What is a proposal, anyway?

I imagined a bulk of papers heaped on my desk, books toppling over the purple ottoman like a waterfall over the carpet still not vacuumed. That might have been my junior year, but as I wrap up the details of my senior project proposal, there seems to be glints of wonder abounding in the process.

Academia is an uncertain feeling, but finding knowledge is not. Lately I have spent many nights hauling thick books back to my dorm room under the cloak of evening. By now, I suppose I have  22 books on my shelf - all borrowed, but only half are dedicated to my senior thesis. Despite this gathering of materials, the proposal has yet to be entirely finished, it waits in my documents folder to be finalized.

But what is a proposal? The least romantic thing, the beginning of the end in the case of my undergraduate career. The hardest part was deciding how to bend on one knee and deliver a lean guide to my final two semesters to the director of my department. Will I be reading or producing? Analyzing or recreating? What will it mean? What will it be used for?

Waste is a despicable thing, and this belief no doubt influenced the desire to create. Who said, after all, that the epitome of your college struggle had to be encapsulated in a elongated paper, presented to the world and then locked into a library? Certainly not me.

I've designed, God willing, a creative project. A translation project. An active work that allows me to bend my perception of language, to build upon basic skills, and then discuss via analysis essay the process and meaning behind this. To discover and explain what fascinates me about language, and languages.

Now I am translating a short story from English into German and Russian. Even with only two pages of the German loosely screwed together, I can see errors and conflicts in syntax. Verbs. We use smoldering for embers, but is German is it used more idiomatically for love than in English? I've used this adjective twice - does it mean the same thing the third time? Must it be generalized or specialized?

And of course, there is the hope that my language skills will improve. That my German will blossom into a upper B2 butterfly, and my Russian - well, it will be conversational, at least.

But where will all this end up? Where will this proposal take me? Will it leave me at the alter? Well, I guess we'll find out at the defense. Until then the invitations - tidbits and nibblets about translation and morphology to come.

Thoughts on the Foreign Language Dictionary

Even after I lug through language credit hours touch typing word after word, I still have nostalgia for the a dictionary. Once I decide on a language, I'll heave the heavy tome from my shelf and flitter through the pages.

It's never a direct route.

On the way  to find the English translation of пенсия (pension) you may find scaremonger (паникёр), tall fur hat (папаха), and if you've accidentally missed it: to call the roll (переклевать).

The pads of your fingers run along at random as if pointing to spells or choosing a cluster of terms for your next great novel. In Russian, maybe?

It's not a question of better or worse. Only sometimes, the sanctity of a book may call you back, even if it is a simple, small dictionary.

Courseless: Rummaging for Materials

So, you want to learn a language? Or maybe you you're returning to an old friend.  Do you want to improve your language for a course next semester?

Regardless of your intent, you come up with a problem: what kind of source to use?

There are a multitude of free and not-so-free courses for the language of your choice. And before you start wading through the mess, it's important to ask some fundamental questions:

What level am I on now? Beginner? Intermediate? A1? B2? The Common European Framework is my preferred reference, but if you prefer another system of evaluation, go for it! Other choices include:

The Interagency Language Roundtable scale (IRL)

The Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi - Chinese only!

The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language (ACTFL)

What do I want to learn about? If your goal is travel phrases for a vacation, you will probably need a different book or online course than someone who is interested in advanced grammatical concepts.

Are there methods that appeal to me more than others? Do you prefer reading, writing, listening or speaking? Which of these is most important for you to learn? Does knowing how to speak help you write, or vise versa?  It's worth it to know not only how you want to communicate, but what learning style works best for you.

How much money can I spend? This is true especially if you are a beginner or if you are simply giving the language a test drive. Don't invest hundreds of dollars on a plethora of materials just to try them out. Read reviews, suggestions, and search for free stuff first. I can imagine there is at least one online course for nearly every language.

Do I have anyone to speak with? Looking up native speakers in your area is a great way to expound on anything you learn online. If there is a meet up available and not just tutoring, you can really learn a lot paying with time. My first impulse is to check out Meetup.com. 

How much time can I spend? Do you need a book that is short and sweet? Or do you want that hard leather-bound spell book containing 500,000 new words and grammatical notes with footnotes at the library bookstore? Depending on your level, you'll spend a different amount of time on textbook than a phrase book, but if depending on your level you might want to start on something less time consuming. I'd say the same if you're B1 or B2 - do you want to buy a textbook with listening or do you want to listen to free news casts and read a book?

After all these are answered, there are the common sense methods. If you must buy something, check the reviews first. Be aware that a certain brand may have a great books for Spanish while the German ones are lacking. The only repeated item I buy is a Barron's 500 verb dictionary, although these may also be obsolete with online verb tables. Still, it never hurts to have a physical copy, especially if you are prone to distraction online. I also find it easier to study without the internet and with something that's been edited. 

If you want my take - if I'm not enrolled in a class, I will try to find a free online course. Typically, I also purchase a reasonably priced dictionary, verb book, and sometimes a grammar reference if it isn't included in the dictionary. Often a basic grammar guide is enough, as I like to create a grammar "cheat sheet" with my own notes and color coordination.

When I began learning German, I used Deutche Welle's online course, and I continue watching their programs because it's very clear and easy to listen to.

With Russian, I used borrowed a textbook from my friend who finished first year Russian. We use Live From Russia, but I prefer Golosa (Голоса).

I started Arabic at my university, and even when I was away, I continued with Al-Kitaab. After we finish the series, I plan on practicing through a book on Arab stories, which includes a listening portion.

There's so many texts and online resources it's impossible to list them here. But finding the right material is a rewarding process, and even if you fail to find the right book at first, you'll still have found out more about your learning style.

An Ode to Learning Language

It is your first second language.

It’s the thick and luscious r that brought you here. Or maybe it is the curve of your lower lip resonating the o with more roundness than your native tongue. It’s that click of the tongue that sent curiosity sharp down your spine; it’s that sighed h that echoed in your ears after the class was closed.

There are a multitude of reasons why this language is the one. Although maybe there is a singular motivation, an intuitive hunch, a guided path of syllables dropped like breadcrumbs to lead you to this specific classroom.

Again illiterate, again facing the unknown, you listen to the soft edges of the alphabet, to the characters. Anticipation lingers in each pause your teacher emits, like a scene skipping just before the climax of a film.

This code represents everything you are and everything you will become. Without a doubt it contains your essence, somewhere stuck in the syntax of every sentence. No longer empty with the absence of life, this new language fills you from your mouth to your feet.

Every new word gives you satisfaction, more perhaps than any other achievement -- every natural pause and pace, your hands gesturing or not gesturing in a way different than that of your childhood. You have chosen these phrases.

A year passes, fattened and plump with nouns and adjectives and verbs and verb forms and cases and gender and everything you did not know one language could contain. After a year, that tranquil a or i drips from your lips like melted snow.

But you’ve noticed something.

As you grow, so does that absence. No matter how many rules you amass into a stockpile of grammar that matters, that hunger grows too.

At first it is frightening. Four walls enclose your words. No matter how fast you learn vocabulary, how accurate you match the endings with the function, this inescapable void only increases. Suddenly that o no longer defines the fullness of your heart, the openness of your mind.

So you take another friend, another self. The grammar is familiar, but only faintly; the words are jumbled codes of the last. This one is a puzzle. It is complex. You have not forgotten your second self, but this one is you.

These new sounds invigorate your spirit, give new names to the sun, but it is still the same sun that rises and sets without fail. These sounds dull, too.

But this time there is an expectance for that sound to flatten like a shadow on the street. Six months in and the growing pains begin. They grind your sentences into ashen whispers, but only for a few weeks. With this language, this phase was shorter. You already knew the illness; the remedies were in your pocket.

There is now in this new language an acceptance of that creeping vortex. The hunger disappears, but the heart returns.

For you all things are laid bare and open. For you to skim, for you to hum, for you to dig deep into the trenches of another soul – one that is not yours, but has become part of yours all the same.

A Brief Break

From my Instagram

Hi everyone! Unfortunately I will be taking a brief hiatus while I finish moving into my dorm, prepare for the first week of the semester, and continue working orientation week on my campus. Posts will resume on the 3rd of September.

By then, I hope to have news about:

Finalizing my senior project
Organizing an official independent course
and of course: Actual classes and work!

As boring as that all sounds, I will be posting poetry, short stories, and I imagine more projects throughout the semester.

Stay tuned!

Courseless: Immersion through Integration

How I use Habit RPG for Language Immersion

Popular language-learning software like Rosetta Stone market their immersion technique to draw in the casual learner. Immersion is the reason people study abroad. But what about when you want to practice at home? What's the best way to immerse yourself in the target language?

The good news it's there's a plethora of paths to integrating language practice into your daily routine. Besides searching for local language clubs and pen pals, you can use anything you normally enjoy (or even things you may dislike!) to learn a language.

• Language Labels - This is a more passive technique. As I'm moving into a new dorm in a few weeks, I've started compiling a slideshow with images of every times - clothes, kitchenware, etc. Each slide features one item, and the word in my target language. If the gender or plurals aren't intuitive, I add them as well. Afterward, you can print them out using the 6-slides a page option. I'm planning to cut them out and stick them around my room (and if my roommates let me, the apartment...).

• Cooking - I've partially completed this technique. In Germany, I turned my grocery list into a vocabulary list. Because I was living in the country, I got a lot of practice with food. But if you're learning a language like Chinese or Arabic, you can always visit a specialty shop and read the labels there! The only thing I need to work on with this technique is using the verbs while I cook, Which is why summarizing a recipe you can use during the cooking process might help a lot!

Cards in the slideshow, and as a print out.

• Gaming - So, this one is exciting. I've used to Sims 3 in particular. It's more of a special treat I give myself, but it's all in Russian, so I get some practice anyway. When I play, I try to write down 10 words I don't know, and translate them after. Since the Sims 3 is real-life simulation, there's a lot of useful tidbits there! I've also used Civ IV for German, and I enjoy that as well.
  
  Another game that's worth mentioning is Habit RPG. A really good friend of mine sent me this article, which discusses how students have been using it to practice Japanese. Since I'm learning three languages, I've dividing the functions. Arabic is for the habitual, more elementary vocabulary: no soda, go to sleep early, etc. Russian has my daily tasks, which are also less complicated. German gets a nice seat at the To-Do list, which includes appointments, writing projects, and so forth - mostly because I have a larger vocabulary in this area. Rewards go to all three, and I try to give Russian and Arabic a bit more room here.
  
  I've also heard of Japanese learners using Minecraft, and that there's a ton of Russians on Dota 2. But I haven't really looked further into these topics.

• Reading, Writing and Film - All of these things are great ways to incorporate what you've learned. I feel like Film and TV are most used, partially because you can be somewhat passive. I enjoy reading a lot, especially because I can go at my own pace. Reading can also give you a sense of freedom, because the topics are endless.

Sims 3 по-русски!

My favorite resource is having a movie with subtitles in your target language, because then you can write down what you can't hear as well. Writing can also be fun, but it does feel a lot more like work. I usually write small snippets of fiction, but I've tried poetry too. It's a great way to exercise your creativity while reviewing some vocabulary.

The great thing about these options are that they are free, or relatively cheap - especially compared to traveling abroad or buying high-end flashcard software. And at the end of the day, rainy-day language activities may be just what you need start enjoying the language!

Courseless: Holidays and Language Breaks

When I took Spanish in high school, I rarely studied during the semester, let alone during Christmas or Summer break. Maybe the week before classes resumed, I may scramble for my list of verb conjugations and important vocabulary words, but that was it. It wasn't enough to learn the language, or even relearn it.

I realized that breaks can be detrimental when I started again with German. You might be able to make it two weeks without loosing too much, but even then you'll need time and dedication just to recall what you last studied, let alone what you studied at the beginning of your course.

No one is saying you need to bind yourself to a chair and force the language down your throat. I've been there - it doesn't help. Instead, I found it's better to spend 10-30 minutes a day reviewing, especially if your goal is just to keep up with a college or high school course. And you can do this multiple ways:

One is to simply take your textbook and reread grammar and vocabulary. But I don't have to tell you that this route is the most boring one you can take.

Screenshot from memrise.com 

For vocabulary, I tend to use Memrise, a flashcard program. You can create your own set or use someone else's. You might even find your textbook! This free program also encourages you to make interesting and fun memes for words as a memory exercise. If you get a word wrong in spelling or multiple choice, you'll get to see it again along with your meme. In addition, this program uses a spaced repetition model to help you retain what you've been over. Basically, after a certain amount of time, words that you've already mastered are readmitted into your study stack, giving you a chance to brush up.

I've gotten really addicted to this program over the past few months. There are some study sets for movies. For example, I used this set for the first 10 minutes of the German film Goodbye, Lenin!, and after finishing my study-set, I could watch the opening scene without subtitles! You can also download an app on your phone, so you can practice just about anywhere.

Another great way is simply to write, whether it be a diary, a short story, or just information about your family and friends. Of course this depends on your level, but I find that writing not only helps me practice vocabulary, but also grammar - without having to reread all the rules!  Also, because you are writing things relevant or interesting to you, the vocabulary will stick better. And of course, if you have someone you can speak with, you should do that too!

I also like to do small things related to what we've learned. Sometimes I'll take a topic that we've discussed - let's say, the weather, and I'll google weather report videos. One video may be two to three minutes, and I may watch a few of these. That will be my review for the day. The more you use the words in context, the better they will stick. Listening practice also gives you an idea of the natural flow of the language. When I was recovering from jet-lag, I used this form from Saudi Arabia. It has English underneath the Arabic, but it let me practice reading and writing basic information.

No matter what method you use to study, whether it's what I've suggested or not, the main idea is to study for a short amount of time everyday during extended holidays. A few days off are never bad, but as scholarships and finishing general education requirements are important to all students, 30 minutes a day reviewing language material is better than trying to cram it all in the last few days of the break.

Courseless: Another Way to Learn

I was shocked by the German university system. Maybe it was just my institution in particular, but the set up was completely unfamiliar. American-styled syllabi were unheard of, none of my classes submitted attendance sheets, and homework was a purely recreational activity. The language classes faired only slightly better, but only my optional Russian course had a lecturer that corrected homework. So what does that mean for learning? Specifically, language learning.

The central university library in Marburg

Well, you can say goodbye to the excuse: "I can't learn a language". Really, you can say that for anything at this point.

Now, there are values to the German system. One in particular, is that it encourages self-motivation and self-studying. Without it, you might as well fail. When I taught myself up to intermediate German, I had imagined it was a big achievement, but the fact is, whole nations of people work this way within their university system. In Germany, with minimal materials - slides, handouts and notes from the professor or lecturer. And whatever else you can dig up, in my case.

Of course, with language there are four components: reading, listening, writing and speaking. The last two are what give people the most trouble, and it's useful to have help. But do you really need a course? What if you can't afford one? Or it doesn't fit in your hectic schedule of work, family, friends, perhaps more school (second job, etc)?

You don't necessarily need books....
even if they look amazing.......

With language, it's more than easy to find resources that allow to work around your daily routine. There's a plethora of language-exchange websites, local language meet-ups, digital flashcards, free online courses, and only vocabulary and grammar references. Deciding what to use is more difficult than learning!

Although sometimes, you don't have to chose. You can combine, mix and match, find out what works. If you want to do something, and I mean really want to, there isn't really an excuse as long as the net is open and free. 

This brings me to the root of the matter: my first project here, at the Fable Hotel, is to try out different methods for language learning and post the results! They may not follow the originals correctly, and of course, language learning is different for everyone - but another review doesn't hurt.

My Favorite Finds in Marburg

St. Michael's Chapel

Marburg, like all cities, has its planned routes, its "must-sees", its monuments that put it in the guidebook, if not on the map. The Kaiser-Wilhelm-Tower, the Landgraves Castle, and the fairy tale trail through the old city are all fantastic adventures that take less then a day to complete. But after four months studying there, I was bound to find some hidden treasures:

1. St. Michael's Chapel - This chapel and graveyard was consecrated in 1270. I found it exploring the staircase near a döner shop at the Ketzerbach intersection, and later returned with Deb. Although we didn't go inside the chapel, the graveyard is enough to be amazed at: centuries old tombstones are sunk into the ground or attached to the side of the chapel, the edges withered and the faint epigraphs are the only reminders that these slabs might have labeled a grave. If you continue the upwards climb, you'll discover two routes - one leads to a winding neighborhood with a fantastic view of the castle, the other to Wehrda, Marbach, or the Emil Adolf von Behring Mausoleum.

A piece from the Shinto collection

2. Emil Adolf von Behring Museum - Behring (1854-1917) is accredited with discovered the diphtheria antitoxin and researching immunities. The Museum is located in Marburg's chemistry lecture hall, and I only stumbled upon the museum because my Arabic final took place there in the great lecture hall. I didn't get too much time to look around, but it even briefly skimming the notes, artifacts, and images from this collection was fascinating.

3. Marburg's religious collection - This gem can be found in the old city, on the way to the castle. There's a high wall with seven large hats - the seven dwarfs - and a building with slanted windows. Here, you'll find a vast array of artifacts - sometimes authentic, sometimes not - from world religions. Each floor houses two or three different practices, as well as seminar rooms, as the building functions as a religious studies center. If the museum isn't open, you can ask the desk on the 3rd floor, and they will happily open the entire exhibit. And if you don't know any German, the items are described in English as well. Hinduism and Buddhism definitely dominate, but there's a lot to be said for Christianity, Shintoism, Judaism, Islam, and other pagan beliefs.

The Marburg flea market.

And as a bonus, you should definitely visit the flea market. When I went to scour the finds, it was located in Waggonhalle. It's about a 20 minute walk from the train station, and like the one in Berlin, you can find just about anything there! It's many thanks to my tandem partner that I even decided to go.

Which reminds me, the one must-do when studying abroad: find a tandem partner! In Marburg, you can be matched with someone in the language center, and you can even get credit for doing it. It's a great way to meet new people, practice your German, learn more about your native language, and learn more about your host city!

3 Favorites from Berlin

So, last week I wrote a short blurb about my time in Berlin - and even now, I believe it's impossible to give you my full impression of the city. There are many things I wish I could have done there, but I've decided to let you in on my favorite things in Berlin until I recover from jet lag!

1. The Flea Market (Flohmarkt) - specifically, the one on 17th June Street! This sprawling line of venders offering antiques, knickknacks and other finds cuts through Berlin's Tiergarten, a vast park connecting the Moabit and Charlottenberg districts. You can find clothes, some Bavarian costumes, old photographs, small appliances, swords, Russian nesting dolls, and pretty much anything you desire. And for a great price.

2. Kreuzberg - Just all of it. It's my favorite setting - Mexican food, Arabic food, Turkish, Greek, whatever you're in the mood for, it's there. My particularly favorite store was a small indie comic book shop, with humor merchandise, t-shirts, journals and other various things. In fact, speaking of things, we stumbled upon The Museum of Things - which unfortunately, we decided not to investigate due to fatigue. In this picture, we see a Gay Pride parade.

3. The Subway - Yes, I really, really love public transit. And Berlin's system seemed quaint and reminiscent of the 70s and 80s. Despite an encounter with a belligerent drunk woman, whom I briefly discussed in my article about Berlin, traveling via subway was really enjoyable!

Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to visit museums or castles while I was there - primarily because of money and time restraints. But the three listed are small, amazing things that I enjoyed during my time in Berlin - far more than the touristic sites.

You can go to the Brandenburg tour, Checkpoint Charlie and the East Side Gallery, but it's the small, everyday places - the subway, restaurants, and so on - where you will really feel Berlin, not just see it.

Bis Bald! Goodbye Germany - For Now!

From up above, Marburg really is a beautiful city.

As some of you may know, my time here in Germany is coming to an end. To be specific - I leave this Thursday.  And I still can't completely believe it. For the past weeks, I've been treading through paperwork, packing, and saying my goodbyes. There's definitely a side of me who isn't ready to return, who wants another week, another month, maybe.

But I'm also ready to go home. It's time to start up my work again. And as much as I'll be glad to be in a familiar culture, speaking my native tongue, there will be things I miss.

A large part of my day is spent traveling, 30 minutes from my dorm to the city center. Everyday. But I'll miss the trains even more. Here it's so simple to travel long distances, and it'll be something I think about whenever I try to maneuver a trip from Knoxville to Memphis. The variety of Megabus-like services will  be stuck in my memory, too - as I've used both the Meinfernbus and Deinbus when traveling to Berlin and Munich. A loss of this vast public transit system is a loss of freedom.

There's also the food. I'll miss quick bites at the Lecker Ecke. I'll miss auflauf, curry wurst, schnitzel and döner. But I'm also excited to get back to inexpensive and more authentic Mexican and Chinese food.

Greek wine and a broken cork...but we
 found a solution!

The scenery in Knoxville is definitely a downgrade from Marburg. Don't get me wrong, Knoxville can be lovely. But it isn't a picturesque German city with a castle from the 11th century built on-top of a mountain. However, both cities require me to walk to school up hill both ways, so at least I'll get a work out back in the USA.

And of course, I'll miss the friends I've made here - both through my dorm and through my tandem program. :)  For those who don't know what a tandem is, it's a language exchange. You find a partner with the language you are learning, and for two hours you practice - one hour per language. I've really enjoyed my time with everyone here, and I only wish I could stay longer!

There is one major thing I've been missing throughout the experience - American higher education. This may sound strange, for the money Germans pay to the university, it isn't bad here. But it's very different.

First, attendance may not matter at all. There were some classmates I only saw twice - once mid semester, and once during exams. Second, none of my lecturers or professors graded homework, or even took it up. Sometimes nothing was assigned. Classes also went at a slower pace than those in the US. It was definitely more laid back, and although I liked not having to buy a textbook, I feel like I thrive better in a more regimented environment. And I remember more.

Three of seven dwarves outside of the
 Religious Collection building.

Exams are one last thing about the education system that I really do prefer in the US. Here there are no tests until your final - at least in my department. It was difficult to study, because there was so much anxiety about the pressure to do well. When I go back, I think I'll be much more relaxed about exams, since I know in the US I have a grade buffer.

And a small tip for those studying abroad: I would suggest studying another language when you're abroad. I know that sounds insane, but it really made a difference for me. I took an optional course in Russian through the Language Center. Everything was in German, and it proved to be more useful than my Sprachkurs (Speaking course, in this case for German). In addition to that, I found studying Russian through German to be simpler, because of the similarities in grammar, such as the case system.

Studying in Germany never really matched my expectations, but it was definitely a great experience- good days and bad. I can't really tell if it's "changed me" - maybe that will come out when I'm back home. 

Nach Berlin mit Liebe

Hanging out with Marx and Engels! 

In June I finally had some relief from German bureaucracy. Since May I had been working to get all the documents for a German visa - not for myself, but for my boyfriend, Deb. Because I was inviting him, and I wasn't a German citizen, everything was more complicated - but nevertheless, I found myself waiting at the airport for his arrival. :-)

It being his first time abroad, everything was exciting - even my small town of Marburg!  But to be honest, we started sight-seeing two days later, in Berlin.

Berlin is like any other big city - at least, what I imagine big cities to look like. But it definitely has it's own quirks - the Ampelmännchen traffic lights, the retro subways, sometimes with wood-paneled interior, and hidden monuments. Seeing all of Berlin in two days is impossible, but we certainly saw a lot!

Our first full day in Berlin, we walked from 9:00 in the morning until 12:00 at night. We ventured into all the main sites - the Brandenburg Tor, Museum Insel, Checkpoint Charlie, the East Side Gallery, Podtzdammer Platz. As we traveled from the middle of the city to Kreuzberg, the hub for multicultural cuisine and indie shops (and my favorite district of Berlin), performers jumped from subway car to subway car playing music. This was much more enjoyable than the cursing drunkardette picking fights on our way back to our hotel, located in Moabit.

A gorgeous mosque in Kreuzberg,  located in-between a
Mexican and Korean Restaurant.

Both Moabit and Kreuzberg turned out to be where Deb and I enjoyed ourselves the most. While in Berlin, we both contracted a cold. The next day, after walking from Moabit to Charlottenburg - which is exhausting, and visited the flea-market on 17th June Street, we made a quick stop in Kreuzberg. As we began walking in Kreuzberg, it began to rain heavily, and we took shelter next to a Korean restaurant. Deb and I had hoped to try some Korean barbecue, but without a reservation, we would have had to sit "yoga style", and both of us were too exhausted for that!

So we ended up back in Moabit - which is a beautiful area, and I wish we would have seen more of it! After freshening up and walking around, we settled for a small Indian restaurant, where Deb taught me how to eat biryani, rogan josh, and naan properly. More than tasty, the food was delicious! A hot one, at that! The next day our colds had nearly vanished - and then we were off to Marburg again.

Sculpture of Shiva, from Marburg's
Religious Collection

Although I enjoyed our time in Berlin, we had a ton of fun in Marburg. We visited Elizabeth's Church, dedicated to Elizabeth of Hungary who became a cult figure in the middle ages. The Marburg Castle was not nearly as interesting, as it has been modernized and turned in a museum for fairytales - with some folk galleries. They are working on the bottom of the castle, I think to show off a preserved version of the castle. Regardless, Deb and I both enjoyed observing the artwork, the religious icons and the armor and weaponry exhibits.

It was on our way to the castle that we stumbled upon the university's religious collections, which at the time were closed. So on Monday we returned, and ended up being the only ones interested in seeing the artifacts, taken or bought by Rudolf Otto. So we had a kind of private showing that encompassed nearly all mainstream religion - Hindu, Christian, Muslim, Shinto, Buddhism and so forth. Deb was able to contribute more to the Hindu and Buddhism descriptions - not all of which were authentic or correct on his account. And when we found an image from a Bollywood movie in the Islamic exhibit, we couldn't help but laugh!

Eventually, though, Deb did have to return to India. And although I missed him the moment he left - and I miss him now, my upcoming exams didn't give me much time to do anything but study!

Meine Lieblingsstädte in Deutschland

Lion's Castle in Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, Kassel

I know, it's been a while! As you might have expected, life goes fast when you're abroad - especially when you're studying and traveling. There will be a few more of these posts before I leave Germany, since I have a lot to catch up on!

It's been a while, but in May I visited Kassel - a city one hour north of Marburg, and home to the Brother's Grimm. Yes, the Brother's Grimm stayed in Marburg, too, but only to study law. The Grimm Museum, conveniently in the house the Grimm brothers grew up in, has two parts - the storybook exhibit (at least for right now), and an exhibit about the Grimm family. It's a fun side trip - the best part was looking at the various versions of the Grimm fairytales, and how they were adapted for different languages and cultures. The other amusing thing - seeing old paintings of Marburg in the exhibition.

A view of Heidelberg and the Neckar River from the castle.

Although I love storytelling and fairytales, I enjoyed seeing the Bergpark the second time I visited Kassel. The Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, or "Mountain Park Wilhelmshöhe", is a vast slope of green-space, with numerous monuments - the most well-known being the Hercules monument. It takes more than a day to see them all (and I wasn't able to), although my personal favorites were the Lion's Castle and the Roman Aqueduct. 

Visiting this park will be one of my fondest memories in Germany for several reasons - going was inexpensive, there were no lines to wait in, the scenery was gorgeous, and overall, it was a nice, relaxed outing (even if climbing the Hercules monument was difficult).

It wasn't long until another trip was planned - this time, to Heidelberg. I had been to Heidelberg before in 2008, and I was eager to visit it again. I actually visited it twice - once with some friends, and once with my boyfriend (which deserves a whole blogpost on its own). 

Heidelberg Castle

Heidelberg lies on the Neckar river, and the castle, seemingly carved into the side of a mountain has survived since the 1100s. Although it lies in semi-ruin, it has been an important figure in the history of the 30 years war and in the rise of nazism. On a lighter note - it contains the largest wine barrel in the world. And depending on your tour guide, you will either get intense narratives of the political role of the castle, or romantic shorts about Elector Palatine Frederick V and his wife, Elizabeth Stuart. Every tour guide, however, will mention the commodes above your head, or the "vomiting pit", used by guests so that they could be polite and stuff their face all evening at parties. 

These two places in Hessen are also my favorite overall in Germany - although I have a lot to say next time about Berlin!

Ein Unglück kommt selten allein.....

I was literally about to die from fear
 cause that terrace is over a steep
ledge of death.

Although belated, my journey to Neuschwanstein is more deserving of a blog post than anything I have written.

The Neuschwanstein (pronounced Noee shvan stein) castle is the postcard castle of Germany. Begun by Ludwig II and later an inspiration for the Disney castle, it's appearance is far easier to digest than the name. Located in Füssen, it is over two hours from Munich, nearly three if you count the bus ride to the village of Hohenschwangau, where we had to buy our tickets.

Two other Americans and myself planned this excursion - and as it was our first, we did have some adventures.

First, we woke up a bit later than expected. It had taken us two hours to find out hotel the night before, due to some confusion of the hotel street name and the Munich public transit, and we went to bed late. But we were ready for some Bavarian tourism, especially after stumbling upon a yodeling performance the night before.

Can you imagine why sleeping may be
difficult with these things around?

So we walked casually to the bus station. I hadn't eaten, and expected to pick something up at the train station - and I might have, if we hadn't nearly missed the train to Füssen. After meeting two other American girls, we decided to try to get on their train ticket, but correcting an already printed pass isn't quite possible in Germany. After rushing to get our own group pass, we bolted for the platform, and leapt onto the train minutes before its departure.

Being that this was the only train to Füssen for the hour, the aisles were already congested with other tourists. Italian, French, English, Korean, Chinese and something vaguely resembling a slavic language were mashed together. After an hour of standing the heated train, the thick clusters of people, and the lack of food began to make me feel ill. As with the train, I was lucky in this case. An middle-aged Korean man, traveling with his family, had left his seat to stand. His wife offered the place to me, and I was able to relax until we reached the village.

Füssen is a small, typical Bavarian town, tucked into the mountains, with streets lined with tourist shops. We stopped at a cafe before taking a bus up to Hohenschwangau. It was here, that my purple poke-dotted, 2 euro umbrella vanished.

Time teased us again, as we nearly missed the bus to Hohenschwangau, where we then had to walk up a steep incline of souvenir shops and horse-drawn carriages to stand in line for tickets. We had not reserved tickets, because it didn't seem particularly encouraged online. It wasn't required. And so we stood in line for three hours for tickets that may be sold out by the time we reached the counter.

View from the Marienbrücke, which also freaked me out.

But we were lucky, in this instance, too. As soon as we bought our tickets at 3:00, the last English tour disappeared from the monitors. But still, we weren't done waiting - the tour wasn't until 6:15, and it supposedly was only 35 minutes.

So after poking in and out of souvenir shops, walking the nature trails and snapping photographs, we went to our tour. We went through only 3 or 4 rooms - the only ones finished out of the entire castle. One corridor looked like a cave, rocky walls with stalagmites and all. It took 17 years for numerous artists and designers to work on these rooms, and it isn't a surprise why. Every single detail, from the canopy of the bed to every inch of the walls were intricately painted or sculpted or embroidered.

I had looked at those overpriced tourist umbrellas.
 "Nah, it'll be fine". It was a looong way down.

The tour of the rooms took only about 15 minutes, with the rest being spent wandering in and out of the gift shops, watching a movie about Ludwig's unrealized production of another ridiculously overwhelming castle, or looking at the castle's kitchen.

Leaving the castle is when our luck turned a bit sour. As I said before, I had lost my umbrella, no doubt leaving it in the cafe. All day the sky had been bloated with what seemed to me to be a placid blanket of gray clouds. But as we began our 30 minutes trek down towards Hohenschwangau, the clouds had darkened and dropped everything. My scarf only shielded by face for about 10 minutes, and as we progressed down the steep trek, my glasses began to fog. At the bottom of the hill, we were completely soaked, all the gift stores were closed (so no umbrellas to be bought) and we waited for an hour for a bus that never came (but was scheduled to come).

So there we were - three Americans, drenched and freezing at 8:00 pm in a small German village, along with two Romanians, an English couple, and an Australian. We talked, called taxis, and took the train back to Munich together, our feet on the heaters at the side of our seats.

Roll call area at Dachau

To be honest, it was moments like these that made all the trouble and rain and cold worth it. Speaking to people from across the globe was more fun than seeing the castle. And after all the near-misses, it couldn't help but be an amazing adventure.

And this carried on to the next day - although our luck had run out entirely. Our phone plans expired that evening at 12 o'clock. We had planned to go to Dachau, meet with a friend and stay with her overnight. And although the day before was all near-misses, today our transport just didn't show. Whether it the train was late, or the the website was wrong, we weren't sure. But we went the long way around every time, and ended up hours late to Dachau.

About Dachau, it's difficult to say anything. The location is beautiful and green. Only the solemn drizzle of rain, the vast foot-ball stadium-size lot of gravel, and gates gave any sense to the lot's purpose. I can't say it was hard, because standing at the doorstep of the model for German concentration camps, walking in the same space of the brutalized and the brutalizers, isn't like any other feeling you will ever have. The inability to comprehend the atrocities that took place there make it difficult to feel at all. That is not to mean Dachau doesn't have an effect that isn't overwhelming. Visiting memorials like Dachau will tell you more about yourself and your values than anything else will.

And after such an exhausting time, we did end up meeting with my friend, thank God, and we spent the night well with her family's generosity.

Within two days we experienced the height of fantasy and the weighted corpse of reality. But these two extremes gave me more than I expected, and for that I'm grateful.

Was soll man belegen?

Germany, where have you been all my academic life?

A month has already snuck by, but my schedule is only now solidifying. When I was signing up for classes, the advice I normally received was, "just show up and see if you like it". Then decide. So after a week and a half of that, I pretty much have my classes picked out, but even with an additional Russian course at the language center, the schedule looks pretty bare.

But this leaves time for other things - travel, exploration, tandem language partners, food shopping. Be aware, if you do decide to buy perishables, you better use them quickly - things spoil within a few days, and the lukewarm fridges are most likely the culprit. And that travel and exploration - planning takes up half of the time. Is it cheaper if I use this airport? How much does it cost to get to X. etc. Don't forget the bus rides to and from your train station.

Use it before you lose it.

If anything my organizing skills will have a boost by the time I get back to the states. But here's the lowdown on where to shop:

For food:

Aldi if you want the cheapest source. I spent 8 € there for 8-9 packages of vegetables and other non-perishables.

ReWe or Tegut will have whatever Aldi doesn't - but go to Tegut first. Both stores are higher end, but Tegut has more "in-between" options than ReWe. Both of these stores also carry paper goods and personal care items, among kitchen utensils and groceries.

For other things:

Kik or Woolsworth.

Don't buy that 8 € spatula at Tegut when you could buy it for 1€. Especially if you're only here for a short amount of time. They also have clothes, shoes, furnishings, etc. Woolsworth even has some snacks. And I'm pretty sure the cashier is sick of seeing me - I've been there almost everyday as I slowly collect cooking equipment.

Near the Kaufmarkt stop.

Dollar stores are amazing, no matter where you are. And going to these places saves money for more important things - travel. Luckily with the semester ticket, I can get to everywhere in Hessen for free. But that's why there's Flixbus and Ryanair - if it's not free, it can be cheap.

I still have only ideas of where to go next - but with a holiday next Thursday, I'll definitely be going somewhere.