So here I am, sitting in the sun with a t-shirt and shorts on. You’re probably thinking, oh, she went on a trip to Italy or Spain…but no, I am sitting in the front yard of my house and writing this! I missed the sun and the green grass and trees so much this winter that I have to make up for I by going to such lengths as updating my blog outside! Oh, and I am trying to make my German pale skin go away! I don’t think I’ve been this pale in my entire life!
All in all, everything is going really well here. I am very happy, but as busy as ever. That is one thing that very few people realize about an exchange year…that there is no boring time, no “oh I have 2 hours to watch tv or go on facebook” time. In America, I love to read. Here, I don’t have the time to read. In addition, the English books here are expensive. However, if you are an exchange student and you DO happen to have time to read, see if you can check out ebooks for free from your local library. There is normally a huge variety to choose from and they are simple and easy to download with an Adobe Reader program.
Easter break in North Rhein Westfalia was March 27th to April 10th this year. Ralf, Sven, Meike, and I drove down to Austria on Saturday the 27th. The drive was quite entertaining because in order to avoid traffic, we took a detour in northern Baden-Wurttemberg. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any maps and the GPS was also not much help! Haha, but it was really interesting for me to see part of Germany that is really off the beaten track. This is one of those experiences that I will definitely always remember because I saw countryside and a lifestyle that most visitors in Germany never see.
After we got to Zillertal on the 27th, we skied twice before driving to Munich on Thursday to pick Karin up at the airport. Before we picked her up, we went and visited the Allianz Arena. Germany’s most famous, most loved, and most hated soccer team, Bayern Munchen, plays in this arena. Munich has a soccer team in the 2nd Bundesliga, 1860 Munchen, and they also play in the stadium. The stadium is really cool because at night, it lights up in the team colours of whoever is playing in the stadium at the moment. So when Bayern plays, the stadium in red and when 1860 plays, the stadium is blue. After we picked Karin up, we drove into the central area of Munich and walked around a bit. We saw the world famous Hofbrauhaus (no we didn’t go in), the Glockenspiel, and many other famous sites in Munich. I can’t wait to go back someday because I know there is a lot more I have yet to see and I would love to see more of the city.
Over the break, we skied a total of 6 days. We skied 4 days at Kaltenbach (Hochzillertal), one day on the Hintertuxer Glacier, and one day at Penken (a huge ski area near Mayrhofen and also in Zillertal). Skiing on the glacier is an experience I will never forget. It was a beautiful sunny day and even at 2 miles above sea level, was it above freezing. At the highest point reachable by gondola on the glacier, one is 3200 feet above sea level and the panorama terrace allows people to take in unbelievable views of the Alps and the Dolomites. Skiing at Penken was also interesting, but not as good as at Kaltenbach. The snow at Penken was either really icy or mushy and there was already a lot of brown patches on the slopes. Hari Kiri, with 70% grade the steepest slope in Austria, was already closed for the season, but we rode by it on the lift and it looked pretty insane, but doable. One of the gondolas that connects Mayrhofen to Penken is quite the exciting ride. Starting in the valley floor at Mayrhofen, it goes directly up to the top of the mountain without any support. At the top of the mountain, the gondola continues its free hang across another valley to the top of another mountain. It’s definitely pretty freaky and not everyone’s cup of tea!
We also took a day trip up into Bavaria. Starting in Zillertal, we drove north and across the border into Germany. We got on this tiny narrow toll road that winds through the German Alps. We came out in Wallgau, which is close to Mittenwald and a little farther down the road is Garmisch-Partenkirchen (yeah, where we went for ski jumping). The mountains there are huge and rocky and covered with snow. I take pictures, but I really feel that there’s no way to capture the feeling you get seeing the mountains for the first time, in a photograph. After driving through Garmisch-Partenkirchen, we went to Oberammergau. Oberammergau is the site of the world famous Passion play which is put on every 10 years by villagers. This year is a play year and the play will be running from May to October. The buildings in the town are covered in paintings, many of them depicting scenes from the Bible. I’m not religious, but I was pretty in awe of the work and detail put into the paintings. On our way back to Austria, we took a quick stop at Kloster Ettal. “Kloster” is the German word for monastery and Ettal is the location (directly translated: Et Valley). The building is huge and very imposing, with intricate stonework. It looks practically more like a palace than a monastery. Kloster Ettal is currently very high profile in Germany because many of the monks were recently accused of child abuse. To finish off our little road trip, we drove over the mountains from Mittenwald down into Innsbruck. It never ceases to amaze me how close everything her e in Europa really is!
This past week at school was pretty good. I got my math test back and that wasn’t exactly positive, but das Leben ist kein Ponyhof! I have been thinking a lot about my end of the year project for my CBYX seminar in Berlin. I’m trying to figure out what to send home in my big box and what to keep here to take in my suitcases. That job is not going to be fun…I have acquired so much stuff here!
I’ve only got a little over two months left here in Germany. I’ve already got so much planned, but there is still so much I want to do! I regret not starting to travel more in the fall. I realize that this is not a travel year, but I still want to see Rome, Barcelona, Paris, and much more and I am sad because I know that I won’t be able to see all of that! So if you are reading this Sally, remember to start your travels early!
Speaking of Sally, she is coming here next year with CBYX! Most of you already know the details of course, so I won’t write those, but it’s pretty exciting for her! Of course it will be weird only seeing her for a month this summer after I come home and before she leaves, but we’ll catch up a lot then. I’m going to miss her a lot next year though! I hope to come pick her up in June 2011, but we’ll see.
My parents are calling soon and I got to post this blog before they call!
18 April 2010
26 March 2010
Three Months Left
I can't believe I am going to be in Germany only 3 more months! Wednesday the 23 of March was the 3 month mark. I am already starting to think about everything that I will miss here: my host family, friends, my school, the food, the beautiful sights of Europe. Of course, I am also incredibly excited to go home, but it will definitely be a little weird for the first couple of weeks back in the States!
I am at school right now in a free period. I had an English test 1 and 2 period and now I've got 3 and 4 period free before Catholic Religion 5 and 6 period and Math 7 and 8 period. Doesn't sound too exciting, but Religion is pretty interesting and maybe we will talk about the test we took on Tuesday in Math.
Tonight I have soccer practice and since it is raining today, the field should be pretty muddy. I don't think I'll be wearing shorts to practice! I was so excited last Friday and on Wednesday because it was warm enough to wear a t-shirt and shorts to soccer! That hasn't been the case since October!
Tomorrow, Ralf, Sven, Meike, and I are driving to Austria. We will be there for two weeks on Easter Break. Next Thursday, we will drive to Munich and pick up Karin at the airport. She is flying down from Köln/Bonn. We are going to go skiing at HochZillertal and on Hintertuxer Glacier (I'm super excited about that because I have never skiied on a glacier). We'll also go to Innsbruck and probably drive a bit around Tirol. I love going to Austria and Bavaria because the mountains and lakes are beautiful and the scenery is so different from here in the Eifel.
For the past couple of weeks, I have had 90 minutes of German lessons every Thursday. A woman who is friends with the lady I did my Praktikum with is giving me lessons. Just when I thought I was getting a grip on the German language, I found out how much more complicated it really is! Past, Past Perfect, Present, Future...everything is very challenging! Nevertheless, I find it is always better to simply speak without thinking and not to focus on all of the mistakes. Chances are, you won't be making that many mistakes!
I hope everyone is doing well!
Carrie
Monschau, Germany
March 26, 2010
I am at school right now in a free period. I had an English test 1 and 2 period and now I've got 3 and 4 period free before Catholic Religion 5 and 6 period and Math 7 and 8 period. Doesn't sound too exciting, but Religion is pretty interesting and maybe we will talk about the test we took on Tuesday in Math.
Tonight I have soccer practice and since it is raining today, the field should be pretty muddy. I don't think I'll be wearing shorts to practice! I was so excited last Friday and on Wednesday because it was warm enough to wear a t-shirt and shorts to soccer! That hasn't been the case since October!
Tomorrow, Ralf, Sven, Meike, and I are driving to Austria. We will be there for two weeks on Easter Break. Next Thursday, we will drive to Munich and pick up Karin at the airport. She is flying down from Köln/Bonn. We are going to go skiing at HochZillertal and on Hintertuxer Glacier (I'm super excited about that because I have never skiied on a glacier). We'll also go to Innsbruck and probably drive a bit around Tirol. I love going to Austria and Bavaria because the mountains and lakes are beautiful and the scenery is so different from here in the Eifel.
For the past couple of weeks, I have had 90 minutes of German lessons every Thursday. A woman who is friends with the lady I did my Praktikum with is giving me lessons. Just when I thought I was getting a grip on the German language, I found out how much more complicated it really is! Past, Past Perfect, Present, Future...everything is very challenging! Nevertheless, I find it is always better to simply speak without thinking and not to focus on all of the mistakes. Chances are, you won't be making that many mistakes!
I hope everyone is doing well!
Carrie
Monschau, Germany
March 26, 2010
12 March 2010
News óf the Month
I can't really think of anything earth-shaking and totally exciting to say, so I'll just give an update of what I've been up to since I got back from Weimar:
Ralf, Sven, and I went to an Alemmania Aachen game once and we're going again tonight. Alemmania is 13 out of 18 in the 2nd Bundesliga, but it is still fun to go to the games and experience the atmosphere.
Last Sunday, we went to Roermond in The Netherlands. There is a huge outlet shopping center there that a lot of Germans go to because it is open on Sundays (unlike stores in Germany). It was pretty cool because when we were driving there, we drove on a street that is right on the border of Germany and The Netherlands. Where we were driving was Germany and the people driving the other direction were driving in The Netherlands. Ralf told me that before the EU had open borders, there used to be a little barrier down the middle of the street so the cars couldn't cross over. The Windhorsts also took me to see the house that they lived in when they lived in The Netherlands.
I have been going to school like normal. On Monday, my Geography class went to an above ground coal mine about an hour away from our school. It was pretty interesting to see all the complicated and huge machines that make the whole process work. Today I had English 1st and 2nd periods, then 4 free periods, and then I will have Math 7th and 8th period. There is not enough time to ride the bus home during the 4 free periods, so I have to stay at school. It's actually ok though, because there are lots of kids to hang out with and talk to. I also have access to a computer and I can do homework too.
On Sunday, I have a soccer game in Stolberg (about 30 minutes away from my house). I hope that we win and that we don't freeze!
It has been really cold and windy here for the past week or so. The past few days have been cloudier (and warmer), but it has been snowing some. I am so tired of the snow all over the place. I can't wait for the flowers to start blooming and for it to be finally warm enough that I can wear a t-shirt outside (or even just a sweatshirt!) I am really looking forward to this summer, no matter how hot it might get in Fall City!
Well I have to go get ready for Math. I am really looking forward to 90 minutes of my favorite subject!! Everyone who really knows me is laughing right now...you know what I mean.
Carrie
Monschau, Deutschland
Ralf, Sven, and I went to an Alemmania Aachen game once and we're going again tonight. Alemmania is 13 out of 18 in the 2nd Bundesliga, but it is still fun to go to the games and experience the atmosphere.
Last Sunday, we went to Roermond in The Netherlands. There is a huge outlet shopping center there that a lot of Germans go to because it is open on Sundays (unlike stores in Germany). It was pretty cool because when we were driving there, we drove on a street that is right on the border of Germany and The Netherlands. Where we were driving was Germany and the people driving the other direction were driving in The Netherlands. Ralf told me that before the EU had open borders, there used to be a little barrier down the middle of the street so the cars couldn't cross over. The Windhorsts also took me to see the house that they lived in when they lived in The Netherlands.
I have been going to school like normal. On Monday, my Geography class went to an above ground coal mine about an hour away from our school. It was pretty interesting to see all the complicated and huge machines that make the whole process work. Today I had English 1st and 2nd periods, then 4 free periods, and then I will have Math 7th and 8th period. There is not enough time to ride the bus home during the 4 free periods, so I have to stay at school. It's actually ok though, because there are lots of kids to hang out with and talk to. I also have access to a computer and I can do homework too.
On Sunday, I have a soccer game in Stolberg (about 30 minutes away from my house). I hope that we win and that we don't freeze!
It has been really cold and windy here for the past week or so. The past few days have been cloudier (and warmer), but it has been snowing some. I am so tired of the snow all over the place. I can't wait for the flowers to start blooming and for it to be finally warm enough that I can wear a t-shirt outside (or even just a sweatshirt!) I am really looking forward to this summer, no matter how hot it might get in Fall City!
Well I have to go get ready for Math. I am really looking forward to 90 minutes of my favorite subject!! Everyone who really knows me is laughing right now...you know what I mean.
Carrie
Monschau, Deutschland
24 February 2010
Zillertal and Weimar
Today is no school so I thought I would update my blog. If you are wondering why we don’t have any school, I’ll tell you. First of all, it’s only my school, St. Michael Gymnasium, that doesn’t have school today. Second of all, today is basically a teacher work day, but who knows what is actually going on. One thing that is a bit interesting is that there aren’t really school districts here like in the States and each school is more independent. I’ll take my free day as an opportunity to fill you in on the last two weeks.
Four days after getting back from London, Sven, Ralf and I went to Austria. We got there on Thursday the 11th and returned on Tuesday the 16th. The trip down to Zillertal took 10 hours! A lot of that had to do with the weather conditions. Normally, there is no snow on the Autobahn because so many cars are traveling so fast and the snow simply melts. That day however, it was snowing like crazy all over Bavaria and the snow was sticking on the Autobahn. Luckily, we made the trip safely! The skiing in Austria was amazing. We skied three days in Kaltenbach (Hochzillertal/Hochfügen) and every day was sunny! We could not have lucked out more on the fantastic weather and snow conditions. The snow was not very fresh, but once the sun and the people softened it up a little bit, it was like a dream. The crowds were huge however, and sometimes waiting in the lift lines can be pretty hectic. We also skied the two “Talabfahrts” of Hochzillertal. A Talabfahrt is a run that goes all the way from the top of the mountain to the valley (where the gondolas start, ticket counters are, and parking lots are). This is pretty special because most of the snow at the bottom of these runs is all artificial so the groomers have to work pretty hard to keep that well kept. Unlike at Christmas, the camping platz was covered in about 6 inches of snow. It was definitely pretty, but the snow is sometimes hard on the tents that are attached to the trailers. A couple of the poles on our tent had slipped a little bit under the weight of the snow, so we had to put them back into place again. I feel incredibly lucky that my host family takes me on trips to see places like Austria, Italy, Belgium, and Holland…places that I might not get to see otherwise (or as a tourist in 20 years).
After getting back to Lammersdorf at 5pm on Tuesday the 16th, I got up at 5:30am the next morning to go to Weimar. I was in Weimar from Wednesday until Sunday the 21st. Weimar is in Thuringen, one of the new (since 1990) states in Germany. You probably recognize the name from history class (Weimar Republic, etc.) I went to a seminar with 48 other Americans, all of whom are the CBYX recipients from ASSE (California, Washington, Idaho, South Dakota, North Dakota, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada). Every year, the scholarship recipients go to Weimar for a 5 day seminar. A lot of times it is called the half time seminar, but in reality, the half way point was January 14th and as of today, I have been in Germany for 6 and ½ months and have exactly 4 months left.
Anyway, Weimar is not especially well known as a city full culture and life, but I think it is a perfect place to visit if you don’t want to be in a huge city, but still want to get a good taste of history. Weimar was home to Schiller and Goethe, two of Germany’s most famous writers. In addition, Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Liszt, and Hans Christian Anderson lived at some point in the city. More recently, the Bauhaus movement took place in Weimar. In the late 1920s and early 30s, architecture took a turn as extremely basic houses with horizontal lines instead of vertical lines and many intricate decorations began to be built. This part was interesting because we walked through a new development of these Bauhaus style houses in Weimar and they look very modern, so unlike the stereotypical German house. As you can tell, Weimar has a lot to do with culture and the arts of Germany and the entire world. On the other side of the culture spectrum, described by one of our German seminar leaders as “unkultur” or not cultural, is the former Nazi concentration camp, Buchenwald, located on a hill above Weimar and about 10 minutes from the city center by bus. I had never been to a concentration camp, but I had heard a lot about them, from teachers, films, and books. Even when one thinks they know all about the horrors of these camps and how the prisoners were treated, all of that becomes more real when one actually visits a camp. I can’t describe what it is like to go to one of these camps, but I can only say that it is just something one has to do in life. Until you have seen the barracks, the cells where the prisoners stayed during their last night before going to the crematorium, or the crematorium itself, the horror of the time of the Nazis is just something there, but not quite real, not quite believable even though you know it’s true. This was a very sobering part of the trip, but as the next generation to lead the world, we must see was has been done so we can make sure that it happens never again.
In addition, we visited Erfurt, the capital of Thuringen. We sat in the parliament there and visited the Rathaus and the mayor. We listened to a talk about the government in Thuringen and some people asked a couple politicians questions about their opinions on certain problems. The mayor gave us a speech about her duties and what Thuringen has to offer in Germany. Erfurt was interesting for me because it has a street train, unlike Aachen which has buses.
I really enjoyed getting to see all the kids again. Of course I get to see Leilani and Kayla almost every day, and I have seen some of the kids from Aachen a couple of times, but being able to see some of the kids who I hadn’t seen since Washington D.C. was really fun. We had an 11pm curfew and that gave us the chance to go into the city of Weimar and hang out a little. It was definitely a crazy time, but I got to talk to lots of kids and that was really interesting.
It’s so weird for me to think that a year ago I had just done my interview and was about to find out that I had gotten accepted into this program. It’s sometimes weird to think that my sister could be here next year, sitting on her bed and writing a blog post about Zillertal and Weimar. Good Luck Sal!
I’d like to let you guys know that I know when I’m coming home. I’m really excited, but I still can’t comprehend how fast the time has gone and that I really only have 4 months left in Germany. I leave Germany at 12:20pm on June 23 and arrive in Washington D.C. at 3:00pm on the same day. No the flight is not 2 hours and 40 minutes…there is a 6 hour time difference. I’m hoping to fly out of D.C. at 5:50pm and arrive in Seattle at 8:25pm, but I’m not sure yet what will happen. Either way, I can’t wait to see all of you guys this summer!
Carrie
Lammersdorf, Germany
February 23, 2010
Four days after getting back from London, Sven, Ralf and I went to Austria. We got there on Thursday the 11th and returned on Tuesday the 16th. The trip down to Zillertal took 10 hours! A lot of that had to do with the weather conditions. Normally, there is no snow on the Autobahn because so many cars are traveling so fast and the snow simply melts. That day however, it was snowing like crazy all over Bavaria and the snow was sticking on the Autobahn. Luckily, we made the trip safely! The skiing in Austria was amazing. We skied three days in Kaltenbach (Hochzillertal/Hochfügen) and every day was sunny! We could not have lucked out more on the fantastic weather and snow conditions. The snow was not very fresh, but once the sun and the people softened it up a little bit, it was like a dream. The crowds were huge however, and sometimes waiting in the lift lines can be pretty hectic. We also skied the two “Talabfahrts” of Hochzillertal. A Talabfahrt is a run that goes all the way from the top of the mountain to the valley (where the gondolas start, ticket counters are, and parking lots are). This is pretty special because most of the snow at the bottom of these runs is all artificial so the groomers have to work pretty hard to keep that well kept. Unlike at Christmas, the camping platz was covered in about 6 inches of snow. It was definitely pretty, but the snow is sometimes hard on the tents that are attached to the trailers. A couple of the poles on our tent had slipped a little bit under the weight of the snow, so we had to put them back into place again. I feel incredibly lucky that my host family takes me on trips to see places like Austria, Italy, Belgium, and Holland…places that I might not get to see otherwise (or as a tourist in 20 years).
After getting back to Lammersdorf at 5pm on Tuesday the 16th, I got up at 5:30am the next morning to go to Weimar. I was in Weimar from Wednesday until Sunday the 21st. Weimar is in Thuringen, one of the new (since 1990) states in Germany. You probably recognize the name from history class (Weimar Republic, etc.) I went to a seminar with 48 other Americans, all of whom are the CBYX recipients from ASSE (California, Washington, Idaho, South Dakota, North Dakota, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada). Every year, the scholarship recipients go to Weimar for a 5 day seminar. A lot of times it is called the half time seminar, but in reality, the half way point was January 14th and as of today, I have been in Germany for 6 and ½ months and have exactly 4 months left.
Anyway, Weimar is not especially well known as a city full culture and life, but I think it is a perfect place to visit if you don’t want to be in a huge city, but still want to get a good taste of history. Weimar was home to Schiller and Goethe, two of Germany’s most famous writers. In addition, Johann Sebastian Bach, Franz Liszt, and Hans Christian Anderson lived at some point in the city. More recently, the Bauhaus movement took place in Weimar. In the late 1920s and early 30s, architecture took a turn as extremely basic houses with horizontal lines instead of vertical lines and many intricate decorations began to be built. This part was interesting because we walked through a new development of these Bauhaus style houses in Weimar and they look very modern, so unlike the stereotypical German house. As you can tell, Weimar has a lot to do with culture and the arts of Germany and the entire world. On the other side of the culture spectrum, described by one of our German seminar leaders as “unkultur” or not cultural, is the former Nazi concentration camp, Buchenwald, located on a hill above Weimar and about 10 minutes from the city center by bus. I had never been to a concentration camp, but I had heard a lot about them, from teachers, films, and books. Even when one thinks they know all about the horrors of these camps and how the prisoners were treated, all of that becomes more real when one actually visits a camp. I can’t describe what it is like to go to one of these camps, but I can only say that it is just something one has to do in life. Until you have seen the barracks, the cells where the prisoners stayed during their last night before going to the crematorium, or the crematorium itself, the horror of the time of the Nazis is just something there, but not quite real, not quite believable even though you know it’s true. This was a very sobering part of the trip, but as the next generation to lead the world, we must see was has been done so we can make sure that it happens never again.
In addition, we visited Erfurt, the capital of Thuringen. We sat in the parliament there and visited the Rathaus and the mayor. We listened to a talk about the government in Thuringen and some people asked a couple politicians questions about their opinions on certain problems. The mayor gave us a speech about her duties and what Thuringen has to offer in Germany. Erfurt was interesting for me because it has a street train, unlike Aachen which has buses.
I really enjoyed getting to see all the kids again. Of course I get to see Leilani and Kayla almost every day, and I have seen some of the kids from Aachen a couple of times, but being able to see some of the kids who I hadn’t seen since Washington D.C. was really fun. We had an 11pm curfew and that gave us the chance to go into the city of Weimar and hang out a little. It was definitely a crazy time, but I got to talk to lots of kids and that was really interesting.
It’s so weird for me to think that a year ago I had just done my interview and was about to find out that I had gotten accepted into this program. It’s sometimes weird to think that my sister could be here next year, sitting on her bed and writing a blog post about Zillertal and Weimar. Good Luck Sal!
I’d like to let you guys know that I know when I’m coming home. I’m really excited, but I still can’t comprehend how fast the time has gone and that I really only have 4 months left in Germany. I leave Germany at 12:20pm on June 23 and arrive in Washington D.C. at 3:00pm on the same day. No the flight is not 2 hours and 40 minutes…there is a 6 hour time difference. I’m hoping to fly out of D.C. at 5:50pm and arrive in Seattle at 8:25pm, but I’m not sure yet what will happen. Either way, I can’t wait to see all of you guys this summer!
Carrie
Lammersdorf, Germany
February 23, 2010
11 February 2010
I LOVE LONDON
I am probably the only one who noticed, but did anyone else realize that I have been in Germany for over six months? I can hardly believe it. The time has gone by so fast. I remember going to the meetings before we left and in D.C. and every alumni said “oh yeah, you won’t believe how fast the time flies!” and I just thought “no way! That is almost eleven months! It can’t go by that fast!” However, it really does. As of today, I have just over four more months left in Germany. I’m a little surprised by how fast the time has gone, but I still have four months to learn more German, travel a bit more, play soccer, have fun with friends, and do my best at school.
My big piece of news is that I went to London! I went with Leilani (another CBYXer who lives in Seattle and goes to St. Michael Gymnasium with me) from February 5-February 7. It was pretty insane and once I describe it to you, you’ll realize why!
The trip was actually advertised by a bus travel company in the Rheinland (which includes Aachen). It was a 1.5 day trip to London, but without any overnight stay in a hotel. We left Aachen at 11pm on Friday (it was supposed to be 10pm, but our bus was late). We then drove partly through Holland, Belgium, and France before we got to Calais at around 3am. At Calais, we got on a ferry and took the 1.5 hour trip across the English Channel to Dover. I have never ever gotten sea sick on the Washington ferries, but my stomach sure was feeling a little funny on the crossing from France to England! It was really amazing once we got to Dover because while it was very dark, there were enough lights at the port that we could see the outlines of the famous Cliffs of Dover. I really want to go back to Dover sometime so I can see everything in daylight!
Once we got to London it was 6am London time and 7am German time. We then paid 10 Euros each for a 90 minute city tour given by our bus driver. If you ever go to London, I would strongly recommend taking a city tour. Normally, they last a couple of hours or so and then you have time to sightsee on your own and if you saw somewhere on the tour that you really liked, you can always go back. During our tour, we saw the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, Hyde Park, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, the London Eye, Millennium Bridge, Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace, Oxford Street, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, and 10 Downing Street (where the Gordon Brown, the British Prime Minister, lives).
After the tour, Leilani and I went shopping for about an hour at Primark (sort of a WAY cheaper H & M) and I got a wallet and a long sleeve white shirt (both were 3 pounds each!) After our shopping excursion, Leilani and I found a couple of music shops on these really cool little side streets that Leilani had been to last year on a school trip to London. It was really interesting to wander a little bit off the beaten track (Oxford Street, the busiest shopping street in London) and see what happens.
Later in the morning, we bought a one day subway-, underground-, tube-ticket for the two central zones in London. This turned out to be a really great deal. The ticket was around 5.60 pounds and we used it a fair amount to get across central London. What really helped was that Leilani had been to London before and ridden the Tube so she knew most of the time where we were going and so on. Oh yeah and one interesting piece of info: I have never seen escalators so long as the ones in the London Underground. You stand at the bottom and look up and it seems like it goes on forever and ever. Haha just a random thing I wanted to add!
In the afternoon, Leilani and I went back to Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. The National Gallery is full of paintings from the 1300s or so until the 1900s. Famous artists such as Monet, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Manet, Cezanne, and many others have paintings displayed in the gallery. I even got to see Van Gogh’s Sunflowers! It was beautiful and I loved getting to see the original!
I also bought an Oxford University sweatshirt from a street stand. I told my parents that my aspirations keep on getting higher and higher!
I was a little worried about the weather in London because it is a city famous for its rain, cold, and fog (sounds a little bit like a mix between San Francisco and Seattle doesn’t it?), but it was clear and sunny the whole day. Yeah, it was a little cold, but warmer than Germany! Another plus was no snow!
In the late afternoon, Leilani and I went to Harrods. It is supposedly the most famous store in the world and I can really see why. They have EVERYTHING! All of the clothes, bags, shoes, and jewelry are designer. There are gigantic food rooms which include everything from vegetables, to cheeses, to fruits, to mushrooms, to fresh seafood and all sorts of meats. There is a huge tea, coffee, and chocolate room. There are rooms full of photographs, paintings, oriental carpets, home furnishings…everything that you can think of seems to be at Harrods. I bought a box of passion fruit black tea for my host family. Even if you have no plan to buy anything at Harrods, I would definitely recommend going there just to see the scale of everything and some of the beautiful and one of a kind things that are for sale. Maybe you’ll even hear a woman singing opera like we did!
After leaving London at 7:45pm German time, we arrived back in Aachen at 5:30 on Sunday morning. It was an extremely fast trip, but I got my first taste of London and I’m already hooked!
Well I’d better bring this post to a close. Ralf, Sven, and I are heading off today to Austria to go skiing for a couple of days. We’ll come home on Tuesday so I can go off the Weimar on Wednesday. It’s been a busy past week and the next couple of weeks will also be busy, but I love every minute of it!
I miss all of you guys and I can’t wait to see you all again when I get home!
My big piece of news is that I went to London! I went with Leilani (another CBYXer who lives in Seattle and goes to St. Michael Gymnasium with me) from February 5-February 7. It was pretty insane and once I describe it to you, you’ll realize why!
The trip was actually advertised by a bus travel company in the Rheinland (which includes Aachen). It was a 1.5 day trip to London, but without any overnight stay in a hotel. We left Aachen at 11pm on Friday (it was supposed to be 10pm, but our bus was late). We then drove partly through Holland, Belgium, and France before we got to Calais at around 3am. At Calais, we got on a ferry and took the 1.5 hour trip across the English Channel to Dover. I have never ever gotten sea sick on the Washington ferries, but my stomach sure was feeling a little funny on the crossing from France to England! It was really amazing once we got to Dover because while it was very dark, there were enough lights at the port that we could see the outlines of the famous Cliffs of Dover. I really want to go back to Dover sometime so I can see everything in daylight!
Once we got to London it was 6am London time and 7am German time. We then paid 10 Euros each for a 90 minute city tour given by our bus driver. If you ever go to London, I would strongly recommend taking a city tour. Normally, they last a couple of hours or so and then you have time to sightsee on your own and if you saw somewhere on the tour that you really liked, you can always go back. During our tour, we saw the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, Hyde Park, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, the London Eye, Millennium Bridge, Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace, Oxford Street, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, and 10 Downing Street (where the Gordon Brown, the British Prime Minister, lives).
After the tour, Leilani and I went shopping for about an hour at Primark (sort of a WAY cheaper H & M) and I got a wallet and a long sleeve white shirt (both were 3 pounds each!) After our shopping excursion, Leilani and I found a couple of music shops on these really cool little side streets that Leilani had been to last year on a school trip to London. It was really interesting to wander a little bit off the beaten track (Oxford Street, the busiest shopping street in London) and see what happens.
Later in the morning, we bought a one day subway-, underground-, tube-ticket for the two central zones in London. This turned out to be a really great deal. The ticket was around 5.60 pounds and we used it a fair amount to get across central London. What really helped was that Leilani had been to London before and ridden the Tube so she knew most of the time where we were going and so on. Oh yeah and one interesting piece of info: I have never seen escalators so long as the ones in the London Underground. You stand at the bottom and look up and it seems like it goes on forever and ever. Haha just a random thing I wanted to add!
In the afternoon, Leilani and I went back to Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. The National Gallery is full of paintings from the 1300s or so until the 1900s. Famous artists such as Monet, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Manet, Cezanne, and many others have paintings displayed in the gallery. I even got to see Van Gogh’s Sunflowers! It was beautiful and I loved getting to see the original!
I also bought an Oxford University sweatshirt from a street stand. I told my parents that my aspirations keep on getting higher and higher!
I was a little worried about the weather in London because it is a city famous for its rain, cold, and fog (sounds a little bit like a mix between San Francisco and Seattle doesn’t it?), but it was clear and sunny the whole day. Yeah, it was a little cold, but warmer than Germany! Another plus was no snow!
In the late afternoon, Leilani and I went to Harrods. It is supposedly the most famous store in the world and I can really see why. They have EVERYTHING! All of the clothes, bags, shoes, and jewelry are designer. There are gigantic food rooms which include everything from vegetables, to cheeses, to fruits, to mushrooms, to fresh seafood and all sorts of meats. There is a huge tea, coffee, and chocolate room. There are rooms full of photographs, paintings, oriental carpets, home furnishings…everything that you can think of seems to be at Harrods. I bought a box of passion fruit black tea for my host family. Even if you have no plan to buy anything at Harrods, I would definitely recommend going there just to see the scale of everything and some of the beautiful and one of a kind things that are for sale. Maybe you’ll even hear a woman singing opera like we did!
After leaving London at 7:45pm German time, we arrived back in Aachen at 5:30 on Sunday morning. It was an extremely fast trip, but I got my first taste of London and I’m already hooked!
Well I’d better bring this post to a close. Ralf, Sven, and I are heading off today to Austria to go skiing for a couple of days. We’ll come home on Tuesday so I can go off the Weimar on Wednesday. It’s been a busy past week and the next couple of weeks will also be busy, but I love every minute of it!
I miss all of you guys and I can’t wait to see you all again when I get home!
29 January 2010
SnOw SnOw SnOw
You’re probably wondering what I’ve been up to for the past couple of weeks. Apart from trying to stay happy (haha the weather is depressive), I have been busy with soccer, school, and Praktikum.
My soccer schedule has been pretty crazy. We had about a month off from training and games and now we are training again before the season starts up again on March 7. I have Step Aerobics for an hour (8:30-9:30) every Monday evening, training outside every Wednesday (last Wednesday there were 6 inches of snow on the field), optional Spinning class every Thursday for an hour, training on Friday (outside or in a gym when we can reserve it), and a practice game, indoor tournament, or training on Sundays. Yeah, so insane, but the Step Aerobics is quite fun….Spinning is not really my thing, but it sure is a good work out!
School has been ok. I got an unfortunate grade on my last math test, but I’m going to spend a little more time going over notes and having people help me so I can at least understand everything. We have been doing a lot of stuff with quadratic equations, parabolas, circle functions, and polynomials. Not exactly my cup of tea! I also got a 2 on my last English test because I didn’t “dig deep enough” into the short story we had to read. So that was a little disappointing, but I’ll do better next time! On the more positive side of things, I finished my abstract painting in Art. It is very colorful and is made up of triangles, circles, quadrangles (?? That sounds so weird!), and other funky shapes. It is now hanging above my bed and I am trying to figure out how to get it home to America! One cool thing that I am doing with my school is playing in an indoor soccer tournament on February 9. My Sport teacher plays soccer and so she is putting together a couple girls teams to go to this tournament and play against other schools in our area. I think Meike and I would get to play together on the same team, which would be really fun! Also, now that the first semester is over, I am going to start taking two new classes. My new classes are going to be Catholic Religion and Biology. I am not Catholic or anything, but I believe it is always good to learn about religions and the Church….at least to be able to understand other people and why they believe what they believe.
Hmm…what else? I got my ears pierced on Monday the 14 of December. Now it has been a little over six weeks. A couple of weeks ago, I took my original earrings out and put in the ones I got for Christmas from Swarovski, but then one of the backs came off and my ear was bleeding a little so I decided it would be best if I put the medical earrings back in for a couple more weeks. No other weird piercings or tattoos or hair colors though…you don’t have to worry! It’s actually kind of interesting because here in Germany, ear piercings for girls are not actually considered piercings…they are called Schmuck. Just like a little piece of jewelry or something to make you look pretty.
On the other end of the spectrum, I bought my train tickets to Weimar and back for ASSE/GIVE’s half year seminar. I am really excited to ride the train there. It should be a little chaotic since I transfer in Cologne and Frankfurt (in both directions) but also a great experience. I am also 99% sure that our “flying home date” is set for June 23, 2010. The thing I don’t know is if we must fly home through Washington D.C. That would be a drag since I know United Airlines flies non-stop/direct from Frankfurt to Seattle every day! Another adventure coming up is that I am going to London with a friend from February 5-7. The funny thing is that it is actually a 1.5 day bus travel (with no overnight stay in a hotel or anything), but we spend the whole day of February 6 in London.
Ok, so by now you are probably really wondering what a Praktikum is. First of all, in case I already explained all of this in a previous post, I apologize. I can’t help it that I am a teeny tiny bit forgetful! Basically, my Praktikum is a two week internship at a German military barracks in Aachen. I am helping in a Specialised Ammunition Technician English class. There are eight men in the class. The youngest has been in the military for almost 4 years and a couple of the older ones have been in the Bundeswehr for over 20 years. Seven of the men are in the Luftwaffe (Airforce) and one of them is in the Army. They have been learning about IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices), landmines, missiles, mortars, and other weapons. The entire class is taught in English because it is important for the men to learn the vocabulary and explanations in order to be able to work with American and British troops in the field. I know you are thinking “Wow, that doesn’t really seem like something that would interest a 17 year old American girl”, but it is actually quite fascinating and the men are intelligent and funny. Some of the things that I have helped with in the class are making tests, correcting tests, helping with vocabulary and grammar, and helping the teacher prepare for the next four week session.
It has been snowing like crazy the entire day. We have quite a bit of snow and it doesn’t look like its going to stop anytime soon! I miss the sun. Yeah, sometimes it comes out a little during the afternoon, but the light seems weak. I can’t wait for April and May when spring comes and we can ride around in the Golf Cabrio with the top down!
I've got to head off to a soccer meeting soon so I'd better be going. Hope all of you are doing well in the States and if any one of you is coming to Germany in the next 5 months, let me know and we’ll meet up in Aachen and have some Spaghetti Eis after we go see the Dom!
Carrie
My soccer schedule has been pretty crazy. We had about a month off from training and games and now we are training again before the season starts up again on March 7. I have Step Aerobics for an hour (8:30-9:30) every Monday evening, training outside every Wednesday (last Wednesday there were 6 inches of snow on the field), optional Spinning class every Thursday for an hour, training on Friday (outside or in a gym when we can reserve it), and a practice game, indoor tournament, or training on Sundays. Yeah, so insane, but the Step Aerobics is quite fun….Spinning is not really my thing, but it sure is a good work out!
School has been ok. I got an unfortunate grade on my last math test, but I’m going to spend a little more time going over notes and having people help me so I can at least understand everything. We have been doing a lot of stuff with quadratic equations, parabolas, circle functions, and polynomials. Not exactly my cup of tea! I also got a 2 on my last English test because I didn’t “dig deep enough” into the short story we had to read. So that was a little disappointing, but I’ll do better next time! On the more positive side of things, I finished my abstract painting in Art. It is very colorful and is made up of triangles, circles, quadrangles (?? That sounds so weird!), and other funky shapes. It is now hanging above my bed and I am trying to figure out how to get it home to America! One cool thing that I am doing with my school is playing in an indoor soccer tournament on February 9. My Sport teacher plays soccer and so she is putting together a couple girls teams to go to this tournament and play against other schools in our area. I think Meike and I would get to play together on the same team, which would be really fun! Also, now that the first semester is over, I am going to start taking two new classes. My new classes are going to be Catholic Religion and Biology. I am not Catholic or anything, but I believe it is always good to learn about religions and the Church….at least to be able to understand other people and why they believe what they believe.
Hmm…what else? I got my ears pierced on Monday the 14 of December. Now it has been a little over six weeks. A couple of weeks ago, I took my original earrings out and put in the ones I got for Christmas from Swarovski, but then one of the backs came off and my ear was bleeding a little so I decided it would be best if I put the medical earrings back in for a couple more weeks. No other weird piercings or tattoos or hair colors though…you don’t have to worry! It’s actually kind of interesting because here in Germany, ear piercings for girls are not actually considered piercings…they are called Schmuck. Just like a little piece of jewelry or something to make you look pretty.
On the other end of the spectrum, I bought my train tickets to Weimar and back for ASSE/GIVE’s half year seminar. I am really excited to ride the train there. It should be a little chaotic since I transfer in Cologne and Frankfurt (in both directions) but also a great experience. I am also 99% sure that our “flying home date” is set for June 23, 2010. The thing I don’t know is if we must fly home through Washington D.C. That would be a drag since I know United Airlines flies non-stop/direct from Frankfurt to Seattle every day! Another adventure coming up is that I am going to London with a friend from February 5-7. The funny thing is that it is actually a 1.5 day bus travel (with no overnight stay in a hotel or anything), but we spend the whole day of February 6 in London.
Ok, so by now you are probably really wondering what a Praktikum is. First of all, in case I already explained all of this in a previous post, I apologize. I can’t help it that I am a teeny tiny bit forgetful! Basically, my Praktikum is a two week internship at a German military barracks in Aachen. I am helping in a Specialised Ammunition Technician English class. There are eight men in the class. The youngest has been in the military for almost 4 years and a couple of the older ones have been in the Bundeswehr for over 20 years. Seven of the men are in the Luftwaffe (Airforce) and one of them is in the Army. They have been learning about IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices), landmines, missiles, mortars, and other weapons. The entire class is taught in English because it is important for the men to learn the vocabulary and explanations in order to be able to work with American and British troops in the field. I know you are thinking “Wow, that doesn’t really seem like something that would interest a 17 year old American girl”, but it is actually quite fascinating and the men are intelligent and funny. Some of the things that I have helped with in the class are making tests, correcting tests, helping with vocabulary and grammar, and helping the teacher prepare for the next four week session.
It has been snowing like crazy the entire day. We have quite a bit of snow and it doesn’t look like its going to stop anytime soon! I miss the sun. Yeah, sometimes it comes out a little during the afternoon, but the light seems weak. I can’t wait for April and May when spring comes and we can ride around in the Golf Cabrio with the top down!
I've got to head off to a soccer meeting soon so I'd better be going. Hope all of you are doing well in the States and if any one of you is coming to Germany in the next 5 months, let me know and we’ll meet up in Aachen and have some Spaghetti Eis after we go see the Dom!
Carrie
07 January 2010
Happy New Year!
First of all, I’d like to wish everyone Alles Gute zum neuen Jahr! I hope everyone had a good Christmas and New Year. Like I said in my last post, I would be normally celebrating these holidays with many of you who read this blog. I miss all of you so much and I can’t wait to see you all again in June!
As you know, my host family and I were in Zillertal, Austria for Christmas and New Year. We had so many great experiences and I know I will remember each and every one of them my entire life.
One of my greatest experiences was skiing five days-four of them in the sun! Normally, I ski at Brundage Mountain Resort in McCall, Idaho every year during Christmas. We ski most of the time six or seven days and we’re lucky when at least two are sunny! I’ve been skiing ever since I was 4 years old, and it has always been a dream of mine (far back in the depths of my brain because I never figured it could come true) to ski in the Alps. Back in May or June, as I was emailing my host family, I soon realized my dream would come true. Ralf, Meike, and Sven took me to Hoch Zillertal/Hoch Fügen for four days and I went with Ralf and Sven to Zillertal Arena one day. Links to the websites are here: ski-optimal.at (Hoch Zillertal/Hoch Fügen and zillertalarena.com (Zillertal Arena).
While there could have been more snow (there was a lot of ice and brown spots), the runs were great. The crowds were huge (15,000 people skied at Hoch Zillertal on the day after Christmas), but I always found my sweet little patch of corduroy lol.
What were really to die for however, were the views. From the top of Hoch Zillertal, the Austrian Alps went as far as the eye could see. From Zillertal Arena, we could look in the distance and see the Dolomites in Italy. The bright sun made the views even more memorable and it is my greatest wish to go back and ski there with my real family.
My new ski boots (that I bought in Innsbruck in the Fall break) served my extremely well. They are so comfy and warm inside. Those who have ever been skiing with me know that I have problems with cold hands and cold feet, but my feet were toasty warm (though that could also have something to do with the new ski socks-Thanks Mom and Dad).
Everything with my gear worked out as well. I had brought over my ski pants, long underwear, jacket, helmet, and gloves when I came here in August. Then I bought the ski boots in Herbst Ferien in Innsbruck. All I had to borrow from the Windhorsts were skis and poles. It worked out really well because the poles they had were my size and Sven’s old skis that I used are 159cm (the same as my K2 Misbehaved skis at home).
Christmas in the Wohnwagen was also an experience I will never forget. First of all, the whole gift exchange took place on Christmas Eve, known as Heilig Abend (Holy Night) auf Deutsch. After we did raclette (cooking your own meat and veggies on a hot stone), Meike and I showered and when we got back, all the gifts were piled up around the Wohnwagen. It made me feel almost as if I were sitting in McCall on the couch with the rabbit blanket. I received a couple very personal gifts from my host family that I will cherish for the rest of my life, as well as many thoughtful and beautiful presents from my family in America.
On January 1, we drove to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany to see the round of the Vier Chanzen Tournee that took place over three weeks in Germany and Austria. Basically, it is a ski jumping tournament where the best ski jumpers in the world come together and have four chances to win the entire tournament. The jumpers acquire points according to how far they jump and how good the landings are. Sometimes it can be very exciting because while one person could win 3 out of the 4 rounds, it is possible that they do not win the tournament. Although a German did not win the whole tournament, an Austrian, Andreas Kofler, ended up winning. I can’t wait to see how well he does in the Olympics next month! What amazed me the most was that the youngest jumper was a 16 year old! The best German jumper during the tournament was Pascal Bodmer and he is only 18 years old! Crazy! Another highlight to the day was that I got to wave my American flag around (although the two Americans in the tournament hadn’t qualified the day before) and Meike and I got free Milka hats (They are purple with white cow spots and cow horns). I know what you’re thinking and I know you’re jealous.
We had a great vacation, but I’m glad to be back in the Eifel. It’s supposed to snow like crazy on the weekend and apparently Aachen doesn’t have any salt left for the roads…so Aachen will be a mess. I’m prepared to hang out at home this weekend!
I miss you guys and I’ll post again soon because I have lots left to say!
Love,
Carrie
As you know, my host family and I were in Zillertal, Austria for Christmas and New Year. We had so many great experiences and I know I will remember each and every one of them my entire life.
One of my greatest experiences was skiing five days-four of them in the sun! Normally, I ski at Brundage Mountain Resort in McCall, Idaho every year during Christmas. We ski most of the time six or seven days and we’re lucky when at least two are sunny! I’ve been skiing ever since I was 4 years old, and it has always been a dream of mine (far back in the depths of my brain because I never figured it could come true) to ski in the Alps. Back in May or June, as I was emailing my host family, I soon realized my dream would come true. Ralf, Meike, and Sven took me to Hoch Zillertal/Hoch Fügen for four days and I went with Ralf and Sven to Zillertal Arena one day. Links to the websites are here: ski-optimal.at (Hoch Zillertal/Hoch Fügen and zillertalarena.com (Zillertal Arena).
While there could have been more snow (there was a lot of ice and brown spots), the runs were great. The crowds were huge (15,000 people skied at Hoch Zillertal on the day after Christmas), but I always found my sweet little patch of corduroy lol.
What were really to die for however, were the views. From the top of Hoch Zillertal, the Austrian Alps went as far as the eye could see. From Zillertal Arena, we could look in the distance and see the Dolomites in Italy. The bright sun made the views even more memorable and it is my greatest wish to go back and ski there with my real family.
My new ski boots (that I bought in Innsbruck in the Fall break) served my extremely well. They are so comfy and warm inside. Those who have ever been skiing with me know that I have problems with cold hands and cold feet, but my feet were toasty warm (though that could also have something to do with the new ski socks-Thanks Mom and Dad).
Everything with my gear worked out as well. I had brought over my ski pants, long underwear, jacket, helmet, and gloves when I came here in August. Then I bought the ski boots in Herbst Ferien in Innsbruck. All I had to borrow from the Windhorsts were skis and poles. It worked out really well because the poles they had were my size and Sven’s old skis that I used are 159cm (the same as my K2 Misbehaved skis at home).
Christmas in the Wohnwagen was also an experience I will never forget. First of all, the whole gift exchange took place on Christmas Eve, known as Heilig Abend (Holy Night) auf Deutsch. After we did raclette (cooking your own meat and veggies on a hot stone), Meike and I showered and when we got back, all the gifts were piled up around the Wohnwagen. It made me feel almost as if I were sitting in McCall on the couch with the rabbit blanket. I received a couple very personal gifts from my host family that I will cherish for the rest of my life, as well as many thoughtful and beautiful presents from my family in America.
On January 1, we drove to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany to see the round of the Vier Chanzen Tournee that took place over three weeks in Germany and Austria. Basically, it is a ski jumping tournament where the best ski jumpers in the world come together and have four chances to win the entire tournament. The jumpers acquire points according to how far they jump and how good the landings are. Sometimes it can be very exciting because while one person could win 3 out of the 4 rounds, it is possible that they do not win the tournament. Although a German did not win the whole tournament, an Austrian, Andreas Kofler, ended up winning. I can’t wait to see how well he does in the Olympics next month! What amazed me the most was that the youngest jumper was a 16 year old! The best German jumper during the tournament was Pascal Bodmer and he is only 18 years old! Crazy! Another highlight to the day was that I got to wave my American flag around (although the two Americans in the tournament hadn’t qualified the day before) and Meike and I got free Milka hats (They are purple with white cow spots and cow horns). I know what you’re thinking and I know you’re jealous.
We had a great vacation, but I’m glad to be back in the Eifel. It’s supposed to snow like crazy on the weekend and apparently Aachen doesn’t have any salt left for the roads…so Aachen will be a mess. I’m prepared to hang out at home this weekend!
I miss you guys and I’ll post again soon because I have lots left to say!
Love,
Carrie
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