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...

Österreich - Skiing!

29.1.12 - 4.2.12

      On the week of January 29^th to February 4^th I was privileged to go to Austria. It was bit of an adventure getting there because on January 28^th my father had to play in a concert so we were leaving once it was over (at around 10:00 pm) and then spending the night in a city half way to our destination. Also joining us was a fellow musician whose family was waiting in the same village we were headed to. We arrived at our hotel at 1:20 am and were planning on waking up at 6:30.

Later that morning (Jan 29^th) we dragged our tired bodies back to the car, planning on eating breakfast at a later time. At around 2:30 we arrived in Scheffau, Austria and SkiWelt. Well my family isn't one to waste time so we immediately went to rent our gear from Hansis. Because my family was German and Austrians speak German (albeit a slightly different dialect), German was the language of communication though it was noted that I was an American exchange student.

The first step to renting was getting ski boots. The man helping me explained that your toe should barely touch the tip of the boot, with the pair I was trying on I wasn't exactly sure if my toe was touching. So he gave me a size smaller. Then I went and was outfitted with skis, poles and a helmet. We were standing outside, fully equipped and about to head up the mountain, when I asked if your feet were supposed to feel like an African brush fire was raging in your boots. When I received a resounding no, my mother and I went to exchange boots (a handy deal that Hansis provides at no extra cost). I was the given the the correct size and headed out (Boots #2). My mother headed up the mountain but didn't do too much skiing because visibility was low (10 meters or less). That evening was a group dinner. There were 18 people in our group and it was split half and half – 9 kids (including me) and 9 adults. Group Role Call – adults: Andreas, Anna, Annette, Bernd, Kerstin, Sirke, Yenz, Marika, Ben; kids: Hanna(18), Jakob(14), Yan(14), Erik(13), Berk(14?), Finn(10?), Elina(17), Keno(10), Emily(5). After dinner the kids played poker, Elina and I teamed up because Elina had never played. January 29^th was also the 1 year anniversary of learning I would be living in Germany for a year. Hard to believe that it was so long ago.

View from my room

January 30^th

The next morning we caught the ski bus, a wonderful bit of free transportation from Scheffau to SkiWelt. Once there we proceeded to Hansis to pick up our gear (because in addition to free exchanges they store the equipment so you don't have to haul it around). My mother and I met up with Annette (our neighbor here in Brandenburg) and decided to ski the Talabfahrt (the run that is the entire mountain) from the Mittlesation (Middlestation) because it was foggy on the top of the mountain. The first run my feet started killing me so my mother and I plodded to Hansis and exchanged my boots... again. This time I got what they said were the newest technology, there were super fluffy and cushy (Boots #3). Then we proceeded back to the Mittlesation for more skiing. After thawing over lunch I headed out to ski with Elina, who was just learning to ski, and her father Yenz. It was fun and we even tried our hand at a red (middle) run.

F: Finn, Jakob
B: Bernd, Kerstin, friend, Annette, Berk, Yan, Erik, Andreas, Anna, Hanna, Elina, Yenz, Marika, Sirke, Ben

January 31^st

      I woke up feeling like a Mac truck had run me over which is not all together a pleasant way to greet the morning. My mother and I joined with Annette, Finn and Marika, we skied the entire Talabfahrt, which was super fun. Then we headed up a different mountain. After that was lunch with the group. I joined Elina and Yenz to ski one run with them but my knee was just hurting too much so I headed down the hill. During lunch I had talked with my mother about changing skis because mine weren't great on turns. So I headed to Hansis to return my gear and exchange skis. I explained as best I could what I wanted but ended up with longer skis, which was not what I was looking for (Skis #2). That evening after a delicious dinner my family and Elina and Yenz played a came that had little blocks for pieces. Once the game came to a close we got in touch with our inner child.

The Brandenburger Tor

 

February 1^st

      Got to sleep in today, usually we were up at 7, because my mother and I were planing on taking the day off.  But I came up with a brilliant plan.  Because my mother and I only had ski passes for 5 of 7 days we could not ski every day but my idea was to barrow ski passes from two other people and then ski the Talabfahrt once.  My mother thought this was a very good idea and we put our plan in action.  The ski was fun and afterwards we went shopping for food and I bought postcards.  After we got home I wrote my post cards and enjoyed the lazy day.  After Andreas and Jakob got home we went out for a group dinner.  Let's just say it was sure a crazy party, Jakob and Erik managed to break a glass while we were playing poker.  We also got to enjoy some traditional music which was very fun.

February 2^nd

      Today we did a SkiWelt tour with the big group.  It was crazy and fun.  A smaller group of us toured an Igloo which was super cool.  It was beautiful though very cold but that's to be expected.  Eventually Annette and I headed back a little earlier and enjoyed hot chocolate smothered in whipped cream.  Then we did a little more skiing before heading down the mountain.  For another evening of game playing with Elina and Yenz.

Igloo

February 3^rd

6 MONTHS IN DEUTSCHAND!

      Once again I got to sleep in because my mom and I were going to do a "card exchange" she would ski the first part of the day and I would ski the second part.  But as the day wore on I decided on the Talabfahrt.  So after getting a ski pass I joined Anna and we waited for the big group at one of the restaurants.  It was fun going down the run as a big group, thought it was a bit challenging keeping everyone together.  That evening we celebrated Erik's birthday and once again it was a party with poker and even spoons - though we played using poker chips instead.  Yan and I got particularly good at stealing Erik's poker chips much to his consternation.

The Group

February 4^th

      Last day in Austria.  But we did a little more skiing, only after having a few car troubles including the emergency brake freezing to the wheel.  It was fun skiing and I was definitely sad to be leaving, since I was just starting to get the hang of skiing again.  But as far as winter vacations go it was definitely one of the best ones I've ever gone on and I definitely plan on going skiing in the Alps again.

Last Day Skiing

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