Student Blues

When we first arrived in Memphis, Whitney Jacks (president of the German Club) and other American students  picked us up at the airport and gave us a very warm welcome. They drove us to our dorms and went to have dinner with us at “Tracks”, a typical American Bar and Restaurant near Campus. All the German exchange students live on Carpenter Complex, the most expensive but also the nicest and safest place to stay at on Campus. Each house contains twelve apartments, where three to four people stay in. In contrast to Wilder Tower, another dorm on Campus, every student has an own room. There is a kitchen, two bathrooms and a living room in the apartments.  But in order to live in Carpenter Complex, you have to buy everything from scratch: Bed sheets and pillows, clothes hangers, toilet paper, pans, pots, plates, trashcans…just EVERYTHING. That’s the reason why we slept on plain mattress covered with cloths and towels the very first night we stayed here. Thank god the study abroad office organized a huge bus to take us to Wal-Mart the day after we arrived. I think I spent almost $450 on my first trip to the shopping center, which, by the way, is a cultural experience itself.

Due to the shopping flash on one side, and the contrasting feeling of the jetlag on the other side, I bought all the decoration items for my room in the color blue. I only realized back home that I must have been in some kind of bad depression while I put everything blue I could find in my huge Wal-Mart buggy. But now I kind of got used to it and really enjoy staying in the blue hell that I decorated. But the main reasons why I enjoy living here so much are my roommates. Lindsey is a 19-year-old freshman from Ripley, Tennessee, whereas Lorraine (21) is originally from Kenya and a sophomore with a Nursing major. We get along really well and staying with them is like staying with old friends. One of my first weekends in Memphis I spent at Lorraine’s house and had a BBQ with her family, and even Lindsey’s mom asked me to stay in Memphis longer, so she can have two daughters to take care of.

                                                        

                                      


Speaking of my first days in Memphis there is one huge part that needs to be mentioned: The German Club. From the very first day the students in the German Club took care of us. Everyone has his or her own buddy, that helped us organize the first few weeks, took us to the shops, invited us to parties, and explained all the American habits that occurred strange to us in the first place. Due to these efforts, the Germans were pushed gently in their first college experiences, such as beer pong, house parties, and sorority and fraternity events. Without them, organizing life 7000 kilometers away from home would have been so much harder and less fun. I am really glad we had the opportunity to meet these guys and become friends with them. 

                                      

As long as I can see my toes, I’m still good, right?!

„Don’t worry about your weight, you’ll get fat anyway!” That was the very first secret former exchange students revealed about college life in America. And ever since I arrived in Memphis, people seemed to be more concerned about what I eat than what I study.

Well then, here comes the information to satisfy your hunger. I arrived in the land of supersize me, ruled by Burgers, Pizzas, Sandwiches and Microwaves. What is the point of cooking when each of the 82 American fast-food chains has a drive thru that throws your Double-Fatty-Greasy- Burger with Coke and fries directly through your open window while passing the restaurant? And come on: it comes with meat, lettuce, vegetables, bread and potatoes (that’s what fries are made of, isn’t it?), is there any way to eat healthier than that?

Well… yes…. There is. Americans keep asking me (totally astonished) about German food. I guess there is no rule about German Food in general. Although we are known for sauerkraut, knödel, hog roast and Bavarian sausages - this is not all there is to eat back home. As far as I am concerned, every family I know tries to eat as healthy as possible. That manly includes fresh vegetables and fruits, meat, rice, noodles and potatoes in all kinds of variations. But here is the secret about it, and please don’t tell it anyone else: we- cook- every- single- day! And by cooking I’m not talking about taking a “hungry man” out of the fridge and putting it into the microwave. Using a pan and a pot to actually fix something to eat is a more than surprisingly behavior to most of the Americans I met.

Most of the German exchange students on the other side try to eat the same things here, as they’d eat at home. But living healthy in America is really really expensive. I spent most of my dollars on vegetables and fruits. But against all German prejudices: Americans do have fresh vegetables to buy in their grocery stores! Here is the photographic proof: 

Now that I am trying to eat as healthy as possible, I think my roommates are actually enjoying the food we cook. And eating together with them is really a lot of fun! But there is one thing that I really miss over here: German bread. Not toast. Bread!