Day 31 & 32: Munich!

Hallo all! And greetings from Munich! Wow, it's been an interesting couple of days! I wasn't sure if I would have internet while we travel, but it ended up that our hotel has free wireless.

So, it almost seems like longer since we departed Freiburg, but we left just yesterday, right after class. It was a bittersweet departure, there were many hugs and farewells to be had by all. It was nice to have the opportunity to get to know a little city like that one and I would definitely like to go back there some day!

After our departure from the Gaestehaus, we made our way to what I like to call "Neuschwansteintown" because it is the home to the beautiful castle of King Ludwig II. The scenic ride through Bavaria was beautiful, I am so glad that I did not sleep much during the bus ride. On the way, we stopped on the Boden See (a lake) and saw some more gorgeous examples of nature's wonders. Once we arrived in our hotel for the night (just a little ways from "Cinderella's Castle"), we found a nice restaurant-hotel and sat and ate traditional Bavarian food. It was neat to get to know our van driver. He looks like Bruce Willis! So, we resided last night in a cute little Victorian-style hotel, one of the nicest ones I have ever stayed in!

Well, we woke up this morning fairly bright and early, and headed to Neuschwanstein. It was a gorgeous day and we really lucked out that we had such a nice hike up the mountain to the castle. It was very neat to be back in Bavaria, I even recognized some of the sights we had seen on our family trip five years ago (we have relatives in the area and I had visited for two weeks with my family). We took a tour of the castle, walked to the nearby bridge, and saw many paragliders in the area. We even looked into going paragliding, but it was a bit too expensive for us students.

After a bit of a bus ride, we made our way into Munich! Tonight, we spent the evening in the Hofbraeuhaus! It was a lot of fun and we really lucked out in getting a table! The food was good and the atmosphere was really neat! That's about it for now, I'm headed to bed! Tomorrow, we are going to be doing a bike tour and visiting the remains of a nearby concentration camp. More news to come shortly. Hope all is well! 'Til next time...Tschuess!

Day 31: Last Night in Freiburg

Hallo everyone! It is our last night and Freiburg and I guess you could say that it's bittersweet. It will be nice to travel a bit, have the chance to get to know Berlin, and live with a host family, but I will definitely miss the people here and the beautiful sights of Freiburg!

So, today we had class as usual. My mind was pretty much elsewhere and I could not wait for the day to be done. Currently, it sounds like there's a big soccer game on tv because I am out on the Gaestehaus balcony and there are sports announcers yelling and people alternately cheering and booing. Anyway, after Goethe, I had a bit of downtime before our class came together for a little city tour and Kaffee trinken (coffee). It definitely was a nice way to spend my last afternoon in Freiburg. I got to talk a bit with my friends from South Korea and Thailand (and I even got offered an apartment in case I decide to live in Freiburg some time over the next ten years!). I definitely learned a lot and it was fun to end my stay here the same way I started it: with a historic tour! We had a nice stop at a cute cafe in the center of town before heading back to the Gaestehaus to finish my packing.

After a bit, Andrea and I headed out to find the last restaurant we wanted to try. We ended up at a little Thai place and it was very neat to sample this "ethnic" food in another country. I would have to say that it was a little different than American Thai food, but I definitely enjoyed the curry chicken and glass noodle soup. We had an interesting encounter as we were paying the bill. Although they don't really tip here in Germany, usually the thing to do it round up. It's interesting how things work over here and how we all are still getting adjusted to it!

Well, now I am back in the Gaestehaus for the last time. I might have the chance to go to an informal Stammtisch (student get-together) tonight, but I might instead just enjoy the last of my time here in the "lovely dormitories" tonight. Plus, I think it might be a good idea to be well-rested for all of the traveling. So, that's about it. I am a bit restless and just looking forward to getting on the road. I really would prefer not to go to class tomorrow, but it will be nice to say goodbye to everyone too. I am happy for the change in scenery and for the new experiences that lie ahead of us! And I am also excited to meet my host family (although I still don't know who they are...). I am not sure if I will have internet access over the next week, so I will try record our travels and upload some pictures and comments whenever I have the chance. In case I do not have the opportunity to write again for a while, I hope that all is well and that you all have an enjoyable week! 'Til next time...signing off from Freiburg...Tschuess!

Day 30: The Everlasting Milk

Part 1: Hallo! Wie geht's? Wow, it's Day 30! So hard to believe we've been here for so long! Today went by fairly quickly, although at times I was a little bit distracted in class and just wanted to get outside! Only two more days left here in Freiburg! I am very much looking forward to our short week of traveling, but I wish that we were already on the road. Today, Matt and I had a little conference with our teacher. She gave us some advice for speaking German and told us that she was passing along high recommendations to Berlin. It was interesting to hear some of her opinions and it was good to know that she recognized that fact that I could possibly be put in a higher class.

After class, I went grocery shopping for some food for the road. I finished my homework and then Andrea and I rented bicycles! We road around for about 2.5 hours and saw some beautiful scenery! We biked along the Dreisam River and then road a bit through the city. The second half of the ride definitely was a bit more stressful than the first. We had to dodge street cars and lots of pedestrians! But it was definitely a great experience and I am so glad that we went!

So, we're now back at the Gaestehaus, filled with dinner and ready to go out to "Schlappen" with our Chilean friends (they're the ones who talked to me until 2 am one day a couple of weeks ago). It will be quite an interesting experience, I am sure! I think that it's a restaurant or something by the university. Andrea already got her housing information, but I haven't heard from Goethe yet. And it looks like we are definitely going to Prague, so I am very happy about that! Well, so that's about it for now. I am counting down the days until Munich (2!). Hope all is well! 'Til next time...Tschuess!

Part 2: Quick update about the night: It wasn't too shabby! It was neat to talk in German for most of the evening, and I basically understood all that was being said. The Chileans are very nice guys and I am glad that we ended up being able to go to Schlappen before we left Freiburg. It was interesting to hear their opinions on worldly things and their version of the American stereotype. In many ways, I agreed with a lot of the things they said. I do wish that I could have spoken a bit more! Well, I better get some sleep. 'Til next time...Tschuess!

Note: Yes, I left the milk out of the fridge for 24 hours (accidentally) while I was in Italy and it was still fine to drink. And it wasn't even the crazy butter-tasting stuff that some Germans tend to leave on the counter. Just thought that was interesting and title-worthy!

Day 28 & 29: Milano!

Hallo everyone! Hope all is well! I did not have the chance to write a blog entry yesterday for the first time all term! So, this will be a combined post for today and yesterday. Well, yesterday we woke up very early and traveled to Mailand/Milan/Milano, Italy. The place has so many names! I really don't understand why we fail to pronounce the true names of cities and places in English. Is it really that hard to say "Mil-a-no?!" Anyway, the bus ride took exactly (and when I say exactly, I mean German punctuality exactly) 5.5 hours (5 hours plus 30 minute break). So, I was traveling for 10 hours yesterday!

But we actually had a full day in the city. We were in Milano from 11 am to 9:30 pm! It was very interesting to see the differences between the German and Italian cultures. Even though Freiburg and Milano are fairly close in proximity, there are some concrete differences between them. The second we stepped off the bus, we were "bothered" by those who make their living by following tourists and trying to get their money. We were pegged right away as possible targets for some cash-making. So, a guy came up to us and tried to give us bracelets. I just ignored him as he was talking to Andrea. But he said that the hand-woven little bracelets were free as a gift from Kenya, so we thought we were safe. But as soon as he had put them on our wrists, he started asking us for donations. We were trying to listen to what our Zivi, Maxime, was saying, but this guy would just not leave us alone. I gave him a Euro "for the people of Kenya" and he finally went away. Andrea was pretty appreciative that I got him to stop bothering us. People seemed a bit disapproving of him and maybe what we did in handling the situation. But my take on things might be a bit different than some. I mean, if this guy is trying to make a living on the streets, he probably is not very well off. I really don't care where the money went to...I mean, I would prefer that it would go to the poor souls of Kenya and not drugs, but really, what difference will my Euro make, anyway? So, maybe I bought him a piece of pizza. Or maybe I funded something more sinister. It was a situation in which I was not comfortable and I knew the only way to get rid of the problem was to give a single Euro. I think I know better now than to let myself be cornered like that. It was interesting to see how many people like this guy were in Milano. There were so many street vendors and beggars and the likes. It made me sad in a way. Maybe this was the only way these people could make a source of living. And there are so many tourists in the area that I am sure that they do pretty well. I makes me feel badly to just ignore them. I wish I could tell which ones were the honest people in need and which individuals are just looking to make a quick profit. I wonder how a big city like Berlin will be different...

So, after our first impression of Milano as a tourist trap, we headed to a market (very chaotic!) and then the famous "Dome" the city is known for. There, we saw one of the most beautiful churches I've ever seen (see pictures above). This beautiful monstrosity was bigger than any cathedral I have ever seen. It amazing me that something like it could be constructed so many years ago! In some ways, it put the beautiful Muensters of Germany to shame! But each church is unique and they are all amazing in one way or another. It was interesting to see body of a dead cardinal from the 1500s. I really didn't know how to react to it...It kind of confused me exactly what one is supposed to do when they see this old corpse with a metal face. Interesting stuff.

After our self-tour of the Dome, we headed out onto the streets of Milano. Lisa (from California), Andrea, and I walked back down the main street to the place the bus dropped us off. We went inside the grounds of a very old castle and saw some beautiful gardens along the way. During that time, I was on the search for a piece of authentic Italian pizza. The task was actually more difficult than one might expect! I finally stumbled upon a little bakery that had pizza in the window. It actually wasn't fresh, so it wasn't as delicious as I'd hoped it would be. But at least I can say I had pizza in Italy! So, we slowly made our way back through the less popular side-streets of Milano. Somehow, our sense of direction proved its worth and we stumbled back into the grounds of the Dome. But things were a bit different there than it was several hours before. This time, there were police blockades, huge crowds, and limousines! We're still not sure who of fame was making their way to the famous opera house in that area, but from what I gathered, it appeared to be a diplomat of some sorts. It was interesting to see huge crowds waiting for the person to show up. There was some sort of chanting and the police had riot shields for some reason...But when the person rolled up in the car, he waved at the crowd and everyone broke into applause. It was a very neat experience to see something like that--whatever it was. The Associated Press was even there...I think I will have to look up what/who exactly we saw.

After all of that, we met up with the group again and did a little tour of some churches and the local university. We saw another five hundred year old body (this time, just the skull, not a silver face) and sat in on a church service for a little bit. We walked for another half hour (yes, I admit that my feet were pretty tired by that point!) and headed to a little restaurant on the other side of the Dome. It was a neat little place, sort of self-service type of establishment. But you get the food made right in front of you...pizza, pasta, the works. It wasn't that inexpensive as one might think, but it was interesting to see another type of place and to just have the chance to sit down for a bit. We headed back to the bus and enjoyed a long ride home, complete with even some half-awake type of sleeping! It was a pretty neat day, but I was glad also when we returned to the Gaestehaus at 3 am and I was able to get a full night's sleep!

So, quite an interesting and long day yesterday! Today, I didn't end up going to the brunch that was available this morning, but I made omelets for me and Matt so that I could use up some of the eggs before Wednesday. I cannot believe that I have only three more days left in Freiburg! It still feels like I have so much to do before we leave! Today is going to be a day to just catch up on work and relax a bit. My teacher gave us a lot of homework and I have some things to do for the Union class, too. It is a nice day outside, but I am content just staying here for once and still working in the fresh air. It will be nice to get ahead with my work, too! We're headed for Munich on Wednesday after class. We are also going to be visiting Dresden and hopefully Prague on our way to Berlin, too! The Berlin Goethe Institut has not given us our housing assignments yet! I really hope that living with my host family is going to be a fun experience! Well, I hope you are all having a nice weekend, also! I better get to work! 'Til next time...Tshuess!

Day 27: Titisee

Hallo all! Hope all is well! Es ist Freitag! Ja!! I am very glad that it is the weekend! Last night was quite a different experience. I ended up hanging out with some different Union girls than I usually do. They were very nice and welcoming, and they all accepted me and made sure that I felt comfortable interacting in a new social setting. I stayed up a bit late, so I was slightly tired this morning. But class went by and then it was the weekend! We headed to a nearby lake: the beautiful Titisee region. The group made a full hike around the lake and spent some time in the town relaxing, shopping, and eating. It was a pretty nice afternoon!

We came back and I've just been catching up on things and packing for our departure. We only have five more days in Freiburg! It's crazy! Tomorrow morning (very early) we are headed to Milan, Italy! I am very excited! The trip does not cost very much (comparatively) and I will be able to take in a different culture! It's definitely going to be interesting to go to a place in which I know next to nothing of the language. I wish more of the Union people are going, so that we might have the chance to spend some more time together. But it will be nice to meet new people, too, and I am looking forward to it! Well, I should probably get some sleep. I don't want to get sick like everyone else seems to be! I still have some more interesting information to contemplate, but for now this will suffice. Enjoy the Wochenende! 'Til next time...Tschuess!

Day 26: Gelato

Hallo all! Wie geht's? Today has been a really interesting day (sound familiar?). Well, classes were okay. After Goethe, we had our Union class. It was fine, we learned a bit more about our travels next week, but we still don't know who our host families are! Andrea and I worked on our video project for Union this afternoon. She had the idea to do our project on gelato/ice cream shops in the area because they're very popular. So, we took pictures of some of the different restaurants to add into our video. But when got to the shop in which we were going to do the most filming, the situation was very surprising. I talked to the owner in German and explained that we are Goethe Institut students and that we were wondering if it would be fine to do just a few minutes of filming for our project. But he would not let us do it! Thinking back on it all, it's been interesting that I wasn't more taken aback by his response. I was actually pretty apathetic to the whole thing, and therefore, didn't get upset or embarrassed. I was just proud of myself for being able to communicate effectively in another language! So, we headed to another ice cream shop and did the filming on the sly. And even if they happen to notice, the other places didn't seem to care that much. It's really been interesting to see how some Europeans do not like cameras as much as some Americans do. Well, I hate to cut this short, but I may be headed out soon. Glad to hear that everyone is in good health and doing well! 'Til next time...Tschuess!

Day 25: "Sag was?!"

Hallo! Hope you all are well! Today was (once again, again, again...) quite a unique day. Well, the morning was the same. Classes at Goethe, as always. But something very interesting happened there, also. I came back from the lunch break a little early so I could finish my classwork and I ended up talking to the instructor for a little bit (auf Deutsch)! Last week, I had been very disappointed because she seemed to think that in my quietness I did not know very much German or that the pace of the class was too slow. But today, things have changed a bit. She now was telling me, "I'm just never quite sure sure if the class is too slow for you or what?" I was thinking, "FINALLY! She understands!" I am just glad I have proven myself a little bit more over the past week. It really has been difficult for me to overcome the first image I was given as being quite and polite (meaning that I know nothing, also, I guess). Unfortunately, now that I have made some progress, we are about to leave! It's really interesting how I finally feel adjusted to everything and how I now realize how much I am going to miss this place called Freiburg! I am glad that I now have come to terms with this whole experience and that I am able to enjoy all of the different opportunities to their fullest. It's going to be really interesting to leave all of the familiarity once again and venture to a new setting. I think that Berlin will take some getting used to, too, but at least now I know how to go about living abroad a bit better than I did four weeks ago. Wow, time flies!

So, after class, we had a little time to recoup before heading to the other side of Freiburg. We visited Professor Nelson's doctor-friend at a health/skin clinic out in the outskirts of the city. It was really nice to see a new part of Freiburg. I thought that I had seen the whole city in my travels, but I really haven't! It makes me realize how much there is still to see in less than a week!

It was a very interesting talk that Stephan gave at the clinic. He focuses on allergies (mostly skin-related), but his talk also mentioned general food and asthmatic allergies. Knowing some people close to me who suffer from such things, it was interesting to learn more about the causes. Who knows, maybe an allergy cure will one day come out of Freiburg!

After the tour and talk, some of us ventured to another the house of Professor Nelson's other friend, still father on the edge of town. It was a really neat place, unlike anything I have seen here so far. It was right on the edge of the mountains/forest and the only sound you could hear was the chirping of the birds. I actually felt very relaxed after going there. It was nice to sit down on the patio overlooking the garden and watch the clouds go by. There was also a very cute cat at the house! We sampled some German snacks and beverages and just talked a while. I really enjoyed it and think it was exactly what I needed!

I probably talked more today than I have in the past three weeks. Unfortunately, the discussions were in English, but I think that was what I needed, too. I always feel so guilty not conversing in German, but maybe I just needed a break from that for a little while. I really learned a lot about Professor Nelson and just random and different experiences and opportunities, more later to come. So, after the nice bit of relaxation, we headed back to the Gaestehaus. But on the way, we stopped at some really neat German stores. There was this cool coffee house with a mini-clothing store in it. I guess they change the inventory every week and everything is very cheap! After that, we went to Migros, which was an amazing grocery store! So much food and variety there, it was pretty crazy. They say if you can't find it at Migros, you can't find it in Freiburg! Then, we ventured to Aldi Sued (the southern German version the Aldi we have in the States). It was really neat and I ended up buying some interesting German snacks. We returned to the Gaestehaus and made some Flammkuchen with the Zivis (maybe more eating than cooking was done on our part)! And it was pretty darn good!

It was a fun day, but busy as always. And I really learned a lot, too. I realized that not everything is set in stone (how cliqué!). But really, there are so many opportunities out there. And maybe I will one day find myself back here in Freiburg. It would be interesting if that did happen! I just keep learning and understanding so many different and new perspectives. And it's been interesting for me to take Goethe classes because it makes me think about how we must sound as German students to a native-German speaker. And that makes me think about how interesting it would be to teach people how to speak English. And that just opens up so many new places and experiences. I will give more detail as events unfold. But I am really just reaching another understanding of things, which is very interesting. More info at a later point...Hope all is well! 'Til next time...Tschuess!

Note: "Sag was?!" = "Say what?!" (sort of...)

Day 24: Spargel!

Hallo! Wie geht's? Hope all is well! Well, today was quite an interesting day. Classes early this morning (of course), then we headed to a champagne factory/brewery. I'm not really sure what they are called! But this place was in Breisgau, which is a town we visited briefly a few weeks ago. It was definitely a different perspective this time!

It was a neat experience to see how champagne is made authentically. Actually, this stuff cannot be legally called champagne since it is not produced in the Champagne region of France! But this "sparkling wine" is supposedly just as good, if not better, than the French version. So, it was an interesting walk through modernized factory workings and the historic six hundred year old cellars!

After the champagne tour, we stopped at a "little restaurant thing" out in the country to sample a German delicacy. It's hard for me to describe exactly what this place was because we have no equivalent to it in the US. But it's a little family-run establishment that is only allowed to serve a small number of people at a time. Here, we had Spargel! Spargel is a (white) asparagus (usually served with Hollandase Sauce and potatoes) that is pretty rare, pretty expensive, and pretty tasty. We got a very good meal for a very good price!

After our quaint dinner, we traveled back through the outskirts of Freiburg to another small town in the countryside (I really should know these names...). We walked the deserted streets, saw a castle, and observed the supposed home of Goethe's "Doctor Faust." After all of that, we piled back into the bus and headed back to the Gaestehaus. What a long day! I hope that all is well with you all! It's crazy to think that I've been here already for three and a half weeks! Only six more days of classes to go! Well, I better get some sleep. 'Til next time...Tschuess!

Day 23: History Lecture

Hallo all! It is week 4 and I cannot believe it! So, today was another long day of Goethe classes. But it went by pretty quickly, which was nice. Only seven more day of Freiburg! After class, Andrea and I went grocery shopping, which is always fun. Then, we attended a lecture on German history (in German). It was quite interesting and I was happy with how much I understood out of all of it. I even got three pages of notes! I guess that it is good that I have taken so many classes on World War II because I was able to follow the chronology pretty well. It ended up that if all of our Union class had attended the lecture, we would have gotten a "bonus." Three out of six of us attended, but there's still a chance that our Thursday test will be take home as a result! Sweeet! So, we worked on some homework after the lecture...but we ended up getting side-tracked in an extensive conversation with Professor Nelson. Interesting stuff!

Last night, we ended up walking around Freiburg a bit. We might do the same tonight. Nothing much new to report. It's nice that we only have ten more days here and then some time for traveling. I really do like Freiburg and I know that I am going to miss it very much, but I am also looking forward to a change of scenery and it will be nice to live in such a historic city for a month (Berlin)! So, that's about it for now. After all of these life contemplations, the past few days have been pretty restful. Hope all is well! 'Til next time...Tschuess!

Day 22: Relaxing Afternoon

Hallo everyone! Wie geht's? Hope all is well at home! Today was beautiful! After spending some of the morning on homework, I decided to take my work outdoors and enjoy the sunshine! I did the typical German thing and headed to the nearest park to lie under a tree and do some reading on Medieval German. But it was actually a very relaxing afternoon and I was nice to get out and see what the typical Freiburger does on a Sunday afternoon. There were so many people reading, playing frisbee, walking their dogs, sleeping in the sunshine! I had a really nice time doing that as well and I feel that I am ahead of the game on homework! So, it was a pretty nice day weather-wise and all of that. It makes me kind of sad to think that the only time my roommate came out of her room was to cook an early dinner. I hope that she's having a good time, but I wish for both of our sake that she would get out more often! But anyway, nothing new really to report otherwise. I'm glad to have a bit of a break from traveling even though yesterday was a lot of fun. It's early evening right now and Andrea and I might head out for a bit for a walk and some gelato. I guess we'll see what the night brings! Hope you are all well! Have a nice Sunday! 'Til next time...Tschuess!

Day 21: Sommerrodelbahn!

Hallo! It is Day 21, which means we have been here for three weeks already! It's hard to believe that much time has gone by so quickly! One third down, six weeks to go...

So, today was a lot of fun! We went about 1.5 hours away to a little ski town called Todtnau, way up in the mountains. There they we rode a ski chair lift all the way up a mountain. But our way back down was quite unique. We rode little cars down this metal track! It was sort of like a roller coaster, but still a bit different. You controlled your speed and had to make sure you had enough room between you and the car in front of you. And you had to make sure to brake on the turns and finish...Your safety was really in your own hands! It really was such a fun experience, I had never done anything like that before. They called it a "Sommerrodelbahn," I believe.

After the ride down, Andrea and I walked around the town a bit. We sampled some gelato before headed back to the little restaurant outside of the ride. But there we discovered our company had changed a bit. Instead we had been joined by a group of singing Bavarian bachelor party goers! They were selling little trinkets in hopes of gaining some money for the groom-to-be! I have to admit that it was quite an interesting experience. They were good singers, surprisingly!

After that interesting encounter, we headed into the mountains for a hike. We went probably 4 kilometers up and made it to a beautiful waterfall that was more magnificent than anything I've ever seen! What was really neat about this area (other than the waterfall itself) were the scenic view benches. They were actually more like wooden beds that you could lie back on and just enjoy the falls! Very neat!! We wandered back down again and caught the bus and train back to Freiburg. Quite an interesting day, indeed! It's really great that the Goethe program here has improved and that they now offer so many trips. Next week, we are going to Mailand (Milan), Italy! I'm excited!!

I'm not sure what I'm going to be up to tonight. At this point, I think that I would like to stay in and relax a bit because it's been a long week! We only have a week and a half left here in Freiburg! I may not be interesting in pursuing the exact same experiences as everyone else in the group, I really think that I am making the most of my time here and taking advantage of a variety of opportunities! This experience has not only taught me about other people, but also a lot about myself. I really am looking forward to a change of pace. I think that Berlin will be a really interesting experience! Although I do love Freiburg and know that it will take some time to get used to new surroundings again, I am very excited for the second half of the term! It will be nice to have the opportunity to connect with a host family. But that's all somewhat hard to think about when the day was so much fun and things are going generally well here! Anyway, hope things are fine back in the States! 'Til next time...Tschuess!

Day 20: Es ist Freitag!

Hallo! Wie geht's? (How are you?). Hope all is well with you all! Today was, once again, quite an interesting day. I think that I have finally been able to relax and enjoy the whole atmosphere a bit more. This really is quite a unique and wonderful experience. Union's Germany Abroad Program allows us to experience so much that we might not have been exposed to through other programs. And I also really like the professor (and it's not just because she shares my first name!).

But anyway, we had class today and afterward Andrea and I walked around a bit. I got most of my homework done before heading with the group to the Badische Zeitung, the semi-local newspaper. It was a long tour, conducted in fast-spoken German, but it was interesting to see how different it is talking/listening to a discussion in another "eloquently-spoken" language. By the time I was able to understand one sentence, the guide was already three more ahead! And at one point the woman asked me a question--I was so intent on listening and understanding that it took me a minute to understand what she was asking. But I think I pulled it off!

It was interesting to see the behind the scenes stuff in newspaper production. And the Badische Zeitung is modern and even ahead of its time in environmental conservation! I never had seen how newspapers were printed-; the farthest I've ever seen was page layout, so that process was very interesting. The neatest thing was the souvenir they gave us at the end of the tour. It was a copy of the first paper ever printed by this newspaper company. And it came from right after the Second World War, in February of 1946! Very cool stuff! I'm looking forward to reading some of the stories and it will be a great teaching material for the future if I decide to pursue that career path!

So, I am now back at the Gaestehaus. I'm just in one of those moods that I'd like some peace and quiet, but that does not come easily around here! Anyway, it was interesting day, but I am really looking forward to some fun tomorrow! We are going to a ski resort and taking a sort of slide thing down a mountain. I'll write more about it tomorrow when I know better how to describe it. Well, have a nice evening! 'Til next time...Tschuess!

Day 19: Frankreich!

Hallo everyone! So, today was quite a long day. We had class in the morning (I was functioning on minimum sleep due to my late night socializing) and we left for France right afterward for wine country. After passing through some mountains and countless vineyards, we toured around Colmar for a bit. Our group ended up seeing a pretty neat alter which was painted in the fifteenth century, I believe. This alter was a series of fold-out paintings of different biblical scenes that could changed based on the time of the year. It is very famous, but I can't think of the exact name at the moment! We saw this exhibit in a historical museum, but we were all sort of too tired to enjoy it too much.

After Colmar, we traveled to a nearby village and walked around a "storybook town." By then, it was 6 pm and were all getting hungry! So, we headed down some windy roads, past a few castles on a hill, and through more endless vineyards. We arrived in some other little French town (like Colmar, it used to be German territory) and came to a wonderful restaurant! The waiter was great and the food was delicious!! And we even had "Flammkuchen!" It was sort of like a really flat, thin pizza, but the cheese was fresh and it had its own distinct taste. I had a nice time socializing with the group and just having fun. It was a very enjoyable evening! Our waiter was so sweet and he gave the group complimentary beverages at the end of the meal. It was a nice day overall, but I am ready for a good night's sleep. I think we're going to have a fun weekend, so I'm excited! I hope everyone is doing well back home and that you are enjoying the spring! 'Til next time...Tschuess!

Day 18: Busy Day!

Part 1: Hallo everyone! Hope you are all doing well! Today was an interesting day. It started out rainy and cold, but it's gotten a bit warmer. Class was okay; there's so much to absorb in so little time! I had the chance to better know one of the guys who sits next to me in class today. He's from Australia and the person on the other side of me is from South Korea! They are both very nice. I really saw another, more personal side of one of them today that went beyond the grammar corrections usually supplied in class. It's been really interesting to get to know people from across the world, from Italy, Brazil, Chile, Portugal, China, Panama, South Korea, Australia, Hungary, California, Canada, Switzerland, Mexico, France, Thailand, Germany, etc.! Quite a different experience! But it is also quite interesting to see how much English is spoken and generally in use. It's on the street signs and food labels in Freiburg. And it is also the international language that is used to bridge cultures. It makes me think, though...if English and Americanization is taking over, what will happen to the world's diversity?

Oops, I've got to go prepare for an international buffet. There's much more to say, so I will continue this later! 'Til next time...Tschuess!


Part 2: Hallo again! So, to continue my thoughts: I think that it is interesting how Americanization has spread throughout the world, but then also how so much of the world has influenced American culture. When Andrea and I were deciding on a dish to make for the international buffet, we realized that there really are not many purely "American" dishes. Our best food is adopted from other cultures and brought over by immigration. But we decided to make s'mores since they're not really popular anywhere else in the world and no one from other countries has ever heard of them before. I ended up meeting a teacher from Long Island who decided to make apple crisp in order to represent good, ol' American pie. So, when we say that Americanism is spreading through globalization, what does that mean exactly? Because America is really comprised of so many different cultures and people. Does that mean that it is American values, ideals, and multiculturalism that is spreading or is it something else? Interesting indeed...

Alright, so I also wanted to talk a little more about the events of the past few days. Yesterday (Wednesday) we ate schnitzel at a local bar/restaurant. I'm not a schnitzel expert, but generally it seems as if it is some type of meat (pork, veal, etc.) that is breaded or covered in gravy. I tried the Badesches Schnitzel, which is a specialty of the German state I am currently in (Baden-Wuerttemberg)! It was sehr gut!

Anyway, so I had quite an interesting afternoon, also. After coming home to a pretty rainy day, I got my homework done and decided to do my own exploring of the city. I ended up walking the whole length of Freiburg and actually came to the river which I had ran along a couple of weeks ago. It was nice to know my way back to the Gaestehaus and to feel as if I can find my way around the city. I also ended up just reading by a cafe on the river for a while. It was very relaxing and really just what I needed to clear my head a bit. So, then I came back and ate. And I caught up on a few things before I decided to head to bed. But I actually ended up talking to a bunch of Chilean guys until pretty late. It was an interesting experience to have a relaxed conversation and joke around with them for a bit. They also want to show me and our group a pretty cool restaurant some time next week. That should be interesting, something different. Hope all is well! 'Til next time...Tschuess!