However, I try my best to visit all the sites which you can see under this topic.
World Heritage Sites - Intro
As a person who happened to have an intimate relationship with UNESCO before, I try to appreciate the UNESCO’s World Heritage sites by visiting them. Germany has many World Heritage sites; there are more than 30 sites! And sometime 1 site is a collection of some common theme sites. So it’s not easy to visit them all from the time point of view.
However, I try my best to visit all the sites which you can see under this topic.
However, I try my best to visit all the sites which you can see under this topic.
Trier - Roman Bridge
This is the oldest bridge in the north of the Alps which still used.
The view of Moselle River from the Roman Bridge. (Visited at 4 Oct 2007)
Trier - Konstantin Basilika
Konstantin Basilika is a basilica from the Roma Emperor Constantine era, which used today as a Protestan church. (Visited at 4 Oct 2007)
Trier - Barbarathermen
This is the Roman public bathing place. This specific picture is the heating system construction. (Visited at 4 Oct 2007)
Trier - Porta Nigra
Porta Nigra (Black Gate) is a Roman city gate in Trier, Germany. It was built between 180 - 200 AD. (Visited at 4 Oct 2007)
Like many sites in the world, Porta Nigra also suffers from vandalism in graffiti 
Trier - Introduction
Trier was a Roman colony from the 1st century AD and now famous for its well-preserved Roman and medieval buildings. (Visited at 4 Oct 2007)
The city centre of Trier viewed from Porta Nigra
Posters
Like in everywhere, German clubs and discotheques always create parties to attract people in visiting their places. And to advertise the parties, they usually made posters and leaflets to be distributed in public places.
The advertisements always have pictures of sexy girls. When I saw 2 to 3 leaflets in my post box, I thought German clubs and discos are really serious in organizing the parties. They pay models to pose for the advertisements, design it, and then print it. Imagine if they have to make the party every week. How do they manage it cause photo shoot takes time and then you have to select the picture from, maybe, hundreds of them. And then again doing the lay out before finally it is printed. Wooow!!! These guys are really hard worker and this is really a serious industry!
Until one time, a friend of mine saw one of the posters and said that he’s the fan of the girl in the picture!!! And I thought, how come he knows German models while he’s just a new foreigner like me. And that’s the first moment where I learn that the pictures in the advertisements are just pictures taken from the internet!! The girl that he meant in the particular poster is a Hollywood actress. He even showed me in google the actress’ name and find the exact picture that used for the poster!!!
Woooow….!! And I thought Germany is well developed country where they respect such a copy right issues or stuffs. In this case, there’s no difference than in Indonesia then!
The advertisements always have pictures of sexy girls. When I saw 2 to 3 leaflets in my post box, I thought German clubs and discos are really serious in organizing the parties. They pay models to pose for the advertisements, design it, and then print it. Imagine if they have to make the party every week. How do they manage it cause photo shoot takes time and then you have to select the picture from, maybe, hundreds of them. And then again doing the lay out before finally it is printed. Wooow!!! These guys are really hard worker and this is really a serious industry!
Until one time, a friend of mine saw one of the posters and said that he’s the fan of the girl in the picture!!! And I thought, how come he knows German models while he’s just a new foreigner like me. And that’s the first moment where I learn that the pictures in the advertisements are just pictures taken from the internet!! The girl that he meant in the particular poster is a Hollywood actress. He even showed me in google the actress’ name and find the exact picture that used for the poster!!!
Woooow….!! And I thought Germany is well developed country where they respect such a copy right issues or stuffs. In this case, there’s no difference than in Indonesia then!
Cinema
It’s not easy to watch movies in Germany if you don’t understand German language as all (Hollywood) movies are dubbed in German. Although the voice over in the dubbed movie is nearly the same as the original, but sometime the translation can’t be fit to the original. Especially if it’s a comedy movie. So you might find that it’s not funny at all.
If you want to watch the English version or original version movie, you have to pay attention on the schedule. Once or twice a week these movies have a chance to be showed. Just look on the schedule and try to find the OV (Original Version) code. Usually these movies only played 1 particular time per week so, not the whole day they will be played.
However, not all original Hollywood movies have a chance to be showed in the original version. Only blockbuster movies will have this chance and usually it showed about 3 weeks after the dubbed version first launched. So yes, you have to be really patient and of course also wondering why the original version that is ready to be played should wait for a long time.
If you want to watch the English version or original version movie, you have to pay attention on the schedule. Once or twice a week these movies have a chance to be showed. Just look on the schedule and try to find the OV (Original Version) code. Usually these movies only played 1 particular time per week so, not the whole day they will be played.
However, not all original Hollywood movies have a chance to be showed in the original version. Only blockbuster movies will have this chance and usually it showed about 3 weeks after the dubbed version first launched. So yes, you have to be really patient and of course also wondering why the original version that is ready to be played should wait for a long time.
Visa Extension
When I applied for Visa to Germany, I was given a 3-month Visa as a start. I have to extend it in Germany by myself before the 3 months over. At first, I thought I have to go to city office or something like that to apply it. Luckily in Bremen University, they have a special office to help International Students in granting Visa and registering residential related matters. So the procedure is I have to register myself as a temporary citizen in Bremen before I can apply for Visa extension.
By hearing the words ‘administration’ and ‘bureaucracy’ what come to my mind is a long tiring process full of documents. In Indonesia, usually there’re people who provide a service in dealing with this. So we just pay them and everything will be settled in no sweat. But here in Germany, of course I have to deal it myself. And I don’t know how complicated it would be. I know they have a good data system of citizen (I imagine it’s like in CSI TV series) so maybe I have to provide many detailed information for that. And I start imagining that I’ll be questioned to verify with what I fill in the form. I don’t know…
Anyway, first registering my residential place. Apparently it’s not difficult. I just have to fill in 1 form, which most of it I don’t have to answer cause I live alone, and then show my passport. The officer noted my name and my passport number and only noted my address from the form! I don’t know whether she only needs my address or she just noted that at that time and noted the rest of information later to make it efficient for the queuing sake. But it’s short and simple.
So one step is done. Next step: applying for Visa extension. For this, I have to show all the documents required at the front office before I can queuing for applying Visa extension. At the front office, there’s a senior lady. She asked what kind of financial support that I have in studying there. And since I am under the scholarship program, the requirements are somewhat just not many.
However when she looks at my photograph, she said that it’s not qualified as it’s not a biometric photograph. She told me to take a biometric photograph in the photo booth at campus. So I went to a photo booth and take a biometric photograph. It’s not easy, though, cause I have to fit my face into an outline face on the screen. And when I am ready to take my picture, the ‘click’ sound from the camera is not directly heard. So I thought there’s something wrong and I move my face, right at the time the camera starts clicking! But the good thing is, if we’re not satisfied with the result we can delete and try again before print it for real. So my € 5 isn’t wasted.
After I am done with my ugly picture; how come it’s not? It’s in the afternoon, after class, how should I look fresh?; I go back to the lady and show my picture. She confirmed it and allows me to queue. She also gives me 1 A4-double page form to fill in. This is the form that exactly the same as the one I filled in Indonesia. And since I photocopied the previous one, I just copy all what I wrote before. And then I am done. So I am ready to enter the room for Visa extension application.
The officer here is a guy. I hand over my documents including my passport. He takes m
y passport and types it into the computer. After a while, he looks at my documents and start dividing it. He returns my scholarship reference letter and my picture! He said that they are not needed! What?!! I spend € 5 for nothing??? Hey, I could use that for having 3 lunches in Mensa (student cafeteria)! Aargh…
Then he continues to divide. He takes the residential evidence and put aside the form. He doesn’t even look at the form! Apparently all my data are there in the system as I’ve been applied it before in Indonesia. Including my picture!
In the end, he just print the Visa extension and stick it to my passport. As simple as that! Thank God! But then, why should I need to waste € 5 for the ugly picture and time to fill in the form? You know what, I could write my name ‘Julia Roberts’ there and I am sure he won’t notice it!
By hearing the words ‘administration’ and ‘bureaucracy’ what come to my mind is a long tiring process full of documents. In Indonesia, usually there’re people who provide a service in dealing with this. So we just pay them and everything will be settled in no sweat. But here in Germany, of course I have to deal it myself. And I don’t know how complicated it would be. I know they have a good data system of citizen (I imagine it’s like in CSI TV series) so maybe I have to provide many detailed information for that. And I start imagining that I’ll be questioned to verify with what I fill in the form. I don’t know…
Anyway, first registering my residential place. Apparently it’s not difficult. I just have to fill in 1 form, which most of it I don’t have to answer cause I live alone, and then show my passport. The officer noted my name and my passport number and only noted my address from the form! I don’t know whether she only needs my address or she just noted that at that time and noted the rest of information later to make it efficient for the queuing sake. But it’s short and simple.
So one step is done. Next step: applying for Visa extension. For this, I have to show all the documents required at the front office before I can queuing for applying Visa extension. At the front office, there’s a senior lady. She asked what kind of financial support that I have in studying there. And since I am under the scholarship program, the requirements are somewhat just not many.
However when she looks at my photograph, she said that it’s not qualified as it’s not a biometric photograph. She told me to take a biometric photograph in the photo booth at campus. So I went to a photo booth and take a biometric photograph. It’s not easy, though, cause I have to fit my face into an outline face on the screen. And when I am ready to take my picture, the ‘click’ sound from the camera is not directly heard. So I thought there’s something wrong and I move my face, right at the time the camera starts clicking! But the good thing is, if we’re not satisfied with the result we can delete and try again before print it for real. So my € 5 isn’t wasted.
After I am done with my ugly picture; how come it’s not? It’s in the afternoon, after class, how should I look fresh?; I go back to the lady and show my picture. She confirmed it and allows me to queue. She also gives me 1 A4-double page form to fill in. This is the form that exactly the same as the one I filled in Indonesia. And since I photocopied the previous one, I just copy all what I wrote before. And then I am done. So I am ready to enter the room for Visa extension application.
The officer here is a guy. I hand over my documents including my passport. He takes m
y passport and types it into the computer. After a while, he looks at my documents and start dividing it. He returns my scholarship reference letter and my picture! He said that they are not needed! What?!! I spend € 5 for nothing??? Hey, I could use that for having 3 lunches in Mensa (student cafeteria)! Aargh…Then he continues to divide. He takes the residential evidence and put aside the form. He doesn’t even look at the form! Apparently all my data are there in the system as I’ve been applied it before in Indonesia. Including my picture!
In the end, he just print the Visa extension and stick it to my passport. As simple as that! Thank God! But then, why should I need to waste € 5 for the ugly picture and time to fill in the form? You know what, I could write my name ‘Julia Roberts’ there and I am sure he won’t notice it!
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