Auf wiedersehen not only means goodbye; it also means “until we see each other again,” which is how I felt leaving Germany. Continue reading “Auf Wiedersehen!”
Month: August 2017
Reflections on Germany Trip
All in all, it was a very rewarding experience. Germany is such an awesome place. Berlin itself is such an impressive city. There are so many historical sites that are just so interesting to see and visit. Then there’s also the diversity of cultures in Berlin, which means there are numerous options of cuisines that we can choose (there are several very good Indonesian restaurants too). The public transport system throughout Germany is also very astonishing. The level of efficiency of the public transport puts to shame many systems around the world. Every weekend we also had the opportunity to visit other places in Germany and it is such an awesome experience. I can honestly say that I’ve lost count on how many historic churches, cathedrals, and castles we have visited because we visited so many of them. In conclusion, our Germany trip is definitely something that all Calvin engineering student should consider because it is just that great.
Elevator Speech
If I were to be totally honest, I have mixed feelings about the trip as a whole. Continue reading “Elevator Speech”
Vielen Dank! Tschüss!
SPIG 2017 is easily the coolest thing that I will have done in my time at Calvin. The program lasted only six weeks but we. did. so. much. So many new experiences and memories made, and yet, much of what was foreign and strange to us at the beginning of the trip is now so dear and familiar that part of me feels as if I am leaving behind a kind of “home away from home” at St. Michael’s Heim and TU Berlin. Continue reading “Vielen Dank! Tschüss!”
Reflections on Germany
Germany was great, to be succinct. To be a little more elaborate, Germany showed me what I appreciate about the United States, but also what was fascinating about Germany and the culture of Germany. Germany was fascinating because of the history that could be found if you just observe your surroundings. I loved the food in Germany, such as döner and the simple German breakfast of brötchen, meats, cheeses, and cucumbers or tomatoes. I appreciated the quiet places in Berlin and around Germany, with their parks being no exception. Seeing first hand the influence of refugees on Germany was extremely interesting and thought provoking.
I also learned a lot about engineering through the statics and dynamics class. I began to see real examples of engineering at work that I could connect to my class. One of the most important things about this trip was getting to know people. I am thankful that I became friends with many of the people on the trip. I am thankful for the blessings that God has given me on this trip. Thanks to the Professors and all who made this trip so great.
My time in Germany
Going to Germany was an amazing experience. It goes without saying that Europe is much different from north America but I’ll have to say it anyways. It was much different. The first thing I noticed was that everyone smokes. When walking downtown, one can always find someone with a cigarette. Continue reading “My time in Germany”
Reflections on Wittenberg
In Europe, religion has been losing its importance for quite some time. At one time, the catholic church would choose who the rulers of Europe were, and they had a “divine right” to rule. That monarchy has now almost completely disappeared aside from a few symbolic positions. I don’t know the exact reason this has happened but when the nobility no longer requires people to be of the same religion, the importance of religion to the average person will be much lower. Also, the horrors of war in Europe probably led many to question their beliefs. In their minds God is either not all-loving because he lets terrible things happen, or he is not all-powerful and cannot stop bad things from happening.
I would wager that this will probably happen in America, but not to the same extent.
Home Again
It seems like such a long time ago since I left home and arrived at Calvin, and yet the summer flew by. Building a community with fellow engineers during the homework began on day one. Continue reading “Home Again”
A Truly Amazing Experience
In short, our trip to Germany was fantastic. We were based in Berlin but traveled to other cities almost every weekend, plus we could travel on our own the last week we were there. Continue reading “A Truly Amazing Experience”
“Hey how was Germany?”
If I had to sum up everything that I learned, did, and saw in Germany in a word, it would be “unreal”. I mean that quite literally too. Whenever I look back on this trip, I find myself asking, “Did that really happen? Did I really fly for the first time? Did I really travel to a foreign country where I barely spoke the language and live there for six weeks? Did I really coordinate a trip to Denmark and stay with an exchange student from high school? Did I really do all of that on top of a 200 level engineering class?” Continue reading ““Hey how was Germany?””