1. Ethical Issues in My Profession: One of the biggest ethical issues in my profession is the advent of green technology, like chemical fuels and alternative energies. Within the global industry, this means that chemical engineers are going to be looking to reduce the amount of greenhouse emissions worldwide (Common to things like the Kyoto Treaty). Business and life within the United States are affected by this ethical issue because business now has to be done in a more green way. Bill paying has moved online, gas is being infused with ethanol, and so on, so that everything within our lives is becoming greener.
2. Educational Breadth as Professional Development: The need for a broad education experience is important to understand the impact of engineering and business solutions in a global and societal context. Study abroad is important to understand how companies in other countries perform tasks, and how business and engineers affect their society. In the future I will try to study abroad, and take any courses on global businesses.
3. Lifelong Learning, Continuing Education as Professional Development: Life long learning is important to any person in society. Abilities to engage in lifelong learning include reading books, attending professional conferences and lectures, and watching television programs. This is needed to compete in the future, because chemical engineering is always changing, and if one is not always learning new things, they will ultimately fall behind.
4. The Social Environment of Professional Life: It is very important to have knowledge of contemporary issues related to the global economy, because chemical industry is not an industry within a nutshell. Chemical engineers work for companies that have a global reach, so having knowledge of issues within the global economy is pertinent to being able to perform well in business. Within chemical engineering, both political and social issues can dictate things like oil refining and the advent of green technology. Economic issues deal with how well the economy is doing, which is turn can dictate how a product will sell. All of these issues affect the day to day life within the United States, because people are the ones who dictate the political climate, the social standards, and the economic output of the country.
5. Functioning on Multi-Disciplinary Teams: When I am a member of a multi-disciplinary team, first I try to observe members in the group, and to determine who is the strongest in certain areas. For example, in a team of two engineers and one business student like this one, I knew the business student would be good at presenting our presentation with the German students, since the presentation would be talking about business topics. Second, I try to be a leader within the group, because I feel like it is one of my skills as a person. Leadership has been a value to me, and I try to let it show when I am working in a group. The challenges in a cross-functional group mainly arise from how in depth the group’s task is within a certain area. For example, this group’s task was to put together a business presentation, which created the challenge of having the engineers learn the business terms and models, and challenged the business student to be patient with us while we learned these things.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Audi (Industry Analysis)
Audi Car Company, headquartered in Ingolstadt, Germany, is a German car company that was founded in 1910. They have just over 50,000 employees, and boast revenue of over 33.6 billion Euros.
The products in this industry are automobiles, including sedans, sports cars, minivans, and sport-utility vehicles (SUVs). The main competitors to Audi within Germany are BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche. Within the United States these competitors exist, along with Lexus. These competitors make the industry challenging, because they are all value players. Audi is increasingly becoming a value player as well. Audi has had to combat negative images painted by bad press in the US, due to a malfunctioning accelerator.
A unique opportunity that Audi has within the car industry is the advent of new technology, such as hybrid or electric technology. With gas prices showing no decline in sight, Audi could pull ahead of its competitors if they were to invent a marketable, affordable car that does not run only on gas.
This industry is of interest to business and engineering students because it is one of the basic industries within the world. While not everyone needs a robot or helicopter, most everyone has at least one car. The model of how car companies assemble, market, and then sell a product that everyone has is a good thing to study for business students. Engineering students car study this industry to learn about technologies that the companies implement to improve their business, like paint or metal technology.
The products in this industry are automobiles, including sedans, sports cars, minivans, and sport-utility vehicles (SUVs). The main competitors to Audi within Germany are BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche. Within the United States these competitors exist, along with Lexus. These competitors make the industry challenging, because they are all value players. Audi is increasingly becoming a value player as well. Audi has had to combat negative images painted by bad press in the US, due to a malfunctioning accelerator.
A unique opportunity that Audi has within the car industry is the advent of new technology, such as hybrid or electric technology. With gas prices showing no decline in sight, Audi could pull ahead of its competitors if they were to invent a marketable, affordable car that does not run only on gas.
This industry is of interest to business and engineering students because it is one of the basic industries within the world. While not everyone needs a robot or helicopter, most everyone has at least one car. The model of how car companies assemble, market, and then sell a product that everyone has is a good thing to study for business students. Engineering students car study this industry to learn about technologies that the companies implement to improve their business, like paint or metal technology.
Eurocopter (Global/National Environment)
Eurocopter, a subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company, was formed in 1992 as a merger of the German Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG (DASA) and the helicopter divisions of French Aérospatiale. The company has produced about 9,800 helicopters, which are used in 140 countries around the world.
There are a few political factors that affect Eurocopter. The company produces helicopters that are used in war, so the political climate affects how much a company such as Eurocopter would produce. If World War Three was suddenly to begin, the production of helicopters would certainly increase, while if world peace was to happen tomorrow, the production of helicopters would most likely tail off. The other main political factor that affects how a company like Eurocopter sells its product is the political situation between Germany and the country to which they are trying to sell a helicopter. Middle Eastern countries probably aren’t buying their product, since they would not want to use western products, and since Germany would probably not want to help someone that could possibly attack them with the very helicopters that were sold.
The number one economic factor that affects Eurocopter is the exchange rate with the Euro. Depending on how strong a currency is in relation to the Euro could depend on whether or not it would be profitable to sell their product there, or if they wanted to set up production facilities in the country. The other economic factor that affects Eurocopter is import and export taxes. The company might have to charge more to import the product to a country with a large import tax, so that they can still maintain profit. They might also want to set up a production facility that has a low export tax, so that it is less expensive to export the product to the seller.
There are not many social factors that affect Eurocopter. The only real social factor is a country’s emphasis on safety. Europe has placed large importance on safety, and Eurocopter produces safe, reliable helicopters.
Technological factors are always affecting something like helicopter manufacturing. As new technologies are made like better RADAR, better communication devices, and stronger materials, Eurocopter will be sure to implement them into their helicopters to get an edge on any competitors. One of the most promising future products that Eurocopter is working on is the hybrid plane and helicopter. The device takes off like a helicopter but flies like a plane, combining the best of both airborne devices. However, the technology is not fully developed yet, which shows why future technological prospects are so important to Eurocopter.
All of these factors are of interest to business and engineering students, because these factors exemplify how a company must change to keep up with competitors. PEST factors are constantly evolving, which means a company must constantly adapt to stay profitable and in business. Eurocopter has done well at adapting to these factors and have emerged as the leaders of their field, causing them to be a great company to study for business and engineering students.
There are a few political factors that affect Eurocopter. The company produces helicopters that are used in war, so the political climate affects how much a company such as Eurocopter would produce. If World War Three was suddenly to begin, the production of helicopters would certainly increase, while if world peace was to happen tomorrow, the production of helicopters would most likely tail off. The other main political factor that affects how a company like Eurocopter sells its product is the political situation between Germany and the country to which they are trying to sell a helicopter. Middle Eastern countries probably aren’t buying their product, since they would not want to use western products, and since Germany would probably not want to help someone that could possibly attack them with the very helicopters that were sold.
The number one economic factor that affects Eurocopter is the exchange rate with the Euro. Depending on how strong a currency is in relation to the Euro could depend on whether or not it would be profitable to sell their product there, or if they wanted to set up production facilities in the country. The other economic factor that affects Eurocopter is import and export taxes. The company might have to charge more to import the product to a country with a large import tax, so that they can still maintain profit. They might also want to set up a production facility that has a low export tax, so that it is less expensive to export the product to the seller.
There are not many social factors that affect Eurocopter. The only real social factor is a country’s emphasis on safety. Europe has placed large importance on safety, and Eurocopter produces safe, reliable helicopters.
Technological factors are always affecting something like helicopter manufacturing. As new technologies are made like better RADAR, better communication devices, and stronger materials, Eurocopter will be sure to implement them into their helicopters to get an edge on any competitors. One of the most promising future products that Eurocopter is working on is the hybrid plane and helicopter. The device takes off like a helicopter but flies like a plane, combining the best of both airborne devices. However, the technology is not fully developed yet, which shows why future technological prospects are so important to Eurocopter.
All of these factors are of interest to business and engineering students, because these factors exemplify how a company must change to keep up with competitors. PEST factors are constantly evolving, which means a company must constantly adapt to stay profitable and in business. Eurocopter has done well at adapting to these factors and have emerged as the leaders of their field, causing them to be a great company to study for business and engineering students.
KUKA (Industry Analysis)
Keller und Knappich Augsburg (KUKA) Robotics is a German robotics company based in Augsburg. KUKA's robot products are commonly used in factories to weld, palletize, package, process, or perform other automation task. They are also used in hospitals for brain surgery and radiography.
The industry within which KUKA operates is the automation and robotics industry. The products in this industry perform robotic tasks, which are quicker and more accurate than if a human was performing these tasks. KUKA’s products have 4 or 6 axes, range from 3 to 1000 kilogram payloads, and have a reach between 350 and 3700 millimeters. The robotics are not made to produce more robots, but are sent along to companies like BMW, Audi, GM, Chrysler, and Porsche to be used to make these companies’ products. The main competitors to KUKA are Comau, MAN, and ThyssenKrupp. KUKA is ahead of its competitors in the robotics industry, though.
The first challenge that a company like KUKA faces is trying to keep prices competitive. Robots are extremely expensive, and the competition could be producing robots cheaper. When robots are running in the tens of thousands of dollars, even a difference of one to two thousand could be a major difference. The second challenge is trying not to oversaturate the market. Audi only needs so many robots, so once a company buys what it needs, it probably will not buy more robots unless they create a new factory. Therefore, if KUKA were to sell everyone robots on Monday, they would have no sales on Tuesday. That could be a reason why KUKA has expanded into other ventures, like the Robocoaster, which is the world’s first passenger-carrying industrial robot.
This industry is of interest to business and engineering students. Engineers will appreciate the technology of a robot, and how a company responds to increased technology within the industry. Business students can appreciate how KUKA supports many other industries, like the automotive industry, which shows the interconnectedness of businesses and industries.
The industry within which KUKA operates is the automation and robotics industry. The products in this industry perform robotic tasks, which are quicker and more accurate than if a human was performing these tasks. KUKA’s products have 4 or 6 axes, range from 3 to 1000 kilogram payloads, and have a reach between 350 and 3700 millimeters. The robotics are not made to produce more robots, but are sent along to companies like BMW, Audi, GM, Chrysler, and Porsche to be used to make these companies’ products. The main competitors to KUKA are Comau, MAN, and ThyssenKrupp. KUKA is ahead of its competitors in the robotics industry, though.
The first challenge that a company like KUKA faces is trying to keep prices competitive. Robots are extremely expensive, and the competition could be producing robots cheaper. When robots are running in the tens of thousands of dollars, even a difference of one to two thousand could be a major difference. The second challenge is trying not to oversaturate the market. Audi only needs so many robots, so once a company buys what it needs, it probably will not buy more robots unless they create a new factory. Therefore, if KUKA were to sell everyone robots on Monday, they would have no sales on Tuesday. That could be a reason why KUKA has expanded into other ventures, like the Robocoaster, which is the world’s first passenger-carrying industrial robot.
This industry is of interest to business and engineering students. Engineers will appreciate the technology of a robot, and how a company responds to increased technology within the industry. Business students can appreciate how KUKA supports many other industries, like the automotive industry, which shows the interconnectedness of businesses and industries.
Fujitsu-Siemens (Industry Analysis)
Fujitsu-Siemens (FS) is a joint venture company formed in 1999 between Fujitsu Limited of Japan and Siemens AG of Germany. They sell computing and business products, including desktops, laptops, handheld computers, workstations, servers, and mainframe devices. The company has about 10,700 employees, and is based in Maarssen, Netherlands. Their main markets are the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) markets.
FS operates within the computer industry. The computer industry is a relatively new industry, as computers were first created around 1940, and the advent of the personal computer did not occur until the 1970s. The industry includes not only making computers and technological devices, but it also includes making the software, creating network infrastructure, and providing information technology services. FS focuses on making computers in various forms, as mentioned above. Thus, their major competitors are Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Acer, and Lenovo. The company is worried most about HP, which has been gaining significant ground in the European market, which is one of the main markets of FS.
The quintessential challenge for a company within this industry is to decide whether to be a high volume, low value seller or a low volume, high value seller. Currently FS is in the middle, and is trying to become a high value player within the industry. This is an opportunity that FS has met with open arms, and they are fully embracing the move to be a value player. An additional challenge, which FS initially faced, is the fact that so many companies are well established within the computer industry. Therefore, it is hard to simply start your own company and compete with the Dells and HPs out there. Although FS is a new company, they have the support of Fujitsu and Siemens, which helped them get over this challenge.
This industry is of large interest to both business and engineering. The world is becoming a smaller place due to computers and the internet. Business is done on computers now, and highly complex engineering models can be made easily on computers using something like a computer aided drawing (CAD). Therefore, the industry needs to stay competitive in order to keep prices low and to produce the best product available. Otherwise, both the business and engineering worlds will slow to a halt.
FS operates within the computer industry. The computer industry is a relatively new industry, as computers were first created around 1940, and the advent of the personal computer did not occur until the 1970s. The industry includes not only making computers and technological devices, but it also includes making the software, creating network infrastructure, and providing information technology services. FS focuses on making computers in various forms, as mentioned above. Thus, their major competitors are Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Acer, and Lenovo. The company is worried most about HP, which has been gaining significant ground in the European market, which is one of the main markets of FS.
The quintessential challenge for a company within this industry is to decide whether to be a high volume, low value seller or a low volume, high value seller. Currently FS is in the middle, and is trying to become a high value player within the industry. This is an opportunity that FS has met with open arms, and they are fully embracing the move to be a value player. An additional challenge, which FS initially faced, is the fact that so many companies are well established within the computer industry. Therefore, it is hard to simply start your own company and compete with the Dells and HPs out there. Although FS is a new company, they have the support of Fujitsu and Siemens, which helped them get over this challenge.
This industry is of large interest to both business and engineering. The world is becoming a smaller place due to computers and the internet. Business is done on computers now, and highly complex engineering models can be made easily on computers using something like a computer aided drawing (CAD). Therefore, the industry needs to stay competitive in order to keep prices low and to produce the best product available. Otherwise, both the business and engineering worlds will slow to a halt.
Riegele (Firm analysis)
Riegele is a family-owned brewery located in Augsburg, Germany. Founded in 1386, the company currently employs about 100 employees. Riegele produces many different types of beer, along with mineral water and Spezi (a mix of Fanta and Coke).
The company has many interesting strengths that help to make it a well established company. Starting in 1386, the company situated itself as one of the first buildings travelers would encounter as they entered the city, which made them extremely successful. This long tradition of excellent beer has made them a household name in Augsburg and the surrounding area, which is why they are so established in the area. Another strength of the company, which was self-described by the owner, is that the company thinks in generations instead of shareholders. The company is privately owned, and is currently owned by the 32nd generation. This mindset has allowed the company to provide excellent quality without having to worry about folding to the external pressure of shareholders and of being bought out by a larger company within Germany. A very interesting strength is the enjoyment that employees of Riegele get from working there. No one dislikes their job, and this enthusiasm spills over to their product. Every bottle of Riegele was expertly crafted by someone who cares about what they are doing, which is why they have been able to maintain such a high standard product among German beers.
Despite this, the company still possesses weaknesses. The cost of raw materials for beer (wheat, barley, hops) is rising, which could cause the price of beer to rise. Riegele only uses materials from local suppliers, while a larger company does not care from where they receive their ingredients, which could cause Riegele to experience a higher price shift than other companies. Along these lines, another weakness of the company is their size. Their output cannot keep up with some of the other German beer companies, which means their profit and market share are significantly less. This is not a large weakness though, because Riegele is not trying to be a worldwide beer distributor.
Riegele faces many threats from the external environment. The first threat, already mentioned and admittedly out of their direct control, is the fact that raw material costs are rising. This is going to cause their prices to go up if they want to continue to make profit. Riegele does not want this to happen, but unfortunately they have no control over the external prices of the materials. Another threat that Riegele faces from the external environment is the other German beer distributors. Germany is known as a center for fine quality beer for a reason, and they have many large companies within the country. Becks, Hofbräuhaus, Löwenbräu, Augustiner, and Paulaner are a few of the largest in the country and in Bavaria, which Riegele feels pressure from. These companies can output more beer at lower costs, and how Riegele competes with them will determine their survival in the industry.
Riegele is a very interesting company, and one that is of interest to a professional in business or engineering. Business students can appreciate how Riegele has stayed true to their roots and survived in an expanding and increasingly more competitive beer industry. Engineering students can appreciate how the company has stayed up with the most recent technological developments for brewing beer, and how the company has formed their distribution center to be as close to the target market as possible.
The company has many interesting strengths that help to make it a well established company. Starting in 1386, the company situated itself as one of the first buildings travelers would encounter as they entered the city, which made them extremely successful. This long tradition of excellent beer has made them a household name in Augsburg and the surrounding area, which is why they are so established in the area. Another strength of the company, which was self-described by the owner, is that the company thinks in generations instead of shareholders. The company is privately owned, and is currently owned by the 32nd generation. This mindset has allowed the company to provide excellent quality without having to worry about folding to the external pressure of shareholders and of being bought out by a larger company within Germany. A very interesting strength is the enjoyment that employees of Riegele get from working there. No one dislikes their job, and this enthusiasm spills over to their product. Every bottle of Riegele was expertly crafted by someone who cares about what they are doing, which is why they have been able to maintain such a high standard product among German beers.
Despite this, the company still possesses weaknesses. The cost of raw materials for beer (wheat, barley, hops) is rising, which could cause the price of beer to rise. Riegele only uses materials from local suppliers, while a larger company does not care from where they receive their ingredients, which could cause Riegele to experience a higher price shift than other companies. Along these lines, another weakness of the company is their size. Their output cannot keep up with some of the other German beer companies, which means their profit and market share are significantly less. This is not a large weakness though, because Riegele is not trying to be a worldwide beer distributor.
Riegele faces many threats from the external environment. The first threat, already mentioned and admittedly out of their direct control, is the fact that raw material costs are rising. This is going to cause their prices to go up if they want to continue to make profit. Riegele does not want this to happen, but unfortunately they have no control over the external prices of the materials. Another threat that Riegele faces from the external environment is the other German beer distributors. Germany is known as a center for fine quality beer for a reason, and they have many large companies within the country. Becks, Hofbräuhaus, Löwenbräu, Augustiner, and Paulaner are a few of the largest in the country and in Bavaria, which Riegele feels pressure from. These companies can output more beer at lower costs, and how Riegele competes with them will determine their survival in the industry.
Riegele is a very interesting company, and one that is of interest to a professional in business or engineering. Business students can appreciate how Riegele has stayed true to their roots and survived in an expanding and increasingly more competitive beer industry. Engineering students can appreciate how the company has stayed up with the most recent technological developments for brewing beer, and how the company has formed their distribution center to be as close to the target market as possible.
Days 14/15 - May 16/17, 2008
Getting up today, I knew it wouldn't be the funnest day. I headed over to the University to meet with the group at 9 am, and to see how late people would actually show up after Kareoke last night. (10 was the latest). Our group got the presentation done around 1:00, and the presentations were at 2, so we hopped on Facebook and showed the Germans good old American Facebook. Jens and Evan did the actual presentation, which I thought went well... so did John actually, but not Dr. Fisch. Then again, apparently he thought they all stunk, so said the Germans.
After the presentations, we met to go to Enchilladas, which was a Mexican restuarant that happened to be delicious. I got the steak fajitas, and wow, they were simply amazing. Spezis of course were the drinks of choice for me. Perhaps the story of the night (and the biggest display of being a man I've ever seen), Andrew ate 21 jalepeno (?) peppers in about 45 seconds. John said it broke all the records for the trip, and how could it not? After that Jens and I proceeded to have a conversation in German about whether or not Andrew would die, or how bad the Durchfall would be (You gotta translate that one yourself guys). Little did I know I would end of sitting next to him on the plane... thankfully he was alright and did not have to get up 30 times to use the bathroom or anything.
After dinner the Germans took us to the Mahogany club where we all sat around, talked, and took some pictures. One by one people eventually left, and that was it...
I went back to pack my suitcase up, and fell asleep. Little did I know my roommate would also fall asleep, but he didn't pack. As we both awoke to a bang on the door at 5 am (when we were supposed to be on the bus), the look of horror on our faces had to be priceless. But, give the man credit... I've never seen someone pack that much in about 5 or 10 minutes. And it worked out, as we weren't even the last ones. And it worked out, that even though we left around 5:25 or 5:30, the train station was 5 minutes away, and our train wasn't until 6, right on platform 1. So we got there with so much time to spare, that the German bus driver had no reason to freak out like he did.
The train ride was actually a lot of fun. We talked about all kinds of things... sports and why the Steelers messed up their draft (haha, E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!), movie quotes, and general guy stuff. We got through the airport security with pretty minimal troubles, though our tickets once again froze the system of United. Oh, and Steve got his back searched because "THIS MAN HAS A KNIFE." After breaking his gift to his father and discovering it was his MP3 player, we left, without Steve getting so much as a sorry from the lady. Once we got to our gate, Steve Evan and I wanted some McDonalds, so one of the workers said we could get to one easily by just going to the next terminal over AND THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH SECURITY AGAIN. He was so wrong. We took the tram over to Terminal B, where a brand new security checkpoint awaited us. We had to turn back to go to our terminal, and of course, more security. So we had to go through security again, and this time I set the metal detector off. The guy wanded me down and the thing didn't go off once, which boggles my mind. Eventually we just went and got these pizza stick things, which I liked, even though no one else did. The guy started to mess with me since I was wearing my Bayern soccer jersey. Even up to the last day, I can't get away from soccer hooligans.
The plane ride went MUCH faster than the plane ride over here, even though it was supposed to be longer. "Hellen Keller knows how to fly." All of our manliness levels dropped after watching the in-flight movie "27 Dresses", but have since returned to normal. We went through customs, I got my Euros converted into good old American dollars, and the trip was officially over. My dad and Uncle, who lives about 10 minutes from Dulles, greeted me outside of customs. I said my goodbyes to everyone, and then the three of us left. I went to my cousins' house for a little, and then at about 6 my dad and I left to make the 3 hour drive to good old Perkiomenville. I stayed awake until about 8:30 when I finally crashed, but staying up that late got me over my jetlag. No jetlag for me... can't complain.
After the presentations, we met to go to Enchilladas, which was a Mexican restuarant that happened to be delicious. I got the steak fajitas, and wow, they were simply amazing. Spezis of course were the drinks of choice for me. Perhaps the story of the night (and the biggest display of being a man I've ever seen), Andrew ate 21 jalepeno (?) peppers in about 45 seconds. John said it broke all the records for the trip, and how could it not? After that Jens and I proceeded to have a conversation in German about whether or not Andrew would die, or how bad the Durchfall would be (You gotta translate that one yourself guys). Little did I know I would end of sitting next to him on the plane... thankfully he was alright and did not have to get up 30 times to use the bathroom or anything.
After dinner the Germans took us to the Mahogany club where we all sat around, talked, and took some pictures. One by one people eventually left, and that was it...
I went back to pack my suitcase up, and fell asleep. Little did I know my roommate would also fall asleep, but he didn't pack. As we both awoke to a bang on the door at 5 am (when we were supposed to be on the bus), the look of horror on our faces had to be priceless. But, give the man credit... I've never seen someone pack that much in about 5 or 10 minutes. And it worked out, as we weren't even the last ones. And it worked out, that even though we left around 5:25 or 5:30, the train station was 5 minutes away, and our train wasn't until 6, right on platform 1. So we got there with so much time to spare, that the German bus driver had no reason to freak out like he did.
The train ride was actually a lot of fun. We talked about all kinds of things... sports and why the Steelers messed up their draft (haha, E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!), movie quotes, and general guy stuff. We got through the airport security with pretty minimal troubles, though our tickets once again froze the system of United. Oh, and Steve got his back searched because "THIS MAN HAS A KNIFE." After breaking his gift to his father and discovering it was his MP3 player, we left, without Steve getting so much as a sorry from the lady. Once we got to our gate, Steve Evan and I wanted some McDonalds, so one of the workers said we could get to one easily by just going to the next terminal over AND THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH SECURITY AGAIN. He was so wrong. We took the tram over to Terminal B, where a brand new security checkpoint awaited us. We had to turn back to go to our terminal, and of course, more security. So we had to go through security again, and this time I set the metal detector off. The guy wanded me down and the thing didn't go off once, which boggles my mind. Eventually we just went and got these pizza stick things, which I liked, even though no one else did. The guy started to mess with me since I was wearing my Bayern soccer jersey. Even up to the last day, I can't get away from soccer hooligans.
The plane ride went MUCH faster than the plane ride over here, even though it was supposed to be longer. "Hellen Keller knows how to fly." All of our manliness levels dropped after watching the in-flight movie "27 Dresses", but have since returned to normal. We went through customs, I got my Euros converted into good old American dollars, and the trip was officially over. My dad and Uncle, who lives about 10 minutes from Dulles, greeted me outside of customs. I said my goodbyes to everyone, and then the three of us left. I went to my cousins' house for a little, and then at about 6 my dad and I left to make the 3 hour drive to good old Perkiomenville. I stayed awake until about 8:30 when I finally crashed, but staying up that late got me over my jetlag. No jetlag for me... can't complain.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Day 13 - May 15, 2008
With all of the company visits out of the way, today was a relaxing day around the "Bavarian" city of Nuremburg. First, we took a guided tour of the old city, inside the old Medieval wall. After being painstakingly dragged through the city by a British tour guide, we got to each lunch at a place that had really famous sausages and miscellanous other cuisine.
But then came the good part: We got to explore the city, and buy some stuff. Last time I was in Germany I got a really nice, high quality (aka... expensive) pair of Adidas sunglasses, but I left them in a restuarant in Kansas last June, which just makes me hate the godforsaken state even more. Luckily, I was able to replace them today, which I was really happy about. They're so nice, feel light on the face (my wallet is unfortunately lighter as well), and have great sun protection. No buyer's remorse here. I also picked up a gift or two for the family.
After the train ride back just about everyone went to Murphy's Law bar for Karaoke night. It was amazing! Besides the fact that everyones' lips get looser when alcohol is involved, no one was really shy about it. At one point all 18 or 20 of us got up and sung Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer", which was amazing. Some other chart toppers were: Steve, Mike, and Jens singing ABBA "Dancing Queen", Jeff, Erica, Emily, and Jana singing Backstreet Boys "The Call", and Jens and Jeff singing Oasis "Wonderwall." Outside the bar we talked to some guys who were loving us Americans and singing. We're stars!
But then came the good part: We got to explore the city, and buy some stuff. Last time I was in Germany I got a really nice, high quality (aka... expensive) pair of Adidas sunglasses, but I left them in a restuarant in Kansas last June, which just makes me hate the godforsaken state even more. Luckily, I was able to replace them today, which I was really happy about. They're so nice, feel light on the face (my wallet is unfortunately lighter as well), and have great sun protection. No buyer's remorse here. I also picked up a gift or two for the family.
After the train ride back just about everyone went to Murphy's Law bar for Karaoke night. It was amazing! Besides the fact that everyones' lips get looser when alcohol is involved, no one was really shy about it. At one point all 18 or 20 of us got up and sung Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer", which was amazing. Some other chart toppers were: Steve, Mike, and Jens singing ABBA "Dancing Queen", Jeff, Erica, Emily, and Jana singing Backstreet Boys "The Call", and Jens and Jeff singing Oasis "Wonderwall." Outside the bar we talked to some guys who were loving us Americans and singing. We're stars!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Day 12 - May 14th, 2008
Spezi is the best drink ever invented. Ever.
Today we got up at the crack of dawn to take a bus to Audi's headquarters in Ingolstadt, about an hour and a half drive. When we stumbled out of the hotel at about 7:15 we were greeted by a doubledecker bus, which was the coolest thing ever. Naturally, I went for the top of the thing. And this guy could DRIVE, he was taking his bus down some narrow streets.
We got to Audi a few minutes late, but still got started on time. We took a two hour factory tour, which was amazing. We got to watch a video on the entire 2,000,000 sq. meter site, see the A4 and part of the A3 assembly lines, watch a video on car paint technology and how they paint the cars, and we saw KUKA robots in action, which would have made KUKA's tour about infinitely more interesting.
After the factory tour they gave us a little presentation on the outlook and company stategy leading up to 2015, which I found pretty interesting. Lunch was great, where I of course feasted with homemade Spezi. After lunch we got to spend about an hour in the Audi museum, where we saw a boatload of old cars, leading right up to the present day.
Then, as if the day couldn't get better, we took a bus over to an Audi complex a few blocks up the street, where it was time to see everything about the R8. Look at a picture of this baby: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Audi_R8-09.jpg. First, there was a short presentation about how they make the showrooms to help customers feel more at home, then we got to have some quality time with the R8. Everyone got to sit inside of one, and we all took sooo many pictures. Then, Jens, our guide for the day, got in, turned the key, and revved the engine. All jokes aside, I think every guy there wet his pants and had his knees turn to jelly. It was amazing. After we said goodbye to the baby (This car is backordered 2 years, so you can't even get one until 2010), we had one final presentation on how Audi works with customers after the sale.
On the way back, me, Steve, Mike, Philipp, and Sali played Bullshit on the second story of the bus, which was cool. I was about to win, then Sali had to win on me, but oh well. Philipp had about all of the deck in his hand at one point, since he would call bull on everything. Those Germans.
Today was Mike's birthday, so a bunch of us and a bunch of the Germans went out to celebrate. First we stopped at PowWows which was an outdoor cafe to sit, and people got some beers or drinks, though I tried a pretty good white chocolate cappacino. Then after walking to 4 bars, we came upon Das Weisses Lamm, which was a really great place. There was a lounge we sat in and talked with each other. Sarah's and Laura's boyfriends came, and they were nice guys. It was a really chill night, and we got to spend some time with the birthday boy.
Today we got up at the crack of dawn to take a bus to Audi's headquarters in Ingolstadt, about an hour and a half drive. When we stumbled out of the hotel at about 7:15 we were greeted by a doubledecker bus, which was the coolest thing ever. Naturally, I went for the top of the thing. And this guy could DRIVE, he was taking his bus down some narrow streets.
We got to Audi a few minutes late, but still got started on time. We took a two hour factory tour, which was amazing. We got to watch a video on the entire 2,000,000 sq. meter site, see the A4 and part of the A3 assembly lines, watch a video on car paint technology and how they paint the cars, and we saw KUKA robots in action, which would have made KUKA's tour about infinitely more interesting.
After the factory tour they gave us a little presentation on the outlook and company stategy leading up to 2015, which I found pretty interesting. Lunch was great, where I of course feasted with homemade Spezi. After lunch we got to spend about an hour in the Audi museum, where we saw a boatload of old cars, leading right up to the present day.
Then, as if the day couldn't get better, we took a bus over to an Audi complex a few blocks up the street, where it was time to see everything about the R8. Look at a picture of this baby: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Audi_R8-09.jpg. First, there was a short presentation about how they make the showrooms to help customers feel more at home, then we got to have some quality time with the R8. Everyone got to sit inside of one, and we all took sooo many pictures. Then, Jens, our guide for the day, got in, turned the key, and revved the engine. All jokes aside, I think every guy there wet his pants and had his knees turn to jelly. It was amazing. After we said goodbye to the baby (This car is backordered 2 years, so you can't even get one until 2010), we had one final presentation on how Audi works with customers after the sale.
On the way back, me, Steve, Mike, Philipp, and Sali played Bullshit on the second story of the bus, which was cool. I was about to win, then Sali had to win on me, but oh well. Philipp had about all of the deck in his hand at one point, since he would call bull on everything. Those Germans.
Today was Mike's birthday, so a bunch of us and a bunch of the Germans went out to celebrate. First we stopped at PowWows which was an outdoor cafe to sit, and people got some beers or drinks, though I tried a pretty good white chocolate cappacino. Then after walking to 4 bars, we came upon Das Weisses Lamm, which was a really great place. There was a lounge we sat in and talked with each other. Sarah's and Laura's boyfriends came, and they were nice guys. It was a really chill night, and we got to spend some time with the birthday boy.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Day 11 - May 13th, 2008
I didn't know what to think about today when it began.
We had a site visit to Eurocopter, which I hoped wouldn't be as boring as the last two visits. It was alright. The helicopters were really cool, but the guide could have been more energetic. And once again, a German's cellphone went off during a presentation. Is that not a big deal here? I don't think we've had one presentation besides Riegele, where the top gun's cell phone didn't go off.
After the site visit, we went to the "Climbing Garden," which no one, including Josh and John, knew anything about. It was great fun though! It was basically a high ropes course in the woods, which about 5 or 6 different courses. And every single one ended with a zip line from a tall tree down to the ground, which I'm sure not gonna complain about. We stayed there for about 2 hours, which was just enough time to finish all of the course offerings. And I ended with the longest and highest zip line, which was a good end to the course.
For dinner we got Dönners, which are delicious and definitely not American. They seem to be served in pizza shops a lot "Dönners and Pizzas!". They're some combination, depending of the place, of chicken, lamb, and or beef, sliced off a huge rotating rack. They're put into large pitas with lettuce, tomatos, I think coleslaw, and a thick garlic sauce. I got mine with just the lettuce and sauce, and it was a good meal. With a Spezi of course. My god, I could bathe in Spezis.
That night we hung around the hotel and played some games, with a bedtime of about 11 or 11:30. Tomorrow we have to leave at 7 am for Audi, which should be one hell of a day.
We had a site visit to Eurocopter, which I hoped wouldn't be as boring as the last two visits. It was alright. The helicopters were really cool, but the guide could have been more energetic. And once again, a German's cellphone went off during a presentation. Is that not a big deal here? I don't think we've had one presentation besides Riegele, where the top gun's cell phone didn't go off.
After the site visit, we went to the "Climbing Garden," which no one, including Josh and John, knew anything about. It was great fun though! It was basically a high ropes course in the woods, which about 5 or 6 different courses. And every single one ended with a zip line from a tall tree down to the ground, which I'm sure not gonna complain about. We stayed there for about 2 hours, which was just enough time to finish all of the course offerings. And I ended with the longest and highest zip line, which was a good end to the course.
For dinner we got Dönners, which are delicious and definitely not American. They seem to be served in pizza shops a lot "Dönners and Pizzas!". They're some combination, depending of the place, of chicken, lamb, and or beef, sliced off a huge rotating rack. They're put into large pitas with lettuce, tomatos, I think coleslaw, and a thick garlic sauce. I got mine with just the lettuce and sauce, and it was a good meal. With a Spezi of course. My god, I could bathe in Spezis.
That night we hung around the hotel and played some games, with a bedtime of about 11 or 11:30. Tomorrow we have to leave at 7 am for Audi, which should be one hell of a day.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Day 10 - May 12th, 2008
If you thought my entries before were about food, man were you wrong.
Today we went to Neuschwanstein, the famous "Disney Castle" I guess you could say. But, the highlight of this trip was the Italian restuarant we stopped at before the castle trip. The waiter was hilarious, but the food was Godlike... I'm pretty sure I ate the food of god. Our table of 4 guys got 7 dishes, that we all demolished. I got a spicy rigotoni pasta dish and a pizza (it was a personal pizza about a foot in diameter), Mike got lasagna and caprasi, Steve got lasagna and a pizza, and Evan got a pizza. It was hard to finish all of that food, but us Americans never shy away from a food challenge.
The castle was another 2 minute drive past the place, and we hiked up the mountain for a 2:15 pm tour. The tour was really short, which kind of sucked, but the tourguide showed us about 10 rooms. Afterwards we hiked up to a really high bridge that gives the famous pictures of the castle. After that we hiked to the top of the mountain above the gorge/waterfall (probably a quarter mile drop at least) and got some great photos, including each of us with the castle in the background.
On the way back to Augsburg we stopped at a little church that Sonja wanted to see, where I picked up a Bavaria tapestry I guess you'd call it, to put on my dorm wall in the fall. Later that night (after watching Jumanji dubbed in German of course) we went to this "11 to 11" party that was a beach on top of a building in Augsburg. Too bad it was 11 am to 11 pm, not the other way around. Instead we stopped at a really nice bar which we became members of, because it was a smoking bar. I got a good cappacino and we all watched about three quarters of good old German Bundesliga soccer.
Today we went to Neuschwanstein, the famous "Disney Castle" I guess you could say. But, the highlight of this trip was the Italian restuarant we stopped at before the castle trip. The waiter was hilarious, but the food was Godlike... I'm pretty sure I ate the food of god. Our table of 4 guys got 7 dishes, that we all demolished. I got a spicy rigotoni pasta dish and a pizza (it was a personal pizza about a foot in diameter), Mike got lasagna and caprasi, Steve got lasagna and a pizza, and Evan got a pizza. It was hard to finish all of that food, but us Americans never shy away from a food challenge.
The castle was another 2 minute drive past the place, and we hiked up the mountain for a 2:15 pm tour. The tour was really short, which kind of sucked, but the tourguide showed us about 10 rooms. Afterwards we hiked up to a really high bridge that gives the famous pictures of the castle. After that we hiked to the top of the mountain above the gorge/waterfall (probably a quarter mile drop at least) and got some great photos, including each of us with the castle in the background.
On the way back to Augsburg we stopped at a little church that Sonja wanted to see, where I picked up a Bavaria tapestry I guess you'd call it, to put on my dorm wall in the fall. Later that night (after watching Jumanji dubbed in German of course) we went to this "11 to 11" party that was a beach on top of a building in Augsburg. Too bad it was 11 am to 11 pm, not the other way around. Instead we stopped at a really nice bar which we became members of, because it was a smoking bar. I got a good cappacino and we all watched about three quarters of good old German Bundesliga soccer.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Day 9 - May 11th, 2008
So today was a pretty somber day. We visited the concentration camp Dachau. I had been there once before, in 2004, but there's so much history there that you cannot really read it all, or absorb it all, in one trip. It sucks, I can't really say much more about it. It was a horrible part of German history, and luckily places like Dachau exist as a memorial to those systematically exterminated there, and as a reminder of what humans can do to each other. Long story short I left without saying more than about 10 words in the 3 hourish span we were there, and left with a pretty bad headache.
Later that night we got Chinese food at a Chinese buffet, which was pretty chill. John led the group on a very roundabout route, so me and Mike, led by Steve, seperated and took a different route, beating the group there by about 5 minutes. We unassumingly chilled an outdoor cafe till they got there. The food was pretty good, they had these baked apples and bananas that were pretty delicious.
Later that night we chilled out in the stairwell talking for a while, then I went to bed. It was a pretty intense day and I just wanted to get some sleep.
Happy Mother's Day Mom <3
Later that night we got Chinese food at a Chinese buffet, which was pretty chill. John led the group on a very roundabout route, so me and Mike, led by Steve, seperated and took a different route, beating the group there by about 5 minutes. We unassumingly chilled an outdoor cafe till they got there. The food was pretty good, they had these baked apples and bananas that were pretty delicious.
Later that night we chilled out in the stairwell talking for a while, then I went to bed. It was a pretty intense day and I just wanted to get some sleep.
Happy Mother's Day Mom <3
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Day 8 - May 10th, 2008
München Day 2!
Today was a trip to Das Deutsches Museum, which, as Steve-o told us the other day, could take as long as 14 days to cover every exhibit, if you spent just one minute at each one.
...It didn't take that long.
About 10 of us hung around with Phillip (Who is one BAMF, which we taught him), and checked out some exhibits, specifically chemistry and biology since a lot of us were ChemEs in the group. After about an hour and a half we left. We headed over to the Hofgarden (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:M%C3%BCnchen_Hofgartentempel.jpg), which as Steve-o described, "It would be where Max und Ludwig would come to barbeque." We sat in the lawn, laid out, and relaxed. It was pretty nice. We talked a bit, listened to street musicians playing around the garden, and watched some pretty girls walk by (and a lot of PDA actually...).
We met up with the group at 7 at the Hofbräuhaus, which is a huge beer hall famous for it's one liter stines of beer. It was good food, a Bavarian band in the band, Bavarian dancing, singing, yodelling, and of us course, drinking. Oh, and soccer hooligans. Soccer hooligans are everywhere, and I hear if you hit THEM in the arm, they don't go down for 20 minutes like soccer players do.
After the HBH, we had to sprint to get to our train back to Augsburg, which we barely made, but made nonetheless. Afterwards me, Mike, Steve, both Evans, Andrew, Pat, Mark, Cali, and Erica went to the Yum Club, which was a dance club. At first it was awkward, because the girls forget their IDs, so we were in there just kind of standing around in a crowded, really hot, techno-pumping dance club. But when he got there it was a little less awkward, but we still didn't know the culture, so it didn't really work asking girls to dance or anything. We ended up staying and dancing till about 2 am, which was great. There would be about 4 to 5 American songs that we would bust out singing word for word and dance to, then like 4 to 5 really heavy techno German songs, and then when it started to get really unfamiliar there were the 4 to 5 American songs again. Germans do not know how to dance to American songs (No one but us got low during Shawty Got Low), and they dance really awkwardly in general to all songs. Awkward Turtle...
Today was a trip to Das Deutsches Museum, which, as Steve-o told us the other day, could take as long as 14 days to cover every exhibit, if you spent just one minute at each one.
...It didn't take that long.
About 10 of us hung around with Phillip (Who is one BAMF, which we taught him), and checked out some exhibits, specifically chemistry and biology since a lot of us were ChemEs in the group. After about an hour and a half we left. We headed over to the Hofgarden (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:M%C3%BCnchen_Hofgartentempel.jpg), which as Steve-o described, "It would be where Max und Ludwig would come to barbeque." We sat in the lawn, laid out, and relaxed. It was pretty nice. We talked a bit, listened to street musicians playing around the garden, and watched some pretty girls walk by (and a lot of PDA actually...).
We met up with the group at 7 at the Hofbräuhaus, which is a huge beer hall famous for it's one liter stines of beer. It was good food, a Bavarian band in the band, Bavarian dancing, singing, yodelling, and of us course, drinking. Oh, and soccer hooligans. Soccer hooligans are everywhere, and I hear if you hit THEM in the arm, they don't go down for 20 minutes like soccer players do.
After the HBH, we had to sprint to get to our train back to Augsburg, which we barely made, but made nonetheless. Afterwards me, Mike, Steve, both Evans, Andrew, Pat, Mark, Cali, and Erica went to the Yum Club, which was a dance club. At first it was awkward, because the girls forget their IDs, so we were in there just kind of standing around in a crowded, really hot, techno-pumping dance club. But when he got there it was a little less awkward, but we still didn't know the culture, so it didn't really work asking girls to dance or anything. We ended up staying and dancing till about 2 am, which was great. There would be about 4 to 5 American songs that we would bust out singing word for word and dance to, then like 4 to 5 really heavy techno German songs, and then when it started to get really unfamiliar there were the 4 to 5 American songs again. Germans do not know how to dance to American songs (No one but us got low during Shawty Got Low), and they dance really awkwardly in general to all songs. Awkward Turtle...
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Day 7 - May 9th, 2008
Today was more of a formal day than anything else. In the morning, we went to Fujitsu-Siemens, which is the company I will eventually have to present on. It was pretty neat, but the man giving the tour spoke kind of broken English, adding in a "ja?" about every ... word. The tour was not as enganging as Riegele, but I guess that no tour will be. (Except Audi? Please?)
After Fujitsu-Siemens, we went to another company to take a tour, this one being KUKA, the robotics manufacturer. They make robots, for example, for BMW's assembly line. It was pretty neat to see them, but this also wasn't the most riveting tour on earth. I actually spoke with Jens, one of the Germans in my group and one of two Germans studying at Pitt next semester, a lot in German during the downtime in the tour when the tourguide wasn't speaking. He made me very jealous, as he told me his dad worked at BMW, he grew up around them, and had an internship there. Needless to say, we talked cars a lot.
After the site visits, some Germans (Jens, Sonja, Sarah, Christine, Annette) and Americans (Me, Evan, Pat, Josh) went to a little outdoor cafe and got some food/drink. I got an apple strudel, which was just great. I could get used to this European life. Afterwards a bunch of us went to this Italian resturant that was delicious. Although 4 of the 7 of us, myself included, ordered "Peperoni Pizza" and found that it was covered with green peppers. Oh those Germans.
Later that night Me, Steve, Mike, Evan W, Cali, Erica, and Mark walked around the city, kind of looking for ice cream. We eventually got some and then sat down at another outdoor cafe and got some drinks. We just sat and talked for about an hour or two until 11, which was exactly the lifestyle I could get used to...
After Fujitsu-Siemens, we went to another company to take a tour, this one being KUKA, the robotics manufacturer. They make robots, for example, for BMW's assembly line. It was pretty neat to see them, but this also wasn't the most riveting tour on earth. I actually spoke with Jens, one of the Germans in my group and one of two Germans studying at Pitt next semester, a lot in German during the downtime in the tour when the tourguide wasn't speaking. He made me very jealous, as he told me his dad worked at BMW, he grew up around them, and had an internship there. Needless to say, we talked cars a lot.
After the site visits, some Germans (Jens, Sonja, Sarah, Christine, Annette) and Americans (Me, Evan, Pat, Josh) went to a little outdoor cafe and got some food/drink. I got an apple strudel, which was just great. I could get used to this European life. Afterwards a bunch of us went to this Italian resturant that was delicious. Although 4 of the 7 of us, myself included, ordered "Peperoni Pizza" and found that it was covered with green peppers. Oh those Germans.
Later that night Me, Steve, Mike, Evan W, Cali, Erica, and Mark walked around the city, kind of looking for ice cream. We eventually got some and then sat down at another outdoor cafe and got some drinks. We just sat and talked for about an hour or two until 11, which was exactly the lifestyle I could get used to...
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Day 6 - May 8th, 2008
München!
Today we went to Munich, Germany, or "München" auf Deutsch. It was about a 45 minute train ride, which was a nice time to look at the German country side and to once again appreciate the mass transit that the Germans have built up.
The first thing we did when we got there was take a bike tour. Now everyone, myself included, did not think this was going to be fun. Man, were we WRONG. First, we met the guy giving us the tour, Steve-o, who was a guy from Ireland who moved here about three years ago, ran out of money, got a job, and stayed. He was one of the funniest people I met, always cracking great jokes on everyone (Germans, FC Chelsea, France), being very witty, and having a great knowledge of the city. We got to see many famous sites in Munich, including the Max Josef statue, Opera House, "lucky lion," one or two cathedrals built by Max Josef/Ludwig/Maximillian, the English Gardens (the biggest park in Europe at over 1000 acres), the biggest beer garden in Europe (holding over 5000 people when full, where we got a delicious lunch of traditional Bavarian foods), the Isar River (which had beautiful blue water from glaciers in the alps), surfers on the Isar, and many sites important to the history of the city. Some great Steve-o quotes:
-"Otto von Bismarck wanted to unite the German states by fighting an easy war. And who do you fight when you want an easy war? That's right: The French."
-"Here is the Glockenspiel, which I rate as the second shittiest tourist attration in Europe." "What's first?" "France."
-"Just don't buy an Chelsea jersey... wankers."
-"Everyone here has mullets... just yell MULLET when we pass the wankers."
After the bike tour we had 3 hours leisure time to roam the city. We really wanted to get some FC Bayern Munich soccer jerseys with our favorite players on the team. Steve and Andrew were able to get Sebastian Schweinsteiger, Jeff was able to get Miroslav Pidolski German National jersey, and I got Luca Toni for FCBM. Luca Toni was my favorite guy in the world cup, and he played on the Itailan National team, so it's the perfect mesh of Italy and Germany, all on one very awesome soccer jersey.
After the 3 hours we ate at the Augustiner, which I doubt future trips will go back to from what I've heard. It was the trip's first time going to this restaurant, and the food wasn't great, plus they were pretty rude to us, telling us to quiet down at the end. But we did manage to have great laughs over a conversation about which things were and were not actually sports, and over childhood TV shows. Who doesn't like a conversation about the Angry Beavers followed by why curling isn't a sport?
After dinner we hopped the train back to Augsburg. It was a fun day with a GREAT purchase (gotta love Luca Toni... just Wiki him). Although, and this is a big although, we are burned to a crisp. First from soccer yesterday where we played shirts on skins (I was sadly skins, but didn't actually get burned yesterday). Today we were outside allll day and got absolutely cooked. Atleast I'll be tan before most others, I guess. We're heading back to Munich Saturday, so it'll be another great day.
Today we went to Munich, Germany, or "München" auf Deutsch. It was about a 45 minute train ride, which was a nice time to look at the German country side and to once again appreciate the mass transit that the Germans have built up.
The first thing we did when we got there was take a bike tour. Now everyone, myself included, did not think this was going to be fun. Man, were we WRONG. First, we met the guy giving us the tour, Steve-o, who was a guy from Ireland who moved here about three years ago, ran out of money, got a job, and stayed. He was one of the funniest people I met, always cracking great jokes on everyone (Germans, FC Chelsea, France), being very witty, and having a great knowledge of the city. We got to see many famous sites in Munich, including the Max Josef statue, Opera House, "lucky lion," one or two cathedrals built by Max Josef/Ludwig/Maximillian, the English Gardens (the biggest park in Europe at over 1000 acres), the biggest beer garden in Europe (holding over 5000 people when full, where we got a delicious lunch of traditional Bavarian foods), the Isar River (which had beautiful blue water from glaciers in the alps), surfers on the Isar, and many sites important to the history of the city. Some great Steve-o quotes:
-"Otto von Bismarck wanted to unite the German states by fighting an easy war. And who do you fight when you want an easy war? That's right: The French."
-"Here is the Glockenspiel, which I rate as the second shittiest tourist attration in Europe." "What's first?" "France."
-"Just don't buy an Chelsea jersey... wankers."
-"Everyone here has mullets... just yell MULLET when we pass the wankers."
After the bike tour we had 3 hours leisure time to roam the city. We really wanted to get some FC Bayern Munich soccer jerseys with our favorite players on the team. Steve and Andrew were able to get Sebastian Schweinsteiger, Jeff was able to get Miroslav Pidolski German National jersey, and I got Luca Toni for FCBM. Luca Toni was my favorite guy in the world cup, and he played on the Itailan National team, so it's the perfect mesh of Italy and Germany, all on one very awesome soccer jersey.
After the 3 hours we ate at the Augustiner, which I doubt future trips will go back to from what I've heard. It was the trip's first time going to this restaurant, and the food wasn't great, plus they were pretty rude to us, telling us to quiet down at the end. But we did manage to have great laughs over a conversation about which things were and were not actually sports, and over childhood TV shows. Who doesn't like a conversation about the Angry Beavers followed by why curling isn't a sport?
After dinner we hopped the train back to Augsburg. It was a fun day with a GREAT purchase (gotta love Luca Toni... just Wiki him). Although, and this is a big although, we are burned to a crisp. First from soccer yesterday where we played shirts on skins (I was sadly skins, but didn't actually get burned yesterday). Today we were outside allll day and got absolutely cooked. Atleast I'll be tan before most others, I guess. We're heading back to Munich Saturday, so it'll be another great day.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Day 5 - May 7th, 2008
Today was definitely soccer day.
We all rolled out of bed at varying times in the morning, to meet Phillip to play some pickup soccer at the University at noon. While Phillip was trying to find a ball, we played some 5 on 5 basketball with another German student that was hanging and was going to play soccer with us. Of course, it was a Dallas Mavericks ball (They're crazy about Dirk Novitzki).
After 5 on 5 we played pickup soccer on an all weather surface that was kind of like a track. It wasn't too big, and it had fences around it, which was nice. The teams were the 3 Germans, Jana, Erica, Stephen, and Smurphy versus Me, Erik, Josh, Mike, Andrew, Mark, and Pat. It was a great game that ended in a 9-8 score, due to us running out of time because we had to go back to the hotel. The Germans could PLAY, they were great at soccer. Phillip said he was too busy but could try out for FC Augsburg and play, and one of the other guys played for a club team in Ulm. It was really interesting (and awesome) to watch some of the stuff that they could do with two feet and a soccer ball.
We went back to the hotel, showered, then went to the FC Augsburg versus 1. FC Cologne soccer game. Neither team played very well, though apparently FCA is about to be demoted a leaguer and FCK is about to move up a league. (The way soccer works in most countries is that they have 3 levels, and the top 3 from each level move up to the next level, while the bottom 3 move down. So the bottom three teams in league 1 move down to league 2, while the top three in 2 move to 1 and the bottom three move to 3, etc). It's an interesting system. Right now both FCA and FCK are in the 2nd league. Augsburg held the ball for most of the game and got so many chances, but they just couldn't finish. They ended up losing 3-1. I picked up a pretty nice FCA jersey for only 29 Euros, which was great.
After the game we just headed back and are hanging out in preparation for our trip to Munich tomorrow.
...OLEYYYYYY, OLEY OLEY OLEY!
We all rolled out of bed at varying times in the morning, to meet Phillip to play some pickup soccer at the University at noon. While Phillip was trying to find a ball, we played some 5 on 5 basketball with another German student that was hanging and was going to play soccer with us. Of course, it was a Dallas Mavericks ball (They're crazy about Dirk Novitzki).
After 5 on 5 we played pickup soccer on an all weather surface that was kind of like a track. It wasn't too big, and it had fences around it, which was nice. The teams were the 3 Germans, Jana, Erica, Stephen, and Smurphy versus Me, Erik, Josh, Mike, Andrew, Mark, and Pat. It was a great game that ended in a 9-8 score, due to us running out of time because we had to go back to the hotel. The Germans could PLAY, they were great at soccer. Phillip said he was too busy but could try out for FC Augsburg and play, and one of the other guys played for a club team in Ulm. It was really interesting (and awesome) to watch some of the stuff that they could do with two feet and a soccer ball.
We went back to the hotel, showered, then went to the FC Augsburg versus 1. FC Cologne soccer game. Neither team played very well, though apparently FCA is about to be demoted a leaguer and FCK is about to move up a league. (The way soccer works in most countries is that they have 3 levels, and the top 3 from each level move up to the next level, while the bottom 3 move down. So the bottom three teams in league 1 move down to league 2, while the top three in 2 move to 1 and the bottom three move to 3, etc). It's an interesting system. Right now both FCA and FCK are in the 2nd league. Augsburg held the ball for most of the game and got so many chances, but they just couldn't finish. They ended up losing 3-1. I picked up a pretty nice FCA jersey for only 29 Euros, which was great.
After the game we just headed back and are hanging out in preparation for our trip to Munich tomorrow.
...OLEYYYYYY, OLEY OLEY OLEY!
Day 4 - May 6th, 2008
Today was a much better day than I thought it would be. First, we went to the University to listen to a lecture held by John on what we would be doing for our company presentations, which was interesting to experience. He would make some jokes now and then and we would all be laughing, but the Germans didn't really break too many smiles. Not that they didn't get them, I guess it's just not appropriate for them. (It's ok John, they were good jokes)
After the lecture we went and got lunch at their cafeteria, the Mensa, which is a German word for Cafeteria. I got Pasta with meat sauce, Pommes Frites (French Fries), a pudding type thing, and a Mezzo Mix. The pasta and sauce was alright, but the sauce tasted a little different from normal... different enough for me to notice and dislike it a little more. The French Fries had a potato chip like taste to them, and I found out later they double fry them, which would give them that taste. The pudding was just horrible. The whipped cream was the most bitter thing ever, and it tasted almost like it had basil in it. It was just... bad. Mezzo Mix is a type of soda here that is Coke with a hint of orange basically. It's not too bad, but I'm not a huge soda guy. All in all it was pretty good though.
Later in the day (after an hour nap that I did not want to actually take), we met back to have our first company visit. It was to Augsburg's own Riegele brewery, founded in the late 1300s. It was a very interesting tour actually, and there were some pretty big temperature extremes to say the least (started out in rooms that were almost 100 degrees and ended in a room that was 30). The head of the company (I guess the Brewmaster?) gave us the tour, and he was a very fun and well prepared gentleman (32rd generation brewer, as well). Afterwards they invited us into a room for dinner. Pretzels, beer, and their very own, homecooked Beer Sausage as far as the eye could see. It was a great dinner, and the cook/head of the dinner was a great host (also one of the most jacked guys I've seen as of late). He also kept me hooked up with Spezi drinks, since I didn't drink the beer. Spezi was a drink that mixed Coke and Orange soda as well, but Riegele holds the trademark... I think Mezzo Mix and Spezi are competitors, I believe.
The dinner was great, and we talked with Jens for a while too, mostly about America. He's coming over to Pitt next semester, which will be really cool. He was interested in knowing about American beers (He thought most everyone drank Budweiser), and more about Pittsburgh. The company visit was really informative. I thought it would stink, since I had no interest in beer and don't drink the stuff, but it was still a great time, and I enjoyed myself during the trip.
Afterwards most everyone went out. A bunch of us made our way to Motown club, where we had to get carded by a big bouncer who spoke little to no English. After we got in, there was almost no one there, so we hung at the bar (I paid wayyy to much for a little stinking Coke), but at 11pm, the flood gates kind of opened, and everyone started dancing. We tried to talk to some people there, but apparantly the Germans don't like to dance with strangers, which defeats the point in my opinion. They also don't grind here... Most everyone was back around 1 or 2, and slept tight, because we had the biggest event ever in the morning - soccer with the Germans.
After the lecture we went and got lunch at their cafeteria, the Mensa, which is a German word for Cafeteria. I got Pasta with meat sauce, Pommes Frites (French Fries), a pudding type thing, and a Mezzo Mix. The pasta and sauce was alright, but the sauce tasted a little different from normal... different enough for me to notice and dislike it a little more. The French Fries had a potato chip like taste to them, and I found out later they double fry them, which would give them that taste. The pudding was just horrible. The whipped cream was the most bitter thing ever, and it tasted almost like it had basil in it. It was just... bad. Mezzo Mix is a type of soda here that is Coke with a hint of orange basically. It's not too bad, but I'm not a huge soda guy. All in all it was pretty good though.
Later in the day (after an hour nap that I did not want to actually take), we met back to have our first company visit. It was to Augsburg's own Riegele brewery, founded in the late 1300s. It was a very interesting tour actually, and there were some pretty big temperature extremes to say the least (started out in rooms that were almost 100 degrees and ended in a room that was 30). The head of the company (I guess the Brewmaster?) gave us the tour, and he was a very fun and well prepared gentleman (32rd generation brewer, as well). Afterwards they invited us into a room for dinner. Pretzels, beer, and their very own, homecooked Beer Sausage as far as the eye could see. It was a great dinner, and the cook/head of the dinner was a great host (also one of the most jacked guys I've seen as of late). He also kept me hooked up with Spezi drinks, since I didn't drink the beer. Spezi was a drink that mixed Coke and Orange soda as well, but Riegele holds the trademark... I think Mezzo Mix and Spezi are competitors, I believe.
The dinner was great, and we talked with Jens for a while too, mostly about America. He's coming over to Pitt next semester, which will be really cool. He was interested in knowing about American beers (He thought most everyone drank Budweiser), and more about Pittsburgh. The company visit was really informative. I thought it would stink, since I had no interest in beer and don't drink the stuff, but it was still a great time, and I enjoyed myself during the trip.
Afterwards most everyone went out. A bunch of us made our way to Motown club, where we had to get carded by a big bouncer who spoke little to no English. After we got in, there was almost no one there, so we hung at the bar (I paid wayyy to much for a little stinking Coke), but at 11pm, the flood gates kind of opened, and everyone started dancing. We tried to talk to some people there, but apparantly the Germans don't like to dance with strangers, which defeats the point in my opinion. They also don't grind here... Most everyone was back around 1 or 2, and slept tight, because we had the biggest event ever in the morning - soccer with the Germans.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Day 3 - May 5th, 2008
Today was a very long and tiring day, but a fun one nonetheless.
We had to meet outside the hotel at 9:00, and breakfast at the hotel was open until 8:30, so we got up and got some. They give you very good rolls, butter, Nutella, OJ, coffee, yogurt, and I guess what we would call lunch meats. We left the hotel and went over for our first look at the Universität Augsburg (University of Augsburg). Two of the German students, Jens and Sonja (who are also in mz group for Fujitsu Siemens) gave presentations on the city and university, which were pretty neat and informative.
They brought lunch in, and we got to eat the famed Weißwurst (White Sausage), a picture of which can be found on wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wei%C3%9Fwurst. They also had what tasted like a hot dog but was thinner and a lot longer, plus more of those great rolls from breakfast and Bavarian pretzels, of which I had a lot.
After lunch we did this scavenger hunt across Augsburg (3 Americans paired with a German), which took us to some of the neatest parts of the city. We climbed 261 stairs (We had to count them!) to the top of a tower which provided a great view of the city. We also got to see the town hall, in which there had to be over a million dollars worth of gold and paintings. We visited the newest shopping mall in the city, which was very nice, and we got to go inside two of Augsburg's cathedrals. Additionally, one person from the group had to memorize part of a German poem, which I did. Overall, we got 2nd place, and we got lots of candy.
After the contest we went back to the University, and had a Pizza and Movie night. The pizza was square, thin, and had less sauce and cheese (New York style you might say), which was different. We watched "Euro Trip", which was a hilarious freaking movie. Mom, pick that up for me :)
After the movie we went back and hung around the hotel. Some people went out to Murphy's Law Irish Bar, but I was way too tired. Me, Erik, and Jeff talked for a while, then I crashed.
Today was a pretty interesting day. We got to meet the Germans more, and explored a lot of the parts of Augsburg that I wouldn't have otherwise gotten to see. During my leisure time I'll probably go back to take some more pictures.
As a final thought: SCREW THESE KEYBOARDS. They're so different, and the Y and Z keys are switched, which is really screwing me up badly. Or "badlz" as I typed it about 3 times...
We had to meet outside the hotel at 9:00, and breakfast at the hotel was open until 8:30, so we got up and got some. They give you very good rolls, butter, Nutella, OJ, coffee, yogurt, and I guess what we would call lunch meats. We left the hotel and went over for our first look at the Universität Augsburg (University of Augsburg). Two of the German students, Jens and Sonja (who are also in mz group for Fujitsu Siemens) gave presentations on the city and university, which were pretty neat and informative.
They brought lunch in, and we got to eat the famed Weißwurst (White Sausage), a picture of which can be found on wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wei%C3%9Fwurst. They also had what tasted like a hot dog but was thinner and a lot longer, plus more of those great rolls from breakfast and Bavarian pretzels, of which I had a lot.
After lunch we did this scavenger hunt across Augsburg (3 Americans paired with a German), which took us to some of the neatest parts of the city. We climbed 261 stairs (We had to count them!) to the top of a tower which provided a great view of the city. We also got to see the town hall, in which there had to be over a million dollars worth of gold and paintings. We visited the newest shopping mall in the city, which was very nice, and we got to go inside two of Augsburg's cathedrals. Additionally, one person from the group had to memorize part of a German poem, which I did. Overall, we got 2nd place, and we got lots of candy.
After the contest we went back to the University, and had a Pizza and Movie night. The pizza was square, thin, and had less sauce and cheese (New York style you might say), which was different. We watched "Euro Trip", which was a hilarious freaking movie. Mom, pick that up for me :)
After the movie we went back and hung around the hotel. Some people went out to Murphy's Law Irish Bar, but I was way too tired. Me, Erik, and Jeff talked for a while, then I crashed.
Today was a pretty interesting day. We got to meet the Germans more, and explored a lot of the parts of Augsburg that I wouldn't have otherwise gotten to see. During my leisure time I'll probably go back to take some more pictures.
As a final thought: SCREW THESE KEYBOARDS. They're so different, and the Y and Z keys are switched, which is really screwing me up badly. Or "badlz" as I typed it about 3 times...
Monday, May 5, 2008
Days 1/2 - May 3rd/4th, 2008
After a very long plane ride, I'm here in Augsburg!
We left the house Saturday morning around 9 to drive down to see my cousins, who live really close to Dulles. After visiting them for a few hours, my parents drove me about 20 minutes to Dulles for the 7 pm flight out of the country. The person who checked me in said I'd have an aisle seat but of course I had the middle of the row, with people on either side of me, which was very uncomfortable for 8 hours!
As soon as I got on the plane I switched my watch over to German time so I could get in the mindset and hopefully get over the jetlag quicker. So we actually left at 1 am and landed at 9 am to a very warm (and intially good smelling) Frankfurt airport. I was able to catch some z's on the plane (or y's as it is on German keyboards), and a bunch of us went to a little cafe to get some food. I got a reallz good Bavarian pretzel and cappacino, and was able to try some German out. I ordered auf Deutsch and they responded in German as well, but they would always say the price in English. I think they knew I was American because no German would be wearing an Italia soccer jersey.
We hopped aboard the ICE train to Augsburg for 3 hours, and I admittedly took a longer nap than I wanted to, but I got some cool pictures of the German countryside. We got to Augsburg and met the German students that we'd be working with, and they seemed really cool and laid back. For dinner, we ate a DELICIOUS Bavarian meal at the König von Flandern (King from Flanders) restaurant, served by a waitress who grew up in New York! They basically gave us a large tray of meats (ham, roast beef, sausage, pork), and we were able to go to town. We also ordered two 3 Liter things of the house dark beer, which most everyone enjoyed.
Afterwards, some of the Germans wanted to take us to a Biergarten (literally, "beer garden", an place where they drink outside and hang out), but it was closed, so we went to the Ratskeller restaurant/lounge, which was a very neat place. It was all underground, and opened up into a very large hall with wooden tables and some very American music. Most everyone got another beer or this drink that was wine, water, and something else mixed together, but I got this realllllly good chocolate ice cream dish.
It had been a long day of travel with very little sleep, so most of us headed back about 9:30 or 10:00 and it was time for some well earned sleep. All in all the day was a great success. I got here all right, and was able to try out some German. I got delicious food, and met the German students, who all were really nice and talkative to us (with great English). Plus, I asked one of the guys, Phillip, if we could set a soccer game up, and he was all for it. All the guys toasted a good trip (Prost), and it's definitely going to be a good one.
We left the house Saturday morning around 9 to drive down to see my cousins, who live really close to Dulles. After visiting them for a few hours, my parents drove me about 20 minutes to Dulles for the 7 pm flight out of the country. The person who checked me in said I'd have an aisle seat but of course I had the middle of the row, with people on either side of me, which was very uncomfortable for 8 hours!
As soon as I got on the plane I switched my watch over to German time so I could get in the mindset and hopefully get over the jetlag quicker. So we actually left at 1 am and landed at 9 am to a very warm (and intially good smelling) Frankfurt airport. I was able to catch some z's on the plane (or y's as it is on German keyboards), and a bunch of us went to a little cafe to get some food. I got a reallz good Bavarian pretzel and cappacino, and was able to try some German out. I ordered auf Deutsch and they responded in German as well, but they would always say the price in English. I think they knew I was American because no German would be wearing an Italia soccer jersey.
We hopped aboard the ICE train to Augsburg for 3 hours, and I admittedly took a longer nap than I wanted to, but I got some cool pictures of the German countryside. We got to Augsburg and met the German students that we'd be working with, and they seemed really cool and laid back. For dinner, we ate a DELICIOUS Bavarian meal at the König von Flandern (King from Flanders) restaurant, served by a waitress who grew up in New York! They basically gave us a large tray of meats (ham, roast beef, sausage, pork), and we were able to go to town. We also ordered two 3 Liter things of the house dark beer, which most everyone enjoyed.
Afterwards, some of the Germans wanted to take us to a Biergarten (literally, "beer garden", an place where they drink outside and hang out), but it was closed, so we went to the Ratskeller restaurant/lounge, which was a very neat place. It was all underground, and opened up into a very large hall with wooden tables and some very American music. Most everyone got another beer or this drink that was wine, water, and something else mixed together, but I got this realllllly good chocolate ice cream dish.
It had been a long day of travel with very little sleep, so most of us headed back about 9:30 or 10:00 and it was time for some well earned sleep. All in all the day was a great success. I got here all right, and was able to try out some German. I got delicious food, and met the German students, who all were really nice and talkative to us (with great English). Plus, I asked one of the guys, Phillip, if we could set a soccer game up, and he was all for it. All the guys toasted a good trip (Prost), and it's definitely going to be a good one.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Pre-departure Questions
My international experience to date is:
After my freshman year in high school (late June to early July 2004) I traveled with the German department to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (with a quick stop through Lichtenstein). The trip was through EF Tours and was a site seeing trip. We flew into Frankfurt, and from there visited numerous cities, including Munich, Vienna, Salzburg, Bern, Innsbruck, and my personal favorite, Lucherne (my family helped to found the city around 800 A.D., I'm told).
I want to go to Germany because:
I want to go to Germany for a few reasons. First, I like to travel, and Germany is a great place to see, again and again. Second, and probably most importantly, I've studied German since 7th grade, so I feel pretty connected with Germany. I've only been there once before, and at that point my German was not good at all (though I can't say it's overly good now.) Regardless, I want to go to Germany and at least get a little bit of real practice. Third, I'm a little bit in love with BMWs, and over the course of these two weeks, I'm going to see more BMWs than I ever have before.
I think I will see the following:
While I'm in Germany, I think I will see a few things. First, we will be doing a lot of site seeing, which is always fascinating. Though I've seen a lot of German sites (Neuschwanstein, Dachau), it will still be really interesting and rewarding to see them again. Second, on the site visits, I think I will see modern, economical businesses that really exemplify the coming together of business and engineering. Third, in my down time I think I will see a part of Germany that I have never seen before, which is the day to day life of Germans, which our German counterparts will be sure to show us.
I think the main differences I will see will be:
I think the main differences I will see will be in the culture of Germans versus Americans. During the site visits we will get to see how Germans run businesses, which will be different from how Americans run businesses and business meetings. I will also get to see how the Germans have mass transit set up, which will be an interesting and different experience. Before coming to Pitt, I was never around public transportation, so even the Port Authority system fascinates me, but the Germans seem to set up mass transportation on a much larger scale. I will also see a difference in food. The German cuisine we eat will probably be very meat and potato heavy, which is very different from some of the standard dinners we have here in America.
I think the students I meet in my country will be:
I think that the students who I meet in Germany will be very friendly and down to earth people. From what I have heard from groups in the past, the German students are friendly and enjoy showing us around the city, which is always a good thing. I'm hoping that they will like sports and that we can set up a pick up game of soccer between us and them, but that's just a hope.
I predict I will be surprised to find:
While I cannot predict what I will be surprised about (The statement is kind of an oxymoron because then I wouldn't be surprised if I knew it was coming), I might be able to come up with a thing or two. I know from my previous trip to Germany, I was very surprised to find that everyone spoke English, and they spoke it well. Therefore, it would be surprising, but totally realistic, for them to know about American current events (i.e. the election), and want to talk to us Americans about these events.
I think the major differences in living conditions will be:
While even the most basic hotels in America have TVs, bathrooms, and coffee makers, I have heard that the hotel we are staying in is very basic, so I doubt there will be anything extravagant like TVs or coffee makers.
Anything else you want to say:
I am really looking forward to heading over to Germany for the second time, though I am positive not the last. I'm looking forward to seeing the businesses and getting to take site tours, and I am really hoping we can get a soccer game going with the Germans.
After my freshman year in high school (late June to early July 2004) I traveled with the German department to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (with a quick stop through Lichtenstein). The trip was through EF Tours and was a site seeing trip. We flew into Frankfurt, and from there visited numerous cities, including Munich, Vienna, Salzburg, Bern, Innsbruck, and my personal favorite, Lucherne (my family helped to found the city around 800 A.D., I'm told).
I want to go to Germany because:
I want to go to Germany for a few reasons. First, I like to travel, and Germany is a great place to see, again and again. Second, and probably most importantly, I've studied German since 7th grade, so I feel pretty connected with Germany. I've only been there once before, and at that point my German was not good at all (though I can't say it's overly good now.) Regardless, I want to go to Germany and at least get a little bit of real practice. Third, I'm a little bit in love with BMWs, and over the course of these two weeks, I'm going to see more BMWs than I ever have before.
I think I will see the following:
While I'm in Germany, I think I will see a few things. First, we will be doing a lot of site seeing, which is always fascinating. Though I've seen a lot of German sites (Neuschwanstein, Dachau), it will still be really interesting and rewarding to see them again. Second, on the site visits, I think I will see modern, economical businesses that really exemplify the coming together of business and engineering. Third, in my down time I think I will see a part of Germany that I have never seen before, which is the day to day life of Germans, which our German counterparts will be sure to show us.
I think the main differences I will see will be:
I think the main differences I will see will be in the culture of Germans versus Americans. During the site visits we will get to see how Germans run businesses, which will be different from how Americans run businesses and business meetings. I will also get to see how the Germans have mass transit set up, which will be an interesting and different experience. Before coming to Pitt, I was never around public transportation, so even the Port Authority system fascinates me, but the Germans seem to set up mass transportation on a much larger scale. I will also see a difference in food. The German cuisine we eat will probably be very meat and potato heavy, which is very different from some of the standard dinners we have here in America.
I think the students I meet in my country will be:
I think that the students who I meet in Germany will be very friendly and down to earth people. From what I have heard from groups in the past, the German students are friendly and enjoy showing us around the city, which is always a good thing. I'm hoping that they will like sports and that we can set up a pick up game of soccer between us and them, but that's just a hope.
I predict I will be surprised to find:
While I cannot predict what I will be surprised about (The statement is kind of an oxymoron because then I wouldn't be surprised if I knew it was coming), I might be able to come up with a thing or two. I know from my previous trip to Germany, I was very surprised to find that everyone spoke English, and they spoke it well. Therefore, it would be surprising, but totally realistic, for them to know about American current events (i.e. the election), and want to talk to us Americans about these events.
I think the major differences in living conditions will be:
While even the most basic hotels in America have TVs, bathrooms, and coffee makers, I have heard that the hotel we are staying in is very basic, so I doubt there will be anything extravagant like TVs or coffee makers.
Anything else you want to say:
I am really looking forward to heading over to Germany for the second time, though I am positive not the last. I'm looking forward to seeing the businesses and getting to take site tours, and I am really hoping we can get a soccer game going with the Germans.
What is Plus 3?
To all my non-Engineering non-CBA Pitt friends, my non-Pitt friends, my family, random passersby:
This is my journal for the Plus 3 trip to Germany. It's called Plus 3 because it is a 3 credit course for two weeks in one of four countries - Brazil, Chile, China, or Germany. It's open to Engineers and Business freshman students, and we spend two weeks touring the sites of the country, while also taking site tours of businesses. We get to experience how business and engineering is done in these countries, and have to give a little report on a specific business when we get back in the fall.
This journal will be updated during the trip (May 3-17, 2008). Check back to see what I'm up to.
This is my journal for the Plus 3 trip to Germany. It's called Plus 3 because it is a 3 credit course for two weeks in one of four countries - Brazil, Chile, China, or Germany. It's open to Engineers and Business freshman students, and we spend two weeks touring the sites of the country, while also taking site tours of businesses. We get to experience how business and engineering is done in these countries, and have to give a little report on a specific business when we get back in the fall.
This journal will be updated during the trip (May 3-17, 2008). Check back to see what I'm up to.
Plus 3
Hey guys, the link to the main Plus 3 Germany site is http://www.germanyplus3.pitt.edu. Check it out for links to the other journals and for official stuff, like our itinerary.
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