December 31, 2010

Happy New Year

New_Year_2011

The AIB team wishes to all parents, host families, partners, students, alumni and friends

A HAPPY NEW YEAR FULL OF JOY AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS!

December 13, 2010

BONNYWOOD – Hollywood in Bonn

woki

Liebe Freunde der AIB und des Films,

wir laden Sie herzlich zur Filmpremiere von sechs Kurzfilmen unserer amerikanischen Filmstudenten

am Freitag, 17. Dezember 2010
um 19:30 Uhr
im WOKI Filmpalast in Bonn

ein.

Die auf Bonns größter Leinwand gezeigten Kurzfilme werden am Abend zuvor von einer internationalen Jury ausgewählt. Alle Filme wurden von amerikanischen Filmstudenten während ihres Auslandssemesters in der Bundesstadt unter professionellen Bedingungen produziert.

Die Film & Television School Europe (FITS Europe), ein Joint Venture der Akademie für Internationale Bildung (AIB) und der Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, war zunächst im Düsseldorfer Medienhafen angesiedelt und fand 2008 am Rande der Bonner Altstadt gegenüber der Volkshochschule ein neues Zuhause. Die derzeit über hundert Teilnehmer aus verschiedenen Programmen der AIB leben während ihres viermonatigen Aufenthaltes in Bonner Gastfamilien.

Die unterschiedlichen Interessen der angehenden Regisseure spiegeln sich in der Auswahl der Themen wider: das Engagement einer Bonner Gastfamilie für mehr Nachhaltigkeit wird ebenso portraitiert wie"der lustigste DJ der Welt" aus Köln oder ein junger Winzer bei der Eisweinlese. Alle Filme haben eines gemeinsam: sie behandeln regionale Themen aus der Sicht junger US-Amerikaner.

Neben den Jungregisseuren aus Los Angeles begrüßen wir am Premierenabend folgende Ehrengäste:

  • Jürgen Nimptsch, Oberbürgermeister der Bundesstadt Bonn
  • Mark Evan Schwartz, Dekan der School of Film & Television,
    Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, USA
  • Dr. Rainer Zäck, Geschäftsführer der Akademie für Internationale Bildung gGmbH
  • Professor Andrew Hood, Head of Film Studies FITS EUROPE
  • Professor Glenn Gebhard, Graduate Director
    Loyola Marymount University School of Film & Television, Los Angeles, USA
  • Professor Art Nomura, Dozent FITS EUROPE /
    Loyola Marymount University School of Film & Television, Los Angeles, USA

Detaillierte Information zur Veranstaltung sowie zur Reservierung für kostenlose Tickets erhalten Sie hier.

December 10, 2010

Bonn On Ice

Ice Skating Rink at the Museumsplatz!

The skating rink at the Bonn Museumsplatz is one of the largest covered open air rinks in Europe, consisting of an area of 1100 square meters. In a beautiful atmosphere of a magical sea of lights, many winter attractions are offered.

The rink is open daily at 10am, and on holidays at 11am until January 30, 2011. New this year is an instructional curling range. It is open from Monday to Friday at 2pm, 4pm, and 6pm, sturdy shoes with grip soles are n necessary.

Skates can be rented for 4,50 Euro, entry fee is 3 Euros.

Watch some short impressions from last year, filmed by one of our former film students from Loyola Marymount Universtiy in Los Angeles on our YouTube-Channel!

December 7, 2010

A Journey of Interplanetary Funksmanship

thanksgiving2

Blessed sisters, brothers, damen und herren.  We invite you on a journey of interplanetary funksmanship.  We are a beautiful people.  So many faces with so many stories, so much food with so much drink, so much love with so much funk, hit me in 3-D baby, swing low sweet cherry top.

Prayer breaks for food to be consumed.  Eager individuals leap for the starting line, predicting the wait that will follow an apathetic walk up to the tables full of food.  We all wait our turn,  consumed in conversation, sneaking glances at passing plates, oh the delightful anticipation. 

Go time comes, fork – knife – spoon – napkin – plate, let’s do work baby.  Each of the six, maybe seven, rectangular picnic tables is filled with food, five types of salad, bowls of mashed potatoes, gravy to complement, a tray of enchiladas, bread rolls, green beans, and at the finish line there’s Dr. Rainer, hand slicing a golden brown once living animal of Turkish descent.  Dunkel oder helles? Dark for the dry mouths, light for the wet.  You choose.  I prefer my turkey dark.

As stomachs filled, the conversation previously held around rectangular and circular tables branched out beyond these confining constraints.  A group of athletes took over the engineering lab, taking advantage of the conveniently placed ping pong table, another social scene formed around a circular chest high table outside, members of this social niche brought together under one common commodity of consumption, cigarettes, and various others scattered throughout the building, lounging into leather couches, watching Toxic Avenger YouTube clips, and I believe an Alte Hause was spotted, but this will be filed a rumor for the time being. 

LMU students from each discipline were in attendance, engineering, film, the various majors that make up the New Europe Program, and of course the AIB students from Bonn University coupled with the teachers and administrators that have given their all to make this semester happen.  

If you weren’t there that night, wo warst du? Everyone who had a hand in the production of this event deserves the greatest of thanks, for a day for the thankful, I thank thee production committee.  You made my night a memorable one, and feedback from attendees reverberate such sentiment. 

December 6, 2010

100 Americans, 15 Italians and 12 Turkeys!

thanksgiving1

On the 25th of November, 100 AIB students celebrated Thanksgiving by having a nice American/German dinner. Thanksgiving is a time for bringing family and friends together and giving thanks to the good things in life. For many students this was the first Thanksgiving without family, but in a way having close to 100 Americans, 15 Italians, and festive holiday music, there was a nice family-like atmosphere.

The AIB provided the students with 12 turkeys, mashed potatoes, drinks, and also added a German seasonal tradition to the American holiday, by providing Glühwein. The students were in charge of the appetizers, sides, and desserts. This turned out to be a good idea, because it made for an interesting variety of food. Appetizers ranged from artichoke cheese bread, bruschetta, and a nice variety of salads, all the way to chips, guacamole, and mango salsa. The sides were also interesting. We had a huge assortment of vegetables, casseroles, cranberries, lasagna, as well as the german side called knödel. After all that food some people still had room for dessert, which included, cheese cake, muffins, pudding, a variety of pies, and sugar cookies. Many students pointed out that this great assortment of food provided them with more options than they would have had back home.

All in all, for myself this was a great experience. At first, I was actually jealous of my friends and family back home in America. Of course, Germany does not celebrate Thanksgiving so here it was just a normal day. All businesses were open, all schools were open, no parades were on television, it felt a little weird. I got up just like everyday and headed to work, while I'm sure most of my friends and family in America woke up and got to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It would have been great to be home in Texas with them to celebrate the holiday the way that I usually do, but by the end of AIB dinner I felt that my Thanksgiving was in no way a disappointment. This different style of Thanksgiving dinner was an amazing experience that I will never forget.

Welcome to Germany, a home for science and culture!

Have a look at this funny video to get some impressions of the past History of Medicine Study Abroad Program. Shot by our program director Olaf Brodersen and edited by Dylan Gallagher. Thanks for this!

By the way: You can find more videos on our YouTube Channel!

December 3, 2010

Alumni of the Month – Matt Zuvela

matt

The AIB's Alumnus of the Month feature will showcase some outstanding alumni who are doing interesting and exciting things, or who have made exceptional contributions to their chosen field of profession.

In this month’s feature Matt tells us a little bit about himself and what has kept him coming back to Germany. Matt was a participant in our New Europe Program and is now working as an Radio and Online News Reporter at Deutsche Welle here in Bonn!

Read his complete story on our website!

December 1, 2010

German-American Cookie Kitchen at its best!

cookies

Written by Jana Aßmann

Just a few days before the start of the Advent season, a small group of NEP students came together to bake some German and American cookies. Even though both recipes („Vanillekipferl“ and vanilla cookies with soy milk) contained lots of sugar, butter, and – as the names imply – vanilla, they tasted quite different and revealed some of the discrepancies between German and American cookie baking traditions.

After having bought piles of flour, sugar, butter, margarine, and powder sugar, the students and I met at the AIB and tried to cope with these masses of ingredients! But everything went well; with the help of two hand mixers and some strong hands kneading the ingredients we were able to prepare the dough for the „Vanillekipferl“, which turned out to be – at least for the American students – quite not sweet enough! I was surprised but I understood when we prepared the dough for the American vanilla cookies afterwards: Besides some flour, the dough consisted mostly of brown sugar, vanilla soy milk, and margarine, and it was so sweet you could hear the sugar crunch between your teeth! I must admit everybody loved trying this dough, me too, but the difference between the two recipes was obvious.

The dough of the „Vanillekipferl“ was rather crumbly, it was hard to form horns out of it, while the American vanilla dough was so soft it stuck to your hands all the time. But this was not the only difference: I remember standing in front of the students, two different coffee cups in my hands, and asking them: „ Which size of cup do you need for measuring the ingredients? “ After having received some perplexed gazes it turned out that 'cup' is a measuring unit which doesn't have anything to do with coffee cups!

In the end we managed preparing and forming the dough despite all these little problems. We had about a hundred cookies that we decorated afterwards with almonds, sugar icing, and powder sugar. They looked delicious in their little cellophane bags and the whole AIB smelled of vanilla cookies and Christmas.

For everybody who wasn't able to join us that afternoon or who wants to try baking these cookies, we decided to publish the recipes – even though it's a baker's secret we normally don't give to anybody :-)

November 30, 2010

We just hit 800 fans on facebook!

facebook

In the last two months our page grew up from just about 50 fans to over 800 fans... that's really amazing! Thank you all for making our page grow so big in such a short time!

So, what's up next? No question, we are heading straight to #1000!

You can help us reach the magic number by telling all your facebook friends about us and get them connected to the AIB!

November 23, 2010

Don't miss it: Atmospheric Christmas Fairs in the City of Bonn

weihnachtsmarkt

Gingerbread, burnt almonds and Glühwein (mulled wine) - Bonn's Christmas fair will soon conjure up a festive atmosphere in the City. From 19 November until 23 December it will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Every year, Bonns Christmas fair conjures up a festive atmosphere on Münsterplatz and Bottlerplatz, on Windeckstrasse, Vivatsgasse and Friedensplatz. Especially the atmospherically illuminated facades around the Münsterplatz form a festive scenery for the market booths. Up until the end of Christmas fair just a day before christmas, a daily changing programme will be performed on the christmas stage: puppet shows, music of all kinds and the visit of Santa Claus on December 6.

Bonn’s Christmas Markets attune everybody to the coming festive days. An unmistakable smell enchants Bonn’s centre, a mixture of gingerbread, potato pancake, fried sausage, burnt almonds, Koelsch beer and Glühwein - mulled wine. After several years only, the popular ice-skating rink on Friedensplatz has become one of its outstanding features. Every year Bonn’s central Christmas market attracts visitors from all over Germany and from neighbouring countries.

The stage at Sterntor will present a new programme every day. Performances by Bonn choirs and music groups will take place in the evenings. On Saturdays and Sundays, popular artists will make their appearance, beginning in the afternoon.

November 19 - December 23, 2010
open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

November 19, 2010

FITS Europe launches new website!

fits_website

After a few weeks of pushing pixels and pulling teeth we have launched the all-new, bright-and-shiny online home for the FITS Europe. We've added lots of new designs for better usability, created some exciting new features and are posting fresh content on a regular basis.

Thanks again to AIB’s communication designer Fabian Zöller who first redesigned our logo and then completely designed and coded the sophisticated and minimalistic black & white style of our new website.

So, take a look around on www.fits-europe.de and tell us what you think!

November 17, 2010

Germany’s fifth season

karneval

Written by Lyndon LeUnes

Karneval, or Germany's fifth season starts on November 11th at 11:11am. On this day, in mainly roman catholic regions of Germany, the festival and party season begins. Many festivals around Germany are held that day, but the most popular areas for Karneval celebrations are in the states on the West side of Germany, North Rhine Westphalia and Rhine Palatinate. Cologne has the biggest celebration for Karneval where thousands of people come together to celebrate the opening of the great season.

The season comes to an end on Ash Wednesday in February. Germans love their Karneval time of year and wouldn't want to let it end without a bang. The last week of the season starts on the Thursday before Ash Wednesday, and during this time celebrating is the only thing on many Germans minds. That week on Thursday, Friday, and Monday, many businesses and schools close down in the Rhineland and other places in Germany. There are a few parades that occur over the week, and many old traditions are also continued during the last 7 days of Karneval. For example, a very famous custom happens on the Thursday of that week called Womens Day. On this day, women run the show. They are allowed to cut the ties of men and also kiss any man that they would like to. This is celebrated because of the 1824 washer women revolt. Many other customs and traditions are celebrated that week which creates a great environment for everyone involved.

It was a great experience for me and the students that I traveled to Cologne with on November 11th. We didn't know exactly what to expect before we arrived. We pulled up on our train from Bonn all wearing costumes ranging from a banana to a polar bear. After getting off the train we realized a banana and polar bear weren't even close to the strangest costumes. To be in the middle of a huge town square with thousands of people in costumes watching live Karneval music being played on stage was a wild adventure. I can only imagine how fun the main celebration is in February and recommend to anyone who can experience this celebration, to do so.

Halloween in Germany?!

halloween

Yes! Although it is still not very common to celebrate Halloween in Germany, more and more people learn to appreciate this holiday and the customs linked with it. A few years ago Halloween was almost unknown in Germany, but now you see kids trick-or-treating on the street and Jack-0'-Lanterns in many dooryards.

Of course the New Europe students did not have to go without carving pumpkins for this special occasion while staying abroad. Once the pumpkins were delivered by the marketer the students began to shape their works of art and taught the German student workers who also took their chances a lesson. Many different shapes and styles came out in the end, and the most important thing: It was lots of fun, as seen above!

October 28, 2010

LAUP students participated in International Student Design Workshop

plan10

Take a look at the special foto report from the Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning Program. From September 24 - October 1, the students took part in the PLAN 10 Academy in Cologne where they worked with students from the RWTH Aachen and the Hochschule RheinMain in Wiesbaden on a design project for the "Kölner Wälle". We thank Thomas Knüvener and Johannes Böttger for organizing the workshop and working with the students.

It was a very special experience for everyone involved.

You can watch the complete Slideshow on our Facebook Page... or download the PDF-Version (ca. 6MB).

October 21, 2010

FITS Europe announces new Logo!

identity

Cut… and thank you!
Along with our new program director Olaf Brodersen, the FITS Europe is also getting a new logo. The most striking difference between the old and the new version is their statement. Responsible for the new look is AIB’s in-house communication designer Fabian Zöller. Let’s hear about his design process and his inspiration:

Fabian, what was your reaction when you came to know about designing a new FITS logo?
When Olaf decided to have the old logo redesigned, I was thrilled! The old one is okay, but it was just that: Old. It did not stand the test of time and it just existed in a non-scalable pixel version. So it was only usable for the web but completely useless for high-quality prints.

Did you have already something in mind when you started your work on the new logo?During my research and sketching process I reviewed a lot of film- and movie-related logos, and there are tons of them out there. Most of the existing logos in the film industry show either abstract versions of a film reel or a film stripe, and I have to admit that my first ideas also went in this direction.

Anyway, I wanted the new FITS logo to be significant and stand out in the crowd. The logo should be good looking in smaller and bigger proportions and I wanted to use a reduced color scheme, or perhaps just black and white.

What was your inspiration for the final version of the logo?
When it comes to logo design I rely on “KISS: Keep it simple & stupid”, so I focused on one thing that gets along with the history of motion picture from the very beginning: the camera.

The new logo is inspired by the picture you have when you look through a camera’s view-finder. It is minimal and puts the various disciplines of Cinematography, Editing, Directing and Production clearly into one signet. The same applies for the FITS Europe which offers students an extraordinary opportunity to study the art of Film production in a European setting.

What about the typography, why did you choose this one?
The name of the school, positioned to the right of the logomark, has a clear, characteristic and minimal typography in capitals with slightly rounded corners as often used for film and video, for instance in subtitling.

In addition to the typography I wanted to keep the basic colors of the new logo to black and white: On the one hand as a challenging alternative to the common full-color graphic overflow in some logos and on the other hand to pay homage to the era of black-and-white movies.

Did you try out many ways to visualize your ideas?
All in all I suggested four completely different logo looks to Olaf to show him in what different directions the new one could go. Luckily, after he reviewed my layouts and we discussed the designs we agreed to pick this one, which is also my favorite!    

In the end the overall look of the new logo is perfect for the FITS Europe. The signet is very pretty to look at… both on black and on white background and it doesn’t really require an explanation: It’s about film making!

As the “father” of the new logo: Can we expect further changes to the FITS Europe visual identity?
Of course you can! Right now we are working on an improved version of the FITS Europe website which will go live in a few days. So stay tuned for more updates and news on the FITS Europe via the AIB website!

(The complete logo design process can be viewed here!)

October 18, 2010

Steel & Coal – NEP students touring the Ruhr Area

ruhr

Image source & copyright: Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord


Written by Tamara Bruketta

Participant New Europe Program 2010

Waking up at 7 in the morning for school usually does not sound very appealing; however this Wednesday was an exception for the kids of the New Europe program. The program’s 4th excursion was an adventure to the historic Ruhr Area, Western Germany’s old coal manufacturing district.

Our first activity was a scenic bike tour through the Landscape park of Duisburg. Formally known as “Coalville” this landmark of Germany’s history has been undergoing changes of epic proportions in the past decade. While this used to be a site for the Steel mill of Duisburg it was shut down due to a lack of demand for the product being manufactured. So what to do with a giant piece of wasteland in the middle of a city? Well create a new multi functional theme park of course! That is exactly what the city decided to do, taking all of the pieces of the steel mill and creating functional rides and activities for the inhabitants and visitors of Duisburg.

While we rode our bikes through this monument to change we were surrounded by a nature engulfed steel mill that had been drizzled with bits and pieces of modern thrills such as a skate park, a movie theater, and even a scuba diving tank!

Next on the itinerary was a two hour bike ride through the city of Duisburg where we not only got a work out, but also got to see a bit of the city and enjoy lunch! Following lunch we made our way to the Zollverein Coking Plant which was closed in 1993 and entered into the UNESCO World Heritage to remain be recognized as a part of German history forever. The plant, we learned, was in function for approximately 32 years and is used today as a site for various exhibitions and activities for the locals. We received a guided tour of the plant exploring all of its old functions as well as the new additions such as a pool and Ferris wheel.

In all it was a long day, but definitely a good day. It was amazing to see how much an area can really take a negative situation and turn it around for all involved to create something that celebrates the past while still embracing the future. We learned so much about the heritage of Western Germany and the Ruhr area and even got a bit of insight into issues that we, in most countries, still struggle with today.

Powerplant Niederaussem and City of Aachen

powerplant

Image source & copyright: Stadt Bergheim

Written by Michaela Lentz
Participant LMU Engineering Program 2010

Our last Engineering Field trip was to the Power Plant Niederaußem and the city of Aachen. The power plant is a lignite-fired power station. The Rhineland region is full of lignite mining. First we stopped at “Hambacher Loch” which is a large mining area and from the viewpoint we are able to see the vast mine. Then we took a tour of the power plant where they turn the mined lignite into energy. Unfortunately the power plant was not up and running because of scheduled maintenance, but our tour guide showed us throughout the entire plant. It was neat to see the whole process of how they turn lignite into energy and see all the big equipment that make that transformation possible.

After the power plant we went to the city of Aachen. Aachen was a very cute town, but one of the most fascinating parts of Aachen was the Cathedral. The Cathedral is so large and has beautiful Romanesque style architecture. The Aachen Cathedral is most famous for the four “Great Relics” which are the Cloak of the Blessed Virgin, the swaddling-clothes of the infant Jesus, the loin-cloth worn by Jesus on the cross, and the cloth where St. John the Baptist’s head lay after his beheading.

Overall the excursion was very fun! We got to see an operating power plant and then we got to stroll about a beautiful city.

October 6, 2010

LAUP Weekly Photo Report – Part 3 & 4

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Another two eventful weeks have passed in the Texas A&M Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning Program 2010. Today's slide show will give you impressions of what the group did in class and out in the field... Have fun watching it!

 Photo Report from Bonn - Part 3 & 4

October 4, 2010

4th Company Challenge Run

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The 4th Company Challenge Run on September 16th, 2010 took place in the Rheinaue. The AIB also participated in this event: Nine highly motivated and well trained AIB employees went to complete a 5,7km track across the Rheinaue park. The head of team was Ture, who already handled the registration of the team and who could, as a marathon runner, set a sportive example for the rest of us. A part of the registration fees as well as some separate donations were used as charitable gifts. Altogether, 12.672€ were given to the Mukoviszidose e.V. and the Care Deutschland-Luxembourg e.V.

On a meadow in the Rheinaue, the City of Bonn had arranged a stage and tents which housed some of the participating companies. Since 4pm, a program with moderation and music was organized for the runners. When we arrived at 5.45pm, the meadow was already full of runners.

Even though the weather wasn't that kind to us (it was rainy and windy), we didn't freeze. Thanks to a collective Warm-Up half an hour before the start, our muscles were perfectly prepared for the run. We already started sweating before the start of the run!

At 6.30pm, we heard the kick off signal and more than 6.000 peoples, young and old, men and women, started to move at the same time. Some of them were dressed in special outfits, with screaming colors, jingling waist belts and funny slogans on their shirts, to draw more attention to their company and to win the prize for the best outfit afterwards. The AIB didn't think that big: First of all, we wanted to act as a group and manage the 5,7km without any unforeseen occurrences... And even without special effects, our beloved white AIB shirts still stood out in the crowd.

For the most time, we run on flat roads, but there were also two aclivities which were a real challenge. You can't imagine how high the hills in the Rheinaue can be after 20 minutes running!

However – we did it without short cuts or extra breaks. Our goal to finish the track under 30 minutes as a group was met – it only took us 27minutes and 10 seconds to make our way to the finish line through the masses of people. Before we went back home, we stopped for a drink at one of the tents. Exhausted and with red heads, but also satisfied with our success, we came back to the AIB and hoped to wake up the next morning without any muscles aching!

In all, the run was a complete success! Everything went smoothly and resulted in good spirits for the whole team. To be a part of that gigantic crowd of runners was a great experience for us. It also was a nice change of the daily office life. Next Summer, we hope to involve more students and their host-families in this great running event so that we can all represent our AIB together. Perhaps we will also win the prize for the best outfit then! :-)    

For pictures and videos head over to the Company Challenge Run website or take a look at our Facebook page!

October 1, 2010

Civil Engineering Giant

giant

Written by Andrew Dominguez
Participant LMU Engineering Program 2010

After an early morning Physics class and short lunch break, it was time for our next excursion; this time it was to Frankfurt to learn about a giant in the industry of civil engineering called HOCHTIEF. Once we arrived, we were greeted with a most welcome platter of cookies, but more importantly coffee! HOCHTIEF put on a thirty minute presentation on how one of their recently constructed buildings utilized green technologies for heating and cooling. They designed a most impressive system to utilize only natural elements like sun light and temperature of the soil surrounding the building. HOCHTIEF was able to not only save 20 million Euro in an upfront construction cost, but all of the cost heating and cooling such a large building requires in the long run as well.

Next we were off to see the inner workings of the building that we just heard about. We walked about 10 minutes down the road and there it was. We wondered around the building, climbed up and down from the atrium, crossed an internal bridge and peered into the visible environmentally friendly systems, for most of them are behind the walls or in inaccessible parts of the building. As we came across each of the systems discussed before we were told more in-depth of how they work.

After this, we got the chance to bear witness to the construction of a 185 meter tall building called T-185. It was inspiring and a bit overwhelming to see the sheer amount of materials that it takes to create such a building. While it is not the biggest building in the world, Germany, nor Frankfurt, it still was impressive to see such a colossal undertaking. As we arrived we had a short presentation on the history of the construction and a short background of the steps up to where it is at right now. Then we strapped on our steel toe yellow construction boots and took a construction elevator to the top. It was a beautiful sight as it looked out over much of Frankfurt, but a more impressive sight was all of rebar, cement and wood inside the building that was arranged in what looks like a precise mess. After a little while exploring and taking pictures it was back to Bonn and another school day.

Cheers!

September 29, 2010

LAUP 2010 Weekly Photo Report – Part 2

laup_report2

The second eventful week in the Texas A&M Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning Program 2010 has passed.

Take a look at impressions from group's field trips (Cologne, Schloss Dyck, Insel Hombroich u.a.) and activities summarized in the weekly report.

 Photo Report from Bonn - Part 2

September 27, 2010

Waffles & Chocolate

amsterdam

Written by Tim Burdiak
Participant LMU Engineering Program 2010

On Thursday the 16th of September the LMU Engineering Program began its trip to Amsterdam and Bruges. After a delayed morning departure (sorry everyone...) we were on our way. After being forced to climb up and down three stories of the steepest staircases I’ve ever been on to get to our rooms we met outside to begin our tours.

The first day consisted of a cruise through the famous canal system of Amsterdam, an audio tour of the famous Van Gogh museum and a group dinner serving such good beef stew it made me feel bad for the vegetarians at my table that couldn’t help us try to finish the extremely large amount of food in front of us. We were then woken up early Friday morning to visit the famous Anne Frank House. After walking through the whole house, we hopped back on the bus for another two hour bus ride to check out the Dutch Delta Works which is the name for the dams, sluices, locks, dikes, levies, and storm surge barriers that the Dutch spent thirty years building to protect their country (which is mostly under sea level) from the catastrophe of a storm washing the ocean across their country.

Another two hours later we arrived in the city of Bruges in Belgium. We spent the night in our hotel, which was a boat on a canal, and spent the next morning on a scenic bike ride around Bruges and to the surrounding city of Damme. After spending some time in arguably the most beautiful city I’ve ever been in and trying a few of the cultural necessities of Belgium including waffles and chocolate our trip was complete and we headed home to Bonn.

Overall, the trip went better than I could have possibly imagined and all of the tours really brought everything that these two cities had to offer.

Oh du wunderschöne Loreley - NEP students to explore the Rhine Valley

loreley

Written by Jordan Bunger
Participant New Europe Program Fall 2010

Oh du wunderschöne Loreley - New Europe Students to Explore the Upper Middle Rhine Valley

An early morning bus from Bonn to Bacharach. Heads start to drop into the cushion of the seat. 2 hours later, 30 minutes from Bacharach, heads begin to move upwards and eyes make their way out the window as we entered the rural country leading into the Rhine. Casually epic roads led us through the mountains to the river. The bus, a 50 person charter, was forced to make its way down these winding roads, the driver 100% confident of his skill set, nonchalantly leads us safely through the narrow route, comfortability that only comes with years of experience.

Our stay in Bacharach was peaceful. No hustle and bustle of city life, solitary individuals finding refuge in an old fashioned port town. Our time spent here was brief, only 45 minutes, but everyone experienced an unexpected sense of comfortability within its boundaries. From the Bacharach port, we all boarded the cruise ship, heading north towards Braubach. The scenery along the Rhine was beautiful, everyone occasionally looking up from conversation to appreciate the surroundings, realizing how lucky we were to be there at that particular moment.

We passed well nigh 10 castles, strategically perched on the hillsides overlooking the Rhine, each keeping a close eye on its respective port town, and a statue commemorating the tale of a beautiful singing woman named Loreley, who captured the imagination of shipmen, causing them to crash into the nearby cliff sides. Just past the Loreley, we made a stop to pick up a forgotten passenger, a poor man who missed the morning bus.

From there, we made our way to Braubach. Desperate for nutrition, we were guided by the lead of Viktoria and Arno to a local restaurant five minutes walk from the water, Braubacher Marktstuben. The food was great, with a selection of either Jagerschnitzel, pasta, or an entre sized salad. Once the food arrived in front of our eyes, silence immediately took hold of the room. After lunch, we were led on a mission up the hill to the Marksburg castle where we were given a guided tour and taught about everything from the evolution of armory to ancient methods of law and order.

On the bus ride home, only 8 hours after departing from Bonn, conversation was at a standstill as all 44 students were either asleep or in the process of nodding off. While a tiresome day trip, every single review was one of exceeding approval and the memories will remain alive in the countless pictures taken by all participants.

September 23, 2010

An Evening at Pützchens Markt

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written by Lyndon LeUnes

Pützchens Markt is held every year on the second weekend of September.

It is hard to believe that an event thats story dates back to 1367 A.D. would still be celebrated by around 1 million people annually. This is definitely still the case here in the Bonn-Beuel-Pützchen area of Germany, which is the location of the famous Pützchens Markt.

Pützchens Markt was first celebrated by Pilgrims after the death of the abbess Adelaide. She was the abbess of the neighboring monastery Vilich. Her prayers are believed to have brought and end to a time of a scarceness of water. The story says that after a prayer session the abbess thrusted her crosier into the ground and water began to spray out. A well was put at the spot that provided water and healing powers for the town people, as well as the Pilgrims. Today, many people still believe that the water has a healing power, and on (http://www.puetzchens-markt-webcam.de/) this statement was written: “Scientific investigations resulted in that aluminous water of the "Puetzchen" is able to relieve eye-diseases.” Obviously, the miracle of the Pützchen is one to be celebrated, and that is why the town people in the 14th century started the Pützchens Markt. It first started out as sellers selling their merchandise out of tents set up in the middle of town. As the years went on, the event turned into more of a festival and expanded to many traders, circus performers, and entertainers that brought in many people to experience this event.

The 2010 Pützchens Markt is obviously a lot different looking than the way Putzchens Markt looked when it first was created. This year the fairground had around 4.5 kilometers of walkway, and took up a space of around 80,000 square meters. There were around 550 businesses in attendance with their own tents. Businesses included all kinds of German food stores,(bakeries, sweets, butchers, restaurants) Breweries, (Bönnsch, Kölsch, Paulaner, etc) and many other miscellaneous specialty stores. One of the main differences the fair has nowadays that it didnt have when it started, are the rides. There were more than 30 rides and entertainment shows. All of them were very impressive, but two seemed to stick out a little more than others. First, the Doppellooping "Teststrecke" was most likely a main attraction. It is the largest mobile double looping roller coaster in Europe. This was the debut for this ride and many people rode it for the cheap price of €4.50. The other ride that seemed to stand out a little more than others was the Europa Ferris Wheel. It is the tallest in the world of its kind, and is always a main attraction at Pützchens Markt.

People from all over come to experience this great festival in the Rhineland. It was definitely a great way to experience the German culture as an American. I feel lucky that myself, and the students that are currently studying at the AIB got to experience this spectacular event.

September 20, 2010

Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning 2010: Weekly Photo Report – Part 1

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The Texas A&M Landscape Architecture & Urban Planning Program 2010, led by Professor Changshan Huang, arrived in Bonn on August 29. In cooperation with the city of Bonn, the 27 students will work on a project dealing with the design of Bonn's Rhine River promenade, which will be presented at the end of the program in early December.

This project work is supported by many cultural and course-related field trips as well as intensive classroom instruction. Other highlights of the program will be the group's involvement in the PLAN10 Academy in Cologne (September 24 - October 1) and excursions to Berlin and Paris.

Take a look at what has happened in week 1 of the program in the first weekly report:

Photo Report from Bonn - Part 1

September 13, 2010

AIB held its first annual AIB Soccer Cup

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On Friday the 3rd of September the AIB held its first annual AIB Soccer Cup at the Hofgarten.

The Cup consisted of 65 players split into 8 teams. The teams were made up of a mixture of students from the four programs that are studying at the AIB at the moment. The programs include Loyola Marymount Film, Loyola Marymount Engineering, Loyola Marymount New Europe Program, and a landscape program from Texas A&M University.

The tournament's first round games were played "round robin" style with the 8 teams split into 2 brackets of 4 teams each. The top two teams from each bracket moved onto the semifinal round.

After the semifinal games the two winning teams moved onto the finals (Team Awesome vs. Team 2 Better Than You). Team Awesome was Victorious with a final score of 2-0, which made them the first champions ever of the AIB Soccer Cup. The next day, all of the teams were awarded with certificates at the AIB Welcome Party BBQ. A trophy was also awarded that day to the champions.

Take a look at some photos on the AIB's Facebook Page... and don't forget to add us!

September 8, 2010

Welcome Everyone - Big Semester Opening Party!

 

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Written by Tamara Bruketta
Participant New Europe Program Fall 2010

An evening full of music, food, good company and yes even some dancing; the AIB welcome party was an evening to remember for all in attendance! With 300 participants in all, including students and host families it was an excellent chance to mingle and get some delicious food!

The evening began with a few brief speech from AIB Managing Director, Dr. Rainer Zäck, and even a special presentation by the Deputy Mayor of the City of Bonn, Angelica Kappel. Ms. Kappel gave everyone a short history and welcome into the culture of Bonn and its inhabitants. After which the group proceeded to let the party begin with drinks and appetizers including a delicious juice bar for all to enjoy. The atmosphere was incredible as host families met other host families and students met the families of their fellow peers. Even though there has been a shortage of good weather in Bonn for the past few days we were lucky to have flawless weather and the have the event outside in the garden area which buzzed with friendly conversations, introductions, and vast efforts to overcome language barriers.

Included in the event were students from each program taking place here in Bonn, Germany. As an introduction to all of these programs each group did a short presentation representing their time here in Germany. First up was the LMU Film Program who gave everybody a quick lesson on the functions of their favorite object, which they will be seeing a lot of here in Germany: the camera. There are a total of 17 students in the LMU film program that will be residing here in Bonn until they each head off to begin their documentaries in their city of choice all led by the accompanying LMU faculty Professor Art Namura. Next up was the LMU Engineering students. 16 students in total led by Professor Jeremy Pal who performed a short skit about the benefits of good engineering using the illustrious story of the three little pigs. Followed by this was a performance from the Texas A&M Architectural Design students, 27 in total led by Professor Changshan Huang, who gave everybody a little taste of their school spirit with some traditional Texas A&M football game cheers. Last, but definitely not least was the LMU New Europe Program, 44 students in total and led by Professor John Reilly, performing a short sketch presented by two representatives about the “Do's and Don'ts” of Europe and Los Angeles. After all of the skits were finished, the night resumed with even more delicious food, and some live music performed by a cover band made up of a few of the host parents.

In all, the evening was a complete success! Everything, weather included, went off without a hitch and all involved had an excellent time dancing, laughing, being merry and enjoying each others company. It was an terrific beginning to what is sure to be a terrific semester here in Bonn...

September 7, 2010

A Church, a Castle and a Cheese Dairy

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Written by Sean Krimmel

It’s hard to believe I had so much fun in a three-lane village named Monreal in the region of Eifel. The picturesque German town with pointed roofs and stone bridges rested beneath the shadow of a medieval tower, which I like to call the Eifel tower – that’s not the real name so don’t quote me on it.

The trip started with a bus ride accompanied by another group also studying abroad from LMU, the engineers. A friendly crowd, I spoke with them for most of the ride, which ended at a surprise mass in a German cathedral in a breathtaking town called Maria Laach. It was an uplifting experience hearing the Gregorian chants of the Benedictine monks as we all praised the lord together. It’s nice to know that I can be on the other side of the world and still be welcomed into the Catholic community. After the mass we were given a small tour of the church. The guide pointed out a carving of the Devil near the entrance and in the carving he held a piece of parchment.  Rumor had it that when one enters through the archway the Devil starts scribbling down all the sins of that person. It was no surprise that when I walked through his hand grew tired.

In conclusion, I had the classes, a cathedral tour, a late night hike with torches, great historic scenic views, and even a house-made cheese tasting supplied by the owners of our manor that was built in the 1800's. This Eifel excursion was just one of the many unforgettable experiences that I have endured so far. I can't wait to see what else this European adventure has in store for me.

August 10, 2010

Alumni of the Month – August 2010

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The new AIB's Alumnus of the Month feature will showcase some outstanding alumni per year. The program is designed to recognize alumni who are doing interesting and exciting things, or who have made exceptional contributions to their chosen field of profession.

This month we are proud to introduce Singer/Songwriter Alison Geddie. She participated in the FITS Europe - Film & Television Semester Program in Fall 2004 and Spring 2005.

Visit the Alumni of the Month – Feature!

June 28, 2010

Aggie Veterinarians in Europe

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The Graduate Veterinary Medicine Program ended in Berlin
by program participant  Kat Coker

Our whirlwind tour of Europe ended with a highly educational stay in Berlin. Between our visit to the Berlin Wall, the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, and Museum Island, we definitely had the opportunity to experience living history.

We spent Wednesday morning visiting the veterinary clinics at Berlin’s Free University. Because as a tech I have enjoyed watching surgery, I opted to go to the surgical suite in the Small Animal Clinic with Diana. There, we watched a splenectomy on a lab with a tumor the size of a football, a neuter and anal sac removal, and a laryngeal paralysis repair. The hospital was well organized, there were always enough students around to monitor anesthesia and help the doctors, and the techs kept the surgical prep running smoothly. The surgeons were extremely welcoming toward us, and when they realized that we were American students, they explained several of the procedures to us in English… Read the complete Article!
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June 15, 2010

Three eventful weeks

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This semester's Media Arts students from Indianapolis spent 3 weeks in Germany.

Not only did they get an inside view of their field of study by attending specialized classes that focused on theory they also got to see different facets by traveling Germany and gaining first-hand experience in media.

In the photo you can see David Ebert presenting to the students about the well-known “Rheinkultur” festival, which is the biggest of its kind in the country with 170,000 visitors in 2009.

Trips to the enchanting Rhine Valley and Cologne were included in the program, as well as a 4-day excursion to Berlin, which was one highlight of the students' stay in Germany. Various company visits throughout the region offered possibilities to connect with experts, discuss current issues and experience professional life in the fields of media and event management directly.

Altogether, the group was impressed by the program, which was compact and intensive in career terms, but also a lot of fun for the participants.

May 10, 2010

Bonn Marathon 2010

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Congratulations to our runners!

The tenth Bonn Half Marathon (21,1 km) was contested by our New Europe Students Colin O'Malley, Nikki Martinez and Carly DeLine as well as AIB Program Director Ture Petersenn.

Angela Vincent, Paulina Zäck, Will Buss and Tricia Kaminski successfully participated in the marathon relay (42,2 km) which was offered for the first time as part of the Bonn Marathon.

May 7, 2010

The End is Only the Beginning!

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Student blog: Looking back on "History of Medicine"-Program 2009/2010
by Daniel Grunden


When it snowed a few weeks ago, all the Germany memories just flowed into my head, and I can indeed say that I feel changed. I had more experiences on the study abroad than I had throughout the rest of my college career. Actually, my friends are tired of hearing all my Germany Stories. Now, whenever I tell a story, they will ask, "did that happen in Germany?"


The responsibility that the trip spits in your face in retrospect taught me how to live. The drastic dynamic between Germany and the United States and even the drastic dynamic between the big city of Berlin and a rural village like College Station was mind boggling. Now that I'm back, I just want to get out! I miss the late night adventures trying to locate the hotel, asking random people on the street for directions when they don't speak English. I miss the bitter cold where ears will freeze even if a hat is worn. I miss actually being required to wear shoes.


The material learned on the trip inside the hospitals has been much more helpful to my current studies than I ever expected. To be able to visualize a working clinical dialysis machine when learning about it in class forces the material to stick better. I find myself not being grossed out by smells anymore either. Nothing is worse than a necropsy or rectal exam! It's nice to see the faces of patients with recently implanted heart pumps and know that my field of study will make a difference in someone's life.


Now, I never see a pug now without thinking of Olaf. His obsession with dogs is like nothing I've ever seen in America, and the strange thing is that most Germans are just like him!
Isn't this the CUTEST?


One of the biggest things I miss about Germany is the public transportation system. I'll be driving the 2 hour drive to my mother's house thinking, "If I lived in Germany, I could be sleeping on the train right now!" I can't imagine why passenger trains aren't as big here as they are in Europe. Train stations are so convenient. If I need some soap, I could just pick it up at the train station on my way to school. It's amazing how little elementary school kids ride the tram like it's no big deal.


Some things I am happy to return to are: free water, waiter tips (a simple doubling of the tax), free refills, flip flops, shorts, the SUN

Some things I miss from Germany are: Snow, Snowballs, Snowball fights, Snowmen, Snowgirls, friendly Germans, Olaf, city life, Foreign Girls, free healthcare, no sales tax, German food.

May 5, 2010

Bonn's city fountains spring to life!

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Finally after a long winter hiatus, the city fountains in Bonn have been turned on this week, simulating the spring and summer seasons in parks.
All 98 ornamental fountains in Bonn, like the Sterntor fountain or the Martinsbrunnen at the Bonner Münster are springing back to life, once again giving Bonners spectacular backdrops for their photographs and cool, soothing places to sit on hot summer days.

April 21, 2010

“Total awesomeness!”

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This semester's VIZ students from Texas got to experience for themselves why some call Berlin the only German metropolis. A four-day trip to Germany's capitol opened up possibilities to get to know the city and all its facets first hand.

Not only did the students get an inside view on Germany's eventful history by visiting different museums like the famous Jewish Museum, the impressive Museum Island and attending a guided tour through Sachsenhausen Memorial, but they also learned about contemporary aspects of Berlin's city life while touring the most interesting districts by bike, exploring the streets and trying the huge variety of food Berlin has to offer. Attending the reputable Pictoplasma Festival with its international line-up was another memorable highlight for the Texas group.

Berlin really got the participants hooked, as the following quote of a Texas student shows: “Total awesomeness!”

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Three Countries in One Day

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Another eventful day for the New Europe Students...Kicking it of in good old Germany, the Aachener Cathedral and the Cathedral's treasury were the first point on the agenda. The oldest cathedral on Northern Europe has a lot to offer: it is not only known as the "Imperial Church" that witnessed the coronation for 30 German Kings but also keeps the remaining of Charlemagne, the famous Emperor of the Romans, relics of the bell of Mary as well the loincloth that Christ wore on the cross.

After a tasty lunch break with Aachener Printen, the students continued their journey to Maastricht via the Three Country Corner "Vaalserberg". Being in three countries (Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands) at the same time: wow! In Maastricht, the caves of Mount Saint Pieter, an underground labyrinth of over 20,000 passageways dating back to Roman times, was another highlight of our trip. And what could have been a better way to end the excursion than munching some original Dutch French Fries right on the Maastricht Market Square.Yummi!

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March 8, 2010

Mainhattan

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Yes, even Germany has skyscrapers, as the New Europe and Visualization students discovered on their trip to Frankfurt last Wednesday. And even though they might not be as high as in the States, they are still impressive...

Starting their day with a visit of the European Central Bank, the New Europe students had an insightful presentation and discussion on the European Union's monetary and fiscal policy and the current measures taken against the economic crisis. The visit was followed by individual activities as well as a city tour through the old and new parts of Frankfurt. Fascinating, how much the city is changing: the work on the new “Palace Quarter” is completed, the University about to start its remodelling process, and the demolition of the Technical Town Hall and the Historical Museum are in full activity.

Meanwhile, the Texas group explored art in public spaces and were astonished to learn that the Paulskirche is not used as a church anymore and the buildings on the "Römerberg", Frankfurt's old town square, are not as old as they seem. Before getting the chance to talk to professionals at a local video game company, the students enjoyed the perfect view and "Mainhattan feeling" from one of Frankfurt's highest buildings, the Main Tower.

A nice dinner in the renown and picturesque wine region "Ahr Tal" concluded this exciting day and made our American guest aware of the fact that good red wine is cultivated just a little south of Bonn.

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FREUDE. JOY. JOIE. BONN.

 

Watch the trailer for the city of Bonn's new image campaign right here or on our new YouTube-Channel! Do you like it?

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February 25, 2010

Like a real world business trip!

"The Bonn trip is amazing. It is like a real world business trip." - Participant 2009

Every summer, students of Loyola Marymount University's College of Business Administration visit Bonn as part of the program “The Environment of Business in the European Union”. Using Bonn as a hub, the program includes overnight excursions to Brussels (Belgium) and Maastricht (The Netherlands) as well as day trips with corporate and institutional visits to Frankfurt, Cologne, and Duesseldorf. Program participants get to enjoy the unique opportunity to interact with industry decision-makers and highly-ranked institutional leaders as part of their learning experience during this two-week course.

Take a look at a short version of the video produced by Paul, who was a participant of the program in Summer 2009 on our YouTube-Channel.

The complete video can be found here!

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February 22, 2010

Alaaf!

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Finally, the Rhineland's fifth season has arrived. Although still recovering from the Berlin&Prague Excursion, there was no way to hold the New Europe Kids back from celebrating Carnival.

Having been hyped up about these crazy days for the past weeks, the students put a lot of efforts in their customs and appropriate Carnival behavior: The truth is, "Kamelle", "Bützje" and "Alaaf" sound even more charming with an American accent and was of course rewarded with lots (...and lots!) of candy and flowers at the Carnival Monday Parade.

February 12, 2010

German culture: The attendance of a soccer game

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16 students from the Visualization Department of Texas A&M University have been in Bonn since mid-January. Although they have become acquainted with the German culture quite well, one important thing was still missing: attendance at a soccer game. Most of the students have been to games of their college football team, which usually plays in front of a crowd of 83,000. Nevertheless, the students greatly enjoyed the atmosphere they got to experience during the stand-off between Fortuna Düsseldorf and local rival MSV Duisburg. Unbeaten at home (8-2-0) Düsseldorf maintained its clean record and won 2:0 with 48,500 people attending the sold out home stadium.

Take a look at some impressions in our photo gallery!

January 29, 2010

AIB christmas outing 2009

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This year's Christmas outing took the AIB staff to Mayschoss, a small village situated in the Ahr Valley south of Bonn, and its surrounding vineyards. While hiking up and down beautiful snowy hills, we learned about the region's wine growing history and practices and got to taste a few samples. Afterwards, we enjoyed a hearty dinner (and more wine...) in the cellars of the world's oldest wine growers' co-op. What are we to learn out of this? "Trinken lernt der Mensch zuerst, und später erste das Essen. Drum soll er auch als guter Christ, das trinken nicht vergessen." (one of our tour guide's wisdoms!).

January 26, 2010

Texas A&M University and Loyola Marymount University students visit Bonn's historic city hall

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Deputy Mayor Angelica Maria Kappel welcomed the students to the reception room of Bonn's historical city hall, which has been a venue to receptions for many famous statesmen in the past, among them John F. Kennedy, Mikhail Gorbachev, Kofi Annan, Bill Clinton.

January 17, 2010

Welcome New Europe Students!

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The New Europe Programm Spring 2010 arrived! After a turbulent journey via icy London Heathrow, the New Europe Student finally made their way to Bonn. A great academic semester with trips to Berlin, Prag, and Spain lies ahead of them...and what could have been a better start than spending a day in the snowy Eifel region.

Amazed by so much (real) snow, the LA natives not only enjoyed a mass service in the abbey church of Maria Laach, a masterpiece of German Romanesque architecture, but also spent a whole lot of time in Monreal, a picturesque little town a good hour south of Bonn.

The only thing that was more exciting than the snow? The hot chocolate afterwards...