Another few days in Mannheim

After our wonderful but exhausting weekend trip, it was right back to work and fun in Mannheim. After class on Monday, we went to grocery shopping for Interaktive Praxis. We took a Strassenbahn out to a much larger than normal store, called the Kaufland. It was a little bit like a Superwalmart back at home. They had a wide selection of inexpensive groceries, as well as some electronics and housewares. We were divided into pairs and had to find various items throughout the store (it happened to be just the items that Frau Hamann needed!). We also had to learn some new vocabulary and describe items that we didn't know the German words for. It was a successful trip, and then we were able to do our own grocery shopping after class. Our little group has been shopping together and planning meals like pasta, wurst, or schnitzel, and that has worked out quite well. For breakfast I usually eat cereal and yogurt or a slice of bread and Nutella, and we have also been packing sandwich lunches. I have also discovered some interesting drinks here. Fanta is big here, but it's different than that found in the US. Instead of being straight bright-orange soda, it's more with real oranges, a lighter yellow-orange color, and almost like a carbonated orange juice like Orangina. There are also Schorle drinks that are really good- they're lightly carbonated juices. Apfel Schorle is the most popular, but I've also seen cherry, passionfruit, and an apple-grapefruit blend.

On Tuesday we had class as usual, and then we went to the Mannheim Planetarium for Interaktive Praxis. The program was called Der Planet der Tausend Ringe, or the Planet of a Thousand Rings, so it all had to do with Saturn. It was like other planetariums- everyone sat in circular rows and had comfortable chairs that leaned way back so you could see everything on a huge dome screen. The program was interesting, and the narration was fairly slow so it wasn't completely incomprehensible. It talked a lot about the history and mythology behind Saturn, as well as more scientific facts from today. It was an interesting experience, and I'm glad that we were able to go.

Soon after that, we were set to meet with Wolf and Nina to go to a movie. We went to movie theater and saw Charlie Bartlett, and American movie dubbed over in German. The movie has to do with a teenager, Charlie, who essentially becomes the psychologist for kids at his high school, all the while faking symptoms with numerous psychiatrists of his own to get them prescription medication. The voices were well done. It was interesting though- whenever someone in the movie had to sing, it was not dubbed at all. It was a funny movie and I could follow along easily, although of course I didn't know all the words.

Today was Wednesday and was sort of catch-up day. We had class, and for Interaktive Praxis we worked on planning a movie party for next week. There is a film about Mannheim that we're going to watch, and we're inviting the MEMS kids, the Interaction Leaders, and pretty much everyone else we know in Mannheim. We were planning the logistics, such as where we would have it, how to do the invitations (Einladungen), and what kind of food we would have. It will also involve playing Charades. It wasn't the most fun Interaktive Praxis, but we did get to use a lot of German. We also went shopping again today, and I am working on my laundry. I still have to perfect what settings to use- the last time all of my clothes shrunk a few inches (and yes it was my clothes that shrunk and not I who grew)- my jacket sleeves are a bit shorter than they used to be.

Overall, I think our actual German class is going well, with a few minor concerns. I am definitely learning a lot of vocabulary, but I have not learned any more concrete grammar. However, the grammar I do know is becoming more natural and engrained. We are guinea pigs as far as the Zertifikat Deutsch is concerned, because they have never offered our program before, but I think we are strongly moving through our textbook, which is supposedly designed around the test. I know that we will definitely be thoroughly comfortable and knowledgable with our textbook material, and I hope that that will be what we need to pass the test. It is becoming easier for me to understand Frau Hamann and the instructions she gives us, as well. In any case, the experience here has been one of a kind, and any complaints I have are minor in comparison to everything fantastic that I have experienced.

I still have some studying to do tonight for our test tomorrow, so I will sign off until my next entry. I miss everyone at home, aufwiederschreiben!