Guten Tag ya'll
First off, I want to start of this blog by giving a shout out to the one and only amazing Sally Pryor (aka my best friend) for surviving Hell Week at Virginia Military Institute. I know you did well Sally and I am really proud of you!
Okay so, the state I am living in, Hessen, Germany is the Shire. Reasons include:
1) It is unrealistically green.
2) Hungen looks like Hobbiton
3) It rains only when it is the proper time to do so.
4) I am pretty sure I saw Gandalf yesterday.
5) Did I mention how green this place is?
Second, I would like to put it out there that I am coming back to Tallwood next school year. I am really excited to join the class of 2014, and I am sure my senior adventures with the likes of Caroline, Aidan, Elle, Chase, and Patrick will be most epic.
okay, this was short one.
Cheers,
Sean
Monday, August 27, 2012
Saturday, August 25, 2012
First Week with the Host Family
Guten Tag everyone!
Okay, so I am sitting here typing this blog on my first Saturday morning with my host family, that's right I have so managed to last a week through all the insanity that comes with being the new American student in Hungen, Germany. I am going to list the major points:
1. My host family is wonderful, hands down, I am really blessed to have them.
2. I was lucky enough to time my arrival with a small group of students from Buffulo, N.Y visiting Hungen. They have been here for about a week before me, but they are leaving this Monday. They have made it a lot easier adjusting to culture shock, and I am have some friends as a result because the group is staying with host students. Jive.
3. I think I have gone to school less then I have ever in my life for a week that was intended to be a full week of school. I think we are all aware that in Germany, if the teacher never shows up, you don't have class.
4. I have officially decided to return to Tallwood High School for another year of school after my time in Germany. It was pretty clear to me that I will only be learning German in school this year, and that I may only be able to understand what is going on towards the end of the year in most of my classes.
5. I have a newfound musical addiction to Owl City.
6/ Nutella and Ice Tea is a great morning-after-the-party meal
oh, and cheers!
Sean
Okay, so I am sitting here typing this blog on my first Saturday morning with my host family, that's right I have so managed to last a week through all the insanity that comes with being the new American student in Hungen, Germany. I am going to list the major points:
1. My host family is wonderful, hands down, I am really blessed to have them.
2. I was lucky enough to time my arrival with a small group of students from Buffulo, N.Y visiting Hungen. They have been here for about a week before me, but they are leaving this Monday. They have made it a lot easier adjusting to culture shock, and I am have some friends as a result because the group is staying with host students. Jive.
3. I think I have gone to school less then I have ever in my life for a week that was intended to be a full week of school. I think we are all aware that in Germany, if the teacher never shows up, you don't have class.
4. I have officially decided to return to Tallwood High School for another year of school after my time in Germany. It was pretty clear to me that I will only be learning German in school this year, and that I may only be able to understand what is going on towards the end of the year in most of my classes.
5. I have a newfound musical addiction to Owl City.
6/ Nutella and Ice Tea is a great morning-after-the-party meal
oh, and cheers!
Sean
Monday, August 20, 2012
First Day of School.
The vulgar version of the phrase "It just got real" would be befitting of the day I just had. German school is different, period. It is totally crazy, However, there is hope for this slightly overwhelmed American surfer boy. The school director set me up so I would be in some classes with an American student who lives in Hungen, who speaks perfect German and English. Awesome. That considered, it really feels like I didn't learn anything in German classes for the last three years. Lovely. So here was a breakdown of my day:
English class: easy.
Math: Not even trying, teacher is letting me do homework in classes, also he has a son who swims, and he says he can set me up. Sweet.
Politics: Crazy dude, understood a lot of what he was saying though.
Bio: We watched a movie.
History: I zoned out and noted how pretty German girls are.
Sport: Got canceld, headed home from the gym, got losted, go figure.
And then I went to the lake with my host sister's friends, which I kinda hope is the group I hang out with while I am here.
Also going to Frankfurt tommorow instead of school, excellent.
English class: easy.
Math: Not even trying, teacher is letting me do homework in classes, also he has a son who swims, and he says he can set me up. Sweet.
Politics: Crazy dude, understood a lot of what he was saying though.
Bio: We watched a movie.
History: I zoned out and noted how pretty German girls are.
Sport: Got canceld, headed home from the gym, got losted, go figure.
And then I went to the lake with my host sister's friends, which I kinda hope is the group I hang out with while I am here.
Also going to Frankfurt tommorow instead of school, excellent.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
First Day
I have no idea how to accurately describe my first day at my host family. I still have butterflies in my chest, due mostly to uncertainty about the year, but I can say this: I have been assigned one of the nicest host famalies anyone could of hoped for. By my first day I have been set with all of my basics (wifi, cell phone, etc) and I feel like they were very well prepared to take me into their home. My host dad has been extremely kind, he knows a lot of English and so he has helped when I am tripping and falling over my German to get my point across. My host mom is super nice as well, she has made the point of slowing down her German so I can fully understand, instead of still catching the point of a conversation but perhaps missing a few key details. My host brother and sister are great, my brother's English is not so good but he's been doing a lot to help me get settled in and even acting a bit of the part of older brother as well. I didn't really get to know my host sister my first day, we talked a little bit about music on the way when my family picked me up from the Schloss, but she had friends over and I was busy unpacking and/or trying to catch my breath and process what was happening to try to join here and make some new German friends.
I did, however, talk to her friends a little bit, which was a bit intimidating. The result of the conversation is either A) its really geil or cool if you drive a pick up truck or B) my sister's friends are very saracastic and I just couldn't pick up on it. That was a bit rough, but I am going to have a lot of those situations in the next few weeks.
All in all, I would rate my first day a "B+" mostly because I hoped it would lessen my anxiety about the year, and it has a bit, but not to the point I would like it to be. But, I somehow got invited to go with my sister and her friends to Frankfurt today for (if I understood correctly) a music festival. Score.
Sean from Germany, signing off.
I did, however, talk to her friends a little bit, which was a bit intimidating. The result of the conversation is either A) its really geil or cool if you drive a pick up truck or B) my sister's friends are very saracastic and I just couldn't pick up on it. That was a bit rough, but I am going to have a lot of those situations in the next few weeks.
All in all, I would rate my first day a "B+" mostly because I hoped it would lessen my anxiety about the year, and it has a bit, but not to the point I would like it to be. But, I somehow got invited to go with my sister and her friends to Frankfurt today for (if I understood correctly) a music festival. Score.
Sean from Germany, signing off.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Last Week at the Scloss
Hey guys!
So its Sunday, at the conlusion of my second week here at Schloss Wittingenstein in Bad Laasphe, Germany for German language camp, I have one more week to go and then I am off to my host family which I will (God willing) be with till June.
This past week, I have walked around a 1,000 year old city (Marburg) to the point of foot amputation, watched a total of 45 seconds of the Olympics (Flag twirling, speed walking, and diving), and eaten so much incrediable German food to the point of my stomach remaking the famous scene from Alien. With all said and done, I have had a good week. However, with all this Deutsch wonderfullness going on I have still run into some major issues that I can predict will come up in my host year:
1) Religion. Germans often don't go to church, it's cultural thing. However I can really see myself struggling to maintain my strong Catholic faith when I may/may not be able or not be motivated to go to church every Sunday. I am sure being able to go to Mass as often I as would like is something that can be easily arranged during the "long talk" I'll have with my host family when I arrive at their home. But still, you never know when your body will try tell its okay to sleep in one Sunday and it becomes a habit.
2) Friends. I am quite worried that I will not be to make friends here. This is a typical exchange student point of nervousness, and all my friends that are German (all three of them) said I should be fine, fingers still crossed though.
3) Family. I awoke this morning with a horrible pang of homesickness, I am okay, don't worry, but it was there and it was bad. I have it easier then most of the kids here though, I have my brother stationed in Vilseck, Germany with the U.S Army that I can visit if my homesickness get's to bad. I am sure my host family will be wonderful, but I am still going to miss all of them.
That is pretty much it for now. I am looking forward to my year in Germany as well as that moment after having such an awesome year abroad when the TSA guy says "Welcome home" when he checks my passport.
Auf Wiedersehen!
So its Sunday, at the conlusion of my second week here at Schloss Wittingenstein in Bad Laasphe, Germany for German language camp, I have one more week to go and then I am off to my host family which I will (God willing) be with till June.
This past week, I have walked around a 1,000 year old city (Marburg) to the point of foot amputation, watched a total of 45 seconds of the Olympics (Flag twirling, speed walking, and diving), and eaten so much incrediable German food to the point of my stomach remaking the famous scene from Alien. With all said and done, I have had a good week. However, with all this Deutsch wonderfullness going on I have still run into some major issues that I can predict will come up in my host year:
1) Religion. Germans often don't go to church, it's cultural thing. However I can really see myself struggling to maintain my strong Catholic faith when I may/may not be able or not be motivated to go to church every Sunday. I am sure being able to go to Mass as often I as would like is something that can be easily arranged during the "long talk" I'll have with my host family when I arrive at their home. But still, you never know when your body will try tell its okay to sleep in one Sunday and it becomes a habit.
2) Friends. I am quite worried that I will not be to make friends here. This is a typical exchange student point of nervousness, and all my friends that are German (all three of them) said I should be fine, fingers still crossed though.
3) Family. I awoke this morning with a horrible pang of homesickness, I am okay, don't worry, but it was there and it was bad. I have it easier then most of the kids here though, I have my brother stationed in Vilseck, Germany with the U.S Army that I can visit if my homesickness get's to bad. I am sure my host family will be wonderful, but I am still going to miss all of them.
That is pretty much it for now. I am looking forward to my year in Germany as well as that moment after having such an awesome year abroad when the TSA guy says "Welcome home" when he checks my passport.
Auf Wiedersehen!
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Concerning Germans.
Concerning Germans, they are a smart, industrious people, who like beer. So do Americans students. So naturally, it has been an interesting weekend. That is all I have to say about that.
Other wise, Bad Laasphe is a beautiful place. It is a little town not to far from where I will be spending my time with my host family in Hungen. Bad Laasphe is hilly, and we (the CBYX students) are on top of one of these steep, hard to climb hills in Schloss Wittigenstein or "the Schloss." A 16th Century German castle with a boarding school, essentially German Hogwarts. My first week has been filled with the fun, excitment, and certain air of magic that comes with living in the semi-rural areas Germany.
One of these eventful adventures was a "night walk." Along the trails surrounding the Schloss. Split off into groups of four, we had to endure a pitch dark night, lit only by an eerie orange moon, while constantly on the alert for the "Schlossgeist" or language camp staffers who would like nothing more then to make an American student compromise their bladders. I was assigned a group with my fellow students Amanda, Allison, and Shareef. We started off the walk by loudly bellowing the American national anthem to the darkness. After being told to "shut up" by a staffer who did the splitting of the groups, we proceeded to quietly walk down the forest path in to the surely waiting arms of terror and death, somewhat figuratively. During the walk my partners and I scared ourselves more then we were scared by staffers. We swore multiple obsenities to Sven. Jonathan, Anna, and Martina, the staffers clearly trying to kill us out of fear.
They never responded.
At least not until the end. After hitting the halfway point in which we had to walk a length of the forest alone (multiple "Our Fathers" and "Hail Mary's" were prayed). With our confidence boosted we began to bellow camp songs. But after a few paces we were sprayed by a hidden Sven (he was called a compound word that I never would repeat in front of my parents), and then ambushed by a number of staffers that included Martina, who corrected us on our inaccurate lyrics, and Jonathan, who was attacked by a rabid teenage girl (Allison.)
And thus Germany adventures.
A few quick words on attending a Catholic Mass in Germany.
It is seriously wonderful how you will always know what is going on at a Mass anywhere in the world. I am proud to be a Roman Catholic and I am now motivated to keep my faith alive while in Germany.
Auf Wiedersehn!
Sean
Other wise, Bad Laasphe is a beautiful place. It is a little town not to far from where I will be spending my time with my host family in Hungen. Bad Laasphe is hilly, and we (the CBYX students) are on top of one of these steep, hard to climb hills in Schloss Wittigenstein or "the Schloss." A 16th Century German castle with a boarding school, essentially German Hogwarts. My first week has been filled with the fun, excitment, and certain air of magic that comes with living in the semi-rural areas Germany.
One of these eventful adventures was a "night walk." Along the trails surrounding the Schloss. Split off into groups of four, we had to endure a pitch dark night, lit only by an eerie orange moon, while constantly on the alert for the "Schlossgeist" or language camp staffers who would like nothing more then to make an American student compromise their bladders. I was assigned a group with my fellow students Amanda, Allison, and Shareef. We started off the walk by loudly bellowing the American national anthem to the darkness. After being told to "shut up" by a staffer who did the splitting of the groups, we proceeded to quietly walk down the forest path in to the surely waiting arms of terror and death, somewhat figuratively. During the walk my partners and I scared ourselves more then we were scared by staffers. We swore multiple obsenities to Sven. Jonathan, Anna, and Martina, the staffers clearly trying to kill us out of fear.
They never responded.
At least not until the end. After hitting the halfway point in which we had to walk a length of the forest alone (multiple "Our Fathers" and "Hail Mary's" were prayed). With our confidence boosted we began to bellow camp songs. But after a few paces we were sprayed by a hidden Sven (he was called a compound word that I never would repeat in front of my parents), and then ambushed by a number of staffers that included Martina, who corrected us on our inaccurate lyrics, and Jonathan, who was attacked by a rabid teenage girl (Allison.)
And thus Germany adventures.
A few quick words on attending a Catholic Mass in Germany.
It is seriously wonderful how you will always know what is going on at a Mass anywhere in the world. I am proud to be a Roman Catholic and I am now motivated to keep my faith alive while in Germany.
Auf Wiedersehn!
Sean
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Deutschland
Hey I am in Deutschland! So after a long flight, a Robert Downing Jr. movie, and getting through the German Customs. I got here! With that, one must note that jet lag has unforseen effects. When I first arrived at Schloss Witterstein, in Bad Lespha, Germany, I felt uneasy, tired, and hungry. If anyone had offered to fly me home at any point in the first twenty four hours, I would have accepted. When I gave up these intial misgivings, I then procceded to give an gloriously fail of an oral test to place me in German class.
I got intermediate.
Now I am a few days in, I have bought a few things in town, played the most intense game of soccer in my life, and aquired a taste for nutella that is insaitable.
Oh, and for those watching the Olympics, we all agree that Phelps could've done much much better. Yeah?
Cheers and Auf Widersehn,
Sean
btw DC pics:
I got intermediate.
Now I am a few days in, I have bought a few things in town, played the most intense game of soccer in my life, and aquired a taste for nutella that is insaitable.
Oh, and for those watching the Olympics, we all agree that Phelps could've done much much better. Yeah?
Cheers and Auf Widersehn,
Sean
btw DC pics:
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