I will start by saying that I am glad I am still young because I am not sure if my body would be able to handle all of this zombie like walking, thinking, and eating. In probably the past 30 hours of being awake I have only gotten about 2 hours of sleep and even now I am having a hard time trying to get to sleep.
Arriving in Germany was exciting for me because it was something new to experience and with an open mind. As for first impressions it was a really great one. The city was beautiful, the scenery on the drive from Munich to Salzburg was breathtaking, and the little towns in between I just fell in love with.
Our first group meeting about ethnocentrism with our fellow students from the University of San Francisco went really well. I took in as much as I could while trying to stay awake after a very and I mean very long day. This week is going to be great because I see my fellow students who are just as eager as me to not only be here but to learn from each other and gain knowledge.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
OMG JET LAG
These past 24+ hours have been insane. I've never flown outside of the country, much less overseas, so this has definitely been a new experience. I got to the airport early, much to everyone's surprise, and got to say goodbye to my family. The plane trip to Philly wasn't bad...dinner was great. The trip to Europe wasn't as great though. I don't think I slept for more than 30 minutes the entire trip. I'm just not good at sleeping on moving things.
The trip itself wasn't so bad though. I love long trips...and they fed us and had movies and music available. It wasn't too hot or too cold. I just couldn't sleep. But let me tell you...it was all worth it as soon as we stepped off into the Munich airport. As soon as we arrived, I could tell we were in a different country. For starters, it was SO QUIET!! Then of course there were all the German-speaking citizens. So I've designated myself the group documenter...I've been taking so many videos! I can't wait to put them together into something.
So far things are going great. I'm just so tired. The trip through the countryside to get to Salzburg was amazing! It was so green! I'm sure everyone on the planet knows my thoughts on the green-ness by now. The Schloss is beautiful. It feels so twilight zone-ish to know we're staying here...an 18th century building that people pay 30 dollars to take pictures of...yet here we are! Living in this place for a week!
The climate is perfect, the food is soooo good. Especially the dessert. I can't wait to see what breakfast is like. And all the people here are excellent so far. The other group from California is also made up of all females and one guy. I've met most of them so far and have already gotten their stories (they've been here a few days) and their room numbers for future rendezvous. They are all very laid back, friendly people and I'm really relieved! I think the chemistry is perfect for some great discussion, especially since we're such a small group.
So we had our first session tonight at 7:30 (12:30 our time). I think it went well given the fact that it was our first lecture and half of us were the living dead due to the jet lag...I can't wait for tomorrow! Hopefully my youthful body can recover from this jet lag.................quickly!! *crosses fingers* I'm looking forward to more discussion and hopefully some free time in town.
This place is gorgeous! I'm so excited! I feel so blessed to be a part of this =)
The trip itself wasn't so bad though. I love long trips...and they fed us and had movies and music available. It wasn't too hot or too cold. I just couldn't sleep. But let me tell you...it was all worth it as soon as we stepped off into the Munich airport. As soon as we arrived, I could tell we were in a different country. For starters, it was SO QUIET!! Then of course there were all the German-speaking citizens. So I've designated myself the group documenter...I've been taking so many videos! I can't wait to put them together into something.
So far things are going great. I'm just so tired. The trip through the countryside to get to Salzburg was amazing! It was so green! I'm sure everyone on the planet knows my thoughts on the green-ness by now. The Schloss is beautiful. It feels so twilight zone-ish to know we're staying here...an 18th century building that people pay 30 dollars to take pictures of...yet here we are! Living in this place for a week!
The climate is perfect, the food is soooo good. Especially the dessert. I can't wait to see what breakfast is like. And all the people here are excellent so far. The other group from California is also made up of all females and one guy. I've met most of them so far and have already gotten their stories (they've been here a few days) and their room numbers for future rendezvous. They are all very laid back, friendly people and I'm really relieved! I think the chemistry is perfect for some great discussion, especially since we're such a small group.
So we had our first session tonight at 7:30 (12:30 our time). I think it went well given the fact that it was our first lecture and half of us were the living dead due to the jet lag...I can't wait for tomorrow! Hopefully my youthful body can recover from this jet lag.................quickly!! *crosses fingers* I'm looking forward to more discussion and hopefully some free time in town.
This place is gorgeous! I'm so excited! I feel so blessed to be a part of this =)
Sleeptyping
I think I just experienced a small dose of ecstasy and euphoria as I crawled myself into bed. I haven't slept a wink in almost two days and my body is protesting. Of course, to be fair, I should clarify that I'm not climbing into my bed in my room in Fort Worth....I'm climbing into bed in my own little room adjacent to an Austrian palace with mountains straight from "The Sound of Music" in the backyard. So I'm really not complaining.
The trip over here was pleasantly uneventful--no lost luggage or missed flights. I think our biggest crisis was deciding whether to have Japanese, Italian or French food for dinner in Philadelphia. And then we boarded our direct flight to Munich! I couldn't sleep on the epic flight over the Atlantic and was mourning my loss of rest until I realized that in reality, a 7.5 hour flight across the world is pretty revolutionary. This same journey, depending on the specific point in history, could have taken anywhere from days to weeks to months. I had it easy!
My first impression upon landing in Munich was clean. Clean and modern, but with an undertone of loaded history. Like Julissa and Rusty said....I saw not a SINGLE piece of trash on the side of the road. Holy cow! That's so revolutionary to me as an American who is used to seeing the transportation system utilized as a secondary (if not primary) trash can. I was very impressed. Also the drive from Munich to Salzburg was charming, to say the least. Little communities of traditional German houses dotted the hillside the whole way and there were fields of flowers and forests everywhere.
Salzburg is breathtaking, especially Schloss Leopoldskron and the enormous castle overlooking the city. I can't wait to explore the city. I'm also looking forward to spending time in the library in the schloss. How cool is it that it has a hidden staircase built into a bookcase? It's like something straight out of Sherlock Holmes!
The food is delicious. The staff and faculty have already made a big impression on me. I know they are going to have a lot to say that I need to hear.
And now I need to go to sleep, because the words are blurring. Hopefully a more coherent post tomorrow.
The trip over here was pleasantly uneventful--no lost luggage or missed flights. I think our biggest crisis was deciding whether to have Japanese, Italian or French food for dinner in Philadelphia. And then we boarded our direct flight to Munich! I couldn't sleep on the epic flight over the Atlantic and was mourning my loss of rest until I realized that in reality, a 7.5 hour flight across the world is pretty revolutionary. This same journey, depending on the specific point in history, could have taken anywhere from days to weeks to months. I had it easy!
My first impression upon landing in Munich was clean. Clean and modern, but with an undertone of loaded history. Like Julissa and Rusty said....I saw not a SINGLE piece of trash on the side of the road. Holy cow! That's so revolutionary to me as an American who is used to seeing the transportation system utilized as a secondary (if not primary) trash can. I was very impressed. Also the drive from Munich to Salzburg was charming, to say the least. Little communities of traditional German houses dotted the hillside the whole way and there were fields of flowers and forests everywhere.
Salzburg is breathtaking, especially Schloss Leopoldskron and the enormous castle overlooking the city. I can't wait to explore the city. I'm also looking forward to spending time in the library in the schloss. How cool is it that it has a hidden staircase built into a bookcase? It's like something straight out of Sherlock Holmes!
The food is delicious. The staff and faculty have already made a big impression on me. I know they are going to have a lot to say that I need to hear.
And now I need to go to sleep, because the words are blurring. Hopefully a more coherent post tomorrow.
It's Beautiful Here!
Oh my! Salzburg, Austria is breathtakingly beautiful and green! As we drove in our two buses from Munich to Salzburg, the red roofs were a beautiful contrast with the fields of green and yellow. The lake and the mountain view from the veranda of the Schloss is a view I've always dreamed of seeing.
The Schloss Leopoldskren is a history lesson in itself and thus far the food has been wonderful. The main course this evening was Wiener Schnitzel -- nothing like Der Wienerschnietzel (hot dogs) at home! This was a tender, golden fried turkey breast served with cranberry sauce and then we had chicken crepes that were so creamy.
Traveling with this group has been a blast! Rusty is talented at turning the light on the airplane with his hip while he sleeps and Katy has proven to be a stealthy pillow stealer. Dan, there was an empty space in front of me for seven hours ... we miss you, but know that you are where you are supposed to be! Between Michelle and I, this group already hates seeing us come around with the camera (groan)! I am going to get some shots of Julissa to prove that she was in Austria!
Today was a day of introductions and getting to know one another. We have met a tremendous faculty and support faculty and I'm really looking forward to hearing from them throughout the week. This evening Chandelle, Julissa and I had the opportunity to sit with Dennis and Jill Jaehne from San Jose State University in California at dinner. What a special couple that have traveled all over the world and have taken many young people into their lives and hearts. He was such an encourager to the whole group as we introduced ourselves.
Tonight's session was on Ethnocentrism and Maps. How interesting it was to see maps developed of the world from different perspectives - which country was placed in the center, which country was bigger - causing us to consider the perceptions of others and consider the point of view we would use to look at the world.
This is going to be a week of much learning and head spinning for me -- I can tell! A week of introspection.
Dreams do come true! And I'm going to dream tonight sleeping in a horizontal position rather than vertical as we "tried" to sleep last night!
The Schloss Leopoldskren is a history lesson in itself and thus far the food has been wonderful. The main course this evening was Wiener Schnitzel -- nothing like Der Wienerschnietzel (hot dogs) at home! This was a tender, golden fried turkey breast served with cranberry sauce and then we had chicken crepes that were so creamy.
Traveling with this group has been a blast! Rusty is talented at turning the light on the airplane with his hip while he sleeps and Katy has proven to be a stealthy pillow stealer. Dan, there was an empty space in front of me for seven hours ... we miss you, but know that you are where you are supposed to be! Between Michelle and I, this group already hates seeing us come around with the camera (groan)! I am going to get some shots of Julissa to prove that she was in Austria!
Today was a day of introductions and getting to know one another. We have met a tremendous faculty and support faculty and I'm really looking forward to hearing from them throughout the week. This evening Chandelle, Julissa and I had the opportunity to sit with Dennis and Jill Jaehne from San Jose State University in California at dinner. What a special couple that have traveled all over the world and have taken many young people into their lives and hearts. He was such an encourager to the whole group as we introduced ourselves.
Tonight's session was on Ethnocentrism and Maps. How interesting it was to see maps developed of the world from different perspectives - which country was placed in the center, which country was bigger - causing us to consider the perceptions of others and consider the point of view we would use to look at the world.
This is going to be a week of much learning and head spinning for me -- I can tell! A week of introspection.
Dreams do come true! And I'm going to dream tonight sleeping in a horizontal position rather than vertical as we "tried" to sleep last night!
The eagle has landed
We made it! I will say that I am very tired. Before leaving Philidelphia, I was pretty tired and thought sleeping the entire flight would be no problem. Boy was I wrong. For the life of me I could not get comfortable in that chair, and I became a little envious of the people at the front of the coach class the have tons of leg room. Poor Dee, she had to sit next to me and during my siesta on the plane I must have turned on the light a dozzen times! The Munich airport is way nice, they even had a small grocery store inside. The country side is so green and there is very little, if any, litter that I could see from the road. We were able to meet the other Salzburg participants today. The other halve of the group is from the Univeristy of San Fransico. There are not to many of us small so we should be able to get acainted with each other quickly. The food has been great; beat airline food into the dust. I do believe we will have our work cut out for us while we are here, but it will be most rewarding. I hope to not let the jet lag hold me back so I can get the most out of this.
ह्ह्फ़ असद
You would imagine that after spending almost two days now with very little sleep I would run up to my room and pass out. Instead, I am using the computers at the Meierhof, where our very spacious rooms are located across the Schloss, with a few classmates close by, to write about my experiences thus far.
The Munich airport is amazing. That pretty much summed it all up. Modern. Clean. Quiet. Beautiful. I wish we could have had the chance to explore the city of Munchen, or at least drive through it. But after arriving there, we got on two vans and drove about 2 and a half hours to Salzburg. The scenery on the way here was absolutely incredible. Most of the roads looked like they had just been placed in the middle of a forest or farms or local towns. I loved seeing the way the roads are made here. On the way, most of the them were one-lane roads, and there usually sideways for bikes. And they were actually being used!
The people so far have been very nice and polite. Everyone speaks English, which just makes me sad that I haven't picked up a lot of German, because I know I should attempt it.
I haven't had a chance to explore Salzburg yet, but we are doing a "self-paced" walking tour of the city tomorrow and I can't wait! It looks beautiful. Oh. The Schloss is fantastic. The building holds so much history and beauty, and the area around it is luscious green and, dare I say, inspiring. The weather, too, has been refreshing. It was about 55 degrees today. A nice change from Fort Worth.
I just got out of our session on Ethnocentrism, and though at first everyone was a little quiet, the conversation began to get really interesting and engaging. It really woke me up (I'm a little tired, as you can imagine). The session was much more interesting than I expected, and I hope that after we get to know the other students, discussions will be increasingly enjoyable and informative.
Well, I need sleep now.
- Julissa
The Munich airport is amazing. That pretty much summed it all up. Modern. Clean. Quiet. Beautiful. I wish we could have had the chance to explore the city of Munchen, or at least drive through it. But after arriving there, we got on two vans and drove about 2 and a half hours to Salzburg. The scenery on the way here was absolutely incredible. Most of the roads looked like they had just been placed in the middle of a forest or farms or local towns. I loved seeing the way the roads are made here. On the way, most of the them were one-lane roads, and there usually sideways for bikes. And they were actually being used!
The people so far have been very nice and polite. Everyone speaks English, which just makes me sad that I haven't picked up a lot of German, because I know I should attempt it.
I haven't had a chance to explore Salzburg yet, but we are doing a "self-paced" walking tour of the city tomorrow and I can't wait! It looks beautiful. Oh. The Schloss is fantastic. The building holds so much history and beauty, and the area around it is luscious green and, dare I say, inspiring. The weather, too, has been refreshing. It was about 55 degrees today. A nice change from Fort Worth.
I just got out of our session on Ethnocentrism, and though at first everyone was a little quiet, the conversation began to get really interesting and engaging. It really woke me up (I'm a little tired, as you can imagine). The session was much more interesting than I expected, and I hope that after we get to know the other students, discussions will be increasingly enjoyable and informative.
Well, I need sleep now.
- Julissa
First day
We arrived here in Salzburg around 1:00pm. Now it is 9:30pm here. I am a little tired so everything is rather surreal, but Salzburg is GORGEOUS! The Schloss is beautiful. It's older than America!
The trip over went smoothly. Only a 7.5 hour flight from Philly, so not bad at all!
Germany and Austria are extremely clean. I didn't see a single piece of trash on the side of the road for the entire 2 hour drive from Munich to here.
The other group of students here (aside from our group) are from the University of San Francisco and they are very nice. I sat with some of them at dinner and had really interesting conversation.
We just had a group meeting discussing enthocentrism (to explain mildy, it is the view that one's culture is superior to others) and how it effects our worldview. Very interesting!
What I foresee for the week: LOTS OF SLEEP TONIGHT! Also I think that I will learn a lot more "lingo" concerning international relation topics and such (e.g. ethnocentrism!). I am very excited to visit Dachau although I feel it will be a somber trip.
Well I am about to fall onto the keyboard from exhaustion, so I'm going to go now.
Auf wiedersehen!
The trip over went smoothly. Only a 7.5 hour flight from Philly, so not bad at all!
Germany and Austria are extremely clean. I didn't see a single piece of trash on the side of the road for the entire 2 hour drive from Munich to here.
The other group of students here (aside from our group) are from the University of San Francisco and they are very nice. I sat with some of them at dinner and had really interesting conversation.
We just had a group meeting discussing enthocentrism (to explain mildy, it is the view that one's culture is superior to others) and how it effects our worldview. Very interesting!
What I foresee for the week: LOTS OF SLEEP TONIGHT! Also I think that I will learn a lot more "lingo" concerning international relation topics and such (e.g. ethnocentrism!). I am very excited to visit Dachau although I feel it will be a somber trip.
Well I am about to fall onto the keyboard from exhaustion, so I'm going to go now.
Auf wiedersehen!
Arrived!
We have arrived in Salzburg today after a day of traveling. Everyone is excited and a little tired but so happy to be here. We have our first session this afternoon and then this evening they hear the first presentation.
Okay for the students sometime at the end of this first day, you need to write about your first impressions both here in Salzburg, the travel and of the first group meetings! What do you foresee for the week?
Okay for the students sometime at the end of this first day, you need to write about your first impressions both here in Salzburg, the travel and of the first group meetings! What do you foresee for the week?
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