Sopra la panca la capra campa. Sotto la panca la capra crepa.

Hello Readers!

I am writing now from Venice in the last days of my trip to northern Italy.

Italy is so different from Germany. It is an interesting place, and yet another corner of the world that I’ve fallen in love with. This country has not ceased to astonish me, nor have its citizens. It is a place that in many ways has remained untouched for centuries (unlike many of its European counterparts), making it an interesting fusion of old-world tradition and modern influence. Italy is full of out-of-this-world sights, sounds, smells, and tastes to take in, and I set out with a plan to do so with as many as possible.

I began my journey in Trento. Li You (a Chinese friend of mine) and I arrived in this medium-sized city, after twelve long hours of travel by both plane and train. With all this traveling, you may be wondering, “Why Trento?” The answer is that this picturesque spot nestled between the mountains was not just an ordinary tourist attraction for me, as it may be for others. It happens to be the temporary home and study city of one of my best friends from high school, Raffaello (“Raffa” for short). After five long years I was finally getting the chance to reunite with him, and meet some of his friends, too.

I can’t properly put into words how it feels to reconnect with someone who has filled such an important role in your life, but it was amazing. Initially I was excited, but cautious. So much has changed in five years. We both have started college, made new friends, kept some old, and lost others. We have both been through major ups and downs, and we have definitely experienced a lot more since our year together at Keystone Oaks High School. My dad, whose wisdom I have already pointed out in a previous post, once said that your best friends are the ones that you can meet up with years down the line, and with which you can pick up as if you parted only yesterday. All I can really say is that for one of the very few times in my life, this occurred, and it really amazed me.

Once Li You and I were settled in, we began to get to know Raffa’s flat mates, Fabio and Carloalberto (or “Ca”). These were the first of many new friends to be made in Trento, the list of which I will not make, as there are too many, and I’m sure to forget at least one. These days in Trento were really amazing. I ate my first real Italian pizza, drank my first real Italian Spritz (a delicious mix of Prosecco, Aperol, sometimes Mineral Water, and an orange or lemon slice), and rode my first cable car. Trento was a true feast for the senses, and below is just one example of the many gorgeous sights in there, a view of one of the mountains peeking through a street from the Piazza Duomo.

 

After several days of living with Raffa, Fabio, and Ca, I was not so thrilled to leave. We had spent many hours getting to know each other, trading tongue twisters in various languages, and talking about whatever else came up. I felt very at home, and wasn’t sure that the rest of the trip would really hold up to what I had experienced at the start of it. Granted, I was headed off to Verona and Venice (two cities with great reputations and lots to see), but Trento and the people there had made such a lasting impression, that I wasn’t sure.

After the goodbyes, we lugged our stuff onto the train, found seats, and two hours later, Li You and I had arrived in Verona, the home of Shakespeare’s famous “Romeo & Juliet”. A friend we made in Osnabrück, Rudi, met us at the train station. He was kind enough to allow us to stay at his place, and guide us to some of the more famous landmarks in this city, much more chaotic than Trento.

In our short time there, we visited Juliet’s balcony, the Castello Vecchio (the most castle-y looking castle I’ve seen since arriving in Europe), and the old Roman Ampitheater (pictured below), which is used for operas in the summer. Though we fit a lot into our time there, it was a very relaxing three days, which provided much needed rest for our four plus days to follow in Venice.

What I concluded from my little bit of time there is that Verona is a beautiful city, which has many qualities people associate with Italy; sun-lit Piazzas, narrow streets with crazy drivers, high fashion, and tons of food laden with cheese, fresh vegetables, and cured meats. That being said, it isn’t as stereotypical as it may seem. It definitely has its own personality, a vibrant one, which I enjoyed thoroughly during my stay.

Once our time in Verona was finished, we moved on to Venice. Venice is a city of surprises. The whole place is like a maze. By the grace of God, we found our hotel, after a few wrong turns, and some helpful directions from several locals.

We spent our first day visiting Venice’s three most famous islands, Murano, Burano, and Torcello. These three islands are all very well known for different reasons. Each one is known for a particular trade or quality. Murano is the home to the famous Venetian glass-blowing tradition. Burano is the city’s famous lace-production center, and Torcello is known for its 7^th century church (a tribute to the city’s early Byzantine Catholic influence).

We began our tour of the islands on Murano. Murano is an interesting place, overflowing with independent glass-working firms. We stopped into one that caught our interest, and were treated to a wonderful surprise. I had read online that many small glass-blowing companies will show you their production facilities if you ask. I made sure to do so, and we were granted permission to go into the back of one particular firm, and see several masters doing what they “study at least ten years to do, based on the amount of natural ability”. Below is a picture of a man working on a glass leaf for a Venetian chandelier. It was absolutely amazing to see, and we stayed for about ten minutes, just watching the three-man team do what they do best.

After Murano we took the ferry to Burano. Burano was interesting to say the least. Due to a lot of work on the island’s sidewalks, it was half-covered in wooden walkways that made it sort of hard to access. It was unfortunate, and paired with the fact that the town was pretty dead - as many people were taking middle-of-the-day breaks - it felt sort of bizarre. We did, however, enjoy the hundreds of very brightly colored houses that the island is so known for.

Once we had had our fill of Burano, we moved on to Torcello, the third island, which was my immediate favorite. This island is much less over-built. It is the home to what various sources will say is between 20 and 30,000 thousand citizens. (I tend to air on the side of the first, after seeing it, but who knows.) It is also the home to a beautiful old church complex, supposedly built up by Byzantine Catholics after they fled to this island from the encroaching forces of Attila the Hun. It’s an amazing place, fairly untouched by time. The people raise/grow their own food, and live what seem to be very simple lives. It was a very nice end to our first day in Venice, and from what we saw that day, we knew we were in for many more surprises and awe-inspiring moments.

On our second day, we decided to wander around the city. Many tourists are horrified of getting lost in this giant maze of a city. Many seasoned tourists will recommend getting lost once or twice, though, as that’s how you find many beautiful and unexpected things. Below is just one shot from our second day. Most of the streets have some sort of bridge that provides a similar view to this one, which adds to the beauty (and confusion) of the city. While lost, we stumbled on the Ponte Rialto (something that most people would say is hard to stumble upon). The most famous bridge in Venice, and one of the only four to span the Canale Grande, it is a two-part bridge with a center area full of shops on both sides, and other side that looks onto the Grand Canal in its splendor. It was absolutely amazing, and though in the end we were lost for a while, our second day of wandering made for a simple, but very fulfilling day.

 

The third day was reserved for everyone’s first thought of Venice, St. Mark’s Cathedral. This cathedral is absolutely the most beautiful thing I have ever laid my eyes upon. The whole ceiling, halfway down the walls even, is a mosaic with many of the saints and angels. Also impressive are the Pala d’Oro (a decorative plate of gold about 1x2 meter with the engravings of the apostles and the Virgin Mary), the church’s treasury (full of relics of various saints, old items found in the church store rooms, and other items collected for the ancient world), and the terrace (where you can get a view of St. Mark’s Square from the top of the church).

After the very impressive sights of St. Mark’s, we entered the bell tower next to it, and rode the elevator 60 meters up to see all of Venice. It was breathtaking. You really could see everything, and it was made even better with the afternoon sun shining on all of it.

Just an Aside: As I write this, it seems like I can condense all of our days into such short paragraphs. We really did a whole lot more than it seems. We wandered around, and saw a million things, and I just want to clarify that, as I feel that my short explanations are diminishing the power of all of things we saw and experienced.

The last day was by far the best. Raffa rode the train to Venice in the morning, and Li You, he and I went around the city seeing things that we had completely missed in our time prior. He showed us where we could take a fifty-cent gondola ride (one of the scariest things I’ve done in a while), a church that was cut in half in order to construct a rode for easier access to St. Mark’s Square, and the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari or “Frari”, a very impressive church that was the home to a very large monastery and all of the city records from the Republic of Venice. In addition to its other impressive contents, it is also the place where the famous artist Titian is buried.

Later that afternoon, we were joined by several of the friend that Li You and I had made in Venice. We spent the time going around, where we saw the house of Marco Polo, an old slab noting a “new” Venetian law, the place where Richard Wagner died, and many other cool little things that would have been lost to Li You and I had we not been with Italians to recognize them. It was an amazing time, and a wonderful way to end our time in Venice.

At the end of my time in Italy, I have realized that while several stereotypes are true (the over-abundance of hospitality, the wonderful food, and the accordion players scattered throughout the streets), the ones that are in fact real are incredibly positive. Italy is not just a land of designer shades and pizza. While those may be common, Italy is more a country of immense warmth and hospitality; a place where you can be meeting someone one day and be carrying on with them the next as if you’ve known them for years; a rare spot where, outside your home, you can generally kick back and soak in all the good things that life has to offer you.

Cologne, Classes, and "Counterfeit?" Oh My!

To My Followers (aka Mom),

My sincerest apologies for not writing in over a month! Things got a little hectic here, start of the semester and all. I am, however, resolved to begin blogging again.

That aside, here’s a bit of what’s happened in the last month (surely missing several things that I’ve since reorganized as “not-as-important now as I thought they were then”).

1. Went to Köln (Cologne).

Cologne is a great city! I went there on a day trip organized through the International Student Services office at my university. It involved a reasonable bus ride there, a guided tour, free roam time, and a reasonable bus ride home. The highlight of the trip was seeing the Kölner Dom or “Cologne Cathedral” (pictured above, arguably the most famous church in Germany, and a building I’ve wanted to see for years). Even better (after the fact) was climbing the 500+ steps to the top of the cathedral, which, bare in mind, is the second tallest Gothic church in Europe. The gallons of sweat, hyperventilation and foot pain ended up being SO worth it! The view was AWESOME. Pictured below is just one of the photos I took of Cologne from the top of the Dom.

2. Began classes.

This was an interesting experience for several reasons.

A. All of my classes are in German. I was expecting this one, but it is still WAY too much for your brain to handle the first couple times. Only exception to this statement? French Grundkurs A1, a 101 equivalent course, which only consists of about 15 minutes of German per 1.5 hour class.

B.  There are traditions in the classroom that, as an exchange student, you are usually completely unaware of. For example, at the end of every class session, students knock on their desks as a way of commending the professor on their lecture. I think this is really cool, but the first time it happens, you’re confused, and by the time you realize YOU should be knocking as well (and begin to do so), everyone else is finishing. This means YOU are that weird kid that knocked an uncomfortable amount of time (even if short) past the rest of the group.

C. I had NO CLUE what the final project options were. You generally have a choice of a Referat (30-40 minute speech to the class about a researched topic) or Hausarbeit “House Work” (12-15 pages written on a researched topic). These may seem hard already, but also add that, in most classes, this final project is your only grade for the entire semester! I freaked out about it for a while, but lately, I’m realizing that I AM learning a lot, and that (at least with the paper) I can proof it over and over until it is nearly perfect.

3. Got My Papers to Stay!!!

This was a multiple day process, not because it had to be, but because the office made an error on my first permit, and once it was fixed, admitted they'd made another. On the first day that I had to return, the issue, from what I understand, was that they had made an error with a critical date on the residency permit. This, as they explained to me, could have been bad if I would’ve shown these papers when trying to reenter the country after any out-of-country travel. “In fact, they [the authorities] could refuse you entry to the country,” said the woman helping me (in perfect English), "They might think they're counterfeits." My response? "Counterfeit? Great… Good think I've not left the country yet."

The most important order of business, she explained, was removing the page with the bad date. Easier said than done, since they are meant to stay in the passport. It was a process involving her peeling the half in question out of my passport, and me wincing every time she shredded another little patch off the page of my passport. (This 30-minute ordeal was like watching someone try to separate a piece of flypaper and a piece of tissue paper from one another. Very IMPORTANT tissue paper.) Once the page was removed, the new one was inserted, and I was assured all was fine. From this solution though, grew the next problem.

They (the employees in the Foreigners’ Office) had tried to be fairly commonsensical, and reprinted (of the two-part document) only the half in question. The issue resulted from the fact that the two halves, which are later permanently affixed (or rather, fairly permanently affixed) to your passport, come connected in like-numbered pairs. All a Foreigners’ Office has to do is put one’s information into a template on the computer and print it (leaving them with two identically numbered halves). These numbers absolutely have to match. Otherwise, it’s a sign that your papers are quite likely to have been forged. Guess who didn't have matching numbers on their permit pages... Yeah, it’s actually kind of ironic if you think about it, legal papers that look falsified…

Luckily, someone alerted the employee who had helped me to this fact two days later when they were speaking about it. This is why, to my surprise, I received another phone call. When I returned, I handed over my passport, expecting another traumatic peel and wince session, but instead, she crossed out the incorrect number, and wrote the correct one with a regular old pen. I inquired as to if that wouldn’t look even MORE suspicious to national-level authorities. Her response? A stamp. It’s as some of us international students joke sometimes. If it isn’t on paper and/or stamped, it’s not real here. Apparently this one stamp makes my incredibly odd residency documents perfectly normal… hopefully...

Either way, I have them, and that’s what’s most important.

Anyway, I’ll save you the reading (and time) of more stories. If I keep writing entries like this, I might actually lose a couple of readers, meaning everyone who reads my Blog.

So much has happened, and it doesn’t feel like I’ve already been here for two months. Time is going by MUCH too quickly. Even with the quirks (not bad, just different) and rare annoying situation, this place is amazing (in a way that is hard to wrap your head around)... hence the root word "amaze" I guess. That, though, is a subject for a different day.

I hope everyone reading this back in the States is doing well. I wish all of you at home a Happy Holiday Season, and especially a very Happy Thanksgiving this Thursday. I will truly miss spending this one at home, but I’ll be celebrating it here with many great friends, which is always a wonderful substitute for family. (Stories to come…)

Bis Bald!

"Til Soon!"

Finally Situated with Internet! Grüße aus Osnabrück!!!

Sorry to all ten of my readers about the pause in posts, but I was getting adjusted to the new city, and am currently without Internet in my dorm (as I don’t want to pay for internet service if I am limited to how much I can download per month to my computer, loooong story – not going there).

So without further ado…

Greetings from Osnabrück! I think Hannover is an amazing city and all, but Osnabrück may be a better place to study and live for an entire year. I think it’s because Osnabrück is a bit smaller, so it isn’t as initially overwhelming. That being said, when I arrived in Osnabrück I had already had a week to grow accustomed to some of the idiosyncrasies of the German culture (see preceding posts).

The Alstadt or “Old City” (above) is possibly my favorite place in Osnabrück (along with about 500,000 other people). It is so charming with it’s entirely cobblestone streets/sidewalks, 300+ year-old homes, and interesting little restaurants and shops. It’s fun just to sit somewhere and take it all in.  One of the best parts of the Altstadt is a HUGE market that sets up shop every Saturday morning. This past Saturday I bought nine, gigantic apples and two oranges for a whopping two Euros. (That works out at about 21 cents US$ for each item.)

Some people, namely my family, may be wondering about some things preceding my time in Osnabrück, such as my train ride from Hannover… Well, I made it in one piece… Maybe more like a few pieces put together with a little Elmer’s and a couple inches of tape… Ok, I was a hot mess. “Hindsight is 20/20” so-to-speak, and I can see quite clearly now that I had way too much for a train. It took three of us to haul my crap onto the car, and then I made my way with two bags through a cramped aisle, pissing people off as I unintentionally hit them in the face with my messenger bag or turned to allow people through to get off (which I now realize meant forcing people – whether they liked it or not - to become intimately acquainted with both my clarinet case and jean-clad rear end).

Once I arrived at the Osnabrück Hauptbahnhof, it was a mad dash to the bag storage area on the car, since you have about five seconds to get off before the train leaves for the next station (about 40 miles away). It came to me asking a complete stranger to help me with my bags. Fortunately for me (quite unfortunately for him), he picked the larger of the two bags, which weighed about 80 pounds at the time. It was like some sort of higher power had planned this, like someone somewhere had prayed for some comic relief to the pathetic scene that was my train ride. By the grace of the same, aforementioned power, I was able to pull myself together, and thank this kind, yet sorry, man for his help before the train left. Luckily, I had three friends waiting to help carry all my bags, thus ending the saga of “The Man Who Single-Handedly Pissed off about 200 People in One Hour”.

It wasn’t long before I was travelling again for a weekend in Bünde, the home of several of my friends, where the below picture was taken.

It was amazing there, a pleasant mix of rural and urban areas. “What was the occasion,” you may ask. The Zwiebel Markt is your answer. This so-called “Onion Market” had nothing to do with onions, and everything to do with great food, happy people - with or without the addition of a reasonable amount of the seasonal “Federweißer” wine - and fireworks, rain or shine (in our case rain). The rest of the weekend was wonderful, and involved a new cat (not mine), a delicious meal or two and getting to know people I had only ever met before as pixilated images on Skype.

From Bünde, it was back to Osnabrück. The next few days were a blur, accomplishing everything that needed to be done (ie. establishing a German bank account, arranging my move-in time with my Hausmeister, and getting a cell phone, etc.) I was finished with almost all of the tasks on my To-Do List in time for my move-in on Thursday last week. This brings me to my next story.

On Thursday we arrived at my new home for at least the first semester “Dodesheide”, which I can choose to make my home for the second semester if I want to. I called the number given to me by the Auslandsamt “International Student office”, and was answered by a gruff man, my Hausmeister, who then met us just briefly enough to tell us (us being two of my friends helping me to move in and myself) that we needed to wait by my room. They say first impressions are everything, but with this one, I encountered one of the very rare exceptions (not about the room, but about the Hausmeister).

This is my room. You may be thinking, “Oh that looks really nice! Why is he foreshadowing something horrible? What an ungrateful, spoiled jerk.”

The room, when we first arrived, was enough to make you want to plug your nose, cry and vomit… simultaneously. It was at this moment that my friend Sebastian began asking questions about the room (I think to keep me from freaking out):

Sebastian: It’s quite dirty in here. Wasn’t it supposed to be cleaned over the summer?

Hausmeister: Well, no… You clean it yourself when you arrive. It isn’t one of our responsibilities to clean these things. We’ve got hundreds of rooms here. We ask students to clean their rooms before they leave, but we work with a lot of “Internationals”, so you know how it goes.

Sebastian: (paraphrased) It said online that this was just renovated. I can see the floors are new, everything else looks to be in good shape, but what is with the molding around the ceiling? It isn’t painted.

Hausmeister: Yes, well, students have to paint their own rooms white at the end of the year. (To me.) Haven’t you ever painted a room before?

Me: No… Never.

Hausmeister: Well I know someone who will be able to do it for 100 Euros. (That’s roughly $127.00 for all you readers.)

It all just went from there, resulting in the borrowing of a bucket, a mop, a sponge, several rags and some cleaning products. Four hours later, all THREE of us had finally cleaned the room so it didn’t stink like unwashed hair, Asian food and shit. The Hausmeister, we learned, was not trying to be rude. He even washed my drapes (which reeked), and delivered them to me. In fact, he was quite accommodating, explaining that if I needed anything I could talk to him, and he would try to figure it out for me.

One pleasant surprise about the room was that it has its own sink. “This,” I thought, “would be nice when doing my hair so I could wash the product off my hands when finished, or for brushing my teeth first thing when I wake up.” My equally unpleasant surprise? The pipe that drains into the main water system of the building is detached, or more honestly physically ripped from the other pipe connected to the sink. How did we detect this? By cleaning around it. It makes me wonder, “What would I have done if all of the water I used ended up on the floor in a giant puddle, flooding my room?” The answer, I have no idea, and I’m glad I didn’t find out. The Hausmeister is on it, but not without the clarification, “Die blöde Kuh hat mich nicht erzählt,” in English, “The stupid cow didn’t tell me!” Hopefully, I’ll be able to enjoy the one luxury in my room within the week, but maybe not, since the Hausmeister also clarified that he has six buildings to take care of.

My Hausmeister’s comments bring me to my last point, since this post is getting ridiculously long, and I need to give you all a break, so you’ll want to read later posts. Germans are very forward people. They don’t mean to be rude, or to make your stomach sink because what they’ve said is enough to make any grown man cry. They just feel that anything less than complete honesty is superficial. (This means that Americans are VERY superficial people.) One example, other than the above quotes from my Hausmeister:

In looking for somewhere to practice piano before I get keys to practice rooms in the next week or two, I stopped in two music stores that had piano show rooms. I explained my situation, expecting that the worst-case scenario would be a polite, “No, sorry, we don’t have any practice space, and we would prefer people didn’t play the pianos. Otherwise, everyone would be practicing here, and that isn’t good for business.” The first storeowner said, “No. Ask a church. We aren’t here for practice, but they’re here for charity, so maybe they’d donate a space with a piano to you.” The other said, “We have two big rooms, and no space for you.” I was quite befuddled by the comments, and mentioned them to a couple German friends, most of which could see why I thought they were rude, but also said that it is only typical of German customer service. They are not in the business of making you feel warm and fuzzy all while not being able/willing to help you. This, I think, is just going to take some getting used to.

Among all the uncertainties mentioned in this post, one thing is for sure, that I am LOVING my time here. Even though I pointed out some of my first really bad news since I arrived, bad things happen no matter who/where you are, and I have WAY more to be excited about. Further, without these predicaments, I would probably have nothing to write about.

I heard a German admit this week that laughing IS in fact exercise. Why is this relevant? Firstly, because I never thought that I would ever hear that...ever. Secondly, because I had an epiphany while writing this post.

My dad said shortly before I left the U.S. that (paraphrased), ”We are different from a lot of people [we meaning our family and a large number of our family friends]. We look at the things that others would be consumed by, and we laugh at them not because they are any less horrible, but because that is our way of reminding ourselves that there will always be things that are less than optimal, and we should enjoy what is good, not what isn’t.

I would like to think that this blog is a way for you all, my readers, to see my experiences through my eyes, and laugh about them with me. Thusly, if I’m doing it right, reading my blog is both spiritually fulfilling and physically rewarding for its readers (as it is exercise).

And with that… More to come when I have regular Internet service! (Hopefully my Waschbecher “Wash Goblet”, a.k.a. Sink, will be fixed by the next post! Toi toi toi!)

Bis dann!

P.S. - To the handful of people who saw I posted, and declined to read after the title... Thank you for waiting, and sorry for the ball of fury I originally tacked on the title of this post. I now have Internet, and I am much more relaxed and happy! Hope the wait was worth your while!

"Singapore Sling"

I am at the end of my week in Hannover, and I am a little sad to say goodbye (for now). I could honestly see myself living here one day… the open air markets that set up shop somewhere everyday, the GREAT public transportation, the exciting Innenstadt with all of its shops and cafés…. just AMAZING.

As for what I’ve been up to…

Monday

On Monday, Fabi and I explored some of the shops in the Innenstadt. It’s really kind of an eclectic mix, anything from H&M to “The Erotic Shop” to Karstadt - their equivalent of Macy’s/JC Penny/etc. (I know what you’re thinking, and no, we did not visit the Erotic Shop.)

I did, however, make a horrifying discovery while we were out.  Germans actually wear, and enjoy, the infamous “Bauchtasche” (lit. Belly Bag) a.ka. Fanny Pack!!!!! It is kind of like a horrible 1990’s nightmare to see people wearing them in public, and not as a joke or as part of some ridiculous Halloween costume. (The best part, when I pointed it out to Fabi, I was so excited! I thought I had discovered a rarity, someone who still thinks that fanny packs are cool – with the exception of bike riders, hikers, and many elderly tourists – but no, within the next half hour I saw five more just like it. At that point, I needed to go lay down, as it was all too much to handle.)

Tuesday

Zooday Tuesday! This was the day Fabi and I walked through the forest, that is located in the middle of the city of Hannover, to the zoo. On our way we saw this sculpture in the woods. (Note: No sign or anything to say what this is.) 

That’s right, you’re not seeing things, that’s a topless woman, riding sidesaddle on a half-ram/half-horse, motioning for something/someone to follow her. Oh, and there’s a dog biting the animal she’s riding. Don’t know who she is, what she did, or who she’s motioning to, but she must be in a load of trouble if she didn’t even have time to put her top on before she left!

Anyway, one may ask, “Why the hell did you go to the zoo while you were in Germany, since we have them in the U.S. – and nice ones at that?” The answer is simple. The Hannover Zoo is simply the most amazing zoo I have ever seen, quite possibly better than our National Zoo in Washington, D.C. They have anything from a boat ride through the African animal exhibits to opportunities to come so close to a lioness that you could pet her if there weren’t glass in the way (or she could maul you – perspective depends on if you’re a half full or half empty kind of person).

It was especially funny to see “Yukon Bay”, the exhibit of animals from Canada/the United States. What animals were there? Polar bears, Timberwolves, Caribou, Prairie Dogs, Trout, Penguins, and Seals. Did I fail to mention that they were blasting country music? It was, however, completely amazing. Hard to explain, but the American exhibit smelled like America to me (not like car exhaust and urine but like grilled meat and other good foods).

Last thing about the zoo is that they have an especially rare animal, Tatzi Tatz. This giant, rainbow-paw-headed thing (pictured below) is the official mascot of the Hannover Zoo. I missed my chance to get a photo with it when it showed up the first time, as I was in line, and couldn’t leave. Worried that I wouldn’t get a photo, I was much relieved to see this loveable, creepy, Spandex-clad thing waiting for me at the exit. And I got my picture! (I just had to push my way through a sea of five-year-olds to do it.)

(Note: One of the aforementioned five-year-olds is in the background!)

Wednesday

Wednesday was a good day. The night before, Fabi and I hung out with some of her friends from University, and Wednesday morning we met another for coffee and conversation while they finalized some things for their classes. Once we said Tschüß to Fabi's friend, we made our way to the Herrenhäuser Gärten, royal gardens that have been very well maintained. They were so gorgeous (photos to come on Facebook or Photobucket, or something), and I was surprised (as was Fabi) that we were not the youngest people there!

Wednesday night was so much fun. Fabi, some of her friends, and I went for hookah and cocktails. I was thrilled that I got to try German hookah. Verdict is that it's different than in America, but great nonetheless. It was especially fun, as we sat in an outside room of sorts – best I can explain it – and thusly were sort of separate from the boisterous bar crowd. It seems though that I can make an odd connection with people everywhere, as I found myself speaking with a group of men from Iraq, in German, about America and hookah there. Good Hookah. GREAT Cocktails. So much fun! Period.

Things I Have Learned List (continued from previous post):

4. Most younger Germans go nowhere without a scarf. I don’t know why, but it seems like the favored accessory of the time here. (Note: Even when it is warm, lots of people wear scarves.)

5. When the weather is nice, many of the older men wear those cargo vests, made out of canvas, with many pockets on the front, which make them look like they are all headed fishing or on a safari (or maybe to the zoo).

6. Many urinals have strainers in them. I suppose it is to keep everything from spraying back, but it makes one ponder their function the first couple times, until you realize that it's normal…

7. Germans have a LOT of Denglish words in their language (English words said with a German accent – Feel free to try these ones at home folks!). Some of my favorites: Haare Extensions, Singapore Sling, and Starbucks Hazelnut Kaffee.

I have SO much more to say, but I am exhausted, so I have to be on my way to bed! Hope you enjoy! Next time you hear from me, I'll be in Osnabrück!

Schönes Wochenende!

“Have a nice weekend!”

Hello Again!

So I've just gotten up to begin my fourth day in Hannover, and I have to say that Osnabrück better be this interesting and exciting!

Yesterday, Fabi and I rode the bus to das neue Rathaus "the New Town Hall". (The buses here are pretty much the same as in America, except they give you change, you have more space, and you don't have to worry about sitting/stepping in gum or bodily fluids. The other big difference is that they - the drivers - drive like maniacs so people must brace themselves for the very real chance of ending up on the floor.)

At the Rathaus (pictured above), I met a Polish student who will be studying through the Erasmus Scholars programs at Uni-Osnabrück. I failed to catch his name, as I was so excited to meet another Austauschschuler "Exchange Student", that I forgot to ask. It was beautiful though. You can ride to the very top into the dome of the Rathaus in an elevator that slants to go along the contour of the dome. From there, there are four levels that you can choose to climb to (or not) via steps. The view from the dome is amazing (as seen below, except with the capacity for a 360 degree view).

After the Rathaus, we went on the to the Maschsee, home of the most disgustingly huge carp I have ever seen. I'm getting Gänsehaut (lit. "Goose Skin" - "Goose Bumps") just thinking about them. No lie, if they wanted to, they probably could have fit my entire leg in their mouths, at least up to my knee!

The best part of Saturday was church and a concert. Church was followed by a PHENOMENAL concert by die Klosterbrüder "The Cloister Brothers" an all male comedy choir. Selections included hilarious and suggestive songs from many eras, and - much to my surprise - a couple English selections (Barbara Ann, In the Jungle, and Dust in the Wind). They were incredibly entertaining, and afterwards I added to the list of odd things I've tried and liked at the table of snacks and desserts that they had.

List of Odd Foods I Have Eaten Thusfar in Deutschland:
1. Leberkäs - lit. "Liver Cheese", which contains no liver and no cheese
2. Bregenwurst - "Brain Sausage", soft & spreadable, may or may not have brain in it - not sure
3. Matjes - pickled salt herring, which I ate on bread with onions and sweet gherkin pickles
much more to come, I'm only on day three......

Yesterday was very different from Saturday.

Per my request, we visited the site of the old Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, the most infamous camp on German soil, most of which was destroyed by burnings initiated by the Allied forces who felt it necessary as typhoid fever, and the lice that carried it, were rampant. Unlike other camps, as I am told and as I can imagine, this one is much more peaceful today. The real shock is when you realize that the gently rolling hills are actually mass graves for 1,000... 5,000... 6,000... victims whose bodies were littered across the ground at the time of the camp's liberation on April 15, 1945.

It is hard to imagine, even in person, the atrocities that took place there, but the museum and tours led by its staff do a nice job of helping with that. It was very moving, and all of us agreed afterwards that it felt like we had worked all day, because it was so emotionally intense and draining.

I have to run now, and get ready for the new day. We're going exploring, buying my train ticket to Osnabrück, and just generally seeing more of Hannover! Here's to another great day!

Tschüß!
"Bye!"

Viele Grüßen aus Hannover!

I am finally in Germany - at my friend Fabi's house - and getting acquainted with the culture here. My friend's family has already been so helpful, and that is a good thing since Germany is SO different from what I expected (not a bad thing)! Before I get to that though, I would like to share some of my pre-arrival traveling experiences.

Lessons Learned:

1. Never, and I repeat NEVER choose the window seat on the mere chance that your window is offset and you are pinned between a person who has serious personal space issues and a hard, sloped plastic wall. Take it from me, not-so-pleasant. Additionally, whenever you have to make "pipi" or "ahah" (as the Germans say), it makes it very awkward to get to the facilities. Initially you are sitting there, holding it, telling yourself that according to the nifty, electronic map in front of you, you only have to hold it for 1.5 more hours. This deadline starts to seem immensely unrealistic once your mind starts to dwell on the thought of your need to  use the bathroom. Further, you worry that at your next airport (a massive one where you have a fast and critical connection), you won't have time to use the toilet, which just makes the matter worse as your nerves add to your immense need to go.

2. Charles de Gaulle is a HORRIBLE airport, and you should be ready to be harassed and/or mistreated at any moment. With a name that is remarkably close to the German phrase "Scheiß egal" - a shortened version of the German for "I don't give a shit"- one might wonder if the likeness was intentional. No one really wants to help, no matter how many times you offer a polite, "Bonjour! Comment ça va? Parlez-vous anglais?" When at the gate, and the woman says to you, "You 'ave dime for your connecsion," tell her you don't, and get the hell in the other line. I was frisked, wanded, pretty much groped, and told to unpack my bag, etc. Worst part... all these commands were in French, as the attendant refused to speak English. I said, "Je ne parle pas française," which didn't really help at all, leaving this man to scream until some other attendant felt bad enough to translate the latest barked order for me. Many other bizarre things happened in this ridiculous mess of an airport, leaving it to be just under Philadelphia International. as my second-least favorite airport.

3. Germans are some of the nicest people to sit next to on airplanes. The flights I took from Pittsburgh to Paris and Paris to Hannover provided me with my fourth and fifth opportunities (respectively) to sit on flights next to German citizens. Though most of the people on the street are not very sociable (we'll get there later), on a plane, they're some of the warmest people you could ever meet. 

This is a photo I took today in one of Hannover's more historical districts. It was amazing to get out and see this remarkable city. There's a lot more to explore, but if today was any sign of what is in store, I am in for an awesome week!

Germany is much different than I thought it would be! It doesn't help that the windy streets, copious amounts of modern art and similar-looking buildings are a bit disorienting. It is wonderful though. The air always has the smell of something delicious, public spaces are incredibly clean, and it is incredibly pedestrian friendly. Though the Euro is more expensive, certain items - like the Kirschtorte that I bought for dessert tonight - are incredibly inexpensive!

Things I saw today:

1. Hauptbanhof Hannover (the Hannover Train Station)

2. Aegidien Kirche (a churched, bombed in WWII that stands as an empty shell in downtown Hannover)

3. The Oldest Fackwerkhaus (Half-timbered/Tudor-style) house in Hannover

4. Die Nanas (controversial modern art sculptures positioned by the Leine River)

5. Das Operhaus der Staatsoper Hannover (The Hannover Opera House)

6. Das Alte Rathaus (The Old Town Hall)

7. My First German Supermarket

8. My First German Drugstore

and MUCH more that I just can't remember right now!!!

Things I have learned about Germans as a culture thus far (not applicable to everyone):

1. Many of them don't smile at strangers or even acknowledge their presence on the street ever. When I did this, many people acted as if I were crazy, giving me weird glances and odd faces in response.

2. Generally-speaking, they eat a lot of "mystery meat"- by American standards - that actually tastes DELICIOUS. (Frühstücksfleisch, Fleischsalat, usw. - Breakfast Meat, Meat Salad, etc.)

3. Bread in Germany is far superior to bread in America, and I think it's because they use such great ingredients, and insist on buying it fresh.

I had such a wonderful time with Fabi and her family today. We had a great lunch of Brötchen mit Garnierungen (Bagel-esque Little Breads with Toppings), and a wonderful dinner of Eingebrannter Gouda Käse mit Toast und Wacholderbeeremarmelade (Baked Gouda Cheese with Toast and Juniper Berry Jam). After dinner, Fabi, Martina (Fabi's Mom) and I went out for drinks. I had a Caipirinha (a drink made out of Pitú - a type of Brazilian sugar cane liquer or Cachaça - sugar and limes), which was absolutely delicious. 

Upon our return, we had a delicious Kirschtorte (Cherry Torte) waiting for us (one which had custard and fresh cherries baked on top - lecker)! It was an awesome first day in Germany! Sorry if this post is a bit disjointed. It is after 2am here, and I'm exhausted and in desperate need of sleep!

Bis Bald!

"Til Soon!"

Leaving Today!

Today is the day I leave and, thusly, the first day that I am writing on this blog. In thinking of what I was going to write as my inaugural post, I realized just how challenging that would be. My hope was to write something that wasn’t cliché, but that seems less and less of a possibility as I think more about it. Several things have become apparent to me in the past couple weeks:

1. I am embarking on a life-changing journey, and I am not taking that for granted. Hopefully by the end of my trip, I will be fluent in German, in possession of a new outlook on life, and much more knowledgeable on the subject of German culture. I will have accomplished many things that I have dreamed of doing, and seen many sights that I have always told myself I would have to see someday.

2. While I have told myself all summer that I will not be missing much from home, this is not wholly true. I will miss birthdays, holidays at home (Thanksgiving all-together), concerts, trips, etc., but I will be experiencing many amazing things in their place. My only hope is that when I come back in eleven short months, I will be able to seamlessly integrate back into my old life as the new me, even though I have missed all of these big events.

3. While I am going to be missing some things, I will also be experiencing many interesting and exciting things on my own: establishing a German bank account, taking classes in German, using trains as a regular mode of transportation, and much more. It is these things, primarily, that I hope to share with you in this blog.

While I cannot possibly begin to offer you the same experience as being there with me, I hope that by using this site, I will be helping you to stay connected with me while I am abroad (if that is what you want). I am so honored that those of you who have taken the time to read this are even interested enough to do so.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me in making this adventure a possibility!

Auf Wiedersehen!

“Til We Meet Again!”