Month: August 2017

I came. I saw. I ate lots of food.

Seriously though, a lot has happened in the last month and a half. I arrived here dazed and confused with no idea what I was doing. I am now slightly less confused now that my time here is done. My German skills went from almost non-existent, to the level of a 3-year-old. However, that is being very generous to myself.

I’ve finished my engineering classes of course, but I have learned far more outside of it. I can now get around the city on my own, navigate the various transit systems in Europe and how to figure out where I am when I am lost.

Did I mention the food? I’ve discovered that my favorite German food is Döner kebab, despite it being Turkish food. I have also eaten enough Schnitzel and potatoes to last a lifetime. I’ve had delicious Italian food in Naples as well.

I’ve spent way more time in airports and train stations than I should have and I’ve been to places I never thought I would have just a year ago. I’ve eaten pizza in Naples and visited the home of Martin Luther. It’s been a great set of experiences.

My experience in Germany was very good. I am very glad I went on the trip. Since I’ve been at Calvin is the longest time I’ve been in the States, so its been very nice to travel around a bit. I’ve enjoyed getting a taste of life in Berlin. Highlights for me were exploring several of the German national parks, cliff jumping in the Mediterranean, and experiencing some night life in Prague.

The high mass at the Cologne cathedral was something completely foreign to me. I have gone to christian reformed church services my whole life so it was very interesting. The differences were many. The most obvious was that it was in primarily German and Latin. There were a great number of traditions that I had never seen. Most of these traditions seemed pointless to me. While they might create a sense of reverence, I don’t think that they would make God any happier than an normal service in an average church.

Every day thousands of people visit the Cathedral and I think that is fine. While in the service the people waiting were noticeable, however; they were not disruptive for me. Also, though the cathedral is a beautiful place, it is not any holier than any other place of worship. Additionally, if the beauty of the cathedral manages to bring even one tourist to God then it is worth it to keep the doors open.

Wittenberg, or Lutherstadt, was such a cool city. Because very little of it was destroyed during the war, much of the streets and buildings are original construction dating back to Luther’s time.

Continue reading “Walking Through Time”

Me looking at some rocks in the distance.

Me with some buds on top of a rock.

Me on a old bridge between a couple of old rocks.

I don’t know what I think of this whole Germany thing yet. On one hand, it’s exciting to be in a foreign country and all, but I don’t think I like it. It may very well be because I have never lived in a large city before, and it is a huge change from rural Iowa life. However, it may be something else. This trip has really highlighted how many things we take for granted as “normal.” For example, most public bathrooms here require you to pay. That was quite a surprise when I found out I might add. It’s other things as well. No one smiles here. I’m cognitively aware that Americans smile much more than other cultures, and I know Germans tend to be more reserved with outward expression. It still bothers me though, even though I know people don’t mean anything by it, it’s just how they do things. There are so many cultural behaviors that seem normal until you go somewhere else.

The differences aren’t only cultural though. They are also pragmatic as well. I can honestly declare that I think the Euro and German pricing models are far superior to their US versions. Euro bills change size and color based on value, providing tactile feedback on value. A far superior system than homogenous green bills. The coinage is great too. The coins are worthwhile amounts! Dollar, 50 and 20 cent values make the coins worth using. Don’t get me started on public transit. It’s fantastic. It really is. The US system is abysmal in comparison.

I’m looking forward to the rest of the trip here.

 

Worshipping in the Köln cathedral was a very cool experience of which the highlight was the beautiful organ music. The atmosphere was almost magical, reverent and imposing, but it was ruined for me by the constant babble of tourists from the back of the sanctuary. They provided an incessant hum that kept strong throughout all the prayers and times of silence. It made me feel sorry for the worshippers and clergy who frequented the cathedral and had to deal with the tourists all the time. That being said, I am very glad I had the opportunity to attend a worship service in such a cool place.

(These thoughts were recorded at the beginning of the program, they just didn’t get posted until the last day.)

I’m on this trip because I wanted to experience Germany. I wanted to walk the streets of Berlin and live in a place thousands of miles from home. I grew up in a small rural town in Iowa and I’ve always wanted to see the world. I traveled to places around North America, but I’ve never been beyond it. This was my chance to study and live abroad during my time at Calvin. While this may imply that I am here to be a tourist, my intentions are completely different. I hope to live, in some small way, like Germans do. To see things from their point of view. To learn about how their history influences who they are today, and what they think of the world.

More practically, I want to learn what it’s like to live in a city. How to get from point A to point B without the cars that are a vital facet of rural Iowan life. How to find food, housing, and other necessities without superstores or the convenience of a home. I want to learn the language, but also to experience not being able to communicate. To know what’s it’s like to be a stranger in a strange land.

My hope is that by the end of the program I will have learned how to live in another country, at least in some small way. I will, of course, learn about Statics and Dynamics, as that is the engineering class I will be taking. However, the lessons I learn outside the classroom will be more important.

I hope that not everything goes well on this program. That may sound strange, but there is a method to my madness. While I hope nothing seriously bad happens, I do hope something will go wrong. Such that we must adapt to it. That we become uncomfortable and must change our habits and grow from the experience.

Visiting Sachsenhausen was a moving experience. Upon entering the camp, and going up the the main gates, the thing that struck me the most were the words, “Arbeit macht frei.” I imagined what it must have been like to walk through those gates and see those words, knowing that you might never leave that place alive. I think Germany does a good job of remembering the evils that took place in their country in the past without bringing them to the forefront of everyday life. The camp is there, and it is not hidden, but at the same time it is not advertised around the city. I think that this is relevant to life in America today, with the controversies surrounding the removal of Confederate icons that represent a certain heritage to some but pain and suffering to others.

After being in Germany for a week, one thing that struck me is how normal life is just normal life no matter where you live. I had an idea in my head that Germany would be a special place with extraordinary food, people and culture, but after spending some time here I realised that you get used to the normal things in life wherever you are. I miss free refills for drinks, and I miss free water. I wish the drinking age was lower back home.