Well my holidays started the 23rd. I got a messaged after posting my last blog and some kids from my new school wanted to go a Christmas Market, and it was a great time! Then later that night my older host sister from Düsseldorf came with her Australian boyfriend. I realized that I was going to speak too much English when he started out by introducing himself in English...
Then the 24th came, and this is considered to be the official Christmas day in Germany. But it doesn't really feel like Christmas at all like in the U.S. Mornings aren't so exciting. We got up, had breakfast, and then me and the Australian set up the tree. Then we kind of just chilled and took the whole day to get ready for church. Then we walked about a half hour to the church and met the Grandparents. It was a very short and simple mass and the first time I had attended a mass since I left, so I'm glad I got to go to church.
After the mass we headed back home and had dinner!! Very typical Geman meal with a lot of meat, fish, potatoe salad, and of course beer! It was one of the best Christmas dinners I've ever had. Then right after dinner we went and said down and exchange presents. It's not like how we do it in the U.S. where we go and take all of our presents and sit down. People pass out 1 or 2 at a time and it's a lot more patient. I suprisingly got quiet a bit from my host family, something I wasn't expecting or asking for. Everyone was so generous and I really felt like I was a part of the family.
Then after presents we had another little thing in the church. It was just a Modern day play of the birth of Jesus and it was interesting. Then I went to a party at my older host brothers and I got to speak a lot of English because I was around the Australian the whole time and people just speak English to him, so they would do the same to me too. But it was a great party and I got home around 4:30 and got to skype my family a little...probably a dumb idea on my part.
On the American Christmas day, we didn't do much at all. Two more Australians came to us in the early morning and we just went sleeding on the back of a car. Then we had a big dinner and pretty much the same thing the next day. Except we had a lot of people come over for a bonfire with Swedish fires!! Best idea in the world!
The rest of the break was just relaxing. We went sleeding a few times. We went to a place called Tropical Islands, which is the biggest water resort place in Europe. I even tried to go shopping one day but it didn't work out because I forgot my credit card at home, so I had a total of 50 euro! So I didn't accomplish anything, and I have yet to buy Winter clothes.
New Year's Eve in Berlin was incredible!! It didn't work out how I planned it, but it was was still great....I met up with some friends at the main station in Berlin. Then we went to Brandenburger Tor, which is the big place where the party is at in Berlin. Then everyone was cold, so we walked back to the main station and with a little time left we walked back but I managed to lose almost everyone but a few people, and we just ended up staying at Reichstag(German Parliment Building) because they closed the gates to get in to Brandenburger Tor at 11 because there was already over a million people there. But Reichstag was still good too and the moment it turned midnight you just heard eveyone screaming and fireworks going off into the air, and it was one of the greatest moments of my exchange. I can't even describe it how great it was.
We stayed for a half hour, then walked back to the main station to meet up with the others. I ended up leaving with Guillermo to meet my host sister and the other Australians at a party. We meet a ton of Germans because we had no idea how to get there, and they didn't either. So by time we found the place I had a group of over 10 people that I had brought with to the party. It ended being a typical German techno party which are actually the best ones!! We stayed for a couple of hours and left at 3, and got home at 5:30. Best New Years ever!!
New Years day was nothing special. I came down stairs at 1 to eat breakfast and got hugs from everyone. The we chilled and watched a couple of movies and just had a lazy day. Today is the same thing but now I have to get ready for school to officially start. I was already there one day, but I'm still extremely nervous!!
O, and...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMMA!!
I'm so glad that you had a wonderful holiday season with your new host family and friends!
ReplyDeletethank you reeder (:
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