Markus Davis

11 August 2014

Final Reflections

I'm going to miss seeing this gem everyday!
Erfurt -- Crazy to believe that a little over two months ago I was first arriving in Erfurt and now i'm leaving. Im not going to lie, I will miss Erfurt a little. The experiences I’ve had while in Europe are memories that will last a life time. Having the opportunity to study and further my education on another continent while also traveling to multiple countries during the week is exactly how I wanted to spend this summer. I met alot of people from a lot of many different places, which opened my eyes to cultures I have yet to encounter before this excursion. Before I came I knew little about Europe as a whole, and now that i am leaving my eyes and mind are both wide open when it comes to life outside the United States. Flashing back to the first few weeks when I didn’t even know how to order a water that wasn’t carbonated to now when I can order a full meal and a drink of my choice I think it’s safe to say I adjusted somewhat to the Erfurt lifestyle.

The experiences I’ve had in Europe not only open my eyes to European culture but it also made me realize how lucky I was to have to opportunity to participate in this program which gave me both the opportunities and the freedom to travel throughout Europe and see place I never imagined I would get the chance to see. From traveling to Prague, to Amsterdam, and even to Munich (which I didn’t enjoy very much) each experience was one of a kind and they all made me realize that it’s a lot more to this world than just the United States (even though we tend to think its not). I also made some good friends while in Europe, some of whom if I never participated in the SPICE program I would have never met. I think the best part about making friends while here is that each student in the SPICE program was just like myself as in we were all in a foreign country studying which in my opinion helped us all create a bond in a way.

This excursion benefited me in a couple ways also. Stepping out of my comfort zone and doing things that i would normally not do, and obviously going places that i'm not familiar with, and even studying in an environment unlike that of which i'm use to all helped me understand that I can adjust to circumstances that I am unfamiliar with and even though it may be a little different at first if you come with a open mind you can find enjoyment out of anything. I recommend to everybody to travel as much as you can throughout life because it opens your mind to environments unlike that in which you are use to and allows you to have a good amount of fun while doing it!




05 August 2014


Intercultural Adaptation Theory

Erfurt, DE -- Intercultural adaption theory can be defined as the process through which persons in cross-cultural interactions change their communicative behavior to facilitate understanding or in other words how we adjust when entering a surrounding unlike that of which we are used to.

As I am approaching my last full week in Europe I think I adjusted somewhat compared to when I first arrived. On the intercultural adaption scale I think I fit in the area around a two and half almost at a three (two being culture shock and three being cultural adaption). I feel this way because I am not yet all the way adapted to Europe and specifically Erfurt, but I am definitely passed culture shock, which can be described as a personal disorientation one may feel when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life due to being in a environment different than that of which you are used to. I have adapted to European culture to an extent, for example I don’t think I will ever adjust to not having air conditioning and having to pay for water wherever you go to eat. I have adjusted to having to be quiet when eating at restaurants and recycling bottles after I get done using them. I think no matter how long I stay I would never fully adjust to European culture just because I am so used to American culture as a whole and European culture, specifically the culture in Erfurt is a lot different than the culture in which I am use to.




04 August 2014

Reflecting on Berlin

Berlin -- During the week of July 28th through July 31st the whole SPICE program went to Berlin. This being my second time in Berlin I kind of already knew what to expect, but still was anticipating to have a great time and learn more about the history of Berlin as oppose to just partying (although some of that did happen also).

The Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe, 
located in Berlin near the Brandenburg Gate.  
We took a charter bus to Berlin which took a little over five hours to get there from Erfurt. The bus ride was very different then the train in that it took a lot longer and the ride was a little more uncomfortable but all together it was an enjoyable ride. Once arriving in Berlin we had a day to relax and recover from the long ride there and the next day we had a long day of visiting museums. The first place we visited was the memorial of the murdered Jews during the holocaust. This memorial was very interesting because during my first trip to Berlin during the world cup we walked past the memorial and wondered what exactly it was. The memorial was a bunch of oddly shaped blocks that was built as a sense of a remembrance of the many Jewish people that were horrifically murdered during those dark times of the holocaust. Underneath the memorial was a museum in which was built to inform those who visited the memorial about the holocaust, concentration camps, and even had direct quotes and stories from those that were kept in concentration camps during the war. The museum was a great experience not only because of the vast amounts of information that they had, but also because it gave a sense of how Jewish people lived during the times of World War II. After that we visited the DDR museum which gave also a lot of insight of how Germans lived during the time of the GDR “Deutsche Demokratische Republik” or in English the German Democratic Republic.

The Berlin Wall has a lot to do with why Berlin is the way it is now, in 1961 the Berlin wall was put up in order to separate West Berlin from East Berlin. West Berlin was the free democratic part of Berlin while East Berlin was communist ran and could be described as a “ghetto”. For years families were separated due to the fact that those in East Berlin could not travel to West Berlin because of the presence of the more than 87 mile long wall, which was also guarded by guards and other law enforcement. The lives of those in East Berlin was very poor compared to those in West Berlin were the economy was flourishing. In November 1989 the Berlin Wall was taken down and Berlin became one city again. Seeing the wall had a huge impact on me because I could not imagine a wall separating a whole city for more than 30 years.

West Germany is a lot more modernized than East Germany because of various reasons. One reason is that most of West Germany was destroyed during the war, so they had to rebuild many of the buildings which makes the architecture a lot more modern than places like Erfurt in which most of the buildings are still original architecture pre-world war II. The new architecture resulted in more tourist attractions and more money flowing through the cities which ultimately made Berlin a lot more modern of a city than places in East Germany like Erfurt. Comparing Berlin to a place like Erfurt is basically incomparable. Berlin’s nightlife alone is blowing Erfurt out the park, mainly due to the fact that it’s a city that is a lot larger than Erfurt, but also because it is a major tourist hub where people from all over Europe come to experience the culture Berlin has to offer.

Berlin as whole has a culture unlike any other city is Germany. Berlin has a very “hipster” vibe to it and it attracts crowds from all over Europe just to experience the nightlife, artwork, architecture, and just the all-around big city vibe that Berlin has to offer. In fact while walking through Berlin you almost have a feel like you’re walking through a city like Manhattan because of the many different cultures and the more Americanized feel it offers. Berlin has a wide range of stores that you can find in America like Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, and McDonald’s. Berlin also had a mall bigger than any mall I’ve ever been to in America!

Visiting Berlin for the second time was just as good as the first (despite I couldn’t relive the world cup victory). I learned a lot about WWII, GDR, and the Berlin Wall. I realized that visiting Berlin was the closest thing I was going to get to America and I loved every minute of it. The culture Berlin has to offer is unlike any other and though Berlin as a whole has had a rough past it has moved passed that and has turned into one of the biggest travel destinations in all over Europe!




04 August 2014

World Cup Champions

Berlin -- During the weekend of July 12-13th we were lucky enough to have the opportunity to take a little weekend trip to Berlin (the capital of Germany) for the world cup championship in which Germany was playing Argentina (what a great time to be studying abroad in Germany). With much anticipation we knew that the whole city of Berlin was going to be going crazy about the fact that Germany was in the championship game. The day of arrival in Berlin we booked at hotel a little distance from the city center because we knew that the prices were going to be a little cheaper. The first night we went to a club called B52 were the line was absolutely insane. We knew in order to make it inside the club we had to pay a little extra money for the cut line. We made it inside the club and had a great time, and by the time we were leaving it was around 6:30 am and people were still standing in line! Which lead us to quickly realize that 1. This city was insane and 2. These people do not believe in sleep at all. We got back to our room took a quick nap and around 12:00 we were heading to the Brandenburg gate in order to get ready for the viewing of the World Cup game (at 8:00 pm). Once we arrived at the gate we were shocked to realize that it were already thousands of people there waving flags, drinking beer, and preparing for the big game. By the time it was 4:00 pm it was difficult to move anywhere within the two mile radius of the gate and we still had four more hours until the game actually started! Hours later once the game started it was the moment we’ve all been waiting for. With over 1.5 million people in attendance, many being German citizens and others being tourist that just want to join in like ourselves, just being in attendance was something out of a movie. The game itself was pretty boring until the end when Germany scored in the last few minutes of overtime sealing the win, and then it was complete chaos. People were cheering, music blasting, and fireworks in the air, in all it was a complete celebration. For the next two hours after the game ended the Brandenburg gate public viewing could be compared to a massive party. Many German’s who would be seen crying with tears of joy due to the amazing victory, which showed that the significance of the win was something that I could never imagine. Viewing the World Cup championship game in Berlin was an amazing experience that I will remember for a lifetime and if it was a possibility to replay that very long day again I would do it in a heartbeat. 






04 August 2014

Amsterdam

The famous "I AMsterdam" sign. 
Amsterdam -- There was much anticipation in traveling to Amsterdam for a few different reasons. So much anticipation that after our weekly blog class we got back to our rooms and immediately started to look for hostels so that we can go a day earlier than we were originally planned to go. We found a hostel for 20 euro for two nights and quickly jumped on the opportunity, in fact we left the same day that we had booked the hostel giving us an extra two nights. Once arriving at our hostel named hotel Utopia in Amsterdam we were in shock to find that we had booked the most run down hostel we could possibly find. We originally booked a four bedroom but the owner of the hostel claimed that we only booked a two person bedroom (with one bed apparently) and a dorm style room with ten other random people, which obviously was not what we booked at all. We were left without a choice and had to stay at the terrible hotel Utopia for the night. Our plan was to stay out as long as possible so that we would have to stay in the room for the least amount of time as we could, but after walking around Amsterdam for a few hours it started to rain and we were forced inside. Mike and Mason took the one bedroom and Steve and I were forced to sleep in the very sketchy ten bed dorm room. It’s safe to say that both Steve and I received little to no sleep. Once the morning came we quickly checked out of the very deceiving hotel utopia and found ourselves an actual hotel in another part of the city. Once that was settled, we went to go explore Amsterdam. Walking through Amsterdam was like walking through a cultural hub. There were people from all over the world and I don’t think I met a single person who didn't speak English as oppose to Erfurt where it’s very hard to find somebody who does, this is because Amsterdam is a huge tourist destination where people from all over come to experience the very laid back culture Amsterdam has to offer. Amsterdam was so laid back that I wondered how people that live there actually get stuff done. The next three days in Amsterdam we rode bikes through the city and even though the weather wasn't the greatest I enjoyed myself a whole lot. Before we left for Amsterdam Professor Bowman warned us that two or three days in Amsterdam was enough and for some reason we didn't take his word for it, well us being there for five days was more than enough because with all Amsterdam has to offer (even in the rain) we were worn out and was ready to get back to Erfurt.





31 July 2014

Palma de Mallorca

Me chilling beach side!
Mallorca -- From July 22 to July 24th I was on a bit of a “vacation” in Palma de Mallorca in Spain. I call it a vacation simply because of the beautiful beaches they had to offer. Going to Palma de Mallorca was a great experience since I haven’t seen actual ocean water that you can see directly through. It was a great experience being able to see fish swim with you in the Mediterranean Sea. While staying in Mallorca we stayed at the TRH Magaluf which was located on the eastern shore side of the island in a city called Magaluf.

The hotel was filled with people from all around Europe my age. We stayed in a room with a view of the pool, where they blasted music every day from 11am to about 5am the next morning leaving me to getting no sleep. I enjoyed staying there though because they had a vast amount of beautiful women at the pool at any and every time of day haha. There were not many historic sites to see in the city of Magaluf, which led us to lay on the beach or by the pool during the day and go roam the streets of Magaluf during the night, because of the various things we were able to do during the night. Those two days in Magaluf was more than enough time to stay there because it soon wore me out due to the little amount of sleep I had gotten, but the time I stayed was two of the best days of my life, and I would love to go back to Palma de Mallorca in the near future!


20 July 2014

Neuschwanstein Castle

Me, standing in front of the great castle!
Fussen, DE -- Neuschwanstein Castle was an amazing place to visit. Located an hour away from Munich, Germany made it a great day trip to make on a day when we had nothing to do. After taking the hour long train ride from Munich to a small town in Bavaria (Southern Germany) called Fussen. Once arriving in Fussen there were buses ready to take those wanting to see the great castle a short drive to the bottom of a the castle. Once we got off the bus we were in awe because of the amazing view that we had of the Swiss Alps and the beautiful Neuschwanstein Castle. We stopped got something to eat, and then took a horse and carriage up a huge mountain in order to take our tour of the castle. The castle was constructed by King Ludwig II who was the king of Bavaria from 1864-1886. The building of the castle started in the summer of 1868 and was ready to be occupied in 1873. King Ludwig died in 1886 making his time living in the castle very limited. The castle opened to the public in seven weeks after his death.

The view of the Swiss Alps, from the castle. 
Once we arrived at the top of the mountain I was amazed by the view of all of Bavaria that I had, like you could literally see everything I felt like I was on top of the world. Once our tour started we got to enter the castle where there were various painting on the walls of swans, which were King Ludwigs’ II favorite animal. They were literally swans on every wall, along with other neat paintings like dragons, Christ, Knights, and other kings and queens. Occasionally you would also see naked boys, which I thought was very weird. The reason for this is that King Ludwig was an accused pedophile which is why he built the castle so high up on a mountain to stay far away from the Bavarians citizens in whom he ruled over and also to create a sort of fantasy world for himself. This led me to believe that they were parts of the castle that the tour guide didn’t show us haha. The castle had many secret doorways and staircases some of which we even went through. The king was found to be insane and was arrested and relieved of his duties to govern Bavaria. He died with his psychiatrist and nobody is quite sure what the cause of his death was. Visiting the Neuschweinstein Castle was an experience unlike any other, although it was a very weird history behind it I am grateful I got the chance to see the great architecture of the building and the amazing view that it gave.




15 July 2014

Communication Convergence Theory

Erfurt, DE -- Cultural convergence theory is defined by Kincaid (2009) as "movement toward one point, toward another communicator, toward a common interest, and toward greater uniformity, never quite reaching that point." During my stay in Erfurt and trips to different countries and cities throughout Europe it has been different amount of cultural diversity. I think the reason for this is the size of the places I visit, the geographical location, and/or the amount of resources available (Jobs, shelter, opportunities to grow) in the location.

In Erfurt there is very little cultural diversity. Everyone here is mostly German born and raised and very few were born in places other than Germany, other than the very small Turkish population. The reason for this is because Erfurt is a small town compared to other places like Berlin, and Munich with a wider range of cultural diversity based of their size of the cities. For example, in Munich there is a very large Turkish population along with the German population. The reason for this is because in the early 1960s’ West Germany and Turkey signed a labor law which allowed for Turkish citizens to come to West Germany (Where the economy was booming) and work, thousands flooded Munich which in result is the reason why their cultural diversity is a lot different from Erfurt’s’. Another town with a very wide range of cultural diversity in Amsterdam, while walking the streets of Amsterdam I talked to people from a wide range of places from South America to Iran. The reason Amsterdam’s cultural diversity is so wide is because it is a huge tourist attraction, and Amsterdam is a very open city in which everybody is allowed to be themselves without worrying of being judged.




5 July 2014

National Pride

Erfurt, DE -- As I approach a month of being in Germany I’ve certainly noticed differences in the amount of pride Germans’ have compared to Americans. Before the world cup started I did not see a single German flag in Erfurt, this is due to the fact that Germans’ naturally do not display their pride for Germany much unlike Americans were it is almost impossible not to see a flag or some sort of representation of the pride we have for our country. Basing my thoughts of our class discussions and conversations with Germans’ they feel as though it is not necessary to have much pride in their country, partially due to the past history of Germany (Nazism, Hitler, etc.) and how they associate it to their flag. Also in America it is also custom to sing our national anthem before sporting events and in Germany they rarely ever sing their national anthem and surprisingly there are parts of their anthem that they are not even allowed to sing because of the references toward Nazism.

I specifically remember Mason sharing a story with me about a conversation he had with a German soldier and how the soldier does not like to share with many people that he is in the military simply because of the fact that they receive no type of respect from the citizens of Germany, which I find very strange. In America having respect for a soldier is a given, we show our soldiers the upmost respect. When talking to my German peers they agree that they do not show much pride for their country, besides when events like the World Cup are going on because of the prominence of futbol in Germany. In fact during a Germany futbol viewing in Erfurt it is very common for citizens to wear German apparel and wave their flag around, which I very much enjoy because this is their country and in my opinion I feel that they should indeed show their pride for Germany without having to refer back to their rough past.




30 June 2014

One Month in Reflection (updated)

The whole crew in front of the Pizzeria Lunchbox, with the 
owner Kasim! Kasim is a great guy who always looks out 
for all of us (and makes very good chicken wings and fries).
Erfurt, DE -- I cannot believe it, but I am four weeks into our ten week excursion in Europe. These past four weeks have been everything I imagined plus a little more. When I first arrived in Germany, I was very nervous and didn’t know what to expect at all. I figured the German’s would be very unsocial and I wouldn’t get a chance to meet a lot of them, mainly because I did not have much experience with people from foreign countries and I did not know their attitudes towards Americans . I also thought that it would be very hard to communicate with the residents of Erfurt because they traditionally don’t speak much English due to the fact that they’re a small town that receives little tourism. After the first week I quickly realized that I have little to worry about and I should just focus on enjoying myself, as every German that I’ve meet has been beyond generous and their willing to help in almost all situations. I’ve met more Germans than I ever imagined I would and even after very long nights they still remember my name (even if I don’t remember theirs).

The residents of Erfurt are also very polite people and though many of them do not speak English, I received no negative vibes from any of them. I figured I was going to have a good time traveling throughout in Europe but that “good” time quickly turned into great times. Class has run very smooth and even though sometimes it gets boring, I am enjoying it a lot. I am getting very comfortable with European culture as a whole. The things I enjoy most about European culture are the food, and the laid back, relaxed culture that is a lot different than the fast paced American culture.

I’ve become close with everyone who is participating in the SPICE program and I couldn’t ask for a better group to be abroad with. The boys (Mike, Mason, Steve and I) make sure we have a good time everywhere we go and somehow always end up with some pretty funny stories of our nights in different parts of Europe.

Mason and I met our roommate Felix who is a German student from Southern Germany, two weeks into the summer and we immediately clicked, he is a very down to earth guy who loves hunting and beer (He should’ve went to West Virginia hah). I am glad that we have him as a roommate as oppose to someone who wasn’t very social. Most of the German students I have met are very similar to I am, in that they like hip hop music and like to have a good time (I even had a karaoke battle with a German and lost rapping to Eminem’s “Stan”).I think the German students are so into hip-hop and other popular American genre’s because of the world wide exposure American music gets as oppose to other countries music which are just prominent in that country. Also, most of the German students I’ve met are very willing to show us all a good time whether it be going to watch the World Cup games at local bars or restaurants or going to local clubs and having a good time, which makes me think that all college students have certain things in common

I am very eager to see what the next couple weeks have in store for us; if it is anything like the last few I know I will have a blast. In the last couple weeks we’ve traveled to Dresden, Prague, and Munich and its crazy to think that we still have a little more than a month to go to other places throughout Europe. I do not have a single regret about making the decision to study abroad in Germany, and I’ve already made memories that will last a lifetime. This excursion has been great so far but I know the best has yet to come.




27 June 2014

Site Visit: Prague (updated)

The Charles Bridge constructed by the Czech king and Roman 
Emperor Charles IV, in Prague which is over 600 years old.
Prague -- Prague is by far the most interesting place I’ve visited so far and easily can be called the best two days of my life, from the city’s very unique architecture with buildings that look almost medieval to their outrageous nightlife (which I did not expect at all) it was all I could ask for in a trip. When I first arrived in Prague, I thought it to be a very dirty city judging by the scenery around the train station but once I actually got into the city I quickly realized that Prague was very nice. We stayed at the Mosaic Hostel which was more like a five-star hotel judging by the nice rooms, clean bathrooms, live band, and a very good restaurant. The first night in Prague we went to the largest club in Europe, Karlovy Lazne and had a great time, we had a good enough time that we even went back to the club the next night. Though we didn’t actually plan to go sight-seeing, just walking through the town was an adventure within itself. The Charles Bridge was my favorite sight to see because of the many tourists that were walking and taking pictures on the bridge and the history behind it but also because of the amazing view of Prague that I had while standing on the bridge. Leaving Prague was very very hard but it had to be done (only because of class), but I make it my duty to return back to Prague and enjoy the amazing city located in the Czech Republic once again!




23 June 2014

Face Negotiation Theory (updated)

The Schnitzel is very common in Germany!
Erfurt, DE -- We are now approaching my second week in Europe and I love every bit of it. I have encountered various people and been in various situations that can make for a very good story. I have been able to apply face negotiation theory to a good amount of the situations I have encountered. Face negotiation is when we adjust our behaviors in order to change the way other people see us, and it can be broken down into three categories. First, being self-face concern and that is when concern grows about how your viewed by others. Second, there is other-face concern and that is the concern for accommodating the other party’s identity. Lastly, we have mutual-face concern and that is when there is concern for both parties’ representations of each other.
 
I find that in many instances here in Germany I tend to use self-face concern. Whenever I go out to restaurants or places where I must interact with Germans I tend to first ask them do they speak English and then speak as clear as possible in order for them not to think that I am being rude and/or inconsiderate (I mean, this is their country). I find on the other hand that many Germans tend to use other-face concern and are for the most part very patient when communicating with me, or it could also be that Germans are naturally very laid-back people who would rather not just walk away from the guy who doesn’t speak their language haha.

I am eager to learn more and see more of Europe during the weeks ahead; hopefully my Deutsch will continue to improve so that I can communicate with my fellow Germans more proficiently!




16 June 2014

Communication Accommodation Theory (updated)

A view of the beautiful Erfurt from 
a restaurant in the middle of town.
Erfurt, DE -- Communication Accommodation Theory (or CAT for short) describes the way in which we adjust our dialects, tone of voice, and other interpersonal communication skills in order to improve social skills with those who we may not be able to communicate with proficiently. During my first week in Erfurt, I have plenty of experiences in which CAT came into play, especially being that I don’t speak a lick of German. My roommate Mason (who is also a SPICE member) has helped a lot, not only with trying to find where the spots to have fun in Erfurt but also with everyday needs like trying to get regular water instead of seltzer water (which is extremely common to drink in Germany apparently). Also, most of the local Erfurt residents who are close in age with me tend to help us all a lot when it comes to finding the best place to eat or drink at. I did have one incident where Mike, Mason, Jackie and I went to a restaurant one night and I ordered a pepperoni pizza, and when they came with the pizza it was filled with banana peppers. Trying to communicate with the German speaking waiter was very difficult in explaining the difference between pepperoni and regular peppers and I failed miserably and eventually had to just pick the peppers off my pizza and eat it plain. Apparently the American word pepperoni translates to banana peppers in Deutsch, which is where I went wrong with trying to communicate with the waiter.

My first week in Erfurt has been extremely fun and I am looking forward to the many more experiences and encounters I will have during the next eight weeks I’m spending in Europe. Hopefully over the next eight weeks I will learn more German and hopefully the correct word for pepperoni pizza!




09 May 2014

Introduction (updated)

Hey what’s up, my name is Markus Davis and I am a 20 year old junior from Gaithersburg, Maryland. I attend WVU where I am a communication studies major. I’m a pretty laid back guy who loves to meet new people and have fun. I spend most of my time hanging out with my family and friends or playing basketball. I am very excited for the opportunity to participate in the SPICE program because I love new experiences and traveling to Germany will definitely be an experience of a lifetime. I’m looking forward to the many memories I will have while in Europe, mainly because I have never been outside of North America. I’m confident that while in Germany and other parts of Europe I will create memories that will last a life time.

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