Thus far...

So! Here goes nothing... I am here in Bonn, Germany having a wonderful time. I am going to write, briefly as possible what has happened so far.

The journey started when I arrived in Washington D.C. on June 30th. I was with the first group of people to arrive; there were five of us. We met with Sue, the program coordinator on the American side, and Hartwig, the coordinator here in Germany. Soon after everyone on the program was finally all together. We then started our first of many meetings discussing German culture, how to be good guests/family members, and what to do should problems arise.

Lunch and dinner was provided all of these days, and we found out that we will receive spending/lunch money from the program during our stay here in Bonn, periodically. Not only that, we receive money back from the program for things we have to buy. I am not exactly sure what items are on the refund list, but it was explained like this: If I have to buy another suit for my internship, then I can, at the end of the month, send the receipt back to Hartwig with a form, and I will receive a refund.

I feel so lucky to be here studying! Anyhow, before long we arrived in Frankfurt Airport and drove to Bonn to meet our hosts. My hosts are really great! I am so happy to be here. I live in a flat with four bedrooms. I live with my host parents, and two of their kids. One of the older ones lives across the hall, and another one lives with his girlfriend, either in the same building or one very close, as they are here pretty often to shower, eat, or do whatever else. They are funny, and are always talking, eating, drinking coffee, smoking, and laughing. Thankfully I was raised around smokers so it doesn't bother me at all, but if someone had never been around cigarette smokers before and then moved here, they'd be very shocked.

I am in the highest of the three German levels available at the AIB (Akademie für Internationale Bildung or the Academy for International Education). It is pretty difficult, but not impossible. We speak only German and must ask questions in German too, words we don't know are almost always defined in German, and even with each other, in class, German must be used. My teacher is really great. She's nice and pretty funny. She isn't very stern, but she doesn't let mistakes go. This is great, but it may prove to be frustrating later.

After these lessons we always have some type of field trip. We went to Monschau, and went to a mustard mill, and went summer bobsledding. There is a music festival there in August and I'd LOVE to go see die Zauberflöte, but the tickets are kind of expensive, so I'm not sure if I'm going yet or not... Also we get to see the Bonn Uni Orchestra play a concert, and tomorrow, 12.7.2009, during the current Campus Kultur Bonn Universität Kulturfestival, the same orchestra is playing all of the Planets!! I am so there... We have also been to Cologne, on two tours of Bonn, met one of the mayors, and been to a post-WWII historical museum, where we learned how German rose from the destruction and uncertainty of the end of the war, and is now prospering.

Yesterday we had a belated Fourth of July party... since that was our first full day in America, they wanted us to wait to have our welcome party, so we could instead spend our first day in Monschau. It was fun, we played frisbee in the parking lot, and then played musical chairs after we ate. There was plenty of food, beer, soda, and music. Afterward I went with three other program kids to play frisbee in the BIG open field in front of the University... right now though, the stage for the Graduation and the Kulturfestival is taking up most of it, but the sides are still more than large enough for four people to play around.

Sorry this was so long, but this was a week's worth of writing... the others will be shorter, I promise! Next time, I'll write also about the things that make Germany awesome! Lulz.