You asked...I answer!

Yo!

So, here are the answers to your deep, dark questions:

Q: what are classes like?...format?...

A: Classes are here meet once a week for an hour and a half, and it's ridiculously confusing because you can take them for a grade or for only credits, or for a grade towards a certain major, and classes are worth different amounts of credits. Besides making you want to bash your head against the wall, this ensures that Germany has the highest rate of foreign-student-drop outs.

Rutgers makes it pretty easy for us (the one and only thing Rutgers will ever make easy for us); up to 9 credits transfer to German major/minor, and all classes you take are worth 3 credits so long as you get a grade. To count for major/minor credit in other classes, you just have to get permission from the department after you get back, but all credits will transfer. Which is pretty sweet.

The classes that I'm taking really only require papers, essays and oral presentations. It must really suck for the German students, because they have to take like nine classes a semester or something ridiculous like that, but for us foreigners, it's pretty nice.


Q: anything you don't like about Germany?
A: Yeah, here's a list:

1) not to be stereotypical, but the french kids really aren't that friendly.
2) adjective endings and two-way prepositions make me want to shoot myself in the face.
3) the German love of beverage carbonation. Seriously, who else who carbonates apple juice? Nobody. Because it sucks.
4) that everything (from clothes to food to sunscreen) is way more expensive here.
5) that you can only get four types of salad dressing EVER. three, once you take out yoghurt, because honestly, who puts joghurt on their salad? Nobody. Because it sucks.
6) that you can't cross the street when the little light's not green without somebody going "You really shouldn't do that, my friend of a friend's aunt's cousin twice removed got fined by the polizei for that." Everyone seems to know someone who's been fined, but nobody's actually been fined.
7) how German dialects are practically unintelligible to each other, and completely unintelligibe to me.
8) that 90% of the movies are american with synchronized german voices.
9) that 90% of the music is in English
10) that there's only two busses that go to the Uni. You have never seen a bus packed until you've been here. rutgers people, think double EE times ten. Everybody else, think clown car.
11) German love of collateral. You can't get a drink without having to pay so much extra money that you'll get back only when you prove you haven't stolen the glass.
12) the German 'r'. it's the same 'r' they have in french, and I just can't do the back-of-the-throat-r-madness. I sound like an animal dying, and I get laughed at.

Q: How much has your German improved?

A: Bleh. My program director says it's gotten better, but I think she's lying to me. I think it's gotten worse, if that's possible. Or at least it seems like it has, because you don't realize how much you suck until everybody else talks really really fast and in dialect. Our program director says we have to take alot of time to just absorb, and then you really start talking, but again, I think she's lying. When people are talking to me, I can pretty much understand almost all of what they're saying, but when they're talking to each other, I'm totally lost about 50 percent of the time, mostly lost about 30 percent of the time, and somewhat lost about 15 percent of the time. The other 5 percent of the time, I get it, but only with a five-minute delay in comprehension.

Q: Any more near faux pas from misunderstanding a native German's intent (i.e., prepubescent boys "propositioning" you?
A: Nope, nothing that extreme, but I do get words mixed up all the time and get laughed at. Like the difference between "to move" and "to apply", somehow I get the words mixed up every single time.


Q: Have you gone back to that Aikido school in Konstanz, and has your training experience improved?
A: I haven't, and I'm not sure if I will, I might just hold out for America.


Q: You haven't talked too much about differences in cuisine...how is the German food? Tried any traditional dishes?
A: German food is actually pretty good, I've had one or two regional dishes and I've tried wurst, and that's pretty much it. The ice cream is REALLY good (do we have Straciatella flavor in the US? I don't think so, but it's seriously the best ice cream flavor ever.), and the chocolate is awesome, and I pretty much survive on the yoghurt.


Q: are you still a whore
A: Your mom.


Q: how many historic places have you desecrated by dacing abnoxiously in them
A: None! I'm waiting for a certain retarded friend to get here before I Desecrate By Dance.


Q: did you bring dragon and have you and if so why has he not been in any of your pictures
A: Of course, he's sitting on the shelf staring at me as I write this, and make sure you bring the duck.


Q: did my package ever arive to you
A: No, has it been returned to you? Did you mail it to the right country?


Q: have you met heidi klum and if so have you told her about her stiff compition (that would be me)
A: I met Heidi Klum and showed her a picture of you, and she said you would be a great hidden-potential model. This means that you could be excellent, but only if you're exceptionally well-hidden/not in the picture at all.


Q: Seriously...just how outrageously priced are trebuchets? Do you think you could ship one?
A: http://cgi.ebay.com/Bretonisches-Trebuchet_W0QQitemZ320247830547QQihZ011QQcategoryZ8655QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
This one is only 18.30 Euro, which is pretty decent, I think. Unfortunately, the bidding on this item has ended.

Q: are all germans completely obsessed with weird sex? and like...what kind of weird sex?

A: I don't know (I haven't personally investigated), but the largest monument in the city is a giant statue on the harbor of a prostitute holding the pope and the kaiser. http://www.konstanz-shop.de/shopdata/images/Imperia_Luftbild_530x375.jpg

http://www.oesterreich-radreisen.at/wartung/images/upload/Imperia.jpg

Surely that has to mean something.

Q: and what's up with talking about jews there? is it like not allowed?

A: I honestly don't know. From what I've seen/heard, I don't think it's a taboo topic so to speak, but I don't think that people wake up in the morning and say "You know? I feel like discussing Auschwitz with everyone I know today." I've definitely heard it referenced in classes and such, but as to what people actually think about things, I don't know, it's not something I've asked about. But the Germans are pretty mad tolerant.

Alright, so those were Your Questions Take One! Hopefully that was helpful/you learned some new interesting things. We're off to Stuttgart for two days, so I will see you all Tuesday.

Adios!

P.S. new favorite song: http://youtube.com/watch?v=DtKhFaW2Z1E

What do YOU want to know?

Dear Everyone,

So I keep getting requests for more information on certain aspects of life/activities around here (so far these have mainly been horses and aikido.) But I thought in the spirit of democracy and helping friends procrastinate from studying for finals, I would open up the floor to you: my question, therefore, is what do you guys want to know?

Who's got deep dark questions about anything related to anything relating to my present situation? Whatever you want to know, no matter how mundane, ridiculous or not-child-friendly, I solemly swear to answer it truthfully and in full, cross my heart. I promise to answer anything and everything, no matter what.

Feel free to abuse my trust in your good judgement.

Love,
Me

P.S. Here is Your Quick Insight To German Culture (aka, Quote of the Day):

"Did you ever play hide-and-seek as a kid?"
"Yes, but it would be too easy to play it now."
"Why is that?"
"You would find me in the Biergarten."
"Well aren't you a good German."

I love vodka

Thank goodness for alcohol is all I have to say on the matter. Ears are like 8 billion percent better, and I give Wodka Gorbatschow all the credit. The only downside is that after soaking my ears in the stuff, my entire room smells like a frat party.

Going to Europapark on Friday! SO EXCITED! http://www.europapark.de/lang-en/c51/default.html. Except I don't exactly know what it is, but it looks like something along the lines of Six Flags meets Epcot, but with more Germans.

Had a barbeque over the weekend (and taught the Germans how to roast marshmallows), and grilling again tomorrow with the equestrian team. Bought new shoes today because my other ones fell apart, and the new ones have kangaroos on them, which makes me exceptionally happy.

Hopefully going to Heidelberg and Stuttgart over the weekend.

Out of a complete lack of anything interesting to share with you, I thought I might detail Five Ways I've Changed Since Getting Here. Whatever. It's sappy, and I don't care. It's also 1 am, and I'm high on vodka fumes, and therefore not responsible for my own actions.

Anyway, whatever:

1) I Eat Food
For actually. I seek out salad, I add vegetables to my pasta, and I turn down dishes that don't have enough broccoli in them. I also eat yoghurt like air. Still barely touch fruit, but have definitely made strides in the vegetable aisle.

2) I'm Like 8 Billion Times More Outgoing
Or at least, I think I am. I make friends like everywhere, and I do it in a foreign language. Props to me. I'll pretty much talk to anyone and everyone.

3) The Freak-Out Tolerance Has Been Considerably Upped
Germany loves naked people. Germany loves sex. Germany loves alcohol. Germany loves all of these combined into one after-midnight television show. Tina has stopped noticing.
Really, when you're the only person in the swimming pool wearing something slightly more covering than a speedo (or just wearing something at all), you really become immune to these sorts of things. You have to, or else you'll attempt to drown yourself in the kiddie pool.

4) I've Been German-ofied
At least a little bit. You can't be here for two months without mastering some sweet German moves, like holding onto the traffic light post for balance on your bike while waiting for the light to change, so that you can get across the street two seconds faster (and, of course, you don't jaywalk. Ever.) Also, I sort trash into four (to six) trash cans, knock on the tables at the end of classes, and navigate the labyrinth bureaucracy that is this entire country (which involves the assistance of 8 different offices spread across town, each of which is only open for 2 hours a day, at precisely the same time as all the other necessary offices which are also, conveniently, right when I have class.) Sometimes, I even tell myself that such bureaucracy is necessary for an efficient life, at least until I realize what I'm saying, and then I go bash my head on a wall.

5) I'm Punctual
Like really, really punctual. Like To The Minute sort of punctual. Like If The Bus Is More Than Sixty Seconds Late I Curse The Terrible German Transportation System And Walk sort of punctual. I forsee huge readjustment difficulties in this area when I get back to the US.

Anyway, I promise next time I'll be more creative/tell you something interesting. Adios!

Tina Loses Her Wallet Again, And Other Short Stories Not Good Enough To Blog About, But That I'll Blog About Anyway

To commemorate the one month anniversary (to the day) of losing my wallet, I celebrated by losing my wallet again. Before you all commence freaking out on me, let me tell you the story first:

I was in the laundry room doing laundry (duh), and when I put my waschraum cards back in my wallet, I guess I forgot to put said wallet in my purse. An hour later I realized what I'd done, freaked out, and ran back to the laundry room, but of course the wallet was gone. I immediately made signs and hung them on the door of the laundry room and in the elevator. Twenty minutes of panic later I decided to search the laundry room just one more time. I walked in, and this girl pointed at me and said "Are you the one...?" "Yeah," I said. "Give me ten minutes," she said, "I've got it upstairs."

Thank you Karma.

Thanks to New Colombian Wallet Saving Friend, I got my wallet back. I tried to give her food, but she wouldn't take it. Okay, now you may commence freaking out on me.
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I would like to issue a blanket warning to anyone who may wish to marry (or date or be friends with or avoid) CR in the future, because the girl is a beast in the kitchen, and by beast I mean raging kleptomaniac. Kitchen Klepto (formerly known as CR) managed to hide the oven pans (not the racks this time) so well, it took me a solid ten minutes to find them. Don't worry Kitchen Klepto, as opposed to leaving the oven pans in their convenient kitchen storage place next to the oven, I too think it's a better idea to hide them on the ground in the pantry under the stacks of shelves and up against the back wall where other people have to get down on their hands and knees with a flashlight to find them. This way, when robbers or zombies come, we'll be able to sneak out while they're still trying to find something to bake cookies with.
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Both my ears (especially the one the ladies messed up on) have been red and hurting, and I think they're getting infected. The stupid bottle of drops those ladies made by buy for 2 Euros hasn't been helping at all, and the last thing I want to do is try navgiating the German health care system. So today, on advice from a Slovakian friend of mine, I went out and bought new stuff to put on my ears. Personally, I think the fact that I'm currently soaking the sides of my head in vodka more than makes up for the girly tendencies that lead me to poke holes in my ears in the first place.
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I almost got hit by a pigeon today.
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Beer mixed drinks are actually really good. This is completely unrelated to me almost getting hit by a pigeon.
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Peace out amigos!

New Words

A brief conversation that I had with Sungmi on the bus today:

SM: "You know, you've taught me alot of good English words."
Me: "Yeah? Like what?"
SM: "Like 'sweet.'"
Me: "Okay."
SM: "'Awesome.'"
Me: "Good."
SM: "'I'm going to kick your ass.'"
Me: "Oh."
SM: "'Whore.'"
Me: "Wow, look, our bus stop."

In my defense, it's that whole lack-of-Asian-distinction-between-the r/l thing, and I could only take so much of "Tina, why do you have a whore in your shoe?" before I had to stop and fix it.