Auf Wiedersehen Deutschland :(

Das Ende ist hier... NEIN!!! The end of the six week course has come, und jetzt fliege ich nach mein Hause in Perth. Ich hätte Angst vor mein Gepäckung packen, aber after much rearranging and charity-giving, it all fit in the end.  Deutschland has been good to me in many forms, one namely being einkaufen. The deutsche Leute have been surprisingly helpful and friendly, despite their stereotype. I am going to miss Stuttgart and the people who shared the experience mit mir. Ich freue mich auf hanging out with those students from Perth who I have formed a good relationship with. The ENTIRE experience gefällt mir, and am pleased to say I feel I have achieved most, if not all, of my goals which I set for myself in the first week.

Ich weiβ, dass mein Deutsch besser ist, and I will be using all that I have learnt in my future studies. I plan to continue my Deutsch lernen, and I hope that when I return to Deutschland oder Wien, oder any other Deutsch speaking country, I will have learned and can comprehend much more. Ich glaube, dass living in a country is still the best way to grasp the language, because you learn not only the general rules of that language, but you learn which certain words or sayings native speakers use. Jeden Tag habe ich gelernt. Each time I went shopping or sightseeing I came across something new which helped with either my Deutsch lernen oder my Geschichte lernen. This experience certainly has reinforced my love for Geschichte and I cannot wait to study further detail of the few places and sights which I have seen in the past six weeks.

I am certain that I have grown as a person. My independence has increased and I am able and willing to do more for myself. This independence has also been a confidence boost, where now ich habe kein Angst vor being myself. I have made many close friends from all parts of Australia and America from the course who I know I will see again and surely travel with again. Those I met in Deutschland, I know I will visit and keep in contact with for a long time, if not forever.

It was terribly sad to say ‘Auf Wiedersehen’, but I know all good things must come to an end... and now I can start planning for my next European adventure!

Soziales Problem...

I don't want to have to think about going back to Perth yet, but I know that later this week I will have to start preparing some of my things for the long haul home. Ich hätte eines ausgezeichnetes Wochenede im Wien! Ich liebe Wien! Es ist die schönste stadt! It also highlighted the intensity of some of the social problems of Germany, based on my observations of Stuttgart and München.

Ein soziales Problem that I have come across is the amount of the Obdachlose. There are quite a few that I have noticed who hang around the REWE recycling there bottles. This is a good thing, ich glaube, that this machine is available for recycling and receiving enough money to buy another bottle, however it is questionable what the Obdachlose spend this recycled money on. I see Obdachlose often and also beggars often, and wonder what the housing systems or where or if they receive any shelter. The fact that many Obdachlose die due to the kaltes Wetter ist verrückt!

Another social problem is evident through the Graffiti. Graffiti is unfortunately evident throughout Stuttgart. In year twelve when I learnt about urban planning through geography, I learnt about social problems evident through graffiti, that it is a problem among young people, generally because of boredom and lack of services for youth. Whether or not this is the real reasoning for the Graffiti in Stuttgart, it is something to consider and wonder if the government or whomever concerned realises the social problem amongst young people.

Ein anderer soziales Problem relating to anti-social, negative behaviour is the junge Menschen who hang around the Hauptbahnhof and stir up mischief. Luckily there is heavy security who are around during these periods of time, which is generally after dark. However, in pointing at the young being those who hang about the Hauptbahnhof, ignores the fact that there are plenty of middle-aged people who stand about, drinking and chatting. This is an interesting sight, which I must admit, I am not used to seeing back in Perth. This is an interesting element to consider when questioning the ritual of young people in groups just doing nothing and staying at the Hauptbahnhof.

Well, only eins more entry after this one. But until then, haben Sie eine schöne Woche und eines schönes Wochenende!