Heute ist Freitag

Now it feels like things have flip flopped a bit. Comprehension in my classes seems to be getting easier, but understanding every day language is still hard. I think the vocabulary in class is quite a bit smaller, just because it seems like words we use in class are words I can remember studying. I suppose the vocabulary used in everyday life is just ... much broader. Also, I can look up a word in my dictionary, and then the same word is usually repeated in class. I still feel very out of touch with what is going on around me though. I wish I could communicate better. And then of course, my friend Allison came over to my host family's house yesterday, and she can talk up a storm in German, and it makes me feel stupid. Later, when I was helping my host mom, Renate, cook dinner, she said something like, Allison has been taking German for a while, yes? I know she wasn't trying to make me feel bad, and she even apologized as soon as she saw the look on my face, but man did it make me feel stupid. Well, not stupid, but just frustrated that I can't communicate so clearly. I know I'm not stupid, obviously, I just haven't studied as long. It doesn't make it any less frustrating though..
I went shopping again today, because I needed some black socks. I brought some with me, but it turns out that they didn't match. One thing I am really am missing is cheap, comprehensive stores you can find in America, like Walmart, or Target. As far as I can tell, you have to go to a specialty shop to really find what you want. Kaufland is somewhat comprehensive, but their selection is not so wide, so for example, if you want school supplies, you have to go to a paperstore; if you want running pants, you have to go to a sport store.... etc. I suppose that this is not completely true...but man! It sure would be nice to just be able to go to Target and get everything I need!!! Shoes, clothes, school supplies...etc.
But interestingly enough, I went to a bookstore (wow...I actually started to type out the German word for book, buch, and for a minute there I couldn't remember how to spell it in English...) and I found some really cheap dvds. I found Kiki's Delivery Service in German! I'm really excited to watch it. In German it's called "Kiki's kleiner Lieferservice" which is really just Kiki's little deliverys ervice, so not a whole lot of difference.. Speaking of Kiki's Delivery Service, yesterday while in Nürnberg, I saw a bunch of signs that made me think of Kiki!