German Fever

Enjoying some Polish jazz with Katrin and Philip from Germany and Jacub from Austria (who speaks German)


I apologize to all my loyal readers for missing a day of writing, but I've been busy with the Germans.

My polish language school is called Prolog and there are two types of students who go there. There are students like me, who applied directly to the school who come from all different countries, and then there are those that applied through some kind of German-Polish organization and the majority of those students are German. Both groups share the same classes and some after-school activities, but sometimes we are separated. Our group does our things, and the Germans do German things.

On the first night, my group went sans Germans to a welcome dinner to a restaurant in Kazimierz, the Jewish district of town, and that is when I decided I am in the wrong group. While everyone is friendly and nice enough, mine is a quiet group and for someone who is traveling alone--I need to talk. So the next day, I informally became one of the Germans.

The best part about the Germans (and every young German person I have ever met) is that they all speak English very well. And even though I am hanging out with a group of Germans, they are quite fine with speaking English even though it would probably be more comfortable for them to speak in their native tongue.

As Katrin, my new German friend, explains, "I would prefer speaking the language that is more comfortable for the person I am speaking with. That is the German way. When I went to America, people would try to speak German to me and they mispronounced all the words that I couldn't understand what they were saying and it was so embarrassing." Katrin speaks German, English, decent Polish and about five billion other languages, like the rest of them.

None of the Germans understand why I don't know Polish yet. "If your parents speak, you could learn for free!" Neither can they comprehend that I only know one language. "Really!" they say, shaking their heads. I can't help that my high school French teacher spoke mostly English. The Germans have little trouble pronouncing Polish words, and they bring pencil cases to class. I, on the other hand, finally purchased a notebook (I was borrowing paper to take notes from the Germans this whole time) and have an easy time understanding what the teacher says, but stumble on every other word.

I am the only student from the United States. At my school, when meeting someone new (which happens all the time because there are about 75 people total in the program and only 7 in my class), one of the first things that people ask is where are you from.

"It feels so awkward to say United States," I lamented to the Germans, and they laughed.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I never have to tell people what country I am from. Why would I need to tell someone that? I don't speak to foreigners."

They suggested I say "the States" or "U.S." but not America or North America because that sounds like I am from Canada and trying to hide it.

The Germans are an interesting lot indeed. After class we go out to lunch and then after lunch we go out for coffee. We speak about history and politics, culture and film, often times comparing the differences between the United States and Germany (and other countries, if someone else representing happens to be there). In class the teacher showed us a picture of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt and asked who they are and I was the only one who knew (Germans not big readers of US Weekly, I am afraid.) Meanwhile, I did not recognize the picture of their chancellor. I find the conversations invigorating but makes me very aware of my inadequate American education.

Besides having the Germans occupying my time, I have been running around getting myself situated. Since I am staying in Krakow for one month, the school guide recommended that I get a monthly tram pass. In order to get one, I had to go to this office close to the center of town and wait in a very long line. Everyone on the line looked so Polish and depressed, I felt like I was in communist times waiting for some bread.

When I got to close to the front of line, I started to panic, because I didn't know what to ask for. I knew that you could buy a pass for one or two tram lines or all of the lines. I probably only needed one line but didn't know what it was called. The tram has no map anywhere so both the name and destinations are some kind of guessing game.

I heard the woman in front of me ask for a pass for all the lines, so that is what I did when I went up there. It cost me about $30. The woman at the counter asked me for my address in Krakow and by accident, I gave her the wrong street number. She gave me the pass anyway, but alas, no map. Now I can hop on any tram I want in Krakow. But where I am going--who knows?


My classmates: Veronika (from Czech Republic), Philip (from Germany) , Jill (from England), Leon (from Holland), Manuel (from Germany). Not pictured: Kristina (from Germany).


Me with Germans Kristina and Katrin, and English Jill.


My tram pass. I am officially Polish.