Sense of Direction

Almost a month has passed by here in Cologne, and still my sense of direction escapes me at times. For example, a quick run through the park earlier this week turned into a 3 hour "Where's Waldo" adventure. Granted the park is extremely large and wooded, but you would think that an hour walking aimlessly through the highway of paths and trees would result in me finding a sign that says "Nick Curtis ----->". Ok, maybe not that obvious, but only the man upstairs and the trees of Stadtwald Park will be able to perfectly recite the choice words of my experience. Luckily for me I was able to recoup, find my way home, shower, and get to class where I was saved by the bell.

Unfortunately, my next example doesn't involve me, but some poor German trying to find his way around Cologne. It was a Wednesday night, and I just got off the Tram towards the center of town. I was walking for about a block before a German guy approached me speaking the native language. I gave my standard deer in headlights look, and held my hand up to my mouth and moved it back and forth. I said the word English and unluckily for him, he knew English and asked if I knew where the Aaechener Str was. Now in my head I thought, ok I have this one figured out. I have frequented that street, and it is a major road that shoots through the middle of Cologne. Without skipping a beat, I quickly pointed my finger and said, "it's one block that way!"

Words can't describe the feeling I had when I actually helped a German of all people find their way in Cologne. That excitement was quickly destroyed when I turned around and discovered that it was actually one block in the completely opposite direction. Before I realized my mistake, the poor guy had already crossed the road and was making a bee-line for Siberia. Ironically, I was actually walking to the Aaechener Str myself, and had been on that street about every day of my trip so far. The hand symbol I described earlier means to laugh in sign language. Thinking back on it, maybe the guy should have given it to me.

I had a similar experience the next day while standing on the bus stop waiting for the 136. Again, the individual approached me in German, and again I repeated the deer in headlights / laughing in sign language response. He too knew how to speak English, and said he was trying to find a friend in Lindenthal. I explained that I lived in Lindenthal, and would be able to help him to the best of my ability. He politely declined, and said that I wouldn't know where to send him. Thinking back on it, the guy was right. I probably would have put him on a train to Moscow.

So, directional disasters aside, it was another great week in Cologne. The sun shined a bit more, and it felt good not to wear a coat for the first time since Sept. I also found a way to be a little entrepreneur. One of my professors asked the class if there were any native English speakers that would be willing to take a look at the English version of his website. Since I am the only one that is a native English speaker, I raised my hand. He wanted to pay me for my time, but I offered my services in exchange for the case study packets to each of his two courses I am taking. That's roughly a $70 value, which isn't bad for the four hours of work I put in. The previous week, a German friend asked me to critique the paper he had to write in English. My cash cow has arrived. I'll charge 10 Euro per paper, and 15 Euro per presentation. If only I could advertise that in German. Nah, I would have done it for free. I have the time, and it is always nice to feel needed when you are the one that needs tending to every day.

This weekend was a bit interesting. Friday was the big semester party at the Mensa, which is the main eating facility on campus. The party stretched three levels, had four different rooms playing four different types of music, and about 4000 students. Very fun. That was followed by an 8 am alarm going off and telling me that it was time to go to Phantasialand.

Phantasialand is basically Camp Snoopy on steroids. The nice thing was it was outside, so my pasty white skin was able to begin the annual fashion statement called a farmers tan. Apparently it was discount day, which combined with the nice weather and the fact that it was a Saturday meant hoards of people and screaming kids. The people watching didn't quite rival the state fair, but there were flashes of entertainment here in there. The interesting thing to note is that the mullet is VERY much in style in Europe - no kidding! It's the 80's all over the place here, and Saturday didn't disappoint. My personal favorites were the guys that had the sides shaved close, the hair spiked and frosted on top, with the complimentary frosted tail in the back.

Anyways, the rides were fun, but utterly painful to wait for. We waited in line for 80 minutes at one ride, and it lasted no longer then 2 minutes. Buaaaahhh. The pic is of me getting ready for the 4D movie. The entire 10 minute show was in German, so obviously I understood very little. From what my friends tell me, I didn't miss much. I thought the effects were cool though.

After nine hours of Phantasialand, I was ready to take my shoes off and veg in a chair. Besides having little sleep and extreme sun exposure, I was with eight Germans all day who were obviously speaking German. My brain and body were fried, and I crashed pretty hard on Saturday night.

Other then that, not much new to report. I feel like I'm learning a lot, and I'm still highly enjoying my life. I read the news and saw the pictures of the snow MN received yesterday. I feel for you people, but I quickly get over it.

Social Scene in Cologne

Well I figured I'd write about what most of my friends seem to want to hear about, and that is the social scene here in Cologne. As I've said before, Cologne is a very young town. The university has 40,000 students; so of course, there is your fair share of social establishments. The Zulpicher Strausse is full of German, Irish, and Cuban bars, as well as dance clubs and all the Doner Kebab shops your heart desires.

Having a drink with friends and colleagues in Cologne is very similar to London; it's just a common thing to do. It's funny how when something isn't taboo how it sort of regulates itself. For example, drinking in the states isn't allowed until you are 21, can only be done indoors, and involves complex planning with transportation (rightfully so). If you go to the bar, you'll often see young adults drinking in excess and acting belligerent.

Cologne is not completely free of individuals that like to go above and beyond when it comes to consuming their drink of choice, but I would argue that the percentage is drastically lower. Here, I believe the drinking age is 18. There may be an age limit for when you can start drinking beer, and when you can start drinking alcohol, but I am unsure of that. I never get carded anywhere, I can buy alcohol at the grocery store, and I can walk down the street drinking a beer.

The interesting thing about many of the kiosks (small convenience stores) is that they have a bottle opener hanging from the door knob of the entrance. This is so you can crack your beer on the way out of the store. Unbelievable, yet pretty cool at the same time. It is not uncommon to see two people standing on the street corner at 5 o'clock drinking a beer and talking. It's like a mobile happy hour.

I'm not saying the states should be like this (I'm afraid that would have a negative impact), but I'm pointing out how interesting it is that cultural norms can completely change the way we look at something, like consuming alcohol. One thing to analyze though is that the structure of American cities is vastly different then the structure of European cities. European cities are generally constructed around a city center, with many people living in apartment style housing (flats). There is an extensive construct of public transportation, trains and busses, that is very cheap. Also, if you need to take a taxi, you are not traveling very far, so they tend to be pretty affordable.

In the states, we love space, so our lives generally do not function around a city center, but specialty stores spread throughout suburbs. There is no convenient mode of public transport, so we depend on cars to get us from point A to point B. Therefore, if you plan a social night out on the town, it is logical to more closely regulate drinking to prevent the negative aspects of the activity. So there, you have just been introduced to the Nick Curtis theory of social behavior of consuming alcohol in Europe as compared to the United States. I'm sure there are many scholars that could poke holes in my analysis, but that is my perception of it at least.

Like most of Europe, Cologne has its fair share of smokers. It's the one part of the social life here I can't stand. You go into a bar, and you walk out feeling (and smelling) like death. An interesting note for all you Minnesotans, Cologne will officially ban smoking indoors in July. This is similar to what many other large European cities are doing, and it is the wave of the future. I'm just sad that they will finally change it when I have to leave.

It's very common here to stay out until 5-6 in the morning. I have yet to attempt such a feat, but many of my classmates partake. I had another interesting conversation with one of my Swedish classmates about this phenomenon. I believe his statement went something like this:

"In Sweden, it is not uncommon for us to stay out until 5-6 o'clock as well. We don't go out though until 11-12 at night. Germans go out at 9 o'clock at night and still stay out until 5-6 in the morning. I don't get it, I don't know how long I am going to last!"

I'm content with enjoying a night on the town and heading home at typical MN closing time to get my beauty sleep and actually have a Saturday afternoon to enjoy. As long as I have enough time to have good conversation, and make friends, I'm fine with that.

To change gears slightly, the last couple of days have proven that the sun DOES shine on Cologne for more then 10 minutes at a time, and that a jacket is not always required to function here. I was excited to find out that Colonians love to BBQ, which I assumed was a strictly American thing to do. My American friend Stasha and I already told his roommate that we would chip in and purchase a small grill for her so that we can enjoy the outdoors a little more.

Next to the university, there is a large grassy knoll (no JFK jokes please) that leads to a beautiful pond. I've been told that when the weather is nice, the entire thing is packed with students grilling and enjoying their favorite refreshment. I can't WAIT to experience that, and I have already started to see groups of students here and there gather on it. Very fun.

To close the social portion of my blog, our first week in Cologne was dubbed welcome week for all international students. There is a group at the university comprised of German students who have studied abroad during their time at Uni Koln. The idea is that they can sympathize with our experience and help us assimilate a little easier. To help the group get to know each other, each of the first nights revolved around us drinking the local beer Kolsch at some establishment.

The highlight of the week was the Saturday pub crawl. The entire group was separated into groups of roughly six people (my team pictured). Each member of the group had to be from a different country, which was a great idea. I believe I got to know more people that night, then any other night here in Cologne.

At first, I was nervous that we would have to partake in numerous drinking games, but it was the complete opposite. Each "station" had a different goofy game we had to participate in. The first station involved two volunteers blindfolding themselves, slipping a garbage bag over their body (with holes cut out for the head and arms) and trying to feed pudding to each other. I volunteered for my group, and ended up with pudding all over my face.

In the second station, the group was given various scenarios, all of which didn't match, and were asked to create a mini play. Think of "Who's Line is it Anyway?". I'd like to say our artistic performance was top-notch. I have always secretly dreamed of performing on stage, but to a story that actually made sense.

For the third station, we had to walk to a bar about four blocks away. The catch was, on our way we had to stop people on the street and ask them for the words to various Colonian songs. In Cologne, they have a song for about every kind of activity you can think of. During nights when there are soccer games, you can't get on a tram without hearing at least three different songs sung by almost every person on the train. And this is public transportation! Very cool. Anyways, we had to get at least one verse to four different Colonian songs, and sing them to a group of girls at the bar. Now imagine trying to do this and not knowing the language (ME!). It wasn't quite Maverick singing "You've Lost that Lovin Feelin", but I thought I had a good show. The third station also involved us holding a clothes pin in our mouth and using it to pass around a playing card. Each successful pass was a point for our team.

The fourth station involved us playing a little game called suck and blow. To cut to the chase, and keep this blog conservative, that is a game where you take a playing card, and pass it to the partner standing next to you only using your mouth. The person passing the card obviously has to blow on it to pass it, and the one receiving the card has to suck to receive it (I hope this explanation goes over well with my mother and boss). I quickly situated myself between the Chinese girl and Japanese girl. Nothing like watching two girls from extremely conservative cultures participate in this game. I was dying laughing. The main goal was to earn points for each successful pass.

The last station was a night of dancing and conversation at a club called Das Ding. For those of you that don't sprechen Deutsch, Das Ding is German for.........the Ding. Overall, it was a very playful and fun night. All the crazy and awkward games brought us closer together. Ironically, it is probably the most important thing we have done so far on the trip.

Frankfurt

A friend and I decided to make a weekend out of it and travel to Frankfurt, which is only about a two hour train ride from Cologne. We arrived early in the day on Saturday, and quickly checked into our hostel so we could explore the city. For those that aren't familiar with hostels, they are accommodation businesses with dormitory type living arrangements. They are a cheaper alternative to hotels and are marketed towards students and budget travelers. We did manage to get a very nice room with two beds and a full bath.

Unfortunately, it rained all day on Saturday, so our first order of business was to buy umbrellas. We headed towards the city center since that is where the majority of the shops would be and quickly scored the cheapest options we could find. It was by far the best purchase of the weekend, although it didn't prevent the rain from saturating my shoes and socks! It's very interesting to try and walk through a sea of people all of whom are holding an umbrella. As you pass people you hold your umbrella up really high to get by them. You kind of feel like Mary Poppins getting ready for take off.

Frankfurt is the most modern German city I have visited so far. It has a distinct downtown area with skyscrapers, much like the United States. This is juxtaposed to an old town that has the old fashioned churches and timber buildings. Like most of Germany, Frankfurt was leveled during WWII, so that helps explain some of the modernity. The river Main (pronounced mine) flows through the middle of Frankfurt, and I was told that the proper name of the city is actually Frankfurt am Main (Frankfurt on the Main).

We walked throughout the city, braving the rain, and doing some mean window shopping. We ate some great food, and stopped back at the hostel to take a rest and dry off a bit. At night, we found a really small pub, and watched some soccer with a handful of locals. I'm not the biggest soccer fan, but if you watch it in the proper setting with people that are knowledgeable about it, then it isn't half bad. After that, we found an Irish pub where we had a Black and Tan, and enjoyed some live music, before heading back to the hostel for the night.

The next day we ate some breakfast at the hostel, checked out, and explored the city a bit more. Looking back on it, a day trip to Frankfurt would have probably sufficed. I think part of us just wanted to get out of Cologne for a night. The weather was remarkably better today, and like most cities, the majority of the shops were closed because it was Sunday. We did have a chance to tour Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's house (author of Faust), and a history museum of Frankfurt. We also scaled (took an elevator) to the top of one of the skyscrapers to get a wonderful glimpse of the city.

The train ride to and from Frankfurt was very scenic, and we got the chance to see some of the smaller towns in Germany out the window. Part of you almost wants to skip the big cities and see what the smaller towns have to offer. It was quite beautiful. On one side of the train you had large hills / small mountains, and on the other side you had the river, and then the town on the other side. Sometimes the scenes felt like they were straight out of a movie.

At the conclusion of the weekend, I was happy to see Cologne (and not ride a train for at least the rest of the day). The city is starting to feel like home to me, and I'm finding it easier to get around every day. I really enjoy my classes and am looking forward to class this week as well. I have a heavy travel itinerary for the month of May, and need to start figuring out living accommodations. I went a little crazy this past week hunting for and purchasing discount airline tickets. I have a feeling the next month is going to be quite the adventure!

The Metric System, Dates, and Times

Typically, I like to spread my posts out to ensure I have enough to talk about every few days, but I wanted to share my experience with what I highlighted in my title. Since I have traveled before, I'm used to the differences in measurement, dates, and times. I had an interesting conversation with one of my Swedish classmates though, that I wanted to share. I went like this:

Swede: You know Celsius was a Swede right?
American: No I didn't know that. Pretty cool.
Swede: Yeah, it's quite simple when you think about it. He said, "Ok - water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius and boils at 100 degrees Celsius."
American: In Fahrenheit, water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit
Swede: That doesn't make any sense.
American: Well I don't really know what to tell you. I guess you have a point.
Swede: You know Fahrenheit was a German right?
American: Well, let's blame the Germans then.

I still have not perfected translating Celsius into Fahrenheit. All I know is that 0 degrees Celsius equals 32 degrees Fahrenheit. That is when it starts to snow in Minnesota, which means there is probably a Wild game on at some point that week. Let's then thank the Swedes and Germans for letting us know when hockey season rolls around.

As far as measurement goes, a kilometer is shorter then a mile. That's all I know, and I sleep well knowing my brain stops there. I do know that a 5k run is almost 3.2 miles, because I ran one back in college (circa 2000). It took me around 30 minutes to run and I thought I was going to have a heart attack after. Running is not in my genes, and I need a ball or puck to keep my legs moving forward. Kind of like a donkey with a carrot in front of its nose.

Now for dates and times, something I can say I fully understand! In the states, the next episode of "The Office" is on 4/17 at 7:00 p.m. (making that up). In Europe, you would say the next episode is on 17/4 at 19:00. I'm backing the states on this one. I'll give you Celsius, but it seems more efficient for me to say "April 17", and not "the 17 of April". Also, military time can be quite confusing when you are presented with it for the first time. Here is how I figured it out the first time I came to Europe.

If it is 19:00, subtract 2, and that gives you 17:00. Now, drop the 1, and you can see that it is 7:00 pm! When the severity level increases, and the time is 23:00, subtract 2 again, and that gives you 21:00. Now replace the 2 with a 1, and it is 11 pm!

See, it's all so simple. I do find it slightly amusing that the US is basically the only country that follows the guidelines we use for these measurements. I guess it is our attempt at being different. Believe me, it leads to all types of tangents.

Dusseldorf

I had some free time today, so a friend and I took a train to Dusseldorf. An express train will get you there in about 25 minutes which is perfect when all you want to do is a day trip. We were warned by our fellow Colonians before we left that people from Dusseldorf tend to be cold and arrogant. Apparently, there is a friendly rivalry between the citizens of Cologne and the citizens of Dusseldorf.

If you ask a Colonian to explain it, they will say that first, the people of Cologne are more outgoing and playful, whereas the people of Dusseldorf are reserved and cold. Second, they will remind you that their city is much larger then Dusseldorf, and that Cologne NOT Dusseldorf should be the capital of the federal state. I believe Cologne used to be the capital, but was destroyed too bad during the war and thus the government was moved to Dusseldorf. Don't hold me to that though.

Fair and balanced reporting aside, we didn't get into it with any Dusseldorfians to put the stereotypes to the test. We did notice though that Dusseldorf is much smaller, and more modern then Cologne. The architecture is more 21 century, and the business centers are easy to point out, much like the states. I think Dusseldorf is a main hub for business, and there is a lot of money there, which could help explain the "snob" label. Cologne is more of a young person's town which adds to the "lively" and "hip" conceptions.

We didn't have a plan of attack, so we started with the tourist office, which is always a good idea when you are traveling. They usually have good information on what to do, and maps to help lead the way. We spent our afternoon wandering through the city center and along the Rhine. I felt the city was quite beautiful, and like Cologne, very clean.

The smaller scale of the city allows for a more majestic view of the river, and we scaled (took an elevator) to the top of the media tower which stands high above the city next to the Rhine. Some of you may know, but I am not terribly fond of heights. Therefore, I stood a good five feet from the window when looking down onto the city. The view was spectacular though , and it gave me the opportunity to snap a few photos and scope out the lay of the land.

After wondering through the city for a bit we worked up an appetite, so we stopped at a traditional German restaurant and had some Wiener Schnitzel and a glass of the local beer, Alt. This is another point of contempt with Colonians. In Cologne, you drink primarily Kolsch Bier, which they will tell you is far superior to Dusseldorf's Alt bier. Personally, I like both. Kolsch is what we would consider light beer in the states, and Alt a dark. Both cities serve their beer in 0.2L glasses which if you are not familiar with litres is tiny! They say that it ensures the beer is fresh the entire time you consume it. I say it just makes me stand in line more often to get a drink. It's perfect though when all you want is a small drink with your meal.

Overall, Cologne is the type of city you would want to live in as a young adult, and Dusseldorf maybe as an older adult. I like both cities, but both are new to me, and I appreciate anything that is different from my norm. As far as this trip goes, I appreciate more and more everyday where I ended up. Cologne is a very fun place to be as a student, and it offers you a lot culturally. It's the big city without having to be in London, Paris, or Rome.

Two Weeks in the Bag

I'll start off this post with a couple pictures of the Dom (cathedral) here in Cologne. For outsiders like me, it's the main image of Cologne. Ironically, many Colonians I have spoken to have never been inside the thing. Regardless, life around the Dom is quite busy, and I found it to be very beautiful. After visiting Vatican, many European churches pale in comparison. I still found it interesting, and its Gothic architecture makes it intimidating at night. It's pretty much the only thing that didn't get destroyed in Cologne during the war. I was told that the Allies used it as a central marker, but I would also like to believe that both sides wanted to preserve some of Europe's historical culture. Check out the picture of Cologne circa 1945 on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cologne. The church didn't escape the bombs all together though as you can see its wounds when you are up close.

Moving on, two weeks have flown by here in my new / temporary home. I've grown quite fond of my new life. I wake up every day without an alarm, I go for runs (with periods of walking :)) in the park next to my flat, and the overall pace of my life has slowed down quite a bit. I guess you could say I live a fantasy life. Well, I do, but hey I'll take it for this short period of time. I do miss that candy dish at work though. It's probably for the best. The work pants weren't fitting quite like they used to before I left. Hopefully I'll come back a new man!

The newest development since my last post was the first laundry date at the new household. Doing laundry in Europe is slightly different then in the states. Most households don't have a dryer, so you have to let your clothes air dry. This cultural norm makes sense to me. It seems like a good way to conserve energy. Anyways, since you have to let the elements dry your skivvies, this can spell trouble if you wait to do laundry at the last minute. I planned accordingly though. That and I stocked up on the essentials before I left the states.

When I studied in Spain as an undergrad, my housemother would do all of my laundry, and even iron my underwear. Although I don't go to those extremes, I consider myself a fairly domestic person. Those close to me will tell you that Sundays are domestic days for Nick, when I do my laundry and grocery shopping. I have quickly discovered though that it is best to do laundry more frequently here. If you wait to do one huge load, you'll have articles of clothing hanging from every piece of furniture in your room including: fans, chairs, nightstands, and bookshelves. I persevered though, and now will plan on doing laundry twice a week!

Now for the weather. Those reading this in Minny will not feel bad for me as Mother Nature keeps picking on you poor folks. In true European fashion though, most days here consist of 10 minutes of beautiful blue sky and birds chirping to 20 minutes of soft, cold, annoying rain, followed by 5 minutes of hard, cold, annoying rain (repeat). Why is it that I always end up outside during those 5 minutes of hard, cold, annoying rain? It's penance for what I'm missing back home.

Yesterday, my friend Stasha and I had a failed attempt at visiting the town of Bonn, which is about a 30 minute train ride from here. First of all, we didn't know the entire town shuts down on Sunday (something to think about when traveling through Europe). Second, every time we stepped outside the sky opened up. We did find a nice quaint Pizza Hut where we sampled some fine pepperoni pizza. The trip wasn't a total loss. The town does have a German historical museum that basically goes from WWII to present. It's interesting to see how a country remembers a not so proud moment in time. I thought they did a good job, and it seemed consistent with what I've seen in other countries.

To close, I let the obsessive compulsive part of my personality get the best of me the other day. Since I return to the states immediately after the semester to get back to work, I have to do much of my traveling during the semester. Sooooo I sat down and physically drew out four months worth of calendar and wrote down all the dates where I have obligations here in Cologne. Now I have this beautiful display of organization in my room telling me when I can travel and when I can't. I get a huge smile on my face every time I look at it (picture Monica from Friends after cleaning the bathroom). I look forward to a much anticipated trip to Poland, and another to Sweden to visit distant relatives. Other then that, we'll see where the wind blows me.

Classes

Classes started this week, and I was excited to see how the classroom experience compared to that in the states and my other study abroad experiences. Before I came to Cologne, I was under the impression that there would only be international students in my classes, but I was wrong. There are actually very few of us. The school offers a limited number of classes in English, and many of the German students appreciate the opportunity to learn in English. I also appreciate the fact that I get to communicate with other German students while in class.

An interesting fact in Germany is that you don't register for most of the classes. You simply just show up, and then at the end of the semester, you register to take the test. This is one of those cultural things that threw me for a loop. I'm so used to registering months in advance. Also, you have suggested readings to go along with the lectures, but nothing that is considered compulsory. In the states, I'm used to having constant deliverables that help you track your progress throughout the course. This is good and bad. Good because it allows you a little more free time during the semester, and bad because it is not uncommon to have 100% of your grade come down to the final test. I've already been warned that the end of the semester here is pretty stressful. Most of the classes I selected though require me to turn in a research paper, and prepare a presentation, which is right up my alley.

I'm taking a total of five courses, all very different from each other. Three of the courses have a focus in political science and how decisions made in the political arena can impact the business world. These classes are smaller, and are generally discussion based, which is what I'm used to in the states. One of the courses, The Political System of the EU, is taught by a French professor. I'm the only native English speaking and American citizen in the class, so you can imagine that a lot of attention is given to my thoughts and impressions. This is a very daunting responsibility. I try to remain very general in my responses and preface that I don't speak for all Americans. Also, my knowledge of the subject matter is not always perfect so I try to speak from my own experiences, not "how it is".

I'm also taking a Strategic Retail Management course. I'm very excited for this course, mainly because I have worked for one of the largest retailers in the world for the past five years. Also, I'm curious to hear European ideas and feedback concerning American retailers. My professor did bring up Target, and asked if anyone had ever been inside a Target. With a huge smile on my face, I raised my hand and said that I actually work for them. He was pretty surprised; I think I threw him a curveball. He asked if I could summarize how Target has changed in the past ten years, which was a little stressful. I'd hate to answer his question incorrectly when my job requires me to be in the know on the company. Luckily, I answered it correctly and was able to dodge the embarrassment of not being able to explain my own company. Staying true to strategy, I never reveal any proprietary information about the company. I stay very general, and tend to not give more information then can be found on Wikipedia. :)

My German classmates always ask me the same question. Why are you here? Why Cologne? They think it's weird that I would choose a non-traditional European city to study abroad in, especially a country where I don't know the language. I always tell them that Germany was the next European country I wanted to visit, the timing was right for my job, the school has a partnership with mine, and I wanted to be in an environment where every day was a challenge (language).

Much of the learning on study abroad programs happens outside of the classroom. Although the courses are great, and the content good, you learn the most about culture and issues out in public. I also feel that you learn about yourself and evolve as an individual much more outside of the classroom. Your mind is constantly firing, trying to figure out simple tasks, like how to grocery shop. In the states, I always tell young undergrads that if they don't study abroad, they are making a huge mistake. It's really important for personal development, in understanding the world outside of the US, and for just plain having fun.

Based on what I've written so far, you can see that I have become the focal point of many of my classes; mainly because I like to talk in the classroom, but also because I bring diversity and experience to the table. Most of the students have very little to no work experience, which I am very unaccustomed to participating in the MBA program at Carlson. I like being the working American in the class though. It's an easy way to meet people, and I feel extremely valued. I have had multiple students approach me after class to strike up conversations which is cool.

Overall, I've tried to take courses that are heavy in discussion and rapport. I feel that's the best way to learn as opposed to having someone stand in front of class, read off a bunch of information, and then have you regurgitate it at the end. This format allows multiple ideas to be shared throughout the course. It also gives you a better understanding of backgrounds, and helps you make friends. I like what I've experienced so far, and feel the educational value will be quite significant come the end of the semester.

International Students in the Program

The international program in Cologne has a very diverse mix of students. They mainly come from Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Spain, and Mexico. There are only two Americans in the program, and both of us are from Minnesota. Everyone has been extremely friendly so far, particularly my main men the Scandinavians.

Many of the students don't know where Minnesota is. They know it is in the United States, but they don't know where. I describe it as in the middle, north, and bordering Canada. On the flip side though, I can't say that I am an expert on where their countries and towns are exactly situated, particularly the Eastern Europeans. Most of the students have also never traveled to the US. The few that have visited the states have traveled mainly to New York, Florida, Vegas, and California. I guess Mpls isn't exactly a tourist destination (unless you like shopping, hockey, and cool people)! :)

It's fun to trade stories and discuss what life is like in our home countries and cities. Many of the students have asked me what the people in the United States are like, and if they are different. I tell them that is a very difficult question to answer, but I generally describe that East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast people are typically different, as are Northerners from Southerners. I can't say that I'm an expert on the people of the entire US so I try to focus just on Minnesota. I discuss the Scandinavian and Polish ancestry of the past, and the make-up of the current immigrant population. I tell everyone that the United States is so big that of course people are going to be different from place to place. Another popular question is what are my thoughts on the upcoming election and who am I going to vote for. I generally stay away from politics and sharing my views. All I tell them is that I'm happy I get a four month break from the campaigning!

This is my third study abroad experience (Spain summer 01, London spring semester 02) and on each program I always tell the people I meet abroad how lucky they are to easily travel to different countries in the EU. You can get on a train for little money, travel for two hours and be in an entirely different country where they speak a different language, eat different food, and have different customs. I've always been so envious of that. At home, I hop in the car, and drive for two hours and end up at Grand Casino Mille Lacs. :) I explain that for an American to travel is very expensive, and the opportunity isn't there as much. Hopefully that helps paint the picture that our understanding of different cultures can sometimes not be as advanced as theirs. I think they understand that because it is very difficult for them to travel to the US as well.

My fellow American Stasha and I (pictured) are the two oldest students here, which suprises me a bit considering the median age of MBAs at Carlson is around 30. The educational structure at this school is slightly different though, and they don't have the well defined Undergrad and Grad programs we're used to in the states. Hopefully my work experience and education will play to my advantage in the classroom, but we'll see.

Most of the students are also here to practice their German, and will often speak German to each other. I don't speak German, so I am a bit of an outsider when it comes to that. Everyone knows English fairly well, and our classes are in English, so it isn't as stressful as you may think it to be. I do get the chance to speak Spanish with the Spanish students though. I'm pretty rusty as I haven't practiced in six years, so I guess Spanglish is the better term to use.

First Impressions of Cologne

I have arrived safe and sound in Cologne! My flight from Mpls to Amsterdam was nice and quick, especially compared to my previous flying experience to India. I had the chance to ride on my first prop plane from Amsterdam to Cologne. It was tiny and there were only about 30 people on the flight.

I arrived in Cologne early in the morning on Tuesday. The school set me up with a "buddy" to help me get acclimated to the city, and Vitalijus was nice enough to pick me up from the airport. He is from Lithuania and has lived in Cologne for the past 5 years. He was pretty excited to get matched up with someone from the states which works out well for me! Before I left MN, I asked him if he would like me to bring him anything from the states, and he told me "something Timberwolf". Unfortunately, the size large shirt I bought him is probably not big enough as he is about 3 inches taller then me!

My roommate seems nice so far. Her English is pretty good so we are able to converse. We will have pretty different schedules, so I'm not sure I will get the chance to see her very much. I imagine it is pretty weird to have a stranger from a different country to come live with you. I figure the more I stay out of her way the better. :)

I spent the entire day on Tuesday walking around Cologne (Koln as it is referred to here). It's a quaint, clean, and beautiful city. It is relatively new by European standards because of the war. The Rhine flows through the middle of the city, much like the Mississippi flows through Mpls / St Paul. It's huge! Much wider then the Mississippi, Thames, or Seine, and it moves pretty well. I was really tired by the time the day was over. I walked 5-6 miles easy and had been up for 31 hours. I crashed hard at the end of the night which helped me adjust to the time difference fairly quickly.

The language part can be stressful at times, and many people I meet are amazed I would come to Germany for such a long period of time without knowing a word of German! I tell them that is one of the main reasons I wanted to come here. I wanted to be in a country where I didn't know the language and where I was a minority. Appearance wise I blend in pretty well. It's only when I open my mouth do I stick out. :)

For the most part though, the population knows English. I have found that the younger the individual, the more English they know. The only really tough place is the grocery store. The cashier at the one by my flat definitely got annoyed when she asked me a question about the apple I was trying to buy and I just stared blankly back at her. I think she may have been asking if I knew the price of it, but who knows.