The Miscommunication

We'll start with goodbyes and end with hellos.  I had a great last night at the farm.  We drank wine and talked a lot and laughed a lot and then hugged each other goodbye early the next morning.  They sent me off with a care package so I wouldn't go hungry my first night in Heidelberg.  I wasn't expecting that and it was really sweet.  Bettina also gave me a German cookbook that features the Schacherbauerhof and some of her own recipes.  She was on a TV show two years ago that was basically a competition for the best Bavarian "Landfrau".  Anyway they compiled the recipes and stories of each of the fourteen women and made a very nice cookbook, available in stores today!

My trip to Salzburg was great.  I arrived at about eleven in the morning and strolled along the Salzach until I got to the Altstadt, where I had breakfast and just smiled forever.  Then I found the Universität Salzburg Student Services Center (or something like that) and had a full-on conversation with a guy about studying at the University for 20 minutes or so.  I was really proud of myself, but also, didn't find out much more than I could have read on the website.  It was helpful to physically talk to someone though.

After that I walked up the familiar way to the Mönchsberg and found the ole' Markentenderschloßl, just like I left it.  I spent the afternoon with Christina, one of the Program Assistants (and also from Portland!).  We talked and walked and drank coffee and then a beer at the Aug.  It was definitely nice to have some American time.  I joined the students for dinner, but had to run after 20 minutes or so and catch my train.  I got back into Burghausen at 9:30 that evening, hopped on my bike, and rode home! Definitely sang Taylor Swift as loud as possible when I was riding past the highway.  I'll never know if I sounded good.

All of that feels like ancient history now! I've been in Heidelberg for almost a full week and I'm actually starting to get the hang of it all. I arrived on Friday at noon.  I locked up my suitcases in a locker so that I could go exploring until 2 pm, when I was supposed to meet some of the group at the main train station. I walked around trying to find the Altstadt, but could not figure it out, so I ended up going in circles and all sorts of shapes until I finally got back to the train station and sat and waited the last fifteen minutes until people were supposed to meet.  So it's 2:00 and I'm looking around...nobody.  2:15. Nothing. 2:30, nope.  Call the American Junior Year (AJY, from now on) center, nobody answers.  2:45, getting cold. 3:00, phone vibrates.  It was Frau Doktor Heckmann, the director of the program.  She told me about some mystical letter I was supposed to have recieved, telling me that we were supposed to meet outside of the McDonald's at 2:00, just to the left of where I had been waiting, but a bit out of view.  Yes, they had been there at two, where had I been? Oh Frau Doktor, what are you talking about? Well Irena, one of the Program Assistants, came to the train station and took me to my apartment, about a 5 minute walk from the train station.  Later I found out I had not received any of the emails sent to the group about the impending semester because they had written my email haley_peterson@redlands.edu.  I wonder what other kinds of important information I missed out on?

The most important part is that I made it.  The group met up at the AJY Center in the center of the city for a pizza dinner and to get to know each other that night.  In the AJY Center is the director and assistant's offices, a classroom, computer room, TV room, student kitchen, and a bathroom, of course.  We all sat around and awkwardly talked in German together and ate pizza.  There are 13 new students this semester and 9 that are there for the full year, so this is their second semester in Heidelberg. The rule is that German must be spoken in the AJY Center at all times, otherwise you get kicked out for the rest of the day! I think they're being lax about it right now, because most every time the students are alone, it's all English, all the time.  It'll get better.

They also always want to do everything as a group, which is never good, because then everyone is really loud and obnoxious and that's just not how the Germans groove. Gotta get outta there.  I have heard so much English in the past week, I think my German will go straight downhill. During this week, we have just had orientation.  That means, paperwork, tours, going through handbooks, all sorts of fun things. Today we took a German placement test to decide which preliminary course we would be in.  Made it into the better group, felt good about it.

I am going to have to finish this post tomorrow because there's too much to write about and I'm sleepy! It's been a really busy week, as I'm sure you can imagine. Coming next time...Philosopher's Way, best beer in the world, exploring the castle, and my roommate.  Look forward to it.  Pictures will come too.  There are a lot of good ones.