Wien. Vienna. City of culture, of composers, of music and cafés. Ahhh.
And yet I'm so glad to be back in little ol' Marburg…
But Wien was marvelous on many levels. I wish I had more time to get to know the city, because I feel like I only got the bare scraping of a glance during my 4 days there. The city reminds me of a sort of modern Gondor, with stately white stone architecture, high domes dedicated to art and history, and long tree-lined pathways. Why anyone needs a car in Vienna is beyond me--the public transportation system is incredible. Subways, Taxis, and Trollies make navigating the city a cinch. Vienna is an unbelievably clean city. Marburg puts most US cities to shame, and Vienna makes Marburg look like inner city Philadelphia. Now to the actual trip!
On Monday evening , after several hours of riding trains, plains, and subways, we arrived at our hotel. It was really nice. That evening, we ate out at a "typisch" restaurant and I had my first Wiener Schnitzel! It was delicious, especially with some lemon juice on it...mmm...
The next morning we got up and ate a delicious continental breakfast, and then headed off on a tour of the city. Our tour guide, Wolfgang Höfler, was awesome, and had a sweet Wienerisch accent. He was really knowledgeable about the city, and I wished for the umpteenth time that I was fluent in German, so that I could understand more. He took us all around to the little nooks and crannies that I would have never found on my own, but which were still incredible, like two of the houses that Mozart lived in! The only downside to the tour other than my linguistic incompetence was the fact that it was freezing and snowing the whole time. Due to our just sub-frostbitten condition, after the tour we made a bee-line for somewhere warm where we could eat lunch. We found a really nice Pizzeria, where I spent more money on Pizza than I ever have in my life. Still, I was warm, and for that, I gladly paid my 9 € and tried not to think about the exchange rate.
That afternoon we went to the IAEA center, which is the International Atomic Energy Agency. the IAEA tries to regulate the use of atomic energy, and to ensure that it is used for peaceful means only. Obviously this isn’t the reality, and many countries (the US included) still insist on the production or possession of Nuclear weapons. We learned about what the IAEA is trying to do, and also a little about the UN, and how people are working towards a global nuclear disarming. It was encouraging and also a little depressing, since there are so many countries that refuse to disarm—the USA included.
After the tour, we went to the Prater, which is the giant Ferris wheel in Vienna. It was pretty impressive, but as I got into the car, I looked behind us at the sky and was a little uneasy…
It turns out I had a good reason to be uneasy. About halfway up the circle (we were moving v e r y s l o w l y) we heard a huge crash of thunder, and then lightning! “Great,” I thought, “what a way to go: electrocuted on a world-famous Ferris wheel…” It was definitely scary, especially when it started to snow. What?! Snow?! During a thunderstorm?! Apparently the weather decided that Thunder and lightning really wasn’t apropos for March, and so almost instantaneously switched to gale-force winds and more snow than I have seen since I visited up-state New York in January. This wasn’t your regular snowstorm, it was a blizzard, and we were smack in the middle of it, 200 ft in the air. I wasn’t actually worried until snow started blowing in through the windows and door—all of which were closed.
In any case though, we arrived back on the ground safe and sound, and all the better for having had the adventure. We all assured Herr Riggs that we wouldn’t sue him, or blog about the experience thereby making our parents and loved ones hysterical thinking that we were in the hands of a mad program director who was in the habit of taking his pupils out into the heinous elements of mother nature on PMS.
oh wait…oops. Well, I still won’t sue him.
The next day was Wednesday, and we were off to the Schloss Schönbrunn. It was really impressive, actually, and very palace-y and incredible. There were endless art galleries, which was really neat. The only problem was that I took too long, and thought that the rest of the group left me behind. in a panic I rushed out of the Schloss, to see the distant backs of Alex, Amy, Ruth, Sharon, and Avdo. I hailed them in German, and they waited for me. After collecting Bridgette (who was behind me) we decided to try to visit the Tier Garten (zoo) that was right next door. After discovering that the Eintritt cost was 12 + €, we promptly changed our plans and went to the Palm Greenhouse across the way. The entrance fee was too much there as well, so we got on a Trolley and made our way to the Naschmarkt.
The Naschmarkt may well have been my favorite part of the trip. It was an open air market, with everything imaginable for sale. Well, as far as food went, that is. There was one category of non-edible merchandise, and the stalls just seemed to tessellate down the rows, until you were quite sure you’d seen the exact same stall 100 feet earlier. We bought huge pieces of bread for next to nothing, and some cheese fresh off the block to go with it. Then we made for a park and ate our simple meal in the sun. After our lunch, we were all very thrilled that we’d managed to have a meal in Vienna for only about 2.50 € each, so we went to an unbelievably expensive café to celebrate. Actually, it turned out it wasn’t unbelievably expensive, just regularly expensive. It was very posh though, and so I was amazed when the 4.20 € I spent on what I thought was a cup of tea turned out to be an entire pot. three cups of the good old Earl later, I was happy and content.
It was getting late, so we headed back to the hotel to dress for the theater. I am happy to be able to say I went to the theater in Wien, but in all honesty, I didn’t like the play much. It was a Freudian concept play about guilt, and where it comes from, and in the end the main characters were raped, murdered, and then committed suicide. The mechanics of the play—the acting and effects—were very well done, absolutely top-notch. The story was just blicky.
So afterwards, when we went out to eat, I got a huge dish of ice cream, which reminded me that there is more to life than Freud, guilt, and getting hit by trains. Ice cream is very effective therapy.
Thursday morning we traipsed off to the Schloss Belvedere. this was my favorite artsy place that we visited. It felt smaller, and there wasn’t as much art, but the art that was there was wonderful. I got to see some actual Rembrandt and even piece by Monet! It was much better than the Art History museum, which we visited directly afterwards.
The Kunsthistorisches Museum was actually very impressive. There was a lot of art in there. The building was also beautiful and old and made you think of places like the Library at Alexandria and whatnot. However, most of the art was of the same genre, and it was a genre that has always failed to capture the imagination in my case. Maybe I’m an uncultured barbarian, which is very possible, but after a while portraits of men in large wigs, nude women, and tortured souls being torn asunder all start to look the same after the 20th one or so. Alex Becker and I strolled around trying to be cultured for a while, and finally gave it up as a bad job. We did come to the conclusion however that if Art was any sort of reliable historical mirror, then one could safely assume that it was not the cultural norm for women to wear a shirt—or any clothes at all for that matter—until the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Skeptics may snort at this hypothesis, but I remain convinced. I have felt the nail-holes, so to speak, and believe.
After the Museum, a bunch of us went and pretended we were 8 years old. We bought amazing cheese-filled hot dogs at a street stand, and then ate them in a park, where we proceeded to play in a random sandbox, and then give each other piggy-back rides throughout the park. I was regrettably not a part of the piggy-backing, but it did afford me the most pleasurable task of observing the Viennese citizens’ reactions to two sets of grown adults on the shoulders of two other sets of equally grown adults.
We went to the Freud Museum at 3pm, and took a quick tour. I’d hoped that the museum might clear up the confusion of the Theater, but it didn’t, although I did get to sit on a bon a fide analysis couch. That was cool.
That evening, we went to dinner at the Ritziest place I’ve ever been in my life. It was a restaurant in the Donauturm, a hugely tall tower in Vienna, sort of the Eiffel of Wien. The restaurant actually rotated, so that during the course of your meal, you saw a 360-degree view of the city. It was beautiful. Thankfully, the tab was on BCA, because it ended up being a combined bill of around 280 €, which translates to about $35 a person. Eek.
the next day we had 6 hours or so before we had to leave to go home, so I spent the first 3 sleeping in and lazing around the hotel. Then Nicole, Alex, and I went out to the graveyard.
What? We’re in Vienna, and we go to a graveyard? Well, yes, actually. And it was lovely. Not only was it peaceful and a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of the past 4 days, we got to see some pretty incredible people’s resting places. Among other great composers, we saw Brahms, Schubert, and Mozart! Beethoven’s actual grave wasn’t there, but there was a memorial that was the exact replica of his real grave, so it was still pretty awesome.
On the way back, we had a 20 minute wait in the train station, waiting for our ride to the airport. I was exhausted from walking, so I sat down on the nearest bench. It turns out I'm glad I did, because the following interaction was the most significant part of my whole Wien experience. I sat down, and heard a wheezy voice at my ear. I looked up, and saw that the guy sitting next to me was looking a little worse for wear. After a few minutes of conversation, I'd ascertained that this fellow wasn't Austrian, or even German. He was Russian, and his German was worse than mine. He'd been stuck in the station for 3 days, because he couldn't afford a ticket or something, I didn't catch it exactly. At any rate, it was pretty clear that he was asking me for money. I almost told him no, like people always do to panderers in big cities. You never know if they are asking you for drug money or what, and so you just don't give them anything. But then I had an idea. I asked him if he was hungry. He didn't seem to understand, so I tried again. "Kann ich dir etwas zu essen kaufen?" Can I buy you something to eat? This time his face lit up with understanding "Ja!" Ok, "Ich gehe oben und kaufe etwas--bleib hier und warte auf mich." I'll go upstairs and buy something--stay here and wait for me. I gathered up my stuff and set off. I went up stairs and looked around frantically for someplace, any place that sold food. I only had 15 minutes or so before the train would be there. I scrambled around, and finally saw a little store that looked like a snack shop. It wasn't much, but it would have to do. I walked in and my heart sank. All they had were chips and other snacky things--nothing of real substance. I made my way to the back of the store, and then I hit the jackpot. There in a tiny little fridge, they had pre-made deli sandwiches! I grabbed the largest one and a bottle of ginger ale, paid, and ran back down the hallway, down the escalator, and onto the platform. There he was, waiting for me, standing up looking up and down the platform! I gave him the food, and was nearly blinded by the smile he flashed me. Our train arrived, and I said goodbye.
That was the highpoint of my trip. After walking around a city of light, visiting posh theaters and eating a meal that cost what would feed a family in Africa for a month or more, I was so blessed to spend 4 € to buy a poor Russian man lunch in broken German.
All in all, the trip was really cool, and I am glad I went. I am glad to be back in Marburg though, where life isn’t so hectic, and where ich kenne meine Stadt.
24.3.08
"Er ist wahrhaftig auferstanden!" or, "Nach Wien!"
In about 2 hours, I will be boarding a train that will take me to Frankfurt, where I will board a plane that will carry me through the atmosphere to Vienna!
Needless to say, I am rather begeistert. Obviously though, since I am not there yet, I have very little actual writing to do as of yet. So, forward to yesterday!
"Er ist auferstanden!" "Er ist wahrhaftig auferstanden!"
He is Risen! He ist Risen indeed!
Easter morning, I was woken up by a banging on my door. It was 6:35 am; 5 minutes after our Sunrise service was supposed to start. I threw jeans over the plaid sleepwear, and booked it out the door.
It was snowing! The five of us--Nicole, Ali, Kelsey, Alex, and I--huddled together as we read the Crucifixion from Mark. Then we sang When I survey the wondrous cross. Then we read the Resurrection account from Luke, and sang Christ the Lord is Risen Today! We prayed, and then went inside to make pancakes.
at 9am, we headed across town to Christus-Treff. We wanted to get there early because we wanted to make sure we got seats, since it was Easter Sunday and we weren't sure how many people would be there. Now I want to go early every Sunday, because we were able to help set things up, which was really neat. I felt more connected than I have, and I think it would be a good way to get to know people there in a less intimidating atmosphere.
Gottesdienst was beautiful. Once everyone came in, the blinds were pulled over the windows, and the lights were turned off, except for a spotlight shining on a small, stone tomb that had been built on the stage. The pastor was not up front, but rather back behind, out of sight. He began to read (in German) "Early, on the first day of the week..." and continued to the part where the angel says, "Er ist nicht mehr hier, denn er ist auferstanden, wie er gesagt hat!" I got chills just hearing that. Then a candle was lit in the tomb, and the candles which we had received coming in were lit as the fire from the tomb was passed along the rows of chairs. Then we sang some beautiful German Easter hymns a cappella. It was so haunting, and beautiful, sitting in the candle light, singing medieval-sounding German hymns. It was amazing.
There was a short, 15 minutes message, which was equally incredible for its stark, raw truth: Jesus is alive, he has conquered death, he is still here, for he has risen! After that, we took communion in the Risen Lord, and we dispersed.
I was so incredibly blessed this Easter, and I am in awe of God's love. Last week was the hardest week I've had yet, missing home and everything included in that word, and all of the Easter traditions I'm used to. Being able to continue a tradition in our little sunrise service (ok, so it ended up being a snow-rise, but that's ok) was so wonderful, and then being blessed beyond belief by new traditions at Christus-Treff...We really do serve a risen Lord, who is not only risen at home, among people we know, and in traditions we are familiar with, he is also risen in a foreign land, in a language that is strange to my tongue, in traditions and people that are foreign to me.
Er ist wahrhaftig und ewig auferstanden!
begeistert - excited
Gottesdienst - Gottes: God's, Dienst: service
"Er ist nicht mehr hier, denn er ist auferstanden, wie er gesagt hat!" - "he is not here, for he is risen, just as he said!"
ewig - eternal(ly)
Needless to say, I am rather begeistert. Obviously though, since I am not there yet, I have very little actual writing to do as of yet. So, forward to yesterday!
"Er ist auferstanden!" "Er ist wahrhaftig auferstanden!"
He is Risen! He ist Risen indeed!
Easter morning, I was woken up by a banging on my door. It was 6:35 am; 5 minutes after our Sunrise service was supposed to start. I threw jeans over the plaid sleepwear, and booked it out the door.
It was snowing! The five of us--Nicole, Ali, Kelsey, Alex, and I--huddled together as we read the Crucifixion from Mark. Then we sang When I survey the wondrous cross. Then we read the Resurrection account from Luke, and sang Christ the Lord is Risen Today! We prayed, and then went inside to make pancakes.
at 9am, we headed across town to Christus-Treff. We wanted to get there early because we wanted to make sure we got seats, since it was Easter Sunday and we weren't sure how many people would be there. Now I want to go early every Sunday, because we were able to help set things up, which was really neat. I felt more connected than I have, and I think it would be a good way to get to know people there in a less intimidating atmosphere.
Gottesdienst was beautiful. Once everyone came in, the blinds were pulled over the windows, and the lights were turned off, except for a spotlight shining on a small, stone tomb that had been built on the stage. The pastor was not up front, but rather back behind, out of sight. He began to read (in German) "Early, on the first day of the week..." and continued to the part where the angel says, "Er ist nicht mehr hier, denn er ist auferstanden, wie er gesagt hat!" I got chills just hearing that. Then a candle was lit in the tomb, and the candles which we had received coming in were lit as the fire from the tomb was passed along the rows of chairs. Then we sang some beautiful German Easter hymns a cappella. It was so haunting, and beautiful, sitting in the candle light, singing medieval-sounding German hymns. It was amazing.
There was a short, 15 minutes message, which was equally incredible for its stark, raw truth: Jesus is alive, he has conquered death, he is still here, for he has risen! After that, we took communion in the Risen Lord, and we dispersed.
I was so incredibly blessed this Easter, and I am in awe of God's love. Last week was the hardest week I've had yet, missing home and everything included in that word, and all of the Easter traditions I'm used to. Being able to continue a tradition in our little sunrise service (ok, so it ended up being a snow-rise, but that's ok) was so wonderful, and then being blessed beyond belief by new traditions at Christus-Treff...We really do serve a risen Lord, who is not only risen at home, among people we know, and in traditions we are familiar with, he is also risen in a foreign land, in a language that is strange to my tongue, in traditions and people that are foreign to me.
Er ist wahrhaftig und ewig auferstanden!
begeistert - excited
Gottesdienst - Gottes: God's, Dienst: service
"Er ist nicht mehr hier, denn er ist auferstanden, wie er gesagt hat!" - "he is not here, for he is risen, just as he said!"
ewig - eternal(ly)
22.3.08
Saint Patricks day, followed by no more Sprachkurs
Wow, so life seems to be moving slowly, but also ridiculously fast. It seems to be moving slowly, because I haven't felt like I've had a lot to write about, and now, only 5 days later, I feel so behind in this blog!
I'll start with St Patrick's Day, since that is when I last posted, even though I didn't say anything about St. Patrick's day then.
On St. Patrick's Day, I went with Patrick and some other BCAers to the only Irish Pub in Marburg. Apparently it's exclusivity made it a big deal on the 17th of March, because when we got there, we were informed that it was 5 € for "Eintritt"--admission. That was way too expensive for me, so I was going to leave, but then one of the others said they would pay for me, and so rather than critiquing the equine mandibula, I accepted and trat ein.
It was a tiny pub, and it was crammed to the gills. We made our way to the back and managed to grab the only two free seats in the whole pub. there were 7 of us. we took turns.
It was actually a really fun night. I'm definitely not a bar person, but a tiny little pub with good live music is pretty cool. There was a group there from Ireland, and they sung lots of folk and drinking songs, and I even employed my rusty Irish Step skills and got a big round of applause from everyone in the vicinity! I also drank the first good beer I've had in Germany--and it wasn't even German: Guinness. It was the only one I've tasted so far that didn't make my taste buds riot in the streets. I don't think I'll be drinking much though, maybe a beer once a month or something--it was expensive. At 3,70 €, Guinness might be good, but it's also half a day's food money for me!
If you want to see Pictures, follow this leprechaun:
In other Nachricht, my language course is over. We had our exam on Wednesday, and then Thursday just had a big breakfast together in class. It was very enjoyable, and a little sad. I wasn't sad about my grades though--I got a 1,0 on the exam, and also in the course overall. The European grading system is a little weird, but 1,0 translates to an 'A'. Now if I just continue this trend into the real Universitäts semester, which begins on March 31.
Until then, I am celebrating Easter as best I can away from home and it's traditions, and on Monday, we go to Vienna for 5 days, which should be really incredible.
This past week has especially been really difficult as far as homesickness is concerned. Tuesday was an all-time high, as it really began to dawn on me that I would be missing Easter with my family, and then on top of that I missed being able to talk to my girlfriend, who was calling from Costa Rica, because I had the time zones confused. Wednesday was much better, and I even got a package from home full of letters, a Dr. Seuss t-shirt, and a plethora of art from the hand of my 4-year-old sister. God is so good!
So despite my Heimweh, I am excited about tomorrow and celebrating the most incredible, important event that ever took place on this earth, and the participating in the joy of creation in the promise of redemption!
Frohe Ostern! Gott segne euch!
equine mandibula - horse's mouth ( this isn't german!)
trat ein - went in
Nachricht - news
Heimweh - longing for home, homesickness
Frohe Ostern! - Happy Easter!
Gott segne euch! - God bless you!
I'll start with St Patrick's Day, since that is when I last posted, even though I didn't say anything about St. Patrick's day then.
On St. Patrick's Day, I went with Patrick and some other BCAers to the only Irish Pub in Marburg. Apparently it's exclusivity made it a big deal on the 17th of March, because when we got there, we were informed that it was 5 € for "Eintritt"--admission. That was way too expensive for me, so I was going to leave, but then one of the others said they would pay for me, and so rather than critiquing the equine mandibula, I accepted and trat ein.
It was a tiny pub, and it was crammed to the gills. We made our way to the back and managed to grab the only two free seats in the whole pub. there were 7 of us. we took turns.
It was actually a really fun night. I'm definitely not a bar person, but a tiny little pub with good live music is pretty cool. There was a group there from Ireland, and they sung lots of folk and drinking songs, and I even employed my rusty Irish Step skills and got a big round of applause from everyone in the vicinity! I also drank the first good beer I've had in Germany--and it wasn't even German: Guinness. It was the only one I've tasted so far that didn't make my taste buds riot in the streets. I don't think I'll be drinking much though, maybe a beer once a month or something--it was expensive. At 3,70 €, Guinness might be good, but it's also half a day's food money for me!
If you want to see Pictures, follow this leprechaun:
In other Nachricht, my language course is over. We had our exam on Wednesday, and then Thursday just had a big breakfast together in class. It was very enjoyable, and a little sad. I wasn't sad about my grades though--I got a 1,0 on the exam, and also in the course overall. The European grading system is a little weird, but 1,0 translates to an 'A'. Now if I just continue this trend into the real Universitäts semester, which begins on March 31.
Until then, I am celebrating Easter as best I can away from home and it's traditions, and on Monday, we go to Vienna for 5 days, which should be really incredible.
This past week has especially been really difficult as far as homesickness is concerned. Tuesday was an all-time high, as it really began to dawn on me that I would be missing Easter with my family, and then on top of that I missed being able to talk to my girlfriend, who was calling from Costa Rica, because I had the time zones confused. Wednesday was much better, and I even got a package from home full of letters, a Dr. Seuss t-shirt, and a plethora of art from the hand of my 4-year-old sister. God is so good!
So despite my Heimweh, I am excited about tomorrow and celebrating the most incredible, important event that ever took place on this earth, and the participating in the joy of creation in the promise of redemption!
Frohe Ostern! Gott segne euch!
equine mandibula - horse's mouth ( this isn't german!)
trat ein - went in
Nachricht - news
Heimweh - longing for home, homesickness
Frohe Ostern! - Happy Easter!
Gott segne euch! - God bless you!
17.3.08
Linguacide
I realized it has been a long time since I've updated this blog, and so I thought I would schreib a few lines.
The trip to Kassel was very fun (there are pictures posted if you want to see them!), and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I'm convince that if we'd lived at the same time, I would have been good friends with Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. They were linguaphiles and fairytale nerds, and were dedicated to preserving culture. The world needs more grimm people (no pun intended).
Speaking of preserving culture, in our Sprachkurs last week we did a mini-unit on the overwhelming influence of English on German. Contrary to the beliefs of bitter German 101 students, a huge chunk of accepted German vocabulary is pulled straight out of the English language.
Some of this is understandable; things like company names and such needn't be translated, and no one but the Wise Guys is advocating for a "Kleinweich*" branch of Microsoft in Germany (though that may be because nobody would want to use "Fenstern**" anyway--they'd be better off with an "Apfel***"). But there are lots of things that have a legitimate German name, that people just call by the English, because it is "trendy." Despite the US's plummeting economy, we are still the Business Nation, and all of capitalism still kneels and prays with with it's face towards Lady Liberty and the holy land of commerce.
When you get into an Auto in germany, you fasten your Seatbelt. Many people go "shoppen," instead of the german "einkaufen." There are millions of Coffeeshops, but I have yet to see a "Kaffeehaus." There are a million more examples.
Now before you start thinking that I'm just a grumpy purist, let me put it this way: The Highway Administration had to reevaluate their information policy a little while back, because there were so many anglicized words on the tickets and things that elderly Germans or people who didn't have any English background couldn't understand it without help.
Not to be blunt, but what the heck? That's ridiculous. Give it another 100 years, and watch the German language disappear. How many other languages are becoming victims, I wonder?
The end of this rant is a harangue: don't participate in linguicide--learn a foreign language, and learn it for real. Don't just sit on your monolingual throne and expect everyone to learn English, or worse, turn their language INTO English! The French get a bad rap for being snobby about protecting their language, but maybe they're not just snobs--maybe they see the writing on the wall...
*"Kleinweich" klein - small, weich - soft
**Fenstern - windows
***Apfel - apple
http://dict.tu-chemnitz.de/dings.cgi?lang=en;service=deen
The trip to Kassel was very fun (there are pictures posted if you want to see them!), and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I'm convince that if we'd lived at the same time, I would have been good friends with Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. They were linguaphiles and fairytale nerds, and were dedicated to preserving culture. The world needs more grimm people (no pun intended).
Speaking of preserving culture, in our Sprachkurs last week we did a mini-unit on the overwhelming influence of English on German. Contrary to the beliefs of bitter German 101 students, a huge chunk of accepted German vocabulary is pulled straight out of the English language.
Some of this is understandable; things like company names and such needn't be translated, and no one but the Wise Guys is advocating for a "Kleinweich*" branch of Microsoft in Germany (though that may be because nobody would want to use "Fenstern**" anyway--they'd be better off with an "Apfel***"). But there are lots of things that have a legitimate German name, that people just call by the English, because it is "trendy." Despite the US's plummeting economy, we are still the Business Nation, and all of capitalism still kneels and prays with with it's face towards Lady Liberty and the holy land of commerce.
When you get into an Auto in germany, you fasten your Seatbelt. Many people go "shoppen," instead of the german "einkaufen." There are millions of Coffeeshops, but I have yet to see a "Kaffeehaus." There are a million more examples.
Now before you start thinking that I'm just a grumpy purist, let me put it this way: The Highway Administration had to reevaluate their information policy a little while back, because there were so many anglicized words on the tickets and things that elderly Germans or people who didn't have any English background couldn't understand it without help.
Not to be blunt, but what the heck? That's ridiculous. Give it another 100 years, and watch the German language disappear. How many other languages are becoming victims, I wonder?
The end of this rant is a harangue: don't participate in linguicide--learn a foreign language, and learn it for real. Don't just sit on your monolingual throne and expect everyone to learn English, or worse, turn their language INTO English! The French get a bad rap for being snobby about protecting their language, but maybe they're not just snobs--maybe they see the writing on the wall...
*"Kleinweich" klein - small, weich - soft
**Fenstern - windows
***Apfel - apple
http://dict.tu-chemnitz.de/dings.cgi?lang=en;service=deen
11.3.08
"All the Americans only speak English, well, except for Nicole and Josiah..."
The title of this post is a direct quote, translated from it's original German, by Françoir, my Belgian classmate. It was probably the highest compliment he could have paid me, and was confirmation that my efforts to connect with the other international students--and avoid cloisterment with Americans--is paying off. Needless to say, Nicole and I had to try very hard not to do victory dances as we left the Sprachenzentrum today! :)
Another compliment was given when I had Nicole and Ali over for dinner, and Matthias and Elena were also making dinner. We Americans talked to each other auf Deutsch the whole time, evening navigating the dificulties of cooking in a foreign language. Matthias and Elena were very impressed, and showered praise on us for speaking German even amongst ourselves. I also had an in depth discussion with Elena about mushrooms, and secured the promise of a taste testing when hers (which she is growing in a little mushroom garden in her room) finally sprout. woo hoo!
All and all, a success-filled day. It ended with me finally getting internet in my room, which means my life will be much easier (as soon as I get used to this English keyboard again) and YOU, my dear readers, will have more pictures!
But now it is getting late. We are leaving at 8:50 tomorrow morning to go to Kassel, the home place of the Brüder Grimm, where we will see lots of amazing sites, and even get to hear some Grimm fairytales from a bonafide story teller!
hopefully, my batteries will allow me to take copious amounts of digital documentation, which I will in turn be able to share with you.
Tschau!
Another compliment was given when I had Nicole and Ali over for dinner, and Matthias and Elena were also making dinner. We Americans talked to each other auf Deutsch the whole time, evening navigating the dificulties of cooking in a foreign language. Matthias and Elena were very impressed, and showered praise on us for speaking German even amongst ourselves. I also had an in depth discussion with Elena about mushrooms, and secured the promise of a taste testing when hers (which she is growing in a little mushroom garden in her room) finally sprout. woo hoo!
All and all, a success-filled day. It ended with me finally getting internet in my room, which means my life will be much easier (as soon as I get used to this English keyboard again) and YOU, my dear readers, will have more pictures!
But now it is getting late. We are leaving at 8:50 tomorrow morning to go to Kassel, the home place of the Brüder Grimm, where we will see lots of amazing sites, and even get to hear some Grimm fairytales from a bonafide story teller!
hopefully, my batteries will allow me to take copious amounts of digital documentation, which I will in turn be able to share with you.
Tschau!
10.3.08
'In the mud and the muck' or, 'My soul is troubled to the point of death'
I would like to write a special, public thank-you to Kathryn Fulton, whose letters and emails have been a constant wake-up call to me as I try to make sense of true discipleship to Christ in an atmosphere that is dominated by the intellectualized spiritual lethargy of modern university life.
This Sunday's Christus-Treff was amazing. It was the first Sunday I went by myself. Kelsey Yoncha is off in Italy with her family, and Nicole and Ali were visiting friends in Strasbourg, France. So it was me on my lonesome, but it was one of the best services I've been to yet here.
Worship was, as always, incredible, and then we broke up into small groups of 4 or 5 to pray for Afghanistan. It was the first time I ever got up the nerve to try praying in German, and I only said a short sentence, but it was really awesome to be able to pray with fellow believers in a different language. Even more incredible was listening to the prayers of the other people in my group, and understanding most of what they prayed, and realizing so concretely that God hears his people praying all around the world, in every tongue and every land. Unglaublich, unbegreiflich.
The message was all about the problem of pain: why it exists, how we deal with it as Christians, usw.* First of all, my comprehension level was running high at somewhere near 95%, which was of course exciting. But more important was the message itself. The problem with Pain is that we can intellectualize it, and philosophize and 'theologize' and add as many -ize words as we want, but when it comes down to the real, mucky, 'God! where are you? My soul is troubled to the point of death' kind of stuff, all of that theory--as true as it might even be--falls to dust, and we are left alone, hurting, with only God, and no concepts or theories. Where does Christ fit into a world so full of real pain? How does one reconcile such existence with an all-loving, all-powerful God?
Look at the example of Jesus. His life was just as full of pain as any existence we can imagine. In Christ, we see in the Garden of Gethsemane, God himself, in human form, cries out to the Father saying 'my soul is troubled to the point of death! God, where are you?'
When we decide to submit our lives to Christ, to follow him, we do not sign up for a life of happiness and sunshine. that doesn't mean that happiness and sunshine are completely MIA, but it does mean that when things become hard, terrible, even unbearably so, that something has gone awry, and God has disappeared. Quite the contrary. He is in fact, perhaps more present than ever. Jesus Christ is not some Fairy godmother, who waves his magic wand, turning the pumpkins in our lives into dazzling stagecoaches. He stoops down, the creator of the universe, of stars and planets, he kneels down in the mud and the muck and the pain, and when we cry 'Where are you, God?' he answers, 'right beside you, where I've been all along.'
As Christians then, as little Christs, what are we to do in a world so full of pain? We should go out into it, kneel down in the mud and the muck with those who are in pain, and with the hands of Christ, embrace them.
This blog entry is dedicated to the people I see on the street, passing me by, living lives of quiet desperation.
*German 'etc'
This Sunday's Christus-Treff was amazing. It was the first Sunday I went by myself. Kelsey Yoncha is off in Italy with her family, and Nicole and Ali were visiting friends in Strasbourg, France. So it was me on my lonesome, but it was one of the best services I've been to yet here.
Worship was, as always, incredible, and then we broke up into small groups of 4 or 5 to pray for Afghanistan. It was the first time I ever got up the nerve to try praying in German, and I only said a short sentence, but it was really awesome to be able to pray with fellow believers in a different language. Even more incredible was listening to the prayers of the other people in my group, and understanding most of what they prayed, and realizing so concretely that God hears his people praying all around the world, in every tongue and every land. Unglaublich, unbegreiflich.
The message was all about the problem of pain: why it exists, how we deal with it as Christians, usw.* First of all, my comprehension level was running high at somewhere near 95%, which was of course exciting. But more important was the message itself. The problem with Pain is that we can intellectualize it, and philosophize and 'theologize' and add as many -ize words as we want, but when it comes down to the real, mucky, 'God! where are you? My soul is troubled to the point of death' kind of stuff, all of that theory--as true as it might even be--falls to dust, and we are left alone, hurting, with only God, and no concepts or theories. Where does Christ fit into a world so full of real pain? How does one reconcile such existence with an all-loving, all-powerful God?
Look at the example of Jesus. His life was just as full of pain as any existence we can imagine. In Christ, we see in the Garden of Gethsemane, God himself, in human form, cries out to the Father saying 'my soul is troubled to the point of death! God, where are you?'
When we decide to submit our lives to Christ, to follow him, we do not sign up for a life of happiness and sunshine. that doesn't mean that happiness and sunshine are completely MIA, but it does mean that when things become hard, terrible, even unbearably so, that something has gone awry, and God has disappeared. Quite the contrary. He is in fact, perhaps more present than ever. Jesus Christ is not some Fairy godmother, who waves his magic wand, turning the pumpkins in our lives into dazzling stagecoaches. He stoops down, the creator of the universe, of stars and planets, he kneels down in the mud and the muck and the pain, and when we cry 'Where are you, God?' he answers, 'right beside you, where I've been all along.'
As Christians then, as little Christs, what are we to do in a world so full of pain? We should go out into it, kneel down in the mud and the muck with those who are in pain, and with the hands of Christ, embrace them.
This blog entry is dedicated to the people I see on the street, passing me by, living lives of quiet desperation.
*German 'etc'
9.3.08
In which I empathize with a greek philosopher and continue to dislike beer
As I begin to write this post, I cannot help but feel that it may be unwise. I know many people are reading this, and it is even being posted on the Epicenter's website. Therefore, I would like to post a disclaimer.
Disclaimer 1: The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Messiah College, it's staff, or it affiliates.
Disclaimer 2: The views expressed by persons mentioned in this blog are not necessarily those of the author.
Now we can proceed.
On this most recent of Saturdays, I was walking back to my room, from the computer room, and my previous post, as it were. It is important to this story and many others to come that you know the geography of my room, as it pertains to the rest of the building. My room is right off of the kitchen on the 2nd floor (that's the 3rd floor, for those of you not familiar with European structural concepts). When I say off of, I really mean through, because the kitchen is on the far left side of the building, and one must go through it to get to my room.
Because of this location, I often meet people eating, preparing food, or cleaning up (only they aren't actually cleaning up, because no one does that here) as I exit or enter my room. It was just such an occasion yesterday afternoon, and I opened the ol' Tür der Küche to find my warm kitchen acquaintance, Mattheus, and his friend from America, whom I had met that morning. They were enjoying some beer and had a big bowl of peanuts and a big bowl of pistachios to pass the time. Mattheus really is a nice chap, and he has been very helpful in answering the plethora of questions I have had as a newbie here in Schloß 4. Just last week, I had an amazing conversation with him that lasted for about 30 minutes, about how the horrible events of WW II still cast their shadow on German people today. But I digress.
Wanting to be sociable, and to avoid the temptation to hide in my room until I magically become fluent in German, I sat down. The first thing they did of course, was to offer me some beer. Now, this is very natural, and probably the default greeting in Germany. You see someone you know, and they are sitting at a table. This means they almost certainly have beer, and they are almost certainly going to offer you some. Mattheus knows I don't like beer very much, beer having cropped up in our second conversation ever held together. He is naturally nonplussed at my dislike, and I think has taken it upon himself to find a beer that I will like, or to help me acquire a taste for the ones he likes.
So he offered me some beer, and I, trying to be grateful and fit in to German culture, said, 'sure, but just a little bit. I got a small glass out of the cupboard, and sat down. Thank God I got a small glass...
Apparently Mattheus's concept of a 'little bit of beer' and mine are worlds apart. I was looking for a tablespoon or two, and what I got was more along the lines of the last bit of Psalm 23. I took a sip before my cup could runneth over, and had to swallow my grimace with the bitter liquid. I just can't understand the attraction to something that tastes like rotting rainwater. 'That's not too bad, I like it more than some other beers.' I said, quite truthfully. I stared unhappily at the glass, still most of the way full. It was only about 1 cup of beer, but it was foul. Still, I'm a pretty stoic chap, and known for my durable pallet besides, so I began the unpleasant task of draining my cup to the bitter dregs.
It was a very small glass of beer; I could have done it quite easily, and held no hard feelings towards Mattheus or his friend. Alas for the might-have-beens!
I took another sip, eyed the glass, and calculated that I had already drunken about a fourth. This heartened me, but before I could buckle down again, Mattheus's blasted friend reached over and filled my cup back up! I would like to highlight that it was the American who did it first, because I don't think this practice of refilling glasses before they are empty is necessarily a German one. This point makes the entire thing a little harder to forgive, however. I settled back in my chair miserably. It had to be done. I took a generous handful of peanuts, in hopes that a strong thirst might make the beer a little less revolting. 2 handfuls of peanuts and another of pistachios later, I was almost done. I had a little more than a quarter of the glass left, about three more large sips. Freedom was nearly mine!
I've often noticed in life that one is best occupied expecting the worst. I have been accused for being a bitter, hopeless wretch, which is not quite fair, I think. There is a marked difference between utter despair and a healthy acknowledgement of the dependability of Murphy's Law. However, even the most level headed person can be caught off guard when pending salvation seems so near at hand...
Mattheus reached for the bottle. 'Would you like some more?' he asked. Horrified, I stammered 'nein! das ist gut!' but he must have mistaken my vehement negation for excitement, and proceeded to fill my glass to the brim.
the rest is, if not history, something very akin to it.
Socrates don't have nothin' on me.
Fin
Epilogue
Because there is a God and heaven, and he is all-powerful and all good, my glass ceased its imitation of Elijah's endless oil jar and I was able to retire to my room with a nasty stomach ache and dark oaths that I would break the bottle over the head of the next wretch who offers me beer.
Disclaimer 1: The views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Messiah College, it's staff, or it affiliates.
Disclaimer 2: The views expressed by persons mentioned in this blog are not necessarily those of the author.
Now we can proceed.
On this most recent of Saturdays, I was walking back to my room, from the computer room, and my previous post, as it were. It is important to this story and many others to come that you know the geography of my room, as it pertains to the rest of the building. My room is right off of the kitchen on the 2nd floor (that's the 3rd floor, for those of you not familiar with European structural concepts). When I say off of, I really mean through, because the kitchen is on the far left side of the building, and one must go through it to get to my room.
Because of this location, I often meet people eating, preparing food, or cleaning up (only they aren't actually cleaning up, because no one does that here) as I exit or enter my room. It was just such an occasion yesterday afternoon, and I opened the ol' Tür der Küche to find my warm kitchen acquaintance, Mattheus, and his friend from America, whom I had met that morning. They were enjoying some beer and had a big bowl of peanuts and a big bowl of pistachios to pass the time. Mattheus really is a nice chap, and he has been very helpful in answering the plethora of questions I have had as a newbie here in Schloß 4. Just last week, I had an amazing conversation with him that lasted for about 30 minutes, about how the horrible events of WW II still cast their shadow on German people today. But I digress.
Wanting to be sociable, and to avoid the temptation to hide in my room until I magically become fluent in German, I sat down. The first thing they did of course, was to offer me some beer. Now, this is very natural, and probably the default greeting in Germany. You see someone you know, and they are sitting at a table. This means they almost certainly have beer, and they are almost certainly going to offer you some. Mattheus knows I don't like beer very much, beer having cropped up in our second conversation ever held together. He is naturally nonplussed at my dislike, and I think has taken it upon himself to find a beer that I will like, or to help me acquire a taste for the ones he likes.
So he offered me some beer, and I, trying to be grateful and fit in to German culture, said, 'sure, but just a little bit. I got a small glass out of the cupboard, and sat down. Thank God I got a small glass...
Apparently Mattheus's concept of a 'little bit of beer' and mine are worlds apart. I was looking for a tablespoon or two, and what I got was more along the lines of the last bit of Psalm 23. I took a sip before my cup could runneth over, and had to swallow my grimace with the bitter liquid. I just can't understand the attraction to something that tastes like rotting rainwater. 'That's not too bad, I like it more than some other beers.' I said, quite truthfully. I stared unhappily at the glass, still most of the way full. It was only about 1 cup of beer, but it was foul. Still, I'm a pretty stoic chap, and known for my durable pallet besides, so I began the unpleasant task of draining my cup to the bitter dregs.
It was a very small glass of beer; I could have done it quite easily, and held no hard feelings towards Mattheus or his friend. Alas for the might-have-beens!
I took another sip, eyed the glass, and calculated that I had already drunken about a fourth. This heartened me, but before I could buckle down again, Mattheus's blasted friend reached over and filled my cup back up! I would like to highlight that it was the American who did it first, because I don't think this practice of refilling glasses before they are empty is necessarily a German one. This point makes the entire thing a little harder to forgive, however. I settled back in my chair miserably. It had to be done. I took a generous handful of peanuts, in hopes that a strong thirst might make the beer a little less revolting. 2 handfuls of peanuts and another of pistachios later, I was almost done. I had a little more than a quarter of the glass left, about three more large sips. Freedom was nearly mine!
I've often noticed in life that one is best occupied expecting the worst. I have been accused for being a bitter, hopeless wretch, which is not quite fair, I think. There is a marked difference between utter despair and a healthy acknowledgement of the dependability of Murphy's Law. However, even the most level headed person can be caught off guard when pending salvation seems so near at hand...
Mattheus reached for the bottle. 'Would you like some more?' he asked. Horrified, I stammered 'nein! das ist gut!' but he must have mistaken my vehement negation for excitement, and proceeded to fill my glass to the brim.
the rest is, if not history, something very akin to it.
Socrates don't have nothin' on me.
Fin
Epilogue
Because there is a God and heaven, and he is all-powerful and all good, my glass ceased its imitation of Elijah's endless oil jar and I was able to retire to my room with a nasty stomach ache and dark oaths that I would break the bottle over the head of the next wretch who offers me beer.
8.3.08
Up the Wizard, down the Wizard, and other stories
Well, there is a lot to post about, so I'd best jump right in.
Yesterday was Friday, and so naturally amazing. At any rate, it couldn't help be better than thursday, and this is why: On thursday, I broke the shower on my foor. Now, it's true that in keeping with the stereotype that Germans never shower, probably no one missed it. But I still felt really bad, and kind of worried, since I wasn't sure who I needed to talk to about it, or how to explain in German that the shower head just snapped off in my hand when I tried to adjust it.
So that was worrisome. Luckily, I was able to ask Mattheus, an older Gent who lives next door to me, and with whom I have a warm, kitchen aquaintence (because I always see him and talk to him in the kitchen). He told me who I needed to talk to, and as luck would have it, not only did I already know the person, but I also knew that they were nice, and not scary to talk to..
So that night, I bumped into Jan as he was carrying some empty bottles to the recycling, and explained everything as best I could. Once he understood what I was trying to say, he though it was very funny, and told me not to worry.
Germans just don't really give a fig about showering, I guess.
End of Story.
Yesterday was Friday, which meant that I didn't have to get up until I woke up, at around 9:30. I made myself a delish breakfast of scrambled eggs and Orange juice, and then read Paradise Lost for a good 2 hours or so. Come to think of it, I didn't do much of anything yesterday before 4 pm...Still, it was lovely, and Paradise lost is definitely worth reading. It's pretty incredible.
In the late afternoon, I went to mail a letter to Costa Rica, and then attempted to find Lidl, the grocery store that is right next door to the Post office. I walked all over the whole block, and finally saw it, now on the opposite side of the street, across several lanes of traffic. I went to Aldi instead.
On my way home, I ran into Johanna, Bridgett, and Gina from the BCA Group, who were showing around a friend who was visiting. I gave them a tour of the castle grounds, and then let them use the Schloß computer to figure out some travelling logistics.
Meanwhile, I made myself an incredible sandwich and ate it in the kitchen with Christien and Sarah, two of my floor-mates. This was one of the high points of the day, because not only did I add two more names to my list of those I know, but I had a very enjoyable conversation with them both, in German, and understood it all. Sarah wanted to know why an American was majoring in German, and what I intended to do with it. I tried to explain that it just interested me, and Christien seemed to understand. Sarah was still a little baffeled, but it was a great conversation, nontheless.
Then the motley crew trooped back into the kitchen, and after securing Kelsey, we all went to dinner at Paprika, a really nice pub in the Oberstadt. Since I'd already eaten dinner, I meant to just get a little something to nibble and a drink. I ordered my Ginger Ale (which randomely came with a lemon in it), and then what I thought was a small baguettish thing. It ended up being a very large baguettish thing, complete with a side salad. I was pretty full by the end. During the meal, Johanna and I talked back and forth in German about learning German, and what not. it was very enjoyable, and I even tasted an ok beer. It was actually pretty good, compared with the other beer I've tried here.
We left Paprika, and Kelsey and I went back to the Castle. We tried to find Fei, and awesome chinese student who is also studying here. We wanted to watch 'Ella enchanted' in German, but when we found Fei, he was playing a card game with Jan and another guy whose name escapes me. We sat down to watch, and they explained the rules and dealt us out. I wasn't sure exactly WHAT the rules were, until I watched one round, and realized that the game was essentially Up the River, Down the River with different cards. Since this is one of my favorite card games of all time, I was very excited. The evening past pleasently, and I even learned some new vocabulary. All in all, Friday was a good day for speaking German.
Today is Saturday, and I repeated the first couple hours of Friday. That is, I woke up, showered, ate, and read Paradise Lost. Then I proceeded to wash some of my clothes, and then do something about the mess that was my room. I belive I have stated before that German's are not clean. I would like to stress once more that the building in which I live is absolutely, appallingly filthy. I wiped down everything with bathroom cleaner, and then proceeded to try and clean the floor. Despite the highly evolved dust bunnies (seriously, if I would have left it go a week longer, those things may have grown fangs and eyeballs) I managed to sweep and vacuum the room, and then I mopped it. I think it was cleaner than it's ever been, and I only took of the first layer of grim that has been ground into the floor. I realized while mopping that what I thought was artistic texturing on the linoleum was actually just centuries of dirt, ground down in swirly patterns. The water was black when I'd finished.
So now, I'm just hanging out in my cleaner room (I hesitate to call it clean, it may never be truly so), waiting for the computer guy to come and help me hook up my laptop to the internet, so that I can blog from the warmth of my room, instead of venturing into the freezing tundra that is the community Computer room.
Bis später!
Yesterday was Friday, and so naturally amazing. At any rate, it couldn't help be better than thursday, and this is why: On thursday, I broke the shower on my foor. Now, it's true that in keeping with the stereotype that Germans never shower, probably no one missed it. But I still felt really bad, and kind of worried, since I wasn't sure who I needed to talk to about it, or how to explain in German that the shower head just snapped off in my hand when I tried to adjust it.
So that was worrisome. Luckily, I was able to ask Mattheus, an older Gent who lives next door to me, and with whom I have a warm, kitchen aquaintence (because I always see him and talk to him in the kitchen). He told me who I needed to talk to, and as luck would have it, not only did I already know the person, but I also knew that they were nice, and not scary to talk to..
So that night, I bumped into Jan as he was carrying some empty bottles to the recycling, and explained everything as best I could. Once he understood what I was trying to say, he though it was very funny, and told me not to worry.
Germans just don't really give a fig about showering, I guess.
End of Story.
Yesterday was Friday, which meant that I didn't have to get up until I woke up, at around 9:30. I made myself a delish breakfast of scrambled eggs and Orange juice, and then read Paradise Lost for a good 2 hours or so. Come to think of it, I didn't do much of anything yesterday before 4 pm...Still, it was lovely, and Paradise lost is definitely worth reading. It's pretty incredible.
In the late afternoon, I went to mail a letter to Costa Rica, and then attempted to find Lidl, the grocery store that is right next door to the Post office. I walked all over the whole block, and finally saw it, now on the opposite side of the street, across several lanes of traffic. I went to Aldi instead.
On my way home, I ran into Johanna, Bridgett, and Gina from the BCA Group, who were showing around a friend who was visiting. I gave them a tour of the castle grounds, and then let them use the Schloß computer to figure out some travelling logistics.
Meanwhile, I made myself an incredible sandwich and ate it in the kitchen with Christien and Sarah, two of my floor-mates. This was one of the high points of the day, because not only did I add two more names to my list of those I know, but I had a very enjoyable conversation with them both, in German, and understood it all. Sarah wanted to know why an American was majoring in German, and what I intended to do with it. I tried to explain that it just interested me, and Christien seemed to understand. Sarah was still a little baffeled, but it was a great conversation, nontheless.
Then the motley crew trooped back into the kitchen, and after securing Kelsey, we all went to dinner at Paprika, a really nice pub in the Oberstadt. Since I'd already eaten dinner, I meant to just get a little something to nibble and a drink. I ordered my Ginger Ale (which randomely came with a lemon in it), and then what I thought was a small baguettish thing. It ended up being a very large baguettish thing, complete with a side salad. I was pretty full by the end. During the meal, Johanna and I talked back and forth in German about learning German, and what not. it was very enjoyable, and I even tasted an ok beer. It was actually pretty good, compared with the other beer I've tried here.
We left Paprika, and Kelsey and I went back to the Castle. We tried to find Fei, and awesome chinese student who is also studying here. We wanted to watch 'Ella enchanted' in German, but when we found Fei, he was playing a card game with Jan and another guy whose name escapes me. We sat down to watch, and they explained the rules and dealt us out. I wasn't sure exactly WHAT the rules were, until I watched one round, and realized that the game was essentially Up the River, Down the River with different cards. Since this is one of my favorite card games of all time, I was very excited. The evening past pleasently, and I even learned some new vocabulary. All in all, Friday was a good day for speaking German.
Today is Saturday, and I repeated the first couple hours of Friday. That is, I woke up, showered, ate, and read Paradise Lost. Then I proceeded to wash some of my clothes, and then do something about the mess that was my room. I belive I have stated before that German's are not clean. I would like to stress once more that the building in which I live is absolutely, appallingly filthy. I wiped down everything with bathroom cleaner, and then proceeded to try and clean the floor. Despite the highly evolved dust bunnies (seriously, if I would have left it go a week longer, those things may have grown fangs and eyeballs) I managed to sweep and vacuum the room, and then I mopped it. I think it was cleaner than it's ever been, and I only took of the first layer of grim that has been ground into the floor. I realized while mopping that what I thought was artistic texturing on the linoleum was actually just centuries of dirt, ground down in swirly patterns. The water was black when I'd finished.
So now, I'm just hanging out in my cleaner room (I hesitate to call it clean, it may never be truly so), waiting for the computer guy to come and help me hook up my laptop to the internet, so that I can blog from the warmth of my room, instead of venturing into the freezing tundra that is the community Computer room.
Bis später!
6.3.08
Part 6: in which I've had enough, drink my first glass of wine, and sleep much better for it.
I'd had enough.
We're well into the second week of our Sprachkurs, and the Americana in the class is congealing like you wouldn't believe. It was time to do something, and I did it.
But let me back up. First of all, about studying abroad. Obviously, I want to become fluent in German, and learn more about German culture, etc. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come to Germany. However, as far as generic study-abroad goals go, I also just wanted to get to know ANYONE from another country, whose mother tongue wasn't English.
Ideally, the Sprachkurs is the perfect place to do this. A veritable womb for international friendships. Think about it: there we all are, I my native tongue is English, but this girl's is Japanese, this guy is from Belgium, those two are from Spain... In any normal circumstance, we wouldn't be able to communicate or get to know one another very well. Enter Sprachkurs, stage right. Now we are all thrown together into a language class, where we are all learning a language that isn't our native one, and we are all making a lot of the same mistakes, etc. Basically, we all suck, we all know it, and so we give each other a lot of grace, as well as help one another out, right? Wrong
The Americans (and the lonely Canadian) huddle together in a herd, and the others form their own group, making due with German and other shared European languages. Maybe this wouldn't happen if we didn't have such an unusually high concentration of English speakers in our class, but as it stands, over half the class speaks English as their native tongue, and exactly one half is from the US of A.
So the stage is set. I'm trying desperately to get to know no-English students, and my plans are being foiled by a combination of the superfluity of Americans in my class, and their tendency to congeal into an impenetrable mass, into which there is no entry, and out of which there can be no escape. Well, not unless you break out, which I was desperate to do.
So yesterday, during our half hour break, the whole class was scattered throughout the break area, and I walked over and sat down next to an Italian guy, named Elias. Nicole, one of the Americans who was also livid with the current state of interaction, was sitting across the table. We began making small talk, auf Deutsch, as we try to do as much as possible, thereby bettering out German.
Anyway, so Nicole is talking about how she's traveling to France this weekend to visit a friend who is studying in Strasbourg. Elias asked if Nicole was French, Nicole was of course elated to be mistaken for anything other than an Amerikanerin, but was stoically honest and denied the compliment. She asked Elias why he thought she was French, since her striking blond hair might mark her as Scandinavian, but not French, and her accent was definitely American. Elias said it was because she was speaking German to me, an American. This of course, made me feel a little grumpy, since it was obviously blatant that I was the Amerikaner. Auf jeden Fall (in any case), it broke the proverbial Eis, and the three of us continued talking, about language learning, etc. Near the end of the break, Nicole asked me if I had any dinner plans. Because she and Ali live right down the hill from Kelsey and I, we often make dinner together, the four of us, or some combination thereof. I didn't have any dinner plans, but had been wanting to make Ratatouille, and then all of the sudden I had an inspiration from above.
It was desperate. It was forward. But by jove, I had to do something. I turned to Elias, and promptly invited him to dinner. He seemed a little surprised, but flashed me a killer Italian smile and accepted. After class, I invited the other Italian, Sylvia, so that Elias wouldn't feel outnumbered. She also accepted, with the same surprised smile.
I must pause here, to collect my thoughts. It is impossible to describe how excited I was at this point, but I was pretty darn excited.
My excitement was slightly dampened after going shopping and spending two days worth of grocery money on one meal, but I was determined, if I had to eat Butterkekse and water, to bridge the ever widening gap between me and the other foreign students. That evening, I threw all of the ingredients into a pot, and got it cooking, and at 6pm went to meet Sylvia and Elias am Markt, leaving Nicole to watch over the Ratatouille.
I met Sylvia there, and we waited for Elias, who came about 10 minutes later. A refreshing break from German punctuality. He brought a bottle of wine, and Sylvia some Schokolade, in keeping with the guest's code of honor (vis, never arrive anywhere empty handed. I'm not sure if this is just German, or European, but it's pretty cool, and definitely helped ease my wallet's clamoring).
The evening went spectacularly. The Ratatouille was fantastisch, even wowing skeptisch Nicole, who had a hard time believing it could taste that good for the ingredients that went into it. In her defence, I thought the same thing when I made it for the first time...We managed to keep lively conversation going in German, two Americans and two Italians, and even did a lot of practicing back and forth with Grammatik that we'd learned that day in class. I drank a glass of the Wine that Elias had brought from that savior of hungry students, ALDI, and I actually liked it, making it the first alcoholic beverage that I've enjoyed while in Germany, and the first full glass of anything I've ever drank.
They left at about 9.30 that evening, and as Nicole and I did victory dances all over the kitchen, I thought to myself, this is what studying abroad is really all about. Sure, I'm here to learn German, but why? why does one learn a foreign language? Why, to communicate, to connect, to get to know the people who you couldn't to know otherwise. If I had to leave right now and go home, I would consider this time well spent, but only after last night.
The battle against the Amerikaner-cloister isn't over, but I've struck a blow, and it was a good solid one too. Sylvia and Elias are more than just acquaintances now, and they may act as bridges to the others.
Now, I'm going to go drink some tea, eat some left over Ratatouille, and maybe have a little wine...
We're well into the second week of our Sprachkurs, and the Americana in the class is congealing like you wouldn't believe. It was time to do something, and I did it.
But let me back up. First of all, about studying abroad. Obviously, I want to become fluent in German, and learn more about German culture, etc. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come to Germany. However, as far as generic study-abroad goals go, I also just wanted to get to know ANYONE from another country, whose mother tongue wasn't English.
Ideally, the Sprachkurs is the perfect place to do this. A veritable womb for international friendships. Think about it: there we all are, I my native tongue is English, but this girl's is Japanese, this guy is from Belgium, those two are from Spain... In any normal circumstance, we wouldn't be able to communicate or get to know one another very well. Enter Sprachkurs, stage right. Now we are all thrown together into a language class, where we are all learning a language that isn't our native one, and we are all making a lot of the same mistakes, etc. Basically, we all suck, we all know it, and so we give each other a lot of grace, as well as help one another out, right? Wrong
The Americans (and the lonely Canadian) huddle together in a herd, and the others form their own group, making due with German and other shared European languages. Maybe this wouldn't happen if we didn't have such an unusually high concentration of English speakers in our class, but as it stands, over half the class speaks English as their native tongue, and exactly one half is from the US of A.
So the stage is set. I'm trying desperately to get to know no-English students, and my plans are being foiled by a combination of the superfluity of Americans in my class, and their tendency to congeal into an impenetrable mass, into which there is no entry, and out of which there can be no escape. Well, not unless you break out, which I was desperate to do.
So yesterday, during our half hour break, the whole class was scattered throughout the break area, and I walked over and sat down next to an Italian guy, named Elias. Nicole, one of the Americans who was also livid with the current state of interaction, was sitting across the table. We began making small talk, auf Deutsch, as we try to do as much as possible, thereby bettering out German.
Anyway, so Nicole is talking about how she's traveling to France this weekend to visit a friend who is studying in Strasbourg. Elias asked if Nicole was French, Nicole was of course elated to be mistaken for anything other than an Amerikanerin, but was stoically honest and denied the compliment. She asked Elias why he thought she was French, since her striking blond hair might mark her as Scandinavian, but not French, and her accent was definitely American. Elias said it was because she was speaking German to me, an American. This of course, made me feel a little grumpy, since it was obviously blatant that I was the Amerikaner. Auf jeden Fall (in any case), it broke the proverbial Eis, and the three of us continued talking, about language learning, etc. Near the end of the break, Nicole asked me if I had any dinner plans. Because she and Ali live right down the hill from Kelsey and I, we often make dinner together, the four of us, or some combination thereof. I didn't have any dinner plans, but had been wanting to make Ratatouille, and then all of the sudden I had an inspiration from above.
It was desperate. It was forward. But by jove, I had to do something. I turned to Elias, and promptly invited him to dinner. He seemed a little surprised, but flashed me a killer Italian smile and accepted. After class, I invited the other Italian, Sylvia, so that Elias wouldn't feel outnumbered. She also accepted, with the same surprised smile.
I must pause here, to collect my thoughts. It is impossible to describe how excited I was at this point, but I was pretty darn excited.
My excitement was slightly dampened after going shopping and spending two days worth of grocery money on one meal, but I was determined, if I had to eat Butterkekse and water, to bridge the ever widening gap between me and the other foreign students. That evening, I threw all of the ingredients into a pot, and got it cooking, and at 6pm went to meet Sylvia and Elias am Markt, leaving Nicole to watch over the Ratatouille.
I met Sylvia there, and we waited for Elias, who came about 10 minutes later. A refreshing break from German punctuality. He brought a bottle of wine, and Sylvia some Schokolade, in keeping with the guest's code of honor (vis, never arrive anywhere empty handed. I'm not sure if this is just German, or European, but it's pretty cool, and definitely helped ease my wallet's clamoring).
The evening went spectacularly. The Ratatouille was fantastisch, even wowing skeptisch Nicole, who had a hard time believing it could taste that good for the ingredients that went into it. In her defence, I thought the same thing when I made it for the first time...We managed to keep lively conversation going in German, two Americans and two Italians, and even did a lot of practicing back and forth with Grammatik that we'd learned that day in class. I drank a glass of the Wine that Elias had brought from that savior of hungry students, ALDI, and I actually liked it, making it the first alcoholic beverage that I've enjoyed while in Germany, and the first full glass of anything I've ever drank.
They left at about 9.30 that evening, and as Nicole and I did victory dances all over the kitchen, I thought to myself, this is what studying abroad is really all about. Sure, I'm here to learn German, but why? why does one learn a foreign language? Why, to communicate, to connect, to get to know the people who you couldn't to know otherwise. If I had to leave right now and go home, I would consider this time well spent, but only after last night.
The battle against the Amerikaner-cloister isn't over, but I've struck a blow, and it was a good solid one too. Sylvia and Elias are more than just acquaintances now, and they may act as bridges to the others.
Now, I'm going to go drink some tea, eat some left over Ratatouille, and maybe have a little wine...
4.3.08
etwas über Sandwiches
Ok, so this post is completely random, has very little to do with Germany, except that the following theories, conclusions, and nonesense came into my head while I am in Germany.
The Perfect sandwich is an illusive creature. So much so that some businesses have devoted their entire vocation to creating sandwiches, in hopes that some day, the perfect sandwich will be found.
Now, as a mere layman, I do not claim to have found such a sandwich, however, I am convinced that I have found one of a lost race, which, though still imperfect, is perhaps not so far fallen from original glory as some sandwiches (vis, most fast-food burgers). In short, I believe I have found the Dunedain of sandwiches.
What is necessary, you may ask, for a sandwich to achieve such atlantian heights of deliciousness? Many factors come into play, but a simplified equation will suffice for our purposes, whatever they be.
The trick is to find the perfect balance between texture, moisture, and complimentary flavor. The heretofore mentioned paragon of sandwiches has these very things:
-A good wheat bread, with small sprinklings of whole grains throughout give the sandwich the necessary foundation. No stronghold can stand on uncertain foundings, and neither, as it so happens, can a sandwich.
-a good cheese is smelt, and tasted, but not felt. cheese provides the timbre of the sandwich, but with texture it should not be concerned.
-the perfect meat is the melody of the sandwich. strong, forefront, but not so overpowering that it drowns out the rest of the sandwich. The meat's texture must be in accord with that of the bread, so that it provides a smooth firmament over the rougher surface of the bread.
-vegetable additions are the percussion of the orchestral sandwich. in choosing vegetables, be sure to keep in mind that nature is as important as punctuation. For example, avoid iceberg lettuce, because it lacks substance, and though it provides a certain amount of punctuation in the sandwich, it lacks a pleasing timbre, and may be likened to a garish metal can struck in place of a cymbal.
-seasonings must be chosen carefully, because too much moisture can ruin the bread. drier seasoning such as oregano, basil, etc are often much less hazardous, and may be the last touch of finesse necessary to complete the sandwich
-an appropriate drink is vital. such a beverage should act as a cadence, to start each measure of sandwich anew. Much like a good wine when eating cheese, a good sandwich beverage cleanses the pallet, while providing just the right context of flavor to introduce the sandwich with flourish.
All this, I have found in the following sandwich:
Proper wheat bread, with salami, a quality feta cheese, cucumber, one slice of tomato, and a sprinkling of basil. Orange juice went well with it, though I suspect cranberry juice would do even better. Alas, cranberries are rare in Deutschland, so I take my orange, grin, and bear it.
Many happy returns, and may joy be present among your taste buds.
pip pip!
The Perfect sandwich is an illusive creature. So much so that some businesses have devoted their entire vocation to creating sandwiches, in hopes that some day, the perfect sandwich will be found.
Now, as a mere layman, I do not claim to have found such a sandwich, however, I am convinced that I have found one of a lost race, which, though still imperfect, is perhaps not so far fallen from original glory as some sandwiches (vis, most fast-food burgers). In short, I believe I have found the Dunedain of sandwiches.
What is necessary, you may ask, for a sandwich to achieve such atlantian heights of deliciousness? Many factors come into play, but a simplified equation will suffice for our purposes, whatever they be.
The trick is to find the perfect balance between texture, moisture, and complimentary flavor. The heretofore mentioned paragon of sandwiches has these very things:
-A good wheat bread, with small sprinklings of whole grains throughout give the sandwich the necessary foundation. No stronghold can stand on uncertain foundings, and neither, as it so happens, can a sandwich.
-a good cheese is smelt, and tasted, but not felt. cheese provides the timbre of the sandwich, but with texture it should not be concerned.
-the perfect meat is the melody of the sandwich. strong, forefront, but not so overpowering that it drowns out the rest of the sandwich. The meat's texture must be in accord with that of the bread, so that it provides a smooth firmament over the rougher surface of the bread.
-vegetable additions are the percussion of the orchestral sandwich. in choosing vegetables, be sure to keep in mind that nature is as important as punctuation. For example, avoid iceberg lettuce, because it lacks substance, and though it provides a certain amount of punctuation in the sandwich, it lacks a pleasing timbre, and may be likened to a garish metal can struck in place of a cymbal.
-seasonings must be chosen carefully, because too much moisture can ruin the bread. drier seasoning such as oregano, basil, etc are often much less hazardous, and may be the last touch of finesse necessary to complete the sandwich
-an appropriate drink is vital. such a beverage should act as a cadence, to start each measure of sandwich anew. Much like a good wine when eating cheese, a good sandwich beverage cleanses the pallet, while providing just the right context of flavor to introduce the sandwich with flourish.
All this, I have found in the following sandwich:
Proper wheat bread, with salami, a quality feta cheese, cucumber, one slice of tomato, and a sprinkling of basil. Orange juice went well with it, though I suspect cranberry juice would do even better. Alas, cranberries are rare in Deutschland, so I take my orange, grin, and bear it.
Many happy returns, and may joy be present among your taste buds.
pip pip!
2.3.08
Christus-Treff
Today was my second Sunday spent here in Mar-velous-burg, so I thought it would be appropriate to give an account of the Church body I have found here.
Christus-Treff, literally, 'Christ-meeting' is the name of the church, and it meets every Thursday night at 8 and every Sunday morning at 10. Thursday nights are the best though, because we meet in the Old Gothic Lutherische Kirche, who's tower I see right out my window. It's freezing in there, so the second time I went I was sure to bring gloves! The acoustics there are amazing, and I have a new appreciation for Gothic architecture; it draws your attention to the majesty of God in a way that modern Churches often fail to.
Christus-Treff is contemporary, and a lot like many churches I've been to back home (except auf Deutsch). It's really neat, because many of the songs that we sing are the German counterparts of English worship songs. This is especially nice, because I already have an idea of what the song is about, so when a grey vocabulary word crops up, I can usually make an educated guess as to the meaning. Worshipping in German has been amazing. It has helped build my vocabulary in areas that I wouldn't learn in my Sprachkurs, but areas which are nonetheless very important to me. Learning how to understand my faith auf Deutsch has been exciting.
Christus Treff is also helpful, because it is a time of structured listening, with a specific context. My years of Bible quizzing are proving to be invaluable as I hear a Bible passage and instantly have a framework to infer new vocabulary from. It's exciting to see how much my comprehension has improved just from my first Sunday here a week ago. Today I understood almost the entire sermon (except when I spaced out writing down a particularly long word to look up later), and felt like I came away not simply having had a good language\culture experience, but feeling like I do at home when I come away from a sermon with real life things to think about.
Today was also really neat because they had the equivalent of the 'Missions Moment' that my church has back at home. Today's moment was about the country of Somalia. That was really awesome, because last semester I got to be an English tutor for some Somali refugees. Hearing about their country, all the way across the world in Germany, and then breaking off into small groups and hearing the voices of a hundred Germans praying for Somalia the way I would after sessions last fall, it just made me realize that this is what life is all about, hardcore.
I can tell already that Christus-Treff is going to be one of the most significant parts of my time here in Germany, and I am already thinking about how much I will miss it!
P.S. I don't think I can ever sing Agnus Dei in English again...it's just so much better in German,
sorry Michael W....
Christus-Treff, literally, 'Christ-meeting' is the name of the church, and it meets every Thursday night at 8 and every Sunday morning at 10. Thursday nights are the best though, because we meet in the Old Gothic Lutherische Kirche, who's tower I see right out my window. It's freezing in there, so the second time I went I was sure to bring gloves! The acoustics there are amazing, and I have a new appreciation for Gothic architecture; it draws your attention to the majesty of God in a way that modern Churches often fail to.
Christus-Treff is contemporary, and a lot like many churches I've been to back home (except auf Deutsch). It's really neat, because many of the songs that we sing are the German counterparts of English worship songs. This is especially nice, because I already have an idea of what the song is about, so when a grey vocabulary word crops up, I can usually make an educated guess as to the meaning. Worshipping in German has been amazing. It has helped build my vocabulary in areas that I wouldn't learn in my Sprachkurs, but areas which are nonetheless very important to me. Learning how to understand my faith auf Deutsch has been exciting.
Christus Treff is also helpful, because it is a time of structured listening, with a specific context. My years of Bible quizzing are proving to be invaluable as I hear a Bible passage and instantly have a framework to infer new vocabulary from. It's exciting to see how much my comprehension has improved just from my first Sunday here a week ago. Today I understood almost the entire sermon (except when I spaced out writing down a particularly long word to look up later), and felt like I came away not simply having had a good language\culture experience, but feeling like I do at home when I come away from a sermon with real life things to think about.
Today was also really neat because they had the equivalent of the 'Missions Moment' that my church has back at home. Today's moment was about the country of Somalia. That was really awesome, because last semester I got to be an English tutor for some Somali refugees. Hearing about their country, all the way across the world in Germany, and then breaking off into small groups and hearing the voices of a hundred Germans praying for Somalia the way I would after sessions last fall, it just made me realize that this is what life is all about, hardcore.
I can tell already that Christus-Treff is going to be one of the most significant parts of my time here in Germany, and I am already thinking about how much I will miss it!
P.S. I don't think I can ever sing Agnus Dei in English again...it's just so much better in German,
sorry Michael W....
1.3.08
a bit of cultural commentary
As my second week here is drawing to a close, I realize that it is getting harder and harder to keep updates going, because life is starting to acquire a rhythm. This is, of course, very good, and much less strenuous on the me. This means for the time being, less nail-biting stories of terror and embarrassment, but also a better chance to get in some real observations on the people and culture of Germany. This post will attempt to capture some of the quirks and items of interest that I've noticed about Germany and it's people.
Die Deutsche - Germans
There is a common stereotype that is almost world-wide, which considers Germans to be some of the most rude and unfriendly people on the planet. This stereotype bleeds into many opinions about Germans and German culture, such as the following:
1. the German language is an 'angry' or 'harsh language.
2. German etiquette is missing consideration for others. The infamous German knocking into you as you walk down the sidewalk, passing you by without so much as a nod.
3. Germans do not appreciate form--functionality is everything.
These are just three things off the top of my head, stereotypes that I had or carried with me from others over to Germany. Here is my current, revised view of these stereotypes:
1. German is only an angry language when the speakers are angry, or when the emotion meant to be expressed through song, poetry, etc is one of intense anger or frustration. German is not an angry language, but angry Germans sound 'more angry' to American ears, because the phonetics are foreign. Advice: listen to some classical German music (with singing), or even better, contemporary (non-metal) music. Contemporary german worship songs are gorgeous, and are musically much more complex than most english ones.
2.I have yet to experience this one. Perhaps I have lucked out, but all of the Germans except for one that I have met so far have been very nice, and extremely helpful and concerned for the well being of a poor English boy who can't speak german! Perhaps I will revise my stance on this later, but so far Germans are in general at least as nice as Americans.
3. Boy is this way wrong. Germans are practical, but how this turned into the idea that they sneer at anything that isn't square and grey, I'll never know. Yesterday we went on a tour of Darmstadt. I'll load the pictures as soon as possible, but I'll let them speak for themselves as to this stereotype...
Quirks
Some things that I find entertaining and a little bit frustrating about Germany and it's residents:
1. I wish that German college students were different than typical US students, but they aren't. They are just as messy. Also, the average German college student's definition of what constitutes washing dishes is a lot more lenient that I would prefer. All dishes must be pre-washed before a meal.
2. Related to the above, vacuuming, sweeping, and etc. are also activities that are more annual than regular in the student residency houses. I cleaned out the guest room when I moved to my regular room, and I had to do epic battle with dust bunnies like I've never seen before. Those beasties were on their way to being highly evolved beings...
3. Germans are supposedly the most environmentally-minded of any country in the world. The are super-fans of organic food products, and there are advertisements like you wouldn't believe for healthy living, exercise, and what-not.
However, despite this interest with being healthy, every citizen over the age of like 12 in Germany smokes. Even with the recent legislation that makes it possible for those who don't smoke to find refuge from the clouds of tar, anywhere that it is legal (or the people don't care), there are clouds of smoke pouring out of the mouths of Germans. Even more ironic is that cigarette companies are required by law to print warnings on all packages and advertisements: 'Rauchen kann tötlich sein.'-'smoking can be deadly' can be seen everywhere in large bold letters. Marburg is a very clean city as far as amount litter goes, but the fact that there is still a fair amount of trash to be seen on the streets, and that it is almost completely comprised of cigarette butts is astonishing. Needless to say, I'm becoming more accustomed to the smell of smoke, but I just pray I don't get lung cancer from living in Germany for 5 months. I figure I've smoked the equivalent of two or three cigarettes by now just by living here :P
There are also lots of amazing things about Germany, which I will miss, and which I hope the US picks up on in the near future.
First, there are all of the amazing food\drink items...
1. Apfelschorle the greatest drink invented by man. Ok, so that isn't true, but it's pretty darn lecker (delish) and I am going to have to make my own when I go back to the states. It's pretty much just Apple juice mixed with carbonated water, but it's amazing.
2. Butterkekse a holy union between grahm- and animalcrackers. You can even buy them with chocolate on them...mmmmaahhh
3. Nutella. we have this in the states, but it's expensive. Here they have generic brand nutella, and it is a magical addition to Butterkekse, bread, or just eating with a spoon, if you're desperate.
4. Beer. German beer is way better than US beer. I still don't like it, but I like it more than the guff in the states, and the places that sell it here are much more friendly anyway.
There are lots of other food things, but you get the idea...Now on to just life things:
1. Open-air markets. Every Saturday and Wednesday, there is an open air market 'am Markt,' right down the hill from the Schloß. There you can buy delicious fresh produce, meat, cheese, and flowers from stands that are set up in the Platz. The prices are great too! Today I bought 2 Zucchini, a small eggplant, 5 tomatoes, and 6 medium sized mushrooms for a little under 5 Euros. I also got some amazing cheese, which was more expensive, but for the quality it was about the same as in the states, maybe a little cheeper (well, that is, before the Dollar just plummeted again...)
2. Small little businesses. The terror of Walmart and monster coorperations has not yet lane waste to my fairytale town. There are about a bajillion little bakeries in the Oberstadt where I live, and numerous fresh produce places, as well as countless Cafes and of course, Kneipes (pubs).
3. Garbage. No seriously, it is awesome, because recycling here is like a cultural thing. Back in the states, depending on where you live, you have to bend over backwards to recycle anything. Here, it is a part of the system, and you can do your part to save the environment with ease.
4. Economic integrity. I hope I'm not harping to much on this, but seriously. Trains. why don't we do them in the US? Flippin' heck...Also, it's really awesome to be riding on a train to go to another town, and to look out the window to see dozens of huge windmills waving their arms, generating electricity without burning fules or anything. Go Germany! And housing: Seriously-- contrary to the opinions of most Americans, you don't have to have your own little kingdom. The houses here are much closer together, aren't as big, and people are just fine. So stop tearing up farmland in the US to build huge, sprawling developements! Good grief! build apartement buildings, for pete's sake. Seriously, Pete told me we need to do this...for him...for Pete...
5. Castles. Ok, so this one is just because Europe is old, and medievel, and there is nothing the Americas can do about that. I do think we should build prettier buildings, but whatever...
That's pretty much it for now! I'm sure there will be more as I learn and build relationships with people.
Bis später!
Die Deutsche - Germans
There is a common stereotype that is almost world-wide, which considers Germans to be some of the most rude and unfriendly people on the planet. This stereotype bleeds into many opinions about Germans and German culture, such as the following:
1. the German language is an 'angry' or 'harsh language.
2. German etiquette is missing consideration for others. The infamous German knocking into you as you walk down the sidewalk, passing you by without so much as a nod.
3. Germans do not appreciate form--functionality is everything.
These are just three things off the top of my head, stereotypes that I had or carried with me from others over to Germany. Here is my current, revised view of these stereotypes:
1. German is only an angry language when the speakers are angry, or when the emotion meant to be expressed through song, poetry, etc is one of intense anger or frustration. German is not an angry language, but angry Germans sound 'more angry' to American ears, because the phonetics are foreign. Advice: listen to some classical German music (with singing), or even better, contemporary (non-metal) music. Contemporary german worship songs are gorgeous, and are musically much more complex than most english ones.
2.I have yet to experience this one. Perhaps I have lucked out, but all of the Germans except for one that I have met so far have been very nice, and extremely helpful and concerned for the well being of a poor English boy who can't speak german! Perhaps I will revise my stance on this later, but so far Germans are in general at least as nice as Americans.
3. Boy is this way wrong. Germans are practical, but how this turned into the idea that they sneer at anything that isn't square and grey, I'll never know. Yesterday we went on a tour of Darmstadt. I'll load the pictures as soon as possible, but I'll let them speak for themselves as to this stereotype...
Quirks
Some things that I find entertaining and a little bit frustrating about Germany and it's residents:
1. I wish that German college students were different than typical US students, but they aren't. They are just as messy. Also, the average German college student's definition of what constitutes washing dishes is a lot more lenient that I would prefer. All dishes must be pre-washed before a meal.
2. Related to the above, vacuuming, sweeping, and etc. are also activities that are more annual than regular in the student residency houses. I cleaned out the guest room when I moved to my regular room, and I had to do epic battle with dust bunnies like I've never seen before. Those beasties were on their way to being highly evolved beings...
3. Germans are supposedly the most environmentally-minded of any country in the world. The are super-fans of organic food products, and there are advertisements like you wouldn't believe for healthy living, exercise, and what-not.
However, despite this interest with being healthy, every citizen over the age of like 12 in Germany smokes. Even with the recent legislation that makes it possible for those who don't smoke to find refuge from the clouds of tar, anywhere that it is legal (or the people don't care), there are clouds of smoke pouring out of the mouths of Germans. Even more ironic is that cigarette companies are required by law to print warnings on all packages and advertisements: 'Rauchen kann tötlich sein.'-'smoking can be deadly' can be seen everywhere in large bold letters. Marburg is a very clean city as far as amount litter goes, but the fact that there is still a fair amount of trash to be seen on the streets, and that it is almost completely comprised of cigarette butts is astonishing. Needless to say, I'm becoming more accustomed to the smell of smoke, but I just pray I don't get lung cancer from living in Germany for 5 months. I figure I've smoked the equivalent of two or three cigarettes by now just by living here :P
There are also lots of amazing things about Germany, which I will miss, and which I hope the US picks up on in the near future.
First, there are all of the amazing food\drink items...
1. Apfelschorle
2. Butterkekse
3. Nutella. we have this in the states, but it's expensive. Here they have generic brand nutella, and it is a magical addition to Butterkekse, bread, or just eating with a spoon, if you're desperate.
4. Beer. German beer is way better than US beer. I still don't like it, but I like it more than the guff in the states, and the places that sell it here are much more friendly anyway.
There are lots of other food things, but you get the idea...Now on to just life things:
1. Open-air markets. Every Saturday and Wednesday, there is an open air market 'am Markt,' right down the hill from the Schloß. There you can buy delicious fresh produce, meat, cheese, and flowers from stands that are set up in the Platz. The prices are great too! Today I bought 2 Zucchini, a small eggplant, 5 tomatoes, and 6 medium sized mushrooms for a little under 5 Euros. I also got some amazing cheese, which was more expensive, but for the quality it was about the same as in the states, maybe a little cheeper (well, that is, before the Dollar just plummeted again...)
2. Small little businesses. The terror of Walmart and monster coorperations has not yet lane waste to my fairytale town. There are about a bajillion little bakeries in the Oberstadt where I live, and numerous fresh produce places, as well as countless Cafes and of course, Kneipes (pubs).
3. Garbage. No seriously, it is awesome, because recycling here is like a cultural thing. Back in the states, depending on where you live, you have to bend over backwards to recycle anything. Here, it is a part of the system, and you can do your part to save the environment with ease.
4. Economic integrity. I hope I'm not harping to much on this, but seriously. Trains. why don't we do them in the US? Flippin' heck...Also, it's really awesome to be riding on a train to go to another town, and to look out the window to see dozens of huge windmills waving their arms, generating electricity without burning fules or anything. Go Germany! And housing: Seriously-- contrary to the opinions of most Americans, you don't have to have your own little kingdom. The houses here are much closer together, aren't as big, and people are just fine. So stop tearing up farmland in the US to build huge, sprawling developements! Good grief! build apartement buildings, for pete's sake. Seriously, Pete told me we need to do this...for him...for Pete...
5. Castles. Ok, so this one is just because Europe is old, and medievel, and there is nothing the Americas can do about that. I do think we should build prettier buildings, but whatever...
That's pretty much it for now! I'm sure there will be more as I learn and build relationships with people.
Bis später!
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