Alexa’s Blog – Day 1

May 12, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

When finally we landed in Berlin after a long night and day filled with delays and lost luggage, I was so tired that I could even begin to think about starting our tour of the city. After meeting the tour guides, it was clear that there would be no time for rest and we would be promptly be thrust into all the splendor that Berlin has to offer.

holocaust memorialI am so thankful for our guides for keeping us awake and thinking. Today’s bus tour of Berlin was such an easy and convenient way to see the city and get the overview of some stunning landmarks that I can’t wait to see up close and in person in the future. We made a short stop at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and, like most Holocaust remembrance sites, the meaning and physical representation wour as chilling.

After taking a moment to recharge and browse some local shops, we ended the bus tour in front of our hotel, which apparently has the strangest and most European things – a pull-out bed, two bathrooms (sort of), complimentary beverages in the fridge, and a quirky layout and color scheme.

Our down time was short lived and we headed out to our first official dinner as a group at a biergarten-style restaurant that pulled out all the stops in our delicious meal. I also ordered my first beer tonight from an actual restaurant! It’s the little things you can do overseas that you can’t do at home that get you excited.IMG_1713

So far, I have been running on about an hour and a half of sleep since yesterday evening when we boarded our Delta flight. I do not sleep well on transportation (trains, buses, cars, you name it), and my parents had me paranoid about the small crack in the plane’s nose from a previous flight. Between the two issues, I did not sleep a wink from Pittsburgh to Paris, leading to a very testy, yet delirious Alexa all day long. Tomorrow aims to be much less stressful and I can’t wait to spend the day at Freie University and exploring Berlin!

 

Alexa

 

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And we’re finally here!

May 12, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

Well, it’s been a long 24 plus hours since we left Pittsburgh to head to Berlin. The students will give all the details, but lightning struck our plane (which had just landed) and the repairs and review took two hours. We missed our connecting flight  in Paris, maneuvered around an immense Charles DeGaulle airport and arrived here But seven of the students’ luggage did not.

We’ve been so fortunate on these trips We slid into Ireland in the midst of Icelandic volcano eruptions and had on-time flights with all other trips. As sports fans know, we were due …..   We’ll survive.

The late arrival cut down our time today for a city tour and visit through the Topographie of Terrors. We’ll catch up on this through our time here. But it is quite a city. Different from other European cities we’ve visited because World War II devastated Berlin and other beautiful German cities. No real old town here; much had to be rebuilt. What was spared is beautiful, and we’ll hear more about it this week. We start the media visits tomorrow with a lecture at Freie University, which was established when Germany was split under the four Allies’ control after World War II. I am thrilled to watch this come to life with 11 great students. Keep watch for their posts …..

And now it’s really time to say goodnight. Don’t look too closely for errors here. This sleep-deprived professor and copy editor surely made some.

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Hallo Berlin!

May 12, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

A combination of May 11 and 12, 2013

Today was a very adventurous day that I will never, ever forget.  Between our flight being delayed in Pittsburgh to missing our plane in Paris to our luggage getting lost when we got to Germany today was crazy!

 

It all started Saturday in Pittsburgh.  Our plane got struck by lightening on the way to Pittsburgh and so they had to repair the damage while we waited in the airport.  As we waited and waited for the plane to come we realized that we were going to miss our connecting flight from Paris to Berlin. Uh oh. But, I figured that was ok because I liked Paris and would love to explore the airport a little bit.

 

When we arrived in Paris, only a few hours late, we were directed to find our new gate and grab our new boarding passes.  A few of us went to check out a café by our gate and looked around at a couple of stores.  Once we took off from Paris the plane ride was very quick and easy. . .until we arrived in Berlin.

 

Once we arrived at Berlin I thought getting our luggage would be very simple, especially since we got off the plane and the baggage claim was right there.  That was not at all the case.  About 9 of us lost our precious luggage, myself being one of them.

I always feared the day I would loose my luggage on a flight because who really wants to go through that terrible situation.  Thankfully I had an extra pair of jeans (and some other goodies) in my carryon.

 

I JUST REALLY WANT MY LUGGAGE BACK!

 

But, other than the whole luggage dilemma and flight delay, today was an amazing day!

 

The bus tour was nice because it gave us the opportunity to see a lot of neat things in Berlin in a fast amount of time.  The Memorial that we saw was very moving.  The structure of it was interesting because it was so easy to get lost in the middle of it.  I also had an AMAZING Nutella Crepe while we were there.

IMG_0975

 Wherever the Berlin Wall used to stand there are bricks in the ground.

The hotel that we are staying at is very nice!  I am highly impressed.  The last time I traveled to Europe it seemed like the hotels were not as nice as the ones back in the States, this one proves me wrong!

 

I am a very picky eater, so when it came to be dinner time I knew I was going to have a rough time eating.  I got an great tasting beer at dinner, an apple flavored one.  I usually do not like beer so it was neat to find one that I actually enjoyed.  I tried to eat the food, but it just did no

t appeal to my tastebuds.  The place that we ate at was in the center of Potsdamer Platz, which is even more beautiful when it is lit up at night.

 

The walk home was a great conclusion on our long and adventurous day.  I am looking forward to exploring the city even more tomorrow, and maybe I will even leave my heart in Berlin.

 

Xoxox

Katie

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Tag!

May 11, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

 

Here we go…In the airport about to board a plane to France on the way to Germany.  A country that was so prominent in the 20th Century.  A country that part of my family came from.  These things alone are reason enough for me to be excited for this trip.

I traveled most of the continental United States in the past year but leaving the continent is another level of adventure.  The food we will eat, the people we will meet, and the lessons we will learn on this trip will stay with us forever.  I can’t truly explain the ways we’ll grow as people because I haven’t experienced it yet.  But we will keep you updated on those experiences in this website!  For sure, though, we’re learning something about our constantly evolving, constantly shrinking, globalized world.  A trip across oceans that once would change and redefine a person’s life forever we are making in a few short hours, in order to attempt to condense the experience of living in a country in a few short days.  It doesn’t seem possible, but it will have to be enough.

I know I will have a brand new appreciation for Pittsburgh when I come back.  That’s a wonderful thing about traveling; it reminds you how much you love home. Hopefully the Penguins will still be playing when I come back.

-Connor Mulvaney

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Ready For Take Off- Johnie Lynn Freiwald

May 11, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

Lassen Sie uns!

As we sit in the airport I am writing this pre trip blog post… of course it’s last minute everything I do is last minute! Though we are still in Pittsburgh this journey has already begun. We have got our boarding passes, checked our bags, went through security and now are awaiting departure. It is so exciting and difficult to sit here when Germany awaits us!

I am excited for this trip on so many levels. As a Junior Broadcasting Major at Point Park University I dream of traveling the world making documentaries and interviewing all kinds of interesting people. This is my first trip to Europe and will open my eyes to a different culture and way of media production.

On a more personal level I am excited to go to on this trip because my fathers side of the family is from Germany. I will greatly enjoy seeing where my family came from and the culture that they grew up in.

Now that the challenge of packing, getting to the airport and the security check have all successfully been completed we are ready for the fun part of the adventure to begin and off to Germany we go!

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Sara’s Bio

May 11, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

Guten tag!

Eek! There are so many emotions running through me currently, I do not even know where to begin.  It baffles me that in 6 short hours, we will be on our way to Germany.

I cannot wait to leave my very small town North of Pittsburgh and travel to a different country and experience a different culture and different customs.  I hate to admit that I have never been on an airplane before.  I may seem calm and collected on the outside, but am having mini panic attacks on the inside.  As a child, I always refused to go anywhere on vacation that required an airplane trip because I was always so afraid of them.  However, I find that it is finally time to let go of all of my fears and grow up!

I am so overwhelmed with excitement for this entire trip.  I am most excited for our trip to Neuschwanstein Castle.  I think my dad is most excited for me to go there as well (he has asked me at least 9 times if we were going to see a castle).  I’ve been researching pictures of it nonstop, so I can’t wait to see it in person.

I’m an upcoming senior at Point Park University studying Advertising and Public Relations.  I can’t wait to visit some German agencies and see how they operate as opposed to agencies here in Pittsburgh.  We’ve had the opportunity already to research various agencies, so it will be really awesome to finally see them in the flesh!

As for now, I’m going to go through my suitcase and carry on at least 4 more times before leaving for the airport.  I am such a freak when it comes to packing, I’m always afraid I’ll forget something (and usually, I do). Let’s hope for the best!

Sara

 

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Preparing for the trip to Germany

May 11, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

553210_10151613506519575_26750314_nMy name is Andrea Karsesnick. I’m from 7 miles south of Pittsburgh, from Scott Township. I’m going to be a junior at Point Park in the fall. I’ve been speaking German for six years now and I can’t wait to use my language skills abroad! The reason I signed up for this class is not only because of my obvious love for Germany, but because I want to learn more about advertising and public relations in Germany. I would love to work for a German PR company if I ever get the chance.

This is my second time in Germany. I first traveled to Germany with three other German students from my high school  in the Summer of 2010. We stayed in Germany for ten days. In those ten days we visited: Berlin, Potsdam, Weimar, Erfurt, Eisenach, Rothenburg and Munich. I also had the chance to visit Dachau, the same concentration camp that we’re visiting this month while in Munich. The first time I was in Germany I made a lot of mistakes. One of them was not realizing that I had to pay to use the restrooms. I got glares from bathroom attendants. My debit card did not work at ATMs in Germany. Hopefully that is different this time. I learned that I was lactose intolerant on my first German trip and because of that I missed out on a lot because I became very sick. This time I hope I can do Germany right and not get sick or make cultural mistakes.
I just finished packing last night. I’m really excited about some of the things I’m bringing with me to Germany. I am actually fortunate enough to be able to bring a German cellphone! IMG_1531My sister did study abroad in Germany this semester so she is giving me her German phone to take with me. This means that I will have cellphone service with no international charges in Germany. The cell phone is a smart phone with a data plan, which I do not have to pay for because my sister already took care of that. This will make communicating with loved ones back in the states so much easier because I will not have to search for free wifi, which I heard is hard to find in Germany. I will also have a map on my German cellphone, so I do not have to worry about having trouble finding public transportation or getting lost. Having a German cellphone is going to help me out a lot and keep me safe. If I do get lost, I can always use the phone to call the hotel. In addition to my German phone, my sister also gave me a really cool charger. It’s from Germany and it can charge up to four items and it uses a regular USB port. All I need are dongles. My sister also lent me her German straightener and curling iron, so I don’t have to worry about dealing with a converter/adapter or my appliances sparking or blowing out. I got a lot of my sister’s left over Euros. My other sisters boyfriend also gave me all of his left over Euros from his time in Italy.

I’m very fortunate to have people close to me who have recently gone abroad. I’m really excited to have a phone in Germany though. That has to be the best part about preparing for my trip! I’m very excited about Germany and I can’t wait to blog about my experience. Now I just have to get on a plane, which is a big thing for me. I’m absolutely terrified of flying.

That’s all for now!
-Andrea

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A post about Carson

May 11, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

Wanderlust is a strong desire for or impulse to wander or to travel and explore the world…according to Pinterest. This semester of International Media is taking us to Berlin and Munich. I can’t express how excited I am to be exploring a part of Europe for the first time. And thanks to Google Earth I have been attempting to get a glimpse of the landscape and country we will be going to tomorrow. Since finals have been over, I had to travel back to my hometown some six hours away from Pittsburgh to get my final preparations ready for tomorrow.  I can’t be believe in less than 24 hours I will be at the airport ready to leave the country.

The semester had taught me much about how the media works in Germany. I will now get to see how it happens in real life with the opportunity to ask questions and to learn more. Each country has something unique and interesting to offer and I only hope that I become a better and smarter person for it.

One of the events I’m excited for is the day in Austria.  I’m curious to see the similarities and differences between Germany and Austria and secretly I’m excited to use the train to get there! I think I’m just excited to walk down a street in Berlin or Munich to be honest: to see the streets filled with people and shops.

The past few days have been hectic with shopping, organizing, or just making sure I have everything. I’ve already had three nightmares where I lost my passport, my luggage was to big and couldn’t go, and I missed the flight. Right now I’m assuming that once I get to the airport my worries will be over, but right now I’m double checking everything to make sure nothing goes amiss before tomorrow.

So here’s to wanderlust and the promise of adventure!

Carson

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It’s finally time to go!

May 10, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

After all the planning, all the classes, all the preparation, and for me, all the correcting of papers, it’s time to travel to Germany.

This is the sixth trip for students in the School of Communication. We’ve been to London, Ireland, Toronto, Prague and Italy. The Ireland and Italy trips featured visits to a number of cities, and we’re doing the same this year, stopping in Berlin and Munich and a quick trip to Salzburg.

Why travel? It makes history come alive, for one, and it broadens students’ (and this faculty member’s) world knowledge. I’ve enjoyed every single trip and the company of my students and fellow faculty. Germany has been at or near the top of my travel bucket list for years. We’ve had great previews through visitors to our classes, the students’ research and a tour of Pittsburgh’s German neighborhood, Troy Hill, led by the wonderful Helen Sobehart, this spring term. Plus the  trip to Teutonia Mannerchor, a vibrant and longtime German society on Pittsburgh’s North Side, gave us a great preview of German food and culture. We want to go back for Oktoberfest there to tell them our stories.

And we hope to tell our trip’s stories through these blogs and the stories on our website. Kudos to our 11 students making the trip and my two fellow faculty members, David Fabilli and Aimee-Marie Dorsten, for coming along. I love to travel and and passionate about ensuring our students have that chance, too.  Watch for our work … and for any Point Park students reading these blogs out there, think about joining us next year!

Auf wiedersehen, Pittsburgh!

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A Bit About Katie

May 8, 2013 by · Leave a Comment

 

me

In three days we will be in Germany!  That is pretty hard to believe since I am currently laying on my back porch tanning, I haven’t started the balk of my packing, and I still have another day to work.  But, none of that matters because I am almost Germany bound.  I am beyond excited to take this trip and to explore Germany.

I came to Point Park expecting a wealth of opportunity since it is located in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh.  Little did I know I would get to talk a class that includes a trip to Germany!  I am (or going to be this next semester) a Junior Advertising and Public Relations major.

I have always loved traveling.  The first time I went to Europe I knew I wanted to go back the first opportunity I received.  I love exploring new things, meeting new people, and learning about a culture that is different to us.  This trip is going to be so full of adventure and learning experiences that we will all remember for a life time.

I am beyond excited to see the castle that we are going to.  I have been looking up pictures online and it just looks enchanting.  Going to a place like that will make me believe that fairy tales to exist.  I am also excited to go to Salzburg for our day trip.  It will be neat to explore another city in a totally different country.  All in all, I am just really excited for the whole entire trip (minus the coming home part).

 

Happy packing!

xoxo katie

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