City of LUXury

On Saturday I took a day trip to Luxembourg with Youlia, Ludivine, Necco, and Raafi. It was a comfortable one and a half hour bus ride from Saarbrücken, and I enjoyed the scenic views of the German countryside. We arrived in Luxembourg two days after a national holiday and there was a festival in the city center. After visiting a Gothic-style cathedral, we explored in the underground labyrinth of the Casemates, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Viaduct in the background

Youlia & her beautiful new Longchamp bag

One thing about Luxembourg-- it's really expensive! Finding a student-friendly place to eat in the city center was impossible with most lunch specials costing around 16 euros! So instead we opted for street food at the festival. Afterwards, Youlia and I took a three hour coffee break in a little cafe near Willhelmsplatz. We sat and talked and people watched, taking shelter from the cold wind outside.

our little group (excuse the creepy background)

the strangest stilt walkers I've ever seen

Luxembourg is a really unusual place. The country has three official languages: French, German, and Luxembourgish (which to me sounds like a combination of the first two). I wasn't sure which language I should try to speak with the people there. As the world's second largest investment fund center, Luxembourg is home to a large amount of wealth and has one of the highest GDP ratings per capita. I imagine that the cost of living is outrageous, judging by the higher prices in stores and restaurants.

The city is small and can be seen in just one or two days. Some of the buildings are beautiful and ornate, but the majority tend to lack any real character. They all look the same with squared windows, grey rooftops, and paint in some shade of beige. However, there are lots of gardens and a couple of rivers which add to the overall charm of the old city. Though Luxembourg is a tiny country and has been influenced largely by its neighbors (France, Germany, and Belgium), it still has its own folk traditions and unique culture. And the Luxembourgers seem to be pretty happy and proud about their heritage. The national motto is "Mir wölle bleiwe wat mir sin," or "We want to remain what we are." 

Hasta Luego

Goodbyes suck, and yesterday I had to say adios to two of my new amigos--Jesus and Diego. They have officially finished their internships at earthfaves and headed back to sunny old Spain. Although yesterday was a holiday in Germany, the day was far from cheery. The weather was bleak (as usual) and I had to bid farewell to Jesus at the Hauptbahnhof in the morning and Diego at the bus stop in the evening. I never realized how close of friends we all became in just a month's time. The office is much quieter without my favorite crazy Spaniards; they will truly be missed.

But we did not send them off without first having a proper fiesta. On Wednesday night the whole office went to dinner at Zum Stiefel and then we danced the night way to 90's music at Die Garage. We were quite a random group to be seen: three Americans, two French, an Indian, two Spaniards, a Catalan (not to be confused with the Spanish-- but let's not even go there), Daniel (one of my bosses), a Bulgarian, and a German professor (from the College of Charleston.) It was hilarious, to say the least.

with Raafi, Jesus & Ludivine at Zum Stiefel

spinach & feta strudel.

my farewell gift from the guys: "a hula hoop, because you used to be a cheerleader." 

I will miss these guys a lot, but I have a good feeling that our paths will cross again.
Who knows... maybe even later this summer :)

“Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes.” -Henry David Thoreau

"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next." -Gilda Radner

altstadtfest

Last weekend was the annual Altstadtfest in Saarbrücken. The main square was lined with stands selling food, drinks, and sweets from all over the world, as well as specialties from other regions of Germany. Though the weather was cold and it rained the whole weekend, I still spent the majority of it outdoors enjoying the festivities.

So my boss at earthfaves is also a DJ for this group called the Robot Scientists, and on Friday they had a gig at a lounge called Liquido. I met the rest of my coworkers there in the evening and after listening to some "spaced out disco," we all went dancing at a club called n8werk.

The next morning I met the interns at a cafe for breakfast. Afterwards, I took a nap to catch up on some lost sleep from the night before and then we met up again in the evening to enjoy some of the concerts and activities of the festival.

We ended up going back to n8werk on Saturday night for a spring break themed party. Apparently, throwing USA college spring break parties is the cool thing to do here in Saarbrücken, because this is already the second one I've been to. I find it is interesting to see their perceptions of American college students over here. I think they must have formed their ideas about us from watching American Pie movies or bad MTV shows because the decorations and entertainment at the diskothek were a bit raunchy and ridiculous.

On Sunday I went to Mettlach with Ludivine, Jesus, Diego, Mathias, and Diego (número 2). The goal was to make it to the top of the hill to see the Saarschleife, the most famous landscape of the Saar River. Unfortunately we never quite made it there, due to both a lack of prior planning and the constant rain. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed the train ride, good company, and the quiet walk in nature.

I got to see how a dam works up close-- it was actually pretty neat.

Even though Saarbrücken is no Berlin, I am always surprised by how much there is to do here and throughout the Saarland. There are several festivals this summer and lots of opportunities to experience some culture at a play, film, or concert. Because it is a university town, there are several nightlife options and always something to do on the weekends. I still have a lot of sights to see before I can call myself a true Saarbrücker including the churches, museums, and castle. This Saturday I'm road tripping to Luxembourg with the other interns, but more on that later. Today I'm just relaxing and staying out of the rain on yet another day off in Germany. Have I mentioned how much I love all these holidays?

Photo Cred: Ludivine, Diego, Nachtwerk

just another manic monday

Today was one of those icky Mondays when you want to hit the snooze button until noon. But I grudgingly rolled out of bed and got dressed for the drizzly, grey weather in Saarbrücken. Last week I finally got a hold of my land lady on the telephone and I made an appointment with her for 9:00 this morning.  So I grabbed my yellow umbrella and set out on foot to the other side of town. I climbed the vertical maze of steps until I reached the office of Frau Bonke (pronounced like Ban Ki-moon). She invited me to take a seat and as she opened the giant filing cabinet behind her desk and started pulling papers left and right out of the identical rows of red 4 inch binders. She had an ice-cold personality and was not very patient with me when I asked her to speak a little slower because I am not fluent in German. I searched for the right words to explain my situation but my German classes somehow failed to teach me real estate terms. I ended up signing an 8 page contract that I wasn't able to read, and leaving without still paying a single euro. I was even more confused walking out of the building, than when I entered. It was a terrifying experience.

I am afraid that my German has not progressed as much as it should have in a month's time. I almost always speak English in the office, because there are so many nationalities represented and it is the only common language we share. Even when I'm out in town, ordering food or asking for directions, people will sometimes realize I'm a foreigner and automatically switch to English with me. And it's always English-- never Spanish, French, or Italian. I have made a good effort to blend in with the locals and I don't understand what it is about me that screams "Hello, I'm an American! Please speak English with me." On Friday we had several people stop by the flat to see Cécile's room, since she is moving out soon. Every time I introduced myself to them (auf Deutsch, natürlich) and told them where I was from, they each said "Oh good! Then we can practice English." Don't get me wrong--I'm always happy to help others and I enjoy teaching people new English words, but this time around I just want to be the student. That's why I'm here, right?

Some days (well mostly on rainy, cold ones like today), I wonder what the heck I am doing here. Why am I learning German?--A language that hardly anyone speaks in the Western Hemisphere. A language that is impossible to master grammatically. I think the only reason I have stuck with it as long as I have is due to my own stubborn determination to finish what I begin. I have a difficult time visualizing how this skill is going to help me later on in life, but I am going to make the most of my summer here and try to soak up as much knowledge as I possibly can.

I will leave you with some quotes from one of my favorite authors, Mark Twain. His honest and blunt opinions on the German language can be appreciated by anyone who has attempted to tackle it as a second language:

"My philological studies have satisfied me that a gifted person ought to learn English (barring spelling and pronouncing) in thirty hours, French in thirty days, and German in thirty years. It seems manifest, then, that the latter tongue ought to be trimmed down and repaired. If it is to remain as it is, it ought to be gently and reverently set aside among the dead languages, for only the dead have time to learn it." (A Tramp Abroad, Appendix D)

"Some German words are so long that they have a perspective. Observe these examples: Freundschaftsbezeigungen. Dilettantenaufdringlichkeiten. Stadtverordnetenversammlungen
These things are not words, they are alphabetical processions.
Generalstaatsverordnetenversammlungen. Alterthumswissenschaften. Kinderbewahrungsanstalten. Unabhaengigkeitserklaerungen. Wiedererstellungbestrebungen. Waffenstillstandsunterhandlungen.
Of course when one of these grand mountain ranges goes stretching across
the printed page, it adorns and ennobles that literary landscape but at
the same time it is a great distress to the new student, for it blocks up
his way; ... "   (A Tramp Abroad, Appendix D)

"Whenever the literary German dives into a sentence, that is the last you are going to see of him till he emerges on the other side of his Atlantic with his verb in his mouth." (A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court)

"The Germans have an inhuman way of cutting up their verbs. Now a verb has a hard time enough of it in this world when it's all together. It's downright inhuman to split it up. But that's just what those Germans do. They take part of a verb and put it down here, like a stake, and they take the other part of it and put it away over yonder like another stake, and between these two limits they just shovel in German." (Disappearance of Literature)

Mein Geburtstag

Yesterday was my 21st birthday. Though I missed being able to celebrate it with family and friends in the United States, I still had a wonderful time here in Saarbrücken. When I showed up to work in the morning, there were several surprises waiting for me:

H&M gift card from Youlia. She already knows me too well!

a gift from Necco-- his favorite beer from Berlin

a t-shirt with birthday wishes in everyone's native language

After work, I went with Carles, Diego, and Ludivine to an international festival called Global Village at the university. Raafi was there and let us sample some delicious Indian cuisine.

In the evening I met everyone at a Spanish restaurant called Viva Zapata that is located just down the street from my flat. We sat outside and the atmosphere was perfect--bier garten-style seating, live music from a Spanish guitarist, and warm weather. We all shared small plates of tapas, liters of wine, and good conversation. It was a great way to spend my birthday! Thanks to everyone who made it special.

Yesterday also marked the one year anniversary of my Semester at Sea voyage. A year ago I was in Halifax, Canada, celebrating my 20th birthday with new acquaintances who soon became good friends. A year ago I boarded the MV Explorer and set out on a journey across the Atlantic to nine Mediterranean countries-- an experience that undoubtedly changed my life. I never could have imagined then that I would be spending my next birthday in Germany! But I am incredibly grateful to be here and for all the amazing experiences I've had abroad, both this summer and last.

a sweet little necklace from my aunt & uncle

"Follow your bliss, and doors will open for you that you never knew existed. Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls." -Joseph Campbell

(Photo 4 courtesy of Raafi, Photo 6 courtesy of Ludivine)

Monthiversary

It's hard to believe I've already been in Germany for a month now. I feel like I'm finally getting the hang of things and living here is starting to feel more normal, but I have certainly had my share of embarrassing moments and made many a mistake along the way, like the time--

• I got on the wrong bus and realized I had no idea where I was when I heard the driver call out "Dies ist die Endhaltestelle."
• I accidentally knocked over an Italian soda in the grocery store and struggled to find the right apologetic German words to say to the store staff, while my friends snickered in the background.
• I went to my very first laundromat and was so confused by everything that I had to take a picture of the instructions sign on the wall and go back home and translate it before I could wash my clothes.
• I bumped into a piece of graffiti art when attempting to take a picture next to it and had the museum security yell at me and then follow my every move like a hawk. 
• I bought my first Coke from an Imbissstand and then stashed the bottle in my purse because I did not understand how to dispose of it and was too embarrassed to ask.

During my first weeks in Saarbrücken, I found myself requiring extra time to do ordinary daily tasks just because things are so different here than at home. But it no longer takes me ten minutes to open the door to my flat, make a phone call, choose a shampoo or sandwich meat in the store, or figure out which of the five garbage bins to put my trash in. More importantly, I've learned that it's okay to swallow my pride and ask for help sometimes. To err is human, and I have found enlightenment in laughing at and learning from my blunders.

I look forward to my next two months in Deutschland and all the adventures and challenges that will come my way. I've already made wonderful new friends, gotten a lot better at understanding German, and discovered the inner workings of a startup website. I know I still have a lot to learn and I can't wait to see what these next two months hold in store for me!

“The rate at which a person can mature is directly proportional to the embarrassment he can tolerate.” -Douglas Engelbart

A Dinner Party, Art Exhibit & Music Fest

Today is another holiday in Germany and I'm using the day off as an opportunity to catch up on my summer to do list. But first, a new blog post-- to catch you up on what I've been up to the past week.

Last Wednesday the interns had a pot luck dinner night at Jesus and Diego's flat in Dudweiler. I made bruschetta using the tomatoes I bought at the farmer's market and fresh basil leaves from the plant in my room (which unfortunately, has now fallen from my window sill.) I also learned how to make Spanish tortilla, and by "learned" I just mean watched closely as Jesus prepared his signature dish. Afterwards we went to the pub on the university campus. It was a delightful evening filled with homemade food, new acquaintances, dancing, and lots of laughter.

Wilkommen in Dudweiler

the chef, hard at work

pizza, bruschetta, chicken, pimientos rellenos, & sangria

the cute little town of Dudweiler

On Saturday, I went to a flea market with Ludivine, Diego, Jesus, David (Diego's cousin), and Mathias (their friend from Argentina). The flea market is held every second Saturday of the month near the castle in Saarbrücken. It was smaller than the one I went to in Berlin but more spacious and easier to navigate through.

Flohmarkt

reupholstered furniture in funky, retro patterns

After the flea market, we boarded a train to Völklingen, a neighboring town where a preserved ironworks still stands. The Völklinger Hütte was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, and today it is the only fully preserved ironworks in the world. The factory is massive and there are lots of cool museum exhibits inside.

Yesterday we went to the ASta Open Air at the university. The music fest was free, spotlighting local and regional talent. Aside from one or two acts, I wasn't really crazy about the music--a lot of hardcore metal and punk rock. But the atmosphere was great with tons of college students and sunny weather.

"Pick the day. Enjoy it - to the hilt. The day as it comes. People as they come... The past, I think, has helped me appreciate the present - and I don't want to spoil any of it by fretting about the future." -Audrey Hepburn

(Photos 10-12 courtesy of Ludivine R.)