Welcoming Oktober

Well, I've been in Germany for over a month now. So much has happened! I've been through orientation, where I was "trained" to teach English to students, I found an apartment, I have a consistent work schedule, I've taught three lessons and sat in on or helped in countless more, I'm officially a student at the Universität zu Köln, I've seen the view from the top of the Cologne cathedral, I've visited Beethoven's house, attended a concert celebrating Beethoven, and as of two weeks ago, I've spent a weekend in Bayern and experienced Oktoberfest.

The Little Things

• The view from my window.

• Being able to tell someone how to work the machines at the laundromat.

• The student that says hello in the hall.

• Being called "Mr. Mitsuyasu."

• A landlord who helps me set up a bank account and register as a long-term resident, and who drives you to school 3 days a week.

• A landlord who is willing to wait for over a month to let me pay rent after my bank account is set up and my first paycheck comes in.

• Getting free, unlimited travel in North Rhine-Westphalia because you're a university student.

• Taking a university course and understanding almost everything.

• Standing in front of a class.

• Writing on a chalkboard.

• Using the letter X, Q, Z, or J and a "Triple Word" square in the same turn while playing Words With Friends.

• Actually, just using the letter X, Q, Z, or J and getting more than 11 points.

• Chocolate-filled croissants.

• Fresh bread ALL THE TIME.

• Being able to get anywhere in a huge city by train or subway.  Going downtown, just because I can.

• The fact that Nutella or Nutella-flavored products are more common than peanut butter.

• Bike lanes on sidewalks and the sheer number of people that use bicycles.

• Having cars stop for you at a crosswalk every time.

• Meeting other English Teaching Assistants from around the world working in and around Cologne.

• Making kick-ass homemade food that's (usually) healthy.

• Learning the bari sax so I can play in the school's Big Band and concert band.