Saturday, January 02, 2010

Loving Germany

After arriving in Germany from London, one of the first things that hit me was the fact that tI could no longer rely on English- everyone now spoke German and all signs, menus, directions, etc used this language too. Though I knew this was coming, I didn't realize I'd feel so ignorant as a result since I'm used to being on the other side of the situation. I've met so many people who are not only bilingual but know three or even four different languages. In America we don't even try to understand someone who doesn't speak English whereas nearly everyone I've talked to here can speak at least some English and help me. This is why I feel so ignorant. Though I've always thought about learning another language, I think this program will be the motivation I need, and surprisingly I'd like to tak a stab at German. It may not be a "pretty" language, but I find it very interesting.

Another thing I've found surprising is how much I like Germany so far. The people in Bonn were very nice and helpful. It's not that I wasn't excited about this trip, but when I think of traveling to Europe, Germany never came to mnd. Now I can already tell I want to come back. I also think I'm going to miss Bonn because of its small town feeling and welcoming people.

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