It turns out that I made it to the city center a full two hours before the start of the match, but the crowd (also here and here) was already building, and not surprisingly there were a lot of security guards and police officers around. Since I had so much time, I decided to explore the city center, but when I returned to the main viewing area, a significant line had built up and no more people were allowed entry. So I found a cafe with a screen and watched the first half there. I randomly ran into my friend Ola from previous posts, and we ended up watching the second half together at another cafe. It was a fun match and I really enjoyed watching the people. In the end...
GERMANY WINS 3-2!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
"'Cause all you really need are a few good friends."
While almost all of my days in Germany have been very good, yesterday was unexpectedly and especially great. I was nearing the completion of my first test of the day when all of the sudden the machine I was working with made a loud and sudden "REEEEEER". As I had never heard that noise before, and since was extremely startling/scary, I immediately shut down the test. Apparently the steel specimen I was testing had snapped, so I knew that I had done the right thing in shutting down the test immediately, but I was still worried that I had done something to damage the machine. In the end, after checking things over with my advisor, I had done everything right and nothing was damaged. Actually, this development was very exciting for the overall research for two reasons: one, the important part of the steel specimen was not damaged in the breaking so the molecular characteristics could still be studied; and two, since the goal of this research is to reevaluate, and if necessary improve, the existing European fire code for buildings, the premature failure of this steel brings up a number of issues which will need to be addressed.
Yesterday afternoon I was invited to a celebration by one of the PhD students at the office with whom I get along well. He turned in his PhD dissertation yesterday and also signed a contract for a good job in Darmstadt yesterday, so he and his coworker friends were going out for dinner and drinks that night. We went to Grohe, a place here in town that makes its own beer, apparently the best in all of Hessen, and sat in a courtyard next to the brewery. The weather was very nice, and the food and drink were quite good, but the company was even better. Here, here, here, here, and here are some pictures I took of the group throughout the evening. The young man in the second picture was the one for whom we were celebrating. He has been really nice to me during my time here and I was honored to be invited. I should remember to do likewise.
As an example of how random and interesting things are here, as I was typing this post out in my office, a student stopped by looking for the German with whom I share an office, and we ended up introducing ourselves for a few minutes. Sasha is originally from Uzbekistan but has been living in Germany for the last twelve years and has gained German citizenship. He is studying civil engineering. His great grandfather was a civil engineer, but his grandfather and his parents are teachers, so he has it in his "blood, but far removed." We wished each other luck and parted ways.
And among other things, this evening Germany is playing Turkey in the semifinals of the European Championships. Since Germany has such a large Turkish population, and since this is such an important match, everyone is very excited. I think that I will head down to the city center tonight and catch a little of the spirit.
UPDATE: I can't believe that I forgot to mention that throughout the night I spoke almost exclusively Spanish with two of the people at the celebration. (This never ceases to surprise me.) One was from Bolivia and the other was from Frankfurt, Germany. I must admit that I got a little pleasure knowing that I could speak a language most at the table could not. It was a nice change from the usual situation. Plus, I think I got props from my coworkers for speaking a language other than English. Anyway, I am off to the city center to get dinner and experience the spirit of the match. I hope the weather turns out alright. It looks like it could be pretty nasty.
Yesterday afternoon I was invited to a celebration by one of the PhD students at the office with whom I get along well. He turned in his PhD dissertation yesterday and also signed a contract for a good job in Darmstadt yesterday, so he and his coworker friends were going out for dinner and drinks that night. We went to Grohe, a place here in town that makes its own beer, apparently the best in all of Hessen, and sat in a courtyard next to the brewery. The weather was very nice, and the food and drink were quite good, but the company was even better. Here, here, here, here, and here are some pictures I took of the group throughout the evening. The young man in the second picture was the one for whom we were celebrating. He has been really nice to me during my time here and I was honored to be invited. I should remember to do likewise.
As an example of how random and interesting things are here, as I was typing this post out in my office, a student stopped by looking for the German with whom I share an office, and we ended up introducing ourselves for a few minutes. Sasha is originally from Uzbekistan but has been living in Germany for the last twelve years and has gained German citizenship. He is studying civil engineering. His great grandfather was a civil engineer, but his grandfather and his parents are teachers, so he has it in his "blood, but far removed." We wished each other luck and parted ways.
And among other things, this evening Germany is playing Turkey in the semifinals of the European Championships. Since Germany has such a large Turkish population, and since this is such an important match, everyone is very excited. I think that I will head down to the city center tonight and catch a little of the spirit.
UPDATE: I can't believe that I forgot to mention that throughout the night I spoke almost exclusively Spanish with two of the people at the celebration. (This never ceases to surprise me.) One was from Bolivia and the other was from Frankfurt, Germany. I must admit that I got a little pleasure knowing that I could speak a language most at the table could not. It was a nice change from the usual situation. Plus, I think I got props from my coworkers for speaking a language other than English. Anyway, I am off to the city center to get dinner and experience the spirit of the match. I hope the weather turns out alright. It looks like it could be pretty nasty.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
"We're on top."
Hello everyone.
I had another really good week of work (and life) this past week even without soccer on Wednesday because the stadium was occupied. I believe that we will resume playing again this week, but we'll see. Looking at my calendar it is hard to believe that I am already halfway finished with my period of work here in Germany. Only four weeks of work left and then about two and a half of travel. This weekend I have been trying to finalize my plans for the remaining weeks which are looking to be very busy. In light of the need for preparation (and rest), I decided to forgo making a day trip to a far off location such as Nuremberg, and instead visit a place next to a town that is near Darmstadt: Frankenstein Castle. I would be traveling by myself. Apparently, this castle was the one that inspired Mary Shelley to write her famous novel. Since I wrote a term paper on the book during my junior year of high school, the place has a special significance to me, beyond the usual coolness of a castle in general. Oh, and it is supposedly haunted.
I got an early start on Saturday morning after eating a quick breakfast and gathering my supplies. I took the trolley near my apartment to a bus/train station (not the primary one), and then boarded a bus that would take me to Eberstadt, which is the town I mentioned that is next to Darmstadt. When I arrived in Eberstadt, the final bus that I needed to take in order to get to the castle (which was on top of a mountain) was not going to arrive for another forty minutes, so I thought that I would explore and take some pictures of the surrounding area when I chanced across a road sign stating the direction of Burg Frankenstein. Since I still had a good amount of time, I decided to walk, for as long as time would allow, along a path that seemed to follow the directions given by the sign. It led me over the highway and to the base of the mountain where I was led to believe Frankenstein Castle was located. I arrived at a fork in the road and chanced across a young man who was running in the area, so I asked him if I was on the right path to "Burg Frankenstein". He responded in the affirmative, pointing to one of the paths which went "up, up, and up the mountain", his arms extending higher with each up.
Next, I did something that was probably very rash. I decided to follow this path as far as time and nerve would allow, taking the word of the runner and abandoning the guarantee of the bus system. My thoughts were as follows: "At worst, I will have spent some time exploring beautiful scenery, taking some good pictures, and getting some exercise. I could always go back and wait for a later bus." As it was still mid morning, I didn't have to worry about nightfall catching me off guard. So, I followed the path and was very pleased by the scenery (also here and here). Things seemed to be going extremely well until I was met with my first fork in the road. There would be others farther along. Unwilling to turn back after already having gone so far, I would mark my path through a variety of ways. In all of my years of exploring the forest near my house (yes, I did go there Mom and Dad) or in Rock Springs, I have never done that, but I am glad that I did. There were simply to many forks to remember, especially in a foreign country in an area with which I am completely unfamiliar.
Eventually after over an hour of hiking and climbing, I found stone among the rock and knew that I was getting close. Since it was requested that I take more pictures of myself, here is one of me in front of the stone quarry. Anyway, shortly thereafter I saw the foundations of a stone wall. However, I didn't know if I had made it to Frankenstein Castle or some lord's castle, so I was careful not to look like I was sneaking around and that I was supposed to be there. I entered through the first gate I found. The castle was empty, and the first person I saw was a small boy who looked surprised to see me and was all by himself. One would think that such a famous location would have had more people visiting it even in the late morning. But, since he didn't seem threatened by my presence and as I had already come so far, I went in a little further. Finally, my suspicious were laid to rest when I found a sign welcoming guests to Frankenstein Castle. I made it.
While I am sure that there are castles that are much bigger or more interesting, and even though I have been waiting my whole life to explore a castle, I was not disappointed. Here, here, here, here, and here are some pictures I took of the grounds along the way to the highest accessible tower. As you can see, some of the castle is undergoing repair. The view from the top was absolutely amazing with lots of communities and interesting landscapes within sight. After staying in the tower for some time, I headed back down and explored more of the castle. Here, here, and here are a few more shots of the castle grounds. I ate lunch at the restaurant that was part of the castle, and eventually made it to the roof of the restaurant and took some more pictures of the surrounding area. It turns out to the North that even Frankfurt was in view.
After lunch, I decided to return to the tower and more seriously take in the experience, recording my thoughts and feelings. One of the things that I realized and that really struck me was the fact that I am probably never going to see that wonderful place again, and the same is true for the vast majority of the places I will visit this summer. It was definitely a bittersweet realization. On the one hand, that was it. That would be the only time in my life that I will see these wonderful things. But, it's not like I won't see other wonderful things between then and the end. On the contrary, I will probably see many other great places, some before the end of the summer. And even if I don't for one reason or another, I am thankful to have been able to see these once. There are probably too many wonderful places on Earth to see in a lifetime. I should be content to see as much as I can.
Then I thought that maybe there was something more to be learned. I will never experience the same moment more than once in my life. With every passing moment, I and the world around me are forever changed, and no matter how meticulous one's effort to reconstruct a time or place, one can never return to the way things were. Just as before, I should not regret the moments past. Rather, I should be thankful for what I have already experienced and for what I will experience. I am undoubtedly one of the luckiest kids on Earth.
Meanwhile, a crowd was beginning to build both in the castle and in the tower, and as I had already explored all of the accessible areas of the castle, I decided to head back, taking more pictures of the landscape along the way. I was able to find the trail I took to find the castle and follow my signs and markings all the way back to bus station. Surprisingly, both on the way up and on the way down, I never took an incorrect path. I made it back home safely but exhausted. Even though I had high expectations for visiting Frankenstein Castle, my hopes were exceeded. What a great day.
I had another really good week of work (and life) this past week even without soccer on Wednesday because the stadium was occupied. I believe that we will resume playing again this week, but we'll see. Looking at my calendar it is hard to believe that I am already halfway finished with my period of work here in Germany. Only four weeks of work left and then about two and a half of travel. This weekend I have been trying to finalize my plans for the remaining weeks which are looking to be very busy. In light of the need for preparation (and rest), I decided to forgo making a day trip to a far off location such as Nuremberg, and instead visit a place next to a town that is near Darmstadt: Frankenstein Castle. I would be traveling by myself. Apparently, this castle was the one that inspired Mary Shelley to write her famous novel. Since I wrote a term paper on the book during my junior year of high school, the place has a special significance to me, beyond the usual coolness of a castle in general. Oh, and it is supposedly haunted.
I got an early start on Saturday morning after eating a quick breakfast and gathering my supplies. I took the trolley near my apartment to a bus/train station (not the primary one), and then boarded a bus that would take me to Eberstadt, which is the town I mentioned that is next to Darmstadt. When I arrived in Eberstadt, the final bus that I needed to take in order to get to the castle (which was on top of a mountain) was not going to arrive for another forty minutes, so I thought that I would explore and take some pictures of the surrounding area when I chanced across a road sign stating the direction of Burg Frankenstein. Since I still had a good amount of time, I decided to walk, for as long as time would allow, along a path that seemed to follow the directions given by the sign. It led me over the highway and to the base of the mountain where I was led to believe Frankenstein Castle was located. I arrived at a fork in the road and chanced across a young man who was running in the area, so I asked him if I was on the right path to "Burg Frankenstein". He responded in the affirmative, pointing to one of the paths which went "up, up, and up the mountain", his arms extending higher with each up.
Next, I did something that was probably very rash. I decided to follow this path as far as time and nerve would allow, taking the word of the runner and abandoning the guarantee of the bus system. My thoughts were as follows: "At worst, I will have spent some time exploring beautiful scenery, taking some good pictures, and getting some exercise. I could always go back and wait for a later bus." As it was still mid morning, I didn't have to worry about nightfall catching me off guard. So, I followed the path and was very pleased by the scenery (also here and here). Things seemed to be going extremely well until I was met with my first fork in the road. There would be others farther along. Unwilling to turn back after already having gone so far, I would mark my path through a variety of ways. In all of my years of exploring the forest near my house (yes, I did go there Mom and Dad) or in Rock Springs, I have never done that, but I am glad that I did. There were simply to many forks to remember, especially in a foreign country in an area with which I am completely unfamiliar.
Eventually after over an hour of hiking and climbing, I found stone among the rock and knew that I was getting close. Since it was requested that I take more pictures of myself, here is one of me in front of the stone quarry. Anyway, shortly thereafter I saw the foundations of a stone wall. However, I didn't know if I had made it to Frankenstein Castle or some lord's castle, so I was careful not to look like I was sneaking around and that I was supposed to be there. I entered through the first gate I found. The castle was empty, and the first person I saw was a small boy who looked surprised to see me and was all by himself. One would think that such a famous location would have had more people visiting it even in the late morning. But, since he didn't seem threatened by my presence and as I had already come so far, I went in a little further. Finally, my suspicious were laid to rest when I found a sign welcoming guests to Frankenstein Castle. I made it.
While I am sure that there are castles that are much bigger or more interesting, and even though I have been waiting my whole life to explore a castle, I was not disappointed. Here, here, here, here, and here are some pictures I took of the grounds along the way to the highest accessible tower. As you can see, some of the castle is undergoing repair. The view from the top was absolutely amazing with lots of communities and interesting landscapes within sight. After staying in the tower for some time, I headed back down and explored more of the castle. Here, here, and here are a few more shots of the castle grounds. I ate lunch at the restaurant that was part of the castle, and eventually made it to the roof of the restaurant and took some more pictures of the surrounding area. It turns out to the North that even Frankfurt was in view.
After lunch, I decided to return to the tower and more seriously take in the experience, recording my thoughts and feelings. One of the things that I realized and that really struck me was the fact that I am probably never going to see that wonderful place again, and the same is true for the vast majority of the places I will visit this summer. It was definitely a bittersweet realization. On the one hand, that was it. That would be the only time in my life that I will see these wonderful things. But, it's not like I won't see other wonderful things between then and the end. On the contrary, I will probably see many other great places, some before the end of the summer. And even if I don't for one reason or another, I am thankful to have been able to see these once. There are probably too many wonderful places on Earth to see in a lifetime. I should be content to see as much as I can.
Then I thought that maybe there was something more to be learned. I will never experience the same moment more than once in my life. With every passing moment, I and the world around me are forever changed, and no matter how meticulous one's effort to reconstruct a time or place, one can never return to the way things were. Just as before, I should not regret the moments past. Rather, I should be thankful for what I have already experienced and for what I will experience. I am undoubtedly one of the luckiest kids on Earth.
Meanwhile, a crowd was beginning to build both in the castle and in the tower, and as I had already explored all of the accessible areas of the castle, I decided to head back, taking more pictures of the landscape along the way. I was able to find the trail I took to find the castle and follow my signs and markings all the way back to bus station. Surprisingly, both on the way up and on the way down, I never took an incorrect path. I made it back home safely but exhausted. Even though I had high expectations for visiting Frankenstein Castle, my hopes were exceeded. What a great day.
Friday, June 13, 2008
"...concrete under your feet."
Hello everyone.
Like I mentioned in my previous post, Thursday was my day to visit Frankfurt. Despite somewhat of a late start getting out of my room, I was able to catch the trolley because one individual held the door open for me for several additional seconds as I ran. I should be sure to remember to do likewise.
After that, I made it to the Frankfurt with no difficulty, and when I exited the train station, I was impressed by the skyline (here). Since it was the first landmark I noticed, I first checked out the Commerzbank Tower (here). While it is probably hard to tell from the picture, the multistory indentations in the tower are actually filled with trees and other vegetation. I tried to see if I could get to the top floor for some awesome pictures, but I was denied access. So, I decided to check out the Main Tower (here) which is the second tallest building in Frankfurt behind the Commerzbank Tower. Typically, the top floor is open for viewing, but as the building was experiencing "technical difficulties" I was once again unable to reach the top. While I was a little disappointed, I wasn't really upset because there would be a lot more to see before I went home.
I next went to Römerberg, which is the old city center. The building with the flags in this picture is the Römer. It has been Frankfurt's city hall since 1405. Here is another picture of the same plaza. The main spire of the Dom can be seen in the distance. I walked through most of the old town and saw all of the major landmarks that were there. Here is a picture of the old town with the Alte Nikolaikirche to the right. There was also an Archäologischen Garten, which boasted Roman building foundations dating back over 2000 years. I was very upset when I found a bunch of kids filming parkour on the ruins (here), but they didn't seem to be damaging anything. I also checked out Paulskirche (St. Paul's Church, here), but it seemed to be more governmental than religious.
After eating a quick lunch just in time to escape the rain (here), I headed across the Main River to visit some museums. Here and here are a few pictures I took looking back at the downtown area. The first museum I attended was the Museum of World Cultures. While it was much smaller than I anticipated and only focused on a specific culture in Papua New Guinea along the Sepik River, it was still interesting, and while I was probably not supposed to take any pictures, I did manage to take a few including this one of some of the artifacts used by the tribe.
The Museum for Communication, which I attended next, was probably the highlight of my sightseeing in Frankfurt. It traced the evolution of communication from some of the earliest scratchings on stones (here), to writing in the Middle Ages (here), to Industrial Revolution postal infrastructure, to telephone (here), to television (here), to computers (here). There were a lot of interactive exhibits with lots of levers and things of that nature, so this "Button-Boy" was in heaven. There were also some funny exhibits like this.
After finishing at the Museum for Communication, it was nearing the end of the day, so I headed home pretty tired after two straight days of walking. But, my weekend was far from over as on Saturday I headed to Stuttgart, Germany with two other individuals whom I met through a mutual acquaintance. I had never met them prior to Saturday, but I can say that by the end of the day I felt comfortable telling them pretty much anything. Here is a picture of them on the train near the end of the day. Zhaoyi (on the right) was born in China but moved to Montreal when he was eleven. He is now trilingual (Mandarin, French, and English) and working on his bachelor's in electrical engineering. Chunjie (on the left) is also from China and is currently conducting post-doctoral research here in Darmstadt.
Once again, I have to emphasize how much I enjoy seeing the German countryside (here and here). It is really neat to see the landscape and communities along the railroad. In some cases the scenery is very familiar to home which is exciting, but in others it is completely different which is also exciting. Anyway, the first place we visited in Stuttgart was the Mercedes-Benz Museum (here and here). We had a lot of fun at the museum playing with statues (here), looking at the sweet cars (here), and checking out the fun exhibits (here and here). It was really neat to see the evolution of the automobile and some of the prototypes for things to come. The Mercedes-Benz Museum rocked. Afterward, apparently not having seen enough cars, we decided to check out the Porsche Museum which, while interesting, paled in coolness to the Mercedes-Benz Museum. Anyway, here is a picture of the outside of the complex and here is a picture of part of the main viewing room.
When we had finished with the museums, we headed to the very scenic Schlossgarten (here, here, here, and here). The weather was much nicer at this point in the day as compared to yesterday so there were a number of people out and about. On the opposite side of the Schloss, there was a plaza which was breathtaking. Here, here, here, and here are a few pictures. And, due to popular demand, here is a picture of me. Afterward, we walked through the old city and checked out the shops. Like I said, it was very busy. Here and here are a couple of pictures of a church we also checked out along the way. By this point, it was once again nearing the end of the day, so we started heading back. Here, here, and here are a few pictures I took of the countryside along the way. And to top off the day nicely, it just so happened that we sat next to a Professor of Theology from Marquette University (here) who was lecturing in Germany for a couple of weeks. We talked for about an hour, discussing really exciting things like the definition of the soul, what it means to be human, the political attitudes of Jesus, current events, his family, and my aspirations. Honestly, there is not much in life that pleases me more than constructive dialog, and I really cherish these sort of chance encounters. Eventually, we parted ways and we landed in Darmstadt. Perhaps you'll recognize this landmark?
Anyway, it was a really interesting, fulfilling, and tiring weekend. But, after Mass, running, some good food, laundry, and not much else today, I feel pretty recharged. I am not really sure what my plans for next week are. I may go on another day trip next weekend or perhaps I might try something a little bigger. Either way, the last weekend of June I will be going to Ireland with a few of my friends, and I can't wait. I am really thankful for all of my experiences and look forward to sharing them with you.
Like I mentioned in my previous post, Thursday was my day to visit Frankfurt. Despite somewhat of a late start getting out of my room, I was able to catch the trolley because one individual held the door open for me for several additional seconds as I ran. I should be sure to remember to do likewise.
After that, I made it to the Frankfurt with no difficulty, and when I exited the train station, I was impressed by the skyline (here). Since it was the first landmark I noticed, I first checked out the Commerzbank Tower (here). While it is probably hard to tell from the picture, the multistory indentations in the tower are actually filled with trees and other vegetation. I tried to see if I could get to the top floor for some awesome pictures, but I was denied access. So, I decided to check out the Main Tower (here) which is the second tallest building in Frankfurt behind the Commerzbank Tower. Typically, the top floor is open for viewing, but as the building was experiencing "technical difficulties" I was once again unable to reach the top. While I was a little disappointed, I wasn't really upset because there would be a lot more to see before I went home.
I next went to Römerberg, which is the old city center. The building with the flags in this picture is the Römer. It has been Frankfurt's city hall since 1405. Here is another picture of the same plaza. The main spire of the Dom can be seen in the distance. I walked through most of the old town and saw all of the major landmarks that were there. Here is a picture of the old town with the Alte Nikolaikirche to the right. There was also an Archäologischen Garten, which boasted Roman building foundations dating back over 2000 years. I was very upset when I found a bunch of kids filming parkour on the ruins (here), but they didn't seem to be damaging anything. I also checked out Paulskirche (St. Paul's Church, here), but it seemed to be more governmental than religious.
After eating a quick lunch just in time to escape the rain (here), I headed across the Main River to visit some museums. Here and here are a few pictures I took looking back at the downtown area. The first museum I attended was the Museum of World Cultures. While it was much smaller than I anticipated and only focused on a specific culture in Papua New Guinea along the Sepik River, it was still interesting, and while I was probably not supposed to take any pictures, I did manage to take a few including this one of some of the artifacts used by the tribe.
The Museum for Communication, which I attended next, was probably the highlight of my sightseeing in Frankfurt. It traced the evolution of communication from some of the earliest scratchings on stones (here), to writing in the Middle Ages (here), to Industrial Revolution postal infrastructure, to telephone (here), to television (here), to computers (here). There were a lot of interactive exhibits with lots of levers and things of that nature, so this "Button-Boy" was in heaven. There were also some funny exhibits like this.
After finishing at the Museum for Communication, it was nearing the end of the day, so I headed home pretty tired after two straight days of walking. But, my weekend was far from over as on Saturday I headed to Stuttgart, Germany with two other individuals whom I met through a mutual acquaintance. I had never met them prior to Saturday, but I can say that by the end of the day I felt comfortable telling them pretty much anything. Here is a picture of them on the train near the end of the day. Zhaoyi (on the right) was born in China but moved to Montreal when he was eleven. He is now trilingual (Mandarin, French, and English) and working on his bachelor's in electrical engineering. Chunjie (on the left) is also from China and is currently conducting post-doctoral research here in Darmstadt.
Once again, I have to emphasize how much I enjoy seeing the German countryside (here and here). It is really neat to see the landscape and communities along the railroad. In some cases the scenery is very familiar to home which is exciting, but in others it is completely different which is also exciting. Anyway, the first place we visited in Stuttgart was the Mercedes-Benz Museum (here and here). We had a lot of fun at the museum playing with statues (here), looking at the sweet cars (here), and checking out the fun exhibits (here and here). It was really neat to see the evolution of the automobile and some of the prototypes for things to come. The Mercedes-Benz Museum rocked. Afterward, apparently not having seen enough cars, we decided to check out the Porsche Museum which, while interesting, paled in coolness to the Mercedes-Benz Museum. Anyway, here is a picture of the outside of the complex and here is a picture of part of the main viewing room.
When we had finished with the museums, we headed to the very scenic Schlossgarten (here, here, here, and here). The weather was much nicer at this point in the day as compared to yesterday so there were a number of people out and about. On the opposite side of the Schloss, there was a plaza which was breathtaking. Here, here, here, and here are a few pictures. And, due to popular demand, here is a picture of me. Afterward, we walked through the old city and checked out the shops. Like I said, it was very busy. Here and here are a couple of pictures of a church we also checked out along the way. By this point, it was once again nearing the end of the day, so we started heading back. Here, here, and here are a few pictures I took of the countryside along the way. And to top off the day nicely, it just so happened that we sat next to a Professor of Theology from Marquette University (here) who was lecturing in Germany for a couple of weeks. We talked for about an hour, discussing really exciting things like the definition of the soul, what it means to be human, the political attitudes of Jesus, current events, his family, and my aspirations. Honestly, there is not much in life that pleases me more than constructive dialog, and I really cherish these sort of chance encounters. Eventually, we parted ways and we landed in Darmstadt. Perhaps you'll recognize this landmark?
Anyway, it was a really interesting, fulfilling, and tiring weekend. But, after Mass, running, some good food, laundry, and not much else today, I feel pretty recharged. I am not really sure what my plans for next week are. I may go on another day trip next weekend or perhaps I might try something a little bigger. Either way, the last weekend of June I will be going to Ireland with a few of my friends, and I can't wait. I am really thankful for all of my experiences and look forward to sharing them with you.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
"...unless you sing."
Since all of my coworkers are going to be in Austria on a working vacation from today until Sunday, I finished work for the week yesterday and am now in the first day of a four day weekend. Leading up to this weekend, I saw this four day period as a tremendous opportunity to travel. I looked into a number of options, but for one reason or another it appeared that my best option would be to see all of the major landmarks in Darmstadt on Thursday, visit and explore Frankfurt on Friday, take a day trip to somewhere else (still to be determined) on Saturday, and see what happens on Sunday.
Because I would not be traveling very early in the morning today, I was able to play six on six soccer with a few of my coworkers and some of their friends last night. Not having played a competitive team sport since the spring of 2006, and not having played competitive soccer for a few years before that, my soccer skills were a little rusty, but things went well overall. I was definitely rusty and made a number of silly mistakes including a hard collision with an opponent (probably still closer to football mode), but I was eventually able to get into the groove and even score a goal. Everyone took the game seriously, but everyone was kind and patient with me and others. I had a lot of fun and look forward to doing this regularly for the duration of my stay.
A few weeks ago on one of my first trips to the city center, I picked up a free guide to the city, "Sights of Darmstadt", which had an indexed map of the city which marked and described in German and English the major landmarks in Darmstadt. My plan was to see as many as time and energy permitted. I ended up walking to around twenty landmarks and took a good number of pictures, so I will try to be as brief as possible.
I started off mid-morning with perfect weather at the Luisenplatz (here), which is considered the center of the city. I then checked out the Hessian State Museum (here and here), but couldn't get in. Next, I went to Herrngarten (here), which was laid out as garden in the 16th century. Right next to the Herrngarten was the Porcelain Collection in Prince Georg Palace, but I did not go inside and instead enjoyed the amazing view (here and here).
After that, it was a fairly long walk to the Waldenspirale, but it was well worth the effort. The Waldenspiral is one of the weirdest buildings I have ever seen and apparently contains 105 apartments. Here, here, and here are a few pictures of the building, the last of which was taken from a nearby parking garage. For a while I tried to find a way onto the roof of the building as it looked like a continuous garden from afar and would provide an excellent view of the city. Eventually, I found one, but I don't believe it was the intended path as it required jumping over two short fences and walking through thick brush (here). Needless to say, after I getting a decent picture from the roof (here), I departed as quickly (and safely) as I could.
I then took a long walk to the Technical University of Darmstadt (here) where I ate lunch in the cafeteria (here). On my way to the House of History (here) which I explored briefly, I snapped a picture of the Darmstatium building (here) where I attended a conference last week. My next stop was the Market Square (here) where I also took a picture of the White Tower (here) which is apparently the landmark of the city center. After that, I checked out the City Church, which is the big red building in this picture. Inside, I chanced across an orchestra practicing (here) and listened out of site for a while. They were very good.
While I had explored many of the cites previously mentioned (I've tried to cut out the details for the sake of brevity), at this point I was losing steam so for the remainder of the sites that will be mentioned, I merely appreciated them from the outside. After the City Church, I went to the Pedagogy (here), and then I checked out the Old City Museum (here) which was neat. Afterward, I stopped by the Jugendstilbad (here) and then the Church of St. Ludwig (here). Keeping with the religious sites, I checked out the New Synagogue (here) which was finished the year I was born. My last stop for exploring the city was the State Theater (here).
On the way home, I stopped by the grocery store in the mall and was pretty much exhausted. My feet hurt, my back and right knee were sore from soccer, and I was hungry. As I was slowly walking through the isles, a song came on the store's loudspeaker, one that I knew very well. It was "Sing" by Travis, and it literally stopped me in my tracks. As I stood there, frozen, listening to the lyrics, a line really struck me. It read, "For the love you bring won't mean a thing unless you sing."The point it made to me was that no matter where I go and no matter how many neat things I see, they will mean nothing if I cannot share them. While I don't know if that was what the singer was going for, I do know that it was a very powerful experience and that I hope to be able to share my experience as much as possible.
Because I would not be traveling very early in the morning today, I was able to play six on six soccer with a few of my coworkers and some of their friends last night. Not having played a competitive team sport since the spring of 2006, and not having played competitive soccer for a few years before that, my soccer skills were a little rusty, but things went well overall. I was definitely rusty and made a number of silly mistakes including a hard collision with an opponent (probably still closer to football mode), but I was eventually able to get into the groove and even score a goal. Everyone took the game seriously, but everyone was kind and patient with me and others. I had a lot of fun and look forward to doing this regularly for the duration of my stay.
A few weeks ago on one of my first trips to the city center, I picked up a free guide to the city, "Sights of Darmstadt", which had an indexed map of the city which marked and described in German and English the major landmarks in Darmstadt. My plan was to see as many as time and energy permitted. I ended up walking to around twenty landmarks and took a good number of pictures, so I will try to be as brief as possible.
I started off mid-morning with perfect weather at the Luisenplatz (here), which is considered the center of the city. I then checked out the Hessian State Museum (here and here), but couldn't get in. Next, I went to Herrngarten (here), which was laid out as garden in the 16th century. Right next to the Herrngarten was the Porcelain Collection in Prince Georg Palace, but I did not go inside and instead enjoyed the amazing view (here and here).
After that, it was a fairly long walk to the Waldenspirale, but it was well worth the effort. The Waldenspiral is one of the weirdest buildings I have ever seen and apparently contains 105 apartments. Here, here, and here are a few pictures of the building, the last of which was taken from a nearby parking garage. For a while I tried to find a way onto the roof of the building as it looked like a continuous garden from afar and would provide an excellent view of the city. Eventually, I found one, but I don't believe it was the intended path as it required jumping over two short fences and walking through thick brush (here). Needless to say, after I getting a decent picture from the roof (here), I departed as quickly (and safely) as I could.
I then took a long walk to the Technical University of Darmstadt (here) where I ate lunch in the cafeteria (here). On my way to the House of History (here) which I explored briefly, I snapped a picture of the Darmstatium building (here) where I attended a conference last week. My next stop was the Market Square (here) where I also took a picture of the White Tower (here) which is apparently the landmark of the city center. After that, I checked out the City Church, which is the big red building in this picture. Inside, I chanced across an orchestra practicing (here) and listened out of site for a while. They were very good.
While I had explored many of the cites previously mentioned (I've tried to cut out the details for the sake of brevity), at this point I was losing steam so for the remainder of the sites that will be mentioned, I merely appreciated them from the outside. After the City Church, I went to the Pedagogy (here), and then I checked out the Old City Museum (here) which was neat. Afterward, I stopped by the Jugendstilbad (here) and then the Church of St. Ludwig (here). Keeping with the religious sites, I checked out the New Synagogue (here) which was finished the year I was born. My last stop for exploring the city was the State Theater (here).
On the way home, I stopped by the grocery store in the mall and was pretty much exhausted. My feet hurt, my back and right knee were sore from soccer, and I was hungry. As I was slowly walking through the isles, a song came on the store's loudspeaker, one that I knew very well. It was "Sing" by Travis, and it literally stopped me in my tracks. As I stood there, frozen, listening to the lyrics, a line really struck me. It read, "For the love you bring won't mean a thing unless you sing."The point it made to me was that no matter where I go and no matter how many neat things I see, they will mean nothing if I cannot share them. While I don't know if that was what the singer was going for, I do know that it was a very powerful experience and that I hope to be able to share my experience as much as possible.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
"They will see us waving from such great heights."
My day of travel to Köln (Cologne) began at 6:40 AM last Saturday. I ate some breakfast (peanut butter and banana sandwiches), met up with Ola (from the Schlossgrabenfest a few posts ago) at the trolley stop by our apartments, and went to the train station where we were to meet two other North American students who are also participating in the RISE program in Darmstadt. Adam is an electrical engineering student from John Brown University in Arkansas, and Peter is a mechanical engineering student from Mississippi State University. Here is a picture that Ola took later in the day (from left to right) of Adam, myself, and Peter. Since we had time before our first train departed, I walked around the station and took a few pictures. Here, here, and here are pictures of the hauptbahnhof (train station) in Darmstadt.
The train ride was not at all what I expected. In order to get cheap tickets, we agreed to travel on only "local" (or short distance) trains with multiple stops and two transfers along the way. This ended up turneing out nicely as we were able to see, at least briefly, a number of cities along the way. On the way to and from Köln, we transferred trains in Mainz and Koblenz and made a stop in Bonn among other cities. Since we had some (a little) time in Mainz, I ran out into the plaza in front of the hauptbahnhof in order to get some good pictures of the city. Here and here are a couple. Our train was delayed in between Mainz and Koblenz, so we ended up having a window of only a few minutes to find and get to our next train at the Koblenz Hauptbahnhof. Naturally, a dramatic dash through the train station (straight out of Hollywood) ensued, complete with a jump over two girls to the bottom of an escalator (earning an awed "Whoa!" from both) followed by a sprint to the train doors as they were closing. [Don't worry. No animals (or humans) were harmed (or ever in danger) in the making of this adventure.] I had a good laugh when, after several minutes of being in the train and a few past the departure time (still with an accelerated heartbeat), we hadn't yet left the station. Apparently, that train also had delays, so the rush was unnecessary.
The highlight of my trip, perhaps even more than Köln itself which I will get to later, was the German countryside. As our train paralleled the Rhein for much of the trip, I was able to see a number of breathtaking river valleys, beautiful river towns, and impressive castles and monuments. Here, here, and here are pictures of some of the communities we passed along the way. [As a side note, the German government is shutting down a lot of their nuclear reactors which has brought both lavish praise and stern condemnation, making it a big issue in their upcoming elections.] But the castles! Oh the castles! Here, here, here, still here, here, and here are a few of the many pictures I took of them along the Rhein. It would be interesting to learn about the history of each of them and thoroughly explore them, but one can only do so much. I think that I will make a conscious effort to explore at least one castle extensively while I am here. Oh, and did you notice that they farm even on the steep banks of the river valley? Also, is the symbol on this flag on our family crest? In any case, here is a picture of my three companions. They were all very easy to talk to.
When we finally reached Köln (thanks for being a good sport and reading all this), one of the first things we noticed was the Dom, which dominated the skyline (here). Honestly, when I exited the train station (which was right next to the Dom) and first cast my eyes upon the Dom, I was short of breath at the shear immensity of it. Here, here, and here are few pictures. As a little history, the Dom was finished in 1880, and at 157 meters tall, was the tallest building in the world until the Washington Monument surpassed it in 1884. According to Let's Go: Germany, "Today, construction continues to repair the damage wrought by WWII and centuries of pollution, pigeons, and acid rain." So, in honor of the historical nature of the Dom, I had my friends take this picture, so that I could ask the question, "Where's Michael?" in honor of the Where's Waldo? series that I really enjoyed as a child. Were you able to find me?
We toured the inside of the church, and while I did not want to take many inside, here and here are two. Apparently, the Dom houses the remains of the Three Kings (of the Bible), so I definitely took a picture at Shrine of the Magi here. But, perhaps the highlight (no pun intended) of touring the Dom was the 509 stair trip to the top of the south tower and look down at the town below. The stairs were very narrow with no railing on the way up and unfortunately, there was writing all over the walls (here, here, and here). I am really surprised how close they let us get to the edge (here, here, and here)...
In all seriousness, here is a picture of the barrier. The view from the top was great and the weather was perfect. On the way down we stopped in the belfry (here).
After seeing all of the Dom, we traveled to a few other sites in the city: an excavated Roman barracks (here, here, and here) and an excavated Jewish settlement that is one of the oldest in Germany (here). We also walked down to the Rhein and took a few pictures. Here, here, and here are a few.
Eventually, we began our return journey to Darmstadt after a very long day. But, I did manage to take some more photos of the journey, some of which I will share with you here, here, and here; still here, here, and here; and finally here, here, and here. Finally, here and here are some pictures of Mainz, the city where I had my Hollywood adventure.
I am so glad that I was able to visit Köln. More importantly, I am glad that I was able to make a few friends. We will be seeing each other over the summer and going on a lot more adventures. I will forever remember my first serious excursion during my summer in Germany.
The train ride was not at all what I expected. In order to get cheap tickets, we agreed to travel on only "local" (or short distance) trains with multiple stops and two transfers along the way. This ended up turneing out nicely as we were able to see, at least briefly, a number of cities along the way. On the way to and from Köln, we transferred trains in Mainz and Koblenz and made a stop in Bonn among other cities. Since we had some (a little) time in Mainz, I ran out into the plaza in front of the hauptbahnhof in order to get some good pictures of the city. Here and here are a couple. Our train was delayed in between Mainz and Koblenz, so we ended up having a window of only a few minutes to find and get to our next train at the Koblenz Hauptbahnhof. Naturally, a dramatic dash through the train station (straight out of Hollywood) ensued, complete with a jump over two girls to the bottom of an escalator (earning an awed "Whoa!" from both) followed by a sprint to the train doors as they were closing. [Don't worry. No animals (or humans) were harmed (or ever in danger) in the making of this adventure.] I had a good laugh when, after several minutes of being in the train and a few past the departure time (still with an accelerated heartbeat), we hadn't yet left the station. Apparently, that train also had delays, so the rush was unnecessary.
The highlight of my trip, perhaps even more than Köln itself which I will get to later, was the German countryside. As our train paralleled the Rhein for much of the trip, I was able to see a number of breathtaking river valleys, beautiful river towns, and impressive castles and monuments. Here, here, and here are pictures of some of the communities we passed along the way. [As a side note, the German government is shutting down a lot of their nuclear reactors which has brought both lavish praise and stern condemnation, making it a big issue in their upcoming elections.] But the castles! Oh the castles! Here, here, here, still here, here, and here are a few of the many pictures I took of them along the Rhein. It would be interesting to learn about the history of each of them and thoroughly explore them, but one can only do so much. I think that I will make a conscious effort to explore at least one castle extensively while I am here. Oh, and did you notice that they farm even on the steep banks of the river valley? Also, is the symbol on this flag on our family crest? In any case, here is a picture of my three companions. They were all very easy to talk to.
When we finally reached Köln (thanks for being a good sport and reading all this), one of the first things we noticed was the Dom, which dominated the skyline (here). Honestly, when I exited the train station (which was right next to the Dom) and first cast my eyes upon the Dom, I was short of breath at the shear immensity of it. Here, here, and here are few pictures. As a little history, the Dom was finished in 1880, and at 157 meters tall, was the tallest building in the world until the Washington Monument surpassed it in 1884. According to Let's Go: Germany, "Today, construction continues to repair the damage wrought by WWII and centuries of pollution, pigeons, and acid rain." So, in honor of the historical nature of the Dom, I had my friends take this picture, so that I could ask the question, "Where's Michael?" in honor of the Where's Waldo? series that I really enjoyed as a child. Were you able to find me?
We toured the inside of the church, and while I did not want to take many inside, here and here are two. Apparently, the Dom houses the remains of the Three Kings (of the Bible), so I definitely took a picture at Shrine of the Magi here. But, perhaps the highlight (no pun intended) of touring the Dom was the 509 stair trip to the top of the south tower and look down at the town below. The stairs were very narrow with no railing on the way up and unfortunately, there was writing all over the walls (here, here, and here). I am really surprised how close they let us get to the edge (here, here, and here)...
In all seriousness, here is a picture of the barrier. The view from the top was great and the weather was perfect. On the way down we stopped in the belfry (here).
After seeing all of the Dom, we traveled to a few other sites in the city: an excavated Roman barracks (here, here, and here) and an excavated Jewish settlement that is one of the oldest in Germany (here). We also walked down to the Rhein and took a few pictures. Here, here, and here are a few.
Eventually, we began our return journey to Darmstadt after a very long day. But, I did manage to take some more photos of the journey, some of which I will share with you here, here, and here; still here, here, and here; and finally here, here, and here. Finally, here and here are some pictures of Mainz, the city where I had my Hollywood adventure.
I am so glad that I was able to visit Köln. More importantly, I am glad that I was able to make a few friends. We will be seeing each other over the summer and going on a lot more adventures. I will forever remember my first serious excursion during my summer in Germany.
Friday, June 6, 2008
"It's a rare condition, this day and age..."
Guten tag!
As I mentioned before, the events of Sunday were definitely the highlight of my weekend. I went to Mass in the morning at Liebfrauen, a Catholic Church here within walking distance of my apartment. Here is a view of the entrance to the church, here is a view of the side of the church, and here is a view of the altar. I ate some lunch on the way back to the room where I messed around for a couple of hours until I left in the mid afternoon for dinner with Regine and her family at her home. As her house is at the opposite end of Darmstadt, it was about a thirty minute trolley ride and fifteen minute walk away which allowed me to see much of the city.
When I arrived, Regine's parents and one of her brothers were approaching the house. Here is a picture of them arriving. After I made my presence known, I was led to the back yard, where I met Regine's husband and their 22 month old son. The whole backyard area was really cool. They had their own well and garden, and the grass was like that of a golf course. Here is a picture of the backyard from the back of the house, and here is a picture of the back of the house from the backyard. Notice the sleepwalking gnome on the roof.
The food they served was wonderful (here and here), but even more so were the people. They were more than willing to share their stories with me and were genuinely interested in my thoughts and opinions. Being around such a warm family at dinner was definitely a taste of home. Both Regine, who is from Germany, and her husband, who is from the Czech Republic, are structural engineers with specialties in steel construction. Her father has been an engineering technician most of his life. Her mother is and expert gardener, but works in a different profession. Regine's brother Frank is in the final year of his "diploma" studies, which is the equivalent to our master's degree. As it turns out, Frank, who is about my age, spent the Fall 2006 and Spring 2007 semesters at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, my freshman year! Perhaps he and I may have passed each other on the Quad and not even known it. What a small world!
Here is a picture (from left to right) of Regine's mother, Regine herself, Regine's husband, and Frank, her brother. Here is a picture of Regine's father and her son with the shed for the well in the background. There had been some heavy rain and wind a few days before, so I helped move the shed back into it's original place. Here is a picture of the whole group plus a neighbor girl who spoke Spanish and German. Once again, I got to use Spanish. Perhaps the pervasiveness of Spanish (or any language for that matter) is only visible if one is open to finding and using it. For me, who doesn't speak very much German, Spanish is a welcome respite. And just to share a few more photos, here is a picture of the neighbors' houses, and here is another picture of Regine's son, who by the end finally warmed up to me.
After dinner, I was offered to be dropped off at a trolley station near my apartment. Regine's father drove while Regine's mother, Frank, and myself rode. [As a side note, his experience as an engineering technician has granted him the ability to drive the same Mercedes Benz car for over thirty years, and it is now considered a "historical" vehicle, earning it a special license plate. Here is a picture of it.] And to top things off, Frank showed me which trolley to take back to my apartment and also offered to hang out during while I in Darmstadt.
The whole family was so nice. I am extremely grateful for their generosity and openness. I will be sure to do the same if someone, especially one from another culture or country, visits me. Like I said before, my experience this Sunday has been, on a personal level, the highlight of my trip.
Among other things, it appears that I will be visiting the city of Köln tommorow with a few of the North American students who are also working in Darmstadt through the RISE program. As this will be my first trip within Germany, I am very excited to see how this goes. I'll be sure to keep you posted!
As I mentioned before, the events of Sunday were definitely the highlight of my weekend. I went to Mass in the morning at Liebfrauen, a Catholic Church here within walking distance of my apartment. Here is a view of the entrance to the church, here is a view of the side of the church, and here is a view of the altar. I ate some lunch on the way back to the room where I messed around for a couple of hours until I left in the mid afternoon for dinner with Regine and her family at her home. As her house is at the opposite end of Darmstadt, it was about a thirty minute trolley ride and fifteen minute walk away which allowed me to see much of the city.
When I arrived, Regine's parents and one of her brothers were approaching the house. Here is a picture of them arriving. After I made my presence known, I was led to the back yard, where I met Regine's husband and their 22 month old son. The whole backyard area was really cool. They had their own well and garden, and the grass was like that of a golf course. Here is a picture of the backyard from the back of the house, and here is a picture of the back of the house from the backyard. Notice the sleepwalking gnome on the roof.
The food they served was wonderful (here and here), but even more so were the people. They were more than willing to share their stories with me and were genuinely interested in my thoughts and opinions. Being around such a warm family at dinner was definitely a taste of home. Both Regine, who is from Germany, and her husband, who is from the Czech Republic, are structural engineers with specialties in steel construction. Her father has been an engineering technician most of his life. Her mother is and expert gardener, but works in a different profession. Regine's brother Frank is in the final year of his "diploma" studies, which is the equivalent to our master's degree. As it turns out, Frank, who is about my age, spent the Fall 2006 and Spring 2007 semesters at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, my freshman year! Perhaps he and I may have passed each other on the Quad and not even known it. What a small world!
Here is a picture (from left to right) of Regine's mother, Regine herself, Regine's husband, and Frank, her brother. Here is a picture of Regine's father and her son with the shed for the well in the background. There had been some heavy rain and wind a few days before, so I helped move the shed back into it's original place. Here is a picture of the whole group plus a neighbor girl who spoke Spanish and German. Once again, I got to use Spanish. Perhaps the pervasiveness of Spanish (or any language for that matter) is only visible if one is open to finding and using it. For me, who doesn't speak very much German, Spanish is a welcome respite. And just to share a few more photos, here is a picture of the neighbors' houses, and here is another picture of Regine's son, who by the end finally warmed up to me.
After dinner, I was offered to be dropped off at a trolley station near my apartment. Regine's father drove while Regine's mother, Frank, and myself rode. [As a side note, his experience as an engineering technician has granted him the ability to drive the same Mercedes Benz car for over thirty years, and it is now considered a "historical" vehicle, earning it a special license plate. Here is a picture of it.] And to top things off, Frank showed me which trolley to take back to my apartment and also offered to hang out during while I in Darmstadt.
The whole family was so nice. I am extremely grateful for their generosity and openness. I will be sure to do the same if someone, especially one from another culture or country, visits me. Like I said before, my experience this Sunday has been, on a personal level, the highlight of my trip.
Among other things, it appears that I will be visiting the city of Köln tommorow with a few of the North American students who are also working in Darmstadt through the RISE program. As this will be my first trip within Germany, I am very excited to see how this goes. I'll be sure to keep you posted!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
"The boulevard is not that bad."
Hello everyone.
Last Friday after work I went to the Schlossgrabenfest, a free music festival here in Darmstadt. Since I went so early in the evening, there wasn't yet much of a crowd so it wasn't all that interesting, but on the upside I was able to take some pictures (of a really cool building here, for example), eat dinner, and pick up groceries.
After sleeping in on Saturday, I went running in the forest which is right next to campus (seen in the distance here). As it had rained a few hours earlier and was nice and cool, I was flying. For better or worse, I did not bring a watch or a compass with me, so after a while (although I still felt good), I realized that I had lost my sense of direction and had no idea how long I had been running. So, I stopped in order to get my bearings, only to realize that I still had no idea where I was and that I was actually pretty tired. But, I had no choice but to keep moving (albeit at a slower pace) in the hopes of running into someone who could give me directions. Eventually, I chanced across an elderly German couple and was able to ascertain the general direction of campus. I made it back to my room, ate some lunch, and did my laundry.
By the time I had finished those activities, the time was drawing near for me to head to the trolley stop at Schloss where I was to meet another North American student (who is working in Darmstadt through the RISE program) and her coworkers and go once again to the Schlossgrabenfest. While I was waiting for the others to arrive, I ate dinner a place called "Ye Babam Ye", but I am not really sure of what ethnicity it was. For my meal, I ordered something (I can't remember the name exactly, but the picture of it is here) and it was delicious! Here is a picture of one of the workers preparing it for me.
Unlike the department I am working in where everyone is German and therefore primarily speaks German, Ola's (my North American counterpart's) department has individuals from Italy, France, Iran, and China in addition to Germany. Because of their diversity, the common language was English, which was extremely convenient for me. Here is a shot of some of the group. I failed to get one of everybody, but you live and learn, I guess. In any case, they were warm to me and were and fun group to be around despite the short period of rain (here and here). We listened to a few bands, the best of which was a German-Reggae group that played a number of fun songs including covers of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal", U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday", Bob Marley, and The Killers. Also, I had my first Mojito (in honor of my days as a vice cop in Miami) from a Brazilian beverage hut, and once again needed to use Spanish to sort things out.
Overall, I had a very good Saturday, but the highlight of my weekend occurred on Sunday which will be described in the following post. Until then, tschüs!
Last Friday after work I went to the Schlossgrabenfest, a free music festival here in Darmstadt. Since I went so early in the evening, there wasn't yet much of a crowd so it wasn't all that interesting, but on the upside I was able to take some pictures (of a really cool building here, for example), eat dinner, and pick up groceries.
After sleeping in on Saturday, I went running in the forest which is right next to campus (seen in the distance here). As it had rained a few hours earlier and was nice and cool, I was flying. For better or worse, I did not bring a watch or a compass with me, so after a while (although I still felt good), I realized that I had lost my sense of direction and had no idea how long I had been running. So, I stopped in order to get my bearings, only to realize that I still had no idea where I was and that I was actually pretty tired. But, I had no choice but to keep moving (albeit at a slower pace) in the hopes of running into someone who could give me directions. Eventually, I chanced across an elderly German couple and was able to ascertain the general direction of campus. I made it back to my room, ate some lunch, and did my laundry.
By the time I had finished those activities, the time was drawing near for me to head to the trolley stop at Schloss where I was to meet another North American student (who is working in Darmstadt through the RISE program) and her coworkers and go once again to the Schlossgrabenfest. While I was waiting for the others to arrive, I ate dinner a place called "Ye Babam Ye", but I am not really sure of what ethnicity it was. For my meal, I ordered something (I can't remember the name exactly, but the picture of it is here) and it was delicious! Here is a picture of one of the workers preparing it for me.
Unlike the department I am working in where everyone is German and therefore primarily speaks German, Ola's (my North American counterpart's) department has individuals from Italy, France, Iran, and China in addition to Germany. Because of their diversity, the common language was English, which was extremely convenient for me. Here is a shot of some of the group. I failed to get one of everybody, but you live and learn, I guess. In any case, they were warm to me and were and fun group to be around despite the short period of rain (here and here). We listened to a few bands, the best of which was a German-Reggae group that played a number of fun songs including covers of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal", U2's "Sunday Bloody Sunday", Bob Marley, and The Killers. Also, I had my first Mojito (in honor of my days as a vice cop in Miami) from a Brazilian beverage hut, and once again needed to use Spanish to sort things out.
Overall, I had a very good Saturday, but the highlight of my weekend occurred on Sunday which will be described in the following post. Until then, tschüs!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)