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