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).