27.11.12

Current Event November

Relationships are being tested in countries all over the world, and nowhere is this more evident than in the current situation with Israel and Palestine. The battling factions in the Middle East themselves are a stunning example of the breaking and severing of international ties, but allies of the different sides are also finding their loyalties tested and tried. For an example, turn to Germany and Israel. 
As a close ally of the nation since its founding in 1948, Germany has always stood behind Israel in issues of both foreign and domestic policy. The historic and political ties between the two countries are undeniable. 
Filmmaker Markus Vetter of Germany did an unexpected thing by filming Heart of Jenin in a Palestinian refugee camp, but it actually reflected the beliefs of some German people, whose opinions of Israel, Palestine  and the issues of the West Bank are changing despite the attitude of the German government. 
Some, while not opposed principally to Israel, are opposed to the occupation, and this has been reflected through German-led relief efforts for Palestinian refugees. There have been several protests of Israeli actions and the support of the German government thereof. 
On the other hand, the German government has openly proclaimed its support for Israel's actions regarding the Gaza Strip. It remains to be seen what happens with the ties of these nations, and those all over the world, regarding this conflict. 

23.11.12

Grin and Bear It

Sunday was a day of sleeping in, rolls with freshly made apple jelly (basically the most delicious thing I've ever had), cups of tea, looking at the fog, and reading Harry Potter und der Gefangene von Azkaban.
That is, until 15.30. Then, with my parents, I ventured out into the fog. We were going to the Steiff Museum.
Now, if you haven't heard of Steiff, then I guess that's okay. But if you haven't heard of teddy bears, that's a different story. Giengen, where the Steiff Museum is located, is literally the capital of Teddybeardom.
I told you! 
Margarete Stieff was an invalid who initially made an elephant shaped pincushion for her niece, unintentionally creating a cuddly friend that was way more fun than a pincushion. What began as Ms. Steiff's hobby of creating stuffed toys for her family rapidly grew into a business that now has a reputation for quality and creates multitudes of animals (from Triceratops to bears) for children, adults and collectors alike. The story and mission is actually really neat; check it out here
We parked at the parking lot and immediately saw the original factory...
...and then the row of Steiff banners... 
...and then the museum itself.
One is immediately confronted by a warm, fuzzy atmosphere...
... and intricate animal tableaus.
 We took a 'tour,' where we were led through a reproduced old-fashioned workshop, and then a world tour, complete with the Atlantic depths...
...the Antarctic...
...and a circular room of international bears, who sang a song for us.  
Then we entered the museum proper, where I rode an elephant. 
Then we had a teddy bear birthday party...
 ...and then we took baths...
...and then we saw a lion being created (he will go to a collector; the collectors' animals are stuffed with woodshavings).
And after a quick stop by Arabia...
...we hit the gift shop.
I felt like a little bear myself in this museum. So full of enthusiasm and color and creativity and huggable creatures...
I brought one home! 

19.11.12

Exchanging Umbrellas

The weekend before last saw me and my fellow Heidenheim exchange students casually boarding a train like we'd lived in Germany all our lives. Well, sort of. We were jabbering excitedly in English, German and Spanish, carrying suitcases, and wearing Rotary blazers. But I liked to think we looked casual.
We were headed to the town of Göppingen, to meet the Rotex of 1830 and fellow inbounds for your average exchange student get together. The program included a damp and delightful day in the town of Schwäbisch Gmünd...
...where we did a quiz about the town's history, although we never did figure out why the town's animal is a unicorn...
...and, because it was raining, we retreated into this beautiful cathedral after almost every question...
...especially after this episode, where we were a bit lost, and then I thought this figure in a tower was a real person.
Luckily, we recovered from this shock by taking photos in the town square.
From left: Michigan, Illinois, Arkansas, France, Ohio, Kansas, California, and Maine! 
That evening, despite the heavy drizzle, we took the lanterns we had created the night before and wandered the streets of Göppingen, singing loudly in a variety of languages (repertoire included the 'Wicked' soundtrack, 'The Ants Go Marching,' and many others), and seeing whose candle stayed lit the longest. 


It was a truly lovely weekend, and I even recovered my umbrella at the end of it!

8.11.12

Herbstferien and Other Distractions

The German school system has vacation every six weeks, like clockwork. So from the 27. Ocotber to the 4. November,  I had no school. Thanks, Baden-Württemberg. I felt that my German really improved during this time as I was speaking so much with people my own age. I also learned a lot of language from listening to descriptions of history in Baden-Württemberg. Every castle, every doorway, every street has a little tidbit, and some things, like the palace of the Prince-Bishops of Würzburg, have so much history and culture it just made me want to jump up and down and hug the painted ceilings.
Tuesday was bright and cold, and I boarded a train with a few friends from school to see the Ulmer Münster--which is the highest church tower in the world, or something trivial like that, and has 768 steps. Due to the snow, it was not possible to climb all of them. The tourist in me was disappointed, but the rest of me was quite relieved. The Münster is quite large...
 ...and I look quite small next to it...
 ...but I felt on top of the world looking out onto the city, which is the birthplace of Albert Einstein...
 ... Maine is somewhere on the left...
 ...and as if that wasn't enough, the inside of the cathedral is simply breathtaking.

So, bright and early on Wednesday morning, we left for three days in Würzburg. We hadn't seen enough old buildings...




















...beautiful views...





...stunning Baroque architecture and paintings...

I took this picture sneakily, but the tour guide frowned at me afterward.





...and picturesque towns.


Würzburg was so beautiful; I wish we could have stayed longer. But no. You see, on Saturday, I had an appointment with Stuttgart. 
Cue more beautiful buildings...

...history...


...a cafe full of cake...
 ...and a flea market full of books!
It was a pretty nice vacation.