Yikes, much to update on... I think I will organize it into chapters. :)
Abendmahl.
I had Communion for the first time here on Sunday. It was pretty cool. Communioon for me is always a reminder of two major things: first of all, Christ's sacrifice on the cross for our sins, and second of all, that we are all one body in Christ. Sharing in Communion at a church in Germany was just awesome... it reminded me how cool it is that Jesus paid the price for the sins of all men all over the world, and all over the world we have brothers and sisters in Christ.
Kite-flying.
After church on Sunday, a really nice family invited me over for the afternoon to eat lunch with them, fly kites in the park, and then have Abendbrot as well. It was so much fun!!! I don't think I've ever realy flown a kite in the US, but it was so much fun and it was the perfect day for it. It was really windy, and we went to this park that has this big open hillside. I seriously think everyone in Berlin was there flying kites that day! I'd never seen so many. Also, the kids in the family (age 7 and 9) were super sweet. I had tons of fun. I am so thankful for all these nice families here!
Hoopla!
This is my new favorite German word. Gmail says it whenever something goes wrong, like if you try to send an email but youÄve lost your connection or something. But I never heard a real person say it until Sunday in the park. Whenever the kite would come crashing down to the ground, they'd say, "Hoopla!"
Cosi fan tutte.
On Monday night, we went to the opera! It was totally awesome. We saw Cosi fan tutte (Mozart) at the Komische Oper (Comic Opera? Comedic Opera? Don't know what it is in English) and it was hilarious. They did a German translation and then through in some modern twists. We had a great time. The soprano was also totally amazing and made me realy want to get back to voice lessons!
Heimweh.
The German word for Hmesickness. I had a little bit of it this week, but I think it really had more to do with the fact that I was super tired. What's really interesting though is that I actually had a couple dreams this week in which for some reason I went home early, and in my dreams I was totally bummed not to be in Germany anymore and speaking German. I guess it was a reminder to be thankful for my opportunities here. I really love Berlin, I mainly just wish that everyone I love back home was here too! Such is life... :)
Paid internship?!?!
One little thing that helped cheer me up this week: My teacher for the language practicum told me this week that a woman from Distributed Campus--a web service for international students at the FU--is looking to hire a student to conduct interviews with international students and write and translate texts relevant to international students at the FU. He told me he recommended me to her and gave me her contact information so I could write to her. I did of course, and I sent her my German resume!, and she wrote me back saying she thought I sounded like a great candidate and she wanted to schedule a time next week to meet with me. How cool is that? I never expected anything like that and I was flattered that my teacher thought of me for the position.
Bibel Kreis.
Today I went to a Bible study (or Bibel Kreis, literally "Bible circle") at the FU. It's a smal group of students but it was a great time of worship and Bible study. I really enjoyed spending time with some German Christians my age, and I also met an American grad student from Vanderbilt who happens to know my German tutor from high school! We enjoyed the time and are going to try to coordinate our schedules so we can find a good time for Bible study during the semester.
Other stuff.
Classes start next week, and I'm kinda nervous. I really don't know what I want to take. Fortunatey I have awhile to "shop around" before I have to officially decide, but it's still kinda stressful and scary. However, the language practicum is over, and though I enjoyed it, it feels good to have completed it. Things are about to start picking up here. Real classes for one thing, but also extracurricular stuff... I plan to audition for a choir next week, and I might also look into taking voice lessons. We'll see how everything goes. Pictures are still on the way--I need to find an internet cafe where I can use my laptop and have faster internet. I miss you all and I hope to hear from everyone soon--don't forget that you don't have to have a Blgger account to post a comment here on my blog. Much love to everyone!!
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3 comments:
I love reading about your experience. Kim and I love Cosi Fan Tutte! Thanks for making my birthday the best ever.
A Dawg
Love your blogs! What is Abenbrot? A sausage? Sounds like you are finding a real spititual community. That is wonderful. You clearly were open to a new community and you found one. And you are having some great musical experiences, too. Good luck on trhe internship and on your first week of classes. Can't wait to hear about them. Aunt Ann
Abendbrot is another word for Abendessen, which is dinner. :) Abendbrot however literally means "evening bread", so it's usually used to refer to a light evening meal that consists mostly of bread, cheese and cold cuts. In Germany it is not uncommon for lunch to be the "big meal" of the day.
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