Intelligent Design Lecture

The lecture today on intelligent design was great. I felt like Dr. baxter did an excellent job of presenting the various arguements, using simple examples and expanding them to a bigger picture. It was also very interesting to hear a philosophical debate on a subject that had such strong religious implications without religion itself ever become the primary focus. I am fascinated by the fundamental issues thta were presented that a thought to be the reasons why people have to such a great extent adopted a form of religious belief and also have personified the "creator" of our universe.

With all the formal trips and lectures over now, I am impressed at how much information, from a vast array of topics, that I have picked up without really any studying at all beyond one quick paper.

Thanks, Dusseldorf, Thanks Host Family.

the last day in dusseldorf, or should I say the last night in dusseldorf was really nice. I spent a good amount of time in the AIB writting my paper, hoping I could finish it around 4 or 5 pm which I did get done. My host family that last fixed me really nice dinner and gave me some presents... I was really superized. Inthe present was.... Dusseldorfs shot Drink.... Kiilapich (hope the spell is correct) and a Germany Soocer team rist band. It was really nice of them to do this for me, I was moved by this... I think I really got a great host family!!! I highlly recomend this Family!!! The Biabki family!!!!! the best cooks ever in town!!!! great meals.!!!!
The next day, my host mom, was trying to not to cry.... she looked at me in the moring before she left for work and said.... Mas, Im not good at long term good byes .... So Im just going to say a short goodbye and hope to see you soon!! It was hard for me not to cry as well at this point.... It was very moving for me... such a nice family. well, I told her that I will try to come back in two years so I will see you than... . She was happy to hear that. I hope i can fulfill this task!! WELL I HAVE TO GO NOW; SINCE iM RUNNIG OUT OF TIME::: AND i AM MEETING SOME PEOPLE; iLL TALK TO Yall LATER!!! CIAO!!

Last day reflections

So I was happy that the program ended on a medical note! The school was really neat and the leacture in the great hall was pretty cool as well. All the specimens were interesting to look at. There were things that you do not get a chance to see anymore... which is a good thing because of the progression of medicine. Also Berlin is nice, not what I expected. I expected it to be more busy, more of a night life. I like going out with the friends I made here, we all had a great time... for the most part. I am sad I am leaving but I miss my apartment and can not wait to go back to not having a roommate or living out of a suitcase. As for things that happened last night I am sad to see that some people will never really grow up. O the stories I will have to tell when I return!!

For a 100 years, The best Ice-cream place in Düssledorf.

I have meaning to write about this for a while now. Sorry its late.
I have had the best ice-cream in Dusseldorf. the shop is small and it dosent look new at all, or any thing special. I was first introdusted to it, by my host-families Son which is 24 years old, and his Girl-Friend. The ice-cream place is south of Dusseldorf. The shope has a tradition. Mathas ( the son) toled me that, it is the oldest place in Dusseldorf to serve ice-cream. It said that it serves ice-cream as it did 100 years ago... the same way, the same tase...everything the same. Well, about the tast..... thats the most important.... ..well Im going to put it this way,..... it was to die for...the nut flaver is amazing.... I have never had such a tast... Sorry guys, but I wish I could tell you how good it was.... really!!! I am not really in to sweets, or ice-cream, but in this case.. I was wrong... ahhhh, I want some now since Im writing about this.
If I do came back to europe, I know for sure that, this place is one of my stops....haha.
If anyone is interested I can give you directions. I would give the directions now, but since I dont have a Dusseldorf map with me at the moment.. its kindda hard to do so.... so, if you are interested.. ask me, and I will give who ever is interested directions.

The end is near

Berlin is so amazing. I am still in awe that I stood where the Berlin wall used to be. People died trying to get across and now (which no-one thought would happen in their lifetime) anyone and everyone can walk across it freely. Going home home tomorrow is going to be really tough, and getting back to my life will be overwelming. Already I have so many things planned when I get back that there will be no time to rest. Moving in and starting school will be exciting yet not the same excitement as seeing the world. All the great friends and memories that were made in Europe will always be cherished.

I'm screaming in the rain

Today was quite a day in good 'ole Berlin. Kristin, Mel, Sarah, Kit and I headed to the german zoo this afternoon and found ourselves in the middle of a rainstorm before we knew it. You might be surprised how much fun you can have in a rainy zoo. We sang musicals, tumbled down wet slides and had a t-shirt contest. Such fun. Last night was a great one too. After the program let out, our little group went out for chinese (the food, not the people) and stumbled across a carnival on the way back to the hotel. Kristin, Mel and myself were the only ones who would ride, but it was really great. Here are some quotes and tips.

Kit: I've always been ballsy...you've just never seen.

Kit: I always thought that kissing a girl would be better. Logically, don't they have softer lips?

Stuart: I love German carnivals... no clowns!

Sarah: I don't do collapsable rides, especially in Germany where I don't understand the legal ramifications.

Tip: Don't eat mexican food in Germany. Duh.

Tip: Don't visit the zoo on a cloudy day.

I got to see the seals

So today we decided to go to a german mexican restaurant, and let me tell you don't try it. The salsa was hot and the food was bland. Also another tidbit of information, if it looks cloudy outside don't go to the zoo. There is little shade around there. All in all I had a fun day, I got to see the seals and elephants. Tonight we are supposed to go to a kareoke bar, and I will blog about it next time.

Holucast Museum...

This isn't going to be a long blog like the rest. A few of us went to the Holucast Museum in Berlin today and I've never before felt the past weigh down so heavily on me. Walking down the steps into the underground museum, I felt as if the 2,711 8 ton concrete blocks above me were riding my shoulders down into the darkness. The stories, the letters, and the names are so vivid in my mind right now. I've learned about the Holucast my entire life and had two tours of Dachau, but this was an entirely different experience. A tour guide would have ruined the feeling of solitude needed to appreciate this. This was something you had to do on your own. It was silent and you just knew everyone around you was thinking the same thing. I can only speak for myself but there was a whole flood of emotions running through me: anger, disbelief, hopelessness, sorrow, pain, isolation, confusion, and finally guilt. All I could think was, "this should have never happened," and "God, why are humans so utterly cruel?". These lost lives can never be avenged, only remembered and learned from.

Host families are wonderful

My host family was great from the very beginning. The food provided was not exactly filling as they normally ate bread and tomatoes for dinner, but it's what they do and I needed to learn to appreciate that. I got kind of angry in the middle of the program because they wouldn't discipline their children and they gave them everything, but again I had to understand that they aren't my children and it's not my place to tell the parents how they should be raised. My host mom, who started out energetic and happy, began to get really tired and stressed out by the end. I was rarely there and didn't bother her at all so I knew she wasn't angry with me, but at times it felt like she didn't want me there. In the end though, I realized how unusually hot it was outside and she had to spend the entire day taking care of two kids who don't listen very well. I can definitely appreciate her frustration. On the last day she started to choke up and cry when I was bidding the family farewell. I know now that she got attached and that they absolutely wanted me there the entire time. I had to think of it in terms of, "if they came to my house when my brothers and I were growing up I'm sure they would have thought my parents were frustrated and out of control." I definitely enjoyed the experience and thank them so much for their hospitality and acceptance into their home. They are two great people and I hope they continue to take students in the future. Rock on Familie Nunning!!

Berlin & Some Cultural Issues...

Berlin seems, a least so far, to be a very interesting city. I like the way that the city has been rebuilt, preserving aspects of old architecture mixed in with several more modern looking designs. This could be seen right away if you were to compare the style of the new Hbf and the old government buildings. The weather has been beautiful, making it enjoyable to jsut walk around and see the city, as we did last night. Cafe Moscow was a smashing success, and I would highly reccommend it to anyone who has not yet been.

And now a few Random issues that I have noticed over the last week or so...
-German timeliness? really as far as I can tell this does not apply to the intercity transit. In the last 3 weeks I think every train Kyle and I have taken has been late to varying degrees. The public transportation is great, but when a train is supposedto leave at 3 in the morning, what excuse is there for it being late? traffic maybe?

-Translations on the trains. I have by no means mastered the German language, but I'm pretty sure that speaking for 5 minutes in German doesnt translate to "Dusseldorf Hbf". If thats the translation I get, I would almost rather not have one at all. The fake translation just feels like I'm being mocked.

-I don't know anything about my host family. A lot of people seemed to have the emotional departure before we left for Berlin, and a nice farewell dinner on Monday night. Kyle and I got soup by ourselves and as usual did not see anyone from our host family the morning we left. Somehow this was fitting when considering the experience up to that point. They were very nice, but the complete inability to carry on a conversation kept us from forming any kind of bond with the family, and it is a shame because they were all extremely nice people (at least as far as we could gather, but who knows what they were saying about us).

My boyfriend needs to learn German!!!!!

Getting your hair cut in Europe is an expeirence many say you should not miss while you are here. Even my girlfriend's mom, who happens to be a hairstylist, said that I shouldn't pass up the opportunity because they're techniques and schooling is much better than that of the U.S. So I got my haircut in a small town in Switzerland a month ago and it was amazing. Because it was getting kind of shaggy and I need to look my best for Stacey when I get off the plane I decided to hit up this pretty posh looking establishment in D-Dorf. Mas has a girlfriend as well and because he needed to be presentable he accompanied me to the hair salon. Upon entering the salon I saw three or four very young and very attractive young ladies all either cutting hair or waiting to cut hair. So after we get seated on different floors of this place, we are directed to separate hair washing areas and put under the water. The TOP LADY at this place who was not young and not attractive overhears Mas struggling to communicate with his hairstylist and decides to approach me. She looks down at me as the girl is washing my hair and says laughingly, "You're boyfriend needs to learn German!" WTF????? Obviously I was stunned and after explaining to everyone in the store that we were NOT gay still felt the need to pull out a picture of Stacey and tell them all "look, I have a girlfriend." Anyway, I guess they saw two young guys walking into a salon that was going to cost more than 10 Euro and decided it was only appropriate we were dating. No damage done to our egos and our hair turned out well. All in all, it was just another day in the crazy world of Texas A&M guys being mistaken for something we're not.

Coppenhagen.

Coppenahgen was a beautiful place to visit, in several differnt ways. The people are extremely friendly, and it is obvious that they are truly kind people, not just putting on an act to keep the tourism flowing. On Saturday we went to a beach and enjoyed the scenery. Then we were walking back towards the town and meet some crazy Russian girls in a park. That was an experience. The language barrier caused some miscommunication and at one point I was honestly slightly concerned about my personal safety. These girls were way more blunt and harsh than every German I've met. They also smoked more, and drank more vodka (as expected), than I previously thought was possible in such a short amount of time. Anyway, they left and we went to a casual establishment for a bit to drink. $9 each for two house beers? unbelievable.
On Sunday we tried to take a bus tour around the city...30 minutes and half a mile later we were kicked off by the driver who said due to construction we had to walk around and he would pick everyone up in one hour. (This was only after an obsurd dispute among tourists about whether or not the tarp should be closed on the top of the bus. This time I was actually embarrassed by tourists I didn't know´, a slight difference from the typical day on this trip.) He didn't pick us up as he claimed he would, and we had no way to get our money back, but on the walk back towards the train station, Kyle and I stumbled across a triathlon and watched it for a little while. These people were amazing athletes. Ironically enough the day we got back I had recieved an e-mail from my friend reminding me that I need to sign up for a triathlon that is only about a month after we get back to Texas. It should be very interesting because I am in no kind of shape for that right now.

Go to Denmark if you ever have a chance.

Berlin

Greetings from Berlin! We made it to Berlin after a long train ride, with a lot of suitcases! Monday was our last class day, and we just had a cultural studies lecture, a group discussion, and evaluations. After that, Chrissy and I went to the Aldstadt to shop a bit, and I got a new book for the plane ride home. Monday night I packed, and I was sorry to say goodbye to my host family. They have been so nice to me, and I will miss them. They even got me some candies and shower gel. Very nice. Tuesday morning, my host mother took me to the train station, and despite lots of traffic from the Tour de Berlin, we made it there! When we arrived in Berlin, we grabbed lunch, then headed on a bus tour of the city. We walked through the Bradenburg gate and by the Reichstag and the Holocaust Memorial, and then bussed through the rest of the city. We got to see a portion of the Wall that was still intact. That evening, a group of us went to a lovely Spanish-German restaurant near our hotel. I enjoyed my dinner, and had quite a bit of Sangria...Anyway, we got back early and went to bed. Karen helped me move my bed into her room, and so there's five of us staying in a tiny room...hahah! Today we toured the Museum Charite, which is this old medical museum. I loved the pathology area, so much preserved stuff! Also, there was an exhibit on synthetic body parts, very cool. I really enjoyed this part. We had sushi for lunch, then went off in pursuit of the Birkenstock store, which we found. I bought really cute clogs- I'll show them off when I get home! Tonight we're going to dinner at this restaurant that simulates being blind, basically its all dark. Very strange. I think it will be an experience. After that, we might try to find a pub crawl, since its our last night all together. Tomorrow is our bike tour, then I fly back to Duesseldorf. I can't believe how quickly this trip has gone by, but I am missing everyone at home. See you soon! Tschuss!

The Hills are Alive...

This past weekend, Katie, Robin, and I went to Salzburg--the salt castle. This trip was by far the most relaxing of all our trips, but it may have been the most expensive. We bought the Salzburg card, which allowed us to see most of the tourist sites for free and have free public transportation. So, of course we tried to get our money's worth by seeing every site possible without rushing. We went up to see the fortress and went to a cool marionette museum up there. We really wanted to go see a marionette play, but there were none going on while we were there. We also saw the residence of the prince-bishops, the Dom cathedral, the Mirabell Gardens, Motzart's two houses (his birth house and the one he lived in after he was born), and St. Peter's cemetary and catacombs. When we went up to the fortress we took the funicular up because the walk would have been horrible. On the way down, however, we decided to walk across the mountain to the modern art museum and go down its elevator. The walk over there was really pretty and a lot of fun!! I really enjoyed the mirabell gardens also, especially the gnome garden!! The gnomes were funny looking, but what was even stranger was this bunch of guys having a picnic in drag!! They were weird!!

The thing I was most looking forward to on this trip was the Sound of Music tour! We went on Saturday morning after watching the movie Friday night at our hostel. The tour was so good and our tour guide was really funny! We all sang along to the songs in the movie while we were on the bus! The day we went, however, it was raining, but we managed to stay dry and still enjoyed ourselves! We got to see many different locations that were used in the movie and some that were made into hollywood sets. It will be so exciting now when I watch the movie because I will recognize places and be able to say that I was there!

The Salzburg festival was going on while we were there, and we decided to buy tickets to a concert in the fortress. The quartet played pieces by Motzart and Dvorak and the concert was wonderful!! I was so angry after I had to pay to take the funicular up to go to a concert I already paid for, but after the concert I didn't care any more because it was well worth it! Also while we were down in town we stopped and listened to this quartet of boys playing pieces by Motzart out in Motzart Platz. The other day, there was also a Canadian marching band out in the platz. Their uniforms consisted of cowboy hats, huge beltbuckles, and cowboy boots, but they were not from Texas! Listening to them play made me remember my highschool band years when I used to play the same songs they were playing! It made me miss those fun times!!

Another fun part of this trip was the hostel. We stayed in an 8 bed all girls dorm room, and we had the coolest roomates ever! It was funny because we all spoke English, but with different accents. There was a girl from Canada who was really nice, but was only there for a little bit. The people we talked to the most were these two girls from Australia, who went on the tour with us, and another two girls from England. They were all so nice and I had a great time talking with all of them and learning about where they are from. From a conversation we had, I had to figure out that a boot is the trunk of a car and an areial is an antennae! Also fannypack is not a good word in England!! We also talked to another girl from Australia who was living in England. Her name was Gabby and that name suited her so well! She loved to talk and she would talk so fast that it made it so much fun just to listen to her talk! She was hilarious in a sarcastic sort of way, and it was funny to hear her use the f word so casually in her conversations--it actually made them even more entertaining!! Anyways, I had a great time in Salzburg-it was definitely a good trip to save for last!!

Can't wait to get home to my Camaro

I mean Ford, oops. Though I've really enjoyed Düsseldorf, I decided this weekend that I was ready to go home.

I've really liked having public transportation - I mean, not having to drive everywhere, I haven't been using gas, and I don't really have to worry about getting lost on foreign roads, I just have to make sure I exit at the right stop. At the same time, it has been frustrating dealing with the transportation system without understanding German. It's unbelievably scary to hear an announcement in German and have no idea what it has said - is the train still going the right way, etc? I never really know, and that has come to be a problem more than once. I must have asked one of the conductors on the train this weekend about 5 different questions pertaining to am I on the right train, does this train stop in Dusseldorf, which stop in Dusseldorf will it make, etc. There is also the problem of promptness of the train. It is usually quite prompt, causing me to run to my stop or miss a train when I'm late. But it seems that invariably if it is important to arrive somewhere on time or make a connection, the train is late. The train that was supposed to pick me up at 1 in the morning this weekend didn't end up coming until 3:20. I was so scared, and cold at that point.

i love my host family to death - they've been really great, always making sure that I've got whatever I need. Alexander came in today and asked for something to the gist of a heart candy I figured out, at which point I promptly handed over my strawberry gummies that I had left from last week. It has been great interacting with small kids on a daily basis, even if we do have language problems. Kerstin has done my laundry twice - something I'm not at all used to at home or school. Then again, I'm tired of living out of a suitcase all the time, and also of feeling like a visitor, even as welcome as Kerstin and Max have made me feel. I'm ready to get back to my own bed, if only for about 5 days.

I'm also ready to get back to the dependably hot Texas weather. Here in Germany, it has been unbearably hot in the day time with bearably warm nights. But there is no AC, so even the Germans end up sweating a lot. Kerstin said its been the hottest summer since 1900 or something like that this morning. But then again, this weekend, the weather was drizzy and got cold. So now its really really nice, quite cool during the day, its just gorgeous! If only the change had happened 3 weeks ago.


I also can't wait to see my family and friends. I have a new cousin who is almost a month old by the time i get back, and I've never seen him. I get to return to a family reunion and then to school quite quickly so that will soon be resolved. And although I haven't been good about writing to my friends and family, I have really missed them this month.

I'll miss Germany, but at the same time, I am prepared to return to Texas in four days.

Roman Holiday

So this is definitely a little late, but I have to write about Rome! It was my favorite weekend trip by far even though it was exhausting! It started with a train ride that I was sure we were going to kicked off of, but we made it to Rome without any problems. The Colosseum was so cool, and we found the ATM carved in there...which we took pictures with. I think its funny that someone did that but at the same time I feel bad that they graffitied a historical monument. I guess everyone else carves their name in it too, but its still bad. Then we went to the Roman Forum and dwelt as the Romans did back in the day. That night we ate dinner at the best restaurant ever! We asked for lots of ice and they gave us an entire bowl full of it! We took pictures because we were so excited! The waiter thought we were crazy. The next day was the Vatican and all I can say is AMAZING! It was more beautiful than I ever imagined. Sunday we went to a beach in Rome with no towels or sunscreen...we were very unprepared. We had to lay out in the sand and I got burnt and also had to deal with sand in my hair all the way back to Dusseldorf. It was pretty gross, but the beach was definitely worth it. I really have to go back to Rome someday, hopefully someday soon.

I wish my life was a musical.....

ok its true. I really do wish my life was a musical because then at the exact right time the perfect song would come on and everyone would sing and dance to it. It sure would be exciting!
anyways, now that I am so close to the end of the trip my sadness has gone away and I am just anxious to get home. I have so much to do when I get back! I need to see my family, my boyfriend, my babies at church, plus I have to move into a new apt in College Station, go on medical school interviews, get prepared for work week, do recruitment, and then start classes. And in all of that I have to get furniture for my unfurnished apartment. I think I might be sleeping on the couch for a while :) Oh and for those of you following the suit drama, I did find a suit this weekend with my host mom. I think its pretty nice, now all I need are shoes and a blouse. Hopefully I will be able to find that this weekend for TAX FREE shopping in Texas!
So for our last lunch in Duesseldorf Kristen, Melissa, Stuart, Kit and I all decided to go to Eigelstein's (the nearby bar and eaterly with nice looking male German waiters) for lunch. Dr. Musser walked by and we asked him to eat with us and he did. He has really been a ton of fun on this trip. And he loves cows more than anyone I know. Derrick also walked by and we insisted that he sit and eat with us because he was 2 hours late to class so of course he had to tell us the story of why. I had a baked potato with Ranch like dressing and salmon. Yeah strange but it was really good anyway. Lunch was a ton of fun. I really do love this group. Unfortunately we had a girl waitress but she was nice and told us what the menu said because it was all German. Tomorrow we leave for Berlin, and though I will really miss my host family, I am ready to continue my journey. So Duesseldorf, untill we meet again.....Tschuss!!!!

Maybe put put's just not your game Stuart...I know, lets have a spelling contest.

Berchtesgaden...what can I say? I don't know whether I have ever experienced so much magnificent and natural beauty within the span of two days before. A tny little town tucked away in the Bavarian Alps and surrounded by clean air, majestic mountains that seem to reach to heaven, the clearest water that you've ever seen and beir gartens to content even the hardest core of drunkards.
When I arrived early on Saturday it was unfortunately rainy and cloudy throughout the skys. I went to visit the Eagle's Nest anyway and the ride up the mountain felt like ascending into heaven. I suppose that's a little ironic, but it is what it is. The spectacular views from the top were overwhelming and for the first time since I've been in Germany, I was not in want of an air conditioner. It was quite cool up there and from one point you could even see Salzburg from the top of that great mountain. I met a strange little man named Denny from Belgium on the way and we ended up spending our time at the Kehlstein house together. Both the interior and the exterior of the house seemed strikingly simple, but the manner in which the hous was built and the location marks it as an architectural triumph in my book. Riding in the golden elevator was exciting and the walk down the hillside to the bus parking lot was one of my favorite parts.
Later that night, I went to play put put all by myself (thank God) at an adoreable little outdoor course lit up with lamposts. There are some things to which I do not profess to be an expert, and golf is certainly one of them. I shot a hole in one and a hole in 51, which I thought kind of canceled each other out, but the lady working at the course was not of the same opinion. I asked her for a calculator and she asked me if my score card was a joke. She said "in Europe, we do not count the shots if we don't make the hole within six tries", to which I replied that I just don't like to give up.
Sunday was a beautiful day from start to finish and the first thing I did was catch a bus to Mount Jenner where I took a 30 minute gondola ride up to the top to see some of the most breath-taking scenery imaginable. Now I can say that I climbed a mountain (omiting some of the truth never hurt anybody).
After spending a few hours in the mountains I went to Lake Konigssee, the clearest, cleanest little body of water I ever saw. The shallow parts were like lookng into a mirror while the deeper parts were emerald green. I took a wonderful boat trip to the peninsula of Saint Bartholoma and peeked inside the church before drowning myself in beer. I went wading through the lake waters, bathing in the sun and just enjoyed every minute.

Random: Nicknames and Quotes

Nicknames:
Dr. Wasser-----Dr. Water (WITH GAS)
Dr. Musser-----Sparta
Karen---------Ice
Kellie---------M&M
Sarah---------Sugar lips
Erin----------Flasher
Becca--------Spicy 9
Derek--------Super Human
Stuart--------MIA
Robin--------Europause
Kathy--------Shelf
Kristen-------Heineken Experience
Regina-------GPS
Greg---------Bag Man

(if I missed any PLEASE let me know)

Quotes:

"I always feel short until I go to church" -Karen

"Do the rope! Do the rope!" -Erin

"Praha means Sun in Czech that's why it's so BLASTEN hot!" -unknown but accepted by all!!

so blasted many bagels

We found bagels in Prague for 9 Crowns each (about 30 Euro cents). It was at a place called Bohemia Bagels so we were all excited about a Bohemian place. And of course, our bike tour guide later suggests the place if we want an American breakfast. Go figure.

Sunday was all bagels all the time. Kellie bought a dozen of them. A couple of them were garlic so it made it seem like everything in Prague smelled like garlic and/or bagel.

Kellie and I left before everyone else because we had different train tickets. We ate some bagels, got sick of smelling bagels, took a nap, changed trains, and took pictures with the bagels.

By the way, there's more than just bagels in Prague.