Tarang's Blocker Blog, Freiburg 2023

 Christmas in Europe is truly one of a kind. Come mid-November and markets are propped up all over cities. These markets, which offer food, drinks and all kinds of Christmas gifts, are called Christmas Markets or "Weinachtsmarkt" in German. Over the last month, I have been to Christmas markets in Germany, France, Switzerland and Portugal. While they were all different, all Christmas markets have delicious crepes, churros and waffles, as well as a hundred different kinds of cheese and chocolate. However, what is really unique about these markets is the hot wine, or "Glühwein" in German. It is prepared by heating wine up and adding spices to it. While I have enjoyed the food and drinks at Weinachtsmarkt, what I love the most about them are the lights and atmosphere. Once the lights are turned on after sunset, Christmas Markets look absolutely gorgeous! That is also when they get the most crowded, but it's still worth it. There are also a lot of talented live perfo...

 One of the most memorable experiences of my semester in Freiburg came in the last few weeks. I decided to go watch Freiburg's soccer club, SC Freiburg, play a Europa League game. It was my first time watching live soccer, so it was a surreal experience. As a tennis player, I have watched many tennis matches before, but their atmosphere is the complete opposite of soccer. In tennis, spectators are expected to remain silent and seated during points, and to be respectful and responsible. In soccer on the other hand, all hell breaks loose! Freiburg fans were shouting and chanting all around the stadium and everyone was loud, rowdy and crazy. And I loved it! It seemed more like a party than a soccer game. Everyone was there to have a good time, and at many points I found myself paying more attention to the chanting fans than the game itself! My favorite part of the experience was the SC Freiburg song, which was played at the beginning and at the end of the game. That song has now becom...