scary driving and lots of cars

Top picture is of the Krüger's house. I am sittig in the room that is covered in the vine plant. Middle picture is taken from the forest. Bottom picture is of Herrischried, taken from the top of Niedergebisbach.

Hallo my friends. Lets see...I didn't post yesterday, but that's okee. I dont want to be a computer-aholic. Here are some things I have noticed about Germany: 90% of the vehicles are cars. 70% of those are wagon-like cars, or mini-mini-van like cars. 5%are SUV's, 4% are tractors, and 1% are trucks. Or something of the like...thats about what I have decided. I have seen TWO trucks since I have been here---that doesnt count semis. And the roads are super narrow. So you're pretty much in quite the pickle if you get a flat or the car breaks down, because there is no where to pull over. there is the white limit line and then dirt. and the roads are super curvy, so chances are someone will come around the corner at 50 mph and hit you. i really dont see how they do it. oh, and you can also pass someone pretty much wherever or whenever you want. the average american driver would most likely get passed 5-10 times on the 15 minute drive from Bad Säckingen to Niedergesbisbach. I got quite sick yesterday when we went doen to Bad Säckingen. Usually it goes away when I get out of the car, but it took 45 minutes to go away. Probably because all I had eaten was some bread. hmm. Oh yeah, and I bought some boots. Not snow boots, but hiking boots, i suppose. Manfred and Carola said i would need them, especially for when i go to the Black Forest with the Rotarian. I tried translating the info sheet about the event, but i didnt get far. All I really picked up was that it is for the inbounds and that we will be staying in a youth hostel and something about swimming. dictionaries arent the best for translating conjgated verbs and strange words.

Yesterday and today it has been on and off overcast weather. It sprinkled a wee bit, I liked that. And the night before last Stefanie, Manfred and I rode the bikes down into the main part of Herrischried, about a mile, to see if I could join the girls' soccer team. Unfortunately the age level is 12-15, so Manfred is going to check the next town over. Ahh school starts on Monday---quite nervous about that. Stefanie showed me the classes I can take so I wrote down the ones that I am going to try and get, but there are no guarentees. For my 5 main subjects (4 hours a week), i have: German, English (muhuhahahah!!!!), Math, Sport (PE), and Spanish. For the others, which I have 2 hours a week, I have: art, history, geography, politics, either ethics or catholicism (spelling?), chemistry, and physics. I think I am in the 12th grade, eqivalent to our senior year (nerrr), so it kind of works since I am born late anyway, I fit right into that grade. They also have a 13th because they have an extra year of secondary school.

I have also noticed that pretty much all homes and home-style buildings (restauants, cafes, little shops, etc.) have geraniums in their windows, in the garden, EVERYWHERE. Simone, you were right. Switzerland is the same. Oh, and dinner here is very insignificant. Lunch is the big meal. Dinner is just whatever, like our lunch i guess. maybe a piece of bread or leftovers (although there arent really much of that), or even a pastry. and we eat a lot of tomatoes. Most of the veggies Carola grows in the garden (tomatoes, red and yellow, onions, carrots, lettuce, spinach, and other stuff i havent seen yet). Last night i made a chocolate cake with this chocolate mousse frosting filling stuff...had to add extra pudding mix to the mousse so it would thicken up. It was interesting going to the store trying to find the ingredients and attempt translating sweetened condensed milk and baking soda and other things. they didnt even know what baking soda was, the store clerk had to show them. i remember the same incident in finland...hahah. anyway, there is a bunch of people coming over tonite, so thats what the cake is for...Carola said she had never seen a cake of that ''form.'' aka double layer 9'' cake. Hmmm and today after cooking more in the morning, i went running and then got my camera and walked around Niedergebisbach and took pictures.

Oh and i forgot to mention that when i was in the Zürich airport just before customs, a man called my name...because he saw it on my Rotary blazer. Turns out he is the youth exchange district chairman of a district in Ohio. Ironic, eh?

Melanie: I have your black sock (HAHAHA) and Joe has your sunglasses. They were in his car.
Blaine: You about made me die laughing with your last email, thought you should know.