In class today, we had a debate about the benefits and pitfalls of using social media. Jorge (pronounced “Hor-heh”) from Mexico was the referee, and I was on the affirmative team with Jeremy, Jose, Alec, Nancy and Nurva. It’s hard to say who won, because Jorge diplomatically declared a tie, but it was fun– I feel like all of us are improving pretty quickly, and because everyone does their homework and is so enthusiastic about the learning process, it makes you want to try harder and absorb it all like a German sponge.
Afterwards, on what has been the wettest day thus far, we embarked on a walking tour of the city. Celine and I were caught with our proverbial rainpants down, and we had no umbrella, were only wearing a cardie, and had water rocketing through the gaps in our sandals: “Meine Schuhe sind wie ein Schwimmbad” (read: My shoes are like a swimming pool!!!), moaned Celine, and I coaxed her and Jeremy (who had also been caught with his rainpants down, and was wearing mustard coloured shorts that were sodden and had consequently turned dark brown) to pike on the remainder of the tour. They didn’t need much convincing, and after getting Celine her German SIM and receiving as a gift, a free cardboard placemat which had the colours of the German national flag on one side, we ran and laughed hysterically all the way back to school to retrieve our books– our German flag placemat, our very own man-made awning (see picture).
Once we got back to school, the kind librarian tsked sympathetically as I returned the key to the locker that was housing our books, and peered at her with my hair sodden, and my t-shirt practically transparent: “But, you know that you can borrow an umbrella from downstairs!” she gently admonished– and Celine was so happy, that she jumped for joy (see picture again). We finally got back to our rooms, and it’s revision time– and of course, as is the case with days like these, the rain has decided to stop when we need to be indoors and the birds have come out to sing again.
Word of the day: der Regenschirm, which is German for “the umbrella”– because we really, really needed one today.