Although sports are definitely prominent in Deutschland, I had no opportunities to attend any competitions for the first months of being here. Unlike in the US, there are no sports within schools. If people want to be athletic, they join clubs that are either non-competitive or are somewhat representative of the city. There are no rolling spaces behind each school that house fields for every sport imaginable, like is common in much of the US. As a result of these facts, there is less individual school pride and far less cheering than I am used to participating in.
Last week, however, I attended my first German sports competition. It was a basketball game, and one that was considered ‘professional’ by my friends. Based on what I was told, and by the performance of the teams, basketball is a fairly new sport here, or has only recently grown in popularity. The game took place in a gym similar to and smaller than the Bangor Auditorium, entrance cost seven Euros, and I’m sure that the average height of the men on the court could easily come out to about half of that of some US professional teams. The gameplay I witnessed was very similar to many of the high school basketball games I attended at home, and I think it made the experience even more enjoyable for me. I was able to understand all the calls that were being made, both good and bad, and knew when it was appropriate to yell at the top of my lungs.
Jena’s team ended up scoring over 100 points, and winning by over 40. It’s been a while since I’ve cheered with such enthusiasm, and it reminds me that encouraging others is something I’m meant to do. Even though I will always enjoy playing sports more than watching them, cheering at live games will also be something I enjoy.
There are some things that you really just can’t do in the United States, and exploring castles is one of them. During the last two weeks of October, all schools within my German state have vacation. During the first week, I went on holiday with my host family to the tiny city of Augustusburg. The city starts at an altitude I assume is fairly average, but slopes up and up until it reaches Schloss Augustusburg or Castle Augustusburg.
There, on top of that little mountain, with its sizable castle, is where I lived for the week. Although there wasn’t much going on in the small city, I got to learn a lot about it’s history, ride a ‘summer sleigh’, look at beautiful rocks from across the world, and see an amazing bird show that included a very American bald eagle.
Today, I ran a twenty-seven kilometer road/xc race up, around, and down a mountain. It sounds like something very random to do on a year abroad, especially when you are not in shape and have not trained at all, but that’s mostly because it is very random. My host-father runs long distances fairly frequently, and asked me if the run was something I wanted to do. The fifteen kilometer option sounded reasonable enough, so I said, “warum nicht?” ...why not, and when it turned out the twenty-seven kilometer race was the only one with spots left, I again said, “warum nicht?” According to my converter, twenty-seven kilometers is slightly less than 17 miles. Over four times longer than the Casco Days road race and with about the same percentage of up hill climbs...
Thoughts that crossed my mind during the race include, but are not limited to...
- “How do people even run up this 86 degree incline?!”
- “There are literally only old men for hundreds of people in front of me and behind me...”
- “I hope none of these old men fall, and I have to carry them down the mountain. Although, Senior Awareness has me a little prepared...”
- “Scheiße, it’s only been seven kilometers.”
- “Scheiße, it’s only been one kilometer since the last kilometer.”
- “Whoa, this is such an amazing view!”
- “People could fall off this narrow path and never be seen again...”
- “Oh, remembering to breath should probably be more of a priority than planning your blog post about this run...”
- “Downhills are so nice!”
- “Ich habe Hunger...”
- “It feels good to see that I have less distance left to run than I have run thus far.”
- “I still have two cross country races left...”
- “NO!” (to my legs many times during the last seven kilometers because they would not stop cramping up)
- “I can’t believe I just ran that far...”
Now that it’s over, I feel great! Although my legs are a bit tired. I ran the race in three hours, which is not too bad for not training at all, and definitely fine with me since my goal was to reach the finish line. The race was something I never imagined doing, but it makes me sure that saying “wurum nicht?” to most things that get offered to me for the rest of my stay, and the rest of my life is a good way to go. Plus, if I hadn’t run, I never would have experienced having cake and beer with all the runners after we had finished.
Before leaving for Deutschland, for obvious reasons, I often got asked if I was nervous about anything to come. Even though I was going to be away from my family and friends for a year, in an unfamiliar culture and environment, I always responded that I was most nervous for my first haircut in Germany. The language barrier would make it very difficult to express the length and style I wanted my hair to have, and I feared coming out on the other side looking like a rat, crabgrass, Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree, a bit electrocuted, or a series of other unfavorable appearances...
When the time came however, I took it like a champ. Although I figured I would have to find a hairdresser, and give up having classic, home-cut hair like in the US, one of my friends at school offered up her sisters skills and I was happy to accept. One day after school, we simply walked to her house, waited for her sister to get home from work, set a chair up in the hallway, and went to town. It was quick, easy, and I came out looking pretty good in the end. Not the same as Mumma’s haircuts, but pretty close!
I have officially lived in Deutschland for over a month now.
The feeling of success and happiness that reaches me each day is overwhelming.
I have 100+ new friends on Facebook and have taken 1758 photos.
Clubbing is fun.
I’m never going to change who I am.
I am so very thankful for each moment I spend here.
Getting back in shape is just as hard in German as it is in English.
... but track and field is always a good way to make friends.
Getting homemade things and letters from home can make the happiest guy even more happy.
I will be loved.
Photography is my most powerful form of memory and communication.
Night bike rides around the city are the best for practicing the singing of Disney songs.
Getting a haircut isn’t always as easy as asking your mother for one, especially when a language barrier is involved.
I love being happy.
My limbo skills are internationally impressive.
My journey will never end, now that it has begun.
I will make a global impact someday.
So many good things can happen to you if you go out and grab life by the horns. I never want to stop meeting new people, discovering new cultures, listening to music, expressing myself, and being me. I’m incapable of describing in words my memories and overall experience thus far. Too much has happened for that, but luckily I’ll always have the photos to remind me to be proud of myself.
“Ich liebe alles Essen” has become the phrase that leaves my mouth most often, and I definitely keep true to my word. Each day, I successful eat quite a bit more than the average German. I eat, and eat, and eat, and discover new food, and eat some more. Although I hope it hasn’t taken a toll on my physique, food will forever be my favorite part of any culture, Germany’s being no exception. Their meats, cheeses, and salty/vinegary dishes are of high almost all of the time, and their bread is different, but still good. I will never be unhappy with the food here, but yesterday I got a little taste of America that was very satisfying after almost four weeks away. After the concert, my friends and I went to McDonalds, where I ate a couple good-old, American-tasting, fast-food cheeseburgers. Upon coming home there was both mayo and grilled meat (which really tastes like home home) available, and my stomach was very pleased. I don’t necessarily miss it, but it’s good to be reminded of home once in a while, especially if those reminders involve food.
After attending my first concert, Imagine Dragons, in Boston this summer, I made the executive decision to put ‘see a concert’ on my list of priorities for my year in Deutschland. Although it would not be as important as becoming fluent in the language and becoming assimilated into my school and community, I thought it would be an enjoyable way to see another side of the country’s culture.
Within my first two weeks of living here, I was invited to a concert by my new friends and I knew it was meant to be. The band was a small, local one, but very talented. As it poured rain, my friends and I sang and danced to some of the most classic American songs I would ever be able to come up with. Germans love American music, and classic rock was definitely a good choice for that night.
I attended my second concert during my fourth week here. It was Nationalfeiertag (German independence day) and the whole country had the day off from school and work. Before going to the concert I had looked up the band. Carpe Noctem seemed a little bit too heavy for my liking, but I went anyway, assuming that time with friends is always nice. Today, I can easily say that I have no regrets about going. Although they definitely played heavy music, they accompanied the traditional drums and electric guitar with a violin and two cellos to make rather fascinating music. I always enjoy good music, no matter what genre, and unique twists are welcome at anytime. Plus, I don’t think I’ll ever see another band with such great stage presence. The members of Carpe Noctem have a true passion for what they do and it was clear to everyone in the audience.
It’s good to be in a lively university city!
