New experiences

Greetings Friends and Family:

It's only been two weeks that I've been here now, but it seems like it's been much longer. I know the city, know my coworkers, know most of the other students here for the RISE program, etc. And It's just now starting to no longer feel like a vacation. This is of course the reason for coming via some sort of exchange program, to actually try to get a taste of the way it feels to live here (that and the fact that it's much cheaper this way!). I don't really expect it's entirely possible to learn enough to say I'll know a place after staying for 3 months, but I think two weeks i long enough for my traveler's adrenaline to cool down and actually start to process the world around me.

It's been rather interesting to just land in a place where I don't have any previous connections and where my only real support system is my advisor and the people I eventually make friends with. It's been a chance to experience some perspectives I don't usually get a chance to. For example, the other night my flat mate invited me to a small party at the end of the hall. It he introduced his friends as the "alcoholics anonymous" of Karlshof, and there was a lot of drinking, but it was actually a pretty calm crowd. There was a larger party with loud music in the bar down below, but no music connected with this party. Anyway it was an interesting experience to hang out for a bit and talk to a few people (met an australian art history major who's been here for about 2monthes now). I had to get to bed relatively early on since I was planning to head into Frankfurt the next morning (pictures soon). When I thanked Zim for inviting me, he told me that really for these student parties invitations aren't necessary, if I see even one person I know at the party I should join in. I thanked him again and pondered the philosophy: it's a very casual approach to interaction that's pretty foreign to me, but I don't really think it's all that different from the culture back at HMC really.

They say you go abroad to learn more about your own culture really (that's what Paul, from Australia says anyway ;) ) and I think I gained a small little insight into the party people from north or west that I hadn't understood before. There is an appeal in the rather free conversation and mixing, and though the alchohol causes problems when people abuse it, the mildly drunk actually do seem to create a friendlier environment. (I still can't understand the loud music at some parties though.)

Anyway, despite the fun of learning these new perspectives, I don't think I'll really pickup the party scene; too late at night and I'm not really a fan of any form of beer, especially the stuff at parties (and they tell me the stuff in the states is worse!). I have learned that I can sit at a table of people I just barely know, say only a few words and still be a part of the group; maybe I will pick up a bit more adventurous social habits in some other form. (I've tried this sort of thing at the dinning hall back home though and it's never really succeeded I think it's mostly a matter of finding a group to attach to or participating in a group where everyone's pretty new. thoughts?)

I would appreciate your prayers though for finding Christian community. No one I've met so far is an active Christian, so I've kind of been stumbling around online to figure out times for church services with not much success. It's difficult to keep a focus on God when that's not on the mind of any of the folks I'm hanging out with. It's also a bit lonely not knowing anyone better than two week time. Thanks to those of you who have written and IM'd!

I'll leave you with some more pictures form the gardens in Darmstadt:


Entrance to Rosenhöher:


Infant mausoleum for the local royalty:



The wedding tower, built to commemorate the marriage of the local princess to the Czar:




Built by Czar Nicholas II so he could have orthodox services when he visited his in-laws:


This is all that was left of one church after the second world war. The bushes mark where the walls were:



Obenfeld: looking away from the city on the edge of the gardens: