I have some advice for everybody who may ever go abroad/learn another language. Whenever anybody approaches you with a question/suggestion, think of me and just say "Ja." I have found that by just saying yes to everything, I've met/seen/been some pretty kickass people/things/places.
Note: The only thing you do not say "Ja" to is fifteen year olds trying to pay you for sex. Because I know that was the first thing you all thought of.
Examples of things you say "Ja" to: Tina, want to try this crazy German food that looks gross and probably tastes worse? Ja. Tina, want to go to Munich this weekend? We're leaving tomorrow. Ja. Tina, want to come to this equestrian team dinner party? Actually, I don't. What I want to do is stay home and do laundry and take a shower so that I'll be clean to go to Switzerland tomorrow. But "Just Say 'Ja'" policy dictates that I say "Ja," so, Ja. Whatever. Alright.
So I went, and I'm glad I did, because it was AWESOME. I only meant to stay for an hour and I wound up not leaving until almost midnight. The more I keep showing up, the nicer people are. Plus I learn some really interesting new words, like tonight I got specifically sat down and taught the various slang words for "sex" and "blowjob." Lovely. And no, I'm not filling you in. This story ends here. From here on out, I have no idea what you're talking about.
But what I found vaguely entertaining is how once you get alchohol into people, then they correct your German. Like tonight, I said something, and one girl said to me "What do you think that means? Because I don't think it means quite what you think it does." Are you kidding me? I've been in this country a month and I just get informed of this now? So basically, I've been making a fool out of myself for a month and nobody's set me straight until today. But gracias.
One kid also insisted on practicing his English with me, and he was trying to describe an "unfortunate condition" to me, but didn't know what it was called in English, and this is how the conversation went:
"Wait, what's the word? What's the word in English that I'm looking for?"
"Sober."
"Sober! Can you spell it?"
"S-O-B-E-R."
"Ahh! Sober! Sober! Sober!"
*random other girl*: "Speak to her in German!"
"I'm practicing my English, and I just learned a new word: sober!"
"Sober? What the hell does that mean?"
Can we discuss a little bit how I taught intoxicated Germans the English word 'sober'? Is nobody else struck by the irony and hilarity of this situation?
I love Germany!
Some added advice for anybody who may be studying abroad/learning another language: Do not bike home in the dark without a bike lamp and with any amount of alcohol in your system. This is not a good idea. That makes two things you shouldn't say "Ja," to, but only two things.
13 April 2008
12 April 2008
Mittelalterlicher Markt, Mohawks and Mix-Ups
Today we all went to Radolfzell for the Mittelalterlicher Markt (The middle ages market). If you can imagine it, picture Renaissance Faire meets church flea market meets punk rock emo wrist-cutting concert. If all three of these things could get together and having babies, their spawn would be a German attempt at a period market with bad dancing.
So minus the sad lack of dancing skills, it was actually quite fun. Everyone was dressed in very creative costumes; one kid had furs on (read: a dead fox slung over his shoulder. Which technically constitutes as having furs on, but still, it was a fox. A dead one. And it was staring at me.), and one kid had a really kickass pirate hat that I was jealous of. I made friends with the sword people and with the almond selling lady, and tried to make friends with Really Cute German Dude With Mohawk, but was unsuccessful. Other than not, not much really happened. People kept asking us where we were from, and then practicing their English on us which was funny for like a minute and then was just annoying.
Equestrian team party in like an hour, and then Sankt Gallin (again) tomorrow to see Hamlet (WOOT!) Not sure if it's in German (I hope it is), and sorry for the weird language mix last post, I blame 3 straight hours of actively speaking German and then coming home and trying to write in English. Sorries. Better luck next time.
OH! PS! I got asked if I was British?
Spanish Count: 10
Italian Count: 1
British Count: 1
So minus the sad lack of dancing skills, it was actually quite fun. Everyone was dressed in very creative costumes; one kid had furs on (read: a dead fox slung over his shoulder. Which technically constitutes as having furs on, but still, it was a fox. A dead one. And it was staring at me.), and one kid had a really kickass pirate hat that I was jealous of. I made friends with the sword people and with the almond selling lady, and tried to make friends with Really Cute German Dude With Mohawk, but was unsuccessful. Other than not, not much really happened. People kept asking us where we were from, and then practicing their English on us which was funny for like a minute and then was just annoying.
Equestrian team party in like an hour, and then Sankt Gallin (again) tomorrow to see Hamlet (WOOT!) Not sure if it's in German (I hope it is), and sorry for the weird language mix last post, I blame 3 straight hours of actively speaking German and then coming home and trying to write in English. Sorries. Better luck next time.
OH! PS! I got asked if I was British?
Spanish Count: 10
Italian Count: 1
British Count: 1
11 April 2008
Tina's Patented Friend-Making Skills (tm)
Kreuzlingen SUCKED. It was so wie Konstanz, aber kleiner, dirtier, and Swiss. Auch war ich ganz allein, weil alle meine Freunden backed out because of the weather, because they're lame. Trotz des Wetters, I decided to go anyway, but I just kind of vaguely sauntered up and down the main street (and it wasn't even RAINING) for like 20 minutes, looking for something cool (which there wasn't). I found a gift shop, but it turned out to be some strange middle-eastern place, and when I saw the belly dancing gold sequined bras, I was so out of there. And if anybody from Philly makes a crack about that, I will personally see to it that you get beat. In short, Tina was in Switzerland for a grand total of 23 Minuten before she got completely fed up with the place and crossed back over the border.
Meine Passpartnerin Maggie invited me to her birthday party, so ich hab for the last 3 Stunden Deutsch gesprochen. And with Tina's Patented Friend-Making Skills (tm), I went in there knowing nobody and came out with 2 new Italian friends and 2 deutsche Freunden. Also, my Italian friends hab mir gesagt, dass ich schon gut deutsch kann, so take that Psycho Bitch of a German Teacher. I think my German is better als a month ago, but I'm starting to have a really hard time distinguishing between what I understand in conversations, and what I pretend I understand. (And I know that sounds ridiculous but that's the way it is.) On another more random note, the one italian friend also told me that if he hadn't heard my accent in German, he would have assumed I was Italian, because I look it. Spanish Count: 10. Italian Count: 1. Portuguese Count: 0.
And die Welt ist klein, weil my new Italian Freund was roommates with my German boy roommate (Newest Roommate). And other Italian friend knows one of the girls from Rutgers who studied abroad here last spring. Crazyness!
We were supposed to go to Heidelberg tomorrow, but all my friends decided to be lame again and back out because it's supposed to rain. I'd go by myself, but it's like 100 Euro, und mit dem "Schoenes Wochenede" Ticket kostet es nur 27 Euro fuer fuenf Leute. Oh wells. Morgen we have to think of something interesting to do, or I'll be hardcore mad.
Anyway, adios amigos!
P.s HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEN!! Go home and get your present wench, it's mad sweet!
Meine Passpartnerin Maggie invited me to her birthday party, so ich hab for the last 3 Stunden Deutsch gesprochen. And with Tina's Patented Friend-Making Skills (tm), I went in there knowing nobody and came out with 2 new Italian friends and 2 deutsche Freunden. Also, my Italian friends hab mir gesagt, dass ich schon gut deutsch kann, so take that Psycho Bitch of a German Teacher. I think my German is better als a month ago, but I'm starting to have a really hard time distinguishing between what I understand in conversations, and what I pretend I understand. (And I know that sounds ridiculous but that's the way it is.) On another more random note, the one italian friend also told me that if he hadn't heard my accent in German, he would have assumed I was Italian, because I look it. Spanish Count: 10. Italian Count: 1. Portuguese Count: 0.
And die Welt ist klein, weil my new Italian Freund was roommates with my German boy roommate (Newest Roommate). And other Italian friend knows one of the girls from Rutgers who studied abroad here last spring. Crazyness!
We were supposed to go to Heidelberg tomorrow, but all my friends decided to be lame again and back out because it's supposed to rain. I'd go by myself, but it's like 100 Euro, und mit dem "Schoenes Wochenede" Ticket kostet es nur 27 Euro fuer fuenf Leute. Oh wells. Morgen we have to think of something interesting to do, or I'll be hardcore mad.
Anyway, adios amigos!
P.s HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEN!! Go home and get your present wench, it's mad sweet!
09 April 2008
my wallet got turned in!
Hooray!!
Dear jackass who stole my money,
Thanks for shamelessly taking 100 Euros from a broke student. 100 Euros! That's like $160!! But thanks for pretending to be a halfway decent person by turning in everything that wasn't of use to you.
They even took the three swiss fracs I had in there. Seriously? Was that necessary? I kind of hate you, whoever you are. But at least I got all my cards and stuff back, which saves me an infinite amount of time and hassle. The guy at the Fundbuero said normally people turn things in in person, and leave their name and number, but whoever turned my wallet in just shoved it in the mailbox. Because you don't leave your name and number after you take a hundred euros out. And Commerce won't reactivate my debit card and is being completely blockheaded about sending me a new one. I've got an idea, Commerce. Shut up, stop referring to me as "an extraordinary and unusual circumstance" and send me a debit card. Gracias.
So minus this both good and retarded turn of events, I had a pretty good Tuesday yesterday. It was New Hungarian Friend's birthday, so we all went out and I spent like an hour talking with Bald German Dude and Romanian friend about lots of fun things. Bald German Dude told me I have a very strong American accent when I speak English (woot? crap?) and Romanian friend without meaning to completly cleared up Konjunktiv II for me.
For those of you who haven't suffered the endless, boundless joys of learning the subjunctive II in German, it's one of those really lovely parts of the language that makes you want to put a subjunctively conjugated knife through your eye. And Psycho Bitch of a German Teacher was completely unabashed with her horror at my inability to grasp it. But last night while Romanian Friend, Bald German Dude, and I were having a conversation about how German was a hard language to learn, Romanian Friend said simply "You know what I find really hard? Konjunktiv II, where you're in the past tense but talking about the future. Like 'If such and such had occured, than such and such would happen.'"
Ooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. That's what that is? *pulls subjunctively conjugated knife out of eye*
Kreuzlingen tomorrow (didn't make it there the other day), and Medieval Market this Saturday? Where does Germany come up with these things? At any rate, good stories should come about.
Adios!
Dear jackass who stole my money,
Thanks for shamelessly taking 100 Euros from a broke student. 100 Euros! That's like $160!! But thanks for pretending to be a halfway decent person by turning in everything that wasn't of use to you.
They even took the three swiss fracs I had in there. Seriously? Was that necessary? I kind of hate you, whoever you are. But at least I got all my cards and stuff back, which saves me an infinite amount of time and hassle. The guy at the Fundbuero said normally people turn things in in person, and leave their name and number, but whoever turned my wallet in just shoved it in the mailbox. Because you don't leave your name and number after you take a hundred euros out. And Commerce won't reactivate my debit card and is being completely blockheaded about sending me a new one. I've got an idea, Commerce. Shut up, stop referring to me as "an extraordinary and unusual circumstance" and send me a debit card. Gracias.
So minus this both good and retarded turn of events, I had a pretty good Tuesday yesterday. It was New Hungarian Friend's birthday, so we all went out and I spent like an hour talking with Bald German Dude and Romanian friend about lots of fun things. Bald German Dude told me I have a very strong American accent when I speak English (woot? crap?) and Romanian friend without meaning to completly cleared up Konjunktiv II for me.
For those of you who haven't suffered the endless, boundless joys of learning the subjunctive II in German, it's one of those really lovely parts of the language that makes you want to put a subjunctively conjugated knife through your eye. And Psycho Bitch of a German Teacher was completely unabashed with her horror at my inability to grasp it. But last night while Romanian Friend, Bald German Dude, and I were having a conversation about how German was a hard language to learn, Romanian Friend said simply "You know what I find really hard? Konjunktiv II, where you're in the past tense but talking about the future. Like 'If such and such had occured, than such and such would happen.'"
Ooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. That's what that is? *pulls subjunctively conjugated knife out of eye*
Kreuzlingen tomorrow (didn't make it there the other day), and Medieval Market this Saturday? Where does Germany come up with these things? At any rate, good stories should come about.
Adios!
08 April 2008
Switzerland on Sundays
Switzerland!! Not that clean and their German is so retarded and dialect-ed, my roommate rants that it's not even German, and now I know what he means. They're completely unintelligible. But on Sunday we decided to go to Switzerland anyway (because there's nothing else to do on a sunday) and see the opera Carmen. Except nobody told us that it would be entirely in french without german subtitles. So needless to say, we were more than a little lost, and I was doubly confused because my only exposure to Carmen has been the Hey Arnold version I saw in like, fifth grade. Who else remembers that? Here it is:
It was pretty sweet, we ran around Sankt Gallin, and I saw a Mexican restaraunt named US-Mex, which made me laugh for a long time but nobody else got it. Also I made everyone go to Starbucks because I miss caramel apple ciders. Except stupid Switzerland doesn't have those. So I got a vanilla bean frappucino but stupid switzerland doesn't have those either, so I just got a vanilla one. Not bad, but not like Grandma Starbucks back home makes.
Probably the best part of the day though was when we found this big Stadtlounge thing, and normally it's like an outdoor bar/restauraunt/socializing place. But with the crappy weather, it was just a bunch of red astroturf benches and tables which we ran around like fools on:
it was a pretty fun time. other than that, nothing interesting has happened. German horse show was wet, cold, rainy, and not that much fun, but I learned alot. Like how European riders are not always better.
Meeting Marina and her little sister (who's visiting) for breakfast, going to the police station (because there are no good samaritans in germany), and then going (back) to switzerland. there's apparently a giant chocolate factory in Kreuzlingen, which we're going to check out. will let you know how that goes!
adios!
It was pretty sweet, we ran around Sankt Gallin, and I saw a Mexican restaraunt named US-Mex, which made me laugh for a long time but nobody else got it. Also I made everyone go to Starbucks because I miss caramel apple ciders. Except stupid Switzerland doesn't have those. So I got a vanilla bean frappucino but stupid switzerland doesn't have those either, so I just got a vanilla one. Not bad, but not like Grandma Starbucks back home makes.
Probably the best part of the day though was when we found this big Stadtlounge thing, and normally it's like an outdoor bar/restauraunt/socializing place. But with the crappy weather, it was just a bunch of red astroturf benches and tables which we ran around like fools on:
it was a pretty fun time. other than that, nothing interesting has happened. German horse show was wet, cold, rainy, and not that much fun, but I learned alot. Like how European riders are not always better.
Meeting Marina and her little sister (who's visiting) for breakfast, going to the police station (because there are no good samaritans in germany), and then going (back) to switzerland. there's apparently a giant chocolate factory in Kreuzlingen, which we're going to check out. will let you know how that goes!
adios!
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