May 23, 2010
I really enjoyed our stay in Utrecht, but I wish we could have stayed a little longer and seen more of the city. The train to Utrecht left Bonn early in the morning, so I slept the whole way there. As soon as we arrived in Utrecht, we toured the veterinary school there and learned how veterinary medicine is taught in Europe. I did not realize how different it was from American schools until now. Students here must be fully committed to one particular field within veterinary medicine (small animal, farm animal, or equine), but once they are accepted to the university then they do not need to apply to the veterinary school separately after receiving their Bachelor’s degrees. The first three years at the university earn them their Bachelor’s degree, and the next three years earn them their Master’s degree, which is all that is required in order to practice veterinary medicine in Europe. In addition to only needing six years to complete, it is also much more affordable than school in the U.S.! The teaching styles are also different. I like how professors cover all aspects of a single organ system before moving on to the next one, without using lectures as their primary method of teaching. At A&M, the information on each organ system is divided up and spread throughout different courses, such as anatomy and pathology, which are taken over the course of several years, and professors tend to use primarily lectures. Based on my experiences in veterinary school so far, I think maybe I would do better here in Europe! I was amazed when I saw their anatomy study room full of skeletons, plastinated models, and other preserved specimens. If I had had these kinds of resources to study, anatomy would have been so much easier! I might even have enjoyed studying it. I was also really impressed by their equine clinic; everything looked brand-new and state-of-the-art.
After the tour the Utrecht veterinary students had a BBQ and a party for us, where we met our hosts for the night. At this point, I was so tired I had been hoping to go to bed early. We all had a good time, though, and I enjoyed getting to know some of the Utrecht students. However, getting from the party to my host’s apartment for the night was an adventure. As we wandered the streets of Utrecht late at night, looking for a bus stop where we could catch a bus at that hour, we ended up walking down a dark, quiet, empty street. It was empty except for very tall, very drunk man who began walking beside us muttering to himself. My classmate Kat and I weren’t sure what was going on; we thought he might have known our host Tom somehow, since Tom seemed to know everyone. Then the drunk man started shouting at us, and most of it was either incoherent or not in English, maybe both. “This is my street!” was all we could really understand due to his slurred speech. At one point he gave Tom a little shove, so Tom calmly and politely apologized for walking down this street, explained that we hadn’t known the street belonged to him, and told him we would leave. Then we left as fast as we could, and luckily, the drunken man didn’t follow us. We decided to pay for a taxi to take us the rest of the way.
Early next morning we attended two presentations, one on public health and one on animal research. Although I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open, I found both of these presentations interesting. Having suffered through two courses in veterinary public health already, I did not think I would enjoy Dr. Frans van Knapen’s lecture; but he really changed my opinion on the subject. In the next lecture, I was happy to hear about some research being conducted to improve the welfare of laboratory animals, which has always been a concern of mine. Our stay in Utrecht ended that afternoon with a tour of another part of the veterinary school where we saw, among other things, a historical exhibit of different horseshoes from those used in ancient times to modern ones used today. I was impressed by the sheer number of them, all in different shapes and made of different materials.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
“Utrecht” or My Trek?
21/05/2010
The Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine has an amazing and extensive anatomy collection. I was extremely impressed and believe that a similar collection would greatly improve my knowledge and understanding of veterinary anatomy. We then toured their equine hospital, followed by a barbecue with their veterinary student association.
After the Dutch barbecue, which consisted of some thick bacon, sausages, and soy products for the vegetarians, it was time to travel to the host student’s home. This is when my individual “trek” began. Having our luggage with us, we took the bus to the fields to see several football (soccer) games.
All of the games were played by teams consisting of Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine students. It seemed to be more of a series of blowouts by the favored teams rather than actual games. After the games concluded, we then got back on the bus to travel to the homes of the host students. My host student had left earlier in hopes of acquiring additional bicycles, so he was going to meet us at the bus stop for his apartment. We could not find him when we first exited the bus, but he arrived just a few minutes later and we then carried our luggage up his steep stairs.
After settling into our accommodations and meeting a feral bunny which he had helped to rescue, we then prepared for a party, to which we traveled by well worn bikes over cobblestone streets. At the party, a few hours into the next morning, we were exhausted and it appeared as though the party had no near future of ending, as it was planned to continue for several more hours. The trip back was more interesting, as I witnessed a few bike accidents along the way. I then fell asleep and awoke to some American tunes being played on a guitar. Breakfast consisted of a sliced hard boiled egg and garlic sauce sandwich.
We heard several more presentations that day and toured some historical veterinary exhibits. I was still very tired from the night before.
-Knut
(a blog by Greg Hoyt)
The Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine has an amazing and extensive anatomy collection. I was extremely impressed and believe that a similar collection would greatly improve my knowledge and understanding of veterinary anatomy. We then toured their equine hospital, followed by a barbecue with their veterinary student association.
After the Dutch barbecue, which consisted of some thick bacon, sausages, and soy products for the vegetarians, it was time to travel to the host student’s home. This is when my individual “trek” began. Having our luggage with us, we took the bus to the fields to see several football (soccer) games.
All of the games were played by teams consisting of Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine students. It seemed to be more of a series of blowouts by the favored teams rather than actual games. After the games concluded, we then got back on the bus to travel to the homes of the host students. My host student had left earlier in hopes of acquiring additional bicycles, so he was going to meet us at the bus stop for his apartment. We could not find him when we first exited the bus, but he arrived just a few minutes later and we then carried our luggage up his steep stairs.
After settling into our accommodations and meeting a feral bunny which he had helped to rescue, we then prepared for a party, to which we traveled by well worn bikes over cobblestone streets. At the party, a few hours into the next morning, we were exhausted and it appeared as though the party had no near future of ending, as it was planned to continue for several more hours. The trip back was more interesting, as I witnessed a few bike accidents along the way. I then fell asleep and awoke to some American tunes being played on a guitar. Breakfast consisted of a sliced hard boiled egg and garlic sauce sandwich.
We heard several more presentations that day and toured some historical veterinary exhibits. I was still very tired from the night before.
-Knut
(a blog by Greg Hoyt)
DVM in the Netherlands
20/05/2010
Veterinary school in the Netherlands is quite different from veterinary school in the United States. The Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is the only veterinary school in the Netherlands, while there are currently about twenty-eight in the USA. Instead of four years of undergraduate studies, applying to veterinary school, and then four years of veterinary school, in the Netherlands students are either accepted to the full six year program or not, they do not have to reapply. After they have finished their first three years, they are granted their Bachelor’s degree; and they are granted their Master’s degree upon completion of their final year. This means that acceptance to their veterinary school is based on high school grades or an interest in farm animals. Each year the new class starts with two hundred and twenty-five students; and each year about two hundred students graduate, many of which decide to only work part-time. A degree of Doctor is not required to practice veterinary medicine.
The Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association, so their graduates can practice in the United States of America. Americans can apply for acceptance to this program, but a working ability to speak Dutch is required. They are ranked within the top five in the world for both veterinary schools and graduate research studies. By an arranged agreement, graduates of American veterinary schools are also allowed to practice in the Netherlands once permission is officially requested, but this would likely be difficult without the ability to speak Dutch.
Regarding the application process, every year the eight top ranked applicants are accepted. The rest of the spots are determined by a lottery system for all remaining qualified applicants. All applicants that state a specific interest in pursuing farm animal and public health receive an interview, but if selected for admission, they must commit to pursuing a career specifically in farm animal medicine.
We were informed that recently their curriculum has undergone much revision, partially due to the Bologna Reform, a system to standardize higher education throughout Europe. Additionally, from various studies they believe that lectures are an ineffective way of teaching and that the popularity of such a method is due to it being much less work for faculty members as compared to other methods. Their concern with lectures being the primary method of teaching is that the studies show that only about twenty to twenty-five percent of information from the lectures is actually retained by the students. Their curriculum now focuses on a few subjects at a time before moving onto the next. Before their forth year, each student must select either horses, farm animals and public health, or companion animals and can only work in that specific field upon graduation. American veterinarians can change their field without too much difficulty. There is the opportunity for graduates of American veterinary schools to pursue a one and a half year Master’s degree, a four year Ph.D., or a four year residency training at the Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
-Knut
(a blog by Greg Hoyt)
Veterinary school in the Netherlands is quite different from veterinary school in the United States. The Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is the only veterinary school in the Netherlands, while there are currently about twenty-eight in the USA. Instead of four years of undergraduate studies, applying to veterinary school, and then four years of veterinary school, in the Netherlands students are either accepted to the full six year program or not, they do not have to reapply. After they have finished their first three years, they are granted their Bachelor’s degree; and they are granted their Master’s degree upon completion of their final year. This means that acceptance to their veterinary school is based on high school grades or an interest in farm animals. Each year the new class starts with two hundred and twenty-five students; and each year about two hundred students graduate, many of which decide to only work part-time. A degree of Doctor is not required to practice veterinary medicine.
The Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association, so their graduates can practice in the United States of America. Americans can apply for acceptance to this program, but a working ability to speak Dutch is required. They are ranked within the top five in the world for both veterinary schools and graduate research studies. By an arranged agreement, graduates of American veterinary schools are also allowed to practice in the Netherlands once permission is officially requested, but this would likely be difficult without the ability to speak Dutch.
Regarding the application process, every year the eight top ranked applicants are accepted. The rest of the spots are determined by a lottery system for all remaining qualified applicants. All applicants that state a specific interest in pursuing farm animal and public health receive an interview, but if selected for admission, they must commit to pursuing a career specifically in farm animal medicine.
We were informed that recently their curriculum has undergone much revision, partially due to the Bologna Reform, a system to standardize higher education throughout Europe. Additionally, from various studies they believe that lectures are an ineffective way of teaching and that the popularity of such a method is due to it being much less work for faculty members as compared to other methods. Their concern with lectures being the primary method of teaching is that the studies show that only about twenty to twenty-five percent of information from the lectures is actually retained by the students. Their curriculum now focuses on a few subjects at a time before moving onto the next. Before their forth year, each student must select either horses, farm animals and public health, or companion animals and can only work in that specific field upon graduation. American veterinarians can change their field without too much difficulty. There is the opportunity for graduates of American veterinary schools to pursue a one and a half year Master’s degree, a four year Ph.D., or a four year residency training at the Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
-Knut
(a blog by Greg Hoyt)
Bonn / Cologne
May 20, 2010
Monday, the first day of the program, I was still on my way to Germany. I carpooled with another student from College Station to Houston for our flight on Sunday, but we had car trouble and were four hours late for our flight. Our next opportunity to leave was not until Monday, so we did not arrive in Cologne until Tuesday afternoon! The rest of the group was already touring the Cologne Zoo, so we ran around the entire zoo trying to catch up with them. As soon as we could find out where the group was and figure out how to get there, they moved on to another exhibit before we could catch them. We finally met up with the group somewhere near the hippos, and the rest of the tour was amazing. The elephants were my favorite. We got to see their elephant facilities with the biggest stalls and squeeze chute I have ever seen. The elephants came right up to us to check us out. I had never in my life been that close to an elephant before!
After the zoo, we toured the Cologne cathedral. The others had already seen this cathedral before I arrived in Cologne, but this was my first time inside. We went all the way up to the roof, learning about the history of the building as we walked through it. I was surprised to learn how old it was and how long it had taken to complete. We don’t have anything in the U.S. that is anywhere near that old, but it is obviously a much younger country! Sometimes I wonder what places in the U.S. will look like in a thousand years, but I doubt any of the same buildings will still be standing. After our tour of the cathedral, we ate dinner at a German restaurant and finally went home for a little sleep. For me it was an incredibly long day, but needless to say it was definitely worth it!
Wednesday was another long, action-packed day with a visit to an organic farm and a tour of the city of Bonn. The organic farm in Bonn was called “Gut Ostler,” and I was surprised to learn that the farm was actually right in the middle of the city. It was small, but our guide told us that most of their income is derived from education, teaching the public how they operate and how sustainable agriculture can improve the environment. That afternoon we attended a lecture on homeopathy, which is very popular in Germany, I learned. I did not know much about homeopathy prior to this lecture, so for me it was very informative but not convincing. There is no pharmacologically active ingredient involved, and I do not believe that you can change the chemical composition or electrical nature of water simply by shaking it. However, I would be interested in seeing more controlled studies on this subject, since more and more people are using homeopathic remedies to treat their pets. After the lecture, we took a tour of Bonn, which ended with drinks at the “Biergarten” by the Rhine.
Monday, the first day of the program, I was still on my way to Germany. I carpooled with another student from College Station to Houston for our flight on Sunday, but we had car trouble and were four hours late for our flight. Our next opportunity to leave was not until Monday, so we did not arrive in Cologne until Tuesday afternoon! The rest of the group was already touring the Cologne Zoo, so we ran around the entire zoo trying to catch up with them. As soon as we could find out where the group was and figure out how to get there, they moved on to another exhibit before we could catch them. We finally met up with the group somewhere near the hippos, and the rest of the tour was amazing. The elephants were my favorite. We got to see their elephant facilities with the biggest stalls and squeeze chute I have ever seen. The elephants came right up to us to check us out. I had never in my life been that close to an elephant before!
After the zoo, we toured the Cologne cathedral. The others had already seen this cathedral before I arrived in Cologne, but this was my first time inside. We went all the way up to the roof, learning about the history of the building as we walked through it. I was surprised to learn how old it was and how long it had taken to complete. We don’t have anything in the U.S. that is anywhere near that old, but it is obviously a much younger country! Sometimes I wonder what places in the U.S. will look like in a thousand years, but I doubt any of the same buildings will still be standing. After our tour of the cathedral, we ate dinner at a German restaurant and finally went home for a little sleep. For me it was an incredibly long day, but needless to say it was definitely worth it!
Wednesday was another long, action-packed day with a visit to an organic farm and a tour of the city of Bonn. The organic farm in Bonn was called “Gut Ostler,” and I was surprised to learn that the farm was actually right in the middle of the city. It was small, but our guide told us that most of their income is derived from education, teaching the public how they operate and how sustainable agriculture can improve the environment. That afternoon we attended a lecture on homeopathy, which is very popular in Germany, I learned. I did not know much about homeopathy prior to this lecture, so for me it was very informative but not convincing. There is no pharmacologically active ingredient involved, and I do not believe that you can change the chemical composition or electrical nature of water simply by shaking it. However, I would be interested in seeing more controlled studies on this subject, since more and more people are using homeopathic remedies to treat their pets. After the lecture, we took a tour of Bonn, which ended with drinks at the “Biergarten” by the Rhine.
‘A’t ‘B’onn / ‘C’ologne
19/05/2010
Finally I have landed in Bonn, Germany. I met Matis, who works for the study abroad company in Germany, at the airport and we caught the next train to the Cologne Zoo to get back on schedule. After running around the zoo like lost mice, we found the group in the old hippopotamus exhibit while they were in the middle of a tour. I was very impressed with Dr. Wasser’s ability to name all of the birds by both their English and German names. The tour proceeded with information regarding the new elephant enclosure and we observed the elephants as they returned from their pasture. We were allowed to view the elephants from a keepers’ station and two of the elephants decided to come over and interact with us. I really enjoyed meeting the elephants.
We then toured the Cologne Cathedral by rooftop. Not a good idea if one is afraid of heights. The emphasis was on the flying buttresses and the new stain glass window by Gerhard Richter. We were the last group to leave that evening and had to descend several flights of stairs in the dark.
After the tour, we entered a nice restaurant where I first began learning my “ABC’s” in German by reading the menu and trying to order food. The following day we visited a biological (organic) farm known as Gut Ostler. It was several topics of sustainable living and agriculture in action, which I was happy to see. The day continued with a lecture on homeopathy, an Italian restaurant, a historical tour of Bonn, and some bar hopping.
-Knut
(a blog by Greg Hoyt)
Finally I have landed in Bonn, Germany. I met Matis, who works for the study abroad company in Germany, at the airport and we caught the next train to the Cologne Zoo to get back on schedule. After running around the zoo like lost mice, we found the group in the old hippopotamus exhibit while they were in the middle of a tour. I was very impressed with Dr. Wasser’s ability to name all of the birds by both their English and German names. The tour proceeded with information regarding the new elephant enclosure and we observed the elephants as they returned from their pasture. We were allowed to view the elephants from a keepers’ station and two of the elephants decided to come over and interact with us. I really enjoyed meeting the elephants.
We then toured the Cologne Cathedral by rooftop. Not a good idea if one is afraid of heights. The emphasis was on the flying buttresses and the new stain glass window by Gerhard Richter. We were the last group to leave that evening and had to descend several flights of stairs in the dark.
After the tour, we entered a nice restaurant where I first began learning my “ABC’s” in German by reading the menu and trying to order food. The following day we visited a biological (organic) farm known as Gut Ostler. It was several topics of sustainable living and agriculture in action, which I was happy to see. The day continued with a lecture on homeopathy, an Italian restaurant, a historical tour of Bonn, and some bar hopping.
-Knut
(a blog by Greg Hoyt)
Still in the States
May 15, 2010
Wow what a long day! After running errands in preparation for this trip, I drove all over
I am setting off for
To Fly or Not to Fly: That is the Question
17/05/2010
Two weeks of web searching and calling used auto parts businesses in
Now a month later, I have just completed my first year of veterinary school and I’m now on my way to the
Suddenly I hear a loud noise and my car is no longer steering well. I pull over to the side of the highway and realize that my front right tire has blown its outer tread, destroying the fender that I had just replaced. Additionally, there is some damage to my bumper, headlight, driver’s door, and some shredded electrical cables. The tire is still inflated, so I drive the car off of the highway and use AAA Roadside Assistance to tow me to the Firestone Tire down the road. I am forty minutes away from the airport and I need to check in for my flight in about forty minutes. An hour later I have four new tires on my car and the automotive mechanics were able to secure what was left of my fender to my car using a few wire coat hangers as best they could.
I arrive at the airport as my flight is leaving; I am too late to board the plane. I am first told that the earliest I can leave is two days from now, which means that I will miss the first two days of our trip. Under the guidance of Dr. Wasser, I speak with several different US Airways attendants until I finally find one that makes several phone calls and arranges for me to leave the next day, so only one day of the trip is lost. I could not thank her enough; I then slowly drive my car to a nearby hotel to spend the night.
The next day I checked in early for my flight and finally I was headed down the runway and on my way to
-Knut
(a blog by Greg Hoyt)
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Berlin
Our whirlwind tour of Europe ended with a highly educational stay in Berlin. Between our visit to the Berlin Wall, the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, and Museum Island, we definitely had the opportunity to experience living history.
We spent Wednesday morning visiting the veterinary clinics at Berlin’s Free University. Because as a tech I have enjoyed watching surgery, I opted to go to the surgical suite in the Small Animal Clinic with Diana. There, we watched a splenectomy on a lab with a tumor the size of a football, a neuter and anal sac removal, and a laryngeal paralysis repair. The hospital was well organized, there were always enough students around to monitor anesthesia and help the doctors, and the techs kept the surgical prep running smoothly. The surgeons were extremely welcoming toward us, and when they realized that we were American students, they explained several of the procedures to us in English.
After lunch, the group set out on a bike tour of Berlin, and Sarah and I headed to the Neues Museum on Museum Island. We enjoyed exploring the Egyptian collection there, and we were even able to get English headsets for an audio tour. After a great deal of searching, we found the bust of Nefertiti just before the museum closed.
On our way back to the hotel, Sarah and I indulged in a bit of shopping. Then, for dinner, everyone decided to try a local Turkish restaurant. I had my first taste of doner served in a pita wrap similar to a gyro. Delicious!
To get to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp on Thursday, we walked along part of the path taken during the 1945 Death March. My experiences at the memorial sparked in me an interest in World War II, and as a result, I picked up a book about the unethical medical practices that occurred in the camp.
Thursday afternoon we visited the remains of the Berlin Wall. Much of the wall now looks like any ordinary part of the city; in one small area, it even encloses a sand volley ball court. However, we got to tour an original guard tower, and we saw the memorial site where the stretch of gravel between the eastern and western walls, termed No Man’s Land, has been preserved.
I remember when the Berlin Wall fell. I was nine years old, and I was sitting on my mother’s bed watching the news on television. While I was too young to understand all of the history behind the wall, I knew its fall was a very good thing. My mom explained to me that the wall had separated families and friends for years and now those people could be reunited with their loved ones.
Again, Berlin seems to have sparked an interest in history for me.
Because all of the museums stay open late, and offer free admission on Thursday evenings, we decided to head back over to Museum Island. Diana and I took an audio tour of the Pergamon Museum where we saw the Pergamon Altar and the Ishtar Gate. Both were fantastically impressive; between my interest in Greek mythology and ancient civilizations, I was a very happy Kat.
After our tour, Diana and I caught up with several other people from our group for dinner. The Pergamon Cafe had excellent tomato, basil, and mozzarella salad, wine, and chocolate shakes.
After dinner, we walked to the Reichstag, but it was too late to get inside. So, we walked by the Brandenburg Gate, and then headed back to the hotel for the evening.
Friday morning we visited the Leibniz Institute for Zoo & Wildlife Research where we learned about their efforts to save the Sabah Rhino. The small talkative rhinos are critically endangered due to the destruction of the rainforests in order to produce more biodiesel fuel. Learning this upset me because I had always thought of biodiesel as a more environmentally friendly form of fuel. Just another argument for going electric, I guess.
After the morning lectures, we got to go outside and learn to shoot a blow dart gun. I had a bit of beginners luck and nailed the target! :)
Next, we took a behind the scenes tour of the Berlin Zoo with the zoo veterinarian. We got to see the hospital area, learn about hippo birth control, feed the hippos, and see Knut the Eisbar.
Finally, the trip ended with a fantastic dinner at the Kasbah, where I tried couscous, creme brulee, and some fantastic Moroccan wine.
Overall, the entire study abroad trip was an amazing experience that I am so glad I got to enjoy!
We spent Wednesday morning visiting the veterinary clinics at Berlin’s Free University. Because as a tech I have enjoyed watching surgery, I opted to go to the surgical suite in the Small Animal Clinic with Diana. There, we watched a splenectomy on a lab with a tumor the size of a football, a neuter and anal sac removal, and a laryngeal paralysis repair. The hospital was well organized, there were always enough students around to monitor anesthesia and help the doctors, and the techs kept the surgical prep running smoothly. The surgeons were extremely welcoming toward us, and when they realized that we were American students, they explained several of the procedures to us in English.
After lunch, the group set out on a bike tour of Berlin, and Sarah and I headed to the Neues Museum on Museum Island. We enjoyed exploring the Egyptian collection there, and we were even able to get English headsets for an audio tour. After a great deal of searching, we found the bust of Nefertiti just before the museum closed.
On our way back to the hotel, Sarah and I indulged in a bit of shopping. Then, for dinner, everyone decided to try a local Turkish restaurant. I had my first taste of doner served in a pita wrap similar to a gyro. Delicious!
To get to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp on Thursday, we walked along part of the path taken during the 1945 Death March. My experiences at the memorial sparked in me an interest in World War II, and as a result, I picked up a book about the unethical medical practices that occurred in the camp.
Thursday afternoon we visited the remains of the Berlin Wall. Much of the wall now looks like any ordinary part of the city; in one small area, it even encloses a sand volley ball court. However, we got to tour an original guard tower, and we saw the memorial site where the stretch of gravel between the eastern and western walls, termed No Man’s Land, has been preserved.
I remember when the Berlin Wall fell. I was nine years old, and I was sitting on my mother’s bed watching the news on television. While I was too young to understand all of the history behind the wall, I knew its fall was a very good thing. My mom explained to me that the wall had separated families and friends for years and now those people could be reunited with their loved ones.
Again, Berlin seems to have sparked an interest in history for me.
Because all of the museums stay open late, and offer free admission on Thursday evenings, we decided to head back over to Museum Island. Diana and I took an audio tour of the Pergamon Museum where we saw the Pergamon Altar and the Ishtar Gate. Both were fantastically impressive; between my interest in Greek mythology and ancient civilizations, I was a very happy Kat.
After our tour, Diana and I caught up with several other people from our group for dinner. The Pergamon Cafe had excellent tomato, basil, and mozzarella salad, wine, and chocolate shakes.
After dinner, we walked to the Reichstag, but it was too late to get inside. So, we walked by the Brandenburg Gate, and then headed back to the hotel for the evening.
Friday morning we visited the Leibniz Institute for Zoo & Wildlife Research where we learned about their efforts to save the Sabah Rhino. The small talkative rhinos are critically endangered due to the destruction of the rainforests in order to produce more biodiesel fuel. Learning this upset me because I had always thought of biodiesel as a more environmentally friendly form of fuel. Just another argument for going electric, I guess.
After the morning lectures, we got to go outside and learn to shoot a blow dart gun. I had a bit of beginners luck and nailed the target! :)
Next, we took a behind the scenes tour of the Berlin Zoo with the zoo veterinarian. We got to see the hospital area, learn about hippo birth control, feed the hippos, and see Knut the Eisbar.
Finally, the trip ended with a fantastic dinner at the Kasbah, where I tried couscous, creme brulee, and some fantastic Moroccan wine.
Overall, the entire study abroad trip was an amazing experience that I am so glad I got to enjoy!
Basel
I really liked Basel. The people at Novartis were extremely nice and seemed really excited to tell us about what they do and what they've been working on. Definitely another dimension of veterinary medicine that I haven't really thought about. Going through the research building seemed a bit rushed, because it didn't feel like we got to ask the research scientists all the questions we wanted to ask. Nonetheless, I learned a lot.
One thing I could have done without was the bugs. I'm not a big fan of the insect world. I know they serve a function, and as long as they stay out of my house, they're fine. ;) I know that they are crutial to the research Novartis is doing, but I'm pretty sure I would opt out of that department if I had a job there. Kudos to those who work with them every day. I appreciate those people.
I really enjoyed our tour of Basel. Absolutely loved our guide! She was wonderful!! Like a lot of towns we had been to, there was tons of history to be learned. At one point (I think on the terrace of the cathedral), we could see Germany and France. I'm kind of a nerd in this way, but I thought that was pretty cool. We actually got some free time after the tour, so, of course, we went into some shops. We discovered that Melissa can pull off hats really well. I'm kind of jealous. Then, it was back to the hotel, which was super nice, and off to Berlin. Bridget was a genius and sat in the emergency exit row, and I sat next to her. More leg room! Remember that future travelers!
One thing I could have done without was the bugs. I'm not a big fan of the insect world. I know they serve a function, and as long as they stay out of my house, they're fine. ;) I know that they are crutial to the research Novartis is doing, but I'm pretty sure I would opt out of that department if I had a job there. Kudos to those who work with them every day. I appreciate those people.
I really enjoyed our tour of Basel. Absolutely loved our guide! She was wonderful!! Like a lot of towns we had been to, there was tons of history to be learned. At one point (I think on the terrace of the cathedral), we could see Germany and France. I'm kind of a nerd in this way, but I thought that was pretty cool. We actually got some free time after the tour, so, of course, we went into some shops. We discovered that Melissa can pull off hats really well. I'm kind of jealous. Then, it was back to the hotel, which was super nice, and off to Berlin. Bridget was a genius and sat in the emergency exit row, and I sat next to her. More leg room! Remember that future travelers!
A Walk to Remember
This leg of the trip was full to the brim of stuff to do. A large part of which was walking to an island. More on that later. We started out at the Norddeich Seal Center in the morning. We got to see the morning feeding when we arrived. Well, sort of...there were a lot of people and the keeper was speaking in German, so I didn't really know what was going on. Still, it was entertaining. I really admire what they do at the center. They are a rescue and rehabilitation center for young seals that have been abandoned. Limited human contact is essential to the success of the the program. There was one seal that was going to be released that day, but, unfortunately, we were going to be sludging through the mud at that time. We also saw two of their most recent rescues that were only a few days old. So cute!!! The Walloseum was next. It was pretty amazing to see a full skeleton of an adult sperm whale hanging from the ceiling.
After lunch, it was time to walk across the North Sea...well, part of it anyway. I have to say I was a little nervous. Mostly because drowning is one of my worst fears, but I was excited at the same time. How many people can say they walked to an island? It was a challenge, that's for sure. But, it was fun. A little piece of advice: If you know you're going to do something like that, make sure you're in some kind of good shape. I was not (thank you, vet school), and I made it, but it was harder than I think it probably should have been. Anyway, I guess I can put that on my "bucket list" and check it off.
Our adventure did not end there. Oh no. The bus dropped us off at the wrong hostel, so we were wandering around Norderney looking for the right place. Luckily, we had a couple of taxis take us to the right place. Needless to say, we were exhausted, but it was a good day. :)
On day 2, we took a bike tour of the nature reserve of Norderney. I had not been on a bike in a very long time. However, it is like they say; you never forget. It took me a bit to get the hang of it, but I got it. I still don't understand how some people can ride with no hands. I couldn't even take one hand off the handlebars without swerving. Most notable things about the ride: the reserve is beautiful, it rained, we ate at the best restaurant ever!, we went to the beach (for about 3 minutes), and on the way back we went uphill a lot and against the wind. Good times!
Melissa and I headed back to Bonn alongside Dr. Wasser and Olaf. We got back late, but at least we knew where we were going. ;)
After lunch, it was time to walk across the North Sea...well, part of it anyway. I have to say I was a little nervous. Mostly because drowning is one of my worst fears, but I was excited at the same time. How many people can say they walked to an island? It was a challenge, that's for sure. But, it was fun. A little piece of advice: If you know you're going to do something like that, make sure you're in some kind of good shape. I was not (thank you, vet school), and I made it, but it was harder than I think it probably should have been. Anyway, I guess I can put that on my "bucket list" and check it off.
Our adventure did not end there. Oh no. The bus dropped us off at the wrong hostel, so we were wandering around Norderney looking for the right place. Luckily, we had a couple of taxis take us to the right place. Needless to say, we were exhausted, but it was a good day. :)
On day 2, we took a bike tour of the nature reserve of Norderney. I had not been on a bike in a very long time. However, it is like they say; you never forget. It took me a bit to get the hang of it, but I got it. I still don't understand how some people can ride with no hands. I couldn't even take one hand off the handlebars without swerving. Most notable things about the ride: the reserve is beautiful, it rained, we ate at the best restaurant ever!, we went to the beach (for about 3 minutes), and on the way back we went uphill a lot and against the wind. Good times!
Melissa and I headed back to Bonn alongside Dr. Wasser and Olaf. We got back late, but at least we knew where we were going. ;)
Monday, June 7, 2010
Thoughts
Over the last few weeks, I have learned a lot about Germany. I find many things interesting, especially to compare with how we do or have things. Some things take a while to get used to, but others are really great.
For starters, they recycle everything! Everywhere you go, there are recycle bins. They even charge for plastic and glass bottles to encourage you to recycle. If you take these items to the special recycle bins, you get the money back. I know it can be a hassle, but it’s one way to keep people recycling!
I am really impressed with their public transport systems! They are great!! You don’t need a car, just wait a few minutes and there is bound to be a bus, tram, metro, or train going your way! I really enjoyed using the public transport systems and wish we had such systems in place. It would be so nice to just hop on a train every time I wanted to visit family, or take the tram to school! It would sure save on gas, pollution, traffic, and parking spaces!
They also walk and ride bikes a lot. This means the people are healthier from exercise and yet again it’s much better for the environment. Watch out though, you may get run over if your standing in the bike lane! I was always so tired by the end of the day I couldn’t wait to get something to eat and go to bed! But, I also feel healthier from the exercise.
They really have some great systems in place and I think we could really benefit from using some of the same systems. It would be an adjustment to get used to, but I think in the long run we would really like the end result!
I really had a great time in Europe and I can’t wait to go back!!
For starters, they recycle everything! Everywhere you go, there are recycle bins. They even charge for plastic and glass bottles to encourage you to recycle. If you take these items to the special recycle bins, you get the money back. I know it can be a hassle, but it’s one way to keep people recycling!
I am really impressed with their public transport systems! They are great!! You don’t need a car, just wait a few minutes and there is bound to be a bus, tram, metro, or train going your way! I really enjoyed using the public transport systems and wish we had such systems in place. It would be so nice to just hop on a train every time I wanted to visit family, or take the tram to school! It would sure save on gas, pollution, traffic, and parking spaces!
They also walk and ride bikes a lot. This means the people are healthier from exercise and yet again it’s much better for the environment. Watch out though, you may get run over if your standing in the bike lane! I was always so tired by the end of the day I couldn’t wait to get something to eat and go to bed! But, I also feel healthier from the exercise.
They really have some great systems in place and I think we could really benefit from using some of the same systems. It would be an adjustment to get used to, but I think in the long run we would really like the end result!
I really had a great time in Europe and I can’t wait to go back!!
Berlin
Wow, Berlin is truly an amazing city. I wasn’t sure what it would be like, but honestly thought it would just be a big industrial city. In reality it is a very unique place and I really enjoyed our visit there. It has such a unique history and it’s really interesting to see how they have developed. I found it very touching how they have made monuments to the past and embraced their ‘duty’ to remember. By preserving pieces of their history and sharing it with the world, they are ensuring that it never happens again. I personally feel that every person that goes to this city should go on a city tour to learn about this interesting place and how far it has come. But, it is also a very progressive city. They have beautiful and large museums that you could spend days in and never get through, beautiful parks, and many places to eat and shop.
I really can’t put into words just how unique Berlin is and the feelings I got when in certain locations. We also had a tour of Sachsenhausen, the former concentration camp. I really think that visiting a former concentration camp is something that everyone who travels to this area needs to do. You can read about them, watch documentaries, etc., but nothing compares to actually being there. Though it was a beautiful and sunny day, you can truly feel the sadness and darkness of this place. Our guide was very good at explaining what took place in the different areas, and told us stories of the people who lived there and how some of them came back for the big reunion only a month before. It is very difficult to express how I felt when I was there; this place of such a horrific past, of devastation and hopeless days. And to see it now, only a shell of what it once was. It’s a place you only need to see once, but will never forget.
I really can’t put into words just how unique Berlin is and the feelings I got when in certain locations. We also had a tour of Sachsenhausen, the former concentration camp. I really think that visiting a former concentration camp is something that everyone who travels to this area needs to do. You can read about them, watch documentaries, etc., but nothing compares to actually being there. Though it was a beautiful and sunny day, you can truly feel the sadness and darkness of this place. Our guide was very good at explaining what took place in the different areas, and told us stories of the people who lived there and how some of them came back for the big reunion only a month before. It is very difficult to express how I felt when I was there; this place of such a horrific past, of devastation and hopeless days. And to see it now, only a shell of what it once was. It’s a place you only need to see once, but will never forget.
Arbeit Macht Frei
Work Makes You Free.
These are the words inscribed on the gate entering the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. However, as the 30,000 prisoners who died of exhaustion, malnutrition, and disease in the camp realized, the only path to that freedom was "through the chimney."
Our visit to the memorial site of the former concentration camp was both moving and educational. We saw the barracks in which too many people crammed in to sleep, the death strip where if a prisoner stepped inside any guard could freely shoot him, the track on which prisoners were forced to run through sand, gravel, and mud for 25-40 kilometers per day in order to test the durability of Nazi boots, the infirmary where brutal experiments and dissections were conducted on prisoners, including children, the execution trench where prisoners were shot or hung, and the crematorium where thousands of human remains were burned.
The movie The Counterfeiters is based on the true story of the counterfeiting operation that took place inside of Sachsenhausen. Artisan prisoners were forced to replicate both the British pound and the American dollar knowing that when they finished their job they would be executed. The Nazis planned to use this fake currency to collapse the British and American economies.
Today, the camp has been turned into a memorial so that the people who were tortured and killed there may be remembered. And although children too young to understand its history may now laugh and play there, Sachsenhausen maintains an aura of sadness, respect, and regret. Only now are its victims truly free.
These are the words inscribed on the gate entering the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. However, as the 30,000 prisoners who died of exhaustion, malnutrition, and disease in the camp realized, the only path to that freedom was "through the chimney."
Our visit to the memorial site of the former concentration camp was both moving and educational. We saw the barracks in which too many people crammed in to sleep, the death strip where if a prisoner stepped inside any guard could freely shoot him, the track on which prisoners were forced to run through sand, gravel, and mud for 25-40 kilometers per day in order to test the durability of Nazi boots, the infirmary where brutal experiments and dissections were conducted on prisoners, including children, the execution trench where prisoners were shot or hung, and the crematorium where thousands of human remains were burned.
The movie The Counterfeiters is based on the true story of the counterfeiting operation that took place inside of Sachsenhausen. Artisan prisoners were forced to replicate both the British pound and the American dollar knowing that when they finished their job they would be executed. The Nazis planned to use this fake currency to collapse the British and American economies.
Today, the camp has been turned into a memorial so that the people who were tortured and killed there may be remembered. And although children too young to understand its history may now laugh and play there, Sachsenhausen maintains an aura of sadness, respect, and regret. Only now are its victims truly free.
Final words and goodbyes....
Berlin was unlike any other place I have been so far. I don't really know what I was expecting to run into, but I was definitely not expecting to be so intrigued as I was. It is a city full of so much history, some good and a lot bad, but it was definitely a learning experience.
I really enjoyed the bike tour through Berlin and it was my first successful ride where I managed not to crash into anyone....thank goodness.... The history that we encountered was amazing to see that all these horrible things happened and it really was fairly recent. The concentration camp gave me a lot of mixed and inexplainable feelings but it was definitely an experience that I will cherish and remember and I hope that everyone who visits one of these aweful pieces of history can see how human power can get out of control when given to one man.
Thursday was definitely an emotion day between the concentration camp and learning the history of the Berlin Wall and even just getting to see parts of the actual wall. To see where the Wall once was and be able to cross over just a pair of pebble stones onto the other side, gives you an appreciation for free movement because there was a time when it wasn't as simple as just crossing over, there were consequences.
Our last day in Germany proved to be a great one! The Zoo was great, especially the hippos and it was nice to end the evening in the Zabah Moroccan restaurant that had some pretty amazing food! When it came down to saying goodbye, I tried not to get emotional, while it will be nice to move on to Italy, I still feel
like I was not quite ready to part. I hope that everyone had as great of an experience as I did and it was great to have my eyes opened to a whole other world in which I fully intend on coming back to very soon! TCHUSS!!!
I really enjoyed the bike tour through Berlin and it was my first successful ride where I managed not to crash into anyone....thank goodness.... The history that we encountered was amazing to see that all these horrible things happened and it really was fairly recent. The concentration camp gave me a lot of mixed and inexplainable feelings but it was definitely an experience that I will cherish and remember and I hope that everyone who visits one of these aweful pieces of history can see how human power can get out of control when given to one man.
Thursday was definitely an emotion day between the concentration camp and learning the history of the Berlin Wall and even just getting to see parts of the actual wall. To see where the Wall once was and be able to cross over just a pair of pebble stones onto the other side, gives you an appreciation for free movement because there was a time when it wasn't as simple as just crossing over, there were consequences.
Our last day in Germany proved to be a great one! The Zoo was great, especially the hippos and it was nice to end the evening in the Zabah Moroccan restaurant that had some pretty amazing food! When it came down to saying goodbye, I tried not to get emotional, while it will be nice to move on to Italy, I still feel
like I was not quite ready to part. I hope that everyone had as great of an experience as I did and it was great to have my eyes opened to a whole other world in which I fully intend on coming back to very soon! TCHUSS!!!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
The final hours
Berlin has been a very interesting city, more steeped in recent history than any other place we've seen so far on this trip. The two days we've spent here have have sharply contrasted with one another in mood and tone.
Yesterday we spent the morning at the veterinary school in Berlin. Vet school in Germany is different, since they start right out of high school and go for 5.5 to 6 years. We split up according to our interests, which of course meant that I ended up in the small animal clinic. They gave us a tour, which I actually found a bit strange. The clinic was a bizarre mixture of very old and very modern technology... it was a very ugly hospital green color for most of the clinic, with old time radiators and everything still for heat. They also still don't have digital radiograph machines, which I found incredible considering that they are supposed to be a really great clinic. Even a lot of private clinics now have digital x-ray, so I just couldn't fathom that they still used films. I was even more confused when I found out that they have a CT scanner for imaging and a linear accelerator for cancer treatments and such. I was also a bit shocked that their main treatment rooms are actually all in one room, so multiple patients being seen by different doctors are all in the same room at the same time! They say it's easier to ask for help, and easier for students to go from patient to patient and learn, but as a client I would have issues with other people listening in on my private conversation with the vet. I was baffled by the setup of the clinic in general. After the tour, though, we got to pick a place to hang out for a few hours. Kat and I chose to watch surgery, which turned out to be the perfect decision! We watched three procedures, all of which were different and very cool. The first was an anal gland removal and castration, because they suspected anal gland tumors in this dog. I had never seen that surgery performed, as it isn't all that common in the States (the gland part, not the castration). Apparently it is fairly common here though, and the surgeon said it was fairly easy and routine. The second surgery was probably the most awesome. They were removing the spleen from a 9 year old Lab because it was cancerous. When they cut the poor thing open, ALL you could see was spleen! Very much abnormal, in case you don't know a whole lot about abdominal topography. When they finally got it out, the spleen was football sized with only a tiny bit of semi-normal looking tissue on either side and a HUGE mass of tumor in the middle. Hands down the coolest bit of surgery I've ever seen. I just wanted to weigh it and see how much lighter the poor dog would be after waking up! The surgeon for that procedure was very young, which was also interesting. The final surgery we didn't see in it's entirety, since we had to go get lunch. They were repairing a laryngeal paralysis, which is basically when the dog can't open it's vocal cords while breathing so they don't get as much air (and it makes a really cool sound that is sometimes called "roars"). The surgeon for that procedure found out we were Americans and explained the whole thing to us in English, which I thought was extremely considerate of her. What they do is stitch the laryngeal cartilages together and tack them to the side of the trachea (sort of, but I won't bore you with the details) on one side so that more air can get through. They only do one side, though, because otherwise the dog will get aspiration pneumonia. That was a close second for the coolest surgery I've ever seen, so it was a really good morning!
After lunch at the university cafeteria, we went on a Berlin by Bike tour with George. He was a fantastic guide, although the weather was a bit chilly for my liking and the wind was stiff. We saw a huge amount of the city, and between George, Dr. Wasser and Olaf we got a vast amount of information that normal tourists miss out on. I was especially moved by the site of the Berlin book burning. I thought it was really cool how they had a glass floor tile with an empty library below to commemorate the loss of knowledge and erasure of the people who had written the banned literature. We also saw the opera house, memorial for German soldiers, memorial for the Jews killed in WWII, Brandenburg Gate, Reightstag (Parliament building), and the line on the ground where the Berlin wall used to be. I've never been much of a history buff, but I still found it very interesting that there was so much sadness and oppression in the not-so-distant past. I guess I've always thought of WWII and the Cold War era as happening a really long time ago, but it wasn't at all. Realizing that I was actually born before the wall came down was fascinating to me. We finished up the day by eating Turkish fast food (very good if you've never had it). Kat and I shared a bottle of wine and went to bed.
Today was a sadder day than yesterday, but no less interesting. In the morning we visited Sachsenhaussen, which was a concentration camp on the outskirts of Berlin. Although it wasn't considered an "extermination camp", there were plenty of terrible things going on there. It was a model camp, which meant that SS soldiers trained there on how to run other concentration camps, and visiting dignitaries were allowed to tour the facilities as if it were just another place to see and hear about. It was very disturbing to me that anyone would WANT to see something like that, let alone learn from it and take that information back to use in other places. Ironically, the police in Berlin today still train in the building that the SS soldiers trained in and are required to do work patrolling the site while visitors are walking through. The entrance gate said something like, "Work will set you free", which was just one example of how the Nazis twisted language so badly. After all, work would set them free in a manner of speaking, since the prisoners were worked to their death. Our guide talked a lot about the different commandos that the prisoners were assigned to, and each was more miserable than the last. Some were forced to test new Nazi boot designs by running 20+ miles a day in poorly fitting boots. Others were forced to dissect the bodies of the prisoners who died, and there were many other equally horrible tasks. We walked through the infirmary, where a variety of experiments were carried out on prisoners. They even experimented on children, which was the most disturbing of all to me. We ended by visiting the extermination building, where there was a small gas chamber and crematoria. That's where I finally lost it; I wasn't the only one with tears running down by the time we finished.
After that we took the train back to the center of Berlin to finish our tour of the city. We got to go into one of the guard towers that stood in the death strip of the Berlin wall. The building was preserved thanks to one man, who's brother was one of the first to be shot and killed attempting to escape from East Berlin when the wall was erected. That guy himself gave us the tour, which I thought was incredible. He is an old man now, and speaks German, but thanks to George, Dr. Wasser and Olaf we were able to listen to him and get an adequate translation of everything he said. I am constantly amazed at the efforts of people to save pieces of the past so we can learn from them. It was the same way with the Anne Frank house being preserved by her father. These people must realize just how important it is and how much of a larger purpose they are serving, because otherwise how could you live with the constant reminder of lost loved ones? I thought it was very generous of him to agree to show us around.
We ended by walking to the remains of the Berlin wall. I wasn't really very impressed by it until we walked around to the back, Eastern side where a section with the death strip was preserved. The wall wasn't high, but the space between the two walls was also riddled with danger. I had never really understood the significance of the Berlin wall, or how long all of that went on, until I saw the memorials and all of that today. I also didn't realize how truly close together WWII and the communist separation of East and West were chronologically. Germany, or at least large parts of it, spent a lot of the 1900s suffering under one tyrant or another.
After visiting the wall we decided to spend a little time at the Pergamon museum, which is an ancient cultures museum. Admission is free on Thursday nights, which was even better! They have the Pergamon altar, as well as the Istar gate on display. Everything was just so huge, and I have always been fascinated with ancient cultures, more so than recent history. All I could think to myself the entire time we were wandering through the museum was, "Why don't we build really gorgeous amazing things anymore?". Seriously though, I feel like modern buildings lack the sense of grandeur and character so common in ancient works. Everything now is focused on mass production and making cookie cutter images of everything from houses to goods, and I just crave the uniqueness and small imperfections that made ancient structures so amazing. People truly thought about what looked fantastic back then, and also used their buildings and statues to honor important elements of their beliefs and daily life. I wish we had retained something of that ideology. Probably my favorite exhibit that we saw was the Ishtar gate and ceremonial pathway to approach it. I could just see myself walking along that road at the height of it's time, staring at the beautiful, brightly colored stones and marveling at how everything had been created.
Tomorrow is our last day of the trip, and we are going to the Wildlife Research center, as well as the zoo. I hope it will be an upbeat end to the trip. Berlin has been amazing, and very educational, but also the saddest city we've seen. I have never felt so deeply moved or close to history as I did here. It is definitely something I won't forget, even if most of the time I felt that it would be inappropriate to take pictures. Somehow I think the images will come with me in my head regardless.
Yesterday we spent the morning at the veterinary school in Berlin. Vet school in Germany is different, since they start right out of high school and go for 5.5 to 6 years. We split up according to our interests, which of course meant that I ended up in the small animal clinic. They gave us a tour, which I actually found a bit strange. The clinic was a bizarre mixture of very old and very modern technology... it was a very ugly hospital green color for most of the clinic, with old time radiators and everything still for heat. They also still don't have digital radiograph machines, which I found incredible considering that they are supposed to be a really great clinic. Even a lot of private clinics now have digital x-ray, so I just couldn't fathom that they still used films. I was even more confused when I found out that they have a CT scanner for imaging and a linear accelerator for cancer treatments and such. I was also a bit shocked that their main treatment rooms are actually all in one room, so multiple patients being seen by different doctors are all in the same room at the same time! They say it's easier to ask for help, and easier for students to go from patient to patient and learn, but as a client I would have issues with other people listening in on my private conversation with the vet. I was baffled by the setup of the clinic in general. After the tour, though, we got to pick a place to hang out for a few hours. Kat and I chose to watch surgery, which turned out to be the perfect decision! We watched three procedures, all of which were different and very cool. The first was an anal gland removal and castration, because they suspected anal gland tumors in this dog. I had never seen that surgery performed, as it isn't all that common in the States (the gland part, not the castration). Apparently it is fairly common here though, and the surgeon said it was fairly easy and routine. The second surgery was probably the most awesome. They were removing the spleen from a 9 year old Lab because it was cancerous. When they cut the poor thing open, ALL you could see was spleen! Very much abnormal, in case you don't know a whole lot about abdominal topography. When they finally got it out, the spleen was football sized with only a tiny bit of semi-normal looking tissue on either side and a HUGE mass of tumor in the middle. Hands down the coolest bit of surgery I've ever seen. I just wanted to weigh it and see how much lighter the poor dog would be after waking up! The surgeon for that procedure was very young, which was also interesting. The final surgery we didn't see in it's entirety, since we had to go get lunch. They were repairing a laryngeal paralysis, which is basically when the dog can't open it's vocal cords while breathing so they don't get as much air (and it makes a really cool sound that is sometimes called "roars"). The surgeon for that procedure found out we were Americans and explained the whole thing to us in English, which I thought was extremely considerate of her. What they do is stitch the laryngeal cartilages together and tack them to the side of the trachea (sort of, but I won't bore you with the details) on one side so that more air can get through. They only do one side, though, because otherwise the dog will get aspiration pneumonia. That was a close second for the coolest surgery I've ever seen, so it was a really good morning!
After lunch at the university cafeteria, we went on a Berlin by Bike tour with George. He was a fantastic guide, although the weather was a bit chilly for my liking and the wind was stiff. We saw a huge amount of the city, and between George, Dr. Wasser and Olaf we got a vast amount of information that normal tourists miss out on. I was especially moved by the site of the Berlin book burning. I thought it was really cool how they had a glass floor tile with an empty library below to commemorate the loss of knowledge and erasure of the people who had written the banned literature. We also saw the opera house, memorial for German soldiers, memorial for the Jews killed in WWII, Brandenburg Gate, Reightstag (Parliament building), and the line on the ground where the Berlin wall used to be. I've never been much of a history buff, but I still found it very interesting that there was so much sadness and oppression in the not-so-distant past. I guess I've always thought of WWII and the Cold War era as happening a really long time ago, but it wasn't at all. Realizing that I was actually born before the wall came down was fascinating to me. We finished up the day by eating Turkish fast food (very good if you've never had it). Kat and I shared a bottle of wine and went to bed.
Today was a sadder day than yesterday, but no less interesting. In the morning we visited Sachsenhaussen, which was a concentration camp on the outskirts of Berlin. Although it wasn't considered an "extermination camp", there were plenty of terrible things going on there. It was a model camp, which meant that SS soldiers trained there on how to run other concentration camps, and visiting dignitaries were allowed to tour the facilities as if it were just another place to see and hear about. It was very disturbing to me that anyone would WANT to see something like that, let alone learn from it and take that information back to use in other places. Ironically, the police in Berlin today still train in the building that the SS soldiers trained in and are required to do work patrolling the site while visitors are walking through. The entrance gate said something like, "Work will set you free", which was just one example of how the Nazis twisted language so badly. After all, work would set them free in a manner of speaking, since the prisoners were worked to their death. Our guide talked a lot about the different commandos that the prisoners were assigned to, and each was more miserable than the last. Some were forced to test new Nazi boot designs by running 20+ miles a day in poorly fitting boots. Others were forced to dissect the bodies of the prisoners who died, and there were many other equally horrible tasks. We walked through the infirmary, where a variety of experiments were carried out on prisoners. They even experimented on children, which was the most disturbing of all to me. We ended by visiting the extermination building, where there was a small gas chamber and crematoria. That's where I finally lost it; I wasn't the only one with tears running down by the time we finished.
After that we took the train back to the center of Berlin to finish our tour of the city. We got to go into one of the guard towers that stood in the death strip of the Berlin wall. The building was preserved thanks to one man, who's brother was one of the first to be shot and killed attempting to escape from East Berlin when the wall was erected. That guy himself gave us the tour, which I thought was incredible. He is an old man now, and speaks German, but thanks to George, Dr. Wasser and Olaf we were able to listen to him and get an adequate translation of everything he said. I am constantly amazed at the efforts of people to save pieces of the past so we can learn from them. It was the same way with the Anne Frank house being preserved by her father. These people must realize just how important it is and how much of a larger purpose they are serving, because otherwise how could you live with the constant reminder of lost loved ones? I thought it was very generous of him to agree to show us around.
We ended by walking to the remains of the Berlin wall. I wasn't really very impressed by it until we walked around to the back, Eastern side where a section with the death strip was preserved. The wall wasn't high, but the space between the two walls was also riddled with danger. I had never really understood the significance of the Berlin wall, or how long all of that went on, until I saw the memorials and all of that today. I also didn't realize how truly close together WWII and the communist separation of East and West were chronologically. Germany, or at least large parts of it, spent a lot of the 1900s suffering under one tyrant or another.
After visiting the wall we decided to spend a little time at the Pergamon museum, which is an ancient cultures museum. Admission is free on Thursday nights, which was even better! They have the Pergamon altar, as well as the Istar gate on display. Everything was just so huge, and I have always been fascinated with ancient cultures, more so than recent history. All I could think to myself the entire time we were wandering through the museum was, "Why don't we build really gorgeous amazing things anymore?". Seriously though, I feel like modern buildings lack the sense of grandeur and character so common in ancient works. Everything now is focused on mass production and making cookie cutter images of everything from houses to goods, and I just crave the uniqueness and small imperfections that made ancient structures so amazing. People truly thought about what looked fantastic back then, and also used their buildings and statues to honor important elements of their beliefs and daily life. I wish we had retained something of that ideology. Probably my favorite exhibit that we saw was the Ishtar gate and ceremonial pathway to approach it. I could just see myself walking along that road at the height of it's time, staring at the beautiful, brightly colored stones and marveling at how everything had been created.
Tomorrow is our last day of the trip, and we are going to the Wildlife Research center, as well as the zoo. I hope it will be an upbeat end to the trip. Berlin has been amazing, and very educational, but also the saddest city we've seen. I have never felt so deeply moved or close to history as I did here. It is definitely something I won't forget, even if most of the time I felt that it would be inappropriate to take pictures. Somehow I think the images will come with me in my head regardless.
Concentration Camps
June 3, 2010
Today we visited the former concentration camp in Berlin. Despite having been to Dachau many times – these camps never cease to move me. Thoughts of how I would react if put in such a situation flood me. I really believe I would choose death—perform some act that I know would lead to my execution so I would not have to endure the torture anymore. BUT if there was family present or friends- I would try to endure, not for my own sake but for theirs… I am sure the same thoughts ran through so many put in these AWFUL places and stripped of their humanity… I am sure they lost hope. I shake my head thinking about how such atrocities could have possibly occurred; how so much hate could consume someone. Then I think about HOW IMPORTANT it is to protect yourself from becoming a person filled with such hate and HOW IMPORTANT it is to teach our children (one day) how to love people: That all men were created in the image of God.
Today I also placed myself on the other side of the wall- what if I was that little girl who played in the backyard, protected and safe, friends with SS officers, while a few hundred feet away was a camp full of starving, tortured individuals- what if her family was my family? Certainly, fear would keep my family quiet as it did hers. I would rather like to think that there would be some grand plan to help those in the camp, to fight against the SS, to recover the town from Hitler’s control --- but these are naïve thoughts.
My ancestors where here in Germany through all this- although they are dead now, I wonder who they were during this time… Would I be proud or I would be ashamed?
Just some thoughts...
Today we visited the former concentration camp in Berlin. Despite having been to Dachau many times – these camps never cease to move me. Thoughts of how I would react if put in such a situation flood me. I really believe I would choose death—perform some act that I know would lead to my execution so I would not have to endure the torture anymore. BUT if there was family present or friends- I would try to endure, not for my own sake but for theirs… I am sure the same thoughts ran through so many put in these AWFUL places and stripped of their humanity… I am sure they lost hope. I shake my head thinking about how such atrocities could have possibly occurred; how so much hate could consume someone. Then I think about HOW IMPORTANT it is to protect yourself from becoming a person filled with such hate and HOW IMPORTANT it is to teach our children (one day) how to love people: That all men were created in the image of God.
Today I also placed myself on the other side of the wall- what if I was that little girl who played in the backyard, protected and safe, friends with SS officers, while a few hundred feet away was a camp full of starving, tortured individuals- what if her family was my family? Certainly, fear would keep my family quiet as it did hers. I would rather like to think that there would be some grand plan to help those in the camp, to fight against the SS, to recover the town from Hitler’s control --- but these are naïve thoughts.
My ancestors where here in Germany through all this- although they are dead now, I wonder who they were during this time… Would I be proud or I would be ashamed?
Just some thoughts...
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Short and sweet
Okay, I won't go on and on for this one. The second day in Hannover was really good!!! Yeah for vet stuff!! We started out by going to surgery rounds. Thankfully, they were kind enough to present most of the cases in English, so that we could understand what was going on. Then, Dr. Hahn took us through the horse clinic. Quite impressive, once again. The amount of room they have and new machinery they use was really great to see.
Then, we got to go palpate for some ovaries. I am horrible at palpating, and even with help and guidance, I could not find them. Kind of frustrating, but maybe one day I'll be able to find them. We also saw how they do "ovum pickup". Melissa and Greg gave their best attempts to pickup some ova. It did not look easy, that's for sure.
And, lastly (told you it would be short), we went to a stud farm. Absolutely gorgeous stallions! The facility did a lot more than I was expecting. Of course, they collect semen, but they also train them for competition in events, such as dressage. I was glad we had done the male repro lab in physiology, otherwise when we collected and evaluated the semen, I would have had no clue what they were talking about. That's all for now.
Then, we got to go palpate for some ovaries. I am horrible at palpating, and even with help and guidance, I could not find them. Kind of frustrating, but maybe one day I'll be able to find them. We also saw how they do "ovum pickup". Melissa and Greg gave their best attempts to pickup some ova. It did not look easy, that's for sure.
And, lastly (told you it would be short), we went to a stud farm. Absolutely gorgeous stallions! The facility did a lot more than I was expecting. Of course, they collect semen, but they also train them for competition in events, such as dressage. I was glad we had done the male repro lab in physiology, otherwise when we collected and evaluated the semen, I would have had no clue what they were talking about. That's all for now.
Basel
I arrived in Basel Switzerland at 3:00pm on Sunday afternoon. Because our group wasn’t scheduled to meet up until 6:00pm, I located a city map, found the hotel on the map, figured out which tram to take, bought the appropriate ticket, and found my way to the hotel.
Novartis put us up in the Ramada Plaza in Basel. We each had our own excessively fancy room with blinds that raised and lowered automatically, bathroom floors that lit up, and free wi-fi. After relaxing for a bit, I went with Olaf to pick up the others from the train station.
Once everyone had checked in and settled, several of us decided to head out for dinner. We found a fantastic Italian restaurant near the hotel. After dinner, we finished off the evening in the bar on the 31st floor of the hotel. From there we could see the entire city while enjoying our drinks.
On Monday, we toured the Novartis headquarters in Basel, and then visited their research farm outside of the city. I have somewhat mixed feelings about the research; on the one hand, I understand that testing of products on animals is necessary in order to develop medications for pets. On the other hand, animal welfare is extremely important to me, and I found myself interested in their treatment of the animals.
Overall, the quality of life for the research animals is somewhat higher than I would have expected. The research dogs are all healthy happy beagles who participate in drug studies every few weeks. When we asked our tour guide how long the dogs stay in the lab, he told us, “too long;” he explained that all of the researchers get attached to the individual dogs, and many of the dogs have life long bonds with the researchers. When I asked how much human interaction the dogs get, he told us “not enough,” and he said that the dogs seem happiest when participating in a study because that is when they get the most attention. Sadly, they spend much of the rest of their time in kennels. Worse still are the cattle participating in the tick studies. The calves seemed well-fed but had very little room to move around.
However, the lab has found ways to reduce the number of animals needed for studies. A new device referred to as the "Artificial Cat" has replaced the need for animals in flea studies. The fleas are kept inside a metal container and are fed through a cellophane membrane that is similar to animal’s skin. Although I still do not believe I could ever work in animal research, I feel slightly better having seen the passion for animals in the Novartis employees.
After our visit with Novartis, we returned to the hotel for our first genuine free evening. I opted to stay in the hotel, have some dinner and drinks, and relax for a bit.
Tuesday morning, we took a tour of Basel which ended in the market square. We actually had a bit of free time, so I went to a few of the shops and then headed to the ancient art museum. The museum had three floors of Greek and Roman statuary, vases, weaponry, and armor. Additionally, the basement of the museum housed a fantastic collection of Egyptian relics, including the remains of mummified human on full display.
After the museum, I set out to find food. The food was wonderful, but my lunch was interrupted when a vagrant man entered the restaurant and began yelling at the waitress and customers. At one point, he actually chased the waitress through the restaurant yelling at her in German, “You will pay! You will pay!” He tried to yell at me as well, but I told him I did not understand, and he left me alone. The wait staff was about to call the police when the man ran out of the restaurant with a flask of wine not to be seen again.
After my scary but delicious lunch, I met back up with the group and we headed to the airport to travel to Berlin!
Novartis put us up in the Ramada Plaza in Basel. We each had our own excessively fancy room with blinds that raised and lowered automatically, bathroom floors that lit up, and free wi-fi. After relaxing for a bit, I went with Olaf to pick up the others from the train station.
Once everyone had checked in and settled, several of us decided to head out for dinner. We found a fantastic Italian restaurant near the hotel. After dinner, we finished off the evening in the bar on the 31st floor of the hotel. From there we could see the entire city while enjoying our drinks.
On Monday, we toured the Novartis headquarters in Basel, and then visited their research farm outside of the city. I have somewhat mixed feelings about the research; on the one hand, I understand that testing of products on animals is necessary in order to develop medications for pets. On the other hand, animal welfare is extremely important to me, and I found myself interested in their treatment of the animals.
Overall, the quality of life for the research animals is somewhat higher than I would have expected. The research dogs are all healthy happy beagles who participate in drug studies every few weeks. When we asked our tour guide how long the dogs stay in the lab, he told us, “too long;” he explained that all of the researchers get attached to the individual dogs, and many of the dogs have life long bonds with the researchers. When I asked how much human interaction the dogs get, he told us “not enough,” and he said that the dogs seem happiest when participating in a study because that is when they get the most attention. Sadly, they spend much of the rest of their time in kennels. Worse still are the cattle participating in the tick studies. The calves seemed well-fed but had very little room to move around.
However, the lab has found ways to reduce the number of animals needed for studies. A new device referred to as the "Artificial Cat" has replaced the need for animals in flea studies. The fleas are kept inside a metal container and are fed through a cellophane membrane that is similar to animal’s skin. Although I still do not believe I could ever work in animal research, I feel slightly better having seen the passion for animals in the Novartis employees.
After our visit with Novartis, we returned to the hotel for our first genuine free evening. I opted to stay in the hotel, have some dinner and drinks, and relax for a bit.
Tuesday morning, we took a tour of Basel which ended in the market square. We actually had a bit of free time, so I went to a few of the shops and then headed to the ancient art museum. The museum had three floors of Greek and Roman statuary, vases, weaponry, and armor. Additionally, the basement of the museum housed a fantastic collection of Egyptian relics, including the remains of mummified human on full display.
After the museum, I set out to find food. The food was wonderful, but my lunch was interrupted when a vagrant man entered the restaurant and began yelling at the waitress and customers. At one point, he actually chased the waitress through the restaurant yelling at her in German, “You will pay! You will pay!” He tried to yell at me as well, but I told him I did not understand, and he left me alone. The wait staff was about to call the police when the man ran out of the restaurant with a flask of wine not to be seen again.
After my scary but delicious lunch, I met back up with the group and we headed to the airport to travel to Berlin!
Long day
So, I'm a little behind on the blogging, but hopefully I'll be able to share some stuff about the past week or so.
Hannover was great! My host, Bianca, was so sweet! She was kind of like my mom for a couple of days. She always made sure I was fed and knew where I was going and was having a good time. :) Her apartment was super cute, and her cats, Tigger and Cleo, were very curious about the new person in their territory. We had lots of fun talking and laughing, and I was able to help her practice her English.
The first day at the clinic was going through the new pet clinic all decked out in white lab coats...very official. It was nice, but it was so "sterile". Usually I'm used to seeing pictures of dogs and cats and advertisements for pet product companies in the U.S., but there was nothing...I mean, nothing...on the walls. It might have been because it was so new, but it still felt unusual.
The tour of the cattle clinic was next. Dr. Meyer did a wonderful job of explaining how they taught their students. One thing that I really liked was that they had a cattle herd for students to practice things on. I don't think we have that at A&M, at least not outside of palpating with BP or EP. AND...we got to spend some time with a few adorable calves that were bred at the hospital. So cute!!! The hospital itself was quite a contrast to the pet clinic. Most of that is because of the age of the buildings, but it was nice to see how they made do with what they had. It was also kind of funny to see that the mentality of large animal vets compared to small animal is different, just like it is in the States. I wish I could explain it better in words, but they are just different. Of course, that probably has to do with the difference in the types of clients, but I guess it's not a similarity I was expecting between A&M and here.
Then, on to the the research farm. That was pretty incredible. I learned so much! As we went through, I almost wished I had a recorder with me, because there was so much. It was a good mixture of past, present, and future aspects of the farm animal industry. Dr. Surie also threw in a bit of humor as well, which I always appreciate. :) Of all the places we have been, this was the one that I think was most impacted by the Green Party here in Germany. To hear about the changes they've had to make, like housing for their chickens, made me better appreciate the influence of the people on the government. I think that's something I take for granted in the U.S.
Last, but not least, after a long, long day, the veterinary fraternity threw us a barbecue. It was delicious! I had a great time talking to Stephanie, one of the Hannover students. Their program is a bit different, but they all seem very happy with it. Once they find out that we really have 8 years of school to become a vet, they really like their program. ;) It was fun just to hang out and talk and laugh and all that. It was good end to the day. Luckily, Bianca didn't want to stay that long, so we went back to the apartment, toasted some Beck's, and went to sleep.
Hannover was great! My host, Bianca, was so sweet! She was kind of like my mom for a couple of days. She always made sure I was fed and knew where I was going and was having a good time. :) Her apartment was super cute, and her cats, Tigger and Cleo, were very curious about the new person in their territory. We had lots of fun talking and laughing, and I was able to help her practice her English.
The first day at the clinic was going through the new pet clinic all decked out in white lab coats...very official. It was nice, but it was so "sterile". Usually I'm used to seeing pictures of dogs and cats and advertisements for pet product companies in the U.S., but there was nothing...I mean, nothing...on the walls. It might have been because it was so new, but it still felt unusual.
The tour of the cattle clinic was next. Dr. Meyer did a wonderful job of explaining how they taught their students. One thing that I really liked was that they had a cattle herd for students to practice things on. I don't think we have that at A&M, at least not outside of palpating with BP or EP. AND...we got to spend some time with a few adorable calves that were bred at the hospital. So cute!!! The hospital itself was quite a contrast to the pet clinic. Most of that is because of the age of the buildings, but it was nice to see how they made do with what they had. It was also kind of funny to see that the mentality of large animal vets compared to small animal is different, just like it is in the States. I wish I could explain it better in words, but they are just different. Of course, that probably has to do with the difference in the types of clients, but I guess it's not a similarity I was expecting between A&M and here.
Then, on to the the research farm. That was pretty incredible. I learned so much! As we went through, I almost wished I had a recorder with me, because there was so much. It was a good mixture of past, present, and future aspects of the farm animal industry. Dr. Surie also threw in a bit of humor as well, which I always appreciate. :) Of all the places we have been, this was the one that I think was most impacted by the Green Party here in Germany. To hear about the changes they've had to make, like housing for their chickens, made me better appreciate the influence of the people on the government. I think that's something I take for granted in the U.S.
Last, but not least, after a long, long day, the veterinary fraternity threw us a barbecue. It was delicious! I had a great time talking to Stephanie, one of the Hannover students. Their program is a bit different, but they all seem very happy with it. Once they find out that we really have 8 years of school to become a vet, they really like their program. ;) It was fun just to hang out and talk and laugh and all that. It was good end to the day. Luckily, Bianca didn't want to stay that long, so we went back to the apartment, toasted some Beck's, and went to sleep.
Advice for Next Years Group
June 2, 2010
Advice to Next Year’s Group:
(Hindsight is always 20/20)
“T-shirt weather” should imply bringing a parka for the just-in-case.
Don’t think this will be a time/place to catch up on sleep or reading that you would like to do.
Be ready to move and move fast.
Always finish your dinner because 1) you need the calories to keep moving at the fast-pace 2) you never know when the next meal is coming
Along the same lines, buy snacks!!
Don’t expect to follow the schedule to a T: be willing to go with the flow
Don’t expect to know the exact plans- Olaf stays rather aloof when it comes to the schedule…
Don’t expect much free time – the group often functions together: Be prepared for “group think”
Don’t expect to find a Deutsche Bank every time you need it (if you have Bank of America their ATM’s have no fees).
Wifi isn’t everywhere and it’s “spotty”/ GPS and 3G networks are AWESOME TO HAVE! You’ll never be lost :O).
Expect Switzerland to be the most expensive place.
Bring a clothes line, pins, and detergent – I had to do laundry in the hotel room.
On free weekends, plan your morning travels the night before…. Look at bus and tram routes and map it out – we spent some of the time lost and it’s valuable time.
Be prepared to experience things that you will only experience on the program- it’s priceless
Be prepared to LOVE your hosts- this is the best experience of the program! Bring them a little something from Texas, and be open towards them!
Hopefully, If you want to party there will be opportunity to do so- but if you don’t want to party, perhaps have Dr.Wasser say something about this to the host ahead of time so you are not obliged.
Bring a blow up neck pillow (if you want luxury) for the many bus rides, train rides, and airplane rides where you will be trying to catch up on sleep.
Pack light.
Olaf is awesome.
Advice to Next Year’s Group:
(Hindsight is always 20/20)
“T-shirt weather” should imply bringing a parka for the just-in-case.
Don’t think this will be a time/place to catch up on sleep or reading that you would like to do.
Be ready to move and move fast.
Always finish your dinner because 1) you need the calories to keep moving at the fast-pace 2) you never know when the next meal is coming
Along the same lines, buy snacks!!
Don’t expect to follow the schedule to a T: be willing to go with the flow
Don’t expect to know the exact plans- Olaf stays rather aloof when it comes to the schedule…
Don’t expect much free time – the group often functions together: Be prepared for “group think”
Don’t expect to find a Deutsche Bank every time you need it (if you have Bank of America their ATM’s have no fees).
Wifi isn’t everywhere and it’s “spotty”/ GPS and 3G networks are AWESOME TO HAVE! You’ll never be lost :O).
Expect Switzerland to be the most expensive place.
Bring a clothes line, pins, and detergent – I had to do laundry in the hotel room.
On free weekends, plan your morning travels the night before…. Look at bus and tram routes and map it out – we spent some of the time lost and it’s valuable time.
Be prepared to experience things that you will only experience on the program- it’s priceless
Be prepared to LOVE your hosts- this is the best experience of the program! Bring them a little something from Texas, and be open towards them!
Hopefully, If you want to party there will be opportunity to do so- but if you don’t want to party, perhaps have Dr.Wasser say something about this to the host ahead of time so you are not obliged.
Bring a blow up neck pillow (if you want luxury) for the many bus rides, train rides, and airplane rides where you will be trying to catch up on sleep.
Pack light.
Olaf is awesome.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Trivia
I often remind myself that “all things in life are of value.” -- Meaning that all experiences rather good or bad results in invaluable life lessons-- that if you allow them-- better who you are. I believe this, for better or worse. Nonetheless, or in-spite of this belief, I sieve through tons of information thrown at us and decisively trash the unnecessary. In fact, in some circumstances, while I may physically be present, I am mentally in another realm. Veterinary school has only equipped me to do this much more efficiently and with ease. So I pose to you – when is information trivia?
Trivia: Of little worth or importance.
May I further draw out your thoughts: For instance, often history is presented as a matter-of-fact. – Note: this isn’t to say history is unimportant or trivial and if you read this and think such you’ve missed the point- But History in this manner – as a matter-of-fact- does not require one to draw any conclusions. Conclusions that if were made would have a substantial impact on ones point of view and perhaps, extend into how one carries out their own affairs. History given to us in a take-it or leave-it manner and as conglomerations of information without or with little connection or significance (such as: this man built this house in the 16th century… ) leaves a lot to be desired. Information as such falls through the sieve to never be retrieved again. The saddening part about such is that to the historian it is the interconnections between the mosaic pieces which are presented as trivial history that makes the beautiful historical masterpiece. However, the foreigner, who wants exposure to “it all,” in the overwhelming sea of information misses the depth and the meaning of trivia. Knowing such facts, to me will not better my life or increase my skills and abilities- not without deeper connections and thoughts that allow me to make conclusions and which result in truly learning from the past.
Perhaps a better approach to learn history is to grasp at fewer “significant trivias” and piece them together to explain a culture and a people today.
Trivia: Of little worth or importance.
May I further draw out your thoughts: For instance, often history is presented as a matter-of-fact. – Note: this isn’t to say history is unimportant or trivial and if you read this and think such you’ve missed the point- But History in this manner – as a matter-of-fact- does not require one to draw any conclusions. Conclusions that if were made would have a substantial impact on ones point of view and perhaps, extend into how one carries out their own affairs. History given to us in a take-it or leave-it manner and as conglomerations of information without or with little connection or significance (such as: this man built this house in the 16th century… ) leaves a lot to be desired. Information as such falls through the sieve to never be retrieved again. The saddening part about such is that to the historian it is the interconnections between the mosaic pieces which are presented as trivial history that makes the beautiful historical masterpiece. However, the foreigner, who wants exposure to “it all,” in the overwhelming sea of information misses the depth and the meaning of trivia. Knowing such facts, to me will not better my life or increase my skills and abilities- not without deeper connections and thoughts that allow me to make conclusions and which result in truly learning from the past.
Perhaps a better approach to learn history is to grasp at fewer “significant trivias” and piece them together to explain a culture and a people today.
Veterinarians Conquer the World
June 1, 2010
Veterinarians Conquer the World
As we sat in a Novartis conference room in tall, reclining, ergonomic chairs, the Novartis Research and Development director reaffirmed me that I am joining one of the most rewarding professions in the world. The options for the career life of the veterinarian are unlimited and only we (the lion in the cage with the open door) are the limiting factor. I was convinced really of this before I began veterinary school and it was certainly part of my drive to get there. However, I certainly did not know of all the incredible options out there- especially for someone with a background in intercultural communications. I dream of having relationships with people all over the world – in a business fashion- as my family company has- but had no idea how that would that correspond with private veterinary practice. The talk at Novartis opened my mind up to the possibilities, especially innovative ones—where you are the creator and they are the buyer. It also made me shake a little in my boots- because my career path is unknown (I never envisioned myself in veterinary school 5 years ago- and some people even scoffed at the idea!); at the same time- it makes my future full of excitement. As we went through the day, the drive to “accomplish it all” surged within me. Not only do I want to know the medical side but I want to know the business side. I want to know the ins and outs --- and in this way I find my father as I look in the mirror - the man who wants to “do it all.” A gift and a flaw!!! Not to mention I am about to marry a man who is just like me!! Oh No! :O) None-the-less, at the same time, I find a deep respect for those who know fields that I have no interest in, and do them extremely well. So despite my desire to push and do it all- some things I am willing to give up for my own sanity!! I hope I remember this as I enter the working world.
Veterinarians Conquer the World
As we sat in a Novartis conference room in tall, reclining, ergonomic chairs, the Novartis Research and Development director reaffirmed me that I am joining one of the most rewarding professions in the world. The options for the career life of the veterinarian are unlimited and only we (the lion in the cage with the open door) are the limiting factor. I was convinced really of this before I began veterinary school and it was certainly part of my drive to get there. However, I certainly did not know of all the incredible options out there- especially for someone with a background in intercultural communications. I dream of having relationships with people all over the world – in a business fashion- as my family company has- but had no idea how that would that correspond with private veterinary practice. The talk at Novartis opened my mind up to the possibilities, especially innovative ones—where you are the creator and they are the buyer. It also made me shake a little in my boots- because my career path is unknown (I never envisioned myself in veterinary school 5 years ago- and some people even scoffed at the idea!); at the same time- it makes my future full of excitement. As we went through the day, the drive to “accomplish it all” surged within me. Not only do I want to know the medical side but I want to know the business side. I want to know the ins and outs --- and in this way I find my father as I look in the mirror - the man who wants to “do it all.” A gift and a flaw!!! Not to mention I am about to marry a man who is just like me!! Oh No! :O) None-the-less, at the same time, I find a deep respect for those who know fields that I have no interest in, and do them extremely well. So despite my desire to push and do it all- some things I am willing to give up for my own sanity!! I hope I remember this as I enter the working world.
Euthanasia.
May 31, 2010
Euthanasia.
They suspect that the veterinarian suicide rate is higher than that of other professions due to our constant exposure to euthanasia. Without a doubt- the profession makes you contemplate the quality of life and our duty to protect such more than the average person. For the American student, speaking about euthanasia as it applies in the animal world and the debate in the human health field is socially acceptable among peers and otherwise. However, to speak about Euthanasia in a country that is plagued with a history of the “ultimate human euthanasia experiment” results in a sincere and regretful silence. As an American, I instantly felt deep shame having brought up the subject. It makes me ponder how professional schools such as Veterinary or Human Health talk about such ethics. What is even more intriguing is the fact that Germany’s next door neighbors are pro Human-euthanasia. I spoke with my host in Hannover about the subject and found out that until the last decade taking people off life-support was considered murder rather they wanted it or not. It is a very “North American” view that says we have the right to choose to life and death – depending upon the “quality of life.” And perhaps, this “freedom” has been taken too far: For I am disturbed by pet owners who want to kill their healthy, happy animals- but it happens in animal clinics all over the U.S. - simply because the pets inconvenience of the life of the owner. What does this say about the North American’s view of life? Is life held as sacred when compared to those who have experienced extreme loss, such as those in Germany? For the veterinarian, I hope that we make decisions wisely out of the deep respect we hold for the animal’s quality of life- but also that we function with an even greater respect and value for the human life. There are certainly circumstances when it is time to let go, but may we never be hardened by the profession to make these decisions recklessly.
Euthanasia.
They suspect that the veterinarian suicide rate is higher than that of other professions due to our constant exposure to euthanasia. Without a doubt- the profession makes you contemplate the quality of life and our duty to protect such more than the average person. For the American student, speaking about euthanasia as it applies in the animal world and the debate in the human health field is socially acceptable among peers and otherwise. However, to speak about Euthanasia in a country that is plagued with a history of the “ultimate human euthanasia experiment” results in a sincere and regretful silence. As an American, I instantly felt deep shame having brought up the subject. It makes me ponder how professional schools such as Veterinary or Human Health talk about such ethics. What is even more intriguing is the fact that Germany’s next door neighbors are pro Human-euthanasia. I spoke with my host in Hannover about the subject and found out that until the last decade taking people off life-support was considered murder rather they wanted it or not. It is a very “North American” view that says we have the right to choose to life and death – depending upon the “quality of life.” And perhaps, this “freedom” has been taken too far: For I am disturbed by pet owners who want to kill their healthy, happy animals- but it happens in animal clinics all over the U.S. - simply because the pets inconvenience of the life of the owner. What does this say about the North American’s view of life? Is life held as sacred when compared to those who have experienced extreme loss, such as those in Germany? For the veterinarian, I hope that we make decisions wisely out of the deep respect we hold for the animal’s quality of life- but also that we function with an even greater respect and value for the human life. There are certainly circumstances when it is time to let go, but may we never be hardened by the profession to make these decisions recklessly.
Munich and Basel
I can't believe we're already in the home stretch! It has been a whirlwind of a trip, but I will be ready to go home on Saturday. I realized yesterday just how homesick I really am when I talked to Dan and his family over Skype. Seeing all their faces and hearing him say how much he wishes I was back just made me realize that I would like to go home. I'm having an amazing time here, and I will right up until Saturday at 7AM when my plane leaves, but I won't be sorry to go home.
I left off in Munich, having a wonderful weekend to myself. On Sunday I did indeed get to the Deutches Museum of Science and Technology. I started the morning off by looking out the window to rain, which actually hasn't been as prevalent as I thought it might be since we've been in Europe. That being said, it was raining fairly heavily in the AM. I packed my day bag accordingly, then had the hotel hold my other luggage. I asked them about breakfast, though, and they just looked at me rather strangely and said that there basically wasn't anything open. It was 8AM, and even though it was Sunday I would have thought there would be some sort of breakfast place somewhere nearby. Apparently people in Munich do not eat before 10 or 11 on Sundays... I ended up at Burger King since it was literally the ONLY thing open nearby and I was starving. Sad day because they didn't even have a breakfast menu out, so I got a burger and fries. Breakfast of champions right there folks. After that I walked around the city center attempting to snap at least a couple pictures, since I had managed to get the battery charged overnight. Lesson #5321, pay attention to your camera warnings! As I wandered around, I came across a young boy. At first I thought he was just playing with the tree in the middle of the city center walkway... but I glanced again. ANNND he was actually peeing on the tree. In broad daylight, in the middle of one of the most historical public squares in the city. Granted it was early, but seriously! What topped it all off though, was that his dad was standing there with him helping. Very strange... After I took a few pictures I went in search of the correct subway train to take me to the museum. I searched... and searched... and I'm pretty sure I found every single subway line except the one I needed. Finally I realized I was wasting so much time that I wouldn't even have a chance to look at the museum. So I hailed a cab and sucked up the ridiculous fare. It was totally worth it though! I am pretty sure that everyone should go to the Deutches museum at least once. I could easily have spent days in there looking at everything. SIX FLOORS of exhibits on every topic imaginable, from astronomy to physics to ceramics to glassblowing to machinery. Sooo cool :) Unfortunately I was only able to visit two of the six floors, and even that was rushing things. I did get to see a guy blowing glass, and I was sorely tempted by a beautiful candle holder that he made, but it was so delicate I was positive it wouldn't make it back to the US in one piece. There was also an electricity show sort of like at the Boston museum of Science, which was suitably loud and impressive. I couldn't believe that such a diverse collection of things were all in one place, under one roof. Hands down the most interesting museum I've ever been to in my life.
After the museum I had to hurry back to the hotel to pick up my bags and catch my train to Basel. I actually managed the underground transportation on the way back, since the stop I needed was right outside the museum and it took me all the way to my hotel. The train ride was pretty standard from what I've been experiencing all along... which is to say much more complicated than expected. I managed to get a seat for the first leg of the journey, and had my suitcase in the seat next to me because I couldn't lift it into the overhead compartment (since it weighs over 50lbs). The train fills up, and a lady comes to sit in the seat where my luggage is. I wouldn't have minded her asking for the seat, except she was very rude and acted like I was the worst person in the world for not putting my luggage up top. I tried to explain that I physically couldn't lift it, so she pulls some poor random guy from halfway down the car to lift up my suitcase. He couldn't lift it either (which made me feel better about my failure to move it) so finally we found a little place at the back of the car. All the while she is glaring at me like I've mortally offended her. After all that fuss, she sits down in the newly vacated seat for a total of 1 stop. I wanted to throttle her. And I couldn't even ignore her with my iPod because it chose that exact moment to run out of batteries. AGAIN... CHARGE your electronic devices when you have a chance! The second leg of the train I didn't even have a seat because it was packed, so I stood for that hour and a half or so. At least the baby I was standing next to was laughing instead of screaming.
I did finally make it to Basel, and went to a cute little Italian restaurant with a couple other people. I must admit, I was pretty shocked about how expensive everything in Switzerland seems to be. My food cost me an arm and a leg! Kat and I went up to the bar on the 31st floor of the hotel to have a drink after dinner, which didn't help the hemorrhage of money either. The amaretto was worth it though, I needed to relax after that train ride! Besides, the view was spectacular from way up there! I crashed hard in my private hotel room, courtesy of Novartis!
Monday we spent the day with people from the Novartis Animal Health Division. In the morning we were in Basel looking at their labs there and getting an introduction to the company. I thought it was really interesting to see what an immensely complicated and frustrating process it is to bring even one drug to the market. I was also sort of surprised about how compartmentalized it was. The people we talked to basically said that they only deal with a very specific phase in development, and they may not even know whether or not it is successful later down the line because it isn't part of their particular job. I thought that was very strange, because I would want to know the outcome of all my hard work! My favorite part was looking at the shelf life testing rooms, and seeing how they keep drugs in there for YEARS to determine how long they last, etc. Very cool. In the afternoon we drove out to St. Aubin to look at the research facility there. It was kind of depressing seeing the testing animals. The poor cows were chained in such a small area that they could barely move, let alone turn around in their little stall. They looked pretty miserable, which made me want to cry. The dogs looked slightly better, but I still think it's a crappy life to be stuck in a kennel forever. The ride home was long and quiet, since mostly everyone was passed out from exhaustion. In the evening when we got back I did absolutely nothing except watch TV and talk to Dan. I couldn't sleep though, and ended up reading a book past midnight trying to become tired.
Today started out rather poorly. I woke up very early from nightmares, so I managed very little sleep last night in total. I also realized that I had lost the credit card Dan gave me... probably one of the worst feelings you can have on a trip. I searched every single pocket, crevice and bag I had to no avail. I finally had to give up and call Dan to tell him to cancel the card. SUCH a pain, and I felt sooo guilty about it. Lesson #3154: Keep track of your things at ALL TIMES! Otherwise you will regret it, because it will bite you in the butt. We did get a city tour of Basel from a very cute older lady. She knew her stuff though. We learned a LOT about Basel's history, but my favorite part was definitely the fountain outside the opera house. It was just so cool looking and fun, and I thought it was really neat that they had used pieces of the old opera house to build the fountain outside the new one. After that we spent some time shopping and looking around the market square of Basel. It was the first day we had free time in the middle of the day, and we basically didn't even know what to do with ourselves! We've been so focused on program activities and being busy busy busy all day that to have time without anything scheduled was disconcerting! We did well though, and found some shops to browse in and the best swiss chocolate ice cream I've ever eaten in my life, complete with little chocolate shavings IN the ice cream itself. After all that it was time to fly to Berlin, which was accomplished without incident. I also got to do some duty free chocolate shopping, which I'll enjoy later :) For now though, it's time to go to sleep. We have to leave the hotel at 6:30 tomorrow morning! Boo.
I left off in Munich, having a wonderful weekend to myself. On Sunday I did indeed get to the Deutches Museum of Science and Technology. I started the morning off by looking out the window to rain, which actually hasn't been as prevalent as I thought it might be since we've been in Europe. That being said, it was raining fairly heavily in the AM. I packed my day bag accordingly, then had the hotel hold my other luggage. I asked them about breakfast, though, and they just looked at me rather strangely and said that there basically wasn't anything open. It was 8AM, and even though it was Sunday I would have thought there would be some sort of breakfast place somewhere nearby. Apparently people in Munich do not eat before 10 or 11 on Sundays... I ended up at Burger King since it was literally the ONLY thing open nearby and I was starving. Sad day because they didn't even have a breakfast menu out, so I got a burger and fries. Breakfast of champions right there folks. After that I walked around the city center attempting to snap at least a couple pictures, since I had managed to get the battery charged overnight. Lesson #5321, pay attention to your camera warnings! As I wandered around, I came across a young boy. At first I thought he was just playing with the tree in the middle of the city center walkway... but I glanced again. ANNND he was actually peeing on the tree. In broad daylight, in the middle of one of the most historical public squares in the city. Granted it was early, but seriously! What topped it all off though, was that his dad was standing there with him helping. Very strange... After I took a few pictures I went in search of the correct subway train to take me to the museum. I searched... and searched... and I'm pretty sure I found every single subway line except the one I needed. Finally I realized I was wasting so much time that I wouldn't even have a chance to look at the museum. So I hailed a cab and sucked up the ridiculous fare. It was totally worth it though! I am pretty sure that everyone should go to the Deutches museum at least once. I could easily have spent days in there looking at everything. SIX FLOORS of exhibits on every topic imaginable, from astronomy to physics to ceramics to glassblowing to machinery. Sooo cool :) Unfortunately I was only able to visit two of the six floors, and even that was rushing things. I did get to see a guy blowing glass, and I was sorely tempted by a beautiful candle holder that he made, but it was so delicate I was positive it wouldn't make it back to the US in one piece. There was also an electricity show sort of like at the Boston museum of Science, which was suitably loud and impressive. I couldn't believe that such a diverse collection of things were all in one place, under one roof. Hands down the most interesting museum I've ever been to in my life.
After the museum I had to hurry back to the hotel to pick up my bags and catch my train to Basel. I actually managed the underground transportation on the way back, since the stop I needed was right outside the museum and it took me all the way to my hotel. The train ride was pretty standard from what I've been experiencing all along... which is to say much more complicated than expected. I managed to get a seat for the first leg of the journey, and had my suitcase in the seat next to me because I couldn't lift it into the overhead compartment (since it weighs over 50lbs). The train fills up, and a lady comes to sit in the seat where my luggage is. I wouldn't have minded her asking for the seat, except she was very rude and acted like I was the worst person in the world for not putting my luggage up top. I tried to explain that I physically couldn't lift it, so she pulls some poor random guy from halfway down the car to lift up my suitcase. He couldn't lift it either (which made me feel better about my failure to move it) so finally we found a little place at the back of the car. All the while she is glaring at me like I've mortally offended her. After all that fuss, she sits down in the newly vacated seat for a total of 1 stop. I wanted to throttle her. And I couldn't even ignore her with my iPod because it chose that exact moment to run out of batteries. AGAIN... CHARGE your electronic devices when you have a chance! The second leg of the train I didn't even have a seat because it was packed, so I stood for that hour and a half or so. At least the baby I was standing next to was laughing instead of screaming.
I did finally make it to Basel, and went to a cute little Italian restaurant with a couple other people. I must admit, I was pretty shocked about how expensive everything in Switzerland seems to be. My food cost me an arm and a leg! Kat and I went up to the bar on the 31st floor of the hotel to have a drink after dinner, which didn't help the hemorrhage of money either. The amaretto was worth it though, I needed to relax after that train ride! Besides, the view was spectacular from way up there! I crashed hard in my private hotel room, courtesy of Novartis!
Monday we spent the day with people from the Novartis Animal Health Division. In the morning we were in Basel looking at their labs there and getting an introduction to the company. I thought it was really interesting to see what an immensely complicated and frustrating process it is to bring even one drug to the market. I was also sort of surprised about how compartmentalized it was. The people we talked to basically said that they only deal with a very specific phase in development, and they may not even know whether or not it is successful later down the line because it isn't part of their particular job. I thought that was very strange, because I would want to know the outcome of all my hard work! My favorite part was looking at the shelf life testing rooms, and seeing how they keep drugs in there for YEARS to determine how long they last, etc. Very cool. In the afternoon we drove out to St. Aubin to look at the research facility there. It was kind of depressing seeing the testing animals. The poor cows were chained in such a small area that they could barely move, let alone turn around in their little stall. They looked pretty miserable, which made me want to cry. The dogs looked slightly better, but I still think it's a crappy life to be stuck in a kennel forever. The ride home was long and quiet, since mostly everyone was passed out from exhaustion. In the evening when we got back I did absolutely nothing except watch TV and talk to Dan. I couldn't sleep though, and ended up reading a book past midnight trying to become tired.
Today started out rather poorly. I woke up very early from nightmares, so I managed very little sleep last night in total. I also realized that I had lost the credit card Dan gave me... probably one of the worst feelings you can have on a trip. I searched every single pocket, crevice and bag I had to no avail. I finally had to give up and call Dan to tell him to cancel the card. SUCH a pain, and I felt sooo guilty about it. Lesson #3154: Keep track of your things at ALL TIMES! Otherwise you will regret it, because it will bite you in the butt. We did get a city tour of Basel from a very cute older lady. She knew her stuff though. We learned a LOT about Basel's history, but my favorite part was definitely the fountain outside the opera house. It was just so cool looking and fun, and I thought it was really neat that they had used pieces of the old opera house to build the fountain outside the new one. After that we spent some time shopping and looking around the market square of Basel. It was the first day we had free time in the middle of the day, and we basically didn't even know what to do with ourselves! We've been so focused on program activities and being busy busy busy all day that to have time without anything scheduled was disconcerting! We did well though, and found some shops to browse in and the best swiss chocolate ice cream I've ever eaten in my life, complete with little chocolate shavings IN the ice cream itself. After all that it was time to fly to Berlin, which was accomplished without incident. I also got to do some duty free chocolate shopping, which I'll enjoy later :) For now though, it's time to go to sleep. We have to leave the hotel at 6:30 tomorrow morning! Boo.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)