Since When Do I Like History?

All through school, including back in the day in middle school, I've always hated learning about history. Now that I'm here though, I've loved learning about Germany's history and I'm looking forward to learning more about it. It may be because we're here experiencing the history where it took place, or maybe I just really like Germany. Learning about what this country has gone through makes me slightly less close minded each day. Even seeing the differences in their music, food, way of dancing, beer, and energy efficiency makes me open my eyes up a bit more. It seems like we could learn a lot from this country and bring it back home with us. Another part of their history that I found interesting was the T4 program Dr. Wasser lectured about. The Nazis showed propaganda about how the U.S. would sterilize individuals with schizophrenia, alzheimers, etc and that meant it was almost "okay" for them to do it. It seems really easy to put all the blame on Germany for what happened during the reign of the Nazis (though they do take complete responsibility) instead of looking at what America did to contribute as well. This concept can be easily used in everyday life.

Though not related to history, I've so far enjoyed the medicine-type visits we've gone on. Visiting the medical school in Cologne opened my eyes about medicine in general and gave me a better idea as to how I can become involved in the medical field. Visiting the Body World museum showed me how complicated the body really is. Though I already knew this, it makes such a difference to actually see all the muscles and organs of the body in person. As of now I'm planning on going onto graduate school in biomedical sciences to get my Ph.D, and hopefully after this trip, this will be confirmed or I'll have a better idea as to which career path to take.

Just some thoughts

I  am currently sitting on a train heading to Prague, Czech Republic.  I figured blogging on this four hour train ride would be a good use of my time, although sleeping sounds like a much better idea!  But I can always sleep when I die, right?  Earlier I was thinking about what word I would use if I could only describe Germans using one word.   Merry is the word that came to mind.  It can  mean happy and drunk, and from the interactions I've had with Germans on this trip they seem to be happy drunks!  The German lifestyle is on tat is vastly different from the American lifestyle.  Here it is normal to order beer or wine with any meal any time of the day.  Having a glass of wine at a restaurant in Center, Texas for lunch would not be an option.  My hometown is very conservative and most people abstain from alcohol altogether.  I guess this is why the German lifestyle is so interesting to me, because it is so different.

Over these past few days I've tried lots of different food and drinks, all amazing in taste.  I am a huge fan of the bratwurst sausage, as long as it comes with ketchup, and the 1,50 Euro doner.  Gluhwein, Spanish fly, and weitsen are my favorite alcoholic beverages and I am looking forward to trying a Berlinder visse.  

I am excited that In only three hours I will be in the Czech Republic!  I've heard Prague is a beautiful city and I can't wait to see what it has to offer, although I'm nervous about the hostel  I will be staying in.  This will be my first experience staying in a hostel and while I'm glad to be having the experience I'm not sure I'm too happy about it!

Last night was New Years Eve.  The party mile in Berlin was insane.  It was snowing and  there ad to of been nearly one million people at the festival.  Janelle, Caitlyn, and I were freezing, so for most of the night we huddled under on of the portable bars.  We drank Gluhwein and of course had champagne at 12:00.  Besides the terrible weather we had fun.  We met to old couples from Berlin, some people from London, and a guy from Hamburg.  I've noticed most Europeans love t talk  you about the states and which ones they have traveled to.

I will be arriving in Prague in 2 hours!!! I think I'll take a nap and rest up!

Loving Germany

After arriving in Germany from London, one of the first things that hit me was the fact that tI could no longer rely on English- everyone now spoke German and all signs, menus, directions, etc used this language too. Though I knew this was coming, I didn't realize I'd feel so ignorant as a result since I'm used to being on the other side of the situation. I've met so many people who are not only bilingual but know three or even four different languages. In America we don't even try to understand someone who doesn't speak English whereas nearly everyone I've talked to here can speak at least some English and help me. This is why I feel so ignorant. Though I've always thought about learning another language, I think this program will be the motivation I need, and surprisingly I'd like to tak a stab at German. It may not be a "pretty" language, but I find it very interesting.

Another thing I've found surprising is how much I like Germany so far. The people in Bonn were very nice and helpful. It's not that I wasn't excited about this trip, but when I think of traveling to Europe, Germany never came to mnd. Now I can already tell I want to come back. I also think I'm going to miss Bonn because of its small town feeling and welcoming people.

One Week Done

I can't believe I've been in Germany for only one week! I feel like I've done so much already. The program lectures have been really interesting so far. I really enjoyed the day trip to Cologne where we visited the Cologne Medical School and had the tour of the Cathedral. The Cathedral was so unexpected in this town of fairly new buildings (thanks to WWII).

I am surprised at how quickly I became comfortable functioning in a country where I don't speak the language. We were able to navigate the subway to AIB the very first day all by ourself. And I already feel acquainted with Berlin after the New Years Eve celebration. Today, we took a train to Prague, and we handled everything better than I would have expected just one week ago. It was definitely an adventure, but Prague is already so pretty. It was snowing again today! I am falling in love with snow, but maybe its just because I know I have nice, warm, and sunny Texas to return to.

I am looking forward to walking through Prague tomorrow and then getting to know Berlin better when I return Sunday night. Next week should be a great one!

Prague!

There is no way to describe the beauty I see on this train ride to Prague. The snow on the country side is absolutely beautiful. Yesterday, in Bonn, I was thinking that the city was pretty and quite large.

Dr. Wasser lectured the group over part two of the effects of Nazism to current ethical laws in medicine, a code that states that any experimentation is unethical without written consent, unworthy results, or other similar details. The most interesting fact is that the Nuremburg Code is not a law and cannot legally be enforced. The method of enforcement is through funding.

After the lecture, I realized that my eurail pass would not be arriving in time for my trip to Prague today, but so far, everything has worked out. If I can get a refund for the pass, I will be perfectly happy.

Arriving in Berlin from the shortest flight I have ever experienced, I stood in the coldest wind I have ever felt. Overcompensating for the cold, I overdressed for the New Years celebration and was quite warm. The Berlin festival was absolutely amazing. Even getting lost on the way home was an experience in itself.

happy new year

Sothe program began in Bonn and we had a really long day! The welcome dinner was good, it was at a traditional and historic restaurant in the city center of Bonn. It has been around since 1310 and Beethoven actually went there a lot! Beethoven was born here in Bonn. So we started off with a city tour of Bonn. Its incredible how much history there is in Germany. The city of Bonn is over 2000 years old, dating back to Roman times. We actually saw a roman heating system that they used to heat their buildings. It was an underground chamber where they would have a fire with vents leading out of it that would go through the walls and heat the building. Pretty impressive for 2000 years ago. After that we went to the museum in Bonn, which is the official history museum of Germany after the war. It was cool and the guide was really good. Its so interesting to learn about the rebuilding of Germany after the war and the profound effect that the 12 years of Hitlers rule had on the German people. The Germans spend a lot of time educating their youth and reminding themselves about it. The next day was also really busy. Breakfast at 7:30, and then we took the train to cologne and visited the anatomical museum at teh university of cologne medical school. They had some really nice cadavers there. Next we had a guided tour of the city of cologne and then visited the cathedral. This cathedral was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. It is not possible to describe in words how amazing it is. Not only is it huge, but the gothic architecture is incredible. The inside is just as impressive. Simply incredible and beautiful. It took over 600 years to build. After this we went to body worlds. Currently I am in Prague and looking forward to exploring the city tomorrow.

Wakey Wakey eggs and bakey

Gutenmorgen! Last night was New Year's Eve in Berlin. One word: amazing! That's the way the New Year should be rung in everywhere. It was truely an exprerience of a lifetime. People from everywhere in the world was gathered at the gate to celebrate the New Year with eachother. We met some aggies at one stand who said they were backpacking through Germany. When we first arrived in Berlin, I realized it was going to be a lot colder than Bonn. The scene was so pretty with the freshly fallen snow though. Today we are off to Prague for our first free weekend. It should be yet another exciting adventure. After that, we are back in Berlin for another couple of days. It should be freezing but really exciting.

Getting to Germany

I was very impressed on how easy it was to get to Germany, however it took me a few days to get past the jet lag. Both planes had minimal wait times while going through customs. So far everything has been really interesting and it has been pretty easy to get used to Bonn and finding your way around the town. The guided tour through the House of German History Museum was very interesting and the tour guide raised a lot of interesting questions that made you think hard about a lot of the policies in place today. I was unaware of sterilization policies, concerning mental and physical handicaps, in the U.S. and the influence that they had on Nazi policy. It was interesting to have a night out in Germany and to be able to compare it to similar situations in the US. While the cultures are different, there are more similarities than I had thought before I came.

The second day of the program was long, but was full of interesting tours and the city of Cologne was amazing. I like how convenient the public transportation system is here; the use of a car is completely eliminated. Between the subways and buses and the train system, you could travel anywhere in the city or surrounding cities quickly. The number of specimens at the anatomical collection at the Cologne Medical School was impressive and the different cuts were really cool. The Cologne cathedral was massive and ymade me feel like an ant when I was inside. I am looking forward to the next couple of days.

I'm Hot and You're Cold

My feelings are mixed about the weather here in Bonn. If it is not raining or windy, I have no problem with the weather and can even walk outside without a jacket. If it is only sprinkling, the weather feels way cooler.

Arriving from the airport, Dr. Wasser taught a few of us some important German vocabulary needed to survive in the country where Entschuldigung (excuse me) and können sie English (do you speak English) are the most important phrases.

The lectures from Dr. Wasser about German history are very interesting too. I really enjoy hypothesizing how my life would be different if Germany had won WWII. I know now that because my brother was born with cerebral palsy, he would have been killed at birth. The Nazi idea was that he is too much of a burden to society. I know that the Medicare and Medicade money comes from the people’s taxes, but I don’t think society is failing because of it.

Night comes at 4:30pm, which is crazy considering my usual sleep hours. In my opinion, the people of Bonn are very nice compared to the people of Texas. I just got back to the dorm from another night out in Bonn. Seeing an old friend was a real treat, and he really showed me a good time. He explained what some of the younger culture here in Germany really thinks about politics and world issues. I felt very knowledgeable when I already knew that the first time since WWII that anyone in Germany has ever flown a German flag was at last years World Cup.

Daniel Grunden

Days 1 and 2

Finally after the long plane ride we landed in Frankfut. From there we took a train into Bonn. The train ride in was my first time to be on a train and it was entirely along the Rhine River. The scenery along the river was pretty amazing. Once we finally got settled in we went to a Traditional German restaurant for dinner. I was really tired when I got back to my room, I was hoping that I would be able to sleep, unfortunately that wasn't the case.

I started the next day on maybe 3 to 4 hours of sleep. I knew that the very start that it was going to be long day. The day started with a tour of the city of Bonn and then a tour of the German history museum after 1945. The tour guide we had was about the most interesting tour guide I think I have ever had for any kind of tour. After a brief lecture, we got to go Ice skating. I finally got the hang of it again and was able not to fall which is very good.

I went to bed hoping that I would sleep better, but turns out that wasn't the case again. But more on that later. I hope by the end of this trip I will be able to speak a little German.

First Couple of Days

The last few days have been both exciting and tiring. The first day found me quite jet lagged, but fortunately the experience of the new country and beautiful city kept me awake. The entire country has been absolutely awesome so far, Bonn being no exception. After a genuine German dinner the first night, the first day started with a tour of the courtyard of Bonn. Dr. Ra's tour proved to be quite interesting, both funny and academically stimulating. The touch of humor helped in adding culture to the tour itself, especially when considering the fued between both sides of the Rhine that he continually addressed. The rivalry reminded me a lot of the relationship between tu and a&m.
After the tour, we went to a Doner and Falafel shop that was quite interesting. I realized that the water here was nearly always carbonated, something I'm not too fond of. I also realized that bring cash dollars on the trip was not the smartest decision I could have made. I wasn't aware that the exchange rate changed so much.
The tour through the history museum, however, was a really fun experience, especially considering our tour guide was exciting and quite unorthodox. The way he taught the material and got his points across really opened me up to understanding the culture of both Bonn and Germany as a whole. I especially loved how he attempted to get us outside of our comfort zones in order to make his points clear to us. He was also much more pro-America than I expected, a revelation I found quite comforting.
All in all, the first couple days were exhilarating and exhausting, but I liked every minute.

I made it to Germany

After an entire day of traveling, I am finally settled into my dorm in Bonn. The plane ride went well, even though it was 9 hours long. We left Sunday night, and I could see pretty night scenes in the US from my window seat. When we flew over England and Germany, there was still snow covering the ground in some places. It was the first time I had ever seen snow from a plane. We arrived in Frankfurt and took the train to Bonn. Its not too cold, but there hasn't been much sunshine yet...

Tonight we are going to a traditional German restaurant in Bonn. I'm excited to experience German food and culture for the first time. Tomorrow, the real program stuff begins. I am super excited!

Whoo!

I've arrived! After 13 hours of travelling, I'm finally here in Germany. It's really pretty. On the train ride from Frankfurt to Bonn, we saw castles built into the sides of mountains. It's not exactly what I expected, but better. Getting here wasn't as stressful as I thought it was going to be, but then again it's helpful to have Dr. Wasser on the same plane. Tonight we go eat with Olaf and other AIB people. I'm excited to actually get out into the country. I can't wait until tomorrow when we officially start the program.

YIKES and YAY!!!

Wow!! Germany!! I guess that's the first thought that comes to mind. I really don't know what to expect but I know exactly how I feel...anxious. This will be my first time out of the country and I've put so much effort towards preparing for the cold weather and the adventures ahead. The thought of a nine hour flight doesn't exactly excite me and I'm freaking out about transferring from the plane to a train in Frankfurt. I packed a German-English dictionary. I plan on looking up a few common words like 'food', 'bathroom', and 'thank you' so that I don't feel like a total dummy when trying to ask questions.

As of goals...academically, I plan on broading my understanding of medicine within another country than my own. Culturally, I hope to increase my understanding of the German culture and leave with a some knowledge of the German language. As tourist, I plan on taking as many pictures as possible, buying numerous souvenirs, and visiting as many cities as possible. All-in-all, I want to take this experience and use it in my future career as a possible medical doctor, but I also just want to have fun with my fellow classmates. My greatest concern as of now is missing my family and ensuring that I stay in contact with them as much as possible. But besides that, I'm ready for the adventures this trip has to offer.

Oh yeah...and I find out which medical school I matched to on January 6th. Exciting yet scary!! Wish me luck!!

Are We There Yet?

Throughout the fall semester I’ve been counting down the days until this trip. Now here it is: it‘s Christmas day and I’m sitting on a plane headed to London to spend a couple days there before going to Germany. I’ve been pretty privileged as far as traveling within the U.S. and to Mexico, but I’ve never been overseas to Europe. It all feels so surreal and that this really isn’t happening. I cannot even explain my excitement, but I’m just as nervous. I’ve never ridden a plane longer than about 4 hours, and never over water for so long. The other main thing I’m nervous about is our free weekends- I don’t want to get lost or go to an unsafe area. I’m also hoping that the language barrier won’t be too complicated, especially when in Paris and Prague.

As far as what I expect out of the program, I’m not exactly sure. I love trying new foods, seeing important landmarks and learning about new cultures so I‘m planning on going in with an open mind.. I’m hoping that I will learn something about the German medical field in which I can use in my future career. Also, I’m hoping that this study abroad program will bring me some inspiration or direction to help me decide which career path to choose. I know for sure I want to be involved in the medical field, but I haven’t made up my mind about which way to do this. Maybe this trip will open my eyes to something I didn’t even know existed.

I can’t believe I get to spend my winter break with two of my best friends visiting hospitals, going to museums, and so much more. Not many people can say they had an opportunity like this. Though I’ve been running around getting ready for this trip during the few days I was home, and we won’t have much “down” time during the program, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’d like to get to know the other students going on the trip as well the many coordinators who have helped plan this trip. It will be weird not being to pick up the phone to call my parents, do laundry whenever I wish, and use the various amenities I use on a daily basis like my hair straightener! I really hope I didn’t overpack, because I tend to do that, but I guess it’s too late to change that!

Because I know they’re going to be reading this, I’d like to thank my parents in advance of this trip for helping me prepare for this trip and doing everything they can to get me on this plane and overseas to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity. 4 hours until we land in London! It’s probably a good idea to sleep now.

Pre-trip thoughts

Today is Christmas, two days before I leave to Germany for three weeks. I still have not packed everything, and I still have to go fight the day after Christmas shopping mob in order to buy some last minute things that I will need.

As of now I am still deciding on what I am going to read on the flight over there, it seems that I only really read these days when I am on a plane. I am very much looking forward to the trip, I feel that it will be a very significant experience in my life. Its been kind of funny because on these days leading up to the trip people keep asking me what we are learning about on the trip or what are my school work is. I honestly tell them that I don't know, other than what I have read from the itinerary. I am looking forward to being presently surprised at each museum, exhibit or medical school.

I am a little nervous about being in another culture for that long. Anytime you go somewhere and don't know the language or the customs, I think it is understandable to be a little hesitant. At the same time I am excited to to another country. I think three weeks is a good amount of time for me. I know I won't get to see everything but I do feel it will be enough to satisfy my curiosity. For once I will I get good use out of my camera, that I got as a graduation present. Overall I think this trip will exceed any expectations that I have for it.

As a side note, for some reason I am extremely excited about going to a zoo and getting to ice skate.

- Nick Bacica

Merry Christmas!

Although I sit here on Christmas Day nervous and worried about traveling to Germany in the middle of an ice cold winter, I somehow wish December 27th could come more quickly. This is the first time I will ever experience temperatures this cold for such an extended period of time. Usually, in Texas, it’s below zero for two days out of the year and then winter is over, and today’s high in Germany is only 5 degrees Celsius. Saying the degrees in Celsius makes it seem that much colder, temperatures more suitable for SNOW! My excitement for snow almost parallels that of what I feel for visiting the universities, museums, and hospitals. Hopefully, I will get to see what knew breakthroughs are being developed in cardiovascular health. Open heart surgery will be awesome too, not for the patient, but awesome nevertheless.

Since I am part German, I am looking forward to learning the culture and at least a bit of the language. Plus, I just found out today that a foreign exchange student from my high school actually LIVES in Bonn. How exciting would it be if he showed us some nightlife?!? Finally, the free weekends will be an added adventure all by themselves. Visiting Prague has been a dream of my entire family. Since I am half Czechoslovakian, my grandmother wants me to look up some Jaseks or Smesnies (my relatives) in the phonebook and say “jak se mas!”

My worrisome mother hopes I don’t star in Taken 2. I hope I learn all I can and have a journey of a lifetime!

Daniel Grunden

germany!

France is the only european country that I have visited, in fact I am there right now, so it will be a good experience to be able to see the culture of a different european country like germany. I look forward to meeting the german people and visiting all the historic sites and medical institutions that we are traveling to. There will be so much to learn and see. Not many people get to meet doctors and watch them do surgeries in another country. It will also be interesting to see how medicine grew to what it is today and how it compares to the United States.It will also be a growing experience to have so much independance in a foreign country. We will learn a lot on this trip traveling together on the weekends to Austria and Paris and im sure we will all become good friends. Looking forward to seeing the opera in Vienna. Sounds classy.

-Samy Bendjemil

Expectations

I'm so excited and nervous for this trip all at the same time. I have lived in Texas my whole life and haven't really traveled to many other places, so it is definitely going to be something new to me. One reason that I was really excited about this trip was because my Grandpa fought in World War II over in Germany, and told me countless stories growing up about his time over there. So, I was really looking forward to going over there and visiting places he went and being able to come back to the states to share it all with him. Well, sadly my grandpa passed away about three weeks ago, so now getting to visit Germany is something that is going to be very special for me. I am also looking forward to experiencing new languages, culture and the fascinating history surrounding every place we go. 

Getting packed up and making sure I have everything ready is a lot harder than I expected. I am a planner and do not do well with out set tasks and plans. Therefore for every free weekend I have mapped out the top ten places to visit how to get there and the stops on the different tubes. The tubes in Europe are so different then how transportation works in America, so I am interested to see how it all works out. 

I leave for London tomorrow with Joanna and Janelle. Can't wait to be over there :)

Waiting to Leave

It's Christmas Eve and my head is filled with excitement and anticipation of, not Christmas, but the 27th of December. Three days from now, I fly out of Texas and head to Germany. I'm both extremely excited and nervous at the thought of the journey ahead. I'm worried about the regular ordeals of long distance trips like getting lost, not packing enough or the right kind of clothes, or coming down with some weird disease while I'm half way across the world. The overwhelming sense of anticipation of all the new experiences I will encounter while in Germany hides any fear or lingering anxieties. I can't wait to be in a place so rich in history and culture. I know I will learn a vast amount of knowledge about the world and its medicine while on the trip, but I also hope to grasp a greater understanding of myself. I hope to meet many new people and learn from them as well. I have tried to brush up on my German in preparation for the trip, but I'm not promising anything too spectacular. I am extremely nervous, yet excited for all the new adventures and experiences that await me in Germany.
Bis Dann!

Jenn King