Yay for New Roommate! She's quite nice and very sweet, but I feel kind of bad because it's her first semester of college (ever). She doesn't know anyone, and she's thrown in a WG with a vaguely retarded American with a black eye who speaks half-assed German. Sorry New Roommate.
So minus the language barrier, she seems pretty cool. We went over the bridge to the gas station today (because god knows there's nothing else open on a sunday), and then hung out in our kitchen. By hung out I mean sat around akwardly and tried to think of things to say that were within my comprehension levels, which translates to not alot. Needless to say, what with this whole my-language-teacher-thinks-my-german-is-too-awful-to-be-here-thing, my desire to speak the local lingo has plummeted to somewhere within the vicinity of the Depths of Hell. Plus I've spent the last couple of days being culture-shocked and annoyed with this entire country in general. mostly my anger has been directed at the german lack of raspberry iced tea and the inability of bottle cap rings to stay on the bottle when you twist the cap off. I did, however, find chicken noodle soup , which made me feel alot better.
story of the day!
today I was walking back from Sonnenbuehl Ost where I was visiting a friend, when all of a sudden all these five year olds dressed as pirates and brandishing sticks and swords came running at me. most of them ran by me, but one pre-schooler with an eye-patch, red and black striped pantaloons, and a skull-and-crossbones bandanna spread himself as far across my path as he could (not very far), waved his sword (read: torn-off tree branch taller than he was) around like a lunatic and screamed pirate threats at me. is it just me, or are they getting younger? Who else wouldn't be surprise if I was next assaulted by flying German babies catapulted from slingshots?
what do you guys think, is this enough of a confrontation to go up on the Tina vs Pre-Pubescent Germans Scoreboard?
I've also decided to start keeping track of how many people speak to me in spanish/assume I'm from spain/mexico. So far the count is up to 9!
Anyway, tomorrow we're going to Reichenau which is this random island on the Bodensee. Wir haben viele Leute gefragt, ob es etwas zu tun gibt, and so far everyone's in agreement that there little if anything cool or interesting to see. No worries! We'll make it interesting. Anyway, catch you later!
28 March 2008
Culture shock? Maybe a little
So today we had evaluations with our Sprachkurs teacher, and she told me in no uncertain terms that my German is terrible, and that my accent when I speak is bad I can't be understood. If that doesn't make you feel lovely on the inside, I don't know what does. First I was really really upset, so I texted my mom and told her what my teacher had said, and she replied "That's what my english teacher said to me." Which makes me feel a little better just because (if you've never met my mom) she's an english-speaking BEAST. So I'm not upset anymore, now I'm just pissed. Really, really, really pissed.
Dear Psycho Bitch of a German teacher,
Thanks to you I'm going to spend an obscene amount of money on German movies and be the best speaker EVER. Mostly because I hate you and I want to take my defensive flashlight to your face. I hope I run into you in a few months, and when I do, I'll tell you all of this in German. And then I'll take my defensive flashlight to your face. and I AM taking classes in German, I don't care what you say. You think I can't do it? Hah! Watch me.
Dear Psycho Bitch of a German teacher,
Thanks to you I'm going to spend an obscene amount of money on German movies and be the best speaker EVER. Mostly because I hate you and I want to take my defensive flashlight to your face. I hope I run into you in a few months, and when I do, I'll tell you all of this in German. And then I'll take my defensive flashlight to your face. and I AM taking classes in German, I don't care what you say. You think I can't do it? Hah! Watch me.
27 March 2008
Top 5 Reasons Why Today Is Better
Here are why today has been a pretty kickass day, (infintely better than tuesday)
1) My eye is like 12 shades of blue, black, purple and red and I look like a total badass. I'm totally rocking the domestic abuse look.
2) I made THREE--count 'em, THREE German friends, Wolf who I met through Colombian friend, my pass partner Maggie who's adorable, and a random girl on the bus who (get this) is on the RIDING team, and said she'll take me Monday to check it out. HELLS yes!!!
3) I have a roommate!! Her name's Andrea, she's from near Stuttgart, and I probably scared her a little bit, but she's really nice and she's moving in Saturday. HOORAY!! Now I won't be all alone!
4) We're going to see Die Welle tonight and eating Chinese food. Heart. Plus also my language course is over which means I never have to see my stupid teacher again!
5) Looks like if Eastern Europe doesn't work out, I'll at least be going to Switzerland, probably some other random cities in Germany, and possibly to Slovakia to a few days to visit Martina. The rest of Eastern Europe will get saved for when Sam and I meet up (dear sam I am so excited love tina)
Dear Karma,
You've really done a 180 on me. Thanks! I much appreciate it.
Love,
Tina
LATER:
Die Welle was AWESOME. And freaky. And vaguely disturbing. I would like to quickly point out the differences between the American and German versions of the film, since I'm assuming none of you will see it (caution: spoilers). The American version ends happily after. The German version ends with a kid going completely psycho, shooting up a room and then blowing his brains out. Really one of those movies that make you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.
Afterwards I decided to watch the last half hour of Shakespeare in Love to cheer myself up. (Unsuccessful)
it also turns out that Maggie my pass partner is friends with my german teacher from second semester last year...small world?
1) My eye is like 12 shades of blue, black, purple and red and I look like a total badass. I'm totally rocking the domestic abuse look.
2) I made THREE--count 'em, THREE German friends, Wolf who I met through Colombian friend, my pass partner Maggie who's adorable, and a random girl on the bus who (get this) is on the RIDING team, and said she'll take me Monday to check it out. HELLS yes!!!
3) I have a roommate!! Her name's Andrea, she's from near Stuttgart, and I probably scared her a little bit, but she's really nice and she's moving in Saturday. HOORAY!! Now I won't be all alone!
4) We're going to see Die Welle tonight and eating Chinese food. Heart. Plus also my language course is over which means I never have to see my stupid teacher again!
5) Looks like if Eastern Europe doesn't work out, I'll at least be going to Switzerland, probably some other random cities in Germany, and possibly to Slovakia to a few days to visit Martina. The rest of Eastern Europe will get saved for when Sam and I meet up (dear sam I am so excited love tina)
Dear Karma,
You've really done a 180 on me. Thanks! I much appreciate it.
Love,
Tina
LATER:
Die Welle was AWESOME. And freaky. And vaguely disturbing. I would like to quickly point out the differences between the American and German versions of the film, since I'm assuming none of you will see it (caution: spoilers). The American version ends happily after. The German version ends with a kid going completely psycho, shooting up a room and then blowing his brains out. Really one of those movies that make you feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.
Afterwards I decided to watch the last half hour of Shakespeare in Love to cheer myself up. (Unsuccessful)
it also turns out that Maggie my pass partner is friends with my german teacher from second semester last year...small world?
25 March 2008
Tina has a really bad day
These are the reasons why today is the worst day of my life:
1) I was supposed to go to Belgium and the Netherlands during our two weeks off but the girl I was supposed to go with can only take 1 person. So I've been trying to organize an Eastern Europe trip (Munich-Vienna-Bratislava-Budapest) which seems like it would be AWESOME, but no one wants to come.
2) On the way home from Uni I fell off my bike and slammed right above my eye into the pavement. So not only do I look like I just wrestled a polar bear and lost, I'm going to be brain damaged forever (so says Doctor Tina).
3) I came home a bloody mess to find a note from Awesome Roommate That I Love saying he had to drop out of school because he failed a giant test, meaning that the one roommate Karma finally gave me that I liked is no more. Dear Karma, I want to rip your head off and smash it into the curb so it looks like mine. Love, Tina. So basically, I'm all by myself again, and I HATE being by myself.
4) Due to aforementioned permanent brain injury, I have to miss the movie we were going to see tonight (http://youtube.com/watch?v=g4-DIjVTJ6E ; it's about an experiement in facism in a high school that goes bad. based on a short american novel, but a much bigger deal in German than in English mostly because of that whole Hitler thing.), and I also probably have to miss the horse back riding discussion group I was looking forward to going to.
5) I have an oral presentation due tomorrow.
Dear Life,
With all due respect, you really blow today.
Love,
Tina
new favorite song:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=IbsHwuyfnnw
1) I was supposed to go to Belgium and the Netherlands during our two weeks off but the girl I was supposed to go with can only take 1 person. So I've been trying to organize an Eastern Europe trip (Munich-Vienna-Bratislava-Budapest) which seems like it would be AWESOME, but no one wants to come.
2) On the way home from Uni I fell off my bike and slammed right above my eye into the pavement. So not only do I look like I just wrestled a polar bear and lost, I'm going to be brain damaged forever (so says Doctor Tina).
3) I came home a bloody mess to find a note from Awesome Roommate That I Love saying he had to drop out of school because he failed a giant test, meaning that the one roommate Karma finally gave me that I liked is no more. Dear Karma, I want to rip your head off and smash it into the curb so it looks like mine. Love, Tina. So basically, I'm all by myself again, and I HATE being by myself.
4) Due to aforementioned permanent brain injury, I have to miss the movie we were going to see tonight (http://youtube.com/watch?v=g4-DIjVTJ6E ; it's about an experiement in facism in a high school that goes bad. based on a short american novel, but a much bigger deal in German than in English mostly because of that whole Hitler thing.), and I also probably have to miss the horse back riding discussion group I was looking forward to going to.
5) I have an oral presentation due tomorrow.
Dear Life,
With all due respect, you really blow today.
Love,
Tina
new favorite song:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=IbsHwuyfnnw
23 March 2008
Munich Weekend
Had a four day weekend so we decided to hit up Munich for a few days. Which was AWESOME. We did a day trip to Schloss Neuschwanstein (pictures on facebook, go find them) which was probably the coolest thing I've ever done in my life. Our guide was a half-cracked South African dude who may or may not be my new favorite person in the world because he's a magician. Not even kidding. He graduated from the German Academy of Magic. Plus also he leads us on hikes into dangerous icy gorges after scaring more than half the group out of it by pointing out that the chances of us crashing down a mountainside were fairly high (but the waterfall pretty much makes it worth it). Also, King Ludwig II (who built Neuschwanstein) was a crazy dude who built his castle in site of his mom and dad's castle. He was also apparently very gay, and it's funny to ask the (official) castle tour guides because they're not allowed to say that he was. But anyway, the castle is mad amazing and if you're ever in Germany, do it. And go with Brad, so he can almost kill you taking you down a gorge.
Also while in Munich we went to the Hofbrauhaus mostly because it's one of those places you sort of have to go. We sat down next to a couple of italian guys, and a few minutes later some british tourists came by asking if we'd seen a camera. We all said no. They came back a few minutes later and had all of us (plus italian guys) search under the table. Still no camera. Then ten minutes later the police show up, make us all get up, and start searching the italians. We left before they could decide to search us too, but leave us to pick the one table the police are coming to.
As much fun as Munich was, I'm happy to be back in Konstanz. Except now I have to start on my oral presentation for my german class, on some aspect of my country. Everybody else is doing like art and architecture, politics and global warming and stuff. I'm thinking I might do mine on the Jersey Devil, somehow that seems like alot more fun. Tschues!
Also while in Munich we went to the Hofbrauhaus mostly because it's one of those places you sort of have to go. We sat down next to a couple of italian guys, and a few minutes later some british tourists came by asking if we'd seen a camera. We all said no. They came back a few minutes later and had all of us (plus italian guys) search under the table. Still no camera. Then ten minutes later the police show up, make us all get up, and start searching the italians. We left before they could decide to search us too, but leave us to pick the one table the police are coming to.
As much fun as Munich was, I'm happy to be back in Konstanz. Except now I have to start on my oral presentation for my german class, on some aspect of my country. Everybody else is doing like art and architecture, politics and global warming and stuff. I'm thinking I might do mine on the Jersey Devil, somehow that seems like alot more fun. Tschues!
20 March 2008
The Fashion Police Are Dead
Today I saw Angel Butt Wings in the Campus Cafe, rocking his sweet angel butt wing jeans and a velvet smoking jacket over a tie-dyed shirt. His goatee was exceptionally pointy today. Have I mentioned that this may or may not be my new favorite person in the world?
18 March 2008
Tina vs. Pre-Pubescent German Boys--Round 2
I have 3 questions:
Why do these things happen to me?
Why can't German pre-teens leave me alone?
Why does God hate me?
I didn't mean to post twice in one day (sorry), but I feel like I should tell people my latest Story of the Day, which happened about a half-hour after I left to bike-ride (woot!) across town to a friend's.
Needless to say I got really lost, and I wound up on the wrong side of the building I was trying to get to, which had a bunch of apartments and stuff. I wound up climbing up the stairs, past a random 10-year old who was messing around with a skateboard in front of a row of dumpsters. I got all the way up to the top, only to realize I'd messed up and would have to go back down the stairs, and all the way around to the other side of the building. So I hauled Bike down the steps, and as I passed the skateboarding ten year old, one of the dumpsters came to life, started roaring, and chased me.
If this doesn't really do it for you, picture a 20 year old american running from a bellowing mobile compost heap while a ten year old kid hugs his skateboard for dear life and gives himself an aneurysm laughing.
"What is that?" he said (innocently)
"No idea," I said, and kept walking. From behind me I heard the Dumpster Monster jump out of said mobile compost heap and start enthusiastically asking "What did she say? What did she say?"
Tina: 0
Pre-Pubescent Germans: 2
What I really want to know is how a ten year old German boy was able to propel a full sized dumpster after me with reasonable speed. And why they can't leave me alone!
Why do these things happen to me?
Why can't German pre-teens leave me alone?
Why does God hate me?
I didn't mean to post twice in one day (sorry), but I feel like I should tell people my latest Story of the Day, which happened about a half-hour after I left to bike-ride (woot!) across town to a friend's.
Needless to say I got really lost, and I wound up on the wrong side of the building I was trying to get to, which had a bunch of apartments and stuff. I wound up climbing up the stairs, past a random 10-year old who was messing around with a skateboard in front of a row of dumpsters. I got all the way up to the top, only to realize I'd messed up and would have to go back down the stairs, and all the way around to the other side of the building. So I hauled Bike down the steps, and as I passed the skateboarding ten year old, one of the dumpsters came to life, started roaring, and chased me.
If this doesn't really do it for you, picture a 20 year old american running from a bellowing mobile compost heap while a ten year old kid hugs his skateboard for dear life and gives himself an aneurysm laughing.
"What is that?" he said (innocently)
"No idea," I said, and kept walking. From behind me I heard the Dumpster Monster jump out of said mobile compost heap and start enthusiastically asking "What did she say? What did she say?"
Tina: 0
Pre-Pubescent Germans: 2
What I really want to know is how a ten year old German boy was able to propel a full sized dumpster after me with reasonable speed. And why they can't leave me alone!
Letters To Germany
Dear Karma,
Thanks for (finally) giving me an awesome roommate that I love.
Dear Awesome Roommate That I Love,
Please stop speaking to me in English before I throw myself in front of a bus.
Dear Bus,
You are the epitome of punctuality and I want to transport you to Rutgers. However, I do not love you as much as I love my bike. I'm sorry. Please forgive me.
Dear Bike,
Thanks for being used, cheap, multicolored, and so ghetto your bell rings obnoxiously every time I hit a bump. You are the coolest piece of crap that I own.
Dear Worst Piece of Crap That I Own,
Cell phone, I have only had you for one week and I want to throw you into the Rhine, and once you're good and dead, I want to bring you back to life so I can kill you again. I hate you alot.
Dear Other Things I Hate,
Which means you, supermarket. You're really cool and all, but for future reference if you could sell conditoner as well as shampoo, I would really appreciate it.
Dear Other Things I Appreciate,
You're all extremely attractive, but if you could give me an "I'm gay" heads up, we can avoid problems in the future.
Dear Future,
All things considered, you're looking like a sweet time in Germany.
Dear Germany,
I love you.
Love (love love),
Tina
Thanks for (finally) giving me an awesome roommate that I love.
Dear Awesome Roommate That I Love,
Please stop speaking to me in English before I throw myself in front of a bus.
Dear Bus,
You are the epitome of punctuality and I want to transport you to Rutgers. However, I do not love you as much as I love my bike. I'm sorry. Please forgive me.
Dear Bike,
Thanks for being used, cheap, multicolored, and so ghetto your bell rings obnoxiously every time I hit a bump. You are the coolest piece of crap that I own.
Dear Worst Piece of Crap That I Own,
Cell phone, I have only had you for one week and I want to throw you into the Rhine, and once you're good and dead, I want to bring you back to life so I can kill you again. I hate you alot.
Dear Other Things I Hate,
Which means you, supermarket. You're really cool and all, but for future reference if you could sell conditoner as well as shampoo, I would really appreciate it.
Dear Other Things I Appreciate,
You're all extremely attractive, but if you could give me an "I'm gay" heads up, we can avoid problems in the future.
Dear Future,
All things considered, you're looking like a sweet time in Germany.
Dear Germany,
I love you.
Love (love love),
Tina
16 March 2008
I have a roommate!
Hooray! Gott sei Dank! Now I'm not all by myself! Unfortunately this does not change how much my German vocabulary still sucks, so I can't say very much to him, but that's okay. At least I'm not all alone in this giant apartment.
The other two roommates are coming a little later in the month. The other girl is from Shang-hai I think, and the other guy is also from somewhere in Germany. Hooray! Roommates!! Hooray for not being alone!!
On another random note, we have no hot water today. which blows.
Filmabend in zehn Minuten bei Marina's. We're watching Down with Love (Zum Teufel mit der Liebe) in German. Which should be interessting! Adios amiogos!
The other two roommates are coming a little later in the month. The other girl is from Shang-hai I think, and the other guy is also from somewhere in Germany. Hooray! Roommates!! Hooray for not being alone!!
On another random note, we have no hot water today. which blows.
Filmabend in zehn Minuten bei Marina's. We're watching Down with Love (Zum Teufel mit der Liebe) in German. Which should be interessting! Adios amiogos!
15 March 2008
Can I get a general opinion poll?
Do I look like I speak Spanish? Because so far I've had four people assume that I did, and about eight more ask. Somebody help out the American?
12 March 2008
Starving Children
Two entries in one day! You lucky bastards.
Story of the day:
One of the really funny things about how international our language group is how much of our own cultures we have to explain to each other. There have been so many cultural misunderstandings and explanations, it's pretty funny. Like the other day (not such a good example), Alex got us all excited because we thought there was another girl from Iceland in our group. Turns out he got confused the German pronunciation of Iceland and Estonia (Island versus Estland, eesland vers aasland), but it was amusing, mostly because the first thing we said was "...But what will we call her?" Or like Friday (better example), Erin and I had to explain to Iceland, Alex, Michael, Bilge and a few others what guidos were. Or like tonight, when we had to detail for Brady (who's Chinese), what a bootycall was. Shotty not having to explain donkey punching.
Anyway, today at lunch, Bilge or someone pointed out that I had gotten alot of food, but really hadn't eaten much, and I said "I really should eat this, there are starving children in China." Then I stopped, thought about it, and said "do you guys have any sort of phrase like that where you come from?" Bilge said "In Turkey we say 'There are starving children in Africa.'" Sungmi (who's South Korean) said, "Where I'm from, we say there are starving children in North Korea." Which I found immensely funny.
Maybe? Kind of sort of? Surely other people see the humor in this? Maybe you had to be there.
Anyway, gute Nacht
Oh! And just for the record! Angel Butt Wings from the Ukraine is NOT gay. I didn't ask, but then again, I didn't need to.
Story of the day:
One of the really funny things about how international our language group is how much of our own cultures we have to explain to each other. There have been so many cultural misunderstandings and explanations, it's pretty funny. Like the other day (not such a good example), Alex got us all excited because we thought there was another girl from Iceland in our group. Turns out he got confused the German pronunciation of Iceland and Estonia (Island versus Estland, eesland vers aasland), but it was amusing, mostly because the first thing we said was "...But what will we call her?" Or like Friday (better example), Erin and I had to explain to Iceland, Alex, Michael, Bilge and a few others what guidos were. Or like tonight, when we had to detail for Brady (who's Chinese), what a bootycall was. Shotty not having to explain donkey punching.
Anyway, today at lunch, Bilge or someone pointed out that I had gotten alot of food, but really hadn't eaten much, and I said "I really should eat this, there are starving children in China." Then I stopped, thought about it, and said "do you guys have any sort of phrase like that where you come from?" Bilge said "In Turkey we say 'There are starving children in Africa.'" Sungmi (who's South Korean) said, "Where I'm from, we say there are starving children in North Korea." Which I found immensely funny.
Maybe? Kind of sort of? Surely other people see the humor in this? Maybe you had to be there.
Anyway, gute Nacht
Oh! And just for the record! Angel Butt Wings from the Ukraine is NOT gay. I didn't ask, but then again, I didn't need to.
Language, Friends, and the 5 Things I Can't Get Over About Germany
Dear everybody who loves me,
Please download Skype and get a microphone! It's free (except for the microphone), you can find it on Google, and then I can call you for free. WOOT! Gracias!
This is my random post of the day. Here goes:
a little bit about language
I spend anywhere from 50-95% of my day speaking German, but even just sitting on the bus, it's really surprising how much you learn. It's all those stupid little words that are killing me though, like the noch's and the nach's and the vor's, bei's and vorbei's. It's just how you say things, like little phrases, how you ask for things...THAT'S the hardest part of learning German. Today I walked into an 02 store and tried to buy a cell phone (auf Deutsch, natuerlich), except I didn't know how to say "Excuse me Mr. Intimidating German Man, can you help me out with this cell phone business stuff, because I'm a little lost, a little freaked out, and I can only understand about half of what you'll say to me. So anyway, I kind of sort of need a cell phone and I'm sorry for being a bother, a stupid American, and for taking up your time." So I just said instead "May I buy a cell phone?" And the guy looked at me like I was nuts. Note to German-learners: Darf ich ein Handy kaufen? is not how you ask for a cell phone. When I figure out what it is, I'll let you know.
But anyway, the moral of the story is I'm learning alot. Someone pointed out to me the other day that I throw 'oder?' onto the end of every phrase, which I didn't realize I was doing, and which is apparently very swiss (so I'm told? Don't quote me on that). It doesn't really do much, and it doesn't really translate to anything either. Like if you said, Wir sollen einkaufen gehen, oder? it sort of translates to we should go shopping, yeah? Got it? Alright? Okay? It's almost become the substitute for "I'm sorry," mostly because "es tut mir leid," doesn't really roll off the tongue quite as naturally. Like I said, stupid little things.
a little bit about friends
the first few days everyone kind of hangs out with everybody, trying to figure out who's cool. but at this point the groups have pretty much solidified (mostly by language speakers), everybody's mad awesome, and I talk to pretty much all the international students, but people have sort of branched off into their native tongues. Like there's about 8 million Czechs, Slovaks, and Romanians who tend to stick together, the Brits are their own group, the Aussies/New Zealanders, and so on and so forth. I speak a mixture of English and German (depending on who I'm with and how good their German is), but almost everybody speaks English because it's something of a Verkehrssprache--ein schoenes Wort, oder? Lingua franca!
The 5 Things I Can't Get Over About Germany
1) The punctuality
Germans are MAD punctual, like today? The bus gets us to school at exactly 9.00. Then we spend three minutes walking to our classroom. Guess who got told off for being late to class today? I did. And after much convincing (and pointing out that we we were getting to school on time, but the room was too far away from the main entrance for her to see that), the teacher agreed to start class at 9.05 instead of 9.00, but only on the condition that we lose five minutes off our break. Thank you for being reasonable.
And the busses? If the schedule says it comes at 8.39, it damn well comes at 8.39, and you had damn well better be on it when it does. Or else you'll miss it, walk halfway to school, and then give up and spend 10 Euros on a taxi to take you the last three miles up the Fucking Mountain you wouldn't do on foot because you're late and you're going to get yelled at. Not that I know from personal experience or anything.
2) The bluntness
Germans are also MAD blunt. Like you know in the US, it's almost low class to complain about something in public, especially to a stranger? No. Not in Germany. If they have a problem with you they will straight up get in your face, and tell you off. This is more than a little bit distressing, especially when your entire existence is one giant Cultural Faux-Pas and you can't understand what's being yelled at you. There is no talking around things. There is no sugar-coating. There's just Freaky Bald Dude yelling at you to get out of the bike lane.
3) The stores
Everything closes at like 4 or 5, the stores are on the whole much smaller in the US (including the products! my conditoner bottle is not much bigger than my travel-sized one.), and you have to go to like 8 stores to get what you could buy at 1 store in the US. Because why on earth would you sell medication in a super market? Or a drug store? Or an apothecary? Why on earth would you sell medication at all?
4) The dogs
people take their dogs everywhere, without leashes. this leads to something akin to packs of dogs running around, a stupid american standsing on a bridge gawking, and the nonplussed owners walking ten minutes behind Fido and only vaguely in the same direction. is this a euro thing, or a germany thing? I can't tell, but I CAN tell when germans are laughing at me, which usually happens when I stop and point at the nearest dachsund sniffing out the supermarket.
5) The beer
it's not even beer in general, or the abundance of German beer I can't get over. What I can't get my head around is how you can buy beer in the cafeteria. The cafeteria! In the US they give you a bag so no one can see it, but in Germany, you can carry it in your pocket, drink it on the curb, and it's totally cool. Plus also, they don;t give bags in Germany. you either have to buy them or bring your own (plastic bags are bad for the environment, you know)
anywho, it's my BIRTHDAY! so we're going out the eat somewhere. Adios!
Please download Skype and get a microphone! It's free (except for the microphone), you can find it on Google, and then I can call you for free. WOOT! Gracias!
This is my random post of the day. Here goes:
a little bit about language
I spend anywhere from 50-95% of my day speaking German, but even just sitting on the bus, it's really surprising how much you learn. It's all those stupid little words that are killing me though, like the noch's and the nach's and the vor's, bei's and vorbei's. It's just how you say things, like little phrases, how you ask for things...THAT'S the hardest part of learning German. Today I walked into an 02 store and tried to buy a cell phone (auf Deutsch, natuerlich), except I didn't know how to say "Excuse me Mr. Intimidating German Man, can you help me out with this cell phone business stuff, because I'm a little lost, a little freaked out, and I can only understand about half of what you'll say to me. So anyway, I kind of sort of need a cell phone and I'm sorry for being a bother, a stupid American, and for taking up your time." So I just said instead "May I buy a cell phone?" And the guy looked at me like I was nuts. Note to German-learners: Darf ich ein Handy kaufen? is not how you ask for a cell phone. When I figure out what it is, I'll let you know.
But anyway, the moral of the story is I'm learning alot. Someone pointed out to me the other day that I throw 'oder?' onto the end of every phrase, which I didn't realize I was doing, and which is apparently very swiss (so I'm told? Don't quote me on that). It doesn't really do much, and it doesn't really translate to anything either. Like if you said, Wir sollen einkaufen gehen, oder? it sort of translates to we should go shopping, yeah? Got it? Alright? Okay? It's almost become the substitute for "I'm sorry," mostly because "es tut mir leid," doesn't really roll off the tongue quite as naturally. Like I said, stupid little things.
a little bit about friends
the first few days everyone kind of hangs out with everybody, trying to figure out who's cool. but at this point the groups have pretty much solidified (mostly by language speakers), everybody's mad awesome, and I talk to pretty much all the international students, but people have sort of branched off into their native tongues. Like there's about 8 million Czechs, Slovaks, and Romanians who tend to stick together, the Brits are their own group, the Aussies/New Zealanders, and so on and so forth. I speak a mixture of English and German (depending on who I'm with and how good their German is), but almost everybody speaks English because it's something of a Verkehrssprache--ein schoenes Wort, oder? Lingua franca!
The 5 Things I Can't Get Over About Germany
1) The punctuality
Germans are MAD punctual, like today? The bus gets us to school at exactly 9.00. Then we spend three minutes walking to our classroom. Guess who got told off for being late to class today? I did. And after much convincing (and pointing out that we we were getting to school on time, but the room was too far away from the main entrance for her to see that), the teacher agreed to start class at 9.05 instead of 9.00, but only on the condition that we lose five minutes off our break. Thank you for being reasonable.
And the busses? If the schedule says it comes at 8.39, it damn well comes at 8.39, and you had damn well better be on it when it does. Or else you'll miss it, walk halfway to school, and then give up and spend 10 Euros on a taxi to take you the last three miles up the Fucking Mountain you wouldn't do on foot because you're late and you're going to get yelled at. Not that I know from personal experience or anything.
2) The bluntness
Germans are also MAD blunt. Like you know in the US, it's almost low class to complain about something in public, especially to a stranger? No. Not in Germany. If they have a problem with you they will straight up get in your face, and tell you off. This is more than a little bit distressing, especially when your entire existence is one giant Cultural Faux-Pas and you can't understand what's being yelled at you. There is no talking around things. There is no sugar-coating. There's just Freaky Bald Dude yelling at you to get out of the bike lane.
3) The stores
Everything closes at like 4 or 5, the stores are on the whole much smaller in the US (including the products! my conditoner bottle is not much bigger than my travel-sized one.), and you have to go to like 8 stores to get what you could buy at 1 store in the US. Because why on earth would you sell medication in a super market? Or a drug store? Or an apothecary? Why on earth would you sell medication at all?
4) The dogs
people take their dogs everywhere, without leashes. this leads to something akin to packs of dogs running around, a stupid american standsing on a bridge gawking, and the nonplussed owners walking ten minutes behind Fido and only vaguely in the same direction. is this a euro thing, or a germany thing? I can't tell, but I CAN tell when germans are laughing at me, which usually happens when I stop and point at the nearest dachsund sniffing out the supermarket.
5) The beer
it's not even beer in general, or the abundance of German beer I can't get over. What I can't get my head around is how you can buy beer in the cafeteria. The cafeteria! In the US they give you a bag so no one can see it, but in Germany, you can carry it in your pocket, drink it on the curb, and it's totally cool. Plus also, they don;t give bags in Germany. you either have to buy them or bring your own (plastic bags are bad for the environment, you know)
anywho, it's my BIRTHDAY! so we're going out the eat somewhere. Adios!
10 March 2008
Gaydar is down and out.
I don't know what it is, but the gay radar is malfunctioning. I cannot for the life of me tell when European men are gay. In the US I can pretty much pick out the gay ones, and even the ones that don't KNOW they're gay, on the street. But in Germany, everbody is tall, skinny, tight-pants wearing and is METRO as HELL. It's actually a bit disturbing. When a random Ukranian guy walks into the middle of your party wearing tight pants with giant angel wings across the butt, a big silver belt, and a black, artfully creased 80's style shirt with the quarter sleeves and a popped collar opened all the way up accompanied by a giant fang necklace, a perfect goatee, and spiked hair, is he gay? I don't know, but next time he walks in, I'm going to ask.
how do I get myself into these situations?
Okay, so Saturday night I was really bored, there was nothing to do, and I was feeling really restness from just chilling out all day, so I decided to go take a walk. Konstanz is mad safe, and it was only like 11 pm, so I figured why not? At any rate, I couldn't stay in my room, and it was a really nice night.
I was walking around, checking out a bunch of cool stores I'll never remember how to get to, and about quarter to midnight I decided to take a bus back to Europahaus, mostly because I didn't much feel like making the half-hour walk. There were a bunch of really obnoxious, possibly drunk teenagers messing around at the bus-stop, who couldn't have been more than 15 or 16. As soon as I sat down they wanted to know my name, and as soon as they heard my accent they wanted to know where I was from. I said America, the one girl was immediately "do you speak english?" I said yes, she said "How are you?" "Good," I said, "and yourself?" But Random Bus Stop Girl had no idea what I'd said, and the look she gave me was pretty funny. A few minutes later all the kids left (and random bus-stop girl yelled 'I love America!' as she left, which I thought was funny), except for three of the guys who stuck around.
At this point I was flipping through my cell phone, and the three guys who'd stayed behind started talking to me, trying to get my attention. But my German isn't all that great, and it took awhile, but eventually I turned around and they started talking to me, asking me questions. Except I had NO idea what they were saying to me, so I reverted to Tina's Failproof Method for Answering Questions. This gets used whenever I'm completely in the dark, and involves alot of nodding and saying "Ja, ja, okay, ja." Usually it works out in my favor.
Except whatever it was I was answering got these three kids really excited, and suddenly they all got up, and keep really animatedly just kept repeating different variations of the question, and all I kept saying was "Ja, ja, okay." When they started throwing around monetary figures (30 Euros! Nein, nur 20!) I started to get suspicious, so I kind of stopped answering, and started asking THEM what they were asking ME. Then the slowed-speech came out, then the hand motions, then the broken English, and that's when I realized that for the last ten minutes they'd been asking me (literally) if I would fuck them and for the last ten minutes I'd been saying I would.
I spent five minutes of my life trying to explain to 15 year old German boys that no, I would not fuck them and no, I would not do it for money. Then I spent another 30 minutes of my life walking back to Europahaus (because it turned out there was no bus after all), alternately laughing and wondering whether that had actually just happened. It was only after I got home that I realized those kids had ONLY offered me 20 Euros, and then I was just pissed.
Why do these things happen to me?
I was walking around, checking out a bunch of cool stores I'll never remember how to get to, and about quarter to midnight I decided to take a bus back to Europahaus, mostly because I didn't much feel like making the half-hour walk. There were a bunch of really obnoxious, possibly drunk teenagers messing around at the bus-stop, who couldn't have been more than 15 or 16. As soon as I sat down they wanted to know my name, and as soon as they heard my accent they wanted to know where I was from. I said America, the one girl was immediately "do you speak english?" I said yes, she said "How are you?" "Good," I said, "and yourself?" But Random Bus Stop Girl had no idea what I'd said, and the look she gave me was pretty funny. A few minutes later all the kids left (and random bus-stop girl yelled 'I love America!' as she left, which I thought was funny), except for three of the guys who stuck around.
At this point I was flipping through my cell phone, and the three guys who'd stayed behind started talking to me, trying to get my attention. But my German isn't all that great, and it took awhile, but eventually I turned around and they started talking to me, asking me questions. Except I had NO idea what they were saying to me, so I reverted to Tina's Failproof Method for Answering Questions. This gets used whenever I'm completely in the dark, and involves alot of nodding and saying "Ja, ja, okay, ja." Usually it works out in my favor.
Except whatever it was I was answering got these three kids really excited, and suddenly they all got up, and keep really animatedly just kept repeating different variations of the question, and all I kept saying was "Ja, ja, okay." When they started throwing around monetary figures (30 Euros! Nein, nur 20!) I started to get suspicious, so I kind of stopped answering, and started asking THEM what they were asking ME. Then the slowed-speech came out, then the hand motions, then the broken English, and that's when I realized that for the last ten minutes they'd been asking me (literally) if I would fuck them and for the last ten minutes I'd been saying I would.
I spent five minutes of my life trying to explain to 15 year old German boys that no, I would not fuck them and no, I would not do it for money. Then I spent another 30 minutes of my life walking back to Europahaus (because it turned out there was no bus after all), alternately laughing and wondering whether that had actually just happened. It was only after I got home that I realized those kids had ONLY offered me 20 Euros, and then I was just pissed.
Why do these things happen to me?
From an Internet Cafe in Five Seconds
This internet cafe really hates blogspot, so Im writing a note instead. Im also having hardcore issues with german keyboards, so be nice if I spell things with a z instead of a y because theyre switched on the keyboard.
okay, so germany is pretty much the shit, like fo realz. the university im going to is really wacked out. for those of you who go to rutgers, imagine busch campus on crack. for those of you who don#t go to rutgers, imagine a committe of german architects consuming five times thezre weight in hallucinogens, slapping some concrete on top of a fucking mountain (and this is not south jersez flatness speaking here, it really is at the top of a Fucking Mountain) and then spray painted it neon, seizure inducing colors. wilkommen zur universitaet konstanz.
so far the other kids in the language program are mad cool. last night we all went out to an irish pub, and me, erin (one of the other girlsfrom rutgers) and alex, a kid from arizona, spent a solid hour trying to explain to Iceland why america sucks. his name isnt actually iceland. he told us what is was, but none of us can get our american/korean/slovakian/russian tongues around the icelandic-ness. so he's just iceland.
my language teacher is mad scary and intense and Im pretty sure im going to die. the german skills are better than I thought they were, but not good enough yet. also, the cafeteria (mensa) is possibly the most intimidating thing ive ever tried to navigate in my life. im also hardcore intimidated by the (native) german students, who are probably quite nice when theyre not being terrifying.
today i bought bandaids and shampoo all by myself in german! you have no idea what a victory this is.
the place that im living is also pretty cracked out. europahaus is a 20 minute bus ride from the universitz (and thez use the honor system! can you imagine?) and its bright blue with all three random landings with a spiral staircase and crooked windows sticking out the one side. except you cant get onto the landings. but you can get onto the roof from my bathroom window (which I discovered within 10 minutes of putting my suitcase down). currently i have 2 roommates that I never see, both chinese, and theyre going back to china in like a week. so then other roommates should move back, but for all intensive purposes, Im all by myself.
sorry i kind of jumped all over the place, tomorrow or saturday im going to buy an ethernet cord and go bother the hausmeister for internet (so i can have a normal kezboard and not only select websites)
adios amigos! talk to you soon!
okay, so germany is pretty much the shit, like fo realz. the university im going to is really wacked out. for those of you who go to rutgers, imagine busch campus on crack. for those of you who don#t go to rutgers, imagine a committe of german architects consuming five times thezre weight in hallucinogens, slapping some concrete on top of a fucking mountain (and this is not south jersez flatness speaking here, it really is at the top of a Fucking Mountain) and then spray painted it neon, seizure inducing colors. wilkommen zur universitaet konstanz.
so far the other kids in the language program are mad cool. last night we all went out to an irish pub, and me, erin (one of the other girlsfrom rutgers) and alex, a kid from arizona, spent a solid hour trying to explain to Iceland why america sucks. his name isnt actually iceland. he told us what is was, but none of us can get our american/korean/slovakian/
my language teacher is mad scary and intense and Im pretty sure im going to die. the german skills are better than I thought they were, but not good enough yet. also, the cafeteria (mensa) is possibly the most intimidating thing ive ever tried to navigate in my life. im also hardcore intimidated by the (native) german students, who are probably quite nice when theyre not being terrifying.
today i bought bandaids and shampoo all by myself in german! you have no idea what a victory this is.
the place that im living is also pretty cracked out. europahaus is a 20 minute bus ride from the universitz (and thez use the honor system! can you imagine?) and its bright blue with all three random landings with a spiral staircase and crooked windows sticking out the one side. except you cant get onto the landings. but you can get onto the roof from my bathroom window (which I discovered within 10 minutes of putting my suitcase down). currently i have 2 roommates that I never see, both chinese, and theyre going back to china in like a week. so then other roommates should move back, but for all intensive purposes, Im all by myself.
sorry i kind of jumped all over the place, tomorrow or saturday im going to buy an ethernet cord and go bother the hausmeister for internet (so i can have a normal kezboard and not only select websites)
adios amigos! talk to you soon!
03 March 2008
The Bucket List
Two-thirds of the way packed (and thoroughly sick of folding clothes), I've decided to post the list of tasks Sam assigned me to complete in the five months I'll be in Germany. Sort of like the 12 Labors of Hercules, only with less killing of mythical creatures. Here it goes:
1) Speak German to a stranger and be completely misunderstood
2) Get hopelessly lost and have no idea how to get back to wherever I got lost from
3) Stop liking horses. This one comes from a bet Sam and I made in 7th or 8th grade where we put ten dollars on whether or not I'd still like horses by the time I turned 21. And when this task doesn't get completed (and I win) I'm charging her for inflation.
4) Beat up a German dude
5) Consume wienerschnitzel and wear lederhosen, and/or consume lederhosen and wear wienerschnitzel
6) Become a dachsund farmer
7) Visit Dresden
8) Learn to blow glass and sculpt them into ballerina figurines
8) Speak German to a stranger and be completely understood
So so far those are the 8 Labors of Tina. Does anyone have any suggestions or additions to make? Any requests?
Peace out America!
1) Speak German to a stranger and be completely misunderstood
2) Get hopelessly lost and have no idea how to get back to wherever I got lost from
3) Stop liking horses. This one comes from a bet Sam and I made in 7th or 8th grade where we put ten dollars on whether or not I'd still like horses by the time I turned 21. And when this task doesn't get completed (and I win) I'm charging her for inflation.
4) Beat up a German dude
5) Consume wienerschnitzel and wear lederhosen, and/or consume lederhosen and wear wienerschnitzel
6) Become a dachsund farmer
7) Visit Dresden
8) Learn to blow glass and sculpt them into ballerina figurines
8) Speak German to a stranger and be completely understood
So so far those are the 8 Labors of Tina. Does anyone have any suggestions or additions to make? Any requests?
Peace out America!
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