The group weblog of the Texas A&M University Germany Biosciences Semester Study Abroad Program
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Almost Done
Aachen, Device Design, 1 Week Left!
Cardiovascular AMAZINGness
This was pretty amazing to me, for not only did they perform their own experiments, but they also were pretty much guns for hire by other companies, testing the products a company or individual gave to them to test. The institute had many ways of testing devices to see the effectiveness of certain aspects of stents, those tubes that are inserted into the aorta, and other products. There was a part of the presentation where he was talking about how the institute calculated the rate of hemolysis by submitting blood to an 'obstacle course' that would spin blood to find the shear stress required to lyse a blood cell, funny thing is, we could actually understand what he was talking about, in relation to the shear stress testing!
We were then given a tour around the institute, inspecting some of the machines they use for testing and receiving another brief history on stents. Our tour guide was a mechanical engineer turned cardiovascular disease, and he was a really knowledgeable guide. I think we all appreciated the knowledge he brought to the table, because he was able to explain some of the complicated subjects with a student's point of view.
After the cardiovascular institute, we visited the city of Aachen and took a tour of Aachen Cathedral and treasury. The cathedral we visited was significant, to say the least. Within the cathedral laid some of the bones of Charlemagne, given to the cathedral by the Emperor (king?) Barbarosa, the same guy who gave the bones of the three wise men to the Köln cathedral. The cathedral was said to be an impressive sight during the period it was built, as it was built during the end of the age of roman architecture and the beginning of gothic (I think). It had influences of the Italian cathedrals of Rome, as well as the Hagia Sofia in today Istanbul, Turkey.
Until next time, yo.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
April 22-29: Aachen and stuff
April 22-29: What!? Two weeks left?
Wow... That went by quick.
Last night we had our farewell party at the AIB. They had steak, sausage, chicken, roasted potatoes, salad and all kinds of food there, as well as beer and mimosas! It was a nice party. A couple of the host dads are in a "band" so they were the entertainment for the night. They were actually really good too. AND, they wore Texas A&M shirts. Megan taught me a couple two-stepping moves and we got a couple good dances in. It made me really miss Texas. I wanted to teach my host sisters how to two-step, but they left right after dinner was served. Lame.
As I reflect on these past few months, there's really only one thing I would do differently: bring more money. Seriously, Europe is expensive as hell. I definitely should have tried to save more of my money fall semester, but alas, Layne's got the best of me yet again.
All that's left is finals, then Munich (for me), and Berlin. Then back to good 'ol Texas.
Until next time...
Friday, April 27, 2012
AACH!(en)
One of the most surprising things to me is that we have yet to find a good heart valve replacement with both an indefinite lifespan and few to no side effects. This was made clear by their little artificial valve "museum" which contained all the major models for heart valve replacement However, even though it is true that we don't have the ideal replacement, I learned that one of the best valves on the market was introduced in the 90's (by a Texas-based company!) and is still in use today.
The CVAME's design for a total artificial heart (the ReinHeart) was also very surprising. I don't really know much about the pumping mechanisms of total artificial hearts in general, but the speaker-driver model for the ReinHeart's pump was an example of what I imagine is the result of using civil engineers in biological design. It is basically a piston that uses an inductor to drive the compression cycles. Biologists don't generally think of such solutions to these kinds of problems.
After this, we went out to lunch and regrouped to tour the Aachen cathedral and the cathedral treasury. The first surprising thing was that the floorplan is not shaped like a cross--a feature shared by almost every large church in Europe. The sanctuary was in the shape of an octagon, covered with marble, and had a decidedly Moorish influence when it came to the decorative patterns on the floors and walls. The Throne of Charlemagne was amazing, both in the concept of it as a throne for God and because the marble from which it is constructed supposedly came from the Temple in Jerusalem. We also learned a little bit about the reliquaries which contained Charlemagne's bones. They were apparently used as propaganda in the middle ages, arguing that the principate had more authority in spiritual matters than the priesthood.
After this, we returned to Bonn, and my device design group worked for several hours on our presentation for the next day. We of course encountered several problems in this very important polishing phase of the project, and many *facepalm*s were committed. Thankfully it all ended up with a successful presentation on Thursday, and we are all one assignment closer to rounding out a successful semester.
Farwell Party
Photo cred: Katie |
Aachen
Two Steppin' in Germany
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
The End is Near!
Monday, April 23, 2012
Rhein cruise, soccer match, and half marathon
Last Thursday we went to the Hildegard von Bingen Museum and on the Rhein cruise. At the museum I liked seeing the pictures of Hildegard's visions because their was so much symbolism. It was kind of interesting that they're not even sure what all of it means. Also I really liked seeing the old medical instruments like the iron scalpels and probes, and the garden with the medical herbs.
The cruise was very nice and despite the somewhat rainy weather, we got to see a lot of the riverside including the castles that popped up nearly every 500 meters.
Once we got to the end of our cruise we got to see the ruins of the Rheinfels castle. It was so much fun to ramble around the ruins, climbing up stony hills and venturing into dark tunnels. I'm pretty sure we all felt like little kids on a jungle gym, and I know I could easily have spent another hour or more there, but sadly we had to head back to Bonn to hopefully be home in time for dinner.
On Saturday was the soccer match, Cologne vs. Stuttgart, which was a lot of fun. We got really into the spirit of it, and several of us bought scarves to support the Cologne team. These scarves came in handy when the crowd sang the team song before the match. Everyone was holding their scarves up in the air so of course we joined in, and then to my surprise partway through the song everyone doubled their scarf and held the ends in one hand, and began swinging it around above their head almost exactly as we swing our towels at A&M football games. It was really funny how similar the whole atmosphere felt to being at a football game in Kyle Field, but we also were reminded a little of the Quidditch World Cup in the fourth Harry Potter book. I don't typically think of myself as a sport person, but if I had a sport it would be soccer. No offense to American football, but there is a lot less standing around and a lot more running in soccer, which in my opinion makes it more exciting. I was slightly disappointed by the fact that the game ended in a tie, but it was still a lot of fun.
On Sunday was the half marathon, or for some really dedicated people, the marathon. I was somewhat nervous after last weekend when I went running with Kathryn and Andrea for about 11 miles and we had a really rough time of it. I wasn't sure I could make 13 miles if I couldn't even handle 11, but we got there bright and early and the excitement of race day and the track-meet-like atmosphere made up for my poor running skills. We nervously lined up at the start line and set off, and I immediately turned on my motivational music since I'm not hard core enough to run without music. Although it was the longest I had ever run at one time, and my energy would come and go, I made it without too much difficulty and even had a better time than I had expected, though still not a time to rival anyone of any athletic ability. After the race I felt so sore and tired, but also satisfied that I had finished, and back at the old AIB some of the girls from LMU had prepared a veritable feast of which I ravenously partook. When I felt up to moving again, I made my way home, where I promptly fell asleep for about four hours. I was really impressed with Candy because she ran a whole marathon, and I know how exhausting only a half is, so to me she has superhuman strength and endurance. All in all a very nice weekend and prelude to the stressful pre-final week to come.
Random Mix
Last Thursday we went on a Rhine cruise and I now know why they call it the "Romantic Rhine River." The seven mountains, all the castles, everything was so nice and beautiful. The Hildegard Museum was also very interesting. Since we had a class over her before going to the museum, I felt like we could connect and understand the tour better. The weather was a little against our favor when we got to Bingen, but the food made up for it. I think that lunch was one of my favorites! The wine, bacon-mushroom sauce, french fries, and cappuccino for dessert were delicious.
Speaking of delicious, we all know that Milka chocolate is good, but last week it blew my mind. I love oreos, so I was excited when my host sister asked me if I wanted the huge chocolate bar. I strongly recommend it!
Our hiding spot! |
Coming back to Thursday, we also got to hike up St. Goar to Rheinfelds Castle. Once we got there, being the mature college students that we are, we noticed the castle ruins were like a perfect playground! Therefore, we started playing Hide-and-Seek throughout the castle and I must say we had a blast. Once Dr. Wasser and Kristin told us we were about to leave, I felt like a little kid saying, "5 more minutes Mommy please!" Actually, I did say that.
On Saturday, we went to the soccer game of Koln vs. Stuttgart. Soccer has always been a part of my life, so I loved getting the chance to watch a game here in Germany. After we tied the game (which was stupid), we took a packed tram to the center of Cologne to get dinner. Naturally, I somehow missed the stop and only noticed it when I saw the cathedral getting farther and farther away. I got off at the next stop and walked back to the center. On my way there, I passed by a carnival/fair which seemed like a lot of fun!
I've also been shadowing at the University Clinic in Venusberg and have been enjoying getting confused for the new doctor boss. Apparently there's a new boss coming in and I got confused for being her last week. The intimidated faces made my day!
Sunday, April 22, 2012
My First Marathon!
Before the race! |
Once the race started, everyone split up. I knew the first 5 miles are one of the hardest, so I guess I was mentally prepared for it. I did get to run with Yesenia some and it was comforting having someone there. Once I lost her I didn't see many AIB students after that.
I definitely think running a marathon is mentally challenging more than anything. You have to be prepared for how long it takes. The farthest I had ran was 20 miles, so between the 18-23 miles I was dying. Not necessarily because my body was tired, but because I was just tired of running. There's only so much you can think of for 4 hours and after awhile you start focusing only on running and how much you have left. This gets you frustrated and makes you want to just quit and go home. Thankfully, I didn't really stop but started running very slowly. Once I was around 23 miles I realized I was being retarded. I was almost done and I felt good. My knees weren't bothering me or anything and my breathing was good enough, so I sped up and started running on a decent speed.
Around the final 2 km, I ran into Lars! He was just walking and when I saw him I told him we were almost done and made him run with me. I'm glad I did because we both finished together and it gave me that extra boost of energy to see we were almost done. At this point all I could think about was FOOD!
Once we crossed that finish line I started eating and drinking everything I could see. We headed towards the old AIB and I ate a nice dinner there as well. This random and quick mix of food made my stomach queasy, but once I got home I felt good enough to take a shower and eat once more.
The most painful part of this whole marathon was definitely taking a shower. I discovered blisters I didn't know I had our could even get for that matter and it was just so painful! Now, I'm just excited and proud to be done. I am officially Hilde's hero. She saw how lazy I was during my "training" and honestly didn't think I would make it. I'm glad to prove her wrong. Haha!
Tschuss! Hope everyone feels better. :)
Cake, Cruising and Castles
The very next day, we got a break from schoolwork to go on the Rhine Cruise. We actually started off not on the river, but busing to Bingen. There, we got to learn more about Hildegard von Bingen and her mystical visions. We also had a short jaunt about the garden, learning more about various herbs and their uses in homeopathic medicine. I think my favorite discovery was actually Dr. Wasser playing us some of her musical compositions earlier in class. They were so hymnal and ethereal- I think I may have found some new good study and relaxing music for my ipod. From the museum, we went on to a delicious lunch before making our way to the boat. The cruise was so beautiful! Saying that the scenery made up for the weather definitely does the Rhineland credit (being that we had to cope with some scattered showers and chilly breezes). On every single hill (of which there are many in this particular area) was another castle, looking all old and austere. Back in America, I don't think we have a single one to compare, and here they were just a common topping of the surrounding countryside. From the cruise, we hiked up an impressive hill to the Rheinfels ruins in St. Goar. It was a lot of fun to be let loose on the old grounds and to explore at our leisure. In addition to some amazing old structures and towering battlements, this castle came equipped with another amazing view. At this point, it seems like I should stop being surprised, but I can't help it. Too soon it was back on the bus where most of us grabbed a quick nap before making it back to Bonn. With the biomechanics test the next day, the little extra sleep was definitely appreciated later on in the study-centric night.
"COME ON FC, COME ON FC!"
On Sunday, I ran the second leg of "The Fighting Texas Aggies German Relay Team". I felt good about how I ran and the team did good, as well. It was a pretty day for running and I was glad that I signed up for that experience, as it was a really fun and social event, as well as good exercise after a week of sitting and studying ~ 24/7. That's something I've noticed about this program, the hardships can be extreme at times, but experiences like running a marathon (relay) in Bonn, Germany, or attending a Bundesliga game, are priceless and make this whole trip worth it's weight in gold(mental gold?).
Short post because I have lots of homework to attend to now. Until next time everybody.
Soccer and Marthon
Bing Bang, Bingen!
Also, the catholic church is now considering canonizing Hildegard, a development that even Wasser wasn't aware of!
Now, lunch, was amazing. Earlier on the bus, a sheet that had four options for lunch, three things that were pretty much wiener schnitzel but with different sauces, and a salad. For some reason, maybe from the lack of sleep or a dysfunctional reabsorption of H+ ions in the kidney, I felt like having the salad instead of one of the other delicious meats offered, it just felt right, like a true gut feeling. Later on, Kristine thought that a salad would not be enough food for me, since I eat as much as a... cow(? I think that's how the expression goes), and a salad would not fill me up as some hardy meat would. I decided to stick with my intuition and hope for the best. Boom! When we were being served, some relatively small Wiener schnitzel came out and was served to my peers and then I saw it. Beautiful like a green mountain that is illuminated by the mist of dawn, the salad was piled high with lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes (eh.. that wasn't great), ham, and three pieces of poppy seed bread, a personal favorite. Oh yea, and eggs, can't forget the eggs. After that meal, I was ready to challenge the world that day.
But then we got on a beautiful cruise, so that was a nice follow up to my amazing lunch. The cruise went from Bingen to St. Goar, following the part of the Rhine that is surrounded by Valleys of Vineyards and small towns. The countryside was truly beautiful to see. There were many castles along the river, remnants of the feudal age of Germany, when kingdoms were many, small, and apparently only a stone's throw away.
When we arrived in St. Goar, we hiked up a long hill to reach the Rheinfels castle, a remnant of the age of castles and knights. The castle was cool, but playing hide and go seek there was even cooler! I say that because not only did we run away to hide in places unknown to us, but we could explore the very picturesque castle. I'd like to brag for a second because when it was my turn to look for my peers, I only had trouble finding Yesenia, but everyone else thought that hiding in a huge opening with everyone else was good idea... No0bs.
Alright, until next time yall.
Sporty Weekend
Last night before falling asleep I was wondering why I decided to sign up for the marathon relay today. The morning was pretty cold to not be wearing a jacket but by the end of it all the weather felt quite nice out. Not being in the best of shape the beginning wasn't that great but when I caught up with this group of Germans in front of me I kept pace with them and it went pretty easy after that. After a while I caught up with Candy but we parted ways on the Kennedy bridge as she went faster or I went slower. Either or, most likely the latter. I made it to the end and passed on the timer to Vincent and felt quite content at running as much as I did. It's nothing compared to what everyone else so kudos to them, especially Candy and that other girl who ran the marathon! So overall it's been a great weekend and slightly unproductive but now it's time to word hard. Since I didn't take any photos this week I'm gonna steal one that Andrea took earlier today.