To all of those (and I mean you, Rachel) who requested an update, this one if for you.
Summer is a fading memory, getting lost in the warm and fluffy bulk of scarves. Although part of me is sad around this slightly depressing time of year, another part is reveling in the crisp breezes and taut, rosy faces of friends (and myself!). On a whole, summer seemed to offer loads of productive days, whether it be learning German or hiking. Some were taken advantage of, while others were left to fade into the next. My German class went very well, and I feel that, upon finishing, there was a discernible improvement in my language skills. I had made the decision to opt out of the C1 exam this go around, because it seemed too quick, and if it's one thing I am, it is a perfectionist with too high standards. Going to grad school in a foreign language will be hard enough, but with a poor command of that language would be near impossible. I, for one, am not motivated enough to look up every single word during a lecture, so why not try to learn it before the lectures even start, right?
On another note, I am eligible to start my MA (Master's of Arts) in Latin American Studies at the Universität Bern in February. There are none of the stipulations I expected, which makes my life a hell of a lot easier. The program is rather interesting, but also intimidating. Most classes will be in German, with about 20-25% in Spanish. Improving both of these languages is on my things to do over the next few months, but this will prove to no easy task, as anyone who has studied a language before would know. Therefore, I am off to one more round of intensive German courses, while reading Spanish novels at home, trying to work up the courage to crack open a Latin American history book on the side. Here's to hoping this motivation sticks around for more than the duration of this blog post. :)
In the months of non-posting some events have transpired that are worthy of mentioning. My sister came to visit for a week and a half! It was an amazing trip and it was wonderful getting to hang out and talk, which is one of my favorite things to do. We went to Greece and then, most notably, Oktoberfest. Shenanigans ensued. :) This last weekend I spent in Paris with Rachel, drinking mulled wine and discussing language and culture. If it weren't for me losing my voice it would have been a perfect McDonald's eating, wine drinking, nerdy conversation filled weekend.
Now off to down some more pills to try to kill this sickness that settled in my body over two weeks ago. Go antibiotics, go!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Adventures in the Alps
Of late I have felt compelled to get out into the country and explore more of its wonders, which are plentiful. Last Sunday Andri and I decided to go for a hike, my first mountain hike in the Alps. Now keep in mind the only other hike I have truly ever been on was a volcano one in Guatemala in order to see live flowing magma. It was hard and my head was pounding as we approached the top, my feet sinking into the volcanic rock with every step. But I made it. Nevertheless, with this one experience in my mind I was a little tentative about heading back up a mountain. The Niederhorn would be the mountain of choice, as one of its trails was voted most beautiful hiking trail last year. It is located on the Thunersee, one of the most picturesque places in the country. We took the train, then the gondola to the top, and headed on our merry way. Making our way across the mountaintop I saw some of the most magnificent views of the lake, cows engulfed in clouds, and a majestic mountain goat, which from what I hear is quite rare in this area of Switzerland.
We trekked down the side of a steep slope in order to find a trail to the bottom, as I needed to get home to write some things for German class. The next morning as I got out of bed, my legs we so stiff and it felt good to have done something. I hiked my first mountain.
Now cut to a couple days later. I asked my buddy, Josi, if she wanted to go hiking, since I had had a lot of fun on Sunday. She agrees and we plan on hiking up the Niesen. Now I know Josi was a professional athlete (runner) for quite a number a years, so I automatically feel inadequate, but think I can hold up. It was only hiking, right? Well, we arrive at the bottom and need to purchase our tickets in order to come back down the mountain and to be able to determine to which station we needed to send our backpacks. Me, not wanting to come off like the lazy ass I am, tell her it's ok to hike from the bottom to the top. As we start up the path, I realize what a huge mistake I have just made, but there is no way to turn back aka admitting that I suck.
The path is so steep that I can't imagine that anyone can actually accomplish this (the path is even called Steep path). An hour or so goes by and I am sweating and basically trying to make it look like I am not about to fall over dead. In my head I am thinking that there is no way to turn back or stop because we are in the middle of the mountain at this point, so it's full speed ahead. We stop for lunch and it is a nice break from the grueling pace Josi is setting and I am following (better her setting it than me! :D). After another couple of hours I am gettin' in the groove and it actually is starting to feel good to sweat under the shade of the pine tree forest. But after a while we hit the tree barrier. This is the point which basically points out that there is less oxygen in the air, hence trees are no longer able to grow. There may be no trees, but we are still truckin' along like it's no big deal. I can't tell whether or not Josi is winded or even tired at this point, but my lungs are a pumpin' and it is really starting to hit me. We are on the home stretch as we wave to the passing Niesenbahn full of passengers. Little did we know this would be important later on.
We made it to the top! My legs and lungs were burning, but I'll be damned. We did it. Josi looks at the train schedule and it says the next train is due to leave in about 20 minutes, just enough time to have a victory beer and take some pictures. As we enter the restaurant and ask when the next train leaves (one can never be too sure, right?), we are told that it has already departed. Remember that train we waved at? Yeah, that was it. haha. We are then given three options: we can pay 300CHF for a train to come get us, pay 107CHF per person to stay in a crew room, or stay for free in the waiting room with mattresses, blankets, a shower, and heat. One can pretty much guess which option we chose: the free one.
Since we were already on the top of the mountain, the weather was beautiful, and when does this really ever happen, we decided to make the best of it. Josi was a real sweetheart and invited me to dinner, which was wonderful. Then there was flan with raspberry sauce drizzled atop, Apple punch, and green tea while being productive little language students doing our homework. We actually accomplished a fair amount of work in the midst of taking some beautiful pictures of the sunset and lights of the city below. The staff was incredibly nice to us and we plan to send a thank you card to them for all their help.
We arrived late to school the next day, but at least we were able to make it. Josi's husband picked us up at the bottom with a duffel bag full of outfits to choose from and toiletries, which I found incredibly nice. We would have been screwed without him picking us up and would have smelled awful to boot. It could have been a disaster, depending on who I was with that day, but, luckily, it turned unto a great adventure because Josi took it like a champ.
We trekked down the side of a steep slope in order to find a trail to the bottom, as I needed to get home to write some things for German class. The next morning as I got out of bed, my legs we so stiff and it felt good to have done something. I hiked my first mountain.
Now cut to a couple days later. I asked my buddy, Josi, if she wanted to go hiking, since I had had a lot of fun on Sunday. She agrees and we plan on hiking up the Niesen. Now I know Josi was a professional athlete (runner) for quite a number a years, so I automatically feel inadequate, but think I can hold up. It was only hiking, right? Well, we arrive at the bottom and need to purchase our tickets in order to come back down the mountain and to be able to determine to which station we needed to send our backpacks. Me, not wanting to come off like the lazy ass I am, tell her it's ok to hike from the bottom to the top. As we start up the path, I realize what a huge mistake I have just made, but there is no way to turn back aka admitting that I suck.
The path is so steep that I can't imagine that anyone can actually accomplish this (the path is even called Steep path). An hour or so goes by and I am sweating and basically trying to make it look like I am not about to fall over dead. In my head I am thinking that there is no way to turn back or stop because we are in the middle of the mountain at this point, so it's full speed ahead. We stop for lunch and it is a nice break from the grueling pace Josi is setting and I am following (better her setting it than me! :D). After another couple of hours I am gettin' in the groove and it actually is starting to feel good to sweat under the shade of the pine tree forest. But after a while we hit the tree barrier. This is the point which basically points out that there is less oxygen in the air, hence trees are no longer able to grow. There may be no trees, but we are still truckin' along like it's no big deal. I can't tell whether or not Josi is winded or even tired at this point, but my lungs are a pumpin' and it is really starting to hit me. We are on the home stretch as we wave to the passing Niesenbahn full of passengers. Little did we know this would be important later on.
We made it to the top! My legs and lungs were burning, but I'll be damned. We did it. Josi looks at the train schedule and it says the next train is due to leave in about 20 minutes, just enough time to have a victory beer and take some pictures. As we enter the restaurant and ask when the next train leaves (one can never be too sure, right?), we are told that it has already departed. Remember that train we waved at? Yeah, that was it. haha. We are then given three options: we can pay 300CHF for a train to come get us, pay 107CHF per person to stay in a crew room, or stay for free in the waiting room with mattresses, blankets, a shower, and heat. One can pretty much guess which option we chose: the free one.
Since we were already on the top of the mountain, the weather was beautiful, and when does this really ever happen, we decided to make the best of it. Josi was a real sweetheart and invited me to dinner, which was wonderful. Then there was flan with raspberry sauce drizzled atop, Apple punch, and green tea while being productive little language students doing our homework. We actually accomplished a fair amount of work in the midst of taking some beautiful pictures of the sunset and lights of the city below. The staff was incredibly nice to us and we plan to send a thank you card to them for all their help.
We arrived late to school the next day, but at least we were able to make it. Josi's husband picked us up at the bottom with a duffel bag full of outfits to choose from and toiletries, which I found incredibly nice. We would have been screwed without him picking us up and would have smelled awful to boot. It could have been a disaster, depending on who I was with that day, but, luckily, it turned unto a great adventure because Josi took it like a champ.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
German School Strikes Again
Instead of doing my homework, which i desperately need to, I am laying on the couch too discouraged and hot to do anything productive. School is a killer and it's once again taking over my life, but in a good way, I think. The most disappointing thing is that Lori nor Trevor is in my class, so I feel way out of my comfort zone. We received our classes and I am in C1, which, if you have read any of my other posts, means that this is the highest level my school offers. Never did it cross my mind that I would be able to test into this class. Now I am faced with near-native speakers on a daily basis. Three people in my class have gone to high school in Switzerland and have an extremely high level of German, two speak dialect fluently (normal for younger foreigners), one of which one born here. Every time I open my mouth I feel like a failure, but I wasn't moved to a lower class, so the teacher must believe that I belong there. Hence the laying on the couch dilemma: why do homework when I can never be as good as them, so throw reason and trying out the window. Oh pessimism, when you rain you pour.
Work has been going well, but now that school has started again my hours are essentially cut in half. I am completely content with working three nights a week, just enough so I can make a fair amount by the end of the month in order to make a dent in our last credit card. That is the thing about debt, it's there because we chose other things over paying for something and when it is easy to shove to the side for a little while, why not, right? I am a terrible example of this because I bought a new computer with my first months pay, rather than paying on said card. But we really needed a new one because we both own pieces.
Anyhow, in a nutshell the weather is too hot, the class too hard, and I am too tired. It was almost 95 degrees in flippin' Switzerland today. I would expect that in Missouri, but not Bern. Hopefully my next post will be something more interesting and a little more detailed than the terrible attempt I've just made.
Work has been going well, but now that school has started again my hours are essentially cut in half. I am completely content with working three nights a week, just enough so I can make a fair amount by the end of the month in order to make a dent in our last credit card. That is the thing about debt, it's there because we chose other things over paying for something and when it is easy to shove to the side for a little while, why not, right? I am a terrible example of this because I bought a new computer with my first months pay, rather than paying on said card. But we really needed a new one because we both own pieces.
Anyhow, in a nutshell the weather is too hot, the class too hard, and I am too tired. It was almost 95 degrees in flippin' Switzerland today. I would expect that in Missouri, but not Bern. Hopefully my next post will be something more interesting and a little more detailed than the terrible attempt I've just made.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Mom's Besuch
My mom visiting was something that everyone had been looking forward to long before I actually got on the plane to Switzerland. Andri and I thought it would make it easier to leave if there was a set date that we knew we would see each other again, hence my mother's first trip abroad.
I am not going to go into the details of the delayed flight, the terrible service, and no refund policy of United Airlines, but suffice if to say they are bastards. If I were the supervisor that I spoke to on the phone, I would not want to go on living with myself. What a terrible attitude and I can't even think about it without my anger rising up again, so I will just leave it at this: she made it, if a day late. There seems to no point in writing a letter (as this task inevitably falls on me to be accomplished), because they are too big and too heartless and they know it and I know it as well.
Anyhow, she made it! I finally got to pick her up in Zürich and get the show on the road. We did some sightseeing around Bern: the Bärengraben, Rosengarten, and Bundeshaus, among other things. We showed her where Andri works, my German school, and where I would be working over the summer, so that she might be able to know a little more about where I am. She even got to meet Lori, but unfortunately Trevor was out of town, so she was not able to meet him. But we picked Lori up from German school and ate the most delectable gelato the Italian gelato gods have ever conjured up: Nutella, Rafaello, and Kinder Beuno gelato. We then went on to take a little tour of Fribourg, the town where I go to school and for once I was the expert on where to go. Oh, what a wonderful feeling.
A couple of days later we took a train to Vicosoprano, the little village where my father-in-law lives. The trek is long and wide, although one can opt to eat in the dining car, which is what we had decided upon. It's like stepping into the past with the velvet covered seats and old-fashioned lighting and beautiful wood. There was a great local lunch that I was very hearty and filling, but delicious. The Alps along the way are breathtaking and a strip of the journey is considered a UNESCO world heritage site only because of the view. After arriving we all went for a nice hike within the village, then a little more into the Alps. The flowers were in bloom and the fields resembled those in which Julie Andrews frolicked.
There were more than a handful of train rides involved in this trip, but that is what Europe is all about, right? Switzerland has an extravagant train system compared to other European countries, and my mother experienced it full on, with two hours and there, three here, one here, five here. She even got to take the TGV to Paris.
Ah Paris, the city of love. This was a very beautiful part of our trip, as it is one of those places that every girl dreams about. We saw all the great sites, saw Rachel again, ate some great food, and walked a ton in the beautiful weather. This makes it completely justifiable to eat crepes, cream puffs, and French onion soup with more cheese than soup. My mom tried everything we put in front of her or suggested and I think paid off, because food is an important part of a trip as it enriches one's understanding of culture. This is one of the most memorable experiences of my life because I was able to experience it with my mom and Andri, two people that I love very much.
It was sad to see her go, but I know that she had to and that things would be okay. She knows where I am and therefore knows more about my life and can see that I am happy here. Switzerland is my new home, not just another year abroad. And I want to continue making it just that: my new home and share it with the people I love.
I am not going to go into the details of the delayed flight, the terrible service, and no refund policy of United Airlines, but suffice if to say they are bastards. If I were the supervisor that I spoke to on the phone, I would not want to go on living with myself. What a terrible attitude and I can't even think about it without my anger rising up again, so I will just leave it at this: she made it, if a day late. There seems to no point in writing a letter (as this task inevitably falls on me to be accomplished), because they are too big and too heartless and they know it and I know it as well.
Anyhow, she made it! I finally got to pick her up in Zürich and get the show on the road. We did some sightseeing around Bern: the Bärengraben, Rosengarten, and Bundeshaus, among other things. We showed her where Andri works, my German school, and where I would be working over the summer, so that she might be able to know a little more about where I am. She even got to meet Lori, but unfortunately Trevor was out of town, so she was not able to meet him. But we picked Lori up from German school and ate the most delectable gelato the Italian gelato gods have ever conjured up: Nutella, Rafaello, and Kinder Beuno gelato. We then went on to take a little tour of Fribourg, the town where I go to school and for once I was the expert on where to go. Oh, what a wonderful feeling.
A couple of days later we took a train to Vicosoprano, the little village where my father-in-law lives. The trek is long and wide, although one can opt to eat in the dining car, which is what we had decided upon. It's like stepping into the past with the velvet covered seats and old-fashioned lighting and beautiful wood. There was a great local lunch that I was very hearty and filling, but delicious. The Alps along the way are breathtaking and a strip of the journey is considered a UNESCO world heritage site only because of the view. After arriving we all went for a nice hike within the village, then a little more into the Alps. The flowers were in bloom and the fields resembled those in which Julie Andrews frolicked.
There were more than a handful of train rides involved in this trip, but that is what Europe is all about, right? Switzerland has an extravagant train system compared to other European countries, and my mother experienced it full on, with two hours and there, three here, one here, five here. She even got to take the TGV to Paris.
Ah Paris, the city of love. This was a very beautiful part of our trip, as it is one of those places that every girl dreams about. We saw all the great sites, saw Rachel again, ate some great food, and walked a ton in the beautiful weather. This makes it completely justifiable to eat crepes, cream puffs, and French onion soup with more cheese than soup. My mom tried everything we put in front of her or suggested and I think paid off, because food is an important part of a trip as it enriches one's understanding of culture. This is one of the most memorable experiences of my life because I was able to experience it with my mom and Andri, two people that I love very much.
It was sad to see her go, but I know that she had to and that things would be okay. She knows where I am and therefore knows more about my life and can see that I am happy here. Switzerland is my new home, not just another year abroad. And I want to continue making it just that: my new home and share it with the people I love.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Here comes the summer
Let me begin by saying that this last month has been a tad overwhelming. School ending, mother visiting, visiting Rachel, going to a Bavarian wedding, getting a job, and like 39576 other minor things have caused me to 1) not leave the house or 2) leave the house, but only with one set goal in mind, not leaving too much wiggle room.
So, visitng Rachel. We may not have hardly ever hung out while living in the same city, but I’ll be damned, now that we are on the same continent thousands of miles away it becomes clear that hanging out needs to happen (while listening to “Eye of the Tiger,” drinking far too much wine, and taking ridiculous pictures). We went to a fabulous market in the north of Paris, which made me feel as if I were in Mexico or Panama, not in beautiful Paris. There were loads of beautiful antiques, which were way beyond our reach financially, once we left the knock-off shoes and apparel. Paris must have something that screams “Eat American food, now!” because every time I am there, McDonald’s just seems to jump into my mouth without warning. We also made our way down to Chinatown, which looked nothing like I had imagined it. It was all Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, or some other Southeast Asian stores in Parisian-style buildings, which kind of sucked the Chinatown feel out of Chinatown. Nevertheless, there was a giant Chinese store, which seemed a mandatory stop. We riffled through all the lychee and sesame flavored treats, buying only the cheapest ones to try out later that night. All in all I think it was a nice visit, including our fabulous stroll in Montmartre on our own little Amelie tour. Nerds.
Rachel, check. On to the Bavarian wedding. It was really nice to finally meet the other side of Andri’s family. Everyone was nicer to me than I could have ever possibly imagined. And did I mention that they’re all German? Well, they are which made for a great language course of sorts. Besides the bride being incredibly gorgeous, the ceremony was beautiful and made me, for only a split second, wish that Andri and I had done something like that. But then I saw drunken Bavarian guys in lederhosen dancing on tables to accordion music, while girls in drindles brought us even more bottles of white wine at five in the afternoon, and I knew that the party is the most important part. Apparently in Bayern it is a tradition to steal the bride after the cake and coffee and take her and get her drunk, or something. I’m clearly not an expert on the details, but it seemed rather interesting. And there was something so adorable about the way all of the bride’s friends so thoughtfully prepared the reception that almost made me cry. They made a wedding magazine, took pictures of all the guests framed in a picture frame, made postcards for the guests to mail to the couple in the future, painted a giant picture, and then performed hilarious skits in her honor. I loved seeing how genuine their love for her was and how thrilled they were for her and Kevin, the groom, on their big day.
The wedding was in a tiny village that was beyond cute.
I forgot to mention how wonderful German food is and how cheap it is compared to Switzerland. Bliss.
Andri’s paternal side of the family is much bigger than I thought. He has lots of cousins and two very personable aunts, but also uncles and the list goes on, as in any other family. But the thing that was most comforting was they were all real people (not that anyone isn’t, but one thing about the Swiss is they don’t show emotion too often). They laugh, complain, sing, and dance, which is something that I miss about my family. They sat around a table drinking and talking and having a good time. I haven’t felt more at home since being here than at this wedding. I didn’t know anyone, but everyone treated me as if I belonged in their family, as if I was a part of their family.
It was a real confidence booster to be able to speak German for almost a full twelve hours in Bayern. Screw German school, just give me some good conversationalists and some wine and I’m fine. After this night I became aware of the fact that maybe I am kind of good with languages, but maybe I just didn’t have the same educational opportunities as people here, language wise. In the whole scheme of things it doesn’t look like I’m doing too badly at this whole language gig, considering I’m 23 and from St. Joseph, Missouri. I’m trying to adapt my attitude for optimal language learning, but it proves rather difficult. The one thing that erks me is that I honestly feel like if I make a mistake people will put a little red X on that sentence as their brains receive the information. One of my biggest faults is that I can’t deal with doing something half–assed (except blogging, of course). It is simply not something I am not wired to do, and language is no exception. I want to be good at everything, but sometimes it is so egotistical of me to think that I can make flawless sentences after doing some grammar exercises, without speaking. So, as of today (and yesterday and last week and so on) I will try my damnedest to speak German with Andri, because how else is my mind going to learn how to cope with making mistakes without actually creating opportunities to make them?
I have also decided that I will be attending German school over the summer. Seeing as there is no money for it I was planning on forgoing this class, but now that I have a job (that can be cancelled by a summer shower) it seems as if we will be able to swing it. So B2 here I come! Hopefully, I will be able to finish every course available, because the more I am involved with the language the more it becomes apparent that I need more of it. More vocabulary, more practice, more grammar, and more confidence. MORE! Call me greedy, but that’s just how it is. The more I learn the better off I will be with my master’s program (that I doubt more and more each day will ever happen) and my understanding of Swiss German, so any amount of money is considered an investment, because it will pay off in the long-run, or at least this is what Andri and I keep telling ourselves whilst shelling out more money for more classes.
German wedding and German update, check and check. Oh yeah, that whole job thing. Complying with the unspoken law of internet etiquette, I will tell you the good things about my job. It is at the City-Beach Bern and is, you guessed it, beach themed. It is, also, extremely influenced by the weather, which may or may not be a good thing. I have only been able to work two days so far, due to the crappy weather. I’m only doing this over the summer, since it is only open over the summer, but I think it will be a good experience. And any experience working in a foreign country works in your favor, because it gives you a feel for the people and how things work, while boosting your CV.
My mother visiting is the biggest thing that has happened in a while, which is why I am going to leave that to an entry of its own. I swear it will come! Please believe and trust me (although following my past patterns I am not very trustworthy when it comes to blogging).
So, visitng Rachel. We may not have hardly ever hung out while living in the same city, but I’ll be damned, now that we are on the same continent thousands of miles away it becomes clear that hanging out needs to happen (while listening to “Eye of the Tiger,” drinking far too much wine, and taking ridiculous pictures). We went to a fabulous market in the north of Paris, which made me feel as if I were in Mexico or Panama, not in beautiful Paris. There were loads of beautiful antiques, which were way beyond our reach financially, once we left the knock-off shoes and apparel. Paris must have something that screams “Eat American food, now!” because every time I am there, McDonald’s just seems to jump into my mouth without warning. We also made our way down to Chinatown, which looked nothing like I had imagined it. It was all Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, or some other Southeast Asian stores in Parisian-style buildings, which kind of sucked the Chinatown feel out of Chinatown. Nevertheless, there was a giant Chinese store, which seemed a mandatory stop. We riffled through all the lychee and sesame flavored treats, buying only the cheapest ones to try out later that night. All in all I think it was a nice visit, including our fabulous stroll in Montmartre on our own little Amelie tour. Nerds.
Rachel, check. On to the Bavarian wedding. It was really nice to finally meet the other side of Andri’s family. Everyone was nicer to me than I could have ever possibly imagined. And did I mention that they’re all German? Well, they are which made for a great language course of sorts. Besides the bride being incredibly gorgeous, the ceremony was beautiful and made me, for only a split second, wish that Andri and I had done something like that. But then I saw drunken Bavarian guys in lederhosen dancing on tables to accordion music, while girls in drindles brought us even more bottles of white wine at five in the afternoon, and I knew that the party is the most important part. Apparently in Bayern it is a tradition to steal the bride after the cake and coffee and take her and get her drunk, or something. I’m clearly not an expert on the details, but it seemed rather interesting. And there was something so adorable about the way all of the bride’s friends so thoughtfully prepared the reception that almost made me cry. They made a wedding magazine, took pictures of all the guests framed in a picture frame, made postcards for the guests to mail to the couple in the future, painted a giant picture, and then performed hilarious skits in her honor. I loved seeing how genuine their love for her was and how thrilled they were for her and Kevin, the groom, on their big day.
The wedding was in a tiny village that was beyond cute.
I forgot to mention how wonderful German food is and how cheap it is compared to Switzerland. Bliss.
Andri’s paternal side of the family is much bigger than I thought. He has lots of cousins and two very personable aunts, but also uncles and the list goes on, as in any other family. But the thing that was most comforting was they were all real people (not that anyone isn’t, but one thing about the Swiss is they don’t show emotion too often). They laugh, complain, sing, and dance, which is something that I miss about my family. They sat around a table drinking and talking and having a good time. I haven’t felt more at home since being here than at this wedding. I didn’t know anyone, but everyone treated me as if I belonged in their family, as if I was a part of their family.
It was a real confidence booster to be able to speak German for almost a full twelve hours in Bayern. Screw German school, just give me some good conversationalists and some wine and I’m fine. After this night I became aware of the fact that maybe I am kind of good with languages, but maybe I just didn’t have the same educational opportunities as people here, language wise. In the whole scheme of things it doesn’t look like I’m doing too badly at this whole language gig, considering I’m 23 and from St. Joseph, Missouri. I’m trying to adapt my attitude for optimal language learning, but it proves rather difficult. The one thing that erks me is that I honestly feel like if I make a mistake people will put a little red X on that sentence as their brains receive the information. One of my biggest faults is that I can’t deal with doing something half–assed (except blogging, of course). It is simply not something I am not wired to do, and language is no exception. I want to be good at everything, but sometimes it is so egotistical of me to think that I can make flawless sentences after doing some grammar exercises, without speaking. So, as of today (and yesterday and last week and so on) I will try my damnedest to speak German with Andri, because how else is my mind going to learn how to cope with making mistakes without actually creating opportunities to make them?
I have also decided that I will be attending German school over the summer. Seeing as there is no money for it I was planning on forgoing this class, but now that I have a job (that can be cancelled by a summer shower) it seems as if we will be able to swing it. So B2 here I come! Hopefully, I will be able to finish every course available, because the more I am involved with the language the more it becomes apparent that I need more of it. More vocabulary, more practice, more grammar, and more confidence. MORE! Call me greedy, but that’s just how it is. The more I learn the better off I will be with my master’s program (that I doubt more and more each day will ever happen) and my understanding of Swiss German, so any amount of money is considered an investment, because it will pay off in the long-run, or at least this is what Andri and I keep telling ourselves whilst shelling out more money for more classes.
German wedding and German update, check and check. Oh yeah, that whole job thing. Complying with the unspoken law of internet etiquette, I will tell you the good things about my job. It is at the City-Beach Bern and is, you guessed it, beach themed. It is, also, extremely influenced by the weather, which may or may not be a good thing. I have only been able to work two days so far, due to the crappy weather. I’m only doing this over the summer, since it is only open over the summer, but I think it will be a good experience. And any experience working in a foreign country works in your favor, because it gives you a feel for the people and how things work, while boosting your CV.
My mother visiting is the biggest thing that has happened in a while, which is why I am going to leave that to an entry of its own. I swear it will come! Please believe and trust me (although following my past patterns I am not very trustworthy when it comes to blogging).
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Avoid Diaper Pants...PLZ!
We need to get the word out. Please do not let your daughters, friends, girlfriends, or anyone you truly love purchase these. You will be saving them lots of money and lots of embarrassment (although at the same time depriving them of being able to hide small objects in their pants).
This is something that makes an ever reoccuring statement: just because it is sold in stores, does not mean that you need to buy it.
This is something that makes an ever reoccuring statement: just because it is sold in stores, does not mean that you need to buy it.
Monday, May 10, 2010
My First Visitor
So it has been awhile since I have written, and I apologize. Hopefully I will keep up with this again, once I get back on the wagon. It is no excuse, but my computer is not exactly in the best of conditions and locks up A LOT, so it is a major motivation killer.
Things have been going well. A couple weekends ago, my friend, Rachel, came to Bern for a visit. I has a really great time just hanging out and talking. It was really nice to be able to show her Bern and my life here, but also just to talk to someone from home. It sounds cheesy and maybe it is(or maybe I am just a big baby), but I really enjoy the fact that she knows St. Joe and Missouri Western and just has a sort of understanding for things that someone who had never been Missouri, let alone the Midwest would never be able to have. Andri busted out the new grill, which he had been wanting to do for quite a while, so a guest was the perfect excuse. We also had boughten a new garden set, which turned out to be a fantastic edition, as the weather was beautiful that weekend. I think Rachel just plain lucked out on the weather, because right after she left it went back to being cloudy and gross. It was her birthday on Sunday and she invited me to come see her and hang out this weekend, as I have a four day weekend (!!). I am very excited to go on a little weekend trip to France and say hello to her and see her place and read some books and chill out.
Also, it was super to have her here, because she is very interested in languages, and has also studies German. She had so many questions and interesting viewpoints about Swiss German. It was nice to be able to talk about it and explain things that actually has an interest in that specific language. Because the more I think about Swiss German it isn't just some hideous dialect of German; it is a very interesting linguistical evolution. And I now have a desire to take a Swiss German (maybe Bern Deutsch) class in order to understand better. Although, the longer I am here the more I can understand. Andri has stopped translating for me (unless I look at him with a WTF look on my face), because I am able to decipher what the Bernese are saying. Andri's dialect is a little harder to understand, although I think it sounds nicer than Bernese. Things are becoming better little by little, as I learn the language little by little. I would love to be able to speak better, but at the same time writing this in English is tasking at times, so imagine me trying to write this in another language-without typos.
That is my biggest problem: being ok with making mistakes with the language. But I can't help it because when I see typos in English I know that I would not be the one making them, so getting an assignment back with corrections (not a ton, but corrections nonetheless) is disheartening. I would love to be able to write a letter or an article in German with no mistakes. But at the same time, when I look at the fact that I have only been here for three months and am already at a level where I am able to have a converation (not perfectly). In three months I have gottent to a level where I am able to read books in German for ages 8-12 or 12+, which may not sound like a lot, but believe me when I tell you that it is. It is hard for me to focus on what I have learned and not on what I have yet to learn, but sometimes I just need to take a step back and realize that I have already accomplished a lot since I have gotten here.
So in order to go to univeristy in Switzerland, one needs to have a Goethe C1 level of German. This means that A1 is the beginner's level and C2 is the highest level of the Goethe language analysis. I am at B1 and we are taking our practice tests for the B1 Goethe exam, which I will not be taking because it is very expensive, but we have to prepare for them regardless, because that is the point of the language courses at this school. We have taken two practice exams already. On one I got a 93%and the second a 95.5%, which is really nice, but I am still not able to write without making minor errors in the letter-writing section of the test.
My plans for the summer were to take a B2 class, but with the other plans Andri and I have it is looking like that won't be possible. I have now decided to do the B2 studying on my own at home. The books and activity books will cost abotu 100 CHF compared to the thousands spent on a German course. Since I won't be taking any of the Goethe exams besides C1 it won't matter if I any prepared to take a B2 exam, which is the concentration in the classes at my school. I should be able to learn the grammatical concepts on my own. Andri said that he would make a four hour block a week to answer my questions and check my work. Hopefully it will work out how I want. Hopefully, when I take the proficency exam at the the beginning of the next semester, I will test into the C1, not B2.
My mom will be here in three weeks, which makes me very excited. I can't wait to show her Bern and where we live and introduce her to everyone. She is getting excited too. We are planning on going on going to the Alps and taking the mountain train to the Jungfraujoch, one of the most famous peaks in the Alps. I have yet to go on the mountains here, so I am really excited because you can't live here (or visit) without seeing the famous Alps. That is something the Swiss love: their beloved Alps. Hence all the skiing, snowboarding, and hiking.
I will try to keep up with this better than I had been.
Things have been going well. A couple weekends ago, my friend, Rachel, came to Bern for a visit. I has a really great time just hanging out and talking. It was really nice to be able to show her Bern and my life here, but also just to talk to someone from home. It sounds cheesy and maybe it is(or maybe I am just a big baby), but I really enjoy the fact that she knows St. Joe and Missouri Western and just has a sort of understanding for things that someone who had never been Missouri, let alone the Midwest would never be able to have. Andri busted out the new grill, which he had been wanting to do for quite a while, so a guest was the perfect excuse. We also had boughten a new garden set, which turned out to be a fantastic edition, as the weather was beautiful that weekend. I think Rachel just plain lucked out on the weather, because right after she left it went back to being cloudy and gross. It was her birthday on Sunday and she invited me to come see her and hang out this weekend, as I have a four day weekend (!!). I am very excited to go on a little weekend trip to France and say hello to her and see her place and read some books and chill out.
Also, it was super to have her here, because she is very interested in languages, and has also studies German. She had so many questions and interesting viewpoints about Swiss German. It was nice to be able to talk about it and explain things that actually has an interest in that specific language. Because the more I think about Swiss German it isn't just some hideous dialect of German; it is a very interesting linguistical evolution. And I now have a desire to take a Swiss German (maybe Bern Deutsch) class in order to understand better. Although, the longer I am here the more I can understand. Andri has stopped translating for me (unless I look at him with a WTF look on my face), because I am able to decipher what the Bernese are saying. Andri's dialect is a little harder to understand, although I think it sounds nicer than Bernese. Things are becoming better little by little, as I learn the language little by little. I would love to be able to speak better, but at the same time writing this in English is tasking at times, so imagine me trying to write this in another language-without typos.
That is my biggest problem: being ok with making mistakes with the language. But I can't help it because when I see typos in English I know that I would not be the one making them, so getting an assignment back with corrections (not a ton, but corrections nonetheless) is disheartening. I would love to be able to write a letter or an article in German with no mistakes. But at the same time, when I look at the fact that I have only been here for three months and am already at a level where I am able to have a converation (not perfectly). In three months I have gottent to a level where I am able to read books in German for ages 8-12 or 12+, which may not sound like a lot, but believe me when I tell you that it is. It is hard for me to focus on what I have learned and not on what I have yet to learn, but sometimes I just need to take a step back and realize that I have already accomplished a lot since I have gotten here.
So in order to go to univeristy in Switzerland, one needs to have a Goethe C1 level of German. This means that A1 is the beginner's level and C2 is the highest level of the Goethe language analysis. I am at B1 and we are taking our practice tests for the B1 Goethe exam, which I will not be taking because it is very expensive, but we have to prepare for them regardless, because that is the point of the language courses at this school. We have taken two practice exams already. On one I got a 93%and the second a 95.5%, which is really nice, but I am still not able to write without making minor errors in the letter-writing section of the test.
My plans for the summer were to take a B2 class, but with the other plans Andri and I have it is looking like that won't be possible. I have now decided to do the B2 studying on my own at home. The books and activity books will cost abotu 100 CHF compared to the thousands spent on a German course. Since I won't be taking any of the Goethe exams besides C1 it won't matter if I any prepared to take a B2 exam, which is the concentration in the classes at my school. I should be able to learn the grammatical concepts on my own. Andri said that he would make a four hour block a week to answer my questions and check my work. Hopefully it will work out how I want. Hopefully, when I take the proficency exam at the the beginning of the next semester, I will test into the C1, not B2.
My mom will be here in three weeks, which makes me very excited. I can't wait to show her Bern and where we live and introduce her to everyone. She is getting excited too. We are planning on going on going to the Alps and taking the mountain train to the Jungfraujoch, one of the most famous peaks in the Alps. I have yet to go on the mountains here, so I am really excited because you can't live here (or visit) without seeing the famous Alps. That is something the Swiss love: their beloved Alps. Hence all the skiing, snowboarding, and hiking.
I will try to keep up with this better than I had been.
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