My Tango with Language

As I get farther into my time here in Germany, I find myself wanting to speak with the locals more and more. Yet, I do not speak enough of the German language to even understand what they are saying or even to read the menus at lunch. At first, I was fine with just knowing, "Sprechen Sie Englisch?" and then continuing our conversation in my native tongue. But as pride starts to take over, I find myself being embarrassed about asking them to speak English to me. It isn't even that they even mind speaking English to me. A lot of the Germans even enjoy getting the chance to work on their English skills as my host mother informed me. And they may even be just as nervous to speak English as I am to speak German. But it is me who is in their country so it is up to me to speak their language.

So as I slowly learn to speak Deutsche, I have the unique opportunity to try new things. When I go to stores or restaurants, and I don't know what the menu says or what kind of cheese or meat I am looking at, I just pick something and try it. This way I learn to associate words with tastes instead of trying to memorize a hundred different nouns for different kinds of food. This also lets me try and taste new and interesting things. So far I have tried multiple pastas, currywurst, hanchan curry, and a doner. I expect to try many more things as I force myself to keep going to new places with new people to try and communicate with. 

Another Blog

Hallo Zussamen,

This week has been enthralling.  Tonight, we will be attending a classical concert and listening to works by a famous German composer played by the musical students of Bonn University.    I enjoy classical music immensely, and fine occasions such as these are rare back in college station.  And as if the excellent classical music wasn’t exciting enough, we get to go to the hospital in the morning and view some real surgeries!  I cannot wait to see this, and I hope I get the chance to scrub in like the student Dr. Wasser said had the opportunity to last year.  Oh and the piece de resistance of the weekend is the trip to Amsterdam that we will be embarking on tomorrow afternoon.  I can’t even imagine the wonders I will witness there.  Stay tuned for more.

Two Weeks Down!

Last week we had our first week of classes! (Well.. as a BIMS student, I only have two classes right now.. [Three if you count German.]) So I don't really have a very full schedule, maybe two classes maximum per day, but regardless, I'm slowly getting back into the school groove! We were supposed to go to the House of History on Monday, but apparently it's closed on Monday's... Oh well, we got to re-schedule for next week (so I'll cover it in my next post!) Last Thursday the whole Biosciences group went to Koln for the day, and it was a totally AMAZING experience! Our guide for the city tour was awesome! He was funny, entertaining, and extremely knowledgeable about Koln's history. I had no idea the Romans were such a big part of the city's history! I was also very surprised (and excited!) to hear that the cathedral in Koln held the remains of the three wise men. As a Catholic, this meant a lot for me to be able to really see parts of my religion's history present here today. I didn't get the chance to go into the cathedral yet, but I plan on attending mass there sometime in the near future.

Speaking of which, our tour of the cathedral was positively AMAZING! Being able to go "behind the scenes" in such a historic building was truly spectacular. The bells were huge, and standing next to the part of the bell that rings it (one of the "dingers" had fallen down) really showed us just how immense the bells are. The view from the top of the tower was breath taking, you could see for miles! (Well not really since there's a lot of clouds here, but you get the point.) We took TONS of pictures from the outside and the inside from the upper walkway. It was really neat to be able to walk around the entire perimeter of the church on that upper walkway. (The part that was inside but still super high up.) The stained glass was phenomenal there, but I couldn't imagine being the person that was responsible for boarding it up during WWII.

We also toured the EL DE Haus, which was the old gustapo headquarters. I cannot even begin to imagine the truly horrorific events those prisoners went through. How anyone survived such terrible treatment says something truly awe-inspiring about their character and will to survive. If it had been me, I have no doubt I would have given up. How anyone could do such a thing to another human being is beyond me. They fit thirty-three people in each cell. THIRTY-THREE. I have no idea how that was even possible, the cells seemed crowded with just our group of about twelve in them... And I can't imagine only eating bread and sawdust  soup twice a day. I'm not even sure how that is enough to survive on.. so the "will to survive" must have been great in order for the victims to survive such torture. The human mind is seriously amazing. Going through museums like the EL DE Haus makes one sincerely grateful to be blessed with such an "easy" life. I don't think that even the toughest of my own struggles can even begin to touch anything that was experienced by the prisoners in that camp... I am truly blessed.

Well that's all for now folks! See ya next week!

Paige

Unlucky but Fun Day

The rain woke me up at 5:30 in the morning, then the ticks of clock on the wall started to add a bit more noise. I couldn't go back to sleep, so I sat at the desk starting to write my neuroanatomy summary. It was a busy morning.

At 7:30 am, I ran out to catch the bus without an umbrella, and soon realized I brought no money with me when I finished my nap in the warm seat on the bus. 

Thanks to Jessica, I could get something for brunch before I starve to death! 

We approached a Mexican restaurant at 11:40 after class for lunch. It was NOT OPEN! Which kind of restaurant do not serve food at noon? We then had to go to the Italian restaurant one block away, and ordered pizzas. Hawaii pizza was good, and it tasted like pineapple of course. I think the Funghi pizza Kirstie ordered looked great, and if I go back to that place sometime in the future, I will order that one.

After neuroanatomy the BIMS group went to the museum. Horrible environment in the underground train, and I see garbage every where like trains in any other countries I have visited. The museum was well planned with interesting distribution of artifacts from different time periods. I liked the mobiles, and the classy and funny looking stuffed animals.

One the bus home I met the girl from LMU, who also lives in Alfter. I told her about the Mexican restaurant story, and she said a German professor told them the American Mexican restaurants are way better. Maybe I should judge after I try it some day, if it opens.

To Your Health and My Happiness

Less than three weeks in andddddd I'm sick.  Of course this would happen.  I was fine yesterday for the most part.  Last night my throat was a little scratchy but I didn't think anything of it.  Well, I guess I underestimated the bug (or overestimated my immune system), because when I woke up this morning it felt like I had been hit in the head repeatedly with a shovel.  This must have been what happened too, because more than a few people told me I looked terrible today (more than the one or two who usually do so).  Not to fear though, because Kristin quickly set me up to be taken to the doctor by one of the student workers.  Though the wait in the office was a little over twenty minutes, once I saw the Dr. she was very prompt and helpful.  She asked mewhat was wrong, I told her, and then she wrote out the prescription and instructed me to return the next day. All was fast and cheerful.  After the visit, I walked across the street, picked up my prescription, hopped on the bus, and dove into bed and passed out.  Overall, I think it cost around 45 Euro for the visit and meds but I think it gets refunded? Oh well, either way I recommend the AIB doc if anyone has any reason whatsoever to go.

  Gesundheit,
  Mike

Hallo aus Deutschland!

Hallo aus Deutschland!
That means hello from Germany! :) Well to begin, this is my very first blog. I just recently found out the the students were meant to be writing two blogs each week since we first departed from the states. :o I am definitely behind! I sincerely do not know where to even begin. My third week in Deutschland is about to begin, but I feel I have done so much already! So since I've arrived, one particular thought has been bothering me, how on earth did the states come up with the name Germany, instead of calling it by the real name, Deutschland. So I just did some little research. Deutschland is named by several different names in different languages such as Germany (English), Alemania (Spanish), Allemagne (French), Niemcy (Polish), and so on. So the English name, Germany, was derived from the romantic language, or should we say latin speakers. Basically the Romans wanted a way to identify tribes who spoke a germanic language, deriving with the word Germani. Also, a german tribe that existed during the roman times was called Alemanni, hence why Spanish calls them 'Alemania' and French 'Allemagne'.  The explanation is a bit confusing. But in the end, Deutschland, derived from ancient Germanic word of Deutsch, meaning of the people. The old root word has a few differentiations but is associate with teuta. This differentiated Germanic tribes from non-Germanic tribes. Who was of our people and who wasn't. There is much more to the explanation that it is a bit hard to compress into one summary but it is quite interesting to read upon. (:

So I haven't really spoken about my experience in Deutschland, but if I can sum it up in one word, it would be 'adventurous'. Ever since I have arrived, each and every day has been a small adventure. I cannot express enough how many times I have felt lost, or missed the bus by a few seconds, or can never get the right train, or be late to something. I consider myself a procrastinator, but one thing I am is  I am a punctual person. However, since I gotten here, I been late several times to some events. I really try hard not to, but small things happen. I have an understanding that German people consider being on time five minutes before the arrival time and I will achieve that -.- Last week was better, and this week will be perfect! Is all part of the experience. Don't get me wrong, I'm not speaking in a negative way, but it is interesting being lost in a country you don't know the surrounds or the language. It is quite invigorating! I have to have a boring day. I might keep getting things wrong, but it is all a trial and error. Such as yesterday, a few days ago I had bought a frozen pepperoni pizza so when my host mother wasn't here I could cook it for myself. But I couldn't help but notice that we didn't have a freezer, oh so I thought, so I put it on the fridge. That very same night, I discover my host family are muslims, so they don't eat pork. NOW, I definitely did NOT want to take out the pizza with my family present. However, a frozen dish should not be in the refrigerator and well my host mother found it! I felt very embarrassed especially when she said our freezer was downstairs. Now for today, I had no class, but my roommate did, Jessica. Yesterday, she was cooped up in her room all day, catching up on homework, and getting all her work done. Well today, in her way to catch the bus to school, she slipped on ice, and fell on her tail bone. We supposedly bought, Doc Martens boots to help us not slip on this weather yet they failed her -.- She came home because she was in great pain, my poor roomie. Fortunately, she is feeling better, but you never know if she could had severely hurt something inside. She really scared me.... I just hope, she didn't damage something in the interior. Get Better Bestie! <3 Ich liebe Dich!

So thats all for now. There is still quite a bit I have omitted, well actually, quite a lot and I will write very soon! :) Tschüs!!!

Family Time

Today was entirely dedicated to my host family over here. I woke up late, so I was not able to attend church with them, but when they came back I helped my host mom cook. I forgot the name of the dish but she told me it was a typical french plate and it was delicious! Melted cheese on potatoes with ham and bacon...mmmm what else can I say! After eating, I tried studying for a while, but my host brothers wanted to play outside. I had promised my youngest host sister I would play with her today so we went outside and built a snowman. This was my first snowman by the way and it was over here in Germany. How cool is that? But our fun did not end there. We finished by playing a combination of snowball fighting with soccer and I have to say my host sister surprised me with her skills. She has the skills! Around six, I went to church with my oldest host sister and when we came back, I had the best dinner ever: crepes with ham and with nutella or cajeta. I might end up having diabetes from all the crepes I ate but I do not care. It was the best dinner ever! To finish my family day strong, what better than to play a tickle war with my host brothers. This day was really special because it reminded me that whenever I go back home, I have my own family who I love and will enjoy every single moment I have with them. Can't wait to see them!

Kaleidoscopic.

     First and foremost, I must state that this is my first post. Yes, it has been long overdue. And quite frankly, I have the smallest idea of where I should start...hmm.
     By now, we are all settled into our new homes, sharing dinner with our wonderful host families, and exchanging traveling ideas with our fellow classmates-all of which are very thrilling to say the least! I can't say that this is all what I expected because to be totally honest, I didn't know what to expect. I should elaborate on that. It has been through experience that I have learned to keep my expectations almost non-existent. Not that I recklessly and blindly emerge into things without the slightest idea of what will happen. Never that. But more so to be swept away by the surprises and everything else that life in a different country has to offer! With that clarified, I planned to not plan too much about this excursion! Sounds silly, I know. (I did of course plan my economic budgets, class schedules, and important stuff haha, no worries)
    Up to now, classes have seemed to be running pretty smoothly. German class is always funny. My pronunciation is slowly but surely improving and the fact that none of us are native Deutsch speakers, makes the process easier and less embarrassing. Ser gut! The local tours have been fruitful. The Ahrtal vineyard tour has been one of my favorites! The scenery was spectacular, and I really enjoyed learning about the wine I shamelessly indulged in! It makes great pep talk for future cocktail parties ;D
    To not deviate too far from my primary purpose which also explains my title of choice (Kaleidoscopic.), I'd like to say that the excursion to Köln was absolutely amazing! Of course the city is rich with history, and the Lindt Chocolate Museum was a delight (ergo, my picture below)

; however, it was the tour of the Cathedral that left me without words-which doesn't happen very often.  The delicate embroidery on the arches, the laborious detail that covers it entirely, the edgy and rough tones caused by pollution over time, the dangerous peaks, and most importantly, the huge stained glass  windows (mosaics) all collided to construct a beauty that pictures, my words, and even a personal visit, could never accredit well-enough. To this statement, I add by saying that my personal favorite mosaic was that designed by Gerhard Richter. With his unique placement of the 72 color-pattern and excellent use of abstract art, it was love at first sight.

     I won't be over it any time soon. Eh, love me.  Lastly, if anything can describe my German experience so far, it would (without a doubt) be this beautiful kaleidoscope of colors. A merged delight. Hooray for little-to-no planning! 

Until next time (which won't take as long as this initial post did),

Jess (:

Sprechen the Deutsch?!

I've been so caught up in all of the activities so far and it's finally time for my second blog.
So Germany thus far has been amazing (besides the fact that I hurt my knee for a good 6 days the second day we were here). There was so much snow when we got here and I'm definitely not used to that.
My host family is awesome and we have the sweetest home set up ever! Me and my roommate Jordan have a separate apartment that is attached to our family's house. It's equipped with it's own little kitchen, bathroom, and lofted bedrooms.
So far school has been good and I love all the people at AIB. They have been so great with helping me around due to my injured knee. But thank goodness it's better now!
The reason for my hurt knee was because me, Jordan, Paco and Kristen went sledding last Thursday and I stepped wrong or something because it was really painful a couple hours later. But I got an MRI a few days ago and there were no tears!
So far I've gotten to meet the mayor of Bonn, I've been to Cologne 3 times, enjoyed some minimal house music at a club, had snowball fights, and limped all around the streets of Bonn. This past Sunday I went to the beautiful Ahrtal vineyards that are about an hour and a half from Bonn. The wine tasting and dinner we had there was great but unfortunately I had to skip the uphill part of the tour. So instead I chilled with Justin in a nearby cafe and enjoyed a good German Kolsch with some tea.
My favorite day so far has been going to Ko:ln Cathedral and getting to see the city from on top of the 157 meter structure! It was so breathtaking but the elevator to the top was definitely a little sketchy.
Nevertheless we all got some really good pictures and also indulged in some shopping. So far today it's been a pretty lazy Sunday but me and a few others booked a trip to the Netherlands next weekend! I can't wait!
Anyways, that's all for now. Until next time...

Sometimes I Wonder

Sometimes I wonder what all I'm missing back home.

There are 3 fears, they say. Friends of mine have told me that people are afraid of missing out, rejection and the unknown. And through just one week I've experienced all 3 here in Germany, and I love that!
To experience all 3 over the course of the semester, I'd like to say I'd be growing as a person, growing closer to becoming a global citizen. But we all know that kids love to save time, and so do I. Instead of waiting a semester to experience these fear, I've had all 3 in just 20 minutes.

The bus, train, tram and public transportation is just fantastic in Germany. I can get to school in just 30 minutes, and have 4 different buses to take me there and home. But its fantastic not just for its efficiency and simplicity, but also for its character building! Where else could I grow as a person before my first cup of tea of the day?
            1. Fear of the unknown. Where does this bus go, when do I get off? How do I know whether Beuel        Bahnhof and Beuel Bahnhofsplatz are the same stop or not? (Turns out they're about 1km away from eachother) What do you mean my stop is Friedenestraße. Is that like a street or some local bakery?
            2. Asking for help is always exhilarating. Maybe they speak perfect English? Maybe they like talking to tourists and foreigners. Maybe they have that perfect snobby French accent that I love imagining?
(You siwwy Amewikans!)
            3. As for missing out, I'm working on learning German culture. But it's actually pretty similar to ours, there's not much to learn. Teenagers are still hooligans and everybody seems to be in a hurry. But when I think about how similar it is, it makes me think about back home. All the friends and family I wont see for another 3, 6 or even 10 months. And all that sweet tea I've been missing too.

This weekend was the first time I could calm down and adjust to this new place. Spending time with the locals - with my host-brother and his friends - watching some Batman and having a Sunday family dinner has put many things in perspective. We've been bustling, meeting, catching buses, ice skating, learning, Wikipedia-ing, reading, getting lost, sleeping (ALOT) and speaking in pieces of German for almost two weeks now, but didn't feel like I had settled in yet. But now I have.
At this moment, it seems that studying abroad isn't about doing something special and unique in another country for three months them coming back to the US and saying "Yea it was great", like some long-term vacation. It seems to be more that living in Germany, or Italy, or Scottland and Europe is just about the same as living in America. It's just about the same as home.
I still have fears, and homework. I still go to school and study, play piano, hang out with friends and watch movies.

In other words, for everyone whom I miss, Germany is great.
It's just like home.

Hallo

I think it's time I write my second post on this blog.

I had not done so before because I've been busy having the time of my life on this trip.

From the time I got here, I've had snow-ball fights, sledded, visited a vineyard, drank German beer, gone clubbing, walked on the tops of a Cathedral, eaten weird foods, attended a minimal house music rave-sort-of-thing, and, most importantly, made great new friends. 

Waking up for my first time in Germany, and looking out of my quaint-but-efficient room's window, I saw this:

, and thought, "Damn yo, it be chilly out thurr." But then I realized that I was in freaking Bonn, Germany, that I was looking at snow for the 3rd time in my life, and that a new chapter of my life had begun; and I smiled.

From then, time has gone quickly, yet richly; with ages worth of experiences occupying single days. The Thursday of that fist week, I went sledding on a snowy hill a couple meters from my house. Jordan, Kirstie, Kristen and I had a great time trying not to run over little Germans on the fast-enough ride down the slope, and, after a couple of hours and only one fall

we went back to my house and drank and ate gracefully offered mulled wine and chocolates.

Friday we met the Mayor, and went on a tour of Bonn in which a never-ending snowball fight was foreshadowed. Then we went to Koln to celebrate Stephanie's 21st birthday. A few of us got there early and were contently surprised that it was happy hour in the first bar into which we walked. We met up with the others a bit later at a bumpin' club a block down a well-lit German street, and we boogied away the rest of the night. Saturday we won the welcome party with a perfectly executed line dance and some antagonizing yells planned 5 minutes prior. (Biosciences!). We celebrated our victory by going ice-skating. Sunday we met at the train station that had quickly become the default meeting place due to its convenient location in the center of Bonn and its hourly available trains to Ko:ln and the rest of Europe. From there, we took a private charter to a vineyard in Ahrtal. We took a tour up the hills but heard almost none of the information our wine conoseur of a German tour guide was trying to instill on us because war had broken out. There was snow everywhere, and we didn't know what else to do with it other than throw it at each other. I was ruthless. Everyone got snow-pelted; no exceptions, except for Kirstie and Justin who were safely indoors due to faulty knees. We had a very tasty dine and wine before we headed back to Bonn. In the second week, classes left us with little time for much else, but we still got to try a couple of bars in Bonn, and I accustomed myself to get a tasty latte macchiato from the Bagel Brothers nearest HBF before class. Thursday we toured Ko:ln with Frans, a very dry humored native, in freezing weather. In a bit of time that we got off the tour, some of us went to the Lindt Chocolate museum where we had the best hot chocolate ever, as you can tell from Roberts so-tasty-it's-confusing face.

After the chocolate, we went to the cathedral in Ko:ln. But we didnt just go in the cathedral - no! We went on the cathedral. Up on a sketchy-McSketch-sketch elevator, and on the roof, into the workshops, and up again to the tower with a view as beautiful as the wind was cold. 

Later, the few of us who would not let a little cold deter us from a free beer went on the bar scene tour back in Bonn. Friday after class we each went home, but then I met up with Kirstie, Jordan, Kristen, and another friend and went to a club in Koln that plays minimal house music. I loved it. But the experience wore me out and I ended up falling asleep in da club, and then later, in da bed like a warmly dressed rock.

Saturday was recoup and Wall-E day, and today is homework.

That's all for now folks.

"Let It Snow"

"Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"

Forewarning: I haven't blogged at all yet so this is a week and a half of catching up, therefor this Blog may be a little long. Sorry about that!

 And snow it has!  Almost every day since we got here! Germany has been GREAT!!! The snow has made it incredible, peaceful, beautiful, and... COLD!This past week has been a lot of adjusting to everything German including the freezing cold and very cloudy weather. It's barely gotten above freezing with conistent "feels like" temperature around 15 degrees and I have seen the sun 3 times (we've been counting! ha). As a Texas girl it's been really hard to adjust to, but good news! Next week lists the temperature as high as 50 degrees!!! 

Park at the University of Bonn

Bonn has been incredible! My host family is awesome and really knows how to cook! I have one other American student living with me, a psychology major from LMU who is really sweet. I can't forget to mention the other member of the family, somewhere between Garfield and Puss in Boots he is quite the entertainment!

Our Schedule has been jam packed since day one, and didn't start to slow down until today. Besides school, here's some of the things it has included:

1: Tours of Bonn

A London phone booth brought to Bonn and filled with books for anyone to read

A look over the rheine at the "funf gerburges" (five mountains) on the other side

Beautiful view of one of the plaza's

Roman foundational ruins underneath the current seminary building

The central cathedral of Bonn

The post office: Still need to figure out how it works, but it is beautiul! I don't understand why are can't be more like this!

2. A meeting with the mayor of Bonn. We were even put in the local newspaper the next day!

The whole group after listening to an address by the mayor at city hall

3. AIB welcome party: All of the AIB students and host families were invited and each group had to create and perform a skit. Our group  did a Fightin' Texas Aggie line dance and a BTHO yell for the other school. Not sure how well the yell went over though, apparently not everyone understand the tradition, oops!

4.Ahrtal Wine Vineyard Tour and Tasting: AKA 2 hour long snowball fight through the vineyards. There wasn't a whole lot to see since the vineyards were dormant and covered in snow, but that didn't stop us from having a good time.The dinner and tasting were great ( it was my first traditional meat and potatoes meal of the trip) and I found out that not all wine tastes horrible!

A look through the vineyard at the town where the Ahrtal co-op is located

The wine cellar and restaurante

The cask the have in their cellar. It was created for their 100th anniversary and was beautfully engraved. On the  anniversary it was brought into the center of the village and everyone drank out of it.

 

My giant snowball: I was pretty proud :)

5.  Bonn House of Postwar History: The museum was really interesting and I learned a ton of stuff about Germany that I didn't know. For example, the rebuilding of most of the German cities was actually done by woman. They went around, collected bricks, cleaned them, organized them, and then eventually started rebuilding.

Famous picture of an on duty East German guard jumping of the Berlin wall to escape to West Germany

Original Piece of the Berlin Wall

6. Excursion to Cologne: By far the funnest thing we've done yet. Cologne is fun, beautiful, slightly quirky, and full of history! This was the trip where I started to love Germany, despite its cold weather! The day was full so bear with me through the photos:

Cologne Cathdral: This is the first thing you see when you step of the train and is one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen. The depth and amount of the detail was unbelievable. It was built (starting in medieval time) as an upgrade to an old church when the bodies of the 3 wise men were brought to Cologne to be housed as relics there. The bodies themselves are now in a gold & jewel encrusted house  inside the cathedral note: sorry for the distortion, I tried to do a panoramic because it was so massive that no matter how far you backed up you couldn't get it all in one shot, but the shot was kind of a fail.

Three houses in cologne: As seen on pinterest!

Jail cells in the Gestapo Headquarters that we toured in Cologne. Over 200 people (Gypsies, Jew, Communists, and homosexuals) were hung here and many more died from interragtion/torture and from the cramped and unsanitary conditions of the cells. One of the eeriest things was that the building was in the middle of a neighborhood. It was reported that people used to be able to hear some of the prisoners screaming from the road and 6 or 7 buildings overlooked the yards where the hangings occured. Definitely a humbling tour.

Inscriptions and drawings on one of the cell walls. One of my favorite inscriptions was from one of the youngest prisoners that went through there who wrote, "If no one else is thinking of you, your mother is"

The Lindt chocolate museum: Which included a gold chocolate fountain! I felt like is was inside Willy Wonka's factory!

Spiral Staircase leading to the top of the cathedral: The sketchiest moment of the trip so far was definitely during the cathedral was getting to this. This staircase on a level ABOVE the extremelly high vaulted ceiling. To get here we had to take an elevator, only the elevator was a GLASS elevator on the OUTSIDE of the cathedral attached to SCAFFOLDING..... I think I almost had a panic attack. haha

A view from the top of the cathedral. I'm pretty sure the temperature that high up and that late with the windchill was somewhere around -10 degrees. Needless to say, I saw what I needed to see (5 minutes top) and got my butt back inside!

Another view of cologne, the rheine, and one of their famous bridges

We also got to do some shopping in Cologne and I bought my first European thing! It seems like all the girls here wear these so I was pretty obligated to buy them!

Other things going on:

1. Me and some of my friends have found a church that we love, the American Protestant Church (The only (i think) english speacking prostestant church in Bonn) and are going to look into a young adults bible study this week
2. I have found out that all milk chocolates are not created equal. I've always said that I don't like milk chocolate, but this finding has changed my mind. 39 cents at our local supermarket and it tastes like the middle of a ferrero rocher, truly heavenly!

3. I've learned what Donner is, and it has become a staple lunch of the group. You can find donner shops EVERYWHERE in this area and each one is about the same. They have 2 huge spickets of meat (one chicken, one a beef mix) and when you order they shave meat fresh of them.  Combine it with bread, tsaziki, and a salad mix and, voila!, a donner sandwhich.

4. Carnival (German version of Mardi Gras) is coming up which the cities have been constatnly preparing for since NOVEMBER 11. Yes, thats right, almost 3 months! Every week there are parties to prepare for it and people dressed up in costume. Next week, the town will be shutting down (all shops closed, besides bars I think) from Thursday until Tuesday for the 5 day long occasion. I'm not exactly sure how it all works but apparently there 3 armies (not real ones, just people who dress up) who protect the figures of carnival (they have princes and princesses) and it's not uncommon to see them walking around. Specimen A:

5. As much as I'd love to spend 5 days celebrating carnival, I'm not sure if I have the stamina. Instead, me and a couple of my friends are planning a real adventure! There's a service called blind booking where you pay $75 or so and you get tickets to a random city out of a list of major cities in Europe. We're looking at doing that for a couple of days out of the carnival break, which i am SOOO excited about! I'll let you know which city we get next blog!

Well that's it for now. Again sorry for it being so long, I'll try to keep it shorter next time! Thanks for hanging in there until the end, you're a trooper! :)

Cologne Tours

Our classes spent the majority of Thursday in the neighboring city of Cologne. It only takes about 25 minutes to get there by train and for a group of five you can get a really good deal on travel. We started off with a tour of the city along with historical background. It was very cool and I learned a lot from it. Some information I could have done without! We learned that back in the good ole days before there was plumbing, the citizens of Cologne would use the restroom by simply sticking there butt out the window. Letting there feces fall unto the street and sidewalks. If you were walking around the city you had to beware of people using the restroom or you could be hit. We also took a tour of the massive cathedral. If I remember correctly it is the 5th biggest in the world and was truly amazing to see. The view from the rooftop tour was awesome. Until next time, Jake  

First Week

It's been a crazy first week here in Bonn. The first few days were a bit of a culture shock but after some minor adjusting, mostly adding layers of clothing, it's been amazing. The German culture is one of friendliness and good times. Our host family are some of the sweetest people I've ever met. We are getting plenty of good food. We visited the American Protestant Church last Sunday and feel like God has placed us in this church for our church home for the semester. We're excited about the plans He has for us this semester. We took a tour of Cologne this past Thursday and the Cathedral was jaw-dropping. The best part about Cologne, however, is the chocolate museum. #favoriteplaceever We actually got to dip our chocolate into our hot chocolate. So far, Germany has been amazing and eye-opening. I am excited for the rest of the semester and really wish it would warm up! Tchuss!

So Much in Such a Short Time

This morning I woke up and could actually see the sun outside my window.  I sat for a moment amazed, thinking, "It's been so long since this has happened, I almost can't remember it".  Then I try to think about when the last time actually was and I realize it has only been a few weeks since I was in America.  This fact astounds me. It sure doesn't feel that way.  In these two short weeks so much has happened and life has become so different, that it  is almost impossible for me to fathom being back home.  It would be weird to be somewhere where everyone speaks my language, where I wouldn't have to wear 5 layers of clothing to be warm, where there's whataburger and taco bell everywhere, where I would drive my big American gas guzzler, and where I could watch my precious Netflix (I really miss Netflix). I miss all these things (as well as my family and my dogs), but part of me doesn't in a way. It is starting to become second nature to hop on the bus and go anywhere in the area.  I'm getting used to communicating in my special hand sign german-english mix.  I can finally order food and beer, lots of beer, without issue and I can navigate the city without getting lost.  I know where some good places to go for food are and I know where to go for clothes and stuff.  I feel like I'm finally over the hard part of figuring life out here and I love it.   Yes, the novelty of being here is wearing off and I get frustrated at times, like when I realize how much more everything costs here or when I just can't communicate how I would want to.  However, I feel that getting past the novelty will allow me to dig deeper and will let me truly explore what Bonn has to offer.

That's all for now.  Cliff and I are going to eat at this amazing breakfast place we found, and then it's time for the gym.

It's only been a week and a half?!?

It's been a week and a half and I feel like I have already done so much!!  I have mastered my tram commute to Central Bonn, started classes, learned some very basic German, toured a vineyard, and feared for my life atop the Cologne Cathedral!  With so much already going on I am already beginning to feel behind on my classes and worry that I will only get busier.  My biggest challenge will be time management but I will find a way to fit everything in.  I want to experience as much as I can because this is a once in a lifetime trip!!

One of the most difficult adjustments for me has been the temperature though. I knew it was going to be cold, and I was prepared for it to be cold, but I don't think I will ever get used to having to put on so many layers to go outside.  I still think it's weird walking to class through snow and ice, something I have never really had to deal with before.  However, I am learning to embrace it and how to dress appropriately for it even though I fear that I will only get used to the cold when it begins to warm up.  Apart from the weather though, I'm loving everything else about Germany and Bonn.  I love walking past what seems like hundreds of bakeries while on my way to class.  I admire the aromas as I pass and have to fight the urge to go in every time (so far my favorites to buy are the 'schoko croissant' and 'apfelstrudel').  Also, the architecture with the landscape and river are incredible and are a wonderful change of scenery from suburbia back home.  This country and it's culture are so different from home and I am ready to embrace as much of it as I can in the next few months. 

Grandpa Joe

I do not know what to say about my first week in Bonn, Germany. It has been the best week of my life but also a hard one personally. The death of my Grandpa Joe was not how I imagined starting my semester here in Germany ( it was rather sudden). I am saddened by his death as I will no longer see him ( I haven't seen him in 3 1/2 years).  I had planned on flying out to see him as soon as I landed back in the States. It was particularly hard for me because although he wasn't my grandpa by blood he was more of a grandfather to me than my real grandpa.

So what exactly can I say? No, rather what should I say? That I am currently having the most fun time in my life with a big smile on my face as if nothing is wrong? I can. I do. I act as if nothing is wrong only in efforts to forget because I am so angry at him for listening to those stupid doctors.  I want to yell at him, at everyone.
It breaks my heart that he couldn't afford to have a funeral for himself so he donated his body to science instead. Something that I give my utmost respect to. But he won't be regarded as the man I saw him, rather a lesson to young medical students.

I hate to burden this blog with something so depressing but we were asked to post about our experiences so far here in Germany. Today marks one week. And I have so many new experiences that I am eager to talk about but I cannot just easily forget what happened. No matter how hard I try, it dawns on me that he is still dead. Gone. Oh, what I would give to say goodbye.

Enjoying Being Lost

Here is a link to my route

I got lost two days ago running in a foreign country. Not just lost in the middle of the city, where there are street signs and buildings and buses to help you navigate, but on the outskirts of a fairly small city. I knew I was in for a long night when I saw a sign that read, "verlassen Bonn", which translates to, "leaving Bonn."

The unfortunate part was that that sign was at the start of my run. For this semester, I am living with a wonderful host family. When I chose to go for my run, I wanted to run away from all of the lights and the people . So, I ran toward the city line. My plan was to go out for 15 minutes and then turn around and come back the way I had come. But before my 15 minutes was up, I reached a T in the road. The left side let to a busy high way and the right looked like it curved around back towards my house, so I went right. As I go around the bend, I get into a neighborhood that I believe to be the same neighborhood that I had run through the night before, when I had been on a 2 mile run with my roommate Robert. So I continued on my way, looking for the intersection we turned down the last time we had come this way.

The intersection never came. As I reached my 15 minute turn around time, I was still under the impression that I knew where I was, so I continued onward thinking that I was maybe 10-15 minutes away from my house. 10 to 15 minutes later though, I was looking at a 400 meter hill with a 15% upward slope on it (I know this because there was a sign saying so for the large trucks that traverse the two lane road I was on). I knew that I had not gone up a hill last night, nor had I gone down a hill when I originally started my run. Even though I was supposed to be done with my run by now, my pride kept me going on in hopes that I would climb this hill and then just climb right back down on the other side and end up at my house. I jogged up the hill.

When I reached the top I was in a town I did not know. I found a stoplight that seemed to be connecting two major roads and turned the way that I supposed would take me home the quickest. On the outside, I tried not to show my anxiety, but on the inside, a trickle doubt began to creep over my spine. I was lost.

Luckily, as I ran down this unknown road in an unknown city that speaks an unknown language, I found a bus stop. In Germany, I found out this night, all of the bus stops have maps of the routes of the buses that stop there. There were three buses that stopped at this particular stop. I knew where only ONE of the stops was. Only one! And I was on the exact opposite side of the bus's loop from that one stop. Either way I went, it was a long way home. But I couldn't complain because I had gotten myself into this all by myself. So, I counted myself lucky, found the direction of that bus stop, and continued jogging down the road.

I went through 2 towns and a forest, stopping at every bus stop to make sure I was still on the right path. The towns were nice, sometimes there would be something on the sidewalk, but I would get around it just fine; not many cars were on the road. It was the forest that was strange. Going in, I did not know if I was still on the right road even though I had stopped and checked a sign just before going in. There was no sidewalk but there was a large side lane that had been cleared of snow when the road was. So I ran against traffic like I was supposed to. Fortunately, half way through I saw a sign for Putzchen and I gave a large sigh of relief. I was almost there.

The rest of the jog was uneventful. I found the intersection that I was originally looking for at the beginning of my run and hurried my way back to the house. I was so happy to be home. The entire time I had been avoiding my watch, not wanting to know how long I had been gone. When I finally reached my door, it had been 1 hour and 15 minutes since I had left the house, two and a half times longer than I had originally planned. I went inside to find that nobody was home, just like it had been when I'd started. I mapped my loop out to 10.1 km (6.3 miles).

I was pretty freaked out around point C and D and when I went into the forest around point E. But if I look on the bright side, I now have a nice training loop to help me reach my half marathon goals, I got to experience the beautiful countryside of Bonn, Germany by night, and I got a nice workout out of it. In the end, I find that I am ok with getting lost in a new place. I may even seek it out and enjoy it! I just have to make sure that I always find my way home in the end.

First Full Week in Bonn

Guten Tag,

Our first week was great.  We visited a German town called Cologne yesterday and went on a guided tour of Cologne cathedral where the three wise men are allegedly buried.  After seeing the cathedral we walked to a chocolate factory loccated on the Rhine River where we indulged ourselves to our hearts content in the chocolate cafe they had.  After returning to Bonn me and my house mate, Michael, were rewarded for our "tough day at school"  with a plate of warm spaghetti by our host mother; The meals here consist generally of meat, bread, cheese, and a lot of potatoes.  Our host mother says her husband is not content with his dinner unless it is comprised of a significant amount of potatoes.  In conclusion, the first week was a success and I look forward to next week and to Carneval the week after.

So far so good

I cannot believe that we have already been in Germany for nearly two weeks! The days keep disappearing faster and faster and so do my initial anxieties. My host mom is great, and I am so glad that Lauren and Paige get to share her with me. And just so you know, the pudding she gives us is AMAZING like none found back home! It has taken nearly this whole time to figure out the city and the transportation system, but now after getting lost, walking in circles and taking the wrong trams I think I've pretty much got it down.  The same goes for the weather. After 9 days of below freezing temperatures and mixing different clothing items together, I can say with confidence that I can walk outside and not freeze. Even though it is quite cold, I enjoy being outside whether it is walking to school or jogging along the Rhein, and the previous snowfalls have made for a beautiful view especially from my window overlooking the river. The best part of a cold day is eating a hot meal and most of the time it has been a GOOD hot meal; however,  there have been a couple German dishes that have been a little iffy, buy how many people back home can say they've had potato cakes and fish with applesauce?!

Throughout this past week, I have noticed that the people here aren't really different from those in Texas. They are very helpful and usually very nice. They work, shop, hang out, and enjoy their drama filled television shows just like many Texans. The people of Bonn are essentially the same except for the different language, way of life, and altogether their different culture which I cannot wait to learn more about.