So, while many of my American readers are in the rocky second month of school (okay, not that rocky- keep the homecoming pictures coming!) I am in the middle of my fall holiday (or Ferien)! It is two weeks long and changes dates from state to state in Germany, and mine is now!
It has been a fantastic week if I do say so myself! It started last Friday on October 3rd, the national holiday of German reunification, when I made the trip north to visit some extended host family with my host parents and two sisters, Caro and Julia. We met my host mom's Aunt who has a farm in Nordrhein-Westfalen and stayed for the weekend! The fun started on Saturday when I traveled to Dortmund to see a Borussia Fussball Spiel! Clad in nothing but yellow and black we stood on the steps behind the goal, cheered, and sang with over 80,000 other fans! Unfortunately I did not get the chance to see Borussia-Dortmund score, and the team took the loss 1-0 to Hamburg, but that just gives me an excuse to go back- right?
It has been a fantastic week if I do say so myself! It started last Friday on October 3rd, the national holiday of German reunification, when I made the trip north to visit some extended host family with my host parents and two sisters, Caro and Julia. We met my host mom's Aunt who has a farm in Nordrhein-Westfalen and stayed for the weekend! The fun started on Saturday when I traveled to Dortmund to see a Borussia Fussball Spiel! Clad in nothing but yellow and black we stood on the steps behind the goal, cheered, and sang with over 80,000 other fans! Unfortunately I did not get the chance to see Borussia-Dortmund score, and the team took the loss 1-0 to Hamburg, but that just gives me an excuse to go back- right?
The next day brought more opportunities for pictures! We went to Die Externsteine in Horn-Bad Meinburg and (drummroll please) the I-actually-knew-this-monument-from-Latin-class Hermannsdenkmal in Detmold! Hermann, as the history goes, was captured as a child by the Romans and grew up a Roman soldier. When the Romans were sure he was more ally than foe, he divulged their plans to his fellow Germans and the famous battle of the Teutoburg Forest went down! The Germans surrounded the Roman legion in an ambush and Hermann was forever named a hero, not only out of bravery but also of patriotism.
Well that was enough fun for one weekend I think because the next three days were filled with stress as I suffered an identity crisis and did a little soul searching to write some essays for the common application.
Flash forward to Thursday and the fun begins again! I woke up at 6 o'clock (yes AM) to travel the Deutsch public transport with Sarah, Julia, and Nina. We were en route to Phantasia Land! A mini Disney world/Busch Gardens if you can imagine it. It was a good time, bad weather but nonetheless a good time. There were no lines for any of the 4 roller coasters and we rode everything at least twice, if not 6 times.
Flash forward to Thursday and the fun begins again! I woke up at 6 o'clock (yes AM) to travel the Deutsch public transport with Sarah, Julia, and Nina. We were en route to Phantasia Land! A mini Disney world/Busch Gardens if you can imagine it. It was a good time, bad weather but nonetheless a good time. There were no lines for any of the 4 roller coasters and we rode everything at least twice, if not 6 times.
Now to my last day of fun for this blog: I spent Friday hiking in Bad Honnef (the city where I go to school) to go to Drachenfells! A castle and huge rock that looks over the city and gives a nice view of Bonn and even Koln from far off! I went with my friend, Jette, and we started the morning with breakfast at a cute bakery and biked to the base of the mountain. Then, after a 45 minute uphill hike, we got the most amazing view! Unfortunately, I had once again forgotten my camera card in my laptop but Jette's iPhone saved me for pictures! We had a day full of laughter and I couldn't have asked for a better Friday!
I'll end this post with a story that completely embodies the struggles of studying abroad. Getting lost.
Friday evening I started my Deutsch fur Auslanders class. I asked my host dad to drop me off at what I thought was the right school and as he drove off I walked up to the front entrance. Locked. Walking around the building I saw that none of the lights were on and it seemed empty. A sign informed me that Friday the hours were 7:30-12:00. Hm. So I asked a man walking by if he knew where the class would be, in scrambled German, and he told me to go across town. I thought oh no that can't be right. So I called my host sister, Caro, and she sent me the phone number of the teacher. I called and had a lengthy conversation with my instructor's husband (also auf Deutsch) and by the end was still standing on the same street. About to give up, I decided to ask a few more people. A teenage couple completely ignored my 'Enshuldigung' and awkward wave but a very kind woman and her toddler offered their help. We walked around a nearby Realschule, yelling "Hallo" through the empty hallways until we found an open door and a class with about 5 other adults staring at me. Twenty minutes late. I gave the woman a hug and rustled to my seat to enjoy the next hour and 10 minutes of a fantastic class- the teacher speaks only German because my fellow classmates don't all speak the same language (I think one is from Italy, a couple from Poland, one from China, and a girl from Canada!) and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I understood! So all's well that ends well as the saying goes.
That's it for this week! Tomorrow I am off to a holiday with my host family in southern Germany and Munich so expect more pictures and another update next weekend! Tschuss!
Friday evening I started my Deutsch fur Auslanders class. I asked my host dad to drop me off at what I thought was the right school and as he drove off I walked up to the front entrance. Locked. Walking around the building I saw that none of the lights were on and it seemed empty. A sign informed me that Friday the hours were 7:30-12:00. Hm. So I asked a man walking by if he knew where the class would be, in scrambled German, and he told me to go across town. I thought oh no that can't be right. So I called my host sister, Caro, and she sent me the phone number of the teacher. I called and had a lengthy conversation with my instructor's husband (also auf Deutsch) and by the end was still standing on the same street. About to give up, I decided to ask a few more people. A teenage couple completely ignored my 'Enshuldigung' and awkward wave but a very kind woman and her toddler offered their help. We walked around a nearby Realschule, yelling "Hallo" through the empty hallways until we found an open door and a class with about 5 other adults staring at me. Twenty minutes late. I gave the woman a hug and rustled to my seat to enjoy the next hour and 10 minutes of a fantastic class- the teacher speaks only German because my fellow classmates don't all speak the same language (I think one is from Italy, a couple from Poland, one from China, and a girl from Canada!) and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I understood! So all's well that ends well as the saying goes.
That's it for this week! Tomorrow I am off to a holiday with my host family in southern Germany and Munich so expect more pictures and another update next weekend! Tschuss!