Laura goes to Germany. . .

We finally got back to Berlin on Tuesday, September 25. We played house with our gracious hosts Juliana and Beno, who took us to the grocery store and made us a delicious pasta dinner. After we spent one night crashing in Beno’s apartment, I wandered out to Potsdam to visit the design students studying there. I’m hoping to get a more thorough visit in during Thanksgiving, but I was anxious to settle in Würzburg and stop lugging my bags around.

Laura goes to Würzburg. . .

Last Thursday, I got to Würzburg in the afternoon. My roommate Rebecca, who studies political science at another University here, met me at the train station. She also plays handball, which I found out is nothing like the handball we play in the U.S. Here, it is basically like indoor soccer, with two goals, two teams, and lots of running, but you use your hands. On Friday, I met some of my classmates, Claudia, Denise, and Max along with some of their friends. Claudia made dinner and afterwards I went out for the first time in Germany. I learned “hammer” is the best way to say something is awesome in German. Everyone here says they are embarrassed about their terrible English, but I am amazed and grateful that they all speak it so well.

It seems I am fated to be here, since I am in the Sanderau district, on Sanderring street, right near the main road, Sanderstrasse. It's all a little eerie, and sometimes I feel I will wake up and find out I have just been dreaming what I think study abroad would be like. My flat is adorable and full of IKEA, and I have a balcony that looks out on the park across the street. Its also about a minutes walk from the school, a cool supermarket “tegut,” and the main road that goes through town. So far, I’ve spent a lot of my time in tegut trying to figure out what things are and how I can cook them, since I had trouble with this in English grocery stores.

My first meeting with the dean here, Professor Uli Braun, was on Monday. He took me out on the balcony of his office to show me the gorgeous view of the city. While he was explaining things, I rested my hands on the wire on the railing, something I guessed would be harmless. I quickly found out it was actually electric wire when large shock went through my hands. I was embarrassed by my stupid first impression, but Uli joked with me and said in the morning when he doesn’t have his coffee, he will come outside and do the same thing. The professors I have met so far seem like they are very interesting and will all have different things to offer me.

Last night, I enjoyed my first night at the German cinema watching the new Jodie Foster movie in German. Luckily, there was enough action that I could basically figure out what was going on. I’ve decided I just need to watch several predictable movies in German to pick up on the language. Another strategy Rebecca and I have come up with is labeling everything in the apartment in English and German in post-it notes, and that way we can learn from each other. Everyone is telling me how easily everyone picks up German, so I’m just hoping I’m not the slow one that breaks the trend.