Language and Thought

Much of the same this week, which is of course nothing but exciting. We had tests on Thursday and Friday for our language course, those went well. A few of us from my building bought German monopoly with intentions of playing it but a game has yet to take place. I did play cribbage last night until two in the morning, under an intriguing stop and go conversation. I’m reaching a cool point, one that I think I’ll involuntarily stay at for quite some time, with my thoughts. After talking German for a while, my English words fade to the very back of my mind, I no longer think in English. However, I don’t have the capacity to really think in German, so I don’t think at all. My head is just empty. I speak German, and when I get to a word or expression that I don’t know, I don’t search through English equivalents and look for a translation, for my English has in the moment gone far away, I search though nothingness, through black and white space in the head. It’s like I have a brand new hard drive installed but it doesn’t have much on it. Nonetheless, it’s the one I’m using. It feels like there is so much more space in my head. Sometimes I like it, I feel free. Sometimes I feel like I’m wasting thoughts because I’m not creating them, when I could easily switch back to English if I took a minute. But I guess that is just a step on the way to learning a language. You have to sacrifice fall backs and contingency plans, like English, in order to build your new language.

I had a rather comical slip the other day, it had me laughing for a while. I was sitting at the breakfast table, there were cigarettes laying next to me. Someone asked if I could hand them to him. I said "for sure, do you need an airplane too?" I meant to offer him the lighter. "Feuerzeug" means lighter, literally "a tool for fire." "Flugzeug" means airplane, "a tool for flying."

woops.

I have an oral presentation tomorrow. I'm going to try and teach the class how to play Gaigel, a german trick taking game. Potenially an epic fail. I'm pumped.

Munsterplatz

Vauban, courtyard infront of my apartment. and a Bunny.

a little of where i live

I live in Vauban, a quarter of Freiburg fifteen minutes from the city center. It’s positioning is quite similar to Lakeshore in Madison. A nice, quiet, full spot away from the center of things, but within a stone’s throw. There is one great and magnificent difference between Vauban and Lakeshore, between Freiburg and Madison.
Madison lacks family life. If it doesn’t lack it, it sure doesn’t mesh with student life. I’ve seen perhaps three children my entire time in Madison. Here, I live in an infinite playground. I have to wade through children to get from my door to the train, like pleasantly trudging through the ball bin at your local McDonalds. Not only do I wander through these two feet inhabitants, I scramble through their homes: pirate ships (built to scale, though non-functioning, pirate ships), sand castles, and sliding twirling oscillating contraptions. I live in a small building with students, inside a large complex of nothing but families. This could not be more pleasing to me.
It really is a wonderful neighborhood, full of different people and life. I’m a two minute walk from the cheapest “whole foods” like grocery store in the world. There is a river that runs all around the neighborhood, and operates many water-requiring games and playplaces for the children, of course. There’s always a family (as in, a large group of neighbors, 30 or so multigenerational friends) cooking around a fire. There’s often a crowd of neighbors gathered giving away clothes, books, soup, and chai.
Half of the inhabitants here live in buildings. Apartments. Actual living, built, structures. The other half live in cars, wooden ensembles, and under fabric rain covers.
It’s a fantastical place.

Homes homes homes.

Vauban.

And for anyone who may be interested:

Benjamin Morris

c/o Academic Year in Freiburg

Albert-Ludwigs-Universität

79085 Freiburg

That goes for anything that is through the post. If something uses a courier service (DHL, etc) you'll need a different address. Also if you ever want to send a package, let me know, certain grounds need to be established to get through customs.

End of the week

A group of us from my program went to “Schauinsland” today. It is a village eight miles from Freiburg and it lies in the hills. Think of the shire. We visited an old house, built in 1766, that was quite nice. This morning I went to the Freiburg Muenster church, built in 1250, with a friend I met Friday night. It was very cool, entirely different from services I’m used to. Almost all the songs were sung in Latin. The music was written differently, hard to follow. The organ was beautiful, like none in the U.S. I suppose.

Muenster.


Muenster.Muenster Platz, Munester Place.
Schauinsland.

Bedroom inside the 1766 house. Bed for two. Poor family, but they still had really nice church clothes. Some friends from the Program on our lunch break.


That's Freiburg in the distance. This is shot from the top of Schauinsland. There is a fifteen minute tram car ride that runs from the Top of Schauinsland to the outskirts of Freiburg. We hiked up, rode back :)

Meinen deutschen Kurs

We started our three week intensive Sprachkurs this past monday. A quick orientation, a placement test, and our rusty heads were done for the day. Back into the swing of things, thank goodness. It's great to have some strict academics here. I've been looking foward to this course for a while and could not be happier with it. It keeps me busy from 9:30 in the morning until 8 at night. Three weeks of nothing but German studies, what a great kickoff.

I've met a group of students and roommates living directly above me and we've gotten together a few times now in the evening to cook and play cards. I'm going to teach them bridge soon, looking foward to it :)

For now it's back to tidying up, Feist, and sleeping for my early morning.

There are many tiny streams that run throughout the city center in Freiburg (not as pictured here). They were once used by the fireman, but no longer. I've learned, as anyone does within a week of living in or visiting Freiburg, that if I accidently trip and step in one of these tiny rivers, I must marry a local.

oye oye.

A Quiet Sunday in Europe

Today was a great end to the week and a great start to the next. I went to Basel Switzerland this morning for a few hours. It was extremely quiet and empty, in a peaceful Sunday morning kind of way. Free admission to the Art Museum and a student fair to the Art Hall found me some cool architecture and art. I didn't get a good feeling for Basel, Sunday certainly isn't the best day to capture a city atmosphere.

I came back to Freiburg around 3 to find a take what you will kind of market outside my complex. They were dishing out hot soup and chai from a keg in a shopping cart. I found a long sleeve shirt and a hand sitched/woven stool. I gave the family offering them 1.60 euro and they were more than grateful.

This evening has been the perfect kickoff to the upcoming week. Jazz on my balcony with tea, a quiet evening. An early night rest for an early morning start. Freiburg feels like a home made for me that's simply been waiting my arrival.

A musician sits on a bench in Basel.

An Incomplete Hello from Freiburg

Hello! I've been here five days now. It's felt from the start as if I really am living here. I was worried coming here from Paris that I'd be city hungry but my concerns were quickly abated. I'm very happy to be in a Madison sized city. In Germany. It's the perfect environment to learn and find a knitch for a year.

The train ride here was smooth, though a little unsettling. My first German speaking encounter was on the train with serveral customs and border patrol agents. I was unaware they did their checks on the train and was quite taken aback when the first person to speak German to me was a police officer asking for my passport.

Once in Freiburg I was met by a terrifically friendly crowd that had arranged everything for me, how splendid. I got my key and was off to my apartment. One of my roommates, Romy, greeted me at the door. She is wonderful. I'm very glad things randomly fell in line with her.

I still don't have internet in my room, but I'm working on it. My room, and apartment, is fantastic. The area is great, I'll elaborate once I have pictures to set my descriptions to. For now, the people of Freiburg are helpful and nice. :)

A few pictures of this forever full city. No matter where you are, no matter the time, you are surrounded by people. There are only trains and bikes in the city center. And people people people.