Hello, my name is Holly, I am 19 and this year I will be spending a year in Münster, Germany. I am working as a Fremdsprachenassistentin (English foreign language assistant) in a Gymnasium (grammar school) in Dülmen which is near Münster and I have been here for three weeks now.
When I first arrived I had great expectations of the German transport system, in particular Deutsche Bahn which is the main train company here in Germany. We have all heard the stereotypes of Germany being a very punctual country. However I soon realised that even the best systems are not always perfect. When I walked up to Gleis 14 (platform 14), I saw that my train had eine Verspätung (a delay). It turned out not to be a huge problem as this one-off delay gave me the opportunity to try and find some delicious, traditional German food. I definitely recommend Currywurst (sliced pork sausage covered in tomato sauce and curry powder). I also managed to buy a Bahn Card 50 which is a popular rail card that gets a 50% discount on train tickets all over Germany and in parts of Switzerland and Austria.
Another thing that I noticed at the train station was the use of zwo instead of zwei for the number two. Zwo is used, for example, at train stations when making announcements about numbers of platforms and train times, as zwei can often be confused with drei (three).
So far I am really enjoying my time here in this beautiful country and I feel I have already learned a lot about the language and culture. I am looking forward to sharing my experiences with you.
Bis Bald – see you soon!
