Category: Field Studies

The most important phrase I have learned is ein Bisschen – a little.  In the beginning of the trip I knew very little German and struggled speaking it, instead returning to English which many people here know. When I learned how to say ein Bisschen, I was able to tell them I know a little…

We’ve been talking about feelings and emotions in my class this past week, and I found this helpful because thus far I’ve only known how to express when I like or don’t like something. That being said, here are some of the new words I’ve learned in order to express myself: Die Wut: Fury I…

The blog assignment for this semester is to write about 10 german words that we think are important. The first two that I want to mention are more sayings then just a word. Kurz und prägnant is the german way of saying what in dutch is kort en krachtig and would translate to dutch as short and…

Martin-Reflection Paper

Although most of us identify ourselves as poor Americans the moment try to say something, there are some words that are helpful to know. Even us Amerikaner should learn that to ask for “eine Eiskugel, bitte,” for instance (yes, Kugel, pl. Kugeln, is a feminine word). There are so many wonderful looking icecream shops around Münster, and…

Das Drücken: Push I first encountered this word on a door in the hotel.  It was either push and pull and knowing which one is which will save time. Die Kirche: Church Das Rauchen: Smoking Der Regen: Rain The reason I have decided to remember the word for rain is because it rains often here. …

Verspäten: to be late This sentence appeared on the train station board. I hoped it meant the train was late and not cancelled or a platform change. Die Ankunft: arrival Back to riding the train to Kapito each day or taking the bus. Die Wäsche: wash clothes I didn’t pack enough clothes to last four…

I am currently living with my host family in Münster that have two children. These two little boys are extremely adorable, smart and kind. So kind that they gave me a few of their own children’s book that I can read for my time here and practice my German. The words on my list that I…

At the train station some billboards caught my eye that had wide-eyed characters — like this one.  I did not get the significance at first.  “Wachtel” = quail.  Then in the lower righthand corner I read “vielviel koffein” = lotsa caffeine.  Aha! Lot of caffeine makes you wide awake = “wach”!   “Wach”tel = wide-awake…

Before I came to Germany, I wasn’t expecting to have any sort of special bond with the people who were housing me; I was here to study and experience the German culture and language. However, I already feel very close to and welcomed by the family that I’m staying with. My host-mom and her 9-year-old…