Meinem Geburtstag =]

Also. Ahhh, ich will auf deutsch schreiben! (Ahhh, I want to write in geramn!) So yesterday, as many of you who are reading probably well know, was my birthday. All I can say was it was the best birthday I've ever spent in school! (You know, seeing how I've only been to school one other time on my birthday (8th grade) and while that was good too, I just felt yesterday was different.)

So it started out in the morning when I came downstairs and Sabine says, "hey, Geburtstagskind!" and everyone gives me a hug and wishes me "Alles Gute zum Geburstag" (Happy Birthday). I got to open my present before breakfast, and from my parents I got a Spätzle maker (German/Schwabisch pasta like things that I loveeeee!), and a small "vierfruchte" bottle of schnapps. Eva, Niki, and Christoph gave me a school sweatshirt, but they haven't come in yet.

We walk to the train station, and Anja and Carol wish me happy birthday on the way. The train to school, walk to school, blah, blah, blah, normal. So I walk in and go to my place like normal and then it starts with Annika wishing me happy birthday, and then I'm suddenly ambushed by everyone already there. All the girls give me hugs, and the boys a firm handshake. Lara, Sarah, and Sophia get there, and wish me a happy birthday too. Lara gave me a picture frame with a photo of us four in it that someone took on their cell phone way back in September or October. Annika gets their and she and Kimberly wish me a happy birthday and gave me their present (Lip gloss and jelly beans). Then Tami brought in a cake lit with sparklers! I was so suprised and happy! I got a couple of little present from a couple of people, and the day went about as normal, but I was in such a good mood it was amazing!

My teachers even wished me happy birthday (well except for my history & english teachers, who I don't I like anyways). First was my math teacher (math is my second class, after history), who gave me a handshake. Then my History teacher came over to my desk and picked up my flowers (roses from Verena :D) and said (in english), "flowers. beautiful flowers." I know, he's weird. So then we had gym and in the middle of warming up (running) she jumps in front of me and says "stopp!" and then wishes me a happy birthday. And in french (and I have noooo idea how she even knew it was my birthday) she suddenly starts speaking to me in french and I get this confused-what-am-I-supposed-to-do face, and Sarah translates for me: "french, french, french" "she says happy birthday" "thank you" "french french french" "how old are you now?" "seventeen" "french french french" "oh you speak german" "yes" "french french french". Exactly.

Then I go home, and play the harmonica badly for a little bit. And then I skype Elyse (:D), which was nice. Then people start showing up for coffee and cake (aka my whole big host family). That last until late. All in all it was a really good day.

Other news? I can now play You Are my Sunshine from memory on the harmonica.

loveeee,

em
<3

Mundharmonika!

Also, erstens - Meine Geburstag ist in ZWEI Tage!! :D

Zweitens - Ich hab heute ein Mundharmonika bekommen, und es ist voll geil! Jetzt liebe ich Mundharmonikas. Eva hat heute irgendwas von Reli erklart, und eine Name von einer Babylonische Gott war echt cool, und ich hab schon entschieden das so wird mein Mundharmonika heißen, ich kann nur diese Name mich nicht erinnern weil ich nicht so gut aufgepasst habe.

Drittens - Ich habe dieses Post auf Deutsch angefangen (eigentlich wollte ich es auf englisch schreiben, aber... irgendwie ist es auf deutsch geschrieben. woops) und dann musste es weiter auf deutsch schreiben, ich kann nicht in die Mitte Sprache wechseln, das geht nicht. Also vielleicht mal irgendwann werde ich es auf englisch schreiben, vielleicht doch nicht. Es ist gar nicht wichtig, und ich glaube ein übersetzer geht schon gut für so ein einfaches Text.

Bis den nächsten mal!

lovee,
em
<3

März & April

Well then. Where to begin? So after my little adventure I went back to school as normal I suppose? Anything special? Oh, I got a 2 on my Ethics test! (That's like a B, woohoo!) My paper had tons of red marks though, 'cause my teacher was thoughtful enough to correct my german (we had to write a Socrates Dialogue), and I'll give in that it was easier for me than the other students and I'm graded differently but still. And my friend Sarah had her birthday at the very end and that was lots of fun. The Monday after I went to Munich and hung out with him and his family in Munich for the day (it was lots of fun!). Then just two days of school still, and then we had Easter vacation. I'm not really sure what I did at the beginning (it was awhile ago), but then we went to Switzerland! :D

So we went to Switzerland to visit my host great cousins. On the way there we stopped in Meersburg on the Bodensee (A big lake), and we went shopping and I tried to swim, but at this time of the year the water only went up to my knees, so fail. Then we took the ferry over to Konstanz and tried to drive straight to Wolfhausen (where they live) with the directions from the internet. Instead of taking us on the highway, which would have been easier and faster, it took us in a direct line through all these tiny towns. We got quite lost. But all the little towns have such funny names! Examples: Hinvil, Bauma, Frauenfeld, etc. (and I can't remember any others, but lots had -wil on the end).

When we finally got there I met everyone (except Christoph, the uncle, he was at work): Andrea(the Aunt), Magdalena(9), Theresa(12ish), Anna(13ish), and the grandparents. Later we went for a walk and saw lots of big storks in their nests, it was cool. And I got to get to know the kids better, I really like them. And Magdalena made me miss Molly. So we all hung out that night and it was fun. The next day Eva, Sabine, and I went to Zurich. Zurich is really pretty. And we did some shopping too ;D. We had taken the train to Zurich, but we took a 2 hour Ferry ride home, along the entire Zurich Lake, it was sooo beautiful. I miss being near a lake/ocean. We went back in time to go watch the girls go vaulting, and then had dinner by the other great cousins, at which point in time they found out how ticklish I am. On Thursday we went to Luzern with Andrea, which is even prettier than Zurich. We saw the seven (or nine) towers, and the covered bridges (the first I'd seen in Europe), the beautiful lion sculpture in a cliff, the glacier garden (rocks from glaciers, not the actual glaciers), and had a really nice lunch (in which I seafood pasta had, we don't have seafood so much here, because everyone hates it besides Sabine and I). On Friday we went with Andrea to her office (she does something with books but not a library or bookstore) and picked some books out. I read over half of mine on the car ride home. Then we drove home, through Austria (so I was in three different countries in the period of two hours or so. we even stopped at a gas station there).

Sooo then, the day after we got back was Chau Yi's (another exchange student, from Hong Kong) birthday. So I probably slept less than 3 hours on a hard floor? Oh well, it was fun. Then just school again and so. Andddd: My birthday is in THREE days! I'll be 17 :D. In a year and three days I'll be legally and adult. Imagine that. Should be fun! Oh, and I have a newwww iPod. His name is Sir Jacques Edward VI. Andddd I get new shoes, Purple Converse High tops! (I just have to pick them up at the post office tomorrow, I better not forget.) Until the next time (and I'll try to update more often again, I promise!)
<3

love,
em

Oh and for good music (that I'm currently listening too):

Spoonful - Barefoot Truth
Jump Rope - Blue October
Steh Auf - Culcha Candela (Whom I get to see in concert in June!!!!!!! AHHHHH)
Gone - Danielle Ate the Sandwich
The Chain - Ingrid Michaelson
Brand New Day - Joshua Radin
Wavin' Flag - K'naan
I Love You and Buddha Too - Mason Jennings
Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare - Matt & Kim
Hello Bonjour - Michael Franti & Spearhead
Hello Seattle - Owl City
Lemon Tree - Fool's Garden
Und many more, but that's a couple that just came to mind. (: