Ich will alle über meinen letzten Deutschkurs erzählen. Mein Kurs gut, weil wir zusammen sprechen können.

More than going to class, it felt like joining some friends to catch up on with our lives. On the last day of our course we decided to go out after class, for a drink and dinner. It really helps me hanging out with these new friends, because we are used to talk in German and it helps me be more fluent. Of course our last day was a Thursday and we had to work the next day and didn’t stay too long. But on Saturday we got together again in a super cool restaurant beach club. It is called Beach 38, near Ostbahnhof, and this last Saturday there was a beach rugby tournament for kids, where children from all ages played. We watched the games from upstairs while having some food and a drink. After the tournament the beach club became a nightclub with music and dancing. I think it is a great place to go, but you have to be prepared to switch from cold Munich winter, to beach atmosphere. I am a bit sad about our course ending but also glad that it was not only a course where I will never see my classmates again, but one where I got to know a lot of different people that have something in common, since we are all foreigners.

I think the higher the level is at class, the more you enjoy it and the less it feels like a class. Each time there is less grammar to learn but more vocabulary and different ways to say the same thing. At the beginning of the course each time we read something we had to ask for the meaning of so many words, but at the end we realized that there were less unknown words and it was easier to establish a normal conversation. I really loved this feeling and I hope everyone felt the same as I did, and if you don’t, do not worry this requires patience and work so take your time.

Claudia Rendon

I bet you didn’t know that Nymphemburg Palace is not the only royal big residence in the Munich area, there is also the Schleißheum Palace. This complex is made out of three individual palaces in the village of Oberschleißheim, north of Munich. The Schleißheim Palace was planned as a summer residence for current Bavarian rulers of the House of Wittelsbach.  The ensemble consisting of the New and Old Palaces, Lustheim Palace and the extensive baroque garden is a splendid example of court architecture and garden design from the 17th and 18th centuries.

There are a lot of exhibitions, concerts and different events in all the different buildings as well as in the gardens. During winter you can experience this palace on a whole different form, since it is not filled with flowers and colors like in summer, it still has the elegance and majesty that a royal palace is known for.

The entrance fees are very accessible and if you are not interested in going inside you can enter the garden for free and have a look or take a run. I went with my bike to visit this castle and the truth is that it is worth to visit this beautiful complex, since you have to cross the whole town and very unique sights, like a small airport, an old tank testing area where people fly kites nowadays, etc.

I try to have a routine planned and of course not everything turns out as I want to, but I also love being spontaneous and getting to know new places. I am really thankful for being here in Munich, with a completely new life from the one I had in Mexico. I cannot say it is better or worse but this experiences sure make my stay in Munich much more lovely.

Claudia Rendon

Have you ever danced cumbia? It is a traditional dance from Colombia very much like salsa, but with a tropical style. This dance is everytime more popular in Latin America and of course has its own style in each region. I found a magical place in Munich where there are cumbia parties every month and several alternative projects available for everyone, the name of this place is Import Export.

Im Import Export finden künstlerische, kulturelle und soziale Projekte statt, die sich durch lokale und regionale, aber auch inter und transnationale Verknüpfungen auszeichnen.
Seit 2016 kooperiert der Kunstzentrat kulinarisch mit der Culture Kitchen und von Mittwoch bis Freitag werden gemeinsam mit Menschen mit und ohne Asyl Köstlichkeiten aus aller Welt in der ehmaligen Quartiersküche zubereitet und im Import Export serviert. Das Musikprogramm im Import Export wechselt sich mit anderen Inhalten ab: Zum Angebot gehören Projekte für Kinder und Jugendliche, diskursive Veranstaltungen, Ausstellungen oder Filmvorführungen. KünstlerInnen, Kreativen und Kulturschaffenden unterschiedlichster Disziplinen sowie sozial engagierten BürgerInnen sind auf diese Weise eine Plattform geboten.

The cooperation with people and initiatives from the quarter and the district are sustainably enriching and changing the cultural life on the area. I think Import Export is a multifunctional, sociocultural space for the people to enjoy and share. Sometimes when you live in such a big city like Munich, people tend to forget about their humanitarian side and I think this place is the perfect one to get in touch with this side of you. I invite you to check out their program, in the next link, and feel free to enjoy yourself.

http://www.import-export.cc

In Mexico we have a saying, “have fun as a dwarf”, because sometimes the children are called dwarfs and it means that you just have fun without any concern of what is around you, like a kid. So take some time to visit this hidden venue at Munich and don’t be scared to have fun as a dwarf.

Claudia Rendon

Die IKOM, 100 ehrenamtlich tätige Studenten der TUM, organisiert jährlich vier Karriereforen und weitere kostenlose Veranstaltungen, welche den persönlichen Kontakt zwischen Studenten, Absolventen und Unternehmen fördern.

Die IKOM Bau ist das zweitgrößte Forum und richtet sich vor allem an Studierende der Fachrichtungen Bau und Umweltingenieurwesen, Vermessungswesen sowie der Architektur. Auf der zweitägigen Veranstaltung können erste Kontakte zu Unternehmen der Branche geknüpft werden. Diese Möglichkeit ebnet den Weg in ein erfolgreiches Berufsleben und Abschlussarbeiten oder durch direkte Einladungen zu Vorstellungsgesprächen.

Am 23 Januar 2018 war die IKOM Bau auf dem Innenstadt Campus der TUM. Es hat viele verschiedenen Unternehmen des Baubereichs gegeben. In diesem Forum konnte ich über wenigen Themen der Wasserverwaltung, die mein Lieblingsbereich ist, diskutieren weil es nicht so viele Wasserorientiertunternemehmen gegeben hat. Ich empfehle diese Foren weil man verschiede Möglichkeiten für Jobs kennen kann. Geseztz den Fall, dass man arbeitslos ist, kann man IKOM besuchen.

These days I have very much enjoyed going out with the bike around and one of my favorite views is the Allianz Arena. No matter the time, it is always a beautiful spectacle how it looks like a floating cloud changing its color continuously. At German class we always talk about how football is so popular in Germany. I have only visited the Arena once for a game and it was a great experience. The game was not Bayern’s best performance but it was indeed a very entertaining visit. I was watching the game where the FC Bayern Munich followers where, and there was not too much to watch since they are carrying gigantic flags that do not let you see anything and never stopped singing or doing funny things. I truly enjoyed going to the Allianz Arena because it is a place for everyone. You can see father and son, best friends, boyfriend and girlfriend and more attending together and enjoying their visit.

I would love to be able to play in a stadium like this. I am not a big fan of football but if I was given the opportunity to play a game in that perfect field, I would take it. I think I would feel like a superstar and play like one, as well. It doesn’t matter if you are close or far away from the stadium, once you see it you cannot take your eyes away from it. Its beautiful exterior facade lighted by digital lights and networked with an intelligent control system software, enable the finest colour nuances and combinations. The architecture of the Allianz Arena is unique worldwide. Its facade consists of the largest membrane shell in the world. It is about 35 metres high and has an outside surface area of 29,000 m². Whether you are on your bike, by car or by foot you better be careful not to run over something while contemplating this amazing scenario. I guess everyone has their own first impression of this stadium, but mine changes everytime I pass by, since it is continuingly changing with its surroundings.

Claudia Rendon

Es gibt in der Pinakothek der Moderne eine schöne Ausstellung, die ein Gebäude von einem finnischen Architekten Matti Suuronen ausstellt. Er hat dieses Gebäude entworfen, dass das Haus in unwegsamem Gëlande aufgebaut werden kann und extremen Temperaturen standhält wie Erdbeben oder Stürmen. Seine Wände bestehen aus mit Glasfaser verstärkten Polyesterschalen, die eine Isolierung aus Polyurethan-Schaum sandwichartig umfassen. Es hat 16 doppelt verglaste Fenster und einen Panoramablick. Das Futuro Haus symbolisiert das Streben nach neuen, funktionalen, effizienten und massenproduzierbaren Behausungen dieser Zeit.

Wenn ich dies Gebäude gesehen habe, glaube ich, dass es ein Raumfahrzeug gegeben hat. Ich finde diese Struktur magisch und sehr nützlich. Wegen des heißen Wetters des Futuro Haus haben wir viele Kleidung drinnen ausgezogen. Ich kann nicht mir in diesem Haus leben vorstellen aber vielleicht wenn ich alt bin, kann ich im Berg in einem Futuro Haus einziehen. Was denkst du? Könntest du in einem dieser Häuser wohnen?

Claudia Rendon

These last days have beautiful in Munich. Although it is still winter, the sunsets have been amazing, as well as the weather. This last Friday I went through the Botanical Garden, in Nymphenburg, with my bike, since it was a perfect day to ride it and I had to stop and take this picture. When you are in love, every small detail or moment can take your breath away, and of course I would have liked to enjoy this moment with my beloved one but since I couldn’t I took the picture to remember the beautiful sunset. This picture does not tell the whole story, since after I took the picture, I instantly received a message from my crush and he had sent me a picture of the sunset from where he was. He didn’t have to say anything, but I knew that he was thinking the same thing. I find it amazing how people can connect on different levels and even with time and miles apart, they will still succeed to have a special encounter, even if it is only a song, an object, or in this case a sunset. I feel so grateful and lucky, by having this person in this specific moment in my life, and hope that it lasts long, but one thing I do know is:

Ich sehe meine Zukunft vielleicht nicht mit einem Mann aber mit vielen Freunden und Liebe.

I think life and joy is always better if there is someone to share it with, no matter if it is your family, partner or friend.

Claudia Rendon

Rugby season is over but training is not. Forget about being lazy and wanting to stay home at night during the winter, because you can still train rugby inside. This is how my rugby team, Studentenstadt, trains on Fridays at Studentenstadt. We manage to forget about the cold and keep enjoying this beautiful sport during this winter by training in an Indoor Hall. It is time to work on the basic, that does not require too much contact and start getting the body and mind ready for the season. We come back on March 3rd, without home tournament at Studentenstadt Rugby field at the English Garden. Probably you haven’t heard too much of rugby and less in this country but it is getting bigger every time and I am very thankful for that since I became a huge fan six years ago. If rugby is not that popular here, let me tell you that women’s rugby is even smaller but I think that once you get to know the sport, there is no way you will ever forget it.

I always like to emphasise, on how rugby gives you more than you will ever be able to give back. First of all, friends that will appreciate you for who you are, values, like respect, discipline, solidarity, integrity, pasion, etc., which you will never learn in a funner and more enjoyable environment and a way of reasoning and thinking, because in rugby you do not work your hardest to score, your work your hardest so your teammate can score and there is a big difference between the two, which some people, mostly soccer players, will not understand. But because of this I am in love with this sport, and of course I am glad we are training indoors but even if we had to train outdoors, I wouldn’t miss it.

So remember, March the third, the next women’s rugby tournament in Munich at Studentenstadt’s rugby field, at the English Garden. The entrance is free and your will be able to enjoy a drink, some food and most important, rugby!

Claudia Rendon

Each time I go to my home country, Mexico, I bring along some stuff that I find will make my stay in Germany easier and not miss too much. Here is a picture of  most of the things I brought with me from the holidays. The gray mortar is called a molcajete in Mexico and it is made out of volcanic rock. It is specially used to make all types of sauces and it is a very heavy. I also brought lemon grass from my garden, since it is my favorite tea and reminds me of home. I also brought some hot pepper on a can and dried, I use these for sauces and different Mexican dishes. The small glass bottle is Mezcal, another type of cactus distilled, like Tequila, but with a more smoked flavor. I also brought Mole, which is a paste made out of more that 50 ingredients, including all types of peppers and cacao, this you cook with dome meat, chicken or corn tortillas. The small cup is made out of pewter and is a special collection from Frida Kahlo, a very famous Mexican painter. Of course I couldn’t forget to bring Mexican candy, which is completely different from what you know. Pur candy is almost always spicy with different flavours and hotness.

Usually I do not like chocolate but what I do like is cacao and drinkable chocolate. The cacao I brought toasted ready to peel and the drinkable chocolate comes in tables and it has some cinnamon and is quite delicious. To prepare the hot chocolate, either with milk or water, the traditional way, I brought a grinder, which is the wooden artefact, in de middle of the picture. This instrument helps you stirr and make foam.

The truth is that you can find almost all of these things here in Munich but obviously not so fresh and definitely not at the same price. I am thankful for being able to visit my beloved country but the last days I was there, I could wait to come back home.

Claudia Rendon

What is the first thought that comes into your head when someone tells you to cross under a street through a tunnel? My first thought is to avoid it, since I have always had the impression that these tunnels are scary and full of vagabonds and people doing funky  activities, but this tunnel completely changed my mind. I had always crossed Landshuter Allee across a bridge with my bike, but because the weather has been so crazy lately I walked and was faster to go through a tunnel at Dom-Pedro Strasse. The moment I stepped inside this tunnel, I was transported into another dimension. It is full with colors, characters, spectacles and food. It has become my favorite place to pass through, since I cannot get enough and I always find something new that captivates my attention. It is a project by Martin Blumöhr made as an associative painting of the district’s aspects. Before going down and entering the tunnel, it states all the information regarding the project and what I found very interesting is the fact that it was design by having a direct dialog with the passing people in 2016 and 2017. I think this type of projects are a great example of teamwork and integration, since neighbors and wanderers were put into consideration and will always feel part of this piece of art, therefore they will take care of it and treasure it.

Sometimes while walking through this beautiful city you don’t see too much of this type of alternative art but prepare to be surprised and lifted up your feet, since this passage is exactly what it does. I hope that people keep doing these projects and I hope to be a part of one dome day.

Claudia Rendon