Ich glaube ich kann....

Ya know...I think I just might actually be able to speak this language. I’m no where near perfect, but maybe I should be a little more confident. Yesterday I had an audition in a tiny tiny town in Germany. It turned out to be a rather well respected summer festival (who knew?). I was able to not only conduct my audition in German, but make small talk, and poke fun at myself too. It went something like this:

Director: If we cast you as Clorinda, you’re too pretty! Don Ramio would pick you over Cinderella! 

Me: Oh no sir. I can be really ugly if I want to (makes funny face) and I sang this piece over 200 times in the states.

Director: 200 times?

Me: Yes. For kids. We went from school to school and sang Cinderella for kids across the country, and I promise you, give me a “unibrow” and a mustache like a hairy old sicilian woman and I’m super ugly.   

Director: (Hysterical laughter) 

Me: Sorry, I don’t know that word in german, Unibrow? Hair here, between the eyes. 

(Laughs all around)

Me: I also make a really ugly old lady. I was Berta at Opera Colorado and I promise you, I was supper ugly. There’s a picture of this on my website. 

Director: Ach so! 

Me: Yes sir! With the right makeup and a funny walk, I promise Don Ramiro will go for Cinderella. 

Ok, maybe it wasn’t actually that smooth auf Deutsch, but I got my points across. We also chatted about how pretty it was there, that I am outdoorsy, and want to see the local castle, where I’m studying Germany, how long I’ve studied German and on and on and on. If I get this gig- awesome. If not, who cares! For the first time ever I don’t feel petrified about talking! I am so happy to know that I can make decent small talk in German. Though, I think I might be funnier in German....weird. 

(A snowy morning here in Berlin)

Now I have a few days to catch my breath, here in Berlin, hopefully have a lesson and coaching before I start classes at the Goethe Institute :-) Oh, and another audition over the weekend....back in Munich. Never a dull moment!  

I’ve started a list of things I like/ don’t like about Germany. So far it looks like this:

Things I like about Germany

1. Döner & Dürüm. Cheap, somewhat healthy tastiness. 
2. That it’s totally normal to stop at 3pm for a Cafe & Kuchen. Who needs a real lunch when there’s caffein and sugar? 
3. The bread here is AMAZING! Really dense, but just what I want on a cold cold day. 
4. English borrowings: Kein Stress baby! 
5. Reliable public Transit
6. Beer- it is delicious, and completely acceptable to drink whnever and wherever you want. Wanna take that beer on the subway? Kein Stress, it’s your Wegbier. A little hungover? You better have a Breakfast-beer. 
7. No preservatives in my food. Living “high fructose corn syrup” free feels amazing.
8. Beer- it is cheaper than water. 
9. Trying to speak to other foreiners in German....when they barley speak german themselves. Hilarious! 
10. Watching the Simpsons & Family Guy in German. Ausgezeichnet. 
11. Schlager. Say what you will, these songs are catchy as hell and I love a room of drunks arm in arm singing along with strangers to silly songs that make no sense i.e. There is a horse int he hallway ein Pferd auf dem Flur

Things I do NOT like about Germany

1. The toilets. They are practically waterless...so they are extra stinky. Think your sh*t doesn’t stink? Think again! 
2. Germans, you should really eat your vegetables. No. Really. I want to eat more vegetables & hippie food. 
3. No mexican restaurants :-( Sigh. Mama Mexico will be my first stop in NYC. I want to dive into a swimming pool of guacamole. 

Tschüß- I've got music to learn!