Author: fennig.21

My Strange Sausage Experience

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By: Nicole Fennig

I just had the weirdest sausage of my life. For lunch on the second-to-last day of the trip, a few of the other students and I decided to find a restaurant so we could eat more delicious German cuisine. We were so excited when we looked at the menu, seeing the variety of sausage options that we could indulge in. Most of us decided on the same dish, the classic Munich Sausage.

Now, to help clear up some of the confusion for later in this blog, let me emphasize that the menu did not have pictures of the food. Also, a disclaimer is needed because I am in no way a professional chef. Half the time, when making noodles, I overcook them.

As our waitress set down the bowls and plates, we each looked at what we ordered, and when I tell you we were all shocked as to what was inside the bowl, I mean utterly shocked. Two white sausages were sitting in what seemed to be water with chopped green onions floating around. We were making jokes amongst ourselves about the appearance of the dish and how you would not come across something like this at home. It was certainly something I had never seen before.

As we tried the dish, each of us came to our own conclusions about how we felt about the meal. We all agreed it was much softer than we expected, and the casing was not easy to cut. Personally, I rate it as 5.7/10. However, others in the group absolutely loved it, especially the sauce that came with it. Despite not loving the dish itself, I loved the experience of trying this new dish with my friends on the trip. It certainly made for a memorable lunch and story time about the trip.

A picture of the…delicious sausage

Donald Duck and his Anti-Nazi Propaganda Campaign

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By Nicole Fennig

As I walked into the Caen Memorial Museum, I saw one of my favorite childhood characters depicted in an exceptionally shocking way; Donald Duck was portrayed as a Nazi Sympathizer and even shown as another version of Hitler. This may seem all out of whack. However, the abnormal depiction of Donald Duck was simply for propaganda purposes. 

Der Fuehrer’s Face (1943) was Disney’s most popular wartime propaganda short, depicting Donald Duck living in Nazi Germany. The satirical cartoon follows Donald throughout his day working as a member of the Nazi regime. The film uses exaggerated humor in order to deride Hitler’s Regime as it portrays the absolute absurdity that could be found within the Third Reich. Whether it was working for 48 hours a day to appease the Fuhrer or constantly saluting every picture of Hitler he saw, the whole point of the film was to show how Donald Duck was stuck in the nightmare that was Nazi Germany. 

The military enlisted Disney after the attack on Pearl Harbor to make training videos, educational films, and propaganda to help with the war effort. The animations tended to focus on aspects of patriotism while also attempting to villainize the country’s wartime enemies. 

The use and study of wartime propaganda are historically important. They allow audiences to glimpse the mindset of the American homefront during the war while also learning about the powerful messages that propaganda campaigns conveyed throughout the war and whether or not they were successful.

Here is a link to Der Fuehrer’s Face song and video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn20oXFrxxg

Note to those who view it:

Der Fuehrer’s Face can be seen as problematic in a modern-day sense. The depiction of racial stereotypes within the short can be seen as insensitive or offensive. The cartoon also displays sensitive topics like forced labor or the whole Nazi totalitarian regime on a more humorous note which might be uncomfortable for some who watch it. 

This is the cover for the vinyl record version that can be seen within the Caen Memorial Museum.

My Pure Disdain for London’s Pigeons

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By: Nicole Fennig

For those of you who do not know me, I grew up in an agriculturally dense area, working with large animals like pigs daily, and have been in a turkey barn or two. Being around animals like that, I was never afraid of them despite their size. However, until I went to London, I never realized my fear of small animals that could fly. More specifically, pigeons. During my time in London, the pigeon population was the bane of my existence. They are everywhere. They are in the underground train stations, on the outdoor tables of restaurants, and the rooftops of every building. It truly seems as if they are within five feet of you no matter where you go. 

My first experience with a terrifying pigeon occurred on day one in London as Professor Steigerwald gave us a tour of the neighborhood we would be staying in. The group was walking past one of the many delicious restaurants near our hotel. When I walked past the restaurant’s outdoor seating area, a pigeon, eating off of a deserted table’s dirty food dishes, started to flap its wings, scaring me so much that I practically rammed into another member of the group. As the days went on, I encountered dozens of pigeons everywhere I went. Hyde Park, there were so many pigeons, Bayswater station, so many pigeons, any street in London, SO MANY PIGEONS. Each looked at me with their beady eyes and saw how close they could get before I backed away. 

Despite everyone on the trip thinking that my hatred for London’s pigeons could not get any deeper while attempting to explore the beautiful city, one decided my thigh looked like a nice place to use the restroom. So, every time I flinched at one of their movements, or if a little squeak came from my mouth when one flew too close, I believe it was a justifiable action when it came to dealing with what I would consider the rats of London.