Italy, a canal, and some cueca

Well friends, I'm getting close to the end of my first year in Germany, and this summer couldn't have been wrapped up any better. It feels as though several months of happenings were crammed into one, so I hope I can recall it in a coherent way. This will probably be a long post, so tuck in.

For starters, my sister, Chrystena, came to visit me in August and it was a blast. We spent a few days in Kassel, visiting the Herkules monument, having a barbeque with my friends, and walking through Kassel's expansive parks. The weather wasn't really terrible, just normal for Kassel (read: cold and dreary). Fortunately, we weren't staying long, and soon we took off for Italy! Chrystena visited Italy when she was in high school, but that was years ago, and things and people change. I had visited Italy only once, for two days in Venice, so I was eager to see more.

We landed in Rome, and made our way to our little guest house. It was less of a "guest house" and more of "an Italian woman's apartment". It was PERFECT. Anna Maria was pure Italian, and the sweetest woman I have ever met. She sat us on the balcony, made us tea and coffee, and told us what we should do in Rome. She stayed out of our way when we were in the apartment, but she was always pleasant and available if we had questions. We were certainly spoiled right from the start.

Rome itself was interesting, but not in the way I had expected. As you probably know, Rome is full of old things. It's the cradle of civilization and the first society and blah blah, and there is evidence of this everywhere. When I heard people talk about the "Roman Ruins", I imagined a spot with ruins, surrounded by tourists, informational signs, etc. Well, the official Roman Ruins are just like that, but I didn't imagine that there would be unofficial Roman Ruins all over the dang place. Everywhere we went, we tripped over ruins. In fact, our first day in Rome brought us to a little square filled with ruins, and cats. There was a cat sanctuary tucked into the corner of the ruins, and we spoke with the staff there. I learned that there are over 20,000 stray cats in Rome, and they live everywhere.

After hearing this, I noticed cats every place we went. One of the staff members, an Australian guy, gave voice to my thoughts about the rampant ruins. He commented that in Germany, if some historic buildings or sites are uncovered in the process of building or construction, experts are called in to analyze the findings, and they decide whether a) it's worthless - keep building, or b) this is important - stop building. German efficiency, as always. In Italy on the other hand, when historic buildings or sites are discovered, all work comes to a halt, and both the half finished construction and the half uncovered ruins are left untouched. Considering the centuries of incredible history in Rome, the result is a lot of seemingly abandoned work and ruins. This is interesting of course, when you pop out of the subway and are greeted with Ceasar's backyard.

But to be honest, it's also kind of ugly. There. I said it. Rome is ugly.

Don't get me wrong, on an intellectual level I truly appreciate the history and the magnificence and the importance. And in the case of the Colosseum and the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain, I appreciate it on a spiritual and aesthetic level as well.

(The Trevi Fountain is always crowded, day or night.)

But these ruins laying around look like ancient abandoned construction sites, complete with yellow caution tape. Big rocks, laying on their sides, crumbling pillars... sure, I get it. But when you see this on almost every corner, the fascination fades quickly. I realize that part of my apathy towards these relics of ancient civilization comes from my almost complete lack of knowledge about ancient Roman history. Perhaps if I knew more, it would spark some kind of stronger reaction in me. As it is, I don't know much and so I am content to nod and move on. I feel a much stronger connection with recent history, like World War II, and that is why Berlin grabbed me so much more. The history there is tangible, real, and the characters of that history are less foreign to me. Somehow, the sites and histories in Berlin (and Dresden and Munich and, and..) are alive and reachable. It hits me on a visceral level.

Well I've digressed quite a bit, haven't I? What city am I talking about? Ah right, Rome. Well, Rome is neato. We saw the "must-see" sites, took pictures of the Colosseum at night, and rubbed elbows with 456 million sweaty tourists.

I do have to give credit to Rome for owning Vatican city, though. (I know they don't OWN it, but they have it surrounded.) As I said, Chrystena had visited Italy before, and Rome and Vatican City were places she had visited already. When I saw the line to get into St. Peter's Cathedral, I wasn't so keen to go in, but she informed me that you simply have to see St. Peter's. I was skeptical, because an old church is an old church, right? (I may be getting cathedral fatigue from being in Europe for too long.) Well, I was wrong. St. Peter's is a damn impressive "old church". (Can you say that about the Vatican? Well, it is.) The sheer size and detail s breathtaking, and the light was just right to give the whole place a spiritual feel. I don't want to be one of those pretentious people who says things like, "you can see pictures of it, but you don't really knowuntil you've experienced the smell of St. Peter's." That's crap, and frankly it didn't smell like anything except tourists and candles. But I will say that I didn't understand the size and magnificence of it until I was standing in the middle, feeling very very small. My pictures probably won't do justice, but I can try.

Well, we left Pope-ville and after an underwhelming sightseeing tour ("That is an old building and an emperor hung out there, probably") we bid farewell to Rome. We took the EuroStar train to Florence, and all of a sudden I felt like we were on our way to REAL Italy.

Florence is the Italian/European/World capital of art, science, sculpture, food, wine and "give it up, you'll never be as great as Florence". The weather was warm and perfect, the city felt real and vibrant, and it was beautiful. Really, really beautiful. After checking into our lovely hotel, (thanks for the recommendation, Jenna!) we got ourselves on another sight-seeing tour. This one was infinitely better than the one in Rome, and I learned a ton. I couldn't possibly recall everything we saw, but I don't think I'll ever forget the views from the top of the hills, the river, and the tops of the cathedrals poking out from the sea of red roofs.

We took a walk around Florence after dark, and the city was transformed. I love seeing cities after the sun goes down; everything looks different, and there are usually less people around. The duomo is stunning, the river is beautiful, and the city seems to come alive with a different kind of energy. There were musicians and street performers and artists, and I was really impressed with the whole place. It just felt friendlier than Rome.

Chrystena had also previously been to Florence, but we both had the desire to see a bit of Tuscany outside of the main city. In true Ewen fashion, we went for the most ridiculous adventure we could find: horseback riding and wine tasting. We were picked up in Florence and driven about an hour outside of the city to a horse farm, loaded onto horses and trotted into the absurdly serene Tuscan countryside. It was a nice ride, although our guide was the opposite of friendly, and we didn't get to do anything other than trot slightly. Oh, and some of us had extremely unruly horses who refused to stay in line and horse-laughed in our faces when we tried to control them with the reins. Hilarious.

After the ride, we were taken to a local castle/winery for wine tasting. Boy was that incredible and delicious. In the past year or so, I've suddenly become a big fan of red wine, so I was really enjoying myself. We bought a few bottles as gifts, and I promised myself I wouldn't drink them before we got them home. We were then taken to lunch at a beautiful lakeside restaurant, and the food was totally delicious. It wasalso a huge benefit that our fellow riders/wine tasters/lunchers were friendly and interesting people. There were two young guys and a girl from Australia who were absolutely hilarious, and a family from Venzuela (although they currently live in Miami.) There were other groups with us at lunch too, and everyone was friendly and outgoing. It was a really nice day, and despite what we expected, the horseback riding wasn't even the beset part of the day.

We left Florence, and I was a bit sad. It felt like a real Italian city, as opposed to just a "real city", and I truly enjoyed it. We were headed for Venice, which of course is as Italian as you can find, but as I've mentioned before, I'm not convinced that it is a real place.

We arrived in the Venice train station and made our way on foot to our hotel. I knew the general area, as it was in the same neighborhood as the hotel I stayed in last time. We had directions from the website, but they were a bit useless. We went in circles for a short time, and then Chrystena sat with our bags while I went to scout it out on my own. As it turns out, it was across the tiny street from my last hotel, just very poorly labeled.

We checked into “The Best B&B in Venice” (although someone had crossed out “best” on the sign and written “worst, so we should have been warned) and found a very bare bones room with no towels or blankets. We were hungry and cranky, and the disappointing lodging didn’t help, but after a meal and a shower, we remembered that we were in Venice, and we went out to explore.

Chrys had never been to Venice, and so we wandered the tiny streets, bought souvenirs, and took 27,000 pictures. We ended our day watching a monstrously large cruise ship slowly make its way through one of the larger canals, and ate dinner on the water. We sat for hours, just talking, and it was one of the nicest evenings I’ve ever had.

We had to leave fairly early the next morning, so we said goodbye to Venice and caught the bus to the airport. It was sad to leave Venice as well, not just because it’s such an incredible place, but because our trip was coming to an end. We landed in Frankfurt and caught another bus to the main airport where we took the shuttle to our hotel. We unpacked all of our belongings and re-packed them for the impending trips home. I had less concern since I was only taking a train home, but Chrystena’s flight back to the US was the next morning, and so she had to be far more tactical.

We said goodbye at the airport the next morning, and I was truly sad to see her go. It was such an incredible 10 days, and it was important to spend so much time with my sister. We got on each others nerves, of course, but the bonus of being sisters is that you can annoy the crap out of each other, and a bit later you’re over it with no (or few) hard feelings.

Chrys had a successful flight home, while I managed to miss my train and lose my new hat. I suppose that’s about par for the course.

Back in Kassel the weather was positively drab, although from what I hear, drab was a huge step up from what the weather had been the previous week. (A good time to go to Italy, everyone said.) I had lunch, a nap, and then Eduardo and I went down to the Orangerie for an open air symphony concert. We met up with Christian and Christine and Lena, and thankfully the weather cooperated. The concert was absolutely wonderful, and the park was packed. We wondered where all these Kasselarians are on a normal Saturday; the city seems so empty most of the time. I suppose they are inside their homes watching TV or being efficient.

Anyway, since then I’ve fallen back into a routine of working and reading and writing papers. The weather has been up and down, as usual, and I’ve tried to take advantage of it when I could. Last week I went on a boat trip to the small town of Hann. Münden, just up the Fulda river, and while the weather was once again drab, it was a nice trip. The coolest part in my opinion was that we went through a series of four locks (or Schleusen, auf deutsch). I had never been in a lock before, and it was really cool. One of them actually had a change of over 15 meters! It was a hoot.

Another recent fun event was (another) barbeque that we had at my apartment. You may not be aware that Chile celebrated its 200^th anniversary of independence this year, on September 18^th. The best way to celebrate the hard fought struggle for independence and freedom is of course to throw a lot of meat over some hot coals, so that we did. Additionally, I assisted two actual Chileans in the making of empanadas, (which are delicious pockets of dough stuffed with ground beef and onions), and they were mouthwatering. It took hours of dough making and rolling and onion cutting and crying and beef cooking and dough-pocket making, but the results were totally worth it. As a bonus, we had enough leftover dough and beef to make a meat pie, topped with mashed potatoes, and I’m still working on finishing that. Yum.

Anyhow, it was different than our regular barbeques, because we had to celebrate Chile, which meant making the two Chileans dance their traditional dance, the Cueca. I have a video of this event, but it would be far too cruel of me to post it. Instead I will post this video of cueca dancing by two children, and you can imagine it being done far, far worse.

Well, that’s about it folks. I hope you have had as much fun this summer as I have, and I am truly looking forward to getting back to New England in time for fall.

Bis dann!

Sommerzeit, Sommerzeit

Over a month since my last post... that must be some sort of record! For anyone who still bothers to check my blog, welcome back and sorry for the long period of silence. I've had a productive and eventful month, and I sure hope that I can remember enough to share it all.

For starters, I've begun working at my new job, and I really like it. The work is varied enough to keep me on my toes, but consistent enough that I really feel like I'm getting into the meat of things. My boss is very nice and I can tell that she trusts me, which is a very good feeling. We speak a lot of German, although my vocabulary in this specific field is limited. All of the communication between the partners in different countries is in English, which is good for me, but internally I am trying to use German as much as possible. It's tough, though. German is a fun and fascinating language, but man is it complicated.

Apart from work, I have to remember that I am still a student. Although I have finished all of my classes, I still have 6 papers to write. Well, 5 and 1/8, maybe. I am almost done with my current paper which I am writing with a friend. We've both had spells of insane busyness, as well as pathetic laziness, but we are on track to finish this week. After that, only 5 more to go!

But enough about school and work; that's not interesting. Let's talk about life in Kassel! I've been enjoying the weather, most of the time, although Germany seems to have an annoying habit of being very hot one week, and then cold and rainy the next. It's not much fun, but maybe that gives me good reason to stay inside and work...

Kassel sort of explodes with activities in the summertime, with activities like carnivals and boat shows and outdoor concerts and movies. I've had many picnics in the park recently, which consists of bottles of wine, snacks, and free music. It stays light until about 10:30 PM, which makes for very extended evenings with friends. I've also taken full advantage of my wonderful little balcony and my soccer-ball grille, and dinner parties have been abundant.

I also attended a very exciting film premiere on campus, for a movie that I helped make. A group of international students at the University of Kassel were tasked with asking Germans what they thought of international students. The result is this:

Meet More, Mix More from Carmen Muresan on Vimeo.

I've traveled a bit this month as well, although nothing too crazy. One of the big highlights of the month was a visit from Mom and Dad. They came to Europe for a two-week whirlwind tour, and I was lucky that they stopped in to see me. We spent a few days in Kassel, mostly spent meeting my friends that I have been yapping about for eight months. After a few days here, we left for a long weekend in Berlin. It was the first time for all of us, and it did not disappoint. The hostel that we stayed in may have been more appropriate for those under the age of 65, but Mom and Dad were troopers, and we made the best of it. We saw so many incredible sights, and I'm glad we were able to pack so much in. Berlin is so full of living history; everywhere you turn is a point of interest. My dad makes a point to inform himself of the history of any place before he visits, so traveling with him is like having a tour guide. But there's so much to learn and to see, and I am quite sure I'll be making many more trips to Berlin.

I also made another trip, this time with 19 of my closest friends from the University. If you have read this blog from the start, you might be surprised to hear that the trip was to Brussels. You might be more surprised to hear that I really enjoyed it. The last time I visited Brussels was a bust, and I left with a truly sour attitude. I don't think it was unmerited, given my experience, but perhaps shunning the entire nation of Belgium was a bit extreme. This trip was a lot of fun, and I can actually pinpoint some of the reasons why it was better than last time:

1. The weather. In October, Europe can be lovely. However, the weekend that I was in Brussels was not lovely. It was crap and it made the city look like garbage.

2. The activities. I did have a semi-interesting bus tour the first time around, but I didn't visit any museums or European organizations, which is a shame. Brussels is not only the capital of Belgium, but also the capital of the European Union, and there is a lot to explore. This time around I was able to see more than the outside of the buildings. Being part of an educational group meant that we were able to visit the European Parliament, the European Commission, the European University Association, the Academic Cooperation Association, and the Flemish Department of Higher Education. This may sound completely dull to you, but to a nerd like me, it was incredible. Additionally, the Flemish Department of Education arranged a walking tour of the city that was really wonderful. I learned a ton more from our guide than I had from the headphones on the bus tour, and he took us to areas that were lesser known and far more interesting. Plus, the tour took us to four different restaurants for four different courses of a meal, and it was delicious. That brings us to the next difference....

3. The food. I had one good meal in Brussels, and I got some severely obnoxious attitudes from the service staff. Maybe their disgust made the food taste worse, but I recall a particularly disgusting steak and a noxious bucket of mussels that no one could have improved. This time around was different, because when we did eat out, we ate in places that were either organized or recommended. We were also able to save some money by having dinner parties in our little apartments a few times, and that is always fun. And that brings up the last point...

4. The company. Let me be clear: last October I was able to spend some time with my dear friend Heidi who was in Brussels on business. That was a lot of fun, but unfortunately being on business means that she couldn't wander around and get lost with Amy. I spent a lot of time wandering by myself, and that can be disheartening when you'd really like to share the experience. As I mentioned before, I was with 19 other students from the University of Kassel, many of whom I was already friends with. Those I didn't know became friends quickly, and I really enjoyed seeing the city in a new light with people by my side.

That wrapped up most of July, but I had one last treat at the end of the month when my good friend Elizabeth came to visit. She was on her way to Italy for a few weeks of sipping espresso and eating ice cream, and she stopped in Kassel for a week. I'd like to say that we toured the region and explored little known gems in Germany, but we didn't. I had to work a bit, and Elizabeth got addicted to watching the HBO series "True Blood". There were a few days when we hardly left the house. But we did leave a few times, and we had a really nice time. We had picnics in the park, bike rides, a trip to nearby town Hann-Münden, and an incredibly relaxing evening at the thermal spa in Kassel. It may not have been a jam packed exciting week, but it was a really great week. We drank wine and had a dinner party and talked like old times, and it was exactly what I needed.

August is off to a good start; I'm close to finishing my eighth paper, and my job is still interesting and challenging. I'm not going to get too comfortable in the desk chair though, because my sister arrives in one week, and we're headed for Italy. (I know, I stink.)

Until next time!

A new direction

Hello everyone!

I apologize for not updating for a while. I know I said I wouldn't apologize anymore for delays in updating, but I feel like I left the last post as a bit of a cliffhanger.

After much consideration, discussion, and deliberation about the direction that my life is headed, I've decided to accept the research position at the University, and stay in Germany for another year. The research project is very interesting to me, and the career and educational benefits are great as well. I will be able to work on my thesis here in Kassel, which is extremely helpful, and I will be working with researchers and universities all over the world. My plan has changed considerably since I arrived in Germany nine months ago, but that's life. New opportunities have arisen, new interests have emerged, and I've changed how I see things. THAT is life.

A very important bonus about this new job is that I am able to come back to the US for three months this fall. I will be able to continue working from the US, so I won't lose any time (or money) and I will be able to visit friends and family, meet new babies, see new homes, and be in New England for the holidays. This was a huge factor in accepting the job, and I'm extremely grateful.

Now that this decision has been made, I'm faced with a new set of responsibilities and tasks. Apart from working in the research center and learning about the history of the project, I have to deal with the logistics of staying an additional year. I am hoping to sub-let my room for three months while I am away (Let me know if you know anyone!), I am trying to cancel my health insurance and enroll in much less expensive insurance, I still have to focus on my papers (damn...) and mentally prepare myself for another year. Still, I'm looking forward to it. Last night I attended a dinner with other members of our project teams. I sat next to a very interesting girl from Italy, but she is moving to Portugal to work on the team there. The other members of the team that I met were very friendly, and very interested in how I ended up in Kassel.

Apart from classes and work, life in Kassel is starting to feel more like, well, my life. I planted some zucchini plants in my garden, I've been exploring on my bicycle, and I'm spending lots of time watching the World Cup games in public settings. Almost every Bier Garten is showing every game, and the University has a tent set up with a huge flatscreen and students come for every game to drink beer, eat bratwurst, and yell at the TV. That is like heaven for me.

I'll update more at a later date, but for now I'm enjoying the summer weather and looking forward to my future.

Bis später!

Real Life

I'm back from a fantastic weekend in Venice, and apart from my complete adoration for the city, I have lots to share. I'm finally well rested after three weeks of a flu, and dare I say it, I'm energized!

For those of you who have visited Venice, you know that the city is ridiculous. I'm not entirely convinced that it's real. I think it's a ploy by Disney World to create a magical little city where people live on boats and bask in the glory of ancient architecture and beautiful churches. I knew that Venice had canals, but I always thought that it was like Amsterdam; loads of canals, but you still had to watch out for insane motorists. To my delight, Venice has zero streets, and thus zero cars. The canals are the streets, and the grand canal serves as the main boulevard. Even the "metro" is boats, which makes the metro system map kind of humorous.

There were boats up and down all of the canals, and we saw families putting back from the stores with their boats loaded up with goods, and "for sale" signs in the windshield. Another striking thing for me was that the buildings have main doors that open onto the canals. The canals are not just the back alleys, accessible only by the basement door, but they are accessed by the front doors as well. In fact, the fronts of most buildings face canals, and the doorways are just as ornate as any building in Europe.

The weather cooperated well, and it was surprisingly warm. Of course, anything would seem warm since it's been cold and rainy in Kassel for a few weeks. We had a brief teaser of sunshine a few weeks ago, but now we are back to the norm. Everyone says that the weather will get and stay nice tomorrow, but I'll believe it when I see it.

It was nice to be in the fantasy world of Venice, because I've been in kind of a funk recently. Thinking back on my time in Paris, I really enjoyed it of course, but it had a strange effect on me. Spending time with Jenna and Dave was something I really needed, and it was nice to be with old friends and laugh and joke. My friends are like giant prozac pills for me. But it was also a snap back to reality, back to my real life. I know that I am living a bit of a fake life here. I am working hard and trying to be a good student, but a student's life is always a bit unreal. I sleep late a lot, I stay up late, I travel, and I've made tons of friends, not one of whom knew me in the US. My life has changed a lot, and I have changed. My values are the same of course, but I look at life, and my future differently. It's easy to get swept up in that, and float along in my little Kasselarian bubble, not thinking about a return to the US. Being with Jenna and Dave put me back into a situation from my "real life" (albeit in Paris) and reminded me of what it was like. It reminded me of what was at home, waiting for me and moving on without me. I will return eventually, and it will be a shock I'm sure. I'll be leaving Kassel behind, and re-entering into a world that has changed while I have been changing. I knew this would happen, but what I didn't count on was how terrifying it would be to have a blank slate in front of me. When I left for Germany, I had plans for my return, and they were like a security blanket for me. When I was nervous or sad, I could think about the future I had laid out and I felt OK. Now that I don't have a set future, I sometimes feel like my security blanket has been ripped away, and I feel very very cold.

The challenge that I face is how to incorporate my current life into my real life. I love being here in Germany, and I'm learning so much, in and out of the classroom. My German is improving by leaps and bounds, and I love being able to speak and listen and remember things that I hear. Even more satisfying is that I can actually have conversations with people, and I don't struggle as much as I used to. In fact, today I had a job interview... in German. Yes, a job interview. I have been offered a job in the research center that runs my masters programme, and the opportunity is incredibly exciting. The project is very international, and is a topic that I would love to learn more about. The only catch is that I would have to stay in Kassel until 2012. That is a full two years longer than I planned, and it marks a definite switch between studying abroad and living abroad. I'm not opposed to living abroad; on the contrary, I have always wanted to. But here? Now?? Me?? It's daunting to be faced with this decision, and even more daunting to have three days to decide. I know this is an exciting door that is opening, but to do this would require closing other doors that I'm not sure I'm ready to close yet. Am I really ready to make this my real life?

I was once told that I should make decisions that would bring me closer to where I really wanted to be in life, and I've always thought that was very sage advice. But the process is a bit more challenging when you're no longer sure where you want to end up.

I suppose that's what real life is all about.

Praga, Papers and Paris

I'm trying hard to remember everything that has happened since my last post, and I will do my best not to leave too much out! I suppose that's what happens when you are busy having adventures; you have no time to write about it!

For starters, the trip to Prague was a rousing success. There was so much that worked out well, it's amazing. The car ride was an adventure, as our GPS took us off the autobahn about 2 hours outside of Prague and lead us through tiny towns on windy roads. It was a pain at the time, since we arrived in Prague much later than expected, but we were able to see such neat little places that we purposely took that road home. The city itself was breathtaking. It was bigger than I expected, but very easy to navigate. The weather was absolutely perfect, and so we were all able to spend time outside wandering and seeing the sights. The whole of Prague was in a bit of a tizzy because that was the same weekend that President Obama and President Medvedev were having their summit. There were police everywhere, and parts of the city were off-limits. We found out that Medvedev was staying at the four seasons, which we happened to be in the neighborhood of, so we waited with the media and got a great view as he drove in with the official motorcade. It was briefly thrilling, but probably not worth waiting outside for 2 hours.

During the wait, I took a little walk to the St. Charles Bridge and took some nighttime photos. Here's one of the castle:

Due to the summit, the castle was closed, which was a shame, but we did visit a lot of other wonderful sights. Churches and gardens and little hidden streets, plus a wonderful canal boat ride on the river. The St. Charles bridge, which is the most famous in Prague, was built centuries ago from sandstone and chicken eggs. No lie. It's still standing too, so perhaps this is a building strategy that should be considered nowadays.

Nextly, we of course visited the famous square in Prague, complete with the astronomical clock. It's extremely impressive, but the square itself is so full of tourists the clock is sort of secondary to people watching. There is also a beautiful church, but for some reason there is a row of Spanish-style buildings right in front of it, hiding most of it. A real shame if you ask me. It's super beautiful at night too.

You can see that there's a little market going on in the square too. It was an Easter Market, and while the food that I sampled wasn't very good, it was fun nonetheless.

We also hiked up to a church on a hill overlooking the river. It was closed, but the view was totally worth it. We sat for a while up there, just taking in the scenery. It was a relaxed afternoon.

The nightlife in Prague is pretty interesting too. We visited a few different bars, some better than others, and saw a motley crew of people. Some bars were more sophisticated, while others were packed with drunk university students doing lewd things on the couches. Regardless, we had fun people watching.

We left Prague after three wonderful days and took the aforementioned route home through little towns along the Elbe river. We passed over the German-Czech border, which is now inactive, but still neat to see. We stopped for lunch in one of the border towns, and perused the countless Chinese stands selling cheap imitation wares. It was ridiculous but very amusing.

It was a wonderful weekend, and I'm really glad that I went. The beautiful weather continued in Kassel, and in fact the week after I returned from Prague was the most beautiful days we have had this year. I had a disgusting cold that week (which actually lasted for 2 and a half weeks), but I still managed to enjoy a picnic in the Orangerie park here in Kassel.

After some outdoor days, another class, and several days in bed recovering, I took a train to Paris this past weekend to meet up with my dear friend Jenna and her husband Dave. I had visited Paris once before, several years ago, but that time I was by myself and only there for one day. This time was exponentially more fun. We visited Monet's garden in Giverny, which was astonishingly beautiful. No wonder he was so inspired all the time.

We went up to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, ate some delicious French food, and of course visited the Eiffel Tower. I had gone to the top the last time I visited, but I hadn't visited at night. I am a firm believer that every monument should be seen both in the daylight and at night. It's a completely different experience.

It was an incredible weekend, and I was so happy to spend time with Jenna and Dave. There's much more to write, but to be honest, I'm very tired. Also, I am getting up at 3 AM to leave for Venice and I really need to get some sleep. I know, my life is so tough. I never thought I'd be able to travel this much, but being in Kassel has given me wonderful, and cheap, opportunities, and I need to take advantage of them. As Tom Petty said, "If you don't run, you rust."

Bis später!

Bikes, Carnivals and planning picnics

Hallo Freunden!

Frühling (Spring) has finally arrived in Kassel, and it is glorious. Crocuses and daffodils are poking their little heads out, and Germans are sitting outside, basking in the sun like iguanas. I'm looking forward to when the weather gets a little warmer and we can have picnics in the park. I'm also looking forward to bicycle tours and brewery visits. I bought a bicycle today, at a Flohmarkt (Flea market) in my neighborhood. It's an old fashioned Winora, a classic German brand, and it has everything I was looking for in a bike: it was cheap, and it looks like a Muppet bicycle.

Apart from adventures in Flohmarkts, my classes and papers are coming along as well. I've handed in 5 of 8 papers, gotten grades on 3 of them, and I've got a solid "A" average. I've also completed my second level of German course, and I've got an "A" average there too. Who knew I was such a smarty pants? Enough boasting, though. I've got 9 more papers to write before the summer is over. So I'm going to work hard, write studiously, and take a trip to Prague next week. That's right, Prague! I've wanted to visit Prague for a very long time, and now I will. A clever classmate of mine found an incredible deal on the Deutsche Bahn (train) website, and so about 10 of my classmates have booked themselves on trains to Prague. Of course, I waited too long and missed out on the special deal. Fortunately, a friend and I found a great deal for a rental car, so we will drive to Prague and have our own mini-Eurotrip. I am extremely excited.

Now that spring has arrived (at least according to the calendar), Kassel has opened the Frühlingsfest and the Ostmarkt. The Frühlingsfest is basically a carnival (American style) with rides, silly un-winable games, and more fried food than anyone should ever be around. I visited last week with two friends, and it was a blast. We avoided the obvious death-trap rides (see below), and instead opted for the bumper cars. I haven't been on bumper cars in years, and I forgot how therapeutic it is. For 2 euros, I might go back a few more times, whenever I'm feeling a bit wound up.

Death Trap:

Bumper Cars (non death trap):

I also sampled some of the incredible culinary offerings. I avoided the fried everything, and instead opted for food on sticks. First up, corn on the cob on the stick:

Followed by chocolate covered bananas and strawberries on a stick:

Let's see... what else has been keeping me busy? A few weeks ago, I got myself involved in an intercultural communication workshop, and found myself tasked with interviewing German students to discuss their experiences with international students. A team of myself and 4 others spent an afternoon in the middle of campus with a video camera and recording equipment borrowed from the local public access station, and interviewed about 10 or 11 German students. it was surprisingly fun, and the people who agreed to talk to us were very enthusiastic and interesting.

There were about 5 teams, each making a video, and they'll all be edited together and made into one movie to be shown on the public access channel. That means that no one will see it, but it's a cool experience nonetheless. I'll be sure to let you know how the final product turns out. Even if it ends up being extremely lame, it was pretty fun.

I also managed to get myself invited to a hockey game here in Kassel last week. My friend Eduardo and I were having dinner, and we were seated next to a young couple from Québec. We started talking with them, and it turns out that the guy is a defenseman for the Kassel Huskies. I mentioned that I had been meaning to go to a game, and they offered to give us tickets. We went to the game last Friday, and it was awesome. The Huskies lost of course, but it was still a lot of fun. I say "of course" because I am notoriously horrible luck at hockey games, and the Huskies are terrible. That doesn't stop the fans from being super enthusiastic, though. I have never seen so much spirit in such a small arena. It was the final game of the season too, so there was a little thank you ceremony at the end. It was pretty awesome.

Valerie, the wife of the player, said that even though the management and ownership of the team is a bit dickish, the fans are the best she's ever seen. Since we were the guests of a player, and we were sitting with some wives, we got to hang out in the VIP lounge in between the periods. Free food and drinks- not too shabby. I tell you, it could be a lot worse that being the wife of a hockey player. We met all the other wives and girlfriends, and a lot of the players too. Many Canadians, mostly from Québec, and some guys from Minnesota or Maine. Everyone was extremely friendly and welcoming, it was wonderful. Our new friend, J.P., may not be playing in Kassel next year, but if he's somewhere else in Germany then I can go be bad luck at some other team's games.

I feel as though much more has happened since my last post, but either my life is non-eventful, or the things I spend my time doing aren't interesting enough to remember. If I think of anything, I'll let you know. I'm optimistic that the combination of my new bike and the warm weather will yield more adventures, so perhaps my future postings will be chock full o' excitement. And Prague too, of course. I'm sure that Prague will give me a bit more material.

Bis nächste Mal,

Frohe Frühling!

Karneval, Ethics, and a whole lot of Deutsch

Guten Morgen Leute!

I've had quite the time here in Deutschland these past few weeks. I've had fun, met some new people, and been academically productive. Score one for me!

About a week and a half ago, a few of my friends here in Kassel suggested that we go to Köln (Cologne) for Karneval. As you might be aware, early February is the time for Carnival all over the world, the most famous being in Brazil, and of course Mardi Gras in New Orleans. But in the area around Köln and Düsseldorf, Germans do their best to rival the insanity in Rio. Karneval actually starts in November, but the second and third week in February is the pinnacle of mayhem. Jehona, Eduardo and Natalia and I took the train out on Thursday, and I tell you, as we got closer to Köln, the outfits on the train got weirder and more intricate. After a while, we didn't really notice. A bear, a king and a vampire? Sure, I can make some space for you to sit down.

We arrived in Köln at about 4 pm, and Jehona's friend (and our host) Redon met us at the train station. It was a bit difficult to find him amongst the marching bands, moose, dinosaurs, royalty, indians, Elvises and other revelers. We found him eventually and followed him to his office building nearby to drop off our things. We had a beer with his colleagues in the office and then set out in search of some sort of costumes and food. We found both in short order:

Natalia loves Döners.
I hate wigs.












We made our way to a bar owned by a friend of Redon, and spent the evening there. It was packed with people, and if you can imagine, most peoples' helmetry was more ridiculous than ours. The music was fantastic, mostly of the Bavarian tuba-heavy variety. We danced, pretended to sing along, and made "bar friends" with a lot of the idiots there, including this character who ate a sandwich that he found on the floor:






We went back to Redon's place around 2 AM and fell onto beds, couches, and chairs right away. We woke up well rested on Friday, and because Redon's roommate had guests coming that day, we set off in search of a hostel for Friday night. We found a "Hostelling International" with lots of space so we checked in and then made a mad dash for some Mexican food. It was delicious.

On our walk around Köln on Friday we crossed the railroad/pedestrian bridge that crosses the Rhein River, and it was a very cool sight. But there's more to this bridge than you might think! There is a fence separating the pedestrian walkway from the railroad tracks (thankfully) and locked to the fence are hundreds of thousands of locks. The tradition apparently comes from an old movie, but the point is this: you and your beloved carve your names or initials into a padlock, lock it to the fence, and then throw your keys into the river. And then that is it, you are in love and it is never going to end. I wonder how many of these couples are still together, (some of the locks were incredibly old) but the sentiment is wonderful. In fact, as we crossed the bridge, I witnessed a couple dressed in full Karneval costumes throwing their keys off the bridge. They were so giddy and in love I couldn't help but be touched. Of course, I've got a streak of romantic in me anyway so it isn't too hard to bring a tear to my eye.

We also managed to stop inside the famous Köln Dom (Cathedral), and it was not a disappointment.















Aside from the splendor of the Dom, we also found a HUGE Karneval costume store. Jackpot!









We made our way to a new pub that was packed with people and music, a bit of an older crowd, but perhaps even more animated. I was struck by how many "older" people participate in the Karneval festivities. You could tell that many of these old geezers had been celebrating Karneval for decades, and would continue to do so for as long as they could.


In fact, I would argue that their costumes were more elaborate than any of the younger crowd.


We were told about a huge party in the neighborhood and so away we went. Regrettably there are no pictures from this party. Or perhaps this is lucky, considering the utter insanity. The camera might have melted from sheer overload. Suffice it to say, I have never seen such a spirited, decorated, multi-national and completely sloshed group of people in my life. And I doubt I ever will again.


We made it home from Köln on Saturday via an afternoon in Düsseldorf, which was quite nice. There were celebrations in Düsseldorf as well, but they didn't come close to the debauchery in Köln. But to be fair, it was only the afternoon. Maybe the place heats up after sundown.

I was mildly productive over the remainder of the weekend, and then attended another module this past week. It was the sixth module, and I'm currently finishing up my fourth paper. Not great, but not bad either. The modules are packed close together this month, so I expected to fall behind a bit. My current paper (subject: ethics of indigenous health research in Australia and New Zealand) has blown wide open and I'm writing furiously. Except now when I'm updating this blog. I've got a lot of preparation to do for the next module, which will be the first week of March. I've also got a tandem language partner, so one or two afternoons per week are spent in bi-lingual conversation. It's exhausting, but I think it will be extremely beneficial. My German teacher told us that we will never be able to improve if we don't speak. I knew he was right, and so I've got to make sure I work hard with my tandem partner, because she happens to be his wife. Talk about pressure.

That's about all the news I have. I've got a lot to get done this week, so if I am a bit reclusive please forgive me. I hope everyone has a good weekend, and a wonderful end to February.

Viel Späß!

New year, New start

Hallo everyone!

I've decided not to apologize at the start of every post for my lack of updates. I'm busy trying to get a degree, here, and I'm sure you understand. That said, much has happened since my last update, so I probably should have done this sooner.

2010 has continued on fairly well, I've had two more courses since my last update, turned in a paper, and gotten a grade on another paper. I'm a bit behind where I wanted to be, but I'm not really all that concerned. I might have more to do in the summer than expected, but I am still keeping a very good pace. I also had an exam in my German language course, and I got a 1. (That's good. Really good, actually, if you'll let me brag a bit.) I've also gotten myself a tandem language partner; my German teachers wife. I haven't met her yet, we've only just contacted each other by e mail, but I think it will help me quite a bit. I think I'll be able to take the next level of German in March, too, provided we have enough people for our class. So things are looking up.

I had a bit of a setback a few weeks ago when I tried to get my residence permit. I had everything in order, except for the small detail that I don't have enough money. The German government requires at least 7,000 euros in the bank to prove that I can stay here and study. That's a pretty excessive amount, but I wasn't even close. With the help of my insanely generous sister, I've got a loan to get my permit approved, but the real challenge comes when I examine how I'm actually going to afford to stay here. I've found a scholarship that I can apply for, and if that is successful, I will be just fine. If not, I may have to take up several extra jobs, or go home. It's not a pleasant situation to think about, so I will just write a totally awesome scholarship essay and they will love me and throw money at me.

This whole scare made me think a lot about my experience here in Germany. I had planned to come for one year, and then return to the US more or less the same person that I was when I left. Now I'm not so sure. I won't be drastically different of course, but anytime you uproot yourself and embark on a new experience, it will change you. I still want to work in international education in the United States, but I'm not sure if I want to do that immediately. There's a lot to see and experience out there, and I'm re-discovering my taste for it. I'm also wondering if just one year is enough. Aside from the academic side, meaning finishing my thesis in a timely manner, there's the cultural side. I feel like I've finally found my footing here in Kassel, and I'm starting to develop a life. I have made incredible friendships, I'm improving my German every day, and I'm dying to visit so many places across Germany and all of Europe, and I don't think one year is enough. Once again, much depends on this scholarship, but if I'm able to stay 6 months longer, it might be really good for me. Of course, this is all balanced with pangs of missing the stability of life at home, and it's a constant internal struggle. Tom always tells me that I think too much, and he must be right because a friend of mine here in Kassel told me the exact same thing yesterday. These are all new thoughts that are milling around in my head, so I can't say with any certainty what is going to happen to me in the next year. Much of it depends on the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung scholarship (fingers crossed), but I think there will be a lot more overthinking on my part before anything definitive happens.

I wish I had some beautiful pictures to upload, but the weather has been a bit blah lately. We've had heaps of snow, just as you have on the east coast, but the active snowing rarely lasts long enough for me to get any photos. Instead it quickly turns to slush, and then ice. I am planning some photo excursions soon, so maybe I'll get some great shots. In the meantime though, I can share a night photo that my friend Eduardo took of my backyard from my balcony. It's quite beautiful, and I'm happy to say that this is what my backyard looks like for a brief period almost every evening.

Until next time,

Happy New Decade!

Happy New Year everyone! I had a great time in Austria for New Years Eve, or Silvester as it is called in German. It was a small affair, a dinner party of just a few people, but I learned all about Austrian Silvester traditions. For starters, Silvester is very much about luck. Good luck, bad luck, active luck, passive luck, pot luck, you name it. The symbols/items that are considered lucky are four leaf clovers and horseshoes, which are lucky in many countries, ladybugs which I think might be considered lucky in the US, pigs, mushrooms and chimney sweeps. In fact, chimney sweeps are so lucky that if you see one on New Years Eve, you are supposed to take some of his soot and rub it on your face. That doesn't seem so lucky for one's complexion...

It's also customary to give little lucky gifts to ones friends and family, and usually one or all of the previously mentioned items are involved. Lisa bought little plants with little chimney sweeps covered in bugs, pigs, mushrooms and clovers stuck in the dirt. Again, I feel like the chimney sweep is getting the short end of the stick. There is also a tradition of melting lead figurines and dropping them into cold water to find out what kind of luck you will have. The figurines are of course in the shape of mushrooms, pigs, etc. but they are hollow so they melt into a lead puddle fairly quickly. When dropped into a bowl of cold water, the lead solidifies instantly and the resulting shape tells your fortune. The shapes that are listed on the box present great fortune for the new year, but unfortunately the shapes are never even close. It's very difficult to get a splash of liquid lead to resemble a house, cat, tent or ladder. Most of our party ended up with a butterfly after a napalm attack. Not so lucky.

Of course, all of these lucky traditions are necessary precautions because there are plenty of things that can bring you bad luck. It ranges from washing clothes on Silvester to the color of your underwear. I didn't learn everything that was considered unlucky, but you could be tripped up pretty easily, so I suppose it's important to have lucky things to protect you.

Anyway, enough about luck. I had a lovely time in Baden, Lisa's hometown, and the fireworks were quite nice. There were a lot of people downtown, and there was a lot of excitement in the air. The show was pretty good too.
On New Years day we visited with her grandparents, who are the kindest people I have ever met. They don't speak a word of English, but they are extremely patient with me, and we managed to communicate very well. Her whole family was very sweet and welcoming, and I'm very lucky to have spent the holidays with them. It was strange, and I certainly felt the pangs of homesickness at times, but I'll look back on this holiday season with a lot of fond memories.
















I made it home safely after a long travel delay, which was lengthened significantly by snowy weather. I've had a nice week in Kassel to catch up on cleaning, paper writing, and goofing off with Christian and Christine. Excellent uses of my time.

I hope you are all enjoying the new decade, and all the best for 2010!

Bis dann,
Amy