Now that I have been in Cologne for a couple of weeks, I wanted to reflect on one of my favorite aspects of my experience so far: my “home” in Cologne. Though my educational experience is centered in the classroom, home life has been important to both my learning of the German language and my engagement in the local culture.
The Rhine River runs right through the middle of Cologne, North to South, and divides the city into two halves: the “Rechte Seite des Rheins” and the “Linke Seite des Rheins.” Though it’s all one city, some residents like to argue that there’s a slightly different feel to each side, and there’s a friendly sort of rivalry between the two halves of the city.
For the first two weeks in Cologne, I stayed with a host family on the right side of the Rhine. They were great in so many ways! We had breakfast and dinner together every day, and not only was my host dad’s home cooking delicious and authentically German, but our mealtime conversations were informative, entertaining, and auf Deutsch, natürlich! This extra, constant immersion in the language has improved my conversation abilities and confidence. I also learned about the history of Cologne through their eyes, and got tips on cool places and events to check out in the city.
The Band from Dünnwalder Frühling
One such event was Dünnwalder Frühling, or “Dünnwald Spring,” a street festival-like event just a few blocks from the house! The event was attended by the surrounding neighborhoods and included a live band, games for kids, food, and tents featuring local businesses. I went with my family for the afternoon and enjoyed the taste of local culture!
For the past few days, I have been living on the left side of the Rhine in a different house. This time, I’m renting a room on the second floor, with three other students living on the floor as well, from Mongolia, Armenia, and Germany. It’s a new and unique experience to be able to interact with young people of different backgrounds beyond just Germans. Though we all speak different languages, we primarily communicate in German, again providing constant opportunity to improve even outside of the classroom.
The owner of the house and his brother, both native Kölners, are both extremely hospitable and interact with me on a regular basis as well. After moving in here over the weekend, Klaus invited me to go to an open-air museum with his wife and some friends for the day. The museum was acres large and depicted life as it would have been here centuries ago, complete with real farm animals (that’s a goat with me!) and oven-baked bread from freshly horse-mill grinded wheat! Moreover, it was great to spend the entire day communicating in German and getting to know Klaus and his friends. It’s an experience I won’t forget.
Princeton in Ishikawa (PII) is the language program I study at. We convene every morning of weekdays for three hours and cover two years’ Notre Dame Japanese class in the two months. That is to say, this is a pretty intense and challenging program.
Yet I am grateful because this program expands the limit of my Japanese learning pace and I for sure see my improvements on a daily basis. It also has many quick-minded Japanese learners from the best universities in the U.S. Among the 44 students this year, 14 are from Princeton, 7 from Yale, 7 from Harvard, and one or two from a number of other prominent schools.
Besides practicing Japanese with these talented friends (we have to follow a strict “Japanese only” rule), I also share thoughts on the Japanese language in general – what we like about it, and what not so much. Presented below are some of the (temporal and superficial) thoughts based on our limited understanding of Japanese.
One of the most distinct characteristics of Japanese is having three sets of writing systems. While English has alphabetical vocabularies only, Japanese has kanji (Chinese characters), Hiragana and Katakana (for words of English origins). The combination of the three, in my opinion, speeds up the reading pace and makes the language more efficient. While kanjis, mostly made up of nouns, adjs and verbs, straightforwardly provide concrete information, hiragana logically connects such information. Katakana, on the other hand, gives out information of nouns with a western origin. After reaching a certain level of proficiency, just by scanning through the texts, one can easily tell its general idea without failing to grasp its logical flows.
However, Japanese grammar, especially verb conjugations, is more complicated than English and Chinese. In English and Chinese, if we want to make a command using “must,” we simply add the word”must” in between the subject and verb in a sentence. However, in Japanese, we need to change the form of the last letter of the verb into the one with the same consonant sound but the first vowel sound and then add “なければならない.” Conjugations as such trouble me, because they are like math functions where you have to follow steps 1, 2, 3 to express whatever additional emotion you want to add to your statement.
In daily conversations, I found it hard to be consistent with the kind of expressions I use with people. Let me explain this. In Japanese, there are sets of expressions with varied formality. Among close friends and family members, people normally use casual forms, but when talking to superiors or those we know little of, people use polite forms. Sometimes when we want to show extra respect, honorific forms and humble forms are the options, and in specific settings like department stores and restaurants, store staff uses the polite form which is a little different from all above. That is being said, in Japan, I am not only made aware of the relationship I have with others, but also have to show my acknowledgment of the kind of relationship through my choice of words and expressions. It creates difficulties and probably strengthens societal hierarchy. But just like people wearing different clothes on different occasions, having different forms of expressions allows one to show respect or intimacy.
My Chinese background gives me a considerable advantage because I could understand the kanjis without any barrier, but sometimes the meanings of the words appall me. At this moment, I haven’t really looked into how the words were formed, or if their meanings have evolved over time, but some are simply interesting to talk about. For example, the word husband (主人) also means “a master” or “an employer,” while the word for wife (奥さん）involves 奥 which means “the inner part, the back.” Do these words convey gender expectations and roles? Do people internalize the connotations these words have? I don’t know. But I could also find similar examples in many other languages in the world.
In general, I enjoy learning Japanese and see all the challenges in a much more favorable light than math problems. However, I still hesitated when writing some critical comments (even though they are not critical at all), because I have always feared criticisms. I fear people criticizing me because there’s always the possibility that any not-positive remark might be regarded as “politically-incorrect.” But thinking about it, without truly learning Japanese, I would have never been able to write some of my and my friends’ thoughts on this matter. On top of that, I should probably not censor my own ideas derived from good intentions. If people disagree, then I create an opportunity for discussions. Nothing will be solved if everyone is a deliberative, not a participatory citizen. The combination of the two renders greater chance for this society to be better.
I just had my first week of classes at ICU! Though it seems like forever ago, it was only a week ago that I stepped off of my flight into Haneda airport (the better airport in my limited opinion). Even though the airport is relatively easy to navigate and access, I ran into my first problem when I had to locate the airport post office to pick up a package. I didn’t know where it was, and had troubled asking for where it was with my jet-lagged mind. For the life of me, I could not remember the word in Japanese for post office (郵便局 yuubinkyoku for those curious). It was a simple word that I had heard in class a million times, but when it came to the time when I actually needed it, it escaped my mind. I came to realized the obvious that conversations in a language classroom setting is tremendously different from the everyday interactions. In class, I could speak in set phrases and had time to think about what I was saying. However, in real life Japanese conversation as in other languages conversation, everyone has a different speech pattern and the flow of the conversation is also important to keep in mind. I didn’t know how much I rely on English in my everyday life until it was absent. I also quickly realized the extent of my limited Japanese skill, and am resolve to study harder this summer to, at the very least, be able to hold a short conversation with the locals around me.
On the hand, Tokyo is truly a city well accustomed to tourists. Before I came to Japan, I was super nervous about navigating the terrifying and convoluted-seeming train system in Tokyo. However, now that I’m here, I can say that I really like the public transportation they have here. I love how the train could take you almost anywhere in the city, with clear signs and labels in both Japanese and English that is easy to navigate.
I also really love how pretty ICU is. This campus is probably not the typical Japanese college campus as it was modeled more like an American campus, but I’m glad for the similarities.
This was one of the first questions my Uber driver asked me as we drove through Paris.
Je ne la connais pas du tout, la police française
I responded, a little surprised. I had few encounters with the police in the States, let alone with those in France. So of course it would be four weeks later, that I would get to know the French police.
Around 18h20 on a warm Saturday evening, I left my flat for an evening of swing dancing with Parisian Lindy Hoppers. I was turning the intersection of Rue Bichat and Rue Faubourg du Temple when I was approached by a Franco-African teenager, who couldn’t have been older than sixteen-years-old. He wore a black cut-off tank, khaki shorts, and eyebrows gently furrowed with anxiety. He told me that he was lost, and that he would like to borrow my phone to call his mom. After a split second internal struggle between common sense and disgustingly instinctive stereotyping, I gave this boy both benefit of the doubt, and my iPhone. He made a quick call, and departed with my device.
I ran off after him, shouting in English (a sad sign I am still inherently an anglophone), begging him to stop. Unfortunately, my morning jogs proved ineffective, and I was unable to keep up. Now it was I who had to borrow a telephone. A group of six French girls, a hotel manager, and a restaurant owner helped me contact my local friend Nicolas, my mother, and the police.
When the police arrived at the scene, they told me to get in their sedan. We drove around Belleville for twenty minutes looking for the boy. However, he turned off location services making my device untraceable. The officers told me to search the streets for the culprit. It was horrible, sizing up every adolescent boy of African descent, trying to decifer the innocent from the guilty. We even stopped one innocent boy. The officers eventually dropped me off at the commissariat, where I waited hours with Nicolas before giving my civil complaint statement.
After my petty theft extravaganza, I can conclude that the French Police Department is much more relaxed than the American Police force. They even have time to drive around college students in search of an telephone. During ride-alongs, officers stop the car to chat and laugh with passerbys. Similarly, the commissariat environment is no more serious. Officers are out of uniform, dressed down in t-shirts and jeans. Staff joke with the detained, and paperwork/civil complaints are handled without haste. Another aspect of leisurely French life-style–I guess you can’t pick and choose.
I probably will never see my iPhone again, but this isn’t important. Though that Franco-African boy, of nothing more than sixteen-years-old, made off with my mobile, I’m determined to maintain my ability to trust and judge each person independently. For the hearty price of a smartphone, I was chauffeured by the Fro-po, graced by Nicolas’ friendship, and schooled in the art of responsible benevolence. It’s for those reasons I can still be grateful, and a little bit amused.
My first month in Chiang Mai, I had an apartment on Nimmanhaemin Road, which is a great location to access cafes, shops, malls, transport, etc. The area is known for the droves of digital nomads, hipsters, and yes, sigh, shopping tourists. I was craving a place with a little more authentic Thai flavor so I moved to the old city. Now, I live next door to a wat (temple) that is surrounded by golden horses. The monks’ morning bells are my free alarm clock.
I’ve rented a bicycle for the month and life is so much more joyous! Sometimes I can’t believe the busy roads and chaotic streets I ride through. It is terrifying and exhilarating all at once! The thing is, the traffic is actually very relaxed. People don’t move hastily or aggressively. Red lights and street lanes are suggestions. The driving is creative and fluid. It feels as though I am floating down a river filled with motorcycles, songtaews, cars and other bikes. The invisible space bubble I am accustomed to is no longer. One must bobble, weave and expect the unexpected at every moment, and be completely present (and calm) while doing this. My bright pink helmet and neon yellow bag also help me to be more visible.
My uncle recently had his 90th birthday! I rented a car with Laos, my partner, and we took a day trip north to visit my uncle and cousin. It was my first international driving experience! I could read only some signs and did not have wifi or GPS – but I had a good feeling (and an excellent co-pilot!) and we just went with it. After only one U-turn (missed a turn due to construction) and we made it! We were so happy to spend a few hours together and enjoy fishball noodle soup and then eat some local sweet snacks.
This past weekend was Asahna Bucha Day วันอาสาฬหบูชา and Kao Phan Sa วันเข้าพรรษา, Thai holidays. They fall on the full moon of the eighth lunar month. I made my first offering to a monk at Wat Phan On. It is a small quiet temple with a peaceful atmosphere and a lovely golden chedi. I chose my sangkataan – a basket containing everyday items like soap, toothpaste, and balms to donate to the monks. I went inside and kneeled down before a monk and said a few sentences in Thai. He asked me a few questions and we had a short conversation (mostly in Thai!). He said he had lived at that wat for 21 years. He sprinkled aromatic water over my head while chanting blessings. It was a very moving experience. When I walked out onto the street, it felt as though all strangers had smiling faces and everything moved in slow motion.
The following morning I awoke at 5:30am to do a dak bat offering at a wat near my new apartment. Many people were dressed in beautiful bright colored silks and carrying bags of food and rice to feed the monks for the special holiday. I sat down beside 2 women in front of a monk and and they showed me what to do. I poured water from a decorative container into a silver bowl while meditating as the monk chanted blessings. Then the water in the bowl is poured outside onto the earth.
Other highlights and new discoveries of the week:
Trying new fresh fruits!!! —> Mangostein (not at all like a mango!), guava, passionfruit, white dragon fruit —> all delicious!
I bought some peanuts from a little girl with big eyes. The following day, I brought them to school for a snack after class and was disheartened when I cracked one open and the nuts inside were black. I opened another. Same. With a sour face, I asked my teacher about it. She laughed and said “gin daai!” Meaning “Eat can!” I love these fresh peanuts. They are black or white or grey inside the shell, and a little bit wet. So very good!
Watched a Thai movie with English subtitles. Before the previews, everybody must stand up to respect the King while the national song plays. Images of the new King Maha Vajiralongkorn (Aka Rama X) are displayed in gilded frames amidst a luminous dawn.
In honor of the late King Bhumibol, I made paper flowers for the upcoming Royal Cremation Ceremony taking place this year October 25-29. Flower-making hubs can be found throughout Thailand. I made the daffodil, which was His Majesty King Bhumibol’s favorite flower. He often presented this flower to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, when they stayed in Switzerland.
Another song to help learn Thai! This one is so funny and combines English and Thai, particularly common phrases many “farang” (foreigners) have difficulty saying in Thai.
Most people who are familiar with Chinese cuisine have heard of Baozi. It is a staple of Chinese food, but some people do not realize just how much this food means to the Chinese people. A Baozi is steamed bun that is filled with a variety of different meats, pastes, or even soups. They typically come in two sizes. Da Bao (大包) are typically around 10 cm across and Xiao Bao (小包) are half that size. The invention of the Baozi is credited to Zhuge Liang (181-234), a military strategist from the Three
Kingdoms period (220-280). It is said that he and his troops were on an expedition to south China when his army caught a plague. Zhuge made a bun shaped like a human head from flour, pork and beef which was offered as a sacrifice to the gods and later given to the soldiers to cure their illness.
Baozi are simple to make, but there are so many different types of Baozi, and they can be eaten with many different spices and sauces. However, besides their wonderful taste, Baozi are popular for their convenience and price. Baozi can be found all over Beijing. Walking along the road, it is very common to see people carrying bags full of them. Also, you can eat Baozi for any meal of the day or as a snack. I often go to a Baozi shop down the road in between classes or on my way home. Additionally, Baozi are a cheap option for how filling they are. One of my favorite things about Baozi is that even if you buy them often, you can always try a new filling or style of Baozi.
As of this week, I’ve officially been in Amman for a little over a week! Boy, has it felt like I’ve been here WAY longer than that! Trust me, it’s been great and exciting getting to explore such a complex place like this, but there have been quite a few bumps in the road along the way.
Let me tell you about my first few days in Amman! I was so lucky and am very grateful that I could stay with one of the kindest and most welcoming alums, Theresa Rinaldo along her fiancé, Jerome. I’m not gonna lie, they had quite the amazing set up compared to what I was expecting in Jordan because not only was there hot water, but there was also a faucet for clean drinking water. I was so amazed by that! I was also able to go to one of the most popular restaurants in Amman, Hashem! WOWZA! That falafel and hummus was pretty amazing. While we were just… “Roman” around downtown, we spotted a concert that we ended up going to at the Amman Citadel. The Citadel is historically significant because has many buildings and ruins from the Roman, Byzantine, and Umayyad periods so in case you didn’t get the pun, now you know!
It’s always so crowded, but it’s so yummy! Also sorry for the quality… Lighting isn’t always the best in the city!
I also need to add this… I WENT SWIMMING AT THE US EMBASSY! Why this is so amazing to me, I will never know. I felt so important walking in, handing in my ID, receiving a badge, and going through security just to swim in your typical swimming pool. I think the most impressive thing about it was the fact that the bar served Dr. Pepper. NEVER HAVE I EVER SEEN DR. PEPPER OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES!
After a super wonderful and comfortable stay with some nice folks, it was time for me to leave and do what I had been anticipating all summer… Meet up with my roommate, Olga, and move into our apartment. On the way to an infamous McDonald’s that kept being referenced, I had my first full out interaction with a taxi driver who could barely speak English. HOLY COW! WOW! I never knew I could even speak with someone for 30 minutes in Arabic! Little did I know that would not be the craziest thing I experienced here.
Guys, I didn’t even have a mop to clean this up!
The next day is when culture shock began to sink in and living on my own (well, with a roommate) wasn’t so cool anymore. We had decided to go get some groceries like every adult is supposed to do so we could come back and fix dinner. After getting back, we realized that our refrigerator didn’t work! We tried plugging it in and waiting, in hopes that it would get cold, and after 4 hours—nothing. The milk and the “meat” we had bought were going bad so we had to use it. We cooked some pasta with this mystery meat and ate cereal so of course, we needed to be responsible and wash dishes. Unfortunately, as the water was draining, it leaked from the pipe and flooded our entire kitchen area. Can I just say at this point, I’ve had enough of this “adulting” idea, but it didn’t stop there. Olga and I heard a loud knock on our door and finally, it was our housekeeper to the rescue! Except he didn’t speak a lick of English so we were forced to explain our entire situation in Arabic. YIKES. My two years of Arabic did not prepare me for all of this so with our limited vocabulary, we were finally able to get the housekeeper to understand our problem and he fixed our problems! Or so we thought. The craziness continued. As we were waiting for our replacement refrigerator (that was supposed to be delivered to us in 30 minutes), we hear a knock on the door. In hopes of finally settling everything, we open it up and lo and behold, there is a man standing there with a suitcase full of perfumes. He also didn’t speak English very well so here we are, sitting in our small living room having a ton of perfumes sprayed all over us, in the hallways, in our bags, and even on his arms. We ended up having this sales pitch go on and on for over an hour and finally, we just bought this “designer” perfume. It was so strange because this man kept expecting me to translate what he was saying to Olga as if she couldn’t speak Arabic, but little did he know that she knew just as much as I did! It ended up being such a strange experience that all we could do was laugh at how random it was.
Only here will you find “The Top Quality” perfume!
The next day was our placement exams…. TALK ABOUT YIKES! I had absolutely no clue what to expect. I was so nervous because I haven’t practiced in so long, but somehow I managed to receive one of the highest scores! Because of that, I was placed into the highest level, which is level 6. If we’re being honest, before coming to this program, I had thought I would be at a level 2 or 3, but when I saw that I made it to 6, I truly couldn’t believe it. It was something I did not expect, especially since Arabic is something I’m not confident in. Not yet anyways.
And here’s why I was so amazed that there was a faucet for drinking water!
My first day of class was extremely intimidating. First, let me explain how my morning started out. I woke up and began to take a shower when suddenly, the water pressure only becomes drips of water. For a girl with longer and thicker hair, this is not okay. At one point, the water completely stopped. This was probably the first time in all my years of traveling that I ever experienced frustration because of a lack of a necessity. Usually, I’m okay with not having everything I need, but I this time was different for some reason. After about 30 minutes, I was able to finish my shower and head to class. It turns out, I was with 4 other students who have all studied Arabic abroad for at least a year! And a couple of them for 3 years! This was such a shock to me since they all seem to be so much more advanced than me, yet I somehow was place in the same class. There were two guys from Russia who seemed SO intense. I kid you not, they were even correcting the professor. That definitely did NOT help my anxiety. The second day when one guy walked in, he shook everyone else’s hand but mine! I was so shocked! It finally settled in that he is from Russia and culturally, things might be different.
Overall, despite these series of events, I am still so excited to be here and am amazed with how much I’m growing. My Arabic class here at the University of Jordan is very challenging, but I know I will begin the acquire the language by being a part of this level. It’s very interesting because, as my professor put it, we are “playing with words” every day, meaning that we are always trying to figure out the meaning of a word and its function based on what we know. We’re also learning the exact meaning of the words we know and using them in a way that a native speaker would, not in the way we would if we based it on literal translation. It helps being introduced to the dialect in class because when people speak the colloquial language, I can get a better understanding of what they are saying and can build my vocabulary first in the class then in everyday interactions. I will admit, I’m still learning how to handle being one of the only people here from the United States because I’m WAY out of my comfort zone. I can’t even speak English like I normally would since most people here aren’t fluent, which can be frustrating at times when all the culture shock begins to pile up on me. It seems like everything I’ve known about living a life in another country has gone out the window and quite frankly, there are times where all I want to do is go home so I don’t have to keep trying to figure everything out. Every situation I come across tends to be one where I’m completely lost and need figure out an entirely new way to handle it whether it be with my apartment, interactions with people, or even sitting in class. I am now re-learning everything and although it is incredibly frustrating, I know that with time and prayer, I can and will overcome these small obstacles. Yalla! (or “let’s go”)
P.S.- Sorry for such a long post! I don’t always have internet so when I post, it will more than likely be a bit longer 🙂
For my final post of my SLA program, I am going to write about my experience attending Paris’ gay pride in late June. While it happened a little while ago, I thought it would be interesting to share what it was like on my blog. While it certainly had a similar feeling as previous American Pride Parades that I have been to, there was certainly a distinct feeling of Frenchness in the air. The parade was incredibly joyful and everyone who was marching in it seemed so empowered and happy to be there. However, as always, the parade had many political undertones. Specifically, there were many people marching in the parade with signs and floats that were in support of “le PMA” (Procréation Médicalement Assisteée, or Medically assisted procreation) for gay and lesbian couples. Under France’s current laws, no one outside of heterosexual relationships is allowed to engage in PMA. However, there are large segments of France’s population that are in support of these rights being extended to gays and lesbians. While I obviously understand this issue in an American context (which is not really an issue…), it was so interesting to use the Pride Parade as a way to learn about what rights are lacking in France for LGBTQ+ persons. As a Political Science student, it was very thought provoking to engage in a bit of comparative politics by seeing the progress that has been made in Europe as opposed to the US for these marginalized groups. Interestingly, I found the PMA to be to most prominent issue, while Trans rights are typically at the forefront of American pride parades.
In addition to getting an idea about LGBTQ+ culture in France, the parade was also a good exercise in French vocabulary. There were a plethora of signs at the event, and most contained funny or ironic slogans which were hard to decipher. I found myself using my phone’s french – english dictionary during the parade. While slightly embarrassing that this is what I was focused on, I will say that I certainly learned some new vocabulary that is LGBTQ+ specific, which was helpful considering that those things are not typically included in your average French book!
Below are some pictures of the Parade and of the things I saw. It was definitely one of the liveliest moments of my time here!
Here is a photo of one of the many groups advocating for PMA for all:
Another general photo of the parade:
This was the beginning point of the parade at La Place de la Concorde:
My fifth week has been an interesting one, as I have begun my level C1 class at the Alliance Française. Contrary to what I had anticipated, it has been really great to switch up the dynamic of the class with another set of students and a new professor. Luckily, this professor is just as excited to correct us as the old one was, which again has continued to help my French.
Our professor has given us a lot of tips of the best places to visit in Paris, and she said that a must-do are the fireworks at Versailles each Saturday night of the summer. So, a group from my class decided to go this past Saturday. While I had visited Versailles before, I never got the chance to visit the gardens. When we arrived, we spent about an hour wandering through the maze of absolute stunning gardens and fountains. I had previously learned about the construction of the fountains in a class at Notre Dame, so it was so cool to finally get to see them up close, and let me tell you, they are impressive for technology from the 1600s-1700s…
After meandering through the gardens, we sat down and ate the dinner pic-nic that we had packed. I must say, eating a baguette and drinking a bottle of wine with friends was the most French I have felt yet…!
After our dinner, we took our seats and waited for the fireworks. While we waited, we watched flames be shot into the sky by little flame throwers that were timed to the beat of the music. It was incredible to watch, especially with a view of the castle in the background. After around a half an hour of waiting, the fireworks finally began. As expected, they were absolutely stunning. They lasted for nearly twenty minutes, and by the time they were finished, no one got up and moved, as we were all so mesmerized by what we had just seen.
It was certainly a night to remember, and one that I will always hold close to my heart! Below are some pictures of the night. Sadly, they don’t do it justice, but hopefully you will have an idea of what it was like!
If I had to use one word to describe my fourth week in Paris, it would be immersive. I met a Parisienne girl this year while studying abroad in Angers who has been in the city for the week visiting family. We have been able to spend a lot of time together and she has shown me her favorite parts of the city. The reason I used the word immersive earlier, though, is because she speaks only a little bit of broken english. Therefore, we communicate solely in French. This means that I have spent most days of the week completely immersed in the language and culture. While it has been hard, and I have had my fair share of frustrations, I have noticed that my oral skills have already improved a lot. What is great about speaking normally in French (as opposed to in a classroom setting), is that you are forced to think on your feet. If you are unable to formulate a response quickly enough, the conversation will simply fall apart. I have noticed that all of the attention I am giving my French has really benefited my skill level.
Here is a picture of my friend as we sat in her home’s incredible yard:
My classes at the Alliance Française have of course also continued to help my overall level of French. I have finally developed a good working relationship with my Professor and I feel comfortable asking any question that pops into my head, no matter how basic or easy the response may be. She is also very quick to critique my errors, which I truly apreciate (especially given that most people will not do that, as it is considered rude). Sadly, though, this is my last week with this Professor. Next week, I will continue on to a level C1 class (the second highest on the CEFRL). While I am really excited to finally be in C1 (it has been on my radar ever since August when I arrived in Angers at an A2 level), I will be sad to leave the Professor that I enjoy so much. However, given the reputation of my school as one of the best in France, I am sure it will be great.
through the middle of Cologne, North to South, and divides the city into two halves: the “Rechte Seite des Rheins” and the “Linke Seite des Rheins.” Though it’s all one city, some residents like to argue that there’s a slightly different feel to each side, and there’s a friendly sort of rivalry between the two halves of the city.
was acres large and depicted life as it would have been here centuries ago, complete with real farm animals (that’s a goat with me!) and oven-baked bread from freshly horse-mill grinded wheat! Moreover, it was great to spend the entire day communicating in German and getting to know Klaus and his friends. It’s an experience I won’t forget.
My first month in Chiang Mai, I had an apartment on Nimmanhaemin Road, which is a great location to access cafes, shops, malls, transport, etc. The area is known for the droves of digital nomads, hipsters, and yes, sigh, shopping tourists. I was craving a place with a little more authentic Thai flavor so I moved to the old city. Now, I live next door to a wat (temple) that is surrounded by golden horses. The monks’ morning bells are my free alarm clock.
