And this is Anthropology.

Rachel here. So I love this place and the mountains and Golden Roof. I have seen more kinds of strange dogs this week than ever in America. But the best is my Food and Culture in Europe class (Travis is also in it too). The teacher is from Croatia and digresses more than any teacher I have ever had. Just to give you an idea of a typical class, this is what we have talked about so far. Remember that this class is actually about food and culture in Europe.
1. Shamans
2. The Afterlife
3. Nudist Gardens
4. How dogs die
5. Public drunkeness
6. How to will yourself to die
7. Romantic love
8. Ghosts
9. Saying "Bless You"
10. A covert prostitution operation
11. Cactus gardens
12. Eating dogs
13. How the first seals were made from fingers.

I have a running list. Today I had a lecture on Dachau, and on Saturday I am actually going to the camp. It is going to be so surreal to stand in that place. I have been taught so much about it and have read numerous books on the Holocaust, but it will be so strange to be there.

In my other class, Schools and Culture, I have learned a lot about the Austrian school system. It is so different than ours. For example, after primary school (age 6-10), all A students are accepted into Grammer Schools. All others go to Secondary Modern Schools. If a student goes to a Grammer School, they will automatically be accepted into a university-- grades do not matter. So a tremendous amount of pressure is put on really young students to make all A's and parents pressure teachers to give all A's. It has been so interesting to see all the differences in culture and to think about which practices are more effective.