Also, finally an update!
So this week I finally started classes at the University. I am taking four. The first is a text analysis class that looks like it could be interesting and I can already tell I like the teacher. I think I've also figured out how to access all of my reading, so that makes that class infinitely less stressful (it is impossible to figure out how to do your reading, to know what books to read and what's online/in the library, and often even to know what to read for what days). We do have to do a Referat in that class, which I'm not looking forward to, but Heather and I are doing one together, and we're doing it with this kid who just got back from a semester in New Zealand and is very excited to be able to practice his English. That makes the entire prospect much less daunting.
My second class is a class called (roughly-translated) The Age of Confessionalism, From The Peace of Augsburg to The Thirty Years War. I'm taking that one with Heather too, and I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was to be taking a history class again. Somehow I'm always missing one, history or literature. Anyway, that class was an experience. First, it's from 6-8 pm which is exactly dinnertime. Fun. Second, the teacher talks a million miles a minute, and even did so when speaking to Heather and me separately to ensure us that he will slow down if we need him to. Third, there is a kid in the class who wants to speak in Bayerisch. No way, so not allowed, but the teacher said that was fine as long as he could understand him. Grr.
My third class is a Deutsch als Fremdsprache course, meaning that it is designed for foreign students and is similar to the intensive language program I just finished. It's a Landeskunde class on Germany post 1945. It should be easy and interesting and I'm in it with a bunch of people I know, including Kathryn, so it will be a grand old time. My fourth class is also on Thursdays, and that's a class on authoritarian and totalitarian dictators. I'm taking it for credit towards my international relations certificate (hopefully), but it's a huge lecture and I just can't write quickly enough in German to manage to keep up. Also, it's from four to six which is my sleepiest time of the day. Oh well, we'll see how it goes...
Today I also went to attempt to figure out the library. I have never been somewhere so complicated. You can't take bags in, so we tried to drop ours off at these lockers, but to do that you have to first activate your ID. So we went to the Ausweis office, only to find out that we had to know some password to activate it FIRST. So we went to ANOTHER office and finally figured it out (with some difficulty), and then went back to the library. That apparently you can't check books out of? And it's only one of like 18 libraries. So so confusing. The bookstore also has like on copy of each book and they're not organized at all besides by subject. Oh goodness this university is a mess.
Other exciting news... Well, Germany is slowly eating my electronics. First my little camera stopped working suddenly while we were in Prague, then my ipod broke last week (making the gym so sad for the past week), and then my computer suddenly refused to turn on beyond the first blue screen. Eeek! After a lot of time with my program director and multiple computer stores, however, we got it fixed within a day and were lucky enough to find out that it didn't cost anything! But talk about a temporary scare. Also, my new ipod should be here by the time I get back from Salzburg tomorrow, so yay!
My last exciting piece of news is that I have a new Mitbewohnerin! Her name is Judith and she is German and wonderful. She is super friendly and has already organized us all to paint the kitchen. I also had champagne with her and her friend and my other roommate Andi and his friends on our balcony, and spoke German and it was wonderful. So yes, I'm slowly having more German options.
My last exciting piece of news is that I have a new Mitbewohnerin! Her name is Judith and she is German and wonderful. She is super friendly and has already organized us all to paint the kitchen. I also had champagne with her and her friend and my other roommate Andi and his friends on our balcony, and spoke German and it was wonderful. So yes, I'm slowly having more German options.
