Six Pieces of Pie in Two Days

That’s right. On Thursday and Friday of last week I did it. My family, the Göbels, feed me extremely well. Every weekday we have four meals. Breakfast (bread with anything you could imagine on it), lunch (the hot meal of the day), coffee (usually consists of pies and drinks) and dinner (usually the same as breakfast). I have also had four Döner in a week and a half. Döner is perhaps the best food ever. It’s a Turkish sin with lamb, onions, lettuce, sometimes cheese, cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers and anything else that particular shop decides to throw in. It is served in a triangular bread pocket that is open on two sides and closed on the hypotenuse.
Let me tell you, there is an art to eating this monster. It is so full of flavor and deliciousness that it will spill all over the place if you are not careful. You will never find a Döner that has a reasonable amount of food in it; there will always be far too much for the practical volume of the bread.
I love it.
I went to Berlin this past weekend and got to see some of places where I was two years ago. The city was definitely a bit quieter, despite being a bustling capital of the world. German pride was still present, but you had to look a little harder to find it. I have to say that I missed walking down the streets with my fellow GAPPers singing the few fragments of Disney songs that we knew.
And I bought bright yellow suspenders there that I’m probably going to wear to the Disko this weekend.
I also now have access to a cello! One of Christina’s friends brought it over, and it’s here to stay for a little while. On that same musical theme, I had Christina and Maria teach me how to play a little of their instrument: the accordion. It was really cool, but I really couldn’t do it. I’ve been doodling around since then, and I’m picking it up a little, but it’s harder than it looks.
I’ve also started my orientation course. Ten other Americans and I sit together in a classroom from 9-4 five days per week and learn how to speak German and get along in a new culture. The problem is (besides the fact that we are missing out on so much other neat stuff, like Döner) that we were placed together because we scored the highest on a language competency test that the program gave. Therefore, just about the only thing to do is practice, which would be much easier were we spending that time with our families or friends. Seven hours a day is a lot of school for the summer.
Side note: One of the girls in my class also did GAPP in 2005-2006. She’s from Michigan, but we were both in Germany at the same time. And we were both in Berlin during that time at the same time. And we both watched the World Cup semifinal from the same place at the same time. And we both went to see Blue Man Group in Berlin at the same time. And to top it all off, she’s going to Macalester College next year. And so am I.
Can you say small “world?”
This week I also found a bunch of kids to play soccer with. I’m going to a practice tonight, and I think it’s a try-out, so it should be fun. They’re a blast to play with, and it’s nice to be around people who love the game as much as I do.
As I become immersed in a new language, I start to realize that you can’t always translate a word or concept. I have begun to think in German because I have found that it is easier to understand the people and their ideas. Although harder to express myself, speaking constantly in German gives me a new perspective on many things I have always taken for granted. My accent is developing so well that a nine-year-old didn’t believe that I was a foreigner. I was quite stoked.

I miss everyone, and I’ll try to get some pictures on the internet as soon as I can.

Stay Awesome,

Tommy