Hey Everyone,
So it's been a couple of weeks since my last post. Things here have slowed down some, and settled into a routine- I'm getting the hang of my classes now, and I've been spending more time studying and going to classes. I haven't done any traveling lately, but it's been on my mind- I'd like to take another weekend trip soon! I've been attending voice lessons regularly, and they have been such a wonderful experience. I think that because I have much less stress, I can really focus on learning and growing. I'm making steady progress, and having a great time learning some beautiful new music!! :)
I've had my wonderful family and friends on my mind a lot this week. I have said more than one prayer of thanks for the safety of my sweet cousin, who was in a car accident last week. It was terrifying to hear the news, and I was frustrated that I couldn't be there with my family. However, she is safe and in good health, and I am so thankful! A couple of days later, I received a huge pick-me-up in the form of a care package from my dear friend, Doris, from my church choir back in Greensboro, NC. It contained enough chocolate and macaroni and cheese to last me for months!! I was absolutely thrilled, and I am so thankful for that thoughtful gesture. And I am SO happy to have macaroni and cheese again! :) I've also had the time this week to have some conversations with some of my best friends who I haven't talked to very much since I came here- it was such a treat! I miss all of my friends and family at home very much, and it's great to talk to all of you :).
Last week everyone was celebrating the final days of the Fasching, a festival that runs from the Thursday before Ash Wednesday until "Fat Tuesday," the final day before Ash Wednesday. Vendors assembled food stands selling everything from chocolate covered bananas to schnitzel and other traditional German foods all over the city. In the open area just outside of the city center of Mannheim, around the Wasserturm (water tower), there were stands with an assortment of carnival rides and games. There was an excitement to the city during this period- more people were out mulling over the stands, walking with their families, and celebrating. Finally, the biggest day of Fasching was Sunday- every business in the city was closed- even the trams and buses stopped running, and there was a big that processed through the entire city. There were organizations and marching bands walking through the parade on foot, and there were also many floats depicting many German traditions. The people watching the parade were dressed up as well- it's common for little boys to dress like pirates, and little girls like princesses :) However, there were a myriad of costumes worn by people of all ages- everyone seemed very happy to get into the spirit of the holiday.
As the floats and people walked through the parade, people standing on the sides of the street watching would yell, "Ahoy!", and wave their arms. If the parade members saw you, they might throw a prize to you. These were as varied as the costumes- I saw everything from candy to beer to tissues thrown out to the crowds. The most interesting prizes that I caught were a small bag of onions and band aids. Most of the prizes were candy, and children had lots of fun scurrying around gathering the candy that had been dropped. Some people even turned their umbrellas upside down in order to catch as many items as possible. This lasted for a few hours, and my friends and I had a wonderful time watching the parade. After this, we went to one of the food stands and bought a traditional bratwurst- my first here in Germany! It was delicious :) Finally we went to the carnival rides and rode a couple, as well as the ferris wheel. It was a great day, and so much fun to get to see a true Fasching celebration :).
Since then, I've mostly been studying and spending time with friends. Earlier this week I went to an irish pub in Mannheim called O'Riley's. I tried a type of chillded alcoholic apple cider- it was fantastic! I'm including some pictures of our fun there in this week's picture album. I'm also including some pictures from the day of the parade in which I am making a birthday cake for my friend, whose birthday was the Sunday of the parade! It was a lot of fun, and very interesting making a cake with slightly modified ingredients. It was challenging, but we had a great time, and the cake came out really well. Anyways, that's all for now, take care!
~Bekah
Fasching Pictures
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Baden-Baden Weekend
Hey Everyone,
My post this week is about the trip I took last weekend. I was sitting in my longest class of the week, Marketing, when my friend Audrey told me that there was a town about an hour away with nice, inexpensive day spas. The city is Baden-baden- in german, the word, "baden" means, "to bathe." The city is known for its location right at the edge of the forest and for its hot springs. Apparently the springs have been known since Roman times- the Romans had bath houses there, and you can still go and see the ruins. Baden-baden has an abundance of spas, several of which are what are known as "day spas." This just means that you don't have to make a previous reservation to enjoy the spa. After learning all of this, we booked a hotel and train tickets, and the next morning we were off! It was an adventure from beginning to end, including our first challenge at the train station. All of the train employees in one union decided to go on strike 10 minutes before our train left!! Luckily we ran into a german friend who explained the situation. He told us that luckily, there was another union, and those employees would be operating some of the major trains in an hour. We sat down for a coffee, and then caught a different train, and we were on our way! The weather wasn't bad, a little cloudy but not too cold! :) We took two different trains, and once we were in Baden-Baden we took a bus to a nearby village, Neuweier, to check into our hotel. However, I had some trouble finding the bus routes online and we weren't sure where to get off of the bus. We got off at one stop to get out our maps and regroup, and across the street was our hotel! We went in and checked in, and took a quick look around the village, then took a bus back into Baden-Baden, about a 20 minute drive, and went to the wonderful Caracalla Spa. The spa is so named after the former Roman emperor, Caracalla, formally known as Lucius Septimus Bassianus, who came to Baden-baden to bathe and find some relief from arthritis pain. It costs a mere 21 euros to spend 4 hours in the spa. My friend and I paid a little extra for a 30-minute massage (my first professional massage, and for those of you who know me well, you know how exciting this was for me! :p), and for one extra hour of spa time. Unfortunately, I couldn't take pictures inside the spa, so I'll post some from their website:
This was taken at the back of the spa- inside there is a large main pool with many smaller pools inside it, and it connects to the outdoor section, which is similar, except that some of the small pools are cooler, and some have hot water. Inside, the main hot tub is lined by high stone walls, and has a waterfall flowing at the back wall. There were usually 15-20 people in this hot tub, talking and laughing. In the downstairs of the spa, there was also an aroma steam bath, and a saltwater inhalation room. The aroma bath was my favorite feature- it smelled so strongly of mint and herbs that it made my nose tingle. The room had 100 percent humidity, so at first when I stepped inside I felt like I couldn't breathe. But as I just sat there and relaxed, I got used to it. I felt as though the herb-aromas were going inside my lungs and then traveling through my entire body- it was an incredible sensation! The room itself was also very soothing, with lots of small stone sitting booths, soft classical music, and Romanesque statuettes here and there. The ceilings of the booths were dark, speckled with small lights that made them look like a starry night sky. The saltwater room was also nice- they had a tall cylinder filled with small, dark brown sticks from the ocean that had salt water trickling over them- apparently inhaling the brine-air for 10-20 minutes helps to strengthen the immune system and clear your respiratory system of congestion- I had a cold when I went, so this was exactly what I needed. The atmosphere in the downstairs area was relaxing but also fun- this spa is more family-friendly, so there were children and families mixed in with the other spa-goers. Here is another shot, this time of the main pool of the spa- if you like these you should click on the link earlier in this post and check out the virtual tour- it is really remarkable.
While the downstairs of the spa was wonderful, the upstairs area was also equally wonderful, but we faced another challenge there. In Germany, spas have followed Roman tradition, and people generally wear no clothes while they relax in spas and saunas. This is less frequent in the United States. In Germany, nudity is not only customary but required in every spa except for the one that we chose. However, even in this spa, you can't wear clothes in the sauna. You can bring a towel, which was comforting for my friend and I. We were uncomfortable at the thought of going into the sauna, but we wanted to experience it in order to appreciate and understand the culture. Once we were inside, we laughed at the irony of the situation- we were afraid that people would be staring at us, but we were the only ones staring! To everyone else this was perfectly normal, and we actually looked a little strange because we couldn't stop looking around! Eventually, we got used to it and just relaxed like everyone else. That's what this whole experience is about- accepting cultural differences. My friend and I had such a nice time in the spa, even after 5 hours we didn't want to leave. However, we did, and then we had dinner and went back to our hotel and slept like rocks.
We woke up feeling very refreshed, and went downstairs to a wonderful breakfast prepared by the very kind owner of our hotel. After that we checked out, and took another look at Neuweier. It's a small, peaceful place, with lots of houses, vineyards, and fields. There was so much greenery all around me, it was so nice to see life and nature- it makes me miss North Carolina less :). We took a bus back into Baden-baden, and walked all over the place. The city was bustling with tourists as well as people preparing for Carnevale- Germany, Austria, and Switzerland have a big celebration that begins on November 11th at 11:11am, and ends on Ash Wednesday. They call this period the "fifth season,"
and it includes a series of parades, festivals and costume balls. The biggest celebrations during the next couple of weeks are in Dusseldorf, Mainz, and K
My post this week is about the trip I took last weekend. I was sitting in my longest class of the week, Marketing, when my friend Audrey told me that there was a town about an hour away with nice, inexpensive day spas. The city is Baden-baden- in german, the word, "baden" means, "to bathe." The city is known for its location right at the edge of the forest and for its hot springs. Apparently the springs have been known since Roman times- the Romans had bath houses there, and you can still go and see the ruins. Baden-baden has an abundance of spas, several of which are what are known as "day spas." This just means that you don't have to make a previous reservation to enjoy the spa. After learning all of this, we booked a hotel and train tickets, and the next morning we were off! It was an adventure from beginning to end, including our first challenge at the train station. All of the train employees in one union decided to go on strike 10 minutes before our train left!! Luckily we ran into a german friend who explained the situation. He told us that luckily, there was another union, and those employees would be operating some of the major trains in an hour. We sat down for a coffee, and then caught a different train, and we were on our way! The weather wasn't bad, a little cloudy but not too cold! :) We took two different trains, and once we were in Baden-Baden we took a bus to a nearby village, Neuweier, to check into our hotel. However, I had some trouble finding the bus routes online and we weren't sure where to get off of the bus. We got off at one stop to get out our maps and regroup, and across the street was our hotel! We went in and checked in, and took a quick look around the village, then took a bus back into Baden-Baden, about a 20 minute drive, and went to the wonderful Caracalla Spa. The spa is so named after the former Roman emperor, Caracalla, formally known as Lucius Septimus Bassianus, who came to Baden-baden to bathe and find some relief from arthritis pain. It costs a mere 21 euros to spend 4 hours in the spa. My friend and I paid a little extra for a 30-minute massage (my first professional massage, and for those of you who know me well, you know how exciting this was for me! :p), and for one extra hour of spa time. Unfortunately, I couldn't take pictures inside the spa, so I'll post some from their website:
This was taken at the back of the spa- inside there is a large main pool with many smaller pools inside it, and it connects to the outdoor section, which is similar, except that some of the small pools are cooler, and some have hot water. Inside, the main hot tub is lined by high stone walls, and has a waterfall flowing at the back wall. There were usually 15-20 people in this hot tub, talking and laughing. In the downstairs of the spa, there was also an aroma steam bath, and a saltwater inhalation room. The aroma bath was my favorite feature- it smelled so strongly of mint and herbs that it made my nose tingle. The room had 100 percent humidity, so at first when I stepped inside I felt like I couldn't breathe. But as I just sat there and relaxed, I got used to it. I felt as though the herb-aromas were going inside my lungs and then traveling through my entire body- it was an incredible sensation! The room itself was also very soothing, with lots of small stone sitting booths, soft classical music, and Romanesque statuettes here and there. The ceilings of the booths were dark, speckled with small lights that made them look like a starry night sky. The saltwater room was also nice- they had a tall cylinder filled with small, dark brown sticks from the ocean that had salt water trickling over them- apparently inhaling the brine-air for 10-20 minutes helps to strengthen the immune system and clear your respiratory system of congestion- I had a cold when I went, so this was exactly what I needed. The atmosphere in the downstairs area was relaxing but also fun- this spa is more family-friendly, so there were children and families mixed in with the other spa-goers. Here is another shot, this time of the main pool of the spa- if you like these you should click on the link earlier in this post and check out the virtual tour- it is really remarkable.
While the downstairs of the spa was wonderful, the upstairs area was also equally wonderful, but we faced another challenge there. In Germany, spas have followed Roman tradition, and people generally wear no clothes while they relax in spas and saunas. This is less frequent in the United States. In Germany, nudity is not only customary but required in every spa except for the one that we chose. However, even in this spa, you can't wear clothes in the sauna. You can bring a towel, which was comforting for my friend and I. We were uncomfortable at the thought of going into the sauna, but we wanted to experience it in order to appreciate and understand the culture. Once we were inside, we laughed at the irony of the situation- we were afraid that people would be staring at us, but we were the only ones staring! To everyone else this was perfectly normal, and we actually looked a little strange because we couldn't stop looking around! Eventually, we got used to it and just relaxed like everyone else. That's what this whole experience is about- accepting cultural differences. My friend and I had such a nice time in the spa, even after 5 hours we didn't want to leave. However, we did, and then we had dinner and went back to our hotel and slept like rocks.
We woke up feeling very refreshed, and went downstairs to a wonderful breakfast prepared by the very kind owner of our hotel. After that we checked out, and took another look at Neuweier. It's a small, peaceful place, with lots of houses, vineyards, and fields. There was so much greenery all around me, it was so nice to see life and nature- it makes me miss North Carolina less :). We took a bus back into Baden-baden, and walked all over the place. The city was bustling with tourists as well as people preparing for Carnevale- Germany, Austria, and Switzerland have a big celebration that begins on November 11th at 11:11am, and ends on Ash Wednesday. They call this period the "fifth season,"
and it includes a series of parades, festivals and costume balls. The biggest celebrations during the next couple of weeks are in Dusseldorf, Mainz, and K
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Uzbekistan (!)
Hi Everyone,
Sorry it's taken me so long to post- I recently went to Uzbekistan to visit my boyfriend for 10 days, and we didn't want to waste a minute of the time we had together. It was the third country I've visited, my first country in Asia, and my first Islamic country. Needless to say, there is quite a contrast of culture, climate, and countless other details between the United States and Uzbekistan. However, I think that living in Germany before making this trip helped a lot with any culture shock that I felt- I'm used to being surrounded by people who speak a different language, and I'm getting used to just going with the flow and assuming that things might feel very different and overwhelming at times.
Most people I've spoken to about Uzbekistan have never heard of it. Uzbekistan is an ex-Soviet Union nation bordered by Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. It is a landlocked country with 12 provinces. My boyfriend and his family live in Toshkent Viloyati, in the capitol of Uzbekistan, Tashkent. Here is the Wikipedia link to Uzbekistan if you'd like to read more than what I write in my blog: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzbekistan.
When I was coming into Uzbekistan, I was nervous. I had no idea what to expect- another first for me was seeing a third world country. I was immediately surprised by how friendly Uzbek people are. On my plane, I sat next to and behind two Uzbek women, both traveling with a baby. They both spoke English, and were very kind and excited for me to see their country. One of them gave me her phone number and told me that if I needed anything, or I just wanted company, I could call her any time. Once I was in the country, I saw this same friendly, generous behavior many times. Often strangers would come up to Artyom (my boyfriend) and I, and just start a conversation asking us who we were, where we were from, where we were going, etc. Unfortunately, hardly anyone spoke English, but Artyom was a very patient and reliable translator ;). Many times during my visit, Artyom would make friends with strangers and exchange numbers with them after just having a conversation and getting along.
Nearly all of the buildings in Uzbekistan reflect both Middle-Eastern and an Asian styles, especially in the shape of the roofs and the designs on buildings. The climate was actually pretty similar to Germany- a little warmer though. It stayed around the upper 30's-low 40's during my trip. It actually snowed once while I was there! It was a fairly dry climate, but not as dry as I expected. It rained a couple of times while I was there, and there are a lot of trees and grass. The soil in general is more red in color than in North Carolina. Tashkent is a big city, but it's much more spread out than cities in Europe, with buildings that are more sprawling rather than stacked high. One of my favorite things about Uzbekistan was the markets. To buy fresh food, people barter and haggle at bazaars- open markets. It was so interesting to see the many different vendors, selling everything from purses to pomegranates to spices. The food in Uzbekistan is fantastic, and one of the reasons is because of their quality produce. Almost everything they sell is locally grown, and it is all completely natural- no pesticides, insecticides, hormones, or genetic modification, and there really is a difference. Everything had a better and stronger taste. Even the colors of the fruits and vegetables looked brighter to me.
One of my biggest challenges in Uzbekistan was with all things bathroom related. Haha. The more I travel, the more I realize how many things I take for granted. One of them, I know now, is toilets. In certain places in Uzbekistan, rather than toilets with a seat and a lid, there are bathrooms that have a much older design...in fact, here's picture of one:
If you are a person who has only ever used toilets, then you can understand my chagrin the first time I saw a toilet like this. However, I am thankful for this challenge because it, like so many other situations I've experienced abroad, helped me to better understand that different cultures have different traditions and lifestyles. I have also learned how truly blessed I am to come from a home and a country where I receive so many privileges when there are lots of people who receive so few. Anyways, back to my bathroom blues: I had no clue how to use the first one of these toilets that I saw. Looking back, my different attempts to use it were pretty hilarious. When I came out and asked my boyfriend how the heck it worked, he laughed for awhile before explaining it to me- let's just say it's less convenient than a toilet seat. Another difference in bathrooms was that sometimes there were not separate bathrooms for men and women. There were just bathrooms with two or three stalls that were for everyone. This was also a big shock. In fact, once I was using the restroom (a normal toilet this time, thankfully), and when I came out to wash my hands a man was standing at the sinks! I gasped and jumped about two feet in the air, and scared him as much as he scared me. He dropped a roll of paper towels on the floor and started talking in Russian. It was embarrassing but very funny- we both started to laugh after a few seconds. I only had one encounter of this nature, but that was more than enough.
Uzbekistan still reflects Soviet influence. For example, nearly every citizen speaks Russian. Most citizens speak at least some Uzbek, the native language. The population of Uzbekistan is 14% Russians, yet everyone speaks their language. Artyom and his family are Russian, and thus he speaks and understands some Uzbek, but speaks fluent Russian. Some younger people and students in Uzbekistan speak or at least understand some English, but most do not. Unfortunately, that meant that I was unable even to order a glass of water. However, I learned a little Russian while I was there- it's a very beautiful language!
The currency in Uzbekistan are called soms. Approximately 2,600 soms are equal to one U.S. dollar, which is nice for tourists. However, vendors and taxi drivers know this and charge higher prices to foreigners. Luckily for me I had Artyom and all of his family to help me. I kept thinking while I was there that if I had gone to a country more like Uzbekistan to study abroad, it would have been so much harder- not speaking the language and having almost no English speakers, and being an obvious foreigner. It gave me a greater appreciation for my life in Germany.
My first day in Uzbekistan, Artyom and I traveled to an ancient city called Samarkand to do some sight-seeing. It was so beautiful, full of mosques and Madrasahs, educational institutions for Muslim people, in subjects that are both religious and secular. Samarkand was a main city on the Silk Road, an ancient trade route that stretches all the way from China to Europe. Inside the Madrasahs were lots of souvenier shops, and the owners were constantly letting us try on replicas of clothing that people used to wear- some of them were very funny! One of the costumes that I tried on was a green tunic covered in silver coins. The shop owner told us that in ancient times, if a man wished to divorce his wife and told her as much, she must leave at once and take nothing with her. Because of this law, women sewed their silver and jewels onto their clothes, so that they could leave and still have money to live. I got a beautiful scarf and several Arabic perfumes from the shops in Samarkand. It was such a majestic city. My favorite monument was the Bibi-Khanym Mosque. It was named after the wife of Amir Timur, the ruler of Samarkand in the 14th century who built the Timurid Empire in Central Asia. The mosque was named for his wife because she was very kind, and very respected by the inhabitants of the empire. It has been restored to its former greatness, and is truly a wonder to behold.
After returning to Tashkent, I met Artyom's family at a traditional Uzbek dinner hosted by Artyom's father. There was quite a spread of food, and all of it was delicious. The central dish was something called plov, a seasoned dish made of meat, rice, and vegetables. Luckily, most of the members of Artyom's family speak and understand a little german, so although we were unable to speak to each other in Russian or English, I managed to speak with them without Artyom translating the whole time. Another unexpected surprise was meeting Artyom's sweet cousins, two of which speak English, so I got to get to know them a little. They were very kind, and I had a great time meeting all of them.
One day I went with Artyom's father, stepmother, and his stepmother's sister on a drive to the mountains that are about an hour's drive outside of Tashkent. They are absolutely breathtaking. When I saw them, they had just been covered in a layer of fresh snow- it was beautiful but very cold! We wound around the mountains, stopping frequently to take pictures. We also stopped at a couple of little miniature markets tucked in the mountains. They sold lots of delicious foods, including fresh honey, nuts, seeds, bread, and fruits. We drove to a large lake contained by a dam to take pictures. The water was such a bright blue, I couldn't tear my eyes from the horizon. We got lots of great pictures, and then stopped at a traditional restaurant in the mountains. I got to try many different foods, each one of them better than the last. We started with a salad made of seasoned tomatoes and cucumbers and a stew. I think the largest difference in the taste of the food in Uzbekistan compared to what I eat in the United States is the spices that are used in Uzbek dishes. Also, in Uzbekistan, many people drink hot tea with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They make tea by putting tea leaves directly into their teapots and letting it steep the entire time they drink the tea, rather than using tea bags and removing them before drinking the tea. It has a more pungent taste, and it always goes well with meals. I especially liked drinking the tea with breakfast. We had roasted kebabs made with beef and lamb, and baked trout. The meal was so good and so big, I felt ready to burst by the end of it!
I went to see many different things in Tashkent with Artyom and his family. We went to the bazaars, shopping malls, restaurants, pubs, and so many other places. I also got to meet some of Artyom's friends, and they told me more about the culture in Uzbekistan, and even helped me find some great souvenirs. A wonderful surprise was when Artyom took me to an opera in Tashkent! It was in a beautiful hall decorated in white, blue and gold. We saw Bizet's Carmen in Russian! It's normally in French, and it was so interesting to watch it in Russian- I have heard less Russian music in my own music studies than other operatic languages. It was a great show, and afterwards we went to a delicious italian restaurant. That was the night before I returned to Germany, and it was a great way to end my trip.
I could write so much more about Uzbekistan, but I still don't think that I would be able to adequately describe the unique culture, or the open kindness of it's inhabitants. However, I hope that I have covered all of the basic details, and that my pictures will fill in the blanks. I'm thinking of all of my friends and family back home all the time, and missing all of you very much. I hope you enjoy my account of this adventure!
~Bekah
Sorry it's taken me so long to post- I recently went to Uzbekistan to visit my boyfriend for 10 days, and we didn't want to waste a minute of the time we had together. It was the third country I've visited, my first country in Asia, and my first Islamic country. Needless to say, there is quite a contrast of culture, climate, and countless other details between the United States and Uzbekistan. However, I think that living in Germany before making this trip helped a lot with any culture shock that I felt- I'm used to being surrounded by people who speak a different language, and I'm getting used to just going with the flow and assuming that things might feel very different and overwhelming at times.
Most people I've spoken to about Uzbekistan have never heard of it. Uzbekistan is an ex-Soviet Union nation bordered by Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. It is a landlocked country with 12 provinces. My boyfriend and his family live in Toshkent Viloyati, in the capitol of Uzbekistan, Tashkent. Here is the Wikipedia link to Uzbekistan if you'd like to read more than what I write in my blog: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzbekistan.
When I was coming into Uzbekistan, I was nervous. I had no idea what to expect- another first for me was seeing a third world country. I was immediately surprised by how friendly Uzbek people are. On my plane, I sat next to and behind two Uzbek women, both traveling with a baby. They both spoke English, and were very kind and excited for me to see their country. One of them gave me her phone number and told me that if I needed anything, or I just wanted company, I could call her any time. Once I was in the country, I saw this same friendly, generous behavior many times. Often strangers would come up to Artyom (my boyfriend) and I, and just start a conversation asking us who we were, where we were from, where we were going, etc. Unfortunately, hardly anyone spoke English, but Artyom was a very patient and reliable translator ;). Many times during my visit, Artyom would make friends with strangers and exchange numbers with them after just having a conversation and getting along.
Nearly all of the buildings in Uzbekistan reflect both Middle-Eastern and an Asian styles, especially in the shape of the roofs and the designs on buildings. The climate was actually pretty similar to Germany- a little warmer though. It stayed around the upper 30's-low 40's during my trip. It actually snowed once while I was there! It was a fairly dry climate, but not as dry as I expected. It rained a couple of times while I was there, and there are a lot of trees and grass. The soil in general is more red in color than in North Carolina. Tashkent is a big city, but it's much more spread out than cities in Europe, with buildings that are more sprawling rather than stacked high. One of my favorite things about Uzbekistan was the markets. To buy fresh food, people barter and haggle at bazaars- open markets. It was so interesting to see the many different vendors, selling everything from purses to pomegranates to spices. The food in Uzbekistan is fantastic, and one of the reasons is because of their quality produce. Almost everything they sell is locally grown, and it is all completely natural- no pesticides, insecticides, hormones, or genetic modification, and there really is a difference. Everything had a better and stronger taste. Even the colors of the fruits and vegetables looked brighter to me.
One of my biggest challenges in Uzbekistan was with all things bathroom related. Haha. The more I travel, the more I realize how many things I take for granted. One of them, I know now, is toilets. In certain places in Uzbekistan, rather than toilets with a seat and a lid, there are bathrooms that have a much older design...in fact, here's picture of one:
If you are a person who has only ever used toilets, then you can understand my chagrin the first time I saw a toilet like this. However, I am thankful for this challenge because it, like so many other situations I've experienced abroad, helped me to better understand that different cultures have different traditions and lifestyles. I have also learned how truly blessed I am to come from a home and a country where I receive so many privileges when there are lots of people who receive so few. Anyways, back to my bathroom blues: I had no clue how to use the first one of these toilets that I saw. Looking back, my different attempts to use it were pretty hilarious. When I came out and asked my boyfriend how the heck it worked, he laughed for awhile before explaining it to me- let's just say it's less convenient than a toilet seat. Another difference in bathrooms was that sometimes there were not separate bathrooms for men and women. There were just bathrooms with two or three stalls that were for everyone. This was also a big shock. In fact, once I was using the restroom (a normal toilet this time, thankfully), and when I came out to wash my hands a man was standing at the sinks! I gasped and jumped about two feet in the air, and scared him as much as he scared me. He dropped a roll of paper towels on the floor and started talking in Russian. It was embarrassing but very funny- we both started to laugh after a few seconds. I only had one encounter of this nature, but that was more than enough.
Uzbekistan still reflects Soviet influence. For example, nearly every citizen speaks Russian. Most citizens speak at least some Uzbek, the native language. The population of Uzbekistan is 14% Russians, yet everyone speaks their language. Artyom and his family are Russian, and thus he speaks and understands some Uzbek, but speaks fluent Russian. Some younger people and students in Uzbekistan speak or at least understand some English, but most do not. Unfortunately, that meant that I was unable even to order a glass of water. However, I learned a little Russian while I was there- it's a very beautiful language!
The currency in Uzbekistan are called soms. Approximately 2,600 soms are equal to one U.S. dollar, which is nice for tourists. However, vendors and taxi drivers know this and charge higher prices to foreigners. Luckily for me I had Artyom and all of his family to help me. I kept thinking while I was there that if I had gone to a country more like Uzbekistan to study abroad, it would have been so much harder- not speaking the language and having almost no English speakers, and being an obvious foreigner. It gave me a greater appreciation for my life in Germany.
My first day in Uzbekistan, Artyom and I traveled to an ancient city called Samarkand to do some sight-seeing. It was so beautiful, full of mosques and Madrasahs, educational institutions for Muslim people, in subjects that are both religious and secular. Samarkand was a main city on the Silk Road, an ancient trade route that stretches all the way from China to Europe. Inside the Madrasahs were lots of souvenier shops, and the owners were constantly letting us try on replicas of clothing that people used to wear- some of them were very funny! One of the costumes that I tried on was a green tunic covered in silver coins. The shop owner told us that in ancient times, if a man wished to divorce his wife and told her as much, she must leave at once and take nothing with her. Because of this law, women sewed their silver and jewels onto their clothes, so that they could leave and still have money to live. I got a beautiful scarf and several Arabic perfumes from the shops in Samarkand. It was such a majestic city. My favorite monument was the Bibi-Khanym Mosque. It was named after the wife of Amir Timur, the ruler of Samarkand in the 14th century who built the Timurid Empire in Central Asia. The mosque was named for his wife because she was very kind, and very respected by the inhabitants of the empire. It has been restored to its former greatness, and is truly a wonder to behold.
After returning to Tashkent, I met Artyom's family at a traditional Uzbek dinner hosted by Artyom's father. There was quite a spread of food, and all of it was delicious. The central dish was something called plov, a seasoned dish made of meat, rice, and vegetables. Luckily, most of the members of Artyom's family speak and understand a little german, so although we were unable to speak to each other in Russian or English, I managed to speak with them without Artyom translating the whole time. Another unexpected surprise was meeting Artyom's sweet cousins, two of which speak English, so I got to get to know them a little. They were very kind, and I had a great time meeting all of them.
One day I went with Artyom's father, stepmother, and his stepmother's sister on a drive to the mountains that are about an hour's drive outside of Tashkent. They are absolutely breathtaking. When I saw them, they had just been covered in a layer of fresh snow- it was beautiful but very cold! We wound around the mountains, stopping frequently to take pictures. We also stopped at a couple of little miniature markets tucked in the mountains. They sold lots of delicious foods, including fresh honey, nuts, seeds, bread, and fruits. We drove to a large lake contained by a dam to take pictures. The water was such a bright blue, I couldn't tear my eyes from the horizon. We got lots of great pictures, and then stopped at a traditional restaurant in the mountains. I got to try many different foods, each one of them better than the last. We started with a salad made of seasoned tomatoes and cucumbers and a stew. I think the largest difference in the taste of the food in Uzbekistan compared to what I eat in the United States is the spices that are used in Uzbek dishes. Also, in Uzbekistan, many people drink hot tea with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They make tea by putting tea leaves directly into their teapots and letting it steep the entire time they drink the tea, rather than using tea bags and removing them before drinking the tea. It has a more pungent taste, and it always goes well with meals. I especially liked drinking the tea with breakfast. We had roasted kebabs made with beef and lamb, and baked trout. The meal was so good and so big, I felt ready to burst by the end of it!
I went to see many different things in Tashkent with Artyom and his family. We went to the bazaars, shopping malls, restaurants, pubs, and so many other places. I also got to meet some of Artyom's friends, and they told me more about the culture in Uzbekistan, and even helped me find some great souvenirs. A wonderful surprise was when Artyom took me to an opera in Tashkent! It was in a beautiful hall decorated in white, blue and gold. We saw Bizet's Carmen in Russian! It's normally in French, and it was so interesting to watch it in Russian- I have heard less Russian music in my own music studies than other operatic languages. It was a great show, and afterwards we went to a delicious italian restaurant. That was the night before I returned to Germany, and it was a great way to end my trip.
I could write so much more about Uzbekistan, but I still don't think that I would be able to adequately describe the unique culture, or the open kindness of it's inhabitants. However, I hope that I have covered all of the basic details, and that my pictures will fill in the blanks. I'm thinking of all of my friends and family back home all the time, and missing all of you very much. I hope you enjoy my account of this adventure!
~Bekah
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Berlin!
Hey Everyone,
I'm sorry it took me so long to post, things have been crazy, and it took me a long time to sort through all the pictures from Berlin! I was talking with my roommate last Thursday night, and we decided we would love to take a weekend trip to Berlin. My roommate has a friend who lives in Berlin, so we made plans to see her. It took about 6 hours to get there, but it was worth it! Berlin is such a beautiful and interesting place! The first night we were tired, so we just checked into a hostel and went to sleep.
In the morning, we met my roommate's friend for brunch, and then we went out and walked all over the city. We started by searching for Komischer Oper, one of the three major opera houses in Berlin, and we bought tickets to see Rigoletto that evening. When we left the building, we noticed that there were green manikins all over the place wearing old-fashioned clothes. We followed the signs that they were holding, and we discovered a store that sells old opera costumes and set pieces! It was such a wonderful store, it was 3 stories high and filled floor to ceiling with beautiful paintings, furniture, costumes, and more.
After the opera shop we went to Gendarmenmarkt where we saw the Französicher Dom, the Deutscher Dom and the Konzerthaus Berlin. They are all incredibly beautiful, and in the center of the area is a lovely white fountain (you can see all of these in my pictures but I put in some wikipedia links if you'd like to learn more!) While we continued to walk, we stumbled across a small "fashion monument" erected temporarily outside of the tents that were set up for the Mercedes Benz Berlin fashion week. It was going on that weekend and we had no idea! I wish we could have seen it ourselves, but we did take pictures of the monument!
We also went to the Berliner Dom, which was my favorite building- it is so breathtaking. You can see the charring on parts of the Dom due to bombings during the world wars, but the cathedral is intact. Inside we found out that concerts are held in the Dom frequently, as well as tours. Right next to the Dom was the Museuminsel, also known as the Museum Island. There are five large museums of art and history in one area in Berlin. I wanted to go inside and look around but unfortunately we only went for the weekend, so I'll have to go back to see them again!
After sightseeing all day, my roommate and I changed our clothes and went to Rigoletto with my roommate's friend and her brother-in-law. We had a wonderful time, and afterwards went out for some food and drinks. The next morning, we went back to my roommate's friend's apartment for some breakfast, and then set out for more sightseeing with her brother-in-law. He showed us the large tower in Berlin. We went to the top and took lots of pictures of the city. Many large cities in Germany have similar tall towers that are popular tourist attractions. After the tower we went to see Nikolaikirche, the oldest church in Berlin. It was built between 1220 and 1230, and it was incredible. I love seeing buildings that have that much history, there aren't any buildings that old in the United States!
My roommate's friend and her husband met up with us that afternoon for more sightseeing. We all went together to see the Brandenburger Tor- it was so incredible. There were tons of people, including a variety of actors dressed up as everything from soldiers from different wars to chickens and gorillas, trying to have people pay to take pictures with them. They were very entertaining! Just behind the Tor was a marking of the old location of the Berlin Wall. Beyond this were some older and some modern, rebuilt government buildings- the home of the Chancellor, the building of the Parliament, and others. They were very beautiful. We also saw the Holocaust Memorial in Friedrichstadt. It consisted of many concrete slabs of various sizes, with small walkways in between. The architect designed the memorial in this way so that people viewing the memorial might feel the same feelings of instability and entrapment that Jews felt during the Holocaust.
Finally, the trip had to come to an end, and my roommate and I returned home. We had such an amazing time! It was a wonderful experience, and I can't wait to go back again! Things have settled down back in Mannheim, though. I managed to get a residence permit, and I'm slowly figuring out how to find everything that I need. Every day is like a new adventure here :). I'm almost finished with my German course already! My exam is this week, and I'm starting to prepare for it. I'm excited for this class to end and for my university courses to begin!
I'll post again soon about the trips I made this week to Speyer and Frankfurt! I love and miss you all so much!
-Bekah
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Settling In
So, I've been in Germany for exactly one week, and I'm slowly getting used to it. I love my apartment- it's clean and quiet, and I have one great roommate so far and another who will arrive next week. I just started an intensive German course, called Winterakademie. It's, well, intense, but I'm learning so much! There are about 15 people in my class, and all of us have studied German for at least a few semesters. There are students from all over the world! In my small class alone there are people from Norway, Georgia, America, Peru, Mexico, Malaysia, Italy, Bolivia, Brazil, and China. The more I learn, the easier it becomes to approach German people and talk to them, so I'm really glad that this is the first class that I'm taking! I've been walking around the city a lot- I live very close to the University and to the Hauptbahnhof, the train station, and there are a lot of shops and restaurants within walking distance. I also managed to open a bank account and get a cell phone this week- it wasn't easy! :p At the end of this post I will list my mailing address and my cell phone number.
There is a coffee shop less than a block away from my apartment, and it has become my favorite place to go and relax. The first few days that I was here, I had no internet, so I would go to the coffee shop once or twice a day! I've tried several restaurants so far. The first thing that I tried at a restaurant is a turkish sandwich called a Döner Kebab- it's so delicious! There is a large Turkish population throughout Germany, and many of them run restaurants that serve the Kebabs. In Mannheim, there is a district of the city that is called a, "Little Istanbul" because so many Turkish people live there. Here is a picture of a D
öner Kebab:
I've also found an excellent pizza place, and a great restaurant called Cafe Vienna- it has a great college atmosphere, and amazing, inexpensive pasta dishes! I've also been to a couple of pubs and bars. On Monday, I went to a bar called Stars- all of the cocktails were named after famous movie stars, it was very interesting! I met lots of Norwegian students there as well as a few German students.
The weather so far has been pretty cold, and it has rained frequently, but it hasn't kept me indoors! I'm hoping that it will snow soon, I'm jealous of everyone at home who has been enjoying it! The people in the city walk down the streets in all kinds of weather- I see so many couples walking strollers down the street, even on rainy days. Many people use the buses and trams in the city, or just ride bikes or walk. One morning, I saw tons of children, even young ones, riding the trams to school in the morning- I don't think that they have school buses here. I've seen a lot of mothers and fathers riding bikes in the streets with their children biking behind them. Also, in almost every store, if you don't bring a bag with you, you have to buy one to hold your purchases. And you have to put your items into bags yourself. For these reasons, and also because most people have to walk or take public transportation, most purchases are small. :P I'm hoping to find a book store that sells books in English, and I'd also like to find and buy some DVD's that are in English- I miss it! Even in the movie theater, American films are played in German. I found a movie theater and saw that the posters for the American movies had titles in German- I was so surprised that I had to take a picture:
Anyways, I have many more pictures that I will put into a slide show that you can find on my blog home page! I hope that you enjoy them. I miss you all so much. I hope that you're having a safe, happy time! I'll add my skype username to the contact info. that I put at the end of my post- I would love to talk! :)
Tchluss!
Bekah
Skype Username: chicaitaliana89
Email: rlbray@uncg.edu
German Cellphone Number: 01731353943 (this is without the country code- if you make an international call you will need it! Germany's is +49)
German Address: Rebekah Bray
L2, 2-4 Zi. 41
68161 Mannheim, Germany
There is a coffee shop less than a block away from my apartment, and it has become my favorite place to go and relax. The first few days that I was here, I had no internet, so I would go to the coffee shop once or twice a day! I've tried several restaurants so far. The first thing that I tried at a restaurant is a turkish sandwich called a Döner Kebab- it's so delicious! There is a large Turkish population throughout Germany, and many of them run restaurants that serve the Kebabs. In Mannheim, there is a district of the city that is called a, "Little Istanbul" because so many Turkish people live there. Here is a picture of a D
öner Kebab:
The weather so far has been pretty cold, and it has rained frequently, but it hasn't kept me indoors! I'm hoping that it will snow soon, I'm jealous of everyone at home who has been enjoying it! The people in the city walk down the streets in all kinds of weather- I see so many couples walking strollers down the street, even on rainy days. Many people use the buses and trams in the city, or just ride bikes or walk. One morning, I saw tons of children, even young ones, riding the trams to school in the morning- I don't think that they have school buses here. I've seen a lot of mothers and fathers riding bikes in the streets with their children biking behind them. Also, in almost every store, if you don't bring a bag with you, you have to buy one to hold your purchases. And you have to put your items into bags yourself. For these reasons, and also because most people have to walk or take public transportation, most purchases are small. :P I'm hoping to find a book store that sells books in English, and I'd also like to find and buy some DVD's that are in English- I miss it! Even in the movie theater, American films are played in German. I found a movie theater and saw that the posters for the American movies had titles in German- I was so surprised that I had to take a picture:
Anyways, I have many more pictures that I will put into a slide show that you can find on my blog home page! I hope that you enjoy them. I miss you all so much. I hope that you're having a safe, happy time! I'll add my skype username to the contact info. that I put at the end of my post- I would love to talk! :)
Tchluss!
Bekah
Skype Username: chicaitaliana89
Email: rlbray@uncg.edu
German Cellphone Number: 01731353943 (this is without the country code- if you make an international call you will need it! Germany's is +49)
German Address: Rebekah Bray
L2, 2-4 Zi. 41
68161 Mannheim, Germany
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Germany or Bust!
Hey Everyone,
I landed safely yesterday morning. Things are very different here! The buildings are very beautiful, and so far people have been friendly but haven't spoken much English. I am in a very nice and cute apartment literally across the street from the school, which is very nice. Inevitably, there have been some challenges- all of the electrical outlets here are different! All of my electrical appliances are dead, and I need to buy an adapter. I went out this morning and walked around and discovered that because it is a german holiday today, many shops are closed, including every computer store that I have been able to find. However, I should be able to find one tomorrow. I am at an internet cafe at the moment- there was a very nice man working who listened to my broken German and helped me to operate the computer. I've been praying a lot, and it has given me a lot of peace, I know that God is guiding me as I navigate this unfamiliar territory. I'm thinking of all of my friends and family, and missing you all very much! As soon as I find an adapter I will put up another post with pictures from the airport and of the city!! I am praying for you all! Thanks for all of your kind thoughts and prayers, I know that I am not alone here. I received a beautiful book from my family the night before I flew out that was filled with words of kindness and wisdom. It was such a blessing to read their messages, it helped me to be brave during my first transatlantic flight! Anyways, I will be posting pictures very soon, I hope all is well!
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