Warning: Subjective Post

Yes, this blog is aimed at providing an objective insight into one American twenty-something’s experience as an English teacher for almost one year in Germany. I’ve tried to keep my posts as objective as possible, but due to the subject matter of some of my recent lessons, I feel driven to make this post a bit subjective.

Number 1: GO FIGHTIN’ PHILS! The Philadelphia Phillies recently defeated a team of ringers, the Los Angeles Dodgers, to clinch the National League pennant. This is the first time for 15 years that the Phillies have made it to the World Series. I watched ESPN online’s coverage of the final game, and I was moved. Seeing images of the Phillies pouring out of the dugout, piling onto each other on the field, spraying each other with champagne in the locker room, and embracing one another, all brought me back to 1993. I was only 7 years old when the Phillies defeated the Atlanta Braves to go onto the World Series, but it was a highlight of my childhood. Even as I sat in the 700 level of Veterans Stadium in cold, drizzly weather, I knew I was living in a special moment. Special commendation has to be given to Shane Victorino, the Phillies’ center fielder. Despite this momentous achievement, he keeps a cool head, stating in an interview that “there’s still one more step to go.” Shane has consistently been a strong batter and a classic center fielder. Watching the Phillies’ victory celebration brought tears to my eyes. I haven’t been this moved by baseball since 1993.

Number 2: GO NITTANY LIONS! The Penn State Nittany Lions defeated the Michigan Wolverines, ending a 9-season losing streak against Michigan. On to the Big Ten championships! I deeply regret not being in State College, PA right now to experience the celebrations.

Number 3: The 2008 United States Presidential Election will be held on November 4. As an American abroad, I’ve been doing my best to keep myself informed, via newspaper online editions, video clips, debate transcripts, issues websites, etc. I am glad that I do not have to experience the mind-numbingly simple television ads that plague presidential elections.

Maverick McCain

I have a deep respect for Senator John McCain. A man who endured torture only to refuse to be released without his fellow American prisoners, he has consistently fought against all that is wrong. Even against his own political party has McCain fought when he saw it necessary. For example, issues such as renewable energy and ethics reform, often ignored by ignorant, greedy politicians, have been some of the lines drawn between McCain and the Republican Party. I respect his independent way of thinking, as well as his patriotic service to our country.

That said, I disagree with his campaign, issue stances, and especially so on his choice for vice president.

McCain’s campaign

John McCain began his campaign for president with statements calling for fairness. He once stated in an interview: “Negative campaigning? Sure, it pulls numbers, but do we really have to sink to the lowest common denominator?” It’s statements like these that gave me respect for Sen. McCain. I also liked his idea of town hall meetings. Presidential debates, as they have been in recent elections, accomplish very little. Rather than debate issues and policy preferences, they frequently devolve into a vortex of soundbytes and character assaults, sucking any competent debate out of the dialogue. Town hall meetings would have allowed unscripted responses and questions from audience members, effectively putting the democratic process back in the hands of the people. I deeply regret Senator Barack Obama’s decision not to participate in these town hall style debates. Thus, we’ve had to deal with sappy, manipulative political drivel, like the third debate’s nearly 20 references to “Joe the Plumber” (whose name is actually Samuel, and who is actually an unlicensed, non-union plumber with a history of tax evasion, according to this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/us/politics/17joe.html?em). Senator Obama is guilty of such statements, but so is John McCain. Rather than insist on effective debates, McCain has let politics get a hold of him. Without the support of all wings of the Republican Party, McCain will not win this election. This, of course, is jet fuel for the intolerant wings who thrive in these days of cultural insensitivity and borderline xenophobia. McCain stated in the 3^rd debate that he is proud of citizens who attend his rallies. At McCain rallies, people have shouted out statements such as “terrorist” and “off with his head!” Recently, a woman stated outright at a rally that she doesn’t support Obama because she has “read about him and…and…he’s…he’s an Arab.” Now, Senator McCain did repudiate these comments, but meagerly; all he said in return was "no ma'am, he's a decent family man." No mention of there being nothing wrong with being an Arab. Not only does this statement show the effects of McCain’s own negative campaign tactics, but it also shows the intolerance and ignorance in our society.

McCain on the issues

Regarding the issues, McCain shows impressive support for renewable energy research. I even like his idea of more nuclear power plants. I even like his pro-free market stance. However, I disagree with his insistence on offshore drilling. Oil will not last forever. Sure, increasing domestic production will reduce gas prices, but only temporarily. The oil will run out some time. It is time to wean the county off of its oil addiction. Further still, McCain has a section on his website for Second Amendment rights. The Second Amendment reads “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” We no longer have a militia, rather a volunteer-based standing army. McCain throws full support behind 2^nd Amendment rights, to the point that he supported the 2003 lifting of the assault rifle ban, as well as opposed the ban on “cop killer” armor piercing bullets. Such weapons and not necessary in our society. I do not believe in full repeal of the 2^nd Amendment, but is undoubtedly an outdated piece of legislation that should be subject to further review. Sure, some people should be allowed to have guns; as many guns as they want. But when it comes to assault rifles and armor piercing bullets, the line has to be drawn. Additionally, McCain’s economic plan calls for tax breaks for small businesses. This is something I support, but I would also like to see more tax policy that favors the middle and lower classes, a bracket I will soon be entering.

Sarah Palin as VP candidate

Lastly, Senator McCain chose Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate. My parents always taught me that if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all. I’ll just say that when I think of Sarah Palin, I think of nothing but contradictions, corruption, and empty logic.

So, for the 2008 presidential election, I am proud to say that I support Senator Barack Obama.

Obama’s character

Senator Obama is as eloquent a speaker as John F. Kennedy (and in fact, the first Democratic Senator to win the nomination since Kennedy) and as brilliant of a politician as Bill Clinton. In assaults on Senator Obama, critics have largely claimed that he lacks experience. While it is true that Obama, a first-term Senator with a background in state legislation and community activism, lacks the legislative and foreign policy experience of Senator McCain. However, something that seems to be missing from political logic is still actually relevant: intelligence. Senator Obama is an extremely intelligent man, having graduated from both Columbia University and Harvard Law School (where he served as the first black president of Harvard Law Review). He has kept a cool head throughout this campaign; he never got worked up or temperamental, despite accusations of him being a terrorist, extremist, and immature insults from members of the opposing camp. What this says to me is that a President Obama would keep a cool head during tense times. Yes, Obama has links to past members of domestic terrorist groups, but these were long ago, and Obama has weathered these accusations. Obama, of course, is not some monolithic figure of good. I find his decision to bypass the campaign finance parameters slightly despicable. But again, that’s politics for you. Obama does have this “rock-star” status, which his critics have used against him. However, this should not be a problem; for the first time in a long time, many Americans, especially young people, are extremely enthusiastic about a presidential candidate. Enthusiasm and activism in politics should not be detraction. At a time when American severly needs to repair its reputation among the international community, Obama was ranked the most popular American politician among North Atlantic Treaty Organization members.

Joe Biden as VP candidate

Joe Biden is a brilliant man with experience to back it up. A 26-year veteran of the Senate, he has sat on the Judicial Affairs Committee as well as chaired the Foreign Relations Committee. Senator Biden also has more humble backgrounds. He grew up in middle class Scranton, PA, and has suffered a great tragedy at the loss of his wife and daughter. He is an excellent complement to the Obama campaign.

Obama on the issues

Issues are ultimately what matter in a campaign (though you would think that a flag pin is more important than a 20-page PDF explaining an energy plan, based on how the campaign has been going). I support most of Barack Obama’s issue standpoints. I do take issue with some of his policies, however. Obama, like McCain, supports offshore drilling. I do not believe more oil is the solution. However, his plan also calls for “green collar jobs,” those in the hopefully-soon-to-be-booming renewable energy market. This solution kills two birds with one stone; it’ll reduce America’s unemployment and further energy independence. Regarding economic policy, I agree with Senator Obama’s plan to cut taxes for the middle class. The Bush tax cuts for the upper classes were absolutely despicable. Interestingly enough, Obama has a section on his issues website describing women’s policy, a section that does not exist on McCain’s website. Obama favors more research on women’s health issues, as well as policies that favor women in the workplace (especially female-owned small businesses) and the impoverished.

Obama the “Muslim” and religion in politics

Senator Obama is not a Muslim. Yes, his father was. Yes, Senator Obama spent time at a Muslim school when he lived in Indonesia. However, Senator Obama is a Christian, who emphasizes the importance of the family. Regardless, even if Obama were a Muslim, that should not be an issue. Malachai 2:10 reads “Have we all not one father? Has not one God created us?” Further still, Psalm 147:1 reads “To an earthly king, if a poor man greets him, or one who has a burn on his hand, it is a disgrace, and the king does not reply, but God is not so, everybody is acceptable to Him.” The key excerpt here is “everybody is acceptable to Him.” Humans are free to decide how exactly we accept Him, whether as God in the Christian sense, Yahweh, Allah, and so on. We are all human, regardless of race, religion, skin color, and even sexual preference. Intolerance is the agent of destruction; I wish that people who fear Islam and hold it in negative regard would take the time to read the Qu’aran, which preaches peace. For example, verse 49.13 from the Qu’aran reads “O mankind! We created you from a single pair of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes, that you might know each other, not that you might despise each other. Verily the most honored among you in the sight of God is he who is the most righteous.” Further still, the Hadith of Ibn Majah reads “For the white to lord it over the black, the Arab over the non-Arab, the rich over the poor, the strong over the weak or men over women is out of place and wrong.” In these days of wars in the Middle East and Islamic extremism, one cannot take a small section to represent the whole group. Just as Islamic extremists take excerpts from the Qu’aran out of context and interpret them to fuel hatred, Christian extremists such as Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church do the same.

Conclusion

So, perhaps this turned into a bit of a rant, but I think where I stand is pretty clear. I’m delighted to discuss any issue with anyone. The political scientist in me also says to look at the polls. Polls such as Gallup and Reuters have Obama ahead by anywhere between 2 and 7 points. 

Die Neue Wohnung

Heyyyy everyone! Greetings from my new apartment! 

I live in the Suedstadt (south part of the city), just a 6 or 7 minute walk away from the historic city center. I recently found out the area is nicknamed Little Istanbul, due to the high population of Turkish people who live in the area. It's a very nice area, and very convenient. There are subway and streetcar stops one block away, as well as many restaurants, grocery stores, and a department store.

Please enjoy the following pictures:

My writing desk. The window looks out to the courtyard where the entrance to the building is found.

Our living room. Don't mind my roommate's clothes hanging out to dry.
Our kitchen.
The hallway. First 2 doors on the left are my roommates' rooms, the one at the end of the hall is mine!
My room. That's the flag of Baden-Wuerttemberg, the German state in which I studied last year.
My wardrobes and a bunch of other stuff that needs to be either sorted or thrown out :)

My bed.

From the new apartment...

Hello all!

Quite a bit has happened since my last post. Most noteworthy: I have found a place to live. I’m in the process of packing up and moving out of the host family’s house. It’s rather sad to leave the place; they’ve all been so helpful, friendly, and extraordinarily hospitable. Upon receipt of my parting gift, the mother said to me “you are my second son.” However, I feel like I won’t be able to settle down until I can set my bags down for the last time (until next June of course). So I’ve found a place with two roommates. One is 26 and works for a construction company, and the other is 23 and studies saxophone and clarinet at Nuremberg’s music Hochschule (basically a college where the emphasis is on music). Once I’ve moved in and settled, pictures will be provided. Until then, it’s set up in the following manner: every roommate has his own room, there’s a kitchen, 1 full bathroom, one powder room, and a living room.

I’m gradually moving into the new apartment. A few days ago I took a backpack full of books and clothes over to the new apartment. Yesterday I went to Ikea (thank you, Sweden!) and bought a pillow and some lamps. All that remains to be acquired are a bed, a chair, and a place to put my clothes (dresser, etc). I could’ve bought a mattress at Ikea yesterday, but buying large items such as mattresses is not easy when one doesn’t have a car. To get to Ikea, I have to take the subway to Fürth (the next town to the west), and then a bus from the town center. I suppose I could ask my host family to drive me, but I’ve stayed at their house much longer than I thought I would, and I don’t want to impose.

Pictures of the apartment will come soon; it's a bit messy right now.

I’ve also been sitting in on many classes. I’ve developed a routine, since the first time in each class I’ve been asked to give an introduction. It’s getting rather repetitive, but so far I’ve been doing pretty well. Sometimes I get a roomful of blank stares; sometimes I get a roomful of laughs. I’m sure those of you in the academic field know this all too well. The youngest group I’ve worked with is a 6. Klasse, and the oldest is 13^th grade, so to say. So far I’ve had the most fun with the 6. Klasse and one section of the 13^th graders. The little children are very inquisitive and seem delighted to have someone who comes from the land of “The Simpsons” and “NHL 2008” in their class. The section of 13^th graders all speak remarkable English, laughed at my jokes, and were generally very talkative. The other classes…well, it’s too early to say. Perhaps they’ll be a bit more talkative as the semester goes on. To be honest, I think I frightened one class. I spoke loudly and perhaps a bit fast. Just as they need to improve their English, I need to improve my pedagogical skills.

In two weeks, I’ll be giving a lesson on high school in the USA. I’ve started putting together a PowerPoint presentation on the different types of high schools, regional differences between schools, and student life. Also, with the US election coming up rather soon, I’m sure I’ll have to give a lecture on the American system of government. I’ve started compiling a presentation on the branches of government, another one on the party system, and later this week I’ll start working on the election system and the 2008 election. The Germans already know a fair amount about American politics; so far, some of the questions I’ve been asked included “what do you think about Sarah Palin?” and “who do you support in the 2008 election?” Pretty blunt questions, no?

Well, that’s about it! The only other interesting thing that’s happened was my getting my monthly pass for the public transportation system. I hope to get a bike in the near future. Supposedly, once a month there’s a bicycle flea market of sorts. Unfortunately, none of the locals with whom I’ve spoken seem to know where and when it is!

Dave

Some Pictures

Hey all. I'm still working with shaky internet connections, but I wanted to put up at least a few photos. Enjoy!

Heilig Geist Spital (Holy Spirit Hospital, the one on the left) was a hospital in medieval times, then a location for the city's lepers, and is now a restaurant. It sits on the Pegnitz River

Nuremberg's Hauptmarkt, with Frauenkirche (a Catholic church) in the background

Nuremberg's Imperial Castle. Inside, there is a youth hostel. So, for the first few days, you could say I lived in a castle!

A backpack on a train. Typical.

Servus!

Hey hey everyone! Or as the Germans say, “halli-hallo!” Even better still, as the Bavarians say, “servus!”

It’s been a little while since my last post, and for good reason. So, here it goes.

I arrived at Basel-Mulhouse airport, which sits on the Swiss-French border, on August 31. From there, I traveled by bus to Freiburg im Breisgau, where I studied for a semester last year. I stayed with my friend (who I met at Penn State while she was studying abroad) and her family. Visiting Freiburg once again was great. It was truly a pleasure to visit my old stomping grounds; the centuries-old church, the university cafeteria, the biergarten on top of a mountain…I even gave a tour to the new students on the program in which I participated!

On September 4, I packed up all my things, a large camping backpack, a medium-sized gym bag and a laptop case, and headed to Freiburg’s Hauptbanhof (main train station). There I boarded a train for Aachen by way of Cologne. Aachen is a small city right on the German-Dutch border. It is a historically significant city, because its main cathedral was not only the seat of Charlemagne’s empire, but also houses Charlemagne’s mortal remains (among other relics).  Furthermore, Aachen was the first German city reached by American forces in the European Theater during World War II. The city itself is rather small; I saw the historic center of Aachen in about 2 hours. Capitalism has struck the city well, as the old city streets are now lined with grocery stores, department stores, souvenir stores, and so on. While there, I stayed with my friend who I met while she was doing a residency abroad at the hospital where my father works.

On September 8, I once again packed up all my things and boarded a train back to Cologne, where I joined 179 other native English speakers. We traveled by bus to Altenberg, a pleasant small town outside of Cologne. There, we had our orientation conference. Most of the people were Americans, although there were also people from Canada, Australia, Ireland, England and Scotland. I was delighted to find out that there would be 2 other Americans in Nuremberg, one of whom was my roommate. He’s from Arizona and attended Fordham University in New York City. We’ve been in close contact and have met up twice since we arrived in Nuremberg. Anyways, the conference was good, save for my being slightly under the weather. I met 2 other Penn Staters and several people who had also done the same study abroad program as I did, albeit different semesters. We learned about making lesson plans, and did a sample 45-minute lesson in groups.

On September 11, I once more packed my things (notice a pattern here?) and boarded a train for Nuremberg by way of Frankfurt. I spent the train ride to Frankfurt talking with one of my colleagues who was on a train bound for Thueringia, the small federal state which borders Bavaria to the north. She got off at Frankfurt’s airport train station, while I had one more to go, Frankfurt’s Hauptbanhof. Well, the train was scheduled to arrive at 4:13PM on track 1, and my connecting train to Nuremberg was scheduled to leave at 4:21 from track 4. Well, as good fortune would have it, my train arrived in Frankfurt at 4:19 on track (to quote Dave Barry, “I am not making this up”) 18. So, with two minutes to spare, I dashed through the train station, all the while dreading having to explain to the person picking me up in Nuremberg that I’d be a little late. I weaved my way through the intricate series of obstacles: baby carriages, oversized rolling luggage, Euro-trendy teenagers decked out in white, pink, purple and green, guffawing German businesspeople, and so on. By the time I arrived at track 4, it was 4:22 and the train was still there. I leapt on board, and had to take off my backpack in the foyer to rest for a minute. This was probably the only time I’ll ever be happy that a train I was taking was running late.

I arrived at Nuremberg’s Hauptbanhof and was greeted by my Betreuungslehrerin (beh-troy-ungs-lair-er-in; “mentor teacher,” or simply the teacher with whom I’ll be working). I presented her with the bottle of wine I had purchased for her, and she drove me to the youth hostel where I’d be staying for a few days. I was originally supposed to stay with the schoolmaster, but due to some slight miscommunication he was out of town and was unable to have me stay at his house. So, I spent 3 nights at a youth hostel. This youth hostel is actually set inside Nuremberg’s famous imperial castle, one time the seat of the Holy Roman Empire. After answering a few questions, the teacher left and I went out and explored the city. I was by this point in time quite hungry, and asked the front desk clerk for a suggestion. He recommended a Doener place to me (Doener is a popular German-Turkish dish; it’s shaved meat with mixed vegetables and yogurt sauce in a piece of thick flat bread). We had a lost in translation moment, actually. He told me where his favorite Doener place was located. The German expression of favorites is stated by the prefix “Lieblings-“ and then whatever the favorite thing is (for example, Lieblingsmannschaft is favorite sports team). However, outside of this context the root word “lieb” usually pertains to love. So rather, he said “here is where you can find my loveliest Doener.” Unfortunately, his loveliest Doener stand was closed, so I had to settle for McDonald’s. It was not a total loss; I finally got to try a McRib sandwich. I’ll never have one again, either.

Well, I can sum my first impression of Nuremberg in one word; nay, one syllable: “wow.” This city is amazing! The city screams history, with its old bridges, churches, and town squares. I very much enjoyed meandering the cobblestone streets and narrow alleyways. I can’t really sum up how I feel about this place in one paragraph; I’ve only been here for a few days, and I love it already, but I also have another 10 months to describe it!

Two days ago, I received a phone call from my schoolmaster. He had returned, and would pick me up the next day at noon. So I once more packed up all my things and he drove me to his house, just north of the historic city center. I went to one of my schools today for a teacher conference, and had to introduce myself to a roomful of German teachers, of course, in German. It wasn’t difficult at all.

As far as I know, I’ll be working at 2 schools. Both are roughly equivalent to American high schools, but students often come at a younger age and stay until a later age. I’ll be working between the age groups of 13 and 16, providing the expertise that only a native speaker of English can provide.

It’s almost 11PM and I’m tired, so I’ll call it quits here. More to come, of course!

Hello everyone! This'll be brief, but I've arrived safely in Germany, and am currently at the IES EU Center, where I studied last year. I visited with the staff members for a while, and I will soon leave to meander around Freiburg.

More to come!

I Think I Might Have the Stockholm Syndrome...

Well hello everyone! I just returned from a weekend excursion to Stockholm, Sweden! More on that in a second. First, I want to talk about Halloween.

Germans don’t celebrate Halloween. Why exactly, I’m not sure. I guess we Americans are just more paganistic. Just kidding.

Anyways, Halloween just isn’t a German thing. So, we Americans put together a Halloween party at one of my friends’ apartment. What was my costume, you might ask? Well, I really haven’t dressed up at all for the past few years. This year I decided why not. Have you ever seen the SNL sketch with Chris Farley trying out to be a Chippendale’s dancer? Well, that’s what I was. I wore a bowtie and black pants. It was a fun night.

Anyways, on with Sweden.

Ah Sweden, the land of such things as...

Ikea...

Abba...

...and death metal.

I had always wanted to go to Sweden, so when I found out earlier this semester that some friends had booked a round-trip flight for $40, I had to join in. We flew out of Basel-Mulhouse Airport on Thursday afternoon, and arrived in Stockholm around 5PM. It was pitch-black out. We boarded a bus called “Flygbussar” which I guess translates to “flight bus.” It was actually easy to translate some Swedish words, since Swedish is a Germanic language. That didn’t stop me from chuckling at such tram stop names as “Sockenplan,” Skogskyrkogården” and “Hammarbyhöjden.” So, we arrived at Stockholm’s main train station, and then took the local tram to our hotel. We stayed at a hotel connected to the Globe Center, where world-renowned musical acts have played.

It seemed like a rather upscale place, since our rooms had seating areas separate from the beds, as well as fancy bathrooms. We hadn’t paid much at all for the hotel, since it was offseason. We took the tram back into town and disembarked at Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s old town. Gamla Stan is actually an island, like many other parts of Stockholm, as the city sits at a point where the Batlic Sea meets Lake Mälaren. It also sits near a collection of islands called the Stockholm Archipelago. Anyways, we wanted traditional Swedish food, so we found a nice little restaurant off one of the main streets. I had Swedish beef steak with onions and garlic bread, accompanied by a Swedish beer called Klass III. Some of my friends dined on reindeer, which they said tasted like roast beef. What struck me most was the impeccable English spoken by the waitress. In fact, just about everyone we talked to in Sweden spoke remarkably good English, to the point that I wouldn’t have been able to tell they weren’t native English speakers (if their intense blond hair hadn’t given it away already). Something else even more impressive about Sweden was the policy on tap water. In Germany and most other European countries, one has to ask for tap water, which sometimes gets confused for “$10 bottle of still water” or is even frowned upon. In Sweden, tap water is given as abundantly as it is in the States. It’s the little things that sometimes matter the most.

The next day, we woke up around 8 and went to breakfast. Aside from the fact that the dining room looked straight out of an Ikea catalogue, the breakfast was amazing. In addition to the typical European breakfast buffet of bread with cold cuts and cheese, they had sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, Danish pastries, cinnamon rolls, and even Kellogg’s Sugar Smacks! Our first stop was a tourist center. At the gift shop we found Viking helmets and pretend to be Vikings for a few minutes. There was also a Brio train set, much to my delight.

We walked to the Swedish royal palace and took a tour of the Swedish crown jewels and Royal Apartments. Both were very cool to see. The Swedish royal family doesn’t actually live in the Royal Apartments. They were used in the past, but are currently only used for visiting dignitaries such as royalty from other countries or heads of state/heads of government. Each visitor received their own coat of arms, and it was cool to see the South African coat of arms when Nelson Mandela visited Stockholm. Unfortunately there was no coat of arms for the U.S.A., but I can understand if the Swedes don’t want George Bush to visit.

On that note, Sweden is such a wonderfully socialized society. The streets are spotless, the metro is clean and efficient, and all the old buildings are very well kept. Granted Sweden is one of the most expensive countries I’ve ever been to, but the social programs seem to be working quite well.

After the Royal Palace we went to the Nobel Museum, which documents the history of Alfred Nobel and the prize which bears his name. It was an enlightening visit. We then trekked down to the water, and took a boat tour of Stockholm’s canals. I got some great pictures of the parks and walkways which run along the river, and I even got a picture of the house belonging to a member of Abba!

By the end of the boat tour, we were getting tired. Although the weather was quite pleasant, it was indeed Sweden and the temperature was a bit cold. We wanted to go to the Vasa Museum, which houses a 17^th-century Swedish warship. So we walked to the museum, which entailed walking along the docks. There were lots of neat boats, ranging from river cruisers like we had ridden to personal sailboats, some of which dated back to the early 1900's. There were important safety signs along the way, such as my personal favorite, "watch where you're driving your car or you might fall into the river."

The Vasa was the pride and joy of the Swedish navy. It was built in the 17^th century, a time when Sweden was intermittently at war with its neighbors for control of shipping channels. At this point in time, Poland was the opponent. The ship first set sail on August 10, 1628. However, 20 minutes later, it capsized and sank. Sure speaks well of the Swedish navy, doesn’t it?

Anyways, the ship was raised in the 1960’s and is now on display. It’s in pretty good condition which made for some pretty cool pictures. After the Vasa Museum it was dinnertime, and we all had only one thing on our minds: Swedish meatballs.

After searching Gamla Stan for about an hour, we returned to the tourist center and asked. The lady pointed us to a nice restaurant off one of the main squares. It was a rather upscale place, but the meatballs were relatively inexpensive. The restaurant had a dance floor and a guy singing and playing the piano, which created a wonderful dining atmosphere. The meatballs didn’t last long, and two of our group had to depart for an appointment at the Absolut Ice Bar, a bar sponsored by Absolut Vodka Company that is made entirely of ice. The rest of us sat at the restaurant for a bit more, then went to, of all places, TGI Friday’s for a drink.

Afterwards, we went back to the hotel and called it a night. When we woke up the next morning, the ground was covered with a thin layer of snow! Sweden just kept on getting better and better!

However, the rest of the day proved to be a headache. We got to the airport on time, and boarded the plane. It was supposed to leave at 12:30, and we pulled out of the gate, and then pulled back in. After about 30 minutes, the captain notified us that this plane would not fly. So we went back into the terminal and waited for another plane to be sent for us. It arrived 2 hours later, and then we departed for Basel-Mulhouse. We landed, and found that the next Freiburger Reisedienst, the airport bus, wouldn’t be for another 4 hours. So we ate a long dinner at the airport’s restaurant, and frolicked through the nearly-empty terminal to kill time. Finally the bus came at 10:30PM, and we arrived in Freiburg about an hour later. Nonetheless, it didn’t put a damper on the whole trip. This weekend was by far one of the highlights of my trip.

So what’s next? Paper writing, London next weekend, then Brussels, Luxembourg and Paris the week after that.

Bis später!

Dave