Winterferien! :D

I'm on Winter break at the moment, because yes, it is still Winter here in Germany! I've decided to devide this entry into two main parts, each recounting a bit of the two travelling adventures I've had lately.

I'll start with the basics: You are hiking in the Japanese mountains, two snow leopards are stalking you, and your katana is frozen in its sheath.. jk, random quote from this season of 30 Rock. Couldn't help myself. ;)

Now, onto the real story. The weekend before last I went to Cologne and Bonn for the mid-year seminar for my foreign exchange student program. Ich habe viel angst ueber ein Sprachtest gehapt, aber wir haben das nicht genommen, weil wir sind total BOSS! (I was anxious about a speaking test, but we didn't take one because we are so... well, you can understand the last part, lol) It was great to get to go around these amazing cities with my language camp friends, most of whom I hadn't seen for about five months.

Apart from the spectacular architecture (and, frankly, SCHLECHT weather) that we got to see, there were also some interesting, often amusing highlights. (Really, fifty nearly German-ized American exchange students all together for a weekend. Classic slip-on-banana-peel just waiting to happen!)

So there was obviously this odd sort of language going on. Sometimes we find it difficult to think of the name for something in English, Deutsch, and, sometimes, either language. What results is our own version of "Danglisch." The especially funny cases of this occur when a student uses both English and Deutsch in the same sentence. (For example: Dude, gib mir a spoon, please. Meins ist.... uh, uh, what's that wort nochmal??) You can see how it is gradually becoming more difficult for other people to understand us when to communicate with one another, lol.

In addition to our odd language development, I've noticed some other changes in the CBYX-ers. When the other Berliners (not a donut!!) and I coincidentally ran into/ on purpose found a group of our long lost friends in the train station upon arrival, I couldn't help but give them all a twice-over. Some were taller, some had more defined features, but almost all of us were dressing like GERMANS! (Note: When you start dressing like a German, it is one more sure sign that you are becoming German-ized. At least, in my opinion.. And this blog is pretty much composed of my opinions, so I expect my readers to take comments like this as opinion, not fact. But I'm pretty sure that you loverly people knew that already) ;)

The regional placement differences really started to become prominent when we started speaking to each other auf Deutsch. Sometimes someone from the far north would be speaking to someone to the far south and they would have to switch to English because the accents would be too difficult to decipher. And those of us living in Berlin apparently tend to say more of an "Ick" instead of "Ich." I, of course, being the odd ball that I am, have settled on something in-between.

But I must say that, apart from the personal crazy and funny anecdotes that I have acquired, the most amusing part of this trip occurred when we were all waiting in line for dinner... I'm not sure quite how it started, but someone started boasting about the soccer team of their region and then someone from an opposing region started arguing with them. And they were "discussing" this all auf Deutsch! They looked so much like typical, devoted German soccer fans that it was all I could do to not burst out laughing. Those who know me know that when I laugh especially hard, I usually end up with tears streaming down my face in a torrent. And at the end of that weekend, I had shed enough "laughing tears" to fill the nearby Rhein River.

Whew, now, onto this week! Well, after having an odd and surprisingly short week of school, I am now on Winter Break. It has so far been a very relaxing and revitalizing experience. (Hanging with my CBYXers was also revitalizing, but relaxing? Nope, we're too insane and interesting and there are simply too many of us for that to be relaxing, lol. Love you guys!!)

For the break, I went to Dresden with my host family. We went with my host mom's aunt and our adorable little (LOUD) beagle as well. (Lotte, baby, du bist ein sweetheart, aber manchmal du bist wie "Moaning Mertle"!) We stayed at this wonderful hotel which is also a wellness center right on the Elbe River. I got to have a back massage as well as a face and neck massage. And the pool that they had was not too warm, not too cold. (Unlike CA pools, which almost always seem to be freezing! Unless, of course, it's a jacuzzi.) Above this Goldilocks pool was a ceiling with lights that changed colors, so it was pleasant to just float on the surface and watch the colors go from one to the other, like a pretty, alien sky. (Or did she mean "pretty alien"? lol. The world may never know- quote from the movie they show you in line for the Indiana Jones Ride at Disneyland.)

We made two trips into Dresden itself, which is simply a beautiful city, with old palaces, new shopping malls, and reconstructed bits all in-between. (In case you didn't know the history about Dresden, it was fire-bombed during the second World War. The bombing is still considered controversial due to its lack of industrial targets. What was destroyed the most was Dresden's architecture and population.)

Today, on our way back to Berlin, we stopped by Meissen, which is where Meissen porcelain is created. The tour was ingenious, taking us through rooms in which an artist would show us their craft while an audio-recording explained what they were doing. I dare you to think of extraordinary craftsmanship, and then multiply it by ten. This is what they do at Meissen. (Oh, and by they way, their price tags reflect that. Just so you're aware..) If you'd like to identify something as Meissen porcelain, just look for the Meissen mark of two crossed swords (in blue) on the underside of the piece. DO NOT PASS THIS UP AT A GARAGE SALE!!!

And in addition to all this excitement, I still have a few days left until the week (and school) begins. I think I'll go for a jog, drink some hot chocolate, and work on my German conjugating skills (or lack thereof- House, M.D.) I think that brings me to three random quotes in this post? Man, I've got to stop remembering every film or television episode I've ever seen! TGWTC and her odd memory, back in Berlin.