Germany at last!

I've spent quite a few posts talking about travels but not about actual Germany. I apologize for that. I'm so used to life and culture here, I always forget what is truly different or foreign. I'm going to try to reflect here and talk about work, but also create a list of things I'll miss and won't miss, some specific to Germany, some not.

Things I won't miss:

-Expensive small (non-alcoholic) drinks
-Smoke, though I'm super used to it
-Students' questions that I've answered three times already (in reference to program participants)
-Lack of random acts of kindness
-Well dressed people
-A bottle of Coke going flat overnight
-Pandora among other sites being blocked
-The smell of pee and garbage
-Bottle caps and glass everywhere
-Foreign people - this sounds so bad, but it's true to a certain extent. In the US, everyone is foreign. It's the melting pot. In Germany, however, it is very easy to see who moved to Germany or who isn't native German. It may just be my negative experiences of being hit on, but when I see them (mostly guys) here, my guard goes up. I'm fairly certain I don't have the same reaction in the US. Some of you may respond with the fact that I'm technically foreign as well, but I have the luck and goal of being able to fit in and not stand out at all.


Things I will miss:
-Drinking
-The windows
-Going out to actual establishments to hang out
-New friends here
-Somewhat lack of responsibility that comes with being away for the summer
-German...though maybe not
-Apfelschorle (mineral water and apple juice, like cheap sparkling juice) I miss it every time.
-Well dressed people (It goes both ways, believe me.)
-Nice work building
-Milchkaffee
-Good smelling guys
-Super cheap cafeteria meals
-Trying to open beer bottles a myriad of ways (I'm finally able to open one with a lighter.)
-0.5liter cocktails to go for 3.50EUR

Some other observations:

Hair in Europe: People are much more liberal with their hair here, or at least it seems like it. Women of all ages will have crazy cuts and poor coloring decisions (if you ask me). Also the texture/quality of the hair is difference. If you look at girls, I swear most of them have realy fine, thinner, kind of fluffy hair. It's hard to describe, but if you ever come here, look around at the girls my age and you'll notice it.

Fashion: The fashion styles are definitely different here. Shoes are a big thing as well as jackets too I think. You would never see the uggs and leggings or long shirt trend here that you do in the US. People love to wear white here. It's incredible. I think everyone owns a pair of white pants, men included.

Tight pants: Men definitely wear tighter pants here, which is a nice change in some ways, but then again not. It's nice not to see sagging pants and boxers all the time, but sometimes, pants are just a little TOO tight.