As my time in Germany sadly comes to an end, I thought it might be interesting to talk about some aspects of German Culture different from those of US Culture.

For the past 6 months I have been taking dance lessons. Dance Class for most men in the US is often viewed as anywhere from ridiculous, to subtly acceptable as wedding preparation. Here in Hamburg however, it is not only widely accepted, but seen as a right of passage for both boys and girls.

Letzte Woche, habe ich die Gelegenheit gehabt, ein Praktikum bei meinem Bundestagsabgeordnetem im Büro zu machen.

Two weekends ago, I had the opportunity to go see the Hamburg Haspa Marathon.

At the beginning of my exchange year, The American Field Service, or AFS (my study abroad organization) told us that Germans are sometimes a bit like coconuts.

Looking back on my exchange so far, I think I've really done a good job of getting the most out of my time here. Without giving it a second thought, some people might think that means I've travelled all around Europe or taken a trip every other weekend. However, what that means to me is that I have lived my life here in such a way that it doesn't feel like vacation, but instead, simply as if I am living my life in Germany instead of in the US.

Today I had the privilege of giving the second week of Parlamentarisches Patenschafts Program Stipendiaten (Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Scholars) a tour of Hamburg. After leaving school a bit early, I headed into town to meet up with everyone.

Today I played 8-Ball with one of my friends after school. After I talked with him about the different rules people play by in the USA and Germany, we found out (thanks to the guidelines of the German Billiard Union) that we had both been playing with false guidelines.