Well folks, I am finally home. Actually, I have been home and avoiding this blog entry for two weeks now. Writing the final entry to this blog is like closing the chapter on a very awesome adventure in my life. In fact, it is the final nail in the coffin. I apologize for the delay, but I hate goodbyes.
Reflecting on my days in Germany, though tough, makes me appreciate the experience more. Through studying abroad I have gained knowledge of other cultures and languages, made great friends, traveled to places I never dreamed I could go and have grown as a person as well.
I definitely have more confidence in myself and my abilities because of my opportunity and I want to thank everyone who made my journey possible.
Special thanks to the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire News Bureau and the Center for International Education for supporting me and encouraging me to write this blog.
S.N.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Aufwiedersehen
Sadly, my time in Europe is coming to an end.
I feel that I am leaving Marburg with a stronger sense of self, an appreciation for other cultures and a new found sense of pride in my home country. Of course, I am taking new friendships, memories and experiences from my time abroad home with me too.
Over the next week I will be finishing my German literature course, packing up my room and saying my goodbyes. I do not plan to blog more until I am back in the states.
Check out my pictures from Marburg at http://picasaweb.google.com/nemecse/Marburg#.
S.N.
I feel that I am leaving Marburg with a stronger sense of self, an appreciation for other cultures and a new found sense of pride in my home country. Of course, I am taking new friendships, memories and experiences from my time abroad home with me too.
Over the next week I will be finishing my German literature course, packing up my room and saying my goodbyes. I do not plan to blog more until I am back in the states.
Check out my pictures from Marburg at http://picasaweb.google.com/nemecse/Marburg#.
S.N.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Iran
On Tuesday, June 23, a candlelight vigil organized to show support for and raise awareness of the opposition in Iran. Many of my peers joined me, supporting our friend Fatemeh and her husband Hossein, whose friends and family currently live in Tehran and take part in the peaceful demonstrations which are often being met by police brutality and violence.
About thirty people met together in the town square for the vigil. The majority of those that attended were Iranian themselves. Many wore black in mourning for those who have died and green to show support for the opposition.
About thirty people met together in the town square for the vigil. The majority of those that attended were Iranian themselves. Many wore black in mourning for those who have died and green to show support for the opposition.
We sat around the fountain steps in the square, which was decorated with candles in red canisters, the type that are commonly used in memorials and church services. Gusts of wind kept blowing them out and people constantly tended them as they talked together quietly and sang songs in Persian. Posters in the shape of tombstones stood behind the flickering candles displaying the bloodied faces of Iranian protest victims.
After about two hours, the posters, candles and information booth were taken down. The permit had only allowed them to demonstrate for a certain amount of time. Some left but many stayed an in somber silence.
As I departed, a young Iranian women came up to my friends and I and gave us the white roses that had been surrounding a photo of Neda, a young Iranian woman whose death has become a symbol for the opposition movement. She thanked us for coming in English and went back to sit amongst the crowd.
I was touched by the kindness of her gesture, yet left feeling more helpless than ever. What could be done for these poor people? What could I do?
The following Saturday, I attended a protest rally outside the courthouse in Frankfurt. Thousands of people gathered around a stage in a sea of green, holding signs and chanting slogans in both German and Persian. Somehow among them we found Fatemeh and Hossein and they tied green steamers around our wrists and pinned green ribbons to our shirts. Many politicians spoke, songs were song in both English and Persian and an overwhelming feeling of solidarity was present throughout the afternoon.
I left Frankfurt that day full of a new appreciation for my country and sense of privilege for the freedoms that I have always known in the USA. The accounts of the injustices that the Iranian people have suffered seem so foreign and unreal to me. I can hardly fathom the existence of regime that feeds on the oppression of its own people.
As for the feelings of helplessness, they are something that I will have to come to terms with. As someone outside Iran, I can only keep myself educated on the situation and offer comfort to my Iranian friends until they too know the freedom that so many of us in the west take for granted.
S.N.
After the moment of silence, a police car drove up and asked if we had a permit for a public demonstration. After reading the documents, he drove away. How fortunate we are to live in such societies! Had a vigil such as this one been attempted in Iran, the attendees would face violence and imprisonment. This looped over and over in my head as I sat on the stone steps of the fountain, shielding my dripping candle.
After about two hours, the posters, candles and information booth were taken down. The permit had only allowed them to demonstrate for a certain amount of time. Some left but many stayed an in somber silence.
As I departed, a young Iranian women came up to my friends and I and gave us the white roses that had been surrounding a photo of Neda, a young Iranian woman whose death has become a symbol for the opposition movement. She thanked us for coming in English and went back to sit amongst the crowd.
I was touched by the kindness of her gesture, yet left feeling more helpless than ever. What could be done for these poor people? What could I do?
The following Saturday, I attended a protest rally outside the courthouse in Frankfurt. Thousands of people gathered around a stage in a sea of green, holding signs and chanting slogans in both German and Persian. Somehow among them we found Fatemeh and Hossein and they tied green steamers around our wrists and pinned green ribbons to our shirts. Many politicians spoke, songs were song in both English and Persian and an overwhelming feeling of solidarity was present throughout the afternoon.
I left Frankfurt that day full of a new appreciation for my country and sense of privilege for the freedoms that I have always known in the USA. The accounts of the injustices that the Iranian people have suffered seem so foreign and unreal to me. I can hardly fathom the existence of regime that feeds on the oppression of its own people.
As for the feelings of helplessness, they are something that I will have to come to terms with. As someone outside Iran, I can only keep myself educated on the situation and offer comfort to my Iranian friends until they too know the freedom that so many of us in the west take for granted.
S.N.
First image: The vigil in Marburg
Second image: "Freedom for Iran"
Third image: Protesters in Frankfurt
Fourth image: Fatemeh and I at the rally in Frankfurt
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Ireland
On Wednesday, June 10, I hopped on a plane to Dublin, Ireland with three other young women from my study abroad group. While in Ireland, we stayed in cheap hostels in the cities of Dublin, Cork and Galway and took in the sites around each area. On Tuesday, June 16, we flew back to Germany and resumed class in Marburg. The following is an account of my adventures exploring the “Emerald Isle.”
After finding our hostel in Dublin, we went right to the Guinness brewery at St. James Gate. At first, I went along with the brewery tour idea because it was something that my group members were interested in; however, it turned out to be really interesting and fun. The tour was very interactive and my senses were always stimulated by something new, whether it was tasting and smelling the hops and barley, listening and watching the varies video screens or touching the running water that at one time helped power the brewery. Of course, the free samples and complimentary pint in the sky lounge overlooking Dublin were also selling points for me.
The next morning we took a tour through the countryside, which was by far my most treasured experience in Ireland. For 26 Euros, a guide drove us and six other people through the rolling green hills, stopping at the ruins of monasteries from the sixth century, ancient burial mounds which featured carvings over 4,000 years old and the hill where according to legend, St. Patrick lit a fire challenging the pagan king and giving Christianity a foothold in Ireland. At each place the guide would stop the van, turn around in his seat and give us the history and significance of the place we were about to visit. The information was always in a story format and full of humor, which made it more fun and easier to digest.
Over the next few days, we visited the Blarney Castle (and kissed the Blarney Stone of course) in Cork and wandered along the Cliffs of Moher, near Galway, enjoying the view and the smell of the sea. The greenness and serenity of Ireland was exactly what I needed and soon I felt refreshed and ready to take on my last month of classes in Germany. Speaking English without guilt and the self accusations of laziness was also nice for a change.
However, my trip was not all perfect. While in a pub in Dublin, my purse was stolen. If I had been smarter about what I took out with me that evening, the next day would have gone easier for my travel companions and I and we could have continued exploring the city as planned. Unfortunately, I did not return to the hostel after taking a tour of the countryside, so not only was my money, ids and debit card taken, but also my iPod, camera, cell phone and most importantly, my passport were gone as well. Suddenly, I found myself penniless and without any kind of personal identification, which I would eventually need to get back into Germany.
The next day I went to the U.S. Embassy straightaway, while my travel companions waited patiently outside. The process of getting a temporary passport was surprisingly painless and after filling out a few forms, I walked out of the embassy doors with an emergency passport. The whole process took at most two hours.
Getting my bag stolen did not ruin the Ireland experience for me. Really, it could have happened anywhere, even if I was at home in Wisconsin. Luckily, I was traveling with caring and supportive people who were willing to lend me money until I sorted things out.
That being said, I really enjoyed my time in Ireland and hope to visit the island again in the future. Feel free to look at pictures from the trip using this link: http://picasaweb.google.com/nemecse/Ireland and as always, questions are welcomed.
S.N.
After finding our hostel in Dublin, we went right to the Guinness brewery at St. James Gate. At first, I went along with the brewery tour idea because it was something that my group members were interested in; however, it turned out to be really interesting and fun. The tour was very interactive and my senses were always stimulated by something new, whether it was tasting and smelling the hops and barley, listening and watching the varies video screens or touching the running water that at one time helped power the brewery. Of course, the free samples and complimentary pint in the sky lounge overlooking Dublin were also selling points for me.
The next morning we took a tour through the countryside, which was by far my most treasured experience in Ireland. For 26 Euros, a guide drove us and six other people through the rolling green hills, stopping at the ruins of monasteries from the sixth century, ancient burial mounds which featured carvings over 4,000 years old and the hill where according to legend, St. Patrick lit a fire challenging the pagan king and giving Christianity a foothold in Ireland. At each place the guide would stop the van, turn around in his seat and give us the history and significance of the place we were about to visit. The information was always in a story format and full of humor, which made it more fun and easier to digest.
Over the next few days, we visited the Blarney Castle (and kissed the Blarney Stone of course) in Cork and wandered along the Cliffs of Moher, near Galway, enjoying the view and the smell of the sea. The greenness and serenity of Ireland was exactly what I needed and soon I felt refreshed and ready to take on my last month of classes in Germany. Speaking English without guilt and the self accusations of laziness was also nice for a change.
However, my trip was not all perfect. While in a pub in Dublin, my purse was stolen. If I had been smarter about what I took out with me that evening, the next day would have gone easier for my travel companions and I and we could have continued exploring the city as planned. Unfortunately, I did not return to the hostel after taking a tour of the countryside, so not only was my money, ids and debit card taken, but also my iPod, camera, cell phone and most importantly, my passport were gone as well. Suddenly, I found myself penniless and without any kind of personal identification, which I would eventually need to get back into Germany.
The next day I went to the U.S. Embassy straightaway, while my travel companions waited patiently outside. The process of getting a temporary passport was surprisingly painless and after filling out a few forms, I walked out of the embassy doors with an emergency passport. The whole process took at most two hours.
Getting my bag stolen did not ruin the Ireland experience for me. Really, it could have happened anywhere, even if I was at home in Wisconsin. Luckily, I was traveling with caring and supportive people who were willing to lend me money until I sorted things out.
That being said, I really enjoyed my time in Ireland and hope to visit the island again in the future. Feel free to look at pictures from the trip using this link: http://picasaweb.google.com/nemecse/Ireland and as always, questions are welcomed.
S.N.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Goodbye Stuffe Zwei
The last six weeks have flown by and I am now just about finished with Stuffe Zwei. Luckily, this past week has been cold and rainy, which was conducive for studying and preparing for the exam. Tomorrow I will go one last time to our classroom to receive my test grades and sign up for the speaking portion of the exam, which I will complete on Tuesday. After that, Stuffe Zwei will be completed and I will be able to take a break from German grammar.
On Tuesday, June 15, my classmates and I begin a German literature course. I am excited at the prospect of starting something new, however saddened that I will be in a class with only the other Americans from the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point and UW- Eau Claire. One aspect of Stuffe Eins and Zwei that I really enjoyed was working with and befriending students from other countries.
Before the literature course begins, I have a five day break, which I have decided to spend with friends in Ireland. We will be staying in hostels and exploring the cities and surrounding areas of Dublin, Cork and Galway. I am super excited to see what the “Emerald Isle” has to offer and am looking forward to having a pint while taking in some Celtic music.
S.N.
On Tuesday, June 15, my classmates and I begin a German literature course. I am excited at the prospect of starting something new, however saddened that I will be in a class with only the other Americans from the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point and UW- Eau Claire. One aspect of Stuffe Eins and Zwei that I really enjoyed was working with and befriending students from other countries.
Before the literature course begins, I have a five day break, which I have decided to spend with friends in Ireland. We will be staying in hostels and exploring the cities and surrounding areas of Dublin, Cork and Galway. I am super excited to see what the “Emerald Isle” has to offer and am looking forward to having a pint while taking in some Celtic music.
S.N.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Cologne and Other Adventures
Two weekends ago, on Saturday, May 16, our group took a school sponsored trip to Cologne with our group advisor, Cornelia. There we visited the Kölner Dom, which is the biggest cathedral in Germany and the emblem of the city. It was quite an impressive structure for both size and aesthetic reasons.
We also visited Schokoladen Museum or The Chocolate Museum together. The museum was interesting, with displays and information about how the coco-bean is grown, harvested and processed, coco farming and free trade organizations and a small Lindt chocolate factory where visitors could actually watch chocolate candies being made. The highlight of the visit was definitely the gift store at the end of the tour which featured many different types and flavors of chocolate. The consensus of the group was that the Chocolate Museum was worth the visit; however more free samples would have been nice.
Another day I traveled to Kassel and spent the day exploring the Schlosspark Wilhelmshöhe, a very large park, visiting the large statue of Hercules, enjoying the wasserspiel and touring the Löwenburg castle. I definitely want to go back to Kassel to explore more of the park in the future.
S.N.
First image: Tom and I posing next to an advertisement in Cologne.
Second image: Me posing by the Wartburg in Eisenach.
Third image: Alyssa, Richard and I enjoying the wasserspiel in the Schlosspark Willhelmshöhe.
We also visited Schokoladen Museum or The Chocolate Museum together. The museum was interesting, with displays and information about how the coco-bean is grown, harvested and processed, coco farming and free trade organizations and a small Lindt chocolate factory where visitors could actually watch chocolate candies being made. The highlight of the visit was definitely the gift store at the end of the tour which featured many different types and flavors of chocolate. The consensus of the group was that the Chocolate Museum was worth the visit; however more free samples would have been nice.
While the rest of the group went back to Marburg, two friends and I stayed in a hostel and further explored Cologne. We checked out the nightlife, sampled the local brew and explored museums (which happened to be free because of some type of city promotion) the next day.
The next week we had a long weekend, so I decided to make use of my special ticket and travel around the state a bit. Every student enrolled in the Phillips University- Marburg receives a card that allows them free public transportation in all Hessen’s cities and free regional and intercity train rides. 
One day I traveled to with some friends to Eisenach, which is located in the state of Thüringen, but is free with our cards. In Eisenach we toured Wartburg castle, which was where Martin Luther first translated the bible into German. We were able to see the very room and desk upon which Martin Luther sat as he worked, which was pretty cool.
Another day I traveled to Kassel and spent the day exploring the Schlosspark Wilhelmshöhe, a very large park, visiting the large statue of Hercules, enjoying the wasserspiel and touring the Löwenburg castle. I definitely want to go back to Kassel to explore more of the park in the future.
S.N.
First image: Tom and I posing next to an advertisement in Cologne.
Second image: Me posing by the Wartburg in Eisenach.
Third image: Alyssa, Richard and I enjoying the wasserspiel in the Schlosspark Willhelmshöhe.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Hannover gegen Nazis
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to celebrate another holiday in Germany: “Tag der Arbeit.” The first of May is “International Worker’s Day” (“Tag Der Arbeit” in German) and is celebrated throughout the globe (excluding the United States and Canada) as a celebration of social and economic achievements. In Germany, it is common for demonstrations, street marches and leftist party gatherings to occur on May 1. The following entry takes place in Hannover, Germany, and chronicles my experiences on and impression of “Tag der Arbeit.”Leaving the train station, I was overwhelmed by the presence of police. They rode horses, sat in big vans and stood authoritatively on street corners. The parking lot was full of them as we got into the little red Ford. Birgit explained that they were there because of a Neo-Nazi, rally and protest march that was taking place the next day.
Birgit told me that every year the Neo-Nazis rally on May 1, protesting the presence of immigrants in the country. It is their belief that immigrants take jobs away from German citizens, which is why they protest on Tag der Arbeit. I also learned that historically, Tag der Arbeit was founded by the Nazis.
Every year a new city is chosen for the protest. This year, it was Hannover’s turn. Because of my interest and my endless flow of questions, Birgit decided to take me to see the rally the following morning.
Birgit and I set off at 11 a.m. to see if the Neo-Nazi protest was going to happen illegally. It was banned the day before because of fear of violence toward citizens and property, though it was fully expected to occur as an act of civil disobedience.
We walked most of the path where the march was supposed to take place and did not see anything out of the ordinary. Part of me was disappointed (I could have slept in!). The remaining part was relieved and dared to hope that this was a sign that extremist groups, like the Neo-Nazis, could no longer exist in modern society.
Later we learned that the rally did take place behind the train station and that some violence
did occur. However, this is not what I experienced on May 1.What I did experience was a big festival full of political speeches, music, beer and German camaraderie. This untitled fest occurs every year in Hannover and featured many kiosks from political parties (mostly from the liberal side of the political spectrum), though this year had a definite theme of diversity and tolerance and rejecting Neo-Nazi ideals. Birgit and I strolled through the booths, stopping to grab party information, buttons and postcards.
My favorite card from the day featured eight plump, delicious-looking bratwursts and said, “Braun und gut? Kann eigentlich nur eine Bratwurst sein!” meaning, “Brown and good? That can only be a bratwurst!“ Brown is the color traditionally associated with Nazism. Of course, everyone knows that Germans love their wurst.
The slogan for the festival was also “Bunt Statt Braun,” or “colorful instead of brown.” The adjective “bunt” can be used as a term for cultural diversity.
The runner up is a red postcard that reads, “Rote Karte Gegen Nazis,” or “Red card against Nazis.” Anyone that knows anything about soccer should recognize the symbolism here. A red card is a penalty card which can get a player thrown out of a match.
When I was not learning about German politics at the kiosks, I was listening to speeches. There was a stage surrounded by people waving flags and chanting “Nazis Raus!” or “Nazis Out!” Many had signs against nationalism which bobbed above the sea of people.
I saw the Minister President of Niedersachsen, Christian Wulff, give a speech about equality and diversity in Niedersachsen and how Neo-Nazi ideologies had no place in the state or the country as a whole. He publically thanked the 3,000 police patrolling the city, as well as the 15,000 people attending the festival. He received generous applause and the speeches continued. Later a reggae band from Spain took the stage and the w
aving signs and flags were abandoned as people danced to the music.Later reflecting on my experience at the festival, I was very happy to have gone. So often is present day Germany pinned with its past of fascism and hate. Though history should not be forgotten, too many people associate modern Germany with racism and radical philosophies concurrent with WWII. Those who fall into this category, here’s a figure for you: there were an estimated 1,000 Neo-Nazis expected to rally in Hannover May 1. An estimated 15,000 rallied against them the same day. I am proud that I was one of 15,000.
S.N.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Another Catch-up
So I suppose it is time for another session of catch-up.
Since returning from Salzburg and Prague, I have started Stuffe Zwei (2), the second language course. Luckily, I am still in class with many of the students that I had been with in Stuffe Eins (1). There are some new students though as well: two from China and two more from Ecuador but for the most part, I am in class with familiar faces. Stuffe Zwei is moving at a better pace than Stuffe Eins had and I am enjoying the added challenge.
When I am not in class, I am generally doing homework, meeting friends or just walking around the city. The Oberstadt has a neat Brothers Grimm display which I plan on sharing with everyone later. I have also gone back to Hannover and have visited friends there.
Over the next month, I have two more breaks from class in which I will doing a little traveling. So far, nothing is concrete, but I will keep everyone posted and continue sharing my experiences.
Good luck with finals!
S.N.
Since returning from Salzburg and Prague, I have started Stuffe Zwei (2), the second language course. Luckily, I am still in class with many of the students that I had been with in Stuffe Eins (1). There are some new students though as well: two from China and two more from Ecuador but for the most part, I am in class with familiar faces. Stuffe Zwei is moving at a better pace than Stuffe Eins had and I am enjoying the added challenge.
When I am not in class, I am generally doing homework, meeting friends or just walking around the city. The Oberstadt has a neat Brothers Grimm display which I plan on sharing with everyone later. I have also gone back to Hannover and have visited friends there.
Over the next month, I have two more breaks from class in which I will doing a little traveling. So far, nothing is concrete, but I will keep everyone posted and continue sharing my experiences.
Good luck with finals!
S.N.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Prague
Thursday, April 16
Somewhere in the countryside we noticed that we could no longer read the signs. Suddenly different characters appeared and we deduced that we had crossed the Austrian border into the Czech Republic. Exactly when this occurred, we were uncertain. Since the Czech Republic and Austria are both part of the European Union, there are no border patrols or check points between the two countries. If there was a sign, we missed it.
We took several different buses and trains through the green and hilly countryside. Suddenly the vehicle would stop and we would be ushered off and onto another one. We hoped that we were somehow headed to Prague. I was never too certain until someone would say, “Yes, to Praha” and then I would be relieved. We took two different buses and at least three different trains.
On the last train we boarded, we sat next to a middle aged woman in a small private car. The woman seemed approachable, with her pinkish-orange lipstick, short, graying curls, thick glasses and warm smile. I decided to ask her where we were going. She only shook her head. She did not understand German or English, but talked excitedly as she dug in her handbag. She produced a cell phone and proceeded to make a call. After speaking for a moment she handed me the phone.
Bewildered, I took it and sheepishly greeted the person on the other end of the line. I was greeted back by a friendly thick Czechoslovakian accent. It turned out that the woman had called her English-speaking son to answer our questions. Again it was confirmed, we were on our way to Prague.
We rolled into the city at about 7 p.m. at a shabby, concrete and overwhelmingly shady-looking train station. Perhaps it was the oppressing atmosphere or the unfamiliar Czechoslovakian language I heard, but I had a feeling of uneasiness deep in my stomach. I suggested that we speak to each other in German as if that would somehow advert something terrible (and as if our American accents were not detectable). Alyssa and Rebbekah agreed, leaving poor Naomi silent as we chatted about how to reach our hostel. According to our directions, we needed to take a metro.
We exchanged our euros for crowns and took the metro in the direction of our hostel. Inside the metro there w
ere signs in both English and Czech about looking out for pick pockets. I was put even more on edge.
Eventually we found our hostel and were taken to our room, which turned out to be about a 10 minute walk from the reception’s office. Surprisingly we had unwittingly booked a spacious apartment consisting of four rooms- one a bedroom, one a living room/kitchen, one little room with a sink and toilet, the other with a large, Jacuzzi-style bathtub.
The place was completely furnished with a television, cooking supplies, beautiful tea sets with intricate designs, stove, dishwasher, refrigerator, coffee maker, large windows with red candy striped curtains, two sofas (I was sleeping on one of them- a big, red, comfy fold out one that presumably matched the curtains), also a little iron balcony overlooking an alleyway. Strangely enough the living room featured a big framed picture of New York City.
My travel companions were thrilled about our accommodations, but I was harder to convince. The apartment had its space and luxuries and cost about the same as our cramped eight person room in Salzburg, but we were also isolated from anyone who could help us if we were to need it. The apartment had no friendly staff to answer questions, give directions or provide breakfast. I could not help but think of the beggars rifling through the garbage in the alley below and wondering how safe we actually were.
I certainly was afraid to go out at night, which was a very unfamiliar feeling for me. In Hannover, Marburg and even the largely unfamiliar Salzburg, I had felt peace and sense of security and safety that was almost completely voided while in the Czech Republic. Undoubtedly I was experiencing some form of culture shock.
It seemed to me that most people I encountered here had hard, blank, expressionless faces, often with a cigarette hanging from their lips. Clothing was almost exclusively dark colors, different shades of blacks and grays, reflecting the gray, emotionless sky. The constant drizzle also added to the gloominess.
Even with my fears and reservations we did manage to have a decent time sightseeing in Prague. The gothic architecture surrounded by modern buildings was something I found particularly beautiful and special.
We hit the must see sights recommended to us by our guide books like the Charles Bridge, a bridge over the Vltava River adorned with 30 statues of saints and religious figures, Petřín Hill, a hill covered in parks with a gorgeous view of the city below and the Prague Castle.
The Prague Castle and its surroundings were my favorite sites. Though the weather was blusterous and rainy, teams of tourists lined up to visit St Vitus’s Cathedral, St George’s Basilica and the Golden Lane where Kafka once lived. We joined them merrily oohing and aahing at the cathedrals beautiful painted windows and the crown jewels of Bohemia, scampering down the wet cobblestones of the Golden Lane and thoroughly enjoying ourselves despite the weather.
On Sunday, April 19 we turned in our hostel keys and returned to Marburg, exhausted, with plenty of laundry to do and a new class to prepare for.
S.N.
Somewhere in the countryside we noticed that we could no longer read the signs. Suddenly different characters appeared and we deduced that we had crossed the Austrian border into the Czech Republic. Exactly when this occurred, we were uncertain. Since the Czech Republic and Austria are both part of the European Union, there are no border patrols or check points between the two countries. If there was a sign, we missed it.We took several different buses and trains through the green and hilly countryside. Suddenly the vehicle would stop and we would be ushered off and onto another one. We hoped that we were somehow headed to Prague. I was never too certain until someone would say, “Yes, to Praha” and then I would be relieved. We took two different buses and at least three different trains.
On the last train we boarded, we sat next to a middle aged woman in a small private car. The woman seemed approachable, with her pinkish-orange lipstick, short, graying curls, thick glasses and warm smile. I decided to ask her where we were going. She only shook her head. She did not understand German or English, but talked excitedly as she dug in her handbag. She produced a cell phone and proceeded to make a call. After speaking for a moment she handed me the phone.
Bewildered, I took it and sheepishly greeted the person on the other end of the line. I was greeted back by a friendly thick Czechoslovakian accent. It turned out that the woman had called her English-speaking son to answer our questions. Again it was confirmed, we were on our way to Prague.
We rolled into the city at about 7 p.m. at a shabby, concrete and overwhelmingly shady-looking train station. Perhaps it was the oppressing atmosphere or the unfamiliar Czechoslovakian language I heard, but I had a feeling of uneasiness deep in my stomach. I suggested that we speak to each other in German as if that would somehow advert something terrible (and as if our American accents were not detectable). Alyssa and Rebbekah agreed, leaving poor Naomi silent as we chatted about how to reach our hostel. According to our directions, we needed to take a metro.
We exchanged our euros for crowns and took the metro in the direction of our hostel. Inside the metro there w
ere signs in both English and Czech about looking out for pick pockets. I was put even more on edge.Eventually we found our hostel and were taken to our room, which turned out to be about a 10 minute walk from the reception’s office. Surprisingly we had unwittingly booked a spacious apartment consisting of four rooms- one a bedroom, one a living room/kitchen, one little room with a sink and toilet, the other with a large, Jacuzzi-style bathtub.
The place was completely furnished with a television, cooking supplies, beautiful tea sets with intricate designs, stove, dishwasher, refrigerator, coffee maker, large windows with red candy striped curtains, two sofas (I was sleeping on one of them- a big, red, comfy fold out one that presumably matched the curtains), also a little iron balcony overlooking an alleyway. Strangely enough the living room featured a big framed picture of New York City.
My travel companions were thrilled about our accommodations, but I was harder to convince. The apartment had its space and luxuries and cost about the same as our cramped eight person room in Salzburg, but we were also isolated from anyone who could help us if we were to need it. The apartment had no friendly staff to answer questions, give directions or provide breakfast. I could not help but think of the beggars rifling through the garbage in the alley below and wondering how safe we actually were.
I certainly was afraid to go out at night, which was a very unfamiliar feeling for me. In Hannover, Marburg and even the largely unfamiliar Salzburg, I had felt peace and sense of security and safety that was almost completely voided while in the Czech Republic. Undoubtedly I was experiencing some form of culture shock.
It seemed to me that most people I encountered here had hard, blank, expressionless faces, often with a cigarette hanging from their lips. Clothing was almost exclusively dark colors, different shades of blacks and grays, reflecting the gray, emotionless sky. The constant drizzle also added to the gloominess.
Even with my fears and reservations we did manage to have a decent time sightseeing in Prague. The gothic architecture surrounded by modern buildings was something I found particularly beautiful and special.
We hit the must see sights recommended to us by our guide books like the Charles Bridge, a bridge over the Vltava River adorned with 30 statues of saints and religious figures, Petřín Hill, a hill covered in parks with a gorgeous view of the city below and the Prague Castle.
The Prague Castle and its surroundings were my favorite sites. Though the weather was blusterous and rainy, teams of tourists lined up to visit St Vitus’s Cathedral, St George’s Basilica and the Golden Lane where Kafka once lived. We joined them merrily oohing and aahing at the cathedrals beautiful painted windows and the crown jewels of Bohemia, scampering down the wet cobblestones of the Golden Lane and thoroughly enjoying ourselves despite the weather.
On Sunday, April 19 we turned in our hostel keys and returned to Marburg, exhausted, with plenty of laundry to do and a new class to prepare for.
S.N.
First image: Me standing under the Astronomical Clock
Second image: Alyssa standing with the Charles Bridge in the background
Third image: The happy travelers (without Niami, who went back to the states)
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Salzburg
I could smell burning rubber as the minivan careened down the mountainside. Its driver, our tour guide, nimbly steered the bulky white van, following a perilously narrow road that snaked through the mountains and surrounding countryside. Clutching my rolling stomach, I leaned toward the side window, my eyes never leaving the grandeur of the scenery before me.
Salzburg, Austria was the second stop on my mini-Eurotrip.
I got into Salzburg at around 10:30 p.m. on Monday, March 13. Not wanting to try to figure out the bus system, I hailed a cab to take me to the hostel where I was to meet up with two of my classmates, Alyssa and Rebbekah and Rebbekah’s sister, Naomi.
Over the next two days, Alyssa, Rebbekah, Naomi and I explored the city, stopping at museums, taking tours and walking around the town square. Together we toured Hohensalzburg Fortress, explored St. Peter’s monastery and cemetery and also Hellbrunn Palace with its trick water fountains.
For me, the highlight of Salzburg was when we took a tour into the Bavarian Alps. We booked the tour at our hostel and was picked up in a minivan and taken back across the border into Germany. We drove for hours on winding little roads, listening to facts and stories shared by our tour guide. When we came upon a particularly picturesque spot, the guide would stop the van and we could get out and take pictures. I enjoyed this because not only was the scenery breath taking, but I was also quite car sick and these breaks gave me a chance to recover.
The guide was a middle aged, knowledgeable Austrian fellow who was more than happy to answer our questions, encourage us to speak to him in German (though the tour was in English) and even played some selections from “The Sound of Music” soundtrack on the way back to the hostel. In fact, he timed perfectly so “So Long, Farewell” was playing as he dropped us off and drove away.
“The Sound of Music” was an ever present force in Salzburg. In fact, the city was the setting for the 1965 musical, making tours of the various filming locations popular for tourists. Though we declined on participating in such a tour, we did end up seeing the gazebo where the number “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” was filmed. The musical was also playing in the lobby of our hostel one night
What is interesting about our tour guide playing the soundtrack was that he, like most of the citizens of Salzburg, has never seen the Hollywood production. The musical, while being very successful and a cultural phenomenon in the United States, is largely ignored by the population whose backyard it was filmed in. The tour guide even knew random facts about the film and its cast members, which surprised me even more. It should not have though, considering that the guide was part of the tourism industry, which seemed to be content to milk every penny it could from the musical enthusiasts.
Everywhere we went in Salzburg, there also seemed to be some commemoration of Mozart, who was born and lived in the city. Mozart Kugles, little chocolate ball-shaped candies sporting Mozart on the wrapper, Mozart marionettes, music boxes playing minuets written by the composer and various t-shirts were sold in the countless little stores in the city center. We visited the house where Mozart lived, which had been turned into a museum, and walked past the house where he was born.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Salzburg and would recommend the city not only to those who enjoy musicals and classical music, but also to those who want to take a family vacation in Europe. The locals were very friendly and willing to answer questions and at no time did I feel unsafe as a tourist during my stay.
For more information about Salzburg, visit the city’s official tourism Web site at http://www.salzburg.com/tourismus_e/index.html. Another good Web site is http://www.visit-salzburg.net which is run by Austrian locals.
To see my pictures from the trip, click this link http://picasaweb.google.com/nemecse/Salzburg?feat=directlink
S.N.
Salzburg, Austria was the second stop on my mini-Eurotrip.
I got into Salzburg at around 10:30 p.m. on Monday, March 13. Not wanting to try to figure out the bus system, I hailed a cab to take me to the hostel where I was to meet up with two of my classmates, Alyssa and Rebbekah and Rebbekah’s sister, Naomi.
Over the next two days, Alyssa, Rebbekah, Naomi and I explored the city, stopping at museums, taking tours and walking around the town square. Together we toured Hohensalzburg Fortress, explored St. Peter’s monastery and cemetery and also Hellbrunn Palace with its trick water fountains.
For me, the highlight of Salzburg was when we took a tour into the Bavarian Alps. We booked the tour at our hostel and was picked up in a minivan and taken back across the border into Germany. We drove for hours on winding little roads, listening to facts and stories shared by our tour guide. When we came upon a particularly picturesque spot, the guide would stop the van and we could get out and take pictures. I enjoyed this because not only was the scenery breath taking, but I was also quite car sick and these breaks gave me a chance to recover.
The guide was a middle aged, knowledgeable Austrian fellow who was more than happy to answer our questions, encourage us to speak to him in German (though the tour was in English) and even played some selections from “The Sound of Music” soundtrack on the way back to the hostel. In fact, he timed perfectly so “So Long, Farewell” was playing as he dropped us off and drove away.
“The Sound of Music” was an ever present force in Salzburg. In fact, the city was the setting for the 1965 musical, making tours of the various filming locations popular for tourists. Though we declined on participating in such a tour, we did end up seeing the gazebo where the number “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” was filmed. The musical was also playing in the lobby of our hostel one night
What is interesting about our tour guide playing the soundtrack was that he, like most of the citizens of Salzburg, has never seen the Hollywood production. The musical, while being very successful and a cultural phenomenon in the United States, is largely ignored by the population whose backyard it was filmed in. The tour guide even knew random facts about the film and its cast members, which surprised me even more. It should not have though, considering that the guide was part of the tourism industry, which seemed to be content to milk every penny it could from the musical enthusiasts.
Everywhere we went in Salzburg, there also seemed to be some commemoration of Mozart, who was born and lived in the city. Mozart Kugles, little chocolate ball-shaped candies sporting Mozart on the wrapper, Mozart marionettes, music boxes playing minuets written by the composer and various t-shirts were sold in the countless little stores in the city center. We visited the house where Mozart lived, which had been turned into a museum, and walked past the house where he was born.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Salzburg and would recommend the city not only to those who enjoy musicals and classical music, but also to those who want to take a family vacation in Europe. The locals were very friendly and willing to answer questions and at no time did I feel unsafe as a tourist during my stay.
For more information about Salzburg, visit the city’s official tourism Web site at http://www.salzburg.com/tourismus_e/index.html. Another good Web site is http://www.visit-salzburg.net which is run by Austrian locals.
To see my pictures from the trip, click this link http://picasaweb.google.com/nemecse/Salzburg?feat=directlink
S.N.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Easter in Hannover
Mary and I arrived in Hannover Thursday, April 9, at about ten at night. Birgit met us at the station with her little red car and took us on a mini impromptu tour of the city before driving us to the apartment. The city, illuminated by street lights, seemed to glow. I felt as if I were glowing too with the simple happiness of recognizing the landmarks and stores that I had left behind last summer.
Birgit’s apartment was just as I remembered, consisting of two bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom, dining area, living room and balcony decorated with various angel figurines, family photos and brightly colored throws and pillows. Of course, I can not forget the resident felines, Garfield and Kitty, who seemed more interested in my luggage than with getting reacquainted with me.
Before bed, we sat together at a small table in Mary’s room, sipping champagne and talking. Soon the bottle was finished and Birgit brought me a fold out mattress and blankets so I could sleep on Mary’s floor. I feel asleep that night feeling safe and at home and just plain happy to be with people who I care about.
Mary and I spent the next two days meeting friends and walking through the sunny streets of the city. The weather was summery and I borrowed shorts from her and never had to wear a jacket. The air was fragrant. Everywhere we walked there seemed to be flowers blooming (generally cheery yellow daffodils) and trees blossoming as well.
Late Saturday night, Mary and I found that the Ostern Hase (Easter Bunny) had left us treats in our beds. I went to sleep thankful that somehow the magical rabbit had known that not only was I in Germany, but that I really enjoy chocolate. We slept for a few hours and then got up for church.
The church service at 6 a.m. Easter morning was not as different as I thought it would be from my own past Easter experiences. The ceremony began with a bonfire outside the church, with the congregation standing in a circle, surrounding the flames and chanting in Latin. Once we entered the dark church, everyone lit candles, illuminating the church in an eerie light. Eventually, later in the mass, the electric lights were turned on with a flurry of organ music.
After church, we slept and attempted to make Easter eggs. Earlier in the week, I had commented on the beautiful colored eggs hanging from a bouquet of pussy willows sitting on the dining room table. Birgit suggested that we color eggs ourselves. She purchased eggs, crayons and all the other necessary items to decorate them.
The three of us, Mary, Birgit and I, sat at the dining room table, carefully making holes at opposite ends of the eggshells with pins, then blowing the insides out into bowls. Then Birgit directed us outside onto the patio where we would begin coloring the eggs.
There we spread newspapers and got out the crayons Birgit had recently purchased. Then we threaded a long, thin, toothpick-like piece of wood through the eggs, heated the crayons over lit candles and dripped the hot wax onto the egg shells.
Up until this point, everything had been running smoothly in the egg coloring process. However, as we rolled our eggs over the flames, trying to coax the wax to spread and cover the entire egg, we found that the wax was uncooperative. Instead of covering the egg, it burned, leaving unsightly black scorch marks. In the end Birgit brought out a set of paints and we ended up coloring the eggs that way.
Although the eggs were not colored in the traditional way, I think we had more fun laughing at each other as our eggs burned and then covering them with paint.
The next day, we went to a family brunch at Birgit’s sister’s house. The food was excellent and so was the conversation. Mary’s family has been exceptionally kind to me and patient as well. They always encourage me to practice my German with them, are happy to answer my questions and gently correct my grammar and pronunciation mistakes. I was genuinely sad when I left for Salzburg, Austria, later that day. I hope that I will be able to visit Hannover and Mary’s family again before I leave Germany.
If you would like to see photos from my stay in Hannover, click this link: http://picasaweb.google.com/nemecse/EasterInHannover?feat=directlink
S.N.
Birgit’s apartment was just as I remembered, consisting of two bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom, dining area, living room and balcony decorated with various angel figurines, family photos and brightly colored throws and pillows. Of course, I can not forget the resident felines, Garfield and Kitty, who seemed more interested in my luggage than with getting reacquainted with me.
Before bed, we sat together at a small table in Mary’s room, sipping champagne and talking. Soon the bottle was finished and Birgit brought me a fold out mattress and blankets so I could sleep on Mary’s floor. I feel asleep that night feeling safe and at home and just plain happy to be with people who I care about.
Mary and I spent the next two days meeting friends and walking through the sunny streets of the city. The weather was summery and I borrowed shorts from her and never had to wear a jacket. The air was fragrant. Everywhere we walked there seemed to be flowers blooming (generally cheery yellow daffodils) and trees blossoming as well.
Late Saturday night, Mary and I found that the Ostern Hase (Easter Bunny) had left us treats in our beds. I went to sleep thankful that somehow the magical rabbit had known that not only was I in Germany, but that I really enjoy chocolate. We slept for a few hours and then got up for church.
The church service at 6 a.m. Easter morning was not as different as I thought it would be from my own past Easter experiences. The ceremony began with a bonfire outside the church, with the congregation standing in a circle, surrounding the flames and chanting in Latin. Once we entered the dark church, everyone lit candles, illuminating the church in an eerie light. Eventually, later in the mass, the electric lights were turned on with a flurry of organ music.
After church, we slept and attempted to make Easter eggs. Earlier in the week, I had commented on the beautiful colored eggs hanging from a bouquet of pussy willows sitting on the dining room table. Birgit suggested that we color eggs ourselves. She purchased eggs, crayons and all the other necessary items to decorate them.
The three of us, Mary, Birgit and I, sat at the dining room table, carefully making holes at opposite ends of the eggshells with pins, then blowing the insides out into bowls. Then Birgit directed us outside onto the patio where we would begin coloring the eggs.
There we spread newspapers and got out the crayons Birgit had recently purchased. Then we threaded a long, thin, toothpick-like piece of wood through the eggs, heated the crayons over lit candles and dripped the hot wax onto the egg shells.
Up until this point, everything had been running smoothly in the egg coloring process. However, as we rolled our eggs over the flames, trying to coax the wax to spread and cover the entire egg, we found that the wax was uncooperative. Instead of covering the egg, it burned, leaving unsightly black scorch marks. In the end Birgit brought out a set of paints and we ended up coloring the eggs that way.
Although the eggs were not colored in the traditional way, I think we had more fun laughing at each other as our eggs burned and then covering them with paint.
The next day, we went to a family brunch at Birgit’s sister’s house. The food was excellent and so was the conversation. Mary’s family has been exceptionally kind to me and patient as well. They always encourage me to practice my German with them, are happy to answer my questions and gently correct my grammar and pronunciation mistakes. I was genuinely sad when I left for Salzburg, Austria, later that day. I hope that I will be able to visit Hannover and Mary’s family again before I leave Germany.
If you would like to see photos from my stay in Hannover, click this link: http://picasaweb.google.com/nemecse/EasterInHannover?feat=directlink
S.N.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Back in Marburg
After an awesome time in Hannover, Salzburg, and Prague, I have returned safely to Marburg and am ready to start school. Tomorrow class begins again and I can not wait talk to my peers and hear stories about their break.
Over the next week I will post entries and photos about my traveling experiences, so stay tuned.
S.N.
Over the next week I will post entries and photos about my traveling experiences, so stay tuned.
S.N.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Easter Break
The following entry was written on Thursday, April 9, but due to technical difficulities, was not posted until now.
On Friday, April 3 and Monday, April 6, I was tested on my listening and reading comprehension, grammar, as well as my writing and speaking abilities in the German language. I am excited to say that I passed my exams and will be moving into the next level, Stuffe Zwei. Now I am on break, until Tuesday, April 21. I studied pretty hard for the tests, though it was difficult to stay indoors because of the nice weather outside.
The weather in Marburg over the last few weeks has been absolutely gorgeous. Flowers are blooming, trees are budding and people are strolling outside in t-shirts and shorts. I have even seen butterflies and have coaxed angry, confused bumblebees out my open windows. Furthermore, it smells like spring. All of these factors make it difficult to stay inside. Even as I write this, I am sitting outside the train station sipping my radler (beer mixed with Sprite) in the afternoon sun.
Presently, I am waiting for one of my best friends, Mary, to meet me so we can travel to Hannover and celebrate Easter with her family. I am very excited for this opportunity. I have been told Easter is a very celebrated holiday in Germany.
Mary is a friend that I made in high school where she was a German foreign exchange student. Since graduation, she has visited American a few times and I have visited her home in Germany as well. Last summer I was invited to live with Mary and her mother, Birgit, for two months in their apartment in Hannover. During that time I became close with Birgit and got to know Mary’s friends. Before I left, Birgit invited me for Easter. Now here I am, anxiously awaiting the train to take me back to what I have started to think of as my second home.
I am staying with Mary and Birgit until Sunday night, when I will take a train to Salzburg, Austria. I will be meeting some classmates there. We have booked a hostel room and plan to explore the city for a few days. On Thursday, March 16, we leave Salzburg and travel to Prague in the Czech Republic. On Sunday, March 19, we will return to Marburg.
I am very excited to be enjoying Easter with loved ones as well as taking a mini Eurotrip. Hopefully, I will be able to post entries and pictures along the way. Until then, Happy Easter!
S.N.
On Friday, April 3 and Monday, April 6, I was tested on my listening and reading comprehension, grammar, as well as my writing and speaking abilities in the German language. I am excited to say that I passed my exams and will be moving into the next level, Stuffe Zwei. Now I am on break, until Tuesday, April 21. I studied pretty hard for the tests, though it was difficult to stay indoors because of the nice weather outside.
The weather in Marburg over the last few weeks has been absolutely gorgeous. Flowers are blooming, trees are budding and people are strolling outside in t-shirts and shorts. I have even seen butterflies and have coaxed angry, confused bumblebees out my open windows. Furthermore, it smells like spring. All of these factors make it difficult to stay inside. Even as I write this, I am sitting outside the train station sipping my radler (beer mixed with Sprite) in the afternoon sun.
Presently, I am waiting for one of my best friends, Mary, to meet me so we can travel to Hannover and celebrate Easter with her family. I am very excited for this opportunity. I have been told Easter is a very celebrated holiday in Germany.
Mary is a friend that I made in high school where she was a German foreign exchange student. Since graduation, she has visited American a few times and I have visited her home in Germany as well. Last summer I was invited to live with Mary and her mother, Birgit, for two months in their apartment in Hannover. During that time I became close with Birgit and got to know Mary’s friends. Before I left, Birgit invited me for Easter. Now here I am, anxiously awaiting the train to take me back to what I have started to think of as my second home.
I am staying with Mary and Birgit until Sunday night, when I will take a train to Salzburg, Austria. I will be meeting some classmates there. We have booked a hostel room and plan to explore the city for a few days. On Thursday, March 16, we leave Salzburg and travel to Prague in the Czech Republic. On Sunday, March 19, we will return to Marburg.
I am very excited to be enjoying Easter with loved ones as well as taking a mini Eurotrip. Hopefully, I will be able to post entries and pictures along the way. Until then, Happy Easter!
S.N.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Munich part 2
The next morning I was rudely awakened by the other six occupants of our 12 person room leaving for their next destination. It was bad enough that they were other Americans (we had been hoping to meet some fun Europeans) but they did not even speak German or really talk to us at all. I was disappointed.
After breakfast, Megan and I made our way to Marienplatz, the square where a free walking tour was supposed to convene and begin. Marienplatz was teaming with people and a group of German vegan demonstrators were inconveniently situated where the tour groups met. They were entertaining to watch though. Most of them were dressed in animal costumes and would intermittently begin to sing and do the chicken dance. We grabbed some pamphlets in hopes of deciphering them later.
Though it was probably the most “touristy” thing that I could have done, I am glad that I went on the walking tour, which took us around the inner city. The guide was a quirky but knowledgeable American college student, who made the tour enjoyable with a myriad of jokes, facts and history about the sites we were seeing. Through the tour we saw the imposing and very gothic Frauenkirche, which houses the infamous Devil’s Footprint, the National Theater/Opera House, the Memorial to the German Resistance, the Church of St. Peter, both the Old and New Town Halls and much more.
The next day was our last day in Munich. I did not get up early enough to go to a service at the Frauenkirche with Tom and Richard and instead accompanied Megan to the Church of St Peter. There, you could pay a euro and climb 297 steps of the tower to see a spectacular view of Munich. We had been told by our tour guide that on a clear day, one could see the Alps from the tower. Sadly, it was not clear enough that Sunday, though the view was still worth the small, winding staircase.
At 3:05 p.m. we caught our train and started the seven hour journey home. We
had to switch trains four times, but it was actually relatively easy and I suppose it was good practice for us as well. We got into Marburg at 10:20 that night.
My trip to Munich was a great time and I would love to go again and explore the city more. As of April 1, my student ticket has been activated, meaning that I can travel by train around Hessen for free. I plan to take advantage of this and I am going to plan more day/weekend trips around the state.
S.N.
Images: Me standing inside the Frauenkirche next to the Devil's Footprint
The view from St. Peter's
After breakfast, Megan and I made our way to Marienplatz, the square where a free walking tour was supposed to convene and begin. Marienplatz was teaming with people and a group of German vegan demonstrators were inconveniently situated where the tour groups met. They were entertaining to watch though. Most of them were dressed in animal costumes and would intermittently begin to sing and do the chicken dance. We grabbed some pamphlets in hopes of deciphering them later.
Though it was probably the most “touristy” thing that I could have done, I am glad that I went on the walking tour, which took us around the inner city. The guide was a quirky but knowledgeable American college student, who made the tour enjoyable with a myriad of jokes, facts and history about the sites we were seeing. Through the tour we saw the imposing and very gothic Frauenkirche, which houses the infamous Devil’s Footprint, the National Theater/Opera House, the Memorial to the German Resistance, the Church of St. Peter, both the Old and New Town Halls and much more.
The next day was our last day in Munich. I did not get up early enough to go to a service at the Frauenkirche with Tom and Richard and instead accompanied Megan to the Church of St Peter. There, you could pay a euro and climb 297 steps of the tower to see a spectacular view of Munich. We had been told by our tour guide that on a clear day, one could see the Alps from the tower. Sadly, it was not clear enough that Sunday, though the view was still worth the small, winding staircase.
At 3:05 p.m. we caught our train and started the seven hour journey home. We
had to switch trains four times, but it was actually relatively easy and I suppose it was good practice for us as well. We got into Marburg at 10:20 that night.My trip to Munich was a great time and I would love to go again and explore the city more. As of April 1, my student ticket has been activated, meaning that I can travel by train around Hessen for free. I plan to take advantage of this and I am going to plan more day/weekend trips around the state.
S.N.
Images: Me standing inside the Frauenkirche next to the Devil's Footprint
The view from St. Peter's
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Munich part one
We arrived in Munich at about 8 p.m. Walking out of the train station, I remember wanting to feel a kind of awe, anything that would say “Yes, Sara, this is going to be an awesome weekend in Bavaria.” Sadly, it was dark, cold and I had no such feelings. I trudged along behind the others and hoped that we would not get lost trying to find our hostel.
Richard was familiar with the city, having studied there for a semester, and we found it relatively easily. Next he wanted to visit the hostel that he had previously stayed in.
We walked to the Euro Youth Hostel and sat down at the bar. The place was full of young people conversing in all different languages, drinking and dancing. Everyone seemed so friendly and the atmosphere was very relaxed. I remember Tom saying that this was how he had always pictured a hostel to be like.
That night we met a Dutch man who was very impressed that Americans were speaking something other than English.
“When a person can speak three languages, they are trilingual. When a person can speak two languages they are bilingual. When a person only speaks one language, they are an American,” he said.
The next day I went on a tour of the concentration camp in Dachau with Tom. The concentration camp has been turned into a free memorial.
I did not know what to expect when visiting a concentration camp. Would I be upset by what I saw? Was this something I really wanted to experience? These were things I was mindful of as I walked through Dachau’s famous iron gates, the inscription “Arbeit mach frei” (work makes you free) looming above me.
Upon entering the gate, I was met by a harsh, barren landscape. I found myself standing in a square, surrounded by long, white buildings. Everything was still and before long, snow began falling out of the overcast sky. The crunching of gravel underfoot and the occasional explanation offered by a tour guide were the only sounds I heard for the next few hours.
The tour was in English, and the guide took our group through each of the white buildings explaining its previous uses and offering bits of history as well. Most of the tour was spent walking through barracks. I saw where prisoners slept, washed, ate, where some were tortured or experimented on, where their hair was cut and where names were exchanged for numbers and identities stolen.
I remember having this numb feeling for hours, walking silently and taking photos. How many people walked here before me? Worked here? Died here?
Near the end of the tour, I found myself outside of the gas chamber and crematorium. I was told that there was speculation as to if the gas chamber was ever actually used, but there was no doubt that the crematorium was.
I remember walking toward the gas chamber and seeing “Brausebad” (shower room) written above the door. The chamber was made of smooth concrete and had fake shower spigots on the ceiling.
Next I walked into another concrete room and instantly began to feel sick. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and panic gripped at my chest. After reading an inscription on the wall, I realized that I was standing in a room where bodies were housed before cremation. I quickly left the compound and the tour was finished shortly thereafter. A video of the compound is attached to this entry.
That night we met the rest of our traveling companions and went to the Hofbräuhaus. The Hofbräuhaus is a famous traditional Bavarian beer hall, which was a stark comparison to the concentration camp memorial. It was just what Tom and I needed.
According to J
eremy Gray, author of the Bavaria section of Lonely Planet's "Germany," says the Hofbräuhaus is “certainly the best-known and most celebrated beer hall in Bavaria, but apart from a few local yokels you’ll be in the company of tourists. A live band is condemned to play Bavarian folk music most of the day.”
This may have been true, but we enjoyed the Hofbräuhaus none the less. We were seated at a large wooden table with benches, and were served liters of beer by a waitress, dressed in a traditional dirndl (the female equivalent to lederhosen). I ate my weisswurst and thoroughly enjoyed the music played by the “condemned” band all night.
For more information about the Hofbräuhaus, please visit its official Web site at http://www.hofbraeuhaus.de/en/index_en.html.
For more information about the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial site, please visit its official Web site at http://www.kz-gedenkstaette-dachau.de/english.html.
S.N.
Richard was familiar with the city, having studied there for a semester, and we found it relatively easily. Next he wanted to visit the hostel that he had previously stayed in.
We walked to the Euro Youth Hostel and sat down at the bar. The place was full of young people conversing in all different languages, drinking and dancing. Everyone seemed so friendly and the atmosphere was very relaxed. I remember Tom saying that this was how he had always pictured a hostel to be like.
That night we met a Dutch man who was very impressed that Americans were speaking something other than English.
“When a person can speak three languages, they are trilingual. When a person can speak two languages they are bilingual. When a person only speaks one language, they are an American,” he said.
The next day I went on a tour of the concentration camp in Dachau with Tom. The concentration camp has been turned into a free memorial.
I did not know what to expect when visiting a concentration camp. Would I be upset by what I saw? Was this something I really wanted to experience? These were things I was mindful of as I walked through Dachau’s famous iron gates, the inscription “Arbeit mach frei” (work makes you free) looming above me.
Upon entering the gate, I was met by a harsh, barren landscape. I found myself standing in a square, surrounded by long, white buildings. Everything was still and before long, snow began falling out of the overcast sky. The crunching of gravel underfoot and the occasional explanation offered by a tour guide were the only sounds I heard for the next few hours.
The tour was in English, and the guide took our group through each of the white buildings explaining its previous uses and offering bits of history as well. Most of the tour was spent walking through barracks. I saw where prisoners slept, washed, ate, where some were tortured or experimented on, where their hair was cut and where names were exchanged for numbers and identities stolen.
I remember having this numb feeling for hours, walking silently and taking photos. How many people walked here before me? Worked here? Died here?
Near the end of the tour, I found myself outside of the gas chamber and crematorium. I was told that there was speculation as to if the gas chamber was ever actually used, but there was no doubt that the crematorium was.
I remember walking toward the gas chamber and seeing “Brausebad” (shower room) written above the door. The chamber was made of smooth concrete and had fake shower spigots on the ceiling.
Next I walked into another concrete room and instantly began to feel sick. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and panic gripped at my chest. After reading an inscription on the wall, I realized that I was standing in a room where bodies were housed before cremation. I quickly left the compound and the tour was finished shortly thereafter. A video of the compound is attached to this entry.
That night we met the rest of our traveling companions and went to the Hofbräuhaus. The Hofbräuhaus is a famous traditional Bavarian beer hall, which was a stark comparison to the concentration camp memorial. It was just what Tom and I needed.
According to J
eremy Gray, author of the Bavaria section of Lonely Planet's "Germany," says the Hofbräuhaus is “certainly the best-known and most celebrated beer hall in Bavaria, but apart from a few local yokels you’ll be in the company of tourists. A live band is condemned to play Bavarian folk music most of the day.”This may have been true, but we enjoyed the Hofbräuhaus none the less. We were seated at a large wooden table with benches, and were served liters of beer by a waitress, dressed in a traditional dirndl (the female equivalent to lederhosen). I ate my weisswurst and thoroughly enjoyed the music played by the “condemned” band all night.
For more information about the Hofbräuhaus, please visit its official Web site at http://www.hofbraeuhaus.de/en/index_en.html.
For more information about the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial site, please visit its official Web site at http://www.kz-gedenkstaette-dachau.de/english.html.
S.N.
Trip to Munich
One goal that I had for my studying abroad experience was to travel to Bavaria. On my previous trips to Germany, I had stayed mostly in the state of Niedersachsen, in the northern half of the country. Now I wanted to travel south and experience as much yodeling, weisswurst and lederhosen as I possibly could.On Thursday, March 19, I got my wish when five of my peers (Amanda, Aaron, Megan, Richard and Tom) and I took a trip to Munich. We spent three days and three nights exploring the city and sleeping in a hostel. It was a great experience. The next two entries will be about this trip.
S.N.
Image: Five happy travelers. From left to right: Megan, Richard, Tom, myself and Amanda. Not pictured: Aaron
Die Mensa
After class, I go to die Mensa, or the cafeteria, to eat. There are two cafeterias in Marburg: Mensa Erlenring and Mensa Lahnberge, and students can choose to eat at either of them. Our group typically meets at Mensa Lahnberge to eat together.
To eat at either cafeteria one must have a U Card, which functions must like a Blugold Card. One loads money onto the card and uses it to pay the cashier when one has chosen a meal.
There are also cafes and bistros available for students; however they tend to be more expensive than the cafeteria, which in my opinion, is very cheap.
The cafeteria generally has four or five main courses for students to choose from, which range in price from about 2.70-4.00 euros. Depending on what course one chooses, one can pick up to three sides to go with a main course. One can also take additional sides and pay more for them. Sides usually consist of salads, vegetables, soup, fruit, yogurt or some type of desert. Milk and juice also count as sides; however I have noticed that many students bring their own drinks or just do not drink anything with their meals.
The main courses at the cafeteria are generally some type of meat, although one vegetarian entree is always offered. I do not think that I have ever consumed so much meat on a regular basis in my life! If I am not eating a steak of some sort it is a sausage, meatballs, etc. Potatoes are also an every day occurrence. Image: Ashley, another University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire student, about to enjoy her lunch of sausage, mashed potatoes and sauerkraut.
Our group has a saying when eating in the cafeteria, “Jeden Tag ist Schnitzel Tag!” or “Everyday is schnitzel day!” Schnitzel is, in fact, offered every day, and is a safe choice when one does not feel too adventurous. Schnitzel is a piece of pork that has been hammered until it is relatively thin and deep fried. Often times it is served with some sort of sauce and fries. Image: My plate of schnitzel.
As much as I like the cafeteria, I can only eat there once a day. It is only open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., so I have to make supper for myself. Some people in our group have started cooking together to save money. Generally we decide what we want to eat, agree on a residence hall and time to meet at and then every one brings something to contribute. So far this system has worked well and I enjoy cooking with my friends.
S.N.
To eat at either cafeteria one must have a U Card, which functions must like a Blugold Card. One loads money onto the card and uses it to pay the cashier when one has chosen a meal.
There are also cafes and bistros available for students; however they tend to be more expensive than the cafeteria, which in my opinion, is very cheap.
The cafeteria generally has four or five main courses for students to choose from, which range in price from about 2.70-4.00 euros. Depending on what course one chooses, one can pick up to three sides to go with a main course. One can also take additional sides and pay more for them. Sides usually consist of salads, vegetables, soup, fruit, yogurt or some type of desert. Milk and juice also count as sides; however I have noticed that many students bring their own drinks or just do not drink anything with their meals.
The main courses at the cafeteria are generally some type of meat, although one vegetarian entree is always offered. I do not think that I have ever consumed so much meat on a regular basis in my life! If I am not eating a steak of some sort it is a sausage, meatballs, etc. Potatoes are also an every day occurrence. Image: Ashley, another University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire student, about to enjoy her lunch of sausage, mashed potatoes and sauerkraut.
Our group has a saying when eating in the cafeteria, “Jeden Tag ist Schnitzel Tag!” or “Everyday is schnitzel day!” Schnitzel is, in fact, offered every day, and is a safe choice when one does not feel too adventurous. Schnitzel is a piece of pork that has been hammered until it is relatively thin and deep fried. Often times it is served with some sort of sauce and fries. Image: My plate of schnitzel.
As much as I like the cafeteria, I can only eat there once a day. It is only open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., so I have to make supper for myself. Some people in our group have started cooking together to save money. Generally we decide what we want to eat, agree on a residence hall and time to meet at and then every one brings something to contribute. So far this system has worked well and I enjoy cooking with my friends.
S.N.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
My Residence Hall
In Marburg, I live in a residence hall called Christian-Wolff-Haus. Christian-Wolff-Haus is really a little community of residence halls, located in Cappel, which is a suburb of Marburg. From my hall, it takes about 25 minutes to get to class or the inner city by bus. There is a bus stop right outside my hall and a bus comes about every twenty minutes during the weekdays.
One perk about German residence halls is that it is unusual to have to share a room. That is not the only difference between Phillips University- Marburg’s residence halls and the residence halls at the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire though.
For example, there is no front desk in Christian-Wolff-Haus. That means one is unable to conveniently purchase pizzas or snacks and must have their own food. One must also have their own cooking supplies. There is no place to barrow or “check out” pots, pans and other useful cooking utensils like in the residence halls at UW-Eau Claire. There are kitchens on each wing of every floor in the residence halls in Marburg. It is common to cook for oneself and friends when not going to the cafeteria to eat.
The biggest differences between Marburg and UW-Eau Claire are the other residents, the atmosphere of the hall and that my hall has a Student Kneipe or student bar. The other residents on my floor seem to be nice, however not very outgoing. They generally greet each other, then close their doors and only come out of their rooms to use the kitchen, the bathroom or to leave the building. It is very different from the dorms at UW-Eau Claire where there seems to be a sense of community among the residents.
The people on my wing are also both male and female, which is typical for the residence halls here. Males and females do not have separate wings, showers or bathrooms.
There are also no resident assistants in the halls in Marburg. Here one is responsible for onself. To me it feels much more like I am living in an apartment complex rather than in a residence hall. I enjoy the fact that I can come and go as I please and do not have to answer to anyone.
A bar is a common establishment in residence halls in Marburg and most hall communities have at least one that students have access to. For a couple of euros, one can drink a beer and sit with friends in the comfort of their own hall. As an American, I found having a bar in a residence hall pretty strange. The bar in my hall is located on the ground floor which also features a laundry room, library and a room with a television.
The difference that has impacted me the most is that free internet is not provided in my hall. The Philips University-Marburg does provide free internet in some of its dorms, however not in all of them. When I moved into Christian-Wolff-Haus, I was told to ask around my floor and see if anyone would mind sharing their wireless internet with me. This is a common practice among the students in Marburg and I was told to expect to pay anywhere from five to ten euros per month for internet.
After several failed attempts at sharing the internet with neighbors, my friend took me to a store to buy a surf stick. Luckily, it ended up working. A surf stick is a little thing that one plus into one’s USB port and functions like a cell phone. Of course, I have to pay for this service and it is not cheap. It cost me 70 euros for the surf stick and the first month of internet. After that, I pay a monthly charge of 25 euros for the service.
My room is small but I enjoy having my own space. If you are curious, view the video attached to this entry to see what my room and what the rest of my wing looks like.
S.N.
One perk about German residence halls is that it is unusual to have to share a room. That is not the only difference between Phillips University- Marburg’s residence halls and the residence halls at the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire though.
For example, there is no front desk in Christian-Wolff-Haus. That means one is unable to conveniently purchase pizzas or snacks and must have their own food. One must also have their own cooking supplies. There is no place to barrow or “check out” pots, pans and other useful cooking utensils like in the residence halls at UW-Eau Claire. There are kitchens on each wing of every floor in the residence halls in Marburg. It is common to cook for oneself and friends when not going to the cafeteria to eat.
The biggest differences between Marburg and UW-Eau Claire are the other residents, the atmosphere of the hall and that my hall has a Student Kneipe or student bar. The other residents on my floor seem to be nice, however not very outgoing. They generally greet each other, then close their doors and only come out of their rooms to use the kitchen, the bathroom or to leave the building. It is very different from the dorms at UW-Eau Claire where there seems to be a sense of community among the residents.
The people on my wing are also both male and female, which is typical for the residence halls here. Males and females do not have separate wings, showers or bathrooms.
There are also no resident assistants in the halls in Marburg. Here one is responsible for onself. To me it feels much more like I am living in an apartment complex rather than in a residence hall. I enjoy the fact that I can come and go as I please and do not have to answer to anyone.
A bar is a common establishment in residence halls in Marburg and most hall communities have at least one that students have access to. For a couple of euros, one can drink a beer and sit with friends in the comfort of their own hall. As an American, I found having a bar in a residence hall pretty strange. The bar in my hall is located on the ground floor which also features a laundry room, library and a room with a television.
The difference that has impacted me the most is that free internet is not provided in my hall. The Philips University-Marburg does provide free internet in some of its dorms, however not in all of them. When I moved into Christian-Wolff-Haus, I was told to ask around my floor and see if anyone would mind sharing their wireless internet with me. This is a common practice among the students in Marburg and I was told to expect to pay anywhere from five to ten euros per month for internet.
After several failed attempts at sharing the internet with neighbors, my friend took me to a store to buy a surf stick. Luckily, it ended up working. A surf stick is a little thing that one plus into one’s USB port and functions like a cell phone. Of course, I have to pay for this service and it is not cheap. It cost me 70 euros for the surf stick and the first month of internet. After that, I pay a monthly charge of 25 euros for the service.
My room is small but I enjoy having my own space. If you are curious, view the video attached to this entry to see what my room and what the rest of my wing looks like.
S.N.
Monday, March 30, 2009
School
When people ask me what classes I am taking they are always surprised to find out that I am only enrolled in one class: a German language course. Everyone in the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point program takes a series of three courses. The first two courses are language courses and the other is a German literature course. Each course is six weeks long with an exam at the end. The exam determines most of the grade a student receives and if the student is ready to move to a higher level course. I am in class weekdays from 9 a.m. until 12:50 p.m.
Class began on Tuesday, Feb. 24 and will go until April 7. Then we have a break until April 21, when we begin our second language course.
Before coming to Germany, all of the students in the program took placement tests. This is how the Philips University- Marburg evaluates ones language skills. From the results of the test, we were placed into six “stuffes” or levels. The first level is called the Grund Stuffe and it is designed for people who are just beginning to learn the German language. After the Grund Stuffe there are stuffes one through four. Stuffes five and six are combined. After completing Stuffe five/six one can take another exam to begin actual classes at Phillips University- Marburg.
Six students from our program tested into the first stuffe, eight tested into the second stuffe, six tested into the third stuffe and one person tested into the fourth stuffe. I am in the first stuffe.
At first the other students from the program and I were upset that we were placed in the first stuffe. The grammar seemed pretty basic and we all suffered a bit of a blow to our prides being placed in a lower level class. However, when we were given the choice to move, most of us decided to stay in the stuffe because it seemed like it would be a good review. The second stuffe already had two very full sections of students as well.
Though the pace is not always as quick as I would like it to be, it may have been a good choice for me to remain in the first stuffe. I feel as if the knowledge that I had already had about the German language is being cemented inside my head and extra practice is never a bad thing. Plus, through staying in the section, I have gotten to meet some interesting people.
Our class is comprised of 18 students who are all different nationalities. It consists of 12 people from America, two women from Russia, a man from Yemen, a woman from Iran, a man from Turkey and a man from Spain. It has been fun sharing information about our cultures with one another and learning together. However, it is not always easy to understand one another.
For example the second day of school the city buses went on strike. As students, city buses are our primary source of transportation, so it was a little chaotic. Determined not to miss my second day of class, I decided to walk to school. On my way, I saw Abdulghani, my classmate from Yemen, waiting for the bus. Since I did not know the necessary German vocabulary to explain a strike and he spoke no English, it was difficult it was to get my point across. Once Abdulghani understood that the buses were not coming, he called us a cab and all my effort and flailing was rewarded.
I have also made an unlikely friend in Fatemeh, the Iranian woman in our class. At first we sat next to each other because there were no other available seats. We shared answers and worked together on assignments and eventually this blossomed into a friendship. When I first saw Fatemeh I saw her headscarf, deduced that she was Muslim and because of this probably would not be friendly to an American. I am happy to say that I was wrong. Fatemeh jokes with everyone constantly and always seems to be smiling. We are interested in each other’s cultures and discuss them with each other almost daily. We also have plans to meet outside the classroom and discuss things more in depth. Believe it or not, Fatemeh also has Facebook!
Overall, I am happy with classes so far, though I am nervous about the rapidly approaching exams. I hope to pass into the next stuffe soon. Wish me luck!
S.N.
Image: Typical day in class
Class began on Tuesday, Feb. 24 and will go until April 7. Then we have a break until April 21, when we begin our second language course.
Before coming to Germany, all of the students in the program took placement tests. This is how the Philips University- Marburg evaluates ones language skills. From the results of the test, we were placed into six “stuffes” or levels. The first level is called the Grund Stuffe and it is designed for people who are just beginning to learn the German language. After the Grund Stuffe there are stuffes one through four. Stuffes five and six are combined. After completing Stuffe five/six one can take another exam to begin actual classes at Phillips University- Marburg.
Six students from our program tested into the first stuffe, eight tested into the second stuffe, six tested into the third stuffe and one person tested into the fourth stuffe. I am in the first stuffe.
At first the other students from the program and I were upset that we were placed in the first stuffe. The grammar seemed pretty basic and we all suffered a bit of a blow to our prides being placed in a lower level class. However, when we were given the choice to move, most of us decided to stay in the stuffe because it seemed like it would be a good review. The second stuffe already had two very full sections of students as well.
Though the pace is not always as quick as I would like it to be, it may have been a good choice for me to remain in the first stuffe. I feel as if the knowledge that I had already had about the German language is being cemented inside my head and extra practice is never a bad thing. Plus, through staying in the section, I have gotten to meet some interesting people.
Our class is comprised of 18 students who are all different nationalities. It consists of 12 people from America, two women from Russia, a man from Yemen, a woman from Iran, a man from Turkey and a man from Spain. It has been fun sharing information about our cultures with one another and learning together. However, it is not always easy to understand one another.
For example the second day of school the city buses went on strike. As students, city buses are our primary source of transportation, so it was a little chaotic. Determined not to miss my second day of class, I decided to walk to school. On my way, I saw Abdulghani, my classmate from Yemen, waiting for the bus. Since I did not know the necessary German vocabulary to explain a strike and he spoke no English, it was difficult it was to get my point across. Once Abdulghani understood that the buses were not coming, he called us a cab and all my effort and flailing was rewarded.
I have also made an unlikely friend in Fatemeh, the Iranian woman in our class. At first we sat next to each other because there were no other available seats. We shared answers and worked together on assignments and eventually this blossomed into a friendship. When I first saw Fatemeh I saw her headscarf, deduced that she was Muslim and because of this probably would not be friendly to an American. I am happy to say that I was wrong. Fatemeh jokes with everyone constantly and always seems to be smiling. We are interested in each other’s cultures and discuss them with each other almost daily. We also have plans to meet outside the classroom and discuss things more in depth. Believe it or not, Fatemeh also has Facebook!
Overall, I am happy with classes so far, though I am nervous about the rapidly approaching exams. I hope to pass into the next stuffe soon. Wish me luck!
S.N.
Image: Typical day in class
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Coming to Marburg
On Sunday, Feb. 22, the group left Berlin on our voyage toward our impending studies. We stopped in a city called Eisenach for the night to visit the Wartburg Schloss. We also met our peer advisor, Cornelia, who would be helping us throughout our stay in Marburg. That night we filled out necessary paperwork and were given our room keys, as well as the news that most of us would not be receiving internet from the university. We would have to find the web on our own. I will explain that later.The next morning we were dropped unceremoniously in front of our dorms and told to meet at somewhere called “Rudolph’s Platz” for dinner. This was the basis for the first week: We were given a time and a place and expected to be there. All 21 of us scurried around Marburg with our faces glued to our maps, hoping to catch the right bus.
Tuesday, Feb. 24, we began school in various buildings in the city.
Since coming to Marburg, I have felt a whirlwind of emotions from excitement, to homesickness to just plain culture shock. In the span of a few short weeks I have been thrust into the life of a German college student, which in many ways is quite different than the typical experience one has at the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire. In the next few entries I will explain the class I am taking, my dorm room, the cafeteria as well as my feelings toward being a student in Germany. As always, feel free to leave comments and questions.
S.N.
Image of the group and Cornelia (front row, third from the right) when we registered with the city
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Introducing Marburg
This was not my first time visiting Marburg, so I knew a little bit about what to expect when we finished our tour in Berlin and made our way to the German state of Hessen on Monday, Feb. 24. I had spent two days last summer camping in a campground and exploring the city with a friend, so I instantly recognized some of Marburg's sites and buildings once we arrived.However, I know that the average person probably has not heard of Marburg, Germany or has any idea what it may look like. I know that I achad not heard of Marburg until I became acquainted with the study abroad program that I am now a part of. To help combat this, I will try to describe the city to make it more tangible.
Marburg is located in Hessen, which is just about in the center of' Germany. Anthony Haywood, author of the Hesse section of Lonely Planet's "Germany," says that Marburg is about 90km north of one of Hessen's biggest cities, Frankfurt, and has a population of 79,000 people. Of this, the city of Marburg's official web site, http://www.marburg.de/, estimates that 18,000 of its residents are students.
According to Haywood, the Phillips University-Marburg was establised in 1527 and is the oldest Protestant university in Europe. The Brothers Grimm even studied there for a short time, he said.
"Other cities have a university, Marburg is a university,” says Marburg's web site. This is a perfect slogan for the city. Instead of having a campus, the university buildings are scattered throughout Marburg. For example, if the University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire's campus was set up in a similar manner, it would be like having the W.R. Davies Center on Waterstreet, Sutherland Hall by the Oakwood Mall and the Riverview Cafe somewhere in Altoona. Fortunately, Marburg has a good public transportation system and finding a bus is never difficult.
Marburg is also quite hilly. In fact, the city is divided between the "Oberstadt" and "Unterstadt." The Oberstadt is beautiful, containing cobble stone streets, historic homes, quaint-looking shops, the Landgrafenschloss (Landgraves' Castle) as well as the town square. The Unterstadt is more modern, but still lovely with the Lahn River flowing through it.
For more information about the city of Marburg visit Marburg's official Web site at http://www.marburg.de/en/24679.
For more information about Philipps University-Marburg visit its official Web site at http://www.uni-marburg.de/index_html-en?set_language=en.
S.N.
First image: The city of Marburg from a bridge over the Lahn River.
Second image: I am posing on the highest point in the Oberstadt, next to the Landgrafenschloss.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Flight to Germany/Entry Tour
About three weeks ago, after some tearful goodbyes, I found myself at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport about to embark on my semester abroad in Marburg, Germany. With two overly stuffed suitcases in tow, I met the other 20 group members and our faculty advisor, Herr Barske and suddenly was whisked off to Deutschland for five months of schoolwork and exploration.
After ceremoniously eating an airport cheese burger and about eight hours in air, we landed in Frankfurt and stepped onto German soil. This, however, was short lived and soon we ended up in another plane bound for Berlin, where we spent our first week, Feb. 17-23, doing an entry tour. The tour would take us to many historical sites in Berlin and at each stop a student would give a short presentation, completely in German, to the group.
At the airport in Berlin we were met by a coach bus that would take us to the youth hostel where we were staying. The bus driver looked overwhelmed as he tried to stow all the bulging suitcases in the bus’s storage compartment for all the excited American students. Herr Barske explained to him that we were an exchange group. He still did not seem impressed. After about a twenty minute drive through the snowy streets, we unloaded at the Aletto Jugenhotel, where we stayed that week.
In the hostel, we were separated into rooms. I stayed in a room with four of my female classmates. The room itself was small, comprising of two sets of bunk beds, two single beds, two closets with small wooden shelves and cubbies and in true European style, two separate rooms containing the shower and toilet. It was also furnished with a small television set and a heater underneath the window (which unfortunately took us two days to learn how to operate).
Each morning we ate breakfast the hostel provided us and generally left the building by 8 to walk around the frozen city for 8 to 9 hours at a time. We visited many of the landmarks one associates with Berlin: the wall, Alexanderplatz, the Brandenburg Gate and even Pariser Platz, where Michael Jackson infamously held his baby out of a hotel window.
My favorite site was the site I gave a presentation on: Denkmal für die ermordeten Jueden Europas or The Holocaust Memorial, which is a memorial dedicated to the Jews who died during the Holocaust. We visited it Saturday, Feb. 21. The memorial is comprised of 2,711 gray concrete blocks called stelen, which are systematically placed in a grid pattern on a sloping hill. The stelen vary in height, the shortest being at the front of the monument at the top of the hill. As one walks further into the monument, and further down the incline, the stelen rise up, towering over one’s head menacingly, creating a feeling of entrapment. The maze-like quality of the memorial also adds to this feeling.
While preparing my speech in Eau Claire, I did not appreciate the memorial, but visiting the site made me realize how unique and special it was. It also made me realize how lucky I was to experience Berlin, and the rest of Germany, in such a hands on way.
After ceremoniously eating an airport cheese burger and about eight hours in air, we landed in Frankfurt and stepped onto German soil. This, however, was short lived and soon we ended up in another plane bound for Berlin, where we spent our first week, Feb. 17-23, doing an entry tour. The tour would take us to many historical sites in Berlin and at each stop a student would give a short presentation, completely in German, to the group.
At the airport in Berlin we were met by a coach bus that would take us to the youth hostel where we were staying. The bus driver looked overwhelmed as he tried to stow all the bulging suitcases in the bus’s storage compartment for all the excited American students. Herr Barske explained to him that we were an exchange group. He still did not seem impressed. After about a twenty minute drive through the snowy streets, we unloaded at the Aletto Jugenhotel, where we stayed that week.
In the hostel, we were separated into rooms. I stayed in a room with four of my female classmates. The room itself was small, comprising of two sets of bunk beds, two single beds, two closets with small wooden shelves and cubbies and in true European style, two separate rooms containing the shower and toilet. It was also furnished with a small television set and a heater underneath the window (which unfortunately took us two days to learn how to operate).
Each morning we ate breakfast the hostel provided us and generally left the building by 8 to walk around the frozen city for 8 to 9 hours at a time. We visited many of the landmarks one associates with Berlin: the wall, Alexanderplatz, the Brandenburg Gate and even Pariser Platz, where Michael Jackson infamously held his baby out of a hotel window.
My favorite site was the site I gave a presentation on: Denkmal für die ermordeten Jueden Europas or The Holocaust Memorial, which is a memorial dedicated to the Jews who died during the Holocaust. We visited it Saturday, Feb. 21. The memorial is comprised of 2,711 gray concrete blocks called stelen, which are systematically placed in a grid pattern on a sloping hill. The stelen vary in height, the shortest being at the front of the monument at the top of the hill. As one walks further into the monument, and further down the incline, the stelen rise up, towering over one’s head menacingly, creating a feeling of entrapment. The maze-like quality of the memorial also adds to this feeling.
I talked with one of my peers, Liz, as we navigated the snow covered field of stelen in the memorial. Liz interpreted the height of the stelen as a metaphor to how the rise of the Nazis had progressed. She noted also how when entering the memorial the stelen seemed unobtrusive and harmless but became more threatening and overpowering as one walked further inside.
While preparing my speech in Eau Claire, I did not appreciate the memorial, but visiting the site made me realize how unique and special it was. It also made me realize how lucky I was to experience Berlin, and the rest of Germany, in such a hands on way.
Another one of my favorite places was the Schloss Sanssouci, which we visited on the morning of Thursday, Feb. 19. Sanssouci, meaning “carefree” in French, was built by Prussian royalty as a sign of wealth and power as well as a summer getaway. Though we only visited the guest palace, it was very regal and impressive. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos inside.
Our friendly tour guide took us from room to room, unlocking doors and explaining the palace to us slack-jawed Americans. We shuffled along behind her, trying to keep up in the over sized grey slippers guests were made to wear to prevent any damage to the floors.
The ceilings were adorned with massive paintings of Greek and roman gods and goddesses and the walls were adorned with bright silks or in ornate French rococo style designs plated in both gold and silver. Most of the rooms were nature themed with bright golden leaves and flowers.
My favorite room in the palace was decorated almost completely with seashells and semi-precious stones. They formed patterns on the walls and ceilings and between them gazed sea creatures both real and mythical. The room had five chandeliers and the floors below them were shiny marble. A corner of the room even featured a fountain.
I also really enjoyed the Sammlung Berggruen, which we visited on the afternoon of Feb. 20. The Sammlung Berggruen is an art museum that contained many works by Pablo Picasso. Through the audio guide I purchased, I was able to walk through the exhibit and learn about his “blue” and “red periods” while examining pieces of Picasso’s actual artwork. I soon discovered that each room at its own theme and began to enjoy trying to interpret the pieces before pushing play on my audio guide.
The entry tour was packed full of tourist sites, history and a lot of walking. As a group, we put in long hours exploring Berlin and at the end of each day I sunk into bed and cursed my aching knees and feet. I soon understood why we were earning one credit for the entry tour. Overall, it was a great experience though. I also found that the people of Berlin were generally very kind to visitors and forgave me for my lack of fluency and directions. They smiled, congratulated me for being an exchange student and wished me a good time in Germany. Because of their friendliness, I was never afraid to ask someone to help
me find my way.
I could write a detailed description for each place we visited, however it would take too much time! Instead, below, I have included a list of all the places we visited. Feel free to post questions about any of the sites or research them on your own. Hopefully, I will also be adding more pictures of the entry tour as more of my classmates get Internet access here in Marburg, and we can exchange photos more easily. My camera broke the second day of the entry tour and I had to rely on the willingness of others to take photos for me. Bis spaeter!
S.N.
First image: A group photo taken by Herr Barske at Checkpoint Charlie
Second and third images: The Holocaust Memorial and Richard and I standing within it
Fourth image: Beth and I posing by a piece of the Berlin Wall
Places we visited as a group:
Berlin Wall
Scheunenviertel
Hackesche Höfe
Museumsinsel
Alexanderplatz
Nikolaiviertel
Reichstag
Brandenburg Gate
Pariser Platz
Berliner Dom
Schloss Sanssouci
Topographie des Terrors
Neue Synagoge
Schloss Charlottenburg
Kurfürstendamm
The Holocaust Memorial
Neue Nationalgalerie
Philharmonie
Gendarmenmarkt
Friedrickstraße
Berlin Wall
Scheunenviertel
Hackesche Höfe
Museumsinsel
Alexanderplatz
Nikolaiviertel
Reichstag
Brandenburg Gate
Pariser Platz
Berliner Dom
Schloss Sanssouci
Topographie des Terrors
Neue Synagoge
Schloss Charlottenburg
Kurfürstendamm
The Holocaust Memorial
Neue Nationalgalerie
Philharmonie
Gendarmenmarkt
Friedrickstraße
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