It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

It’s been a few weeks of crazy here, hence my now too familiar silence! I’ve been working and playing hard in equal measure.

My group presentation was a bit stressful to organise. There was a bit of confusion about where exactly we should be meeting. In hindsight, agreeing to meet at ‘Uni-Café’ was a bad idea, as some people ended up going to the café actually called ‘Uni-Café’ and the others went to the café in the uni. Definitely a face palm moment. We only managed to all meet up together the day before the presentation, but it seemed to work out ok. I was happy enough with how the presentation went, though it’s hard to tell when it’s in another language!

There was then a week of way too much work and not feeling too well, though thankfully I’ve pretty much recovered apart from my usual shoulder problems. I’m off to see a doctor later today about that, which should test the limits of my German!

Since my presentation I’ve also met a lot of new people, which of course means lots of adventures to new places. Freiburg is an amazing place to live, if purely for the reason that it’s close to so many other places. This week I have been to Europa Park, Strasbourg and Stuttgart. Not bad huh?

Europa Park was awesome. Although I was a little disappointed that some of the rides were closed I have no regrets about going during the winter season. Sure it was freezing, but the atmosphere was indescribably perfect with all the beautifully extravagant Christmas decorations, and best of all, there were no queues! I think the longest we waited to get on a ride was 10 minutes. We went round the whole park, and still had time to go on Blue Fire 4 times. We could probably have gone at least twice more but decided it was time for a Glühwein (mulled wine) instead.

On Saturday I had choir practise all afternoon, as we have a concert next week. The guys made us lunch during the break and after we all headed to the Christmas market in Strasbourg, which is the oldest in France I believe. It is clearly a very popular one to visit. It took us a very chaotic hour to find a parking space, during which we attempted to follow the French rules of driving – i.e. no rules, which involved crossing many a tram track without warning of whether or not there was a tram coming, circling the same square at least 6 times, and losing someone who jumped out of the car and almost got into a fight with some French people. At least the market was nice. Though I think we spent more time looking at one big Christmas tree, while waiting for the others, than we did actually looking at the market. Compared to the German markets there was also a significant lack of food stalls, which to be honest, is the main reason I like to go there! The company is what really made it a fun experience. On our way back to the cars, we wanted to go to an Irish bar to warm up. The Germans joked that I should instinctually know where to find one. I did : P

Well….truthfully I just remembered from the last time I was there, on the European Studies trip last Easter. But they didn’t need to know that!

 I think I will try and get involved in more groups after Christmas, because it really does help to make you feel more at home and to meet more German people. It is all too easy here to just befriend other international students and speak English all the time, which is a shame, as there are few better opportunities to improve your language skills.

Yesterday, myself and 8 others went to Stuttgart for the Christmas markets. We started with the traditional German market in the city centre, and somehow managed to spend 3 hours there. We came across many curious sights such as the Schwäbisch singing moose head, creepy puppets, and what can only be described as fruit condoms. We ended up hiding out in a Finnish tepee, drinking Gloggi beside a campfire. Afterwards we hopped on the S-Bahn to Esslingen, which is an older part of Stuttgart, for the medieval Christmas market. This is definitely my favourite one. When I lived in Stuttgart I think I went there at least 4 times. Evening is the best time to go as the combination of flaming torches and people dressed in costume, lends to the illusion of having stepped back in time. After purchasing some ye olde style falafel, and potion-like bottles of absinth, we made a quick stop off for some Christmassy flavoured hot chocolate on the way back to the train.

This week I’m going to the double-feature premier of the Hobbit J Though I only realised after my flatmate booked the tickets that it will be the German version, so it will be interesting to see how much I understand. Good thing I’ve read the book! On Friday there’s talk of possibly going skiing. Then on Saturday it’s the concert in the afternoon and a huge birthday party in my flat in the evening. Looks like I’m in for another exciting week!

It's all uphill from here

My sincerest apologies for my constant neglect. I’ve been busy having fun. Fun doing what you ask? To be honest I don’t really know, but it’s been an enjoyable few weeks at any rate. 

I guess I should backtrack all the way to Halloween. Germany doesn’t really celebrate Halloween. Neither does any other country outside of the UK and America. But student towns are always the exception. After some last-minute experimentation with face paint we ended up in StuSie bar for the night. I fear that StuSie bar will forever be the ‘go-to’ place as it’s literally just around the corner. Some day I hope to actually make the 15 minute journey into the centre and discover somewhere new.

As for Grammar class…. Well somehow I got put into the top class. I seriously have no idea how. Clearly I’m better at guessing than I thought. My advice for anyone who does the ‘Einstufungstest’ – if you don’t know it, don’t guess it, or you’re going to end up like me and way out of your depth. I managed one class before asking to change to a lower group. I mean, I was actually able to follow that one class, but I didn’t fancy my chances for the rest of the semester, considering everything in the teacher's plan was new for me and old news for everyone else. The middle group is definitely at a more realistic level, even if the pace is too slow.

In other news, I joined a choir. It’s great. Though as per any social activity in Germany, drinking is also involved. Who would have thought? More surprisingly though, some other activities here even involve nudity. Like Ultimate Frisbee! I have yet to go to a training session, but I’m definitely curious to try.

Today I decided to make an investment in some good shoes. All Germans seem to have good shoes. It’s just a shame that they are so expensive. All clothes here are expensive! I actually had my friend bring me over a coat and some boots from the UK because it was cheaper than getting them here. Oh well, hopefully more money means better quality… Also, the one thing I don’t think I will ever be able to get used to here is the lack of 24/7 shops. All supermarkets close around 10. And everything is closed on Sundays. It’s a real test of my organisational skills to make sure I actually have food to eat. I mean, I think it’s a good thing that people here don’t work ridiculous hours, or have to do the night-shift, but it drives me crazy when, at 10:05, I get a craving for Lebkuchen (the most amazing gingerbread-type biscuits ever) and am unable to do anything about it.

A friend came over from Northern Ireland to visit me last week - we ate lots, we drank lots, and we had a lot of fun ;) All in all, a pretty awesome week, and my flatmates finally got to hear what a real Northern Irish accent sounds like. It’s fun when someone comes to visit because I get to rediscover all the things I take for granted here; like the amazing food, the lack of people walking around in trampy tracksuits, and public transport that is actually on time. Not too mention the stunning views of the Black Forest. However, in the process it was slightly less fun to rediscover just how unfit I am. Shame all these beautiful views lie at the top of very steep hills, though I suppose it’s as good an incentive as any to make it to the top.

On Saturday we were brave enough to walk all the way to the top of "Germany’s highest waterfall" in Triberg. It was breathtaking, figuratively and literally. 

We also spent way too much time in the ‘House of 1000 clocks’, trying to find the silliest hat and the most expensive cuckoo clock.

Sunday was one of the best days I’ve had since I came here. A few of us headed to Titisee to ‘Badeparadies’ – a giant complex filled with waterslides, saunas, heated pools and palm trees. Although less than an hour away, we were all stunned to see that it was snowing there. Generally I’m not a big fan of snow, but for once, it provided the perfect setting. Chilling outside in the 33degree pool, drinking cocktails, overlooking the snow-covered forest… I can’t even begin to describe how amazing it was. Inside was also pretty epic. We went on every waterslide possible, including the freefall, which was quite a challenge for me considering my immense fear of heights. But I’m glad I did it. Though a word of warning for the boys – remember to cross your legs!

It was quite difficult going back to class again this week, almost like coming back after a holiday. I guess I also felt a little lonely, which didn’t help. But life goes on, as they say, and I’m already up to my eyes in homework, particularly French… my love for the language is definitely dwindling. Next week, I have my first big group presentation for one of my German culture classes, about the European Parliament. That will mark the beginning of the end I feel. After that it will be constant grammar tests and presentations until Christmas. Then after Christmas I have exams… Or at least I think I do. Unsurprisingly they have made that overcomplicated too. Apparently I need to register for my exams, but no one has explained how to actually do that, or whether there is an alternative to the normal written exam for Erasmus students, such as a spoken exam. At least by the end of this semester I should hopefully know how everything works for the next one…..with emphasis on hopefully.

It's been one week

Well I survived my first week of classes and all I can say is thank goodness that my first impression was a one-off and not indicative of the rest. Thankfully, with the exception of that first history lecture and one rather tricky German grammar test, it's all gone quite well and I was actually able to follow the majority of what the lecturer’s were saying. I shan’t count my blessings yet though as a few of those were just overviews of the courses. The real hard work starts this week! Though, I’ve already been given French homework. Typical.

Generally, it hasn’t been too difficult making the transition from English to German, though I’m definitely becoming more aware of the areas I need to work on, asides from extending my vocabulary. That being said, the combination of tiredness and complex topics does occasionally tend to make me revert to English but that’s normal. It would be highly unrealistic to expect to speak fluently already. Improvement happens gradually and subtly until one day you have that ‘eureka’ moment. As of yet, I don’t think my German has really gotten any better but I’m hoping once grammar and writing classes start that will change. For now I’m content to just learn silly colloquial expressions. There’s nothing more surprising for a German than for a foreigner to turn around and say “Ich muss meinen inneren Schweinehund überwinden”. This is now one of my favourite sayings. It literally translates as “I have to overcome my inner pig-dog”, which somehow then means ‘I need to stop being so lazy’ or possibly even ‘I need to fight my inner couch potato’. I think couch potato is probably the best match. The mental image is equally as bizarre.

For anyone who understands German, I somehow stumbled across this song on the subject:

For everyone else:

And so it begins…

So I had my first lecture today. Bit of a shock to the system. I was expecting to get an overview of the course like we do in Dundee, so I was more than a little surprised when 20mins in I finally realised this was not the case and that I should have been paying more attention. Though, saying that, it took me a while just to get used to processing what the lecturer was saying. I’ve never really struggled to hold a conversation in German, but when someone is talking for 2 hours straight it is really hard to follow because you just don’t get the little breaks you need for your brain to figure out what you’ve just heard. That, and European state theory in early modern times is something I would struggle to follow in English!

Oh well, I’m glad to say that I did understand significantly more in the second hour, which was definitely a relief. There were less textbook definitions and more explanations put into context. Though, I’m now realising that I might actually have to put a bit more work into personal research if I want to keep up.

Also, I was highly amused at the end of the lecture when everyone started knocking on their desks… like as an alternative to clapping. Apparently they do it after every lecture. Strange!

Lazing on a sunny afternoon

Disclaimer: Apologies! I honestly didn’t realise just how long it has been since my last post. It’s a good sign that I’m keeping busy, though I guess it means another essay-length post! I will try to keep it short and sweet from now on.

Now where did I leave off? Ah…yes, another trip to Stuttgart! This time with slightly better intentions than just drinking beer at the Wasen ;) I set off on Saturday afternoon, as I was a little tired from our get-to-together the night before. Although public transport here is generally quite expensive I’m quite glad Germany has so many special travel tickets, otherwise I would have spent a fortune already just travelling to Stuttgart. 

Tip for Erasmus students: With a Baden-Württemberg ticket (22euro), for one day you can travel with the regional trains anywhere in B-W. At long last there is also a new long-distance budget bus service (meinfernbus), so book in advance and you get tickets for about 8euro, which works out better if you want to stay a little longer. There is also mitfahrgelegenheit, which is a little like car-sharing, so you can search online if someone is offering a place in their car to whatever town you’re looking to go to. When I lived in Stuttgart, I was able to travel to Berlin and back for only 55euro. So generally good value but it can be rather hit and miss in regards to company. The first time I used it I had to endure 6 hours of silence, occasionally broken by the driver and his sister talking about me when they thought I was asleep. Awkward!

After getting stuck in some horrendous traffic I eventually arrived in Stuttgart around 6:30 and headed to a friend’s place, who had very kindly offered me their couch.  I was spoiled rotten by his culinary skills over the weekend. There are few better ways to start a morning than with pancakes, bacon and maple syrup! After a great dinner, we suited up and headed out to meet up with a group called the Stuttgart Expats. This group was my lifeline when I first moved to Germany. It is a group I found on Facebook of international, English-speaking people living in Germany. They have events almost every week - a great way to meet a lot of new people, and discover different parts of the city. I hate to keep going on about Facebook, but also as an Erasmus student it’s a really good way to make friends, find out what’s going on and get answers to any questions you might have. Toytown is also a good site – it’s a sort of online forum for English-speaking people living in Germany.

It was a nice evening, though a little disappointing that there were so few people left that I actually knew. Though I guess I shouldn’t really be surprised. Most people that I met in Stuttgart were either aupairs, interns, Erasmus students or people in the military; all rather temporary positions. Still, it was good to see old friends again.

Sunday was really quite a lazy day. As much as I wanted to revisit my favourite spots, after 2 weeks solid of socialising I was exhausted! I did head out again in the evening though to meet up with one of my old colleagues. We made Maultaschen (a Schwabisch speciality – similar to giant ravioli), watched some crazy Austrian comedy sketches that I didn’t understand, and then headed out to watch the closing ceremony fireworks at the Wasen.

 It was a lovely evening though my poor friend probably didn’t understand very much of what I what I was saying. I was just so tired that my ability to speak German completely disappeared. It might also have had something to do with speaking too much English in StuSie. There’s a surprising amount of students here who don’t actually speak German, so when we meet up we tend to revert to English unfortunately. I’m going to try harder though to speak in German with those who I know can understand. It’s my, somewhat ambitious, goal to be fluent by the end of my year here!

On Monday I headed back to the school I used to work in – the Freie Aktive Schule Stuttgart. I had such a great afternoon there. Apart from there being a couple of new faces it really felt like I had never left. I loved my job there, and would happily have stayed there had I not been convinced that it might be important to have a degree. I felt really sad leaving the school that afternoon; it was almost like I felt homesick. I had planned on staying on another day, but being emotionally drained combined with being completely exhausted I decided it was best to head back to Freiburg and have an early night.

Sleep definitely helped.  I felt so much better the next day. I can’t even think what I got up to apart from catching up with people so I will skip a few days to my first adventure to the lake at Titisee. Yes first… I really need to get a new sim for my phone so I can use the internet. I am literally lost without Google maps. My problem this time was that there are two stations – Titisee and Titisee Neustadt. For some reason I had it in my head that the lake was in the Neustadt. It wasn’t. Nevertheless, it was nice to walk around the town taking photos, and for once there was actually a little bit of sunshine. 

I missed the train back to Titisee by 5 minutes, so was stuck there for another hour, in which the sunshine decided to disappear. By the time the train came I was cold, hungry and tired so decided to give up for the day and head back home.

I was not to be defeated though! The weather was beautiful on Friday so I decided to try again. This time I found it, somewhat irritatingly easily. After investigating the many amazing products available from the Schwarzwald (Black Forest), I hopped on a boat tour of the lake. It was lovely to just sit back, relax and admire the beautiful scenery.

That evening we invited the rest of the house to join our flat and make pizza from scratch. I made my first ever pizza dough, which was incredibly fun in a rather slimy, gross way. I think in the end there was about 20 people who joined in, and at least 10 pizzas. Apologies but I was too hungry to take photos! :P

Yesterday was another heavenly day; blue skies and about 24degrees J It finally dawned on me that I hadn’t actually explored the lake park which is directly beside Stusie. 

I was surprised at how nice it is. I’m really looking forward to Spring/Summer, and being able to lie on the grass and study by the lake. Well, minus the studying part. I was also surprised at seeing a couple of naked men sun bathing beside the water. Definitely was not expecting that! I didn’t deem it appropriate to take photos. Though I did find this:

Determined to make the most of the sunshine I then met up with Rob and took the cable car up to Schlossberg. 

We hiked up the forest to the big tower there, and then, after many pauses were I freaked out about being high up, we eventually made it to the top of the tower. I’m glad I conquered my fear. My photos don’t really do it justice but the view was stunning.

Today the good weather ran out, so I’m back at Café Extrablatt by the river. Tonight will just be a relaxed evening watching movies, as classes start tomorrow! Along with the general anxiety that I might not be able to understand, I’m still feeling a little uncertain about my timetable as I could only sign up to half my classes online. And I had to pay for French which I was not happy about. As for the other half, after talking to as many people as possible, including emailing the lecturers themselves, I think that I just have to show up to the first lecture of each. Hopefully there I should be able to enrol properly. If not…well…pray it doesn’t come to that!

Wish me luck!