It’s finally over, and it’s already over: the big class trip to the Balkans. As I write this post, I’m sitting on the bus driving from Bosnia to Croatia, and wow, what I have seen since I’ve been here!
The trip started November 16, when the bus left at 7:00 in the morning! The only thing we did that day was drive to Vienna, a long but not impossible journey. The next morning we had a meeting at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). They talked about their missions to help areas recover from conflict. We were able to attend a session of the Permanent Council, made up of ambassadors from all of their 47 member countries, including America! We met an ambassador outside the meeting who exchanged contact information with Jerry (our professor) and invited us to see his office in Sarajevo. After that, we toured the United Nations offices in Vienna. We met with the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) while we were there as well. The presentations focused on the safe use of nuclear energy and the ways the CTBTO tracks nuclear testing around the world. The representative from the IAEA (who was American) explained how the IAEA monitors atomic energy and how countries could potentially use atomic waste for more malicious purposes.
The next day, we went to the European Union’s Fundamental Rights Agency. They were really interesting, and a note for mom and dad: I ordered a lot of (free!) information from them, and gave them our home address. I don’t remember how many documents I ordered, but if anything comes for me from the EUFRA, it’s not spam!! Thanks! They have a wide range of projects, ranging from remembering the Holocaust to gay rights to human trafficking prevention. Its research based approach is useful to empower the other European institutions to act on preventing the worst human rights atrocities in the member states. That afternoon, we drove to Budapest.
WE INTERRUPT THIS BLOG POST FOR AN IMPORTANT WARNING TO EVERYONE WHO WILL TRAVEL TO A PLACE WITH A CURRENCY LIKE HUNGARY’S:
I pulled out money from an ATM instead of changing Euros. Jerry had told us about the exchange rate, but when I’m trying to focus at the ATM and do the math, I accidentally did something wrong. So, instead of pulling out $50, or 10.000 Hungarian Forint, I pulled out roughly $500 - 100.000 Forint. I still have a vast majority of it. Thank goodness Forint can be converted back to Euro ,but it’s been difficult for the rest of this trip as it doesn’t seem it can be converted to anything else. So, there are two lessons here. The first is not to do that, to think and plan before you even set foot near an ATM, and the second is what to do if this happens to you. Don’t panic, but instead, offer to pay for your friends with the expectation that they will pay you back in another currency. I paid for dinner for five people and was paid back mostly in Euro, and one of the girls paid me back in Serbian Dinar so I didn’t have to find a place to exchange in Belgrade. It worked out, and while I have a lot of Forint left, I can convert it tomorrow when we are in Germany.
Now back to our regularly scheduled trip summary.
Budapest was beautiful. We got a tour of the city where we could see the Austro-Hungarian empire and the Ottoman influence. Budapest has one of the oldest Turkish baths still functioning as such in the world. Food was great, especially the goulash. Hungarian goulash is better than any I have ever had, even my Aunt Terry’s - and that’s saying something pretty significant right there. Aunt Terry, we are going to have to try and find a recipe for Hungarian goulash online and make it sometime. It’s that good. The market was cool, too. It was a big warehouse type building with any and everything for sale. I bought my brother a hand-carved chess set and board for Christmas. I was reluctant to leave Budapest, as it was so beautiful. The Christmas market was already out, and it filled the air with a little bit of cheer while we moved through.
Now, as we went through one moving from Hungary to Serbia, I’ll take a minute and talk about border crossings. (This is also relevant as I am writing this sitting at a border crossing into Croatia.) I am in a class of 27. Add a professor and a bus driver and you get 29. For those of you who might not know, the reason we haven’t had to deal with this until getting into the Balkans is because of the Shengin zone and the European Union. This guarantees borderless travel - no checks, no passport stamps, just a sign. Basically like the United States. So our first border crossing was into Serbia. The guard gets on the bus, collects our passports, and leaves. He or she stamps them and returns them in a stack to Jerry who distributes them once we get going again. But we don’t have long to go! We then go to the other border, over no man’s land, and do It all again. We are lucky, we are all American - but other minorities have a difficult time at the borders, as the crossings could take hours.
We stayed in a Soviet-era hotel in Belgrade, where people were allowed to smoke in the hotel. Everything was cheap, and I was able to get everything I needed on the few Dinar my friend paid me back, with coins left over for the collection! The next morning, we went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We met with an official of the ministry regarding the state of Serbian affairs after the wars. Oh, forgot to mention - we had a lecture on the Balkan Wars ON THE BUS to the Balkans! Jerry taught us about the wars on the roads they happened on. It was the most engaging lesson I had ever had. We got to see more damage firsthand in Belgrade in between our appointments. We met in the afternoon with the Assistant Minister for European Integration about the steps Serbia needs to take in order to integrate and become an EU member state. We then got a fun tour of Belgrade from a local.
The next day we departed for Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. We got another lecture on the war in Bosnia and the sad things that happened there. We went to the memorial in Srebrenica where we saw the scale of just how big the massacre was. It was disturbing to see, yet necessary. Driving through the countryside, you can see houses that are completely burned out next to perfectly normal ones - houses of Bosniacs vs houses of Serbs. We stayed the night in Srebrenica in a really cool little hotel where we took up all of the rooms. We hung out as a group and listened to Zack play guitar while we played cards, etc. The hotel staff loved us. The next morning we left for Sarajevo.
We had really interesting meetings in Sarajevo. We got a tour of the city by a Bosnian soldier named Muki who showed us where the Serbs and Bosniacs fought for Sarajevo. We walked through part of a tunnel used to transport goods into the city when it was surrounded. After that, we had a meeting at the American embassy with the Deputy Chief of Mission - basically the second in command at the embassy. He is an American University graduate who, in his own words, “took the foreign service exam, graduated from AU, walked down the street and joined the State Department.” More or less what I hope to do one day, except perhaps replace State Department with FBI. He talked to us about the United States’ role in Bosnian affairs and preparing Bosnia to function with the rest of Europe. He was really interesting and told us we might see him at our Thanksgiving dinner the next day. That night, we had a small tour of Sarajevo, including following the story of the assassination of Franz Ferdinand.
The next day, we had three meetings. We met with the EU delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Office of the High Representative, and, thanks to our dialogues in Vienna, the OSCE. All had a similar message: the EU would be the best solution for Bosnia, but Bosnia is stuck with the current system and is failing to make much progress toward that solution. That night, we had Thanksgiving dinner at a local pub. They served turkey with local vegetables. And who should show up to eat with us but the Deputy Chief of Mission from the embassy! We had thanksgiving dinner with a high ranking diplomat! The group really came together then. We all went home happy and I relaxed and packed for the trip I’m on now. On the way to Zagreb now, where we will spend tonight and leave early tomorrow morning to go to Munich to finish off our trip together. I’m glad we got to band together before we had to go home. It’s unreal to think that three weeks from today I get on a plane and go back to the United States. I miss my family, but I don’t want to leave Europe!
Friday, November 25, 2011
Sachsenhausen.
On my last day in Berlin, I made the most important day trip I have ever made. I went to the work camp Sachsenhausen. Our guide was up front about the fact that the trip wasn’t meant to be enjoyable, that we would feel awful, and that it would be difficult. I thought I was ready - after all, I had been to the museum in DC and had been studying the Holocaust since I was twelve. I was wrong.
We took the train to Sachsenhausen, following the exact route prisoners took when they were incarcerated there. Our guide explained the story of who was in the camp, which was mostly a political dissidents/ Communists camp. He told us people in the surrounding community knew about the camp, but were told it was a few week program and prisoners would eventually return to their families. This was largely untrue. If the prisoners in the camp weren’t shot by guards, tortured, or put through the small extermination center, station Zed, they were starved or malnourished. Diseases spread quickly through the camp.
I should pause here and make the distinction now: Sachsenhausen was NOT a death camp. It was a work camp. Prisoners there were in charge of doing a lot of manual labor for the Nazis and were only exterminated if it was “necessary” - they fell ill or were too weak to work anymore. Sachsenhausen was also in charge of one of the largest successful counterfeiting operations in history. The nazis used prisoners who were formerly criminally charged for counterfeiting or related crimes and asked them to counterfeit currency such as the British pound. The German government then used these bills to buy munitions and other things from England and even America. The guide recommended the movie The Counterfeiters for those interested in that operation.
The barracks were small, dark, and cold. There aren’t words to describe the emotions I felt. What it must have been like for those who lived there! 400 men to a bathroom, all having to get up and ready to stand for roll call within ten minutes. Cold, thin cotton uniforms. No hair. The guards would shave a prisoner’s hair and give him a uniform and a number upon arrival. Uniforms were never the right size. They did all of this to dehumanize the prisoners, making it easier for guards to treat them as less than human due to their appearance.
There was a camp prison. The place existed for the sole purpose of having somewhere worse than the mainstream camp. People were tortured in the building, and their screams could be heard throughout the camp. The whole place was so exposed. There was nowhere to hide, nowhere to be alone.
Station Zed was terrifying. Only the foundation remained, but I could still feel what it must have been like. This is what happened. Prisoners who were to be put to death were simply told they had to see a doctor for a checkup, which was a regular thing and no cause for alarm. A doctor would perform a series of tests, but all they were really checking for was gold teeth. If one had gold teeth, he was marked with a large X on his chest, so the nazis knew to pick his teeth out before cremation. After the exams, the prisoners were divided into different groups. One group was sent to the “showers” or the gas chamber. The chamber at Sachsenhausen was small, as again they were only a work camp. Once dead, they were placed in crematoriums. The other group were sent for “additional tests” in a small room. A doctor would measure their height, while on the other side of the wall a soldier with a gun shot each prisoner in the back of the neck. Gold teeth were removed and they were sent to the gas chambers.
I left the camp in a mixture of dull emotions under an overwhelming sense of numbness. It was almost as if I couldn’t feel because I had died to the world as these men had done. The emotions flowing under the numbness varied, from anger to sadness to grief to gratefulness at being alive. As an American Catholic woman with European ancestry I haven’t ever been discriminated against or felt threatened in the way I can imagine these people have been. If you travel to Europe, please, go to a concentration camp. You can read my account, you can go to the museum, but it will never hit home unless you walk in their footsteps and see what they saw. Going to the camp itself is free, tours are not expensive, and it’s an experience that will change your life and make you think differently about your neighbors all across the world.
We took the train to Sachsenhausen, following the exact route prisoners took when they were incarcerated there. Our guide explained the story of who was in the camp, which was mostly a political dissidents/ Communists camp. He told us people in the surrounding community knew about the camp, but were told it was a few week program and prisoners would eventually return to their families. This was largely untrue. If the prisoners in the camp weren’t shot by guards, tortured, or put through the small extermination center, station Zed, they were starved or malnourished. Diseases spread quickly through the camp.
I should pause here and make the distinction now: Sachsenhausen was NOT a death camp. It was a work camp. Prisoners there were in charge of doing a lot of manual labor for the Nazis and were only exterminated if it was “necessary” - they fell ill or were too weak to work anymore. Sachsenhausen was also in charge of one of the largest successful counterfeiting operations in history. The nazis used prisoners who were formerly criminally charged for counterfeiting or related crimes and asked them to counterfeit currency such as the British pound. The German government then used these bills to buy munitions and other things from England and even America. The guide recommended the movie The Counterfeiters for those interested in that operation.
The barracks were small, dark, and cold. There aren’t words to describe the emotions I felt. What it must have been like for those who lived there! 400 men to a bathroom, all having to get up and ready to stand for roll call within ten minutes. Cold, thin cotton uniforms. No hair. The guards would shave a prisoner’s hair and give him a uniform and a number upon arrival. Uniforms were never the right size. They did all of this to dehumanize the prisoners, making it easier for guards to treat them as less than human due to their appearance.
There was a camp prison. The place existed for the sole purpose of having somewhere worse than the mainstream camp. People were tortured in the building, and their screams could be heard throughout the camp. The whole place was so exposed. There was nowhere to hide, nowhere to be alone.
Station Zed was terrifying. Only the foundation remained, but I could still feel what it must have been like. This is what happened. Prisoners who were to be put to death were simply told they had to see a doctor for a checkup, which was a regular thing and no cause for alarm. A doctor would perform a series of tests, but all they were really checking for was gold teeth. If one had gold teeth, he was marked with a large X on his chest, so the nazis knew to pick his teeth out before cremation. After the exams, the prisoners were divided into different groups. One group was sent to the “showers” or the gas chamber. The chamber at Sachsenhausen was small, as again they were only a work camp. Once dead, they were placed in crematoriums. The other group were sent for “additional tests” in a small room. A doctor would measure their height, while on the other side of the wall a soldier with a gun shot each prisoner in the back of the neck. Gold teeth were removed and they were sent to the gas chambers.
I left the camp in a mixture of dull emotions under an overwhelming sense of numbness. It was almost as if I couldn’t feel because I had died to the world as these men had done. The emotions flowing under the numbness varied, from anger to sadness to grief to gratefulness at being alive. As an American Catholic woman with European ancestry I haven’t ever been discriminated against or felt threatened in the way I can imagine these people have been. If you travel to Europe, please, go to a concentration camp. You can read my account, you can go to the museum, but it will never hit home unless you walk in their footsteps and see what they saw. Going to the camp itself is free, tours are not expensive, and it’s an experience that will change your life and make you think differently about your neighbors all across the world.
A City Once Divided Now Standing Strong... Berlin!
Fall break is finally here! I chose to go to Berlin, the capital of Germany. I expected a fun, historically interesting week. I got that and so much more.
I arrived Sunday night after a peaceful weekend of catching up in Brussels. The airport was Berlin Schoenefeld. If you are unfamiliar with the airports in Berlin, as I was, you wouldn’t know, as I didn’t, that this airport is about a half an hour drive out of the city. Buses and trains go there, but I wasn’t sure if they would be running at 23.00 when I got in. The cab took me to my hostel and helped me get my little bag to the door.
The hostel Die Etage East was cheap, and that’s why I picked it. The staff was nice and the facilities were clean and everything, but when the front desk has to draw an arrow off the side of the huge Berlin map you know you’re in the middle of nowhere. The people in the hostel I met the first night were cordial but not terribly memorable.
The next morning I decided to walk to the center of town. Here’s a tip for iPhone users: if you plug in your desired route on Maps before you leave a wi-fi zone, you can use the GPS to follow the lines on the map even if you’re outside internet. This proved quite useful for the hour and a half, 6,9 km walk. I went to the Jewish memorial and the Brandenburg Gate, and walked back. The Jewish memorial was interesting. It is a series of different gray blocks of varying heights. The artist wanted to leave interpretation up to the viewer. I got the most out of sitting in the middle of the monument where the blocks were twice my height and I could feel trapped. I liked the memorial overall, but didn’t like the fact that people are allowed to sit and eat on the blocks. It just didn’t seem right to stand/ sit on a memorial to those who were murdered for the crime of being Jewish.
The United States embassy was right next to the Brandenburg Gate. There were people outside, protesting America and our treatment of civilians in the Middle East. It’s interesting to notice that no matter how far you get from America, you can’t escape our biggest political issues. On the way home, I found the Komische Oper, the opera house I would be attending on Thursday night.
On the walk home, there were all sorts of cute little kids dressed up for Halloween. It made me a little homesick to be honest, for both Michigan and Washington. In Michigan, Halloween is our family’s favorite holiday. In Washington, we as students get to trick or treat at the embassies, which is one of our greatest cultural experiences of the year. Watching the kids go around as little witches and vampires made the long walk home a lot easier. I got home, took care of some stuff with reception (I had to check out and check back in the next day, and the reception was going to hold my bag so I didn’t have to carry it), and heard someone in reception playing guitar. I was glad to hear music - there’s someone on my program who brings his guitar to class trips, but we don’t always have time to sit down and listen. So, sit down and listen was just what I did. I can’t really describe what music does to me, but I was relaxed and peaceful at the end of that tough day. The guitar player stopped playing soon after I sat down and introduced himself in a heavy English accent as Alex. Before long, we were talking like we’d known each other for ages. Over a couple of beers from the store (which were only 50 cents! Thank you Germany!!!) we talked about our lives, what we were doing in Berlin, and anything you can imagine. We watched our favorite YouTube videos and shared our opinions on each others’ countries. He even mimicked what he thought an American accent sounded like - one of the funniest things I’ve heard in a long time. It was some combination of New York, Boston, and a southern drawl. All of a sudden, we looked at the clock, shocked to discover it was 6 in the morning! We just went to our rooms, got dressed, and ate breakfast while he showed me where I was going for my tour, hoping to see each other later.
The tour was fantastic. I thought I was going to be late, but arrived right on time - two minutes early at that! It wasn’t free like the other Berlin tour I heard about later, but I recommend Insider Tours for whatever you want in Berlin. They do a series of tours, including one of Sachsenhausen concentration camp and one of the Potsdam area. For more information, check their website. Our guide was delighted to discover my history major, and asked me to correct her if she got anything wrong. She was fascinating and easy to talk to. It felt like a personal tour, versus being with a group. Later, I took the tram back to the hostel and prepared my bags to leave. As nice as the hostel was, I didn’t want to have to buy U-Bahn/ S-Bahn tickets every day I was in Berlin to get anywhere in town. Alex offered to take me with him to the hostel he was moving to, downtown. So there we went.
Here’s another recommendation for you: the St. Christopher’s hostel group. They have locations all over the UK, in Prague, Bruges, and Berlin. If you stay once, you get a “beds and bars” card which gives you a 10% discount at the bar in the hostel and on additional stays. I ended up paying significantly less for the hostel than I would otherwise have done thanks to that card, which I still have. The hostel is safe, clean, fun, and really accommodating. Dinner was really cheap at a place close to the hostel - now that we were in Alexanderplatz, the center of the city. That night was quiet, listening to Alex play, eating dinner, and catching up on sleep we both missed the night before.
For the rest of the week, I saw most of the important things to see in Berlin. I saw the German history museum, which traced the history of Germany from the time of the Celts to the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was fascinating to see how Germany has evolved! I spent more time around the Brandenburg Gate as there was a lot to see there. I walked around and noticed how different the two sides of the city really were. After the fall of the Wall, a lot of German money was spent restoring East Berlin. As a result, the former Communist section has better roads, buildings, and is less polluted than West Berlin. I also did a tour of Sachsenhausen that I want to talk about in a separate, detailed post. Stay tuned for that! At night, I’d listen to Alex’s guitar, we’d have dinner, and I would sit at the bar. Thursday night I saw Dialogues of the Carmelites at the opera. It was interesting, and at intermission the people sitting next to me asked me about my studies. I can tell I’m becoming more serious of a student every day, because that was one of my most exciting conversations of the week. I went back that night and sat at the bar, where I had a few drinks and talked to an older English man about living in hostels, music, and Shakespeare. Aunt Janice, if you’re reading this, I was even able to recite a few lines!!
Leaving was hard, but I found it necessary to go out with a bang! As I had to leave the hostel at about 4 in the morning, I decided there was no point in going to bed. Instead, Alex and I made a few friends and the four of us planned to stay out all night, at least until I had to leave. Here I want to give a shout out to Unity and Dan, from Canada and Australia respectively. You guys are awesome, and I was happy to have you and Alex along! We started in the hostel bar, where there was a live musician playing guitar. He offered to let everyone who knew guitar play. Several people went up, played a couple songs ranging from Wonderwall by Oasis to Britney Spears. Alex, with minor persuasion by the rest of us who knew how awesome he sounded on guitar, went up after most of the other people had gone. I didn’t think the crowd was ever going to let him off the stage! After the live music was over, the musician came over to us (as the bar was pouring us all shots of Jäger and Alex a huge beer - all on the house!) and pulled up a chair, talking to Alex about how impressed he was with his talent. I was talking to Unity, so I was only able to eavesdrop a little bit (but I did, sorry Alex!), but the performer offered Alex a shot at recording! As far as I know, they recorded this week (since I’m a bit behind on these posts, it’s November 25th. And Alex, if you’re reading this, leave a comment and let me/ my readers know how it went?). After that was said and done, we left in search of another bar.
To our delight, we found this really cool bar that was playing what I can only describe as “all the angsty music from the 90s we grew up with.” The place was packed, and everyone was on the dance floor. We were able to lose all track of time dancing the night away, screaming the lyrics to the songs at the top of our lungs. When we went back to the hostel, it was nearly impossible to say goodbye. But, armed with the memories of that week and the determination to keep in touch with my friends, I was able to walk out the door and leave that world behind.
I arrived Sunday night after a peaceful weekend of catching up in Brussels. The airport was Berlin Schoenefeld. If you are unfamiliar with the airports in Berlin, as I was, you wouldn’t know, as I didn’t, that this airport is about a half an hour drive out of the city. Buses and trains go there, but I wasn’t sure if they would be running at 23.00 when I got in. The cab took me to my hostel and helped me get my little bag to the door.
The hostel Die Etage East was cheap, and that’s why I picked it. The staff was nice and the facilities were clean and everything, but when the front desk has to draw an arrow off the side of the huge Berlin map you know you’re in the middle of nowhere. The people in the hostel I met the first night were cordial but not terribly memorable.
The next morning I decided to walk to the center of town. Here’s a tip for iPhone users: if you plug in your desired route on Maps before you leave a wi-fi zone, you can use the GPS to follow the lines on the map even if you’re outside internet. This proved quite useful for the hour and a half, 6,9 km walk. I went to the Jewish memorial and the Brandenburg Gate, and walked back. The Jewish memorial was interesting. It is a series of different gray blocks of varying heights. The artist wanted to leave interpretation up to the viewer. I got the most out of sitting in the middle of the monument where the blocks were twice my height and I could feel trapped. I liked the memorial overall, but didn’t like the fact that people are allowed to sit and eat on the blocks. It just didn’t seem right to stand/ sit on a memorial to those who were murdered for the crime of being Jewish.
The United States embassy was right next to the Brandenburg Gate. There were people outside, protesting America and our treatment of civilians in the Middle East. It’s interesting to notice that no matter how far you get from America, you can’t escape our biggest political issues. On the way home, I found the Komische Oper, the opera house I would be attending on Thursday night.
On the walk home, there were all sorts of cute little kids dressed up for Halloween. It made me a little homesick to be honest, for both Michigan and Washington. In Michigan, Halloween is our family’s favorite holiday. In Washington, we as students get to trick or treat at the embassies, which is one of our greatest cultural experiences of the year. Watching the kids go around as little witches and vampires made the long walk home a lot easier. I got home, took care of some stuff with reception (I had to check out and check back in the next day, and the reception was going to hold my bag so I didn’t have to carry it), and heard someone in reception playing guitar. I was glad to hear music - there’s someone on my program who brings his guitar to class trips, but we don’t always have time to sit down and listen. So, sit down and listen was just what I did. I can’t really describe what music does to me, but I was relaxed and peaceful at the end of that tough day. The guitar player stopped playing soon after I sat down and introduced himself in a heavy English accent as Alex. Before long, we were talking like we’d known each other for ages. Over a couple of beers from the store (which were only 50 cents! Thank you Germany!!!) we talked about our lives, what we were doing in Berlin, and anything you can imagine. We watched our favorite YouTube videos and shared our opinions on each others’ countries. He even mimicked what he thought an American accent sounded like - one of the funniest things I’ve heard in a long time. It was some combination of New York, Boston, and a southern drawl. All of a sudden, we looked at the clock, shocked to discover it was 6 in the morning! We just went to our rooms, got dressed, and ate breakfast while he showed me where I was going for my tour, hoping to see each other later.
The tour was fantastic. I thought I was going to be late, but arrived right on time - two minutes early at that! It wasn’t free like the other Berlin tour I heard about later, but I recommend Insider Tours for whatever you want in Berlin. They do a series of tours, including one of Sachsenhausen concentration camp and one of the Potsdam area. For more information, check their website. Our guide was delighted to discover my history major, and asked me to correct her if she got anything wrong. She was fascinating and easy to talk to. It felt like a personal tour, versus being with a group. Later, I took the tram back to the hostel and prepared my bags to leave. As nice as the hostel was, I didn’t want to have to buy U-Bahn/ S-Bahn tickets every day I was in Berlin to get anywhere in town. Alex offered to take me with him to the hostel he was moving to, downtown. So there we went.
Here’s another recommendation for you: the St. Christopher’s hostel group. They have locations all over the UK, in Prague, Bruges, and Berlin. If you stay once, you get a “beds and bars” card which gives you a 10% discount at the bar in the hostel and on additional stays. I ended up paying significantly less for the hostel than I would otherwise have done thanks to that card, which I still have. The hostel is safe, clean, fun, and really accommodating. Dinner was really cheap at a place close to the hostel - now that we were in Alexanderplatz, the center of the city. That night was quiet, listening to Alex play, eating dinner, and catching up on sleep we both missed the night before.
For the rest of the week, I saw most of the important things to see in Berlin. I saw the German history museum, which traced the history of Germany from the time of the Celts to the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was fascinating to see how Germany has evolved! I spent more time around the Brandenburg Gate as there was a lot to see there. I walked around and noticed how different the two sides of the city really were. After the fall of the Wall, a lot of German money was spent restoring East Berlin. As a result, the former Communist section has better roads, buildings, and is less polluted than West Berlin. I also did a tour of Sachsenhausen that I want to talk about in a separate, detailed post. Stay tuned for that! At night, I’d listen to Alex’s guitar, we’d have dinner, and I would sit at the bar. Thursday night I saw Dialogues of the Carmelites at the opera. It was interesting, and at intermission the people sitting next to me asked me about my studies. I can tell I’m becoming more serious of a student every day, because that was one of my most exciting conversations of the week. I went back that night and sat at the bar, where I had a few drinks and talked to an older English man about living in hostels, music, and Shakespeare. Aunt Janice, if you’re reading this, I was even able to recite a few lines!!
Leaving was hard, but I found it necessary to go out with a bang! As I had to leave the hostel at about 4 in the morning, I decided there was no point in going to bed. Instead, Alex and I made a few friends and the four of us planned to stay out all night, at least until I had to leave. Here I want to give a shout out to Unity and Dan, from Canada and Australia respectively. You guys are awesome, and I was happy to have you and Alex along! We started in the hostel bar, where there was a live musician playing guitar. He offered to let everyone who knew guitar play. Several people went up, played a couple songs ranging from Wonderwall by Oasis to Britney Spears. Alex, with minor persuasion by the rest of us who knew how awesome he sounded on guitar, went up after most of the other people had gone. I didn’t think the crowd was ever going to let him off the stage! After the live music was over, the musician came over to us (as the bar was pouring us all shots of Jäger and Alex a huge beer - all on the house!) and pulled up a chair, talking to Alex about how impressed he was with his talent. I was talking to Unity, so I was only able to eavesdrop a little bit (but I did, sorry Alex!), but the performer offered Alex a shot at recording! As far as I know, they recorded this week (since I’m a bit behind on these posts, it’s November 25th. And Alex, if you’re reading this, leave a comment and let me/ my readers know how it went?). After that was said and done, we left in search of another bar.
To our delight, we found this really cool bar that was playing what I can only describe as “all the angsty music from the 90s we grew up with.” The place was packed, and everyone was on the dance floor. We were able to lose all track of time dancing the night away, screaming the lyrics to the songs at the top of our lungs. When we went back to the hostel, it was nearly impossible to say goodbye. But, armed with the memories of that week and the determination to keep in touch with my friends, I was able to walk out the door and leave that world behind.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Hold Up A Sec... Which Language Do I Say Thank You In Today?
So much traveling! We went by bus, as a class, to Luxembourg (Luxembourg), Strasbourg (France... for now), and Trier (Germany) this week (18 October through 23 October). Again, we were able to see several important institutions, and the week ended with a special personal moment for me!
We left on the bus on Tuesday night for Luxembourg. In case you didn't know, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a small country southeast of Belgium. It is one of the most wealthy countries in the European Union, and is home to the Court of Justice of the European Union. We were able to visit the court and view a case regarding copyright issues in playing music on European radio stations. Later, we got a tour of the beautiful town of Luxembourg. A fun fact: children in Luxembourg learn four languages throughout their schooling: French, German, English, and a local language: Luxembourgish. We also saw an incredible American military cemetery in Luxembourg.
We traveled from Luxembourg to Strasbourg on Thursday. Strasbourg is in the Alsace region in France. For those of you who may not know the history, the Alsace has been controlled by both France and Germany many times over. The resulting culture is fascinating. Strasbourg is the place where the European Parliament must move once a month to hold plenary sessions, a move that sparks a lot of controversy within the European Union. It also hosts the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights, two institutions we were able to tour.
After one night in Strasbourg, after our tours at the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights, it was back on the bus headed for Trier! Trier, Germany is a city with a long and fascinating history. Its claim to fame is the Roman-era Porta Negra, one of the ancient Roman city fortifications. It was by far my favorite city, as there was a different era of history at every turn. The cathedral was spectacular - it incorporated the four major movements of architecture into one building! We spent two nights there and then headed for home.
On the way home, we made a few stops. The first was a stop solely for me. I had asked my aunt Janice if she could tell me any of our family history and where I might find our family history. She discovered the following: Jacob Nafziger, son of Joseph Nafziger and Magdalena Weisz, was born January 18, 1844, in Echternach, Germany. He came to America with his family when he was 2 years old. He married Mary Rychener in 1867, and they had nine children; the youngest was Charley, who is my dad's grandfather. I relayed the story to Jerry, my professor, with the added discovery that Echternach is actually in Luxembourg, not Germany. As it turns out, Echternach was directly on our way home! They allowed me to stop in front of the sign and get my picture taken in the town, literally on the border with Germany, that my great-great-great grandfather was born and raised. It was surreal to see. After Echternach, we stopped at a museum dedicated to the Battle of the Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge) and toured. We saw important battle sites and an enormous monument constructed to the American soldiers who fought, built and donated by Belgian citizens near Bastogne. Finally, we walked through a German military cemetery from World War II. The differences between it and the American cemetery were striking - the Germans were buried six to a headstone, and it looked like an ordinary graveyard. There were hundreds, possibly thousands of unknowns. It was tragically fascinating to see.
We left on the bus on Tuesday night for Luxembourg. In case you didn't know, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a small country southeast of Belgium. It is one of the most wealthy countries in the European Union, and is home to the Court of Justice of the European Union. We were able to visit the court and view a case regarding copyright issues in playing music on European radio stations. Later, we got a tour of the beautiful town of Luxembourg. A fun fact: children in Luxembourg learn four languages throughout their schooling: French, German, English, and a local language: Luxembourgish. We also saw an incredible American military cemetery in Luxembourg.
We traveled from Luxembourg to Strasbourg on Thursday. Strasbourg is in the Alsace region in France. For those of you who may not know the history, the Alsace has been controlled by both France and Germany many times over. The resulting culture is fascinating. Strasbourg is the place where the European Parliament must move once a month to hold plenary sessions, a move that sparks a lot of controversy within the European Union. It also hosts the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights, two institutions we were able to tour.
After one night in Strasbourg, after our tours at the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights, it was back on the bus headed for Trier! Trier, Germany is a city with a long and fascinating history. Its claim to fame is the Roman-era Porta Negra, one of the ancient Roman city fortifications. It was by far my favorite city, as there was a different era of history at every turn. The cathedral was spectacular - it incorporated the four major movements of architecture into one building! We spent two nights there and then headed for home.
On the way home, we made a few stops. The first was a stop solely for me. I had asked my aunt Janice if she could tell me any of our family history and where I might find our family history. She discovered the following: Jacob Nafziger, son of Joseph Nafziger and Magdalena Weisz, was born January 18, 1844, in Echternach, Germany. He came to America with his family when he was 2 years old. He married Mary Rychener in 1867, and they had nine children; the youngest was Charley, who is my dad's grandfather. I relayed the story to Jerry, my professor, with the added discovery that Echternach is actually in Luxembourg, not Germany. As it turns out, Echternach was directly on our way home! They allowed me to stop in front of the sign and get my picture taken in the town, literally on the border with Germany, that my great-great-great grandfather was born and raised. It was surreal to see. After Echternach, we stopped at a museum dedicated to the Battle of the Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge) and toured. We saw important battle sites and an enormous monument constructed to the American soldiers who fought, built and donated by Belgian citizens near Bastogne. Finally, we walked through a German military cemetery from World War II. The differences between it and the American cemetery were striking - the Germans were buried six to a headstone, and it looked like an ordinary graveyard. There were hundreds, possibly thousands of unknowns. It was tragically fascinating to see.
Den Haag and Amsterdam, a.k.a. my future home
Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't written in awhile, but as you'll see over these couple of posts it's just been one thing after another!
This is the first of three new posts I am going to write this weekend. These events took place 12 October through 16 October.
Wow, was it COLD this week! Note to self: ALWAYS bring a coat with you when you go to the Netherlands. Even if weather.com says it's going to be in the 50s and 60s and sunny. However, despite being cold, The Hague (Den Haag) was beautiful! It's a historic old town in the Netherlands and for a peace and justice nerd like me, it's where everything is happening. We toured EuroJust, the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). We met with several important members of these organizations and were privileged to watch part of a court case at the ICC! I made the decision that I wanted to work for EuroJust when I am out of school, which is an organization that helps European Union member states cooperate regarding organized crime cases - like the human trafficking cases I hope to tackle one day.
After Den Haag, we had a long weekend where most of us went to Amsterdam. Unfortunately, I was quite sick and had no voice for the whole weekend. We did, however, get to see a lot of Amsterdam. We did go through the Red Light District, which was remarkably open and easy to stumble upon. My friends considered me strange for wondering about the lives of the women in the windows. Where did they come from? Did they want to be here? Did they get to keep their money, or does it all go to someone else? Do they have families? Children? Do their parents know what they have to do? What are their dreams? My friends just shook their heads and reminded me that it doesn't matter in their profession. If you agree with me, however, then I have three book recommendations for you. Chicken: A Self-Portrait of a Young Man For Rent is a book written by David Henry Sterry about his terrifying experience in the sex trade in southern California. Hos, Hookers, Call Girls, and Rent Boys is an anthology of stories of professionals writing on life, love, money and sex. It was put together by David Henry Sterry as well. Finally, Working Sex is another anthology by Annie Oakley. They are great books and are all true. One work of fiction that is also quite relevant is called On Black Sisters' Street.
Also in Amsterdam, we saw the Amsterdam History Museum. Amsterdam's history of economic wealth and tolerance was astounding! The museum was in a building that had been used as an orphanage until the museum opened in 1975. It was impressively modern and interesting. My hostel in Amsterdam was the Flying Pig Beach Hostel, located about an hour outside Amsterdam right on a beach. It was great fun and a nice facility. Overall, the trip to the Netherlands was a fascinating experience.
This is the first of three new posts I am going to write this weekend. These events took place 12 October through 16 October.
Wow, was it COLD this week! Note to self: ALWAYS bring a coat with you when you go to the Netherlands. Even if weather.com says it's going to be in the 50s and 60s and sunny. However, despite being cold, The Hague (Den Haag) was beautiful! It's a historic old town in the Netherlands and for a peace and justice nerd like me, it's where everything is happening. We toured EuroJust, the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). We met with several important members of these organizations and were privileged to watch part of a court case at the ICC! I made the decision that I wanted to work for EuroJust when I am out of school, which is an organization that helps European Union member states cooperate regarding organized crime cases - like the human trafficking cases I hope to tackle one day.
After Den Haag, we had a long weekend where most of us went to Amsterdam. Unfortunately, I was quite sick and had no voice for the whole weekend. We did, however, get to see a lot of Amsterdam. We did go through the Red Light District, which was remarkably open and easy to stumble upon. My friends considered me strange for wondering about the lives of the women in the windows. Where did they come from? Did they want to be here? Did they get to keep their money, or does it all go to someone else? Do they have families? Children? Do their parents know what they have to do? What are their dreams? My friends just shook their heads and reminded me that it doesn't matter in their profession. If you agree with me, however, then I have three book recommendations for you. Chicken: A Self-Portrait of a Young Man For Rent is a book written by David Henry Sterry about his terrifying experience in the sex trade in southern California. Hos, Hookers, Call Girls, and Rent Boys is an anthology of stories of professionals writing on life, love, money and sex. It was put together by David Henry Sterry as well. Finally, Working Sex is another anthology by Annie Oakley. They are great books and are all true. One work of fiction that is also quite relevant is called On Black Sisters' Street.
Also in Amsterdam, we saw the Amsterdam History Museum. Amsterdam's history of economic wealth and tolerance was astounding! The museum was in a building that had been used as an orphanage until the museum opened in 1975. It was impressively modern and interesting. My hostel in Amsterdam was the Flying Pig Beach Hostel, located about an hour outside Amsterdam right on a beach. It was great fun and a nice facility. Overall, the trip to the Netherlands was a fascinating experience.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Mindy's ABCs of Weekend Travel
Hey everyone! This post is purely informational and is based on my experiences in Cologne. When you study in Europe, you're going to be doing a lot of weekend travel. While I was waiting for my train in Cologne to come home, I made this list of things you should remember to bring, see, do, or leave behind. Any questions, please feel free to email me. But here's my list, from A-Z!
A - apps. Got an iPhone? These are the apps I recommend (sorry for Android and Blackberry users, I'm not familiar enough with your apps) :
A - apps. Got an iPhone? These are the apps I recommend (sorry for Android and Blackberry users, I'm not familiar enough with your apps) :
- Hostelworld (download before you go and book on the phone to go paperless)
- Translate (there are many translator apps, most of them are good)
- TripAdvisor (for reviews of different things to see and do)
- Lonely Planet (if you want to buy guidebooks and phrasebooks)
- SmartTraveler (from the State Department)
- Blog Booster free (allows blogging on the go. It's what I used to write my Köln update)
These will all be useful for your travel and to keep everything in one place.
B - bag, bathing suit. Your bag should be as small as possible. Remember you'll be carrying it places, and you're gone for just a weekend. Pack as little as possible. I brought this huge stuffed backpack and didn't use half the stuff in there. It's all about knowing yourself and being okay with reusing clothes that don't get dirty. Bathing suit is on the list because in stead of pajamas, consider sleeping in your bathing suit! Depending on your location, you may want to have one anyway, and it also can serve as an extra pair of underwear should you need one. ALWAYS bring it. Ladies, if the idea of sleeping in your bikini freaks you out, bring the cover up too.
C - chargers, camera, convertor, computer. let's start with camera. You're going somewhere new. Don't forget a camera and everything you'll need for it. Like an extra memory card. Your charger for your camera and your trusty iPhone/ iPod/ other smartphone are a must. A convertor is also a good idea for obvious reasons, and if you're traveling from mainland Europe to the UK, remember that the plugs are different there too. I recommend buying an all-in-one convertor, since they last and you just never know where you're going to end up! As far as your computer goes, if you have your smartphone/ iPod/ iPhone with you, you really don't need one. Most hostels have their own computer connected to the internet that you can use, and frankly, you can live without it for a weekend with enough planning beforehand.
D - directions and documents. Remember the planning I was talking about just a sentence ago? Yeah, this is most of it. Google the directions between your arrival location and your hostel, your hostel and your other activities, etc. If you have to change hostels, Google that too. Print or write down or take pictures of all of your directions, maps, etc. This will make your life a lot easier and prevent people from getting mad at you for hogging the computer in your hostel. Documents such as your train/ plane ticket, hostel booking reference, etc should be with you when you check in and check out, and you should keep the address of your hostel on you at all times, just in case you get lost.
E - essentials. Remember your shampoo, deodorant, etc. If you don't have to spend your first few hours in your new city looking for these items, you'll be much happier. Hostels are not hotels. They won't always have these things for you. You have been warned. ALSO, ladies - bring a tampon or two. You just never know, what with changing time zones, etc when your period will strike. you, also, have been warned.
F - food, flexibility, and friends. Food is an interesting topic, as every experience is different based on the hostel. Find out if your hostel serves any meals (mine served breakfast) and plan around that. As far as buying food, just watch your money. You'd be surprised how much money goes to food. Look for small stands, fresh markets, and even a grocery store. Most hostels will let you store your food, but make sure you put your name on it. Let's address friends next. If you want to travel alone, that's just fine! I did it and made a lot of friends in the process. If you want to travel with your friends, book the hostel together, and plan a lot of your stuff before you leave: what you want to see, what you want to eat, etc. Finally, whether you travel alone or with others, be flexible. If something cool is happening that weekend you didn't know about, wouldn't it be sad if you had to miss it because your schedule is so tight? Allow yourself the time to see other stuff not on the schedule and just relax!
G - great memories will be made whether you have a plan or not. You wanna do something, go do it! Just remember to take pictures and write the memories down.
H - hostelworld is magic. end of story. For a limited time, when you book there, you get some free Skype credit! Good to have in case of emergencies.
I - informed. Be informed about flight carry on limits, hostel rules, etc. before you go. Remember, BE PREPARED!
J - journal and jewelry. Let me address the ladies first: if you don't change jewelry much at home, don't bring it with you! There's no reason to bring all that much. Wear one set, and let that match everything. Now, for everyone: bring some sort of journal with you wherever you go. You may be without internet access, and you'll want to write everything down so you remember what to blog about!
K - keep. Keep you passport, hostel address, money, phone, hostel key, and camera on you at all times. Don't let this stuff out of your sight. Lock it away in the hostel lockers at night. If you lose any or all of these things while you're in another country, it's not fun to try and replace them.
L - lazy days, location, local stuff. Be prepared to be lazy. I spent a whole day on the bank of the Rhine tanning and writing postcards. You just never know. Local stuff also. If there's something going on, go! Also, try to do things like a local. I ate some German food while in Germany (and really could use another one of the amazing sausages they gave me. With mayo, ketchup, and fried onions on top. Delicious). Hostelworld gives little guides to cities when you book with them. Read up on the local culture, etc. before you go. Finally, location. If you want a beach, go to Spain or Italy. Don't go to London. Common sense in your location goes a long way. Know what you want, and know how long you have. You can't see Italy in a weekend. Trust me.
M - money. Tough topic. BUDGET. Know what you're gonna spend, and spend only that. Budget an emergency cushion of money in case something happens, but stick to a budget. Again, do your research.
N - "nobody cares, you're on vacation". Really. you don't have to walk around all made up with you hair straightened in designer clothes. nobody cares. Going clubbing? that's a bit different. But for the most part, you can get away with no makeup, jewelry, etc.
O - opportunity. Don't forget, wherever you end up, you have an opportunity many people don't have. Learn from it and share your experience!
P - phone and personal info. Bring your phone with you. If you have international, it will be good to tell your parents you're alive, which they want to know. Trust me. If you don't, and you have a smartphone, it can still come in handy for various reasons I've explained. THE NEXT IDEA NEEDS TO BE WORKED OUT BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE STATES. Your personal contact info is much more useful on a card than it is scrawled out on a napkin, map, etc. Make little business cards or take one of the free offers for 150 from Pandora or whatever. Just your name as it appears on Facebook, your Skype, twitter, etc. should go on the card, as well as your phone number if you want. Hand out the cards to the cool new friends you meet.
Q - quick phrasebook. What's that? You're going to Germany but sie nicht Deutsch sprechen?! Uh-oh. Make yourself a quick phrasebook. Things you'll want to know: hello and goodbye, please, thank you, sir, ma'am. Hostelworld includes one in their guidebook, but look at it and see if there's anything missing.
R - reading. Travel, especially cheap travel, involves a lot of waiting. Bring things to read, because buying them is expensive and you can't always find something in English.
S - sheets, shoes, space bags. Make sure your hostel provides sheets or allows rental of sheets. If not, I suggest finding one of these which won't take up much space. As far as shoes are concerned, bring a pair of cheap flip flops and your tennis shoes. Remember, where style is concerned: nobody cares, you're on vacation. Space bags seem like a good idea, right? WRONG. I was able to make my bag smaller on my return trip when i took everything out of the space bag than when I had everything in one.
T - towels. Your hostel doesn't always provide these. Find a good small travel one, or go without.
U - underwear. Bring as few pair as possible. one trick I learned years ago was how to wash them in the shower so they can last longer. Only do this if you don't have enough, as you all are probably going "that's gross". How to do it: put the underwear to be washed on the floor of the shower. as you take your shower, step on it and let the soap flow off you onto the underwear. Once you're done, rinse it out and hang it up somewhere to dry. It'll be dry in the morning if you shower at night.
V - verification from bank. Some people I've talked to got to just tell their banks that they'll be in Europe until December. Not me. I have to let my bank know whenever I'll be in any foreign country. So, I have to call them a week ahead of time. If all you're doing is pulling money from an ATM, then you're fine. but if you want to pay your hostel/ hotel and whatnot with a card, your bank better know. Call them a week in advance.
W - Weather, water. Check the weather before you go. Pack accordingly, but always have a jacket, just in case. Water is expensive. Bring a bottle with you and fill up in sinks. This goes for being anywhere. Tap water is generally quite safe, but if you're worried, buy a water bottle with a filter in it.
X - eXtra time. Allow yourself a lot of time when traveling. Get to the gate early for flights, figure out where you need to be, THEN relax. If you do this, your travel is a lot less stressful.
Y - yourself! Don't forget to be yourself when you meet new people abroad. Being someone you're not is a tough charade to keep up. This goes for more than weekend travel, but should be put here regardless.
Z - zzzzzzzz...... make sure you're getting enough sleep. Know yourself and your limits, and accept that you won't see an entire city in two or three days. Alright, now go!
COLOGNE!!!
Last weekend, I took a trip by myself to Cologne (Köln) Germany! It was wonderful, like a dream. Here's why:
1. I booked a fabulous hostel using a great website, as I talked about in my previous post from Köln. The place was really chill, and I met some amazing people I'm still in contact with! If any of you are reading this, HI!!!!
2. the weather was INSANE. and by that, I mean there were NO CLOUDS in the sky. Not one. The temperature was about 75 degrees. Yes, I got a tan. Yes, I still have that tan. Despite the nasty weather I got returning home.
3. There was a stunning cathedral in the middle of the city. I got lucky, as there was a special pilgrimage going on where you could walk under the famous Shrine of the Three Kings. (picture below) I also went to Sunday mass at that church, and even though it was all in German, it was remarkable to see how easily I could understand what was going on.
4. Cologne was easy to navigate. Most of my friends know I'm horrible with directions, but with Cologne, all I needed was a general sense of where I was in relation to the Rhine River. My iPhone has a compass on it, so it was really easy to get there. "Okay, gotta go east and north and we'll hit the cathedral."
5. Cologne has a lot of pedestrian streets. These are exactly what they sound like: streets cars aren't allowed down, that are only for pedestrians. It was really cool to have a whole street full of just people walking. And the food from the little stands was excellent.
6. German culture. I'm roughly 75% German (though this does not mean I know any German at all.) It was nice to be in the country my family came from, and to see what life would be like for the theoretical me if my family were to stay in Germany.
7. Being alone. Don't get me wrong, I love our group. But after the previous weekend's adventures, being around the same 27 people for that much time was a little overwhelming. It was nice to be by myself and set my own agenda.
So, check Germany off of the countries I've visited, but hope to return to someday!
1. I booked a fabulous hostel using a great website, as I talked about in my previous post from Köln. The place was really chill, and I met some amazing people I'm still in contact with! If any of you are reading this, HI!!!!
2. the weather was INSANE. and by that, I mean there were NO CLOUDS in the sky. Not one. The temperature was about 75 degrees. Yes, I got a tan. Yes, I still have that tan. Despite the nasty weather I got returning home.
3. There was a stunning cathedral in the middle of the city. I got lucky, as there was a special pilgrimage going on where you could walk under the famous Shrine of the Three Kings. (picture below) I also went to Sunday mass at that church, and even though it was all in German, it was remarkable to see how easily I could understand what was going on.
4. Cologne was easy to navigate. Most of my friends know I'm horrible with directions, but with Cologne, all I needed was a general sense of where I was in relation to the Rhine River. My iPhone has a compass on it, so it was really easy to get there. "Okay, gotta go east and north and we'll hit the cathedral."
5. Cologne has a lot of pedestrian streets. These are exactly what they sound like: streets cars aren't allowed down, that are only for pedestrians. It was really cool to have a whole street full of just people walking. And the food from the little stands was excellent.
6. German culture. I'm roughly 75% German (though this does not mean I know any German at all.) It was nice to be in the country my family came from, and to see what life would be like for the theoretical me if my family were to stay in Germany.
7. Being alone. Don't get me wrong, I love our group. But after the previous weekend's adventures, being around the same 27 people for that much time was a little overwhelming. It was nice to be by myself and set my own agenda.
So, check Germany off of the countries I've visited, but hope to return to someday!
Weekend Across Flanders
Wow! Who knew you could see so much in one weekend!
Friday, after our first exam, we took the train up to Leuven. The old college town was important to see, as it is where KUL (the Flemish Catholic University of Leuven) set up after the university split in the 1960s due to the language debate. The place was really small, and attracted a different crowd than Brussels does. Also, in the cathedral in the center of town, lies Saint Damien, a priest from Flanders who moved to the small Hawaiian island of Molokai to spend his life with the leper population there. When someone contracted leprosy, they were sent to live on the island and forced to leave society behind. Fr. Damien restored a sense of dignity to these people after deciding to move to the island himself (never to be allowed to return home) until he died of the disease himself. His tomb was surrounded with flowers. It was strange to think that of all the humanitarian work I aspire to achieve in my life, I couldn't see myself doing something that brave.
Antwerp was Saturday's adventure. We walked through the closed diamond district, talking about how the trade has evolved and about one famous diamond heist that happened a few years ago. The culprit is still at large. If you're wearing anything with diamonds in it now, chances are the diamonds have passed through Antwerp at some point. If I remember the statistic correctly, 85% of the world's diamonds pass through Antwerp for cutting and/ or inspection!
Finally, we visited Ghent on Sunday. There was so much to see! We visited the castle of the Counts of Flanders, a historic castle built in the 14th century. Walking around inside was chilling. We also got to see the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. Such detail! Many of you know I'm no art expert or even an art enthusiast, but even I could appreciate the detail and imagery of the piece. If you've never seen pictures of it, I'll put one in the bottom of this post. We weren't allowed to take any ourselves, but a picture won't do it justice anyway. Later, we went on a boat tour of the city.
A final note: sorry these posts are out of order! I'm trying to keep up, but everything's happening so fast! This weekend I'm talking about was the 24th through the 26th of September.
amazing, isn't it?
Friday, after our first exam, we took the train up to Leuven. The old college town was important to see, as it is where KUL (the Flemish Catholic University of Leuven) set up after the university split in the 1960s due to the language debate. The place was really small, and attracted a different crowd than Brussels does. Also, in the cathedral in the center of town, lies Saint Damien, a priest from Flanders who moved to the small Hawaiian island of Molokai to spend his life with the leper population there. When someone contracted leprosy, they were sent to live on the island and forced to leave society behind. Fr. Damien restored a sense of dignity to these people after deciding to move to the island himself (never to be allowed to return home) until he died of the disease himself. His tomb was surrounded with flowers. It was strange to think that of all the humanitarian work I aspire to achieve in my life, I couldn't see myself doing something that brave.
Antwerp was Saturday's adventure. We walked through the closed diamond district, talking about how the trade has evolved and about one famous diamond heist that happened a few years ago. The culprit is still at large. If you're wearing anything with diamonds in it now, chances are the diamonds have passed through Antwerp at some point. If I remember the statistic correctly, 85% of the world's diamonds pass through Antwerp for cutting and/ or inspection!
Finally, we visited Ghent on Sunday. There was so much to see! We visited the castle of the Counts of Flanders, a historic castle built in the 14th century. Walking around inside was chilling. We also got to see the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. Such detail! Many of you know I'm no art expert or even an art enthusiast, but even I could appreciate the detail and imagery of the piece. If you've never seen pictures of it, I'll put one in the bottom of this post. We weren't allowed to take any ourselves, but a picture won't do it justice anyway. Later, we went on a boat tour of the city.
A final note: sorry these posts are out of order! I'm trying to keep up, but everything's happening so fast! This weekend I'm talking about was the 24th through the 26th of September.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
"That's life in a hostel, sweetheart." Köln overview
Since I'm still in Köln and don't have my computer, I'm just going to write this up quickly on my iPhone. Promise I'll catch up when I'm back in Brussels!!
I've heard of a lot of people being really afraid of staying in youth hostels. I'm here to tell you that, if you do the right research, there is nothing to be afraid of! Here's the scoop on hostel living, based on my experience at Köln's Black Sheep Hostel.
First of all, look at the hostel like freshman year of college: you have anywhere between 1 and 5 roommates you have never met. There are lockers in all the rooms where you can lock up the stuff you're afraid your roommates (or their guests) might steal. There is generally a mix of men and women in the rooms, but there was one women only room in the place.
The room for showers was also for both men and women, but the women's restroom also had showers. Don't know about the men's but I'm assuming the same is true.
The coolest thing about hostel living is meeting the coolest people around your own age from all over the world. This is best done in the common area, where the computer with Internet access, the fridge, and an assortment of couches are. It's where breakfast is served in the morning and where you hang out. I made friends with some really interesting people from all over Europe, Brazil, Canada, Russia, and even someone from America! You learn everyone has a story, and it's usually really interesting.
So, want to book a hostel for your next trip? Go to Hostelworld and look for hostels with above an 80% rating. They even have an app for iPhone and Android, and for a limited time every time you make a reservation you get redemption codes for free Skype credit! Good luck, and happy travels!
Have a question about hostels or anything else regarding study abroad? Contact me at idontdoquiet22@gmail.com. I'll always read your emails, and they might even get featured in my blog!
I've heard of a lot of people being really afraid of staying in youth hostels. I'm here to tell you that, if you do the right research, there is nothing to be afraid of! Here's the scoop on hostel living, based on my experience at Köln's Black Sheep Hostel.
First of all, look at the hostel like freshman year of college: you have anywhere between 1 and 5 roommates you have never met. There are lockers in all the rooms where you can lock up the stuff you're afraid your roommates (or their guests) might steal. There is generally a mix of men and women in the rooms, but there was one women only room in the place.
The room for showers was also for both men and women, but the women's restroom also had showers. Don't know about the men's but I'm assuming the same is true.
The coolest thing about hostel living is meeting the coolest people around your own age from all over the world. This is best done in the common area, where the computer with Internet access, the fridge, and an assortment of couches are. It's where breakfast is served in the morning and where you hang out. I made friends with some really interesting people from all over Europe, Brazil, Canada, Russia, and even someone from America! You learn everyone has a story, and it's usually really interesting.
So, want to book a hostel for your next trip? Go to Hostelworld and look for hostels with above an 80% rating. They even have an app for iPhone and Android, and for a limited time every time you make a reservation you get redemption codes for free Skype credit! Good luck, and happy travels!
Have a question about hostels or anything else regarding study abroad? Contact me at idontdoquiet22@gmail.com. I'll always read your emails, and they might even get featured in my blog!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
9/11, Pictures Up, and Jet Lag
Hello!
What a weekend! The 9/11 memorial put on by the Embassy was unlike anything I had ever experienced. For those of you who may not know, the U.S. Embassy in Belgium held "An Interfaith Celebration for Peace" in the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula on Sunday. This event was NOT open to the public. It was not, in fact, open to most American students studying here.
Well then Mindy, how did you get there? Is it that big of a deal?
My professor, Dr. Sheridan (Jerry) is on a first-name basis with the ambassador, who got us the tickets. As for it being a big deal, first of all of course it was! 9/11 memorials took place all over the world, and I was fortunate enough to see this exclusive one, in the presence of royalty no less! Prince Filip was there with his wife, as well as several other largely important people. The security staff was enormous, and they all had lists at the blocked off entrances. If you weren't on the list, you didn't get in. The whole experience was quite moving. I can't even describe it. For not being in America on the important day, this definitely made up for it!
Secondly, as I write, pictures are on their way up. I have a Flickr photo stream, but I am going to have to change soon to another site because Flickr can only hold 200 photos! A new site will be up soon, and I will edit THIS POST and put the link right where this paragraph is now. NOTE: the new site is up! It is still undergoing construction, and with the slow internet it will just have to wait. The rare good weather calls! Here is the new site! Leave comments there too, you'll notice there is an RSS feed to this blog on the front page!
Finally, I've had a couple questions about jet lag, overcoming it, was it hard, etc. So, let me give you my strategy that worked for both me and Jared as far as I know. The trick is to know the time at your destination when you take off. I took off from Atlanta at 5:35 PM local time. That was 11:35 here, and I knew I should have gotten to bed soon. After dinner was served, I did my best to fall asleep. As I'm certain many of you could have guessed, this was nearly impossible. That's okay, the second part of the plan was when I landed. I got anywhere between 2 and 4 hours of sleep on the plane. When I got to the hotel and eventually checked in, I did NOT take a nap. I only know of two people who didn't, and we both seemed totally fine the very next day! So, that's my tip for the jet lag problem. Deprive yourself of sleep so you can sleep when the normal people around you are.
As always, please feel free to comment or email me with your questions or comments at idontdoquiet22@gmail.com and have a beautiful day!
What a weekend! The 9/11 memorial put on by the Embassy was unlike anything I had ever experienced. For those of you who may not know, the U.S. Embassy in Belgium held "An Interfaith Celebration for Peace" in the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula on Sunday. This event was NOT open to the public. It was not, in fact, open to most American students studying here.
Well then Mindy, how did you get there? Is it that big of a deal?
My professor, Dr. Sheridan (Jerry) is on a first-name basis with the ambassador, who got us the tickets. As for it being a big deal, first of all of course it was! 9/11 memorials took place all over the world, and I was fortunate enough to see this exclusive one, in the presence of royalty no less! Prince Filip was there with his wife, as well as several other largely important people. The security staff was enormous, and they all had lists at the blocked off entrances. If you weren't on the list, you didn't get in. The whole experience was quite moving. I can't even describe it. For not being in America on the important day, this definitely made up for it!
Secondly, as I write, pictures are on their way up. I have a Flickr photo stream, but I am going to have to change soon to another site because Flickr can only hold 200 photos! A new site will be up soon, and I will edit THIS POST and put the link right where this paragraph is now. NOTE: the new site is up! It is still undergoing construction, and with the slow internet it will just have to wait. The rare good weather calls! Here is the new site! Leave comments there too, you'll notice there is an RSS feed to this blog on the front page!
Finally, I've had a couple questions about jet lag, overcoming it, was it hard, etc. So, let me give you my strategy that worked for both me and Jared as far as I know. The trick is to know the time at your destination when you take off. I took off from Atlanta at 5:35 PM local time. That was 11:35 here, and I knew I should have gotten to bed soon. After dinner was served, I did my best to fall asleep. As I'm certain many of you could have guessed, this was nearly impossible. That's okay, the second part of the plan was when I landed. I got anywhere between 2 and 4 hours of sleep on the plane. When I got to the hotel and eventually checked in, I did NOT take a nap. I only know of two people who didn't, and we both seemed totally fine the very next day! So, that's my tip for the jet lag problem. Deprive yourself of sleep so you can sleep when the normal people around you are.
As always, please feel free to comment or email me with your questions or comments at idontdoquiet22@gmail.com and have a beautiful day!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Bruges/ Brugge - The Mackinac Island of Belgium... Sort Of
Hey There!
Yesterday we spent the whole day in Bruges/ Brugge. After hearing how amazing the town was, I was quite excited to go. This is what I found:
Brugge is quite a touristy place.
Now, I don't say this in a bad way, but I was a little surprised. The place Brugge reminded me of the most was Mackinac Island back in Michigan. You know, the little island between the peninsulas with no cars, 12 fudge shops and no dentist? That one. Brugge was much, much older than that, though. History is a fascinating thing. Brugge was once the third most influential city in northern Europe! There was a lot of Catholic history too. For us, though, it was a day of eating lots of good food, a brewery tour complete with free beer, and taking some amazing pictures! Speaking of pictures, I'm going to start a Flikr album soon and will post a link here. For now, though, I'd love to hear your comments!
Yesterday we spent the whole day in Bruges/ Brugge. After hearing how amazing the town was, I was quite excited to go. This is what I found:
Brugge is quite a touristy place.
Now, I don't say this in a bad way, but I was a little surprised. The place Brugge reminded me of the most was Mackinac Island back in Michigan. You know, the little island between the peninsulas with no cars, 12 fudge shops and no dentist? That one. Brugge was much, much older than that, though. History is a fascinating thing. Brugge was once the third most influential city in northern Europe! There was a lot of Catholic history too. For us, though, it was a day of eating lots of good food, a brewery tour complete with free beer, and taking some amazing pictures! Speaking of pictures, I'm going to start a Flikr album soon and will post a link here. For now, though, I'd love to hear your comments!
This City
Interviews have been going well so far, and we are starting to get into the swing of things. Today, I have a message for the world of people potentially studying abroad. NEVER, EVER, EVER plug a power strip into a convertor. That was a disastrous experience I hope to never repeat in my life. Trust me, you won't need to plug things in that often anyway.
The second thing I want to write about here is how groovy this city is. I mean, all the trams, metro, trains, and buses come on time, there is music playing in the metro all the time, and sometimes the homeless people trying to heckle you are cool. We went to the USA/ Belgium soccer game the other night, and after a 45 minute excursion trying to find the metro afterward, I have decided to always have a detailed map of the area I'm going to. That was a bit insane. As far as cool homeless people on the metro, I was riding to an internship interview today and this man with a guitar came onto the metro and started playing "Sway". You know, this one:
I was going to ignore him, but I couldn't help it. I started singing along. The man DROPPED THE VOCALS HIMSELF and just played while I sang! The whole metro, who was going to ignore him, sat up and paid attention. It was the most satisfying thing I did that day. I hope that man earned his way that day, and I've been looking forward to the chance to do it again.
The second thing I want to write about here is how groovy this city is. I mean, all the trams, metro, trains, and buses come on time, there is music playing in the metro all the time, and sometimes the homeless people trying to heckle you are cool. We went to the USA/ Belgium soccer game the other night, and after a 45 minute excursion trying to find the metro afterward, I have decided to always have a detailed map of the area I'm going to. That was a bit insane. As far as cool homeless people on the metro, I was riding to an internship interview today and this man with a guitar came onto the metro and started playing "Sway". You know, this one:
I was going to ignore him, but I couldn't help it. I started singing along. The man DROPPED THE VOCALS HIMSELF and just played while I sang! The whole metro, who was going to ignore him, sat up and paid attention. It was the most satisfying thing I did that day. I hope that man earned his way that day, and I've been looking forward to the chance to do it again.
Internship Info!
We got our list of internship possibilities today! I, of course, knew one of them already, as Catherine had told me over the summer about it. I am one of only two people who got SIX interviews!
EIAS Org is the European Institute for Asian Studies. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I mean, I'm here to study Europe, but this could be interesting?
Wilfred Aspinall sounds AMAZING. This one would allow me to sit in on the European Parliament!!
Friends of the Earth, as my friend Jared says, sounds hippie-ish. I love it.
the European Environmental Bureau seems like the more strict version of FOE.
The Bertelsmann Foundation seems like a lot of economics. I don't know, their website wasn't terribly clear.
CEJI or the Jewish Contribution for an Inclusive Europe sounds like a wonderful place. It would be fantastic to work there!
These interviews span the next couple days. It will be interesting trying to find them all!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: as I am writing this, I do know which internship I got. I will be working with Wilfred Aspinall.
EIAS Org is the European Institute for Asian Studies. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I mean, I'm here to study Europe, but this could be interesting?
Wilfred Aspinall sounds AMAZING. This one would allow me to sit in on the European Parliament!!
Friends of the Earth, as my friend Jared says, sounds hippie-ish. I love it.
the European Environmental Bureau seems like the more strict version of FOE.
The Bertelsmann Foundation seems like a lot of economics. I don't know, their website wasn't terribly clear.
CEJI or the Jewish Contribution for an Inclusive Europe sounds like a wonderful place. It would be fantastic to work there!
These interviews span the next couple days. It will be interesting trying to find them all!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: as I am writing this, I do know which internship I got. I will be working with Wilfred Aspinall.
Hello Home Stay!
We got our home stay families assigned today. Mine is a nice older couple named Franz and Marie-Claude Dupont. I'm living with one other American student, Valerie Mnayarji. She seems really sweet. Our house is beautiful, I don't even know what to say about it. The Duponts have the cutest grandchildren. There are three of them staying here tonight, down the hall from me. Even as I write this, they are trying to escape from bed to play some more. Earlier, they were watching the Disney movie Tangled, in French. The kids asked Franz if he would turn the English subtitles on so we could understand what the movie was saying and watch with them! They are 5, 7, and 9 years old. Tomorrow, we visit the king's palace with Marie-Claude! That will be AMAZING!
Belgium at last!
Hi!
What a beautiful country, Belgium. It' so unreal to believe I'm finally here! After my horrendously long flight next to someone I was unable to talk to (as he spoke only French), I finally found a taxi and hauled all my stuff to the hotel. The driver was very nice, and he probably spoke about 5 languages. He started talking to me in French, then switched to English when he realized I couldn't understand. He took a phone call in Flemish, and when he found out I had taken some Spanish we resumed talking in Spanish! Once we found the hotel, he just parked his taxi in the middle of the road and turned his flashers on while he hauled all my stuff into the hotel! "Gracias señor." "Gracias señorita." and I went to the front desk.
Another surprise: the man behind the desk said our rooms weren't ready yet, so I had to wait. Being the first one there for the morning, I decided to just try to call my mom. TIP NUMBER ONE: on the phone, to get the + sign instead of the zero, you have to hold the zero down. I didn't know that. So I got an error message in, you guessed it, three languages. French, Flemish, and English. I had to pay 5 euro to get on the internet for an hour to assure my mother I was okay. Then came the waiting. I sat in the lobby, since I had my huge backpack I didn't want to put in the luggage room just yet, and waited for people to show up. This turned out to be a very popular activity, as many people started crowding around in there and introducing themselves. A group of us went to get coffee and by the time we came back our rooms were ready. Tonight we had orientation and a lovely dinner. It's about time I head to bed though, we have a long weekend ahead!
What a beautiful country, Belgium. It' so unreal to believe I'm finally here! After my horrendously long flight next to someone I was unable to talk to (as he spoke only French), I finally found a taxi and hauled all my stuff to the hotel. The driver was very nice, and he probably spoke about 5 languages. He started talking to me in French, then switched to English when he realized I couldn't understand. He took a phone call in Flemish, and when he found out I had taken some Spanish we resumed talking in Spanish! Once we found the hotel, he just parked his taxi in the middle of the road and turned his flashers on while he hauled all my stuff into the hotel! "Gracias señor." "Gracias señorita." and I went to the front desk.
Another surprise: the man behind the desk said our rooms weren't ready yet, so I had to wait. Being the first one there for the morning, I decided to just try to call my mom. TIP NUMBER ONE: on the phone, to get the + sign instead of the zero, you have to hold the zero down. I didn't know that. So I got an error message in, you guessed it, three languages. French, Flemish, and English. I had to pay 5 euro to get on the internet for an hour to assure my mother I was okay. Then came the waiting. I sat in the lobby, since I had my huge backpack I didn't want to put in the luggage room just yet, and waited for people to show up. This turned out to be a very popular activity, as many people started crowding around in there and introducing themselves. A group of us went to get coffee and by the time we came back our rooms were ready. Tonight we had orientation and a lovely dinner. It's about time I head to bed though, we have a long weekend ahead!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
What to take.
This shouldn't be this hard.
I mean, I've travelled before, and I've packed for a semester at school! A semester of study abroad should be as easy as combining these two, right?
WRONG.
You see, while AU Abroad has given us a great list of things to pack (see below), they have failed to mention how much of everything we should have. Fortunately, we are not the first generation of students who studied abroad since the internet was invented. I've found a Study Abroad Blog which gives me not only the packing list, but lots of other helpful insights into the study abroad process. I thoroughly enjoyed the blog, and hope you do too! 32 more days until Brussels!!
PACKING LIST FROM AU ABROAD:
I mean, I've travelled before, and I've packed for a semester at school! A semester of study abroad should be as easy as combining these two, right?
WRONG.
You see, while AU Abroad has given us a great list of things to pack (see below), they have failed to mention how much of everything we should have. Fortunately, we are not the first generation of students who studied abroad since the internet was invented. I've found a Study Abroad Blog which gives me not only the packing list, but lots of other helpful insights into the study abroad process. I thoroughly enjoyed the blog, and hope you do too! 32 more days until Brussels!!
PACKING LIST FROM AU ABROAD:
Clothing
Raincoat
Jacket and/or sweater
Warm winter clothes
Professional business attire
Paperwork
Passport and Visa documents
Medical Insurance documents
French or Dutch phrase book (Optional)
Medication
Cold and headache medicine, Tylenol, or any of your other favorites
Proof of prescriptions when needed
Miscellaneous
Umbrella
Voltage and plug adapter
Camera
Travel Alarm
Laptop Computer
Monday, July 25, 2011
Bienvenue!
Welcome to the blog!! This is where I'll share all of my travel experiences, stories, and maybe a few pictures! Stay tuned for updates on my preparations to go! 38 days until I leave!!
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