Get your own
 diary at DiaryLand.com! contact me older entries newest entry

10:36 p.m. - April 29, 2002
Potluck
When I'm done with thinking, then I'm done with you
When I'm done with crying, then I'm done with you
When I feel so tired, then I'm done with you
Everybody feels this way sometimes, everybody feels this way
--"I Do" by Lisa Loeb

I'm tired. I've been studying Hungarian for about two and a half hours, and I am sick of it. I feel like I'm never going to learn these words. I only fear that when I go to class tomorrow, I won't be doing as well as I probably should. I think I'm finished with studying for the night. I'll just have to cram tomorrow morning and afternoon before class. I think I'm going to sprout white hairs from panic and stress...

I wonder if the other people in my class feel the same way. I bet they do. I'm still remembering Ursula in class last time, trying to remember her verb conjugations, and saying O Gott! before she buried her face in her hands. But she'll probably know more than I do, tomorrow. At least Wednesday is a holiday, and I can study both Hungarian and Italian all day.

But I do have a good reason for not memorizing as much as I probably should have. I think. Well, maybe some people won't think it's a good reason.

I was in Hannover for the weekend, and while I was there, I attended a conference about bilateral cochlear implants. Fascinating, and I picked up lots of information. And I spoke German just about the whole weekend, which was tiring. But the good part is that I impressed people.

(Sample conversation, translated into English:)

Person: So did you know German before you came to Germany?
Me: Yes.
Person: How long did you study German?
Me: I took it for seven years in the US and I had a one month language course in Regensburg in August.
Person: Really? You speak really good German!

And this conversation has been happening for the past few weeks, so this is cool. It makes me so proud, and the fact that so many people are saying this to me is convincing; I know that most of them are probably not lying.

One good thing that emerged from this weekend is the knowledge that I actually have a German friend! Das macht mir froh! It's really hard to make friends in Germany (I used to not believe this till I came here), and once you've made a friend, you've got a friend for life. Yay!

In other things: I made a list. it's called "You know when you're used to the German way of life..."

Here it is:
(1) Water fountains are a distant memory. It's natural to carry around a bottle of water everywhere you go. Even if you're just going shopping.
(2) What are ice cubes?
(3) You stop saying Excuse me. When push comes to shove, it doesn't matter, as long as you're the first in line.
(4) What is customer service?
(5) You see people wearing baggy cargo pants. You look at them, shake your head, and sigh, Americans.
(6) You get used to paying for refills.
(7) You no longer know how to calculate a tip.
(8) Seeing photos of naked people (or seeing porn ads on TV) no longer fazes you. They've become as commonplace as seeing pictures of cows or Stoiber.

If you think of anything else to add, you can sign my guestbook at http://abendbrot.signmyguestbook.com.

Well, I've to go to bed now. I want to wake up sort of early so I can study and run off to the bank tomorrow: I'm picking up a T-Shirt from someone. She made this cool T-Shirt with Hans and Sophie Scholl on it, and it is soooo cool.

So good night!

And oh, for Beth: Viel Gl�ck! I hope you didn't starve during your last days in Pittsburgh!

 

previous - next

about me - read my profile! read other Diar
yLand diaries! recommend my diary to a friend! Get
 your own fun + free diary at DiaryLand.com!