Home, Sweet Home...?

I have four finals and six days to go until I go home for Christmas break. And don't get me wrong, I'm psyched. I've been counting down to break basically since the semester started, and I can't wait to get out of here. But the more I think about going home, the more I think about how weird it's going to be. Sure, it will be really nice to spend time with my family and to relax. But I have very few good friends left who still live in Darien. It will be like going back to my old life, except not. I don't live with my family primarily anymore. I will from now on spend more months out of the year here in Germany (or wherever I end up after this year). I'm in college, and I'm supposed to be somewhat of an adult. And when I think about it, I've come to associate my little apartment with the idea of "home." Maybe I'm crazy.

Anyway, finals are doing all they can to kill me. I have four (of six) finals in two days. And I should be super stressed, and I sure I am somewhere in the back of my mind, but I really don't feel it. I really don't care. I'm just so focused on going home that it's not even bothering me. The fact that I'm thinking of transferring next year anyway doesn't help either. But I just can't get motivated.

I feel like this was a waste of a post. Sorry.

J'aime Paris! (And other random thoughts)

So for the better part of this past week, I was in Paris visiting a good, old friend. It was so amazing! He's French, so I didn't have to deal with the language barrier or nasty looks from Parisians, PLUS I got to see a ton of cool stuff that wasn't super touristy. We went to all the big ones: Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, but we also saw the Musee d'Orsay and a really cool Salvador Dali exhibition. I also met a lot of his friends, which was really fun. The weather wasn't that great, but it really didn't matter. Paris is such an amazing city. I never fully believed anyone before, but now I whole-heartedly agree. I'm dying to go back. Plus it was really nice to spend time with my friend: he's one of my best and it was nice talking to someone from home who really knows me well.

I love that I can go to Paris for four days, and have it be no big deal. I love that I can take day trips to Hamburg and Hannover, and that I could go for Milan for a weekend if I wanted. I love being in Europe. I love my friends and my life here. I can't imagine going back to the States. If only it wasn't for school... Academically speaking, Jacobs is definitely not one of the best schools, at least for humanities. I've been struggling a lot with whether it's worth transferring because of it or not. Jacobs doesn't really have my major, and the program I'm in currently is really weak. My classes are alright, but not great. I'm waiting to see what happens next semester, but I'm not sure. On the other hand, I'm not sure I want to give up my social life and the ability to travel. I think that it might be more important to me right now. But we'll see.

In other news, I will be returning to the States in a little less than three weeks!! It's insane!! I really can't imagine being home, but it will be really nice. Plus I'll have a chance to make some badly needed money (!!!). It will be interesting to see some of my friends from high school, to compare experiences. I can't imagine what it will be like. I can't imagine trying to relate to them. But it will be fun, I'm sure. And it will be really nice to spend some quality time with my family. I miss them too much. Especially since it's Christmas season (and boy does it feel like it here in Germany!). The Christmas market started up here in Bremen last week, and I finally got a chance to go today with a couple of my friends. It was so much fun! Tons of typical German Christmas stuff -- decoractions, Glühwein, Schmalzkuchen, all types of wurst, and beer of course! There were lots of stalls set up selling little gifts and decorations...it was so much fun, and really put my in a Christmas mood! I'm going to go back on Tuesday with my friend to do some real Christmas shopping, which should be fun. But it also really made me miss certain things about Christmas time at home, mostly decorating the house and the tree. I really can't wait to go home!

Need to write an essay? What better time for a blog update!

So yes, I am continuing my tradition of procrastinating on all major assignments. But to my credit, I focused all this morning up until now, so I deserve a break lol!

This is also a very delayed update...I meant to write this a week ago, but, oh well.

Last weekend Mom was here. She arrived Friday morning and left Sunday afternoon: a very short visit, but it was still really nice. She was working in Frankfurt so she decided to come up for the weekend. Anyway, it was a lot of fun and just really nice to spend time with her again, since I hadn't seen here in nearly three months. Friday morning she couldn't check into her hotel yet so we dropped her bags and I took her to a cafe where we had a nice late breakfast and a really nice conversation. It was so good to catch up: talking over Skype or email just isn't the same. Afterwards we walked around a bit more, I showed her some of the main tourist sights (Marktplatz, Dom St. Petri, etc.). Once we were able to check into her room we both took a nap since we had both gotten up very early. Afterwards we got a quick lunch at a bakery and caught the train to head over to my host family's house. We went with them to the boys' kindergarten for a lantern walk (a fall tradition here for young kids). It was actually really nice, and the boys were so cute, as usual. We just walked around the neighborhood and sang songs (in German! I tried my best lol!) and afterwards they had sausages and hot cider which was good. Then we went back to my family's house and just hung out, had some cheese and wine, and talked for a looong time. Mom and I got back to her hotel pretty late (by then it was around 12:30am) but we were still kind of hungry so we grabbed some döner and headed up to her room where we ended up having a pretty long conversation about the Cold War and fall of the Soviet Union (Mom brought me magazines, and I read an article about nuclear arms in the 21st century lol). But it was really nice, it was the first conversation I had had about politics and history in a very long time (I miss it a lot!!). The next morning we slept in and got a very late start, but we got some lunch and I showed Mom Schnoor and Böttcherstraße, which she really liked. Then that night I took Mom to a really nice experimental Asian restaurant that I had gone to with Dad for dinner. It was really good and just a really nice, relaxing meal (plus, much better than food on campus!!). After dinner we met my two best friends here, Rose and Jasmin, for drinks at a bar nearby. It was also a lot of fun, not awkward at all, and my friends really like Mom (I think she liked them too lol). Then Sunday Mom and I slept in a little, and had a really nice breakfast/brunch at the hotel. Afterwards we went for a nice swim in the hotel pool. Afterwards we went back to Schnoor and Böttcherstraße so Mom could get some souvenirs for Dad and the boys. Then I had to take her to the airport and to say goodbye, which was sad (it always is for me). It was a really nice weekend, but I'm looking forward to going home and spending even more time with everyone! I think it was nice for Mom though because she (and Dad) always like to have an idea about where I am, what it looks like, because it makes it easier for them to picture it when I talk to them over the phone. It's really great that both Mom and Dad were able to see Bremen now, and I really hope they'll make it here again!

This week was really uneventful. I've been really busy with this essay for my Comparing Political Systems class (ughh!) so I didn't really do too much. Yesterday I went to Vegesack though to look for a used bike. There is a shop not too far from campus which I went to, but the old woman there spoke no English, and I couldn't understand what she was saying to me but she seemed upset/frustrated that I didn't speak German. So it was kind of awkward, but at least I got an idea for the prices, and Jasmin offered to go back with me another day. Then last night I went downtown with Rose and some other kids to see a Shakespeare production of a combination of Julius Caeser and Cleopatra. It was organized by this guy on campus who is trying to get a theatre program started (he's currently building a theatre on campus!) and he wants to start making like monthly trips downtown to see plays. So anyway, the play was entirely in German, but it was also a weird/crazy interpretation, so it was really difficult for Rose and I to understand. But it was still entertaining, and some parts were really funny. Afterwards we got to meet the director (who is British) and some of the cast at the bar/cafe that is attached to the theatre. It was really interesting to talk to the director and hear more about his interpretation and opinions about modern productions of Shakespeare in general. Overall it was a really fun night, and I enjoyed it a lot. I always like going to see plays, even if I don't understand them haha!

I'm thinking I should probably get back to work now that I have had my cup of wonderful french press coffee (thank you a thousand times for it, Dad!). :)

I'd rather die of fun...

This past weekend was one of the best I've had while here at Jacobs. It felt so good to just let go and have fun with my friends.

Friday night there was a "cheer-up" in CIII (one of the other residential colleges). During exams, all the colleges hold cheer-ups to get everyone out of their rooms and to get rid of some of the stress of studying. The best part is, they all have different themes. So far there have been cheese, chocolate, waffle, British, Halloween, milkshake, restaurant, and game night cheer-ups. Friday night was the cocktail cheer-up in CIII which my friends and I went to. It was really fun, although they ran out of alcohol real fast (free alcohol on a Friday night? come on lol). It was really fun though. Afterwards, we went to the bar for a bit, but it was pretty dead, so we decided to go to one of our friends birthday parties in one of the other colleges. It was a lot of fun, and just nice to relax and have a good time with my friends.

Then on Saturday a bunch of my girl friends and I went to Hamburg for the day. We walked around, shopped a bit (I bought really cute flats for 5€!!), and went to a really nice cafe by the river. It was so much fun! We were goofing around and took lots of pictures, and, again, it was just so relaxing. We got back to campus around 19.00, had dinner, and then went back downtown to go to the Freimarkt (like a carnival). I hadn't been at night, but it was so much fun! We went on a bunch of rides which was really fun too! We bought a large, heart-shaped cookie that said "Opa ist spitze" (Grandpa is awesome) and took turns wearing it and taking pictures hahaha.

Yesterday I finally met up with my host family again! We went to Freimarkt in the afternoon as well, but it was the Kinder Freimarkt (with smaller rides for little kids). I had fun riding the mini ferris wheel with my host brothers, and just being a part of the family. Enno was so cute--he kept waving to me while he was on the merry-go-round :). On our way home, we had to run a bit to catch the train. I was pushing Rea in the stroller, and while we were all running and worrying about missing the train, she was laughing and having a good time--she thought racing in the stroller was the greatest thing ever....so cute!!

Next weekend should be fun too--we're planning to go back to Freimarkt Friday night (a few of my friends weren't able to come this weekend) and I also think I'm going to make dinner for my host family one night! I'm thinking tacos, haha. I just have to get through this week first...I have too much work to do, ahh! But I'm looking forward to Mom visiting in less than two weeks!!

Jasmin went home this weekend, so it was pretty quiet. She got back this afternoon, and right now her whole family is here. They are so nice, I didn't really have too much of a chance to meet them on move-in day before they left. Her mom brought me a gift! She brought me coffee and a tin to put it in, some chocolates, and jam that she made herself! It was so sweet of her, I couldn't believe it! Plus they brought all kinds of Halloween decorations for our apartment--currently there is a skeleton with glowing eyes hanging in the window next to our door haha!

This week I should be getting some of my exams back--yikes! I can't say I feel good about all of them, unfortunately. But I'm trying to stay positive, and I'm not too stressed. I keep telling myself it's my first semester of college and no one does well.....but we'll see.

Otherwise, there's not too much else going on. Everything is still going really well, and I'm loving it here despite some troubles I've had. (But I will still be honest and say that I'm looking forward to Christmas break! xD)

Happy Diwali!

This weekend I had two really fun and interesting cultural experiences. The first was on Saturday night, when all the Hindu students on campus threw a special Diwali event. They had workshops (how to wear a sari, cooking, henna, etc.) a presentation with traditional dances and a skit, and dinner (my favorite part!)! It was so much fun, there were so many people, and the food was delicious!! I haven't had Indian food in so long haha! Afterwards there were fireworks and a guy on campus who works with fire--twirling flaming batons and fire-breathing, that sort of thing. It was so cool! Then at the campus bar they had a Bhangra/Bollywood party which was also really fun! It's always really exciting for me to learn about and experience new cultures, and it's a unique opportunity that I have right here on campus :).

Then yesterday I went with Jasmin, Savannah, and a few other people to the Freimarkt (which actually opened Friday but the weather was terrible). It's basically a big, traditional German carnival, with lots of games, food and rides! It's right behind the train station (Dad, if you're reading this, remember we walked through the train station one day to the other side? That's where it is.). They even had rollercoasters, and water rides (mind you the temperature yesterday was in the 40s!!)!! It was so much fun and really cool to see! I would like to go back with my host family, maybe this weekend--it would be so much fun to go with the kids!

Midterms are pretty much over for me, thank god! I've been locking myself in my room to study and trying to stay away from the computer, which also explains my lack of updates. But I really only have one exam left--German--which I don't really count because that class is a joke. It was nice though because I had what I thought would be my hardest exam on Friday, and it ended up being not so bad after all. But I'll wait to see my grade first haha!

Love to everyone at home!!

Diplomacy is in the air...

Tonight was probably one of the best nights of my life. I was chosen, along with maybe 9 or 10 other American students, to have dinner with the American ambassador to Germany tonight! He came to my school to hold a sort of "town hall meeting" to discuss Obama's foreign policy (it ended up being much more than that) and invited a few of us to have dinner before hand. We ate in one of the other serveries, but we had a special table and really nice food and got to speak to the ambassador in a relaxed, candid way, which was so cool! I felt so special and honored. It was truly an amazing experience.

The ambassador, Philip Murphey, has only been ambassador for 7 weeks! He's so American, and very East-coast (originally from Boston). He's really friendly and down to earth, but smart and definitely right for the job. He spoke to us about his music preferences (HA!) but also about more serious issues in the US like education. It was really interesting, and such a unique opportunity.

After dinner we all headed over (an entourage of around 40 or 50 people including security lol!) to the meeting hall. We got to sit in the first few rows (I was right in front...so cool!). He spoke a lot about current global problems, not just American ones. He talked a lot about US-German relations over the past 40 or so years, and how this relationship has changed and strengthened. He talked about Afghanistan, Iran, human rights, climate change and alternative energy. The greatest part about his speech was that he engaged the audience and really made it interesting. Afterwards they opened the floor for questions, and I asked about his opinions on the changing role of NATO in the 21st century. We were short on time and I would have liked to have heard a little more about his thoughts in depth, but he gave me a pretty good answer. He mostly talked about how although NATO's role is definitely changing from it's historical one, the defense part of it (article 5) still plays a significant role, and that it's hard to really tell where NATO will go from here. Afterwards there was a reception where he came up to me and told me it was a great question (!!!!). I felt so sophisticated (wearing my new business clothes lol!) and smart and special haha. I'm really so thankful that I was chosen to participate...it was truly a unique opportunity :)

Deutsche Wiedervereinigung

Firstly, I know I've been bad about updating this, but it's getting close to midterms so I've been trying to focus on studying... keyword: trying lol.

Anyways, yesterday was the anniversary of the reunification of Germany. It's really not celebrated, with the exception of a few events in Berlin maybe. Mostly stores are just closed. You would think the reunification would be a joyous day, something to celebrate, but it's really not. As with any other events or holidays, Germans are wary of anyone who feels too much pride or patriotism. I can understand why, but it's still kind of weird to me.

What's even more weird is how people in Germany can still be outright racist. It blows my mind. I say this because Friday night I went out with some friends for my friend's birthday. We were trying to go to a club downtown. The bouncers let me and my white friends in without even looking at our IDs. But when my two friends from Zimbabwe tried to get in, they checked their IDs and said that they weren't valid. Now I wouldn't have thought this was racist if the bouncers had also checked the IDs of me and my other friends, but because they simply waved us in and said it wasn't necessary, and then made a big deal about my friends from Zimbabwe, it's clear some racism was involved. And this isn't the first time that this has happened. Anyone who looks even slightly ethnic, even if they have proper ID, doesn't get in. As my friends and I stood bewildered inside, we looked around and saw that everyone inside was white. I could not believe it. I could not believe that something like this could happen in Germany, given the history. But it can, and it does.

Otherwise things are going well. We managed to have a good time, despite the troubles with the club. We just decided to go to another bar. Last Thursday was also another friend's birthday, and we had a big party just here in the college which was really fun. But today I'm all about studying. I've been putting it off for too long, and now it's crunch time. I can't say I'm terribly worried about my exams, but I will be if I don't study haha!

Not too much else is new. Thursday was Rea's (my little host sister) first birthday, so I went over to my family's house to celebrate. Both my host mom's and my host dad's parents were there for the party, so it was really nice and a lot of fun. My family is now in Bavaria for the next two weeks, which actually isn't necessarily a bad thing because I need the time to study lol!