My Exchange Year (2007-2008)

Final Update

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:45:32 GMT

It's been almost two years since I last posted in this journal. I apologize for my absence the last couple of months of my exchange. I regret not keeping everyone updated with my travels. Right now, I am in the process of college transfer applications. Because my experience as an exchange student is so valuable to me, I included it in my personal statements. I wrote this statement for the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, USA a few months back--and I would like to share it:

05. April, 2009

I began my international travels at the age of fourteen when I agreed to participate in a program called People to People Student Ambassadors. This program, founded by Dwight D. Eisenhower, enables students in middle school and high school to travel to all corners of the world. As I went to my very first orientation, the woman in charge of my delegation said, "This experience will transform you outside and as well as in. When you step off the plane and greet your parents after this experience, they will see a change in you that is for the better".
Her words inspired me and I signed-up for the program. Before I knew it, I was traveling through the Mediterranean Coast of France, Spain, Italy, and Monaco with fifteen other students.

Since I enjoyed my first European experience, I decided to participate in another People to People program the following summer. This time we went to the east coast of Australia where I now have many fond memories. When I was there, I met some of the most amazing people, saw some of the world's most beautiful places, and ate the most exquisite food. Australia is a country full of excitement, wonder, and fascination. I enjoyed my summer there greatly and would give anything to see the Sydney Opera House or Melbourne again.

At the end of my People to People travels, I began to contemplate my future. Instead of becoming a scientist or veterinarian, I knew in my mind that I wanted an international job. I was, on the other hand, unaware of the talents I had and the skills I could acquire in order to obtain a job like this.

I transformed as a person and became aware of my abilities during my experience living a year as a Rotary Youth Exchange Student in Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. At the age of sixteen, I went to this country knowing nothing of the language, having no friends or family, and having only a suitcase in my hand and a backpack on my back. Being the shy little girl that I was at the time, I felt completely lost in this new world. Though this experience was difficult, I would not change it for anything. Studying abroad for a whole year did not just educate me about diversity; it changed my view on the whole world, rid my mind of global stereotypes, and helped me grow mentally and emotionally.

I remember going to German school for the very first time. I was scared out of my wits! My peers would not even glance at me, let alone greet me with a warm "guten tag" or "hallo". As the American, or "Ami" as Germans call American tourists, I felt like an outcast. Living in the same town my whole life, I had no clue what it was like to be the new kid until then. I felt lonely--like a dunce sitting in the corner of a classroom. I remember coming home everyday crying my eyes out and wondering what I have gotten myself into.

As the year progressed, my new German life improved. By mid-year, I had friends at school and I was able to converse in German. By January 2008 I had enough courage to intern at Staatstheater Oldenburg, the local theater in town, where I sorted musical pieces and found props for upcoming plays. Two months before my exchange, I participated in Oldenburg Modeled United Nations where I represented the country of Switzerland and had the opportunity to collaborate with people from all over the world. Because I have had many experiences with diverse groups of people, I do not fear working in peculiar environments.

When I came back from Germany, I was a completely different person. Rather than viewing the human race as a group of stereotypes, I judged each person individually. Instead of thinking that every German wears lederhosen and that every South American parties constantly, I tell myself that the country of origin does not determine who a person is. Each person, whether they are from Germany, Ecuador, Korea, or India, is unique in their own way.

I also had empathy and felt a need to help the foreigners in my country. When I returned, I began to help children who were unfamiliar with the English language. During my High School Senior Project, I assisted a Dutch girl and an Iranian boy in learning the English alphabet. Now I tutor an international group of elementary children at the Northshore Family Center in Bothell, Washington every Tuesday. Also, I assist ESL students at my community college twice a week. My exchange taught me how to love all kinds of people and to care for them. I know from now on, my life is dedicated to making this world a better place.

During my exchange, I discovered that I am excellent at memorizing patterns in languages. I picked up German very fast and also began to learn some Spanish and Portuguese while conversing with the South American exchange students. When I discovered this quality about myself, I made a list of the languages I wanted to learn. I am currently learning second-year Spanish at Cascadia Community College, but I do want to learn French, Polish, Dutch, Japanese, and Afrikaans in the future.

Now that I am aware of my life's goals and have already graduated from High School, it is time for me to choose my ideal university. The University of Washington is my first choice because it has been a part of me since the day I was born. Since I was a little girl, I have participated in a program at this university called the Study of Early Childhood and Youth Development. Now that I am an adult, and have allowed this learning institution to record the first eighteen years of my life, I feel as if the University of Washington is piece of me that I am quite fond of and refuse to let go. As an adult, I want to continue helping the University of Washington with my unique skills.

I am hoping that studying linguistics at the University of Washington will train me to interpret other languages. I am hoping that I will be able to use this skill to help businesses and other organizations. Because we are living in an age where cyberspace is the norm for communication, this world is now more globalized than ever before. The human race needs bilingual human beings to communicate with organizations in other countries. The human race also needs human beings who are familiar with working in diverse environments.

By studying at the University of Washington, I am hoping to expand my international knowledge, contribute my skills to the university, and improve my global outlook. With a degree in linguistics, I am hoping to be an interpreter for the Peace Corps or any other international non-profit organization. In the end, I want to explore our planet and possess the eyes of a world traveler, linguist, and University of Washington graduate.

Paktikum Paper

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 19:54:49 GMT

The conclusion is a little rusty, but I always have problems with writing conclusions.

Praktikum in Staats Theater

When I first heard about the Rotary Youth Exchange program, my brain was preoccupied with other more important thoughts. I had high school, homework, and after school activities on my mind. I had little thought for any kind of study abroad experience.

Despite thinking little of this program, I decided to go to the meeting to gather more information about it anyway. To my surprise, Katie Brewick, an exchange student to Germany last year, attended the meeting. She supplied me with a very brief—yet informative—speech about her year long journey abroad.

“It’s an awarding experience”, she explained, “and not only that, it is a chance of a lifetime.”

When listening to her speech, I slowly developed the aspiration to take on the same exact task that she had undergone. That task, which is an immensely huge one, requires me to be an exchange student in a foreign country for a year. When I came to the decision to participate in this program, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. My mind was filled with the romantic and exciting aspects about exchange, never did I think about the truly difficult parts of it.

So my reader, to tell the truth, the feeling of nervousness did not overtake me until a week before my departure. That’s when I realized how little time I had before leaving the beautiful USA for a year. And, when time came to board the airplane perhaps you can imagine how many thoughts were jumbled up inside my head.

This went on the whole flight and I was feeling that I wasn’t thinking straight until I landed in the Bremen airport. There, I greeted my Rotary Club and host family for the first time. Then again, at that time too, my mind was still in that dream state. I knew that there were big adventures ahead of me. Now, five months into my exchange, I have come to the conclusion that my previous thoughts are right.

Since my stay here, I have transformed into a different person. Whether the changes I have undergone from my exchange are good or bad, I know for sure that I have gained knowledge and have learned more than plenty about my species on this planet. I have learned that with every single human being, there is a different personality and a way of living. That is one fact that I love about humans: every person, whether they’re laid-back or adventurous, everyone will always have an interesting story to tell. After all, we all live in different families, work in different jobs, and have different life experiences.

As for me, my life experience in Germany will be a magnificent story waiting to be written!

One experience I will never forget is my Praktikum. During the eleventh year of their studies, Germans are authorized to do one of these. Praktikum, a word when translated into English, is defined as “internship”. During this internship, students spend two weeks working for a company or a business while earning no money. Since I am here to embrace the German culture, I made a decision to participate in my class’s praktikum by working at a theatre in Oldenburg called The Staats Theater. There, I broadened my knowledge about the theatre business, improved my German, met interesting people, and had fun.

When I first found out about myself participating in this part of German schooling, my heart filled with angst. I did not speak German well, let alone did I think I could manage working two weeks in an office where German is the only language spoken. On the first day of work, I met Matthias Grön and Hanna Wanders. These people, people who I have become fond of, are employed in the Staats Theater Office. Matthias, who greeted me, first, took me to a place full of old and rusty cars. Junkyard, a place like this is called in English. “Why are we here?” I asked in German, standing in the middle of the junkyard with a puzzling look written on my face; like a story with no end. Anyone would find the junkyard a peculiar place to be when working for the theatre. “We are here to pick out a car to use for one of the sets”, he replied. It immediately made sense to me, so I began my search for the perfect car. Later, Matthias found an old, beat up, Jaguar coated with, I believe, a tint of red. He asked me for my opinion about his findings, whether the old jellopy suited the set and all. I nodded, hoping that my opinion mattered. And, as for that, day one was complete.

After the visit to the Junkyard, the rest of my time in praktikum went smoothly. I worked with Matthias very little, which saddened me because I grew to like him. On the other hand, I spent a lot of time with Hanna. Hanna, in my opinion, is a very helpful, sweet woman. When I first met her the second day into my praktikum, she greeted me with an open heart and a warm smile. Thankfully, she made me do jobs that did not require any German speaking. For the first week, I was only obligated to copy and sort papers.

On a Friday, the very last day of my praktikum, Hanna asked if I would like to participate in a theatre group with people my age. I, with eagerness, accepted her offer to participate in this group. When arriving at the place where this group takes place every Friday, I found how many friends from school were in it. After participating in the group, I made a decision to join the group…permanently. Now, every Friday for two hours, I enjoy theater group with friends I have made from both school and people my age outside of it.
The Praktikum in my eyes was a stressful, yet rewarding experience. If I could turn back time, I would love to relive my time working in the Staat Theater.

AMSTERDAM!

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 22:02:55 GMT

For the Große Ferien (a vacation that is at the end of the semester), my host family and I traveled to Amsterdam, Netherlands for a couple of days.

AMSTERDAM.
The city known for "Coffee Shops" and legal prostitution (two reasons Rotary will not allow Exchange students travel there alone). Amsterdam is a very liberal city, yet should be recognized more for its beauty and historical background than its abnormal rules.

I have been to many major cities in Europe, and Amsterdam is by far one of prettiest my eyes have seen. The city is very old, yet carries this modern, cool, and hip atmosphere with it. When walking down the streets, one will see many people. You will not just see Dutch natives and silly American tourists pridley wearing Amsterdam-made wool hats, but people of Asian and African descent as well. I find it refreshing to see a diverse amount of people all in one place.

The architecture in Amsterdam also caught my eye. Every building, coated with a warm and inviting color, is tightly compacted between two other buildings of the same nature (as seen in the picture above) .

In front of every house, restaurant and shop, there lies a cluster of bikes. Bicycles literally flood the streets of Amsterdam. Seriously, everywhere you turn, there will be at least one bicycle in your view. If I were an American who has not spent six months in Germany, I would have suffered from a severe "culture shock" when seeing the amount of bicycles. It is seldom to meet an American who commuites by bike on a daily basis. In Holland, apparentally, it is considered the 'hip' thing to show up to school on a bicycle.

Me in front of the Entrance of the Anne Frank house. I apologize that you can't see have of my left eye.

Everybody knows the story of Anne Frank. Anne Frank, who lived during World War Two, was a Jewish girl who hid during the German Occupation. She, along with her family and the Van Pelz, hid in a very cramped house where she wrote about her experience. Her diary has been considered an amazing piece of literary work around the world. I remember reading the Diary of Anne Frank in Middle School and being very moved by it.

'And finally I twist my heart round again, so that the bad is on the outside and the good is on the inside, and keep on trying to find a way of becoming what I would so like to be, and could be, if there weren't any other people living in the world. ' Anne Frank .

While in Amsterdam, I was very lucky to go inside of the very same house that Anne Frank lived in. It has been a dream of mine for sometime to see that building in the flesh. I remember gazing outside a window within the house. I remember seeing a tall tree, and knowing for a fact that that's the exact tree she spoke often about in her writing. I cannot explain in words how amazing it was to go inside that house. If I could, right at this moment, I would go inside again.

Being in Amsterdam, all in all, was an AMAZING weekend that I will never forget. I want to thank the Franks (unrelated. haha) for taking me. I have always wanted to see Amsterdam.

In my next blog, I will talk about a weekend in Köln and Kohlfahrt.. I would like to keep the blog seperate because I have so much to say.

New Family, Life, Bremen.

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 23:21:49 GMT

Most Rotary Youth Exchange Students are required to change families every four months. For me, it has been almost a month since my first switch. In my new family, I have a father, mother, little sister, and a hamster. Since my arrival, my host family has been very nice to me. On the first Sunday with me in their house, they took me schlittschuhlaufen (ice skating) in Bremen. I have enclosed pictures from this family outing below:

Me, and my host sister Birte.

My new host papa, Uwe.

My new Host mom, Birgit.

My host sister holding my hand because I can't iceskate. :P

ANOTHER VISIT TO BREMEN
Since I have not seen much of Bremen, my host mother took me and a friend of mine to the city once again. Bremen, in a nutshell, is one of the largest city in my Rotary District 1850 ( with Oldenburg being the second largest). This city is known for its successful Fußball (Soccer) team called Werder Bremen, Beck's (A German Beer), and a fairy tale called 'Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten' (The Bremen Town Musicians). Bremen is an amazing city. Like Oldenburg, and the rest in Germany, it is difficult for me to summarize its beauty into words. Since it is so difficult, I will let photos describe everything:

.
Candles in the Church.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Town_Musicians_of_Bremen

My Try auf Deutsch:

Rotary Austauschülerer musst Familien immer vier Monate wechsel. Seit ein Monat, habe ich in meine neue Familie gewesen. In meinen neue Familie habe ich einem vater, muter, kleine Schwester, und einem Hamster. Seit meiner Ankunft ist meine Familie wirklich nett zu mir gewesen. Die Erste Sonntag war ich fur einige Stunden in Bremen schlittschuhlaufen. Ich habe so viel spaß gemacht!

Da ich viel von Bremen nicht gesehen habe. Ich war einmal mit einen Freundin in Bremen. Bremen ist eine Großte Stadt in der nähe von Oldenburg . In Bremen gibt es Werder Bremen (Fußball ), Becks (ein Bier), und einen Geschichte heißt "Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten". Bremen ist so schön (wie Oldenburg und Überall Deutschland).

Everyday, I am reading German language books, skimming through Dictionary pages, writing words and phrases down, and asking questions. My German is better than when I first arrived, but I still find myself yearning to improve. Right now, I am quite confident with my German. I am able to have long conversations and read small children books. In my new host family, we do not speak in English very often. To tell you the truth, I am not aware of my family's fluency in English because it is rarely ever spoken!

My life as of yet, consists of school, German class, and theatre group. Theatre group, which is held at the Staatstheater every Friday, is one of s high lights in my week. Not only do I get to socialize with with people from my school, I am getting to know other people as well. I regret not joining theater group at the beginning of my Exchange. I suppose anxiety and fear were grabbing a hold of me at that time. For now, thankfully, I am free of both.

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 10:17:21 GMT

I know that I have not been updating as much as I should, but my English gets worse as the days pass by. I am a little embarrassed to write this entry, to tell you the truth. A while ago, Philip had a pullover with writing on it and I asked him what the writing said. The sad thing about this little story is the fact that the writing on the pullover was in English. :P

I will try to summarize the past few weeks of my life for my readers:

WEIHNACHTEN TIME (Christmas)

WEIHNACHTSMARKT
I went into the city to see the Oldenburg Weihnachtsmarkt. A Weihnachtsmarkt, for those who do not know, is a Christmas Market in the city. Almost every town, no matter how big or how small, have Weihnachtsmarkt every year. When walking through the market, I was reminded of Pike's Place in Seattle (http://www.pikesplacemarket.org). Sadly though, there were no men in dirty aprons throwing fish high into the air. There were, on the other hand, shops full of interesting trinkets and stands full of delicious pastries, dinner items, etc.
I tasted Glühwein and Glühbier for the first time. It is a very delicious drink that is served all over Scandinavia (and Germany too apparently). It can be served both as an Alcohol and alchohol-free drink. In America, people do not drink Gluhwein (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulled_wine). In the USA, the traditional holiday drink is eggnog (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggnog).

DECEMBER 6TH - ST. NIKLAUS TAG

St. Niklaus Tag (St. Nicholas Day) is similar to how Americans celebrate Easter, though it is not a big celebration. The night before Easter in America, children put a basket out and pray that the next day there will be a present from the "Easter Bunny" in it. On St. Niklaus tag, children put a boot or shoe out and wait for a visit from "St. Niklaus". If the children have been good all year, they will indeed find a present in their shoe. In my stocking, I received chocolate, make-up, and handschuhe (gloves. It literally translates to "hand shoes". What a funny word!). I thank St. Niklaus for my gifts. "St. Niklaus" knows who he is. :D

WEIHNACHTEN (CHRISTMAS)

In Germany, there are many traditions that I find similar to American holiday traditions. Germans have Christmas trees and decorate their houses with lights just like people do in my home country. Though, from what I have noticed, Germans normally buy their Christmas trees one or two days before Christmas eve. In the USA, my family normally buys the tree a week or two before Christmas.

Also unlike American traditions, Germans only decorate with white lights. I have asked my host father why this is so, and he explained to me that the white lights are meant to represent peace. In America, people are crazy with colorful light displays. I swear that around Christmas time by my home, the whole town is lit up like a carnival! I love it though; it is one American holiday tradition that I miss.

As for Christmas eve, my family celebrated with a very nice meal and present opening. Since Americans open presents on Christmas day, I found it very different to open presents on Christmas eve. I found the two days very formal, but I enjoyed my holiday very much.

I will put pictures in this post when I am not to lazy.

Herbst Pause...Fall break.

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 22:05:39 GMT

The past couple of weeks have been very eventful. After all, I was on Fall break. The first week, Victor's host mom took Jose, Victor, Paola, and me to Hannover and Muenster (Muenster is originally spelled with the "U" as an umlaut, but I am typing on an American keyboard). Both cities were amazing in sight and culture.

Me, Paola, Victor, and Jose in Hannover.

In Niedersachsen, there are bikes everywhere! Especially in Muenster.

These were the flowers that us exchangers bought Victor's host mom...she was so nice to us! I want to thank her for taking me to those beautiful cities.

I have more pictures, but I don't think this entry can handle so many.

This week and the next, I have my Praktikum (internship) in the Staatstheatre in Oldenburg (www.staatstheatre.de). It is so fun! Because of it, my German has improved dramatically. During the day I normally work in the office, but every now in then I get pulled out to view a production. On Wednesday, I saw a production in rehearsal. I forgot the name of the piece, but I found the production so fun to watch! The second piece I saw was an Opera for kinder (children). That was also very interesting for me because I have never seen an opera live before. This past week has been both enlightening and fun. I love working in the theatre!

So...das wars fur jetzt!
I will make a long entry about Deutschlandreise later.

Low German

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 15:25:23 GMT

Since I have been here, I have been hearing the word , "Plattdeutsch". Plattdeutsch, for those who do not know, is a regional dialect/language spoken in the Lower Saxon part of Germany (my location). Based on what many Germans have told me, I believe that Plattdeutsch is a mixture of German and Dutch (or Hollandisch). Here is the Wikipedia Article:

Auf Englisch: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plattdeutsch.
Auf Deutsch: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plattdeutsch.

I have also found a ten minute clip from a Plattdeutsches Theater. My host father said that he used to watch plays spoken in this language:

All the Germans here say that it's almost impossible to understand a person speaking in Plattdeutsch!

Since residing here, my German has improved tremendously. It it still hard to follow conversations, but my vocabulary is improving. I get embarrassed when I speak German and I receive a funny look from someone. I am feeling less and less embarrassed as time goes by though...hopefully by January I will be able to translate all of my journal entries into Deutsch. :)

Well, I have found that I learn a lot of German when watching English television with German subtitles (specifically Mtv, despite the fact that I do not like Mtv). I try watching American television shows dubbed German, but I do not learn anything through this...I don't know why. I think it's because I can see the word (I am a visual learner).

For example:
On Mtv, someone will say "Whats up?", the subtitle will say "Was gehts?" and the phrase will stick in my head.

Well, along with Plattdeutsch, I have also been researching German-speaking countries. A country in Africa sparked my interest:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namibia

Namibia
(Well, German is a regional language here. The official language is English).

:)

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 19:02:11 GMT

"If you have ever lived abroad, you will have noticed this phenomenon in a particularly striking way. Most of us do nor ordinarily think of ourselves in terms of the state to which we belong. However, let us reside in a different state, and suddenly our native state becomes a most important aspect of our identity. Canadians living in the USA or Europe begin to think of themselves much more as Canadians than they ever have before, Nigerians studying or working in the USA suddenly begin to think of themselves as Nigerians, Americans living in Europe or Asia suddenly feel themselves to be vividly American, and so on" (Shively, 41).

I got this from my political science textbook. When I read this, I could totally relate. Right now, I feel more American than ever before....

Well, I just wanted to tell everyone that I have been doing fine. There is no reason for anyone to worry about me. Yes I am homesick sometimes, but that is a normal emotion to be feeling when a person is in my situation. My emotions here are like a roller coaster: one moment I feel as if I'm the happiest person in the world, and then the next I am sad and yearning to come back to the states. I know that in a month or two, I will be fully settled in. I know that when time comes to leave this amazing country, I will be sad. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for me. I know that in the end I won't regret it.

I have to admit though, I have a small fear of meeting new people. I am naturally shy; I have been since I can remember. It is hard for me to feel comfortable around people I do not know very well, but I am getting better about that. Like I said, my main goal this year is to overcome shyness and feel more self confident.

I am also here to embrace the culture. Germans are so incredibly different from Americans, but that is not a bad thing. I did not understand the culture differences at first, but now I am beginning to.

It's constant culture shock for me everyday though. Not only with Germans, but with the exchange students here as well. Everyone is so different from me. It's overwhelming sometimes, but I think that it is for any exchange student.

I think of myself as a baby in this country...I'm learning how to walk and talk all over again.

This weekend was Kramermarkt

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:48:33 GMT

I apologize for the lack of update these past couple of weeks. I have not found any time in my schedule to write in this blog.

Well, school has been better for me socially. What I like about German schools is that students do not form cliques (i.e. goths, emos ,jocks, band geeks, etc) that are common in American high schools...everyone here blends together, like colors in a painting. To me, that's how the school community is supposed to be.

I started hanging out with a group of girls during Grosse Pause (big break). They are very nice to me! They invited me to Kramermarkt this past weekend; which I went to. When we were there, they tried speaking only English with one another so I could follow their conversations (they did not want to leave me out). I told them that it was okay to speak German in front of me (since I need to learn the language anyway), but they insisted that it's okay. They told me that speaking English would be good practice for them. All of them are excellent English speakers though, I don't see why they need the practice!

When I think of Kramermarkt , I think of the Ever Green State Fair . The Evergreen State fair is considered family event though; I do not recommend bringing the whole family to Kramermarkt. At Kramermarkt, you have to watch your back because there are drunken Germans and smashed beer bottles everywhere you walk. The amusement rides, I believe, are not that safe either. The rides are fun, but there are no safety gates around them and there is no one controlling the lines...anyone can just hop on at anytime! The rides were similar to the ones found in an American amusement park. They had a ferris wheel, Bumber Cars (called Auto Scooters auf Deutsch), ect, ect. Kramermarkt was deffinitely a wild time.

My host family took me to the ocean a couple of weekends ago...well, it was sort of an ocean. The tide was in, leaving a thick coat of mud on the supposed ocean shore. I also tried a certain kind of fish sandwhich for the first time (I forgot the name of it, but I will update this post once I do know what it is called). I did not like it much. It was raw and to me, raw fish is considered sushi...not a sandwich. haha. All in all though, I found the experience very enlightening!

Right now, I feel comfortable in Germany. I am finally doing a little homework in school (Englisch, Kunst, and Biology mostly), and those acquaintances that I have talked so much about are slowly becoming good friends. I also started Japanisch Klass (Japanese Class) at the Herbert Gymnsium a couple of weeks ago. It's only a workshop, so I only have the class for an hour every Friday. The class is hard for me because I have been teaching myself German for so long. When the teacher (who is from Japan by the way, like my past teacher: Takebayashi Sensei) asked me to count to ten in Japanese, I counted in German instead! But I find the class VERY interesting. I am seeing how Germans are taught Japanese (which I find similar to the way I was learning previously). Though when I was learning the hiragana alphabet, Takebayashi Sensei taught me phrases like:

"KA" is a crow bent over an old woman.

"Ne" is a new bicycle.

"Ya" is what Germans yell when drinking beer...
and etc.

See the visuals? They helped me a lot learning the Hiragana alphabet, I just wish that they could do something similar to this in my current Japanese class.

Oh, and just so all of you know: my host family has been very good to me, and I thank them very very much for that. Since I've been here, they have made me feel at home!

I have much to say about previous events, but I do not know how to put them into words right now.

Rotary Meetings are...fun?

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 17:39:09 GMT

I went to a Rotary Meeting on Sunday. Since it was in Oldenburg, I didn't have to take the train or anything. My family drove me there, but I biked home. I brought my pins to trade. My Jacke (Jacket) isn't quite full yet, but hopefully it will be soon.

Anyways, there were many other Rotary Exchange Students at the meeting. The majority of the exchange student population is North and South American. Within our district, we have about 14 Americans, 13 or so South Americans, 6 or so Mexicans, 5 Asians (2 Thai, 2 Indian, 1 Japanese), 1 European (haha, Sinni from Finland), and a few Australian/New Zealanders here and there. It's a pretty big district! What I found amazing was the fact that almost EVERYONE spoke English fluently. I felt really dumb around the South American and Asian exchange students because they can all speak two languages, and I only know one (English, obviously).

The next day, I had a Rotary meeting in my Club. There are about 4 Rotary clubs in Oldenburg. In my club, there are three Rotary Exchange Students (me, Isabel, and a girl from Argentina who has been here since January). The Rotary meetings are okay. It took place in a really nice room with a molded ceiling and an intricately-made chandelier. When I walked into the room, I felt so under-dressed! Luckily, the two other exchange students were under-dressed as well (I didn't feel alone). Well, it was a meeting full of Rotary men dressed in suits with bruise-able handshakes (hardy hand shakes they were!). The men spent the night guzzling down beer as if it were water while listening to a presentation from a guest speaker. The presentation, I believe, was about Chemistry in school. The woman was talking about how schools can make the Science more interesting for students.

Change of subject...

Today I went into the city and got 20 Euros worth of school supplies. I went to this cute little craft store called Onkel or Onken (I forget the name) near Pherde Mkt (Horse Market). Pupils don't really use binders here. I suppose it's because pretty much EVERYONE rides a bike to school and they need to have their load as light as possible. Instead, most kids buy a folder for every class and very very thin notebooks. Since I am here to "embrace the German culture", I decided to organize my school work the way German students do. I bought about 10 folders (10 cents each), a pack of pencils, pens, 10 thin notebooks, a spiral-bound notebook (for Deutsch lessons after school), a pencil sharpener, various supplies for kunst (art class), and a Felix die Hase (Felix the Rabbit) Pencil case (only 2 Euro, and it is soo adorable).

SOOOOO...

Nathan, a boy who was an exchange student in Southern Germany last year, was right about how lonely it can be the first two or so months of the exchange. I feel as if I've made "acquaintances" but not "friends" since my arrival. It will take a while to make real friends, I think.

I need to gain courage to go up to German students. From what I've noticed, Germans will not come to you, you have to come to them. A lot of them, from what I've noticed, are too embarrassed to speak English in front of me. There is this one boy in my class who speaks fluent English (I've heard him speak). But when I ask him a question in English, he answers me in German (and he knows I don't speak Deutsch).

I suppose this lack of confrontation from German kids is good for me. Over the years, I have been very shy. It's still hard for me to get up the courage to simply talk to a random stranger. I believe God set me in this German world for a reason. This year, it is my goal to be less shy and more self confident. This year, I will be the one to make the first move in creating a friendship (oder Freundschaft auf Deutsch).

I just need to believe in myself and take risks...that's something that I have never really done in my life.

Oh and....

I'm soo happy that you're reading my blog, Lauren. :D

New Klasse!

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:53:25 GMT

Today was a good day at school. It is Wednesday (obviously), meaning that I did not get out of school until 3:00 pm. On a normal day, when I don't have any extra classes, I get out at 1:15 pm and have lunch in the city with other exchange students. The fact that I can go home after lunch is very very nice. :D

The first class I had did not make me feel very welcome on the first. They made me feel scared to talk to them. I did make a few friends from that class though. Laura, who was instructed to look after me, was nice. I also talked to this one girl who said she was friends with a girl from Oldenburg who is doing an exchange in Seattle, RIGHT NOW.

Well, Herr Kohn finally decided to put me into a class where there is another American exchange student. I feel bad for not catching her name! But she is from Minnesota. She has taken 4 years of German in the past, so it is easy for her to follow conversations in class. My new class made me feel welcome....a few people spoke to me! There is this nice girl named Annika (I believe that's how you spell her name) and she did a year-long exchange to Ohio, USA last year. She was dressed in an Abercrombie sweatshirt so I knew that she's been somewhere in the USA. She told me that she knows what it feels like to be in a completely different world not knowing anything. It made me feel happy that she could relate herself to me.

For those who do not know: In German schools, you rotate classrooms throughout the day, but you stay with the same people. It's very strange! I am used to working with different people every class period. Apparently you get to choose your own classes by year 11...but I'm in year 11? I don't understand.

After school, Gunter (my host father) Picked up Isabel and I so we could converse a little. Her English is okay, she's always telling me that she wants to speak Spanish so badly (she's from Mexico). She is probably the fir friend I made here in Oldenburg. We get along well. And most of the other exchange students get along well too. I believe it's because we all have these mix-feelings about Germany. I LOVE Germany though...others are having a harder time adjusting. Isabel says that she misses Mexican food. They have a Mexican Restaurant in Oldenburg, but Isabel told me that the food there is horrible. I'd like to go to it and see for myself. I love Mexican food!

First day of School!

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 16:59:51 GMT

Today was amazing.

School was EXTREMELY awkward though. I didn't really make any friends, but I saw a friend of Philip, and I talked to him a little before going off to my German lesson. He had a british accent (like most Germans who are fluent in English do).

Apparently, many Germans find the fact that Americans do not start learning a foreign language until high school fascinating. Yes, most Americans only need about one or two years of language credit in order to graduate. It's quite depressing when I think about it. If I had the choice, I would have started learning a new language earlier. Because of the way my school system is set up, I am stuck only knowing a year of Japanese and a wee bit of German. I am anything BUT multi-lingual.

Bepo der Hund (Bepo the Dog)

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 10:43:24 GMT

I didn't think I would have much of a Jet Lag coming here, but I do. Since I've gotten here, I will get up early in the morning (like 8 or 9 pm or so) and then sleep at 5 pm. By the middle of the day, I will feel as if I haven't slept in weeks. My favorite new German word is kaputt. I believe it means sleepy, or tired. But I'm not sure.

This is Bepo der Hund (Bepo the dog). He is a good dog. jjjjjjjj
Yesterday, we went to a fancy cafe in the city...my host mom brought Bepo inside of it and nobody said a word! Apparentally most restaurants in Germany allow you to bring your dogs inside. In America, that would be considered a health hazard! I find that really cool. I told meine Mutter (my mother) in America that, and now she wants to move to Germany. XD
\

Mein Zimmer und Fahrrad (My room and Bikes)

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 05:47:14 GMT

There are bikes EVERYWHERE in Oldenburg. There are so many, that they have rules! For example: if a police man catches you with one hand off the bike handles, they will give you a huge fine...no kidding! That's what Philip told me. Yesterday, I went on a bike ride with him. He showed me his school, and mine: Cacielienschule (I start there on Monday). It's a Gymnasium. Gymnasiums are for those students who are "College Bound".

Anyways, I have pictures of my room:

Desk.

Bed...it's really low. I'll have to get used to that.

Do people have magnet fetishes in this country? XD

Yes, I have a balcony in my room.

Mineral Wasser (Mineral Water). It's carbonated. The only thing I am having trouble adjusting to is this. If you ask for water in a German restaurant, they'll bring you this. If you want normal water, you have to ask for "stilles wasser" ( pronounced shtillas- vasser) which means still water in German.

Surprisingly, I am not too homesick. I thought I would be, but as soon as I got onto the plane to Bremen, I knew that everything would be okay.

Well, I have come to find that Germans are amazing people. I am living in the northern part of the country, and people here (who are stereotyped for being stern, snooty, and organized) are very nice. Never trust stereotypes I tell you. They never turn out to be true...

Arrival in Oldenburg, Ja.

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 11:54:43 GMT

My mom was allowed to take me to the gate. I was almost in tears when I boarded the flight to Amsterdam. I couldn't eat anything last morning, my heart kept pounding. During the first couple of hours of the flight, I was in a daze. I COULD NOT believe what was happening; I still can't believe it actually.

Well, the flight went by fast. Luckily, I had a direct flight to Amsterdam so I wasn't on the plane that long. I slept most of the way; and I sat between two old dutch ladies who wouldn't stop showing me pictures of their grandchildren...can you say "typical grandma thing to do" ?

Once I landed in Amsterdam, a nice college girl from the UW lead me to my gate where I met 3 other American Inbounds. Keep in mind that ALL THREE of them where boys. They were very nice actually, and I do believe that with time, we will be good friends. One is from Alaska, another from Ohio, and another is from California...we all wore our geeky blazers on the airplane to Bremen. XD

As for my family, they are wonderful people. All of them speak English. and they have a dog who is hilarious! and my zimmer (Room) looks like a picture from an Ikea catalogue, but that's okay because Ikea is awesome.

We just had a HUGE breakfast, but I only ate corn flakes because my stomach wasn't in the best of shape. This happened when I went to Spain a couple of Summers ago. During the first couple of days in Espana, I could could not swallow anything...my stomach felt so horrible.

Well, I am tired. But my stomach butterflies are slowly dying.

All is good, and I am safe. I just want all of you guys to know that.

I'll post pictures later.

Mixed Feelings?

Sun, 26 Aug 2007 22:47:58 GMT

I LEAVE THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW.

I find myself not sleeping very well this week. I toss and turn in my covers while thinking about everything I am leaving behind. In a little over 24 hours, I will not have my friends, or family, or house, or anything that is familiar to me. I get up earlier in the morning too. During the Summer, I normally get up around 10 or 11 am...I've been getting up around 7 am now because I cannot handle lying in my bed. When I ly in my bed, I think about everything that is bothering me, and right now, there is so much that is. My stomach feels queezy, and it feels as if I am going to throw up any moment. I feel like crying sometimes, but I try to hold the waterworks back. . Soon, my life will be like a little boy with a back problem: young and new, but still in need of adjustments.

I am a very sensative person, and it is extremely hard for me to not take everything seriously. I know that once I get there, everything will be okay...but right now I am just a big stress ball. A year is a long time, is it not?

Good bye Seattle.

Duvall = AMAZING!

Sun, 19 Aug 2007 08:28:59 GMT

I made 167 Rotary buttons for trade yesterday....

Yucky picture, the lighting was bad.

I also took pictures of Duvall and my High School yesterday. I am printing them out on glossy paper and putting them in a little ablum to show my host family.

My Elementary School. Cherry Valley Cheetahs!

The Valley...the Originaly Cherry Valley. Before my town was named Duvall.

Lunch Tables @ CHS (Outside). I've had some good times sitting on these.

Home of the Redwolves?

Meine Schule.

Family Grocer...the store that was here WAYY before Safeway.

MMM Fleisch.

Veggie Section. :)

Road connecting Duvall and Monroe, WA.

My Sister on our Shetland pony, Cocoa.

Cocoa Being all Cute.

My Boo, Bailey.

Tiger (Aka Nacho Tigre) .

Football Field (CHS).

The Band Van! (CHS).

Trail in McCormick Park.

I have 100 or so more pictures...the lighing looks all messed up on my camera. I'm still pretty new to my Powershot, I'll figure everything out eventually.

So remember my last post? I posted a to-do list. I will post the updated version of it:

STUDY GERMAN! (this will probably never come off the list)
Gather Guarantee Form, Passport, and many other documents.
~~Send Host family my confirmed flight itinerary.~~
Re-send Host Family my confirmed flight itinerary.
Buy Jeans
Buy winter clothes (European clothes are really expensive, so it's good that I bring some of my own).
Send my winter coat to the dry cleaners.
~~Work at Remlinger until the 19th.~~
Hang with American Friends before I leave.
~~Buy Luggage.~~
~~Make pins for International trading.~~
Gather gifts for my host family that are Seattle-related.
~~Take pictures of my home, animals, family, friends, etc.~~
Assemble photos into a small photo album in which I will need to buy. (I will show this album to my host family).
Send grandma the pictures that I took when in San Antonio.
Gather all of my photos on disk.
Have my dad empty out my laptop (so I can start fresh for the year)

Oh, and I find watching the German-dubbed version of High School Musical quite enjoyable. :)

MY BLAZER! I decorated it. I made both German pins on the right and Washington pins on the left! (Since pictures are like mirrors: backwards). Pay no attention to the Invader Zim t-shirt behind the blazer. I bought a Rotary Polo through Madison ROTEX to wear on the flight.

NINE DAYS!!! I CANNOT BELIEVE IT!

Rosetta Stone

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 05:49:34 GMT

I bought the Online version of Rosetta Stone today (three month subscription). This is a good language program supposedly. It uses both words and pictures to sink the language into your head. I am going to give it a go and tell you if it works.
http://www.rosettastone.com

To-do's

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 08:36:31 GMT

Zwinge: (German)
Zwinge [n]: a metal cap or band placed on a wooden pole to prevent splitting...

Now I think I am finding excuses to write in this thing. Less than three weeks I will be in what Maggie calls "The Land of Lederhosen". Which I suppose is true, but I doubt everybody in Germany wears leather pants. :S

Since I have so little time, I have so little to do. I just finished my online class today, which I am extremely happy about. Now, I do not start online classes until September 25th. I will be taking Intro to Politics and College Strategies.

Here is the list of to-do's that need to be done from now to when I leave:

STUDY GERMAN!
Gather Guarantee Form, Passport, and many other documents.
~~Send Host family my confirmed flight itinerary.~~
Re-send Host Family my confirmed flight itinerary.
Buy Jeans
Buy winter clothes (European clothes are really expensive, so it's good that I bring some of my own).
Send my winter coat to the dry cleaners.
Work at Remlinger until the 19th.
Hang with American Friends before I leave.
~~Buy Luggage.~~
Make pins for International trading.
Gather gifts for my host family that are Seattle-related.
Take pictures of my home, animals, family, friends, etc.
Assemble photos into a small photo album in which I will need to buy. (I will show this album to my host family).
Send grandma the pictures that I took when in San Antonio.
Gather all of my photos on disk.
Have my dad empty out my laptop (so I can start fresh for the year).

AHH! So much to do, so little time!

Pictures!

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 22:42:14 GMT

German Word of the Day: Feuer: Feuer [n]: a fireplace in which a fire is burning...
good to know?

Well, I decided to follow the exchange student blog trend, and post pictures of the town I will be living in. I have been looking every where for pictures of Oldenburg and I finally found some off Flickr!

Straße Ein (Street One).

hier ist Bratwurst und Baguette (Here is Bratwurst and Baguette).

Boot und Bahnhof (Boat and Train Station)

Winter Time. ..Kinder Schlittschu laufen (Children Ice Skating) Isn't ice skating such a fun word to say?
Sch-lee-chuh-laow-fen...
Sch-lee-chuh-laow-fen...
Sch-lee-chuh-laow-fen...literally translated to Running on ice!

Hause (Houses)

der Stadt (The City).

Straße Zwei (Street two)

Straße drei (Street three)

People are slowly leaving...

Sat, 04 Aug 2007 07:41:26 GMT

I made an icon! Like it? I have been experimenting with Paintshop Pro a lot lately. Actually, not a lot...like, MAJORLY TOO MUCH. I am addicted.
Anyways, the Summer is slowly wrapping up and Seattle exchange students are slowly disappearing from "the Native Land".

Kenzie left for Peru a couple of weeks ago.
Rosie left for India a couple of days before Kenzie left.
Gabby, as much as I know, is leaving August 17th.
Jacob is leaving for Spain in early September.
Maggie and Nellie are leaving in FOUR days for Switzerland.

and as for the people going to Thailand, France, Turkey, etc, I'm not sure when all of them are leaving. I haven't connected with those people that much. I connected with all of the people who attended to Rotary get together and the last Unification picnic in West Seattle. I wish the best of luck to Maggie and Nellie! (Since they are the next to leave, and the Swiss are extremely hardcore compared to the Germans).

And as for me, I leave in three weeks. I am scared. Extremely scared.

Anyways, I found a funny German commercial on youtube the other day. Well, it made me laugh anyways, I don't know about any of you. :

hahaha.

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 21:27:17 GMT

These are the suitcases I will be taking to Germany:

I apologize for the blurry photo, I was in a hurry.

They are Swiss Gear, probably one of the most durable suitcases on the market. I'll be living in these suitcases for the whole twelve months I will be there.
Below is a picture of where I work: Remlinger Farms in Carnation, Washingon, USA. I love it there. I lead kids around on ponies for endless hours at a time. It's tiring, but I'm used to it.

[RANDOMNESS]

Anyways, I think that I will be posting at myjetplane when I am in Germany. I will update my Germany blog more frequently though. myjetplane is my friends only blog. This blog is public.

Flight Itinerary

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 18:31:16 GMT

Here is my confirmed travel itinerary:

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL YOUTH EXCHANGE TRAVEL ITINERARY

AIR: 28 AUG 07 TUESDAY

NORTHWST AIR FLT: 34 CONFIRMED NONSTOP

LV:SEATTLE AT: 100P MILES - 4886

AR:AMSTERDAM AT: 740A ON 29 AUG

NETHERLANDS

CONFIRMATION CODE-NW -22YPMF

AIR: 29 AUG 07 WEDNESDAY

KLM FLT:1753 CONFIRMED NONSTOP

LV:AMSTERDAM AT: 910A MILES - 177

AR:BREMEN AT:1005A

GERMANY

....my flight from Sea Tac to St. Paul, Minnesota is gone! Instead of taking a flight from Seattle to St. Paul, I will be taking a direct flight to Amsterdam! This scares me a lot because I am afraid that I will not be with other Rotary Exchangees on this international flight. They said I will be flying with other American exchange students. I emailed Amee and asked if there will be any other Rotary kids on this flight because I do not want to fly alone.

Countdown.

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 20:29:44 GMT

ONE MONTH AND THREE DAYS. I cannot believe how little time I have here in America. My heart pounds every single time I look at the countdown. When I first entered this program, I was excited. Finding out that you will be living in a foreign country for a whole year, who WOULDN'T be excited. After all, it will be like a really long vacation, right? Absolutely wrong. The first couple of months are going to be hell. I am entering a country where I do not know the language,I will not know anyone, and where I will feel like a complete loner for the longest time. Being an exchange student will be tough. A 24/7 Vacation will be non-existant.

What have I gotten myself into.

Yes, I have gotten myself into something I cannot get out of. Every now and then, I regret the decision. But at the same time, I feel lucky. I feel lucky to have this opportunity to live that far from home. To make friends not only from Germany, but from Brazil, Thailand, Turkey, and many other places around the world. In reality, I AM lucky. But at the same time, I feel like the most frightened person on the planet. A year is overwhelming. Luckily, with this feeling I feel, I am not alone. I have my Rotary friends who will be experiencing the same feelings I will be having.

Good luck to all of you.
You know who you are.

Canon Poweshote A540

Sun, 22 Jul 2007 01:37:05 GMT

Here is the camera I will be using to document my German adventures in picture format:

It's a Canon Powershot A540. It is the best little camera in the world; I swear by it! What I really want is a Single Lense Reflex (SLR), but I cannot afford that kind of camera at the moment...sadly. ;(