So I attended the Welcome Meeting on Friday and Saturday in Mainhattan (Frankfurt for those who haven’t heard of its nickname) and I must say that I did feel very welcomed. I guess the name of the game over the two days could be summed up in one word: Networking. By receiving this scholarship, I have been inducted into the “Fulbright Family” as it was so nicely called. I re-discovered familiar faces from my orientation in Altenberg and was introduced to other Americans studying at German universities as well, and found out one of them is from St. Louis. The Germans I met there were open as well, which isn’t always the case. The keynote speech was given by a well-known tv journalist who spoke on the development of the EU and was a great speaker. He gave a perspective on politics within these last 50 years and just how far Europe has come within that time span. My workshop also had a lively discussion on the topic of integration in Germany. I certainly need to think more of that as it applies to my current position as most of the students at my school are from Turkey. After all the stimulating discussion, the highlight was certainly the party at the Zoo Saturday night. It just felt so sophisticated and there was plenty to drink and the music lasted late into the night.
Today, however was also special as I went with some other TAs to the Hochheimer Markt, a market that dates back to 1484! It’s just across the Main river from Ruesselsheim and there were special buses running between the two cities. It had many stands selling jewlery, socks, knick-knacks, etc., and apparently tomorrow they auction livestock, but this place selling plants just summed up the uniqueness of this German tradition.
I mean what other carnival/market do you go to that sells plants? I also was a bit adventurous and went on a ride that spun and swung. It rained and was muddy, but it let up now and then and I even saw a rainbow. It gave a slight preview of the upcoming Christmas markets, but I’ll still have to wait a few weeks before those begin.
