Life in Germany (Originally written Oct. 3)
I've been here now a bit over a week, but it feels like it's been longer than that. Yesterday was the first day of school, although I'm not sure I count it as such because it wasn't really "school", rather in fact language classes for international students. We all took a test to determine what are placement should have been. The test was rather short and certainly couldn't cover all the bases, but it was better than nothing. They grouped us then into ten groups, 1 being the most proficient speakers (mostly from Romania) and 10 then naturally being the opposite. I was placed in Group 4. I don't quite yet have a feel for how I will like it, but exposure to German is accepted in any manner since I've spent quite a bit of time with English speakers.
I look forward now to being intergrated into German peers, if only for the duration of classtime, because meeting them elsewhere is exceptionally difficult. The dorm I stay in (Cusanushaus) is not like the dorms at Wesleyan (or most other dorms that side of the pond, I imagine) where there are social areas. Frankly, most of the time the building is rather unsocial unless you are in the community kitchen (2 per floor) but most of the times of that I've been there I've seen no one. So, it comes as no surprise that we Americans stick together.
Partially I say this to justify it to myself: Originally I had planned to spend as little time as possible with other internationals. I came to Germany to be with Germans. But we have had so much time before school has begun that by and large meeting German nationals has been quite a challenge. Speaking German in those situations has usually been limited to vocabulary needed to buy food and so forth.
In short, I'm hoping that I am not on a path that will end me not knowing the language nor the culture very well. There is probably something I could be doing, but I'm not sure what that might be exactly.
On the other hand, however, the friends I've made have been very good. The group has stayed rather small: Jamie, from Washington; Corinna, from New Mexico; and Anna and Dylon, both from Idaho. We are all staying for a year and so have been spending quite a bit of time together. It's interesting to see how people bond when put in stressful situations: living in a new culture, be it on campus or in another country.
Today is a German holiday (reunification, which happened a while after the Wall fell, something I wasn't aware of) so we didn't have classes. Therefore, the group mentioned above plus Paz, a student from England, all hopped onto a train and rode to Luxembourg, Luxembourg, where shops would still be open, and also simply just to see another part of Europe. It looked exactly like Germany I thought, except for the spoke French instead, and everything there was God-awful expensive. Lunch (Mexican food, actually) was unbelievebly costly, I thought, but that is the way things are. It was a beautiful city, but we were in the area where the shops were and didn't see much culture. But one thing I've noticed from traveling everywhere I've been so far: It's remarkable to see how similiar people are everywhere you go. Or maybe just tourists are all the same, I don't know.
Today and yesterday it has rained and rained and stayed damp and cloudy. People back home probably wish they had this weather, especially the farmers. But I think it's kind of dreary. Still, this is German fall. I hope the winters are snowy. I'm not a fan of winter, actually, but snow is always beautiful.
Last weekend the group of us all hiked up in the hills to a the Mariensaeulen, a statue of the Virigin Mary (South Germany is traditionally extremely Catholic), and I got some nice photos that I'll try to post later. The landscapes are absolutely beautiful here.
Which reminds me...Germany in many ways ironically has reminded me of Mexico. The older roads: the old feel to everything, the brightly painted cement houses. It is remarkable. Perhaps it is not that the two cultures have much in common, but the fact that they are both uniquely distinct from America.
Still haven't figured out the cooking game yet, but I bought some food which will spoil if I don't cook it soon, so the clock is ticking. Hopefully we can have some community meals where everyone takes a part.
I'm not sure what else to say for now, so I guess I'll end this note here. Hope everything State-side is well.
I look forward now to being intergrated into German peers, if only for the duration of classtime, because meeting them elsewhere is exceptionally difficult. The dorm I stay in (Cusanushaus) is not like the dorms at Wesleyan (or most other dorms that side of the pond, I imagine) where there are social areas. Frankly, most of the time the building is rather unsocial unless you are in the community kitchen (2 per floor) but most of the times of that I've been there I've seen no one. So, it comes as no surprise that we Americans stick together.
Partially I say this to justify it to myself: Originally I had planned to spend as little time as possible with other internationals. I came to Germany to be with Germans. But we have had so much time before school has begun that by and large meeting German nationals has been quite a challenge. Speaking German in those situations has usually been limited to vocabulary needed to buy food and so forth.
In short, I'm hoping that I am not on a path that will end me not knowing the language nor the culture very well. There is probably something I could be doing, but I'm not sure what that might be exactly.
On the other hand, however, the friends I've made have been very good. The group has stayed rather small: Jamie, from Washington; Corinna, from New Mexico; and Anna and Dylon, both from Idaho. We are all staying for a year and so have been spending quite a bit of time together. It's interesting to see how people bond when put in stressful situations: living in a new culture, be it on campus or in another country.
Today is a German holiday (reunification, which happened a while after the Wall fell, something I wasn't aware of) so we didn't have classes. Therefore, the group mentioned above plus Paz, a student from England, all hopped onto a train and rode to Luxembourg, Luxembourg, where shops would still be open, and also simply just to see another part of Europe. It looked exactly like Germany I thought, except for the spoke French instead, and everything there was God-awful expensive. Lunch (Mexican food, actually) was unbelievebly costly, I thought, but that is the way things are. It was a beautiful city, but we were in the area where the shops were and didn't see much culture. But one thing I've noticed from traveling everywhere I've been so far: It's remarkable to see how similiar people are everywhere you go. Or maybe just tourists are all the same, I don't know.
Today and yesterday it has rained and rained and stayed damp and cloudy. People back home probably wish they had this weather, especially the farmers. But I think it's kind of dreary. Still, this is German fall. I hope the winters are snowy. I'm not a fan of winter, actually, but snow is always beautiful.
Last weekend the group of us all hiked up in the hills to a the Mariensaeulen, a statue of the Virigin Mary (South Germany is traditionally extremely Catholic), and I got some nice photos that I'll try to post later. The landscapes are absolutely beautiful here.
Which reminds me...Germany in many ways ironically has reminded me of Mexico. The older roads: the old feel to everything, the brightly painted cement houses. It is remarkable. Perhaps it is not that the two cultures have much in common, but the fact that they are both uniquely distinct from America.
Still haven't figured out the cooking game yet, but I bought some food which will spoil if I don't cook it soon, so the clock is ticking. Hopefully we can have some community meals where everyone takes a part.
I'm not sure what else to say for now, so I guess I'll end this note here. Hope everything State-side is well.
posted by Tristan | 3:01 PM
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