101

Yesterday, I had officially lived in Germany for 100 days. Although that’s a monumental step that many exchange students find important and mark off as a great moment in their lives, I have not been counting my days here. Another student told me that we have been here for 100 days, and that’s the only way I had knowledge of it. As a result of my lack of knowledge of this occurrence, I allowed myself no time for personal reflection, no time for talking to my family about the time I’ve spent away, no time for writing a blog post...
So, today, I have written such a post about 101. Naturally, when pondering the number, I thought of Dalmatians and the fact that you could count to 101 when singing ‘the ants go marching,’ but I had to use some other sources to construct a truly amazing resume for 101. 

101 is...

• the 26th prime number...
• a palindromic number…
• the sum of the consecutive primes (13+17+19+23+29)…
• the atomic number of mendelevium, an actinide…
• the Messier designation given to the Pinwheel Galaxy in Ursa Major.

• Taipei 101 was the tallest skyscraper in the world from 2004-2010.
• A province in Thailand, Roi Et Province, is literally 101 in Thai language.
• The number of the first check in a checkbook in the US is 101. 
• It is a term used to define the number of keys on a computer keyboard.
• 101 is the Single Non-Emergency Number in some parts of the UK.
• The Zastava 101 is a compact car by the former Yugoslav automaker.
• Rihanna - Rockstar 101
• In gematria, a system of assigning numerical value to a word or phrase, 101 is the numerical value of the name מִיכָאֵל (Michael in English).

And, the most relatable fact about 101, is how it represents an introductory level of learning. Being in Germany for 101 days has allowed me to gain (at least) an introductory level of learning in the German language, German culture, general German systems, German food, German schools, how German social interactions work, German nightlife, typical German personalities, and much more about the general way of life in this country. In the next six and a half months, I will become an expert in everything German. For now, however, I remain a beginner, having just finished ‘Living in Germany 101.’ 

Weihnachtsmärkte

In the past couple of weeks, I have discovered that German Christmas, and the weeks that come before it, are very very very very German. In every city, large or small, a Christmas Market, or Weihnachtsmärkt, is held for four weeks before Christmas. This is the hub, the home, of all traditional German Christmas life.
Thus far, I have been to the Weihnachtsmärkt in the center of Jena almost every day since it opened the weekend before December. I have also been to an alternative Christmas Market in an old factory in Jena, the market in Weimar, the market in Leipzig, and I am going to the one in Erfurt this Sunday. It’s very nice to have a chance to see so many new cities and learn about their history, by way of my friends and my host mother. Throughout this learning, I have realized that I enjoy Christmas Markets, even though I have also quickly realized they are almost all the same. 
At each market, you see booth after booth of German Christmas decorations, all of which are super traditional. Most are made of wood, show classic Christmas themed pictures, and range from simple ornaments to hang on your tree, to complex, three-foot-tall, perfectly crafted pyramids that move by the power of candle light. Other popular themes for stands include pottery, jewelry, wooden animals, paper lights that are shaped like stars, fancy candles, bags, and chocolate shaped like things you find in a toolbox…
Although all of this is definitely exciting, it does get a little repetitive and a little less interesting as time goes on. Luckily for me, there is one thing I love that will bring me back to any event over and over again for the rest of my life, and that is food. I would approximate that about 87% of people that are at a Christmas market at any given time are just there to drink glühwein with their friends. Glühwein is warm, sweet wine that tastes delicious and is perfect for the cold winter. At Weihnachtsmärkte, it is accompanied by a wide variety of sausages, crepes, sugar-covered roasted nuts, liebeskuchen, and much much more.
Christmas markets are the perfect, German, holiday experience. I’m sure I will go to many more before they come to a close, enjoy a lot more glühwein with my friends, and hopefully swing by Germany every few winters for Weihnachtsmärkte to come.