Final Days

After a glance at the calendar, I'm finally starting to realize that the end of my stay in Germany is near. Having only till the end of the week until I return to the US on Thursday, its beginning to feel as though my "days are numbered". On Tuesday, I have two exams to take for my courses I took, but then  my commitments are over. They shouldn't be too difficult, but considering that I spent the weekend in Finland rather than the Library, I'll have to study quite a lot tonight...but in all, they should be entirely manageable.

Once the exams are through, I'll be home free. Besides some procedural checkout items from the dorms...all that will remain is to pack up my items to return. I can already tell that is going to be interesting. When you're abroad for 45 days and have time to visit almost a dozen different places, its quite easy to accumulate quite a lot of souvenirs....thank goodness for Stockmann's export services to make it remotely possible.

Looking back on my time in Deutschland, I don't have a single regret. The time has been nice, giving ample time to learn and appreciate German culture without being long enough to miss my own Northern US homeland, Michigan. Actually, its hard to miss Michigan in a place like Finland, where one lady noticed the Michigan Tech luggage tag on my suitcase, and informed me that she was from Bloomfield Hills, MI and had a nephew studying at Tech...HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD. That was interesting for sure....but in places like Germany, its somewhat difficult to describe Michigan. Mainly I tell them that its in the far north by Canada...it works.

German Beer and Food have been nice. I'm not sure if I would enjoy them so much if they became a regular part of my diet, as they are remarkably simplistic in nature with not much flavor deviation. Also, the potatoes with every meal concept, while popular in the upper midwest where I come from, is extremely common here in Germany. Without mention, the German people have been very nice. In Hannover, they are said to have one of the most pure dialects in all of Germany, so I suppose where else could have been better to learn some Deutsch? Like my plans to return to Finland, I believe another visit to Germany is in order as well. From the thoroughness of the public transportation system to the beauty of their countryside, its a great country...which I'll miss when I return home. But, of course...a nice list of things which I've missed will be greeting me when I arrive in Houghton!

Helsinki Trip Synopsis

So...as I sit here in the Helsinki Airport awaiting my flight to Amsterdam for the connection to Hannover, I can't help but look back on how busy these past few days in Finland have been. Now, I've always felt some need to visit Finland, due to its presence in my family history as well as the dominance of "Finnish Culture" in the Upper Peninsula and can't beleive that it actually happened. Just two months ago, had someone asked if I was going to visit Finland this summer, I probably would have laughed and said, "I wish". But, this is just one of the perks of studying abroad in Europe. Travel is easy, almost too easy...it makes spending money quite hassle-free. One of the nicest things about coming to Helsinki when I did was that two friends I met through Michigan Tech in Houghton who had been living in Espoo (a suburb) moved to the city about a week ago, and most graciously offered to accomodate me and show me around Helsinki and Soumenlinna.

Anywho, after a good flying experience to Finland, I arrived in Helsinki around noon on Friday. After getting oriented, I took a bus to the city center and dropped my bags at the rail station luggage center then walked around downtown. There are many good sights to see downtown, from the Cathedral to the Uspenski Church and Kauppatori Square. Not long after, I decided to find some lunch in one of the city markets. I was determined to find something that was authentic Finnish cuisine. I was in luck, there was a stand serving authentic Lapland (Northern Finland) food, something which I'd never had. The small fried fish still had the eyes in them....it was an interesting experience...but one that I certainly don't regret. Then, after some more touring around (Finnish Parliament, National Museum of Finland, etc..) I hopped on a tram to go to my hosts' home. I was instructed to get on the "3B" tram near the main station, unfortunately I didn't notice that there were 2 "3B's" and that I'd hopped on the wrong one until a few stations. Then...I got off and walked back and found the right one. Finally, I'd arrived at the Vartiainen Residence. That evening, after enjoying a nice home cooked meal (its been a few months since I'd really had home cooking) we decided to head downtown and enjoy some "nightlife". 

The next day, we headed out to Soumenlinna, which is a former Finnish and Swedish military fort that sits on an island in the bay outside of Helsinki, for a tour. It was a very nice tour, and afterwards we stopped for pizza at a place on the Island that had once been part of the Bastion Fort. It was definitely interesting to eat Pizza in such a historic place. 

Me, Outi and Janne at Soumenlinna.

After eating, we had some time to explore a little more of the island before heading back to the city to get to Stockmann (Finnish Department Store) to get some Reindeer meat (soon affectionately named "Rudolph") before it closed at 6pm. They say that if you can't find something in Stockmann then you don't need it...and after only a few experiences there, I'd agree. Its an 8 story shopping center encompassing a few city blocks. Helsinki's very own Macys or something like that. Anyways, we found it and headed back to cook it. The reindeer meal was one of the best i've had in awhile. I'll have to try to find somewhere to buy it in the US and make it sometime...

Sunday was another day filled with soaking up Helsinki. We went to this box car race at one of the nicer parks in the city and was really fun. Seeing these Finns having so much fun racing home made box cars was pretty cool. Then, I went to the Finnish Design Museum, Architecture Museum, and Kaisma Contemporary Art Museum. It was a packed day trying to get it all in before they closed at 6pm...but I did it. Even having some time to do some shopping. In Finland, they take their industrial product design very seriously. Despite a strong focus on functionalism, they are still quite stylish. Arabia and Iitaala are some big names, so I had pick up some good souvenirs. However, with any good trip, its difficult to fit all of your treasures with you, so thats where Stockmann was nice enough to accomodate...that is if you're willing to pay the price. The export services cost roughly the same as postage, and they automatically take care of the VAT deduction for you...which of course is nice, and it's insured. 

This morning when I woke up early to catch the bus to the Airport, I decided to spend some time to reflect on my time in Finland, and I've only come to one conclusion....I felt very much so at home. Perhaps it was the Soumalainen Poika inside of me feeling like I've made a pilgrimage, or also likely because of the very warm hospitality of my hosts, but either way....it was definitely my favorite destination in Europe. A good way to end it. Plus I got to enjoy some delicacies along the way: reindeer, lapland's fish, authentic nisu, and even some karjalan piikrakkaa! One thing's for sure, I'll be back sometime soon...perhaps seeing some of Finland's countryside this time.

Checkout some more photos:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4102944223538.156485.1580961523&type=3&l=b1bb0a7ba6

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4102944223538.156485.1580961523&type=3&l=b1bb0a7ba6

Heidelberg

One more weekend for the books, and only 10 days left until I return to America, my time is running out. But, considering that all this short time in Germany has given me the opportunity to experience, I'm not surprised. A few weeks before I left America, I ordered a Fodor's Travel Guide for Germany and began reading it... Heidelberg it said was a German town if any town could exemplify that which is Deutschland. So, it hit the list of must see places and it finally got crossed off.

A photo of me with the castle in the background. Eli+Heat+Sun doesn't equal a good photo, but here goes anyway!

Arriving at 11am,  after a very early am train ride with many stops along the way, Heidelberg was beautiful from the start. Deciding that this weekend was a good one to "splurge"on a decent hotel, rather than the typical cheap European hostel, we decided to get  a room at the Heidelberg Mariott. Now, as far as typical German, it wasn't even close. But, considering the 90 degree temps outside, the un-European features like Air conditioning were warmly (literally) welcomed. With an early checkin and a high floor request, a room with a very nice balcony and view of the Neckar River was bestowed upon us. A short time of resting later, we were ready to hit the Alte Stadt. The old part of the city was quite far from our hotel, but a riverside walk was definitely in order. 

Rathaus off of Hauptstrasse.

Heidelberg was a very warm city for sure. I've said if I remember Heidelberg in 30 years, it will be because of the heat. Somewhere along the way, I heard a local telling a  tourist that the Mediterranean climate of the Neckar Valley made it one of Germany's first settling points. And i'd believe that considering that it was well into the 90s both days with high humidity. Regardless, exploring Heidelberg was necessary. Before leaving Hannover, and regular access to internet, I planned out an itinerary, including: visiting Alte Stadt and its markets, Philosophenweg (a mountain pathway), Alte Brucke, the Castle, and a Neckar River Cruise. Surprisingly, I was able to accomplish everything I had on the list. 

Solar Powered Catamaran cruise on the Neckar River. Very nice, super quiet.

The city was very nice. With old-time charm wherever you looked. From the churches and cathedrals to the Castle itself, it was hard to not take a photo of everything (I know thats a habit of mine, but I deal with it...digital photography is the best). The walkway, Philosophenweg, on the other side of the river up the hillside was also very nice, but in a different sort of way. It allowed me to combine exercise with sightseeing. Not joking though, it was quite a hike. Very steep trails up a mountain in the scorching heat...imagine for yourself. 

View from Philosophenweg.

Heading back to Hannover this time seemed too soon. Sometimes when on weekend trips, I start to miss Hannover, where the food/beer is cheap and my bed awaits me...but not this time. Perhaps because the Heidelberg trip was a mere two short days (including travel on one end), it seemed like there wasn't even enough time to soak it all in (and not just the sun, which i'm sure will cause me to burn). Coincidentally, Deutsch Bahn almost made that a reality as trains were delayed quite frequently today and almost long enough to miss the connection in Frankfurt...that would have made it interesting, considering that the revised arrival in Hannover could have been sometime between 4 and 5am if it wasnt possible to make the connection. Luckily, a girl bumped into me and asked me something in german about the train, and eventually we ended up figuring that we all were going to Hannover, and she helped us get home....so that I can sit in my room and write this update for you. But I'll be back in Heidelberg soon....can't go another 19 (20 in two days) years without seeing it again, maybe I'll be back sooner than I know it (studying)???  Next up: Last week of classes, Helsinki, exams, and returning to the US of A!

Tschuss!

Eli

As usual by now, checkout my photos:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4060214075311.155141.1580961523&type=3&l=c0d46235a9

Academic Update

Last Thursday concluded the first week of German Economy and International Finance lectures, and I can tell that things are about to get more busy here in Hannover. The first segment of HISSEMA gave us a lot of freedom to get adjusted to Hannover and enjoy a little Germany in the meantime. With only having to give two presentations, visit some companies and learn a little German a typical day was over at 1pm, now we're in class till at least 430pm and have much work to do after.

A very interesting aspect of how part two of HISSEMA is structured in a way that each week we have new professors for each class. So in total, we'll experience 6 different professors for the two classes over three weeks. With week one over, its clear that these professors have high expectations for our learning. With assigned readings, course slides, and other assignments the academic rigor has stepped up a bit, but thats why we're here, isn't it? Thats why the first word in "Study Abroad" is there.

For week 1, we had to prepare a case study on a finance topic that was assigned and present it to the class. My topic was "The Subprime Credit Crisis and Contagion in Financial Markets" (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304405X10000127 if you want to check it out...good article) so I was pretty excited because not only was it something interesting to me, but it was one that I was enthusiastic for. Another project that I'm ready to begin working on is writing a paper "Implications of Germany's Social Security System: A Quantitative Approach" due by the end of the program to fulfill my requirements in addition to the two final exams scheduled for the day I return from my Finland trip. Studying and air travel can mix well though...so it will work well. Got to stop blogging now though...must work on research for the paper!

Munich Excursion (8/10-14/2012)

So, one of the most telling characteristics of Germans and Europeans alike is their unending love for travel. Look at their autobahn system, quite robust for such a compact country making it possible to travel from the far northern part to the heart of Bavaria within a matter of 6-8 hours.

Our journey to Munich consisted of three distinct, but equally challenging phases. Number one was to get to the train station on time. We were to meet a group of other international students from Hannover outside the main station by a well known statue at 715 am. However, that didn't happen. Getting a group of college aged guys ready to leave at 645 am is nearly impossible. Its like herding cats... but truthfully I think cats would be easier because you could just pick them up and take them with you.

I had woke at 6 that morning to get ready to leave on time, but long story short, we didn't leave the dorm until 713. Now, that's cutting it close to make a train departing at 735 on time. We've certainly had our close calls with making trains on time before, but this instance takes the gold medal for sure. To complicate matters, we didn't know which train exactly we would take or where it was going, we just knew "platform 8 at 735". So, with the help of a lady on the metro that morning in giving us a shortcut to the train station, we approached the train as it was getting ready to leave, but it was that point which made me more concerned than ever before. There were two trains....and neither of them stood out as correct since I wasn't sure where we'd be going to hop on the bus to make the rest of the trip to Munich. Luckily, just as time was literally running out I spotted another US student who was coming on the trip with the rest of the group who'd been waiting for us at the statue, but must have called it quits to make the train. Needless to say, we hopped on the train and made it. That was close! If we'd have been 2 minutes later, or earlier, we'd have missed the group and possibly not have made it to Munich. We then took a 1.5 hour train ride to hop on a bus full of other students that would be joining us to Munich from Clausthaul University outside of Hannover. The students we were joining in Hannover also study at Leibniz, but were engineering majors as would be those from Clausthaul we'd be joining shortly. A 5 day trip with engineers would sound dreadful to most, but considering the nature of my home university, I'm fairly skilled in "putting up" with engineering folk and rather enjoy it at the same time.

After many stops and hours of riding in an uncomfortable bus seat later, we arrived in Munich. From the start, it was apparent that Munich was a very vibrant city that not only housed some rich history, but also was home to some of Germany's most modern corporate headquarters and the 1972 Olympic Park (very modern for its time). Right when we arrived, we checked into the hostel and headed straight for the Hofbrauhaus, one of Germany's oldest beer halls. Getting there was a challenge however. Many of Munich's U-bahn (subway) lines were closed for construction as were the some S-bahn lines...so the map didn't always tell the whole story. After a longer than anticipated journey, resulting in jeopardizing our reservation at one of Munich's most esteemed beirgartens...we arrived fashionably late, but luckily our table was still there for us. The food was excellent. I had the Schweinshaxen with a potato dumpling. I'd actually had this before in Berlin, but I decided to try out the real Bavarian tradition made by real Bavarians... When one enters a place like the Hofbrauhaus, its readily apparent that you'll have a good time. The live music performers were very entertaining with traditional folk tunes and dances with full lederhosen. Also, one cannot forget to note how good the Liter sized portions of beer were.

The Dunkel was good. Prost!

The next day, we decided to make a trip to the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site for a tour. Since Dachau was on the outskirts of Munich, it was most convenient to arrange to join a tour that departed right from Munich. For 18 euro (student price) you could have a whole day tour with a highly skilled guide that departed right from the Munich city center and even included the price of transportation to Dachau, I was sold. From the start, I could tell our guide Marcin was excellent. He actually had previously been a history and music teacher who joined the tour industry to give beer tours around Munich. Turns out that the company wanted their guides to be cross trained to be able to give any of their tours (City Walking, Third Reich Munich, Dachau, Beer, etc..) so Marcin was then forced one day to go on a Dachau tour. Since, he became fascinated with studying the history of it and advocating for modern instances of genocide, and now gives the Dachau tour 5 days a week. Arriving at Dachau was immediately heart wrenching. To realize that the ground you were walking on was once used to carryout such a terrifying purpose was difficult to deal with. Now, I've already been to numerous Holocaust sites around Germany and the US Holocaust Museum in DC....so I know the history, and expected this feeling from the start. But actually being there was much more than I'd planned for. The tour was very thorough, allowing us to really understand what it was like to be there from 1933-45. What many don't know is how Dachau progressed from the political "re-education" center before the invasion of Poland in 1939 to the concentration camp of the 1940's. The thorough history Marcin was able to convey to us over the 5 hours we were there was incredible. Leaving Dachau left a cloud over us for the next few hours. On a completely different note, Dachau was hosting there own version of Munich's Oktoberfest that weekend, so as we left many guys were dressed up in Lederhosen and the traditional Bavarian Dresses for the ladies. Interesting sight to see...

On Sunday, we took a bus tour from Munich to the Alps. Along the way Bavarian countryside stretched for miles. Farms, cows, and traditional style houses were everywhere you looked. Also, churches. There are a lot of small communities in southern Bavaria and so each one of them had their own church. The onion shaped dome architecture was very different from what you'd see in Hannover for example, or especially the US. After about an hour, you could really see the Alps. Another 30 minutes later, we were essentially at the foothills as it would go from flat to mountainous right outside the bus window. After a few hours, we finally were told by the bus driver that we'd reached Austria, or Oostereich in German. Now, I knew that the EU had a founding principle on free and open borders, but for some reason I would have expected some type of road sign to announce it...guess not. A few moments later, we stopped by a lake near Innsbruck, Austria for our first visit. The lake was absolutely gorgeous. Austrians were out enjoying the sun like no other, swimming, sailing, or just laying out...they were certainly enjoying themselves. After  awhile, we left and continued our journey through the alps. Not only are they stunning to look at, but they really are interesting from an engineering perspective. The tunnels, reinforced guardrails on cliffs, etc...really show how humans have made nature accessible...even for tour buses. Continuing on, we also stopped by an authentic Austrian ski village and Rattenberg. Austria and the Alps were excellent...I'll be back some day!

Me at the lake we stopped at near Innsbruck, Austria.

Monday found us exploring the Deutsches Museum. It's essentially the German equivalent of the Smithsonian Institution in DC with a focus on Science, Engineering, and Technology. Not quite as large as the entire Smithsonian that would take weeks to go through entirely, the Deutsches was definitely doable in a day. With exhibitions on everything from airplanes, ship navigation, steel tools, and telecommunications, it had enough diversity to keep anyone engaged for hours. It even had a very thorough walk through mining exhibition with a walk-in mine for visitors to see how life was like working in a mine. Coming from an area with a lot of mining history, I've been on mine tours many times, and this place was reminiscent of those times....well done Deutsches Museum. The main thing I noticed in the museum was the strong influence US science has on German/European science. For example, the space exhibits had many US space exploration artifacts including scale models of the evolution of US rocketry. However, German engineering and science definitely is impressive. Especially when its all contained in such a well constructed museum.

Finally Tuesday morning came and it was time to make the long journey home. We boarded the buses around 9 to leave at 930. Our first pitstop would be in the town of Bamberg, where we'd have 2 hours to get out and explore. Those first 2.5 hours on the way to Bamberg were bearable, but the ones that followed would become a little less enjoyable. The seats on the bus were designed for people about 6 inches shorter than me (and i'm only 6'0") as my head rested completely above the headrest...strange since I thought Germans seemed like a fairly tall nation. Anyway, after some moderate discomfort, we arrived in Bamberg. It was a nice city, probably somewhere between the size of Hannover and Luneburg with a small town atmosphere. It also had a very historic old portion. Our tour guide Marcin (actually a different Marcin than from Dachau, I know...Marcin isn't that common of a name) told us that it was imperative to stop by a Bamberg Beirgarten to enjoy some of their local delicacies...so we all obliged. Now, one doesn't usually associate Tuesday afternoon at 1pm as a particularly popular drinking time, but all of the beirgartens were packed. Eventually we found one that had room for our group and sat down. German restaurants never cease to impress with their authentic decor and atmosphere. Too bad we had already had eaten our packed lunches on the bus, because everything on the Menu looked so good...as we were still in Bavaria many items wouldn't even be found on menus in Hannover. After the amount of time we spent looking for a place to stop, we only had time for one beer...but it was good, so it wasn't that bad we had to leave so soon. A few hours later, and we'd be back in Hannover ready for 3 more days of classes, then on to see HEIDELBERG!

For photos, checkout these albums:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4036759128952.154311.1580961523&type=3&l=03db0b8113

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4035664661591.154257.1580961523&type=3&l=565a7ebadc

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4035854426335.154261.1580961523&type=3&l=800a5c79d4 

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4040059491459.154414.1580961523&type=3&l=632ecd8acf

Helsinki Itinerary

My final weekend in Europe will be spent doing something that a matter of weeks ago I wouldn't have thought possible. Coming from Finish heritage, its always been somewhere that I knew I had to visit someday, I just didn't think I'd have the opportunity to do it so soon. Luckily, I have friends who did an exchange program at MTU two years ago who are moving from the nearby suburb of Espoo, Finland to Helsinki about a week before I arrive that have offered to host me while i'm there...so it should be excellent. Also, the fact that they will also be relatively new to the City of Helsinki will make it even better. We can explore it together! 

Now, from what I've both heard and seen in photographs, Finland's scenery is much like the upper midwest where I live, but the architecture and attention to design is like no where else in the world. So much that Helsinki was named the World Design Capital for 2012...making it a nice place to end my European travels. 

Anyways, my four day stay in Helsinki is going to be packed with seeing a ton of different sights... even so, its not even close to enough time to fully experience Finland, but it'll suffice for now. I'm sure I'll make a return someday!

Here's what my itinerary has so far:

Friday August 24, 2012

06:20 Depart HAJ (KL1900)

07:20 Arrive AMS              

09:40 Depart AMS (KL1167)

13:05 Arrive HEL

15:00 Visit Finnish Parliament House??

16:30 Visit the Finnish National Museum

18:00 Visit the Helsinki Art Museum, Tennis Palace

19:00 Dinner 

20:00 Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma

Saturday August 25, 2012

10:30 Guided Sightseeing Tour

13:00 Mannerheim Museum

16:00 Finish Architecture Museum

18:00 Dinner

19:00 Explore Downtown Helsinki 

Sunday August 26, 2012

10:00 Ferry to Suomenlinna

11:00 Guided tour of Suomenlinna in English

15:00 Helsinki City Museum

17:00 Seaside Restaurant Dinner

18:00 Walking Tour of Helsinki

Monday August 27, 2012

06:35 Depart Helsinki (KL1164)

08:05 Arrive Amsterdam

13:00 Depart Amsterdam (KL1909)

14:00 Arrive Hannover

If you have any suggestions for places to visit in Helsinki, please let me know!

Heidelberg Trip Itinerary

After the Munich trip this weekend, there will only be two more opportunities to travel around Germany/Europe, so making the most out of those weekends will be crucial. The last two trips i'll be going on then are to Heidelberg and Helsinki. Heidelberg is a town that I'd heard about earlier this summer after one of my favorite professors spent some time in Germany, and decided to research for my self. Fodor's guide to Germany describes it as "If any city in German encapsulates the spirit of the country, it is Heidelberg"...how could I not go there?

But with a mere two days to spend there, this trip will need some serious planning. So, I've started tapping multiple sources of information on Heidelberg and have devised what appears to be a pretty solid plan of action. Even getting advice from a former MTU student who studied there for some time.

Below checkout my itinerary as of today:

Saturday, 18.08.12

07:41 Depart Hannover Hbf

11:08 Arrive Heidelberg Hbf

12:00 Go to Philosophenweg

http://www.heidelbergmarketing.de/content/tourism/sights/viewpoints/philosophenweg/index_eng.html

14:00 Tour of old town (Altstadt) Heidelberg, Meet at Universitätsplatz (free w/ Heidelberg Card) including the Old Bridge

(http://www.e-heidelberg.com/attractions/)

16:00 Linger around tour after tour and check into Hostel

17:00 Sightseeing Boat Cruise from Stadthalle Pier

(http://www.european-traveler.com/germany/rhine-and-neckar-river-boat-cruises-from-heidelberg-mannheim-and-worms)

Sunday, 19.08.12

09:00 Tour Heidelburg Castle (free with Heidelberg Card)

http://www.visit-heidelberg.com/tours/castle.htm

12:00 Visit the Town Markets

(http://www.e-heidelberg.com/attractions/)

14:00 Check out Alte Universitat

(http://www.e-heidelberg.com/attractions/)

16:00 Visit Churches/Head towards train station

 18:00 Get dinner near station

19:46 Depart Heidelberg

23:17 Arrive Hannover

If you have any suggestions, please to let me know!

The Rotenburg Dilemna

So, the other day on the train to Luneburg we saw the map of all the regional train destinations accessible for free with our student IDs, and one of the guys recognized the name of a town that he'd visited when on holiday in Germany with his parents 6 years ago as a really historic place to visit. From his recollection, it was completely authentic Germany, and was untouched by the war and still had a wall around the town from centuries ago. Considering how much fun that could be to check out, it was unanimously decided that we had to go. Later that night when we got back to the dorm, we looked up the times for Monday's trains and the plans were finalized. In the mean time, I did a quick google search  of "Rotenburg, Germany" and kept getting multiple towns named Rotenburg. Now, yes this did create some hesitation in my mind at first wondering if we were truly in fact going to the right place, but I couldn't know for sure. None of them had really advanced pages on popular travel websites like Trip Advisor, and we know how unreliable Wikipedia can be...so it did seem that it would be an adventure, but we'd have to go to truly find out. The only reason I still thought it was worth going to was because none of the other "Rotenburg"s had any mention specifically of a "wall", so who knows? Maybe we were going to the right place.

The morning began like any morning does when you have a group of 6 guys going somewhere by trian, rushed. Our dorm is a 20 minute tram ride from the city center, which is still another 10 minute walk from Hannover's main train station. We knew that we were headed to Platform 13 to catch our 10:21 train, but what we didn't know was whether or not we'd make it in enough time. Considering that I personally didn't wake up until 9:40 (I slept through my alarm), the fact we left our dorm at 9:50 was cutting it close...especially when you factor in the walk to our neighborhood stop and wait the few minutes to catch the next tram. Long story short, we ended up making it with time to spare and were on the train to Rotenburg. When we arrived, it looked bleak to say the least. It definitely wasn't the place we'd hoped we were heading to. The town was pretty boring, especially considering that it was about 11:30am on a Monday in rural Germany. After a few minutes of walking around, we decided it was time to enact plan B: go to Bremen. Now, many Germans suggested it as a potential day trip destination especially considering that its home to the Becks Brewery...so even though we were disappointed with the Rotenburg Dilemna everyone was down to go to Bremen. Luckily, it was only a short 30 minute train ride away, and we hopped on the next one, and were in Bremen by 1pm.

When we arrived in Bremen, it was much more apparent that we were in a town that had actually seen tourists before. After a quick stop by the tourist bureau, we were armed with a city map and determination to see the sights. However, the stop at the tourist office did come with some bad news too, apparently the Becks Brewery tours only happen on the weekend, today was Monday. Disappointed, we still vowed to make the most of Bremen, even though it was becoming readily apparent that today wasn't our day. First stop, was lunch and beer. In Germany, it seems that nearly every meal (except for most breakfasts) is accompanied by some type of beer...the number is variant based on what you expect to do afterwards, but an assumed quantity greater than 1 is routine. We had been walking for quite some time, turning potential eateries down based on numerous factors: too many old people, too commercialized, too American...etc, but finally stumbled upon a place called "Becks Cafe". How could we not stop? The food was marginal, I had the currywurst and fries....a German staple that I'd had before, and I'll be honest this wasn't the best I've had...but I still enjoyed it. Deep fried sausage with a curried ketchup, genius combination!

After lunch, we explored the town center a little bit. We saw some really nice churches, the town hall, and some other municipal buildings and museums. In all, Bremen was a pretty nice city. It reminded me a lot of Hamburg to be honest. Retaining some old architecture in the Alte Stadt "old city" district, but having a modern style in most other places. It was certainly not the type of scenery that we expected en route to Rotenburg, but heck, we're in Germany...everywhere is just another adventure. I can't say that I have any regrets from today, or thus far abroad. Especially in a foreign land, you're bound to make assumptions/mistakes but its all in how you roll with the punches. Thanks to free regional train service and the proximity of Bremen to Rotenburg, I'd say we did just that.

Checkout some photos from "The Rotenburg Dilemna":
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4008584864613.153227.1580961523&type=1&l=47276721f5

Photo Archive (First 21 Days)!

Below, find a link to the public version of my photo albums i've posted on Facebook. You should be able to view them whether or not your on Facebook or we are "friends" on Facebook.

First 3 weeks:
A photo archive of my first 3 weeks in Germany. Including excursions to Hamburg, Amsterdam, and Berlin. As well as some shots from across Hannover.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3997904157602.152922.1580961523&type=3&l=db7bff2633

Lüneburg Adventure:
Spontaneous Trip to Lüneburg, Germany. It was my favorite city by far to date, so I took a ton of pictures for the 5 hours which we were there.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4004362559058.153083.1580961523&type=3&l=96c56d68b9

Lüneburg!

With half of the group still recovering from a small cold we all seem to have come down with in Berlin, some decided to stay in and abstain from the Lüneburg adventure...but those of us that went couldn't have been more happy with the decision. As I already mentioned, travel by some trains (not the IC or ICE) within Lower Saxony is free with our Student ID cards so the fact that this day trip was going to be "free", that sweetened the pot even more.

The decision to go to Lüneburg had come a day earlier, and after being recommended by some friends who had been to Germany before me to go there, I jumped on it immediately, but didn't do too much research ahead of time. I wanted to see and experience the town in a somewhat spontaneous manner. Yes, we looked up the train schedule to get there in good time, but that was about it. We got there, and first had to ask how to get to the city... The first place we saw was a bike shop, so I went in and asked the desk clerk "sprechen sie englisch?"...to be responded with "Nein"...that was when we knew we were in a somewhat remote place. Not everyone in Hannover speaks english, but this was different. Luckily, his coworker knew a little and was able to point us in the direction of the town square, we thanked them and proceeded in the direction he pointed. After not much time, we made it to the town part of Lüneburg, and our jaws dropped. When you picture old time Germany, this is exactly what comes to mind...it was perfect!

The guy at the bike store had given us a tourist map, and so we proceeded to walk around Lüneburg and see the sights from Churches and a Tower to the Rathaus (Town Hall) with sights of traditional german architecture along the way, Lüneburg was an extremely nice town. After a little while exploring, we sat down to eat at a German restaurant and I was curtly reminded that I was in Deutschland after politely asking if they had an english menu. The funny thing was that the guy proceeded to speak to me in German throughout the meal, probably thinking I was German... maybe? But may have had some American or British tourists with me?? I'm not sure, but its always strange when Germans continue talking after they know you dont speak the language, this has happened before. Many people since my arrival in Germany have been surprised to find out that I'm American, despite my obvious lack of European clothing style, they think I'm from Scandinavia or somewhere which is of course true of my ancestry but not of my birth. Anyways, the food was good, but took quite some time...and what was most upsetting was how long it took for the beer to arrive. The Lüneburg Pilsner, once brewed in one of Lüneburg's 80 original breweries (keep in mind that today it only has 75,000 people) but now produced in Hamburg, was certainly a nice authentic Lüneburg experience.

After lunch, we continued to explore the town. Even finding a dock to rest at along a nearby river, it really felt like we were back in time. Yes, Lüneburg had the modern conveniences of any German town (multiple H&M stores, a Starbucks, McDonald's, etc..), but it was the first time that I really felt like we could have been sitting in 19th century Germany. Despite only spending about 6 hours in the nice town of Lüneburg, it was by far my favorite experience thus far in Germany. Sometimes spontaneity can be superb!

The Lüneburg gang from LtoR: Nick Segner (Pennsylvania), Eli Karttunen (Michigan), Danny Liera (California)

German Dining Out

So, over the past 21 days, I've definitely had my fair share of occurrences of eating out in Hannover. And can say that many differences exist from dining out in the US. Not only is the food different here, and tastes much better...but other restaurant etiquette differences are apparent as well.

The most noticeable of which is how much Europeans love to eat outdoors. And who can blame them or the restauranteurs? The weather is often excellent and the views certainly better than inside, plus the restaurant can seat more people. Servers here are also less friendly by American standards, some argue its because they rely less on tips, and some as a result of cultural differences promoting less friendliness between strangers...but its not necessarily a bad thing or rude. Another thing that I've noticed about European restaurants is how expensive the soft drinks are. I've paid upwards of 4 euro for a glass of Coca-Cola (also true for Fanta and Sprite)....and water can be even higher priced than that. Most places dont serve tap water at all, and the few that do will charge at least a euro for the pleasure. Now its not because Germans/Europeans want to rip you off. Consider how cheap the beer is. A .4L glass of beer can range from 2.25 to 4.5 euro...putting it cheaper than soda, and even sometimes water flat or sparkling. Also foreign to them is the idea of a free refill or ice...so get used to drinking very little and slightly warm drinks! Germans dislike three things for sure: air conditioning, ice, and free refills...something I couldn't imagine an American restaurant without.

But, besides that dining out in Germany is exceptionally nice. I've yet to have a bad meal. I even gone so far as eating sauerkraut at a Bavarian restaurant, even though I kept away from it for 19 years in the US. Now, it was far superior to the kraut I tried in the US, but still...I'm being adventurous. I do have some boundaries though. One day, we were eating at this place which served food from the Rhineland and a guy from our group trusted Malte (our program coordinator) to select something for him and it turned out to be a meat with jelly dish served cold...and the meat was chunky with parts of grizzle still remaining. Thats the danger that can come from german language menus. But just the other day in Berlin I picked out an excellent potato with sausage soup and schnitzel. Speaking of excellent, German beer is good. From Pilsner to Hefeweisen, we've tried quite a few different types of regional and national beers... and haven't really conclusively disliked any of them. Thats probably because of how serious the germans can be with their beer.

The other very nice thing is how relaxed the atmosphere is at German restaurants. It never seems like they are trying to push you out the door like in the US. The mere fact that they wont bring the bill to you until you ask for it "die rechnung, bitte"... is really nice. The people are also really nice, while they might not be as forward as US waitstaff who are constantly trying to upsell you and get on your good side, german servers are efficient and to the point. 

Travel Plans

Germans/Europeans love to travel. When you're in Europe, traveling to another country can be as simple as going to a nearby US State but with a completely different culture, so how could they not love it? Taking advantage of it is crucial during my short time here. Also, due to some diplomatic treaties and agreements, US Passport Holders can freely travel within the Schengen Area without a visa for a period of up to 90 days...without customs or passport control.

To recap, here are the places we've been so far:

-Hannover

-Hamburg

-Amsterdam

-Berlin

Now, thats pretty good for the first 2.5 weeks. But to make the most out of Europe, we can't stop there. This weekend since we have both Friday and Monday off, two more trips are going to happen. We'll be going to Lüneburg (a smaller VERY AUTHENTIC German town according to some very trusted sources) and Rotenburg which another student had previously been too and highly recommends...

Then, the next weekend, the international office at Leibniz University has arranged for a 5 day excursion by bus to Munich, the birthplace of Oktoberfest. This five day trip will be filled with many authentically german experiences including brewery tours, beirgartens, the alps, and a day trip to Dachau Concentration Camp (the first to open as a camp for "political prisoners"). I'm sure many interesting blog posts will follow from this trip...

The weekend following Munich, a trip to Heidelberg is much awaited. According to my Fodors Travel Guide of Germany, if there is a town that exhibits german culture and history, its Heidelberg....so how could I not go there?

Also, I've begun intensive planning for a 4 day trip to Helsinki, Finland to visit the home of my ancestry as well as some friends who went to Michigan Tech two years ago as part of an exchange my last weekend abroad. Plus they've offered to host me, so how could I say no? With a KLM flight booked and my Helsinki Card (free museum entry and public transport) already bought...this is going to happen! Finland certainly is a very scenic country with a well known knack for architecture and design...so it will certainly be an unforgettable experience. I'll be going there August 24-27, so will make a brief return to Hannover to take exams and attend the quarter graduation before returning to the US bright and early on August 30th (still not sure how to get to the airport at 4am).....

Even looking at this projected list of travel destinations, I can think of dozens of places I'd like to still visit, but considering that I only have 45 days and classes to attend...I think this will be an acceptable list...considering that I am here to study.

Berlin Trip!

Let me begin by saying that I can't believe that its already been 3 full weeks since I arrived in Germany. In that time, I've had the opportunity to experience many facets of German culture, but it also reminds me of how short my time left is. With only 25 days until I return to the US, time is running short to do everything I want to do in Germany....but I'll try my best!

This week was extremely busy. Tuesday and Wednesday, we went on an excursion to Berlin led by our program coordinator Malte Sandner, a PhD student and teacher for special tasks at Leibniz who had worked on his Masters thesis for an energy company in Berlin. After a short two hour train ride from Hannover, we arrived in Berlin in the early afternoon, and brought our luggage to the hotel we'd be staying at...interestingly it had two sets of bunk beds in the rooms (no, it wasn't a hostel), but it worked since we had to fit three people into each room. After checking in, we went to the STASI Museum on the East side. Once home to the secret police organization for Eastern Germany (the GDR), the museum was left essentially untouched from the days it served as the STASI's headquarters. Filled with authentic spy gear, untouched offices, and propaganda posters, the place was a chilling reminder of the state of fear that the people in Eastern Germany once lived in under the Soviet Union where everyone feared that their neighbor was going to turn them in. From listening to western music to wearing blue jeans, nearly everything could be considered grounds for suspicion. After that, we headed back near the main station for a guided walking tour of the city titled "Third Reich Berlin" where it began in front of the German House of Parliament, the Reichstag. The history of the building itself was quite interesting, and as we went on an actual tour of the building the next day, it was really evident how much of Germany's history could be told by the events of the building which today houses the Bundestag, or Parliament.

From the tour's start at the Reichstag, we continued on to see more of the sights of Hitler's Berlin from the Teirgarten memorials to the Brandenburg Gate and the Holocaust Memorial. After we went to the Jewish Holocaust memorial, we went a few blocks to what is today home to a residential neighborhood, with a very dark past. Today only denoted with a single sign, the former home to Hitler's Bunker where he and his close confidants spent the final days of the war is today a parking lot and residential apartment building. Interestingly, our guide said the apartment building is primarily holiday rentals, so you have to wonder if most who stay there really know the past of the ground they are living in. We continued on to see more of Berlin including he former home of the GDR Propaganda Department  which is now home to the German Finance Ministry....and houses a large mural of GDR economic traditions which united farmers, workers and intellectuals. From there we went on to see a large portion of the remaining Berlin Wall (in terrible shape for only being 60 years old), as well as the former home to the Gestapo Headquarters. Then continued on to see Checkpoint Charlie wich served as the entrance to the American controlled sector of W. Berlin and finished the tour on the modern campus of Humboldt University where massive book burnings took place with works that conflicted with National Socialist ideology. Today Humboldt is one of the top universities in Germany, but still feels the aftermath of the huge loss of culture that resulted from book burnings and loss of Jewish professors some 80 years ago.

After the tour, we hit up an authentic german restaurant, and I had the Schnitzel and a nice glass of Berlin's own official beer. Afterwards, Malte showed us some of the East Berlin nightlife that he experienced during his time in the city. The highlight of the night was definitely visiting a one of a kind ping pong club. As the night ended, we walked back a few kilometers to our hotel and saw a lot more of Berlin. But even though its germany's largest city, not once did it seem unsafe.

The next day, we began with a tour of the Reichstag Building. It is a place which contains a lot of history, but one wouldn't necessarily think so based on how modern the architecture is today. It was completely gutted and renovated within the last 20 years and to me the parliament chambers almost look more like a Southern Baptist Mega Church than a house of government. But, this architectural flair wasn't just noticable at the Reichstag, it also appeared throughout Berlin including Angela Merkel's Chancellory and the city skyline. But, beyond the modern look, the Reichstag is definitely full of history. One interesting part is how they decided to leave the graffiti left behind by the Russian troops which took the building at the end of the war. Also, the proximity to where the Berlin Wall was later built made the Reichstag an important building during separated Berlin, even though it didn't serve as a House of Government. Today, the Reichstag stands for the ideals of new Germany. With a modern look with a deep history, the building seems to serve as an effective house of the people, especially considering Germany's interesting political structure of multiple parties and differing ideology.

HISSEMA Students in the Reichstag (Hard shot to fit us all in!!)

See what I mean? Southern Baptist Mega-Church....

After the Reichstag tour, we went on an "alternative" Bike Tour. Its hard to describe and my camera was dead by the time it started, but the tour we went on (15 Kilometers in 2.5 Hours) took us through parts of Berlin that I couldn't imagine many tourists ever see.

Bike Tour After Photo. LtoR: Sean Foglia (California), Eli Karttunen (Michigan), Nick Segner (Pennsylvania), Danny Liera (California), Malte Sander (Germany), Julian Uribe (California), Kamille Schneider (California), Rutwik Jagtap (India).

Afterwards, we were tired enough to spend an hour just relaxing in a nice park surrounded by authentic Berliners. Then to grab a quick bite to eat (authentic Bavarian food!) and catch the train back to Hannover, our trip to Berlin may have been quick, but certainly fulfilling.

HISSEMA Group in Front of the Reichstag from LtoR: Malte Sandner (Leibniz University, Program Coordinator), Kamille Schneider (California), Eli Karttunen (Michigan), Rutwik Jagtap (India), Julian Uribe (California), Nick Segner (Pennsylvania), Sean Foglia (California), Danny Liera (California).

Week 2 Recap

Much different from the beginning of week 1, where Hannover's weather disappointed with rain and low temps each day, week 2 gave us the first glimpse that Hannover did have a summer season from time to time. With our German lessons ending on Monday, it was surprising how much of a language you could learn in a week, but also equally frightening that we'd be expected to "get along" with a week of a foreign language....luckily most Europeans also know English though (some better than I do).

Even though we were all sad to see our language teacher leave, we were excited for the next few days where we'd be going to visit German corporations. Our first visit was to Nord LB which is a fairly large regional bank headquartered right here in Hannover.

Nord LB's Headquarters in Hannover. Architecturally stimulating building to say the least.

The day before the excursion to the Bank, myself and another student were assigned to present on the structure of the German banking system....a remarkably complex system that was really interesting to learn about. When we were at Nord LB, we met one of the guys who will be instructing the international finance course during the second half of the program, who works as a researcher at Nord LB as well as an adjunct faculty member at Leibniz and a few other Universities in the area. The visit to Nord was interesting, as they talked to us about a few different topics ranging from the US housing crisis to the European Sovereign Debt crisis...both of which were interesting to hear about from a European point of view. But perhaps more interesting was the division between thought between one of the Econ Research Department Analysts and the Bank's VP for Research, with the analyst favoring the Austrian viewpoint on public spending/intervention, and the VP following a more Keynesian approach. They would openly disagree on some of the most divisive topics. It was really refreshing though to see how much the three people who presented to us were able to openly disagree on the events which happened and how they will affect the future.

HISSEMA Participants and Nord LB Presenters.

The next day we went to the Volkswagen manufacturing plant just outside of Hannover. And while I've been to the much larger Ford River Rouge Complex in Dearborn, it was still an impressive sight. The cultural and economic reliance upon the auto industry in Germany is very reminiscent of what its like in Michigan. Interestingly enough, however the two cases are much different due to the large amount of governmental intervention in Volkswagen and other German car makers. In the US, we saw the economy in Michigan decline significantly (and some might say the country) due to the influence some auto unions had on The Big 3, but in Germany there hasn't been such a collapse as demand for VW, BMW and Mercedes Benz has remained sufficient to keep a strong economy. And give Germany a top spot in exporting economies, not to mention sustain Germany's efforts to keep the EU stable.

The week ended early as we didn't have class on Friday, so we were able to depart for our second weekend of travel to our further destination of Amsterdam. From what I've heard, Amsterdam was going to be an interesting experience...

The trip began with a 4 hour train delay due to some track issues between Hannover and Amsterdam...so while we were supposed to leave around 230, we didn't depart until after 630. But, it was worth the wait since we got a 50% price reduction for the tickets, which was much welcomed. The difficulties didn't end their though. About 75% of the way to Amsterdam, the train sat motionless at a stop for 15 minutes longer than it should have, and we got some "welcomed" news from the conductor that the engine wasn't working....so a new one was on the way, so continued our streak of bad luck...and 20 minutes later we were en route again. Then, upon arriving to in Hilversum (about 20 minutes outside of Amsterdam) just in time to catch the last train into Amsterdam Central for the night, we must have got on the the wrong train as it never went to Central Station. But we noticed it early enough where we could get off without much trouble. 30 minutes and a ride on the Amsterdam metro later we finally arrived in Amsterdam at central station. 

Amsterdam was quite the city, with a very unique nightlife. It also had some nice sights to see during the day as well. The first day we went to the Anne Frank House to see the small hiding place of the famed diarist during the Holocaust, a place I'd wanted to visit since my 8th and 9th grade English teachers had done significant teaching on her book as well as Night by Elie Weisel, a holocaust survivor. The experience was much worth the 30 minute wait in line and 9.5 Euro entry fee.

No pictures allowed inside... In the presence of some serious history here.

The next day we went to the Van Gogh Museum which featured many other artists in addition to Van Gogh. Not only were the paintings, sculptures, and drawings interesting pieces of art... but the insight to Van Gogh's life was extremely interesting. Later that day we also had time to go to the Heineken Brewery for a tour and tasting. For 17 euro, the price was steep, but the two free samples at the end made it a little more bearable. 

Amsterdam was a beautiful city, with a very interesting side to it as well. And after a few days, It was time to return to Hannover. This time, there were no glitches in the train schedule, horray! The funny thing was that when we got back, it was really the first time (but we'd soon feel it again when we got home from Berlin) that we felt a big sigh of relief for being home! 

Top 3 Lessons of the Week:

- German style has no mercy for heat. Despite temps in the 80s people continue to wear highly fashionable, but impractical attire. Jeans, sweaters and coats are still common even when Hannover has its warmest weather "in 10 years" (according to Malte).

- Train travel does have its ups and downs. I hadn't really realized that trains could be delayed for such long periods of time. I guess I'd erroneously assumed that the lack of variance in train traffic due to the fixed track structure caused less room for error. But I guess no mode of transportation is perfect. At least Deutsch Bahn has generous discount policies (thank goodness, since our original tickets were only booked two days earlier at full fair).

- Even German banks make mistakes. At Nord LB, the presenters were very frank about some of the mistakes they had made. And it was somewhat relieving that they made some of the same mistakes that US banks made in not properly evaluating risk, and just the day we visited they were forced to lay off 10% of their workforce (many were given early retirement packages).

Week 1 Recap

First off, let me apologize for not being so timely in getting this post up. The first week in Hannover was filled with many adventures, and it left little time for blogging. A few hours after I arrived and had time to unpack, I decided to take a little walk around my neighborhood. Immediately, based on the lack of people out and about, I could tell that I wasn't in a very populated area. As I'd learn tomorrow, I'm about a 20 minute tram ride from the city center, so especially on Sundays there was very little traffic around the dorm. But, despite the apocalyptic appearance, the area was pretty nice. I'm about a 5 minute walk from a grocery store, and an even shorter walk from a pretty large park. Even though it was getting late in the evening by this time, there were still a few local kids playing soccer. But, the best part of the walk was what I discovered when I got back to the dorm, people speaking english. Now, yes, I well knew that going to Germany meant being in a foreign country and that from time to time there would be people speaking another language...but, the past 6 hours of no human contact, no wifi, and no cell service, would drive anyone crazy. After about a few minutes of chatting, we all realized that we were part of the same program, so not only did I meet other english speakers, I'd finally met the other students of HISSEMA. Over the next three days, our group expanded from the original 3 which had met that night to the full 7 it is today.

The first few days in Germany were very open with free time to get acquainted with our new surroundings. On day one after arrival, the itinerary consisted of going to meet the program director who gave us a short tour around the university. The next day consisted of a brief meeting to outline the program and then a Barbecue put on by the Econ school giving us a chance to meet the German students as well as Faculty and Staff of the school. It was a nice time. The open timeframe of the first two days gave plenty of time to get settled in to Hannover. I was able to reconnect with the world by getting cell phone service and wifi as well as stock up on some necessary food items from the local store. Also, as the weather started to improve by Hannover standards, we were able to begin exploring the city!

Candid photo op at the Metro Station. LtoR: Eli Karttunen (Michigan), Kamille Schneider (California), and Danny Liera (California).

The third day began the academic portion of the experience. Now, the program is split into two components, with the first being an opportunity for the US students to learn about German Language, Culture, and Business by having lessons, visiting companies and doing presentations. The first week of German lessons were very informative, and gave me the tools to actually be able to order food without seeming rude and only pointing, and even be able to ask for and understand directions in German, a success considering that my prior knowledge of German was breakthrough at best.

The first week concluded with our first traveling adventure as a group. To make planning easy, we decided to go to the nearest destination on our "to-visit" list: Hamburg. A short (and free) 2 hour train ride away, Hamburg's bustling port city reputation was well within our reach. However, our lack of prior planning for overnight accommodation would soon become an interesting fault. Before arriving, one group member had the forethought of looking up a place to stay, but didn't think it was necessary to make a reservation. Interestingly enough, the whole city was packed with people in town for a big triathlon, and not many rooms remained, especially at a price students wanted to pay. Finally, I had an idea, we decided to try a nice looking hotel, and get a room with double beds and expect some of us to just crash on the floor. And that we did, for a mere 88 Euro, 6 of us crammed into a small European hotel room...for cheaper than staying in a Hostel. Hamburg was definitely worth the trip and a night sleeping on the floor, especially for the low price of 18 Euro in fixed costs.

Top 5 Lessons Learned this week:

- US and German Universities are very different, in scope and structure. Immediately, I learned that German universities are solely educational institutions, they dont offer student housing or meal plans directly. They have separate entities to provide those types of services for students, quite different from the US model. Also, German universities place more stress on exams and less focus on class work...but those exams mean more, as you can only repeat a class once...and failure a second time could mean being dropped from your academic program.

- German Culture promotes a much more independent college student. In the US, there is much more support structure for students. For better or worse, in the US if a student has a problem, there are a lot of people around to help. But, in Germany, there aren't as many people around to sort your problem out for you, but rather its your job to deal with it. Both ways have their strengths, and while the US way might be more accommodating its clear that the German system promotes greater independence.

- German supermarkets are very different from their US counterparts. Now, there is no such thing as Walmart or Costco in Hannover, so to first find a store to shop in can be difficult for tourists. But, each neighborhood has their own discount supermarket (many are part of chains). Shopping is also very different here. You have to pay for shopping carts, bag your own groceries, and bring your own bags (or pay a few cents for one). These are actually nice though. They promote a more sustainable shopping model, where you make small and frequent trips to the store and tend to only buy the bear essentials. Also, prices can be very reasonable here. Granted, they are denominated in Euro where I'm used to prices in a weaker American Dollar, but the differences seem to be greater than what can be explained by an exchange rate. For example, a comparably sized package of cheese here might cost 1.5 euro where it would be on the order of 3-4 USD. This makes me like shopping. (also, the fact that I cant fill a huge Walmart cart full of stuff which I might use to the tune of $250)

- Public Transportation is sexy. Everyone here takes public transport, EVERYONE. Now, I take it for reasons of necessity considering that I dont have a bike here and an hour walk to campus isn't something I want to do every morning (plus I'm sure I'd get lost). Also, the fact that students have free access to all public transport within Lower Saxony makes it even harder to disagree with. Including the regional trains to Hamburg, its all free. It also goes anywhere in the city. This is much different from what I'm used to in Houghton where I've taken the bus only once for a class project.

- Germans love to Barbecue. Now, I'm not sure if this carries throughout the country, but it seems that people in Hannover love to grill out. The reason I say this within the first two days spent in Hannover, we had two BBQs to attend, one put on by the Econ school for HISSEMA students and another by the International Office. But they were nice, and German Bratwurst tastes even better when you see it being cooked!

Initial Insights

The first thing that seemed strange to me upon arrival was the fact that I didn’t have to go through customs after picking up my baggage (yes it all arrived right away). Perhaps because it was an inter-Europe flight, they considered my passport check in Switzerland sufficient? Or maybe I’m an international fugitive? But honestly, I don’t know. The terminal design in Zurich was such that all flights arriving from Terminal E (must be all international flights) had to first pass a security checkpoint and then proceed through Swiss Passport Control, where the nice older lady was happy to welcome me to Europe….but anyway, all of this happened logically as part of getting from gate to gate, and must have been designed intentionally. This wasn’t the case in Hannover though, after getting out of the gate and following the signs to Gepäckausgabe (baggage claim), and then out the door…and you’re in the parkenhaus (parking garage, very clever germans….I see what you did there). One would think that to break an international law and not pass through immigration or customs, you would at least have to walk past an agent or something, but none of that. I walked out the door to see two girls holding signs, one with my name, and one of another student in the program….which was a large relief, because of the next thing.


When we landed in Zurich, I like nearly everyone else who has ever ridden on an airplane turned on my cell phone to see if I had service, I didn’t. Now, yes, I was somewhat concerned when it initially didn’t appear, but that has happened randomly in the US before, so I didn’t really think of it much more. However, when I got to Hannover and the same “No Service” icon showed…it began to matter a little more to me. With having no way of contacting my family to let them know I had arrived, I felt a little out of place, but nothing overwhelming….so continued the journey. 

My dorm room is small, but sufficient. Has a bed, desk area, and sink.

When we arrived at the place I’d be staying, the girls dropping me off showed me around and said to submit the W-LAN internet connection form to the caretaker tomorrow morning, and asked if I was sure that I wasn’t hungry as I’d already told them….because nothing is open on Sunday’s in Germany. They take commitment to family very seriously. This was apparent as I took a walk around my neighborhood after I had time to get settled into my room. Not a single store appeared to be open…which I had previously read about as something to expect, but  didn’t actually expect it to be the case. The two markets nearby were both closed all day, but there was a Shell gas station a block away open for anyone who didn’t have the foresight to prepare their Sunday meal in advance. I for one wasn’t hungry, perhaps due to the 6 hour time difference, so I survived day 1 in Germany without Wifi, Cell Phone coverage, or food with only a few hours of sleep under my belt from the night before. This however, made adjusting to the time difference VERY EASY. As I write this, I feel perfectly aligned with the new time zone…but time will tell in the next day or so.

En Route

Well, after a long month filled with preparations for this journey, the day has come.  I woke at a normal hour and began the day by having a bon voyage breakfast (I know i’m not going to France…lol) with some of the best friends someone could ask for at Soumi Restaurant. Farewells aren’t always easy. You never know exactly what to say, and as the situation permits, some warrant more than others. For example, when I return from Germany some of my friends will have moved away, so undeniably they warranted a little more attention. Then, after saying goodbye, I headed home for some final packing.  It’s never too late to make sure that you have everything ready. Believe it or not, I couldn’t find anything that didn’t make it in the first round…hopefully that luck continues.

(Me outside of the Houghton Airport getting ready for Departure.)

Per usual, the Houghton airport was extremely easy to get through the check-in/security lines. But despite the ease at which you get through security/etc., you may be surprised to find a lack of restrooms beyond the checkpoint. Now, of course that isn’t the most surpising or outraging airport experience of the day in the least. Chicago O’hare greeted us with cloudy skies and a brief rain shower during the layover, but it pailed in comparison to the worst weather conditions I’ve seen there. Greeted with the prospect of traversing the airport from the United Domestic Terminal to the International Terminal 5. The process   of doing so was quite easy though, and I made it through security and all within an hour….4 more left to blow until the next flight, UA9771 with non-stop service to Zurich, Switzerland. For those of you who’ve spent any great deal of time in terminal 5, you know that the options for entertainment/dining (not an outlet to be found anywhere) are extremely poor. Beyond the checkpoint, there isn’t a single facility that served hot food….sandwiches it is! I believe there were a total of 2 newsstands and a few duty free shops, and other than that, one was left to their own devices to pass the time.

This next leg of the trip was one I looked forward to since I booked my flight. I’d be flying on swiss air. And, unlike the US airlines, internationally based airlines are still actually decent (so I’m told)…My first shock was prior to boarding the 4 uniformed air marshals that boarded the flight. Now, when it comes to security I’ve always said that I’m willing to nearly pay any price, but that seemed a bit much, but at least it prevented anyone from starting something. The only hesitation that sat in my mind as we waited to board was how my individual seat would be. Much to my surprise, I didn’t find anything wrong with my seat being in the last row. Yes, it seemed to be an issue at first when everybody and their mother would come to the back of the plane thinking there would be a bathroom only to discover a kitchen and need to turn around (with most feeling the need to say something to us, not sure why)…but soon enough they learned, and no one came to bother. Initially, I was impressed with the arrangements, when you first got to your seat, everyone had been given a pillow and blanket to use during the flight because it tends to get pretty cold at 32,000 feet (-50F outside). I had the experience of sitting next to an American defense contractor on his way to Afghanistan for a 2 year business deal. He was really a nice guy. We talked for a few hours about anything from US economic policy to the upcoming election to the work and experiences he’s had working in Afghanistan. When talking about what he missed most while abroad, he didn’t seem to mention family (maybe he comes home often or skypes frequently? Maybe not?), it was Alcohol. So…he tried to make up for it on the plane, much to my and the flight attendants’ entertainment. After an hour or so, I got to experience a first: airline meals. 

It even looks ok.

Yes, you say, how interesting of them to serve dinner at roughly 10pm eastern time (4 am European time) when its clear by that time most passengers would have already grabbed something in the airport. But, it was nice because of the previously mentioned lack of hot food options in the ORD international terminal. Proposed with the option of chicken and mashed potatoes or lasagna, I decided on the chicken. For one, I’m able to eat almost anything when I’m hungry enough, but this stuff was good. The little salad, roll and prepackaged tapioca pudding weren’t bad either. Served with nice Swiss flatware, the service was pretty nice for economy class.

And that wasn’t it. A few hours later as we began to enter European airspace, the crew served a standard breakfast. Consisting of a croissant and yogurt with juice and coffee, it wasn’t overwhelming in the least…but it kept me satisfied until my next flight. Here’s where I was really impressed with Swiss air. And again perhaps it’s not Swiss that is doing anything out of the ordinary, but the American Airline’s lack of providing these services that’s worth mentioning, but even on the short hour flight from Zurich to Hannover, we were served lunch. Nothing much, a bologna and pickle sandwich (pretty good despite what you could possibly be imagining), but still enough to keep you tied over until you can actually eat when you arrive at your destination. Other than their airline food, Switzerland, for however brief a time I spent impressed me. The airport was extremely modern, and the people friendly.

SWITZERLAND!!

The first time I felt awkward was when I went to a café in Zurich and bought a cup of coffee to give me a little more energy after only sleeping an hour or two on the trans-atlantic flight. When I got there, of course, all prices were denominated in Swiss Currency, which I hadn’t the slightest idea of exchange rate for…and which I still have to look up, I’m not sure if that 4 CHF cup of coffee was cheap or ridiculously expensive. The coffee was almost as good as the swiss chocolates we got when we landed. This was pretty much how my travel went. Flying is extremely easy and nearly idiot proof, trust me all you need to do is follow one rule: do what the TSA agents tell you. For example, when going through security in the international terminal at ORD, and you are “randomly selected” for additional screening, go with it…all they do is pat you down and do a test on your hands for explosive residue, and that’s it. Trust me, they’ll let you know if you made a mistake (like the poor old lady who thought she could save the yogurt she had got on her other flight).