I get dropped off at the IES European Union center where all my classes will be held. It is old building from the 1800s, converted into a very modern class setting inside. It is three stories high, has the professors offices downstairs, a full computer lab, student lounge and five classrooms. It is only for myself and the 50 or so other students in my program so it’s nice and just down the street from Freiburg Uni. So I am greeted, and put my bags by the door and was told to go upstairs for refreshments. There we’re four students up there and we talked for a little while about everyone’s commute. Then go down into a room and get briefed about whats going on, we get our Straßenbahn (street tram) passes, which our also good for the regional rain. Got our keys, Freiburg University i.d cards and all that good stuff. Then they called a taxi to take us to our apartments. There are three different complexes in the city and mine is pretty far outside of town, in another area called Vauban. So three of us were heading down that way and we all got into the cab. It was pretty weird meeting everyone that like..kinda reminded me of the first episodes of Real World. Hah. We get to our stop and a german girl meet us and took me into my building first. I’m up a few floors and theres 5 kids living in with me on my flat. One of the kids were in there when she showed me in and then she left. I met David first and he showed me around the flat and gave me the low down on everything. But his English isn’t very good. We have like I said five rooms then share two bathrooms and a kitchen. Then kitchen and bathrooms weren’t very clean, but my room is nice at least. Got a bed, shelf kinda thing, desk, TV, big mirror and a big closet thing. So I threw all my bags on my floor sat down and spaced out for a bit. There were sheets on my bed so I made that and then started to unpack a little bit. I only had like 2 hours before we were to meet down infront of my place to go out to a welcome dinner. We went down to a pizza place with just the EU kids from my apartment complex so like 25 of us. I sat with a group of ten or so and everyone was very nice and then we went back. And I crashed in my white-wash room.
The next day was the start of our two week intensive orientation phase. Get up at like 8am and go over to the tram stop that is only a 2 minute walk away. The public transportation is so nice here, just a 10min ride and I am down in center city. The street trams here are also run by full solar energy. Frieburg is governed by the Green Party, so you will hear about a lot of crazy environmental stuff in my writings. There was a group of us leaving at the same time from Vauban and we get down to school. The orientations were pretty hard to sit through all week it was a lot of, health and safety, cultural information, housing and all that stuff. But there was so good stuff too, we were split up in groups and then sent to different parts of the city to take pictures and do things/eat and then come back so our pictures and talk about what we did. I was in the group to explore the area where I live in Vauban, but it was good because then I got to see what was around. Right around me is a Rewe which is a nice grocery store and also an Aldi. There is a DM which is a general store for toiletries and such. An organic Ice Cream shop which is great and a Doner shop. These Doner shops are extremely popular and a big hit with us students as well. They are basically Turkish fast food, pretty cheap and you get a lot of food. I get the Doner Kabob thing which is like a circular piece of bread cut in half so theres a pocket and they put chicken or beef in it and your choice of vegetables and some special sauce. Real good.
So not to bore you with school things, I will introduce you to everyone I met and hangout with so far. Starting with my flatmates. Like I said I have fiveflat mates and the first night I came back they had some friends over so we we’re all hanging out in the kitchen and I met everyone. There is David, who is older and moving out in October. Theres actually a few moving out because the German semester doesn’t start til something in October so Ill get some new flatmates soon. Then there is Ye , he is from Beijing China and only speaks English so good for me. He is cool but moving out as well. Then there is Benta, she is from Hamburg, germany and she just moved in for her first year here. But she’s back in hamburg getting things, she said she may bring her keyboard and guitar so I hope she does. Then there is Phil who is in the room next to me. I hangout with him the most, maily because hes always here. He’s really cool but certainly unique. He’s a environmental major, wants to live in the woods, have no belongings all that stuff, a for sure hippie. A bit loud sometimes. He always asked me to do stuff, so we make dinner together sometimes, swap music, watch German movies that he insist I must see Ha. And he certainly has his opinions, and it is true German’s really like to debate and discuss current events. Oh and he seriously couldn’t believe me that I said we recycle in America. Because there insane with recycling here..like 10 different trash cans for various kinds of trash. In a year or two he is driving with friends from Germany to India and back for one full year… and everyone speaks English well, cept dave..but he watches ‘Friends’ in English to get better…So yeah.. my flat isn’t to bad. Only complaints is it’s a bit dirty in the kitchen and bathroom. One day I bought all this cleaning stuff and went nuts on everything. So when the new flatmates move in ill have some veteran status and can tell them to clean their shit. But hey, thats college life, at least my room is nice.
Next is all the fellow EU students that are with me in my classes and such. I really thought everyone would branch off into the community here, but no. We are in a bubble and you have to make friends with the kids because were literally together 10hours of the day, everyday, travel together everything. But whatever, so we went out the second night like 15 of us. Which is definitely already the last time I will be doing that, going out on school nights sucks. It’s kind of annoying right now cause most of these kids are a lot younger then me, so this is the first time then can go to bars and they are just going nuts. I’m pretty sure there has been kids that went out every single night so far. I mean I have been out with everyone on the weekends, but they are making me feel old. Haha. When we go out on the weekend is kinda sucks too cause everyone wants to be together and next thing you know we are rolling like 25 kids deep going into bars. For one everyone definitely knows we’re American, and we don’t get into places, and you can get drinks because its so crowded around the bar. And it would be one thing is they wanted to go to the bar which im down for, but they want to hit the disco’s and just dance.
Anyway for my friends, lets see..who im with most is.. Lindsey from Hawaii and shes just like a friend id have at home. Same interests, very chill and into the same exact music which is always awesome. Then there is Reijer (say ryer with a Scottish accent) and he is from the Netherlands. Im with him the most I think, Its funny though he actually goes to F&M and lives in Lancaster when hes in the USA. I was like man, I travel 6000 miles away to meet a Dutch kid in Germany who lives 30mins away from me at home. Weve already talked about hanging out when were back in the States. So me and him are rooming together when we go out are trips out. Oh and he loves to cook so we eat dinner a lot together. And its just easy to get together and cook for like five people at a time. Then there is Nate from Colorado, he’s real chill and the guy you wanna have a beer with. Reminds me of pete or kochel from back home. Annnd to save time one more is Ryan from Michigan and hes in all my classes so we study together and lives one floor below me so we’re all down in his kitchen a lot. Defiantly the kid to joke around with. And there are many more who I like a lot but don’t have time to name them all, im sure you’ll hear about them sooner or later though.
OH and yes we had our first day trip on Wednesday. We went to Strasburg, France to visit the EU Parliament. We had to go in business formal full suits, pretty legit. So we took a bus and got there around lunch. There we a lot of French riot police/ swat guys because france is having a lot of protests right now. So we go in get the full security check basically equivalent to boarding an airplane. Then we first meet with the Green Party Representative from the Freiburg area, and she just told us what she did and a bit more about how the parliament works and what theyre discussing. Then we went into the Debating chamber. It was awesome, we got to sit in on a session. They were debating European Arms exports. It was a huge circular room, 750 seats for the MEPs (the representing members) then the president and other high ranking seats up front. The president would pass the floor to various members who would get to say their argument for 2mins. We got the headsets which you put on and could flip through and find your language and where an interpreter was translating to the second so it was pretty cool. Then we had some time free time in the city, Rejier had a Turkish friend living there so we went to find her, me, viktor, reijer and nate.. Just cruising the streets of France with a Hungarian, a Turk, a Dutch kid haha, but the city was so beautiful! I loved it and want to go back when I have time. Then we had an all you can eat Flamkuchen dinner..which is like a lighter pizza.
This weekend is basically the first time I had a day since I literally got here aug 18th to just do nothing if I want and catch up on emails, photo uploading and writing on here. This orientation phase killed me, drained, tired everyday. We even had class last Saturday and then went hiking in the Schwarzwald(Black Forest). German and European Union seminar classes every single days for hours finished with exams of what we learned so far. It has been exhausting just doing simple tasks though over here, like buying everything I need, when you can really read what type of milk you need and little stuff like that. They don’t teach you the words for like shampoo and conditioner…ha so it takes forever to shop, but its better now after the first few trips to the grocery store. Luckily all the food is great, ive never had a meal or something I didn’t really like yet. I have been getting good at cooking and I think it will become something I will now enjoy in the future, and this is the place to learn recipes from all my friends around the world. Phil makes a bread from scratch every week and I want to learn that soon too. There is certainly things (and friends, family too!) I miss and that I will appreciate so much more when I get back to the US. Like the foods you can get at home everyday, imagine now being able to get any of it. Or just the comfort of English television on in the background. I get one English channel, CNN. So im taking my external harddrive around and getting movies and tv citcoms from my friends to watch. Annnnnd Sports! I never realized how much I would miss sports.. like the NFL is starting soon and the Flyers are startin up.. Im on Comcastsports.net everyday to get my fix.
Overall everything is well and I really love this city. Can’t complain.
And life isn’t to hard, on Monday I leave for 7 day field study trip to Berlin and Prague, Czech Republic! Can’t wait! So I won’t be able to talk to any all week and I will write about the trip when I get home!
Going to meet some friends and go explore the city or go to the lake today’
Goodbye from Sunny Freiburg!
Josh'
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