Europe Trip: The Return Journey

As you can imagine, the last few days of my journal are hardly interesting--mostly morose moaning about my impending departure, and too-enthusiastic descriptions of events as I tried to ignore my impending departure. Nick and I spent time going to a few sites I had yet to check off, such as the Pergamon museum, which was simply amazing in its grandeur. We spent also spent time at our usual haunts--the Indian food place we had come to love with the quiet but enthusiastic waiter. A.horn, with their fabulous bagels and breakfast food. The gym and the food street near Nick's apartment. All places that I had come to love in my short time in Berlin, and which I miss dearly now that I have returned to China.

The departure itself was inevitably tearful. My promise not to cry was immediately broken as soon as I caught sight of the customs gate. However, despite the miserable departure not being easy (and no, it definitely wasn't easy), I felt better prepared for the future than the last time I had parted ways with Nick at an airport. I was on my way back to China, to a job and a home. We had made plans to see each other relatively soon. I felt in control and purposeful.

Of course, that 'in control' feeling disappeared as soon as I touched down in Abu Dhabi, when I found out that my flight had been delayed for over 12 hours. However, in the end it was actually a very enjoyable layover. The airline put me up in a hotel room with free meals for the entire day, and the hotel was right in the down town area. I spent the day napping and wandering around the city, taking in Abu Dhabi's beautiful seaside and abundant mosques. Not a bad way to end the trip, especially as I had just left below-freezing Berlin.

Now, I've been back in China for just over a month, and life has gone back to the same old routine. I have the same classes this semester, with the same students. There has been one VERY welcome change, in that this semester I have text books for all of my classes! I had never been so excited to see text books in my entire life. My daily life consists of teaching 2-3 classes a day, learning Chinese, bumming around the university gym, and spending my free time by reading, sketching, or watching Netflix. Not terribly exciting, except for the occasional weekend trip to Chengdu to go shopping or celebrating St. Patrick's Day.

But fear not, dear readers. There are some weekend travel plans in the works in the very near future. Stay tuned for more exciting adventures and wacky Chinese shenanigans!

Europe Trip: Nearing the End

February 8, 2014
We went on to Lille, France next and met up with my good friend Charlene, who I met while studying abroad in Beijing. When I saw her here, it was as if no time had passed. Same vibrant personality and carefree attitude.

We met up late yesterday and spent the evening grabbing dinner and drinks and catching up. She told me about her job in France, I told her all about life in China, and we reminisced about the good ol' days at CET.

The next day (today) was more productive. We got up, had breakfast, and went to check out the zoo. Unfortunately, it happened to be the only day out of the year that it was closed. Determined to do something cultural in Lille, we moved on to the Fine Arts Museum, which had a fabulous collection. So much beautiful artwork. My favorites were the vanity paintings. Nick's favorite part was a room in the basement that housed ancient miniature reproductions of Lille and other cities used to plan invasions in the past.

After the museum, we wandered until we found an authentic French restaurant for lunch and had some waffles from a street for dessert (so many waffles on this trip!). After a lovely day in Lille, it was time to part ways and head back to Trier, wrapping up our little road trip. I said my goodbyes to Charlene, and now we're on our way back to Trier, where a warm house, good food, and Lindsay await!

February 10, 2014
Nothing terribly interesting to report about the last few days, other than hanging out with Nick's friends, going to a basketball game with Meredith, and getting a free teeth-cleaning from Ali. But even though we're not filling the days with tons of activities, it has still been lovely, just all spending time together.

But even as I'm enjoying every minute, the shadow of my departure is looming ever closer. For now, I'm trying to push that aside and focus on enjoying the last of my time here, which is working for the most part.

February 16, 2014
Again, nothing to much has been happening. Lindsay, Nick, and I are back in Berlin, and we've spent the time mostly hanging out at Nick's apartment and the surrounding neighborhood. The day we came back, we arrived in the evening and had a quick dinner at a nearby Indian place before coming back, watching some TV shows, and falling asleep.

The next day was Valentine's day, and I got to spend it with the two people I love most in the world! We went to a fantastic little bistro for brunch called A.horn, and then wandered down the river for a while before going to the Topography of Terror. It was a fantastic museum and memorial, and it also wasn't too crowded, as I imagine the Topography of Terror isn't a terribly common Valentine's day destination. After a quick dinner, Nick and I took Lindsay to the Renate bar to show her the hidden labyrinth. Just as Nick had done for me, we kept her in the dark about what was going to happen and instead just surprised her with it. And like me, she had a fantastic time.

The next day, almost nothing got done. It was a day for the gym, skyping with friends, computer games, and good food. Today, Lindsay and I got up early to go to church, then we all met up for lunch afterwards. We had been planning to see the Museum of Design in the afternoon, but we ended up stopping by a flea market and a vegetable market on the way back, and then we had to go back to the apartment to drop off our leftovers from lunch. By the time we reached the apartment, it was already almost 4 PM, so we just decided to stay in for the rest of the day. We've been spending our time researching flights and playing computer games, and soon it will be time for dinner. I'm still trying to forget that Lindsay is leaving Berlin tomorrow, and that in just a few short days it will be my turn...

Obligatory China pose

Europe Trip: Bruges

February 7, 2014

If I thought Amsterdam was picturesque, Bruges was a fairytale. Winding streets, sleepy canals, tiny houses and shops leaning up against each other like old friends. It drizzled rain the entire time we were there, but that, too, was charming in its own way, as we listened to the rain drum on the roof as we fell asleep or watched it sprinkling down onto the cobblestones and canals outside as we nestled up snug in a cozy pub or restaurant.

We arrived in the afternoon and took a bus into town from the train station, where we left the car. A friendly bus driver pointed us in the direction of our hostel, and we found St. Christopher's Bauhaus without too much trouble. The hostel was fantastic. It had a lovely bar downstairs, and somehow we had been put in one of the shared flats rather than the usual dorm room, so it was basically the equivalent of a nice apartment for the night.

After a late lunch, we dashed out in the rain into the downtown area to see if we could catch a museum or see the church before they closed. We were ultimately unsuccessful—they had all closed just ten minutes before—but we did get to wander around and gawk at the nearly awe-inspiring quaintness of Bruges. We also stopped by the Chocolate Line, which is generally considered to be the best chocolate shop in Bruges (and therefore, the world). And I could see why. The flavors there were fantastic—they had the usual delicacies like nougat and coconut cream and peppermint, but they also had delicious mixtures infused with lavender, laurel, earl gray tea, and so much more. Some of them even I was too intimidated to try, such as the wasabi praline, or the beet root truffle.

I picked out a small assortment of unusual chocolates from their very varied display, and we made another mad dash through the rain to go back to the hostel (by this time, it was quite the downpour).

We ventured out again for dinner, and then happily wandered back downtown to find a pub that I wanted to visit to try some Belgian beer. The beer was fantastic. We tried a blonde from the local brewery, De Haalve Maan, a Gueze (a very traditional, acidic beer), a Rochefort trappist ale, and a Kwak. For hours we sat sipping on our beers and talked about whatever came into our heads, warm and happy in the cozy pub. It was the perfect end to the perfect day.

Today, we slept in a little, ate breakfast at the hostel, then went to choco-story, the chocolate museum. It was fun and informative, going over everything from Mayan and Aztec customs with chocolate to the history of its spread and integration into European culture, to styles of hot chocolate cups! At the end, there was even a chocolate making demonstration.

We ate lunch, fetched our luggage, and meandered back through town on our way to the train station. We stopped by the Chocolate Line again to stock up, and went to two different beer shops to pick out some different beers to take back. Much to my great delight, I even found a bottle of Westvletren 12, almost legendary in its rareness. Supposedly the “best beer in the world”, you can only buy it from the monastery itself. That means that any shops wishing to stock it have to place an order months in advance and then send a car to pick up a maximum of three cases. At 15 euros for a bottle, I have trouble believing any beer could live up to the price, but I'm still excited to try it and share it with my friends back in China.

We stopped by the Church of our Lady, and also looked for De Haalve Maan Brewery, but it was unfortunately closed for remodeling. Satisfied and enchanted by Bruges, we made our way to the train station.

On the way, we stopped at a bench in a park at the edge of a canal to rest our feet from the long walk. As we sat there, golden light from the lowered sun pouring over us and sparkling across the water, I couldn't help but think of a quote from Vonnegut: “I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, 'If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.'”

Europe Trip: Amsterdam!

February 6, 2014

Traveling to Amsterdam with Nick and Duong was amazing , despite having come down with a cold for the duration of the trip.

From the first moment of stepping off the tram in the downtown, it was charming and inviting. Rows upon rows of traditional Dutch houses crowded right up next to the edge of lazy canals. Bicycles zoomed past every which way, clattering down the cobblestone lanes. Some tourists walked by with purpose, clutching city maps in their hands, while coffee shops belched out others, emerging from the hazy interior cloaked in a mantel of pungent smoke, looking confused and cheerful.

Our first day there, we arrived around 1 PM and spent the first hour or so just wandering happily. We passed through the floating flower market and cruised down narrow alleyways and along canals as we sought out our hostel. Once there, our hunger soon drove us out, and after a late lunch we lost ourselves in the city again. We took a look at Vondelpark, went by the Rijks-Museum (it was closed), and ended up going to the Torture Museum, which was expectedly extremely disturbing.

After dinner at a Thai restaurant and dessert at the waffle store next door, the evening was spent walking aimlessly through the Red Light District, which was different than I had expected. I have no idea why, but in my imagination I had expected something similar to an old American western, with women in thick makeup and full bosoms leaning out of 2^nd story windows, calling and yoohoo-ing to people down below, colored handkerchiefs in their hands.

The reality was women in what were essentially display cases all along the street, gesturing and beckoning from behind the glass. The windows were interspersed with various stores, bars, and theaters. It was definitely a novel experience, and it was actually more professional and unashamed than I had expected. The crowds of tourists also made it feel festive and carnival-like, rather than sleazy.

We spent the next morning at the Van Gogh Museum. It was wonderful to see an entire museum dedicated to a single artist, especially one as prolific yet short lived as Van Gogh, because it was able to go into such detail on his development and various styles. It was particularly interesting to learn about his first few years as an artist. There were a lot of paintings that were different from the style associated with Van Gogh, with much more muted tones and none of the pointilism that took such a prominent role in his later paintings. It was a real treat to see, and I appreciate the boys putting up with it, as I know art museums aren't really their idea of fun.

We at an amazing lunch of Roti, a thick curry dish served with a thick crepe pancake. Next stop was the Anne Frank house, which was as depressing as it was powerful and moving. A must-see for anyone who visits Amsterdam. The most heartbreaking part, for me, was a short video of Otto Frank at the very end of the museum. You could see the weight of it in his eyes, hear it in his voice, even after all those years.

The house itself was, of course, the true experience. Just imagining being trapped in such a place for months at a time, not daring to tread heavily or speak loudly, not seeing the sunlight, and worst of all, not knowing when it would end... The very idea was suffocating.

After a dinner of delicious pizza and more waffles for dessert, we enjoyed some of Amsterdam's bar scene, sampling a few different brews. Cheerful and thoroughly enamored with the city, we made our way back to our hostel for the night. Now, Duong has caught his train back to Trier, while Nick and I are about to arrive in Bruges.

Farewell, Amsterdam. It was a blast!

Europe Trip, Part 3

February 2, 2014
Life in Trier has been relaxed and fairly mundane (but in a very good way). It was hard to say goodbye to Lindsay, but it definitely helped to know that we'd be seeing each other in Berlin in just a couple short weeks. I know that when we actually say goodbye to be a total mess. Not to mention when I have to leave Nick. I'm trying not to think too much about all that right now.

Nick's family is wonderful. They've all been so warm and welcoming. It's also been so fun and interesting to see Nick slip back into his role of son and brother. I'm getting to see all sorts of new sides to his personality.

Today, Nick took me around Trier to see the sights. We went to the big ampitheatre where the Roman gladiators used to fight, went to see the Dom (an ancient, very impressive church that houses the Tunic of Christ), one of the oldest Gothic cathedrals, the ruins of an old Roman bath, an old palace and park, and wandered through downtown, munching on doners and delicious gelato. It was a fabulous day, and we ended it with an amazing German dinner (sauerbraten) prepared by Nick's father.

February 3, 2014
(Side note: this entry was in preparation for going to Bruges. I've bolded the ones that I got to sample)
Recommendations for Belgian Beer
Trappist and Abby Ales (brewed by monks, at a monastery): Rochefort, La Trappe, Westvleteren (green cap=blonde, blue=8%, yellow=12%. VERY difficult to find)
Lambic/Geuze Beer (acidic, very traditional for the region): Oede Beersel, Frank Boon, Cantillon
Wheat Beer: Wittekerke, Vlaamsch Wit, Brugs Tarwebier, Waase Wolf
Blonde and Golden Ales: Duvel, Delirium Tremens, De Halve Maan
Red Beer: Roden Bach, Duchesse de Bourgogne, Echt Kriekenbier
Saisons or Seasonal Beers: Dupont
Brown Ales: Liefmans, Charles Quint
Belgian Ales: De Koninck, Duvel Moortgat
Stouts: Hurcule Stout, Stout Bie, De Dolle Extra Export Stout
Uncategorizable: De Dolle Browers, La Chouffe, Kwak

(Side note: for those interested, my favorites of these were all of the trappist ones, the Wittekerke, the Hurcule Stout, and Kwak. La Chouffe and De Halve Maan were also great, but I'm more of a fan of darker beers. Cantillon was definitely an acquired taste, but worth it to sample. The Dupont was my least favorite.)

Here's a preview of Bruges: Nick drinking Kwak. 

This beer is a must-try if you're ever in Belgium, not only because it's a delicious 

amber ale, but also because the serving glass is pretty awesome.

Europe Trip, Part 2

January 26, 2014

We ended up spending less time in Potsdam proper than expected, as Nick's interview took quite a long time.

In the end, we left the Institute around 4 PM and made our way back into town. We were disinclined to go straight back to Berlin after having traveled all this way, so instead we took a quick bus to see the nearby castle, Sansoucii. The castle grounds were massive and nearly completely empty at that hour in the late afternoon. The sky darkened quickly, and soon we were wandering in the gloomy twilight, crunching along in the snow. It felt very quiet and lonely, but very beautiful as well.

As it got later, the freezing weather and our hunger drove us back to Berlin, where we feasted in the invitingly warm Tibetan restaurant near Nick's house.

The following day was spent leisurely: sleeping in and visiting the gym. The highlight of the day was going to the nearby paint-your-own ceramics shop for the third installment of my Christmas present. We chose a nested teapot to paint. Nick painted the cup while I painted the pot. On the cup, I added a small otter curled up at the bottom (my animal counterpart), and a slumbering black bear to the teapot (Nick's animal counterpart). We will each take our respective pieces when I leave, and we'll put them back together when we meet next.

I know, we're so unbearably cute I could vomit. <3

The next day was a busy one, and one of the most enjoyable ones so far. We started the day by heading off to a Turkish market for an early lunch. We ate some fabulous falafels, and I couldn't resist a mouth-watering strawberry nutella crepe. After browsing around the market, we then continued on to the Jewish Museum for the rest of the afternoon. That has been my favorite museum so far on the trip. It was fascinating, heartbreaking, solemn, thought-provoking, and beautiful. The exhibits themselves were increible, and the very arcitechture of the building was well worth the visit---elevating it from a simple museum trip to a unique experience. My favorite part of the museum was the Holocaust Tower. It's at the very end of the exhibit on the Holocaust, so you are already in a raw, solemn mood. The “tower” is an austere room with looming, gray walls. The only light is from a slit near the top of the tower, and it is unheated and very bitingly cold after the coming from the warm museum. Sounds from the outside street can be heard, but they are muted and garbled, ghostly noises that seem to come from a long ways away.

The Tower has no express purpose or aim as expressed by the architect, but it was nonetheless undeniably powerful.

After a few hours in the Jewish Museum, we ate a quick dinner and then went to go meet one of Nick's friends from work along with his girlfriend: Philip and Olivia.

Olivia and Nick led us into a fantastic little bar tucked away in the streets of downtown Berlin, called Salon zur Wilden Renate. The decor was Alice in Wonderland meets grunge meets Victorian England. The ceiling was full of old umbrella skeletons laced with flower garlands. Old velvet furniture littered the rooms, with wooden crates acting as tables. Black and white portraits hung from the walls, and a fire burned cheerfully in a wood stove. The whole place was a violent mishmash, and I loved it.

But that wasn't the best part. The best part came a couple hours later in the evening. When we had entered, we had been given a gold coin. They told us not to lose it, but to go and enjoy a few beers. About an hour or so later, a woman came into the room and one by one, she led members of our group away. I was the third to go. In the back of the bar, she put a blindfold around my head and then led me through a door. After a little ways, holding her hands as she guided me, she took the blindfold off and left me in a room all alone, with nothing but a video screen and a small slot that unmistakably read “insert coin here”.

From there started the most bizarre labyrinth I have ever experienced. I wish I could capture it was words, but it was so full of unsettling sights, such a sensory overload, that I know no mere description could possibly do it justice. So I will try to settle for a few snapshots (PREFACE: If you ever want to go to this labyrinth, I would suggest not reading this, because it is much better to go in with zero preconceptions!):

The central room was shaped like an egg, with what seemed like veins or spiderwebs running across the inside surface. Using these, you could climb all over it to reach the many tunnels going out to the rest of the labyrinth.

A pitch black tunnel with stones jutting up out of the ground designed to trip you. The only light was a strobe flash that went off maddeningly sparsely. As you groped your way through the darkness, a quiet rumbling sound became louder and louder, until it roared in your ears. You made your way through the tunnel, only to find that it was a dead end, and you have to creep all the way back.

A short tunnel with thousands of strips of heavy cloth or leather hanging down. As you make your way blindly through, you cannot feel any walls—only that slithery cloth all around you. And then, suddenly, you bump into a strip will bells tied to it, and their high pitched tinkling sends your pulse sky-rocketing.

A gray staircase with slanted, broken, uneven steps. The ceiling is so low that you nearly have to crawl up them.

A room no bigger than a closet, with a small chair seated in front of a ladder leading into darkness.

It was disorienting, creepy, and fabulous. Probably my favorite thing we've done in Berlin so far, and it felt very typically Berlin. I'm hoping to take Lindsay there at the end of the trip.

Speaking of Lindsay, she came in later that night! She arrived as scattered and hair-brained as ever: she had forgotten her purse at the Chinese restaurant where she had eaten dinner, she had missed her stop on the bus, and she hadn't brought enough money for the subsequent cab ride to Nick's apartment. It's good to see some things never change.

We went to bed soon after she arrived, but the next few days since then have been fabulous. WE retrieved her purse from the restaurant the next morning, then spend the day at the aquarium. I also tried my very first currywurst! It was dangerously delicious.

The next day, Lindsay and I ventured out on our own to the Gamaldegallerie, a fabulous art museum that exclusively houses old art from the Byzantine era up to the Renaissance. The collection was extensive, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

From there, it was off to Gottingen! We've been here for two days, and it's been very relaxed—days spent wandering around downtown and the University campus, eating at the mess hall, and getting a little work done while Lindsay is away at class. Even though we haven't been doing a lot of specific activities, being able to spend quality time with Lindsay has been more than I could ask for!

Nick is so proud of his hummus making skills