The other day we picked up a Weihnachts Baum! That means Christmas tree, but in German.
We went there and found a tree and they put it through a hole standing on the ground. It looked super weird, but it was to put a net around the tree to make it easy to carry and whatnot. We then went inside to drink a Glühwein and eat a Bratwurst. Oh, Germans! It was only 9:30 in the morning!
After the tree picking up thing, I went to Theater practice till 3, then to the Bahnhof to meet up with some German friends of mine, and we went to Berlin. Then we went shopping Alexa and it was packed. There was so much snow outside still and when the masses of people trompeded in then all the muddy slush was dragged across the whole first level of the mall. It was grody. I was waiting to meet up with my friend, Will (he's another exchanger from Canada), and we waited about 10 minutes and he showed up I got a great hug, then he had to go again because he had an ice hockey game to go to. I was almost mad because he had to go so soon, but I was just so happy to see him I couldn't possibly be.After shopping we went to the Weihnachts Markt and rode the roller coasters and ate some Chinese food. It was a solidly good day with my German friends.
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| "Karossel" This was the ride we went on then thought 'Oh my goodness it is -20º C here, why are we doing this? I hope it ends soon!' It probably was that cold too... |
It is still weird because of the clicks that I don't know about yet. For example, on Friday I was helping decorate for my school Winter Ball and Mary Ann called my Handy and when I was talking to her, a guy from my class took the Handy from me and was saying some really mean things to her! I didn't know what to do because I honestly didn't like her that much because she is so moody, but she is a good friend of my German friend, and this guy was being a total Arschloch. He is however the same guy who gave me a ride home when I was lost. I don't get get why people have to be so mean sometimes. If you don't like someone, you ignore it, you ignore them, you don't tell them!
Another mean sort of weird moment this weekend was when I went to my host sisters golf club Weihnachts Feiern und there was a lady there apparently in charge of the organization and she thought I was actually the daughter of my host parents. The second she discovered I'm from USA she tried Englisch, and when I responded in German she ignored me. She spoke TO my host parents ABOUT me. I hate that. I speak the language. When I speak Englisch I am told "Sprich Deutsch", when I speak German : "Why do you not want with me Englisch to speak?" or simply ignore me. Way to go.
Tonight is Giulia's Vortrag! She gives her presentation over her exchange year tonight! I am really excited and I am going to take tons of pictures!
This is now later I'm editing to add photos.... it was a great presentation!
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| Duck, red cabbage, Pear, orange, and Knodeln (like potatoes but slimy and not the same) |
Bis dann!
Cliques happen anywhere there is pressure to be the "right" kind of social. I'm really sorry you got caught in the middle of it, but I'm also glad you haven't been outlawed from groups because you socialized with multiple groups. Not a good thing anywhere, but hard to escape.
ReplyDeleteAs an exchange student, you are not only willing and capable of speaking German but perfectly able to interact with native speakers at this point in your stay. It was VERY rude of that man to suddenly ignore you once he found out you were an exchange student. That's what some Americans do when they find out someone's a foreigner even though they speak English very well: oh, we'll talk to people ABOUT the foreigner to find out about them. He/she can't possibly tell me about him/herself because he/she is a foreigner. We know you are frustrated, but it is a reaction that is unfounded and hard to change... You could go on speaking German as if he was talking to you, and maybe convince people you are worth talking to directly, but some just won't listen. It's tough.
You know, Dad got the same reaction in Italy. One driver would ask him directions, and then all the other drivers, hearing his accent, wouldn't bother asking. Although you should know your way around the town and would give good directions, immediate judgment says you're not going to be useful to them.
Hang in there. Accept the bad with the good as much as you can. It'll get better.
Iris