Students life of Koblenz

Hello guys,

we are Marie, Melina, Trang, Christian and Fabian from the "Hochschule Koblenz", Germany and we like to give you an impression of our life as students, how we celebrate carnival and how we spend our christmas.

The first time at "Hs Koblenz" is very exciting because you get to know a new city, a lot of new people and you find many new friends in a short time.

Students can do a lot of things in their free time in Koblenz. After a tiring day at the university you can relax at the "Stadt Strand " from May to September, when the weather is nice. On the bank of the Mosel River you can enjoy delicious cocktails or discover new sport trends.

http://www.spd-koblenz.de/index.php?nr=11646&menu=3

You can either take the bus to the centre of town or keep walking along the Mosel. For the best Ice-cream in town, go to "e Gel o Sia ".

Nightlife of Koblenz

We start the evening by going to one of the many pubs and cocktail bars. For example the Gecko Lounge and Sugar Ray, where you get cocktails for four or five euros a piece.

For us students it is very cheap. After two or three cocktails we want to go dancing. So we can choose from different discos.

The largest one is Agostea. You can choose from 3 different rooms. In the 3 rooms they play different kind of music for example electro, hip hop, charts or country music.

http://www.suewag.com/agostea.html

When you prefer a more luxurious ambience then you will love the Palais. During the day it is a cafe which turns into a cool club / lounge at night.

http://www.palais-koblenz.de/

The most popular parties are one Thursday. There are parties specially organized for the students. The most students go to the Zenit Club. The entrance is cheap and costs only between 3 and 4 euros. There are a lot of drink-specials, for example beer, champagne 0,2 l and shots (Jägermeister) for only one euro.

University Sports

The University of Koblenz offers many recreational possibilities.

At university sports you can practice different sports with other students, employees of the university or guests. Anyone can participate, whether beginner or advanced. For a small fee

you can choose from many different sports. For example it can be chosen between American football, badminton, basketball, football, golf, handball, rugby, table tennis, tennis, hockey or volleyball, only to list the ball sports.

In addition, courses are offered in martial arts such as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Capoeira, Karate, Kendo, Kung Fu, Ninjitsu and Tae Kwon Do.

Other sports such as fencing, climbing, dancing, body workout, swimming, diving, stand up paddling, yoga or Zumba, are also available.

http://www.uni-koblenz.de/~ahs/

Student council of economics

Our student council of economics designed our everday life to a large extent. The student council tries 
to build a bridge between the economics faculty and the students and tried to mediate. It has also made ​​it to his task to perform and supervise the the salutation of the freshman. They also offers courses and seminars for candidates training, rhetoric and the promotion of soft-skills and inform about internship and job offers.

Another, very important task they do for students, is the planning of parties. So at the beginning of each semester are some "Opening Party" organized. The highlight of each semester is the "pub rally".

The Pub Crawl

Now I'll tell you a little bit about the pub crawl at the University of Koblenz.

Every year, the Student Council organize the pub crawl for the freshmen.
Many flyers are being distributed, so that many students can participate.
They have to look for a great place where everyone can come together, because there are often more than 1,000 students. Then the students walk around the whole city of Koblenz to get to know some different bars and pubs and each other.

You definitely are thinking why do we do that?

Because the pub crawl is served? to close the new students many new acquaintances and meet new friends and have a little orientation in the city.

The fun factor is guaranteed here! From my personal experience I can tell you that you really get to know a lot of new people and the atmosphere is just great.

For example, this year we had the slogan "TV heroes from the past." Group leaders designed different signboards with pictures and the newcomers could join into the different groups. They made such groups, so that not all groups went into one bar at the same time. Otherwise this would be too crowded.

The Student Council also consider a few games so that it will not be boring in the pub crawl and the students will weld together more as a group.

Alcohol can't be missed at all the fun. It is usually arranged that we get a welcome shot at every pub/ bar. The prices of the drinks are also very cheap at that evening.

At the end of the day at about 10 pm all the participants of the pub crawl meet in the so-called club "Palais" and then celebrate until the dawn.

"Every year ...": Advent and Christmas in Germany

    http://www.koblenz-touristik.de/en/events/highlights/christmas-market.html

Advent and Christmas. This is for many people the best time of year. All over the world it is celebrated. We would like to describe you how this time is celebrated in Germany.

Advent: Jesus is coming soon

During Advent we are preparing for Christmas. The word "Advent" comes from Latin and means "arrival." During this time, we remember that Jesus Christ came into this world as a child and that he will come back as LORD soon.

During Advent, the city streets are brightly lit. Everywhere hang lights and colorful ornaments. Stars hang in the windows and other Christmas figures of paper. And in many kitchens it smells like cinnamon. People are beginning to bake Christmas cookies and special Christmas cake.

Many children also have an advent calendar. For each of the 24 days in December through Christmas you can find a piece of chocolate or something else behind little doors. But there are also calendars, which make the mothers and older children themselves. They fill it with nice things, such with nuts, fruit, chocolate or small toys. In some old Advent calendars you can still be found behind each window a biblical promise that points to the coming of Christus.

At this week’s you can found Advent wreath in some flats, with four candles. Each Sunday in Advent a new candle is lit. If all four candles are lit, it's almost Christmas. To this the children sing some songs like: "Advent, Advent, ein Lichtlein brennt, erst eins, dann zwei, dann drei, dann vier; dann steht das Christkind vor der Tür."

Nikolaus come to our house ...

On 6 December we celebrated the St. Nikolaus Day in Germany, this day is the commemoration day for the Bishop Nikolaus of Myra, who lived in the 4th Century and has been cared particularly for the children. The evening before this day the girls and boys put their boots and shoes in front of the door. They want that the Nicholas fills them with sweets and fruit.  Sometimes someone in a Santa Claus costume go from house to house to give presents to the children. He always has a cane for the bad children and a bag full of small gifts for the good children. In a big book he reads to them what they've done for good and bad things, and thereupon he distributed small gifts. But mostly everyone gets something.

Christmas: Jesus is born

The Christ Child and the distribution of gifts includes, for Christmas. Since the 16th Century, there is the custom. At this time the Christ child sent a bag of five things into the house: toys, candy, a coin, a piece of clothing and items for the school. Since the Christmas presents grew up, they are put on the so-called "gift table".

The focus of the gifts table today is a Christmas tree with glowing candles and colored balls. No other German custom is so known in the worl. Some people even put a crib under the tree. The event of Bethlehem is recreated here with various figures. In a stall are a donkey and an ox, as well as Mary and Joseph. Sometimes you can also see the shepherds with their sheep and the three wise men from the East. In the middle stands a manger. Therein lies a little doll that is to represent Jesus as a child.


The evening before Christmas day is “Heiligabend” (Christmas Eve 24.12.). Many people go to church that night. There, they sing songs and hear the Christmas story from the Bible. Sometimes, the children play a "nativity", where the Christmas story is presented.





After the service, it's time for the gifts that have been previously placed under the Christmas tree. Thereafter, all were happy, but most of the children. Some children have already previously written a "wish list" which they give to their parents. Whether they find what they have been asking for under the tree?

Christmas Eve is often completed with a meal, but on Christmas Day (25.12.) the party goes further. The housewives cook something good to eat, often carp, goose or a delicious roast and also homemade cakes. At this festival comes everyone from the family. Christmas is a family celebration.

Carnival

Carnival or in german also „Fasching“, „Fastnacht“ or the "fifth season" mentioned refers to the period before Ash Wednesday in wich this festival is celebrated wildly. The end of this time is always a week after the seventh Sunday before Easter. It starts officialy on the 11th of the 11th month at 11:11 am. Especially in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate carnival is celebrated lively, where Cologne is the stronghold of carnival.

In Germany, Carnival is celebrated with parades, masks, music and covers.

The specialty of these parades is that sweets are distributed. This is probably due to the fact that earlier Lent was imminent and so many calories was have to gained.

Carnival Costumes

Every year, people ask themselves the question: What costume I´m wearing this year?

Looking at the costume trends of recent years, the former tradition will continue in 2011.

Interesting are the different demands of men and women.

Females pay attention on one aspect of great importance: the costume should be sexy and provoke a lot of male attention. Nurse costumes are booming again. But a self-made, form-fitting hippie costume is now considered to be extremely popular, too.

Most men do not care whether their costume could seem a little embarrassing, so some of them have no problem wearing a women wig or a dress. In addition, many men rely on the well-known pirate costume, which will be extremely popular again, this year. Since the huge success of "Pirates of the Caribbean", the costumes are based increasingly on the look of Captain Jack Sparrow.

Top Ten of the most popular carnival costumes

1. Pirate costumes
2. Cowboy or American Indian
3. Pet costumes
4. Clown
5. Occupations
6. Fairy essence
7. Heroes of film and television
8. Vampire, Witch, Magician
9. Travel through time
10. Flower power
    
    
    
    
    
    

    Carnival 2012 in Koblenz

    
    Carnival in Koblenz - is a time full of joy of life and it devoted to the common celebrations. Over 40 carnival clubs with nearly 10,000 members provide fun in the few days.  A variety of events will take place before and during these crazy days.

    
    

    

    
    

    
    

    "Rosenmontagsumzug" (Roses Monday parade)

    
    
    

    The highlight of the carnival in Koblenz is reached on the so-called “Rosenmontag” (Roses Monday) on this day leaves a huge parade through the city of Koblenz. The parade will take place this year on 20 February, from 12:11 o `clock. Thousands of carnival friends will come again to see the beautiful decorated cars which run through the streets. After the parade most of the people use the opportunity to celebrate in the many bars, pubs and clubs in the city."Rosenmontagsumzug" Koblenz 2012

    
    

    
    

    
    
    
    
    
    

Weiberdonnerstag in Germany

The year's big celebrations start on the Thursday, with Weiberdonnerstag, Women's Thursday, in Rhineland's Karneval, or South West Germany's Fastnacht Schmutziger Donnerstag or Schmotziger Donnerschtig, Greasy Thursday as it is known locally, which are then followed by the Die Drei Tollen Tage, the three crazy days.

No man will wear any tie he holds dear on Weiberdonnerstag because by tradition women take over, and one of their popular customs is chasing men to cut off their ties as prizes and later nailing them to a wall. Special ties are sold to be worn for the day and an amazing amount of turtleneck sweaters appear on normally very conventionally dressed office workers.

While until some years ago any divorce case brought about because of an incident that had occurred on Weiberdonnerstag would be disallowed by the court.

However it might take place on the same day but Fastnacht's Schmotziger Donnerschtig, called that because it was the day pigs were slaughtered ready to be smoked or prepared for Easter and similar to Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday, is celebrated in a very different way.