Erfurt

Erfurt was a city the was truly impressive city. Not only for its history, but for its architecture as well. The most impressive thing for me personally was the Cathedral. This was unlike anything I have ever seen. The pure size and precision of the Cathedral and the Church's construction was incredible. I also found the wise and foolish virgins outside the Church to be really cool. I wasn't completely sure of their meaning, but it was a very cool sight. Also, the alter in the Cathedral was something incredible. It was easily double the size

I was surprise by the pure size of the city, as I found it impossible to take everything in during only one day. I also found it to be very interesting that Martin Luther considered it his 'Spiritual home town'. I also really enjoyed the Cathedral Square and I was able to find the time to have a Bratwurst and beer while sitting in the square. I found the preparatory reading to very helpful, especially when reading about the blue dye and learning that Erfurt was the center of trade in the Middle ages. All in all I was especially impressed while walking through Erfurt and would love to go back and spend a longer amount of time there.

Changes in Attitude

I have noticed that the people here have been very open to people from all cultures. I think it is a common misconception that Germans are intolerant to people from other countries, and this is no true. I think that Americans are not always received as well as they should be, but for me it has been nothing but warm welcomes and questions regarding my home country. Many people here say the are working hard to be able to come to America and study.
I have learned that the the Germans have a very strict way of doing their things. For example, when they work or learn, they are very serious and put a lot of effort in to it. That being said, I have learned that Germans also have a lot of fun and enjoy to party just like everyone else in the world. People here are very welcoming and I definitely intend on returning.

Adaptation to Life in Germany

I feel I am adapting to life here very well. It took some time to get used to eating my large meal of the day at lunch time, rather than at dinner. Also, I am not used to walking everywhere like I do here, as Cincinnati is much too large to do this. I think this has been an overall improvement, as it allows me to burn more calories and I don't eat as much at night before bed anymore.
I think being here has made me realize that I should have a more steady eating schedule at home, rather than eating at random times. This is much healthier. Also, I think I take for granted the fact that I have a car at home, which makes traveling much easier. Overall I am very pleased with the Adaptation I have made to German life, and I am going to have to keep some of the habits from Germany going back home.

Surprises

While nothing here has totally blown my mind, I have encountered quite a few surprises. To start with my pleasant surprise, I was quite shocked to see how warm of a reception I recieved as an American. I can not begin to count the number of people who say they can not wait to be able to go to America someday, and they all seem to have a high opinion of the American culture and our people. Also, I would say about 90% of music played here is music from America, especially things like pop and rock music. Even on the radio, its almost all American music. An unpleasant surprise is the fact the things are so expensive, and it even costs 50 cents or more to use a bathroom. I suppose its an effective way of making money, but I still have trouble wrapping my head around a restroom costing money. I guess this taught me that we are in some ways spoiled in America and it gets taken for grandit sometimes.
As far as dealing with novelty, I feel as if I approach is the same in Germany as I do back home. I typically approach things head on, and try to make the best out of any new situation. I feel like this is the only way to sucessfully approach things. I have learned about myself that I am capable of becoming friends with people from all over the world very quickly. I had thought that our differences in culture would not allow us to become such good friends, but I discovered that we are all human, and we are all much more similar than most people would think. People can surprise you, if given the chance.

Bergfest

This week was Bergfest. It was a fun cookout in the woods overlooking a beautiful lake and a nice bonfire. This is called Bergfest because we are exactly half way through the course, of at the 'peak of the mountain', which is what 'Berg' means. So far this has been a truely awesome expierence. I am not only learning an abundance of information, but I have met numerous people that I have quickly become friends with. As expected, I miss my family and friends, but the time here is so enjoyable and goes by so quickly that its hard to feel too homesick. I think most people feel the same, and everyone realizes that such a great opportunity like this is something that you must take advantage of. One thing I have noticed is that many people from other countries dont seem to express how much they miss their families, because being in Germany is a great improvement from some of their troubled native lands, so they understand that this is being done to better their lives. My class has become a close group, and its always a fun learning environment. My German is improving daily and will continue to do so. I am looking forward to being able to share stories and pictures with my family and show them how much I enjoyed it here.

Eisenach/Wartburg Castle

Today we visited the city of Eisenach, which is directly historically linked to the Wartburg castle. This was my first time ever seeing a castle and the art and arcitecture was absolutely perfect. Wartburg was supposedly built in the year 1067, although the exact year is sometimes debated. The castle sits on top of a giant mountain/hill and the view is amazing. Although it was rainy and the fog was thick, it made the castle seem as if it had returned to its dark ages. The castle was especially interesting for me because this is where Martin Luther was when he did his work translating the Bible in German, which is very significant in German history. The castle had many amazing religious paintings, as well as a suit of knights armor and the room where Martin Luther did his work on display. This left a deep impression on me, because I know that this translation of the bible was something that not only changed German history forever, but the world's history as well.
Eisenach was also very nice, although is was pouring rain essentially the entire time we were there. But of course the sun came out as we got on the bus to leave. Oh well, umbrellas work wonders. The main thing I took away from Eisenach was that not only did Martin Luther live there as a child, but it was the birthplace of world famous musician/composer Johann Sebastian Bach. I found this to be very cool, as these are both names that would ring a bell anywhere in the world. Here is a picture of some of Wartburg's art, as well as a knights armor and a statue of Bach in Eisenach.

Weimar/Buchenwald

The trip to Weimar was a very interesting one. The thing that really stood out to me was the citys love and memorials to Goethe and Schiller (both did a lot of work in the city). Not only did the city have a number of statues and monuments dedicated to one or both of them, but even Cafe's and shopping areas were named after them. After many years, it is still very obvious that the city of Weimar has a lot of pride about their rich artistic history.
Although Weimar was very cool, it was a bit overshawdowed by the trip to Buchenwald, which is a concentration camp used during and after WWII. Buchenwald was one of the largest concentration camps to be built on German soil, housing Jews, homosexuals, prisoners of war, criminals, and other religous and political prisoners. This was personally a very sombering experience for me. It is hard to comprehend that the ground you are standing on was the place where as many as 56,000 people were treated like animals and killed. Although this number can be disputed by different historical sources, it does not change the things that happened there. The first thing that really stood out to me was the size of Buchenwald. Although most of it had been destroyed after the war, it seemed as if 25 football fields could fit in there, and it once was the site of well over 50 buildings. The next thing that really had an impact on me was the shooting slot. A prisoner would be asked to stand with his back against the wall and told that the guards were going to measure his height. Without notice, he/she would be shot in the back of the neck and killed execution style. It was a chilling reminder of how pathetically the human race can behave in some situations. Although if we don't recognize and learn from the past, we are bound to repeat it.
These are pictures of a statue of Goethe and Schiller, along with a picture of a shooting slot previously mentioned.

Buildings and Landscape of Ilmenau

The buildings and landscape of Ilmenau is like something I have never seen before. It is a beautiful town with some incredible architecture. Ilmenau is a small town, but has no shortage of interesting and cool things. It has many fountains, small park areas, and statues representing the towns rich history. I have also noticed that the local grocery story is in many ways like a miniature shopping mall. One can find everything from food, to clothes, to shoes in this store, which is called 'Kaufland'. The products are organized similarly to an American store, except it seems things are packed in a little tighter. Leave it to the Germans to make a grocery store as efficient as possible. Also, customer service is not stressed as much as in America. It is something that it a little wierd at first, but I have quickly gotten used to it.
For entertainment in Ilmenau, people typically attend one of the four student night-clubs, movies, or a select few bars, as the VAST majority of things close pretty early in the day. This is because, as Debbie told me, the Germans like to strongly promote a family atmosphere, which is something i think we could use a little more of in America.
Another thing I have noticed is the quality of the buildings. Everything from the windows to the showers to the walls are VERY well engineered and have very high practicality. No space or material is wasted. I am learning new things about the German culture and civilization every day and am excited to continue with this great expierence. Deutschland is a truely unique place and I could not be more impressed with what I am seeing. Here are a couple pictures of fountains and buildings in Ilmenau that were so very impressive. Das ist Alles für Heute!

Language: Living in German

Althought I am no expert on the German language, I have noticed a few things that have really stood out to me. First, the German people talk much quieter then most Americans. This is something I was able to notice right away. Although they speak quieter, they speak in a very stern way at the same time. Also, the Germans use a lot of hand gestures when speaking. I am not sure if it is usually this way, or if they are just trying to help me understand their language better. Either way, its usefull. I have also noticed that the German people speak very fast, which can make it extremely difficult to understand. This is something that I am trying to get used to, but it is not easy. I have not noticed many similarities between our two languages, although I was able to pick up on one. The use of the term Morgan, or morning in english, is used as a greeting in the morning, rather than saying Guten morgan, or good morning. It is shortened, im sure, for ease of pronunciation, just as in english.
I am not sure if some of these things are true for all Germans, or just exclusive to a particular region, but this is something I will be able to figure out for myself when we visit other parts of the country on our excursions. Das ist Alle für Heute!

Michael Hammond

The Journey

The Journey from Cincinnati to Ilmenau was a long one, to say the least. It was a total trip of around twenty four hours, although it did'nt quite seem that long. The plane ride was not bad at all, considering how little I like heights. The first plane from Cincinnati to New York was a rather small aircraft, which I did not especially enjoy. But the plane from NYC to Frankfurt was a huge jet and made for a very comfortable 6 hour flight with two meals and drinks. I am still a bit tired from the time difference, but am adjusting relatively well. I think by tomorrow I will be completely adjusted. The train rides were also very good, except we missed our train to Erfurt the first time due to a error on the posted signs. We sat and watched our train pull in, get cleaned, and leave before we realized anything. Needless to say this was humerous. It only cost us about 45 minutes, so it was no big deal.
My first impressions of the country is how green and beautiful it is. Especially Ilmenau, which is a very well-kept city, especially compared to some American cities this size. The houses are all very nice and are ALL very well taken care of. Also, the weather here is perfect. When we landed, it was about 68 degrees. My room is very small, but I am on a top bunk so it seems bigger when im in bed. I have three roommates, 1 American (Nick) and two Russians. They all seem like good guys and I dont see any problems with the living situation for the next three weeks. The room also has its own shower (with perfect water pressure) and bathroom, which was a pleasant suprise. This trip should be a lot of fun. Das ist Alles für Heute.

Michael Hammond