Over the past few weeks, I’ve been adjusting to life in Marburg. With my language and culture courses nearing a close, and the regular semester beginning in just two weeks, I thought I’d talk a little bit more about life in Marburg and with the International Undergraduate Study Programme.
Culture classes
As a part of the IUSP program, I’ve been taking culture courses daily for the last two weeks, along with my morning language classes. The topics covered in these classes vary widely, and last Monday we had the opportunity to participate in a mock debate, a first for me. Split into partners, we represented the interests of particular countries in the 1990 2 + 4 agreement on the reunification of Germany. For this discussion, I got to represent the FRG, or West Germany, and argue for immediate unification and full sovereignty, against countries such as France and Great Britian, which were wary of Germany’s united power. In the end, we came to an agreement that differed greatly from the actual historical result, and through the process had many quiet side conversations and formed alliances. It was an exciting experience that made international politics all the more engaging.
Being vegetarian in Marburg
Recently, I made the decision to become pescatarian, which means that I eat fish, but not other meats. As a result, one of the first things I had to discover in Marburg was where to get food that I can eat. Meat is, of course, a major cultural staple in Germany, so this wasn’t immediately obvious. What I have discovered, though, is that as a university town, there are vegetarian options at almost every restaurant in Marburg, as well as major vegetarian aisles in grocery stores. I was able to find, for example, delicious veggie patties for a grill dinner hosted by my floor in residence. Perhaps my greatest discovery on this front, though, was a small vegan restaurant called Vegi Queen. Located just behind the main university cafeteria, this restaurant serves everything from vegan bratwurst to soy gyros, and is a great way to get a feel for the German food culture without actually eating meat. Other than this restaurant, veganism isn’t the easiest thing in Marburg, but being vegetarian certainly is no problem.
Social life
While keeping very busy with my hectic class schedule and other work, I have been able to explore some of the social aspects of Marburg as well. With student train passes for all of Hessen, there is more open to us than might be expected for such a small town, and my friends and I have explored options such as spending the night in Frankfurt for music festivals, going shopping in nearby Giessen, and roasting marshmallows just outside the Studentendorf dorms where there is a fire pit at the ready. The student residences are certainly a great place to be if you’re looking for parties, though less so if you’re hoping to sleep. My building is an international dorm, and so there is very little respect for quiet hours, even during the school week. People can be heard playing games, chatting loudly, and singing well into the night. I would recommend either getting a good pair of earplugs or, if you don’t have early classes, venturing into your residence kitchen to see what all the excitement is about. If nothing else, the multi-lingual conversation can be quite the experience.