Kloster Andechs und der Ammersee

The first week of May in Munich proved to be even more beautiful than those initial weeks in April. On Monday, temperatures hovered around 50 degrees, but each day brought a little more warmth. Today was a bright and sunny 72 degrees. Perfect weather!

So… updates…

Work:

This is officially week five at BMW, and I am learning far more about engineering than I ever expected to at this point in a foreign co-op. I have been working on a Mini Cooper for the past few weeks… running tests, changing variables, and viewing the results. I was initially given a lot of help, but over the course of the past couple weeks, I have gained a better understanding of the software and test procedures. On Monday, I was asked to compile my results into a presentation so that they could be shown to other design divisions. I worked on this until Tuesday when I found out the presentation would be used at a video conference. Later on Tuesday, I found out that I was giving the presentation! The pressure was suddenly on. I wrapped it up on Wednesday and that afternoon, I went with my department head and another intern to the video conference. We were the only Munich folk, but there were large groups from Oxford, England and another location in Italy at the conference. We were first on the agenda. Without too much fussing or official introduction, I was given a gentle tap by my supervisor to start. I talked for 10 minutes, gave our design recommendations, and held my breath. There were a few questions, but it went relatively smoothly. That was my first video conference AND my first official engineering presentation since being at UC! And it happened in Germany!

Random Discoveries and/or Revelations:

I love “Kaffee und Kuchen.” If there is one thing America needs more of, it is a short afternoon break where everyone drinks coffee and eats amazing cake!

Germans always seem to think practically. This was an interesting find this week. A puke-sink at a biergarten… complete with handlebars…

Having time to read a novel is incredible.

The English language needs to have words for “Gemütlichkeit”, “Quatsch”, and “Mahlzeit”. Don’t bother trying to translate them either… there isn’t a good way to do so. The first has to do with the cozy, together, and well-feeling atmosphere of being with friends and family. The second word is just funny and it great to say when you’ve lost all ambition and care for something. The third is hysterical to me. It is the greeting and farewell to any person between the hours of 10 am and 2 pm. My daily conversation with the lunch lady… ME: “Mahlzeit!” HER: “Mahlzeit!”

I miss Jeeps, Dr. Pepper, chili, and fried chicken.

Ammersee und Kloster

Today was exceptionally beautiful and I had decided yesterday that today would be an outdoor day. On recommendation by a co-worker, Micah and I took the S-Bahn out to a place south of Munich called Herrsching. This is a small little town on the edge of placid lake called the Ammersee. We arrived at around 10 am and took some roads through town towards the wooded edge. Here there was a 4 km woodland trail that led to a monastery on the other side of a valley. This was a Andechs Abbey (in German, it is called “Kloster Andechs”). This is a Benedictine monastery with history dating back to the middle ages. Through this period and later, it was a popular place of pilgrimage for many travelers. Today, it is still a popular visit. Small houses, rolling fields, distant views of the Alps… the picture is hard to describe, but it was very enjoyable and peaceful. Better yet, the monastery is well known for their brewery! The monks made a lot of money for the abbey through this brew house, and today the brew is very popular. Until now, I had held the Paulaner Dunkel in high esteem. Well… watch out, because the Andechs Doppelbock Dunkel is in close running. Those monks know how to make a tasty beer!

After exploring the monastery grounds, we took a separate trail back to Herrsching where we grabbed some Gelato and walked out on a pier over the lake. Wow. The water was smooth as glass. There must have been 100 sail boats out on the lake too! The light breeze that was out pushed the boats along gently. Along the coast, a line of biergartens and cafes served families, friends, and couples as the afternoon hours slowly passed. I’m game for this sort of relaxing any day. I reminded me of some good times boating with friends I know back home.

After the hike, a meal, and a short tour of Herrsching, we traveled back to Munich. Back in my apartment (still roommate-less) I am now updating this Blog and will probably do for a nice walk later. I hope everyone else is seeing great weather back home!

Schönen Frühling!