So a little bit about the woman who we lived with. I think that at first she liked Kelsey more, but that didn't last for long. Honorata is just very particular about her things and I am naturally careful about things like that when I first meet someone. The first time I stay at someone's house, I clean up a lot after myself and usually do more work that in necessary, and as I get to know the person, I stop being so intense. I couldn't ever do that here. I had to be clean to the very end and for that, Honorata liked me better by the end.
She just cooked me dinner and we ate outside (her daughter was there as well and she speaks english thank goodness. So any words I didn't know she helped me figure out). I have been wanting to eat some of her cooking for some time now because it always smells amazing. She is one of those cooks who can just throw things in a pot for a few hours and come out with a lovely soup or just whip up an intricate salad or whatnot. We had some amazing chicken and potatoes and these two food-processor salads (shredded, not pulverized). One was a green salad with i think cabbage and carrots and cucumber and some kind of cheese/mayo-thing. It was basically homemade coleslaw. Then the other was so amazing! It was carrots and apples and cinnamon and a bit of sugar and almonds. Soooo good!!!!
We sat outside for a few hours and chatted and it was so amazing. I got to use my German in a real world situation, even if her daughter did have to translate and help me along. I wish that I had gotten to really be friends with Honorata, but I think Kelsey made that difficult. She tended to shut herself up in her room and Honorata couldn't very well invite me to dinner and not Kelsey, but I don't think she liked Kelsey much by the end.
Anywho, amazing person!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Wandering
As a way to take up some time on Sundays and just because I wanted to, I went for long walks. It was rather fun and I found some really cool things that were just around the corner from my house, things that I wouldn’t have found if I had just gone to the U-Bahn and the grocery store and back like my roommate did. I enjoyed the lovely architecture. 
I found a beautiful park that was just a 20 minute walk away and on the way there is a huge Mosque that is really pretty. I found a pilot shop across the street from the old airport where the air lifts landed.
I wandered right into two really cool second-hand shops and I have seen some really cool cafes and restaurants that I would have eaten at if I wanted to spend the money and eat the extra fat. I even found a faster route to one of the main hubs of Berlin.
I found the library!
The main point is that I feel like I really lived here now, rather than just staying here (if that makes any sense). On Friday I plan to go wandering in some new place.
Today was my last day of classes at the Goethe Institut. We had a few different teachers and they were all good, but our last one really was amazing. It was her first time teaching at the Goethe institute, she was probably in her late 20s. She reminded me a bit of Ashley, but not too much. She was really invested in helping us to learn and was willing to just sit there and suffer through the difficult stuff with us and our poor grammar and she played with us too. We had a picnic last weekend and everyone brought some amazing food. We sat there and chatted and ended up going to someones house and chatting some more. It was really fun.
We took a final test and I did really well (even though we aren’t technically graded). She told me that I really should go ahead and learn more German. She said that there are two groups of people; those who will never make it past a certain level and those who have the ability to learn more and I was in the latter group.
I found a beautiful park that was just a 20 minute walk away and on the way there is a huge Mosque that is really pretty. I found a pilot shop across the street from the old airport where the air lifts landed.
I wandered right into two really cool second-hand shops and I have seen some really cool cafes and restaurants that I would have eaten at if I wanted to spend the money and eat the extra fat. I even found a faster route to one of the main hubs of Berlin.
I found the library!
The main point is that I feel like I really lived here now, rather than just staying here (if that makes any sense). On Friday I plan to go wandering in some new place.
Today was my last day of classes at the Goethe Institut. We had a few different teachers and they were all good, but our last one really was amazing. It was her first time teaching at the Goethe institute, she was probably in her late 20s. She reminded me a bit of Ashley, but not too much. She was really invested in helping us to learn and was willing to just sit there and suffer through the difficult stuff with us and our poor grammar and she played with us too. We had a picnic last weekend and everyone brought some amazing food. We sat there and chatted and ended up going to someones house and chatting some more. It was really fun.
We took a final test and I did really well (even though we aren’t technically graded). She told me that I really should go ahead and learn more German. She said that there are two groups of people; those who will never make it past a certain level and those who have the ability to learn more and I was in the latter group.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
visits to/from friends
So at the beginning of the week, I tried one last time at getting people to go to Poland with me. All my previous attempts had failed, but I had a new tactic and this time it would not fail. I had free housing and a persuasive attitude. I decided to just inform some people that they were coming. They agreed.
But before we get into the fabulous weekend, let’s talk about the week. More museums. Jen and I visited these two cemeteries/monuments for the Holocaust. They were so beautiful and peaceful. On Tuesday night, Prof Kelling took us out to a real German dinner. So much meat! But sooo good. I wish I had taken a picture of my dinner, but I didn’t think until the end and then it was too late.
So I have to tell you about these two girls in my institute class. They are both Germans, but speak perfect English. They are just about the cutest girls ever! They have such strong testimonies and I love chatting with them. I hope that we will keep in touch when we are no longer in the same country/continent.
Thursday I had lunch with Florian (a foreign exchange student of my cousins). We went to Vapianos, which is this amazing Italian restaurant. Then we went up to the observation area of the tallest building. It was only 24 stories, but that is as tall as they are allowed to be built. We got amazing ice cream and chatted. Then we went to the Brandenburger Tor and the American Embassy. He has a Smart car BTW, and I got to drive in it. Oh yeah. It was really nice to see him again. I think we are going to try to get together more before I leave.
Friday went a little something like this. I went to class, Emily and I went to the bookstore and I bought the first in the Series of Unfortunate Events in German to read on the Train. I also came across The Hunger Games in German!!!!
Then we went to a lecture of this guy who works for the Church. It was really interesting. He talked about the way the church is viewed in Germany and it was interesting. Then Richard, Emily, and I bolted for Poland!!
We had a lovely train ride and chatted most of the time. We met up with Jon and got some Polish Money, Zlots (I have no idea how to spell it) and bus tickets and went to their apartment.
Saturday was amazing! We got up and took our time getting ready, eating breakfast, playing with the Jagards adorable baby, Ania. Then we went to Old Town and pretty much just wandered around. It was so cool! We saw the church were the heart of Chopin is buried and a sign that says “evil” (of course we had to take pictures). It was just so much fun to see it all. I love old towns. We came across a festival that was going on and there were some folk dancers and people selling traditional Polish art and scarves and whatnot. They love color and it was so much fun too look at everything. Then we went to a park and wandered some more and avoided the mosquitoes. There was this old mansion with a lake and peacocks. Then we went home and played Ticket to Ride and Jon made some amazing pancakes! We watched the World Cup game, England vs. USA (Yeah, I had to look up what it was in English. I have been seeing Weltmeisterschaft for so long).
On Sunday Richard left early to get home to skype with his wife, but Emily and I got to go to a little bit of Polish church. We stopped by a cemetery on the way and Liz showed us how the Poles really respect and take care of their dead. There were flowers everywhere and places to buy them and candles. I thought it was really sweet. The Warsaw chapel is small, but they filled it up with strong spirits. I love the way that church feels the same no matter where you are. It felt so nice to hear Liz’s beautiful singing voice again. She had to translate the talk, so I got to play with Ania! Lucky me!! I love that baby girl <3
Then came the sad part where we had to leave. We made it back safely and I went for a walk. My Hausfrau was so excited for me because she comes from Poland so I told her all about it (in my limited German).
I loved seeing the Jagards again! Because we weren’t doing anything too intense, I got to talk with them a lot and catch up and get some good advice. They gave us an incredible weekend! Thanks guys!!!!
But before we get into the fabulous weekend, let’s talk about the week. More museums. Jen and I visited these two cemeteries/monuments for the Holocaust. They were so beautiful and peaceful. On Tuesday night, Prof Kelling took us out to a real German dinner. So much meat! But sooo good. I wish I had taken a picture of my dinner, but I didn’t think until the end and then it was too late.
So I have to tell you about these two girls in my institute class. They are both Germans, but speak perfect English. They are just about the cutest girls ever! They have such strong testimonies and I love chatting with them. I hope that we will keep in touch when we are no longer in the same country/continent.
Thursday I had lunch with Florian (a foreign exchange student of my cousins). We went to Vapianos, which is this amazing Italian restaurant. Then we went up to the observation area of the tallest building. It was only 24 stories, but that is as tall as they are allowed to be built. We got amazing ice cream and chatted. Then we went to the Brandenburger Tor and the American Embassy. He has a Smart car BTW, and I got to drive in it. Oh yeah. It was really nice to see him again. I think we are going to try to get together more before I leave.
Friday went a little something like this. I went to class, Emily and I went to the bookstore and I bought the first in the Series of Unfortunate Events in German to read on the Train. I also came across The Hunger Games in German!!!!
Then we went to a lecture of this guy who works for the Church. It was really interesting. He talked about the way the church is viewed in Germany and it was interesting. Then Richard, Emily, and I bolted for Poland!!We had a lovely train ride and chatted most of the time. We met up with Jon and got some Polish Money, Zlots (I have no idea how to spell it) and bus tickets and went to their apartment.
Saturday was amazing! We got up and took our time getting ready, eating breakfast, playing with the Jagards adorable baby, Ania. Then we went to Old Town and pretty much just wandered around. It was so cool! We saw the church were the heart of Chopin is buried and a sign that says “evil” (of course we had to take pictures). It was just so much fun to see it all. I love old towns. We came across a festival that was going on and there were some folk dancers and people selling traditional Polish art and scarves and whatnot. They love color and it was so much fun too look at everything. Then we went to a park and wandered some more and avoided the mosquitoes. There was this old mansion with a lake and peacocks. Then we went home and played Ticket to Ride and Jon made some amazing pancakes! We watched the World Cup game, England vs. USA (Yeah, I had to look up what it was in English. I have been seeing Weltmeisterschaft for so long).
On Sunday Richard left early to get home to skype with his wife, but Emily and I got to go to a little bit of Polish church. We stopped by a cemetery on the way and Liz showed us how the Poles really respect and take care of their dead. There were flowers everywhere and places to buy them and candles. I thought it was really sweet. The Warsaw chapel is small, but they filled it up with strong spirits. I love the way that church feels the same no matter where you are. It felt so nice to hear Liz’s beautiful singing voice again. She had to translate the talk, so I got to play with Ania! Lucky me!! I love that baby girl <3
Then came the sad part where we had to leave. We made it back safely and I went for a walk. My Hausfrau was so excited for me because she comes from Poland so I told her all about it (in my limited German).
I loved seeing the Jagards again! Because we weren’t doing anything too intense, I got to talk with them a lot and catch up and get some good advice. They gave us an incredible weekend! Thanks guys!!!!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
pictures to come...
Yet another amazing week here in Germany!!! (with the exception of not having internet, but we will get back to that)
Monday night I totally owned at FHE where we played a guessing game. It was Disney characters, so of course I won. Tuesday, Kelsey and I went to this cool cafe that had free wi-fi. I got some seriously amazing herbal tea and got to use the internet.
Wednesday was really cool. We got to go on a tour of the parliament building. The building has been around for a long time and has had many uses, but has been changed throughout the years. They kept a bunch of soviet graffiti on the walls. The actual room where they meet has a viewing balcony where any citizen can listen in on the preceedings for a short time. The chairs are all movable because that way they can move things around with each new group of people. Then we also go to go up in the dome, but it was a cloudy day so not so cool. Then I went and got more tea from my favorite cafe.
On Thursday I found a fun little flea market that I wandered through and found some really cool stuff, including lavender! I ate my lunch in a park and went to the New Jewish Synagogue. THat was pretty cool. It was so destroyed and they restored it so that you can see what was original and what is new. Then I went to the church and we had our culture class, and institute class, and then they had burgers for dinner!!! and they even grilled the onions!!!! I was totally in the mood for that burger, it was perfect.
Friday, two other girls and I went to Schloss Charlotenburg and chilled in the gardens for a while, enjoying the plesent day. Then I went home and pretty much went to sleep due to my lack of internet. You really don't realize how much you use it until it's gone.
Saturday was by far the best day! We went to Schwerin, which is Prof. Kelling's hometown. He showed us around and we went to the Castle and he took us on a boat tour. They were also having a festival that day to celebrate the town's birthday. It was so much fun!
And today, I got attacked by some little kids with water guns/bottles which I would have found funny if I wasn't already in a bad mood. But I did fix the internet! Honorata thinks I'm the coolest thing since the cigarette (she is a smoker - so it makes sense, though she doesn't smoke much and always outside)
Pictures to come...
Monday night I totally owned at FHE where we played a guessing game. It was Disney characters, so of course I won. Tuesday, Kelsey and I went to this cool cafe that had free wi-fi. I got some seriously amazing herbal tea and got to use the internet.
Wednesday was really cool. We got to go on a tour of the parliament building. The building has been around for a long time and has had many uses, but has been changed throughout the years. They kept a bunch of soviet graffiti on the walls. The actual room where they meet has a viewing balcony where any citizen can listen in on the preceedings for a short time. The chairs are all movable because that way they can move things around with each new group of people. Then we also go to go up in the dome, but it was a cloudy day so not so cool. Then I went and got more tea from my favorite cafe.
On Thursday I found a fun little flea market that I wandered through and found some really cool stuff, including lavender! I ate my lunch in a park and went to the New Jewish Synagogue. THat was pretty cool. It was so destroyed and they restored it so that you can see what was original and what is new. Then I went to the church and we had our culture class, and institute class, and then they had burgers for dinner!!! and they even grilled the onions!!!! I was totally in the mood for that burger, it was perfect.
Friday, two other girls and I went to Schloss Charlotenburg and chilled in the gardens for a while, enjoying the plesent day. Then I went home and pretty much went to sleep due to my lack of internet. You really don't realize how much you use it until it's gone.
Saturday was by far the best day! We went to Schwerin, which is Prof. Kelling's hometown. He showed us around and we went to the Castle and he took us on a boat tour. They were also having a festival that day to celebrate the town's birthday. It was so much fun!
And today, I got attacked by some little kids with water guns/bottles which I would have found funny if I wasn't already in a bad mood. But I did fix the internet! Honorata thinks I'm the coolest thing since the cigarette (she is a smoker - so it makes sense, though she doesn't smoke much and always outside)
Pictures to come...
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