After 4 weeks: So far, Dresden (English)

Erin: I have had a wonderful time in Germany! It is beautiful here. I love living in Dresden. I could live here permanently. The people are very nice and there is always so much to do. We are now in our 4^th week of classes, which means we are half way done! While in Germany we have visited different towns, such as Meißen, Freiberg, and Moritzburg. We have also made so many German friends. In particular I have made friends with Hans and Franz. They are awesome and are always inviting us to come and hang out. This past weekend Franz even invited us to his birthday party on the Elbe. I have improved in my German speaking abilities a lot as well. For example, I am more comfortable going into stores and speaking German. Also, when we went on a tour spoken in complete German of the Volkswagen factory this past week, I actually understood what the guide was saying. Besides being immersed in the German culture and making so many friends, both from Ohio State and Dresden, my favorite part about Germany is how healthy I feel all the time. I love walking everywhere. I also love how cheap healthy food is! It is wonderful to go to the grocery store and to buy all fresh produce when it costs so little. This is something America definitely needs to pick up on. I think my favorite slang German word I have learned while being here is Tschüssi, which means goodbye! So I will leave you with that!

Daniel: My time so far in Germany has been great.  The city is full of life and has a very real history and culture that you can see every day in the Altstadt. The food is different, a mix of ethic food and traditional German, but is very delicious.  There hasn’t really been any culture shock for me personally; however there are many little things that take time to get used to.  Things like having to pay for bathrooms or water, not have ac or screen windows, or just the general cost of things here remind you that this is not what you are accustomed to daily. The people here are rather nice, especially at night, but can come across as short tempered. The classes have been very interesting and have been keeping us very busy.  The towns we see every Thursday are quite unique, and outside of the classroom we have gone to events like the VW factory or the theatre which we went to today. Dresden has continued to make us feel welcome and has amazed all of us with its beauty and culture.

Matt: Since arriving in Dresden on June 6^th, I’ve been privileged to study the German language in country, discover the history of my ancestors, and evaluate societal differences and similarities of Germany and The United States. In my opinion, studying the German language in country has astronomical benefits.  Personally, the constant exposure of the language in shops, streets, transportation, and restaurants allows constructive practice on a daily basis. The opportunity to study the history of Germany and its effect on Europe, and the world, continues to intrigue me.  However, the most valuable realization has been the societal similarities between Germany and The United States. Through spending time with students from the Technische Universität, and observing daily culture in Dresden, I find societal aspects such as media, entertainment, fashion, and daily mentality incredibly similar. Obvious differences such as the majority language, public transportation, and diet are minimal in my opinion, especially in comparison to the rest of the world. Last but not least, the historic beauty of Dresden amazes me. I love spending time in the Altstadt, surrounded by the baroque buildings such as the Frauenkirche and the Zwinger. The view from across the Elbe River is staggering. Studying in Dresden for the summer was a great decision and I am looking forward to the remainder of my stay.

Lindsay: My experiences in Dresden so far have been absolutely incredible. I have made some amazing friends, both American and German, and we’ve had a blast! So far we’ve traveled to Meiβen, Freiberg, Moritzburg, and tomorrow we leave for Berlin. Some of my experiences just in Dresden include seeing my first ballet in the Semper Opera House, going to church in the Hofkirche, and experiencing the night life all around the Neustadt. While the culture in Dresden is definitely different than the US, the contrast is not so huge as to make me feel out of place, aside from the language. We frequently hang out with two guys in particular, Hans and Franz, who are hilarious and have taken us to an American football game, invited us to play Frisbee, and Franz even invited us to his birthday party. I will definitely be sad when I leave here, but it won’t be so bad because another one of our German friends, Tung, is coming to the big O-H-I-O in the fall! I can’t wait to see him around Columbus and watch him experience the Ohio State University!

Alex: Saying my stay in Dresden so far has been exciting, is an understatement. The city of Dresden has such a rich history that is on display all over the city through a variety of buildings, museums and attractions. Finding them is half the fun of seeing them. Every person that I’ve met has treated me and those around me like friends; there’s never a dull moment or an awkward silence and you always leave wanting to see them again. And although the weather is a bit spontaneous, it gives Dresden an Ohio-feel. The places are beautiful, the people are friendly and the food (especially the Döner) is delicious, there isn’t much more to ask for!

Kevin: My stay in Dresden has been an incredible experience thus far, and so summarizing it in such a short post will be moderately difficult, but I hope to hit the main topics. The city is of course, unlike anything we have in the United States with beautiful buildings older than our country itself. The people are very nice for the most part, though they tend not to emote as much as Americans do, so it seems at a first glance that they are not as happy or welcoming etc. However, I think this is not so fair a thing to say, seeing as one doesn’t have to over emote to be in a good mood. It is just a cultural thing. The food is also very good. The only stereotype I have found to be true about Germany is that their beer is extraordinary. I was disillusioned the first week when our train was a half hour late, but I have yet to find a German beer that disappoints. All in all, it is a great place and I think I am almost learning as much outside of class as I am in class.

Kelsey: I have had so many great experiences, met a lot of new people, and learned a lot about the German language and history surrounding Dresden.  It is hard to believe that we are already half way through our summer in Dresden!          

It is also hard to believe how much I have learned since the first day.  I remember walking around Dresden with Dr. Spencer as he told us about the different buildings and their history.  At the time, it was a lot to take in.  Now, however, I am filled with information behind the architecture and history, in not only Dresden, but Meissen and Freiberg too.

My favorite excursions have been the trip to Moritzburg and Radebeul, along with visiting the Freiberg cathedral, although I have a feeling that Berlin may surpass these excursions in the next four days.

When it comes to learning how to speak the German language, I am slowly getting better.  At first, I did not understand very much going on around me and had a hard time with listening and answering questions.  Now, it has surely gotten better, but I am still learning.  I can pick up on more and more conversations just by listening to people speak on the trams, and I also find it easier to hold short conversations with people.    We also took a tour of the Volkswagon Manufaktur in German, and I was able to understand a good amount!

Danielle: The past five weeks in Germany have been the most exhausting, but amazing five weeks I have ever had!  When I first arrived, I went to Munich and while there, I had my first German pretzel, wandered around Munich, and saw an opera.  The opera was in French with German subtitles and was a bit hard to understand, but I truly enjoyed it!  In Dresden, I have seen so many things and had the opportunity to speak German with real Germans, which can only help with the process of becoming more proficient in this difficult language.  The differences between the U.S. and Germany are numerous; the extensive public transportation here is phenomenal and I would really enjoy having a similar system in Columbus!  Being able to walk around and see where important historical events occurred is really surreal.  I was able to see Raphael’s Sistine Madonna, August the Strong’s extensive porcelain collection, and the VW factory, called the Transparent Factory, which was really impressive!  The trips we take are interesting and my favorite so far is Moritzburg, because we were able to see an impressive castle along with the Käthe Kollwitz House, which was really moving. 

Ashton: These first few weeks in Dresden have been a whirlwind. It’s hard to believe we are halfway through the program already. I have met a lot of new people and done all kinds of things I never imagined doing. Seeing the Sistine Madonna in person was wild as well as riding the steam train from Moritzburg and going through the silver mines in Freiberg.

I’ve been to the movies and the theatre and to a few different festivals with class and with new German friends and have been making an effort to try new things whenever I can. I recently discovered quark at the grocery store. It’s fantastic. If only we had it at home. I seem to be saying that a lot.