Migratory Species? A true story about cultural immersion

This past summer I interned with the United Nations Environmental Programs (UNEP) Convention on Migratory Species in Bonn as part of the AIB’s SABINA language + internship program. It was an unforgettable experience and I learned more about Germany, the UN, international business and myself than I ever expected to.

At the core of my experience in Bonn was the AIB. They are the primary reason my time in Germany was so incredible. The AIB staff is very professional, passionate and organized. They meticulously coordinated a number of fantastic outings and excursions throughout my program, including, a Rhine cruise, going to the chocolate museum in Cologne, wine tastings in the Mosel region and trips to the theatre. More importantly the AIB staff makes you feel very much at home. You can tell that they love what they do and they are always there for the students. I felt very comfortable approaching the staff as well as the native German student workers with any question I may have had.

The AIB has an amazing network of host families who are incredibly friendly and welcoming. Although I never had any problems with my host family I knew exactly who to speak with if I ever had any problems. My host family was so kind and helpful that I could not have hoped for a more positive experience. They have been hosting students for years and they truly enjoyed having us in their home. While I was in Bonn there were obviously times when I missed home and missed my family but it helped having a host mom who would always tell me to have a good day on my way out the door and having a dinner with a loving family at the end of the day even if it wasn’t my own family.

Before I started my internship with the UN I spent five weeks at the AIB taking an intensive intermediate 6 unit German course that was followed by a weeklong excursion to Erfurt, Dresden and Berlin. It was a fantastic way to start my time in Germany and I was able to learn a lot of German in a very short amount of time. During that time I also got to know my fellow students, most of whom were from Texas A&M. I was born and raised in northern California and did my undergraduate degree in Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University so I am a Californian through and through and by the end of my six weeks at the AIB I learned just as much about Texas as I did about Germany. It was a fantastic group of people and our time together went by too fast. When it the end came we were not ready to say good-bye.

During my time at the UN I worked for the Convention on Migratory Species, which protects any animal species that migrates across international borders. I worked in the Fundraising and Inter-Agency Liaison department. It was a very dynamic and interesting department to work in and it gave me the opportunity to work on different types of projects. My boss and I were essentially in our own department so we worked very closely together. Our two main tasks were to find funding for CMS and to oversee current and potential partnerships. One of my main tasks was researching foundations and charitable organizations globally to find relevant grants for CMS’s partner non-profits who implement CMS’s policies on the ground at the national level. I also did a lot of research into potential partnerships with a variety of organizations ranging from energy companies to major cereal brands to professional sports teams. Towards the end of my internship I was part of the pre-drafting process for CMS’s new Strategic Plan effective 2014. My work on the Strategic Plan involved reaching out to partner conventions and interviewing those who were responsible for the planning and drafting of their organization’s strategic plan. I then synthesized that information so those involved in the Strategic Plan drafting process had some guidance from experienced hands as they began their drafting process.

Although my boss and I were essentially in our own division, I was able to spend a lot of time with the other interns working at the UN. Everyday I would meet all of the interns for lunch in the lobby. We would go to eat at the various cafeterias in the businesses near the UN like DHL and Deutsche Welle or on sunny days we would eat packed lunches by the river. There were always interns coming and going at the UN and during my two and a half months at the UN I met interns from England, Portugal, Austria, Germany, France, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Brazil, Belgium Ghana, the Netherlands and Spain. With such an international group of people we were more different than alike but we quickly discovered the things which connected us were much more important then the things that separated us. By the end of my internship I had a number of great friends from all over and I know that if I ever end up in their neck of the woods I will have a place to stay.

Living and working in a different country opens your eyes to a different culture and a different way of living. You learn to see your own culture through the eyes of another. When you return to your home country you begin to notice things you never noticed before. Through comparison you understand more fully the things your culture values, what you like about your country and things you wish your country did better. The study abroad experience is not always easy. It is an adjustment and it can be uncomfortable at times but you come out stronger, more independent and more confident. There is so much to be learned about other cultures and yourself. It is a truly once in a lifetime type of experience. Study abroad provides a safe way to become immersed into another culture. Germany is a fantastic country and Bonn is a truly wonderful and international city. Bonn is right in the middle of Europe so it is a perfect jumping off point for most European destinations, which are only a short plane ride or train ride away. Aside from the trips the AIB organized, I was able to go to Paris, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Cologne, Brussels, Frankfurt, Munich, Dusseldorf and Luxembourg during my time in Bonn. I cannot say enough good things about my time Bonn and I encourage any student who has the opportunity to study abroad to take it. The AIB provides a perfect opportunity for students to take that first step in a safe, enjoyable and meaningful way. I would challenge anyone who has the slightest interest in studying abroad to do so.

One Of A Kind Woman - Hildegard von Bingen

When Saint Hildegard von Bingen was proclaimed „Doctor of the Church“ on October 8th, AIB used this occasion to celebrate this interesting woman with several activities. After starting out this semester with a fantastic weekend at Bacharach, neighboring city of Hildgard's birthplace Bingen and visiting the museum dedicated to her life, AIB wanted to take the opportunity and make the students more familiar with her life and work.

Hildegard of Bingen lived during the 12th century and worked as abbess, reformer, visionary, writer, healer and a lot of other fields as well. During the last 50 years her work started to receive more and more recognition worldwide and she became famous. In order to make the students understand her complex accomplishments AIB started out with a tour through the Botanical Gardens in Bonn, pointing out different plants and herbs, which were used since the 12th century because of their positive healing effects.

On Monday Jutta Prinz, an official homeopath and certified in Hildegard von Bingen's treatments, gave a lecture on her life and the healing methods that were used by Hildegard. She told in detail on what some of the most popular healing methods were and how they work. Being confronted with a rather unusual view on medicine and the body and mind, students got to try galangal and parsley honey wine –  a unique experience rounding up the guest lecture.

After watching the blockbuster movie „Vision: From the Life of Hildegard von Bingen.“ the student's favorite activity of the week came up: making skin creams after an original recipe from Hildegard von Bingen. With only a couple of ingredients and a little bit of time the students produced a handful of different creams. First was a wonderful marigold cream, good for rough, chapped and cracked skin or sores. Next was a mint balm, which works wonders against headaches and muscle tensions and last the students made a violet cream, which is used for a long lasting moisturizing effect.

All in all it was a fun week and we are sure that students will not soon forget this fascinating, one of a kind woman.

The Rhine Cruise - Upper Rhine Valley

On September 14, 2012, the AIB film students joined up with the engineering group and went on an adventure to the Upper Rhine Valley. We woke up early in the morning and clambered onto a bus leading to a small town south of Bonn. After two hours of sleeping passengers, the students arrived at Bacharach and took a short break before we embarked on our boat journey. As the sun was rising over the mountain, the cruise ship arrived and we were off.

The trip was definitely a different way of seeing Germany and the villages along the Rhine. Sitting on the top deck, we were able to view the beautiful scenic mountains, villages, and many vineyards. The day was clear but windy, which made all the students bundle up with what little clothing they brought. The air was clean and crisp as we floated up the river, passing through many small towns that we have never heard of but admired the beauty held within them.

Finally we arrived at one of our destinations, Braubach. We docked and walked to a small restaurant where we were provided lunch. For the vegetarians there was mushroom pasta, for the meat eaters, Schnitzle and fries. After a filling meal, we began our small hike up to Marksburg, a beautiful castle on a hill that survived since the middle Ages. Marksburg was never attacked or involved in any war and therefore kept in tact for viewers like us. We were given a tour of the castle by a young woman, and learned about the families that owned the building, how royalty and luxury lived back then, and why the castle was built in the first place. Inside, authentic furniture and stone carvings were kept in pristine condition for the public.
  
After the castle, we hiked back down the hill to our bus. It took us only about forty-five minutes to get to our final destination: the Winzer winery in a town called Mayschoss. The winery had been around since the 1800s and has been making wine from the grapes grown on the mountain just outside the door. The vineyards were built on a slant and always harvested by hand. They are placed precisely where the sun hits at all times of the day; this is how they protect the grapes from the cold weather. In the cellar, we learned the process of making wine and how the juice is always kept in fresh wooden barrels for years before it is ready to be bottled. Depending on the wine, the entire process can take ten to fifty years before the wine matures.

After the cellar and the history of the winery, we headed upstairs to a private dining room where we were served dinner and three types of cheese. Each student and faculty had a plate of various meat, cheese, and bread. Afterwards, we were able to purchase cheese for our host families or to enjoy ourselves. With full stomachs, the students piled back onto the bus and headed back into Bonn for a long and restful weekend.

Written by Kate Remsen

The Art of Shooting a Student Film

On September 19th and 20th, the AIB film students teamed up to produce four short films. A few weeks back, the 18 of us chose which scripts were to be made; the writers of the chosen four became directors and the remaining students were divided into teams to work as crew. After casting the actors, the groups were excited and ready to film.

Day one of shooting: Germany is actually freezing cold. Up to this point, we have been very lucky with the weather here in Bonn. Sure it rained once or twice, but I don’t think any of us were ready for the weather to be in the 50s (Fahrenheit) in September. Most groups began shooting at 9am in this chilly weather. And let’s not forget the clouds. This weather did present a bit of a challenge; being used to Los Angeles shooting conditions, holding a boom and operating a tripod became a bit more difficult as our hands froze straight to the metal (excuse the exaggeration).

Despite the weather, as we get older and more experienced, working on sets becomes that much more smooth and enjoyable. While I heard some groups had trouble with sound, the set I was on ran effortlessly. The professors came by to make sure everything was fine and I am pleased to say that day one went off without a hitch.
 Day two of shooting: the day before we began shooting, we realized that there was a conflict with locations. My group ended up compromising and said that we would shoot in one specific location after another team finished.

The other team was supposed to be finished by 12:30pm on day two of shooting in this location. However, in film, relying on someone else’s schedule is not a wise decision. Would the other group really be finished in half a day? What if the weather changed later in the afternoon? We relocated to what ended up being a better location for our film anyways. Sometimes compromising provides you with good karma. With the final two scenes to film, everyone began the day in positive spirits and worked hard the entire time. The actors were wonderful to work with, professional yet still kind-spirited.

In all, shooting was a success. I was worried that these two days could potentially be some of the worst of the semester. It is always hard letting go of control and working on someone else’s script and taking direction. I was fortunate to have such a great group where everyone’s input was taken into consideration and respect, yet full of laughter and fun.

Written by Hanna Finlayson

Amazing Amsterdam

On the second Saturday morning, we groggily boarded a 7:53am train to Amsterdam. Thank goodness I was able to sleep on that four-hour train ride, otherwise Amsterdam and I would have had a grumpy introduction. Interesting fact: when you travel by train through many parts of Europe, there is practically no passport control. Anywhere. Coming from highly security concious USA, it was a little sketched out. I mean- I’m not best friends with TSA, but I understand their purpose and importance. Here. Nada, nein, nichts. So unusual.Other than the whole security aspect of no passport control it also means I’m racking up zero stamps in my passport. Not cool. What else are all those blank pages for? I’m going to start drawing my own in – just need to find some Crayolas first.

Our class was venturing to Amsterdam to attend the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC). Even on the train ride there, I didn’t fully know what we were getting ourselves into. IBC sent me twenty emails a day, but my annoyance at spam mail overpowered my desire to read the emails. Once I arrived at the conference though, I realized that reading those emails probably would have been helpful and more than fascinating. To put it plainly, IBC is a playground for film kids. Overflowing with cameras, post production software, lighting kits, camera cranes, storage solutions, sound technology, and too many goodies to count! Considering the only other conference I’ve been to was for scrapbooking, (yes, that happened) this one by far took the cake.

Just outside IBC, we met our cinematography professor for the first time, Thor I mean Jens. He had already been walking around the conference earlier in the day and recommended some stalls and areas for us to check out. Once we stepped inside the convention center, they set us loose. I went to the camera hall first, with Sam and Caro. We aren’t the most skilled and knowledgable camera students but our eyes still went goo-goo at the Arri’s Alexi and we became kids at a candy store trying on steadicams. As much fun as we were having learning about different cameras and exploring different stalls, no one could trump Will’s expression in the camera hall. When we ran into him, his smile could barely contain his joy. It was Christmas morning and Santa left more than just the presents Will asked for, he left his reindeer, sleigh, and the whole North Pole. I’ve never seen such a sparkle in Will’s eyes. Guess that’s what happens when you give an aspiring cinematographer a hall full of the best cameras around.

After exploring the camera hall, we moved on toward the post production and it was my turn to light up. Walking down the steps, I could already tell we walked into a boy’s club, but I didn’t care. One woman handing us a booklet even commented how glad she was to see women in the post production hall. The first stall we walked up to was Quantel’s Pablo Rio, which is an editing consul for color correction and finishing. As soon as we walked up, we put on 3D glasses and watched a reel of the films they had worked on including “Avatar”, “The Social Network”, and “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”. After watching the presentation, we began speaking to the Pablo Rio expert who was telling us that the latest innovation with Pablo Rio is that one can now purchase just a software version, which makes it much more accessible for schools and smaller productions. We told the man we were film students from LMU studying abroad, and in response he posed “Playa del Ray” as a question. Complete coincidence! We were half way around the world and found a man who is from Playa del Ray, plays tennis on LMU’s courts, and is close with a SFTV professor. What are the odds? ... Apparently pretty favorable because we found two other people at IBC who had an LMU connection. LMU can feel very small sometimes, but then again so can the world.

After drooling over the Pablo Rio, we explored more of post and made our way to AVID, which my laptop is desperately missing. Unfortunately we didn’t get to spend much time in the post production hall because the convention was closing for the day, but just being there a little made me all happy inside. IBC far exceeded my expectations, I only wish I could have spent more time exploring it because I could have stayed at some stalls for days. I’m so glad AIB took us there, I never would have had the opportunity to go on my own. IBC brought Christmas to Amsterdam- not a bad weekend trip in my book.


Written by: Sarah Bush

Kinopolis - Bad Godesburg

Cinema in Germany is very similar to the United States; the same movies brought to theaters near you are being shown all around the world. On September 12, 2012, the film class ventured to a local movie theater and discovered the similarities in broadcasting. Kinopolis is the name of the theater located in Bad Godesburg just south of Bonn. We were met with the tour guide who barely spoke English so our cinematography professor had to translate.

We were lead to the projector room and had a personal tour of the machinery. They had an analog machine as well as a digital. The analog machine worked completely mechanically; the projectionist had to glue additional material to the film, which was responsible for telling the projector what type of aspect ratio and the type of lens needed for the film. The sound was actually separate from the projector and worked synchronized with the video. The job of a projectionist was to make sure the projector had the specific settings in order for the film to be played back correctly. This was used before digital projectors and is still used at Kinopolis for particular films.

For this theater in Germany, changing from analog to digital was quite difficult and costly. The theater had to re-wire the entire projector room in order to compensate for the digital machines. The screens had to be changed for the new 3D wave and took a couple of years. At Kinopolis the digital projector has the ability to broadcast live. They are connected to satellites and are able to show films from other countries over wireless Internet; including television, operas’, news, etc. To help the projectionist work efficiently, the digital projector contains programs that automatically detect the correct settings for the film, unlike analog. At Kinopolis there is only two projectionists working the theater: one to bring the film in from the server, the other to start the film with the correct settings.

It’s difficult for each cinema to determine whether to invest in the newest technology or to stick with their original machinery. The reason that the prices of tickets have drastically increased is because of this new equipment. If a theater invests in 3D technology and a year later, 3D is no longer popular, the theater looses all that money. The current dispute for the Kinopolis cinema is whether to change to 4K digital projectors or to wait for the next hot thing on the market. Currently, the theater contains 2K projectors with the option of 4K depending on the screen. Most theaters wait behind technology advancement to save money and determine what will be the most popular option.

After the projection room, the students were invited into on of the theaters and shown two trailers of upcoming films in 3D. We experienced the beauty and crisp pictures of 3D at Kinopolis and were finally able to understand the technology behind projecting films. After discovering the workings of the cinema, many students have decided to go back to the theater and watch upcoming movies from the states. It was a pleasant and learned experience.


Written by: Kate Remsen

Paris Ain’t Got Nothing on this Eifel!

Gregorian chants greeted us as we piled inside a nearly one thousand year old Benedictine monastery on our first Sunday morning in Germany. Despite the early wake up call on the weekend, all of us were still in awe at the sight before our eyes. We attended a Sunday morning service in the monastery that is still performed in Latin. Having studied Latin for four and a half years, I can honestly say I was lost from almost start to finish trying to follow the program.

If it weren’t for the fact that I was Catholic, I would have thought we were all singing about “Bratwursts”. It was still really amazing to be part of a tradition that has been going on for centuries. The grounds where the monastery was located left me awe struck. Once we left, the scenery only continued to get nicer.

We stopped in a little town to grab some lunch before heading to our final destination, Monreal in the Eifel region of Germany. Once there, we proceeded to immediately hike up to the castle on top of the overlooking hill. The bribe of real gelato at the end enticed everyone to join in. I already had gelato three of the last four days and was glad to eat more. The hike was a little challenging at times with our bags and at times slippery terrain, but the view from the top was well worth it. After getting settled in our hostel and apartments in town, we gathered for a dinner and then a night hike with torches followed the good bread and cheese from the Eifel. Should AIB really have given us fire while walking through unfamiliar woods? Probably not, but thankfully we didn’t light the town ablaze. Throughout the trek, people’s torches would dwindle and go out, but we made it to the top of the castle with a good amount of flames. It was definitely a unique hiking experience that I’ve never had before.

The next day we had some directing class with Andrew Hood. Everyone was split into pairs, given an emotion, and had to convey that emotion and a narrative through 12 still photographs. To be honest I think Lia and I lucked out when we pulled the emotion ‘love’ because Monreal was such a picturesque place, it was hard not to see love through the beauty surrounding us. After that assignment we had another group lunch and then more free time to wander around the town and grab a nap. That evening we came together again to pitch and vote on the narratives we would be shooting later in the semester. Eight of the scripts were chosen by the professors to be pitched in front of the class and then there was voting to determine the final four. Hanna’s, Andre’s, Megan’s, and my own scripts were chosen in the end. After another delicious meal with a cheese tasting, we were all exhausted for the day.

Our final morning in Monreal was spent a little in class time and a little resting. In the end, the Eifel retreat was a really nice excursion to get away at the beginning of the semester. It was a nice class environment and helped everyone become acquainted with the teachers in a less formal setting. If you’re ever looking for some beautiful country side to explore, Eifel is the place to go.


Written by: Sarah Bush

Expectations

I was expecting changes when I came to Europe. I thought there would be a huge language barrier, I would eat endless amounts of sausage, and immediately know what I want to make my documentary about. Some of my expectations have proven to be true (I actually had a „Bratwurst“ for lunch today and a „Bratwurst“ for dinner last night), while others have been entirely wrong. For example: Language is not a huge issue or barrier at all.

I was taught to say: „I speak a little German“ and whenever I ask someone if they speak English, they always seem hesitant and say: „Just a little“. Here’s the thing – I do speak a little German. A very, very little. When a German says they speak a little English, they are under exaggerating. They will probably speak English almost fluently and you will have no trouble understanding or deducing what they mean. I love this – the unnecessary modesty and uncertainty.

Another thing about Germany or Europe in general that is different is the food and fitness. I was originally convinced I would be gaining weight in Germany, with the carbs on carbs on carbs from bread, potato and beer. I thought it was inevitable that I would gain a comfortable 15 pounds. Still, I was confused when I looked around and quite a bit of Germans are in shape with far fewer obesity problems as I could tell. I soon realized why – the walking. To get anywhere you must walk. Even with the accessibility and convenience of the public transportation system, walking is still a huge part of daily life. In a day I walk to my bus station, then to school from the drop off, then to lunch, then around the city before heading back home. I question now if it would even be possible to not get in some form of better physical shape. I made a comment to a few Germans about the 40 kilometer bike tour the AIB students went on, I was hoping for some level of shock. My host dad was the first to shut that down with a polite, but sincere, “That’s it?”

Written by Hannah Finlayson