Hi everybody! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to write another post. I didn't realize that I would have such little time in Germany - I hope you understand!
So, this is what has been
happening since the last post.
 |
This is my wonderful temporary family! They are so great and awesome!
|
In my first home, for three weeks I went to German Language school with six other American exchange students. It was just like a normal school day, except for all of it, we learned German and had orientation sessions. Since we were the beginning level of German class, we knew German on the range of very little to none! Our teacher, Nathalie, was very patient, sweet, and helpful. I learned a lot in those three weeks!
 |
| My lovely German teacher, Nathalie! |
 |
| Linn is so photogenic and adorable! |
 |
| All of the exchange students with most of the host siblings. |
 |
All of us exchange students in a candid pose.
A few
weeks after arrival, all of the exchange students, our teachers, and our host
siblings all together went on a class trip to Münster, Niedersachsen. It
was a very beautiful city, and it was a fine day. We toured some museums,
saw the sights, and went for a boat trip. A lot of walking, too!
Oh, and I ate at McDonalds for lunch. It was much classier, but much more
expensive. No dollar menu in Germany, I'm afraid.
 |
Saint Lamberts Church, Münster,
Niedersachsen. Our class trip.
|
 |
Ahhh, the European architecture!
Historical fact: after WWII, almost all of Münster was destroyed.
So what you see is a remake of the original city.
|
 |
German Marketplace - very busy,
and so many things to look at!
|
|
|
 |
| Germany has so many beautiful churches! |
 |
Bread, bread, bread! If you love bread, come to Germany - it's a specialty!
|
 |
Me, Linn, and Karolin!
Fun afternoon shopping!
|
|
 |
|
...I was pretty excited that
the shoes were only 4,95€!
|
|
|
Hmm, something new. A
random skateboard thing (I don't even know what it is called exactly) in the
middle of the sidewalk!
|
 |
|
This is Lana. She is my
host sister in my permanent family, but she is an exchange student in America
this year - and staying with my family! I'm so glad I got to get to know
her for at least a few days before she flew to America and began her adventure!
|
 |
|
Marburg, Hessen. Such a
beautiful city! This is the home of the Grimm Brothers. There are
many fairy tale tourist attractions all over the city, the places where the
fairy tales supposedly happened! I was ecstatic to learn this...and I
live so close to Marburg! :D
|
|
 |
| Meet my permanent host mom, Marion! :) |
 |
|
I am standing in front of the
Cinderella's castle...the castle where the fairy tale supposedly occurred!
And that is her shoe! I'm not sure why it is red, though...hmm...
|
|
 |
| A beautiful church. |
 |
| Sunset over a lake - so perfect! |
 |
|
That is where my school is - on
top of that mountain!
|
 |
| ...and the view from the top! |
 |
|
Since I don't know much German
yet, this is what I have to do to understand a poem (written in the 1700s) in
German class.
|
|
 |
| My schedule |
School! I'm sure you want to hear all about
it. My school is really great and is a Gymnasium, the highest school
level in Germany. The people are really nice and have taken me in warmly.
The teachers are very understanding of my language barrier, and I am
really grateful. So far, school is really difficult for me, not only
because it is in German, but because of the higher level of difficulty that I'm
used to. I am in 11th grade, the second-to-last year at my school.
My grade is currently in something called Q1. It's a little
difficult to explain, but these last two years are really important for German
students because they are working and studying really hard to earn their
Abitur, which pretty much means diploma. The Abitur is the final written
exam taken at the end of school in level Q4. It is extremely difficult
and is important for each students' future. When students begin Q1 (the
level I'm in), every point they earn counts for their Abitur. There is a
lot of pressure!
So, scheduling is quite a bit different in German
high schools. In America, high school students go to school at the same
time, and end school at the same time each day. Also, in America,
students have the same classes each day, and usually only six
classes. It is not like this here. If you look at my
schedule, you will notice that I have many classes twice in a row, and I have
ten different classes overall. Each Stunde, hour, is about 40
minutes long. Between every couple of hours there is a 20 minute break.
Also, there are free hours here! It's really nice; we can hang out
with friends, do homework, relax, eat food (there is a bakery within a minute's
walking distance!)...pretty much do whatever. It's especially nice when
you have two free hours back-to-back.
On Mondays and Tuesdays, school for me ends at
2:30. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, school is quite long and ends at 4:30.
But on Friday, I end at 12:40! Wednesday is really long because I
have no free hours. However, on Friday, my schedule is perfect! I
have two hours of English, two hours free, then two hours of Music. And
all done at 12:40! So nice!
 |
My dog Amando.
|
 |
| Another Schloß, castle. |
Well, that's all for now, folks! I'm not sure
when my next post will be...it takes forever to upload pictures and such.
Thanks for reading!
As for now - bye, tschüss!
