Juni at the Uni

Here it is--what may well be my last entry in Germany. I can't believe how quickly it's gone by--a four and a half month stint nearly four months gone! I'm now trying to do and see everything I wanted to while I'm still here. I have my list and am going through it one by one. I have just over 3 weeks left here: 1 more week of class (hooray!) and 2 more of last-minute travel and goodbyes. Here's a taste of my schedule (in case you care):

Wednesday June 25th-EUROCUP semifinals: Germany takes on Turkey--expect riots!
Friday June 27th- exactly 3 weeks left
Saturday June 28th- I have to say my first goodbye, my friend Camilla from London leaves Frankfurt :(
Sunday June 29th- HOPEFULLY, Germany plays in the EURO final against either Russia or Spain... and wins, obviously
Monday June 30th- My last week of classes begins!
Thursday July 3rd- Last day of classes!!
Friday July 4th- I fly to London to visit my freshman year roommate Taylor
2 weeks!
Monday July 7th-My glorious return to Frankfurt
Wednesday July 9th- Tentative trip to Cologne to visit some friends
Friday July 11th- One week left
Friday July 18th- 1:15 PM flight to Newark


It's strange to think of literally disassembling my entire left here, packing what belongings survived the semester into a single suitcase, and just walking away. But even stranger is the thought of coming home--living in my house, seeing my friends and family, going back to school, everything. I've been warned that there will be so-called "reverse culture shock", and I'm sure that's true--it will be a huge adjustment. I'm not too concerned, however, after all of this, I'm sort of an adjustment expert.

Well having said all that-- if there are any last minute requests--typical Deutsch products (applewine? frankfurter green sauce?) or such that you MUST have, let me know. If not, I'll see you all in a little over three weeks!!!


p.s. I've been taking pictures of the places I go most regularly.. so here are a few

The Palmengarten,
a private park with free admission of Uni Frankfurt students
we go here to study and read or when it's too damn hot to be anywhere else

My walk to class on nice days,
along Gruenebuergweg from Bockenheimer Warte to Westend

University campus Westend, where I have most of my classes

Well... Don't Say I Didn't Warn You

I know, I know. But I told you last time that it would be a while and here it is, just slightly past the predicted 'mid-May'. Where to begin....

So when I last wrote, I was just about to leave for Rome. Rome is one of those places that I think most people want to go, and once you get there, it doesn't disappoint. It has everything you expect: ancient ruins, vespas, espresso, great food, women walking in stilettos on cobblestone, lots of black and silver clothing (yes silver), and stray cats and dogs galore! My trip was destined to be great from the outset. I was flying Lufthansa-the ueber-efficient German airline straight from Frankfurt to Rome, as opposed to the proposed Ryanair route--2 hour bus to Hahn, Germany, 2 hour flight with the scum of the earth to ciampino, italy, 2 hour bus to rome= a ridiculous 6 hour journey. I was also staying with my wonderful friend Erica in the beautiful 3 bedroom flat she shared with her 4 roommates, and not in a hostel!

Erica and I on the Spanish Steps in Rome

We packed a lot of wonderful adventures into my 4 day trip= all the usual spots: Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Colosseum, Forum, Spanish Steps, etc, quaint Roman neighborhoods where the old women in furs (in 85 degree heat) give you dirty looks for wearing flip-flops, hole-in-the-wall restaurants that let you chop tomatoes in the back if you tell them you're visiting, and the beautiful Panphili park. The visit was wonderful, SO wonderful in fact that I was blindsided by the following incident at the airport in Rome on the way back:

I am sitting in the Leonardo da Vinci Airport (really thats the name) waiting to board my flight to Frankfurt when I become aware of a large, unruly mass of American teenagers all wearing tell-tale tourist "ITALIA" track jackets. As I am wont to do in such situations I hide my passport and pretend to be German. So I put on my iPod and pretend to be reserved and kind of angry or like I've smelled something strange--classic German. Through my music I hear the unmistakable Bergen accent of a portly young man wearing an Italian flag hat standing in front of me and waving a cell phone, " YO! DOES ANYBODY KNOW IF RAY RICE GOT DRAFTED??! YO?! TOMMY?!". A shudder goes through my whole body with the defeating realization that these, in fact, are my people...New Jerseyans. I learned that day that Ray Rice did get drafted, 55th pick to Baltimore. I also developed the new layer of self-loathing that comes with the understanding that although I hate these people, I am firmly connected to them for the rest of my life....

Eventually, we boarded, I kept pretending to be German, with the help of the flight attendants--when they realize what you're doing they smile and speak in slightly slower German. I like to think they like me more for this; or at least they understand why I do it. This was Sunday. That Friday was my birthday (yay!) AND the arrival date for Mom, Mike and Katharine for their visit!

The original plan was for them to land at 9:25, meaning I would have to leave my dorm at about 9AM (the day after the night of my 21st birthday...) to meet them with a Love, Actually style hug at the arrivals gate. Thankfully, they left from Newark, so I got an extra 2 hours sleep due to delays. Their visit was great; we saw all my favorite parts of Frankfurt and spent a very relaxing weekend at a lake resort in Switzerland.

Mike and I thinking deeply on Lake Lucerne

Mom and Katharine on a lake cruise in Switzerland

They were all such troopers, considering they were jet-lagging practically until the last day of the visit. It was obviously wonderful to see them, but it was also nice to be in a family unit again. Independence is great and all, but sometimes I just want someone else to pick the restaurant or hold onto the important papers. i guess it was just nice to give up some control for a little. All in all, I think their trip was a success, even if they didn't take to bratwurst and sauerkraut like I thought they would.

The Viennese, lounging as they do, in the Park

So the family left on Wednesday. On Thursday, I set off to Vienna via Bratislava (Ryanair...grumble grumble) to see my friend Melinda from home. Despite the signature Ryanair 2 hours on a plane, 4 on a bus to get there, Vienna was wonderful! Again, the benefits of staying with a friend who really knows the city over going sans guide were very clear on this trip. Vienna is huge! And Melinda was a wonderful tour guide. It was so nice to see her because I hadn't in a really long time, and Vienna seems like the perfect place to meet a friend. It has amazing cafes, beautiful parks, and outdoor concerts and events all over the place. Next to Frankfurt, which holds a special place in my heart, Vienna is without a doubt my favorite city so far.

Melinda and I in the Vienna Woods

Although I loved Vienna, when I got back to Frankfurt I was so looking forward to staying there. So for the last week and a half or so, I've been reacquainting myself with my adopted home. I've made a list of things I must do or see before I leave, and I'm slowly getting to each one and finding time to attend classes (that is, when we don't have holidays).

I've also been developing the soccer (excuse me football) fan within myself. The UEFA League of Champions (CHAMPIONS!) final is on Wednesday the 21st. The game, in Moscow, is between Manchester United and Chelsea, two British teams, and the British kids here are going nuts. But that's just the beginning for the soccer madness. Starting June 7, the Eurocup begins in Austria and Switzerland. I've prepared myself by purchasing a German football flag, and I'm on the lookout for facepaint--yes Dad, your daughter is a facepainter....deal with it.

With a different game virtually every night in June, my friends and I have decided to pick a favorite each night. I suspect my choices will come down to food...France-Italy? Croissants-Canolis? Croissants are far more versatile, France it is!

Well anyway, now I'm rambling...

...but who knows when I'll post next?

Miss everyone!!


P.S. Special thank you to Uncle Andy for his emails, I love reading them!

Has it already been 2 MONTHS?????

Soooooo it's been quite a while, but after I explain what I've been doing, you might forgive me for not posting.

First, Erica came to visit!!! My wonderful ex-suitemate and housemate who is currently studying in Rome came to Frankfurt for a visit. It was wonderful!!! I showed her all around Frankfurt, and we did all of the touristy things--bratwurst, apfelwein, etc. We also made a trip to Heidelberg, a scenic town about a half an hour away from Frankfurt by train. I had heard that Americans loved Heidelberg, but I thought it was an exaggeration...until we got there. We heard far more American English than German and after translating about five peoples orders for coffee (the german word is kaffee for god's sake!!!) I was frustrated. It's true, we're obnoxious. Not only that, but we choose to send our children to Europe in highschool---our most annoying time!!! I think teenagers from Ridgewood and retired couples from Tennessee have as much to do with America's bad image abroad as our foreign policy....anywayy....

Erica's visit was so wonderful--a taste of home when I really needed it. We even made funfetti cupcakes and taught my European friends beer pong. It was America-tastic!

The next week my classes started. This is what I'm taking here:

Mondays:
Grammatik & Wortschatz (Grammar and Word-usage)
The Rise and Demise of the British Empire (in English!!)

Tuesday:
Akademie Mittelstufe 1 (A two hour Mid-level German for foreigners class, 2x a week)

Wednesday:
I forget the actual name, but its a class about modern Spanish theater

Thursday:
Phonetik 1 (German Phonetics)
Akademie Mittelstufe 1



It's a pretty light schedule, but-let's face it, this semester is a vacation anyway so I might as well allow for some traveling and such.

That week, Meghan came to visit!!!

I was really excited to see Meghan especially because (except one Diner breakfest over winter break) I hadn't seen her since last spring!! We had a great time doing the touristy stuff, taking full advantage of the nightlife, and exploring the Frankfurt Palm Gardens.

The next weekend, I had a much-needed break. Visits from friends are wonderful, but you tend to neglect things like laundry, room-tidiness, and personal hygiene while they're here. So this weekend gave me a chance to catch up on most, if not all of the things I had been ignoring.

This past weekend, I went with a few friends to Barcelona. I don't think any city could be more the opposite of Frankfurt--it's huge, dirty, dangerous, spicy, warm, sunny, and tropical. It's the kind of place you need to visit, but when you leave you are anxious to wash it off of you. Or at least thats how I felt. My absolute favorite part of the trip was going home with Nuria, our friend from Frankfurt whose family lives in the breathtaking Mountains north of Barcelona. We got to experience not only the beautiful landscape, but also meet her whole family, taste Catalunian food, and experience a true family environment. It was wonderful.

My busy month is not over yet!!! This wednesday, I fly to Rome to repay Erica for her visit. I'm really excited not just to see Erica, but to see Rome. I've never been south of Venice. Knowing her, she probably has each day planned out with great things to do. I've already packed because I'm so looking forward to it!

As if all of those visits and trips weren't excited enough, the weekend after I get back from Rome is not only my BIRTHDAY but Mom, Mike, and Katharine are coming to visit!!!!!!!!! I can't explain how excited I am. It's at the point where right before I fall asleep I wake up panicked about whether to take a cab or the subway from the airport to their hotel or some other ridiculous thing----I mean come on! This visit is unique too because it's not someone who's in Europe already coming just to visit Frankfurt and me. They're coming all the way from home. Accordingly, we've planned an excursion to Switzerland--which should be a beautiful train ride--for a relaxing weekend in a lake town. Then, during the week I can show them all around Frankfurt, and maybe a cruise on the Rhine? Who knows, but it will be wonderful just to see them! Mike and Katharine should probably bring elastic-waist pants for the plane ride home because Frankfurt will be heaven to the beer-lovers in them!


Anyway, that's what I've been up to and why I haven't written and probably won't write again until mid-May!

This is for New Jersey...

Most of the time between the last post and this one was taken up by class, going out with the international group (most of whom are part of the Erasmus European Exchange Program), and exploring Frankfurt. Therefore, I will ignore it almost completely and share with you instead, a night of brilliance.

March 18th
It doesn't matter where I am, but I have a headache...just leave me alone

St. Patrick's Day is not a holiday; it's a duty. As such, it cannot be ignored no matter where you are or what you have to do the next day. Keeping that in mind, the DIA (language course) kids, spurred on by our "get 'er done" attitude, decided to join us in our annual observance of this day of days.

My celebration began a little after 10PM. Milana and I joined my assigned German buddy (a studetn from Uni-Frankfurt coming to TCNJ in the fall) Georg and a few of his friends at O'Reilly's, a huge Irish bar in downtown Frankfurt.

I cannot describe to you the feelings that came over me as I entered this establishment. Drunken idiots (many of whom were sporting the tell-tale buzz cut of the Marines stationed nearby) wearing stupid hats, novelty glasses, LOUD English, the scent of stale beer, blaring karaoke of "Sweet Caroline", green rugby shirts on every reveler and volume, what volume--I WAS HOME! Nearly knocked over by the Americanity of it all, I simply joined in the fun- it was awesome. I had no idea there were so many Americans still in Frankfurt (which was the headquarters of the American quarter of Western Germany). After a few minutes, Milana looked at me and mouthed "we have GOT to come back here". Indeed.

The rest of the DIA kids arrived around midnight, along with a Californian they had picked up at the Anglo Irish in Sachsenhausen earlier that night. A few Kilkennys and two hours later, we were all feeling no pain. Until now I had joined in the fun but hadn't distinguished myself.

BUT

THEN

(in present tense for effect)

An unassuming young American strides purposefully up to the stage--fire in his eyes, grabs the microphone and yells "THIS IS FOR NEW JERSEY!".

As the first few notes of 'Living on a Prayer' burst forth from the speakers (what can i say?) I lost it. I am proud to say I recruited a few foot soldiers to the Bon Jovi army that night.

I instinctively stood on my chair and sang along (which in retrospect could have been embarrassing), but not so! By the first refrain, the whole bar had joined me whole-heartedly. I'm welling up now just thinking about it. Ireland, the US, and New Jersey came together for four minutes and 10 seconds; it was a supernova of reppin' (reptation?).

Wiped out by my performance, Milana and I headed out a side entrance, avoided the paparazzi and ducked into a waiting cab. I slept through class the next day, but I sure as hell had done my duty.

Foreigners Foreigners everywhere and not a German to meet

March 6th
4:47 PM FDH D10

Let me fill you in on the last few days.

We took the placement test, which was basically a writing assignment about the pros and cons of International student exchange programs. It was pretty simple to understand, unless you misunderstood the word for 'student exchange program' as 'student uprising' as Conor did... Needless to say, between Conor's misreading and my horrible German, all the TCNJ students were placed in the euphemistically named "Group A" (the lower of the 2). Since then, we've had two classes with two different instructors that alternate. Both of them are really nice and great so far.

The subject material is dry but useful, but the best part by far is the group of people we've met so far--Matt from the UK, Ola, Ula, Piotr, & Justyna from Poland, Montse & Nuria from Spain (Catalunia), Irene, Manuela & Stefania from Italy, Margit from Norway, Katariina from Finland, Monika from Lithuania, James from Canada, Kostas from Greece, Manuel from Argentina, Adriano from Brazil and others!

Most of the time out of class we speak in English (not because of us so don't think that!). It's just that most of the kids speak better English than German and prefer it that way, but some don't speak any English. A lot of the time it's a mish-mosh: Milana speaks in Russian to the Poles, I speak in Spanish (sometimes) to the Spaniards, and we all switch between German and English. Bottom line- I end the day with a headache most of the time. We've all started hanging out a lot and formed the basis for some pretty cool friendships.

We also matriculated (one of the many processes the TCNJ equivalent of which is done online) and paid our semester fees. We planned on registering with the Buergeramt (police station) and getting residency permits today, but moderate socialism intervened. There was a public transport strike, so we had to walk to class and the Buergeramt was closed. Now we'll have to get up early and do it tomorrow.. Oh well.

It's been a while...

March 4th
7:52 AM FDH Room D10

Yesterday afternoon we went to Woolworths (yeah I know, it went out of business in the US like twenty years ago, but its alive and kickin here). It's a horrible store. We bought more room stuff there, and later we went to die Zeil (a shopping district) for dinner. I'm getting a little tired of Conor and Andy's taste in cheap meals--Doner and wurst, but thankfully we stopped at a grocery store so now I can at least resort to granola and cereal bars if I can't stomach any more Deutsche Fleisch.

By 7:30 I was absolutely exhausted, and when we got home I went straight to bed. I'm reasonably sure my heat doesn't work or I don't know how to turn it on, so I'm glad I bought a blanket.

This morning I woke up at 2 AM and then again at 6. I ventured into the shared shower to find it, like the rest of the dorm so far, remarkably clean. From the products already there, I gather I'm sharing it with at least one guy (Nivea for men) and a girl (conditioner). These are merely guesses though because I have yet to see anyone on the floor. However, I heard American English being spoken in the hall last night which is exciting. Anyway, after letting the shower run for a few minutes, it was still ice cold, so I took my second excruciatingly cold shower this weekend. Cold as it was, the shower was clean and nice so I really can't complain.

Today is the day of the placement test for my immersion language course (AHH!).



Retrospective comments:

Cereal has, as at TCNJ, become my life here
The "american english" was actually canadian english--what a let down [and for future reference they get really mad when you call the way they talk 'american english']
I learned how to use both the heating system in my room and the hot water in the shower-YAY!

Letters from the Homeland, Part Zwei

Ladies and gentlemen, Becky and her memories from a recent trip to Deutschland:


"Hallo my ex-roommate that I miss so incredibly much! I hope you’ve obtained a towel by now. For the future, hostel bedsheets suffice if you’re in a bind, although you’re restricted then to showering in the morning so the sheets can air dry before bedtime. Do you miss having a dryer yet?

Also, I actually salivated when you talked about the meat. Germans really do know how to please the carnivore in me. My personal favorite was either the frikadella or the currywurst, depending on my mood. Are you in love with the German ketchup yet? IT HAS CURRY IN IT. The first time I tried it I actually drank some plain when I finished my bratwurst. I wish I had thought to cram a few bottles of that goodness into my luggage before returning to the motherland.

So have you tapped into the convenience of beer at McDonalds yet? Not that that is ever really necessary in Germany since they pretty much have taps at every street corner. Or maybe that was just my skewed impression of that wonderful country. Have you visited any breweries? Want me to send you a case of Keystone? I know you miss shotgunning crappy American beer. Not.

What are your Easter plans? Does the bunny visit German children too?

I hope you’ve made some cool American friends to bond with in your pining for the homeland and some übercool German friends to show you the ropes. I’ll be refreshing your blog over and over till the next post.

Love you looooong time!

-Rooms "