I'm back!
So, uhm, hey there. Germany.
I went to Germany!
So, like all trips, this had good, bad, and ugly. Overall, it was a great experience and I had a lot of fun. I'm going to start with the bad and ugly, because, in my opinion, it sort of put the whole trip in perspective. By no means am I bitterly complaining or anything (well, at least on most of it) nor does it mean I had a bad time. There were just a couple of things that completely fell out of my control.
I'm not really going to do a play-by-play write up of everything in a timeline format. That would be boring.
Bad: My rooming situation.
Okay, so the rooming situation wasn't great. It was a homestay, with a nice little old widow who could speak three languages fluently and loved travel. Let me get this straight: she is very nice. She is also annoying to my personality. She had no tolerance for *any* sort of downtime to her boarders (myself and another student, a Russian doctor). If you spent any sort of time in your room before 8pm, she went wild with suggestions of everything you should do, throwing pamphlets at you, and "heartily" encouraging you to go out. Which, I guess is okay, but sometimes I want some downtime. You know, eat lunch, read a little, go on out after. No, she barely stood for that. I spent most of my time avoiding my room in order to avoid her suggestions.
Also, she refused to let us watch any sort of TV and she had no internet*. While I also understand the idea of not sitting in front of the tube all day, I would have enjoyed a half-hour news program in the evening or some weather.
Moreso, she refused to allow alcohol in her house. I'm was in Germany. I couldn't sit down and enjoy a book/magazine and a beer. Granted, it's Germany and I could drink anywhere else I damned please. Still, it just kinda goes with the above on me craving a little downtime.
Also, the Goethe Institute itself.
I'm filing this under bad only because of my first teacher combined with the rooming. Like the online reviews stated, the experience is usually dependent on the teacher. I found that to be very true and I'm a little critical of their method.
The first teacher I had was apparently a substitute for our "real" teacher who was on vacation. His name was Hans and he was kinda scary. I never felt like I could ask a question or approach him. My hearing isn't great and I tried to explain to him that words often jarbled together if people spoke too fast. His response was to talk fast but louder. There were several sessions where I did leave in almost tears. I found out later that he normally taught the highest levels.
My real teacher, Susa, was SO MUCH BETTER. She reminded me of a kindergarten teacher, with straightforward lesson plans. We knew what was expected. I felt like I could approach her with a question. She never made anyone feel silly. Lessons were varied and never felt pointless. I'm very sad that I spent only one week in her class and it was the unfortunate short week because of Pfingsten and the day the trains died.
I also think the administration of the Institute could have been clearer on a lot of things. They seemed to be very much in the mindset of "Here's your paperwork with information, all in German, show up tomorrow". I mean, I get immersion but there were some things that were just not quite clear and caused a lot of confusion.
The Ugly: THE WEATHER
The weather freaking sucked. No, it wasn't cold. No, it didn't rain all 17 days. It was hotter, much hotter, than average. So I packed for cooler-then-Michigan weather and got hotter-then-Michigan weather. Nearly 34 C (about 100F) one of the days and, very much unlike Michigan, nothing has A/C. Plus, burning hot sunshine. There were about 2 days where nothing could be accomplished. Those days, luckily, I was lazing about at chili_das_schaf's house. It wasn't any cooler, but I wasn't be harassed into the burning sun (my host did that on even the hot days). And, of course, the hottest day was a Monday and a holiday (Pfingsten), so all the museums that would offer relief were closed.
Then, the storms. I was at chili_das_schaf's house from my first Sunday into Monday. I left a little earlier then I would have on Monday afternoon from Köln because bad weather was predicted as a result from the heat.
"Bad weather" was an understatement. I say this as being from the American Midwest. We see storms. We're used to storms. Storms happen. In fact, we had a dandy of a storm this morning that woke Josie up at 4am and knocked out our power for 5 hours.
This storm scared the shit out of me.
I got back to my room about an hour before it started. I showered, sat down to read, and saw the sky. It was dark. The wind started to pick up. I remember the wind very clearly- it was blowing everything and anything around. I saw paper flying, people being knocked about, cans and other things just flying. Then the thunder and lightening came. Then the rain. It was nearly sideways in the wind, with massive thunder and thin flashes of lightening. The sky was green. I remember a saying here in Michigan that, if the sky is green, tornadoes are coming. I wondered where our shelter was in case of tornado. I stayed up, watching that storm.
However, it wasn't until the next day that I realized how bad the storm was. When we got to the U-Bahn platform, the electronic sign that usually told us the next couple of trains was blank. I figured power outage of some kind. When we got to the main station, we realized that all hell had broken loose. Most, if not all regional trains were down. Most S-Bahn's were down or lines blocked. Most ROADS were blocked by fallen trees, so bus lines were convoluted, if running at all. Trees were down everywhere. The entire transportation system had pretty much been destroyed overnight. It was, apparently, the worst storm that Düsseldorf had seen in about 20 years. Six people died. The top wind speeds reached about 93 mph (150 kph) and blew out a window at Düsseldorf Airport Control tower, shutting the airport down.
The taxis had some good business that day though.
What made it officially ugly was that it wasn't a one-day thing. The entire last week of my stay was affected by the downed trains. The major lines went back up pretty fast, but a lot of the outer lines stayed out and trains were not nearly as regular or often as they had been. Unfortunately, my strategy had been to see the inner parts of the city and work my way outwards. So that left me at a disadvantage for my entire last week. One of my trips, out to Kaiserswerth (where there were lots of old churches and ruins around the Rhine) was on a line that had gotten completely torn apart. I had to ride the S-Bahn to a certain station, where we were all herded (yes, herded) to a bus, taken to the next working station a few miles away, and then herded back onto the S-Bahn and continued as normal. It was convoluted and took a long time, but it worked.
And then there were two days where it was colder then I expected and drizzly. Of course.
The Good: Pretty much everything else.
I went to hear/use German and I heard/used German. Was it perfect? No. Does that matter? Not in the slightest. I'm proud that I tested into the A2.2 class, the "advanced" class of the morning sessions. More then that, I tested into right where I should be right now for my university studies. I also found my weaknesses. My grammar is excellent, according to my teacher there. My grammar knowledge, with some mistakes, tested me well into the B-level classes. However, my vocabulary is piss-poor compared to where it should be and my prepositions aren't great**. So I know what I need to work on.
I saw a more everyday German life, rather then a touristy town and area. That has its benefits, learning about Germany in the now rather then just what it used to be like. I had a love affair with German street food. Mostly because I didn't have the money to eat at restaurants and I didn't feel like eating alone at them***. But I learned and managed to order things on my own, using mostly German. Sure, there were a couple of misunderstandings, but it all worked out.
I loved the public transport until it pooped out on us because of weather.
I did see a lot of things too. The Altstadt in Düsseldorf is an amazing mix of modern and old. The buildings were wonderful to look at and I often did order a beer and just look around. I saw a lot of old churches. I went down to the Benrath Schloss and walked the gardens. It was beautiful. In fact, all the parks I visited were beautiful. There was one off the Oberbilk station, called the Volksgarten, that was huge. I actually got lost in it my first time there. But there were trees everywhere, beautiful little pond gardens, flowers, ducks, and art. I loved it.
Kaiserswerth was probably my favorite and I wish I had spent more time there (but storm killed the Bahn line, so it took a lot of time to get there). It was what I imagined old European cities to look like. Small, old buildings, smattered with some old ruins, churches, and an old cemetery. I loved walking it.
I also saw the Köln Cathedral. It's massive and so amazing. I also wish I had spent more time there, but my time was limited in Köln and the heat sucked the life from me. I did manage to see part of a Pfingsten mass there. And I loved staying with chili_das_schaf. Her daughter and husband are amazing and it was so nice to finally meet her in real life. That doesn't happen often for internet friends on the other side of the world. I'm so appreciative that they welcomed me into their house.
I am going to miss German food. Döners are not the same as gyros. Gyros are all over the place in Michigan but they are not the same. I'm going to miss the bread and the corner stores that are everywhere. And currywurst. I'm amazed I didn't gain weight while I was there.
On a different side, the trip not only helped my German, but it was also great therapy for my anxiety. I've had anxiety disorder for as long as I can remember and it does limit me. Often, I hit the imaginary "Quit" button in life when I get too anxious. On this trip, I couldn't do that. I remember sitting in O'Hare airport, after the first flight, terrified. The trip had suddenly become real and my fear of flying had sunk in. I called Tim and was trying so hard to find that "Quit" button, but I couldn't. I had to do it. I had to fly across the Atlantic. I had to find my way through a new country that didn't speak my native language. The first few days were hard, much harder then I had ever pushed myself. My anxiety was bad. I kept trying to find that "Quit" button for the first few days. I didn't have anyone around me to rely on. I had to do it all myself.
By the very end, I was anxious to come home, but only because I missed Tim and Josie. The plane ride was annoying but not terrifying anymore. At some point, I found myself thinking, "I did such-and-such in Germany in my limited German. I can handle this".
That's an amazing accomplishment for me. Absolutely amazing. Not saying that all my anxieties are gone, but I did a lot all by myself. I'm very proud of that. I learned a lot and not all of it was German.
Also, it's World Cup time. I saw a LOT of shenanigans related to the World Cup. My God, Germans can be crazy when it comes to Football.
*Officially, the Goethe Institute does not "allow" homestays to have internet. In practice, I learned I had the only house that actually obeyed that. All of the other homestays were offered internet. I leeched wifi in front of the train station from a hotel to contact Tim and chili_das_schaf.
**It was sometimes painful to go through the grammar in class. They were working on simple modal verb past tense and some students just really weren't getting it at all. It drove me batty. Some students barely had a grasp on modal verbs themselves which drove me even battier.
*** I always feel awkward eating alone at a more sit-down restaurant. It just doesn't feel right to me.
I might write more specific things later but for now, I'm tired. My jet lag is a lot worse coming home then going there.
I went to Germany!
So, like all trips, this had good, bad, and ugly. Overall, it was a great experience and I had a lot of fun. I'm going to start with the bad and ugly, because, in my opinion, it sort of put the whole trip in perspective. By no means am I bitterly complaining or anything (well, at least on most of it) nor does it mean I had a bad time. There were just a couple of things that completely fell out of my control.
I'm not really going to do a play-by-play write up of everything in a timeline format. That would be boring.
Bad: My rooming situation.
Okay, so the rooming situation wasn't great. It was a homestay, with a nice little old widow who could speak three languages fluently and loved travel. Let me get this straight: she is very nice. She is also annoying to my personality. She had no tolerance for *any* sort of downtime to her boarders (myself and another student, a Russian doctor). If you spent any sort of time in your room before 8pm, she went wild with suggestions of everything you should do, throwing pamphlets at you, and "heartily" encouraging you to go out. Which, I guess is okay, but sometimes I want some downtime. You know, eat lunch, read a little, go on out after. No, she barely stood for that. I spent most of my time avoiding my room in order to avoid her suggestions.
Also, she refused to let us watch any sort of TV and she had no internet*. While I also understand the idea of not sitting in front of the tube all day, I would have enjoyed a half-hour news program in the evening or some weather.
Moreso, she refused to allow alcohol in her house. I'm was in Germany. I couldn't sit down and enjoy a book/magazine and a beer. Granted, it's Germany and I could drink anywhere else I damned please. Still, it just kinda goes with the above on me craving a little downtime.
Also, the Goethe Institute itself.
I'm filing this under bad only because of my first teacher combined with the rooming. Like the online reviews stated, the experience is usually dependent on the teacher. I found that to be very true and I'm a little critical of their method.
The first teacher I had was apparently a substitute for our "real" teacher who was on vacation. His name was Hans and he was kinda scary. I never felt like I could ask a question or approach him. My hearing isn't great and I tried to explain to him that words often jarbled together if people spoke too fast. His response was to talk fast but louder. There were several sessions where I did leave in almost tears. I found out later that he normally taught the highest levels.
My real teacher, Susa, was SO MUCH BETTER. She reminded me of a kindergarten teacher, with straightforward lesson plans. We knew what was expected. I felt like I could approach her with a question. She never made anyone feel silly. Lessons were varied and never felt pointless. I'm very sad that I spent only one week in her class and it was the unfortunate short week because of Pfingsten and the day the trains died.
I also think the administration of the Institute could have been clearer on a lot of things. They seemed to be very much in the mindset of "Here's your paperwork with information, all in German, show up tomorrow". I mean, I get immersion but there were some things that were just not quite clear and caused a lot of confusion.
The Ugly: THE WEATHER
The weather freaking sucked. No, it wasn't cold. No, it didn't rain all 17 days. It was hotter, much hotter, than average. So I packed for cooler-then-Michigan weather and got hotter-then-Michigan weather. Nearly 34 C (about 100F) one of the days and, very much unlike Michigan, nothing has A/C. Plus, burning hot sunshine. There were about 2 days where nothing could be accomplished. Those days, luckily, I was lazing about at chili_das_schaf's house. It wasn't any cooler, but I wasn't be harassed into the burning sun (my host did that on even the hot days). And, of course, the hottest day was a Monday and a holiday (Pfingsten), so all the museums that would offer relief were closed.
Then, the storms. I was at chili_das_schaf's house from my first Sunday into Monday. I left a little earlier then I would have on Monday afternoon from Köln because bad weather was predicted as a result from the heat.
"Bad weather" was an understatement. I say this as being from the American Midwest. We see storms. We're used to storms. Storms happen. In fact, we had a dandy of a storm this morning that woke Josie up at 4am and knocked out our power for 5 hours.
This storm scared the shit out of me.
I got back to my room about an hour before it started. I showered, sat down to read, and saw the sky. It was dark. The wind started to pick up. I remember the wind very clearly- it was blowing everything and anything around. I saw paper flying, people being knocked about, cans and other things just flying. Then the thunder and lightening came. Then the rain. It was nearly sideways in the wind, with massive thunder and thin flashes of lightening. The sky was green. I remember a saying here in Michigan that, if the sky is green, tornadoes are coming. I wondered where our shelter was in case of tornado. I stayed up, watching that storm.
However, it wasn't until the next day that I realized how bad the storm was. When we got to the U-Bahn platform, the electronic sign that usually told us the next couple of trains was blank. I figured power outage of some kind. When we got to the main station, we realized that all hell had broken loose. Most, if not all regional trains were down. Most S-Bahn's were down or lines blocked. Most ROADS were blocked by fallen trees, so bus lines were convoluted, if running at all. Trees were down everywhere. The entire transportation system had pretty much been destroyed overnight. It was, apparently, the worst storm that Düsseldorf had seen in about 20 years. Six people died. The top wind speeds reached about 93 mph (150 kph) and blew out a window at Düsseldorf Airport Control tower, shutting the airport down.
The taxis had some good business that day though.
What made it officially ugly was that it wasn't a one-day thing. The entire last week of my stay was affected by the downed trains. The major lines went back up pretty fast, but a lot of the outer lines stayed out and trains were not nearly as regular or often as they had been. Unfortunately, my strategy had been to see the inner parts of the city and work my way outwards. So that left me at a disadvantage for my entire last week. One of my trips, out to Kaiserswerth (where there were lots of old churches and ruins around the Rhine) was on a line that had gotten completely torn apart. I had to ride the S-Bahn to a certain station, where we were all herded (yes, herded) to a bus, taken to the next working station a few miles away, and then herded back onto the S-Bahn and continued as normal. It was convoluted and took a long time, but it worked.
And then there were two days where it was colder then I expected and drizzly. Of course.
The Good: Pretty much everything else.
I went to hear/use German and I heard/used German. Was it perfect? No. Does that matter? Not in the slightest. I'm proud that I tested into the A2.2 class, the "advanced" class of the morning sessions. More then that, I tested into right where I should be right now for my university studies. I also found my weaknesses. My grammar is excellent, according to my teacher there. My grammar knowledge, with some mistakes, tested me well into the B-level classes. However, my vocabulary is piss-poor compared to where it should be and my prepositions aren't great**. So I know what I need to work on.
I saw a more everyday German life, rather then a touristy town and area. That has its benefits, learning about Germany in the now rather then just what it used to be like. I had a love affair with German street food. Mostly because I didn't have the money to eat at restaurants and I didn't feel like eating alone at them***. But I learned and managed to order things on my own, using mostly German. Sure, there were a couple of misunderstandings, but it all worked out.
I loved the public transport until it pooped out on us because of weather.
I did see a lot of things too. The Altstadt in Düsseldorf is an amazing mix of modern and old. The buildings were wonderful to look at and I often did order a beer and just look around. I saw a lot of old churches. I went down to the Benrath Schloss and walked the gardens. It was beautiful. In fact, all the parks I visited were beautiful. There was one off the Oberbilk station, called the Volksgarten, that was huge. I actually got lost in it my first time there. But there were trees everywhere, beautiful little pond gardens, flowers, ducks, and art. I loved it.
Kaiserswerth was probably my favorite and I wish I had spent more time there (but storm killed the Bahn line, so it took a lot of time to get there). It was what I imagined old European cities to look like. Small, old buildings, smattered with some old ruins, churches, and an old cemetery. I loved walking it.
I also saw the Köln Cathedral. It's massive and so amazing. I also wish I had spent more time there, but my time was limited in Köln and the heat sucked the life from me. I did manage to see part of a Pfingsten mass there. And I loved staying with chili_das_schaf. Her daughter and husband are amazing and it was so nice to finally meet her in real life. That doesn't happen often for internet friends on the other side of the world. I'm so appreciative that they welcomed me into their house.
I am going to miss German food. Döners are not the same as gyros. Gyros are all over the place in Michigan but they are not the same. I'm going to miss the bread and the corner stores that are everywhere. And currywurst. I'm amazed I didn't gain weight while I was there.
On a different side, the trip not only helped my German, but it was also great therapy for my anxiety. I've had anxiety disorder for as long as I can remember and it does limit me. Often, I hit the imaginary "Quit" button in life when I get too anxious. On this trip, I couldn't do that. I remember sitting in O'Hare airport, after the first flight, terrified. The trip had suddenly become real and my fear of flying had sunk in. I called Tim and was trying so hard to find that "Quit" button, but I couldn't. I had to do it. I had to fly across the Atlantic. I had to find my way through a new country that didn't speak my native language. The first few days were hard, much harder then I had ever pushed myself. My anxiety was bad. I kept trying to find that "Quit" button for the first few days. I didn't have anyone around me to rely on. I had to do it all myself.
By the very end, I was anxious to come home, but only because I missed Tim and Josie. The plane ride was annoying but not terrifying anymore. At some point, I found myself thinking, "I did such-and-such in Germany in my limited German. I can handle this".
That's an amazing accomplishment for me. Absolutely amazing. Not saying that all my anxieties are gone, but I did a lot all by myself. I'm very proud of that. I learned a lot and not all of it was German.
Also, it's World Cup time. I saw a LOT of shenanigans related to the World Cup. My God, Germans can be crazy when it comes to Football.
*Officially, the Goethe Institute does not "allow" homestays to have internet. In practice, I learned I had the only house that actually obeyed that. All of the other homestays were offered internet. I leeched wifi in front of the train station from a hotel to contact Tim and chili_das_schaf.
**It was sometimes painful to go through the grammar in class. They were working on simple modal verb past tense and some students just really weren't getting it at all. It drove me batty. Some students barely had a grasp on modal verbs themselves which drove me even battier.
*** I always feel awkward eating alone at a more sit-down restaurant. It just doesn't feel right to me.
I might write more specific things later but for now, I'm tired. My jet lag is a lot worse coming home then going there.