Another Long Blog Post

Hello everyone!

As always, I hope everyone is doing well! This week has been much better than last. In fact, last week seems like years ago. I've been staying busy registering for this and that, playing lots of soccer and basketball, and trying to sleep a little here and there. I am extremely happy here and so excited to see what the rest of the semester brings. I have a few unrelated things that I'd like to share with you guys today!

The exciting news of today is picking up my student card! It's called a Thoska, and it gets me around the state of Thuringia for free. FREE. So a lot of travel costs are eliminated or greatly reduced thanks to being a university student. I think that the States has a lot of catching up to do with Europe in the department of benefits for university students. I told some friends here that in the States we are lucky to get a 10% discount at Taco Bell with a student card... that's just sad honestly.

I've met lots of people from all over the world, which has definitely been one of the very best parts of being an international student here. I find it funny how people from other countries view Americans; they see Hollywood America and all have different perceptions of what Americans are like based on the movies, talk shows, and any other Hollywood-produced media that they've seen. Another American from South Carolina has had the same experiences, when people ask us what life is like in the States, they tend to relate it to Hollywood America. For instance, I was telling a guy that clubbing isn't really a popular thing where I am from, and he said, "Well in the Big Bang Theory..." and goes on and on about whatever it was, but I just laughed and told him how very different Hollywood Americans and actual Americans are. It really has been funny some of the things that people think that Americans do and don't do.

Another funny thing is conversations with my friend, Dustin from Kentucky. I mentioned my trip to the Jack Daniel's Distillery with Joe earlier this year and he reminded me that Jack Daniel's is basically a cuss word in his neck of the woods, as they drink Jim Beam bourbon. So we go back and forth about which one is superior, but usually agree that you can't judge them equally because one is whiskey and one is bourbon. The conversations are always pretty amusing, nonetheless. I'm just saying, everyone in the world drinks Jack Daniel's.

So anyway, classes started Monday and so far only one out of the four that I am enrolled in have successfully met as a class. There have been room number issues with one professor who teaches two of my marketing classes, my German Culture professor just straight up didn't show, and finally today my German language professor showed up and there were about ten of us in class and she was able to lecture. The two professors that I have met are absolutely wonderful. My German language professor speaks very little English, which has it's pros and cons. Pro: I have to use my best German in order to successfully communicate what I'm trying to say. Con: When the class doesn't understand a meaning of a word or has a grammar question, she is unable to communicate it in English, BUT that can also be a pro because that means the class has to really think and interpret what she is trying to get across.

There is a huge difference in this university and American universities. I feel like professors and staff are extremely laid back and have the attitude of "oh, don't worry about it, it will get done eventually." Whereas I'm a typical American who wants things done NOW and if not now, then exactly WHEN. So I've had to take a few chill pills and just go with it, and everything has turned out just fine so I can't complain. Another example of being laid-back is my marketing professor. Over half of our class had the wrong room number listed for her course, so instead of e-mailing the correct room number out to all of the students, she just cancelled classes for the week. I was like REALLY? It's so weird to me.

But all of the campus faculty and staff have been amazing and so patient. Like I predicted, very few of them speak fluent English so coming up with 1) exactly which words I need to use and 2) how to say it properly in German and 3) processing 1 & 2 and then saying it in a timely fashion can be tricky.  Often times people don't think I understood their question or statement so they repeat themselves, but I understand German very well, it's formulating my response that takes a while. But alas, that is precisely why I am here. I have told a few German friends to only speak German with me so that I can practice conversation as much as possible and it's been really fun.

In the past ten days or so I have played more sports than I have in years! It has been so fun and I have met such great people through it. Unfortunately, I am the only girl who shows up to basketball games and soccer matches, and obviously I'm lacking in the tall and muscular division so it's never a fair fight, but it is still great fun and I enjoy it so much.

So today I bought a cute little red city bike with a basket! I have been waiting since I got here to find a decently priced bicycle. Last night after basketball a buddy sat down with me and helped me look on Ebay for bikes in Schmalkalden and I was very lucky to find a cute one! The only small problem is that it's a pretty tall bike, and I'm a pretty short person, so it's a little difficult to stop quickly and get my feet on the ground, other than that, alles gut!

My roommate went home for the weekend and it makes me so jealous that I can't go home for the weekend, too! I would love to see my friends and family, but I am so grateful for Facebook and FaceTime so that I can keep in touch all the time. Just know that I am always thinking about you all and wishing I could be there for your birthdays, glamping trips and Target shopping sprees (Hailey!).

Liebe Grüße,
Bethany