Weekend in Hamburg 4-5.11.2006

Hi people!

Again I was traveling a bit. This time not further than Hamburg, the Amsterdam of Germany, as it's sometimes called because of its canals and Reeberbahn... Well I went to check it out:)

I was traveling with three AIESEC trainees from Berlin: Sandra from Columbia, Suwern from Malaysia and Duygu from Turkey. Quite a cool group we had:) We took the Schönes Wochenende-ticket to Hamburg and left early on Saturday morning. Once again the good thing about that ticket is that we paid some 8 euros per person per each way but then the train ride took some 6 hours:) Hip, hey, well we had a lot of time in train.

In Hamburg we were staying by two AIESEC trainees which was very cool thing as we therefore had a free accommodation. Saturday in Hamburg wasn’t such a great day for us as after we found the accommodation, leaved our stuff there and went to town it started to rain like hell and was already dark. So in the end we didn’t see so much on Saturday. We just did some walk around Hamburg, saw the harbor, the Reeberbahn and saw quite a big fair. Eventually we ended up in a bar for cocktails which was also very nice:)

When it was raining like hell we went to a café to hold the rain. There I think we had maybe the coolest thing about that trip: a really interesting conversation about cultural differences between our four countries. We were talking about the meaning of families in our countries. The thing I realized is that in Finland the meaning of family must be the least in the World:) In Finland – I think – family is not so important nowadays. At least I usually spent time sooo much more with my friends than with my parents… People also usually move really early away from home. In countries like Turkey, Colombia or Malaysia it’s totally different... The learning point from that conversation was maybe that you should never think that the way things are in your own country are the only right or the best way. I personally think that all the cultures in the World can learn a lot from each other. There are no better or worse cultures, rather there are good and bad things in each culture. But of course what is good and what is bad is highly subjective… But after that conversation I really started to question my own relationship to my family. So if you my fellow travel girls happen to read this, I thank you for that conversation! And if my family members read this, I just want to say that I love you guys! Greetings to my brother, sister, parents and other close family. You mean a lot to me!

Do you think there is something funny in that picture? :)


Me, Duygu and Suwern in Reeberbahn S-Bahnstation (Sandra is taking the picture)


The worldwheel at the fair, looked cool :)


From the traineeaparment. From left to right:
Suwern, Sandra, me, Duygu, our hosts (can't remember their names :( )