Sh-Sh-Sh-Schule

Best part about being German:
Schultüte
wikipedia it, if you want more information (i still believe it's a source)
It's this cone that parents fill with sweet stuff for their kids on the first day of school, so school doesn't suck so much. I was so happy. My parents put enough chocolate for my whole school, a solid chocolate cell phone (Handy) my favv, and a erally cute pink mechanical pencil - they said that was so I could use it in America too -, and a Füller, a sweet ballpoint, inkish pen. i love it. I wanted one so bad, but they are 11 euros, and Bri's broke. look that up too if you wanna know more about it.




Anyways, so school day one. Aparently because I'm old, I got to start school Friday instead of Thursday. I was all sortsa nervous nevertheless. My first class was German. Now in theory that sounds good, but I was in 12th grade German, und dass geht garrr nichts (that's absolutely not okay - my favorite German phrase). So since my ability to understand is pretty good, i figure this won't necessarily be a walk in the park, but managable. Wrong. I seriously almost fell asleep. I was sitting in the front, because there were no other seats available when I got to class, right on time, with the teacher. I probably would have fell asleep if every student wasn't ripping me apart with their eyes. I mean the attention was cute, for the first 5 minutes. But the 85 minutes that followed, weren't so sweet. I had 2 hours of German instead of just one. I mean it was so much to take in, and beforehand the teacher announced to the class that I told her that she talked too fast for me to understand, and they definately got a kick out of that. I got about 2 solid minutes of laughter to prove it. Then she had me write my name on the board, for whatever reason. It's not like they really cared all too much. But anyways, after class, I needed to go to the books we would be reading. She assigned someone to take me, I never did meet that boy. But what was nice is 7 girls ran up to me, "Hi, I'm so and so, let's be friends". A little less cheesy, but nevertheless, sweet.

So I made new friends, good start. But this whole, almost falling asleep in class thing because I don't know anything is gonna have to stop I think. I mean I know it'll get easier to understand everything, but Lord knows i'm wayy to impatient. My class schedule is pretty sweet. Some classes are gonna suck, but the reason I'm taking them is because they're things I can teach myself with the good ole world wide web, things that are ojective, versus subjective.

German school's alot like college in that way, it's alot more come and go as you please, except attendance is necessary, and you need to be on time. But this is my Schedule:

Montag
8-9:30: English
10-11:30: Math
11:50-1:25: Chemistry
1:25-3:15: Dance
*Mondays kinda suck, minus Dance*

Dienstag
8-9:30: Religion
10-11:30: Informatik (typing)
11:50-1:25: Biology

Mittwoch
10-11:30: English
11:50-1:25: Geography
1:25-3:15: German

Donnerstag
7:10-9:30: Spanish *triple block...*
10-11:30: Informatik (typing)

Freitag
8-9:30: German
10-11:30: Art
11:50-1:25: Math

All in all, that doesn't super suck. I mean it's hard. But look at it this way, if things get too hard, I can switch classes, nothing is a must for me. I'm here to learn the language, figure out German school, hopefully do well, and feel accomplished.

For whatever reason, I had no math class Friday, on my first day, when I don't even know which way is up, and I was waiting for my host parents to pick me up, since everything's block schedule, I had to wait for them for 90 minutes... So much fun. I couldn't call because they were out shopping, for the party this weekend, and no one had their cell phone numbers. The only homework I had was German, to read 30 pages in this book, and this is the day my dictionary is laying on my bed... hahaha, what a day.

The book were reading is all kindsa hard, so I went to the bookstore this weekend and bought it in English, so I can read both and not get completely called out in class. haha.

But no need to worry about me, other than a few miscommunications here and there, school doesn't suck so bad, and my new friends are cool. I think this is going to be a good year, and in 8 or 10 weeks, we get our first ferien (BREAK!) so I'm down with that.

I'll try and keep you posted on everything when I have a break from all the homeworrrrrrk. <3

Rock Das Haus

This is it. My Humble Abode for the next 11 months. <3

Ostsee

http://www.elim-hamburg.de/home.html
that's the link for the church. and this was the day at the beach.

Hamburg

So, I am proud to report that everything here is amazing. I mean it. I love Hamburg. and my family is so sweet. They are young like my parents, easy to understand, and supa helpful. My room is neat, I'll get pictures up of everything as soon as I get them taken. We're painting my room next week, pink! :]
Last night I went to church. It was really similar to fuel, it made me feel very at home.
-Blind Worship leader, this guy was amazing. he can't see. he plays the piano and leads worship. AND he sings some songs in English. meaning he has to memorize everything. I was amazed.
-Diverse Congregation, there were more different kinds of people than i ever see in Blo/No
-Black Pastor, now normally I would say that's not something you see in Germany very often, but Hamburg is a melting pot. This guy was so fly, he was wearing a suit, but like a linen suit, like you would wear to a wedding on the beach, and it was white. with a red buttondown under it. So funny.
-Sweet Sermon, now naturally I didn't understand all of what he was saying, but I did understand the message, because I think normally this guy is the youth pastor, so he makes things easy to understand and made alot of jokes, making it easy for me to grasp what he was saying.
-Loud Music, it was just like fuel, with the concert atmosphere, it was great. and some of the songs we sang there were the same we sing at fuel, or big church. That was really comforting to me, it was like even though I don't understand what these people are saying, we all are here for the same purpose. It was super cool.

Leaving Everswinkel: Everything was cool. Kathi threw me a party on Friday, lots of her friends came for their "last goodbye(s)" that was pretty cool. I'll miss them. But I'm going to go back and visit and they're coming to visit me at some point, afterall Germany's not that big.

All-in-all, everything's pretty good here. I'm nervous for school. But that's to be expected. I have this week to make the most of before the school year even starts. The family and I are going to the Ostsee today. To swim and have fun. So I'll keep you posted on how everything's going.

<3 and miss everyone.

One Month Report Card

So, it's been a month, roughly. Tomorrow ends my first month of Germany and German living, and Brotchen and etc. I am looking forward to go to Hamburg, but honestly I'm a bit disappointed.

I'm disappointed that my German's not at the level that I want it to be - mostly my fault, i admit - because I wasn't practicing as much as I should have been. Facebook became much more interesting. Knowing what everyone else was doing was a priority.
I realized I had high expectations for how my first month would be, what my German would be like, how helpful my class would be, and I shouldn't have. I realize this, but as of now that doesn't help my frustration.

For example, today. 3pm, I'm getting on the bus, - in the morning I cannot use my month ticket, because it's part of the school day, and Germany hates me and wants to steal away all my little American money so I have to buy another ticket for the morning but after school the month ticket works - and the bus driver kindly stops me to tell me that I cannot use my card, because this was also a student bus. So my options are: buy another ticket, use one of the tickets I have and have to buy another later, or walk home. I chose option 2. Mainly because it was far too difficult for me to explain to this nice man that I am just a little American exchange student, and I do not have a student ID. These are the things that are taken for granted when I live at home. At home I would throw a fit about how I have no money, and I would make that month ticket work. Here, I have two options: continue stumbling through German until the guy just lets me go, or give in and pay (generally the easiest option).

In any case, that's just to give an example of how much knowing German would be helpful. So on that note, I'm a bit nervous for school. I have got to get caught up on everything I think I should have been learning this whole time. I feel like going to the class that YFU organized for me, did me more worse than good, as far as everyday conversational talk, I can tell the difference between the cases in grammar, and that's great, but I can't communicate with the bus driver...
And if I'm able to type this much without a problem, that seems to be bad as well, my German should be so advanced that English is hard for me.

I need to stop having so much communication with home, sorry. I will try my best to update twice a week or so. But not everyday. As hard as that will be for me, because I'm SO addicted to the computer, I have to slowly tear myself away from home a little, so I can get the most out of this expierence.

Now, all the depressing stuff aside, I love it here, I think I'm going to need to buy myself new jeans soon though, because all this bread isn't doing so good for my Southern Hemisphere... But the food's great, the people are nice, and this family was welcoming, warm, and helpful.

The bugs definately suck though. My mosquitio allergy isn't being very helpful. My arms look all diseased some days, it's awful, but maybe my body will get used to it? Hopefully.

I am camping with my other family for the first week, so I'm pretty sure I will be unavailable then, and most likely really itchy... Outside, 5-7 days. Ohhh man, there's a first time for everything. Pray for me...

I hope school is all that I want it to be and my German gets better, and I start forgetting English. As weird as that sounds, that would be amazing for me, because I don't wanna stay here and keep "being American", that's not really helpful. If I wanted to do that, I coulda stayed home and read lots of German books.

Another hope I have is to get more active, I think I'm going to look into getting a gym membership at my other home, because I eat wayyyy too much bread, and I can't read the nutrition facts very well, so sometimes, I dont have a real good idea about what i'm eating. SSOOo, even though I walk more here, and ride bikes alot, it's not as much as I used to do at home. But my other family will help me with that, we have a year to figure it out.

Oh, and my shoulder, if you've seen Facebook, I have a sling. Yes, I'm okay. I dislocated my shoulder three days ago, and I wear it to keep my shoulder alittle more stable. It's a pain when it's so hot outside because it just makes me sweatier. But I gotta do what I gotta do. Hopefully that gets better before it gets worse. I'm fine though, no need to worry. I wouldn't be any better off at home, I can almost promise, cept having my momma to wrap these ankles I keep spraining, and make my shoulder better. hahah. I'm getting by fine though.

This family got a new exchange student from Estonia, she's pretty cool, it's hard to get to know here because I'm leaving in 2 days, but it's neat, because we both have pretty broken German, and trying to communicate is a jokkkke. oh well, it's entertaining.

Welp, I'll try to keep up with pictures. That'll be the easiest, once I start learning the language better, because all this writing will wear me out.

Love and Miss you all!

Spaghetti Eis

This is god's gift to man.
Ice Cream, that looks like spaghetti, it's phenomenal.

It's been a while, Autobahn!

Aparently I'm alot more busy than I thought I would be since it's been over a week since I last updated everyone on how I was doing. Okay so in order, exciting news:

1. My hair is straight
Now for most people this is not a big deal, but my first few weeks proved that german electricity > american appliances (i.e. flat iron, blow dryer, converters) hence, forcing me to buy new ones. So that all worked.

2. I got a phone!
A cell phone, finally. Here's my number: 01578-3541332. It costs me 15cents/text, and 15cents/minute calling to americam plus 7cents/each additional minute of calling. It was the cheapest option as far as cell phones go, but again, check with your provider, to make sure a text from/to me, won't cost you an arm and a leg. I also have unlimited calling here, from my house phone, so if you ever want me to call, make sure I have your number, and that you're availabe (e-mail me or send me a message on facebook).

3. AUTOBAHN!
Today, we went to Köln, and took the Autobahn, super sweet, we went about 100MPH, not so fast, but faster than the blue bomber for sure. It was pretty sweet, but our trip started at 7am, so of course, I was sleeping after the inital excitement.

4. Language Camp is almost over
This has not exactly met my expectations yet, but I think I may have set them too high. I can understand so much, but my speaking is still really limited. Pretty soon it will be too hard for me to write everything in "good english" so, you'll mostly get pictures.

5. STARBUCKS!
This explains itself, and Gottseidank, I have it.

6. Hamburg.
I have a week left here in Everswinkel, then I move to Hamburg. My other host family is coming to pick me up, luckily. My shoulder's been acting up quite a bit, so carrying all my luggage over the 4 changes I would have had on the train, would have been a bit much. I found out that my school is really close to my house in Hamburg. It's 1,1 km away from each other (.65mi), so really close. Most likely walking distance, I doubt I would drive, that doesn't make much sense.

7. Münster
I have made several trips to Münster, and I love it there, it's not very big, but it's got that bigcity feel, with smallcity warmth. It's great. Its fun to shop, and spend waaaay too much money. I'm trying to buy more clothes so I don't look so American, but aparently it's not working. I went into the Puma store, and went to the Kasse (Register), and immediately, the man spoke English to me. I must scream American. Oh well. I like it.

8. Köln
Today we visited Köln and I bought a few things and did some serious German historical sightseeing, that was pretty interesting. Köln is a very Americanized town, as I'm sure alot of German places that were destroyed in the war are. The following pictures are mostly from Köln today, and some from previous places and events.

So, Bees

So yesterday was pretty eventful, at school we had a scavenger hunt around Warendorf, the small town we have class in. I got royally confused because it was stressful to have to talk to German strangers, when you only halfway speak their language. But it was a good expiernece, I know what it would be like if I got lost in Germany...
But today my family took me to this place, similar to ziplining, we climbed trees and stuff, and swung on things. It wasn't so good for my shoulder, but it was fun My pictures of it aren't that good, here's the website:
http://www.klettertal.de/
It's in German, and for those of you who don't speak german, just look at the pictures, that's what I had to do :].
So anyways, after I decided enough was enough with that whole thing, I sat with some of the other girl that had come with and waited for the boys to finish the harder part of the course. I wore a belt today because my pants were too big and I wanted them to stay on while I was participating in airbourne gymnastics. So I was sitting, talking to one of Kathi's friends, and I felt something in my pants, to make this story as detailless and cute as possible, I'll shorten it. A bee flew down my pants. I was trying to swat it out, no luck, I think I just shoved it. Bad idea, I was getting stung like you wouldn't believe (I've never been stung by a bee before, mind you). And I sat down hard, near my tailbone, because I needed to see if it was still living, or still in my pants. I went to the bathroom and it was still alive, in my underpants. Just an overall gross situation, and I hated every minute of it. To tell the story, most people think it's funny, I disagree. But in either case, I have a few bites thats really awkward to itch...
On a lighter note, there was a car show and some sweeeeet cars there. I couldn't really take picture of them because I didn't pay to see them. But I snuck one. The crappy thing is they were showing mostly American cars, what good does that do me? I coulda save the 8 hour flight for American cars... But whatever.