Large Words

Greetings.

Today was the day on which I experienced my first German contract. It is the day on which I received my Studentenwerk housing contract in the mail. Once I actually figure out what is being said, I'm sure it will be much less overwhelming. But it's hard to remain calm when one sees gigantic words such as "Betriebskostenverordnung" (running costs included in your rent?), "Benutzungsbedingungen" (terms of use?) and "Lastschrifteneinzugsermächtigung" (still trying to figure that one out...) in large, bolded section headers. Even though contracts are universally difficult, I am reminded of a small joke that I once heard:

In heaven, the British will run government, the French will cook, and the Germans will run industries. In hell, the British will cook, the French will run industries, and the Germans will run the government.

I understand that this joke stems back to the days of mid-century Germany and isn't very polite to any of the three named nations, but it still carries a bit of poignancy. The British have maintained a stable governance through the turbulent 19th and 20th centuries but haven't quite figured out how to please a palette. The French can tease our tastebuds, but, well, we don't have to talk about their industries. The Germans may be the "Könige" of efficiency, but boy are the Germans notorious for their bureaucracy and the crippling effect of their large words. In the US, we take for granted the ease with which we can do things - standing in line at the DMV is about as bad as it gets. In Germany, one must register, and register, and re-register. I have been warned repeatedly of the urgency with which I should register my presence in Germany with the City Hall - one person recommended doing it before I even check into the dorm. One (even German Citizens) can't move to a different unit in their apartment building without registering (for fear of a large fine and public shame, perhaps).

Eventually, after I've made my way through the maze of my "mietvertrag," I'll get back to you on the state of affairs. I guess it's off to a corner with my German-English dictionary.

Würzburg im Schnee

Grüß, Alles!

So I'm still Stateside. I'm taking my break in my Austin Apartment, working a few hours a day which is in no way making up for the overhead costs associated with this place for which I must pay until February 28. In the meantime, I've been taking care of the...oh, I'm not going to lie: I'm laying in bed and watching TV on Hulu and checking out movies from the Fine Arts Library. I have accomplished a few things: I've assembled the necessary documents to make sure that customs does not arrest me. I've arranged my nerdy-touristy plans in London and I'm registered with the State Department so Hilary Clinton can call me up if the Bundestag is overthrown while I'm in Germany.

I decided to see if my host university would post the Vorlesungsverzeichnis (aka course schedule) early, but, true to everything else European, nothing will be sent out early. I read once upon a time that the schedule would be available in mid-January, which means it will be available around the 20th. Anyway, there was a rather beautiful picture of my future home layered in snow. Given that Austin doesn't really see snow and my winter experience in the Panhandle was pretty wimpy, this just filled me with elation.

Granted, this snow will be gone long before I arrive in Würzburg. Shucks.

Pre-Departure Session

So, this is my brand new blog. I guess that I've jumped onto the bandwagon way too late because all of the good screen names are taken.

I'm going to be studying abroad in Würzburg, Germany this spring/summer. At the end of February, I will fly into London, spend a week there and take a train to Brussels, from which I will then take a train into Würzburg to begin the month-long Deutsche als Fremdsprache course through the University before the beginning of the "real" semester.

This blog is here to chart my experiences. Come here for pretty pictures (if I can figure out how to do so) and exciting commentary about my daily goings-ons and travels. Right now, not much is to be said since I am still in the States, but as the excitement mounts, I will let you know my thoughts.

Bis spät!