Well, today is my real orientation at the IES facility. I'm actually there right now, we have our meeting at 11 but I got up early so I could come and update my blog and check my email. I met my host family yesterday and they are really nice. Around 16:40 Gudrun Knöppel came to pick me up at the IES center. She looks to be in her late-thirties, mid-fourties perhaps, sandy blonde hair, slender. She had brown pack with her with a loaf of French bread sticking out. When she walked into the center I remember thinking, "she looks nice, I hope she's here for me". And lo and behold, she was! She helped me carry my bags and we left the center for the S-Bahn to take it to her apartment in Pankow, a neighborhood of Berlin. Gudrun doesn't speak very much english at all, so it was a little awkward, me fumbling through my decrepit vocabulary and her constantly repeating herself. I'm a little dissapointed in the state of my German speaking and understanding. Oh UIC, how I dislike some of your class structuring....
We arrived at Gudrun's apartment on Florapromanade in Pankow and thank goodness it had an elevator - very uncommon in Berlin! Gudrun lives with her ten year old son on the third floor. she brought me inside and gave me a tour. The apartment is really nice, all the rooms are big and the cealings very high. My room is amazing, I'll post some pictures so you all can check it out!
There is also a place for me to hang up my clothes, it is on the left side of the room, in front of that shelving unit. It's a freestanding clothes rod with hangers and a little hanging canvas shelving unit that is from Ikea.
BothGundrun and Leonidas, her son, are really nice. We spent about an hour last night watching Deutschland v. Slovaki in soccer (fußball!). Time for my meeting, so I will write more later!
Love to all at home,
Miranda
Personal to Lillian: I will be writing you an email soon, it's been hectic!
Oh, Cathi, this is what I see when I get of the S-Bahn every day:
4 comments:
OMG! I'm so excited for you! I feel like they'll be as amazing as my host family since it was just a woman and her daughter... and I loved them! Spend a ton of time with them... you'll learn German that way. And I assume they're feeding you, and she must make excellent food.
I'm glad everything in your program is starting nicely. How long is your commute to class?
Have you gone sightseeing in Berlin yet?
Much love! Bis spater! xxx
Fick ja, die Fernsehturm!
Lieb Lieb Lieb!
Leonidas ist eine Spitze Name. Ich wurde mein Sohn das namen.
Hertz!
Das Mus
I agree with Cathi, Leonidas is a sweet name. Your room looks nice and I'm happy you got a good host family. If it's anything like the experience Emily had your German will improve dramatically in just a couple of days and you'll have an amazing time I'm sure.
:)
~Alex
I kind of wish that we were staying with host families instead of in dorms. That way you are forced to use German. Take advantage of it! I'm sure you'll have a ton of fun.
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