Another First Day?!?!?

Well yesterday I had my first day at my new school. But in all honesty I though that switching wasn't going to work out, and that I was just going to go back to Anna-Seghers when the break was over. But yesterday morning, my host mom comes into my room at 8 and says that I have to go to school because she had just got off the phone with my principle, and they had found me a spot in the 10th grade. So I got ready, my host dad drove me, and I was 30 minutes early, so I just walked around. Then at 10, I met him and he was pretty nice. But I guess he was just being nice to me, and normally he's not like that. But that's what they always tell me about the teachers.

My first class was fortunately english! They were all waiting for me, and they had little short things to read about themselves. It was nice, but I had to sit there and nod, and say something everytime, and I honestly didn't remember one name!! I suck with names, but everyone knows me! I feel guilty, but it's one thing I'll never be good at!

After English was math, and we just sat there and had a mini party with bread and nutella, and they all told me how impressed they were with my German. They had no idea that I knew any at first, but then I said that I could speak German, and since then it was all German!

But the day was relatively short, and I'm glad that I went! I will miss Anna-Seghers, like I already said, but I really enjoy my new school. The people were so welcoming, and they really help me out and made sure that I understand. I still don't know if I made the right decision or not to switch, but I will be able to tell with time. And I'm just glad I don't have to worry about it over break!

Last Day...

Today was my official last day at Anna-Seghers-Schule. Going into the day, I had no idea! But in the first hour, one of our teachers told our class that our head teacher wasn't there, and her back-up was also not going to be there. So we only have the first 2 hours and then get to go home. The problem is that I don't have the first two hours. So I just don't have school in general. So the day was sort of sad from that point on. I only had a 3 hour day, and no one knew that I didn't have school the next, so no one realized that it was my last day.

In Chemistry, me and one of my good friends past notes like we often do. They don't text like in America, just good old fashion notes. It was nice because we've been doing that ever since the first time I've had Chemistry there, and I didn't realize today how much it has drastically changed. The first time it was only in English, and then I realized today that it was only German, but the best part was that I wasn't even thinking! So many things have changed the past 4 months at this school. They have really helped me to learn Geman, and didn't ignore me because I didn't know German. This school has just been great to me, all the students and the teachers. It may not be the top school in Germany, but I am truely going to miss it. I feel like I am abandoing this school, because in the end, it was ultimately my decision to switch, and I couldn't even admit that to my friends. This is one of the worst days I've had all year, and now I still have all of Christmas break to think about it. Anna-Seghers...

Ich werde dich wirklich Vermissen!!

This may be one of the worst pictures in the world, but it'll always be special to me...

It's Almost Time for Christmas!!

This past weekend we had our Rotary Christmas Dinner and Party. It really didn't work out how we planned. We at first wanted to meet up in the morning, and then shop and cook all day. Instead, I met up with Garrett(another exchange student from Michigan) and then went to the party at about 6. The party was just outside of Potsdam, which is the capital of another German state, and a city right next to Berlin. We met up with a few other exchange students at the Station and then went back to one of their houses and drank some tea and ate cheesecake.

Her family ended up making the dinner for us too, which we didn't plan on having them do, but it's really hard to organize something like this. It was a typical German meal, which is always good! There were only 10 or so of us there at the time, but people kept coming in one by one, so we didnt really have the room to sit down for dinner that we had hoped for either. But by time the party part began, everyone was there! We had the party in the second house, and we hung out there all night, and most of us actually spent the night! So it was redicously crowed for that many people! But it was an amazing time!!

We left about 9, and I wasn't home until 11:30 because the trains were so slow with all of the snow. But when I got home all I did was basically say hello, and then go back to bed. Then later that day I went to a Christmas Festival with my host mom and one of my host sisters. This time it consisted of only eating because Christmas German food is different from normal German food! German food is a lot better than American food! I didn't want to admit it, but it's going to suck going back to the U.S. with no Döner, Schnitzel and all the other amazing German foods!!

Anyway, after the Christmas Markets we met up with some people and went to a theater. We watched a very funny play with NO language! I was so happy for that! I finally was able to understand as well as the Germans!! It was a group that just wore masks and used only body expressions. It can come off as sounding very dumb, but it was very funny!!

It ended at 10, and we were in the middle of the city, so we got back later than 11! But going back was one of the funnest parts of the evening!! Its normally about a 5 minute walk from the tram station, but it turned into about 20 or 25 minutes because it was just snowball fights the whole time!! It was so much fun!! And I love it even more because I feel so welcome by my new family, and community! They all really make me feel like I'm a part of their family!

Even though I really love it, Christmas is still going to suck! There is so much snow, but it still doesn't feel like Christmas! I miss having a tree already up, and all the christmas lights in the U.S.! Mostly I really miss my family. But this Christmas will be nothing like the others. There is going to be 6 total siblings over, and then 2 sets of Grandparents, and then 3 Australians(which means English!) It'll be the biggest and longest Christmas ever, because christmas here begins on the 24th and ends on the 26th!!

But what I'm mostly excited for is New Years! Apparently the U.S. doesn't know how to celebrate New Years. Here, New Years is as big as 4th of July, or even bigger! I'm going to go to the Brandenburg Gates and stand out of in the cold from 9 at night until about 2 in the morning, celebrating the New Year!! And also, on New Years, there are 3 more Brazilians coming to stay with us. One is the old exchange student with my family, and the others are here parents. So I'll be celebrating the holidays with people from all over the world!

But after the holidays, I'm pretty sure that I am officially switching schools. I've already talked to my host parents about it, and I'm pretty sure it's the best option. So for the next 2 days of this week, will be the last at Anna-Seghers. I'm really upset about leaving my school, especially because I enjoy the people so much, but at the same time I am ready to experience this new school. Lately, I'm just always ready for something new. I'm nervous that I won't like it, or that the new people won't be as welcoming, but at least I know that I've made good enough friends here already, that they'll be there for me if it doesn't work out. But I hope that it does!

The Beginning of Another Step...

Well I would of posted sooner, but suprisingly enough the internet hasn't been working at my new house either. But it's finally up and running again.

Well, everything has been going well! Last Friday I finished getting packed, and then I drove with my host mom and my host brother to my new family in Schöneich bei Berlin, Brandenburg. It's a nice little town with about 10,000 people, just outside of Berlin, and it really reminds me of Marysville. I live in this mini community of people that have been living together for about 15 years now, and it is very friendly(as I was typing this some lady walked in the door and asked for rice, haha). But it was still very sad leaving my host mom because she was all that I knew before I came to Berlin. But my new family was very welcoming. When I got here my host mom was waiting with my older host sister and my younger host sister. But my older host sister left for work and then I sat down with my host mom and host sister and had cookies and drank tea. I learned pretty much everything I needed to know. I have 4 other siblings, one is the twin from my little host sister and then 3 others not living in the house. The 3 of them were all on exchanges in English speaking places and my older host sister that still lives in the house just got back from Argentina. So it is a very big family, which I sort of missed.

That night I went grocery shopping, and met my host dad and practically the entire town. Reminds me a lot of when we go to Meijer and we meet the whole town of Marysville. Then afterwards we went to meet my other little host sister at their Grandma's house, and we ate some amazing German food. Like always with German grandparents. Then Saturday I just hung around the house and then a later me and one of my host sisters went to a concert from a local band. And on Sunday we drove somewhere near Poland and got a few Christmas trees. It was sort of a crappy day because it had rained so the snow was brown and all melted. But the weekend was a lot of fun.

I live a ways away from my school now. I got lucky because Monday and Tuesday my host dad drove me a little bit so that I could avoid taking the first tram. But today I had to take one tram a little of the way and then I had to switch and I was almost late for school. Which didn't even end up occuring today! It was very complicated yesterday and today with school. And total in the past 2 days I've had 2 classes. As much as I enjoy not having school, I'm ready to actually learn something, and I think that I'm actually going to switch schools. Right now I go to a Gesamptschüle which is like the school I want to go to, but a little easier. The school that I'm switching to is a Gymnasium, and it is also close to where I live. It'll suck leaving this school, but I'm sort of ready to switch schools at the same time. I would be switching after Christmas, but I still need to talk to my YEO and see if that'll work out.

Somethings to look forward to now are that Christmas break begins next week on Wednesday and starting tomorrow is only half days. This weekend is our Rotary Christmas party in Potsdam and that should be a lot of fun! Like it always is with exchange students. Then I also have 3 days of Christmas to look forward to, unlike the American one day of Christmas, and then New Years in Berlin!!!

Another Step...

Well, it's been about 2 weeks or so since my last blog post because I still haven't really had internet. Well in the past 2 weeks, it has been practically snowing non-stop! It has been extremely nice, but at the same time, very annoying! If we had this much snow in Michigan then school would have been canceled everyday. Here, you have school, you're just late, and generally your teachers are too. The only time they cancel school is when there is ice, or when it is -25°C. But I still haven't figured out how you actually learn these things, because they don't broadcast that on t.v., and the only place you know if teachers aren't there is on a board at school!

Also in the past 2 weeks, I got to go to my very first Weinachtsmarkt(Christmas festival), with some people from school. It was huge! and while there I got to try legit German Christmas foods and drinks and got to participate in German traditions.......and we also did not get killed by terrorist....so it was a pretty successful night! Then after that, I went to a party with my host brother and got to meet all of his friends, including my new host sister, but I didn't know that night....

Last weekend I got to see Berlin in winter! I love how much Berlin gets into Christmas!

Then the next day, I got to go with some friends from school Eislaufen(ice skating)! Then I headed back early to spend my last Saturday night with my host mom....

On Monday(the 6th of December), there is a tradtion called Nikolaus. What's supposed to happen is that kids wash their shoes the night before, and the St. Nikolaus puts candy in your shoes while you are sleeping. I didn't have any idea about this, but I woke up the next day with candy in my shoes! Then some people from school had to explain it to me.

Finally.....my changing family news! Well my host brother came home from school last week and told me he knew my new host sister. She is the best friend from his girlfriend, and so he is always around her too. But he didn't really have too much info on my new family. Then last friday, my YEO called my host mom and said that I would be switching this Friday. He only mentioned that I will no longer be living in Berlin, and that if I wanted I could switch schools. So basically I have no idea what's going on anymore. In 2 days I switch families to a family that I have very little info on. From the sounds of it, I will be living with 3 host sisters about my age, and I have 2 more older host siblings. I now will be living in Schöneiche, Brandenburg. It's a little town right next to where I live in Berlin, I actually get off at the same station when I go around the city, but now I also have to take the bus about 6 more stations. So my already 35 minute ride school, turned into an hour or more, so I am just going to wait and see. I'm going to suck it up until the holidays begin, and make my decision then. I will make sure to fill everyone in on what's going on, because in all honesty, I still have no idea! But I will find out forsure more on Friday....