Intensity

These last two days have been wonderful and quite intense. I really, really, really feel like I am learning the things I came here to learn. A lot of the lectures that have been presented to us are not necessarily pleasant to hear, especially as Americans (example: how the rest of the world perceives us), but I believe they are necessary. What has inspired me the most, from our first day here, is that though there is a lot of tough education going on, it has always been followed with the idea that there is still hope. If we, as humans with the power of choice, got ourselves into this mess, we also have the power to get ourselves out. With education we can choose better ways of living and interacting with other people, groups and nations--not to mention the planet.

So this helps me. It gives me a drive for the future. These issues that we have been discussing--education, activism, diplomacy, global citizenship--are the things that make me tick. These are things that I want to define my entire life. So I guess it's obvious that I'm having a good time.

I'm also enjoying my group project. My group is discussing the dynamics of immigration between Turkey and Germany. We have to write a paper, construct a pretend agency or body, adopt an issue, design a flier with our stance and present it to the entire seminar--and we have very little time to do so. This means late nights. But it's going well. Learning how to make decisions smoothly with a group of five people takes as much skill as researching and presenting a topic that you knew little to nothing about three days ago. I am pleased with the view from our work room in the palace though. How could that not inspire someone......?




Today we went to the memorial site of Dachau concentration camp. I'm not sure I'm ready to write about that yet. Maybe tomorrow. I have a lot of thoughts (some of them conflicting) that will require some time to sift through. I can say that it is an experience that will not be forgotten.

I felt strange about taking pictures at the camp, so I only took two, but of those two I wanted to share this one. The image struck me instantly, I'm not sure why--I don't really consider myself a religious person specifically. I think the symbolism was comforting; I liked the open gates. It was in the Russian Orthodox memorial.



Off to dinner. What a day!

Clara