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.