Sunday, September 18, 2005

Cheers!

Deutschkurs Grundstufe 3 (Basic German class 3) just ended on Friday and I have a test coming up to get into Mittelstufe (Intermediate) classes. It's called intensiv because the classes are Mon-Fri. from 9am-1pm, but it's been intensive for reasons beyond the schedule. Different nationalities, races, religions, cultures, ages, are forgotten because we're all relatively new here, don't speak the language, and are a little lonely for some company during the day...since 9am-1pm would indicate that most of us are also unemployed. It's quite the push and pull for everyone because of this. Intense swings of neediness and need for your own time. Intense thinking just to try and explain yourself or how your feeling. Intense homesickness. Intense love for the new community. And intense change. Whereas I've been though this with some for eight months, I still meet new people in various levels of German class every day and a healthy amount of regular faces show up at the park by the Neckar river to hang out on Friday afternoons after class...probably where I got the most out of using my German because it's the only language most of us have in common. And it's amazing how far a little German *can* go when I'm talking to Tay from Iraq, Abdel from Palestine, or Sumeye and Zeynep from Turkey.

Deutschkurs 3 marks the end for a lot of people who will move on to other jobs, cities, schools, etc. So as a tribute and celebration of all the people I've talked to in the past eight months, I'd like to say:
  • Cheers!
  • Jambo! (Kenya)
  • Fisehatak! (to your health in Iraq)
  • Shucram! (United Arab Emirates)
  • Vashi! (Iran)
  • Saude! (Brazil)
  • Na Zdrave! (Bulgaria)
  • Salud! (Chile)
  • Gom bui! (Chinese, though I don't know which form)
  • Na zdraví! (Czechoslovakia)
  • Salud! (Dominican Republic)
  • À votre santé! (Algeria)
  • Prost! (German)
  • Eis Igian! (Greek)
  • A la sature! (Indian)
  • Kampai! (Japan)
  • Salud! (Mexico)
  • Salud! (Peru)
  • Na zdrowie! (Poland)
  • Noroc! (Romania)
  • Budmo! (Ukraine)
  • Na zdorovje! (Uzbekistan)
  • Na zdravie! (Yugoslavia)
  • Serefe! (Turkey)
  • Can ly! (Vietnam)
  • Salud! (Spain)
  • Salud! (Paraguay)
  • Gëzuar (Kosovo)

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