Day 10

How long have I been here? It seems like weeks, the time flies by in the blink of an eye. Not much has happened that is blog-worthy, in my opinion, although there have been some humorous turn-of-events. For instance, coed bathrooms. One would think they had struck comedy gold, there must be some hilarious stories to come of that! Trust me when I tell you I have been doing my very best to avoid funny coed bathroom stories. The whole situation is awkward. Especially the pooping quandary. When is the best, least-populated time to go? My research indicates it is between the hours of 3 and 6 am. I am not sure if it it because of my ninja bathroom skills or pure luck that I have yet to have a face-to-face encounter with another person. Either way, I'm not going to question it. Also, there are no bathrooms here, only "water closets". I swear I'm not making it up, that's what they're called. Just roll with it.

If you ever visit Germany do try to keep an open mind. I was always told Germans would be serious, no-nonsense, and practical. But that is a stereotype. Take, for instance, the the time I went to the pharmacy for cold medicine. It was just a few days before Easter and I saw the pharmacist drop a bright, tie-dye egg in my bag along with my prescription. How sweet! All the way home I wondered what was inside it. A piece of German chocolate maybe? Or some cheap bauble, most likely. After plopping down in my dorm room and taking some cold medicine, I remembered the surprise egg. It was still at the bottom of my bag, and after retrieving it I found... it was just a hardboiled egg. Seriously, Germany? I defended your honor against hurtful stereotypes and this is how you repay me? No chocolate, just lukewarm protein. Words could not describe my disappointment in that moment.

Life is all about perspective, I suppose. Someone malnourished would have appreciated that egg. In any case, I've had to miss a few days of language classes because of this darn cold. For inquiring minds, yes, I did get placed in the lowest language group, along with about fourteen other Japanese people who don't speak English. We learned the alphabet and numbers on the first day, and the teacher apparently decided we were ready for him to speak entirely in German. It's going to be a process.

In the meantime, I am 100% ready for Trier to warm up. Due to the freezing weather, I've had to choose some... unfashionable choices. I won't lie to you, I've been living in my onesie pajamas. At first it was nerve-wracking wondering what others would say if they knew. I wore it only in the privacy of a locked dorm room. But now I'm out and proud. Ridicule all they want, I'm and the warmest and comfiest of them all. And surprisingly enough, everyone has been pretty cool with it. Because I need more enablers for my onesie addiction, obviously. ;)

xoxo