School in Germany: A whole lot of sightseeing

Love and Peace

Tuesday April 12: Ich muss Universitat wählen. Anyways, it’s been bothering me for a bit, but I don’t understand why the people in my class are coming so late or not at all! Like with an original 12, today there were 2 of us! Then later on, a few others joined the class. It really bothers me and it upsets the class. It’s like a negative aura; and its worse with the whole language barrier because you don’t really know why their coming late or not at all. I don’t know, it just really bothers me. I get up every morning and if I’m late, I go faster. Well after class, it was pouring and not only that, the winds were huge so it felt ten times colder. I almost couldn’t stand it biking home. So I didn’t do much today.

Wednesday April 13: It was cold and rainy again todayL Just worked on homework and musik hören.

The Unsinkable Titanic

Thurday April 14: AS IF!! So today is the 99^th Anniversary since the sinking of the unsinkable Titanic! ANND....it just so happens as we were working in our German work book and I noticed in this tiny little drawn picture of a father and son, I think in a museum, and on the wall was a pictures of a sinking ship, same marking of the Titanic! I got all excited and they looked at me and when I explained, they were sort of responsless, (which killed me a bit inside), except the one woman from Greece, who agreed with me with an, “ohh ya”. The teacher questioned why I would or how I could remember such a date, and asked if I was brilliant in remembering dates.

Well, after school, I biked over to Elke and Michael’s and we had a lovely hot lunch and Kuchen. I received a postcard from my sister and my nieces! Did you know that the fork just stated to be until not until the late 18^th Century?! It was one, the spoon was more essential that a fork, and before, most people assumed that since God has given people hands it is therefore necessary to eat with our hands. In addition though, at some times through history, it was forbidden to ever use a fork because it was the sign of the Devil! I’m being serious! Really! Well, after that,Elke and I went to the Arp Museum, Bahnhof Rolandseck, where an exhibit where some Claude Monet pictures where; 'Horizons'.Sheep country of Fra Angelico to Monet. It was small but interesting to look at the paintings none the less. Some were of religious depictions, and the rest were of landscape; even some of the Rhein area. Next in the building, we went up in sweet elevator to this new designed building which housed more modern art exhibits. The first was the Hochwasser exhibit by Gerda Steiner and Jorg Lenzlinger, and boy, was this something I have never seen before. In short term to explain it, is a bunch of garbage, nick nacks, and some really creepy biological specimens. You have an array of old computers covered in this growing crystal or a pile of telephones with frogs on top of them. One thing that was a little repulsive was a large jar full of dead snakes and around it with other objects with coils and snake like features. But the most incredible of all was this crystal organism which had grown all on these objects but the colours of these things were absolutely incredible, like neon bright colours! More around the room was hanging from the ceiling was all this debris as if some giant wind was carrying them away; it was interesting looking at all the random stuff that was floating and to think how long that would have taken them to hang all this stuff. In a dark room we went into, and all it was a curtain and something almost like a disco ball that was projecting what was to be microscopic, blown up of squirming organisms. It was called What lives in the Mud. Up the stairs was the actual Hans Arp exhibit (The man the Museum is dedicated to). He was a German-French, or Alsatian, sculptor, painter, poet and abstract artist in other media such as torn and pasted paper; and I have to admit, I don’t really understand his art. If I didn’t know better I could have thought that it was a 2 year old’s art ripping a piece of paper and sticking it on another piece of blank paper (I do not mean to offend anyone in any way; I love going into modern art museums, it’s just this type of art I do not understand). Though, some of his objects reminded me of biology class with all the odd shaped organisms.
After we decided to drive a little onward and we stopped at Remagen; a small town but rich in history. First was its Rat Haus and right in front of it was a fountain. This fountain was actually the place where the town’s people would all come and get their water. There was a little Roman museum on artifacts found there but it was closed. We walked around the Church of SS Peter and Paul and at it was the Remnants of a Roman gate which was really different because it had a combination of Christian meanings but using polytheistic objects (animal-like figures) to describe Bible stories I believe. When you think of that, that is very odd to ever happen. There was a rather famous family who lived there, The Caraccolia’s. The father, Otto started up a big hotel and this giant wine cellar, The Apollinaris Keller, which stores up to 3 million gallons of wine. We passed that. The other member was Rudolf who was a legendary race car driver. Lastly, we walked to the last remnants of the Bridge of Remagen, (which was actually turned into a movie in the ‘60s,I found out) which has much history, now called the Peace Museum Bridge. In WWII, 1945, Hitler had planned to destroy the bridge (which had been built in WWI, and had only ended with the allies taking it over and into German territory) so the American soldiers could not cross. Several attempts failed, thus the Americans were given a clear passage over the Rhine, altering the course of the war. Hitler, furious, laid the blame for the failure, calling them the “traitors of Remagen”. The Germans were still not ready to give up their efforts to destroy the bridge at Remagen, so 10 days later, with still failed attempts, the bridge finally collapsed, heavily damaged as a result of numerous attempts by artillery, bombs and rockets. The destruction, ten days after it was liberated by the U.S., did not, however, alter the American advance east of the Rhine, as a pontoon bridge had already been completed. (http://www.travelsignposts.com/Germany/destinations/bridge-at-remagen). Now there are German and American memorials posted there. It was a very good, educated day.

Friday April 15: After school I rushed to Bad Godesberg Hbf station to catch a train to Mainz to be picked up by Elke’s friend who I’ve met a few times before. She is such a wonderful lady. She was a German teacher and had taught French and geography. And what is most incredible about her is she a real planner and is a wonderful guide and will make sure you can see the most you can. See knows where everything is, it’s incredible. Right off the train, we walked past the Karnival fountain (Fastnachtsbrunnen; hey, like Wieberfastnach) which was made out of metal and it was really neat because it had like figures all on it, dressed up for the Karnival season, which begins November 11^th and ends the second week of March at the beginning of Lent. By the way, Mainz is one of Germany’s oldest cities (around 38 B.C.) from the Romans, Anglo-saxons, Archbishops, First Crusades, Johannes Gutenberg, Napoleon, beginning of Karnival, and WW I & II where it was almost bombed to the ground, and now completely build up again. Next we go into the St. Stephen’s Church, which has its famous glass windows by Jewish artist Marc Chagall as a gift to the city after its demolishment from WWII. The church was first built in 990 and had survived many fires and wars. It was rebuilt now. The windows are very different from other church windows and are a fantastic aqua blue colour with Biblical depictions on them. There is also a monastery attached, even though now, it is not being used. Next, we walked through the Old City-Kirschgarten (Cherry orchard) with the oldest half-timbered houses (1450). We went next into the St. Martin’s Cathedral. We could walk down different stairs underground (which is really neat because I had never gone below ground level in one of these churches before) where different tombstones and crypts are held of different archbishops. I was really in for a surprise when I realized that this was the home of Johannes Gutenberg, where he was born and created the first printing press and translated the first Bible into German. You have to realize how life changing/altering this was and how it changed the course of history. Before Gutenberg and his Printing press, there were no printed books (all was hand written), none of the common people could read, only the priests could read (was only in Latin), where the people had to attend mass even though they did not understand a word the Catholic priests were saying (that is why the churches were also decorated so lavishly, besides the huge wealth of the Church; so that the people would not fall asleep and so they would have something to entertain themselves). So when Gutenberg created the printing press and translated the Bible, it created this massive wave of change, now that people could actually read for themselves and there the beginnings of different ideas and thoughts among the people first began against the Church (since the Church was everything), after that is history. Now, I never did get into the museum because it was already closed; it would have been amazing to go into but it was great to just be around there. Hey, guess what, Bob Dylan is playing here in June; no firkin’ way! I’ll be gone by then! We also pasted the official 50 degree line of latitude, which was shown along the ground!

Next we drove to Rüdesheim (Hessen is the area in Germany in which it lies) where we walked through Drosselgasse which is a huge tourist attraction and in the summer is jammed-packed into thislittle area (I am so thankful I am not here during that time). By the way, all this area of Hessen is the Wine Country so the landscape is surrounded by rolling hills and mountains of vineyards (I am not her for the wine season, and not grape trees are growing yet.) We quickly stopped and looked out on the scenery at Schloss Johannisberg, where specific champagne called Furst von Metterich has and still is being produced. Then we drove the mountain to see the Niederwalddenkmal monument located in the Niederwald Landscape Park. My ears were popping the whole time. The 38 metre tall monument of Germania represents the union of all Germans. Her phrase is Wacht am Rhein (Watch the Rhein). Beneath Germania is a large relief of emperor Wilhelm I riding a horse. One the left side is the peace statue and the war statue on the right. She was placed there in memory of the Thirty Years War, and was constructed after the German-French War. There she watches for the enemy (the French) and protects the German people. She is magnificent! I love her wings, her sword and her blowing hair; she is so much better than the Statue of Liberty. Then we headed to Wiesbaden, where Gisela lives. Along the way, she showed me Schloss Schönborn, where Jeff and Regine King got married last year (who I will meet for the first time tomorrow). Once at her appartment we had a wonderful meal with white asparaus (I have been just dying to having asparagus again, it is the main thing in season here right now and I love it!), and soon headed off to bed.

The Magnificent Niederwalddenkmal

Germania

The glass of St. Stephen, Mainz

Old City-Kirschgarten

Outside Gutenberg Museum

The Bridge of Remagen

SS Peter and Paul wall in Remagen

Arp

Don't get blown away

The craziest thing you'll ever see

Rudolf Caracciola, Remagen

Way too many slithering things; a whole container of snakes!

Saturday April 16: After trying this better than Nutella chocolate spread (it’s richer, darker chocolate) for breakfast, Gisela took me around to show me Wiesbaden. Its history goes back about 2000 years and in the year 40 A.D. the Romans erected a border fort as a military stronghold. Although, the city has more importance which was incredible to learn and see, for it has a cultural center and power because of its 26 natural hot springs. Aquis Mattiacis-the springs of the Mattiaci, a spa culture was developed by the Romans in the area also then known as “Wisibada”. In the 18^th century, the city’s economy and culture thrived under the rule of the Dukes of Nassau. She took me to the Kochbrunnen (Hot fountain) where through every season; the water is 66 degrees Celsius, and it really was hot. But these hot springs have even more significance; the mineral water containing sodium-chloride is thought to have healing powers and even today, tourists and the locals come with their mug everyday to drink from this hot water fountain spring. It is incredible to think that have to flocking to these springs since before the Romans! Next, we went up the Nerobergbahn which was installed in 1888 and it is a cable car that is only and completly driven by the power of water! It is a monument of technical culture. The route up the mountain is 44m long at a 25% steep climb and used 8000 kg of water. It was amazing that this was possible. There is a car on either side so when one goes up, the other comes down. We walked quickly and saw the Russian Church which is famous for its magnificant five domes covered in pure gold, which was finished built in 1855 which was only built as a memorial to hold the wife of Duke Adolf, Grand Dutchess Elizabeth Michailovna from St. Petersburg and her baby, who both died at child birth. We then went back down. By the way, Nerobergbahn is named after the Roman emperor Neo, who I had already known about, so it was lovely to make a connection. Nero had focused much of his attention on diplomacy, trade, and increasing the cultural capital of the empire. He ordered the building of theaters and promoted athletic games, wanting the greatness and power back into the Roman empire. Although he was a mad tyrant who was said to have “played the fiddle while Rome burned” in a great fire, and was said to have blamed it on the Chrisitians, who then suffered much persecution, which was said that would also burn Christians alive in his garden for light.

Emperor Nero artifact

The Hot Springs of Wiesbaden

Next we walked by the world’s largest Cuckoo Clock. For 11:30 we went the Marktkirche (Market church) which is a huge red church, to listen to Orgelmusik zur Marktzeit which happens every Saturday during the market since 1550. There we, and a lot others sat in the church benches and behind us the organ players plays. Woahh! Man, the sound and power of the organ really is incredible, more than incredible. The organist played Mozart and I was so happy to recognized the first one, Alla Turca, and then composer Max Reger. The concert went on for a half an hour, and that half hour were the deepest minutes ever. The sound of the organ has so much power; it can give a sweet, light melody, then the next moment, scares you, because it dark sounding and shakes the stone church and all the people in it. I think I can understand its power in the church (I honestly think the Church used it to scare the living shit out of the people with it). It puts shivers up your spine! I would love to be able to try playing on one of those huge orgs. Once it was over and still in awe, we went and had my first currywurst and then headed to the Wiesbaden Hbf where we parted, because I was heading on to Frankfurt to meet Jeff and Regine. Along the way we past the Henkel Champagne factory.

Taveling through Time, Franfurt

I was actually given Jeff’s email from Gisela the last time we met early in the process/idea of going to Germany to see If he had any ideas about school. So he was the first step in the process of planning to come. In his last emails, he and Regine said they would love it I could come meet them in Frankfurt. They met me at the train station. It was very exciting because I’ve never gone to meet someone I’ve never seen or met before but as soon as I saw them, I could tell they were a lovely couple, and happily and madly in love with each other. The night before they had just gotten off the plane from Canada from attending a wedding, so they were still suffering from jet lag, but unfortunately this was the only possible weekend I could go meet them. Regine had other business to attend to so she dropped Jeff and I off in the Centrum area, by the old opera house. Jeff is Canadian so that was awesome that off the bat, we had something in common. I know I should have practiced my German but we concluded that it was the weekend and we would break from that. Well, in fact, we had more in common, he’s born Atlantic Canadian, a Newfoundlander (not a Maritimer; had to make that clear, Newfoundlanders are not Martimers in their sense). He also went to the same university as my mom; Dalhousie in Halifax! Regine German but they met in Toronto. They both have jobs in business and economics. We didn’t have much of a plan ordirectional route so we just walked around the area, which was completely fine on my part because it was nice to just talk. Frankfurt is more a city of business so there are a lot of skyscrapers in comparison to the other cities I’ve been in. Plus, during WWII, the city was almost all demolished and bombed to bits so what is here now, has either been rebuilt back to what it used to look like or modern buildings built up. Something we both noticed and was rather unpleasant is major difference in architecture. For example, the city much not have been in total agreeance, because on one side of the road are restored old and beautiful buildings and right beside it are horrid and ugly, 50’s houses. Even though I thought it was pretty busy for my liking down the main shopping area, he laughed and said that was nothing. We walked a little bit along the river, then went back in land and we both agreed me loved Sushi so he took me to a rotating Sushi bar! That was awesome’ I’ve never been in one before, so you can just take whatever you’d like as the belt goes around with the different kinds of Sushi. We planned to take a city bus tour but by time we had our Sushi it was getting a little late for that. We walked inside the Franfurt Dom but there was a mass taking place so we didn’t get to walk around. Around the outside of it where old Roman ruins. After that, we headed to their apartment. For rest of the evening, we exchanged pictures and had a lovely dinner made by Regine. Jeff put on the Canadian series Republic of Doyle which is all set in his hometown, St. John’s. It was crazy because he could point out every part and every building because that was his home and where he grew up. Now I have to watch it when I get home.

Inside a new Mall with amazing Architecture, Frankfurt

Euros

Jeff, Regine and I

Sunday April 17: Still not quite caught up on a normal sleep routine, we had a lovely late breakfast and then headed across the river to the Stadel Museum. The art exhibit was of a chronology of art from the 14^th to the 21^st century. It was very interesting to see the changes in the art through the centuries. One thing in particular that I had not seen before were the depictions of people torturing each other in a fair amount of paintings throughout the exhibit; it was very wearing. On a different end there was a particular painting that still stands out. By Yves Klein, the painting was just one colour but the most intense blue you will ever see! Like it made my eyes water looking at it! The colour is so intense that it now has its own name ' International Klein Blue' (IKB). It was great to spend more time with Regine for we could discuss the different periods, which important dates through history were written on the top parts of the wall and I could recognize what was being said in German. After we took a short walk up the river then we headed back in their car and drove around in what time we had left before I had to catch a train. It was sad to part already but school is in the morning. They’re lovely! Ticket back was 37 Euro which sucked but it was great being able to recognize places on the way back; like I was able to see the Niederwalddenkmal statue from afar.

Monday April 18: Woo...Hoo...It’s my Birthday, meine Geburtstag! There was a new student, she is from Japan and she is a music student playing the Oboe. There was also a substitute today because our usual teacher for the first half of the week is on holidays. He scared us from the start; he is super strict from what were used to, he wouldn’t let us ask anything in English or allow us to try and translate, as such if the Koreans tried to work together to figure out a meaning. Like I know this way is the way to go and we should have been working like this from the start, but it was a little unfair for such as switch. We didn’t cover a whole lot because it seemed to be just him going through things his way. We did take up the topic that when saying dates like 7^th, 15^th, 20^th, etc, you add –ten to the number like funften(5^th)or achtzehnten (18^th). This goes from numbers 1-19 and then after that use –sten like Zwanzigsten(20^th) or dreiundzwanzigsten (23^rd). I let my classmates try a sip of good ‘ol Macfie’s maple syrup which meine Eltern (parents) sent over and they loved it, so I think it’s expected that I make them something with it. They sent me birthday wishes, and Prilly gave me a necklace from Indonesia and Soo Hyun sent me a birthday wish note.

I biked over to The Wolter’s and they had presents, cake, some champagne and lunch waiting. Julia and in Zaire came from Cologne. Elke had remembered my favourite, asparagus with a creamy cheese sauce, potatoes and ham. For desert she made this lovely dish with raspberries, meringue and whippeed cream, which was delightful. For 4pm we had birthday cake, tea and coffee. I was very happy and surprised when Suzanna, Elke’s friend who went with me to the Sixties United concert and even Ushi, the lovely neighbor and mother who gave me her collection of records (which I believe I am going to have to sent them overseas home by cargo ship). Julia, In Zaire and Nadine gave me a beautiful new pair of red Chuck Taylor (!!). I also received a David Garrett CD(a rocker violinist who plays rock Symphonies, which Elke has the album and I loved it), a Robert Shumann CD, and CD of (my forever and all-time favourite) Beethoven’s 9^th Symphony, two German-English Dictionaries, one is a picture one, beautiful roses, A scarf from my parents, Earl Grey Tea (since I’m a tea-aholic), a Bonn-Beethoven magnet and lots of Haribo candy J There was a lot of cake to choose from; my bithday cake (which is a Fanta cake, actually made from Orange Fanta; it is a typical German celebration cake and is so good), a cheese cake and a cherry torte. After a while, everyone left. I was overjoyed to get a call from the Magee’s and was wished many birthday greetings! Later, I mentioned about sometime soon booking a flight finally to London and so Michael helped me with that! So I will be going April 30-May 5^th!

After, I biked home with all my gifts and flowers. I decided to watch Into The Wild again. I felt like watching something I love, and it really is. It gets me every time, with the combination of this heartfelt true story and the phenomenal soundtrack done by Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam (the lyrics go perfectly with the true tale of top student and athlete Christopher McCandless (aka. Alexander Supertramp) who abandons his possessions gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness to meet his fate. It is what words of wisdom this young man had which makes his legacy so incredible, and it really is something which society should stop and ponder upon. He gave up so much to stop and do what he believed in, and I don’t think his strong should ever go unnoticed....And thank you so much for all of you for your lovely Birthday wishes; it means a hell of a lot!

Tuesday April 19: The substitute was there again. But I have to say he did a pretty solid job on getting us to try and understand another grammar rule. You have to look for two main things when talking about something; whether it’s male or female, then whether it’s feminine, masculine or neutral (you can’t just say him or her). So Ihr is female and Sein is male and then you have to look whether the other noun/object is either masculine, feminine or neutral (which is either der, die, das). So feminine feminine is Ihre, feminine masculine is Ihr, and masculine feminine is Seine and masculine masculine is Sein. And Man + Frau (plural) is Ihr. It was such a warm day again. I did my homework outside in sun until my computer battery died. Then went over to the Wolters to look at my ticket to London! I weighed my pile of records and it’s 20kg. By plane it would cost about 75Euro, about 63Euro by boat and about 300Euro by currier. I already figured the boat transport would be the safest; it takes longer (like 6 weeks) but with a plan there is way more of a risk of damage, even though there’s that chance the boat could sink. But the question is, is if they are worth all the money---------Of Coarse J I had dinner with them and then decided to share my pancake mix and made little pancakes for my class tomorrow, along with the left over birthday cake.