I've just been so crazy busy this last week! We went on study tour (to Berlin), which, as I've told some of you, is a field trip on steroids. Here's what I did this week:
Sunday: (man this feels like years ago)
I went with a friend in my dorm to the Danish Museum of National History. But, before we got there we got super lost. In this weird hazy cold rain. For three or four hours. Everyone we asked kept getting the museum we wanted to go to confused with the Danish Museum of Natural History, which was really far away from the National History museum. So we were getting crazy directions which as you can imagine got us lost and really confused. It was really great once we got there though! A lot of museums here are free on Sundays, so that was covered. We only had an hour and a half before the museum closed so we just ran through the medieval and interiors and Greek exhibits really fast. Haha oh my goodness, in the Greek section there was an area on Hercules, and well, check out the picture below.
For the remainder of my day I just relaxed and packed for Berlin. This brings me to...
Monday:
I went to sleep way too late (I was excited!) and woke up way too early (I had to leave my dorm at 5:30), so I ended up not getting nearly enough sleep. And if you know me at all, you know I do not do well without my slumber. I was so out of it! Anyways, my class and I met at the airport and got took our 45 or 50 minute flight to Germany. We then gathered our luggage and took a Mercedes Benz bus to our hotel. It was sooo comfortable- we should have taken the bus from Denmark!
We stayed in suites for four at this nice two star hotel- Hotel Alex. It was in a good location, I think (I never really figured Berlin out). The tram stopped right in front of the hotel. The beds were comfy and the rooms were big so I was happy! After dumping our luggage off, we had some German food (at Brauhaus Mitte). Ah! I actually never had wienerschnitzel (which is my favorite German dish) the entire week I was there. Oh well. We were served some kind of saucy meat and potatoes dish. Very hearty.
After this, we went to (get ready for this) Familienplanungszentrum Berlin, which you can probably make a good guess as to what it is if you stare at the name long enough (it's a family planning center). It was an experience. We had to take off our shoes for the classroom and we sat on pillows on the floor. They talked to us and took questions, then gave us some cookies and tea or coffee. It was just really relaxing which made it hard to stay awake! Now what did I learn... Germany starts sex ed real young, hmm and Germans don't like children.
Then after that, my Berlin roommate and I decided to go to Potsdamer Platz. Which is a really modern square area with lots of restaurants and I think a movie theater. Hey, by the way, Berlin was kind of a shock. I guess since I'd been living in beautiful quaint Copenhagen for a week, I expected at least something similar in Berlin. But no! It was really industrial, with skyscrapers and things. It makes sense though. You know, with WWII and all. So it was like a few old cool buildings mixed into a normal looking city. So we ate at an Australian place. I had a burger, which was pretty tasty. And the prices! My meal was like maybe $12! So cheap (the same thing in Copenhagen would probably be double that)! I really liked that about Berlin. After eating, we just kind of walked around and stumbled across the Memorial to the Murdered Jews (later, my class went on a bike tour and the tour guide described the memorial like this- when you walk around in it, it makes you really disoriented and you feel almost claustrophobic and it's really easy to get separated from your group/family. Google image it, so you get what I mean. It's a really clever design), and we found the Parliament building and Brandenburg Gate (see below, the thing you see behind the gate was this huge screen for watching the Euro Cup). We then found our way back to the hotel. It was a really long day!
Tuesday:
We started our day by visiting the oldest anatomy lab in Berlin! We got a little bit of a history lesson (from this brilliant scientist, who unfortunately didn't really say anything about his own research on the genesis of neurons) and we headed off to the lab. They had a few cadavers prepared for us in different ways. Oh, and I totally held a brain.
After this, we were let loose for lunch, then we met back up to go on a bike tour of the city. And just so you know, that's the way to do it. If you're every in Berlin and you want a tour, use the Fat Tire bike tour company. Our tour guide was fantastic. She had actually moved from England to Berlin because she was so obsessed with the city and all of it's history. So, we hit up all the major attractions. I learned a lot! Which brings me to currywurst! It's a product of the Berlin Blockade. The English would drop food and things for the West Berliners. This included curry (remember, the UK once included India). The Germans didn't know what to do with it, so they put it on a sausage. I got to eat some! It was actually pretty tasty- I could go for some right now.
After the bike tour was over (it lasted somewhere around 4 hours), five of us decided to go find dinner. We ended up at this small Italian place. I asked for our waiter's favorite dish and happily ate it (pork meatballs in a red sauce with tiny shell pasta). Afterwards, I slept.
Wednesday:
We started the day by going to this really famous heart institute. Their policy is to take every patient that comes to their door. This means they usually treat really desperate, late stage heart disease patients. So they get all the strange, crazy cases. Also- they specialize in pediatric heart care (for like congenital defects). They're one of the best in the world! The people there were really great. I thought it was so funny- they basically had a dessert bar out for us in our lecture room. So I'm like eating this heavy pastry and chugging a Coke while learning about artificial hearts. Oh goodness. After a bit of history they took us around to see some patients (there was one guy who had brain damage from heart failure so he thought he was a dog). Oh and they took us to the break area, which was outside near I think the surgery ward. And get this- there were like 7 or so doctors and nurses smoking. Smoking! Smoking greatly increases the chances of heart disease! Just seeing a handful of patients made me wary of being around these smoking medical professionals. I'm almost impressed that they could get over that fear.
After this I started to get a migraine, and it was an exceptionally bad one. So I don't remember much. We went to this clinic. I think it was a teaching hospital, but it was loosely associated with the Red Cross. And they did a lot of bariatric surgery. Oh and along with that I think they do a lot of obesity-prevention sort of educational programs. I mostly concentrated on not falling asleep or fainting. I don't like to complain, but man, that was painful. Maybe I should have just asked for a hospital bed!
After that was over we went to dinner and a show! It was called LOFT, and it was made of just seven people who used to be in Cirque du Soleil. The food was good! And the show had the potential to be quite good, but unfortunately (and this might sound snobbish) it made me wonder if they left Cirque du Soleil voluntarily. Whatever, it was entertaining enough. I dunno why I was expecting their previous employer's caliber of work, but I seriously should not be complaining! It was interesting to see.
Thursday:
The next day we went to Vivantes Hospital. They were super nice! It was just a hospital. They took us around to the different departments. I saw a three day old baby (they're so small!). Hmm what else... Just normal hospital stuff. Oh, just a handful of us went to the nuclear medicine area, and I learned I'm a beast at radiology. That's right. If I ever decide I don't want to work with people, I feel like I could totally do that. We were there for a really long time, maybe four or five hours? I feel like we spent the whole day there. But it was ok, because again, everyone was incredibly nice (they even bought us lunch!).
After that we were let loose for about four hours. So a few of us went to museum island, as the Berliners call it, to run through a couple museums. We went to the Pergamon, which had legit buildings in it (look below- and note how the people near the bottom left look in comparison to the structure). And we ran through the Neues Museum (which housed pre-history, Egyptian history, and other past history exhibits) and saw that famous bust of Queen Nefertiti! We saw so much, it was really overwhelming! I totally could have spent a good day inside the Neues.
We then met back with our class at the hotel, where we walked together to this nearby restaurant. It was a nice day, and we were seated outside near some TVs. DIS bought us steaks, drinks and desserts, which was all really good. After dinner, most of us stayed and watched the Germany vs. Italy game (which, being in Germany was pretty depressing- on TV they kept showing Germans crying every time Italy scored). It was fun and relaxing though. Or, as the Danes would say, it was very cozy!
Friday:
Friday was my last day in Berlin. We did a group presentation and were done with the academic part of the trip for the time being. We then went as a class to a restaurant right on the water by museum island and got a three course meal (which consisted of some freaky tomato salad, good pasta, and ice cream).
We could then choose which museum we wanted to go to- the Jewish Memorial or the German National History Museum. A pretty small group of us choose the History Museum, so off we went. And I am so glad I choose that one. It was really great! There were all sorts of beautiful paintings and artifacts. It was really fascinating. Unfortunately, my phone died almost as soon as I got there, so I don't have very many pictures.
After spending quite a bit of time at the museum, three of us walked to Checkpoint Charlie. I wanted a beer stein and other souvenirs and the two girls I was with wanted to get their passports stamped at the checkpoint, so we split up for about 15 or so minutes. I found this great stein at a really good price and I got a Germany shirt to wear when I got home (I'm afraid to wear it in Denmark because Germany kicked them out of the Eurocup!).
After this, we met back up at the hotel, and took the tram and I think a few trains to get to this sketchy airport. It was insanely small and the lighting was weird and I just wanted to leave. We eventually did of course, and took the short flight back home to Copenhagen. We got back around 11ish at night! I had to make half of my trip back to my dorm alone (I don't think anyone in my class lives around me), which was actually fine. To be quite honest, I was pretty freaked out about walking around at like midnight by myself looking like a tourist. But everyone who was out was just drunk and singing and laughing. It was all very pleasant. If you ever decide to get lost at midnight in a foreign country, choose Denmark.
Saturday:
I actually set off on Saturday to find some really good Danishes! But I got distracted while I was out and decided, like last minute, that I was going to go see a castle. So I wondered to the nearby Rosenborg Slot. It was really beautiful! And I was surprised to learn that it was a summer home for Christian IV. Goodness it was elaborate (as you can imagine). They just had such unique stuff and decorations! I really wanted to live there. Or buy some of the decorations. So I ended up mostly taking pictures of the things I wanted. Like they had this cool wooden (carved) mounted deer head. I mean come on, I want that in my house. And there was a birdcage with a clock as the base! And a ton of elaborate clocks! And the crown jewels of Denmark! Oh man. But the most impressive part of the castle was the long hall. It contained these silver lions and the king and queen's thrones. Oh and get this- the king's throne (left in picture) is made of narwhal tusks. That's right, I typed narwhal. Isn't that incredible?! I'd be jealous if I were the queen and I had to sit in some lame throne made of silver. Jeeze.
Sunday:
Sunday was actually really uneventful. I mostly rested and got some group work done. Surely I did more... Haha I bought some Oreos? Ugh after that past week I really deserved a break.
Monday (today):
I went to class and learned about the cardiovascular system, which was interesting. I then went to lunch with my family who lives here! I was with them for like four hours. It was really nice. We went to some cafe in a pretty square (I had a really good burger!). Then we went to a little coffee place. It was good conversation, I really enjoyed myself. And I've been typing this blog for like an hour or so. Ahh. I hope you've enjoyed it! Because now I'm done for today.
Oh wait!!! Happy 20th birthday Aaron! I'm going to eat a pastry or something in your honor.
No comments:
Post a Comment