Clara in Germany!

  First order of business was the Reeperbahn, the place where the Beatles grew into their funny hair having, music making selves in post-war, crime ridden, 1960's Hamburg. And so I arrived, with a heart full of Beatle's enthusiasm,ready to throw all my money at the first tour guide I spotted. Alas, there was no tour-guide, or really other human, to be seen that day on the Reeperbahn. My camera reacted to this news of no Beatles tour by malfunctioning, and extending it's lens in a paralyzed position of devastation. I left the scene with only my phone-camera, and the urge to eat some soul-mending food. Sad Clara. My buddies, Maria (from Portugal) and Pedro (from Brazil)! And oh look, no tour guides...or people...or hope. Food that is so good it makes you forget about John Lennon was easily found in the Little Portugal of Hamburg, near the harbor. Maria, a native of Portugal, suggested I have the Pasteis de bacalhau, which consists of...

One year ago, Lou Reed died. And even in Germany, I still have my beloved, trusty Transformer t-shirt (so many "t"'s in that statement! how lovely!). You know what? I bet money Lou Reed would have an enriching exchange year. He would be the coolest host sibling ever. Somehow, I also believe this is fitting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4be4Az5BM-c  

-KIDS SMOKING. Outside of my school, there is a horrifically large gathering of kids, babies, infants, ranging from ages 15-18, lighting up like it ain't no thang (ugh, that makes it sound pleasantly catchy. NO.) The other day, I struck one of them with my bike in their poor-decision-making shoulder, causing them to drop their cigarette, and I expect a "You Saved My Life That Day" fruit-basket in the next five years or so. -My new smart phone. Is it normal that I have to take a seat, and 12 deep breaths every time I am required to respond to another human in text format? -The fact that peanut-butter on bread does not, and will not constitute a sandwich.There must be butter, with the peanut-butter, thank you very much. And the thing is, I like it. I like it. -The fact that I simultaneously feel like everything is happening to me, but that I also have absolutely no life. #exchangestudentprobs #identitycrisisonthe...

Just in case you watch The Dark Knight in German: -Don't be on the edge of your seat, ready to hear "Fledermausmann!" It's just Batman. -Morgan Freeman's German dubbing voice is done by a white, corpulent dude named Klaus Sonnenschein. It's ok, I cried too. WAIT, besides that, what even happens when the voice actor dies before the real actor? Does Klaus Sonnenschein get an invite to Morgan Freeman's funeral? Will Klaus Sonnenschein even shed a tear?? Does Klaus Sonnenschein even get the Freeman family Christmas card? If not, Is he bitter about it?!? It's all too much! Anyway, here are some pictures of what life here is like. Although I forgot to add one of me falling off of bicycles. The field where I attempt running. YEAH! My host sister (Fenja), and I. Oh, and Nelly, my host cat. Hi Klaus Sonnenschein! My street! I walk on it! YAY!

A Late Orientation Camp is basically where a bunch of dazed exchange students (Dazed Exchange Students is the name of my new band, by the way) come together and validate the fact that it's normal to feel like a mute, lost possum. Communal chocolate eating is also a crucial part of this process. I was able to meet fellow lost possums from all over the world, and besides gaining a winter layer of blubber (CHOCOLATE RA RA RA), I also gained a deeper knowledge about other cultures, and the humans that make up those cultures. Pretty cool stuff. As for normal German life, it gets a little better all the time. I can find my way back from school all by myself, and I am actually speaking to real live Germans! Although today, I had a nice midday hike through my school, looking for a toilet. And I accidentally mixed up "dort" and "tot" when conversing with others. Dort means "there". Tot means "dead". Can I please have that glass of water ov...

Being the new kid is always tough. I mean, how are you supposed to feel even slightly functionable (for this sake of this blog post, "functionable" is now a word) when you are still unsure where the closest bathrooms are? So just add a nice, thick layer of tricky (sort of like frosting on a cake of confused brains) when you can barely comprehend what is even being said to you. Sometimes I find myself so confused, that I become delusional, and gain the false belief that I understand what is happening. Like yesterday, a couple of the girls in my class where showing me around, and I somehow gathered that they were showing me the Chemistry room. I excitedly sputtered out in broken, dying German that I hate chemistry. In fact, I got so carried away, I went on for a solid minute about my chemistry hatred, sprinkling in a few profane words for good measure. I expected understanding nods, and perhaps a pat on the back, but I just got widened eyes. ...

WELL. A lot has gone down since I stepped off the plan on September 5th in the Frankfurt airport. I think I have grown up as a human being in this past month more than I have in the past year. And that whole process of "growing", which I am sure all of you human beings are aware of, is not entirely fun and dandy. Because, it's not really supposed to be, is it? And that's the best part! In the past month especially, I have felt lost. "Why am I here? what exactly is the right way to do...this? And what even is "this", anyhow?" And let me tell you, no matter how convincing it may seem, the answers to all of these questions are surprisingly not hidden in that beautiful and forever tempting Alpenmilch Ritter Sport bar. So yeah, why is this awesome again? BECAUSE, we all feel these feelings, right? In the nighttime, alone in our beds. Exchange, at least in the beginning, is a super-saturated, highly sensitized version of that "what is life? #...

I was in Hannover today, which means I got to venture out to the "Neues Rathaus". And yes, it does sound like "Rat House", that is not just you being stupid. But when you see it, it just kicks you in the face with prettiness, much unlike grubby, confusingly-overweight vermin. I also got to experience even more face-kicking beauty when I climbed to the top. Making it to the top meant I got to go on an elevator that tilted along with the curves of the dome! PARABOLIC ELEVATORS, MAN! How you like them apples Eiffel Tower, you diagonal -elevator -having buffoon!  Also, TJ-Maxx here is TK-Maxx. What does it all mean?!?! Anyway, here are some pictures of the pretty stuff, and the amusing stuff I came across throughout the afternoon. Neues Rathaus, or New City Hall. Hi Hannover! Vermont, looking out for footsies world-wide. Don't let the haterz stop you from enjoyin' your musli. You deserve it. P.S Tomorrow...