They leave the West behind...

I am now returned from the exhausting Berlin trip.  (Thanks, German grammar, that is how it first came out).  Hanover was disastrous, but I am now a member of Hostelling International, which it looks like I'll need for the crazy Scandinavia trip we're trying to plan for spring break.

Yesterday I spent several hours at the Steinmeyer's house - my tandem partners.  Jona, the 5 year old boy, was mad at me for awhile because his mom made him came home since I was there, instead of play with his friend after kindergarten.  But then we got home and he put all of his toys all over me again and everything was fine.  We talked in English almost the whole time, but the mom, Keri, said she was very impressed with my German when I did use it.  She made me dinner again, and bought me a donut and cookies.  They love to give me stuff, and I'm not good enough at being direct and German-like to refuse it.  But I enjoyed it all.  Dad Klaus, who is my favorite German person I have ever met, came to take me home, in half the time it would have taken an American driver.  

It feels very strange having all the new Americans here.  Last month, there were a lot more students, and they were from more countries.  This month was the American invasion, and there are just less people over all.  My class is half American, except for the Turkish guys who also stayed another month, and are some of the nicest people I know.  Stephania made a surprise return, here to represent Italy for a little while longer.  We even talked about the American election, auf Deutsch naturlich, in my class.

Speaking of which, a reporter from Schwaebisch Hall came to talk to American students at Goethe about the election.  Unfortunately the first guy he found was Ben, who told him that he is very conservative, essentially in love with Mitt Romney, and thinks all the democratic candidates are crazy radicals.  He was not the best representation of America, and the rest of us were standing around embarrassed, especially when he talked about how great the Iraq War is and couldn't speak one word of German.  Luckily, the guy then talked to Suzanne from my class, who likes Obama and is way more liberal, and basically smarter about the whole thing.

Anyway, too bad for Ben Romney got kicked out of everything.

I also basically have my classes lined up for Vienna.  Three classes from Central (in partnership with the Uni, still obviously taught in German): German Literature from Realism to the end of the 20th Century, Theater in Theory and Praxis, the Music workshop which is only one weekend, and the History of Austria seminar that we all have to take.  Then one at the University, which I'll be counting towards my minor:  Love, Honor, and Adultery in Medieval Literature.  A little scared of doing things in Middle High German in a class taught all in Modern High German, but I am up for the challenge.  Vielleicht.  And then, according to Ruth, I am most likely getting an internship at Greenpeace.  Ganz toll.

Back to Stuttgart for a day this weekend, because why not.  Today Suzanne, Rachel, Rob and I climbed a mountain...it felt like...and found a meadow and giant expanses of farmland, where we proceeded to (yet again) pretend we were in The Sound of Music.  We have also already planned trips to Salzburg just for that purpose.

Gute Nacht, must face terrifying teacher in the morning.

Also, best picture of all time, when our tour guide made me and one other girl represent East and West Berlin.