Thursday, July 3, 2014

Fourth Week of Classes

Greetings!

The last week of my first course at the Goethe Institut was most fulfilling! It was crazy knowing that I've formed friendships with my classmates over the past couple of weeks. Now many of them have left to go back to their homes and the others will be with me in the next level in July.

The last day of class we decided to pay respect to our teacher. She has been a really teacher and she helped us all grow significantly in only a matter of weeks. Together we purchased flowers and Lindt chocolate (most favored by Sebastian, my friend from Switzerland). Cool fact: Lindt Chocolate is a company founded and produced out of Switzerland! Even we are all adults, my teacher always called us each day-- "Liebe Kinder"-- "dear children".

After school ended, I had free time on my hands. What does a guy like me do in his free time? More homework! lil Yeah I've been working on revising two film reviews and composing a 13 page research paper on the Germany during the DDR (1947-1990). I am also preparing my conversational questions that I will use in three separate Interviews with three different individuals concerning life in the DDR and the reality of the Stasi. Staci= Staatssicherheit-- they were responsible for knowing everything and anything that went on in the DDR as part of a "security protocol". They were more of a continuation of the Gestapo--only now with better technology. During my free time, I went into a Stasi Museum for only 2 euros. It was crazy to imagine what occured in the Stasi complex in Dresden. It was crazy to know that it was real--it really happened and... I got to go into the cell where prisoners sat. I got to be in conferences rooms where the Administrators of the Stasi complex in Dresden once sat and discussed the business of their cruel trade. Imagine only being allowed one shower per week and only for 10 minutes. Imagine being kept in solidary confinement in a pitch black cell--no light--no bathroom(you had to be nice and corporative to use the bathroom)-- and you could be kept their up to a Maximum of 42 days straight. Imagine that you weren't allowed to talk or see any other prisoner in the facility---just in case one of your family members was also there. It wasn't until 1990 that the Stasi were demolished and their archives opened to the public.

What could finish off the free time then swimming in the Elbe?!? It was refreshing! Afterward my German father and I were hunger... He is a bit of a scavenger. We asked some young adults, who were celebrating on the Elbe, if we could eat some of their food. They were more than compliant because they were going to throw it away. I had a couple of good brats with Senf(mustard).

Guess what!! It's already July!! Tomorrow starts my last class at the Goethe Institut in level B2!! I'm moving up in the world! I miss my family and friends in USA. I am ready to finish my course and head home. It has been a good journey here, but I am needing to get back...so I can go back to school ;) #Year-roundschooling!

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