Adventures in Language

While I was bored at work today I made a list of words we have in English that they really need to have in German:
to nap (they call this sleeping during the day)
to hug (they say to take into ones arms)
girlfriend/boyfriend (this I find very confusing. I understand the concept but always forget that I have to say a friend of mine instead of my friend in order to avoid confusion)

And now my favorite German words that we don't have:
doch (this is used when someone says something and the truth is actually the opposite. If for example I were to say "It never snows in Oklahoma" you could say "DOCH, we just had a foot of snow!")
quatsch (translates loosely to B.S. but can be also used as a verb)
nnneuh? (said upon first seeing someone. Like the British greeting of alright? so much easier than "how are you")

Liebe Gruessen xx

mit hertzlichen Grüssen von Deutschland

Been a while since I’ve updated. See a trend? I’ve never been good at journaling/blogging… that’s Megan’s cup of tea!

Since the last post I finished my term in Scotland (with a bang!!!), surprised everyone at home for Christmas, and once again made my way back across the pond. I spent a few days in London with the lovely Jaz and Sophie, my roommates from Scotland. Saw a protest (just by chance), visited Madame Tussaud’s, ate lots… you know, the usual!

On Monday, two weeks ago, I got on a plane from London to Hannover, Germany. I was 100 kinds of nervous, and to top it off I didn’t know whether I was being picked up at the airport or going to have to find the train station. LUCKILY they were there, waiting with a big sign that had my name on it (proper Hallmark moment oder?)

I’m living with the Petermann family and they are perfectly wonderful. My papa, Frank, teaches cooking at the nearby technical school. My mama, Christiane, works half days at a hospital and wants to do absolutely everything for me. They have a 20 year old son called Moritz who is currently in Tulsa learning English and a 17 year old named Felix who is hilarious and studies at the equivalent of high school. They are all really patient with my language skills (or lack thereof). We have breakfast and dinner together every day and usually play cards or watch TV in the evenings. Felix tells his parents everything and I’m really lucky to be staying with a family that functions the same way mine does at home. They’re the best part of being in Celle!

My internship at Halliburton (or Hall-EE-burton as the Germans say) is also going well. It’s all Praktikumarbeit, or intern work… which means I do a lot of making copies and paperwork. I don’t mind it at all. There are lots of people to talk to. My boss told everyone to speak German with me even though their English is practically perfect (of course this is a good thing... or so I have to occasionally remind myself).

Last weekend I went to a kneippe with Felix and his hockey team to watch Fussball matches. It was fun to hang round with other young people. In contrast, I went to a “Friends of the Museum New Year’s Greeting” at a modern art museum on Sunday. There were a lot of old Germans dressed to the nines (me in jeans and a sweater, FIGURES). Many of them thought Tulsa was in Finland. One old man (who was spitting his food on me as he was trying to talk) whipped out a pen and drew a map of the United States on the fancy cloth table cloth… I pointed out to the curator that it wasn’t me. I draw more accurate maps anyways! ;)

Yesterday I went to Lüneburg with my host parents. They explained to me that everyone there was “stone rich” because of the salt trade industry. Really beautiful AND I tried currywurst which was every bit as good as I was told. I then went to an Arbitür party with Moritz’s girlfriend (called Tirella) and some of her friends. It was a lot of dancing… but Germans don’t dance like Americans do and I only knew about half of the music (which is a lot considering I’m actually in Germany. Oder?) And today I saw Felix play hockey. I thought they played outside… but I guess only in summer?

Everything in Germany is going wonderfully and I’m sure I will have more stories and pictures for you soon!

Happy Valentine's Day mit hertzlichen Grüssen! xx