Tag 1 deutsch klasse

My first day of German class went rather well. Much of the beginning things were greeting sentences and phrases that I already knew, but we got into a lot of material that I didn't know. I've been working really hard to use what I do know in conversation. It's not a lot, but every little bit counts. It's funny how just after the first day, I've been able to understand a few more things when people are speaking. The class is 4 hours long, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks. Hopefully I'll learn a lot. It's kind of cool how this class works. Strangely it's taught in German, but it seems to be effective because there is a wide variety of nationalities there and most everyone seems to be picking up on it. My partner is an Australian guy. His accent makes my day. =)

After class, I studied a little and was distracted a lot. Then I went for a drive around the country. I saw the biggest milk cows I've EVER seen, a really cool Nicodemus mission monastery, and a lot of gorgeous countryside! Then we went and picked flowers at this community garden and put them around the house.

Tomorrow I go to my class by myself for the first time on the bus. I feel so grown up. ;) I finally put pictures of my host family's house on www.getjealous.com/cultural.cultivation.

Krank!? Schon!?

I expected it would happen because my immune system isn't up to snuff on German illnesses. I woke up this morning with an awful sore throat that's progressively getting worse. My host mom is out of zinc but she's going to buy me some tomorrow. For now I'm drinking an herbal tea concoction she suggested. I'm afraid to ask what's in it. It's helping a little. I figure I'll get over this and won't have to worry about getting it again. My good ol' immune system learns quickly.

Yesterday after I wrote my blog, I went out to lunch with Kolja's girlfriend Alex, a couple of her friends, and her boss to eat at an American restaurant. Her boss has a white 1958 Sixty Special Cadillac. It's pretty much beautiful. He rents it out for weddings and stuff, but when he heard I was an American, he invited us all out for a spin so he could talk American cars with me. This car would get some looks in America, but in Germany EVERYONE stares. They just don't have cars like that here. I put some pictures on www.getjealous.com/cultural.cultivation for you to see. As for the American restaurant, it was funny. They went out of their way to hang random American things like roadsigns and a disco-ball. They had chicken wings and burgers and stuff like that. But German burgers just don't hold a candle to Nebraska beef. Their BBQ sauce isn't quite as good as Famous Dave's or Buffalo Wild Wings either.

After we ate, Alex, one of her friends, and I went shopping in Düsseldorf. Shopping here is so much fun because instead of malls you have streets with shops everywhere. Sort of like an outdoor mall but BIGGER and the buildings are all unique for each store. Düsseldorf has one of the most famous shopping streets. We drove down the street and I was one of those gawking tourists that all these rich people laugh at because I'm not used to seeing streets full of Gucci and Prada etc! After a couple seconds of shock I said, "Where do people like me shop!?" Luckily there are more affordable streets.

While we were in Düsseldorf, I saw a bierbike. There's a picture on getjealous. It was like a little trolley with a big keg on the front and a bunch of stools on the sides. While you sit on the stools (like a bar) drinking beer, you pedal like a bike and it rides down the streets. It was quite the contraption.

Today at breakfast I decided I should take a picture of the table so you could see the kind of things we eat. I really love breakfast here with the AMAZING bread and cheese. Yummi! I put that picture on getjealous too. Kolja asked me if I would make pancakes and cookies for him someday. Neither of which they really have here. Subway is the only place they can get cookies like the ones we eat. I wish I would have brought a church cookbook!

My German class in Düsseldorf starts tomorrow morning. I'm excited to start learning the language. It'll be nice when I can understand what everyone is talking about.

My host family doesn't often go to church, but I decided not to find one on my own quite yet. I won't get much out of it until I know more German. Instead I had my own devotions and Matins this morning and had Dad send me the readings and his sermon from our church. I look forward to attending some German churches in the future to see what they're like.

Today is the end of summer for everyone around Haan. Kolja says, "No more making party. Today I chill" I'm looking forward to some relaxation time today. Ginette wants to watch The Men Who Stare at Goats with me later. =)

First Impressions

1. Germans really are crazy drivers! Crazy, but very good! I have yet to see an automatic vehicle. People park in the most absurd places. Most streets have cars parked on the sidewalks. But most of their cars are small enough that it's ok to squeeze them into the tiniest spots available. But needless-to-say, they drive FAST. =)

2. Most Germans are extremely kind. They are much like Nebraskans I've noticed. When they go to a business they talk to the workers like they know each other even if they don't. "How are you? Has your day been busy? It's finally sunny today!" Things like that. It's comforting and reminds me of home. And being nice to people makes business much easier.

3. Speaking of sun, I looked out my window when I started this blog and it was a prospectively delightful day. The sun was shining and there was a nice breeze. Now it's raining. It rains pretty much all the time. At least part of every day I've been here so far.

4. Architecture is amazing here. The houses and buildings are so old and beautiful. There are plenty of pictures on www.getjealous.com/cultural.cultivation that you can check out.

5. A lot of things here are American or at least found in America. But they are all much more expensive. Ford vehicles are not quite as affordable here. Converse cost twice as much. etc. About 80% of there movies are American with German voices so the lips aren't moving with the words. That's a little annoying. They listen to a LOT of American music including oldies. That's another one of those comforting things.

6. Food portions are much smaller here unless you go to an American restaurant. The food isn't that much different than America, though. Breakfasts are almost always toast or really good bread with marmalade or nutella or something. Nutella is a hazelnut version of peanut butter that is super delicious, but pretty sweet. They also use their butter knife a lot. Usually when they eat they have their butter knife in their right hand and their fork in their left so they can cut all their food with the knife instead of the side of a fork like a lot of Americans. Then they use the knife to pack the food onto their fork for each bite. It's interesting but I'm getting used to it. It's actually quite convenient if you can train your hands to coordinate your utensils in such a way.

7. Schaumparties are REALLY fun. It's a club where the dance floor is covered in foam. It's like having shampoo suds all over you. By the end of the night you are completely soaked! My host brother Kolja took me to a schaumparty last night with a few of his buds. It was a really good time! I'll post pictures on getjealous!

8. The students and people at the club stare at me a lot. I haven't figured out if it was because I just look like an American or if they heard me speaking English or if they found out I'm the exchange student. Or maybe I'm just a really bad dancer. =) But they are all very interested in America. I hung a flag and a map in my room and my host family really liked looking at my map and seeing places they've heard of. Interestingly enough, politics rarely come up.

These are some of the first things I've noticed about Germany. I'm sure there are many more to come!

P.S. It's sunny again. Strange.

Mein Zuerst Tagen in Deutschland

I wasn't sure if I would have much to write in a blog all year, but at the rate I'm going, I'll have TONS! I arrived in Düsseldorf at 7:20am Wednesday morning... I flew through the night and got maybe an hour of broken sleep, but watched the sun rise over England. Breath-taking. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture.

My host mother Ginette, host brother Kolja, and a family friend were waiting for me in the airport along with two Rotary members. Becky Sohler told me to really pay attention to the smell when I got off the plane because the smell of another country is different. So true! It only took me a minute or two to get accustomed to it, but it was cool. Germany is a nice smelling country. =) I do look forward to smelling Nebraska for the first time again when I return. Good ol' cornfields!

I was exhausted when I got home, but I was determined to stay up until night time so I could kick the jet-lag in the butt right away. I went for a walk with Kolja and our dog Paul, drove around, got a bank account, got a cell phone, went out to lunch, saw some really cool houses, and had a supper with some friends at home. My first home-cooked German meal was Kiesch! Sehr Gut!! =) I slept about 13 hours that night. It was great! Yesterday we did some more sight seeing around Haan and went to Solingen (the neighboring city where my host brother goes to school). Last night we stayed home and watched Pineapple Express in German. They gave me English subtitles so I could try to learn, but I don't think it's that easy. This morning I went to Düsseldorf with a Rotary member to take a placement examination for my German course. Needless-to-say, I'm a beginner. My beginner's intensive 4-week course starts Monday. I will start high school in Haan after I have a better understanding of German.

I'm posting pictures on www.getjealous.com/cultural.cultivation of some of the amazing architecture I've already seen. It's funny how some of the churches that I think are the most spectacular structures are just everyday, no big deal to the people here. There are also some pictures of the trinkgut store with the largest bottles of liquor I've ever seen! Stay tuned for a list of first impressions hopefully tomorrow. =)

Getting Dangerously Close

My departure date is getting dangerously close, and not to anyone's surprise, my mind is spinning. I will stay the night in Omaha on Monday, and my plane hits the skies Tuesday morning. After a short little jump to Chicago, I will spend nearly nine hours in and out of what can hardly be called sleep and wake up in Düsseldorf the next morning. I'm sure this will be especially challenging because I'm going to want to SLEEP!! But the day will only have just begun for all the people I will meet in Germany. Hopefully I'll be too darn excited to feel tired!
This entire year of surreal planning has finally become real this past week. It's all starting to sink in. I began packing and realized that a 50lb bag is really not much room for a years worth of clothes and supplies for a typical teenage girl. Wish me luck on making THAT all work out. Sadly enough, half of my suitcase is full of the only kind of hair gel I've found that controls my disobedient curls. As silly as that seems, it's been on the top of my priorities. I'm less concerned about clothes because I know I'll want to shop when I get there. But packing is still not a complete success yet.

I'm starting to say my goodbye's to friends and family now. It's harder than I thought it would be. When all of this was just a romantic idea, I didn't think I'd miss home at all. Fat chance on that one. Luckily, my host family seems very nice and I know I'll be just fine.

All-in-all, I think I'm nearing a point of preparedness for this adventure. It's not going to be easy, but it's an opportunity to be an ambassador and for cultural cultivation.