I miss Siloah.
I love being in Jena, though. It is fantastic seeing my host family again and being reunited with the group was a lot of fun and interesting. I look forward to hearing more about other people's service locations and sharing all about mine.
But quite honestly, I think I left my heart at Siloah.
My luggage is pretty much packed and doesn't weigh nearly as much as I thought it would. I can lift it with ease and I'm not too worried about it. It's crazy to think that I am packing to go home and not just to another part of Germany. I'm not sure if I'm ready to face the shock of being in a totally different setting. Germany has become so familiar to me. I'm comfortable here. At Siloah, when I found myself given the option of speaking to the American Team Missions group that was visiting there in English, I immediately wanted to go back to my German friends. It felt better that way. I'm scared of losing my German once I go home because I don't have anyone at home to speak with. My family speaks Spanish as a second language. I am the only German speaking Mexican I know!
Perhaps at Goshen that won't be much of a problem. There are plenty of German speakers on campus, including the people from my SST group. I want to keep it up just in case I actually do work at Siloah in two years. I don't want language to be an issue. Well, it wasn't really before.
The night before Nick, Matt, and I left Siloah, the mannschaft and the workers had a party for us in which we had pizza, conversation, and gifts down in the Kaminkeller (fireplace basement). I was able to take some pictures with people from the group and thanks was given all around for our hard work and their hospitality. The next morning, some of them actually woke up early to have breakfast with us (an usual thing, waking up early on a Saturday at Siloah) and gave us final hugs before we climbed in to the car to head towards Fröttstadt to catch a train to Jena. I gave my yoyo to Kathi, a fellow co-worker who has a place in my heart, because she was getting so good everytime she practiced with it. My yoyo had been my little trademark but she means so much to me that I felt she should have it.
Today is being spent relaxing and enjoying that all homework is done and there are no other priorities other than tomorrow's meeting and packing. Traveling back home is coming too soon. I am eager to see my family and friends and my beautiful Houston. First, I will come to Goshen via the traditional SST bus, and then stay in Goshen for a night with Rachel. The next morning I will catch a train out of Elkhart in to Chicago and from there I will fly in to Houston. I have a lot of traveling ahead of me and I hope I have the strength to get myself home. I think my excitement of being surrounded by people speaking English and the anticipation of seeing my family will keep me going.
So, Germany, Auf Wiedersehen. I know I will be coming back very soon. There is a wonderful opportunity here for me that I am willing to take. You have taught me a lot about myself and you will forever be a wonderful memory. I'm sorry that we are the last SST group here. Thank you to everyone I have met here and who have made me feel so welcomed.
Tschüs.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Ich möchte hier bleiben
So, tomorrow is my last day at Siloah.
Part of me is wanting so badly to stay here because who knows if I will make Team of the Year and be able to come back. These may be my last days here. I don't like thinking about it because this is maybe my favorite place in Germany.
The other part of me is absolutely dying to see my family and friends and my city. I miss them all so so much and I am just having to contain myself when I stop to think about how soon it is that I will be heading home.
5 days.
I can't believe I am almost done with SST. This was something that I was really worried about. I almost didn't go on SST if it couldn't have been Germany. I feel like God led me in the right direction when I received the email to hear about there still being room in the group.
It's raining. It feels like it's always raining now.
Anyway, Jena on Saturday. I'm excited to see the rest of the group. I'm really interested to hear how everyone else's service went. I hope they enjoyed theirs as much as I have enjoyed mine. It'll feel weird being back in Jena and with our host families whom we have not seen in a while. I hope I get to spend some nice quality time with them before leaving Monday night. It'll be exciting to speak to them since I feel that my German has really improved while on service.
I'm tired. I feel like I'm just going to sleep the majority of the time that I'm home.
Part of me is wanting so badly to stay here because who knows if I will make Team of the Year and be able to come back. These may be my last days here. I don't like thinking about it because this is maybe my favorite place in Germany.
The other part of me is absolutely dying to see my family and friends and my city. I miss them all so so much and I am just having to contain myself when I stop to think about how soon it is that I will be heading home.
5 days.
I can't believe I am almost done with SST. This was something that I was really worried about. I almost didn't go on SST if it couldn't have been Germany. I feel like God led me in the right direction when I received the email to hear about there still being room in the group.
It's raining. It feels like it's always raining now.
Anyway, Jena on Saturday. I'm excited to see the rest of the group. I'm really interested to hear how everyone else's service went. I hope they enjoyed theirs as much as I have enjoyed mine. It'll feel weird being back in Jena and with our host families whom we have not seen in a while. I hope I get to spend some nice quality time with them before leaving Monday night. It'll be exciting to speak to them since I feel that my German has really improved while on service.
I'm tired. I feel like I'm just going to sleep the majority of the time that I'm home.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Sei ein lebendiger Fisch
I'm sick.
I don't know what it is but I am having a loss of appetite and I found myself hurling out this mornings breakfast. Not pretty.
I hope it's temporary.
We have less than two weeks left in Siloah and these last two are going to be so busy. As well as having to finish our final papers and projects, Siloah is hosting a huge tent fest thing that we will be setting up for as well as enjoying next week. It should be pretty amazing.
There was a kindercamp here last week. Nick was made a leader with another guy of a group, Matt helped out with the labor stuff and entertaining the kids with his mad wood chopping skills and I helped with food and made some 8 year old friends. We went camping in the woods in Volkenroda, about an hour away, and I ended up making a lot of new German friends. The three of us received a lot of attention from the kids and it was mainly because we were American. I had girls asking me to sing in English and I had the enjoyment of talking about Hannah Montana and other girly things. They also weren't afraid to correct my German which helps me a lot. I love being corrected bluntly because I don't forget it. While it rained majority of the time we were camping, we still enjoyed cooking food over a fire and going on walks through the woods. Before heading back to Siloah, we returned the key to the camp house at a Klosterhof where Sarah and Mark happened to be for their service location. Nick had tried to see them earlier in the day so we were happy when our van pulled in to the driveway to return the key. I spotted Mark and he took us up to Sarah's room. It felt so weird but exciting since we weren't supposed to really be seeing each other yet but still pretty amazed that we were with them.
The last few days of the kindercamp were so much fun. On one particular day they had set up a game where there were different "shops" around Siloah that the kids were in charge of. One could go in to the medieval room and get a massage or their nails painted, or go to the underground cellar to the "bar" that sold cups of juice and cookies, or to the side of the barn to buy flat bread that the kids were making over a small fire, or to the work shop to buy some homemade lotion stuff. You earned "money" based on what job you did at Siloah so I got a fine amount for working in the kitchen. Even though it was raining, it was still a lot of fun to go around to each different place and hand over play money for something. We then had a nice dinner and presentation of pictures and small skits performed by the kids. They all left on Saturday and Siloah has gone back to its quiet peaceful self until people start pouring in for next weeks festivities.
I talked to two of the workers, who have also become good friends, about possibly applying to be on the Team of the Year here at Siloah. I would work here for a year after college. I feel like this is something I could afford given the amount of debt I will be in after college. I will consider it simply because Siloah has done so much for me without even trying. My German would improve and I could get a lot of my book written. We'll see.
I miss everyone very much and I can't believe I will be seeing everyone very soon. I can't believe I am almost done with SST.
I'm not sure if I want to be done.
I don't know what it is but I am having a loss of appetite and I found myself hurling out this mornings breakfast. Not pretty.
I hope it's temporary.
We have less than two weeks left in Siloah and these last two are going to be so busy. As well as having to finish our final papers and projects, Siloah is hosting a huge tent fest thing that we will be setting up for as well as enjoying next week. It should be pretty amazing.
There was a kindercamp here last week. Nick was made a leader with another guy of a group, Matt helped out with the labor stuff and entertaining the kids with his mad wood chopping skills and I helped with food and made some 8 year old friends. We went camping in the woods in Volkenroda, about an hour away, and I ended up making a lot of new German friends. The three of us received a lot of attention from the kids and it was mainly because we were American. I had girls asking me to sing in English and I had the enjoyment of talking about Hannah Montana and other girly things. They also weren't afraid to correct my German which helps me a lot. I love being corrected bluntly because I don't forget it. While it rained majority of the time we were camping, we still enjoyed cooking food over a fire and going on walks through the woods. Before heading back to Siloah, we returned the key to the camp house at a Klosterhof where Sarah and Mark happened to be for their service location. Nick had tried to see them earlier in the day so we were happy when our van pulled in to the driveway to return the key. I spotted Mark and he took us up to Sarah's room. It felt so weird but exciting since we weren't supposed to really be seeing each other yet but still pretty amazed that we were with them.
The last few days of the kindercamp were so much fun. On one particular day they had set up a game where there were different "shops" around Siloah that the kids were in charge of. One could go in to the medieval room and get a massage or their nails painted, or go to the underground cellar to the "bar" that sold cups of juice and cookies, or to the side of the barn to buy flat bread that the kids were making over a small fire, or to the work shop to buy some homemade lotion stuff. You earned "money" based on what job you did at Siloah so I got a fine amount for working in the kitchen. Even though it was raining, it was still a lot of fun to go around to each different place and hand over play money for something. We then had a nice dinner and presentation of pictures and small skits performed by the kids. They all left on Saturday and Siloah has gone back to its quiet peaceful self until people start pouring in for next weeks festivities.
I talked to two of the workers, who have also become good friends, about possibly applying to be on the Team of the Year here at Siloah. I would work here for a year after college. I feel like this is something I could afford given the amount of debt I will be in after college. I will consider it simply because Siloah has done so much for me without even trying. My German would improve and I could get a lot of my book written. We'll see.
I miss everyone very much and I can't believe I will be seeing everyone very soon. I can't believe I am almost done with SST.
I'm not sure if I want to be done.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Siloah
Well, I switched service locations after only being in Bad Sulza for a week. The reasons for me leaving are something I do not wish to share on here. It was a lot of miscommunication with me and the clinic that led to me crying and giving a phone call to Joe and me on the next train to Jena the next day. I stayed with my host family for the weekend and was on the Monday morning train to Neufrankenroda, my new service location.
Neufrankenroda is an extremely small town with 70 people but its main attraction is the absolutely wonderful Siloah. I work at Siloah with Nick and Matt from my group as well as other German volunteers and workers all in our age group. Siloah is a christian family community place in a barn setting. Different schools bring their kids for day trips or over night stays with a plethora of activities going on during the day. There are animals including horses (which I have had the pleasure of riding) rabbits, and kittens, archery, fruit picking, a theaterstücke in one of the barns, guest rooms, a spielplatz with an incredibly long slide, and acres and acres of farm land. I adore it here because it is so different from my home life. I probably won't ever get a chance to live like this again so I am enjoying every minute of it.
A typical day starts with breakfast at 7:00 a.m. At 7:30 a.m. we have a prayer service in the Crypta. It's a really cool place because it is semi-underground and its original purpose was for wine...I think. It is a small stone cave with cool dim lighting and benches facing a small alter. We sing songs and share prayers before starting work at 8:00. We work from 8:00 to 11:40 a.m. until the next service (we have two in one day) and then have lunch at 12:00 p.m.-ish. After lunch we work again from 12:45 to 4:30 p.m. I work in the kitchen and I wash the dishes or sometimes get to make the random vegetable platter or cake. I really love washing dishes because it's such a mindless activity so I can let my mind wander or sing along with the Christian music that plays in the main kitchen. Dinner is at 6:30 so we usually have a couple of hours to shower, read, or relax. There's so much to explore at Siloah and I feel like I discover something new everyday. I have been trying to go to bed at 10:00 because I get so tired after lunch. It's worth it.
My room is pretty awesome. I live at the very top of the one of the guest buildings but not in a guest room. You have to walk through a costume shop attic to get to my room which is at the very end. It sits above a creepy cafe (well, only creepy at night) and is normally used as a storage room. A week ago they were installing solar panels on the roof so I would sometimes wake up to drills or a man standing over my window working. It was pretty entertaining.
It's hard to believe that week three of service is almost over. We will be coming home this month. I love the time that I am spending with Nick and Matt but I look forward to being reunited with the rest of the group. Tom Meyers is currently in Jena helping Joe and Jo-Ann close up Germany SST. It has been going on for 24 years with over 350 students, including us. Goshen College is donating two park benches to thank JenaKolleg for all they have done for us and to show our respect to Jena for being such an awesome SST location. We plan to visit where the park benches will be placed before heading to Frankfurt to fly back to the states.
As much as I can't wait to be home, it's sad to think about leaving Germany knowing that we will be the last ever SST group to study here.
Neufrankenroda is an extremely small town with 70 people but its main attraction is the absolutely wonderful Siloah. I work at Siloah with Nick and Matt from my group as well as other German volunteers and workers all in our age group. Siloah is a christian family community place in a barn setting. Different schools bring their kids for day trips or over night stays with a plethora of activities going on during the day. There are animals including horses (which I have had the pleasure of riding) rabbits, and kittens, archery, fruit picking, a theaterstücke in one of the barns, guest rooms, a spielplatz with an incredibly long slide, and acres and acres of farm land. I adore it here because it is so different from my home life. I probably won't ever get a chance to live like this again so I am enjoying every minute of it.
A typical day starts with breakfast at 7:00 a.m. At 7:30 a.m. we have a prayer service in the Crypta. It's a really cool place because it is semi-underground and its original purpose was for wine...I think. It is a small stone cave with cool dim lighting and benches facing a small alter. We sing songs and share prayers before starting work at 8:00. We work from 8:00 to 11:40 a.m. until the next service (we have two in one day) and then have lunch at 12:00 p.m.-ish. After lunch we work again from 12:45 to 4:30 p.m. I work in the kitchen and I wash the dishes or sometimes get to make the random vegetable platter or cake. I really love washing dishes because it's such a mindless activity so I can let my mind wander or sing along with the Christian music that plays in the main kitchen. Dinner is at 6:30 so we usually have a couple of hours to shower, read, or relax. There's so much to explore at Siloah and I feel like I discover something new everyday. I have been trying to go to bed at 10:00 because I get so tired after lunch. It's worth it.
My room is pretty awesome. I live at the very top of the one of the guest buildings but not in a guest room. You have to walk through a costume shop attic to get to my room which is at the very end. It sits above a creepy cafe (well, only creepy at night) and is normally used as a storage room. A week ago they were installing solar panels on the roof so I would sometimes wake up to drills or a man standing over my window working. It was pretty entertaining.
It's hard to believe that week three of service is almost over. We will be coming home this month. I love the time that I am spending with Nick and Matt but I look forward to being reunited with the rest of the group. Tom Meyers is currently in Jena helping Joe and Jo-Ann close up Germany SST. It has been going on for 24 years with over 350 students, including us. Goshen College is donating two park benches to thank JenaKolleg for all they have done for us and to show our respect to Jena for being such an awesome SST location. We plan to visit where the park benches will be placed before heading to Frankfurt to fly back to the states.
As much as I can't wait to be home, it's sad to think about leaving Germany knowing that we will be the last ever SST group to study here.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Service
I'm on service.
How I got here:
I was the only one to leave from Paradies Bahnhof in Jena. Jo-Ann met me there after me saying a hurried but sad goodbye to my host mother. I wasn't ready to leave especially since I hadn't seen Paul or Viktoria that morning to tell them goodbye. They had presented me with chocolates and a candle that smells strongly of a sweet vanilla with a German poem on it describing how I'm a special person the night before. I could have cried.
Jo-Ann had me go through how I would keep track of my traveling, which I did successfully, presented me with a book and an Entertainment magazine, handed me a small package, and said a prayer to bless me on my journey to Bad Sulza. I boarded the train with a heavy heart and couldn't take my eyes off of Jena as the train sped ahead past it towards Bad Kösen. I arrived safely in Bad Kösen and had to change trains to head back in the direction I came but on a different track to Bad Sulza. I only had to wait about 20 minutes before the next train came and had to endure a well dressed but poorly impatient man who sat near me. He kept angrily puffing his cigarette and checking the train schedule. I was happy to board the train and only had about an 8 minute ride to my final destination.
The person who was supposed to pick me up was not there. I immediately became worried because I was in a foreign place with a gigantic suitcase. I felt helpless so I called Joe to see what was going on. He made a call to the clinic, informed me to not freak out, and told me to wait at the front of the train station. I stood there in the blazing sun trying to stay calm. I felt so vulnerable. There was a family behind me trying to buy train tickets with a baby in a carriage who was crying so loud and sounded so helpless. I had the strongest urge to start crying with that baby. I don't know what had come over me. Fifteen minutes later, my ride comes. A burly German man with a thick accent came riding up in a large blue Sophienklinik van. He helped me with my luggage and immediately started speaking very fast German with that thick accent of his. I asked him nicely to speak a little slower since I was having trouble understanding him and I was sure he was probably sharing important information. He showed me the way I would be walking to the clinic as we drove up the mountain where the house I would be living in sat. I'm not sure if it's a hostile or what but this house sure is creepy. It looked nice on the outside, very German, but as soon as we walked in and I got a glimpse of the dark bottomless Wine Cellar, I wasn't sure what to expect. My room is at the very top and I must walk through a poorly lit meeting room to get to it. I was very pleased to see that my room is gigantic and then immediately wished I had a roommate to share it with. I dropped my stuff off, he said something in German, and we were off to the clinic.
The clinic is lovely. It has a charming park in front of it and many places to go and sit and watch the river flow by. I imagine I will get a lot of writing done here. Perhaps I will even continue my book. A mountains sits in front of it and the inside is very clean with interesting modern architecture. The kinderclub I work in is a small place that reminds me of the daycare I used to work at, but even smaller. I was immediately put to work to wash the windows on the doors and then had lunch with one of my coworkers. She seems very nice but I can't help but notice sometimes that I might eventually become a burden to them, as I kind of felt today.
After a short day of work and a wonderful abendessen, I headed home up the mountain while it rained heavily upon me. I was without a rain jacket or umbrella so I was soaked upon arriving to my room. There were suitcases in the foyer so I know I am not living there alone. I came in to my room and laid down upon my bed, not wanting to move. I had used a lot of my strength with speaking in German. It takes a lot of concentration out of me and I find myself tired after having a full day of it. I looked around my room as I laid there on my bed with the urge to spruce it up a bit and make it feel a little more like my own room. I began to unpack and hung up the poster Sarah and I had stolen in Dresden, placed my books, cd's, and a picture of Chris and Rochelle on my bookshelf, and hung up my fruit basket and a scarf for a bit more color. When I was finished, I feasted on the cherries and chocolate my host family had given me and began to catch up on the summer movies in the Entertainment magazine.
It was lonely. It was sad.
I'm going to try and not make that a daily routine. I will venture out in to the city, I kind of need to, and I will try and make the best of my time here. I know my German will only improve.
Joe and Jo-Ann visit in two weeks. I hope my relationship with the kids in the Kinderclub will improve by the time they come to take pictures. Today was better since I made some connections with a couple of the kids about our love for Hannah Montana. Yes, Hannah Montana. I will take any connection I can get.
I hope it doesn't rain everyday.
How I got here:
I was the only one to leave from Paradies Bahnhof in Jena. Jo-Ann met me there after me saying a hurried but sad goodbye to my host mother. I wasn't ready to leave especially since I hadn't seen Paul or Viktoria that morning to tell them goodbye. They had presented me with chocolates and a candle that smells strongly of a sweet vanilla with a German poem on it describing how I'm a special person the night before. I could have cried.
Jo-Ann had me go through how I would keep track of my traveling, which I did successfully, presented me with a book and an Entertainment magazine, handed me a small package, and said a prayer to bless me on my journey to Bad Sulza. I boarded the train with a heavy heart and couldn't take my eyes off of Jena as the train sped ahead past it towards Bad Kösen. I arrived safely in Bad Kösen and had to change trains to head back in the direction I came but on a different track to Bad Sulza. I only had to wait about 20 minutes before the next train came and had to endure a well dressed but poorly impatient man who sat near me. He kept angrily puffing his cigarette and checking the train schedule. I was happy to board the train and only had about an 8 minute ride to my final destination.
The person who was supposed to pick me up was not there. I immediately became worried because I was in a foreign place with a gigantic suitcase. I felt helpless so I called Joe to see what was going on. He made a call to the clinic, informed me to not freak out, and told me to wait at the front of the train station. I stood there in the blazing sun trying to stay calm. I felt so vulnerable. There was a family behind me trying to buy train tickets with a baby in a carriage who was crying so loud and sounded so helpless. I had the strongest urge to start crying with that baby. I don't know what had come over me. Fifteen minutes later, my ride comes. A burly German man with a thick accent came riding up in a large blue Sophienklinik van. He helped me with my luggage and immediately started speaking very fast German with that thick accent of his. I asked him nicely to speak a little slower since I was having trouble understanding him and I was sure he was probably sharing important information. He showed me the way I would be walking to the clinic as we drove up the mountain where the house I would be living in sat. I'm not sure if it's a hostile or what but this house sure is creepy. It looked nice on the outside, very German, but as soon as we walked in and I got a glimpse of the dark bottomless Wine Cellar, I wasn't sure what to expect. My room is at the very top and I must walk through a poorly lit meeting room to get to it. I was very pleased to see that my room is gigantic and then immediately wished I had a roommate to share it with. I dropped my stuff off, he said something in German, and we were off to the clinic.
The clinic is lovely. It has a charming park in front of it and many places to go and sit and watch the river flow by. I imagine I will get a lot of writing done here. Perhaps I will even continue my book. A mountains sits in front of it and the inside is very clean with interesting modern architecture. The kinderclub I work in is a small place that reminds me of the daycare I used to work at, but even smaller. I was immediately put to work to wash the windows on the doors and then had lunch with one of my coworkers. She seems very nice but I can't help but notice sometimes that I might eventually become a burden to them, as I kind of felt today.
After a short day of work and a wonderful abendessen, I headed home up the mountain while it rained heavily upon me. I was without a rain jacket or umbrella so I was soaked upon arriving to my room. There were suitcases in the foyer so I know I am not living there alone. I came in to my room and laid down upon my bed, not wanting to move. I had used a lot of my strength with speaking in German. It takes a lot of concentration out of me and I find myself tired after having a full day of it. I looked around my room as I laid there on my bed with the urge to spruce it up a bit and make it feel a little more like my own room. I began to unpack and hung up the poster Sarah and I had stolen in Dresden, placed my books, cd's, and a picture of Chris and Rochelle on my bookshelf, and hung up my fruit basket and a scarf for a bit more color. When I was finished, I feasted on the cherries and chocolate my host family had given me and began to catch up on the summer movies in the Entertainment magazine.
It was lonely. It was sad.
I'm going to try and not make that a daily routine. I will venture out in to the city, I kind of need to, and I will try and make the best of my time here. I know my German will only improve.
Joe and Jo-Ann visit in two weeks. I hope my relationship with the kids in the Kinderclub will improve by the time they come to take pictures. Today was better since I made some connections with a couple of the kids about our love for Hannah Montana. Yes, Hannah Montana. I will take any connection I can get.
I hope it doesn't rain everyday.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Auf Wiedersehen, Jena
I'm leaving for service tomorrow.
I'm really nervous about it but at the same time I'm a bit antsy to see what I'll be doing and seeing how the place and people are like.
I didn't realize that Saturday was probably the last time I would be seeing a lot of the group until we all come back to Jena right before heading home. I only got to say goodbye to a few of them last night so, tschüss, group, if any of y'all read this! I hope service goes great for y'all.
The goodbye\thank you party for the host families went great. We had a great time putting it together and the more time we spent conversing with our families and performing for them we realized how much we care about them and aren't really ready to leave Jena. I am so comfortable here but knowing that I will at least come back for two more days before heading to the states brings some comfort.
I spent a wonderful last day outing with my host family yesterday. They took me to this little cottage-ish house they have on the outskirts of Jena where they have a couple fruit trees. My host parents and brother did garden work while Viktoria and I laid out under one of the cherry trees and took pictures. We got to eat a lot of the cherries and Viktoria and I had fun spitting the seeds out in to the grass so more cherry trees will hopefully grow in the future. On our way back from the garden, we stopped at a castle about 13 km away from Jena. I don't know how I had never noticed it before because it was very beautiful with an elaborate royal looking rose garden and neatly trimmed and carved hedges. It sat on the side of a smaller mountain that looked over Dornburg I believe. It was a fantastic way to end the day before heading out one last night in the city with a couple of SST buddies.
I will miss my host family and Jena while I'm gone but I look forward to the new experiences that await me in Bad Sulza.
Like Jo-Ann said, they would send the Mexican to the place that sounds like Bad Salsa.
:)
I'm really nervous about it but at the same time I'm a bit antsy to see what I'll be doing and seeing how the place and people are like.
I didn't realize that Saturday was probably the last time I would be seeing a lot of the group until we all come back to Jena right before heading home. I only got to say goodbye to a few of them last night so, tschüss, group, if any of y'all read this! I hope service goes great for y'all.
The goodbye\thank you party for the host families went great. We had a great time putting it together and the more time we spent conversing with our families and performing for them we realized how much we care about them and aren't really ready to leave Jena. I am so comfortable here but knowing that I will at least come back for two more days before heading to the states brings some comfort.
I spent a wonderful last day outing with my host family yesterday. They took me to this little cottage-ish house they have on the outskirts of Jena where they have a couple fruit trees. My host parents and brother did garden work while Viktoria and I laid out under one of the cherry trees and took pictures. We got to eat a lot of the cherries and Viktoria and I had fun spitting the seeds out in to the grass so more cherry trees will hopefully grow in the future. On our way back from the garden, we stopped at a castle about 13 km away from Jena. I don't know how I had never noticed it before because it was very beautiful with an elaborate royal looking rose garden and neatly trimmed and carved hedges. It sat on the side of a smaller mountain that looked over Dornburg I believe. It was a fantastic way to end the day before heading out one last night in the city with a couple of SST buddies.
I will miss my host family and Jena while I'm gone but I look forward to the new experiences that await me in Bad Sulza.
Like Jo-Ann said, they would send the Mexican to the place that sounds like Bad Salsa.
:)
Monday, June 8, 2009
Guten Morgen, Berlin
Berlin was...tiring.
But awesome.
It was a very busy city filled with so many different kinds of people. There was more English written on billboards and other things that I wasn't expecting. It felt amazing to be there.
Despite the three very tiring days of touring Berlin, there was a night when I had some very much needed downtime at a rock concert. Me and two others decideded to skip out on the Sleeping Beauty ballet and instead went to a concert for a band named Kilians with the opening act, Miyagi. The three of us traveled on our own to the concert with me being the guide after barely learning the subway system earlier that day. After successfully finding the place, we were caught a bit off guard when we saw that our final destination was an abandoned warehouse turned club. Actually, I didn't know what to expect.
The inside was very big and dark but lit with dim colorful lights. There were two rooms and the back room had the stage. The three of us waited for quite some time for the opening band to come out and play their set. However, it was worth the wait. Miyagi was a mixture of ska, alternative, and a bit hard rock. They sang in both German and English and the lead singer had a thing for awkward dancing and jumping in to the crowd. I was very thankful to be sandwiched inbetween girls who actually danced. The crowd didn't really seem to be feeling it and I was hoping it wasn't just going to be this big boring standing fest the whole night.
So, Miyagi finishes, they clear their stuff, and the Kilians start to set up. While this was happening, I met a Berlin native who spoke very good English and had quite some knowledge about American bands. He was a fan of Dave Matthews Band which was something I couldn't really relate to. I was a bit skeptical about how the Kilians would be (I had paid 9 Euros after all) and hoped it would be a little exciting to get the crowd going. He told me, "If you like the Strokes, you'll like Kilians." I like the Strokes, I thought, and hoped the show would make me glad I skipped out on the ballet.
Oh dear lord, the Germans know how to mosh. I was very surprised and didn't have much time to comprehend what was going on as I was being thrown around in front of a stage by gigantic German men and fearless women. Since I have been in many moshes in my lifetime, my initial reaction was to fight back. I very quickly got in to it and I can't even tell you what the Kilians sounded like because I was too busy fighting the strong drunks. I do remember a lot of singing in English. However, the time came to leave soon after I had been punched right in the chest by a burly man who's mission was clearly to hurt. Clutching my chest in pain, I gathered my other two concert people, downed a beer, and set off back to the subway station to get home.
Let's just say we got back to the youth hostel safe two hours later. We got horribly lost.
One thing I was very excited about seeing was the Berlin wall. That was something I had learned about a long time ago and just recently went over again in my European History class. We got to see fragments of it and even one large chunk that was still standing by the ruins of a place Hitler once resided. I was very appalled to see that someone had written, "I heart Edward Cullen" on the wall. Seriously.
Before we left, a small group of us visited the Jüdisches Museum in which we were able to learn about the Jewish culture apart from what happened with the holocaust. This was a very modern building that I could have spent hours in. There was so much tourist interaction within the building with eye catching photos and interesting learning stations. I would definitely go back to this museum.
We returned home to Jena on Thursday night and had class the next morning. We were so dead that morning from the trip we had just had and Sarah and I had to pump ourselves up more because we had a trip to Dresden planned with her host parents that afternoon. We left for Dresden around 4 and traveled about 160 km in about an hour and a half. He drove ridiculously fast. Sarah and I had our own room with a charming balcony that we couldn't get open. We soon met up with her host mom's sister and her husband and set off to find a place to have dinner. We settled in to a placed called Il Camino that was a very fancy italian restaurant. We had a room to ourselves that was the equivalent of a small wine cellar. This night was amazing. Sarah and I didn't have to pay for a thing even though the bill came out to be over 300 Euros. We had a complete meal with dessert, three bottles of wine, and some weird grappa stuff that they ordered. Many inside jokes came from this night.
Dresden was quite the typical German city for me. It was a lot different than Jena. I was able to see the Elbe River which was recently on a map test I had in fall semester. It rained the entire day we were there but it didn't stop us from checking out the Neues Grünes Museum filled with rare jeweled artifacts.
Upon returning home to Jena, I was greeted by my host family's family who were gathered together in celebration of my host brother's 9th birthday. Their relatives were extremely nice and I was able to test my German out on new people. I liked being corrected when I make any mistakes so I was hoping that would happened. Turns out two of them spoke very good English. Good for them, bad for me. I wish English wasn't becoming so universal sometimes. I really like other languages and I can imagine wanting to keep my native tongue.
This is my last week in Jena before service. Our language test is on Wednesday and then our host family party is on Friday. Today Joe told me my service assignment in which I will be working at a Rehabilitation and Therapeutic treatment center. There is a program called Kinderclub which will enable me to work with the children who have parents in the clinic. When I'm not working with children, I will be cooking or out in the garden. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm the closest one to Jena and I will be working alone. Here is the website: http://sophien-klinik.de/gastgeberei_hotel_pension/index.php
I leave Monday. I'm almost done with my first half of SST. Crazy stuff.
But awesome.
It was a very busy city filled with so many different kinds of people. There was more English written on billboards and other things that I wasn't expecting. It felt amazing to be there.
Despite the three very tiring days of touring Berlin, there was a night when I had some very much needed downtime at a rock concert. Me and two others decideded to skip out on the Sleeping Beauty ballet and instead went to a concert for a band named Kilians with the opening act, Miyagi. The three of us traveled on our own to the concert with me being the guide after barely learning the subway system earlier that day. After successfully finding the place, we were caught a bit off guard when we saw that our final destination was an abandoned warehouse turned club. Actually, I didn't know what to expect.
The inside was very big and dark but lit with dim colorful lights. There were two rooms and the back room had the stage. The three of us waited for quite some time for the opening band to come out and play their set. However, it was worth the wait. Miyagi was a mixture of ska, alternative, and a bit hard rock. They sang in both German and English and the lead singer had a thing for awkward dancing and jumping in to the crowd. I was very thankful to be sandwiched inbetween girls who actually danced. The crowd didn't really seem to be feeling it and I was hoping it wasn't just going to be this big boring standing fest the whole night.
So, Miyagi finishes, they clear their stuff, and the Kilians start to set up. While this was happening, I met a Berlin native who spoke very good English and had quite some knowledge about American bands. He was a fan of Dave Matthews Band which was something I couldn't really relate to. I was a bit skeptical about how the Kilians would be (I had paid 9 Euros after all) and hoped it would be a little exciting to get the crowd going. He told me, "If you like the Strokes, you'll like Kilians." I like the Strokes, I thought, and hoped the show would make me glad I skipped out on the ballet.
Oh dear lord, the Germans know how to mosh. I was very surprised and didn't have much time to comprehend what was going on as I was being thrown around in front of a stage by gigantic German men and fearless women. Since I have been in many moshes in my lifetime, my initial reaction was to fight back. I very quickly got in to it and I can't even tell you what the Kilians sounded like because I was too busy fighting the strong drunks. I do remember a lot of singing in English. However, the time came to leave soon after I had been punched right in the chest by a burly man who's mission was clearly to hurt. Clutching my chest in pain, I gathered my other two concert people, downed a beer, and set off back to the subway station to get home.
Let's just say we got back to the youth hostel safe two hours later. We got horribly lost.
One thing I was very excited about seeing was the Berlin wall. That was something I had learned about a long time ago and just recently went over again in my European History class. We got to see fragments of it and even one large chunk that was still standing by the ruins of a place Hitler once resided. I was very appalled to see that someone had written, "I heart Edward Cullen" on the wall. Seriously.
Before we left, a small group of us visited the Jüdisches Museum in which we were able to learn about the Jewish culture apart from what happened with the holocaust. This was a very modern building that I could have spent hours in. There was so much tourist interaction within the building with eye catching photos and interesting learning stations. I would definitely go back to this museum.
We returned home to Jena on Thursday night and had class the next morning. We were so dead that morning from the trip we had just had and Sarah and I had to pump ourselves up more because we had a trip to Dresden planned with her host parents that afternoon. We left for Dresden around 4 and traveled about 160 km in about an hour and a half. He drove ridiculously fast. Sarah and I had our own room with a charming balcony that we couldn't get open. We soon met up with her host mom's sister and her husband and set off to find a place to have dinner. We settled in to a placed called Il Camino that was a very fancy italian restaurant. We had a room to ourselves that was the equivalent of a small wine cellar. This night was amazing. Sarah and I didn't have to pay for a thing even though the bill came out to be over 300 Euros. We had a complete meal with dessert, three bottles of wine, and some weird grappa stuff that they ordered. Many inside jokes came from this night.
Dresden was quite the typical German city for me. It was a lot different than Jena. I was able to see the Elbe River which was recently on a map test I had in fall semester. It rained the entire day we were there but it didn't stop us from checking out the Neues Grünes Museum filled with rare jeweled artifacts.
Upon returning home to Jena, I was greeted by my host family's family who were gathered together in celebration of my host brother's 9th birthday. Their relatives were extremely nice and I was able to test my German out on new people. I liked being corrected when I make any mistakes so I was hoping that would happened. Turns out two of them spoke very good English. Good for them, bad for me. I wish English wasn't becoming so universal sometimes. I really like other languages and I can imagine wanting to keep my native tongue.
This is my last week in Jena before service. Our language test is on Wednesday and then our host family party is on Friday. Today Joe told me my service assignment in which I will be working at a Rehabilitation and Therapeutic treatment center. There is a program called Kinderclub which will enable me to work with the children who have parents in the clinic. When I'm not working with children, I will be cooking or out in the garden. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm the closest one to Jena and I will be working alone. Here is the website: http://sophien-klinik.de/gastgeberei_hotel_pension/index.php
I leave Monday. I'm almost done with my first half of SST. Crazy stuff.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Ober Aber Uber Oberammergau
Last week was probably the most tiring so far. It felt like I was constantly doing something, never resting, and I was being drained physically as well as emotionally.
Our trip to Buchenwald and Erfurt was on Thursday. Buchenwald was a bit more than I thought it would be. I didn't expect to see the things we saw. It was quite an experience for everyone. I didn't know how to react a lot of the time and the hours seem to go by so fast while we were there. It is not something I think I will ever do again. Standing at the gate of the concentration camp really scared me and part of me was reluctant to go in. I'm glad I did because I faced the truth of something that I have been studying since I was in middle school. It was too much to handle and I think back on it wondering how I could have been standing in the places we went in to. It's going to stay in my memory forever.
After Buchenwald we went to a city called Erfurt that I immediately fell in love with. It helps that it has a very Hogwarts looking cathedral sitting right in the middle of it. The city was very typical German for me so I think that's why I liked it so much. It was how I imagined Germany to be. There were narrow streets filled with interesting shops and it gave off a bit of an old world feel. We had a nice tour through the city with some free time to do some shopping in which I bought some freaking ridiculously good chocolate truffles. It started to rain but a few people in our group went up a tower that overlooked the city. We left in the evening and returned back to Jena safe. We had class the next day and our weekly group meeting at Joe and Jo-Ann's in which we reflected on Thursday. It was interesting seeing different sides of people come out. I guess it's things like this that make a group bond stronger.
Yesterday I went on a walk on the outskirts of Jenzig with Jo-Ann. It was pretty neat to think about the fact that Martin Luther has probably onced walked the trail we were on. If there hadn't been the sound of a helicopter overhead then it might have almost felt like we were back in the middle ages. It was a very charming forest. We saw a gigantic ant hill that scared the crap out of me once I realized there were tons of ants on the ground by our feet surrounding it. We took a detour to observe what we thought was a ruin but it turned out to be some shady storage space. It had rained earlier that day so the ground was muddy and I ended up slipping and getting mud all on the back of my jeans which I had washed two days prior. Our walk ended with a picture of me posing in front of a statue surrounded by muschelkalk and a long walk back home. Today was a German holiday, Kindertag, so I have been inside most of the day sleeping. I was feeling pretty sick earlier and it didn't help much when I looked at my bank account and saw I had less money than I originally thought. I imagine I won't need much for service but I still want to play it safe.
Tomorrow we leave for Berlin from Tuesday to Thursday. I have been looking forward to this the entire time that we've been here. I just love really big cities. We leave really early in the morning and I'm not even done packing. We were told that Wolfgang Bathe, our tour guide for Berlin, is going to tire us out with our tour of Berlin. I am the slowest one in the group so we'll see how that goes. I'm starting to get use to the super fast paced tours that cover almost an entire city.
So I've realized that I have been online way too much and I hope that I don't have internet access on service so people like my mom can actually start to miss me. I'm already getting in trouble with her and I'm in another country! Hopefully that will die down. I think I'm just at a point where I'm starting to miss everyone because there isn't any school and I could be enjoying my time with them. I miss my city a lot.
Our trip to Buchenwald and Erfurt was on Thursday. Buchenwald was a bit more than I thought it would be. I didn't expect to see the things we saw. It was quite an experience for everyone. I didn't know how to react a lot of the time and the hours seem to go by so fast while we were there. It is not something I think I will ever do again. Standing at the gate of the concentration camp really scared me and part of me was reluctant to go in. I'm glad I did because I faced the truth of something that I have been studying since I was in middle school. It was too much to handle and I think back on it wondering how I could have been standing in the places we went in to. It's going to stay in my memory forever.
After Buchenwald we went to a city called Erfurt that I immediately fell in love with. It helps that it has a very Hogwarts looking cathedral sitting right in the middle of it. The city was very typical German for me so I think that's why I liked it so much. It was how I imagined Germany to be. There were narrow streets filled with interesting shops and it gave off a bit of an old world feel. We had a nice tour through the city with some free time to do some shopping in which I bought some freaking ridiculously good chocolate truffles. It started to rain but a few people in our group went up a tower that overlooked the city. We left in the evening and returned back to Jena safe. We had class the next day and our weekly group meeting at Joe and Jo-Ann's in which we reflected on Thursday. It was interesting seeing different sides of people come out. I guess it's things like this that make a group bond stronger.
Yesterday I went on a walk on the outskirts of Jenzig with Jo-Ann. It was pretty neat to think about the fact that Martin Luther has probably onced walked the trail we were on. If there hadn't been the sound of a helicopter overhead then it might have almost felt like we were back in the middle ages. It was a very charming forest. We saw a gigantic ant hill that scared the crap out of me once I realized there were tons of ants on the ground by our feet surrounding it. We took a detour to observe what we thought was a ruin but it turned out to be some shady storage space. It had rained earlier that day so the ground was muddy and I ended up slipping and getting mud all on the back of my jeans which I had washed two days prior. Our walk ended with a picture of me posing in front of a statue surrounded by muschelkalk and a long walk back home. Today was a German holiday, Kindertag, so I have been inside most of the day sleeping. I was feeling pretty sick earlier and it didn't help much when I looked at my bank account and saw I had less money than I originally thought. I imagine I won't need much for service but I still want to play it safe.
Tomorrow we leave for Berlin from Tuesday to Thursday. I have been looking forward to this the entire time that we've been here. I just love really big cities. We leave really early in the morning and I'm not even done packing. We were told that Wolfgang Bathe, our tour guide for Berlin, is going to tire us out with our tour of Berlin. I am the slowest one in the group so we'll see how that goes. I'm starting to get use to the super fast paced tours that cover almost an entire city.
So I've realized that I have been online way too much and I hope that I don't have internet access on service so people like my mom can actually start to miss me. I'm already getting in trouble with her and I'm in another country! Hopefully that will die down. I think I'm just at a point where I'm starting to miss everyone because there isn't any school and I could be enjoying my time with them. I miss my city a lot.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Jenzig
Mountain climbing is something I think I am definitely going to miss when I come back to the states...other than the food. I climbed the Jenzig on Saturday which is the tallest mountain in Jena. It only took us 40 minutes to do but it was very steep towards the bottom. It has a very pronounced peak and there is a fantastic view of Jena at the top.
There was a moment when David convinced me to go off the trail on to a cliff of rocks. There weren't any trees in the way and our legs were hanging over the edge as we sat and stared at Jena with the afternoon sun beating down on us. It was a very "SST" feeling moment. That's the best I can describe it. It felt like I was meant to be there enjoying my SST location and really getting a taste of what Germans living in Jena get to enjoy. These mountains are open to them 24-7. That's not something I can get in Houston or in Goshen.
Along with that hike, a part of the group also went on a hike with Jo-Ann yesterday. The path gradually rose until we were walking on a very narrow path on the side of the mountain with rocks on the right of us as "protection." We could have easily fallen to our deaths. It was insanely epic!
I am beginning to feel small pangs of homesickeness but I think it's normal. I received an awesome package in the mail yesterday from Chris and Rochelle and it really made me miss my city. It's nothing serious. How often will I get to spend my summer in Europe?
My German is improving. However, it likes to drift and mess up at moments when I really need it like in class or at home. I have moments when I understand everything that's going on and then moments where I am so confused and just want to say everything in English. That is something I know I need to overcome. I can feel myself being tested in so many aspects here. I am really gaining a sense of what my weaknesses are.
Buchenwald Thursday. Berlin next week. Service is almost here.
There was a moment when David convinced me to go off the trail on to a cliff of rocks. There weren't any trees in the way and our legs were hanging over the edge as we sat and stared at Jena with the afternoon sun beating down on us. It was a very "SST" feeling moment. That's the best I can describe it. It felt like I was meant to be there enjoying my SST location and really getting a taste of what Germans living in Jena get to enjoy. These mountains are open to them 24-7. That's not something I can get in Houston or in Goshen.
Along with that hike, a part of the group also went on a hike with Jo-Ann yesterday. The path gradually rose until we were walking on a very narrow path on the side of the mountain with rocks on the right of us as "protection." We could have easily fallen to our deaths. It was insanely epic!
I am beginning to feel small pangs of homesickeness but I think it's normal. I received an awesome package in the mail yesterday from Chris and Rochelle and it really made me miss my city. It's nothing serious. How often will I get to spend my summer in Europe?
My German is improving. However, it likes to drift and mess up at moments when I really need it like in class or at home. I have moments when I understand everything that's going on and then moments where I am so confused and just want to say everything in English. That is something I know I need to overcome. I can feel myself being tested in so many aspects here. I am really gaining a sense of what my weaknesses are.
Buchenwald Thursday. Berlin next week. Service is almost here.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Das ist mein lieblingsfarbe.
I bought the first Harry Potter book translated in to German today. I amused myself with reading it and trying to see how much I could understand. It went pretty well. It helps that I've read that book more times than normal.
Money is starting to affect myself as well as people in the group. I have gained a good sense of self discipline while being here. It helps that our leaders give us 14 Euro at the beginning of each week for meals. Everything is so expensive here. I went shopping in Neuemitte the other day and found out that Converse cost 57 Euro here. That's like almost $70 for a pair of Converse that I could easily get for $40 in the US. It was very easy to resist buying them. Clothes shopping has not been a good experience so far. After finally converting my sizes to the European system, I can hardly find anything that I like. Everything is so overpriced and odd. I'm sticking to my jeans and t-shirts for now.
Tomorrow is a holiday so we don't have school in the morninig. Instead, me and several others will be going on a flora, fossil, and fauna hike with Jo-Ann. It's part of our requirements yet it also sounds interesting and it will give me something to do since we were informed that the holiday tomorrow is a dangerous day. Apparently men start drinking in the morning and are reckless throughout the rest of the day. It is not wise for women to be out since we face harm of being approached inappropriately. Yeah, I don't think so.
On Monday we made a trip to a Kindergarten in Jena. This place was by far the coolest Kindergarten I have ever seen. It made my old daycare place look shabby and out of date. After our group had an introduction and tour of the place, we were allowed to play outside with the children. Since I have been surrounded by child care since I was 12, I was immediately comfortable in my surroundings and began to play with some of the kids. I met a girl named Clara-Marie who enjoyed running with me around the playground to see who was faster and then sitting in this little wooden house. I would have spent the rest of the day there if I could. Interacting with children is something that is very comfortable for me. In some ways, I like children better than adults. In my meeting with Joe and Jo-Ann, they mentioned how I was able to just jump in to things and how I can be flexible. They also mentioned finding a service project for me involving children. I would love to be able to work with children since I already have the experience from working at Childhood Seasons for two years.
The first half of the first part of SST is almost halfway done. There's so much to look forward to in the next three weeks.
I feel like this is going by faster than I would like.
Money is starting to affect myself as well as people in the group. I have gained a good sense of self discipline while being here. It helps that our leaders give us 14 Euro at the beginning of each week for meals. Everything is so expensive here. I went shopping in Neuemitte the other day and found out that Converse cost 57 Euro here. That's like almost $70 for a pair of Converse that I could easily get for $40 in the US. It was very easy to resist buying them. Clothes shopping has not been a good experience so far. After finally converting my sizes to the European system, I can hardly find anything that I like. Everything is so overpriced and odd. I'm sticking to my jeans and t-shirts for now.
Tomorrow is a holiday so we don't have school in the morninig. Instead, me and several others will be going on a flora, fossil, and fauna hike with Jo-Ann. It's part of our requirements yet it also sounds interesting and it will give me something to do since we were informed that the holiday tomorrow is a dangerous day. Apparently men start drinking in the morning and are reckless throughout the rest of the day. It is not wise for women to be out since we face harm of being approached inappropriately. Yeah, I don't think so.
On Monday we made a trip to a Kindergarten in Jena. This place was by far the coolest Kindergarten I have ever seen. It made my old daycare place look shabby and out of date. After our group had an introduction and tour of the place, we were allowed to play outside with the children. Since I have been surrounded by child care since I was 12, I was immediately comfortable in my surroundings and began to play with some of the kids. I met a girl named Clara-Marie who enjoyed running with me around the playground to see who was faster and then sitting in this little wooden house. I would have spent the rest of the day there if I could. Interacting with children is something that is very comfortable for me. In some ways, I like children better than adults. In my meeting with Joe and Jo-Ann, they mentioned how I was able to just jump in to things and how I can be flexible. They also mentioned finding a service project for me involving children. I would love to be able to work with children since I already have the experience from working at Childhood Seasons for two years.
The first half of the first part of SST is almost halfway done. There's so much to look forward to in the next three weeks.
I feel like this is going by faster than I would like.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Mmm, brötchen
Food and drink.
Those are two of my favorite things about Germany.
I am now in love with rhabarber kuchen (rhubarb cake) and apfelschorle (carbonated apple juice-ish).
For some reason, I crave rhubarb all the time. I never used to like it. I remember trying it for the first time at some theatre gathering and hating it. Now, I can't get enough of it. Perhaps the Germans make it better.
For breakfast I have brötchen (bread rolls) or slices of bread with butter, cheese, meat, or rhubarb strawberry marmalade. There are different types of cheese and meats and spreads. For being someone that never used to eat breakfast, I now can't imagine a day without it. I hope this is something that continues when I return back to the states.
Our visit to Naumburg was really sweet. First off, I felt like I was at Hogwarts because the hallways lining the courtyard looked a lot like the hallways in HP. Anyway, it sucked that we couldn't take pictures inside the cathedral because it was really beautiful inside. I understood why we couldn't but it was still something I would have liked to physically take with me. I was very surprised at all the graffiti I saw on the sides of sidewalk walls having something to do with Nazi's. I felt a little weird about that and it made me realize that our trip to Buchenwald is not far away.
I remember the Holocaust being something that really affected me while learning about it in middle school and especially in high school. Life is Beautiful and Schindler's List are two of my favorite movies because they show the holocaust from different perspectives. I remember crying when I visited the Holocaust museum we have in Houston back in 6th grade. It is something that I studied and really took an interest in while growing up.
So I have no idea how I'm going to contain myself when the time comes to visit Buchenwald.
I just finished reading Night by Elie Wiesel. I read it in a day and half, one, because it is a short book and two, because it was such a gripping tale much like the one told by Anne Frank. The book ended with the Elie's father dying in the concentration camp in Buchenwald. All of these true stories seemed like distant tales to me. It will be quite an experience to be standing where it all happened. It will definitely be an unforgettable experience.
I made a trip to the post office today so be expecting letters and post cards from me soon.
Those are two of my favorite things about Germany.
I am now in love with rhabarber kuchen (rhubarb cake) and apfelschorle (carbonated apple juice-ish).
For some reason, I crave rhubarb all the time. I never used to like it. I remember trying it for the first time at some theatre gathering and hating it. Now, I can't get enough of it. Perhaps the Germans make it better.
For breakfast I have brötchen (bread rolls) or slices of bread with butter, cheese, meat, or rhubarb strawberry marmalade. There are different types of cheese and meats and spreads. For being someone that never used to eat breakfast, I now can't imagine a day without it. I hope this is something that continues when I return back to the states.
Our visit to Naumburg was really sweet. First off, I felt like I was at Hogwarts because the hallways lining the courtyard looked a lot like the hallways in HP. Anyway, it sucked that we couldn't take pictures inside the cathedral because it was really beautiful inside. I understood why we couldn't but it was still something I would have liked to physically take with me. I was very surprised at all the graffiti I saw on the sides of sidewalk walls having something to do with Nazi's. I felt a little weird about that and it made me realize that our trip to Buchenwald is not far away.
I remember the Holocaust being something that really affected me while learning about it in middle school and especially in high school. Life is Beautiful and Schindler's List are two of my favorite movies because they show the holocaust from different perspectives. I remember crying when I visited the Holocaust museum we have in Houston back in 6th grade. It is something that I studied and really took an interest in while growing up.
So I have no idea how I'm going to contain myself when the time comes to visit Buchenwald.
I just finished reading Night by Elie Wiesel. I read it in a day and half, one, because it is a short book and two, because it was such a gripping tale much like the one told by Anne Frank. The book ended with the Elie's father dying in the concentration camp in Buchenwald. All of these true stories seemed like distant tales to me. It will be quite an experience to be standing where it all happened. It will definitely be an unforgettable experience.
I made a trip to the post office today so be expecting letters and post cards from me soon.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Du bist Isabelle
Viktoria has decided that my new name is Isabelle. It's cute.
One week down, five more to go. However, I don't like to think of it that way because I am enjoying my time here and I don't feel homesick or bored or anything. I think I see it as a, "one week has gone by, what have I learned?" kind of thing. The homework is getting a bit more difficult and I'm trying not to get too stressed about it. I know it's all part of the experience and I know I can do it.
You can steadily see our SST group getting to know each other more and realizing that there's so much we don't know about each other. Majority of us got to hang out last night for the first time other than the times we spend together for scheduled things during the week. There's a carnival going on downtown Jena right now so last night there was a fireworks show and a concert. We were celebrating Rosemary's birthday so the whole atmosphere was perfect. The band that was playing was awesome (they were Finnish and spoke like three different languages) and a couple of us went in front of the stage to dance. The fireworks show was amazing. It lasted for about ten minutes in front of the Intershop tower.
My host mother, Viktoria, David and I went to the Feergrotten (Fairy grottos) on Saturday. That was my first time in a cave. We had to wear these brown capes because the cave was constantly dripping with water and it was really cold. I got a bit scared at one point when we had a five minute walk through a very tiny space. I had to slightly duck and had to keep my arms to my sides because it was so small. Once we reached the end, the tour guide showed us the most colorful rocks in the cave with a light show to music from Lord of the Rings. After the grottos, we went to a castle that was decorated entirely in Rococo and reminded me so much of a wedding cake. David and I amused ourselves by taking pictures in mirrors and trying our best to understand the tour guide. We had to wear these big shoe things so our shoes wouldn't scratch the wood. Our tour group looked adorable because we appeared to be slowly skating over the wood trying our best not to slip. So, capes and big slider shoes.
I love biking in Jena. I got an excuse to today because I had left my backpack at Rosemary's house. Going uphill is a bit difficult but I gain satisfaction once I reach the top and I know that very soon after I will be able to go downhill. I got to bike next to the Saale River so I passed many couples doing hardcore amounts of PDA. For a moment I was shocked because children were there, but then soon realized that this is something that they're probably used to.
I hope to write letters soon because I enjoy anything that distracts me from homework. I have been getting online a lot more than I should but I like to keep it short. I miss all of my friends very much but I look forward to experiencing more while I am here and sharing my stories and pictures when I get back.
One week down, five more to go. However, I don't like to think of it that way because I am enjoying my time here and I don't feel homesick or bored or anything. I think I see it as a, "one week has gone by, what have I learned?" kind of thing. The homework is getting a bit more difficult and I'm trying not to get too stressed about it. I know it's all part of the experience and I know I can do it.
You can steadily see our SST group getting to know each other more and realizing that there's so much we don't know about each other. Majority of us got to hang out last night for the first time other than the times we spend together for scheduled things during the week. There's a carnival going on downtown Jena right now so last night there was a fireworks show and a concert. We were celebrating Rosemary's birthday so the whole atmosphere was perfect. The band that was playing was awesome (they were Finnish and spoke like three different languages) and a couple of us went in front of the stage to dance. The fireworks show was amazing. It lasted for about ten minutes in front of the Intershop tower.
My host mother, Viktoria, David and I went to the Feergrotten (Fairy grottos) on Saturday. That was my first time in a cave. We had to wear these brown capes because the cave was constantly dripping with water and it was really cold. I got a bit scared at one point when we had a five minute walk through a very tiny space. I had to slightly duck and had to keep my arms to my sides because it was so small. Once we reached the end, the tour guide showed us the most colorful rocks in the cave with a light show to music from Lord of the Rings. After the grottos, we went to a castle that was decorated entirely in Rococo and reminded me so much of a wedding cake. David and I amused ourselves by taking pictures in mirrors and trying our best to understand the tour guide. We had to wear these big shoe things so our shoes wouldn't scratch the wood. Our tour group looked adorable because we appeared to be slowly skating over the wood trying our best not to slip. So, capes and big slider shoes.
I love biking in Jena. I got an excuse to today because I had left my backpack at Rosemary's house. Going uphill is a bit difficult but I gain satisfaction once I reach the top and I know that very soon after I will be able to go downhill. I got to bike next to the Saale River so I passed many couples doing hardcore amounts of PDA. For a moment I was shocked because children were there, but then soon realized that this is something that they're probably used to.
I hope to write letters soon because I enjoy anything that distracts me from homework. I have been getting online a lot more than I should but I like to keep it short. I miss all of my friends very much but I look forward to experiencing more while I am here and sharing my stories and pictures when I get back.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Don't smile in Germany
Classes have begun. After only a few days, you can see the improvement and the room for improvement within our group. I find myself understanding German better and better with each day. I can now follow a lecture or conversation and not be completely lost. The classes seem promising and I'm excited for when I will be able to "read a newspaper after 4 weeks of German" like my host father said.
We visited Wartburg and Bachhaus yesterday which were both really awesome. Wartburg sits way high up so the climb up to the castle was pretty difficult for me. I found myself surprised to be tired after several flights of stairs when I had just climbed uphill with my family last week to a tower that sits high above Jena. Once the heavy breathing had subsided, I found myself amazed of the beauty of Wartburg and the view that came with it. The group had a tour of the castle and I made sure to take pictures. There are also pictures of the group on the Goshen SST website...not sure if y'all are keeping up with that.
After Wartburg, we went to the Bachhaus...you know, the famous Bach? Be jealous. Our museum guide was not only gifted in knowing information, but a wonderful musician who played a few of Bach's pieces on some very old instruments. We then traveled to the church where Bach first worked and got to listen to music played on this gigantic organ that Bach once played. It was absolutely amazing and I regret not getting more pictures of the organ.
Everything is going great in Jena. Me and my host family are getting to know each other more and more each day and I find myself enjoying the time I spend at home. Viktoria and Paul, my host sister and brother, are so much fun. Viktoria and I were dancing in my room to German music today and I enjoy watching the German game shows for kids after dinner. I have had really fun moments of trying to explain things like pancakes for breakfast (which Viktoria found really weird) and the pronunciation of the word "lawnmower."
My sleeping schedule is so weird now. If you know me pretty well, you know I usually go to bed around 3 in the morning and wake up around 1 or even 2. I can't imagine doing that anymore. I now go to bed around 9 or 10 and wake up around 7 in the morning. It feels completely normal now. I feel weird if I don't eat breakfast and I'm so tired by 5 o'clock. It feels weird but I like it. I feel like I have more time to enjoy the day and I'm getting sufficient amounts of sleep. I guess that's what SST does to you.
Write to me!
We visited Wartburg and Bachhaus yesterday which were both really awesome. Wartburg sits way high up so the climb up to the castle was pretty difficult for me. I found myself surprised to be tired after several flights of stairs when I had just climbed uphill with my family last week to a tower that sits high above Jena. Once the heavy breathing had subsided, I found myself amazed of the beauty of Wartburg and the view that came with it. The group had a tour of the castle and I made sure to take pictures. There are also pictures of the group on the Goshen SST website...not sure if y'all are keeping up with that.
After Wartburg, we went to the Bachhaus...you know, the famous Bach? Be jealous. Our museum guide was not only gifted in knowing information, but a wonderful musician who played a few of Bach's pieces on some very old instruments. We then traveled to the church where Bach first worked and got to listen to music played on this gigantic organ that Bach once played. It was absolutely amazing and I regret not getting more pictures of the organ.
Everything is going great in Jena. Me and my host family are getting to know each other more and more each day and I find myself enjoying the time I spend at home. Viktoria and Paul, my host sister and brother, are so much fun. Viktoria and I were dancing in my room to German music today and I enjoy watching the German game shows for kids after dinner. I have had really fun moments of trying to explain things like pancakes for breakfast (which Viktoria found really weird) and the pronunciation of the word "lawnmower."
My sleeping schedule is so weird now. If you know me pretty well, you know I usually go to bed around 3 in the morning and wake up around 1 or even 2. I can't imagine doing that anymore. I now go to bed around 9 or 10 and wake up around 7 in the morning. It feels completely normal now. I feel weird if I don't eat breakfast and I'm so tired by 5 o'clock. It feels weird but I like it. I feel like I have more time to enjoy the day and I'm getting sufficient amounts of sleep. I guess that's what SST does to you.
Write to me!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
I haven't slept for nearly two days
I'm in Germany!
So, send off was kind of stressful because it was at the same time that May Term classes started. I was glad to see that my friends still came. The bus ride to Chicago was quick and we were the first group to get off the bus and go to our terminal. One member of our group is not going to be here until Saturday because her passport didn't come in on time. The group of us immediately started to bond and we even ran in to the May Term in London people before we boarded our plane for the 8 hour flight that lay ahead of us.
The plane was sweet. We flew Air India so we got served curry chicken and had a bunch of Bollywood movies we could watch. The Indian food didn't sit well with me so when we landed in Frankfurt, I was feeling nauseous. I ignored it the best I could and forgot about it for a while once we started doing SST things like taking group pictures and exchanging our currency.
After our 8 hour flight, we had a 4 hour bus ride to Jena. It was foggy outside and it was sprinkling but it didn't mask the massive mountains and hills and large fields of yellow canola. We passed many famous castles on our way to Jena and entertained ourselves by reading from this German phrases books that a member of our group has. After spending hours going over pick up lines in German, we finally arrived in Jena. It's even more beautiful in real life. It is mainly populated by college students so there are a lot of young people around. One thing we were initally warned about was the bikers. People are biking EVERYWHERE. It's a Mennonite heaven. There are windmills and solar panels and bikers. Anyway, we were warned to look out more so by getting hit by a biker instead of a car. We learned how to use the transit system and the group of us, along with our leaders and teachers, went out to eat at a fancy German restaurant where I finally got to try German brot (bread) for the first time.
Ridiculously delicious.
After our dinner, we went on a tour through the city and saw the kino (movie theater), Jena Kolleg, a mall with stores I have never heard of, and a bunch of market vendors and blumen (flowers) stores and many places to buy brot. Our tour was done entirely in Deutsch but I was able to understand enough to know what was going on. Die straße (the streets) are almost all made out of brick and the architecture is absolutely beautiful. Jena is surrounded by mountains and hills and the weather is nice and cool. My host father took me on a bike ride through Jena and up a mountain to show me the route I would be taking to get to the school where my classes will be taking place. Tomorrow is our first time to travel through Jena alone and I'm a little bit worried.
So, my family. I have a little host sister and brother ages 5 and 8. Both of them are a lot of fun and they don't care that my German is not as good as it should be. We played with wooden instruments earlier and played games with me speaking in my broken German, and them completely fluent in German. They're learning English so we help each other out. My host father is really cool and pushes me to try new things including food and drink which I love. My host mother has a good sense of humor and I love it when we share a laugh. They were amused at my pathetic attempt to cut asparagus and eventually taught me the right way after I had sufficiently failed. The house is beautiful. It's massive, and I have my own room. Their wohntzimmer (living room) looks out at the moutains behind them and their house is very clean and neat. I'm very comfortable and look forward to getting to know them better for the next six weeks.
Ok, that's enough. Until next time. We're supposed to be checking out some sweet castle soon and have a trip to Berlin planned. Classes don't start until Monday because tomorrow is a German holiday. heh heh heh
Ich liebe dich!
Leah
So, send off was kind of stressful because it was at the same time that May Term classes started. I was glad to see that my friends still came. The bus ride to Chicago was quick and we were the first group to get off the bus and go to our terminal. One member of our group is not going to be here until Saturday because her passport didn't come in on time. The group of us immediately started to bond and we even ran in to the May Term in London people before we boarded our plane for the 8 hour flight that lay ahead of us.
The plane was sweet. We flew Air India so we got served curry chicken and had a bunch of Bollywood movies we could watch. The Indian food didn't sit well with me so when we landed in Frankfurt, I was feeling nauseous. I ignored it the best I could and forgot about it for a while once we started doing SST things like taking group pictures and exchanging our currency.
After our 8 hour flight, we had a 4 hour bus ride to Jena. It was foggy outside and it was sprinkling but it didn't mask the massive mountains and hills and large fields of yellow canola. We passed many famous castles on our way to Jena and entertained ourselves by reading from this German phrases books that a member of our group has. After spending hours going over pick up lines in German, we finally arrived in Jena. It's even more beautiful in real life. It is mainly populated by college students so there are a lot of young people around. One thing we were initally warned about was the bikers. People are biking EVERYWHERE. It's a Mennonite heaven. There are windmills and solar panels and bikers. Anyway, we were warned to look out more so by getting hit by a biker instead of a car. We learned how to use the transit system and the group of us, along with our leaders and teachers, went out to eat at a fancy German restaurant where I finally got to try German brot (bread) for the first time.
Ridiculously delicious.
After our dinner, we went on a tour through the city and saw the kino (movie theater), Jena Kolleg, a mall with stores I have never heard of, and a bunch of market vendors and blumen (flowers) stores and many places to buy brot. Our tour was done entirely in Deutsch but I was able to understand enough to know what was going on. Die straße (the streets) are almost all made out of brick and the architecture is absolutely beautiful. Jena is surrounded by mountains and hills and the weather is nice and cool. My host father took me on a bike ride through Jena and up a mountain to show me the route I would be taking to get to the school where my classes will be taking place. Tomorrow is our first time to travel through Jena alone and I'm a little bit worried.
So, my family. I have a little host sister and brother ages 5 and 8. Both of them are a lot of fun and they don't care that my German is not as good as it should be. We played with wooden instruments earlier and played games with me speaking in my broken German, and them completely fluent in German. They're learning English so we help each other out. My host father is really cool and pushes me to try new things including food and drink which I love. My host mother has a good sense of humor and I love it when we share a laugh. They were amused at my pathetic attempt to cut asparagus and eventually taught me the right way after I had sufficiently failed. The house is beautiful. It's massive, and I have my own room. Their wohntzimmer (living room) looks out at the moutains behind them and their house is very clean and neat. I'm very comfortable and look forward to getting to know them better for the next six weeks.
Ok, that's enough. Until next time. We're supposed to be checking out some sweet castle soon and have a trip to Berlin planned. Classes don't start until Monday because tomorrow is a German holiday. heh heh heh
Ich liebe dich!
Leah
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Excited, nervous, sweating profusely...
I leave in 8 days. This is ridiculous. I have so much packing to do and I still have two exams to study for and a final portfolio to put together.
I'll be updating this blog a lot more once I'm in Germany. If you care about what's going on, then feel free to keep track of this. It'll save me having to answer individual messages on Facebook and through email.
AAAHHH!!!
I'll be updating this blog a lot more once I'm in Germany. If you care about what's going on, then feel free to keep track of this. It'll save me having to answer individual messages on Facebook and through email.
AAAHHH!!!
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