Monday - May 9th, 2011
Today began our journey in Osnabrück, Germany. I came to Germany knowing the building structures, people, culture, and environment would be different from America; however, the differences weren’t truly felt until we arrived. The combination of all those things adds
to the “feel” of Germany and allowed me to begin understanding their culture.
One of the very large differences is the archit
ecture. Germany’s buildings are much narrower than American building and are all multi-floors, which allows them to accommodate less space for more people. With a country of around 86million, I understand their need for housing and efficient architecture. Also, the churches and old buildings from the Neuestadt an
d Altstadt are amazing, especially the church. The scale and beauty within the design are truly stunning and works of art. Being able to walk into a building which is centuries old just gives the vibe of history leaking from the walls. Anywhere you stand you sense the presence of history.
Also, schnitzel is very delicious! Matter of fact, all of the food so far has been. For lunch, Sara and I ate at Dadas Döner. We were told Dada’s had the best döner in town, and I certainly could understand if it was. All of the food is quite amazing here with heavy emphasis on the combination of different tastes and how they work as a whole instead of the American traditional single strong taste which masks most of the other ingredients.
Tuesday – May 10th, 2011
Today 16 of my classmates, my professor, and me made a difference in hundreds of German child lives. With a <1 hour lunch break, we successfully retransformed an
old school garden into an accessible and pleasant place for anyone to spend time. There was a tremendous amount of work and effort put into the transformation, especially the pond which could have passed as a sinkhole; however, the greatest part was coming together and working efficiently as a team from 9am to 6pm. There was never a down moment, spirits were high, there was laughter, and of course there was strenuous work. A combination of all the above set an environment where 18 individuals could blend into one effective unit. Today’s experience will never be forget, neither by the people of Balu and do nor the mem
bers of Germany: Beyond the Classroom. Hopefully, this will mark the beginning of a new era for Americans in German, a new outlook, new level of respect, compassion, and one day gratitude that we still care and are hardworking individuals looking to make a difference in the world.
Wednesday - May 11th, 2011
Today was yet another wonderful day in Osnabruek. Although we woke up a bit chilled and a few of us were startled by the thunderstorm which rolled through during the night, the morning ended up being a very crisp spring morning with blue skies. We took two tours today, my favorite being at the cathedral. While visiting, the tour guide led us through to see the treasures which are quite numerous and occupy the treasury of the cathedral. Because Osnabruek is referred to as a Dorf [village in german] I didn't think there would be such in depth history. However, withing the cathedral walls are stories of Charlemagne and how he gained and lost his sainthood. This story was very new and intriguing.
Tonight, the group goes on a night watch tour. But, because of the late hour, I will have to talk about it in my next post.
No comments:
Post a Comment