Spring Break

For my spring break, I went to Edinburgh, Scotland; Dublin, Ireland; and Stockholm, Sweden.  It was definitely a trip of a lifetime.  Quite a quick tour, we spent two days in Edinburgh, two in Dublin, and three in Stockholm.  Here's the story in a nutshell:

We started off on Sunday with a big group of people.  Ryan Air was quite an adventure.  You kind of feel like a cow herded onto the plane, but you get used to it.  After an hour or so of listening to ads for smokeless cigarettes and lottery tickets, we arrived in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland.  It was so different than Germany.  First of all, people drive on the left side of the road.  This took some getting used to, especially when trying to cross the street.  Looking left before right has been so ingrained in my mind that I was quite mixed up.  The buildings, rather than your usual red tile roofing and brick or stucco siding, were now gray limestone and chimneys were everywhere.  I didn't know much about Edinburgh, let alone Scotland, so some of us went on a walking tour of the city.  It was 3 hours, but well worth the price: FREE!  I saw all of the interesting sites of the city, including all of the Harry Potter landmarks (the book was written here).  One of the funny things was that the graveyard had a cage in the ground.  This was for the purpose of letting the bodies decompose before putting them in their rightful places in the ground.  The university was giving big money to those who could bring in bodies for anatomy classes.  Thus, a booming grave thieving business began.  A pair of men by the names of Burke and Hare began simply killing people.  These serial killers managed to kill and sell 17 people to the university before being caught.  Hare ratted out Burke and was eventually released.  He is said to have become a beggar in London.  Burke, on the other hand, was hanged.  His body was donated to the university, where his skeleton is to this day on display and used as a model for medical students.  We went up to the Edinburgh castle and enjoyed the view as well as the numerous historical artifacts.  There were prisons for Americans of the Revolutionary War.  It was interesting seeing the ancient graffiti that they carved into the doors.  The Scottish Crown Jewels also were housed there.  Quite a few diamonds, I must say.  People sure do like shiny things.  We saw some live music in a pub and had some great meals and beers as well.  They deep fry everything, by the way.  It was a good time.  The hostel was in an old church.  Kind of smelly, and the mattresses were purely springs, but nothing beats the price when you're a poor student in Europe!  And if you were wondering, it's true, you hear the word "Fuck" on the street every other second.  After two days it was back on the plane.

Next came Dublin.  What a different world it was.  While in Scotland I understood less than in Germany even though they were speaking English, the Irish were a bit more understandable (by a little).  When I first got in, I couldn't tell the difference between it and Chicago.  Hey, there are lots of Irish in Chicago, too!  I was back on the North side, complete with little parks and brick row houses.  The doors are all painted different colors.  According to an Irish taxi driver, this is because during the English rule, they were forced to paint the doors all black.  When Ireland gained sovereignty, they of course rebelled by painting the doors red, green, yellow, blue...anything BUT black.  I found it kind of funny.  We didn't see a lot of the beautiful nature that I would have liked to see in Ireland, but we did explore its urban side.  St. Patrick's Cathedral was very nice.  It was here where St. Patrick spent the days converting all those pagans.  What's interesting is that a lot of the pagan imagery and culture was kind of intermixed rather than totally destroyed.  You could say this is good or bad, really.  Of course, we had our first Guiness in Ireland at lunch in a pub, ate corned beef and cabbage in a pub, watched soccer in a pub, danced to traditional Irish music in a pub, etc.  We made our obligatory visit to the Guiness brewery, too.  It was pretty fun.  There is a museum there in the shape of a giant Guiness glass, complete with free samples and a great view of the city and the nearby mountains from the top of the tower.  The hostel we stayed at felt just like the Irish living facilities that the boxers and prostitutes received in the movie, Far And Away.  Luckily, this really didn't bother me.  I was busy playing Irish tin-whistle in the street.  I bought a copy of James Joyce's Dubliners, so I'm excited to get going on the book to see exactly what Dublin was like at the turn of the century.  Any different?  I must say that the Gaelic language also seems very interesting and beautiful.  It is written on most signs and streets with the English equivalent.  Irish children are taught it in school and everyone knows it more or less--to get into certain colleges, one needs to take a Gaelic test.  They just don't use it.  But according to that same taxi driver, if you go to some smaller coastal towns, they might bash your brains out if they catch you speaking the words of the English.  Onwards to Stockholm!

We arrived in Stockholm on a cold midnight.  It was a two hour bus ride from the airport to the city (RyanAir gets you there!) and we ended up in the empty center of the city by 2...no English on the signs here!  I asked a taxi driver where the ambiguous road our hostel was on was, and he didn't know off the top of his head, but offered to look it up on his GPS.  He wrote it down and told us how to use the metro, but we took his taxi instead.  Stockholm is made up of different islands, so it would have been quite confusing and difficult to walk the few miles it would have taken at night.  He brought us to where we needed to be and even got out to show us exactly how to get there as the road we needed was only for pedestrians.  We found our hostel, which is totally unmanned and automated by door codes.  A night of rest and we were ready to go.  Every morning we went to the store and bought supplies for "hobo sandwiches" which we would eat in the park.  Good Swedish flat bread, herring, tomatoes, cucumber, potato salad, and salami were all we ate that trip.  It was awesome!  We got really lucky with the weather--it was especially sunny and mild the entire time.  We walked the whole city back and forth, sliding on ice and taking pictures of the scenic city.  A boat that also served as a hostel was docked in the harbor, and I invited my friends to have Swedish Fika, or coffeebreak.  It was great inside the ship looking out onto the beautiful harbor.  We really enjoyed just talking with the owner and workers there, playing cards, and watching the news.  While we did not have the funds to go to museums at this point, walking through the city was a blast.  People are so friendly there!  We would end up having great conversations with Swedish shop owners.  I would tell them about my family in Sweden and they would teach me Swedish phrases I would need to know.  When in line at the grocery store, the clerks always thought I was Swedish.  People in front of me would be spoken English to, but not me!  If I didn't know what they were saying, I would just nod.  Tak!  Hej då! (Thanks! Bye!)  It was great.  That evening we met up with some girls we met from America on the plane.  We went to this terribly expensive restaurant with black lights everywhere, Jimmy Buffet style jungle theme, little fountains and bamboo everywhere...a real nightmare if you ask me.  They ended up splitting off from us.  We were scouring the map for something cheaper to do that night when a group of Swedish guys came up and asked us if we needed help.  They invited us out with them, and I must have met a dozen different people that night.  I learned even more Swedish phrases and taught them German.  I ordered in Swedish very successfully and told the true stories of what prom is to Swedish girls.  Some of the guys we met even walked us back to our hostel.  It was an awesome night.  Let me say it again, Swedes are the friendliest people!  The next day we relaxed by the city hall and saw the Swedish palace (We also got more coffee)  Gift shops all sell memorabilia of the royal wedding of Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling, so I got a few postcards to commemorate the "big day".  It was great, and I can't wait to go back.

After break, I was very exhausted.  I even managed to pick up a cold which kept me inside for the next weekend.  I'm since better and have finished my second German class.  Now that we have about 4 weeks left of school, I'm wondering where all the time has gone!  In any case, work on the documentary is well underway, and it will be a nice capstone in honor of this great trip.  It's not over yet, though, and I can't wait to share with you the rest of my story in Lüneburg and my planned adventure back to Sweden in May.

Wilkommen March

Happy March!  I took a walk in the Kurpark (cure park) the other day where there is this giant wall of sticks.  Salt water trickles down the entire 30 foot wall and clears your sinuses.  What a great invention!  Then I found interesting playground equipment including a running machine and a back massager.  It was very welcome after carrying my heavy backpack around for days.  Then I watched some ducks by a pond, some dogs catching frisbees, and an insect hotel near some small gardens.  They also have a little mini golf course and a nice patch of woods to stroll in.  That's a great way to start a day, I must say.

One thing I have really enjoyed has been Germany's way of integrating relaxation with work, nature with urbanism.  There is this wonderful park near my apartment with the coolest playscape ever.  People aren't so worried about getting sued, I guess, so unique wooden ones still exist.  Twisting slides, and a seesaw that you hang from rather than sit on, and rope bridges...I don't care how old I am, it's too tempting not to romp a little on the stuff.  I like to go spazieren (stroll) down by the gardens near my apartment, too.  Since people live a lot closer to each other, especially in towns like Lüneburg, there isn't enough room for backyard gardens.  So they have these garden districts people can rent that include a little shed or cottage where people can come to get away from the bustle of the city, do some yard work, or just relax and enjoy.  It's like being in a different world.  There are these little streets and fences made of bushes, just really interesting and always calming.  I really want to see what the inside of the cottages are like.  Very German!  Oh, and there are gnomes everywhere.

I went to Hamburg a few more times and walked around some more.  The atmosphere is always really merry, and of course we always go after the football team St. Pauli plays.  They are the underdogs of Germany, and have gotten into the 1st division league this year, giving all of these other teams a run for their money.  Imagine if the Cubs were demoted from the MLB and had to be minor league, but then made a huge comeback and actually did well.  That's what it's like.

Some friends and I have been going in on dinners, and it's starting to become a tradition to look forward to every week.  I've met other people's roommates-some from Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Germany.  We all have a great time just feasting and talking about all of our antics and adventures together.  Curry chicken, red wine, potato pancakes, and piglet pie (my invented desert of kiwis, peaches, and strawberries on angel food cake, topped with piglet shaped candy) was the latest meal.  We also are fiends of a turkish sandwich called a döner.  It's like a gyro, but it's either beef or chicken in a pita with cabbage, cucumbers, and tomato.  It's the fast food here, and I've had one from every döner place in town (7 total).  Doppel Döner Dienstag (double döner tuesday) is a weekly holiday, as well as Dönerstag (a play on Donnerstag, the German word for Thursday).  You can guess what we order those days.  Time to settle down on those for sure!

I went on a trip this weekend to Berlin, Germany's capital city with 9 other friends.  We got a hostel for two nights and had a great time.  The city is amazing!  It is definitely one of my favorite cities.  We did a lot of walking around of course.  There was a great market that sold all kinds of things--from books to records to artwork to flags to hats to produce with accordian music in the background.  I saw all kinds of landmarks.  The Brandenburg Gate was off limits for 25 years when Berlin was split by the wall.  I am thankful I was able to freely walk around this monument.  I got to see the Reichstag where the German parliament meets.  Every building in this middle area of the city is so majestic and amazing.  We went to the history museum and saw the Hitler exhibition which was really interesting.  It really hits home seeing the giant eagle sculptures, uniforms, and writings.  A small group of us woke up very early each morning and went to the far east side of the city near where the Stasi headquarters were.  These are the people who spied on their own citizens with cameras, hidden microphones, and "scouts".  It was so much different.  Whereas Germany has been a pretty familiar place to me, I definitely felt like I was in a foreign country over here.  It's like going back into the seventies with many squares and rectangles, uniform buildings and just this very solemn vibe about the place.  Yes, the wall is gone, but East Germany is not.  We walked through a park across from Stasi headquarters where graves were strewn about unkept.  Then after the stroll through the park, we got breakfast at a little bakery and had great political discussions.  I really enjoyed myself and would like to come back and explore this living time capsule.  Seeing people walking past me in the street I begin to think: Not so many years ago, these very people were not allowed go past the wall.  It's a lot different than "Checkpoint Charlie".  That was the entrance to the American sector.  It's mockery at its finest, and has a party feel to it.  Gas masks and Soviet military hats are sold by street vendors, McDonald's and Starbucks tower over the street, then you look behind you and it's quiet and white.  Here lies the interesting spot of polar opposites meeting.  I like it better in the middle of town, where it's not so full of in-your-face capitalist neon billboards, but not dismal and dead, gloomy and controlled either.  That wall did a number on this city and it is just so weird to see it before your eyes.  All the same, there is such a great spirit and atmosphere that has risen from the ashes of WWII and the Cold War.  It is a beautiful place that should not be missed if you ever go to Europe.  I will definitely be back.

I will be leaving tomorrow morning for my spring break adventure to Edinburgh, Scotland; Dublin, Ireland; and Stockholm, Sweden.  More on that when I return!

a month now past

 "The more prone to getting lost one is, the more one tries to compensate."
-Anna Funder, Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall

It's already been a month in Germany, and it naturally seems like only yesterday when I first stepped off the plane in Hamburg.  My feelings toward this country seem to constantly fluctuate, and my view of the world and its people are surely changing.  While I am beginning to finally know my way around the ancient tangled streets, my ability to function and truly integrate into the German culture is in constant flux.  As the fascination of being in another country comes to pass, the acceptance phase of otherness in the visited land begins.  My "American-ness" comes out in the least obvious of places.  While ordering a coffee and asking for directions have become second nature, washing my clothes, reading the newspaper, and even the pattern of eating have not yet become easy.  I find myself thinking about summer evenings in Bloomington, listening to folk and Americana, and yes...even the Superbowl.  While I was told that this stage of American sentimentality and nostalgia would come, and I knew that I became more patriotic from my European trip in 2006, it still came as a surprise.  After being so eager to delve right into a new world, how could I possibly be thinking about home?  Mind you, this is not homesickness.  You could not easily get me to leave this place--but the reality of life has begun to make itself apparent.  Maybe it's growing up or maybe it's me gaining more focus, I don't know.  My world, in ways, is becoming smaller but more diverse than it ever has been--after becoming closer to many Americans on this trip as well.  It will be sad to go home to the same country, yet be further separated than when abroad.  I am having conversations about home with people out on the street.  I am seeing the elderly walk and take the bus.  I am seeing people helping strangers in wheelchairs go down the street.  I see a community of folks, and as much as I'd like to be I am not one of those folks.  I am a guest of this country and will always be an American deep down.  And this is coming from a person hell-bent on claiming Canadian citizenship.  It is hard for me to explain this feeling--like an idealized image of what I imagine the United States as, and an observation of European culture (as well as the revolutionary fervor of the Middle East through the news) as I exist in limbo somewhere outside of all of it.  This isn't necessarily a bad thing.  It feels like I might be entering a cocooning phase or something.  My purpose for being here is not a clear as I once thought it was.  Sure I'm learning the German language and seeing all sorts of places...but the best things about Germany I want to keep with me while at the same time retain something American.  I want the folky community of Bloomington, the Great Lakes, a big forest to walk in.  Coops and organic crops do not abound here like in the USA.  But when I go home I want the energy of a people with a common goal, a comradery larger than the next clique based on which side of town a person lives on.  Sure in America we have a spirit for change, but it so often exists in words, not practice--especially in my age group.  Apathy is a killer and it's killing our society.  It's like Germans possess the revolutionary spirit, and it reminds me of what the USA should be.  We need to get stuff done!  Garden districts, a great train system, and a safe environment in the inner city would be nice!  In any case, my utopia is (not) impossible to achieve, yet I am closer to it than I have ever been.

An example of this glimpse of utopia lies outside the fancy architecture, beautiful women, and amazing candy.  It manifested itself during the past weekend in Hamburg.  My first trip there involved a walking tour of the city, a ride on a boat in the harbor, and a walk through a museum.  My view or a  dirty, cold, and trivial city with only Vegas-style fun was transformed through the people I met.  I visited some friends of a friend of a friend who live in Hamburg who were truly interesting.  While these people do not represent the larger German population or even humanity in general, the progressive conversations we had were exactly what I was looking for.  The trip involved walking the entire city, good and bad.  We entered a very progressive district where street art abounded, people were lively, and a spirit of youth and acceptance was present.  We also entered the red light district where prostitutes came up insisting upon the quality of their services.  It was quite an eye-opener.  In Germany, though, these women are taxpaying citizens and are thus respected in the society rather than revoked of their rights as human beings.  What made the experience special was to see many different sides of life in one place.  And while our friends had great hopes for their country, and strong opinions about ours, we did not always agree.  But this forum was exactly what the coming together of two cultures inspired and needed.  To at least understand each other and to respect each other for our differences.  It also served as a way to re-examine our own values.  And the hospitality I was shown was truly wonderful.

So as a person who often gets lost in thought, in direction, or literally in trying to get home; I realize that compensation only brings me further from the place I am looking for.  You can't fight the things you don't like when you are visiting, but you can take the spirit of the good wherever you go.  Sometimes when one least expects it, the place sought is often in eye's view.  Trust the flow.  You will go where you need to.  Or maybe it will find you.  The unknown is, after all, what makes things exciting.

Week 2

Well this last week's experience with orienteering proved to be a bit easier (I only got lost once).  I had my first week of normal class, and so far it has been really interesting and valuable.  We took our first test on Friday, and I must say that it was quite hard.  I haven't really taken tests for as long as I can remember.  I prefer and am used to writing big papers or doing art/video projects for my weightier grades.  Luckily there was a writing section on the test...that may redeem my lack of memorization of prepositions and past-tense verbs.

There is a kind of "official" activity we do: "Nur Deutsch Dienstag" (Only German Tuesday).  If we speak German the whole day through without using English, even when Germans try to speak English to us, we get a nice smiley-face sticker on a board.  As of yet, I have never seen this board nor have I been successful in speaking only German for the whole day.  I went about 2/3 and broke when I was hanging out with some Americans.  In any case, I usually speak German to Germans, and when they don't speak English, it is great.  Ordering food, meeting people at the coffee shop, or just talking to my roommates is not so hard.  I will admit that it is very easy to slip, though.  Communication always tries to find the easiest route. 

We went to Lübeck yesterday, and I had a pretty good time.  While it was cold, and we mostly wandered about, I got to go in a great bookstore and swiped up three books.  One was a Bavarian dialect dictionary/instruction book.  I think it is really funny and hopefully I can finally understand my Bavarian friends for once.  I found a book on my favorite artist, Hundertwasser, for only 10 euros, and Das Parfum by Patrick Süskind.  I've been excited to get some new books, and this is only the beginning!  Anyway, Lübeck has some cool gates and a nice big historical district.  There is also a nice river that runs around the town (it is an island), and I found some really nice graffiti on the bridges.  Ryan Air flies out of Lübeck, so I will probably return when making flights out of Germany, and also to see the torture museum!

I found the outdoor market this week and must say that it is wonderful.  I'm not going to buy produce at the grocery store again.  And organic food is actually affordable!  Today is Sunday, so most every business (besides small cafes) are closed.  It can be annoying if you forgot to pick something up at the store and then need it on Sunday.  I cannot cook eggs, for instance, because we are all out of oil/margarine/butter for the pan.

Some trips are going to be in order in the coming weeks, and you will soon hear about those as well.  Hamburg photos on the way, and the beginning of the documentary underway.

Auf Wiedersehen!

First Week in Lüneburg

I have been in Germany for 7 days now, and my German is getting better everyday.  It is the little things like ordering a meal or trying to ask for directions that are the biggest learning experiences.  While at first I was really nervous about speaking to Germans, it has proven to be very rewarding.  Even though mistakes are made, I always learn from them, and hopefully I will not be making any mistakes at the end of my time here.  People are very nice and understanding when I have trouble.
I have Brazilian, German, and American roommates, and they are all really great.  We speak German a lot and share our different cultural characteristics and ideas about each other.  For once, we have an organized chore list, so it is no longer me having to do all of the work in the apartment (as it was with every roommate I've ever had)  My room is furnished and is quite a bit bigger than I expected.  I haven't slept too well, but I think it has a lot to do with my messed up circadian rhythms.

My classes are going well, and I look forward to the coming weeks.  My German Cinema and Photography classes are both taught in English, which offers me a refreshing moment to relax and speak without any struggle.  I was bumped up to the advanced German level in my program, so the other classes are all in German and offer me a great challenge.  I will have to do presentations, homework "auf Deutsch" daily, and take a lot of pictures.  Speaking of which, I have been so busy getting accustomed to the new town, the cultural differences and trying to understand and speak German, I have not had time to actually go out and enjoy Lüneburg.  This will come in due time, but at the moment there are many orientation classes and policy meetings regarding my program.

I am going to Hamburg on Saturday with the other Americans for a walking tour.  I look forward to seeing the place of The Beatles' beginnings.  Otherwise I don't know much about it, so I will have a look at another part of Northern Germany, a place that I've never been.  Updates and pictures concerning this coming soon.

The bars here so far have been pretty cool.  There is a really grungy place called Jekyll and Hyde that I naturally am quite fond of.  There are always interesting people there...and broken glass/cigarettes all over the floor.  I met a Russian and a guy who grew up on Potsdam and East Berlin for the beginning of his life.  It was a unique moment in the history of the world--this is a day when people from the former USSR, DDR, and USA can sit in a bar in Lüneburg and happily drink and talk without harsh feelings and a strong dislike for anything fascist.  There is also a Hausbar akin to my favorite House Bar in Bloomington where people can just sit in couches and visit without music blaring and people everywhere.  Oh, and don't forget the Irish pub.  I'm not sure if it is more or less Irish than those in the USA (more Irish immigrants in America) but there is plenty of Guiness to go around while watching great music.

Now it's the weekend and time to enjoy some time without any homework to get in my way.  Stay tuned for my next report.

Tschüss!

Well, it's T-1.

I can't help but constantly recheck my flight itinerary, read Wikipedia articles on everything German, and think about my upcoming semester.  I'm anxious at a whole new level.  What's funny is that when I finally do get to the airport tomorrow, I'm going to be bored to death waiting for takeoff while failing to figure out the second clue on Myst DS--a daunting task.  I guess exploring that wondrous empty isle will mean a lot less to me, though.  By the time I arrive in Germany a day later, my jet-lagged self will be in quite a new reality with a whole continent of opportunity to explore, learn from, and understand.  Get ready Germany...seriously get ready! 

I managed to pack my bags with more books than I will ever need (since I'll definitely accumulate more in Europe), including various political writings by Marx and Jefferson, German travel guides and grammar books, textbooks on German cinema and photography, a book on Hundertwasser, and copies of Faust and The Little Prince to keep a bit of allegory in my life.  Perhaps you will find these books somewhere along your own travels, as I will be taking on the role of knowledge-sharer, dropping off these quality texts in various hostels across Europe.  Since the iPad has now realistically declared war on the book (eventually), we need to keep the ones we have circulating and alive.  I recommend sharing your own interesting things with the rest of the world.  There's something about tactility and craftsmanship that just can't be beat.


See you later United States of America.

Fröhliche Weinachten

It's Christmas.  Less than two weeks until the trip begins.  I'm almost ready to go.  The trip is paid for, I'm enrolled in classes, and I met my new roommates.  I got a Christmas card from my grandparents in German and slaughtered the translation...oh well.  Hopefully my German skills miraculously return because now it's survival mode.  That year off the language really took its toll...In any case,
Fröhliche Weinachten und gute Nacht!