Heidelberg and Strasbourg

At long last, Kim and I attended the much anticipated DAAD RISE meeting in Heidelberg. This was the one for which we had been waiting ever since we had received the news that we had been accepted to the RISE program. Attending this meeting and being in the presence of other students who are conducting research in Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Engineering was a fantastic feeling. As I have mentioned in previous entries, I came to Germany because I wanted to study abroad and to do research in Chemistry, but also because I wanted to meet lots of great people from all over the world. At the DAAD RISE conference, I was able to do just that.

We arrived in Heidelberg on July 8th (a day earlier than everyone else). Fortunately, at the Heidelberg train station, we met two Americans, Kurt and Chris, who showed us how to get to the Jugendherberge, or the “youth hostel.” Checking in to the hostel was relatively easy, since the woman working at the front desk spoke English very well. Kim and I were surprised to find that we had a room to ourselves (usually, six people are assigned to one room), but we later found out that we only had the room for one night and had to move out the next morning. We ended up moving in to a room with two other girls, Chithra from the U.S. and Elena from Canada.

After we had unpacked, Kim, Kurt, Chris, and I went into the town of Heidelberg to explore. We got off at a stop called Universitätsplatz. It is interesting to see that the same stores, namely H&M, Woolworth, Orsay, Nordsee, Pimkie, Forever 18, and Tally Weijl, keep reappearing, regardless of which city we are visiting.

The DAAD RISE opening ceremony was very well organized. It was held in Alte Aula, a building that bears the sign: “Dem Lebendigen Geist.” I am so happy to have finally gotten to meet Dr. Christian Schäfer (Head of Section, North America), Miss Corina Bejan, Miss Michaela Gottschling, Miss Maike Steuer, and Mr. Adam Camenzuli, as well as one of the other DAAD bloggers, Fanyi. I really enjoyed listening to the DAAD scholars play their instruments, especially because I have played classical music (on the cello) for thirteen years.

The food at the courtyard buffet was delicious (or “lecker,” as the Germans would say). The mini sandwiches were a perfect snack, though I think that some of the students were hungrier than the program coordinators had anticipated. After the buffet, I attended a panel discussion on how to obtain a Master’s or a Ph.D. in Germany. After this information session, I am definitely considering coming back to Germany to study in the future, especially to work for an organization such as the German Cancer Research Center.

The next day, I had an early breakfast at the Heidelberg Youth Hostel and then joined my group for our company visit to Evonik-Degussa at 8:45 am. Evonik is an industrial corporation in Germany that was created in September 2007 and involves the areas of energy and chemicals. Degussa is an acronym of Deutsche Gold-und Silber-Scheide-Anstalt (German Gold and Silver Metals Separating Works). Evonik-Degussa is the world’s largest producer of specialty chemicals and Germany’s third largest chemistry company. At Evonik, I got to view the labs and learned how such devices as the centrifuge work. Lunch far exceeded my expectations. Evonik did a wonderful job of feeding its guests. J

At 7:00 pm, everyone in the DAAD RISE program met for a brewery banquet. Here, I got to see my advisor, Dr. Lourdes Echegoyen, Global Education and Exchange Manager of the American Chemical Society, and all of my friends who are also part of the ACS-IREU (American Chemical Society International Research Experience for Undergraduates) program.

The following day, after a debriefing at 10:00 am, all of the RISE students went on a guided tour of Heidelberg. One of my favorite sites in Heidelberg is the Neckar bridge. A tour guide told me that supposedly, the bridge has collapsed several times due to inclement weather, but is now standing strong once again. Near this bridge, there is a baboon statue. As legend has it, if you stick your head inside the baboon statue and put your hand on the item that it is holding, you will be endowed with good luck. I made sure to visit this statue several times.

I also loved seeing the Heidelberg castle. I first saw the castle from a distance, while I was standing on the bridge. At night, the castle looks so pretty because it is highlighted by blue and purple floodlights. The following day, on the guided walking tour of Heidelberg, I was lucky to see the castle from a distance of only a few feet.

After the DAAD RISE conference was over, Kim and I continued exploring Heidelberg with our friends, Mike and Nathan. We made a typical American visit to Starbucks and later saw fireworks over the river.

The next day (Sunday), Kim, Nathan, Mike, and I got up at a little after 4:00 am to check out of the hostel and make a 5:58 am train en route to Strasbourg, France. This train ride was probably the most interesting one I have ever experienced. We encountered a bachelor party in which the groom-to-be was dressed as a fireman and was selling pieces of a fire hose as a means of paying for the party. As all of the guys were still in party mode (I’m not sure how, because it was 6:15 am), we got no sleep on the ride, but we did get a lot of laughs.

Though Strasbourg is considered a “border town” (on the border of France and Germany), everyone speaks French there. It was drizzling, but a little rain did not stop us from seeing the churches, buildings, and statues for which the city is famous. Two of Mike’s friends, Chelsea and Rob, joined us in walking throughout the city. Unfortunately, most stores were closed because it was Sunday, though we did find a shop in which we bought postcards to remember our first visit to France. We were fortunate enough to get our passports stamped at the Strasbourg train station, as well. All in all, mission accomplished!

Thanks for reading. Take care! -April