Essen und Freunde in Deutschland

Hallo liebe Leute!

It's crazy to realize that I've already halfway through my one month stay here in Berlin, Germany. To start off, I've been able to see many cultural differences between Germany and America, particularly differences in the household. In Germany, breakfast and bread is very common, but where I live, I normally do not eat breakfast, and if I do, it's something very convenient, like a banana. Not only that, but German windows do not have nets. I find this particularly striking because I had always thought that window nets were a necessity in order to keep the bugs out yet still let air in. In addition, drying machines are not common in Germany. The old-fashioned method of air drying is used after washing clothes in Germany whereas drying machines are often used in America.

Some of the things that I wish I could bring back from Germany to America is the BVG, or the transportation system in Germany. The BVG includes the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, Tram, and the bus, and it is incredibly efficient. Before coming here, I had thought that the transporation system in Germany would be like America's, but after using it for 2 weeks, I've been able to realize how crazy efficient it is to get to places. Where I live, the transportation is often reliable, and I wouldn't be surprised if a bus came 20 minutes late.

In Germany, a typical day for me is to take up around 7:00, take a shower, and eat some bread for breakfast. Then I would take the Tram and the U-Bahn to get to school, where I learn more about the German language for 3 hours. Afterwards, I have a large variety of restaurants to eat lunch at, and then I would proceed to the Community Conversation, an activity where I ask strangers questions in German, and the afternoon activity, such as the Brandenburger Tor or a museum. At the end of the day, I will most likely explore Berlin more with my friends and then travel back home for dinner and sleep for the next day!

Sometimes on the weekends, I would do a special activity with my program, such as an overnight trip to Greifswald in a youth hostel (Jugendherberge)! Exploring other aspects of Germany other than the capital of Berlin is something I really enjoyed because it showed me this completely different view of Germany.

Berlin is a city full of business and activities. I believe that there is more to do within a one mile radius of Berlin than there is to do in my entire hometown, and it's interesting to see huge cultural differences between Germany and America. Let's see what the next 2 weeks will hold for me.

Bis bald! Ciao!