Video Entry 1: Caffe Crema Pads and Degraa

Finally figured out how to do this:) Should have at least one video entry a week from now on

Zurich!

     Spent the weekend in Zurich, Switzerland. It's incredibly beautiful and, just like Amsterdam, very welcoming. The entire town is a beautiful mixture of old and modern architecture, with canals, a large lake and a beautiful, albeit distant, view of the Alps.

      While walking along the lake shore we past a pride rally, but the surprising aspect was there were no protesters, just the rally people. Further in town there was a Turkish protest trying to promote the views of Ataturk, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/08/turkey-protesters-proclaim-heirs-ataturk. The protesters were calm and reserved and, just like with the pride rally, there were no other people picketing the protesters views. The ability to fully express your views without interruption was really heart warming. The few protests I've seen in the states have always had other people picketing the opposing views. I understand the right to picket others views is freedom of speech, which is great in it's own right. The lack of picketers in Zurich wasn't due to a lack of freedom, but a respect for people to explain their own view without interruption. It just seems more respectful to let others express their views, and then say your own when you get a chance. 

      Either way Zurich was a fantastic way to spend the weekend. I think this song, by The Last Bison, sums it up pretty well:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUDKrQyeXKY

What I Learned in The Last Three Days:

1. Amsterdam is a beautiful city full of tolerance and amazing people, but try to find the none-touristy spots.

2. Science is fun when done correctly.

3. If you use a hair buzzer that was meant to be used in the US in Europe, it will make very loud sounds. Then your neighbors will yell at you.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

    So I haven't really been updating as frequently as I though, I'm sorry I'll try to be better, but It's because I've been trying to fully immerse myself in the culture and often don't really have that much energy at the end of the day. It's been exactly two weeks since I've left the states and there have been so many different experiences and feelings, but the purpose of this blog is to comment on the general experience of living a broad and not so much the specific events happening in my life. That being said, the most important piece of advice I can give is that when you live abroad, take it slow.
     Traveling abroad is fun, you see sites and eat special food, but it is much much different than living abroad. When you live in a foreign land you're forced to adapt to the culture. If you continue to act like you're just a tourist, that's how you'll be treated. If you stop to ask how to pronounce words or how you should act, then ya they'll still know you're not from their country, but they'll begin to treat you like you belong there. This may not sound super fun, but understanding another culture is so much more rewarding than any site or food you can experience. You'll learn more about yourself and the way people are similar in so many ways. In order to do this though, you need to actually be there. So maybe that means seeing less places, but experiencing more. I'm not sure, I guess it all depends on what type of experience you're looking for.
      On another note, I won't be able to update the blog this weekend, but after that I'll try to stick to updating at least once every other day. Also, next Friday will be the first video post : )

Printen

     Every place has certain foods that they claim they make the best, but there's no guarantee that that city actually has the best of it. There's one special type of cookie that Aachen definitely has the best of, Printen, since it is only made here. It is a semi-soft chewy gingerbread type cookie with a bunch of cardamon  licorice and other magic spices. When you head to the Markt, almost every bakery has bags full of this awesome tiny treat. Even if you're not a fan of the cookie, it's fun to know that what you're eating can only be bought there. 

     It seems silly, but the thought that you're having something so unique to the place you're visiting is reassuring. When you first start living abroad there's so much you can't access; friends, Netflix, certain foods or the feeling of knowing the native language. The fact that you're gaining something new and 100% unique is Comforting. There's obviously so many new experiences, but you can't really be sure if you're actually retaining these experiences or growing from them. Printen at least reassures me that even though it's only been a week and a half, I've already added something to my life that I would never have been able to if I just stayed in the states.

The Best Cereal in the World: Nougat Bits

      Fun culture fact of the day: Nutella is really big in Germany and it's delicious. Not quite sure why it tastes better, but it does and it's fantastic. The only thing that could possibly be better is if you took this superior nutella and jammed it inside some chocolate cereal type thing. This is basically what Nougat Bits are. Google it, look at pictures and try to find some in a local store. Seriously though, if they don't sell this cereal in the states I'm going to have to ship a few tons of it home and slowly eat it forever.  

Kawo 1

     I promised you at least post a day, and so you shall receive! Today I went to a bar on the basement floor of my dorm, Kawo. That concept alone confuses me to no end. I'll put in an entry later on about the views on alcohol for America and Germany later on, but for now let's just stick with this.
    For five Euro you could get a variety of drinks and the company of many UROP students and friendly German students. One thing that is incredibly different is how Germans treat foreigners. They try to help them as much as they possibly can. Unlike the American view, which is mostly forcing them to speak English, almost everyone in Aachen attempts to convey their thoughts in a mixture of English and German. It's incredibly helpful and very heart warming. It's important to remember that  although you may be giving an impression of your home country to whatever land you visit, those people are also giving an impression to you. I guess the general lesson is to try and treat people as respectfully as you can. Even if you can't fully understand them, try to. The little bit of effort goes a long way.