Some stories from the past few days:

- I met Erdu, a RWTH student of full Turkish ancestry, tonight while making dinner in one of the common room kitchens where I live. Pretty and talkative, she started talking about the funny differences between America and Germany, why the Brits sound so strange, asked how pancakes are made (she was trying to make an American-style pancake and was instead making crepes), etc. I asked about her parents and her family origins, and she started talking about a trip she made with her family to Turkey a few years ago. She described how the people of her ancestral home made her feel like she doesn't belong there. Her example explains it best: when your parents have been Gastarbeiters (guest workers) in Germany for many years and roll back into their home town in a Mercedes sedan, the locals are obviously going to talk behind their backs about the uppity returnees. Despite the fact that in Germany she is considered Turkish, not German, she also doesn't feel any particular connection to these people she shares common blood with in Turkey. It made me think immediately of how hard it must be to be at times to come from foreign origins, yet feel actually more a part of the country that you were born and grew up in. For me, it would seem like a splitting of two consciousnesses, one resting in an unknown and somewhat legendary past and the other living in a fast-moving future. There are millions of children of German Gastarbeiters in Germany right now, with more stories like Erdu's. We talked about more things, German vs. American popular music and such, but what will stick in my mind for a long time is how she carried herself with such confidence and ease despite her life's identity crisis.

- I visited Koeln this weekend to visit my old friend Hendrik and once more take in the sights of this beautiful Rhineland city. I had no idea that Koeln was once a large Roman outpost, but I got to see artifacts and an excavated set of foundations for the Roman fort/government seat that once stood here called the Praetorium. The whole experience of seeing this living history was amazing. I then met of with Hendrik to visit the immense Koelner Dom, a massive Gothic cathedral that is at once imposing, intricate and awe-inspiring. This was my second visit, and this time the sanctuary was full of tourists, snapping pictures and gaping at the stained-glass windows and religious artworks. I had this weird feeling that this massive testament to the Christian faith has lost something somehow, that the altar at the center of the crucifix-shaped structure somehow had lost its ability to radiate a call to faith. Dutifully, I lighted a candle and placed it before an altar in one of the connected naves with several other hundred like it and tried to pray, to feel His presence. And then a camera went off next to me. I'd be the last to say that tourists should not be let in religious sites, but I couldn't help feeling somewhat jaded with my second visit to the Dom.

- The day before, Hendrik and I went to a local 'battle of the bands,' where the prize was a chance to record an album with major music label- an interesting dynamic. Some of the bands were great, some just ok, but there was one pop-rock group that really stood out, mostly because their lyrics were actually in German. (Most newer music groups in Germany, regardless of genre, tend to write in English to try to garner continent-wide support. The result is a weird pseudo-English that sort of makes sense but skirts the edges of nonsense at times.) The frontman of this group plays lead guitar and also acts as songwriter for the group, all at the age of 17. It was cool to see a kid with his talent not afraid to write and sing in his own tongue, one that is much-maligned for being rough and/or awkward around the world, but actually sounds elegant when sung.

- A few days ago I went running through the woods around the Uniklinikum, which sits about a kilometer from Aachen's center next to a nature reserve, a pond and farm fields. It was late evening and the sun was setting, which is around 10PM or so over here- the sun goes down really late. As I crested a hill next to a sheep farm, I was hit by the brilliance of the evening sky and its reflection off the of the Star Trek set that is the place where I work. In one direction, I could see orange and deep purple reflected off gleaming external ductwork, windows and steel gangways. In the other, I imagined I could see out over the edge of Germany to the Netherlands, Belgium and the Atlantic beyond. Truly a strange and wonderful sight.

Ah, the Döner Kebap

This post is dedicated to that most awesomely delicious of all foods in Deutschland, the Döner kebap. Lamb. Turkish spices. Onions. Lettuce. Beets. Tomatoes. A fresh pita. And nothing else.

I've had two in one week already, which is definitely not enough. All I can say is that you'd have to be here to understand how good this thing is (sorry vegetarians), but maybe I can bring back a recipe. Dare I say that I like them better than Qdoba burritos? Tough one, verdict's out.

Karls Dom, Gut Kullen, Erster Tag

Herzliche Gruesse von Aachen, Deutschland!

I arrived in Europe almost a week ago after my flight across the Atlantic. London Heathrow, which I flew into first, is huge and very modern, and has surprisingly good (but very expensive) food. At this point British Airways is my favorite out of the two airlines I've flown to Europe with. Unfortunately I didn't get to spend any time in London proper- I instead caught a plane to Duesseldorf, which is about an hour northeast of Aachen and near the home of my old Gastgeber and good friend Hendrik, whose family I stayed with for the night. His mom, Cordelia, is an amazing cook and the whole family came over for dinner- grandparents, Hendrik's sister and her boyfriend too- and it was great to see all of them again. Hendrik's home is where I stayed as a senior exchange student in high school, and thus a lot of memories were brought back just by being here.

That evening Hendrik and I went to a birthday party for Julian, Hendrik's old high school buddy, which was even more good food (there's a pattern here), drink, and friends, some of which I also got to know on my exchange but haven't seen for 2 whole years. Julian had a pretty sweet birthday party in my opinion, and of course I was surprised Some pictures to come!

With a little help from Hendrik I moved myself in to my flat next to the Uniklinik in Aachen on Sunday and met with my supervisor, Andreas, for the first time. Hendrik and I then took a trip into the old Stadtzentrum, near the Rathaus (town hall) and Aachener Dom, to meet with some other students visiting RWTH this summer. We met first Amy and Janina, a student-and-supervisor pair that work in the same department at the Uniklinik as Andreas and I. There was a Troedelmarkt (flea market) sprawled out over the ancient stone streets and alleys surrounding the Dom and Rathaus, and from this setting I got my first glimpses of Aachen's old-world history and charm. Like typical American flea markets, you could find everything here, but with a distinctive German flavor- instead of a hot dog stand, one found a Wagen selling Krakauer Wurtschen, a pale Polish sausage with a tangy curry sauce. On the front facade of the Rathaus one sees sculptures of almost all the German kings crowned in Aachen during the time of the Holy Roman Empire, who were most likely looking to absorb some of Karl der Grosse's aura from this historic place. There are cozy bars (Kneipen), cafes and restaurants all over the place here, as well as some really interesting architecture from the pre-WWI years to today. Aachen seems to have done a great job of preserving its heritage while staying modern- it has a really great bus system, for instance.

The Uniklinik is another thing altogether- it's a 15-min walk outside the main ring surrounding Aachen and looks alternatively like an alien starship and a landlocked oil refinery, depending on how you look at it. It was built in the 70's, and appropriately has most of its heating and cooling system mounted externally in vibrant spacey colors, and the inside sports vivid green carpeting, Star-Trek-esque steel framing everywhere and the most modern equipment in German medicine. My description really doesn't do it justice, so i'll try to post some pictures when I get a chance. Everyone in my department has so far been great, and I'm looking forward to when we can actually start working with patients.

Right now I'm in Köln with Hendrik for the weekend, which has one of the most famous cathedrals in all the world. The Kölner Dom,
at right, is approx. 300 meters tall and one of the few structures not destroyed during the bombing of Köln in WWII. Thus it remains a symbol of faith and hope for the future in this country, and it's rightfully huge and intricate. One can climb the approx. 600 steps to the belfry and get a truly awesome view of the Rhein, the city and the surrounding countryside.

Hendrik and I plan on going to a contest for new bands tonight, where the groups are competing for a chance to record an album. Should be good, seeing the stakes at hand. Tomorrow I'll visit the Roman Museum here and some of the fantastic cathedrals and churches around center city, with pictures to come once I get some time. Hope this post finds everybody back in the States well!

Nur drei Tage!

Today marked the end of my sophomore year at Penn, as I slogged my way through two finals and a take-home test. Ugh. The important thing is that that's over, and I can focus on getting ready for Deutschland. Big shoutouts are owed to the following for making this spring easily the most awesome I've had at Penn to date: first, the men of 1911- I'll buy you all a draaank. best roomies ever. To all of Penn IV, without you I'd (seriously) be lost. You are my rock. To my UMC family, you are my inspiration, and we will do great things next semester. hollaaa! To the quintet and orchestra, you give me joy through music and friendship. And to all others, who know who they are, I wish you much love and luck in the summer to come!

So yeah, this blog is supposed to be about me in Germany. As you can see, right now it's mostly about me wanting to be there. So take a look at the list at right and let me know where you would go, if you had a few weekends to travel in Europe. Some of them are obvious, but others I've listed on recommendation. Comments are free and welcomed, of course.

For those who I haven't gotten to tell yet, I'll be working at the Rheinische-Westphaelische Technische Hochschule (RWTH from here on out) in Aachen. (http://www.rwth-aachen.de/go/id/bdz/) You can see the Universitaetsklinikum where I'll be working at top left. The Ph.D. I'm working for, Andreas Finkelmeyer, plans to look at how humans respond emotionally to a combination of visual stimuli (faces) and various odors, using fMRI brain imaging technology- more on that later.

Aachen is just east of the 3-way intersection of the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, and was also the political center of Charlamagne's Holy Roman Empire. His remains rest in the impressive Aachener Dom (sometimes called the Kaiserdom) in the old center of Aachen that's also famous for it's Schatzkammer, a separate annex devoted to a collection of fantastic religious artifacts. (http://www.aachendom.de/index195-0.aspx)

But Aachen's got more than just Karl der Grosse, as the Germans call him. It's also famous for it's hot springs, and Germans have congregated here for years to "take the cure" at local spas. It has a football club called Alemannia Aachen that recently distinguished itself by breaking to Germany's Bundesliga I football league, not an easy feat for a team from a smaller city. There's also a special treat that's only made here called Aachener Printen, gingerbread-like cookies sweetened with sugar beets and a secret blend of spices, and pressed into little log-like shapes.

Very nearby to the northeast are Cologne and Duesseldorf, two Rheinland industrial centers and perpetrators of a fierce intercity rivalry that most often shows up today in ice hockey and their native beer varieties, Koelsch (Cologne) and Altbier (Duesseldorf). Don't bother asking for an "Alt" in Cologne, unless you want to get strange looks from your new friends at the local Kneipe. Also withing short travel distance by train are Brussels, the capital of both the EU and the Belgians, and the ever (in)famous Amsterdam, both of which I plan to visit.

More history/culture/etc. to come, right now I've got to get ready to move out, which will most likely end up being made into a monumental task by my inability to quickly organize myself. To those heading home from Penn and other schools today, safe travels!

Ein Anfang

The title of this log translates to "travel stories, freely offered"- and that's what I hope this little project will turn out to be. Let the world (or rather, whoever I'm lucky enough to get as Vorlesern (readers)) be my judge.

This coming summer will be my return to Germany for the first time in more than two years. By the end of my two weeks in Hilden, Nordrhein-Westphalia, I felt a strong desire to hide myself away in the basement of my Gastgeber (host) until the world forgot about me, so that I could start my life anew in this strange and wonderful continent. Coming from a small high school in rural Pennsylvania, where the passage of time sometimes still seems to drag its feet, the newness of Germany and the friends I made there fueled my desire for change more so than most other things I had experienced in my life.

Part of myself still lives on in the Altstadt (Old City) of Düsseldorf, the massive Dom (cathedral) in Cologne, and the wild urban cityscape that is Berlin, a furious Mixgerät (blender) of old pains and new dreams for this country. My senses still remember what my first Diebels Alt tasted like, the bite of the morning cold on my hands as we rode to Gymnasium (high school) through the woods, and the reverberations of the club where I first saw the Ohrbooten (http://www.ohrbooten.de/).

The German word for ‘metamorphosis’ is ‘die Verwandlung.’ Despite also being the title to a rather shocking Kafka novella, it’s also what travel can cause in people. In this space I’ll try to regularly share my Erfahrungen (experience) with you. My reflections are my own (poorly constructed) opinion, and I will try to give you the essence of my reactions to this land as directly as possible. I want you to travel with me, so expect (what I hope are decent) pictures to come. If you’re still with me after the garble above, hopefully you’ll continue to enjoy the ride.

Let the waiting begin…