Mid-Year Seminar

So, for the last four days, I've been at the mid-year seminar for the CBYX program with the other 48 people from my region.

Honestly, the seminar was BORING and almost completly purposeless. We only spoke about June and when we're in Berlin.

Basically, the only thing we accomplished was continuously fighting over what we were going to do as a presentation for the German Bundestag in June... We got some stuff accomplished but only because one person decided to make a decision and take shit from people who didn't like it....

Though seminar was for the most part unneccessary, the trips we took were very interesting and fun.

The first full day we were there, we went to Bonn for the day. Bonn, for those of you who don't know, was the Capitol of Germany throughout the time of the Berlin Wall. In Bonn we got our picture taken in front of the old parliament building and then had an abundance of free time.

My group of people visited the Beethoven museum, a small church we happened across, and the Bonn dom (cathedral). We then ate street food (currywurst and pommes (Currywurst is a german food and pommes are french fries) ) Then we did a very German thing... we found a bakery, ordered cake and a drink, and then continued to stay and talk even when our food was gone. It was a lot of fun. After free time, we went a had a guided tour of the history museum in Cologne. It was REALLY cool. We have gone to one just like it before in Leipzig in our first month but, what made this SO MUCH COOLER is that we had the tour in German and not English this time.... and I understood most of it!!

The next day we were in Cologne. We walked along the Rhein until we got to the Cologne Dom (Cathedral). It was VERY pretty. Then, my group of friends and I went to the chocolate museum in Cologne.... we even designed our own chocolate!! Unfortunatley, we didn't get to stay in Cologne for very long and had to be back at the hostel by lunch.

On Sunday, we had no plans until Seminar after lunch, and then after 5 ot 6 we were told that we were aloud to leave the Hostel for the evening (after the mandatory dinner). This was rare because usually we have seminar and curfew... so my group went to a movie.... in English.... but also with German subtitiles... the movie was okay. We saw the Dom at night and bought Starbucks at the train station (the train station and movie theaters are the only places open on Sunday)

When we got back, I almost died. So, outside of our window there is the roof... we were only on the second floor so, it was kind of like a balcony... except you aren't supposed to go out there (but, there was no sign saying not to), so my roomates, Robert, and I went out and built a snowman and then... everyone else was making footprints on the edge and so I tried to, too. Only, they had done one foot at a times so that they wouldn't risk sliiping... I didn't... and I slipped... fortunatley Laurah instictevly wrapped her arms around me to keep from falling. So, no worries, I'm alive.
 Later, everyone went for walk.... I stayed behind and played a card game with Charles and listened to Wyatt read a fanfiction that he wrote... Of course, when everyone got back at about 1am, we played cards.

Pretty much we just spent a lot of time together, spoke more English than we should have, played LOTS of cards, and (at least my roommates and I) stayed up until 2-4:30 every night.

It was really cool and it was nice getting to see my friends from language camp AND get to speak English for a little while...

Some pictures from Mid-Year:

Tessa, Laurah, Olivia and I (we were in front of the Bonn parliament building) 

The Cologne Cathedral (It's HUGE)

Olivia, me. Stephanie, Laurah, Robert, and Tessa with the chocolate we designed

 

Robert, Olivia, Laurah, and I before I almost died on the roof (we had someone take it from inside take it out their window)

Greetings and love from Germany,

                Madison Jeannine Wallace

Some Other Stuff I've Done... Complete with Pictures

So, right after I posted my last post, I remembered things I didn't post but maybe should have.... so...

1. I read in my school mass (I go to a catholic school but we don't wear uniforms)(Or course, they asked me read in English so it wasn't so difficult)

  
   2. I sort of kind of learned to sew using a sewing machine.... but I wasn't very good I don't think.... still.... learning new skills!

3. I baked the cookies that my dad always makes for Christmas in the U.S. .... my host family LOVED it so... I forsee having to send them ingredients next year (and unlike my chocolate chip cookies.... these came out completley the same as they are in the U.S.... I'm not quite sure how I did it.)

4. I realized that I talked about baking German Christmas treats but never showed a pic of them so...

 

 

This is my host family's favorite....it's made with finely chopped nuts and apricot jam and then baked and dipped in chocolate.
 

This is my host family's other favorite... I have no idea what's in it but, I think it's pretty much a waffle cone.... A little thinner and my host family just eats it plain and with nothing else.... I don't really like them... but I don't like waffle cones either so...

 



Okay... so I think that's the end....
I hope this was somewhat enjoyable and informational to you.

Greetings fro Germany,
        Madison Jeannine Wallace

Christmas, Shopping, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I would like to begin by wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year. I hope you find joy in all of your indeavours, old and new. Also, a very late happy holidays whether that's Christmas or another winter celebration.
Now this post will cover quite a bit so, I hope I haven't let anything out... if you have any questions about it send me an email or a comment. :)

I can now say a few things that most people may age probably can’t…. probably most people in general actually…. I have celebrated both Christmas and the new year in Germany. This post will be about the following:

-          Celebrate Christmas in a foreign country (Germany, of course)

-          Going shopping with two friends in another city

-          Beginning and celebrating a new year in a foreign country (again, Germany, of course)

 

Christmas here wasn’t SO different from my Christmas in the US. Christmas with my host family began with a late breakfast (11am) with 6/14 of the family, then after that, we have cake. Later we (10/14) ate dinner. Later, we exchange gifts, but you have to roll a 6 before you are given a gift. Everyone buys gifts for one person…. Like a secret Santa exchange except that they are given a list of what the person wants (I got a ‘the Hunger Games’ book in German, a Ballerina jewelry stand, dance shoes for Karneval, a small wooden elephant statue, and the new Taylor Swift CD). The ‘celebration,’ honestly, wasn’t anything special or different from what people do in the U.S. Then, we played the game were you have a name of a person on your forehead and you have to ask questions and guess who it is…. And Uno. Then, I went and skyped with the family (my mom’s side).  Then, I went to sleep on Christmas Eve in my traditional new pair of pajamas sent all the way from Kansas.

On the 25^th we visit the Grandma in a rehab center for people who need taken care of after surgery or just in general. Then when we got home, we ate leftovers from the day before and played Uno and the other game again and then I (again) skyped with the with family (but, it was my dad’s side this time).

On the 26^th (it’s considered a Christmas day here), we visited my host mom’s sister and I played monopoly with Sarah and ate a Dӧner (which is a German-Turkish wrappish thing… can’t really explain it… it’s huge and delicious and not American… if you ever go to Germany, you must eat one)

And that was my Christmas.

The next day, I went to Dortmund with two friends and went shopping. Luckily, the train wasn’t full this time and we had seats on the way there and back…. We shopped at Primark (which I have identified as the best store because all the clothes are sorted and inexpensive unlike TJ Max and other stores that are cheap and everything is just mixed together and you have to dig through to find what you want and in the right size)(imagine I’m  saying that last sentency thing because in my mind I’m speaking super fast and rambling on and on) (just want you guys to get the full effect)

I bought some nice clothes but the store was FULL. It was difficult to navigate through and the line for the dressing rooms were so long that once you were finished with eight and you had more you had to go to the end of the line… that was not fun.

Then we ate lunch…. The food court seriously had 4 out of 8 restaurants being Asian food… but it was the first time I had really seen Asian food here so we ate that…. It was disappointing. 

So, more shopping… I tried on this dress and it was too tight so I wasn’t go to buy it… only problem, how was I going to get it off?  I think like almost every woman/girl has had a time where they couldn’t get a piece of clothing off alone. Luckily, Sarah and Sophie were waiting for me right outside the room so, Sarah helped. But , the doors were those curtains and not real doors and the room was SUPER small. So she ‘s trying to get the dress off me without ripping it (because I don’t want to have to buy it) and at the same time I am trying to keep the curtain from opening on a side… it was difficult but after five minutes (no exaggeration) there was success.

So, our feet hurt, we have tons of bags, it’s raining, and we have just enough time to catch the next train. We step outside and… rip… all of the Primark bag’s handles (being that they’re paper and it’s raining) have just ripped off. And, we had to carry the bags to the train after trying to stuff as much clothes into the other bags as possible… but, we did NOT miss the train so, I think the day was a success.

So, I have just rambled on and on abut shopping because… well, I think it’s funny but, if you don’t… whatever.

New Years Eve wasn’t SUPER exciting. I hung out with Sarah, Dana, und Danielle. We listened to music, played twister outside where it was cold and wet, played darts (I won J), watched fireworks, and played with fire (like seriously… we played with the lighters… it was fun) And, then  went home and slept….

Nothing super different or exciting happened here that didn’t also happen in the U.S.

So, Happy New Year!!

I hope everyone has an amazing 2013. Sorry, I posted so late but we haven’t had internet for over a week.

The redhead Kansan in Germany,

                   Madison Jeannine Wallace

 P.S. More info and pics in the next post!