Munich

Yesterday, I got back from my YFU Mid-Stay Seminar in Munich. It was amazing!

I left Sunday, the 19th. The ride down there was several hours (five or six), with only one transfer in Bremen, which meant I could kick back and relax most of the time. I don't think I ever really fell asleep, though, which is good, because I got to see some amazing scenery. When I finally made it to the mainstation in Munich, I found a small group of other exchangers, and we found our way to the next train to take us to the hostel. Once there, we signed in, got nametags, picked rooms and unpacked. We played a few getting-to-know-you games (for example, saying our names, where we're from in the US, where we are living in Germany, and when we got up that morning - 7AM for me). After that, we ate dinner, got into smaller groups to get to know each other, and then had free-time until we wanted to go to bed.

On Monday, we did a few more group activities before heading to the city for a scavenger hunt. We had to answer questions, take pictures (with people dressed for Karneval and of us doing good deeds), as well as collect as many free pens as possible and buy the largest item for 50 cents we could find. After that, we split into three groups: one group went to a circus, one to a ballet, and the third went on a walking tour through Munich. I went on the tour. It was at night, and we didn't have a professional guide (just one of our teamers), so we didn't get to go into museums and such, but it was still a lot of fun. I got to see a bit more of the city and got to know the people in my group a bit better. At the end, we went to a small cafe to warm up before heading back. Then we had more free-time. I was up until 4:30AM talking with some pretty cool exchange students about God and the world.

Tuesday was relatively uneventful. We spent most of the day in small groups talking about our exchange years so far, or playing games together. We did go visit the lake by the hostel, but of course I left my camera in my room. So, no pictures from that. However, I did find it really entertaining to trick a swan into thinking chunks of ice were food. I blame that on the lack of sleep... We also had sort of Olympic competition. We were split into five different groups and had various "event" like placing cities/rivers/lakes on a map of Bavaria, biting a pretzel on a string, and decoding Bayerisch (the dialect of Bavaria). The final event was building something that would protect an egg using only two balloons, string, tape, and three pieces of paper. Our egg survived two falls, and flew the second farthest. My team, Haus der Schmerzen (House of Pain), won the whole thing, and were given prezels covered in glue and gold glitter as medals.

On Wednesday, we were in Munich again. This time to start, we were in two groups: one went to the German Museum, and the other to Dachau. I was in the second group. Dachau was the first concentration camp in Germany, and all others were modeled after it. We were able to wander the camp at our own pace with audio recordings in place of a tour guide. I found it to be a really moving and though-provoking experience. Unlike Buchenwald (which I visited earlier this year), Dachau had a gas chamber in use. The feeling of walking through that building is something I can't describe. I just can't find the words to express what I experienced. Something else I found interesting about Dachau that I didn't see at Buchenwald was a replica of the housing barracks for the prisoners. You are able to go inside the barracks and see what kind of conditions the prisoners lived in on a daily basis. It's also something I can't put to words. I highly recommend a visit to a concentration camp to anyone who has the chance.

After Dachau, we had more free-time in Munich. I went with a couple of friends just sort of touring around. We walked through a part of the Englischer Garten. In winter, it is beautiful. I can only imagine what it's like in summer. We climbed to the top of a large hill with a romanesque gazeebo sitting on top. There, we had an amazing view of the city at sunset. After that, we headed back to the center of town for a bit of souvenier shopping and eating. In the evening, we split up again into two groups: one went to a bar to watch FC Bayern play against Basel, the other went bowling (except the German version "kegeln" which uses only 9 pins and a ball with no holes). I went to the soccer viewing. It was really fun, but FC Bayern unfortunately lost. It would have been an awesome experience to be in Munich, watching one of Munich's teams win, surrounded by native fans. Then it was back to the hostel and shortly after to bed.

Thursday was our Karneval* party. We had a couple of group-meetings first, though. Then we had the day to plan. We made confetti, arranged a playlist, put together a slideshow of photos from the week, and sent a group to buy food and drinks. Shortly before 8PM, we put on our costumes and got everything set up. At 9, things got started. We danced, ate a ton of snack food, laughed at ours pictures and found out which team won the scavenger hunt. They were awarded with BMW's ("Becher mit Wasser" - cup with water). Then, we made waffels. We made a good 15 to 20 waffels. I burned my fingers a couple of times, but it was worth it. We decided we could make "waffeling" a profession.

On Friday, we had breakfast and then one last meeting. We were all together. We played a couple of games, and we given words of wisdom from our teamers. We also did this thing where we each had a piece of paper taped to our backs, and the others wrote messages on them. It was pretty funny to see everyone lined up behind each other. Then, it was time to go.

I was with the first group which left. From Munich until Hannover, I was with a group of the people I had felt the closest to during this seminar. They made the hours fly by. We've already talked about plans for us to meet up later in the year. Here's to hoping they come through!

When I got home, I talked about the highlights of the week, shared photos, and gave my hostfamily the gifts I bought them. I ate dinner, caught up with a couple of friends, and then it was off to bed for me.

In all, it was an amazing week. Even though I spoke more English than I probably should have, I got to know some really cool people, saw some amazing things (like my first mountains!), and had collected a few unforgettable experiences. If I could, I would relive this week in a heartbeat.

Bis später!


*Karneval/Fasching/Fastnacht is Germany's answer to Mardi Gras, mixed with Halloween. People dress in crazy costumes, storm the streets, drink to their heart's content, and just go crazy. However, it's not just one day. Karneval spans a number of days, each with their own little traditions to them. However, don't ask me to explain in any more detail. There's Google for that.

Gonna Miss It

I was alone in Bremen today, doing a bit of last-minute shopping for my trip to Munich, and I kept realizing how much I'm going to miss being here. I've just made such a great life for myself here, and I don't know how I'm going to be able to leave it in the summer. Everything's just become so familiar. I've made such amazing friends, met incredible people. I've found a second home, a second Heimat. I love travelling. So, I'm looking forward to my trip back to the States. However, saying good-bye is only bearable when I know when I'll get to say hello again. That's why I could stand to leave my friends and family in America. I knew I'd be back in a year. I don't know when I'll get the chance to come back to Germany. Leaving here is going to be so difficult. I'm just glad I've got a few more months here before I have to really face that fact.

Here's to making the very most of the time I have left here!

Bis später

Life is Good

Second semester started about a week ago. I ended the first semester with an average grade of 2.5 (on a 1-6 scale, with 1 being the best). I received two 1s, four 2s, four 3s and two 4s. Not bad, I'd say. My schedule this semester is a bit different. I now have a history class in place of geography, and no more music. On Tuesdays, I have class all day until about 4pm, but Mondays and Thursdays make up for it (only four hours, each day). We've gotten a couple of new teachers, because some of ours needed to be teach other classes/grades. We now have a man from Greece teaching us math. We had our first math class with him today. Seems like it will be an interesting semester with him... Our religion teacher is pregnant and will probably be leaving us soon. I'm going to miss her a bit, though. She's a really nice teacher, and fun to have class with.

I feel like I've truly been accepted by my friends here. I showed them how to play the card game "spoons", and now we play it during almost every break (thanks Aunt Mary for the cards!!). We joke around with each other, we have inside jokes, we understand each other with just looks... I've even been told I'm the coolest exchange student, because I understand everything and can even dish out some insults in German. I am so going to miss these people next year...

My hostfamily is just great! We get along so well, it's unbelievable. I really feel like a part of the family here. They even use the same nickname as my family in America. It seems like switching really was the best decision for my exchange, and I'm glad I could do it!

In a little over a week, I'm going to Munich for a five-day, mid-stay seminar. I'm looking forward to reconnecting with people I haven't seen since July/August. Plus, I'm really excited to see a bit of southern Germany. However, the 8-hour train ride down there won't be entirely the greatest... Oh well. I might be making the journey with one or two other exchange students. So, that'll be fun!

I went ice-skating with my sisters and a couple of their friends. The river in the area flooded earlier this winter, and now the whole floodplain is frozen over and perfect for skating. I surprised myself, and was actually able to move around on my own. However, that's not to say I didn't fall. After 10 seconds standing on the ice, I was down. I even have a lovely bruise covering the front of my knee... However, it was so much fun, and so pretty (pictures from that evening will be filling my 365 project for the next few days), and we're going again tomorrow. I can't wait! By the way, Louise, I think I can thank our little ice-skating excursion for my bit of confidence on the ice!

Hmm... I think that's about it for this time.

Bis später!