I received a few, so here you go;
Q: Was the time difference hard to get used to?
A: The first few days were filled with naps and sleeping in until noon.
--I arrived in Frankfurt at 6 am, which is midnight in Michigan... so everyone was starting their day when I felt like I should be ending mine. It was a really strange feeling of exhaustion.
Q: What is school like?
A: I could go on and on about how different it is.
So I will start with how my school week was like last year.
Everyday was the same... so it was like; "American History, Choir, Theatre, Marching Band, Englisch, Chemistry" then of course, it switched at the semester and all of that. But that's normal.
HERE...
Monday; Physik, History[2 hrs], 20 minute break, Latin, Math[2 hrs]
Tuesday; Chemistry[2 hrs], 20 minute break, Biology[2 hrs], 20 minute break, Politik.
Wednesday; [2 hours free], Latin[2 hrs], 20 minute break, Deutsch[2 hrs], 20 minute break, 1 hour free, Math.
Thursday; Math, Politik, 20 minute break, Musik[2 hrs], 20 minute break, Physik, Englisch.
Friday; Englisch[2 hrs], 20 minute break, Religion[2 hrs], 20 minute break, Deutsch[2 hrs], 1 hour break, Sport[2 hrs]
So, in a[nutshell]... everyday is different, and every two hours there's normally a 20 minute break.
It's just...way different.
We don't choose our classes, and there's not choir or theatre or something....those are after school club things.
AND here I stay with the same class... I'm always with the same people switching rooms together.
Q: A typical daily routine for you?
A: It's changed since I've switched host families... but with my first host family I would wake up at 6:45 and have breakfast with everyone and get ready around 7:10 then I left the house with my bike at 7:30 to get to school before 7:45... then school goes until, well... depends on the day, then I come home and have a hot lunch with the family... then usually go downtown with some friends or something.
With this host family, I wake up at 6:20, have breakfast alone or with everyone... it's not as organized, then get ready so I can leave at 7 to catch the tram with my brother at 7:11. Then I get off downtown and get on another tram to get to school.
I mean.... that's not really my daily routine, but that's pretty much my school schedule thing.
Q: Americans behind in foreign language?
A: I'm thinking yes.... but the thing is, everyone is learning Englisch so it almost seems like we don't need to learn another language... but it'd be very helpful for Americans to learn another language almost fluently. It really helps with traveling. I'm very grateful that people knew Englisch here so I could learn the language quicker.
Q: Music?
A: Not quite sure what that question means.... but I'll just say the one kind of music that is HUGE in Germany that I never listened to in the States.
DUBSTEP!!!
Q: What is your g e n e r a l i m p r e s s i o n of German people?
A: Way nicer than I expected.
I think a lot of people thing all Germans are mean or something.... but kids are kids wherever you are.
Obviously there are still some meanies around, but that's normal.
But I'd say Germans are more blunt about things... that was tough at first.
Q: Was it hard to be thrown into a new language?-Did you pick it up quickly?
A: Everything sounded like jibberish when I first got here... all I knew was how to say hello, how are you, where is the bathroom, and those kind of things. But it was definitely being thrown into cold water. I don't know if I've picked it up quickly... I'm always thinking I am not getting better, but then I realize I understand most things.
I speak as much German as possible, and I'm determined to learn as much as I can.... so I hope with that mindset it will just keep getting better and better.
Q: How's the food?
A: I'm fat now.
--There's definitely a lot of b r e a d here... at first I didn't like it, but then I learned to love it. And the cheese-- cheese is so good.
I've gotten accustomed to the drinks/food.... like tea? I never drank tea before, but now I love it.
And carbonated water..........it has no flavor, but it has bubbles.
^Disgusting at first.
Now it's my favorite!
Q: What do you like best about Germany, and what do you miss most about the United States?
A: What I like about Germany-
Transportation. Transportation is so easy here... I just get on a bus or tram and I can get to where I need to go. Or I just ride my bike around...because things are so close here. [but now that it's Winter, I don't ride my bike anymore obviously]
What I miss about the United States-
- Doorknobs
- Light switches
- Toilet handles
^But I really do miss my f a m i l y and my puppies...and my friends of course.
BUT! I'm not so homesick.. just hope that carries on until Christmas.... I'm not trying to be homesick.
Q: What are your greatest memories staying with the Grimm family?
A: First of all, for you that don't know, the Grimms were my host family, and now I am with the Wiemanns as I said. [Rotary has you switch every 3-4 months]
Anyways,
- With my host mom, it'd be her coming up and laying down with me...giving me a little pink stuffed bear that I sleep with every night now. It was her daughters' bear where they were babies, and now it's mine. <3
- With my host dad, nothing specific. He was always so great.... we would just sit and talk with each other about everything. He would always joke and make me laughed. - Definitely made me feel at home.
- With my host brother, the last Thursday night I was there. [He was getting a new exchange student on Friday...and I was leaving on Sunday]. So it was like our last brother-sister night. We just watched stupid videos and talked. He was always taking my laptop the last month I was there...so funny. d:
I miss them.
Q: What is your favorite German food?
A: Back to food again, I see...
That's hard to say.... they have the same kind of things here.
But I'd say I really like Schnitzel.
I don't even know what it is in Englisch.
Q: How is your {relationship} with God because of the changes in Germany?
A: I've been praying a lot more... especially after the first month when I was t e r r i b l y homesick. Things haven't changed much with our relationship...but I think I've realized now that He is always there for me. And that helps me so much.
Q: Are you in Germany?
A: Yes.
I don't want to go on and on with boring information, so I will end my blog here...
I'm open to any questions, so if you have any, shoot 'em at me!
:)
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