We had a great week in Hannover and I wish we could stay longer. We arrived late on Monday and just had time for quick introductions and assignment to our host students. My hosts were Kerstin and her boyfriend, Martin, and they made my stay relaxing and fun. As Martin handed me the lunch he packed for me one morning, I told him that he was taking better care of me than my Mom does! Also included in my host family were Aisha the dog, two cats, and two bunnies (reminds me of home!).
Tuesday we made the trip out to the Stallion Testing Center first thing in the morning which was something I have always wanted to see. I had a German riding instructor growing up who imported Hannovarian horses and I’ve always heard about how nice the stables are in Germany. The facilities were very functional and located in a beautiful setting. I was disappointed we didn’t get to watch the morning exercise, and maybe next year more time should be scheduled for the stable visit. After the stallion center, we took a city tour of the small town of Celle. This was a very cute, old town and we were lead around by a very cute, old tour guide. After Celle, we took the bus over to Bergen-Belsen. I don’t think it matters how much you have studied the Holocaust, actually standing in the place where so many people died is still a suprisingly chilling experience. We finished the day with the TiHo barbeque full of good food and good times. Once we got back to my host students’ flat, we walked the dog (which became our nightly ritual). I also listened to Matin practice his economics presentation he had to give on Wednesday to help him correct some of the English.
Wednesday we attended several lectures in the morning on various topics including swine fever, steptococcus suis, and lyme disease. We then went to the vet school cafeteria for lunch. The food was… edible. We then went to the Museum of Veterinary History which has a vast collection of veterinary tools from the past. One of my favorite items was the first ever machine that would combine ether and oxygen to administer anesthesia to horses. After all of these academic activites, we headed over to the sportsfest to watch the soccer games and dog races. My host students’ dog got tackled by a pug while she was running the course which was quite humerous. After we left the sportsfest, my host students gave us a mini tour of the city on foot and by car. I was glad we had this opportunity because we didn’t get any other chances to explore downtown Hannover. I think adding a city tour early in the week would be a good addition for next year so the students know a little about the town and can find their way around better. Later that night we went to the sportsfest party but we were too tired to stay very late.
Thursday we visited Lohman Animal Health and learned about their advancements in feed additives and vaccines which was very interesting. I was unaware that the use of antibiotics in animal feed was outlawed in Europe and they have developed various other techniques to achieve rapid growth in their livestock species. We then had a delicious lunch at a seafood place and headed over to the fish inspection lab. Honestly, the fish inspection lab was not very interesting but the people giving us the tour were very nice and clearly intested in their work. On the ride home we stopped in Bremen to tour around and have dinner. It was yet another cute town with lots of interesting buildings and history.
Friday was my favorite day in Hannover because we got to visit the clinics! I went to the small animal clinic and spent most of my time watching a mandibular salivary gland removal surgery on an Old English Sheepdog. This was a very interesting surgery that I have not seen before. It was clear the surgeon was very skilled and I couldn’t believe how fast he was able to ligate vessels and meticulously cut out the salivary cyst despite the fact that the incision site looked like a big, bloody mess to my eyes. They were also using electrocautery which I hadn’t seen used before. After clinics, we headed over to the train station for lunch and Steffi took us to the Herrenhauser Garten. It was very beautiful in the garden and a we had a nice, leisurely stroll through the area. We finished off the night with the opera, Carmen. Despite the fact that I didn’t know what was going on most of the time, I had fun and enjoyed the music. By the time we got home and showered, it was about 1:30 in the morning and we had to wake up at 4:00 to make our train to Paris. It was a bit of a hassel making it to Paris, but I’m writing this blog at the end of the weekend and it was definitely worth the trip!
Tune in next time for “Why I Love Paris” and “Studying Bugs in Basel”!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Hanover Post
Well tonight is our last night in Hanover. I had a really great time here, as expected. My host students for the week, Reike and Anne were great. I hope they come to Texas next year so I can return the favor, that would be fantastic. I will definately host a student from Germany next year.
I spent the weekend in Hanover as well, but I moved to Jasmin's apartment, and she has also been a great host. Yesterday I worked at the avian and exotic clinic with Milena, who was on the Texas trip last year. I had a good time. I got to give subQ fluids to some birds, a hedgehog, a guniea pig, and a rabbit, and do a whole bunch of other stuff. We took some X-rays and did some force feedings. They have a collection of canaries and african grey parrots that were found wandering around, and a flock of laying hens whose eggs they collect and eat for breakfast! Today we did a walking tour of Hanover given to us by Jasmin, and saw some of the older part of the city. We rode up to the top of the tower on the capital building in a tiny little elevator with a glass bottom and glass top, and it was really scary. I'm not the biggest fan of heights, especially when I am dependent on a machine to keep me from falling. It was beautiful at the top though, you could see all of Hanover. We also went to the lake and to the Sky Bar, which is a really cool idea we should use in the US. A beach on the roof of a building? What a great idea.
We should also learn how to make bread and pastry and crust like they do in Germany. Why does to US not do this? I did not know our bread sucked until I came here. Other things I like about Germany so far is that they don't put high fructose corn syrup in their sodas or fruit juices. They make it quite clear that it is entirely possible to do this, so the US should really pick it up. High fructose corn syrup is terrible for you and can make you very fat. Their milk tastes better than ours, too, and I can't figure out why.
These are my observations thus far. Tomorrow we will be on a train pretty much all day, but I am so looking forward to the luxery of a private room in a four-star hotal. Ahh.... thanks Novartis!!!
I spent the weekend in Hanover as well, but I moved to Jasmin's apartment, and she has also been a great host. Yesterday I worked at the avian and exotic clinic with Milena, who was on the Texas trip last year. I had a good time. I got to give subQ fluids to some birds, a hedgehog, a guniea pig, and a rabbit, and do a whole bunch of other stuff. We took some X-rays and did some force feedings. They have a collection of canaries and african grey parrots that were found wandering around, and a flock of laying hens whose eggs they collect and eat for breakfast! Today we did a walking tour of Hanover given to us by Jasmin, and saw some of the older part of the city. We rode up to the top of the tower on the capital building in a tiny little elevator with a glass bottom and glass top, and it was really scary. I'm not the biggest fan of heights, especially when I am dependent on a machine to keep me from falling. It was beautiful at the top though, you could see all of Hanover. We also went to the lake and to the Sky Bar, which is a really cool idea we should use in the US. A beach on the roof of a building? What a great idea.
We should also learn how to make bread and pastry and crust like they do in Germany. Why does to US not do this? I did not know our bread sucked until I came here. Other things I like about Germany so far is that they don't put high fructose corn syrup in their sodas or fruit juices. They make it quite clear that it is entirely possible to do this, so the US should really pick it up. High fructose corn syrup is terrible for you and can make you very fat. Their milk tastes better than ours, too, and I can't figure out why.
These are my observations thus far. Tomorrow we will be on a train pretty much all day, but I am so looking forward to the luxery of a private room in a four-star hotal. Ahh.... thanks Novartis!!!
Hannover Part Deux
at last!...my scond half of the hannover week...i was really excited about all the stuff TiHo let us do in all the clinics on friday...first horse surgery ever!...tres cool!...of course, i don't know much (or hardly anything really) about our vet school's equine clinic (or other clinics for that matter), so i was impressed with all the what seemed like giant equipment they had for all the cute horsies...giant compared to what i'm used to dealing with anyway...and the opera was stupendous...perhaps it should not have shocked me that there were naked people in the background jumping up and down and dancing during the orgy scene...it IS europe after all...but that would never happen in the states...they'd at least have on a nude colored jumpsuit or something...but typically speaking europeans are far more liberal when it comes to sex and public displays of sex/sexuality than americans...and the parks even seem more elaborate, too...then again, i haven't been to many paks in the us...and i am pretty easily impressed by fancily organized gardens...so much work must be being put into keeping the grounds so fresh and clean...even the cities here i feel are cleaner litter-wise...although, i can't say i agree with the separating of trash...in theory, it's a wonderful idea...not so sure how i feel about it on an every day basis...what i did like and could see myself doing every day was sportfest...not the whole drinking and partying at night...but the sports during the day, and the best part was that all the doggies got to strut their stuff and just hang out, too...although, i get nervous and do worry about the dogs just walking behind their owners in the middle of the street...i am a firm believer in keeping my pup close to me at all times possible...i'm eager to see what geneva has to offer...i'm expecting a much bigger city than hannover...i did enjoy my time in hannover very much...but onto the next city!...
Bonjour Geneva!
So far I’ve had to learn German and Czech while on this trip. This weekend, French was added to the list. Melissa and I left yesterday morning for Geneva, Switzerland which is very close to the French border. Hence, everyone speaks French. Fortunately, Melissa speaks pretty good French so I haven’t had to exert myself too much. Having her as a travel buddy has definitely made it a lot easier to get around.
Anyway, backtracking for a second… Friday was our last day in Hannover. In the morning we were able to go into the clinics at TiHo, the vet school in Hannover. We split up into groups to go to the different clinics and I went to the small animal hospital. It was very interesting. We took a quick tour of the facilities which are crazy small. I thought our small animal clinic was cramped. After the tour, a bunch of us got to spend a few hours in the surgery department. We watched a neuter, liver biopsy, urethral/bladder stone removal (all on the same dog), and a salivary gland cyst removal. It was very neat.
In the afternoon we went to the Herrenhauser Gardens. They were designed by the same guy who did Versailles except they’re about twice as big. They were absolutely beautiful and it was a gorgeous day. I wish we had a place like this back home where I could just go and read and sit outside.
Friday night we went with all of our host students to the opera to see Carmen. It was kind of difficult because the opera is in French and there were only German supertitles. But I had read a summary before so I think I got the general idea. It was neat for me either way because I’m really familiar with the music from Carmen from all of my years in orchestra. So it was very cool to hear it performed as part of the actual opera.
Mis and I arrived in Geneva Saturday morning and have been taking in the sites. Unfortunately we’re here during the Pentacost which is Monday so we had to cram everything in to 1 ½ days. But we managed. Saturday we walked around in the old town and looked at all of the shops. We found this great international farmer’s market thing. I had the best raisins I’ve ever eaten and ended up buying about a pound of them. They’re some insanely good raisins though. We also climbed up the towers of St. Peter’s Cathedral which provides a beautiful view of the city and the lake.
Today we went outside the city to visit the UN. In front of the Palace of the United Nations there’s this great sculpture of a giant chair with one leg missing. It’s supposed to represent the damage and suffering caused by abandoned land mines. We took a guided tour of the UN buildings and got to see all of the giant conference rooms and everything. It was really neat.
After the UN we walked across the street to the Red Cross/Red Crescent Museum. It was way cool. They use a ton of different mediums to talk about the history and mission of the Red Cross. They also had a temporary photography exhibition. It was a collection of a bunch of different photographers that focus on human suffering and the aftermath of crises. It was very moving. I think my favorite photographer did a series in which he collected family photos from a bunch of different people and then recreated the pictures with the people that were still alive, leaving the spaces for their deceased family empty. The two pictures were displayed side by side. It was very powerful.
Anyway, backtracking for a second… Friday was our last day in Hannover. In the morning we were able to go into the clinics at TiHo, the vet school in Hannover. We split up into groups to go to the different clinics and I went to the small animal hospital. It was very interesting. We took a quick tour of the facilities which are crazy small. I thought our small animal clinic was cramped. After the tour, a bunch of us got to spend a few hours in the surgery department. We watched a neuter, liver biopsy, urethral/bladder stone removal (all on the same dog), and a salivary gland cyst removal. It was very neat.
In the afternoon we went to the Herrenhauser Gardens. They were designed by the same guy who did Versailles except they’re about twice as big. They were absolutely beautiful and it was a gorgeous day. I wish we had a place like this back home where I could just go and read and sit outside.
Friday night we went with all of our host students to the opera to see Carmen. It was kind of difficult because the opera is in French and there were only German supertitles. But I had read a summary before so I think I got the general idea. It was neat for me either way because I’m really familiar with the music from Carmen from all of my years in orchestra. So it was very cool to hear it performed as part of the actual opera.
Mis and I arrived in Geneva Saturday morning and have been taking in the sites. Unfortunately we’re here during the Pentacost which is Monday so we had to cram everything in to 1 ½ days. But we managed. Saturday we walked around in the old town and looked at all of the shops. We found this great international farmer’s market thing. I had the best raisins I’ve ever eaten and ended up buying about a pound of them. They’re some insanely good raisins though. We also climbed up the towers of St. Peter’s Cathedral which provides a beautiful view of the city and the lake.
Today we went outside the city to visit the UN. In front of the Palace of the United Nations there’s this great sculpture of a giant chair with one leg missing. It’s supposed to represent the damage and suffering caused by abandoned land mines. We took a guided tour of the UN buildings and got to see all of the giant conference rooms and everything. It was really neat.
After the UN we walked across the street to the Red Cross/Red Crescent Museum. It was way cool. They use a ton of different mediums to talk about the history and mission of the Red Cross. They also had a temporary photography exhibition. It was a collection of a bunch of different photographers that focus on human suffering and the aftermath of crises. It was very moving. I think my favorite photographer did a series in which he collected family photos from a bunch of different people and then recreated the pictures with the people that were still alive, leaving the spaces for their deceased family empty. The two pictures were displayed side by side. It was very powerful.
One of the things I would have absolutely loved to do while here is to visit CERN (European Center for Nuclear Research). It's the world's largest particle physics lab and they do all sorts of cool things like particle acceleration and work with anti-matter. For those of you who've read Angels and Demons, it the place in the book. Unfortunately you have to book your tours 3-4 months in advance so I guess I'll have to come back.
Tomorrow is the Pentacost so everything is closed, so we’re just going to take it easy for the day and then head out to Basel. Yay more Switzerland (aka yay more Swiss chocolate‼!)
Tomorrow is the Pentacost so everything is closed, so we’re just going to take it easy for the day and then head out to Basel. Yay more Switzerland (aka yay more Swiss chocolate‼!)
Boo No Internet...
Tuesday, May 26
So, for some reason, my computer doesn’t like the internet at my host student’s apartment so this blog will be posted later.
Christine and I finished up our time in Prague this weekend. Sunday we went to the old Jewish quarter and walked through the old Jewish cemetery and all of the old synagogues. One of the synagogues, the Pinkas Synagogue, has an alphabetical listing of the 80.000 Jews from Prague that were deported to and killed in the concentration camps handwritten all over the walls. It’s pretty intense because it takes up every wall in the temple. The Jewish cemetery is pretty neat too. There are thousands of people buried in this relatively small area and the graves are 12 deep so all of the grave stones are crammed into the space. It’s kind of haunting. My favorite was the Spanish Synagogue. The entire inside is painted with these incredibly elaborate patterns. It looks like a fabriche egg. Everything was so symmetrical and detailed that it looked like wall paper but it was actually all hand-painted.
So, for some reason, my computer doesn’t like the internet at my host student’s apartment so this blog will be posted later.
Christine and I finished up our time in Prague this weekend. Sunday we went to the old Jewish quarter and walked through the old Jewish cemetery and all of the old synagogues. One of the synagogues, the Pinkas Synagogue, has an alphabetical listing of the 80.000 Jews from Prague that were deported to and killed in the concentration camps handwritten all over the walls. It’s pretty intense because it takes up every wall in the temple. The Jewish cemetery is pretty neat too. There are thousands of people buried in this relatively small area and the graves are 12 deep so all of the grave stones are crammed into the space. It’s kind of haunting. My favorite was the Spanish Synagogue. The entire inside is painted with these incredibly elaborate patterns. It looks like a fabriche egg. Everything was so symmetrical and detailed that it looked like wall paper but it was actually all hand-painted.
After we got through all of the buildings, we went on a hunt for a kosher restaurant to eat lunch. We ended up asking this Chassidic Jewish guy if he knew of any kosher restaurants in the area. He pointed us in the direction of a very tasty Kosher deli where I got a fabulous salami sandwich. It was quite tasty, especially since I’ve been missing out on all of the traditional meat dishes since we’ve been here.
Sunday evening we went to a traditional Czech theater performance. It was billed as a jazz opera called “A Walk Worthwhile.” But really it was a musical, a very strange musical. We’re guessing that some of the script was lost in translation because we had no idea what the heck was going on. Just an example of our understanding…after it was over, I asked Christine if she knew what happened at the end because I didn’t get it and I felt like it just kinda ended abruptly. She said that she thought the postman (a random character) died. I said, “Oh, I thought the main character realized she was in love with him.” That pretty much says it all. It was completely worth the $7 tickets just to see the craziness.
We woke up crazy early on Monday to catch a flight back to Hannover and then spent the day hanging around the city waiting for everyone else to come in from Amsterdam. Once everyone else joined us, we met our host students for the week. Hannover is home to the oldest vet school in Germany and we are spending the week staying with host vet students. My host is Sandra and she’s very sweet.
Tuesday (today) was a very good day. We spent the morning in a small town called Celle. The State Stud training facility is located here. We got a tour of the facility and got to meet some of their top ranked stallions. We also took a look at the labs where they do a lot of reproduction research. Then one of us had the opportunity to try collecting a semen sample that they sell for artificial insemination. Sierra, one of our equine girls, took on the challenge. It was quite an experience even just watching.
After Celle, we went to Bergen Belsen concentration camp. This was something I had been looking forward to since I found out we were going. I think it’s a really important experience and I knew it would hold a lot of meaning for me. Bergen Belsen is now mainly a memorial site. They have a great Holocaust/Bergen Belsen museum that was very interesting. But the really impressive part was the grounds where the camp used to be. In the front, they have these gates that mark the actual entrance into the old camp. When you walk along the paths, there are tons of these hills all around the grounds. These hills are mass graves and in front of each grave is a stone that says (in German) “Here rests number dead. April 1945.” Some of the graves have 800 people, some had more than 5000.
It was a very interesting experience for me because I felt like there were a lot of conflicting thoughts and emotions. All of the buildings are gone now and the entire place is just green and lush with tall grass and flowers and trees. It’s actually quite pretty which I thought was kind of a strange thing. But at the same time, it’s almost comforting to think that after everything that these people went through, they are buried and resting in a beautiful place. One of the other things that kind of struck me was that in some way, it seemed like such a peaceful place. Very serene. But clearly there is still a lot of tension and emotion that you feel walking around. It was incredibly emotional and difficult for me in a lot of ways. Rachel, one of my Jewish friends on the trip, and I walked around the grounds together and it was nice to have someone there who could really understand how I felt and what it was like.
All in all, it was a very intense, but good, day. I’m really glad that I got to experience this.
Coiling of the Internal Carotid Artery, Penis Resection, & Drenches
Friday I had the opportunity to spend 3 hours in the equine clinic at the vet school here in Hannover. The people there was amazingly welcoming. First they gave us a complete tour of the clinic, which is 200 years old! I am very glad that we had the chance to see the old clinic because they are moving to their new clinic in September of this year.
We were able to watch them prepare for a 2 tooth extraction on a pony, a blacksmith fitting shoes on a horse, and then we got to stand in on a surgery! This was by far the highlight of my trip so far. The surgeons were great, and didn’t mind us being in the way. We watched the induction of anesthesia, and surgery of a horse where they were coiling the internal carotid artery because he was having chronic mycotic infections of the gutteral pouch. They did this to both prevent septicemia, and to keep the infection from eroding the artery allowing the horse to bleed to death through his nose. They performed the surgery by placing a catheter into the common carotid artery, which they then advanced under the supervision of fluoroscopy into the internal carotid artery to place the coil. The coil functions to stop the blood flow through the internal carotid.
Because we stayed here in Hannover for the weekend, we had the opportunity to go to the Bovine clinic on Saturday evening to help with the evening medication rounds. The students were fantastic and let us help and perform a lot of the treatments ourselves. We were able to drench several cows (administering 30L of fluid into the rumen), subcutaneous injections, and others!
While there, we saw a calf that had had a complete penis resection. It was amazing. They had restructured the urethra so that he could urinate just ventral to the rectum. The site of resection was one of the most extensive I have ever seen.
The time I have spent here in Hannover has been the highlight of my trip so far!
We were able to watch them prepare for a 2 tooth extraction on a pony, a blacksmith fitting shoes on a horse, and then we got to stand in on a surgery! This was by far the highlight of my trip so far. The surgeons were great, and didn’t mind us being in the way. We watched the induction of anesthesia, and surgery of a horse where they were coiling the internal carotid artery because he was having chronic mycotic infections of the gutteral pouch. They did this to both prevent septicemia, and to keep the infection from eroding the artery allowing the horse to bleed to death through his nose. They performed the surgery by placing a catheter into the common carotid artery, which they then advanced under the supervision of fluoroscopy into the internal carotid artery to place the coil. The coil functions to stop the blood flow through the internal carotid.
Because we stayed here in Hannover for the weekend, we had the opportunity to go to the Bovine clinic on Saturday evening to help with the evening medication rounds. The students were fantastic and let us help and perform a lot of the treatments ourselves. We were able to drench several cows (administering 30L of fluid into the rumen), subcutaneous injections, and others!
While there, we saw a calf that had had a complete penis resection. It was amazing. They had restructured the urethra so that he could urinate just ventral to the rectum. The site of resection was one of the most extensive I have ever seen.
The time I have spent here in Hannover has been the highlight of my trip so far!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Good day, Sunshine.
For our first free weekend, I went to Amsterdam. I had only heard stories of the beauty and craziness that is found there. Basically, the city lived up to (and surpassed) the stories and my expectations.
We were able to get in early on Friday, so we went to the Ann Frank House. This was a very moving and well-done museum. When in the house, you could barely glimpse what it was like to be cooped up, hiding from capture in the attic of the building. I always love to hear that there were kind-hearted people willing to risk their lives for the Jewish population (even in times of struggle). The workers of Otto Frank were willing to risk their lives everyday to buy them food to survive in the attic. Of the many Holocaust texts out, this is definitely one of the most influential. I feel lucky that this text is so well read around the world— that way we can prevent history from repeating.
We did many other activities during our weekend, including Van Gogh museum, Heineken experience, and beach bumming. By far my favorite and most memorable activity was the FREE 3-hour walking tour through the city. The guide took us through much of the history and interesting monuments around town. There is so much beauty and culture found in Amsterdam that makes it truly unique. The one theme that kept repeating throughout its history was the idea of tolerance. If only other countries could instill such values. The people of Amsterdam have stood up for the rights of others countless times over the years. This I think is the most beautiful thing about Amsterdam.
This trip was also my first experience in a hostel. I may enjoy having my own space and bathroom to do as a please, but hostels are a great way to meet new people from all over the world. We took a shuttle to our hostel in Noordwijk, Matt, the guy who drove the shuttle several times during our stay, was from South Africa working his way through the world. The title of the blog came from the Beatles song, which he told us was his “theme” song. We also meet many other students from Texas A&M who were traveling through. In our room, we even met a doctor that is doing his residency at Parkland in Dallas. There was such a diverse group of people to meet, talk to, and hear their stories…this really fit with the values of Amsterdam. I had a great time on our weekend trip and look forward to going back after the program finishes.
Now back to Germany we go…I am excited for further exploration.
We were able to get in early on Friday, so we went to the Ann Frank House. This was a very moving and well-done museum. When in the house, you could barely glimpse what it was like to be cooped up, hiding from capture in the attic of the building. I always love to hear that there were kind-hearted people willing to risk their lives for the Jewish population (even in times of struggle). The workers of Otto Frank were willing to risk their lives everyday to buy them food to survive in the attic. Of the many Holocaust texts out, this is definitely one of the most influential. I feel lucky that this text is so well read around the world— that way we can prevent history from repeating.
We did many other activities during our weekend, including Van Gogh museum, Heineken experience, and beach bumming. By far my favorite and most memorable activity was the FREE 3-hour walking tour through the city. The guide took us through much of the history and interesting monuments around town. There is so much beauty and culture found in Amsterdam that makes it truly unique. The one theme that kept repeating throughout its history was the idea of tolerance. If only other countries could instill such values. The people of Amsterdam have stood up for the rights of others countless times over the years. This I think is the most beautiful thing about Amsterdam.
This trip was also my first experience in a hostel. I may enjoy having my own space and bathroom to do as a please, but hostels are a great way to meet new people from all over the world. We took a shuttle to our hostel in Noordwijk, Matt, the guy who drove the shuttle several times during our stay, was from South Africa working his way through the world. The title of the blog came from the Beatles song, which he told us was his “theme” song. We also meet many other students from Texas A&M who were traveling through. In our room, we even met a doctor that is doing his residency at Parkland in Dallas. There was such a diverse group of people to meet, talk to, and hear their stories…this really fit with the values of Amsterdam. I had a great time on our weekend trip and look forward to going back after the program finishes.
Now back to Germany we go…I am excited for further exploration.
Mud Walking: Enter if you dare...
I am pretty sure none of us knew what we were getting into as we arrived at the Wadden sea “ready” for our mud-walking tour. Our very prepared guide (even with his short shorts) looked at our shoes with skepticism and asked if we had others. No these were definitely the shoes we brought specifically for the experience. That was probably the first sign of problems to come.
The beginning of the tour was nothing..I even asked “where is the mud?”— little did I know that I was in for quite a treat. We squealed with laughter at the first steps of mud with a slight slip of the sneakers. Then the there was the rest of the trip: slipping and sliding in the mud, wading in water up to our torsos, and running in order to stay afloat in the mud. There was even a point where we were knee deep in mud, pushing our way through to continue on. My socks ended up slipping off my heels, causing the back of my shoes to rub over and over again against my heels. Probably a lesser fate than Jenny having to walk on the shells with no shoes at all. Therefore I have provided a list of tips for future mud walkers.
Here are a few tips to get the maximal enjoyment out of mud walking without worrying about shoes or blisters:
1. Get a cheap/old pair of high-tops or shoes that go above your ankle that you can throw away after.
2. Wear a pair of TALL socks…believe me…this is key.
3. Wear shorts that you don’t mind getting wet/dirty or wear a bathing suit bottom (or one piece would be ideal).
4. Basically wear things that you don’t mind throwing away afterwards.
5. Running while on the tour helps you from sinking in the mud.
6. Be prepared physically.
7. Laugh, take pictures, and have fun with it. You will have good stories later.
Looking back, I had a good time on the tour, but I left with really bad blisters that became infected. I think if I had known the above tips, I would have gotten so much more out of the adventure. The Wadden sea is an interesting ecosystem that I have never even imagined something like it before. I will definitely say that I felt very accomplished and hardcore after I finished.
The next day we went to the Seal Rehabilitation center. This was an amazing and great way to educate the public about the dangers affecting seals. I thought what they were doing was very informed and well done. They were very careful when they rescued a seal to make sure no diseases spread between them— they first put the seals in quarantine, dressed in full coveralls, and worked from least sick to most. I also thought the research they were doing with the seals was very innovative and helpful for the future of science and the seals. I really enjoyed the video presentation and presentations by the veterinarian and biologist. They were very well informed. It was interesting to hear about the viruses we had studied during the year in a tangible way. Of all the animals that are rehabilitated, I was amazed at how easy they said it was to send the seals back into the wild. Of course, they still do stages before release, but I thought that was very promising for the seals (especially compared to other animals I had seen conservation projects for where release was very difficult).
Time flies when you are having fun…I can’t believe the first week is just about done.
(P.S. I did not have available internet until now, so I am posting multiple blogs at once.)
The beginning of the tour was nothing..I even asked “where is the mud?”— little did I know that I was in for quite a treat. We squealed with laughter at the first steps of mud with a slight slip of the sneakers. Then the there was the rest of the trip: slipping and sliding in the mud, wading in water up to our torsos, and running in order to stay afloat in the mud. There was even a point where we were knee deep in mud, pushing our way through to continue on. My socks ended up slipping off my heels, causing the back of my shoes to rub over and over again against my heels. Probably a lesser fate than Jenny having to walk on the shells with no shoes at all. Therefore I have provided a list of tips for future mud walkers.
Here are a few tips to get the maximal enjoyment out of mud walking without worrying about shoes or blisters:
1. Get a cheap/old pair of high-tops or shoes that go above your ankle that you can throw away after.
2. Wear a pair of TALL socks…believe me…this is key.
3. Wear shorts that you don’t mind getting wet/dirty or wear a bathing suit bottom (or one piece would be ideal).
4. Basically wear things that you don’t mind throwing away afterwards.
5. Running while on the tour helps you from sinking in the mud.
6. Be prepared physically.
7. Laugh, take pictures, and have fun with it. You will have good stories later.
Looking back, I had a good time on the tour, but I left with really bad blisters that became infected. I think if I had known the above tips, I would have gotten so much more out of the adventure. The Wadden sea is an interesting ecosystem that I have never even imagined something like it before. I will definitely say that I felt very accomplished and hardcore after I finished.
The next day we went to the Seal Rehabilitation center. This was an amazing and great way to educate the public about the dangers affecting seals. I thought what they were doing was very informed and well done. They were very careful when they rescued a seal to make sure no diseases spread between them— they first put the seals in quarantine, dressed in full coveralls, and worked from least sick to most. I also thought the research they were doing with the seals was very innovative and helpful for the future of science and the seals. I really enjoyed the video presentation and presentations by the veterinarian and biologist. They were very well informed. It was interesting to hear about the viruses we had studied during the year in a tangible way. Of all the animals that are rehabilitated, I was amazed at how easy they said it was to send the seals back into the wild. Of course, they still do stages before release, but I thought that was very promising for the seals (especially compared to other animals I had seen conservation projects for where release was very difficult).
Time flies when you are having fun…I can’t believe the first week is just about done.
(P.S. I did not have available internet until now, so I am posting multiple blogs at once.)
and now it's over for hannover
Ive arrived in switzerland and yup...it's just as picturesque as i remembered. beautiful rolling hills, lakes, and mountains. I'm staying with my uncle for the weekend in Lausanne. I'm looking forward to a nice, restfull weekend, and hopefully doing some long-needed laundry (i had to steal socks from my boyfriend who visited me for the week in hannover).
The week in hannover was truly enjoyable. Learning about the history of TiHo was great...i mean, the university is only 2 years younger than our country's independence!) going to the clinics yesterday was probably my favorite part of the visit. I chose to go to the cattle clinics and aside from touring their facilities (filled with holstein's left and right), we got to see a hoof surgery on a pregnant cow (infected coffin joint, the works, looked pretty painful and not great for the mamma) and watch a surgery for a cow with hardware's dz. They had found 2 abcesses in her abdomen on ultrasound and was doing a rumenopexy (not sure if that's a word...) to access the reticulum and see if they could reach and cut the abcesses so it would drain out through the GI. It was pretty awesome. Unfortunately, we had to leave and didnt get to see the surgery the whole way through. we did get to see the humongo Grose gardens and the opera Carmen. that was interesting.
the week also included a visit to LAH in Cuxhaven along with the most amazing fish lunch...ever and visit to Bremen. Reid and Dr. Wasser were brave enough to order this one traditional dish Dr. Breves encouraged people to order and...well...it kinda tasted like a plate full of refried beans with some kind of shredded beef in it. My thought immediately jumped to: this would be really great with tortillas and cheese. oh wait, that's pretty much making it into nachos. haha can't take the tex-mex out of a texan, i guess.
we also had a very sobering experience to bremen-belsen. my mind is still in shock that such events actually happened. like dr wasser pointed out, germany's history really has affected the society today. even Anna, my super awesome host, was telling me that not many people are very nationalistic now because it kind of makes them sick to the stomach when they think back to how things got out of hand before. she said even visiting the "fraternities" (which actually originated from dueling clubs), which are a little more nationalistic than most people and raise the german flag and stuff, makes her uncomfortable. coming from america, where we sing the national anthem any chance we get, and scoff at any country that doesn't support our actions 100%-think freedom fries-it's weird to me to hear that something as basic to me as raising my country flag could make people feel uneasy.
anyway, i had a great time in hannover and i really hope that my hosts can come to visit me in CS next year! now to enjoy some nice home-cooked meals care of my swiss aunt!
The week in hannover was truly enjoyable. Learning about the history of TiHo was great...i mean, the university is only 2 years younger than our country's independence!) going to the clinics yesterday was probably my favorite part of the visit. I chose to go to the cattle clinics and aside from touring their facilities (filled with holstein's left and right), we got to see a hoof surgery on a pregnant cow (infected coffin joint, the works, looked pretty painful and not great for the mamma) and watch a surgery for a cow with hardware's dz. They had found 2 abcesses in her abdomen on ultrasound and was doing a rumenopexy (not sure if that's a word...) to access the reticulum and see if they could reach and cut the abcesses so it would drain out through the GI. It was pretty awesome. Unfortunately, we had to leave and didnt get to see the surgery the whole way through. we did get to see the humongo Grose gardens and the opera Carmen. that was interesting.
the week also included a visit to LAH in Cuxhaven along with the most amazing fish lunch...ever and visit to Bremen. Reid and Dr. Wasser were brave enough to order this one traditional dish Dr. Breves encouraged people to order and...well...it kinda tasted like a plate full of refried beans with some kind of shredded beef in it. My thought immediately jumped to: this would be really great with tortillas and cheese. oh wait, that's pretty much making it into nachos. haha can't take the tex-mex out of a texan, i guess.
we also had a very sobering experience to bremen-belsen. my mind is still in shock that such events actually happened. like dr wasser pointed out, germany's history really has affected the society today. even Anna, my super awesome host, was telling me that not many people are very nationalistic now because it kind of makes them sick to the stomach when they think back to how things got out of hand before. she said even visiting the "fraternities" (which actually originated from dueling clubs), which are a little more nationalistic than most people and raise the german flag and stuff, makes her uncomfortable. coming from america, where we sing the national anthem any chance we get, and scoff at any country that doesn't support our actions 100%-think freedom fries-it's weird to me to hear that something as basic to me as raising my country flag could make people feel uneasy.
anyway, i had a great time in hannover and i really hope that my hosts can come to visit me in CS next year! now to enjoy some nice home-cooked meals care of my swiss aunt!
Wait, we're going how far? I signed up for this?
So on with the whirlwind European tour! For our last day in Amsterdam, we decided to do a bicycle tour of the area around Amsterdam. It was a whole lot of fun. We rode along one of the rivers that supplies the canals of Amsterdam until we had cleared the city lines, and once outside did a couple things. First off, we visited a cheese and clog (wooden shoe) factory. These showed the ways that both the cheese and shoes we traditionally made. It also gave us a brief history and purpose of the wooden shoes beyond just being souvenirs that foreigners buy in the Netherlands. After that, we biked through some of the Amsterdam parks and along the houseboat neighborhood. These are a collection of old shipping boats that have been renovated to become residences for the people of the city. A few have been drastically changed from their original form, with one even resembling a classic American diner from the 1950’s! Oh by the way, the bike ride was 35 km…oops. Sometimes I wish I was in better shape.
The next day, we trained to Hannover to start our second week of the program. This occurs all in Hannover, and we are staying with some of the German vet students here. Our first day of the program, we traveled to Celle State Stallion Testing Center. This is a government led facility that only tests nearly 50 horses a year, then keeps at most 6 per year. These stallions are then kept to help create a breeding program for top-notch horses in the state of Lower Saxony. Mainly created for development of efficient agriculture and war horses, these facilities are still fantastic and are symbol of training and development.
Next we visited the concentration camp of Bergen-Belsen. This is most famously where Anne Frank passed away, but is also a tribute to the memorial of the thousands upon thousands of lives lost during the Holocaust and WWII. With accounts of survivors and information on those who were not as fortunate, it shone light on one of the darkest times of the history. Besides monuments to the Jews lost in the Holocaust, there were also monuments to the many Polish and Italian soldiers also kept at Bergen-Belsen, a work camp. For all the pictures and stories told, nothing really compares to visiting one of those horrendous places.
We finished up the day with a BBQ out with our host students and the professors. With the delicious food and generous hospitality, this looks like it is going to be a great stay!
"Americans... I will collect them all" -Jasmin
My German expedition continues in Hannover....
Thursday we traveled to Lohman Animal Health which is a German based company that focuses on preventative medicine for chickens and food safety. Then we went to LAVES to visit the "Veterinarunter Suchungsamt" where we toured the facility that is primarily involved with food safety and testing.... Then we went into the little town of Cuxhaven and had a FANTASTIC meal at a local restaurant that serves tons of varieties of fresh fish! LAVES paid for our goumet halibout dish... I've never knew fish could taste so good!
We made our way to Bremen, Germany where we toured the city and all the tiny little streets... We also learned about the story of the Musicians who came from Bremen. You might remember a fairy tale about the donkey, dog, cat and chicken who decide to be musicians? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Town_Musicians_of_Bremen The town is covered in statues of these characters...
We ate dinner in the old town hall (Rat House) of Bremen built in 1405... In fact, it is common that there is a cellar underneath these big important city buildings and they usually have a restaurant called the Ratskellar. I had breaded porkchops with a baked potato and veggies, paired with a fantastic sweet Reisling. Of course we had to have dessert and I devoured a nougat tarte with marzipan, strawberry sauce and lemon sorbet. :)
Yesterday we spent time in the bovine clinic here at the vet school in Hannover and we saw a severe case of foot rot in a pregnant cow who had to have most of here medial toes amputated! We also watched a standing surgery of a cow who had "traumatic reticular peritonitis" or basically "hardware disease" where a cow eats some sharp foreign object and it punctures the reticulum (one part of the 4-part stomach).
We ended the afternoon with a stroll through the Herrenhauser Gardens... These were once royal gardens and are bigger than the ones in Versailles! It was a huge place with little secret gardens, statues and of course fountains galore. They only run twice a day, so I'm glad we stayed around to watch them go off!
Night followed with the much anticipated opera, "Carmen." Jasmin joined us!! It was quite the experience... as Chris would say, "it was very visual."In fact, it was 100% visual since we couldn't understand any words because it was in sung in French and had German supertitles. The only clear phrase we could point out was "ich liebe dich," which means I love you... It was a modern spin on the original Carmen and Elvis definitely made his appearance much to our surprise. Live, love, tribulation and death... I think that sums it up nicely :)
Now for our free weekend here with Jasmin in Hannover. It should be very relaxing with some shopping, a visit to the bovine clinic this evening and the lake tomorrow! (oh yeah... in regards to the title of the post... Jasmin is hosting 4 of us this weekend so she compared it to collecting McDonald's toys... "I'd like the blonde one, then the brown headed one, the one with glasses...") what a hoot!
Thursday we traveled to Lohman Animal Health which is a German based company that focuses on preventative medicine for chickens and food safety. Then we went to LAVES to visit the "Veterinarunter Suchungsamt" where we toured the facility that is primarily involved with food safety and testing.... Then we went into the little town of Cuxhaven and had a FANTASTIC meal at a local restaurant that serves tons of varieties of fresh fish! LAVES paid for our goumet halibout dish... I've never knew fish could taste so good!
We made our way to Bremen, Germany where we toured the city and all the tiny little streets... We also learned about the story of the Musicians who came from Bremen. You might remember a fairy tale about the donkey, dog, cat and chicken who decide to be musicians? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Town_Musicians_of_Bremen The town is covered in statues of these characters...
We ate dinner in the old town hall (Rat House) of Bremen built in 1405... In fact, it is common that there is a cellar underneath these big important city buildings and they usually have a restaurant called the Ratskellar. I had breaded porkchops with a baked potato and veggies, paired with a fantastic sweet Reisling. Of course we had to have dessert and I devoured a nougat tarte with marzipan, strawberry sauce and lemon sorbet. :)Yesterday we spent time in the bovine clinic here at the vet school in Hannover and we saw a severe case of foot rot in a pregnant cow who had to have most of here medial toes amputated! We also watched a standing surgery of a cow who had "traumatic reticular peritonitis" or basically "hardware disease" where a cow eats some sharp foreign object and it punctures the reticulum (one part of the 4-part stomach).
We ended the afternoon with a stroll through the Herrenhauser Gardens... These were once royal gardens and are bigger than the ones in Versailles! It was a huge place with little secret gardens, statues and of course fountains galore. They only run twice a day, so I'm glad we stayed around to watch them go off!
Night followed with the much anticipated opera, "Carmen." Jasmin joined us!! It was quite the experience... as Chris would say, "it was very visual."In fact, it was 100% visual since we couldn't understand any words because it was in sung in French and had German supertitles. The only clear phrase we could point out was "ich liebe dich," which means I love you... It was a modern spin on the original Carmen and Elvis definitely made his appearance much to our surprise. Live, love, tribulation and death... I think that sums it up nicely :)Now for our free weekend here with Jasmin in Hannover. It should be very relaxing with some shopping, a visit to the bovine clinic this evening and the lake tomorrow! (oh yeah... in regards to the title of the post... Jasmin is hosting 4 of us this weekend so she compared it to collecting McDonald's toys... "I'd like the blonde one, then the brown headed one, the one with glasses...") what a hoot!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Hannover, Celle, Cuxhaven, Bremen!
We have been very busy this week. After arriving on Monday in Hannover by train, we were distributed to our host students for the week. They have been fantastic in not only being more than happy to let us stay in their homes for the week, but they have also been making it very comfortable.
The first new experience I had here in Hannover, was a trip to the local grocery store. I wasn’t expecting Wal-Mart, but I was still surprised at the small selection of foods. Dr. Breves, our German professor/coordinator of this part of the trip, explained to us at dinner tonight, that the German culture is changing to become much more dependent upon the crops that are available during the season. After asking us what the strawberry season is in Texas, he was surprised when we told him we can get strawberries anytime during the year. For me, I am very glad at the wide selection of foods we have available to us as Americans year round.
Celle was one of the most charming towns I have ever seen (almost as cute as Pieterburen). Our tour guide was by far the cutest, sweetest old woman I could have imagined. She was fantastic. I learned about the town ,the houses from the 1500’s, the church, the castle, and so much more!
On the morning of the day that we visited Celle, we visited the Stallion Testing Facility. This has been by far my most favorite part of the trip. It was phenomenal. The facilities were beautiful, the guide/ head trainer was amazingly nice, and the veterinarian showed us all the collecting and freezing facilities. She even allowed us to watch as Sierra collected one of the stallions. It was a great experience. The tour through the barn seeing all the superstar horses that are stabled there was breathtaking.
Yesterday we spent mostly here in Hannover at the vet school (TIHO), and today we traveled to both Cuxhaven and Bremen. Cuxhaven was located on the shore of the North Sea. I really enjoyed seeing the harbor and the fish lunch that we had. The drug company (LAH) that we visited there was very interesting because they only distributed poultry preventative drugs. The presentations on the research they have done was definitely something I knew nothing about.
Bremen was another gorgeous smaller town. It was full of character. The most astonishing feature was the church and town hall with copper roofs! They were beautiful. I really wish that we had more time to spend there shopping in the small stores that we saw. The fish testing facility that we visited was surprisingly technologically advanced. It was interesting to observe the relationships established between chemists, veterinarians, and other professionals.
I am really looking forward to tomorrow’s activities, mostly the three hours that I will be able to spend in the horse clinic in the vet school here in the morning. I am very interested in seeing the differences in clinical practice here compared to back home in Texas.
~Kati
The first new experience I had here in Hannover, was a trip to the local grocery store. I wasn’t expecting Wal-Mart, but I was still surprised at the small selection of foods. Dr. Breves, our German professor/coordinator of this part of the trip, explained to us at dinner tonight, that the German culture is changing to become much more dependent upon the crops that are available during the season. After asking us what the strawberry season is in Texas, he was surprised when we told him we can get strawberries anytime during the year. For me, I am very glad at the wide selection of foods we have available to us as Americans year round.
Celle was one of the most charming towns I have ever seen (almost as cute as Pieterburen). Our tour guide was by far the cutest, sweetest old woman I could have imagined. She was fantastic. I learned about the town ,the houses from the 1500’s, the church, the castle, and so much more!
On the morning of the day that we visited Celle, we visited the Stallion Testing Facility. This has been by far my most favorite part of the trip. It was phenomenal. The facilities were beautiful, the guide/ head trainer was amazingly nice, and the veterinarian showed us all the collecting and freezing facilities. She even allowed us to watch as Sierra collected one of the stallions. It was a great experience. The tour through the barn seeing all the superstar horses that are stabled there was breathtaking.
Yesterday we spent mostly here in Hannover at the vet school (TIHO), and today we traveled to both Cuxhaven and Bremen. Cuxhaven was located on the shore of the North Sea. I really enjoyed seeing the harbor and the fish lunch that we had. The drug company (LAH) that we visited there was very interesting because they only distributed poultry preventative drugs. The presentations on the research they have done was definitely something I knew nothing about.
Bremen was another gorgeous smaller town. It was full of character. The most astonishing feature was the church and town hall with copper roofs! They were beautiful. I really wish that we had more time to spend there shopping in the small stores that we saw. The fish testing facility that we visited was surprisingly technologically advanced. It was interesting to observe the relationships established between chemists, veterinarians, and other professionals.
I am really looking forward to tomorrow’s activities, mostly the three hours that I will be able to spend in the horse clinic in the vet school here in the morning. I am very interested in seeing the differences in clinical practice here compared to back home in Texas.
~Kati
"They don't call me Dr. Jeremy 'bring 'em back alive' Wasser for nothing"
It’s hard to describe everything that we’ve done on this trip because it has been one exciting adventure after another and by the time you are done for the day, all you want to do is crash… I’ve been keeping a little journal of “isms” and scraps of my journey, but compiling them all into one place is going to be quite the task! I’m loving the adventure and I’m sad to say that the official part of the program is half way over. I think new discoveries are by far my most favorite part of the trip like no tipping at restaurants, the scarcity of “flat” water (as opposed to sparkling… I think even the dogs drink the bubbly water around here) and having to pay for the bathroom in public places. Today, I learned that German veterinary students complete vet school to become private practice veterinarians, but cannot assume the title of doctor until they either get a doctorate in veterinary medicine (an add’l two years) or a PhD (an add’l 4+ years). Interesting, huh?
My stay here in Hannover has been picture perfect from the weather to the history to the people! I absolutely adore Jasmin and Steffie and all of their friends I’ve met over the past few days. They have been so welcoming and friendly! In fact, we were invited to play on their intramural soccer team (honorary USA members with t-shirts and all) and a traditional German BBQ at their fraternity… I also climbed the klimben-kratster which is basically a giant balancing act where I stack soda crates on top of each other to build a ladder as I’m strapped into a belay system… I got 15/20 crates and could almost ring the bell! Check out shutterfly for pictures. Jasmin took a movie, so I will be sure to put that online too…
The food here has been better than I imagined and I have yet to find something that I don’t like. My new cuisine has consisted of döner (a Berlin version of the gyro), nutella (chocolate spread that you would use like peanut butter), lots of paprika, a variety of wurst, little orange fruits the size of grapes, sauerkraut, traditional German BBQ, fish, and all kinds of snacky food that I wish I could find in America (Knoppers, Prinzen cookies and chocolate filled croissants to name a few). I’m keeping labels of all the snacks and drinks I have over here so I think it should make for an interesting reflection on my trip! Oh, yeah and not to mention the running “quote book” we’ve started…. It should be hilarious!
Tomorrow night we are going to the opera and I couldn’t be more excited… I have never been before, so I’ve been reading up on our opera, “Carmen” so I have a clue about the story line. I think it is performed in French with Germany supertitles? So basically, I don’t have a chance to understand the words. Apparently really good operas can be understood by watching the characters since it’s often really difficult to follow the actual singing.
I am looking forward to sharing all my stories and treasures with my family and friends when I return… I think I’ve found some really unique stuff to show for my adventure (besides the 1000 pictures I will probably have on shutterfly). I still love my America and I’m very proud of our “baby” country. After all, the vet school in Hannover was instituted in 1778 (just two years shy of our Declaration of Independence). It is apparent more and more each day how much of our heritage, traditions and society that we can trace back to Europe and it makes me appreciate our culture so much more. Lots of love!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Moving right along...
It's crazy how much we're managing to cram into this program! Amsterdam was a blast - it's impossible to get bored or tired in that city because everyone there is so full of energy and always eager to welcome visitors. The highlight for me was definitely the van Gogh museum. I'd been wanting to see the Starry Night since about the 4th grade, so finally getting to do so was very rewarding. It was good to also be able to see so many of van Gogh's other works in one place so that you can really appreciate those paintings as well as the main attraction. Of course, seeing the Night Watch was also incredible and I'm really glad the Rijksmuseum has it on display despite all the renovations.
Although all weekends must come to an end, this time it was ok because Hannover is great. We haven't had much time to really see the city yet but we got to go to the state stud facility and the town of Celle yesterday. In the afternoon we drove to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp memorial center and walked around the grounds and museum there. That was pretty intense. I've been to the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles and that place is pretty hardcore but, of course, it's nothing next to actually BEING there. What's weird is that the whole area is absolutely beautiful. It's green and full of trees and bright flowers and yesterday happened to be a particularly gorgeous day with warmth and sunshine. I couldn't quite decide if the setting made me feel sad (indignant, maybe?) that a place that had seen such atrocities would appear so serene and peaceful nowadays when it should be solemn instead or if it made me feel comforted by considering the abundance of regrowth and beauty as a tribute or token of healing, as if nature laid down a whole forest for all the people who died there in the same way a person would put a flower on a loved one's grave. I'm very grateful we had the opportunity to go there.
Although all weekends must come to an end, this time it was ok because Hannover is great. We haven't had much time to really see the city yet but we got to go to the state stud facility and the town of Celle yesterday. In the afternoon we drove to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp memorial center and walked around the grounds and museum there. That was pretty intense. I've been to the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles and that place is pretty hardcore but, of course, it's nothing next to actually BEING there. What's weird is that the whole area is absolutely beautiful. It's green and full of trees and bright flowers and yesterday happened to be a particularly gorgeous day with warmth and sunshine. I couldn't quite decide if the setting made me feel sad (indignant, maybe?) that a place that had seen such atrocities would appear so serene and peaceful nowadays when it should be solemn instead or if it made me feel comforted by considering the abundance of regrowth and beauty as a tribute or token of healing, as if nature laid down a whole forest for all the people who died there in the same way a person would put a flower on a loved one's grave. I'm very grateful we had the opportunity to go there.
Holland Post
Okay so I felt bad about writing so short a blog last night, so I came back to write another today. Holland was beautiful. I never realized it was so flat there. Peiterburen was the cutest little town, and I loved the seal rescue place. I especially liked the net mountain, which is of course artwork and not trash in the back yard. The seals were smaller than I had imagined, even the adults. I think I had a mental picture of leopard seals, which I heard in a documentary are supposed to be very mean. These were harbor and grey seals, smaller and more manageable I assume, although I bet a bite from one can still do a lot of damage.
In defense of the mudwalk, I thought it was a blast. Next year students will have a much better idea of what they are getting into, and perhaps it should be made optional, as it is obviously not for everyone.
For the first free weekend we went to Amsterdam, and it is the first city I have ever visited that I can honestly say I loved. I am normally not a city person, but I just loved Amsterdam. I loved the crooked old buildings and canals everywhere, and people were very friendly and just seemed to be happy. I also loved how everyone biked everywhere. Even little old ladies, even mothers and fathers with newborn babies in seats on the handlebars! I got to ride a bike, too, on a bike tour, and even though I had not ridden one for over 10 years, it went very well. I forgot how enjoyable it can be, and I think I will buy one in College Station and bike to school and work. There is really no excuse for me not too, I live so close. Besides, after surviving biking in Amsterdam, College Station will be nothing (except of course for the huge trucks going 60mph, but … eh …. minor detail). I am also really glad I got to see Starry Night, and the Anne Frankhaus.
In defense of the mudwalk, I thought it was a blast. Next year students will have a much better idea of what they are getting into, and perhaps it should be made optional, as it is obviously not for everyone.
For the first free weekend we went to Amsterdam, and it is the first city I have ever visited that I can honestly say I loved. I am normally not a city person, but I just loved Amsterdam. I loved the crooked old buildings and canals everywhere, and people were very friendly and just seemed to be happy. I also loved how everyone biked everywhere. Even little old ladies, even mothers and fathers with newborn babies in seats on the handlebars! I got to ride a bike, too, on a bike tour, and even though I had not ridden one for over 10 years, it went very well. I forgot how enjoyable it can be, and I think I will buy one in College Station and bike to school and work. There is really no excuse for me not too, I live so close. Besides, after surviving biking in Amsterdam, College Station will be nothing (except of course for the huge trucks going 60mph, but … eh …. minor detail). I am also really glad I got to see Starry Night, and the Anne Frankhaus.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
"because nobody wants to put their you-ho in a cold tube"
The title to this blog was what I thought after the veterinarian at the stud stallion center in celle showed us how the artificial vagina was warmed with warm water to make things a little more comfortable during an artificial insemination semen collection. It was my first time to watch this event live and in person. She actually asked one of us to volunteer to do it and Sierra got elected. All of this happened at the end of our wonderful tour of the training facilities and stables. I was really impressed on how this was a government owned operation and how orderly and advanced everything was. I dont know much about horses, coming from the city, so i was eager to experience, first-hand, things ive only heard about from other people. one of my friend's little brother competes nationally in dressage (ie, olympic try-outs and what-not) and he trained a few summers in germany and had two horses from germany so i kept comparing andy in my mind to the young boys who worked at the facility.
then we had a lovely little tour of celle, which is a very charming town with tons of history! i was so surprised to see buildings built as late as the 1600s that were still occupied by shops and in good condition today. it was really amazing. plus our tour guide was a very cute little lady. btw, to everyone reading this blog: celle is a beautiful city and you must visit it. that was what our tour guide asked us to share with everyone.
we headed to bergen belsen memorial afterwards. it was a very sobering experience. it was hard for me to imagine how many terrible things had been committed to humans in the short 5 years it was a concentration camp.the thing that made the biggest impression on me was the british footage from shortly after the camp was liberated. there was real footage of the mass burial of all the bodies from the camp and yea....my mind still cant come to terms with all the feelings running through my soul and body. the mass graves were also such a sight to see. there were multiple mounds were i saw plaques of 1500 bodies buried. it was...something that words just cant explain.
then we headed back to TiHo to have our welcome bbq with all of us and our hosts. the food was wonderful and we all got to have great conversations (at least, in my opinion).
tomorrow we have lots of lectures and then the tiho sportfest to go to. gotta get some rest now!
then we had a lovely little tour of celle, which is a very charming town with tons of history! i was so surprised to see buildings built as late as the 1600s that were still occupied by shops and in good condition today. it was really amazing. plus our tour guide was a very cute little lady. btw, to everyone reading this blog: celle is a beautiful city and you must visit it. that was what our tour guide asked us to share with everyone.
we headed to bergen belsen memorial afterwards. it was a very sobering experience. it was hard for me to imagine how many terrible things had been committed to humans in the short 5 years it was a concentration camp.the thing that made the biggest impression on me was the british footage from shortly after the camp was liberated. there was real footage of the mass burial of all the bodies from the camp and yea....my mind still cant come to terms with all the feelings running through my soul and body. the mass graves were also such a sight to see. there were multiple mounds were i saw plaques of 1500 bodies buried. it was...something that words just cant explain.
then we headed back to TiHo to have our welcome bbq with all of us and our hosts. the food was wonderful and we all got to have great conversations (at least, in my opinion).
tomorrow we have lots of lectures and then the tiho sportfest to go to. gotta get some rest now!
Amsterdam, you are your own city
Okay, so I’ve finally had a chance to write a blog about the Netherlands and our free weekend in Amsterdam. Everyone has already mentioned this, but I think the highlight of the Netherlands trip with the group was the mud-walking tour. But I’ll get to that later.
Once we left Bonn we drove up Friday to first visit a Noah’s Ark of sorts that was preserving a few breeds of livestock that for one reason or another had fallen out of favor with production operations. Although I am not sure of the practicalities of maintaining these breeds, it was nice to see farm animals as they used to live out in fields instead of concrete facilities. After our visit to the museum we drove up to an area near Pieterburen where our mud walking tour was to commence. I believe the purpose of the mud-walking tour was to experience a unique ecosystem that contained unique animals. I must say that once we got to the mud, there were not that many animals out there; mainly mussels of some sort and worms (although all we saw of them were their leftovers). I had a blast though. We spent several hours almost jogging through the mud to keep from sinking too deeply in the mud, and while it got quite tiring, it never stopped being fun. And my favorite part was when we were trying (once again) to keep up with our guide and all of the sudden we are knee deep in mud and stuck. And I mean really stuck. As in about to fall over, shoes being left behind kind of stuck. But we managed to help each other out and admire our new mud boots. Of course before anyone could get any good pictures we forded a small river I guess you could call it, and washed all the mud off. I am not sure of the purpose of crossing the river other than to mess with us, as we promptly crossed the same river two more times (and on the second leg the water was up to our waists). So much fun though. And the guide said that he was proud of us for making it all the way through. Go team.
For our free weekend my group chose to go to Amsterdam and it was quite a lot of fun. Of course there were the “coffee shops” there that everyone knows doesn’t serve coffee, and the ladies in the red light district, but there really is a lot more than that to the town. We took a walking tour of the town and our awesome Australian guide explained how tolerant Amsterdamers are of one another and how willing they are to stick their necks out for their fellow man, despite any differences they might have. And it is this tolerance that allows for the drugs and the prostitution to occur, because it benefits the economy and thus the town as a whole. Our hostel experience was interesting as none of us had stayed in a hostel before and weren’t quite sure what to expect. While we had requested a room all together (the four of us), we ended up split up, but that ended up working out all right because it gave me the opportunity to meet some really hilarious people that were fully enjoying what Amsterdam has to offer. There were some anxious times as our room got broken into at one point and one of the guys was pick-pocketed while we were all in the room, but nothing of ours was stolen thankfully so it wasn’t too bad for us at least.
I really enjoyed my time in the Netherlands and am very glad I was given the opportunity to visit. Despite my complete lack of Dutch language skills, we had a good time and met some great people.
Once we left Bonn we drove up Friday to first visit a Noah’s Ark of sorts that was preserving a few breeds of livestock that for one reason or another had fallen out of favor with production operations. Although I am not sure of the practicalities of maintaining these breeds, it was nice to see farm animals as they used to live out in fields instead of concrete facilities. After our visit to the museum we drove up to an area near Pieterburen where our mud walking tour was to commence. I believe the purpose of the mud-walking tour was to experience a unique ecosystem that contained unique animals. I must say that once we got to the mud, there were not that many animals out there; mainly mussels of some sort and worms (although all we saw of them were their leftovers). I had a blast though. We spent several hours almost jogging through the mud to keep from sinking too deeply in the mud, and while it got quite tiring, it never stopped being fun. And my favorite part was when we were trying (once again) to keep up with our guide and all of the sudden we are knee deep in mud and stuck. And I mean really stuck. As in about to fall over, shoes being left behind kind of stuck. But we managed to help each other out and admire our new mud boots. Of course before anyone could get any good pictures we forded a small river I guess you could call it, and washed all the mud off. I am not sure of the purpose of crossing the river other than to mess with us, as we promptly crossed the same river two more times (and on the second leg the water was up to our waists). So much fun though. And the guide said that he was proud of us for making it all the way through. Go team.
For our free weekend my group chose to go to Amsterdam and it was quite a lot of fun. Of course there were the “coffee shops” there that everyone knows doesn’t serve coffee, and the ladies in the red light district, but there really is a lot more than that to the town. We took a walking tour of the town and our awesome Australian guide explained how tolerant Amsterdamers are of one another and how willing they are to stick their necks out for their fellow man, despite any differences they might have. And it is this tolerance that allows for the drugs and the prostitution to occur, because it benefits the economy and thus the town as a whole. Our hostel experience was interesting as none of us had stayed in a hostel before and weren’t quite sure what to expect. While we had requested a room all together (the four of us), we ended up split up, but that ended up working out all right because it gave me the opportunity to meet some really hilarious people that were fully enjoying what Amsterdam has to offer. There were some anxious times as our room got broken into at one point and one of the guys was pick-pocketed while we were all in the room, but nothing of ours was stolen thankfully so it wasn’t too bad for us at least.
I really enjoyed my time in the Netherlands and am very glad I was given the opportunity to visit. Despite my complete lack of Dutch language skills, we had a good time and met some great people.
hannover part 1
hopefully i will have time for a second part to this week before forgetting everything that has already been done...first off...my hostesses are amazingly sweet, tres chill, and are just overall awesome in general...just had to say that at least once this trip...well...i finally know how i felt at bergen-belsen...i went through the phases of emotion much like anyone does when they come to a realization of some sorts...at first, i could not believe that i was there and that through the gates amongst all the forrest and life that was presently there, there used to be such g-d awful things happening...a sort of "denial" if you will...not of the holocaust, though, of course!...next, my "angry" phase...i got really furious at those that had participated in such evil...then came the "depression" phase and it hit me like a ton of bricks...i had seen photos, heard stories, and taken classes on folms of the holocaust, but every time it is an emotional roller coaster for me to witness the ongoings of that era...finally, after walking in the now gardens, i tried imagining what life would have been like and what the memorial would have looked like back in the 40's...i "came to terms" with what had happened during my "acceptance" phase...i hope that the teaching of the holocaust never comes to an end...i sincerely hope that it is not true that as more and more years go by that there seems to be less of an emphasis on it in history classes...granted, i am somewhat biased in this case, but it is a very, very important lesson that has been and should continue to be learned...the only way to even prevent a terrible shoah from happening in the future is to educate the coming generations and arm them with the knowledge of the past...
A is for Amsterdam
...and A is for A-OK by me!...i really enjoyed amsterdam (and, no, i did not get high and/or drunk) because it is very pedestrian and biker friendly...normally, i hate bikers and pedestrians (except, of course, when i am one)...being from the suburbs and especially now living in texas, everyone has cars...the states should really work on its public transportation, by the by...i also think that the culture is great because it is very open to things condemned by most of the world at the present moment...we learned on our countryside bike tour that it started out as more of a rebellion against the ruling government at the time amsterdam was founded...which i thought to be very interesting seeing as how they have managed to keep that "rebel without a cause" feeling in this day and age...what really took me by surprise, though, was the anne frank house and museum...i have read her diary and have watched the play and specials on her and her family, but actually seeing the tiny apartment where 8 people lived for 2+ years was truly something...i think that vet school is bad and that we don't get to see the sun very often during the day because we are stuck inside the classroom, but NEVER being able to go outside and breathe the clean(ish) air for so long and having to be so close to the same people day in and day out, i don't know if i would have been able to do that for as long as they did...i am very interested in seeing bergen-belsen...i cannot fathom how i will react to the messages that will be conveyed there...
Last but not least... my first european blog
Well I knew eventually I would get to writing one of these! I think I will be writing in retrograde for a bit until I catch up. I am writing from my host student's computer, and one of the first things I notice is that the z and y keys are reversed.... why is this? Some of the punctuation keys are in different places too.
Bonn was a beautiful place and I am very glad we went there first, because it was very non touristy, a genuine sort of place. It was really great to see this little German town, because I have never really gotten to experience anything of European culture before. I loved Köln, especially the Kölner Dom. I had never seen a big cathedral before. I am not a religious person but it was so amazing, I felt a physical reaction to it.
This is all I want to write tonight, I want to spend time with my host students, not type on the computer!
Tschüß!
Bonn was a beautiful place and I am very glad we went there first, because it was very non touristy, a genuine sort of place. It was really great to see this little German town, because I have never really gotten to experience anything of European culture before. I loved Köln, especially the Kölner Dom. I had never seen a big cathedral before. I am not a religious person but it was so amazing, I felt a physical reaction to it.
This is all I want to write tonight, I want to spend time with my host students, not type on the computer!
Tschüß!
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