This post comes at the request of my dad, who told me he was waiting for me to post again.
My intensive course began yesterday. I tested into level B2.1, which now feels inaccurate. The levels are from the Goethe-Institut, something we don't use in the States. Many of my friends use those levels at their university, or had been tested using those levels before, so they had an idea of what they may test into. I had absolutely no idea what level I would test into, but I was assuming I would be in a higher one. After sitting through two days of the intensive course, I'm come to the conclusion that, 1) I'm not a B2.1, I'm higher, or 2) My professor really is just that boring and slow. The professor is a small, goofy woman. She takes about 15 minutes to explain something that should take 2 minutes, and has a way of repeating herself. Today I actually fell asleep during class. Yesterday, she kept us 25 minutes late, and today 8 minutes late. The class was supposed to be 3.5 hours yesterday and today and will be 4.5 hours tomorrow and Thursday. Next week the times are a little different as well. Luckily, Rosie is in my class. There are probably about 25 students in it, and Rosie and I are the only native English speakers. There are kids from Taiwan, South Korea, Bolivia, Poland, and so on. After this weekend, I really began to notice the German accents of different nationalities. It's fairly easy to pick out a native Italian or Polish speaker now. The next five class days are going to be just as brutal as the first two. Somehow we manage to accomplish almost nothing in 3.5 hours. Alas, I digress.
After my intensive course yesterday, I ate a very late lunch in the Mensa and then headed home. I met Clare and Marcella at 7:30pm and we went searching for a bar to get a drink. After walking around aimlessly for awhile, we finally decided on a German chain restaurant that was having happy hour. We sat there until they closed at 10.
I went to the bank this morning to open my bank account. When the bank man introduced himself, he asked if I wanted to speak English or German. I said German. I had to bring my passport and the piece of paper from the Bürgeramt. My bank account was free to open because I am a student. At one point when he was explaining something to me, he reverted to English. He went back to German because he said that my German was "very good." When he saw the look of hesitation on my face he said, "It really is." I'm having trouble believing him at this point, but it's nice that a random German man thinks my German is good. I understood most of what he told me which only makes sense, as bank vocabulary is not something I would use on a daily basis. I'll have my German debit card in one week, as well as my online banking information. I was also finally able to exchange my remaining USD! I'm really excited that my bank account is set up now. I'll finally be able to get my scholarship money from DAAD and therefore be able to go buy real groceries!! I've been living in almost constant hunger since I arrived. Sometimes I only get to eat two meals a day.
I went to the bank this morning to open my bank account. When the bank man introduced himself, he asked if I wanted to speak English or German. I said German. I had to bring my passport and the piece of paper from the Bürgeramt. My bank account was free to open because I am a student. At one point when he was explaining something to me, he reverted to English. He went back to German because he said that my German was "very good." When he saw the look of hesitation on my face he said, "It really is." I'm having trouble believing him at this point, but it's nice that a random German man thinks my German is good. I understood most of what he told me which only makes sense, as bank vocabulary is not something I would use on a daily basis. I'll have my German debit card in one week, as well as my online banking information. I was also finally able to exchange my remaining USD! I'm really excited that my bank account is set up now. I'll finally be able to get my scholarship money from DAAD and therefore be able to go buy real groceries!! I've been living in almost constant hunger since I arrived. Sometimes I only get to eat two meals a day.
After the bank, I had to take something to be faxed. Apparently the bank did not have a fax machine, so I had to go to an Internet Cafe up the street. Then I finally headed to campus. There was an info sessions for students studying Germanistik at 11, and that was helpful. They essentially gave us a list of classes that we could take. However, the man who gave the presentation spoke incredibly fast. He kept saying that we were international students, yet he spoke like we were Germans. He spoke fast and without many pauses. It was hard to understand him. We had to rush to get to class at 12, and then the torture began. Now I'm sitting in the Philosophicum on campus using the Internet. I believe that I will finally have internet in my room tomorrow evening. I have to go to the internet genies in the basement between 6 and 8 and they will set it up on my computer. I'm excited to finally be reconnected to the world when I'm in my room. I've been avoiding spending much time there, since I really have absolutely nothing to do there.
My mom also arrives tomorrow! I won't be able to pick her up from the airport, so she'll have to take the train to her hotel. Unfortunately, I believe she will have to spend a lot of time by herself. I have class five of the days she'll be here. However, I'll be interested to see what she discovers when she explores Mainz herself. She's always been excellent with directions, and that skill will undoubtedly come in handy here.
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