Continual Development - Final Post

Sadly, on Tuesday I board a plane and return to the United States. I'm excited to see friends and family, but slightly depressed that I have to leave my adopted home. I want to thank all of you that continued to read my blog. I have received many e-mails of enthusiasm over my writing during these four months, and it has really meant a lot to me.

You have allowed me to fulfill a secret desire of mine, which is to write and actually have people be interested in what I have to say. I have always been a fan of the written word, much more then spoken. Maybe it’s because I am a lot funnier in writing then in real life. I truly envy those that seem to have that perfect delivery.

I find though that writing is a lot more gratifying. It allows you to be more open, and express yourself. Written verse also means something different to all of us. You can read this passage, and add your own emphasis, imagining what it would be like to sit down yourself and say it to another person. Better yet, to compare it to your own life, and inspire you to apply it in some fashion.

Last summer, I started thinking about another semester long study abroad experience. It was in my mind before I applied to Carlson, but became a reality about a year ago. I was fortunate to spend the majority of the 2001 summer in Valencia, Spain, living with an old Spanish widow and speaking Spanish as a first language. I was even more fortunate to spend a semester in London during the spring of 2002. Both experiences were invaluable to my personal development. First, 9/11 was sandwiched in-between both trips, giving me an interesting pre and post foreign perspective of the event. Second, and most importantly, it showed me that there is a world outside of MN.

One thing I struggled with a bit was how I was going to try and sell the idea to those around me. Getting married, having kids, and becoming a home owner are all things I look forward to. Bearing good health, would my life be judged any differently though if I choose not to begin that journey until two years from now, or ten years from now? I don't think so, because in the long run, my life will ultimately be judged by how good of a person, husband, and father I was. At least (as a man) that is how I look at my father's life. Sure he served in the Navy, and became a pretty successful businessman, but in the end, was he a good person, husband, and father? I think so, and that's all I really care about.

All along, I focused on this experience as a continual development of myself. The decision on my part to fulfill a desire in life I know will bring me happiness and make me a better person. I'm lucky to say that in my life so far, I have no regrets. Of course, there are things I've said and done that I wish you could take back, but in the overall picture, it is hard for me to feel any regret. After five years of work, and another 35 ahead of me, I would have regretted not spending these four months in Cologne.

Of course, I should thank the city of Cologne. I appreciate it letting me hang around and learn. Although I've been here for four months, I don't think I could dare say I truly 'lived' in Germany, (or Spain or England for that matter). I believe that to truly live in another country you must go to work everyday, speak their language, and face their same hardships. Istead, I merely studied abroad for four months out of my life. I had a chance to come here and live a happy fantasy life. If I was to say I lived here, I think it would only be to make myself sound more important then I really am. On an elementary level, I like to compare my experience to that of a petting zoo. Not only did I get to see some pretty cool things, I got to open the door and play with them for a while.

In closing, I came across a British fellow during my travels who absolutely loved America. When I asked him why, he simply stated that people believe they can be and accomplish anything they want to, even if they know it may be out of reach. He made me smile because I couldn't agree with him more. I've been amazed at what has come to me simply because I got up and did something. Those that choose not get up and do something will walk in place, and then continue to blame others for the outcome of their life.

In the end, we all share the same fate. It is up to you to determine what you want to make out of your time here. We all have opinions on how to live our lives properly, and I assume that changes over time. I can't say that in my late 20's I know everything because everyone older then me will say that I am in for so much more. At this point in time though, all I can offer to people for advice is to simply 'do something'. Educate yourself, travel, help someone in need. Do what you need to do to diversify yourself to make yourself a more knowledgeable and better person. If you do that, I can only imagine that life will treat you that much better.

Final Tour

My final tour of sights in and around Cologne continued this past week with a few gems I'm happy I stumbled across. On Thursday I visited the NS-Dokumentations-Zentrum, or the EL DE House, the Gestapo headquarters from the early 30's through the end of the war. It has been renovated into a small museum chronicling the city of Cologne during the Nazi era. I had a highly informative audio guide to walk me through the tour, which is nice considering everything was in German.

The first piece of history you come across on the tour is a cardboard box with photographs and writing on it. It was created in the late 70's / early 80's by a citizen of Cologne upset over what he perceived as a lack of justice for the Nazis living in Cologne. He had heard that the EL DE house was once the Gestapo headquarters and that in the basement there still remained the jail cells of former prisoners. On the walls remained small passages written by the various prisoners. The man convinced someone to let him into the basement, where he snapped some photos, pasted them on his cardboard box, and then wore it around town preaching to the patrons. He soon gained more attention, and the rest I guess is history.

Though somewhat small, the museum is highly informative and took a couple hours to walk through. About half of the history is prior knowledge any novice historian is aware of. The other half though focused on the city of Cologne, and how Nazi policies affected the city. I loved the maps and pictures of the old town during the time. Although many streets were recognizable, you could tell that they really changed a few things during the rebuilding process.

One of my favorite parts of the tour was the room dedicated to highlighting the Nazi leaders in Cologne during the period. I was surprised to find out that the top official was just 29 when he first took the post in the early 30's. He survived the war, and only got four years of jail time after. He became a businessman in Cologne, and died of old age in his home which is not too far from my flat. That seemed to be the common theme for all the high ranking officials here in Cologne. After the war, they were hardly prosecuted, and had the chance to live a normal life after a small punishment. This after they contributed to the persecution of so many people, and their actions brought on the destruction of their city.

The last leg of the tour shows pictures of Cologne at the end of the war. I mentioned before that 90% of the city center was destroyed by allied bombing. A picture from 1949 still shows the city in ruins. Before I left, I took a walk through the basement. There were multiple jail cells (pictured) in the in the cold dark tavern, and on the walls the writing of the prisoners that were housed inside. One of the writings was posted towards the end of the war, and documented the hangings that were taking place. Underneath, the prisoner counted his own final days by writing the date. He got about six days in before it stopped.

Impressed with what the EL DE house offered me, I walked over to the famous Cologne cathedral (Dom) to bravely scale the steps and get a true bird’s eye view of the city. I had to mentally prepare myself as I was told the climb was a bit strenuous. There is no lift, only a narrow spiral staircase with two-way traffic.

During the climb my friend and I were behind a heavier set English speaking fellow. He had to stop about half way up to catch his breath and we gladly scooted past him. We crossed paths with him later at the top. He could see that we were trying to take a picture of ourselves, and he kindly offered to snap the photo for us. As he held my camera, his hand was shaking so much I thought he was going to keel over right there. I thought to myself, JC man are you going to make it?

The view from the top was great (pictured), but I didn't venture too close to the edge. I have a slight phobia of heights so I try not to push my limits. As we descended down the spiral staircase, we caught a glimpse of the huge bells before finally reaching ground. One more tour through the inside of the church, and I said a final goodbye to Cologne's tourist icon.

To cap off my final tour, I visited the town of Bruhl which is just one train stop away from Cologne (between Cologne and Bonn). I was told that there is a chateau there so I figured I would give it a look. I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived. The chateau (pictured) instantly reminded me of a miniature Versailles, complete with front gate and gardens. As I walked around the side of the chateau, there looked to be a wedding reception going on. It was complete with men in suits and women in gigantic hats. I thought it would be the perfect place to get married.

I didn't go inside the chateau as it didn't look like it housed any tours. I did walk around the grounds though, and enjoyed the peace and quite, along with the finely trimmed trees, rows of flowers, and small streams with ducks, fish, and turtles. I took a short walk through the small city center of Bruhl, and then hopped a train back to Cologne happy with my find.

Afterwards, I sat at an outdoor cafe in Cologne and had some lunch and a beer. I relaxed and reflected on the places I had visited and came to grips with the fact that my travels were over for right now. I've been fortunate to see so many people, places, and things over the past four months. It's a bit sad, but gratifying at the same time.

I return to the US soon, but I have one last post left in me, so please stayed tuned!

Goats, Beethoven, Chocolate, and Cologne

Before I return to the states, I've made it a point to visit my favorite places, and those which I have yet to see in and around Cologne. This past weekend, I visited my favorite spot for the third time, the wild park in Stadtwald Park next to my flat. It's a nature park/petting zoo complete with deer, goats, strange looking birds, and hundreds of screaming and crying children. For 0.50 Euro cents, you can purchase a box of feed from the vending machines in the park and hand feed the animals. Who could pass that up?!

I guess the one downside of the park is that it has no wash station. Therefore, once a sheep licks all the feed out of your hand in one swoop, you have nothing left but a gross looking film on your hand. Speaking of sheep, I found them to be my least favorite animal to feed. The goats are a little cuter, and a little less rude and disgusting.

In an attempt to get away from the hoards of screaming and crying children, I walked down a path not used by many of the patrons. I came upon a group of goats, and with one little jiggle of my box of feed, a few headed my way. After feeding them some food, a few of their friends decided to join the party. Eventually, I was surrounded by the entire herd. If you notice in the pic, I couldn't get the feed out of the box fast enough, and I had goats literally jumping on me. I quickly closed up the box, and headed towards the less aggressive deer.

Growing up in MN, I am accustomed to seeing deer in northern MN, and even out the office window. I've never got this close to them before though, and it is amazing how comfortable they were. The highlight was watching a two year old break free and make a bee-line out into the field. Needless to say, the deer got a little scared and hauled tail further out into the field. After listening to child after child cry and scream, watching various animals "go to the bathroom", and being disgusted with the thought of my hand being attached to my body, I left the park content with my visit.

Next on the list was a visit to the neighboring town of Bonn to get a look at the house Beethoven was born in. Bonn is a quaint and beautiful town. It was the seat of the West German govt during the DDR and Berlin Wall days. It too has a large university, and contains playful Baroque style architecture. This was my third trip to Bonn, but the first was on a Sunday, before I knew that Europe closes on Sundays, and the last two were to evening festivals just outside the city. So, I feel it was my first REAL visit to the city.

Since I visited Vienna and am a complete expert on classical music now (me being facetious) I thought a visit to Beethoven's birthplace (pictured) would be cool to see. It truly was a nicely preserved place, completely full of old letters, busts, and his pianos, violins, and funky looking instruments he used to compose his music. I looked at the things, and thought to myself, how in the hell did he produce such great music on those instruments. They looked so primitive. Actually I guess you could say they were. At the end of the tour is a plaster mask of Beethoven shortly after his death. It was gross.

Walking through the house, and reading about his life, it sounds like Beethoven was actually well taken care of and nurtured. With all of these mythical figures, you expect them to have these highly interesting and twisted lives, but his seemed pretty normal. I was amazed to find out that he was actually extremely hard on hearing. There was a case in the museum which housed all of his hearing aids. Again, how do you compose such great music basically deaf? When he died, I read that they opened up his head to see if they could figure out what caused him to loose his hearing. Can't you just accept the fact that he was deaf and move on? I can picture his ghost sitting in the corner and saying, "Hey guys, it's a little late for that. Can you please put my head back together?"

Next stop was a return visit to the chocolate museum in Cologne. What a fantastic idea, a shrine to my secret lover chocolate. The museum starts off with a history of the cocoa bean, chronicling its cultivation and use. Various rooms show how it was discovered, how to grow it, what tools were/are used to pick it, and how it was transported around the world.

Half-way through the museum is when my heart was truly taken over though. There in all its shiny glory were the modern machines used to make chocolate. You could hear the beans rattle around here, and see the liquid chocolate pour out there! Then perfectly shaped bars and truffles come out over there, and gold wrappers secure them here! Oh I was in heaven. It was a scene right out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

At the end of the room was a large shiny fountain of chocolaty goodness (pictured). A woman dipped wafers into it and handed them to visitors. I pushed three kids out of the way in order to get my hands on it. To cap it off, there is a huge gift shop by the entrance were you can buy a chocolate anything. Chocolate bars, chocolate truffles, chocolate soccer balls, chocolate beer! Oh boy, give the person that invented that a raise! I filled a bag with $11 worth of chocolate and ate it all as soon as I left.

Next on the list was a visit to the House #4711 (sign pictured). It's better known as the birthplace of Eau de Cologne. It was a concoction developed in the late 18th century meant to enhance the senses and attract the ladies. Basically, I think it was developed to be more of a deodorant then anything. I couldn't pass it up though, and the current fragrance store on the site has a mini museum on the second floor providing the history of the fragrance and displaying the original packaging and bottles it was sold in. Although I didn't buy a bottle, I'm sure the ladies love it.

Vienna

Exams successfully came to a close on Wednesday, and I finally have a life I can live outside of my flat. In order to celebrate, and feed my travel addiction, I booked a flight to Vienna. As a way of saving some cash, I booked a 6:50 a.m. departure flight on Thursday, and the 8:40 p.m. return flight on Friday. It's like traveling on steroids.

I didn't set myself up too well for Thursday though as a group of friends and I stayed out on Wednesday night until 2. It was the last chance for me to say good-bye to some, so I didn't want to miss that. We chatted the night away with one of our Swedish friends, who was hard to say good-bye to. The negative result was that I had to wake up two hours later, pack, shower, and take the train to the airport for my flight.

I got into Vienna around 8 a.m., and wandered aimlessly through the city until I finally found my hostel. It started to rain, and I was glad I remembered to pack my umbrella. I wasn't happy though that I forgot to pack my deodorant and a complete change of clothes (I’ll let you guess what I forgot) for the next day. I guess that is what I get for trying to pack with one eye open.

Even though the umbrella kept my head and upper body nice and dry, it didn't prevent my legs and feet from becoming soaked. After about 30 minutes, the insides of my shoes were completely saturated. With every step I could feel the water squish between my toes, and I knew I had about 8 hours left of that feeling.

I didn't really know where to start, but a couple of my friends here in Cologne just said to walk through the city center. That is where all the sites are apparently. So, I took their advice, and that is where I headed. My instant impression of Vienna is that it is a very classy city. Mozart, Beethoven and the rest of the famous musicians bleed from the walls and streets. There are a million cafes, and you can see people drinking either wine or coffee at any given moment.

The architecture is similar to Munich, but a little less playful. Huge Baroque buildings cover the city center, and the immense Hofburg Palace is the centerpiece. I was told before I saw it that it was similar to Versailles, but once I visited it, I thought it was nothing like it. Sure, they are both big palaces, but Versailles is located outside of the city, and is more of a place to go relax and get away from the noise. The different parts of the palace were converted into various museums, none of which really lit my fire. So, I just enjoyed the view from the outside. It did have a couple nice gardens though, one of which had a lovely memorial to Mozart (pictured).

After touring the palace grounds, I walked a block over to get a view of Parliament and then another block over to get a view of Rathaus. I couldn't get a good idea of what the Rathaus actually was, so I had to look it up on Wikipedia when I returned to Cologne http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rathaus%2C_Vienna. No offense to the govt of Vienna, but when you look at the building, you would think that it seats a much more important body. Rathaus Park is located right across from it though, and that was pretty cool. Rose bushes dominate every corner of the park, and of course, what park in Vienna wouldn't be complete without a memorial to Mozart. Since it was really rainy on Thursday, I returned to it on the somewhat sunny Friday to get a good shot (pictured). A day of rain, and some sun really made the roses blossom!

From Rathaus, I made my way to the Stephansdom, which is an old church smack in the middle of town. It serves as the cultural center of Vienna, complete with all the tourist trap horse and carriage rides, and men dressed up like Mozart wanting to tell you something. I didn't stay there long, as there were a ton of tourists just hanging out.

When I was on the train from the airport to the city center, I noticed this massive cemetery (turns out it is called Zentralfriedhof) along the way. Not thinking anything of it, I quickly found out from my trusty travel book that it holds the graves of a number of famous composers and former patrons of Vienna. Looking to get out of the city center for a while, I jumped on a tram and made the trek out there.

My first impressions were that it was humongous! Apparently it holds over 2.5 million souls. That's a lot of people! The graves are also extremely elaborate, with huge gravestones scattered throughout the grounds. The land had an eerie feeling to it. The grass and trees grew over, under, and around the graves, really giving the place a neat feeling. In fact, I started walking down one of the many paths carved here and there (pictured), and had to turn around really quickly as I started to get a bit freaked out. Especially since I was the only person around.

There is one really interesting part of the cemetery though. The graves of Beethoven (pictured), Brahm, Schubert, and Strauss form a semi-circle around a memorial to Mozart. Apparently Mozart is in an unmarked grave in another cemetery somewhere in Vienna. I haven't seen the movie Amadeus in a while (whether that is historically accurate or not is debatable) but what does it say when you are the cities patron saint and they can't find your grave? Well, a quick review of Wikipedia clued me in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozart#Final_illness_and_death. Seems it was normal practice at the time.

After a while hanging out in this eerie yet fantastic historical treasure, I took a tram back to the city center. After some food, I searched for a cafe to have a hot chocolate and warm up. Ironically, the only one I could find near me was a Starbuck's. So, I visited a Starbuck's for the first time in Europe. If you think the prices are high in the US, you should visit one abroad. A little over $6 for a small hot chocolate. Yikes! My body was worn out from all the walking, dreary weather, and lack of sleep, so I headed back to the hostel, and ultimately hit the sack at 9 p.m. and proceeded to sleep for 12 hours.

The weather was a little nicer the next day, and again I just wandered around town with no agenda in mind. I thought that since Vienna seems to be so classy and cultural that I would join in and see how it feels. I read that people like Freud used to sit in Viennese cafes, sipping coffee and politicking. Well, not sure if Freud ever sipped on a warm glass of hot chocolate, but I did, and it was good. I some funky bread with butter, sea salt, and some type of seed on it. Not sure what it was, but it was tasty nonetheless.

From there, I walked to the other side of town, and caught a tram and then a bus to outside of the city. I read that wine taverns, or heurigen as they are called in Vienna, are a fun place to visit. I like wine, so I thought why not? As I approached a recommended place, I was a little unsure whether I was in the right place. I came to find out that these are basically family run businesses literally outside of the home.

The street it was located on your basic suburban (European suburban) street, where normal people live. Unsure what to do, I simply tried opening the front door. It was locked. Ok, I guess I'll walk through the gate on the side of the house. As I passed through the gate, an old man was sitting there alone smoking a cigarette and drinking something out of a glass. He looked like a lone sole waiting outside of the O.K. Corall. Kind of like the calm before the storm. A bit intimidated, our brief conversation went like this.

Nick: Hello, English?
Strange Guy: No - Italiano.
Nick: Hmmm.
Strange Guy: Francais?
Nick: No.
Nick: Espanol?
Strange Guy: No, Italiano
Nick: Heurigen? (Pointing my finger at the ground)
Strange Guy: Huh?!
Nick: Heurigen?
Strange Guy: Yeah (pointing his finger further around to the back yard).

So between us we knew five languages, yet couldn't find one that matched. Luckily for me, a nice older lady greeted me towards the end of my conversation with the strange guy, and guided me around the bushes to the 12 picnic tables spread throughout the back yard. I got there just after it had opened, so there wasn't anyone around. Although the picture doesn't really do it justice, it was a quiet and beautiful spot and a brilliant idea on my part. I drank a couple glasses of red wine, while the old lady (who also didn't know English) did some gardening and her cat prowled around mischievously.

I sat there calmly, looking into the surrounding hills, and soaking up the quiet. As I left, I returned my glass inside, where there was an old guy standing with a cane who looked like he was on the verge of tears. I set the glass down, and quickly said Tchuss (good-bye) to the old lady before the scene with the guy with the cane turned awkward. Near the gate exit were a couple of other fairly old ladies who just stared at me. I began to think that they don't see many people like me (a young male who can't speak their language) in a given day.

As I walked down the street to the bus stop, I just thought to myself....weird but cool. That pattern developed often over my brief visit, and I guess you could say it sums up my stop in Vienna. I will say though that it is one of the cities I have visited abroad where I thought I could live. It had that calm, classy, and sophisticated feel to it that appeals to me.

It's The (Final) Countdown

Well it's finally here, it's finals weeks in Cologne. Well for me anyways. I realize that my last few posts have been kind of a snooze. I promise all remaining posts will be a lot sexier. It's a basic reflection of my life these past few weeks. More work then play. I have some good adventures left before I return though so stay tuned.

Since I don’t have much to offer in terms of adventure and awkward cultural encounters, I'll break down for you what I have to learn for my Exams.

First up is my Economic Expansion in the 19th Century final, which happens in about t-minus 4 hours. Half of the course focused on Economic expansion in the Germany during the century, and the other half focused on economic expansion in the countries of Britain, Belgium, France, Austro-Hungarian, and Russia. The format of the exam will be two essay questions, one hour, 100% of your grade for the term. A little stressful when you say it like that, but all of us feel like we have a good grip on the course content.

Basically, economic expansion can be analyzed throughout the continent by looking at the macro level developments in agriculture, labor, capital, technology, trade, and institutions. All of which developed in certain ways which complimented each other, and allowed the continent to take off (some countries more then others).

Second up on the schedule is tomorrow's Governance and Policy-Making in the Multilevel-System of the EU final. Again, one essay question, one hour, 100% of your grade. Sounds scary, but again I feel pretty good about it. The course focused on the evolution of the European state taking into account various treaties, and the development of the state from territorial, to nation, to constitutional, to industrial, to welfare, and finally European. It will also focus on how the Lisbon Treaty stands to affect the structure of the European Union if it ever gets ratified. Within that we analyzed the make-up of institutional architecture, which accounts for the European Council, European Commission, European Parliament, Council of the EU, European Court of Justice, and the European Central Bank.

Finally, on Wednesday I have my two retail courses, which have been the courses I've enjoyed the most. They will be my most challenging finals based on the breadth and depth of the material covered. My Retail Marketing final is up first at 8:30 in the morning. In a nutshell, here are the high level topics to be covered:

- The Nature of Retail Marketing
- Consumer Behavior
- Channels and Formats
- Merchandising & Category Mgmt
- Pricing
- Promotion/Communication
- Store Brands and Private Label
- Services

Later on in the afternoon, I have my Strategic Mgmt in Retail final, my last final. Again, here is a high level overview of what will be covered:

- The Role of Retailing
- Assessing the Retail Space
- Theoretical Frameworks
- Retail Strategy and Panning
- Segmenting / Targeting / Positioning (STP)
- Retail Branding
- Location Planning
- Finance / Controlling

As you can see, I've had my hands full. I feel pretty good though, and am highly looking forward to Wed afternoon. Plans are already in the works for a few beers and BBQ in what will hopefully be sunny Wednesday!

EU Overload

The beginning of the end got underway this week with our final presentations for my Political System of the EU class. I have spent the past few weeks compiling information, and writing the paper that is to accompany the presentation. After working on it for so long, I am a bit tired of reading and talking about EU humanitarian aid efforts.

Our presentation seminar consisted of two full days of non stop presentations on anything and everything to do with EU policy. Our professor is a visiting professor from Paris, so she travels to Cologne to teach the course. She's a nice lady, but pretty much your stereotypical Parisian. Kind of hard to read, rather nonemotional, and monotone. Fittingly, our seminar took place at the Institut Francais Cologne. During the first day of the seminar, we were treated to a little presentation on what the institute does. Unfortunately for me, the presentation on French culture was provided in German. It was basically a no win situation for me. I politely paid attention to the presenter even though I couldn't understand anything he was saying.

Here's the line-up of all the topics we discussed:
- The Role of the European Parliament
- Europe as an Empire
- The European Neighborhood Policy
- Turkey's Place in the EU
- EU / Russian Relations
- The EU and Iran
- MERCOSUR and the EU
- The EU and Anti-Terror
- The EU as a Humanitarian Player
- The EU and the Environment
- The EU and Energy
- The United Nations and the EU

As you can see, we covered a breadth of topics, and I actually learned quite a bit about the EU. What I thought was a disappointing class turned fairly informational in its last days. I felt a little pressure to deliver a good presentation since only two of us were not from the Union. Even though I put a lot of preparation into my presentation, I'll admit that I did have an advantage over the others as only two of us were native speaking English people.

The format was to present for 30-40 minutes, and then the professor would basically pick it apart and tell you where the gaps were. We are supposed to then include her recommendations in our final paper. Knowing that the format would be this way, I strategically selected a somewhat neutral topic in the EU as a humanitarian player.

There were a few brave souls though that wanted to tackle such issues as Russia, Turkey, and Iran. During the presentation, I could see the professor writing feverishly, almost with excitement to critique and pick apart their presentations. 30-40 minutes of presenting was followed by 20 minutes of her telling us what we did wrong. The nice part was that it was the same for everyone, so you didn't feel too bad when she provided her feedback. Luckily for me, my topic was the one topic she had the least amount of background experience in, so the arrows weren't as sharp. Although there was one moment where I got cold called on. She asked if I knew what year the Monroe doctrine was finalized. Huh? I just smiled and said I didn't know. If you are curious, it was signed in 1823, basically saying Europe wasn't allowed to colonize or mess with the affairs of independent nations throughout the Americas.

In total, both days were a success, and I was impressed with the job everyone did. We were a bit glazed over by the end, and even though the professor offered VERY direct feedback, it was all with good intentions. The only thing to do now is finish up the paper, which will have to wait until finals are over.

Speaking of finals, I have successfully wrapped up all classes, and now only have to prepare for exams. As I mentioned before, the entire semester comes down to the final exams in most classes, which is the case for me. I have four exams in three days, two from the same professor. He gave a final about a month ago, and 25% of the class failed it. I'm not joking. That is a true fact. Needless to say, to make my trip worth while, I will be studying day and night until next Wed is over. Wish me luck!

Study Break

Not much new to report in Cologne. I have spent the better part of two weeks now sitting in my flat preparing for the end of the semester. It's hard to believe that I return to MN in a mere three weeks. Personally, it feels like I just arrived yesterday. It has been about 14 weeks now though, and time seems to just fly by. I am excited to experience the MN summer. The day I left MN, we received eight inches of snow, so the day I return should be a lot better.

A group of us managed to take a study break Saturday night. We went to Bonn for an outdoor music festival. Before we arrived, I was excited to catch the action. What better way to spend a nice Saturday night then hanging out outside listening to music. Despite the sunny weather all day though, an annoying drizzle managed to fall most of the time we were there.

Still, we toughed it out, and checked what the festival had to offer. There were five stages, each playing a different type of music. The alternative stage had a sparse unlively crowd, pretty much the antithesis of what you would expect. Next was the main stage where Ben Folds was actually playing. I don't really know his music personally, but I know he is popular in the states. The stage after that had the heavy rock complete with head bangers and body surfers (pictured).

Beyond that was the hip hop stage which was a sight to see. It's always funny to see how a particular part of American culture is absorbed and expressed by another culture. I've never heard someone rap in German before, and it sounded a bit weird. From there we made our way to the last stage where a DJ was playing techno. There were people gyrating in interesting ways, and I think your presence required you to be in an altered state if you know what I mean. We quickly left that scene, and headed towards the main stage, where our German friends wanted to check out a popular German band that was playing.

Needless to say, the festival turned out to be a little bit of a dud. In an attempt to beat the crowd to the trains, we left 30 minutes before the last act finished. Our intentions were good, but unfortunately for us, a lot of other people decided to leave as well. First, we had to wait in line forever to catch the first train. Then, once we got on the first train, there were so many people aboard we were packed liked sardines. Let's just say that the majority of the crowd that attended the festival weren't the cleanliest people. The guy I was forced to lean up against had long greasy hair with a shaggy beard. This of course complimented the all black attire and combat boots. The smell that radiated from his body was nothing to write home about either. I guess that was better then being pinned up next to the guy and girl with matching purple mohawks.

After 20 minutes of cuddling up next to Charles Manson, we had to wait 30 minutes at the Bonn main station for the next train to Cologne. Of course once that arrived, there were a ton of people, and we repeated the sardine act we performed earlier. Luckily for me though, I didn't get stuck next to any grease balls on this trip. I did have to stand though, and my legs were a bit wobbly by the time I got home.

In the end, what typically is a 20 minute train ride from Bonn to Cologne ended up taking two hours. I felt so gross from the trip home that I had to take a shower before I could go to bed. I was a little bummed the night didn't turn out the way we thought it would, but I guess it was nice to have an excuse to get away from the books for the evening.

This week marks the final week of preparation before exams. I do have one class that ends this week with a two-day marathon seminar. Each student is expected to present their topic of choice on EU policy for 30-40 minutes and then discussion. I'm slated to be one of the last presentations on the final day so I'm sure I'll be presenting to a lot of glazed over faces itching to get out of there. It should be interesting to see what people come up with. I'm a little nervous considering I'm one of the few in the class that doesn't live in the Union, and thus has little knowledge of how the Union runs. I think it will go well regardless.

Although I'm not looking forward to my departure, I am really looking forward to returning home and watching a Twins game. Over halfway through the season, and I have yet to catch a game. From what I've read, they are doing really well too. I'm also looking forward to sitting in the backyard BBQ'ing, and relaxing. Although summer in Europe is wonderful, there is something to be said for MN summer as well.

Ole Super Deutschland

Well it was an exciting finish to the European Soccer (Fußball) Championship. Unfortunately, Germany lost in the final to Spain. In the end, the best team did win, but the Germans put together a spirited effort. Needing a break from the crowd after our Munich trip, we watched the game in the comfort of a flat surrounded by a handful of friends.

Still, it was a rowdy and cultural few weeks in Cologne, something which was exciting to see. As I mentioned in an earlier post, you hardly see a German flag waving anywhere here, but for those few weeks, a German flag was draped over, under, on, in, and around anything you can think of. On game nights, people dressed up in their Deutschland jersey, black, red, and gold clothes, or simply wrapped the flag around their necks and wore it like Superman. Even my American friend Stasha and I got into the act. Notice the lovely face paint we sported during the Portugal match. By the way, the face paint was common attire for the matches. Since I'm not used to wearing it, both cheeks were a black, red, and gold smudge at the end of the night.

Finals are just around the corner, and I have been spending morning and night preparing for the tests. When you study abroad, there is less pressure to get good marks as the grades do not transfer. Basically, all I have to do is pass the classes, and I get credit for them. Therefore, whether I get an A or a C really doesn't matter as it is all the same in the end. That said, my pride and conscience will not let me slack, and I am gearing up to get good marks before I head back to Minny. I have four finals in a three day span, but then I have ten days of nothing before I have to leave Cologne. Needless to say then I don't feel bad hitting the books during the warm summer days.

Speaking of the weather, it has been beautiful in Cologne recently. The tan line on my neck grows more and more comical by the day. I think I may spend those last ten days trying to even it out, but I'm not sure I want to scare away the locals by taking my shirt off in public. I almost died in my flat yesterday. I spent the afternoon in my steamy penthouse (top floor being the only thing "pent" about it) studying in nothing but a pair of gym shorts. One advantage of being up so high and facing the park is that I can see the sky for miles. I could see the impending storm approaching more and more, and I've never wanted rain clouds to come so fast in my life.

The rain stuck around today, which makes sitting in class all day easier and more bearable considering the classrooms are not air conditioned. I've found that when you wear your flipflops in the rain, they are good at just that, flipping the dirty water up onto your body. When I got back to my flat today, I felt like Tommy Boy after his cow tipping episode. I'd write the line, but you all know what he said. :)

Since I was in the classroom for six hours today, I thought I could treat myself to what has become a favorite pastime of internet surfing once I returned to my flat. I start with the two e-mail accounts, then hit up Facebook, move on to ESPN, and then see what news Kare 11, CNN, Star Tribune, and the NYTimes has to offer (repeat). It's a vicious cycle I try to stay away from. I'll throw in the occasional Wikipedia and YouTube if I need some offbeat references to support the news stories I read. If I feel like having a good cry, I'll even look at the checking account, student loans, and credit card statements.

It is amazing how happily one can live on a tight budget. All play and no work (well some work) equals low funds, but you find ways to "dumb" down your life so it isn't too much of a concern. Cooking my own meals (or going to a friend's flat and having them cook for me) and walking/biking has got me extremely far. I try to limit unnecessary purchases as well. I do a pretty good job, but unfortunately my chocolate addiction must be fed on a daily basis. One thing I actually look forward to though is earning a paycheck again.

Speaking of that, I have been in contact with work setting up some logistical things for my return. Issues at home are finding more and more room in my head these days. Determining a living situation, means of transportation, and gearing up for August wedding season are becoming more and more of a reality. That said, I am in no hurry to leave my adopted country, and will continue to enjoy my time to the best of my ability!

Munich & Berchtesgaden

Sorry for not updating the blog for a week. I was in Munich from Wed - Sun, and didn't have time to update it before I left. I hope I'm keeping my audience intrigued, even if my mother is the only person left reading this thing. On a side note, I do appreciate those that have stuck with me so far!

To my dismay, I thought my flight to Munich departed last Thursday. When I checked my departure time, I realized that I actually left on WEDNESDAY. 30 minutes worth of internet searching on the Germanwings website, and one 10 minute phone call to their call center later, the cost of changing my flight to Thursday turned out to be astronomical. Soooo, I left for Munich on Wed night, and had to watch the big soccer match between Germany and Turkey alone.

When I arrived on Wed, I didn't do much. I didn't get in until around six in the evening, and the sky opened up as soon as I got there. Since I didn't have an umbrella with me, much of my time was spent seeking shelter. I did manage to do a little bit of sightseeing though, and watch the game at an outdoor cafe later in the night. Germany pulled off the victory 3-2, although many thought that the Turks outplayed them. There aren't too many Turkish immigrants in Munich, not as much as in Cologne at least, but the few that are there were waving German flags after the match. I heard the same occurred in Cologne, which is pretty cool to hear. Many of the German fans climbed in their car afterwards, and poured outside of windows and sunroofs waving German flags, and honking their horns throughout much of the night. I hit the sack early out of little else to do.

On Thursday I was up and at 'em early, and hit the town running. My fellow American Stasha was flying in later in the night, so I spent much of the day alone. My instant impression of Munich is that it fulfills every single stereotype of Germany. Playful architecture, lederhosen, wurst, and large beers. The people of Bavaria (the area of southern Germany) like to consider themselves separate from the rest of the country, and culturally they are.

I had no plan of attack, so I wandered around the city center as that seemed to be where all the people were. Much of the city was destroyed during the war, so it has that common "new old" feel to it. My first stop was Marienplatz which is basically the main square. The Neues Rathus (pictured) rises above the square, and the Glockenspiel chimes throughout the day as Bavarian figures move about. The thing reminds of one giant toy, something my nieces and nephews would get a kick out of.

From there, I made my way through the rest of the square, and around the perimeter of the town just soaking in the atmosphere. I didn't really go into any sights or attractions. Munich is mainly a city to enjoy the culture, whereas Berlin is the place to go if you need a historical fix. That is of course unless you want to learn about the history of beer (more to come on that later).

After an afternoon full of touring, I made my way back to the hostel to relax for a bit, and wait for Stasha. Once he arrived, it was already evening, and so we just grabbed some food, and watched the other Euro Cup semifinal match between Russia and Spain. After that game, it was apparent that Spain seemed to be the best team in the tourney, and that Germany would have their hands full come the championship game.

On Friday, we woke up early, and headed to the northern part of the city to check out the 1972 Olympic stadium and village. It was beautifully laid out, although the complexes seemed a bit small and outdated. I guess that makes sense since the games were 36 years ago. Obviously those Olympics are famous more for the death of the Israeli athletes then the competitions themselves. I had a hard time finding any information concerning the events though, and wasn't sure where exactly they took place.

From the Olympic complex, we walked over to the BMW headquarters and museum (pictured). What a treat that was! The museum was one of the best I have been to so far. It chronicled BMW (Bavarian Motor Works) from it's inception, and had cars, racecars, and motorcycles on display dating back to its beginning. The museum had a very posh and glamorous feel to it. Even the museum workers were all in suits.

After our early morning expedition, it was midday, and we were growing hungry. Everyone knows Munich is known for its biergartens, so we thought when in Rome. It took little arm twisting to convince me to sample the local fare, so our first stop was a biergarten in the English Garden. The English Garden is a beautiful stretch of land in the Northeastern part of the city that is apparently larger than Central Park. It's lush green, with strong flowing streams, and people spread throughout soaking in the sun. I purchased a meal complete with a brat, mashed potatoes, a giant brezel, and of course a stein (pictured). I devoured my meal without hesitation.

After that, we had to make our way to the famous Hofbrauhaus for a stein. Before that though, we walked through the park, and enjoyed the scenery. As I mentioned, there are streams flowing everywhere, and the water was so clear that it looked like you could drink it. People would jump into the water, and be carried down stream for a short stretch before climbing out. We even came upon one part of the stream where the current was so strong that people were surfing (pictured). I've never seen that before on a stream, and Stasha and I definitely got a kick out of watching it for a while.

From there, we made our way to the city center, and the famed Hofbrauhaus (pictured). It's as advertised, with large spacious tables and loud groups of jolly old men enjoying their steins. I ordered the Hofbrauhaus dunkel (dark beer) and we sat in the outside courtyard and soaked it all in. Although they serve food, and many people were eating, the selection of choice was beer. We sat back and watched a group of eight or so men throw back beer after beer and shot after shot. After about an hour of this, they all stood up and carried each other out of the place.

After a couple beers, we decided to head back towards the hostel. Of course, we had to grab doner along the way. Right next to our hostel is another large biergarten (pictured). Since we were already feeling good at this point, we figured why not? So we grabbed a stein, and nestled into a picnic table until the sun went down.

Although Friday was a blast, and we enjoyed what many people go to Munich to enjoy, we definitely felt it on Saturday. I peeled myself out of bed showered up, and caught an early train for a day trip to Berchtesgaden, which is on the German - Austrian border. The trip took three hours, so it gave me some additional time to get the engines up and running.

Berchtesgaden was brought back to public eye with the release of the HBO series "Band of Brothers". Kehlsteinhaus, nicknamed the Eagle's Nest was built around 1938/39 as a gift to Hitler. It was a vacation house used to entertain Hitler and guests. Obviously, that is what brought me to the town, but I also wanted to soak in the scenery of the wonderful Bavarian Alps. We caught a bus that brought us all the way up to the top of the mountain. I thought the transmission was going to give out at any moment as the climb was steep and a little hairy.

By the time we got to the top, clouds were passing under our noses, and the scenery was to die for. Every angle provided a breathtaking view, and I'm sad I can only share one with you (pictured). For a while we just sat on a rock and stared out at what Mother Nature had to offer. There was hardly a sound, and the air was cool and crisp. At that level, in that moment of solitude, everything seemed to stop. The town below looked lifeless, and all cares drifted away with the passing clouds.

After some lunch, we reluctantly headed back down the mountain, and caught our train back to Munich. Between the previous night, and the fresh air of Berchtesgaden, we couldn't wait to get some rest. We woke up early and caught our plane back to Cologne, reenergized and happy to have a head full of new memories.

The Döner

Since I touched on eating habits in the last post, I figured I'd use this post to highlight my favorite fare here in Cologne, the döner. The döner is a wonderfully delicious contraption of homemade bread, chicken or lamb, lettuce, tomato, cabbage, onion, carrots, and specialty sauce (pictured). Words can't describe the taste and pleasure it brings to my life. I visit my favorite döner shop, the Durener Döner at least three times a week.

I've had döner before in France. It was a staple of my diet during my solo travels through Paris and Normandy. Basically because of the language barrier, and the ease in which to order a döner. I wasn't impressed with it then, and merely looked at it as something that occupied space in my stomach. That is of course until I came to Germany, particularly Cologne, and sampled what they had to offer.

One thing you must get over is the manner in which the meat is prepared. It is set on to a metal rod, which turns at a slow pace in front of a heating unit. Kind of like a vertical rotisserie. Check out some pictures on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doner. It's not the most appetizing looking thing in the world, and watching them shave and slice off the meat is a little disgusting. The taste more then makes up for it though.

The döner is funny because it is the European's way of eating fast food, without the guilt of eating fast food. Hands down, the number of döner shops in Cologne outnumber the total amount of McDonalds, Burger Kings, Subways, and KFCs combined (at least it feels that way). Since each döner shop is individually owned and operated, it doesn't have that stigma of falling under a chain of fast food joints. Therefore, it is ok to eat there multiple times within a week. Right? I hope so.

Another interesting phenomenon about döner shops is that they all seem to be operated by the large Turkish community that has immigrated to Germany. Therefore, you can order various Turkish fares including falafel and Turkish pizzas. I go straight for the döner though. Why pass on something so good?

Speaking of the large Turkish population, a large amount of German born Colonians seem a bit "annoyed" by the number of Turks that have moved here. That's funny considering Germans, Colonians in particular, have a very open and liberal viewpoint of things. The country is socially conscious, but the boisterous Turks seem to be touching on a slight nerve.

That point considered, it should be interesting to see how both sides react to this Wednesday's Euro Cup 2008 semifinal between the two countries. Last week, Deutschland beat up on Portugal, and Turkey slipped by Croatia to set up the match. The streets of Cologne were in a kind word "jubilant" after both victories, so I'm curious to see how one side will react when the other is celebrating in their face.

We are not sure where we are going to watch the match yet. We watched the Portugal match at the Kölnarena (pictured), which is a little smaller then the Xcel Center. Every time Germany scored, I got an elbow to the head, elbow to the side, beer down the back, heel to the shin, you name it. The people here go absolutely nuts over this, which is the exact reason I'm curious to see how this week shakes down.

Battle of the Bulge

Back home, a lot is said about the size of our bodies and Americans in general. Although we have our fair share of fit Americans, the stereotype is unfortunately true. Our European counterparts beat us out in the weight category. This has been proven throughout the various countries I have visited over the past seven years. Our closest competitors may be the English, but we still have the upper hand. Our European friends like to poke fun at it, and I try to avoid the conversation all together.

This issue has been brought to light by news stories, the rising cost of health care, and pop culture material such as the documentary "Super Size Me". All of which look at various reasons why there is such a difference. Is it the portion size of our meals? Our lifestyles? The type of food we eat? The preservatives inside the food? Hereditary reasons? I really don't know. I wish I could put a finger on it for everyone, but it remains a mystery to me.

I think the easy way out is to say it is hereditary. This excuse has always bothered me the most. I recently came across a factoid where German constitutes the largest percentage of ancestry in MN at around 38%, with the Norwegians coming in a distant second at around 17%. This tells me that I would expect to see similar type bodies here in Germany as I would back home. That is unless our DNA mutated while crossing the Atlantic. Unfortunately, that is not the case. The faces look familiar, the bodies do not.

Foreigners like to point out that we are a fast food nation based on books that have been published and the already mentioned documentary. To be honest, I see just as many McDonald's, Burger Kings, Subways, and KFC's (yes KFC) here as I do back home, and when I look inside, I see just as many people. The portions are the same size as well, although you don't see the super size option here (could be that I just don't know how to read that on the menu).

I do notice a difference in portion sizes here and there, particularly with deserts. Ice cream stands rarely go beyond one scoop, and packaging in grocery stores is generally smaller, thus containing less product to consume. If you are ever bored, check out some studies on packaging size and consumption. We consume product at the same rate disregarding packaging size. Something to the think about next time you want to save 20 cents by buying the family sized package.

Ok, portion size may be one factor, but there still isn't enough there to convince me that is the root cause of our flabbiness. Looking at portion size and the type of food we eat there may be something there as well. Most Europeans start their day off with a light breakfast, which typically consists of some type of bread with spread and either coffee or tea. Lunch usually consists of some type of baguette, which often leaves out the fatty sauces and spreads we tend to lather on our sandwiches. To our defense, the spreads they use are either Nutella, which even though is spectacularly delicious, is nutritionally worse then peanut butter (I think), and REAL butter, not the fake stuff. Also, German meals are heavy in meat, potatoes, and veggies swimming in some type of gravy or sauce.

So, to say the type of food we eat is the main culprit may not be entirely accurate. The question of preservatives is way over my head so I can't comment on that. Maybe the size of the US forces us to inject more into our food to allow it to flow through the entire supply chain and onto the shelf. That is just speculation though, I really don't know.

Many like to point fingers at our sedentary lifestyle. I could see that argument just by analyzing my own life. I start off my day by sitting in my car and driving to work, followed by sitting at my desk for 9 hours (including eating lunch at my desk), followed by eating dinner while sitting in my car and driving to school, followed by sitting in a chair in a classroom for 3 hours and 20 minutes, followed by sitting in my car and driving home, followed by sitting on my couch and watching a little TV, followed by laying in my bed, and only getting 6 hours of sleep. Add on top of that the stress of performing at work, in school, and at home, none of which equals a healthy body. I like to workout, but I often find myself too tired at times to get to the gym.

I have never worked in a foreign country, so I can't compare what the work week and life are like compared to the states. Obviously, technology has made things a lot easier for everyone, and in many fields has required us to do less physically. I will say though that I see more people walking and on bikes throughout Europe then I do at home. I'll even see pregnant ladies tooling around on beach cruisers worthy of a Peewee Herman film.

I think there are many reasons for that. First, European cities are often more concentrated, making the bike the most efficient means of travel. The population density, tight streets, limited parking space, and growing earth consciousness throughout the continent make having a car, a large car anyways, almost a nuisance.

Still, I have found myself walking distances on this trip that would be laughable in MN. It would be the equivalent of me walking from my door step in St Louis Park to Calhoun Square to meet friends for a couple drinks. Socially that is awkward, and I would be considered odd back home. For some reason though it makes sense here. I think I'll find myself walking more, investing in a bike, and taking the stairs more often when I return home.

One thing I do defend about Americans though is that we are not lazy. Although I do have growing motivational concerns about a large part of our population (particularly college grads), our society is constantly searching for ways to create, innovate, and be leaders in all fields. You often see these qualities in managers throughout the workplace, which is why they serve as such great role models.

I always get a kick out of people across the pond who want to work less and make more money. They usually come back with the argument "yeah but I work more efficiently." I say that it is your job to work more efficiently. In fact we should be trying to figure out how to work more efficiently in order to decrease costs and maximize profits. If that isn't at the core, or at least a main part of what you are doing, then you won't find yourself at the higher position.

All things considered, I can't put my finger on what it is that separates Americans from the rest of humanity in the weight category. I'll take the easy route and say that it is a combination of things. I do think our portions could be smaller, the type of food we eat healthier, and our lifestyles more active. Personally, my body feels better then it has in a long time, and my pants aren't as tight as when I first arrived in Cologne (I am excited to try on my work pants when I return home). Then again, I have time to be on my feet more often, and my stress level isn't anywhere near where it is at home. In the end, it is in the individual's hands to grab the issue, and change it for the better. Be aware though, the difference between cultures is there.

Berlin

I spent this past weekend on the other side of the country soaking in the vast history of Berlin. I was curious to see how one German city on the western(ish) border differed from that on the eastern(ish) border. Also, I needed to fulfill my history addiction, which had suffered a bit since I left Sweden. Obviously, Berlin has a lot of stories to tell.

I flew into Berlin in the late afternoon on Friday, and wandered aimlessly a bit until I found my hostel. I uncharacteristically dragged my feet booking accommodations for this trip, and unfortunately had to stay in two different hostels due to the lack of available beds. To my chagrin, neither panned out to be superstars, but the price was right so what do you do?

After I dumped my stuff off in the room, I quickly headed out the door to check out the sights. Since there was so much to see, and my trip was a bit abbreviated, I had to plan effectively and make the best of things. The obsessive compulsive side of me actually enjoyed the need to plan (more to come on those details later).

I figured the best place to start would be the Brandenburg Gate. Before I reached the gate though, I crossed paths with the Berlin Dom (cathedral), which for a Lutheran church is quite fancy and detailed (pictured). Although the chance of checking out a giant statue of Martin Luther was intriguing, I skipped the inside. As I've said before, once you see a handful of big cathedrals in Europe, they all start to blend together.

After another block or two, I finally made it to the Gate (the picture was actually taken the following day, due to the sun not cooperating with me Friday night). It was great to see, and if walls could talk someone would be telling it to shut up already. Of course, as with any major tourist attraction, the area in front of it was swarming with street vendors and beggars, so I quickly got out of there.

From there I didn't really know where to go, so I started following the outline of the Berlin Wall that was etched on my map. The Gate was one of the separation points between East and West, so I didn't have to go far. I really wanted to check out Checkpoint Charlie, the major check point in Berlin to cross from East to West, so I followed the outline all the way to that.

Every map in every tourist station and guide booklet in Berlin has a giant red outline of where the wall once stood. On the streets, you'll often see two-tone brick trying to hide where the wall once stood. Unfortunately, for Berlin, the wall has become one giant scarlet letter, a past it can't escape. Whether that is for the best or not, I'm not sure. I did give it its due respect though and tried to follow its history as best as possible.

As I followed the route of the wall, I tried to take notice of what was on each side of the street. I was curious to see to what degree the two sides had meshed together. I think my favorite juxtaposition was the fast food joint across from the Mexican restaurant. Now instead of Berliners wondering what life was like on each side of the wall, the guy eating the burger can look across the street and see a pack of loud Englishmen drinking margaritas.

As I approached Check Point Charlie, the old style station complete with sand bags and red and white candy striped traffic control bar (pictured) stood out amongst the tall glass buildings and the giant advertisement to buy an HP computer. I looked for the museum and after spending 20 minutes in a Check Point Charlie gift shop, I asked the lady behind the counter ringing up my purchase where I could find the museum. She informed me that I was standing in the gift shop of the museum and that actually this marked the end of the tour. Oh...

She kindly advised me to enter the museum two doors down which I gladly did. The museum is highly informal, and chronicles the history of the wall, including the various ways in which people escaped to the West. Berliners literally went over, under, around, and through the thing. People hid in cars, in speakers, in kayaks, you name it. After my visit, the sun was going down, and it was time to head back to the hostel.

Back at the hostel, I had to think up my plan of attack for the following day. After some schnitzel and a beer, I grabbed my travel book and a blank piece of paper and went to work. I wrote down in order all the sights I wanted to see the next day, based on walking distance of each other of course, the times they were open, and their cost. After a short period of time, there shined a shiny piece of organization worthy of the hall of fame. I folded up my trophy, stuck it in my travel book, and hit the sack.

The next day I was up bright and early at 6:30. I cleaned up, ate some breakfast, and checked out, only to go searching for the next hostel. It was too early to check in, so I left my luggage and hit the road. The first stop was the Reichstag (pictured), the current house of the German govt. Like the Brandenburg Gate, if the Reichstag could talk, it would be a Chatty Kathy. Although Hitler apparently never set foot inside the building, he set fire to it in 1933 in order to declare a state of emergency and seize power. At the end of WWII, the thing was bombed out and depleted. A famous photo involving the Reichstag shows a soviet soldier hanging the red flag with the hammer and sickle from the top, symbolizing Soviet control of the city.

The building has been restored in all her glory. Up close you can see her wounds, with multiple bullet holes and large portions of brick patched up here and there. Visitors are allowed to the top of the building to get a view of the city and the glass dome. In true German fashion, an upside down solar cone (pictured) helps power the building.

From there I caught a glimpse of the Soviet Cenotaph, a memorial (in the old West Berlin of all places) dedicated to the Soviet soldiers who died in the fight for the city. Included are the first two Soviet tanks to enter Berlin. It's a hop, skip, and a jump from the Brandenburg Gate, so I walked through that again, and past the Russian embassy. It's the size of one city block, and is almost like a symbolic fist coming down on the city. I continued along past the Neue Wache memorial. It contains the remains of an unknown soldier, and a concentration camp victim, along with soil from various battle fields and camps. Inside is a marble sculpture of a mother holding her dead son.

The next stop was the German history museum. It's one of the best museums I've been to yet, and chronicles the history of the area that is now Germany dating from the first settlers to present day. After three hours of wandering through the museum, my stomach was curling under the pain of starvation, so I grabbed a quick bite, and made my way back towards the hostel to regroup.

Along the way I stopped by the Berlin Wall Documentation Center. There, a stretch of the wall remains intact for people to observe. The site resides on the grounds of an old church that was cut off from its parishioners when the wall was built. Even old graves had to be dug up and moved to make way for the wall. Not really a way to win over the people you are trying to govern huh? There is a platform you can climb up to get an aerial view of what it looked like (pictured), including the no mans land brave souls tried venturing into to make their escape.

Fatigued, I finally crawled back to my hostel to officially check in, and secure my bed. The hostel was highly regarded in my travel book, so I thought it was a no lose situation right? Wrong. I came to find out that I would be sleeping in a room with around 40 beds in it. One shower and toilet for the guys, one shower and toilet for the girls. Between the hours of 11-4 I got no sleep from the constant stream of people coming in. Even after I took a shower, I still felt dirty. The total package was a first in my hostel experiences.

I wasn't done exploring, so I hoofed it to the other side of town to check out some more sights. The funny thing about Berlin is that it doesn't really have a city center. The city was divided for so long that there are almost two of everything. So, after walking for what felt like an eternity, I came upon an entirely different city. I checked out the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, and then jumped a tram out to the Olympic Stadium.

By this time it was getting late, and not too many people were at the stadium. It is a bit outside the city, so it was nice to enjoy the peace and quite. The stadium has obviously been renovated since it hosted the 1936 Olympics, but the outside still resembles its mid - 30's appearance. As you walk around the perimeter, the grounds act as a type of museum, with signs up here and there describing the grounds, the historical significance of each building, and pictures. Still standing at the one end of the stadium is the Olympic torch (pictured), and etched into the stone of the building were all the winners of gold medals. Prominently displayed at the top were Jesse Owens' accomplishments.

With sore feet and hips, I made my way back to the hostel to crash. The next morning, I was again up bright and early. I checked out the memorial at Bebelplatz where in the early 30's, Nazi students burned thousands of books by what they considered "subversive" authors (think of the scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade). A piece of heavy glass allows you to look underground at stark white empty book shelves. Included on the ground next to the memorial is the German poet Heinrich Heine’s ironic statement in 1820, “Wherever they burn books they burn people.”

After, I had brunch with a friend of a friend from work who has been living in Berlin for the past three years. It was fun to hear her story, and meet someone new. After a couple hours, I made my way to the airport, and back to Cologne. In all, Berlin has a lot of history to share, but can be a confusing city to figure out. Like a huge scar on a face, it's past sticks out there for everyone to see. It has persevered to become a symbol of struggle and peace throughout Europe.

Election Mania

Who are you going to vote for? That seems to be the primary question whenever I meet a German for the first time in Cologne, or any international while traveling. I don't understand your political system? That seems to be the second question.

Although I agree with the second question, I obviously tread lightly when answering the first question. I try to defend both candidates, calling out their strengths and weaknesses. My response every time is that I really don't know (which is the truth by the way). What I am honest about is that the next president should hopefully be an improvement from the previous. That is as far as I let my political opinions fly.

In an ideal world, I tell them that if I could take McCain's experience and anti neo conservative approach and mesh it together with Obama's charisma, youth, and speaking abilities, we'd have one heck of a president. Unfortunately, that is not possible, so we'll have to choose one, and hope things turn out for the better.

I don't think they ask me these questions because they are looking to form an opinion about me. I think they are just plain interested in the outcome of the next election. Particularly because of all that has (and has not) happened in the past eight years.

One thing is clear, if Germany had any electoral votes, they would all go to Obama. Even when he was running against Clinton, you would only see his face on the magazines and newspapers in Cologne, and Eastern Europe. Hilary wasn't even a consideration which is surprising considering that Germany has a female chancellor, and Bill is highly regarded throughout Europe. I guess people over here seem to be more interested in something new as opposed to the same old same old of the last 20 years.

People back home and Americans I meet abroad are always very interested in how people outside of the states treat me. To be honest, most people I meet over here could care less that I'm from the states. Of course you always meet the one person who thinks that they have everything figured out and signal America as the bully. These people are few and far between though, and are generally just asses. You can find them in MN too. It has nothing to do with where they are from, just their personality.

One comment that seems universal is that people abroad like Americans, but hate our president. I've had two foreigners from different countries tell me at different points in time that ten years ago, everyone wanted to travel to the states. It was still seen as a great place to visit and live. Now, that feeling isn't there anymore. They feel unwelcome, and would rather travel elsewhere.

This is really sad to me because Americans have such little contact with our friends across the pond. I feel that one way to grow and understand is to expose yourself to various people and places. Putting up walls breaks down relationships. Working together, collaboration, is key to understanding.

Ok enough of that political jargon. I wanted to follow up on Germany's performance so far in the European Championship. On Tuesday, Deutschland downed Poland 2-0. I watched the game with a group of my German friends, which was quite the cultural experience. We watched the game on the Zulpicher Str which is a popular street here in Cologne lined with many bars, pubs, and clubs. They had to close down the street to traffic because there were so many people there!

I have to give credit to the five people from Poland that were in the bar I was in, and their attempt to cheer louder then the German folk. Every time they opened their mouths though, the Germans quickly sang louder then them.

After the game, people from the various drinking establishments emptied out into the street and started singing and chanting. I was quickly yanked into a particular cheer where everyone has to kneel on the ground, and once the drunk guy with the megaphone says the magic words, everyone jumps up into the air, bouncing up and down, and singing a particular song. So there I was, stone cold sober, wearing flip flops, jumping up and down with a bunch of random Germans. The picture is the scene of the crime. It is hard to see since it was late at night, but if you click on it, it should expand and give you a better idea.

Unfortunately, Germany lost their second match last night 2-1 to Croatia. They have one more match against Austria, and they have to win to qualify for the next round. I'd hate to see how people react if they should lose. Then again, I'd hate to see how they’d react if they win!

(Over) Half Way Home

I glanced at the calendar yesterday, and realized that I am well past the half way point of my trip. Ten weeks in the bag with about seven to go. For the first time, I'm starting to feel a little stressed. Class is beginning to bear down on me, and every Euro is becoming well analyzed before it is spent.

Still, the weather in Cologne has been fabulous. Mother Nature has finally given us a bit of a rest with the rain, although it still manages to pour now and then. For example, on Saturday I spent the entire day lounging in my flat. The ten minutes I stepped outside to buy food from the supermarket, it decided to pour. I was left defenseless, wearing flip flops and sans an umbrella.

I've been longing over the past couple weeks to sit on a couch and watch an American sporting event. I missed the hockey playoffs, and the Twins are limping through the regular season without my support. All I have is my computer and the crappy highlights on ESPN.com.

I've found that I've resorted to soccer or Fussball as it is called here. Actually, soccer is quite fun to watch in Europe. Since the sport is so popular, the athletes are much better then what we see in the states. The game moves a lot quicker, and it is exciting to watch. Also, the fans get into it, which makes any event a whole lot better. Even for games that don't involve German teams, the bars are packed, and people go crazy.

The Euro Cup just started yesterday. It's a tournament that occurs every four years (like the Olympics or World Cup). It involves only European teams, and is a much anticipated event throughout Europe. For the last week, people have draped German flags over just about anything you can think of, which is fun to see as you rarely see the German flag waving in this country.

Germany's first game is tonight, and as I took an afternoon stroll around town, I saw groups of people here and there dressed up in black, red, and gold, singing songs and leading cheers. If you travel to Germany, you'll find that to be commonplace. People are always walking around singing, chanting, and cheering on game days. It could be the local club team in last place, it doesn't matter.

I'm looking forward to watching the game, although I have a feeling it could be a little bit of a mad house. They are opening up the local arena and showing it on the big screen for free. We are heading to one of the main drags though to catch the game in a bar. If yesterday's match between Turkey and Portugal is any indication of what the crowd is going to be like, we better get there early, or else there won't be a seat available from here to Berlin!

So What Are You Learning?

In a recent phone conversation with my mother, she expressed how much she enjoyed reading about my travels. She half jokingly mentioned though that I should probably write about what I'm studying as people back home won't actually believe I go to class. The good news is, I really do attend class, and am taking some interesting courses.

The courses offered were of no specific importance; they weren't even all business courses. They were simply a collection of courses that happened to be taught in English. They said, “Here is what we have, choose what you want.” The only requirement is that our course load equaled 30 points, which is at least 5 classes, which is comparable to a full-time student back home.

Sooooo, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for me to branch out and take some interesting courses. I finally settled on two retailing courses, an economics course, and two political science courses. I ensured all 5 were scheduled between Mon-Wed, allowing me time to travel on weekends, and learn outside of the classroom. Of the 5 classes, my final grade for four of them comes down to the final. For the other, I have to complete a paper and presentation.

In my Retail Marketing class, we have focused so far on consumer behavior, complaint behavior and management (very applicable to my job back home), merchandise management, and pricing. The professor is German, but earned his doctorate in the US, so he speaks very good English and often uses American companies in his examples. He also uses case studies throughout the course, which is very similar to how we are taught at Carlson. I find it makes class a little more interesting and engaging.

In my Strategic Management in Retailing course, we have assessed the international retail market, which is comprised primarily of American companies, all of which I'm familiar with thus this part of the class was a bit of a review for me. We have also looked at defining a retail strategy, segmenting targeting and positioning (STP), and branding. This course is taught by the same professor, so again case studies are used often, and I find it easy to follow along.

My economics course, Economic Expansion in 19th Century Germany and Europe, is a hybrid of a history course and an economics course. It's taught by a young Porche driving German professor, who the Eastern European women seem to fancy. He told us he teaches the class as a favor to the school. Apparently he runs his own business and teaches at a private university, so I'll have to agree with him. I love this course because the professor speaks like an American. He is very aggressive, forward, and direct. When you leave the room you feel like he knows everything in the world, and maybe he likes that. He goes off on all types of tangents, and uses interesting analogies and examples to get his points across.

You may ask how beneficial a history course is to an MBA, but I'm finding it to be highly beneficial. As you can tell from my blog, I have a soft spot for learning about history so my perception may be jaded. That said, the 19th century is the century in which Germany became rich as a country and among the world powers. We have discussed common themes which are present in economics and business today including: outsourcing, technology, free trade, population & labor needs.

I particularly find interesting the phenomenon of outsourcing, which we mistakenly think of as a recent trend. For example, we have discussed how the states became an outsourcing destination for grain during the 19th century. Germany went from the leading exporter of grain to importing it from the US due to the fact that the US could produce it cheaper. As you can see, an understanding of yesterday helps you understand the phenomenon of tomorrow. They are just packaged a little differently.

My first political science course, The Evolution of the EU, discusses the collaboration between the separate nation states beginning after WWII, and the ultimate development of the EU. So far, we have focused on the Lisbon treaty, the role of the European Council, and the role of the EU presidency. The class is taught by the chair of the dept, who is an older witty professor that speaks with a stereotypical German accent.

The second political science course, Governance and Policy Making in the EU, focuses on the EU's role in Europe, and the EU's foreign policy. We've discussed whether the EU is a strong political actor. We've also discussed the role of the EU and military presence. As you can imagine, the US is discussed frequently throughout the seminar, and I find that the course often focuses too much on military conflicts in the world.

We are done meeting as a group for that class, but have to prepare a final presentation, and write a 5000 word paper on a topic of our choice. Due to the recent natural disasters affecting China and Burma, and the rising price of food in third world countries, I selected my topic to be the EU as a humanitarian player. I plan to look at it from a reputation and business aspect and have found a wealth of information on the topic so far. A couple students in the class selected the EU's role in Iran & Iraq. Good luck with that one!

Besides class, I have also done some additional reading. I have re-read one of my favorite books, "The World is Flat". It was published a few years ago, and looks at the role of globalization in our world. It's 600 pages, and is a bit redundant at times, but is a recommended read for everyone, particularly young adults. I'm almost finished with a book titled "In Europe". It's about a Dutch journalist that spent one year traveling through Europe at the end of the 20th century. He recaps the history of Europe beginning in 1900 and ending in 1999. It’s another epic novel, at just over 800 pages, but a pretty good read so far. It's particularly interesting to me as a lot of the places he visits and discusses are places I have visited and experienced over the past seven years.

Besides the classroom and the books though, the ultimate learning experience has been the "field" work I have been conducting. I don't look at it as much as tourism as I do a learning experience. I have yet to take a vacation where all I do is sit on a beach (although that doesn't sound too bad). Instead, I have focused my travels to places that have shaped the way people live their lives.

For example, a walk through Normandy shows you how nationalism and unilateralism can negatively affect nations, people, and businesses. Staring at communist statues in Budapest demonstrates how stifling personal freedoms and creativity and closing your borders to the outside world slows down development and advancement. Both of which produce jobs and ultimately happy people and lives. Walking from a broken down street into an Indian office building shows you the positives of collaboration.

As I move about, I constantly look at what went right, and what went wrong so as to build on and learn from mistakes, and capitalize on the positives. Seeing where people come from helps you understand why things develop the way they do. I travel to learn and understand. I've found that there is plenty out there, and that the journey is long and exciting.