My first week in Hamburg was filled with unexpected surprises. At every turn something new and exciting like the Stuhlmannbrunnen fountain above which I happened across while accidentally taking the wrong train station on an expedition to find where I would be working Monday morning. Similarly, I stumbled across an annual music festival in the heart of the Altona District of Hamburg while completely lost, it was great. Multiple stages, vendors selling art and random goods, and of course street food galore. Oh, the street food. First Bratwurst my trip, but certainly not the last. The German people definitely got food right. Hearty soups, fantastic breads. fine cheeses, and the best wursts around.
The first week at ZEBAU was pretty great as well. First off, the office itself is amazing, over 200 years old, looking onto the Elbe River and all of its activity. The people in the office are equally as amazing, incredibly warm and inviting, even speaking English much of the time to make me feel included. The highlight of the first week, though, was definitely being given the opportunity to sit in on a conference room meeting between ZEBAU and FISH Germany where some very innovative ideas in the area of green building were discussed. Also, being able to see windmills generating electricity from my desk, I know I have come to the right place for my research!
-David Sweeney