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.

Göteborg

I spent this past weekend searching for an unknown history to help explain how I came to be. The history is quite obvious from 1980-present, but I was more curious beyond myself, and even my parents. Therefore, before I departed the States, I mailed a letter to distant relatives still living in Sweden. I wanted to see what their life was like, and in a different life what could have been. Obviously they received my letter, and I met them for the first time.

My grandmother moved to the US from Sweden in 1922, at the age of 17. Five of her seven brothers and sisters eventually moved to the US as well. Of the two that stayed, one had a family that still lives on in Göteborg today. Unfortunately, her youngest brother was not able to move to the states based on the fact that he had a mental illness. My grandmother would often tell my mother that when they were leaving, her younger brother stood outside the house crying, asking them not to leave. I was told that it was something that stuck with my grandmother for the rest of her life. It would be 40 years before she would see him again.

Besides meeting relatives for the first time, I wanted to know where my grandmother came from, what her life could have been like, and why she came to MN. Let's just say that her father, my great grandfather, literally bet the farm in a game of cards. To escape the past and begin a new life, they moved to the states and little old MN. Raised and educated in Sweden, my grandmother moved to the states not knowing a word of English. After a few years she met my grandfather, and the rest is history.

I think every American tries to claim a heritage outside of the states, and secretly wishes they could call themselves European. In reality, they are as American as the next person, and actually know very little of what lies outside their borders. I am no stranger to this, claiming over the last 28 years to be Swedish. It is only in the past couple years where I have started to look at it a bit differently. The Swede in me only accounts for part of my DNA, along with probably some German and French. It is the portion though that my family is most proud of, and the main source of my grandmother's pride.

I departed Cologne last Wednesday. Since I'm on a tight budget, I decided to fly Ryanair. That turned out to be a bad decision. Although my roundtrip flight only cost around $65, let me break down some of the intangibles that made it actually a more expensive flight had I taken a regular airliner. First, my flight departed from a little remote airstrip past Düsseldorf. A $33 two hour bus ride. My flight landed in the little town of Växjö in south central Sweden. From there, it was a $28 train ride to Göteborg. The return trip involved an $18 train ride back to Växjö and a $91 hotel room since I couldn't find a train back to Växjö early enough on Sunday to catch my flight. Ryanair also tacked on an $8 charge for physically checking in, and not checking in online. The finale involved a $33 bus / train ride back from the tiny airport outside of Düsseldorf. So, as you can see, my plan to fly cheap cost me around $280. I should have flown standard.

If you've never flown Ryanair, it's an interesting airline. This was my second experience, and I'm not sure I will fly with them again. First, you get picked up and dropped off at tiny little airports throughout Europe. I think the two airports I flew out of were old military bases, at least that is what it felt like. Then you generally have a good amount of transit time from the airport to reach wherever it is you are going. As you board the plane, they are playing disco music which makes you feel like you are entering a club rather then an airplane. While on board, they not only try to sell you food, but they try to sell you perfume, and lottery cards. The planes are also half full, which makes you feel guilty for flying, and they jack up the volume on the loud speaker. I assume this is so you don't miss the many "deals" they are trying to sell you. You're half deaf by the time you get off the plane.

Aside from that though, it was a quick flight from the western part of Germany to the southern part of Sweden. I reached the center of Växjö two hours before my train to Göteborg departed, so I took the opportunity to scope out possible hotels to stay in Saturday night, grab a bite to eat, and purchase some flowers as a gift to my family members. The town of Växjö is very quaint, and scenic.

As my train departed for Göteborg, The Swedish country-side instantly reminded me of MN. Mainly the North Shore and the North Woods. Obviously it’s beautiful, and very stereotypical of what you would imagine Sweden to look like. After a few hours in an extremely warm train, I arrived at the Göteborg central station.

My family members were standing there waiting for me, waving a Swedish flag. I rcvd a warm hug from each of them, and I was happy to see that they were very excited to meet me. Part of me was nervous that I was forcing them to host me during my stay, but that was quite the contrary.

We quickly departed the central station, and it was just a quick car ride back to their house. Disa is my closest relative. Her father and my grandmother were brother and sister, so that makes us second cousins. She and her husband Bertil are in their early 80's. They have a daughter Ulla, who is married to Kurt. They are just a few years younger then my parents; they are in their late 50's. They are neighbors, so I got to see all four of them all day every day during my stay.

Disa didn't speak any English, although I knew she understood what we were saying at times. Whenever I would say something in English, she would respond in Swedish right away. Sometimes, I think she understood more then the others, although you wouldn't know it right away. She's a great cook, and often shakes her head at the jokes her husband tries to tell.

Her husband Bertil was quite the character. He likes to tell jokes, and claims he knows French when in reality, he has memorized one line that he repeats over and over again. He was a star trap shooter back in the day, and has a house full of medals to show for it (pictured). He also enjoys sweets as he was never shy during post meal coffee and desert.

Ulla is very young at heart. Whenever she is in the house, she is always playing her music, and sings along to every song. She is very proud to be a new grandmother, and showed me plenty of pictures of her 4 year old grandchild. She is also a wonderful cook, and works as a nurse.

Kurt loves old cars, and technical gadgets. His 38 Oldsmobile is proudly displayed in the driveway. He had plenty of pictures of all the car shows he attends, and knows a great deal about cars in general. I guess that is fitting since he is an engineer for Volvo trucks.

My first night there was spent trying to get to know my new found past. I arrived at dinner time, and Disa had a table full of food waiting for us. It was nice to eat a well prepared home cooked meal. It has been a while since I've had one of those.

After dinner, Bertil showed me around their house a bit. It's a smaller house, but full of history. As I mentioned, his shooting awards are spread all over the house. He is very proud of that part of his life. He also showed me their collection of refrigerator magnets. There had to be at least 200 magnets on their fridge, many of which made various noises.

I guess they had various things that made noises in their house. If you were in the general vicinity of the door, you could hear strange noises come from the house about every ten minutes. There was the cookoo clock, the cat meow as you entered and left, the pig that oinked when you opened the fridge, and my favorite the singing and dancing lobster (pictured). Of course, Bertil had to sing and dance along with it.

After a brief tour, we enjoyed some coffee/tea and desert outside. Bertil kept showing me books that discussed our past. At one point, I think he had more of his books outside the house then inside. I laughed as Disa only sat there and shook her head at him. Of course, he couldn't help but show me his smiling tree (pictured). While we were sitting there, Ulla mentioned that she couldn't believe I was sitting there. Of course, I knew what she meant, and I took it in a good way. Again, it felt good to know that they were happy I was there.

After, we sat around and chatted for a bit, we took a walk down to the sea. They live a half block from it, and I am extremely jealous of that. We walked back to Kurt and Ulla's house, where they showed me pictured of their current family. It was important for me to get to know their current life before I tried to get to know their past life. After that, I fell fast asleep. I was tired from a day full of traveling. I'm not used to the sun going down at 11 like it did in Göteborg, but that didn't stop me from falling fast asleep.

The next morning, we enjoyed some breakfast, and then headed to the center of Göteborg, where we took a bus tour of the city. All four of them grew up in or near Göteborg, but even they commented that they were seeing some things for the first time. After that we walked around the harbor for a bit, and I got to the see the point at which my grandmother caught the boat to America (pictured).

After walking around in the sun for a while, we grabbed some lunch at a nice sea side restaurant, and headed back to the house. I could tell they were tired and needed a break, so I grabbed my book and headed towards the sea shore to read for a bit. It was nice to relax. Besides, hosting a guest is time consuming. I wanted them to have at least a couple hours to themselves. It was hard not to soak up the lovely scenery (pictured). The sea was calm, and sun was bright.

I lost track of time a bit, and got back to the house a little later then agreed on. When I got back, Ulla asked me where the others were. Apparently, Kurt and Bertil went looking for me. They showed up not that long after, and we enjoyed a wonderful salmon dinner. After which, we enjoyed some coffee/tea and dessert at Bertil and Disa's house. We played Yahtzee, and of course Disa won, rolling three Yahtzees.

The next day we drove to a cliff overlooking Göteborg to get a great view of the city. From there we took a day trip to a small town on the coast. We took a ferry to an island where there was an ancient castle that overlooked the city. Again, it was a great view from the top (pictured). We ate lunch by the shore, and watched all the fishing and sail boats drive by. Every now and then a large yacht would cruise by as well. I had the feeling there was a quite a bit of money in the town.

From there we returned to the house, where I once again read my book by the seashore, and dangled my feet in the cool sea water. We had a BBQ, and I watched Bertil eat more food then any person his age has ever eaten. Again, we enjoyed some coffee/tea and desert afterwards. Bertil really enjoys watching handball, and Sweden had a big match against Poland, so I couldn't pass up to the chance to watch my first game with him. He provided commentary throughout the 60 minutes match. 11-11! 15-14! 21-21! 20 minutes left! 10 minutes left! He would say to me as we sat there and watched. Within one hour we offered me a piece of fruit from the fruit bowl at least 5 times. Again, Disa just sat in the chair and shook her head. It was truly a memorable experience.

After the game, I decided to retire for the night. The previous day I had told Kurt that I found out my grandmother grew up on a farm between Göteborg and Växjö, and that I was planning on renting a car and trying to find it. This grabbed his interest, and he quickly said that we would all go find it together. Piecing together some information my mother e-mailed me, we were able to find the general location where the house was located. My grandmother's brother painted a picture of the house in the late 20's, which the four of them still had. Using the road layout from the painted picture from the 20's, we were able to find the house via a satellite image on the internet. Bet you never thought Uncle Dick imagined his painting would be used like that did you?

So, we packed up the car early Saturday, programmed the GPS, and drove straight to the house. As we came to the house, it was as if it was frozen in time. It looked exactly as it did in the painting from 80 years earlier, right down to the colors and the windows.

As we pulled in, the owner of the house was outside with his son. The owner is 89 years old, and moved into the house in 1944. So in other words, the war was still going on when he moved in. He purchased it from his father-in-law, who purchased it from my great grandfather. The owner is now widowed and confined to an electronic wheel chair. His voice was horse, but his mind seemed as sharp as ever. We showed him the painting of house done in the late 20's, and he shared stories with my Swedish relatives. I walked all around the outside of the house, snapping as many photos as possible. It was extremely fascinating to see the house my grandmother grew up in. I was trying to picture her living in this house on this farm, and what it was like to leave from the states.

I think Disa especially enjoyed the trip as she chatted with the owner for quite some time. She's in her early 80's, and for the first time is getting a look at the house her father lived in for a time. The owner shared some interesting stories that were translated for me. For example, moose apparently wander into the yard and eat the apples from the apple tree. If they eat too much, the apples have an intoxicating effect on them, at which point they have to lay on the ground until they can sober up and walk away. Also, the owner pointed out that the house turned 100 this year.

Before we left, we gathered in front of the house for a group photo (pictured). This stop was the highlight of the trip, and was very special for me. Afterwards, we enjoyed a lunch picnic on the shore of a nearby lake, before they dropped me at the train station, and I said my good-bye. Before I got on the train, Bertil put his hands on my shoulders, and asked me to come back soon. That meant a lot to me.

In all, the trip was a great success. I ate more food then I could handle, and my relatives didn't let me pay for a thing. I felt at home the entire time, and they treated me as if I was their son. I wish there is a way I could repay them. I should say that I got to meet family for the first time, but I feel more as if I made new friends that I will have a bond with for the rest of my life.

As I left, I realized then that the main reason I visited Sweden, and sat looking at my grandmother's house, was not for me. I think initially I wanted to claim this was my past, but in reality, my past resides in North Mpls, and St. John's. I realized that I was doing this more for my grandmother. I'd like to think that when she walked away from that quiet piece of land that she hoped some day at least a part of her family would come back to say hello to what was left. 87 years later, I did just that. I hope I made her proud.