School Bells!

Wow, actually back to school after almost two weeks of exploring the world. Normally I am always excited to head back to school, but not quite so much this year. Unlike college back at home where you have your schedule set months in advance, Germans don't actually finalize a schedule until 2 weeks into the year. The first two weeks students are allowed to "test out" classes they might be interested in. You are not really on an official roster or class list until the "testing" period is over. I was originally kinda ticked about this; however, I am actually so thankful the system works this way. I ended up going to twice as many classes Weeks 1&2 just to test out Professors and hear some more German. One class I originally planned to take I hated because it was so boring, so I never put it on my "offical schedule" and instead I added two new classes.

I was also not super excited for school, because the reality that I would actually be in a college classroom with real German students at a real life pace (instead of foreign language class) kicked in. Not to mention, I would be trying to understand the history of business and phonetiks, etc from real German Professors who were not going to hold my hand through the language. Thankfully, it has all worked out. My classes are challenging, but not overwhelming and my professors are relatively easy to understand. I wouldn't say I understand every aspect of their lectures, but enough to get by and write the papers.

The down side to classes, is that we have gotten to know as many German students as we would have liked to. We get the opprounity to talk to more Germans; however, they are not overwhelmingly friendly. Bummer...thankfully, I have Julia and a few other girls in my classes who I have met and see on a regular basis so that I can practice my German.

For those of you who claim you can't believe I actually go to class, here is my schedule.

Monday : Theorie und Praxis der Phonetik und Intonation (The Theory and Practice of Phonetics and Intonation) ----11:15-12:45

Tuesday: Das System der deutschen Wirtschaft nach 1945 (The System of German Business/Economy after 1945) --- 14:15-15:45

Wednesday: Practicum at Hölderlin Gymnasium --- 9:20 to 11:40. Then Gesellschaft und Literatur um die Jahrhundertwende 1871-1914 (Society and Literature around the turn of the century from 1871 to 1914) -- 13:15 to 15:30

Thursday: Übungen zum Lesen, Verstehen und Schreiben (Exercises in Reading, Understand and Writing) -- 17:00 - 19:30

Friday: Practicum at Hölderlin Gymnasium -- 7:40 - 11:40

Although, I am not in class for as many hours as I would normally be in the US, the amount of work expected outside of class is generally higher. Universität Heidelberg is a large school, so unlike NCC, we don't have much homework on a weekly basis, but anything the Professor says in class you are supposed to have memorized the following week. My Monday and Tuesday classes do not require much work out of class yet; however, my Wednesday and Thursday classes do. My biggest workload doesn't really come from classes, but rather my practicum. I have a minimum of 6 lessons to prepare a week and am given the material anywhere from 1 to 4 days in advance. It is rough, but more like the life of a teacher so that I like.

Overall, I am loving the free time I get and I don't know how I am going to go back to my crazy schedule back at NCC! I have quite a bit a work to do during the days, but also more freetime then I have had in my last 2 years of college combined! :)

Study Abroad Tips: How to Sleep in an Airport...

It was around midnight when we arrived at London Stansted. We were exshausted after our week of travels and just wanted to get a few hours of sleep in before our plane back to Germany. We looked on sleepinginairports.net (yes, it really exists) and it warned us that this airport was the worst in the world to sleep, but we figured it couldn't be that bad. Little did we know...

Hannah, Cait and I wandered the airport for a bit until we found open spot (the rest of the walls were covered with other sleepers). We then bundled up with every last layer we had in our bags hoping that would keep us warm and comfy. We had our scarfs wrapped around our heads like Mother Mary and at least three pairs of socks on a piece. With our backpacks as pillows and our coats as blankets we tried to snuggle together and fall asleep. FAT CHANCE. The ground was FREEZING! We were inside, but it didn't feel that way. After a few hours of trembling, we all got up and walked around hoping that would help. Nope...still cold. Then Momma Nel had a great idea...lets do what the homeless do...USE NEWSPAPERS. Other people in the terminal were sleeping on them, so we figured it must work. We grabbed all the free newspapers available and laid down our fort. It actually WORKED! It was spectacular.

We snuggled up (still in all of our clothes) and actually got a full hour of sleep! Sadly, we were then woken up by staff telling us we could go through security. We did just that, and then found some benches to sleep on for the last remaining hours while we waited for Lauren, Becca and Matt. We fell asleep alone, and woke up with the airport packed! It was kinda a scary feeling. Thankfully, we had all of our stuff together and made it on the plane safely...but it was not an easy night.

Enjoy...

Sleeping in Airport Tips:

1) Get newspapers! As many as possible. The thicker the layer the better.
2) Keep your passport, ticket and 20 Euro/Pounds/Dollars in your bra or pants...just in case.
3) Sleep on your bag and lock it if possible.
4) Make sure you are not alone.
5) Bring an eye patch if possible, works wonders.
6) Don't sleep with your ipod in...if something happens, you need to be able to hear.
7) Bring a Parka...

Winning London!

Before our adventures could begin, we first needed to get from Scotland to England. The cheapest way was by overnight bus so without question, we booked it. Because it was the cheapest I still don't regret the decision, but I'm not sure if my friends would agree. This was QUITE the trip. We were able to sleep for the first hour, but then the bus got PACKED! It was originally freezing on the bus, and then with all the people it got super warm. Then they put the air on, and it once again got freezing. We were convinced that most of the bus had the plague because they were hacking up their lungs left and right. Our bus driver also almost had us killed a few times as well. I'm not sure if he was new on the job or what, but we had to do quite a bit of reversing and reattempting turns through out the night. We arrived an hour late, but HEY! we were in London..I couldn't really complain. Overall, it was not fun. I had been on a 17 hour bus ride to New Orleans, so for me...this bus was not the worst, but it was def not enjoyable.

Now to the good stuff...

#43 - Wednesday, October 4th: We were in LONDON! After the bus, all we really wanted was a shower and a new change of clothes. Instead of sightseeing first, we headed straight over the places we were staying to relax a bit...afterall, it was only 7 in the morning...so we couldn't do much anyway. Cait and I stayed with her Elon friends in this adorable little posh neighborhood, and the other girls split up amongst their friends studying abroad in England too. Caits friends were great! They were all so nice and I am so happy we got to stay with them. Not only were they fun, but it was FREE!

After we got cleaned up, Darien, one of Caitlins friends, showed us around. He is like a walking history book, so we got a FULL tour of the city. He explained the different roles of royalty and all aspects that were related to them, as well as what specific details went along with each buliding we saw. We took the Tube all over and managed to cover the main 'downtown' of the city in only a few hours. We started in Hyde Park and walked along The Diana, Princess of Wales, Memorial Walk and then turned down by Buckingham Palace and took the Mall all the way down to around Big Ben.

Buckingham Palace. The Queen was not in, but we did see Prince Charles arriving!

The Horse's Guards Parade Square. This is where the Queen celebrates her birthday!

After a quick bite to eat, we headed over to the Tower of London to see the Royal Jewels. Although it was one of the more expensive tours, it was SO worth it. The Tower of London has so much history and unless you pay for the full tour, you really miss out. Our tour guide, dressed in Beefeater attire, showed us around the estate and was the best guide we had had thus far. He cracked the typical American jokes with us and you could tell he really enjoyed his job.

Inside we saw all of the old armour, the royal jewels, and the touture chambers and then headed over to the Tower Bridge for a few pictures as well. The jewels were amazing and we all wished we could be Kate after we saw them.

That night we took it easy and got the sleep we had been lacking.

Thursday, October 5th: Off to see the changing of the guards. We made it there bright'n early to make sure we had good seats. We were right up against the fence and got to see the whole ceremony up close. It was a little long, but very cool to see. Thankfully, Darien was there with us again to inform us all about what the guards were doing and why.

After our tour, we were hungry. Rumor had it that here was a Chipotle in London...therefore, I was on a mission. We figured we would have fish and chips for dinner so Chipotle was a must for lunch. After a few wrong turns we made and I was like a little kid in a candy store! The burritos were normally made with brown rice instead of white rice and a few different ingredients, but we mentioned we were Americans and they said they would make it to "our" standard. It was amazing :) Craving cured!

Next stop..Platform 9 & 3/4. When in London, you have to do the Harry Potter thing...plus I knew Morgan would be mad if I didn't go. We were disappointed to learn that the platform was not really in Kings Cross Station, but actually outside. Kinda disappointing, but still cool. I tried realll hard to get to Hogwarts....but it didn't happen....

 

Next up, Camden Market. This side of town is not always on the normal tour hit lists, because it is a little out of the ordinary, but I loved it. Its a mix of Indian men trying to bargain with you for cheap tourist gifts, gothic clothing and accessory stores, as well quite a few interesting ethnic little shops. It is a very well known area for cheap shopping, but also druggies and pick pocketers. Needless to say, we were careful, but I am glad we went. It was an experience and it reminded me of Wicker Park, but with a darker edge. Any reminder of Chicago is a welcome one :)

After Camden Market, we headed to Westminister Abbey! We hoped to get inside; however, it was like 15 Euros and it was closed for the rest of the day to the public. Then we learned one of our favorite study abroad tips....if you can't pay to go see the church, go to mass instead! It is free, you get optimal time to sit and enjoy the architecture while getting some quality time in with the man upstairs. Brilliant! We sat in on the traditional Evening Song at Westminister Abbey and couldn't be happier afterward. It was beautiful! Not to mention we got to daydream about Will and Kate...it made the life of royality so much more realistic. :)

That night we went out with all of the Elon kids and experience the nightlife in London. So much fun, and for once we didn't have to buy all our own drinks! Winning!

Friday, October 6: On our last day in England we made sure to finish up our sight seeing, but also take a break from the hustle to just enjoy the world around us. We went for a stroll through the very posh area of Notting Hill, and then through the very famous Portabello Market. I have to say this was one of my favorite parts of the day. The markets in England are just so interesting and there is so much to see. The markets helped us see the more normal side of England and the true aspects of culture outside of the big and bold tourist attractions. These markets are directed at tourists, but if you really take the time to observe what goes on at the markets, one can see a little bit more of the natural British culture. 

Cait and I then decided that we could not leave London without seeing the Peter Pan Statue. We believed the statue was a very well known part of the city, but it actually is not as popular in London as we imagined. We had to do quite a bit of asking around until we found which park it was in. Mary Kate and Ashley gave us a misconstruced view of London...how is that possible? ;) We spent the afternoon strolling through the park until we eventually found Peter. He was not nearly as exciting as our journey to find him was. He was not placed in the most elegant of places and this park was not like Hyde Park. It was a little more natural. We learned as well, that parks are one of the best attractions to see in London. They are beautiful and just so elegant. A must see in London if you ask me.

After Peter, we were off to Harrods. Wow, talk about clothes...expensive clothes. We wandered through all the floors and after about 2 hours I had to basically pull Caitlin out of the store. Harrods is so fascinating and the whole point of the store is to get lost. We were in fashion heaven...but also fashion hell. So many beautiful dresses and clothes we which we could buy, but being study abroad college students, that was NOT  happening. We did however grab a  few sweets from the amazing bakery downstairs. You have to buy something in Harrods when in London.

Our last stop of the day was Piccadilly Circus. This is the new up and coming part of town , really well known for the Fine Arts. It reminded me alot of Chicago, which is perhaps why I loved it. Both Cait and I love people watching so I enjoyed my chocolate covered-red sprinkle-covered-raspberry filled donut and she enjoyed her brownie (I think?) on a bench while we took it all in. We were actually in LONDON, and in only a few short hours we would have to leave the fantasy world we were living and head back to Germany to actually start classes. 

We grabbed some dinner and than headed back to the apartment to gather our things. Becca and Lauren went out that night, but Cait, Hannah and myself were more concerned about getting home safely and cheaply so we took a late night bus to London Stansted airport. That evening is a blog instelf, so I guess I will end here. 

Overall, London was amazing! I got to meet all of Cait and Hannahs Elon friends, as well as experience one of the cities I have always dreamed of visiting. We survived a week of backpacking through the UK on our own and the feeling of independence was overwhelming as we headed off to the airport and discussed all we did during that week. Unbelievable. Simply Unbelieveable.

When in Scotland...

#38 Sunday, October 2: Fall break officially began when we arrived safely in Edinburgh and had the opprounity to explore. One of Caits friends from home, Katie, studies in Scotland, so she met us in Edinburgh and showed us around. We were starving so we decided to stop for food at "The Elephant House". This little cafe was where J.K Rowling wrote the first three Harry Potter Books. It is very much a touristy spot in town, but the food is pretty cheap so we were game. We enjoyed lunch and then where able to see "her spot" in the cafe, as well as her view of the Edinburgh castle from that "spot". Her vision of Hogwarts was very clearly modeled after the Edinburgh castle and we all felt like we understood the story a little bit better after seeing it. All of Edinburgh has a burnt look on the exterior of the bulidings. It is a very different architecture then what we have seen in Germany, and it kinda made the story come alive for us...as dorky as that sounds.

This picture does not do it justice, but the jagged rocks and little windows defintely made it look like Hogwarts.

After lunch, we decided to walk up the Royal Mile to the Castle. Although the Castle was under construction, it was still cool to see.  On the way down, we stopped in all the cashmere and wool giftshops looking for the cheapest price for plaid scarfs. When in Scotland, ya gotta get some plaid. Finally a success! We continued all the way down the Royal Mile until we came across quite the interesting street performer. He was an American, dressed in all Orange, who DEMANDED the attention of those passing by. We watched him for a good hour because we were too scared to have him embarress us if we tried to leave. He was pretty funny, but he started making Nazi jokes, and that killed it for us. Finally we were able to sneak off, and tour the rest of town. Around 5 we all split up. The girls were headed off to St.Andrews to visit friends, and I had to catch a bus to Glascow to visit Michelle.

Although my ipod died, the ride was really enjoyable. I loved seeing all the countryside of Scotland. There were tons of sheep (now, I get why they are known for wool), cows, horses, and beautifully green rolling hills. Michelle met me at the bus station and I think I scared her when I came running full sprint to hug her. ha It was so excited to see her! It was like being back at NCC. We walked back to her dorm, and swapped stories about Germany and Scotland for hours. We had a lot to catch up on. We then made Stirfry with Alina, and headed off to bed.

Monday, October 3: Time to explore Glascow! Michelle, Alina and I headed into town to see their University, but first we stopped for breakfast. #39 PORRIDGE with bananas and honey, toast and a Mocha, great way to start the day! It felt good to have some healthy hearty food on that cool fall day. Once we got on campus, I fell in the love with the city of Glascow. I'm not sure if it because I so happy to hang out with Michelle, or because it finally felt like Fall for the first time...but I loved it. There were tons of students around, and for the first time since I have been at home, it felt like I was on a college campus. The main buliding looks more like Hogwarts than the Edinburgh castle and it we had fun exploring all the little passageways, and walking paths. The leaves were starting to change colors and were crunching underneath our toes....I was in heaven! Michelle and Alina headed off to class so I took up exploring on my own. I walked through their HUGE campus park for about in hour, and also toured the Kelvingrove Art Museum.

Then Mother Scotland decided to hold true to character and it started to rain. Michelle said typically it rains everyday in Scotland, but it was normally just a mist. Of course with my luck, today was not a "normal" day and it poured. After a few misfunctions with the umbrella, I decided just to dodge into one of the cute coffee shops for some shelter.

I have been drinking alot more coffee on this trip, and I am not happy with it. I really like coffee now, but I don't want to get addicted. Therefore, instead of coffee I decided to be like the real Scots and try IrnBru.

#40: IrnBru was probably the most interesting Pop I have ever had. The minute you open the cap, an overwhelmingly bubblegum scent fills the air. Although it is orange, IrnBru smells and tastes just like Bubblegum. It is the weirdest thing, but actually pretty good. It was a  little too sweet for me, and I am not the biggest fan of carbonation, but it was def worth trying.

Around 5 Michelle and Alina got out of class, so we headed back to the dorms to get ready for our night ahead. They wanted to make sure I got the full Scottish experience, so we went to a cool little pub for #41: Fish and Chips, Hard Cider and to try out some #42: Haggis. Here is a picture of our lovely Haggis BonBons. They were actually pretty decent. They tasted like stuffing. I probably wouldn't order them again, but I am glad I got to give them a try.

After dinner, we headed out to a bar called "Campus". The Universitys in Scotland sponsor tons of clubs for students, and the girls got a bunch of coupons to this bar so we decided to check it out. We got in for free, and had a bunch of coupons on these random drink specials. Worked great for our college student, study abroad budgets. We danced the night away and ruled the dance floor. I am really not just saying that, the DJ loved us and we won all the little dancing competitions they had. So much fun! We danced like fools..it felt just like being back home at the PV house :)

Tuesday, October 4: The next morning we headed into the City Centre for a bit, and then had to say our goodbyes so I could get back to Edinburgh to meet up with the girls. I was sad to leave, but I HAD a blast in Glascow and could totally see myself studying abroad there.

The girls arrived in Glascow about an hour before me and went to go tour the inside of the castle. I decided I wanted to do a little bit more, off-the-beaten track exploring, so I ventured out alone. I just started wandering in hopes of finding the castle, but instead came across a huge hill with lots of Monuments. I decided that would be a good place to explore, and if it was tall enough, I might be able to find the direction of the castle and go from there. It was a little hike, but so worth it. I was able to see the entire city as well as out over the water. BEAUTIFUL!

After the monuments, I headed out across town and back up the Royal Mile to the castle. From there I decided to check out all of the little "closes" in Edinburgh. Closes are like little alleyways all over the city, that lead either to other roads, or private homes. They are very well known in Edinburgh and so much fun to explore. I also found some very creepy cemetaries in these groves and they got me all excited for Halloween. After 3 hours of wandering the town, I decided to meet up with the girls again. We had some time to kill, so once the rain died down we wandered a little more together and then stopped for food before our 9 hour bus ride.

Overall, Scotland was beautiful! So green and just such a different enviornment from Germany. We loved it, but we were also really excited to head off to London!!! If only not for the bus ride....