Das Germany

Oh Germany, land of shnitzel and brotwurst, how I love thee. The trip thus far has beyond exceeded expectations. Omitting the necessary evils of a European trip (e.g. 35 hour travel time), it's been an incredible experience. Interacting with the people of Germany and attending several lectures on German history has been cool and all but let's get to the things that really matter: the food. Yeah, I'm going there.

Germans don't think too far outside the box when it comes to food. They take the box, optimize its design, rigorously test it in box related scenarios, and once satisfied, sit atop their transcendent Kingbox gazing down upon the downtrodden box-masses yearning for its ephemeral beauty.
I'm talking about sandwiches. I really didn't think sandwiches had any room to grow in today's world. I mean, it's just two slices of bread with some fillings thrown in, right? I couldn't be more wrong! Advances in sandwich technology (henceforth dubbed sandwichology) are grossly underrepresented in the states! There are so many options here in glorious Deutschland, but do you know what the best part is? They're all unrealistically delicious.

But seriously, one of the best parts of this trip is interacting with the people. It is really eye opening to not only see a culture in action but to live it. I've learned more in these first few days than any class could ever dare to teach in a single semester. The firsthand experience is invaluable. Seeing the everyday lives of these people from another country which we consider so foreign, it's a sobering reminder that 'they' aren't far too different from 'us'. Sure there are slight differences such as the importance of punctuality, the reserve of an acquaintance, and of course the aforementioned sandwiches, but the German people are people first and German second.

The program itself has also been pretty well organized. The history lectures are a great perspective into the story of the city of Osnabrueck and offer an essential backdrop if one wishes to understand in its entirety the lives of those who live there. The tours permit an opportunity to interact with the subjects of our studies for the past months while at the same time demonstrating the perspective of the area from those who live there.

You can't forget the obvious matter of the language either. I feel like I've learned a substantial amount of German in the few days we've been here. I think it's probably been demonstrated that the best way to learn the language is by throwing yourself into an entire country of those who speak it. Not to mention the wonderful support from our German language lecture series. Rosetta Stone can't touch this yo.

So what's left? Ahhh yes, the Balu & Du service event. You want us to build some benches? Sure, no sweat. Renew an old path with specific patterns in mind? *yawn* Paint an intricate mural of a beloved Disney classic? Pfft, give us an hour. Excavate a pond? Bring. It. On.
I'm not sure too much can be said about that day. I still have reoccurring flashbacks of Billy wrestling the ground and Lauren wielding a sledgehammer in a fashion that made Paul Bunyan look like an underweight flannel shirt model. Suffice to say we built a pond. Why? Because we could. The earth resisted our pounding hammers and cutting spades, but in the end she yielded and Man stood victor amongst the garden that day.
There are still plenty of events left untold: the club that lived up to its name, 2 am karate kid impressions, oh and of course all the other good food I've resisted in mentioning (for your sake), but I feel like sleep has priority in this situation. I'm sure this post hasn't failed to make that evident. So, guten nacht. 'Till next time.