My favorite classmates

On my right is Rueben. With spikey black hair and glasses, he is from Venezuela but works for 5 years on an American cruise ship. He has traveled much of the world working as a server on the ship. He is one of the most likeable, unassuming people I know, he is always giggling at something. Rueben told me he can carry up to 16 plates on tray, while wearing a suit and a smile. This is an unbelievable feat to me. He wants to learn German to better serve the people on the ship.

Then there is Francis on my left. She was born in Greece and went to architectural school in Michigan. She lived in downtown Chicago until this September when she moved to D-dorf with her new husband. They met through her job in Chicago, he is also Greek, but born and raised in Hamburg, Germany (where they speak 'high German'). He moved to Chicago for one year to work, and now he transferred here. They would like to move back to the States. I went out to dinner with them last night. She has a diamond rock almost 2 karats. It is super big. The joke was that since no one is into diamond rings in Germany, her husband says everyone will think it is fake. They will possibly move to Switzerland soon, they are living out of boxes in an apartment from his company. He drives a company car and listens to Christian music. I think if I lived here I would be friendly with them....they are really good people.

I am having a lot of fun in class. There are a couple class clowns who always distort the practice exercises a little....for example today we had to describe our ideal house. We had a castle and a vineyard, the group next to us had a big apartment next to school for nurses.

It is always funny to try to describe something with a limited vocabulary. You settle for something you know how to say. For example in a restraunt. I will order something that I understand and can say. It isn't always my first choice but I settle for it. This isn't a bad way to live. One learns to be flexible and happy. Or flexible and unhappy.

Yesterday I had a hilarious conversation from a Greek student here to learn classical piano. She had not one nice thing to say about Germany, the food, or the people. She has been here 1 year and has 4 to go. I think that some people are just like this. Flexible and unhappy. She chooses to be here, learn German and eat the food, although unhappily. Her complaining was comical. She was unforgiving when describing German tendencies and especially she when describing the breakfast here (lots of bread, cheese, and meat or boiled eggs is common). She said 'Sometimes I see people eat bratwurst for breakfast!' This horrified her. The only thing that she seems to like here is the piano.

So, overall...I really can't complain.