This morning started out fine, like every other morning. I took the U-Bahn to the station where I transfer, got on the next train, and waited for my stop. I thought it was strange that the doors were staying open so long - usually they are open for maybe a minute or less. More and more people packed on the train. We waited for about 10 minutes and the conductor made some announcement in German, which I understood none of. No one left the train, so I figured it wouldn't be long. We continued waiting for several more minutes, and then another announcement. Still most people stayed on the train. By this time, I am worried about getting to school on time. I am formulating the German sentence in my head to explain why I was a few minutes late. I get a call from Malia, who also takes the same train as I do. She says the same thing happened to her. She is one stop from school, so she said she's going to walk. More waiting.....Finally the conductor said something else. This announcement was followed by exasperated sighs and grunts. Everyone filed off the train, myself included, and away the train went. The signs that usually say how many minutes until the next train, weren't functioning. I had no clue how long it would be, but few people left the station so I waited too.
The minutes tick by and finally another train comes. We all pile on the already full train. We wait and wait and wait. Finally an announcement and everyone leaves the train. The U-Bahn again leaves the station. I am stuck wondering why the train can leave but not with people on it? Another train comes minutes later. We all pile on the train, body to body. We wait for a bit. And another announcement. Everyone piles off the train. By this point there are about 400 people on the platform waiting for the train. More people leave now, so I decide that's what I'll do too. I walk out of the station and realize I don't have my gigantic map today. The one day that I said, "Hey, I don't need this. I'm not going anywhere different today." And my transportation map stops just at this station. CRAP!!! There are 4 stations inbetween me and school. I have no idea which way to walk, much less what street will take me to school. OH LORD! I start walking, praying it's the right direction.
I go into full creeper mode and follow a lady who left the station. After walking behind her for awhile, I ran to catch up and asked if she spoke English. Thank goodness she did. I proceeded to tell her my sob story about needing to get to school, but my map doesn't go that far. SCORE!! She lives that way! She said she'll show me. She said it's a long walk though. As we walk, I try out some German and she responds. It's not as bad as I think. It turns out she is super sweet!! She has a 20 year old daughter. And here I thought this lady was maybe 27. Turns out she is 40. Dang, the Turkish age well!! We get to a bus stop, but of course, no bus goes the way I need to go.
We continue the walk making small talk. I was just so thankful not to be lost in the city by myself, without the phone number to my school. By this time I am 40 minutes late to class. We pass her flat, but she said she'll show me the rest of the way. I almost started crying right there I was so grateful! She walked me to my normal U-Bahn stop. Overcome by her complete and utter kindness I hugged her and incessantly thanked her!!! Without her I would still be standing on the street corner.
I half run the rest of the way to school. I get there around 10AM, an hour late for class. I am a sweaty, nervous mess. We walked for over an hour! You know those days where you feel like you smell, well today was that day. I refused to take off my coat for fear of someone seeing how sweaty I was. At break time, I explained it to the professor, she acted like it was no big deal. Such a relief!! German blew by since I was only there for 2/3 of it.
Malia, Trevor, and I decide on Italian food for lunch today. We walked to the restaurant. The waiter was actually Italian!! Kind of cool! They brought out bruschetta for each of us along with a basket of bread. The bruschetta was the best I've ever had. I remembered as I was eating the bread that if we ate any bread we would get charged for it. Oh well, it was good. This was my first restaurant besides the Mensa. So thus my first experience with the drink sizes/prices. I ordered a Fanta (which is really good!). The 0.2 liter size was sooo small! And no refills, just an fyi. That tiny glass was about 2 euros. And then the food came...I had Spaghetti alla Carbonnara. It was sooo good!! Amazing is actually a better word! Ohh how I missed Italian food! And surprisingly when the check came, we weren't charged for the bruschetta or the bread!! Yay!! This made me very excited. The lunch was 10 euros, a little pricey for lunch, but way better than the Mensa! Btw, the Mensa is like a cafeteria, in case I failed to mention that.
At 1:30 I had my final class of the week. The History of the German Language. This class was not what I was expecting. It was a linguistics class. Everyone in there was either a German major/minor or a linguistics major of some sort. Oh my, I was overwhelmed in the first 10 minutes of class. After sitting in class for a half hour, I decided I would drop this class. But I still politely sat through the entire lecture - completely lost.
I leave school and of course it's sprinkling again. I actually get very excited on days when I see the sun! When I get home, I decided I should do some wash. My lone towel is probably due for a wash. So I have Thimo show me how. I put all my clothes in, select the temperature, and we measure the soap. Darn! There isn't enough soap. I guess I'll have to put it off for another day. Supper tonight is fend for yourself night. My 13 year old brother was supposed to make supper for me. So I am having bread lol.
Funny fact from today: Trevor is a homestay. He was saying how his host mom didn't talk to him. She told him she can't stand to be around him because he smells like an American. I couldn't stop laughing!! Although I feel terrible for him!
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