She goes to Germany and speaks…Spanish?
I tragically do not live in the picturesque part of Berlin. I live on a bustling street, but if I go walking out the back of the apartment(as shown in the picture), there are many beautiful German homes. I guess now is the time to note that I live above an Italian restaurant. However, my host has told me never to eat from there because it is too expensive. My host mom, or Gastmutter in German, is from Mexico. She speaks a little English but mostly Spanish and German. Because I am not very confident in German, we mainly speak Spanish. Ironic that I am in Germany, and I ended up being able to speak so much Spanish. I have only had one major miscommunication. I accidentally indicated that my parents lived in two different places and were divorced. When she asked if my mom had anyone new, I quickly cleared everything up!!! I have started classes now, and we will be speaking more German. My host provides me with breakfast and cooks my supper. She says you have to cook at least an hour to get anything good, and so far, everything has been fantastic. I told myself I would get in shape while I was in Germany, but my host insists that I eat more and more food, so I don’t think that will be happening anymore. My host is amazing, and she took me to the grocery store the other day, and it was so different. There were stands with so much fresh food and a very extensive bakery. My host says she goes grocery shopping several times a week so that no food goes to waste and it is always fresh. She also does not have a car, which is common in Germany, so doing the big American food hauls is not realistic. The apartment is really nice, and I like my room a lot. The bathroom has a towel warmer. It also does not have a fan, so you have to open the window for 15 minutes after someone showers. I also open the windows in my room very often so let in the fresh air. This is no problem because of how moderate the temperature is in Germany. All you have to watch out for is the dreaded rain. Everything is smaller in the kitchen. From the cups to the refrigerator and dishwasher, I feel ever so slightly like a giant. My host does my laundry for me, but it is normal for a house not to have a dryer, so we hang dry everything. One thing that has been difficult is knowing how much time to spend with my host. She is usually very busy, so I don’t see her until 5 pm. I have homework in the evenings, and I need to call my fiance, so I’m still figuring it out. She is very respectful of my space, so she is really considerate. I am getting more comfortable in my new environment. I’m no longer anxious when I leave the apartment, so slowly but surely, I am adapting. At some point, while I am here, I want to bake for her. Because there are so many bakeries, I don’t think many people do a lot of baking themselves. However, maybe you will see it in a future blog post!.