The Week in Review

In other words, I was so busy this week that I didn't have time to post about my individual adventures so now you get to read about them altogether :-)

My host dad's side of the family

SUNDAY: . The occasion was my grandparent's 47th anniversary and the result was a restaurant full of family--26 people to be exact--and a house overflowing with smiles, laughter, and of course, coffee and cake. :-) The afternoon was chatted away and although I didn't understand everything, I was able to participate in a number of conversations which proved to me the drastic improvement my German has seen in the last two months. But even with a house full of people, I felt comfortable; at home, just like part of the family. I was touched when Oma called my name as she passed cards out to the grandchildren and I opened mine to find a handwritten letter and a small gift--the kind that fits in an envelope :-) When she stood up to thank everyone for coming, her eyes watered, her voice cracked, and a silence fell over the room as the question of how many more anniversaries her cancer would allow her to see lingered in everyone's mind. The moment passed and later that evening as everyone left to go home, I realized, yet again, how blessed I am to be in such a wonderful family.

The girls stole Daniel's chair :-)

 

Oma passing out cards and chocolate
















MONDAY: For the first time I actually understood how to do the math homework. You'd think numbers are numbers and therefore math is a pretty universal subject, right? WRONG! commas are used instead of periods and I'm still not sure exactly what the division sign is but regardless, I conquered Monday's math :-)

My school <3


TUESDAY: I went over to Hanna's house for coffee after school. I'm so thankful that I have someone only a five minute bike ride away who understands what I'm talking about when I mention homecoming, spirit week, Coos bay, brown sugar (yes, its very different in Germany), and all those little things--whether American or specific to the Oregon Coast that are so normal to me. (For those of you who don't know, Hanna was an exchange student to Oregon a few years ago)

WEDNESDAY: I finished my book.:-) One day last week Mama came home from the bookstore with "A Thousand Splendid Suns", claiming she'd wanted to read it but it was expensive in German. Then she'd found the English version and it was much cheaper, so she she bought it for me. Isn't she sweet? Well, If you've never read it, I highly recommend it for a weekend when you don't have to keep putting it down but can just sit down and read :-)

THURSDAY: Keeping with my schedule, I went for my 2.2 mile run. My first week with my host family, it became quite clear to me that without discipline I was going to be bringing quite a few extra pounds back to the U.S. as unwelcome souvenirs in June. The idea was less than thrilling so I made a plan. Weekdays are healthy--no sweets, no butter, lots of veggies, lots of exercise. Weekends and holidays are relaxed--chocolate, cake, bread with butter and jam and whatever else I happen to want :-). Last weekend I reluctantly weighted myself and was shocked to see that I've lost six pounds...I guess biking to school everyday does have its benefits :-D

FRIDAY: I went out to dinner with Mama, Papa, and some friends for hamburgers! A "Hawaii burger" to be exact. Okay, so it wasn't the Broiler...but it was certainly a decent burger. The best part was the comments: "now you feel at home" and "just like home, huh?". I was tempted to reply, "oh yes, how I've missed my daily hamburger!" But having no idea how to use sarcasm in German, I simply laughed and smiled :-)

SATURDAY: Hey, that's today :-) Well, obviously I spent sometime blogging, but I'm also planning on dedicating a good portion of my evening to my college application that I'm hoping to submit in the next week. (AHHH exciting :-))) Anyway, Mama and Papa are at a wedding and will be out late so they have the kids farmed out to various friends and relatives...and me? I'm home alone for the first time in months and with my giant cup of coffee by my side, and my music fairly loud, I must say I'm enjoying myself :-)

So there you have it. My week....a pretty great one if I do say so myself :-)

Ernte Dank

Translation....the closest thing to Thanksgiving I'm going to get in Germany :-) Actually, it's a Sunday set aside, once a year, where people bring food--and LOTS of it--to the church who then distributes the food to the needy. However, come Sunday morning the church is a sight to be seen. Piles of canned food, windowsills full of potatoes and bread, and wagon loads of fruits and vegetables. There was a happiness and warmth in the air that wasn't too different from the festive spirit at my own church every Thanksgiving Sunday.

 

The children were spilt into three different color groups and came up onto the stage to perform a series of songs at various times throughout the service. Instead of being divided up based on age, families sat together, pointing at their little ones on the stage and smiling at the shyness of some and boldness of others. I joined the parents on the balcony for a few pictures--just for you :-)

 Once the service was over, everyone shuffled next door where lunch was waiting. I, however, took my time walking around church and taking way too many pictures--again, just for you ;-) Once next door, I sat down to lunch with my wurst, soup, and bread...oh, how German of me! While lunch was good, it was the dessert table that maintained a steady stream of people. A long table was lined with strudels, tiramisu, a variety of cakes, and any other dessert you can imagine that can be made with apple ...be creative :-) Every dessert had apple, and every one I tried (which was probably a few too many) was delicious :-)

So, maybe it isn't Thanksgiving, but it's something German; something special that I may never get again so I thought I'd share it with all of you :-)

Miri and the Market

Last week I got an e-mail. This e-mail wasn't just any email though, it was an invitation to spend the weekend with my wonderful friend Miri who was in the U.S. last year. It was so great to see her again!!! I must admit, at first it was very strange to hear her speaking German but it didn't take me long to get used to it....and although my German in constantly improving, it still isn't all that great so for the majority of our conversations, English was the spoken language and German was saved for small talk:-)

 

As if seeing Miri wasn't enough, last weekend her town hosted an annual market. "Market" I believe that's German for way too much food, way too many calories, and way too much fun. I tried a handful of tradition German treat including dried mango...okay, so maybe not all of it was German, but all of it was yummy!

After an afternoon at the market, we spent the evening playing games at Miri's house with several of her friends. After we'd played a few games, Miri and I decided to introduce an American game to her friends--and pulled out the SPOONS! It was obvious the majority of the group was new to the game as we went the entire night without even the smallest battle scar. However, I'm pretty sure they liked it and by the time we called it a night, it had been a very fun evening.

I'm so lucky to have Miri only 30 minutes away and I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of each other in the coming months.

Being the Big Sister

Sure, maybe I'm a bit used to it....but a 15 year old brother and a 4 year old brother really have very little in common. First off, and most importantly, I no longer have siblings capable pinning me to the ground against my will at any given moment. :-) The last five weeks with Selina (11), Christian (10), Jonathon (7), and Samuel (4) have called for a bit of adapting, but overall, have been wonderful and I've come to love those four so much.

                                                        

My first morning in Germany, I'll never forget. 9:00 a.m. and the pounding on my door begins. Trying to ignore it at first, I roll over in bed....but little kids don't easily give up--they just get louder. All I had to say was one word. That's all they needed, all they were waiting for.

"Ja", I called out from under the covers and seconds later two squealing bodies jumped onto the bed and begun the task of finding me under the covers....a task I was purposefully making a bit difficult. :-) Once I was found, the squeals erupted into laughter and a battle of tickling began. This is only one of many stories to give you an idea of my new daily life that I love so much.

Since that first morning I've read books to Samuel--with pronunciation help from Christian. I've played games, engaged in tickle wars, listened to stories, and come to love these four little kids faster than I had anticipated. 

For me, the highlight though, is how much I'm learning from them. It makes me smile every time Samuel corrects my German and I think it makes him feel pretty proud. As I expected, I've developed a whole new level of patience that comes in handy quite often amidst the hustle and bustle of a family of seven. I now have a greater appreciation for the peace found late in the evening once all the children are tucked in but have also come to love the warm "big family feel" that surrounds the home during noise and chaos of a normal day.

I remember so vividly the reactions I got from many of you when I said I had four siblings and I laugh as I think back on the "reassuring comments" I got once I informed you that I had three brothers under the age of 10. Well, perhaps I was a bit nervous coming into this family as the big sister, and maybe I didn't know exactly what I was getting myself into....but now, I wouldn't trade this big family for the world. I'm the big sister, always will be, and I love it because I love them.

10 Things I've Learned

Many things are so small that they'll never earn a post of their own, but yet, I still feel that the role they've played in my exchange is one worth sharing. So here they are, the RANDOMS!

1. Laughing--the language everyone speaks. While trying to communicate in German, sometimes there is no other option :-)

2. Their is an incomparable pride and sense of patriotism that comes when reading a U.S. president's speech to a class of German peers. I experienced it while reading the speech delivered by George Bush only days after 9/11.

3.  Fat free doesn't exist. Not in milk. Not in yogurt. Not in cream cheese...it's a foreign concept-quite literally!

4. Make sure to lock the bathroom door while in the shower--otherwise, 4 year old Samuel, might poke his head in to say hallo..

5. Peanut butter and jelly is no longer normal. Ah, you should have seen their faces when I took a bite of my pb & j sandwich! Cheese and Jam, however, go well together.

6. Stress is only as stressful as I make it.

7. German. And a lot of it!! I sometimes feel like I'm walking up an escalator that's going down and no matter how much I learn, there will always be an incredible amount still left to learn!

8. Use the buddy system at all times in school or I'll end up late, lost, or in the wrong classroom. Today, the search party from my religion class found me before I found the classroom.

9. How little of a conversation you actually have to understand to "participate" in. My new friends must think I'm such a great listener ;-)

10. I'm not the only one! This morning at school, the Brazilian exchange student fell asleep during the five minute break...and woke up some twenty minutes later. :-) I just can't believe how tired I am sometimes!

That's it for now but I'm hoping to have a video tour of my house posted by the end of the week :-)

Familiar Faces

So, as most of you probably know, my mom places foreign exchange students and has done so for 7 years now. What you probably didn't know, is that 1/3 of all exchange students are from Germany. Put two and two together and there are over 20 people I'm hoping to see this year :-) But...I have had to opportunity to see a few people already, so let me tell you how :-)

Only a few days after I arrived, I got to see Marvin, a friend from the '10 AYUSA Seattle trip...funny story though. As it turns out, I was unable to stay with my language camp family for the intended three weeks so Marvin and his family offered to host me with absolutely no notice! I had three great weeks at their house and it was so nice to have someone to talk to that was fluent in English and had lived in the U.S.A. :-)

Viviane attended Coquille High school my sophomore year and we became fast friends. One of our favorite memories is the amazing Seattle trip we went on for five days--also on that trip was Marvin. As it turns out, Holland was less than an hour drive and I didn't have any plans for the weekend. Marvin was willing to drive, and Viviane met us not too far across the border for lunch and a fun afternoon of chatting, laughing, and reminiscing on memories from the U.S.

While I was at language camp, I was more centrally located...now I'm way down south :-) But I decided to take advantage of the three weeks I had in middle of Germany and so I sent out an email to quite of few of my friends to see if anyone was free. Most people were busy but Steffen came down to Dusseldorf one day after language camp and we had a fun afternoon in the city.

Last but certainly not least, is Hanna. Hanna and I were friends my freshmen year and have kept in touch for the past few years. And as it turns out, she is responsible for the amazing family I'm now living with as when I told her I was coming to Germany, she took it upon herself to find me a family--and not just any family, but the most amazing family she could :-) So now, Hanna and I are neighbors--well, a few streets away but that's beside the point.

I'm so happy that I have already seen some of my friends again and am looking forward to seeing others in the coming months--especially my sisters Miri and Mareike <3 And don't worry, I'm sure you'll hear all about it once I do :-)

Guess What? I Survived My First Week of School!

I had some very memorable moments and got lost a time or two, but I lived to write about it---so I will!

 Three first days of school, three years, and three different countries. You'd think I'd be getting the hang of it by now....but no, monday morning I was just as nervous and rushed as ever :-)

 First, let me give you an idea of just how sweet my host family is-- I came downstairs for breakfast Monday morning to find a "first day of school gift" waiting on my plate along with a package of my favorite nuts for good measure. The children took pictures--Christian with a real camera, Sami with his imaginary one and a variety of sound effects--and in a blur the morning was gone and we were pulling up to Karl von Frisch Gymnasiun where after a few good luck wishes and a reassuring hug, I began my great adventure--school!!

 The first thing that struck me was the difference in the parking lots. In the U.S. high school parking lots are full of old cars and beat up pick up trucks. In Germany...

BIKES!

And yes, I am one of the many that rides a bike to school. For me it's only about two miles each way...I have some friends who are a little more hardcore :-) But don't worry, German DO have cars too--but the driving age is 18 so most high school students are stuck with a good old bike! ;-)

Then school started! I must say, having been warned about the "unfriendly nature" of Germans by nearly every German exchange student I've known, I was pleasantly surprised to be so warmly accepted by the girls in my class. Like a little first grader, they took me to my classes, ask if I understood everything, and even helped me with my homework. Without them, I feel quite sure my first week would have been a train wreck! As it was, I sat through the wrong Chemistry class on Wednesday! :-)

At the moment my schedule looks like this:



Monday:                                     Tuesday:                                Wednesday:

1. Free period (sleep in)     History (starts-8:00am)    Chemistry (starts-8:00am)
2. Math (starts-9:50am)      Religion                               German
3. Art (ends-1:20pm)          Not sure exactly..politics?   English (Ends-1:20pm)
4. Lunch at home                Lunch                                  Lunch at home
5. Free                               Geography (ends-3:45pm)
6. Sport (swim) (starts-3:45pm)
7. Astronomy (ends-7:00pm)      

Thursday                                              Friday

                                                         

    Geography (starts at 8:00am)              English (starts at 8:00am)

    Math                                                    German

    Chemistry (ends at 1:20pm)                 Physics (ends at 1:20pm)

     Lunch at home                                      Lunch at home

And so far so good!! Well, other than the fact that I don't understand the majority of what I'm being taught... :-) Let me tell you a little story as an example. Friday in German class, the teacher lectured for a while, asking the students questions and compiling some sort of list on the chalk board. After about an hour, several words on the chalkboard closely resembled their English translations and I came to the conclusion that they were brainstorming different styles of writing (essays, poems, novels, etc). Then we were handed a page of text to read and apparently analyze as my friends began underling passages. Not wanting to feel left out, I pulled out my red pen and underlined every word of the text that I didn't know. Once I was finished, I used my green pen to underline whatever it was we were actually supposed to be underlining. And the result:

I know it's hard to see....but I think my point comes across just fine. A LOT of red! :-D

However, in English class, not only do I understand the current topic of discussion, I am very interested in it and enjoying the dicussions. The topic? 9/11, how the U.S. delt with it, and how it influenced international politics. All I can say is that I'm glad the class is in English because as a politic junkie (not to mention American) it would kill me to sit there and not be able to participate...or understand. But it is very interesting to see the issues from a German perspective and I'm anxious to see how the coming week unfolds as the discussion shifts from 9/11 itself, to how America's government dealt with it.

I'm sure I'll have many more posts full of exciting, embarrassing, hilarious, and downright frustrating moments at school, but as always, I'll try to avoid a novel and leave you with this for now. :-)