Guten Tag! Von Erica in Deutschland | Part One: Hedersleben

Hedersleben: Country-living

 I can't really tell you much about the history of this place. All I know is that this monastery is older than the United States. It was first built in the 1200s and probably looked the same as it does now-- filled with bumpy cobbles stone roads and sharp-edged monastery stone walls. I can't complain though. The fact that there is running water and electricity in the building is surprising and more than anything wonderful.

Hedersleben is a quaint little town. It has two churches, side-by-side. One is a Lutheran church, as Sachsan-Anhalt was considered "Lutheran country," and the other is a Catholic Church. For both Sundays during which the churches opened, I attended both churches. Let me admit, it is a great step away from the modern, band-playing worship ceremonies I attend back home in America.

The town itself is picturesque. The rolling fields of corn and large orchards of apple trees can make any city girl feel natural in a good week's time. And that was how I felt by the time I left camp: Completely one with the farmland. Walking around the town was one of the most cherished memories I have. The sunny, quiet afternoons were filled with adventures, whether it be walking to the local supermarket, finding a new street to venture down, or even walking into a vast fields of fertility.

In that month's time at camp, I have never seen so many horses in my life. Behind the monastery, there were two large horses and a beekeeper's house. Down by the orchards, there were ponies at every turn and even donkeys and goats waiting to be hand-fed some delicious apples and peaches. 

There are two specific memories that I will never forget from my time in Hedersleben:

Honey: the nectar of the gods.  

At least, I would think it is. Honey has so many medical uses, from treating colds (I would know!) to healing wounds and burns. Looking past the medical uses, there's also the wonderful fact that honey tastes DELICIOUS and is the key ingredient to Burt's Bees Products.  Well, this post is more than my expressing my love for honey. It's about my chance to try out beekeeping with the local beekeeper at Hedersleben: Constantine. A little ways behind the monastery is a little house, well more like shack. In there is where all of Constantine's bees are. There are cases and cases of bees, and I was able to help Constantine harvest these bees.  The process was easy. Take the smoke and spray the bees with the smoke. This will get them all warm and "buzzy." Mostly, the smoke calms them down (have you watched "Secret Life of Bees"?) Next, take the thongs and pull out a hive. You have to clean the bees off of the hive with a brush, and once that is done, put the hive to the side. This process is continued until all the hives are taken out. After that, we spin the hives to get all the honey out and put the honey through a sieve so that the honeycomb doesn't get into the product.  I was so grateful to be Constantine's special helper that day. It was an experience completely worth it. After that day, I got over my fear of bees and other creepy crawlers!

 I AM THE HORSE TAMER...NOT REALLY 

My last name is Ma. In Chinese, that means horse. So, I automatically thought that I would have some strange bond with the horses.  Hedersleben is located in a rural part of Germany (well most parts are still quite rural and quiet). There are tons of horses here. There are specifically two horses that dwell behind Hedersleben. they belong to the farmers next to the monastery. Many of the other students were able to ride the horses and pet them, so wanting to get in on the goods too, I decided to find the horses and pet them.  It probably wasn't a smart idea to wear sandals that day. My foot was cold, dirty, and muddy. It took forever to trek past the long grasses to get to the horse. The horse I was targeting was this beautiful white and grey mare. She was pregnant. Once I got there, I began to pet the horse, and it moved closer to me. I thought that it was a good sign, so I stepped closer too. All of a sudden the other horse, jealous that it didn't get any Erica loving, pushed the horse I was petting aside, causing the white mare to step on my foot. 

 AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

 My friends began to pull me out from under the horse's terrifying hooves and brought me back to the monastery. An Advil later, I was much better, walking with a limp for the rest of the week. 

 Well, that was basically my adventure in Hedersleben.

Bis Bald, 

Erica the Argonaut