It hadn't hit me yet that it was over. I was trying not to let it until I was home and could lement in the privacy of my own room. The night before and that day I had been forcing myself to be a robot and just pack, get on the train, get on the plane, and go go go. Emotions could sink in afterward. When I got off the train in Frankfurt I began tearing up, only because it felt like I had just arrived here yesterday. My suitcase jamming me in the heel struggling to get it onto the escalator kicked the stoicism back into me, though.
There was a Tram strike that morning, of course on the day I had to move. All Taxis had an hour and a half waitlist. Panicked, I found two Germans in StuSie that had a car and said they would give me a ride. It seems as though I had met wonderful people in the last three weeks I was there, unfortunately. I don't even know their names. Sometimes it's the less significant people in your life that you miss the most, only because goodbyes are that much more permanent. The people you know well enough to call or go visit at least have a solid relationship to you so you know you'll have them in your life again at some point. It's the people you're afraid of forgetting that are the hardest to say goodbye to. The kid who would always crack jokes in the back of the classroom. The Turkish family that would always give me hummus. My teachers and even the Hausmeister. What is my Karmic relationship to these people? Why only have them in my life for a few months at a time? The people who sat in the terminal with me - who are they? Where were they going? Where were they leaving? Why did they happen to be on the same flight as me? Will I see them in 20 years and never know that we sat in the same room for two hours waiting for a flight?
Impermanence is a powerful thing. I just hope to see you all again at sometime.
-Emily
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Copyright
It's one thing to not be able to watch a YouTube video a friend posts on Facebook or some of my favorite shows online because "this video is not available in your country or region." It's another thing to not be able to do my homework. For class we need to watch a video, which just so conveniently happens to be available online. This would make it so much easier, to be able to just sit comfortably in my room with my laptop and watch it...if I were in the U.S.
No, it is physically (as physical as cyberspace gets...) impossible to access this film from a German router. So now I have to go awkwardly sit in the Uni library (which is 15 minutes away by tram) and watch it alone in a much more awkward environment. Which could potentially become even more awkward if another member of the class decides to show up when I'm halfway through it. One would think having to watch a movie for homework would be easy, but it's actually rather stressful when your freedom of information is limited.
I really don't understand this copyright policy. If you live in the country where the film was made you can watch it for free, but if you're somewhere else, tough luck. No American TV for you! It's not like the company is losing a lot of money...I could sit in my room in Amherst and watch this film 100 times if I wanted to (not that I would...) and the company wouldn't make a cent, but if I want to watch it in Freiburg it somehow violates their copyright. I don't see the point.
Anyway, considering it's almost 5pm on a Saturday I don't think I'll rouse myself to get to the library today. But can you guess where I'll be spending my Sunday afternoon?
Not at the Seepark.
-Emily
P.S. - Props to Comedy Central for letting their programs be available in my country or region.
No, it is physically (as physical as cyberspace gets...) impossible to access this film from a German router. So now I have to go awkwardly sit in the Uni library (which is 15 minutes away by tram) and watch it alone in a much more awkward environment. Which could potentially become even more awkward if another member of the class decides to show up when I'm halfway through it. One would think having to watch a movie for homework would be easy, but it's actually rather stressful when your freedom of information is limited.
I really don't understand this copyright policy. If you live in the country where the film was made you can watch it for free, but if you're somewhere else, tough luck. No American TV for you! It's not like the company is losing a lot of money...I could sit in my room in Amherst and watch this film 100 times if I wanted to (not that I would...) and the company wouldn't make a cent, but if I want to watch it in Freiburg it somehow violates their copyright. I don't see the point.
Anyway, considering it's almost 5pm on a Saturday I don't think I'll rouse myself to get to the library today. But can you guess where I'll be spending my Sunday afternoon?
Not at the Seepark.
-Emily
P.S. - Props to Comedy Central for letting their programs be available in my country or region.
Monday, May 9, 2011
The Life of an Animator
This past week was the 18th annual Trickfilm Festival (Festival of Animated Film) in Stuttgart. Unfortunately it happened to be the same week in which classes start, so I only got a weekend pass. Nonetheless, I got to listen to some pretty inspiring filmmakers and learn a lot about the history of some of my favorite American cartoons.
Fortunately, though it was an international festival most films were in (or translated into) German or English, with the exception of one Swiss-Italian film in which I had no idea what was going on (pretty colors, though). They had also transformed the park in front of the castle into a giant outdoor theater, so you could sit and watch shorts between events. All in all, it was a lovely weekend :)
One thing I noticed about the field of animation is that it really is all about the art, not the person making it. For example many animators would sit in the audience, wait in line to enter the film with everyone else, etc. There was no fear of being mauled or molested or screamed at, as would more likely happen to an actor or musician. People were there to observe your work and learn from you, not to obsess over your person.
That's not to say that theater and music don't require the same respect - believe me, after all the time and money spent on a guitar and classes, as well as five failed attempts at self-teaching, I have the utmost respect for anyone who can maneuver an instrument, or coordinate themselves on stage.
Personally, though, I would rather have people watch my work than me. The admiration may be a bit disconnected, but so is the judgement. I'd be perfectly happy knowing people enjoy my work with never even bothering to note my name at the end, and never know what I look like (until coming to an animation festival, for example, and seeing one of your favorite animators in person and realizing that yes, if they were big in the nineties, they probably are "old" now) but the fact that the looks of the artist are so trivial is part of what takes the superficiality out of the form itself. You either like my drawing style or you don't, you think the film "says something" or you don't. Fine, but whether I gain or lose 20 pounds or commit a petty crime has no bearing on your judgement. Anyway, it made me realize that one day I would love to sit in a full theater among people who like my work, see their reaction to it, and be able to answer their questions about just how it came to be. For me, that would be enough of a reward for all of the painstaking little drawings.
So, two of my favorite American cartoons that were featured both surprised me in terms of censorship. The first being South Park, in which the feature showed all of the uncensored "Muhammad" episodes as well as the episode where Cartman turns into Hitler. I was especially surprised at the Muhammad episode being shown after such recent threats due to Osama's death. Luckily there was no terror attack on the animation festival. (Though I must note in contrast to what I said previously, the creators of South Park are probably the type of cartoonists who do need security protection...). The second was Donald Duck, who, despite his popularity over here in Germany was featured in a number of U.S. propaganda cartoons that were not imported over here (obviously) during WWII. This was the result of the U.S. Army funding most Disney production. One included "Donald Duck in Naziland" with lots of "heiling" and swastikas, as well as a very racist short about Japanese soldiers trying to "shoot him in the back." Anyway, it was an interesting contrast between seeing how cartoons have the power to either enforce propaganda or completely turn it on its head, depending mostly on where the money's coming from.
Which brings me to my last bit about cartoons and money - many of the smaller animation firms who presented all started out doing cartoons for ads, and then worked their way up to be able to create their own films. At the risk of sounding like a stereotypical college student, I really don't want to use my work to "sell out." For this reason I've always held Bill Watterson, creator of "Calvin and Hobbes" as a hero. His drawings were only used to tell his stories, and that's how I want my work to be as well. As great as it would be to have the fame and money to come talk to young animators about my life's work, if it means going against what makes cartooning fun for me, for example using my characters in a deodorant ad, it defeats the purpose.
So, to conclude, I found the festival quite inspirational, and quite informative about the lives of cartoonists. I may decide to join that field one day, or keep it as nothing more than a hobby. Nonetheless, I'm going to keep drawing.
-Emily
Fortunately, though it was an international festival most films were in (or translated into) German or English, with the exception of one Swiss-Italian film in which I had no idea what was going on (pretty colors, though). They had also transformed the park in front of the castle into a giant outdoor theater, so you could sit and watch shorts between events. All in all, it was a lovely weekend :)
One thing I noticed about the field of animation is that it really is all about the art, not the person making it. For example many animators would sit in the audience, wait in line to enter the film with everyone else, etc. There was no fear of being mauled or molested or screamed at, as would more likely happen to an actor or musician. People were there to observe your work and learn from you, not to obsess over your person.
That's not to say that theater and music don't require the same respect - believe me, after all the time and money spent on a guitar and classes, as well as five failed attempts at self-teaching, I have the utmost respect for anyone who can maneuver an instrument, or coordinate themselves on stage.
Personally, though, I would rather have people watch my work than me. The admiration may be a bit disconnected, but so is the judgement. I'd be perfectly happy knowing people enjoy my work with never even bothering to note my name at the end, and never know what I look like (until coming to an animation festival, for example, and seeing one of your favorite animators in person and realizing that yes, if they were big in the nineties, they probably are "old" now) but the fact that the looks of the artist are so trivial is part of what takes the superficiality out of the form itself. You either like my drawing style or you don't, you think the film "says something" or you don't. Fine, but whether I gain or lose 20 pounds or commit a petty crime has no bearing on your judgement. Anyway, it made me realize that one day I would love to sit in a full theater among people who like my work, see their reaction to it, and be able to answer their questions about just how it came to be. For me, that would be enough of a reward for all of the painstaking little drawings.
So, two of my favorite American cartoons that were featured both surprised me in terms of censorship. The first being South Park, in which the feature showed all of the uncensored "Muhammad" episodes as well as the episode where Cartman turns into Hitler. I was especially surprised at the Muhammad episode being shown after such recent threats due to Osama's death. Luckily there was no terror attack on the animation festival. (Though I must note in contrast to what I said previously, the creators of South Park are probably the type of cartoonists who do need security protection...). The second was Donald Duck, who, despite his popularity over here in Germany was featured in a number of U.S. propaganda cartoons that were not imported over here (obviously) during WWII. This was the result of the U.S. Army funding most Disney production. One included "Donald Duck in Naziland" with lots of "heiling" and swastikas, as well as a very racist short about Japanese soldiers trying to "shoot him in the back." Anyway, it was an interesting contrast between seeing how cartoons have the power to either enforce propaganda or completely turn it on its head, depending mostly on where the money's coming from.
Which brings me to my last bit about cartoons and money - many of the smaller animation firms who presented all started out doing cartoons for ads, and then worked their way up to be able to create their own films. At the risk of sounding like a stereotypical college student, I really don't want to use my work to "sell out." For this reason I've always held Bill Watterson, creator of "Calvin and Hobbes" as a hero. His drawings were only used to tell his stories, and that's how I want my work to be as well. As great as it would be to have the fame and money to come talk to young animators about my life's work, if it means going against what makes cartooning fun for me, for example using my characters in a deodorant ad, it defeats the purpose.
So, to conclude, I found the festival quite inspirational, and quite informative about the lives of cartoonists. I may decide to join that field one day, or keep it as nothing more than a hobby. Nonetheless, I'm going to keep drawing.
-Emily
Friday, April 1, 2011
My bad!
So, apparently the CDU did get the most votes, but the tying of the SPD and Grüne gives them the power to be able to fight against many of the current laws. Got to be more specific with this stuff if I want to go in to journalism...!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Springtime in Germany (is NOT for Hitler!)
This past weekend I switched dorms, since my previous room was assigned through the pre-semester language program and this new one will be my permanent semester room. Unfortunately, when I moved in the internet jack was twisted the wrong way, so I was left without internet for a few days. I'm really not having much luck with this over here.
Nonetheless, the "Hausmeister" was able to fix it for me, not before telling me that my old room had not been cleaned sufficiently and I needed to go back and mop it again, otherwise I'd be charged 50 Euros. There had been black streak marks on the floor when I moved in, so hopefully that wasn't what he was referring to since that was not done by me. But, I suppose I should have mentioned it upon moving in. Still, 50 Euros is a plane ticket.
Sunday was Baden-Württemberg's election, with the outcome of SPD, a more progressive party, and Die Grüne, the mainly environmentalist party, tying. Combined, they hold a stronger standing in parliament than the CDU, Angela Merkel's more conservative party, which has held power in this state for about 50 years. It was definitely a historic event, and many believe a great deal of it was the result of Japan's nuclear crisis. Here in Germany "die Grüne" are actually a pretty big party, compared to the Green party in the U.S. As I mentioned before, since there are more than two major parties smaller ones still can have representation without causing the downfall of one major party or the other. But it's clear that environmental concerns play a large role in determining the future of the country.
While on the topic of the environment, I explored an area of Freiburg called Vaubaun on Saturday, which is supposedly one of the most eco-friendly places in the city. It was very quaint, With a boardwalk that went along and over a creek, and lots of parks and playgrounds that were built right into the landscape and trees. I don't see those being legal in the US anytime soon. There were also rolling green hills that (as cliché as it sounds) looked like something straight out of "Sound of Music." One of my friends actually started singing. It's also apparently very affordable, so it might be a potential home for me after graduation.
There are also a lot of arts and music festivals going on in Germany. Stuttgart is hosting it's yearly "International Cartoon Festival" as well as "FMX" animation festival the first week of may, unfortunately that's also the week that I start classes. I'm looking in to getting just a weekend pass perhaps - this is something I do not want to miss. There's also an animation studio called "Studio Film Bilder" in Stuttgart, which is somewhere I may want to intern/work at in the future.
http://www.filmbilder.de/en/index.html
For now I'm going to go enjoy this beautiful day by the Seepark. Till I find something else interesting to say,
auf Wiedersehen.
Nonetheless, the "Hausmeister" was able to fix it for me, not before telling me that my old room had not been cleaned sufficiently and I needed to go back and mop it again, otherwise I'd be charged 50 Euros. There had been black streak marks on the floor when I moved in, so hopefully that wasn't what he was referring to since that was not done by me. But, I suppose I should have mentioned it upon moving in. Still, 50 Euros is a plane ticket.
Sunday was Baden-Württemberg's election, with the outcome of SPD, a more progressive party, and Die Grüne, the mainly environmentalist party, tying. Combined, they hold a stronger standing in parliament than the CDU, Angela Merkel's more conservative party, which has held power in this state for about 50 years. It was definitely a historic event, and many believe a great deal of it was the result of Japan's nuclear crisis. Here in Germany "die Grüne" are actually a pretty big party, compared to the Green party in the U.S. As I mentioned before, since there are more than two major parties smaller ones still can have representation without causing the downfall of one major party or the other. But it's clear that environmental concerns play a large role in determining the future of the country.
While on the topic of the environment, I explored an area of Freiburg called Vaubaun on Saturday, which is supposedly one of the most eco-friendly places in the city. It was very quaint, With a boardwalk that went along and over a creek, and lots of parks and playgrounds that were built right into the landscape and trees. I don't see those being legal in the US anytime soon. There were also rolling green hills that (as cliché as it sounds) looked like something straight out of "Sound of Music." One of my friends actually started singing. It's also apparently very affordable, so it might be a potential home for me after graduation.
There are also a lot of arts and music festivals going on in Germany. Stuttgart is hosting it's yearly "International Cartoon Festival" as well as "FMX" animation festival the first week of may, unfortunately that's also the week that I start classes. I'm looking in to getting just a weekend pass perhaps - this is something I do not want to miss. There's also an animation studio called "Studio Film Bilder" in Stuttgart, which is somewhere I may want to intern/work at in the future.
http://www.filmbilder.de/en/index.html
For now I'm going to go enjoy this beautiful day by the Seepark. Till I find something else interesting to say,
auf Wiedersehen.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Montag Demonstration
So when I got out of my evening class today I was pleased to see that the tram sign said there was only one minute left until my line arrived. I stood waiting for about four minutes, with the "ankommen" signal blinking, yet saw no train. Then suddenly a tram that had just passed headed toward the city center came back our way, lights blinking, with a loudspeaker announcement saying that there was a demonstration downtown and all trams would go no farther.
Excitedly, I decided to go check it out, forgetting that my stomach had been growling all throughout class. Once I turned the corner I could hear drums beating and people chanting. Once I got closer I saw people dancing in a huge drum circle on the corner and crowds marching down the main street with flags and picket signs - many of which were from "Die Linke" or "Die Grüne," so at first I assumed it was political. Then I realized the flags read "atomic waste? Nein Danke" or pictures of nuclear tubs that read "wohin?" (where to?). So I quickly realized that this had to do with the Nuclear plant scare during Japan's earthquake last week, and Angela Merkel's plan to keep nuclear power plants in Germany 12 years later than had originally been expected. My favorite sign read "Urangela" with a 3-eyed caricature of the Chancellor. Unfortunately it was too far away to get a good photo of.
I guess the protests are even bigger up north around Stuttgart, with human chains and all. Anyhow, getting a first hand look at a German political demonstration definitely made up for arriving home an hour late. I'm going to actually make some dinner now before I pass out, though.
Emily
Excitedly, I decided to go check it out, forgetting that my stomach had been growling all throughout class. Once I turned the corner I could hear drums beating and people chanting. Once I got closer I saw people dancing in a huge drum circle on the corner and crowds marching down the main street with flags and picket signs - many of which were from "Die Linke" or "Die Grüne," so at first I assumed it was political. Then I realized the flags read "atomic waste? Nein Danke" or pictures of nuclear tubs that read "wohin?" (where to?). So I quickly realized that this had to do with the Nuclear plant scare during Japan's earthquake last week, and Angela Merkel's plan to keep nuclear power plants in Germany 12 years later than had originally been expected. My favorite sign read "Urangela" with a 3-eyed caricature of the Chancellor. Unfortunately it was too far away to get a good photo of.
I guess the protests are even bigger up north around Stuttgart, with human chains and all. Anyhow, getting a first hand look at a German political demonstration definitely made up for arriving home an hour late. I'm going to actually make some dinner now before I pass out, though.
Emily
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Internet, Politics, and Parties
Internet was not so hard to come by as I had previously been told. Since I'm staying in the same "Wohnheim" next month, I just have to go in to the office and change my building number on the contract. Yet for some reason everyone I'd asked previously made it sound impossible to get internet for this month. So, I'm finally connected to the world again. No wonder broadband being as mandatory as phone lines in the U.S. is such an issue, now that I've had first- hand experience of being alienated from the world wide web. Now I suppose I can begin my U.S. - German media comparison.
The first week here has been astounding. The first day of classes my cell phone was an hour off (yet another example of exquisite planning and communication by the school) causing me to wake up an hour early. Stupidly, I assumed that the sun probably just rises an hour later in Germany (it was 6:30 and I was jetlagged, ok?). Nonetheless I was thankful that I got up too early and not too late, what with German punctuality and all. Though I have to say it's not a bad thing - I always know exactly when the trams will arrive, and to be honest it is distracting when people stumble into class late. Anyway, I saw it as a blessing in disguise because I got to witness the most beautiful sunrise out my window.
Last weekend was a German Mardi-Gras/Halloween celebration called "Rosenmontag," the day before Fat Tuesday when you're supposed to go crazy and then repent all throughout Lent. Everyone was dressed in costumes and there was a huge parade downtown. Like New Orleans, there are no open container laws in Germany, so it was common to see people drinking beer and wine right out of the bottle on the street.
Another thing I've noticed about Germany is that they don't separate church and state, so two of the political parties here are affiliated with Christianity. However there are five major parties instead of two. Baden-Württemberg (the state that Freiburg is in) has its election on the 27th, so there are political posters all over the city, with rather intriguing vandalism on them. Supposedly if the SPD wins this state, Angela Merkel's pretty much screwed. But, for example, her party is the CDU, Christian Democratic Union, yet the governance of Germany today is far more "liberal" than that of the U.S. Just because they are openly affiliated with a religion, they don't impose every ideal of Christianity on the state. The only really big difference I see here is that religious holidays, such as "Rosenmontag" or Easter, are much bigger deals regarding business and open discussion. I'm also in southern Germany, which is known to be much more Christian-oriented than the north.
Another thing I noticed about the Rosenmontag parade was that many people were dressed as Native Americans. In the U.S., many of these costumes would come off as offensive, but there is virtually no Native American population to offend here. Nonetheless, I had the urge to politely say something, but wasn't really in the mind set to get into a sociological debate. It begs a philosophical inquiry: if you're doing something offensive, but there is noone there whom it offends, is it still wrong? My answer is yes, since it is still an act of ignorance. However in our (U.S.) movies, TV shows, etc., we are constantly making fun of catastrophic historical events that of which no one is still alive today (for example "this is SPARTA"). Therefore, since there are no people who actually can claim to be harmed by reference to them, it's OK to laugh at. Food for thought.
Nevertheless, I've had a great experience despite the lack of communication. The more acclimated I become, the happier I am.
Bis später,
Emily
The first week here has been astounding. The first day of classes my cell phone was an hour off (yet another example of exquisite planning and communication by the school) causing me to wake up an hour early. Stupidly, I assumed that the sun probably just rises an hour later in Germany (it was 6:30 and I was jetlagged, ok?). Nonetheless I was thankful that I got up too early and not too late, what with German punctuality and all. Though I have to say it's not a bad thing - I always know exactly when the trams will arrive, and to be honest it is distracting when people stumble into class late. Anyway, I saw it as a blessing in disguise because I got to witness the most beautiful sunrise out my window.
Last weekend was a German Mardi-Gras/Halloween celebration called "Rosenmontag," the day before Fat Tuesday when you're supposed to go crazy and then repent all throughout Lent. Everyone was dressed in costumes and there was a huge parade downtown. Like New Orleans, there are no open container laws in Germany, so it was common to see people drinking beer and wine right out of the bottle on the street.
Another thing I've noticed about Germany is that they don't separate church and state, so two of the political parties here are affiliated with Christianity. However there are five major parties instead of two. Baden-Württemberg (the state that Freiburg is in) has its election on the 27th, so there are political posters all over the city, with rather intriguing vandalism on them. Supposedly if the SPD wins this state, Angela Merkel's pretty much screwed. But, for example, her party is the CDU, Christian Democratic Union, yet the governance of Germany today is far more "liberal" than that of the U.S. Just because they are openly affiliated with a religion, they don't impose every ideal of Christianity on the state. The only really big difference I see here is that religious holidays, such as "Rosenmontag" or Easter, are much bigger deals regarding business and open discussion. I'm also in southern Germany, which is known to be much more Christian-oriented than the north.
Another thing I noticed about the Rosenmontag parade was that many people were dressed as Native Americans. In the U.S., many of these costumes would come off as offensive, but there is virtually no Native American population to offend here. Nonetheless, I had the urge to politely say something, but wasn't really in the mind set to get into a sociological debate. It begs a philosophical inquiry: if you're doing something offensive, but there is noone there whom it offends, is it still wrong? My answer is yes, since it is still an act of ignorance. However in our (U.S.) movies, TV shows, etc., we are constantly making fun of catastrophic historical events that of which no one is still alive today (for example "this is SPARTA"). Therefore, since there are no people who actually can claim to be harmed by reference to them, it's OK to laugh at. Food for thought.
Nevertheless, I've had a great experience despite the lack of communication. The more acclimated I become, the happier I am.
Bis später,
Emily
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Culture Shock. Literally.
Electricity in Europe is very different. This is a well known fact amongst most people, however to the extent of which my electronics are functional did come as a surprise. My first night in Freiburg I had the ingenious idea to plug my U.S. power strip into an adapter, therefore only needing to use one. However the moment I did this the fuse in my room blew. So, my first night abroad I had no power at all.
Secondly, do not attempt to bring a hair dryer from the U.S. to Europe. Though nothing blew out or up this time, the European voltage made my hairdryer go into turbojet mode. Luckily I turned it off before it could "take off." So, I'm going to be spending a bit more on necessities than I had originally planned.
As stated earlier, the intent of this blog is to analyze the difference in media and culture in Germany and the U.S. However this is the first time I've had access to the internet since my arrival in Freiburg. Unfortunately, you have to get the internet installed in your dorm yourself, and I'm going to be moving to a different room once I start my actual University courses next month. So, for March I'll only be able to access the web from school or the bar across the street, making my media analysis a bit more difficult. There are, of course, print media I can read, but in terms of accessing U.S. media in comparison I am rendered informationless.
I'm writing from school, on a Saturday, in order to fill you all in. Tomorrow I think I'll go to the bar across the street and write more, but for now I'm off to get some lunch! Bis bald.
Secondly, do not attempt to bring a hair dryer from the U.S. to Europe. Though nothing blew out or up this time, the European voltage made my hairdryer go into turbojet mode. Luckily I turned it off before it could "take off." So, I'm going to be spending a bit more on necessities than I had originally planned.
As stated earlier, the intent of this blog is to analyze the difference in media and culture in Germany and the U.S. However this is the first time I've had access to the internet since my arrival in Freiburg. Unfortunately, you have to get the internet installed in your dorm yourself, and I'm going to be moving to a different room once I start my actual University courses next month. So, for March I'll only be able to access the web from school or the bar across the street, making my media analysis a bit more difficult. There are, of course, print media I can read, but in terms of accessing U.S. media in comparison I am rendered informationless.
I'm writing from school, on a Saturday, in order to fill you all in. Tomorrow I think I'll go to the bar across the street and write more, but for now I'm off to get some lunch! Bis bald.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
DISCLAIMER
I intend to use this blog to practice journalistic writing and observe ideological differences amongst societies (namely Germany and the U.S.) through studying media and culture. This is not a judgement blog - any opinions I may throw in based on my personal experiences are for my own memoir reference and not to be interpreted as pseudo-intellectual preachings from a privileged ex-pat. My intent in doing this is to improve my writing skills and share my findings with those interested - and of course to keep track of this "once in a lifetime" experience that is study abroad so that years from now I can look back on my budding writing style and cringe.
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