Already one month since I arrived here in Köln- time is going so fast! My daily life consists of: getting used to subtle differences like taking public transportation, gradually understanding more of the daily conversation going on outside my window, thinking in German, and dreaming in broken, not always understandable, German...or rather, having nightmares about German grammar rules (no lie)!
Learning the Language:
I can tell that my German is still improving rapidly which is awesome, but we are definitely getting into the more complex components of the language (silly adjective endings and agreements -couldn't escape them in French, can't escape them in German!) The most common advice I get is to speak as much as possible, so I have found two tandem partners who I can practice with. A tandem partner is basically someone who wants to trade language skills, for instance: with my partners I speak only German the first time and then we speak English the next time we meet, and alternate each time. I highly recommend this for anyone learning a new language. Not only do I get to practice German, but I also have two new contacts who have shown me around and can help me with things like my German CV. I've also purchased a few supplemental resources to help me improve listening comprehension and reading comprehension. I bought Alice im Wunderland and it conveniently has the English translation on the left page and German on the right. This is so great for my vocabulary and reinforcing grammar rules. I also found a great 4-CD audiobook for 1€ at Kaufhof and couldn't pass it up. I listen to it while I run as a good way to forget about the steep hills and focus on understanding the story.
Freetime and Fun:
We had another International Party last Friday at our school. Instead of food this time, they had Kölsch and Sangria for 1€ each. It's always fun seeing the lobby transformed from it's usual 'study' area to a dance floor complete with lights and an assortment of music from around the world. After a few hours, a group of us headed out to continue our dance party in a club down town. Köln has a reputable LGBT scene so we checked out one of the popular streets with several gay bars/clubs. We had such an awesome time and I don't even feel bad when I say that Americans pretty much dominate any dance floor they step onto! It's just fact.
Other interesting evenings have included a trip to the oldest jazz bar in Germany and an evening watching a political duel between two candidates for the German elections this month. I am excited to see this part of the culture. I was in France for the election last year and now I get to experience how an election is carried out here. Interesting stuff! Also part of the educational aspect of my year here.
I also made friends with an adorable little German girl who is the daughter of my host-sister's friend. We spent several hours one Sunday playing in rain puddles, eating ice cream and coloring. Made me miss my niece and nephews!
Travel:
These last two weeks have been rather calm with relatively little traveling. A few weekends ago, I took a day trip to Düsseldorf with a small group of friends. Honestly, I wasn't overly impressed but perhaps I can't make a fair judgement because we were only there for a few hours and it was rainy. I did, however, have my first try of Bubble Tea which was fantastic. I had a delicious coconut blend with lychee flavored 'pearls'. It was a great mid-day treat but definitely not something I could drink very often due to the exorbitant amounts of sugar. We saw a few cathedrals and went to the top of the Rheinturm (Rhine Tower) to get a 360 degree view of the surrounding area.
I also took a small excursion with my class to a UNESCO World Heritage Site 45 minutes away in the small town of Brühl. We took a tour of the Augustusburg Schloss where I heard a lot about the history of the palace and the meaning of the frescoes and architecture...however, I decided to go all out and skip the English audio-guide and just listen to the live German version from the woman giving the tour, which meant I didn't exactly understand much of the technical history lingo. Upside: I saved 1€ and learned some new vocab!
Mostly, I've done a lot of low-key, solo exploring lately. I've tried a few different markets for grocery shopping, done homework in a newly discovered park, and started running again to try to work off some of that Brot und Bier! There is an awesome, and quite hilly, forested area about 10 minutes away that is awesome to run in. It's nice to get away from the city for a bit. I love Köln but this Colorado girl needs a regular dose of nature to keep her sane!
I am certainly enjoying getting to know Köln and all of it's unique culture. However, that insatiable wanderlust keeps whispering in my ear and showing up in my dreams in the form of higher, unexplored mountains; secret, cobblestone alleyways; and picturesque views from atop another magnificent cathedral's bell tower. I've been saving up a bit for Oktoberfest because I know it will be an expensive weekend well worth the money. I also have a very exciting trip coming up this weekend that I know is going to result in some of the best memories I'll make this year...but I'm saving that surprise for my next post ;)!
...
So what's news from your side of the world?
Tschüss!
Learning the Language:
I can tell that my German is still improving rapidly which is awesome, but we are definitely getting into the more complex components of the language (silly adjective endings and agreements -couldn't escape them in French, can't escape them in German!) The most common advice I get is to speak as much as possible, so I have found two tandem partners who I can practice with. A tandem partner is basically someone who wants to trade language skills, for instance: with my partners I speak only German the first time and then we speak English the next time we meet, and alternate each time. I highly recommend this for anyone learning a new language. Not only do I get to practice German, but I also have two new contacts who have shown me around and can help me with things like my German CV. I've also purchased a few supplemental resources to help me improve listening comprehension and reading comprehension. I bought Alice im Wunderland and it conveniently has the English translation on the left page and German on the right. This is so great for my vocabulary and reinforcing grammar rules. I also found a great 4-CD audiobook for 1€ at Kaufhof and couldn't pass it up. I listen to it while I run as a good way to forget about the steep hills and focus on understanding the story.
 |
| Dativ & Akkusativ: this is what 'fun' looks like! |
We had another International Party last Friday at our school. Instead of food this time, they had Kölsch and Sangria for 1€ each. It's always fun seeing the lobby transformed from it's usual 'study' area to a dance floor complete with lights and an assortment of music from around the world. After a few hours, a group of us headed out to continue our dance party in a club down town. Köln has a reputable LGBT scene so we checked out one of the popular streets with several gay bars/clubs. We had such an awesome time and I don't even feel bad when I say that Americans pretty much dominate any dance floor they step onto! It's just fact.
 |
| Hanging out with my friend Andrew at the International Party |
 |
| Papa Joe's Jazz club |
Travel:
These last two weeks have been rather calm with relatively little traveling. A few weekends ago, I took a day trip to Düsseldorf with a small group of friends. Honestly, I wasn't overly impressed but perhaps I can't make a fair judgement because we were only there for a few hours and it was rainy. I did, however, have my first try of Bubble Tea which was fantastic. I had a delicious coconut blend with lychee flavored 'pearls'. It was a great mid-day treat but definitely not something I could drink very often due to the exorbitant amounts of sugar. We saw a few cathedrals and went to the top of the Rheinturm (Rhine Tower) to get a 360 degree view of the surrounding area.
I also took a small excursion with my class to a UNESCO World Heritage Site 45 minutes away in the small town of Brühl. We took a tour of the Augustusburg Schloss where I heard a lot about the history of the palace and the meaning of the frescoes and architecture...however, I decided to go all out and skip the English audio-guide and just listen to the live German version from the woman giving the tour, which meant I didn't exactly understand much of the technical history lingo. Upside: I saved 1€ and learned some new vocab!
Mostly, I've done a lot of low-key, solo exploring lately. I've tried a few different markets for grocery shopping, done homework in a newly discovered park, and started running again to try to work off some of that Brot und Bier! There is an awesome, and quite hilly, forested area about 10 minutes away that is awesome to run in. It's nice to get away from the city for a bit. I love Köln but this Colorado girl needs a regular dose of nature to keep her sane!
I am certainly enjoying getting to know Köln and all of it's unique culture. However, that insatiable wanderlust keeps whispering in my ear and showing up in my dreams in the form of higher, unexplored mountains; secret, cobblestone alleyways; and picturesque views from atop another magnificent cathedral's bell tower. I've been saving up a bit for Oktoberfest because I know it will be an expensive weekend well worth the money. I also have a very exciting trip coming up this weekend that I know is going to result in some of the best memories I'll make this year...but I'm saving that surprise for my next post ;)!
...
So what's news from your side of the world?
Tschüss!
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