It's been quite a while since I've written something here, and although no one has sent me an email asking me when I'm going to post something again, I thought maybe I'd get something out here before people think that I've forgotten about home.
The past few weeks - since Christmas - have been filled with thoughts and preparations for Klausuren - final exams. I had four over the past three weeks, and I feel pretty good about them. I have know the results from two of them. I scored "average" on both, but I'm quite happy with that given the fact that the class was not meant for foreigners and that several actual German students from the class did not pass. Now the semester is over, and I can devote more time to doing nothing.
Next Wednesday, I'm headed to Berlin to visit a woman who I learned to know back when I first started learning German. She has been enormously helpful over the computer and when I came to Germany, she invited me to visit her in Berlin. While I'm there, I hope to see some of the places that I didn't get the chance to visit when I was in Berlin for those four days back before Christmas.
After Berlin, I'll be back in Marburg for two full days and then I'm headed home for Easter. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone back home and catching up on what I've missed out on while I'm here. I'm sure that people will want to hear about my experiences here. I better get started on my story now!
Lent has started, and it's hard to imagine that Easter is less than six weeks away now. It seems like just last week we were looking forward to Christmas! Sometimes it seems like the time really flies by while I'm here, but at others it seems like I've been here forever. It's been roughly five months now, which isn't a huge amount of time, but it's noteworthy. I'm thankful that I've been blessed with this opportunity to come to Germany and also with the strength to get through it. This has - and hopefully will continue to be - an amazing growing experience for me.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Post-New Year's Update
Christmas has come and past, as has the new year. There is much to report since that time, and of course you all want to see some pictures.
I spent Christmas with a family in Kassel - it was an enjoyable experience, but nothing like being "home for Christmas." It did allow me to think about the "reason for the season" as it were, and I got a somewhat new perspective on the holiday. For that, I am thankful. I am also thankful that I had the opportunity to spend Christmas with a caring family who made me feel welcome. I don't know how I would have reacted to be alone at Christmas. That's something that I don't want to ever have to look forward to.
Something to report about Christmas with the German family - we used real candles on the Christmas tree, and we didn't set up the tree until Christmas Eve. That might not be a deviation from the American norm - i.e. setting up the tree on Christmas Eve - but it was for me. At my house we normally set up the tree at the beginning of Advent and have it up until Epiphany. Instead of having a tree set up during Advent, the German family that I stayed with had an Advent wreath. It was interesting for me to see people who I don't necessarily consider über-"religious" observing the tradition of Advent. I've always identified that more with Church than with personal, family observance.
After Christmas comes New Years, of course, and for that I met Katie Hetrick in London. It was a terrific celebration, something that I'll be able to tell people about for the rest of my life, and it's also a really fantastic thing that the year is a nice, round figure - 2010. It's nice that such an event in my life has a nice number like that. After the celebration, we headed to Salisbury to see Stonehenge, and then the following day to Scotland. Scotland was experiencing the second worst winter in its history since it started to record weather related information, so of course our trip on Loch Ness was canceled. That would be my luck...Then it was to Edinburgh, where we at in the cafe where JK Rowling wrote the first couple books in the Harry Potter series (We sat right beside the table that sat at the last time she was there!). And then we took a train back to London where I spent the day seeing Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London. That might not seem like a lot do in one day, but it turned out to be enough to keep me busy all day. The next day we returned to Germany. It felt good to be back in Germany. Katie and I spent a few days in Marburg before she headed off to Paris to catch her flight home. Now the semester has started again, and we - the students - are preparing for final exams in about three to four weeks (It depends on the class.).
Me at Stonehenge - amazing sight
Westminster Abbey
Buckingham Palace
It's hard for me to believe that I've been here 100 days now. In some ways the time seems like it's been dragging on, but in others, it seems like it's whizzed by. In a few weeks, I'll be home for Easter and then it's back to Germany to finish up the year. When I put it into perspective like that, it seems like this time is really flying by. There are a lot of things that I want to do yet, and the time to do them just keeps on ticking away.
If you want to see more pictures, click this link.
I spent Christmas with a family in Kassel - it was an enjoyable experience, but nothing like being "home for Christmas." It did allow me to think about the "reason for the season" as it were, and I got a somewhat new perspective on the holiday. For that, I am thankful. I am also thankful that I had the opportunity to spend Christmas with a caring family who made me feel welcome. I don't know how I would have reacted to be alone at Christmas. That's something that I don't want to ever have to look forward to.
Something to report about Christmas with the German family - we used real candles on the Christmas tree, and we didn't set up the tree until Christmas Eve. That might not be a deviation from the American norm - i.e. setting up the tree on Christmas Eve - but it was for me. At my house we normally set up the tree at the beginning of Advent and have it up until Epiphany. Instead of having a tree set up during Advent, the German family that I stayed with had an Advent wreath. It was interesting for me to see people who I don't necessarily consider über-"religious" observing the tradition of Advent. I've always identified that more with Church than with personal, family observance.
After Christmas comes New Years, of course, and for that I met Katie Hetrick in London. It was a terrific celebration, something that I'll be able to tell people about for the rest of my life, and it's also a really fantastic thing that the year is a nice, round figure - 2010. It's nice that such an event in my life has a nice number like that. After the celebration, we headed to Salisbury to see Stonehenge, and then the following day to Scotland. Scotland was experiencing the second worst winter in its history since it started to record weather related information, so of course our trip on Loch Ness was canceled. That would be my luck...Then it was to Edinburgh, where we at in the cafe where JK Rowling wrote the first couple books in the Harry Potter series (We sat right beside the table that sat at the last time she was there!). And then we took a train back to London where I spent the day seeing Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London. That might not seem like a lot do in one day, but it turned out to be enough to keep me busy all day. The next day we returned to Germany. It felt good to be back in Germany. Katie and I spent a few days in Marburg before she headed off to Paris to catch her flight home. Now the semester has started again, and we - the students - are preparing for final exams in about three to four weeks (It depends on the class.).
Me at Stonehenge - amazing sight
Westminster Abbey
Buckingham Palace
It's hard for me to believe that I've been here 100 days now. In some ways the time seems like it's been dragging on, but in others, it seems like it's whizzed by. In a few weeks, I'll be home for Easter and then it's back to Germany to finish up the year. When I put it into perspective like that, it seems like this time is really flying by. There are a lot of things that I want to do yet, and the time to do them just keeps on ticking away.
If you want to see more pictures, click this link.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Christmas by Me!!
It's hard to believe that Christmas is almost here! A week from tomorrow. I find myself thinking about what I'd be doing if I were at home right now, and sometimes that makes me feel bad. The solution: think about something else. It's really hard to do that though when everyone else is talking about going home for the holidays. For every ten foreign students I talk to, nine of them are going home for Christmas. It feels really odd to know that the traditions at home go on without me and that I'm not going to be part of that this year. It gives me a strange feeling, a feeling as if I'm out of the loop, so to say. I don't fit into the swing of things here at Christmas and I'm definitely not fitting in at home all the way over here.
Yesterday I had a surprise in my mailbox - there was an orange slip there, which serves to tell me that I got a package at the post office. I've gotten these before, so I wasn't unfamiliar with what I supposed to do. The deal was that I wasn't expecting anything. Before, I always was expecting the packages, but this time it came and I didn't know what it was. When I got the package at the post office today, I was really excited to see that Grandma Teresa and Pappy Lee sent it to me. "And what was in it?" you ask. A Christmas tree! I couldn't wait to get home and put it up. My room seems a little homier now.
Today I've been in Germany 73 days. It's the longest that I've ever been away from home at one stretch. When I look at it that way, I'm proud of myself. I'm really becoming independent and able to take care of myself. It's a real learning experience. After Christmas, on December 26, I'm over halfway to coming home. From that point onward, it's "downhill," so to say, until I'll be home at Easter. Today also marks 90 days until I'll be home - exactly three months: rest of December, January, February, and some of March. I'm looking forward to that time, but I don't want to give the impression that I'm not enjoying my time here. Things are going pretty well now that I have somewhat of a routine developed and a few friends. Some days seem really long while others fly by. I suppose that's how life is as well. Last weekend I was in Berlin (I'll blog about that later when I have more time.) and the weekend before that I went to Heidelberg for a day trip. I'll be spending Christmas with a German family in Kassel (about two hours north of here with the train), and for New Years I'm meeting Katie Hetrick in London and we're going to travel around the UK. My time "between the years" will be busy then, and I'm looking forward to it very much. It'll be especially nice to spend it with a friend from home - one who understands you and doesn't need long, drawn-out explanations about personal history, preferences, and so on. I'm really looking forward to it.
Yesterday I had a surprise in my mailbox - there was an orange slip there, which serves to tell me that I got a package at the post office. I've gotten these before, so I wasn't unfamiliar with what I supposed to do. The deal was that I wasn't expecting anything. Before, I always was expecting the packages, but this time it came and I didn't know what it was. When I got the package at the post office today, I was really excited to see that Grandma Teresa and Pappy Lee sent it to me. "And what was in it?" you ask. A Christmas tree! I couldn't wait to get home and put it up. My room seems a little homier now.
Today I've been in Germany 73 days. It's the longest that I've ever been away from home at one stretch. When I look at it that way, I'm proud of myself. I'm really becoming independent and able to take care of myself. It's a real learning experience. After Christmas, on December 26, I'm over halfway to coming home. From that point onward, it's "downhill," so to say, until I'll be home at Easter. Today also marks 90 days until I'll be home - exactly three months: rest of December, January, February, and some of March. I'm looking forward to that time, but I don't want to give the impression that I'm not enjoying my time here. Things are going pretty well now that I have somewhat of a routine developed and a few friends. Some days seem really long while others fly by. I suppose that's how life is as well. Last weekend I was in Berlin (I'll blog about that later when I have more time.) and the weekend before that I went to Heidelberg for a day trip. I'll be spending Christmas with a German family in Kassel (about two hours north of here with the train), and for New Years I'm meeting Katie Hetrick in London and we're going to travel around the UK. My time "between the years" will be busy then, and I'm looking forward to it very much. It'll be especially nice to spend it with a friend from home - one who understands you and doesn't need long, drawn-out explanations about personal history, preferences, and so on. I'm really looking forward to it.
Monday, November 30, 2009
A Video Tour of Marburg
My father and I were looking for videos of Marburg on Youtube and we found this one. It does a pretty good job showing the highlights of the town. I got pretty excited when I could pick out some of the places highlighted here.
Mentioned in the clip is "Jackob Grimm." He was one of the brothers Grimm, responsible for collecting and making famous such fairy tales as "Red Riding Hood" and "Rapunzel." Marburg is proud of its Grimm Brothers history.
Apropos: The elevator is not always the fastest way to get from place to place. In the morning and after work in the afternoon, people using the elevator cause major congestion in the narrow passage. Then it's quicker - and healthier! - to climb up the steps that were shown a few moments earlier in the clip. It's really not that hard.
Mentioned in the clip is "Jackob Grimm." He was one of the brothers Grimm, responsible for collecting and making famous such fairy tales as "Red Riding Hood" and "Rapunzel." Marburg is proud of its Grimm Brothers history.
Apropos: The elevator is not always the fastest way to get from place to place. In the morning and after work in the afternoon, people using the elevator cause major congestion in the narrow passage. Then it's quicker - and healthier! - to climb up the steps that were shown a few moments earlier in the clip. It's really not that hard.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Marburg B(u)y Night
It's been a while since I've written, and I know how much everyone is dying to hear from me. I'm going to fix that problem now.
Today marks the 55th day that I'm in Germany. Things are getting better - I feel like I'm living more into my life here. Developing a routine - even a rough one - has been a huge help. But I also think that I'm learning how to deal with spontaneity a bit more easily. This is, after all, supposed to be a learning experience!
Last night, the Oberstadt was open and full of people to usher in the Christmas season. The event was called "Marburg b(u)y Night." All the shops were open past their normal seven-o'clock closing times until 11:00 and the streets were decked out with lights and wreaths and music played. Kate and Julie (click on the link to learn more about Kate and Julia) and I enjoyed the festivities together. It was a terrific time and I look forward to going back to a few times before Christmas rolls around (only 27 days!!).
For Christmas I'll be with a family who lives north of here outside of the city of Kassel. I've written in a forum online with the woman-of-the-house for several years now, and when I came to Germany, she made sure to invite me. My stay at Christmas will be the third one so far of my time here. I'm glad that I'll have a family to spend Christmas with and that I can experience the "typical" German Christmas.
Not long after Christmas, Katie Hetrick will be coming to visit on December 30! We're meeting in London and going to spend New Years together there and then head to Scotland of a little excursion. Afterwards, Katie wants to come back to Germany and see where I live and what I do here. Of course, I'm excited about that. It'll be nice to have someone to spend the holidays with whom I know!
That's about all there is to share as of now. Acadamia is a major part of my life (Remeber - it is perhaps the biggest reason I'm here...). I try to make sure that my weekends are busy and that I get someone or do something when I have some freetime. I'll keep you posted about any further developments!
Kate and Julia
Two years ago Kate and Julia spent a year in Millersville. I learned to know Julia pretty well there after I had to do an interview for a project where she was my interviewee. Since I've gotten here, both of them have done a lot to try to make me feel welcome and comfortable and it's starting to work. It's nice to have someone who identifies with what you're going through.
Today marks the 55th day that I'm in Germany. Things are getting better - I feel like I'm living more into my life here. Developing a routine - even a rough one - has been a huge help. But I also think that I'm learning how to deal with spontaneity a bit more easily. This is, after all, supposed to be a learning experience!
Last night, the Oberstadt was open and full of people to usher in the Christmas season. The event was called "Marburg b(u)y Night." All the shops were open past their normal seven-o'clock closing times until 11:00 and the streets were decked out with lights and wreaths and music played. Kate and Julie (click on the link to learn more about Kate and Julia) and I enjoyed the festivities together. It was a terrific time and I look forward to going back to a few times before Christmas rolls around (only 27 days!!).
For Christmas I'll be with a family who lives north of here outside of the city of Kassel. I've written in a forum online with the woman-of-the-house for several years now, and when I came to Germany, she made sure to invite me. My stay at Christmas will be the third one so far of my time here. I'm glad that I'll have a family to spend Christmas with and that I can experience the "typical" German Christmas.
Not long after Christmas, Katie Hetrick will be coming to visit on December 30! We're meeting in London and going to spend New Years together there and then head to Scotland of a little excursion. Afterwards, Katie wants to come back to Germany and see where I live and what I do here. Of course, I'm excited about that. It'll be nice to have someone to spend the holidays with whom I know!
That's about all there is to share as of now. Acadamia is a major part of my life (Remeber - it is perhaps the biggest reason I'm here...). I try to make sure that my weekends are busy and that I get someone or do something when I have some freetime. I'll keep you posted about any further developments!
Kate and Julia
Two years ago Kate and Julia spent a year in Millersville. I learned to know Julia pretty well there after I had to do an interview for a project where she was my interviewee. Since I've gotten here, both of them have done a lot to try to make me feel welcome and comfortable and it's starting to work. It's nice to have someone who identifies with what you're going through.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Long Awaited Update
They remembered that God was their rock,
the Most High God their redeemer.
People have been asking me when I'm going to post something new on my blog, and I admit that I've been rather remiss in doing so for the past several weeks. Busyness at times might have contributed to it, but also lack of motivation was and might continue to be a big contributing factor. I'll have to strive to work at it more. I apologize for not having posted more frequently.
As of today, I've been in Germany 34 days - almost five weeks. I'm trying to adjust to my new life. Something I've learned about myself: I'm very much a routine person. I've always known that, but I didn't realize how much that really was the case until I came here when trying to make my routine from home work here failed - miserably! I just never realized how much so I lived into and had become a product of my culture at home. In the past month, I've had to reshape what it means to be me while still trying to maintain every bit of me that I could possibly maintain. This balancing act has been tiring and taxing. I'm happy to report that I'm beginning to live into German life more and I feel like I'm becoming more and more used to being here every day. It's hard, but it's doable, and that's what I'm learning.
I started this post with a biblical quote from Psalms. Although it tells of how the people of God turned from God and turned back to him only in their time of need, I think it - in isolation - really speaks to how I view my current situation in Germany. Without God - my rock and redeemer - I would be lost here. Prayer has really helped me when I'm feeling lonely and depressed. It's made me realize that I'm not alone in the world. It makes connections seem open to home, friends, and family. Without it and my relationship with God, I know this year would be unbearable for me. I thank God daily for His presence in my life. He is truly my rock and my redeemer.
And now...for some more concrete, positive news. Classes are going well. Tuesdays are my busy day with three classes, and Tuesdays are my favorite day as well. I find that being busy suits my person better than not being busy. I've made friends with Janice from Canada, Kayla from Pennsylvania, and Rob from Great Britian, and I'm very thankful for them. We - minus Rob but plus Kayla's roommate - travelled to Eisenach this weekend. It was a nice day trip. We saw the Wartburg and Bach's birthplace. The Germans are very technology oriented. The Bachhaus was fitted with iPods for listening to recordings about Bach and his work or pieces of his music. It was a fantastic museum. It was also nice to visit the Wartburg again since my German has improved so much since 2004 when I was there the last time. I understood almost everything the tour guide told us during the tour, and that really made me feel good about my German.
In this picture, you see the room where Luther spent ten months at the Wartburg. During that time, he translated the Bible into German.
Speaking German all day long can be a challenge. Before I came here, I felt confident in my German skills, but after being here for a month, I realize that it's more than just listening to a professor speaking. It's everyday life and all that goes along with it as well. I do notice that my German has improved some even in the short time that I've been here, so I'm hoping that it will continue to improve in the coming months.
The next few weeks are busy for me. I'm headed to Grebenstein to visit a family that I know from the internet next weekend. The following weekend, I'm headed to Bavaria to visit my host family from 2004, and the following Saturday is going to be a day to celebrate Thanksgiving for me and the Germans who were in Millersville two years ago. It's good to be busy.
Keep after me about the blog. I will try to keep everyone updated more regularly. The longer that I don't write, the harder it is to actually do it when I try to start again.
the Most High God their redeemer.
People have been asking me when I'm going to post something new on my blog, and I admit that I've been rather remiss in doing so for the past several weeks. Busyness at times might have contributed to it, but also lack of motivation was and might continue to be a big contributing factor. I'll have to strive to work at it more. I apologize for not having posted more frequently.
As of today, I've been in Germany 34 days - almost five weeks. I'm trying to adjust to my new life. Something I've learned about myself: I'm very much a routine person. I've always known that, but I didn't realize how much that really was the case until I came here when trying to make my routine from home work here failed - miserably! I just never realized how much so I lived into and had become a product of my culture at home. In the past month, I've had to reshape what it means to be me while still trying to maintain every bit of me that I could possibly maintain. This balancing act has been tiring and taxing. I'm happy to report that I'm beginning to live into German life more and I feel like I'm becoming more and more used to being here every day. It's hard, but it's doable, and that's what I'm learning.
I started this post with a biblical quote from Psalms. Although it tells of how the people of God turned from God and turned back to him only in their time of need, I think it - in isolation - really speaks to how I view my current situation in Germany. Without God - my rock and redeemer - I would be lost here. Prayer has really helped me when I'm feeling lonely and depressed. It's made me realize that I'm not alone in the world. It makes connections seem open to home, friends, and family. Without it and my relationship with God, I know this year would be unbearable for me. I thank God daily for His presence in my life. He is truly my rock and my redeemer.
And now...for some more concrete, positive news. Classes are going well. Tuesdays are my busy day with three classes, and Tuesdays are my favorite day as well. I find that being busy suits my person better than not being busy. I've made friends with Janice from Canada, Kayla from Pennsylvania, and Rob from Great Britian, and I'm very thankful for them. We - minus Rob but plus Kayla's roommate - travelled to Eisenach this weekend. It was a nice day trip. We saw the Wartburg and Bach's birthplace. The Germans are very technology oriented. The Bachhaus was fitted with iPods for listening to recordings about Bach and his work or pieces of his music. It was a fantastic museum. It was also nice to visit the Wartburg again since my German has improved so much since 2004 when I was there the last time. I understood almost everything the tour guide told us during the tour, and that really made me feel good about my German.
In this picture, you see the room where Luther spent ten months at the Wartburg. During that time, he translated the Bible into German.
Speaking German all day long can be a challenge. Before I came here, I felt confident in my German skills, but after being here for a month, I realize that it's more than just listening to a professor speaking. It's everyday life and all that goes along with it as well. I do notice that my German has improved some even in the short time that I've been here, so I'm hoping that it will continue to improve in the coming months.
The next few weeks are busy for me. I'm headed to Grebenstein to visit a family that I know from the internet next weekend. The following weekend, I'm headed to Bavaria to visit my host family from 2004, and the following Saturday is going to be a day to celebrate Thanksgiving for me and the Germans who were in Millersville two years ago. It's good to be busy.
Keep after me about the blog. I will try to keep everyone updated more regularly. The longer that I don't write, the harder it is to actually do it when I try to start again.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
It's not just Homesickness
For the past several days, I've not been feeling too well. I'd not like to say that I'm sick, but I'm certainly not what I should be. I'm congested, coughing off and on, having from headaches from time to time from the congestion, and suffering from itchy/irritated eyes every now and again. It's a cold, I know, but I hate to say so. I wish that my symptoms would get on with it and go away, but these things will take their time before they "run their course." As is my luck with any race involving running, it seems that I'm also doomed to have the worst time in the race to lose the cold - so it goes.
The first week of classes is in, and I don't have much to say for it. I went to class on Monday for the "Greek for Beginners" and found out that it didn't start until Wednesday. Thankfully, I wasn't the only confused person wishing to take the course, for I wasn't the only one who showed up on Monday for the nonexistent event. There were five others. On Tuesday, I should have had two classes, but the first one won't start until next Tuesday, and the second one won't either. At least the first professor indicated as such by putting message on the door of the lecture hall, though. The second class was full when the gentleman at the podium in the front of the hall said that the class wouldn't be happening this week because the professor was in Canada. Interestingly enough, the professor provided information on Ilias (the online "learning platform" that is used at the university, probably to cut down on the volume of physical paper used in the classroom) about the course, outlining the exact topics to be covered in each lecture on which specific date, and this past Tuesday was listed as "Organisatorisches," which would translate to "organizational." Thus, my assumption was that this first class was just going to orient us to what was coming up. Obviously I was mistaken. Wednesday was the day that I actually had Greek for the first time, and I wondered if I should be sitting in the room – I was beginning to get a scratchy throat then...Luckily, I'm taking the class to get basic knowledge of Greek, and my friend Kate - who has taken the theological course that I'd like to take in the spring - told me that basically all I need to know is that a few words in the German language in the theological field come from Greek. The fact that basic Greek knowledge is "wünschenswert" is really a bit overplayed, I seemed to have gathered from here. The fact that Greek language influences theology is not something that I didn't already know and that the university thought it necessary to make this known before the outset of the course makes me ask how much confidence it has in its would-be theologians...Later in the afternoon on Wednesday, I had my Latin class. The professor went on for about twenty minutes about the Latium, a test that students in Germany must take who need to show some kind of proof of Latin knowledge before moving on in their academic or working careers. I don't need to take this test, but the professor took a huge amount of time to talk about it before he went on to rant for the next 40 minutes about the history of Julius Caesar. When the lecture was over, I talked with him, and he suggested that I not take this course because it was designed specifically to ready students to take the Latium, and since I didn't need to take that test, I could take another course that would be more generally oriented towards reading and translating Latin. That course takes place on Tuesdays and Thursday, but he said not to worry that I missed the first lecture - it was just a test day for him to get an idea where everyone is. I went, therefore, on Thursday to the class, and with my congested head, itchy eyes, and tight chest, I'm happy that I even was aware that he was talking, let alone what he was talking about. Afterwards, I lied to him and said that I understood most of what was going on, only that I didn't know the German terminology for the Latin grammatical constructions. The only thing I was thinking about during the lecture was my nose and throat - they were killing me - and how I was going to deal with them that night whilst trying to sleep.
Today was much better as far as my illness - my throat didn't hurt, but my cough and tight chest were still there and my eyes watered from time to time and my nose was constantly stuffed up. This condition really hasn't put me in the best of spirits, and it's hardly made for the most benevolent judgment call for Germany thus far in my stay, but I keep it in the back of my mind when I think about things that make me irritated, lonely, or homesick. I'm hoping this goes away in the next couple of days. Monday, my orientation group wants to go to the movies, and I'd like to go along, but I'm not going if I feel like I do today, and Friday, I'm supposed to go to Kassel for the weekend to meet a woman and her family who writes in a forum that I've written in for three years, and I'd hate to be feeling horrible for that. Those of you who really know me, know that I hate being sick. But again, let me reiterate, I not really sick - I'm just "not what I should be."
The first week of classes is in, and I don't have much to say for it. I went to class on Monday for the "Greek for Beginners" and found out that it didn't start until Wednesday. Thankfully, I wasn't the only confused person wishing to take the course, for I wasn't the only one who showed up on Monday for the nonexistent event. There were five others. On Tuesday, I should have had two classes, but the first one won't start until next Tuesday, and the second one won't either. At least the first professor indicated as such by putting message on the door of the lecture hall, though. The second class was full when the gentleman at the podium in the front of the hall said that the class wouldn't be happening this week because the professor was in Canada. Interestingly enough, the professor provided information on Ilias (the online "learning platform" that is used at the university, probably to cut down on the volume of physical paper used in the classroom) about the course, outlining the exact topics to be covered in each lecture on which specific date, and this past Tuesday was listed as "Organisatorisches," which would translate to "organizational." Thus, my assumption was that this first class was just going to orient us to what was coming up. Obviously I was mistaken. Wednesday was the day that I actually had Greek for the first time, and I wondered if I should be sitting in the room – I was beginning to get a scratchy throat then...Luckily, I'm taking the class to get basic knowledge of Greek, and my friend Kate - who has taken the theological course that I'd like to take in the spring - told me that basically all I need to know is that a few words in the German language in the theological field come from Greek. The fact that basic Greek knowledge is "wünschenswert" is really a bit overplayed, I seemed to have gathered from here. The fact that Greek language influences theology is not something that I didn't already know and that the university thought it necessary to make this known before the outset of the course makes me ask how much confidence it has in its would-be theologians...Later in the afternoon on Wednesday, I had my Latin class. The professor went on for about twenty minutes about the Latium, a test that students in Germany must take who need to show some kind of proof of Latin knowledge before moving on in their academic or working careers. I don't need to take this test, but the professor took a huge amount of time to talk about it before he went on to rant for the next 40 minutes about the history of Julius Caesar. When the lecture was over, I talked with him, and he suggested that I not take this course because it was designed specifically to ready students to take the Latium, and since I didn't need to take that test, I could take another course that would be more generally oriented towards reading and translating Latin. That course takes place on Tuesdays and Thursday, but he said not to worry that I missed the first lecture - it was just a test day for him to get an idea where everyone is. I went, therefore, on Thursday to the class, and with my congested head, itchy eyes, and tight chest, I'm happy that I even was aware that he was talking, let alone what he was talking about. Afterwards, I lied to him and said that I understood most of what was going on, only that I didn't know the German terminology for the Latin grammatical constructions. The only thing I was thinking about during the lecture was my nose and throat - they were killing me - and how I was going to deal with them that night whilst trying to sleep.
Today was much better as far as my illness - my throat didn't hurt, but my cough and tight chest were still there and my eyes watered from time to time and my nose was constantly stuffed up. This condition really hasn't put me in the best of spirits, and it's hardly made for the most benevolent judgment call for Germany thus far in my stay, but I keep it in the back of my mind when I think about things that make me irritated, lonely, or homesick. I'm hoping this goes away in the next couple of days. Monday, my orientation group wants to go to the movies, and I'd like to go along, but I'm not going if I feel like I do today, and Friday, I'm supposed to go to Kassel for the weekend to meet a woman and her family who writes in a forum that I've written in for three years, and I'd hate to be feeling horrible for that. Those of you who really know me, know that I hate being sick. But again, let me reiterate, I not really sick - I'm just "not what I should be."
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