Blog

November 11, 2010 | German

Lederhosen, Greenwich Village

I visit a charming establishment on Grove Street.

My friend Jill recently told me she and her husband like Lederhosen, a German restaurant and bar on Grove Street in Greenwich Village. I need more German practice, and more New York German sights, so mid-afternoon yesterday I decided to…

November 13, 2010 | German

A Race, and a German Conversation

I enjoy one of my last Goethe-Institut sessions.

Today I ran a 5K race in Astoria Park. I’d never been there before. I was not very fast, but my foot is definitely getting better. Astoria Park in Queens A Beautiful Day for a Race Yesterday, as usual,…

November 17, 2010 | German

Vocabulary Is Fun!

I love going through word lists.

Most days lately I have listened to German radio (via the Internet) when I wake up in the morning. It has been a great learning tool.  The Sky This Morning: High Drama I also find it amusing to hear…

November 21, 2010 | German

Gotta Study Extra Hard Now!

German time is winding down; I have to get busy.

This week was my last at the Goethe-Institut. Many, many thanks to everyone there for being so welcoming and helpful and accommodating!  One of the things they gave me, besides the invaluable gift of German conversation, was a little…

November 22, 2010 | German

I Am in Germany!

And there's a lot of German here!

Last night I took a red-eye from Newark to Frankfurt. I am now in Göttingen, Germany! This trip was the result of a spontaneous and recent decision. Just days ago I looked at my calendar, noticed I…

November 23, 2010 | German

Downtown Göttingen

In which I bother German shopkeepers.

I arrived in Germany yesterday. The first thing I did when I woke up this morning was go for a run around the perimeter of the Göttingen neighborhood where my father and stepmother live. It happens to be…

November 24, 2010 | German

Back to School

I go to a German class, with 18-year-olds.

Today I went to German high school. I have not been to high school for quite some time, so this was an adventure for me. I Went to German Class Here! It came about because a family friend was kind…

November 25, 2010 | German

German Conversation, Plus a German Cat

In which I chat in German with a family friend.

Today I enjoyed a wonderful conversation, in German, with a longtime family friend. She has a daughter my age, with whom I used to play when I was a kid. Pancho the German Cat She (the friend, I mean; not…

November 26, 2010 | German

Last Day in Göttingen

In which I buy a book in German and try to read it.

Today was my last day in Germany—we are going to Holland for the weekend, and then I am flying home—so I went into downtown Göttingen one last time before our late-afternoon train. I wandered into bookstores, again.…

November 28, 2010 | German

The Hague, Holland

I want to learn Dutch!

This weekend I went running along a canal dating back to Roman times. Holland is beautiful. We are staying in Voorburg, but our host took us on a tour of The Hague, which is nearby, yesterday afternoon.  The Hague,…