So! It is time for an update for the last couple of weeks. Last week was the last full week of the German course in Aalen. It was nice to be there, at the University, and once I started to talk to some of the other exchange students, it was more interesting, I found, than the High school in Heubach. Although, like Ralf had mentioned to me the other day, it's not necessarily good because we speak English, and not so much German, because we all are trying to learn German. But it is nice to have someone to relate to. Anyhow.
On Friday, I had my first dance class. It is a jazz\modern\lyrical\hip hop dance club with about eight or so girls. It was at the fitness center in Mögglingen, so we don't have to pay for it. It was good. The teacher speaks pretty good English and she is very nice. I think that I will keep going, but I would like to go in a 'standard' dance course (ballroom) because I think that I enjoy that dancing much better. So we are looking for a place to do dance perhaps in Aalen or Schwäbisch Gmünd. We will look. Then after dance class, I came home and was picked up by Kristina, from the church in Böbingen that I have been going to, and I went to the youth group there. It is really quite nice, because the average age for the youth is about 24 year old, I think. There are a couple of 16, 17 and 18 year olds, but the majority of the people are in their 20's, and they have quite a large group of them. It was great. We sang some songs and we heard from this guy named Herbert, who is also from the church and he had a message about our consciences then we sang one or two more songs, then we ATE! Yes, we ate. It was great, because I have never heard of a youth group that ate at the meetings. So it was nice, because we got to talk and fellowship. A girl, I can't remember what her name is, she translated for me, the message from Herbert, and I talked with a girl named Eva as well. Both of the girls have gone to the U.S. for a year a couple of years ago, so they spoke really good English. Also, I talked with a guy that had been to Canada for a year, and he is very nice. I like him. It seems like he understands a little bit more than everyone else, which is totally what I need. So I stayed about three and a half hours or so (long, but fun) and then went home. It was a nice time, because the people from the church are 20 times more nice than the people from school.
Saturday, we had our first inbound meeting. It was interesting. We took the train to Stuttgart to the airport. It was our meeting place, which was kind of cool, but odd that we had the meeting three weeks after arriving at the airport. Eugenio and I were late because of the train times and we had started out an hour early before the meeting started! So we were in a hurry, but the train went really slow to the airport. Anyhow, so we had a tour of the airport and where the firefighters went and all about the trucks that they drive, and the practice airplanes, and we saw planes take off and come in, as well as where they sort the baggage. It was kind of neat. Also kind of boring, but that's okay. After the airport, we went to Cannstatter Volksfest in Stuttgart, which is kind of like Oktoberfest, but it is in Stuttgart, and not so internationally known. As soon as we got there, I was thinking; 'Man! This puts West Coast Amusements to shame!' It was a lot like the Armstrong IPE and it was so awesome! The rides were utterly crazy, and I went on two. (The first one seemed pretty tame, and to my surprise, it was more than what it had seemed. But it was wicked fun! Although the tickets to ride, were pretty pricey. The second one was a roller coaster, and I thought I was going to die! Then I coaxed myself to breathe, and everything was much better. I commend them for the thrilling ride, I really do.) There were some pretty outrageous rides there! I can't even describe them, because words just don't do them justice. Like I said, West Coast Amusements would have their jaws on the ground!
Anyhow, so at first, I was rather homesick, being at the airport and all, I desperately wished that I could go on the plane home, and at the Volksfest, it reminded me a lot of home and fond memories. There are about 18 inbounds here, in district 1830, and that really surprised me. I was hoping and expecting more! But the main countries of inbounds are Canada, U.S., and Mexico. There are about three or four from each of those countries, there is a couple from Argentina, one from Columbia, one from Japan, one from Thailand, and a couple others, but I forget. So you either speak English or Spanish, really. I was kind of disappointed, because I was expecting and hoping to have more people in the district and more people from different countries, like 5060, but I guess, with Rotary, everything is really, just different. So anyhow, at first, I was a bit bummed and sad, but then I started talking to this guy from Mexico, Emmanuel, and he was super nice. We were walking and talking when we went to one of the big tents to have our lunch\dinner. The tents, are really neat (besides the fact that the majority of people are drunk and there is a lot of smoke because people smoke in the tent) because there are hundreds of people squished into one big tent, and there is a live band playing festive music, people are dancing on the benches of the tables (you have to stand if you want to order something, then the waiter or waitress comes to you) and they are singing, and laughing, and people seem to have a good time! While we were at the tent, we sat in a reserved seating area (which was nice, because we weren't with all the drunk people) and we were served. Almost everyone ordered the typical 1L beer (which is half lemonade), but I wasn't into that, so I drank .4 L of 7 Up. I am not into drinking 1L of anything in one sitting anyways. But it was unbelievable watching the waitresses!! They carry like, 5 of those FULL GLASS 1 LITER beer mugs! IN ONE HAND!!! So they are carrying at least 10 mugs in their arms at once. It is really impressive. Everyone was served the same for lunch\dinner too: a half of about a 2 pound chicken and a bun. It was really good. The chicken was rotisserie style and you should have seen them cooking them. There are like, hundreds of those birds cooking on these rotisserie things. Its neat. And so we stayed in the tent for a while, and a group of us went out of the tent later on (after the meeting was 'officially' over). We walked around, bought some pins and souvenirs, went on a couple of rides, I bought a Gingerbread Love Heart Cookie (they are a typical souvenir) and some chocolate covered bananas and strawberries, which were to die for! It was fun once I started talking with people and started to open up a bit. It was really nice to have Alex there from district 5060, it made things a bit easier, knowing that there is someone there from my district. Although it was kind of sad, just comparing first day of school, etc, with her. People seem to be a bit more personable in her area.
Anyhow, so at about 8 we started for home. I was unimpressed with the lack of responsible drinking within the exchange students and some of the rebounds. It was not a happy night after that. Eugenio and I got off at the wrong stop, people were drunk and throwing up, and I was very upset and homesick. Ralf came and got us from the train station we were at. I felt very guilty that he had to come and pick us up, but he said that it was normal, and that it was okay. I am very thankful! So the experience coming home and after was not so great, and made me very homesick. But the time that I spent there was nice.
The next day, Sunday, it was a thanksgiving service at church (Erntedank fest). It was really neat. They don't have it like a thanksgiving in Canada or the U.S.. It is more thanks to God for everything that He gives us. So it was super awesome because it was focused on God and being thankful for what we have! (the thanksgiving holiday is actually this Sunday but we celebrated it last Sunday) So we had lunch after the service and we talked (Herbert translated for me and I ate lunch with Addi and Kristina and a girl..I forget her name, they were all very nice) and had a nice time. There was another short service at 2pm, but I went home after the lunch. When I came home, I helped Bebe made necklaces and bracelets for her art exhibition in the coming weeks. And that was nice, to relax and spend time with her. Then I had a nap and tried to do some studying. Then at about 6 45Pm, Kristina picked me up to go to this youth service at the school in Böbingen. It was cool. It reminded me of church a little, because there was more contemporary music and there were drums and piano, and bass, and guitar and someone singing. It was much nicer, because I like the live music, instead of the CD music. The church, though is more conservative and traditional than the Salmon Arm one. Which is okay. It is different, but the people are very friendly. A girl translated the message that was said at the youth night. There was a guy from Austria that was giving the message about not getting enough from life, and finding satisfaction in Jesus! It was good. There were a lot of people there, and again, the age group was from about 16 to 30. So it was an older group, but nice. It gave a different perspective and audience than I am used to, but it was good. I love how they pray though, the thought of prayer in a different language and culture, is so awesome to me. It boggles my mind! Because I think, well, yeah, of course, God must speak German too! (and every other language) I felt my eyes open a teensy bit.
So I stayed for a bit, and everyone stayed WAY longer than I did, but I had school Monday. So on Monday, it was a very long day, I had to go to Heubach AND Aalen. It was not a good day though. I had a confusing first class. I didn't know if I was in the right class, because we had been away for the first full two weeks and I think the class might have switched classrooms, but it was weird. The teacher didn't say anything to me. Not even ask what my name was. It was funny. I was sitting in the back of the room, and then he looked over, after, when everyone was doing work (I was working in my German workbook) and he came over to where I was sitting. I took out my schedule for school, and pointed to the classroom, and he just smiled and made a funny mark on the paper, and then went back to the front of the class. It was funny and odd. I didn't know what to think about it. He didn't even ask me anything the whole class. The class was NWT, which is like natural sciences and technology, I think.
Then when we came back to the regular room that we are in, I sat in what I thought was the back of the room, but I saw Eugenio take a desk and put it one row back. I was like 'what are you doing??' and then this guy from my class came and stared at me. And I was like, okay, there is a spot here and here on either side of me, pick one. (of course, I did all this with body language) And he just stared at me. I was like, well, whatever. Then he said that I was sitting in his spot. OH! A light went on, and I guess the last row of desks was gone, so I was sitting where he normally sits. Well, I had a choice to make. Get up and go to another seat, or just stay where I was. Okay, well I quickly thought about this. No one talks to me in school because I don't sit next to anyone, because they have their own friends. I am not doing enough to integrate myself. I am not being assertive. I won't make friends if don't sit with people, and I have to be assertive. Obviously no one else is trying to make me feel welcome in the class, so I have to take the first step. So I said, okay. I will stay here. What is the harm in sitting somewhere different for one day???
Obviously I did something VERY wrong. The guy was very upset by this. He was not impressed, and the rest of the class thought that I was crazy and stupid for not getting out of my seat. But I innocently thought that I didn't want to be segregated from the rest of the class like an African American in the 60's. And so I sat. Like Rosa Parks. Or so I thought.
So the teacher said sit down to the guy, and he took a seat beside Eugenio in the back, because I wouldn't move. I thought that it was both good for me, Eugenio (because now someone was forced to talk to him too..sometimes I feel bad for the kid because no one talks to him either...except me) and also this guy, because perhaps it would enable him to talk to someone different for a change. Anyhow, I felt like I had accomplished something by stepping out of my quiet, reserved shell and that I was doing something that took a little courage, something that I lack in when it comes to making friends, when I am not used to the setting (especially in another country and I don't speak the language...yet). So I was thinking about it, at the time, and was feeling like finally, I did not take the passive position, where I am not talked to, or don't talk to anyone and sit in the corner alone. But then after two classes, the guy came up to me and asked me again why I was sitting in his seat. I said 'to integrate' and his reply was 'you are already integrated.' In my mind I did not believe this, since no one talks to me at school. So he again asked me to move. When I didn't, he asked me if I understood. It was a little too much for me at this point and when I was thinking about everything, I felt horrible. Like no one wanted me there, like no one wanted to be my friend, and no one understood what it was like. So I told him that yes, I understood, and I packed up my things, and went to the bathroom and cried.
I was in there for about 10 minutes and a girl named Jacky (who is the class speaker, I believe) came in and found me. It was nice. God answered a prayer, and she talked to me, and I asked her why no one talks to me at school. I think she was a bit embarrassed about this, and she talked to me about things. I guess, it's that I am shy, and when no one expresses an interest to be my friend, I just close up. And I guess if it is the other way, I would open up right away, but they don't know this. Anyhow. I talked to her, and then I wanted to go home (both to Canada and to the Sporys. But I knew that I couldn't do either.) So after she said that she would talk to her friends and the class, I told her she should go back to class, and I went to the area where there are tables and did some work until the next break. Then I went to Nils' class to tell him I was going to wait for him and the teacher invited me to sit in on their class. That was fun. They are in grade 5 and are learning English. I liked Nils' class much better! The kids were nice, and more interested in the fact that I was there. It was great for Nils too, Ralf told me that he loved it when I was there. :) Anyhow, and so the day wasn't so great.
Anyhow. But in the evening, after the German course, I spent some time with Ralf and Bebe and we talked, and it was a nice evening. I love hanging out with them. It is nice too, because they are understanding.
Then today, I was very worried about going to school. Because Eugenio told me that everyone thinks that I am crazy now. But I am convincing myself that I don't need to care about what they think of me. Its what God thinks of me that matters, and I know that He loves me no matter what. I was thinking though, about how I need to deal with this situation. If I didn't show up, I would be a coward. Although I feel like one for running from the classroom yesterday. But anyhow, I went and today was better, because I hardly cared that no one talked to me. I was more focused on how God sees me. And today was better. It was good to face that fear, it was an accomplishment today. And after school, Jacky and her two friends came and asked me to come with them to Aalen for dinner on Thursday. So that was super nice too. I think that I will go (even though it is the same night as youth group this week, I think that it is important to go with them for the first time to show them who I am outside of school). Anyhow. So today was much better.
Last night I was reading over the papers that we were given from the Outbound Orientation Weekend in the spring, and oh my goodness, does it ever hit home! I was thinking at the time, that these things wouldn't apply to me so much, and that I wouldn't need to bring them, but am I ever glad that I did! Rotary knows their stuff! And am I ever glad that I have 5060 behind my back, supporting me! I am super glad, and I felt so much closer to Rotary, realizing that they understand how I am feeling, and other people have been through this too. So it was comforting! I was very reassured that I was not alone in this, that every exchange student goes through something like this, and hard times, especially with the language at first. Was I ever glad!!
Anyhow, so today I went to get my passport type photos for my visa (yes, I know it should have been done two weeks ago, but don't worry, it's okay) and that was really great. They turned out really nice, and I love the guy from the studio we took them at.. He is super nice, and did a good job. His work is really good. Kathryn Kemp phoned me today and I am meeting her on Thursday, from my district 5060. So that is nice. She is a Rotarian. And then we came home, ate, and Bebe had a present for me!!
A DIRNDL!!! My very own!!! I was super, super excited, because I wanted one so very much!!! I can wear it to Oktoberfest, and it is great! Bebe and Ralf bought it from a friend and eBay for me, and it is white with lime green flowers! I love it! And I have a white apron! And it is a bit short, so Bebe will make it a little longer for me tomorrow (it was way too long when they got it, and she had hemmed it, but she thinks that I will be always pulling it down, so she said that she would make it longer for me! She is so sweet! :P) and she also made me a leather little purse with a strap made from the dirndl material!! It is so lovely! I hugged them and said thank you many times! They are so wonderful! And Bebe and I put on our dirndls and tried to find the best shoes that looked the best, and then were trying on necklaces and earrings that went with the shoes and dirndls the best. It was so fun. And it was great too! I feel very loved and spoilt. :) It was a nice change from the not so great day yesterday. I love hanging out with my host family. They make me feel very at home. :)
Anyhow. I have to go to bed. I will write more possibly next week. Sorry that I am not able to reply to every email, but I am will try to keep the blog as up to date as I can! Thank you everyone for your support and emails. It is nice to hear from home, and thank you that you have made it possible for me to be here. I am ever so thankful! I hope to learn lots from these experiences, and I feel that I am really starting to get used to being here, and to overcome some fears and differences of culture and character. So danke! And bis später!
K
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Upcomming Post!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Third Week Already
Time for an update! Things have been settling down since I first got here, and I can not really believe that I am actually living here. It just seems like I am staying for a little while, and that I will be going home soon. Even though, of course, I know that I am staying here for the year. I guess it's just because everything is still a little bit new for me.
I am getting to know the village of Mögglingen a bit better. I now know how to walk to the train station and back, and know where Edeka is (one of the supermarkets, which is right beside the train station) and where the bakery is (on my walk to the train station) as well as the bus stop for school. I have been going by train and by bus to Aalen for the past couple of days and last week. Aalen is about 10 minutes away, yet takes about an hour and a half to get to the university there by train and bus. It is kind of annoying, having to wait for the buses (that sometimes don't come) and the train. Although the train is relatively convenient if you have to get somewhere by the times that the trains go by. So Eugenio and I have been going to the University there (Hochschule Aalen) to take a beginners German language course for foreign exchange students.
The course is an intensive crash course of the basics of German. And it is nice because we are learning practical sentences. Not touristy phrases and questions. So it is practically perfect. There are about 18 students in total, and they are from all over the world; China, Spain, Bosnia, France, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Finland, and some others. It is interesting too, because none of us can speak German. The other students are quite older than us because they are in their third or fourth year of university and are doing a semester exchange. They are nice. The teacher is nice too. We speak English in the class, and the Spanish students (there are about 6) speak Spanish sometimes with the teacher to get clarification. so it is interesting hearing people speak multiple languages in one room; English, Spanish, Chinese, Finnish, etc. So crazy! I feel very alone with my one language. In fact, I am the only person, now that I think of it, that only speaks English in the class. The teacher speaks multiple languages of course.
Anyhow. Like I said, I have been familiarizing myself with Aalen while waiting for the buses to come. I walk around and look at the shops. Oh, and that is where Reichstädter Tage was: which was this sort of fun festival thing. It was a lot like the Armstrong fair in a sense. Not with the rides, but with the food stands and the music and performances. It was all squished in to down town Aalen though. The streets, you have to understand, are very small, and there were a lot of people. It was kind of like a mosh pit. But it was fun. We went on the Sunday the 14th and it was nice. The shops were open (which is a big deal in Germany, because they are all closed on Sunday and you have to pay workers three times as much), but I didn't buy anything.
I went to church also, that Sunday morning. I went with a friend of my second host family's son's. It was nice. I met some people and even though I did understand what the pastor was saying, a girl sitting beside me translated a bit, and the sermon was so much more interesting when she explained what the pastor was saying.
Then after that, on the 15th was when I started to go to the University in Aalen.
Last Thursday I went to the first Rotary meeting in Schwäbisch Gmünd! It was very good. There are about 60 people in the rotary club, but they seldom meet all at once, and it is usually about 30 of them at a meeting at the same time. (The whole 50% attendance comes into play here - Rotary membership rules) Anyhow, we took the train and my second host dad drove us to the meeting place, which was about 20 minutes out of town. It was nice though, there were a lot of corn fields and it was a nice drive. Reminded me of Sunnybrae-Canoe Pt. Rd a bit, because it winded and turned so much. Kind of made me miss home a little.
Any how, when we got there, I stood at the door, shaking peoples hands and saying hi. Everyone has a deathly Rotary handshake. My hand was practically throbbing in pain after every one came in! (actually, no, not really, but they do shake hard and I was experiencing some discomfort after about 7 people shook my hand) There are only men in this Rotary Club. It was explained to me its because they are conservative and they wanted to have somewhere to go with out women...I guess to get away. And also, the women have the 'inner wheel' club that is kind of like a women Rotary Club. Which is nice, I guess for the women too, because there is no men. So, really, I didn't mind so much. They were all very nice, and even though I couldn't understand everything they said, they seemed happy that I was there. I repeated my name and where I came from about a hundred times that night. As I did when I had my first day of school and every new teacher for the subject would ask me who I was. Although, some other students 'kindly' did it for me as if I could talk. Anyhow!
So I presented myself and a little German speech that my host mother helped me to prepare, and then I presented the president with a book about the shuswap with wonderfully colourful and outdated photos, (kindly provided to me by Aggie from A.L. Fortune when it was like, December, or something) and a post card of Enderby, with a thank you note on the back, and finally, the Armstrong Rotary Club Banner. I was given a Schwäbisch Gmünd Rotary Club Banner in return and a book with all the past Rotary members in it from 1960 - 2000. Which was kind of cool, because it has a picture and a little blurb about their year of presidency and birthdays, etc. (all of which, of course is in German, so I cant read most of it...yet)
(and anyone reading this from Rotary club, be sure that your club will be displayed proudly at a table! Other banners from other countries, I saw were displayed as centerpieces to the dinner tables. The secretary said that they were from exchange students and from other travels that members have visited other clubs)
So yes, it was a nice evening at the Rotary meeting, and it was nice to meet them all, and put a face to all the emails and wondering about what my club would be like here. They are a very active club, and even though they are all old men, it was and is nice to have such a warm welcome!
Speaking of welcomes, on the Friday following (the 19th of Sept) I was invited to come with the Rotary Club for a weekend of hiking in the Allgäu (which is in the Alps). We were picked up in Mögglingen on the way, and drove about 2 hours by private bus to the hotel we stayed at in Rettenberg (close to the Austrian border). It is a nice little village that is famous, I believe for the brewery there. However, we were there to hike, and we didn't go to the brewery. The Friday night, we checked in and I stayed in a bedroom by myself, which was nice, then a club member named Alex and his wife (I cant remember her name) invited me to go for a short walk while we waited for dinner, and to see the little village. So I went along and we just walked around and enjoyed the frosty autumn air. The air in the open villages is so much more fresher and cleaner than the city air of Aalen and even Mögglingen. It was so nice to just take a breath of REAL fresh air for a long time. It again, reminded me of home, and how I love to breath! (A high percentage of people smoke in Germany from what I have seen around the train stations and bus stations... it is nice to get a whiff of breathable air once and a while)
When we were walking around, we walked up the hills a bit, to where we had a nice view of the Fields and the mountains. It was really nice. A change from the squished together villages. There was so much more green, and it was so beautiful. I noticed, though, a ringing noise, while we were walking. I asked and found out that it was coming from the cows!! Every single cow has a bell that is tied around their neck, and they go in the mountains every spring for the summer time. (the bells are so that they don't get lost) And I was told that on the Saturday or that weekend, they were coming down the mountains back to their farms. (which are smaller than in Canada) The reason that they go in the mountains is because the grass is better up there, and they produce better cheese and milk. As well, I think that they have more room to roam. (less people up there)The ringing sound was quite pleasant to the ear, although I couldn't help but wonder if the cows got annoyed very quickly at the sound, because every time they would move, the bell would ring.
Anyhow. After the walk, we had a very, very, long dinner. We waited about two hours after we had ordered, for our meal, and that took about an hour to eat, all together. I stuck around to be polite, although I was extremely tired. When we were ordering, I couldn't read the menu of course, and I had a asked Alex's wife, what she recommended, and so she pointed to one dish, and I said, okay. (after all, it wasn't Bratwurst and Sauerkraut, which I had had a not so friendly encounter with at my first meal out in Germany, so I went for it. The word also closely resembled Spätzle, which is a type of homemade noodles made in the south, and so I thought that it couldn't be that bad, because Spätzle is yummy) but then, after looking at the menu for a bit, underneath the one that Alex's wife had pointed to was the word 'Rösti', which is a Swiss type of Potato specially cooked (kind of like a potato cake in Canada, made my McCain) so I said enthusiastically; I've changed my mind! I would like this one! So when the waitress came (who was dressed in a dirndl (a dress that German women wear at Oktoberfest and in the olden days) Alex's wife ordered me that one. But I actually didn't know what else I was being served. I thought, what the heck, why not take a chance?
Well, it was a chance alright, because what it turned out to be was yes, Rösti, but also vegetarian schnitzel... Of course I ate it, because I ordered it, and it really wasn't ALL that bad, but I don't think that I would order it again, had I known what it was. I am after all, not a vegetarian. (I think that they have a sort of acquired taste, vegetarians)
Then I went to bed. And got up at 6Am for breakfast at 630am. We started off at about 715am on the bus and drove for about an hour to a town, that I don't know the name of, and we started out hike up the mountains. You have to realize that the Germans (and Swiss, actually), don't take hiking lightly. No, it is a sport. And a hard sport at that! How hard can walking be, you ask? Oh, my goodness! I was prepared to hike all weekend but not ALL weekend! We hiked that day for 8 hours! We hiked 1100 meters up the mountain, and we walked about 30 KM!!!!! Needless to say I was tired and beaten and sore by the time we got back. (even a while before that). Climbing up is okay at the start, but it is coming down the last third of the mountain that is killer for your quads and your legs. Horrible. I could barely stand in the morning.
And we did it again on Sunday! Well, not the same mountain, or the same time, but about 4 to 5 hours of hiking, a little steeper, and a bit later in the day. we had breakfast at about 730am. So that was not too bad. The night of Saturday, though we had a nice buffet dinner, which included Kase Spätzle (cheese noodles), Leberkessen (spelling? tastes kind of like baloney), Schnitzel, and a whole bunch of other good stuff. I was stuffed at the end of the meal. After dinner, someone handed out song books and we sang German songs while someone played the guitar. It was kind of funny and really nice. I felt very close with the people. (oh, there was about 30 people that came of the trip all together. Eugenio and I were the only people are age, with the exception of kids that were 14 and 11, and then some other little kids that came on the second day, and then a daughter that looked about like she was 30. But that was it. oh, and a dog, whose name was Arico.)
Anyhow, once I got home, I was so beat. I don't think that I have ever walked that much in two days in my entire life! I think I walk about that much in a month! Anyhow, it was nice to get out there and see what typical Germans do for fun, and to see the view from the tops of the mountains (although most of the time you were surrounded by fog).
Later that day, I practiced a dance with my host mom and two other girls about my age that know my host mom. We are putting on a dance performance for a relatives birthday. You have to understand that my host mom loves to dance and sing, and she and her friends are always dressing up and putting on shows for peoples birthdays (the big ones, like 30, 40, 50, 60, etc) it is quite funny. She was showing my photos one time and the costumes are so great! And so we were practicing, and it was a lot of fun. I feel like I am part of the family. It is funny too, because Bebe does lip syncing and she doesn't know all the English words, so she sings like she hears the music, and when it was German lyrics she didn't even recognize them! We had quite a laugh. Anyhow, it was nice to be included in such an important thing.
So, now, this week, I have been going to Aalen in the evenings instead of the mornings for school, and it is nice to have the mornings free, but we get home later, which is not so nice. Also I am the most tired in the afternoon, and I am finding it hard to stay awake for school. I have learned a lot and Spencer has been kindly helping to translate some words quickly for me, which is nice of him, thank you! And I am picking out certain things when people talk, but it is still a little difficult because the people talk Swäbian, which is the local dialect here, and even other Germans don't understand. So it is hard to differentiate between the two. But I am slowly learning, and I can say for certain that I know heaps more now than I did when I first came here off the plane! So that is good! We are making progress! Hopefully in a couple more weeks and months I will understand heaps and heaps more!
Anyhow. I am trying to get everthing together for the Rotary International Convention in June, and see if I can go. And we have a Rotex meeting on Saturday. As well, I have my first dance class on Friday, and hopefully I will be able to go to church again this Sunday. I have been going on the First Baptist website, and they have the sermons from the Sundays. It is really great, because I can listen to them from over here! I am so very thankful! God is looking out for me, and hopefully soon, He will bring me a friend and establish a good church for me to go to regularly. He is faithful!
So! I don't know when I will write next, but your emails are greatly appreciated. Sorry that I cannot answer to every single one, but I will try my best to keep this updated. I am having a good time here, and sometimes I miss home a lot. Some times are difficult because I realize that I am by myself a lot. But God has been taking care of me, and has been helping me out, and that is what gets me through. I am so very glad for that. :)
Thank you!
I am getting to know the village of Mögglingen a bit better. I now know how to walk to the train station and back, and know where Edeka is (one of the supermarkets, which is right beside the train station) and where the bakery is (on my walk to the train station) as well as the bus stop for school. I have been going by train and by bus to Aalen for the past couple of days and last week. Aalen is about 10 minutes away, yet takes about an hour and a half to get to the university there by train and bus. It is kind of annoying, having to wait for the buses (that sometimes don't come) and the train. Although the train is relatively convenient if you have to get somewhere by the times that the trains go by. So Eugenio and I have been going to the University there (Hochschule Aalen) to take a beginners German language course for foreign exchange students.
The course is an intensive crash course of the basics of German. And it is nice because we are learning practical sentences. Not touristy phrases and questions. So it is practically perfect. There are about 18 students in total, and they are from all over the world; China, Spain, Bosnia, France, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Finland, and some others. It is interesting too, because none of us can speak German. The other students are quite older than us because they are in their third or fourth year of university and are doing a semester exchange. They are nice. The teacher is nice too. We speak English in the class, and the Spanish students (there are about 6) speak Spanish sometimes with the teacher to get clarification. so it is interesting hearing people speak multiple languages in one room; English, Spanish, Chinese, Finnish, etc. So crazy! I feel very alone with my one language. In fact, I am the only person, now that I think of it, that only speaks English in the class. The teacher speaks multiple languages of course.
Anyhow. Like I said, I have been familiarizing myself with Aalen while waiting for the buses to come. I walk around and look at the shops. Oh, and that is where Reichstädter Tage was: which was this sort of fun festival thing. It was a lot like the Armstrong fair in a sense. Not with the rides, but with the food stands and the music and performances. It was all squished in to down town Aalen though. The streets, you have to understand, are very small, and there were a lot of people. It was kind of like a mosh pit. But it was fun. We went on the Sunday the 14th and it was nice. The shops were open (which is a big deal in Germany, because they are all closed on Sunday and you have to pay workers three times as much), but I didn't buy anything.
I went to church also, that Sunday morning. I went with a friend of my second host family's son's. It was nice. I met some people and even though I did understand what the pastor was saying, a girl sitting beside me translated a bit, and the sermon was so much more interesting when she explained what the pastor was saying.
Then after that, on the 15th was when I started to go to the University in Aalen.
Last Thursday I went to the first Rotary meeting in Schwäbisch Gmünd! It was very good. There are about 60 people in the rotary club, but they seldom meet all at once, and it is usually about 30 of them at a meeting at the same time. (The whole 50% attendance comes into play here - Rotary membership rules) Anyhow, we took the train and my second host dad drove us to the meeting place, which was about 20 minutes out of town. It was nice though, there were a lot of corn fields and it was a nice drive. Reminded me of Sunnybrae-Canoe Pt. Rd a bit, because it winded and turned so much. Kind of made me miss home a little.
Any how, when we got there, I stood at the door, shaking peoples hands and saying hi. Everyone has a deathly Rotary handshake. My hand was practically throbbing in pain after every one came in! (actually, no, not really, but they do shake hard and I was experiencing some discomfort after about 7 people shook my hand) There are only men in this Rotary Club. It was explained to me its because they are conservative and they wanted to have somewhere to go with out women...I guess to get away. And also, the women have the 'inner wheel' club that is kind of like a women Rotary Club. Which is nice, I guess for the women too, because there is no men. So, really, I didn't mind so much. They were all very nice, and even though I couldn't understand everything they said, they seemed happy that I was there. I repeated my name and where I came from about a hundred times that night. As I did when I had my first day of school and every new teacher for the subject would ask me who I was. Although, some other students 'kindly' did it for me as if I could talk. Anyhow!
So I presented myself and a little German speech that my host mother helped me to prepare, and then I presented the president with a book about the shuswap with wonderfully colourful and outdated photos, (kindly provided to me by Aggie from A.L. Fortune when it was like, December, or something) and a post card of Enderby, with a thank you note on the back, and finally, the Armstrong Rotary Club Banner. I was given a Schwäbisch Gmünd Rotary Club Banner in return and a book with all the past Rotary members in it from 1960 - 2000. Which was kind of cool, because it has a picture and a little blurb about their year of presidency and birthdays, etc. (all of which, of course is in German, so I cant read most of it...yet)
(and anyone reading this from Rotary club, be sure that your club will be displayed proudly at a table! Other banners from other countries, I saw were displayed as centerpieces to the dinner tables. The secretary said that they were from exchange students and from other travels that members have visited other clubs)
So yes, it was a nice evening at the Rotary meeting, and it was nice to meet them all, and put a face to all the emails and wondering about what my club would be like here. They are a very active club, and even though they are all old men, it was and is nice to have such a warm welcome!
Speaking of welcomes, on the Friday following (the 19th of Sept) I was invited to come with the Rotary Club for a weekend of hiking in the Allgäu (which is in the Alps). We were picked up in Mögglingen on the way, and drove about 2 hours by private bus to the hotel we stayed at in Rettenberg (close to the Austrian border). It is a nice little village that is famous, I believe for the brewery there. However, we were there to hike, and we didn't go to the brewery. The Friday night, we checked in and I stayed in a bedroom by myself, which was nice, then a club member named Alex and his wife (I cant remember her name) invited me to go for a short walk while we waited for dinner, and to see the little village. So I went along and we just walked around and enjoyed the frosty autumn air. The air in the open villages is so much more fresher and cleaner than the city air of Aalen and even Mögglingen. It was so nice to just take a breath of REAL fresh air for a long time. It again, reminded me of home, and how I love to breath! (A high percentage of people smoke in Germany from what I have seen around the train stations and bus stations... it is nice to get a whiff of breathable air once and a while)
When we were walking around, we walked up the hills a bit, to where we had a nice view of the Fields and the mountains. It was really nice. A change from the squished together villages. There was so much more green, and it was so beautiful. I noticed, though, a ringing noise, while we were walking. I asked and found out that it was coming from the cows!! Every single cow has a bell that is tied around their neck, and they go in the mountains every spring for the summer time. (the bells are so that they don't get lost) And I was told that on the Saturday or that weekend, they were coming down the mountains back to their farms. (which are smaller than in Canada) The reason that they go in the mountains is because the grass is better up there, and they produce better cheese and milk. As well, I think that they have more room to roam. (less people up there)The ringing sound was quite pleasant to the ear, although I couldn't help but wonder if the cows got annoyed very quickly at the sound, because every time they would move, the bell would ring.
Anyhow. After the walk, we had a very, very, long dinner. We waited about two hours after we had ordered, for our meal, and that took about an hour to eat, all together. I stuck around to be polite, although I was extremely tired. When we were ordering, I couldn't read the menu of course, and I had a asked Alex's wife, what she recommended, and so she pointed to one dish, and I said, okay. (after all, it wasn't Bratwurst and Sauerkraut, which I had had a not so friendly encounter with at my first meal out in Germany, so I went for it. The word also closely resembled Spätzle, which is a type of homemade noodles made in the south, and so I thought that it couldn't be that bad, because Spätzle is yummy) but then, after looking at the menu for a bit, underneath the one that Alex's wife had pointed to was the word 'Rösti', which is a Swiss type of Potato specially cooked (kind of like a potato cake in Canada, made my McCain) so I said enthusiastically; I've changed my mind! I would like this one! So when the waitress came (who was dressed in a dirndl (a dress that German women wear at Oktoberfest and in the olden days) Alex's wife ordered me that one. But I actually didn't know what else I was being served. I thought, what the heck, why not take a chance?
Well, it was a chance alright, because what it turned out to be was yes, Rösti, but also vegetarian schnitzel... Of course I ate it, because I ordered it, and it really wasn't ALL that bad, but I don't think that I would order it again, had I known what it was. I am after all, not a vegetarian. (I think that they have a sort of acquired taste, vegetarians)
Then I went to bed. And got up at 6Am for breakfast at 630am. We started off at about 715am on the bus and drove for about an hour to a town, that I don't know the name of, and we started out hike up the mountains. You have to realize that the Germans (and Swiss, actually), don't take hiking lightly. No, it is a sport. And a hard sport at that! How hard can walking be, you ask? Oh, my goodness! I was prepared to hike all weekend but not ALL weekend! We hiked that day for 8 hours! We hiked 1100 meters up the mountain, and we walked about 30 KM!!!!! Needless to say I was tired and beaten and sore by the time we got back. (even a while before that). Climbing up is okay at the start, but it is coming down the last third of the mountain that is killer for your quads and your legs. Horrible. I could barely stand in the morning.
And we did it again on Sunday! Well, not the same mountain, or the same time, but about 4 to 5 hours of hiking, a little steeper, and a bit later in the day. we had breakfast at about 730am. So that was not too bad. The night of Saturday, though we had a nice buffet dinner, which included Kase Spätzle (cheese noodles), Leberkessen (spelling? tastes kind of like baloney), Schnitzel, and a whole bunch of other good stuff. I was stuffed at the end of the meal. After dinner, someone handed out song books and we sang German songs while someone played the guitar. It was kind of funny and really nice. I felt very close with the people. (oh, there was about 30 people that came of the trip all together. Eugenio and I were the only people are age, with the exception of kids that were 14 and 11, and then some other little kids that came on the second day, and then a daughter that looked about like she was 30. But that was it. oh, and a dog, whose name was Arico.)
Anyhow, once I got home, I was so beat. I don't think that I have ever walked that much in two days in my entire life! I think I walk about that much in a month! Anyhow, it was nice to get out there and see what typical Germans do for fun, and to see the view from the tops of the mountains (although most of the time you were surrounded by fog).
Later that day, I practiced a dance with my host mom and two other girls about my age that know my host mom. We are putting on a dance performance for a relatives birthday. You have to understand that my host mom loves to dance and sing, and she and her friends are always dressing up and putting on shows for peoples birthdays (the big ones, like 30, 40, 50, 60, etc) it is quite funny. She was showing my photos one time and the costumes are so great! And so we were practicing, and it was a lot of fun. I feel like I am part of the family. It is funny too, because Bebe does lip syncing and she doesn't know all the English words, so she sings like she hears the music, and when it was German lyrics she didn't even recognize them! We had quite a laugh. Anyhow, it was nice to be included in such an important thing.
So, now, this week, I have been going to Aalen in the evenings instead of the mornings for school, and it is nice to have the mornings free, but we get home later, which is not so nice. Also I am the most tired in the afternoon, and I am finding it hard to stay awake for school. I have learned a lot and Spencer has been kindly helping to translate some words quickly for me, which is nice of him, thank you! And I am picking out certain things when people talk, but it is still a little difficult because the people talk Swäbian, which is the local dialect here, and even other Germans don't understand. So it is hard to differentiate between the two. But I am slowly learning, and I can say for certain that I know heaps more now than I did when I first came here off the plane! So that is good! We are making progress! Hopefully in a couple more weeks and months I will understand heaps and heaps more!
Anyhow. I am trying to get everthing together for the Rotary International Convention in June, and see if I can go. And we have a Rotex meeting on Saturday. As well, I have my first dance class on Friday, and hopefully I will be able to go to church again this Sunday. I have been going on the First Baptist website, and they have the sermons from the Sundays. It is really great, because I can listen to them from over here! I am so very thankful! God is looking out for me, and hopefully soon, He will bring me a friend and establish a good church for me to go to regularly. He is faithful!
So! I don't know when I will write next, but your emails are greatly appreciated. Sorry that I cannot answer to every single one, but I will try my best to keep this updated. I am having a good time here, and sometimes I miss home a lot. Some times are difficult because I realize that I am by myself a lot. But God has been taking care of me, and has been helping me out, and that is what gets me through. I am so very glad for that. :)
Thank you!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Wilkommen!
Alright, So I have arrived!
I can't believe that I haven't even been here a week, and I already have too much to say, it would take forever and ever, amen to read and write. SO! I will update you on my highlights, however, I'm sure that if you are reading this, I probably have already told you about everything.
I had a super, super long day of traveling on the 4th of September! I drove with the grandparents, Elisha, and Spence to Kelowna to catch my flight. This was at about 8 AM in the morning. We met up with John and Janet Irving, who were so sweet to come to the airport to see me off! And then I boarded the plane and waited for lift off at 11:35 AM. I then went to Seattle, where I spent about 7 long hours there. I tried my very best not to fall asleep in the airport. From Seattle, the plane took me to Copenhagen! (ha, or hey, it doesnt really matter how you pronounce it) It was funny too, because the airport was like this huge shopping mall! And all these differnt things going on at once. Then from there, I traveled to Stuttgart. On the plane ride there, I fell asleep before the plane took off from the ground. It was so exhausting!
So when I arrived in Stuttgart, my precious host family had t-shirts that said 'WELCOME KAY!' and a flag slash poster with the same as well as Herzlich Wilkommen! I was so happy to see them and that they were so happy to see me! It was very good. Then it took us about an hour to get home.
I slept the first day here away and I met, in the evening, my second host familiy and some other friends of my host mom's. They are all very nice. It is a great big family, I have seen them SO many times this week. And it isnt even a full week that I have been here! It seems like so much more. So I have found out that I will have only two host families. Which will be nice. Then there is not a whole lot of changing around. I like them too, both of the families, so that is a huge plus!!
I have started school already. The first day was MOnday. It was very interesting. But the last couple of days have been very long. Not necessarily only because they are long school days, but because I cannot understand what everyone in school is saying! So I sit there with Eugenio (who is the exchange student living with my second host family from Argentina) and do nothing. It is very boring. Although today was better because I had 'sport' which is what they call P.E. and it was good because I could actually participate in the class and run around. There wasnt a whole lot of talking.
I am very tired all the time. But at night I am awake...who would have thought? There is a nine hour difference from Germany to Canada. It is difficult to sleep off sometimes.
I am getting used to being here. I have gotten a little familiar with some of my surroundings. I go to school in Heubach, so I have walked around a bit in the village there. Also, Nils (my host brother) wanted to show me around Mögglingen, but I have yet to be taken for the tour. Perhaps some time soon.
I am looking for some sports to play, and something to do with my free time. Although most of the time that I have that is free I rest or talk with my host family. It is nice that they talk very good English. So I am thinking about dance. and Perhaps fußball. We shall see.
I am having a difficult time making friends, but I think once I have some activities to belong to,it will be a little bit easier. Also, I have been trying to get my bank account and visa info set up. Alles Klar. It will turn out just fine.
I met with my counselor from the Rotary Club in Swänisch Gmünd today. He is a nice fellow. But he and Bebe did most of the talking. Which was fine with me. As long as Bebe understands, I know she will take care of everything and tell me what I need to know. :)
I have a very beautiful and big bedroom in my house. I am staying in Kimi's room. She is in the U.S.. She is so very nice. :) I have an orientation weekend comming up. Hiking in the mountains and such. It will be very nice.
I like it here, in Germany. They houses and vehicles are very cute. THere is this house down the street that has the barn underneath the house. I think that it is very funny. Bebe says 'yes, they are hobby farmers.' The one guy has about 3 cows and 10 chickens. Or something like that. It is very different to me because they live in town, with no fields or anything.
I start my German language course on Monday. I am very excited for that. Perhaps, then after taking it, I will know a little more German, and perhaps I will be able to understand what people are saying. Then school will be a little less boring in not being able to understand.
Anyhow. Things are good, and I am having a good time. I just wish that I could sleep more often! I need to go.We will go and give a present to Paulie for the first day of school for her. I have not met her yet, but Bebe says that she is very cute. :) okay, by for know.Bis bald. Tschüss!
k
I can't believe that I haven't even been here a week, and I already have too much to say, it would take forever and ever, amen to read and write. SO! I will update you on my highlights, however, I'm sure that if you are reading this, I probably have already told you about everything.
I had a super, super long day of traveling on the 4th of September! I drove with the grandparents, Elisha, and Spence to Kelowna to catch my flight. This was at about 8 AM in the morning. We met up with John and Janet Irving, who were so sweet to come to the airport to see me off! And then I boarded the plane and waited for lift off at 11:35 AM. I then went to Seattle, where I spent about 7 long hours there. I tried my very best not to fall asleep in the airport. From Seattle, the plane took me to Copenhagen! (ha, or hey, it doesnt really matter how you pronounce it) It was funny too, because the airport was like this huge shopping mall! And all these differnt things going on at once. Then from there, I traveled to Stuttgart. On the plane ride there, I fell asleep before the plane took off from the ground. It was so exhausting!
So when I arrived in Stuttgart, my precious host family had t-shirts that said 'WELCOME KAY!' and a flag slash poster with the same as well as Herzlich Wilkommen! I was so happy to see them and that they were so happy to see me! It was very good. Then it took us about an hour to get home.
I slept the first day here away and I met, in the evening, my second host familiy and some other friends of my host mom's. They are all very nice. It is a great big family, I have seen them SO many times this week. And it isnt even a full week that I have been here! It seems like so much more. So I have found out that I will have only two host families. Which will be nice. Then there is not a whole lot of changing around. I like them too, both of the families, so that is a huge plus!!
I have started school already. The first day was MOnday. It was very interesting. But the last couple of days have been very long. Not necessarily only because they are long school days, but because I cannot understand what everyone in school is saying! So I sit there with Eugenio (who is the exchange student living with my second host family from Argentina) and do nothing. It is very boring. Although today was better because I had 'sport' which is what they call P.E. and it was good because I could actually participate in the class and run around. There wasnt a whole lot of talking.
I am very tired all the time. But at night I am awake...who would have thought? There is a nine hour difference from Germany to Canada. It is difficult to sleep off sometimes.
I am getting used to being here. I have gotten a little familiar with some of my surroundings. I go to school in Heubach, so I have walked around a bit in the village there. Also, Nils (my host brother) wanted to show me around Mögglingen, but I have yet to be taken for the tour. Perhaps some time soon.
I am looking for some sports to play, and something to do with my free time. Although most of the time that I have that is free I rest or talk with my host family. It is nice that they talk very good English. So I am thinking about dance. and Perhaps fußball. We shall see.
I am having a difficult time making friends, but I think once I have some activities to belong to,it will be a little bit easier. Also, I have been trying to get my bank account and visa info set up. Alles Klar. It will turn out just fine.
I met with my counselor from the Rotary Club in Swänisch Gmünd today. He is a nice fellow. But he and Bebe did most of the talking. Which was fine with me. As long as Bebe understands, I know she will take care of everything and tell me what I need to know. :)
I have a very beautiful and big bedroom in my house. I am staying in Kimi's room. She is in the U.S.. She is so very nice. :) I have an orientation weekend comming up. Hiking in the mountains and such. It will be very nice.
I like it here, in Germany. They houses and vehicles are very cute. THere is this house down the street that has the barn underneath the house. I think that it is very funny. Bebe says 'yes, they are hobby farmers.' The one guy has about 3 cows and 10 chickens. Or something like that. It is very different to me because they live in town, with no fields or anything.
I start my German language course on Monday. I am very excited for that. Perhaps, then after taking it, I will know a little more German, and perhaps I will be able to understand what people are saying. Then school will be a little less boring in not being able to understand.
Anyhow. Things are good, and I am having a good time. I just wish that I could sleep more often! I need to go.We will go and give a present to Paulie for the first day of school for her. I have not met her yet, but Bebe says that she is very cute. :) okay, by for know.Bis bald. Tschüss!
k
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)