29 & 30 Juni

Time is going by sooo fast! But it was finally pretty weather today and yesterday! And I of course had school both days. Monday/yesterday I had both of my classes and my culture class is just too boring! We talk about the medieval times in german and it just isn't fun to listen to! So after class we all wanted to enjoy some sun finally! Me and jessie went to the englischer garten in munich. It's twice as big as central park and has the world's largest bier garten and the river than runs through it has big waves...so there's a section where you can watch people surfing. We went to the bier garten and just did some people watching. Everyone smokes here bc every 2 minutes someones asking "feuer" which means lighter and of course I never have one. Silly germans! After the bier garten we walked to watch the surfers...it's rained so much that were under a high water advisory so the waves were really big and it was pretty awesome to watch! Surfing in the middle of a giant city! Jess and I went back for dinner at our houses then we met at the train station to go two stops over to Groebenzell. Dan, josh, steph and jordan were meeting us at a little neighborhood bier garten. We stayed there until like 1...talking to locals and it was fun! 

Today, Christine and eva flew to sweden to visit hans. It was evas first time flying so christine was nervous! But eva could draw for hours! She draws the same thing over and over but could do it all day....so she took lots of paper! I went to my one convo class and I got a 1 on my first test!! Which is the best....it goes 1-6! and i didnt even study! im so smart...jk! And it was so hot and sunny today that we decided to make a trip to the olchinger see [lake]. Its about a 15 minute bike ride which made me a little nervous but we made it! The water was really cold but it felt good after laying out! We had gone to the supermarkt to buy some food and these ducks swam by so we started throwing bread. Well they were real friendly little ducks! They walked right up onto our towels and were in our faces wanting food fast! So I started throwing it in the air and making them catch it...well one little duck was real fast and bit me! he just got my finger nail but it was scary! So then we headed back and i made it back to esting fine...got almost to my house and ran into a fence!! I just hit it and fell over! idk how really...but i did! I scraped up my right leg and arm but Im ok! Just no more bike riding for me! Good thing my house is the closest one to our school! But tonight I was supposed to go to our normal biergarten...but we had too much hwork and we have stammtisch tomorrow...so double timin it tomorrow! I also have a lot of pics of the surfing and all that...but Im tired and am actually gonna do my homework so i can enjoy stammtisch!

so pics soon!! love you miss you

I've lost track of days!

But today was Andechs...what my guest mom had called pilgrimage in english! But not so much! We drove about 30 mins and then got out to hike up a mountain! I rode with with Laura's fam because Christine was driving Eva up and I wanted to hike! So I mean it wasn't a huge like alp mountain but it was rather tough! It took us about an hour and a half and some parts were soooo steep! It was really foggy but it was not too hot so it was nice hiking weather. When we got to the top everyone immediately sat on some steps. Well there was a church on top but only Laura, her guest mom and I went in and only for a few minutes. I couldn't really understand too much...they sang for the most part when I was in there but when they prayed I could understand a lot more! Then they took communion but I just went out since I'm not catholic. It was a really pretty church though and it was interesting going to church in a diff language!

So I went outside and went up to another biergarten where we all met and ate. A lot of my neighbors went so it was good to talk to some new people and be so excited that I was understanding them too! I ate some kind of pork and potato salad...which like everything else was very good! After we ate and talked for about two hours it was time to go back down...which was a lot easier! Christine had left already to work but she was so worried about my legs...but they did good! When we got to the bottom though, we couldn't find the car. So we walked around for another 30 minutes! Ha I was ready to sit down when we finally got to the car!

As soon as I got home I took a nap! I only got four hours of sleep in Nuernberg and had to get up at 7 today! Well when I got up I almost just fell over! My legs were sooo sore! But I took a few advil and now they're normal. And I'm watching USA/Brazil...the first time I've really watched tv since I've been here. But Christine is not here and the girls are of course in bed! But we're winning 2-0! Sooooo glad I found it! The tv is hard to work...they have satellite and you have to use like 3 remotes but not in the normal 3 remote way! IDK you just have to be here I guess! But I have both of my classes tomorrow so I should prob go to bed but I think I'm gonna try to stay up for the entire game. And I'll add some pics...of Nuernberg, Nazi rally grounds

So love you miss you! 

Ok past 3 days!

Ok I already forgot exactly what all I did on thurs...but I went to the biergarten and one of our professors came! Weird but it was a good time...it rained really hard while we were there but we were sitting at a table under a tent! I came home around 8.30 and I just got ready for school and went to bed. My senior citizen bedtime still applies even in deutschland!  ;)

But yesterday/friday was of course school. We had our first test that I didn't study for...and it was fine. I'm sure I did awesome. We didn't have our culture class but we got some homework back and I got a 63  out of 75 on my journal entry because I was one line short of two pages?!! She wrote that it was good writing and grammar but she could see my structural mistake! Oh well! We went to Nurnberg after class and we stayed the night there.  It was about and hour and 40 min train ride. But the train was already full so some people had to stand up the entire time! So we finally got there and it is a very pretty town. It looks like a german town...with little row houses all diff colors and bridges and cobblestone streets! So much prettier than munich. But we stayed in a hostel on a mountain...it was actually a castle were the bavarian royalty used to stay. It was really nice but you had to hike up a mountain to get there! After we got our rooms Dr Weber took us on a walking tour and showed us all of the most famous sights. I usually daydream through most of it...but I got good pics! After our tour we were free for the night...so I ended up going to a biergarten with dan and josh...then later tried to find a disko with leah but she gets a little annoying so I went to a hookah bar with jessie! It was a fun night!

So today/sat morning we woke up and went to the germanisches internationalmuseen. It was rather boring...then after that dan, jessie, josh and I went to the Nazi Museum which is in/connected to Hitler's stadium/coliseum. It was awesome! We could only stay about a hour bc our train back to munich but we couldve stayed like 3. Some students went to the toy museum instead...but that was real stupid! You can't go to nurnberg without seeing what hitler had planned/tried to do/did! 

We got back tonight around 7.30 so I came back and watched movies with my guest sisters! It's still so weird living with people that I've known for less than two weeks! They're awesome though and I'm going on Andex tomorrow. She described it in english as a pilgrimage. Her english is not good so idk. We are walking up a mountain then eating at a restaurant on top with all the fellow church goers. Should be interesting! But I'm so sleepy and we're leaving at 8.30! I'll try to put some pics up tomorrow!

Ich liebe und vermisse dich!

ps. Postcards are ready to be sent. I just have to figure out how to do it!  

Day 9...24.Juni

Ok so I've been falling behind with my daily blogs...so it's only 1.10 here but my fam is not home, I have no homework, I'm going to the beirgarten at 2.30 to continue my classes weekly, thursday, biergarten tradition, but I have a minute to write about yesterday!

But...yesterday the weather was terrible and I had lots of homework so I pretty much stayed home. I went to school like normal and came home and Christine had to go to work until 10. She works in the ICU part of Munich's largest hospital. So I ate lunch that Oma had made and then took a nap! Julia gets home from school at 1 so when I woke up we met Jessie at the Supermarkt! It was prob like a 15 min walk and it was pretty much like a mini-walmart. They had clothes, shoes, food... We got pizzas to make for dinner and I found the peach ice tea that I looovvveee!! So I was pretty excited! It started to rain on us on the walk home and it was only like 50 here so it was cold! By the time we got back we were soaked! I started some homework and we waited on Leoni to get home so we could make our pizzas.

After we ate I had to do an interview with my guest family about school. Since the parents went home I just asked the girls. Here in germany they have like one main elementary/middle school for 4 years and then you can choose between 3 high schools. Gymnasium is the best and most kids start out trying to stay in it...but if their grades slip they move down. You can only go to college if you go to Gymnasium. Well Leoni goes to gymnasium but Julia goes to the second level school! Philipp has said only bad, dumb students go to anything other then gymnasium. But I asked my teacher today and she said not really...that Julia wants to be a nurse so her "diploma" from realschule is enough. So apparently the lowest level is for people who are ok with being mechanics or something like that, realschule is ok for certain, specific trades like a nurse and gymnasium is for students wanting to go to college! Complicated! And phil wants to be a ship builder and he went to gymnasium so I'm real confused...I guess I'll ask him when I see him in 22 days!!!!

But there's your little german life lesson and I need to get ready to walk to the biergarten! And I think it's too cool to go swimming today so hopefully I won't fall down a concrete wall today!  ;)  Day 10 is half over and I have a really funny story but I'll wait until tonight or tomorrow to share! So get ready!  Miss and love you all!

Day 7 & 8

Ok it's the end of day 8 but I didn't write about day 7 so I'll put them together! I did pretty much the same thing both days! I went to school..although monday I had two classes, I only had one today! Class is rather boring...my first convo class is a joke!! We're still doing things I did in 101! But anyway...after classes I always come home and eat lunch with Eva! Now every time she sees me we make a fish face and whenever I leave she knocks on the window and I have to blow her kisses! She loves me and she is sooo funny!

Monday was when Hans had to leave for Sweden...he's so nice! Im going to miss him! But when I had to go into town I forgot how to say safe...so I said I hope you have a not dangerous flight! I thought he might pee himself!! But he made it to Sweden safely and will be there until July 14 for training or something like that! 

But I went into Munich monday and today with Jessie and some other students. Monday we went to the Residenz...where the kings/dukes used to live. It was pretty but after so long the rooms all looked the same! And after that we went to the Hofbrauhaus and that was fun! We ate dinner there and even though its real touristy...we are long-term tourists so we had to go at least once!

Today only me and Jessie want to the German Museum. It was only 50 here and it rained alllll day!! So a good day for a museum that we have to visit for our culture class! It was just over pretty much everything in german history....science, architecture, transportation, etc. A little on the boring side but we have to do it!! After that we went to a little bakery that was very good, went and bought postcards and then met some others at a beer garten! We rode the train home at about 7.30...I missed dinner so I made myself a peanut butter sandwich and came up to my room! I'm gonna stay home and play with Eva tomorrow bc I feel like I need to! She's so fun anyway and the weather isn't supposed to improve until next week! :(  Oh well...I'll still make it fun!

But I wish you all could come party/have fun with me!! love and miss you!

ps...I have a new name....Fabian...thats all eva ever calls me and we're not sure why?! I thought it was a boy's name but it's not so I guess it's ok!

Day 6

I feel silly updating my blog everyday but the other students update their blogs every day too...so I guess it's ok! My fam just goes to bed early so I get bored until we begin to explore the nightlife! Hopefully that begins this week!

But today was just another fam day! I slept til 10 and then got up to shower! After I got done Laura had called and her host dad wanted me to come pick cherries with them! So I went and did that...played ping pong with Laura then climbed into a very high treehouse and it was scary getting down. We just used the cherry picking ladder so I was hoping not to break my leg in germany this time. But I made it down safe and decided to go home! Christine asked me if I wanted to go to a beer garden with the whole fam so I did. Hans had to get Evas car seat in the van...it's a Ford van which is really strange to see! I don't think I've ever seen a ford in germany! But it was like a 10 min ride and on the way Julia said we're meeting some friends..."they're fat but they're nice!" And when I saw them it was so funny cause they were rather large! But I ate something like fettucini and it was ok. Everything I eat out tastes the same?!

When we got home we got ice cream from the basement and I went up to start homework. While doing my homework Christine brought me the best cake I've ever eaten...I'll post a pic! But I was worried about losing weight but I think I'm gonna do the opposite! After homework I went downstairs and watched tv with all the girls then played foosball with Hans, Leoni and Julia...we kept switching partners but I still lost everytime. That's about all I did...I'm ready for school tomorrow so I can see the others and speak english! It's just so weird being surrounded and only speaking another language! 

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY DAD!!!  Love you

Day 5

Ok...now another day has gone by sooo fast!! Today was a good day spending time with the fam...so maybe this entry won't be as long! 

But I slept until 11!!!!! I woke up so happy! Yaaaay sleep!! But when I woke up I didn't know what to do...the house was so quiet. So I just started some homework until Christine came to say good morning and that we could come down and get lunch. Lunch was my fave so far!!! It was like a casserole with noodles, tomatoes, cucumbers, ham and a cheesy like sauce!! The food is getting better every day!! But Christine had to leave during lunch and she still isn't back so idk what she's doing.

After lunch I played with Eva bc we were all going to a fair without her! She knows everyone/everything that's in my photo album. I'll even ask her where my room is in the apt bldg and she'll point to it! Then she went down with her Oma and Hans, Leoni, Julia and I drove to Munich to go to a fair. Well Hans thought it was where Oktoberfest is but it wasn't...we walked around there anyway! I'll be back there someday soon for the real thing! Then we found out the festival was in Olympic Park...so we drove there and the park was awesome! I saw all the bldgs and we went up in the Olympic Tower and overlooked the entire city. You can normally see the Alps but it was real foggy today so I was really sad!! He said we could come back again. And we also passed a sign for a zoo and he said we could go if I wanted and of course I said YES! Already crunk for zoo day!

Hans took a diff way home so that we would go on the autobahn and it was pretty crazy! People would fly past us and they would switch lanes like crazy w/o any signals!! It looks just like the interstate until someone passes you out of control! Then we had to go past a gas station on our exit and there were like 30 semis!!! I had never seen one in germany and philipp said they didn't exist! So I was like pointing and trying to say all this in german...and I think Hans thought I was weird!! But oh well...once I got home I was supposed to meet the others and go biking but our plans got canceled! So viktor and leah are scoping out the diskos for another night! I just watched a movie with the girls and now Im in bed...ready to sleep very good again! Tomorrow I get to wake up and do all of my homework! fun...

Love you miss you! bis morgen

Day 4

Ok I actually just woke up into day 5...yeah it's 11!! And I heard my guest sisters up at 9 but I guess that's sleeping in for them since they usually get up at 5! 

So yesterday was real rainy!!! But it got a lot cooler which is awesome  and why I could sleep last night!! So yay for more than 3 or 4 hours of sleep!! I had my one convo class which is still super easy. We talked about the verbs haben and sein which are to be and to have! Which I learned on prob the second or third day of 101! Oh well...I feel like I'm learning a lot outside of class so I don't care. Class is supposed to be over at 11 but dr weber has been coming still to explain "living in germany" rules. And last night...as in thurs night....stephanie rode her bike drunk and ran into a pole. So her face was torn up!! So we got a 15 minute speech on riding a bike! So class wasn't over until like 12. Laura is my neighbor and since it was raining her host dad took us and picked us up! He has a really bad bayerisch accent and he talks SOOO loud. So I'm going to work on my volume control problems when I come home...bc now I know what its like!  ;)  

Host dad was here for lunch today...he's a rescue helicopter pilot and he leaves monday for sweden so he's spending some time with eva!  We had wiener schnitzel and bayerisch potato salad!! It was real real good! It tasted just like a pork chop! After lunch I met a bunch of other students at school to go bike riding around Esting and Olching to see where we all live. We got to mine and Lauras house cause we are so close to school and then it started pouring. So we went to a little bakery and decided we would postpone our ride until a prettier day. Then I came back home and eva was watching tv so I watched cartoons with her! Hans and Christine weren't here so Julia and I had to convince eva to go visit her Oma/gma so we could do homework.

We all ate dinner together and Im not sure what we had but it was good! It was like weird sandwich bread and meat and tomatoes with dressing or something! Leonie is the 11 yr old and shes started to talk more...she told me that they learned about different foods from other countries. She said in china they eat cats and dogs...so she thought that was real gross. I said what about america and she said burger!

It was my first friday and I didn't know whether to stay home or go out. Eva was going to bed and Jessie and Viktor were going into town so I went into Munich with them! Right before I left to catch a train Eva peed her pants!! So she was getting in trouble bc she had already had a bath...and I can't help but laugh but Im working on it! It was still rainy in munich and Viktor missed the first train so Jessie and I had to walk around the train station to wait for him...and we found a candy cart thing and got tons of candy! We went to sit by burger king but we got in trouble so I had to buy a coke so we could sit there!! When Viktor finally came we just walked around town...took some pics at night...and eventually found a restaurant to sit and he wanted coffee! We found a little corner beer hall thing and we had to sit with an old man....but he was soo nice and loved to talk when he found out we could understand him. He loves american history...franklin roosevelt is his fave pres...and Obama is a great man for germany, america and the whole world! After that big speech we left to catch the 11.57 train. 

Ok this is a long post but a lot goes on!! This is random but one of the strangest things I've experienced is black people speaking german! Its sooo weird...we even saw two on the train last night that were trying to go for the whole gangsta look but once they started talking it just wasn't working...and I know I prob just stare at them but it just doesnt seem real! And I'm gonna post some more pics....I can't get words to look right under or beside the pics so I'm just gonna post one of school bc I forgot that one last time and some of munich at night!!

Love you...miss you....mer and sophie skype me soon!

Day 3

Its only day three but I feel like I have been here for a long time! But its a good thing...I love it here!!! I will also post more pics and they are of my walk to school...in my town named Esting! Its awesome to be able to walk everywhere and just get on a train whenever you want to! I also have pics of eva and leoni on their monkey bars!!! They are crazy!

So today I had class again at 9.30 and we also had our first culture class, which is after conversation about 11.30! Class is different here...more relaxed and fun! I usually just laugh the whole time which is very normal!! But I feel like my conversation class is below my level but it won't hurt to have a review! My culture class will mainly be us going to Munich and writing journal entries about what we see!!! So fun AND easy!! Just how I like it! :)

After class I come home for lunch and me and eva eat together! I had something like crepes...me house mom said it wasnt the same but I think it was! It was soooo good and then I met my other student people at our school to go to the beer garden in the town of Olching where some of them live! It was very very fun and after we swam in a river!! I hope it was clean because I have cuts on my elbows and hips....but oh well Im in germany right?!  So we all swam for a while and then went back to the beer garden for food!!

Then after dinner I walked back to Esting, my home! I just love being able to walk everywhere! I had my ipod in and it was so sunny....I love it here!! But when I got back to my house everyone was outside playing!! So I flipped on the monkey bars and played tag with eva! She loves me!!! We have to hold hands everywhere we go and at lunch we read an animal book...she said the animals in german and I said them in english!!! She is amazing!! And her voice is sooo cute! 

But now I am just exhausted!!! I havent been sleeping good!! I think Im still on US time because I dont fall asleep until like 5 am which is 10 at home!! And we all know thats my bedtime with the senior citizens!! Hopefully I will get adjusted soon....plus its been hot here and w/o ac Im very hot but its supposed to get cooler tomorrow! But that means rain  :(   I am also going to try to ride my bike in the morning to school!!! AAHHHH

Oh and Dan and Josh were late for the beer garden because they were doing construction on train tracks and they found a bomb from WWII!!!!!  So they had to bike instead...but thats very scary!! They say they find them alot but not when Im here!!! Ok I think thats it!! But my fam is awesome and I love playing with eva...even though she goes to bed soo early!! And julia the oldest wore the t-shirt I brought her today! She loves me too...I mean who wouldnt?!!! haha but Ill add pics of my walk to school, my school and eva and leoni!! Love and miss you all!!!

I forgot

When we were in Munich listening to one of dr weber's rants...my friend jessie said there's a pug! I got so excited!! I think it was a stray :(  It didnt have a collar and it was just wondering around the pedestrian zone all alone! It made me sad but it was sooo cute and a little chubby like my ringo!! But I forgot that and it was one of the best sights so far haha!! But I see a pug/mop everytime Im in Germany!! weird

Day 2

I didnt think I would have time to write something everyday but the girls all go to bed early cause they still have school and have to leave at 6! And eva goes tomorrow morning for her test for kindergarten! So the house is silent and Im still a little jet lagged and have class at 9.30 so I dont mind!

But today was my first day of school and I rode a bike there!! I was real scared because its tall so my legs barely touch the pedals and when you stop you have to kinda fall over!! But I got to school safe and my guest mom led the way to it! But since I was so scared I didnt know how to get back to my house so Laura is my neighbor so I followed her back! Shes weird though... extremely quiet but I had to get back!! Well since I was so scared about riding the bike I just walked it back cause its only like 15 min! But as I was walking beside it the pedal caught my ankle and ripped half the skin off! So I got a bike injury not by riding it but just walking beside it!! And I got home and asked for a bandaid...my mom is a nurse and I believe the biggest bandaid in europe is now on my ankle!! And real mom you will enjoy this:  when we met at the train Viktor said "what happened to your ankle?! that looks bad!"  It really didnt need a bandaid that bad especially one this big! And viktor has been taking a million pics!! Not of sights...just of the group:  the group looking at a church, one a train, waiting for a train, in the bookstore, etc. All I can say is that Im soooo glad mom and dad don't pick my husband! That would be REAL scary...I love you though mom!

So we made it to Munich after viktor called me out and dr weber just showed us all the main things and explained the trains so that we can now go on our own! He just talked forever about stuff I dont think anyone cared about! But oh well...Im in germany so I dont really care what Im actually doing! But we were gone to munich from about 2.30 to 7.30. Then I walked back home and Hans was grilling out on the balcony! So I went in and played fussball with eva! Everytime I scored a goal it counted for her though! But shes talking to me now and she loves giving me high fives! And we all ate outside and we made faces during dinner! And they said my german is very good and it's better than the girl that lived with them last year!! Yay...its so weird talking only in german a lot but its only the second day and I feel more confidant already! Although sometimes I just say random english sentences so Im trying to work on that!

I think thats it! Eva also took her bath then came upstairs to my room to hug me and blow kisses since she was going to sleep! Shes so cute and I can always hear her yelling mama downstairs....so cute!! But Im going to try to watch the bachelorette before I go to sleep but my internet is slow so idk if ill be able to! OH and one of my convertors blew up this morning, filled the bathroom with smoke and I thought I had caught the house on fire! But I didnt and Im going to ask them to use their convertor! But thats really everything so love you and miss you!

Day I

Yay Ich bin hier!!!!!  My flights were good except my first plane was tiny!! It was one seat aisle and two seats! And I was in the one seater...but it was only an hour flight. And then my flight to munich was only 7 hours and it was real smooth except a little bumpy over the ocean sometimes! I sat with a girl with the group and shes really nice but she talked about her husband the whole time! Then we got to munich and rode the train another hour and a half then walked forever to our meeting restaurant and we sat there forever until our host fam picked us up! We hadnt slept yet and this one boy went over to Dr Weber to ask him something and fell asleep standing up!! So silly! But my guest mom came to get me and we came back and met Hans Julia and eva! Leoni is/was still at school! But eva acts real shy but shes started to show off and has a huge smile if you look at her! Tomorrow I am going to find the school at 10.30 and then go on a tour on munich! Right now Im trying to unpack but one of them comes in every 10 seconds and tells me something new! 

It just feels so weird being here! I had to show them my legs and my arm and they asked tons of questions but so far Im understanding enough and I think they understand me! idk...I think thats it since I havent even been here an entire day but I havent slept at all yet! So Im going to shower and then going to pass out!!!!!

Love and miss you all already!