So here is the second post long over due. What you see above was one of my first meals I made for myself in Germany, and I decided it was a great depiction of a non-sight-seeing day in Berlin…

I usually wake up at 7:27 AM, and hop in the shower. Then I pour myself a bowl of “Choco Flakies” (It’s actually not a bowl but a teapot, they didn’t give me any cereal bowls…criminal). After breakfast begins the process of layering up. When I first got here I wore soccer warm-up pants underneath my jeans, at least two shirts, hooded sweatshirt, winter jacket and the amazing hat, gloves, and scarf that Colby bought me. After I’m all ready to battle the cold I go through a pat down to make sure I have my wallet, keys and phone. I’m pretty sure its game over if I lose any of these things. Plus if you are related to me you know that I don’t have the best track record when keeping track of my belongings. So its out the door and into the 22 degree weather. Its about a 3 minute walk to the bus stop and then on average a 5 minute wait there. Perhaps the worst 8 minutes of the day. Nobody likes to be freezing while waiting to go to school, bleh. Once on the bus (Line 186), I find myself a nice little corner on the upper deck and basically people-watch. It’s a 20 minute ride from the apartments to the transfer station, and it seems that 100% of the time the bus we are supposed to catch from there leaves just as we get off the 186…perfect. Another 5 minute bus ride brings me to the FU-BEST building (Freie Universitat- Berlin European Studies). This is where I have all my classes, and wireless internet!!!! So right now in my generic day its about 8:40 AM, at which point I check email for 20 minutes before German class starts. And what a German class it is! Two and a half hours a day, 4 days a week, of German. Its impossible for me not to learn. After German which ends around noon, I usually head over to the university cafeteria (“Mensa” Latin for table?). Perhaps the cheapest and best tasting school food I have ever had. I usually purchase around 6 Euros worth of food which equates to: bratwurst, spiced onions, french fries, rice, stuffed pork cutlet and diced potatoes. Gotta love the food that sticks to your ribs. After lunch, around 1:15 PM, I have three options; 1) go back to FU-BEST and do homework and savior the little internet access that I get, 2) Jump on the S or U-Bahn (metro or subway) and get lost, OR 3) grocery shopping. Regardless of what I choose I have to be back no later than 4:30 pm for the start of my second class. After 2 hours of yawning through class I make my way back home around 7:00 PM.  Once home I usually make a meal similar to the one you see above and enjoy it in front of CNN or the German sports station.  After dinner I leave the TV on and usually read or go bother somebody else in their room.  My day ends around 11 or 12 at which point I pass out.

Im sorry if this synopsis bored you but I figured some people might be curious as to how I spend my normal days.

Until next time…

The orientation for the program lasted through the week and ended on the 11th. It included an assortment of activities including, a city and campus tour, welcome dinner, pub crawl, and multiple informational meetings. I am pleased to say that enjoyed everything thoroughly and perhaps the pub crawl a little too much…and so the first of many stories begins…..

….We (around 5 classmates and I) were exiting the bar around 3:30 AM pleased as could be with our new found freedoms. I had been “over-served” and decided to greet some passing youths with a welcoming invitation inside. However they obviously didn’t take to my first grade level German which I thought was grammatically perfect at the time. The guy was around my age and fairly angry with whatever I had said. The testosterone was rising and I was started to get frustrated with his disgust in Americans (at least that what his garbled English, facial expressions, and hand gestures seemed to indicate). He proceeded to trash Americans in every way possible and soon I had had enough. The best move I could think was to “shoo” him away with a flick of my wrist and condescending cold shoulder. As soon I raised my hand I knew a mistake was coming. We were chest to chest within milliseconds of raising my hand. Oddly enough I wasn’t the least bit worried about what was going to happen. I preferred to walk away from the situation and when he removed his hood I realized this was exactly what I should do. The absence of the hood revealed a navy blue knit cap with the universally recognizable Yankees “NY” emblazoned on the forehead. The irony made everyone burst out in laughter which only made him more mad but he started to back away slightly aware of his ignorance. We gave the guy parting sarcastic compliments on his head wear as we walked away. I look back on it now and am happy with my decision to avoid conflict with the locals on my third night in Berlin….

P.S. To parents and grandparents: I am being safe and traveling with a group, dont worry.

P.P. S. To friends: I would have destroyed that guy, no worries

More social stories to follow as well as educational entries, and photographs….

PEACE