Rotes Haus Fest

Despite being more expensive than off-campus housing, Penn Housing doesn't offer all that much more in the way of services. When I lived there, I appreciated the extra security that my rent paid for, but the fellowships, endless, terrible movie-nights, and "Meet Your House Dean" dinners, make me all the more happy that I won't be living on-campus next year.

The Germans have a much better system. Although subsidized by the government, the facilities aren't the greatest. But the rent here for a normal student is rock-bottom. And how do the students fill their need for socializing without a "House Dean" to tell them how? Well, they do it themselves.

I just got back from working the Red House Festival, where we sold alcohol and made money. Now for the rest of the year, the inhabitants of Red House can have floor dinners and small outings. And we get to decide for ourselves what to do--no house dean to tell us otherwise.

While alcohol liscensing laws in the USA might prevent Penn from fully adopting this model, they should definitely look into something similar. Get rid of the house deans and dinners, lower rent, and let the students decide what they want.

Welche Finanzkrise?

Home to the European Central Bank, Germany's stock exchange, Deutsche Bank, and the more conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (newspaper), Frankfurt has become Germany's financial center. Thus, it's not surprising to read about the financial crisis on the front page of Frankfurt's influential newspaper.

The world financial crisis isn't hitting Germany as hard as some other countries. Germans don't do risky mortgages; in fact, 50% of the housing stock here are rentals. Whatever real estate bubbles other places experienced, Germany missed. Thus, nothing burst.

But BMW, Daimler, and Volkswagen are trying to lower wages and cut production. The German economy is officially in a recession. The government predicts that the unemployment rate will climb dramtically next year before Germany's economy corrects itself. Germany certainly is feeling the cost of globalization.

Frankfurt's newspaper wrote up a great piece about Munich and the "Finanzkrise" yesterday. But why pay attention to Munich now? Because, well, looking around Munich, you wouldn't guess anything was wrong with the world's economy. Despite being home to BMW, Siemens and other suffering multi-national firms, Munich is home base for Germany's super-rich.

Ritzy stores are still open across the fashionable downtown. The "Schickeria" sips on cappucinos in cool cafes. I'm in the process of looking for a job here, and I've got plenty of options. I could be a barista, work the supermarket checkout, or probably find an interesting, paid internship.

A Day Without Turkey

Yesterday was Thanksgiving and you wouldn't even know it. The best holiday America has to offer, and I was in class until 6:45 pm Thursday...

Since many of the Americans on the program are in Weimar on a class trip right now, we decided to have a Thanksgiving dinner last Friday when everyone was here. With many of us cooking on Thanksgiving for the first time, I'm surprised that everything turned out so well. Even the Butternut Squash I made tasted good!

Yesterday, a Spainish friend of mine invited me to a Thanksgiving dinner at a very American restuarant-- the Hard Rock Cafe. Unfortunately, once we got there, the dinner was over and we ended up at a very German restaurant-- the Hofbräuhaus. 

Prost und Happy Thanksgiving!

FC Bayern- Danke!

On Tuesday, I had the great opportunity to go to my first FC Bayern München game. FC Bayern is Munich's premier soccer team and could be considered the Yankees of Germany. They have a ton of money to lure the best players and coaches, year after year. So they win major championships, year after year.

The game on Tuesday was between FC Bayern and Steaua Bucharest as part of the Champions League, one of the three leagues in which FC Bayern competes. The Champions League is Europe-wide (hence why we were playing Bucharest); the Bundesliga is for German teams only; and the DFB-Pokal is the annual elimination tournament of the German Futball League.

We walked up to the stunning and sparkling new (built for the World Cup in 2006) Allianz Arena in Munich. When FC Bayern is playing, the stadium glows red (and apparently my friend's eyes do, too!). When TSV 1860 München (Munich's second team) is playing, the stadium glows blue. During the day, it looms over northern Munich in its natural white.

The fans charged the atmosphere, even before we made it through the securty screening. Fans of vastly differing sobreity levels crammed the subways and started singing when we made it to our stop. The 5 minute walk to the stadium filled itself with cheers.

Once inside, the soccer crazed Germans showed me their true colors. A whole section of the stadium jumped up and down constantly-- and not just because of the cold. Their voices carried praises of FC Bayern throughout the game, never once stopping. The most similar thing in the States would probably be a college basketball game where the student section is quite riled up.

For the other 95% of the fans though, the game was much more important than cheers and jumping. Unlike baseball games where conversations banter about among fans, interspersed with tense moments, these fans kept their eyes glued to the field, rarely taking a break to make a comment or take a sip of beer.

When Miro Klose of FC Bayern finally scored, the stadium erupted, standing up to salute the soccer heros. Once the initial celebration quited down, the annoucer started talking (in German, of course!):

Announcer: And in the 57th minute a goal for FC Bayern by Miro...

Crowd: Klose!

A: Miro...

C: Klose!!

A: MIRO...

C: KLOSE!!

A: The score now stands at FC Bayern

C: ONE

A: Steaua Bucharest

C: ZERO

A: Thank you!

C: You're Welcome!

After two more goals and 33 more minutes, the game came to an end, with FC Bayern victorious! They waved at the crowd as the crowd waved their red FC Bayern scarves at the team. But scarves quickly went back on as people began to stream outside and head home.

Snow!

 

I <3 Nutella

Gottesdienst

This morning I got up early to bike down to the Munich Cathedral to celebrate the mass (auf Deutsch: Gottesdienst) of "Christkönig," the last Sunday of the liturgical year. After my beautiful ride through the English Garden, I made it to downtown. Dozens of church bells greeted me as each tried to lure the faithful into one of the dozen churches crowding central Munich.

This video lets you hear the sounds of the city on a Sunday morning. Even though I was standing right next to the Frauenkirche (the big cathedral) when I took the video, the sounds are coming from the Frauenkirche and several other churches in the area.

Mass itself was formal, as I expected, but also incredibly ornate. Four priests (one of the them from France) presided over the service accompanied by what appeared to be several deacons and a cadre of alter boys. A boys choir sang in concert with a few male and female vocalists. The priests used the incense liberally, filling the cavernous cathedral with its strong scent. 

The congregation was polite and kind. On the way in, I dropped my hat and someone rushed to pick it up for me. On the way out, the older gentleman I sat next to wished me a happy Sunday. 

I was also probably one of the youngest there. Although I expected the dearth of young adults that I've heard about and see in the states, too, I didn't expect the complete lack of young children. No families attended this mass-- though that could have something to do with the fact that it was the cathedral in the middle of downtown.

The sermon also touched upon a big issue for the Church in Germany today. Europeans view themselves as increasingly secular and want to live in a more secular soceity. The Church used to have quite a large influence in politics and every day life, until the hippie revolution of the 1960s began to change the Germans' mindsets. Without a significant rebirth or renewal, the church continued to lose congregants until today. It doesn't help that if you register with a church/religion, the government automatically takes a "donation" out of your paycheck with your taxes!

Three Reasons I Love Munich

A Mini Police Car!

A Beautiful River

Surfers in the middle of Munich

A Low Point

I promised you in my first blog post here that I wouldn't bore you with my personal issues or social dramas. Plus, I don't want all that stuff online! So, that's probably why I haven't touched this blog in six days.

The magic of living abroad has worn off. I've settled into a routine filled with the boring things students everywhere have to do-- cooking, cleaning, shopping, studying, etc. I don't carry my camera around to capture new sights and sounds anymore. The weather has gotten progressively more depressing, with darkness setting in ever sooner and sooner.

My first Thanksgiving without family is approaching. All the Americans here made an excellent Thanksgiving dinner last night to celebrate, but it's still not the same (especially since I can drink with dinner now!).

School isn't helping the situation either. My classes are not as challenging as back home, so my motivation to work and do well isn't where it should be. My peers are hard to understand and harder to befriend. My commute sucks up a few hours each week, and it occasionally sucks up a few euros, too. But school isn't easy enough where I can jump off to Prague and Vienna every weekend. Instead I'm tempted by Europe's wonders as I wonder about population genetics. Ugh.

The homesickness has led me to waste far too much time online. On the plus side, I've discovered some really interesting blogs about Detroit and Philadelphia. On the down side, reading about the economic situations in Detroit and Philadelphia just furthers my depression.

So why am I ranting about my personal feelings when I promised not to? Because I've realized this is an important part of the experience. I'm not the only JYM-er feeling this way. The distance, the adjustment creates ups and downs. Everyone has to go through these downs to appreciate the ups.

The Four Seasons

Stepping outside today, I caught a whiff of winter. And I don't care what the calendar says; I determine seasons by scent. German winter smells much like American ones-- a chilling, stiff, cold which is also extremely fresh, untainted by huge temperature swings.

Hopefully this new scent also lifts my spirits. This past week didn't go very well, and I hope the upcoming one will be better.

driving home

the sky accelerates
and the clouds all form
a gemometric shape
and it goes fast
you think of the past

suddenly everything has changed

-Suddenly Everything Has Changed, by the Postal Service, my new favorite band

November 9th

This past Sunday was an important day in German history. As the 19th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, I expected some jubiliation or some excitement from the Germans. Perhaps they might finally show me some of that taboo pride of Germany. 

I couldn't even find an article in the newspaper. 

But November 9th is the anniversary of another important even in German history-- one who's tragedy trumps the jubliation of "Wiedervereinigung." November 9, 2008 was also the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht or the start of Hitler's official pogrom against Jews in Germany.

So instead of watching happy German gatherings on TV, I read about Chancellor Angela Merkel's address to the nation where she said, "Racism and Antisemitism must never again have a chance in Germany." Instead of heading into the city to watch a parade, I went into the city to visit the "Victims of National Socialism" Monument.

November 9th is a perfect example of the tension between past and present in Germany, a tension between legacy and future. Germans chose to respect the victims of their past and switch their national holiday to October 3rd. I think the Germans made the right choice.

I fought the law and the law won.

The light was green. Then it turned red. I biked across the street anyway. Afterall, the vehicle traffic hadn't stopped yet, so it was still safe.

Suddenly, a policeman, clad in the official (and kick-@ss) green uniform stood in front of me. Confused, I tried to bike around him, but he did not like that. "You stop when I'm standing in front of you!" he barked in loud, commanding German. "Identification?"

I started to shake. I didn't yet realize why he stopped me. In Germany, the police can stop anyone for no reason and ask for ID, and I thought he was doing this. "I have a copy of my passport," I stammered in German.

"That won't do you any good." Now I really started to freak out. "What is your nationality?"

As I said that I was American, he noticed my drivers liscence and asked to see it. He explained, "You ran a red light back there."

I feebly tried to feign ignorance. "I did?" It didn't work. And once he explained that I'd have to pay €25 on the spot, I started shaking even more. At this point, he lost his tough cop demeanor and started joking with me and telling me to relax. I coughed up the Euros and he wrote me a receipt.

"Next time you have to deal with the police, don't be so scared. We're not that bad! Auf wiedersehen." I hope I don't have to deal with the police again. And I really didn't think my first traffic ticket ever would come on a bike.

Bildung für alle und für alle umsonst!

As I left the cafeteria today, I heard some shouting coming from a nearby street. As I walked towards the noise to investigate, I saw a caravan of police cars following a slowly moving mob. The group had, not-surprisingly, loudspeakers, signs, and lots of energy. Surprisingly, the group was all high school students.

Today, across Germany, high school students went on strike. Fed up with what they claim are subpar learning conditions and faltering support for their teachers, the students took to the streets to get their points across. I can't imagine students in the United States even wanting a more rewarding education, much less doing something about it.

It seems like a senior skip day with a purpose.

[The title was a slogan the students shouted: Education for all. Free for all!]

A German Obama?

I just checked the website of the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Munich's major daily and an influential newspaper throughout Germany (similar to the New York Times or Washington Post in the USA). One of the stories really jumped out at me.

Imran Ayata, a German author of Turkish decent, wrote a column/story about the fictional Leyla Lena, a German politician of Turkish decent. She goes from relative political obscurity to rock-star status in no time as her young, adoring fans promote her political agenda. She runs for the position of Bundeskanzlerin against an old-time German candidate who says he is more a part of the "volk" than she is. She wins on a platform of restoring Germany's allure and prominence in the world-- attracting young people and jobs, setting an example for the rest of Europe and the world.

Funny how Obama has inspired so many people here, not just in America. The lead in to the story even says, "Ja, wir können." Yes, we can.

But Look What I Missed!

While the Germans are certainly excited to see a Democrat in the White House, they realize that it's not their country and don't really show their excitement so openly. Apparently though, I missed out on an AMAZING celebration in Philadelphia.

What's more, I never would imagine Penn's student body doing something like this. With the down-to-Earth practicality of Wharton on-campus, Penn doesn't really do protests, ralllies, or "political movements" the way some of our sister schools do. Ahhhhh.... I wish I had been there!

America, Let's Show 'Em What We Got...

Since coming here, I haven't exactly been overflowing with pride for my country. When talk turns to politics, the last four, disasterous years usually take precedence. Two wars, inaction on climate change, and faltering alliances leave me telling the Germans, "I know! I don't understand it either. We need some change."

And today we got it! With the election of Barack Hussein Obama as our 44th president, America has finally shown its true self to the world. On Monday and Tuesday, Germans and their media worriedly whispered that the polls were wrong. Will Americans really trust someone who was partially raised in Indonesia? Can Americans really elect a black man as their commander-in-chief? Now America can respond with a resounding, "Yes We Can!"

I haven't been Obama's biggest supporter throughout the campaign. At the very beginning, I seriously considered voting for McCain. But the more I heard "Drill, baby, drill!," the more I heard about Sarah from Alaska, and the more I heard McCain's economic policies, the less I trusted him. Despite his distinguished years in the Navy and Senate, John McCain was not going to make the right choices for our country.

But as I listened to Obama's acceptance speech this morning, I couldn't help but feel that we picked the right man for the job. Not only have we shown the world how far we've come as a nation, we've picked someone who truly believes in our nation's unity, someone who really feels that we need to work together to fix our problems.

Now I am overflowing with pride for my country. Although we've got huge problems to fix, we've also got the spirit to get it done. We've got the will power. We've got the unity. Yes, We Can.

Munich Fog

Looking out my window right now, I can hardly see the huge, 21 story building across the way. Fog began rolling in around 3:00pm today, and now, at 5:17, it dominates the landscape.

In my (almost) two months here (yikes, has it been that long?), heavy fog has been more common than rain. I wonder why.

Night at the Museums

Last weekend, I attended an amazing event here called "The Long Night of the Munich Museums." Here's the deal: pay €15 and get free admission and transportation to every museum in Munich from 7pm to 2am. The only catch: Munich has hundreds of museums; deciding where to go is impossible!

A German friend and I started out at the Palentology Museum and then headed to the Geology Museum next door. From there we took a quick walk to the New Pinakothek, one of Munich's best art museums. After seeing original Van Goghs, Monets, and Manets (which one is lillypads again?), we hopped on the shuttle bus to the Bavarian National Musuem. While still in a Bavarian mood, we finished the night at the Beer and Oktoberfest Museum of Munich. 

The whole evening was fantastic. From speaking German with my friend to watching the huge crowds enjoy live music, art, and science, I couldn't help but be thankful I am in Munich. This city has so much going for it. From creative events like this one to an engaged public that actually attends them, Munich is a model city.

The whole night I kept thinking about my home town of Detroit. I, personally, like Detroit, despite its many negative aspects. I think it has the right resources for a comeback, and it could be a great city once again. But I have to emphasize could. Detroit needs the creative spirit that brings events like this to Munich. Detroit needs the creativity that makes for fun Fridays in Philadelphia. 

Without that energy, people just won't want to stay in Detroit. Places like Munich are calling.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Like my pumpkin carving skills? Yea, I thought so...

We Americans threw a big party to celebrate one of our favorite holidays. Halloween isn't really a German holiday, but thanks to globalization, it's slowly making its way over here. Trick or treating hasn't caught on yet (as far as I can tell). And although scary costumes and parties are becoming more accepted, pumpkin carving is still pretty foreign, judging by the looks I got as I took my pumpkin to the party on the subway.

Persian Connection

Yesterday, my dorm hosted a dinner for all of the newcomers. The spaghetti was, well, spaghetti, but the Germans were all really friendly and looking to meet other newcomers.

I met a woman from Tehran, Iran there. She told me that she plans to move to America eventually. I asked her "why?" 

"Our cultures are so similar. I would feel very comfortable in America."

"Too bad our governments are so far apart."

The Real Work Begins

For my first month here, everytime I skyped with my parents, my mom jokingly said, "When are you going to start learning something? We're not paying for you to just explore Europe and go hiking!" Well mom, it's started.

I've now sucessfully completed two weeks of class. The JYM classes aren't too bad. "My Advanced German Language" class is a helpful review. "Studying at German Universities" is redundant (big surprise here!), but it only meets 4 times. "Germany: 1945-present" fascinates me. We're discussing post-war Germany right now. The Germans had some tough stuff to deal with!

Then I have three classes at LMU, the university of Munich. "Introduction to Marine Biology" seems pretty good, even if the professor's German is quite fast. The "Biodiversity" class's format differs from any science class in the States. We read a scientific article, someone does a presentation on it and the topic, and then a second person leads a critical discussion of the article and topic.

Finally, I have "Evolutionary Genetics." The subject is more interesting than I thought it would be. And, the class is in English. The professors conduct all classes for LMU's new masters program 100% in English. It can be a bit frustrating to be hearing so much English throughout the day at the Biocenter, but I'm honestly not so upset about this. 

Learning scientific vocabulary in German for two classes will be tough enough this semester!

Click Your Heels Three Times...

With classes starting and fall ending, I guess it's not surprising that I got my first wave of homesickness yesterday.

It started with my bike ride home. I'd spent most of the day at the Biocenter in the southern Munich suburb of Martiensried. After my class was over, I eagerly packed up to go home. Trouble was, the sun was down and the wind was blowing. For my hour long, cold bike ride, I couldn't help but have pleasent thoughts of Penn's nice compact campus.

Then I went out with some friends to a club. We convinced some Germans to come along. Although this should have excited me, I got really upset. The Germans kept insisting on talking to us in English. I got so frustrated that I walked away from the group for a few minutes. Deep breaths, deep breaths...

I'm upset because I've been in Germany for six weeks now, and I'm not thinking in German, not dreaming in German, and not talking to Germans. If I wanted to speak English, I would have stayed in the States. 

The Germans have good intentions; I understand that. But when you repeatedly request, "auf Deutsch, bitte!" you'd think that they'd understand. Plus, I feel that my German is good enough to hold a normal, student to student conversation. But when I'm around other Americans who can't keep up, the Germans immediately assume that my German is just as bad.

When I got home, my lack of German friends started bugging me, too. Most Germans have only been here for the past two weeks, so I can't beat myself up too much. Although the Germans I've met are nice, they are just not open. While it took me only about 2 hours of conversation (in a group!) to make a friend from Hungary, I'm going to have to work a lot harder for the Germans.

The Americans here are great, and I'm enjoying my time with them. But seriously, I have American friends that I chose to leave for a year. I need to cut the cord and make a serious effort with the Germans.

When Being Abroad Sucks

Yesterday, up until about 18:00, was one of the best days I've had here. The sun was shining; I was enjoying being in Europe. I even thought to myself, "I could see myself living here one day." 

But when my dad told me about a death in the family, the hard reality of being an ocean away from home hit me hard. Due to the unusual circumstances, I'm not flying back, but I still wish I could be there. I wish I could be there to support my family members who were hit the hardest. I wish I could be there to talk about what happened. I hope this doesn't happen again.

I haven't really talked with anyone here yet.

I spent 20 years building up a community in the USA. Leaving it behind for this adventure isn't without consequences.

Why German Men Wear Capris

Although I generally like European fashion, one trend that I never understood was man-capris. When it was warmer, I saw them all over the place. When German exchange students came to the USA, the guys often rolled up their jeans to look like capris. I didn't understand. We weren't in a flood zone.

But, alas, the revelation has come to me, as I, too, want to wear man-capris (will I regret posting this online?). The logic is simple. Cold weather = long pants. Long pants + bicycle = pants getting caught on the chain and pedal. Torn/stained pants = roll up your pants next time.

Aside from the fondness for terrible fashion that bicycling in Germany brings, I love everything about it. Instead of traveling underground in a dark, expensive subway, I get to pedal around outside among the fall colors and fresh air. Instead of getting to know the few, expensive shops in U-Bahn stations, I can locate well-priced, organic grocery stores, Deutsche Bank ATMs, and fruit sellers who will haggle over the price of bananas.

When I bought my bike a few weeks ago, people told me not to. "It will get cold," they said. Biking makes me hot. "It's slow," they said. It's usually faster than using public transit, I've found. "Biking in bad weather isn't fun."

I had my first bad weather bike trip yesterday. For my hour-long ride to the biology center, I dealt with the light rain fairly easily. But on my way home, it started to pour. I zipped up my rain jacket and kept going. And I actually had a lot of fun-- dodging puddles and pedestrians. At times, the trip turned dangerous. My brakes didn't work so well in such weather and I saw a girl on a bike get knicked by a car.

I feel very safe riding my bike though. Munich provides bike paths on about 90% of it's street (just my rough estimate here!), and about 90% of those bike paths share space with pedestrians on the sidewalk, not with cars on the street. When I'm a pedestrian, I hate having to constantly watch for bikes, but as a biker, I love just watching out for people instead of 2-ton cars.

Müncheners are also very law-abiding citizens. Pedestrians don't cross the street during a red "Ampel." And bike riders never cross the special light made just for them, even if the tiny street is empty!

Salt and the Sound of Music

Salt built Munich, plain and simple. Without the rich salt trade of the middle-ages, Henry the Lion would never have been able to reroute the salt through the city, bringing it enourmous wealth and influence.

Although salt (Salz in German) came from the center of the salt universe, Salzburg (see the word "Salz" in there?), Munich overshadows Salzburg economically and culturally today. Still, the small town, just two hours away is an inviting trip for any "Münchener." I travelled over the Austrian border this past weekend to check it out.

The city is, of course, very musical. Mozart and Haydn both come from the city, and the von Trapp family escaped the Nazis from their home in Salzburg as documented in the film, "The Sound of Music." Seeing the piano where Mozart composed his Sonata in C, a song I often played when I took lessons, made me miss my music.

Salzburg is also very beautiful. Nestled among Alpine foothills, the "Festung Hohensalzburg" (Fortress of Salzburg) gives great views of the city and the region. Church steeples and fall colors added to the grandeur of the experience.

Luckily, a friend of mine has been to Salzburg many times and could show us around. We also met up with the family his mother stayed with when she was an exchange student in Salzburg. Despite not knowing three of the four American students who entered their home, they treated us to an evening I won't forget.

The family immediately served us fresh, homemade, Austrian apple streudel (the apples came from the garden, I might add). When we admitted to not knowing what Kaiserschmarrn was, they insisted on making the Austrian dish immediately for us to try. We discussed politics, family, culture, and, once they found out I am from Detroit, cars. Their hospitality left quite the impression on all of us!

German Lessons in Common Sense #2 and #3

If one chooses to buy a bike, one should also buy a pump and a patch kit. Bike tires go flat and don't magically reinflate.

If said bike tire goes flat and one needs to take the subway, one should think about where one needs to go before one purchases tickets. 3 one way tickets at €2,30 cost more than a day pass at €5,00.

Living History, Part Three

Last year in my German class, I struggled to understand a text we were reading. It spoke of RAF and terror in the 1970s. I knew that the Royal Air Force was terrifying to Germans during WWII, but in the 1970s?

RAF actually stands for "Rote Armee Faktion," or "Red Army Faction." This terrorist organization in West Germany was born out of German frustration following the second world war. After 1945, Germany vowed to never again bring war upon the planet. The people wanted to rebuild themselves as a just, equitable soceity. Instead, some began to see West Germany as a sort of police state, keeping the masses quiet while allowing the rich to profit off the world's evils.

When political moves and lengthy columns failed to achieve the desired result, Andreas Baader and Ulrike Meinhof (journalist and mother of two) lead a coalitions of young, radically-left Germans into battle. By bombing capatalist buildings and army outposts, the Baader-Meinhof complex spawned a movement that killed 34 people and may have helped hijack a Lufthansa plane.

Germany, always examining its past, touched upon the "German Autumn" of terror in a recent film entitled the Baader-Meinhof Komplex. I went to see the much-debated release a few weeks back. With many young Germans upset about globalization, some feared that "Baader-Meinhof Komplex" would inspire the most troubled to action. 

The movie, however, does not portray RAF as a young group of idealistic heros. Instead, it allows the viewer to watch their descent into violence-- with each attack becoming a reason for more. They weren't protesting capitalist excess; they were justifying their own violence.

Living History, Part Two

Although most Americans can list the horrors that occured during the Nazi era in Germany, few can name the small group that stood for political and religious freedom during that same era. "Die Geschiwster Scholl," or "The Scholl Siblings," stood up to Nazis and lost their lives because of it.

Sophie and Hans Scholl started a group called the White Rose. Composed of a small group of core members, they printed anti-facist flyers and mailed them to thousands of people in various German cities, all at their own expense. When it came time to distribute the sixth flyer, Sophie and Hans decided to lay them around their university building in Munich during classes. 

While attempting to directly contact their politically active peers, Sophie pushed a stack of papers over the railing, sending flyers fluttering into the main hall of the university.

The action, which caught the attention of the university manager and lead to the end of the White Rose, is now a symbol of student resistance in Germany. And it took place in the main hall of the university I now attend.

Last week we watched Sophie Scholl: the last days, a moving film about her protest and sentencing at the hands of the Nazis. Wether it was the main hall of the university or the places the prisoners were shuttled to and from, these places permeate my own life in Munich.

Wether I'm passing through "Geschwister Scholl Platz" or passing by the cemetary where Sophie was buried, Munich and the University pay fitting tribute to these inspiring heros.

Living History, Part One

One reason I've always enjoyed taking German classes has to do with Germany's relationship to its past. Germany has some pretty hefty subjects to grapple with. Martin Luther's rebellion, two world wars, and the holocaust don't easily pass from a people's collective memory. 

Germany doesn't try to forget either. While I haven't even been here a month yet, I encounter German history often. Golden cobblestones mark houses where Jews forced from their homes during World War II lived. Bullet holes can still be seen from where Hitler fought Bavarian police during his 1923 putsch. The Dachau Concentration Camp lies right outside the city.

On Thursday, I used my day off from school to go to Dachau, something I was not looking forward to, but knew I had to do. Dachau was a work camp, not an extermination camp, so the exhibits focused mostly on the terrible labor and conditions that prisoners (political enemies of the Nazis, Jews, homosexuals, etc.) went through. While Dachau didn't have gas chambers or ovens, the SS murdered thousands of "attempted escapees," allowed thousands more to die of starvation and exhaustion, and performed brutal, "medical" experiments on prisoners.

Walking up to the camp from the bus stop, I was looking at the beautiful fall colors when I suddenly caught a glimpse of the iconic "ARBEIT MACHT FREI" ("work will set you free") gate leading into the camp. I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. Seeing this image in person suddenly made the horrors of the holocaust tangible. It lept from the pages of a history book into cold, hard reality. I felt like puking.

The camp memorial, financed by the German government, doesn't seem to skip over anything. Graphic photos of prisoners line the museum. Details of Nazi brutality sit on every display case. Clips from WWII-era German newspapers show the propoganda and lies surrounding the camp.

The camp continues to negatively affect people, as well. The City of Dachau lies about a half hour outide of Munich. Although Munich and the surrounding area are the most expensive places to live in all of Germany, Dachau remains very cheap. People don't want to live near the camp.

German liscense plates also show where the car is registered. People from Munich have a M as the first letter. People from Dachau have DAH. Cars with DAH inside Munich are often keyed.

While current Dachau residents are just as guilty of the atrocities commited at the camp as I am, the anger towards their city isn't hard to understand. Everyone knows the name Dachau for a reason. And it's a reason today's Germans wish had never happened.

[correction appended 19. January, 2009: Dachau did, in fact, have a gas chamber and ovens. Whether the gas chamber was ever used for mass exterminations is apparently debatable, but the ovens were often used to cremate the remains of murdered "attempted escapees" and starved prisoners.]

Happy "Day of German Unity"

Prayer of Thanks

Europe is making a good impression on me. The people are friendly, good-hearted, and seem to be honestly concerned about important issues like global warming, poverty, and peace-- which is more than I can say for many people in the USA. 

But something I can't grasp is Europe's relationship with religion. The continent is becoming more and more secular, despite recent the EU addition of Catholic powerhouse Poland. But European governments continue to meddle in religious affairs. Although Germany promotes religious freedom, it doesn't have a separation of church and state. 

Upon moving to Germany, I had one week to register with the police as every new arrival must. My application forms always asked what religion I was. I decided to leave that question blank every time, and the Munich clerk didn't give me any problems. But others in the group who also decided not to register their religion were questioned about why.

German schools teach religion, too. Each student receives instruction in their (or their parents') religion, and Germany offers the option to take an "ethics" class for non-religious people. But at every university, the Catholic or Evangelical Church (or, lately, the Islamic governing body) has complete power to remove faculty in their respective theology departments who don't toe the Church's line. This doesn't sound like academic freedom to me.

Religion (or fear thereof) is radically reshaping the continent's political landscape, too. On the far right, a small group of politicians loudly complain about Muslim immigrants. A few political posters I've seen here even advocate for a complete ban on the building of Mosques. These people are certainly in the minority though, as evidenced by the huge, disruptive counterdemonstrastions against them in Cologne last week.

But even the question of allowing headscarfs in schools gets honest play from politicians across the political spectrum. At Oktoberfest today, I met an Austrian couple who were not happy about their country's recent turn towards more conservative government. However, they did advocate a complete ban on headscarfs in Austrian schools.

I proudly told them that this isn't even an issue in the USA. Our system isn't perfect, but we have found a healthy relationship between Church and State. We don't tell people how to practice their religion or what they can and cannot express in public. We don't register people's private religious beliefs in government databases. History plays a big role, but Europe would do well to look west for its governments' religious future.

On My Own Again...

For the first time ever, I'm living on my own. Yes, my parents are paying tuition, housing, and health insurance, but aside from that, I'm independent. No roommates to clean up after me. No meal plan to feed me. No mother to do my laundry. It's all me this time.

So far, I'm pretty happy. My apartment is fairly clean, and my diet is healthy. I'm enjoying Munich, and I think I'll be able to budget enough to make it through the year.

However, this has enhanced my appreciation for my mother. As I go home from class, I'm running through mental lists of what I can make for dinner, what I have in my tiny fridge, and what I need to pick up. I expend a lot of mental energy doing this, and I'm only cooking for myself, much less a family of four vegetarians. Plus, my mom goes to "the farm" at least once a week, and she does a great job of preparing local, organic food. While worth the effort, going to the local Wal-Mart would be much easier (and cheaper).

Now that I'm accostumed to the German grocery shopping system, I've yet to find an easy way to do it-- much less to the same quality my mom does. When she comes over for Christmas, maybe she can teach me a few lessons. Oh, and give me new recipes, because I'm getting sick of pasta! 

Of Lederhosen and Leiche

I took another trip into the Alps with some friends today. Not only did we hike to the top of the Rotwandgipfel, but we did it in lederhosen. Now you get to see me in lederhosen for the first official time!

From The Alps

More pictures on my Picasa page.

I also walked through a beautiful graveyard in Munich the other day. The grave stones were all from the 1700s and 1800s.

Eins, Zwei, G'Suffa!

One thing separates Oktoberfest from the Fulton County Fair: world class beer. And, man, does that make a difference. Without those six world-renowned breweries setting up tents, the Theresienwiesen would be just a second-class carnival and 4H fair with 5.9 million fewer people for these precious two weeks.

But Spaten, Löwenbräu, Hofbräu, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, and Augustiner (order does not indicate preference here!) do set up 12 different beer tents and serve six million liters of beer to millions of thirsty patrons. These six Munich breweries already make pretty strong (and tasty!) brews, but the alcohol content shoots up to around 6% for their Oktoberfest brews. And you can only order the beers a liter at a time. That's why you've heard of Oktoberfest before.

Does it get crazy? Yes. Does it get out of hand? It depends who answers this question. I've observed that most Bavarians like to get to the "Wies'n," drink slowly, eat a "brezel" or two, and chat over a chicken dinner. Thus, they stay in control. Italians like to drink slowly, too, but then the males starting hitting on every girl in sight. The Brits like to drink quickly. The Australians and Americans drink slower than the Brits, but make up for that in singing volume and table dancing extravaganzas.

Speaking of singing and dancing, each tent has its own Bavrian oompah band. But they can play more than "Roll Out the Barrel." "Country Roads" is a favorite, along with "Living on a Prayer" and a few German drinking songs. But the one every Oktoberfester must know is "Ein Prosit"-- a toast. Every 15 minutes, the band breaks this bad boy out, and every 15 minutes, the tent erupts into a frenzy of clinking beer steins. Glorious!

German Lessons in Common Sense: #1

When hanging your clothes out to dry, choose a warm, sunny day. Cold, rainy days make your clothes wetter, not drier.

The Alps!

Last Friday I finally made it! One of the biggest reasons I chose to study in Germany instead of Berlin or Mainz is the Alps. The jagged rocks, the lush greenery, the snowcapped mountains, and the tiny Bavarian villages all combine to make the perfect day trip. The whole JYM class couldn't ignore the mountain silence and fresh country air. We're excited to go back this coming Friday.

Aside from the beautiful scenery (which you can see in my Picasa album!), the small town of Mittenwald really captured my attention. Stereotypical Bavarian, the town centers around a beautifully ornate Catholic Church. Although more and more Germans identify as non-religious, the Bavarian countryside clings fiercly to its Christian, most often Catholic, faith. In the upcoming elections, this voting bloc will likely again vote for the ruling CSU party, which has had an absolute majority in the Bavarian parlament for the past 46 years.

Shock and Awe

Although PennAbroad did a good job of preparing us to study abroad, the constant warnings of culture shock always went in one ear and out the other though. "I've been there twice before." "I've lived with a German family." "I'm pretty flexible." But in my previous trips, I never had to go grocery shopping.

Here, people take more pride in their food. Visitors find Bavarian specialties on every menu, and I've overheard people on the U-Bahn talking about where to find the best produce. Thus, stores here are pretty specialized.

I found this out, walking into an Aldi, expecting to walkout with all I could possibly carry, set for the next week. Instead, I walked out with a small bag of cleaning supplies (which I found next to the chocolate) and iceberg lettuce (which went bad after two days). I had to go to a different store to get cheese, a drug store for plastic bags, a bakery for bread, and a butcher for meat. And I don't plan on going back to Aldi for produce-- JYM suggests daily farmers markets around the city.

All in all, this system is much better than America's. Fresher, potentially healthier, local produce use fewer fossil fuels, make tastier meals, and pump up the local economy. But I still can't help but miss the big Meijier sign where I know I can load up my car, go home, and be set for the month.

Das Millionendorf

Munich-- what can I say? The city is amazing, keeping me entertained, busy, and away from my blog for a whole week! Getting settled here has been difficult but certainly worth the small troubles. Just the beer alone makes me forget every worry about staying here a whole year!

Any visitor to Munich definitely gets a feel for the town quickly. The locals call it "Das Millionendorf" which essentially means, "The biggest little town in Germany!" With over a million people, eight of Germany's DAX companies (similar to our Fourtune 500), and some of Germany's top museums, clubs, and, of course, breweries, the city is thriving and lively. But at the same time, one quickly notices people in "Trachtkleidung" (Dirndls and Lederhosen). Farmers' markets are a big deal. Huge parks encompass large swaths of the city. And the Alps are only a couple hours away.

Without this small town feel (aka if I had chosen to study abroad in Berlin), I doubt I would get quite much of an experience with traditional German culture. When Americans think of German culture, we think of Bavaria and its lederhosen, beer, and brats. The rest of Germany actually sees this as strange, especially how proud the Bavarians are of their traditions. But when studying abroad in a western European country, one really wants to experience all the non-American traditions possible. Bavaria is perfect for that.

Wilkommen in Deutschland!*

Written September 10, 2006, 5:30 am

I’m in Munich! Just the airport, actually, but the travel certainly was easy. The flight got in an hour ahead of time, my bags were the FIRST out at the “Gepäckausgäbe,” and I actually fell asleep for a good portion of the flight. 

Of course being here an hour early is not actually beneficial. I still have to wait for the JYM crew to get here with their bus, and they don’t show up until the group flight arrives. Although, I now see that the group flight is also arriving an hour earlier than scheduled. Thank you Atlantic tail winds! 

I’ll be posting about my dorm room and first impressions soon—pictures included.

I Worked Hard for the Money

Done with work. Great experience, well worth it, but at the same time, I'm glad to not have to get up at 5:45am every day anymore. I guess on Tuesday my commute will be a little more "trans-atlantic." 

Better get packing!

The Farewell Tour

This past weekend, I drove for many, many hours. But it was worth it, as I got to see my closest friends one last time before Germany. First stop: Berea, Ohio. I stayed at my friend's house, biked along a beautiful path to Cleveland, and caught up on a summer gone-by. Next up was Philadelphia where I stayed with my (former) roommates. Fired up by NSO and 2,000 new students, campus was abuzz. Final stop, on Labor Day, was the Fulton County Fair in Ohio. Another good friend was with her boyfriend, and I was lucky enough to meet them there.

I'm still upset about leaving my friends for an entire year, but, surprisingly, this trip helped. I thought I would be distraught, seeing all of what I would leave behind. Instead, I took it all in and realized that Germany offers a chance to experience something so radically different--something so new--that I can't possibly be upset. Even if I love what I leave behind, the new experiences will more than make up for it.

Sweet Dreams

Last night, I had my first anxiety dream about Germany. JYM told me not to buy my ticket until the day of the flight, so I went to the airport to buy my ticket and it was going to cost $3000. Upset, I decided to wait to buy my ticket until right before the flight. So then, with 2 hours before takeoff, I had to drive home and pack, since I hadn't even gotten out my suitcases yet. I was super stressed.

Strangely, I had a very, very similar dream the night before I left for Mongolia.

The Cruise I Dreamt Of

Last week, people lined Woodward Ave. for perhaps the world's most impromptu and egalitarian parade-- the Woodward Dream Cruise. Being our virgin cruise with the Mustang, the excitement was more than I anticipated. Talking from convertible to convertible, posing for and taking pictures, and just seeing the excitement of the Motor City made it worth seeing.

The Excitement Builds...

As I sit at work (I'm on my lunch break now, don't worry), my mind keeps drifting to Germany. I'm not normally one to get excited about travel way in advance. The realization that I was going to Mongolia didn't really hit me until I tried, unsuccessfully, to fall asleep the night before I left. But with T-18 days until departure, my thoughts keep returning to Munich.

I think it has to do with the nature of the trip. For the first time in my life, I'm going abroad, not as a tourist, but as a future resident. I'm going to be living in Munich, interacting with "Muencheners," speaking "auf Deutsch." Yea, I'll visit Neuschawnstein, Dachau, and the all important Hofbraeuhaus, but I'll do it (hopefully) with German friends.

Most of my excitement and anxiety about this "Auslandsjahr" (year abroad) deals with integration into German culture. I'm terrified of the idea of leaving behind my friends and school in Philadelphia, only to hang out with fellow Americans in Munich. I CANNOT allow that to happen. So, I've slowly been formulating a plan.

Plan A deals with research. The JYM program really encourages students to do some sort of research, so I've already got an idea dealing with green roofs. I'm not going to reveal it here, but I will admit that I find it exciting, and the Penn professor I've spoken with thinks its a good idea, too. I also want to meet Germans through sports. A running or triathlon club would be ideal, or maybe I could meet some at a bar during "futball" games.

I also need to apologize for the past 10 days without posts. My weekend plans devote plenty of time to blogging, so I should be able to fill you in on what exactly was going on!

Now What We're You Doing There Exactly?

If I had a dime for every time I've heard that question, I'd have enough money to go back to Mongolia. But alas, those dimes are no where to be found, and I am stuck reliving my travels on this blog...

The science behind the trip is rather interesting, though, so I'd like to share it. Basically, Penn's biology department got a $2.5 million grant through NSF's Partnerships for International Research and Education--hence, PIRE Mongolia. The grant money must last Penn for the five years of the project.

Several different Penn biologists are studying different things in Mongolia, but they all collaborate on one of the main features of the program dealing with education and collaboration. The scientific infrastructure in Mongolia is underdeveloped to say the least. Out in the field, we certainly didn't have PCR machines, nor did we have access to quality labs in UB. The Mongolian students had a great understanding of plant taxonomy, but, apparently, their educations lack quality statistics or evolution courses. Penn professors will be coming to Mongolia in following years solely to teach courses in the field.

Dr. Brenda Casper is one of the leading researchers on the project. Her research normally focuses on mycorrhizal fungi and their effects on plant ecology. Since little research has been done on these vital fungi in Mongolia, she did bring back some root samples for analysis, but her main project dealt with predicting the future!

No, Dr. Casper is not clairvoyant, but she did set up four hexagonal warming chambers out in the field. These chambers, similar to mini-, open-topped greenhouses, will simulate the warmer temperatures scientists predict Mongolia will experience 20-30 years from now. Dr. Casper will look at the changes experienced by vegetation in these chambers and the many more she will put up next year. Most of the vegetation sampling I did helped to get "baseline readings" on the state of vegetation in the valley.

On a larger scale, Dr. Brent Helliker brought an existing project to Mongolia. He already studies tree rings and their reactions to past temperature shifts. The rings can tell him a lot about how the vegetation fared. He will use his results to look at the interaction between the border of the grasslands and forests throughout Northern Mongolia. Which ecosystem will win the warming war? Only time (and data) will tell.

Now this research is fantastic, but why couldn't these geniuses have done their work in, I don't know, Pennsylvania? For one thing, Mongolia is located at a much higher latitude. At higher latitudes, the atmosphere is thinner, leading to higher overall concentrations of that famous greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. This means quicker, more dramatic, climate changing trends. 

Although Northern Mongolia is relatively untouched by humans, the herders played a big part in making Mongolia a prime research destination. Over the centuries that Mongolian herders have herded, they've become a part of the region's ecology.  As that ecosystem changes, we can see one of the best examples of how a people so closely tied to the Earth will have to change with it. 

While students didn't complete their own projects this year, plans for next year will probably incorporate undergraduate research. I won't be back from Germany in time to participate, but my friend Brian is already trying to think of ideas. I'd say he's got a pretty fine spread of options.

V-Day

The day I came back from Mongolia was supposed to be a D-Day of sorts. Land on the shore of a foreign land and make a Decision. Since the decision had to do with being a Vegetarian, I termed July 22nd V-Day.

I didn't make a decision, though. Let's not make any mistake about it, I enjoyed being a vegetarian for six years. I felt healthy, happy, and proud about what I was doing for the environment. But I've always enjoyed meat (see below), and Mongolia was a nice place to try it out again.

But since resuming my meat eating, despite vowing to return to the land of Quorn, Morningstar, and Seva, I've been in quite the conundrum. I read a book titled Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. It made a convincing case for eating meat while still helping the environment.

Meat requires a lot of energy to make and transport, both fossil fuels and other food. Factory farms don't know what to do with the waste from all their animals. Cheap meat tends to come from fragile ecosystems.

But when a Philadelphian eats a tomato in December, it's probably being shipped from California or New Zealand or God-knows-where. The energy used in that transit has got to be worse than eating some chicken made in Pennsylvania.

Eating meat in Mongolia was an important part of experiencing the culture, so whatever my decision, I may eat meat occasionally in Germany. In any case, I'm still undecided, but a defalt vegetarian for now.

People try to put us d-down (talkin bout my generation)

Ever since I decided to go to Germany and Mongolia, I've been nervous about telling people. I'm really excited about the trips myself, but I'm admittedly worried about peoples' reactions. Do I sound like some ungrateful jet-setter? Do I come across as spoiled? Do they think I'm just grasping for attention?

So I formulated a policy: don't tell anyone unless it comes up in conversation. I've gotten mixed reactions. Most people seem interested in the first trip, but don't really care to hear much about the second trip.

Unless they're my age. I had dinner with a friend last night, and even though I was hesitant to bring up the journeys, she seemed really interested. I think had something to do with the fact that she just got back from abroad and was planning two more foreign trips.

Foreign lands and cultures just interest this generation more than past ones, I think. Whether people are working abroad or traveling, they try to really immerse themselves. Why is this so? I don't know, but it probably has something to do with globalization and increasing our exposure to international experiences at a younger age. After all, our parents didn't have a Dora do teach them Spainish.

Mongol, The Movie

I had a hot date tonight. Strolling through downtown Ann Arbor, arm and arm, my Grandma and I went to the movies.

On Wednesday, I saw that a movie called Mongol about the rise of Ghengis (actually we translate that wrong, it's Chinggis!) Khan was playing at the Michigan Theater in A^2. I know I had to see it, to see if what I experienced would translate into Hollywood.

On the whole, Grandma and I enjoyed the movie, but Hollywood (or should I say the German/Russian/Mongolian film producers) did dramatize the plot a bit for 1206 C.E. Of course, the scenery was fantastic-- stunning Mongolia as always. The story also did a good job of portraying the tough, unforgiving climate and culture, too.

I just hope the people in front of me didn't hear my gasps of excitement every time I heard a Mongolian word I recognized! Oochlaarai ('excuse me')!

This a Blog about Beijing

I'm really back in the swing of things now. Yessir, I went back to work today. Luckily, my friend Eoghan has been kind enough to let me stay at his apartment in Ann Arbor so I don't have to drive all the way home (1 hour 10 minutes, approx.). I'm in one of UofM's libraries getting out this blog.

I guess if I had to describe Beijing in one word it would be prolific. Everything there comes in olympic quantities. Want a modern highway? Beijing just built FIVE high-speed rings around the city. Want a modern subway? Beijing just built SIX new lines-- the cleanist I've ever seen. Want bike lanes? Beijing has one on every street just teeming with bikers. Want to meet some people? Beijing has 15 MILLION.

Of couse, the big deal in Beijing right now is the 2008 Summer Olympics. With signs plastered everywhere and a security check at every subway station, visitors cannot forget that they're visiting an olympic host city.

Even better are the throngs of young Chinese volunteering. Every young person I met seemed dissapointed that I wasn't staying for the Olympics. But they were sure to tell me how they had come all the way to Beijing from Hunan province to volunteer.

After seeing all the hype the Chinese government puts out for these games, I can no longer blame ordinary Chinese for being defensive about their country during the contentious torch relay through the West. This summer is China's time to shine. After so many years as a "second-tier" country, the people get to show off their hard work. Although this certainly doesn't absolve the government for its actions in Tibet or Darfur, Chinese citizens deserve this moment under the global spotlight.

As an aside, I'm having trouble posting photos into old posts, so I hope to have some up by the end of the weekend now. Thanks for waiting. In the meantime, check out my Mongolia Picasa album!