Spaß mit dem Band

Once again, sorry for the mega-long wait between blog posts!

My week in Austria with the band was fantastic! We left early Saturday morning and I slept most of the way during the 5-hour drive south. Upon arriving in Obertsdorf (a German city on the Austrian border) we did some exploring and grocery shopping before heading up into the mountains. Then it was up in the mountains to a little mountain cabin and the surrounding Alps - one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. When we arrived, it was crisp, autumn weather with wonderful fall colors.

But it wasn’t long before the snow crept down from the mountaintop. Within a few days our cabin and the entire surrounding area was covered in over a foot of snow. ‘What did you do for a week in Austria?’ you may ask… well a lot of time was spent simply making music. We would see who was bored, find some music, and go at it. Sometimes we would play outside, with our dulcet tunes echoing over the snow-covered valley – I have no qualms over describing it as ‘magical’ :) We also did a few field trips to the SeaLife exhibit in Konstanz, the Olympic ski jump in Obertsdorf, and a church service on the Walmendinger Horn mountain. During the service, it was foggy and hard to see any of the surrounding mountains. The coolest thing by far, however, was climbing up to the tippy-top of the mountain after the service when the clouds had cleared up and we could see for miles (kilometers, rather) in every direction; nothing but beautifully snow-covered mountains. Here's a nice picture of the whole band after the service.

This panoramic picture is from the top of the mountain

I am proud to announce that I bought a pair of lederhosen in Obertsdorf. I recently found myself a proper hat and socks & shoes; as soon as I find a traditional shirt my outfit will be complete!

Tiffany Woelfel and Quinn Bongers (friends from high school who are studying abroad) were nice enough to visit and explore Frankfurt with me for a day. We saw all sorts of things; the Goethe museum, the Römer town square, Sachsenhausen, a great view from the top of the ZeilGalleria, and Mass at the Liebfrauenkirche. We had a lot of fun and, believe it or not, Tiffany an Quinn got along great! :-p

Austin (a friend from Florida, also in my exchange program) visited recently as well. Austin, James and I had a great time exploring Frankfurt together too.

Lea (my younger host sister) had her State gymnastics tournament recently. She performed really well on ALL the apparatuses (since some of her teammates were sick) and her team won third place! Congrats Lea!

Christoph, a friend from the band, held an “Oktoberfest in November” party. It gave me good excuse to wear my lederhosen and we had lots of fun playing Nagel. The concept of Nagel is simple – plow your nail into the stump. But there’s a catch; the hammer is hollow, so you have to hit the nail with the narrow rim of the hammerhead. If I can get my hands on a stump you will definitely be able to play Nagel in my dorm room next year :)

For about a month now I’ve been interning at the local Red Cross. I started with a basic first-aid course and then took a weeklong introductory EMT course. Following the course I was able to ride along with the EMTs in ambulances, experiencing emergency situations as well as what they do during downtime at the station.

I was able to spend five days with the EMTs and then I accompanied Markus, who manages the Red Cross’ House Emergency system. Markus spends his days explaining and setting up emergency systems for elderly and ill patients who are often home alone. These patients wear an emergency button around their neck or wrist and Markus responds to situations where an ambulance is not necessary. He also took me to the 112 (Germany’s 911) center in Gelnhausen. I learned about their brilliant, integrated system in which fire and medical emergency response units are notified of 112 calls. This center is also receives the House Emergency calls as well as automatic notifications from smoke detectors in public buildings. My time with the Red Cross is coming to an end as Christmas break approaches and I feel that I have learned a lot about Germany’s emergency response system. I look forward to participating in an internship at a local hospital or private practice after the break.

This time of year Germany is plagued with a most glorious thing that you really can’t find in America - the Christmas market. Just about every town holds a Christmas market at least one weekend during Advent and the bigger towns have them every day. A vital aspect to the Christmas market scene are jolly Christmas tunes, which is where the band and I come in. A few times a week we have the chance to play for an hour or two at a Christmas market, which is followed by enjoying the festivities. Said festivities include delicious food and drink, shopping in stands with local handmade goods, and an atmosphere of holiday merriment. I just got back from the christmas market in Frankfurt with my host family; it was massive and really packed (on a Wednesday) but definitely lots of fun. I don’t know how I’ve lived this long without the joys of the Christmas market; and I’m sure gonna miss it when I head home!

All in all, things are still going remarkably well. I have a wonderful relationship with my host family and I’m learning lots and lots of German. Thanks for reading! Until next time – auf Wiedersehen!

p.s. This is my little neighbor buddy Jesse - he's fun to bake cookies with :-D

Oktoberfest

Gee, it’s been a month since I updated this thing…lots to talk about!

Things are still going remarkably well for me over here, and it’s hard to grasp that I’ve been here for three months already. At the moment I’m at home sick, but the upside of that is that I finally have time to catch up on my blog! School is going well; I’m getting decent grades and improving my German every day. My host family is unbelievable; I feel very much at home and we really enjoy each other’s company. I’m starting to look around for an internship with a hospital or the Red Cross, which I should start in December.

A few days after my birthday I went on a bike ride on a trail that goes from my house all the way to downtown Frankfurt. I got over halfway to the city when I realized that I would not be able to make it back if I went all the way. I nevertheless enjoyed a nice bike ride with beautiful scenery and weather.

On the way back I snapped a photo of my town, Ostheim.

A few weeks after that was a fest in the area called “Streuobstwiesnfest”, roughly translated to “Orchard Fest”. I played polka tunes with the community band and we enjoyed fresh-pressed apple juice. Let me tell you, there is nothing like 100% juice from Hessisch apples…

Two buddies from school and I enjoy going to Club Cocoon, a massive club in Frankfurt owned by house DJ legend Sven Väth. We always a great time enjoying the music, meeting people, and going nuts on the dancefloor.

The Internationale Automobil Ausstellung (IAA) is Europe’s biggest autoshow and it is held in Frankfurt every other year. I went to the IAA with James and his host brothers and we saw all sorts of new cars and took tons of pictures. Some of my favorite cars included:

Lamborghini Reventón Roadster

Audi e-tron

Ferrari 458 Italia

Mercedes Gull-wing SLS

Two weekends ago I decided to take part in what is possibly the single most well-known aspect of German culture; Oktoberfest. My friend Amber from high school is working as an au pair near Munich and she invited me down to crash at her place and enjoy the festivities with her. I took the train down Friday night and Amber was there to meet me at the train station. We went out to dinner to catch up and we ended up meeting some Americans who were there for Oktoberfest. We chatted with them till 2am or so then headed home for some sleep before the big day at the fest. The next day we babysitted the little’ns till 1 then it was go-time. I got my lederhosen on and we were off to Munich.

We started at Marienplatz where we met Jonathan, a friend of mine from my Kansas days, for lunch. Jon was in England visiting his dad and he just happened to be in Munich the same day as me. We got to catch up over a yummy lunch and had a good time talking about where we've been and where we're going. After that we called up Quinn, a friend from high school, who ALSO happened to be visiting Munich at the same time. He is studying abroad with Northwestern University in Tubigen at the moment. Our time together was short-lived, but it sure was nice to see him.

Then we decided to make our way to the fest itself. The sight of the Oktoberfest grounds itself is breathtaking; never before have I seen so many people. The main drag is lined with carnival rides, beer tents & gardens, food stands, souvenir shops, and roller coasters. After looking around for a while, we got in line for the Braurosl tent where our American buddies from the night before had landed themselves a spot. In line we met people from all over the world, talking to people from Germany, Peru, England, Australia, and many more. One conversation (in German, by the way) went something like this, with a guy asking "So where are you from?" "America, you?" "Iraq..." "Well then... it's nice to meet you!!!" at which point we shook hands, did a quick photo-op, and continued to talk about what brought us to Germany and Oktoberfest.

After about an hour and a half we got into the tent and man oh man was that something. Literally thousands of people are standing on the tables, singing and dancing like there’s no tomorrow. A band, strategically placed in the center of the tent, plays everything from traditional German drinking songs to modern American pop hits. Amber and I managed to find a table near the band where we joined in on the fun. We had a great time, learned lots of songs, met lots of fun people, and danced the night away. After the tent closed we talked with a guy named Dario for the longest time about the election, Obama, and America and then with a pair of girls who took a particular liking to Amber :p Slowly but surely, we made our way home and I slept in late the next day.

Then Amber and I said our goodbyes and I met up with the American dudes we met Friday night. We checked out the Frauenkirche together; a very cool, historical church in the heart of Munich with amazing architecture. I slept during most of my 6-hour train ride back home, but I did so knowing that I had just experienced one of the most exciting, interesting, unique aspects of German culture there is.

This past weekend was a good one too. Saturday was the Day of German Unity, sort of like our 4^th of July but not as big. We celebrated with a block party where I got to meet all our neighbors and engage in some really interesting conversation. On Sunday I went to church and followed that up by playing at a jazz club called the Schlosskeller (the Castle Cellar; it actually is in the basement of a castle). We (me on trumpet with a tenor sax, upright bass, and e-guitar) played for a few hours before a small audience and had a great time just jamming and enjoying ourselves. This upcoming week (oct. 10-17) I’m going to Austria with the community band for a sort of retreat where we’ll get to do a lot of relaxing, rehearsing, hiking, and performing in the Alps. I look forward to telling you all about it, it should be a great time! Until then, auf Wiedersehen and goodbye!

Von Bonn nach Frankfurt

After seven full and exciting weeks in Bonn, the time for our tight-knit American group to disperse had finally come. We had our big closing party and we all prepared skits and songs and the like. A group of guys performed an original rap in German and Joe and I played some songs, he on the bagpipe and I on the trumpet (right). Then afterwards we all spent some quality time together in the park until all hours of the night. It was sad to say goodbye to all my wonderful friends, but the time to begin the next chapter of our experience in Germany had come.

The next day was moving day. My family (right) helped me gather all my things and James and I hopped on the ICE train headed for Frankfurt. Our program representatives, Meli and Moni, were there to greet us when we arrived in Hanau. We enjoyed a barbecue at Meli’s with her friends and stayed the night since our host families were on vacation. The day after I moved in with my host family. I was kind of nervous since I knew it was going to be a very long stay with this family but, in hindsight, I had nothing to worry about. My family is wonderful and I get along with everyone really well. My sisters are 15 and 13 and they’re a lot of fun to be around and my parents are equally awesome. Last week we went to see Meli’s band, went to church, built our patio, went to a renewable energy convention, watched Lea’s gymnastics tournament, went to Grandma’s for breakfast, and explored Frankfurt together. I’m so happy to have ended up here.

Two weeks ago was the first day of school for me along with the entire state of Hessen. It was a little crazy at first because I had to figure out what grade I would be in and what courses to take and so on, but now everythings going smoothly. My schedule includes: History, Math, Chemistry, Musik, Biology, English, Politics/Economics, Ethics, German, PE, and Physics. My only class in English is, of course, English. There’s school from 8 am to 1 or 3 pm every weekday with breaks between each 1.5 hour-long class. After school I come home for lunch and whatever else is going on: usually practicing trumpet, chatting with the family, doing homework, etc.

Guess what? Yesterday was my birthday! It was a great day; we started with breakfast and gifts, then church. I had dinner and cake (right) with family and friends then my friends and I (above, left) all went to a big fest in town. At the fest we checked out some awesome bands (I did a little crowd surfing) and we watched fireworks. When I came home, I skyped with my family and they sang Happy Birthday and I blew out candles on a cake via the internet. What a great day!

My lovely famiy during our day in Frankfurt (l-r)

Grandma Anna, Aunt Angelika, Lea, Verena, Christine, and Lukas

Our humble, eco-friendly abode: gutters collect rainwater for flushing toilets and the solarpanels heat water for showers, laundry, and dishes.

Mein erstes Fußballspiel

It’s crazy to think I’ve been here for over a month already. I’m getting quite comfortable and becoming accustomed to the lifestyle, food, pace, and language. Our language school recently moved across town so we’re getting used to a new location as we discuss politics, careers, and European history. In about a week I’ll be moving to a town near Frankfurt where I’ll start going to high school as a foreign exchange student. I’m really excited but I have no idea what to expect.

I visited my friend Peter in a town near Olpe two weekends ago. Peter and I are friends from high school and he is participating in a program like mine right now. I had a great time hanging out with him during a wonderful experience of rural Germany.

Water break during a bike ride.

Peter and Lauren.

Peter and I at the Biggesee in Olpe.

Last Saturday I went to a Fortuna Düsseldorf soccer game. This was my first real exposure to European soccer and I was pwnd by its awesomeness. The crowd was roaring and singing nonstop and the game was a thrill. Düsseldorf won 3:0, which made for an awesome experience and a fun day hanging around town.

The Ryans

On Tuesday our class visited the famous Drachenburg castle, perhaps known by some as Drachenfels (random trivia: Drachenfels is the name of the mountain on which the castle sits. Drachenfels is also the site of Siegfried’s slaying of the dragon in the Nibelungen Ledgend). We went halfway up the mountain to the Drachenburg castle then to the peak to explore the Roman ruins there. Both structures were amazing.

Roman Ruins atop mt. Drachenfels

Another castle visit on Thursday, this time to the Augustusburg in Brühl, the 18^th century palace of Clemens August. It’s really too bad we weren’t allowed to take pictures inside—the murals and all-around grandeur was something to behold. The garden outside was absolutely beautiful.

Group photo in the garden

Peter stopped by Bonn for a visit this weekend. I got to show him around town some and we hung out on Friday night with some friends. He also joined us for our Rhein river trip on Saturday, which was a blast. This trip included taking a train to a little town called Bacharach, exploring Bacharach for a while, then taking a river cruise north to Braubach where we toured the Marksburg castle (yes, another castle) after a delicious meal of Wienerschnitzel and fries. I would say it was an all-around great day.

The Rhein

The Loreley rock

Marksburg Castle

Trying on a Medieval knight's helmet for size.