Hey Everyone! Sorry for such a long post, but I just got internet in my room. It has been a fun weekend!
Dustin
City Walk
10-5-08
Today I went on a random walk through the city. I traveled down Nienburger Strasse and then followed the Leine River while walking down Leibnizufer. There were many cool art sculptures along the way, along with the three Nanas completed by Niki in 1974! Eventually my path led me towards the center of town near the Kröpcke (main subway station). It was relaxing to mingle along the sidewalks and take in the sights. After a lot of window shopping, I started the long walk back to Schneiderberg. That has basically been my day, along with a haircut (thanks Aunt Debbie!).
Later in the evening I met some other students from the floor. I don’t know how to spell his name, but Veetaly let me use his computer tonight and Andre helped me some with the internet. Andre got some info to e-mail about internet support, and then he showed me the laundry facilities (one washer and dryer on the top floor! omg), the community room on the first floor, and where my spaces are in the kitchen. He is excited to speak English with me as it is good practice for an English class he will be taking next semester. I also met Vanessa and Lisa, but did not get to speak with them much.
My nerves have been greatly calmed by Andre and his help! Hopefully I have internet in the next couple of days!
Pictures from today!
http://www.pikiwiki.com/ews/editor.jsp?20BAeXPIdi-EOYaIluUd-bw
Herrenhäuser Gärten und More!
10-4-08
Sebastian picked me up this morning and we drove into the heart of Hannover! Just driving around the city is amazing as the streets are smaller with cars everywhere, literally parking halfway on the sidewalks! The streets are lined, non-stop, with connected buildings; usually consisting of little stores on the bottom levels and some kind of apartment or housing on the upper levels. Occasionally if it is just a living unit, there are little courtyard gardens, or hanging gardens on the balconies!
We went to Kaufland, which is like a Wal-Mart. I needed to get a few things like a small broom, trashcan, and plastic totes. It was like shopping at a Wal-Mart, but it didn’t have all of the sections, like the auto, card (Hallmark), and interior décor sections. Sebastian said that this was the closest ‘Wal-Mart’ type store around the city. Germans basically shop at all the little specialty stores located close to where they live and when Wal-Mart tried to move into Germany several years ago, they did not succeed. Before making our purchases, we walked around the inner city of Hannover. Located around the Kröpcke (the main subway station downtown where all the lines meet up) is a very large area of shopping malls, clothing/food/souvenir stores, and much more.
After Sebastian dropped me off, I unloaded my Kaufland treasurers and decided to head out for another adventure. For the rest of the afternoon I walked around the Herrenhäuser Gärten, Berggarten, and Georgengarten.
The Herrenhäuser Gärten, also called Grosser Garten (Great Garden), had its first garden built in 1666 by Duke Johann Friedrich. It was not until 1714 that the garden emerged as its present self after many years of changes and additions. This is a Baroque style garden as it has a strong geometrical layout, and includes several decorative parterres and fountains. Something VERY cool about this garden is the Grotto. Originally installed back in 1676, it was decorated with shells and decorative stones. Between 2001 and 2003, the interior was redesigned according to plans of Niki de Saint Phalle. She has very colorful and abstract art, some of which is currently on display at MOBOT! It was exciting to see this familiar sight of bright art! More Niki sculptures are located around Hannover, and I look forward to finding them!
Herrenhäuser Gärten Pics:
http://www.pikiwiki.com/ews/editor.jsp?20BAeXPIdi-HVC5I7vJ7zeg
After the Herrenhäuser Gärten, I jumped across the street and explored the Berggarten. This botanical garden is well known for its large orchid collection and mausoleum which houses Electress Sohpie and King George I, both of which were prominent figures in the gardens development. I am glad to have seen these gardens when I got here so I could get pictures of their fall plant displays.
Berggarten Pics: http://www.pikiwiki.com/ews/editor.jsp?20BAeXPIdi-GJSeUGOvyYsw
To finish up my day I strolled around the Georgengarten, which is a large park. The Wilhel-Busch-Museum is located there, but I decided to save that for another day. I grabbed a sandwich and Weissbier (White Beer) at a small restaurant on my way home. It was not the same white beer I had in England, which was disappointing as the England version was better, per my taste. Oh, well, I still drank and enjoyed it!
Georgengarten Pics:
http://www.pikiwiki.com/ews/editor.jsp?20BAeXPIdi-H8TNWQewWFVg
The later half of my evening has been filled with setting out some room décor (a poster and figurine I got from the Herrenhauser Garten) pestering Stephonie for the internet (only once!) and reading some books I got. It will be very nice to have the internet, hopefully tomorrow or Monday!
‘The Flight Over’
10-3-08
All is well and I am now in GERMAY!!! The flight ended up being a little less than 7 hours long.
To back up just a little bit; dad, mom, and I went to St. Louis on Wednesday and walked around the Missouri Botanical Garden. It was fun seeing my friends that I made during the 2007 summer internship. The night was spent with a friend, Jason, at his house. We had a delicious lasagna for dinner and biscuits and gravy for breakfast. It was a great last night in the states!
Pics: http://www.pikiwiki.com/ews/editor.jsp?20BAeXPIdi-E1w0t9H6dC9g
My flight is a perfect example of how you never know who you might meet or run into. I sat by Darlene, an individual from Richmond, Indiana. She currently is traveling with her church group through Germany and parts of Austria. After chatting a bit, we now know we’re connected through the 4-H program AND she is a Master Gardener through Purdue! Of course we had some good conversations about plants. She is a very unique woman and has traveled a lot in the past years. She has been on every continent and shows no signs of slowing down! She definitely made the flight a more enjoyable experience! Along with chatting with Darlene, I enjoyed listening to a new album on my Ipod, watched ‘Miss Ferguson Lives For A Day’, and dozed in and out of sleep.
Upon arrival and getting all of my luggage (so happy it all made it!), I was picked up by Sebastian. Sebastian was a study abroad student at Purdue this last year when we met. He was very kind in offering to pick me up from the airport and showing me around the city to help me get familiar. He has been a HUGE help, and a good factor in calming my nerves, and my mother’s!
After leaving the airport, Sebastian brought me to my apartment. It is conveniently located on Schneiderberg right by the campus, and about 5-10 minutes from the Horticulture Buildings. My room is on the second floor in Apartment 5. As of today I have met two other students on the floor; Julie and Stephonie. Julie confirmed that Sebastian and I were in the right place, and Stephonie allowed me to use her computer Friday night to send an e-mail. This took way too long as it was the first time I realized that German Computers are slightly different than American! It was cool to see the difference, but took a bit of time to change old typing habits!
The rest of Friday afternoon was spent speeding around the University while Sebastian pointed out buildings. He also took me past his mother’s house so I could use the internet and make some necessary phone calls (from the computer)! We made plans for him to pick me up at 10:00 on Saturday and we would travel to more parts of Hannover. After being dropped off I put together my room and unpacked all my clothes.
Here you can see pics of my apartment building, the street I live on, and the areas inside the apartment building!
http://www.pikiwiki.com/ews/editor.jsp?20BAeXPIdi-EZ59Ni7wVVeA
Bye!
Dustin
Dustin
City Walk
10-5-08
Today I went on a random walk through the city. I traveled down Nienburger Strasse and then followed the Leine River while walking down Leibnizufer. There were many cool art sculptures along the way, along with the three Nanas completed by Niki in 1974! Eventually my path led me towards the center of town near the Kröpcke (main subway station). It was relaxing to mingle along the sidewalks and take in the sights. After a lot of window shopping, I started the long walk back to Schneiderberg. That has basically been my day, along with a haircut (thanks Aunt Debbie!).
Later in the evening I met some other students from the floor. I don’t know how to spell his name, but Veetaly let me use his computer tonight and Andre helped me some with the internet. Andre got some info to e-mail about internet support, and then he showed me the laundry facilities (one washer and dryer on the top floor! omg), the community room on the first floor, and where my spaces are in the kitchen. He is excited to speak English with me as it is good practice for an English class he will be taking next semester. I also met Vanessa and Lisa, but did not get to speak with them much.
My nerves have been greatly calmed by Andre and his help! Hopefully I have internet in the next couple of days!
Pictures from today!
http://www.pikiwiki.com/ews/editor.jsp?20BAeXPIdi-EOYaIluUd-bw
Herrenhäuser Gärten und More!
10-4-08
Sebastian picked me up this morning and we drove into the heart of Hannover! Just driving around the city is amazing as the streets are smaller with cars everywhere, literally parking halfway on the sidewalks! The streets are lined, non-stop, with connected buildings; usually consisting of little stores on the bottom levels and some kind of apartment or housing on the upper levels. Occasionally if it is just a living unit, there are little courtyard gardens, or hanging gardens on the balconies!
We went to Kaufland, which is like a Wal-Mart. I needed to get a few things like a small broom, trashcan, and plastic totes. It was like shopping at a Wal-Mart, but it didn’t have all of the sections, like the auto, card (Hallmark), and interior décor sections. Sebastian said that this was the closest ‘Wal-Mart’ type store around the city. Germans basically shop at all the little specialty stores located close to where they live and when Wal-Mart tried to move into Germany several years ago, they did not succeed. Before making our purchases, we walked around the inner city of Hannover. Located around the Kröpcke (the main subway station downtown where all the lines meet up) is a very large area of shopping malls, clothing/food/souvenir stores, and much more.
After Sebastian dropped me off, I unloaded my Kaufland treasurers and decided to head out for another adventure. For the rest of the afternoon I walked around the Herrenhäuser Gärten, Berggarten, and Georgengarten.
The Herrenhäuser Gärten, also called Grosser Garten (Great Garden), had its first garden built in 1666 by Duke Johann Friedrich. It was not until 1714 that the garden emerged as its present self after many years of changes and additions. This is a Baroque style garden as it has a strong geometrical layout, and includes several decorative parterres and fountains. Something VERY cool about this garden is the Grotto. Originally installed back in 1676, it was decorated with shells and decorative stones. Between 2001 and 2003, the interior was redesigned according to plans of Niki de Saint Phalle. She has very colorful and abstract art, some of which is currently on display at MOBOT! It was exciting to see this familiar sight of bright art! More Niki sculptures are located around Hannover, and I look forward to finding them!
Herrenhäuser Gärten Pics:
http://www.pikiwiki.com/ews/editor.jsp?20BAeXPIdi-HVC5I7vJ7zeg
After the Herrenhäuser Gärten, I jumped across the street and explored the Berggarten. This botanical garden is well known for its large orchid collection and mausoleum which houses Electress Sohpie and King George I, both of which were prominent figures in the gardens development. I am glad to have seen these gardens when I got here so I could get pictures of their fall plant displays.
Berggarten Pics: http://www.pikiwiki.com/ews/editor.jsp?20BAeXPIdi-GJSeUGOvyYsw
To finish up my day I strolled around the Georgengarten, which is a large park. The Wilhel-Busch-Museum is located there, but I decided to save that for another day. I grabbed a sandwich and Weissbier (White Beer) at a small restaurant on my way home. It was not the same white beer I had in England, which was disappointing as the England version was better, per my taste. Oh, well, I still drank and enjoyed it!
Georgengarten Pics:
http://www.pikiwiki.com/ews/editor.jsp?20BAeXPIdi-H8TNWQewWFVg
The later half of my evening has been filled with setting out some room décor (a poster and figurine I got from the Herrenhauser Garten) pestering Stephonie for the internet (only once!) and reading some books I got. It will be very nice to have the internet, hopefully tomorrow or Monday!
‘The Flight Over’
10-3-08
All is well and I am now in GERMAY!!! The flight ended up being a little less than 7 hours long.
To back up just a little bit; dad, mom, and I went to St. Louis on Wednesday and walked around the Missouri Botanical Garden. It was fun seeing my friends that I made during the 2007 summer internship. The night was spent with a friend, Jason, at his house. We had a delicious lasagna for dinner and biscuits and gravy for breakfast. It was a great last night in the states!
Pics: http://www.pikiwiki.com/ews/editor.jsp?20BAeXPIdi-E1w0t9H6dC9g
My flight is a perfect example of how you never know who you might meet or run into. I sat by Darlene, an individual from Richmond, Indiana. She currently is traveling with her church group through Germany and parts of Austria. After chatting a bit, we now know we’re connected through the 4-H program AND she is a Master Gardener through Purdue! Of course we had some good conversations about plants. She is a very unique woman and has traveled a lot in the past years. She has been on every continent and shows no signs of slowing down! She definitely made the flight a more enjoyable experience! Along with chatting with Darlene, I enjoyed listening to a new album on my Ipod, watched ‘Miss Ferguson Lives For A Day’, and dozed in and out of sleep.
Upon arrival and getting all of my luggage (so happy it all made it!), I was picked up by Sebastian. Sebastian was a study abroad student at Purdue this last year when we met. He was very kind in offering to pick me up from the airport and showing me around the city to help me get familiar. He has been a HUGE help, and a good factor in calming my nerves, and my mother’s!
After leaving the airport, Sebastian brought me to my apartment. It is conveniently located on Schneiderberg right by the campus, and about 5-10 minutes from the Horticulture Buildings. My room is on the second floor in Apartment 5. As of today I have met two other students on the floor; Julie and Stephonie. Julie confirmed that Sebastian and I were in the right place, and Stephonie allowed me to use her computer Friday night to send an e-mail. This took way too long as it was the first time I realized that German Computers are slightly different than American! It was cool to see the difference, but took a bit of time to change old typing habits!
The rest of Friday afternoon was spent speeding around the University while Sebastian pointed out buildings. He also took me past his mother’s house so I could use the internet and make some necessary phone calls (from the computer)! We made plans for him to pick me up at 10:00 on Saturday and we would travel to more parts of Hannover. After being dropped off I put together my room and unpacked all my clothes.
Here you can see pics of my apartment building, the street I live on, and the areas inside the apartment building!
http://www.pikiwiki.com/ews/editor.jsp?20BAeXPIdi-EZ59Ni7wVVeA
Bye!
Dustin
2 comments:
D-
You look like you are fitting in quite well. I'm glad you made it safe and sound. The next thing I want to hear is that you are going to definitely meet me in Munich! I hope to see you in less than a week!
Cheers!
-CB
Wow! I can't lie, I'm in the middle of a psychotic 27 hours, so I've really only skimmed for now... but I LOVE your updates and pictures! Keep them coming. It looks like your room is a pretty decent size, and your garden pictures are so pretty.
The Dustin withdrawal symptoms come and go viciously, but I think I'm going to be ok. We miss you.
<3
E
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