Today was a good day. I’m still working on catching up on my sleep (going to the Disko didn’t really help…) so I slept in until noon. I had planned on walking around campus for awhile—exploring and taking pictures, but it was raining. Again. Yesterday was the only day that I’ve seen the sun shining, and I guess that made me optimistic for a walk today, but the Deutsches Wetter (the German weather) was back. For breakfast I had Brot mit Käse, ein paar Mandeln, und Apfelsaft (bread with cheese, a few almonds, and apple juice), and it was delicious. After that, I just relaxed—I haven’t really done any relaxing since I got here, and I really needed it.
At 4:30 Carina picked me up and took me to her home for dinner with her parents, her sister and brother-in-law, and her boyfriend. It was interesting because Carina and her sister were the only ones that spoke English (well, kind of—I learned that Carina’s boyfriend can speak English but chooses not to because he doesn’t like it). Once again, I am so glad that I came into this knowing some German. I was actually able to hold a decent conversation with Carina’s family—she would just translate the difficult words. Coming to Germany has made me so much more confident in my German because I’ve discovered that I do know enough to communicate with people and quite a few native speakers have complimented me on my German. Carina told me that Americans usually butcher the word order, but that I’m actually very good at it. Knowing that makes me more comfortable speaking German, and then I learn more—it’s a very positive cycle.
Carina’s mother was so nice. She told me to make a list of things that I need in my room and to bring it next time I come, and they would lend those things to me—it was so sweet and helpful. Anna’s family did the same thing yesterday. Anna went home yesterday for a week, and she is bringing back posters for my walls and also an armchair for my room. There is this stereotype that Germans are rude and stand-offish, but it’s all lies. At least that has been my experience so far.
Dinner was amazing! Carina’s mom made typische Deutsche food—potatoes, red cabbage, and meat rolled up with different stuff inside: pickles, onions, mustard, etc. It was delicious!!!!! Every time I eat, people tell me that I don’t have to eat it if I don’t like it, but German food is so good! After I told Carina’s mom that the food was very good, her father said that there is no good American food, and it made me laugh :-) For dessert we had berries cooked with liquor and covered in pudding, and it was also delicious.
After dinner, Carina, her boyfriend, and I played Phase 10. It was cool because the game was German, and all of the phases were written in German, so now I know some card playing terms—Drilling (three of a kind), Vierfolge (four in a row), sechs in eine Farbe (six of the same color), etc. We spoke German and ate chocolate the whole time we played, and I honestly felt completely at home. Everyone at home should know that I have very good people looking out for me here and there is absolutely no reason to worry about me (although I know some of you still will).
I’m off to bed now. Tomorrow is my first day of Sprachkurs (language class) so I will have an early start. I’m excited about the class—meeting the other students and improving my German, but Carina told me that I’ll probably be bored because I’ll probably already know most of it. I’m still excited :-)
Tschüss!
Here are some photos:
In the Disko: Anna is on the left, Carina on the right
You can see the Dortmund Fußball stadium from my room
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