DAY 1: A Taste Of Oktoberfest

I was awoken at 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning, tired but completely excited for the coming week. After fitting all 6 of our suitcases in my host families van, we started the long car ride from Herne to Munich. Somewhere around 5 hours and a long nap later, we arrived at Lars’s sisters and her husband’s house where we would be staying. After a quick lunch, we tried on a few drindel’s that my host aunt already owned. We then all set out to Oktoberfest, a big celebration in Munich that takes place every year. I wasn’t really sure what to expect when we left. I had heard so much about Oktoberfest that I had a lot of different visions in my mind of what it would be like.
When we first got there, my initial thought is that it was just like a county fair. There were all kinds of rides, snack booths, and people bustling in and out. And then, to my surprise, we stepped into a big tent, and what do you know? People dancing on benches, music, and huge glasses of beer being swung around by nearly everyone. There were several different buildings, and each one had it’s own decorations. Some of them felt like the great hall in Harry Potter gone wild, with huge vaulted ceilings. All of the tents were completely full, and everyone was having a good time.

HERBST FERIEN!

The first week of my two week long break is complete, and I have already seen so many amazing things! I am so grateful to have a family that is so willing to show me Germany and give me so many spectacular opportunities J. There's way too much writing for just one blog post- so here we go!

Just Another Week

This week was definitely a challenging one for school. I’m to the point where I can understand what the teacher is talking about, but not every single little detail and important fact they say. I’m pushing myself everyday to understand more and resist the urge to just zone out.  On Friday, I took a four-hour test in English. That’s right, four hours! The German tests are a lot different than American tests. They’re all planned from the beginning of the year, and take place less often, with no multiple choices, ever. And while I was writing two essays and a summary on a speech Queen Elizabeth delivered, I realized that my English was not quite up to its the normal, quick, natural self. I felt a lot slower and it took me longer to analyze the document than it should have. I’ve heard this is natural for exchange students, but it was weird actually first hand experiencing it.

I’ve been able to have real “conversations,” with my classmates. When they slow down, I can actually understand them! The other day I sat down for tea and cake with my host family, my “Opa and Oma,” a cousin of my host sisters, and her boyfriend, and I actually followed the conversation the entire time. It feels so good to have rewarding experiences like that and see that all the challenges I go through paying off.

Your probably curious, have I gotten homesick yet? And the answer is yes, I had never once been home sick in my life throughout all the trips I’ve taken, and now I finally know what it is like to experience it. I miss sleepovers with my friends, my family, my dog, long drives blasting music, my closet, and a good ole’ Chipotle Burrito Bowl. Sometimes when I’m in school I just wish that things were like they were in America, that I could do homework, feel accomplished, and read passages without struggle. This trip is not easy, and I didn’t expect it to be. However, I know that things are the exact same at home, and they will be waiting for me when I get back.  I can’t even imagine how bored I would be sticking to the same routine for another year. Instead of taking AP Euro, I’m getting European History from a completely different perspective. I’m seeing new things and discovering a new way of life. I’m changing my view on the world and becoming a smarter, more intelligent, and stronger person.  I just can’t let the culture shock put me in a negative place. I’m amazingly grateful that I have the opportunity to be on this trip. Life is good J

And, on that note, I have one more week of school and then “Herbst Ferien.” Which means two weeks off from school!  Expect new blog posts and lots of surprises to be coming soon J

Also, cooked shrimp taco's for my host family last Sunday and it went surprisingly well! I was nervous because I was missing some key ingridents that make them really good, like cilantro and avocado, but overall they weren't too bad!

The Gymnasium

Second week of school=complete! I’ve now had four days with my own schedule. A German Gymnasium is completely different to a high school.  Instead of having a block schedule like I do in Colorado, it’s more of a compilation of classes placed randomly throughout the week. You have a certain amount of hours each week per class, and it changes based off of whether it’s a core class, like math or Deutsch, or an “elective,” like art or gym. Also, there is not a set lunchtime, but every two hours or so there is a twenty-five minute break where everyone hangs out and snacks on sandwiches from home. School technically goes to 6:00, but no one ever has that long a day. There are off blocks placed throughout the schedule where you can bike home.  When a teacher is sick or gone, you don’t have class. There is a board in the front of the school that you have to check to see if anything is cancelled. Here’s a look at my classes:

·      Deutsch: I actually have two German classes, both in 7^th grade. My counselor and I decided that this would be best for me to work on my grammar skills. The kids are adorable. It feels completely silly that I have no idea what the teachers saying half of the time and they have to help me. They remind of these kids I mentor at an elementary school near my high school for student council, it’s just that this time, instead of me mentoring them, they’re mentoring me.

·      Mathe: Well, I’m not exactly a math pro in English, and it’s about the same in Germany. I’m actually with 15-year olds, but the level is right about where I would be this year in America, in pre-calc. I really do like math though, because numbers don’t change with a language.  The teacher is super nice, and everyone in the class is always happy to help me out if I ever have problems. I think that within the next few weeks, I’ll begin to enjoy the class more and more.

·      Biologie: My favorite class in America is now my most difficult class in German. The first week when I was with Gesa we talked about DNA and Protein Synthesis, and I actually was quite aware of everything that was going on. Now I’m in a different class, with a completely different subject, something about Fluorescent Lighting and diagrams of the human eye. My second day in this last Friday we had a pop-quiz, and I literally had no idea what to do. Thankfully, the teacher is really patient and I know that once I get a better grasp on the language it is very likely that Biology will go back to being one of my favorite classes.

·      Geschichte: Boy did I luck out, they offer History in English! I figured I get enough German in my other classes, and since European history is a class that I need to graduate in America, I would rather have a full grasp of what is going on. I take this class with 12^th graders, and my older sister is in the class with me. They are all absolute geniuses. I’ve only had two short periods in the class, and next week they all have exams of what they learned before I arrived, but I can tell it will be a class that I will really enjoy. The class is small, allowing for a really hands-on environment. I find it really interesting to get history from another perspective. Right now we are discussing the Cold War, and because we had a big focus on this last year in American History, I am able to compare the way Germany saw America and the rest of the world in the Cold War to how America had seen everything. Absolutely loving it.

·      Englisch: The class where my brain can breathe. I was surprised to walk in the first day and discuss British Politics, but now that I’m accustomed to how amazing everyone here is at English, it is a class I really enjoy. I’m even going to London in November with my class for a few days! After English Culture comes discussing American Life and the American Dream, can’t wait.

·      Spanisch: My school offers Spanish as more of a club; we don’t get grades but twice a week we get together for 45 minutes and practice. It’s really easy for me because I’ve had three years of Spanish in school and all we’ve really done so far is conjugate simple verbs. Nevertheless, I don’t want to forget Spanish while I’m here and even just hearing the teacher talk reminds me of everything I’ve learned. I felt so accomplished after the first class, I didn’t speak a work of English the entire period, and I still had a full grasp of everything the teacher said and what was going on! It was really weird feeling getting Spanish and German at the same time, and learning Spanish from a German perspective rather than an English one.

·      Kunst: A.k.a. Art. Right now were working on clay models of a representation of a verb, I’m doing “changing,” with several leaves on a circular thing. Art has been a good way to relax and allow my mind to take a break from overwhelming amounts of German.

·      Sport: Right now were playing badminton, and before that we were doing spear throwing. It’s a fun class, and a good way to get to know everyone. I’m still not entirely sure where I’m supposed to go for class everyday because it’s always in a different spot, but thankfully I have the class with my sister so she gives me a hand. J

So that’s what I do during the day! It feels like I got here yesterday, we stay so busy! I take a painting class at an Art school near my house on Fridays, and I’m painting a picture of mountains right now. I made a few friends and am really enjoying it. Art is it’s own form of communication, and language does not get in the way. On Monday I’m going to try out a swim team and I’ll have to decide if that’s something I want to peruse here. I wasn’t surprised, but there aren’t any diving teams near where I live, so swimming is the next best thing. We went shopping yesterday in Essen. It was so much fun walking through such a big city. They have one of the biggest malls in Germany there; it was absolutely, unbelievably huge! Last night I went to a birthday party for a girl that I met in my history class with my older sister, and had a ton of fun dancing around and getting to know everyone. Things are going really well, I couldn’t ask for a better family, and everything is falling into place.

Starting From Base 1

Well! Here I am! I know this blog post is a bit late, but I have been so busy with my family I haven't had any time! So here we go. Exactly one week ago, I left language camp and took a train to Herne. The train ride was super crazy, because our first train ride was delayed! Just imagine about 15 exchange students, all with ridiculous amounts of luggage, in a busy German train station for the first time, trying to figure out how all the time tables work to get on the next train. Absolute insanity! Somehow, we all managed to figure out where to go and soon enough I was in Herne. My host family is wonderful. I have my own bed and bathroom, and there's a garden in the backyard with all kinds of fruits and vegetables, and even a bee-hive with honey for our rolls in the morning.

 Everything I've tasted since I left language camp has been amazing! From all kinds of home-made marmalade, to yummy German chocolate, to plum cakes; you can be sure I won't starve on this exchange! For breakfast we usually have rolls with an array of jams, nutella, honey, and cold-cuts to pick from. Then, at school we pack little sandwiches usually with butter and some kind of meat or cheese and a piece of fruit to snack on during breaks at school. When we get home, we have "Mittagessen," which is a lot larger than the regular lunch in America. It's more like having dinner, actually. Dinner is later, around eight or nine, and is usually lighter. Tonight my family and I are going to a traditional Bavarian restaurant so I can get a taste of authentic German food. And to think I was scared I would be doomed with all meat and potatoes for 10 months ;)

My first week of school went well, I basically shadowed my host sister around for the first week, and starting next week I'll have a more personalized schedule. At that point I'll do a big post about all my classes and how school here differs from America. But I've been making lots of friends, and everyone seems very interested in America! It's even popular to wear American flags on clothes. American scarfs, shoes, shirts, it's crazy! Their clothes all have English writing, the music on the radio is American, and a lot of the TV shows are American too! I found that a bit surprising.

My German is coming along, to think that I only started speaking it a month ago is astonishing. But at the same time I feel that my conversations are so limited now, I understand a lot better when people talk slowly, but even then I don't always know everything that's going on. Either way, I make huge strides every day. It seems like a long shot, but I know that sooner than later I will be speaking like I have lived here my entire life. It just all comes in small steps. Sometimes I feel like a child, which is basically where I am in my German right now. I love reading kids books and watching children's TV shows because I can understand a lot of what is going on! But everyone is so helpful and patient with me, and they all speak English really well, so when I need to know really important things and I don't fully understand in German, I'll ask for it in English. I'm here to learn German, so I try to stick with that for the most part. Like my mom said to me the other night, "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain." There is no point in staying in all day studying and hoping I'll learn, I just have to have as much fun as possible, soak in every opportunity, and with that, my German will flourish.

Herne is super beautiful, we are able to ride our bikes most places, including school and shopping. It's like were in this "city," but then at any moment you can hop on a trail and be next to a creek with lots of open space and big trees. Absolutely loving it. The other night while my host sisters Gesa and Hanna had basketball practice, Ina (my host mom) and I went on a jog around this little mountain where at the top there was a big sun dial type statue; you could see the entire town from the top.

This trip is definitely challenging, but I am taking every task step by step, and know that I have all the support in the world to lean on. And I'm having a great time through it all. That's all for now; but I promise I will begin to write posts more frequently!

Bis Später!

The End of the Bubble

Hello everyone! I haven't been posting blogs often through language camp, because after my last update my laptop stopped working. Right now I'm typing off my phone, so I'll make this short! I currently have 2 and a half days left of language camp until I head off to my host family. My host family! I actually got them about two weeks ago. I will be living in Herne, Germany with my host mom, dad, and 3 sisters who are 17, 16, and 14. I am starting school this next Monday in the 11th grade. They are a very active family, two of the daughters play basketball and they also like skiing and dancing. I've been talking to them in a mix of German and English over Facebook the past few weeks. They are all so sweet and I am so grateful I have such a wonderful family. I am both nervous and excited to leave language camp and allow the real German adventure to begin. Hedersleben is so tiny, and I am ready to feel more connected to the outside world. However I've grown really close to the other CBYX students and I know that there are some I will really miss. I'll post pictures and write more details about language camp once I get to Herne and have more access to a computer! I've learned a ton of German this month, tried my hand at German cooking, and used their transportation system multiple times, but I still don't feel prepared to be fully immersed in this new culture. I don't know if I ever would; no matter how much I studied. So it's time to pop the safety bubble and dive in! Wish me luck! :)

Leipzig

Yesterday we took out first field trip to one of the major German cities, called Leipzig. Following the hour and a half bus ride through corn fields and wind mill farms, we arrived in what we know modern Germany to be. Leipzig is a mixture of old and new. One minute you will be passing the train tracks of one of the world’s most advanced transportation systems, and the next you will be inside of a building older than America itself. Pretty sweet feeling, I would say. We started out the day by going on a small tour through the city. We went inside two churches, one of which Bach had used as a home base for orchestrating his masterpieces.  We had a few hours of free time after that, and you can imagine that we all hit up H&M first thing. Once I had bought a pair of pink low rise-converse type shoes I headed off with a few other kids from my program for lunch. We ended up in a Vietnamese Restaurant, which I know is ironic considering it was our first German meal outside the Monastery, but it was completely worth it! I had glass noodles mixed with lots of veggies and lemon sauce, along with a crisp glass of sparkling water. We had plenty of time to walk around and simply feel the vibe of the town. Street players gathered crowds in the streets, and kids played in water fountains lining the side walk. It was a happy, modern, and cheery place to be. I wouldn’t mind being placed in Leipzig at all. And yes, that means still no host family! Let’s hope it comes this week J The last thing we did with our free time was go to an old famous coffee shop.  It is known for an elephant picture painted on the outside of the building. I ordered iced coffee, and to my surprise, they actually put ice cream instead of ice in, like a root beer float with coffee. Delicious! Germans don’t really use ice, and they don’t have a word for it either. If you say ice, they will think you are talking about ice cream.  The last thing we did for the day was go on a tour that showed the history of modern Germany. I found this really interesting because we were able to see both the outlook and lifestyle of people in and around the Berlin Wall. It is amazing to think that Germany has made so much progress to become a high tech, liberal, and modern society in such a short amount of time. If there is one thing we can learn from the Germans, I believe it would be to have an open mind for reform. They have changed their country so much for the better, and I believe that they have put a lot of thought into the way their laws operate.