About that time

So now that I am half-way through this endeavor I believe it is about time that I start recording it. This whole experience has been different then expected but better then I ever thought. First off, Dresden is a beautiful city. It is not the typical German that I thought it would be from picture, it could just be Columbus. I thought there would be old buildings left and right but you get a big shopping center right when you walk out of the train station on one side and on the other you get a lovely view of the strip club 'Angel's Nacht Bar' (haven't visited yet but I am only half-way through so...). We are only one train stop from the main train station and across the street from our classroom building so placement is clutch. I live on the 2nd floor so I am stuck taking the stairs even when carrying heavy object because we all don't want the looks that the Germans give us when we get off at two. I have the double room to myself, rock it out. Four/five train stops down the line from our dorm is the Dresden I expected, there lies the Frauenkirche, Nikolaikirche, Semper Opera House, the Zwinger and the palace. Its amazing to me how I am able to go from 21st century living to 18th century buildings in a matter of minutes. It is weird to think I have only been here a month and I am already sad that I have to leave so soon, there is so much I haven't done and places I haven't been. I will have to say one of our favorite things about this country is the lack of a open container law. If you want to walk around with a bottle you can, this is nice because who wants to sit inside and drink on a beautiful evening in the summer, and there are beer gardens galor! The bars(Kneipe if you will) here are great. I am practicing all my German skills by ordering and chatting up the fellows while out on the town. Our professor even said "have a few beers then start practicing your German, at that point you don't care if you sound like an idiot". I always like to take the advice of my professors. One bar I would never recommend, unless you are into kult dancing, is a goth bar. One of my more frightening experience since I have been in Germany. We walk in and there is a skeleton behind bars holding a cigarette just chilling on the left. You go in and everything is black, leather, and chains. Lets just say Katie with her bright pink pants did not fit in. Though I was told I was a natural at their dancing style, auf Deutsch naturlich,though I believe German's are much better at sarcasm. Classes are intense, we have German straight for three hours a day and one of the teachers speaks 0 English. This is an entertaining thing to watch I imagine as we play charades and butcher the language that she knows so well to explain simple topics to her. But I know we are getting better, and we all like to think that this is just a cruel joke that she is playing on us to make us think that she can't while laughing on the inside.

I have made some fantastic friends so far, its hard to believe we have only known each other a month but I guess thats what being in a foreign environment does to someone. We have made field trips to Meißen, Freiberg,Moritzburg, and Berlin. It is hard to pick a favorite between them because they are all so different. I will say that I say 17 prostitutes from dinner to a bar in Berlin(Thank you Henni). But thats it for now. But Anna I promise to at least try to write everyday. Love Katie