Bonn(ito) Bonn - Week 1

Hallo

So for our first week in Germany we were staying in Bonn. It is a lovely city. Everyone either walks or bikes everywhere. If the destination is too far then the locals would use public transportation (trams or buses) or cars ( which are all small). It is a lovely city. Well, everyone has said that we are luck to have come at a time that has the best weather. It has been 50-60 degrees F and been mostly sunny with only one or two times it has showered. 

Sunday was just a check in day. We got to Bonn and went to check in at the Hotel Bonnox and dropped all our stuff there. We got relax for a few hours before meeting up with our tour guide, Mira. She took us to a restaurant that had a all you can eat schnitzel. I had one with onion and bacon sauce.   

We did lots of things this week. Some of my favorite things were the visit to the Konig museum,  cologne cathedral and Cologne zoo.

In the Konig Museum, we got to go to the back of the museum and see all the reptiles and amphibians they had. They had an interesting collection of frogs (lots of poison darts) and their habitats looked good. They even had axolotls! We then went to see the reptiles and got to hold a bearded dragon, ball python baby, and a turtle.

The cologne cathedral was a treat because it housed the bones of the three kings. I was super excited not only because I am catholic, but because my family celebrates three kings day on Jan 6.  The cathedral was beautiful and big. We even got a chance later to climb the 530+ steps to the top of the right spire. It took me a bit but I made it to the top. I was surprised that even if it was tiring, it wasn’t that long of a climb. It was a nice experience to have.

The cologne zoo was later in the afternoon. We got to look at some of the animals but the main attraction was going into the elephant house and seeing the facilities. They had the elephants in these large iron bared cages. The zoo has protected contact with the elephants, they cant be in direct contact. But they were still able to target train the elephants to do certain tricks and movements that will allow them to check their health and if need to give medications or do procedures. I even got to feed one of the elephants. They showed us the rest of the facilities but I was impressed. At least the elephants were only in those cages for like 2 hours a day. Usually they are running around the the large enclosure.

Well, now to wait for next week and see what we will experience.  

Nitch das gelbe vom Ei. (It's not the yellow from the egg)

Most people who have known me from the past year of vet school could tell you that I spent a good part of the year in my reserved seat on the struggle bus. Well apparently I rode that sucker all the way to Germany.  I kept telling Dr. Wasser that I hadn't recited the blog invitation when apparently it was in my main campus email for several days and I was checking vet school email looking for it. Well anyway,  I finally found it and now,  as the Germans say,  all is Gut (as in good, not intestines).

1 Week In...

Hallo, Guten Tag!

This first week in Germany has been a lot of fun and full of new experiences. Today I'm writing from a high-speed train headed to Paris for the weekend.  Andrea and I arrived the day before the official trip began and spent the day in Mainz to help adjust to the time difference before we began. In Mainz we took a boat tour along the Rhine and then walked around downtown for a little while.

Castle along the Rhine, near Mainz, Germany

The next day we headed back to Frankfort and met up with the rest of the group before taking off to Bonn where we would spend the rest of the week. The first day was really layed back and mostly just an introduction to the program and getting settled in to our hotel. We did enjoy a very nice dinner of all you can eat Schnitzel at a local brauhaus.

Old Town Hall, Bonn, Germany

Monday began with a visit to a local animal shelter in Bonn.  The facilities were very nice and all of the animals had access to the outdoors and some room to roam around. The cat rooms were very cool with plenty of things to climb and interact with one another as long as they had passed quarantine and got along with other cats. They also had a lot of small mammals at this animal shelter, there were so many rabbits that it made me miss when I used to raise and breed rabbits myself. Afterwards we went to Museum König and got a behind the scenes tour. I have seen specimen collections behind the scenes before but it was at a smaller natural history museum on the campus of my undergrad (Michigan State University) so it was neat to see a larger collection. Besides the preserved specimens we were able to see the living amphibians and reptiles that were kept at the museum and even given the opportunity to hold a turtle, ball python and bearded dragon. My favorite animals to see were the baby chameleons. They were so tiny and just absolutely adorable. Afterwards we were able to go into the museum and see some of the exhibits they had on display for the public even though it was actually closed that day while they were building some new exhibits.

Inside Museum König, Bonn, Germany

The next day we visited Gut Frankenforst and the Center for Integrated Dairy Research and listened to a couple lectures from some PHD students about some of their research performed at the center. I am interested in large animal medicine and in particular really like working with Dairy cattle so this was something I really enjoyed.  I have seen a few university/research dairy farms in the United States so it was nice to be able to compare them. We also took a tour of the Haus der Geschichte, a Contemporary German History Museum. I enjoyed getting to learn more about Post-WWII German History and how the separation into East and West Germany after the war and the eventual reunion has shaped the culture of the regions.

German Countryside

Another exciting place that we visited this week was Beethoven's house. It was really cool to get to see the house where Beethoven was born as well as copies of letters he wrote and the beginnings of some of his works. Also there were some instruments as well as a couple pianos that had belonged to him. Throughout the museum we were also able to hear some excerpts from some of his work. Thursday was probably my favorite day of the trip thus far. I was able to spend the day at an Equine Hospital. I enjoyed getting to see an actual clinic in Germany and how everything is done there compared to the United States. I was also able to scrub in on two surgeries and assist the Veterinarian. I am very thankful for this experience and enjoyed the entire day immensely.

Köln Cathedral

On Friday we took a train from Bonn to Köln were we visited the Cathedral as well as the Zoo. As soon as we stepped out from the train station the Cathedral was right there looming over us. The building is absolutely breathtaking. I didn't climb all the way to the top as the other students did but it was still a sight to behold nonetheless. The Zoo was also a lot of fun especially since we were able to go behind the scenes and see the Elephant Exhibit in a way that not very many people are able too. While seeing the elephans inside the enclosure there was a demonstration of the training and some of the tricks that the elephants know. We also were able to feed one of them a piece of apple and pet their  trunks.

Overall, I am really enjoying this entire experience and looing forward to our next adventures. Until then, Tschüss.

~Rebecca

Das Leben ist kein Ponyhof

"Life is not a pony-house", one of the German expressions we learned this first week in Bonn. I'm currently on the high-speed train to Paris, sipping coffee and eating pastry. So far, all of our travels have been going smoothly and Europe has been everything I've hoped for. Rebecca and I flew into Frankfurt last Satruday, took a train to Mainz, and stayed in a hotel on the Rhine. The first day we were struggling to stay awake on a river boat cruise, but I adjusted after the first night. 

The hilly vineyards in the Rhine river valley

We met the group the following morning with an AIB student worker, Maren, who was happy to tell us about Germany and her own experiences in the US ("Do you have trees in Germany?" I'm slightly embarrassed how stupid that particular American was). The Texas students have all been great and we seem to get along very well - but I was never worried about that in the first place since we are all in vet school. 

First night in Bonn. With gelato of course.

Since I knew virtually nothing about Bonn before arriving, I actually found the town to be pretty interesting. It is known as Beethoven's birthplace and as the former capital of West Germany. After the first day of exploring the city a bit and finding the hotel, Bonn was very easy to navigate. I honestly never felt lost or unsafe the entire time that we were there, and it's the kind of small city that I could almost picture myself living in. Some of the interesting things we did in the area included visiting a very nice animal shelter, touring the exotic animal zoo at Museum Konig, visiting the Center of Integrated Dairy Research in Frankenfrost, drinking the local Bönnsch beer at pubs, visiting Beethovenhaus and the German contemporary history museum, and working in an equine clinic outside of town for a day. My internship was at Kottenforst where it was a surgery day - I got to watch 5 laproscopic surgeries on warmbloods! The veterinarian actually knew one
of my teachers at UT from when he was in the States, so he was pretty friendly and explained what was going on in English to me. Another intern from Egypt (a vet with his PhD in reproduction) was there to learn more about these surgeries, and he spoke English so we were able to talk extensively about what we were interested in. Three of the other girls got to work at the enormous and beautiful rival clinic some-20 minutes away.

  

The horse clinics outside of Bonn

The final day was spent in Cologne, and it was my favorite so far. As soon as we entered the central train station, the cathedral towered into view through the glass ceiling above us. I knew it was tall, but I was still stunned by its size. We had a city tour and learned about the history of Cologne, went inside the cathedral, then climbed up one of the 500-foot spires. It was a tight stone spiral staircase, with a landing about halfway to see the enormous 24-ton bell. I was doing fine until the last set of stairs, which were an open wire spiral up to the top. I got a little nervous while looking out at the roof, but I clung to the railing and made myself keep going. The climb up was definitely worth it. From the top we had a beautiful view of the river, bridges, downtown area, and the church itself. The stairs down were even worse to navigate. It was a narrower stone spiral where I immediately got dizzy, and it felt even longer than the climb up. But I made it, bought a stupid amount of postcards and a rosary for my super-Catholic grandmother at the giftshop, then was happy to eat a giant bratwurst and drink Kölsch at a brewery. Afterwards, we went to the Cologne zoo and got to go tour their amazing elephant house! The keepers showed us how they train them to stand for various medical procedures and how they manage their captivity. It was probably the best elephant facility I've ever seen, and I got to feed and pet a beautiful female named Maha Kumari ("Blossom" in Thai I believe...) After they were let out of their stalls to roam and eat in the indoor exhibit, another one came over, reached through the gate and brushed my hand and camera with her trunk. It's pretty amazing how gentle they can be.

Cologne Cathedral

So after a night of the vet students being fuddy-duddies at the AIB welcome party, we're on the first free weekend to travel as we please. Rebecca and I are heading to Paris and the others will be in Brussels. The Germans are a precise, prompt, and friendly lot so I am interested to see how the French compare (I don't speak a lick of French so I'm bound to insult someone). I've been dying to visit Paris since I was in high school (10 years ago now, good God...) and now I'm somewhere in the Belgian countryside, only two hours away! But I am actually glad that I'm doing this trip as a graduate student, because I feel mature enough to navigate my way through a foreign country without panicking or making foolish decisions. I'm not so sure about the rowdy undergraduates in the other programs! Anyway, it's been interesting to see the differences between American and European dairies (for example, the individual feeding system and smaller herd sizes), clinics, zoos, and even animal husbandry (the dogs are so well behaved!). Life may not be a pony-house, but I'm lucky to be able to do what I love with the animals while learning about European culture.

Until next time, au revoir, 

~Andrea

Week 1: Bonn

We've hit the ground running here in Germany! The first week so far has been amazing and filled with a lot of new experiences. We started off our first evening in Germany with Bönsch and all you can eat schnitzel night at a brauhaus and got settled into our hotel.

The first excursion we went on was to the animal shelter. It was neat to see the similarities and differences between the U.S. shelters in Germany. This one had a lot of outdoor and interactive space for the animals. The cats had a big room entirely to themselves to climb and play. The whole second floor was full of rabbits and other small pocket pets, and they had lots of room to hop around and move. Each of us got to watch two procedures done by the shelter vet, and we also got to play with some pretty cute puppies. Later we went to the exotic animal museum and got to see what seemed like a million snakes preserved in jars, as well as live turtles, bearded dragons, and pythons.

The next day we took the bus to a place called Gut Frankenforst and the Center of Integrated Dairy Research. Two graduate students presented their projects on emissions from dairy cows and gene expression and fertility rates. We then toured the facilities and got to see all the Holstein cows, including a red Holstein, and some sheep. In the afternoon we learned some veterinary terms in German with Dr. Wasser, and went to the Hause der Geschichte (Museum of post WWII history). Dr. Wasser was our tour guide and taught us a lot of history while we viewed all of the artifacts. What impacted me the most was the section about the beginning of the Berlin Wall. They had pictures of people crying at the wall and it showed the huge discrepancies between East and West Germany.

On Wednesday we listened to a lecture from an animal homeopath. I disagreed with a lot of what she had to say, but it was good to hear the information because clients will ask about that information in the future. We then went to Beethovens birth house, which I loved. It was amazing to listen to excerpts of music from such an influential composer while standing in a place where he stood. The  museum had pieces he had written, his viola, violin, and the keyboard from the organ he played. We then went on a tour of the city led by a precious older British lady named Jane. She gave us the history of the gorgeous buildings we'd been walking by every day.

Thursday was my favorite day of the week so far. I interned at an equine clinic for the day and it was an amazing experience. Not only were the grounds and barns beautiful and the horses gorgeous, the vets were really good teachers and let us help with a lot of procedures. The day started off with surgeries, including castrating a cryptorchid horse, removing sarcoids, and removing the urachis and umbilical vessels from a three day old foal who also had enteritis. I also helped take radiographs and put a cast on a pony who broke some of his tarsal bones. The clinic served us lunch, then later in the day a horse came in with respiratory problems. The vet had the horse exercise and listened to its lungs and then measured blood gas levels.

I'm looking forward to the trip to Cologne and Brussels this weekend!

Auf Wiedersehen Texas, and Howdy Germany!

Hallo!

I am Sarah, one of the Texas A&M vet students about to study abroad in Germany! I'm a Texas Aggie at heart. I completed both my undergrad degree and my master's degree at this university, and I am thrilled to say I just completed my first year of vet school here as well!

I have been wanting to study abroad in Europe ever since I started taking French in high school (but I'm going to Germany?!). That experience, combined with having amazing history teachers really sparked an interest in Europe and history for me. When I heard about this trip during the first few weeks of vet school, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to combine learning about several of my favorite things; veterinary medicine, languages, and history.

The past few days have flown by. I am feeling mostly excited, but a little nervous as well. Between finishing finals, taking a short vacation, and trying to get ready for this trip I have been busy! I keep making lists and think I'm remembering everything I need, but of course I never do, which has made for quite a few trips to the store! I've been trying to pick up a few German words as well. Some of my favorites so far have been ausgezeichnet-excellent, and entschuldigung-excuse me.

This trip is going to be filled with amazing trips to zoos, vet schools, and cultural sites. I think that I am most excited for our internship day. Each of us gets placed in a clinic that practices the kind of veterinary medicine we are most interested in. I was placed in an equine clinic. I am very interested in seeing the European breeds of horses, how they are trained, and how their health care compares to that of the US (both the similarities and the differences).

I will be sad to say goodbye to my loved ones here in Texas, but I know how supportive they all are of this trip, and of making my dreams a reality. This study abroad will not only make me a better person through learning about different people and different cultures, but a better veterinarian as well.

Germany Day 0

Hallo!

My name is Kathleen. I am one of the three Texas A&M vet students going to the 2015 Germany study abroad trip. I am from Texas and went to Texas A&M University for my undergrad as a Biomedical Science major (aka BIMS). Very original hu? I am interested in small animal/ small exotic medicine.

I am excited for being able to do this trip. I was unable to do a study abroad trip in my undergrad and had regretted it once I graduated. When I saw a chance to do a study abroad in vet school, I jumped in the chance. There was several choices but I felt like I would experience more from the Germany trip. After the program, I am going to visit my godfather in Italy. I am so excited to visit him, I don't see him very often.

I will admit that I am more nervous than excited. I have only been out of the country once when going with my parents and sister to Venezuela to visit family a few years ago. I am glad that I am going with a group of people I know to Germany but I cant help being nervous. I have been scared by the stories of pick pocketers  and such. I pray that all goes well.

I am sad to leave my family after only being with them for a week after finals. I will miss them and my little hamster Phillipo.  I hope that I don't come back to a chubby hamster . . . I will miss most of all my fiance. I feel so bad for having to do long distance with him again after not seeing each other during April. I hope to find something nice for him in Germany.

Here is hoping that I will have lots of fun on this trip and everything goes well.

Ciao

Kathleen