Tag: blogQ2

7/20/17:

Berlin is a lot more laid-back, a lot more “chill” than what I would have thought. I had anticipated the city to be quite busy and I expected a sort of “chaos” to crowd over one like myself from a small town in Michigan. However, contrary to my expectation, the city as a whole seems to have a certain “chill order” to it which has made it a lot easier/more comfortable to adjust. I did not expect that I would be able to get by so easily with such little ability to speak German. Nor did I expect to see so much greenery in the city. I also expected more interaction with German people, but so far most of our interaction has been with Calvin students/profs… Also, I feel like everywhere I go, many people look at our group (or small groups) traveling together and think to themselves “ugh, stupid Americans…” Continue reading “Initial Thoughts…”

There are so many things that I could take about for my impressions of my first week, but I will narrow it down to food, architecture and transportation.

Continue reading “One week later…”

I have been in Germany now for six days now and it is amazing! At first it was a struggle to get adjusted, not only to a new time zone, but to a new space and system of living. Continue reading “Initial Thoughts on Germany”

Germany’s been great so far! The city is amazing, the food is outstanding, and the weather is…. ok so the weather could use some improvements. It would be nice if it stopped raining. Continue reading “Deutschland über alles!”

Having the chance to live in Berlin is so far pretty amazing. Life here seams to be on a tight schedule 24/7 in terms of the public transport system. I wish I could bring this home with me. The Chicago public transit looks like garbage compared to the Berlin public transport.

One key thing that I was really surprised about Berlin is the wide range of people. I don’t just hear German as I walk down the streets. I hear Polish, Russian, English, French, and possibly Arabic? And the people are not only varied, but the food as well. Continue reading “What I Love and What I Miss”

This first week in Germany has been an unforgettable experience in and of itself. In just this week I feel as though I have been exposed to so much, yet I know this is just the beginning.

Continue reading “One Hundred Sixty Eight Hours Later”

What an incredible first week it has been! I still can’t decide if our time here has felt more like a long month or a short day since we first arrived last Saturday. So far, we have been going non-stop with schoolwork and touring around Berlin. The number of things we have done in just one week is actually quite impressive. Continue reading “Tschüss to Our First Week!”

Wow, I have been in Germany for 6 days now! It already feels like forever. Getting used to a new culture has been quite the adventure, and sometimes just a little bit overwhelming. From the moment that we got off the plane, and I couldn’t understand much that people were saying, I knew this would be an interesting trip. Occasionally you meet a person that speaks some English, but most of the time that is not the case. It was really helpful taking a German class last spring, because I am able to say basic phrases that get my point across. Of course if I don’t know what to say, I can always just switch to hand motions.

Continue reading “My New Home”

The first week in Berlin, Germany, flew by for me. Berlin did not feel like culture shock; however, I learned that it is exhausting to have the native language not be my native language. Speaking in German is difficult, but the German class we are taking helps remind me of the German I learned second semester, which I had forgotten.  Continue reading “First Week in Berlin”

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been in Berlin for one week already. I’m getting used to the public transportation system, the miles of walking each day, and the rhythm of classes during the week. Yet there are still some things I haven’t fully adjusted to yet. Continue reading “First Impressions of Berlin”