A Constant Translation

I promised some cultural peculiarities so they are as follows: (and just so you know, you can click on the photos or other images for a larger view).
*Germans write notes on Grid paper. Not just lined, but full out grids for everything from their Math Classes (which grids makes sense) to History or Languages.

*Everyone has a 1st grader's pencil bag, a necessity to hold all one's writing utensils.

*CANS of pop= non-existent. I found one place that sells american goodies and the cans have a recycle value of 25 cents= 4 x beer bottle OR =2 liter of soda

*Germans knock on the tables at the end of every lecture. It's a sign of respect and thanks for the professor, meanwhile a terrible hypocracy as they spent the full 1 1/2 hours of the lecture gabbing to one another without concern for the speaker.

*SO many German jobs exist not to increase efficiency, but to create jobs. That in itself explains the maze that is our library. I won't begin to explain because it deserves its own essay.

*Every German follows the law. There are a million opportunities to steal something, but nothing is ever stolen. A friend and I both had instances of losing something valuable in the city, and we both received it back in full without a single thing touched or missing. (I lost studienbuch and she lost wallet-every penny in place)
PLUS, if the street is dead and empty and a German stands at a crosswalk, they do NOT walk until the little sign says it's legal to walk.


Look to the diagram to the left to see how it is trying to translate some hand-writing. It's bad enough translating the words, but first figuring out what word is on the paper is a challenge in itself.

And now for wrap-up: I hadn't mentioned earlier, but I was accepted as a Carlson School Ambassador!

And in about 4 hours I leave for my trip up to Sweden, Denmark, and Northern Germany. So I apologize in advance, but I'll be quite out of touch until June 4th, the date of my return. I will have internet access at cafe's and will use it, but will use it sparingly.

I hope you all have a fantastic Pfingstpause (It's the holiday we're celebrating here--I, and none of my friends, understand why or what it is, but we know we get a week off of school)

Later Days,
Rick

Out of the game, but coming back Fighting!

The absence of any messages is due mostly in part to the unfortunate cold by which I was blind-sided late last week. The one that brought me down for Frankfurt is the one that kept me out of 1/2 my classes this week. Tranlating German is more exhausting then one realizes until the maximum energy level is temporarily thwarted.

Due to that, very little was accomplished this week. (I even cancelled Basel because of health)
I still have the initiatives to
1) Learn more German by creating hunderds of flash cards
2) Reading English textbooks to at least learn the concepts I hear in class
3) Reading english books instead of watching movies or t.v. shows on my computer. I figure that I lose the advantage of it being in German, but it is comparatively more productive than just a blockbuster movie. Additionally, I NEED to read more, i'm so poorly-versed that I have a better time rationalizing all this English while in Germany when I'm at least benefiting somehow. (oh, the first selection is Atlas Shrugged.)
4) Learn German. Read my German textbooks and so forth, but it's tremendously an uphill battle.

Coming up Thursday I leave for my 1 1/2 week excursion around the Baltic Sea. Thursday i'm off to Hamburg, then further to Stockholm. All I know at this point is I'll eventually make my way down to Copenhagen by the 30th and Berlin by the 1st of June.

Oh, and I keep trying to note the cultural stuff about German students...it's good stuff, I swear. It'll come later.

Until then.
later Days,
Rick

The Financial Capital of the Continent

Let's see, what's gone on this past week?.... Honestly aside from going to Frankfurt on Friday I really don't know. Well, yeah there was class, but anything else particularly important...not sure.

Waking up at 5:23 a.m. to get to Frankfurt by early, I rode the train up to the financial capital of the contiguous European Continent. Second to London, Frankfurt am Main (where the main airport is also located) holds the European Central Bank, the Deutsche Boerse Group (The DAX--equal to the New York Stock Exchange), Deutshe Bank Headquarters, and the German National Bank. (In total there are over 300 banks! What a city for me!) Plus, since the city was almost entirely destroyed during WWII, the efforts to rebuild focused on newer buildings as opposed to restoration of the ancient city--as most other German cities have done.

On top of the 7 story Shopping mall, you see me pictured with the Frankfurt Skyline. (Although it's hardly comparable to the States because the tallest building is about 65 stories...which is almost equivalent to Minneapolis. Nothing like Chicago or NYC)

But my first stop on the trip was Ernst & Young's Frankfurt Office---WHOA!--this place was huge, having two 12 story (approx) tall buildings solely for E & Y. When I visited I unfortunately was unable to see anything or meet with anyone because they were all in meetings and I didn't have my American security pass with me--Julie unfortunately took that away at the end of the Internship.

During the day, I went up the Main Tower, which has a viewing platform on the 56th floor. However, it was terribly windy and for safety reasons that was closed. Great. Still, I got to go to the 55th floor and look through the windows for a 200 degree view of the city. Oddly enough, the security guard up there, who was pointing out things around the city, is a HUGE fan of DCI (Drum Corps International)--the same thing I went to Madison to see last summer. He knew all the bands and has gone to the States 5 times--just to see the championship. What a coincidence.

To the left, this beaconing structure standing above the park was my final destination. Recognize the logo? This is Deutsche Bank. Again, not able to go IN because I had no meeting or knew no one, I only saw the lobby. But it was still a remarkable sight.

And of couse, I had to get the photo with the Deutsche Bank logo. Sadly I know so little about the company, BUT how could I not fall in love with it? If it's name is anything like the company, then it'll be great. It combines two of my top loves--Banking & German! (Deutsche translates to German). The largest bank in Europe.

So, all in all, the day was very pleasant. Next time in Frankfurt...and I really hope there is a next time...I'll make appointments so I can speak with a recruiter at Ernst & Young, a recruiter at Deutsche Bank (maybe for an internship next summer), and so I can get a tour of the DAX (stock exchange. They said you have to register at least 1 day in advance). And next time, I'll be healthy. The small cold I've had all week mounted into one to take me out for a bit. But I'm getting through it. Well, that's the story from Lake Wobeg...whoops, wrong one. That was Frankfurt. Coming soon: Basel, Switzerland and a end-of-May trip to Sweden, Denmark, Hamburg, & Berlin!

Later Days,

Rick

We went to France...and it was French.

After a day of completely lounging on Thursday and conversing with the new SAFA (Student Accounting & Finance Association) executive board, we went off to Strasbourg on the western border of France, and only 1 1/2 hours away on the slow train.


Welcomed by a pungent smell, scaffolding and the sounds of construction, we arrived in Strasbourg. Fortunately it was only 1 KM walk to city center and on the way, we ran into this building. To me, it's a friendly face. Anyone else recognize the angle on the corner? the approximate hight? the offices not starting until the 2nd/3rd floor?
check out www.csom.umn.edu if you're still guessing


Cliona (left) and Alastair (right), both of whom are fluent in French and studied there for 6 months before coming to Freiburg, found these small alleyway/streets the most entertaining. This one in particular, just north of the cathedral, displayed flags down the street. The best part is that most the names were German, indicating the history of Strasbourg--going back and forth between Germany and France. (I think 4 times)











And what do you do when you're in Europe and there's a really old and tall cathedral? you climb to the top. (or as high as they'll let you)

66 meters in the air we climbed up the "something something Notre Dame".

Great view, lots of wind, good times.

We also went and saw the European Parliament building--modern, on the river, closed to all tourists despite walking an hour to see it...(cue disappointing music, whah, whah, whahh)






And the highlight of MY day was the picture you see to the left. I've decided to play a game while in Europe, something like Where's Waldo. In every major city I visit, I want to find the Ernst & Young office and photograph myself with the E&Y Sign! This will actually be really good for me because 1) it will give me something to do in every city, 2)it'll make for a fun album when I'm finished 3)it will allow me to see the business district in each city I visit--something most tourists never encounter, but what I'm normally most interested in. (and I think Carly Kohler or Julie Brown, the primary recruiters at Ernst & Young minneapolis, will get a kick out of it).

To continue the story, I was really impressed with the office. Top story of one of the tallest towers (17th floor--hey, that's high for Europeans). First the receptionist asked if we were on the wrong floor. But after explaining that I interned at and received an offer from an American office, she asked if I wanted a tour of their office, if I wanted to meet some representatives and speak about working in France, what I thought about working in Europe, and if I wanted additional information. (and she spoke fluent French, English, and German!) I was astonished--normally the French are jerks. I can only hope for such a warm reception across the continent.

Well, it's about 68 degrees here (finally some wheather I'm used to) and I've got a novel on Investments and Financing options to read.

Later Days,
Rick

Coming soon...The world's biggest coo-koo clock, the largest waterfall in Europe, (both in Triberg), Ernst & Young in Frankfurt, and the possibly the highest mountain in the Black Forest.

Schoenberg (Translated into Pretty Mountain)

The path up to the top.

The meadow just before Schneeberg Castle.

Schoenberg Gasthaus. A cafe up to the top of the mountain. It's accessible by car but it's also about 1/2 hour walk (or 15 if you book it)

Here's one for my dad, a billy goat sitting along the side of the mountain.

About an hour or more into it, I made it to the very top. It's about 4 Kilometers from the bottom, then an extra 1 from my place to the bottom.

And of course, the view from the top. This is Freiburg.

when you visit Freiburg, you'll see the following

Being almost a week since my last post, I decided to include multiple photos of the hike up the mountain (Schoenberg in my backyard).

Saturday we went to Stuttgart

Not realizing how stinking hot it would be, we took a quick trip the Euopean corporation of H & M. Here you see Alastair, Emma, myself, and Joanna after our change.

Stuttgart is hosting a one month festival called Fruehlingsfest. (Spring Festival) It's the largest spring festival in Europe so of course we had to visit. The big roller coaster they had there was so much fun. Imagine Wild Thing from valleyfair but crammed into 1/2 the space, which means it flips, turns, wiggles, and dives. It was great and only Joanna and I were daring enough to do it.

Here's Alastair at the beer garden in Stuttgart with his beer on left versus my beer on right. I was definately winning. Actually this was my 2nd liter and his first. I definately won.


So we strolled around Stuttgart the rest of the day. Visited a castle, and grabbed some Chinese before catching the last train back to Freiburg. The train ride was probably up there for best part of the day. The first connection was packed with students. We ran into some French students studying in Mannheim, and since 1/2 of my friends speak fluent French, they had a great time. Then the last connection was the best. This train conductor came to our wagon and instead of even checking our tickets, she looked through our photos, perused through some people's wallets, and refused to speak German. She was so much fun and completely hysterical. We of course took plenty of photos.

Sunday was calm. Monday was a BBQ at night to celebrate Vappu, a Finnish holiday on the 30th of April. Then Europe took off Tuesday for "Day of Work", kind of like our labor day. So I spent it climbing up the Schoenberg just south of my apartment. As you'll see in the next post.

Bis gleich,
Rick

Switzerland was closed, so we went to the beach.

Starting with Thursday evening--a fantastic and adventurous time.

(first was 8:00 a.m. Investments class where the lecturer went over stuff "we already knew". But I didn't. The others learned it in their grundstudium (lower division) and this is a hauptstudium (upper division) course. So while talking about Net Present Value, I'm thinking that I've got a lot of learnin' yet to catch up)

6:00 p.m. was a 21 birthday of a friend. So we grilled on the balcony in Vauban (or fondly nicknamed "the Vaub" (pronounced, the foub)

Then 9:00 p.m. a group came over to my apartment and we cooked dinner. Well, Emma and Cliona cooked. We ate and cleaned or served ice cream and set the table. Above L-R, Emma (Scottland), Cliona (Scottland/ Ireland), Alastair (Ireland), Mike (Australia), Joanna (N. Ireland), Scott (roommate from Indiana) and Billi (roommate from Germany). So yes, I'm eating real food.

12:00 a.m.- SAFA webcam meeting in U.S. First we had to set up. But yay, I'm the president of SAFA for 07-08! (I ran unopposed, so I kind of just got it, but I'm happy) The event went until 10:00 p.m. Central Standard Time....figure out when that is for me.

I made the elections, Saw the CIA introduce, missed the entire simulation, but thanked and said goodbye to the reps. A late, but very fun, evening.

Today, Friday, we went to Lake Constance. (or Bodensee as called in German, but in the town Konstanz). This lake is similar to the great lakes (like Dad said when he was a kid..."it must be an Ocean because you can't see the other side") Borders Switzerland and Austria.

Beautiful city. Here is Alastair and myself standing on the bridge over the Rhein river as it feeds into the lake.

We got here after a 6 Euro (round trip) train ride (That's like going from Worthington to Belle Plaine for $8) We went to the Switzerland border, but found out we needed our passports, so it was closed for us. Instead we went along the shoreline, played in a park, went in the water, and relaxed for a gorgeous afternoon.

and then...

It Rained on our way back! The entire time i've been here it hasn't tossed a drop from the sky. Heck, we've hardly had any clouds.

Essie (Finland) is enjoying the cool and awaited rain.

Tomorrow is a big day. We're headed north to Stuttgart for Europe's largest Spring Festival. (this is also the place where the FIFA Fussball Weltmeisterschaft- FIFA World Soccer Cup Championship game was held)

Then, Sunday I'm taking it easy at home. Monday we're celebrating a Finnish holiday, and Tuesday we're going to France.

Later Days,
Rick

Welcome back to Freiburg.

So more tour, and a few observations about Germans in the classroom and differences from the U.S.

Along a side street of the main drag- Kaiser Joseph Strasse, one finds this store. "Welt der Handarbeit" or World of Handywork/Crafts.

This is for my Aunt Cheryl who's an avid knitter. You can also see all the yarn sitting out front...just inviting you in...or at least Cheryl in.

Headed East, one can climb 1/2 up a huge hill to find a biergarten, or continue up to the top. I decided to go all the way up (1/2 Kilometer). Here's Freiburg--the view from the top

The tall Turm (tower) in the middle is the Muenster--our gothic cathedral and highest man-made point of the city.

I made it to the top! Behind me is, well, the sun, and the flag of Freiburg im Breisgau--my city.

Back on the ground you'll find Muensterplatz.

This market is open every morning, filled with local merchants. The market square is lined with cafes, all setting out chairs and tables for guests to dine outdoors.

Now crane your head and you'll see my apartment in Vauban. Of the kitchen/living room, the entire front is one large glass wall, which keeps with the theme that germans hate being indoors. you'll see the balcony and later maybe photos of the interior or the rest of Vauban.

-Germans use grid paper for normal note taking. It's practically hard to find just lined paper.

-German hole punchers are 2 holes that are centered together. Nothing is held tightly and good luck trying to line up the holes so each page you punch will, in the end, line up in your binder. Ha!

-Every lecture ends with knocking on the desks--it's German applause for the professor.

-They cover a LOT of material in some classes. Most of the time because students aren't tested on it until the next year or so (unless, like me, they need a grade for the specific class)

Well, I'm off to France tomorrow to visit Strasbourg and then Stuttgart on Saturday.

Tonight is *An American friend's 21st birthday, *My sister's birthday and *the big CIA event back at Carlson (cross my fingers the internet works).

Later Days,

Rick

on your left side...

(so my computer battery is dying and I'll try to do this fast)

This is "Martins Tor" or nicknamed McDonald's Tor, because the city was dumb enough to allow McDonalds to put their sign ON the tunnel/door. As you see the sign on the lower left side, right past the Subway sign.

This is somewhat the entrance to the city center--always crawling with people, as you'll see next.

Here you'll see "Bertold's Brunnen" which is the city center. The lines above are the Tram lines as all lines converge here.

The place is ALWAYS full with people, whether it be Monday morning at 9 a.m. or Thursday night at 1:00 a.m.

The shops are all specialized and set little kiosks out on the cobblestone sidewalks.

Lining all these streets is a Bachchen "a little stream" that runs into the city center (which is a statue just off to the left of the photo). The legend is that if you fall into this little stream, you have to marry someone from Freiburg.

This is the lovely Strassenbahn that I take everyday. Number 3 to Vauban. Quite similar and as clean as the lightrail in Minneapolis.

Coming next (when I can get internet) is a travel up the local hillside for a overview of the city, a view of Muenster--the large cathedral in town, and Vauban--the student residence where I live.

Until then,

Later Days,
Rick

...and we're walking...and we're walking

Continuing through the University, we find our cafeteria, the "Mensa".

Here's a view of the outdoors of the Mensa--practically as large as the indoor dining area. Remember what I've taught earlier-- I'm convinced Germans hate staying indoors.

Here's the inside so you can actually compare. See what I mean. And to reinforce the fact Germans hate staying indoors, the whole building is practically windows, so when you HAVE to be inside, it still feels a bit like being outside.

And the exterior of the building. You know it's germany when the cafeteria has all windows and has a bar on the main entrance. Not to mention the fact it's swarming with people outside and kind of barren inside.