Day 3 Back in the States: The Taste of Freedom

We've been back in the U.S. for three days now, not including Monday night when we landed because most of us went straight to bed. Each group has been working diligently on the final leg of their projects, and the finished product is in sight.

Outside of class, though, there are a few things that we are thoroughly enjoying having back now that we're back in the land of excess and freedom.

Free Water

Most of us have no food in our apartments, so we've still been eating out, albeit not all together. The first thing I appreciated after sitting down in IHOP — one of my favorite American eateries — is being able to order water without paying a small fortune. Free water is one of the few things that America has been doing right for a long time.

Free Bathrooms

This was the most surprising thing to me when we were discussing the quirks of Germany before our initial departure. Why would you charge someone to do an uncontrollable human function? That being said, their public bathrooms were cleaner on the whole than those in the U.S., but I'd much rather have a slightly messier public bathroom and pocket my parking change.

Being Alone

As much as we loved making new friends and getting to hang out in Germany, having more personal time is something a few of us didn't realize we desperately needed. For me, getting ready in the morning has been much more peaceful and involved many fewer elbows around the bathroom mirror.

Friends and Family

This one is a given; we missed spending time with our at-home friends and family while we were away and are excited to catch up on all the drama we were gone for.

Overtly American Foods

As great as German food is, I missed being able to eat American breakfast food at any time of day. Yesterday, I had bacon and egg sandwiches on waffle quarters for two meals and, honestly, I would eat it again today if given the opportunity. Wings, hush puppies, fried chicken, and mac and cheese are just a few of the American dishes we are excited to gorge ourselves in over the next few weeks.

Southern Hospitality

As polite as German people are, there is nothing quite like good ole Southern hospitality. At dinner last night, our waitress checked on our table every five minutes, even after we had finished our meals and she had taken our dishes. It was fantastic. This is not to say that German waiters are not good at their jobs. People in German just have a different way of dining out that I couldn't quite get used to.

Curry and Ketchup is a thing?

May 19th, 2016

Do you ever think about how or why certain foods were ever created?  Like what caused someone to put sauce and cheese on top of bread and throw it in the oven?  Who was the first to decide to throw pretzels into chocolate?  We often eat things day to day and don't really look behind the history as to why we even eat the foods we do or how they were even started.

In light of our journey to Germany, our group of four had the opportunity to do just that.  But instead of researching an everyday American dish, we got to dig into an interesting dish that is based out of Germany.  Berlin, Germany specifically is the most historically confirmed place of the invention of currywurst.  Currywurst = curry + wurst (sausage) + ketchup + assortment of spices.

Most places offer a side of fries with the sauced up sausage, and most always give you your fair share of the currywurst sauce.

Currywurst with a side of fries from Berlin's Curry 36
Photo by: A. Shuler

By any means, today we made our way to one of the locals favorite places in Berlin called Curry 36 and got to speak with Mirko Grossman, son-in-law to owner of Curry 36.

Mirko Grossmann showing our crew inside the kitchen of Curry 36
Photo by: A Shuler
http://www.curry36.de/

Grossmann showed us the ins and outs inside the kitchen and the upward success the company has had since it began in 1981.  It was really such a privilege to be able to get a close look at some really authentic german sausage and really what a phenomenon currywurst has become in this area.

If you don't believe me on how popular currywurst is here, well did you know they have their own currywurst museum?  It is called the Deutsches Currywurst Museum Berlin; we had the opportunity to go there as well!

http://currywurstmuseum.com/en/

Between the sausage shaped couch and an entire room full of the possible spices included in a currywurst dish, the museum sealed any unanswered questions we had about the creation of this dish.

Connor, Amelia and Sam sit on the sausage couch.
Photo by: S. Murphy

Homecoming

When we arrived back to Columbia in the late afternoon I thought I would be exhausted and ready to collapse from our long day of travel, and I was right.  I wanted nothing more than to find a quiet spot to sleep the day away but since the dorms at USC are closed I have to stay on couches until this class is over. So while at the airport, when everyone was seeing their loved ones and making big plans, I was finding a place to stay. Luckily I had no problem with that and was able to get a good nights sleep to help combat the on setting jet lag.

The next day the group had to meet at noon to start working on our projects. A lot of people were still tired from the flight and many had jet lag so starting this project was not going to be as easy as I thought. Also when your in Germany for two weeks taking photos and videos of just about everything you see it gets kind of difficult to sort through them all and find what you need. We worked on our project for about four hours the first day and about half of that was just sorting through everything we had from Germany.

After we finished working on our project for the day I went with my friend back to his apartment and we hung out by the pool for a while before we both crashed and fell asleep. We fell asleep early and woke up really early. I set an alarm for 9:30 and woke up at 7:00 and couldn’t fall asleep.  When I came in to work on the project today I heard similar stories form everyone else. So I guess we are all still on German time.

Auf wiedersehen Deutschland

21 students traveling for 21 hours was not easy however we made it work.  At 3 a.m. our day started. Although I enjoyed the breakfast bags that were given to us I couldn't wait to get home and eat Waffle House. As my classmates and I waited half asleep in the lobby we all talked about the cool places we visited, our excursions to the Castles and the unique bike tours. This has been my first time out of the country and I enjoyed every minute of it!
When we got to the airport we were extremely early so I wondered why were were rushing earlier. I politely claimed my spot at the beginning of the bag check-in line and jammed out to Drake's Views album while we waited for the airport to open. I am extremely afraid of planes so listening to music calmed me down some. Once it opened I dropped my bag off and walked through the security check point. It wouldn't be a day of successful travel if I didn't get pulled aside and have my bag searched. I was checked for weapons because my mini lotion looked like it served another purpose than to moisturize my elbows. I was finally free to go and waited on our flight to Amsterdam.
The airport in Amsterdam is the most upscale airport I have ever seen. I know Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport has plenty of nice stores for travelers to stop and shop however Amsterdam Airport Schipol was like a mall and there just so happened to be airplanes present. Walking to our gate I noticed stores such as Gucci, Hérmes and Bvlgari. I felt like I was in heaven but I needed to focus - had a plane to catch. When checking in at the gate I was asked a series of questions by the International Relations attendant that caught me off guard a little. "Did you leave your bag alone?" "Did anyone offer you anything while you were here?" I answered no and with a hesitant smile she handed back my passport and told me to have a great flight. While waiting for our flight to Atlanta I should have been getting snacks but I decided to nap instead. I'm pretty sure I was the victim of a picture with my mouth open.
It was finally time to board and I was so excited. I missed my family and couldn't wait to get back. Once in the sky I took a peek outside. The flight would be long however it all finally hit me that my trip was coming to an end. I finally can scratch off my bucket list that I traveled abroad. I danced, I laughed and I even saw nude people wandering around a very liberal park. This experience is one I will ever forget and I'm excited to see where I will be flying to next.

Bye Bye Berlin

As our journey in Germany sadly comes to an end, we have some time to reflect on this amazing experience and review our thoughts of what we expected Berlin to be like. For the most part, our predictions were pretty accurate, but a few things were different from what we expected.

1.  Berlin was definitely more urban than the city of Munich. We wouldn't go as far to say it is exactly like New York City, but there are definitely more tall buildings and an overall more urban atmosphere. It was also slightly more difficult to navigate because there is more city to explore.

2. We were wrong about fewer people in Berlin being able to speak English. A majority of the people we met knew at least some English, maybe slightly less than the people in Munich, but overall people did know the language pretty well. In some cases, we ran into people who knew English better than a few of the people we met in Munich.

3. As we expected, Berlin was more of a hot spot for fashion. People had a variety of styles depending on where in the city they were and where they were headed. Part of that can be attributed to the better weather here. The highs most days were in the high 60s and low 70s and we hardly saw any rain.

4. For the most part, the food in Berlin was more international. Down the street from our hostel there was a burrito restaurant, an Italian restaurant, a sushi restaurant, a burger place, a thai restaurant, a few Indian restaurants, a Vietnamese restaurant, and hot dog stand. There are still options for traditional German food, but there are fewer than in Munich.

5. Judging from our experience here and from our conversations with a few of the locals, people in Berlin are much more open-minded; they do what they want and they don't care what other people think. There is less judgment, and people let other people live their lives the way they choose. There is a very diverse group of people here, so it would be hard for them to not be as accepting of different walks of life as they are.

Auf Wiedersehen!

Today was our last full day in Germany, and what a trip it has been! The memories, friendships, and learning experiences we've had have been worth this trip's weight in gold.
Maybe it's because Professor Farrand has done this for 10 years, maybe he just knows more than we do, but this trip was better than we could have imagined. It was the right amount of time abroad, and the right amount of time in each city to do our projects, see everything we wanted to see, and still sneak in a few naps. We're sad to say goodbye, but it's time to go home, and we're so excited to show the journalism school our projects. Team one is going to have the best title and end credits, but that may be biased, so more on that to come.
So Auf Widershen Germany, it's been a trip to remember. I think we can all confidently say this will not be our last time in this beautiful country. Team one's first interview left us with a quote that I think sums up this trip perfectly: "We will always meet each other twice in life," For this country, and for the friends we've made on this trip, I don't think anything could be more accurate.
Sappy post over.

Pros and Cons of Germany

Germany, the land of sausage, beer and lederhosen. A beautifully green land, full of mountains, history and terrible weather. I have dedicated this blog post to explaining some of the pros and cons of The Mother Land.

PROS:
• Germany is super green. And not just because it rains so much. *cough* Munich. Throughout our travels here we’ve seen quite a few wind turbines and just about every house has solar panels. Go Germany, Go Green.
• As part of Germany’s green movement they allow you to return bottles for a little money back. Which, after stockpiling six water bottles in my room, I could get a free one!
• Tax is included in the price of everything. It’s unbelievably handy to know exactly how much I’m about to pay instead of waiting to figure it out. Get it together America!
• Cheaper food is actually pretty good quality. For example, McDonalds is way more expensive, but I’m pretty sure they use real chicken, and don’t even get me started on those fries. You think McDonald’s fries are good in America? You haven’t even come close to how amazing German fries are.
• Donner Kababs will surely be missed back in the States. The number one junk food of Germany consists of Lamb or Turkey meat, red cabbage, onion, lettuce, tomato and variably Taziki sauce, BBQ sauce, or some spicy stuff. AH-MEZ-ZING.
• Why are Beer Gardens not a thing in Columbia? Like, we’ve got the weather for it, somebody jump on this idea. A nice outside place with tables to chill where people can buy food, or bring whatever they want, that serves beer. It’s perfect.
• Lastly, toilet flushers are perfect for foot flushing. Nobody wants to touch that. Germans have innovated the flushers for the best. Like, its up on the wall and it’s huge. Perfect for my foot flushing.


CONS:
• Everything closes at 8. Germans laughed at me for attempts to get Gelato at 9:30 (a normal ice cream run time at home).
• My laptop was stolen on Day 1. Literally had not been in the country for more than 8 hours and had my life (laptop) stolen. And the fact that this is second on the list shows my true hatred for everything closing at 8.
• They serve cold cuts at breakfast. WTF.
• Germans are very forward. Whether it’s on the street or in the bar Germans love to let you know they interested. They’re degrees of forwardness range from the usual whistles and hollars to telling you about their man parts…
• Water isn’t free! Want to save a little money and get hydrated with some water? Too bad. Coke and Beer are usually cheaper than water.. So why get hydrated when you can just get drunk?

Hallo From Erding!

We began our journey at 10 a.m. from the hostel smelling of excitement and grunge. Umbrellas in hand, because the Munich weather was as unpredictable as a game of Russian Roulette, we headed out to the central station, Hoftbanhof. Public transportation was something that we learned to give ourselves plenty of time to master as it was increasingly out to get us and maps, signs and announcements were in a foreign language.

 The charmingly small town of Erding waited for us at the end of the outer line. Mini deer and cows filled the lush, green countryside and was a refreshing change from the bustlingly city of Munich. Our hosts for the afternoon, Holger and Mary, were waiting at the train stop for us with gleaming smiles and welcoming handshakes. As we followed our new friends through the streets of Erding, we were able to become familiar with the workings of a quaint suburb of Munich. We reached the flat that they share, drank our still water (which we've come to learn is not the norm for water in Europe) and got to know each other. The flat was a mixture of Indonesian and German styling, as a perfect reflection of the life they built together. 

Following our interview with them about daily life in Germany, we had lunch together at a Mediterranean restaurant down the street. The meal began with a hearty "prost!" and twenty rounds of "cheers" were shared between us over our delicious dishes. 

Our dessert was coffee made by Mary in the flat accompanied by music played by Holger on his harmonica. His talent is unmatched and we were so grateful for the time we spent with them. Parting gifts included Indonesian statues, hugs and well wishes for the future. After saying our goodbyes to these precious people, we knew they would be a apart of our experience and hold a tiny place in our heart forever. 

Castle Climb

That is a view of the first castle we visited. From the top of the second castle we visited. Climbing up to the Neuschwanstien castle was quite the work out, but getting lost on the way down was more fun. The quaint little town of Schwangau was perfect for reasonably priced souvenirs and getting your shoes wet in the puddles between cobblestones. (The streets here are still better than I-20). In all, despite the cold temperatures in the Alps, and the on-and-off rain, we enjoyed seeing some very cool castles of the Maxmillian family and eating very delicious and very warm Bavarian food. Overall, our perilous climb was worth the rewards.

ESMOD Berlin

Today our group of Allie, Cali, Tori, and Zach went to the ESMOD Fashion School in Berlin for a tour and interview. The people at the school were very hospitable, and everyone we talked to had an interesting story to tell. The school was located about 30 mins away by train. Since it was our first day in Berlin, it took us some time to use the subway system. The subway here is a lot more strict than Munich, and they aggressively bounce from train to train to make sure everyone's ticket is legit. We could not figure out how to buy one on the way there, so we rode without one. However, on the way back to our hostel, we did buy one and as soon as we got on the train, our ticket was checked.

The school itself used to be an old boarding school, and they intentionally left elements to give the building character. Each floor was dedicated to a different year of study, and you could see the progression of the students as they moved from year to year. The final year they create their own collection with 5 full outfits. We had a panel of 4 students and one professor who were kind enough to show us their work, and tell us more about their inspiration for their pieces. They all drew from different areas like music, different cultures and street art. It was clear that the students were very talented, and we were very impressed. One student was even kind enough to tell us about different districts and clubs were we could see different subcultures.

Ich bin ein Berliner

Today was sadly our final day in Munich, and tomorrow we leave at 10 a.m. for the second half of our trip in Berlin. We are all very excited to go to a new place, but we are not entirely sure what to expect. Here are a few things that we are curious about:

1. We are visualizing Berlin as more urban than Munich, with higher buildings and an overall larger city feel. We have been told that Berlin is a city more like New York, whereas Munich is more like Charleston. We are also expecting Berlin to be a lot more spread out and have more transportation routes, making it more complicated.

2. Another thing we are expecting from Berlin is fewer people speaking English. We have been spoiled here in Munich as many restaurant owners and tour guides speak English, so we have had to do very little translating. Fortunately, one of our team members speaks a considerable amount of German, so we should be able to manage.

3. We also picture Berlin to be more of a hot spot for fashion. In Munich, people dress pretty similarly, but we're expecting Berlin to have more of a diverse group of people with various, more edgy styles. We expect the weather to be a little warmer which may allow for more fashion freedom.

4. Food is another thing that our group is wondering about. In Munich, there are tons of options for traditional German food, but we haven't seen a lot of places that offer international options. They exist, but are greatly outweighed by the German food options. We expect that because Berlin attracts more types of people, there are likely to be more international foods available. Additionally, we are excited to see if they have any traditional German foods we have not tried or heard of yet.

5. The last thing that we expect to see in Berlin is to see a more modernized way of life. Catholicism is a very central part of Munich. For example, in celebration of the Pentecost, most businesses are closed today. From what we've seen, the only things open are the train stations and chain restaurants, and even then there are fewer trains running. from what we're feeling based on what we've been told about Berlin, we anticipate that Berlin will be a more secular city with greater diversity overall.

An Exciting Day at the Castle

On Thursday we traveled to a town in Southern Germany called Fussen where we toured two castles. Hoheschwangau was built by King Maximilian II of Bavaria and the second, Neuschwanstein, was built by his son, King Ludwig II. Just our group traveled that day because we had our interviews with the Fashion Journalism program at the AMD school in Munich the day before. Our interviews went really well and we got to meet a few very talented students to speak about their program. It was nice to not travel in a large group, but the trip still stressful. There was only one direct train home, but we made it just in the nick of time.

The castles were beautiful, though it was quite the hike to get to them. The first castle wasn't what we expected. The rooms were quite small but still prestigious nonetheless. Neuschwanstein was absolutely gorgeous. Though the tour was limited to only a few rooms, it was breathtaking. King Ludwig II died during its lengthy construction so much of the castle's interior was left unfinished. Overall it was an excellent adventure that we will always remember. But the wifi in Europe is still on our bad side.