First full week at the Buche!

My first full week at the Buche is complete :) because every Friday I go to class at the university here in Trier! I kind of blog in chunks so here are the last two days!

It was so funny within a time period of 30 minutes, one man with dementia came up to me and looks at me with the biggest eyes I've ever seen and asks very boldly. "Do you love anyone?" So I said, "Yes, I do love someone and his name is Ben back home." Then the old man looked at me and sighed SO loud, hunched his shoulders, and scuffled his way back to the dining room. It was so cute but it happens a lot here haha

Another woman, also with dementia, listens to everything you say and does/ answers your question. So one of the nurses went up to her and whispered in her ear. What noise does a duck make? All in German of course, and she screams as loud as she can "QVACK! QVACK! QVACK!....QVACK! QVAK! QVAK!" Everyone busts out laughing, including the other old people. The same nurse went again and said, "What noise does a cat make?" And I'm sure you know how the rest goes. I can hear this perfectly from my office, with the door closed, with all of the commotion in the dining room. It's awesome!!

Well yesterday was a short day at the Buche because I left a few hours early and got there an hour late. Tante Lisa and I went to a workout class together. It's basically aerobics with lots of stretching. It was meant for middle-aged women but I needed the stretching! When I got there I practiced piano knowing that my first concert was the next day. I finalized the order of everything and fixed a few mistakes. After that, a few students from the local elementary school came and played corn hole with the house guests. Salwa and I came a little bit late because we were washing chairs and tables outside. It's a little different because there's only one board and there are two teams on either side. We didn't play to 21 but just played so everyone could throw twice. It was so fun and it was too cute seeing these usually dry older people get competitive. Something about the little kid's energy really woke them up. When they were in the wheelchair it was a little bit difficult but they found their own techniques.

After the Buche, Friedhelm picked me up and we went to the backyard to soak up the sun and eat some dinner. Here's our view! This was at sunset which is around 9:00 to 9:30 at night.

Today was fun! While practicing piano this morning, I met the big boss (that's what they call him) who was showing the bankers the homes that he owns. He's fat but nice. After that I went upstairs and we brought a dabble doodle named, Lotte, around the house. Steffi owns Lotte and she lives down the street from where we live. But yeah, I had no idea what a dabble doodle was until they told me. It's a mix of 3 dogs, a labrador, a golden retriever, and a poodle. She's adorable, doesn't shed, super sweet, and listens so well! She loves the house guests and loves the crumbs from breakfast even more. Like the little kids, Lotte knows how to brighten everyone's day. Here's a picture of Salwa, Steffi, Lotte, Frau Bellman, and me at the end of the visit!

The concert was also super duper fun! It just finished and they all loved it. The old people finally relaxed and started swaying after shuffling around at the beginning. Apparently they are really loud at concerts and don't actually enjoy them. My Tante Lisa narrated everything and told them all about the composers and the pieces I was playing. It was very hot though because we were playing on the very top floor. It was a success and I made some money!! They even put up a little poster for me :) Well now that my first week is finished, I'm going to relax this weekend and do me. I'm heading over to my cousin Sarah's for the weekend and I'll probably have lots of stories to tell after ward! Here is the poster and a photo of me playing!!

The First Few Days of Work!!

Well work is going great! Yesterday was my first day and in all honesty, I just needed a day to take it all in. 9 hours of work is exhausting mentally and physically, especially when it's in a different language. My German is improving so much because the elderly people don't know any English. My internship is also called a Sprachpraktikum which translates to a speaking internship.

There are 3 levels at the Seniorenhaus Zur Buche and the higher the level, the more severe the illness. The man who started this chain of homes is also obsessed with Lord of the Rings or Herr der Ringe. The first floor is called Hobbits 1, the second floor is called Wohnbereich Hobbits, and the third floor is called Wohnbereich Elfen 3 Schwalbennest. The last part means Swallow's Nest, but the points is, each floor is named for Lord of the Rings people. I was meant to be here. Most of them have Dementia and you might not know this but people with Dementia often try to run away. Well in Germany, they like to go by bus. So on each floor they have a fake bus stop and the elderly people sit there waiting for the bus until the nurses come. It's sad but funny, your choice! Here's what the bus stop looks like.

 I also pour a lot of coffee, serve meals during the meal times, and practice piano every morning. It sounds boring but these elderly people are the happiest and funniest people I've ever met. Yesterday, I shocked one old couple by having a full conversation with them in German. And today another old woman yelled at me because I didn't put enough coffee in, so I poured the coffee and she yelled at me again because it was too much. I already have too many stories!

We also have to wear white pants...it's pretty insane because there are always stains on them when I leave. Not to mention, you won't realize how much you wipe your hands on your pants until you wear white pants and they get completely dirty!

Well here is our little Aktivierung Office. We plan all of the activities for the old people and make sure they actually happen. We sing lots of children's songs, play games, and yes, there is bingo every Friday morning. Except this Friday, Bingo was moved to the afternoon because a local high school is putting on a play, called Toms Traum (Tom's Dream).

I work with a girl my age and her name is Salwa. She looks exactly like Rima Fakih. If you don't know her, you should. She's that beautiful! Well Salwa is helping me with my German and I'm helping her with English. So we decided that maybe in 4 weeks time, we'll be perfect with the languages!

Yesterday, we walked with a few of the people outside/pushed them in their wheelchair and planned a few activities for this week. Today, we had to split up because a dog came to visit the elderly people. She went with the dog and I went bowling. Bowling is 9 wooden pins on the floor with 2 wooden balls and a carpet.

After lunch, Tante Lisa and I went into Trier to shop around and just be outside. The weather is perfect! 70s and a little breeze now and then :) We got ice cream and in all honesty, it's not even ice cream, it's art. The one on the right is the Spaghettieis I was talking about earlier and the one on the left is Erdbeer Becher. I also found out I don't like ice cream today so that was weird. We just laid outside for 3 hours and read more children's books at the house.


I'm also reading  newspapers, watching American shows in German, and writing down new words in a little notebook so I can be totally fluent by the time I leave. I'm completely immersed and it's intimidating but worth it! It's been super fun so far and already a full week. Only 4 weeks to go!

Well yesterday was pretty cool! I came back from Sarah's house around 13:30 and ate some pretzels. Life is good. I eat way too much food and drink way too much Apfelschorle. It's basically bubbly apple juice and a gift from God. Easily the best drink in the whole world. Next to beer of course! Well after lunch we sat outside and soaked up the sun. This is our view! This picture doesn't do it justice, but the sunshine makes it look like heaven. The church bells started ringing and Friedhelm proceeded to tell me about the history of everything. The bells are rung for various reasons but most commonly to remind people to pray. I asked him if people actually pray and he said no, but at least they're reminded! They also ring when a person dies and the patterns and tones are changed depending on the gender of that person.

A few hours later we started watching the Bayern-Munchen vs. Stuttgart game for the German Cup Final. I tried to focus but it's soccer and not World Cup soccer. Stuttgart was down 3-0 and came back 3-2. Probably the sickest goals I've seen. So intense!!! Well Bayern-Munchen won and in all honesty I was a little upset. Stuttgart is where all my people are!! After the game was over, they continued to show the team celebrating. Oh my gosh...there was so much beer, confetti, cheering, and the soccer teams have their own songs. If the Bruins had a song, then I think we would be perfect. As far as I know, the US teams don't have any songs for them, but we don't really need that. We're the best fans anyway!

This morning I slept in. My internal alarm clock is kicking in already. It's a blessing and a curse. Well! After I had my usual breakfast (freshly-baked pretzel and yogurt) I got ready to workout with Tante Lisa. I honestly didn't know what to expect because she goes Nordic-Walking. My initial though was okay yeah, walking with sticks cannot be that difficult or strenuous. Well we walked about 9km in the heat. Getting the sticks to land the right way without them slipping or tripping yourself is an art. Ich schwitzte viel! Then we laid outside for a few hours and Lisa played dress up! I wore a Dirndle for the first time ever, she made my hair look nice, and we had a mini photo shoot.

Eventually we made it Saarburg. It's an adorable little town right on the Saar with vineyards and a downtown tucked away in the hills. We got some eis (ice cream). They have something called Spaghettieis and it's exactly what you think it is. Ice cream that looks like spaghetti covered in cherry sauce and the cheese is little white chocolate shavings. I wasn't ballsy enough to try it, but it looked amazing! Maybe next time! We came back and I practiced more piano. My first concert is on Thursday!! Friedhelm came and got me after awhile and I attended the 150th anniversary of Social Democratic rule in Germany. I met some famous candidates and people in their area. I don't remember their names..oopsies!

Tomorrow is the first day of actual work and I can't wait to see everything! Obviously I'll show you pictures and let you know how it all goes :) Bis dann!

Well it's been about 4 days since my plane touched down in Luxembourg! This time has been a little different than any other that I've been here. Culturally, it was more shocking and the language barrier is hard to overcome without my mom helping here and there. On the other hand, it's forcing me to speak German and learn how to speak the language CORRECTLY. You don't realize how backwards the sentences are until you actually get here. Well it's been 4 days, so I'll give you the breakdown!

Day 1: As soon as I saw Tante Lisa, she asked me if I wanted a pretzel and she had Mineralwasser for me in the car. Two of the best things after a long plane ride. We stopped at a gas station that was stocked with an insane amount of champagne. Needless to say, we bought one, because one, it's Germany and we can, and two, there is always a reason to drink. When we got to the house, I ate Flammkuchen and then slept almost 5 hours because jet lag hit me hard. That was my day in a nutshell because after I ate dinner, I went right back to bed. This is my little room but it's heaven!


Day 2: I was actually able to wake up before 10! Considering how late I usually sleep and the fact there was a time change. SUPER PROUD OF MYSELF! After a huge typical German breakfast, I went to practice piano. It's maybe a few kilometers way in a cute modern looking building. Cute and modern shouldn't be in the same sentence but that's the only way to describe the building. Every door has it's own lock (including the refrigerator door) and the piano is locked. I guess they like to keep things more secure here. Makes me feel safe at night! I can't remember what we had for dinner, but like always I leave feeling beyond bloated. Then we watched the finale of Germany's Next Top Model with Heidi Klum. It is so much different than the American version. The finale is live. Almost like a Victoria's Secret Fashion Show kind of thing. I saw almost all of it, but if you know me, I always fall asleep watching tv. If you wanted to know, a 16 year old girl named Lovelyn won. She is wicked cute and of course has the perfect body. Jealous. 

Day 3: Well I slept over at my cousin Sarah's flat that night. She has the comfiest couch that I have ever slept on in my entire life. I woke up that next morning with the cutest Facebook and text messages from Benjamin. Definitely a great way to start my day before class. I'd been having a rough time trying to communicate but adjusting is never easy. Being German, I don't always like change...so it's almost a given that it will take me a few more days to figure everything out. Well I went to class at Trier University and the picture is the first presentation and it is all too familiar to APUS . Well the class is all about American culture and taught by a middle-aged woman named Ms. Duplang. She's from New York. So she talks a lot, talks fast, and has the accent. Did I mention she's super liberal? Okay, this one attribute makes it almost impossible to sit through the class without commenting on her out-dated views of the US or opinions on policy. I just sit on my hands and wait for her to call on me. Pretty much the only way to keep me contained!  


After class we went to the Irish Pub in the city. With half a pretzel and some Apfelschorle in my stomach, I decided Guinness would be lunch. I've never felt so drunk at noon before. My first Guinness in the biggest glass I've ever seen!! Of course, when I'm drunk I speak fluent German. The words just tend to flow better and I don't care if I mess up! It's too perfect. It seems to be tradition that when I come to Germany, I have to buy some super funky pants for less than 10 euros. It happened. 

Later on, we went to dinner at Sarah's friend, Caroline's, flat. For those of you who don't know, a flat is another word for apartment. It was the cutest most hipster apartment I have ever seen. Everything was so bright, yet so vintage, and had the best atmosphere all at the same time. Everyone smokes and sometimes inside, so all I can say is that my whole body still smells of cigarette smoke, even after a shower. She made the best lasagna I've ever had and then we proceeded to drink, 2 bottles of champagne, 2 bottle of wine, and too much beer! Eventually we walked to Lucky's Luke. It's a club that only plays alternative music so it's mad chill. Germans are bad dancers and I cannot handle when they sing Nirvana. Legit the funniest thing I've ever heard and seen! We didn't get back until 4 in the morning...we didn't even get to the club until 1. Long night but it was so worth it!!!