Spending Alice time

Well on a personal note, I got to see my old foreign exchange student, Alice, this weekend. She came to Texas three years ago to live with my family. She came over from Brussels for the weekend and I was able to show her around sweet little Bonn and catch up!! It was very nice to see her even though I probably wasn't a very good tour guide considering that I've only been here for less that 3 weeks... Its still feels like a longer time probably because we have crammed so much fun into the last few days. Even more exciting is that I get to go visit Alice in her home town in Belgium!!! I finally get to meet her family and see where she is from!! I don't think that many people get to experience that with a foreign exchange student. I am very excited for this!!!!!

This weekend I think a group is planning to explore Bonn some more and possibly go museum hoping. I have heard that there are several good art museums and an Egyptian museum. And of course it wouldn't be engineering without some homework that gets fit in every now and again. Then we will celebrate Melissa's birthday with a party at her host families house and hopefully some karaoke!!!! Fun weekend ahead!!!

First trip

This Tuesday we went on our first excursion out of town to Koln. The first train ride with the whole group was very loud and I always become aware of how loud Americans must seem to the locals. I certainly hope that we don't appear as ignorant Americans. The train ride was fairly long so I got to talk with a German girl of the train for a bit. Every local German that I've talked to has been very interested and polite and I'm always impressed with just how good everyone's English is.

In Koln we went to the museum of the Nazi gestapo and got to learn a lot of the history of that time period. I know that the world wars are a somewhat sensitive subject but I have found that the Germans are very willing to acknowledge and talk about that time which I find refreshing. Then we went on a city tour and got yummy Berliners!!! Next came the chocolate factory where we got to see how the chocolate was mixed and prepared and then shaped and then packaged. There were even samples!!! Super yum!!!! But the best part of the day was the rooftop tour of the Koln Dom. It was easily one of the more amazing special things I've ever gotten to experience. Every time I go to an famous historical site I always want to go see the behind the scene parts not available to the general public. So the opportunity to take a tour of the rooftops and see the balcony areas of the inner workings of the cathedral was a real treat for me. My first once in a lifetime opportunity of this trip!!! So far this has been the best part of the trip for me, my only regret is that the cathedral was so huge that it really was impossible to capture it in a photograph, but I have my memories. I am so excited for more incredible opportunities.

First weeks and weekend in Europe

AIB:
These first two weeks in Germany have been interesting and taken some getting used too. The weather is much different here. It's much colder usually here and much wetter. Most places I've seen here do not have central heating and air. This is not an issues considering the climate. However, I have had to adjust to not having airflow or noise while sleeping like I'm accustomed to. The food has been amazing so far and I haven't had anything to complain about on that note. The first few days here I was very home sick and just wanted to be home in a familiar environment. I have since began adjusting and slowly settling in. The sheets are taking some getting used to as they seem smaller than the ones in the states. My host family has been awesome and really accommodating to everything and open about any questions. I am now an official citizen of Bonn, and have been enjoying the events done with AIB. There's still a lot to adjust to and learn

London:
This weekend was my first trip in Europe without the whole group. A few friends and I decided to head to London. We came via bus, which took 11 hours and crosses the English Channel via ferry. It was a long and not too terrible trip. Getting to London we put our stuff in the hostel so we could sight see before check in. We started by seeing and touring St. Paul's, which was amazing. Then we toured the tower where we saw the Crown Jewels. Later in the evening we stopped by platform 9 & 3/4. Then saw trafalgar square, and Piccadilly circus which is kind of like the Times Square of London. Later we checked into our hostel which was interesting. There was a bar at the bottom which had a number of drunk and hyper individuals wanting to interact while we checked in. After finally checking in we looked around our room and floor and got ready for bed. The following day we went and saw the tourist sights such as Big Ben, parliament, the eye of London, and buckingham palace. Then we saw the British museum and the natural history museum. After wards we shopped for souvenirs and got ready for the return 11 hour bus ride.

Living the London Life

Hallo!

It is the beginning of my third week in Germany and SO much amazing, fun, awesome stuff has happened, I just can't wait to tell you everything!!

First things first, AIB is wonderful. The staff is super friendly and willing to help and our classrooms are nice and spacious and perfect for class, studying, and eating ramen (to save money to become European travelers!) Our first week alone we went on two walking tours of the city: one an orientation and the other a historical walking tour. I loved the historical walking tour! Although it was FREEZING and DRIZZLING the whole time, it was great information and the guide sounded like Mary Poppins…Winning. We also went on a tour of Mayschoss, about an hour south of Bonn, which is a huge wine producing area. I love wine, so this was an excursion right up my alley, and it was great. We found out about growing grapes in the area, some of the town history and walked through the vineyard and cellar. After the tour we went into the cellar and had a wine tasting and delicious soup. I enjoyed the experience thoroughly and on the way home I had the opportunity to talk to some of the students from Penn State and meet my new roommate, Kyrie, who is also a student at Penn State. We are staying with the same host family, so it was nice to meet her before I moved in! 

Classes so far haven't been bad for the Biomedical Science kids, but the Biomedical Engineering students have a test coming up this Friday. I am trying to stay ahead while I can so that I will have free weekends to relax and travel! Speaking of Travel...I went to London this weekend...

London. 

I have never been a particularly spontaneous individual when it comes to traveling/money/activities, so I was rather surprised when I heard and felt myself saying yes to going to London on a spur of the moment trip my second weekend in Europe. Let me tell you, be spontaneous. It is terribly amazing (I'm already speaking like a Brit!)

Trafalgar Square

We headed off, by bus, to London on Friday, 24.1.2014. We had to take a train from Bonn to Cologne and then get on our bus for an 11 hour ride detouring through Brussels, Gent, Calais, Dover, and finally making it to London! We pulled into London around 7:30 a.m. and hit the ground running, going to St. Paul’s Cathedral, The Tower of London, Notting Hill (for antique shopping!!), King’s Cross Station to relive our Harry Potter fantasies at platform 9 ¾ , Piccadilly Circus, and Trafalgar Square before heading to the hostel for the night for some much needed rest. The next morning we headed to Buckingham Palace to take pictures of the Palace and of the guards. Unfortunately, it was pouring down rain, so the guards were not around the edges of the gates like they normally would be. We continued down from the palace and saw Westminster Abbey. The architecture was incredible. It was so beautiful and for an architecture nerd like me, it was heavenly. We also went to see Big Ben and Parliament. After, we headed to the Natural History Museum and looked at the exhibits, including the dinosaur exhibit! We split off for lunch with the two guys (Zach and Reid) going to Covent Garden and then to the British Museum while the ladies (Chace, her friend Bethany, and I) went on a river cruise of the Thames complete with traditional English afternoon tea.

Outside St. Paul's Cathedral

My favorite part of the trip had to be going to St. Paul’s Cathedral and climbing to the top part of the dome. I am incredibly afraid of heights and the climb was very difficult for me since the stairs are winding, open iron stairs that don’t leave much to the imagination in terms of how high up you are ascending. I did overcome my fear enough to appreciate the view and it was breathtaking. Being so high up and over the city you realize how peaceful and calm it appears from a bird’s eye view, which is an absolutely different feeling from what you experience when you are in the Tube or walking amongst the numerous people milling about on the ground. It was nice to just stand and appreciate the peace and beauty of such a large place after so much noise and movement on the journey to London and the months before my departure to Germany. I am hoping to have more moments like that, to be alone with my thoughts and appreciate this amazing time in my life, and realize that spontaneity adds so much beauty and wonder to an otherwise mundane existence. I came on this program not spontaneously, but with no real plan as to what I wanted from it, just looking to experience life and appreciate moments. My goal is to look for the little things, the beautiful gate, the stained glass window, the perfect tree that frames the shot, friendship that arises easily after a meal spent in conversation, the moments that make life beautiful and worthwhile. The moments you will remember when you grow old.

View from Dome of St. Paul's Cathedral

London, you were a collection of perfect moments, I will remember you forever.

First Weeks in Germany

AIB

The first two weeks have gone by so fast, but I have experienced so much. During the first few days we toured the city of Bonn. We saw places like Beethoven's house, the old city hall, the Bonn Minster, and the University of Bonn. Even though our tour was in the cold drizzly rain, I thought tour was very interesting and informative. A few days later we went to Mayschoss, a small town about 45 minutes away from Bonn. We hiked in the vineyards and after the hike we had a wine tasting with soup and bread. Seeing a place like Maychoss showed me that I didn't have to travel to a major city in Europe to have a good time. Tomorrow we are going to Cologne to take a tour of the city and a tour of the Cologne Cathedral.


During the weekends in Bonn I have gone to some bars and meet some pretty interesting people. One night a man noticed I was speaking English and he asked me where I was from. I said I was from Houston Texas. He then asked if I liked to watch basketball and who my favorite team is. I told him the Houston Rockets and that was his favorite team too. He told me when he grew up he would watch the Rockets in the 90's when Charles Barkley was on the team. He said Charles Barkley was the best player he has ever seen. Which I kinda of found funny because Charles Barkley is a good player but not the best ever. We then talked about the current Rockets roster and he loved that we added Dwight Howard in the offseason and he thinks we have a good shot at the championship. When I left the bar we exchanged numbers and he told me that we should watch the Super Bowl together. Being in Bonn I thought that people really like to watch soccer, but I guess some people enjoy watching American sports such as basketball and football.

Weekend with my German Family

It has only been two weeks since we arrived in Bonn but I feel like I have done so much! One of the greatest things this past week was getting to know my host family more and spending time with them. On Thursday we went to a sport center to play Badminton. It was great to get to do something active since I have been eating so much delicious German food! I had a lot of fun playing and joking around. It’s really nice that they go out and do things like that together. I feel so lucky that I am becoming a part of such a sweet and close family. I have also been impressed by how active the people are here. My host family likes to jog and I see many people in the area biking even when it’s extremely cold (by my Texas standards).

Saturday was my host dad’s birthday and we had a huge party at the house with all the neighbors. In the morning (well more like noon) we had an especially big breakfast with food covering the whole table. We had a full house with Mirco and Linda (our host home brother and sister) home from university, Mirco’s girlfriend Tina, and Karima’s bestfriend staying over the weekend. The family seems to love having people over and they are very welcoming to everyone. For the party, we wanted to make something typical of where we are from, so we decided to make guacamole. We went grocery shopping with our host brother, Mirco and his girlfriend Tina and marveled at all the foods that we don’t have in the U.S. We also noticed that you can’t buy big portions or bulk items… with one exception: beer. We went to multiple warehouse type places that just sell alcohol to stock up for the birthday party. I don’t think we have places like that in the US!

On Saturday my friend Alice came to visit from Belgium, so I met up with her before the party. We walked around Bonn and caught up. It was so nice to get to see her again, and this time on her side of the pond! When I came back home it was clear that a lot of preparation was going into this party. The house looked so nice and smelled great from all the food! I met so many nice people at the party. I think people here in Germany are less likely to say hello or strike up a conversation on the street with a stranger like we might in Texas, but in my host family’s home and similar settings everyone is very friendly.

Today (Sunday) Alice and Shannon came over to my house and Linda took us on a walk through the small forest in Sankt Augustin. My wonderful host family welcomed my friends over and gave them dessert from the party. They told me that they were of course always welcome to come over and that if Alice wanted to come back again she should stay at our house. I am so lucky to get to be part of such a great family for the semester. I already feel like part of the family and I am so excited for the plans we are making together for the rest of my time here!

Intercultural Communication

On Friday we discussed intercultural communication. We have already been noticing differences in culture and communication styles here, which is important for getting to know Germany and gaining a better global perspective, as well as better understanding our own culture. One of the main reasons to study abroad is to gain cultural knowledge about different parts of the world, which is increasingly important with communication technology using the Internet and with global business. We looked at culture as an iceberg (you only see a small portion of it from the surface), a tree (you don’t see the roots that actually sustain it), and as an onion (with layers). The outer layer of culture and what you see at first glance are things such as symbols, art, music, language… The inner core and what you have to dig deeper to understand are the ideas behind the culture- beliefs and values that make the outer layer the way it is.

            We began by examining our own culture and how we define ourselves. We did this by imagining what items we would choose to put in a time capsule that would best convey what our culture is like. We realized that for the most part we view our culture in a negative way, but we also talk about it as if we are the exception, like the negative aspects of our culture do not apply to us. The first thing I thought to put into the time capsule would be an iPhone. Our culture is very concerned with constantly being in contact with everyone and staying connected. Everyone wants to be socially accepted and tends to conform to what other people are using. The iPhone also represents a sense of entitlement that our culture seems to have, about material things as well as rights that we often take for granted. Our culture also tends to require constant stimulus; people can’t even walk to class without being on their phone. I noticed here that I rarely see people looking at their phones while walking or while they are with friends. Even while riding the bus the majority of people are not on their phones. My host family was disgusted by the idea of having a phone out at table or having the TV on during a meal. I think it is nice to not need to constantly be connected like that and to instead live more in the moment. Some other ways we described our culture were freedom, convenience, and friendliness.

            We also discussed communication, which we have already had quite a bit of experience dealing with differences in. The barrier of speaking different languages is just one aspect. I have already noticed a more direct style of communicating here. Back home, if you disagree with something you might say, “That is an interesting point, but I also think it might be like this…” We are indirect to save face or to avoid hurting someone’s feelings. But when I am talking to my host family or I hear Germans speaking they are far more direct, and conversations are more of an intellectual engagement, with less to do with emotions. When I discuss with my host mom how something is in the U.S. or how I think something should be, she very directly says, “No. That is not how it is here.” Or “No. That is not how it should be.” It is important to understand these communication differences and not take offence by them, and also to avoid coming off as offensive or rude by not following their customs. We also have to keep in mind that one person’s personality does not define an entire culture. While trying to learn about the culture here it is important for us to keep that in mind and try to differentiate between what might just be specific to an individual and what is German.

first posts from Bonn

The most surprising part of the trip so far is how quickly everyone is adjusting to this new environment. Being surrounded by all the other awesome Aggies here has really helped this process for me. Im grateful for how friendly, funny, and easy to get along with all the bioscience students are as just meeting and establishing relationships with other A&M students was a slight concern of mine going into this program. We’ve also gotten to meet some Germans here going out on weekends, which were pretty entertaining interactions. I was not expecting them to be so fond of Americans. They were especially excited about Texas. It was interesting figuring out what the stereotypical Texan was to them. One guy asked me if everyone walked around with a gun at all times or just sometimes. Its funny looking back a few months ago at my own stereotype of the typical German (Lederhosen and Oktoberfest) and comparing it to my views on the culture here now. The people in Bonn are very kind and polite but express it differently than in Texas. Ive gotten a few strange looks after giving an automatic smile and nod to everyone I pass. But as I get more and more accustomed to the culture here, I know my views on Germany and even America will continue to develop as well.

AIB

Last Friday, our bioscience crew took part in an Intercultural Communication class put on for us by AIB. Apart from getting free pizza (which was essentially the same as delivery pizza in America but way more exciting since its “German pizza”), we discussed cultural differences between America and Germany. It was really funny how many random negative aspects of our home country we immediately yelled out. Everything from the excessive power of big corporations and politicians to the popularity of nike shorts symbolizing conformity and our need for constant comfort. The German teacher seemed a little surprised we didn’t have as many positive things to say at first. It was also interesting talking about the different styles of communication we had. Germans seem to have a much more direct approach when they want to get a point across, as opposed to many Americans who see this as somewhat impolite and will just keep hinting at things they don’t want to directly say. I look forward to discovering more of these differences and maybe not standing out here as that ignorant American as much. 

Tattoos On This Town

Although Jason Aldean’s song is obviously geared more towards the small town lives lead by the country folk of America; it is still very applicable to a city like Bonn–probably many European cities. This is because of all the history around every corner. Every building and statue here has a story. After going through the city tour of Bonn we came to realize that the history of Bonn goes back centuries. It is great to also be in a place where they care and respect their past. 
This past week we also went to Mayschoß. It is a small town outside of Bonn where the make wine. There was SO many grape vines, everywhere. The wine itself was also some of the best. There was also some pretty good soup that all the Texas kids got seconds of (as opposed to the Penn State group that apparently just don’t eat).

Apart from the AIB activities, we have also spend a lot of time exploring the area on our own. We have explored all the different kinds of beer in the areas. In these first couple of weeks we have sufficiently explored the bars around Bonn, but there is still more to see! We have a lot more to see around Bonn, the rest of Germany and Europe!

A New Citizen of Bonn

Personal

While I was cripplingly nervous before my flight, I have now been in Germany for two weeks and have very few complaints. One of my biggest concerns was making friends because I am shy around new people, but it has been remarkably easy to open up to everyone. Each of the students in this program definitely fits the stereotype of the friendly Aggie. Of course I miss my family and friends at home, but I have great company here as well.

My experience with a host family has been a little awkward so far, but I am starting to open up to my host mother gradually. We have discussed differences between our cultures and our languages. She has very good English, but I find it interesting when she asks how certain things are said in English. It has made me realize how vast and complicated a language can be. Furthermore, she is studying to be a doctor so we have had occasion to talk about certain medical terms. There are three adorable little children, Lisa, Niklas, and Nora, and though they don't speak English, they appear to like me. Nora, the youngest, found my stash of Haribo candy yesterday and I gave her a piece after using Google Translate to ask her if her mom would be ok with it. A few minutes later, there was a knock on my door, and Lisa and Niklas stood there with longing eyes. I seem to have gained some popularity points through this interaction. Sometimes, I just sit and watch the family interact with each other. Though I've tried to pick up German words from their conversations, I usually can't understand anything, but it isn't difficult to be entertained. The other day, Niklas, 6 years old, was doing yoga along with an instructional video and the two girls even joined in at one point. I also get a kick out of listening to children's TV shows in German, like Spongebob and Dora the Explorer.

It has been great to be able to walk around Bonn on free time and get to know the area. Of course, the churches and other buildings are fascinating, but even visiting a grocery store can be fun. I found a "USA" aisle in one store and it had very typical unhealthy foods like PopTarts and barbecue sauce. Unfortunately, I feel intimidated by the language barrier and am very hesitant to speak at all. I feel that I'll come off as a "stupid American" who hasn't made any effort to fit in. I know that this is most likely an irrational fear, but it has so far prevented me from interacting with locals.

One culture shock that I have experienced is how little people smile at one another. I am so used to smiling at strangers when I walk by, but now I just get an odd or confused glance in return. In addition, I have had a few strange interactions that I didn't understand. For example, the other day at a club, a guy tapped my shoulder and when I turned my head, he showed a peace sign and walked away. I'm not sure whether that was a "German thing" or just an anomaly.

The worst experience I have had fortunately has not been too bad, and the positive side of me wants to say it was a learning experience. It happened a few days ago, and I have a (cynical) sense of humor about it now. So class is over, and I get to my bus stop right as my bus is pulling away. Hesitant to wait 19 minutes in the cold, I decide to take my bus going the opposite way because surely when it gets to the end of the route, it will turn around and come right on back. It turns out, however, that German buses don't follow quite the same routine as those at A&M. So I find myself being kicked off in Ramersdorf, much farther away from home than I had started. Fortunately, I'm at a subway station. Unfortunately, I've never ridden the subway. I stand around for a bit trying to look like I know what I'm doing and see a train coming that indicates it is headed to Bonn Hauptbahnhof, which is good because I know where that is. Yet when it comes to a stop, I realize that I don't even know how to get the door to open. So I let it pass. Another train headed to the central station stops in front of me and I wait behind someone who does know how to open the doors. This time I actually get on and some 15 minutes later, I end up very close to where I originally started. So I find a bus that I've ridden before and get on, ready to finally head home. Until I realize this bus is going right on back to Ramersdorf. So there I am at the subway station once again. I'm lucky this time because the signs indicate the subway I took last is about to arrive. But it doesn't come. A tram comes instead and I decide to take it. Now this whole time, I've at least been getting in some solid study time for physiology. But then my iPad runs out of battery and I have nothing. Now I'm literally just wasting time. So the tram takes significantly longer, but I end up at the central station again. At this point, it's been almost two hours since I left school. I decide not to make the same mistake a third time and stay far away from any bus headed toward Ramersdorf. I walk around the station for a while trying to find the correct bus number headed in the right direction. I then see the bus I'm looking for headed toward the station, but I can't seem to find where it stops, so I get the opportunity to see it drive away again. It turns out there's actually another set of rows for buses to stop and I find the right one. After waiting another 19 minutes, I'm finally on the right bus in the right direction and I've only got about 25 minutes to my stop. I then trek through the cold rain and finally get to my house after over 2 1/2 hours of travelling. Needless to say, I now know what NOT to do when going home.

Program

The AIB program has been wonderful. I know that many study abroad programs leave students to plan everything on their own, so I greatly appreciate the planning that has gone into my experience so far. The tours of Bonn have been helpful for everyday life. I very much enjoyed our excursion to Mayschoss. The landscape was gorgeous, the hike was invigorating, and the wine tasting made me feel so sophisticated (considering I've never done such a thing as a legal "adult"). The hike around Bonn was just as fun. While it got very cold, I was grateful for the chance to get some exercise in while being distracted by the beautiful nature just outside of the city. Unfortunately, I did not like the Glühwein but the tasty bread made up for it.

Classes have been more fun than I could have expected. I really like the subjects that I am studying and have even enjoyed the homework (to an extent). It is nice to have made good friends with those in my classes. In addition, the small classes (along with the program as a whole) allow for much more interaction with my professors than I am used to. The setup gives me so many resources if I need help with anything.

The German class with Fenja has been fun, and though we haven't had much time to learn a lot, it has jump started my endeavor to know the language more. I have continued trying to learn through a phone app, and I try to translate words that I see around the city. Fenja has made the class exciting, especially with the "Deutsch Frühstück" we had yesterday.

So far, this experience has been completely worth everything I've put into it. Almost all my worries have melted away. I look forward to our Cologne excursion on Tuesday and hope that my future personal travels meet my expectations as well.

Well, were in Germany.... Now what?

I guess it's time for another status update. Germany is pretty neat stuff. The food is good, though quite expensive. I haven't had the chance to spend very much time with my host family so far but that's a result of illness in the family. They leave me food every night though and its pretty good. As far as the program goes, it's definitely been an adjustment balancing fun with work. Since I'm in Europe, it's easy to feel like you're here on vacation but the test coming on Friday is a loud reminder to focus on my studies. Another cool program aspects worth mentioning was the trip to Mayschoss. The view was pretty neat and the wine was pretty good even though it was too dry for my taste. Johanna comically throwing up afterwards wrapped the night up with a nice little bow. So, all in all, Germany has been a lot of fun but only having been here for 14 days has not been enough to really get a full impression of Germany.

First thoughts

These first few days have been absolutely fantastic. I really like my host family and we seem to get together like a house on fire. I really like everything that's happening around me is exciting and new. The best thing is meeting the people that I've been together with. I love the random things that we do together after classes, though I haven't made it to many of the get-togethers. I should really start working on being more social. However, it's definitely a lot of fun to get together with all the people here and just talk about anything over a glass of beer at the pub or to go get lunch at any of the wonderful restaurants around the city. I've discovered so many different flavors and foods here, it's so wonderful!

On the program side, there are so many programs that I've liked so far. My favorite has to be the German breakfast that we recently had in German class with Fenja. It was a lot of fun to sit down and all try and get better at our German together. We could only speak in German, but that didn't make the table any less loud as we all wanted to eat a bit of everything and kept the food at a constant rotating pace. At one point one of the student workers came in and looked at us really confusedly because we were all just sitting around eating. He asked if it was a class, and looked even more confused when we answered yes, until we told him we were learning foods and could only speak in German for the meal...all in German of course. It's actually pretty cool, I'm starting to think in German words for just the simple things like yes, no, bye, hallo, guten morgen (see?) and similar words.

Sprechen Sie Englisch?

          “Sprechen Sie Englisch?” and “Ich spreche kein Deutsch” have probably been the two most useful phrases I have learned in German class these past two weeks. I am pleasantly surprised with how many people speak English here, and the transition between the states and Germany would have been a lot more difficult if that wasn’t the case. The transition into life in Germany has actually been quite smooth. I absolutely love my host family; they are so sweet and very easy-going so there aren’t any huge changes to family life that I have to get used to.  And like I said before, so many people speak English here so the language barrier hasn’t been a huge issue. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t understand about 99% of what is being said or what is written on signs which has posed a problem on a few occasions. But most of the time when people see the confused look on my face and hear my poor attempt at German they start to speak English to me without hesitation. The biggest struggle or I guess culture shock I have faced here is getting used to how serious people are. I’m used to smiling at everyone, saying hi to strangers when you make eye contact, and being goofy with my friends in public. Here I have to hold back my smiling and try to act a little more serious in public in order to avoid standing out as an obnoxious American or giving someone the wrong impression by smiling at them. It is definitely a hard habit to break but I’m slowly starting to get used to it.

            In my free time I have been trying to get out as much as possible, especially before classes really start to pick up. Bonn has so much to do, so my friends and I have definitely not had a shortage of things to do! We have done everything from ice skating, to exploring the city, to bar hopping. And I must agree with the statement that Germany has better beer than the U.S., although I am still not the biggest fan of beer. Something I am definitely a fan of here is the food. Every single meal I have had here I have loved; I don’t know how I am going to go back to the food in the U.S. after being spoiled with the numerous bakeries filled with delicious breads and pastries!  

            In addition, I’ve been hanging out with my host family as much as I can. My host parents are really interesting to talk to, and we have spent several hours talking about Germany and the U.S. and comparing the two countries. We have also gone to play badminton, which I had no idea was so popular here. It was fun but I was absolutely awful at it, so I’m sure my host family had a good laugh watching my lack of hand-eye coordination.

            For now, I am going to go help my host family get ready for my host dad’s birthday party tonight which should be fun! Tschüs!

Getting to Know Bonn

I can’t believe that I’m already finishing up my second week in Germany! This past week has flown by but we have done so much in the past half month that it feels like we have been here for much longer (in a good way). AIB has planned a lot of activities for us since we have gotten here and I have enjoyed every bit of it so far!

We have all been on several tours of Bonn, each of which highlights a different aspect of the city. The most interesting one so far was the historical tour of the city. I loved learning about Bonn’s rich history and seeing how it has shaped Bonn into what it is today. Also seeing Beethoven’s birth house was really cool! My only problem with that tour was that it was freezing and drizzling, but I guess that type of weather is to be expected. However, I must admit we have been very lucky with weather here. My host family told me that this is the warmest winter they have had in years which I am definitely thankful for!

Besides becoming familiar with the city, we have also had several activities to get to know the other AIB students here. My favorite activity was going wine tasting in Mayschoss. The village was beautiful, the wine and food were delicious, and it was cool to learn about all that goes into making wine. Plus getting to know other American students from different parts of the country was great. Yet, my opinion that A&M is the best university in the states was further supported last Saturday during the AIB Welcome Party. Each study abroad program had to come up with a skit that explained who they are and what they are studying to the rest of the students and their host families. Naturally, us and the other TAMU group got together to sing the Aggie War Hymn which in itself blew every other group’s performance out of the water (although I may be slightly biased). Then our bioscience group wrote lyrics to “Thrift Shop” to further explain all the things we are doing this semester. That was definitely fun to perform and probably equally as funny to watch! In addition, all the AIB students got to meet the mayor of Bonn the other morning. The mayor talked about several famous Americans who have traveled to Bonn over the years and the relationship that Bonn has with the states. I had no idea that Bonn and the U.S. have had so much interaction in the past!

As you can see we have been pretty busy these past two weeks! If these first two weeks are any indication of all the fun we are going to have then I am beyond thrilled to see what other activities we have planned for the next few months!