So today was my first day of classes. I woke up around 6:30am to make it out by 7 so that I'd get to the Goethe Institut by 8:00. I had planned on finding a nice breakfast and then strolling over to my class by 8:20 before classes started at 8:30. I was lucky to make it there by 8:20. My commute requires me to change lines four times. Three on the Ubahn (subway) and one to the Sbahn (train). I made it at 8:20am hungry and a little sweaty because I walked pretty swiftly from the station to the Institute.
I got there and found out that my class had been moved to the Institute's summer home. I first thought that we might be missing out since my class, and a few others, wouldn't be at the actual Goethe Institut. Not to be the case. The "Sommerhaus" is a nice school with lots of ivy and growth (Berlin has a surprising amount of green space). Additionally, the Institut provided buses to drive us to the new location in Charlottenburg, a borough of Berlin. I got to see a lot of Berlin this way. We drove down Unter den Linden, passed the Brandenburg Gate and the Charlottenberg Palace, several museums, etc, etc. Even better, the new location is a mere 20 mins (at most) from my place. Very nice.
Class was great today. We did some basic things, but they were basic things that I never really got a good hang of, like prepositions. I think it will be really helpful to do all of those things again. A review in Germany will be really beneficial because I will be learning and using at the same time. I'll be permeated with these words, and it will be difficult to turn off when I'm done. I've got homework, though. I've got to write an essay about my name and finish a worksheet. Even in Germany, they assign homework.
Finally, my classmates seem nice. There are 10 of us, including myself--all diverse backgrounds and occupations. There is a man who was born in Azerbaijan, lives in France, and researches Islamic history. Another man is from Slovakia, is currently studying in Rome, and is a Catholic priest. There is one other American, and people hailing from Switzerland, Libya, Spain, Turkey, Canada, and Japan. It's really going to be fascinating to have all different types of people learning the same thing.
I'm off now to see a presentation about Berlin. Then I'll find dinner and head back to bed. I promise pictures are coming, I just lack the energy at the moment.
Deutsches Wort des Tages:
Homework -- Hausaufgaben
1 comment:
"a little sweaty"
When have you ever just been "a little sweaty?"
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