Mein Geburstag!

    Today was my nineteenth birthday and it started early in the morning.  On the 16th of May I was invited to a German party because the 17th happened to be Christi Himmelfahrt Tag (Christ going to Heaven) this year and is a free day.  This meant no school for the rest of the week.  My birthday started out with a rather unusual round of Happy Birthday. I didn't get to sleep until 3 in the morning and then woke up later that morning at 6 something, which I promptly rolled over and tried to get more sleep.  The reason for this was because I was going to be heading to Berlin for the day.  After squeezing in a bit more sleep I was privileged enough to have a ride home that allowed me time to get ready for the day ahead.  The first thing we did after a wonderful breakfast that included cheesecake for me was open my present.  A sock and a pair of earrings... the sock is the second to one I am still knitting.  After that we took the train to Berlin and enjoyed a little bus ride through the city.

"For the German People"

The Reichstag

Then we visited the Reichstag.  This meant we walked in and around the glass dome, which was super cool.

The glass dome of the Reichstag.

Anna, Me, Jakob

   The view was amazing - Berlin was spread out before me.

The Brandenburger Tor (The Brandenburg Gate)

Berlin Hauptbahnhof (Berlin Central Station)

Chancellor's House

After enjoying the opening in the center of the dome we headed down and ate Italian food.  I had a gigantic yet delicious pizza.

After that we headed to Tränenpalast (Palace of Tears), an old crossing point (East/West Berlin) by the Friedrickstrasse Bahnhof (Train station).  At this point I was dragging a little because of my lack of sleep and during our guided tour I almost fell asleep standing up, a feat which I didn't think was possible until I nearly crashed into a display.  After that we got ice cream and took the train back to Brandenburg.  All in all it was a birthday that will go down in the history books of Hanna.

Paris!

4.11.11 - 6.11.11

In November Rotary had a mandatory trip to Paris... How cool is that, a mandatory trip to Paris.  There was no reason other than to let 90+ exchange students enjoy France's capital city.  It was fun and crazy to say the least.

The Itinerary

Highlights from the Trip:
-Sleeping on the floor of the bus on the way to Paris
-Going to the Louvre
-Seeing the Mona Lisa at least 2 times (one due to running around the Louvre without a map)
-Trying to locate famous pieces of art without a map and then later using a French map with Noora
-Finding out elevators are really good at helping you get unlost
-Seeing part of Hammurabi's Code
-Walking through Paris
-Eating street food on the steps of the Opera
-Buying a mini 2x2 Paris Rubik's cube key chain
-Seeing the Eiffel Tower at night
-Seeing the Moulin Rouge from the outside
-Buying and eating a baguette while walking around Paris
-Versailles
-Trying to walk to the end of the Versailles garden with Sarah
-Taking a boat tour on the Seine
-Walking around the Eiffel Tower
-Eating a Nutella crepe in front of the Eiffel Tower
-Wandering around Paris and ending up in a non-tourist area - enjoying Paris at it's best
-Going to Notre Dame de Paris - dream come true, though I did resist singing a song from The Hunchback of Notre Dame
-Sleeping on the floor of the bus again, it's a comfier than trying to squish in a little seat

There was more space than there looks...

A Very German Thanksgiving

So this Thanksgiving was a little different than normal. First of all I didn't over eat. Second there was no Turkey involved. And third it wasn't in the U.S. This morning I had History, only problem is that on Thursdays I get to sleep in (this is changing as of next week) a little and this morning I slept way to late. During my oversleeping I had a nice dream and there was definitely some German in it. So I in fact did not have History this morning. Opps. My next class wasn't until 2:30 so I was privileged with spending my morning reading and writing (and listening to 80's music). Once I arrived at school for my class I found out the teacher was sick, which meant as an exchange student I would have nothing to do because I don't speak enough German to successfully complete the tasks we were given. I also was informed that Sports was once again cancelled. So I came to school and did nothing. Not bad for Thanksgiving considering it's not a holiday on the fourth Thursday of November in Germany. After school I went to Laura's and we listened to music from past years deciding it was by far better than anything that is coming out these days. And she straightened my hair. It's getting really, really long. She said I could be a mermaid. Then I biked home in the cold and found a lovely Thanksgiving meal waiting for me.

Lamb with Potatoes, Carrots, Corn and Peas

While we were eating I was asked what else we did besides eat on Thanksgiving. I was momentarily stymied until I said cook. And play cards. The asked how long it took to clean up and I said not long because most dishes go in the .... Spülmaschine. That would be dishwasher in German because I couldn't remember the English and almost said wash machine instead. I'm glad that there is some evidence that I am learning and using German.


All in all it was a wonderful Thanksgiving.


What I'm Thankful For:
- My parents (Todd and Karry Fischer)for supporting me in all of my mad adventures and taking care of me for 18 years.
-My sister (Ida Fischer) for being there when I need it and for putting up with me for 18 years.
-My grandmother (Manna) for spoiling me endlessly, even when I don't deserve it.
-My aunt (Kelly) for editing my first novel and my school essays (I'll miss that in college).
-My Host Family for being great and taking amazing care of me.
-My friends both in Germany and everywhere else, you guys keep me sane.
-All of the wonderful women who have shared their love of horses with me (Cindy,Gabrielle, Wanda).
-My fellow writers for sharing ideas and offering constructive criticism (Emily and Gabrielle)
-My fellow exchange students in Brandenburg (Noora, Laura, Dani and Tae-yeon ).
-Boise water, there's nothing else quite like it in the world.
-My houses (in the U.S. & Germany) for providing me shelter from the elements.
-Good food, the world holds many delicious cuisines.
-NaNoWriMo 2010 for allowing me to actually write and finish a novel after years of trying.
-JMO for allowing me to grow as a horseback rider and for being my Happy Place - where all troubles fall away.
-What Laura says sometimes - it puts a smile on my face when nothing else will.
-My imagination/My Muse

Month One

(3.9.11)
    Today marks my first month in Germany.  Time has flown by, I can't believe I have been here for so long already.  But there is another part of me that feels like I have always been here.  That's a good thing right?  It has been an amazing month filled with lots of adventures.  An opera, going away party, the Brandenburg Bruckenschwimmen, canoeing on the Havel, visiting Belvedere auf dem Pfingstber in Potsdam, first day of German school, Berlin, shopping, listening to the Chancellor speak, Protest in Potsdam.  I have loved every minute of my life here.  Over the past past three weeks of school I have perfected my biking with no hands skill, quadrupled my German vocabulary, taught someone how to solve the Rubik's Cube and in general loved being a "Junior" again.  Senior year is the stressful year here, not Junior like Boise.

    Compared to my month long job this past summer at a camp my month in Germany has flown by.  I can remember telling myself only one more week, while working.  And that week dragged by.  Here, I have to pause and realize that a week has gone by.  Perhaps it is how my timetable is set up, perhaps it is because everything is new and different.  But time is flying by, which worries me a little, this exchange will be over before I know it.  So I will do everything I can to enjoy every minute of every day that I am here in Germany.
   I wish I spoke more German but am learning fast.  At school my friends talk to me in German and only clarify what the teacher said if I have a totally blank look on my face.  Math has quickly become my favorite class with Sports a close second.  Physics is still a complete mystery to me and German (think English for all you U.S. folks) is a little boring since I can't analyze texts I can't read.  I think I have been accepted by my peers and have several friends besides my fellow exchange students.
    I love my Host family!  They speak to me in German as well and are really supportive in my attempts to speak.  I can not for the life of me correctly pronounce the letter E.  This can be somewhat problematic, for example the difference between I live (Ich lebe) and I love (Ich liebe) I can not pronounce so I always say I love instead of I live.  Which isn't always a bad thing. 
    I have also had the pleasure of eating some traditional/specialty German food.  Such as Currywust and a Döner Kebab.  Both of which are delicious.  And I won't even mention all of the pastry and baked goods.  It's a good thing I bike to school.

Döner Kebab