Friday, May 29, 2009

Germany updates

So I've been slackin on updating this site so here's the past several updates...
#1
Hey guys! I made it to Germany and all is really good here! Ther people here are really cool and since they found out that i speak some german, they have been using me to translate and are telling me that them speaking english to me will never help me--though alot of the tie i have trouble understanding what they are saying! haha Other than that today is a pretty chill day. The girl i'm rooming with for the weekend is very nice. She and her friend are headed to Albania on Sunday. Tomorrow we're gong to go Schwabishhall to do some sight seeing and fight the onset of jet lag. Which hasn't really hit me full force yet but it also haven't been here very long. Anyway, i'll have internet access till Sunday then I do not know if I'll be able to get back online often. Sunday I head to Jena for my internship. That's about it folks! Hope everyone is having a great summer!

#2
Today was pretty awesome. The group that I've been with this week went to this really old town Schwäbish hall....It was pretty cool! We walked around for hours and went to the Church of St. Micheal. Which was neat...I'm not really big on old churches like that, but teh paintings and history was really neat to get to see. WE also saw the spot where the Nazis burned all the Jewish stuff from the synagouge....it was right outside the church. Later, Micha and I went on a trip for some icecream and coffee (he got coffee, i got afelsaft....its like apple juice) and I got to order my first almost meal in german! The lady who took our order was very nice and loved that i was trying to speak german. She apparently has relatives in Chicago which I thought was pretty cool. We--all 60 of us- just got out of our first meeting for the weekend. It was neat getting to sing and worship in german. Two of the songs--open teh eyes of our hearts and here i am to worship--i reconiyed and sang in english because that's how i learned and know them best. It was very cool. Um....i think that's about it! Hopefully I'll be able to get on tomorrow!!

#3
Yesterday was all seminars. Kinda like what I'll be doing later today. It was neat, but I had learned most of it in class. WE went over culture shock and a few other topics. It was cool hearing it in a different language. Later that day...ok...night...Micha, Ashley, Sam, Heather and I went to the Havanna bar in teh town. It was cool! I got a whirlwind...which is non alcoholic. I was the only one who didnät order something iwth alcohol in it, but that was ok cause I did get to taste two different german beers (both gross) and a wine (very good!). It was fun. Then Micha and I played tischekickaka with some random german guy and lost. Badly. we had one point by the time they got to 10. Today there's another seminar in a few. Then lunch and then Sam, Ashley and I leave for the airport to drop them off. David is going to drop me off at a McD's so I can catch a ride with some guy up to Jena. Its about a 5 hour drive and I'm told the scenery will change rapidly from green and calm like it is here to grey and communist like. Its kinda cool getting to go ride with some random people across the country. Apparently its very normal here and you don't get stolen or anything. Which I'm cool with haha. I mostly plan on reading. My german is getting a little better I think. At least I'm told often it is getting better. I've learned a lot of new words and am randomly puttin ghtem into converstaion. OH! I met a lady yesterday that worked in Isreal till they kicked her out. Shes very cool. Any way...Iäve got to go grab my bags and load them before the next session. Peace out yo!

#4
Today is the second day in Jena...at least I think its the second day and that's what my journal says. ITs a pretty neat little town. Has a ton of history. Luther was here and there's the oldest planetarium and stuff. My host mom and I went down to the square adn she showed me where the local college peeps hang and where the mall is (!!) so I can go and hang out there when ever. Last night Rocco (host dad) adn I went to a (n?) English Stämmisch...its like a group that meets to speak only english. IT was pretty neat and the peeps there are pretty cool. Hopefully nest week I'll be able to go again....but its a holiday here. Pentecost (yeah...I didn't know it was a holiday..) Um yeah. OH! The ride up to Jena was interesting. The random person and I couldn't talk very much so it was a very very quite ride. I did see a deer here and pigs, sheep, cows and horses....which you can imagine I got very excited over...haha. Other than that it was ok. Apparently its very normal to do that ere...tis almost like a taxi service but they don't charge by the mile or something like that. There's a lot of walking here...um...I found a place to get chocolate stuffs :D yay! I think that's about it right now...yup. peace.

#5
Yesterday was pretty eventful. I got to go shopping with the host mom at an Aldi's like store. I was excited that it was something that I could reconize. After that Rocco took me to a homedeopt mets sams club meets food court store...which was pretty cool. I got a watch so now I know what time it is and don't feel so out of it when I want to do something. And then there's what happened in the afternoon. I was supposed to meet Julia for lunch (girl who goes to church here) at the Menza. I had been there before and thought I could make it there on may own so I walked from the house. Bad decision #1. I got to the place where I knw it was, but wasn't sure if I should turn left or right so I chose left. Bad decision #2. Ended up walking for 20 mins lost in Jena and had to ask 5 people where the menya was because the only people I could find to ask were old and either didn't know enligsh or didn't feel like speaking it. So I finally get back to the place where I started adn found out that I was basically in the Menza the entire time. By then it was a quarter to one and I figured she had left. Which sucked, but hey! I know where the menza is now! Anyway, found a mcd's because that was the only place I could go to to eat and not have to decipher the signs...btw it does taste different over here. Managed to find a bookstore and got a book on Jena...not that I can really read it, but it does have pretty pictures and an ice cream shop. Pretty eventful. Then I was planning on going to the planatarizum to catch a show. I spent so long translating the signs that I missed the show. But now I know what 'Spargel' means. It was a eventful afternoon. Later that night Joel )host bro) tok me to watch the soccer game at Cheers (like the tv show, but less funny and more beer). It was pretty neat, Barcelona won and the waitresses thought it was just awesome I was from america. Apparently its a novelty. We got nback, found I had walked the equvalint of about 10 miles today and am feeling pretty ok about that. Woo! In a few I'm supposed to go people visiting I think and then try to meet Julia again at the menza then rest. Here its up around 8\8:30 bed around 12. With no naps :( Tomorrow I will b helping with the youth group and saturday night is club night. :) :D

#6
The weather here is insane! We went from nice sunny, hot but not too hot day to chilly, rain not rain days. Imsanity!! Right now I'm waiting to see if it'll rain in teh am so I can go hang out at the library in the pm. Yesterday was a pretty calm day. Went on a home visit-this time I could understand most of what was said because it was half in english, quarter in african pidgen and quarter in german. Which was sweet. Then I went up to the menza again...couldn't find Julia but that's cool cause I'll se her sunday at church. Instead I went to Cheers which is that 'American' sports bar. IT was funny to me cause the menu had a lot of misspellings and when I ordered a BLT the guy didn't know what that was so I had to order it in full german...which was weird. Ordering an american dish in a americanish place in german. Yup. Then it was down to wander in a few shops and check out the sports store. The lady was very nice and was amazed i was learning German and wanted to speal to her. Not that this relates in any remote way, but my nails are getting long and its bothering me lol. Umm then there was the Kids' club for the church ladies and kids. IT was a good bye party for the Nigerian family here that is moving to Utah. They asked alot of questions about the states and wether the mormons will bother them and what's taboo and so on.It was really fun getting to talk to them cause they don't speak much german but can speak english very well. Yeah...not alot is happening today till youth group. Its pretty laid back. Found out that I am addicted to the ice cream here and can order that like nobody's business. um...badabadabada....kinda

excited about going to the dance club tomorrow and finding it ironic that it took me going to another country to go to one. almost out of books to read!! Moved on to the german skateboarding mags. i think that's about it...yup. ok. chat laters!!

that's all there is so far!

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