Actually, the Flammkuchen thing was last night, not Monday night, so I really didn't have a lot to talk about yesterday. Flammkuchen could be called the German equivalent of pizza. It was really good, and also the first home-made thing I've eaten in a month. I had lots of fun hanging out with everybody and I got to meet a few new people. I have a really funny story about Maniwa, the Japanese girl I mentioned earlier, however I really don't know how to write about it without sounding dirty or inappropriate. I'll tell you all about it when I get back. Lets just say that the Japanese don't seem to understand the concept of ''personal space''.
Today, I am going to attempt to secure my temporary resident permit, now that I finally have the hundred other documents I need to get it. Please pray that it works out. After I get it, I should be able to matriculate to the university, get my student ID card, and an Internet password. I'm hoping to do that tomorrow morning, but we'll see. I also just realized that my bus pass is going to expire tomorrow, so I need to buy a new one. And I need to pack tonight, because I'm moving into my new dorm tomorrow afternoon. This means I should probably do my laundry tonight, which scares me a bit, considering the German washing and drying machines still confuse me. (Last time I did laundry, I didn't set the dryer right, and my clothes didn't get dry. So naturally, the smart thing to do would be to dry them again. However, you have to go to a place called the Service Point, which, of course, has stupid German office hours and is only open an hour at a time, and buy special coins to put in the machines. So if you run out of washing/drying coins and the office isn't open, you have to improvise. This means that I had all my clothes laid out to dry in every possible open space in my room for two days. Not fun.) Anyway, after I get all of this done, I should be okay. Today was the last day of my language class. Yay! My final grade was a 2, so I'm a bit disappointed, but oh, well. I learned a lot. Tomorrow, there is no class, and then on Friday, the Intensive Course starts, and that lasts for a week. I found out the other day, that only about eight other people signed up for it. This is because everyone wants to go traveling during the Easter holidays. (I'm such a nerd). After the course, I'll only have about five days to go traveling, because I also signed up for an orientation session at the university starting on the tenth. Another interesting thing I found out about German universities, is that if you want to register for a class, you simply show up and the professor will put you on the roster. Weird. I'm planning on taking all of my German classes through the language school, because I don't feel really confident about taking a German literature class with the native speakers. However, that's okay, because I registered to take Medieval German Literature next semester with my favorite German professor. You know, the one who shares my name? ; )
I do feel confident with taking British literature through the university, considering that's taught in English.
Okay, that's all for now. I don't know how often I'm going to update from now on, because tomorrow is the last day I'll get free Internet through the language school. Oh, well.
Wiedersehen!
P.S. Thanks for the camera tips!
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
Schneewanderung, Triff die Robinsons, und Mexikanisches Essen
Hello, everyone! I'm feeling pretty good today, considering I don't have a lot to do for once. Well, actually I need to work really hard on my research for Dr. Wisely because I'm pretty far behind. Though, I suppose that was to be expected. At least, I hope so.
Anyway, I didn't have as much fun on the snow hike as expected. Fortunately, I wasn't too cold, because I layered like crazy, but the hike lasted for two and a half hours. Two and half hours, uphill, carrying a sled, in temperatures in the teens Fahrenheit. I was super tired and super sore afterward. And then when we finally got to the top of the Feldberg, we only got to sled for about ten minutes, because our sleds were due back at the rental place in about twenty minutes. It seems that we got lost on the mountain, which is why we ran out of time. Oh, well. The view was fantastic. Snow, the Black Forest, and Alps, as far as you could see. I was so excited to see this much snow. I'm not sure exactly how deep the snow was off the trail, but when I accidentally walked into a snow drift off the trail, I got buried up to my waist in snow. I only have two pictures of the snow, because there is something seriously wrong with my camera. I discovered that the batteries only last long enough to take about two to three pictures before they die. I experimented with this theory in my dorm room, just to make sure that I wasn't accidentally turning the camera on while it was in my backpack. Weird. Maybe I should buy Energizer instead of Duracell.
After we got back back from the hike and everyone had had a chance to shower and nap, the group met at some bar, which I didn't stay at for very long. It was underground, really smokey, had no tables, and had the most horrible sounding music playing so loud, that you had to shout to hear your own voice. Not my cup of tea.
After church on Sunday, I decided to go and watch a film in German. I almost watched Mitten ins Herz in German, since I'd already watched it in English, and thought I could probably easily understand it. But instead, I decided on Triff die Robinsons. I didn't understand everything, but enough to enjoy it and to understand the plot. At the theater, I saw posters for some upcoming movies including, Spiderman 3, the third pirate movie, and Harry Potter. I think it will be interesting to watch them in German. (I think I'll just deal with the dubbed voices). I figure if I don't understand it very well, I can always watch them later in English at the other theater or when I come home.
Last night, I discovered in my Freiburg guidebook that there is a Mexican restaurant here called El Paso. I was super excited and decided to eat dinner there. However, Germans are seriously lacking in Mexican culinary skills. I ordered Enchiladas Rancheros, and I got a plate with with two ''enchiladas'', which were made out of hard taco shells, and had meat and sauce inside that tasted a lot like a sloppy joe. No ranchero sauce. Also, there was watermelon, grape, orange, and kiwi fruit slices on the plate. The rice and beans were okay, although the beans were black, not refried. It didn't taste bad, but it was definitely not Mexican food. Oh, well. I probably should have known better anyway.
Tonight, the group is going over to one of the language school director's dorm room (I found out that most of the directors are students) to make Flammkuchen. That should be fun.
Okay, that's all for now.
Ciao!
Anyway, I didn't have as much fun on the snow hike as expected. Fortunately, I wasn't too cold, because I layered like crazy, but the hike lasted for two and a half hours. Two and half hours, uphill, carrying a sled, in temperatures in the teens Fahrenheit. I was super tired and super sore afterward. And then when we finally got to the top of the Feldberg, we only got to sled for about ten minutes, because our sleds were due back at the rental place in about twenty minutes. It seems that we got lost on the mountain, which is why we ran out of time. Oh, well. The view was fantastic. Snow, the Black Forest, and Alps, as far as you could see. I was so excited to see this much snow. I'm not sure exactly how deep the snow was off the trail, but when I accidentally walked into a snow drift off the trail, I got buried up to my waist in snow. I only have two pictures of the snow, because there is something seriously wrong with my camera. I discovered that the batteries only last long enough to take about two to three pictures before they die. I experimented with this theory in my dorm room, just to make sure that I wasn't accidentally turning the camera on while it was in my backpack. Weird. Maybe I should buy Energizer instead of Duracell.
After we got back back from the hike and everyone had had a chance to shower and nap, the group met at some bar, which I didn't stay at for very long. It was underground, really smokey, had no tables, and had the most horrible sounding music playing so loud, that you had to shout to hear your own voice. Not my cup of tea.
After church on Sunday, I decided to go and watch a film in German. I almost watched Mitten ins Herz in German, since I'd already watched it in English, and thought I could probably easily understand it. But instead, I decided on Triff die Robinsons. I didn't understand everything, but enough to enjoy it and to understand the plot. At the theater, I saw posters for some upcoming movies including, Spiderman 3, the third pirate movie, and Harry Potter. I think it will be interesting to watch them in German. (I think I'll just deal with the dubbed voices). I figure if I don't understand it very well, I can always watch them later in English at the other theater or when I come home.
Last night, I discovered in my Freiburg guidebook that there is a Mexican restaurant here called El Paso. I was super excited and decided to eat dinner there. However, Germans are seriously lacking in Mexican culinary skills. I ordered Enchiladas Rancheros, and I got a plate with with two ''enchiladas'', which were made out of hard taco shells, and had meat and sauce inside that tasted a lot like a sloppy joe. No ranchero sauce. Also, there was watermelon, grape, orange, and kiwi fruit slices on the plate. The rice and beans were okay, although the beans were black, not refried. It didn't taste bad, but it was definitely not Mexican food. Oh, well. I probably should have known better anyway.
Tonight, the group is going over to one of the language school director's dorm room (I found out that most of the directors are students) to make Flammkuchen. That should be fun.
Okay, that's all for now.
Ciao!
Friday, March 23, 2007
Yay! Fun stuff to talk about!
I finally have good news and fun stuff to talk about. I really enjoyed Katie's and Jenny's blogs about Florida. I became really jealous when I saw the beach pictures, considering it was snowing here when I looked at them. In fact, its still snowing here. On the one hand, this is extremely exciting, because I've never seen this much snow before. On the other hand, I REALLY hate the cold weather. I'm totally ready for summer. The German summer, not the Texas summer. That's a bit too warm for comfort.
Anyway, I found out today that I'm going to have no trouble moving into my new dorm next week. Yay! I don't have to stay in a youth hostel. The new place I'll be living is in the German ghetto, but oh well. The building itself looks nice. Also, I discovered, fortunately not the hard way, that it would take way more than thirty minutes to walk from my dorm to the school. The tram ride itself took about twenty minutes, so I don't think I'm going to mind spending the money for a semester pass.
Also, last night, the group watched the German movie that just won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. (I totally forgot the name). I didn't understand all of it, but I think I got the gist. Afterwards, we went to an Irish pub and a drinks and had fun Irish dancing. Well, actually, I didn't exactly have a drink. I had a Coconut Kiss, which is the non-alcoholic equivalent of a Pina Colada. Sorry to disappoint you Jenny. I had a blast Irish dancing. I realized afterwards, that this was the first time I've ever actually been social dancing. Irish dancing is sort of like a combination of line dancing and square dancing set to Irish sounding music. Fortunately, they teach you how to do the dances before they start, or else I wouldn't have tried it. Though, I still had a bit of a struggle, considering all the instructions were in German.
Okay, I think that's all for now. I have to go fill out the scholarship application for the German Department Scholarship. Please pray that I'll get it!
Bis später!
Anyway, I found out today that I'm going to have no trouble moving into my new dorm next week. Yay! I don't have to stay in a youth hostel. The new place I'll be living is in the German ghetto, but oh well. The building itself looks nice. Also, I discovered, fortunately not the hard way, that it would take way more than thirty minutes to walk from my dorm to the school. The tram ride itself took about twenty minutes, so I don't think I'm going to mind spending the money for a semester pass.
Also, last night, the group watched the German movie that just won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. (I totally forgot the name). I didn't understand all of it, but I think I got the gist. Afterwards, we went to an Irish pub and a drinks and had fun Irish dancing. Well, actually, I didn't exactly have a drink. I had a Coconut Kiss, which is the non-alcoholic equivalent of a Pina Colada. Sorry to disappoint you Jenny. I had a blast Irish dancing. I realized afterwards, that this was the first time I've ever actually been social dancing. Irish dancing is sort of like a combination of line dancing and square dancing set to Irish sounding music. Fortunately, they teach you how to do the dances before they start, or else I wouldn't have tried it. Though, I still had a bit of a struggle, considering all the instructions were in German.
Okay, I think that's all for now. I have to go fill out the scholarship application for the German Department Scholarship. Please pray that I'll get it!
Bis später!
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Snow, France, and Embarrasing Moments
Okay, sorry I haven't updated, but I've been super busy trying to become a legal temporary citizen of Germany and trying to figure out when I can move out of the dorm I'm in now, and into my new one. These tasks are way harder than they should be because German office hours seemed to have been designed by Dr. Seuss. No office workers have a nine to five shift. In fact, my dorm director is only in his office for one hour a week at two entirely different half hour periods. Which of course is rather stressful. At least restaurants have normal hours.
Anyway, I went to Strasbourg, France on Friday, which was a lot of fun. At least the second part of it was. The first part of the day involved touring the EU Parliament building which was really boring. I also had a frightening/embarrassing moment. When we went on a restroom break, the lock to my stall stopped working and I got stuck in the bathroom. And these stalls aren't like American stalls. They're actually a more like a closet, so there was no way out, and I suddenly became extremely claustrophobic and began panicking. About three different girls were trying to get me out of the stall, and they finally had to go get one of the language school directors to come and pick the lock with his pocket knife. I shudder every time I think about that.
Anyway, after the tour we had a lunch break at the cafes around this huge cathedral, which I forgot the name of. At the cafe, I had decided to take a risk and order something entirely new even though the Leberknodel thing hadn't worked out. Fortunately for me, one of the Americans I was eating with knew a little French and informed me I was about to order a plate full of pig feet. I know I love oysters, but I think I draw the line at pig feet. After we ate (chicken for me, not pig feet), we toured the cathedral and then went walking about the old part of Straßbourg. It was amazing. It looked just like some stereotypical fairytale village (if you ingnored the fact that everyone was wearing jeans and T-shirts). Unfortunately, my camera batteries decided to die at that particular moment, and I have no pictures. : (
I was super excited this morning to wake up to a snow covered Freiburg. Of course it melted pretty quickly, but for a Texan, I was quite enthralled. And speaking of snow, this weekend we're going to on a Schneewanderung (snow hike) up to the peak of the tallest Alp in the region, and then to get down, we're going to sled! I am so excited! I have never even seen enough snow to even think about sledding. The language school decided to cancel the trip to Mannheim and replace it with this, because only four people signed up to go (including me). The whole purpose of the Mannheim trip was to see this museum about how Germans live in the eighteenth century and then to work in groups doing some householdy project like eighteenth century Germans would. Needless to say, I think sledding is going to be more fun.
I scored a 2 on my oral Referat, which I was told is quite good. In German, your grades range from 1 to 6, 1 being the best grade, and 6 being failure. I just found out today that I had placed in the highest lever language class (there are two classes higher than that, but they are not called language classes) at which point I realized, maybe I shouldn't be so hard on myself. My professor even told me today that she understands that speaking German is the harder than reading, writing, or listening.
Okay, that's all for now. I'll try to keep updating on a regular basis.
Tschüs!
Anyway, I went to Strasbourg, France on Friday, which was a lot of fun. At least the second part of it was. The first part of the day involved touring the EU Parliament building which was really boring. I also had a frightening/embarrassing moment. When we went on a restroom break, the lock to my stall stopped working and I got stuck in the bathroom. And these stalls aren't like American stalls. They're actually a more like a closet, so there was no way out, and I suddenly became extremely claustrophobic and began panicking. About three different girls were trying to get me out of the stall, and they finally had to go get one of the language school directors to come and pick the lock with his pocket knife. I shudder every time I think about that.
Anyway, after the tour we had a lunch break at the cafes around this huge cathedral, which I forgot the name of. At the cafe, I had decided to take a risk and order something entirely new even though the Leberknodel thing hadn't worked out. Fortunately for me, one of the Americans I was eating with knew a little French and informed me I was about to order a plate full of pig feet. I know I love oysters, but I think I draw the line at pig feet. After we ate (chicken for me, not pig feet), we toured the cathedral and then went walking about the old part of Straßbourg. It was amazing. It looked just like some stereotypical fairytale village (if you ingnored the fact that everyone was wearing jeans and T-shirts). Unfortunately, my camera batteries decided to die at that particular moment, and I have no pictures. : (
I was super excited this morning to wake up to a snow covered Freiburg. Of course it melted pretty quickly, but for a Texan, I was quite enthralled. And speaking of snow, this weekend we're going to on a Schneewanderung (snow hike) up to the peak of the tallest Alp in the region, and then to get down, we're going to sled! I am so excited! I have never even seen enough snow to even think about sledding. The language school decided to cancel the trip to Mannheim and replace it with this, because only four people signed up to go (including me). The whole purpose of the Mannheim trip was to see this museum about how Germans live in the eighteenth century and then to work in groups doing some householdy project like eighteenth century Germans would. Needless to say, I think sledding is going to be more fun.
I scored a 2 on my oral Referat, which I was told is quite good. In German, your grades range from 1 to 6, 1 being the best grade, and 6 being failure. I just found out today that I had placed in the highest lever language class (there are two classes higher than that, but they are not called language classes) at which point I realized, maybe I shouldn't be so hard on myself. My professor even told me today that she understands that speaking German is the harder than reading, writing, or listening.
Okay, that's all for now. I'll try to keep updating on a regular basis.
Tschüs!
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Again, Not Much Going On
Hello everyone! I figured I should keep updating even though not much has happened. The best news thus far is that I finally got my acceptance letter! Yay! Now I can apply for a temporary resident permit, and then apply for a bank account, and then I can pay my rent! Okay, I suppose that's way too much enthusiasm for rent paying. Anyway, I would have gone to get my permit today, but the office opens up a seven thirty and I was way too tired, which is weird because I went to bed really early. I know that I must not have slept well because I was sleeping so deeply at eight in morning that I had a dream between every snooze button hit. I remember one dream was about me walking to class while eating a Berliner (the cream puff pastry thing, not a person) that tasted like a jelly donut gone bad. Yes, you can most definitely see how interesting my life is right now. I'm reduced to talking about Berliner dreams.
Anyway, I gave my oral Referat today, which was wasn't too bad. I personally think I did quite horrible, but we'll see how it turns out. I'm not too freaked out about learning enough German anymore, because my professor told the class today, that if you relax and simply absorb the language, you'll learn a lot more than if you're stressed out. I probably should have known that without her telling me, though...
I also bought a book (in English) yesterday called Artemis Fowl, which I think is quite popular. I've been really enjoying it. I thought about buying a German copy of Harry Potter, but I wasn't even able to get through the first page without consulting my dictionary a lot. Oh, well. Maybe later in the semester.
Tomorrow, I'm going on an excursion to visit the French city of Strasbourg. I should probably be more excited about that, but the whole purpose of the trip is to see the EU parliament building, which doesn't sound exciting at all. Oh, well. I still think it will be cool to say I've been to France and we'll also get to spend a couple of hours looking at the old part of the city. That's one of the cool things about Freiburg. Its really cool to see at the Münster Cathedral, the medieval city wall, and other things from the Middle Ages. Not much of this survived though, because the city was virtually destroyed by bombs in World War II.
Anyway, I think that's all for now. Please keep updating your blogs ::cough, (Kristen), cough::, I love reading them!
...I think I've run out of ways to say ''Good-bye'' in German.
Anyway, I gave my oral Referat today, which was wasn't too bad. I personally think I did quite horrible, but we'll see how it turns out. I'm not too freaked out about learning enough German anymore, because my professor told the class today, that if you relax and simply absorb the language, you'll learn a lot more than if you're stressed out. I probably should have known that without her telling me, though...
I also bought a book (in English) yesterday called Artemis Fowl, which I think is quite popular. I've been really enjoying it. I thought about buying a German copy of Harry Potter, but I wasn't even able to get through the first page without consulting my dictionary a lot. Oh, well. Maybe later in the semester.
Tomorrow, I'm going on an excursion to visit the French city of Strasbourg. I should probably be more excited about that, but the whole purpose of the trip is to see the EU parliament building, which doesn't sound exciting at all. Oh, well. I still think it will be cool to say I've been to France and we'll also get to spend a couple of hours looking at the old part of the city. That's one of the cool things about Freiburg. Its really cool to see at the Münster Cathedral, the medieval city wall, and other things from the Middle Ages. Not much of this survived though, because the city was virtually destroyed by bombs in World War II.
Anyway, I think that's all for now. Please keep updating your blogs ::cough, (Kristen), cough::, I love reading them!
...I think I've run out of ways to say ''Good-bye'' in German.
Monday, March 12, 2007
The old Its-a-Bavarian-Tradition-to-Eat-Bread-with-a-Spoon-Trick
Today, I'm feeling a lot better about life in general. Dr. Wisely sent a semi-threatening e-mail to the lady at the International Student Office here, and the Language Course Office also called her and told her about my problem, and she promised she'd have it fixed in a few days. Yay! I still haven't made any really good friends yet, but as Katie says, I can easily find ways to entertain myself.
Anyway, Friday night I really didn't do much. I went to Starbucks again to get some ''real'' coffee. However, I have discovered that Starbucks is not a good place to practice my German. For starters, I'm never sure if I should say English words with a German accent or an American accent. Saying English words with an American accent is a dead give away that I'm American, but I think saying them with a German accent might sound stupid. This has been a real problem for me. For example, when I went to Starbucks on Friday, I told the cashier, ''Ich möchte ein White Chocolate Mocha, kurz, bitte.'' And, of course, I did not say ''Vite Schocolata Mocha''. He immediately said, ''Awww, do you speak English?'', and I replied, ''Ja'', indicating that I did not want to speak English. Then, he told me, in English, that my drink cost three euros. Then he said, ''That is drei. Drei euros.'' Now, at this point I'm thinking that this guy is really impatient, and so I stop digging around for change and hand him a five euro bill. (FYI, instead of paper money, there are coins worth one and two euros). He says, ''That is fünf. Füüüünf euros.'' Now, I'm thinking this guy is really weird. Then as he hands me my change, he says, ''This is zwei euros. Zweiiii euuuuros.'' Now, I'm really starting to wonder about this guy's sanity, and I think this was showing on my face, because his face turned red and he looked really embarrassed. As I was leaving, it finally dawned on me that he was trying to teach me the German numbers! Oops..
Anyway, I went to Heidelberg on Saturday and that was viel Spaß! I took some pictures which I will attempt to upload later, but I need to replace the batteries in my camera first. Heidelberg is so pretty, with the Alps all around it and the Neckar River running through it. We toured the Heilige Geist Kirche, the old university prison (yes, the university actually had a prison for its students), and of course the Schlossberg. I think the Schlossberg was my favorite thing. (However, climbing up a mountain to get to the castle was not fun). During our lunch break a few us, and a couple of the language school directors, ate at a Bavarian restaurant. I learned two very important things. First, duh, knödel is not ''noodle'', but ''dumpling'', and that the word ''leber'' is liver. This means that when you order Leberknödel, you get two big balls of liver. Not the most appetizing thing to eat. Second, I should always remember that Germans are very sarcastic. After we ordered, the waitress brought back a basket with three pieces of bread and a spoon in it. She said something when she left it on the table, but I didn't catch it. Then, one of the directors told me, in German, that its an old Bavarian tradition to eat bread with a spoon. I fell for it for about five seconds, at which point everyone at the table started laughing at me. The bread and the spoon were for the soup that someone had ordered. But, hey, since he said it German, I think it shouldn't be held against me. Right, guys? ::crickets chirping:: Oh, well. At least I am now wary of the tricks that the Germans like to pull on poor, unsuspecting Americans.
Sunday, I attempted to go to church, but unfortunately, I missed the service beacuse I mixed up the time it started with another church. Oh, well. I then decided to eat at a cafe, where I read some of the book that I'm reading for Dr. Wisely. Then I went to this place called Cafe Classico, and ordered Eiskaffee. I thought it would be like a frappeccino (or however you spell that), but it actually like a root beer float with plain black coffee instead of root beer. Not good. Then, I finally found the theater with films in the original language, and I went to see Mitten dem Herz (or something like that). I'm not sure what that would be called in English. In the Middle of my Heart? Oh, well. I thought about you, Katie, when I saw the poster for Schräger als Fiktion. I'm pretty sure you can guess what that translates to!
Anyway, I think that's all for now. Keep praying that my German skills will get better!
Ciao! (FYI, Germans say this all the time).
Anyway, Friday night I really didn't do much. I went to Starbucks again to get some ''real'' coffee. However, I have discovered that Starbucks is not a good place to practice my German. For starters, I'm never sure if I should say English words with a German accent or an American accent. Saying English words with an American accent is a dead give away that I'm American, but I think saying them with a German accent might sound stupid. This has been a real problem for me. For example, when I went to Starbucks on Friday, I told the cashier, ''Ich möchte ein White Chocolate Mocha, kurz, bitte.'' And, of course, I did not say ''Vite Schocolata Mocha''. He immediately said, ''Awww, do you speak English?'', and I replied, ''Ja'', indicating that I did not want to speak English. Then, he told me, in English, that my drink cost three euros. Then he said, ''That is drei. Drei euros.'' Now, at this point I'm thinking that this guy is really impatient, and so I stop digging around for change and hand him a five euro bill. (FYI, instead of paper money, there are coins worth one and two euros). He says, ''That is fünf. Füüüünf euros.'' Now, I'm thinking this guy is really weird. Then as he hands me my change, he says, ''This is zwei euros. Zweiiii euuuuros.'' Now, I'm really starting to wonder about this guy's sanity, and I think this was showing on my face, because his face turned red and he looked really embarrassed. As I was leaving, it finally dawned on me that he was trying to teach me the German numbers! Oops..
Anyway, I went to Heidelberg on Saturday and that was viel Spaß! I took some pictures which I will attempt to upload later, but I need to replace the batteries in my camera first. Heidelberg is so pretty, with the Alps all around it and the Neckar River running through it. We toured the Heilige Geist Kirche, the old university prison (yes, the university actually had a prison for its students), and of course the Schlossberg. I think the Schlossberg was my favorite thing. (However, climbing up a mountain to get to the castle was not fun). During our lunch break a few us, and a couple of the language school directors, ate at a Bavarian restaurant. I learned two very important things. First, duh, knödel is not ''noodle'', but ''dumpling'', and that the word ''leber'' is liver. This means that when you order Leberknödel, you get two big balls of liver. Not the most appetizing thing to eat. Second, I should always remember that Germans are very sarcastic. After we ordered, the waitress brought back a basket with three pieces of bread and a spoon in it. She said something when she left it on the table, but I didn't catch it. Then, one of the directors told me, in German, that its an old Bavarian tradition to eat bread with a spoon. I fell for it for about five seconds, at which point everyone at the table started laughing at me. The bread and the spoon were for the soup that someone had ordered. But, hey, since he said it German, I think it shouldn't be held against me. Right, guys? ::crickets chirping:: Oh, well. At least I am now wary of the tricks that the Germans like to pull on poor, unsuspecting Americans.
Sunday, I attempted to go to church, but unfortunately, I missed the service beacuse I mixed up the time it started with another church. Oh, well. I then decided to eat at a cafe, where I read some of the book that I'm reading for Dr. Wisely. Then I went to this place called Cafe Classico, and ordered Eiskaffee. I thought it would be like a frappeccino (or however you spell that), but it actually like a root beer float with plain black coffee instead of root beer. Not good. Then, I finally found the theater with films in the original language, and I went to see Mitten dem Herz (or something like that). I'm not sure what that would be called in English. In the Middle of my Heart? Oh, well. I thought about you, Katie, when I saw the poster for Schräger als Fiktion. I'm pretty sure you can guess what that translates to!
Anyway, I think that's all for now. Keep praying that my German skills will get better!
Ciao! (FYI, Germans say this all the time).
Friday, March 9, 2007
Not much for Today.
My effort to post a story on my blog everyday may be a bit silly. Mainly because my life isn't very exciting at the moment. I go to class, I eat lunch, I get on the computer, I go to a seminar, work for an hour in the language lab, I eat dinner, I go home and do homework, and then go to bed. That's pretty sad, I know, but considering there's so much stuff I need to do on the computer, which I only have access to for a couple of hours, I don't really have time for much fun stuff. I also haven't made any ''real'' friends yet, because Claudia has a lot of Italian friends and its also really hard for me to converse only in German. This is really depressing, but I know things will get better. I've also had severe problems with trying to get settled here. For some reason, I never got an acceptance letter for the university. I know I'm accepted because I have a room for the next six months. (I'm not staying here that long, that's just how long the lease is). However, unless I have a document stating that I'm accepted, I can't get a visa, which means I can't open a bank account, which means I can't pay rent, which means I can't move into my new room at the end of March. When the other girl from Baylor went to the university's main office, they told her they never had a record of us ever applying. ??? I should be able to get this problem remedied next week. Hopefully...
I'm also having problems with learning German. Not the understanding part, but the speaking part. It takes me way to long form a sentence. I do have a month to get it down, though.
Also, I'm really freaked out about this oral report I have to do for my class on the 18th. I think I'm going to do it about Texas, because that shouldn't be too hard. I have a week to do that, as well as Independent Readings for Dr. Wisely, and my homework, and studying German. Whew!
I just realized that this post sounded a bit depressing. I guess I am a bit depressed right now, considering all the stuff I have to worry about. Tomorrow should be fun, though. I really can't wait to do some actual traveling. I've been in Freiburg for a week now, and I haven't been to any museums. or even the Münster Cathedral. (Jenny, you should know what that is! We learned about it last semester. Then again, it wasn't that important. I just remembered it because it was in Freiburg). Once I get everything straightened out, I should be able to explore a bit.
Okay, that's it for now. My next update should be on Monday, because I don't have Internet access on the weekends.
Bis Montag!
I'm also having problems with learning German. Not the understanding part, but the speaking part. It takes me way to long form a sentence. I do have a month to get it down, though.
Also, I'm really freaked out about this oral report I have to do for my class on the 18th. I think I'm going to do it about Texas, because that shouldn't be too hard. I have a week to do that, as well as Independent Readings for Dr. Wisely, and my homework, and studying German. Whew!
I just realized that this post sounded a bit depressing. I guess I am a bit depressed right now, considering all the stuff I have to worry about. Tomorrow should be fun, though. I really can't wait to do some actual traveling. I've been in Freiburg for a week now, and I haven't been to any museums. or even the Münster Cathedral. (Jenny, you should know what that is! We learned about it last semester. Then again, it wasn't that important. I just remembered it because it was in Freiburg). Once I get everything straightened out, I should be able to explore a bit.
Okay, that's it for now. My next update should be on Monday, because I don't have Internet access on the weekends.
Bis Montag!
Thursday, March 8, 2007
How to Speak like You're Gargling Water
Yep, Frau Abercrombie is from Heidelberg. Though, of course, that's not why I'm going. I can't wait to hear all about everyone's Spring Break trips. We'll all have exciting trips to talk about! Not that Eating a Banana isn't exciting, or course. ; ) Anyway, I don't really have a lot to report today. My seminar yesterday was really frightening, because I had to get up and give a mini presentation. I think I did okay, though. Afterwards, I went to the cafeteria with a guy from Singapore named Damien. Then, I attempted to find this movie theater that shows films in the original language, so I could watch an English movie. (The normal theater here dubs all the movies, which I find really annoying. I hate watching films where the sound doesn't match the actor's mouth movements. Subtitles are so much better). I couldn't find it, and so I went home and I had nothing to do, because, you know me, I had already done my homework. Sometimes being studious isn't a great thing.
Today in class, our teacher spent a good deal of time working on our pronunciation. She said you should pronounce the vowels as if you were gargling water or trying to get phlegm to come up. We all had to practice doing that. It sounded really gross. Oh, well. That's what I get for choosing German over Spanish.
Okay, I think that's it for now. Sorry nothing really interesting happened, but I should be able to report on fun stuff this weekend. Wiedersehen!
Today in class, our teacher spent a good deal of time working on our pronunciation. She said you should pronounce the vowels as if you were gargling water or trying to get phlegm to come up. We all had to practice doing that. It sounded really gross. Oh, well. That's what I get for choosing German over Spanish.
Okay, I think that's it for now. Sorry nothing really interesting happened, but I should be able to report on fun stuff this weekend. Wiedersehen!
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
The Language Barrier
Jenny's right. Baylor is more Puritan than the rest of America, but I bet you'd still be hard pressed to find a dorm with a bar in it. Anyway, last night was really fun. Manuela also invited some of her friends to join us, and so I ended up having drinks with two Italians, a French girl, (What do you call people from France anyway? Franks?), a Serb, a Luxembourger, another American, and another guy whose nationality I couldn't figure out because he didn't talk much. We all decided that we should only speak German. This was really interesting, considering none of us are fluent in it. I still had a lot of fun, though. Manuela, Claudia, and I had fun talking about the Italian and American versions of certain television shows and movies. Mainly Mary Poppins. They would sing a line from one of the songs in Italian, and then ask me to sing the same line back in English. They thought the English version of Chim Chimney (or however you spell that) was really funny. Also Manuela wanted to know what the English version of Donald Duck's nephews are. (It took me a moment to figure out what she wanted to know because she asked me, in German of course, ''What are the names of Doonalt Dook's three children?''). She thought the names Huey, Duey, and Louie were hilarious. The Italian version is something like Quack, Quirk, and Quark.
Today has been really frustrating because I haven't used any English. Even though Claudia knows English, we still only speak German with each other in our attempt to be able to speak it comfortably. In the cafeteria I ate with Claudia and five other Italians which I didn't know. Even though the rule is we should only speak German, they cheated a lot and spoke Italian, so half the time I had no idea what was going on. After we ate, they wanted to go out for Italian coffee, so I tagged along, and then decided from now on, I will only go to Starbucks for my coffee, because Italian coffee is way, way, way to strong. So is German. Its also pretty disgusting. This morning I went to Cafe Europa (German Java City), and got Milschkaffe. It tasted like milk with a shot of espresso in it. Even sugar didn't help. I was so happy when I found a Starbucks. They don't have my favorite Pumpkin Spice, but Hazelnut Chocolate makes up for it.
The cafeteria here is really different from Baylor. When you get in line, you have two choices. You can go through the line where they're serving Essen 1 and Essen 2 or you can go through the buffet line. If you go through the first line, you have a choice between two plates, each with a different meal on it, and then you pay the fixed price. If you go through the buffet line, you get what you want, and then you pay based on how much your plate weighs. (?) There is no ice anywhere and the only water you can get is carbonated mineral water (really disgusting). Also, the food isn't that good. I'll never complain about the Baylor cafeterias again. Its so much better.
I had the chance to hang out with the Americans last night too, but they wanted to go to the bar in the dorm and play Beer Pong, something which they were amazed I didn't know about. Somehow, I didn't think that was a good idea. By the way, what exactly is Beer Pong? (I wasn't told. I guess they thought I should just experience it).
I signed up to go to Heidelberg today, and I can't wait for this weekend. I also signed up to go to Strasbourg, and Mannheim. There was one other city which I could have signed up for, but the entire trip consisted of touring New Age art museums, and that didn't sound very interesting. I really want to go to Mannheim, but I didn't have a choice about Strasbourg, because its a requirement for the seminar I signed up for. By the way, in order to get full credit for this course you have to sign up for two seminars held in the afternoon. Right now I'm doing one on the European Union, and next week I'll do one on Intercultural Competence. I also might do the one on German Film History, and see what I'm missing in the class that I would have been taking with Jenny.
Anyway, that's all for today. Bis Morgen!
Today has been really frustrating because I haven't used any English. Even though Claudia knows English, we still only speak German with each other in our attempt to be able to speak it comfortably. In the cafeteria I ate with Claudia and five other Italians which I didn't know. Even though the rule is we should only speak German, they cheated a lot and spoke Italian, so half the time I had no idea what was going on. After we ate, they wanted to go out for Italian coffee, so I tagged along, and then decided from now on, I will only go to Starbucks for my coffee, because Italian coffee is way, way, way to strong. So is German. Its also pretty disgusting. This morning I went to Cafe Europa (German Java City), and got Milschkaffe. It tasted like milk with a shot of espresso in it. Even sugar didn't help. I was so happy when I found a Starbucks. They don't have my favorite Pumpkin Spice, but Hazelnut Chocolate makes up for it.
The cafeteria here is really different from Baylor. When you get in line, you have two choices. You can go through the line where they're serving Essen 1 and Essen 2 or you can go through the buffet line. If you go through the first line, you have a choice between two plates, each with a different meal on it, and then you pay the fixed price. If you go through the buffet line, you get what you want, and then you pay based on how much your plate weighs. (?) There is no ice anywhere and the only water you can get is carbonated mineral water (really disgusting). Also, the food isn't that good. I'll never complain about the Baylor cafeterias again. Its so much better.
I had the chance to hang out with the Americans last night too, but they wanted to go to the bar in the dorm and play Beer Pong, something which they were amazed I didn't know about. Somehow, I didn't think that was a good idea. By the way, what exactly is Beer Pong? (I wasn't told. I guess they thought I should just experience it).
I signed up to go to Heidelberg today, and I can't wait for this weekend. I also signed up to go to Strasbourg, and Mannheim. There was one other city which I could have signed up for, but the entire trip consisted of touring New Age art museums, and that didn't sound very interesting. I really want to go to Mannheim, but I didn't have a choice about Strasbourg, because its a requirement for the seminar I signed up for. By the way, in order to get full credit for this course you have to sign up for two seminars held in the afternoon. Right now I'm doing one on the European Union, and next week I'll do one on Intercultural Competence. I also might do the one on German Film History, and see what I'm missing in the class that I would have been taking with Jenny.
Anyway, that's all for today. Bis Morgen!
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
German Classes
I thought I was having trouble managing the publishing of my posts, but since Jenny commented, I must be doing it right. So far, I've had only two German classes, but I've learned so much already. (For clarification, this month, I'm taking classes to learn German, next month, I'll actually be taking normal classes. Providing I learn enough German, of course). I have class Monday through Friday from 9.15 to 12:30. I know that sounds really horrible, but we get a thirty minute break, long enough for the class to sit down and enjoy coffee at the German version of Java City. Also, our professor is so much fun. Its actually kind of sad when I look down at my watch and discover the class is already over. Or, well, at least it should be. Frau Nothen goes overtime a lot, but nobody minds. (See? Its not just me being totally geeky. The whole class feels this way). Anyway, the class consists of six Americans (me included), two Italians, a Norwegian, a Turk, two Koreans, and three Japanese girls. Its really cool to be around so many international students. I haven't made too many German slip ups yet. (Well, this morning I mistakenly thought the German word for mushroom was a type of beer, but hey, anyone could made that mistake, right? Pilze and Pils? My Italian friends thought it was hilarious).
Anyway, tonight, Claudie and Manuela (my aforementioned Italian friends) and I are going to go out for drinks. It feels really weird saying that. When I get back to America, I wont be able to say that again for another two years. Oh, well. Not that I really drink anyway. Speaking of drinking, I found a bar built into my dorm the other night. Too bad you all live in a Puritan society.
This weekend I get to go on one of the excursions offered by the language school. I can either go to Heidelberg or Basil. I can't decide which one. Either way, I'm really excited. Get ready for some pictures!
Anyway, tonight, Claudie and Manuela (my aforementioned Italian friends) and I are going to go out for drinks. It feels really weird saying that. When I get back to America, I wont be able to say that again for another two years. Oh, well. Not that I really drink anyway. Speaking of drinking, I found a bar built into my dorm the other night. Too bad you all live in a Puritan society.
This weekend I get to go on one of the excursions offered by the language school. I can either go to Heidelberg or Basil. I can't decide which one. Either way, I'm really excited. Get ready for some pictures!
Monday, March 5, 2007
Arrival and Culture Shock
Hello, everyone! I know I've now been in Germany for six days now, but due to troubles with my power converters, I haven't been able to use the Internet. (I've finally found the university's computer lab). Anyway, it took me a total of about 15 hours to travel from home to Freiburg. (Two hour flight to Washington, DC., two hour layover, seven hour flight to Frankfurt, an hour wait for a train, a two hour train ride to Freiburg, and then about half an hour of being totally lost, before I found the Foreign Student Office. At which point I was really thankful, because that meant they would give me my room key and I could sleep, sleep, sleep. Or at least that's what I thought. They told me the keys wouldn't arrive for another four hours and that I should come back then. So, I spent a long time wondering aimlessly around until I stopped at a little cafe and ordered heiß Schokolade. Then I finally got my key and directions to my dorm. Of course, I got on the tram that was going in the wrong direction, so what should have been a ten minute trip, was actually a thirty minute trip. Then, of course, with about twenty hours of zero sleep, carrying a hundred pounds of luggage, in the freezing cold downpour, I got lost again. It took me about forty minutes before I finally found the right building. And then I almost it took me another twenty before I could figure out the German key/lock mechanism. Whew!
Anyway, the next morning, I discovered I have a really cool dorm room. Its a single room complete with bathroom and kitchenette. The room has a desk with a swivel chair and desk lamp, a wardrobe with shelves and drawers, six shelves on the wall, a bed with a drawer underneath, another chair, a reading lamp, and a balcony. The kitchenette consists of a sink, two drawers, a refrigerator, and a stove top. The bathroom is really big. (We all know what's in a bathroom). In addition to all this, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, cushions, bed linens, and a portable laundry basket were included. To many, this may not sound very amazing, but those who know where I live when I'm at school in the States, can understand my enthusiasm. In fact, on my way to class this morning, two other foreign students, an Australian and a Swede, were completely astounded to learn what dorms were like back in America. Its kind of weird to hear them saying things like, ''Wow, I wonder what it would be like to share a room?'', or ''What!? Is America a Puritan society? Guys and girls live in separate buildings and have visiting hours!?''.
I've made a couple a friends so far, including an Italian named Claudie, and the cutest little Japanese girl named Maniwa, who doesn't speak English and only knows a little German. This morning, through broken German, an electronic English to Japanese translator, sign language, and drawings, she managed to communicate to me that her alarm clock was broken, and I managed to communicate back to her that I would wake her up until she could buy one.
I have discovered that the Germans are lot nicer and lot more fun than Americans have given them credit for. I can't tell you how many people stopped to help me with my luggage or offered directions when I was looking at a map. Also, they have a very sarcastic sense of humor. About three quarters of the people speak English. In many cases this is annoying, because I want to practice my German. However, as soon as I open my mouth, and reveal I'm a foreigner, they switch to English. In other cases it is extremely helpful, especially if I am really confused about something.
The second night I was here, the Foreign Student Office decided to introduce the new foreign students to the town by pub crawling. Of course I know next to zilch about alcohol, and so the Germans at the office have considered it their personal mission to introduce me to beer, the wine from around the region, beer, more beer, and also beer. The next day, after our placement tests, the office had a wine party for all the foreign students. (This is really a far cry from Baylor). One of the office workers saw me going for the orange juice and immediately dragged me over to another table and poured me a glass of wine. I'm surprised he didn't give me up for a lost cause after seeing the look on my face when I sipped it. (My friends know the look I'm talking about). I also had a coughing fit. I much prefer orange juice.
Okay, I think this was definitely a long enough post. I'll see if I can upload some pictures soon.
Tschüs!
Anyway, the next morning, I discovered I have a really cool dorm room. Its a single room complete with bathroom and kitchenette. The room has a desk with a swivel chair and desk lamp, a wardrobe with shelves and drawers, six shelves on the wall, a bed with a drawer underneath, another chair, a reading lamp, and a balcony. The kitchenette consists of a sink, two drawers, a refrigerator, and a stove top. The bathroom is really big. (We all know what's in a bathroom). In addition to all this, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, cushions, bed linens, and a portable laundry basket were included. To many, this may not sound very amazing, but those who know where I live when I'm at school in the States, can understand my enthusiasm. In fact, on my way to class this morning, two other foreign students, an Australian and a Swede, were completely astounded to learn what dorms were like back in America. Its kind of weird to hear them saying things like, ''Wow, I wonder what it would be like to share a room?'', or ''What!? Is America a Puritan society? Guys and girls live in separate buildings and have visiting hours!?''.
I've made a couple a friends so far, including an Italian named Claudie, and the cutest little Japanese girl named Maniwa, who doesn't speak English and only knows a little German. This morning, through broken German, an electronic English to Japanese translator, sign language, and drawings, she managed to communicate to me that her alarm clock was broken, and I managed to communicate back to her that I would wake her up until she could buy one.
I have discovered that the Germans are lot nicer and lot more fun than Americans have given them credit for. I can't tell you how many people stopped to help me with my luggage or offered directions when I was looking at a map. Also, they have a very sarcastic sense of humor. About three quarters of the people speak English. In many cases this is annoying, because I want to practice my German. However, as soon as I open my mouth, and reveal I'm a foreigner, they switch to English. In other cases it is extremely helpful, especially if I am really confused about something.
The second night I was here, the Foreign Student Office decided to introduce the new foreign students to the town by pub crawling. Of course I know next to zilch about alcohol, and so the Germans at the office have considered it their personal mission to introduce me to beer, the wine from around the region, beer, more beer, and also beer. The next day, after our placement tests, the office had a wine party for all the foreign students. (This is really a far cry from Baylor). One of the office workers saw me going for the orange juice and immediately dragged me over to another table and poured me a glass of wine. I'm surprised he didn't give me up for a lost cause after seeing the look on my face when I sipped it. (My friends know the look I'm talking about). I also had a coughing fit. I much prefer orange juice.
Okay, I think this was definitely a long enough post. I'll see if I can upload some pictures soon.
Tschüs!
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