Hallo zusammen!
I am having a wonderful time in Munich! The city is so richly steeped in history, with something beautiful to see around every corner.
Through my program I am taking two classes: a language class and a culture class. Because the language class starts at 8:30a, I wake up every morning at 6:30a. There are a tremendous number of birds here, and you can especially hear them singing in the mornings, sometimes with the chiming of church bells.
Exiting the U-Bahn!
Then I proceed to eat breakfast at the cafeteria of our student housing. The breakfasts are delicious! While at home a typical eating hall breakfast may consist of eggs or bacon, the breakfasts provided here are formed of bread, cheese, cold cuts, and various spreads. The spreads are also different from home. Aside from the abundance of Nutella (and the lack of peanut butter), breakfast can also include smoked meat spreads such as Teewurst, Leberwurst, and Patè. Although I am a huge fan of these, and wish they existed in the USA, I have been informed that they are a rather acquired taste.
Schloss Nymphenburg!
After breakfast, I take two trains to the Goethe Institute: the U-Bahn and the S-Bahn. While we certainly have trains back home in Chicago, ours are elevated while these are underground, making for an interesting change. The stations are shockingly clean, and the train seating is set up a little differently, but it is not too dissimilar from home.
At the Goethe Institute our first class, the language class, is entirely in German. This is a little intimidating, but makes for a very immersive, educational experience. The teachers are very nice and have a lot of interesting information to share. Each class is two weeks, so we take two, with a week off in between. My first class was an A2.1 class, but I got moved up to a B1.1 class for the second one. I was worried, but it is going very well, and I am learning a lot.
Visiting the Ballet at the Staatsoper!
After our lunch break, which is spent sampling delicious pizza and Döner boxes, it is time for our cultural class! This class can either be a seminar or, more frequently, a tour of various different historical and cultural locations. I love this class! All of the sights are fascinating, and the seminars and readings really put them into context. My favorite location was Schloss Herrenchiemsee, a stunningly opulent castle. My favorite tour so far was probably either of Schloss Museum (an art museum about the Blue Rider art movement) or the NS-Documentation Center (a very powerful, although more somber, tour and location). We also attended an excellent talk about asylum seekers in Germany.
After our second class, we are free to explore the city or hang out on our own! Most week nights we can also eat a free dinner at the student housing cafeteria.
John Lennon Wall in Prague, Czechia!
On weekends and Bavarian holidays we also have free time. Sometimes we use those days to explore other areas around central Europe. So far on my days off I've been to Augsburg (in Germany), Prague (in Czechia), and Salzburg (in Austria). Each has been very exciting, unique, and wonderful to see, with so many cool sites.
I am so glad I have had the opportunity to participate in Pitt in Munich and cannot wait for the rest of my trip!
Tschüss!
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