28.09.12 (September 28, 2012)

So... all is okay here. I'm not going to lie... I had a day where I was completely homesick but I got passed it. I think it's impossible to go to a foreign country by yourself as a teenager for ten months and not get a little homesick. It felt like everything here was a reminder of what I was missing at home. Kristina did something that my sister always does, we were celebrating Verena's birthday and I was thinking about the birthdays I was missing and what we do at home.

Honestly, I just felt awkward. I was at a birthday gathering and I didn't understand what was going on. I was asked if I wanted to something to eat and at the time I didn't but then later I did and I felt awkward asking so I didn't.

The day started out with school and at lunch I just sat by myself waiting until my next class... I felt excluded though I know no one was trying to do that. If I want to hang out with people, I need to make the first move but, it just wasn't a good day and I didn't think about that at the time. I guess I just need to become somewhat clingy and bother people until they are forced to tolerate me long enough to like me and want to be friends. But, I feel uncomfortable trying to speak German even if I am pretty sure what I'm saying is right (Realistically, I know people won't laugh at me but, there's that fear). I have thought about it a lot and now realize... I'm in an exchange program... people here are nice... even if they laugh and I feel uncomfortable.... I will learn from that.

After school (it was my long day... school went from 7:45 to 4:40 for me), we immediatly left for Münster to go celebrate my host sister's sister Verena's 24th birthday. I felt out of place with a bunch of people I didn't know that were all older than me and spoke a language I'm not fluent in. I was uncomfortable and really homesick. I declined everything they offered me. It was weird and scary. They were eating  Mettbrot which is a piece of toasted German bread of some sort buttered with raw ground beef (tartar), onions, and salt and pepper if you chooose. The concept of eating raw ground beef scared me, so I didn't eat it. Then like an hour and 45 minutes later I was REALLY hungry (remember I declined everything offered) and they were offering it to the people who just arrived and I decided to try it.... I actually really liked it.... and I was no longer hungry so that's a plus. Trying something I would most certaintly not eat at home helped cure me of my homesickness... and then when they asked me if I was sure i didn't want any tirimisu that they offered at the beginging (and they asked in German) I said yes... if was very good.

On to another topic. German tests. They're called a Klausur or Klauseren in the plural form. I had my first one today. It was three hours long and it has been decided I only have to take the Klauseren in English because all Klauseren besides math are essay tests. I took the test and.... was done in 45 minutes... this probably means it wasn't very good but I'm used to the 45 minute test... and I don't have three hours worth of ANYTHING to write let alone the British Monarchy and this one dude's view on it (he didn't like it). And then the rest of school was normal (German normal).

I then went home (my host house) and played board games with my host mom as we drank coffee and went with her to walk and play with the dog, Mila.

All in all, I'm doing well. I may have had homesickness but at least I got over the first hurdle relatively unscathed. Also, I can now say I have taken a German Klausur... so.... I've done something you probably haven't (unless any of my German friends are reading this).

I miss everyone but I'll be just fine... I am just fine.

~The Redhead Kansan in Germany (AKA Madison Jeannine Wallace)

P.S. Me noting the homesickness isn't so anyone is worried (mom), I just thought I would share my experiences with everyone and be honest... not everything is always going to be perfect so I won't pretend like it is.

More Pictures

Me, Sarah, Sofie, and Lydia (Sarah is my host sister's cousin and Sofie and Lydia are her friends) (We were making Gingerbread for them to send to there friend in America... they wanted to send a pic of them with me too... since it's like we've switched place (me in Germany and her in the US))

Traditional German food. I had it for dinner tonight. YUM! Currywurst und Pommes (Pommes are French Fries)

This is a Schultüten that me host mom and sister gave me before my first day of school. It's a German tradition and it was filled with Candy. For more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schult%C3%BCte

This is a Gingerbread heart that is sold at carnivals and such. my host sister, Julia, bought it for me when the carnival was here (like 3 days after I got here) (They mostly say things like "Kiss me" or "I love you" this one says "Good luck" in German of course) 

Some more Pics from Hedersleben

Entrance to the Monastary in Hedersleben

Side view of the Monastary in Hedersleben

This is the AMAZING cover Kate made for the "Thank you book" my language camp made for the Kitchen and House staff at Camp. All the people are people that were in my Class.

This is me and my friends from language camp at the train station waiting to go to our host families.
From left to right: Kate, Alex, Olivia, Robert, Me, Laurah, and Fiona.

This is me and Wyatt. he is one of the most awesome people. We had many long and thoughtful conversations together, He's pretty cool.

 

September 22, 2012

Fun fact: Grocery stores don't put stuff in bags... If you want it in bags, you have to bring them yourself.

Fun fact: Germans use white-out A LOT. In America, If you make a mistake you usually just scribble over it or start over... they use white-out.

Fun fact: To use a grocery cart in Germany you have to pay a Euro to unlock it from the line of grocery carts. When your done with, you lock it back up and get your Euro back. (It's to prevent people from stealing the grocery carts)

Fun fact: They only use the fitted sheet and main cover on there bed. They only use duvee covers and there pillows are huge squares.

So, I had a fun experience today... learning to get on a bike. Now, this may seem like an easy feet... but it's quite difficult for me to do. I think I have conquered that task... now it's learning how to get off. I tried to get off the bike numerous times... I ended up scraping my knuckles but... I can now do it, for the most part. My host sister, Julia, has told me that we will begin riding bikes to school beginning Monday. Oh, what fun.

On another note, it has, for the most part, been a good week. I had a full week of German school. I don't understand math (it's college level and in German), history has too many German words I haven't learned, in Deutsch they are preparing for a test I will not be taking, and in Catholic Religion they are analyzing text and comparing to a theory I was not there to learn. I am lost in class most of the time... except English. Apparenlty I have awful English because in all the grammar lessons I just sit back and think "Well, I say it like that... and so does everyone else I know" while my teacher laughs histarically at how horrible the grammar is.

School is difficult but, I was invited to go to lunch with some girls in my grade earlier this week... I think that means I'm on the road to friendship. I've heard becoming friends with Germans is really difficult because they don't just automatically accept people into being "friends" like most Americans do. There has even been a far-off plan of having a "German waffle party". It's nice... one of the girls has bee on the same scholarship as me in the US last year so, she has been really helpful and understanding along with another girl (I thik she was in Australia...I'm not really sure) 

Las tnight, I hungout with my host sister, Julia, and her cousin, Sarah. We had a "Robby Bubble" party. Basically we sat around and drank "Robby Bubble" (like sparkling cider) and alcohol free wine like substance with syrup that we added (I didn't like it much). Oh, and we ate junk food, talked, and looked at picture on Sarah's computer. It was fun.

It's been nice here. Really difficult and weird and awkward... but good.

I hope all is well in Topeka, Kansas, the USA, and elsewhere.

Sending my love, to all me friends and most importantly my family, all the way from Germany.

~ Madison Jeannine Wallace

One Week In

So, I've been with my host family for a week now. They are really nice. The second day I was with them I met the whole family... all five of my host sister's siblings and their signifigant others. They are really welcoming. They helped me with my luggage at the train station and gave me gifts to welcome me. They have been going out of their way to make me feel at home.

Of course, it's still quite a bit awkward but I have only been here for a week.... I think awkwardness is a neccessary step.

I started German school last Monday but I only got my own schedule on Thursday. I have Biology, Math, Deutsch, History, Catholic Religion, Sport, and Honors English.  But the schedule's here are really sporadic so most days I only have like 3 or 4 hours of class.

I haven't made any definite friends but there are some people in my classes that have been nice and have beeen helping me. So, maybe we will become friends.

Only time will tell... and make me feel less awkward. :)

Some Pictures! There are more on facebook

Above view of Quedlinburg (a town near my language camp in Hedersleben)

Example of beautiful buildings in Quedlinburg

 

A church ceiling in Leipzig

A different church ceiling in Leipzig

A comparison of bottle sizes. The bottle on the left was bought in Dulles airport in DC and the right was bought at the store in Hedersleben.

 

Some thoughts and observations:

Random:  I have to do my own laundry!?  I think I'll probably just throw it all in and put it on cold?  Now, I don't know what I'll do about drying.  There are no dryers. Hanging my underwear for all to see isn't very appealing.  Oh well!

Random:  Nude pics (porn) are right out in front in the grocery store...and book store (scarred for life).  There was a book cover of a vagina, no title, next to the kid's section.

Random:   You can (apparently) get a frap without coffee in it.  (I dare you to ask for one) LOL.

Random:  You can't find still (non sparkling) water ANYWHERE (ok, you can, but it is really rare).

Random:  Hedersleben smells (literally) like horse shit.

Random:  If you return your drink bottle, you get like 30-40% of your money back.

Random:  Paparika flavored is like the only kind of chip you can find here.

Random:  There is not one single hair in my sink, ALEX! 

One more week of Language Camp

Just a quick post...

So, I have one more week in language camp then It's on to my host family.

I'm not sure how I feel about that actually. I'm looking forward to meeting the Edelers (my host family) but I don't know that I want to deal with the awkwardness that will be the first meeting/day. Also, all the people here at language camp are pretty cool so...

I will be in the 11th grade at my school, which is rare because most exchange students get put into a grade lower than they would originally be in. Also, according to my host sister in the email I got from her, we will be riding bikes to school everyday and they have gotten me a pink bell for said bike.

My host family seems really nice but I'm anticipating meeting them...


Hope everything is going great in the States,
                                   Madison Jeannine Wallace