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.’