Grüß Gott :)

Grüß Gott Wien! :D 

Vienna was mind blowing! Where to even begin? Well first let me say that Vienna or shall I say Wien, is quite beautiful. I don't know why, but I wasn't too excited for this particular trip, however, to my surprise, I enjoyed it so much! OH WAIT! Did you know Arnold Schwarzenegger is from Austria? How cool is that!!! :D So even he knows how to speak this complex, master-mind language called German! Mark my words, I shall master it one day!! muahahahah! Back to the point, Vienna is a quite calm and cozy city. The first day, because of my fault, Jess and I got to the bus wayyyyy to early -.-. Let me remind you that we happen to be possibly the only people in the group who do not have a small luggage! It is such a drag to carry these huge luggage especially through the bus and subway especially when it gets in the way for elderly people >.< Atleast I am getting some arm muscle! Anywho, the rest of trip was a success and once we arrive to Wien the adventure began! Our coordinators first took us in a walking tour around Stephansplatz where St. Stephan's Cathedral is located. By the time we were touring around, it was dark already, and baby wow oh wow! This particular area is breathtaking at night! :D My camera's SD card, unfortunately, does not allow me to upload my pictures however here are some google pictures of the area I so happen to venture in :) 

Wien is the city of romance, music, and coffee shops or so Jessica said :p But it really is! There are so many coffee shops where one can just sit, relax, and enjoy (: Then the city as you have seen even looks romantic. Outside the St. Stephen's Cathedral, there are many horse carriages waiting upon lovely couples for a nice ride around :) The music, well did you know Mozart lived almost all his life in Vienna and composed many of his famous compositions around this city. I actually got to see where he lived, where he once performed, where he composed, where he died, and even where he got buried. For your information, his tomb is no longer there (St. Stephan's Cathedral) 

So they also included a tour up in the roof of St. Stephen's. Quite the view!!! The city at night, illuminated, is so enriching. I cannot express enough how much this place is worth seeing. Before that, however, we got to experience a creepy tour under the St. Stephen's cathedral through their catacombs! St. Stephens used to have cemeteries around it, but with the bubonic plague, they place all the bodies into these catacombs! Around 11,000 people bones can be seen in there. The bubonic was something quite serious that there was a sign saying "WARNING! BUBONIC PLAGUE, ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK" Just kidding :p There is no way you could get infected by the plague. It is very safe! But back in the 1700s, it was not safe. Here are a few creepy pictures from the catacombs...

 

where bodies where thrown into.

Skeletons!

Also, I got to see a really old tomb from the Roman times that dates back more than a thousand years! How awesome is that! Whoo!  There was many more in just the first day well evening, for that night, Dr. Wasser and the Kristin took us out to a lovely restaurant and I tried my first Schnitzel out of veal! It is a quite famous plate in Wien so when in Rome do as the Romans! That plate was delicious! It basically was like carne empanisada. 

Second day: Was medically orientated. We had a medical tour with Dr. Schmabel (forgive me if I misspelled it). Dr. Schmabel was quite enlightening and knowledgeable. He was a Bubonic plague Doctor from the 17th century I believe. They were a mask with scented items to protect them from the putrid air, and from what I have an understanding their costumes were coated with pig's fat? Maybe I hate it wrong but Dr. Shmabel was a bit more simpler.  He explained his role and showed us through the medical tour of Vienna.

Credits to Kirstie! 

After that we went to Josephinum, the medical academy with many waxed figures of the anatomy. There I got to finally see how a lymphatic system looks like.  

I will continue in my next blog :]

Renovations

So after returning from Vienna, to which I can't add anything to what my classmates have already hashed out, it seems that almost every room of our house has changed. The biggest example is that one of the doors to the kitchen is sealed off, and all the furniture rearranged to give more room and openness to the eating area. In my room, a big new sliding-door wardrobe appeared. This is the result of my host-dad making changes several months in the making.

A little background. My host dad recently served a shift in Afghanistan in the German postal service. While he wasn't actively fighting, he was deployed abroad and helping support both German and American troops. And as it turns out, he very much likes building, rearranging, and modifying his house, and these are several projects that he didn't have time to do before he left. Now that he's back, he has a brief time off before returning to work to readjust to life at home, spend time with his family, and in his case tackle random projects around the house.

Vienna

We went to Vienna last week.  The first night we arrived, we toured the city and the catacombs of St. Stephen's cathdedral.  We had the pleasure of looking at the remains of hundreds of dead people.  It was awesome.  The second day, we went to the Josephenium where they have on display wax models of bodies conveying different parts of the human anatomy.  Along with the wax models, they also had on display many ancient medical tools used in surgeries back in the day.  After the museum, we got a lecture on homeopathic medicine, which was very interesting.  During the trip, we also got to visit an old pysch ward which is now a medical museum.  Other things we got to do were visit the famous Vienna museum of history and the museum of Sigismond Freud.  All in all, the trip to Vienna was quite enlightening and I look forward to spending a couple more weeks in Bonn before spring break starts.

The Hills are Alive

Day 1
How do I even begin to start on the activities that have occurred over the past two weeks. Well first I'll start with my excitement leading up to Vienna.
My favorite movie of all time is "The Sound of Music" and being such a fan, I was super pumped to visit the country where this film was set. I thought for sure it took place in Vienna but I was wrong. :( I soon realized that the movie was actually filmed in Salzburg, Austria which is in West Austria and Vienna is clear on the other side of the country in the East. But I was still extremely excited to visit this country and get to see something different than Bonn for an entire week.

The trip began on Monday and we had to wake up bright and early to head to the Koln airport. I had never been to this airport before but I really liked it. It wasn't too big or too small. Anyways we boarded the plane shortly after arriving and getting some airport breakfast. I had a window seat so I got to see as we took off. I must have passed out pretty hard because I woke up an hour later and we had landed at the Vienna Airport. We took the CAT train which stands for City Airport Train and it took us to a stop on the underground metro called Stephansplatz. This was the stop for the city center which was the location of St. Stephan's Cathedral and all of the inner city shopping.
Everyone in the underground was moving at such a fast pace it was a miracle that there were no collisions! I almost got run over by several people, on foot might I add, that seemed to be in a hurry.
We arrived that afternoon at our hotel which was called the Deutschmeister. After dropping off our bags and getting mildly acquainted with the layout of the hotel, we headed to the city center. From here we got out of the subway to see beautiful architecture everywhere (as seen in the picture below).

It was time for the city tour of Vienna which took us past St. Stephan's Cathedral, to the apartment where Mozart passed away and also a memorial for all the Austrian Jews that were killed in the Holocaust. Even though the wind chill there had to be in the negative numbers, I really enjoyed seeing all of these sights and snapping pictures of all of the small side streets. 

After the city tour, we headed back to the center to St. Stephan's cathedral. We got a special tour of the catacombs which were filled with the organs and ashes of the previous cardinals of the cathedral. As we descended deeper into the catacombs, it got darker and darker. The walls were stacked with bones upon bones and our tour guide told us that they were the remains of people who suffered from the Bubonic plague.   It was crazy to see this kind of thing and a little bit creepy. Being able to see the actual bones of deceased people from the 14th century really put into perspective about how terrible this disease ravaged the population of Europe.
Finishing up the night we headed to a traditional Viennese restaurant and indulged ourselves with plenty of Weiner schnitzel and beer. After stuffing our faces with this food it was time to head back to the hotel and rest up for the next day.

Day 2

This day started out pretty early but once waking up after a delicious breakfast provided by the hotel we made our way to the city. We were supposed to go on a medical history tour headed by Dr. Wasser but everyone realized he was nowhere to be found. I became confused right away as we were waiting on our tour guide to get there and not knowing what to expect. All of a sudden, a person dressed in a floor length black robe equipped with a traditional Bubonic plague doctor mask greeted our group. The mask is a little hard to describe so here is a picture of what I'm talking about.

After recognizing the voice we all figured out it was Dr. Wasser. With the mask on he was Dr. Schnabel and it was so perfect because he actually fit the part of a doctor back in the 14th century. After this tour we headed to the Josefinum which housed life-size wax models of all the different body systems. It is used for the medical students so they can understand the anatomy and physiology of the human body. After this tour I was exhausted from all the walking and headed to a Starbucks in the subway station with Justin and Robert. We chilled here for a while and then headed back to the hotel. For dinner we went to this awesome falafel place called Muschu Muschu which claimed to have the best falafel in town. I haven't tried falafel that many times but I had to agree with their statement. My falafel was great and it was even smiling.

After this we went to this place called Wein & Co which was a wine bar equipped with a store attached. You would buy a few bottles of wine in the store and then take it over to the bar to drink. Myself and about 8 others enjoyed the night here chatting before we headed back to the hotel to get some rest.

Day 3
I slept in on day 3 and opted out of the Spanish Riding School. I started the day late and went to this awesome restaurant with Justin where we enjoyed some of the best tomato soup I've ever had. As we sat there and enjoyed our meal, it started snowing pretty heavily outside. It was a pretty good start to the long day that was ahead. Later in the day we listened to a lecture on homeopathy by a man named Dr. Frass. This was held in the huge general hospital in Vienna overlooking the mountainous regions and old intricate architecture that defines the city. I didn't know too much about homeopathy before this lecture but it's a form of alternative medicine that essentially involves treating the patient with highly diluted substances. Later that night we got all fancy and went to a classical concert with violins, a piano, clarinet and two opera singers. As the the opera singers belted out what seemed to be a love story, the string instruments accompanied and made for a complementary sound. I enjoyed it a lot. After this concert we went back to our favorite wine bar and then to a karaoke place afterwards with a majority of the group. All in all this was probably my favorite day in Vienna.

The next two days involved going to the Narrenturm which used to be the old psychiatric hospital in Vienna. It was the first in all of Europe but nowadays it is used as part of the medical school. It was filled with all kinds of disturbing wax models that suffered from all sorts of diseases. It was pretty neat to see all of it and be told the stories of what happened to everyone. For dinner we had traditional Goulasch which was quite good followed by some delicious dessert.
Friday was the last day we were there and we got all packed to head back home. Before we left for the airport we went to the Sigmund Freud house where Dr. Wasser gave us a lecture on psychoanalysis and all of Freud's research and life. Once this was finished we toured his home and saw his waiting room office which was filled with original furniture that he used for his patients.

It was off to the airport after this and once we got there Paco, Justin and I enjoyed a wheat beer before we took off. Vienna was such an amazing city filled with so many amazing sites and I'll definitely be back when I'm older.

For mad men only

The trip to Vienna gave me a different feeling from the excitement and go-getter attitude that I had experienced so far in my short visit to Bonn. I had been able until then to live so happily and laboriously and appreciatively that experience cast a hefty shadow on the negatives of adaptation and most notably the nostalgia that accompanies taking a semester abroad.  It is true that I’ve missed my friends and family ever since I passed the security checkpoint at the International Airport of Houston, but I had pushed those melancholy thoughts aside to make way for aghast admiration of all that comes from living for a while in a different corner of the planet – where even the stars in the sky at night are different. I mean, this place is amazing; largely because – but not only – because it is different. The language, though frustrating at points because I know I’ll never master it, is beautiful in its complexity. Brocca’s and Warneke’s areas are working at full potential here, making careful but demanding use of what is left of their neuroplasticity. And, though I’ve revered German, knowing it the grounds on which some of my favorite authors (eg Hesse and Kafka) built their works, I’ve thought it senseless and unnecessarily difficult at times. Of the things I like most about life here in comparison to the great land of Texas is the feeling of possibility that infiltrates German life. This is hard to describe, but I can give some examples that I think show what I mean pretty well: It is difficult to meet a German that does not also speak English; or one who has not traveled to many different countries and lived for a while elsewhere; or one who does not have close friends of different nationalities; or one who does not appreciate their free education system. These are all probably interconnected, but it translates to a feeling of possibility and freedom that I ironically do not get from Americans. Just now, a dog walked into the restaurant where I am writing and it revealed that feeling of possibility to me again. You might have heard before that Germans are ‘cold’, and though that is true in that they do not open doors for you or smile at you if you cross glances while sitting in a bus, they are really warm people if you start a conversation with them, or ask them about their dog. The dog’s name is Paco. Anyways, I think this (and a girl called Roxy) gives some account to why I felt the way I felt in Vienna, Austria. What I felt was this: in the times where I was not enjoying a historical tour of Vienna lead by a costumed Dr. Wasser, when I was not eating Goulash or admiring the multicolored or oxidized green views of cathedral roofs, when the wine was out for the night, or when I took too long going from a Picasso to an Ernst, the shadow of immediate experience grew short and out came a double-homesickness. Not only did I miss my home in College Station, I missed what had become a new home in Bonn. Do not get me wrong, the trip to Vienna was amazing, cultural, informative, and altogether great. I wouldn’t change it. But there were parts in the trip when I felt doubly alien – doubly exposed – and I couldn’t force it down. I don’t think the feeling was due to the fact that I was finally getting accustomed to a schedule. Nor do I think that it was due to the expiring appreciation of the novelty of travel. It had more to do with the fact that I’ve grown to really, really, really like Bonn (I dare not say I love it yet only because our time together has been so short). And although still small, my time in Bonn is full of firsts, full of memories, and fully alive. Vienna made aware that this program, as everything in this life, will pass. Still, it makes me glad to have had this emotion while in Vienna, not because it would make me mourn from time to time for a time to come, but because it revives my enthusiasm for the life I’m living in Bonn; it lets me know that my time here is important and that it is right.

A Week in Vienna, Austria

Day 1
We took a plane from Cologne to Vienna. All the safety instructions were in German. Thank goodness I have flown before. But other than that the flight was uneventful. When we arrived, we soon realized that Austria is just as cold if not colder than Germany. By the time we reached the city center, it was already getting dark and our night was full of outdoor activities. First we toured the catacombs of St. Stephens Cathedral where they bury all of the dead Austrian cardinals and the internal organs of some of the monarchs that have ruled in Vienna. Just the internal organs: liver, kidney, stomach, intestines; that sort of thing. The body and the heart are taken to two other churches so that the rulers didn't have to choose which church they were buried in. Deeper down in the catacombs is where the mass graves of those who died of the black plague were kept. There are still a lot of bones. We then went up onto the cathedrals bell tower which has the largest bell that is able to be rung inside of it. It weighs 22 tons. It was pretty big. There was also a beautiful view of the city lights all around us. One of the most interesting things was actually the roof of the cathedral. The tiles were all different colors that made nice looking patterns and the coat of arms of Vienna.

Once we got down we took a walking city tour of the inner ring of Vienna (that is the area that used to be inside the first walls that were around the city). Our tour guide wasn't a very loud speaker so I mostly just took in the sights and tried to keep warm by huddling with my classmates like we were penguins in the arctic circle (we are from Texas, we ain't used to the cold).

After our city tour, we went to have dinner with our whole group, all 30 of us. We all had a starter, most of us had schnitzel, and then dessert and drinks. You know this place was pretty fancy because I believe the bill was around 1100 Euro when all was said and done... At least now I know where all my money is going.

Day 2
Another tour. This one about the medical school and the medical history of Vienna. The tour was to be lead by one of our doctorate professors who knows everything about anything, the kind of guy who would win Jeopardy without even breaking a sweat. But as we waited for him to arrive, a different kind of doctor showed up. His name was Dr. Schnabel (Dr. Beak in German). It was a man dressed the way that the doctors would have dressed in the time of the black plague. He was wearing a full black cloak, black wide rimmed hat, black gloves, black shoes, and ... a black beak mask. It was believed that this outfit would keep the plague off of the doctors, the beak was filled with herbs soaked in vinegar to try and kill the bad from getting in (they didn't know about germs at this point in history) but it also helped to ward off the smell of the dead and dying that lined the streets of practically every city in Europe.

After the tour we went to a medical museum called the Josefinum. The first few rooms were filled with old medical instruments and pictures of people who created the place. But the real treasure was on the other side of the building. 6 rooms were full of wax models of every physiological system in the human body. From the circulatory system showing all of the veins and arteries and where they go all over the body to pregnancy and all the different stages that go along with it. There were so many different models that it was an anatomists dream come true. Even me, the guy who fainted in the surgery room, could appreciate the beauty of our bodies different systems and how much our bodies regulate and control to keep us alive.

We then went from the art of the human body to the art of paintings. The Albertina had Monet, Picaso, and Ernst. I still don't understand what people see in Picaso's work but all of Monet's work and Ernst at the end were masterpieces that I was so happy to have seen. That night we met up with some locals that knew one of the girls in our group through a foreign exchange program that they did in Texas when they were in High School. Her name was Lena. She took us out to dinner at a Turkish oriental restaurant and then her boyfriend Wolfgang met us at the wine bar where we sat and talked for 3 hours.  They were both in massage school and we had plenty to talk about. They were very friendly people and that was one of my favorite nights in Vienna.

Day 3
Day was full of tours but that night we dressed up and went to a concert at the Schonbrunn Castle. I was expecting a normal classical concert where I read my book while the music plays and enjoy it as background music. This concert was different. The band consisted of 5 players: a viola, a violin, a cello, a piano, and a clarinet. They played Mozart and every other song had either two opera singers or two ballet dancers. It was a very interesting and fun concert even though I couldn't understand the words and have never studied ballet.

Day 4
We went to the medical school to check out the old insane asylum from the medieval ages called the Narrenturm. The Narrenturm had since been closed as an insane asylum and was now being used as a museum to show people wax models of diseases. There were some very strange and interesting disorders that we luckily now have treatment for them before they get as bad as what was on display in there. They also had some organs stored in formaldehyde and bones of conjoined twins. There was an interesting comparison of two different lungs, one that belonged to a smoker, and one to a coal miner. The coal miner lung was completely black (normal lungs are pinkish tan) where the smokers lung was only a little grey in some spots. We were then informed by our tour guide that it is better to work in a coal mine every day than it is to smoke. With smoking you will die sooner and faster due to cancerous tissue forming in your lungs. Hopefully that puts things into perspective for anyone thinking about smoking.

Day 5
Our final day included a lecture at the Freud museum which was just up the street from our hotel. There we learned about Freud and all of his ideas and how he started psychology as a medical practice. He was a very interesting man who would use his own psychological techniques to think about his own life and would write about himself as if he was his patient as well. A very interesting man.


Overall Vienna had some amazing sights and museums. I will have to go back just to see more. 5 days just wasn't enough time to see all Vienna has to offer.

Wha...??? Germany had hit the weird button.

So I know it has been a while since I have blogged but it has been for a very good reason... studying.

Anyways, Germany had just hit the weird button. So I am talking to my friend from America who has lived here in Germany almost 8 years now and she somehow proceeds to tell me a little "secret" of German men.
Secret... maybe more like a cultural secret kept within the cellar of the German race.

It all started out with the argument on who should keep my host mother. Which I won by the way... she is forever mine. You can read the comments on Facebook. And eventually our conversation ended up on the messaging portion of Facebook... well as she was admitting to her loss, the told me she needed to go because the handymen were coming really early in the morning to do something.... I don't know what. And I asked if they were cute and masculine... like every women do we comment on other men. Sorry guys. She proceeded to say how polite the were and how even one asked if he could go pee pee. ( Exact words I swear). And I am thinking to myself okay well that is a nice way to put it. And she goes on to tell me (the secret of all German men) that German men pee sitting down.... and I am like Wha...???

No way Nikkie must be pushing my naive American buttons. How can this be? Men urinating sitting down?
 I am  flabbergasted, down right freaked out... and I am thinking "And I thought I was weird." But apparently there is some logic to it... It is messy... of course it is men. But people even have signs in their bathrooms indicating to "Please Sit".  I live with two men and while I will say I have heard of a man sitting to pee... for reasons of laziness,  thought it was a rather uncommon thing.

A weird thing to blog about, I know,... But you can see the cultural difference in how we raise our kids. I remembering potty training my nephew instilling the idea that boys peed standing up and girls sitting down. In a minor and not usually discussed thing but a basis for our children and in our daily lives. It is the concept of what is socially accepted in both cultures. To study a culture is not just to try new foods and what beers do they drink but rather observing the for the lack of a better word  the absolute "basic things" that make up that particular culture. It is not just about the obvious things you see but rather the ones that are behind the scenes and kept secret. Because after all isn't our secrets who define how we think?

Mercury Retrograde

     Rather than translating all of the adventures lived in Wien as soon as we got back, I am barely doing it now. I partially blame my ongoing recovery from a week packed with excitement, and I also blame the Heavens for their unusual patterns. Given that we are in a period in which thoughts, mental processes, planning, and actions are jumbled up, I acknowledge that it is also a time of revision. Reflection, almost.

     Starting from the top. Last Monday morning, I remember gathering my last minute things-toothbrush, toothpaste, etc. To our surprise, Stephanie and I were almost an hour early to the meeting point with our extra large suitcases. (Those things have got to go.) We didn't mind it much. I suppose we took it as a positive sign rather than having arrived late. The day was full of travel, but our afternoon tours of the beautiful city of Vienna were so worth it. The city tour went into the dark hours. This was something I appreciated because it allowed me to see the city's other face. Although relatively calm, the lights and architecture gave it an edgy delight. St. Stephan's Cathedral was not difficult to handle given that we have practiced climbing tall buildings (thank you, Köln). While on the rooftop, I felt as if I could feel the cold and dark air filling my lungs. I could see the lights flicker in the distance, I could even see a woman going about her quotidian tasks in her office space (not creepy, I promise). It was the evening dinner that was the big hit, though. I had never had a schnitzel, and yes, I was both impressed and satisfied. To begin with, it was the size of my entire plate. Unfortunately, that did not stop me from indulging in the delicious pancake bites afterwards...repeatedly. My favorite part about our shared dinner was the fact that we always find a way to all sit together. No one gets left behind or secluded. As I ate my schnitzel, I soaked in the warm feeling of group love. I think it's safe to say we are family-like. I really appreciate that.

     Onward, the successive days were more oriented with tasks to complete, places to see, people to meet. I can not stress how much I enjoyed Dr. Wasser's History of Medicine Tour. He really is something else. As we followed him around like little ducklings of the Dark Lord, I felt immense pride and joy. (That's right, that stranger dressed in black from top-to-bottom is my professor) It was also great being able to interact with a current medical student on our trip. I had the pleasure of sitting next to her at lunch. Not only did she suggest an amazing dish, she was also easy to relate to. All of her interests coincided with my own. She was planning on pursuing a specialization in either neurology or gynecology-both of which are areas that I consider for expertise.

     It may be obvious that as the only psychology major in the program, I was looking forward to the Sigmund Freud lecture and museum tour a whole lot. Dr. Wasser's lecture was awesome, and I loved that he loved Freud on the level that not very many do. Sure, modern psychology has strayed away and sometimes even denounced the theories of Freud, but as Dr. Wasser, I am one of those who believe he was a pioneer. Like with all innovation, the first one to declare against the norm is always the brave soul. I think Freud helped build and revolutionize a science that is often times overlooked. With that said, I can happily state that I LOVED VIENNA! The city, the culture, the architecture, the kaffeekultur, the music...all of it. It is a place that I feel embraced me wholly. The experience was great!

Steer safe of the universal shifting!

Love and sanity,

Jess (:

One Party at a Time

Karneval

The only rule of Karneval is to dress up

The biggest party in the world. I cannot emphasis this enough. I also am playing some angst-y high school techno music while writing this blog - just to  get myself pumped to try and emphasis what I mean by Karneval being a party.

The Pre-Karneval Warm-Up Party with Kristen!

The celebration before Ash Wednesday, is Germany's Karneval to our Mardis Gras, but Karneval takes it a step farther. Rather than one night, Karneval is an experience running from Thursday morning until the night of Fat Tuesday.

The only thing that a sailor, a monk, a spaceman and
Masquerade have in common is a good time.

Parades on Thursday, Friday, Monday
and Tuesday, with partying all day long, the only rule of Karneval is to dress up. There's a theme everywhere, but most people forget what was decided upon last year. The bigger, the brighter, the flashier the better. Whether you stick a watering can on your head or come dressed as the Queen of France, the only thing that matters is if you're smiling. Throughout the streets whether listening to music or watching the parade, you'll hear the word "Alaaf" being cried. It stems from 'Alle af' or 'All away', partying and feasting the last few days before the Lenten season.


Meanwhile on Weiberfastnacht, the Thursday before Rosenmontag, the Women's Karneval takes place. Even at 8 am in the morning, live bands are performing in the streets, and parades start running through one of the older districts of Bonn. In Bonn, the parade runs through the old washing district, where the washing women used to live and work. But whether in Bonn or Cologne, the party really starts at 11:11 am, when the women 'take over the town.' They take part and prove their power over men on the day of 'Women's Karneval' by cutting of every man's tie. Whether their husband, boyfriend, or straggler on the street, many ties are cut.
They don't care if it's Armani or thrift shop tie material, it's getting cut off; for the price of a kiss on the cheek.

The very day I get my very own
 piano key necktie... it gets cut off.
And no, I don't know her name.

Besides Rio de Janiero, Köln (or Cologne) is the largest center of Karneval. But even here in Bonn, parades and other parties were held the days warming up to Rosenmontag - the one biggest day, similar to Mardis Gras. A parade with candy (Kamelle), flowers (Strutzje) and costumed people runs all day starting at 11 am.

All in all, it was a good time of giving, sharing and taking - as any good Karneval or Mardis Gras party should be. I guess Germans do know how to have a good time! When the weight I've gained is gone again and the warmth has replaced the cold bitterness of my hands and nose, the memories from German Karneval are what'll be left behind.
Cheesy, but true.

Everyone's smiling, look ridiculous in costumes, freezing in the cold weather and singing German. But it was a time of giving candy, kisses (and even liquor), sharing friendship and laughs, while taking in the happiness around you.

When in Wein!

My goodness what a jam-packed, whirlwind week that was! I swear we were busy from the second we stepped off the plane that afternoon!

I'm not going to lie, we started the trip pretty skeptically considering it was already almost dark by the time we got to town, and did I mention it was FREEZING?! [Plus, I think Vienna definitely wins for most number of "interesting" smells...like seriously the scents (or stenches) that were in subways... whew, I almost needed a gas mask! hahaha]  I was in the group that got to go into the cathedral/catacombs first, which was super cool, especially since I'm Catholic and can really appreciate all of the rich history that was presented there. It was really eerie knowing that the bones and skeletons were actually REAL people at one point... and knowing there 11,000 people buried down there.. It's just crazy! The whole time I just kept praying I wouldn't get left down there alone (since you know, I'm always the last one taking pics haha) But thankfully I survived, and no one caught the plague! Then we got to up to the top of the cathedral tower which had some amazing views! And the city looked so beautiful at night! After the tower tour, we had to go on the city tour. Unfortunately it was so dark, and our tour guide has a very soft voice, and it was SOOO COLD, that I didn't really get to hear much of what was said about the city, but I still got some good pictures! I just remember our "no shame, cuddle shesh" for warmth! I really think I might've died without that! hahaha By the time the tour ended I was throroughly frozen and STARVING, thankfully AIB was treating us to dinner at an amazing restaurant, so it all worked out perfectly. Dinner was DELICIOUS and the schniztel was out of this world good! Plus everyone was getting a little tispy, which made everything even more fun! I think everyone can agree that that was the perfect way to end the night!

The next day we woke up bright and early to go on the medical history walk. Dr. Wasser dressed up as a plague doctor tour guide; it was hilarious! We got to visit some really neat sites and take lots of good pictures! (But even with all of my layers, I was still freezing. I've decided Vienna is definitely colder than Bonn!) Then after lunch we visited the Josefinum which was really neat too! The wax figures were so cool and life-like! We had a free afternoon that day, which I spent (without any regrets) attempting to take a nap. (Apparently the hotel decided that would be prime time to start a demolition derby in the room below me -_-)  and I got to study a little bit. Then Nicole, Cliff, Jake and I found a really good and cheap restaurant to eat dinner at, I had a grilled chicken salad, and GOD it was GOOD! (I miss grilled chicken sooo much!) Then we decided to have a movie night at the hotel and watched Wreck It Ralph, which was super cute!

Wednesday morning I was up and at 'em to go see the Lipinzzaners at the famous Vienna Spanish Riding School!! That was definitely my favorite part of the whole trip! That arena was out of this world, and soo gorgeous! I only wish I could've gone down there and actually learned more about the riding techniques, but it was still awesome to watch from afar! Group lunch at Unibraü was delicious! But unfortunately I was sooo stuffed after lunch, that I went into a food coma during Dr. Frass' lecture on homeopathy. The parts that I did manage to hear though were quite interesting...it is definitely something that scientifically simply does not make sense...but apparently seems to work fairly well. Like he said "I know when I hit send, my e-mail will end up in Brazil, but I don't actually know how." When put like that, homeopathy doesn't seem like quite a stretch. Unfortunately the Natural History Museum got moved to right after the lecture before the concert, so I didn't get to spend nearly as much time as I would've liked there since I still had to go all the way back to the hotel, shower, get ready, and eat dinner before 7! (but I managed!) That museum was super cool though, and I'd love to bring my kids back one day. The concert we saw in Bonn cannot even be put in the same category as the one we saw in Vienna. Vienna concert, was AMAZING, it had great music, great lighting, and great dancers and singers. I didn't close my eyes for a second, and actually thouroughly enjoyed the experience!
That night all of the students (half TAMU and half LMU) met up to go out. We ended up going to a karaoke bar, which was such a BLAST!!! Especially since we were the only ones there, so we got to sing the entire time! :)

Thursday we got to sleep in a little bit actually and then went to tour the first psychiatric building ever invented. (As psyc minor, and hopefully future psychiatrist, I was super excited for this tour!) The Narrentum was so neat, but it was also mind blowing that all of the specimen came from real life humans! I learned so much that day, and it felt like first hand experience getting to see all of the different displays! It definitely left a mark in my memory! Unfortunately again we had a big lunch before meeting up to go to the lecture by Prof. Kremser, and I was once again overtaken with a food coma... which I was thouroughly disappointed in myself for, because I was actually really interested in hearing what he had to say about the differences in our medical schools/systems... But then we went to the Red Cross Headquarters which was pretty neat as well, except I felt like a lot of us have given blood before. (I have three times, once just straight up one unit of everything, the second time was for myself so they had to filter out the red blood cells, so they could take two units of RBCs only, and the third time I donated two units of plasma, since AB- is the universal plasma donor.) so a lot of the info about this initial process was little repetitive, but the second part about how they actually process the blood after it's taken was neat. I had no idea my blood went through all of that! Then we had dinner at the goulasch museum, which was FABULOUS, and oh my gosh those desserts! YUM! Totally worth the calories after a long, busy day. :)

Friday morning went to the long awaited Freud house. (I was STOKED to go!) The house was so neat, and very different from what I had initially pictured in my head. But it was really awesome to get to see the real couches that were in the waiting room, and knowing how many important fathers of psychology had sat on them was unreal! I definitely enjoyed hearing more of the history about Freud and his techniques, he was truly a genius of his time! Sadly after that tour it was time to eat lunch and then leave to head back to Germany.

I would definitely our time in Vienna got better and better everyday, and I wouldn't trade those experiences for the world!

Zürich (a little late!)

Oh Zürich, I don't think there's any place I've ever been that's more naturally beautiful than on the top of Mt. Uetliberg! But let me start from the beginning.. :)

We woke up at the crack of dawn Saturday morning and left our house at 4:30AM! (Thankfully our host mom drove us so we didn't have to try to catch the trams or buses!) Then we hopped onto a bus that would take us to the Köln/Bonn Airport, which was a rather uneventful 30min ride. We checked in, and blew through security without a problem. After a quick 1hr flight, we landed in the pristine and wonderful land of the Swiss! Without a clue where to go, we bought a Zurich pass and hopped on the first bus. We met a really nice lady who showed us what train to take to get to the center of town. Since we had no game plan, we decided to try to find some lunch (even though it was only 10am). McDonalds was literally the only place open, and quickly became our top hang out spot. (A McNug meal was still close to $10 though!) After McDonalds we wandered out to the tram stop having decided we wanted to visit the Botanical Gardens. Apparently we looked pathetic enough that this man, Roger Huber walked up and offered us some assistance. (This moment was the turning point of our trip, and was perhaps the sole reason our trip was such a success!) He quickly told us that the botanical gardens would be a waste of our time and offered to show us around himself since he had time to spare. So we hopped on a tram and followed him to different part of the city by the "100 year old bridge." We went in this really awesome, completely indoor market place, where everything was handmade! Rodger bought us two homemade chocolate bars to split and try! (This was only the beginning of a 200Frank bill he would ring up by the end of our little excursion.) And of course while I'm wandering around looking at fragile things, my backpack manages to bump into a vinegar bottle and smash it on the ground... I was mortified! But Roger wouldn't let me pay for it, and told the shop owner that he would come back later. We were pretty shocked when the owner just smiled and said "ok" and waved us on.. (our first hint that perhaps Roger was someone special.) Then we walked down almost the whole length of the "100yr old bridge" which had a different shop under between each arch support, it was super neat! Then Roger showed us the Freitag store which sells bags, purses, wallets, etc. made from old canvas-like material. They were super cool, but SUPER expensive! Haha Plus the Freitag store was made up of old train cars stacked on top of eachother which was really neat, and it was right next to the tallest "sky scraper" in Zürich. Of course where else would we go next, but to the top of that sky scraper! We walk into Clouds, (the name of the building) and check our coats at the bottom floor. Gorgeous does not even begin to describe this building! Everything was marbled or glass, and the lighting was so unique and everything was so clean and perfect, it was AMAZING. Then we hopped into the mirrored elevator and took it to the (54th?) floor, where we got out and went into the coffee shop there. It HAD to be a private coffee shop, everything was so nice, and new, and did I mention EXPENSIVE? There we took a bunch of pictures, and Roger bought us all a cup of tea (which was DELICIOUS!!!) and three different pieces of cake to try. (Apple, Poppy Seed, and Chocolate, NOMMM) When we finished our tee we started discussing where we would like to eat that night, and Roger decided to make some recommendations, and then decided to go ahead and show us how to there. So we hopped on the tram again back to the main part of town. When we walked through the main train station, Roger had to stop and buy us some macaroons to try, which, might I add, were possibly the BEST little snack things I've EVER had! :D I guess on our way to the restaurants, Roger decided he might as well show us the city, and we basically got a private tour of the whole city! It was so amazing, and Zürich was so beyond beautiful! He led us to a fondue place so we could make reservations (which thank GOD we did not keep,) and showed us another restaurant that wouldn't allow us to make reservations. (We actually ended up eating at the second restaurant that night!) After finding the restaurants, Roger showed us a few more places in the city, like one of the famous churches and then decided to let us part ways so we could go check in at the hostel. We were so lucky to have run into such an amazing person, and our first day in Zürich literally could not have gone any better!

After checking in to our hostel (which was probably around 3-3:30pm) we unloaded our stuff, and then decided to go for a hike. (We could see this huge mountain through our window, and Zach decided he could see a trail leading up it and that we should try to hike to it.) I was sooo tired, but am soo grateful that I went! We found our way through the streets toward the mountain, found a way to cross the multiple lane highway, and the found a trail on the other side. The snow was so fresh and thick by the trail! So of course we had to stop and make snow angels! (well Nicole, Laura, Lauren, and Zach did!) Then Jake had the great idea that I should tackle Lauren into the snow, which I did, which then turned into a massive tackle war, and no one was safe! It was such a blast! We probably only hiked about a mile up the trail, but the sun was starting to go down and we didn't want to get stuck out there in the dark. So after attempting and finally getting a couple successful group pictures (by carefully placing the camera on a fallen tree) we decided to head back. When we got back to the hotel we cleaned up and dried off a bit (my jeans were SOAKED from rolling around in the snow!) and decided to wander back into town for dinner. We decided to go ahead and try Zeughauskeller Restaurant since it was the only place we actually knew of, and Roger had highly recommended it. The place was PACKED, but they hostess told us that we would have a table shortly, so we decided to wait. (Apparently we got really lucky because a family of about 7 came in 5min after us and were told they would have over an hour wait.) Then the most awkward thing happened.....we got seated at a table with an old Swiss man who was trying to finish his food... we couldn't really decide how to sit since someone would have to sit right next to him, so of course I just slid in beside him. Zach sat down next to me and tried to say "hallo" to the elderly gentleman, who just stared at us and then back at his plate and began to literally SCARF his food down. (Zach had to hide his face with an upside down city map to keep from laughing, it was SO AWKWARD, and we had no idea what to even talk about!) Thankfully that only lasted for about 15min, and the man left so we could have the table to ourselves. Dinner that night was undescribable. It was by FAR the BEST meal I've had in Europe, and possibly the best meal I've ever had! And don't even get me started about dessert, which WAS the best dessert I've EVER tasted. (My mouth is watering just thinking about it now!) After dinner (which was quite a hefty bill, but totally worth every penny!) we headed back to the hostel to get ready for bed since the next day we would be up pretty early.

The next morning we got up around 7am and headed down for breakfast, which was EXCELLENT. The jelly was soooo good! (and I'm kind of a jelly freak!) And even better, they had sandwich stuff out with the breakfast food, so we could even sneak a lunch! We left the hostel by about 8 and headed up the Utliberg Mountain. (Another place Roger had recommended) It was about a 20min train ride to the top, and the scenery was unbelievable. Everything was so pristine and white and natural. The view from the top of that mountain is my definition of true natural beauty! We then rented sleds, and not just any sleds, I'm talking the tiny, legitimate wooden sleds with metal skis on the bottom! Zach and Jake got their own, but Lauren and I shared, and Laura and Nicole shared a sled. It was a BLAST!!! There was about a 3.1km snow trail that you could sled down the mountain and then catch a train back up to the top. Sledding with no steering took a little while to get used to, but Lauren and I figured it out pretty quick, (by manipulating where you drag your feet.) It was soo much fun! We decided to go again, however our second run was slightly less exhilerating due to the fact that Lauren and I literally almost KILLED a lady and her kid. (but seriously though, who stops with their kid and the bottom of the steepest hill that is now covered in ice, and takes up the whole trail? That's just asking to get hit!) So of course we picked up the most speed we'd ever had, came around the corner, saw the lady standing behind her sled with the kid on it, dropped our feet, which did nothing since we were on ice now, and just SLAMMED into the back of her. She fell on us, the sled went flying, and it was all around a disaster. They didn't speak english, and just kept yelling at us and the kids were screaming, and of course we got stuck trying to help pull the sleds to a safer spot. (where they SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE FIRST PLACE.) and finally we got to keep going. We decided to call it quits after that run... haha then we hiked up to the top of the mountain to take more pics, and literally had the most spectacular view I've ever seen! Pure white snow everywhere! And the trees were frozen solid white, they almost looked fake in their perfection! And the sun was shining so bright, that was the most perfect, beautiful day! Around lunch time (the mountain was starting to get really crowded) we decided to head back down into town. We found the right tram that would take us over to the lake so we could get our free "mini cruise" on Lake Zürich, which was exactly what we needed after such an intense morning. We found two tables inside the cabin (thank GOD because it was SO cold outside) and ordered real Swiss hot chocolate (which was delicious!) and relaxed while enjoying the beautiful landscape around the smooth, clear lake. The cruise lasted about an hour (maybe?) after which we decided it was time for a break and headed back to the hostel. We had reservations at the fondue place for 7pm, but the hostel was also hosting a fondue special that night, and claimed theirs was just as good and at a better price...which we fell for... Perhaps I just don't like fondue, but that was possibly the most DISGUSTING flavor I've ever put in my mouth. The stench of the cheese was enough to make my stomach churn... so I had to go back and order a different meal, meatballs and mashed potatoes to eat instead. Zach had decided that he wanted to finish the entire fondue bowl (which would have been impossible to do so without dying!) and ended getting sick from eating so much of that horrid cheese. I think Lauren and Jake were the only ones that actually felt good after dinner haha. Since it was our last night in Zürich, Zach really wanted to go to the casino we had heard about. So after a little group debate (and I literally mean awkward moment) it was decided that only Lauren and I would go with him. Of course the stupid trams stop running early, so taking a taxi home would be a garuntee, but we went anyways. The casino was super nice, and even gave Zach a free suit jacket to wear (but they were okay with me rockin' a T-shirt? haha) We got our 5 free points to spend on the slots (which we all lost) and then Zach and I got 20 franks in chips. We played black jack for maybe thirty min, during which I had been up 20, and then managed to lose it all (typical) and Zach ended up winning around 60 franks (or euros.. I can't remeber). So we really didn't stay long, and found a taxi literally 5feet from the door, and took it back to the hostel.

We still had to wake up early the next morning because breakfast ended at 9:30, and we had to check out by 10am. After checked out we headed to town to walk around, there really wasn't anything left that we wanted to do, since all the super fun things had already been done, but we voyaged out anyways. (Our flight didn't leave until 7pm, so we didn't have to head to the airport until like 5pm) We decided to try to go see the medical history museum, and after wandering and hiking up the steepest street in the city for about 45min, we finally found it....and of course....it was closed. Cool. All that hiking for nothing. So we hopped on the tram (like heck were we walking back down!) and headed back down to main part of town. By that time everyone was pretty hungry and tired (and grouchy haha) so we decided to go to a chinese restaurant that sounded really good..but of course Laura and I only had credit cards and they only took cash.. so then the group had another debate about where to eat, and blah blah blah, so 30 min later we just decided to split up, and Laura, Nicole and I picked my favorite place...Mickey D's! :D I don't think I've ever consumed so much McDonalds at one time (and hopefully never will again!) Then Jake and I went into a food coma and passed out in McDonalds (since that's were we met up) for about an hour. After that we decided to go shopping and look for Pandora charms and Swatches. Both were a success (but of course, I lost my stupid Pandora bracelet the first day I got back and put my new Swiss charm on...hate my life.) And by the time we had visited about nine different Swatch stores (only a slight exaggeration there) it was time to head to the train station. We got back to the airport no problem, and flew back to Germany without a hitch.

Switzerland is by far one of my most favorite countries I've ever visited. The sheer beauty and certain elegance it holds was unbelievable, not to mention all of the people were very friendly. I would HIGHLY recommend it to everyone! (and honestly it wasn't all that expensive, and the parts that were, were TOTALLY worth it!) I can't wait to go back during Spring Break with my family!

 

The "100yr old Bridge"

                                                             Inside the Clouds Coffee shop

                                                        Our view from Clouds!

                                                    A pic of us touring the beautiful city!

                                                        Group pic on our hike! :)

                                                     Amazing view from Utliberg

                                                               Utliberg!

                                                   Lake Zurich on our mini cruise!

                                             And oh God those delicious macaroons!

Vienna!

This past week we had the chance to visit Vienna! It was a sleepy little town with a lot of history. We were able to see the home of Mozart and Freud. My favorite and most inspiring event, however, was the visit to the Vienna Red Cross. The work they do there is amazing! Countless hours and volunteers all serving the community in a vital way. I really enjoyed the visit to the Red Cross and it's inspired me to get involved with the Red Cross when we return to Texas. This week we have a test on Friday and a test on the following Monday so there will be plenty of complaining on the next blog post. Off to study! Tchuss!

Vienna ( lots of writing... )

Day 1

I started off the trip in the best way possible, I bought a new pair of shoes. I wanted a classy pair of black Oxford heels I could wear with my dress to the classical concert in Vienna and I had seen some in a window earlier that week. The morning before the train ride I tried to retrace my steps back to the store I had seen, I finally found it with one of my friends, Jordan, but the store was closed. So we grabbed some waffles at the stand in marktplatz and waited til ten for the store to open. Once we got back I stated looking around trying to find the pair I had seen. Jordan finally found a pair....but their was only one size left and it was my size! So I took this as a sign that this trip was going to be unforgettable.
I even got lucky on the plane, there wasn't anyone sitting in the middle so I had more room :)
Once we arrived in the Vienna international airport we grabbed our bags and headed for the hotel. We quickly learned that the underground metro was the way to travel. So easy to understand and the trains came frequently. The entire week I never waited more than 7 minutes. We stayed in a nice hotel on roßauer lände street, very close to city center. After we dropped off our bags we made our way to the city center to visit St. Stephens cathedral and have a city tour. We have a thing with going up on the top of cathedrals....because their was an elevator on this one too. When we got to the top of the cathedral I was able to appreciate the beautiful roof, the colored tiles reminded me of the Jamaican flag. After making our way to the top of the cathedral we descended into catacombs. The lower foundations of the cathedral were filled with the ashes and preserved organs of ex-cardinals and ministers of the church. Then we walked even deeper into the ground and found the catacombs where there were thousands of skeletons from the bubonic plague. As we walked through the dark passageways we saw bones upon bones, stacked or just thrown in tall stone rooms. Once I had seen all the bones the effect of the plague was really put into perspective. I can't imagine living through anything like that. After both of the tours concluded we made our way to a traditional Viennese dinner! It was delicious but also very heavy. We had a massive slab of Wiener Schnitzel (which I learned was veil...and looked like chicken fried steak haha), potato salad, a white wine from the region, and then dessert. We had three giant sampler platters of traditional desserts. It was amazing. By the end of dinner (around 10:30) I was sooo ready for bed.

Day 2

We woke up at what felt like the crack of dawn (it was only 7:00..) to meet in the hotel lobby for our medical history tour of Vienna, headed by Dr. Wasser. We all traveled to the beginning of our tour only to find that Dr. Wasser was not traveling with us. We waited outside the train station for about 10 minutes and then we saw him, walking up the stairs in a plague doctor costume complete with mask. Everyone started laughing and he introduced himself as Dr. Schnabel (Dr. Beak) and began to speak in German with Kristin (our program coordinator) translating. It was so perfect and we spent the rest of the tour being guided around by both Dr. Schnabel (when the mask was on) and Dr. Wasser (when the mask was off). Great way to start the day. Later that day, after lunch, we headed to the Josefinum, a building used to house the collections of the the medical school. It's also referred to as the Medical School Academy. It houses 1,192 life-like wax figures the medical school students used to understand the anatomy and physiology of the human. The figures ranged from only the veins in a leg to an entire persons musculature. Afterwards we had some free time so a couple friends and I headed to the Albertina (an art museum with Picasso, Monet, and a special exhibit on Max Ernst). It was a beautiful building and the art was wonderful. My favorite part was the Max Ernst exhibit, there was a considerable amount of his work on display. It was organized chronologically so as you walked through the exhibit the information on the walls seemed to tell a story of his life. Never before in a museum have I felt like I knew the artist afterwards. It was very well done. Once we were done in the museum it we had a little bit of time to kill before dinner with Lena (a foreign exchanged student who attended my high school in 2009) We decided to spend some time in Cafe Ritters. ( Side-note: There is something called a Cafe Culture in Vienna. There are cafes EVERYWHERE filled with coffees, teas, ice creams, cakes, cookies, truffles, chocolates, anything sweet you can think of. It was probably good we were only there for a week....) So after about an hour of coffee we met Lena and had dinner at Muschu Muschu ( The best falafel in town!!). It was so good to hear from her, she's doing very well, and we might plan a trip to New Zealand later! Afterwards we went to Wein Co. ( a wine bar: A bar on one side and a wine store on the other. You pick a bottle and then they serve it to you in the bar, really cool concept). We spent another several hours there talking and I even got to meet her boyfriend, Wolfgang. Really cool guy who knew lots about wine :)
Around 12:30 we went home for a much needed rest!

Day 3

The third day started a little later than the rest, we got to sleep until 9:00!! After breakfast we walked to the 440 year old, world famous Spanish Riding School where the Lipizzaner horses are trained. The objective of the school is to study the way the horse naturally moves and to cultivate the highest levels of haute ecole elegance the horse is capable of through systematic training ( I got that from the pamphlet.. ). We didn't get to watch a show but we did get to watch the riders practice with their horses for about an hour. Before we had to meet again at 1:00 three girls and I headed to another cafe for hot chocolate! (surprised?) This cafe is a little more special than some of the others though. The cafe's name is Cafe Demel and was the cafe of choice for the royals living in Austria. The cakes, tarts and little truffles were gorgeous, there was even a viewing area where you could watch the chefs do their thing! The hot chocolate was aaaamazing, I think it was even better than the hot chocolate at the Lindt Museum... After relaxing in the cafe we had lunch at the medical school and then a lecture on homeopathy by Prof. Dr. Frass. I'd heard of homeopathy before but never quite knew what it was or how it worked. Basically, it involves the dilution of an herb of some kind to the point that if you did a mass spec on the pills you would only find water and sugar... hmmmm, strange... After the lecture we went to The Museum of Natural History. 39 exhibition halls filled with 30 million specimens representing the diversity of nature. There we saw huge dinosaurs, rocks from mars, and the famous Venus of Willendorf (24,000 thousand year old statue of a woman). Once we were done paroosing the museum we went back to the hotel to get ready for a classical concert/opera at the Schonbrunn castle! There were two violins, a clarinet, a bass, a cello, and a piano. Not the type of concert I was expecting but once they started playing the acoustics of the castle room made them sound like a complete orchestra. Along with the music there were also two ballet dancers and two opera singers who told a sweet love story as the concert progressed. Definitely a good way to spend the evening. Afterwards another trip to the wine bar with a different group of people and karaoke and then finally bed!

Day 4

In the morning we visited the Narrenturm (the madhouse tower). It was built in 1784, next to the old Vienna General Hospital, now used as the medical school. The Narrenturm was used to accommodate mentally ill patients until 1866, when it was then used to house nurses working at the hospital (super convenient housing but not worth it to me...). In 1971 it was closed and is now the Federal Pathologic-Anatomical Museum. Several levels of this cylindrical building are filled with patholigic specimens, including skulls with bone cancer, preserved arteries affected by tuberculosis, lungs of coal miners, hundreds of paraffine models showing the effects of different diseases, amputation kits, skeletons of conjoined twins, an anencephalus, and a harlequin doll portraying a young girl who had Ichthyosis....I could go on forever. The museum was filled with disturbing models but it was so unique. I definitely enjoyed myself and even learned some things!! Afterwards we went to the Austrian Red Cross Headquarters...but I got sick and had to go back to the hotel so I'm not quite sure how that went. And then I missed dinner at the Goulasch Museum because I slept for two hours. But after my awesome nap I had dinner with Lena at a little french restaurant in the city center so the evening wasn't completely lost. Then early night for me so I could completely heal.

Day 5 ( last day!! )

That morning we met in the lobby with all our bags packed and stored them in the hotel backroom so we could do a couple more things before our flight home. We started the day with a lecture by Dr. Wasser on Sigmund Freud in his house :O haha it was pretty cool. Lena even joined for the lecture but then she had to catch a train home for the weekend. After the lecture we toured the museum and learned about Freud's obsession with letter writing, collecting knick-knacks, and smoking cigars. After the museum we didn't have much time for lunch before we had to meet to go to the airport but since I was getting lunch with Laurenz (another foreign exchanged student from my high school I played tennis with. Why are they all from Vienna??) I was allowed to find the airport an hour later by myself :) So I had a lot of time to catch up with another friend which was wonderful. After exchanging good byes I made my way for the train to the ariport and I'd say I navigated the airport and the train very well! I even met a very interesting Dutch philosophy/history professor on the train. We were able to talk the entire way to the airport and I learned he was in Vienna for a conference on the economics and politics of the EU. It was refershing to have an intellectual conversation with a stranger and then just part ways. Then back to Bonn!! Sleeping in my own bed was the best thing ever :)

Looking back at the trip I can honestly say Vienna is one of the best cities in the world. It's filled with history, the people are friendly (except the wait staff haha) and the architecture is to die for. I'll be back one day :)

Time is flying by!

Last week was Vienna and in two weeks spring break is here; where is the semester going!?!? Our week in Vienna was great; however, I must say it is not one of my favorite cities, but it is beautiful and has a lot of interesting things to offer. Over the past week, I ate a lot of good food and learned a lot of new things. The activity that I found the most interesting was visiting the Narrenturm; it was a little bit creepy (not near as creepy as the catacombs), but it held a lot of very interesting specimens. I can surprisingly say that I am glad to be back in Bonn. I actually missed it a little bit. I was running low on sleep so this weekend has definitely allowed me to catch up. Classes start in full swing on Monday… I am definitely not ready for this. I have been reading over the syllabi, and its official I will be doing nothing but school work from here on out. But as each day passes I am one day closer to spring break, Paris, Berlin, the half marathon, and maybe a couple other random trips here and there. 

Wien and the aftermath!

This week we traveled to Vienna, Austria for 5 days! It was a great experience, and my favorite thing was probably the Narrenturm! We went on a few walking tours, visited the Freud House, saw the natural history museum, and ate... a lot. I also had my first wine bar experience, which was definitely above par. Although Vienna was a beautiful city, I was ready to go back to Germany by the end of the trip!

Yesterday Kristen, Rachael, and I met up to study at Starbucks in Bonn, and then we headed back to Rachael's house with Colin to "study" some more! We finally booked our hotels/hostels for Rome and Athens, which helped us to relax a bit... even if it did mean we didn't get that much studying done.

Then we parted ways at the Ramersdorf bus/tram stop... which ended successfully for Colin and Kristen, but not for me. After waiting at the bus stop for 20 minutes, I realized that the bus wasn't running because of the snow... so I walked back to Rachael's, where I was stranded (not like I'm complaining). Being stranded actually worked out in our benefit because when I got back we looked into planes to Prague! We finally decided on a weekend and purchased our flights!

Today I woke up, studied a little, and planned some more trips with Kristen and Allison. All in all, life is good.

Vienna

One more week down, and this one was in Vienna! Even though I nre Vienna would be interesting, I admit it offered me more than what I expected. The journey started Monday morning. The night before I had skyped with a couple of friends, so I did not go to bed until around 5am. This caused me to snooze my alarm for an hour and waking up almost at 10am. It was a good sleep but the problem was we were meeting at 10:45am to catch the bus taking us to the airport. I took a military shower, grabbed a piece of bread from the kitchen, and ran to the bus stop to meet with the others. For a moment I thought they where all leaving without me, but fortunately, not everyone was there yet.
Once we arrived, we checked in at our hotel, left our luggages, and went on to our first adventure. It was a tour of the city of Vienna and St. Stephens Cathedral, were we learned about how the city got impacted by the black death, a pandemic that affected Europe and was caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis and the role of Vienna during the World Wars. They showed us catacombs where cadavers of people who died from the black death were located. I am a strong man when it comes to things like death bodies or bones, but seeing all those bones and containers with the organs of people after they were mummified did give me the chills. I cannot imagine how bad the catacombs in the cathedral would have smelled back then. No wonder people did stop going to church. After the tour, we had one of the best dinners I have had since my 12th birthday dinner: some delicious mushroom cream soup, potato salad and a humongous wiener schnitzel that was easily for four people. I was so hungry that I ate everything I ordered plus everything else my colleagues did not eat. The dessert was also delicious, except for the apple strudel. Yes, I know apple strudels are big in Vienna, but I prefered the rum cake, the crepes, and the pancakes with chocolate syrup they had. That night, I had a hard time sleeping due to the stomach ache all that food caused me.
The next day was also interesting. Our next journey started with a medical history walk around Vienna led by Dr. Schnob, an old doctor who still dressed with his plague suit even though more than 600 years had passed since the black death. I have to admit Dr. Schnob looked pretty familiar! We learned more about the black death and how doctors used to respond to this pandemic. After the black death, we took of to lunch: a tasty rice with beef plate from a chinese place around the cathedral. After lunch, we visited the Josefinum. In here, they have old wax models that medical students used to use in order to study the structure of the body. I was surprised how perfect these models looked even though they were old. It seemed as if they had not aged. I found this part of the journey interesting since one of my goals is to become an anatomy professor. The day ended with a free afternoon. I was so tired, I decided to back to the hotel to take a nap while my friends decided to go out to museums. When they came back, we went to the supermarket where I found dinner for only 2 euros!
Wednesday was the bussiest day of the week. It started with an optional visit to the Spanish Riding School, which of course I went to since I love horses. Yes I love those animals, but the school was actually pretty boring, so I decided to take off and explore Vienna with my friends. The problem is they wanted to go clothes shopping and I did not, so I decided to leave by myself and explore what Vienna had to offer me. I found a flag for my collection, but did not buy it at the end because it was quite expensive, 18 euros. After walking around for a good while, I headed back to the hotel in order to meet for lunch. I had deer for the first time! It was alright, but beef is still better. Then, we went to the general hospital in order to hear a lecture on homeopathy. This was another part of the journey I enjoyed because I am interested in learning about homeopathy. I believe that if I learn about it, I might find a way to use it for my benefit over in Texas. After the homeopathy lecture, we decided to go to the Museum of Natural History where we saw rocks from mars, animal fossils, and dinosaur models among other things. To end the day, we went to a concert at the Schonbrunn Castle. I am not a big fan of Mozart or Strauss or any classical music, so I found it hard to stay awake. Regardless of that, I had fun with my friends.
Thursday was a semi busy day. Our first tour was of the Narrentum, Europe's oldest building for mental patients. After it was coled in 1866, the building was used as rooming house for nurses, residence for doctors, depository of universe clinics and workshops. Now, the Narrentum is home to the Federal Pathologic Anatomical Museum. Many interesting cadavers with anatomical problems were located here. The ones I found the most interesting where the lungs with wax inside them. The purpose of the wax back then was to cover up holes caused by tuberculosis and therefore stop the expansion of the bacteria in the lungs. I can only imagine how painful this procedure was for the poor patients. Imagine someone injecting hot wax into your lungs with no anasthesia! After the Narrentum, we had another lecture, this time on Austrian Medicine Schools. I really like the curriculum system they offer in Austria, where they divide the clases into specific blocks and introduce active learning into their teachings. The veterinary school over at UC Davis has a similar program, one I would love to go to if I do not get accepted at Texas A&M Veterinary School. After that lecture, we had another lecture on the Austrian Red Cross and about donating blood. After listening to the lecture, we went to dinner at the Goulasch Museum. I tried horse for the first time! I admit it was pretty good even though I felt a little bad since I love horses. The day ended with a delicious chocolate goulasch.
And the end of a busy, but fun, week finally arrived. Friday was dedicated just for Sigmund Freud, someone who's ideas I find crazy but yet interesting. Dr. Wasser gave us a lecture on the life of Sigmund Freud before we entered the Sigmund Freud House, a Freud museum which was actually where Freud lived for more than 40 years before leaving the country to escape from the Nazis. After the Sigmund Freud House, we left to the airport in order to fly back to Bonn.
As stated before, this whole week was pretty interesting. There was a lot of information to learn, from which I probably forgot about half, and it enforced my motivation on persuing a health care career.