9/17/12

"Overwhelmed by conversations and classes taught completely in German, I finally appreciated having friends with whom I could speak English.  Every time I saw Rhi,or Ryan or Billa, I sighed with relief as I slipped back into comfortable conversation.  The school day itself was very different from my high school in America; passing time varied between each class, becoming longer as the day approached our two-hour lunch break.  Students spent time eating in the Menza and chatting with friends on the steps outside the Kanti.  My classmates were all very friendly, though it was difficult to speak to them because of the language barrier.  One of my favorite ice breakers was when a classmate asked me, 'Republikaner oder Demokrat?'"