Freiburg ohne Rhino = Popcorn ohne Kino!

I don't really have much time to do this, but I'd like you to at least introduce you to a political situation before it is officially resolved (?) on the 31st. The demonstrators in the pics below are members of and advocates for Kommando Rhino, a sort of trailer park/shantytown that was set up right across from my neighborhood. 

Several years ago, the Kommando Rhino folks moved onto a piece of property that had just been sold by the city to a private company. The shantytown was originally a form of political protest, but after several years it became clear that they really just wanted to live there. After years of negotiations, a final deadline was set for their removal.

Yes, I said years of negotiations. When the police get involved with anything, elements of the media and anti-police protesters claim that Germany is degenerating into a police state, a statement that unfairly evokes images of Nazism and the GDR. In this case, police involvement would not have been a big deal had the Stuttgart 21 riots not occurred. Wanting to avoid a totalitarian image, Baden-Württemberg's representatives have been trying to work something out with the Kommando Rhino people. 

Two years later, nothing constructive has been done. In recent months, Kommando Rhino has tried to improve its image, calling itself an art, culture, and trailer collective, but I don't think anything they do will have any kind of effect on the issue as it currently stands. The bottom line is that the place is an eyesore and although its members have made long-term living arrangements there, they pay nothing for it. 

To protest the final deadline of July 31st, advocates of the collective staged a peaceful demonstration in the city center. Here are a few pics.

Brain Work

School is nearing its end, and I'm burning through the rest of my final exams like I'm in some kind of hurry. This isn't really a time for introspection, but it's sneaking up on me anyway. Some thoughts are relevant and practical, like "I should have done more of my presentations at the beginning of the semester." Others are more introspective-

This is certainly a weird time in my life: I'm not homesick, but I'm ready to move on. I feel like I'm mostly done here, and I guess I am - with four weeks left until I fly out of Zurich, there aren't any milestones left to prepare for.

'But Jared, shouldn't you be slowing down and savoring your time there? It's not like you'll be able to experience this same thing again. '

Are you crazy? I'm busy. Besides, I said this situation is weird because I'm ready to move on. That doesn't mean I want to leave, of course, but I've accomplished what I came to do, and now that I'm done with that, I want to reserve a few weeks just for academic work in order to have a few weeks left over to find out if I missed anything in Freiburg that's worth discovering.

One thought concerns my future; namely, how am I going to work my experiences into conversations without sounding like a jerk? It's harder than it seems. Just look at these examples:

Someone: "Jared! I'm glad you could take time out of your sexy and exciting schedule to be at my party!"

Me: "Wow! Great party, man! It's almost as crowded as the tents at the 200th celebration of Oktoberfest!"

-------

Someone: "Sure is hot out here, isn't it?"

Me: "Wow! Sure is! It's almost as hot as the time I went sandboarding in the Sahara desert!"

-------

Someone: "...and then we stayed in Florida for the entire spring break. It was the best week of my life."

Me: "Wow!That sounds almost as great as my spring break, which was two and a half months long and included going to Berlin, Krakow, and the Bavarian Alps!"

-------

Someone: "And as I gazed into the fading crimson sunset, I knew it had to be you."
Me: "I did some amateur beekeeping in the mountains of Bulgaria!"
Someone: What?
Me: LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THE WEATHER IN GERMANY.
-------
I know what you're thinking - Jared, that first example doesn't make sense because you're not invited to parties. Relax. It was an illustrative tool; I'm not an open book.

Speaking of parties, there were two major parties in the past ten days that I should mention. The 4th of July party was exactly what it needed to be: a nine-hour celebration of music, grilling, and fireworks with maybe fifty people in attendance, most of whom were Americans. The second party was "Summerfest," an all-day party hosted by my neighborhood. It was the most crowded venue I've ever seen, and remember that the venue was my entire neighborhood. The scale of the mess they created was equally impressive.

It looks like people are celebrating the end of the semester and are beginning to cut their emotional ties. So am I.

-Jared Boze