Marrrrrrrrrrrrburg!!! (Yes, I suck at keeping up with this thing.)

2 ½ months of Marburg in summary:

• beautiful, so so beautifully wonderful and awesome and they smoke and wear scarves
• friends: 95% Spanish, 100% awesome
• German skills? probably worse than before
• Spanish skills? flourishing
• Dune 1, 2, and 3: completed
• classes:
• attendance: perfect (for now)
• topics: fascinating
• teachers: lovely
• comprehension: work-in-progress
• travelling: never enough – Frankfurt, Giessen, Heidelberg, Bamberg tomorrow…more to come
• piercings: new addition to the family J (don’t tell Dad)
• cigarettes: expensive.  started rolling my own.  (hipster comments will be immediately deleted)
• average consumption of alcohol per week: ...
• overall: incredibly and happily content

2 ½ months of Marburg – advice:

·         (re)learn how to balance fun and academia (It’s much, much, much harder than I thought it would be.  Every activity, every party, everything that’s not homework is so enticing!!!  But, sometimes you’ve got to pull up your panties and remind yourself that you’re here to (1^st) to learn and succeed academically and (2^nd) to get pissed drunk three or four times a week.  Reward yourself, of course, but make sure you achieve something worth rewarding.  I would suggest making a daily/weekly schedule.  It’s really helpful.  ANDDDD!!!  Keep a calendar or assignment book for a visual aid/reminder of work that must be completed.  Muy importante.)

·         introduce yourself to your professors  (Tell them if you have a hard time understanding the lectures, and ask for advice on how to succeed.  Professors, at least my professors this semester, are really chill and generally understand the challenges that students face while taking classes in a different language.)

·         budget (BudgetBudgetBudgetBudgetBudgetBudgetBudgetBudgetBudgetBudgetBudgetBudgetBudgetBudget.  It’s amazing how quickly money runs out when you don’t BUDGET YOUR MONTHLY STIPEND.)

·         get out ch’ur damn comfort zone and make some friends that actually speak the language (At this point, I am stepping out of my shower-o’-hypocrisy.  But, in my defense, I will say that I am meeting German people thanks to the lovely Tjorven Merle.  And I often speak German with the people who live on my level.  Eventually, I will get up the nerve to have a full conversation with my German classmates.  Promise…)

·         if possible, cook your own food (Cheaper.  Healthier.)

·         buy movies/music that are spoken/sung in the language you are trying to learn (I bought three movies that I basically have memorized in English.  I watch them on repeat in German and my vocabulary and certain elements of my grammar skills have actually improved a lot.  Most of the words I learned concern war and death, but that’s actually surprising applicable to my area of study.  J)

Tomorrow, I go to Bamberg.  I’m skipping one class in order to do so (shhhhh), but I think it will be worth it.  Three days of Bayern beauty.  Pictures.pictures.pictures. and still more pictures. So.excited. 

I also recently found out about a company/website called Interrail, which offers rail passes to travel around several different countries in Europe for a selected amount of time (five days, one week, two weeks, one month, etc.)  The pass that I intend to purchase costs about 400 Euros and includes free rail travel for one month in 30 different countries.  Absolutely incredible.  If you are studying abroad right now or will be in the future, check it out: http://www.interrailnet.com/

For now, BAMBERG!!!!

More to come later.  Proooooomise.

Mburg.  This is where I live.  (Jealousy is forgiven, if not expected.)

Elisabethkirche.  :)

My very first day in Marburg, I met several lovely people as I was signing into the Jugendherberge (Valentina, Auxi, Miguel, and Clement, in that order :), and we traversed Marburg searching for WiFi.  We found a way down to the river and, being the child that I am, I took off my shoes and waded around.  Whilst I was doing this, Valentina took this lovely photo.  She was the first friend I made here.  :)  I adore her.

The lovely, very blonde and very Greek Valentina next to the equally lovely Auxi (a.k.a. ridiculously sweet and kind, metal-head Spaniard).

And Miguel -- Mozart fanatic and connoisseur of common sense.

Frankfurt skyline!!!

Orientation Group #8: 3 Americans, 2 Spaniards, 1 Hungarian, 1 Pole, 1 Grecian, 1 Romanian, 1 French, 1 Australian, and 2 very amazing, incredibly patient leaders.  :)  (I still hang out with most of these guys.  They are the best.)

Happy Halloween... :)

This is my life. 

:)

Max. Markus. Museum. Coffee. Kids. Cathedral.

Blogging is a seriously underrated way to procrastinate.

Things I’ve noticed about Germany:

·    coffee here is blacker than tar (But, man is it delicious.)

·    coffee also always comes with cream, sugar, and a small biscuit (L)

·    dogs can go anywhere that humans can (Literally.)

·    small children are not well disciplined and wander around everywhere unchaperoned (I had one kid surprise me obnoxiously while I was walking and reading a pamphlet.  We both got a good laugh out of it, but still.  Rahude.  Then, today I was sitting outside a restaurant eating a salad, and some kid stops at the table, stares at me, and says sarcastically, “Guten Apetit.”  ???  I’ma kill me some small German children.  I’ve been tempted to grab them when they do something rude, and tell them that they should tread carefully, because in America, naughty children are beaten bloody with large, pointy sticks.)

·    no one ever cards you.  (Ever.  For anything.  Not cigarettes, not alcohol…nothing.  It is so.weird.)

·    Bailey’s is much stronger than I thought (But, it tastes a.may.zing with coffee.)

·    people can walk down the street, obviously drunk, yet still drinking a beer, in the middle of the day, during the work week, and no one thinks anything of it

·    museums are free (I was geekin out.)

·    last but not least: evidently, I’m a hot commodity (I seriously do not understand.)

My days here in Giessen are so chill. I wish it was possible to live like this forever. I suppose, this is what rich people feel like all the time. J Yesterday, I sat and drank a cappuccino in my favorite café (yes, I have a favorite café already) and did some more walking around town. (Thank goodness I figured out the bus system. I might have killed myself otherwise.)  I discovered a delicious ice cream place right by a mall. A huuuuuuge mall. Seriously, it was so big that it had grocery stores inside it. What kind of mall has full-on grocery stores inside it? Whatever, it was awesome. There was this great coffee place right next to a videogame store where I bought a Bailey’s Coffee auf Eis. It was delicious. And potent, apparently. My bad. All this being said, I spent way too much money on food items yesterday. Being frugal is going to be something of a difficulty this year. 

When I returned to the Jugendherberge yesterday evening, I started working on school work for a while.  Sort of a bummer after a day of exploring, but what must be done, must be done.  Anyways, at around 10:30 at night, two guys (whose names I soon learned are Max and Markus) came into the lounge where I was working and asked me if I wanted to come outside and hang out for a little while.  Their English was atrocious (almost as bad as my German), but I figured:  breaks with cigarettes are always welcome.  We sat outside for four hours, speaking in two very broken languages.  There were German beer bottles strewn over every inch of the picnic table.  (It was quite impressive, actually.  I’m confident that Max and Markus could drink any American man under the table.)  They are very nice young men, very cute, though maybe a tad forward.  They asked me if I had a boyfriend and then gaped at me in horror when I said no. 

     “Aber, warum?  Nein, ich glaub das nicht.  Das ist verrückt.  Falsch, falsch.”

     “Ich bin zu…um…picky?  Verstehst du ‘picky’?”

     “PIGGY?!!!  Nein, nein!!!  Du bist schön, ganz schön.  Beautiful.  Hot, very hot!”

     “No.”

     “Genau!  Not piggy, not piggy.  Perfekt, oder.  Hot American!  Javoll!”

Drunk.  That’s my guess, though they carried themselves incredibly well.  I would never have guessed, if not for this little merry-go-round of conversation.  This same interaction happened four times throughout the night, in between three half-packs of cigarettes, as I desperately tried to explain to them what “picky” meant and as they tried to tell me that I should be confident in my “ganz Schönheit.”  Hilarious.  Apparently, I’m supposed to come back to the youth hostel in Giessen to visit them in two weekends  and, in return, they will come visit me in Marburg.  Das Leben ist ganz komisch.

Today was equally interesting, but in a far different manner.  Once again, I took the bus into the Marktplatz and wandered around for awhile.  On a random back road that I was travelling down, I found the entrance to a beautiful 400-year-old botanical garden in the middle of the city.  It was wonderful.  Secret Garden-esc wonderful.  There was a greenhouse and a bamboo garden, a dirt path around the extent of the plants, which were all labeled, ponds and fountains, all accessible to the public.  I wanted to throw a blanket down and live there.

This garden is 150 years older than our country.

Part of the walkway and one of the ponds.

This building is 100% ivy-covered.

Around a bend and down the street from the garden was the Altes Schloss.  I found it while I was walking through the seriously bustling Marktplazt near the center of town.  Today is one of two days a week that the street vendors come out and sell fresh fruit and flowers.  It smelled delicious everywhere.  At one point on my walk, I looked up and saw an old ivy-covered building surrounded by a wall.  As I walked around looking for an entrance, I found out that it was now a museum, having been restored after the destruction of World War II.

Giessen was absolutely demolished by the Allied bombings of Germany during the Second World War.  Several historic sites have been rehabilitated and renovated, but much of the town's history was reduced to rubble in the 1940's. 

Giessener Altstadt, June 1948

Thank goodness for the preservation of the Altes Schloss, the town castle -- feudal, I think.  The building is beautiful indeed, but the museum inside *gasp* incredible (not to mention the lady at the reception desk is very sweet and helpful).  There is a courtyard just outside the entrance foyer that houses the castle tower.  It also just happens to contain some of the most beautiful medieval artifacts I've ever seen.  Sitting in the courtyard -- outside...in the elements...with no covering...begging to be touched by curious, oily hands -- were two stone engravings, one of Jesus on the Cross, one of a Christian knight, from the 16th and 17th centuries.  The engraving with the knight had Latin engraved onto the back of it.  (I almost cried.  Literally, it was embarassing.  It took every ounce of self-control not to reach out my hands and drag that piece of stone back to the Jugendherberge with me.)

Upstairs in the museum, one room was filled with medieval works of art: sculptures, engravings, writings, utensils, clothing, coins, paintings...everything.  It was my dream embodied.  I don't think I've ever been so excited or overwhelmed in my entire life.  (Pathetic, maybe.  AMAZING, definitely.)  My first mission as soon as I get settled into Marburg is to ask about this museum's internship possibilities.  Day/life made.



Beauuuutiful.

This is the first view that I caught of it.  I was unsure of what it contained, but I knew that it was old and pretty.

Unfortunately, you weren't allowed to take pictures inside.  :( 

I also visited a few churches in town today, all of which were historic sites.  My two favorites are the two oldest.  The very oldest, built at the town's establishment, is a giant white cube, slapped right in the center of Giessen.  It seats about twelve people, twenty people uncomfortably, but it is lovely on the inside.  There is a large mural of the Archangel Gabriel (I think...) with a crucifix beneath.  The stainglass windows make these amazing shadow shapes on the wall, so that the whole of the small room is strewn with color.  When I went in, it was completely empty.  What an amazing experience.

Yup.  A giant white cube.

My second favorite is the Johanneskirche.  It has the most intricate decorations: gargoyle drains, statues of saints along the buttresses, engravings of Bible verses in German along the entrances, a tall tower with a high sounding bell, stain glass windows, cherubs, etc.  I sosososo badly wish I could have gone inside.  However, kein Eingang during the week.  Major bummage.

 Alllll right.  Done for now.  :)  I apologize for the gushing.  Tomorrow: nach Marburg!   

Liebe Grüße von Deutschland



Gießen

 This is the Bahnhof in Giessen.  It's beautiful.

Trip synopsis so far: Germany is officially tailored to all of my tastes

Airport/plane ride/arrival tips:

·        don’t pack overzealously – you may end up having to unload half of your suitcase into your father’s arms in order to meet the baggage weight requirement

·         when you’re on the plane and you want to enjoy an alcoholic beverage, remember that your tolerance is about one-third of what it is on land (Two people in the center aisle next to me got embarrassingly shwasted.  They were yelling and groping each other, and at one point, the woman started to cry about her father, how much she hated her boyfriend, and her monetary difficulties.  The flight attendants grew incredibly impatient, and the poor woman next to them gaped in horror at the sloppy mess next to her.  If you’re drinking, drink intelligently.)

·         if you’re allergic to gluten, you’re not eating on the plane

·         dress comfortably (No one gives a shit what you look like.  You’re the one who has to suffer the pains of upkeep.)

·         bring/chew gum (Chewing gum will help relieve some of the awkward ear popping and might satiate a stomach ache.)

·         make friends with your taxi driver (The driver that picked me up from the train station yesterday was, seriously, the most amazing human being on the face of the planet.  After he lugged all of my baggage to the second floor of the hostel, he gave me his number in case I needed anything.  When I was lost in the middle of town yesterday, I called him up and, seven minutes later, he found me and drove me back to the hostel for free.  If that’s not amazing enough, he also offered to show me where the best discos are in town, just in case I wanted to meet some college kids.  The driver’s name is Azizi, and he is officially my best friend in Germany.) 

·         book a youth hostel or hotel before you leave the U.S. (Hostels are cheaper and you meet people your own age.  Be wary, however.  The people who run the youth hostel in Gießen were less than kind to a non-pre-booking rubbish German-speaker such as myself.)

 The Jugendherberge where I'm staying.

·         you know the language better than you think you do (In desperate situations, your brain comes alive, thank goodness.  And, you remember things that you thought you had forgotten, like the word for menu, for example.)

·         if you have a question, don’t be afraid to ask someone (Looking like an idiot and having information is way better than looking like an idiot without any information.)

The most important thing that I've noticed about Gießen, Germany: everyone wears scarves.  Everyone.  During the Summer.  Of all assortments.  If that's not reason enough to love a place, I honestly don't know what is.  Also, everyone smokes.  I sat in a cafe today drinking coffee, whilst smoking a cigarette.  An American Spirit, actually, which are available in Gießen for an astounding 4 Euro.  What the hell, America.

Smoking can kill you.  :)

For some reason, people also like to stare.  Yesterday I was wearing a nice little sun dress with boots and not only was I asked out three times by random strangers, I was also stared at like I was a crazy person.  The entire time I was thinking, “Holy shit.  Is it that obvious that I’m American or what?”  Today, people didn’t stare as much.  I think it was because I was wearing a scarf.  J

My advice:  throw yourself into the culture with limited (but still present!) inhibitions.  I’ve learned so much in the 37 hours that I’ve been here.  I am still waiting for the inevitable culture shock to hit me.  But, so far, I couldn’t be happier.  No, but seriously, I’m pretty sure that God created Germany just so that I could live here.

So much angst...

Pre-flight jitters.  Pre-I'm-soon-going-to-be-in-another-country-by-myself jitters.
Blog synopsis:

"European Adventures" is an incredibly cliche title.  Please, no judgement.  However, this blog will in fact be just that: an account of my experiences in Europe.  For the next year, I'll be in Germany and anywhere else that a passport can take me (on slightly limited funds, of course).  Lord knows, I will starve myself to the bone as long as I can travel as much as conceivably possible. 

For all you Juniatians studying abroad now or in the future, this will also be a "what the Study Abroad Office doesn't tell you in those ridiculous study abroad meetings" blog.  Preparation is key. 

But, one thing I've learned so far:  being prepared and being ready for studying abroad are two very, very different things.

Preparation, of course, includes packing.  A few things (besides the obvious) that I would suggest bringing in your carry-on:

• a pocket-sized language dictionary (English to German/German to English; English to French/French to English, etc.  Barnes & Noble sells them cheap, as does Amazon.com)
• books...as many books as you can -- books are an amazing escape, and you can take them anywhere (I'm bringing Sex with Kings and Dune: the Messiah on the plane with me.  So stoked.)
• copies of your insurance card, social security card, military ID, passport, driver's license, birth certificate, verification of enrollment at college, etc.  (You never know when this information might be important.)
• iPod (Yet another amazing way to keep people from talking to you during plane rides.  :)  Just kidding.)
• two changes of clothes (Every site that I looked at for packing instructions says one.  I say two.  At least.  Airlines are awful at following through, and shit happens.)
• addresses of at least two hotels near your destination airport (Again, shit happens.)
• phone numbers of people you can contact if something goes awry (Maybe I'm being overly cautious, but it can't hurt.)
• and, if you really want to torture yourself, a picture of your family or friends (Reminding yourself that you have a solid, loving connection to any part of this world is incredibly reassuring, even when you feel completely alone.)
• and, of course, Xanax.  (Mwahahaha)

As far as for realz packing goes, that's up to you.  Bring clothes that aren't difficult to hand wash.  It might just come to that.  I would suggest dark pants (they look cleaner for longer), dresses (If applicable. They pack like shirts.  What a win.), a couple of t-shirts (I bought a six-pack of Hanes white v-necks.  They're simple, cheap, and you can throw them right in your suitcase.), appropriate shoes (I almost made my fingers bleed trying to fit all the shoes I chose into a suitcase.), at least one formal or business outfit, a few "damn, that's sexy" outfits, two sweaters, extra toiletries, more books, bedding (if you can fit it), a small sewing kit, and an alarm clock (I don't trust alarm clocks on phones).

Right now, I'm sitting on my porch, smoking a cigarette and looking at the town square.  Sort of masochistic, but no biggie.  There's a train passing, blowing its whistle (because trains like to do that sort of thing at 10:30 at night) and the river smells amazingly like dead fish.  And, it's fahreeeezing.  (Can I get some global warming?...)  Disturbingly romantic, I'd say.  But, I am going to miss it here so much.  Going away always makes me realize how much I love home, especially when I get back. 

Yeah...I think I'll get over it.  :)

Skype: greence09
Phone number: in progress

*warning to readers: This blog will contain copious amounts of seemingly uninteresting historical information.  (Europe has museums that are older than our country.  What can I do?)  A history major cannot not (double negative, I realize) write about history.  History is second only to breathing.  :)

Enjoy.  Respond.  Please, by all means, laugh.

Liebe Grüße