We seem to lack the ability to plan in the sense that no one bothers to make sure things are open. This morning everyone got up and ate breakfast in order to take the train to Dachau, the concentration camp memorial about 20 minutes away. The problem was that the memorial is closed on Mondays, but it took a woman who didn’t speak English to try and explain why they wouldn’t let us on the bus. So, we rode the train back into town and the day turned into a work day. It was good to make sure we had everything we needed and make plans to get what we were missing.
At 5 p.m. we headed to the ITF for our interview. The gentleman we were supposed to interview was busy, but he set us up with one of his colleagues. The interview started off a little rocky when the guy didn’t seem to know the drinking age in Germany, but it got better and there is certainly some material we can use. It is planned that we head back out to Dachau tomorrow, so we will see what happens.
Everything in Germany is really environmentally conscious. The trains run on electricity from the wires they run along and there are more recycling bins for paper, plastic and glass than there are trash cans. From what I understand, you get charged by the amount of trash you have, therefore more is recycled. If you take back your water bottles, you get money back. At the hotel, the lights and electricity in our rooms only work when a portion of our room key is inserted into the slot, so no lights, TV or outlets are left running when you are out. Also, the hall lights are motion censored so that they only come on when guests walk through. The toilets often have two flushing capacities to conserve water and there are lots of different toilets: some with seats, some without and some that are just bowls on the floor. These practices have become second nature to those who live here and you can really see the impact it is making. Many simple steps and they are saving money and preserving the environment.
At 5 p.m. we headed to the ITF for our interview. The gentleman we were supposed to interview was busy, but he set us up with one of his colleagues. The interview started off a little rocky when the guy didn’t seem to know the drinking age in Germany, but it got better and there is certainly some material we can use. It is planned that we head back out to Dachau tomorrow, so we will see what happens.
Everything in Germany is really environmentally conscious. The trains run on electricity from the wires they run along and there are more recycling bins for paper, plastic and glass than there are trash cans. From what I understand, you get charged by the amount of trash you have, therefore more is recycled. If you take back your water bottles, you get money back. At the hotel, the lights and electricity in our rooms only work when a portion of our room key is inserted into the slot, so no lights, TV or outlets are left running when you are out. Also, the hall lights are motion censored so that they only come on when guests walk through. The toilets often have two flushing capacities to conserve water and there are lots of different toilets: some with seats, some without and some that are just bowls on the floor. These practices have become second nature to those who live here and you can really see the impact it is making. Many simple steps and they are saving money and preserving the environment.
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