Hi, all!
Just a forewarning: I'm already having a hard time switching my brain back and forth from German to English so if this is at all awkward, let's blame it on that. Anyhow, I'm loving everything here--the people in my program are great, my host family is great (although I move out today and into dorms and then in 2 more weeks into an apartment), the food is delish and I'm definitely staying busy. I played soccer with some of the kids from my program last week but we're really trying to find some Germans to play with. Hopefully that will happen once classes at the FU (Freie Universitaet Berlin) start in April. Meanwhile I'm running and we have to walk alllll over the place--things are especially bad because the U-Bahn (=T in Boston) is on strike and apparently it is the longest strike in history here. Needless to say, unpleasant, but the S-Bahn station that I commute to has many varieties of chocolate croissants and I feel sure there's no need for explanation there.
Today we toured the Reichstag and earlier this week we went to the Opera. Both beautiful, however the Opera was REALLY hard to follow. In terms of my schedule, we're doing a language class right now which meets from 9-1ish Mon-Thurs and then we do cultural things on Fridays (i.e. Reichstag)
I'm talking to some people in my group about getting tickets to see Hertha Berlin play so hopefully that will also happen soon once everyone gets settled down. The apartment finding process is stressing everyone out! The good news is, playing soccer is an in with everyone here and if all goes as planned, one of my classes this semester will be something along the lines of "how fussball structures the culture in europe." Ok, it's more interesting and articulate in German but my memory has failed me and I am a bad translator!
Anyhow, I am going in search of Kindereiier (delicious chocolate eggs with toys on the inside...my host mother laughs at me because they are geared towards small children) and they're on sale at this one store. I also need some notecards to study for my first TEST. Missing all of you all and thinking of you--I'll try and post again soon!
**I tried to upload a picture but I can't get it to work...next time