Berlin by Night

So, I'm not planning to talk about my days in Berlin, as they are similar to my days in other cities. I do want to talk about the nights however. The first night I stayed in and brushed my teeth for 7 minutes. Really - I got distracted. The second night a group of us went to Unsicht Bar - a bar run by blind people that is served in complete darkness. It was as if we'd fallen into an abyss or something. When I was little, I used to blindfold myself and pretend that I was blind, but this was the full experience. At first I tried not to use my fingers, only tentatively touching my plate to identify the location of the food and then using my fork. By the dessert, I would practicly put my whole hand into my plate trying to identify what I had, and only occasionally use silverware. It is an entirely different lifestyle. Because everyone was being so loud, it was hard to use my other senses to extend my world. It seems as if my entire table consisted of Karen, Erin, and Kathy, who I was sitting by, although I could occasionally catch the conversation of the rest of our group at the other end of the table. It was an extremely isolating experience. Though our meals were extremely expensive, it was a four course meal, and besides that the experience was mind blowing. I would recommend it to anyone, especially friends of mine who are going into special education. Tomorrow we all depart, and I have to say I'm not particularly sad - I will get to see those important to me again later. And I get to see my family!!!! Yay. Tschuss Deutschland.

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 drizzly 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.

Salzburg

Three years ago I had the opportunity to travel around Europe, and I had a ton of fun. We didn't, however, get to visit any site with musical history, which I love, music is my thing. Because of this, I planned for one of my weekend trips to be to Salzburg, and however hesitant I was to travel instead of taking a relaxing weekend, I am glad I went.

Katie, Kathy and I left on a night train for Salzburg on Thursday. We each had a couchette, mine was on top, and both of theirs were on bottom. So very little space, and a bit difficult to get up to with my foot being newly bandaged by an overly expensive but nice Orthopedist. The train ride there went fairly well, I even managed to get a bit of sleep, and we arrived around 5:30 to the Salzburg HBF. After sitting in the station for about 30 minutes, we walked to our hostel, which was on the other side of town and across the river. Regardless of that, we managed to get there quite easily in about 30 minutes. We checked in and paid, though we couldn't get in the room till1. The morning nap we took was quite welcome, although a bit awkward at a breakfast table at the hostel, and set us up for a busy day.

We visited the Residence in town and saw the different rooms, visited Mozarts birth house, explored the fortress, walked through the marionette museum, and hiked to the elevator from the fortress, about a 3-5 km hike. After eating lunch, we went to Mozartplatz and watched what we thought was a Texas high school marching band perform, only to find out at the end that they were from Canada. What were they doing in cowboy hats and boots then?! We also saw a string quartet of youngish boys perform after getting our tickets for a concert the next night. That all done, we went to an imbiss near the hostel and picked up a cheap dinner of sandwiches. Ein mas sandwich bitte? didn't get me very far, and we all had a laugh about that. I should try to stick to one language, we decided.

We met our roommates, all of whom seemed quite nice and spoke english, although from different areas of the world. We had 2 Aussies, 3 Americans, 2 Brits, and 1 Candian altogether, and anouther funny Aussie who often came in to chat. I was so tired that i didn't even make it through The Sound of Music that night, I only made it to their departure for the festival.
Our next day was quite full as well. We took the Sound of Music tour, and although it was raining, we still enjoyed seeing the sights. After eating some delicious apple strudel, we ate our sandwiches made at Breakfast on the bus on the way back into town. By the time we'd returned, it had stopped raining, so we were able to enjoy the beautiful Mirabell gardens. We also made our way through to the other Mozart house, which I enjoyed more than the Geburtshaus. It wasn't quite as odd. While Katie shoppped, Kathy and I enjoyed our Mozartkugeln - chocolate with nougat and marzipan inside - enven though they were a bit melted. we went shopping again - I swear we walked down one street over 6 times this weekend, just shopping.

The concert we went to that night was so much fun - definitely worth the extra 3.50€ we had to pay to take the funicular up to the fortress. It was another string quartet, and they played Mozart's Nachtmusic as the amateur one had the afternoon before, as well as a Trio with Piano accompaniment also by Mozart, and a piece by Dvorak. It was so great!

The night train back was a bit of a hassle, a story for another blog. But I got back safely.

Too Many Cows

After the past few weeks of our 'studies' I am not sure that I want to be a vet anymore. I still think that I could be a vet, but I really have no interest in learning about or having to constantly deal with cows. I don't know.

We have had so much interaction or just contact with cows this semester. I think this Wednesday was our fifth time. Although it was neat to see the vet student doing the ultrasound on the cow and to see the cow surgery right there in front of us, I don't know if I enjoy being around cows that much. However, I don't know whether I should let my inaffection for cows stop me.

Our trip to Hannover was fun - I particularly enjoyed getting to visit the necropsy lab. It was really cool to see the cow being dissected so soon after it had dies, I guess it was a completely new experience for me cause I have only dissected things after they've been preserved. The cat dissection in progress didn't bother me at all, as I've had the chance to do that myself, although it was interesting that its bowels had been displaced through its diapragm. The dog with the ball in its throat was sad though, cause I couldn't help but imagine that being Phoenix.

The night at the frat house was fun, although pretty much as usual I did not drink anything but cola light. It was nice to get to know Shannon and Leslie a bit better even though its getting towards the end of the trip. Dancing was fun, though hot. I think its the first time I've ever danced in shorts - an odd feeling. As bad as it might seem with us staying on mattresses and the sponsors heading to their hotel, sleeping went fine, although I did get a mattress to myself. I guess the entire situation would have been perfectly acceptable had there been a mattress for each student.

Ab Durche Die Hecke

Last night, Kit and I went to see Over the Hedge in German. I wasn't sure what to expect as I'd heard contrasting views about seeing a cartoon in German. First of all, Kit and I had both see it previously, so we knew the storyline. Dr. Wasser was even thinking about going to see it, though not at the same time we were. However, my host mum had warned me about going to see a dubbed cartoon over here, as I'd miss out on some of the jokes by not knowing popular German culture. She stated the example of the two sidekick sharks in Finding Nemo who were in the German version voiced by two German comedians who never appeared apart, thereby raising the humor in the situation. Regardless of whatever I missed, I had a great night, even though I fell asleep at one point. It was just so cold and dark. Nonetheless, many of the jokes were easy enough to decipher, although Kit and I never understood where in the American film the Hedge was initially addressed as Steve, yet in the German version the Hecke was known as Hugo. I think something got lost in translation.
Since we went to see an 11 PM movie, we got out about 12:30. The wait for the train home was quite an experience. As my train did not come in until 1:26, as scheduled, I had plenty of time to observe the people around me. One thing a neighbor of my host mum mentioned that she learned when studying abroad in America was the concept of PDA and how Americans approach public displays of affection. Well I noticed a difference while waiting. All around me were teenagers (I think) who had most likely just finished at the fair being held in Dusseldorf this month. Everywhere I looked, there were pairs canoodling and hanging all over each other. It was just different for me, and somewhat reminded me of high school where there were couples everywhere, acting as couple-y as possible just because they knew it would bother the administration. I guess I had just gotten used to not so much PDA in America, where these displays sometimes seem frowned upon. Hmm, just a difference that I thought was interesting.
I got home safely, by the way, although I am glad I went back for my train pass, as it was checked on that last ride home.

Today I went to a German barbeque party with my host family, and didn't enjoy this gathering near as much as those of the previous weekends. I seemed a bit out of place and odd, with no one to talk to, and it wasn't nearly as comfortable as Kerstin and Max didn't know nearly as many of the party-goers. It didn't help either that my stomach was bothering me, so Max brought me home early. Thankfully, a nap healed me, as I refuse to throw up while in Germany - its just not one of my favorite activities.

Breaking the law in Düsseldorf

So Kit and I were going to meet at the HBF at 5 today to go see a movie together. I planned to get on the 4:34 train that would put me in at 5:03, an acceptably late time. First of all, I didn't leave the house in enough time, so I ran there. On my foot - needless to say, now it really hurts. I made it on the train, and about ten minutes in I realize that I don't have my young ticket with me - that I'd left it in yesterday's shorts. About 5 minutes later I realize I also don't have my key to the house. This was a very anxious journey.
however, I made it to the station without getting my ticket checked so everything was temporarily fine. Kit's host mom was going to eat dinner with her, so Kit needed to be back by 7, so we went to the supermarket so Kit could get a few essentials, and I left the HBF on the 5:26 train to go home and hopefully retrieve my things. I spent the entire time worrying that I would get caught without a ticket, but I made it home safely. Hopefully when Kit and I meet at 9, it will be a better experience, and we will enjoy whatever movie we see.
I do have to say though that this shows some sort of progress in my way of handling crises. Three weeks ago I would have completely freaked out, and although I worried a bit, I did not this time. It may not have been the best choice not to buy a ticket, but I was prepared to if I had seen a second conductor on the train checking tickets. Although if there had been a plainclothes one like the one who checked my, Miriam's and Dr. Wasser's tickets in München, I'd have been in trouble.

My Days in München

Wednesday's bus ride was quite nice on our way to München. When we had got there and unpacked, we met downstairs where Miriam told us we had until 2:30 for lunch. Derek, Katie, Kathy, and I decided to go to the Hopfbräu house for lunch, a sight I'd missed three years ago in Munich. We mad it there by 1:30, after walking, sometimes not knowing exactly where we were headed. I got to see the Glockenspiel again, although not to see it move. We ate outside, Derek enjoying his mas of beer, and we three girls enjoying watching and listening to the band that was playing. One of the trumpet players was really getting a kick out of something - he kept laughing. However, Derek's food didn't come out till 1, and mine, Kathy's and Katie's didn't come out until ten minutes later. So we scarfed it down, paid and power-walked back to the meeting place. This time the trip only took 15 minutes instead of close to an hour, making us only5 minutes late. From the meeting point, the group headed to the Hoptbahnhof, where we got our bikes for the bike tour. I HAD TO PAY €1.10 TO USE THE RESTROOM! What a ripoff - definitely a number for Stuarts book of restroom prices. The bike tour overall went fine, although one of the girls fell off her bike, scraping her knee and turning her ankle. Her knee looks like mine the time I fell down a flight of concrete steps in a swimsuit. The quality of the tour however was less than ideal. First of all, the guide didn't have any tools or even an air pump with him, which made things difficult when TWO of the bikes got flat tires. Nor did he have a first aid kit to help Kit when she fell. And very few of us had locks or the key to our bike locks for when we stopped for a break - quite unprofessional. We didn't really learn much because he kept stopping and starting and none of us could really hear him. A bunch of us are going to recommend Fat Tire or Mike's Bike Tours for next trip. That night we went to the Augustiner biergarten, where Miriam bought us a round of drinks. The chaperones weren't very pleased with some of the singing and ring dunking, etc. that went on, so tempers were high. At the hotel, my roommates threw a "dance party" and drank some of their wine. In the background, Greg, Kit and I had a quite interesting conversation, a bit of which got caught on tape while filming the dancing girls. My comment is taken waaaaay out of context though. Oh well, it's not that bad.
The next day we went to Dachau, which I had also visited three years ago. Last time we visited on a dreary day - very overcast, I think it might have even rained. That made for a very somber and sad atmosphere to view the museum in the barracks. This time the weather was cloudless and stark - extremely hot - which in my mind emphasized the harsh history of the camp. It was a different experience with a guide specifically for our group, although he was extremely soft spoken and so at times was hard to hear. Later that evening, Katie Kathy and I went shopping for souveniers, having realized that Munich would be the best place to get the things we were looking for. I spent the afternoon and evening before and after this excursion playing CSI Miami on Sarahs computer and relaxing. It was quite fun.
The bus ride back to Düsseldorf was even better with only the three adults, and four of us students on the bus - as many of our classmates had elected to leave for their weekend travels directly from Munich. It took about 7 or 8 hours, with many stops, but I made good progress on my cross-stitch. If only we could always travel with that much space, though as Dr. Wasser pointed out, it would skyrocket the program costs.
I am taking another rest weekend in Düsseldorf with my host family, and plan to relax in the over-bearing heat. Kit and I plan to see a movie, whether in German or English we don't know, and I may go to a Menanite church service on Sunday with Max's mom. We'll see.