Here it is- my first post from Germany! Sorry it has taken a few weeks to get this posted but soon you will have the answers to all of your burning questions such as:
How is it? Where are you? What have you been up to? How's your German? Do they all wear Lederhosen? Is the beer really that good? Do you like it better than France? And...what are you even doing there?
For those of you who don't have 10 minutes to spare (no offense taken), here is the short version:
Everything is lovely. I'm on the western side of Germany in the 4th largest city in Germany: Köln (Cologne). I go to language school for half the day and then study and explore the city with other PPPlers the rest of the time. My German is improving exponentially everyday. I have yet to see anyone in Lederhosen or a Dirndl (the traditional dresses you see in pictures of Oktoberfest). That is mostly a tradition in Bavaria and for more special occasions like weddings. YES! The beer is truly delicious- but no I do not drink beer everyday. I love both France and German for different reasons and my experiences will be completely different from one another. In short, my time in Germany is spent living, learning, listening, observing, eating, a little beer drinking and a lot of Deutsch speaking.
For the rest of you, let me further elaborate...
Orientation
The rest of orientation was exhausting and overwhelming but very helpful and reassuring. It was 4 days (split between D.C. and Germany) worth of information from the Department of State, program Alumni, and staff from the sponsoring organizations as well as a trip to the Capitol Building to meet with the staff of our Congressional Representatives. My conversation with Representative Tipton's staff went very well and I felt that I was able to clearly present my arguments for further support of this, and other exchange programs.
Orientation highlights:
The entire orientation was so much fun because of all the awesome people I was hanging out with. One of my favorite memories from those few days was wandering about the Georgetown campus late Tuesday night with fellow PPPlers Mike, Sam, and Kyle. Mike was convinced that staying up all night before we left for Germany would force him to sleep on the plane and he would triumph over jet-lag. He put on a convincing face for most of the day while a majority of the group was cranky and nodding off in dark corners during breaks, but I'm pretty sure it crept up on him towards the end of the day...
After an hour of sitting in line to check in for our flight on Wednesday
afternoon, we all made it through security, ate, made last minute calls
to family, and bored the plane. For me, reality didn't hit until we
landed in Frankfurt around 5:30 a.m., Thursday morning.
...
Week 1.5 (August 1- 11)
I have now settled in at my host-sister's apartment where I have my own room and we share a bathroom, kitchen and living room. It's the perfect size and in such a perfect location. I live about 3.5 blocks from my language school, Carl Duisberg Centrum, which is about a 7 minute walk (well really it's 10 but I tell myself it's 7 which is why I'm usually a minute late to class...). I also live one S-Bahn stop (or 15 minutes zu fuß) from the beautiful Kölner Dom.
The sheer height of the spires is remarkable on its own, but when combined with the intricacies of all the sculptures and stained glass windows, it's easily top 3 on my list of breath-taking cathedrals, the other two being St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, Italy and the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain. I've also enjoyed a few trips across the Hohenzollern Bridge where thousands of "love locks" hang from the rails as a romantic symbol of a couple's ever-lasting love...or something cliché like that ;).
My first week here, I did a lot of exploring- some of it accidentally. For example: I probably live the closest to the school out of anyone in the program and I still managed to get lost on the first day of class. I was going to meet a friend to walk together but for some silly reason I decided to take a "short cut"...which, when looking back, makes no sense at all when I told him to meet me at the end of my own street...I walked for about 30 minutes and asked for directions 2 times (in German :D! ) before finding the school. When I looked at a map later that day, I realized I had literally walked in circles around my neighborhood. In my defense, European streets are not build like a grid as they are in America... Anyone who read my blog from France might be recalling a similar story from my first few weeks in Vichy. In short, no mountains=no sense of direction for Dawn. I'm proud to say though, I can now confidentially make it to school, to the grocery store, and to the Altstadt and then back home with no accidental detours. :)
Week 1 highlights:
Grocery shopping and finding the quite comical "American" food items clearly marked with stars and stripes and "American" on the label.
Experimenting with the metric system and a scale instead of measuring utensils while trying to cook for the International Dinner held by our school on Friday the first week of school. Katherine and I made pizzookie (pizza-sized cookie), however the recipe was a bit strange so we got creative with some other things I had in the fridge. The end result was edible. :)
Taking a boat tour down the Rhein with some fellow PPPlers and hanging out on the grass with a beer and my first Currywurst.
Taking a trip to Frankfurt for a Meet & Greet BBQ with alumni from the CBYX/PPP program. I met some really cool people and it was good to see the people from the program who are now going to language school in Saarbrücken.
Week 2 (August 12-18)
My second week, I started to fall into my routine and began really focusing on learning German. I did a lot of studying because I had two tests that week and my first test on the previous Friday was a bit harder than I had anticipated. I've already concluded that learning a language in the country where it is the official language, is a 100 times better than sitting in a classroom for 50 minutes in the US and trying to memorize vocab words you only use in the classroom. This is probably an obvious point, and one I've made before, but it's still worth noting. I came to Germany with only one semester of German class in the US and tested into week 4 of an A2 class. In Europe, language levels are based on a common scale: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2, where A1 is very beginning. In two weeks we have nearly finished an entire book of 7 lessons. In one, 4-hour day, we learn what would take probably 3 days of class in the US. It is different also in the sense that, I can immediately apply what I've learned in school, to the conversation I have at dinner with my host-sister. My theory is that learning a new language is 60% memorization (vocab and grammar), 30% confidence, and 10% fake-it-til-you-make-it! The memorization is slowly coming and yesterday I had an "Ah-ha!" day which is very motivational. It is the little triumphs, like understanding when to use Dativ or Akkusativ, that boost my confidence and make me think "One year? Oh yeah! I've got this!" I'm not struggling too much with the confidence part and I think that comes from having previously learned a foreign language. I speak only German with my host-sister (though I know I struggle and sounds like I'm 3- thank goodness she's so patient!) and try to speak it as much as possible with friends. For me, faking it is comprised of two parts: 1. Me trying to make the context of the words I understand in order to figure out what's going on in a conversation, and 2. Me speaking a terrible mix of Deutsch and English (Denglish) wherein, I attempt to say English words with a German accent in hopes of it actually being the correct word auf Deutsch...it works about 37.8% of the time. Overall, I'm pleased with how much I'm improving and I can only get better from here.
Week 2 highlights:
On Monday the 12th, I went to meet up with a friend, Jackie, who I had met while working at Enzio's back in Fort Collins. She and her boyfriend are spending a few months traveling around Europe and decided to stop in Köln for a few days to visit. We walked for 4 hours and I gave them a basic tour of the places I know so far and introduced them to pretzels, Kölsch beer and Currywurst.
On Wednesday night, we had our inaugural "Bier und Kirche" Stammtisch on the steps of the Dom where we enjoyed a few beers and practiced our German together. It was a fun way to put to use everything we had learned in the past week and a half and catch up on what everyone was up to.
On Thursday, in preparation for Oktoberfest, I went with a few girls to check out some dirndls at TK Maxx (like TJ Max) and C&A. We had fun trying them on but I decided to look online for some more options and perhaps cheaper options. This one was my favorite but I can't justify 129€ for a dress...
Friday, the weather was warm and Emily (PPPler) invited us over to her guest family's house to swim in their pool and enjoy conversation on the patio. Her host-mom was so hospitable and it was fun hearing a bit about her life.
Saturday, my host-sister invited me to go for a hike up to Schloss Burg, a small midevil castle about two hours away. Nial (PPPler) and I had a good time practicing our German together and trying to make sense of the Ritterspiele (knight's play) we saw in the castle court-yard.
Sunday I braved the rain and went to lunch with Andrew and Jamie at a delicious Thai restaurant. Later that afternoon, my host-sister and I walked up the street to a Straßenfest where we listened to an old man in leather pants sing traditional German drinking songs while we drank our Kölsch. I also tried my first Nutella and Bailey's crêpe- it's no banananutella crêpe, but still absolutely delicious, or sehr lecker, auf Deutsch.
...
I'm truly having an amazing time so far. It is hard for me to believe it's already/only been almost three weeks! Everyday is an adventure and I try to remind myself of that.
I will end this rather long post with the exciting news of where I will be for the rest of the year after I leave Köln in September. I will be attending Reutlingen Universität in Reutlingen, Baden-Württemburg. It is a smaller city about 30 minutes south of Stuttgart. More details to come...
Tschüss!!
How is it? Where are you? What have you been up to? How's your German? Do they all wear Lederhosen? Is the beer really that good? Do you like it better than France? And...what are you even doing there?
For those of you who don't have 10 minutes to spare (no offense taken), here is the short version:
Everything is lovely. I'm on the western side of Germany in the 4th largest city in Germany: Köln (Cologne). I go to language school for half the day and then study and explore the city with other PPPlers the rest of the time. My German is improving exponentially everyday. I have yet to see anyone in Lederhosen or a Dirndl (the traditional dresses you see in pictures of Oktoberfest). That is mostly a tradition in Bavaria and for more special occasions like weddings. YES! The beer is truly delicious- but no I do not drink beer everyday. I love both France and German for different reasons and my experiences will be completely different from one another. In short, my time in Germany is spent living, learning, listening, observing, eating, a little beer drinking and a lot of Deutsch speaking.
For the rest of you, let me further elaborate...
Orientation
The rest of orientation was exhausting and overwhelming but very helpful and reassuring. It was 4 days (split between D.C. and Germany) worth of information from the Department of State, program Alumni, and staff from the sponsoring organizations as well as a trip to the Capitol Building to meet with the staff of our Congressional Representatives. My conversation with Representative Tipton's staff went very well and I felt that I was able to clearly present my arguments for further support of this, and other exchange programs.
Orientation highlights:
The entire orientation was so much fun because of all the awesome people I was hanging out with. One of my favorite memories from those few days was wandering about the Georgetown campus late Tuesday night with fellow PPPlers Mike, Sam, and Kyle. Mike was convinced that staying up all night before we left for Germany would force him to sleep on the plane and he would triumph over jet-lag. He put on a convincing face for most of the day while a majority of the group was cranky and nodding off in dark corners during breaks, but I'm pretty sure it crept up on him towards the end of the day...
 | |
| Georgetown University |
 |
| Castle in Budenheim where we stayed our first few nights in Germany |
Week 1.5 (August 1- 11)
I have now settled in at my host-sister's apartment where I have my own room and we share a bathroom, kitchen and living room. It's the perfect size and in such a perfect location. I live about 3.5 blocks from my language school, Carl Duisberg Centrum, which is about a 7 minute walk (well really it's 10 but I tell myself it's 7 which is why I'm usually a minute late to class...). I also live one S-Bahn stop (or 15 minutes zu fuß) from the beautiful Kölner Dom.
The sheer height of the spires is remarkable on its own, but when combined with the intricacies of all the sculptures and stained glass windows, it's easily top 3 on my list of breath-taking cathedrals, the other two being St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, Italy and the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain. I've also enjoyed a few trips across the Hohenzollern Bridge where thousands of "love locks" hang from the rails as a romantic symbol of a couple's ever-lasting love...or something cliché like that ;).
My first week here, I did a lot of exploring- some of it accidentally. For example: I probably live the closest to the school out of anyone in the program and I still managed to get lost on the first day of class. I was going to meet a friend to walk together but for some silly reason I decided to take a "short cut"...which, when looking back, makes no sense at all when I told him to meet me at the end of my own street...I walked for about 30 minutes and asked for directions 2 times (in German :D! ) before finding the school. When I looked at a map later that day, I realized I had literally walked in circles around my neighborhood. In my defense, European streets are not build like a grid as they are in America... Anyone who read my blog from France might be recalling a similar story from my first few weeks in Vichy. In short, no mountains=no sense of direction for Dawn. I'm proud to say though, I can now confidentially make it to school, to the grocery store, and to the Altstadt and then back home with no accidental detours. :)
Week 1 highlights:
Grocery shopping and finding the quite comical "American" food items clearly marked with stars and stripes and "American" on the label.
Experimenting with the metric system and a scale instead of measuring utensils while trying to cook for the International Dinner held by our school on Friday the first week of school. Katherine and I made pizzookie (pizza-sized cookie), however the recipe was a bit strange so we got creative with some other things I had in the fridge. The end result was edible. :)
Taking a boat tour down the Rhein with some fellow PPPlers and hanging out on the grass with a beer and my first Currywurst.
Taking a trip to Frankfurt for a Meet & Greet BBQ with alumni from the CBYX/PPP program. I met some really cool people and it was good to see the people from the program who are now going to language school in Saarbrücken.
Week 2 (August 12-18)
My second week, I started to fall into my routine and began really focusing on learning German. I did a lot of studying because I had two tests that week and my first test on the previous Friday was a bit harder than I had anticipated. I've already concluded that learning a language in the country where it is the official language, is a 100 times better than sitting in a classroom for 50 minutes in the US and trying to memorize vocab words you only use in the classroom. This is probably an obvious point, and one I've made before, but it's still worth noting. I came to Germany with only one semester of German class in the US and tested into week 4 of an A2 class. In Europe, language levels are based on a common scale: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2, where A1 is very beginning. In two weeks we have nearly finished an entire book of 7 lessons. In one, 4-hour day, we learn what would take probably 3 days of class in the US. It is different also in the sense that, I can immediately apply what I've learned in school, to the conversation I have at dinner with my host-sister. My theory is that learning a new language is 60% memorization (vocab and grammar), 30% confidence, and 10% fake-it-til-you-make-it! The memorization is slowly coming and yesterday I had an "Ah-ha!" day which is very motivational. It is the little triumphs, like understanding when to use Dativ or Akkusativ, that boost my confidence and make me think "One year? Oh yeah! I've got this!" I'm not struggling too much with the confidence part and I think that comes from having previously learned a foreign language. I speak only German with my host-sister (though I know I struggle and sounds like I'm 3- thank goodness she's so patient!) and try to speak it as much as possible with friends. For me, faking it is comprised of two parts: 1. Me trying to make the context of the words I understand in order to figure out what's going on in a conversation, and 2. Me speaking a terrible mix of Deutsch and English (Denglish) wherein, I attempt to say English words with a German accent in hopes of it actually being the correct word auf Deutsch...it works about 37.8% of the time. Overall, I'm pleased with how much I'm improving and I can only get better from here.
Week 2 highlights:
On Monday the 12th, I went to meet up with a friend, Jackie, who I had met while working at Enzio's back in Fort Collins. She and her boyfriend are spending a few months traveling around Europe and decided to stop in Köln for a few days to visit. We walked for 4 hours and I gave them a basic tour of the places I know so far and introduced them to pretzels, Kölsch beer and Currywurst.
On Wednesday night, we had our inaugural "Bier und Kirche" Stammtisch on the steps of the Dom where we enjoyed a few beers and practiced our German together. It was a fun way to put to use everything we had learned in the past week and a half and catch up on what everyone was up to.
On Thursday, in preparation for Oktoberfest, I went with a few girls to check out some dirndls at TK Maxx (like TJ Max) and C&A. We had fun trying them on but I decided to look online for some more options and perhaps cheaper options. This one was my favorite but I can't justify 129€ for a dress...
Saturday, my host-sister invited me to go for a hike up to Schloss Burg, a small midevil castle about two hours away. Nial (PPPler) and I had a good time practicing our German together and trying to make sense of the Ritterspiele (knight's play) we saw in the castle court-yard.
 |
| My host-sister and me |
...
I'm truly having an amazing time so far. It is hard for me to believe it's already/only been almost three weeks! Everyday is an adventure and I try to remind myself of that.
I will end this rather long post with the exciting news of where I will be for the rest of the year after I leave Köln in September. I will be attending Reutlingen Universität in Reutlingen, Baden-Württemburg. It is a smaller city about 30 minutes south of Stuttgart. More details to come...
Tschüss!!
