Apparently in Germany, it's extremely hard to find a job as a teacher, and once you have that job, it's very hard to get fired. Because of this fact, I often have tons of classes 'fall through'. AKA the teacher is sick and they don't have substitutes so we just get to sleep in, or go home early, and the teachers won't get fired for it. Now, as a student I find this very frustrating, but as an EXCHANGE student, it's not all that bad :)Another thing that is confusing to me about German schools is that we have a different room on the odd occasion. Now this can be very confusing for an exchange student who doesn't know how to read the board where it shows the classes that fell through and the ones that have room changes. (But thank God I finally figured it out). One day during chemistry class a while back, we all met at our 'new room' for the day, just in time to find out that someone else was already in that room.. we walked around the whole school (which is seriously huge) for a long time before realizing that there is no room for us. We then go into a room with tables, sort of like a cafeteria-like area and make camp there. We all squished at a little table (there were probably only 15 of us anyway) and two of the girls went to get coffee and hot chocolate for everyone, on the teacher! Talk about cozy classes..
I don't know about everyone else's view on Valentine's Day, but I'm just NOT a fan. Therefore, I met up with Brittany and we watched Sex and the City Movie and ate lots of sweets before going out for Chinese food, a good way to forget about the fact that this day is supposed to be for couples!
Yesterday in my English class, a lady who is originally from Hanover, raised in Northeim, exchange student in Ohio, studied in Goettingen, then did a university exchange in North Carolina, finished her degree in Goettingen, then moved to North Carolina to 'further' her degree (aka go to school so she could get a visa) and get married to another German man who had taken about the same path and has now lived in North Carolina for twenty years, came into my class to talk to us and let her ask us questions. She did a demonstrastion that I found very amusing.
One thing you will notice if you come to Germany is that the people like to stand VERY CLOSE to each other. This lady asked everyone to say their names, and so she found out that I am an exchange student from Canada. She was planning on doing this 'demonstration' anyway, and the fact that I was there made it even better. She had myself and one of the German girls go up to the front of the room. She said to the other girl 'ok let's be German, and say hi to each other as we're walking by each other', then she did the same with me, but being North American (of course we weren't acting, she was just saying that for more emphasis on the point). After she finished it, she asked if anyone noticed a difference in body language.. She had stood a normal close to the German girl and a normal far away for me, but no one really noticed so she did it again, but this time coming as close to me as she did to the other girl.. of course my reaction was to back away, so that's just what I did (without thinking) and it definitely amused everyone in the classroom! I'm secretly hoping that the people in the class took it as a hint and will stop standing so close to me while they are having a conversation with me! (Or even when we're not talking, I feel like people are always standing irregularly close to me)... Now here's a picture of me and a funny fish statue!
P.S. It's still cold (well, relatively), and apparently snowing tons for what is normal in Germany. And trust me, I haven't heard the end of this 'We're having a long winter.. and there isn't even snow in Vancouver for the Olympics.. AND THAT'S CANADA!' Note to the world: Canada is not ALWAYS cold and snowy. :) Enjoy the rest of February everyone!
P.P.S. FREUNDSCHAFT!
