International Night

Except for in the smallest of American cities, towns, and hollers is it probable that one can venture very far without hearing a language other than other English. Yet, even these smaller areas seem unable to exist without a minimum of pair El ____'s and La ___'s, a Beijing Buffet, and a nice helping of Indian-owned gas stations and Subways (stereotypical, I know). So, at the very least, contact with Spanish, Mandarin, or one of the many languages of India is not even far-fetched for those who don't live in larger, more international cities. Living in Memphis brought me into contact with many more speakers of a variety of languages, especially at the university. And, while I've been in Europe, it is has become a daily occurrence to hear speakers switch from one language to another in the same breath. However used to this I've become, I still find it extremely fascinating. Last night was something special though, even for me. Generally when I hear several languages spoken at once, it is by individuals from various countries who are grouped together. But, dinner with a Belgian family presents one with the same experience, without needing to travel throughout Europe to find those different languages. The family with whom I'm now living is Belgian, and last night the parents of Sarah (the mother here) came to visit. Officially, there are three languages in Belgium: French, Dutch, and German. Not all citizens speak all three languages, but French and Dutch are spoken by many. At home this family speaks French, though English with me. The parents that came to visit, while able to speak French, normally speak Dutch. Therefore, the medium for much of the conversation between Sarah and her parents last night was Dutch, while the children were addressed in French, I in English, and periodically a pinch of German was tossed in for flavor. I have a better time understanding Dutch than French, but even then, I can catch only words and small phrases. For this family it was absolutely normal behaviour, and though I've been with groups of people where everyone speaks a different language, sitting and eating with six members of one family and hearing four languages before finishing by meal was truly a memorable experience.

Land of the Turks

Although my trip to Turkey was several weeks ago, due to my acute illnesses of laziness and procrastination, I’ve yet to mention one word about it. While perusing through my pictures probably paints a more accurate picture than my words alone ever could, with nothing else to do at the moment, I felt compelled to write something.

Turkey has long since been a destination that I’ve wanted to add to my list of countries visited. Even when I first came to Europe, I wanted to make a short detour to see exactly what it was like. This craving hadn’t subsisted when I arrived in March, despite my dad’s prediction that if I were to travel there, I would be the unfortunate victim of a drug smuggling scheme operated by airport personnel, inevitably finding myself locked away in a bleak Turkish prison. Always up for an adventure, however, my yearning continued. Upon the end of the semester in Mainz, I found myself midway through summer, without the sunshine and weeks of blissful weather that I’d been longing for. Urged by the unrelenting presence of an overcast sky and scattered showers, my mind’s eye put on its sunglasses and dreamt of exotic beach oases. Charlotte, too, wanted to get away from the premature autumn Germany was witnessing. So, the search through internet travel agencies and travel services began. There really was no particular destination in mind. The only requirements were a beach, the prospect of sun, and a place to sleep that wouldn’t burn a whole in our wallets. Greece, Spain, southern France, Tunisia were on every site, yet the prices were just too unreasonable. Finally, after several days of intense, nerve-racking searches through travel databases, it was decided that Turkey was probably the cheapest place to be visited.

While much closer to Europe than the States, the trip to Alanya, Turkey was anything but short. It’s still well over 1,000 miles from Frankfurt. Touching down in Antalya at midnight, following a 3.5 hour flight, we stepped outside into the humid night to find the shuttle to out hotel. Locating a bathroom outside (couldn’t seem to find any in the airport), I passed by a windowed room full of prayer rugs, with a worker from the airport kneeling unaccompanied for his prayers. Then it was off to Alanya, which lay still another 100 miles, or 2 hours east. Finally, we reached our hotel at 2 a.m. and were accompanied to the room by someone from the hotel, who proceeded to demonstrate the obscure art of turning on the television, display how to open the closet doors, and uncover the location of the bathroom. After such loyal service, it would have been insulting not to have given him the tip for which he stood waiting in our room to receive. With no Turkish money, I gave him 2 Euros and forced a smile. Oh, and this is when we discovered that we had a peeing toilet. Sounds confusing, but check out the pictures.

It must be remembered, despite its never-ending desire to join the European Union, that when traveling to Turkey, one is embarking on a world totally different from the West. Considered part of Asia, it is a nation located on the edge of the Middle East. Fun fact: Istanbul, the capital of Turkey, is the only city to be located on two continents- Europe and Asia. Though quite secular when compared with other Muslim nations, one cannot walk through the streets without realizing the obvious difference. That’s not to say one should be afraid because Islam dominates the scene. Rather, the ubiquity of head coverings, mosques, and the prayers broadcasted from loud speakers five times a day is something unique and, far from frightening, very fascinating. It must be said, however, that no matter how splendid the prayers did in fact sound, hearing them howled every morning shortly after 5 a.m. was no treat.

The beaches of Alanya were amazing. Up and down the coast were nothing but stunning rocks and mountains jutting into the sky. The calm waters of the Mediterranean were as warm as a bath and clear enough to see your feet. The sun, whose faced rarely saw the cover of cloud, pounded down relentlessly, but was a welcomed changed from the gray of Germany. Left and right one is beholds old men sporting Speedos, while ladies of all ages (and physical constitutions ;) bear their ladies to the world. Quite opposite to culture of skin were the more devout of the native women, who donned both head and body coverings as they plunged into the ocean.

No matter where one went, it seemed that Russian and German were spoken. Closer to the beach and the tourist area of Alanya, all signs were in at least Russian, German, and English. While English is the international language, the lack of English-speaking tourists in this area makes a knowledge of German or Russian much more valuable. Everywhere, and I mean at every tacky little souvenir shop or beach restaurant, you are attacked by a young Turkish man with shoutings of “Guten Tag”, “bitte schön”, or “Jaghshemash”. If you were brave enough to enter these shops, you would be followed by an employee who makes a comment and gives a price for practically every object that falls into you line of sight. This, perhaps, was the worst part of the whole experience. Eventually, you learn to just ignore their advances or to give them a more forceful NO, but never does the prospect of being followed down the street or through the shops become welcomed.

Now, instead of trying to deliver every nuance and happening of the trip, I will focus shortly on the more interesting occurrences.

Bus ride- anyone who has grown accustomed to the reliability and organization of public transportation in countries like Germany would find the system in Turkey chaotic. Stops are located throughout the city, though barely visible, and come equipped with no time tables or route information. The result being that you never know how long you will have to wait for the next bus or really in which direction you may find yourself going. The second day on the vacation, following the advice of a hotel clerk, we jumped aboard a bus and set off in search of the old town of Alanya, which was supposedly a ten minute ride. About 30 minutes later, when there was only one person remaining on the bus and after realizing that we had been practically the only non-Turkish passengers, the bus driver began asking us in Turkish where we were trying to go. After showing him a map and pointing out our destination, he continued driving and finally dropped us off in what appeared to be a war zone, telling us in his funny tongue where we needed to go. If you ever in Turkey, just jump aboard a bus and ride for a while. It was by far one of the most interesting things of the trip.

Hammam- Finally we broke down and allowed one of the pesky salesmen to tell us about possible excursions and day trips for tourists in the area. One of these was a visit to an authentic Turkish bath. This is a must for anyone wishing to experience something of Turkish culture. For 15 Euros we were picked up from the hotel and taken to a Hammam a few miles away. Our driver, not wanting to be late with his carload of passengers, bypassed a small traffic jam on a back street by whipping his van onto a sidewalk and driving along as if this were the usual method of getting there. Ok, upon arrival, men and women are shortly separated, strip down the bare minimum (not crazy-underwear/Speedo for men, bikini for women). You’re then covered with this little towel and directed to a ridiculously hot sauna for 10 minutes, followed by another 10 minutes in a steam room. If you’re still alive, you jump in a ice-cold Jacuzzi for to relax and recover from the heat. Sounds unpleasant, but it was anything but. Then, you spread out your little Turkish towel and lay down on heated marble slabs, waiting for your exfoliating body scrub. The body scrub is down with a special sponge and solution, after which the uppermost layer of your skin is removed. This was not painful at all, but rather invigorating and relaxing. Following a few splashes of frigid water to clean us off once again, we then went to other heated marble slabs and received foam massages. Finally, we went to receive real massages and one of those hilarious looking facial masks. This was my first experience with a professional massage and, honestly, parts of it were painful. Several small bruises on my back were testament to that. Overall, however, when the big masseuse’s belly wasn’t hitting me in the head, it was well worth the time and money. If you visit Turkey, you have to visit a Turkish bath. It is a unique experience and 15 Euros for 2.5 hours of relaxation, it’s one of the best deals you can find.

Boat tour- Alright, you can do this at most beach destinations. But, again, for 15 Euros, you receive a boat tour of around 7 hours, including food and entertainment. I won’t go on and on about the trip. Suffice it to say that we rode up and down the coast, had several breaks during which we could jump plunge from the boat and swim in the ocean, climbed into a cave and walked without any source of light for 15 minutes, after which jumping off of 30 foot cliff into the waters below, swam to another cave and covered ourselves with mineral-rich mud, and enjoyed the presence of one of the most exceptional persons I’ve ever seen (for more information, please see pictures of the blonde Russian in red G-string below).

Trek in the mountains- during our last day in Alanya, Charlotte and I decided to hike up the tallest mountain on the coast to visit the old ruins of the castle situated at the top. Well, we didn’t really hike, but walked up streets, but easy as this may sound, it took around 2 hours and 1.5 liters of water to reach the top. This probably wasn’t a good time to try out my new sandals, either. But, I digress. Halfway up the mountain, we were greeted by three guys telling us the way, one of which decided to show us personally. He kept trying to rush us up a very rocky, off the road path into the castle, providing us with the dumbest of commentary his broken English could muster. After reaching a certain point about 15 minutes later, pretty much a desolate area, he told us we could keep walking on our own to reach the castle. Then, he began demanding money for his “services”, claiming that he was a tour guide working for the castle and that we now owed him 22 lire (about 15 Euros). I knew he was out to make some money, but thought he’d probably asking for a Euro or two. This was outrageous. After arguing with him for 10 minutes and finally deciphering that he wanted us to pay for his “legitimate” tour, I told him that we had no money and if we did we wouldn’t be paying him. No signs, no uniforms, and a crap tour deserve no money in my book. Frustrated, he made a call to his other “associates” and dropped the price to 20 lire (almost no change whatsoever). More arguing followed during which he told Charlotte and I how troublesome German tourists are (I told him I was German because no one believed I was American). He said Russian tourists are much nicer, but I think that most of the German tourists that he had previously tried to scam called his bluff and refused to hand over money to the little con. Finally, after I told him I’d rather argue with him and his partners rather than being alone in the mountains, he escorted us down the mountain and went back for other “customers,” leaving us on our way to the castle. When we reached the entrance and paid the real fee, we realized that there would have been no way for us to enter from the way he was leading us. Furthermore, the price for both of us together was 10 lire, over half of what his “tour” would’ve cost. The lesson from this is that you must always be on your guard when traveling, for tourists will always be targeted. Use common sense and don’t be afraid to say no (or Hell no!)
**Pic to right is view from the the castle**

So, all in all, Turkey was an awesome trip. If you go don’t expect the most lavishly furnished hotel rooms or the most developed location of your life. Turkey is still relatively poor and much beyond Western standards, but if you are willing to rough it and no complain about everything imperfection, you will enjoy a cheap and truly unique vacation that other tourist hot spots can’t deliver.

Free At Last, Free At Last!

As I sit here writing, Pink Floyd's Another Brick in the Wall (Pt. 2) is playing in the background. If that doesn't sound familiar, it the song with the chorus of angry little Brits yelling "We don't need no education". Although I normally would listen to this songs before taking tests (somehow it relaxes and inspires me), it is also fitting for me today because a few hours ago I took my last exam of the semester!! More precisely, I took my last undergraduate exam. After a three hour test yesterday, the 15 minute exam today was a bit more pleasant. However, it was an exam unlike any I've taken before, as it was an oral exam :) Me and my literature professor, trapped in an air-conditionerless room for circa 20 minutes at 11 a.m. on a Saturday morning. What an ending to four years of study. And, although I was a bit stumped on a few of the questions and sweated like I stole something, I think it went pretty well. My relief, excitement, happiness, etc. immediately following the test was a bit dashed by the fact that I had once again managed to leave my key inside of my locked room as well as the fear that I'd have to pay 10 euros to get back in. Even though I was unable to break in using my AAA Card, Student ID Card, and Kroger Plus Card, I found someone to let me in...free! So, now the reality of being essentially finished with undergrad has begun to sink in. It feels good, I must admit. But, although it just ended and I'll be taking a year off before continuing grad school, I am already ready looking forward to going back to school. It's much better than working, and college, though extremely stressful if done right, is at the same time a very rewarding experience. I couldn't imagine it being over just yet. But, for now I'll bask in what little glory I've been afforded and pray that I actually passed the exams!

A small taste of home

It goes without saying that I miss my family, friends, and Memphis. Therefore, to avoid redundancy, I will forego mentioning them in this entry. Since I have been in Germany, I have somehow managed to go, for the most part, without the few American items that one may purchase here. Admittedly, I have had a few cokes and even 3 amazing Dr. Pepper´s, but other than two or three other items, I have had to go cold turkey. But, a southern boy can never stop thinking of the food he loves. Don´t get me wrong, the food here is also delicious, but now and then, everyone needs a little taste of home. Talking with my brother while he was here only made me long for many of the foods from home. So, I will present a short list, in no particular order, of the few things I crave..

1. Liters of Dr. Pepper



2. Sweet Tea



3. Biscuits



4. White beans



5. Pinto beans



6. Mixed beans



7. White beans w/ chowchow



8. White beans w/ white cheese from Shelbyville



9. White beans with green onions



10. My parents´fried "tatters"



11. Fried cabbage with peppers (if you haven´t had this, my dad can give you the recipe :)
    



12. Country Ham



13. Chocolate oatmeal cookies



14. Chili-cheese fries (especially from Backyard Burger)



15. Creamed corn



16. Hoe cakes (not sure if that is the correct spelling)



17. Mexican food



18. #6 Spicy chicken sandwhich from Wendy´s



19. BBQ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! from the BBQ shop and Central BBQ



20. Half of a slab of dry-rub ribs with fries, beans, and sweet tea from Corky´s



21. Cracker Barrel



22. Pancakes



23. Little Debbie Brownies



24. Mac and Cheese



25. Donuts after 11 p.m from Gibson´s with Turner´s Dutch Chocolate Milk



26. Extra spicy Dorritos



27. Momma´s vegetable soup



28. Garribaldi´s BBQ Chicken Pizza



29. Reese´s and Watchamacallit´s



30. Hamburger Helper



31. Zataran´s Spanish Rice



32. Zataran´s Dirty Rice w/ Cheese (use spicy sausage instead of beef)
    

Now, I know this is a short list that could be easily expanded, but for now, that´s all I have ;) Perhaps before I return home, I will lose 20 lbs. so that I might enjoy these delicacies without shame!

Frightful Discovery at 4 a.m.

While I had hoped to devote what free time and creativity I could find to providing updates about my two wonderful trips to Hamburg and Barcelona, I recently experienced an episode that must be discussed before the sheer peculiarity of it fades and leaves me lacking the proper words to relate it. Before I continue any further, however, I wish to present you with the following image:

Now, I ask you, considering the seriousness of myself and my previous entries, to formulate some sort of explanation for this picture. What exactly could it be? A surface-level description probably sounds something like this: There appears to be some half naked creature, dead or close to it, sprawled out on what appears to be a tile floor. But let’s go beyond this superficial account. When you think about this picture and the possible events that led to this “creature’s” current state, what ideas come to mind? Possibly the unfortunate victim of some senseless crime in Memphis? Maybe it is the result of a mysterious occultist or satanic ritual? Though less likely, one could even posit that this the body of one abducted by visitors from another world, shamelessly used for bizarre scientific experiments before being carelessly returned to Earth. Or this picture could even more simply be a photo taken from a National Geographic article on a recently discovered Amazonian tribe in central Brazil. But, before I allow you to continue in this exciting game of guessing, I will humor with the actual details that led to this photo. If you’ve read this far, I beg you to stick with me a little longer and find out the conclusion to my blog.

Last Saturday I attended a grill party at the university with Charlotte. Don’t think a grill party is new-age slang referring to a party where everyone gets high or something of that sort. It is simply what its name says- a get-together where everyone brings food to grill. This seems to be a favorite pastime of college students in Germany. I, myself, have taken part in many of them and must say that I don’t understand why I never did it back home. It’s a great and inexpensive way to eat, catch up with old friends, and meet new people. But, I digress. Throughout the night we saw lights illuminating the overcast sky above us. While the simple explanation is that there was an event on the Rhein River and these lights only there to draw attention to the celebration, it was fun to imagine UFO’s flying around. Anyway, after coming home and falling asleep, I suppose these strange notions of UFO’s stayed with me. I believe it was close to 4 a.m. when I was awakened by some unidentifiable noise emanating from somewhere within my suite. As is understandable I sat for several minutes starring into the darkness, trying to understand what this noise was. Finally, I concluded it was human…probably snoring from my so civilized of roommates. Knowing it would probably not fade and wanting rest, I decided to investigate further to see if I could somehow lessen the intensity of the sound. What happened next was something out of a movie. The first thing I noticed was that the door leading from my suite into the hallway was completely ajar. Not something I’m used to finding at 4 in the morning. The strange noise continued and became stronger as I walked through the kitchen. Similar to the front door, my roommate’s door stood completely open. From the moonlight shining into his window, I could not distinguish any form in his bed. My conclusion was that he was asleep somewhere in the corner of the kitchen. I know you are thinking that is a ludicrous presumption, but I awoke one morning to find him asleep in the kitchen. That time, I was going to the refrigerator for some breakfast, while he turned to me with the face of someone who had just been punched in the nose and began spouting out French. Thinking he was having some crazy Swiss dream, I left without any question. After all, this is Luca we’re talking about. Back to 4 a.m. If he were somewhere asleep in the kitchen, I was blind. But, if he wasn’t there, then I was hearing noises. Confused, I went to the bathroom. And, what you see in the picture is what I found. Blocking my entrance into the bathroom was n extremely hairy, half-naked male in his early twenties, situated in the fetal position. Thankfully he was in such a position that nothing could be seen. I stood there in amazement, wondering what had brought him there. Was he alright? Had someone done this to him? Knowing him, I quickly realized he was amazingly drunk and passed out in this embarrassing display. So, understandably, my first reaction wasn’t to wake him to see if he was ok, but rather to run and get my camera to capture this moment. Before you think badly of me, know that I could tell from his booming snoring that he was quite alive. After taking this picture, I did try for a few seconds to wake him, but mostly just because I needed to use the restroom. Judging his level of alcohol consumption by his glorious condition, I soon realized that I’d be unable to wake him. Content with my picture and thinking of what an interesting blog this would make, I nestled back into bed. Oh, I made sure to shut the bathroom door to drown out his wailing.

Luxemburg (not Lewisburg)

Finally I have found a few minutes to write about my short, but nonetheless interesting travels. While I say interesting, I mean that in broad sense, for parts of the travels provided not so many astounding memories. Thursday, May 24th was the first day of my adventures. To be frank, however, this is perhaps the one day that indeed proved to be more unremarkable than hoped. As mentioned in a previous blog, this day was devoted to visiting the tiny country of Luxemburg. Ever heard of it? If you’re genuinely American (meaning you eat at least one fried item of food per day, think Bud Light is the nectar of the gods, enjoy watching racing, and go to Wal-Mart at least three times a week), then the answer is probably no. And, if it is yes, when locating it on a map, you might place it somewhere close to Argentina or Afghanistan ;) Kidding, kidding, kidding! Next time you’re around a map look west of Germany. If you hit the Atlantic Ocean, you’ve gone too far. Back up and search for the intersection of Belgium, France, and Germany-there’s Luxemburg. It looks so small on the map because it is so small in reality. In fact the entire nation is only about twice as large as New York City.
The capital city of Luxemburg is Luxemburg, the target of day tour of the country. Beginning with a visit of and dazzling power-point presentation concerning the European Court of Auditors, the watchdog of spending within European Union. Though the European Union is a deeply fascinating political community, the Court of Auditors left me somewhat…unsatisfied. Afterwards, we were left to our own devices for several hours. I spent the remainder of my time in the capital wandering with three Italians, which proved to be the most interesting part of the trip. It also had its advantages. Currently, Luxemburg boasts three official languages: French, German, and Luxemburgish. While I have only briefly consulted Wikipedia for my information, I’ve heard that education in the country begins in Luxemburgish before switching to German and later on to French. Each language has its own sphere of relevance (for instance, most public writings are in French). Nevertheless, natives to the country theoretically have a good grasp on at least German or French, if not all three. It was interesting to hear so many individuals switching from one language to the next.
Sadly, much of the city was blocked off due to a visit by Russian president Vladimir Putin. The occasion, however, brought numerous armed soldiers to the city, thus adding some spice to the cityscape. The architecture of the area seemed too modern and unimpressive, lacking the history and character that can be seen in the buildings of other cities throughout Europe.
So, after walking through the insanely clean and expensive streets of Luxemburg, we boarded the bus back to Germany, stopping in a small village of the Mosel Valley, an area known for wine. Here, we had a small wine tasting and tour of a wine distillery. This portion of the trip lasted just long enough for a student to knock a bottle of wine on the floor. Then, armed with a bottle of Riesling Spätlese and a finely-tuned tan, I jumped on board of our charter bus and traveled back to Mainz.

So begins my journey...

Today was the first of 11 straight days of traveling for me. Along with a bus full of other international students, I departed at 7 a.m. for Luxembourg (the capital city of the country Luxembourg). If you look on a map, it is the miniscule little country located between Germany and Belgium, just north of France, whose name is so long that it must be printed outside of it's tiny borders. At around 80 degrees the entire day, the weather provided the ideal environment in which to walk around this interesting city. Having woken up so early and ridden in the heat, however, I am a bit tired and still need to pack for my trip tomorrow. Therefore, I will delay writing about my travels until after I return from the rest of my travels. So, expect to hear back from me sometime after June 4th. Tomorrow night at around 11 p.m., I am heading with another large group of international students to northern Germany to visit the cities of Lübeck and Hamburg. Being so far north and lying off of the North Sea, these cities are typically cooler and receive lots of rain. And, looking at the weather report, I believe it's supposed to rain for the entirety of our trip. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to it. I'll be back sometime Tuesday morning, after which I must pack and prepare for my flight Wednesday morning to Barcelona! So, until I return...

A good ole' fashioned German Wedding

During the last week, I was fortunate enough to have experienced a part of German culture that most exchange students never do: a wedding. Last Saturday one of Charlotte’s closest friends married her long-time boyfriend. I had been looking forward to the wedding for quite some time because I was interested to see if and how it would contrast with the “typical” American wedding. However, despite a few minor variations, the ceremony was not so “foreign.” I will, nevertheless, still try to describe how it went.
This past Thursday, two days before the wedding, the families of the bride- and groom-to-be hosted a party called Polterabend. Although I am not sure if my source is accurate, I read that Polterabend dates back to around 1517. Whether or not this is precisely correct, it demonstrates how far back the tradition can be traced in Germany. If one looks at the composition of the word, Polterabend, an idea of what occurs during this celebration is easily formed. The German words “poltern” and “abend” mean to rumble/jangle and evening respectively. Therefore, one expects a night of loud noises. During this evening guests brought old dishes and pottery which they subsequently tossed to the ground.
To maintain some order, an area was designated for guests to throw their dishes. However, occasionally a guest or family member would break a dish outside of the area, after which either the bride or groom or both were presented with a broom to clean up the mess. While I suspect that this task of sweeping together is meant to invoke the cooperation that is needed throughout a marriage, this is only my guess for the tradition. As for the breaking of dishes, I believe that the tradition emerges from an old superstitious belief that the noise of the breaking pottery would scare away any evil spirits. There is even the saying, “Scherben bringen Glück” (hard to translate, but basically it means that the pieces of broken pottery bring luck). Unfortunately I did not have any old dishes to destroy, but it was still interesting to take part in this old tradition. And, in addition to the shattering of dishes, there was plenty of food, beer, and music to keep one entertained.
Saturday was the big day. Charlotte was one of the Brautjungfern (bridesmaids), all of whom wore pink dresses. Wanting to match I sported a light pink shirt with a white tie. Bold to say the least, but I like to think it turned out well. The entire ceremony lasted around an hour and wasn’t anything atypical. Except for the fact that the bride and groom sat in two chairs at the front of the church rather than standing, it was a normal wedding. There were several songs played, half of them in German and half in English (the father of the bride is American). The only thing that I found humorous in the wedding is that the songs that were played in English seemed to come from the movie Sister Act! But, they were still fitting and sounded very nice with the accompaniment of the organ.
After the ceremony everyone congratulated the new couple. That’s normal. Then came the German influences. First, a log of about a yard in length was brought to the couple. Taking the handsaw that was provided, they began sawing the piece of wood in half. Understandably, this took a few minutes and is not something that I’m used to witnessing at a wedding, but like the sweeping up of the broken dishes, I believe it is meant to symbolize the teamwork essential for a healthy marriage. Finally, a large piece of cloth was brought to the couple. In the center of the cloth was drawn an enormous heart with the names of the couple inside. They were given scissors to cut out the heart and when they had completed that task, the groom carried the bride through the center of heart-shaped whole left in the cloth. Not sure what this means, but I am guessing it is similar to the “carrying over the threshold” that we are familiar with.
Following the ceremony was a nice reception/party. Friends and family gathered, beer and Sekt were had, toasts were made. Actually, the dessert came first. Is it typical in American weddings to eat the wedding cake first? Please let me know because I honestly can’t remember. Dustin should know as he’s been to approximately 200 weddings in the past five years. The new couple had their first dance together, after which the bride danced with many of the male relatives. I even got to dance with her, albeit for a few seconds. And, while Charlotte and I had briefly practiced the Waltz, I somehow was unable to pull it off with perfection when alone with the bride in front of all the guests. She was merciful though and allowed me to return back to my seat rather quickly. Other than a few slide shows, games, and a hilarious skit by Charlotte and a the other bridesmaids, the remainder of the night was devoted to talking with friends and eating the delicious food. At around midnight most of the guests had begun to leave, and I too left my first German wedding. It was an interesting and fun experience. While I have been only to a few weddings back home and can’t speak with authority, the one thing that I noticed was how much time the friends and family spent together at the reception. We were there for around six or seven hours, even the old people! Maybe this is normal back home as well, but I really found it nice to see that the people devoted practically their whole day for celebrating with the couple. The German word for wedding is Hochzeit, which if broken into its component parts, literally means "high time." I think it's interesting to think about a wedding in that manner. And judging from the way the Germans celebrate weddings, it seems that they still think of it in such a way.

(A game where the guests had to sing with these Catholic-like communion wafers stuck to our lips)

Hechtsheim

Let me introduce my new home, Hechtsheim. I have moved numerous times in the past four years (approximately 11 times!), but this is by far not the worse place in which I have lived. Unlike in Memphis the dorms here are not in the direct vicinity to one another or the campus. Rather, they are scattered throughout the city. That means I no longer have that tedious 4 minute walk to class that I enjoyed in Memphis. Getting to class on time now requires managing a 15 minute tram ride to the Hauptbahnhof (main train station) and catching a 5 minute bus ride to campus. But it keeps me healthy :) And, now for some pictures...

This is the view from my bedroom window. Of course I live on the top floor, so I have the best view, but also the longest trip. I like to think it's worth it though...

Pretty self-explanatory...

Though this picture doesn't clearly show it, this is without a doubt the largest desk I've ever had...at a time when I finally get a small computer. Great timing...

Another view of the room. In the left corner, situated between the desk and shelve, you see a bag. Well, it was full of plastic bottles (35 to be exact). In America you'd throw them away and help kill the environment, but here you take them to the grocery store, recycle them, and get .25 per bottle. I was pleasantly surprised to walk away with Euro 8.75 last Saturday...

In the common area, just outside of the bedrooms, are our closests. Mine is to the right. And, while I admit that I brought too many clothes, it's not hard to see why my roommate would run out of underwear...

So, that's my new home. It's larger than any dorm room that I had in Memphis and at Euro 245 per month, cheaper as well. Besides the eclectic roommate and the annoying pigeon that wakes me up every morning, it's not such a bad place to live.

No more Morocco...maybe

Thanks to the numerous smaller airlines throughout Europe and the relative proximity of countries, it is unbelievably simple and inexpensive to travel to neighboring nations. To better understand the compactness of Europe, a contrast of its land area with that of the U.S. will certainly help to shed some light. The United States currently possesses a total land area of 9,161,923 km2, while the European Union, with its 27 member nations, boasts an area of 4,324,782 km2. So much diversity in such a small vicinity is certainly a blessing for those interested in travel and foreign cultures. With such a surplus of travel opportunities from which to choose, it becomes difficult to make a decision. Recently, I began searching some of the websites offering cheap flights around Europe and to surrounding areas. One that particularly caught my attention was a flight to Morocco, the most northwestern African nation. Separated from Spain only by the narrow Strait of Gibraltar (a distance of around 8 miles), an excursion there would take no longer than a flight from Memphis to Chicago. Becoming excited by the prospect of a relatively cheap trip to Africa with all of its exotic appeal, I began to research requirements for American entry into the nation. Though I was pleased to hear that American tourists wishing to enter Morocco needed no vias, immediately after opening the State Department’s website on Morocco, I found the following:

>>>In March and April 2007, a series of terrorist bombings occurred in Casablanca, two of which simultaneously occurred outside the U.S. Consulate General and the private American Language Center. In 2003, a series of similar attacks in Casablanca targeted hotels and restaurants. The potential for terrorist violence against American interests and citizens remains high in Morocco. Moroccan authorities continue to disrupt groups seeking to attack U.S.- or Western-affiliated and Moroccan government targets, arresting numerous individuals associated with international terrorist groups. With indications that such groups still seek to carry out attacks in Morocco, it is important for American citizens to be keenly aware of their surroundings and adhere to prudent security practices such as avoiding predictable travel patterns and maintaining a low profile. Establishments that are readily identifiable with the United States are potential targets for attacks. These may include facilities where US citizens and other foreigners congregate, including clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools, hotels, movie theaters and other public areas. Such targets may also include establishments where activities occur that may offend religious sensitivities, such as casinos or places where alcoholic beverages are sold or consumed. All U.S. citizens are urged to remain alert to local security developments and be vigilant regarding their personal security and report any suspicious incidents or problems immediately to Moroccan authorities and the U.S. Embassy or Consulate.<<<

A bit dismayed by the news, I began thinking about the American psyche with regards to the notion of freedom. The abstract concepts of liberty and freedom provide the framework upon which our country and other democracies were founded. So ubiquitous are the freedoms we take for granted that it is at first challenging to actually identify them. As Americans we rarely consider our power to vote, our ability to express our opinions, or the ease in which we may freely travel within the United States as freedoms at all. Rather, because we have always enjoyed these luxuries, we deem them merely as natural and expected components of our daily lives. Unfortunately, the preciousness of those freedoms is typically only remembered once it becomes threatened. I am lucky to have even been allowed to come to Europe. There are areas of the world where people are unable to afford such trips, and there are other areas in which governments deny their citizens the right to exit their homelands. While technically I still am able to travel to Morocco, the dangers are so current that I probably will postpone that trip. Nevertheless, the experience has made me both more cognizant of and grateful for the simple, though important, freedoms I enjoy. Hopefully one day the dangers will diminish so that I may travel to any place that interests me.

"Hey, can I borrow some underwear?"

Rather than attempting a complete summary of the last month, I will simply begin writing about those experiences which are most important and stand out most distinctly in my memory. Before I can even begin to talk about my impressions of Germany, its culture, and my assimilation into the local way of life, I MUST introduce you to my “roommate”, Luka. I say “roommate”, but actually he is more of a flat mate. Together, we share a common area, a small kitchen, and a bathroom. We, fortunately, have separate rooms. How can I begin? During move-in day, which took place one week after my arrival in Mainz, Charlotte and I took a trip to IKEA (the coolest store ever) to buy all of the necessities for a new room. Dragging everything up to the fifth floor was a bit exhausting, but we were sufficiently rewarded upon our entrance into my room. Passing through the common area to my little piece of heaven, it is impossible to avoid seeing Luka’s room. This sunny afternoon, he was asleep in his room, door ajar, naked and with a Playboy by his bed! So much for first impressions ;) Later on, after he was fully clothed, I learned that he is a student from Switzerland (the French speaking region).
Other experiences with Luka include the following:
1.) Him catching me in the kitchen and unhesitatingly asking me whether I had any “Unterhose” (underwear) and if so, could he borrow a pair. He claimed he had none that were clean, but after I for some unknown reason acquiesced and gave him a pair- my least favorite pair- he discovered one remaining clean pair of his own. But do you think he wore those? No, that’d make too much sense. To that he replied, “Oh, I found a pair, but I like yours more” and proceeded to his room to try on my chic boxers.
2.) After doing his laundry one Sunday, he opted for a more natural approach to drying his clothes. Since the weather was gorgeous, who could blame him? Since hanging one’s clothes up to dry is quite a strenuous activity, Luka decided to lay his on display in the grass between our building and the next. They remained there for the rest of the day.

3.) One afternoon, as I was cooking in the kitchen, I heard an annoying French accent somewhere in the distance yelling, “Eric, kannst du meinen Senf werfen?” Simply, he wanted his mustard. But where was he?? Five stories below, asking me to throw his mustard out of the window. I did. And, though I haven’t played baseball for a few years, I still have pretty accurate aim and chuckled as he dodged the tube from hitting him in the head =)
4.) A few weeks ago, I was a bit tired and fell asleep around midnight. As I dreamt whatever people dream, gradually a sound intruded on my slumber. Groggily, my eyes opened and strained for the clock- it read 2 a.m. Still half asleep I struggled to make sense of my surroundings. Only a few seconds later did I realize that the noise that aroused me from my sleep was the unsettling voice of Luka and a friend speaking in French. Never have a found the language so detestable! Hoping the conversation would soon end, I sat in my bed patiently. After twenty minutes, however, I decided to find out what was going on. Of course what I found was the only logical thing one would expect. My roommate was frying a traditional Swiss dish for his hungry friend at 2 in the morning. He apologized for the noise, not realizing that I was home. Returning to my room, I felt assured he would soon quiet, but he continued frying and chatting until 3.
5.) I almost forgot this one: one day I came in after a walk around the city with some friends. Somehow, during the course of the day, I mistakenly bought a ticket to a party that I didn’t plan to attend.
Hoping to sell it to get my money back, I thought I’d ask my roommate if he was interested. So, later in the afternoon, I called out his name to see if he was home. He answered, door shut, and I explained to him the situation. I guess he couldn’t hear me through the closed door, so he politely opened it to talk with me. However, in his haste, he forgot one tiny detail: namely, that of pulling his boxers down so his “jewels” weren’t hanging out…
So, that pretty much summarizes the more memorable of experiences I’ve so far had with Luka, my Swiss flat mate. While quite nice, he lacks something in sanitary competence. And somehow, he manages to shed more hair in the shower than I have on my body. This has led to the water backing up during showers, which I frankly find a bit disgusting. Hoping to rectify the situation, I borrowed his fork (he only has one after six months of living here) and dutifully cleaned out the drain. A nasty, but necessary task.

Deutschland, here I come

It has been almost a month since I left Tennessee, and finally I thought it proper to write about what I’ve been doing with my time. Actually, I had hoped to post much sooner, but invariably, I have experienced a few minor glitches with the internet here. But, despite that, my time so far in Mainz has been wonderful. Before I get ahead of myself, however, let me go back to my trip here. As one not so keen on packing early for trips, I hastily transferred my files from my old computer to my new one, while simultaneously packing until around 4 a.m. the night before my flight. After a short nap of two hours, I again finished the necessary chore of filling my suitcases before driving to Nashville. Upon making a few last minute phone calls and finishing off my last “country meal” of sweet tea, corn, pinto beans, mashed potatoes, and chicken fried chicken (no sawmill gravy) at Cracker Barrel, I headed to the airport. Based on my last trip to Germany, I had the suspicion that I would somehow pack too much. After placing my two suitcases on the scales, it came as no surprise that I had exceeded the weight limit for both bags J So, after a few rearrangements, I again approached the sensors. And yet I still was above the 50 lb. allowance. Finally, after removing a few shirts and shoes, my luggage dropped one pound below the limit. A little over an hour later, I was in Atlanta, GA. Though it is one of the busiest airports in the world, I had no trouble getting to my destination on time. With only 45 minutes before my flight across the pond, I bought one last Coca Cola (Dr. Pepper wasn’t available!) and found my gate. Since my flight was headed directly to Frankfurt, there were many Germans waiting with me. As I sipped my Coke and listened to conversations and announcements in German, the stress from the past week was replaced by a growing excitement and anticipation for my journey. And, except for the little kid that continued to kick and shove his head into my side for the duration of the 8.5 hour trip, the flight was nothing out of the ordinary.
Upon my arrival at Frankfurt airport (around 9 a.m. German time, March 24th), I was greeted with dreary skies, rain, and cold temperatures. This, as you can imagine, was a drastic change from the cloudless skies and 70 degree weather back home. However, I decided to view this as nature rather than Germany frowning at my return =) Fortunately, my 98 lbs. of luggage arrived without delay and border patrol actually let me into the country! Loaded with my backpack, laptop bag, and two enormous suitcases, I scooted along into the main lobby of the airport, where I was greeted by a face I hadn’t seen in over two months. Thanks to Charlotte, I was able to skip the 40 minute train ride from Frankfurt to Mainz altogether, and enjoy a more comfortable ride in her car. And, 5 thousand miles later, I was once again able to experience my first home-cooked German meal: spaghetti! Ok, not a German original, but it is my favorite dish. In any event, I did have Sekt for the first time with that meal…amazing.
For the next week, I spent the majority of each day exploring the city on my own while Charlotte finished up her internship. I took many pictures and hope to have them loaded on a different site soon. So, that catches me up at least until my first week in Mainz. Sorry for the delay, but now that I have a reliable internet connection, I should be able to post more frequently. Now, I’m off to finish the Spätzle I just made. Bis bald!!