So I'm at least going to update weekly, it's easy and I can do it Friday nights because I'm super exhausted after school anyways.
So Monday, October 21st, I started my German classes with a teacher in my village which I was very excited because I continually feel myself making progress with German - simple conversations, very simple but I'm trying!
On Tuesday, October 22nd, I started the tenth Jahre, moving down from the eleventh Jahre! I noticed the difference right away - the class was very welcoming and I think I made some friends, well, people I can talk to! The one thing I do miss is my old English class, which was one of the higher classes because sometimes you need a break from German and have a little English indulgence! I don't have the first two classes on Wednesday morning, so I'll see if I can fit in an English class there!
On Thursday, October 24th, I had tutoring again and then I went to my first Zumba class in my village! It was super fun, I tried to do as much as I could but I'm out of shape which means I should include some running into my schedule!
On Friday, October 25th, today, I had my first German Sport class and we played Handball today. It was weird at first and I made some mistakes but laughable ones (not the highly embarrassing ones) but I had fun and class went by very quickly! (One of the only classes that do...).
Tomorrow kicks off our village Market where according to my host mom, people display homestyle creations and food! I'm excited to see more of the country side of Germany!
That's all for now, I'm just going to relax for the night.
Guten Nacht!
Currently listening to: Easy by CrO
Monday, October 21, 2013
München und die Alpen in Österreich! (20.10.13)
So during my first and a half week of break, I was sick with a sinus infection that wasn't getting any better (and I have a feeling more will come because of the cold air. As much as I don't like saying it, I NEED HUMIDITY!). During the last weekend of Autumn Break. my host mom took my host sister and I to Bayern or Bavaria. We stayed with a friend of my host mom and it was honestly an incredibly memorable weekend (despite the long and exhausting six hour drive to and from Munich).
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| München! |
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| Oktoberfest postekarte! |
On Saturday, we spent the day in München or Munich and it was just breathtaking. Seeing Munich for the first time was amazing! The city has such a life force and it was really interesting to hear so many different languages other than German and English, see different people and experience the city. We went to the Lenbachhaus, an art museum, and I had a great time since I love art and art history (thanks to a certain class taught by the best teacher ever!). They had almost an entire floor dedicated to Kandinsky, Franz Marc and The Blue Rider movement (Der Blau Reiter). Es war sehr toll! We then explored the city a bit and shopped, ate (I had these warm, sugar-toasted almonds, called Gebrannte Mandeln, that were perfect!) and afterwards in the night, we walked to a bridge we saw our way in, and apparently it's a big surfing spot! It was interesting to see the 'German' way of surfing being from Florida.
AND WHO DOESN'T LOVE CITIES AT NIGHT? OH MEIN GOTT <3
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| München bei Nacht! |
On Sunday, we made the drive down to the Austrian Alps! Honestly, you see the Alps in pictures and on the bottles of Evian water but just seeing it in person was indescribable. I thought the Alps were these white mountains but turns out, they're not white yet, since it hasn't snowed yet but I did see a snow capped alp (and I did get a picture). We went up an alp, courtesy of the Bergbahn (it seemed like something out of a movie for me!).
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| SNOW. REAL SNOW. |
BUT I SAW SNOW. I FELT SNOW. It wasn't much but it still count!
The view from the top of the alp was gorgeous! I must have taken hundreds of pictures!
This weekend was the best way to end Autumn break but unfortunately, I have to go back to school tomorrow! On a positive note, I feel much more comfortable speaking German but only when I can respond In German (if not, I say it auf Englisch).
I'm currently in the drive back to my host town, and I know I'm going to be exhausted tomorrow, which reminds me, I switched down to the tenth grade (mainly because the eleventh graders are really focused in their studies and I want to enjoy my year than worrying about an Arbitur I won't take but I'm still focusing in school though!). - being exhausted for a day was worth the entire weekend!
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| Die Stadt Kössen, Österreich! Sehr wunderschön! |
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| The Alps weren't fully covered with snow since it hasn't started snowing but I saw some! |
(I'm going to start a 'Currently Listening to:' deal to see how my music taste changes, I've already started listening to a lot of German music :)
Currently listening to: Bad Intentions by Digital Daggers
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Today. 03.10.13
So today marked the first day of Autumn break, also known as Unity Day in Germany. There wasn't that much to do, mainly because I didn't feel like doing anything. I started to finally get sick and being unaccustomed to the German illness and viruses, it's hitting me pretty hard.
My host mom said that she had a 'surprise' for us for the past week and today was the day for that. We went to a concert held in the greenhouse in a town about 5 kilometers away! It was a Canadian-based quartet of viola/guitar/cello/fiddlers and they were really good!
(It also helped to distract against the homesickness I was feeling and I was responding to it in a negative way but I got over it).
Anyways, they were really amazing - it made me want to start up playing an instrument again, but check them out! (http://www.thefretless.com/)
That wraps it up, I guess, I just wanted to make a quick post before I go to bed.
Guten Nacht!
