Oh the Advanced World

Captain's Blog 14122007
...I just received a letter from some government bureaucracy and this is the translation:

(Hello, this is yet another branch of the German government. We have been alerted by the city hall that you have registered your address to live here for an indeterminate amount of time. Due to the fact that we live in the Western world, we respect your humanity and care about your rights as a human person. Also because you live in the Western world, we assume that you have a television or radio. You should be notified that your ownership of said television or radio (or any other media device), is highly respected in this country. You will, of course, be expected to pay us a monthly fee for having this radio or television in your possession. Enclosed is a form where you can tell us exactly how many of these items you own, and then you can put your bank account down so we can deduct this from your account in the coming months. If you refuse to return this form you are enrolling in our highly respectful auditing program to ensure that you are accurately paying for your german media consumption. -With friendly greetings, Bureaucracy)

I'm placing this on the internet for everyone to know. I don't own a TV or radio, and even if i did I'm not paying this fee. You all may feel free to comment. I'm far to American to participate in this part of German life...

Schwimmbad!!

Alright so prepare for this the greatest of all the world's blog entries.
Captain's Blog Stardate: 10122007
This past weekend myself and Angelo had a fantastic time with a good friend of his who came for a visit. I'm actually not going to tell you about this visit, however, trust me...it was fun. What I am going to discuss with this, the greatest of all blog entries, is my trip to the world famous Sachsen Therme. This place is actually better than Disney World. It is a a full-on water park with: water slides, waves, indoor/outdoor pool, and everything imaginable. I was just lucky enough to have bought my sexy Badehosen (translated: traditional swimming apparel). There is a sauna area where everyone can get sweaty together and get to take in the fantastic...german..uhh...scenery (nothing short of amazing). The student price is so low that I will make it a point to return very soon with some other friends. If anyone is going to be in the area and wants to come along, I will definitely go.

PPP Dresden Style

Captain's Blog 03122007
Oh this past weekend was spent in Dresden and Erzgebirge (all were in Saxony...my state here). I was able to meet up with a few of the other PPP-lers who are staying in Dresden. We got to go on an odd mine tour in Freiburg and check out the famous Christmas town of Seiffen. I was pumped about the mine tour because I got to dress up like a German miner and act like my special self. Dresden is so very different than my city here Leipzig. I only had enough time time to explore the "old-city" but I look forward to going back again and seeing more of the city (that is if anyone is willing to let me crash at their place). The program that is in charge of me here InWent was outstanding and we got top-class food and lodging for the entire weekend. This was all around a great trip. The picture that I show you are me and all the Saxony PPP-lers (from left to right: Will "Hungry", Will "Thirsty", Anwar "the Enforcer", Reggie "the Great", Vanessa "the Tiny", and Eliza "the Sheriff").

Weekend in Bad Salzuflen

Extended Weekend in Bad Salzuflen

Captain's Blog Stardate 12112007
This last weekend I spent in a small city north and far west of Leipzig. I went with Angelo and will to see his mothers house and his godchild Nils. In the town there are these large Gradierwerks (or Saline) These are large exterior walls where ground mineral water (the water is heavy with mineral salts) is pumped to the top of the wall and it flows through a system of branches. These branches allow for the water to to evaporate when the wich blows through them. There is always a fresh saltwater smell around the Saline. It is supposedly very good for one's health and many people go to health parks around a Saline. This was really quite the interesting item that I've been introduced to. Oh yes and I should not forget that we went to the Baths (this required me to buy some hilarious Badehosen). Oh Germany! The picture above is of me with one of my newest friends Emily (the daughter of Angelo's good friend)

Weekend in Kronach

Captain's Blog Stardate: 05112007
This past weekend I took my first steps into Kronach, Frankonia (in the federal state of Bavaria). I took a weekend with two former PPPlers (Mark and Stewart), my host (Angelo), and another current PPPler (Will). While in Kronach we helped a little on a penthouse for a good friend of Angelo's (Doris) which was on top of a small hotel. Kronach is an absolutely beautiful city that is divided into the undercity at the bottom of the hill, the over-city which is a little higher on the hill, and the old fortress which is at the very top of the hill. Much like Hessen the topography of this area makes the lay of the land look incredibly like Pennsylvania. Also, while I was in Frankonia I must admit that I found the dialect and the accent to the German incredibly charming something that would have to be heard to really be appreciated. The picture above is of the lot of us on a cliff south of Kronach.

The picture key (from right to left): Stewart, Tomas, Mark, Will, Me, and Angelo

Pictures

I just wanted to show you guys a couple of the pictures of buildings typical to the area. These are not the newer renovated buildings (those are in fact gorgeous). I'll work on getting better pictures of the pre-WWII buildings. There is this kind of dinge on these buildings that I honestly can't describe. It honestly looks like some of them had been burned by Hell itself and are still standing to tell the story. (Dramatic, I know, but its tough to explain).

State Communism (Lost time Part III)

Captain's Blog 26102007
Okay so as promised here I am and I really wanted to give State Communism a go for this post. Leipzig, previous to current period was a town built on trade (earlier in furs and durable goods, and later books). During World War two the city was bombarded because of its concentration of printeries (a good way to interrupt the supply of information). After the War this area was a formal part of the Communist GDR. With this background the state took on the massive task of providing housing for everyone, work for everyone, and necessary items for all.

The result was an area where the people worked, but often their place of employment didn't actually need them working there. AFter the GDR fell this caused massive unemployment levels. Also, because the state owned virtually all of the buildings it couldn't realistically maintain all of the buildings (over the course of 40 years). This means that many of the buildings here in 1990 were (and some still are) in complete disrepair. There are still some areas where it is apparent that something was bombed years ago. Compounding this very interesting situation the state was very invasive and aggressive in monitoring and rooting out dissenters. The Stasi was the policing agency that was very involved with "monitoring" those who threatened this system.

Tommorrow I will have pictures of the buildings (right now I don't have the chord that goes from my camera to my computer)

Tell me what you guys think of the subject

Holy Crap: Lost Time (Part II)

Captains Blog 25102007
Okay the Title above is completely correct (HOLY CRAP). After almost a full month of reduced internet connection I'm back and ready to kick some blogosphere ass. So now I'm in Leipzig (pronouned: LIE-p-sig) and since I've been here I've seen some pretty entertaining things and met some quite entertaining people. So that this blog remains readable I'm going to do multiple postings over the next few days. First let me tell you about Leipzig: This city is one of stark contridicitons it is wide and home to about 500,000 and everywhere you look you can see them. This city was part of the GDR (German Democratic Republic or the former Communist East Germany). Because of that you can see evidence from the past everywhere you look. The downtown area of the city is very modern and attractive but just outside there are buildings that are being renewed sitting next to ones that are crumbling to the ground. I live in a very grand old building that was brought to Leipzig as a gift from Stalin my apartment is spacious and I live with a man who has hosted PPPlers (people from my program) for quite a number of years. Well I'm going to conclude this blog and come back tomorrow with some thoughts on state communism tomorrow.

Well the picture that I am choosing to show is of the Volkerschlact Denkmal, which is a memorial of a very large, tragic, and bloody battle of the napoleonic wars in the 19th Century.

Lost Time (Part I)

Captain's Blog Stardate: 0909200
So its been a while since the last post and I have actually done and learned a whole lot. Because of that fact I will have to post in two parts. This first part I will talk about my last weekend. I attended a German wedding and it was absolutely amazing. The two getting married were actually friends of my hosts (Britte and Jens) and the ceremony was a combination of a baptism for their new child and the actual wedding. It was a Catholic wedding and relatively small. Above is one of the pictures of the church from the outside. The whole ceremony was began with the "Throne Room And Finale" from the movie Star Wars played on the organ. This of course was the greatest beginning to a wedding ever and I will forever respect Chrsitoph and Uli (the Couple) for their great taste. Afterwards came many games, drinks, and great food. I was honored because I got to play a couple of songs (Mandolin Style) for the couple. As a special not I wore my Wild Wild West tie that Jackie loves so much and it was a big hit with the Germans. All and all it was a time to be remembered and I am forever grateful that I got to observe that special day.

The Real Leaders

Captain's Blog: Stardate 21082007
Before I came to Germany I knew that the country was politically run by the Grand Coalition between the Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats. What I did not know what that this country is socially run by retirees. The retired people of this country have seemed to be the elite cultural soldiers. For anyone who has been here before, the retired population of Germany hold nothing back when they are letting you know that you are doing something wrong (which is completely un-German). If you are walking too close, going the wrong way, taking too long packing your groceries, or anything else that doesn't fit in you are made to know this in one of two very intense ways. First, you can be told of your mistake (if you're lucky you will be told in English). The second (and most frightening method) is the most intimidating glare that you could ever imagine. This "Death Stare" lets you know, in no uncertain terms, that you are in breach of the social contract that you tacitly agreed to when you landed at Frankfurt International Airport. The "Death Stare" also lets you know that you had quickly try to correct your behaviours or risk your immortal soul. I have gotten this look directly on two specific occations and have, since then, silently tried to repent for the sins that I comitted early in my travel. I found vindication for my hard work, when on two different occations, an old German lady sat next to me on the bus. Right now I'm pretty sure this is their way of saying that they are not yet unhappy with my progress. While I haven't been upsetting the social fabric of Saarbrucken, I've noticed the look when it was given to others. The lucky people can ignore this look, but I still stay clear of those who upset the elders (I don't want to be found guilty by association). By the way (here is another helpful hint) I have found no way to give a look that can repair the social infraction.

Landfest

Captain's Blog Stardate 19082007
Hey all. This weekend is the Saarland's birthday. It has officially been part of Germany for 50 years straight. We usually don't think of this at home, but this land where I am currently living has been contested between Germany and France for a very long time. Before WWII Saarland got the choice of which country it would like to belong. To mark 50 years of not being annexed, or conquested, the Saarland threw a party. There is tons of food, music, and beer. Some of the acts are British, some American, and many are German (and even from Saarland). Today I spent much of the day going to performances (you all know how much i love live music). I started my day by going to a show from a band I ran across last weekend Sly' N' Boyle (pictured above). After that it was music, ice cream, and fun. I also ran into a lady from Romania begging for money. The best part about this lady is that when i tried to avoid the situation by telling her my German was terrible, she told me that she could also talk to me in Spanish or French (if i preferred). To give you a good count, this woman could beg in FOUR LANGUAGES, that is mind blowing. If she learned English she could probably work for the United Nations. This has been a really fun weekend. I will probably spend part of tomorrow studying more German.

The News

Captain's Blog Stardate 16082007
Holy Crap. I just found out where I'm going to be living for the duration of my time in Germany. I will be in in Liepzig, Sachsen and going to the University of Leipzig. It is in the Eastern section of the country bordering Czech Rep. and Poland. In the link that is provided, it gives you all some information about the city (Wikipedia Style). I have included an awesome map of the state.

Besides that, I have been spending a lot of time in the city trying to learn from every alley and corner. It is not partiularly eye catching (not really photogenic). What is really interesting is that you are able to meet a lot of people from many differnt backgraounds. Since I'm sitting right on the French border a lot of French people come into town (but the same is true for Germans on the other side of the border. I met a young man from Gambia the other day, he was entertaining to talk with. What was really funny is that he seemed to have the idea that all Americans in the area seem to find one another and hang out (which isn't far from the truth) That is all I can think of currently.

Fearsome foes and new challenges

Captain's Blog, Stardate 080042007
So let me just fill you folks in with a bit of news. I have had exactly one day of language school and many hours of trying to communicate my needs and understand those of others (the latter is the most difficult part). Two days ago I faced my most fearsome oppponent yet (the traditional German toilet). The anatomy of this enemy is listed above. Besides that, there are children living in the house until Sunday morning. Britte and Jens (my host parents) are taking care of their friend's children Lesse (age 2) and Ule (age 6). They have been very helpful in my language acquisition because I got schooled in Uno by Ule, but in the process he didn't know he was giving me practice with my colors and small talk. Today we went to the See (Lake) and I actually saw some Americans (insert surprised face). They walked to the beach carrying a case of Corona (go figure) and were terrible examples of Americans who barbecue (they were all about the lighter fluid). Well I'll have more coming up soon,


Reggie

And here we go

Hello again to all those I love and that love me. Today was my second day here in language at the Carl Duisberg Centrum (or CDC). I now live with my host family, familie Holtzman (Jens und Britte). They are absolutely awesome and their house is amazing. It is more like an American condo, but a really big condo. Britte is a school teacher (she teaches english and religion) and Jens works at a company that sells marketing materials. They have been helping me with pronounciation, vocabulary, culture, and some grammar. I have a long way to go so that i can be able to carry out an entire conversation in German. I'm going to upload a picture of what i see around here. The city of Saarbrücken is not very large but it is beautiful and diverse in its own way. I managed to get lost today trying to find my way to my bus line 107. I used my horrid German to acquire some help and even tried to call the host family. Unfortunately the only pay phone I could find was broken, being an industrious man i looked in the change tray where I found 21 cents. Therefore my hours of being absolutely lost were rewarded (I hope that I can become more terribly lost so that I can increase my profit margin). From the Holtzman house I can litterally walk to France, which I may do pretty soon it's only about 2 km. Okay...well its now almost 1 here and I need to get to bed.

Guten Nacht
Reggie

Music!!!

This is an experiment...These are some tracks that I've just listened to. I believe it updates itself

The Beat Goes On...

Captain's Blog Stardate 07282007
This is the last night at my counsin's house. Today I got to see my brother, and it was great to get to spend a little time with him. His picture is the one above. Currently, I feel like there are too many thoughts swimming in my head. So this will be the format of the blog as I see it from this time forward. To make this engaging to those who listen to me I will try to spend just a paragraph talking about my latest adventures. Besides that, I'm going to alternate between some of my favorite topics to discuss politics, government, and places I've lived/loved. I encourage everyone to say something they feel important.

I AM IN WASHINGTON!

Alright folks,
Captain's log stardate 07262007
I have successfully arrived in Washington DC. This is the first part of a three part series. I initially wanted to let you folks know that my mother and I have gotten into my beautiful cousin's house on beautiful l S Street. In two days I will be at orientation with the other 74 participants in my program. The next two issues to be covered are going to be a fun look back on the days preceeding my departures and some commentary on my thoughts. I'd love to hear some feedback.

Pictures at Random

First up Is a picture of me with my member of Congress Vernon Ehlers Vernon Ehlers.

Next comes a Picture of me sitting and doing absolutely nothing

The Beginning

I'd like to say hello to you (my friend, my family, my random internet onlooker). This blog is designed with the intent to keep everyone in my life posted while I'm away on one of my new adventures. Almost four months ago I was notified that I was accepted to the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program for Young Professionals. This program was jointly established by the Lower Houses of both the United States and Germany. In the states it is administered by CDS International and overseen by the United States State Department. Just so everyone knows I will spend about 12 months in Germany interning and studying in my academic field (politics and government). Here is he breakdown:

July 28 - August 1
Orientation and Meet and Greet with the other 74 US participants

August 1 - Early October
Language school placement in Saarbrücken, Germany

October - August 2008
Internship and University study in Saxony, Germany

This is the first of many updates. I'll be adding pictures in the future. Love you all.

Just using Homestar Runner to Check the links