Today I woke up and though to myself "Sowie fällt Heute aus". I checked my Email, updated my blog and had my morning cup of coffee with cinnamon. I realized after my walk from the train to school that the water-proof spray on my TOMS had worn off and my toes were now freezing. The bell for school rang and I trekked up 3 flights of stairs. There I was greeted by Russian/German twins (sounds like a horror movie..) that are in my SOWIE class... after waiting 10 minutes we found out that in fact SOWIE fällt Heute aus...I love "Magical power day". I decide to take the train back to Mettmann and bum around town - I needed stamps any way. I plant myself on a stool in a bakery downtown. I was sitting down sipping on a diet coke and reading Sarah Vowell's " The Partly Cloudy Patriot" when I paused and looked outside. Directly in front of me was a pile of snow a little smaller than I was; however, surrounding the pile were the people of Mettmann. Despite the snow adn -2degrees Celsius everyone was out and about. Mettmann was buzzing with life today. It's mostly elderly people, but there are the occasional sleds with kids in snow suits. I looked back down at my book adn found it hard to concentrate because I was tuning my hearing in and out. The conversations in the bakery sounded exactly like what you would hear on a language CD. At that moment, I was taken back to German Class Sophomore year. My back was turned to the customers and counter, but all I could hear was the coffee machine grinding and steaming. Meanwhile others are asking for bread "ja morgen, ich hatte gerne ein brotchen" ..."ja gerne, 2.80 bitte"....etc. I decided that I didnt have the attention span to read so I focused on the conversations around me. The German language has a particular flow to it. There are certain tones one is to use when asking a question.. you would stress certain parts of the sentence. I was talking to a friend from my program who has had a relatively rough time with his exchange year and he told me that he likes the country, but not the people. This guy speaks German... btw... anyway.. that's what you get for building expectations.. PLUS that's so American. We are used to having people be friendly and fake to us every day. I feel more German than American.. but what is an "American" supposed to feel like?? America does some things right.. yes, that's true... but I find myself being more ashamed and embarrassed of my Country, then proud. For example: several people here have done exchanges in the US.. when they got to their host families.. their host families (talking DOWN to these people) showed their host students teh kitchen.. and explained what a fridge, microwave adn an oven were... like these kids didnt know!... THAT'S MORTIFYING.. I have absolutely no justification for that because I had never heard of that before I came here. I would try to defend stereotypes that Germans have of Americans... but honestly.... they are quite true. Of course not evrey American proves the stereotypes right.. but let's get real here... the vast majority are your stereotypical American. Yes, Kentucky PLEASE build that giant ass arc then I can read about it again on the FRONT PAGE OF THE GERMAN NEWS PAPER. Traveling has made me realize just how dysfunctional and counter productive a lot of the systems are in America and no one specifically is to blame. German people might come off as cold at first, but they are just trying to figure you out- nothing personal. But when you become friends with a German.. then you have a friend for life.. a real, reliable friend. Whereas in America.. most relationships are so incredibly fake. I have rarely felt any sort of patriotism.... Even when celebrating the 4th of July..no one actually THINKS about what we are celebrating.. Americans just focus on finding matching American flag paper napkins, plates, cups and plastic silverware. It's never why? it's always how much and what? Absolutely impersonal.
Just one of those thinking days I suppose.. I would go on and on.. but that might give me a headache.:)
THEN.. I was getting my stamps right.. out of these little nifty stamp machines.. adn when i finished an old man (missing his glasses) asked me to help him get his.. well what he wanted just wouldnt work on this machine.. so after about 5 minutes I was like Im sorry I don't know whats wrong with it! .. then we walked down teh street a ways.. and he was like you arent german,(DAMNIT!)where do you come from?? I said America.. and he was like oh blahblhablha... then he said goodbye adn wished me a merry christmas
twas a nice departure.. and afternoon..
when i got home i let my feet thaw out.
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