Journal Update On January 2, 2008

Day 1 – December 25th
Wow this is Christmas day! Today at 10:55 am my plane will depart from Dallas, Fort Worth Airport for Dusseldorf Germany. Last night after packing, I couldn’t fall asleep because of the excitement. Speaking of packing, I think I over-packed. Actually, I am sure I over-packed as I am a chronic over-packer. Let’s see, I packed a lap top, power converter, extension cord, and mp3 player in addition to the clothes I packed. In total, I have one luggage and 2 carry-ons (a lap top bag and back pack). I think the bulk of it is clothes because I wanted to have multiple layers in Germany’s weather. This means I packed some kind of undershirt, a normal t-shirt, and a sweater to go over that. With my coat, I should have 4 layers of clothing. This is my first time in Europe and so I am excitedly waiting at the airport. Yesterday night, I printed all the documents I thought I needed including some German Language reading. I am hoping to study them on the plane as well as to listen to the audio on my mp3 player. I will be arriving a day ahead of the whole group and so it will be interesting to find out how I do on my own for the first day. I am not well-traveled, so I am excited although somewhat unsure of what will happen today. Anyways, that’s it for this entry.

Day 3 – December 27th
I arrived yesterday around 12:00 pm local time in Dusseldorf and everyone else arrived around 1:00 pm today local time. Breakfast consisted of various cold cuts of pork meats and cheeses. There was also yogurt and granola cereals, hard boiled eggs, and various breads. Stefie and Dr. Wasser took us on a tour of Dusseldorf mostly around the Media Harbor area close to where AIB Headquarters in Dusseldorf is. We saw the Rhine Tower and also the Rhine River. From the tower we saw the cityscape of Dusseldorf, and the view was fantastic. The tower is also a digital clock. Afterwards, we had dinner together at Schwann paid by Dr. Wasser, and I had my first Schnitzel. Schnitzel is a breaded pork chop with various sauces and garnishes. It was delicious. The hotel accommodations at CVJM near the main train station are excellent. The restrooms are real clean even though the room itself is small. The public art of this city is different from the very practical cities of the United States, and I like it. Lastly, the public transportation here is amazing. You can get within a short walk of anyplace you want to in the city by either taking the train, subway, or bus. I look forward to my next entry!

Day 4 – December 28th – Today we had our tour of Cologne. We got there by train in about 20 minutes. I love how fast we can get to a new city! We had a tour of the Cologne zoo and got to see sunbears, elephants, apes, and much more. I learned a lot about animal training from the elephant trainer. We then had our tour of Cologne as a city. Cologne literally sits upon its history as below the city everywhere are artifacts. We saw the Cologne Cathedral where the remains of the Three Wise Men lay. We also saw a cleansing bath in the old Jewish quarter. It is very deep because it uses ground water to cleanse instead of a well. We also visited a German-Roman history museum after the tour of the city. We then went to a famous brewery in Cologne and I had 2 glasses of kölnich paid by Dr. Wasser. The beer is top fermented instead of the usual bottom fermented and has very little bitter taste I have experienced with other beers. After returning by train to Dusseldorf, we then went to celebrate Lacy’s birthday in Alstadt region of Dusseldorf which is known for its many bars and restaurants. I had another schnitzel for dinner at a bar/restaurant. We then also went out for a couple more drinks. I then returned back to sleep and also write this entry.

Day 5 –December 29th
Today was a lecture day at the AIB Headquarters. We talked about first the history of medicine and about the Nazi eugenics program. Even though I was somewhat tired, I thoroughly enjoyed the lecture and stayed awake the whole time. Dr. Wasser’s insight on both subjects, but especially the Nazi eugenics program made the lecture informative and interesting. Afterwards, I retired back to the Hotel CVJM and grabbed a Turkish döner. I had the non-tasch one, meaning the one not in sandwich form. A döner is basically lamb or chicken meat shaved off a huge spit of meat. The meal was delicious. I then slept from about 2-6 pm and awakened to Yao’s phone call to my room. We then returned to Alstadt and walked around in search of the others. We met Nancy and Courtney and joined them. We saw a basilica and took pictures. We then returned to the main train station. I was hungry and so had a curry wurst which is basically the German bratwurst in a curry-powder sweet sauce. Later, around 10:30 pm, I had another Turkish dish, their pizza. This is actually more of burrito or fajita than a pizza as it is rolled up. Although both Turkish dishes I tried today were delicious, I found the Turkish pizza to be the favored of the two. That’s It for this entry. Tomorrow we head off on a high-speed train to Berlin!

Day 6 – December 30th
We departed at 8:53 am for Berlin from Dusseldorf by high speed train. It took a little over 4 hours to get to Berlin. Upon arrival, we checked into Hotel Amelie, but as they weren’t ready for us, we went to have some Italian food at a nearby Italian Restaurant. I had rigatoni casa which was very lecker (delicious). The waiter was also very nice. After that, we checked in. I was in a triple this time with Yao and Andy. We then got free time. We went as a group to the Berlin Wall. We then went to Alexanderplatz area to look at the shops in the train station which is basically equivalent to a mall. We then visited a jazz club and had a few drinks. As this was my first time at a jazz club, it was quite the experience. Its harder to find such clubs back where I live in the states. We then headed back to the hotel, but stopped for döners and pizzas at a place along the way. That’s it for this entry.

Day 7 – December 31stToday is New Year’s Eve! I got up and ate breakfast, which is similar to that served at the CVJM Hotel. Then , I headed to the internet café to post my entries, but could not find the usb adapter. Then, with Yao, Courtney, and Nancy, we headed out for sightseeing. We first visited Checkpoint Charlie. It had many historical billboards set up so we could understand the significance f each of the locations. There were some supposed Bosnians soliciting money there. I gave them some euros, but I am never too sure whether I am being duped by beggars. So, back to the sightseeing. We headed to the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, but it looked to crowded and so we opted to skip it for today. We then headed to the Charlottenburg Palace. We had a guided tour by recording through the palace. Unfortunately, there was no photography, so its all in this mind. The two most significant items of interest was first the picture of Napoleon on a horse. Yes, that one that’s always in the textbooks. The next one is the picture of Napoleon as Caesar. I was particularly impressed by the one with Napoleon on horseback. The picture is much larger than I imagined it. The colors are much better in person and the size really helps to set an atmosphere of grandeur. It is a must-see when going to Berlin. We then returned at 4:00 for an hour lecture about EU and euthanasia. It was quite interesting comparing German policies towards euthanasia against those of other European countries. After lecture, I napped until around seven. We then got up for the New Year’s Eve celebration at the Brandenburg gate.. In Berlin, the celebration is a big deal. Fireworks are shot off in the streets and stalls are set up with food, alcoholic drinks, and clothing. I had gluwein, which is a hot red wine. I also had a berlinerweiser, which is a beer with syrup in it. The bratwurst from the stands was vielen lecker (very delicious ). The fireworks set off at midnight were particularly spectacular. The New Year’s Eve celebration in Berlin is the most exciting one I have ever been to! Being tired, however, some of the group and I then turned out early.