So this last weekend was finally the Christmas party! I love partying with the other exchange students, it is the best. It was a house party at my friend Jessica's, who is also from USA, and everyone was invited. In the morning I left with Dju just before 2.
All the trains in Germany, and basically European transportation as a general, suck right now. There is snow and ice and everything is late (if it comes). To give you an idea of how bad it is now, the Berlin S-Bahn usually comes every 10 minutes all over Berlin and everyone uses it, it is often packed. Now with the current conditions the S-Bahn only comes once an hour. Use your imagination on how that goes. We took one of the larger trains (RE1) to Berlin, but it stopped before we were even half way, then we had to take 2 S-Bahns just because everything is screwed up. I used to think the transportation was amazing here, not anymore. If it snows and is cold each year, by now this shouldn't be a surprise.
We quickly went shopping by Friedrichstraße and then waited for the next train to Potsdam.
On our train (45 minutes later) was a good long ride, part way through Potsdam we ran into a couple other of our exchanger buddies going to Jessica's too. So we took the rest of the ride together. When we finally got to Werdel (Havel) it was a relief to find someone waiting at the station for us.
That evening started out with cheesecake and tea and talking across the large table with all of our friends and Jessica's host family. More and more people started showing up and after we had all eaten and talked for a few hours, the party moved over to the little house in the back yard. Most people slept over, and that place was packed. It was a good night.
The next day when I got home my host dad told me to go to bed and get some sleep. I basically just slept, ate, and watched movies with my host dad that day. I was too tired for anything else.
This last week was only 3 days of school. Monday I went to the gym, Tuesday I went to Josie's, and Wednesday (today) I had another Christmas concert and then went in the city with Dju.
At Josie's we first went on a walk. Then it was so cold we decided to make hot chocolate and watch a movie. The hot chocolate had to be from soy milk because Josie has stomache problems, and it was a bit too filling. I made it. Then we watched ... something I forgot the name of. Oh wait, I remember! "Little Women" It was actually really funny. There was one sad scene where someone died, but most of the rest was just so funny, it was a lot of fun.
The Christmas concert (the second one) went fine. This time no homesickness, and a lot more performances. I came home afterwords and my teacher was nice enough to drive me there because I had lost my bus. Then I went later back in the city with Dju looking to get some new boots, but we didn't have any luck with that. Last night when I got home I wanted to skype with my parents. I watched Dr. House and another show first, then discovered that the wonderful magical skype was broken. How can skype be broken? It is the site that connects across oceans, its the one that should be called facebook, because you see someones face with the video cam on your mac boo. Right? Yes. That's what I thought. I was stuck with normal facebook for a while until it finally worked again.
I had a sleepover with Laura (my host sister) last night. That was fun. I got out the Oreos, which she had never before eaten, and we tried to watch one of my favorite movies online, because all our movies that are German are downstairs in the room my host parents sleep in, we didn't want to wake them up. So we watched about half of that, then a few silly youtube videos, then dead tired, we slept.
Today I hope to meet up with Jens in Berlin. He can be a little harsh sometimes with what he says (Dju thinks) , but its just honesty, and plus, he's Finnish. I think it is the funniest thing how he speaks every language (he knows 5 already) with the same Finnish melody. It is the greatest thing to hear.
23 December 2010
17 December 2010
Yesterday was quite a day.
It started out with going to school and finding the door to my classroom locked. Instead of waiting for my teacher to show up late, I went to go sit in the waiting area with some friends. It was really nice actually, we just sat for 2 hours there and talked. I did eventually go ask my teacher if I could stay out there, because it was a class with only me and one other exchange student that I don't like, and she said that it was fine. So that's just what I did.
My day moved on with normal classes after that, and I even turned in a paper. The day before I had been assigned the task of writing a book summary for 'Der Vorleser' and I found that really difficult. I had watched the movie with my host mom for clarification, and finally things made sence. My sentences sounded like a handicapped second grader had written them. Thankfully my host mom helped correcct everything and it basically turned into an entirely different thing. It was fine though. That basically took all day. Anyhow, I turned that in and then had a free period.
In my free period Dju and Josie also had no class, so we sat around and ate and talked, and then the school was over. For everyone else, that is. I joined the group that will be doing something for the Christmas concert. I had laughed so hard when my teacher had read a Denglisch poem, so he asked me to read that at the concert with two others.
We went to the cafeteria to practice, get ready, and hang out.Í sat with the other preformers and listened to them play music. That was a lot of fun.
It hit me during the runthrough though when Jule (You-luh) announced that I was a 'special guest' at the concert, that I really was still only a guest to everyone. It was as though I wasn't really there. Homesickness hit me like an avalanche. I told my friend, Marie, and she hugged me until I stopped crying. It got better within about 10 minutes and I felt okay again. Sometimes it is the little things that are the hardest.
The concert went well and we got to eat cake afterwords. I rode the bus with the others that had preformed. It was actiually a really good day.
When I got home I decided to go to the gym. Yay for healthyness!
It started out with going to school and finding the door to my classroom locked. Instead of waiting for my teacher to show up late, I went to go sit in the waiting area with some friends. It was really nice actually, we just sat for 2 hours there and talked. I did eventually go ask my teacher if I could stay out there, because it was a class with only me and one other exchange student that I don't like, and she said that it was fine. So that's just what I did.
My day moved on with normal classes after that, and I even turned in a paper. The day before I had been assigned the task of writing a book summary for 'Der Vorleser' and I found that really difficult. I had watched the movie with my host mom for clarification, and finally things made sence. My sentences sounded like a handicapped second grader had written them. Thankfully my host mom helped correcct everything and it basically turned into an entirely different thing. It was fine though. That basically took all day. Anyhow, I turned that in and then had a free period.
In my free period Dju and Josie also had no class, so we sat around and ate and talked, and then the school was over. For everyone else, that is. I joined the group that will be doing something for the Christmas concert. I had laughed so hard when my teacher had read a Denglisch poem, so he asked me to read that at the concert with two others.
We went to the cafeteria to practice, get ready, and hang out.Í sat with the other preformers and listened to them play music. That was a lot of fun.
It hit me during the runthrough though when Jule (You-luh) announced that I was a 'special guest' at the concert, that I really was still only a guest to everyone. It was as though I wasn't really there. Homesickness hit me like an avalanche. I told my friend, Marie, and she hugged me until I stopped crying. It got better within about 10 minutes and I felt okay again. Sometimes it is the little things that are the hardest.
The concert went well and we got to eat cake afterwords. I rode the bus with the others that had preformed. It was actiually a really good day.
When I got home I decided to go to the gym. Yay for healthyness!
09 December 2010
Sleep...
I fell asleep last night thinking of home.
It started out as thinking of how I wasn't homesick and what was it really that I was missing. I went through various memories with my family and friends and I paused on one of a normal day after school. I don't know what season or when, but it was surely within the last couple years. After school I had come home and the house was quite, a little cold as it usually is, and I just watched a movie or something with my mom and I was playing with her hand noting all the veins and how her nails are always painted a light peach color. That is the memory that just stuck in my mind and that I fell asleep to.
This whole week I've felt slightly off. I don't know what it is exactly, maybe the whether, maybe the time of month, maybe just that I'm trying to grow up too fast.
Things have been going more gray. Emotions wise. As an exchange student I have realized that depending on who you are with you can go from feeling somewhat down to really great within a matter of minutes.
We had St. Nikolaus day on Monday, you leave out your boots and he comes and puts a surprise in them! I was given a music box with Lebkuchen inside, hand cream, and lip balm that smells like Rocher chocolate.
I had hoped to go to London with my class later this year, but I spoke with the teacher today and there are no open spaces. Apparently if I had come to him just a bit earlier it may have still been possible, but before I didn't even know it was an option. It seems almost unfair. Hopefully there will be other trips. I hope.
I have been opening my advents calender each day that hangs on my door. It is fun. I really wish I had grown up with such a fun tradition.
My sleeping pattern is getting a little weird. Without enough excersize I can't sleep properly, and now that it is too cold to go running anymore, that is what is happening.
Today I brought my sport bag to school. It is a big purple thing from USA, and I like the bag okay, but I hate bringing it to school. Imagine this giant purple thing filled with towels that have pictures of Mickey Mouse on them, along with a hairbrush and shampoo to make it heavy. Not just that, but I have to carry it from my hand rather than on my shoulder because the handle isn't long enough. It's a 'hand' bag, which is sadly inconvienient walking to the bus stop in -2ºC whether. I also hate when I get to school and then it flops down by my feet. It can't even stand up properly, it is so off balance and it is such an Eore. Emotionally crippled, I mean, in the way that it just looks depressing falling over so often. It's hard enough wearing my backpack over such a big winter coat, now this. We didn't even have Sports today! I brought that stupid bulky bag to school and carried it around all day when we have sport Theory rather that swimming! I hate sport Theory! I sat there noticing how I could fill a line with 4 words because they were so incredibly long. I'm no prodigy with German, I only knew we were talking about body builders! That stupid bag..... It's purple like medicine. Fake Grape Medicine. I don't like that bag nearly as much as I did in USA.
I think I'm going to bed now... School tomorrow in the 25 cm of snow. I love snow.
It started out as thinking of how I wasn't homesick and what was it really that I was missing. I went through various memories with my family and friends and I paused on one of a normal day after school. I don't know what season or when, but it was surely within the last couple years. After school I had come home and the house was quite, a little cold as it usually is, and I just watched a movie or something with my mom and I was playing with her hand noting all the veins and how her nails are always painted a light peach color. That is the memory that just stuck in my mind and that I fell asleep to.
This whole week I've felt slightly off. I don't know what it is exactly, maybe the whether, maybe the time of month, maybe just that I'm trying to grow up too fast.
Things have been going more gray. Emotions wise. As an exchange student I have realized that depending on who you are with you can go from feeling somewhat down to really great within a matter of minutes.
We had St. Nikolaus day on Monday, you leave out your boots and he comes and puts a surprise in them! I was given a music box with Lebkuchen inside, hand cream, and lip balm that smells like Rocher chocolate.
I had hoped to go to London with my class later this year, but I spoke with the teacher today and there are no open spaces. Apparently if I had come to him just a bit earlier it may have still been possible, but before I didn't even know it was an option. It seems almost unfair. Hopefully there will be other trips. I hope.
I have been opening my advents calender each day that hangs on my door. It is fun. I really wish I had grown up with such a fun tradition.
My sleeping pattern is getting a little weird. Without enough excersize I can't sleep properly, and now that it is too cold to go running anymore, that is what is happening.
Today I brought my sport bag to school. It is a big purple thing from USA, and I like the bag okay, but I hate bringing it to school. Imagine this giant purple thing filled with towels that have pictures of Mickey Mouse on them, along with a hairbrush and shampoo to make it heavy. Not just that, but I have to carry it from my hand rather than on my shoulder because the handle isn't long enough. It's a 'hand' bag, which is sadly inconvienient walking to the bus stop in -2ºC whether. I also hate when I get to school and then it flops down by my feet. It can't even stand up properly, it is so off balance and it is such an Eore. Emotionally crippled, I mean, in the way that it just looks depressing falling over so often. It's hard enough wearing my backpack over such a big winter coat, now this. We didn't even have Sports today! I brought that stupid bulky bag to school and carried it around all day when we have sport Theory rather that swimming! I hate sport Theory! I sat there noticing how I could fill a line with 4 words because they were so incredibly long. I'm no prodigy with German, I only knew we were talking about body builders! That stupid bag..... It's purple like medicine. Fake Grape Medicine. I don't like that bag nearly as much as I did in USA.
I think I'm going to bed now... School tomorrow in the 25 cm of snow. I love snow.
06 December 2010
The other day we picked up a Weihnachts Baum! That means Christmas tree, but in German.
We went there and found a tree and they put it through a hole standing on the ground. It looked super weird, but it was to put a net around the tree to make it easy to carry and whatnot. We then went inside to drink a Glühwein and eat a Bratwurst. Oh, Germans! It was only 9:30 in the morning!
After the tree picking up thing, I went to Theater practice till 3, then to the Bahnhof to meet up with some German friends of mine, and we went to Berlin. Then we went shopping Alexa and it was packed. There was so much snow outside still and when the masses of people trompeded in then all the muddy slush was dragged across the whole first level of the mall. It was grody. I was waiting to meet up with my friend, Will (he's another exchanger from Canada), and we waited about 10 minutes and he showed up I got a great hug, then he had to go again because he had an ice hockey game to go to. I was almost mad because he had to go so soon, but I was just so happy to see him I couldn't possibly be.After shopping we went to the Weihnachts Markt and rode the roller coasters and ate some Chinese food. It was a solidly good day with my German friends.
 | |
| "Karossel" This was the ride we went on then thought 'Oh my goodness it is -20º C here, why are we doing this? I hope it ends soon!' It probably was that cold too... |
It is still weird because of the clicks that I don't know about yet. For example, on Friday I was helping decorate for my school Winter Ball and Mary Ann called my Handy and when I was talking to her, a guy from my class took the Handy from me and was saying some really mean things to her! I didn't know what to do because I honestly didn't like her that much because she is so moody, but she is a good friend of my German friend, and this guy was being a total Arschloch. He is however the same guy who gave me a ride home when I was lost. I don't get get why people have to be so mean sometimes. If you don't like someone, you ignore it, you ignore them, you don't tell them!
Another mean sort of weird moment this weekend was when I went to my host sisters golf club Weihnachts Feiern und there was a lady there apparently in charge of the organization and she thought I was actually the daughter of my host parents. The second she discovered I'm from USA she tried Englisch, and when I responded in German she ignored me. She spoke TO my host parents ABOUT me. I hate that. I speak the language. When I speak Englisch I am told "Sprich Deutsch", when I speak German : "Why do you not want with me Englisch to speak?" or simply ignore me. Way to go.
Tonight is Giulia's Vortrag! She gives her presentation over her exchange year tonight! I am really excited and I am going to take tons of pictures!
This is now later I'm editing to add photos.... it was a great presentation!
 |
| Duck, red cabbage, Pear, orange, and Knodeln (like potatoes but slimy and not the same) |
Bis dann!
02 December 2010
Snow
It is -12°C and snowing in Fürstenwalde, Deutschland.
I walked to the bus stop this morning with snow up to my anckles only to wait for the bus another 30 minutes.
They never cancel school for snow here. Not really at least. If the busses don't come then there is not many people that can go; otherwise the weather doesn't change it.
I'm actually in school right now.... but my teacher isn't here, so I figured I could use my time wisely.
Yesterday, Dju and I were invited to go to a Chistmas card making session by my Music teacher. We went to the room and there peered in the window and everyone looked so serious that we thought it was another class. I'm not sure if it was correct or not, but we didn't go as to not interrupt. I don't really want to explain it all though. It was a good day none the less, we went shopping for warm things, and bought four pairs of wool and fuzzy socks.
When I got home I was alone for a few hours. I really like time to be home alone, I find it really relaxing once in a while. I just made myself something to eat, listened to music, and relaxed. When everyone else got home my host mom gave me the homework of reading and understanding a section of the newspaper, then we watched a movie that was on tv. 'The Diary of Bridget Jones', one of my favorites, it was also good in German.
I really need to get more after school to do, like a real activity. A lot of the other exchangers have a private German course or soccer to go to, but I only have a theater practice on Saturday. I really want to start taking a spanish language course. Silly, beuing in Germany and wanting to learn Spanish now. It's true though, most of the other exchangers, over half, speak Spanish, and I'd love to learn it. My German is going pretty alright. I can usually convey what I want to say, but sometimes I still have to use charades. I had a private course two times, then I didn't hear from the teacher about when to come back for my next lesson, so I have been mostly learning on my own.
The friends situation is going well, I have a couple really close friends at school, and then the others which are the sort we are sort of friends, but don't do anything out of school together (yet?).
Thanksgiving was really great with my host family. We had my host mom and dad, my two host sisters, the othder one's boyfriend, the uncle, grandparents, and me. A total of nine. We started cooking the pumpkin and apple pies the night before after we came back from Frankfürt (oder).
Sidenote: there are two Frankfürts. The first is well known, Frankfürt am Main, the second is an hour from my town, Frankfürt Oder.
We went to Frankfürt Oder to get shoes for Laura, my host sister, but she didn't get them that day anyways. I think it is really cool though that while she and I were looking for Winter boots, my host parents walked to Poland to buy cheap Cigarretts.
Anyhow, when we got home, my host mom volunteered to help me back the pies. We made Apple and Pumpkin and of course tasted along the way. The hard part was the crust. She buttered the pand because she didn't trust my cooking just yet, and the crust fell apart a bit. It was also just that the pans were meant for casserole, not pie. The pumpkin pie turned out more pudding-like. We ate some of them, but now that I think of it, I don't know what happened to them. We didn't eat all of it and it is no where to be seen.
The next morning we started prepping the Turkey at 8 to have it ready by 14 (2 PM). It was a 7 kilo Turkey and my host dad was really into helping, I basically just told him what to do for the Turkey and he wouldn't harly let me do anything. They were really excited for this Holiday.
Once the Turkey was in the oven, we sat down for a nice breakfast, then got back to work on preparing the cranberry sauce.
It turns out that fresh Cranberries are really hard to find in Germany. My host mom told me that the second she saw them in the store that she bought two packages of 200g each in case we didn't see them again. The cranberry sauce was really simple to make and really delicious. That is also mysteriously missing. I think they don't keep leftovers or something.
The whole meal was served on porcelin dishes, with the Turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and pie and ice cream. We were all really full. Later we took naps and all headed to the Weihnachts Markt (Christmas Market), which are beautiful.
This weekend is going to be really busy. Today is Thursday and after school I go with Marcus and Dju and Mikee to make pottery, we do it every couple weeks, it is one of my favorite activities here. Tomorrow is the school's Winter Ball, but it is being held at a bar, which I find a little strange for the school to be encouraging. I plan on going to help set up around 17 (5 PM) then stay for the first hour of the actual dance, to be picked up at 23 by my host dad on his way home from work. I am a little nervous for this. My best friends are in the 13th class (Dju, Marcus...) then as I am in the 11 and the 12th class it is a little harder to make really close friends there because having 2 there are so many people to try to get to know. So This dance with my classmates I am looking forward to as an opportunity, but I'm still slightly anxious as my really close friends won't be there.
Saturday will be the bussiest of all. That morning we go to cut down our Christmas tree and vbring it home, then I go to theater practice, then to a movie and Christmas Market with a friend from my class, Katja. She invited me to stay overni8ght too, but I am not sure yet if I want to. If it goes late then yes, I don't want to trouble my family here though, I am not going to treat their home like a hotel, so if it is not late then I will come home so I can be here for the Sunday morning breakfast. Those are always nice.
It really confuses me in a way as to how much a part of the family I am. I am not their daughter, they will not love me unconditionally the way they do the rest of the family. I am a part though, I am with them all the time and I take part in family events, do my chores, and never argue. It is interesting. It just stings a little when I see my host parents give their child a hug or kiss, because I know I can't have that.
Those are some of the little things that make me miss home.
Skyping home doesn't happen very often I think. More, I will skype with the other exchangers and we will speak Denglisch together. I spoke with my family on Thanksgiving day for a good hour or so, the again the next day for about 10 minutes just because we were both online. They said we were talking too often. That hurt. Sometimes it is nice to get a glimpse of home, and yes I know we can't talk often and it is weird to speak flat out english, but I think now and then is importent. I don't want to go home in 8 months to not know my parents anymore.
I realized the other day that I have been here 3.5 months. That is almost 1/3 of my exchange. Time is going too fast. I don't understand it. This is the fastest, most confusing, amazing year. Everything is different.
I walked to the bus stop this morning with snow up to my anckles only to wait for the bus another 30 minutes.
They never cancel school for snow here. Not really at least. If the busses don't come then there is not many people that can go; otherwise the weather doesn't change it.
I'm actually in school right now.... but my teacher isn't here, so I figured I could use my time wisely.
Yesterday, Dju and I were invited to go to a Chistmas card making session by my Music teacher. We went to the room and there peered in the window and everyone looked so serious that we thought it was another class. I'm not sure if it was correct or not, but we didn't go as to not interrupt. I don't really want to explain it all though. It was a good day none the less, we went shopping for warm things, and bought four pairs of wool and fuzzy socks.
When I got home I was alone for a few hours. I really like time to be home alone, I find it really relaxing once in a while. I just made myself something to eat, listened to music, and relaxed. When everyone else got home my host mom gave me the homework of reading and understanding a section of the newspaper, then we watched a movie that was on tv. 'The Diary of Bridget Jones', one of my favorites, it was also good in German.
I really need to get more after school to do, like a real activity. A lot of the other exchangers have a private German course or soccer to go to, but I only have a theater practice on Saturday. I really want to start taking a spanish language course. Silly, beuing in Germany and wanting to learn Spanish now. It's true though, most of the other exchangers, over half, speak Spanish, and I'd love to learn it. My German is going pretty alright. I can usually convey what I want to say, but sometimes I still have to use charades. I had a private course two times, then I didn't hear from the teacher about when to come back for my next lesson, so I have been mostly learning on my own.
The friends situation is going well, I have a couple really close friends at school, and then the others which are the sort we are sort of friends, but don't do anything out of school together (yet?).
Thanksgiving was really great with my host family. We had my host mom and dad, my two host sisters, the othder one's boyfriend, the uncle, grandparents, and me. A total of nine. We started cooking the pumpkin and apple pies the night before after we came back from Frankfürt (oder).
Sidenote: there are two Frankfürts. The first is well known, Frankfürt am Main, the second is an hour from my town, Frankfürt Oder.
We went to Frankfürt Oder to get shoes for Laura, my host sister, but she didn't get them that day anyways. I think it is really cool though that while she and I were looking for Winter boots, my host parents walked to Poland to buy cheap Cigarretts.
Anyhow, when we got home, my host mom volunteered to help me back the pies. We made Apple and Pumpkin and of course tasted along the way. The hard part was the crust. She buttered the pand because she didn't trust my cooking just yet, and the crust fell apart a bit. It was also just that the pans were meant for casserole, not pie. The pumpkin pie turned out more pudding-like. We ate some of them, but now that I think of it, I don't know what happened to them. We didn't eat all of it and it is no where to be seen.
The next morning we started prepping the Turkey at 8 to have it ready by 14 (2 PM). It was a 7 kilo Turkey and my host dad was really into helping, I basically just told him what to do for the Turkey and he wouldn't harly let me do anything. They were really excited for this Holiday.
Once the Turkey was in the oven, we sat down for a nice breakfast, then got back to work on preparing the cranberry sauce.
It turns out that fresh Cranberries are really hard to find in Germany. My host mom told me that the second she saw them in the store that she bought two packages of 200g each in case we didn't see them again. The cranberry sauce was really simple to make and really delicious. That is also mysteriously missing. I think they don't keep leftovers or something.
The whole meal was served on porcelin dishes, with the Turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and pie and ice cream. We were all really full. Later we took naps and all headed to the Weihnachts Markt (Christmas Market), which are beautiful.
This weekend is going to be really busy. Today is Thursday and after school I go with Marcus and Dju and Mikee to make pottery, we do it every couple weeks, it is one of my favorite activities here. Tomorrow is the school's Winter Ball, but it is being held at a bar, which I find a little strange for the school to be encouraging. I plan on going to help set up around 17 (5 PM) then stay for the first hour of the actual dance, to be picked up at 23 by my host dad on his way home from work. I am a little nervous for this. My best friends are in the 13th class (Dju, Marcus...) then as I am in the 11 and the 12th class it is a little harder to make really close friends there because having 2 there are so many people to try to get to know. So This dance with my classmates I am looking forward to as an opportunity, but I'm still slightly anxious as my really close friends won't be there.
Saturday will be the bussiest of all. That morning we go to cut down our Christmas tree and vbring it home, then I go to theater practice, then to a movie and Christmas Market with a friend from my class, Katja. She invited me to stay overni8ght too, but I am not sure yet if I want to. If it goes late then yes, I don't want to trouble my family here though, I am not going to treat their home like a hotel, so if it is not late then I will come home so I can be here for the Sunday morning breakfast. Those are always nice.
It really confuses me in a way as to how much a part of the family I am. I am not their daughter, they will not love me unconditionally the way they do the rest of the family. I am a part though, I am with them all the time and I take part in family events, do my chores, and never argue. It is interesting. It just stings a little when I see my host parents give their child a hug or kiss, because I know I can't have that.
Those are some of the little things that make me miss home.
Skyping home doesn't happen very often I think. More, I will skype with the other exchangers and we will speak Denglisch together. I spoke with my family on Thanksgiving day for a good hour or so, the again the next day for about 10 minutes just because we were both online. They said we were talking too often. That hurt. Sometimes it is nice to get a glimpse of home, and yes I know we can't talk often and it is weird to speak flat out english, but I think now and then is importent. I don't want to go home in 8 months to not know my parents anymore.
I realized the other day that I have been here 3.5 months. That is almost 1/3 of my exchange. Time is going too fast. I don't understand it. This is the fastest, most confusing, amazing year. Everything is different.
25 November 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
I was doing homework... then I decided to write.
I have a song seriously stuck in my head right now. Parachute by Cheryl Cole. It's a really good music video too. I actually had to listen to it about 10 times before bed last night, I just couldn't sleep. So, reader, I think you should definately go listen to that. It's addicting.
The homework thing again. I memorized a poem for a vortrag! I must make a presentation to the class tomorrow where I recite the poem, it is all auf Deutsch (in German) and I am very excited. Mine is shorter than everyone elses, but it is okay because being an exchange student this year I don't get grades and rarely even show up on the attendance list. I wish I did.
Tomorrow we will make apple and pumpkin pies. It will turn out funny though because the pie pan things are not round, so it will look more like..... not pie.
It probably won't taste like pie either. I haven't made it alone before. I always just helped my mom. More like I'd take samples and talk with her while she or my dad cook.
I really don't know how to make any of these foods for Thanksgiving... I have all the recipies though and they are all translated, so we celebrate Saturday and we will see then if everything is edible.
This is the first thanksgiving I have spend away from my family, most people at school didn't even know what it was when I told them. It's been interesting. I miss home, naturally, but things like this usually hit harder. It was an okay day, nothing special happened. So far the most of my day had my mind on waiting for a reply on a text message from someone, but they haven't replied yet. I hate waiting.
The highlight of my day though will be talking to friends and family over skype before they celebrate thanksgiving. I just hope it doesn't make me homesick. I have only been seriously homesick about 3 times, it was no fun, so I really don't need it again.
School has been about the same as usual. There is a sort of friend that has a crush on me and I'm trying to just ignore it, because I really really don't like him at all like that. Other than that, we went to a Theater showing of 'A Christmas Carol' in Berlin with my class on Tuesday and it was in English. It was really boring. Everyone spoke so slow, but on the bright side I understood every word and the actors were all from USA as well, so their accents were understandable too.
After the play I met up with my friend, Mau (Mauricio, another exchanger from Mexico), and we went to the Christmas Market in Alexanderplatz. Christmas is beautiful here. I know it isn't Christmas time yet, but as it snowed Tuesday for the first time just little as we walked through the Christmas Market I can tell it is already hitting Winter. It was magical. Christmas here isn't even cheesy, they take it seriously and make everything beautiful, not fake things all over. They also have a 'christmas man' and you put something like insence inside his belly, then the smoke comes out his mouth or pipe. It is really cute and everyone here has them.
This Winter is supposed to hit -20º C. Apparently that's normal. No one here likes snow or ice or cold. I love it.
I have a song seriously stuck in my head right now. Parachute by Cheryl Cole. It's a really good music video too. I actually had to listen to it about 10 times before bed last night, I just couldn't sleep. So, reader, I think you should definately go listen to that. It's addicting.
The homework thing again. I memorized a poem for a vortrag! I must make a presentation to the class tomorrow where I recite the poem, it is all auf Deutsch (in German) and I am very excited. Mine is shorter than everyone elses, but it is okay because being an exchange student this year I don't get grades and rarely even show up on the attendance list. I wish I did.
Tomorrow we will make apple and pumpkin pies. It will turn out funny though because the pie pan things are not round, so it will look more like..... not pie.
It probably won't taste like pie either. I haven't made it alone before. I always just helped my mom. More like I'd take samples and talk with her while she or my dad cook.
I really don't know how to make any of these foods for Thanksgiving... I have all the recipies though and they are all translated, so we celebrate Saturday and we will see then if everything is edible.
This is the first thanksgiving I have spend away from my family, most people at school didn't even know what it was when I told them. It's been interesting. I miss home, naturally, but things like this usually hit harder. It was an okay day, nothing special happened. So far the most of my day had my mind on waiting for a reply on a text message from someone, but they haven't replied yet. I hate waiting.
The highlight of my day though will be talking to friends and family over skype before they celebrate thanksgiving. I just hope it doesn't make me homesick. I have only been seriously homesick about 3 times, it was no fun, so I really don't need it again.
School has been about the same as usual. There is a sort of friend that has a crush on me and I'm trying to just ignore it, because I really really don't like him at all like that. Other than that, we went to a Theater showing of 'A Christmas Carol' in Berlin with my class on Tuesday and it was in English. It was really boring. Everyone spoke so slow, but on the bright side I understood every word and the actors were all from USA as well, so their accents were understandable too.
After the play I met up with my friend, Mau (Mauricio, another exchanger from Mexico), and we went to the Christmas Market in Alexanderplatz. Christmas is beautiful here. I know it isn't Christmas time yet, but as it snowed Tuesday for the first time just little as we walked through the Christmas Market I can tell it is already hitting Winter. It was magical. Christmas here isn't even cheesy, they take it seriously and make everything beautiful, not fake things all over. They also have a 'christmas man' and you put something like insence inside his belly, then the smoke comes out his mouth or pipe. It is really cute and everyone here has them.
This Winter is supposed to hit -20º C. Apparently that's normal. No one here likes snow or ice or cold. I love it.
20 November 2010
Month 3: mission accomplished
I have been here for 3 months now.
I've met amazing people I hope never to forget, and I have decided I don't want to leave.
It would be nice to just go to University in Berlin next year, I hear it is a great school too.
Having been in Germany a while there is not such a rush to do things anymore. Yesterday my Rotary councellor called me to tell me Dju and I could come with him to the mall and go shopping instead of going to school. It was fun, and offer I could not refuse. We were still trying to find out the real reason, it is too weird for him, as a Rotary person and as a teacher at our school to say something like that.
While shopping we spent way too much time in H&M. It is great, but I spent 85£ on a shirt, a pullover, a cozy jacket and a birthday present.Actually all in all it was totally worth it though. Now for the winter gear! I was told it will hit -20º C this year. That is -4º F! Negative 20º sounds way cooler though... silly USA still not using Metric.
Afterwords I took the train to Berlin and met up with Will, Ana, Anna, Masha, Marie, Jorge, Jens, and I hope I didn't forget someone. We met at McDonalds in Haubahnhoff, like always. I don't actually eat there because it is unhealthy, but unlike in USA the food is expencive and the bathrooms are free (one of the only places they are).
When everyone left to do the Bundestag, Jens and I walked around and found a Café. We ended up on Friedrichstraße in my favorite café that I went to one time with Juan. I ordered a white chocolate macchiato (however that is spelled) and he got a caramel something. It was delicious! I love that place!
We met up again with Dju and Will and Jessica and a couple people I didn't know (other exchangers: Kristoph from Hungary, and 2 others) but they all had to go soon because it was Jessica's host mom's birthday and Will and Dju were going to the Philharmonie together that evening. So Jens and I went to figure out trains and times and tried again to get him the Monatkarte für Zug (month long train ticket).
When I got to Fürstenwalde again I realized there were no more busses to my house, it was only 8:30 PM! Apparently Berlin and large cities are the only ones to sleep later. I walked a while after calling home to let them know, then Madalaine and Stefen drove by and gave me a ride. Next time either a bit earlier or stay the night probably.
This morning I woke up early (8 on a Saturday) to eat breakfast with my host family and there was a bowl of raw hamburger meat on the table. My host dad ate it with his Brödschen and I tried a bit. It was weird. Just plain raw mean with salt and pepper. Only in Germany...
I've met amazing people I hope never to forget, and I have decided I don't want to leave.
It would be nice to just go to University in Berlin next year, I hear it is a great school too.
Having been in Germany a while there is not such a rush to do things anymore. Yesterday my Rotary councellor called me to tell me Dju and I could come with him to the mall and go shopping instead of going to school. It was fun, and offer I could not refuse. We were still trying to find out the real reason, it is too weird for him, as a Rotary person and as a teacher at our school to say something like that.
While shopping we spent way too much time in H&M. It is great, but I spent 85£ on a shirt, a pullover, a cozy jacket and a birthday present.Actually all in all it was totally worth it though. Now for the winter gear! I was told it will hit -20º C this year. That is -4º F! Negative 20º sounds way cooler though... silly USA still not using Metric.
Afterwords I took the train to Berlin and met up with Will, Ana, Anna, Masha, Marie, Jorge, Jens, and I hope I didn't forget someone. We met at McDonalds in Haubahnhoff, like always. I don't actually eat there because it is unhealthy, but unlike in USA the food is expencive and the bathrooms are free (one of the only places they are).
When everyone left to do the Bundestag, Jens and I walked around and found a Café. We ended up on Friedrichstraße in my favorite café that I went to one time with Juan. I ordered a white chocolate macchiato (however that is spelled) and he got a caramel something. It was delicious! I love that place!
We met up again with Dju and Will and Jessica and a couple people I didn't know (other exchangers: Kristoph from Hungary, and 2 others) but they all had to go soon because it was Jessica's host mom's birthday and Will and Dju were going to the Philharmonie together that evening. So Jens and I went to figure out trains and times and tried again to get him the Monatkarte für Zug (month long train ticket).
When I got to Fürstenwalde again I realized there were no more busses to my house, it was only 8:30 PM! Apparently Berlin and large cities are the only ones to sleep later. I walked a while after calling home to let them know, then Madalaine and Stefen drove by and gave me a ride. Next time either a bit earlier or stay the night probably.
This morning I woke up early (8 on a Saturday) to eat breakfast with my host family and there was a bowl of raw hamburger meat on the table. My host dad ate it with his Brödschen and I tried a bit. It was weird. Just plain raw mean with salt and pepper. Only in Germany...
10 November 2010
Second Host Family!
I arrived here Saturday morning after Frühstuck (breakfast).
I should probably first introduce everyone...
Solveig (host mom), René (host dad), Madelaine (host sister, 22), Laura (host sister, 16), Stefan (not technically part of the genetic family, but as Madelaine's boyfriend, he is also always around), and of course, Salem (the cat).
We first went to the wrong house, but once we found the right one, I immedietly felt welcome. It was a little rushed at first because I had to go to Theater practice within 30 minutes, so my new family, the Witschofskys offered to drop me off and pick me up, they were going shopping anyways.
After Theater practice, which is pretty fun, they picked me up and we went home, I unpacked a bit, then we went to IKEA!
That evening we ate a dinner at the resturaunt Hanny's with the whole family, aunts uncles, and even grandparents! Laura and I both ordered a double cheese burger. It was so Lecker (yummy)!
We went home with all full bellies and smiles. It was really nice.
The next morning I accidently woke up early and I didn't know what to do. Do I get up and just go downstairs? Do I wait in bed until someone gets me? I had no idea, so I waited, and soon enough Laura woke up and knocked on my door. I was up in a jiffy.
That day I went with Laura to her golf training. It was cold and wet and cold and wet, but trotzdem (none the less) fun.
When René und Solwieg came to pick us up they brought another pair of socks and shoes for me to wear because my feet were soaked. They bought me a hat in the little shop there, and now Laura and I have matching 'Arosa' hats; we are Doppelgängers!
After school on Monday I met Laura at her school (by bike, because we are really close) and I got to look at her school and meet all her friends! It's great there! Solwieg mentioned that maybe I should switch to that school if it was possible. I like the idea, but it is also scary. New people all over again, and I was just making friends. I am was actually invited to 2 school-friend's birthday parties this weekend, but I don't know if I will go because I just don't know how to ask to leave so often, I don't like having to choose! I really enjoy family time with here.
Yesterday I went with my host parents to the place to get where I live legal with the police, and to fix my bank card. Turns out they lost my card or account or something somehow, but we got a new one, no problem. They lady at the counter even gave me chocolate and a calender. It was pretty nice.
Today, Wednesday, I had only 2 classes: the 4-5. Rene drove me to school just in time for my 11 o'clock class, and I took the bus home after. In school today I wrote a poem. Here...
Kälte, Ende der Träume, Tau
Leben erfachtet,
Nebel, müde, blau,
die Dunkelheit verschwindet,
viele Möglichkeit,
das ist die Zwischenzeit.
It was supposed to be about Zwischenzeit, or, the time between night and day. I read it to the class and I thought it went well. I accidently wrote Nabel instead of Nebel the first time, but then my teacher told me Nabel is bellybutton, while Nebel is fog or mist.
After school today I got home early, took a jog, showered, and made cookies. Laura, Stefan, Madelaine, Johannes, and I all sat around the kitchen for 2 hours eating cookies and talking.
Then later Laura's friend Anna came over and I helped them tone their hair. It was fun.
The rest of the evening was just relaxing and watching a movie.
Now I'm going to bed, that's enough thinking for today!
I really hope I don't have homework!
Goodnight!
I should probably first introduce everyone...
Solveig (host mom), René (host dad), Madelaine (host sister, 22), Laura (host sister, 16), Stefan (not technically part of the genetic family, but as Madelaine's boyfriend, he is also always around), and of course, Salem (the cat).
We first went to the wrong house, but once we found the right one, I immedietly felt welcome. It was a little rushed at first because I had to go to Theater practice within 30 minutes, so my new family, the Witschofskys offered to drop me off and pick me up, they were going shopping anyways.
After Theater practice, which is pretty fun, they picked me up and we went home, I unpacked a bit, then we went to IKEA!
That evening we ate a dinner at the resturaunt Hanny's with the whole family, aunts uncles, and even grandparents! Laura and I both ordered a double cheese burger. It was so Lecker (yummy)!
We went home with all full bellies and smiles. It was really nice.
The next morning I accidently woke up early and I didn't know what to do. Do I get up and just go downstairs? Do I wait in bed until someone gets me? I had no idea, so I waited, and soon enough Laura woke up and knocked on my door. I was up in a jiffy.
That day I went with Laura to her golf training. It was cold and wet and cold and wet, but trotzdem (none the less) fun.
When René und Solwieg came to pick us up they brought another pair of socks and shoes for me to wear because my feet were soaked. They bought me a hat in the little shop there, and now Laura and I have matching 'Arosa' hats; we are Doppelgängers!
After school on Monday I met Laura at her school (by bike, because we are really close) and I got to look at her school and meet all her friends! It's great there! Solwieg mentioned that maybe I should switch to that school if it was possible. I like the idea, but it is also scary. New people all over again, and I was just making friends. I am was actually invited to 2 school-friend's birthday parties this weekend, but I don't know if I will go because I just don't know how to ask to leave so often, I don't like having to choose! I really enjoy family time with here.
 |
| Bionade. Its like lemonade, but different. |
Yesterday I went with my host parents to the place to get where I live legal with the police, and to fix my bank card. Turns out they lost my card or account or something somehow, but we got a new one, no problem. They lady at the counter even gave me chocolate and a calender. It was pretty nice.
Today, Wednesday, I had only 2 classes: the 4-5. Rene drove me to school just in time for my 11 o'clock class, and I took the bus home after. In school today I wrote a poem. Here...
Kälte, Ende der Träume, Tau
Leben erfachtet,
Nebel, müde, blau,
die Dunkelheit verschwindet,
viele Möglichkeit,
das ist die Zwischenzeit.
It was supposed to be about Zwischenzeit, or, the time between night and day. I read it to the class and I thought it went well. I accidently wrote Nabel instead of Nebel the first time, but then my teacher told me Nabel is bellybutton, while Nebel is fog or mist.
After school today I got home early, took a jog, showered, and made cookies. Laura, Stefan, Madelaine, Johannes, and I all sat around the kitchen for 2 hours eating cookies and talking.
Then later Laura's friend Anna came over and I helped them tone their hair. It was fun.
The rest of the evening was just relaxing and watching a movie.
Now I'm going to bed, that's enough thinking for today!
I really hope I don't have homework!
Goodnight!
04 November 2010
This week... so far
Today my music teacher brought me Marzipan chocolates. It was super nice and he really is my favorite teacher. He had asked me if I had ever tried (some crazy German word) before, and I said no, not yet, so he said 'Okay, I'll bring you some tomorrow!' And he did! It was sehr lecker (really tasty), but when Dju took a bite she cringed She thinks Marzipan tastes like cockroaches!
Most of my other teachers are also very nice, but then again there is also one that pretends I don't exist. I'm not on the attendance and she never says anything about what I should do at all, and she does not give me grades. In a way it is nice because I am not the exchange student being made fun of (no kidding, we have an Aussie in my school that people kind of do make fun of because is is rude and really anti social). I still don't do any homework here. I took a Klausieur (big test) though and it went fine, that time the teacher told me to just restate what I understood of the story instead of analyzing a character. It was interesting and actually really occupied me for the 2 hours. Certainly better than some other classes though, reading just puts me to sleep.
Yesterday on the bus ride to school, it was a Wednesday so I start school later, I saw a man already drinking a beer! It wasn't even 9 o'clock yet! Some people just really start early. Same with smoking, there's a guy at my bus stop that smokes most mornings before school. That's at 6:30 in the morning, and personally I would much rather be sleeping.
That and the way Europeans smoke is getting more regular; but the smoking does bother me a bit still. It's okay if someone wants to smoke, it's their life, and sometimes it really doesn't sound all that bad. What I really don't like though is how they all smoke around other people and then I end up smelling like smoke when I really hate the smell! It smells like stinky old socks! Mensch! (Man!) Cigars on the other hand...
At Marcus' birthday party so many people smoked, not all that bad, but this time it was the bonfire that got me. I sat near it to keep warm (It gets really cold that late), and then all the smoke just drifts towards me and sticks. Even after a serious shower the next day I couldn't stop smelling the smoke.
Tomorrow is my last day in my first host family. I'm excited and nervous and all this stuff jumbled up! This means tomorrow is my last day with 3 hours on a bus, the last day with a cell phone, and the last day waking up at 5:45. I don't really feel like packing though. Tomorrow I will also be making them Burritos for dinner! They have no idea what they are in for... problem is they don't like much of the ingridients or anything spicy, they still want to try this though, so we'll give it a shot. I can't wait!
Such is the life of an exchange student: saying goodbye.
There are so many goodbyes and it is still the beginning. Goodbye to my first host family, and after the last Rotary trip to Paris there were goodbyes to the oldies, because we don't know if or when we will see each other again. I like 'hello' better than 'goodbye'.
Most of my other teachers are also very nice, but then again there is also one that pretends I don't exist. I'm not on the attendance and she never says anything about what I should do at all, and she does not give me grades. In a way it is nice because I am not the exchange student being made fun of (no kidding, we have an Aussie in my school that people kind of do make fun of because is is rude and really anti social). I still don't do any homework here. I took a Klausieur (big test) though and it went fine, that time the teacher told me to just restate what I understood of the story instead of analyzing a character. It was interesting and actually really occupied me for the 2 hours. Certainly better than some other classes though, reading just puts me to sleep.
Yesterday on the bus ride to school, it was a Wednesday so I start school later, I saw a man already drinking a beer! It wasn't even 9 o'clock yet! Some people just really start early. Same with smoking, there's a guy at my bus stop that smokes most mornings before school. That's at 6:30 in the morning, and personally I would much rather be sleeping.
That and the way Europeans smoke is getting more regular; but the smoking does bother me a bit still. It's okay if someone wants to smoke, it's their life, and sometimes it really doesn't sound all that bad. What I really don't like though is how they all smoke around other people and then I end up smelling like smoke when I really hate the smell! It smells like stinky old socks! Mensch! (Man!) Cigars on the other hand...
At Marcus' birthday party so many people smoked, not all that bad, but this time it was the bonfire that got me. I sat near it to keep warm (It gets really cold that late), and then all the smoke just drifts towards me and sticks. Even after a serious shower the next day I couldn't stop smelling the smoke.
Tomorrow is my last day in my first host family. I'm excited and nervous and all this stuff jumbled up! This means tomorrow is my last day with 3 hours on a bus, the last day with a cell phone, and the last day waking up at 5:45. I don't really feel like packing though. Tomorrow I will also be making them Burritos for dinner! They have no idea what they are in for... problem is they don't like much of the ingridients or anything spicy, they still want to try this though, so we'll give it a shot. I can't wait!
Such is the life of an exchange student: saying goodbye.
There are so many goodbyes and it is still the beginning. Goodbye to my first host family, and after the last Rotary trip to Paris there were goodbyes to the oldies, because we don't know if or when we will see each other again. I like 'hello' better than 'goodbye'.
31 October 2010
Herbst Ferien
This August break was really exciting. It started out by going to the Ost See (Baltic Sea) with Giulia and her host family, repacking, going to the near of Dresden with my host family, repacking, and ended with a Rotary trip to Paris.
The Ost See was so amazing. The sky always had a million different colors, then reflected off the lake at the Hafen (kind of like a dock, the English word starts with an H too, but I can't remember it).
We went hiking, biking, and walking on the beach for the whole week. We slept in till 10 and watched movies in the evening, it was so relaxing and nice.
Next I went with my host family to 'the near of Dresden'. We were staying in a little rented house in Pirna; very small place, but it was cozy. We went hiking a lot, spent a day in Dresden, a day at the Meissen ceramic factory, and a morning in the Czech Republic.
We climbed a cliff! They asked me "do you want to come?" and I though they meant just to the first rock or to a lookout point or something but nooooooo, they meant the whole cliff. At first I was taking a picture looking up the cliff thinking "Oh man, I wish we could climb it..." Then I got my wish. I was really excited and it was just unreal. We had no safety equiptment and no training, but this kind of climbing was with a few little metal handles installed on the rocks. It was possible and we proved it!
On the top there was more hiking then we had to find another route down, we took the one labeled as"very difficult", and we hike/climbed down that way.
The Czech Republic was a sketchy place in my opinion. Not that the whole country is like that, but that the area we were in was full of vendors selling everything from boots and garden gnomes to knives and the head of a wild pig. I bought two scarves, the first I asked and was 7 €, but then I forgot to ask the price of the second when I handed the man a 20 € and I only got 5 € back.
We ate lunch at a nice looking place. It was all in Czech, but they spoke good German so it was no problem. I ordered the deer goulash with potato bread. It was a very soupy goulash, but I loved the bread. It was so sweet!
After we got home I was told that my cousin, Shannon, had died. It was no surprise for any of us, but I just wish she could have lived a longer life. It was unfair for her to have cancer for so many years and to have suffered the pain she did, but I know that she was one of the most caring, and one of the most loved people around.
When I get back to USA I would really like to see her baby, Reiss. By then she will be almost two years old and probably talking a bit. She is such a cute little girl.
Paris stared with a nice 18 hour bus ride. We would stop every 3-4 hours for a rest stop, to eat, and to determine what country we were in. We also all similtaneously got test messages at the same time saying that we were in Belgium and that it was about twice as expensive to call or text. We all really got to know our seat partners for the ride, it was long.
Before we officially left Germany though we picked up nine exchangers from another district. Two of which I would become great friends with. Simms became my room mate for the 2 nights in the hotel, and I already miss her so much. Rogellio and I just met, I can't remember exactly how but I think we just said "Hi, what's your name? Where are your from?" and then we were friends. There is totally a video of him and me dancing to accordian music in Paris. I love it.
The way back was once again a "hope your seat partner is comfy" situation because of the long ride. Technically people can switch and we did on the way here, but the way back everyone just slept on the person next to them. It was nice.
We went to la Louve, the Notre-Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, and saw so much more. Wonderful but exhausting. Exchange meetings really are my favorite. I look forward to them for so long and once they are over it is a little sad because you realize that time is passing.
Dju is leaving in about 2 and 1/2 months now, and I hate to think of it. I was so lucky to have her as my oldie showing me what and what not to do, and to be such a good friend of mine. I will miss her so much.
On the Paris trip we realized that Germany not only has a less exciting Halloween, but they don't celebrate Thanksgiving. It is an American holiday for those of you who don't know, where the whole family gets together for a huge meal. We spend the whole day cooking and playing games, then eating delicious food, and usually end up with stomach aches and a week or two of leftover turkey.
I really want to organize a Thanksgiving here, maybe invite exchange students too, but this would definitely be an even with host family involvement. For instance, everyone from USA and Canada know this, but none of the exchangers from other countries and none of the Germans. It would be really interesting to try. I need to know how to make turkey.
If you can't tell I've been in an up-and-going sort of way, but I think for a while now I need to mellow out and spend more time with my host family. They would probably appreciate that.
The Ost See was so amazing. The sky always had a million different colors, then reflected off the lake at the Hafen (kind of like a dock, the English word starts with an H too, but I can't remember it).
We went hiking, biking, and walking on the beach for the whole week. We slept in till 10 and watched movies in the evening, it was so relaxing and nice.
Next I went with my host family to 'the near of Dresden'. We were staying in a little rented house in Pirna; very small place, but it was cozy. We went hiking a lot, spent a day in Dresden, a day at the Meissen ceramic factory, and a morning in the Czech Republic.
We climbed a cliff! They asked me "do you want to come?" and I though they meant just to the first rock or to a lookout point or something but nooooooo, they meant the whole cliff. At first I was taking a picture looking up the cliff thinking "Oh man, I wish we could climb it..." Then I got my wish. I was really excited and it was just unreal. We had no safety equiptment and no training, but this kind of climbing was with a few little metal handles installed on the rocks. It was possible and we proved it!
On the top there was more hiking then we had to find another route down, we took the one labeled as"very difficult", and we hike/climbed down that way.
The Czech Republic was a sketchy place in my opinion. Not that the whole country is like that, but that the area we were in was full of vendors selling everything from boots and garden gnomes to knives and the head of a wild pig. I bought two scarves, the first I asked and was 7 €, but then I forgot to ask the price of the second when I handed the man a 20 € and I only got 5 € back.
We ate lunch at a nice looking place. It was all in Czech, but they spoke good German so it was no problem. I ordered the deer goulash with potato bread. It was a very soupy goulash, but I loved the bread. It was so sweet!
After we got home I was told that my cousin, Shannon, had died. It was no surprise for any of us, but I just wish she could have lived a longer life. It was unfair for her to have cancer for so many years and to have suffered the pain she did, but I know that she was one of the most caring, and one of the most loved people around.
When I get back to USA I would really like to see her baby, Reiss. By then she will be almost two years old and probably talking a bit. She is such a cute little girl.
Paris stared with a nice 18 hour bus ride. We would stop every 3-4 hours for a rest stop, to eat, and to determine what country we were in. We also all similtaneously got test messages at the same time saying that we were in Belgium and that it was about twice as expensive to call or text. We all really got to know our seat partners for the ride, it was long.
Before we officially left Germany though we picked up nine exchangers from another district. Two of which I would become great friends with. Simms became my room mate for the 2 nights in the hotel, and I already miss her so much. Rogellio and I just met, I can't remember exactly how but I think we just said "Hi, what's your name? Where are your from?" and then we were friends. There is totally a video of him and me dancing to accordian music in Paris. I love it.
The way back was once again a "hope your seat partner is comfy" situation because of the long ride. Technically people can switch and we did on the way here, but the way back everyone just slept on the person next to them. It was nice.
We went to la Louve, the Notre-Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, and saw so much more. Wonderful but exhausting. Exchange meetings really are my favorite. I look forward to them for so long and once they are over it is a little sad because you realize that time is passing.
Dju is leaving in about 2 and 1/2 months now, and I hate to think of it. I was so lucky to have her as my oldie showing me what and what not to do, and to be such a good friend of mine. I will miss her so much.
On the Paris trip we realized that Germany not only has a less exciting Halloween, but they don't celebrate Thanksgiving. It is an American holiday for those of you who don't know, where the whole family gets together for a huge meal. We spend the whole day cooking and playing games, then eating delicious food, and usually end up with stomach aches and a week or two of leftover turkey.
I really want to organize a Thanksgiving here, maybe invite exchange students too, but this would definitely be an even with host family involvement. For instance, everyone from USA and Canada know this, but none of the exchangers from other countries and none of the Germans. It would be really interesting to try. I need to know how to make turkey.
If you can't tell I've been in an up-and-going sort of way, but I think for a while now I need to mellow out and spend more time with my host family. They would probably appreciate that.
01 October 2010
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| All the amazing exchange students I met in Neuruppin! |
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| Cake (torte) here is delicious, not as sweet, and so much better. |
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| I went to the anniversary of the my host family's relatives, this was just the start. |
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| buildings are beautiful here, they of course had hundreds of years to get it that way, but it really is nice. |
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| Probably one of the best desserts I ever ate, the sour cherries with sweet fluffy cream. Amazing. |
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| Eier Liquour. aka. hard Eggnog. Also at the anniversarry. |
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| We learned a funny German clapping game last year at foreign language day, they actually play it as part of tradition, I was so excited. |
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| Probably the second (?) time I ever went to church. They baptized the baby in white, but the whole time the little girl in red was running around and trying to put wrappers up the other girl's skirt. |
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| View from the bell tower |
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| My host father, Christoph, stayed a week longer after us and worked here to build a house. |
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| The aunt and Uncle (Their anniversary weekend once again) kept lots of animals, including bees. |
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| They are shy because they know that in Germany, bunnies = food |
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| He was a friendly kitty |
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| Classy Europeans and their energy efficiancy. |
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| That is basically how things look in a small town. This was Klettern, with the host family's family. |
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| Driving home... | Right side: Germany, | Left side: Poland! |
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| Polish is apparently related to Russian... I can believe that. It sounds so cool too! |
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| My ten minutes walking around Poland, here is driving home, but really, it was a bit sketchy. |
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| We went mushroom picking for about 3 hours. I feel pro about it. |
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| It is so hard not to pack too much, this was on the bus to the first exchanger meeting. |
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| I love Berlin. |
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| For the orientation we stayed 2 nights at a youth Hostel. |
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| "Pumpkins" I think not. |
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| Everyone smokes here. Really. |
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| Got a bunch new pins and also a Mexico bandana. I love my Mexicans! |
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| Pickled pumpkin.... it was ... Interesting. |
14 September 2010
Today we tried to make Chocolate chip cookies....
It turns out that the Metric system doesn't like me very much, so the first batch looked like this:
Then with the second pan on the way, we quickly added tons more flour into the mix and it looked a little more normal and less butter-soaked.
Overall that was interesting and fun, Anni and I also made a Quark Torte. For those of you who don't know what Quark is, it is this crazy stuff that Europeans use instead of sour cream, but they use it in cakes (Torte) and once in a while on potatoes.
I've been trying everything here and so far everything is a little different from home, the jelly beans are huge, pickles look weird, always mineral bubbly water, and even the gum is sometimes in blueberry flavor.
That there is Quark Cake, I forgot it's real name, but it is a cake with Quark mixed with pudding inside. Pretty interesting, huh?
Here is a mighty fine example of a mushroom. They pick their own, we eat them every day. We even sometimes have Mushroom Schnitzel.
Sometimes Erika, my current host mom even bakes some homemade bread, but this is German bread, so it is dark.
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| Bread. German style. |
Mushroom Schnitzel.
This place is weird. I like it.
On an unrelated note, Anni just let me cut her hair!
She was talking about how she wanted a haircut this week and somehow I was offered and being as I always love cutting hair for some reason, I did!
Personally, I think it looks pretty darn good. Anni said she didn't want to cut the front portion, so it is very interesting, but I convinced her that just a slight angle with the front would look classy, and that's how it is now. I still want to cut it a little more though..... I think she looks pretty good with short hair.
(You can compare this to the first photo)
06 September 2010
Pets!
The other day we discovered that the cat "Blackie" had another baby kitty, and it it ridiculously adorable, to top of that one month old cuteness, there is a hedgehog that comes to eat the cat food every evening! It is friendly and I picked it up and pet it, I kind of want to call him Ralf.
Did I mention Germany has wild boars? I really want to see one!
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| We fed the fish a fly, it looked weird. |
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| Yumi |
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| Ralf |
05 September 2010
Yesterday we went to the zoo, then the mall and ran into some other Australian exchange students as well. The zoo was interesting but a little sad because there were animals that looked so bored.
Today I rode the Scharmützelsee Fahrrad tour with my host family and it was really fun. They speak only in German to me, which is hard, but I'm glad they do. I have already learned so much in the last 2.5 weeks.
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| This is not uncommon |
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| Fish sandwiches, if you look closely you can see the scales are still there. |
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| Mückel! |
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| We went here and looked around, it is a climbing place in the woods, we are going to go there soon hopefully. |
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| Water snake. We also saw a legless lizard the other day, it looked like a chubby snake. |
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| Yummm, cake is not just for birthdays. |
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