Well, after a two year hiatus, I'm back and blogging! Ok, back to my college ways.
I guess I'll just rationalise it by saying that I wasn't actually IN school for a year and a half and blogging just doesn't work as well when you're not procrastinating on something you should be doing.
A rather fast recap of what's going on with my life:
I'm living in Germany now. I successfully uprooted and replanted in September 2014, worked as an Au Pair for a hellish year in which my mother died, my dad got married, I went to Greece, and I was randomly accepted to medical school in Bonn (on a whim). It was a big year. And a hard year.
So now I'm back in full student mode, in a new country, studying something more intense than I've never studied before. I'm older now, 25, and it's not as easy as the first time around. Or maybe it's a language thing. Whatever it is, learning stuff about medicine is hard.
The university system in Germany is quite different from ours back in the States. All grades are based on one exam at the end of the semester (sometimes also at the beginning of the next). You can take a test for a class you never attended. You basically are your own....is what I'm figuring out. They use this "sink or swim" tactic, and if you don't teach yourself the material on your own time, you fail. Unique to medicine though, (thankfully) is that we don't get grades. Everything is purely pass/fail, which is helpful. I thought, yeah, 60%, easy smeazy. Nooooo. It's not. Try remembering every sulcus and tuberculum and ligament and what they do and how they can get hurt. A whole semester worth of only BONES and I can barely manage to get 60%. Next up on the challenge list is organic chemistry (which I stupidly never took in the US). That exam is on Friday and I'm pretty behind because it's just SO MUCH. And it's super tailored toward medicine so it's like an overview of the important things and then they dropped right into biochemistry with amino acids and DNA. It's just a lot. On the bright side, I learned so much by myself and it really gives me something to be proud of, where as in the US it's more like I feel like I had been "taught" so much and the sense of accomplishment wasn't as high I think.
So that's what's going on. What's coming up?
After the embryology and chemistry exams this week, I'm flying to Madrid to meet up with my dad on Saturday. I'm really looking forward to seeing him...and maybe working on my Spanish? I would love to learn Spanish! Marco and I started on Narcos last night on Netflix and it just made me want to be able to speak Spanish SO BAD.
Anyway, after that, at the beginning of March, I'm embarking on my next adventure to Vietnam. I'm heading over there with Marco, Maja and Nick. I'm pretty excited but a bit nervous about the budget. As a non-working full-time medical student living abroad the finance situation is a bit tight. I booked those tickets nervously and thought, yeah, until then I can find a job...but unfortunately learning all this stuff takes a bit more time up than I would've expected which doesn't leave a lot of time for employment. Ah, c'est la vie. You're only young once.
And then it all starts up again in April: this time with developmental neurobiology, physics lab, biochemistry, and histology. (And maybe more? Stay tuned to find out!)
Alright, I think it's time to get back to peptide bonding and kinetics. But this was therapeutic. Maybe I'll try to get back into the groove...
Showing posts with label Bonn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bonn. Show all posts
Monday, February 15, 2016
Sunday, June 2, 2013
praktikum details
I thought it would be cool to write a little bit about what I do really in my Praktikum instead of just write, "yeah, I'm there when babies are delivered...nbd"
So first of all, let me just start of by saying I feel much more comfortable (at the moment) just watching babies be born. It's a comfortable place. I can observe without having to say much, I am sometimes needed (to hold this leg or that wash cloth or hold the baby's head or cut the umbilical cord) and am always happy at the end of the birth because there's a new little baby! I've learned some new vocabulary to help me, "ruhig und tief atmen...durch die Nase ein und durch den Mund aus" or "Sie können das schaffen! Das Baby ist gleich da! Ich kann das Köpfchen schon sehen!" [Breathe deeply and peacefully...in through the nose and out through the mouth" or "You can do this! The baby is going to be here very soon. I can already see the little head!] And I think gently touching the woman or offering something cold for her forehead is always appreciated. I try. I did see one really horrifying birth though...the hebamme was also mortified because the doctor just came in and kind of imposed his ideas on how the birth should run. I felt helpless. It turned out good in the end though, the baby girl was beautiful and healthy and very cuddly :)
What is really scary for me still is meeting people at the door when they ring the bell. I always have to ask how I can help them, and when they reply, chances are that I will 90% understand them, but not be able to repeat a word back to the Hebammen. And no one really explained much to me all at once, I've kind of had a slow learning curve so far (or at least to me it seems that way). Most often, women seem to come either for a "Termin zur Kontrolle" like...just to make sure everything is okay when they reach their errechneter Termin [due date], or an "Einleitung" which is an induction. Being induced in Germany is really much different than in the US: the women receive a "cocktail" made up of two tablespoons Rizinusöl (castor oil), two tablespoons Mandelmus (almond butter) and a bottle of carrot juice. If this doesn't work on the first day, they receive two cocktails on the second day. On the third day, I think they get three cocktails. On the fourth day after beginning induction if they haven't had any contractions, they finally receive one 500 mg (?) Cytotec tablet (usually the first line in the US, correct me if I'm wrong). If that doesn't work, they continue with cytotec...I haven't seen any invasive measures used quite yet, excluding breaking the bag of waters but they only do that when a birth is imminent as far as I can tell. Svenja, one of the hebammen, told me today that although they start inducing the births as early as 7 days after their due date, it really isn't an issue until later because at +7 days the baby may still not even be ready to be born. Giving birth past a due date only becomes a real issue when the placenta starts to break down and stops providing the baby with nutrients. Then is an induction really necessary.
Anyway, I usually lead these women, whether they are there for an Einleitung or a Kontrolle Termin, into a CTG Zimmer (EFM=electronic fetal monitor in English! I finally figured out the proper translation, more info can be found here) and I put the CTG on them. This involves placing two round discs on the woman's belly, one at the top of the fundus (where the top uterus is) to measure the force of the contraction, and one where the fetal heartbeat can be monitored (done through ultrasonic waves, so usually placed somewhere on the back of the child or near the child's head). I learned how to feel a pregnant woman's stomach to tell where the baby is laying (in welcher Stelle=in which position). It's so crazy because you can feel EVERYTHING. It's just a matter of being able to distinguish which lumps are which. I must admit I feel kind of boss when I ask (in German) if I can touch their belly and magically find a heartbeat in one try with the CTG Knopf. It's a good feeling.
One thing I find extraordinarily difficult in Germany is measuring blood pressure. I have done it a thousand times in America manually and with a machine. Here, first off, everything is manual. So, not only do I have to properly hear the two blood pressure measurements (systolic and diastolic), but I also have to remember the numbers in German. I'm not good at remembering them in English. it's really, really difficult. So like, if I think to myself..."ok, one hundred and twenty two over seventy eight" it's not so difficult. But THEN, I have to remember those numbers long enough to translate them, repeat them to the patient, "ein hundred zwei und zwanzig zu acht und siebzig" and write them down on a piece of paper. It's really difficult for me, I must say. In my opinion, made only worse by the fact that in German the number order is reversed, so rather than saying "seventy eight" I effectively have to say "eight and seventy."
Another one of my menial tasks is to "urine tasten" or test urine. The women all pee in a cup (really unscientific, it's not collected by a lab or anything, they just simply leave the urine cups in one of the two bathrooms and I come on by) and then I stick a stick into it which tests for leukocytes, erythrocytes, pH (pay-hah in German :D ) glucose, protein and a host of other possibilities which I can't pronounce in German. I then report this back to the Hebammen too, usually also written on the paper that the CTG machines spit out with the results. Yep. The vocab for all the stuff I am learning. No biggie.
Other things I do: clean the Kreißsaale after births, help the hebammen do random stuff, hang IV bags/prime tubing, change pillow cases, fold towels, run blood down to the lab (no, there is no tube system, I run it down wearing a white lab coat...usually because it's raining and I have to actually leave the building to get to the lab), pick up Steri from the autoclave people (that's also on a different floor), weigh, measure, dress and give vitamin k to newborns, make Bändchen for the babies (little bracelets for their wrists), set the table for breakfast, make Wehencocktails (for the inductions). It's so much, it's so different every day, and I am absolutely beside myself because I love it so much.
In other news...things have been good. I had a sore throat yesterday but slept forever and it went away. today it's back a little, but it's alright. Hopefully I'll survive. I'm still trying to figure out the insurance thing...working on it. Over the weekend I didn't do much in the way of social things...had to work both days. Marco and I had a lovely Sunday afternoon today though, wandering around Bonn, eating ice cream, pizza and drinking beer. He has some free time now, which is awesome because every second I'm not working I'm basically free. Maja is reading some paper or making some bizarre youtube video about cats, god only knows, and everyone else is working on some presentation or another. Excited for the upcoming week :D :D
Goodness I love it here! Words can't even describe. Apart from having to wake up at 6 this morning, the day was perfect. Absolutely perfect.
Bis nachher...
Becca
{geburtszahl: 7}
So first of all, let me just start of by saying I feel much more comfortable (at the moment) just watching babies be born. It's a comfortable place. I can observe without having to say much, I am sometimes needed (to hold this leg or that wash cloth or hold the baby's head or cut the umbilical cord) and am always happy at the end of the birth because there's a new little baby! I've learned some new vocabulary to help me, "ruhig und tief atmen...durch die Nase ein und durch den Mund aus" or "Sie können das schaffen! Das Baby ist gleich da! Ich kann das Köpfchen schon sehen!" [Breathe deeply and peacefully...in through the nose and out through the mouth" or "You can do this! The baby is going to be here very soon. I can already see the little head!] And I think gently touching the woman or offering something cold for her forehead is always appreciated. I try. I did see one really horrifying birth though...the hebamme was also mortified because the doctor just came in and kind of imposed his ideas on how the birth should run. I felt helpless. It turned out good in the end though, the baby girl was beautiful and healthy and very cuddly :)
What is really scary for me still is meeting people at the door when they ring the bell. I always have to ask how I can help them, and when they reply, chances are that I will 90% understand them, but not be able to repeat a word back to the Hebammen. And no one really explained much to me all at once, I've kind of had a slow learning curve so far (or at least to me it seems that way). Most often, women seem to come either for a "Termin zur Kontrolle" like...just to make sure everything is okay when they reach their errechneter Termin [due date], or an "Einleitung" which is an induction. Being induced in Germany is really much different than in the US: the women receive a "cocktail" made up of two tablespoons Rizinusöl (castor oil), two tablespoons Mandelmus (almond butter) and a bottle of carrot juice. If this doesn't work on the first day, they receive two cocktails on the second day. On the third day, I think they get three cocktails. On the fourth day after beginning induction if they haven't had any contractions, they finally receive one 500 mg (?) Cytotec tablet (usually the first line in the US, correct me if I'm wrong). If that doesn't work, they continue with cytotec...I haven't seen any invasive measures used quite yet, excluding breaking the bag of waters but they only do that when a birth is imminent as far as I can tell. Svenja, one of the hebammen, told me today that although they start inducing the births as early as 7 days after their due date, it really isn't an issue until later because at +7 days the baby may still not even be ready to be born. Giving birth past a due date only becomes a real issue when the placenta starts to break down and stops providing the baby with nutrients. Then is an induction really necessary.
Anyway, I usually lead these women, whether they are there for an Einleitung or a Kontrolle Termin, into a CTG Zimmer (EFM=electronic fetal monitor in English! I finally figured out the proper translation, more info can be found here) and I put the CTG on them. This involves placing two round discs on the woman's belly, one at the top of the fundus (where the top uterus is) to measure the force of the contraction, and one where the fetal heartbeat can be monitored (done through ultrasonic waves, so usually placed somewhere on the back of the child or near the child's head). I learned how to feel a pregnant woman's stomach to tell where the baby is laying (in welcher Stelle=in which position). It's so crazy because you can feel EVERYTHING. It's just a matter of being able to distinguish which lumps are which. I must admit I feel kind of boss when I ask (in German) if I can touch their belly and magically find a heartbeat in one try with the CTG Knopf. It's a good feeling.
One thing I find extraordinarily difficult in Germany is measuring blood pressure. I have done it a thousand times in America manually and with a machine. Here, first off, everything is manual. So, not only do I have to properly hear the two blood pressure measurements (systolic and diastolic), but I also have to remember the numbers in German. I'm not good at remembering them in English. it's really, really difficult. So like, if I think to myself..."ok, one hundred and twenty two over seventy eight" it's not so difficult. But THEN, I have to remember those numbers long enough to translate them, repeat them to the patient, "ein hundred zwei und zwanzig zu acht und siebzig" and write them down on a piece of paper. It's really difficult for me, I must say. In my opinion, made only worse by the fact that in German the number order is reversed, so rather than saying "seventy eight" I effectively have to say "eight and seventy."
Another one of my menial tasks is to "urine tasten" or test urine. The women all pee in a cup (really unscientific, it's not collected by a lab or anything, they just simply leave the urine cups in one of the two bathrooms and I come on by) and then I stick a stick into it which tests for leukocytes, erythrocytes, pH (pay-hah in German :D ) glucose, protein and a host of other possibilities which I can't pronounce in German. I then report this back to the Hebammen too, usually also written on the paper that the CTG machines spit out with the results. Yep. The vocab for all the stuff I am learning. No biggie.
Other things I do: clean the Kreißsaale after births, help the hebammen do random stuff, hang IV bags/prime tubing, change pillow cases, fold towels, run blood down to the lab (no, there is no tube system, I run it down wearing a white lab coat...usually because it's raining and I have to actually leave the building to get to the lab), pick up Steri from the autoclave people (that's also on a different floor), weigh, measure, dress and give vitamin k to newborns, make Bändchen for the babies (little bracelets for their wrists), set the table for breakfast, make Wehencocktails (for the inductions). It's so much, it's so different every day, and I am absolutely beside myself because I love it so much.
In other news...things have been good. I had a sore throat yesterday but slept forever and it went away. today it's back a little, but it's alright. Hopefully I'll survive. I'm still trying to figure out the insurance thing...working on it. Over the weekend I didn't do much in the way of social things...had to work both days. Marco and I had a lovely Sunday afternoon today though, wandering around Bonn, eating ice cream, pizza and drinking beer. He has some free time now, which is awesome because every second I'm not working I'm basically free. Maja is reading some paper or making some bizarre youtube video about cats, god only knows, and everyone else is working on some presentation or another. Excited for the upcoming week :D :D
Goodness I love it here! Words can't even describe. Apart from having to wake up at 6 this morning, the day was perfect. Absolutely perfect.
Bis nachher...
Becca
{geburtszahl: 7}
Thursday, May 30, 2013
the poor decision to wear a thong, flowers, and getting past the past
My birth total has increased to six now. Today is a good day to recap because I have it off. I slept in until like 8 (ok, then 10). Yesterday I saw one beautiful birth with a woman who had a personality similar to mine I think. In the breaks between contractions, she would say funny and/or somewhat awkward things. It was cute. She was sweet, and her husband cried. Hell, I almost cried (yeah, not very professional, but THERE WAS A NEW BABY IN THE ROOM!) It occurred to me that before every birth I've seen, there are usually 4 people in a room, and then the room population actually INCREASES! How crazy of an idea is that? I guess not that crazy when you say it like that, but when you think of it, at least to me, it's a little mind blowing.I got my first gift! A woman from a couple days ago and her husband came in with their little girl and gave me and the other hebamme flowers! I couldn't stop smiling, my day was totally made! They are so pretty and that meant absolutely so much to me...I can only imagine what I meant to them. It's weird because I might be in their stories about their kids for years to come! The American intern :D
Here's a picture of the cupcakes I baked for Maja's party last week. I am proud. :D
Here's a picture of breakfast we get every morning in the break room at the Kreißsaal.
I've met most of the Hebammen that work there, they are all so sweet and have this unbelievable quality about them. I went to a Besprechung (basically just a meeting with all of them that work there) and they are all really beautiful and elegant in their own way, confident, and have large eyes that hold on to your every word. They're all caring in their own ways, but each has their own way about them. I love it. I realize I am idealizing them, but I respect them all not in a way that they each accomplished something great, but in the way that their natural state of being is so conducive to the profession.
The day before yesterday I went to my first c-section. It was an experience because I've been to surgeries in the US before and this was just a variation on the theme. Sterile technique was the same (if not more sterile here, but they use all autoclaved metal instruments whereas we throw everything plastic away). However, what was very bizarre was changing! There was this bench thing that, once you had stripped down to your skivvies, you had to climb over to get into the sterile area where the surgery scrubs were and then seek out your size of scrubs and shoes and dress there. Butt naked. Needless to say, wearing a thong turned out to be a bad choice.
We saw the Great Gatsby auf deutsch last night. I wish I could identify less with Gatsby and just let the past stay there.
And, with that I shall leave you.
Bis gleich :)
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
one day baby we'll be old...
slacking on the blogging, I know. It's been busy. I guess I should really pick up where I left off, in Finland, with my dearest Hanna. We had a really healthy week there...ran every day, enjoyed the saunas and technology of Finland. At her summer house, which her dad built from scratch, we enjoyed relatively unadulterated wilderness and a lake with orange water. I feel that I grew a lot in that week...totally more comfortable with nudity. (Thanks, Finnish people!)
Coming back to Bonn was totally heartwrenching and amazing at the same time. I felt like I was coming home, I was excited, I felt like I'd missed it so much. On the other hand, it was also really upsetting because I knew it was one of the last times I could be actually 'coming home' to here. We headed directly to the Rhein to say goodbye to two of us (Amy, the other girl from northern Wisconsin that I was in Finland with and Gerda, from Estonia). It was nice to see all the people I missed and to see the Rhein again lit up with the twinkling boats.
The next day was moving day. It was not as emotional as I would've thought, I think mostly because I haven't exactly spent a TON of time in that room. I was traveling a lot, it was a dorm, I hated my next door neighbor...the orange curtains. It felt good to be done with it and be rid of it. For the last week or so I've been playing house and dying a little inside. The realization that August 16th is coming closer and closer is kind of haunting. I wake up every morning and think, 'SCHIEßE!' and wonder where the time goes.
Playing house is...what I want to do for the rest of my life. That sounds like I'm jumping to conclusions and what not, but honestly, I'm so happy I decided to go into nursing and find a career where I can do this too. And with kids! I wake up and bake and shop and clean (did you know I actually really love doing dishes, and doing laundry here is like a workout because we're on 5th floor or something ridiculous with no elevator?) and cook and always have something to do. I should shut up now before some woman's empowerment movement shuts me down, but I have just as much right to do what I want to do with my life as some career woman who wants to be a multi-billionaire world changer, right? I mean, I do want to make a difference in people's lives, help them, travel and see the world, but I want a family so bad sometimes it kills me. I feel like my mom when I talk like that, but I guess that's not always the worst thing in the world. I wish there was a way to reconcile the two sides of my goals. Hopefully somewhere down the road there will be.
Anyway, back to the whole German thing. Being in Germany with only Germans is a little different than being here with a whole bunch of international kids. Sometimes I get in these ruts where I feel like I can't. I just can never be as great of friends with the Germans as other Germans can. I can never understand all the jokes. I can never be as witty as I am in English...but I want so badly to learn. And I love it. It's such an immersion to live with 5 other Germans :) I don't want to come home because I know it's going to all go to seed as soon as I touch down in Chicago. I'm going to forget so much...
Anyway, this weekend we went to Münster. It was absolutely stunning. I think this past weekend was my favorite weekend I've had since I've been in Germany (in Germany itself, I mean...). Marc and I headed up there on Friday morning and stayed at the apartment of an old friend of his. The city itself is awesome, the castle there is way prettier than in Bonn, and the Innenstadt is also really beautiful. They have a big lake in the middle of the city called the Aasee. It was nice because we rented a kayak and paddled around for a little while...we weren't very good but we had a funny time nonetheless. On Friday night we hung out with a whole bunch of the friends of the friend of Marc and I spoke German! The whole night! I can't really explain it but it was such a great night...the next night was also cool because we got to watch the movie "The Untouchables" (that French movie, only this time it was dubbed in German) outside in front of the castle that was lit up in really beautiful colors. Only downside being that it TOTALLY downpoured just as we got there, we had to go home and change, but luckily made it back in time for the movie to begin. The night was beautiful after all that crappy weather went away...we could even see the moon!
This may be the last post...maybe not. But I'm not looking forward to coming home. I am devestated, in fact, and really want to return to Germany as soon as I can. I love Madison, there are some things I've missed, I'm looking forward to seeing my family and friends, but my heart is going to break when I leave this country. When I leave the good friends I've made here...when I leave the place where just living is teaching me something every second of the day. I'm going to miss the language, the little things, the non processed food, the straßenbahn, the efficiency...the trains. The everything. It really hurts to think about.
Til later.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Helsinki I
Well, I'm sitting here in Hanna's lovely home, enjoying a quiet evening with Amy and Hanna. The morning began early after a sad night at Hanna's going away party. Bonn finally perked up and cooperated weatherwise, so we sat outside for a lovely evening of saying goodbyes. Unfortunately, I may have ended up having a little bit too much to drink...so waking up at 4:30 to catch our flight to Helsinki was a little bit painful. I realize that by going home with Hanna, I'm experiencing saying goodbye to Bonn twice. I was almost as teary as Hanna as we lifted off of German soil because we both knew she would not be back. It caught me off guard to walk through the airport where I, too, will have to leave the place I love, the place I've found a second home, for a long time. It's been an emotional couple of days. It kills me that I'll have to end this trip to Finland with a goodbye to Hanna...it's one of those things that you're not sure how you'll survive, but you just have to trust that tomorrow you'll still be breathing, still be eating up chocolate like it was going out of style...still be living. And not just getting by, but living. I don't want to live my new life in Madison just waiting for the next opportunity...I want to live in the moment. But then, I guess I'm getting ahead of myself and I can't be perfect anyway.
So anyway, in Finland so far we have basically just recovered from last night/six months worth of traveling/not having a home and watched TV on the couch. We met up with Viivi, Hanna's Finnish friend and walked around Helsinki. Helsinki reminds me of a city that's caught in a countryside. There's a beautiful bay here with cattails and lots of greenery. We sat at a small café and drank Finnish tea and ate Finnish pastries and listened to the rustle of the grass. A little windy and chilly, but totally reminicent of being at a cottage...out of a city. It's crazy that there are only 500,000 people in Helsinki, and only 5,000,000 people on Earth speak Finnish. I'm trying to learn a few words but I have been told it's not going so well...
Alright, enough for now, time to enjoy a bedtime snack with my ladies. I will post more later about this experience.
So anyway, in Finland so far we have basically just recovered from last night/six months worth of traveling/not having a home and watched TV on the couch. We met up with Viivi, Hanna's Finnish friend and walked around Helsinki. Helsinki reminds me of a city that's caught in a countryside. There's a beautiful bay here with cattails and lots of greenery. We sat at a small café and drank Finnish tea and ate Finnish pastries and listened to the rustle of the grass. A little windy and chilly, but totally reminicent of being at a cottage...out of a city. It's crazy that there are only 500,000 people in Helsinki, and only 5,000,000 people on Earth speak Finnish. I'm trying to learn a few words but I have been told it's not going so well...
Alright, enough for now, time to enjoy a bedtime snack with my ladies. I will post more later about this experience.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
dia academicus
well, everyone went to Heidelburg today, which looking back on it I totally regret not going. Hopefully some time in the future I can go back...
But, I must say it was nice in Bonn. Last night there was a huge party held by the Agricultural School. I went with Janina and her friends, all Germans, which was really cool. It was interesting to hang out with all girls...doing what they seemingly normally do. And it was also nice because they spoke German with me, and like...fast, slangy German that I want to learn so it was great. The party was also huge. Apparently, it's supposed to be one of the best "Fachschaftparty"s (big events held by the different schools) and it had lasers and all this craziness...one of the better dancing venues I've been to since being in Europe I'd say. I ended up having to walk about an hour back home though because I missed the last night bus. Wearing new flip flops was probably not the best choice.
The day after tomorrow my adventure to Crete begins. I'll probably not be able to post while I'm there, but I will come back with full details on the drama and the craziness that is Crete. Although I feel like we're hyping it up a lot, I think it will still be fun, enjoyable and possibly a little crazy.
This week has been alright. School as usual, everything really as usual. I've been thinking a lot about what I'll miss from being here when I go home (and thus try to savor every moment of those things) and also what I miss most about Wisconsin. Here's a little list:
Will Miss:
New friends
German
Relaxing/not having much schoolwork
Not having to tip very much
Well-dressed European men
Bonn's beauty
Technological simplicity
Public transportation
Eis/Süßigkeiten
Clubbing/Partying
Kölsch
Do Miss:
Old friends/family
Productivity/meaning in my life
Being able to easily converse with anyone
Target
Mexican Food (esp. Margaritas. And Taco Bell.)
Perkins
Madison's beauty
My bed
New music
Cute little dive bars
Spotted Cow
Wi-fi/3G/Smartphone
But, I must say it was nice in Bonn. Last night there was a huge party held by the Agricultural School. I went with Janina and her friends, all Germans, which was really cool. It was interesting to hang out with all girls...doing what they seemingly normally do. And it was also nice because they spoke German with me, and like...fast, slangy German that I want to learn so it was great. The party was also huge. Apparently, it's supposed to be one of the best "Fachschaftparty"s (big events held by the different schools) and it had lasers and all this craziness...one of the better dancing venues I've been to since being in Europe I'd say. I ended up having to walk about an hour back home though because I missed the last night bus. Wearing new flip flops was probably not the best choice.
The day after tomorrow my adventure to Crete begins. I'll probably not be able to post while I'm there, but I will come back with full details on the drama and the craziness that is Crete. Although I feel like we're hyping it up a lot, I think it will still be fun, enjoyable and possibly a little crazy.
This week has been alright. School as usual, everything really as usual. I've been thinking a lot about what I'll miss from being here when I go home (and thus try to savor every moment of those things) and also what I miss most about Wisconsin. Here's a little list:
Will Miss:
New friends
German
Relaxing/not having much schoolwork
Not having to tip very much
Well-dressed European men
Bonn's beauty
Technological simplicity
Public transportation
Eis/Süßigkeiten
Clubbing/Partying
Kölsch
Do Miss:
Old friends/family
Productivity/meaning in my life
Being able to easily converse with anyone
Target
Mexican Food (esp. Margaritas. And Taco Bell.)
Perkins
Madison's beauty
My bed
New music
Cute little dive bars
Spotted Cow
Wi-fi/3G/Smartphone
Thursday, May 17, 2012
christi himmelfahrt
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| Uni Hauptgebäude |
Needless to say, I successfully checked myself out of the hospital last week with few problems. They gave me some antibiotics (which I have now completed) and some sketchy pain medicine that my dad the pharmacist recommended that I not take as it is toxic to humans. So that was full on interesting. Unfortunately, my experiences with the German healthcare system have not yet fully come to a close. Because I was accepted into Nursing School for next fall, I have to have all these crazy blood tests and TB tests done, which are getting to be a little pricy. It's not covered by the "Kasse" (which is like the socialist pool of money that pays for healthcare here) because I'm not actually sick. But I'm pretty sure these things are still cheaper here when compared to the US without health insurance.
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| Köln Zoo |
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| Post Zoo Chinese Food |
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| Biergarten on the Rhein |
Anyway, I really enjoy my other class. It's just straight up vocabulary, which is immensely helpful. At the end of every day here, I try to name all the vocabulary words that I've accumulated throughout the day. These days it's been mostly Umgangsprache that I've been learning from my friends, which is like slang, which is the most helpful (lets be honest) in everyday conversation. For instance, instead of saying "Mädchen" like we learned in school, here people call girls "Mädels." Never would've guessed. Yesterday I learned "schüchtern" (shy), "an/abtörnen" (to turn someone on/off) and "mist" (crap!). I definitely learned more but those are the three that will probably be added to my workable vocabulary for the day. (yes, this is how my mind works now...sort through words, decide which to stow away, use them).
I've been hanging out with Germans more recently, which I'm totally loving. I still hang out with my Amis but I ate lunch with all Germans two days in a row, grabbed a beer with Janina and some other friends on the Rhein, and last night I went to Köln with Marco and some of his friends. It's nice because I can practice German and they can practice English and I gain a whole new perspective on things much of the time. Last night I had a really interesting conversation about how people from Berlin are really snotty (think: German equivalent of Paris) which I never really heard about. Makes enough sense, I guess, when you think about it. I'm also really excited because Marc asked me to help rep the US at the equivalent of their Study Abroad Fair next week, so I've been assembling some pretty awesome pictures of Madison for that.
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| Beer on the Rhein |
Well, that's about it for my tales from Germany this week. As usual, hope all's well back home!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
bonn: krankenhaus-zeit!
Be careful what you wish for indeed...
I wanted to find out more about European healthcare...but not like this! I came to the Emergency Room on Sunday night here, only to be admitted with some sort of laryngeal edema. Let's start off at the beginning:
Some ERs aren't open on Sunday nights. Is that not one of the craziest things you've ever heard?! How can an Emergency Room be closed?? Well, me, crying from terrible pain and looking like complete shit, and my German friend, Julian, tried three different hospitals before I ended up here. It was a pretty normal experience at that point. The doctors took my blood pressure (which was INSANELY high, thank you crazy pain in my throat) and temperature...but it was ALL IN GERMAN. So, at that point, I realized this was going to be an adventure. I thought, mistakenly apparently, that German health professionals were all good at English, too, and would probably be able to speak with me in English. SO NOT THE CASE. I have spoken mostly German since I've been here, and trying to explain what's ailing me in another language is a whole nother bag of cats, let me tell you. Anyway, I waited in the waiting room for about a half an hour before they called me into see an ENT. Yep, an ENT was randomly on call in the hospital at 2am on a Sunday night. (so that was cool). The ENT told me then after examining my throat that I had severe edema in my throat and that I would have to be admitted for 2-3 days. Two to three days in a foreign hospital? I've never even been admitted at a hospital at home! So, reluctantly, I was escorted up to my new room in the HNO Klinik (Hals, Nase, Ohren = Throat, Nose, Ears) where I was shown to my bed and told to go to sleep. Ha. After a few more IVs of pain meds maybe.
The next morning came eventually, and I slept most of the first day. My friend Amy (the lifesaver) brought me some necessities, including my computer. I had to buy internet for 20 Euro for 10 hours though, so that was kind of a bummer. Anyway. I felt so horrible that whole day that I just kind of curled up into a ball and wished for death. It was made worse only by the fact that everything was in German. Instead of just saying, "OH GOD THIS HURTS, please do something about it!" I had to say "Das tut mir weh! Bitte hilf mir!" which didn't come so automatically at first. Speaking in a different language for me requires some sort of thought for me, which doesn't come automatically when the main concern is that you can't breathe/feel like your neck is going to be severed in two. But, I learned very important vocabulary words like, "my IV needle is pinching me!" (Diese Nadel knarft mich!) "I feel like I'm going to throw up!" (Ich habe übelkeit!) I need pain medicine! (Ich brauche etwas für schmerzen!) And the nurse said I spoke "echtes perfektes deutsch" (really perfect german) so that was nice.
Yesterday wasn't quite as bad, a few more people came to see me, so that was nice to see them all. But most of the day was spent napping and watching the Fox and the Hound. That just made me miss home a lot because it reminds me of Sarah and how far away I am from my family. It's been really hard to be away from home through this, but maybe it's made me a stronger person in general. It's been tough to see the woman I share my room with have her family and friends come and visit, but you know, it's not so bad. I've talked to my parents, kept them in the loop, and hope that they're not too worried about me. It's my mom's birthday today! So HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!
Today has been loads better than the last few. I got my voice back! I ate a bunch for lunch (more than half of what they gave me!! big news!) and I even went for a walk. This hospital is situated on a really scenic hill in Bonn, so you can see the Siebengebirge (7 hills surrounding Bonn) and pretty much the whole city except the Rhein. It was really nice because the trees were super green and it smelled like fresh rain. Also, it was the first outside experience I had in 2.5 whole days so it was refreshing as all get out. Man, I almost wish I had one more day here so I could go on another walk! (Almost). Today was also amazing because so many people came to visit me today! I had a pretty constant stream of visitors from 10:45am until 5pm. I felt really loved and especially great because I could actually talk with them. It was really nice, but I'm SO RELIEVED and happy that I get to go home tomorrow.
Well, wish me luck with getting out of here, trying to explain that I'm well enough to go home in German is going to be yet another hill to climb...
Tschüss!
I wanted to find out more about European healthcare...but not like this! I came to the Emergency Room on Sunday night here, only to be admitted with some sort of laryngeal edema. Let's start off at the beginning:
Some ERs aren't open on Sunday nights. Is that not one of the craziest things you've ever heard?! How can an Emergency Room be closed?? Well, me, crying from terrible pain and looking like complete shit, and my German friend, Julian, tried three different hospitals before I ended up here. It was a pretty normal experience at that point. The doctors took my blood pressure (which was INSANELY high, thank you crazy pain in my throat) and temperature...but it was ALL IN GERMAN. So, at that point, I realized this was going to be an adventure. I thought, mistakenly apparently, that German health professionals were all good at English, too, and would probably be able to speak with me in English. SO NOT THE CASE. I have spoken mostly German since I've been here, and trying to explain what's ailing me in another language is a whole nother bag of cats, let me tell you. Anyway, I waited in the waiting room for about a half an hour before they called me into see an ENT. Yep, an ENT was randomly on call in the hospital at 2am on a Sunday night. (so that was cool). The ENT told me then after examining my throat that I had severe edema in my throat and that I would have to be admitted for 2-3 days. Two to three days in a foreign hospital? I've never even been admitted at a hospital at home! So, reluctantly, I was escorted up to my new room in the HNO Klinik (Hals, Nase, Ohren = Throat, Nose, Ears) where I was shown to my bed and told to go to sleep. Ha. After a few more IVs of pain meds maybe.
The next morning came eventually, and I slept most of the first day. My friend Amy (the lifesaver) brought me some necessities, including my computer. I had to buy internet for 20 Euro for 10 hours though, so that was kind of a bummer. Anyway. I felt so horrible that whole day that I just kind of curled up into a ball and wished for death. It was made worse only by the fact that everything was in German. Instead of just saying, "OH GOD THIS HURTS, please do something about it!" I had to say "Das tut mir weh! Bitte hilf mir!" which didn't come so automatically at first. Speaking in a different language for me requires some sort of thought for me, which doesn't come automatically when the main concern is that you can't breathe/feel like your neck is going to be severed in two. But, I learned very important vocabulary words like, "my IV needle is pinching me!" (Diese Nadel knarft mich!) "I feel like I'm going to throw up!" (Ich habe übelkeit!) I need pain medicine! (Ich brauche etwas für schmerzen!) And the nurse said I spoke "echtes perfektes deutsch" (really perfect german) so that was nice.
Yesterday wasn't quite as bad, a few more people came to see me, so that was nice to see them all. But most of the day was spent napping and watching the Fox and the Hound. That just made me miss home a lot because it reminds me of Sarah and how far away I am from my family. It's been really hard to be away from home through this, but maybe it's made me a stronger person in general. It's been tough to see the woman I share my room with have her family and friends come and visit, but you know, it's not so bad. I've talked to my parents, kept them in the loop, and hope that they're not too worried about me. It's my mom's birthday today! So HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!
Today has been loads better than the last few. I got my voice back! I ate a bunch for lunch (more than half of what they gave me!! big news!) and I even went for a walk. This hospital is situated on a really scenic hill in Bonn, so you can see the Siebengebirge (7 hills surrounding Bonn) and pretty much the whole city except the Rhein. It was really nice because the trees were super green and it smelled like fresh rain. Also, it was the first outside experience I had in 2.5 whole days so it was refreshing as all get out. Man, I almost wish I had one more day here so I could go on another walk! (Almost). Today was also amazing because so many people came to visit me today! I had a pretty constant stream of visitors from 10:45am until 5pm. I felt really loved and especially great because I could actually talk with them. It was really nice, but I'm SO RELIEVED and happy that I get to go home tomorrow.
Well, wish me luck with getting out of here, trying to explain that I'm well enough to go home in German is going to be yet another hill to climb...
Tschüss!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Athens
So my camera's battery died 10 hours into my journey, so I apologize for the lack of pictures here...
Moving on with it, Athens was AMAZING. As much as I liked Rome, I'm pretty sure I liked Greece more. Let's start at the beginning:
Landed in Athens, after a stressful bus ride downtown/eventual taxi ride, we ended up in our hotel. In the Penthouse. Yep, my dad and I enjoyed the top floor of an Athens hotel with a wrap-around balcony. It was pretty awesome except that we were in the "alternative" section of town. By that I basically just mean that the people around were really Hot Topic-y and shooting heroin. My dad and I were given the opportunity to see not one, but TWO heroin addicts shooting up in two separate door stoops. It was freaky.
Anyway, that night we went to a traditional Greek restaurant and I ate the most tender lamb I've ever had in my life and some really nice Halva made from Semonila, different from what we usually have in the states (although later in the trip we did get to try some halva like what we usually have). The next morning we got up bright and early for a tour around Athens; we went to the Acropolis (the big hill where the Parthenon and temples are) and then a really fantastic museum with the sculptures that had been pillaged during the dark ages from those temples. It was fascinating!
After another traditional Greek lunch (kebabs and spinach pie!) we headed down the stunning grecian coast to the Temple of Poseidon. This is the part of Greece I absolutely fell in love with: coast. It was so beautiful, you can see the islands in the background of the clear cerulean Mediterranean Sea. And the sun shined the whole day and it was warm...so wonderful compared to the cold, dreary constant state of almost-rain here in Bonn. My dad and I hiked around the temple, it was built on a small peninsula with rocky cliffs overlooking the sea, which lent itself to easy/fun/beautiful small hikes.
When we got back to Athens proper, we ascended the tallest 'hill' of Athens. Yes, Athens too was built on 7 hills, but when they say hills it's not like it was in Rome, these hills were more huge piles of natural marble. The view was spectacular, you could see the Acropolis with the Sea and the islands in the background and the sun setting over the city. That and the view at sunrise overlooking Israel from the top of Masada were two of the most impressive vistas I have ever seen in my life.
The next day we took it pretty easy, I really wanted to go to an island...so we went to Aegina, the prettiest island closest to Athens. I loved it, we dipped our toes into the icy Mediterranean (that's another body of water for my dad!) and enjoyed Kalamari as the sun set over the water. (Well, I enjoyed Kalamari, my dad ate some fish that was too salty, but hey). We took the ferry back to Athens and then early the next morning flew home to Germany!
Then, as we were walking back to the Hauptbahnhof from lunch, my dad made the astute observation that Angela Merkel was in town that evening to support a candidate for the upcoming elections here in North Rhein Westphalia. So, we met up again shortly after I dropped all my travel stuff back home to see the Chancellor speak! It was cool and I understood most of it. I think really the best part of it was that it encouraged me to look up more political stuff about Germany and inform myself about which party I would belong to if I could vote and so forth. Turns out I'm a strong supporter of "Die Grünen" which is a left-centrist party here. What's really interesting also is that the most conservative party here (the CDU) is to the left of our most liberal party in the US. Things to think about...
So I need to be done with this procrastination, I have class soon and still have some homework to do. My dad left this morning (which was really sad! I'll miss him :( ) and then it's back to business here in Bonn.
Bis bald!
Moving on with it, Athens was AMAZING. As much as I liked Rome, I'm pretty sure I liked Greece more. Let's start at the beginning:
Landed in Athens, after a stressful bus ride downtown/eventual taxi ride, we ended up in our hotel. In the Penthouse. Yep, my dad and I enjoyed the top floor of an Athens hotel with a wrap-around balcony. It was pretty awesome except that we were in the "alternative" section of town. By that I basically just mean that the people around were really Hot Topic-y and shooting heroin. My dad and I were given the opportunity to see not one, but TWO heroin addicts shooting up in two separate door stoops. It was freaky.
After another traditional Greek lunch (kebabs and spinach pie!) we headed down the stunning grecian coast to the Temple of Poseidon. This is the part of Greece I absolutely fell in love with: coast. It was so beautiful, you can see the islands in the background of the clear cerulean Mediterranean Sea. And the sun shined the whole day and it was warm...so wonderful compared to the cold, dreary constant state of almost-rain here in Bonn. My dad and I hiked around the temple, it was built on a small peninsula with rocky cliffs overlooking the sea, which lent itself to easy/fun/beautiful small hikes.
When we got back to Athens proper, we ascended the tallest 'hill' of Athens. Yes, Athens too was built on 7 hills, but when they say hills it's not like it was in Rome, these hills were more huge piles of natural marble. The view was spectacular, you could see the Acropolis with the Sea and the islands in the background and the sun setting over the city. That and the view at sunrise overlooking Israel from the top of Masada were two of the most impressive vistas I have ever seen in my life.
The next day we took it pretty easy, I really wanted to go to an island...so we went to Aegina, the prettiest island closest to Athens. I loved it, we dipped our toes into the icy Mediterranean (that's another body of water for my dad!) and enjoyed Kalamari as the sun set over the water. (Well, I enjoyed Kalamari, my dad ate some fish that was too salty, but hey). We took the ferry back to Athens and then early the next morning flew home to Germany!
So I need to be done with this procrastination, I have class soon and still have some homework to do. My dad left this morning (which was really sad! I'll miss him :( ) and then it's back to business here in Bonn.
Bis bald!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
bonn: realität
Still sick.
Otherwise, things are great. I had my first real large presentation in German today, which was cool. I spoke about Madison and it made me a little homesick (Heimweh!) but I think I conveyed what I wanted to say properly and didn't say um too many times. It's really nerve-wracking though, speaking to a native speaker in their native language...it's different than at home because I feel like I'm one of those poor souls in an ESL class. I guess this revelation sounds dumb but it's so natural for me to speak English, its weird to think that I just know when things sound wrong in my own language. I'll find out the grade by tomorrow I think, which is also a little intimidating because I really want to score well so I can take this German proficiency test, the DSH. If I pass that, I could work/study here for my masters! Public health in Deutschland? A possibility now I guess...
Otherwise, we've been sticking to a quasi-schedule socially. I've been doing pretty well with the whole money spending thing, a convienience store near me sells 1,49 Euro bottles of wine, which really cuts spending down. Pro tips, people, pro tips. We go to Karaoke on Tuesdays, last night Amy and my rendition of "I'll Make Love to You" by BoyzIIMen was pretty remarkable. Here I am, pictured singing my heart out into a bottle Cola/Beer mix, which is kind of gross but actually not so bad when you get down to it. I've been told by a certain former roommate that my singing has gotten better, so I'm not totally wasting my time here, I guess.
But in all seriousness, I feel like I need to come back down to reality. I have a final on Monday in my Intensiv Deutsch Kurs, which I haven't really been studying for because I just try to apply what we learn in every day stuff that I do. For instance, I used two or more expressions that we learned in my presentation, and I feel like that really helped me learn them. Strategies! We're picking our real classes early next week and I must admit I really don't care as much as I should. I should start caring. I'm working on it.
Also, my mom told me that I have a new (2nd?) cousin named Piper! I'm super excited about it. Apparently when I get home I'll have two new additions to my Mom's side of the family...it's so weird to be gone for so long. What happens when people are gone for years?? You miss so much. Also, I was talking today with someone about studying abroad before the age of Internet. Phone calls were so expensive! Snail mail was so slow...how did people do it? I tell you, the human race used to be a stronger willed group of people before all this technology appeared....
Hope everyone in Wisconsin/States/all over the world is doing well, I miss you all!!
Otherwise, we've been sticking to a quasi-schedule socially. I've been doing pretty well with the whole money spending thing, a convienience store near me sells 1,49 Euro bottles of wine, which really cuts spending down. Pro tips, people, pro tips. We go to Karaoke on Tuesdays, last night Amy and my rendition of "I'll Make Love to You" by BoyzIIMen was pretty remarkable. Here I am, pictured singing my heart out into a bottle Cola/Beer mix, which is kind of gross but actually not so bad when you get down to it. I've been told by a certain former roommate that my singing has gotten better, so I'm not totally wasting my time here, I guess.
But in all seriousness, I feel like I need to come back down to reality. I have a final on Monday in my Intensiv Deutsch Kurs, which I haven't really been studying for because I just try to apply what we learn in every day stuff that I do. For instance, I used two or more expressions that we learned in my presentation, and I feel like that really helped me learn them. Strategies! We're picking our real classes early next week and I must admit I really don't care as much as I should. I should start caring. I'm working on it.
Also, my mom told me that I have a new (2nd?) cousin named Piper! I'm super excited about it. Apparently when I get home I'll have two new additions to my Mom's side of the family...it's so weird to be gone for so long. What happens when people are gone for years?? You miss so much. Also, I was talking today with someone about studying abroad before the age of Internet. Phone calls were so expensive! Snail mail was so slow...how did people do it? I tell you, the human race used to be a stronger willed group of people before all this technology appeared....
Hope everyone in Wisconsin/States/all over the world is doing well, I miss you all!!
Sunday, March 18, 2012
bonn: sunday morning
So, it's another Sunday here in Bonn, which means there is absolutely nothing to do. Everything here shuts down on Sundays, which is kind of inconvenient because I can't go shopping for anything I need, get anything to eat or drink...I have to be totally self sufficient and eat all of my food that I bought yesterday, like a squirrel saving up for the winter. This weekend was big, as I mentioned in my last post. John's 21st birthday was Thursday, so we made dinner at his place. We all made dinner last week too, but then there were only 9 people sharing. Thursday I'd say about 20-25 people turned up to eat dinner. We didn't have enough cupcakes to go around, but don't you think those right there are beautiful? They turned out well if I do say so myself. (Sarcasm, hello!) Anyway, Friday night John had a party to celebrate, which was akin to the basement parties I've seen in Madison, but better somehow. It didn't get too suffocating and there was foosball to entertain those losers like me who don't like to dance. Yesterday I spent a good amount of time walking around the city, trying to figure out the most direct path to get to where I need to go without wandering aimlessly. Today I'm working on my homework/Refarat, which is basically a speech that I got to choose the topic on. Naturally, I'm reporting on Madison. I'm excited to go through my computer pictures of home!
As far as struggles go, on Thursday I have an appointment with the German visa people to get my residence permit. I'm excited but also scared because I've been told I need a return ticket home, which I don't have. Not only that but buying one this far out seems really expensive and unnecessary. I also need to buy insurance, but I think I'm just going to purchase some travel insurance like I did when I went to Kenya and pray that I don't get sick. I really need to get that taken care of. Secondly, my German isn't getting as much better as I'd like. I want to expose myself to more German, in Radio and TV form, as well as reading Harry Potter (I bought the 6th book, Harry Potter und der Halbblutprinz) but it's harder than you'd think. I don't have a TV or a radio and since I'm in all classes with English speakers, I really only speak German with Germans, in class or in public, rather than 100% of the time. I also think in Denglish, and sometimes speak that way as well. It'll get better...hoffentlich.
Third issue...I am sick. I came home early last night (think, 9pm) because I just felt drained. Drained turned into super sore throat and fatigue. That became a cough. In 12 hours! I hope it goes away as quickly as it came. I'm just planning of cuddling up with my snuggie, disney movies and homework until someone forces me to leave.
Bis später, alle! Ich vermisse euch sehr!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
bonn...still
It's crazy that I've gotten so used to it here! I love that everything is in German, and today it hit me that when I get back home, everything won't be in German and I'll be in the same boat again without access to anything from here without great difficulty. I love just picking up random newspapers and having them all be in German...it's such good practice! Anyway, this past two weeks-ish has been probably among the best in my life. I mean, actually, it may be the best. Which scares me because I feel like I'm peaking...I'm too young to peak! I wanted to hold out until I was a ripe old 60, but I guess it's okay. I'm literally having the time of my life here. I knew everyone said it would be a blast and yadda yadda yadda but I'm happy to report that this has totally exceeded my expectations so far. There are things I miss about home. There are struggles and there are embarrassing moments, but everyone of them seems to be ten times more amazing here. Maybe I'm just extra peppy and cheerful in mood these days. I don't know. It's like I'm floating around Europe!
What have I been up to? Seeing things in and around Bonn, getting to know the city, hanging out with my friends here, playing euchre, singing karaoke, learning how to order food and drinks without looking like an idiot, falling flat on my ass on the pavement (thank-you cobblestone!), eating German food, speaking German, feeling dumb...the usual. I think what prevents me from finding this whole experience really difficult and scary is the fact that there are 10 other people here from Madison, living this whole thing out with me going through the same crap I am, so no matter how bad or good it gets, I know they're living the same thing I am. That sounds extra corny but I totally dig it.
This weekend is St. Patty's Day/John's Birthday and we got him some winning presents...I'm excited. Today a couple of us girls baked cupcakes in another language...they turned out quite interesting. We also saw a German history museum post 1945 which was FASCINATING. And so well done too, I appreciate great aesthetics in a museum setting, it makes history so much more interactive and learnable. I must admit I was a little drained all day after staying out late playing foosball and singing karaoke (both of which I'm terrible at) and then skyping with Sarah late into the night.
I think it's bed time for me. 9 hours of sleep seems in order...
What have I been up to? Seeing things in and around Bonn, getting to know the city, hanging out with my friends here, playing euchre, singing karaoke, learning how to order food and drinks without looking like an idiot, falling flat on my ass on the pavement (thank-you cobblestone!), eating German food, speaking German, feeling dumb...the usual. I think what prevents me from finding this whole experience really difficult and scary is the fact that there are 10 other people here from Madison, living this whole thing out with me going through the same crap I am, so no matter how bad or good it gets, I know they're living the same thing I am. That sounds extra corny but I totally dig it.
This weekend is St. Patty's Day/John's Birthday and we got him some winning presents...I'm excited. Today a couple of us girls baked cupcakes in another language...they turned out quite interesting. We also saw a German history museum post 1945 which was FASCINATING. And so well done too, I appreciate great aesthetics in a museum setting, it makes history so much more interactive and learnable. I must admit I was a little drained all day after staying out late playing foosball and singing karaoke (both of which I'm terrible at) and then skyping with Sarah late into the night.
I think it's bed time for me. 9 hours of sleep seems in order...
Friday, March 9, 2012
Bonn: Friday Night Update
I just got back from an amazing outing today with the other international students to Marksburg. We drove a lot but it was really okay because we got to tour an actual medieval castle and also a wine cellar where we got to try 6 different types of wine. I only bought three bottles :)
Yesterday I didn't have any afternoon classes, so I made the 35-ish minute journey to Ikea to buy a rug and a lamp by myself. I love traveling by myself, and I must admit it was a little strange to not be with a million other international students again. It was nice though and I got my rug, my lamp, as well as a nice plant that I've named Jebediah. I like it, kind of reminds me of a palm tree, which is something that I seem to always be missing. Would it kill Germany to grow a beach?!
School has been going okay...I feel like my level might be too high for me but if I drop down anymore there's a chance I won't learn anything. I think I would feel better about it if I could just speak the damn language! I can understand pretty much everything if I listen intently, but coming up with words and phrases for myself is SO difficult for me! Sometimes I feel like I'm getting better, others I just feel like I'm dumber than a stump and will never be able to speak German. I think it may also have to do with the considerable lack of sleep...
Monday, March 5, 2012
bonn: classes und sowas
Ok, no pictures tonight. I feel like I've been constantly doing things for like...5 days now. Very little rest, very little time to reflect...just time to do. That's how I kind of imagined Germany would be, just because I want to make the most out of my time here while it lasts. I already feel like I'm racing the clock before I have to go home.
A recap on the freakin' weekend:
On Friday night, a few of us went out and had a small get together at another dorm, which is farther out of town than mine. One of the girls from UW (Amy) and I missed the stop we were supposed to get off at so we got kind of lost in the suburbs of Bonn. It's odd to me that there's a dormitory out in the quietest part of the city. So it goes. Anyway, that night I found myself in a smoky local dive bar (my favorite type!). Saturday we were inclined to take the steep hike up to the top of Drachenfels, which was a castle at one point but now is just ruins. I didn't want to ruin the moment up there with a bad joke, but I did. The view of Bonn from the top was beautiful and worth the hike, and honestly I wasn't that sore afterwords. (lies)
Sunday Amy, Koala and I played euchre at Raina's BEAUTIFUL dorm. She was the lucky recipient of the nicest dorm on campus, complete with automatic lighting/window shades and a stainless steel kitchen. My kitchen doesn't even have a microwave! I guess we have plenty of mold to compensate though. I was pretty awful, but it was my first time playing. After that we spent the rest of the evening at a really chill shisha bar with some Germans and people from places other than Wisconsin where we got to sit on pillows. Machte spaß.
It's weird because when I started this post, I was totally thinking in German and it was actually hard for me to switch to English completely. Even as I type this I'm thinking phrases in German. It's weird to be bilingual, I think especially in the learning/earlier phases because the two aren't completely formed and to me are still fully dependent on each other. I hope I can get to the point where I'm fluent enough to separate the two and not have to translate but rather have German just be intuitive. Dreams be dreams. It's amazing though because after today I'm actually thinking in German! Crazy. It's also weird because when I talk to people here, it's a weird mix of the two sometimes, and other friends of mine also do this. We come out with mutant phrases like, "damn! (pronounced "dahm!") or "morgen is going to be hard" or "ja das können wir machen though."
Today was loooonnngggg. I woke up early to get to the Hauptgebäude for our first class of the term. This month we just have a long, five times a week three hours a day German class and then in the afternoons on Tuesdays and Thursdays we have either one or two other classes that we got to pick. When I got there, they hadn't sorted us into our levels dependent on our scores from that test on Friday (remember, not a piece of cake!). It was nerve-wracking because they put all of our names up on a projector and everyone could see who was in which group. It was especially bad because they called off each and every name, beginning with those who belonged in the easiest class 1 (never took German) all up to the fluent German speakers in the hardest class 14. I started getting nervous, thinking that they had forgotten me. Finally, they called my name and I'm in group 12 of 14. Not too shabby, I'd say, for not having studied at all...
The class itself was probably at my level. It seemed like there were a couple of people there who didn't understand a lick of German or speak it either, but could do grammar and write and read. That kind of bothered me, because what I need to work most on is my speaking skills! I'm fine at understanding, reading and writing (not perfect, I can always use work...) but I really need practice talking. I'm happy. however, because we have the opportunity to participate in Kaffeestunde, where we can just sit around and talk with Germans in the afternoons. I think that'll be most helpful.
Anyway, so the other class which I was forced to pick really quickly and without consulting any descriptions of the classes is called "Meet the Germans!" I wanted to take Theatre, but I couldn't without also taking choir, (NEVER) because I placed into level B 2/2, which apparently limits what other classes I can take. I could only take classes designated for the B and C levels, even though most of my friends are taking the others...bummer. I'll meet new people though, so that'll be great. And I'll be (ideally) learning to speak better German in the process. I'll keep you updated on what exactly "Meet the Germans!" is, but alls I know is that we start tomorrow.
Today was busy in other ways, as well. We had a welcome speech given to us in German by the director of the University. It still astounds me that literally everything I hear from my school is in German. Even more astounding is that I can understand it.
After that, a group of us wandered around downtown and then Amy and I went to meet up with her Bonn Buddy, Alexandra, and we got to take a car (!) off campus into downtown to a really interesting restaurant for drinks (read: hot white chocolate/vanilla) and now I'm home and going to sleep.
You're all caught up now. Tschüs!
ps. BONN IS AWESOME. this city is ideal.
A recap on the freakin' weekend:
On Friday night, a few of us went out and had a small get together at another dorm, which is farther out of town than mine. One of the girls from UW (Amy) and I missed the stop we were supposed to get off at so we got kind of lost in the suburbs of Bonn. It's odd to me that there's a dormitory out in the quietest part of the city. So it goes. Anyway, that night I found myself in a smoky local dive bar (my favorite type!). Saturday we were inclined to take the steep hike up to the top of Drachenfels, which was a castle at one point but now is just ruins. I didn't want to ruin the moment up there with a bad joke, but I did. The view of Bonn from the top was beautiful and worth the hike, and honestly I wasn't that sore afterwords. (lies)
Sunday Amy, Koala and I played euchre at Raina's BEAUTIFUL dorm. She was the lucky recipient of the nicest dorm on campus, complete with automatic lighting/window shades and a stainless steel kitchen. My kitchen doesn't even have a microwave! I guess we have plenty of mold to compensate though. I was pretty awful, but it was my first time playing. After that we spent the rest of the evening at a really chill shisha bar with some Germans and people from places other than Wisconsin where we got to sit on pillows. Machte spaß.
It's weird because when I started this post, I was totally thinking in German and it was actually hard for me to switch to English completely. Even as I type this I'm thinking phrases in German. It's weird to be bilingual, I think especially in the learning/earlier phases because the two aren't completely formed and to me are still fully dependent on each other. I hope I can get to the point where I'm fluent enough to separate the two and not have to translate but rather have German just be intuitive. Dreams be dreams. It's amazing though because after today I'm actually thinking in German! Crazy. It's also weird because when I talk to people here, it's a weird mix of the two sometimes, and other friends of mine also do this. We come out with mutant phrases like, "damn! (pronounced "dahm!") or "morgen is going to be hard" or "ja das können wir machen though."
Today was loooonnngggg. I woke up early to get to the Hauptgebäude for our first class of the term. This month we just have a long, five times a week three hours a day German class and then in the afternoons on Tuesdays and Thursdays we have either one or two other classes that we got to pick. When I got there, they hadn't sorted us into our levels dependent on our scores from that test on Friday (remember, not a piece of cake!). It was nerve-wracking because they put all of our names up on a projector and everyone could see who was in which group. It was especially bad because they called off each and every name, beginning with those who belonged in the easiest class 1 (never took German) all up to the fluent German speakers in the hardest class 14. I started getting nervous, thinking that they had forgotten me. Finally, they called my name and I'm in group 12 of 14. Not too shabby, I'd say, for not having studied at all...
The class itself was probably at my level. It seemed like there were a couple of people there who didn't understand a lick of German or speak it either, but could do grammar and write and read. That kind of bothered me, because what I need to work most on is my speaking skills! I'm fine at understanding, reading and writing (not perfect, I can always use work...) but I really need practice talking. I'm happy. however, because we have the opportunity to participate in Kaffeestunde, where we can just sit around and talk with Germans in the afternoons. I think that'll be most helpful.
Anyway, so the other class which I was forced to pick really quickly and without consulting any descriptions of the classes is called "Meet the Germans!" I wanted to take Theatre, but I couldn't without also taking choir, (NEVER) because I placed into level B 2/2, which apparently limits what other classes I can take. I could only take classes designated for the B and C levels, even though most of my friends are taking the others...bummer. I'll meet new people though, so that'll be great. And I'll be (ideally) learning to speak better German in the process. I'll keep you updated on what exactly "Meet the Germans!" is, but alls I know is that we start tomorrow.
Today was busy in other ways, as well. We had a welcome speech given to us in German by the director of the University. It still astounds me that literally everything I hear from my school is in German. Even more astounding is that I can understand it.
After that, a group of us wandered around downtown and then Amy and I went to meet up with her Bonn Buddy, Alexandra, and we got to take a car (!) off campus into downtown to a really interesting restaurant for drinks (read: hot white chocolate/vanilla) and now I'm home and going to sleep.
You're all caught up now. Tschüs!
ps. BONN IS AWESOME. this city is ideal.
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