I spent our second free weekend visiting my friend Oktober in Amsterdam.
Friday night Oktober picked me up from the train station. We dropped off my bags at her place, and went out for an evening of drinks and good conversation. Although we hadn’t seen each other in years, it felt like our friendship picked up right where it left off.
When the bars started to close, we decided to walk around the city, and Oktober took me through the infamous Red Light District. In all honesty, it was much tamer than I had expected. Sure, there were scantily clad women in windows and plenty of adult stores, but somehow I had envisioned more. The atmosphere of the place felt no different from any other late night city street full of bars and young people. If anything, the guys there paid less attention to two fully clothed girls walking down the street because they had nearly naked women to look at instead. And those women came in all shapes and sizes; some were absolutely beautiful, others not so much. I found it highly entertaining that as a man exited a building, the entire street cheered for him, as if he had just achieved some great accomplishment. If nothing else, our stroll through Amsterdam’s Red Light District was entertaining.
Saturday morning I enjoyed a luxury that I have been deprived of for most of this trip – I slept in! When I did wake up, I washed all of my laundry and snuggled with Oktober’s kitties; such mundane activities felt almost therapeutic.
In the early afternoon, Oktober had a writing workshop to attend, so I set out on my own to the Anne Frank House. The line was long, but the exhibit was worth the wait. Walking through the place where Anne Frank and her family hid for so many years, seeing pieces of her original diary, and watching recorded interviews with people who had known her was quite a moving experience.
Interestingly, the house was turned into a museum because the Frank family wanted their story to help future generations make the world a more tolerant place. So, the last room of the exhibit included several short videos of discrimination issues that the world is facing today. An optional poll after each video clip allowed people to express their opinions on such issues. I only stayed for a few of the videos, but questions such as, “Should Italian public schools be allowed to hang the crucifix in classrooms despite the fact that parents have protested against it?”, “Should Muslim girls be allowed to wear their religious head coverings in schools?”, and “Should neo-Nazi symbols, including certain color shoe laces, be banned?” I felt myself getting upset when, after each question, the answer I considered “more tolerant,” was consistently the minority answer. Despite an interest in the videos, I felt like I needed to go.
After reserving my seat on a train to Basel and grabbing a bite to eat, I met up with Oktober for a bit of shopping. When it started to rain, we headed back to her place, ordered sushi for delivery, and spent the rest of the evening discussing life, love, and music.
Overall, the weekend was fantastic. I am extremely glad that I got to catch up with Oktober, and Amsterdam may be creeping its way onto the short list of cities I would live in.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Norderney
I had been looking forward to our visit to Norderney from the beginning of this trip, and the mudhike and island did not disappoint.
First, we visited a seal rehabilitation center, which rescues hundreds of stranded baby seals from the coast every year. Because the babies get separated from their mothers in the tide, they would die without the help of the seal center. The center feeds and houses the seals until they are big enough to survive in the sea on their own, then the seals are released. The only permanent residents of the seal center are those with birth defects or other conditions that would prevent them from being able to survive in the wild.
After the seal center and a bite to eat, we headed out for our hike across the mudflats to the island of Norderney. At first the wind made the hike uncomfortably cold, but once we were out on the open sea, so to speak, I forgot the weather completely. Our guide took us through the shallowest areas, but even still, the mud often came up to my knees. We stopped to dig up a variety of sea creatures including worms, jellyfish, and crabs. Each time we stopped, our feet would sink in the mud, and moving again always proved difficult. After several hours of sloshing through mud, we made it safely to the island.
After washing up, I tagged along with Dr. Wasser and Olaf to indulge in a hard earned drink.
The next morning, the group headed out for a bike tour of the island. I, however, am not so good on a bike, and after a couple of failed attempts to even remain upright, I opted to explore the island on my own. Ultimately, I think I enjoyed the time to myself, and moving at my own pace, far more than I would have enjoyed the group tour. My walk through the city and across the beach felt peaceful, and in a way, liberating. I walked through parks, stopped for an apfelshorle, booked my train tickets, discovered historical monuments, and even asked for directions a few times in my horrible broken German. In the end, I made it to the restaurant just in time to meet up with the rest of the group, order my food, and enjoy a fantastic lunch.
While the group rode back to the harbor to return their bikes, I hopped on a bus to meet them. Unfortunately, the bus wasn’t actually supposed to go to the harbor, but I was clearly a lost confused American girl, and the driver took pity on me. I tried to tip him in thanks, but he refused.
At the harbor, I met up with the rest of the group again, we took a ferry back to the mainland, and I headed out to Amsterdam for the weekend.
First, we visited a seal rehabilitation center, which rescues hundreds of stranded baby seals from the coast every year. Because the babies get separated from their mothers in the tide, they would die without the help of the seal center. The center feeds and houses the seals until they are big enough to survive in the sea on their own, then the seals are released. The only permanent residents of the seal center are those with birth defects or other conditions that would prevent them from being able to survive in the wild.
After the seal center and a bite to eat, we headed out for our hike across the mudflats to the island of Norderney. At first the wind made the hike uncomfortably cold, but once we were out on the open sea, so to speak, I forgot the weather completely. Our guide took us through the shallowest areas, but even still, the mud often came up to my knees. We stopped to dig up a variety of sea creatures including worms, jellyfish, and crabs. Each time we stopped, our feet would sink in the mud, and moving again always proved difficult. After several hours of sloshing through mud, we made it safely to the island.
After washing up, I tagged along with Dr. Wasser and Olaf to indulge in a hard earned drink.
The next morning, the group headed out for a bike tour of the island. I, however, am not so good on a bike, and after a couple of failed attempts to even remain upright, I opted to explore the island on my own. Ultimately, I think I enjoyed the time to myself, and moving at my own pace, far more than I would have enjoyed the group tour. My walk through the city and across the beach felt peaceful, and in a way, liberating. I walked through parks, stopped for an apfelshorle, booked my train tickets, discovered historical monuments, and even asked for directions a few times in my horrible broken German. In the end, I made it to the restaurant just in time to meet up with the rest of the group, order my food, and enjoy a fantastic lunch.
While the group rode back to the harbor to return their bikes, I hopped on a bus to meet them. Unfortunately, the bus wasn’t actually supposed to go to the harbor, but I was clearly a lost confused American girl, and the driver took pity on me. I tried to tip him in thanks, but he refused.
At the harbor, I met up with the rest of the group again, we took a ferry back to the mainland, and I headed out to Amsterdam for the weekend.
It's like riding a bike...
Several of us tested the theory that you don't forget how to ride a bike while we were on the island of Norderney. We had a bike tour of the island but several of us had not ridden bikes for many years! After the first few wobbly feet, we were off!! So, it's true, you don't forget how to ride a bike!! Once I stopped watching the ground right in front of me, I had a great time! We had a great guide who took us around, stopped in good locations, and discussed things about the area/animals. This was a wonderful way to see the island and minus a little shower, the weather was nice too. Though I must say, they told us the island was flat....but biking up and down sand dunes against the wind can be quite tiring!! Especially when done the day after a hike across the mud flats!!
The hike to the island of Norderney, across the mudflats, on a "wattandderung" was really interesting to say the least!! We started out in really soft mud that at times was knee deep! I was thinking that there is no way I am going to make it the 6 or so km across!! Luckily it was only that deep and soft for a short time. Most of the time is was much easier to walk and the deepest water that we had to cross was only little more than knee deep. Mind you, it is the North Sea, its windy, overcast, and at times drizzeled a bit! A note to future mud flat walkers...wear tights or something under your shorts to help keep you warm, and dont wear short socks...you will want socks that are taller than the hightop shoes, otherwise you get nice rubs all the way around your ankles like I did!! Wear layers on your upper body to keep warm, and dont forget a rain jacket!!
We did the hike to the island the day before the bike ride and had the same guide for both, he was really good! He was really good at pointing things out and explaining things when all we could think about was how to not get sucked into the mud too deep!! And best of all, he got us safely across the mudflats before the tide came in!!
The hike to the island of Norderney, across the mudflats, on a "wattandderung" was really interesting to say the least!! We started out in really soft mud that at times was knee deep! I was thinking that there is no way I am going to make it the 6 or so km across!! Luckily it was only that deep and soft for a short time. Most of the time is was much easier to walk and the deepest water that we had to cross was only little more than knee deep. Mind you, it is the North Sea, its windy, overcast, and at times drizzeled a bit! A note to future mud flat walkers...wear tights or something under your shorts to help keep you warm, and dont wear short socks...you will want socks that are taller than the hightop shoes, otherwise you get nice rubs all the way around your ankles like I did!! Wear layers on your upper body to keep warm, and dont forget a rain jacket!!
We did the hike to the island the day before the bike ride and had the same guide for both, he was really good! He was really good at pointing things out and explaining things when all we could think about was how to not get sucked into the mud too deep!! And best of all, he got us safely across the mudflats before the tide came in!!
Bugs, bugs, and more bugs....
So today we went to Novartis in Basel, Switzerland....First of all, let me just say how awesome it is to just causally say "Hey, I'm in SWITZERLAND!!!" We arrived here last night and the Ramada I am in staying in is so fancy, my view of the mountains and city from my 14th floor room is to die for! On top of that, the weather is nice and once again, I'M IN SWITZERLAND!!
A few first impressions: Switzerland is like its own little independent nation that does its own thing, everything especially food here is VERY expensive, the mountains are gorgeous, most people speak english (yay!!), my hotel rrom view is AMAZING, the inner part of the city is very industrial-like, there is this lovely cake/pastry thing that is only made within a ten mile radius of the Novartis research lab that is a fantastic little treat, and finally the TV here is quite interesting.
We went to Novartis which by the way is another very impressive facility. It was nice to see the corporate side in person as compared to just hearing about it in school. I really enjoyed touring the research labs and demos explaining the development process but I do believe that traveling to the main research center was my favorite part! The drive there was beautiful, especially when you come out of this huge tunnel you can actually see the Swiss Alps, snow covered and everything! They were beautiful.
Once we got to the facility, I will have to say that my favorite part was the flea research with the artificial cat where they used parafin as a replacement membrane that acts as skin to eliminate the actual cat from the model to save it from the discomfort. I was also very interested in the research they were doing in arthritic dogs and force plates. All of the different aspects of research that were presented including the really grose room with maggots and cockroaches were different from what I was expecting and it defintely interested me. I didn't really know a whole lot of what goes on into making products past the chemical formulation in labs so it was interesting to see the behind the scenes. On top of all of the research, all of the people and researchers there were so friendly and very interesting to talk to and find out their story as to how they got to where they are today starting off in the veterinary profession!
A few first impressions: Switzerland is like its own little independent nation that does its own thing, everything especially food here is VERY expensive, the mountains are gorgeous, most people speak english (yay!!), my hotel rrom view is AMAZING, the inner part of the city is very industrial-like, there is this lovely cake/pastry thing that is only made within a ten mile radius of the Novartis research lab that is a fantastic little treat, and finally the TV here is quite interesting.
We went to Novartis which by the way is another very impressive facility. It was nice to see the corporate side in person as compared to just hearing about it in school. I really enjoyed touring the research labs and demos explaining the development process but I do believe that traveling to the main research center was my favorite part! The drive there was beautiful, especially when you come out of this huge tunnel you can actually see the Swiss Alps, snow covered and everything! They were beautiful.
Once we got to the facility, I will have to say that my favorite part was the flea research with the artificial cat where they used parafin as a replacement membrane that acts as skin to eliminate the actual cat from the model to save it from the discomfort. I was also very interested in the research they were doing in arthritic dogs and force plates. All of the different aspects of research that were presented including the really grose room with maggots and cockroaches were different from what I was expecting and it defintely interested me. I didn't really know a whole lot of what goes on into making products past the chemical formulation in labs so it was interesting to see the behind the scenes. On top of all of the research, all of the people and researchers there were so friendly and very interesting to talk to and find out their story as to how they got to where they are today starting off in the veterinary profession!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Hannover
For many, our visit to Hannover was the most exciting stop in our veterinary tour of Europe. I on the other hand, was sort of disappointed. Perhaps because I had spent the weekend at WGT, perhaps because I am just not interested in large animal medicine, or perhaps because we had already toured the vet school in Utrecht, I simply could not find much energy or enthusiasm for the Hannover school.
Don’t get me wrong; I think palpating cattle to check for pregnancy and collecting semen from stallions for artificial insemination, is important work that every vet student should experience. I am just far more interested in removing an animal’s ability to reproduce than I am in helping it in that task.
I did however enjoy making friends with this little calf. She was clearly skittish and ran into her little house when we approached her. While everyone else was paying attention to other things, I knelt down in front of her and reached out my hand. Slowly she started to approach me, and in the end, she tried to suckle on my hand – so cute, and so sweet.
I also had fantastic tapas dinner with a small group of students on the trip and our hosts. I enjoyed the food, drinks, company, and practicing my German. Christina, my host, was an absolute sweetheart during my stay, and it is nice to know that I have a friend in Hannover.
Don’t get me wrong; I think palpating cattle to check for pregnancy and collecting semen from stallions for artificial insemination, is important work that every vet student should experience. I am just far more interested in removing an animal’s ability to reproduce than I am in helping it in that task.
I did however enjoy making friends with this little calf. She was clearly skittish and ran into her little house when we approached her. While everyone else was paying attention to other things, I knelt down in front of her and reached out my hand. Slowly she started to approach me, and in the end, she tried to suckle on my hand – so cute, and so sweet.
I also had fantastic tapas dinner with a small group of students on the trip and our hosts. I enjoyed the food, drinks, company, and practicing my German. Christina, my host, was an absolute sweetheart during my stay, and it is nice to know that I have a friend in Hannover.
Leipzig & Wave Gotik Treffen
The journey to Leipzig was a little scary since it was my first time traveling around Europe completely alone. However, despite a train malfunction that required an unexpected train change, and then running 30 minutes behind, I managed to make all of my connections without any problems. I even managed to keep myself entertained during the ride by attempting to make sense of the German advertisements on the train.
Joseph met me at the Hbf at 1:00am, I got checked into the hotel, and after catching up, we got some much needed sleep.
The weekend at Wave Gotik Treffen was fantastic. Saturday morning, we picked up our wristbands and headed to the vendor area. I picked up a WGT 19 t-shirt, a new skirt, and a set of cyberlox hair falls. After shopping, we headed back to the hotel and got ready for the Rotersand show.
The crowd for Rotersand was absolutely enormous; I find it hard to believe that just a few years ago no one knew who they were. Ironically, I commented to Joseph that I wouldn’t be surprised if Ronan Harris made a guest appearance since he was at the festival and is such good friends with the Rotersand guys. Sure enough, a song or two later they announced special guest Ronan “Effing” Harris. Ronan came out and sang Merging Oceans with them – fan-freaking-tastic! After the show, I picked up a Rotersand t-shirt from the merch booth and headed back into the vendor area.
Joseph and I walked around the vendor area for a while mostly to avoid the cold outside, but I am quite thankful that we did, because we got to meet My Friend Skeleton. They were in full-on costume, and when they noticed me having a fan-girl moment, they motioned for me to come get my picture taken with them. In very broken German I negotiated purchasing a t-shirt from them, and then Joseph and I headed back to the hotel.
On the tram ride, we met up with Gwen and Brian from New Orleans. Seeing familiar faces in a foreign country is beyond nice. We chatted for 30 minutes or so, and agreed to meet up again before the festival ended.
Sunday, we tried to catch Ronan’s DJ set at the Dark Flower, but the schedule online had the wrong time. So instead, we wandered into a reading, in German, of Edgar Allan Poe’s Fall of the House of Usher. Not quite what we were expecting, but I enjoyed it mainly because I actually picked out enough words to know what was being read. When the performer started reading Lovecraft, we decided to head out.
While walking around, we found the Xtrax store and did a bit more shopping. Then we dropped by Dark Flower a second time, but not much was happening, so we headed off to catch Mono No Aware and Modulate.
Modulate put on a fantastic show. We snagged a spot right in front, I danced my butt off, and the Modulate guys spoke in English, so we could actually understand them. The guys were very excited about playing for such a large audience; about midway through the set, they asked the crowd to put our hands up in the air so they could take a picture. They said they would post the picture on facebook and wanted everyone to tag themselves. Most of the German kids had no clue what was going on, but Joseph and I thought it was fantastic. The highlight of the show was when they broke out with their remix of Faderhead’s Dirty Girls, which resulted in much screaming, jumping, and dancing on my part.
After picking up a Modulate t-shirt, we headed back to Agra Hall for Lacrimosa and Alien Sex Fiend. There we met back up with Gwen and Brian and rocked out for a bit before calling it an early night.
Overall, WGT 19 was every bit as awesome as WGT 14. I hope it does not take another five years before we make it back again.
Joseph met me at the Hbf at 1:00am, I got checked into the hotel, and after catching up, we got some much needed sleep.
The weekend at Wave Gotik Treffen was fantastic. Saturday morning, we picked up our wristbands and headed to the vendor area. I picked up a WGT 19 t-shirt, a new skirt, and a set of cyberlox hair falls. After shopping, we headed back to the hotel and got ready for the Rotersand show.
The crowd for Rotersand was absolutely enormous; I find it hard to believe that just a few years ago no one knew who they were. Ironically, I commented to Joseph that I wouldn’t be surprised if Ronan Harris made a guest appearance since he was at the festival and is such good friends with the Rotersand guys. Sure enough, a song or two later they announced special guest Ronan “Effing” Harris. Ronan came out and sang Merging Oceans with them – fan-freaking-tastic! After the show, I picked up a Rotersand t-shirt from the merch booth and headed back into the vendor area.
Joseph and I walked around the vendor area for a while mostly to avoid the cold outside, but I am quite thankful that we did, because we got to meet My Friend Skeleton. They were in full-on costume, and when they noticed me having a fan-girl moment, they motioned for me to come get my picture taken with them. In very broken German I negotiated purchasing a t-shirt from them, and then Joseph and I headed back to the hotel.
On the tram ride, we met up with Gwen and Brian from New Orleans. Seeing familiar faces in a foreign country is beyond nice. We chatted for 30 minutes or so, and agreed to meet up again before the festival ended.
Sunday, we tried to catch Ronan’s DJ set at the Dark Flower, but the schedule online had the wrong time. So instead, we wandered into a reading, in German, of Edgar Allan Poe’s Fall of the House of Usher. Not quite what we were expecting, but I enjoyed it mainly because I actually picked out enough words to know what was being read. When the performer started reading Lovecraft, we decided to head out.
While walking around, we found the Xtrax store and did a bit more shopping. Then we dropped by Dark Flower a second time, but not much was happening, so we headed off to catch Mono No Aware and Modulate.
Modulate put on a fantastic show. We snagged a spot right in front, I danced my butt off, and the Modulate guys spoke in English, so we could actually understand them. The guys were very excited about playing for such a large audience; about midway through the set, they asked the crowd to put our hands up in the air so they could take a picture. They said they would post the picture on facebook and wanted everyone to tag themselves. Most of the German kids had no clue what was going on, but Joseph and I thought it was fantastic. The highlight of the show was when they broke out with their remix of Faderhead’s Dirty Girls, which resulted in much screaming, jumping, and dancing on my part.
After picking up a Modulate t-shirt, we headed back to Agra Hall for Lacrimosa and Alien Sex Fiend. There we met back up with Gwen and Brian and rocked out for a bit before calling it an early night.
Overall, WGT 19 was every bit as awesome as WGT 14. I hope it does not take another five years before we make it back again.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Confines of the competent traveler
May 28, 2010
Henry was a wise old dog. He had traveled around the block a few times. As a stray, he learned to fend for himself. Never knowing but always anticipating where the next meal would come from, he had developed exquisite begging abilities that effectively convinced the naïve humans around him to throw him scraps regularly. His plans always worked and as a hound of the streets, Henry, surprisingly, rarely did without. Henry was keen about meeting his needs and quick to figure out new ways to do so. Henry even had spare time where he could run around the streets figuring out new paths and creating new adventures to keep him on top of his game. He often learned the most when he went on his own explorations!
However, things changed for Henry: One day a nice little old lady saw Henry and decided she would take him in. She had never owned a dog but her heart melted when she saw Henry. With the best of intentions, the little old lady took Henry in, gave him a warm fluffy new bed to sleep on, some fresh water, and heaps of food. Henry was grateful. For the first week, he loved the idea of his new owner. He played in the yard when she was gone during the day, slept on the bed when she allowed, drank and ate when she set the plates in front of him. Henry liked the idea of not having to fend for himself – and he didn’t mind not always having to have a plan. However, as time went on her schedule became more sporadic. And the once new treasure Henry became another ‘thing’ to care for and not a new Best friend. Soon enough, Henry wasn’t sure when his new owner would be home and was often left in the backyard with little room to run and alone for many hours at a time. Although, when she was home, she would occasionally forget that Henry needed to eat and, more often than not, Henry found the toilet bowl his only source of fresh water. Henry began to dream about the good old days when he was able to figure things out for himself- able to explore on his own- and meet his own needs when needed. Henry regretted giving up his freedom to the little old lady, although her intentions were never to harm Henry, she became too busy to realize Henry’s needs. Her schedule became more and more demanding and soon she forgot completely about Henry, so when he disappeared she didn’t even notice.
Once again, Henry was on the streets – living by his own means and never having to worry about someone forgetting about his needs again.
Henry was a wise old dog. He had traveled around the block a few times. As a stray, he learned to fend for himself. Never knowing but always anticipating where the next meal would come from, he had developed exquisite begging abilities that effectively convinced the naïve humans around him to throw him scraps regularly. His plans always worked and as a hound of the streets, Henry, surprisingly, rarely did without. Henry was keen about meeting his needs and quick to figure out new ways to do so. Henry even had spare time where he could run around the streets figuring out new paths and creating new adventures to keep him on top of his game. He often learned the most when he went on his own explorations!
However, things changed for Henry: One day a nice little old lady saw Henry and decided she would take him in. She had never owned a dog but her heart melted when she saw Henry. With the best of intentions, the little old lady took Henry in, gave him a warm fluffy new bed to sleep on, some fresh water, and heaps of food. Henry was grateful. For the first week, he loved the idea of his new owner. He played in the yard when she was gone during the day, slept on the bed when she allowed, drank and ate when she set the plates in front of him. Henry liked the idea of not having to fend for himself – and he didn’t mind not always having to have a plan. However, as time went on her schedule became more sporadic. And the once new treasure Henry became another ‘thing’ to care for and not a new Best friend. Soon enough, Henry wasn’t sure when his new owner would be home and was often left in the backyard with little room to run and alone for many hours at a time. Although, when she was home, she would occasionally forget that Henry needed to eat and, more often than not, Henry found the toilet bowl his only source of fresh water. Henry began to dream about the good old days when he was able to figure things out for himself- able to explore on his own- and meet his own needs when needed. Henry regretted giving up his freedom to the little old lady, although her intentions were never to harm Henry, she became too busy to realize Henry’s needs. Her schedule became more and more demanding and soon she forgot completely about Henry, so when he disappeared she didn’t even notice.
Once again, Henry was on the streets – living by his own means and never having to worry about someone forgetting about his needs again.
I CHOOSE DEATH!!!
May 27, 2010
Schnelling (s-ch-nell-ing): to move at the speed light; equivalent to burning 4,000 kcal per second; detrimental to the well-being of travelers; Olaf’s favorite dirty word.
It is better to die than to schnell.
Schnelling (s-ch-nell-ing): to move at the speed light; equivalent to burning 4,000 kcal per second; detrimental to the well-being of travelers; Olaf’s favorite dirty word.
It is better to die than to schnell.
Can't touch this.
May 20, 2010
Can’t touch this.
Read at own discretion/ It would be unlike me not to post a theological piece.
When I lived in HD, I used to visit the Koln cathedral to sit on the steps and ponder the generations of people who worshiped there…. the number of prayers lifted to God there… the intent of the cathedral’s beauty to be pleasing to God, as well as, the many hands that have worked on it to make it that way- these thoughts alone are incredibly overwhelming. For over 1,000s of years this very place has been a place where the weary have come to lay their burdens at the feet of the Cross and walk away renewed…
Colossians 1:15-19:
“We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at the Son and see God’s original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels- everything got started with Him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, He organizes it, holds it together, like a head does the body.
He was supreme in the beginning and- leading the resurrection parade- He is supreme in the end. From beginning to end He’s there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is He, so roomy, that everything of God finds it proper place in Him without crowding. Not only that but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe- people and things, animals and atoms- get properly fixed because of His death, His blood that poured down from the cross.” - MSG version
I read these verses – which conjure similar but far superior awestruck thoughts - “Wow, to man the Koln cathedral is a huge beautiful work of art- and a powerful draw for people to come experience, ponder, and stand in awe- - but yet still it cannot touch the omnipotence of the Cross.”
I wonder if those who planned it and built it ever thought the same things- that while the cathedrals’ beauty is superior to many it still can only convey a glimpse of the power and beauty of the Cross.
The Beginning of the Journey
May 16, 2010 9:00am
The Germany journey is about to begin, and a mixture of feelings swirl within me. I am uber excited, because what could be better than strolling down the Hauptstrasse - to remind me of the carefree days abroad- or choosing from the bountiful colors and flavors of gelato from the local street vendors!! For those who know me well- know that if I was ever to repeat a year of my life, without a doubt, it would be studying abroad in Heidelberg. Enchanted describes my feelings/memories! Yet, I am also a little apprehensive because I am not sure what this particular program has in store, and I hope that I have not inflated my expectations! Not only that, I am already regretful that I will not be able to speak conversational German… I wish I had time to study up so I could practice while I was there. But I suppose it’s a reason to justify another trip. On the subject of apprehension, I don’t have close friends traveling with me and I hardly know those going- so I hope to make better friends with those on the trip and that the trip is enriched because of those I travel with… I know we will be bonded simply by being the select few who go through such an experience together.
On the subject of VetMed in Europe: I may never practice veterinary medicine in Europe, but at least it will be eye-opening to see vet med from the perspective of Europeans. Not only that, one of my hopes for this trip is to make contacts that will be lifelong colleagues and friends. A majority of my family’s business is abroad and we reap many benefits of having developed friendships with a number of our international distributors. I hope to expose my family one day to many people around the world and many different cultures- as my father has submerged me.
That’s all for now. Happy Travels!!
Tschüs,
Brittany
Amsterdam
Well, after a week full of "schnelling", I was extremely glad that we only had a half hour train ride to Amsterdam from Utrecht. The hostel was great! We had a bit of an adventure finding it because the directions that the hostel gives on their website were not very good. We missed the tram stop, so we had to walk back a couple of blocks, asked a taxi driver, and a nice man on his bike noticed we didn't know exactly where were going, and thanks to him, we found the hostel. I was grateful for a lot of sleep that night, and the weather was beautiful all weekend! On Saturday, we took a canal tour which was nice...except for the screaming child behind Melissa. I don't like it when parents ignore their children when their behaving like that, but anyway....Later, we went to the Anne Frank House. That was pretty amazing. The thing I noticed most is that no one talked. It was what Diana called a natural silence. There is such reverence for the Frank's family story told through the eyes of the younger daughter. I had read the diary in middle school, but it was a profound time to spend in their refuge.
That night, we were fortunate enough to come upon a live, outdoor concert in the city center. A band called "Catch" was playing, and they were so good! I love live music and had a great time listening and observing people around us enjoying the concert also.
On Sunday, we took a train out to Zaanstreek (I think), where the old-fashioned windmills and wooden shoe workshop were. We had quite a walk from the train station, but the weather was fantastic, so I didn't mind. As we crossed the bridge to go to the town, we saw the windmills and, of course, took advantage of the Kodak moment. The town was adorable, and I had tons of fun walking around to the different buildings, watching wooden shoes be made, and eating a delicious Dutch pancake! I guess that's one thing that surprised me in Amsterdam. There are quite a few pancake houses. They're not the types of pancakes we're used to, but they were still scrumptous!
The trip ended perfectly with a walk in VondelPark. It was just down the street from our hostel, and Diana, Melissa, Bridget and I had a beautiful, leisurely walk through it. Awesome!! :) Then, it was off to Hannover for more adventures!
That night, we were fortunate enough to come upon a live, outdoor concert in the city center. A band called "Catch" was playing, and they were so good! I love live music and had a great time listening and observing people around us enjoying the concert also.
On Sunday, we took a train out to Zaanstreek (I think), where the old-fashioned windmills and wooden shoe workshop were. We had quite a walk from the train station, but the weather was fantastic, so I didn't mind. As we crossed the bridge to go to the town, we saw the windmills and, of course, took advantage of the Kodak moment. The town was adorable, and I had tons of fun walking around to the different buildings, watching wooden shoes be made, and eating a delicious Dutch pancake! I guess that's one thing that surprised me in Amsterdam. There are quite a few pancake houses. They're not the types of pancakes we're used to, but they were still scrumptous!
The trip ended perfectly with a walk in VondelPark. It was just down the street from our hostel, and Diana, Melissa, Bridget and I had a beautiful, leisurely walk through it. Awesome!! :) Then, it was off to Hannover for more adventures!
I CHOOSE LIFE!!!!!
So several interesting things occurred while we were in Norderney....starting with a 15 kilometer mud walk across the ocean to the Island of Norderney which took approximatley 4 and a half hours. During this walk I learned several things....Never attempt to walk fast in unsure footing especially when there is nothing to hold on to, there is a species of oysters that have taken over the North Sea area, when standing in mud, don't freak out, stand still so you don't sink even further (we learned this lesson from Dr. Wasser's and Stephanie's almost wipe out), apparently jelly fish here don't sting people, and my favorite....when crossing a channel and the guide gets half way through holding up his pants with water up to mid-thigh, choose life instead and elect to go upstream where it is more shallow! Also a few more things to note, sometimes Germans tell you that something is three minutes away when it is really 10-15 minutes or even that something is 3 kilometers away that turns out to be 6 kilometer. I think they do this so that you don't complain and just give up because that was a killer but amazing mud walk. I couldn't hardly move by the time we got done, my knees were so swollen and my legs were extremely itchy but it was an experience I was glad to have. Not many people can say that they have actually walked to an island! My body may not agree since my spine and legs are screaming at me right now but it was totally worth it!!
I also enjoyed touring the seal preservation and seeing the skeleton of a sperm whale that was pretty awesome. I think the highlight of that trip had to be when Brittany and me got into a near death bike crash where I lost my hat and tried to recover it with one hand losing control of my bike and crashing into her. Luckily there was some very fluffy grass to catch our fall and the first thing I heard was Brittany histerically laughing but I still felt awefull all the same :( By the end of our two days, we basically did about 25-30 kilometers between the walking and biking and let me just say that my body hates me for it!!! I wouldn't have it any other way though, riding a bike was definitely interesting and apparently everyone should just stay clear of me when I do so because it never fails, I must crash at least once!!
Stephanie and I went to Koln for the week for some rest and relaxation which I must say was very nice to have some alone time and allow my poor, aching body to recover! Can't wait to see what Switzerland has in store!!!
I also enjoyed touring the seal preservation and seeing the skeleton of a sperm whale that was pretty awesome. I think the highlight of that trip had to be when Brittany and me got into a near death bike crash where I lost my hat and tried to recover it with one hand losing control of my bike and crashing into her. Luckily there was some very fluffy grass to catch our fall and the first thing I heard was Brittany histerically laughing but I still felt awefull all the same :( By the end of our two days, we basically did about 25-30 kilometers between the walking and biking and let me just say that my body hates me for it!!! I wouldn't have it any other way though, riding a bike was definitely interesting and apparently everyone should just stay clear of me when I do so because it never fails, I must crash at least once!!
Stephanie and I went to Koln for the week for some rest and relaxation which I must say was very nice to have some alone time and allow my poor, aching body to recover! Can't wait to see what Switzerland has in store!!!
New friends and great places
I spent last weekend in Amsterdam which was fabulous. The city wasn't exactly what I expected but overall I had a really great time. We went to see the Ann Frank museum where her and her family were actually in hiding and I even got to go behind the book case into their hidden loft and saw the actual pictures that Anne herself posted on the walls to make their stay less depressing. One thing was was really cool was the fact that we got to see her actually diaries, the original ones, that her father donated when he set up this museum to teach others from the horrible times they had to live through. It was very sad for me to find out that Anne had passed away from Typhi just one month before liberation mainly because she gave up on life after her sister died thinking that she had no one else left when actually her father was still alive and survived it.
We also went to a little island where they have a wooden shoe factory and the famous Holland windmills and it was absolutely beautiful. They even had a demonstration on how the wooden shoes were made. We made it Hannover on Monday to meet our new hosts and have dinner with them.
Dinner was awesome!! I lucked out in getting two of the best hosts I could have asked for, Durta and Jana.... Some highlights of the week: touring all of the hospitals, especially getting to sit in on rounds in the equine clinic!! Also getting to see the University farm with its awesome milking robot!! Getting to palpate cows and learning more in those few hours about bovine reproductive anatomy than learning all last semester!! My favorite parts were getting to do the epidural, actually being able to find the cervix and ovaries, and also getting to use the ultrasound to make sure what I thought was an ovary really was and it was! Last, but certainly not least, the Stallion Station which was so exciting I could barely control myself!!! I am really going to miss my girls and all their critters, I had a great time eating chocolate, eis, and touring the city and just hanging out! I definitely want to come back soon to see them!
We also went to a little island where they have a wooden shoe factory and the famous Holland windmills and it was absolutely beautiful. They even had a demonstration on how the wooden shoes were made. We made it Hannover on Monday to meet our new hosts and have dinner with them.
Dinner was awesome!! I lucked out in getting two of the best hosts I could have asked for, Durta and Jana.... Some highlights of the week: touring all of the hospitals, especially getting to sit in on rounds in the equine clinic!! Also getting to see the University farm with its awesome milking robot!! Getting to palpate cows and learning more in those few hours about bovine reproductive anatomy than learning all last semester!! My favorite parts were getting to do the epidural, actually being able to find the cervix and ovaries, and also getting to use the ultrasound to make sure what I thought was an ovary really was and it was! Last, but certainly not least, the Stallion Station which was so exciting I could barely control myself!!! I am really going to miss my girls and all their critters, I had a great time eating chocolate, eis, and touring the city and just hanging out! I definitely want to come back soon to see them!
Everyone should take a break from group activities
At least once on the trip. I've been in Munich for a day all by myself, and it is WONDERFUL. I booked a nice hotel and spent the entire day sightseeing. It is natural for there to be group drama on a trip like this, but honestly I needed a break. I took a night train, which I really DON'T recommend. It was late, I got no sleep, and I got to Munich just wanting a bed.
I did not, however, go to sleep. I put in my full day doing touristy things. The Residenz museum was definitely my favorite! I wandered around for several hours, just trying to imagine being rich enough to own all the things in that palace and call somewhere like that home. I also hit up St. Peter's, the Stadtmuseum and of course, gelato! I finished the day with shopping, and checked into the hotel for a well deserved shower and delicious meal. I guess I'm not quite finished yet, as I need to go downstairs now for my massage. Moral of this post: take a break, spend money on yourself, and RELAX!
I did not, however, go to sleep. I put in my full day doing touristy things. The Residenz museum was definitely my favorite! I wandered around for several hours, just trying to imagine being rich enough to own all the things in that palace and call somewhere like that home. I also hit up St. Peter's, the Stadtmuseum and of course, gelato! I finished the day with shopping, and checked into the hotel for a well deserved shower and delicious meal. I guess I'm not quite finished yet, as I need to go downstairs now for my massage. Moral of this post: take a break, spend money on yourself, and RELAX!
I've found my retirement home (or island)
Norderney was one of the most beautiful places we've been so far. It was amazing to get out of the cities and experience nature! I haven't done that since vet school started, and probably won't get to again for a while. Although the mudflat walk was incredibly arduous, I thought it was really neat once we got going. When you reach dry land, though, no matter what they tell you keep your shoes on! It was NOT 3 km like they told us, and it was NOT warm. Muddy, wet shoes may seem terrible but trust me (and Olaf), naked feet are worse. Olaf and I had a great laugh while trying to keep ourselves going by noting the many similarities between the mudflat hike and the epic journey of Frodo in Lord of the Rings. The lighthouse is NOT GETTING ANY CLOSER! At least I slept well that night :)
The bike tour was also amazing fun. I missed riding a bike since moving to Texas, because it is waaaay too hot most of the time to do anything of the sort. It was cold when we got showered on, which made eating at the restaurant a bit icy for my taste, but it was worth it. I haven't seen views of the ocean and beach that beautiful in a long time. It made me very homesick, but also made me realize the things I truly enjoy, which are being outside and enjoying nature. I am so going to retire there, or at least visit for LONG periods of time! Norderney was a hugely relaxing break from cities and public transit, even if it was the most physically exhausting couple of days we've had.
PS: I don't miss not having decent internet though!
The bike tour was also amazing fun. I missed riding a bike since moving to Texas, because it is waaaay too hot most of the time to do anything of the sort. It was cold when we got showered on, which made eating at the restaurant a bit icy for my taste, but it was worth it. I haven't seen views of the ocean and beach that beautiful in a long time. It made me very homesick, but also made me realize the things I truly enjoy, which are being outside and enjoying nature. I am so going to retire there, or at least visit for LONG periods of time! Norderney was a hugely relaxing break from cities and public transit, even if it was the most physically exhausting couple of days we've had.
PS: I don't miss not having decent internet though!
Utrecht
Last Thursday morning, Nels took us by train to Utrecht. We arrived at the veterinary school just before lunch time, and we enjoyed a welcome talk which covered the Utrecht program.
Despite being accredited by the AVMA, the Utrecht veterinary program is extremely different from ours. Students begin the six year program right after high school, and admission is primarily decided by a lottery system unless an individual has extremely high grades or very specific interests. Grades are on a 10 point scale and a 5.5 is considered passing. If a student fails a course, he or she can retry until a passing grade is earned; in fact, some students take 10 years or more to complete the program. Additionally, the method of teaching is all systems based, meaning instead of covering various subjects (anatomy, physiology, pathology, medicine, etc.) they cover body systems and organs (renal, hepatic, digestive, etc.). Instead of taking five or six classes for an entire semester, each course only lasts about six weeks, and students take two or three at a time. While lectures are still given, learning is much more group-project and individual-study based. Finally, the students do not have to pay for their own education; the cost of attending a university is covered by taxes.
While this system, to us, may seem like a vet school utopia, it has its advantages and disadvantages. If necessary, students can take time off from school and restart at nearly any time without being set a year behind, or they can repeat a course if needed. However, by our standards, the students did not seem to take the program as seriously as we do; they party a lot more, and when they took us out for a night on the town (on a school night!) we just couldn’t keep up. We ended up dragging them away from the party at 2:30 in the morning, although many of them would have preferred to stay until 4:00 or 5:00.
During our visit, we toured various areas of the vet school and heard the story of Androclus and the Lion.
The veterinary symbol in Utrecht is based off of an ancient myth in which a Roman slave, Androclus escaped the city. Outside, he sought shelter in cave, but in that cave, he found a wounded lion. Androclus removed a thorn from the lion's paw, drained the pus, and bandaged the wound. Later, Androclus returned to the city, where he was sentenced to die. The emperor placed the slave in a pit to be eaten by a lion. However, the lion remembered Androclus and did not attack. Impressed by the bond between the slave and the lion, the emperor pardoned Androclus, and he was allowed to live in the city with the lion. This legend is sometimes considered the birth of veterinary medicine.
Everyone in our program was blown away by the anatomy study room available at Utrecht. The skeletal and plastinated specimens were more numerous and were of much higher quality than ours. The study room was set up like a museum, or Body Worlds exhibit, with displays in glass cases and written explanations available for each display. Plastinated models were available to study abdominal topography, blood vessels to the brain, and other topics that are difficult to study on dissected specimens. Students had access to the room at any time, and computers were available for reviewing notes. It is truly a shame that A&M does not have a similar facility available. Students could effectively study any aspect of anatomy without having to pull out formaldehyde soaked cadavers, put on gloves and lab coat, and lock themselves in the anatomy lab for hours on end.
We also toured the very impressive equine clinic at the Utrecht vet school, which was much larger than the large animal clinic at A&M.
In the evening, the Utrecht veterinary students held a barbecue for us. We ate a variety of grilled meat and vegetables, drank wine and beer, and got to chat with our Dutch colleagues. I think everyone enjoyed discussing the differences between our programs, and despite those differences, we clearly shared a common bond through our experiences in veterinary school.
After the barbecue, our Utrecht hosts took us to a Vet-Inn party. Thankfully for me, the DJs were not playing the normal R&B/rap and instead were playing hard techno. I got quite a bit of dancing in, but I’m not sure the regulars knew what to make of me. Despite much synthy-crunchy-goodness, the music eventually just felt too repetitive, and many of my classmates were really ready to leave, so I found Tom, and Sarah and I headed to his place to crash.
That Friday included a full day of lectures at the vet school. We listened to a public health talk from a speaker who was actually extremely interesting; he discussed the differences in food safety procedures based on economy and level of development in a country, and he explained to us the concept of vertical farming. Next, we listened to a talk on animals in science and society, and we learned how veterinary clinicians can use the research that is currently being conducted at Utrecht about animal emotion and cognitions. The researchers hypothesize that there is a correlation between an animal’s anxiety and its perception of pain, so that a more anxious animal will feel more painful after a surgical procedure. I find this research fascinating as Dr. B. often adjusted drug dosages slightly based on an animal’s behavior. We also got to meet many of Utrecht’s lab animals, and we watched this little guy stuff the pouches in mouth full of food pellets – so cute! After lunch, we heard a talk on veterinary history, which I also found very interesting.
Unfortunately, I had to cut out of the program a bit early to catch my train to Leipzig for the weekend; so, I missed the rest of the tour around the Utrecht facility.
Despite being accredited by the AVMA, the Utrecht veterinary program is extremely different from ours. Students begin the six year program right after high school, and admission is primarily decided by a lottery system unless an individual has extremely high grades or very specific interests. Grades are on a 10 point scale and a 5.5 is considered passing. If a student fails a course, he or she can retry until a passing grade is earned; in fact, some students take 10 years or more to complete the program. Additionally, the method of teaching is all systems based, meaning instead of covering various subjects (anatomy, physiology, pathology, medicine, etc.) they cover body systems and organs (renal, hepatic, digestive, etc.). Instead of taking five or six classes for an entire semester, each course only lasts about six weeks, and students take two or three at a time. While lectures are still given, learning is much more group-project and individual-study based. Finally, the students do not have to pay for their own education; the cost of attending a university is covered by taxes.
While this system, to us, may seem like a vet school utopia, it has its advantages and disadvantages. If necessary, students can take time off from school and restart at nearly any time without being set a year behind, or they can repeat a course if needed. However, by our standards, the students did not seem to take the program as seriously as we do; they party a lot more, and when they took us out for a night on the town (on a school night!) we just couldn’t keep up. We ended up dragging them away from the party at 2:30 in the morning, although many of them would have preferred to stay until 4:00 or 5:00.
During our visit, we toured various areas of the vet school and heard the story of Androclus and the Lion.
The veterinary symbol in Utrecht is based off of an ancient myth in which a Roman slave, Androclus escaped the city. Outside, he sought shelter in cave, but in that cave, he found a wounded lion. Androclus removed a thorn from the lion's paw, drained the pus, and bandaged the wound. Later, Androclus returned to the city, where he was sentenced to die. The emperor placed the slave in a pit to be eaten by a lion. However, the lion remembered Androclus and did not attack. Impressed by the bond between the slave and the lion, the emperor pardoned Androclus, and he was allowed to live in the city with the lion. This legend is sometimes considered the birth of veterinary medicine.
Everyone in our program was blown away by the anatomy study room available at Utrecht. The skeletal and plastinated specimens were more numerous and were of much higher quality than ours. The study room was set up like a museum, or Body Worlds exhibit, with displays in glass cases and written explanations available for each display. Plastinated models were available to study abdominal topography, blood vessels to the brain, and other topics that are difficult to study on dissected specimens. Students had access to the room at any time, and computers were available for reviewing notes. It is truly a shame that A&M does not have a similar facility available. Students could effectively study any aspect of anatomy without having to pull out formaldehyde soaked cadavers, put on gloves and lab coat, and lock themselves in the anatomy lab for hours on end.
We also toured the very impressive equine clinic at the Utrecht vet school, which was much larger than the large animal clinic at A&M.
In the evening, the Utrecht veterinary students held a barbecue for us. We ate a variety of grilled meat and vegetables, drank wine and beer, and got to chat with our Dutch colleagues. I think everyone enjoyed discussing the differences between our programs, and despite those differences, we clearly shared a common bond through our experiences in veterinary school.
After the barbecue, our Utrecht hosts took us to a Vet-Inn party. Thankfully for me, the DJs were not playing the normal R&B/rap and instead were playing hard techno. I got quite a bit of dancing in, but I’m not sure the regulars knew what to make of me. Despite much synthy-crunchy-goodness, the music eventually just felt too repetitive, and many of my classmates were really ready to leave, so I found Tom, and Sarah and I headed to his place to crash.
That Friday included a full day of lectures at the vet school. We listened to a public health talk from a speaker who was actually extremely interesting; he discussed the differences in food safety procedures based on economy and level of development in a country, and he explained to us the concept of vertical farming. Next, we listened to a talk on animals in science and society, and we learned how veterinary clinicians can use the research that is currently being conducted at Utrecht about animal emotion and cognitions. The researchers hypothesize that there is a correlation between an animal’s anxiety and its perception of pain, so that a more anxious animal will feel more painful after a surgical procedure. I find this research fascinating as Dr. B. often adjusted drug dosages slightly based on an animal’s behavior. We also got to meet many of Utrecht’s lab animals, and we watched this little guy stuff the pouches in mouth full of food pellets – so cute! After lunch, we heard a talk on veterinary history, which I also found very interesting.
Unfortunately, I had to cut out of the program a bit early to catch my train to Leipzig for the weekend; so, I missed the rest of the tour around the Utrecht facility.
Bonn
Bonn is a much smaller town not far from Cologne. Our AIB dormitory was actually in Bonn, and during our stay we visited an organic farm, listened to a talk on homeopathy, visited a biergarten on the Rhine, and toured the city.
Early Wednesday morning we headed to tour an organic farm in Bonn where I learned a tremendous amount of what it means to be “organic.” Prior to the visit, I had the mistaken impression that organic farming was anti-scientific due to the rejection of genetically modified organisms. However, during our visit, I realized how much more there is to the organic label where the focus is actually on creating sustainable, environmentally friendly, closed system farms. The organic system seems much more efficient as nothing is wasted; cattle are raised and their manure is naturally prepared and used as fertilizer, other organic waste is used in compost, and often times, even the food for the animals is grown on the same farm. Pest control is often accomplished by allowing animals that eat the insects to live in the fields with the plants. Additionally, in Europe, organic farms are required to practice homeopathy, not only in the animals, but also for the plants. The farm even had a solar cooker!
At the farm, we were even allowed to try this strange vegetable, kohlrabi, which was delicious. It tasted like a cross between a melon of some sort and cucumber. I plan to look for some when I get back to the states, and I would recommend that anyone who has the opportunity should try kohlrabi.
After our trip to the farm, we headed back to the AIB headquarters where I was finally reunited with my luggage. We listened to a lecture on homeopathy, which also was eye-opening. Prior to vet school, I was familiar with the holistic approach to medicine; I knew that herbs and acupuncture were used for healing, but homeopathy was an entirely new concept for me.
The basic principal behind homeopathy is the notion that “like cures like.” So, a natural substance, such as a toxic plant, that causes disease is diluted and “potentized,” and then used to treat the same symptoms that the substance would normally cause. During preparation, the substance is actually diluted to the point that it can no longer be detected in the water or alcohol. A special mixing procedure is used between each dilution to potentize the mixture. No one quite understands how or why it works, but a good deal of scientific and antidotal evidence suggests that it does. Homeopathic treatments can be used along side of traditional medicine and have few, if any, side effects.
The scientific studies regarding homeopathy are called “proovings.” Participants are given a new homeopathic remedy or a placebo and they record their physical and mental symptoms. Without knowing what the “active ingredient” in the remedy is, participants often have dreams of the source of the ingredient and experience the expected symptoms.
I am definitely interested in learning more about homeopathic treatments. For many patients, the remedies might help, and they certainly won’t hurt, so I feel it is worth looking into.
After the lecture, we went on a city tour of Bonn. In addition to the Beethoven statue, we saw the old city gate, the cathedral, and the university.
After the tour, we met up with Nels from the AIB, who took us to a Biergarten on the Rhine. Finally, we ended the evening with shots and beer in a little bar downtown. Thanks to the delicious drinks, good conversation, and hearing Siouxie Sioux on the radio, I had a great time at the bar despite the exhaustion I felt.
So far, Bonn has been one of my favorite stops in our whirlwind tour of Europe!
Early Wednesday morning we headed to tour an organic farm in Bonn where I learned a tremendous amount of what it means to be “organic.” Prior to the visit, I had the mistaken impression that organic farming was anti-scientific due to the rejection of genetically modified organisms. However, during our visit, I realized how much more there is to the organic label where the focus is actually on creating sustainable, environmentally friendly, closed system farms. The organic system seems much more efficient as nothing is wasted; cattle are raised and their manure is naturally prepared and used as fertilizer, other organic waste is used in compost, and often times, even the food for the animals is grown on the same farm. Pest control is often accomplished by allowing animals that eat the insects to live in the fields with the plants. Additionally, in Europe, organic farms are required to practice homeopathy, not only in the animals, but also for the plants. The farm even had a solar cooker!
At the farm, we were even allowed to try this strange vegetable, kohlrabi, which was delicious. It tasted like a cross between a melon of some sort and cucumber. I plan to look for some when I get back to the states, and I would recommend that anyone who has the opportunity should try kohlrabi.
After our trip to the farm, we headed back to the AIB headquarters where I was finally reunited with my luggage. We listened to a lecture on homeopathy, which also was eye-opening. Prior to vet school, I was familiar with the holistic approach to medicine; I knew that herbs and acupuncture were used for healing, but homeopathy was an entirely new concept for me.
The basic principal behind homeopathy is the notion that “like cures like.” So, a natural substance, such as a toxic plant, that causes disease is diluted and “potentized,” and then used to treat the same symptoms that the substance would normally cause. During preparation, the substance is actually diluted to the point that it can no longer be detected in the water or alcohol. A special mixing procedure is used between each dilution to potentize the mixture. No one quite understands how or why it works, but a good deal of scientific and antidotal evidence suggests that it does. Homeopathic treatments can be used along side of traditional medicine and have few, if any, side effects.
The scientific studies regarding homeopathy are called “proovings.” Participants are given a new homeopathic remedy or a placebo and they record their physical and mental symptoms. Without knowing what the “active ingredient” in the remedy is, participants often have dreams of the source of the ingredient and experience the expected symptoms.
I am definitely interested in learning more about homeopathic treatments. For many patients, the remedies might help, and they certainly won’t hurt, so I feel it is worth looking into.
After the lecture, we went on a city tour of Bonn. In addition to the Beethoven statue, we saw the old city gate, the cathedral, and the university.
After the tour, we met up with Nels from the AIB, who took us to a Biergarten on the Rhine. Finally, we ended the evening with shots and beer in a little bar downtown. Thanks to the delicious drinks, good conversation, and hearing Siouxie Sioux on the radio, I had a great time at the bar despite the exhaustion I felt.
So far, Bonn has been one of my favorite stops in our whirlwind tour of Europe!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Happy cows live in Germany!!
Holy Cow!! They are keeping us very busy!
We went to Hanover and stayed with veterinary students for a couple of nights, they were amazing! My host, who had stayed with me in Texas in March, is so nice and extremely helpful!! We got to tour their brand new small animal clinic, which only opened a couple of months ago. It is really big and spacious and state of the art!! The facilities are really nice, very clean, and pet owner friendly. I really like how they have special rooms for clients to sit in with their pets when they get treatments, or can even get some sleep in! It seems like they have all of the latest gadgets too! Their new equine clinic is just as impressive! It felt nicely set up, and very convenient.
After seeing their farm where the cattle can literally get milked when every they want to, eat when they want to, and wander around, I am convinced that they are very happy cows! They have an amazing milking machine that reads the cows tag when she comes in (on her own) and knows everything about her, including when she was milked last and how much milk she gave! It even cleans not only the cow before and after the milking, but also itself!! Really interesting!! Even just riding on the train looking out at the fields, all I see are nice fat healthy looking dairy cows. They get to graze in lush green pastures and they all look so content!! So I am convinced that Happy Cows actually live in Germany!!
We went to Hanover and stayed with veterinary students for a couple of nights, they were amazing! My host, who had stayed with me in Texas in March, is so nice and extremely helpful!! We got to tour their brand new small animal clinic, which only opened a couple of months ago. It is really big and spacious and state of the art!! The facilities are really nice, very clean, and pet owner friendly. I really like how they have special rooms for clients to sit in with their pets when they get treatments, or can even get some sleep in! It seems like they have all of the latest gadgets too! Their new equine clinic is just as impressive! It felt nicely set up, and very convenient.
After seeing their farm where the cattle can literally get milked when every they want to, eat when they want to, and wander around, I am convinced that they are very happy cows! They have an amazing milking machine that reads the cows tag when she comes in (on her own) and knows everything about her, including when she was milked last and how much milk she gave! It even cleans not only the cow before and after the milking, but also itself!! Really interesting!! Even just riding on the train looking out at the fields, all I see are nice fat healthy looking dairy cows. They get to graze in lush green pastures and they all look so content!! So I am convinced that Happy Cows actually live in Germany!!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Cologne
Our whirlwind visit to Cologne was absolutely amazing. We toured the city, enjoyed a behind-the-scenes tour of the Cologne zoo, visited the Cologne cathedral, and took a roof-top tour of the cathedral.
On the Cologne city tour, one of our most interesting stops was this archeology site. Throughout history, when buildings have been torn down and new ones built, the rubble was not cleared away. So, beneath each building lies an archeological history of the city. The pyramid pictured is an old Jewish ritual bath house, and this site will become a Jewish museum, as it was one of the first Jewish communities.
We also saw this bridge over the Rhine. Even from the distance we were standing, we could see the glittering gold of hundreds of locks attached to the bridge. According to local tradition, a young couple can buy a lock, have their names engraved, lock it onto the bridge, and throw the key into the river; as long as the lock remains, the couple’s love will last.
I especially enjoyed the behind-the-scenes tour of the Cologne zoo. In addition to seeing lions, tree kangaroos, giant rats, camels, merecats, flamingos, turtles, and a variety of other animals, we learned a tremendous amount about the elephant care and medical treatment. Their caretaker was kind enough to take us through their new facility. We saw the squeeze shoots and the office from which the elephant enclosure can be monitored. The elephants even approached us, and we were allowed to pet their trunks.
We also got to see the kitchen area where food for the animals is prepared and we got to see and learn about many of the current breeding programs happening at the zoo.
We also took both ground and roof-top tours of the Cologne cathedral. The cathedral took 632 years to build, and prior to the building of the Eiffel Tower, was the tallest building in the world. The cathedral houses the remains of the supposed "Three Wise Men." The stained glass windows pictured above were designed by the famous artist Gerhard Richter and caused quite a bit of controversy. Richter decided the stained glass should be abstract instead of a more traditional scenic window; so, to design the glass, he studied each window already in the cathedral and found 72 common colors. Each of these colors was incorporated into his design. At first glance, the window appears to be a haphazard collage of these colors, but each column actually mirrors another column representing the timeless reflection of the religion.
During the roof-top tour, we learned that the cathedral has quite a lot of character. Different architects over the years have left their mark in tiny ways that cannot be seen from the ground. For example, one of the many gargoyles is actually a man in hard hat.
The view from the top of the cathedral was absolutely phenomenal.
We ended our day in Cologne with a meal at “The Torture Chamber.” The food was great, and I discovered a German drink which I have become quite partial to called Apfel Schorle. It is a mixture of apple juice and bubbly water, and it seems to have become quite popular among our group.
On the Cologne city tour, one of our most interesting stops was this archeology site. Throughout history, when buildings have been torn down and new ones built, the rubble was not cleared away. So, beneath each building lies an archeological history of the city. The pyramid pictured is an old Jewish ritual bath house, and this site will become a Jewish museum, as it was one of the first Jewish communities.
We also saw this bridge over the Rhine. Even from the distance we were standing, we could see the glittering gold of hundreds of locks attached to the bridge. According to local tradition, a young couple can buy a lock, have their names engraved, lock it onto the bridge, and throw the key into the river; as long as the lock remains, the couple’s love will last.
I especially enjoyed the behind-the-scenes tour of the Cologne zoo. In addition to seeing lions, tree kangaroos, giant rats, camels, merecats, flamingos, turtles, and a variety of other animals, we learned a tremendous amount about the elephant care and medical treatment. Their caretaker was kind enough to take us through their new facility. We saw the squeeze shoots and the office from which the elephant enclosure can be monitored. The elephants even approached us, and we were allowed to pet their trunks.
We also got to see the kitchen area where food for the animals is prepared and we got to see and learn about many of the current breeding programs happening at the zoo.
We also took both ground and roof-top tours of the Cologne cathedral. The cathedral took 632 years to build, and prior to the building of the Eiffel Tower, was the tallest building in the world. The cathedral houses the remains of the supposed "Three Wise Men." The stained glass windows pictured above were designed by the famous artist Gerhard Richter and caused quite a bit of controversy. Richter decided the stained glass should be abstract instead of a more traditional scenic window; so, to design the glass, he studied each window already in the cathedral and found 72 common colors. Each of these colors was incorporated into his design. At first glance, the window appears to be a haphazard collage of these colors, but each column actually mirrors another column representing the timeless reflection of the religion.
During the roof-top tour, we learned that the cathedral has quite a lot of character. Different architects over the years have left their mark in tiny ways that cannot be seen from the ground. For example, one of the many gargoyles is actually a man in hard hat.
The view from the top of the cathedral was absolutely phenomenal.
We ended our day in Cologne with a meal at “The Torture Chamber.” The food was great, and I discovered a German drink which I have become quite partial to called Apfel Schorle. It is a mixture of apple juice and bubbly water, and it seems to have become quite popular among our group.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Schnelling and riding on the back of bikes...
Apparently on Sundays, people in Germany just shut down everything. Everything that is except for the food places....Yay for food!! Now I get excited over any food cause I don't know when the next time will be before I get to eat! On the first day of the actual program, Stephanie and I got to get a tour of Bethoven's birth house. It was amazing to see some of his actual possessions and to learn that he was nearly deaf by his late 20s. When the majority of the rest of the group arrived, we quickly learned the word "Schnell," Olafs favorite word meaning hurry. It didn't take us long to learn that when Olaf tells us to shnell, we schnell!!! We then took a guided boat tour of the Rhine river and traveled up to the Drachenfels which was the castle ruins on top of one of the seven mountains.
Let me just say, I discovered muscles that I never knew I had that day after the "small" hike up the mountain. It was so rewarding though even in the rain and cold to see the sight we got to see at the top!! After the Drachenfels we went to dinner and I had my first German Schnitzel and it was love at first bite!! Since then I have had two more schnitzels prepared in different ways and might I say that I have yet to find a schnitzel that is bad.... The next day was a busy one. We got up early to hop on a train to go to Cologne, a nearby city, to get a historical city tour where we learned about the Cologne Cathedral, a magnificent masterpiece, and the history of how the city came to be. Once again seeing these monuments and realizing they are older than America was an amazing experience and really hard to take in.
We took a guided tour inside this majestic cathedral and I learned that even in WWII when bombs flattened everything around the cathedral, it remained standing with not one piece of stained glass that depicts the old and new testament from the 13th century was harmed. Towards the end of the day, we got a tour of the roof of this cathedral which stands over 60 meters tall. I don't think I have climbed that many stairs in my life and my hips agreed with me the next day! We also went to the cologne Zoo which was pretty much fantastic because I got to get up close and personal with an actual elephant. We got to go behind the scenes and actually touch the elephants when they came to greet us. That was an experience that I will never
forget! The zoo was amazing, all of the animals were so social and happy very unlike the ones in the state that usually hide where you can't see them. The landscape was gorgeous and peaceful too. I got to see a red panda, which was one of the cutest furry things I have every seen, and many others.
The night ended with dinner where I had yet another schnitzel. I could stay in Germany just for the food, but there is so much more. The next day we went to an organic city farm, which was very different from the ones back home. I saw a cold blood horse which was absolutely beautiful and also an attack horse that almost got Cosmo, Olaf's dog, which was rescued by the one and only SUPER OLAF!! He had this look like a mom has when her child is in danger but Cosmo lived and it became a great story. We did a lot of schnelling, a new word that I made up and is now commonly accepted amongst the group and even Olaf said he liked it, and then we had a lecture on Homeopathy which was very interesting.
After the lecture we got a historical city tour of Bonn by the AIB director and finally found out that the big yellow building was actually a university but not before a Prince Elector lived there. Later on Neilz took us to some pubs that are popular with the German students and we began to demonstrate how lame vet students
are when they are exhausted. Once we got on the tram to get home we quickly realized that after the first stop, it began going in the direction away from where we wanted to go. So what should have taken us 20 minutes or less to get home took us a little over an hour. I will say this, we did find our way back which was a huge accomplishment since the group relied on the most directionally challenged person to find the way back and guess what??? I actually did a pretty good job, at least I can say we did find our way!
The next day we traveled of to Utrecht University. Their equine facilities
were super impressive!! It was interesting to see that their school symbol arised from a myth that there was a slave man who had escaped and found refuge in a lions den. After he got comfortable there he realized that he wasn't alone. The lion that lived there was injured with a thorn in his paw so this man decided to help him. Since this man helped the lion, he decided to let him stay. Later on
the slave was caught and thrown into a lions ring or something they used to watch slaves get torn apart for their wrongdoings. It just so happened that the lion that was in there was the lion that he helped so he let him live yet again. This act is believed to be the first act of veterinary medicine by the Utrecht faculty. It was a very good visit, their anatomy lab was outstanding. We had a great party with some of the veterinary students there and I crashed a bicycle twice...I hadn't ridden since I was like 9.... I also learned how to sit properly on the back of a bicycle to avoid the painful postition I was sitting on it before.... It was a very successful trip to the Netherlands and who knows, I may try to get an internship there!!!! Until the next adventure...
Let me just say, I discovered muscles that I never knew I had that day after the "small" hike up the mountain. It was so rewarding though even in the rain and cold to see the sight we got to see at the top!! After the Drachenfels we went to dinner and I had my first German Schnitzel and it was love at first bite!! Since then I have had two more schnitzels prepared in different ways and might I say that I have yet to find a schnitzel that is bad.... The next day was a busy one. We got up early to hop on a train to go to Cologne, a nearby city, to get a historical city tour where we learned about the Cologne Cathedral, a magnificent masterpiece, and the history of how the city came to be. Once again seeing these monuments and realizing they are older than America was an amazing experience and really hard to take in.
We took a guided tour inside this majestic cathedral and I learned that even in WWII when bombs flattened everything around the cathedral, it remained standing with not one piece of stained glass that depicts the old and new testament from the 13th century was harmed. Towards the end of the day, we got a tour of the roof of this cathedral which stands over 60 meters tall. I don't think I have climbed that many stairs in my life and my hips agreed with me the next day! We also went to the cologne Zoo which was pretty much fantastic because I got to get up close and personal with an actual elephant. We got to go behind the scenes and actually touch the elephants when they came to greet us. That was an experience that I will never
forget! The zoo was amazing, all of the animals were so social and happy very unlike the ones in the state that usually hide where you can't see them. The landscape was gorgeous and peaceful too. I got to see a red panda, which was one of the cutest furry things I have every seen, and many others.
The night ended with dinner where I had yet another schnitzel. I could stay in Germany just for the food, but there is so much more. The next day we went to an organic city farm, which was very different from the ones back home. I saw a cold blood horse which was absolutely beautiful and also an attack horse that almost got Cosmo, Olaf's dog, which was rescued by the one and only SUPER OLAF!! He had this look like a mom has when her child is in danger but Cosmo lived and it became a great story. We did a lot of schnelling, a new word that I made up and is now commonly accepted amongst the group and even Olaf said he liked it, and then we had a lecture on Homeopathy which was very interesting.
After the lecture we got a historical city tour of Bonn by the AIB director and finally found out that the big yellow building was actually a university but not before a Prince Elector lived there. Later on Neilz took us to some pubs that are popular with the German students and we began to demonstrate how lame vet students
are when they are exhausted. Once we got on the tram to get home we quickly realized that after the first stop, it began going in the direction away from where we wanted to go. So what should have taken us 20 minutes or less to get home took us a little over an hour. I will say this, we did find our way back which was a huge accomplishment since the group relied on the most directionally challenged person to find the way back and guess what??? I actually did a pretty good job, at least I can say we did find our way!
The next day we traveled of to Utrecht University. Their equine facilities
were super impressive!! It was interesting to see that their school symbol arised from a myth that there was a slave man who had escaped and found refuge in a lions den. After he got comfortable there he realized that he wasn't alone. The lion that lived there was injured with a thorn in his paw so this man decided to help him. Since this man helped the lion, he decided to let him stay. Later on
the slave was caught and thrown into a lions ring or something they used to watch slaves get torn apart for their wrongdoings. It just so happened that the lion that was in there was the lion that he helped so he let him live yet again. This act is believed to be the first act of veterinary medicine by the Utrecht faculty. It was a very good visit, their anatomy lab was outstanding. We had a great party with some of the veterinary students there and I crashed a bicycle twice...I hadn't ridden since I was like 9.... I also learned how to sit properly on the back of a bicycle to avoid the painful postition I was sitting on it before.... It was a very successful trip to the Netherlands and who knows, I may try to get an internship there!!!! Until the next adventure...
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Days 8&9: If you bottled a Christmas tree and some mulling spices with cheep vodka it might taste like Becherova
I spent my first free weekend in Prague in the Czech Republic. It was a very quaint town but a definite tourist trap. We stayed at a nice hostel that had free beer tasting as well as the local drink Becherova. The only way to describe that stuff is psychedelic Christmas in a bottle of spirits. I bought a small bottle to take home and inflict on my friends. Prague castle was really interesting and I took lots of pictures. The astronomical clock was neat but was a letdown from all the hype. All in all it was a good weekend.
So much to say...
Wow! I can't believe it's the end of the first week of the program! We have already seen and done so much! I don't even know where to begin. I'll try to keep it as short as possible.
First of all, Germany is beautiful!!! The countryside and the cities alike are absolutely gorgeous! And the amount of history here is amazing. I really got a sense of how young America really is in comparison.
Melissa and I had a wonderful time in Heidelberg. We climbed lots of hills and stairs, but we made it. :) We had some trouble with trains and such when we were travelling to Bonn, but we did our best to navigate, and everyone was really helpful when we asked them where we were supposed to go next.
I was glad we got to Bonn early so that we could see some of the city. One thing that I didn't realize (and I suppose I expected) is that we don't have time to enjoy the cities we go to. By that I mean, we don't really have free time to go around the city and be "tourists". At first I was a little disappointed by this, but then, of course, I realized that we are here to learn. This is a class, not a vacation. So, with that perspective, I take in as much as I can while we are being giving guided tours and soaking up a lot of European history along the way. It's been fascinating so far.
The first city we travelled to as a group was Cologne. They have an indescribable cathedral right outside the train station. I wish I had my own computer so that I could post a picture, but even that would not do it justice. We learned about the history of the city, the cathedral, and even got to take a rooftop tour of the cathedral. That was amazing! We also visited the Cologne Zoo and got a behind the scenes look at the elephant exhibit. Since I am interested in large exotic animal medicine, this was definitely a highlight. I think I got a little crazy with the picture taking. :)
The next day in Bonn, we spent pretty much the entire day learning about homeopathy. I had heard this term prior to this trip, but never really understood what it meant. I'm not even sure I could explain it now. It was difficult to wrap my mind around, but there is evidence that this approach to treatment of animals, and even in growing plants, is effective. Needless to say I learned a lot (even though I don't completely understand it).
So, moving on to Thursday when we travelled to Utrecht in the Netherlands to visit the vet school there. To my surprise, it was considerably more modern than the cities in Germany. Their campus seemed pretty small, but in comparison to A&M, most college campuses are. I was thoroughly impressed by their Equine hospital. It was huge! They had state of the art equipment, and innovative methods for teaching their students. For example, they had preserve horse limbs mounted to a table in different positions to allow their students to practice trimming feet and doing joint injections. In other parts of the campus we were introduced to their approach to veterinary public health, a research project they are doing on emotions and cognition in animals, and a history of veterinary medicine in The Netherlands. The Veterinary Student Association threw us a "barbecue" and we all stayed overnight with some of the students in their apartments. My host, Mathieu, was great! We found out we like the same music, so we had a bit to talk about. I wish we could have seen more of the city, but maybe some other time. I really do hope that they will be able to come over to the states and visit A&M. Now, I and 6 others are in Amsterdam for the weekend. I've heard only great things about this city, so I'm excited to see it the next couple of days.
That was just a brief summary of this past week. It's been a blast and I am really looking forward to the rest of the program. Hopefully I will have time to post before the end of next week. :)
First of all, Germany is beautiful!!! The countryside and the cities alike are absolutely gorgeous! And the amount of history here is amazing. I really got a sense of how young America really is in comparison.
Melissa and I had a wonderful time in Heidelberg. We climbed lots of hills and stairs, but we made it. :) We had some trouble with trains and such when we were travelling to Bonn, but we did our best to navigate, and everyone was really helpful when we asked them where we were supposed to go next.
I was glad we got to Bonn early so that we could see some of the city. One thing that I didn't realize (and I suppose I expected) is that we don't have time to enjoy the cities we go to. By that I mean, we don't really have free time to go around the city and be "tourists". At first I was a little disappointed by this, but then, of course, I realized that we are here to learn. This is a class, not a vacation. So, with that perspective, I take in as much as I can while we are being giving guided tours and soaking up a lot of European history along the way. It's been fascinating so far.
The first city we travelled to as a group was Cologne. They have an indescribable cathedral right outside the train station. I wish I had my own computer so that I could post a picture, but even that would not do it justice. We learned about the history of the city, the cathedral, and even got to take a rooftop tour of the cathedral. That was amazing! We also visited the Cologne Zoo and got a behind the scenes look at the elephant exhibit. Since I am interested in large exotic animal medicine, this was definitely a highlight. I think I got a little crazy with the picture taking. :)
The next day in Bonn, we spent pretty much the entire day learning about homeopathy. I had heard this term prior to this trip, but never really understood what it meant. I'm not even sure I could explain it now. It was difficult to wrap my mind around, but there is evidence that this approach to treatment of animals, and even in growing plants, is effective. Needless to say I learned a lot (even though I don't completely understand it).
So, moving on to Thursday when we travelled to Utrecht in the Netherlands to visit the vet school there. To my surprise, it was considerably more modern than the cities in Germany. Their campus seemed pretty small, but in comparison to A&M, most college campuses are. I was thoroughly impressed by their Equine hospital. It was huge! They had state of the art equipment, and innovative methods for teaching their students. For example, they had preserve horse limbs mounted to a table in different positions to allow their students to practice trimming feet and doing joint injections. In other parts of the campus we were introduced to their approach to veterinary public health, a research project they are doing on emotions and cognition in animals, and a history of veterinary medicine in The Netherlands. The Veterinary Student Association threw us a "barbecue" and we all stayed overnight with some of the students in their apartments. My host, Mathieu, was great! We found out we like the same music, so we had a bit to talk about. I wish we could have seen more of the city, but maybe some other time. I really do hope that they will be able to come over to the states and visit A&M. Now, I and 6 others are in Amsterdam for the weekend. I've heard only great things about this city, so I'm excited to see it the next couple of days.
That was just a brief summary of this past week. It's been a blast and I am really looking forward to the rest of the program. Hopefully I will have time to post before the end of next week. :)
Europe
Wow, we have been running around like crazy!! So far I have really enjoyed everything :-) The Cologne cathedral is amazing...even the roof tour was really interesting. The Cologne zoo is really a nice zoo, they have by far the best elephant enclosure of any zoo I have ever seen, and probably ever will see! It was so exciting to get the behind the scenes tour, especially when the elephants came up on there own and reached through with their trunks so we cound touch them!!! This was a very special tour because they NEVER let people do this!! :-)
The veterinary students in Utrecht were SO nice. Their school system in very very different from ours and there equine clinic is huge! The students we stayed with were a few years younger than us and they took us to a Vet-Inn party, which lasted quite a bit longer than we are used to and we ended up dragging our hosts away!! It was a lot of fun though, and most of us got experience in riding on the back of a bicycle...remember, ride it 'side saddle' dont straddle!! Luckily I had seen other people ride on the back so I knew this..Their living conditions are much smaller than we are used to, I think most of us slept on air mattresses in our hosts room and that pretty much took up all of the room! It was a great experience though and like I said, they were incredibly nice people!
I have so much more to write about, but there is a line for the computers so I better get going!
The veterinary students in Utrecht were SO nice. Their school system in very very different from ours and there equine clinic is huge! The students we stayed with were a few years younger than us and they took us to a Vet-Inn party, which lasted quite a bit longer than we are used to and we ended up dragging our hosts away!! It was a lot of fun though, and most of us got experience in riding on the back of a bicycle...remember, ride it 'side saddle' dont straddle!! Luckily I had seen other people ride on the back so I knew this..Their living conditions are much smaller than we are used to, I think most of us slept on air mattresses in our hosts room and that pretty much took up all of the room! It was a great experience though and like I said, they were incredibly nice people!
I have so much more to write about, but there is a line for the computers so I better get going!
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