Hello everyone!
After a long delay, I'm back! Hopefully you haven't been holding your breath. I had hoped to finish the blog earlier, but with family and friends in town for the last two weeks and with a trip to St. Louis for a concert with my brother, I was unable to get to it. I'm sorry if this delay has worried any of you. I am currently in good health and happiness at home.
When we left off, it was my last full day in Darmstadt, and on the following day (Thursday July 31st) I would be heading to Berlin for one final adventure before the end of my travels in Europe. I had no problems with the checkout from my room, although saying "goodbye" at my place of work took longer than I had expected. With my luggage in hand and on back, I took the trolleys through Darmstadt to the train station. From there, I took a train to Frankfurt and then another to Berlin. As always, the view of the countryside was enjoyable. I arrived at the Berlin train station around 5:30 PM local time, taking the S-Bahn across town to a stop near Three Little Pigs, my hostel. As it turned out, the hostel was connected to a Catholic church which made going to Mass on Sunday much easier. After I had checked in, I ate some dinner in Mitte at a nearby Italian restaurant and then returned to the hostel to make plans for the following day.
On Friday morning, I woke up at 7:00 AM, eating breakfast at the cheap and delicious buffet in the hostel. I would need all the energy I could get as I did more walking that day than my longest day of walking in Paris. I first walked northwest along Stresemannstrasse to Potsdamer Platz and then north along the eastern edge of the Tiergarten past the Brandenburger Tor to the Reichstag, the place of the German parliament where a fire helped bring Hitler to power. After about an hour in line, I gained entrance to the building and was allowed access to the roof where I would enjoy the view of the surrounding area and the solar cone which gives power to the building. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to tour any other parts of the building. Afterward, I went back to the Brandenburger Tor where President Reagan gave a famous speech in 1987. Next I walked through the Tiergarten along the Strasse des 17 Juni, stopping by a Soviet war memorial along the way toward the Victory Column where Senator Obama gave a speech to 200,000 people just a week earlier. After exploring the grounds surrounding the Victory Column and taking a break in the shade, I set off for the Tiergarten S-Bahn stop and took that all the way to Alexanderplatz where I visited Neptune's Founatain and the base of a large communications tower, also stopping for a snack along the way. Next I walked southwest to the Berliner Dom and Rotes Rathaus. After touring the inside of the these buildings, I went to Babel Platz, the location of the infamous book burning done by the Nazis during their reign of terror. Then I went south to Checkpoint Charlie which didn't have any of the original Berlin Wall remaining as I had anticipated, but the location did have a museum which described the resistance against and escape from Soviet occupation during and after the construction of the Berlin Wall. Eventually, I went to the northeast part of the city to the Berliner Mauer Dokumentationzentrum which was right next to a long stretch of the original Berlin Wall. By this point it was getting late in the evening and I was quite tired and hungry. Luckily, I was able to find a market where I bought some snacks for immediate use and for the next few days. I ate dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant and then proceeded to head back to the room.
On Saturday morning, I again woke up early and ate breakfast at the hostel. I would travel to the nearby town of Oranienburg that day to see KZ Sachsenhausen, a Nazi concentration camp where, accoring to Let's Go: Germany, more than "100,000 Jews, communists, intellectuals, gypsies, and homosexuals were killed between 1936 and 1945." Needless to say, it was a mostly somber experience and often sorrowful. I was able to see the various methods of containment, the barren grounds, the cramped bathrooms and sleeping quarters, the monument of the Soviets who later used the camp as a detention center, various sytems of execution, the experimental "medical" wards, among other things. It was a really sobering and absolutely worthwhile experience. Afterward, I ate a late lunch at a local grocery store before taking the one hour train ride back to the city center. After dropping off my things at the hostel, I decided for dinner that evening I would jump onto a random train going an unknown direction within the city, get off after a random number of stops, and attempt to find dinner without the aid of a map or locals. Eventually, I settled on a Turkish meal outside one of the stations. After finishing my meal, I returned to the hostel in order to prepare for my final full day in Berlin.
On Sunday morning, after once again eating breakfast early at the hostel, I set out to visit the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, nickednamed "the hallow tooth" by Berliners. Apparently the original building was damaged during WWII and the more modern buildings were build a few decades later. Unfortunately, the church was closed for exploration on Sundays, go figure. After exploring the area surrounding the church, I traveled back to the Tiergarten, this time to first explore the Zoologischer Garten, Germany's oldest zoo. There were a huge number of animals of all shapes and sizes. Particularly enjoyable was the Aquarium which housed creatures ranging from sea crabs to eels to crocodiles to walking sticks. I don't know if it was because I was extremely hungry or because of the spider and centipede exhibits, but at some point I began to get "the chills" and was a little woozy. After getting a snack, however, I felt a lot better and did some more exploring of the zoo, seeing the lions and elephants, among others. Afterward, I took the S-Bahn across town to the German Technical Museum, stopping for another snack along the way. The museum had a variety of exhibits ranging from engines to aircraft to weapons to wind power. After dinner and Mass (with sufficient time in between, of course), I went back to the dorm tired after three days of walking around in a row.
On Monday morning, I ate breakfast for the last time at the hostel, and this time I was joined by a group of German geography students and their professor who were on a class trip to Berlin and the surrounding areas. During my stay at the hostel, I had a few really good discussions with one of the students who had lived in Iceland and India, doing research on organic farming. On that note, I ought to note that during my stay at the hostel I had conversations individuals from a number of different countries including Germany, Ireland, England, and Australia. It was always enjoyable to hear their perspectives. After checking out of the hostel, I took the S-Bahn to the main station and boarded a train for Frankfurt. My last major adventure in Germany was over.
In preparation for my flight back to the US early the following morning, I stayed at a budget hotel that had shuttle service to and from the airport. While the places I had stayed in previously had all been clean and comfortable, this one was much nicer than I was used to. Since the hotel was far removed from the city center, there wasn't much to do in the surrounding area, so I ate dinner, went back to the hotel, watched a movie, prepared my bags, and went to bed early. I had no trouble getting to the airport the following, and although my gate was changed at the last minute, I had no trouble boarding the plane either. On the flight, I spoke to an older gentleman who has traveled the world, working in the grain market and distributing farming equipment. It was an odd mix of emotions leaving Germany. I think that after several weeks of work and travel, I had been ready to come home for some then, but I always knew that while I was there I should try to make the most of my opportunities. After nearly nine hours in the air, I landed in Chicago and was greeted by a joyful father and brother. I was so glad to see them.
Wow. What a summer! I don't think that I could have possibly anticipated, even as the summer progressed, all the great people I would meet, the interesting places I would visit, and the experiences I would have. Being home the last couple of weeks reminded of me how much I missed without my friends and family this summer but also of how much I was able to experience on my own. I am so thankful to have had this great opportunity and to have had the support of such wonderful people back home and abroad. I will be forever grateful to the efforts of the students and staff at the Institute for Steel Construction and Materials Mechanics, most especially those of Professor Lange, whose efforts made this opportunity possible, and of Regine Schneider, whose patience and generosity helped make my living and working in Germany so pleasant and fulfilling. Thank you all for following and supporting me during my experience this summer.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
"Yeah the truth is that I miss you so."
Like I promised yesterday, I will today, my last full day in Darmstadt, be writing about my experiences in and around Munich with my parents, so here goes!
My flight from Riga to Munich proceeded without incident, and I arrived in Munich on Monday, July 21st around 1:30 PM, roughly two hours before my parents. I found a grocery store in the airport and made a big lunch for myself. My parents and I had established a number of plans to find one another at the airport, and in the end I ended up waiting for them at the exit to their gate. With a swift "Kehoe Whistle" contact was established. Mom and Dad were very tired after nearly a day of travel but were overjoyed to see me. It was great to see them as well. We took a train from the airport to the main train station in Munich, and then walked to our hotel which was extremely close. After settling in, we went to dinner at Augustiner, a famous biergarten, and ended up running into some students from the University of Indiana who had been studying in London earlier in the summer. After dinner, everyone was pretty tired so we went back to the hotel to get a good night's sleep.
On Tueday, we all got up for breakfast in the hotel and then walked to the city center to see the sights. After stopping at an outdoor cafe, we went to the Deutchesmuseum, exploring the various exhibits concerning aviation, power generation, and the environment, among others. It was a pretty cool place with more to see than could be done in a single afternoon. Afterward, we regrouped back at the hotel and then went to dinner at Rechthaler, a restaurant near the train station. After dinner, we returned to the hotel to relax, playing cards and watching the BBC.
On Wednesday, we took our first of two day trips. After some breakfast, we took a train through the beautiful countryside with a tour group to Schloss Neuschwanstein, a castle built (but never fully finished) in the late 1800's for Ludwig II of Bavaria. I can understand why it is supposedly the number one tourist attraction in Germany as the the castle and surrounding area were quite beautiful. After checking out a nearby lake, we took a bus up the mountain, and then walked to a bridge that overlooked the castle and the surrounding area. The bridge was extremely crowded and the wooden planks did a lot of moving around when people walked on them, which made Mom pretty uncomfortable. Despite (or perhaps because of) the spotty weather, the view from the bridge was great. After a little while, we walked down to the castle itself and embarked on a guided tour of the inside. Sorry, but no pictures were allowed of the inside. Once again, the view of the surrounding area was marvelous. While I always really enjoy castles (and this was certainly no exception), I was shocked by house gratuitously lavish the decorations were. For example, in the master bedroom, Ludwig had fifteen wood carvers working for four years on his bed alone! Since the castle was initially designed by a theatrical set designer and not an architect, I think that Ludwig's priorities were pretty clear. Having said all that, it was by far my favorite castle I had ever seen although I had only seen three other castles up close before that. After a while, we returned to the hotel and then went to dinner at Andescher am Dom, a restaurant with tables looking out on a busy pedestrian courtyard. For dinner, we sat down at a table of six where three other people were already dining. They spoke in a foreign language that I eventually recognized to be Spanish. Eventually, I decided to see where they were from (northern Spain near the border of Portugal) and ended up having a forty five minute conversation with them, even talking to their youngest son (who is an architect) on the phone. It was a very pleasant (but exhausting) exchange. After dinner we went back to the hotel for the night.
On Thursday after breakfast again at the hotel, we began a bus tour of Munich, seeing many of the famous sights of Munich as well as getting off and exploring a few of the more interesting places. We visited the Palace of Nymphenburg where we explored the grounds even ran into the Spaniards from the previous evening! We also took Where's Michael? and Where's Kevin? pictures for you to enjoy. Can you find us? Another site that we visited was the Olympic Park which was created for the 1972 Olympics. While here, we once again explored the grounds, going to the top of a tower for a great view of the city and also eating some lunch despite the bees that were extremely interested in our beverages. The final site we visited was the Schwabing/Siegestor, walking to the English Garden where we enjoyed a drink under a Chinese tower. After finishing the tour, we ate dinner at Bratwurstherzl and had a drink at the Hofbrauhaus, eventually returning to our rooms once again.
On Friday, after once again eating breakfast at the hotel, we took our final day trip, this time via train to Salzburg, Austria. Along the way, we had to take a detour involving a crowded bus because one of the cars in a train on the track in front of us caught fire. On the bus, Dad lost his hat. This might be the last picture taken of my father with the hat. On the bright side of things, as you will see Dad did get a pretty good replacement once in Salzburg. When we arrived in Salzburg, our guide took us through the city and then we were free to explore by ourselves for a few hours. On a hill overlooking the city was by far my favorite castle to date, Festung Hohensalzburg, and it was there that my parents and I, along with a grandmother and her granddaughter from The States whom we befriended at Nueshwanstein, would spend the majority of our free exploring time. The reason I like this castle so much more than the others is because it was so formidable with very little parts of the structure built purely for aesthetics. Plus, it was by far the most zed-proof castle I have seen, complete with gates, cannons, and a well. All things considered, Salzburg was a really neat city and Austria was probably the most beautiful country I have ever seen. Eventually we took a train back to Munich, this time without any delays or transfers, and then ate dinner at Nurnberger Bratwurst Glockl am Dom. What a mouthful! Dinner would once again be our last major activity for the evening.
On Saturday, our final full day in Munich, we decided to check out some of the museums we had seen during the tour on Thursday. We traveled via electric trolley which was a fun experience. First, we went to the Alte Pinakothek, which has art from the 13th to the 18th centuries. After spending a couple of hours seeing the various displays, we ate lunch at Tresznjewski, a restaurant near the museums. When we had finished, we started making our way to our next and final museum of the day, the Neue Pinakothek which focuses on 17th and 18th century European art including art from Leonardo da Vinci, Claude Monet, and Vincent van Gogh. It is always pretty amazing to be able to get so close to the work of such famous people. After seeing all the rooms in the museum, we made our way back to the part of the town where we were staying, getting a drink and a snack at a biergarten on Augustinerstrasse while waiting for Mass. We went to Mass at a Jesuit church named after St. Michael. It was a beautiful service. After Mass we ate some dinner before heading back to the hotel. Mom and Dad had a really early morning the following day so we tried to get to sleep as soon as possible. Speaking of sleep, even though our hotel was near the train station and even though we had to sleep with the windows open due to the heat, we were able to get a lot of sleep thanks to Mom bringing ear plugs. Mom and Dad woke up the next morning at 3AM and were out the door before 4AM. After seeing them off, I continued to sleep until eight o'clock, ate some breakfast, and checked out of the room in time for my 9:39 AM train back to Darmstadt.
It was really great to see Mom and Dad again. While this may sound cheesy, the highlight of the trip for me was not the awesome castle in Salzburg or the beautiful countryside but rather being able to spend some time catching up with my parents. I know that I learned a lot about their history that I had either forgotten or never knew in the first place, and I think that they learned some things about me as well. More generally, we had a really good time simply hanging out. I am thankful that I have two such wonderful parents with whom I can get along so well.
As I mentioned before, today is my last full day in Darmstadt. It is hard to believe how quickly things have been going, but my summer in Europe is not quite over yet. After checking out of my apartment and taking care of a couple of other administrative issues, I will be leaving for Berlin where I will remain for a few days. On August 4th, I will travel to Frankfurt in preparation for my flight to the US which is the following day. As this will be my longest trip by myself and as I will be exploring such a historical city, I am very much looking forward to this last adventure before my European experience ends. I will update you when I can, although I do not know whether that will be in the hostel in Berlin, the hotel in Frankfurt, or my room at home. In any case, I look forward to seeing how this goes and sharing my experiences with you!
My flight from Riga to Munich proceeded without incident, and I arrived in Munich on Monday, July 21st around 1:30 PM, roughly two hours before my parents. I found a grocery store in the airport and made a big lunch for myself. My parents and I had established a number of plans to find one another at the airport, and in the end I ended up waiting for them at the exit to their gate. With a swift "Kehoe Whistle" contact was established. Mom and Dad were very tired after nearly a day of travel but were overjoyed to see me. It was great to see them as well. We took a train from the airport to the main train station in Munich, and then walked to our hotel which was extremely close. After settling in, we went to dinner at Augustiner, a famous biergarten, and ended up running into some students from the University of Indiana who had been studying in London earlier in the summer. After dinner, everyone was pretty tired so we went back to the hotel to get a good night's sleep.
On Tueday, we all got up for breakfast in the hotel and then walked to the city center to see the sights. After stopping at an outdoor cafe, we went to the Deutchesmuseum, exploring the various exhibits concerning aviation, power generation, and the environment, among others. It was a pretty cool place with more to see than could be done in a single afternoon. Afterward, we regrouped back at the hotel and then went to dinner at Rechthaler, a restaurant near the train station. After dinner, we returned to the hotel to relax, playing cards and watching the BBC.
On Wednesday, we took our first of two day trips. After some breakfast, we took a train through the beautiful countryside with a tour group to Schloss Neuschwanstein, a castle built (but never fully finished) in the late 1800's for Ludwig II of Bavaria. I can understand why it is supposedly the number one tourist attraction in Germany as the the castle and surrounding area were quite beautiful. After checking out a nearby lake, we took a bus up the mountain, and then walked to a bridge that overlooked the castle and the surrounding area. The bridge was extremely crowded and the wooden planks did a lot of moving around when people walked on them, which made Mom pretty uncomfortable. Despite (or perhaps because of) the spotty weather, the view from the bridge was great. After a little while, we walked down to the castle itself and embarked on a guided tour of the inside. Sorry, but no pictures were allowed of the inside. Once again, the view of the surrounding area was marvelous. While I always really enjoy castles (and this was certainly no exception), I was shocked by house gratuitously lavish the decorations were. For example, in the master bedroom, Ludwig had fifteen wood carvers working for four years on his bed alone! Since the castle was initially designed by a theatrical set designer and not an architect, I think that Ludwig's priorities were pretty clear. Having said all that, it was by far my favorite castle I had ever seen although I had only seen three other castles up close before that. After a while, we returned to the hotel and then went to dinner at Andescher am Dom, a restaurant with tables looking out on a busy pedestrian courtyard. For dinner, we sat down at a table of six where three other people were already dining. They spoke in a foreign language that I eventually recognized to be Spanish. Eventually, I decided to see where they were from (northern Spain near the border of Portugal) and ended up having a forty five minute conversation with them, even talking to their youngest son (who is an architect) on the phone. It was a very pleasant (but exhausting) exchange. After dinner we went back to the hotel for the night.
On Thursday after breakfast again at the hotel, we began a bus tour of Munich, seeing many of the famous sights of Munich as well as getting off and exploring a few of the more interesting places. We visited the Palace of Nymphenburg where we explored the grounds even ran into the Spaniards from the previous evening! We also took Where's Michael? and Where's Kevin? pictures for you to enjoy. Can you find us? Another site that we visited was the Olympic Park which was created for the 1972 Olympics. While here, we once again explored the grounds, going to the top of a tower for a great view of the city and also eating some lunch despite the bees that were extremely interested in our beverages. The final site we visited was the Schwabing/Siegestor, walking to the English Garden where we enjoyed a drink under a Chinese tower. After finishing the tour, we ate dinner at Bratwurstherzl and had a drink at the Hofbrauhaus, eventually returning to our rooms once again.
On Friday, after once again eating breakfast at the hotel, we took our final day trip, this time via train to Salzburg, Austria. Along the way, we had to take a detour involving a crowded bus because one of the cars in a train on the track in front of us caught fire. On the bus, Dad lost his hat. This might be the last picture taken of my father with the hat. On the bright side of things, as you will see Dad did get a pretty good replacement once in Salzburg. When we arrived in Salzburg, our guide took us through the city and then we were free to explore by ourselves for a few hours. On a hill overlooking the city was by far my favorite castle to date, Festung Hohensalzburg, and it was there that my parents and I, along with a grandmother and her granddaughter from The States whom we befriended at Nueshwanstein, would spend the majority of our free exploring time. The reason I like this castle so much more than the others is because it was so formidable with very little parts of the structure built purely for aesthetics. Plus, it was by far the most zed-proof castle I have seen, complete with gates, cannons, and a well. All things considered, Salzburg was a really neat city and Austria was probably the most beautiful country I have ever seen. Eventually we took a train back to Munich, this time without any delays or transfers, and then ate dinner at Nurnberger Bratwurst Glockl am Dom. What a mouthful! Dinner would once again be our last major activity for the evening.
On Saturday, our final full day in Munich, we decided to check out some of the museums we had seen during the tour on Thursday. We traveled via electric trolley which was a fun experience. First, we went to the Alte Pinakothek, which has art from the 13th to the 18th centuries. After spending a couple of hours seeing the various displays, we ate lunch at Tresznjewski, a restaurant near the museums. When we had finished, we started making our way to our next and final museum of the day, the Neue Pinakothek which focuses on 17th and 18th century European art including art from Leonardo da Vinci, Claude Monet, and Vincent van Gogh. It is always pretty amazing to be able to get so close to the work of such famous people. After seeing all the rooms in the museum, we made our way back to the part of the town where we were staying, getting a drink and a snack at a biergarten on Augustinerstrasse while waiting for Mass. We went to Mass at a Jesuit church named after St. Michael. It was a beautiful service. After Mass we ate some dinner before heading back to the hotel. Mom and Dad had a really early morning the following day so we tried to get to sleep as soon as possible. Speaking of sleep, even though our hotel was near the train station and even though we had to sleep with the windows open due to the heat, we were able to get a lot of sleep thanks to Mom bringing ear plugs. Mom and Dad woke up the next morning at 3AM and were out the door before 4AM. After seeing them off, I continued to sleep until eight o'clock, ate some breakfast, and checked out of the room in time for my 9:39 AM train back to Darmstadt.
It was really great to see Mom and Dad again. While this may sound cheesy, the highlight of the trip for me was not the awesome castle in Salzburg or the beautiful countryside but rather being able to spend some time catching up with my parents. I know that I learned a lot about their history that I had either forgotten or never knew in the first place, and I think that they learned some things about me as well. More generally, we had a really good time simply hanging out. I am thankful that I have two such wonderful parents with whom I can get along so well.
As I mentioned before, today is my last full day in Darmstadt. It is hard to believe how quickly things have been going, but my summer in Europe is not quite over yet. After checking out of my apartment and taking care of a couple of other administrative issues, I will be leaving for Berlin where I will remain for a few days. On August 4th, I will travel to Frankfurt in preparation for my flight to the US which is the following day. As this will be my longest trip by myself and as I will be exploring such a historical city, I am very much looking forward to this last adventure before my European experience ends. I will update you when I can, although I do not know whether that will be in the hostel in Berlin, the hotel in Frankfurt, or my room at home. In any case, I look forward to seeing how this goes and sharing my experiences with you!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
"Some dance to remember, some dance to forget."
Hello dearest family and friends!
It has been a while since I last posted but a lot has been happening. I got back from Munich on Sunday and had intended to post on Monday about at least my experiences in Latvia, but I was invited to a barbecue with some Americans who are in Darmstadt through the National Science Foundation, so I had to delay my posting. I had a pretty good time, talking with students from Yale, Virginia Tech, and even the University of Illinois, among others.
My trip to Latvia began at 2:45 AM on Wednesday, July 16th, eating some breakfast in my room in time for the 3:56 AM trolley to the train station. Luckily there would be no walking across town at night this time. I took the 5:00 AM - 6:30 AM shuttle from Darmstadt to Frankfurt (Hahn) Airport. Despite the number of crying babies on the flight, I still managed to get an hour or so of sleep.
When I arrived in Latvia, amazed by the size of forests surrounding Riga, Toms, a friend who was an exchange student at my high school and with whom I would be staying, picked me up and took me to his father's apartment. They were in the process of moving to another apartment and were very apologetic about "the mess", but it was not a problem whatsoever. After dropping off my things, we walked through downtown Riga, getting some lunch, seeing the sights, and running a few errands. Afterward, we picked up Martinsh and Dace, two of his friends, bought some groceries, and headed to the house of Roberts, another one of their friends, where we would have a barbecue. I had a really good time in their company, listening to music and eating some good food. After dinner, we walked down to the beach to watch the sunset. After some time on the beach walking, talking, and playing catch with a frisbee, we returned to Roberts' house to finish off the food before heading back to Toms' apartment. By this point, I was pretty exhausted and ready to get some sleep.
After breakfast the next morning, Toms, Roberts, Dace, and myself traveled by car to the Bauska District of Latvia (near the border with Lithuania) where we were to visit a palace and then a castle. The weather looked pretty terrible along the way, but fortunately things cleared up by the time we arrived. The palace was fairly interesting, but I think that I enjoyed the interior less than the grounds. After touring the inside, we decided to relax in the gardens behind the palace. [In the previous picture, from left to right are Toms, Roberts (who successfully quit smoking over the weekend), and Your Humble Narrator.] Next, we went to the castle, which was actually more of a ruin than a castle. Climbing the main tower provided a nice view of the surrounding area. I always enjoy exploring castles and this one was no exception. Before heading back to Riga, we ate some cheap and tasty lunch at a local diner. That evening, I was to eat dinner with Toms' father and step-mother, so I freshened up when we arrived back at the apartment. Since they were moving out, there was no dining room table, so we ate dinner on the coffee table in the TV room. The meal, consisting of Latvian soup, a main plate, and dessert, was absolutely delicious, and the conversation, which mainly concerned global economics, was really interesting. Toms' father studied economics in school and is currently a successful businessman. His step mother is one of the top lawyers in Riga. [In the previous picture, the girl on the left is Dace and the woman on the right is Toms' step mother.]
As it was Thursday night, Toms and his friends would be going out to the clubs, and since the clothes I brought were inadequate, I would be borrowing outfits from Toms. The first place we went to was Coyote Fly, but I was denied entry because I am a foreigner. Apparently, the club had decided to enact a "Latvians only" policy in response to the growing problems presented by obnoxious groups of English or Italians that travel to Riga for the sex trade, often causing significant property (not to mention personal) damages. The bouncer did speak English, and he didn't find it very funny when I pointed out the inconsistency of denying entry to a single (and sober) foreigner with a group of well-behaved regulars while the club plays almost exclusively foreign music. Oh well. After our failed attempts at entrance we went to a place called the Cuba Café where live music was being played. I think everyone enjoyed themselves there. Eventually, we decided to head to "number one club in all of Baltics", Club Essential. It was a really huge place with three main areas. The main room had a large dance floor and a bar over two stories and played almost exclusively hip hop. A second room had couches and tables for "talking" and such. The third room had older music that I could recognize and actually understand, so I preferred it to the others. Despite the footage of animals having sex on multiple television screens and the songs glorifying materialism and objectifying women in the main room, I surprisingly wasn't that bothered since everyone there seemed to be with friends and having fun. When we left, the sun was rising.
On Friday, after catching up on sleep, we went again to Roberts' house where we made lunch before heading down to the beach. At the beach, we swam, threw around the frisbee, and played 3 on 3 soccer. I don't recall ever having played soccer barefooted or on the beach before that, but it was pretty fun. After a few hours, we started to head back to Toms' apartment in order to get ready for Dace's graduation that was to take place later that day. Toms and Roberts had convinced me that I needed to purchase a suit (and consequently pants, shirt, and shoes) for the graduation. While this did make me upset since I hate to waste money and since it would be difficult to transport all the additional clothing, I justified the purchase since I wasn't paying for my lodging for the entire trip. But, as it turned out, they were totally leading me on. Apparently, while I am wary of what strangers tell me, I have a hard time telling if my friends are telling me the truth or messing around with me. Thankfully they were generous enough to inform me of this before I had purchased my outfit although they had considered waiting until afterward.
Since Dace's school is one of the best in Latvia, the ceremony was in a really nice building and was followed by an expensive reception which I, and Roberts, did not attend immediately. Instead, we ate some dinner at a local restaurant while Toms found, with his many connections, some extra tickets for us. We stayed at the reception for a couple of hours and then proceed to head out in a big group once again to the clubs. We again tried to get into Coyote Fly, but I was denied entry for the second time. This time however, Toms spotted someone he knew who worked as a bartender there and she pulled some strings to get me into the club. I must admit that it felt pretty cool getting in outside the rules. Despite all the efforts to get in, we didn't stick around very long and headed over to another club, Salt and Pepper, which was extremely crowded. We stuck around there for a while and then went to one more club before finally returning to Club Essential. This time, the sun was rising as we arrived, and there seemed to be a very different group of people this time around.
There was a group of men, most middle aged, that were moving about the dance floor in search of drunk young women to take advantage of sexually. While I had known in the abstract of such "people" and such behaviors, it was the first time in my life that I had seen them with my own eyes. It was disgusting and infuriating. Of course, there were some women who actually welcomed these advances, but it was still tragic because such hedonistic relationships can at best cause temporary satisfaction and at worst lead to ruined health and broken hearts. There would also be those that would, due to their intoxication and social pressures, accept such invitations that in almost any other circumstances hastily reject them. I wanted do something. I wanted to tell them, "do you realize that he is using you only for your body?", but then there was the language barrier and also the chance that my actions might make the user more sympathetic. Yes, the vast majority of these women still had a choice, but some of them may not have due to drugs, but how would I know which were which? I didn't know what to do. Meanwhile, my patience was quickly diminishing and my fury was rapidly increasing. I came to the conclusion, for better or for worse, that direct intervention would not be the best course of action. I decided that by being at the club (paying admission, purchasing drinks, dancing to music, etc.) I was supporting the means by which such unfortunate acts are committed. I acknowledge, however, that problem obviously wasn't caused by the dancing or even the purchasing and consuming of drinks. Certainly, societal pressures were involved, but societal pressures are the result of the combination of all choices made by the member of the society and all the reactions each individual has with the other members of the society, those choices and reactions being biologically (genetics and hormones) and environmentally (the family unit, financial well-being, friends, education, constructive dialog, etc.) influenced. So maybe my own actions will have very little effect on someone else let alone the whole picture, but if enough people make a similar effort, the consequences can be amazing. Regardless whether or not I think other people are going to make a similar effort, in the name of that possibility I must try, and so I left the club for Toms' apartment for the night still very upset with Roberts. Maybe it was escapism on my part since basically every bar and club in the world has such people, but I didn't want to be there any more. When I got back, I did as many push-ups as I could, took a shower, and went to bed.
Looking back at my previous paragraph, I went on about that for a lot longer than I anticipated, and I don't want that situation to stick out in your mind when you think of Latvia, the people of Latvia, or my experience in Latvia. I am sure the frequency of that happening is similar to that of most of the world. The people in Latvia were generally extremely nice, and I had a vastly positive experience.
On Saturday morning, we drove to Toms' summer house near the beach in preparation for his brother's 25th birthday party. While waiting for all of the family and friends to arrive, we played some 2 on 2 soccer in the yard, threw around the frisbee with members of Toms' famous ultimate frisbee team, swam in the sea, and even visited a nearby lighthouse. After everyone had arrived, we played a game where everyone stood in a circle passing around a garbage bag full of unknown articles of clothing as we listened to a Michael Jackson song. When the music stopped, whoever was holding the bag would have to grab a piece of clothing and wear it. Everyone was a good sport and had a lot of fun. The birthday celebration would continue into the night. Seeing such a large gathering of friends and family reminded me of the gatherings of my own friends and family and how much I miss all of you. I enjoyed the games but even more so I enjoyed the conversation which varied from Hitler's rise to power to politics in Russia to the changing state of the US in the world.
As the next day was Sunday, I found a church in the nearby community. Toms was kind enough to drive me even though no one else attended the service. After four days in a row of partying, everyone was pretty tired so after cleaning up at the house we headed back to Riga to relax for my final full day in Latvia. On the way, we stopped at the summer house of Roberts as he took care of a few things. While we waited, Toms and Martinsh swam in the pool as I shot with the basketball on the backyard court. It was nice to pick up a basketball again. Oh, and once again I was tricked by Toms and Roberts (who is studying to become a doctor) who convinced me that the bug bites I sustained the previous evening may have contained a disease known only in Latvia so I needed to go the hospital before I left. Naturally, going to hospital sounded better than the alternative, but eventually they let me know that they were once again leading me on. We all got a pretty good laugh. When will I ever learn? After all that was cleared up, we dropped off Martinsh and Roberts at their respective homes, got to Toms' apartment shortly after dinner, and proceeded to hang out at the apartment for the rest of the evening. My flight was set to leave around noon on Monday. Toms and Dace took me to the airport and helped me changing my Latvian currency to Euros, Dace also giving me Latvian chocolates.
Despite the one negative experience at the club, I had a really great time in Latvia. It was really good to see my friend once again, especially considering when I saw him last I didn't think I was likely to ever see him again let alone his family, friends, and country. It was also really neat to see him in his element rather than in the US. He is really comfortable in Riga and tries to make the most of his surroundings. I had fun hanging out with his friends as well. We mutually enjoyed one another and discussed a number of interesting things throughout the weekend. My summer experience was greatly enriched because of my experiences in Latvia, and I am very glad that I was able to visit. Tomorrow I will be writing about my experience in Munich (and elsewhere) with my parents, so stay tuned!
It has been a while since I last posted but a lot has been happening. I got back from Munich on Sunday and had intended to post on Monday about at least my experiences in Latvia, but I was invited to a barbecue with some Americans who are in Darmstadt through the National Science Foundation, so I had to delay my posting. I had a pretty good time, talking with students from Yale, Virginia Tech, and even the University of Illinois, among others.
My trip to Latvia began at 2:45 AM on Wednesday, July 16th, eating some breakfast in my room in time for the 3:56 AM trolley to the train station. Luckily there would be no walking across town at night this time. I took the 5:00 AM - 6:30 AM shuttle from Darmstadt to Frankfurt (Hahn) Airport. Despite the number of crying babies on the flight, I still managed to get an hour or so of sleep.
When I arrived in Latvia, amazed by the size of forests surrounding Riga, Toms, a friend who was an exchange student at my high school and with whom I would be staying, picked me up and took me to his father's apartment. They were in the process of moving to another apartment and were very apologetic about "the mess", but it was not a problem whatsoever. After dropping off my things, we walked through downtown Riga, getting some lunch, seeing the sights, and running a few errands. Afterward, we picked up Martinsh and Dace, two of his friends, bought some groceries, and headed to the house of Roberts, another one of their friends, where we would have a barbecue. I had a really good time in their company, listening to music and eating some good food. After dinner, we walked down to the beach to watch the sunset. After some time on the beach walking, talking, and playing catch with a frisbee, we returned to Roberts' house to finish off the food before heading back to Toms' apartment. By this point, I was pretty exhausted and ready to get some sleep.
After breakfast the next morning, Toms, Roberts, Dace, and myself traveled by car to the Bauska District of Latvia (near the border with Lithuania) where we were to visit a palace and then a castle. The weather looked pretty terrible along the way, but fortunately things cleared up by the time we arrived. The palace was fairly interesting, but I think that I enjoyed the interior less than the grounds. After touring the inside, we decided to relax in the gardens behind the palace. [In the previous picture, from left to right are Toms, Roberts (who successfully quit smoking over the weekend), and Your Humble Narrator.] Next, we went to the castle, which was actually more of a ruin than a castle. Climbing the main tower provided a nice view of the surrounding area. I always enjoy exploring castles and this one was no exception. Before heading back to Riga, we ate some cheap and tasty lunch at a local diner. That evening, I was to eat dinner with Toms' father and step-mother, so I freshened up when we arrived back at the apartment. Since they were moving out, there was no dining room table, so we ate dinner on the coffee table in the TV room. The meal, consisting of Latvian soup, a main plate, and dessert, was absolutely delicious, and the conversation, which mainly concerned global economics, was really interesting. Toms' father studied economics in school and is currently a successful businessman. His step mother is one of the top lawyers in Riga. [In the previous picture, the girl on the left is Dace and the woman on the right is Toms' step mother.]
As it was Thursday night, Toms and his friends would be going out to the clubs, and since the clothes I brought were inadequate, I would be borrowing outfits from Toms. The first place we went to was Coyote Fly, but I was denied entry because I am a foreigner. Apparently, the club had decided to enact a "Latvians only" policy in response to the growing problems presented by obnoxious groups of English or Italians that travel to Riga for the sex trade, often causing significant property (not to mention personal) damages. The bouncer did speak English, and he didn't find it very funny when I pointed out the inconsistency of denying entry to a single (and sober) foreigner with a group of well-behaved regulars while the club plays almost exclusively foreign music. Oh well. After our failed attempts at entrance we went to a place called the Cuba Café where live music was being played. I think everyone enjoyed themselves there. Eventually, we decided to head to "number one club in all of Baltics", Club Essential. It was a really huge place with three main areas. The main room had a large dance floor and a bar over two stories and played almost exclusively hip hop. A second room had couches and tables for "talking" and such. The third room had older music that I could recognize and actually understand, so I preferred it to the others. Despite the footage of animals having sex on multiple television screens and the songs glorifying materialism and objectifying women in the main room, I surprisingly wasn't that bothered since everyone there seemed to be with friends and having fun. When we left, the sun was rising.
On Friday, after catching up on sleep, we went again to Roberts' house where we made lunch before heading down to the beach. At the beach, we swam, threw around the frisbee, and played 3 on 3 soccer. I don't recall ever having played soccer barefooted or on the beach before that, but it was pretty fun. After a few hours, we started to head back to Toms' apartment in order to get ready for Dace's graduation that was to take place later that day. Toms and Roberts had convinced me that I needed to purchase a suit (and consequently pants, shirt, and shoes) for the graduation. While this did make me upset since I hate to waste money and since it would be difficult to transport all the additional clothing, I justified the purchase since I wasn't paying for my lodging for the entire trip. But, as it turned out, they were totally leading me on. Apparently, while I am wary of what strangers tell me, I have a hard time telling if my friends are telling me the truth or messing around with me. Thankfully they were generous enough to inform me of this before I had purchased my outfit although they had considered waiting until afterward.
Since Dace's school is one of the best in Latvia, the ceremony was in a really nice building and was followed by an expensive reception which I, and Roberts, did not attend immediately. Instead, we ate some dinner at a local restaurant while Toms found, with his many connections, some extra tickets for us. We stayed at the reception for a couple of hours and then proceed to head out in a big group once again to the clubs. We again tried to get into Coyote Fly, but I was denied entry for the second time. This time however, Toms spotted someone he knew who worked as a bartender there and she pulled some strings to get me into the club. I must admit that it felt pretty cool getting in outside the rules. Despite all the efforts to get in, we didn't stick around very long and headed over to another club, Salt and Pepper, which was extremely crowded. We stuck around there for a while and then went to one more club before finally returning to Club Essential. This time, the sun was rising as we arrived, and there seemed to be a very different group of people this time around.
There was a group of men, most middle aged, that were moving about the dance floor in search of drunk young women to take advantage of sexually. While I had known in the abstract of such "people" and such behaviors, it was the first time in my life that I had seen them with my own eyes. It was disgusting and infuriating. Of course, there were some women who actually welcomed these advances, but it was still tragic because such hedonistic relationships can at best cause temporary satisfaction and at worst lead to ruined health and broken hearts. There would also be those that would, due to their intoxication and social pressures, accept such invitations that in almost any other circumstances hastily reject them. I wanted do something. I wanted to tell them, "do you realize that he is using you only for your body?", but then there was the language barrier and also the chance that my actions might make the user more sympathetic. Yes, the vast majority of these women still had a choice, but some of them may not have due to drugs, but how would I know which were which? I didn't know what to do. Meanwhile, my patience was quickly diminishing and my fury was rapidly increasing. I came to the conclusion, for better or for worse, that direct intervention would not be the best course of action. I decided that by being at the club (paying admission, purchasing drinks, dancing to music, etc.) I was supporting the means by which such unfortunate acts are committed. I acknowledge, however, that problem obviously wasn't caused by the dancing or even the purchasing and consuming of drinks. Certainly, societal pressures were involved, but societal pressures are the result of the combination of all choices made by the member of the society and all the reactions each individual has with the other members of the society, those choices and reactions being biologically (genetics and hormones) and environmentally (the family unit, financial well-being, friends, education, constructive dialog, etc.) influenced. So maybe my own actions will have very little effect on someone else let alone the whole picture, but if enough people make a similar effort, the consequences can be amazing. Regardless whether or not I think other people are going to make a similar effort, in the name of that possibility I must try, and so I left the club for Toms' apartment for the night still very upset with Roberts. Maybe it was escapism on my part since basically every bar and club in the world has such people, but I didn't want to be there any more. When I got back, I did as many push-ups as I could, took a shower, and went to bed.
Looking back at my previous paragraph, I went on about that for a lot longer than I anticipated, and I don't want that situation to stick out in your mind when you think of Latvia, the people of Latvia, or my experience in Latvia. I am sure the frequency of that happening is similar to that of most of the world. The people in Latvia were generally extremely nice, and I had a vastly positive experience.
On Saturday morning, we drove to Toms' summer house near the beach in preparation for his brother's 25th birthday party. While waiting for all of the family and friends to arrive, we played some 2 on 2 soccer in the yard, threw around the frisbee with members of Toms' famous ultimate frisbee team, swam in the sea, and even visited a nearby lighthouse. After everyone had arrived, we played a game where everyone stood in a circle passing around a garbage bag full of unknown articles of clothing as we listened to a Michael Jackson song. When the music stopped, whoever was holding the bag would have to grab a piece of clothing and wear it. Everyone was a good sport and had a lot of fun. The birthday celebration would continue into the night. Seeing such a large gathering of friends and family reminded me of the gatherings of my own friends and family and how much I miss all of you. I enjoyed the games but even more so I enjoyed the conversation which varied from Hitler's rise to power to politics in Russia to the changing state of the US in the world.
As the next day was Sunday, I found a church in the nearby community. Toms was kind enough to drive me even though no one else attended the service. After four days in a row of partying, everyone was pretty tired so after cleaning up at the house we headed back to Riga to relax for my final full day in Latvia. On the way, we stopped at the summer house of Roberts as he took care of a few things. While we waited, Toms and Martinsh swam in the pool as I shot with the basketball on the backyard court. It was nice to pick up a basketball again. Oh, and once again I was tricked by Toms and Roberts (who is studying to become a doctor) who convinced me that the bug bites I sustained the previous evening may have contained a disease known only in Latvia so I needed to go the hospital before I left. Naturally, going to hospital sounded better than the alternative, but eventually they let me know that they were once again leading me on. We all got a pretty good laugh. When will I ever learn? After all that was cleared up, we dropped off Martinsh and Roberts at their respective homes, got to Toms' apartment shortly after dinner, and proceeded to hang out at the apartment for the rest of the evening. My flight was set to leave around noon on Monday. Toms and Dace took me to the airport and helped me changing my Latvian currency to Euros, Dace also giving me Latvian chocolates.
Despite the one negative experience at the club, I had a really great time in Latvia. It was really good to see my friend once again, especially considering when I saw him last I didn't think I was likely to ever see him again let alone his family, friends, and country. It was also really neat to see him in his element rather than in the US. He is really comfortable in Riga and tries to make the most of his surroundings. I had fun hanging out with his friends as well. We mutually enjoyed one another and discussed a number of interesting things throughout the weekend. My summer experience was greatly enriched because of my experiences in Latvia, and I am very glad that I was able to visit. Tomorrow I will be writing about my experience in Munich (and elsewhere) with my parents, so stay tuned!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
"I thought I saw..."
Wow.
These last few weeks have been a whirlwind. I am sorry about the delayed reply regarding Paris. I finished my last day of work earlier today and will be heading to Latvia (and afterward Bavaria) in a just few hours! But, before I get to Paris, I think that I ought to share with you an experience I had yesterday.
After work, I went to the city center for some dinner and last minute shopping for my upcoming trips. I went to a few stores and paid for my purchases with no problems, but when I attempted to buy a book about Darmstadt at a local bookstore, that was a different story entirely. My wallet was gone. I checked all of my pockets (I was wearing cargo pants and a jacket), and it simply was not there. Much of my money, my ATM card, my credit card, and all of my identification (except for my passport) were in my wallet. The only things I had left in my possession were my keys, a compass, a cell phone, a German phrase book, and a few loose coins. I thought that perhaps my wallet had been stolen when I was leaning against a counter reading the book that I had intended to purchase. I was amazed that I had felt absolutely nothing. Thank God the cashier spoke English. I explained my situation to the cashier and asked her if she had seen anyone come up behind me, but when she replied that she hadn't, I asked her to watch my jacket as I ran back to the stores I had previously visited. Perhaps I had forgotten it there? Meanwhile, I was getting pretty upset, but I knew that wouldn't help anything. I checked the last store where I had knew that I had used my wallet (a supermarket), and it turns out that I had left my wallet at the check out. They had taken it to the back for safekeeping. My disaster had been averted. What an adrenaline rush!
But on to Paris! Paris (and the surrounding area as you will see) was really great. As I don't have too much time to go into much depth and as we went to a lot of different places, I will try to be brief. My two companions (from Cologne and Ireland) arrived in Paris on Thursday night at about 11:00 PM. After some searching (due to a slightly inaccurate map), we were able to find our two-star hotel Hotel de l'Europe (near the Gare de l'Est) which turned out to me more than sufficient for our needs with air conditioning (my first exposure in Europe), free breakfast, internet access, and daily cleaning service. We decided to go to bed as soon as possible in order to get an early start for the next day. We would need it.
As I alluded in the previous paragraph, Friday was a very long (but still satisfying) day in Paris. After breakfast, we walked south to the Ile de la Cite Conciergerie, stopping by the Place de la Republique, the Bastille, and the Sainte Chapelle (although we didn't go into the last) along the way. At the Ile de la Cite Conciergerie, we visited Notre Dame and a WWII memorial, among other places. Afterward, we walked to the Lourve, seeing it from the outside only (for the time being) and then to the Arc de Triomphe. When we had finished with that monument, we walked south to the Palais de Chaillot Cineaqua. We had lunch on the steps of the Palais looking on to Paris' most famous monument the Eiffel Tower, which was just across the Seine River from the Palais. The Eiffel Tower was our next stop. We had been hoping to go to the top, but as there were huge lines, we decided to come back at an earlier time another day. Next, we walked southeast to UNESCO building which was unfortunately closed for the rest of week. So, we walked northeast to the Musee de l'Armee, which supposedly had a large dedication to Napoleon. Unfortunately, it was also closed (for Bastille Day which was to take place on Monday). So, we walked north to the Ministere des Affaires Etrangeres which was closed as well. Undeterred, we bought some Nutella crepes from a vendor at a small carnival that we chanced across, and then we walked back to the Lourve to finally go inside. We had found out that entrance to museum was free on Fridays after 6PM and we wanted to make the most of this opportunity. We walked around the museum for a little over four hours, seeing a number of famous works of art including the Mona Lisa. After we had finished, we thought that the crowd at the Eiffel Tower might have died down at night so we walked back to the famous landmark and found that the crowd had not diminished. Since we didn't want to stay at the top for only a short period of time (even though the sun was setting and the sky was beautiful), we decided to once again try our luck at a later time. By this point, it was getting late, and we were very exhausted (with hurting feet from miles and miles of walking), so we took the to metro back to the hotel and crashed.
After breakfast the following morning, went to a nearby supermarket to load up on food for the day in what turned out to be a very good frugal decision. We walked to the Sainte Chapelle where THE Crown of Thorns was said to be located. Apparently, the Sainte Chapelle was created soley for the purpose of storing famous Church artifacts. Once we had arrived and seen the Crown for ourselves, we found out that it was instead an exact replica as the original had been melted down during the French Revolution. It was a disappointment but the building was still neat. Afterward, we walked to the Musee d'Orsay. While the Lourve held art from up to and including the 17th century, the Musee d'Orsay had art from the 18th and 19th centuries. The Van Gogh and Monet exhibits were especially interesting. After a few hours in the museum, we took a train to Versailles where we explored the grounds surrounding the Chateau de Versailles including the gardens of Marie Antoinette which were some of the weirdest places I've seen. After a few hours the grounds were closing for a festival, so we made our way back to the Eiffel Tower where spent a few hours on the top, watching the sunset and eating the food we had packed. The surrounding area was quite the sight. Eventually, we headed back to the hotel, once again exhausted after a long day.
Peter left early Sunday morning for Darmstadt while Adam and I stayed behind. We allowed ourselves to sleep in a couple of extra hours and then went to Mass at a nearby Church I had found during our exploration. After Mass, we went to the Sacre Coeur which was so crowded with swindlers among others that we didn't spend much time there. We then went to Moulin Rouge which was nearby. Along the way, we passed by a number of questionable shops and were approached by a prostitute twice. And this was during the day! I can hardly imagine (nor do I want to) what the place would be like at night! Having said that, I am very glad that I passed through as I was able to see another side of Paris that I wouldn't have otherwise. Next, we went via the subway to La Defense, a desolate part of town with lots of modern architecture which was a welcome respite from the pressures of the previous days. We explored this area for a few hours, doing a little more walking through the city until we made our way back to the train station for the journey to Darmstadt. Luckily, the local transportation was running when we arrived so I didn't need to walk across town again.
Paris was a very interesting place and I am glad to have went. I wish that I had more time to share with you some of the nuances of my experience there, but time and sleep are precious commodities at the present. I will be in Latvia until Monday when I will travel to Munich to meet up with my parents. I will return to Darmstadt on Saturday or Sunday. I will keep you posted as soon as I can.
These last few weeks have been a whirlwind. I am sorry about the delayed reply regarding Paris. I finished my last day of work earlier today and will be heading to Latvia (and afterward Bavaria) in a just few hours! But, before I get to Paris, I think that I ought to share with you an experience I had yesterday.
After work, I went to the city center for some dinner and last minute shopping for my upcoming trips. I went to a few stores and paid for my purchases with no problems, but when I attempted to buy a book about Darmstadt at a local bookstore, that was a different story entirely. My wallet was gone. I checked all of my pockets (I was wearing cargo pants and a jacket), and it simply was not there. Much of my money, my ATM card, my credit card, and all of my identification (except for my passport) were in my wallet. The only things I had left in my possession were my keys, a compass, a cell phone, a German phrase book, and a few loose coins. I thought that perhaps my wallet had been stolen when I was leaning against a counter reading the book that I had intended to purchase. I was amazed that I had felt absolutely nothing. Thank God the cashier spoke English. I explained my situation to the cashier and asked her if she had seen anyone come up behind me, but when she replied that she hadn't, I asked her to watch my jacket as I ran back to the stores I had previously visited. Perhaps I had forgotten it there? Meanwhile, I was getting pretty upset, but I knew that wouldn't help anything. I checked the last store where I had knew that I had used my wallet (a supermarket), and it turns out that I had left my wallet at the check out. They had taken it to the back for safekeeping. My disaster had been averted. What an adrenaline rush!
But on to Paris! Paris (and the surrounding area as you will see) was really great. As I don't have too much time to go into much depth and as we went to a lot of different places, I will try to be brief. My two companions (from Cologne and Ireland) arrived in Paris on Thursday night at about 11:00 PM. After some searching (due to a slightly inaccurate map), we were able to find our two-star hotel Hotel de l'Europe (near the Gare de l'Est) which turned out to me more than sufficient for our needs with air conditioning (my first exposure in Europe), free breakfast, internet access, and daily cleaning service. We decided to go to bed as soon as possible in order to get an early start for the next day. We would need it.
As I alluded in the previous paragraph, Friday was a very long (but still satisfying) day in Paris. After breakfast, we walked south to the Ile de la Cite Conciergerie, stopping by the Place de la Republique, the Bastille, and the Sainte Chapelle (although we didn't go into the last) along the way. At the Ile de la Cite Conciergerie, we visited Notre Dame and a WWII memorial, among other places. Afterward, we walked to the Lourve, seeing it from the outside only (for the time being) and then to the Arc de Triomphe. When we had finished with that monument, we walked south to the Palais de Chaillot Cineaqua. We had lunch on the steps of the Palais looking on to Paris' most famous monument the Eiffel Tower, which was just across the Seine River from the Palais. The Eiffel Tower was our next stop. We had been hoping to go to the top, but as there were huge lines, we decided to come back at an earlier time another day. Next, we walked southeast to UNESCO building which was unfortunately closed for the rest of week. So, we walked northeast to the Musee de l'Armee, which supposedly had a large dedication to Napoleon. Unfortunately, it was also closed (for Bastille Day which was to take place on Monday). So, we walked north to the Ministere des Affaires Etrangeres which was closed as well. Undeterred, we bought some Nutella crepes from a vendor at a small carnival that we chanced across, and then we walked back to the Lourve to finally go inside. We had found out that entrance to museum was free on Fridays after 6PM and we wanted to make the most of this opportunity. We walked around the museum for a little over four hours, seeing a number of famous works of art including the Mona Lisa. After we had finished, we thought that the crowd at the Eiffel Tower might have died down at night so we walked back to the famous landmark and found that the crowd had not diminished. Since we didn't want to stay at the top for only a short period of time (even though the sun was setting and the sky was beautiful), we decided to once again try our luck at a later time. By this point, it was getting late, and we were very exhausted (with hurting feet from miles and miles of walking), so we took the to metro back to the hotel and crashed.
After breakfast the following morning, went to a nearby supermarket to load up on food for the day in what turned out to be a very good frugal decision. We walked to the Sainte Chapelle where THE Crown of Thorns was said to be located. Apparently, the Sainte Chapelle was created soley for the purpose of storing famous Church artifacts. Once we had arrived and seen the Crown for ourselves, we found out that it was instead an exact replica as the original had been melted down during the French Revolution. It was a disappointment but the building was still neat. Afterward, we walked to the Musee d'Orsay. While the Lourve held art from up to and including the 17th century, the Musee d'Orsay had art from the 18th and 19th centuries. The Van Gogh and Monet exhibits were especially interesting. After a few hours in the museum, we took a train to Versailles where we explored the grounds surrounding the Chateau de Versailles including the gardens of Marie Antoinette which were some of the weirdest places I've seen. After a few hours the grounds were closing for a festival, so we made our way back to the Eiffel Tower where spent a few hours on the top, watching the sunset and eating the food we had packed. The surrounding area was quite the sight. Eventually, we headed back to the hotel, once again exhausted after a long day.
Peter left early Sunday morning for Darmstadt while Adam and I stayed behind. We allowed ourselves to sleep in a couple of extra hours and then went to Mass at a nearby Church I had found during our exploration. After Mass, we went to the Sacre Coeur which was so crowded with swindlers among others that we didn't spend much time there. We then went to Moulin Rouge which was nearby. Along the way, we passed by a number of questionable shops and were approached by a prostitute twice. And this was during the day! I can hardly imagine (nor do I want to) what the place would be like at night! Having said that, I am very glad that I passed through as I was able to see another side of Paris that I wouldn't have otherwise. Next, we went via the subway to La Defense, a desolate part of town with lots of modern architecture which was a welcome respite from the pressures of the previous days. We explored this area for a few hours, doing a little more walking through the city until we made our way back to the train station for the journey to Darmstadt. Luckily, the local transportation was running when we arrived so I didn't need to walk across town again.
Paris was a very interesting place and I am glad to have went. I wish that I had more time to share with you some of the nuances of my experience there, but time and sleep are precious commodities at the present. I will be in Latvia until Monday when I will travel to Munich to meet up with my parents. I will return to Darmstadt on Saturday or Sunday. I will keep you posted as soon as I can.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
"In fact, you have become..."
Hello everyone.
I am sorry about the delayed update and that I won't be able to give a very thorough description of my experience in Heidelberg from this past weekend. On the bright side of things, the reason I am so busy is because I am visiting Paris this weekend! I will be traveling with the same two companions from Cologne and Ireland, Peter and Adam. I've received a lot of good advice from friends who have visited there, but I still have much preparation to go!
On Thursday morning, I met at the Darmstadt train station with five of the six other North American students who are working in the city through the RISE program. The ride to Heidelberg took about an hour, and I had a good time catching up with everyone. [To give you a mental picture of Heidelberg (real pictures will follow), Heidelberg is bisected by the east-west flowing Neckar River and is set between hills on the north and south banks. The oldest part of the town is south of the river and Heidelberg Castle stands on the southern hills.]
When we arrived at the Heidelberg Youth Hostel, we checked into our various rooms and enjoyed some coffee and cake as we waited for the official activities to begin. We were welcomed and introduced by the RISE time at a lecture hall the Institute of Zoology at the University of Heidelberg. This took about two and a half hours and was admittedly very boring. I was concerned that the whole weekend would be like that, but luckily it was not. When that had finished, we returned to the hostel for a tasty dinner.
After dinner, we had the option of attending meetings concerning graduate and PhD studies in Germany, but as those didn't apply to everyone, a group of about fifteen of us decided to head to the "Old Town" of Heidelberg. We had been walking around aimlessly for a little while when ten of the fifteen decided to hit the bars for the remainder of the evening. The other five of us decided to check out the castle as the view at dark was said to be breathtaking - I was not disappointed. The castle, which was huge, was basically completely empty except for the five of us, two police officers, and two very romantic couples, so we took our time exploring the grounds and enjoying the view of the city and surrounding area. We even found a way into the walls of the castle! As a side note, it appears that the musical artist Ben Folds had been in town for a concert earlier that night. It's too bad I missed him.
After breakfast the next morning, the RISE participants visited places of industry in the Heidelberg area. I visited a chemical company named BASF, which calls itself "The Chemical Company", and for good reason. The company's facilities in Heidelberg cover dozens of square kilometers, and the yearly revenue for the company is in the hundred of billions of Euros. We were given presentations on the various areas of research the company is pursuing and were given tours of the BASF Visitor's Center, a biotechnology laboratory, and a product fermentation laboratory. While the work BASF that I was shown didn't directly coincide with my possible fields, I still had a very interesting day and learned some things that wouldn't have otherwise. When the tours were finished, the groups of RISE participants returned to the hostel separately and then went out to dinner together. Once again, I was given a feast. After dinner, a similar group to the one from the night before decided once again to experience the night scene of Heidelberg. This time I decided to accompany them, and we visited a few places in the "Old Town" before heading back to the hostel.
On Saturday, the following morning, most of the RISE participants would check out of the hostel. I along with some others, however, had opted to stay for an additional day. Personally, I sought a day to myself in Heidelberg without time frames or a group to limit my exploration. After breakfast we were "debriefed" and all together traveled as a group to the "Old Town" for a formal guided tour of the city. Since the tour only lasted two hours, we were only able to see many of the historical locations briefly, but it was still an interesting experience. We were able to visit the castle once again, and the view was equally beautiful during the day. When the tour had finished shortly after midday, people began to split ways and I set off to to find a Catholic church and to explore on my own. I set off for the wooded hills north of the river, and chanced across an old watch tower and a ruined monastery. After a few hours of aimlessly hiking, I decided to head back to the hostel as it was getting close to evening and I was hungry and exhausted. I found an Italian restaurant close to the hostel and returned to my room for the evening, content to finish To Kill a Mockingbird and prepare for an early morning on Sunday.
The next morning I packed my things, ate some breakfast, and checked out of my room. I visited the Heidelberg Zoo for the first time and returned to the castle once again, this time to check out the Apothecary Museum which was really interesting. After some final exploring of the "Old Town" I headed to the train station and back to Darmstadt, where the crowds of Heinerfest, Darmstadt's biggest street festival, enjoyed the food, drink, fellowship, and fun. I was pretty exhausted by this point (I had basically been walking for a few days straight), and since the Heinerfest would continue the following day, I decided to head home and return on Monday. As it turned out, much of the department where I am working went to Heinerfest on Monday afternoon, and I accepted their invitation for me to join them. Since I was better rested and with company, I had a really nice time. Time and time again my coworkers have been very generous with their inclusion of me in their activities, whether it be with soccer or with celebration. I am certain that part of the reason why my summer has been so pleasant is because of their kindness.
Alright! Things are going to be moving very quickly for the next few weeks. I will be in Paris this weekend, Latvia next weekend (after my work is finished for the summer), and Munich (with Mom and Dad) for the following week. After that, it is really up in the air. I can't wait to see how this goes!
I am sorry about the delayed update and that I won't be able to give a very thorough description of my experience in Heidelberg from this past weekend. On the bright side of things, the reason I am so busy is because I am visiting Paris this weekend! I will be traveling with the same two companions from Cologne and Ireland, Peter and Adam. I've received a lot of good advice from friends who have visited there, but I still have much preparation to go!
On Thursday morning, I met at the Darmstadt train station with five of the six other North American students who are working in the city through the RISE program. The ride to Heidelberg took about an hour, and I had a good time catching up with everyone. [To give you a mental picture of Heidelberg (real pictures will follow), Heidelberg is bisected by the east-west flowing Neckar River and is set between hills on the north and south banks. The oldest part of the town is south of the river and Heidelberg Castle stands on the southern hills.]
When we arrived at the Heidelberg Youth Hostel, we checked into our various rooms and enjoyed some coffee and cake as we waited for the official activities to begin. We were welcomed and introduced by the RISE time at a lecture hall the Institute of Zoology at the University of Heidelberg. This took about two and a half hours and was admittedly very boring. I was concerned that the whole weekend would be like that, but luckily it was not. When that had finished, we returned to the hostel for a tasty dinner.
After dinner, we had the option of attending meetings concerning graduate and PhD studies in Germany, but as those didn't apply to everyone, a group of about fifteen of us decided to head to the "Old Town" of Heidelberg. We had been walking around aimlessly for a little while when ten of the fifteen decided to hit the bars for the remainder of the evening. The other five of us decided to check out the castle as the view at dark was said to be breathtaking - I was not disappointed. The castle, which was huge, was basically completely empty except for the five of us, two police officers, and two very romantic couples, so we took our time exploring the grounds and enjoying the view of the city and surrounding area. We even found a way into the walls of the castle! As a side note, it appears that the musical artist Ben Folds had been in town for a concert earlier that night. It's too bad I missed him.
After breakfast the next morning, the RISE participants visited places of industry in the Heidelberg area. I visited a chemical company named BASF, which calls itself "The Chemical Company", and for good reason. The company's facilities in Heidelberg cover dozens of square kilometers, and the yearly revenue for the company is in the hundred of billions of Euros. We were given presentations on the various areas of research the company is pursuing and were given tours of the BASF Visitor's Center, a biotechnology laboratory, and a product fermentation laboratory. While the work BASF that I was shown didn't directly coincide with my possible fields, I still had a very interesting day and learned some things that wouldn't have otherwise. When the tours were finished, the groups of RISE participants returned to the hostel separately and then went out to dinner together. Once again, I was given a feast. After dinner, a similar group to the one from the night before decided once again to experience the night scene of Heidelberg. This time I decided to accompany them, and we visited a few places in the "Old Town" before heading back to the hostel.
On Saturday, the following morning, most of the RISE participants would check out of the hostel. I along with some others, however, had opted to stay for an additional day. Personally, I sought a day to myself in Heidelberg without time frames or a group to limit my exploration. After breakfast we were "debriefed" and all together traveled as a group to the "Old Town" for a formal guided tour of the city. Since the tour only lasted two hours, we were only able to see many of the historical locations briefly, but it was still an interesting experience. We were able to visit the castle once again, and the view was equally beautiful during the day. When the tour had finished shortly after midday, people began to split ways and I set off to to find a Catholic church and to explore on my own. I set off for the wooded hills north of the river, and chanced across an old watch tower and a ruined monastery. After a few hours of aimlessly hiking, I decided to head back to the hostel as it was getting close to evening and I was hungry and exhausted. I found an Italian restaurant close to the hostel and returned to my room for the evening, content to finish To Kill a Mockingbird and prepare for an early morning on Sunday.
The next morning I packed my things, ate some breakfast, and checked out of my room. I visited the Heidelberg Zoo for the first time and returned to the castle once again, this time to check out the Apothecary Museum which was really interesting. After some final exploring of the "Old Town" I headed to the train station and back to Darmstadt, where the crowds of Heinerfest, Darmstadt's biggest street festival, enjoyed the food, drink, fellowship, and fun. I was pretty exhausted by this point (I had basically been walking for a few days straight), and since the Heinerfest would continue the following day, I decided to head home and return on Monday. As it turned out, much of the department where I am working went to Heinerfest on Monday afternoon, and I accepted their invitation for me to join them. Since I was better rested and with company, I had a really nice time. Time and time again my coworkers have been very generous with their inclusion of me in their activities, whether it be with soccer or with celebration. I am certain that part of the reason why my summer has been so pleasant is because of their kindness.
Alright! Things are going to be moving very quickly for the next few weeks. I will be in Paris this weekend, Latvia next weekend (after my work is finished for the summer), and Munich (with Mom and Dad) for the following week. After that, it is really up in the air. I can't wait to see how this goes!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
"Can still kick a ball a hundred yards."
I didn't anticipate writing another post today, but playing soccer for a few hours with my colleagues this evening went so well that I feel compelled to tell you about it. While I still made a few clumsy mistakes, I felt a lot more natural on the field this time around, and consequently was able to run around much more while getting significantly less tired than before. I did a much better job playing defense, and also led the team in points with five goals and one assist. You would have really enjoyed watching, Dad.
Among other things, I got an email from my brother today, and he shared with me a comparison of a picture he took when he was in Dublin four years ago (on the right) and a picture I took from last weekend (on the left). It is pretty amazing to see that, without any planning, I ended up standing four years later at exact same street corner and taking a picture from such a similar angle. It will be interesting to see where else our paths cross. I also find it extremely fitting that the bus in my picture has the phrase "Looking out for you." written on its side.
Anyway, I need to get packing for my trip to Heidelberg. It's now only several weeks until I see many of you, and I look forward to catching up.
Among other things, I got an email from my brother today, and he shared with me a comparison of a picture he took when he was in Dublin four years ago (on the right) and a picture I took from last weekend (on the left). It is pretty amazing to see that, without any planning, I ended up standing four years later at exact same street corner and taking a picture from such a similar angle. It will be interesting to see where else our paths cross. I also find it extremely fitting that the bus in my picture has the phrase "Looking out for you." written on its side.
Anyway, I need to get packing for my trip to Heidelberg. It's now only several weeks until I see many of you, and I look forward to catching up.
“The heart is a bloom, shoots up through the stony ground.”
Wow. How do I begin to describe my weekend in Ireland?
Ireland is an amazing place. The people are very nice, the scenery is beautiful, and the culture is enchanting. This weekend was a time of many "firsts" for me. It was the first time I've been to Ireland, the first time I've flown intracontinentally within Europe, the first time I've stayed at a hostel, and among other things, the first time I've been stalked by cows.
My journey began on Friday morning at 1:00AM. My flight from Frankfurt was set to leave at 6:40AM, so the only way to get there with enough time to check in was to take a shuttle from the train station in Darmstadt at 3:00AM that same morning. In order to get to the train station by that time, I needed to make the hour walk across town since no local transportation was running around that time. When I stepped out of my dorm I was shocked at how dark it was and immediately thought, "This is a mistake! What was I thinking?" Much like in Frankfurt I was tempted to turn back, but I had no choice but to go forward, and so I continued, but not without apprehension. I stuck to the major roads and was on high alert the whole time, using all of the strategies learned from my brother and Shotokan instructors. Eventually, I made it to the station and met up with my two travel companions, Peter and Adam, the two I with whom I traveled to Cologne. They live much closer to the train station than myself and only had to walk a few minutes.
We took a train to the Frankfurt (Hahn) airport in plenty of time to check in, and I was actually able to sleep in the waiting room for about an hour. The two hour flight was relatively uneventful, and we arrived in Dublin ahead of schedule. We caught a bus from the airport to the city center, and then from the city center of Dublin to Galway. When we arrived and for the duration of the four hour trip to Galway, the weather was pretty messy (although apparently somewhat typical), but I was still able to enjoy the view of the countryside. Along the way, I had a really lengthy and pleasant conversation with a young lawyer in training from Galway. He is a member of the Lohan (as in the (in)famous actress) extended family and apparently wishes to disown her as she disgraces the family name. Most importantly, Mr. Lohan was a great guy, strong in his faith and well read in the world at large. We talked about everything from the legal system in Ireland to the structure of government in the US to faith and reason to the importance of family to the history of Ireland. It was a really fascinating and enlightening conversation.
In Galway we didn't have much time to explore as our bus to Doolin was leaving shortly and we needed to get a bite to eat. On the ride from Galway to Doolin, as we traveled closer to the western coast of Ireland, the landscape became much more rocky and, in some ways, more stunning. We made to our hostel in Doolin after the bumpy ride which took a few hours. After checking in, we decided to check out the Cliffs of Moher, following a road up the incline for some time until we found a path that took us closer to the water's edge. The view was spectacular. Eventually, we found a way down to the base of the cliffs which we explored for some time. While exploring, we were approached by a young man named Jon who is entering his final year as a drama student at Julliard and is currently here in Europe because of a fellowship with the Oxford School of Drama for the summer. We invited him to explore with our party and decided to continue up the cliffs as much as time and weather would permit. While the rain had ceased for a couple of hours, the wind was quite strong and we wanted to be careful. Eventually we made it to a bend in the cliffs where the scenery was absolutely breathtaking. We decided to stop for a while and take in the view. I cannot emphasize enough how cool it was to sit there in silence for several minutes, hearing only the crash of waves against the cliffs, the sound of the grass blowing in the wind, and the calls of seagulls as they soared above the cliff.
After several minutes, we decided to continue moving up the cliffs but were greatly started as some cows had taken it upon themselves to stalk and intimidate us. Stuck between an angry cow behind a small electric fence on the one side and the massive cliffs to the other, needless to say we vacated the premises as quickly and safely as possible. As we continued up the cliffs, the weather became a lot more inhospitable, but the view was still amazing. After stepping fully into a number of invisible puddles, we decided to head back before it got dark or before the weather got worse. Once again, the weather seemed to improve the lower the elevation. On the way back, we were able to see a number of interesting ruins on the way back to the hostel.
As it turned out, Jon was staying at the same hostel as us, and after we had cleaned up we headed over to McDermott's, an Irish pub in Doolin, for some much needed dinner. While there we met an American couple who really took a liking to us. There food was delicious and there were some musicians playing typical Irish music who really added to the mood. Since Jon and Tash, a person from England that we had met at the hostel, desired to play along with the local Irish, we headed over to O'Connor's, a dimly lit but lively family pub where Jon and Tash would be able to join with the local musicians. It was really nice to see people of all different shapes and ages come together for a night of simple fun and fellowship.
Talking with Mr. Lohan on the bus to Galway and seeing the families and friends interacting at the pubs in Doolin really made me think a lot about myself and my priorities. I do have a lot of really important goals for my life and for the world at large, but I think that in my efforts to achieve those goals I have tended to lose sight of many of the "little things" in life that are actually really important too. The "Mid-week Specials" with my amazing family, the "Movie Nights" with my best of friends, the walks with my "sister" Jackie (I could go on), all greatly shaped me into the person I am today. Writing about this I am honestly brought to tears. I am so thankful for the wonderful life I have had. I am without a doubt one of the luckiest kids on Earth, and I need to remember that from time to time.
After a few hours of listening to music, I headed back with Jon and Tash to the hostel and began to unwind. As I wouldn't be seeing them in the morning, we said goodbye and exchanged email addresses before turning in. In my limited travels I have been fortunate enough to come into contact with some amazing people, and I really hope to be able to see some of them another time. But, I understand realistically that the vast majority of our paths will probably not cross again. I need to be sure to make the most of my encounters and not take anything for granted, even with those I have been fortunate enough to see often.
I woke up early the next morning and ran to the pier that was a few kilometers from the hostel. While the weather was overcast, it wasn't rainy and the temperature was perfect. It felt really good to work out the sluggishness from a long day of travel the day before, and it was really neat to be by myself in the middle of such a strange and beautiful place with the pounding of my feet and the waves across the shore the only sounds in the area. After a moving several minutes at the rocky beach, I returned to the hostel and prepared for my journey back to Dublin via Galway. The weather was much nicer this time around and I was able to get some more shots of the villages and countryside.
When we arrived in Dublin it began to rain, but luckily just as soon as it started it had gone. We found our hostel with no problems and proceeded to make our way along the Liffey River to the Guinness Storehouse. Along the way we also walked through some interesting districts, seeing some of the famous locations such as Christ Church Cathedral. The Guinness Storehouse was interesting, and as part of the tour we were able to enjoy a pint of "The Black Stuff" from the Gravity Bar and soak in the view.
We had worked up a pretty big appetite by this point, so we made our way to Kehoe's Pub. However, it seemed that the owners of the bar catered only to followers of the liquid diet, but they were able to direct us to O'Neill's where we enjoyed generous portions of some delicious food along with some local beverages. After finishing our meal we returned to Kehoe's Pub and, at the request of some family members and the locals, enjoyed a few more pints of Guinness.
While I would have been content to stay at Kehoe's Pub and talk with the locals for the whole evening, we decided to check out Trinity College and as we left, the crowd at Kehoe's Pub was really picking up. Unfortunately, most of the college was closed, so we decided to head to Temple Bar, Dublin's Cultural Quarter and popular night spot, and return to Trinity College the following day. We walked around the busy and wild streets for some time. After a while we were getting pretty tired, so we headed back to the hostel in order to get an early start the next day.
Sunday began with breakfast at the hostel, and then I was off to find a Catholic church which wasn't difficult as there are over two hundred parishes in Dublin alone. Since I would be unable to check out later that morning, I packed my things and headed out. Along the way I was able to see a number of interesting sights. I found a Catholic church in an industrial part of town. Francis Xavier was the patron saint. Since I had about an hour before Mass was to begin, I explored the surrounding area and found a massive stadium apparently where the Gaelic Games are played. I also found Holy Cross College and walked through some pretty cool neighborhoods. At the church, the priest was Jesuit, and I spoke to him after Mass, telling about my connections to the Jesuits. It was really a breath of fresh air to attend Mass in my native language. However, I was troubled that I barely saw any young people, and consequently, the average age of the congregation was probably over sixty-five.
After Mass, I walked though the city to meet up with my companions at Trinity College, checking out Dublin Castle and enjoying the perfect weather along the way. Trinity College was beautiful even with rain clouds coming in. After waiting around for a little while, my companions arrived, and we proceeded to check out the rest of campus including the building which housed the Book of Kells. Unfortunately, photos were not allowed so I was unable to document the inspiring Book of Kells (which is one of the oldest best preserved books in the world) or the Long Room (which housed literally hundreds of thousands of books that would cost as much as my undergraduate education). My favorite part was definitely the Long Room. After touring the building, we took our final pictures of Trinity College and set out to find some lunch. We headed toward the docks where there was a tremendous amount of construction happening. Eventually, as we were running out of time, we settled on eating at a grocery store/cafe in an upscale part of town. We caught a bus to the airport, and our flight from Dublin to Frankfurt passed without incident. My time in Ireland was over.
Waiting for the shuttle from Frankfurt to Darmstadt, I was able to catch the second half of the championship of the European tournament in the airport. Germany lost to Spain 1-0. Spain was clearly the better team. When arrived in Darmstadt the city was still boiling with a mix of joy and despair from the game. There were dozens of police officers about trying to keep order. But, I made it back to my room without difficulty and finished up the night with a Skype conversation with Mom, Dad, and the Decatur Hubbard's.
My trip to Ireland was without a doubt my favorite trip thus far. I have never felt so compelled to return to a place as with Ireland. The people, the landscape, and the culture were absolutely amazing, and I was able to learn a lot about myself and the world around me in my short time there. I really hope to go back one day. Until then, I look forward to heading to Heidelberg tomorrow where I will almost all of the other North American students working in Germany this summer and where I will be able to meet current leaders of German industry. It should be an exciting weekend and an exciting next couple of weeks. Thanks for your patience with all this.
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