I have no idea why there are only four washing machines for a building of nearly 200 people, but such is the case. Not only that, but washing machines in this country are maybe half the size of the ones back home, so doing a full load is usually a two to three hour event.
It is now a ritual among the Canadians here to have pancakes on Sundays, then spend most of the afternoon/evening in the Irish pub. They make excellent shepherds pie, something I've been dying for since I left Canada. Not quite as good as Nan's, but pretty good nonetheless!
I'm heading home for Christmas on December 18th. I'm pretty excited about that. Food I am looking forward to:
- Canadian cheddar cheese
- Wendy's...Arby's...terrible fast food in general
- S'mores Poptarts
- Nan's shepherds pie
- Ketchup that doesn't taste like tomatoey barf
I really shouldn't complain so much; Germany is a pretty cool place overall. We even had a little bit of snow last week! It didn't stick around in town, but up in the Schauinsland and around the peaks of the Black Forest you can still see snow on the trees and stuff, which is pretty nice.
I saw Die Hard 4 for sale at Müllers (German equivalent of HBC), except in German it is called "Stirb Langsam" which translated literally means "Die Slowly".
I finally watched Zeitgeist the other day. Pretty interesting movie, it makes you think at least. I'm pretty skeptical of everything, conspiracy-theory type movies notwithstanding, but there were definitely several parts of it that I seriously could not debate. I recommend those who haven't seen it, watch it at least some time in your life.
Oh, a few weeks ago I went to Nottingham, England, to visit a friend. It was a pretty good time, nice to be around English speakers for a change. Robin Hood and Kevin Costner look nothing alike. I hope to go back to England at some point. I'm flying out of there at Christmas time, but I think the next time I go back, I'll start in Scotland and make my way south. I have two months or so when I'm not in school, so there will be lots of time to travel. And, of course, I have to spend Saint Patrick's Day in Ireland. A group of us are thinking about all going to Dublin together, so that should be interesting!
I guess das ist alles for now, just thought I'd let interested people know that I'm still alive!
Viel Spaß
- Matt
Monday, November 26, 2007
Monday, November 5, 2007
"Matthew Goes to School" and Other Stories, Volume 1
Hello! I know I said I would lower the gap of time between entries but, hey, I'm a liar!
I don't really have much to add anyway, I felt compelled to write though.
I am sick. I have the worst chest cold I have ever had, the kind where it hurts to breathe and your whole body is sore from coughing so hard. Also: I lost my voice. I have never lost my voice, ever. So whenever someone speaks to me, I can only gesture and/or nod my head emphatically. It feels more ridiculous when I am being spoken to by a German, because I think I add EXTRA emphasis to my head nods, as if to say "I swear to God I'm not a moron, I just can't talk".
School started for me a few weeks back. I had to drop two courses that I was taking through the University because they were ridiculously hard. Miles above my level understanding that's for sure. So I've decided to take German as a second language courses at the Sprachler Institute. This is where the fun begins. The way credits work at Trent University is that you need 20 if you are completing an honours degree, so most people take five per year, which is what I have been doing.
A few weeks ago, we (as in, the Canucks in the exchange program) had been told that each German course we took here, including the German as a second language ones, would be worth .5 of a credit. We considered that fair, considering how much less work you have to do for each class here, so it's no big deal taking 5 classes this semester and 5 next.
However, a few days ago, we were told by the wonderful machine that is Trent administration that our German as a second language courses are now only worth .25 of a credit. What the hell is that? .25 of a credit? Yeah, the work load is less here, but we still do WORK. The credit isn't even worth the amount of work involved.
I'm not entirely screwed though. I'm taking all of my resident professors courses, which are worth 3 credits. So if I'm taking hers, plus the two GaSL courses this semester, hopefully my German will be good enough that I can attempt to tackle three Proseminare courses next semester.
Anyway, on to something less boring.
In five days, I'm going to England! I'm pretty excited, I really liked England the last time I was there. I'm going to visit a friend of mine who lives in Nottingham, so that should be fun. I think I'm mostly excited to spend a few days in a country where everyone speaks English.
Halloween last Wednesday was also a blast, I shall put up a picture.
Josh, the guy on the far right didn't get dressed up. Catwoman is not actually a woman, but a guy friend named Terry. He is a colourful character, that is for sure.
I wish I was capable of really growing facial hair like the kind that is drawn on my face in that picture.
Also, a tidbit of German culture I now feel compelled to share. Germany has normal toilets. But they also have slightly odd toilets. Now, what's odd about these toilets, is that they have what foreigners like to call "a poop shelf". It isn't just a normal bowl on the inside, these toilets seriously have a ledge in the middle, with the drain closer to the front of the bowl. I'm not really sure what to make of it, other than that Germans seem to have a strange obsession with their own poop.
Anyway, on that note, I'm off to wage war against my cold. So long for now.
- Matt
I don't really have much to add anyway, I felt compelled to write though.
I am sick. I have the worst chest cold I have ever had, the kind where it hurts to breathe and your whole body is sore from coughing so hard. Also: I lost my voice. I have never lost my voice, ever. So whenever someone speaks to me, I can only gesture and/or nod my head emphatically. It feels more ridiculous when I am being spoken to by a German, because I think I add EXTRA emphasis to my head nods, as if to say "I swear to God I'm not a moron, I just can't talk".
School started for me a few weeks back. I had to drop two courses that I was taking through the University because they were ridiculously hard. Miles above my level understanding that's for sure. So I've decided to take German as a second language courses at the Sprachler Institute. This is where the fun begins. The way credits work at Trent University is that you need 20 if you are completing an honours degree, so most people take five per year, which is what I have been doing.
A few weeks ago, we (as in, the Canucks in the exchange program) had been told that each German course we took here, including the German as a second language ones, would be worth .5 of a credit. We considered that fair, considering how much less work you have to do for each class here, so it's no big deal taking 5 classes this semester and 5 next.
However, a few days ago, we were told by the wonderful machine that is Trent administration that our German as a second language courses are now only worth .25 of a credit. What the hell is that? .25 of a credit? Yeah, the work load is less here, but we still do WORK. The credit isn't even worth the amount of work involved.
I'm not entirely screwed though. I'm taking all of my resident professors courses, which are worth 3 credits. So if I'm taking hers, plus the two GaSL courses this semester, hopefully my German will be good enough that I can attempt to tackle three Proseminare courses next semester.
Anyway, on to something less boring.
In five days, I'm going to England! I'm pretty excited, I really liked England the last time I was there. I'm going to visit a friend of mine who lives in Nottingham, so that should be fun. I think I'm mostly excited to spend a few days in a country where everyone speaks English.
Halloween last Wednesday was also a blast, I shall put up a picture.
Josh, the guy on the far right didn't get dressed up. Catwoman is not actually a woman, but a guy friend named Terry. He is a colourful character, that is for sure.
I wish I was capable of really growing facial hair like the kind that is drawn on my face in that picture.
Also, a tidbit of German culture I now feel compelled to share. Germany has normal toilets. But they also have slightly odd toilets. Now, what's odd about these toilets, is that they have what foreigners like to call "a poop shelf". It isn't just a normal bowl on the inside, these toilets seriously have a ledge in the middle, with the drain closer to the front of the bowl. I'm not really sure what to make of it, other than that Germans seem to have a strange obsession with their own poop.
Anyway, on that note, I'm off to wage war against my cold. So long for now.
- Matt
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