It’s Been a While

I’m quite sad now. I finally got around to doing a long, updated post. And then, like every writer does at some point or another, I accidentally deleted it when I meant to save it. Simply awesome. So here we go again (though I have to work tomorrow so this will probably be much shorter!)

I feel like being a college student is an ever going cycle. Because I am in college I have no time to travel, but if I didn’t go to college, I wouldn’t be able to get a job; therefore, while I might have the time, I wouldn't have the money to travel! I know college will help me in the long run, but being stuck back in my home town while sick with the travel bug stinks!

I love the reaction I get whenever I tell people I fluently speak German. They ask me to say something in it and their response is always, “But you’re a sweet, innocent girl! How could something so scary sounding be coming from you!?” Maybe it’s because I’m a linguistics person, but German has never really sounded scary to me… though I will say I do sometimes think Germans decided how to spell words by randomly choosing 31 letters out of a hat. A perfect example would be words like

Höchstgeschwindigkeitsbegrenzung.

Believe it or not, this means ‘maximum speed limit,’ and I actually have used it in a normal conversation (and conveniently enough it has exactly 31 letters).

Random Person: What you speak German!? Say ‘Hello!’

Angie: …Hallo.

Never gets old.

So let’s see, what’s new!? I have somehow managed to get straight A’s so far this semester (for all you Germans out there,that means I’ve gotten 13, 14, or 15 on all of my Prüfungen so far), and I’m also the German tutor. I absolutely love doing this because not only do I (apparently) get to help people improve their German grades (I’m quite altruistic at heart), but I get to teach people about strange German words and expressions such as ‘geil.’ While the Germans may be EXTREAMLY efficient in both their language and the way they run their country, they somehow made the mistake of making the word for ‘awesome’ and ‘horny’ be the same thing. After answering a difficult  question correctly, one of my German students said, “Ich bin so geil,” and while he intended to tell me “I am extremely awesome,” he actually informed me that he is, in fact, extremely horny. After correcting him, he thanked me for my ‘kindheartedness,’ rather than me allowing him to walk up to a group of Germans this summer during his internships and inform them of his ‘horny-ness.’

*Explaining a topic in math*

Angie: Ach ja! Das stimmt!

Ali: What does stimmt mean…?

Angie: It’s like… ‘agreed’ in German.

I’m also an active member of the Political Science Club at my college (this would be a great time for me to post photos, but my camera has still not been located ), and I would encourage everyone (whether you are American or not) to keep updated on the presidential election happening this November!

Conveniently enough, one of my managers (at my second job) speaks some German. The only downside to this is if I’m ever upset around him, he can usually understand the (inappropriate) things I’m saying under my breath. And I should really get out of the habit of answering the phone in German while at work too…

Despite going to school for 19 hours a week ( a college student is considered to be a “full time student” at 12 hours a week) and working 25-30 hours a week, I still manage to have time for fun with my best friend… even if we are a little strange at times.

Hope you all have a nice week, und Deutschland, ich vermisse dich so unglaublich sehr!

Phineas and Ferb

My younger brother has been sick the past few days, so in my free time (or rather, in time I could be doing productive things but choose not too) I have been watching television with him to keep him company and today while we were watching Phineas and Ferb, one of the characters randomly starting speaking German. Phineas and Ferb was already an epic show, but the random German simply made it the coolest Disney show ever.

Achso

Despite the fact that I have been back in California for over a month now, almost two months at that, I still speak German daily. More importantly, I speak German daily at the least helpful times imaginable, such as during my Spanish course, or in my Speech course. While certain German words try and sneak into my vocabulary, the phrase, “Ach! Achso!” has simply actually become English according to my brain.

Angie: “Ach! Achso!”

Daniel: “Angie, what does ‘Achso’ mean?”

Angie: “It’s like… ‘Oh, I understand’ for lack of better wording…”

Daniel: “Oh. It sounds like a**hole. “

School has really gotten into full force, hence the extreme lack of writing here on this blog, I’m taking 19 units this semester. For all of you who aren’t familiar with the American University System, that means I am in school for 19 hours every week (a ‘full time student’ is someone with 12 units) and the ratio is 1:2 so for every hour in class, I’m supposed to have two hours of homework. It takes up a lot of my time. Not to mention I’m a German tutor this semester and I have a second job at a retail sports store on the side. If only there were Germans coming in, though conveniently enough my manager (at both of my jobs actually) is in fact German.

(This is my best friend Rita and myself… if there is one nice thing about being back, it’s getting to see Rita again.)

I’m currently pursuing an International Relations degree (isn’t every ex-exchange student? ) with a major/minor (I have yet to decide) in German and/or Spanish. I also joined the Political Science Club, the Honors Society, and the Rotaract club at my college today, so I’ll (hopefully!) be able to stay up to date on events around the world and I’ll be staying up to date with Rotary projects through Rotaract!

Summer could not come sooner… if everything goes as planned, I’ll be headed back to Germany!

Deutschland, ich liebe dich!

P.S. My camera has mysteriously disappeared… it’s quite sad.

Exchange Students: Opening Doors

Having the same first name as the German chancellor while living in Germany and BEING American at the same time sometimes makes me feel like I’m trying to commit social suicide. Luckily enough, I go by my nickname and pronounce it the English way (in German, it would be pronounced Onn-Gaay, so ‘Angela’ is pronounced like On-Gaay-Lah) and have lost my American accent enough when speaking German to where people don’t even assume I’m from the states anymore, but rather England, and after saying certain words, some people even think I’m German. Being associated with Angela Merkel, especially at the beginning of the year, has gotten me into some interesting political conversations that I couldn’t really respond to because I didn’t speak German. To give you an idea of the opinion of the German chancellor, the title of this week’s Time Magazine is “Why Everybody Loves to Hate Angela Merkel: And Why They’re Wrong.”

This past weekend I had my formal going away party/my host-brother’s coming back party/ a ‘lets-get-everyone-we-know-together’ party called ‘Bratwurst und Bier.’ All my extended host-family relatives, three of my host families, my friends, and the Rotarians from my club where there (not to mention some other people as well) and we got to enjoy some of the only sun we’ve seen this summer while eating delicious German food and playing ping-pong. Trust me, it was a lot more fun than it sounds.

Angie: Blegh. I speak German like a teenage boy.

Leo: Well, if I come to California, I’ll speak English like a teenage girl.

My best friend Leo always knows how to make me feel better. Due to the fact that most of my friends are teenage boys, I speak German like one, but at least if Leo ever comes to California and learns English from me, he’ll speak like a teenage girl.

Being an exchange student opens so many doors. From Sunday to Wednesday a friend of mine from Belgium who was an exchange student in my home town in California two years ago came and visited me and stayed with my host-family here in Germany. He doesn’t speak any German, and switching from German to English and then back to German again made me beyond exhausted, I took a two hour nap everyday he was here, but it was still fantastic to see him and to catch up. It’s cool having friends on just about every continent. I always have a place to sleep!

Angie: “Hey Mom! What’s up?”

(Biological) Mom: “Oh hey Deanna, give me a sec, I’m putting some things in Angie’s room.”

Angie: “Mom… it’s not Deanna.”

Mom: “Well then who is it??”

Angie: “Well lets think. Who else calls you Mom?”

I decided to be a ‘good daughter’ and call my mom this week because I have only called her once since coming to Germany (though we have skyped on occasion) and I couldn’t remember the last time I had actually talked to her, but not only did she confuse my voice with her best friend’s, but she couldn’t even guess who it was at first! Maybe I have a sister I didn’t know about…

Tuesday my friend came over and we backed American cookies with my host-family. I somehow got five boys to all cook in peace and harmony together, and to actually look like they were enjoying themselves at the same time. I would give you my secret, but even I don’t know what it is. Even one of them openly admitted that “Men love to cook.” We even got it on video.

Wednesday my host-mom and I took a trip to IKEA. I don’t really know why, but going to IKEA in Europe always seems to be a big deal to people, they wander through the store and afterwards eat the ‘American-style hotdogs.’ There was a special, you could buy one hot dog for €2, or you could get a coke, ice cream and a hot dog for €2. Don’t ask me how that worked out, but nevertheless it was a good deal.

Not only is Germany behind on their music scene, but the music that actually makes it here is generally speaking… quite terribly. A perfect example of this song is the new Carly Rae Jepsen song “Call Me Maybe.”

Call Me Maybe–Carly Rae Jepsen

Now, my friends and I always fight about whose better, Elmo or the Cookie Monster from Sesame Street. I have and always will be an Elmo lover, but this next video gave me a soft spot for the cookie monster as well.

Share It Maybe–Cookie Monster

I should probably go back upstairs and help my friends, they really have no idea how to prepare and cook a turkey, but until then, have a great week, and everyone who was somehow a part of me becoming an exchange student, thank you very much.

Germany Stole My Heart

I don’t feel like I’m from another country anymore… let alone the other side of the world. I mean really, think about it, “the other side of the world” just sounds so far away! Sometimes when I think about California, it feels like I dreamt everything up and it never actually happened, it was all just one very long realistic dream. I was just magically born with the ability to speak fluent English despite growing up in Germany… that must have been it! I don’t even remember not being able to speak/understand fluent German, and that only started about six months ago… My friends and families in Germany have become lifelong friends and blood family, I don’t remember it being any other way. Even when I speak about my “mom” my friends always have to clarify, host mom one, two, three, four, one of my ‘neighborly-mother-figures’ or my biological mom, I can’t even say my “real” mom anymore, because all these wonderful women are like mothers to me in different ways. I guess that’s what having a ‘worldly family’ means.

 

Germany’s ‘summer’ is very confused. Last week, it started raining harder than I’ve ever seen it rain in my life (and after living in Germany for a year, that’s actually saying something) so of course, being the ‘big-kids’ my best friend and  I are, we decided to go outside and play in the rain. It’s one of the many Germany memories that, not only will I never forget, but will always be one of my favorites.

 

Germany lost last week against Italy in the Europe Cup, and while it was depressing, I think every one was glad to see Spain CRUSH Italy in the final. Apparently Germany is notorious for making it to the half-final and then losing. I feel like the entire country went into a depression for a couple days after the loss, strangers smiled at each other even less than usual (which even I didn’t think was possible) and Germany went back to it’s unpatriotic self. Nevertheless, I still smile whenever I see a Germany flag flying high and proud.

 

Friday night my friends and I got together… not really for any purpose other than the fact that we’re friends. We planned some things for my going away party, and laughed until we cried while simply babbling on about anything imaginable into the wee hours of the morning. My friends here never cease to make me smile, whether it’s because they actually say something funny, or I simply don’t have a clue about what their talking about… it doesn’t matter, I can’t remember a single unhappy memory with them. Everyone needs a group of friends like the German boys who ‘adopted’ me.

 

A few blog posts ago, I went on a nice little rant about how impossible it is to find normal underwear in Germany, and while I FINALLY found some on Wednesday when my friends and I went shopping to ‘celebrate’ the fourth of July, it didn’t matter because on the third of July I received a lovely small package from my (biological) mother who sent me underwear after having read ‘said’ blog post. My host-mom thought it was really sweet that my mom sent me something for the fourth of July… and then saw I only got a package of underwear, she probably thinks I’m weird now. But that’s alright, she wouldn’t be wrong in thinking so.

 

And speaking of the fourth of July:

 

(Jeeze this week was packed!) Wednesday was also the “abistreik,” which basically means the graduating class ‘went on strike’ so instead of having class, everyone was outside and we played strange beach related games because the graduation motto this year is ‘Abikini.’ (Abitur is the ‘German graduation from high school, so the motto also somehow fits into something ‘Abi’ related.) When I got to school and saw the entire place before the school was COVERED in sand, all I could think was, “I feel bad for whoever has to clean this up.”

 

And finally yesterday was the Abiumzug… there are no words in any language to describe how epic an Abiumzug is, so enjoy this video from yesterday’s amazingness.

Hameln, Germany Abiumzug 2012

 

Of course there we’re lots of other interesting things that happened this week, but not only was this post already long enough, but I’m about to head out to my second-host dad’s/Grandpa’s birthday party… so have a good week, und Alles Gute zum Geburstag Opa und Achim!

 

P.S. Angie’s Odyssey has officially reached it’s goal of having over 10,000 views, thanks everyone for supporting the blog!

Goodbyes Are Never Easy

“Schreiben ist küssen mit dem kopf.”- Gut Gegen Nordwind

If I were to write a list of the things I will miss about Germany, I think I would title it, “The Never-ending List.” The people, the scenery, the way Germans spread a minimum of 2 centimeters of butter (or Nutella, or cheese…) on every piece of bread before eating it… I’ll even miss the things I don’t like about Germany, like how seemingly nobody has tried burritos before, or how Germans seem to drive faster than the speed of light. Germany has become home, and watching my exchange student friends go home one by one… reading on Facebook that they’re home safe, and thinking they’re no longer a train ride away, has been one of the hardest parts of exchange. When I left California, I had no idea who or what was waiting for me in Germany and I knew I would return to California’s presence in a year so it was ‘no biggie’ to leave, I was ready to experience the world. But I don’t know if I’m ready to remembrance California again. But that’s too bad for me because I don’t have choice.

Saturday was the district conference in Göttingen so all the exchange students still in Germany went down to the south of Lower Saxony where we all got together one last time as group. We sung two German songs at the conference for the Rotarians, gave speeches about our exchanges, and had one last night together. It’s weird to think how crazy we all are… but it’s a bond we have. We all individually decided to take a year away from ‘our’ lives and go to a country we’ve never been to, with people we’ve never met, and a language we didn’t speak, but it was still the best decision of all of our lives.

Sunday night I went out with my Rotary Club President (dankeschoen!!) and his lovely wife to dinner and to see the hilarious well-written play “Gut Gegen Nordwind” (“Love Virtually” in English). After seeing the play, I read the reviews about the English version, but I’m really curious as to how they could have been so outstanding because the play was based basically on German wordplays. If nothing else, it will be something to read when I get back.

This week was actually rather exciting, Tuesday was the ‘Sportfest’ at school (where of course my camera was acting up so I didn’t get any pictures out of it), and I got ice cream with an old friend on Wedneday and went rock climbing. Of course there are more details from these events, however; I should be getting back to packing my suitcase. I move to my fourth and final (surprise!) host-family on Sunday (no worries, I’m still on great terms with my 3rd family!), but before I do, I simply have to add, GERMANY IS UNDEFEATED IN THE EUROPEAN SOCCER CUP SO FAR AND PLAYS TONIGHT AGAINST GREECE! If the caps there don’t show it enough, I am beyond excited… not to mention I love how patriotic everyone in Germany has become since the start of the tournament!

“Writing is kissing with the mind.”- Love Virtually