I should be doing my Deutsch homework, but...

I have again taken on the persona of "Helene," bumbling German student. Yesterday was our first day of language school in Bremen, and while I was pleased (and a bit surprised) to find myself in the advanced group here, I have much studieren to do to get my bootleg Deutsch to be legit. The class has five of the fifteen of us here in Bremen along with six others ranging from a 14-year-old angsty Russian boy to a 75-year-old French man named John Pierre (who attended the bar crawl with us last night). Sehr comisch!

But I'll back it up because much has transpired since my last post...DC was DC, and I enjoyed my time there getting to know the other 74 participants. I've always said that people who study German are bound to be quirky, and that's certainly the case with this group (myself included). I'm a big fan of quirky and I met some very interesting, comical and all-around awesome people.  Also got to visit Honest Abe at night and see some friends from Taiwan and Scotland, a testamant to how global this generation is.

The 7-hour flight was sleepless but still fun as I anticipated landing in Germany. I almost feel as though I went to sleep in March and woke up last Sunday here...how time flies when you're young (sighhh). After being shaken awake a bit by stern Germans at customs the group headed to Weilburg, a small town near Frankfurt. Our leaders kept responsibly but frustratingly telling us that it would be a mistake to go to sleep during the day, so like Trojans we fought on to delirium. EVERYTHING became absolutely hilarious to me. To keep our bodies moving, we jaunted through the beautiful village that reminded me much of Salzburg and the Sound of Music...but then again many things remind me of the Sound of Music here - a flight attendant became Maria because she spoke German and had a short bowl cut! A group of us also gathered in a beer garden for hilarity and our first German brews - so good! I'm going to try to drink all the different kinds of beer I see here, but I think I'm a hefeweizen girl - the beer that one guy in our group refers to as "liquid dinner." (I told some friends in Weilburg that if they see me at the mid-year seminar with 25 extra pounds to stage an intervention because I LOVE the food and drinks here :)

After finishing up in Weilburg the fifteen of us bussed it to Bremen. I tried to mostly stay awake for the ride so I wouldn't miss seeing any of the German countryside...it is very, very green although still littered with many McDonald's and Burger Kings. We made it to the language school that is confusingly named "Casa" and were all a bit apprehensive to meet the families that will be hosting us for the next two months. I really lucked out: Ines and Volker are as awesome as their hilarious email suggested, and they live in a beautiful 100-year-old home fairly close to the city center. I have a spacious room and wireless internet! Every morning I awake at 7, shower, and then join my host parents for a typical German breakfast and conversation. We have been speaking beide - Deutsch und Englisch - and are able to understand each other fairly well. I highly enjoy listening to their sassy spats with their 17-year-old too-cool-for-school son.

Gahhh so much to tell, hope you're hanging in there...Bremen is a lovely town with a beautiful old architecture and a central river. That damn Bremerstadtmusikanten statue is wayy smaller than I thought though! Even for the most directionally challenged (cough cough me), it's very easy to find one's way around. I was giddy to learn my route to school in one day, and I have already been able to make it around the city for necessities with little getting lost. I love to walk, and this is definitely a walking city. I've been taking the bus to school in the mornings but I may start walking/riding a bike soon...Bremen has bike paths all over that put confused California to shame (hope you're reading this Villaraigosa). The house is very close to the river, so once I have time to stop and breathe I hope to end my too-long break from running and jog it up.

Two weeks ago in Louisiana outside was like a sauna and now in Bremen it's like a crisper. As this Louisiana/California girl is nicht so gut with the cold, I have been rocking boots and a rainjacket every day. It "pisses" rain here like it does in Scotland...woo hoo! With a turquoise rain jacket and a pink umbrella I'm sure the Germans can identify me as an American. I think Europeans have a sixth sense that helps them pick out Americans, or maybe we just make it too easy for them.

Language school has been good so far...the group is hilariously diverse as aforementioned. Our group is actually learning German at the French Institute (whaa?) and we meet for three hours each morning with Andre, a hip German man who seems to have the right amount of patience to deal with a group such as ours. (So thankful the CBYX group is split though - it's nice to have an intimate group, but time apart is essential to avoiding unmanageable irritation and high school antics). After lunch the group reunites at Casa for random German/culture lessons and then we've been wandering the city...aka going to lots of beer gardens on the river. There are few things more enjoyable than sitting outside and enjoying conversation, hilarity, and the world's best beer.

Other things...I share the German sense of punctuality, so I love that all the buses and trams come when the schedule says they will; I forgot just how delicious Apfel Strudel is; I have only had one sausage so far, thank you very much; we have an awesome tutor named Anna who must be getting really irritated with our group; Germans are randomly OBSESSED with Native Americans...it would make a good research topic; my eyes get so big when I go into a bakery or convenience store and I see all the unfamiliar but delicious food; I think I broke my bed (?)

Now my host family's cat (her name is LILLY!!) is meowing and scratching at my window...should I let her in?!

(I'm too tired now to put in all my pictures so far, but check them out HERE)