Observations on Trains.

I have a love/hate relationship with trains. They just love to baffle me beyond belief, and just when I think I've gotten the hang of one aspect, I'm befuddled again. I am not a fan of riding the train to school in the mornings, it's way to crowded for my taste (I guess that's how people who ride the bus feel). Plus its still dark outside/people block out the windows so I can't see anything. But riding the train home is a different story. I can chill out, look out the windows and watch the German landscape stroll by. The trains rock back and forth a little, which is sort of nice and calming. Just listening to my iPod for a few minutes on it is nice. Plus in the afternoon, there is less than half the number of people on it as in the morning. I just stand up and lean with the train, even if there are open seats. At first it was a real challenge to ride the train standing up, and I kept almost falling, but I've gotten much better. And though I may have been talented enough to miss the train, or fall into some strangers, the train and I are getting along better now. (Plus its pretty cool to be able to take something from my little town into the city when I want to.)

What else have I been up to? Hmmmm... Its been a pretty cool week overall, which had its ups and downs. I think I've made some good friends at school which is really nice, and can't wait to see them tomorrow. Though whenever I do things with people from my town I feel like an awkward tagalong (the story of Oktoberfest), but it's not as bad at school. This week I've been exploring Heidenheim a little on my own, and found a nice little park to sit and read in when I need to kill time. Oktoberfest was basically just a big fair with beer halls and drunks (though the drunks could be quite entertaining I must say). But shopping before in München was tons of fun. I bought a cool sweatshirt-y thingy, and we all tried on the funny bavarian style oktoberfest dresses. 

That's all for now really, tschüss!

Em

Procrastination.

So if you are reading this, you are benefitting from me procrastinating doing my Mathe homework. Its a legitimate procrastination though, because its auf Deutsch and I will have to figure out what the directions are saying. Anyways...

Today I went to a Drachenfestival (kite festival). It was pretty cool, but there wasn't much wind. I think it would have been amazing if there was more wind, there were lots of huge kites that were just on the ground because their wasn't enough wind for them. Then I went to a cave, which was really really long (the longest in southern germany I think). Everyone though it was cold, I didn't, and went in just my T-shirt. (It's warmer here than in NH.) Then on the way home we found out where Reinhard was driving his horse, and went there. Somehow we ended up in some hidden garden with a hidden pond thing while he took some people around. It was like a little quaint party in there, and the people seemed nice. They gave me champagne. Then I went with Reinhard and I drove the cart around for a bit, which was really fun. 

Yesterday I went to a high ropes course with the musikfreunde. It was loads of fun! I ended up hanging out with a 12 or 13 year old for most of the time, Malta, but she was really nice so it was cool. At one point in time I ended up being stuck on the snowboard/skateboard thingy. It is a snowboard with two chords underneath it attached  on each side to a chord (one on each side) running from one tree to the other. Then there is a chord above it that a rope is attached to and swings back and forth with. So I went on it and the snowboard touched the other side before sliding back a bit so I couldn't reach the other side. So I stood there for like five minutes, hanging on to the rope, trying to swing the board forward enough to reach the other side. (Remember, everyone there speaks german except for me, and I was the only one on this specific course.) Then some people from my group on another course see me and shout to me trying to help. Eventually I pull myself forward by putting one foot on one of the chords and using that to pull me forward. After the ropes course we got eis, which is supposed to translate into ice cream, but it really isn't, its more like gelato (actually I think it IS gelato). I was going to go to Sina's mother's birthday party with my family that night, but I stayed home and slept instead. (And I feel like sleeping now, though its not even 8pm yet.)

Friday was also a really good day. I was in two french classes, where I didn't understand

anything or try to, but that was okay. I had Geschichte (History), Mathe, und Englisch that I understood what was happening in. In Physik I sorta understood what was happening, just not exactly. In Chemie I understood nothing, but we watched a tiny bit of James Bond, so that made it better. Plus I was extremely tired by then, so I didn't really care what was happening. Then I had my first Deutsch lesson, and it was really helpful to finally have one. I'm going to have them Montag - Freitag except not on Donnerstag (Thursday). There were two other kids it in both boys, one from Brazil and one from Paraguay. They seemed pretty nice. Then I came home and was EXHAUSTED.

Tomorrow I only have classes until noon, and then four hours between that and my german lesson so I think I'm going to come home in between (I don't know of anything to do in Heidenheim, or how to get from my school to central Heidenheim.)

Tschüss!

Em

Schule und ein Frosch!

ICH LIEBE DEUTSCHLAND! So much happens here everyday it's hard to know where to start! Tuesday which was my second day here and I took the train to Schule mit (with) Eva. I actually understood things on tuesday, like that we talked about the Renaissance in BK (Art, not burger king or brooklyn), that we were learning about Händel in Musik, and I understood everything in mathe! (well, at least the mathe part, not the teacher talking part.) I think Mathe and Englisch will probably be my favorite subjects here, which is funny because they are my least favorite in Amerika. They use lots of ks in Deutsch instead of cs which is cool. I left school a class early on Tuesday because Eva was done then and I didn't know how to take the train home by myself yet. Later that Afternoon I played UNO mit Niki and that helped teach me my colors, but I can't pronouce Grün und Rot... believe me, its MUCH harder than it looks. Then we played battleship which helped me mit mein (my) alphabet und numbers. Then I biked to Hohemmingen with Eva und Sina to watch a fußeball (soccer) game that Luisa und Lisa were playing in. They won! We biked back on a bike path in the dark and I was really confusing because we started going the opposite way we came from!

Yesterday we played Badminton in Sport. I HATE BADMINTON. But it was okay because nobody was really good. I think we're either playing it for the next two weeks or the next two months. We had to walk to another Gymnasium (kind of Deutsch high school) for sport, so that was nice. In Musik we sang "California Dreamin" which was odd because it was in Englisch! Then we sang "Küssen Verboten" (which means something like Forbidden Kisses I think), but it was okay because I sang the ba dap dap part for most of the song, because I couldn't do it in Deutsch. School is really confusing, I keep running all over mit Lara (thank god I have her!), and I have no idea what's happening then. I TOOK THE TRAIN HOME ALL BY MYSELF! AND DIDN'T GET LOST!! :D But Sabine did pick me up from the train station, but I still had to find the way from der Schule to der Bahnhof (train station) and get on the right train. That night I went to the Musik club mit Eva, and played with them. I played REALLY badly because I haven't played in so long, and I'm not fantastic at sight reading as everyone knows (well, they didn't think I played so bad, but I do).

Today I didn't really understand much except for Englisch class, which was hilarious. They learn British Englisch, and I was doing a paper mit Lara, and we couldn't stop laughing. Und plus the fact that I can't spell very well makes it even funnier. I had French today, and I don't speak any french so that was odd. I took the train home by myself again, und found my way home by myself, though I did walk mit Miiaka because she got off at the same time as me. Tomorrow I start Deutsch classes (finally!). The teacher for them was on vacation when I got here, so that's why I haven't had them yet. But they're in Heidenheim, and most days wayyy after I get out of Schule, so I'm not sure what to do about that. (On Mondays I get out at 12:00, Tuesdays and Fridays at 1:30, and Wednesday and Thursday at 12:45.) I might do swimming here, Reinhard is going to ask his cousin about the times for it I think. Tomorrow I don't have a first class so I'm not sure what's happening then, I think I might have to go to School then anyways.

Ciao!

Em

Oh, and the food here is really good!!

Fotos

the weird doors. they don't go all the way into the frame!!

view from one side of my window

view from the other side of my window... und solar panels!

Mein... bed. :D

Mein .... Schtudentplan? (thats def spelled way wrong)

at the airport (stole this from Marios)

Roomies! (stole this from Tess)

Massage line at the airport (stole this from Matt)

Walking barefoot in front of the capitol (stole this from Marios)

Emily in Deutschland?

Guess what? I'm in Germany! :D Today is my third day here, but second full day. Orientation was boring at times, but I made some awesome friends, so it was okay. The flight was soo long, 8 hours to be exact. I only slept two hours on the plane from the time I woke up on Friday the day we left at 7am, until really late on Saturday (actually, it was sunday morning), when I got back from the concert with Eva (I think it was around 1am). But that might have helped adjust me to this time, I don't know though, I took a three hour nap when I got home today. 

I arrived at Ulm around 18 (6, but I'm trying to get used to the european clock). My host familie thought that it was supposed to be an hour later, so I was picked up late, but I didn't mind, plus I got to chat with the AFS people (it was fun, they were 17 and just got back from a year in China). Saturday night I went to someone's birthday party (Raymond, maybe?), but didn't stay long und then Eva und I went with her friends to a concert here in town (it was a small local band, but it was still fun), und I met her friends. Oh, and they did they hoedown throwdown, haha!!! (Not the band, Eva und her friends). Everybody speaks lots of englisch here, more than I should want, I have to stop letting them speak englisch to me. 

On Sunday I woke up before Christoph und Eva, they slept late. Later I rode bikes with Eva, Lisa, und Louisa to see the horses, and then we came back home and hung out. Miaka, und Sina were there too. I played soccer with Niki (my host brother, he's 12), Lisa, und Louisa, and I lost both times, but it was really fun.

Today was my first day of Schule (school). I'm in class 10c1, so a grade lower than I would be in the US, but thats okay. I really like the people in it so far so its good. I met Lara, Sara, und Sophia today (and some other people, but I can't remember their names), and they were SUPER nice. Lara's best friend is in San Diego right now, so we thought that was funny. The only classes I had today were Englisch (YES!), Mathe (but they teacher only showed up for the last 20 minutes), und Musik (Musik, like music theory, but in Deutsch, yes!). Normally on mondays I would have Deutsch und latin (but I'm only having latin this week, then they are going to put me in a fifth grade german class during that time, ja!) in the morning, but not today, I think because it was the first day. Everyone else has religion after musik, but I don't because I'm not religious. Normally if you aren't protestant or catholic (and I've never been protestant, and I haven't been catholic for years), then you would take ethics, but there are only a few people in class 10 that are like that, so we just don't have class.

After school I went to where my host dad works, he's a butcher, and had something to eat, it might have been schnitzel? And I bought a handy (cell phone) today, the cheapest one (but no one in the USA can call it, its for Deutschland only). When I got home I slept for three hours. 

Odd Things:

• Doors. The doors here are very weird, they don't go all the way into the door frame, I can't really explain.
• Wasser (water), its ALL carbonated. Everything is carbonated! Today I finally had some tap water to drink, I couldn't take all the bubbles. 
• Schule. its just SOOO different.
• THERE IS SO MUCH ENGLISCH. TOO MUCH. The radio sounds like I'm in America!

Tomorrow I'll take the train to schule.

Sorry there are no pictures, some people from the orienatation have put some up on facebook if you want a peek at that.

La Canción: I'll be there for you by The Remembrandts. I heard this coming from Christoph or Eva's room tonight, and I almost cracked up. 

PS. They all say my name with a really funny accent und its cute.

brain dead...

Orientations equal exhaustion. Not quite tiredness though, because I don't feel like sleeping, I just feel dead. Which is bad because I should probably get some sleep, because I don't think I'll sleep well on the plane tomorrow, and that'll be my good night's sleep.

tschüss,

em

DC = Orientations Day #2 (&1)

Okay, so I'm in Washington CD right now yayyyy! It's Wednesday night, so the night after the first full day here. I'M EXHAUSTED. It's definitely been busy.

Yesterday I woke up at 4am sharp (actually ten minutes of 4 because my clock is fast), and drove to the airport where I met Mira, whom I was flying into Baltimore with. We chatted before we got on the plane, and on the plane, and we have a ridiculous amount of things in common. And not just normal things like we play the same sport or something. Just a few of them are: we have the same piano belt, we both want to hike the appalachian trail at some point, we both sang "I'll make a man out of you" a lot this past summer, we both don't listen to mainstream music, and both our brothers are named after our fathers. (And there is normal stuff too, but the usual stuff is more fun, right?)

We got into DC and met her Uncle Darrel, who was really nice. He took us out to lunch at this cool Mongolian Barbeque restaurant where you pick all the food you want and put it in a bowl (raw meat included) and then they grill it for you right in front of you. Then he took us to the hotel where we ended spending from then until six hanging out in the restaurant there, the lobby, and one kid's room (ending up being a party that had to be broken up). Then we had dinner and talking (blah, blah, blah). And someone said that everyone smokes there, and was encouraging us to smoke, so we took polls on how many people smoked (even though we are all underage). But that's not anything I would ever do, legally or not. After that we did some crazy icebreaker thing where I ended up having to tell three people I had a crush on them, roll in the grass, sing the ABCs, and dance with someone. Then we watched Goodbye, Lenin, which was okay, but probably wouldn't have been my movie of choice. (Obviously after this came sleep because of exhaustion, and that is why this is all in one post.)

Today I got a wake up call at 6:30, yayyy, not. Oh, and my roommate is Tess and she's pretty nice. I thought they were going to try and cram us like four to a room, but, nope, there's only two to a room which is cool. Oh, and she's also a lifeguard which is neat. Anyways, we got all dressed up because today we have to go to all this governmental stuff. First was the Department of State, which became really repetitive (which Melvin and I were trying to figure out in Spanish but could not, so if you know, let me know!). And that was really long, so after that we had lunch at union station. I wandered around with a few other kids for a bit, then we were we like "let's go to this America place", but then we walked by at it looked expensive (we had a 7 dollar budget), so we walked down to the food court. After walking the longer way so we could take the escalator (because as everyone knows escalators are amazing) this guy offered us free tastes of this chicken salad sandwich and it was reallly good. So we got that and it came with free ice cream, yum! (Which reminds me, I owe um, Brittany?, a dollar because I didn't have a wallet, I'll have to give her that in the morning). 

After lunch we went to the German Embassy which was in this really cool building (that I didn't take any pictures of... whoops). We watched a video and got some free stuff (which is actually bad, seeming as our luggage has a weight limit). Once done with that we drove to Union Station again where we had from 4-6 (but not really because we got there after 4) to meet with our representatives (actually for most people, like me, interns for those representatives) and then to hang out in the mall (and I don't mean a shopping mall) for the rest of the time. My meeting was like 3 minutes long, and then I hung out with some kids at a garden in front of the botanical gardens for the majority of time (basically until we had to walk back). When we walked back to Union Station, we took our shoes off to walk through the grass like hippies because a few people's feet hurt and it was fun. 

We had dinner at the Café Mozart, which is a German restaurant, and I had a nice beef goulash. After dinner we came back to the hotel (which is really nice!), and I hung out in Mira and Silvia's room for a bit, and had tea (Silvia brought some nice mint tea that she shared). Then Mira and I went out and sat in front of the elevators and made friendship bracelets. Which afterwards I came back here and eventually started writing this. It is now 11:57pm. I get to get up at 7, yayyy. 

tschüss,

em

La Canción: I'll Make a Man Out of You from Mulan. For Mira and my weird connection of it, and even after that some of the guys singing it during dinner on the first day.

CPR & Scary Switches

I am officially recertified in CPR as of yesterday! Yay! But the guy who challenged me was SO mean. He was out to get me, and I'm certain he wanted me to fail. And by all means, I didn't pass with flying colors, but then again, I did pass. He was AWFUL. But, hey, now I'm completely certified as a life guard until the beginning of next september.

So I was just trying to backup my computer on one of the hard drive-y thingys. I plugged it into my computer and it didn't do anything so I looked at it to see if there was something to turn it on or whatever. I found a switch, on one side it didn't say anything and on the other side it said "NO". It was scary looking, so I didn't dare flip it. So then I went to check my email, and then looked at it again, and flipped it over. Now it said "ON". Woops. But it still isn't working so I don't know what's up with it.

I leave on Tuesday! Ahhhh, so exciting!

Adios,

Em

La Canción: Eye of the Tiger by Survivor. Just 'cause its been stuck in my head all morning.

Sprenchen Sie Deutsch? Nein.

So guess what? Even though I don't really know any German at all, I'm not going to a language camp! Yay, right? Well, the good thing is at least that I get to start out with my real host family and I get to start school at the same time as everyone else. 

At least I finally know what's happening travel-wise. I fly to DC on the 8th. Then I hang out in DC for a few days with the other CBYX kids, doing orientations and such. Then on the 11th we fly to Frankfurt. From Frankfurt I take a train to Ulm where my host family picks me up! :D I'm so excited!!!! Now I just need to pack...

So in the mean time, while I probably should have been getting ready for Germany (woops) 

I went on a three day canoe trip with Katie and her family AND a three day hiking trip with my dad. Which both turned out pretty awesome. I summitted three more four thousand footers,

 Jackson, Pierce (Clinton), and Eisenhower. The views were spectacular.  I'm going to take off a year between high school and college and hike the Appalachian Trail. It'll be amazing. 

In less than a week I'll be off on my way to Germany and to a new and exciting life! This will probably be my last post from home for a very long time.

Bis bald,

Em

La Canción: Fish Heads by Barnes & Barnes. Its been stuck in my head for the past fews days; at camp someone from waterfront sang it a bunch.