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.
Friday, November 25, 2011
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.
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