Pictures: Heidelberg trainstation, Ashley (canada) and I with Santa at the christmas party with the exchange students, driving a excercise mat carrier around the gym, Ashley and I having a snow war outside the gym, in Freiburg (from left, Jaime, ecuador, hiroshi, japan, me, john, tennesee, matt, arkansas, morgan, canada), long ice, Christmas. Ok I have been pestered to post. My mom even called me. ANd then informed me that my blog is the coolest thing on the internet and so says people I dont even know...wow, I really, REALLY feel special!
Ok...so I suppose since the weekend with the 92 exchange students quite a bit has passiert, happened. Well I came home and there was about a meter of snow on the ground. And its snowing again...that was 1 1/2 weeks ago. Its been snowing for the last few days and so now we have even more. Makes it impossible to run with ice coating the streets. Anyway...Christmas came and went although it didnt feel in the least like Christmas, probably because there was no tree in the house until the 24th and no decorations or music. The 23rd I met some of the other exchange students in Freiburg to do some last minute christmas shopping and we had fun. Then on the 24th was the main celebrated day here. Manfred's parents came over for dinner, around 4 or 5 or so. Then they left and then at 9 we went to the Evangelische church in Herrischried for an hour long church session and then came back home. We then opened the presents. But let me tell you, American Christmas gives a lot more gifts!! They were surprised at how much I gave, because I had stuff that I had got for them, then also stuff that my mom sent from CA to give them. Oh yeah, and we brought the tree in on the 24th and then decorated it before dinner. It's still there.
Sunday morning we went to church in the Catholic church in Richenback (both churches Carola was singing in with the choir) then to Carola's parents house in Rheinfelden to eat. Then we came home and I believe that was the Christmas!
Monday night I went snowboarding in Herrischried...the next village over with 2 tiny ski lifts, each one with one run. I went with some friends from school...ahha that was funny...a new lift. The kind there have these plastic hanging things that look like upside down T's and one side goes between your legs and pulls you up. I think the first 5 or 6 times I managed to fall and then when I couldnt unhook the T from me it would keep dragging me up the hill. very amusing I must say. It was fun though, especially since I was snowboarding! Then yesterday I went again, but in the Alps!!! I was invited from a Rotarian to go so I most definitely said yes! I went with his sons, and it was very cold, but downright cold!!!! -12° celcius, windy, ''snowing'' (in quotes because it was more like blowing tiny pieces of ice around, small enough that they got through the foam breathers of my goggles). And whenever my breath managed to get inside my goggles, it would then turn to condensation and stick to the lense and instantly turn to ice. Needless to say I couldnt see that well. It was nonetheless fun and crazy awesome because I was in the Schweizer Alpen!!! SO SURREAL! Unfortunately too foggy and couldnt see far so I didnt take any pictures. I was at Mt. Flumes. It was so cool though to go up to the place with a gondola and then there is another gondola, lift, and higher up the mountain is more lifts. There were 8 lifts, of differnt kinds and sizes, and 2 gondolas. It was lots of fun though, and the family was so nice to me. The mom was really kind and i was so proud of how much german i spoke and she said my grammar is really good...and thought for sure I had studied it for a few years. NOPE! only one semester! I just have a good book! Anyway that was fun and that was yesterday so nothing new now. Ok Im going to Basel tomorrow to hang out with an exchange student and his friend thats visiting tomorrow...cool!! ciao....
8 comments:
Kari...I am so glad you are having such a great time!! It took me to adulthood to realize I could do and be what I wanted to do!!! Keep it up. I do not tho..evny you about the snow. My only prayer til death is to not have to be cold!! I whine about it! Too many years of having to work outside with my hands so cold they couldn't operate the controls and my nose running with the only thing to use was my sleeve to whip it!!! Sounds gross right!!! That' me.
Hey today...we are in Washington by the way...rain...but today we went to the Zoo in Tacoma!! no rain and we had a great time...And NO I did not try to swing from the trees like a monkey...that is cause I was unable to climb the fence. And I definitely would not swim with the 3 ton walrus. The polar bear was a scream!!! He had a 50 gallon plastic tub in the water and about beat it to death and we all feared he would break the glass we were watching him thru! I took pictures, not sure they will work. I do wish they had elephant rides...I could handle that as they kind of lollygag along...well I think they do. Was fun! We are tho mostly Veging! Videos...as we don't have tv....books...scrabble.
All for now...We missed you Christmas....keep up the fun! Let us know about German Christmas tradition.. love and blessings Granny
Hi Kari, See, now wasn't that a nice blog from granny. And other than her name, I would never know she is a granny--very young and fun sounding--don't you think?
It is raining in California--quite a lot. Maybe it will flood the rivers. I went jogging --only 2 miles--despite the rain and came home quite wet. As I was trotting across the bridge Sadie started going nuts--pulling and sniffing--I knew something was attracting her attention. I saw it clearly when a car drove by and illuminated the night sky (6:00am)--she was being tantalized by the site and scent of a raccoon on the other side of the road but since it was dark and she couldn't see it clearly, she wan't nearly as persisent about giving chase.. She bayed and tried to run, but I held on to her with dear life.
Pop took the snappers hunting. Dargo had a hold of a jack and the jack was bouncing him along until Zoe and Oz caught up and clamped on to each foot. Dargo was a happy hawk. Zoe comes home from these hunts looking bedraggled and forlorn. Her fur gets all ruffled up and she looks totally ragged after a hunt in the blackberry brambles. She looks so pathetic.
Today is 1/2 off day at Salvation Army. That will be my big deal. Tomorrow Brooke, Kathy, Michelle H. and I are going to Eureka for the day... pop says it will be like a traveling chicken coop. We were going to see the land in Oregon but the weather is to unpredictable. After the deal closes in January we are going to go up and lay out the lot for the septic to be put in---can you believe it. You may come home to a real house!
Love you---love mom
Hi Kari,
I am sitting here at your mom's computer blogging at ya!!
I enjoyed your newsy blog. I have a german lady in my excerise class in Hou. and she told me that they don't put up the xmas tree till xmas eve and then they celebrate. I asked when they take it down and she said she had some friends that don't take it down till Easter!! So it was interesting to see that is your experience as well.
We have been here in Rdd since Tues evening. It has mostly rained and rained more. I lift sunny, warm and lovely Houston for cold rain. Oh, well, this week is the total sum of my winter!! The ski park still doesn't have much snow but we may make a trek up there yet. Our trip to Eureka may be cancelled now as mudslides on 299 have closed it down for now. So we will see! No looking good though. Mel and Korinn are loving their time here. It is gonna be hard to get them back on the plane next week. I am having breakfast/lunch and dinner with different people, lots of friends and family to visit with. But next week I am getting my hair done, new color, new cut!! I can't wait.
Keep blogging and having tons of German fun!!
Hugs and love
ak
kari
yayayay! i'm back in redding!! we're living with the hughes, but i'm going to simone's for new years. i wish it would stop raining, though. i've got a nasty cold and i want to go places and the rain is stopping it. grr... and what if i don't get to go snowbaording?!?!? i swear that's half of what i think about in housotn. snowboard snowboard snowboard...and we might not be able to go up because of closed roads because of the frickin RAIN. i won't have a chance to board until i get back from brasil, and that's sucha loong ways away.
other than being sick, it raining nonstop, and not snowboartding, i'm having a good time. tori has taken me to meet all of her new friends twice, and they're pretty cool... really funny, too.
ok, i'm going to go now, but keep the good times rollin!
love mel
oh, and i love all the pictures you put up! keep it up with the pictures!
Well it's about freakin time! Don't you dare shirk your responsibility again of posting on your blog in a timely manner. Hum...let's say a minimum posting of every 3 days should be suffecient. There, the standard is set. Do not disappoint your faather missy poo!
Those are great pictures Kari! What the heck? Did yoiu guys mob Santa or what? Did you break his glasses? And riding around on a chair cart...how irresponsible. Did you do any jumps?
That's a great pic of your family also. Looks like the Kreugars (sp?) have a lot of wood in their home...i"m jealous. I wonder if lumber is expensive there as it is over here?
Sounds like your German is coming around pretty well. Have you learned to sing in Church as well? I'm glad you're getting to go to church. Probably need it considerting your roots. Oh yes...while Manfred may not think you have the best of German, it just means he has higher standards. If you only held yourself to a mediocre standard, you'd never learn proper German. So there...I'm with Manfred. Strive for perfection!
Ok now about me...
Dargo caught his 51st rabbit yesterday and Shiela has caught 8 I think. Zoie and Ozzie helped Dargo on the last jack. It was quite a team effort. I'm sure the doggies miss you. Zoie misses everyone enough to pee all over the patio if she hasn't seen them for a week or so.
Kari...you should see my BuG! It was an awful piece of junk just a week ago. Now, it's just slightly better than an awful piece of junk, but has only a milk crate for a seat and holes through the floor, and barely runs. It's sooo cool! Splochy yellow is it's current colur. I can't decide whether to paint it marsh land camo, bright lime green, or just leave it the way it is. Hum...I like red too.
I might have to get another one that's in better shape...we'll see. I think your mom want's to trade her forerunner in for a bug too...you know...for the better gas milege. Aunt Kathys driving your car into the ground while she's here. She won't even check the oil she said. Ingreatful inlaws anyway! Oh well...I'll fix it for you. What color do you think you want me to paint it? Maybe I chould send you a color chip chart so you can pick?
Love you Kari
PoP
Hey Kari.. Guess what 4 exciting things have happened in the last few days... ok well yesterday Me and Aaron went snorkeling in dry creek.. we parked up by the waterfall and got a lot of weird looks by people driving by as we put on wet suits.. full suits head to toe.. we had booties and neoprene head covers that pull over your head so we didnt get brain freezes.. then we floated on our bellys because we sure as heck wernt sinking with all the flotation and went all the way down to Sharons and saw 2 salmon 2 steelhead and 3 squawfish we were stoked it was really cool, we were super happy there were steelhead and salmon. Then we walked back to the waterfall in our wetsuits and got a bunch more weir looks then we came up with a crazy idea... IT would consist of me dressing up as bigfoot then Aaron dressing up in a wetsuit with mask and snorkel and fins and then me chasing him through the mall parking lot it would be way funny... or better yet the mall itself... HAHA... ok next best thing... ummm I dont remember.. Zoe is no longer called Zoe Zoe, everyone calls her Todo like the dog from wizard of ozz. She likes it and pee's everywhere when i say it.. Me and aaron caught a lot of bass today and put 5 in the pond. Oh and another exciting thing today was I heard a Loon!!!! Ive never heard one before, but there was one on the lake it said hoolewlewlew Kyle does a pretty good impersonation of it... OK well im cleaning my room so peace out.
hey kari, i havn't read your blog in a very long time so this is the first time i have seen the pictures of your swiss vacation and your exchange party. im glad you are having a great time and i love the picture of you and that girl having a snow fight. it totally reminds me of good times! have a great day!
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