Exploring Dresden

Guten tag,

Today was relaxing, I was able to finish up all my laundry and clean my dorm which has somehow already gotten messy. We decided to take the bus through Dresden and visit Schillerplatz and the theaterplatz. Sehr schon!!

I loved the Sunday afternoon atmosphere. The edges of the waterfront were filled with people, dogs, music, and laughter. Although few things were open, families and couples flocked to the area. I could have sat and watched everyone for hours.

I tried fish and chips! I know, I suppose I should have tried it when I studied abroad in London, but I waited until Germany...and it was delicious! I also had 'Wuss' eis, I'm still not sure what flavor it actually was, I'm not sure if I want to know. But it was also fantastic.

Dresden is an interesting place. Where we are staying is so completely different than across the river. It looks like you have crossed over into the streets of Italy, not East Germany. It is absolutely gorgeous. I can't wait to explore it more

storms predict: a bright future ahead

Unfortunately a swift wind took my umbrella to its death, Suzanne was kind enough to replace it with this ella of many colors...I screamed when she gave it to me

am Wochenende..

Samstag- I can sleep in at last! Before the sun poured in through my lime green curtains I was awakened by the crisp scent of cold rain. I have never been so grateful for cold weather (I say this now, wait until November in Wisconsin.) Heute wird ein guter Tag!

I spent a few hours talking to Tami, who has undertaken a year long job adventure in Korea. At least somebody else cannot understand anyone around them! I miss her, so it was nice to catch up...although by about 2pm I had gotten kicked off the internet for using too much in one day:)

Die Mall

Jen, Suzanne, Katie, and I went down to the square to get some dinner and check out the stores. TK Maxx was the same as TJ Maxx, only much cuter lamps. H&M was better than ones in the states. I finally found the Media Markt! Its like a high quality WalMart.

Exciting buys:

-longer ethernet cable

-german hair straightener

-a new purse that isn't broken

Hey look moo! Bug zappers for sale:)

mexican food??

Last day of class until we test into the international class. We covered perfekt, prateritum, plusquamperfekt, vergangenteit, and futur. Oh goodness.

After a long nap we took the S bahn in search of Hardrock Cafe. Apparently the address had change but we stumbled upon some interesting stores and then a Mexican restaurant. My Texas comrades of course had to eat there. It was a warm, welcoming environment with each table lit by candlelight. I couldn't tell the difference between tex mex and german mex, but apparently it was pretty good.

At the end of the night managed to get out of the rain and find our way home. A very impressive, successful evening.

"Home is wherever there is you..."

Ok my first moment of weakness.... which, I suppose, is to be expected. Class is so hard!! And why am I not fluent yet?? And why is it so hot everywhere??!

Germany is great, but I must admit I am starting to miss everyone:( Doesn't help that it is pouring outside/ my family and closest friends are stretched all over the US. But at least I have skype and in three more weeks I am an accomplished college graduate(finally:)

alles liebe,

Jess

SchillerGarten

The university was kind enough to invite us to the SchillerGarten to partake some free food and fellowship. It was an absolutely gorgeous looking over the river as we ate.

check it out: http://www.schillergarten.de/

Kokoschka

Today I had my referat: Oskar Kokoschka-Expressionism in Dresden.

He was known as a successful painter, printmaker, and writer. And he spent a good portion of his older life teaching in Dresden at the Academy of Arts. He’s an interesting fellow. Besides his unique take on psychological portraiture and his ability to depict a person’s beauty while distorting reality. He successfully brought together influences of the Art Nouveau era to styles of his other German artists.

He is also well known for his steamy love affair with Alma Mahler, their obsessive relationship led to some of his most famous works(including "the tempest" shown above.)Interestingly enough he decided to serve in WWI, some say it was in order to end his obsessive relationship with Mahler. During that time she remarried and he returned severely wounded, taking a bullet to his head and receiving a deep wound in his side. Still heartbroken over the loss of Mahler, Kokoschka asked a dressmaker to produce a female dummy replicating her in 1919. He saw the dummy as a substitute for his lost love and it was several years before he destroyed it at a party with intoxicated. He is rumored to have cut off the head and lit it on fire.

Interesting, but very odd. Although this is an act he is well known for, it does not seem to overshadow his acquired esteemed reputation here in Dresden. He lived until he was 94, having the longest life of the Austrian Expressionists, using that time to influence the development of modern expressionist art.

Class update:

Class this week is pretty far away. You have to make sure to catch the bus at a certain time or else you will be late. It takes about 25-30 mins to make it to class from our dorms. Class runs from 9.00-12.30 with a half hour break in between. I know less German than I thought. I usually sit there extremely frustrated but slowly it is all coming together.

Vacation's Over-First Day of Class

Sprechen Sie Englisch???!!!

Wow, so class is all in German. You don't even get time to breathe between sentences. Luckily we have the sweetest little teacher. The first exercise she had us all go around the room and use an adjective to describe us and it had to be the same letter as our name. It took about ten minutes to understand what she was saying and then to think of an adjective. I should have brought my textbook! So it comes around to me and of course I can't think of a "j" adjective so she helps me out and suggests, "jungen?" I couldn't help but laugh...yes, 'young jessica,' as I look around and see I am three to four years older than everyone! But I'll take it, because I have no idea what else rhymes with j!

Teachers in Deutschland are much different than ones in the states. They ask direct question and expect you to immediately respond with ja/nein.. if you understand and are paying attention. I did not want to seem disrespectful but most of the time I responded with a mixture of both. Also, teachers back home will let you get away with any answer. Most teachers at Baylor would say, " Good answer, that is just not what we are looking for right now." Teachers here correct you, and you better correct your mistake right then and there. I'm glad though, otherwise I would hide behind my desk and try to speak as little as possible!

A couple things about Dresden so far:

1. The ambulance's are Mercedes

2. population is about 420,000

3. sidewalks have two different colors, the red lane is for bicycles!!! and they come fast, so WATCH OUT

4. "Konnten Sie die Frage bitte wiederholen?"-will become one of my most used phrases

We try to lean on the edge as far as we can without being terrified...I caught my roomie sneaking at the same time I was. This is the view out my window towards the right, sunsets are so beautiful here.

International Dorms- Dresden

Look how cute! It's so much nicer than I expected. No air unfortunately, but I'll make it.

I am in a suite with two other girls, we each have our own room and share a kitchen and bathroom. The view outside our rooms are gorgeous! Of course I got the room overlooking the massive intersection that keeps me up at night...but beyond that are rolling hills and lush trees.

Dresden auf gehts!

19. Juli.

We have officially embarked upon our journey to Dresden, which will be our home away from home for the next 3 weeks. Apparently the seats we had reserved were in a car that did not exist, so this was our two hour traveling situation. My bag provided a manageable seat, unfortunately the lack of air flow provided a very long and hot ride. I quickly learned that no seat= more time to talk to the other nonseat travelers.

I first met blue hat, deftones t-shirt Jason next to us. He was traveling across Europe for 7 weeks by himself with one backpack! Apparently his grandmother had recently passed and had left him somewhat of an inheritance to travel the world as he pleased. Before his journey he quit his job in California and was going to spend this time soul searching. Wow. I later found out he had graduated from Brown with a degree in Music. Ivy league school to jobless traveling the world..why not. He has a kind heart with a very positive, free outlook, I hope he finds what he is looking for.

Down the row we tried to eavesdrop on a conversation between two gypsies, an old Mexican man, and a 16 year old German girl. The two gypsies were in their mid twenties and were tri-lingual. It blows my mind that so many American's get away with only speaking one language, although I am starting to figure out why...mastering another language is not easy!

The ladies in the seats in front of me were kind enough to offer one of their seats to a woman with a little boy who couldn't be older than three. They had at least a five hour ride, so I was happy she could find a seat. The young boy curled up in his mother's lap like a little kitten. Every position he assumed seemed to be more and more comfortable. The mother adjusted lovingly to ensure his comfort, although she looked a little less so, she still managed to close her eyes for a bit. It was an adorable sight. To see the mother as the protector, the comforter, the provider. I said a quick prayer for them. Thinking one day he'll grow up and this precious pair will have their share of rough words towards each other.. but if only he could see the way she loved him when he is just a little boy. Simply adorable.

Dresden, almost there, oh how I hope our dorms have air conditioning

Sony Center- Berlin

18. Juli

We saw Shrek in 3D at the Sony Center!It was so adorable aaaand it was in English!It was a much different experience than in the states. The seats were more comfortable, there was a ton of leg room, and at one point there was a preview for ice cream then the lights turned on and you heard a man say," Anybody want ice cream?" And he started selling ice cream, it was hilarious.

After the show, the architecture outside was illuminated with bright colors against the night sky. It was magnificent, so relaxing as well. People sat at a couple cute restaurants within the center or took a spot on the long winding bench. It was an interesting social scene, ranging from young to old from all walks of life. We enjoyed watching the people and waiting for the lights overhead to change colors. It was a great night. What a fun city!

check it out: http://www.edelstahl-rostfrei.de/downloads/iser/Sony-Center-in-Berlin.pdf

We have found the McDonald's!

Not only have we found the McDonald's...but we ate there three times in one day, I know I know.

I love the U bahn, you never know what you are going to see next. Today I saw a kid with his name in HUGE letters shaved into his beard.

Today was so fun. First, I got to go to the wax museum! I don't know why I love those so much. Probably because it allows Suzanne and I to pose with every individual in a way that we thought was hilarious...and other Germans found annoying.See...

Spaghetti Eiscreme

I want one!

17. Juli. 2010

Heute, wir gegen nachh der Jewish Museum.

I immediate noticed the architecture of the building which resembled a twisted zig zag. The unique nature carried into the interior as sloped entries, beveled staircases, and hidden exhibits disorient each visitor. Everything was a little off, parts of the floor were raised and there was no sense of order or consistency. Cut out windows were paired in odd numbers or angled in all directions against the walls.

I was upset that the one exhibit I wanted to see was closed, you could only view it from a splice of overlooking window on the second floor. Beneath is an actual "void" in the building, it's 66 feet tall and inside lay over 10,000 thousand iron faces that are scattered like leaves. The gathering appears thick and stretches from one side of the crevace to the other. This is meant to remind the public of Holocaust victims.

check it out: http://www.kadishman.com/works/shalechet/Articles/Ulrich_Schneider/

It’s a bizarre exhibit really, One can choose to walk across it. I secretly wanted to feel the dissonance between the crush beneath my feet and the metals clanging together as I walked. I think it is meant to be an exercise of separating mind and body. And through that stretch of the mind you are forced to regoncile with the noise and the touch while separating the faces with the real people that suffered. I thought it would be neat to experience, although I’m not sure if I would have been able to step foot into the pile. I may have waited for a group of children to innocently stomp into the ‘fun exhibit’ while I’d sit back and sort through my emotions without really stepping on their faces. Without really diving in. I notice that sometimes I like to put anything too painful at arms length. Remember the past and learn to celebrate the future. But its all so much more than that. Like so many communities, cities, countries, how do you choose: pick up the pieces, rebuilt, or preserve the past?

How do the people of Dresden feel about rebuilding the church after the bombing? Is it for the church? The Lord? the community? The nation? If you put a band aid on a scar, is it still a scar? Or even the city of Berlin being known as “the city of cranes,” is evolution a good thing? I’m sure opinions vary.

But is there really any other choice?

It makes me think of my four year home of Waco- restoring downtown has been beneficial and uplifting to the community after the flood of….

In such an instance I am in favor of revitalization and progress. But I wonder how many people see it differently. And where is the line drawn? Waco’s natural disaster relief is widely appreciated but the bombing of the Church of Dresden is controversial? It’s all so interesting.

Interesting fact:

-At a jewish wedding it is customary to break glass under the grooms foot (obviously)

but did you know some people use light bulb instead of a glass?

It is much easier to break and leads to less embarrassment when the groom cannot break it with his foot. Isnt that funny?

I wonder if there is a statistic showing the divorce rate between light bulb couples or glass couples….

Tschuss Weimar und Frankfurt, Berlin auf gehts!

Wonderful things:

1. Gelato is everywhere
2. Bathrooms in trains have outlets
3. Dogs can go in shoe stores!
4. Dogs can go on trains!!! Today I sat next to one named Chopsticks :)
5. There are foldable bicycles!

Surprising Discoveries

I miss my boy!!!!!

Belvedere's Palace

Belvedere Palace

A palace we visited that overlooked Weimar countryside, dating back to the 18th century. Absolutely gorgeous

Weimar

On a lighter note.....

We found an American restaurant! It was 60's themed which was hilarious because some of the decade references were messed up and terms were confused...but regardless, mmm delicious, complete with:

Statue of Liberty

and

Chicken fingers

Buchenwald Concentration Camp

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

2 Cor. 4:18

Buchenwald

Ahh, I've been putting off writing about this because there is too much to say and there are no words to say. Today in Weimar we toured the Buchenwald concentration camp. That even sounds disrespectful to say...toured a concentration camp?? It was an eerie, unsettling feeling to set foot on the grounds. The sun was beaming, birds chirping, flowers swaying in the wind...nothing made sense. All I could imagine were the thousands of prisoners walking these very rocks, kicking up dust beneath their wooden soled shoes, pausing for a gasp of air only to look up and see... blue skies??puffy clouds?? green meadows and lush trees???

It made no sense.

All the movies, the photographs, the history books we read paint this murky picture. Everything is gray, everything looks miserable and horrible because it is indeed unspeakably horrifying.

But to step on the grounds and see...sun? It made me shutter.

Facts that made me grow more and more sick:

• The camp was built by its prisoners.
• They slept with 1-2,000 bodies in barracks that were designed to hold only 50 horses.
• Humans were stacked 12 in a row, with no more than an inch between their bodies as they slept.
• Jews were kept in the little camp which offered more brutal conditions.
• They were allowed to be beaten for any reason at any time.
• Its victims were given a colored triangle to mark their political stance, religious beliefs, homosexuality etc.
• Over 8,000 were killed in a span of 2 years
• Not to mention the thousands thereafter until the liberation in 1945
• Doctors were feared due to their medical experimentation on victims
• Some of those including experiments that would "cure" homosexual inmates through hormonal transplants.

WEIMAR

Ich liebe Weimar! I can't believe such a beautiful city exists.

Things to remember: when ordering a fish sandwich...the fish is not fried, neither completely cooked, just pickled.

I didn't make this mistake of course,my friend Suzanne was terrified by her choice.I ate Kartoffel salat mit wurst:)

We spent most of the day at the Goethehaus. I've never seen literature so celebrated. Weimar is almost the Stratford on Avon of England.

I started to think about writers and poets of America. Who is our Goethe? What piece of prose or excerpt of poetry is recognized nationally? Is there any? Try to think of one. Then ask 5 people if they are familiar with it...I'd like to hear this isn't the case

But Weimar, how adorable.

MAINZ

My lunch in Mainz....six sausages soaked in sauerkraut!!

Frankfurt...am Main

We arrive. Fresh off the train we are greeted by the bussel of shuffling footsteps, a whole bunch of words I did not understand, and an ornate ceiling over head with Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof etched across the glass. I squeeze my eyes closed at first to concentrate on the words being spoken, hoping id make out a few, but then realized it was feat to open them again due to my extreme lack of sleep (see lost ipod and tina fay).

Frankfurt is not what I expected. Like Stendhal, I wanted to be taken into a “daze of delight,” demanding beauty and culture each way I looked. Neglecting to consider the location of our disposal, I gazed around and thought…Well here goes my journey.

Before I go on, I’ll say it first…I am not a writer. I’m an observer, a dreamer, a lover, a thinker, a musician and an artist at most, I can tell you what I am thinking with one look, you can feel my heart through my music more than under my right hand pressed across my body, but for some reason, not a writer. When I try to put my thoughts into the words they jumble together like a misformed clause that my 3rd grade teacher Ms. Chesney would yell at me for. If you want good writing turn to my other chootrain and have him translate for me…but since I am embarking on this journey on my own, allow the bits and pieces, the videos and pictures to speak on behalf of my sluggish tongue. And my hope is that I can stretch just a speck of culture across this historically drenched dreamcloud back to yours.

If you ever thought it’s a good idea to wheel around a bag in Europe, it isn’t. The cobblestone streets and stairways made it nearly impossible to function, acting as an awful roadblock towards my unification with Hotel Leonardo. We finally reach the hotel and decide to take a stroll around the city. We are instructed not to nap. Stay awake and be alert for class in a few hours.

Not to complain, I know I know, buuuut telling me not to nap is like telling me not to breathe, either will produce the same effect...I’m done for. But I push through, we explore the downtown area and do our best to fit in with the passerbys. I think we thought we were doing a great job, muttering guten morgen and entschuldigung to each person we casually graze past. Feeling on top of my game, when a women asked me if I could read scribble from a crumpled piece of paper back into English I quickly exclaimed ja ja, alles klar.

“ Am I travel from Ukraine, need of funds of money or cash money if please, God Bless…..”

It was too late to say, "No I do not speak English," because like the typical tourist, apparently I stuck out like a sore thumb. I handed her my last US dollar and felt like I was back in Waco, waiting in line at Wendy's.

Lesson learned: pretend to not know English while pretending to know German

My comrades for the trip

Katie, Me, Jen and Suzanne at the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz

Broken carry on, lost ipod, and toasted almonds.

With this painful list, most would assume I’ve never traveled before, although my passport reads full until page seven and I try not to spend more than 3 years in any given place. I’ve spent years flying, YEARS! Yet I can’t seem to get it right on the one day my college career depends on it.
I would blame it on poor planning, but since I am 23(and a half) and have concocked a way to still be in undergrad with a month long German excursion as my send off, I would like to say I have planned better than all of you:)
So my first bad decision started by buying a “sensible bag” at Goodwill and trusting it could support a Muth pack job. Handle breaks, I’m forced to improvise with safety pins. I couldn’t walk a step without one popping and stabbing me in the back. It was always at the most interesting times. I’d be making eye contact with a stranger when I would loudly grunt and jerk my shoulder forward awkwardly. And then mistakingly offer them some sort of look of disgust or maltreatment. Most did not respond in a sympathetic nature, but looked down quickly, as to pretend they didn’t see how odd I was.
So with the bag being broken I quickly found a replacement. Not soon enough to protect my ipod from falling out of my other one. Yup. You heard me. Expensive ipod falls out of broken goodwill bag. Somebody is going to have a great flight, with excellent music, while I am going to have to resort to watching twilight with airplane headphones….for 9 hours. Bahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
OK ok, so I meet my group. All sweet actually, some more quiet than others. And I do what I do best, arrange a circle and instruct each to say their name and tell one thing about ourselves, keeping in line the people who speak out of turn. It felt just like purple circle time at the shelter:)
Enough enough I say, get to the traveling part!! Well, I am currently flying over New York, wishing I could parachute out for a few hours and then hop back in flight( prefereably after stealing someones ipod) I’ve watched date night and Sherlock homes. Why do I not think tina fay is funny? Interesting movie but I only laughed once and I’m pretty sure it was at marky mark.
I have a good feeling about this trip. Something tells me its exactly what I need. I’m also pretty sure I have said enough. More to come…
Last thing. I met the most interesting woman on the plane to Dallas. We wore the same color coral and her teeth were whiter than anyone’s I’ve ever seen up close. She was in her mid 60’s I’d say, couldn’t be older than 70. But then again I am horrible at guessing ages. She was hilarious. We heard a harmonica playing over the loud speaker and she leaned over and said, “I sure hope that’s not the pilot.” Just then he reports, “ Thiiiiiis is your pilot speaking bringing you a little…..” and she throws up her hands in the air to the flight attendant and says, “I’m on the wrong flight, I’m going to need another.”
I was explaining to her my broken bag dilemma and she says this, “ Well that would have really rattled my toasted almonds.” :) Then she got serious and commended me in my pursuit of my masters in counseling. She said her counselor saved her life and without her she would have never been able to leave her abusive relationship. I listened to her story and my heart went out to her like every account I hear of domestic violence. This one was special though. This one she got out and she lives to tell the story. She knows she has value. I could tell she wanted to tell me all the secrets of the world she had collected in her day, but there wasn’t enough time. A two hour plane ride went by like that. I love when God places people in your life unexpectedly. In ten years I don’t think I’ll remember my broken bag strap, but I’ll remember the mended soul who sat next to me. My little toasted almond.