First Reflections of the New Year

Last Friday after work I decided to take a little detour on the way home, instead of my usual route. I didn’t really feel like going home yet.

After walking through the city for an hour or so I boarded a street train and headed home. About halfway through the journey we took a different course than usual and some Chinese people were lost. They asked several people around for help, but nobody around including me could help.

The woman sitting diagonally from me also was getting concerned because of the confusing way we were weaving through town, so she asked me and the girl next to me if we were going to pass by her stop. Knowing the area pretty well and having seen on a sign that the detour was caused by an accident, I was able to help her, and an interesting conversation ensued. I told her I was from the States and I think this inspired her to go into detail about her recent trip to Florida with her family and how much fun she had. I smiled and nodded as she described what she liked most and how it was fun for both children and adults. Having been to Florida once, I could relate to her descriptions - and besides - it’s always a pleasure when someone speaks well of your home country. Especially when your home country has been for the past 8 years the butt of the world’s jokes.

What was different about this woman though was that she wasn’t speaking negatively about her experiences…and in fact seemed quite upbeat and positive. I realized later as I was reflecting on our conversation that the world doesn’t necessarily hate America and Americans – they’re just curious. They’re curious as to whether we’re the same as we’re portrayed in movies, songs, books, and endless other media.

Normally in a situation like this I probably wouldn’t have pulled out my iPod ear buds, but this time I figured I’d take a chance. I was handily rewarded with another’s insight into my home country, which turned out to diverge substantially from the norm. Matt surely would have been proud.

Recently I have also realized that soon after the last of my wonderful guests left a couple weeks ago, my heart has traveled back with them in a way. Having company for three straight weeks and then abruptly returning to your normal, boring, lonely life isn’t exactly ideal. It certainly doesn’t help when my internship provides me with nothing to take my mind off the monotony.

The internship itself is very boring…after 5 months there I haven’t used anything I’ve learned in college other than my German. Nonetheless, while working there I’ve learned some important lessons, such as the value of patience and constant communication. The latter is even more important when in a different culture because the potential for misunderstandings is exponentially greater.

Not related to the internship, I feel that recently the “system” has unfairly cheated me. First, the company that helped me find an apartment two months ago has charged me an exorbitant fee for putting my information into the system and printing off a document of available apartments. I could understand maybe 10 or 20 Euro, but 335?

Similarly, at my apartment I feel that the monthly rent isn’t equitable for what I’m getting. There is no washer and dryer, and no internet or cable. Luckily, there is a washer in the kitchen which I make use of when nobody’s looking, and I’m able to stream an internet signal from a neighbor. It’s funny how when one feels cheated, it inspires him to find a way to make the situation equitable, by in turn cheating the system himself.

It’s part of life I suppose, and made worse when one doesn’t have a lot of money in the first place. At least this way I’m not paying 5 Euro for a load of laundry and 2 Euro per hour for internet…

Weihnachtsmärkte: A Photo Essay

The Römer, the oldest section of Frankfurt, provides a stunning backdrop for the festivities. Modern Frankfurt can be seen in the background in the shape of the yellow luminous Commerzbank tower.

One of my favorite shots. Crossing the street just before entering the Römer.

A shot of the crowd enjoying the chilly evening. Nearby are a stand selling goodies and the carousel.

One of the many stands selling warm food to frozen passersby. Many like to stand nearby in a tight circle while talking and enjoying Glühwein (mulled wine), my favorite German drink.

The carousel. Kids and adults alike enjoy going round and round...

A stand, this one selling different types of roasted nuts (almonds, chestnets, etc.)

The lights are both dazzling and helpful in lighting the path around the maze of stands and people.

Enjoying a conversation near the candy cane stand. Germany is in love with the many sweets offered this time of year.

Photos are the best way for me to explain the Weihnachtsmärkte (Christmas markets.) For perhaps a better explanation please visit this site: http://www.thelocal.de/lifestyle/20081126-15753.html.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all!

23rd Birthday and Heidelberg

As the days have added up to my 23rd birthday (can 23 be called mid-twenties?), I’ve noticed a distinct change in the way I approach problems and even positive experiences. As an example, the other day as I was searching for a new apartment I could feel all the negative tension from my current situation building up in the background. I currently live in a place where a 60-something year old woman tries in an angry, condescending way to be my mother. She’s the typical stepmother type – all shouts and no praise. Finding myself in this undesirable situation, I’ve been forced at the same time to carry out the daunting task once again of apartment hunting. After several unsuccessful weeks of making calls and going to offices, I landed an appointment to look at a place. On my way that Wednesday evening I discovered, as I was searching for the place, that I had no idea how to get there. I noticed myself panicking, but not as much as I may have a few years ago. I turned this into an opportunity to practice some German by asking several passers-by for help. A half hour later I arrived and needed still more help because the landlord wasn’t there. The neighbor helped by allowing me to use the computer to find his phone number and then calling him. In the end everything worked out and I signed the lease.

As for the positive experiences, I’ve learned that many outcomes are good because one sees them that way. In other words, how one perceives his surroundings has a profound impact on his mood thereafter. I know that not all of life is going to be bliss – not every cloud has a silver lining. But there are some moments I’m so happy I can’t contain myself, such as the thought of seeing my family, friends and Dawn after 7 months, or stepping off the train and into a new city for the first time. However, my point is that while it’s easy to look at a good situation as an opportunity, even some seemingly bad set of circumstances can turn into an opportunity. When you’re lost in a foreign town, use it as an excuse to practice the language. When it’s too cold outside to run, do some push-ups instead. And if all else fails take a nap.

What’s the implication? My capacity to manage tension, stress, and other negative situations in general has grown to where I have a pre-scripted response to many now-common problems. I’ve learned to look at a larger range of situations as opportunities to improve myself AND others around me, if possible. No place to live in a new town? Use your resources. Your ride to Berlin gets cancelled? Find another. You’re living with an overbearing hermit? Get out your iPod and headphones.

Now for the Heidelberg trip. My friend Greg is in town for the week and mentioned wanting to make the trip to see the castle. After a hike through town we made it to the Old Town, where many traditional German pubs are located near the river. On our way Greg commented on how clean everything looked – the ground, the people, and even the air – after being in Syria all summer. We encountered rows of shops with apartments on top which gave it the feel of a typical small-to-midsize German town. After stopping several times to taste Kürbissuppe (pumpkin soup) and other local cuisine and the local beers we saw the castle on the hill. My favorite parts were the views from the top, but Greg clearly enjoyed wandering through the ruins and the German pharmacy museum inside. The town sat in a valley through which a river runs, all of which made a striking scene. I’ve found that I really enjoy the small-town feel many old German cities provide. You feel as though you’re walking through history as you enjoy the classical buildings, the rivers, the museums, the churches, while munching on a bratwurst with mustard. This weekend we’re going to Berlin (!!!!!!), which is a far cry from small-town life.

King of the Castle

A discovery on the way up

View of castle from city center

Looking through the bars

Greg

Hauptstraße, Heidelberg

Thoughts on the 2008 Election

As I've said before, "You've done it, America! Germany is celebrating with you."

These words sum up the hopes and dreams of one of America's strongest allies in Europe and also the world. After waiting nearly two years since the candidates began announcing their candidacies we finally have a man to call our 44th President.

Poll after poll of residents of foreign countries shows a common theme: People said in a 3-or-4-to 1 margin that Obama is the man who can give the world hope, and prove that the American people are less ignorant and bigoted than once thought. I myself have been quite harsh in my opinion of my own people, but am slowly coming to terms with the truth: a new generation has dawned in America. This new generation is not afraid of racial, religious or partisan barriers, and in fact is willing to elect a man they believe is more qualified, regardless of the color of his skin. Exit polls showed that in this election, while race mattered to some people, the candidate's age was more of a concern among voters. Many, including myself, thought that the Bradley Effect would possibly rear its ugly head again, but no such thing happened. We voted for the right man at the right time.

I especially enjoyed browsing through the many trends during the past three elections. This year, Hispanics went 67% for Obama - this compared with the 53% John Kerry managed four years ago. A focus on this mammoth minority group helped him win states like New Mexico, Nevada and Florida. His pre-election focus on suburbia (82 million people in cities of 100,000 or more) paid off in states like Virginia, North Carolina and even Ohio, all of which went for Bush four years ago. And young Americans (18-29 years old), who went 66% for Obama compared with 54% four years ago, helped propel Obama even in many rural areas of Indiana, Colorado and Wisconsin, among others. In fact, when compared with John Kerry in 2004, Obama did better among all voter groups (all income groups, all races, and even among republicans, etc.) except two: gays/lesbians and those over 65 years of age.

After promising a "seemless transition" of power from himself to President-Elect Obama, President Bush has thus far made good on his word. Monday he and his wife Laura gave the Obamas a personal tour of the White House, which concluded with a meeting between Bush and Obama. Will both men be willing, for the next 70 days, to put aside differences and work together for a successful transition in a time when the American people need solutions to the ongoing crises? Both have said they're willing to put aside party politics, but we shall see how it plays out.

The election of President-Elect Barack Obama represents to me a fresh start in a time when America's place on the world stage has been jeopardized, and our image tarnished. World leaders, such as Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Nicolas Sarkozy have announced that they are prepared to work with an Obama Administration to solve the problems facing the world. This is important to me because I hope to have the chance to travel to and make friends from many countries in the remote parts of the world, and without good relations with these countries this cannot be easily done. Obama for me is a charismatic figure, an organized man who is ready to listen to the American people. He is young, dynamic and intelligent. And plays basketball to boot.

During the next 70 days I would like to see President Bush continue to execute a graceful exit, which may limit the bitter taste most Americans have for the his administration. Current polls show that President Bush's approval rating has fallen to 24%, but I am confident that by working together with Obama the two can come up with a solution to the failing US auto industry and the rest of the battered economy. This should be the focus of President Bush in his last days in office, because even during the election last week we saw that an overwhelming majority of Americans consider the economy to be the #1 issue.

Getting to Know the British

The land of England – where the Harry Potter stories and movies are based, where C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, and the country some say is America’s strongest ally – was the location of my most recent adventure. A friend named Tanya, who attends Oxford University, was the foremost reason for going. We met two years ago as I was in Istanbul studying for the semester as an exchange student; it was a few weeks before I was to leave for the States when we met at a party and became inseparable. However, after barely speaking the whole time we were apart the past two years, a lot had changed with both of us. She spent 18 months in Iran, and I had graduated college and moved to a new country I had never been to. She told me that living in Iran changed her a lot – down to her core beliefs and the way she saw the world. I even noticed a change in the way we interacted. She was a bit more defensive at times when we were debating about certain issues, and was much surer about her convictions. I would chalk it up to us living in close quarters and therefore virtually unable to “escape” one another’s company rather than going back to our own apartments at the end of the day, as was the case in Turkey.

A sign you're in London

Buckingham Palace

However, there were sundry other reasons as well for my trip. I had the chance to experience London for two days. If you haven’t been, it’s the largest city in Europe and it certainly feels its size. The trip from the airport to the city center lasted 45 minutes, and at least 30 minutes was needed to travel within the city from one location to another. I relied heavily on the Tube to get around and was quite easily able to see the Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, the houses of parliament, and the Globe, where Shakespeare’s plays were put on. These of course are the main tourist attractions. For a more local feel, London and Oxford both have small pubs in which you can try several types of beer; the food’s pretty good too if you like fish and chips!


The best time to be in London is at night. There are few places that compare to the romantic ambiance of walking along the Thames at night with the blue and white lights from the trees shining dimly below. One of the best views I had of the city was during the airplane landing at night. We did a loop around the city which afforded me a cloudless, 360 view of London from just a few thousand feet above. It was reminiscent of Reno because of the casino-looking blur of lights. (I would say Las Vegas perhaps, but I haven’t been there. Yet!)

A favorite spot of mine

Later in the week I had the opportunity to meet several other Oxford students, many of whom were stressed (but did a good job of hiding it) because of the rigorous two-month terms to which students at Oxford subject themselves thrice each year. Some even took me around their individual colleges and showed me their libraries, gardens, and famous dining halls. (Oxford is divided into 38 different colleges, each of which has its own library, courtyards, and small plot of land in the city of Oxford upon which the college sits. “Their own four walls,” you could say, except this phrase doesn’t do justice to the “spire-inspired” architecture of the buildings and the beauty of the gardens.) It’s an important fact that students here pride themselves in their colleges, not necessarily in the school of Oxford itself.

Courtyard in one of Oxford's colleges

View of Oxford from a church tower

A highlight was surely the dinner the first night I got there. We all got dressed up and went to Formal Hall, as one of the colleges had hired a new Head Master. We arrived to a splendidly set row of tables (think Harry Potter), paintings of famous people who had attended the college, and the sound of Latin grace before the meal. The students didn’t seem too excited for this event other than the fact that it was an excuse to come together and talk, but for my part I was fascinated by this centuries-old ritual. The food was average, but the allure of the atmosphere was by itself enough excitement for me.

This may look familiar to Harry Potter fans

On the way to Formal Hall

In the future I’d like to spend more time in London to see some museums and walk along the waterfront at night. The London Eye (the giant Ferris wheel owned by British Airways) would be cool to experience too. I’d also like to visit nearby areas such as Cardiff, Wales, and of course Dawn and my plan to see Ireland.

Seeing an Old Friend in Köln

Last fall at WVU as I was sitting in my Managing Individuals and Teams class, I noticed there were two Germans sitting together in the back row. For the first few weeks of the semester I found it hard to work up the courage to say something to them because I wanted to say something in German while at the same time making a good impression. I had just begun my German 101 class and was far from confident in my ability. After about a month curiosity moved in to take over the fear and I was able to introduce myself. I'm glad I did, because I still keep in touch with both Alex and Andre today. In fact, I saw Alex just this past weekend in Köln. He's doing a 4 month internship there and in November will return to Fulda, where he'll start studying for his Master's.

View of the old town

From the ferry

My first view of Köln was through the window of the S-bahn (above-ground train) on the way to his apartment. I saw the magnificant Cologne Cathedral, the second largest in the world next to the one in Rome, which was beautifully lit up in the night. We went out for a few beers and I had my first taste of Cologne beer. I found out there are 28 different varieties, each of which are served at various bars and pubs around Cologne. I also later learned that Cologne is the fourth-largest German city (thanks to Dawn for that one:) )

The magnificent cathedral

The next day we woke up early to catch a ferry ride on the Rhine River. It was a beautiful day and for that reason I'm glad we decided to spend time outdoors that day. The cruise was certainly the most breathtaking part of the weekend - one could see for miles while out on the water. And the silhouette of the cathedral from far away cannot be described with words.

Afterwards we visited the cathedral and spent some time inside. Quite large I'd say, but not immensely impressive because I've seen a few similar structures elsewhere in Europe.
We then visited the German Museum for Sports and Olympics, where I learned about the history of sports in Germany. It seems that gymnastics, Formula One, and Boxing are much more popular here than I had ever imagined.
Later that night we went out to catch a piece of the Cologne nightlife. We started by watching the Germany vs. Russia World Cup qualifying game, which Germany won by a goal. We then made our way to the first club but found out that we either had to know the bouncers or apparantly have women with us to get in. Sounds silly, but we didn't let it bother us because there were plenty of other opportunities in the area. We got into the second place, which was playing a style of German music similar to Irish drinking songs. It was incredibly upbeat - we walked in to people jumping and waving their arms in the air. The place was packed. It was a nice change from the typical hip-hop they play in most clubs these days.

Alex himself

After a nice lunch Sunday I made my way home on the train back to Frankfurt. I hope I get to see both he and Andre in Fulda later this year.

The beer bike!