The past couple of days have been the days I have been worried about the most during my preparation for the trip. I am a very introverted person when I am not around people I do not know too well. My expectations going into the free weekends was to do what I usually do; enjoy my solitude and try to find some beauty in the world. I was very pleased to see how much fun would emerge because I was open to it. We went museum hopping, culture absorbing and enjoyed the subtle differences in the small things. Checkpoint Charlie museum was perhaps the best museum I have ever been because of the fact that the exhibit was so life-like and touching, I felt I was there. The stories of the people trying to reunite their families told next to the tools with which they did it were overwhelming at times. I have always been aware of the Berlin wall because of history classes but never until yesterday did it become so real to me.
On the more pertinent part of the trip, I have been really enjoying the history of the people who shaped the state of medicine today. Because of everyone’s hesitance in the common perception of the validity of the science performed by men such as Fleming, Virchow, Koch, and Pasteur, I am constantly trying to make sure I am not part of the stifling of rising medical research such as homeopathy and CAM. After going to the history museum this morning I noticed that I looked more openly to what the CAM lecturer had to say. Although I think her techniques to try to garner more respect for her new field were without merit and lacked any notable proof. But also one has to realize how much more efficient their health system is in comparison to the United States. I know this is kinda cheesy but I took Plan 370 and one of the main things I took away from Dr. Sweeney’s class was that health is a spectrum and the term health means being all you can be. Before that class my idea of health was just staying out of the hospital and not being 500 lbs. Although I want to say that I would look into acupuncture, homeopathy, and hydrotherapy as personal options for my future career path, I cannot. As I eluded to in another post, my mind is to entrenched in the scientific theory and way of thinking to start a career in something I have absolutely no shot of comprehending is impossible.
Looking ahead to the coming days it is hard to believe we are in the last half of the trip already. I really wish that we had more time together as well as in Germany. It has really been fun getting to know all of the people and learning the little things that make them laugh or cry. Ah history is great, but people are where it is at.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Monday, January 05, 2009
Just Jon 4
Today is January 4, 2009. Today is mz first day back in Berlin. It's me, Will, Jared, Brian, and Chystyna. Today, I hungout with the fellas. First, we went to Mass at St. Hedwig's. The Mass was in Latin so I didn't understand much, but it was still cool and good though. From here, we went to see The Blue Man Group. Tickets to see The Blue Man Group were 70 Euros, but with a student I.D., it was only 29.90 Euros. I got luckz cause I didn't have a student I.D. and the guy let me get in anyway on a student ticket. I was very relieved. So, we ended up with 3 hours to spare. So, Will left and would meet him later. Me, and the other guys went to look for food. I got that Bratwurst that I had wanted for so long, and I got chocolate too. The Brownies and cookies were not as good as American cookies and brownies, but they were okay. From here, we went to an American Sports Bar and found a deal. We got all you can eat ribs for tomorrow for only 5 Euros. This I look forward 2. From here we went to see The Blue Man Group which was just awesome. The people in Prague reallz missed out. Anyways, after this, we all went out for Durnurs and came back to the hotel to chill.
So far, I have been living it up every single daz. I love all of the trip so far and I just feel that the best is yet to come.
So far, I have been living it up every single daz. I love all of the trip so far and I just feel that the best is yet to come.
Reading up on Medicine's History
Blood and Guts has been very interesting so far. The first chapter is a brief history of disease in humanity, the second chapter a history of healers (doctors). I thought the history of doctors was especially interesting, because the devotion to expertise and professionalism in the Hippocratic oath is so familiar to our idea of doctors now. Even the inaccuracies of classic physiology (the four humors, etc.) reflect the need to have an expert put complex concepts into terms that a layperson can understand, which is part of what the very word doctor means. To me, this makes the field of medicine feel at once both old and new in a very special and exciting way.
The third chapter covers advances in anatomy. What was most interesting about this chapter was that discovering a body part seemed much easier than figuring out what it did. That is, even organs whose form one might think would strongly suggest function were not seen for what they were.
The fourth chapter, on the laboratory, felt more like the medical history I was expecting to read. It went through the development of the laboratory and the physicians gradual entry into the lab. Of special interest to me was Koch's Postulate on how to determine if an organism was responsible for a disease.
More on Blood and Guts later!
The third chapter covers advances in anatomy. What was most interesting about this chapter was that discovering a body part seemed much easier than figuring out what it did. That is, even organs whose form one might think would strongly suggest function were not seen for what they were.
The fourth chapter, on the laboratory, felt more like the medical history I was expecting to read. It went through the development of the laboratory and the physicians gradual entry into the lab. Of special interest to me was Koch's Postulate on how to determine if an organism was responsible for a disease.
More on Blood and Guts later!
Post 4
So our free weekend in Berlin is coming to a close and all I can say is it was a complete success. Sunday was spent first thing in the morning with a mass at St. Hedwigs in Berlin in Latin. I had never experienced a Latin mass before but I'm glad I went. I was able to make out what was going on based on years of church, but other than that I had no idea what was being said. It was an experienced I enjoyed none the less. We went from there to try and see the crypts under Berliner-Dom but a service was in progress and we instead left for Postdamer Platz to walk around until the Blue Man Group show started. The Blue Man Group show was nothing short of AMAZING!!! I feel sorry for anyone who missed the opportunity to see it, especially since we got the tickets at a rediculously lowered rate for being students. I didn't expect there was going to be so much audience interation with the show but it made it that much better. The energy could be seen surging through the crowds throughout the show. Words cannot do justice to how spectacular the show was, only that if given the chance, you should go see the Blue Man Group!!! After the show we headed back to the hotel and relaxed for the night, the first early turn in this whole trip, but well needed.
Monday was nothing short of productive. We spent a lot of ime at the zoo and aquarium. It was great and there was plenty to see. It was unique seeing so many animals in a fresh layer of snow on the ground. The main event of course was the panda bear and polar bear, neither of which I have ever had the chance to see. There was a lot of great photo opts too. Once we had expended all the things to see at the zoo we quickly headed over to the crypts of Berliner-Dom. Not the crypts of old you would expect, these were nicely lit and had tile floor upon which sarcophagi of important people of the past sat. Some were detailed in everyway possible while others were simple polished wood, but no less spectacular. The Cathedral itself was astonishing as well inside. Finished there, we decided to quickly run over the Check Point Charlie before dinner. The museum was much more interesting than I expected. There was so many great stories and exhibits, you couldn't help but be enthralled by the information presented. It was one of my favorite museums we have seen so far (which is a lot). Once we saw all there was to see we headed back to Postdamer Platz to enjoy an amazing dinner special we found the previous day. FIVE EURO ALL YOU CAN EAT RIBS!!! There is nothing to say about it, except unbelievable! We spent a whole hour enjoying our fill. With our stomachs filled to the brim we headed back to the hotel to conclude yet another great day.
Monday was nothing short of productive. We spent a lot of ime at the zoo and aquarium. It was great and there was plenty to see. It was unique seeing so many animals in a fresh layer of snow on the ground. The main event of course was the panda bear and polar bear, neither of which I have ever had the chance to see. There was a lot of great photo opts too. Once we had expended all the things to see at the zoo we quickly headed over to the crypts of Berliner-Dom. Not the crypts of old you would expect, these were nicely lit and had tile floor upon which sarcophagi of important people of the past sat. Some were detailed in everyway possible while others were simple polished wood, but no less spectacular. The Cathedral itself was astonishing as well inside. Finished there, we decided to quickly run over the Check Point Charlie before dinner. The museum was much more interesting than I expected. There was so many great stories and exhibits, you couldn't help but be enthralled by the information presented. It was one of my favorite museums we have seen so far (which is a lot). Once we saw all there was to see we headed back to Postdamer Platz to enjoy an amazing dinner special we found the previous day. FIVE EURO ALL YOU CAN EAT RIBS!!! There is nothing to say about it, except unbelievable! We spent a whole hour enjoying our fill. With our stomachs filled to the brim we headed back to the hotel to conclude yet another great day.
Post 3
So during my last post I didn't mention much to the sites we had seen, but there have been many. Of those seen the cathedrals definitely stand out as the most impressive. The first one we saw was the cathedral in Cologne that towered over the city with its Gothic presence. It was the most amazing human built structure I had ever seen. The outside alone would have left me speechless. Ever detail of the church was unlike anything I had ever seen. I could have spent all day admiring the buildings exterior, but there was still more to see on the inside. The inside, too, was breathtaking. I could have walked inside all day admiring the many stainglass windows and details of the sarcophagi. The rest of the cathedrals we have seen left me just as amazed as the one before it. Several we have seen, and a few of us were even lucky enough to enjoy a mass on sunday morning in one of these.
We have really had the chance to enjoy the culture during the trip so far and I can honestly say I love it. The majority of the people are friendly and quick to help if we ask. Even though I speak almost no German I have been hampered very little. It seems as if everyone here is fluent in both German and English. Even when they say they speak very little the astonish me when I would have mistaken them as natural born english speaking. The atmospheres of the cities always seems alive and spirited, and you can't help but be inspired to enjoy your stay that much more. There is so much to see in this country and I cant wait to see what else I experience.
We have really had the chance to enjoy the culture during the trip so far and I can honestly say I love it. The majority of the people are friendly and quick to help if we ask. Even though I speak almost no German I have been hampered very little. It seems as if everyone here is fluent in both German and English. Even when they say they speak very little the astonish me when I would have mistaken them as natural born english speaking. The atmospheres of the cities always seems alive and spirited, and you can't help but be inspired to enjoy your stay that much more. There is so much to see in this country and I cant wait to see what else I experience.
Just Jon 3
The trip to Dresden was off the chain. When in Dresden, we seen a video on The Church of our Lady and then we went to visit the church itself. The church was breathe taking. It was composed of all of the stones from which it was originally made from when it was destroyed in WWII. The church has beautiful artwork, and a stunningly rich architecture to it. The church also has many entraces so people can enter the church from all aides of the church. From the church, we went to see the home of the former royal family. After this and other site seeing, we went to go eat at a local restaurant. The place was beautiful, teh food was excellent, and I had my first glass of mineral water. In my opinion, it tasted very good. It tasted like dissolved Alkaseltzer. I loved it. After this, we took a trip to visit the Hygiene Museum in Dresden. This museum was very very cool. It had in depth, interactive, and very informative information about the human body, how the different systems of the human body work, and how humans interact with each other and the world. After this, we went back to the main train station in Dresden. In the train station, two train groups were formed. One group, which is composed of 10 people got on the train to Prague, and the other group of 5 got on the train to Berlin. I went with the group to Berlin. I don't know what may happen in Berlin, but I know that only fun awaits me.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
While traveling on the EC to the city of Dresden, I’m reflecting on the past three days in Berlin. They have been action packed and there is no way that one person could even hit just the highlights in an entire month.
So far we have hit the natural history museum of Berlin which was definitely my favorite of the museums. It was at such a high level of learning that it was very interesting even to a group of pre-med students. I think there is an ideological difference in the American and German view of natural history as well. I went to a private high school and never learned anything about evolution and it was nice to see such a public museum utilize all of the scientific information and put forward the best model for the history of our world. We were booted out of the museum before we could really get into which saddened me.
We also visited the German parliament building which was interesting because of the architecture. It was a central room with tons of seats and all the way up this, tourists and citizens can view from the top. It shows that they believe that the government is something that should be visible to all Germans. I enjoyed that exhibit despite the temperatures of standing in line.
Overall the entire city exudes history and you cannot walk more than a block without finding something terribly historic or famous. I am extremely relieved that I am going back to Berlin after Dresden (instead of Prague) because there are still museums, exhibits, galleries, pubs, and restaurants that I must see before I leave.
The Sites of Bonn, Cologne, Berlin, and Dresden
Outside of the curriculum, we have seen a great deal of Germany and learned much about its history. We began in Bonn, where Dr. Reiner gave us a personal tour and explained to us Bonn's role as the capital of West Germany. He showed us the city's cathedral as well as a wonderful view of the Rhine. As we came near the AIB offices at the end of the tour, Dr. Reiner pointed out a nearby building. It was closed to the public, he explained, because it was a seminary. In fact, it was the seminary that Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, attended.
The next day we saw a museum on the history of the Federal Republic of Germany. It was a very informative demonstration of the events that have shaped the development of Germany and Germans over the past 40 years.
We spent the afternoon in Cologne, where we were given a brief tour of the inner city and the cathedral by Andre. He showed us Roman ruins, the old Rathaus, gave us a history of Cologne both in antiquity and over the course of the cathedral's construction, and then took us out to a local bierhaus.
Berlin is overwhelming. We arrived about three hours before the new year. In one hour we were walking out of our hotel toward the New Year Festival. In another hour we were at the far end of the festival. After almost another hour of pushing and shoving, we were in front of the Brandenburg Gate just in time for 2009.
The next day we had our bus tour. Berlin is the worldwide Cold War packed into city size. Checkpoint Charlie had a rebuilt booth (the real one was torn down) and around it were pictures of loaded American and Russian tanks pointed directly at each other, about a football field apart. It gives this member of a younger generation a better appreciation for how dire those times had felt. There were many other memorials, monuments, and musuems that were very nice to see, but I was most of all amazed by how much Berlin was defined by the time it spent divided.
Today we visited Dresden, which still has ruins in the old part of the city. So far we have mainly seen the Zwinger (a sort of festival square) and the Frauenkirche. The Frauenkirche is a Lutheran church that is unique in two ways: the church is named after Mary and the inside is filled with statues and images Jesus and some other important biblical figures (though not a single image of Mary can be found).
We have more to see in Dresden and I still have much more to see in Berlin tomorrow and Monday before we move on to Hannover.
The next day we saw a museum on the history of the Federal Republic of Germany. It was a very informative demonstration of the events that have shaped the development of Germany and Germans over the past 40 years.
We spent the afternoon in Cologne, where we were given a brief tour of the inner city and the cathedral by Andre. He showed us Roman ruins, the old Rathaus, gave us a history of Cologne both in antiquity and over the course of the cathedral's construction, and then took us out to a local bierhaus.
Berlin is overwhelming. We arrived about three hours before the new year. In one hour we were walking out of our hotel toward the New Year Festival. In another hour we were at the far end of the festival. After almost another hour of pushing and shoving, we were in front of the Brandenburg Gate just in time for 2009.
The next day we had our bus tour. Berlin is the worldwide Cold War packed into city size. Checkpoint Charlie had a rebuilt booth (the real one was torn down) and around it were pictures of loaded American and Russian tanks pointed directly at each other, about a football field apart. It gives this member of a younger generation a better appreciation for how dire those times had felt. There were many other memorials, monuments, and musuems that were very nice to see, but I was most of all amazed by how much Berlin was defined by the time it spent divided.
Today we visited Dresden, which still has ruins in the old part of the city. So far we have mainly seen the Zwinger (a sort of festival square) and the Frauenkirche. The Frauenkirche is a Lutheran church that is unique in two ways: the church is named after Mary and the inside is filled with statues and images Jesus and some other important biblical figures (though not a single image of Mary can be found).
We have more to see in Dresden and I still have much more to see in Berlin tomorrow and Monday before we move on to Hannover.
Friday, January 02, 2009
Off To A Great Start
I could not imagine enjoying myself more. With only five days in Germany behind me, it is still easy to say that this is one of the best experiences of my life. My introduction to Germany began in the Munich airport; I had a four hour layover, so I decided to do a little exploring. Immediately I was impressed by all of the chic cafes and the posh people, and I kept thinking "this is only the airport!" I then ventured outside for a little fresh air, and found an ice skating rink, many booths and kiosks, trinkets and food that smelled wonderful. It was a very surreal experience because I was all alone, in a very unfamiliar place, and could only smile when people started rattling off in German to me, but I loved it.
During our stay in Bonn/Köln, I found the Cathedral to be most impressive. It is absolutely gorgeous, but I found its dark color at archetypal Gothic style to be somewhat imposing and mysterious. However, despite the incredible stature of the cathedral, I found that it is the small things that I have enjoyed the most; little things that I could not predict or imagine until I was walking on cobblestone streets, that are hundreds of years old with thousands of years of history layered beneath them. I love the smell of fresh bread that fills the walkways of Bonn, and the endless assortment of baked good and hot drinks. I was so happy to see half a dozen flower shops set up on New Years Eve to celebrate the coming of the New Year. All the bright colors of the fresh flowers created a unique sight in the dead of winter with temperatures hovering around freezing. And, most special to me was watching the sunrise while running along the Rhine, not something I generally see on a typical morning jog.
I had been anticipating New Years Eve in Berlin since the second I found out about this program, I was extremely excited but also completely unsure of what to expect. The minor glitch of unexpectedly having to take a train instead of a plane to Berlin only added to the adventure of trip and the train ride was rather relaxing and a good time to rest up for the evening that was soon to follow...Never in my life have I seen so many people until I joined the mob pushing their way toward the Brandenburg Gate for the fireworks, music and chaotic of celebration! It was definitely a New Years that I will never forget! And, there is no way that I could enjoy a New Years day as much as I enjoyed the the first day of 2009! I had the pleasure of visiting Chalottenburg palace and gardens. Inside the detail of architecture and interior design was magnificent. I loved nothing more than the spacious rooms, many mirrors, large open windows and ceiling paintings. I have decided that I was born in the wrong time period and that it was definitely good to be queen of Prussia.
This morning I returned to the gardens for a run and it was as if I stepped into a magical story book. I made the first footprints in the freshly fallen snow as I ran through the maze of trees and bridges over frozen ponds. Academically, I found the homeopathy lecture to be extremely interesting. It is an area of medicine that I knew almost nothing about, and while I found some of the ideas difficult to fully comprehend/ belief, I thought the foundation of the subject to be very encouraging, especially these two fundamental beliefs: "the highest ideal of therapy is to restore health happily, rapidly and permanently" and "the force of gentleness is great."
I am looking forward to some adventures and explorations today in Berlin!
-Amanda
During our stay in Bonn/Köln, I found the Cathedral to be most impressive. It is absolutely gorgeous, but I found its dark color at archetypal Gothic style to be somewhat imposing and mysterious. However, despite the incredible stature of the cathedral, I found that it is the small things that I have enjoyed the most; little things that I could not predict or imagine until I was walking on cobblestone streets, that are hundreds of years old with thousands of years of history layered beneath them. I love the smell of fresh bread that fills the walkways of Bonn, and the endless assortment of baked good and hot drinks. I was so happy to see half a dozen flower shops set up on New Years Eve to celebrate the coming of the New Year. All the bright colors of the fresh flowers created a unique sight in the dead of winter with temperatures hovering around freezing. And, most special to me was watching the sunrise while running along the Rhine, not something I generally see on a typical morning jog.
I had been anticipating New Years Eve in Berlin since the second I found out about this program, I was extremely excited but also completely unsure of what to expect. The minor glitch of unexpectedly having to take a train instead of a plane to Berlin only added to the adventure of trip and the train ride was rather relaxing and a good time to rest up for the evening that was soon to follow...Never in my life have I seen so many people until I joined the mob pushing their way toward the Brandenburg Gate for the fireworks, music and chaotic of celebration! It was definitely a New Years that I will never forget! And, there is no way that I could enjoy a New Years day as much as I enjoyed the the first day of 2009! I had the pleasure of visiting Chalottenburg palace and gardens. Inside the detail of architecture and interior design was magnificent. I loved nothing more than the spacious rooms, many mirrors, large open windows and ceiling paintings. I have decided that I was born in the wrong time period and that it was definitely good to be queen of Prussia.
This morning I returned to the gardens for a run and it was as if I stepped into a magical story book. I made the first footprints in the freshly fallen snow as I ran through the maze of trees and bridges over frozen ponds. Academically, I found the homeopathy lecture to be extremely interesting. It is an area of medicine that I knew almost nothing about, and while I found some of the ideas difficult to fully comprehend/ belief, I thought the foundation of the subject to be very encouraging, especially these two fundamental beliefs: "the highest ideal of therapy is to restore health happily, rapidly and permanently" and "the force of gentleness is great."
I am looking forward to some adventures and explorations today in Berlin!
-Amanda
The first week
My first week in Germany has been very eventful, starting with the plane rides over to Germany. The first flight I was on unfortunatly got cancelled, but the flight in Dallas to Frankfurt was delayed so I was able to make it on that flight. Luckily another student was on the same flight with me, it made the wait much easier in the airport. Once I arrived in Frankfurt and made it through customs, My aunt met us and helped us to make it on the train to Bonn. We met Olaf at the AIB and he took us to the dorms that we were to use while in Bonn. Olaf was very nice and made great eggs for breakfast. On the first official day of the program we had our first lecture by Jürgen Weiland over the history and evolution of homeopathic method. I learned quite a bit about homeopathic medicine. My previous view had been of quacks who discouraged the use of modern medicine because it was modern. Also that day we were givin a city tour by Rainer Zäck. Olaf took us out to experience the night life of Bonn later that night. We visited a traditional German pub to try the local beer then headed to a cuban bar. Here we where able to get more flavorful drinks. I enjoyed going out with the others and getting to know them better.
The next day we visited the House of German History, this focused on the history of Germany from post war times to the present. I saw and learned many things that i had not known about the German people. The slow progression of the entire country after the war was a real eye opener. Also the differences between the East and West was astounding. A trip to Cologne was next on the list. We travelled by train to the city. the most amazing sight in the city was to be found just outside the train station. The Cologne Cathedral was a beautiful masterpiece of architecture. I was in awe of the sheer size of the cathedral and its two spires. The walking tour of the city was givin by Andre Fischer, a native Cologner. He was a fountain of knowledge for the history of Cologne, or Köln as the germans call it. After the tour we visited a local beer house with Andre and got a round of the local beer. I left the beer house with Lauren and we travelled back toward the cathedral for some shopping and to get some food. In our wandering we found a very nice little cafe called Eic & Cafe. They had delicious crepes and coffee. Our last day in Bonn was on New years eve and sadly we had to leave Olaf at the dorms. To celebrate new years eve Olaf brought Berliners from the local bakery. The first lecture by Dr. Wasser was givin at the AIB before we left for the Airport to fly to Berlin. This is where the trip got interesting, it turns out that our seats were not reserved on the plane to Berlin. So we were unable to fly that day. It was arranged that we would take a train to Cologne then catch an ICE to the Berlin train station. Fortunatly we were able to make it to the New Years celebration at the Brandenburg gate in time for the coundown. Through sheer will a few other students and I were able to make it right up to the gate for the countdown. It was an amazing sight and made all the trouble getting there completely worth it. I think that was the best possible way to experience berlin for the first time.
New years day was a considerable amount less hectic. The entire day was free to do whatever I wanted. I decided to visit the Schloss Charlottenburg with Dr. Wasser, Amanda and Asher. The palace and grounds were considerably destroyed during the second world war, but thanks to pictures and furniture form other Prussian palaces, the original way of the palace in Sophia Charlottes' time was able to be recreated. I also enjoyed walking among the garden and being able to walk on the pond, which was frozen over from the cold weather. I took advantage of the rest of the day to relax and read.
Today was my first chance to see most of Berlin, a tour bus picked us up at the hotel. It took us past the Charlottenburg palace, the main shopping street in west Berlin, and then stopped at the T-4 victims memorial on Tiergartenstrasse. It is very humbling to realize the nazis persecuted not only the jews but even Arian people bacause they were not normal and worthy of life. We also visited the memorial to the burning of the books in Berlin and Humbolt University. Something that I found interesting was that the red marble inside the main hall of the University was recycled from Hitlers chancellory. Overall the trip so far has been amazing and I am very happy that I am able to see and learn the history of this country.
The next day we visited the House of German History, this focused on the history of Germany from post war times to the present. I saw and learned many things that i had not known about the German people. The slow progression of the entire country after the war was a real eye opener. Also the differences between the East and West was astounding. A trip to Cologne was next on the list. We travelled by train to the city. the most amazing sight in the city was to be found just outside the train station. The Cologne Cathedral was a beautiful masterpiece of architecture. I was in awe of the sheer size of the cathedral and its two spires. The walking tour of the city was givin by Andre Fischer, a native Cologner. He was a fountain of knowledge for the history of Cologne, or Köln as the germans call it. After the tour we visited a local beer house with Andre and got a round of the local beer. I left the beer house with Lauren and we travelled back toward the cathedral for some shopping and to get some food. In our wandering we found a very nice little cafe called Eic & Cafe. They had delicious crepes and coffee. Our last day in Bonn was on New years eve and sadly we had to leave Olaf at the dorms. To celebrate new years eve Olaf brought Berliners from the local bakery. The first lecture by Dr. Wasser was givin at the AIB before we left for the Airport to fly to Berlin. This is where the trip got interesting, it turns out that our seats were not reserved on the plane to Berlin. So we were unable to fly that day. It was arranged that we would take a train to Cologne then catch an ICE to the Berlin train station. Fortunatly we were able to make it to the New Years celebration at the Brandenburg gate in time for the coundown. Through sheer will a few other students and I were able to make it right up to the gate for the countdown. It was an amazing sight and made all the trouble getting there completely worth it. I think that was the best possible way to experience berlin for the first time.
New years day was a considerable amount less hectic. The entire day was free to do whatever I wanted. I decided to visit the Schloss Charlottenburg with Dr. Wasser, Amanda and Asher. The palace and grounds were considerably destroyed during the second world war, but thanks to pictures and furniture form other Prussian palaces, the original way of the palace in Sophia Charlottes' time was able to be recreated. I also enjoyed walking among the garden and being able to walk on the pond, which was frozen over from the cold weather. I took advantage of the rest of the day to relax and read.
Today was my first chance to see most of Berlin, a tour bus picked us up at the hotel. It took us past the Charlottenburg palace, the main shopping street in west Berlin, and then stopped at the T-4 victims memorial on Tiergartenstrasse. It is very humbling to realize the nazis persecuted not only the jews but even Arian people bacause they were not normal and worthy of life. We also visited the memorial to the burning of the books in Berlin and Humbolt University. Something that I found interesting was that the red marble inside the main hall of the University was recycled from Hitlers chancellory. Overall the trip so far has been amazing and I am very happy that I am able to see and learn the history of this country.
First post in Germany!
So Germany is absolutely amazing and has surpassed all of my expectations. I am learning so much in such a short time, and I am enjoying every bit of it. A doctor named Jürgen Weiland gave us a presentation about homeopathy and its history, which I thought was very informative adn interesting. Dr. Wasser also gave us a lecture about the 'Unworthy lives' that the Nazi party used as test subjects to prepare for Hitler's Final Solution. It was eye-opening just how poorly these patients (mentally retarded, disabled, etc.), who were still human beings, were treated, and its a significant event in history that barely anyone knows about... Very depressing and scary.
I have learned a lot outside of the lectures as well. I have visited the Haus von Beethoven and got to know my favorite composer a tad bit better! There has also been the Haus der Geschichte, the best history museum in Germany for post-WWII, which was very, very cool. My favorite part was the tiny car, that appears to only fit two people comfortably, but in reality was used to fit around SIX people in. Wow! Also, one of my favorite sites has definitely been the Cologne Cathedral. It is so magnificent! To think that people actually built that with their own hands so long ago... Its unreal. Breathtaking every time you see it. The architecture of not only the cathedral, but of all the other bulidings here in Germany is really old-fasioned. It is really about history here in Germany and I like that.
Yesterday I went to Sachsenhausen, a concentration camp over in North Berlin. It was very eerie. It was a cold, cloudy day, and it was completely quiet. Which, to be honest, I was glad for because it added that much to the experience. Seeing the prisons in which the victims were held in, seeing various ways in which the Jews and others were tortured, and seeing the gas chamber most of all was very eye-opening. I think that all young students should eventually visit a concentration camp. It would make you change the way you think about things.
I am looking forward to the rest of things I will get to experience, and all the things I will get to learn and cherish forever!
I have learned a lot outside of the lectures as well. I have visited the Haus von Beethoven and got to know my favorite composer a tad bit better! There has also been the Haus der Geschichte, the best history museum in Germany for post-WWII, which was very, very cool. My favorite part was the tiny car, that appears to only fit two people comfortably, but in reality was used to fit around SIX people in. Wow! Also, one of my favorite sites has definitely been the Cologne Cathedral. It is so magnificent! To think that people actually built that with their own hands so long ago... Its unreal. Breathtaking every time you see it. The architecture of not only the cathedral, but of all the other bulidings here in Germany is really old-fasioned. It is really about history here in Germany and I like that.
Yesterday I went to Sachsenhausen, a concentration camp over in North Berlin. It was very eerie. It was a cold, cloudy day, and it was completely quiet. Which, to be honest, I was glad for because it added that much to the experience. Seeing the prisons in which the victims were held in, seeing various ways in which the Jews and others were tortured, and seeing the gas chamber most of all was very eye-opening. I think that all young students should eventually visit a concentration camp. It would make you change the way you think about things.
I am looking forward to the rest of things I will get to experience, and all the things I will get to learn and cherish forever!
The First Set of Lectures
Our first lecture was in Bonn at the AIB offices. It was given to us by Jürgen Weiland, a homeopathologist who works in Bonn. His focus was on the history of homeopathy, but he also gave us a brief explanation of what homeopathy was.
The whole practice hinges on two ideas. The first is that a substance that produces a set of symptoms in a well person will cure the disease of an ill person that shows the same set of symptoms. The second is that the theraputic effect of a substance can be separated from the toxic effect through a special series of dilutions.
As far as the history goes, a German by the name of Samuel Hahnmann was the founder of homeopathy. He began as a physician, but was shocked by the harm that medicine would often cause his patients. He set out to find a form of medicine that would meet his ideal: one that would cure the patient at minimal discomfort. While I believe that what he settled on was a fantastic demonstration of the placebo effect, I still found this lecture to be very helpful in the sense that it forced me to think about what dreams and ideals ought to be chased after in medicine today.
The second lecture so far was given by Dr. Wasser, and was about the 'racial hygiene' practiced by the Nazis just before and during World War II. The official name of the program was Aktion T4 and was a systematic murdering (under the name of euthanasia) of any kind of invalid, but especially the mentally and physically retarded. Under this program, doctors were no longer expected to consider the health of the individual so much as they were to consider the health of the race. The unworthy had to be cut from the gene pool like a tumor from the body.
It was interesting to learn that many of the individuals involved in this program used their acquired experience for death camps a few years later. Some have even described Aktion T4 as a 'test run' for the Holocaust. Dr. Wasser also spent the first part of the lecture describing some of the intellectuals and their writings that led up to Aktion T4 in Nazi Germany. I was amazed to hear that some of these men were great intellectuals of their day who had very scientific and rational explanations for their views. One of the few hospital directors that refused to permit euthanisation remarked, as best as I can remember, that God would not permit him to do so.
The whole practice hinges on two ideas. The first is that a substance that produces a set of symptoms in a well person will cure the disease of an ill person that shows the same set of symptoms. The second is that the theraputic effect of a substance can be separated from the toxic effect through a special series of dilutions.
As far as the history goes, a German by the name of Samuel Hahnmann was the founder of homeopathy. He began as a physician, but was shocked by the harm that medicine would often cause his patients. He set out to find a form of medicine that would meet his ideal: one that would cure the patient at minimal discomfort. While I believe that what he settled on was a fantastic demonstration of the placebo effect, I still found this lecture to be very helpful in the sense that it forced me to think about what dreams and ideals ought to be chased after in medicine today.
The second lecture so far was given by Dr. Wasser, and was about the 'racial hygiene' practiced by the Nazis just before and during World War II. The official name of the program was Aktion T4 and was a systematic murdering (under the name of euthanasia) of any kind of invalid, but especially the mentally and physically retarded. Under this program, doctors were no longer expected to consider the health of the individual so much as they were to consider the health of the race. The unworthy had to be cut from the gene pool like a tumor from the body.
It was interesting to learn that many of the individuals involved in this program used their acquired experience for death camps a few years later. Some have even described Aktion T4 as a 'test run' for the Holocaust. Dr. Wasser also spent the first part of the lecture describing some of the intellectuals and their writings that led up to Aktion T4 in Nazi Germany. I was amazed to hear that some of these men were great intellectuals of their day who had very scientific and rational explanations for their views. One of the few hospital directors that refused to permit euthanisation remarked, as best as I can remember, that God would not permit him to do so.
I'm Loving It!!
I was nervous about the trip for various reasons, but I have absolutely loved my time here in Germany so far. It seems like we have packed so much in the last 6 days already! I feel like we have already seen and learned so much about the city even though we have been here less than a week. Everywhere we go there are cool things to see and there seems to be so much interesting history behind so many of the buildings. This is all very unusual for me since I have lived in America and never really travelled outside of the country but I love seeing everything. The buildings are all fascinating to me, especially the Köln Cathedral, but I love all of the architecture. It was so funny to see everyone's mouth drop, mine included, as soon as we walked out of the train station in Köln and looked up to see the massive cathedral. It was incredible. Each of the tours that we have been on have been incredibly interesting also. Our tour guides are wonderful, as are all of the AIB people and Dr. Wasser, so the trip has been an amazing experience so far and I am very much looking forward to the rest of it.
As I suspected, I've found that the things I was nervous about, such as not being able to talk to my family much, have not bothered me much at all. I have enjoyed talking to people back home when I've gotten the chance to, and I've probably talked to them more than other people on the trip, but I'm really doing fine on my own. I feel like we have a great group of people here and I've loved hanging out with them and getting to know everyone better.
The homeopathy lecture was very interesting. I had never known much about any alternative forms of medicine so I enjoyed listening to other perspectives, even though I agree much more with the conventional form of medicine. I feel like it's always good to hear more about other people's ideas and practices. I also greatly enjoyed Dr. Wasser's lecture on the Nazi Euthanasia Programs. Again, this was something that I had heard a little about, probably earlier in the year from Dr. Wasser, but I learned much more than I had known before. I find anything about medicine fascinating. Though this was a terribly horrible thing that happened, I enjoy learning about the history of medicine and the bad comes along with the good. Everything has much more meaning when you first learn the history behind it. I was glad that we had heard about T-4 prior to our Berlin tour earlier today for this reason. I look forward to the other guest lectures that we will hear and definitely the lectures that Dr. Wasser will give. This has been an incredible experience so far and I can't wait to learn more and visit all of the places we're going!
As I suspected, I've found that the things I was nervous about, such as not being able to talk to my family much, have not bothered me much at all. I have enjoyed talking to people back home when I've gotten the chance to, and I've probably talked to them more than other people on the trip, but I'm really doing fine on my own. I feel like we have a great group of people here and I've loved hanging out with them and getting to know everyone better.
The homeopathy lecture was very interesting. I had never known much about any alternative forms of medicine so I enjoyed listening to other perspectives, even though I agree much more with the conventional form of medicine. I feel like it's always good to hear more about other people's ideas and practices. I also greatly enjoyed Dr. Wasser's lecture on the Nazi Euthanasia Programs. Again, this was something that I had heard a little about, probably earlier in the year from Dr. Wasser, but I learned much more than I had known before. I find anything about medicine fascinating. Though this was a terribly horrible thing that happened, I enjoy learning about the history of medicine and the bad comes along with the good. Everything has much more meaning when you first learn the history behind it. I was glad that we had heard about T-4 prior to our Berlin tour earlier today for this reason. I look forward to the other guest lectures that we will hear and definitely the lectures that Dr. Wasser will give. This has been an incredible experience so far and I can't wait to learn more and visit all of the places we're going!
Just Jon 2
Well, I made it to Europe. I managed to survive sitting in a lobby at the IAH for 6 hours. I flew over to Frankfort on Lufthansa for 11 hours. I loved the flight. The flight attendents were nice, they served all the passengers snacks, breakfast, lunch, and even wine. The wine was new. It was my first plane ride and I wasn't for sure how it would go, but it went well. When I got to the airport in Frankfurt, I spent time wandering around looking for my luggage. After spending about 20 minutes looking for it, I couldn't find it. So, I had about 30 minutes to go look all over the airport for the trains. It took 29 minutes for me to find the train. Once on the train, I immediately noticed the scenery of the towns. The towns weren't like in America with tall buildings downtown and suburbs on the outskirts. All of the buildings were like the same size. From the train station, I got off at the Köln train station and met the crew there. From her, I caught the train and went to Bonn. From here, we met Olof who showed us to these nice dorm rooms which is where we stayed for the rest of the time in Bonn.
While in Bonn, we seen the downtown area, the shops, pubs, bars, and even candy shops. We also had a lecture on Homeopathy. This lecture really interested me because Homeopathy, which is made up of minerals, plants, and animals was a combination of all of the things that I actually want to make a carrier out of. Homeopathy looks to see both sides of everything in nature. For instance, Homeopathy will look at the negatives and positives of animals like the Bushmaster, the Rhino, and etc. This is really what I would like to do. I think I may have found my major. I also liked the Botany aspect of Homeopathy because I want to major in Botany as well. We also had a lecture on the history of Germany and we went to the history museum in Bonn, Germany.
From here, we went to Köln and saw the cathedral. I thought that it was just amazing. It was just overflowing with architecture, history, and people. I enjoyed the cathedral. We also ate at the train station in Köln too. For a train station, they had very good food. From here, we went to Berlin. We had to depart with Olof, which was sad because he was nice, helpful, made the best breakfast that I had ever had in my entire life, and he just kinda grew on me. He even gave us Berliners which were so good. I got really attached to him and still miss him. I wish he could have came on the rest of the tour of Germany with us.
Righ now, we are in Berlin. We all went to the New Years party downtown and man was it the stuff. I enjoyed myself a lot. I and the group that I was in got really close to the stage where the music was being played, we seen the fireworks finaly, we seen drunk people, got hit on by drunk people, I was dancing and singing both the German songs and a Rihanna song that people had going. It was the stuff. The only thing I didn't get was a half a meter of bratwurz. I reallz wanted a half a meter of bratwurz, but I had to let that idea go because getting the bratwury, even though it was only 3 Euros would have meant getting through a crowd of drunk people. I didn't want to do that. So after the party on the square, we all crammed into a crammed subway and came back to the hotel.
So far, we have been touring Berlin, getting souvoneirs, sight seeing, and going to some tricked out museums. The museums in Europe are way more cooler. So far this trip has passed my expectations. Also, we even got to try Döners here in Germany. I would like to say that the Döner I had yesterday was sooooooo good. It was like a food orgy in my mouth. I like it her in Germany. I can see myself spending a semester here.
JJ2out
While in Bonn, we seen the downtown area, the shops, pubs, bars, and even candy shops. We also had a lecture on Homeopathy. This lecture really interested me because Homeopathy, which is made up of minerals, plants, and animals was a combination of all of the things that I actually want to make a carrier out of. Homeopathy looks to see both sides of everything in nature. For instance, Homeopathy will look at the negatives and positives of animals like the Bushmaster, the Rhino, and etc. This is really what I would like to do. I think I may have found my major. I also liked the Botany aspect of Homeopathy because I want to major in Botany as well. We also had a lecture on the history of Germany and we went to the history museum in Bonn, Germany.
From here, we went to Köln and saw the cathedral. I thought that it was just amazing. It was just overflowing with architecture, history, and people. I enjoyed the cathedral. We also ate at the train station in Köln too. For a train station, they had very good food. From here, we went to Berlin. We had to depart with Olof, which was sad because he was nice, helpful, made the best breakfast that I had ever had in my entire life, and he just kinda grew on me. He even gave us Berliners which were so good. I got really attached to him and still miss him. I wish he could have came on the rest of the tour of Germany with us.
Righ now, we are in Berlin. We all went to the New Years party downtown and man was it the stuff. I enjoyed myself a lot. I and the group that I was in got really close to the stage where the music was being played, we seen the fireworks finaly, we seen drunk people, got hit on by drunk people, I was dancing and singing both the German songs and a Rihanna song that people had going. It was the stuff. The only thing I didn't get was a half a meter of bratwurz. I reallz wanted a half a meter of bratwurz, but I had to let that idea go because getting the bratwury, even though it was only 3 Euros would have meant getting through a crowd of drunk people. I didn't want to do that. So after the party on the square, we all crammed into a crammed subway and came back to the hotel.
So far, we have been touring Berlin, getting souvoneirs, sight seeing, and going to some tricked out museums. The museums in Europe are way more cooler. So far this trip has passed my expectations. Also, we even got to try Döners here in Germany. I would like to say that the Döner I had yesterday was sooooooo good. It was like a food orgy in my mouth. I like it her in Germany. I can see myself spending a semester here.
JJ2out
To the end of the subway and back
Yesterday we took the subway until it ended and then walked a short distance to get to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. The cold and dreary weather matched the mood of the camp when we arrived. I can't really find the words to describe the emotions that I felt when I walked through the gates of Sachsenhausen and came face to face with the phase ''Arbeit Macht Frei'' entwined in the wrought iron. For many years in school I've learned about the Holocaust, so when I was walking through the grounds of the camp, all of my knowledge of the suffering of innocent people came together and it really hit home with me. I enjoyed reading the timeline of what happened in the camp because it helped piece everything together. I was shocked to learn that over 200,000 people who were considered political outcasts, biologically inferior, or racially inferior went through this camp. Walking the grounds gave me a greater understanding of what took place there along with immmeasurable respect for those who survived and those who lost their lives.
After our hike out to Sachsenhausen, we rode the subway back into town and shopped around for souvenirs. We ate döners at a local bistro across from the trainstation, which were super!!! We polished that tasty meal off with some good ol' starbucks and then continued to hop on and off the subway trains in an attempt to find more shops. Finally, we got back to the hotel and it felt really good to just hang out and chill.
After our hike out to Sachsenhausen, we rode the subway back into town and shopped around for souvenirs. We ate döners at a local bistro across from the trainstation, which were super!!! We polished that tasty meal off with some good ol' starbucks and then continued to hop on and off the subway trains in an attempt to find more shops. Finally, we got back to the hotel and it felt really good to just hang out and chill.
So as I sit in this internet cafe trying to think of what to write...I don't even know where to begin. We've only been here a few days, but already so much has happened. Luckily, I had an easy flight here. Jared, Tarah and I were one of the first ones here so we were able to go out in Bonn and do a lot of exploring on our own. We went to Beethoven's house, which I was really looking forward to. The house was tiny, but somehow they managed to fit 12 rooms inside of it. Walking around cities on your own with just a map in your hand is my favorite thing to do when traveling. That way you get to explore things for yourself.
I was really interested in the first lecture on homeopathy. Mr. Jürgen Weiland was very knowledgable on his profession, obviously. But it definitely opened up my eyes to alternative medicine. It is not advertised much in the US and I was surprised when he mentioned the oldest school for homoepathy is in the US. When I get home I want to read some case studies on patients to see if the 'like cures like' theory can pretty much cover any ailment.
The second lecture on euthenasia was also really interesting. I think it is interesting how through every history class I ever took, it was never once mentioned that the Nazi party looked towards the US as an example. I was also unaware of the forced sterilization programs that were taking place in the US. I should probably brush up on my history.
Everyone on the trip is really chill and easy going. Of course that makes any trip more enjoyable, but im glad were all getting to know each other after meeting every week for a semester when no one would say a word...
I was really interested in the first lecture on homeopathy. Mr. Jürgen Weiland was very knowledgable on his profession, obviously. But it definitely opened up my eyes to alternative medicine. It is not advertised much in the US and I was surprised when he mentioned the oldest school for homoepathy is in the US. When I get home I want to read some case studies on patients to see if the 'like cures like' theory can pretty much cover any ailment.
The second lecture on euthenasia was also really interesting. I think it is interesting how through every history class I ever took, it was never once mentioned that the Nazi party looked towards the US as an example. I was also unaware of the forced sterilization programs that were taking place in the US. I should probably brush up on my history.
Everyone on the trip is really chill and easy going. Of course that makes any trip more enjoyable, but im glad were all getting to know each other after meeting every week for a semester when no one would say a word...
First Adventures in Germany!
Ever since I have arrived in Germany it has already been an adventure. Both flights here were great, and I got lucky, because two of the other students in the program happened to have the same flight itinerary as I did, so that eased a little bit of my initial traveling anxieties, while also giving me the chance to get to know a couple of my peers right off the bat!
The first couple of days, we stayed in dorms in Bonn. It was nice having our own building and also having Olaf there, who cooked great breakfasts for us each morning we were there. Dr. Rainer gave us a tour of the city of Bonn, and a man named Andre gave us a guided tour of Cologne and the cathedral there the next day. The golden coffin which holds the remains of the three wisemen is in that cathedral which I found very interesting, and somewhat surreal. We also heard a proffessor speak about Homeopathy, which is an alternative medicine that utilizes plants, minerals, and animials for healing. It was quite interesting to me, personally, because I had never been formally taught about anything like that before. Wasser also gave a lecture on the history and evolution of Euthanasia, which was not only very interesting and enlightening, but a little horrifying to hear about all the different ''reasons'' they would kill people that were considered to have no reason to live. (i.e. the mentally and physically disabled, people that werent within the ''preferred'' race, etc.)
We then made our way to Berlin, but not in the way we had originally planned! We arrived at the airport only to find out that our tickets had never been formally confirmed and the plane was full. Thankfully, Wasser was able to get us all tickets on the high speed train and we made it in time for the New Years Festival in Berlin. That was so much fun, but also very crowded and crazy!
The next day was a free day in Berlin, and 11 of us students took the subway to northern Berlin to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp there. It was a very moving experience that I think everyone should have a chance to do. The weather was strangly appropriate for the occasion also, I think, because it was a overcast and foggy day, with a constant light snow for most of the day.
Today we took a bus tour of Berlin, seeing the Holocaust Memorial, the remains of the Berlin wall, and the Embassies of various countries, among MANY other things. So far, I have found the German people to be very friendly, and it seems that all of them are fluent, or at least know much of the english lanuage, and are willing to help out a lost American tourist such as myself. :)
The first free weekend is already almost here, so Prauge, here I come!
The first couple of days, we stayed in dorms in Bonn. It was nice having our own building and also having Olaf there, who cooked great breakfasts for us each morning we were there. Dr. Rainer gave us a tour of the city of Bonn, and a man named Andre gave us a guided tour of Cologne and the cathedral there the next day. The golden coffin which holds the remains of the three wisemen is in that cathedral which I found very interesting, and somewhat surreal. We also heard a proffessor speak about Homeopathy, which is an alternative medicine that utilizes plants, minerals, and animials for healing. It was quite interesting to me, personally, because I had never been formally taught about anything like that before. Wasser also gave a lecture on the history and evolution of Euthanasia, which was not only very interesting and enlightening, but a little horrifying to hear about all the different ''reasons'' they would kill people that were considered to have no reason to live. (i.e. the mentally and physically disabled, people that werent within the ''preferred'' race, etc.)
We then made our way to Berlin, but not in the way we had originally planned! We arrived at the airport only to find out that our tickets had never been formally confirmed and the plane was full. Thankfully, Wasser was able to get us all tickets on the high speed train and we made it in time for the New Years Festival in Berlin. That was so much fun, but also very crowded and crazy!
The next day was a free day in Berlin, and 11 of us students took the subway to northern Berlin to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp there. It was a very moving experience that I think everyone should have a chance to do. The weather was strangly appropriate for the occasion also, I think, because it was a overcast and foggy day, with a constant light snow for most of the day.
Today we took a bus tour of Berlin, seeing the Holocaust Memorial, the remains of the Berlin wall, and the Embassies of various countries, among MANY other things. So far, I have found the German people to be very friendly, and it seems that all of them are fluent, or at least know much of the english lanuage, and are willing to help out a lost American tourist such as myself. :)
The first free weekend is already almost here, so Prauge, here I come!
Thus far...
I am almost at lost for words, maybe because I have always had problems at putting them into writing but I shall definitely try....if I don't drive myself cray with the switch of y and z and the absence of the left shift!
Day 1/2 went smoothly without any plane or luggage difficulties. I acutally found the train station which was my greatest fear that day and made it to Cologne. There Dr. Wasser and I waited for Asher in the Starbucks where we experienced my first of many friendly Germans. However, this man studies neurology and is a professor here in Germany, which was a fun conversation to listen to as he and Dr. Wasser exchanged experiences and business cards. Who knows, maybe one day this program will be visiting him for a lecture in neurology!
Academically speaking, the first lecture on homeopathy was very interesting but I must admit that I am still skeptical. Most likely because I need more information about why certain things work than "like means like", granted it was a very broad topic for the given time slot, but none-the-less still interesting. I also enjoyed Dr. Wasser's lecture on eugenics. It is ironic to me to listen how Hitler and his followers, specifically the T-4 doctors, took such things a genetics and social Darwinism to the point of killing those deemed inferior or useless after reading an article on the plane ride over about how Charles Dawin, unlike Einstein,among other scientists, isn't as celebrated. Then to hear how his theory along with other written works were used to try and create a "superior race" was a unique parallel that I couldn't have completely gained full perspective of without this experience of being in Germany and seeing the T-4 memorial and Sachsenhausen.
I have more the write but for some reason I feel like I'm moving, maybe all the train travel is causing motion sickness. If my thoughts above seem scattered, I apologize! Oh.....and New Years at Brandenburg Gate was amazing, even though I didn't make it to the gate and the fact we found our way back after being in the city for onlz a few hours was sheer luck!! :)
Day 1/2 went smoothly without any plane or luggage difficulties. I acutally found the train station which was my greatest fear that day and made it to Cologne. There Dr. Wasser and I waited for Asher in the Starbucks where we experienced my first of many friendly Germans. However, this man studies neurology and is a professor here in Germany, which was a fun conversation to listen to as he and Dr. Wasser exchanged experiences and business cards. Who knows, maybe one day this program will be visiting him for a lecture in neurology!
Academically speaking, the first lecture on homeopathy was very interesting but I must admit that I am still skeptical. Most likely because I need more information about why certain things work than "like means like", granted it was a very broad topic for the given time slot, but none-the-less still interesting. I also enjoyed Dr. Wasser's lecture on eugenics. It is ironic to me to listen how Hitler and his followers, specifically the T-4 doctors, took such things a genetics and social Darwinism to the point of killing those deemed inferior or useless after reading an article on the plane ride over about how Charles Dawin, unlike Einstein,among other scientists, isn't as celebrated. Then to hear how his theory along with other written works were used to try and create a "superior race" was a unique parallel that I couldn't have completely gained full perspective of without this experience of being in Germany and seeing the T-4 memorial and Sachsenhausen.
I have more the write but for some reason I feel like I'm moving, maybe all the train travel is causing motion sickness. If my thoughts above seem scattered, I apologize! Oh.....and New Years at Brandenburg Gate was amazing, even though I didn't make it to the gate and the fact we found our way back after being in the city for onlz a few hours was sheer luck!! :)
Hello, my friends, hello
I want to start by saying hello to everyone back home, I miss you guys and want you to know that I'm having a blast! This place is amazing, much older than I realized and very beautiful. I had a little trouble getting here, I had to be rerouted and ended up without my luggage for one day which wasn't a big deal. We're in Berlin now, we've been here a little over a day. Bonn and Cologne were awesome, especially the Dom Cologne, a high Gothic cathedral located about 100 yards outside of the train station in Cologne. The view as you walk out of the main lobby is the most awesome sight I've ever seen. So much so that I took a video on my camera, which I'm also using to take way more pictures than necessary. I think I hit the 300 mark today...
Anyway, we've been doing a lot of touring, exploring, and learning. The culture here is different but very interesting, and everyone is very nice. On New Year's we were at the huge party in the middle of Berlin. I've never been in a crowd close to that size, so it was definitely an experience. We learned the hard way that Germans aren't too good with lines and are quite liberal with the amount of force they use to push past you in a crowd, which is probably why my gloves and coat smelled like gluwein the next day. But this place is great, so much to see and learn. It's hard to believe that I stood in the ruins of a Roman General's living quarters that dates back to about 50 AD. Early this morning I jogged through the snow around Charlottenbourg, a 15th century palace in West Berlin, and had a moment of awe as we ran through the gardens during sunrise.
But even though Germans live amongst these reminders of their past, they are quite progressive. Just recently they elected their first woman chancellor and are obviously thrilled at the election of our new president. Most speak at least a little English, and my German is slowly getting better. Tomorrow we go to Dresden for a day trip and tomorrow night 10 of us are heading to Prague by train. Dr. Wasser and our program coordinator Stefi have been amazing so far, and are making this trip very enjoyable and worthwhile.
One last thing, we had a lecture on homeopathy a few days ago which was quite interesting. It was a little backwards to me given the training I've had so far, but had some very interesting concepts. Just as a brief overview, the idea is that certain herbs and other natural substances that cause certain symptoms in a healthy person can be used to help cure a person that is experiencing those same symptoms. I encourage you to read up on it, it's still relatively unknown and unpopular, but may hold the answers to some questions that modern Western medicine hasn't been able to answer. But I hope everyone had a great New Year's and is doing well. If you want to reach me I can check my email pretty easily so that would be the best way.
Until next time,
Asher
Anyway, we've been doing a lot of touring, exploring, and learning. The culture here is different but very interesting, and everyone is very nice. On New Year's we were at the huge party in the middle of Berlin. I've never been in a crowd close to that size, so it was definitely an experience. We learned the hard way that Germans aren't too good with lines and are quite liberal with the amount of force they use to push past you in a crowd, which is probably why my gloves and coat smelled like gluwein the next day. But this place is great, so much to see and learn. It's hard to believe that I stood in the ruins of a Roman General's living quarters that dates back to about 50 AD. Early this morning I jogged through the snow around Charlottenbourg, a 15th century palace in West Berlin, and had a moment of awe as we ran through the gardens during sunrise.
But even though Germans live amongst these reminders of their past, they are quite progressive. Just recently they elected their first woman chancellor and are obviously thrilled at the election of our new president. Most speak at least a little English, and my German is slowly getting better. Tomorrow we go to Dresden for a day trip and tomorrow night 10 of us are heading to Prague by train. Dr. Wasser and our program coordinator Stefi have been amazing so far, and are making this trip very enjoyable and worthwhile.
One last thing, we had a lecture on homeopathy a few days ago which was quite interesting. It was a little backwards to me given the training I've had so far, but had some very interesting concepts. Just as a brief overview, the idea is that certain herbs and other natural substances that cause certain symptoms in a healthy person can be used to help cure a person that is experiencing those same symptoms. I encourage you to read up on it, it's still relatively unknown and unpopular, but may hold the answers to some questions that modern Western medicine hasn't been able to answer. But I hope everyone had a great New Year's and is doing well. If you want to reach me I can check my email pretty easily so that would be the best way.
Until next time,
Asher
We have been in Germany for almost a week now and it has been amazing! Not one minute has been a dissapointment. The days take a little getting used to with sunset at 4 in the afternoon, but you get over it quick enough. We are in Berlin right now and have been here since New Years Eve. The celebration in the heart of Berlin was a once in a lifetime experience. Topping it will be near impossible. A few of us went to a local Jazz club last night that was great, and we will probably bring the rest with us tonight. The people are friendly and the culture is unlike anything we could have experienced in the states.
We've already had 2 lectures and a few tours, but there is still so much to do. The homeopathy lecture was interesting since it is something I knew very little about, and the Prof. Wasser first lecture over the T4 events was definitely something that caught my interest, especially with its connection to events in the US that we usually ignore. I'm looking forward to what he still has to teach us as there is plenty more to come.
Until next time.
We've already had 2 lectures and a few tours, but there is still so much to do. The homeopathy lecture was interesting since it is something I knew very little about, and the Prof. Wasser first lecture over the T4 events was definitely something that caught my interest, especially with its connection to events in the US that we usually ignore. I'm looking forward to what he still has to teach us as there is plenty more to come.
Until next time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)