As the wet and windy Bremen winter prevails and all our faces have rejigged from a rosy red to a snow white, you may be wondering, well what is there to do during a winter plagued by a seemingly everlasting pandemic? Yes, we know, we also wish we could go at least one article without mentioning the unmentionable, and trust us, we’re over it too. You must be wondering, “what do college students do when you put them all together in one place during a pandemic?” We endeavoured to answer this question by asking our very own friends who stayed on campus over the winter about what they did to pass the time. Naturally, we’ve left out the generic stuff (i.e. Netflix, video games, etc.) and focused more on things that you could only do if you were stuck here in Bremen.
Before we begin, we’d like to extend as warm a welcome as possible to the incoming Spring semester students! Brace yourselves, as you are in for a heck of a ride. With a number of re-energized students returning to campus from home, you’ll feel the strong campus spirit trickle back in as we all get ready to seize the second half of the year. Our number one tip? Ride the wave and don’t be a stranger! While the social gatherings are still restricted, there will be ample opportunities for you to meet people.
1. Visiting host parents
Luckily, as the laws and regulations currently stand, it is legal for members of two households to meet. This means that over the winter, some students got to enjoy time with their host families and finally eat scrumptious homemade meals. We all know how precious good homemade food is, living away from home and eating only servery-made food.
2. A stroll in the park
How many times, since the gyms closed down have you promised yourself that you’d stay active… but didn’t? While the struggle of a lack of motivation is completely understandable, how could one say no to taking a walk in Knoops Park! Nothing beats a little “spazieren gehen” in our very own community park. Less than a ten-minute walk away is a large open space with luscious greenery, teeming with nature and an opportunity for a mesmerizing sunset view. Accompanied by a walking partner or a set of headphones plus your go-to Spotify playlist (this one’s for you bougie Premium owners), not only will you get some exercise and fresh air, but also the ability to lift your spirits up by a bunch! As we’ve all learnt by now, simply being able to go outside is a privilege, so it’s nice to hear that some of us were able to take advantage of that!
3. Start (or continue) journaling
Whether you feel awkward writing about your day, or you simply don’t have anything to write about, journaling can feel daunting. However, the benefits - improving your writing, boosting creativity, setting and achieving goals and enhancing memory, to name a few- are very attractive. Plus, there are 101 ways to journal! You can write in bullet points, doodle, make collages, scrapbook, write a poem, or even retell your day in a story-like manner. Apart from being a productive distraction, journaling can provide a daily dose of gratitude for the little things. Over the winter, some even decided to combine a stroll at the park with journaling, which honestly sounds like the perfect remedy for winter blues & anxiety.
4. Play with snow!
Admit it, even those of us who claim to hate snow, secretly love it. Not only is it pleasant to look at, but a lot of fun to play in. Anyone who claims that playing in the snow is childish is obviously lying to you, but thanks for the opinion nobody asked for, Mr/Ms. Maturity… Whoever thought that the little bit of dirt-snow Bremen blessed us with could bring so much joy? Ah yes, the snowball fights, sledding down tiny hills, making dirty snow angels and disfigured snowmen… what a great form of stress-relief. That is, if you’re well protected from the frosty temperatures that come with it.
5. How’s your cooking?
While we have the privilege of eating food that’s pre-cooked for us, cooking should be something to occasionally dabble in. Craving something? Head to Netto and compile the ingredients to your mom’s signature dish. Share traditional food from your country with your culturally diverse group of friends. Plus, we’re all adults here, so if you’re nearing graduation and still can’t cook a simple meal, pull that silver spoon out your behind. Once we’re out of our nests, it’s really handy to know how to maneuver inside a kitchen, so make use of our college kitchens! We heard a group of friends remained well-fed with traditional Georgian dumplings (Khinkali) and cheese boats (Khachapuri).
6. Leave campus!
We cannot stress this enough. Leaving campus in general and exploring new places, cities and sites is your best bet at improvising a vacation. There’s so much to see and do (for free!). The sight of a beach during winter seemed to peak some of our students’ interest and with that, they decided to head to Bremerhaven and investigate a beach sans the shining sun and people in bathing suits, and I’ll tell you now, it was surely a sight to see.
And so, concludes our list of what our students did over the break. Although we may have missed out on a few more interesting (and possibly illegal) things that our students have done, we leave it up to you and your imagination. As we usher into the new semester, let’s all hope that the lockdown is lifted and that we finally go back to business as usual. The campus spirit can only take so much of a hit having already missed a year’s worth of on-campus events. The freshmen who came in the Fall 2020 semester never got to see what Jacobs Games and Country Information Days were like and we hope that they get their chance soon. So, on that note, do your part and adhere to the social distancing regulations! Life can only go back to normal if we all work together!
BY CAVAN YONG (MALAYSIA) | CLASS OF 2021 & LARISSA MASSAMBY (MOZAMBIQUE) | CLASS OF 2021
