First Week in Germany

     I have been in Germany exactly a week today, and I seriously feel as though I have already learned and grown so much as a person within this short period of time. From learning the most basic of German phrases, to figuring out the transit system, to learning where to go within the city of Bonn itself, it has been an interesting but rewarding week in many different ways. Luckily I don't have any horror stories of anything that has gone terribly wrong, and I sincerely hope it will stay that way! My host mom and family are very nice and even though it's usually only my host mom and I who eat together, she is always great to talk to and makes me laugh a lot during our conversations. I told everybody on the first day of class, but when she doesn't understand something I am saying she pulls out her "English-Dutcsh Dictionary" and translates the word accordingly. It definitely makes for a very entertaining and interesting meal/conversation. She is actually from Russia, but has lived in Germany over 20 years, so she has made both types of food. This has been a delight for me because I love trying new foods. I actually have not had any food so far in Germany that I haven't liked, including her meals, and I look forward to trying new things as the program continues. One of my new favorite foods actually is a result of my host mom's breakfast. We usually have cold cuts and bread and then she puts out both Nutella and johanessberry jam. Nutella is always good of course, but I wanted to try something new with johanessberry jam (according to the "English-Dutcsh Dictionary," a johanessberry is just a red currant in America). I have never had this before though, and upon trying it and discovering it's deliciousness, I now eat it every morning with some toast.
     There are many interesting differences that I have noticed so far in comparing the United States to Germany, and it has honestly made me realize that the United States could learn and benefit a lot if people were willing to make some simple changes in their lives. I won't go into all of the major differences right now, but just one that is plainly obvious. There are only two types of cars in Germany: small and smaller. Along with this, almost all of the streets are very narrow in addition to cars being parked all along them. It is quite frightening when experiencing this on a bus or in a car for the first time, but you realize that they have an efficient system of getting around with little available space. The little cars also contribute to higher gas efficiency and less pollution overall. Gas is cheaper in America comparatively, but there is no need to have the amount of big "gas-guzzling" trucks and SUV's that we do. They are unnecessary in most cases and create a ton of pollution. The United States has worked on this, but we could still do a better job.
     In regards to our one day of actual class, we had a very interesting and worthwhile lecture comparing different healthcare systems in the world. Unlike before the class, I can now say that I feel informed about not only the United States health care system and it's possible reforms, but also the systems of most other countries around the world. There are obviously pros and cons to all systems (some more than others), but the main point that I took away from the lecture is that the countries that have true universal healthcare are a result of all working citizens paying high taxes. In America, where most people believe that we already pay high taxes, people would never be willing to raise taxes as much as it would take to achieve universal healthcare. Therefore for the time being, not all people will have insurance in the US and either they or everyone else who has to pay for them will suffer as a result.