Week #41 in Germany (Our Berlin Adventure, Part 3)

(Continued from part 2) In the morning, we were able to use the bathroom, and leave our room on time. We had to wait about 10 minutes for the office to open so we could check-out, but we were still on time. We had to buy a new ticket to get to the train station, and we accidentally bought the wrong one. Luckily, we didn't get stopped by any controllers, and everything was okay. We had to switch trains at Alexanderplatz, so I bought the ticket for the entire journey back to Offenburg there. I used my debit card for the transaction, and I gave Mehmet the ticket. I didn't think about where I put my receipt, because I didn't think I would need it. We got to the train station, and everything was on time. At one of the stops we picked up someone from mitfahrgelegenheit, and we traveled until Leipzig with him. In Leipzig, we met with 2 other people, their baby, and their dog. We had bought a 5-person ticket since the dog counts as 1 person. Everything was going smoothly until Frankfurt.

In Frankfurt, we had about 30 minutes until the next train, so we went to get something to eat. We also bought some chocolate for the journey. Then, we waited on platform 18 for the train from Frankfurt to Mannheim. About 2 minutes before departure, we saw that it had changed to platform 17, so we had to run to catch it. Luckily, the people we were traveling with had already boarded. After a few minutes, the ticket controller came through for the ticket. Mehmet reached in his pocket. The pocket with his wallet and the ticket, but at that point, his pocket only had his wallet...the ticket had been lost. At this point, we start freaking out, going through all our things. He must have dropped the ticket in Frankfurt when he pulled out his wallet to pay for something. I had paid with my debit card, so there was verification through my account. The controllers asked for the receipt, but I couldn't find it. Since I couldn't find the receipt, they wrote us all tickets. The controllers said I could print off my bank transactions, then we could all go to the travel center in Mannheim and explain the situation. Two minutes later, I found the receipt, but we still had to fix things in Mannheim.


Once we arrived to Mannheim, we had 29 minutes before our next train. The controller had explained that we could have our fine forgiven and make the rest of our journey once we talked to the travel center agent. The travel center agent wasn't on the same page. He said that we had to have the ticket. Since we lost the ticket, we had to contest the fine in writing with the appropriate authorities. Since I had my receipt, they would be able to look up the transaction number, but the agent in Mannheim couldn't. That also meant we had to buy another ticket from Mannheim to Offenburg. The agent was annoyed with us because we were told something else by the controller. He was also slow enough that he made us miss our train by 1 minute. So, instead of getting to Offenburg at 11:13pm, we didn't get there until 12:40am. 


And that was my Berlin experience....please, don't ask if I had fun.

Week #41 in Germany (Our Berlin Adventure, Part 2)

(Continued from part 1) It was nearly 3am when we got to our hostel, so I pretty much just set the alarm for an hour later than what I had originally planned and went to sleep. Even though we were about 4 hours later, I didn't want to start too late the next morning, since it was our only day to see Berlin. In the morning, I wanted to get up to take a shower, then check-in, then go explore. However, I had to wait about 30 minutes to take a shower, because someone else had already gotten to it. Even though we had a private bedroom, we had to share the bathroom. So, by the time I got ready we were about one hour behind schedule. Then, we went to reception so we could check-in. The people there were not in a hurry. They finished there 10 minute conversation before helping us. Then, they decided to give us a little tour. By the time we got to the U-Bahn we were about 1.5 hours behind schedule. We finally got to our starting point (the Berlin Wall Memorial), and it wasn't exactly what I was expecting. It was interesting, but I was in a bad mood from lack of sleep and so many delays. So, it may have been absolutely fascinating, but at that point I really needed fireworks. Then, we walked to the Reichstag (Congress). After that, we went to the Brandenburg Gate. I had to get a picture there, since that's where President Reagan gave his memorable "Tear down this wall" speech. After that, we walked down the street Unter den Linden until Alexanderplatz. We saw Museum island, the Rotes Rathaus, the TV tower, Marienkirche, and a lot of other important buildings. There was also a lot of construction though, which kind of ruined some of it. Then we went to lunch at Brauhaus Lemke. They had an all-you-can-eat buffet for under €7, so by the time we left we were over 2 hours behind schedule.

After lunch, we headed over to Potsdamerplatz. I had to see the Film Museum because I love film and I especially love German film. We didn't spend a lot of time there since we were so far behind schedule, but it was still nice. We then headed over to Checkpoint Charlie, so I could get a picture of the well-known sign. I was annoyed by the fake soldiers. They wanted €2 for a picture with them wearing wrinkled uniforms and holding dirty American flags. I kind of wanted to pay the €2 just to smack them. After that, we headed to the Olympic Stadium. That was where American athlete Jesse Owens won 4 Gold medals during the 1936 Summer Olympics, something of which I'm very proud. I really wanted a picture there, but everything was locked up. So, we headed back to the hostel to get ready for dinner. 


We had an amazing dinner at an African restaurant called Massai. Anyone who visits Berlin MUST visit Massai for dinner. And be sure to get a banana beer. It tastes like bananas, a.k.a. deliciousness! After dinner, it started raining, so we headed for the U-Bahn. Unfortunately, the U-Bahn closed at 10pm for construction, and it was about 10:15. So, we walked to the next station, because we had read about a cool bar in that area. But we checked the train times first. Basically, we had an hour to find the bar, have a drink, and get back to the station. We looked for about 15 minutes, couldn't find it, and decided to head back to the hostel. When we went to the station, we realized that station was also closed for construction. So, we had to take a bus to the next station. The bus came on time, we went in the right direction, we made it to the right station, and we finally ended up at the hostel. It looked like our luck was changing for the better. (Part 3)

Week #41 in Germany (Our Berlin Adventure, Part 1)

"The best laid schemes of mice and men/ Go often askew" ("To a Mouse" by Robert Burns)

This past week Mehmet and I went to Berlin. The plan was to spend Wednesday traveling to Berlin, then have one entire day there on Thursday, and leave Friday to get back home Friday night. This was the cheapest way, and I also thought it wouldn't be too difficult to do Berlin in a day since I've done so many other cities in a day (Munich, Madrid, New York City, D.C., etc.). I'm not much of a museum-goer, so that saves a lot of time. 


So, Wednesday morning we started on our journey. Everything seemed to be going rather smoothly. We met with other travelers with mitfahrgelegenheit, and they were all very nice. Then, in Stuttgart we experienced our first little glitch. Mehmet was walking ahead of me and the other girl we had met. He was walking fast, because we only had about 5 minutes to catch our train, carrying a backpack, which was his overnight bag, and wearing camouflage shorts, his favorite pair. All of a sudden, I saw two police officers quickly approach him. They asked for his ID. Me and the other girl caught up with him and started standing there with him. I was trying to figure out what had happened and why the officers stopped him. The officers asked us if we were all together, and when we responded "yes", there seemed to be a slight hesitation. The officer knew at that point there was no problem, but he had already asked for Mehmet's ID, so he also asked for ours. At this point, I was getting a phone call from the other 2 girls from mitfahrgelegenheit who were waiting for us and I had to inform the officers that our train was leaving in about 2 minutes. They started walking us to the platform, and we were luckily able to make the train. Looking back on the situation, Mehmet and I are sure that it was racial profiling (he's Turkish), but there wasn't a lot we could do about it. At least we made our train.


We made it to the next stop, and the train we took from there was 5-10 minutes late....and we only had 5 minutes to get to the next train. Luckily, the next train was also delayed, so we were able to make it. The next train was also delayed, but we wanted to check to see if there was another direct train we could take, to avoid being rushed or missing later trains. We decided to take the original train, but after we boarded, we were told the part of the train we had boarded was disconnected from the main train that was going to our next stop. When we got off, the other part of the train had already started leaving. So, we had to take a later train. That train was on time, and gave us some time to eat (we hadn't had anything since 9am and it was about 5pm). Then, we had to take a train from Leipzig to Berlin, which had one stop of about 5 minutes in between. However, the train from Leipzig was about 10 minutes late....and it was the LAST train to Berlin until the morning. So, we rushed over to information and explained our situation. Three of us were girls, so if all else failed, I figured we could put on the waterworks. Luckily, they were very understanding, and they said they would hold the train for us. So, we were finally able to make it to Berlin at about midnight. Well, we made it to the Berlin Hauptbahnhof at about midnight, and we still had to get to our hostel. 


The information I read had said that our hostel was on a U-Bahn line that went directly from the main train station to our stop. However, that information was wrong. So, we found the U-Bahn, then we had to figure out all the connections to get to our hostel. Everything was okay, or so we thought. Turns out we went in the wrong direction on the last line....and we didn't realize it for several stops. Finally, when we realized it we thought we could just hop off and go in the other direction. We didn't know, however, that there was construction in the other direction. So, we decided to get on an S-Bahn line that should have taken us directly there. The only problem was it was already about 1:15am, and so the S-Bahn line we were on didn't run anymore. We tried asking someone who worked for the train for directions and he basically blew us off. That was when I started crying. It's amazing how much men hate to see a woman cry....he managed to give us specific details of when and where we needed to go by making a simple call. So, by 2am we thought we were on a bus going to where we needed to be. We thought there was only one bus, but apparently there was another, because once again we were going in the wrong direction. So, we got off the bus. It was after 2am, and we were completely lost on the outskirts of Berlin. We started walking, then Mehmet pulled me aside because we saw three people that were most likely doing drugs. We both had wallets full of cash, so it was a situation we didn't want to cross. Then we saw a police car. We ran to them asking for help, Mehmet started speaking to them in English and tried to tell them about the people doing drugs, but I don't think they understood. Finally they told us to just get a taxi. We did. Twenty-five minutes and €25 later we had arrived to our hostel. (Part 2)

Week #40 in Germany

My doppelganger

This past Friday began my farewells. We have a 2-week vacation for Pentecost and then I will only work until Wednesday after the vacation, so Friday was my last lesson with my 5th graders. It was an amazing goodbye. First, they put on a skit with one student playing me, another student playing my colleague, and the other students played different stereotypes (geeks, jocks, the pretty girls, the trouble maker, etc.). Then, one student played a few songs on his guitar and we had a delicious breakfast, with muffins and scones the students had made themselves. After that, they had put up baby pictures, so we played a game where I had to match the baby picture to the student. Finally, they ended with a beautiful song that one of the students wrote herself. I was so proud of her, because she wrote it all in English without any help. I was able to avoid crying until the song. It was happy because they were thanking me for being there and helping them with their English, but it was also sad because they were saying goodbye. It was really perfect.


Earlier this week, I was helping a student prepare for her English presentation. After we finished, she asked me if Germany was completely different from the U.S. In all honesty, I'm starting to forget what's "normal" in the U.S. because I've been here so long. I've grown accustomed to walking to one of several bakeries for breakfast so I can order a Butterbretzel und Schoki. I've gotten used to saying "hallo" or "Tag" to strangers as I pass them on the street. I find it typical to bring a bag for shopping so I can pack my groceries at the checkout. I don't expect classrooms to be silent, even when the teacher is talking, and I'm not surprised when I hear swear words in the hallway, or even in the classroom. These are things that I know are different, but I don't notice them like I did when I first arrived. 


I'm sure I'll fall back into old habits when I return home, but I know there will be a re-integration process. So, when I'm back in the U.S. and you notice I do something a bit odd, you might have to explain, "This is how we do it in America..." 

Week #39 in Germany

At the Hoffeier celebrations

This past week included the "Hoffeier" at my school, and an international festival in downtown Offenburg. For those of you who are not familiar with Gymnasium celebrations (Gymnasium is one branch of German high schools), the Hoffeier is a time for celebration by the students who have finished their Abitur (Austrian=die Matura, British English=A-levels, Hogwarts=N.E.W.T.s). As you can see from the picture, the students basically attacked. This year it was with paint. Lots of it. These girls actually look fairly clean compared to some. I was warned by colleagues that if I wanted to remain paint-free, I shouldn't show up until 2nd or 3rd period. Otherwise, I should bring clothes that I didn't mind getting dirty. Seeing as my wardrobe here in Germany is limited, I decided to settle for pictures of the aftermath. I don't think there's anything really comparable back in the U.S. Of course, some students endearingly pull end-of-the-year pranks on teachers, but I can't think of anything to this extent, involving the entire school. In this case, the stereotype of the overly strict Germans would, once again, be wrong, and I really don't think we could ever get away with something like this back home.

This past weekend, there was an international festival here in Offenburg. There were different cultural events (dancing, singing, etc.), and vendors selling food from their homelands. It was meant to promote tolerance, equal respect and integration among the different nationalities living here in Offenburg. The effort was impressive to me, because back home we would generally only have this type of thing on the University campus and not in the community. There were, however, still a few things that I felt illustrated the lack of progress when it comes to cultural acceptance. For instance, the MC was introducing a dance/gymnastics group of about 20 girls, and decided to ask one of the four black girls where her parents were from. The innocent girl boldly answered, "Deutschland", to which the crowd laughed and cheered. For me, the question was quite insulting and would most likely be considered culturally insensitive back home. The question was based on two assumptions: 1. Because the girl was black, her parents were foreign, and 2. Because the other girls were white, their parents were from Germany. Of course, the announcer was merely trying to illustrate the integration of the dance troupe, but in the U.S. we would typically be much more careful when it came to questioning people based on the color of their skin, so as not to offend. 

"badisch" culture

However, the aspect that I found most appalling, was the rap group claiming to represent "badisch" culture, or the culture from Baden, a region in southwest Germany. I found this to be offensive for both German and non-German alike. The two men were drinking beer throughout the performance, the larger of the two was constantly flashing his enormous belly and their songs were about how superior Baden is to everywhere else. First, if I were someone completely ignorant of Germans and Germany outside of this spectacle, I would think Germans were beer-drinking, overweight, radical patriots without a morsel of cultural understanding. Luckily, I know better and if I hailed from a place such as Baden I would flee the performance in protest, which many people did. I was proud to see that I wasn't the only one disgusted by the display. On to the second point, concerning non-Germans, as much as I enjoy Baden and the true culture of Baden, I think the organizers for the international day did a poor job in allowing these jokes to have their 30-minute exhibition. Although German and Baden culture is just as important as all the other cultures represented that day, I don't think this was the time or place for it to be shown. This day wasn't meant to celebrate German culture, but instead the cultures from around the world that have influenced this region. Everyday, everyone living in the area is steeped in "badisch" culture, so for one day I think we can give it a rest and pay respect to the other cultures in the area. For me, it was similar to white people in the U.S. complaining about BET (Black Entertainment Television) and asking, "Why don't we have a WET (White Entertainment Television)?". My response: We do, just turn on your T.V. to any other network. 

Week #37 and #38 in Germany

In a paddle boat on Lake Constance

The past two weeks have been a lot of fun. I am now entering my final month in Germany, so I decided to utilize my weekends for traveling to nearby cities. Two Saturdays ago, I visited Karlsruhe, and yesterday I visited Constance. Both cities were nice, but I found Constance to be more beautiful, because there was too much construction in Karlsruhe, Constance has a lovely lake, and you can see Switzerland from Constance. 

Time at school has been fun too. This past week in one of my classes I talked about German traditions and influences in the U.S. I showed a few pictures from towns that were settled by Germans, or created to look German, and the students guessed that the pictures were really from Germany. They were quite surprised to learn they were actually viewing American towns. I then had them break into groups to make their own "German American settlements" and it was neat to hear the different ideas they came up with. 

There was also some new, I'd say rather ironic, posters put up on the front doors of the school. Students from the lower grades made anti-smoking posters. The ironic thing for me is to see a mass of upper-level students standing right outside the same doors smoking. In Germany, the smoking age is 16, and there are no strict laws preventing the use of tobacco on school grounds. Students can no longer smoke in the play area at my school, but they still smoke in full view of the school. 

This is something a bit shocking for my American sensibilities. In the U.S., where the smoking age is 18, smoking is banned on American high school campuses, and even on some university campuses. Even teachers, who are legally permitted to smoke, can't smoke within 100 yards of a school campus, including after school hours. There's also no smoking in restaurants or clubs, and in New York City there's also a ban on smoking in the park.  

The fact that smoking is so prevalent in Germany (1 in 3 adults smoke), makes it surprising for me that there are more cigarette deaths every year in the the U.S. than in Germany. Maybe there should be less government intervention for our health. But then again, I am looking forward to breathing fresh air when I go for a run back home, as opposed to the typical inhalation of cigarette smoke from a passing stranger. 


**update** A friend brought to my attention that since 2007 the legal age to smoke in public in Germany is 18, and by law it is supposed to be strictly enforced. Although it may be enforced in some places, it's not enforced where I am. Additionally, I have colleagues who have told me the age is 16, so I guess the 2007 law isn't widely known.

Week #34, #35 and #36 in Germany

I've been pretty busy with school and my second job, so it's been hard to find time to update my blog. Since the last time I wrote, I went to Stuttgart for a spring festival, school started again after Easter vacation and I ran in a 7.5K. I've been trying to make my last few weeks in Germany as exciting as possible, so I don't have to think about leaving. I'm starting to get a bit homesick, but at the same time I feel like I still have so much to do here.


The "Frühlingsfest" in Stuttgart was fun. It was like a county fair back home, except here instead of livestock there was beer. The rides seemed to be more expensive, so I only went on three of them. It was interesting for me to see that there were hardly any lines for the rides. Instead, the beer gardens were full. Of course, if we could drink in public back home, it would probably look the same.


School has been keeping me busy. In one of my classes we started talking about the American South. I never realize what a Southerner I really am until the Civil War comes up. Invariably I demonize those damn Yankees for invading us. It doesn't really make sense for me to feel this way, seeing as my dad is from Massachusetts, my mom is from California, and I was born in Northwest Arkansas, which had two battles, but was overall unaffected by the war. I guess it's just one of those things, if you're born in the South, then it's in your blood. I'm also the only member of my family capable of speaking with a Southern accent (my brother being born in California never really had the Southern spirit infect him). 


The 7.5K was a great stepping stone for me. One of these days I want to run a marathon, and I've gotta start somewhere. It was the first time I ever finished a race. I wasn't used to running in the heat on cobblestone, and my time wasn't as good as I wanted it to be, but I was still proud of myself for running the whole way and finishing. 


In the final stretch of the 7.5K, I ran at my top speed. In the final stretch of my time in Germany, I'm wanting to put on the breaks. Of course a part of me is looking forward to seeing friends and family back home, moving to D.C. and starting a new job, but another part of me wants to stay close to my friends here, not have the stress of moving and keep the luxuries of my job here (i.e. only working 15 hours a week). I know it's out of my control though. I just have to enjoy the final lap.

Week #32 and #33 in Germany

This past Sunday was Easter, so I decided to attend my yearly mass. Of course I try to go to mass more often, but I've only managed to go twice since I've been here in Germany. Unless you count the times I went with the school, which would double my count. 


Back home I feel a bit more guilty for not attending on a regular basis, but here I feel quite out of place when I do attend. My dad used to say that church is for old ladies and children, and Germany, well Europe in general, really illustrates this statement. When I looked around at the congregation, I was the youngest of most the adults by about 40 years, and then there were also some children. 


Easter is always a high traffic time for the church. Every time I attend an Easter mass back home, I have to arrive 15-20 minutes early to ensure I get a place to sit, because it's generally standing room only. Here, however, there was actually a decent amount of empty space. It's something that doesn't really add up for me. Here they have compulsory Religious Education in the schools, but the churches are empty. In the U.S. we can't talk about Religion in most public settings, yet the churches are packed. Maybe we just feel deprived in the U.S., whereas they get their fill here.


Another interesting thing during mass was the fact that the priest spoke English during his Homily. Of course, the majority of the Homily was in German, but in English he said, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life." Afterward he said the sentence in German, but I still found it fascinating that he spoke English, and what's more, I'm sure most of the people understood without the translation. It's something that I don't think I would witness in the U.S. during a mass. Perhaps a priest in the south would say something in Spanish, but I don't think most people would understand a complete sentence of a foreign language. 


It makes me happy that English is a world language, but I also wish we could be a bit more culturally well-rounded in the U.S. But, I guess it's something that comes with the territory. Here, it's just a few hours from the next country, and so you need a common language. In the U.S., the majority of people don't even have a passport, so why bother learning about a culture you'll never experience? 

Week #30 and #31 in Germany

These past few weeks have been a bit intense for me. While I was anticipating the shutdown of the U.S. government, and the possible elimination of my job with City Year, I was seeking out other opportunities for my working future. During my research, I discovered two things: 1. I'd rather be a teacher in Germany and 2. I'm lucky to be a native English speaker living in the 21st century.


First of all, German teachers are better paid than American teachers. This is in large part due to the fact that Germans go through a much more extensive amount of schooling and training to become teachers. In Germany, one must complete two degrees in addition to pedagogy, which can take 5-7 years, and then go on to train for two more years in a school. In the U.S., we have to get a Bachelor's degree in something, which typically takes four years, and then we only have one year of additional pedagogical classes and training to get our Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.), after which we are considered fully qualified teachers. Even though it's more work, I would prefer the extra training and better pay, which is probably why I'm taking a longer and more complicated course of action to become a teacher....so I can actually feel *almost* prepared on my first day of class. Secondly, German teachers don't have to worry about the state cutting funding and them losing their jobs. Why not? Because teachers here are actually government workers. Their jobs are protected. If only we could be so lucky in the U.S.


On the bright side, with English as my native language, the world is wide open to me. There are instances in which someone without any qualifications can walk into a job teaching English as a foreign language in most European and Asian countries. Additionally, they usually get paid quite well. Of course there are some places that have TOEFL or TEFL or some other certification requirements. But these requirements can be attained with a mere 6-week program in some cases. All in all, it's great that English is the world language. I can sleep better knowing that if something should jeopardize my future employment, all I have to do is stay abroad until the situation clears.....though that could take a while.

Week #28 and #29 in Germany

As I predicted in my last post, time has really been flying. I couldn't even remember if it had only been one week or two weeks since I last wrote, because everything's been kind of a blur. The two things that stood out about these past two weeks were my 100 day mark and my one year anniversary since the notification of my Fulbright.


Since I now have less than 100 days left here in Deutschland, I have been reflecting on what I think I'll miss most about living here. First and foremost I know I'll miss the people I have come to know and love, the once strangers who are now good friends, but that's what people always miss when they leave a home. Of course I'll miss the bourgeois of being able to say I live in a foreign country, but that's just something superficial that won't truly affect me. I'll definitely miss the chocolate and the bread, but there's generally a cuisine everywhere you go that can't quite be imitated anywhere else. While thinking of all this, I can't quite grasp what the little things are. What I mean is there are always little things you don't even consider in your daily life, which you don't even think of missing until they're gone. I think one of the things will be the bells. Everyday I hear church bells here. The closest I would get back home is the bells from Old Main, but those can only be heard on campus. I'll probably miss walking everywhere, especially with the view of the Black Forest. I can't think of what else right now, but I know I'll think of plenty of things after being back home in the U.S. for a week or two.


The one year anniversary of my Fulbright notification made me quite nostalgic. It also helped me realize how much I've changed, learned and grown in the past year. A year ago I'd never even heard of Offenburg. I didn't really understand the German school system. My German abilities were quite limited. I had no idea how to colloquially order a coffee, or how to handle bank transactions or how to understand Badisch. In realizing how much I've been able to expand my abilities, my ideas about life abroad have been reinforced. The only way to truly understand a culture is by immersion. Even though I can't possibly know all there is to know about German culture, I know more than someone who merely researches books instead of living life among Germans.

Week #26 and #27 in Germany

The past few weeks have been quite exciting and eventful. I had 10 days of vacation for the "Fastnachtsferien" and since it was the same time as my brother's Spring Break, he was able to come visit. We spent 10 days in 7 different cities. It was intense but so much fun. He flew into Frankfurt, then we went to Duesseldorf for the "Rosenmontag" parade. After that we went to Cologne to celebrate "Karneval". Then we came to Offenburg so he could see where I've been living. We spent a day in Strasbourg and the next day we moved on to Freiburg. Finally, Dwayne had to fly out of Stuttgart, so that was our final destination. It was great to travel around Germany, since I haven't really had the chance to do so since I got here.

The most exciting part for me was witnessing Karneval. Everyone in costumes, singing and dancing in the streets, drinking publicly...it was almost a cultural overload. Back home we usually just dress up for Halloween. Even then, it's not really something in which everyone participates. As for singing and dancing in the street, I've only seen it among individuals or small groups, and it's usually induced by alcohol. When that's the case, people can get arrested for public intoxication. And drinking in the streets is definitely unheard of back home. Not only are there the previously mentioned public intoxication laws, there are also open container laws and public indecency laws (regarding public urination, which seems to occur often at events like Karneval).


Overall, it was really great to have my brother here. It's nice to see a little piece of home after being away for so long. And even though I felt a little bit of homesickness after I dropped him off at the airport, I also felt a kind of motivation. Only three and a half months left in Germany, and my how the time will fly by.

Week #24 and #25 in Germany

These past few weeks have been quite a lot of fun, at least on the weekends. Two weeks ago was the Narrentag (Day of the Jester) here in Offenburg. It's all part of the Karneval season which ends on Ash Wednesday. There were people packed on the streets dressed as jesters, witches, donkeys, and various things that I couldn't begin to describe. There was a full day of festivities, ending with a large parade. This past weekend I went to Freiburg to visit a good friend of mine. Unfortunately, the weather was quite bad, but I still enjoyed seeing the city. Some of the buildings date back to the 14th century, which is something quite fascinating for me considering my own country isn't even that old. The time flew by so quickly and I was sad to have to start the work week again. Luckily, there's only 3 days this week and then I start vacation and I'll finally get to see my brother! I'm really excited about all the traveling we will be doing during his short stay.


The Narrentag here gave me two points of cultural observation to discuss. First, the drinking culture in exceptionally different from back home. Second, the idea of personal space is also culturally dependent. The first makes me very happy and relaxed here in Deutschland, while the second can be a bit unnerving at times.


When I arrived downtown to watch all the happenings, there were several tents set up selling food and drinks. Among the drinks were beer and champagne. Of course we drink mimosas quite early back home, but generally beer is something we don't drink until the evening or at the earliest after noon. Here, they were already drinking at 10 a.m. and it was perfectly acceptable. Of course I didn't complain. Instead, I joined.


The drinking, as I said, was something very enjoyable for me. Or at least the drinking without judgement. However, there were also a few times that I found it a bit more difficult to enjoy. As I mentioned, there were people dressed as witches. One of the witches actually chased me down and grabbed me. There was another time that a witch beat me with a broom. As entertaining as it may be for an onlooker, it was a bit distressing for me. I really wasn't sure how to react. However, when I reflected on the past few months, I realized that people touch here a lot more often. There are people back home who are touchy, but here it seems more normal. I find this pretty interesting, seeing as the stereotypes would preach the opposite. 


Yet, once again, the stereotypes seem quite wrong...and they did not prepare me for witches.

Week #22 and #23 in Germany

Yesterday I went up to see Baden-Baden with a friend. It was really nice to get out of town for a few hours. I have only left Offenburg two other times since my arrival. Once to Strasbourg in November and once to Munich for the New Year. I also saw the Weihnachtsmarkt in Gengenbach, but that was only a few minutes away. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see many of the touristy sites, but I still had a lot of fun hiking up to see the old castle ruins from the 13th century. The view of the city was beautiful.


Over the past few weeks, I've noticed how trusting the people here are. The other day I was walking downtown, and I passed through an elementary school playground. Back home, I know the playground would be fenced off, and any adult walking through would look suspicious. Perhaps a kid would even yell out "stranger danger!" But here, the kids were out playing and didn't even notice me. Another interesting trust point is that most of the stores put some of their goods outside on the street. The idea is that people will see what the store has to offer, and then come in to purchase more. The American in me wonders how many thieves have gotten off with special sale goods. The last overly trusting thing that irritates me at times is the train system. Of course there are "Schwarzfahrer", people who don't purchase a train ticket, but overall, people, such as myself, are quite honest and purchase a ticket for their journey. Of the last 7 train trips I have taken, not once was there a ticket inspector to ensure everyone had paid for their travel. It always makes me feel like I wasted my money, which brings up an interesting morality argument: If nobody was there to make sure you obey the rules, would you still obey them?


For me, the mere threat of the possibility that an inspector will come along is good enough reason for me to still buy a ticket every time. But what prevents anyone else from breaking the rules? If there was nobody watching, would you pay for a ticket or the goods that are left unattended on the street? What's to stop someone from taking a child from that open playground? Are Americans really so much more corrupt than Germans that we have to constantly police everything? What I really want to know is how can we create a culture of honesty and, more importantly, does it really work?

Week #20 and #21 in Germany

Time is really a strange thing. I've now been in Germany for over five months, and I'll be leaving Germany five months from now. I vividly remember my feelings of nausea during my car ride to the Northwest Arkansas airport in September like it was yesterday. At the same time, it seems as if I've been gone more like five years than five months.


These past few weeks, I've been able to gain more experience, which has been nice. I've made lesson plans for actual classes, as opposed to conversation groups. I taught a 5th grade and two 10th grade classes. This coming week will start a new semester, but I'll still be able to stay with most of the same classes, which will be nice.


I've also gained more experience outside of the classroom. Yesterday, I went on a hike with my friend through the Black Forest. Even though it's about a mile from my home, it's the first time I've been in the forest since my arrival in Germany. We hiked a total of 7.5 miles and went to the top of a tower. Unfortunately, it was cloudy and foggy, so we weren't able to see the city from the tower at all. Once we got home, there was a Fastnacht celebration in front of our home. I was attacked by one witch, who beat me with her broom, and another witch, who gave me candy. It was really quite perfectly German: the Black Forest, witches and sweets.

Week #18 and #19 in Germany

The first week of the New year was fairly uneventful and lazy. It was the last week before school started back and so I took advantage of staying up late and sleeping in late. The first week of school, however, was fairly eventful. On Monday I bought stuff to start crocheting. I thought it would be a fun thing to learn and a useful way to waste time, seeing as I could make gifts with such a talent. I didn't realize it would be so challenging to start, but once I got started, the process was fairly smooth. I crocheted my first scarf in just four days (see picture on right). It was a birthday present for myself :). Wednesday was a tea party for the English Department. We discussed American politics, among other things, and had a delicious tea party with four different types of tea, and a wide variety of food. By the time Friday got here, I was very excited to be celebrating my birthday this weekend, and it was a wonderful birthday!

My birthday was Saturday morning, and I got a delicious breakfast in bed. Then I lazed away the day and got ready for the evening. I didn't know what to expect, I only knew there was supposed to be a surprise. Mehmet told me that the surprise wouldn't happen, because everyone was too busy studying, so we would just have a nice dinner for the two of us. He also said that he didn't have time to buy everything, so I wouldn't be getting flowers or even a cake. I was a bit disappointed, but I still was able to enjoy the delicious dinner. After dinner, Mehmet suggested we get a cocktail somewhere. When we got into the back room of the bar, I didn't want to stay because it was too smoky. He told me to wait by the entrance and he would check something. Finally, he came back and told me to come in for just a few minutes. When I got in, I saw my friends waiting at the bar with a birthday cake that had the candles lit. They were singing happy birthday to me, when Mehmet gave me roses. It was such a wonderful surprise, and it ended up being one of the best birthdays I've ever had.

Something that's been really great about this past week is the weather. Of course it's been cold, but it hasn't been below freezing. In fact, it got up to nearly 50F a few times. When I realized I was happy about the weather being so "warm" in the mid to upper 40s, I realized that I'm definitely becoming acclimated to Germany. I've even gone out of my way to go for a walk in this weather. Normally, I would need on several layers, and be forced outside when it's this cold. But, I'm actually enjoying the "warm front". Sure, I still have to wear a bit more clothing than Germans, but the Southern girl is slowing getting frozen out of me. Which is really a good thing, because D.C. can get pretty chilly, so I should definitely get used to the cold weather.

Week #17 in Germany

This past week we went to Munich to celebrate the New Year. This was the third year I've rung in the New Year in a foreign country, and by far the most beautiful. I've never seen so many fireworks in my life. I felt like a kid in a candy shop, watching the spectacle with a huge smile stretching from ear to ear. I couldn't think of a better way to say, "Happy 2011!"


I am now entering my fourth month in Germany. The last time I spent this long in a foreign country, I was entering my final days. After four months in Graz, I was regretting that I couldn't stay a few more months. Of course I missed driving my car, holding my puppy, eating Mexican food and doing a thousand other things I could only do back home. But I was sad to leave Graz after only five months, because by the fourth month I could see progress. After four months in Graz, I was beginning to understand conversations on the bus and I was starting to feel fairly confident while speaking with a stranger in German. I knew if I could stay only a few more months, I would be able to perfect my German even more. And I knew that if I left after only five months, I would lose most of my progress. But I had to go home. And, as predicted, I lost most of my speaking skills. Having classes in German isn't the same as constantly being exposed to the language. When you live in a foreign country, you learn the language even when you're not trying.


Once again, I am starting to feel the way I did in Graz. I am able to understand the majority of the conversations on the bus (even with the Badisch dialect) and I am able to communicate more freely. As much as I miss home, I'm excited that I don't have to go back yet. I've only just begun to explore how far I can stretch my German abilities. I can't wait to see my progress in the next few months!

Week #16 in Germany

This was the last week of school before the Christmas break. We had our last official classes on Tuesday, then on Wednesday there was an Advent mass followed by classroom parties and then the teacher's party. The teachers had a bit of a feast, with all sorts of finger food, desserts, beer and wine. Afterward, a large group of us went to the Christmas market and after that I went to Gengenbach with Mehmet to see the beautiful Christmas market there. Thursday we enjoyed the last day of the Offenburger Weihnachtsmarkt and did shopping for Christmas lunch and Friday we finished up the shopping in the snow. I had forgot Mehmet's gift at my home, so I hiked about 5 miles in the snow, just to make sure he had a gift to open the night of Christmas Eve. If that ain't love then I don't know what love is :).


I was so excited to make Christmas lunch. Unfortunately, I couldn't find everything I wanted. For one, I couldn't find any sweet potatoes. I've been craving sweet potatoes since Thanksgiving, so I was really excited about making some, and really disappointed that I couldn't find any. Another very important thing was shortening. I needed shortening for the crust of my famous apple pie. The German translation is Backfett, but when I asked the supermarket employee where I could find some, she looked at me like I was an alien, and pointed me to the aisle where all the baking ingredients were. I couldn't find any, and instead I used regular cooking oil. The good news is, the crust turned out really good. It was soft and tasty. Thus, this misadventure taught me a little lesson: Improvisation creates progress (sometimes). 


Overall, I had a good Christmas. I was able to watch "A Christmas Story", which brought some normalcy and tradition to my day. I was also very excited to get to talk to some family back home. The joys of Skype :). However, there was also news from home that put a damper on the evening. A friend of mine and her husband were tragically killed in a car accident on Christmas Eve. When you receive such sad news, it reminds you of the importance of friends and family, love and hope, and the message of the holiday season. 


I hope all my friends and family who are reading this are feeling full of love, happiness, peace, comfort and joy. Be safe and enjoy the rest of 2010. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Week #15 in Germany (Memories from 2010)

I rang in the New Year in Spain with my former boyfriend, his family and his friends in Jerez de la Frontera. We stayed at a party until about 7 in the morning. Six days later, we celebrated Dia de los Reyes, the day that celebrates when the three Kings visited baby Jesus. I came back to the States to start the last semester of my undergraduate career and to have a week long celebration of my birthday. I celebrated by going to the movies, going to restaurants and going to the bars on Dickson Street. My birthday was on a Friday, and the next day, I went to the baby shower for my good friend Holly. I had a rough patch with my best friend Amber, but we were able to work through everything and I went to visit her in Iowa with my other best friend Brandon the last weekend of January. That was a wonderful weekend for me. I found out that I had made it into the second round for the Fulbright scholarship, I got to spend quality time with my two best friends, and I was the first to know that my two best friends were now a couple.

In February, Holly's baby girl, Madeleine, was born. I started working at WOW Japanese Bistro on Super Bowl Sunday. It was my first job as a server and it was definitely a life experience. I spent most of the month anxiously anticipating letters from Fulbright that never came. The end of the month, I went to visit my good friend Ashley in Ohio. It was quite an enjoyable 3-day weekend. We went to an indoor water park, I went to my first (and probably last) hockey game, I saw a snow-blower for the first time in my life, and experienced the deliciousness of Chipotle. This was also the weekend that Ashley and I decided to go on a European adventure together in the summer.

The first few weeks of March seemed to drag by in a blur of classes and papers and work. I was busy counting down the days to Spring Break, when I would return to Spain. It was the two year anniversary with my ex. Just before I left, my roommate had an appendicitis, so I spent all my extra time at the hospital and taking care of her. When I finally left for Spain, it was with a heavy heart, because I still hadn't heard anything from Fulbright. By this point, I assumed that no news was bad news.

The first few days of April were pretty intense for me. I was sitting in Taco Bell, I think, with my best friend Brandon, when my dad called me to tell me I had mail from Fulbright. After the first few words he read, I screamed with joy. I didn't care if everyone was staring at me. My dream had come true. For three years I had the goal of becoming a Fulbright scholar, and it was finally happening. The following Sunday was Easter and also my first night working my new job as an overnight/drunk rush weekend server at Sunrise Cafe. The next day, I broke up with my boyfriend. At the time, I knew it was the right thing to do, but it was challenging to explain the reasons. I came up with a lot of reasons for everyone who asked, but I think the long and short of it is that we were different people from two years prior. When you're young, you change a lot. If you're with someone and want to stay with that person, you have to change with that person. But I changed on my own, and I think for the better. The rest of April was a stressful mess of preparing for Fulbright, finishing essays, finishing my semester and undergraduate career, preparing for my Eurotrip, working, and trying to live a little.

With May came a mixture of so many feelings. Anticipation, stress, joy, happiness, relief and others that I can't even describe. I remember watching my dad graduate college when I was a little girl, and I remember wondering if I ever would be able to do the same thing. It was a long and challenging road, but I had finally made it. It was one of the proudest days of my life, I only wish my whole family could have shared it with me. After graduation, I worked as much as possible to try to save for my trip through Europe and my life in Germany.

In June, I was trying to figure out where to live in Germany and also plan all the details for the Eurotrip. At the end of the month, I was moving everything into my parent's house and trying to get as much in order as possible. After my trip, I would only have 3 weeks to prepare for Germany. I was starting to feel the stress of it all and trying to just keep swimming.

July was the month I had been so excited about, the month of my trip through Europe with my friend Ashley. We had planned on going to Spain, Italy, Greece, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, France, U.K. and Ireland. Unfortunately, it didn't go as smoothly as planned. There were a mixture of complications. Some were my fault, some were circumstance and some were just bad luck. We were together in Madrid, Barcelona, Le Mans and Paris. After Paris, Ashley had to go home. I was left alone, with a train ticket to Vienna and no energy for constructive thought. The majority of the train ride, I was crying and clueless as to what I should do. All I knew, was that I had to make it to Dublin in three weeks so I could go home. Luckily, the Couch Surfing community saved me. When I got to Vienna, I met up with my host, Stefan, who then invited me to a CS party. At the party, I met with other CSers who were planning on going to Prague, and invited me along. So, after three great days in Vienna, I went in the world's smallest car to Prague with three other people. I don't know how we managed to fit all our luggage and our bodies into that car, but it was an epic road trip. After Prague, I spent about a week in Graz with my friend Ines. I was so grateful to her for being very flexible with my schedule. Next, I went on to Munich and stayed the night with another awesome CSer, Nicklaus. Then, I returned to Le Mans, to my friends Julien and Maud. They saved me in so many ways. Between them and the CSers, my trip wasn't as much of a disaster as it could have been. I was able to make it to my plane from Paris to London, where I met with more amazing people. Emma and Dan took me in on very short notice, and made my stay in London very memorable.

Finally, it was August and I was heading to Dublin for the last part of my trip. Once again, there were CSers who made my stay there great, but I was ready to get home. It had been an exciting month and I felt like a stronger, more resourceful person, but traveling can be so exhausting, especially when you don't know when you're next meal will be or where you'll be sleeping next. From Dublin, I went to Philadelphia to stay with my grandma a few days. I finally made it back to Arkansas, and started working at McDonald's for my last three weeks before going to Germany.

The first few days of September were my last few days in the U.S. I was beginning to question and doubt all my decisions. Was I really able to live in a foreign country for nearly a year? Whether I was ready or not, the day finally came for me to go to the airport and leave for Germany. I don't think I've ever felt more sick in my life than I did on the way to the airport. My nerves were eating at my stomach, but I managed to keep everything down. But once I arrived in Chicago, while I was waiting for my flight, a resolve came over me, and I knew I was ready for anything. The rest of September, I was just getting adjusted to living in a new place, learning my new school and colleagues, and fighting off the small pangs of homesickness.

In October, I started my main responsibility of conversation groups at school and I was also able to start building personal relationships. September had been a pretty lonely time for me, but in October I was able to meet new people to spend time with. I also met my partner, Mehmet. It was quite fast and unexpected. I didn't want anything serious while I was here in Germany, but it happened. And I couldn't be happier. I also decided to apply for a position with City Year in Washington, D.C. for next year.

By November, I was starting to really feel acclimated. Of course there were things I missed from back home, but not as much as I had in the beginning. It helped that I was developing strong relationships with people who I could rely on. I had Mehmet, and I had my good friend Daniela, and I had my mentor Christine, and I had several colleagues at work who I could talk to. I turned in my City Year application the second week of November and a week later had an interview. A few days later I was informed that I made it to the second interview and I was so excited. At the end of November, we spent the day in Strasbourg. It was great to be able to take a day trip and go to another country. Thanksgiving came and went, and even though I insisted on having a bigger dinner, I didn't miss home as much as I thought I would.

December started with my second interview with City Year. I felt very confident, but I was still very nervous. If I got the position, then I would know what I'm doing with my life until summer 2012. If I didn't get the position, then I would have to figure out what to do and where to go come June. I finished the conversation groups and started working in classrooms, which will be my main responsibility until further notice. After sixteen long and stressful days, I finally heard from City Year. I got the position to mentor and tutor for them in D.C. next year.


December isn't over yet, but so far this has been one of the best and most memorable years of my life. There were plenty of challenges, but I wouldn't be as strong without working through those complications. I'm looking forward to celebrating Christmas here in Germany with my partner, Mehmet, and I also am excited about ringing in the New Year here. After this year, I can't wait to see what 2011 has in store for me.

Week #14 in Germany

This past week was the last meeting for most of my conversation groups. I made a little form about the class and topics for all my students to fill out, so I could get feedback about what they thought of the groups, what they liked, what they didn't like, etc. Overall, there was mostly positive feedback, but, of course, the handful of negative comments are what stood out the most. It's never fun to take criticism, especially when it's not entirely constructive. The worst part is when the criticism is something personal. 

In general, I can go along with it when people tell me, "don't take it personally." However, there was one survey that was very obviously personal. The surveys were meant to be an analysis of what we did in class and my performance in the classroom. But, one student mentioned my blog. I have never discussed my blog with students and I have never mentioned my blog in class, because my blog is something personal and, therefore, belongs outside of the classroom. I am a very open and transparent person, so it honestly doesn't bother me if a student reads my blog. What does bother me is when they are not able to leave their personal differences out of the classroom. As long as what I do on my own time does not affect my abilities to perform my job, then my personal life should not be a topic of discussion at my work.

I write my blog for my family and friends, so they are the audience I typically have in mind while writing a post. Something my family and friends love (and sometimes hate) about me is how brutally honest I am about situations. In general, I make observations in my posts. I don't write to attack or criticize people, especially not my students. I love teaching. I have wanted to be a teacher since I was five years old. I really enjoy my students, even if some of them may occasionally frustrate me. As with any job, I don't like every single day of my work life. There are always ups and downs. But on the whole, there's no other job in this world that would make me happier. And, for any of my students who are reading this, it's because of you.

Week #13 in Germany

This is the first week of December, and I can't  believe how fast the time is going. The summer and the end of my time in Germany seems so far in the future, but at the same time I know it will be here before I know it. It's already almost 2011, and I barely got used to the idea of 2010. This week my brother bought a ticket to come visit me. He won't be here until March, but if I've learned anything in the past 3 months I've been here, it's how quickly 3 months can speed by. I am so excited to see him, first of all because he's my big brother, and secondly because he'll be like a piece of home here in Germany.


Overall, I've been coping fairly well with life in a foreign country. However, since Thanksgiving I've been craving some real American food. So, for the first time in 3 months, I went to McDonald's. I ordered a Big Mac, because it seemed like the most American item on the menu. In truth, I'm sure it was disgusting, I've never liked Big Macs. But, for some reason it tasted like home in my mouth. I devoured it, and enjoyed every bit of the sandwich consisting of two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickle and onion on a sesame seed bun. My stomach was quite angry with me afterward, but for a few minutes I was returned to a kind of normalcy....until I looked up and realized there wasn't a restroom. Something Americans take for granted along with free refills and great customer service, is a restroom in every restaurant, whether it's fast food or not. 


The food that I miss more than any other though, is Mexican food. I explained to some of my students that back home we have as many Mexican restaurants as churches....living in the Bible belt, that amounts to a metric crap load. You can't drive a mile without passing a handful of Mexican restaurants, all of which are home to cheap and large portioned meals. Every time I go abroad, my first order of business upon my return home is going to La Huerta or Las Margaritas or Mexico Viejo or one of the other hundreds of Mexican restaurants. This time will be no exception. I need my cheese enchilada fix, and, honestly, no other place can properly make me a margarita (or two).