Life on the Bodensee II
We made the Südkurier, the local paper! If you can read German or want to translate it, check out the original article.
Two more weeks in Radolfzell, so much left unexplored.
Speaking honestly, I used to rarely think about the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, partially due to the fact that I'd never been there. And also because I was petrified by the thought that I'd have to attempt Schwäbisch, which wasn't the case in actuality. Besides some excessive "sch"ing, the people here speak very clear German - miscommunication comes only from the ever-present spring of grammatical errors flowing out of my mouth.
I adventured to Insel Reichenau (Reichenau Island) with Conal at the end of August. Back at the beginning of our time in Radolfzell, the group took a ferry to a wine festival on the island, but of course adventuring was not the aim of the day. This time, Conal and I wandered the walking trails around the edge of the island, visited an old monastery and a museum, and followed the recommendations of my language school teacher by eating at Georg's Fischerhütte, a lovely restaurant serving Bodensee fish. It was heavenly.
The island was also beautiful, filled with exotic and native flowers in every shade and greenhouses and fields planted with huge swatches of vegetable farms and vineyards. I noticed many newer agricultural methods being used, which was exciting. I can't wait to see what Berlin has to offer in the agroecology arena.
Besides the Bodensee fish, I've continued testing out various restaurants in the area (as you'd know if you'd read the article! A group of us are doing a short presentation on restaurants later next week.) Honestly, I think I'm eating my way through the city. Though it's a bissle expensive, I've had some dishes in Oma's Küche am Liesle, a traditional Schwäbian German restaurant that has to translate menu items into High German, that were oh-so-hearty and delicious. There's also a bistro in town that I adore called Seestern, but I think they've closed now - something about not having enough management. It's really a pity, though it seems like there are new restaurants and cafes opening up all the time - two in the last week!
In Radolfzell there are farmer's markets on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, so many of us get out breakfast or lunch there. Some have even formed relationships with the cheese handlers and bakers that come every week. One of our group is a cheese handler and inspired a wine and cheese afternoon (with goods from the market, of course) at someone's guest home in Bankholzen. It was a lovely evening, especially after a week of rain and cold.
< Wein & Käse Abend
Needless to say...don't worry, Grandma! I'm eating well!
L to R: Maultaschensuppe & Kräutertee for sick Emily at Oma's Küche, a hearty German breakfast at Seestern Cafe and Bistro, and Schnitzel (Allgauer Art) mit Käsespätzle & a regional Pils, again at Oma's Küche.
Language school is still going well. Next week we start the second part of the C1 course, which will just be new material, nothing harder, per se. I do my best to meaningfully contribute to our discussions on religion, politics and history. Starting next week I will no longer be the only person representing America in such classroom discussions as more PPPler are moving up to C1. I'm looking forward to learning German so directly with my colleagues for the last two weeks in Radolfzell. We've all progressed quickly here and continue to switch fluidly between English and German in conversation.
> Kaufland's "Big Nut" icecream marketing: a perfect example of 1) the fact that anything peanut flavored is automatically Americanesque and 2) why it's important that Americans and Germans actually meet each other.
I'm often at the library, picking out WWII documentaries, chapter books and graphic novels for after school and study breaks. If anyone is curious about the documentaries, I definitely recommend:
1. Das Radikal Böse
2. Die Wohnung
3. Winterkinder/Die schweigende Generation
My biggest struggle so far, predictably, has been how I treat myself while learning and practicing the language. I'm grateful for such patient and encouraging friends, classmates, and hosts, who help me through the days when I can't even speak in English because my brain is fighting me tooth and nail, not cutting me a break. It's amazing how much my capabilites change day to day. Sometimes I speak fluently and with confidence, not needing to stop and correct myself or search for words. Other times I am incapable of producing three word sentences in German. It's humiliating, especially after a confident streak. This is partially due to the increase in my vocabulary and grammatical understanding, I know. I see more mistakes but haven't finished retraining myself against some of the more habitual errors yet. Frustration and feelings of being perceived as incompetent are part of my daily battle. But we're getting there. Alles läuft langsam besser.
Next steps: At the end of the month I will be moving to Berlin Spandau (west side) to live with my new host family. They have two sons and a puppy (!!!). My host mother is Czech, so I've been dabbling with the Czech language a little bit in the last week or so. I've found that it's been helpful to have something else to focus my mind on in addition to my German studies.
In Berlin I will begin school at the Technische Universität Berlin in approximately mid-October. I'm excited to return to Berlin. (Hopefully my visa arrives in Radolfzell before I move, otherwise I will have to come back to the opposite corner of the country to retrieve it.)
I miss my dogs most, I think. And fall in Northeast Ohio. Nothing compares. But every day, no matter how frustrating my German is, I am grateful for the opportunity to be here, eating my way through southern Germany and getting fat with knowledge, beer and Käsespätzle.
Cheers & bis später!