Steve's sandbox

Author: Steve Evans

  • Jed Martin: Graffiti: Kunst oder Vandalismus – September 2023

     

    Guten Tag an alle Leser,

    ich möchte heute herzlich willkommen heißen zu meinem neuen monatlichen Bericht! Da ich mich gerade in den Semesterferien befinde, hatte ich die Gelegenheit, Rostock ausgiebig zu erkunden, insbesondere seine verschiedenen Stadtviertel. Jedes dieser Viertel hat seinen eigenen einzigartigen Stil und eine ganz besondere Atmosphäre, aber es gibt etwas, das sie alle miteinander verbindet: Graffiti in all seinen Facetten. Als Engländer fällt mir besonders auf, wie stark die Stadtflächen hier mit Graffiti verziert sind. Natürlich gibt es auch in großen englischen Städten Graffiti, aber ich habe den Eindruck, dass diese Kunstform in Deutschland und vor allem in Rostock überdurchschnittlich präsent ist.

    In den letzten Wochen, in denen ich viel unterwegs war, habe ich versucht, die verschiedenen Arten von Graffiti in Rostock in drei allgemeine Kategorien einzuteilen. Aus meiner Sicht lassen sich diese als “Straßenkunst”, “sinnloses Graffiti” und “Hansa-Rostock-Graffiti” kategorisieren.

    “Straßenkunst” ist für mich eine Form der Kunst, die echtes künstlerisches Talent und Können zeigt. Hierbei handelt es sich oft um großflächige Kunstwerke, die die Architektur des Gebäudes berücksichtigen und diese in das Kunstwerk integrieren, um einen zusätzlichen Effekt zu erzielen. Insbesondere das Viertel Kröpeliner-Tor-Vorstadt ist bekannt für verspielte Graffitiformen. Im Folgenden werde ich einige Bilder von Kunstwerken zeigen, die ich als Straßenkunst betrachte und die ich ästhetisch ansprechend finde. Ein gutes Beispiel dafür ist auch das Sonnenblumenhaus, über das ich vor einigen Monaten einen Bericht verfasst habe.

    Die zweite Kategorie, die ich als “sinnloses Graffiti” bezeichne, umfasst die Art von Graffiti, die den meisten Menschen wohl als erstes in den Sinn kommt, wenn sie an Graffiti denken. Hierbei handelt es sich oft um groß geschriebene Worte in verschiedenen Schriftarten, die oft wenig bis keine Bedeutung haben. Dies empfinde ich persönlich als Vandalismus und verdienen keinen Platz in unserer Gesellschaft. Interessanterweise ist mir aufgefallen, dass die Bewohner von Rostock Maßnahmen ergriffen haben, um dem entgegenzuwirken, indem sie große Büsche oder Hecken vor ihren Hausfassaden pflanzen und hohe Zäune um ihre Häuser herum errichten.

    Die dritte Kategorie sind die “Hansa-Rostock-Graffiti”. Diese Art von Graffiti kann je nachdem der ersten oder zweiten Kategorie zugeordnet werden. Überall in der Stadt findet man die Buchstaben “FCH”. Diese Buchstaben stehen für den “Fußballclub Hansa (Rostock)”, den Namen der größten Fußballmannschaft hier in Rostock, die derzeit in der zweiten Liga des deutschen Fußballs spielt. Es gibt jedoch einige Graffiti im Namen von Hansa Rostock, die ich als künstlerisch ansprechend empfinde. Zweifelsfrei ist Graffiti auch ein Mittel der Wahl von Fußballfans geworden, ihre Unterstützung für ihre Fußballmannschaft auszudrücken.
    Vielen Dank, dass Sie sich die Zeit genommen haben, meinen Bericht zu lesen. Bis zum nächsten Mal!

    Jed

     

    Hello to all readers,

    I would like to extend a warm welcome to my new monthly report today! As I am currently in the midst of my semester break, I have had the opportunity to explore Rostock extensively, particularly its various neighborhoods. Each of these neighborhoods possesses its own unique style and atmosphere, yet there is something that unites them all: graffiti, in all its forms. Being English, I cannot help but notice how prominently the cityscapes here are decorated with graffiti. While graffiti is certainly present in large English cities as well, I have the impression that this art form is exceptionally prevalent in Germany, especially in Rostock.

    Over the past few weeks, during which I have been very much out and about, I have attempted to categorize the various types of graffiti in Rostock into three general groups. From my perspective, these can be classified as “street art,” “senseless graffiti,” and “Hansa Rostock graffiti.”

    “Street art” represents, to me, a form of art that showcases genuine artistic talent and skill. These are often large-scale artworks that take into account the architecture of the building and incorporate it into the artwork to achieve an additional effect. Particularly, the Kröpeliner-Tor-Vorstadt district is renowned for its whimsical forms of street art. In the following, I will display some images of artworks that I consider to be street art and which I find aesthetically pleasing. A prime example of this is the Sunflower House, about which I wrote a report a few months ago.

    The second category, which I refer to as “senseless graffiti,” encompasses the type of graffiti that most people likely associate with the term “graffiti.” It often consists of prominently written words in various fonts, which frequently carry little to no discernible meaning. Personally, I view this as vandalism and believe it has no place in our society. Interestingly, I have noticed that the residents of Rostock have taken measures to counteract this by planting large bushes or hedges in front of their house facades and erecting tall fences around their homes.

    The third category comprises “Hansa Rostock graffiti.” Depending on the context, this type of graffiti can be assigned to either the first or second category. Throughout the city, one can find the letters “FCH.” These letters stand for the “Football Club Hansa (Rostock),” the name of the largest football team here in Rostock, currently competing in the second division of German football. There are however some graffiti pieces created in the name of Hansa Rostock that I do find artistically appealing. Undoubtedly, graffiti has also become a chosen means for football fans to express their support for their football team.

    Thank you a lot for  taking the time to read my report. Until next time!

    Warm regards,
    Jed

  • Joshua Winfield: I have arrived! – Canada, September 2023

    I have arrived!

    After a long journey, I am finally in Canada! During my first week, I explored my district (the pretty borough of Notre-Dame de Grâce/Hampstead) and settled into my new life in Quebec.

    Un Casteller qui faisait partie des célébrations pour le jour national de la Catalogne

    Before returning to university (I am studying at the University of Montreal), the student body had organised a welcome week full of events to meet new friends and get to know the university. This week included guided tours of the campus (which is enormous) and an evening of musical bingo, where my knowledge of French and Quebecois music was well-tested. There were also many events for non-francophone students to help enrich our understanding of Quebec culture. The region is well known for its different accents and unique expressions. Therefore, the university provided us with workshops so that we are better able to understand “le Quebecois”.

    La tour du campus principal à l’univeristé

    During this week, I met some friends, of whom the majority come from Europe, who also wanted to explore the region and make the most of all the opportunities in Montreal. For example, we went to eat at the Banquise, the best restaurant in Montreal to taste poutine. Poutine is the national dish of Quebec and is typically associated with the region. It is made up of cheese, chips and a type of gravy.

    Because I am a student of Catalan studies, I was invited to attend the celebration of the national day of Catalonia, organised by the Circle of Catalan Culture in Montreal. The festival took place in a park near the university and comprised many Catalan cultural activities. I managed to speak lots of Catalan and loved the activities offered. My favourite was the Castellers, a traditional tower which comes from Catalonia and is made by people standing on each other’s shoulders.

    Je suis arrivé !

    Après un long vol, je suis enfin au Canada ! Pendant ma première semaine, j’explorais mon quartier (le joli arrondissement de Notre-Dame-de-Grâce/Hampstead) et je m’installais dans ma nouvelle vie au Québec.

    Avant la rentrée universitaire (je suis inscrit à l’Université de Montréal), l’association d’élèves avait organisé une semaine d’accueil pleine d’événements pour rencontrer de nouveaux amis et s’intégrer à l’université. Il y avait des visites guidées du campus (qui est super grand) et une soirée du bingo musical ou ma connaissance de la musique française/québécoise était bien testée. Il y avait également beaucoup des événements pour la communauté étudiante non francophone pour aider à enrichir notre connaissance de la culture québécoise. La région est bien connue pour son accent différent et ses expressions particulières et donc l’université nous a pourvus des ateliers pour qu’on puisse mieux comprendre le québécois !

    Pendant cette semaine, j’ai rencontré des amis, dont la plupart viennent de l’Europe, qui veulent aussi explorer la région et profiter de toutes les opportunités de Montréal. Pour exemple, nous sommes allés à la Banquise (https://labanquise.com), le meilleur restaurant pour goûter la poutine. La poutine est le plat national du Québec, et est normalement associée à la région. Elle est composée du fromage, des frites et une sorte de sauce.

    En tant qu’étudiant inscrit dans la mineure des études catalanes, on m’a invité à assister à la célébration du Jour National de la Catalogne. La célébration avait lieu dans un parc près de l’université, et composait d’activités culturelles catalanes. Je parlais beaucoup de catalan, et j’ai beaucoup aimé les activités. Ma spectacle préférée était les Castellers, une tour traditionnelle qui vient de la catalogne et qui est composée par des personnes.

  • Maisie Palmer: La rentrée! Paris – September 2023

    Cette semaine, je suis revenue à Sciences Po Paris pour la deuxième fois. Il y a cinq ans, j’y ai étudié pendant mon échange Erasmus et maintenant je suis en train de faire un master en politiques publiques. L’université est située dans le septième arrondissement de Paris, près de Saint-Germain-des-Prés où des intellectuels célèbres, comme Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Pablo Picasso et Ernest Hemingway, se sont souvent retrouvés. Quand je marche du métro à Sciences Po, il y a toujours des touristes qui prennent des photos des deux cafés appelés “Les Deux Magots” et “Café de Flore”. Cela est parce que les individus que j’ai mentionné y aller pour discuter leurs idées philosophiques ou artistiques. J’espère que ça va devenir plus calme en passant de l’été à l’automne.

    Je suis en train d’apprendre beaucoup de nouvelles choses et j’ai rencontré beaucoup de nouveaux amis. Mes cours sont pour la plupart à propos de politiques économiques, de santé publique et de politiques environnementales. La plupart de ces sujets je n’ai pas étudié dans le passé donc ma première semaine a été aussi stimulante et qu’intéressante. J’ai aussi l’opportunité d’étudier la langue française à côté de mes études, ce qui va être très utile, particulièrement pour écrire ce blog ! Mes collègues viennent des quatres coins du monde, ce qui fait pour un environnement d’apprentissage très divers et international.

    Notamment, ça m’aide à cultiver des perspectives comparatives pendant des discussions sur des défis globaux, qui sont le focus de nos programmes. L’expérience a été incroyablement enrichissante jusqu’à maintenant. J’ai très hâte de commencer cette année.

    Jusqu’à la prochain fois,

    Maisie.

     

    The start of the school year!

    This week, I returned to university at Sciences Po for the second time. It has been five years since I studied there during my Erasmus exchange and now I’m taking my master’s in public policy. The university is situated in the seventh arrondissement of Paris, close to Saint-Germain-des-Pres where famous intellectuals such as Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Pablo Picasso and Ernest Hemingway were often found. When I walk from the metro stop to Sciences Po, there are always tourists taking photos of two cafes called ‘Les Deux Magots’ and ‘Café de Flore’. This is because the names I mentioned would go there and discuss their philosophical or artistic ideas. I hope that it will become quieter as we move from the summer to autumn.

    I am learning lots of new things and I have met many new friends. My courses mostly consist of: economic policies, public health and environmental policies. The majority of these subjects I have not studied in the past so my first week has been equally challenging and interesting. I also have the opportunity to study French alongside my studies which has been very useful, especially when writing this blog! My peers come from all over the word which makes for a very diverse and international learning environment. This helps with comparative perspectives when we discuss the global issues which are the focus of our programmes. The experience has been incredibly enriching up to now. I’m very excited for my year here!

    Until next time,
    Maisie.

  • Abbie Yallop: Chasing Sunsets In Seoul – September 2023

     

    These days the weather in Seoul has been really great since the rain season has pretty much ended, so I have made many plans and ideas of beautiful places to visit. Actually, I noticed that the sunset has been a really lovely pink colour, so I decided to try to find a location where I could see the sky very clearly! The most well known area in Seoul to go and watch the sunset is the area called ‘Yongsan’. This is where one of the most famous tourist spots is in Seoul called ‘Namsan Tower’. It is one of the highest points in Seoul and many tourists go to visit to watch the city view. However, as I have already been there a few times before, I decided to try to find a new place to explore. After some research, I was able to find a few cafe options with beautiful rooftop views but ultimately I decided to choose a famous record/cafe store where some Korean celebrities have been to before and also the decorations inside looked very unique and vintage style. I’m really glad I chose this location as the sunset view was really amazing! It was in such a local and quiet location, even I was wondering If I had come to the right place when I first arrived. When it was dark, the store had so many unique neon lights to brighten up the inside and outside. Inside the store were also many photos of the celebrities that had previously visited, even my favourite Korean singer ‘Jay Park’ was on the wall. You could tell this place was a hub of culture and music, I would love to see if it has a different vibe at the weeken in the future.

    장마가 거의 끝난 요즘 서울은 날씨가 좋아져서 여러 곳으로 여행을 갈 계획과 준비를 하고 있습니다. 심지어, 요즘따라 분홍색 노을을 자주 보아서 하늘을 잘 볼 수 있는 곳으로 여행을 가고 싶다고 생각했었습니다. 서울에서 노을을 가장 잘 볼 수 있는 곳은 용산이라고 알고 있습니다. 용산에는 관광지로 잘 알려진 남산타워가 있는 곳이기도 합니다. 남산타워는 서울에서 가장 높고 서울을 높이서 볼 수 관광지로 유명하기도 합니다. 하지만, 저는 이미 자주 가보아서, 새로운 곳을 가기로 결심했습니다. 검색을 해본 결과, 저는 옥상 카페를 찾게 되었고, 유명한 레코드 카페 겸 상점인 곳으로 가기로 했습니다. 그 레코드 카페는 많은 연예인들이 오는 곳으로 유명하며 색다르고 빈티지한 소품과 장식이 있습니다. 그 장소를 알게 되어 너무 좋았고 가장 멋진 노을도 감상했습니다! 그곳은 현지인들만 아는 조용한 동네에 있는데 처음에는 이곳이 맞는 것인지 걱정도 했습니다. 밤이 되면, 그 가게에 장식된 네온사인들로 가게 안과 밖에 불이 밝혀집니다. 가게 안에는 많은 연예인들의 사진들이 걸려있었고 심지어 제가 제일 좋아하는 한국 가수 박재범의 사진도 있었습니다. 이곳은 많은 문화와 음악이 어울려진 공간으로 주말에는 또 어떤 다른 감성이 있을지 궁금해졌습니다.

  • Simon Watson Новый день – новый город! – Kazakhstan, September 2023

    Fountains in the ‘Circular Square’ at night.

    Привет, друзья!

    Я уже третью неделю изучаю русский язык в Казахстане, и я расскажу вам о том, как прошёл мой первый день в Казахстане.

    Astana – lots of space!

    Я приехал в Астану очень рано утром в субботу. Здесь было очень прохладно, что было приятно после полета из Турции, где была очень жарко. В Астане, столице Казахстана, климат гораздо прохладнее, чем в Европе и, хотя зима будет очень холодной, лето будет более комфортным! В аэропорту меня встретил координатор курса, и очень быстро я заговорил по-русски – первый раз на публике! После того, как

    A view of Astana city centre.

    я зашёл в свою квартиру и купил SIM-карту, я немного поспал, а затем отправился посмотреть Астану.

    Астана — это новый город, построенный только в 1990-х годах. Столица Казахстана переехала из Алматы в Астану в 1997 году, и город очень современный. Он очень большой, и в нем много новых зданий. Здесь много монументальных зданий, и ходить по Астане – отличная физкультура. В центре нового города находятся торговый центр “Хан Шатыр” (по форме большой шатер), башня “Байтерек” (вид с нее замечательный) и “Круглая площадь” – отличное место для встречи с друзьями, чтобы выпить кофе или поужинать. Я прилагаю несколько фотографий центра города.

    Спасибо, что прочитали мой первый блог – скоро я напишу еще!

    Семён

    Baiterek

    Hello everyone!

    It’s now into my third week in Kazakhstan studying Russian and I thought I’d give you a breakdown of what life has been like here so far.

    I arrived here very early on a Saturday morning, and the fresh air was welcome after a long flight from Turkey, where the humidity was very high. Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, has a much cooler climate than Europe, and while winters will be very cold, it’s a much nicer summer experience! I was met at the airport by the course coordinator and very quickly I was speaking Russian – the first time outside of a classroom. Once I had made it to my accommodation and picked up a SIM card, it was time for a quick nap and then to see some of Astana.

    Most of Astana has only been built since Kazakhstan became independent. The capital moved from Almaty to Astana in 1997 and so the city is very modern with lots of space and new building going up all the time. There are many monumental buildings and walking between them is great exercise. In the centre of the new city are the Khan Shatyr mall (shaped like a giant tent), the Baiterek tower with great views of the city, and the ‘Circular Square’, a great place to meet people for coffee or for dinner. I have attached some photos showing this part of town.

    Thank you for taking the time to read about my trip – more updates to follow!

    Simon

  • Case Study – Rosalind Lane: Hamburg 2022-23

    Rosalind Lane Hamburg Case Study
    My year in Hamburg has had a huge impact on me. I want to start off by saying thank you to the John Speak Trust, who have sponsored me throughout this year. The charity enabled me to travel around new Germany, meet new people and make the most of the wonderful city that is Hamburg!
    I moved to Hamburg in September 2022 to study a Master’s in German law. After working for three years, I wanted to take a break after finishing my grad scheme to both study further and experience life in another country. It was a brave decision to leave my job and friends in London, and move to a brand new city, but what a decision it was! I completed my Master’s (including writing a whole Master’s dissertation in German…) and have managed to have some fun along the way.


    As anyone who has lived abroad will tell you, moving to another country forces you to learn a lot about yourself. Not only how best you learn languages (an important one!), but how you like to meet new people and overcome the numerous challenges that life in another country brings. However, with the challenges come great joys: I have made new friendships with people all over the world, totally immersed myself in another culture and even managed to find a job!


    There have been several highlights of this year, but a couple of them stand out. A big one was the opportunity to spend the whole of March in Vienna, exploring the city and writing my dissertation in Viennese cafes, something I had always dreamt of doing. I rented a studio flat for four weeks, packed my bag and decided to immerse myself in another city. Although Vienna is also German speaking, its culture is a world away from Hamburg in Germany’s north. More traditional and laid-back, I loved being able to gain a deeper insight into one of my favourite cities.


    Another clear highlight was finishing my Master’s dissertation. This had taken a huge amount of work and is one of my proudest achievements to date. From picking a title, to researching a specific area of German law, to trying to articulate a reasonably well-founded argument, this was definitely a challenge for my language skills. However, the saying that the best way to learn languages is by being thrown in the deep end is completely true, and I’ve come out the other side feeling much more confident in my German.


    The rest of the year also had great moments. I made the most of living in a city with a beach, drank mulled wine at the Christmas markets and was able to show visitors the highlights of this great city. I’ve also become a lot more comfortable travelling by myself, one of the aims I set for myself before I moved, so that’s another achievement to celebrate.

    And for those looking to move to Germany, a few words of advice: meet as many new people as possible, try and get a regular hobby, and travel wherever you can. Oh, and apply for your visa early!!

  • Abbie Yallop: Hot Day In Seoul – August 2023

     

    요즘에 서울 날씨가 정말 더워졌습니다.
    날씨가 더워진져서 수영을 할 수 있는 아름답고 쉴 수 있는 지역으로 가야겠다고 생각 했습니다.
    저의 한국친구가 최근에 한국에서 높은 산중인 북한산 근처에 있는 강옆의 예쁜 카페를 소개해줬습니다.
    그래서 다른 친구도 함께 그 카페로 가기로 했습니다.
    우리는 좋은 경치를 보면서 강가에서 물놀이를 했습니다.
    물놀이 중에 작은 물고기들도 보기도 했습니다.
    사람들이 너무 붐비지 않은 곳이라서 정말 좋았습니다.
    심지어, 외국인은 나 혼자여서 놀랐습니다.
    “Play”라는 카페를 갔는데 너무 좋아서 주변 사람들에게 소개해주고 싶을 정도 였습니다.
    그 카페를 나온 후에, 우리는 제가 제일 가고싶었던고양이 카페를 가기로 결정했습니다.
    고양이 카페는 많은 고양이들이 있는 카페로 고양이들을 구경할 수 있는 곳입니다.
    고양이들은 정말 귀엽고 사랑스러웠고 심지어 사람을 경계하지 않았습니다.
    영국에서도 종종 고양이 카페를 갈 수 있지만 고양이들이 한국에서 만큼 있지 않고 가격도 훨씬 비쌉니다.
    한국에서의 물가는 상대적으로 합리적이라는 생각도 듭니다.
    우리는 3시간이나 있었지만 £5밖에 나오지 않았습니다.
    정말로 재미있는 하루를 보냈습니다!

    Recently in Seoul, the weather has been extremely hot! Almost every day it has been around 30 degrees!
    I don’t mind the hot weather here so much, however, I really wanted to find somewhere beautiful and relaxing where I could possibly go to swim and/or relax. Luckily, one of my Korean friends recently took me to an amazing cafe near to Bukhansan (One of the tallest mountains in Seoul) where there is a river, national park and nature forests.


    So, I decided to invite another friend to join me on another trip to that same cafe! We were able to play in the water whilst watching some beautiful sceneries.
    There were even small fish in the river swimming around our feet!  It’s really great to be able to find places that not many people know of and introduce other people. Even my Korean friends have never heard of this place before.


    Funnily in addition, in fact I was the only foreigner in this area at the time.
    The cafe next to the river is called ‘PLAY’ and I can definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Seoul wanting somewhere peaceful away from the hustle and bustle of the city.


    After we visited that area, we then decided to make a visit to somewhere I really wanted to go for a long time – a cat cafe!
    You can definitely find this in the UK, but there are only a few and its SUPER expensive!
    Luckily in Korea everything is very reasonably priced and convenient.
    We were able to stay there for 3 hours for the equivalent of only £5!! It was a really fun day indeed!

  • Maisie Palmer: Une visite au Père Lachaise – August 2023

    Bonjour à tous !

    C’est ma première semaine à Paris et je veux partager une de mes expériences jusqu’à maintenant. Je suis arrivée avec mes bagages dans le 20e arrondissement de Paris où je resterai pendant mes études en France. Il a fait tellement chaud sur ce jour parce qu’il y avait la canicule s’est propagée à toute la France ! J’ai mis mes affaires dans l’entrée de mon immeuble et j’ai commencé à explorer sous le soleil. Je me suis promené dans le quartier et j’ai pris l’air de la ville.

    Pendant mes voyages, j’ai découvert que chez moi est proche le célèbre ‘Père Lachaise’ où sont enterrés de nombreux influents. J’ai vu la tombe d’Oscar Wilde où de nombreuses personnes étaient rassemblées. La tombe est plus comme une pièce d’art ou une sculpture. Selon un guide local qui faisait visiter le cimetière aux touristes, d’abord les Parisiens détestaient la tombe parce que c’était créée en Angleterre dans un mode pas traditionnelle de France. Un autre fait est que trop de gens ont embrassé la tombe et ça abîme la pierre. Maintenant la tombe dispose d’un écran pour l’entourer pour le protéger de tout dommage. J’ai aussi passé la tombe d’Edith Piaf, la chanteuse française qui a chanté la chanson ‘La Vie en Rose’. J’ai attaché des photos pour votre référence. C’était certainement une bonne (si pas un peu morbide) initiation à la vie à Paris pour moi !

    La tombe d’Oscar Wilde!
    La tombe d’Edith Piaf et sa famille!

    Merci pour votre attention pendant la lecture de mon blog et à bientôt !

    Maisie.

     

    Hi everyone!

    It’s my first week in Paris and I want to share my experiences up to now. I arrived with my luggage in the 20th arrondissement of Paris where I will be staying during my studies in France. I was so hot on this day because there was a heatwave moving across France! I put my things in the entrance of my building and started to explore under the sun. I walked around my area and took in the atmosphere of the city.

    During my travels, I discovered that my place is close to the famous ‘Père Lachaise’ where many influential people are buried. I saw the grave of Oscar Wilde where many people were gathered. According to a local guide who was visiting the cemetery with tourists, at first Parisians disliked the grave because it was created in England in a style that was not within the French tradition. Another fact is that too many people have kissed the grace and damaged the stone. Now the grave has a screen surrounding it to protect it from damage. I also passed the grave of Edith Piaf, the french singer who sung the song ‘La Vie en Rose.’ I’ve attached the photos for your reference. It was certainly a good (if not a little morbid) initiation into life in Paris for me!

    Thank you for your attention while reading my blog and see you soon!

    Maisie

  • Rosalind Lane: Ein Tagestrip nach Kiel – August 2023

    Ein Tagestrip nach Kiel
    Wie ich in meinem letzten Post geschrieben habe, bin ich mit meinen Prüfungen fertig und habe daher eine Menge freie Zeit! Ich habe mich entschlossen, das Deutschlandticket zu kaufen, eine Monatskarte für 49 €, mit der ich alle regionalen öffentlichen Verkehrsmittel im ganzen Deutschland nutzen kann. Leider waren meine Träume, die Region zu erkunden, etwas eingeschränkt, da es in den letzten drei Wochen so gut wie jeden Tag geregnet hat (!). Letzten Freitag habe ich aber beschlossen, einfach meine Regenjacke zu schnappen und ein Abenteuer zu erleben.
    Ich nahm den Zug nach Kiel, einer Hafenstadt an der deutschen Ostseeküste, die etwa 1,5 Stunden von Hamburg entfernt ist. Die Stadt ist bekannt für ihren Segelsport, und die jährlich stattfindende Kieler Woche ist das größte Segelereignis der Welt. Die Stadt ist ein bedeutendes Zentrum des Schiffbaus und beherbergt auch die Universität von Kiel.
    Der Hauptbahnhof liegt direkt am Hafen, und sobald man aus dem Zug aussteigt, kann man die Passagierfähren nach Schweden, Norwegen und Litauen sehen – etwas, das ich in Zukunft unbedingt machen möchte! Als ich herumlief, sah ich auch einige große Kreuzfahrtschiffe vor Anker liegen, da viele Kreuzfahrttouren in der Stadt landen.
    Nach einem Rundgang durch den Hafen bin ich die Haupteinkaufsstraße in Richtung Altstadt hinaufgelaufen (mit einem notwendigen Besuch bei Primark – ein kleiner Vorgeschmack auf zu Hause!). Der Alte Markt ist wunderschön, mit zwei traditionellen Brauereien und einigen sehr hübschen Restaurants. Ich setzte mich mit meinem Buch auf den Platz, um meine Füße auszuruhen, und zu meiner Freude kam sogar die Sonne heraus! Danach besuchte ich das Stadtmuseum, das freie Eintritt hatte. Es bot einen Überblick über die Geschichte der Stadt Kiel und hatte eine Sonderausstellung zum 100-jährigen Jubiläum des Kieler Handballvereins – ein Besuch lohnt sich auf jeden Fall.
    Nach all dem beschloss ich, mich auf den Heimweg zu machen und lief über das Landesparlament, ein schönes Gebäude mit viel Geschichte, zurück zum Bahnhof. Ein anstrengender Tag, aber ich kann Kiel als Reiseziel nur empfehlen!

    A Day Trip to Kiel
    As I wrote about in my last post, I’ve finished my exams and therefore have a lot of free time! I decided to buy the Germany Ticket, the 49€ monthly ticket that allows me to travel on all regional public transport across the country. Unfortunately, my dreams of exploring the area have been somewhat limited by the fact it’s rained pretty much every day for the last three weeks (!), but last Friday I decided to just grab my raincoat and go an adventure.
    I took the train to Kiel, a port city on Germany’s Baltic Coast, which is about 1.5 hours away from Hamburg. It is well known for its sailing, with their annual event, Kiel Week, being the biggest sailing event in the world. It is a major ship-building centre and is also home to the University of Kiel.
    The main station is right by the port, so as soon as you get off the train you can see the passenger ferries to Sweden, Norway and Lithuania – something I definitely want to do in the future! As I walked around I also saw a couple of huge cruise ships docked, as a lot of cruise tours of the Baltic stop in the city.
    After walking around the port, I walked up the main shopping street towards the old town (with a necessary trip to Primark – a little taste of home!). The Old Market Square is beautiful, with two traditional Brauerei (breweries) and some very cute restaurants. I sat down with my book in the square to rest my feet and, to my delight, the sun even came out! After this, I popped into the City Museum, which was free entry. It provided a history of Kiel as a city and had a special exhibition on the 100th anniversary of the Kiel Handball team – it’s definitely worth a visit.
    After all this, I decided to head back home and walked back to the station via the regional parliament, a beautiful building with lots of history. A busy day, but I can recommend Kiel as a destination!

  • Jed Martin: Die Semesterferien haben endlich begonnen! August 2023

    Moin an alle Leser,

    endlich ist die Zeit gekommen in der mein Prüfungs- und Lernstress vorbei ist. Alle Klausuren sind nun geschrieben und ich werde über die nächsten Wochen die Ergebnisse langsam bekommen. Ich bin mir sogar ziemlich sicher, dass alle bestanden sind, da die gewissermaßen gut liefen. Die Klausuren waren alle schriftlich, eine Tatsache die ich gut finde, da ich es einfacher finde meine Ideen auf einem Blatt Papier aufzuschreiben statt mit Wörter zu erläutern. Außerdem finde ich, dass mündliche Prufüngen nicht so sinnvoll sind bei Fächern wie Mathe und Physik, da man dann nur das Verstehen prüfen kann aber nicht das rechnen (was mir am meisten Spaß macht).

    Allerdings muss ich nun doch noch eine letzte Frage beantworten: “Was macht man jetzt?”. Es fühlt sich irgendwie komisch an, dass ich keine Aufgaben mehr üben muss und das ich meinen ganzen Tag nicht mehr in die Bibliothek verbringen muss. Ich kann es nicht anders beschreiben als entkoppelt zu sein. Entkoppelt von der Universität und entkoppelt von einer anderen Version von mir, die nur am Lernen war. Ich habe eine pure Freiheit die ich seit langem nicht mehr gehabt habe. Die einzige Einschränkung die auf mich wirkt ist, dass ich am 14.10.2023 wieder and der Universität erscheinen muss für den Anfang des Dritten Semesters. Leider geht es meiner Freundin nicht nicht so wie mir. Sie ist in ihrem vierten Semester des Medizin Studiums und das heißt, dass sie diesen Sommer ihr Physikum schreibt. Das Physikum ist einer der größten Prüfungen in dem deutschen Bildungssystem. Dafür muss man sich Monate lang darauf vorbereiten und die Prüfungen selbst sind insgesamt an drei verschiedenen Tagen. Das bedeutet, dass meine Freundin noch nicht am Ende des Lerntunnels angekommen ist und sie noch täglich lernen muss. Natürlich hat man in solchen Situationen ein schlechtes Gewissen aber ich glaube es muss irgendwo ein Gleichgewicht geben wo wir beide zufrieden sind mit dem was wir machen.

    Ich habe mir zum Beispiel einiges vorgenommen was ich mit meiner Zeit machen möchte. Eine Fahrrad Tour mit einer kleinen Freundesgruppe ist in September geplant. Darauf freue ich mich sehr, da ich sehr gerne Fahrrad fahre aber in der letzten Zeit immer nur kleineren Strecken hinter mich gelegt habe. Von daher hört sich eine richtige Fahrrad Tour entlang der Ostseeküste traumhaft an. Eine zweite Idee ist es ein paar schöne Ecken in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern zu entdecken. Ich würde sogar sagen, dass ich mich jetzt in Rostock gut auskenne aber das gleiche für die umgebenden Kleinstädte und Dörfe stimmt leider nicht. Deswegen hat mir ein Komilitone (der aus Mecklenburg-Vorpommern kommt) angeboten ein paar Sehenswürdigkeiten zu zeigen. Ich freue mich also auf diesen entspannten Zeitraum dieses Jahres und weiß, dass ich es verdient habe.

     

    Hello to all readers,

    Finally the time has come when my exam and study stress is over. All exams have now been written and I will slowly get the results over the next few weeks. In fact, I’m pretty sure that I passed all of them, since they all went well to a certain extent. The exams were all written exams, which I like as I find it easier to write down my ideas on a piece of paper rather than explaining them with words. I also find that oral exams don’t make much sense for subjects like maths and physics, as you can only test understanding but not the calculations (which is what I enjoy the most).

    However, I do still have to answer one last question: “What do you do now?”. It feels almost weird that I don’t have to practise assignments anymore and that I don’t have to spend my whole day in the library. I can’t describe it in any other way than being decoupled. Decoupled from the university and decoupled from another version of me that was only studying. I have a pure freedom that I haven’t had in a long time. The only restriction acting on me is that I have to be back at the university on 14.10.2023 for the beginning of the third semester. Unfortunately, the same can not be said for my girlfriend. She is in her fourth semester of medical school, which means that she will be taking her Physikum this summer. The Physikum is one of the biggest exams in the German education system. You have to prepare for it for months and the exam itself lasts for three days. This means that my girlfriend has not yet reached the end of the tunnel and she still has to study daily. Of course one feels slightly guilty in these situations but I think there has to be a balance somewhere where we are both happy with what we are doing.

    For example, I have a lot of things I want to do with my time. A bicycle tour with a small group of friends is planned for September. I’m really looking forward to it, because I like cycling a lot, but lately I’ve only been doing short distances. So a real bike tour along the Baltic Sea coast sounds like a dream. A second idea is to discover some beautiful places in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. I would say that I know my way around Rostock now, but the same is unfortunately not true for the surrounding small towns and villages. That’s why a fellow student (who comes from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) offered to show me a few sights. So I’m looking forward to this relaxing period this year and I know I deserve it.