Midterm preparation

This week has been a little hectic! Midterms are coming up so I am getting into type A personality mode. It is going to be hard to gauge these midterms. We have study guides but I am not sure how hard the grading will be. I am not used to these liberal art classes. It is also IMPOSSIBLE to study in Berlin. The weather has been beautiful and the last thing I want to do is stay in and study. I am yantzy to travel more or explore Berlin, but after midterms we have a week vacation so it will be nice to get out. I think I have already mentioned, but the plans are to go to Dublin, then Brussels, then Cologne...ok back to midterms... Philosophy I am worried about, just because I never know WTF is going on in that class. The reading is very long and dense. The professor tries to explain the reading, but he just uses abstract philosophy language that I don't understand. History and German should be ok, I just have to prepare well. Wish me luck!
In between studying I have tried to explore. I met with a tandem speaker. Tandem speaking is when 2 people meet up who want to practice another language which the other person is an expert at. I meet with a girl, she's nice but not very interesting. She is fluent in English so I was not sure what area she wanted to improve in. She doesn't like sports, art, movies, or books, so it was hard for me to keep a conversation. But taking advantage of the situation, I talk for 30 minutes (in German) about what I like to do. Hopefully I can meet with someone a little more lively, since I believe tandem speaking is an awesome idea.
Things at home have been a little hectic. Christine is about to leave for a 2 week teaching seminar in the U.S, so she is stressed about that. Plus her and Antonia have been fighting daily. Antonia is leaving for college in a few weeks and Christine is stressed about that too. Antonia is kinda childish, she will throw fits, stomp, and slam her door when she argues with Christine.  I hated my parents too right before I left for college, but I don't think I have slammed my door...ever
I met my Christine's son, Jonas, this week as well. HOT DAMN WHAT A FOX! He's sooooo adorable, really friendly, and getting a masters degree at 2 universities. Christine left him and I to prepare dinner together. We engage in friendly conversation, then Antonia came home and the atmosphere changed. They spoke German with each other so I was left out of the conversation. At the dinner table Christine tried to stick with English but Antonia kept switching to German and picked a fight with Christine at one point. While they are having their argument, I figure this is a perfect time to swoop in on Jonas. We talk about clubs, frats, movies, booze, typical young adult conversation.  The more Jonas and I chat, the more upset I see Antonia getting. I decide to back off. I do not want to be a home-wrecker, but temptation is hard to resist.  I think Christine told me at one point that he has a girlfriend...damnit. He lives in Berlin, close by, and invited Antonia and I to have dinner at his place later in the week.

She made coffee for all of us!

Our German class went on an Excursion this week. We visited an artist, Sandra Rauch, who lives in east Berlin. She had wanted to go to art school for the longest time, but was not allowed to by the DDR government. The day after the Berlin Wall fell, she enrolled in school. She does silk screenings of cities she has traveled too. She was incredibly sweet and very lively.

Her picture of Berlin

Also went to the Botanical Gardens for a study break. Enormous and beautiful. It was also refreshing being around nature, I forgot how much I missed it.
Saturday night I went to my first soccer game! Paz and I meet with a German acquaintance (Julien) who we met the week before. He's really into soccer so he explained things and taught us some cheers. The game was Berlin vs Cologne. Neither teams are very good but Berlin whipped Cologne's ass, which was exciting. After the game I get some one-on-one time with Julien. This was a great time to practice my German, and he was rusty on his English so was excited to practice as well. We sit in a bar for several hours and chat. Once I decide to head home he confesses that he really likes me and that he has never met a girl like me before. I am flattered but not particularly interested. Julien is a nice guy but we don't have much in common and he is on the shy side. Not sure where this is going but we will see! Enough about my romantic rendezvous, must get back to studying now!

Botanical Garden with Green house

Paz, Julien, and I at the game