Day 1
I find myself staring out the window and up at the clouds, smiling since I have actually landed and the gigantic cloud cover, an ingredient in my favorite weather, always makes me hopeful. Upon exiting the plane the smile continues to stretch, not possible I thought, but the cold weather in the middle of Summer will do that.
Waiting in line I imagine what my experience will be with Steffen, the research associate with whom I will be working. Having to spend 2 hours with a complete stranger isn’t the most welcoming thought, even back home. After being pleasantly surprised at the length of my issued Visa (3 years, nice to have the opportunity to return in the future) from the pleasant German fellow, I strolled toward my baggage and out the exit.
Steffen has an amazing sense of humor (very corny, but a hearty contagious laugh) and the ride seemed shorter than I expected, either because of the exhanged words or the quick getaway on the autobahn.
Enter my abode…a disappointment, an old dormitory building. An amazing view of the countryside in the corner of the room, since my window is on the edge of campus and facing away from the city. The size of the room is much larger than any dorm room I’ve ever seen, twice as large my current apartment room actually, but the hall shower and the rustic feelings still create a sense of immediate avoidance.
Sleep came shortly, but didn’t seem to last as long as I hoped. Lying awake at 2am in a new room, a new country, with new prospects can’t help but goad homesickness out of a person. Morning came and I forced myself to leave the bed and explore.
Day 2
The walk to the bus stop was long, but that was the only time, expected since I didn’t want to stray too far into new roads while searching for shortcuts. Stepping onto the bus I only hoped that the bus driver could understand my final destination and telepathically communicate to me the cost. Must be visitor’s luck, if such a thing exists, the ride to downtown Lubeck was free on this bus and the bus driver gladly took thanks from the passengers, no matter what language they spoke.
My feet, they wanted to communicate their soreness, but even they seemed to enjoy the new roads that were punishing them, making them endure the long walks. Every new establishment I entered only proved to brush away a layer from the stereotypes engraved in my mind, the people native to this land don’t seem to mind foreigners, maybe that image only exists in the US of A. The Germans actually seem to radiate their happiness at somebody trying to communicate with them slowly in another language, and they try their best in return to speak in the foreign tongue. How many times did I shake my head at the weariness an American would display at a non-English speaker waiting in line to purchase a loaf of bread?
My meal was an unexpected, yet very delicious, curiosity. I am not a fan of raw tomatoes, neither am I a fan of large chunks of feta cheese, yet they were part of my lunch that day. I did not know what I ordered, since the words “vegetarian” and “water” were the only things I spoke to the man behind the counter in the bistro. I received a toasted piece of bread (similar to sourdough, but sweeter) that was filled with a variety of vegetables and cheeses and beans and covered in different arrays of sauces, the only one that I distinctly tasted was yogurt since that is a familiar taste. Needless to say, I will head back there soon enough.
I wonder why the Europeans always think of seltzer water when referring to water. This condition has afflicted me twice already in the past two days.
The sun finally set, as if being dragged into bed while begging to stay awake another hour and promising not to act cranky at the start of the school day, it being well past nine o’clock. I headed to the Bioinformatics lab to get my Internet fix (since my room has yet to get Internet access, while the rest of the building does not have to miss having their strings cut from the rest of the world). Meeting up with a fellow student I ended up somehow being invited to a pub later that night.
Exxe, the name of the pub, imagine me having a conversation with 10 other Germans, of which only a few speak English, of which even less speak it fluently. After turning down beer and being ridiculed because of it, the conversations led to all sorts of philosophies, ranging from cultural differences to the type of accents girls are easily swayed by. All in all, it was the best experience I had with a bottle of coke in my hand.
Day 3
Planning on waking up early with a list of errands already forming in my head I turn my head to notice the slight tip-taps of water on my window. A few hours later I stand up on my feet and force myself to wake with fluoride against my teeth. Heading out of the room I greet a fellow hallmate whom I met yesterday, asking him if he wanted anything while I was out. He informed me that it was a Sunday. Noticing that that word had no effect on me while standing on German soil, he went into more detail letting me know that nothing in the outside world will be available for sale. This was bad news, since all I had edible was fruit. This man, whether out of pity or extending a hand of friendship, invited me to a nice cooked meal for lunch. I accepted and ran back to grab my fruit as an offering. After preparing the fruit and salad myself and being turned down for help while he prepared the pasta and mashed potatoes, we sat down and leisurely enjoyed our work for the next few hours, eating as if the food would stay warm for days. Three days and just as many friends, I am beginning to wonder if the rest of the world is like this.
Day 4
My first day of work. After bringing in my mother’s delectable party mix for the common room in the lab and presenting Steffen with a book I specifically picked for him as a present (and apologizing profusely for not buying him the hardcover edition instead because of time constraints), I eventually sit down to begin what I set out here to do. Immediately I knew this would be exceptionally creative, since the initial setup of the simulation environment is but a simple approach in a new novel direction.
After discussing my thoughts with a waitress over the course of a few minutes, with many a laugh, apologies, and smiles in between, I finally sit down to a vegetarian meal with seltzer water. After which I head back to the lab and try to advance on my digital duties with the world. Upon entering the building I stop at the end of the stairway, a few seconds elapse and I am calmly scolded (I would assume) in German by an old lady mopping the floor on the only path upon which I have to walk on. Apparently her pseudo-anger was due to the fact that I was not moving toward my intended destination. I speak the words “I’m sorry” as I pass her, expecting no response or understanding, but I receive a sweet grandma accented voice telling me “It’s OK”, behind which is hidden a genuine saccharine smile.
I now sit here, slightly pass midnight, wrists hurting and eyes red. My first four days are over and I can imagine the loss I will feel when this journey ends in but a couple months.
