Unglaublich

6. Unglaublich [unbelievable]: too breathtakingly amazing to describe in actual words; so in other words, my week of traveling

This is probably going to be the hardest blog post to write, because to put my experiences into words (especially not in book form), seems impossible. But, nevertheless, I will do my very best.

So last week the IES program organized a trip to visit Prague and Dresden. Instead of what a smart traveler should do the night before a long trip (sleep), I opted to instead all night long read articles on both cities about their history and what I really wanted to see there. This is probably the number one advice I can give to any traveler now, because having prior information about the city you are traveling to, will make your exploration there a lot more worth while. After a productive six hour bus ride where I spent my time sleeping, reading, and making notes for a potential senior thesis paper, we finally arrived in Prague (or in German Prag, or in Czech Praha). We stayed in a beautiful hotel right in the city and I roomed with a really nice girl who has been studying in Freiburg since the fall. We became immediate close friends. The night was ours, so with my roommate and another friend, we went out to the old city and explored. After a few blocks, I turned to the right, and before me was the most beautiful scene ever. It was the town square with baroque buildings brightly glowing from the moon and streetlights. If that moment were in a cartoon, the minute I laid my eyes on the town square, my eyes would have popped out, my mouth would have literally fallen to the ground, hearts would have spun over my head, and an angelic chorus would be singing. And this cartoon image is the definition of my trip, because every corner and every moment was unbelievable.

After coming to terms that we were actually in Prague, we continued to find the restaurant that was recommended online. Our restaurant was located a few blocks away from the main square. Dimly lit and set in traditional Czech decorations, the restaurant immediately seemed both touristy and authentic.  My travel companions had the same adventurous, “I-want-to-try-everything” outlook, so we ordered what the waiter recommended (and for the record it was hard, because we don’t speak Czech). First was the classic Czech wine. I forgot the exact name, but it was a honey wine that came in a glass the size of my head and had a rich flavor that complimented the traditional Czech bread bowl goulash soup. Our bill was 850 Kroner, which was an overwhelmingly high number, although in US dollars, only $17. Why can’t every country just use the same type of currency?

If someone were to ask me what my favorite day is, from morning to night, I would not even hesitate to answer Tuesday, March 20, 2012. From breakfast to turning off the light, I enjoyed the entire day, even more than I enjoy devouring my newly discovered Milka chocolate bar with an Oreo filling. German breakfasts at hotels are always both dangerous and delicious. They are literally like a feast with breads, meats, cheeses, fruit, granola, hard-boiled eggs, tea, strong coffee, nutella, and so on. After figuring out how to walk with a super-full stomach, we made our way to the inner city and a nice tour guide showed us Prague. I vaguely remember going to Prague when I was seven with my mom’s high school group. The clear memory I still have is of the guards in front of the castle, which I immediately recognized. The more we went through the tour, the more I fell in love with the city; it was truly love at first sight. The Baroque period architecture dominating the city, the refined music culture with a concert performed at almost every hour, the polished cobblestone streets, the chic and classy Bohemian fashionistas roaming the streets, the advertisements that used tennis as a reference, the vineyards and Vltava river reflecting the bright blue sky framing the city, and the endless sculptures, ALL completed my fondness for Prague. But the only thing that is preventing me from wanting to visit a second time this year (but definitely a lot more in my life), are the tourists! Whenever I have to look in front of me, instead of the beautiful architecture, tourists swamp the streets like the plague. They are everywhere, like Disneyworld, but that did not dampen my experience.

For lunch I dragged my friends to help me find the restaurant that I was absolutely dying to go to, Café Louvre, where Albert Einstein and Franz Kafka were frequent visitors. The Café was a little outside the main city, so it was not too touristy, and was decorated in the 1930s. I have never been so happy to be at a restaurant in my life. Everything was perfect. A friend and I split meals, so we both got to try “young spinach leaves with avocado and crunchy bacon” and “roast pear in almond jacket with vanilla cream and currant.” And then we ordered the Café’s popular hot chocolate, except that it is not really hot chocolate. Instead, the warm drink is purely melted chocolate in a cup. We also found room for creamy carrot cake and chamomile tea for dessert. Needless to say, after about a million calories, I have never felt so content with life after that meal. Following our luxurious food experience, a musical friend, Mary, and I bought tickets to a classical concert, where we heard Mozart, Bach, Handel, Pachelbel, Smetana, Czech’s own Dvorak, and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. The string quartet concert was held in a cute little music hall and when the first note seeped through my entire body, I just took in all of the music. And I have to admit that hearing Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nacht Musik (A Little Night Music) live, brought a little tear to my eyes. Feeling cultured, Mary and I met up with the rest of the group and we explored the city a little more and had dinner at a Budweiser Bar (the beer is made in Czech). 

After dinner, I did something I have never done before in my life- clubbing. And my first one was in Prague. In the biggest disco club in Europe. Five stories. Karlovy Lazny, the name of the club, was filled with music, with a different theme on each floor. Once floor has an ice bar, where we had to enter a room to put snowsuits, gloves, and a hats. After being bundled up, we then could enter the cold, igloo-looking room with chill music. Another floor was called the “Discotheque,” where popular dance music urged me put on my rusty dancing shoes and I danced in the filled with lights and other effects- a large video wall, laser beams, hypercubes, and much more. The next floor, the “Kaleidoscope,” was probably the most fun room. The room was retro themed, with a multi-colored light dance floor; the DJ was stationed in a Cadillac playing oldies music, bringing our singing voices to life and reminding us of home. What a great night. And if anyone was wondering, I was a perfectly responsible adult and remember the entire evening. :) Like a cherry on top for an absolutely great, perfect day.

Unfortunately, I have to end now. This week was the beginning of my IES courses, so I had to get back into the groove of schoolwork. Tomorrow I’m going to Hannover to visit a good friend of the family for the weekend. Hopefully I will post more about my trip when I get back!

Monat

5. Mon~at der [month]

Freiburger Münster from the Schlossberg

No, I did not spell one of my favorite painter’s name wrong. I simply wanted to post that I have been in Germany for exactly a MONTH now! I have already seen three countries and the ease of speaking German increases daily. But there is still so much to see and do. In fact, this entire week consisted of planning the rest of my time here, which was both exciting and stressful. There are so many classes I want to take at the University. Although they are so much harder than IES courses, I would be studying with German students, not American students. I also hope to do an internship here, so I have been researching possible firms. An internship would be so great to do, since I could actually meet German professionals and get out of the Uni “bubble” a little.

After much thought, I have decided that my potential future travels will be in Germany. I am here to explore who I am and also the German language and culture, so I want to really see and experience Germany. When I am older, I can travel to other countries. So now I am in the process of trying to figure out which cities I want to explore, how I will get there, who I will go with, when I can go, etc.  So exciting, yet so tedious! 

Since it is rather late, I just have one more thing to add. I have found a new food obsession: Johannisbeeren (currants). These berries are rather rare in the United States, but are very popular in Europe. According to Wikipedia (always a great source), blackcurrants were banned in the US in the early 1900s, because they were considered a threat to the logging industry. But I have alas been introduced to this wonderful berry and we are going to have a permanent relationship. Johannisbeeren have both a sweet and sour taste and are rich in dietary fiber and essential nutrients- some sources say even better than OJ! So every day, I include Johannisbeeren somehow into my diet. Johannisbeeren marmalade, juice, cake, torte, and so on.  Germany is just so wonderful!!!

Lunch at a the Freiburg UniCafe. Berg Cheese and Mushroom Crepe and (drum roll) Johannisbeeresaft!!!!

Tomorrow cannot come soon enough. IES has organized a trip to Prague, Dresden, Meissen, Radebeul, and Eisenach for a week! I am soooo excited and I really hope to see Mozart’s Magic Flute at Dresden’s Semper Oper on Thursday! 

Wanderung

4. Wan~de~rung die [hiking]: the German word for hiking through Earth’s version of heaven

One of my favorite childhood memories, no actually, my favorite childhood memories, were my hikes through the woods with my Opi (grandfather). Rain, sun, or snow, we would walk side by side, exploring the peaceful beauty of the Northwoods. We would only hear the crunch of the leaves as we walked, a woodpecker knocking on a tree, the symphony of leaves and trees rustling in the wind, and the loon call from the distance.

Those memories were awakened this weekend. On Friday, the IES group went on a hike through Freiburg’s own Schlossberg. I was stupid enough to not bring my camera, but that meant that my own lens captured every second of the beauty before me.  The mountain is mostly wooded, but the sun was always glimmering through the trees. After climbing up the steepest part, we were greatly rewarded with a magnificent view of Freiburg. The majestic Münster church caught everyone’s eye first, but the background of the mountains made the scene complete. We took a break in a little valley that had a restaurant closed for the season. We sat outside, soaking up the sun and toured the little church nearby. Sitting back, welcoming the warm sun, I gazed at the valley that reminded me of the Sound of Music. It was so hard to resist singing “The Hills are Alive….”

Yesterday, Saturday, was probably my favorite day so far in Germany. Despite waking up super early on a Saturday, it was totally worth it. The bus ride was three hours long, but I thankfully woke up just in time to see Switzerland and it was love at first sight. We drove to a little town called Engelberg, a place were tourists can do anything outdoorsy imagined. My eagerness increased, as the bus climbed up the mountain and the ski hills finally showed up.  Although I have never wanted to go downhill skiing this bad in my life, the ride up the gondola and view that it gave, made everything so much better. Looking outside of the gondola, the skiers were just little specks, sliding down the grandiose, snow covered mountain. I loved the stark contrast of the fresh green valley, sparkling white snowy Alps, and the bright blue sky. We hiked for hours and every scene was more breathtaking than the last. The day before, I bought a good hiking backpack and warm hiking socks. A little pricey, but totally worth it, because I stayed dry and warm the entire time.  My time in the Alps confirmed once again there is a God.  The fresh air, the peacefulness, the powerful mountains, and the bright sun reflecting off of the white snow, definitely purifies the soul. I was able to think about my spirituality and my life, each step and each deep, clean breath I took. By the end of the trip, I felt strengthened and refreshed and ready to conquer my fears.

My time here in Germany, especially through my wanderung experiences, has taught me to no longer fear heights, but more importantly, that I have always had a free spirit inside of me. I look forward to seeing how that free spirit will grow even more in the days, weeks, and months to come. 

Beobachten

3. Be~ob~ach~ten, das [observation]: gathering first impressions of Germany and living there.

You know how people have favorite words? Well, this is mine. I don’t really know why, but saying this word just feels good, like a mouth, tongue, and jaw massage.  So I naturally had to use this word. After living in Germany for almost a month now, I feel like I can justly list some of my initial observations…

❁  I absolutely adore the shoes here. Both men and women wear boots, oxfords, loafers, boat shoes, etc. In the US, I had so much trouble finding just one pair of perfect loafers, but here, I seriously love every single one that I pass. Men in the US should learn a thing or two from Europeans about shoe fashion. Just saying…

❁  Young adults tend to carry around these sporty messenger bags, from Nike, Adidas, or other athletic brands.  Seriously everywhere you go, these bags can be found.

❁  Another common thing found on the streets are colorful headsets. Despite the stereotype that Europeans wear dark clothes, their accessories are so bright and cheery.

Tennis court with carpet. The one at my club
is blue, but you can see the "specks" on the
lines in this picture.

    ❁  The more I play tennis here, the more I appreciate the carpet surface.  The ball does not bounce as high as on hard court, so it makes me really work on my speed and footwork.  Right now my Beinarbeit (footwork) is embarrassingly poor, but I know that once I return to the US, my footwork will be greatly improved. On the carpeted surface, there are also little specks that allow you to slide a little. By the end of my training (in German, athletes don’t practice, they train), my socks and shoes are filled with these little blue specks. And I thought that tennis ball fuzz was annoying!

❁  Freiburg is known for obsessive recycling. There are containers for basically everything: paper, white glass, brown glass, green glass, biodegradable garbage, plastics, metal, and “the rest.” These containers are found everywhere-streets, inside my student apartment kitchen, etc.  I just love how “green” Freiburg is. Solar panels are also not a rarity in Freiburg. The world could learn a lot living in Freiburg.

❁  The popular Birkenstocks, made in Germany, have a different purpose in Germany. They are apparently made as house shoes, despite the thousand of people in the US who are faithful wearers of them outdoors. I will probably buy a pair here, since they are so much cheaper-only 30 Euros!

❁  Bakeries and cafes are the most beloved places to go for lunch, and I couldn’t agree more. Every day, I get either a Schokolatte or Kaffeecreme to drink and a bretzel (large, soft pretzel) or chocolate croissant. Please don’t mind if I gain about twenty pounds upon my return, but the food here is marvelous.

The grocery store a few blocks away
from me. "We love Groceries." Note
the bread and cheese :)

❁  I learned the hard way about going grocery shopping in Germany. You have to pay for small plastic bags, so customers bring their own big cloth bags or baskets when going shopping. Well I didn’t realize this at first, so I tried to stuff as much into my twenty-cent plastic bag as I could and then tucked the rest  into my arms. Needless to say, I looked like a foreigner as I walked home and gritted my teeth as people stared at me struggling to carry everything.

❁  Also, products and food are all “fun-sized.” At first, I was surprised how much cheaper shampoo and body wash were, but then I realized that the bottles were so much smaller than in the US.  There are no bulk products in Germany, or at least in the stores that I have gone to. Germans are expected to go grocery shopping every couple of days. No more stocking up on food for the week and hibernating at home.

❁  I miss taking long, hot showers. The drains here are a lot smaller and I am sure that the ones in my apartment have never been cleaned.  After about two minutes, the drain gets clogged, so I have to stop the shower and let the water drain, grab the plunger and start pumping, and then restart the shower. At least I am learning how to take conserve energy by taking fast showers.

That’s it for now. I have the busiest day so far tomorrow!

Abenteuer

2. Aben~teu~er, das [adventure]: the willingness to view every new experience as exciting and willing to take risks; getting out of one’s comfort zone; and not freaking out when getting on the wrong train.

Time is definitely flying by. I have been in Freiburg now for almost two weeks and am beginning to feel at home. February 22 was the start of my IES (Institute for the International Education of Students) program in Freiburg.  The first day, I have to admit, was a little hard. I picked up my keys at the IES center and then my Onkel and I drove to my Wohnheim (student apartment place).  I live in a housing complex belonging to the University of Freiburg.  There are about seven buildings where students live, with a little courtyard in the center.  Bicycles swamp the entrances of each building. As I was showed my “apartment” for the first time, I was a little shocked. Once you get through a door, there is a long, dark, dirty hallway where there are seven closed doors. The first door brings you to the kitchen and two bathrooms. The remaining six doors are the single bedrooms. Down the hallway was my own room, which reminded me of a fraternity house room because the bed is permanently lofted. Ewwww. I have a big closet, desk, shelving, and a huge window.  After saying goodbye to my Onkel, I was first determined and motivated to start unpacking, cleaning, and decorating, but I was absolutely exhausted and got a little homesick. I met up with my German housing advisor and the other American IES students who live in my complex. There are about ten of us in this complex, but there are over forty IES students in the program, so they live in other places in Freiburg.  The dinner was really nice, because I got to meet students who I could relate to: we go to small liberal arts colleges in the US, we want to learn more about the German language and culture, and we are foreigners. I even got to meet my flat mate, Rachael, who is a really nice girl from California! Many students disappointingly speak English, but Rachael and I always speak German together and we share some interests.

           

The next following days, I got to meet more IES students and there were programs to get to know Freiburg, living in Germany, and each other.  On that Friday, we went to IKEA and got some things for my room.  My room finally looks like home, not a whitewashed prison. On Saturday half of the group went to the Black Forest’s Feldberg, Germany’s largest mountain, to go snowshoeing! The Swiss Alps were always in the background, so the view was absolutely breathtaking.  Snowshoeing definitely made me realize how out of shape I really was and it was a wonderful relief for everyone as we took a lunch break at a little restaurant in the valley. We were served Suppe (soup) with Brot (bread) and I ordered my new favorite drink, Apfelsaftschorle, which is a combination of apple juice and seltzer water. Yummmm. After the break, we climbed to the highest part of the mountain, but here’s where my first real adventure took place. My snowshoe got loose, so I had to stop and fix it, but people kept on going, so it was just me and another German student advisor at the end of the group. The fog got really bad and it was snowing, so we were absolutely lost and could not see anything. But instead of getting anxious or worried, we just used our instincts and common sense and after about a half hour, we found the rest of the group.  After being in Germany for a couple of weeks now, I have already discovered that I have a good sense of direction and street smarts, something that I had not noticed before.

           

The following week was the start of our “Intensive Language Orientation,” where we were divided into three groups and met each morning from 9:00-13:15. In my class, I met a really nice girl, Sarah, from Virginia and after each class, we had lunch at different cafes and are planning on taking trips together!

          

  On Saturday (March 3), the group took a bus to Colmar, which is in the Elsaß region of France. My first time in FRANCE!!!!!!! Although Elsaß is part of the German-speaking part of France, French is the main language spoken there, so this was the first time I truly felt like a foreigner. It was such a great, adventurous experience as I went to a restaurant with a group of friends and we couldn’t speak French. Colmar is such a picturesque town and I hope to go back and enjoy the shops there some more.  We then went to the Badische Winzerkeller, a winery in Breisach (near Freiburg). After a very long tour of the winery, we finally got to the wine tasting part, which everyone eagerly anticipated.  We tried five different wines, mostly white. I am usually a white wine person, but I absolutely loved the first red one. Naturally after the wine tasting, I bought a bottle of the red wine! I am planning on staying classy while in Germany, so I will enjoy a glass of wine for dinner once in awhile.

           

On Sunday I played five hours of tennis at my tennis club in Freiburg. The tennis trainer picked me up, because the last time I tried to go to the club, I took the wrong bus and ended up somewhere in Switzerland (don’t ask, I really don’t know how I managed to do that). Although that experience is something that I view as an adventure and hilarious, it is frustrating sometimes to have a language barrier and also to not know my surroundings that well.  Since I am a foreigner, a concept that I am still trying to grasp, I am often perceived as irresponsible and ditsy. Other IES students have felt the same way, which I find super interesting. But anyway, the tennis trainer picked me up and I first hit with a guy who looks like the typical European tennis player. Tall, lanky, and long, dark hair tied back.  He is new to Freiburg as well and is a cook.  I am so happy to be able to play tennis in Germany, because I am meeting so many natives and am able to speak German.  I then hit for a few hours with a men’s tennis team, who are all college aged.  They are all so much better than me, but I know that I will improve so much!  Playing on carpet is a lot different than hard court, so my footwork needs to really improve. But I am now able to play at least three days a week, so I am really excited!!

           

It is so interesting to learn the tennis words in German. For example, there is literally no love in tennis. When I said “Liebe-15,” the guys laughed so hard and then kindly told me that they say “null,” or zero instead. But so many tennis words are the same in both English and German: set, match, volley, etc.

            

Another week of language class and seminars. I will hopefully write now more often, so there will not be so much in each post!

Beautiful Colmar, France

Tschüss!