May 15, 2016 Day 9:
Today was a very dreary day, both in content and in weather. We boarded the bus to go to Dachau today, which was the first concentration camp the Nazis used. It was this camp where they tested the systems in order to use them everywhere else. Upon going into the camp, the gate was the most prominent to me. On it was "Work Will Set You Free" in German. I've heard this before in my history classes, but I never really thought anything about it. Once in the camp, it seemed so bare. There were a few buildings around, but that was it. We went in the registration building first where all the prisoners were immediately taken and stripped of all personality. Then we visited the main shower area where they would take showers once a week. Once interesting, but dark, thing the tour guide pointed out to us were 2 squares across from each other on the pillars in the middle of the room. On these 2 squares, a beam of wood was placed with metal hooks on them when the SS wanted to punish prisoners, they would shackle their hands behind their back then hang them on the hooks like meat to slaughter. This was difficult for me to visualize, due in part to the fact that I am very squeamish.
We continued on the see the original rooms they were kept in. There were several people to a room that was about 7 feet by 7 feet, maybe even smaller. these did not seem very ideal, and I can't even put myself in their shoes what these people had to endure was truly tragic, and an obvious violation of human rights.
We continued on, coming to the crematorium. this was a difficult part of the tour to wrap my head around. In this small building alone, so many lives were lost. People were tested on here, and most led to their untimely fate. It was an eerie trip, but it is incredibly important that we went, for it is a great source of history. I will not forget what our guide told us..."You have given up an incredibly valuable and irreplaceable resource to us: time"
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
May 14, 2016 Day 8:
Today was a rainy trip to Munich. We started by getting on the train to go to Munich. I never went on a train before, so it was a really exciting thing for me. It felt just like riding on the train, but it went faster. at one point, we went through an underground tunnel, and the train caused a vacuum like response, so for about 6 seconds, our ears needed constant popping; it was a strange experience.
We reached Munich and the train station there was so cool. It looked like a mall on the inside and it was so lively. However, that may be due to a soccer game in Munich. What else astounded me was the fact that there were more underground shops and walkways we could use instead of using the walkways on the street. We went straight to the square where we saw the town hall. I love how old the building looks and the gothic architecture. I noticed the glockenspiel and thought it looked sort of out of place. It was about 11 when we got to the plaza and church bells were ringing like crazy. Personally, I thought it was pretty cool how all the bells sounded so different but at the same time could sound so good together. Once the bells stopped, the glockenspiel started playing music. the top half of the scene started moving around a couple at a table. After that, some men started dancing in a circle. All this happened while the music continued to play. It was interesting to watch since we don't have anything like that in Pittsburgh. It was a 15 minute process, and it was interesting for the entire time. When our tour guide met with us shortly after, she told us the glockenspiel was the story of the Duke of Bavaria getting married to a French royal in the 1500s. It was very interesting, and it was kind of strange to see the entire plaza staring up at this glockenspiel. It was the only time the plaza seemed to stop.
Our tour guide took us on a tour of some of the major points of Munich, including St. Peter's church, the 5 courtyards and the hanging gardens of Munich. My favorite was the gardens of Munich since they were so beautiful. It was a perfect mix of greenery and lights. It was great how the plants could grow so long indoors. I have a thing about plants; I think they're lovely.
Once we left the guide, we got free time in Munich. I got to go to a restaurant near the main plaza and got Spatze. It was kind of like Mac and Cheese, but instead of pasta noodles it had dough balls. It was very interesting and incredibly delicious.
We got to do some shopping and I bought a German flag for my dorm room and a pin with the Bavarian crest on it. I'm excited to have finally been able to buy souvenirs since we've been so busy lately.
Though it rained in the morning, it was sunny while we were walking around shopping. We met back with the group, and went to a burger place. It to a while to get our food, but we got it as the first table was finishing. The chicken burger isn't as good as it is in America, and the ketchup is far sweeter here. We walked back to the train station in the rain and traveled back to Augsburg.
Today was a rainy trip to Munich. We started by getting on the train to go to Munich. I never went on a train before, so it was a really exciting thing for me. It felt just like riding on the train, but it went faster. at one point, we went through an underground tunnel, and the train caused a vacuum like response, so for about 6 seconds, our ears needed constant popping; it was a strange experience.
We reached Munich and the train station there was so cool. It looked like a mall on the inside and it was so lively. However, that may be due to a soccer game in Munich. What else astounded me was the fact that there were more underground shops and walkways we could use instead of using the walkways on the street. We went straight to the square where we saw the town hall. I love how old the building looks and the gothic architecture. I noticed the glockenspiel and thought it looked sort of out of place. It was about 11 when we got to the plaza and church bells were ringing like crazy. Personally, I thought it was pretty cool how all the bells sounded so different but at the same time could sound so good together. Once the bells stopped, the glockenspiel started playing music. the top half of the scene started moving around a couple at a table. After that, some men started dancing in a circle. All this happened while the music continued to play. It was interesting to watch since we don't have anything like that in Pittsburgh. It was a 15 minute process, and it was interesting for the entire time. When our tour guide met with us shortly after, she told us the glockenspiel was the story of the Duke of Bavaria getting married to a French royal in the 1500s. It was very interesting, and it was kind of strange to see the entire plaza staring up at this glockenspiel. It was the only time the plaza seemed to stop.
Our tour guide took us on a tour of some of the major points of Munich, including St. Peter's church, the 5 courtyards and the hanging gardens of Munich. My favorite was the gardens of Munich since they were so beautiful. It was a perfect mix of greenery and lights. It was great how the plants could grow so long indoors. I have a thing about plants; I think they're lovely.
Once we left the guide, we got free time in Munich. I got to go to a restaurant near the main plaza and got Spatze. It was kind of like Mac and Cheese, but instead of pasta noodles it had dough balls. It was very interesting and incredibly delicious.
We got to do some shopping and I bought a German flag for my dorm room and a pin with the Bavarian crest on it. I'm excited to have finally been able to buy souvenirs since we've been so busy lately.
Though it rained in the morning, it was sunny while we were walking around shopping. We met back with the group, and went to a burger place. It to a while to get our food, but we got it as the first table was finishing. The chicken burger isn't as good as it is in America, and the ketchup is far sweeter here. We walked back to the train station in the rain and traveled back to Augsburg.
May 13, 2016 Day 7:
Today was a crappy day with weather, but an awesome day at BMW. We had a later start, so I just got to sleep in a tiny bit more than I usually do. We drove to Munich again and could actually go into the main BMW building this time. There were so many cars in there, it was so amazing. I'm not very big on cars, but I was astounded by all the different types of cars. I was especially interested in the ones with a matte finish. We got to go in the museum too, which was pretty neat. There were so many cars for only 100 years, it's really fantastic.
After being able to explore the 2 buildings by ourselves, we got a complete factory tour, from pressing to finished product. we started in the press room where there were so many huge steel blocks. We got to see how they lift and move the blocks with a pulley/crane system. they looked like they were going to fall at one point, but it was able to support the weight some how. from there, we entered a room full of KUKA robots that welded the parts together. We were told that there were over 6000 spots that were being welded on the car to ensure everything would stay together in final production.
From there, we went to several different production lines where they did various things such as seating, putting the axles on, and putting the windshields on. It was so mesmerizing to just watch the lines go by and the workers do everything so fluidly.
However, to no surprise, I enjoyed the paint process the most. The paint came our of the nozzles and just appeared on the car out of nowhere. We watched them prime the car with paint, then put on the base coat. The primer could be one of four colors, but the ones we saw were white or tan. The outer ones were black or white, but they could be one of any 12 colors. The outer color could also be a custom color, but then the body would have to be taken off production line and hand painted at a different site. Paint makes me very happy, and maybe one day I will be able to work at BMW or another company with paints.
We finished our tour and left BMW. Today was a very successful and fun day. Though I'm not big on cars, I enjoyed everything thoroughly.
Today was a crappy day with weather, but an awesome day at BMW. We had a later start, so I just got to sleep in a tiny bit more than I usually do. We drove to Munich again and could actually go into the main BMW building this time. There were so many cars in there, it was so amazing. I'm not very big on cars, but I was astounded by all the different types of cars. I was especially interested in the ones with a matte finish. We got to go in the museum too, which was pretty neat. There were so many cars for only 100 years, it's really fantastic.
After being able to explore the 2 buildings by ourselves, we got a complete factory tour, from pressing to finished product. we started in the press room where there were so many huge steel blocks. We got to see how they lift and move the blocks with a pulley/crane system. they looked like they were going to fall at one point, but it was able to support the weight some how. from there, we entered a room full of KUKA robots that welded the parts together. We were told that there were over 6000 spots that were being welded on the car to ensure everything would stay together in final production.
From there, we went to several different production lines where they did various things such as seating, putting the axles on, and putting the windshields on. It was so mesmerizing to just watch the lines go by and the workers do everything so fluidly.
However, to no surprise, I enjoyed the paint process the most. The paint came our of the nozzles and just appeared on the car out of nowhere. We watched them prime the car with paint, then put on the base coat. The primer could be one of four colors, but the ones we saw were white or tan. The outer ones were black or white, but they could be one of any 12 colors. The outer color could also be a custom color, but then the body would have to be taken off production line and hand painted at a different site. Paint makes me very happy, and maybe one day I will be able to work at BMW or another company with paints.
We finished our tour and left BMW. Today was a very successful and fun day. Though I'm not big on cars, I enjoyed everything thoroughly.
Friday, May 13, 2016
May 12, 2016 Day 6:
Today was an incredibly early start for us. We had to be in the lobby at 6:50 and leave by 7. We went to LEAR, what I thought was a car seating company. When we got there, a gentleman gave a presentation on who LEAR distributes to and some economics of the company. What I noticed was the two men presenting mostly talked about the technological components of the company and innovating in that. They didn't seem to talk about seating at all, and that confused me.
Next we went to different parts of the factory to see how they did things. We started at the final production line, where we saw how they finish up some of the circuit boards before they ship them to the auto companies. Again, I saw no seating, but what we saw was pretty neat. They have to have workers put together the parts; robots can't do everything.
We next went around the sound testing facilities. This turned out to be one of my favorite, if not my favorite, part of the tour. We sat in a room of speakers where they played "Feeling Good" by Michael Buble, and it sounded incredible. The guy there said what we were hearing was what it was supposed to sound like in the car. They do many tests in order to ensure the audio quality in the car was the best. He then showed us a car they were testing, which had interesting patterns on it. We then got to the best part. Our guide let us sit in a Mercedes-Benz and listen to the acoustics. It was so incredibly comfortable and luxurious, it's easy to see why it's produced at $100K starting price. Though the business side was not that interesting to me, the technical side fascinated me and I wish I could have looked at the machines longer.
We got back on the bus to go to Nurnberg. I wasn't sure how I would like it, since we were doing another tour, but I ended up loving it. I love the buildings and bridges, the styles of architecture go so well together. Again, the culture of the city astounds me, and its history is even better. To think that some of the buildings there survived the bombing in world war II fascinated me. It is truly a fantastic feat.
After our tour we got to go to a restaurant that has Nurnberg sausages. Once again, I ate a meal I wouldn't usually like and it turned out to be delicious. I had Spezi for the first time also, and it too was delicious. It was a mix of Coke and Tanta, which is a strange combination but really good. I am very happy I am eating and trying more foods to further broaden my spectrum of food to eat.
Nurnberg is definitely a place I want to go back to one day. I would like to see the shops and street market when it is in full season, because I think it would be a great sight to see. So far, this has been my favorite sight on the trip, and I hope I can post pictures soon.
Today was an incredibly early start for us. We had to be in the lobby at 6:50 and leave by 7. We went to LEAR, what I thought was a car seating company. When we got there, a gentleman gave a presentation on who LEAR distributes to and some economics of the company. What I noticed was the two men presenting mostly talked about the technological components of the company and innovating in that. They didn't seem to talk about seating at all, and that confused me.
Next we went to different parts of the factory to see how they did things. We started at the final production line, where we saw how they finish up some of the circuit boards before they ship them to the auto companies. Again, I saw no seating, but what we saw was pretty neat. They have to have workers put together the parts; robots can't do everything.
We next went around the sound testing facilities. This turned out to be one of my favorite, if not my favorite, part of the tour. We sat in a room of speakers where they played "Feeling Good" by Michael Buble, and it sounded incredible. The guy there said what we were hearing was what it was supposed to sound like in the car. They do many tests in order to ensure the audio quality in the car was the best. He then showed us a car they were testing, which had interesting patterns on it. We then got to the best part. Our guide let us sit in a Mercedes-Benz and listen to the acoustics. It was so incredibly comfortable and luxurious, it's easy to see why it's produced at $100K starting price. Though the business side was not that interesting to me, the technical side fascinated me and I wish I could have looked at the machines longer.
We got back on the bus to go to Nurnberg. I wasn't sure how I would like it, since we were doing another tour, but I ended up loving it. I love the buildings and bridges, the styles of architecture go so well together. Again, the culture of the city astounds me, and its history is even better. To think that some of the buildings there survived the bombing in world war II fascinated me. It is truly a fantastic feat.
After our tour we got to go to a restaurant that has Nurnberg sausages. Once again, I ate a meal I wouldn't usually like and it turned out to be delicious. I had Spezi for the first time also, and it too was delicious. It was a mix of Coke and Tanta, which is a strange combination but really good. I am very happy I am eating and trying more foods to further broaden my spectrum of food to eat.
Nurnberg is definitely a place I want to go back to one day. I would like to see the shops and street market when it is in full season, because I think it would be a great sight to see. So far, this has been my favorite sight on the trip, and I hope I can post pictures soon.
May 11, 2016 Day 5:
Today was a day many people were looking forward to; one of our visits with BMW. We got dropped off outside the headquarters which looks like a 4 cylinder engine. When we got off, I heard a man screaming something in German, and I got confused. Soon after we got back on the bus and Sonja told us that there was a union demonstration prohibiting us from entering the building. We quickly relocated to a stuffy room where a man presented about the marketing aspect and as placement of BMW, which I personally found boring. But hey, that's what happens when you stick an engineering student in a stuffy room and present business marketing to her. He was very knowledgable and it fascinated me how much he could talk about marketing.
After our marketing talk, we left to get lunch. A mix of German and American students went to this restaurant near the Tram station to get Doner. It was so good, coming from the luckiest person ever. I think it contained lamb, cabbage, lettuce and tomato in a bun. Whatever it was, it was very delicious. When we were sitting there eating, a man sitting a couple tables over from us was unresponsive and we believed that he had a stroke. This was scary to me, because I thought he had died right there. The sun was hot that day, so it is possible it was a heat stroke.
We went on the Tram to KUKA, a robotics company. This visit was cool since they showed us a lot of the technical side of the company. My favorite was the robot with7 axes of rotation and striped if it felt a human in its way. To me, it seemed as if the robots were living. They moved so fluidly and move just like human joints. I am sure the computer code for that is very long and difficult, considering how many combinations there are to move the robot. I would not want to forget a semi colon in that code.
For dinner, Sam, Mark, Wesley and I returned to the brew house to try their food. I had cheese filled ravioli, and it was one of the best meals I've had here. Everything has been wonderful, and I think I'm finally getting over the culture shock. I am feeling more comfortable ordering food and asking if they speak English.
Today was a day many people were looking forward to; one of our visits with BMW. We got dropped off outside the headquarters which looks like a 4 cylinder engine. When we got off, I heard a man screaming something in German, and I got confused. Soon after we got back on the bus and Sonja told us that there was a union demonstration prohibiting us from entering the building. We quickly relocated to a stuffy room where a man presented about the marketing aspect and as placement of BMW, which I personally found boring. But hey, that's what happens when you stick an engineering student in a stuffy room and present business marketing to her. He was very knowledgable and it fascinated me how much he could talk about marketing.
After our marketing talk, we left to get lunch. A mix of German and American students went to this restaurant near the Tram station to get Doner. It was so good, coming from the luckiest person ever. I think it contained lamb, cabbage, lettuce and tomato in a bun. Whatever it was, it was very delicious. When we were sitting there eating, a man sitting a couple tables over from us was unresponsive and we believed that he had a stroke. This was scary to me, because I thought he had died right there. The sun was hot that day, so it is possible it was a heat stroke.
We went on the Tram to KUKA, a robotics company. This visit was cool since they showed us a lot of the technical side of the company. My favorite was the robot with7 axes of rotation and striped if it felt a human in its way. To me, it seemed as if the robots were living. They moved so fluidly and move just like human joints. I am sure the computer code for that is very long and difficult, considering how many combinations there are to move the robot. I would not want to forget a semi colon in that code.
For dinner, Sam, Mark, Wesley and I returned to the brew house to try their food. I had cheese filled ravioli, and it was one of the best meals I've had here. Everything has been wonderful, and I think I'm finally getting over the culture shock. I am feeling more comfortable ordering food and asking if they speak English.
May 10, 2016 Day 4:
Today started our company visits. We arrived at SGL Carbon company this morning, and I was surprised to see how small it looked. We went to the conference room where the head of the IT department did a wonderful presentation on what carbon products there are and how the company's business side works. It was very informative and he really knew what he was talking about.
We then went to the show room where they had some examples of what carbon fiber is used to make. There was a Porsche car door there wick weighed virtually nothing. Carbon fiber technology really interests me, as I can think about the uses in a technical way.
Next We went to see the warehouse where the strands of carbon fiber were made. The gentleman there passed around this white fiber that felt like hair, and he told us it would be carbon fiber at the end of the process. The man is an expert, so I listened to him. This part of the your was incredibly interesting, because they showed us how they put the fibers together and put them in an electro chemical bath to cause the formation of the final product. We got to see a singular send of Carbon fiber, which is smaller than a human hair. A couple of times, we thought we lost it, we ended the tour with a trip to different labs they do tests in. I have heard of some of the equipment before, due to my studies, but it was even better to see them in person.
We then made a trip back to the gold room in Rathaus to hear a woman lecture about the immigrating/refugee crisis in Germany. I did not find this as interesting, but she seemed very knowledgeable and I appreciate that. We then took a trip to the Grand Hotel. The outside didn't look so grand, so I was confused. Soon after, we learned that it was an old house used as a hotel, a refugee center, and a hostile. The top 2 floors were the hotel, where artists came to paint the walls and do other decor. Each room had a different story painted and I thought that was amazing. I especially liked the first room we were in which had a tree painted around the room with different characters. The second 2 floors were refugee floors. Then the bottom one was a hostile floor. The room we went to was decorated like trees, and it was beautiful. The basement had dining rooms and a kitchen. The man there told us that all the residents eat dinner together, and I thought that was a tender act. All in all today was a very informative day.
Today started our company visits. We arrived at SGL Carbon company this morning, and I was surprised to see how small it looked. We went to the conference room where the head of the IT department did a wonderful presentation on what carbon products there are and how the company's business side works. It was very informative and he really knew what he was talking about.
We then went to the show room where they had some examples of what carbon fiber is used to make. There was a Porsche car door there wick weighed virtually nothing. Carbon fiber technology really interests me, as I can think about the uses in a technical way.
Next We went to see the warehouse where the strands of carbon fiber were made. The gentleman there passed around this white fiber that felt like hair, and he told us it would be carbon fiber at the end of the process. The man is an expert, so I listened to him. This part of the your was incredibly interesting, because they showed us how they put the fibers together and put them in an electro chemical bath to cause the formation of the final product. We got to see a singular send of Carbon fiber, which is smaller than a human hair. A couple of times, we thought we lost it, we ended the tour with a trip to different labs they do tests in. I have heard of some of the equipment before, due to my studies, but it was even better to see them in person.
We then made a trip back to the gold room in Rathaus to hear a woman lecture about the immigrating/refugee crisis in Germany. I did not find this as interesting, but she seemed very knowledgeable and I appreciate that. We then took a trip to the Grand Hotel. The outside didn't look so grand, so I was confused. Soon after, we learned that it was an old house used as a hotel, a refugee center, and a hostile. The top 2 floors were the hotel, where artists came to paint the walls and do other decor. Each room had a different story painted and I thought that was amazing. I especially liked the first room we were in which had a tree painted around the room with different characters. The second 2 floors were refugee floors. Then the bottom one was a hostile floor. The room we went to was decorated like trees, and it was beautiful. The basement had dining rooms and a kitchen. The man there told us that all the residents eat dinner together, and I thought that was a tender act. All in all today was a very informative day.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
May 9, 2016 Day 3:
Today, we went to Augsburg University to meet with our company group. I really like the German students in our group; Sophie, Lucie and Thomas. We presented PPG's history, goals, and innovations to Dr. Feick, Hillary, and Sonja, a fantastic staff member at the University who planned everything for us. I am very excited to be included in PPG's group, for I want to work there one day. when Dr. Feick asked a question, I sort of already knew how to answer since I have previously researched the company out of interest.
After the presentations, we had lunch at their food court, which is so much nicer than market. I was intimidated by what all the words were, but the German students were very understanding and helped a lot. I ended up getting chicken in some sort of sauce and potatoes. The chicken was so juicy and tender, it was so good and one of the best meals I've had.
After lunch, we got a tour of the university. I think it is such a beautiful place and wonderful environment to work in. It's a little small for my liking, but it's my ideal setting. I really like the different waterways and bridges there. Also, the architecture is more modern, which is refreshing from the brutalist style at Pitt. 10/10 would totally study there.
We then split into groups to do a scavenger hunt in the city. I was on a team with Wesley, Mark, and Pat, and our leader's name was Franz. Franz is an industrial engineering student, which is really cool since 3 of us are engineering students. He is such a nice guy, and he made sure to include all of us in conversation. We stopped at a lot of the same places we did yesterday, including the gold room again. Today, we actually went to the top of the tower, which was a struggle for my tendinitis in my knees, but it was honestly worth it. The view was fantastic, for you could see so much from there. we left and went to the St. Ulrich Cathedral, which was very beautiful. The churches here are such works of art and it is breathtaking. I am a sucker for stained glass windows; they're my favorite art next to music.
We ended at the Bier Garden, which was probably my favorite part of the day. The atmosphere is so wonderful, and just sitting outdoors with friends is one of my favorite things to do. It was such a tender time. We had to say goodbye to Franz, but he friend requested us on facebook since he is coming to Pittsburgh for a semester, which I think is very cool!
We went to an Italian restaurant called Dragone, and I ordered the equivalent of a Classic Maggie from Fuel and Fuddle. It made me feel like I was in Oakland again, and I am really glad I wasn't actually there.
After dinner, Wesley and I walked around the streets near the Tram station. No shops were open, so we couldn't really do anything. However, we did get gelato, which is so much better than American ice cream. I feel kind of sad that there is no night life here, but I have to remember that this is not the same culture as America.
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