First Week Victories

I’ve been in Berlin for a week and, if nothing else, at least I can say that I survived.  Oh, it wasn’t so bad, but I did feel completely overwhelmed for the last seven days.  It took only a few short minutes in the airport for me to confirm that, yes, this is not a joke: everything is actually in German (auf Deutsch).  This is Germany, after all.  They speak German in Germany.  Go figure.  Not sure why this surprised me: perhaps I was more surprised at myself for willingly embarking upon this fantastic voyage.  Or perhaps I was already mentally preparing myself to speak and sound like a four year old for the next year.  Regardless, the first week was actually a very positive experience.  I really accomplished quite a lot, and my German honestly isn’t half bad, even if my brain is overflowing with mostly unpronounceable German vocabulary from my classes.  Great progress is marked by small victories though, so I will here summarize my week with a list of ten memorable triumphs outside of class.

1. Departing Tegel airport, the cab driver understood me when I said my Hausnummer was zweiundvierzig and thus I arrived with all two hundred pounds of gear that I was hauling.  Apparently another Boschie wasn’t so lucky with the address and ended up on the other side of town.
2. I ate my first Wurst within an hour of arrival in my apartment. (I had three more throughout the week just to even things out).  These Wurst stands are everywhere.  I already know that I will be a loyal customer to the folks down the street at Wurstmaxe as long as I live in the area.
3. I successfully navigated the German Supermarkt without any serious blunders.  The trick was emulating what other people did.  Deciphering what seasoning to buy for my pork was likely the biggest single challenge.  In second place was choosing from among the most impressive beer selection I have ever seen.
4. Since nothing is open on Sundays, my well-timed trip to the store on Saturday afternoon meant that I could subsist until Monday.
5. I purchased an “Internet Stick” so that I could surf the internet at my leisure.  Apparently this is a convenience that Americans take for granted.
6. When said “Internet Stick” failed to work properly, I managed to communicate this clearly enough auf Deutsch to the service technician on the phone.  My account was then activated immediately.
7. I have already begun eating breakfasts the German way. My Frühstück every morning consists of Müsli, Joghurt, a hard boiled egg, and a piece of fruit.  So long, Frosted Flakes!
8. There seems to be no real difference between the S-Bahn and the U-Bahn, each of which I used successfully every day as part of my commute.  The S-Bahn is the overground inner-city train system (except when it runs underground) and the U-Bahn is the underground subway system (except when it runs overground).  The S-Bahn and U-Bahn are operated by different companies, but function seamlessly together.  Doesn’t sound efficient, but it definitely puts the DC Metro to shame.
9. I registered myself auf Deutsch at the local city hall, which was about as pleasant and fulfilling as a trip to the DMV back home.  Luckily I get to go back to re-register every time I move, and next time Lauren gets to accompany me for this unique cultural experience.
10. I opened a bank account auf Deutsch, with only a little English sprinkled in for the added effect (some might say for clarification).

It’s a beautiful here in Berlin this weekend, which so far seems a rarity, so I should go out and enjoy it now.  Until next time!

Herzlichen Willkommen!

Welcome!  This is the Graebers’ new blog, coming to you live from Berlin, Germany!  

Yes, I know.  Perhaps you are surprised to learn that Lauren and I will be living in Germany for the next year.  Don’t they move around enough?  Whose idea was that anyway?  Do they even speak German? However, you might be one of the many people who heard about this crazy decision of ours and requested regular updates about our adventures in der deutschen Hauptstadt and beyond.  We’re flattered.  But instead of a weekly all-hands-on-deck Skype conference call at random hours, which could get awkward for everyone, we figured the easiest way to include you in our new life over the next year would be through a regularly-updated blog which you can view at your leisure.

So... ich bin angekommen.  I mean, I arrived safely, both in Berlin and in the blogosphere. (Lauren arrives in a few short weeks).  Acclimation to both has been challenging, but at least our blog audience will permit us to speak in our mother tongue.  Judging from my first few days here, adjusting to Germany will require more time and endurance, but so far so good.  However, because this is my first ever blog post and I don't want to get too overzealous on my first day, details on the arrival week are forthcoming.

John