The above reads: Language camp, eat, homework, sleep, and I wait. That has been how the last few days have gone. I am only in Celle for 8 more days, but it feels like that will never end. I am very anxious to begin at my new school in Burg. School here is okay, but only learning German for 4 hours a day can get really boring. I love to learn about it, but there is a certain point where it becomes to much to take in all at once. I am besieged by all of the vocab I must learn at home, and at school I have to learn all of the proper grammar. However, I am beginning to be able to look at something, and automatically know the word for it, instead of having to stop for 5 or 6 seconds while someone is waiting for me to think of the words. It makes things a little bit less embarrassing.
Some of the more exciting things for me this week might seem rather dull to anyone not here. Lets see. I successfully: took money out of the ATM, found my own way by bike to something that was a little bit complicated to get to, and successfully contributed to dinner table conversation regarding the world news. Normally those things aren't very hard, but when only speaking German, simple things become much more difficult. Lately I have been very tired, and going to bed pretty early.
Oh! I played my family at German Monopoly the other night. I think that they were a little mad that I could be winning when the game was in their language. They all kept saying I just had good luck ;) Also, the word peanuts, used in the phrase "das ist peanuts" aka "thats worth peanuts" is international. It was my host dad's favorite thing to say while playing.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Hannover and Bergen-Belsen
On Saturday I went into the large city of Hannover with my host family. We went and saw all of the history of the city, from the churches and cathedrals to the Rathaus, neu and altes. In the new town hall (there are pictures on Facebook), there is a small museum, with scale models of the city before, during, and after WWII. Hannover was completely decimated. They did however leave the town hall and the churches because the pilots could use them as landmarks to orient themselves while on bombing runs. So a lot of history is still there. While walking, My host mother points and says "Oh look, the President is walking towards us." I walked by President Wulff, we were within 2 feet of one another. I told her that that sort of thing never happened with President Obama and she didn't believe me. We ate lunch at a nice Café, and then went shopping. Outside one of the shops, H&M, Tom and I sat and ate eis while watching some breakdancing street performers. It was a great day!
Today I have gone to Bergen-Belsen, a concentration camp that was located a short distance from Celle. It was very historical, enlightening, overawing, and spooky. Most of the infrastructure was gone, burned down by the britisch. But seeing the number of people buried there was very overwhelming. Anne Frank had a special memorial that many, many people visit. It was covered in little keepsakes, poems, flowers, and rocks from people of the Jewish faith. It was a very enlightening experience, but a little bit depressing. I really do not think about world war II here when I am not face to face with evidence of it.
Today I have gone to Bergen-Belsen, a concentration camp that was located a short distance from Celle. It was very historical, enlightening, overawing, and spooky. Most of the infrastructure was gone, burned down by the britisch. But seeing the number of people buried there was very overwhelming. Anne Frank had a special memorial that many, many people visit. It was covered in little keepsakes, poems, flowers, and rocks from people of the Jewish faith. It was a very enlightening experience, but a little bit depressing. I really do not think about world war II here when I am not face to face with evidence of it.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Deutsch Schule
Yesterday I went to Gymnasium with Tom. Gymnasium is the German equivalent to American prep school, and that is what I will be attending once my Deutschkurs here in Celle is finished. In his school there are varying schedules. Some days he is at school from 8 until 5:15. Other days from 8 to 12, and other days from 8 to 12, a one hour break, and then until 2 or 3. Oh, and did I mention that there are 13 grades? It is all very different.
His classes were pretty interesting, even if I didn't quite understand. Math was pretty easy, which I was surprised at because I have been told how much better Germans are supposed to be at math. But they are only doing what I did last year. Tom was quite happy that I was sitting next to him and could teach him the tricks and shortcuts for the problems.
English was funny. I had not realized that most Germans speak english with a very hard british accent. Apparently it is very difficult to make the hard A and the th sounds, so the British accent suits them better.
I went to Biology, but I did not find it all that interesting. I had done most of it in freshman year, and DNA coding does not overly interest me. School was fun!
After School I went to Fußball training with Tom which was a good workout. I enjoyed doing something that I didn't have to constantly make mistakes in. The only downside to going to practice is that I must bike there and back, and it is about 10 km away, a 25 minute bike ride.
It was a good day!
Today I just went to Deutschkurs, came home, and ate lunch. Lunch is the hot meal, and usually the largest meal of the day. Afterwards I worked on my grammar with Denise. And now I'm blogging!
Ps. Today I discovered that I cannot watch Netflix, ESPN 360, or and online network channels here. I guess there are copyright and advertisement issues. Das ist sehr schlecht.
His classes were pretty interesting, even if I didn't quite understand. Math was pretty easy, which I was surprised at because I have been told how much better Germans are supposed to be at math. But they are only doing what I did last year. Tom was quite happy that I was sitting next to him and could teach him the tricks and shortcuts for the problems.
English was funny. I had not realized that most Germans speak english with a very hard british accent. Apparently it is very difficult to make the hard A and the th sounds, so the British accent suits them better.
I went to Biology, but I did not find it all that interesting. I had done most of it in freshman year, and DNA coding does not overly interest me. School was fun!
After School I went to Fußball training with Tom which was a good workout. I enjoyed doing something that I didn't have to constantly make mistakes in. The only downside to going to practice is that I must bike there and back, and it is about 10 km away, a 25 minute bike ride.
It was a good day!
Today I just went to Deutschkurs, came home, and ate lunch. Lunch is the hot meal, and usually the largest meal of the day. Afterwards I worked on my grammar with Denise. And now I'm blogging!
Ps. Today I discovered that I cannot watch Netflix, ESPN 360, or and online network channels here. I guess there are copyright and advertisement issues. Das ist sehr schlecht.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Hannover vs Verder Bremen!
Last night I went to my first Bundesliga game! It was Hannover vs. Verder Bremen, which is a really exciting matchup. Usually, Hannover is not very good, and Verder Bremen is at the top of the League. Not now though! This season, Hannover is doing extremely well! They won last night 4-1 in a game that should have been about 7-1 because of some easy missed chances. It was really exciting to watch them play some of the best soccer I have ever seen.
What really makes the game worth going to is the fans for either side. Hannover was home, and as my family are Hannover fans, I was too! There were about 30,000 Hannover fans and 13,000 Verder Bremen fans. Both sides were equally crazy, Hannover's chants were beter, but when Verder scored, their fans lit off several flares! It was a great atmosphere to watch in. Especially because Hannover won!
One other thing that I wanted to mention was German TV. Here they have american sitcoms and cartoons all redone in Deutsch. They even make the mouth move correctly! I was amazed. Also, I love the sports highlights here. They consist of 25 minutes of soccer and 5 minutes of handball. So much better than American Sportscenter!
What really makes the game worth going to is the fans for either side. Hannover was home, and as my family are Hannover fans, I was too! There were about 30,000 Hannover fans and 13,000 Verder Bremen fans. Both sides were equally crazy, Hannover's chants were beter, but when Verder scored, their fans lit off several flares! It was a great atmosphere to watch in. Especially because Hannover won!
One other thing that I wanted to mention was German TV. Here they have american sitcoms and cartoons all redone in Deutsch. They even make the mouth move correctly! I was amazed. Also, I love the sports highlights here. They consist of 25 minutes of soccer and 5 minutes of handball. So much better than American Sportscenter!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Luxembourg est trés beau!
I'm back in Deutschland! Six hours of driving both ways, but Luxembourg was definitely worth it! It was so Beautiful! I didn't know until about an hour before we arrived that my familie owns a haus there! It was very nice. It was right in the middle of the old fortifications of Luxembourg, the center of the old town.
We left on Thursday, and when we arrived in Luxembourg it was very late and we went straight to bed. The next morning Harold, Tome, and I went and saw the city of Luxembourg. We walked around the entire perimeter of the old fortifications, which are up and down several hills. I think it was maybe 6 or 7 miles. Then we went and saw the Cazemats, underground fortifications for canons that are built into the sides of the hills and cliffs that Luxembourg is built on top of. They are man made and very medieval and scary. Tom and Harald kept trying to scare each other from around corners. It was hysterical. Later that night we went out to eat with a lot of Denise's family, as she is from Luxembourg. If you didn't know, people from Luxembourg are all brought up speaking three languages from birth. Luxembourgisch, French, and German. They speak all three flawlessly. However, they tend to switch between them from sentence to sentence, so conversation is really hard to follow. After dinner we went to a club to see Tom's cousin's band play. It was a lot of fun!
The next day was the main reason that we had gone on our trip, Denise's mother's 80th birthday. It was at what they tell me is a famous restaurant in Luxembourg. It was at the top of a hill that overlooked a beautiful countryside covered with vineyards. There were 40 something people there and we ate for about 5 hours. It was a great time!
Today we drove home and it took all day because of traffic on the autobahn. Oh! We topped out at 189 km/h. It was pretty fast. I think maybe 120 mph? Only in Deutschland...
We left on Thursday, and when we arrived in Luxembourg it was very late and we went straight to bed. The next morning Harold, Tome, and I went and saw the city of Luxembourg. We walked around the entire perimeter of the old fortifications, which are up and down several hills. I think it was maybe 6 or 7 miles. Then we went and saw the Cazemats, underground fortifications for canons that are built into the sides of the hills and cliffs that Luxembourg is built on top of. They are man made and very medieval and scary. Tom and Harald kept trying to scare each other from around corners. It was hysterical. Later that night we went out to eat with a lot of Denise's family, as she is from Luxembourg. If you didn't know, people from Luxembourg are all brought up speaking three languages from birth. Luxembourgisch, French, and German. They speak all three flawlessly. However, they tend to switch between them from sentence to sentence, so conversation is really hard to follow. After dinner we went to a club to see Tom's cousin's band play. It was a lot of fun!
The next day was the main reason that we had gone on our trip, Denise's mother's 80th birthday. It was at what they tell me is a famous restaurant in Luxembourg. It was at the top of a hill that overlooked a beautiful countryside covered with vineyards. There were 40 something people there and we ate for about 5 hours. It was a great time!
Today we drove home and it took all day because of traffic on the autobahn. Oh! We topped out at 189 km/h. It was pretty fast. I think maybe 120 mph? Only in Deutschland...
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Ich fahre heute zur Luxembourg!
Today I am going to Luxembourg! We are going to drive there, and it is about 6 hours away! I feel like that is a far journey by car in Europe. Anyways, I am excited for the Autobahn. The speedometer goes to 220 km, and I want to see how quickly my gastfater will drive!
We will spend friday and saturday in Luxembourg, and come home one Sunday. Tomorrow we are just going to go around the city, and Saturday we are going to Denise's (mein gastmutter's) mothers eightieth birthday party. Das wird sein spaz!
I didn't post yesterday because I was very busy. I went to school, and then we went on a tour of the castle! Das Schloss ist sehr kool! We saw lots of beautiful rooms and many paintings from the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries. It was very historical, but also very funny to make fun of how the people looked then ;).
I won't post for a few days because of my trip.
We will spend friday and saturday in Luxembourg, and come home one Sunday. Tomorrow we are just going to go around the city, and Saturday we are going to Denise's (mein gastmutter's) mothers eightieth birthday party. Das wird sein spaz!
I didn't post yesterday because I was very busy. I went to school, and then we went on a tour of the castle! Das Schloss ist sehr kool! We saw lots of beautiful rooms and many paintings from the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries. It was very historical, but also very funny to make fun of how the people looked then ;).
I won't post for a few days because of my trip.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
So much German so fast!
Mein Deutch kommt schnell! I am learning so quickly, I can say almost everything that I want to in the present tense. Its very exciting because I have only been here for 4 days now. I am still struggling with nouns, there are so many things that I need to know the names of! But that will come with time. Also, Some of the nouns are about 25 letters long because they basically stick all adjacent nouns/adjectives into one word. Its crazy.
What is important is the grammar that I am learning in school. In only 2 days of class I am fairly sure that we have learned more than I would have in a year of an American German class. Perhaps I am motivated to learn quickly because I know that I must learn it so that I can communicate for the next year. Whatever the reason, my familie and I are both surprised at how quickly I am progressing.
Today I went to school, and then to a book store, Decious, in Celle to buy a large Deutsche-English Dictionary. Both were walked to in the rain, and my father could not believe that I did not have a coat specifically for the rain. I told him that "I am not made of sugar" in Deutsche "Ich bin nicht machen auf Zucker" :).
Tonight I went out with my fater Harold to buy a phone, and we got a prepaid handy from vodafone. It's cool. It's 29 cents per call, and then free after that. I like it because it is prepaid with no credit card attached, so I can only lose however much money I put on it at a time. I will definitely mess up at some point, the phone is in German!
At six o'clock, we went to Tom's Fußball training but it was cancelled because of rain. Instead we went and played soccer with some friends at one of their houses. It was a lot of fun!
What is important is the grammar that I am learning in school. In only 2 days of class I am fairly sure that we have learned more than I would have in a year of an American German class. Perhaps I am motivated to learn quickly because I know that I must learn it so that I can communicate for the next year. Whatever the reason, my familie and I are both surprised at how quickly I am progressing.
Today I went to school, and then to a book store, Decious, in Celle to buy a large Deutsche-English Dictionary. Both were walked to in the rain, and my father could not believe that I did not have a coat specifically for the rain. I told him that "I am not made of sugar" in Deutsche "Ich bin nicht machen auf Zucker" :).
Tonight I went out with my fater Harold to buy a phone, and we got a prepaid handy from vodafone. It's cool. It's 29 cents per call, and then free after that. I like it because it is prepaid with no credit card attached, so I can only lose however much money I put on it at a time. I will definitely mess up at some point, the phone is in German!
At six o'clock, we went to Tom's Fußball training but it was cancelled because of rain. Instead we went and played soccer with some friends at one of their houses. It was a lot of fun!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Deutschland!
I'm Here!
Germany is so wonderful! Travel was very tiring, but it was worth it. First was an 8 and 1/2 hour train ride, and then a 3 hour train ride with a 1 hour stopover. Very long to be sitting, but it was definitely worth it! Seeing the German countryside as I travelled 200 km/hour past it was an amazing experience.
When I got to the train station I was met by my host brother Tom and mein mutter Denise. They are very nice, and so are my other sisters, Leah and Valerie. My Host father Harold is very funny and he like to joke around with Tom, mostly about whose favorite Fußball team is better. Yesterday he, Tom and I went running in the woods. It was fun!
I stayed up for about 40 hours from start to finish on the two days that I travelled, an I lost six hours due to the time change. It was good however, because I did not even have to deal with the Jetlag, I beat it in just one night!
The food here is ridiculously fresh, and everything that I have eaten so far has been very good. Sunday Harold asked me to help him make ein apfel strudle. It was very good, and we ate it with a sort of dessert sauce that we do not have in the United States. Another interesting thing is the water here. At all meal times, sparkling water is served. Hmm.
Today I had my first day of class, and it was very interesting. The teacher speaks to us only in Deutsch, but it is okay because I feel like I am learning by association instead of translation.
Celle, the town that I am staying in, is extremely old, and very beautiful. There is the main feature of a castle, (ein schloss). I have been a few times, and am still in the tourist mode of taking pictures and staring at everything.
That is all I have for now, and I will write again soon! Oh! I am travelling to Luxembourg for a 4 day visit from Thursday night to Sunday with mein familie! Yay!
Germany is so wonderful! Travel was very tiring, but it was worth it. First was an 8 and 1/2 hour train ride, and then a 3 hour train ride with a 1 hour stopover. Very long to be sitting, but it was definitely worth it! Seeing the German countryside as I travelled 200 km/hour past it was an amazing experience.
When I got to the train station I was met by my host brother Tom and mein mutter Denise. They are very nice, and so are my other sisters, Leah and Valerie. My Host father Harold is very funny and he like to joke around with Tom, mostly about whose favorite Fußball team is better. Yesterday he, Tom and I went running in the woods. It was fun!
I stayed up for about 40 hours from start to finish on the two days that I travelled, an I lost six hours due to the time change. It was good however, because I did not even have to deal with the Jetlag, I beat it in just one night!
The food here is ridiculously fresh, and everything that I have eaten so far has been very good. Sunday Harold asked me to help him make ein apfel strudle. It was very good, and we ate it with a sort of dessert sauce that we do not have in the United States. Another interesting thing is the water here. At all meal times, sparkling water is served. Hmm.
Today I had my first day of class, and it was very interesting. The teacher speaks to us only in Deutsch, but it is okay because I feel like I am learning by association instead of translation.
Celle, the town that I am staying in, is extremely old, and very beautiful. There is the main feature of a castle, (ein schloss). I have been a few times, and am still in the tourist mode of taking pictures and staring at everything.
That is all I have for now, and I will write again soon! Oh! I am travelling to Luxembourg for a 4 day visit from Thursday night to Sunday with mein familie! Yay!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
I Leave Tomorrow!
Sept 8th
So, learning, learning, and more learning. Sort of. I wouldn't say that I learned anything at orientation, more that I was exposed to things that I hadn't been aware of before. It all summed up in a feeling of: You're telling me all about this really cool place, and simultaneously making me wait three more days to get there. A little bit frustrating.
Yesterday I tried to post late but the internet freaked out. Basically it was the busiest day of my life. First, I went to the Department of State to meet with the CBYX head coordinator for a Q and A about the program. A woman from the American Foreign Service came to talk to us, and she had a lot of insight about travelling the world. It was okay, too early in the morning for me to think of coherent questions.
Afterwards, I went to the Rayburn building up on Capital Hill to visit my local Congressman's office. Richard Neal wasn't there himself but I was able to speak with his chief of staff, Ann Jamblon. She was extremely nice and easy to engage with. I advocated for the continuity of support for the government funding of the scholarship that I received, and afterwards she asked for my contact info to pass on to Congressman Neal. It went really well, and I would very much like to work or intern there someday.
The afternoon was spent at the German Embassy, and the woman who presented for us did an excellent job. She was very informative, especially about the political structure of Germany. They have a Parliamentary democracy, as well as a multi-party system. It was all very interesting to me, but I think that I only really was drawn to it because that would be a major part of my culture for the next year.
At night we went to a German restaurant here in DC. The food wasn't excellent, but it was passable, and the AFS staff said that in Germany the food would be better. Especially the bread, which everyone makes a big deal about. I fell asleep on the bus ride home, and went right to bed.
Sept 9th
Today we stayed in the Hotel all day, and basically just went over rules and regulations all day, covering many of the situations that we could possibly find ourselves in. It wasn't a lot of fun, but had to be addressed. I am very excited for tomorrow. There most likely will not be a post because I am GOING TO GERMANY! I fly out at 7:10 pm, and arrive in Frankfurt at 9:10 am. It will probably not be good to essentially lose a night of sleep, but I am not really worried. I'll be too excited to sleep anyways!
Gute Nacht!
So, learning, learning, and more learning. Sort of. I wouldn't say that I learned anything at orientation, more that I was exposed to things that I hadn't been aware of before. It all summed up in a feeling of: You're telling me all about this really cool place, and simultaneously making me wait three more days to get there. A little bit frustrating.
Yesterday I tried to post late but the internet freaked out. Basically it was the busiest day of my life. First, I went to the Department of State to meet with the CBYX head coordinator for a Q and A about the program. A woman from the American Foreign Service came to talk to us, and she had a lot of insight about travelling the world. It was okay, too early in the morning for me to think of coherent questions.
Afterwards, I went to the Rayburn building up on Capital Hill to visit my local Congressman's office. Richard Neal wasn't there himself but I was able to speak with his chief of staff, Ann Jamblon. She was extremely nice and easy to engage with. I advocated for the continuity of support for the government funding of the scholarship that I received, and afterwards she asked for my contact info to pass on to Congressman Neal. It went really well, and I would very much like to work or intern there someday.
The afternoon was spent at the German Embassy, and the woman who presented for us did an excellent job. She was very informative, especially about the political structure of Germany. They have a Parliamentary democracy, as well as a multi-party system. It was all very interesting to me, but I think that I only really was drawn to it because that would be a major part of my culture for the next year.
At night we went to a German restaurant here in DC. The food wasn't excellent, but it was passable, and the AFS staff said that in Germany the food would be better. Especially the bread, which everyone makes a big deal about. I fell asleep on the bus ride home, and went right to bed.
Sept 9th
Today we stayed in the Hotel all day, and basically just went over rules and regulations all day, covering many of the situations that we could possibly find ourselves in. It wasn't a lot of fun, but had to be addressed. I am very excited for tomorrow. There most likely will not be a post because I am GOING TO GERMANY! I fly out at 7:10 pm, and arrive in Frankfurt at 9:10 am. It will probably not be good to essentially lose a night of sleep, but I am not really worried. I'll be too excited to sleep anyways!
Gute Nacht!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Orientation!
I'm here!
Today we basically just went over a lot of rules and regs, nothing too stressful. It was a lot like the first day in a class. I have made a lot of friends already, and have spoken with and at least introduced myself to all of the people who will be spending their first months at the language camp in Celle with me. One of them, Hannah, is actually living just a few doors down from me! Tonight we watched a movie Goodbye, Lenin which is a German film with subtitles. It was only so-so for me. I can't wait for a busy day tomorrow, I get to meet with my representative at the State Department, and then go to the German Embassy!
Today we basically just went over a lot of rules and regs, nothing too stressful. It was a lot like the first day in a class. I have made a lot of friends already, and have spoken with and at least introduced myself to all of the people who will be spending their first months at the language camp in Celle with me. One of them, Hannah, is actually living just a few doors down from me! Tonight we watched a movie Goodbye, Lenin which is a German film with subtitles. It was only so-so for me. I can't wait for a busy day tomorrow, I get to meet with my representative at the State Department, and then go to the German Embassy!
Monday, September 6, 2010
The Night Before Orientation!
Right now its about midnight and I am in a hotel a little ways outside the bustling city of Washington DC. I have been here for a few days already, checking out colleges and seeing the sights. Yesterday I had a big day at American University where I met up with my friend Amy who volunteered to show me around. Together we ate at American and then headed onto the metro to explore DC. We decided to see her favorite monument, the FDR memorial, and then continued around the path to the Jefferson Memorial. Both were really cool, but I was a little concerned because there was a lot of construction outside of the Jefferson memorial, apparently its sinking! The rest of the day went pretty smoothly at American, and around nine I headed back to the hotel on the metro.
Today I slept in. When we finally awoke, my dad and I decided to check out the huge mall here in DC called Tyson's Corner. Needless to say it is the largest mall that I have ever been in, with over two hundred stores. Tonight there was a huge college football game in the city, Boise St. vs. Virginia Tech. Boise St. orange and blue has been all over the city for the past two days. We watched it, and Boise St. won!
Now I'm waiting in the lobby for pizza that we are having delivered, and also taking advantage of the free wifi. I have been trying to think of anything that I forgot at home, and I cannot. I have slowly realized that so long as I have my passport and my debit card I should be all set. Since leaving Grafton I have worried less and less, and am now just extremely excited for check in tomorrow!
Today I slept in. When we finally awoke, my dad and I decided to check out the huge mall here in DC called Tyson's Corner. Needless to say it is the largest mall that I have ever been in, with over two hundred stores. Tonight there was a huge college football game in the city, Boise St. vs. Virginia Tech. Boise St. orange and blue has been all over the city for the past two days. We watched it, and Boise St. won!
Now I'm waiting in the lobby for pizza that we are having delivered, and also taking advantage of the free wifi. I have been trying to think of anything that I forgot at home, and I cannot. I have slowly realized that so long as I have my passport and my debit card I should be all set. Since leaving Grafton I have worried less and less, and am now just extremely excited for check in tomorrow!
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