P.S.

Here's the picture of the beautiful falling snow:



That was easily the highlight of my day. Otherwise, I'm sure I wouldn't be smiling on that long walk in business formal! Thanks Ethan for the photo and the walking assistance :)

Berlin and Prague/Best Week I've Had in a Long Time

This morning at 7am, I got back from a week in Berlin and Prague with the IES program. It was an amazing and educational experience, and the whole week just made me really appreciate that I have the chance to be here.

We left for Berlin super early on Monday morning on a comfortable high-speed train. When we got there, it was SO. INCREDIBLY. COLD. It was somewhere between 0-5 degrees Fahrenheit for the duration of our stay. I brought my gloves and hat as usual, but even those items could not protect against the wind. Even so, we tried to get going and enjoy the experience as much as possible. We checked into a hostel (in former East Berlin - it was still really nice) and immediately went on a bus tour. The tour was OK, but I think a walking tour would have been better even though it was freezing. After the tour, my German class went to the Stasi Museum for our group project.

Even though we only had an hour, the tour was really amazing. We were in the actual buildings that housed the Stasi during the entire existence of the DDR. They looked just as you might picture them - brown, utilitarian, and sketchy. There were different examples of surveillance equipment on display, including secret cameras that could fit into coat pockets and into the door of a Trabant. It was seriously disturbing to imagine the life of average East German citizens who often had no choice but to cooperate with a secret police force that was bigger than the KGB. Check out the link to my Berlin album to see some of the pictures of the different museum features (I'll put it at the end of the post).

The next day, we got up and had the morning partially free. I chose to go on the tour of the Reichstag, which was really cool. Germany has done an excellent job of preserving the historical foundations of the building and combining them with a completely modern, energy-efficient, transparent design. The building could not be more different than the U.S. Capitol, but it was really cool to see. We got to sit in the visitors' section and watch staffers prepare for the Israeli President's speech for Holocaust Remembrance Day. Security was super tight because he was there, but it was worth it to be in the middle of the action like that.

After the tour, we attended our first information session. We got to hear from Mr. Dietmar Nietan, a member of the Social Democrat Party in the German Bundestag (Parliament) and a member of the Committee of European Affairs. I really enjoyed hearing him speak, and I also noticed a strong difference between the way he answered questions and the way American politicians answer questions. Mr. Nietan answered directly even on tricky issues, such as potential Turkish accession to the European Union (which he and his party support) and didn't try to dodge anything we asked, whether it was about the Middle East, energy, or whatever. I made it a point to ask a question at nearly every information session. Mr. Nietan was emphasizing the need for cooperation with other countries (especially the ones that provide the EU with oil) during his speech, so I asked, "Given Germany's interest in maintaining a special relationship with Israel, is there a point where you should stop seeking cooperation with countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran and begin focusing more on energy independence?" He answered by saying that cooperation would still be the ultimate goal, but that Germany would not accept refusals of Israel's right to exist. He serves on multiple committees that focus on Israel and Germany's terrible wartime past, and he seemed very eager to emphasize the point that Germany is completely committed to Israel. Overall, I thought the speech was great, and most of my fellow students really enjoyed it as well.

My other favorite session was at the Ministry of Defense. We got to hear from a high-ranking official in the German military, and what I really enjoyed was how he talked to us about policy rather than giving a vague overview. He jumped right into Afghanistan, talking about how it is much more of a coalition effort than Iraq and how he was the one responsible for writing the mandate calling for more German troops. It was so cool to see him give us the speech and then leave to go present a highly important request for more troops, which goes against Germany's constitutional limitations on military size. We were truly in the presence of a leader, and I was super happy that IES gave us that opportunity. This time, I asked, "Considering the context of President Karzai's government, does Germany consider the pursuit of democratic legitimacy in Afghanistan an important goal in the war?" Surprisingly, he said no. He said that Germany recognized that it would not be able to win the war by focusing on ideology, and that other solutions that suit Afghanistan better would be more appropriate and effective. It seems like such a contrast to the U.S.'s war in Iraq, and it was really interesting to hear that perspective in the form of straight talk.

We had some other meetings, but those two were by far my favorite. We had a boring meeting on our last day in Berlin, but what was really great was walking back to our hostel. I was wearing heels and a skirt and was not a happy camper in the cold and on the icy sidewalks (some random guy stopped, looked at my heels, and said, "That must be the hardest thing in the world!" as we walked), but it started snowing really heavily as we left. I relied on my friend Ethan to avoid slipping on the ice, but we really enjoyed how gorgeous Berlin looked with huge snowflakes falling all around us as the group made it back to the hostel. I didn't have my camera that day, but if Ethan posts his pictures, I'll steal them and post them here. After we made it back, I got to change out of those godforsaken heels and into comfy clothes for the train to Prague.

The train looked a tad rundown, but we had a comfy compartment and had lots of fun chatting for the five-hour journey. We stayed in a nice hotel with English signs (thank God) and got prepared for our sessions the next morning. I won't bore you with details about the sessions this time, especially since they weren't my favorite part of Prague.

I absolutely loved the entire Prague segment of the trip. The city is beautiful and filled with original architecture since it was never bombed during the war. It has that sort of classic European look to it with the statues, narrow streets, arching cathedrals, and cafes filled with local character. We spent a lot of time walking around the city, and we got to see so many amazing sights that Berlin lacked. Berlin has incredible history and energy, but it just doesn't have the breathtaking cityscape like Prague. We also didn't have much free time in Berlin, but there was plenty of time in Prague. That was really valuable, and it was just great to be able to walk around with friends, enjoy relaxed (and cheap!) traditional Czech lunches, and go out in the evening without being exhausted from hours of info sessions. I feel like I got to know more friends from the program a lot better on this portion of the trip. Plus, we were all in better moods all the time because it wasn't as unbearably cold. Basically, the trip was filled with laughter, friends, good food, and fun. It was a great introduction to Central Europe, and even though Prague itself was the real highlight, we learned a lot about the Czech Republic as a whole in the information sessions as well.

Overlooking Prague (photo credit: AG)


At the top of the clock tower (AG).

Last night, we boarded a train from Prague to Freiburg. This train sort of sucked. It was slow, clunky, and didn't have reclining seats (even though it was an overnight train). I had fun with the friends I was sitting with, but it was pretty hard to get comfortable enough to sleep for the 12 hours we were on board. We had people on the floor of our compartment as well as in the train hallway. It was so bad that it was actually fun, though. We got back at 7 this morning and all headed back to our rooms to crash for a few hours. Then, I did laundry, homework, dinner with my flatmate, and this blog post :)

Classes officially start tomorrow. I have Foreign Policy Analysis at 9am and then German at 12:30. In between, I have a doctor's appointment to follow up on an abnormal test result from my last physical in the U.S. I'm not pumped about having more medical concerns, but I'm excited to try out German health care. I'll post a review tomorrow and see how it compares to my average experience in the U.S.

Here are the links to my photo albums:
Berlin: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=152145&id=599810215&l=6beaedc73d
Prague: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=152161&id=599810215&l=88541efa82

Until then!

Pictures

Here's our group on top of the mountain. I can't remember what it was called for the life of me.

The two of us went to go climb that rock. I ended up chickening out because of the sheer drops on either side (the rock itself wasn't bad at all - I'm the one standing next to it). I'm glad I played it safe, considering that my friend fell down the rocky hillside for about 25 feet immediately after climbing down. He just got a couple of scratches, but it looked like it was going to be much worse.

Next on the agenda: pack for Berlin and Prague! It's going to be an early departure tomorrow and I want to get some sleep tonight.

(Photo Credit: TT)

Good Things

Good things that happened in the last few days:

1. My flatmate and I cooked a delicious spaetzle dinner with peas, carrots, wine, and cake last night.
2. We (he) cooked pasta with homemade sauce and mushrooms tonight (and more wine and cake).
3. My German class watched Das Leben der Anderen in class, which is one of my favorite movies. We're visiting the Stasi Museum in Berlin on Monday as a class, and I'm really excited to see how life was in East Germany with the constant presence of the Stasi.
4. I went on a hike with my flatmate and some other friends today. It was about 6 miles or so, and the view from the top of the mountain was fantastic. It wasn't as clear as it can sometimes get (apparently you can see France and Switzerland on the clearest days), but we still got a great view of Freiburg. It was tons of fun and it felt great to get some exercise. I'm super tired now (especially after getting up early for Saturday class this morning!) and will be going to bed soon, even though it's Saturday night.
5. My German comprehension is getting a lot better. We only speak German in class, and Mike (the American) and I try to only speak German with each other and with our German flatmates. I still need to put more effort into speaking, but I can understand the vast majority of what I hear. I only speak German in shops and on the street, and if I continue to do that, I really think it will help. Basically, the only times I speak English from now on will be with my non-German-speaking classmates. I hope that more of them will be able to practice German soon enough.

We're going (as a program) to Berlin and Prague for a week. It should be a lot of fun, and we also get to go to several formal meetings with high-ranking German and Czech officials. I don't plan to bring my laptop, but I'll try to update from an Internet cafe if I can. Bis dann!

And who says Germans are unfriendly?

I had a caffeine withdrawal headache today, so I decided to stop at the local bakery for a cup of coffee on my way home from class. I managed to successfully order in German and everything. The owner, an older woman, asked "Und?", because she naturally assumed I would want some kind of pastry with my drink. Normally I would, but I think three (that's right - I already two) in one day would really be pushing it.

She made my coffee, which I then proceeded to spill all over the sugar counter. The first thing that ran through my mind was "thank GOD no one else is here!" Last thing I needed was an audience. I then apologized profusely while the woman and I mopped it up and then I asked to pay for another coffee. Not only did she smile and tell me not to worry about the spill, but she made me another fresh cup for free! I learned two things from this encounter:

1. Germans smile.
2. Speaking in German in shops, even when you're a clumsy American, can avert disaster.

I'm just kidding about smiling Germans, though...they're actually as friendly as can be. We asked an old man for directions to a store on the street today, and not only did he give us a detailed description of the building, he turned around to walk us to the intersection to make sure we knew where to go. That seems to be the trend here. People will walk around looking all surly, but if you talk to them, they'll be super open and nice. This has worked with my flatmates as well as with random strangers (including the man working the crepe truck. We had a nice little conversation about how expensive university is in the U.S, auf Deutsch).

Bis später!

Photos

Here's a public link to a Facebook photo album:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3879577&l=cc97e2672e&id=599810215

Enjoy! I'll write more when I can.

Weekend/Monday Update

On Sunday, a bunch of us went to the little town of Staufen on the edge of the Black Forest. It was founded in the 8th Century A.D. and is supposedly where Dr. Faustus sold his soul to the devil. We were there for Narrentreffen, which is the annual carnival/birthday celebration that takes place in the form of a gigantic parade. It's simultaneously awesome and hard to believe that German adults feel totally comfortable marching around in this:




The parade was super fun to watch. Groups from all the different regions in Baden-Wuerttemberg all marched in different costumes with brass bands and various props (including pig bladders on a stick. These were used to whack people on the head, and no one complained). We joined the tradition of watching with cups of Gluhwein, which is hot mulled wine that's really popular in this part of Germany. We folllowed it up with Wurst and a hike up the nearby Schlossberg to the castle at the top:



It's a great little walk, and the castle ruins are fun to walk around. It was destroyed by the Swedes a couple hundred years ago. I was previously unaware that the Swedes had ever destroyed anything, but there you have it. I'll post the link to a bigger photo album as soon as I have time to make it.

In other news, classes started today. For those of you who don't know, the program I'm doing is an EU-focused program that offers classes in economics, politics, international relations, and cultural studies. We also take German, and this week is the intensive phase where we do German and an EU seminar every single day. They're pretty good so far. Our professor for the EU Seminar is British and keeps professing his love/hate for Margaret Thatcher and making fun of the French. Here's a gem resurrected in his class today: "Going to war without the French is like going deer hunting without your accordion." (Jed Babbin, 2003). I think it's a good sign so far - this course should be funny if nothing else.

All for now - bis spaeter!

Times I Spoke German Today

I spent a lazy Saturday wandering around Freiburg and exploring the town a little better. This entailed speaking German several times:

1. I went to the bakery down the road for some fresh Brӧtchen and some coffee. I had to say, "Zwei Brӧtchen und ein Kaffee, bitte." I got my bread, but the coffee machine was broken. A trip to bakery number two was in order...

2. Bakery number two had a line out the door and a working coffee machine. While waiting in line, an older German man tried to convince me to buy a copy of Badische Zeitung, which is a regional newspaper. I started with "Wiederholen Sie bitte," which means, "Please repeat that", and finished with "Ich lese nicht Deutsch," which means "I don't read German." He then nodded and said, "Ah! Alles klar. Schӧnes Wochenende," which basically means "Oh, I see. Have a good weekend!" Then I ordered my coffee, specified large or small, and left. The German large coffee is smaller than most medium coffees in the U.S.

3. I walked around town for a while and ended up at the Münster again. It was a bit late to get fruit and vegetables since people were breaking down the food stalls. The Münster plaza has at least six different permanent hot food stands, and at least five are for different varieties of Wurst. Literally EVERYONE I saw was eating Wurst - people just get them and eat while walking. The typical way it's served is on a hamburger bun with the sausage sticking out a few inches on either end. You can then choose to get it with onions, sauerkraut, mustard, etc. I considered getting one, but I didn't really know which kind I wanted. I ended up ordering a crepe "mit Zimt und Zucker" (cinnamon and sugar) instead. It was delicious. It cost two Euros, which was the same price as the Wurst.

4. I was accosted on the street by some young activist trying to get me to sign something. I had to interrupt him to say, "Aber ich kann nicht Deutsch!", meaning, "I can't speak German." He then told me that his presentation would be too complicated and wished me a nice day.

5. I finally spoke to two of my flatmates, Max and Simon. It's amazing how far a simple "Wie geht's?" will get you with Germans. I talked to Max for about half an hour (mostly in English, though) while we cooked our separate dinners, and Simon for a few minutes. They both seem more than happy to listen to my bad German. I talked to Max about the German health care system (Gesundheitswesen), which he said he really likes. I could've guessed that, but it was still cool to compare the U.S. "system" with Germany's. He also explained the recycling system a little better to me. I think it will still be a while before I catch on, but at least I know how it works inside the flat for now.

Now, I'm just hanging out until I meet some of the Americans to go to a party held by one of the IES housing tutors (which is like an RA). It should be pretty fun, but it's a bit far and we're worried about getting lost. I'm sure it will be fine in a group, especially since we're on the tram for a good part of the time anyway. Tschüss!

Finally, Internet access...

So now I can post a real update since I just got Internet access in my room. The Germany keyboard at the IES center was too hard to use for long periods of time (and I haven't had much free time in which to use it anyway). I'll start this update at the beginning...it might get a little long!

The flight to Frankfurt was very average. I was disappointed that there were no individual TV screens in the seat back for a 12-hour flight, but that's United for you. There were a lot of other people in SFO who were clearly studying abroad, but most of them were doing a different program. There was one girl on my flight who is in my program, but we didn't meet until we got here. I got my baggage and everything right away and had no problems at passport control, but finding the Fernbahnhof for my train was ridiculously hard. It entailed asking twice at the info booths (in English), going up several escalators, and walking across a bridge with my two heavy bags. I eventually found it, but the train was about an hour late. This was not very fun since it was FREEZING on the platform, but the good part was that multiple Germans asked me for information about the train in German. I mostly answered with some variation of a polite Ich weiß nicht - es tut mir leid, but at least I could do that much. The train finally arrived, and I managed to heave my bags on without taking too long (although I heard at least one huff from some guy behind me).

Since it's been snowing a lot this winter, the trip to Freiburg mostly passed through snow-covered fields under a grey sky. It wasn't really very exciting. I got to the station and saw that yet another escalator was broken. Some German woman very kindly grabbed an end of my bag for me, preventing me from slowing down the entire herd of people. I met another IES kid at the top of the stairs and we took a cab to the center together, although I can only remember it as the cab ride from hell. First, the driver had NO idea where to go, and asking for directions from two other cabbies apparently didn't help. Then he kept insisting that it was on this one street, and that the street name we gave him didn't exist. After borrowing a map from some random guy, he eventually figured out that the street did in fact exist, but then he refused to drop us off on the correct side since it would "take too long to go around". We ended up crossing a snow-covered divider in the center of the street before turning to each other in utter disbelief on the steps of the center, over half an hour later for a supposedly five-minute drive. So much for German efficiency...

The IES center is really nice. It moved to a new building this past year and has an old-fashioned exterior with a nice modern inside. This is where we met the other students. Apparently, a ton of them recognized me from the train station, but I didn't remember them. Everyone seemed really friendly, and some of the people I've gotten to know so far are pretty cool. We got our pictures taken for our residence permits right after arrival. Most of us either looked like zombies or serial killers after so much travel, but it was good to get all that arrival stuff taken care of.

I got to my dorm shortly after that. I live on the 3rd floor (which is like the 4th floor in the U.S.) on Engelberger Straße and there is no elevator. I literally had to stop for a breather on every landing when I dragged my bag up there. Here is my flat:




My room is the first open door on the right, and it is HUGE. Once I get a new picture when everything is neat, I'll post it. The shared bathroom is at the end of the hall on the right and the kitchen is to the left out of view.

I think I have five flatmates, although I can't be sure of the exact number because they're never around at the same time. They're all guys and four of them are German. One is an American who did the same IES program that I'm in several years ago, but he prefers to only speak German here. He's the nicest one so far, and we've had several conversations in German. Johannes, one of the Germans, is nice but shy. I decided to be brave and speak to him in German and he seemed delighted. Plus, I addressed him with the formal Sie and he responded with the informal/friendly du. This is a good sign. I guess I can try this with the others, although they seem to fit the hostile German stereotype more so than Johannes. They've been nice when we've said hello, but they're not really that friendly. We'll see how my effort goes. I've been trying to speak as much German as possible since I've been here. My best effort was at Saturn, which is where I got a German SIM card for my phone. I said, "Ich habe ein amerikanisches Handy. Wird das funktionert?" The cashier responded in rapidfire German, so I must not have been too terrible. Otherwise, it's mostly been Hallo, danke schön, entschuldigung, etc plus the conversations with my flatmates. Most people in the program don't speak German yet, so I don't really anticipate being able to practice with them for a while.

My time so far has mostly been spent at the IES Center or around town with different groups. My dorm area in particular has been hanging out a lot. It helps that we have a cheap student bar right next to our buildings! We've done a lot of orientation information sessions with everyone, which are pretty boring, but they're useful. Yesterday, we got split into groups and were given a neighborhood to explore. My group went to Wiehre, which is a slightly boring residential neighborhood. It's a wealthy area, though, and we got to see a lot of nice architecture. We also ate at a Döner shop. A Döner Kebab is a Turkish pita with meat, veggies, and yogurt sauce inside. It's by far the most popular fast food in Germany, it's cheap, and it's pretty good. Here's mine:



We had a good time on the tour overall. The rest of Freiburg is a bit more interesting than Wiehre, though. It's a university town with lots of shopping, places to eat, etc. It's also a green city, and I believe it's the only one in Germany with a Green Party mayor. Vauban, where some IES students live, was written up in the NY Times for being the most extremely green section of Freiburg. It's car-free, most places have solar panels, etc. German recycling in particular is something to behold. There are SO many different categories of recycling, and it practically takes a Ph.D to figure out what goes where. It takes a lot of effort, but it's no doubt a good way to go.

I think the Bächle are one of the best things about Freiburg. They're little gutters with clean water that run through the streets in the downtown area. They've been there since the Middle Ages to carry water and to provide cooling air to the city. They're not running right now since they froze in the winter, but you get the idea:



They say that if you accidentally step in one, you'll marry a Freiburger!

I'll post a few more pictures of downtown Freiburg at the end of the post. I don't have too many yet since the weather has been so bad.

Other news...some of the classes will start next week, although they don't officially start until we return from Berlin and Prague on our first field trip. In the meantime, we were supposed to go to the Black Forest, but the weather has once again postponed things. Some of us are going to go to a hot spring instead, which is apparently a very German thing to do in cold weather. It's 10 Euros for four hours, which really isn't that bad considering that the transportation will be free with my monthly pass. I'll let you know how that goes.

Now that I've given an exhaustive run-down of what's happened so far, I'll sign out. I'm meeting some friends to go grocery shopping. Pretty soon, I'll post some observations about life here and how it's different than life in the U.S. We were in the grocery store for a few minutes last night, and I anticipate our longer trip today to tell me about the process of buying food here. Bis dann!

Downtown Freiburg with the Bächle....I love the lanterns overhead.

The famous Münster. Unlike the rest of Freiburg, it survived the war since the Allies needed it as a landmark from the air. The rest of the city has been rebuilt so it looks exactly the same as it did before.

This is the farmer's market at the base of the Münster. I might be splurging on produce there since I can get bread and other food so cheaply.


(By the way, I have no idea why some of the post is highlighted weirdly...whatever.)

Germany!

This is just a quick update to say that I made it to Germany. Travel was average, but it was cool when at least three or four different Germans asked me for directions in German. I could answer and say I didn't know, but I was glad that I wasn't TOO obviously an American. The best part, though, was when the escalator broke and this German guy and I were just standing there in dismay with our heavy bags at the top of a long staircase. He just looked at me and said 'Scheisse' before we continued on our way. It put a smile on my face before the epic wait for the train.

The program is pretty awesome so far, although I don't have wireless in my room yet and I won't really be able to update this until I do. I'm living in a suite (or a 'flat') with like five other German guys - no girls and no one from my program. They seem nice, but not overwhelmingly friendly (shocker!). The people in my program are all pretty cool. I'll post a more detailed update when I can.

Here Goes

I think my day can best be summed up in lists.

Things that were bad about getting ready for Germany:
- Aetna sucks. Period. I did not enjoy spending three hours dealing with them on the phone only to have them fail at their simple task in the end anyway.
- My mom gave me a ten Euro bill and I can't find it. I think I accidentally packed it in my suitcase, but if I lost it, I'll be kicking myself for a good long while.
- I went to STA Travel to get an International Student Identity card and looked truly horrendous in my picture. I kid you not - the woman who took my picture called a colleague over and said, "What is THAT?" His response? "What's that movie called - is it The Ring?" Not my finest moment (although it turns out they were talking about the weird halo effect in the picture and not my bad hair day...at least I hope).


Things that were good about getting ready for Germany:
- I picked up the aforementioned ISIC card, which should get me some good discounts all over Europe.
- I got an aisle seat for the 12-hour flight to Frankfurt.
- I purchased some good new music for the plane on an iTunes card from Christmas.
- AT&T was very helpful about unlocking my phone for a foreign SIM card
- I get to go to Germany!

I should be just about packed and ready now. I suspect I overpacked, but I think it's okay since I don't want to have to buy too much stuff over there. Flight's tomorrow at 1:55 p.m. and I'm going to go to bed soon to try to preempt the sleep deprivation.

I may not get a chance to update this for a few days, but I'll be back (hopefully with photos) as soon as possible!

Drei Tagen

So, the countdown continues. I did some shopping today and got the rest of the professional clothing items that I need for the field trips. I hope I won't be overpacking, but it might be better than underpacking and having to buy stuff later. I dislike shopping and I think I will dislike it more when everything is priced in Euros.

I also shopped for my train ticket on the Deutsche Bahn website. I translated it into English to make sure I got the right ticket, but the translation was surprisingly poor. I took a risk and ordered a Sparpreise, which is some kind of budget ticket. The translation explaining the terms of the ticket was incomplete and filled with technical terms, so I really hope I didn't order some kind of seniors-only special or anything like that. The prospect of paying 40 Euros rather than 70 was just too tempting to pass up. I'm pretty sure the German train station employees won't buy the I'm-just-a-tourist card, so here's hoping my ticket is correct.

Tonight, I intend to create my master packing list and my budget. We'll see how that goes. I also need to finish this pesky internship application, but it's looking increasingly likely that I will not finish it before I leave. Depending on the movie selection quality on my 12-hour flight to Frankfurt, I may or may not work on the plane.

Tschüss!

Pre-Departure

Welcome to my blog! I hope to update it frequently, but since I've never had one before, that may or may not actually happen. I'm writing this blog to chronicle my adventures in Germany during my study abroad semester in the IES/EU Program in Freiburg. The program offers a lot of political science and international relations classes, but the coolest part will definitely be the field trips to EU institutions like the European Parliament and the ICC headquarters. I'll try to post lots of pictures from those trips as well as from the trips I take on my own.

Pre-departure has been going smoothly, although dealing with my insurance company is getting really old. I'm supposed to bring a five-month supply of my prescriptions while I'm abroad, but Aetna keeps screwing that up. I can't tell if the company is just an annoyingly slow bureaucracy or deliberately evil. At least my dealings with U.S. health care have made me excited to try out the German system while I'm there. Other than that, I'm just trying to figure out how much I should pack. I not only need to take enough everyday clothes for just over four months, but also professional outfits for the field trips. Those will probably take up more room than anything else. I tend to over-pack, but I suspect that will be a bad idea when I have to wrangle suitcases on and off the train after a red-eye flight. I'm flying straight from SFO to Frankfurt on Lufthansa on Tuesday, and from there I'll take a train to Freiburg. It looks pretty straightforward (famous last words), and I'm not at all worried about that component of the experience. As long as I don't forget my passport, I'll consider travel a success.

The other thing I should REALLY be doing is working on my German. I won't need it while I'm there for much of the time, but I'd really like to practice and improve as much as I can. I spent part of the day reading a Der Spiegel guide to surviving in Germany and it's made me really excited to immerse myself in the culture. I'm especially looking forward to reaping the benefits of Teutonic efficiency - apparently you never have to wait more than two minutes for the S-Bahn and people are ALWAYS early or on-time. They sound like my kind of people, although I'm sure I'll be able to live without other cultural norms such as the infamous German stare-down.

That's all for now, I guess. If I don't post again before I leave, the next time you'll hear from me will be from my dorm in Freiburg. Bis später!