I emptied out all of my bags on Friday, which was absolutely refreshing after living out of a suitcase for three weeks. I organized everything and even made the room look nice... we'll see how long that lasts.
A dark but serviceable picture of how my room should look. It doesn't look like this at all anymore
On Saturday I went with my host father to a soccer game. Although I've been to soccer games in the US, this was my first European game, and I don't think anything could have prepared me for it. I've experienced certain levels of fandom before. I've been to football and basketball games at the University of Tennessee -where college sports are basically a religion- and I've met fans who traveled across the world to see a Formula 1 race. However, European soccer fans outdo everything I thought was extreme. The day started out with us hopping aboard an already over-full bus on its way to the stadium. Every single person was wearing yellow and black, the team colors of Allemania Aachen, the local team. My host dad and I stood the whole time, which was fine until we got stuck in an hour-long traffic jam. We finally got to the stadium and raced inside, and were right in time to stand underneath the giant team flag the fans rigged up. You know those huge signs that some fans hold up during sporting events? Well this one was a huge yellow and black plastic sheet that must have covered a thousand people or more when it was fully unrolled. Underneath the fans jumped up and down and yelled along to "We Will Rock You". We found our seats as the banner was removed... Except that they weren't seats. Apparently, to be a true soccer fan you have to stand up for the entire game. I remember a French man explaining that to me once, but I thought you had to be a member of the insane, elite "Ultra" fan clubs that belonged to each team. Apparently not. So we stood at the top of the stadium, peering over other standing fans as men walked by, trying to sell beer from kegs strapped to their backs. There were drums and whistles, and a chant for every possible occasion. It was madness, but it was so fun.
After that we were picked up by my host Mom, who brought us to Aachen for lunch, some quick shopping, and a stop at an 'eiscafe' for ice cream and coffee. I was still recovering after being sick for a little while, so by the time I got home I was in no mood to move, let alone even standing up straight. So of course we took a walk around Roetgen. It was nice, but I only remember bits of it.
Yesterday I slept in and did almost nothing (yay!) until the early afternoon, when we jumped in the car to go to a birthday party. I had forgotten to eat lunch before leaving, so I was somewhat annoyed to find cake on the table when we arrived, tempting me long before I could eat it... However, the tradition in Germany is to eat the cake first of all, which really shakes my Mom-based belief that eating dessert before dinner will spoil my appetite. In any case, the party was nice except for the fact that I understood almost none of it. The other guests were very kind about that, and occasionally asked me questions in English. However, I chose a polite enough moment and retreated to a seat in the corner where I could read my book and be out of the way. We eventually left at around nine.
Today was my first day of being at home while my host parents worked, so I made my own breakfast (cereal) and had a nice, long, lazy day. It turns out that, just like my home in Aachen, there is a forest almost in my backyard. However, unlike that artificial logging forest, this one is a natural park. This means that the paths are a little rockier, that there are people with hiking gear asking directions in German (I say 'English?' and they get the idea,) and also a herd of boars kept in a huge, fenced enclosure. I've never seen boars before, and thankfully I haven't smelled them either... Well, hadn't smelled. I got a good whiff today as I strolled by and I won't be forgetting it for a long time.
So, that's all for today. I've got a lot more to say, but as I'll have some time in the next few days I'll be able to get it all up later. Hopefully I'll be better about taking pictures. I took my camera to the soccer game and never thought to snap a single shot...
German word of the day:
Kummerspeck : Excess weight gained due to emotional overeating. Literally translates to 'grief bacon'
No comments:
Post a Comment