I have been living in Oestrich-Winkel now for exactly four months now. Depending on the weather outside you could find yourself outside walking near the Rhine, or in your room studying and passing by the time with your flat mates. There is very little to keep yourself entertained on a regular night here in the town. Maybe a few student parties from time to time or a German motorist trying to run you over with their car while you ride down the street. My stay here in Germany has been incredible and I have made some great new friends I will never forget. I respect and love the culture and this will definitely not be the last time I will come back to Germany. Ich habe einen stark liebe für das alte Deutschland, vielleicht sind es die frauen. The most people I have run into speak English, if you know English you can basically survive anywhere. Being in Germany I wanted to try out a little bit of my German. There were 2 occasions where I had asked simple questions in German to a couple of locals and gotten a response in English. I was a little disappointed and shocked at the same time. It is entertaining trying to understand the German student’s conversations and trying to have conversations in German with my friends here.
There have been interesting day-to-day events, but I do have to mention the store Rewe, if you are ever an exchange student here in Oestrich-Winkel you will come to love and know this store better than your own children. Compared to the United States, the food prices here are cheap and very affordable for a college student. I have also noticed it is quite the hangout for the local German teens who like to speed around the parking lot in the evening; this seems to be the hotspot for local life. It is quite different here, such as back in the states you would expect people to be out getting lunch at noon or one in the afternoon, but Oestrich-Winkel turns into a ghost town. The store shops are closed and maybe one sickly man is walking the streets. I have taken the trains outside of the Winkel for a bit of traveling. Taking the train towards Neuwied provides incredible scenery along the Rhine. You can spot several castles in the mountains on either side of the river and even one in the middle of the Rhine. The view is nothing like you could ever see in the United States. The architecture is beautiful, I especially like the stone streets and several centuries of different architectural designs. To say the least I love Germany and Europe. A three hour drive from Louisville could land you in Nashville or I can take a three hour drive from Oestrich-Winkel and stay in Paris, France for the weekend. Country music or the Louvre? What a tough decision.