Out of the bag

Well friends, it's official. I've arranged to transfer my credits, pushed back my return trip, and scheduled classes for the spring semester. That's right: I'm staying in Berlin for the spring term (!!!) I realized at about my second week here that this city and I were having a love affair, and I couldn't bear to think of how fast the fall would fly.

Plus, I'm hoping this will give me the chance to really nail the language. "If your goal is to learn German," my CIEE coordinator/mentor, Ben, told me early on, "you'd be better off staying at least until the spring. By the end of one semester, you'll be just starting to pick it up." I decided to heed his advice, and thanks to my loving, trusting parents, I'm here until late April.

With all these arrangements, I've been super busy and super afraid to tell anyone in case it didn't happen. (And, in this space of time that I've been telling you, I've burnt my toast under the broiler. Look what I sacrifice for you people!) But now the cat's out of the bag, and now you know this is the reason I've been so tardy in my blog posting. Well, that and I'm lazy. I hope you'll wish me well and not miss me too much. (I'm sure my parents are throwing a party as we speak.) I do miss home, but this is something I feel I'd really be missing out on if I didn't do. Hey, carpe diem, right?

Now, about that burnt toast...

Snapshots

Hey! Welcome back! What's that, you haven't visited in a month? What a coincidence, I haven't posted anything in a month! Well, let's let bygones be bygones and get on with it.

I'll be playing catch-up over the next few days. I'm on my week-long fall break, and instead of gallivanting around Europe like the rest of my comrades, I'm having a "stay-cation" of sorts in Berlin--sleeping in, watching movies, and really getting to know the city like I always say I will but never do because I'm so busy. For now, though, a few pictures to show you what's been going on in the last month. There will be corresponding posts, of course...

Real update tomorrow! Promise!

P.S. Don't forget, you can click to make them bigger! Blogger now does this in a very nice format that allows you to look at them all that way.

For the technologically challenged (and, an annoucement!)

I've had some questions about how exactly the blog works, and I'd like to clear up a few in this post. For those people of my generation, bear with me.

1. Accessing the blog: You know the link, either on my Facebook or that my mom sent you via email? Click it. That really is all you have to do. If you have the web address, all you have to do is type it in, and voila! Of course, since you're already here, I'm assuming you know that...

2. Commenting: My aunt was kind enough to email me yesterday and let me know that commenting was restricted to those with Google accounts. This is now changed: You do not have to have a Google account now to comment! Rejoice!

I'd prefer if you commented in two ways: 1) List yourself as anonymous and sign the bottom of the post, or 2) List yourself with a name (you do not have to add a URL; that is optional). That way I know who you are! See previous post for a prime example. Of course, if you want to write something morally questionable or completely out of character for you, feel free to leave it as anonymous. Perhaps I'd rather not know it's you, especially if you're a family member. "Aunt Caroline said I should try to score some coke, it's the best in Europe!" In that case, fictional Aunt Caroline, you can just not list your name.

3. Pictures: If you haven't already realized this, you can click on the pictures to make them bigger. Simply click the back button to return to the blog. I'm thinking about setting up a Flickr account so you can see all my pictures. Let me know what you think?

Capeachy? Let me know if you have any more questions. (See #2 above.)

Finally, my announcement: I'm going to the opera on Sunday! It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Wagner's Ring Cycle (and it has to be once-in-a-lifetime; at 66 Euros, I cannot do that again. I can hear my parents fainting in the background). Die Walküre is sure to be wonderful. Be jealous, my musical friends. I'll let you know all about it.

I have no clue what I'll be doing today, aside from meeting my friend Katie for lunch. I see hazy plans for perhaps a trip to the farmer's market or a bike ride around the main part of the city. In any case, I leave you with the main theme from Die Walküre (you all know it). Happy Saturday everyone! (Or, as they say here, schönes Wochenende!)

A Brief History

Well, that took longer than expected. But good news! I FINALLY have internet in my apartment. (At least, I do for a week. Then my free trial period expires and I have to figure out how to enter the prepaid code...yadda yadda yadda...I'll think about that tomorrow!) Two weeks is much too much to discuss in one post, but hopefully a few pictures will summarize what has been an exhausting, fast, wonderful first two weeks in Berlin.

I'm pretty sure my bed still looks like this, minus the suitcase. Ditto for my desk.

 Then I got to the airport and bid my family farewell. A travel tip: if you want to avoid those pesky x-ray scanners, look young and teary-eyed and slightly overwhelmed at the security checkpoint. They'll let you through without any problems!

 And then, of course, we got a wicked thunderstorm. Luckily, it cleared up before we hit the skies.

There's not much to say about the flight, except that I took Benedryll and bought a neck pillow and even listened to soothing music and still couldn't sleep. I partly blame the Polish man (? he sounded Eastern European) beside me who kept his light on the ENTIRE NIGHT and then asked me if I slept well. Bastard.

Also, my uncle was right: Charles de Gaulle is the most confusing airport in the world. The signs to my gate kept pointing me toward the baggage claim. I actually had to walk through the exit, completely jet-lagged at five in the morning, to get to my gate. I think I walked a mile. At least it was pretty, and French men are attractive.

And, apparently, a meditation area. The French do think of everything.

From there I had a two hour flight to Berlin-Tegel, the larger of two airports in Berlin. I slept the whole way, except when they woke me up with a croissant. I finally arrived, walked through customs...and didn't even have to show my passport. What the hell? This doesn't bode well for Germany's international safety if they can't even guard their borders. What's more, I wanted a passport stamp. Hmph. At least I get a visa.

At that point, I doubt if I had the presence of mind to call a taxi, let alone speak any German to the driver. Thank god my CIEE coordinator, Ben Lorch, met me and a few others and escorted us to our hotel. He's a great guy, and I'm sure you'll be hearing more about him here. The rest of the day was meeting the other CIEE students (there are 15 of us in total) and going over the rules and regs with Ben. Dinner in a very nice biergarten, which you'll also be hearing about later, and then I collapsed from exhaustion. Some people went out the first night, and all I can say is, they must be stronger people than I am, because I was dead.

The next day we gathered at FU-Best, our school's study center, for another basic info session and our transfers to our apartments or homestays. I moved myself into the flat that will be my home for the next four months, and I somehow found a grocery store and made myself a very basic dinner of tortellini in tomato sauce. The store was crap and the food was bad, but I was proud of myself--I went shopping in a foreign country! I successfully procured food! I felt like a caveman discovering fire. You're laughing at me right now. I can tell.

The next few days included getting to know the people I'm here with, filling out yet more paperwork at yet more information sessions, and some sightseeing. So, overall, a packed week, but not a particularly exciting one to write about. And then classes started the following week, so you can see why it's taken me so long to write anything here. Rest assured, I'm settled now, and I'll be posting more regularly. Right now, though, it's about time to find some lunch and do some reading for my next class: "Berlin: History, Memory, Literature."

I am alive

Hallo von Berlin!

No pictures yet, but just a quick update so my family/friends/random strangers don't think I died (or, more realistically, decided not to blog). I departed last Sunday with no delays or any trouble, and I've been getting settled in my apartment and my classes ever since. I don't have internet in my apartment yet, but I'm working on getting this fixed. Rest assured, I'll be back soon to tell you all about my adventures.

(I mean, if you are desperate for pics or anything, I'm already tagged in a few on Facebook...)

Also, Blogger is now in German. Guess I'd better learn the language fast.

Breaking the ice

I never know how to begin these things. The first post on a blog is just as bad as an icebreaker on the first day of class or camp: "Tell us something interesting about yourself." Well, how interesting are we talking? Am I going to try to play it safe and say, "My favorite color is green," and risk having no one else talk to me for the rest of the semester because, to them, I am possibly the most boring person ever? Or do I say, "I once dressed up as a man for an auditorium full of high schoolers," and risk having no one talk to me because I am possibly the weirdest person ever?

I also hate, "Tell us your major and why you're taking this class." If we're in a class small enough to do an icebreaker, more than likely we are all the same major and we are all taking the class because it's required. Not always the case, but it seems like it is in every class that that question comes up.

I have heard exactly two good icebreaker questions of any I can remember, and both were creative writing teachers. My English 212 teacher asked us for something quirky or funny about ourselves--anything--so she could remember us. For once, I actually thought of something perfect. I told her that the weirdest first date I was ever on was to a live performance of High School Musical.

Somehow, we ended up going out again.

And people laughed, and sure enough, it worked. We all remembered each other for the rest of the semester: "Hey look, there goes the guy who steals his Grandma's socks."

The other was my English 412 professor, who asked us all how we got into writing. That was less funny, but just as interesting. And it didn't force me to think of something on the spot, something not too weird or boring, but catchy and funny and memorable. I should just start a list for future icebreakers.

I digress. If you haven't noticed, I've been digressing for this entire post. I hate writing first posts, introductions, etc. I like to jump right in. I feel like a lot of formalities are fake, and truth and personality come gradually. As you read the blog, you'll sense what I'm doing. I don't feel like I have to make a big presentation of THE BLOG. That said, if you want that, I plan to write an About page in a short while that will be a tab at the top. Woo!

There there, I won't leave you hanging entirely. This is going to be a blog about Germany. I've tried to start several blogs in the past and failed because, well, I just didn't have quite enough discipline. But in just under a month, I'll be embarking on the trip of a lifetime, and I'd be selfish if I didn't share some of it with the people I know. (Hmmm...I actually like the word "remiss" there also: "I'd be remiss not to share some of it with the people I know." Can't decide. Such are the trials of an English major.) If I have enough gumption to pick up and spend time in Berlin, I have enough gumption to blog about it.

I mean, if you want all the fanfare...

I present to you...

THE TRAVEL BLOG **trumpet fanfare**

There, now that that's out of the way, we can begin. Don't expect many posts in the next few weeks; I'll be enjoying the last of my summer and trying to fit my many essentials in limited luggage. I'll post here and there, but then...Berlin! Get ready (I'm reminding myself of this as much as you).


P.S. This, on the other hand, would be a great way to start a new class/meeting: