Author: kennyalaba

SO it seems many of my peers would like to know what it is like to be around Germans for so long. Many ask if they are aggressive or impulsive. I can assure you they are nothing of the sort. The one thing I learned from being in Germany for so long, is that you must initiate conversation, when you are in a public setting. They will make faces like a normal head nod, or a wave of the hand, but if you want a good conversation you more than likely will make the first move. I’m not sure if they are reserved or just mind their own business, but they are nonetheless one of my favorite people to converse with. In my experience, when I ask them “how is your day?”, or “how are you doing?”, they are going to truly answer with real input. I’ve had many conversations with Germans and even foreigners who have lived in Germany for some time and they all give me great conversation. This picture I’m using as the feature photo shows  beautiful the day-life is in Frankfurt Germany. There are many bridges in Frankfurt, and there is one in particular that the people use to place their locks on. You are suppose to get a lock and write the name of you and your lover and then commence locking it on the railing of the bridge. I thought it was really cute, not something I would to show my love for someone, but it does give the bridge a lot of character. There are many different colors, shapes, and sizes. I think the locks hold a story of the lovers that placed their locks there. The daily life in Frankfurt is very busy. There are always people using the Bus and train system. There are more people on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday because there is a Market on those days. The markets have many different assortments of fruits and veggies, sometimes flowers. They also have sandwiches and soup shops. If you come to Frankfurt you will be sure to have a great time with the cuisine and the people here are more than welcoming in their mannerisms. I will post next time on the night life. Stay tuned !!!

Anybody who knows me at Virginia Wesleyan or from my Tennis Center where I grew up and now I am a currently a coach for, knows that I am a total clown. I embody that completely. I feel you must enjoy your new experiences to the fullest. When I enjoy things, as a reaction I smile. Some might say I smile too much, others might ask why? I just feel there is an overwhelming amount of love and happiness that I must share with the people around me. Why not smile? What is the point hiding the good feelings inside? Because of the possibility of me being looked at awkwardly? I think NOT! Why should I hide the butterflies I feel inside? If you have not already noticed, the poster behind me is the Map of Germany. If I were to spread my entire body across the entire poster I would most than likely cover the majority of it. I take that symbolically as me conquering the German language. I will get there and I’m currently making provisions to make that goal a reality. So far I can watch German tv and understand what they are saying, Hold good conversations with the native speakers, and order food.  I still have more to learn. For me it will always be smiles and sunshine. And let’s not forget hard work and dedication. Even if the sun is not shining, I will smile and the sun’s rays will emanate from me to everyone in my vicinity. This is end end of my second month at the Goethe Institut. I’m still fighting on. I’m still here chasing my dreams. It’s only getting harder and I’m only getting stronger. I’m curious as to what my next class entails. Will I have to speak over theories ? Maybe even read German poems, go deeper into German history, or the current rise in German music culture. I have no clue. But let it come. P.s. My next post is going to be very interesting so stay tuned!!!!

Many questions arise when your education and learning is concerned. For me the most important one is “What is family?” This is the end of the first month of my education. These are the other students I spent my time with everyday for a month, and this is the lovely teacher who challenged us, not only on a day to day basis, but even an hour to hour basis. Never giving us a chance to become complacent and/or lazy. She knew the potential of everyone in the classroom and yet she still found a way to challenge everyone to their fullest capacity. I consider her to be like a mother. One who carefully guided and nurtured each and every one of us in our lessons. The men on each of the ends and in the middle were like brothers to me. We were always cracking jokes and keep the tension low. I’d like to think we became the class entertainment, but we could not have performed at our best without the ladies, of course. They always kept us on our toes. If the guys ever won a game against the girls (which was not often) it was definitely hard fought. We were always constantly helping each other with understanding the curriculum. We were a family of shared knowledge. If one person knew the correct answer, we would guide the others to the right answer, not just simply give the answer. This is how we kept everyone accountable for their German Language learning experience. We used competition as one of the means to better our education. We would spend nights studying, to come the following day with an enhanced vocabulary, so we could display our talents within the games we played. Many times it ended with one team barely crawling by with a victory, and that is one of the things I loved. Competition does not have to be simply about winning or losing. It can become an instrument for challenging each and every student within a classroom. I’m very happy with my first 4 weeks of Intensive learning. I feel we as a class took hold of our learning experience. First by learning the Material, Next by practicing with each other, and later actually using the skills we acquired with the locals in Frankfurt. I can definitely say on the first day of the course, I thought my time here was going to be a cake walk. The second day woke me up and I quickly sprung to action. We as a class could have folded, we could have complained (we did a little of that honestly), we could have remained confused and lost. This however was not an option for us. Not one of us came for fun. The majority of my classmates were either married or had a partner who spoke fluent German, so their motivation came from the desire to speak with their significant others. Some others wanted to pursue a professional career. I was the only person who was not either married or living with my partner. My motivation came from my simple love for the German language, people, culture, and lifestyle. I also want to pursue my career of becoming a translator. German being one of the few I wish to learn at the moment. Since the last time I was here, a huge part of me was missing. Now just because I am back on German soil does not imply my journey has ended. In fact, it is only beginning. First month down, and there is more to come. Stay tuned folks.

The picture featured in this post is the entrance to the Städel Museum. This Museum was established by John Freidrich Städel. He was a business man and a banker he built this museum in 1815. In 1760, after his father passed, He began collecting rare paintings and artworks and later built the Städel Museum which is one of the oldest museums in Germany today. The Goethe Instutit was thoughtful enough to grant the students a chance to see the “Battle of the Sexes” exhibition offered by The Städel Museum. The Städel museum described it best “The exhibition “Battle of the Sexes: Franz von Stuck to Frida Kahlo” will shed light on the artistic investigation of gender roles from the mid-nineteenth century to the end of World War II. The traditional definition of male and female as active/passive, rational/emotional, culture/nature was heavily debated in modern art: many artists presented their viewers with overstated gender characteristics and cemented stereotypical role models in their works. Others challenged established clichés and endeavoured to subvert them with strategies such as irony, exaggeration, masquerade and blending.” Most of these paintings were very graphic in its imagery. From blood and gore,to mysterious and often questionable works, This musuem shed light on many of the untouched subjects of this time. The majority of the paintings featured women in more aggressive and dominant manner. During the Mid 19th Century to the end of World War II, it was told that women wanted to have a more independent role in everyday life. The men of this time did not agree and they shunned the thought of a women having equal rights with themselves. So naturally, the women grew very strategic in mind and they faught for freedom and equality. I am a proud believer of the forbidden fruit syndrome. If you flaunt something in someones face and make then feel inferior, eventually they will rise up and take whatever it is that you kept from them. Its the natural order of things. If I tell a child he/she cannot have a cookie and then naturally that child will build a strong obession for cookies. Sooner or later that child will grow and take what it is that I kept from him because he will feel as though we are equals. People get tired of being treated as “less than” or “inferior.” I’m a proud believer of equality. Interestingly enough, I have noticed that there will always be people who want more than others. On the contrary the people who have lesser will always want to be treated as equals. The answer is not written in stone. We must find a balance (Of course thats easier said than done). Not everyone wants a mansion or a luxury car. Some people (like myself) just want live an honest life and help people. Sure I like money and cars and jewelry, but I understand all of that is not necessary to live. At the end of the day everyone just wants to be loved and they find ways to reach that fulfillment.  Thats all for my point of view. Please feel free to comment and share what you all believe. Until next time! Stay tuned!

SO yesterday, I visited this museum called “No pain, No Game” in downtown Frankfurt Germany. This is the Museum of Communication. This museum makes art physically tangible beyond your comfort zone. The museum features, A computer game that penalizes errors with genuine pain, The world’s smallest social network, real life 3D version of Pinball, and if it wasn’t already interesting enough, A maze game used with an 8Ball that is magically moved by singing. The featured video/image is of me playing the main attraction, “No pain No Game.” Before you play the game, You must me 18 years or older, and you must be aware that you are playing at your own risk. There is a sign right next to the game that says “Play at you own risk. You must be 18 years or older to play or have parent/guardian present.” If that doesn’t frighten you then I suppose having “Pain Station” written in Bold print as the header should do the trick. Of course, I was not going to allow these precautionary measures presented by the museum to frighten me. The point of this game is rather contradictory and often times can prove to be counterintuitive. You are playing a game of classic Pong. Where the ball goes back and forth and each player has a line/board to redirect the ball in the opposite direction. In regular Pong if the ball goes past your opponent’s board, then you score a point. In this game as the game goes on you acquire these Boxes behind your board and each represent a different type of pain. Heat, shocking/electricity, and last but definitely not least (actually the most painful) the whip. If the ball hits one of these boxes the pain is delivered to you. In the beginning the shock and heat are not very noticeable, but as the game goes on it proves to make a big difference. The game has different obstacles I.e., If the ball hits the boxes in the middle the ball can go faster, or the ball can multiply into 6, and it can make a wall in the middle so the ball come back faster and your reaction time becomes shorter. The counterintuitive part is each player must place their left hand on these two buttons and you give pressure to start the game. If you left your hand, then you lose the game and it means basically “you could not handle the pain”, BUT the only way to score points if the ball hits one of your boxes and pain is dealt. If your opponent lifts his hand, then you win, but chances are you won’t get a very high score if you opponent can’t handle the pain. In actuality, the best way to get a high score is play the game once, and make sure you and your opponent are not wimps. It was a very enjoyable game. This trip orchistrated by the Goethe institut was definitely a memorable and fun one. I’ve noticed museums in Germany are very different from the United States. In Germany there are more Guides/Tour workers so they can help you with your experience in the museum. In the United States they have everything written out for you to read or a video for you to watch and this takes the passion out of your personal experience. I want to be told a story by a person with enthusiasm and charisma. Of course I’m not sure if every museum in Germany is like this, but so far I have not been proven wrong. Ladies and Gentlemen, if you are ever in Frankfurt you absolutely go to this Museum. You will be given a hands on experience coupled with friendly service. That is all for this experience, and please be sure to stay tuned! I have another coming soon.

So as I continue my stay in Germany. Everyone seems to keep asking me if I am homesick. Maybe it is a requirement for going abroad and being away from my family and friends. Unfortunately for them, I am pretty sure I am not homesick. I was (sick) when I first arrived and since I did not have my (home) remedies, I was sick for a longer time than on a normal day back in the USA. But I’m pretty sure I am not homesick. Most of my friends know that I have lived in Germany for 5 years prior to the time I am currently spending over here. Germany is where my heart lies, and it has been that way for a long time. Since I came to college at Virginia Wesleyan I have come to this realization. You cannot run from something that you love. If you truly love it, then that love will never diminish. The time I spent here so far has reminded me how much I have abandoned Germany. I know I am not just fooling myself with how much I love Germany. I believe there is something I do not like about Germany. Let me take a moment to think. OK That is definitely a lie, but that is beside the point. Everyone who I have met so far has been very helpful and Generous. Talking to people in the street is a breeze. Even if they are in somewhat of a hurry, if you ask for help, they will help you. I try not to allow what other people say influence my decisions entirely. You cannot allow dogma to control your life. The featured image represents the building blocks that provide the foundation for my future and immersion into the German culture and language. Each brick is symbolic for something new I have learned. In a way it is my revelations. The castle as a whole is my life and the more I experience the bigger and stronger my castle becomes. If there is one thing I want you take from this post. Do not let people  build a world for you to live in.  Instead, you should build your castle for the world to see. You must go out and experience for yourself in order for you to understand. But enough with the talking. This is the start of a new week and I’m excited for the challenges that are in front of me. Stay tuned!

This day I went on this little adventure courtesy of The Goethe Institut. We travelled to Aschaffenburg, Germany and we went to one of the castles. We were at the Schloss Johannisburg Pompejanum. There is the (Schloss) which translates to castle. Then there is the Park Schönbusch. This photo I took outside the castle on the Park side. Throughout this sight-seeing adventure we were being informed of the history behind this wonderful castle.  This castle until 1803 was the second residence for Mainz. This is the center of Aschaffenburg the Shore of Mainz. I also learned some interesting history behind the Swedish attacking Germans. My instructors informed me it was either dishonorable or they simply did not start a war during the winter. When the Swedish army arrived they thought the castle of Aschaffenburg was so beautiful, they did not destroy it. I started laughing when I heard them say this. I thought it was interesting how in times of war certain monuments or treasure acquired by the winner of a war could still be cherished and prized. I made many friends at the dinner table after we left this castle. They were all from Greece and of course that was an interesting treat. Speaking over the cultural differences between Germany, Greece, and the USA. Keep in mind that during this entire trip everyone was speaking German. The instructors refuse to speak English and many of them do not speak English. That is the thing I love about being in this Country. You can’t run away from the language. If you refuse to speak the language of a country, then you simply will not eat or even enjoy yourself for that matter. Since I am a linguist, I suppose I have grown to love languages so I will never refuse to speak to the language of the country I am currently residing. That would very counterintuitive indeed. There are just many things I enjoy about American and German culture alike. I believe you must be appreciative of the differences between your own culture and another. If  everyone did the same things, would not life be really boring? We would not have much to talk about now would we? I am always learning new things and that is the most important thing. Always look for new things to learn, new avenues to walk, new ideas to ponder, because life is too short to be complacent. Go build your bridges 😉 Stay tuned !!!

Recently I’ve learned the German language is definitely not an easy language. With the endless cases, backwards sentence structure, multiple words within one word. What am I to do? Give up? Sometimes I think I am a comedian asking rhetorical questions like that. No, I’m not giving up. This is my dream. Dreams are not easily obtained  This is also my reality. I must prevail. I am here for a reason. Not only to learn the language and meet new people. Not only to travel around and see different places. I am here to be an ambassador for not only my school (Virginia Wesleyan) but for the USA. I don’t know about you, but as far as I’m concerned ambassadors don’t quit. They don’t allow the adversity to beat them. They take the journey one day at a time. They might stumble and fall, but ultimately they must progress forward. I will progress forward.

Stay tuned!

This has been an interesting week so far. Many challenges have presented themselves and I have not failed to rise above the adversity. Monday was definitely a wake up call as far as understanding the differences between the school systems in the USA and Germany. German schools are more intensive than most schools in the USA. We have at least 20 pages of homework everyday. There has been intensive work and many hours to forfeit for the goal. I’ve learned this is the real world of linguistics. Your studies are definitely not to be trifled with on any level. I am just coming to the realization of the amount of work I must put in to reach my goal. This is a good learning experience. The first day of class there were students who did not feel the curriculum was satisfactory, and they were enlightened to know that the 1st day was just merely an introduction. We came together as a group and decided to take ownership of our learning experience. We have established study groups and developed studying methods to better assist our immersion into the language. It’s definitely nice to have all adults around me. I am the youngest out of everyone who is enrolled in my institute. We are definitely becoming a family of students. Sometimes having rivalries and competitions, but at the end of the day, We are helping each other reach a common goal. I’m very excited and ready for future challenges to come. Stay tuned!

I’ve had love for many things in my life. Tennis, Soccer,  my family (mom and dad extended family, etc.), my Virginia Wesleyan College family, but “Meine Ehre Heißt Treue” that translates to; My Honor called Loyalty. Throughout my life I’ve never forgotten about my love for Germany. My desire to be back on German soil burns more fierce than the fire of the sun over our skin. I’m looking forward to continuing my journey towards my goals and aspirations. This is only the beginning. I thank Virginia Wesleyan for granting me the opportunity to represent them as a student ambassador. Let the journey begin.