My life recently... including Hamburg

I. Reflections

Approaching 7 WEEKS in Denmark (out of 19 total). It is absolutely crazy to think that over a third of my time in Europa has flown by like this, and academically, because of all the breaks we have coming up, I am over halfway through. Journaling and blogging (less of the latter, obvi) help me to put things into perspective though, documenting and cherishing the fleeting moments and their accompanying thoughts. I am reminded when looking through previous entries and stopping to soak in the present what a fantastic time I am having. Embarking on a journey like this is something I have always wanted to do and remarkably, so much has fallen into a place – friends, family, classes, this city. Sometimes I can’t even believe I’m here!!!!! Pinch me?

I live here...
and get to eat these whenever I want, no big deal.

Something that has been hard for me here and is hard for every college student really, is balancing work with play – except in study abroad, there is at least one, arguably more, additional components to add to the mix. What it boils down to is exploring – wandering the city to find those hip, local places or just a bargain of any kind, getting to know your own suburbia town, traveling around Europe, and stuffing as many “cultural” experiences as humanely possible, from spending time with your host family and any other willing Dane, to trying the bizarre assortment of food, to listening to the local music, preferably live. So far, I haven’t run into any real problems from misbalancing, but it is certainly an adjustment to make coming from Rice. The amount of class is about the same, the amount of studying is significantly less, and the social interactions, including beer drinking and family time, is more. Doesn’t sound so bad, eh? But the thing is, it is trickier to motivate yourself to do work when there isn’t as much, and when you have less structure in your day surrounding work. Some days, it is simply an afterthought – when I’m done with everything else, I’ll read that article for tomorrow. Ah, I suppose it’s a nice change for a semester, but come January, I will have to readjust.

II. Random thoughts

Exciting new developments/updates since my last entry:

• I went to a Mexican restaurant called “Gringo’s,” lol, where the food was remarkably decent. Just because I’m not in Texas doesn’t mean I have to miss out on the Mexican food!
• Danish ketchup is chunky, and by chunky, I really mean just a little more textured than Heinz. Added ingredients, I’ve discovered, include apples, vinegar, and mustard. Yumm (?)
• I have booked my travel plans (at least the flights) for my two-week break – London, Granada, and Paris baby! Feel free to send any and all suggestions my way. Ellen and I are taking an all-day train from Barcelona to Paris, which we are sooo excited about. Also, I’m seeing Andrew Bird in Paris. So perfect. It’s ok to be jealous.
• Default going-out outfit: short skirt or dress with tights, stylin’ boots, (it’s ok if they’re all the same, dark color), colorful scarf and accompanying jacket! This is all you need.

III. NEUENGAMME

Now I will take you back to the weekend of September 19-20, when I went to Germany! As part of my Holocaust and Genocide class, we took a field trip to the city closest to CPH – Hamburg. Our bus went on a ferry and everything. I really enjoyed the trip because, like my Psych trip, it fostered personal connections, but it was a bit too much traveling for one weekend.

On Saturday evening, it took over 5 hours to get to Hamburg, and by the time we arrived to the hostel, most everyone was exhausted and wanted to sleep. We got up early Sunday morning, spent about 3 hours exploring the streets of Hamburg, including the St. Nikolai Church and City Hall, and then spent the rest of our time visiting Holocaust-related sites. We first went to an old school right outside the city center, which is considered one of the 70+ “sub-camps” of the northwestern concentration camp, Neuengamme, because Holocaust victims were killed there. It was unbelievable to think that such an ordinary building was the place of murder for 22 children, but even more unbelievable that it happened only 15 days before the end of the war, and that the school re-opened for enrollment immediately following the war. Today, the building has a plaque recognizing the victims, a small memorial museum in the back, as well as businesses, and, ironically, a kindergarten.

Shot of the school

Then we proceeded to the actual site of Neuengamme, located about half an hour outside of Hamburg. The museum has only been open since 2003, and after the war, the former concentration camp was used as a state prison for men.

I was expecting a very emotional and somber experience, but my visit wasn’t at all like that. It was really hard to imagine the thousands of people killed there, perhaps because it was such a beautiful place, and because many of the original buildings no longer stood standing. The best way I could describe it would be strangely peaceful and a little eerie. It was an extended memorial of sorts, and elements such as the barbed wire fences and the original barracks were no longer there. It is difficult to describe, but feel free to ask me more about it.

Remnants of Neuengamme
Brick factory at Neuengamme
Main building and where the barracks used to be

Last note: I am going to SCOTLAND with my psychology class on Sunday!!!!!!!! I will be there until Friday and will certainly update you all.

Loves, Kristina