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Published: August 6th 2008
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So we left Frieberg on August 31 and have spent the last five days on holiday in Dresden. We all stayed at a youth house and had many activities planned during the day (non compulsary). The first day we arrived in the evening. The leaders made us a traditional german dinner which was a lovely change from the diet of small white rolls, meat, and cheese that we were growing acustome to living in Frieberg. After that many of us went to a club called flowerpower that was having karioki. Germans singing in English is great fun, espeically when you get a free drink every time you sing.
Our home is in the altermantive neighborhood in Dresden. Lots of punks, hippies, activists. So I guess I still dont have a good since of what "normal" Germans are like but I really have enjoyed the area. The second day we went to a lake just outside of Dresden and relxed until it began raining. Later in the eveing we went to an independent short film festival, which was great (most films wernt in English but I didnt mind.) My favorites were a film from New Zeland called Run, a French film
flags
the german and saxon flag about a mother who acidentally cooked her baby for dinner because she is too obsessed with ER to pay attention to anything else, and a really scary German film called Robin. After the festival we retuned home and eat a very late dinner.
Each night a group of us took turns making a "traditional" meal for the others. USA went on Thursday night with Mexico, Spain, France, and FrenchBelgum (Canada left by this time already). We had 50euro to feed 35 people. We made quesidilla, guakimoli with nacho chips and cheese. Spanish tortilla (omlette) with potato and onion on tomato bread. Ratatui. And for desert I made smores (its quite difficult to think of traditional american food that dosnt orgionate from anther country).
So back to the second evening...only a few people stayed until the end of the film festival so me and the one gay guy in the workcamp (who is from Poland) went out to find the gay bars in Dresden. We found both and were disapointed so after walking around for about an hour and a half found a fun, but VERY hot, bar with dancing just around the corner from where we were staying.
"uncle man"
the famous crossing signal character from east berlin/germany Ended up staying out with some Germans until 7am. After the first bar closed we went to a bar called Labousky named for the movie, which they play on nonstop repeat in the bar. We sat on a couch on the sidewalk and drank beer (everyone drinks on the streets here).
So with two hours of sleep i got up for the next day. We went sight seeing in Dresden and visited a hands on science museum about the human body. some of us also took a mini train ride through a park next to the museum. That evening after dinner we went out dancing. A lot of Germans from Frieberg came to the city to go out with us. Ended up once again leaving the workcamp group and hanging out with the German workers. This time stayed out with some of the stage crew guys at another hot but fun club with really good hiphop and rega music.
The next day some of us went on a beautiful hike in Saxon Switzerland (meaning mountains, not the country) on the boarder of the Chez Republic. Was exhausted from the day so went to bed at 11 after dinner.
open air theatre
where we saw the short film festival winners On our final day in Dresden we had the morning to ourselves. I walked around alone for a while. Helped a friend buy a train ticket. And then spent the evening from 5pm-10pm cooking for everyone. It was actoully alot of fun after we got over the stress of shopping and figuring out what to make and how we were going to make it with one tiny stove and less then enough kives, pealers etc. After dinner we had a slideshow of some of the best photos from the photography workcamp. We had a nice fire in the backyard and drank and hung out. A lot of people went to bed early to pack and to be able to wake up for the early trains to Berlin, the airport and so on. Stayed up until 5am talking with German workcamp folks and some friends of theirs, who were "non violent militant activist". Stephan the guy who is incharge or the festival was there and did some firejuggeling for us (this is his other job next to organizing the festival).
Yesterday we "cleaned" (our group is also not so skilled at cleaning up after themselves) the house where we
stayed and said good bye. I decided a few days before that I would rather not travel with this group anymore so decied to stay in Dresden for a few extra days and wait to share a ride to Bonn rather then go to Berlin and then to Bonn. Am staying at Stepans flat for the next couple of days. Arrived yesterday around noon and slept all day.
Stephan lives near the alternative neighborhood on the other side of the river. His building is one great big community and everyone is friends. Its really nice people are always coming in and out. We shared our dinner with his roommate and one man who lives downstairs. After we drank a lot of wine and people from other flats came in and stayed, chatted for a bit, and so on. People are veried in age. Some are still students and others (but fewer) are older. I am staying in the guest loft, which is literally a loft that was built in the hallway. I really really like the organization of this place and am impressed with all the sharing and coexhisting everyone does...its nice to be remined that it can work.
the opera house
in the historical downtown area I think I was right in the perdiction I shared with my father in one of my emails. I am happy I came to the work camp. I had lots of good times. It was very hard at points, and the people were as well. Although we did not always make one anothers lives easy I will miss most of them and hope to take them up on thier invitation to visit them in their home countries. I dont know if I would do it again, but I am glad I did it.
Hopfully will share a ride to Bonn to see my friends Juith and Marie (whom I met in London- they were both Au pairing while I was over there studying). I have more money then I expected to have in my bank acount so manybe if I get board of Dresden before the 10th I will take a day trip to the Prauge or something - but there is still a lot ot see in the city. I am planning to stayin Bonn for 4 days or so and then travel back to Berlin. I am excited and nervious to visit Berlin becasue this will
church
the inside of the famous rebuild protestant church be the first time I have traveled alone to a city where I didnt know anyone. I am excited to spend this time alone, although I usally am very independant while Ive been in Europe and done my own thing alot I have always known that there were people i knew around and a place I could return to.
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