Hallo Liebe Leute!
Guten Morgen! Gestern war mir ein schoener Tag! Ich hatte kein Arbeit und kein Unterricht. Fuer die miesten der die Tag, bleib ich im Potsdam. Mein Zimmergenossen (und deutsch Partnerin) und ich ging zum viele Geschaeften und kauften Souvenirs. Also, ich fand ein sehr wichtig Buch fuer ein Euro, Die Tuerkei: Zerreissprobe zwischen Islam und Nationalismus. Das war sehr schoen!
Spaeter im die Tag, ging ich zum die Fingernagel Salon. Ich moechte mein Fingernageln ausgefuellen. Es war ein Interessant Erlebnis! Die Fingernagelarbeiter arbeite sehr viel am mein Fingernagel und ich denke die deutsch Fingernagelgeschaeften ist mehr besser als die amerikanisch Fingernagelgeschaeften.
Die meisten der Mittag erforschte ich Information von Kreuzberg. Kreuzberg ist ein Ortteil der Berlin. Es hat die miesten grossen tuerkisch Menschen im Deutschland. Bevor die Mauer hat gefallen, Kreuzberg war im West Berlin. Est liegt naechsten die Spree. Es war im 1820 beim judischen Burgerinnen geformt. Die Name "Kreuzberg" ist die Name von ein Monument ueber die Napoleonic Kriegen. Kreuzberg hatte zwei wichstigen Strassen, Ritterstrasse und Kochstrasse. Ritterstrasse gab es viele export Unternehmen und Kochstrasse hatte gab es die meisten Druckunternehmen im Berlin. Heute, Kreuzberg gibt es noch vielen Immigrantennin und die meisten Arbeitsloskeitrate im Berlin. Mylii und ich werden heute nach Kreuzberg gehen zu photo nehmen und Forschelung machen.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
27 Mai 2011
Lieben Leute,
Guten Abend oder guten Morgen fuer andere leute! What an incredible and full week it has been. With 12-14 hour days on top of homework each night, the intensive course has not only lived up to its name but has also made it difficult to write in the blog each day. So, I apologize for the delay! Below is a brief overview of each day:
24 Mai:
We began today with a 10 mile bikeride, Radtour, through Potsdam to the Wansee Conference House. I have to admit, although that was the longest bike ride of my life, it was one of the most enjoyable experiences I have had. What an exciting way to get around town and be able to see things. Perhaps what was more exciting was that the bike tour was an authentic German experience since many Germans ride bikes themselves. We rode by the Tiefer Sea and I had my first experience with a nudist beach. I almost ran my bike off the path trying to avert my eyes. Another authentic German experience.
The house of the Wansee Conference was a beautiful estate that overlooked the Tiefer. For those who do not know, the Wansee Conferences were a coming together of officials to begin documenting the events that were already taking place as far as collecting people and placing them in concentration camps and also to come to decisions regarding what would be done with those people in the camps-that ultimate decision being to put them in gas chambers and incinerators. It is important to note that the Conferences were not the starting point of the holocaust but rather they were a starting point for documentation. This is often mistaken. It was eerie seeing how beautiful the location was for such a devastating events.
25 Mai
This was the most emotionally trying day I have experienced on this trip. In the morning, we went to the Gedenkstaette Deutsche Wiederstand, a museum featuring important Jewish figures that were impacted and in many cases killed by the Hitler regime. Throughout our tour, I did not see where in the museum spoke about literary figures as far as librettists, poets, and lyricists. During the Hitler regime, music became an important tool of control. Jewish composers and lyricists (for our purposes this term will encompass librettists, poets, and lyricisists) were either forced to flee the country or be put into concentration camps. Some, who were deemed entertaining enough, received a less harsher fate and were allowed to continue to compose. These composers were very closely monitored; however and they had to watch their every step. Germany lost a significant amount of its music culture during this time to other countries, mostly Italy and the USA.
The most emotionally fatiguing part of the day was our tour through the Stasi interrogation building particularly the holding chambers in the basement. It is easy to forget just how precious our freedom of speech is and because this freedom is such a large part of our culture, it is hard to fathom the terror that would come in a world where the Stasi existed. People could not say anything for fear of being arrested. Even if they were not saying negative things, the Stasi could very well arrest them and use them as incentive for another criminal. You never knew when a family member would just go missing, and you never knew when you would see that family member, or if you would see that family member again. The tour guide spoke about the process used to brain wash those being held in order to get them to admit to crimes they had never committed. Because the history is disturbing and somewhat gruesome, I will not go into details. Regardless, I said a thank you to God that I am lucky enough to live in the country I do without constant fear.
The evening concluded with a trip to the play by Max Frisch Biederman und die Brandstifter performed by the Berliner ensemble. What a wonderful experience! The playhouse was a smaller more intimate setting. The audience walked through the stage to sit in chairs facing the doorway and windows. The actors and actresses were often in the rows of the crowd acting. The play also used the tradition of early Greek and Italianate plays featuring music at the beginning, in the middle during the most "heavy" part of story, mostly as a comic relief. The play itself is well worth watching, and I would highly recommend it.
Mai 26:
This morning, our class had a Literature Fruehstuck, a literary breakfest at the home/store of a literary bookhandler. He spoke to us about German literature and explained a bit of the German mindset when it comes to books. In Germany, there is a set price for books and hard copies of books in general are more valuable to Germans than they are to the average American.
In the afternoon, our professor left the class to find our way through Berlin to the Pergamon Museum. An incredible sight to behold, the Pergamon prides itself in using ancient pieces of buildings to reconstruct the original building. For instance, the first room in the Pergamon features a life size entrance and steps to an alter in ancient Mesopotamia. People can sit on the steps to the alter. It was quite incredible. The most fascinating part of the museum for me was the reconstruction with original pieces of Nebekenezer's palace and parts of the tower of Babylon. Having heard the stories in church so often, it had a huge impact on me to be able to see an actual part to the building. Wow! The museum also featured ancient Ottoman and Turkish artifacts. My German partner and I took many pictures to use within our presentation. We were very intrigued to see that many of the patterns in the Ottoman/Turkish artwork can be seen prolifically in older German buildings as well.
The last part of our day was a tour of the Film und Fernsehen Museum, Film and TV Museum in the famous Potsdamer Platz, the German equivalent to Time Square. There was a section of the museum, towards the later half of German film and tv history that featured movies that were German stereotypes of Turkish people. Like the movie we saw earlier in the trip, Almanya, the guide described this era as having particularly strong German views of Turkish stereotypes based on Turkish people living in Germany.
Mai 26:
Today we had one activity before our Frei Wochenende, free weekend, began-a trip to the Berlin Wall. What a heart wrenching experience. There was a new exhibit up that not even our professor had seen, which was a miniature wall featuring pictures of those who were killed attempting to cross the wall. Many people were there looking for specific pictures and placing roses by them. The park had reconstructed what the wall would have looked like, complete with the dead zone between the two walls. It was eerie peering through the wholes in one wall, looking across the dead zone and seeing the other wall. As one student commented when the tour guide asked us how it felt to look into the holes, "it seems to close, yet it is so far away." For those who are not aware, the Berliner Mauer, Berlin Wall, was actually two walls, an open area in between belonging to the DDR with guard towers in the open area. Parts of the original wall are still stand in the park; however, the government is allowing greenery to grow over these walls in a symbolic attempt to show earth taking back the wall. Perhaps the most moving aspect of the wall is not in the reconstructions or original pieces but rather in the bricked areas on the ground tracing the whole wall throughout Berlin. This retracing stands as the most important reminder of a time divided and of the cost of that division
Guten Abend oder guten Morgen fuer andere leute! What an incredible and full week it has been. With 12-14 hour days on top of homework each night, the intensive course has not only lived up to its name but has also made it difficult to write in the blog each day. So, I apologize for the delay! Below is a brief overview of each day:
24 Mai:
We began today with a 10 mile bikeride, Radtour, through Potsdam to the Wansee Conference House. I have to admit, although that was the longest bike ride of my life, it was one of the most enjoyable experiences I have had. What an exciting way to get around town and be able to see things. Perhaps what was more exciting was that the bike tour was an authentic German experience since many Germans ride bikes themselves. We rode by the Tiefer Sea and I had my first experience with a nudist beach. I almost ran my bike off the path trying to avert my eyes. Another authentic German experience.
The house of the Wansee Conference was a beautiful estate that overlooked the Tiefer. For those who do not know, the Wansee Conferences were a coming together of officials to begin documenting the events that were already taking place as far as collecting people and placing them in concentration camps and also to come to decisions regarding what would be done with those people in the camps-that ultimate decision being to put them in gas chambers and incinerators. It is important to note that the Conferences were not the starting point of the holocaust but rather they were a starting point for documentation. This is often mistaken. It was eerie seeing how beautiful the location was for such a devastating events.
25 Mai
This was the most emotionally trying day I have experienced on this trip. In the morning, we went to the Gedenkstaette Deutsche Wiederstand, a museum featuring important Jewish figures that were impacted and in many cases killed by the Hitler regime. Throughout our tour, I did not see where in the museum spoke about literary figures as far as librettists, poets, and lyricists. During the Hitler regime, music became an important tool of control. Jewish composers and lyricists (for our purposes this term will encompass librettists, poets, and lyricisists) were either forced to flee the country or be put into concentration camps. Some, who were deemed entertaining enough, received a less harsher fate and were allowed to continue to compose. These composers were very closely monitored; however and they had to watch their every step. Germany lost a significant amount of its music culture during this time to other countries, mostly Italy and the USA.
The most emotionally fatiguing part of the day was our tour through the Stasi interrogation building particularly the holding chambers in the basement. It is easy to forget just how precious our freedom of speech is and because this freedom is such a large part of our culture, it is hard to fathom the terror that would come in a world where the Stasi existed. People could not say anything for fear of being arrested. Even if they were not saying negative things, the Stasi could very well arrest them and use them as incentive for another criminal. You never knew when a family member would just go missing, and you never knew when you would see that family member, or if you would see that family member again. The tour guide spoke about the process used to brain wash those being held in order to get them to admit to crimes they had never committed. Because the history is disturbing and somewhat gruesome, I will not go into details. Regardless, I said a thank you to God that I am lucky enough to live in the country I do without constant fear.
The evening concluded with a trip to the play by Max Frisch Biederman und die Brandstifter performed by the Berliner ensemble. What a wonderful experience! The playhouse was a smaller more intimate setting. The audience walked through the stage to sit in chairs facing the doorway and windows. The actors and actresses were often in the rows of the crowd acting. The play also used the tradition of early Greek and Italianate plays featuring music at the beginning, in the middle during the most "heavy" part of story, mostly as a comic relief. The play itself is well worth watching, and I would highly recommend it.
Mai 26:
This morning, our class had a Literature Fruehstuck, a literary breakfest at the home/store of a literary bookhandler. He spoke to us about German literature and explained a bit of the German mindset when it comes to books. In Germany, there is a set price for books and hard copies of books in general are more valuable to Germans than they are to the average American.
In the afternoon, our professor left the class to find our way through Berlin to the Pergamon Museum. An incredible sight to behold, the Pergamon prides itself in using ancient pieces of buildings to reconstruct the original building. For instance, the first room in the Pergamon features a life size entrance and steps to an alter in ancient Mesopotamia. People can sit on the steps to the alter. It was quite incredible. The most fascinating part of the museum for me was the reconstruction with original pieces of Nebekenezer's palace and parts of the tower of Babylon. Having heard the stories in church so often, it had a huge impact on me to be able to see an actual part to the building. Wow! The museum also featured ancient Ottoman and Turkish artifacts. My German partner and I took many pictures to use within our presentation. We were very intrigued to see that many of the patterns in the Ottoman/Turkish artwork can be seen prolifically in older German buildings as well.
The last part of our day was a tour of the Film und Fernsehen Museum, Film and TV Museum in the famous Potsdamer Platz, the German equivalent to Time Square. There was a section of the museum, towards the later half of German film and tv history that featured movies that were German stereotypes of Turkish people. Like the movie we saw earlier in the trip, Almanya, the guide described this era as having particularly strong German views of Turkish stereotypes based on Turkish people living in Germany.
Mai 26:
Today we had one activity before our Frei Wochenende, free weekend, began-a trip to the Berlin Wall. What a heart wrenching experience. There was a new exhibit up that not even our professor had seen, which was a miniature wall featuring pictures of those who were killed attempting to cross the wall. Many people were there looking for specific pictures and placing roses by them. The park had reconstructed what the wall would have looked like, complete with the dead zone between the two walls. It was eerie peering through the wholes in one wall, looking across the dead zone and seeing the other wall. As one student commented when the tour guide asked us how it felt to look into the holes, "it seems to close, yet it is so far away." For those who are not aware, the Berliner Mauer, Berlin Wall, was actually two walls, an open area in between belonging to the DDR with guard towers in the open area. Parts of the original wall are still stand in the park; however, the government is allowing greenery to grow over these walls in a symbolic attempt to show earth taking back the wall. Perhaps the most moving aspect of the wall is not in the reconstructions or original pieces but rather in the bricked areas on the ground tracing the whole wall throughout Berlin. This retracing stands as the most important reminder of a time divided and of the cost of that division
Sunday, May 22, 2011
23 May 2011
Guten Morgen Leute!
I apologize for the delay in postings. We have been incredibly busy! This entire weekend, from Thursday of last week through today, we have been working with Polish students and German students on audio-walking tour projects of various touristic locations around Potsdam. We were given the recording equipment and it was our duty to record various sounds of that area, write and record a script describing the history and importance of the area, put everything into garage band and create the tour in English, German, and Polish.
The group that I was fortunate enough to be a part of made an audio tour for the Alte Bahnhof at Pirschheide Station. Here is the script for our project attributed to writer Mylii Pukeman:
I apologize for the delay in postings. We have been incredibly busy! This entire weekend, from Thursday of last week through today, we have been working with Polish students and German students on audio-walking tour projects of various touristic locations around Potsdam. We were given the recording equipment and it was our duty to record various sounds of that area, write and record a script describing the history and importance of the area, put everything into garage band and create the tour in English, German, and Polish.
The group that I was fortunate enough to be a part of made an audio tour for the Alte Bahnhof at Pirschheide Station. Here is the script for our project attributed to writer Mylii Pukeman:
From the platform of the Pirschheide Rail Station, the solemn stillness provides a setting ideal for contemplation. An old, rusted can of spray paint lies forgotten at the bottom of a stairway that leads no where. Stripped bare of life and animation, the station sits peacefully, with boarded up windows and empty tunnels. A letter missing from the sign on the main building signifies the beginning of an erosion process. On every surface area, rainbows of Graffitti illustrate how this station, once a structure of function, will slowly deteriorate and fade into history. In the distance, an ederly woman sits quietly on a bench with her hands folded in her lap. It is clear this location holds a certain significance for her. Every stairway is walled shut, and now serves as a reminder of a time marked by division.
In 1958, the station opened as the southern Potsdam rail station. With the division of east and west Berlin, it became the most important station in the outer Berlin area. When the wall was constructed in 1961, the intercity subway and street rail-lines were severed. East Germans were not permitted to travel to west Berlin. In this railstation, the solution to the problem of having to navigate around west Berlin was to seal off access to those rail lines. In order to get into east Berlin, the workers from the Potsdam area could only travel around the outside of the city. Travel was restricted in this way for many years. After the wall fell in 1989, east and west Germany began a process of reunification. The opening of long-standing borders made the need for such circuitous routes unnecessary. Over the following decade the Pirschheide station became increasingly obsolete. Though the rail line is still in use, the station closed permanently in 1999.
Now one of only a few remnants of a past era, the station functions merely as a symbol. The walled in stairwells once served a purpose of seperation - an impenetrable division of people from one another. To visit the station today is to get a sense for that division. Those same stairwells now represent not only the wall that once existed between east and west, but also the wall that exists today between the past and the present. Locations like the Pirschheide Rail Station belong to those on both sides, who in their quest for understanding wish to break through.
I did the English recording of the tour and also sang the Schubert "Ave Maria" that floats lightly in the background throughout the recording. When it is released to us, I will be sure to send it out!
Today is the last day that we will work with the Polish and German students. It has been such an interesting experience. The common language we share with both the Polish and German students is prolifically German. Many of both sets of students speak some English though and there are a handful that are learning English for their college degree. At first, we all were incredibly frustrated and angry with our leaders who had given us tasks, such as cooking for the entire 42 person group, and completing this audio project, without seemingly any direction or organization. Going to the store in our 7 person groups of Polish, German, and English students and attempting to buy groceries and then attempting to cook for everyone-we found ourselves speaking broken English and German to get things done. It was altogether a wonderful experience.
Today's agenda consists of finishing up work with the audio tour and a final barbeque and then returning to the house and catching up on work before our busy next two weekends. Have a beautiful day and more information to come!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Good Evening!
We are finally back at the house after a very long day. Today was filled with a tour of Einstein's house, a nature hike to a micro-brewery where we had a tour of the facility and then ate lunch and then went on a walking tour of Potsdam. In a few hours we are going to have dinner and then class following the dinner.
The visit to Einstein's house was very interesting. He desired only three things in the design of his home-function, symmetry, and peacefulness only found in nature. When one is standing in the house, one has the feeling that although things seem normal, there is simply something not normal in regards to the design. The house was absolutely stunning. Every room had a sink in it. The windows were beautiful French windows. There were three terraces-one for each floor. The most beautiful aspect; however, were the beautiful garden and the incredible view of the entire city of Caputh.
After Einstein's house, we took a Wanderprobe, which is German word for nature hike through the forest to a micro-brewery where we took a tour of the facility and then ate lunch. Both were quite enjoyable. The last part of our long day before we were able to go home included a 6 mile walk through Potsdam. Which was beautiful considering the weather and the atmosphere. But, I must admit that after the fatiguing morning, I would have taken much more information in had I had a nap or a rest (Pausa auf Deutsch) for a little bit.
This part is not in the German blog. This evening we had a wonderful dinner of capreise made by the students. Our professor, Herr Mullins, has worked out a wonderful system in which the students rotate, four to a team, and cook dinner/do dishes for each night. This conserves energy and grocery money as well as gives people a chance to participate. After dinner we had class which consisted of our daily 25 vocabulary words and then a summary of the first chapter of our new German book, Deutschland: Ein neues Anfang.
Tomorrow we will begin a weekend dedicated to working with students from Poland (coming here for the same purpose of learning the culture and language) and German students. Together, we are working on a project to create a listening tour in Polish, German, and English for the city of Potsdam. Considering the only language we have in common with which to communicate is German, it will be an interesting four days.
I am waiting to hear from my voice instructor, Turid Karlsen, about voice lessons this weekend. It is rather difficult to find not only a time to sing, but a place to sing as well. Herr Mullins and I will get into contact with the church nearby to see if I can practice there a couple times a week at least. More wonderful information to come!
We are finally back at the house after a very long day. Today was filled with a tour of Einstein's house, a nature hike to a micro-brewery where we had a tour of the facility and then ate lunch and then went on a walking tour of Potsdam. In a few hours we are going to have dinner and then class following the dinner.
The visit to Einstein's house was very interesting. He desired only three things in the design of his home-function, symmetry, and peacefulness only found in nature. When one is standing in the house, one has the feeling that although things seem normal, there is simply something not normal in regards to the design. The house was absolutely stunning. Every room had a sink in it. The windows were beautiful French windows. There were three terraces-one for each floor. The most beautiful aspect; however, were the beautiful garden and the incredible view of the entire city of Caputh.
After Einstein's house, we took a Wanderprobe, which is German word for nature hike through the forest to a micro-brewery where we took a tour of the facility and then ate lunch. Both were quite enjoyable. The last part of our long day before we were able to go home included a 6 mile walk through Potsdam. Which was beautiful considering the weather and the atmosphere. But, I must admit that after the fatiguing morning, I would have taken much more information in had I had a nap or a rest (Pausa auf Deutsch) for a little bit.
This part is not in the German blog. This evening we had a wonderful dinner of capreise made by the students. Our professor, Herr Mullins, has worked out a wonderful system in which the students rotate, four to a team, and cook dinner/do dishes for each night. This conserves energy and grocery money as well as gives people a chance to participate. After dinner we had class which consisted of our daily 25 vocabulary words and then a summary of the first chapter of our new German book, Deutschland: Ein neues Anfang.
Tomorrow we will begin a weekend dedicated to working with students from Poland (coming here for the same purpose of learning the culture and language) and German students. Together, we are working on a project to create a listening tour in Polish, German, and English for the city of Potsdam. Considering the only language we have in common with which to communicate is German, it will be an interesting four days.
I am waiting to hear from my voice instructor, Turid Karlsen, about voice lessons this weekend. It is rather difficult to find not only a time to sing, but a place to sing as well. Herr Mullins and I will get into contact with the church nearby to see if I can practice there a couple times a week at least. More wonderful information to come!
18 Mai
Guten Abend!
Ich bin aus mein Wohnung nach ein lang Tage. Es war ein shoen Tage! Die sonner schien und das Wetter war warm-mehr als Gestern! Heute wir gingen nach Einstein's Haus, am ein Wanderprobe, Mittagsessen und ein Tour von die micro-burerei, spazierien durch Potsdam, und jetzt wir werden Abendessen haben und Unterricht haben.
Einstein's Haus ist sehr Interessant. Er moechte Funktion, Symmetrie, und Natur's Ruhe. Sein Haus lasst am ein Huegel im Caputh. Von die Haus, man kann weit weg sehen-die Baeume und vielen aus die Stadt. Die Haus ist sehr Funktionertlich. Der ist ein Spuelbecken am jedes Schlafzimmer und die Befeuerungen in jedes Zimmer sind am die Mittel der die Decken. Wenn mann ist im die Zimmern, man fuehlt etwas ist ein bisschen nicht normal. Jedes ist ein bisschen ungewoehnlich. Aber, est ist ein sehr schoen Haus. Draussen die Haus sind drei Terraces, und vielen Baeumen und Blumen.
Nach gingen wir am Einstein's Haus, wir hatten ein wanderproben zu ein Micro-burerei fuer ein Tour und Mittagsessen. Die Micro-burerei ist ein alter burerei und die Bier ist in ein "Old Fashioned" weg brauen. Ich trinkte kein Bier aber ich kaufte ein flasch fuer spaeter zu trinken.
Die Wanderprobe nach Mittagesessen war lang und machte mein Fuss schmerzen haben. Nur 6 miles traten wir durch Potsdam Parks beim ein See. Es war schoen die deutschen Familien sehen. Ich moechte wenn ich am jedes Tags leben sehen kann.
Und jetzt, ich bin aus mein Wohnung. Mein Group werden Abendessen haben und dann wir werden Unterricht machen. Es wird gut sein wenn wir ein bisschen Seit fur selbst haben werden. Ich liebe dieser Program und alle die Activitaeten, aber es bekommt schwerig sprachen und verstanden und zu hoeren Deutschen nach en lang Tag. Vielleicht es wird leichter bekommen :) Morgen wir werden mit die Pollen treffen. Zussamen, die Polen, deutschen studentinnen, und wir werden ein gross Projekt am polisch, inglisch, und deutschen machen. Bis Morgen!
Hello All! I will be writing a second blog to translate this blog. However a nap is calling my name :)
Ich bin aus mein Wohnung nach ein lang Tage. Es war ein shoen Tage! Die sonner schien und das Wetter war warm-mehr als Gestern! Heute wir gingen nach Einstein's Haus, am ein Wanderprobe, Mittagsessen und ein Tour von die micro-burerei, spazierien durch Potsdam, und jetzt wir werden Abendessen haben und Unterricht haben.
Einstein's Haus ist sehr Interessant. Er moechte Funktion, Symmetrie, und Natur's Ruhe. Sein Haus lasst am ein Huegel im Caputh. Von die Haus, man kann weit weg sehen-die Baeume und vielen aus die Stadt. Die Haus ist sehr Funktionertlich. Der ist ein Spuelbecken am jedes Schlafzimmer und die Befeuerungen in jedes Zimmer sind am die Mittel der die Decken. Wenn mann ist im die Zimmern, man fuehlt etwas ist ein bisschen nicht normal. Jedes ist ein bisschen ungewoehnlich. Aber, est ist ein sehr schoen Haus. Draussen die Haus sind drei Terraces, und vielen Baeumen und Blumen.
Nach gingen wir am Einstein's Haus, wir hatten ein wanderproben zu ein Micro-burerei fuer ein Tour und Mittagsessen. Die Micro-burerei ist ein alter burerei und die Bier ist in ein "Old Fashioned" weg brauen. Ich trinkte kein Bier aber ich kaufte ein flasch fuer spaeter zu trinken.
Die Wanderprobe nach Mittagesessen war lang und machte mein Fuss schmerzen haben. Nur 6 miles traten wir durch Potsdam Parks beim ein See. Es war schoen die deutschen Familien sehen. Ich moechte wenn ich am jedes Tags leben sehen kann.
Und jetzt, ich bin aus mein Wohnung. Mein Group werden Abendessen haben und dann wir werden Unterricht machen. Es wird gut sein wenn wir ein bisschen Seit fur selbst haben werden. Ich liebe dieser Program und alle die Activitaeten, aber es bekommt schwerig sprachen und verstanden und zu hoeren Deutschen nach en lang Tag. Vielleicht es wird leichter bekommen :) Morgen wir werden mit die Pollen treffen. Zussamen, die Polen, deutschen studentinnen, und wir werden ein gross Projekt am polisch, inglisch, und deutschen machen. Bis Morgen!
Hello All! I will be writing a second blog to translate this blog. However a nap is calling my name :)
16-17 Mai
Hallo Leute!
Die 15 von Mai war ein nicht sehr wichtig Tag so ich will ueber dass nicht schreiben. Am die 16 Mai haben wir ein lang Unterricht aus unser Haus und den ein Schnitzeljagd am Berlin. Wahrend ein schnitzeljagd mann muss Tipps benutzen fuer ein Ort oder ein Objekt finden. Mein partnerin und ich hatten ein Ort und ein Gebaeude finden. Wir mussten die Transit System benutzen. Aber, mein Partnerin und hatten kein Verstaendnis ein Stadtplan zu lesen. Das war schlecht. Wir suchten fuer etwas 3 Uhr und wir fanden kein Internet und kein Hilfe. Endgueltig, wir fanden ein Starbucks mit Wifi. Mit dass, wir koennten unser Ort finden und wir gingen schnell zum es. Unser Ort war Die Kultur Haus der die Welt im Tiergarten.
http://www.hkw.de/de/index.php
Translation:
Hello Everyone!
The 15th of May was not a very important day, so I am not going to write about it. On the 16th of May we had a long day of class at the house and then a Schnitzeljagd in Berlin. During a Schnitzeljagdt, one must use tips to find a place or an object. My partner and I had to find an object and a building. But, we did not understand how to read the map. That was bad. We looked for 3 hours and found no internet or help. Finally, we found a Starbucks with Wifi. With wifi we were able to find out place and go there quickly. Our place was the Kultur Haus der die Welt in Tiergarten.
http://www.hkw.de/de/index.php
Sadly, despite the fact that my partner and I eventually figured out how to read the train schedule and the map, I still am terrible at reading any sort of map. Twice we had incredibly kind Germans come up to us and point us in the right direction when we were about to make a fatal error. I will remain eternally thankful for those people and content in the fact that now know a little more about myself! I do have to make a comment; however, that it would do many American's good to take a page out of the hospitality book. Although I have not been to many countries, out of those I have been to I have yet to meet citizens who are completely unwilling to try and help if I ask. Furthermore, here in Germany, citizens came up to me when they saw me get out a map or standing in front of a map to try and help. In the future, I will attempt to be more kind to those who might be in need :)
Die 15 von Mai war ein nicht sehr wichtig Tag so ich will ueber dass nicht schreiben. Am die 16 Mai haben wir ein lang Unterricht aus unser Haus und den ein Schnitzeljagd am Berlin. Wahrend ein schnitzeljagd mann muss Tipps benutzen fuer ein Ort oder ein Objekt finden. Mein partnerin und ich hatten ein Ort und ein Gebaeude finden. Wir mussten die Transit System benutzen. Aber, mein Partnerin und hatten kein Verstaendnis ein Stadtplan zu lesen. Das war schlecht. Wir suchten fuer etwas 3 Uhr und wir fanden kein Internet und kein Hilfe. Endgueltig, wir fanden ein Starbucks mit Wifi. Mit dass, wir koennten unser Ort finden und wir gingen schnell zum es. Unser Ort war Die Kultur Haus der die Welt im Tiergarten.
http://www.hkw.de/de/index.php
Translation:
Hello Everyone!
The 15th of May was not a very important day, so I am not going to write about it. On the 16th of May we had a long day of class at the house and then a Schnitzeljagd in Berlin. During a Schnitzeljagdt, one must use tips to find a place or an object. My partner and I had to find an object and a building. But, we did not understand how to read the map. That was bad. We looked for 3 hours and found no internet or help. Finally, we found a Starbucks with Wifi. With wifi we were able to find out place and go there quickly. Our place was the Kultur Haus der die Welt in Tiergarten.
http://www.hkw.de/de/index.php
Sadly, despite the fact that my partner and I eventually figured out how to read the train schedule and the map, I still am terrible at reading any sort of map. Twice we had incredibly kind Germans come up to us and point us in the right direction when we were about to make a fatal error. I will remain eternally thankful for those people and content in the fact that now know a little more about myself! I do have to make a comment; however, that it would do many American's good to take a page out of the hospitality book. Although I have not been to many countries, out of those I have been to I have yet to meet citizens who are completely unwilling to try and help if I ask. Furthermore, here in Germany, citizens came up to me when they saw me get out a map or standing in front of a map to try and help. In the future, I will attempt to be more kind to those who might be in need :)
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Ein lang blog :)
Hallo Leute!
Ich bin hier am Deutschland! Which means, I am here in Germany! This will be a longer blog covering what happened the past few days. I apologize for not writing, but we have not had internet until late yesterday, and I have been exceptionally busy as well as jet-lagged.
13 bis 14 Mai (May 13-14)
My German partner was so kind to drive me from Duluth to the Minneapolis airport. She took her dog to her brother's house in Germany and waited till her flight in the evening. We spent the entire 2.5 hours talking about how excited we were and all the fabulous things we were going to accomplish. My first flight was from the US to Canada through Air Canada and was a very nice, short flight of about 1:45 hours. The layover in Canada was very short and the Canadian customs people were incredibly kind and happy. For those who do not travel, happy, kind customs workers are a supposed anomaly. Listening to the French being spoken around me and over the intercom and realizing I understood what they were saying lifted my spirits. Studying one language intensely seems to have taken a toll on my ability to speak quickly in the other languages I know. Surprisingly, it has not taken a toll on my comprehension both orally and written. It was an incredibly useful tool, it turns out, switching from English to French because it actually made me begin functioning in another language and prepared by brain for the total transitions when I arrived in Frankfurt.
The next flight was from Canada to Frankfurt, and that particular flight was my long flight of almost 8 hours. Air Canada is a really nice branch with very comfy seating, good leg room, very good food, and also a fabulous movie selection. I highly recommend them. Throughout my flight I was lucky enough to be sitting next to a very sweet Persian woman who was traveling from her current home in Canada to her home town in Iran which is on the border of Iran and Turkey. I found out that she had a great deal of Turkish friends and had even lived in the south of Germany for almost 11 years. We spoke quite a bit about Turkey and about the Muslim people living in Germany. It was her opinion that while Germany provided a lot of opportunities for Muslims and those from the Middle East it can create a situation questioning home verses homeland. She wished me the best of luck in both Germany and Turkey and encouraged me to fully immerse myself in the cultures and enjoy.
After landing, while sitting in the Frankfurt airport during my 3 hour layover, I was distressed to find I was unable neither able to access internet nor send SMS (texts) with my phone. To make matters worse, the Euro phones would not let me call home either. I had absolutely no way to contact anyone to let them know all was OK. I did not realize the importance of my communication tools in my life until that day.
The flight from Frankfurt to Berlin was fairly short and went well despite a huge amount of turbulence. I waited at the airport for my German partner who arrived an hour after I did. I do not think I have ever been so happy to see the face of someone I know. We both waited for a third person whose flight arrived early, thankfully. And, the three of us set off from the airport to have our first German experience!
Finding a taxi in Germany was, thankfully, easy since we were at the airport. We spoke to him in German, telling him where we needed to go and informed him we were students here in Germany to practice German. Talking with him during the drive, we found that he is Turkish, born in the East of Turkey, and moved to Germany about 10 years ago. Gastarbeiter is the non PC (politically correct term) for someone of his same situation.
Our hotel was absolutely beautiful! We stayed at the Marriot in the Zentrum (center) of Berlin. We had a small Abenteur (adventure) attempting to find somewhere to eat but were lucky enough to find an authentic hole-in-the-wall German restaurant, Bistro Kneipe. I ate Brotkeit, which was a plate of various cheeses, meats, and vegetables served with bread. Because I had not eaten anything but airplane food, it was the most delicious meal I have experienced. That evening I was able to use the internet and contact my loved ones and friends. And, the beautiful, king, bed was never more welcome!
Ich bin hier am Deutschland! Which means, I am here in Germany! This will be a longer blog covering what happened the past few days. I apologize for not writing, but we have not had internet until late yesterday, and I have been exceptionally busy as well as jet-lagged.
13 bis 14 Mai (May 13-14)
My German partner was so kind to drive me from Duluth to the Minneapolis airport. She took her dog to her brother's house in Germany and waited till her flight in the evening. We spent the entire 2.5 hours talking about how excited we were and all the fabulous things we were going to accomplish. My first flight was from the US to Canada through Air Canada and was a very nice, short flight of about 1:45 hours. The layover in Canada was very short and the Canadian customs people were incredibly kind and happy. For those who do not travel, happy, kind customs workers are a supposed anomaly. Listening to the French being spoken around me and over the intercom and realizing I understood what they were saying lifted my spirits. Studying one language intensely seems to have taken a toll on my ability to speak quickly in the other languages I know. Surprisingly, it has not taken a toll on my comprehension both orally and written. It was an incredibly useful tool, it turns out, switching from English to French because it actually made me begin functioning in another language and prepared by brain for the total transitions when I arrived in Frankfurt.
The next flight was from Canada to Frankfurt, and that particular flight was my long flight of almost 8 hours. Air Canada is a really nice branch with very comfy seating, good leg room, very good food, and also a fabulous movie selection. I highly recommend them. Throughout my flight I was lucky enough to be sitting next to a very sweet Persian woman who was traveling from her current home in Canada to her home town in Iran which is on the border of Iran and Turkey. I found out that she had a great deal of Turkish friends and had even lived in the south of Germany for almost 11 years. We spoke quite a bit about Turkey and about the Muslim people living in Germany. It was her opinion that while Germany provided a lot of opportunities for Muslims and those from the Middle East it can create a situation questioning home verses homeland. She wished me the best of luck in both Germany and Turkey and encouraged me to fully immerse myself in the cultures and enjoy.
After landing, while sitting in the Frankfurt airport during my 3 hour layover, I was distressed to find I was unable neither able to access internet nor send SMS (texts) with my phone. To make matters worse, the Euro phones would not let me call home either. I had absolutely no way to contact anyone to let them know all was OK. I did not realize the importance of my communication tools in my life until that day.
The flight from Frankfurt to Berlin was fairly short and went well despite a huge amount of turbulence. I waited at the airport for my German partner who arrived an hour after I did. I do not think I have ever been so happy to see the face of someone I know. We both waited for a third person whose flight arrived early, thankfully. And, the three of us set off from the airport to have our first German experience!
Finding a taxi in Germany was, thankfully, easy since we were at the airport. We spoke to him in German, telling him where we needed to go and informed him we were students here in Germany to practice German. Talking with him during the drive, we found that he is Turkish, born in the East of Turkey, and moved to Germany about 10 years ago. Gastarbeiter is the non PC (politically correct term) for someone of his same situation.
Our hotel was absolutely beautiful! We stayed at the Marriot in the Zentrum (center) of Berlin. We had a small Abenteur (adventure) attempting to find somewhere to eat but were lucky enough to find an authentic hole-in-the-wall German restaurant, Bistro Kneipe. I ate Brotkeit, which was a plate of various cheeses, meats, and vegetables served with bread. Because I had not eaten anything but airplane food, it was the most delicious meal I have experienced. That evening I was able to use the internet and contact my loved ones and friends. And, the beautiful, king, bed was never more welcome!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Zwei Tage bevor Deutschland/Türkiye'den gün yirmi üç gün
Hello!
Yesterday evening my voice students auditioned for the Musical Theatre department (known as Qualifying), and I was absolutely stunned. All of my students were exceptionally well prepared and presented themselves in such a wonderful and professional manner. I was so proud of them! Today they all had their vocal juries-voice final exams where they sing their repertoire in front of the voice faculty. I was yet again so very proud of them. They have worked so very hard this semester and their hard work paid off with positive feedback from their voice jury grades. I am a very proud voice teacher. I was also very proud of the students in the Vocal Technique (Pedagogy) class that I help teach. They all did exceptionally well too!
My voice jury was today as well. In my personal opinion, I sang absolutely horribly and was rather upset about the whole thing. However, my voice teacher informed me that it was the most consistent I have ever sung and that it was one of the best times I have performed that repertoire. Who would have though!
Now that finals are officially over, I am in the process of attempting to finally start packing both my bags for Germany and Turkey and also my things to store them before leaving for the summer. Perhaps it will be nice to actually walk through my room without the threat of being eaten alive by my clothing and belongings.
In Germany class we ended the semester talking about stereotypes "Stereotypen" and our curriculum addresses the stereotypes that German's have of "Auslanderinnen" foreigners especially Turkish peoples. "Zum Beispiel" (for example), it is a common stereotype by Germans that Auslanderinnen, especially Turkish Auslanderinnen come to Germany for the purpose of taking jobs away from the German people. I have to admit that before the past summer, I had stereotypes about Turkish people that were severely disproved when I got to know the Turkish people that I know lovingly call friends. My German partner and I will be assessing the various stereotypes we see in Turkish people living in Germany and in Turkish people living in Turkey. Here are some of the bullet points we desire to keep in consideration:
Yesterday evening my voice students auditioned for the Musical Theatre department (known as Qualifying), and I was absolutely stunned. All of my students were exceptionally well prepared and presented themselves in such a wonderful and professional manner. I was so proud of them! Today they all had their vocal juries-voice final exams where they sing their repertoire in front of the voice faculty. I was yet again so very proud of them. They have worked so very hard this semester and their hard work paid off with positive feedback from their voice jury grades. I am a very proud voice teacher. I was also very proud of the students in the Vocal Technique (Pedagogy) class that I help teach. They all did exceptionally well too!
My voice jury was today as well. In my personal opinion, I sang absolutely horribly and was rather upset about the whole thing. However, my voice teacher informed me that it was the most consistent I have ever sung and that it was one of the best times I have performed that repertoire. Who would have though!
Now that finals are officially over, I am in the process of attempting to finally start packing both my bags for Germany and Turkey and also my things to store them before leaving for the summer. Perhaps it will be nice to actually walk through my room without the threat of being eaten alive by my clothing and belongings.
Here is an interesting topic for today that I'd like to take into consideration pertaining to Germany and Turkey:
Stereotypes in both German and Turkish cultures not only that Americans
may have about the two, but also that the two have with one another.
- Turkish enterprises in Germany and how they differ from enterprises in Turkey (doner kebab)
- Turkish people living in Germany and the way they interact with one another in Germany vs how they interact with one another in Turkey.
- Turkish family life in Germany vs in Turkey.
If you have any opinion on these topics, please let me know.
I would greatly enjoy hearing your comments.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Vier Tage bevor Deutschland/Türkiye'den gün yirmi beş gün
Guten Morgen und Günaydın!
Both of those phrases are "Good Morning" in German and Turkish respectively. It is 1a.m. and I am completely and utterly unable to sleep because of how excited I am about leaving on Friday. The mess that is my room is now occupied by plastic bins ready to be filled before I move out of my current resident and store my things. The next two days are on the top of my list, however. Tomorrow I will play piano for my voice students as they audition for the Musical Theatre program. Tuesday I have my voice jury, and I will be playing piano again for six students who have voice juries, one of which is auditioning to get into the Music Program. For those who do not know, a jury is a final voice exam where the student sings a set number of pieces in front of the voice faculty. About 20% of a student's grade is based on their jury scores. :) Busy, busy days!
Both of those phrases are "Good Morning" in German and Turkish respectively. It is 1a.m. and I am completely and utterly unable to sleep because of how excited I am about leaving on Friday. The mess that is my room is now occupied by plastic bins ready to be filled before I move out of my current resident and store my things. The next two days are on the top of my list, however. Tomorrow I will play piano for my voice students as they audition for the Musical Theatre program. Tuesday I have my voice jury, and I will be playing piano again for six students who have voice juries, one of which is auditioning to get into the Music Program. For those who do not know, a jury is a final voice exam where the student sings a set number of pieces in front of the voice faculty. About 20% of a student's grade is based on their jury scores. :) Busy, busy days!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Neun Tage bevor Deutschland/Türkiye'den önce otuz gün
Guten Abend Leute!
The regional opera auditions went just wonderfully. It is always interesting to audition for those with whom you have previously worked although not necessarily during the same sort of activity. I am not sure when they will send out cast lists and information, but I will let everyone know as soon as I do. Everything is in a suspended state currently as the end of school draws near and the days tick down until May 13th. One more audition to go, two Opera Scene performances, finals, and then I can finally breath! :)
The regional opera auditions went just wonderfully. It is always interesting to audition for those with whom you have previously worked although not necessarily during the same sort of activity. I am not sure when they will send out cast lists and information, but I will let everyone know as soon as I do. Everything is in a suspended state currently as the end of school draws near and the days tick down until May 13th. One more audition to go, two Opera Scene performances, finals, and then I can finally breath! :)
Zehn Tage bevor Deutschland/Türkiye'den önce otuz bir gün
Merhaba ve Günaydin!
Günaydin is "Good Morning" or "Guten Morgen" auf Deutsch. It is getting to that moment where I realize I have too much to do and only ten days to accomplish everything. Today I will be teaching my voice students all day then auditioning for the regional opera company followed by a full dress rehearsal for opera scenes. I suppose I'll need to do homework at some point.
Yesterday I took time to notify my bank I'll be going over seas for a length of time this summer. I've also been reading the United State's warnings and helpful hints for those traveling over seas during this time. I'm very thankful that my international connecting flights both leaving and returning are through Canada. Likewise, I fly directly from Canada to Germany. Therefore, my flights are not in the red-zone as much as other flights.
Because this summer is such an enormous project, I have allowed Turkey and Germany to permeate my
life for the past year in a slow acceleration towards the summer. In piano lessons this semester I am studying Mozart's Alla Turca a rondo he wrote using Turkish influences. Here are my personal opinions on what makes this piece "Turkish"
Turkish Janissary Band as known for its percussion and distinctive rhythms. Turkish popular and folk music has also come to be recognized with much of the same percussive and rhythmic distinction. What Mozart adds is character. Mozart is known for his operas more so than any other works and has been given due credit for the characterization with which his music relates to individual characters in those operas. With each section of the rondo, there is a different character being portrayed-all Turkish in nature and bearing the same theme, but each very distinctive and individual. The Janissary Marches would use different themes themselves depending on their battle tactics. A good example of this can be found in this video below of a recreation of Janissary Marches in Istanbul, Turkey:
http://youtu.be/D0Fyf63qI_E
Günaydin is "Good Morning" or "Guten Morgen" auf Deutsch. It is getting to that moment where I realize I have too much to do and only ten days to accomplish everything. Today I will be teaching my voice students all day then auditioning for the regional opera company followed by a full dress rehearsal for opera scenes. I suppose I'll need to do homework at some point.
Yesterday I took time to notify my bank I'll be going over seas for a length of time this summer. I've also been reading the United State's warnings and helpful hints for those traveling over seas during this time. I'm very thankful that my international connecting flights both leaving and returning are through Canada. Likewise, I fly directly from Canada to Germany. Therefore, my flights are not in the red-zone as much as other flights.
Because this summer is such an enormous project, I have allowed Turkey and Germany to permeate my
life for the past year in a slow acceleration towards the summer. In piano lessons this semester I am studying Mozart's Alla Turca a rondo he wrote using Turkish influences. Here are my personal opinions on what makes this piece "Turkish"
An orchestral version:
http://youtu.be/se_Swf7-68M
The piano version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGDHe14m8ew
Turkish Janissary Band as known for its percussion and distinctive rhythms. Turkish popular and folk music has also come to be recognized with much of the same percussive and rhythmic distinction. What Mozart adds is character. Mozart is known for his operas more so than any other works and has been given due credit for the characterization with which his music relates to individual characters in those operas. With each section of the rondo, there is a different character being portrayed-all Turkish in nature and bearing the same theme, but each very distinctive and individual. The Janissary Marches would use different themes themselves depending on their battle tactics. A good example of this can be found in this video below of a recreation of Janissary Marches in Istanbul, Turkey:
http://youtu.be/D0Fyf63qI_E
Here is your challenge! Listen for a little bit to the Janissary Marches in Turkey, then listen to either the piano or orchestral version of Alla Turca
SOMETHING FUN
Here is a link to a drummer who added a drum part to the Alla Turca. It is fabulous and he has a good feel for those moments where the percussion desires to be more or less.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zI2-obHP8s Sunday, May 1, 2011
Zwölf Tage bevor Deutschland/Türkiye'den önce otuz üç gün
Merhaba!
As I lay in my bed staring at my pile of clothes that still need to fit in my bag somehow, listening to the wind howling while I read the weather report of 65F and sunshine in Potsdam, and looking at my schedule for the last week of school with all the auditions, accompanying, teaching, and performing, it is no wonder I do not want to get out of bed!
Currently, everything is in place and smoothly sailing towards May 13th. I and my Turkish liason are still searching for sources of funding, but, as always, God will provide. I am setting up dates on which to study with teachers and conduct interviews. And, for the first time last night, I was watching a movie in which people started speaking German and I did not have to drastically "shift gears" to understand what they were saying. That was a very exciting moment for me. My grandfather used to say that to learn the language, think in the language. This seems tedious, but it is absolutely true!
Sunday, May 1
-Bach's St. Johannes Passion
-Opera Scenes Dress Rehearsal
Monday, May 2
-Classes, teaching, and accompanying
-Opera Scenes Dress Rehearsal
Tuesday, May 3
-Classes, teaching, and accompanying
-Audition for the regional opera company
-School of Fine Arts Banquet
-Full Dress Rehearsal for Opera Scenes
Wednesday, May 4
-Classes, teaching, and accompanying
-Full Dress Rehearsal for Opera Scenes
Thursday, May 5
-Classes, teaching, and accompanying
-Voice Masterclass
-Opera Scenes Performance
Friday, May 6 (LAST DAY CLASSES!)
-Classes, teaching, and accompanying
-Audition for Cosi fan tutte
-Opera Scenes Performance
As I lay in my bed staring at my pile of clothes that still need to fit in my bag somehow, listening to the wind howling while I read the weather report of 65F and sunshine in Potsdam, and looking at my schedule for the last week of school with all the auditions, accompanying, teaching, and performing, it is no wonder I do not want to get out of bed!
Currently, everything is in place and smoothly sailing towards May 13th. I and my Turkish liason are still searching for sources of funding, but, as always, God will provide. I am setting up dates on which to study with teachers and conduct interviews. And, for the first time last night, I was watching a movie in which people started speaking German and I did not have to drastically "shift gears" to understand what they were saying. That was a very exciting moment for me. My grandfather used to say that to learn the language, think in the language. This seems tedious, but it is absolutely true!
- Here is a challenge for this week: The Turkish word for water is "su." Everytime you come across water, whether it is to drink water or use it for cooking, or you just see water, think "su." After a couple of days, you will not have to think about thinking about "su"-it will just happen automatically. Step 2: Send me your feedback on this experiment! Step 3: Try it in a different language! German-"Wasser" or for those foreign speakers following the blog, English-"Water".
Sunday, May 1
-Bach's St. Johannes Passion
-Opera Scenes Dress Rehearsal
Monday, May 2
-Classes, teaching, and accompanying
-Opera Scenes Dress Rehearsal
Tuesday, May 3
-Classes, teaching, and accompanying
-Audition for the regional opera company
-School of Fine Arts Banquet
-Full Dress Rehearsal for Opera Scenes
Wednesday, May 4
-Classes, teaching, and accompanying
-Full Dress Rehearsal for Opera Scenes
Thursday, May 5
-Classes, teaching, and accompanying
-Voice Masterclass
-Opera Scenes Performance
Friday, May 6 (LAST DAY CLASSES!)
-Classes, teaching, and accompanying
-Audition for Cosi fan tutte
-Opera Scenes Performance
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