It's a Teutonic Land, baby.

First week of non-officially-started Erasmus.

Right now, I'm laying on my bed at Steffi's Hostel, Heidelberg, located in the amusing german region of Baden-Wuttemberg.

I finally got a home with my Erasmus mate (yay!) after a worrying start of our research. I'm ready to start my studies, or at least I think so... And all that's left to do regards bureaucracy - that hideous thing I thought I would have eventually left in Italy, until next fallout of the system running Ca' Foscari website. Because there'll be one as usual, I expect. But I'm prepared for that.

The matter is, I was not even slightly prepared to face German bureaucracy, not only because of the amount of things it compels, but also because of a structure I didn't expect.

The Italian curious phenomenon described perfectly throughout something like "The twelve tasks of Asterix" movie shows an office system ready to freak you over.

"We are not the right desk for this, try the second on the left at Central Building's second floor!", "Not really, you should go to Info Center at Uni Square to be sure", "Well, if you just try to ask the City Hall...", and so on. I can assure you, this is not an Italian exclusive method (ohohoh, destroying stereotypes, how I llove it!).

Sure, German efficiency is pretty famous and correctly assigned in most circumstances. Even in this one, I'd say. But cases like the Italian offices' Triathlon happen pretty often, actually - I experienced some in the past days.

This notwithstanding, if I'm a foreign student that arrives at the beginning of the month, moreover after notifying it to you, I expect to apply for my studies at your offices when you told me to be there. Right? Not a parade, nor a sumptuous Ceremony like Hogwarts'. Just doing what I'm supposed to do.

So, finding closed the desk responsible to sign most of my documents for the exchange during the entire first week before the Orientation and the Language placement Test is not pleasant.

Let's also add my still-not-acquired knowledge about German national holidays, that makes me try to apply during the Day of German Unity, running to get to the offices before offices closing time and finding them all shut. I felt terrible, with all the matters I still ought to manage before the lectures start.

So, I'm a little upset.

Anyway, apart from these traumas, I still reckon there're loads of differences from Italian University system, starting from spaces and places dedicated to students' academic and private time, adding the availability of Staff and Students' Support, pretty affordable living costs and so on. Moreover, if you don't know German, in most cases you'll find someone that can speak English just around the corner - not everybody, of course, but a good percentage of citizens can manage a little English, or even Italian in my case. Speaking of that, it's pretty common to get in touch with other Italians, noticing their home accent at the bus stop and pointing out there's a big Italian community nearby, as well as encountering nationals within the Hostel guests or waiting at Uni offices like you. Pretty fun, to be honest.
All of these things go along with a very fascinating atmosphere, permeating the Altstadt, or Old Town, and many other places.
To close this quick (yeah, for me this is short) post, I can assure you that it's not a case if I came here for Japanese and Asian Studies.
At least I can overheard the discourses between Asians guests in the Kitchen without them knowing. And considering how they've been occupying the stoves in the common room, I don't even feel guilty for it. It's called karma, dearies.
Sooo good! :D *giggles*

Tschüß!