First Days

Thursday, May 29, 2008

I flew out of Logan airport in Boston on an overnight flight to Munich, Germany. It was your average flight complete with crying babies, average food, and an overwhelming sense of claustrophobia. I couldn't sleep well for one reason or another, but to be honest, Lufthansa was probably the best airline I have flown with in terms of how they treat you and the entertainment system.

Friday, May 30, 2008

Upon arriving at the Munich airport, I picked up my 100 lbs worth of luggage and proceeded to walk without destination around the airport. I had no idea if there was a place to check my luggage, so I took it everywhere I went (bathroom, Döner Kebab restaurant, internet cafe, etc.). My situation was such: I had nowhere to be until 6pm when I would meet Gleb at his BMW apartment. However, I had forgotten to print out the direction to his apartment before leaving the US, my laptop was dead, and I didn't have the right converter for charging it. Lastly, my new digital camera had not been charged , and I was already disappointed that I was missing out on precious photo opportunities from the moment that I picked up my luggage and walked in front of a giant BMW display modeled as the front their cars that turned on when it sensed motion (lights, engine sounds, etc.) Therefore, in the best interest of my trip, I claimed a significant amount of territory at an Avis car rental lounge, and read about Germany while my camera charged.

Once I was fully prepared for 8.0 Mega pixels of fun and the feeling of a Mississippi swamp between me and the chair was too much to bear, I enjoyed my first German beer at 11 am and headed for the internet cafe. I located Gleb's address, spent quite a while figuring out the concentrically circular zones for the Munich S/U Bahn train system (for which the tickets varied), and off I went into the big city. The only problem was that I read my watch wrong (I am not so good at simple 6 hour time zone addition) and arrived at Gleb's at 3:30 when I thought it was 5:30. After waiting for an hour, a woman going into the BMW apartment asked me (in German) if I would like to come in. I said, "No, that's okay. I am waiting for my friend who will be here at 6." (in German) Her response, which I didn't understand, must have been along the lines of "6, why the hell are you going to just sit here until 6?" This is when I realized the actual time and left for more food.

That night, Ian came from Regensburg (the town that I also live in for the summer), and the three of us went out for some German drinking fun at the Hofbräuhaus, perhaps the most famous (among tourists) and highly-visited beer garden in Munich. There was music, Bavarian clothing, and 1 Liter beers. Amazing. (see photo album: Deutschland I: Munich Arrival)

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Toan woke us up with his early arrival to Gleb's apartment. We began the day with a trip to Dachau, the site of the longest-lasting concentration camp during WW II where over 30,000 people died during its 12 year existence. In high school, I remembering feeling moved by talk of the war, the Nazi party, and the influence that the Holocaust had on many different people, but nothing compares. Until you walk through the buildings, see the crematorium, and imagine the shear brutality that occurred where you stand, you cannot grasp the situation. I thought about how so many people in America never have nor want to have that experience, and the affect that has had on how we understand what happened.

After this almost-overwhelming experience, we went into town and got a recommended meal from one of the guide books (Hendl a la Parville-almost a whole lightly-fried chicken with a vinegar potato salad.) While sitting there, a traditional Bavarian procession occurred. There were about fifty people sporting their Bavarian attire led by a marching band into the restaurant for what we interpreted as a celebration of a new flag that somehow related back to the church that would last for up to three days (see video below).

We visited the Englischer Gartens in Munich that afternoon where the river allows for surfing, swimming, and summer fun. Thousands of people flock here to show off their man thongs and swim among nudists and surfers wannabees. Quite an eclectic crowd to say that least. Afterwards, Ian and I got on a train for Regensburg, because we wanted to get settled at our new homes, and three guys on the tiny floor of the BMW apartment with no pillows did not seem too appealing.

Mein Mitbewohner (roommate), Stefan, picked me up from the train station in Regensburg. He is a 27-year old physicist that works for Infineon Semiconductors. We have a lot of academic and other interests in common, so I think it will be a really great experience. We dropped off my luggage at the apartment (see photo album: Deutschland III: Regensburg), packed a backpack of beers, and he took me to Bismark Platz, a square with two fountains where hundreds of 20-40-year olds flock in BYOB style to drink and socialize.