We are aware that we have not given any sign of us since November. Sorry for that, but life has slowed due to colder temperatures how winter usually works, people here tend to fall into a kind of hibernation. So we joined them and did the same! 😀 However, there are few things that happened nevertheless that we would like to share with you!
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Climate out of control
Minneapolis has continental climate. Due to the lack of large water bodies that help compensate for temperature fluctuations, such fluctuations have a much higher impact compared to places close to a coast. Temperatures therefore reach from +40°C in Summer to -40°C in Winter. This is normal and the population does cope with this no problem, but for us this was new. For example, we have an emergency kit in our car should we get stuck. You might be aware that in the US, houses are built very cheaply, there is practically no isolation. I would have expected this to be a bit different in Minnesota, but nope, houses are only minimally insulated, and people basically heat for the outside! They have developed strategies to keep the warm inside however, they tape off all windows with plastic foil to reduce drafts. Below some impressions of what our apartment built in 2019(!) looks like when it gets -20°C outside.
This winter was however very weird, also for locals. It has been very warm. We had only one cold phase mid January where temperatures were at about -15°C (which is a normal Minnesotan winter temperature, it tends to get a lot colder), but besides that, temperatures were usually around 0°C, allowing Jerome to go out for runs and Seraina to cycle without problems. Besides that, we had no snow. Minneapolis usually gets a lot of snowfall (last winter they nearly drowned in snow, more than a meter in the metro area!). This winter, we had about 10cm. These 10cm we just got yesterday (15. February), below some pictures of the frozen(!) Mississippi during this very cold phase in January with no snow!
What we finally woke up to:
Skiing on a hill
As you might not be aware: The midwest of the United States is super flat. Comparable to the Netherlands. When we first flew in, Seraina and I were shocked about how flat it actually is. To do downhill skiing, you would drive up north to Canada, or to the west to Colorado or Montana – both very long trips. It does not astonish then that Minnesotans have found their own way to ski, they use the valleys created through rivers to ski. And this seems to work, Lindsey Vonn for example was born in the Twin Cities and was one of the best skiers for some time!
At Bühler, our PE team organized a late night retreat to one of the skiing areas nearby, which is called Trollhaugen! Trollhaugen has a set of 4 chair lifts that take you up the hill, all placed in parallel of each other. The vertical height difference between bottom and top is 80m. Trollhaugen offers late night skiing for 25$ per person, the ticket is valid from 9pm to 3am. This is combined with affordable beer in the main restaurant / bar chalet, a recipe for success. In the map below you can also see that they have a double black diamond trail. :’D.
Some more impressions: On the chair lifts, its uncool to close the safety bar. Some of the lifts still have wooden chairs, and those dont even have a safety bar. And on a regular day, the skipass is over 50$, pretty expensive. There was live music inside the main chalet also.
Texas A&M
Jerome just had a trip to Texas A&M, the biggest university in Texas. Located in the middle between Houston, Austin and Dallas, it is home to about 75’000 students. I was able to hold a talk at a course regarding extrusion. This was the first time that I was on campus of such a big university, plus the first time seeing this blend between a university and the army. The cadets (individuals that enrolled to college via the army) are always in uniform, live directly on campus, too, and undergo additional military training besides their normal classes for their chosen degree. From one example that I know, the army would pay for your degree if you signed a contract with them of 8 years. People in the US would by the way not necessarily sign up for the army just because of monetary reasons, but just because they believe that it is the right thing to do – it just shows again this partiotism that bins together this otherwise estranged country.
While on campus, we got a quick tour, where of course a museum of the cadet’s school cannot be missed. The army itself was also present (not only the cadet school), showing off one of their military drones. Most impressive was the “packaging” of the drone – look at the enclosure. Incredible how small these drones can be packed. Inside the museum, of course, you would have a gun collection which they are super proud of. The museum is full of symbols of greatness of the US army. Finally, as part of the course, Buhler invited all attendees for dinner, a Brazilian restaurant was chosen and the food was absolutely delicious!
Outlook
And this is all that has happened during the last 3 months. Very little, we know. Again, we are hibernating the winter away here. Seraina and I signed the lease for a new apartment that is a lot cheaper than the one we currently stay in! If you have made it this far: Seraina and Jerome will be in CH from 15.03.2024 – 20.04.2024! Let us know if you want to meet during that time.
To close: We wish you a lovely rest of your winter (wherever that may be) and look forward seeing you very soon! S&J