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.
Friday, April 24, 2009
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.
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