I know, I haven't written a real blog in a while.

And that's because, like I mentioned in a comment to my previous blog, I've been using Liz for all of my daily ramblings about Deutsch Leben. I can't deny that Germany's had an effect on me. My new favourite drink is Apfelschorle, and I don't even know if they have that in America. I eat lots of bread and potatoes. But, I do not however, submit to the german way of cutlery usage. They always use a knife, even when there's nothing to be cut! And they have their forks in their left hands, and I'm right handed, and unless I want to miss my mouth, I've got to use my right hand! Often I think in Deunglish (I've caught myself thinking things like "Oh, that car is going ein bisschen schneller than us")... My german is still awful, but I can have conversations with people know... although they mostly consist of me saying "Wie bitte?", but it's better than nothing.
School itself is... well it depends on the class. Geo and History and Deutsch are quite as dull as ever... English is dull too but at least I know what's going on in that class. Math is ... well once I can decode the german, it's easy. Chemie is also not hard once everything's been decoded. Physics is above my head to the point of ridiculousness. Spanish is... bluh, idk, I can usually understand what's going on, and what else? Art? Well I haven't actually done anything in art yet.
As for my social life, I have one good friend, Dominik, and then a few other "pupils" that I asscociate with. I went to dinner with Georgena and her Australian boyfriend the other night, and it was fun. I'm singled out and embarressed constantly, and I'm forced to be comfortable with people I do not know very well, and after two months of that, I'm much less awkward around people, I guess. Like with Georgena and her boyfriend, it seemed entirely normal that I should spend the evening talking and laughing with people I hardly know at all. Who else would I asscociate with, the only people I do know very well are half way around the world, of course. Anyway, what I'm trying to say, is that already I'm more independant, and sure of myself. Et cetera, so on and so forth!
I do miss some aspects of NPHS, but that's mostly just the feeling of... well, owning the school. Like I could just leave SRT, go wherever I want, I know the school by heart, know every student and teacher... I miss Liz, the gal that managed to keep me entertained at school for 6 or so years straight. That's no easy feat either. And I miss Matthew, our shinanigans, during our free blocks and during English. I even miss Mrs. Roach, if only to have someone to incessantly make fun of. I miss being able to wear pajamas all day and coo at my cat, and no one thinks twice about it.
But don't think I'm complaining. I'm not homesick. Sure I miss my cat and my BFF, but I'm doing quite fine over here, quite healthy and happy. The Germans keep me well fed and merry and I can't really ask for more than that.

Alrighty then, well I'm off to more german adventures now. Toodles!

Alle meine Liebe

Schließe deine Augen und ich werde dich küssen
Morgen werde ich dich vermissen
Erinnere dass ich werde immer treu sein.
Und denn während ich weg bin,
Werde ich jeden Tag nach Hause schreiben
Und ich werde dir alle meine Liebe schreiben.
Ich werde mir vorstellen, dass ich küsse
Die Lippen die ich vermisse,
Und ich hoffe dass meine Träume wahr werden.
Und denn während ich weg bin,
Werde ich jeden Tag nach Hause schreiben
Und ich werde dir alle meine Liebe schreiben.
Alle meine Liebe, werde ich dir schicken,
Alle meine Liebe, Liebling, ich werde treu sein.

Alle meine Liebe, werde ich dir schicken!

(I did this alone, except with a tad of spelling and word order help from a friend. Also, note that if you attempt to use an online translator, the results will be morbidly wrong. But I assure you, I had a genuine German read this, so it must be somewhat coherent.)

MORE SCHOOL STUFF

Well, school is a bit better now. I think I've had all of my classes at least once. I got my schedule changed so I have Physics instead of Biology for Leitsungskurs and English instead of German. I no longer have biology at all, (which is good considering I don't understand it in german, and don't care enough to try, although I would like to take the class if it were in english), and still german, but only half as often. That was the only change, besides general switching around of times. I still have to be up early tues and thurs though : ( no way around it.

So today I had spanish again. I found out that it's actuall 6th year spanish, I think I misunderstood. Anyway, it's confusing because everything's in spanish, except when he's explaining something more difficult or translating something, it's in German, and then if he asks ME a question, I either answer in german or english, neither of which really makes much sense to do. He speaks perfect english though, and is very understanding of my blunderous ways.

And then... finally... I had english class!!! It was great, because for once I was the one being asked for help instead of the other way around. The teacher teaches in english, and we read texts in english... today we analyzed a painting by normal rockwell. I hated the painting, and I thought it was devoid of meaning, but apparently there's much, much meaning behind it. It was of a family at thanksgiving, but they were all leaning creepily into the table and smiling creepily. Ugh. But at least I can speak perfect english without thinking about it.

Then I had art, where nothing eventfull happened, I took a bunch of notes but I don't know what they were about. I think they were about plastic sculptures but I'm not sure. And in history... we drew visual representatives of "Der Staat" which was lame.

And that's mostly it. I'm now the awkward person who sits in the middle or edge of class. I have a few friendly faces I asscociate with. I still hate the bike ride in the mornings, because I have no energy at 6 something am. I don't have any homework, that I know of... it's possible they could've assigned something and I didn't understand the words et cetera. Oh well. I don't so much care.

Well, that is all for today.

TSCHÜSSSS

My first REAL day of school

Well, on Tues and Thurs I have to be there at 7:10. The bus comes at 7:30, so clearly I can't ride the bus. That's fine for now (it isn't really, but I pretend so) but when winter comes, I refuse to ride 5 km a day in the cold and perhaps snowy weather! This morning it was really hard for me to do it, and I got tired really really quickly, and it was a dreadful ride. I think it's because I was running off pretty much zero energy. The ride home wasn't nearly as bad, but I think that could be due to the fact that a lot of it was downhill.

So, first class, math. The teacher handed out textbooks, and then said they were one short, and promptly took mine back. At first I was confused, and then I was a little offended because I had assumed that she thought that since I'm not a real student, I should have last priority or something. But I think the real reason was because since I signed on for that class later than everyone else, my book hadn't come in on time. That makes a bit more since. Anyway it doesnt matter because at the end of class she gave me one anyway, but told me I had to give it back at the end of the year (oh my god, what a sacrifice that will be). Anyway, the math itself was easy, but I couldn't understand the directions in German... there would be like a bunch of F(x) equals something, and I didn't know what to DO with it. But once I figured it out, it wasn't so bad. They're already deriving, how fun.

Then double spanish. At first it was a relief, because when the teacher spoke (in spanish) I could understand about twice as much spoken spanish than spoken german. But when he started teaching grammar, it was in german, and I got lost, and it was like 5th year spanish anyway, so I'm behind : ( And although I can understand spanish, I can't reproduce it anymore. What comes out of me is an awwwful spanrussgerman mix. It's muy dificil.

Then double geography. I didn't understand a SINGLE FRIKKEN WORD. And he talked so slowly too! It was the dullest thing ever. Imagine the dullest subject ever, taught by the dullest man ever, in a language you don't even understand. I'm just going to tell him not to give me grades and doze off. I keep getting confused even when people speak in english to me, because they're like "do you get marks?" and I'm like HUH?? until I figured out marks is the british term for grades, and I was like "idk, what diff does it make anyway lol?"

And then German. They frikken put me in the most advanced german class (that most GERMANS have trouble with) without telling me. Anyway I didn't understand anything, and I talked to the teacher after class, who luckily is also an english teacher and spoke english just as well as I do. Except with a british accent. Very educated germans speak english with a british accent, and I think its kind of funny.

Anyway, I'm the awkward kid in the back of the class. Today I feel so... exhausted, and frail and week. Like I could pass out whenever. I dont know why. I eat food, and drink water, I dont understand what else I'm supposed to do to nourish myself. Maybe its from awaking so early.

K that is all for now.

Mein Ersten Tag in der Schule

Today was my first day of school. My host mum drove me there, 30 minutes early so the principal could help me get my classes and such sorted out. The principal made me wait about 40 minutes (and my host mum had left by this time), and then escorted me to a classroom full of teenagers said I was a new student, and left me in the classroom. I was like WTF! What class even is this? What's going on? And everyone just chit chattered for another half hour or more, before the teacher, who happened to be the principal lady again, arrived, and was speaking in German and I'm like Ohhhh nooo, what is going on??? Anyway, she put all these papers around the room, and everyone was looking at them and writing stuff down, so I got up and looked, and they were class schedules, but my name wasn't on any of the lists, so I attempted to ask the principal what was going on.... she directed me to a gal named Christine, and said I would just follow her around for a week, and then change classes later if I wish.

So when Christine had her schedule sorted out, I looked at it, and it was mostly good (Math, german, english, chemistry, physics, biology, art) but also not great (french, geography, P.E., and history). And yes, all of those classes, amazingly fit onto one schedule. Now, I promptly got French switched out for Spanish, and with a bit of work I managed to worm my way out of P.E. (they call it Sport, but it sounds like "shport"). I thought about wriggling my way out of history too, but that would probabl be pushing my luck for the first day. I asked to be put into philosophy class, but apparently they only have it after normal school time, and it's not for a grade. I pointed out that for me, the whole year counted for nothing really, so not being for a grade doesn't make a whole lot of difference.

Also before that, the principal went on about the class rules and such, which I pretty much didn't understand. She said something about eating and drinking, but I'm not sure if she said you ARE or AREN'T allowed to do such in class. I'm assuming its a no, just to be safe.

And then class got out at like 10! it was ridiculous. I was there until 10:30 (thats when I was getting my schedule rearranaged) and I was meant to ride the bus home (the public city transport, not a school bus) but I couldn't decode the bus schedule, and I think it said the next bus was coming in an hour, so I was like "wtf, I could walk home by then!" And so I did. It was better than paying money for a bus I would have to wait an hour for, and not even knowing if it was the right bus. I live 2.5 km from the school, so it was a long walk but not terrible. Kind of nice, except when I wasn't positive I was going the right way.

Anyway, so that, my dears, was my first day of school. Very confusing yet very uneventful. So, my classes, thusly, are as follows :: English, German, Spanish, Math, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, History, and Art. And it's all taught in German. And YOU though YOU had a tough course load, eh? We'll see how this goes.

So, as for other news. I washed my clothes, and firstly, I never separate my lights and darks, because I usually only have one load anyway, and don't want to bother with it. I had a bright maroon pair of leggings I was putting into the wash, and I eyed them suspisciously as if to warn them "now don't you cause trouble, you hear?". And what do you know, all of my white clothes are now a soft pink. At first I was upset, but now honestly, I don't mind because its kind of a nice color. Well... I don't know why but I thought that was important.

Hmm what else? Two nights ago I had my first real conversation in german, meaning, one that was more than a few exchanged lines, and that didn't require constant translating into English. It was kind of nice, kind of fun. All of my hard work and frusteration is rewarded, by what? A 20 minute conversation in German... woo hoo? But really, this is my 5th week. How much spanish could you speak after 5 weeks?

Ahh, so viele Fliegen! Erg. Get, get!

My diet is almost entirely comprised of bread, nutella, rice or noodles, and fried vegetables with a little bit of meat. Also some cheese and fruit. That doesn't even sound very normal for germany, eh? From what I've seen, here is the most typical german meal imaginable.
To drink - Beer, carbonated water, and Apfelshorle (carbonated apple juice)
To eat - Bread, wurst (sausage of some sort), potato salad, and maybe sauerkraut salad.
Luckily I like all of those things except wurst and sauerkraut in excess.

Anyway, I supposed that's all my little mind can think up for now.

Tschüsie!