Tarang's Blocker Blog, Freiburg 2023

 The longer I live in Freiburg, the more I learn about Germany's success in environmental policies and initiatives. I would not be doing justice to Germany's progress in sustainability without mentioning the "Pfand" (deposit) scheme. I learned about it for the first time when I was walking on the streets of Freiburg with an empty bottle of juice in my hand, and a homeless man approached me. I expected him to ask for money but instead, he just pointed to the bottle in my hand. Slightly confused, I handed it to him. Later, I learned that that empty bottle was actually worth 25 cents. As I learned in my Environmental Policy class last week, the Pfand scheme is an example of a deposit-refund scheme. Under this system, consumers pay an added deposit on drinks packaged in plastic or glass bottles at the time of purchase. Upon returning these bottles through special machines which can be found at most grocery stores, the deposit is refunded to the consumers. The bottles are ...

Freiburg has a strong reputation across the world as the "Green City of Germany". Therefore, it is almost fitting that I am taking a course called "Freiburg Green City". As a part of this course, we have many excursions across Freiburg to learn about sustainable practices being employed in the city. A few weeks ago, we went on an excursion to a Community Supported Farm just outside Freiburg. Community Supported Agriculture is a unique and sustainable way of growing food. Instead of growing the same crop on large fields (monoculture), this farm had great crop diversity even in such a small area. However, what was incredibly unique about it was the fact that it was supported by the same community that used its produce. Under this system, each member of the farm has to make a monetary donation and work five days on the farm every year. In return, the members equally shared the food grown on the farm for free. Since every member lives near the farm, the food does not ha...

 Studying abroad has made me truly realize the huge difference between visiting a country as a tourist and living there as a local. A city can only offer so much to a tourist. Actually living there for long periods makes one consider certain aspects that may not come to mind immediately, but are nevertheless very important. As simple and trivial as it may sound, living in Freiburg has made me consider the differences between produce and grocery in Germany and the US. Last Wednesday, I visited the Vauban Market, a weekly food market very close to my apartment. Several stalls were set up around a square next to a park, and it was quite lively. Despite the rainy weather, there were quite a lot of people at the market. It was just like a Farmers' Market in the US, except for the fact that people over here seemed to rely on it as a regular source for their food. In the US, Farmers' Markets are a more expensive and niche option that people visit quite rarely. However, the Vauban Mark...

The Freiburg Münster (cathedral in English), stands proudly in the heart of the city centre as the tallest building of the city. It is one of the few buildings in Freiburg that survived the 1940 bombing. Therefore, the historical importance surrounding it is massive. However, instead of putting it on a pedestal, the city maintains a close and homely relationship with it, as if it is any other building. Every afternoon, there is a market with local produce at the Münster. Every now and then, I go there with my friends to relax and stargaze at night. This casual relationship is also maintained with the Platz der Alten Synagoge (Old Synagogue Square). This square is located just outside the city centre across from the University Bibliothek and the Freiburg Theater. It was created in honor of the Jewish Synagogue, which was burnt during the Nazi Regime. Although it is deeply revered by the people of Freiburg, the Platz der Alten Synagoge has been engulfed into the rest of the city. Rig...

  Last weekend, I visited Switzerland for the third weekend in a row! For an outdoors lover like me, it is the best country in the world. The two weekends before, I had gone hiking in Lucerne and Interlaken, two very beautiful places. Those two trips were the most memorable trips of my life! Last weekend, my friends and I chose to visit a lesser-known town called Weil-am-Rhein. The town Weil is situated on the banks of the river Rhein, hence it is called Weil-am-Rhein. Weil-am-Rhein is actually in Germany, but right on the Swiss border. We visited a very impressive modern design museum over there and had food at a cafe. After that, we started a very scenic and peaceful walk from Weil-am-Rhein to Basel, Switzerland. On the walk we saw many vineyards and farms. In the distance, we could catch a short glimpse of the Swiss Alps. Since Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in the world, we were glad we got food before crossing the border! The Swiss-German border looked like...

 My first fifteen days in Freiburg have convinced me that I would gladly spend the rest of my life here. In the first few days of orientation week, Karin from IES introduced us to the concept of "Wellness Walks". Starting from the first Wednesday, IES takes students on weekly walks that help students de-stress, detox, and feel connected to nature and each other. On our first Wellness Walk, we went to Schlossberg. In English, "Schlossberg" means "Castle Mountain". One of the main reasons I came to Freiburg was the abundance of forests and mountains around it. As soon as you leave the city, you are in the Black Forest, which is exactly where we went on our Wellness Walk. Although the Schloss (castle) wasn't nearly as impressive as other castles in Germany, the views from the Berg (mountain) were breathtaking. After a short but steep hike, we got to a flat viewpoint. And that is when I fell in love with Freiburg for the first time. I could see the entire ...