Путаница

Confused? What the hell is the title supposed to be? Why is the title of this post in Russian?

You're reading the blog of a native Spanish speaker who writes his blog in English about his experiences as an exchange student in Germany, yet the title is neither Spanish nor German nor English. If you're not feeling confused or intrigued then man, you're not easily confused.

Путаница means confusion in Russian. In this post I want to talk about some of the different types of confusion I, as an exchange student, have experienced so far.

Confusion when it comes to communicate.
I think it's pretty easy to assume that as an exchange student you will be so confused when trying to communicate with people. The first couple of months, I got by pretending to know what people were saying and saying the occasional "Ja!" or "Genau!". Well, that doesn't always work. Sometimes I got a question where I needed to elaborate, and I simply said "Ja! Genau." Needless to say, I got blank faces staring at me waiting for me to continue. The first couple of days I was here, I took the train to Essen from Dortmund. I thought that my ticket was valid, and I was allowed to take this train. However, I was unknowingly being a "Schwarzfahrer" which basically means that you're riding the train without a valid ticket--Yes, Germans have a word for everything. The guy from the Deutsche Bahn comes up to me, asks me for my ticket, and then starts screaming at me in German. I had no idea what he was saying so I just told him in German that I was an exchange student and asked him to slow down. He immediately told me very slowly and enunciating every syllable that I needed to learn German and that I needed to get off the train at the next station. I think he was having one of his best days! If I had more time to get pass the screaming and the mean facial expression, I think I would have seen that he may be a really sweet guy! To this day, I have no clue what he said. Anyhow, this is the most evident form of confusion any exchange student may experience. It's makes for awesome stories later on.

Confusion when it comes what you want.

 Laugenecke (My favorite bread so far)

Some days I wake up and I'm in love with the German language and German culture. I can't get enough of German stuff. I could listen to schlager music all day. Other days (although not that often), my brain does not what to process anything German related. Okay, so maybe I'm always up for Brötchen or German chocolate or Laugenbrötchen or Currywurst or Döner or German Beer no matter the day or time. But some days I just want to speak English or Spanish all day and the smallest things trigger a deluge of memories from back home. BAM! It hits you and your homesick.

Just being typical Americans

I think being an exchange student/living abroad is one of the few times where experiencing all emotions in less than an hour is not abnormal and it's not a sign that you suffer from bipolar disorder or some other psychological problem. What helps me get through this emotional meltdowns is to meet up with other 'Muricans and do typical 'Muricans stuff like eat Mac & Cheese or be loud in a train and get the German stare from everyone. If you're not familiar with the "German Stare", brace yourself. It is the most intense stare you can get from a stranger! You'll know if you get this stare! You'll feel them examining your soul through your eyes. No matter how awkward you try to make them feel, they will not break eye contact. They will look you straight in the eyes and make you feel like they are invading your mind and reading your thoughts. It's actually awesome. I think I'll try to master it before I leave.

This group has made this year so much easier! Gotta love them!

Confusion when it comes to thinking about going home.
Lately, I've been thinking about how little time I have left. Before, I thought going back home was going to be the easiest thing out of this whole exchange year. I actually now think that coming here was the easiest thing this year. While I hang out with my American friends here in Germany, I can't help but to miss some of my German friends and constantly think about how this person would have found that funny and this other person wouldn't have understood that. I think of home, and again I get on the emotional roller coaster. I can't wait to see my family, my friends, and MY DOG!!! But I'm not ready to leave this place, and leave my new found family, friends, neighbor's dog! I'm not ready to leave my new home.

A bunch of Americans and a couple of Germans at a bar! Definitely a fun night!

My neighbors' dog and I

This is actually a picture of what I described on my last post. Here we are pretending to row as we listen to this unique song. I'm the guy with his hands WAY UP high at the beginning of the furthest row. As you can see, I was really into this song!

When I think of going home, it is like seeing a wall filled with the word "Путаница". I just get confused.