Entschuldigung für den späten Posten

Heres the last week in Bonn, and the first week in Freiburg.

Okay so I don’t really have internet for 3 weeks and I feel weird using their computer all the time. Especially since it’s in the parent’s bedroom and so is the television, but I’m okay with that. So I’ll tell you what happened or at least try to remember it all. The weeks seem like months here slipping by so fast having fun and can’t remember all of it.
Last week: Monday was the last Monday of being in Bonn and going to school on Monday. We still learned everything like normal I don’t think we went anywhere. It was also the last day that we were going to have our Open Door meeting and got our tickets for the train. The kids going to Freiburg would be the second group to leave at 11:14am. Tuesday after class most of us just stayed at the AIB and chilled for a little bit and then headed off to the Haribo outlet one last time before we left to go to our new gastfamilies. Wednesday let’s see here I just mainly spent my time studying and packing since the following day was the big test day to see how much we learned in the 7 weeks that we’ve been there. Thursday we took the test and finished around noon. I ate my lunch there and then just stayed for a good portion of the day there not wanting to go anywhere as it was a very hot day. Some of us napped on the couchs, others were on the computer, playing the piano, or playing ping-pong. Friday was the last day that we would be at the AIB it was a sad day. We had a breakfast party and just talked to one another. After the party ever one just stayed there and cleaned up our mess also just do what we normal did after class would get out. Around one Arianna gave us papers to evaluate the course, and the teachers once that was over we could do what we want expect for at 7 the fairwell party was to take place. I rode with my gastfamilie to the party that was at the old AIB and ate. A couple of us entertained the gastfamilies by either singing in English/Deutsch, or playing an instrument. Joe played his dudlesack (pipebags) and Ryan Knott played is trumpet. After the party the group just walked around Bonn one last time and then chilled in the Biergarten one last time with each other. When people started to leave we all said our goodbyes and wished them luck with their new gastfamilies.
Saturday I got up early and made sure that all my things were packed and ready to go. I came downstairs and my gastmutter und gastvater had the breakfast out for me. So we ate and after breakfast Nina finally woke up and they presented me with a gift a photo frame with photos Bonn so that I would always remember it and them which was sweet. When I was about to get on the train I told them I had left them a gift and I hoped that they would enjoy it. When I was almost to Freiburg which took around 4 hours; Nina texted me and said that they loved my gifts. I arrived at the station with the others and we found our new gastfamilies. My new host family like the French greet each other with a kiss on each cheek which freaked me out a bit. Mein neu gastmutter und gastshwester picked me up. Mein gastvater und gastbrude wars nach fusssball spiel. We came home and they showed me around, my room the place. My host sister Maria doesn’t speak much English, my mother spoke to me in German and when I gave her the look of confession would tell me in English. Maria asked if I wanted to swim in the pool I said yes of course and we did that after we had some delicious homemade Obst pie. The father came home, and my brother it was nice my brother Pierre showed me around the place again and explained to me in English about what was going on since he spent a year in Utah he could speak very well English. Later that night a family that was a friend of my gastfamilie came over they had a soon Stefen who was Pierre’s friend and Thomas who was Maria’s friend. The dad and mom were nice people of the family that came over. The dad talked in English with me and he seemed like a cool guy. During dinner got interesting. One side of the table spoke in French the other German, and then it would be all French. So I just mainly sat there in silence and ate my food that I couldn’t finish as they piled a lot of it on my plate. Stefen helped by translating a lot of what was going on which was nice as did Pierre. After dinner all of us kids went up to Pierre’s room and just chilled by listening to music and looking at his year book from Utah. A little while later we went swimming again and played some water polo which I never played before.
Sunday I got up early took a shower and had breakfast with the family. The dad would speak to me in Deutsch and expect me to answer in Deutsch. I tried my best, but sometimes I didn’t know the vocabulary, or I had no idea what he was asking or saying to me thankfully Pierre could help me by translating it. Freibrug Deutsch is different than Bonn Deutsch believe me. Around noon me and Pierre took our bikes down to the train station and meet up with Stefen. We headed into the Black Forest to go to this lake with 2 other friends of Pierre’s: Sofie and Max. They spoke French so again I had no idea what they were talking about. But Sofie talked to me in English she’s a cool chick me and her mainly hung out that day while the boys went and did their own thing. That night I went out with the same group of people and we went to a club called 18 months. Since the club allowed kids who were 16 or 17 years old the others could go. If we went to a regular club only me and Pierre would have been able to get in as we’re the only 18 year olds there.
Monday: My first week in my new family and new environment. It’s really wonderful. Love living up in the mountains of Freiburg, but me + bike + mountains = disaster. I don’t have the power to get up the huge hill that there is to get to the house. If I lived in a flatter surface area it would be easier to bike to places. I would rather walk, but the tram cost 2.10 a euro just one way. So I’ll be taking the bike a lot..haha it’s going to be a lot of fun. Hopefully by the end of the 3 weeks I’ll be able to get up the mountain with my bike…..hopefully. Well let’s see what else happened today. Oh yes Pierre and I went down town and he showed me around the place we came back and swam in the pool. After that I read a book outside in the garten which was lovely. A couple of hours later my host mother asked me if I wanted to ride down the organic store I said sure and we rode our bikes done to the store it’s really cool. I found my soy milk and she got some cereal and other things that she need in the house. After we came back I grabbed my book and chilled outside in the nice weather. Of course I watched a movie with my host sister and brother. It was Step Up, but it was in German. Which was okay with me since I already seen the movie and I knew what it was about.
Tuesday well let’s see I got up like normal had breakfast like normal and like always did my own thing. Well until Pierre asked me if I wanted to watch a movie online which of course I did we watched The Proposal. It was a good movie. At first we were watching it in German and then we switched it to English so that I could understand it better. Once that was down we had lunch. I had to eat quickly as it was already 2pm and I had to meet with Duncan at 3pm. Since I was shown the tram way I took the tram. I found my way easily to the building that I needed to get to, and I meet up with Nat who happened to be in a meeting with him before me. Duncan is a cool guy and we talked about what I’ll be doing for the next months coming up and getting settle. He asked how my host family was and if everything was alright. Of course it is the family is great. Once my meeting was done I started to walk to the tram stop, but it started to rain I thought why not wait it out and found a book store to go in. Found some good books that I really wanted to buy. When the rain was starting to let up I walked home. Man does my butt, and legs are sorrow. I get a work out each time I walk up the huge hill or small mountain. But thankfully my final host family doesn’t live on a mountain and I can get to and from their house with a bike easier than if I lived with these one right now. When I got back though my host mom asked if I wanted to look at some kid books so that I can work on my German. I agreed to it and we sat in the kitchen looking at a book going over words slowly for almost an hour. After supper I was asked if I wanted to watch a movie again. This was a German film about the time before WWII and how the Germans were racist and all. It was a good movie I understood some of it, but they also helped by explaining it to me.
Wednesday I’m not all too sure what I’m going to do today. I think I may go after lunch with my host dad and host mom somewhere they want to show me around a bit. I can’t wait for it. I think we are taking bikes and most likely will have to go back up hill….I’m going to make a fool out of myself when we have to go back up the hill. Okay so the good thing is we didn’t have to ride bikes up any mountain we just walked up and down the mountain side of the Black Forest. It was beautiful a wonderful day to go and do it. We left I think around 3pm and we didn’t get done until around 6pm. It was like 3 hours of walking up and down a mountain, but having fun enjoying the time with my host family and seeing the wonderful view that was in front of us. When we finished we drove to this café that was also a hotel and had some Eis. I had Eisschokolade (sp) which was delicious. We arrived at home around 7pm and well be having supper soon.
Thursday well I tried to get a hold of Alex to figure what’s up with my intern. I still have to email my other intern, and I’m still not getting internet on my computer. I have no idea what’s up. I miss talking to you guys even if it’s just through facebook and messages. It’s something that keeps. I can live without the internet, but I mean it get’s lonely even if I am in a different country and in new surroundings. My host family took me up to this nice little restaurant on top of a hill and showed me the place and got ice cream it was very nice. And then I meet the German Oma. This was nice of them. I did check my facebook and email and of course my laptop still isn’t working for some odd reason at this house, but I think my host dad has the wrong passphrase that he gave me. I’ll try at the school that I’ll be interning at for a week and hopefully it’s not my laptop, but the wireless at this family’s place. Friday well let’s see I went shopping with my host mother and sister which was nice bonding time with them. I only have 2 weeks left with host family and I hope that this blog won’t be too long for you to read….Oh and after that had a nice meal with the family. Later that day me and my host mother dropped of Maria at her friend’s house and went up the Black Forest again to meet up with Pierre and Claus. We walked through the Black Forest to this restaurant that they were waiting at. We got something to eat there and then we sort of ran back to the car through the forest as it was getting dark.
Saturday I got a call from Alex Benko the guy who I’ll be interning for a week at the school to help the Germans with their English. I meet up with him at 5:30 that day to go over what we needed to do for the following week. I have to make up a lesson for this coming Monday for the class hopefully I’ll do well because I’ve never taught before, but it’ll look good on my applications. When I came back from meeting with Alex my family took me to the Wine Fest that was going on. We stayed out until 2am and had a lot of fun. I had tasted maybe five different kinds of wines: 1 red, 1 pink, and 3 white…lol they really do love their wine down south more than their beer. Sunday I finally did a load of laundry. Wow I can’t believe I have only 2 weeks left with this family. Also I cleaned my room which is nice to do. Don’t do much on Sunday since it’s supposed to be quiet. I study my German go over my lesson and well clean…lol Can’t forget about the lovely mountain bike ride that I took with my host dad. Four miles up the mountain I had to stop a couple of times, because I’m out of shape I guess. We stopped at a Hotel that was up there and I had the delicious Black Forest Cake. When we were coming down from the mountain I fell twice one on each side of the bike. When I fell on the right side I bruised the muscle in my thigh and got many little thorns in my hand. But I’m okay I’m just a little sore from the bike ride. I took a shower and cleaned up making sure my scrapes were cleaned as well. Supper was good homemade and healthy like always. I went with Pierre, Maria, and my host mom to someone’s house to see the garden that Pierre had to take care of for this week it’s a huge house.