noticed about my time at the hospital in Bonn was the lack of female doctors, at least in the three operating rooms we were observing. I wonder if the medical field here (specifically the surgical specialties) is even more male-dominated that it is in the US….?
Can We Sleep Now?
What an exciting week! We did everything from cow rears to river cruises. I can't say we have slept very much but we have seen more than I could have even hoped for. The Experimental Farm was one of the best things I think we did this week. I never knew pigs could get so huge! Also, the chickens were so clean. The chicken coops I have seen before have always been really dirty and stinky so I was very surprised that this one was so immaculate. The farm did make me want to not eat meat anymore. I thought it was sad that the animals were in cages their whole lives and weren't allowed to go outside or even move around that much. The farm didn't push me over the edge to being a vegetarian but it did really make me think.
I also really enjoyed the Marksberg Castle. I love looking at old, huge castles so this was just my thing. The hike to the top was hilarious and definately a memory that I won't forget. Hiking through the trees and mud up a hill - not exactly the easiest task we have ever had. Poor Lindsey - she fell in the mud and had dirt all over (and in!) her pants. Overall, it was a great experience!
This week has been so much fun and I can't wait for Paris. Go Lance!
I also really enjoyed the Marksberg Castle. I love looking at old, huge castles so this was just my thing. The hike to the top was hilarious and definately a memory that I won't forget. Hiking through the trees and mud up a hill - not exactly the easiest task we have ever had. Poor Lindsey - she fell in the mud and had dirt all over (and in!) her pants. Overall, it was a great experience!
This week has been so much fun and I can't wait for Paris. Go Lance!
Great Second Week
Well, this week was really great. I liked this week because it was a GO, GO, GO week! We went a lot of different places and I can actually say that I enjoyed them all. I have already writted about my favorite which was the heart surgery but the experimental farm was pretty cool too. I can say that I will NEVER look at Rebecca the same way after seeing her stick her hand down the cows rear end. And I will also never forget the look on Heather's face as Rebecca did it. We also went on a boat ride down the Rhine River. It was so beautiful!!! Then we HIKED up a mountain to see a castle. The castle was great, but it was a really long walk to get there. Then we had a wine tasting which was REALLY funny!!! Overall we had a really good week. Now I am leaving to get on the train to go to Paris!!! It is going to be an exciting weekend!
Finally...
Ok, so we finally figured out how to get me on the blog! Wow, it has been a crazy two weeks. First, I ended up in a house by myself instead of rooming with Jean, so I am staying with a lady named Helga. She is super sweet. I have the whole upstairs to myself, and she stocks my refrigerator up there with pudding and yogurt and chocolate (I think she has a sweet tooth like I do!). She makes breakfast every morning (with coffee - an absolute necessity!) and sends me off with snacks every time we have a weekend trip or an excursion. She doesn't speak fluent English, but we have been understanding each other beautifully overall - with the help of some hand motions! And I have learned some German from her, which is fun. She also likes to make pancakes for dinner. Of the two dinners she has cooked for me herself, both have been pancakes! Or, actually, a pancake. Singular. These things are as big as a dinner plate! The first one was an apple pancake that she made because her grandchild said it's her favorite thing Grandma makes. I think there was an entire apple in it! Last night was a different kind of pancake, something she said was an Austrian specialty. It had raisins in it, and that's all I recognized, but it was good. So I am enjoying staying with Helga, although this morning I discovered a bad side of living alone - there's no one to wake you up when you sleep through your alarm!!! (Sorry guys!)
Last weekend, Shannon and Adriane and I took a trip to Vienna. I have to admit, I wasn't sure it was going to be worth the time (an overnight train, about 12 hours!) and money. I had been to Vienna before and loved it, but I still wasn't sure. I got to the train station early Friday morning, packed for Vienna just in case but not even sure I could get a train there. Luckily I did, but on a different train from Shannon and Adriane going over. Like Adriane said, I ended up in a sleeper car, which was quite nice and meant that I definitely got more sleep than they did, poor things! So I thought everything was taken care of, and then I realized later during class that I didn't have Austria on my Eurail pass, and I had forgotten to ask about arranging for that! It ended up ok, I just bought a ticket from the border of Germany to Vienna and back. As far as Vienna itself, we three enjoyed it immensely. It's an absolutely beautiful city with huge decorated buildings. I enjoyed just walking the streets and looking around us. We saw St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Opera House (which is AMAZING), and the outside of a few museums, the Parliament building, and the City Hall. And I found ice water at a Starbucks in Europe!!! (Those of you who have never been here have NO idea how hard that is, nor how exciting. Leave it to Starbucks to have ice water. And leave it to me to be at a Starbucks even when I'm in a foreign country!) We spent the evening in a hostel that only cost us 15 euros each for the night, and it was clean and provided towels and everything. The next day (Sunday), we went to Schonbrunn Palace, which is absolutely amazing as well. The rooms are so decorated in Rococo style that by the end you're kind of tired of gold. But the rooms decorated in Chinese style were beautiful, the dance hall with its chandeliers was amazing (I need to find a new word), and the room done in all blue and white to look like the walls were decorated porcelain was intriguing. We took the overnight train back to Duesseldorf, showing up at the AIB in the morning tired and dirty and desperately trying to clean ourselves up in the bathroom before the others arrived! It was worth it though, and Shannon and Adriane, you guys are a lot of fun! Thanks for letting me come with you! :)
That's probably far more than anyone wants to read right now, so I'll hopefully post again Tuesday, after our trip to Paris this weekend. Here's hoping I won't get run over by Lance Armstrong on his victory lap. ;)
Last weekend, Shannon and Adriane and I took a trip to Vienna. I have to admit, I wasn't sure it was going to be worth the time (an overnight train, about 12 hours!) and money. I had been to Vienna before and loved it, but I still wasn't sure. I got to the train station early Friday morning, packed for Vienna just in case but not even sure I could get a train there. Luckily I did, but on a different train from Shannon and Adriane going over. Like Adriane said, I ended up in a sleeper car, which was quite nice and meant that I definitely got more sleep than they did, poor things! So I thought everything was taken care of, and then I realized later during class that I didn't have Austria on my Eurail pass, and I had forgotten to ask about arranging for that! It ended up ok, I just bought a ticket from the border of Germany to Vienna and back. As far as Vienna itself, we three enjoyed it immensely. It's an absolutely beautiful city with huge decorated buildings. I enjoyed just walking the streets and looking around us. We saw St. Stephen's Cathedral, the Opera House (which is AMAZING), and the outside of a few museums, the Parliament building, and the City Hall. And I found ice water at a Starbucks in Europe!!! (Those of you who have never been here have NO idea how hard that is, nor how exciting. Leave it to Starbucks to have ice water. And leave it to me to be at a Starbucks even when I'm in a foreign country!) We spent the evening in a hostel that only cost us 15 euros each for the night, and it was clean and provided towels and everything. The next day (Sunday), we went to Schonbrunn Palace, which is absolutely amazing as well. The rooms are so decorated in Rococo style that by the end you're kind of tired of gold. But the rooms decorated in Chinese style were beautiful, the dance hall with its chandeliers was amazing (I need to find a new word), and the room done in all blue and white to look like the walls were decorated porcelain was intriguing. We took the overnight train back to Duesseldorf, showing up at the AIB in the morning tired and dirty and desperately trying to clean ourselves up in the bathroom before the others arrived! It was worth it though, and Shannon and Adriane, you guys are a lot of fun! Thanks for letting me come with you! :)
That's probably far more than anyone wants to read right now, so I'll hopefully post again Tuesday, after our trip to Paris this weekend. Here's hoping I won't get run over by Lance Armstrong on his victory lap. ;)
Pre Paris departure
This week was even better than the last in my opinion, because we actually got to do alot more stuff related to medicine. The cruise down the Rhine was extremely cool, and I loved the scenery, I'm a sucker for the green hills and forests. Lunch at the small restaurant was really good, and also my first opportunity to taste schnitzel (however it is spelled) and it was really good, mainly because it just tasted like a pork chop. After lunch and going on an awesome tour of the Marksburg castle which I extremely enjoyed we went on my little wine tasting trip. I had a great time at the castle, because I love any kind of medieval sort of thing with a passion. I do have to say the greatest part of the Rhine cruise was watching Olaf climb onto one of those wobbly horse toys you find in playgrounds for children under 5. The wine tasting was really good, and I think everyone enjoyed it, what made it even more hilarious was watching some of the people afterward we had all had some wine to drink, I dont think I have to say much more on that subject than that. The next day we went to go to the university hospital and take a small tour of the ICU as well as watch open heart surgery in the operation room. I had seen open heart surgery as well as a few other types of "serious surgery" before, so it wasnt something extremely new to me, but I love watching it regardless. Eric and I also got a little lesson of anatomy/anesthesiology from the anesthesiologist in the room as he used Adrianne as a prop. The only thing more fun than watching surgeries is doing it yourself, which personally I really enjoy though it can be a bit nerve racking at times. Yesterday we went to the research farm which was really cool as well, mainly because that's more my field of focus at the moment, though I'm leaning more towards small animals and/or exotics or possibly specializing in some field of canine medicine. The only "typical" animal I would want to work with would be horses, so I'll more than likely stick with small animals.
Well that about sums it up for the week, and we will be heading to Paris in a few hours, so I'm extremely hyped and ready to get on the road.
Well that about sums it up for the week, and we will be heading to Paris in a few hours, so I'm extremely hyped and ready to get on the road.
Animal Farm...
On Thursday, we took an excursion to Frankenforst Research Farm to learn about the types of animal research that they do there. Upon arrival, we were given an overview of how the farm-half of the farm operates. We got to visit the cattle barns, the sheep pens, the chickens, and to Olaf's great delight, the pigs! Everyone was amazed by the size of the pigs in Germany. We asked about the use of growth hormones in Germany, but apparently they are outlawed in most of Europe! Olaf wanted to hold one of the piglets, and keep it as a pet, but unfortunately it didn't work out. We learned all about the breeding systems that they used at Frankenforst, and the progeny tests that they conduct. It was reall cool!
After learning about the animal side of the operations, we went to the research facilities and talked to the veterinarians and researchers that work there. We were able to talk to one of the veterinarians there about reproduction cycles in cows. To demonstrate, he brought out a plate full of ovaries that had follicles in different stages of development on them. We got to touch them, and even got to witness instant ovulation when he squished one! It was sort of disgusting, but he got his point across! We aso were abe to witness frozen sperm "coming back to life" under the microscope, which was fascinating! He even took us out to one of the barns to use sonograms to test if the cow were pregnant. Rebecca gets a special award for palpating a cow...
Overall, it was a great learning experience and I think that all the students got a lot out of it, even the human medicine people! Although, I think they were a little grossed out by a lot of what went on during the day. I loved Frankenforst, and I definitely recommend that it be included on next year's trip to Germany!
After learning about the animal side of the operations, we went to the research facilities and talked to the veterinarians and researchers that work there. We were able to talk to one of the veterinarians there about reproduction cycles in cows. To demonstrate, he brought out a plate full of ovaries that had follicles in different stages of development on them. We got to touch them, and even got to witness instant ovulation when he squished one! It was sort of disgusting, but he got his point across! We aso were abe to witness frozen sperm "coming back to life" under the microscope, which was fascinating! He even took us out to one of the barns to use sonograms to test if the cow were pregnant. Rebecca gets a special award for palpating a cow...
Overall, it was a great learning experience and I think that all the students got a lot out of it, even the human medicine people! Although, I think they were a little grossed out by a lot of what went on during the day. I loved Frankenforst, and I definitely recommend that it be included on next year's trip to Germany!
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Today's Discussion
Today's discusion with Frau Pilartz was very interesting. A few points I idn't know were how the schools are not very good in Germany because the children are not taught respect so none is given to the teachers and the classrooms are very loud and unproductive. Also, in the US a school teacher's salary is not so hot, but here it is the opposite. As a result of WWII the culture tries to get away from the authoritarian mentality, so the children call the parents by their first names to avoid their parents as sounding like the authoritative figure.
Passport Problems and Wine Tasting
So when I woke up on Tuesday morning I was getting my wallet out of my bag and I realized that my passport was not in my bag. After comming home from Bonn I went on a desparate search for it with no avail. I was so afraid that I wasn't going to be able to go to Paris with everyone or worse yet that I would not be able to get back into the US. Lucky for me though when I went into the US Consulate this morning they had it. Apparently some one found it and the German police turned it into the Consulate.
Yesturday we went on a Rhine cruise and wine tasting. We started out in Baccarach and we boarded a boat and set out on the river. At first we were all sitting on the top deck of the boat watching the castles and small towns pass by. These towns were what I thought of when I thought about what Germany would look like before I got here. We eventually got to the stop for the Marksburg castle and we had a really great lunch at this small German restuarant. Luckily we toured the city for awhile before we hiked up this huge hill to Marksburg castle. We took a nice castle tour and afterwards we went to the wine cellar of this nice German family. When we went into the cellar there were nice tables all set out for us and we had the chance to taste five different wines. After the wine everyone was feeling pretty good and Dr. Wassser even sang to us. We loaded up on cases of wine to bring back to our families and went home because we were so exhausted.
Yesturday we went on a Rhine cruise and wine tasting. We started out in Baccarach and we boarded a boat and set out on the river. At first we were all sitting on the top deck of the boat watching the castles and small towns pass by. These towns were what I thought of when I thought about what Germany would look like before I got here. We eventually got to the stop for the Marksburg castle and we had a really great lunch at this small German restuarant. Luckily we toured the city for awhile before we hiked up this huge hill to Marksburg castle. We took a nice castle tour and afterwards we went to the wine cellar of this nice German family. When we went into the cellar there were nice tables all set out for us and we had the chance to taste five different wines. After the wine everyone was feeling pretty good and Dr. Wassser even sang to us. We loaded up on cases of wine to bring back to our families and went home because we were so exhausted.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
What a cool group!!
Hey guys! I just wanted to post these pictures from our Rhine trip today. The first one is in Bacharach right before we got on the Lorelei. Luckily it didn't smell as bad down by the Rhine as it did in the town. The second one is everyone at the Rheintal restaurant for lunch. I think Dr. Wasser was setting up his computer to play the opera music to set the mood. The last one is all of us in front of the old, random door in Braubach on the way around the town before the climbed up to the Marksburg. Its been really fun to hang out with everyone and get to know each other! The first week and a half have absolutely flown by-we'd better make the rest of them count!!!
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Heart Surgery
Today was one of the days I was looking forward to the most. We were able to go into the surgery room and watch open heart surgery. The patient I saw was 77 and having her aortic valve replaced. It was fascinating seeing the old valve which was calcified and the new valve which was actually a pig valve. Each flap comes from a different pig. Our anesthesiologist was extremely friendly and spoke to us in excellent English. I was amazed that he knew all the technical terms in both English and German. He explained what he was doing as he was doing it. I really like watching surgery. I saw a knee scoping while in high school and that was great. Now being able to see the heart beating in the patient was very powerful. It was also fun putting on scrubs. I'm glad I got a picture in them. I hope it is a flash into the future :-).
We then went to the ICU and saw some patients there. They were all elderly and had had complications with their cardiac surgery. The most amazing and yet difficult thing for me to see was one lady in the ICU who had a zip in her chest so she could be opened up very quickly. It was a REAL zipper, like you have on your pants. It was extremely strange to see. It made her almost look like a doll because it was hard to fathom that there was a real person with a zip on her chest.
I really liked Bonn, or the parts we saw of it. We had a nice lunch and it was funny having lunch with half the table enjoying a beer. We met some students from A&M who were here for the Engineering program and I must say I am glad I am on this program. The engineering program was very regimented with tests and quizzes and lecture time. I am glad we are able to go out and learn first hand instead of learning in a classroom which we could do for cheaper in Texas.
Yesterday was not so fun because I went to the airport to talk to Lufthansa about my damaged luggage. We had faxed them but we were just having trouble talking to people who knew what I wa ssuppsoed to do. I missed what sounds like an interesting night at a bar, but I'll get over it. I am just glad my luggage is finally getting assessed and hopefully I will find out soon what is going to happen. I really have had bad luck with luggage. My main suitcase was broken on the plane and then my small backpack for day trips broke while we were in Heidelberg. Hopefully I no more problems because I am running out of bags.
We then went to the ICU and saw some patients there. They were all elderly and had had complications with their cardiac surgery. The most amazing and yet difficult thing for me to see was one lady in the ICU who had a zip in her chest so she could be opened up very quickly. It was a REAL zipper, like you have on your pants. It was extremely strange to see. It made her almost look like a doll because it was hard to fathom that there was a real person with a zip on her chest.
I really liked Bonn, or the parts we saw of it. We had a nice lunch and it was funny having lunch with half the table enjoying a beer. We met some students from A&M who were here for the Engineering program and I must say I am glad I am on this program. The engineering program was very regimented with tests and quizzes and lecture time. I am glad we are able to go out and learn first hand instead of learning in a classroom which we could do for cheaper in Texas.
Yesterday was not so fun because I went to the airport to talk to Lufthansa about my damaged luggage. We had faxed them but we were just having trouble talking to people who knew what I wa ssuppsoed to do. I missed what sounds like an interesting night at a bar, but I'll get over it. I am just glad my luggage is finally getting assessed and hopefully I will find out soon what is going to happen. I really have had bad luck with luggage. My main suitcase was broken on the plane and then my small backpack for day trips broke while we were in Heidelberg. Hopefully I no more problems because I am running out of bags.
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