Sunday, October 7, 2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Sprachkurs!
Hello all!
I know, I know, it has been a long time, but I have been busy, I promise!!
I have been at a language camp for the past one and a half weeks! And it has been quite fun. The language camp is organized by Rotary to help the exchange students with there german. Because the camp is two weeks long, I miss one week of school to be here. (The other week is part of my fall vacation.)
Here is the layout of a day at the camp. We get up around 6:40..... Then we get up a second time at 7:000 (I am not a morning person) we get ready to go, and then we go downstairs in the hostel and have breakfast. Then we take a bus to the train station. Then a train to a neighboring town: Gemersheim. We then walk 15 to a university.on the first day we were bombarded with questions in German, and our reactions placed us in our respective classes. We have three different level classes.
When we arrive at the camp sego straight to our classes and learn from 9:30 to 11:00. We have a fifteen minute break and then continue until lunch, at 12:45. We eat lunch for forty five minutes and then go to homework time until four or so.
It is a long day.
After classes there are sometimes events planned. For instance, yesterday we went on a tour of the town Speyer, and we received a tour of the Dom in Speyer. It was interesting. Other days we go to museums, or karaoke, and today I think we are going to another museum! It is pretty fun.
The people here are awesome. It is all other exchange students from the area. The thing about exchange students is that there is no awkward getting to know you stage. You are just automatically close. Notice, I don't necessarily say friends. But there is no awkward official questions to ask. :)
I really do like everyone here but I mostly hang out with a girl from the US and a girl from Finland. They are great! It is fun to teach the Finnish girl American slang. :) and to learn about Finland.
By the way, everyone here speaks Spanish and Portuguese. At the language camp that is. And I really want to learn Spanish. So if anyone wants to give me lessons... Haha. :)
But right now I am working on my German. And it is going alright. I really wish I could be learning faster, but It is hard to balance hanging out with people, talking to people back home, and studying German. But I think it will balance out in time. In a way, I think my german has gone backwards from when I got to German camp because we speak so much English here!! Everyone is always speaking English or Spanish or Portuguese and I only understand the English, so of course I speak that. I think I have spoken more English here than I have the past month in German. But I guess I have all year to speak English!:)
I hope that is a good enough update for now. (I am typing on my iPad so please excuse spelling mistakes. :D)
Tschüss!
I know, I know, it has been a long time, but I have been busy, I promise!!
I have been at a language camp for the past one and a half weeks! And it has been quite fun. The language camp is organized by Rotary to help the exchange students with there german. Because the camp is two weeks long, I miss one week of school to be here. (The other week is part of my fall vacation.)
Here is the layout of a day at the camp. We get up around 6:40..... Then we get up a second time at 7:000 (I am not a morning person) we get ready to go, and then we go downstairs in the hostel and have breakfast. Then we take a bus to the train station. Then a train to a neighboring town: Gemersheim. We then walk 15 to a university.on the first day we were bombarded with questions in German, and our reactions placed us in our respective classes. We have three different level classes.
When we arrive at the camp sego straight to our classes and learn from 9:30 to 11:00. We have a fifteen minute break and then continue until lunch, at 12:45. We eat lunch for forty five minutes and then go to homework time until four or so.
It is a long day.
After classes there are sometimes events planned. For instance, yesterday we went on a tour of the town Speyer, and we received a tour of the Dom in Speyer. It was interesting. Other days we go to museums, or karaoke, and today I think we are going to another museum! It is pretty fun.
The people here are awesome. It is all other exchange students from the area. The thing about exchange students is that there is no awkward getting to know you stage. You are just automatically close. Notice, I don't necessarily say friends. But there is no awkward official questions to ask. :)
I really do like everyone here but I mostly hang out with a girl from the US and a girl from Finland. They are great! It is fun to teach the Finnish girl American slang. :) and to learn about Finland.
By the way, everyone here speaks Spanish and Portuguese. At the language camp that is. And I really want to learn Spanish. So if anyone wants to give me lessons... Haha. :)
But right now I am working on my German. And it is going alright. I really wish I could be learning faster, but It is hard to balance hanging out with people, talking to people back home, and studying German. But I think it will balance out in time. In a way, I think my german has gone backwards from when I got to German camp because we speak so much English here!! Everyone is always speaking English or Spanish or Portuguese and I only understand the English, so of course I speak that. I think I have spoken more English here than I have the past month in German. But I guess I have all year to speak English!:)
I hope that is a good enough update for now. (I am typing on my iPad so please excuse spelling mistakes. :D)
Tschüss!
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Get Ready for a Long Post...
Hello all!
All is good here. Live is going on, as normal. I have some more observations for you, however! :D
1) DRIVERS. Drivers here are crazy. Nothing like Minnesota. They drive on either side of the road and as fast as they please. Most cars (as I have observed) are stick shifts. But, that being said, I haven't seen any car crashes or wreck cars. So, good for the Germans.
2) Classes here. The physical classes are quite comparable to classes in the states. The odd thing is, is that teachers here move classrooms as well as the teachers (In eleventh grade that is. I think it is different in 10th grade and under). It is odd. So they have to haul all of their stuff around too. And they don't use computers nearly as often as in the States.
3) Scarves. Scarves everywhere. Okay, maybe not nearly as many as I'd estimated. But a lot more. And boys too. That is not as uncommon as in the US. Definitely liking the scarf look, though. :)
4) School books. The other day in my Deutsch class the teacher told us of a book we had to buy. I was shocked. In my school in the US all of those books are provided. I am very grateful for that now. It must get expensive to always buy those books!
5) German students here need to get some Camelbacks. :) I am so surprised! Most people here do not have reusable water bottles! But most do have water bottles. There is an interesting 'system' for water bottles here. You buy a large case of them at a set price, and then, if you bring all the empty bottles back, you get money back! You can do that in the United States but unfortunately most of the time the bottles are not brought back. Here, they definitely are. But, they still need some CamelBacks. :)
6) American flags. Weirdly enough, this is a weird fashion statement. American flag print shorts, shirts, and scarves. I am not sure why anyone not from America, or in America really, would want an American flag print anything, but whatever, I suppose. I bought myself an American flag print scarf for the Rotary Exchange Orientation. :)
7) Boys here actually have decent hair. And care about what it looks like. Just thought I would point that out to any American boys reading this... :)
Well, I have more, but I'll save those for later.
On another note, I went to the German Walmart yesterday! It is called Globus, and it had three floors! I was quite reminiscent of good old Wally World. And it was oddly comforting.
Well, that is all for now.
Tschüss!
Beth
All is good here. Live is going on, as normal. I have some more observations for you, however! :D
1) DRIVERS. Drivers here are crazy. Nothing like Minnesota. They drive on either side of the road and as fast as they please. Most cars (as I have observed) are stick shifts. But, that being said, I haven't seen any car crashes or wreck cars. So, good for the Germans.
2) Classes here. The physical classes are quite comparable to classes in the states. The odd thing is, is that teachers here move classrooms as well as the teachers (In eleventh grade that is. I think it is different in 10th grade and under). It is odd. So they have to haul all of their stuff around too. And they don't use computers nearly as often as in the States.
3) Scarves. Scarves everywhere. Okay, maybe not nearly as many as I'd estimated. But a lot more. And boys too. That is not as uncommon as in the US. Definitely liking the scarf look, though. :)
4) School books. The other day in my Deutsch class the teacher told us of a book we had to buy. I was shocked. In my school in the US all of those books are provided. I am very grateful for that now. It must get expensive to always buy those books!
5) German students here need to get some Camelbacks. :) I am so surprised! Most people here do not have reusable water bottles! But most do have water bottles. There is an interesting 'system' for water bottles here. You buy a large case of them at a set price, and then, if you bring all the empty bottles back, you get money back! You can do that in the United States but unfortunately most of the time the bottles are not brought back. Here, they definitely are. But, they still need some CamelBacks. :)
6) American flags. Weirdly enough, this is a weird fashion statement. American flag print shorts, shirts, and scarves. I am not sure why anyone not from America, or in America really, would want an American flag print anything, but whatever, I suppose. I bought myself an American flag print scarf for the Rotary Exchange Orientation. :)
7) Boys here actually have decent hair. And care about what it looks like. Just thought I would point that out to any American boys reading this... :)
Well, I have more, but I'll save those for later.
On another note, I went to the German Walmart yesterday! It is called Globus, and it had three floors! I was quite reminiscent of good old Wally World. And it was oddly comforting.
Well, that is all for now.
Tschüss!
Beth
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Fireworks and Meatloaf
Hello All!
So, things are going well here, for sure. But I had a really busy week! Luckily this weekend is/was quite relaxing. On Friday I came home from school, hung around the house with my host family and played a bit of speedmitton. :) Yesterday (Saturday) I spent the morning with my host family, did homework and studied German, then at night my host mom, host dad, and I went to Oberwesel to see another firework show! It was absolutely spectacular! Here are some photos:
It ended up being quite yummy. Surprisingly.
Sorry, not too much information about German life yet, but I have made a list of things I want to share and I will make a blog video in the next couple of days!
Tschüss!
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Heute, oh heute.
Today was a bit difficult. The day started out early. Went to school, and that went by slowly but surely. Afterwards I rushed to complete my homework, as I knew I would have a busy night. That didn't go so well. Not all is complete... Then my family went to work in the Kartoffel Feld, which was hard work but really fun! (Surprisingly)! Then we quickly ate dinner, and I rushed off to play cello for the first time since I got here! But unfortunately that fell through. Then I discovered that the bracelet my mother got me for graduation is kaput. There is a big crack through the words, "Don't sweat the small stuff". How ironic is it that I am sweating the fact that it is broken. Quite sad.
But I must learn to look on the bright side! So here are some lovely facts about my day/life here.
But I must learn to look on the bright side! So here are some lovely facts about my day/life here.
- My host sister is absolutely amazing. She is intelligent and so cute. She will be a heart-breaker, I am sure. And she is willing to help me with my German! So I taught her 'totes m'goats' in return...
- My host mom is always willing to listen to me. And take me to Rewe to buy Mexican food and chocolate when I am feeling down.
- My host dad definitely knows when to crack a joke. He thinks he is so funny. :)
- My friends back home have not abandoned me. They are all so amazing and still here for me even though 'here' has changed.
- My family back home have agreed to send me things I have forgotten. And have agreed (for now) to not go to Disneyworld without me. For that, I am thankful. :)
Well, goodbye from Deutschland. I think I just got the energy back up to finish my homework. It's just English class homework, shouldn't be too difficult... right? (Hint: we're reading Hemingway. The Germans are really intense. :) )
Tschüss,
Beth
Sunday, September 2, 2012
A Day on the Rhine
This weekend was BUSY! It started out on Friday with an awesome Pizza night at a friends house. That was great! Lots of fun hanging out with cool people. :)
Then, on Saturday, I went to a Rotary event. It was in Pohl at a reconstructed castle. Because of that, we first went on a tour before having a dinner. It was quite interesting, but a little difficult to follow along. You know. In German and all. Then was the dinner where I met some cool past exchange student. It was a nice evening.
On a side note, learning German has been getting easier and easier. I am finally understanding more! But I still have a long way to go. I think I am really annoying my Host sister. I am always asking her questions about what things are in German, if my sentence structure is correct, and so on. I also have a little vocabulary book I carry around with me. I write down words I want to know, or don't know, and then translate them later! It is quite useful.
Anyhow. Today we went on a boat on the Rhine. It was so beautiful. We went from Sankt Goarshausen to Rüdesheim. Then we got out and walked around in Rüdesheim. What a great day! Here are some pictures.
Then, on Saturday, I went to a Rotary event. It was in Pohl at a reconstructed castle. Because of that, we first went on a tour before having a dinner. It was quite interesting, but a little difficult to follow along. You know. In German and all. Then was the dinner where I met some cool past exchange student. It was a nice evening.
On a side note, learning German has been getting easier and easier. I am finally understanding more! But I still have a long way to go. I think I am really annoying my Host sister. I am always asking her questions about what things are in German, if my sentence structure is correct, and so on. I also have a little vocabulary book I carry around with me. I write down words I want to know, or don't know, and then translate them later! It is quite useful.
Anyhow. Today we went on a boat on the Rhine. It was so beautiful. We went from Sankt Goarshausen to Rüdesheim. Then we got out and walked around in Rüdesheim. What a great day! Here are some pictures.
My school is the big blue building!
Grandma and Grandpa-- I found a place for you to park your RV... Haha.
On the boat!
Swedish flag!
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