Week 1: Learning, Living, and Loving Germany

 I've learned to count to eight in German! 

This certainly sounds like an un-astonishing feat, but the reality of our travel to Bonn was that I neglected to truly realize the language barrier and cultural differences that awaited me. The eight new numbers I've learned are among many new vocabulary terms that have been gathered and learned from a full immersion setting into German language and society. 

I learned the number "two" first, ironically. While our home during these six weeks is across the Rhein in a sleepy neighborhood called Hozlar, our days are spent in the bustling city of Bonn. I can consistently be found with Grace, my travel buddy, as we wander and explore market places and food stalls. One of my earliest surprises in this country was the unexpected diversity in the city. There are the expected biergartens and bratwurst spots, but also a large variety of Asian, Italian, and Middle Eastern restaurants and people. It was at one of these Italian food trucks that Grace and I ordered our first lunch: zwei (two) penne carbonaras. It was here that I was also confronted by the significance of language. Ordering food is an easy, almost thoughtless, process back home. Now, suddenly, the ability to express myself or what I want is directly challenged. There is an element of frustration at not being able to say exactly what I want, or make the same passing interactions with strangers due to a language barrier. Thankfully, a great many Germans know pieces of English, and, as I discovered at the Italian pasta truck, Italians understand Spanish very well! 

"Three" and "one" were learned together in my first successful ordering in German! Often, while I attempt to speak in German, a waiter will immediately detect my native language and respond in English. This can be initially disappointing, however, when they do respond in German, it usually exceeds the limited vocabulary I had prepared and results in a switch to English anyways. There is a pretty biergarten/pub next to the bus stop on our way home from classes, and a group of us Aggies can often be found there enjoying the warm sunshine and a glass of Kölsch. I live with Grace and two other new friends, collectively consisting of what we call the "Schwestern" (sisters in German). It has been such an unexpected joy to get to know these girls and share in our explorations of public transportation, Bonn city central, and medicine classes! Over 3 glasses of Kölsch Alster and one glass of Kölsch Radler (our new favorite drinks) the four of us share our impressions of Germany and also discuss what we have learned about the history of medicine. Learning new things, especially such interesting ones about medical compositions and religion, is such an incredible joy. Even greater is the opportunity to share in conversation with my "sisters" and their unique perspectives and insights into topics of the day. Top it off with sunshine and successfully ordered Kölsch, and that's a recipe for a perfect school day.

Four and five were learned from our new "Mutter," the host mom who has graciously taken us into her home to feed and teach us. Coming from a very family-oriented upbringing, it is so comforting and lovely to be invited into a family even while in a foreign place. I have four fun friends I get to call sisters for the next few weeks, and I have a host mom who shares dinner with us every night! While we study during the day and go get ice cream or drinks with friends in the evening, time is always reserved for a bus ride home to spend dinner and chatting with our Mutter.  Home is such an important concept, and a word I did not think I would necessarily use while studying here. And yet, throughout this week it has been so natural to respond to dinner invites from friends with: "We'll meet you later; we're going home to have dinner with our mom!" Not only do we get to share home cooked meals together, but we continuously learn and share in topics of culture, language, and fun. Our mom answers all our questions and teaches us new words and phrases for us to incorporate into our interactions. She makes us eat all our food and does not hesitate to correct our questionable pronunciation. Like all mothers, she is also always right! When she sends us out to try a new restaurant, it's always better than the one we had intended to go to. When she tells us which bus stop to go to at what time, we always get right where we need to be. When she warns us to bring a jacket, she's always right about it being chilly! 

Six, seven, and eight were my most recent additions to my humble journey in German counting. With weekends free for travel and exploration, a group of us decided to mount an expedition to Löwenburg Castle. Public transportation is a significant aspect of the society here, and often includes a bus ride to a train station to another bus stop to your final destination. It sounds almost inefficient, yet there's an ease to hopping on these vehicles and mapping your way to a pretty mountainside town. The whole day was spent hiking and climbing beautiful mountain trails to reach the ruins of an old castle, wondering at the tall trees and view of the distant Rhein river. Of course, our resident German speaker and new friend Cassandra shared a classic German hiking song- that consisted of counting to eight and something about a hat, stick, and petticoat... Perhaps it only makes sense in German. 

It feels appropriate to reflect on our past week here in Bonn while we celebrate Pentecost today. As we continue my adventure in Germany, I continue to look for the Spirit moving in all our activities, friendships, and new knowledge. So much more lies in store, including how to say nine and ten in German!