fine fine I will post

So here I am posting...but I'm not sure what to write. I do hear that there are ''lurkers'' around here, and that would be stellar to find out who you sneaky sneakers are...all you have to do to post is click on the button beneath this post that says ''2 comments'' or whatever the number may be, then scroll down on the page that opens and you can leave a comment. it is very simple. Not to say that I dont enjoy the comments I have been receiving...I very much do and they are fun to read. So hmmm...about that international school that everyone is going crazy over...you need to know this first...I am just going to talk to the director of this private Catholic school for international students...and I guess if I speak good enough or something they will accept me, but I haven't a clue as to who is going to pay for it, or if I am just going for free. Apparently the chances are pretty slim...but who knows. I will dress up and try to make a good impression. And then right after that I am hopping on a train to go to Ulm for the weekend or maybe a little longer. I'm staying with a family that's hosting 2 exchangees through Rotary right now. Woohoo! And I am determined to speak as much German as I can...or Deunglish...deutsch/english...is more like what we speak to each other. This afternoon I'm making more apple pies...I am going to take one with me to give to the family...my host mom talked to the mother of the home I will be living in, and told her that I love to cook, and especially spicy mexican food (my chili rellenos the other day were a bit too much for my host dad...I think he just got a ''lucky chili'' that was extra hot or something...or maybe I dropped a little too much pepper in his. oops..it was funny though. They weren't regular rellenons though...some recipe from the internet, where you wrap the chilis in biscuit dough and then bake them and then cover them in cheese and then pour the egg over the top...they were good though, and I added some of my own bits too it...like sauteed mushrooms, bell peppers, and green onions, with spicy seasoning...which i put underneith the cheese stuffed chilis wrapped in biscuit dough)...so now I think she may want me to cook, ehhe no problem there. Next week I have no school so that will be nice. And part of it I will be in Ulm so that will be fun...new place to see.

And I got the information on the eurotour...super duper excited! Going to apply as soon as I get back...It looks like an awesome tour...from March 24 to April 15... and the points of interest are:

Hannover, Germany
Prague, Czech Republic
Vienna, Austria
Budapest, Hungary
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Venice, Italy
Rome, Italy
Florence, Italy
Nice, France
Lyon, France
Paris, France
Brussels, Belgium


and then back to germany.....Eastern Europe! SWEET...I am super stoked. And I guess to miss school muhuahahha. Well I probably would anyway even if it was in the summer because school goes until the beginning of August. Man thats a long time. And the coolest thing about it is that I thought I would be paying for the entire thing...and I have been anticipating from the beginning the tour costing anywhere from 1000 to 2500 euro...but this one is only 1200 and I will only have to pay 300 or 400 euro!!! Talk about awesome Rotary...muchas gracias, danke schön, merci beaucoup. The District Chairman told us that the District will pay 300 or so for EVERY student...man that is generous, and then the individual clubs pay part also. Wow. Ohhh I cant wait! So I guess that's all for now...probably won't post for a few days or so. Will be having too much fun. ciao!

PS my German is starting to improve much faster...I notice it and people have been telling me that. I still dont understand my teachers...tell me, how does that work?? If they speak to me slowly and i watch their mouths, I can usually get the gist, but when they lecture it just flies right over my head. So that's all. Bis später!

continued...

So last week...lets see, we did so much I wont be able to elaborate on everything, but it was a darn good amount of fun. The day we got there, Friday evening, we were all instantly able to become friends, and just clang to each other like a mosquito to fresh blood (speaking of which I was attacked by in bed the last few nights and now how 16, yes, I counted, 16 bug bites on my FACE i look like I have chicken pox). We stayed up, all in the same room at the hostel (and youth hostels are officially the coolest places ever), just talking, etc. Went to bed relatively early that night, midnight. The next day we walked all day long, and I took a large amount of photos, as did every day. The weather was premium and the sun was shining. We had some Black Forest caked at a little retaurant out in the middle of the forest...and man did it have a lot of alcohol in it. I knew that cake did have alcohol, but this was more like schnopps cake...and not too sweet. Interesting though lol. That evening we ate at the hostel and a group of us stayed up until 4 am or so. Ah it was a lot of fun. My crazy side was able to be released, as it has been locked up for so long!! Sunday was sehr fun...we actually went on some steep hills so that was nice, to get some better exercise. Took even more photos, and even better ones, and got to know everyone even better. Ate at a restaurant that afternoon and had my first eiscafe, mmmmm (cold coffee with vanilla ice cream in it YUM). Stayed up pretty late that night too, and had a ''disco'' in the music/chill room with insulated walls. Loud music and a hilarious kid from Oklahoma doing weird dance moves, reminding me distinctly of Napolean Dynamite, and for once it wasnt annoying. Monday we did another long day of hiking, this time with the Rotary district 1930 chairman, and the 1930 youth exchange chairman. Odin (Canada), Matt (Tennessee) and I talked to them, in German too! That was fun- got caught behind a lot though taking pictures. Ate at another restaurant, sorta. We cooked our own meat..hehe it was cool tho beecause it was old style ...and we had arm wrestling tournaments on the thick wooden tables. That night we all went out into Triberg and checked out the pretty town...very pretty, thats for sure. Right in a valley. Next day we went to a city and toured a light and luminere manufacturing company (random) and then to a bazaar museum for life size carnival dolls typical for different regions of southern germany. Then we did a little shopping and walked around Schwenningen. Stayed up until 4am that night. The last day we went to the city of Rottweil and had a tour of the city (where rottweillers, the dogs, come from). I liked that. Then we went to this huge swimming spa complex and that was pretty fun. Lots of old men in sehr klein (very small) speedos hehe. We ate out that afternoon too and then that evening had a rotary meeting, about 20 Rotarians came to the hostel. We each went and spoke in front of them all and said what we could...for about a minute or so. And then sang our national anthem...I really gives kudos to those other than the Canadians and Americans who had to do it by themselves. That night 5 of us tried pulling all nighters...I was only one who didnt fully succeed. I was flopping all over the place I was so tired, eheh. And then Thursday we all departed and that was sad, but its ok, because that was only the first of our gatherings.

Yesterday I finally got to go to one of our soccer games, and get this, I started! BooYA! I was surprised. And Id say thats the highlight of things. I am currently making a pair of pants too. SO I guess that's all. I hope you are happy, Mom and Pop, that I wrote. :)

continued...

So to continue my adventure...
ok no adventure to be continued my mom surprise called me...another time...

Es war VIEL VIEL SPASS!!!!! (It was much fun auf Deutsch)

Couldn't have asked for a better, more fun week...wow. This last week was seriously one of the funnest times I have had in my entire life...after being here for a one and a half and being with them for a week of it was absolutely incredible. We all had the same thing in common, and were all their for the same reason. I know that I have already made friends that are going to last a long long time, and am already planning trips to visit others. Exchange students are awesome!!!!! I dont have time to talk about the entire thing but I will post some pictures. And mention a little. Friday evening when I got there I was informed that the others thought I looked like I might be a little ''mean'' lol...and the stereotypical california girl. Lucky things changed, after everyone talked to everyone. It was really crazy thought how fast we all got to know each other and just instantly could talk and all be friends. It was like magic. We spoke mostly English, or Danglish (Deutsch english), but I learned more German last week than I have any other week here. We were mostly all of the same learning level, so it was easier to communicate. The town was great...a beutiful little old town situated in a valley of the Schwarzwald. There were 20 of us: 9 from the USA (suprise surprise), 4 from Canada, and one from Mexico, Argentina, Brasil, Equador, France, Japan, and Thailand. And we couldn't have asked for better weather...it was sunny every day except the last, and we were only touring a city and then went to a big swimming/spa complex that was inddoors mostly, and had heated pools. The hiking wasnt that intense, mostly just walking on trails, but was still excellent fun and took 499 photos (that I kept on my card...I am in the process of deleted some). The youth hostel was fabulous...I've decided that I really like youth hostels....there were 6 beds in each room, and then a chill area downstairs, and also a room with mostly soundproof walls and a couches and tables and a ping pong table and a stereo system. We only got to use the music system one night...but it was still grand fun. There were nights staying up in that room until about 4am or so. It was awesome...we hardly slept. No joke when I say I that i think I got about 25 hours in 6 nights. Tried to pull allnighters the last 2 nights...gave in at 4am the first time and slept on and off probably roundabout an hour the second. Ah good times.... But i drank A LOT of coffee...and have decided that every latte machiatto or amarretto or capuccino is the best I have ever had in my life. Seriously they are so good here. I've never had a real latte back home but I am now thouroughly addicted. Anyway...so I have made some excellent friends, and its sad now to be back here because I am so far away from everyone. But that's ok, thats what a train is for!! Sorry everything I have written has been really random. I think the time has come that I am beginning to become an exchange student...meaning that I may not update much. But i will try...hopefully tomorrow I will feel like writing more. heheh. Now I am just waiting until December when we will all be together again...dont know yet what we are doing or for how long, just that we are, and it's in a city called Ulm, where 6 or 7 of the exchangees live. Lucky bums! All next to each other!

the weather is very nice right now

I found out yesterday that there is another exchange student at Scheffel, a boy from Romania. I have not met him yet, or even know who he is, but I really would like to. Hearing about an Eastern European makes me want to go to Eastern Europe. I assume he is in a lower class than I am, as I think that the eschangees are usually put into the 10th or 11th classes. Well that's all, except that I am leaving for a week tomorrow for my Rotary Youth Exchange trip to the Black Forest, with all the other inbounds in this district. We are staying in a town called Triberg. And I don't have to go to school tomorrow even though I dont even leave on the train until 2pm Woo HOO!!! So I probably wont be posting...ciao for now.

I have discovered different aspects of my camera...

Well I found there was this cool button on my camera that I can push and it makes closeups, on things like flowers, much better quality. So I got a little carried away lying on the ground outside my room peering at the camera screen taking many photos at various angles of the same flower. And the other day when Karola and I went to the market fest thing in Herrischried, we got to stop in the middle of the street for a cow crossing...so I took the opportunity and took a couple pictures hehe. Oh, and a blacksmith (like a real genuine blacksmith), gave me a nail that he made right there in front of me. It was so cool...and you can tell the nail was made by hand...I am going to hang it on my blazer, ohhhh yeah. Oh and I have realized how powerful the batteries I have for my camera are. I bought a 4 pack, and have only changed them once...so I am still working on the second too and have also discovered that the battery charger we got the 3rd day I was here doesnt work. stupid thing.

Viel Spass in Freiburg (much fun in Freiburg)

Freiburg was a lot of fun. We took the train there, and it took about 2 hours or a little less with all the stops and waiting for the other train in Basel. It was only 15 minutes to Basel though..so that was cool. Hopefully I can go there soon. The stores in Germany are all much smaller when considering how much ground space they take up. So instead of being huge and one level like Walmart or Winco or Costco, they build up, and down. Most big variety stores or clothing stores are several levels high and it seems like there is always more people in them....H&M is seriously like Walmart the day after Thanksgiving, except every weekend of the year. That store was absolutely packed, but it has soooooo many cute clothes and what not. I do recall the ones in Finland were cheaper though. Actually I think that most things in Finland seemed cheaper. hmm interesting. So we did a lot of shopping around and looking but I do wish that we had gone to the market place earlier, because by the time we went around 3, most of the vendors were packing up there things for the day. I know I could have found some interesting souvenirs or thigns to send home, and maybe even tshirts...3 for 10 euro. Havent found that yet though...they had vendors like that in Helsinki...the kind that speckle San Fransisco like the brown spots on a rotting banana...ooh thats an interesting analogy hehe. But they are everywhere...just not in Germany. Maybe the next time we go to a big city I will ask first thing to go to the market place and find cheap tshirts. When we ate lunch I got the ''American Sandwhich.'' hehe The only thing missing was turkey or roast beef or something...two things I have not eaten since I had been here...well actually i think at the Rotary meeting I went to roast beef was served but it was covered in some sort of horse raddishy sauce so I couldnt eat much of it. The sandwhich was a bread bun with lettuce, tomato, and big chunks of mozarrella, and I believe it had oregano in it too. It was good though. satisfied my American taste buds hehehe.

When we got home we then went to Rickenbach where we ate at a restaurant. It was an Italian style pizza restaurant, and I think that was some of the best pizza I have ever had. I think our waiter was Italian and they made the pizza right there in the dining room behind a counter with all the dough and fresh sauce (was super duper good) and whatnot right there. Manfred and I both ordered the calzone, which was beyond delicious. Man it was tasty, i want to make one just like it. Think crust too mmmmm.

And yesterday after Stefanie and I rode the horses, and I saw the Alps (which by the way I think you can click on the picture I have posted and it should open a larger version in another window), I made lunch...compliments of my mom for sending chinese food mixes: we had pork fried rice but I added many more things in addition. Then Carola and I went to this little markety thing in Herrischried that reminded me of the Honey Bee Festival, except German culture, not Palo Cedro culture. It was fun and there was a lot of cute little things there for sale.

After that I made banana bread which was delicious of coures. mmmm And then fiddled around, and continued reading this book I got in Freiburg that is really quite good and absolutely hilarious. I will pass the name of it when I finish it. I have the sneaking suspician that my book worm cousins woule buy it and read it before I finish it, because I know for a fact, that Melanie, you would especially enjoy this book. Maybe I will just send it to you when I am done and you can then send it back to me. But that would defeat the purpose of possibly saving money because it would probably cost the same, or more, so send it, and would take time. Plus I may want to read it again because it is a bit difficult to understand. Anyway that's all for now.

And mom, the grocery and shopping stores look like ours, except they are many levels high, the ones in the city anyway. Most of the grocery stores in Säckingen are smaller.

slight problem at the salon, but I love Freiburg!

If you have been reading this, you would know that I was eagerly awaiting changing my hair to blond...a natural blond is what I waited, and I figured it would be best to have it done at a salon, be a Friseur (hairdresser), since I knew that I would have to bleach it first since red it difficult to get rid of, and then dye it to the color I was hoping for. Well to make a long story short, really short...it didn't turn out how I wanted and now I pretty much have bleach blond hair except for little lights of a sort of strawberry blondish orangy color (which I actually like, because they tone down the brightness very slightly...but only when up close), which were aquired due to the use of a highlighter cap, so that the bleach didnt seep into my scalp which would have durt deathly bad. So the picture may be a little shocking, and it is still very shocking to me and am still getting used to it, even though I dont really like it. Have to wait at least 4 weeks to dye it again so it doesnt fall out, because it really will...but I think I am going to wait longer than that for the sake of my hair staying somewhat healthy. Besides, time flies, right.

But yesterday Stefanie and I went to Freiburg, for free I might add...our bus passes allow us to use the busses or trains and we can go to Basel, Switzerland, and Freiburg, and other places with them...pretty sweet! So we took the trail to Freiburg, which stopped through Basel, sadly it was in the industrial part so I didn't get to see the pretty part, since I hear it is pretty. But Freiburg was awesome...I liked it a lot. Better than Stuttgart. Smaller, although still a lot of people...the achitecture was prettier and there were more artsy stores, that I saw at least. I don't have time to post any more, as I got a little carried away writing an email to my Finnish penpal whom I havent written in a long time...so I will finish talking about Freiburg and other events another time. Until then.... Oh wait, I have to mention this: Stefanie and I rode the horses today and when we got to the top of the hill I look to the Southern horizon and scream with delight...''Die Alpen!!!' I shreak, ''Ich kann sehen!!!!'' For the first time since I have been here there wasnt clouds completely surrounding the horizon, and I could see the Swiss Alps..and they are HUGE and beautiful!!!! I gave Stefanie quite a scare, when I screamed. hehe. But I was just staring at them...and we are a good couple hours from them, but they were still huge...so I got a few pics of them from the top of Niedergebisbach, and that is the first pic included in this post, and then of a pretty building in Freiurg, and then of a church in Freiburg, and then my hair, and me with all my shopping bags, and my new shoes. The Alps are a bit hard to see, but they are visible. Oh man I really REALLY cant wait to go see them and be close.

When I grow up....

....I want a kitchen with lots of space and lots of nice cooking equipment and a room with my sewing machines and lots of floor space to cut my fabric out on. And a built in ironing board wouldn't be a bad idea either. I LOVE TO COOK AND SEW SO MUCH!!!!! It is taking me over...steeling my soul so that I will soon just become an obsessed insomniac (well the second part is already partially true...at least last year when i was in school and was working and playing soccer and prioritized with sewing and cooking first, and then homework at 3am). And it's getting hard because I want my sewing machine! I have one here I can use, but is so darn convenient having my machines in my room right there with easy access and not have to worry about waking anyone up so I can sew as late as I want. The room with the machine here is right next to Manfred and Karola's bedroom. Karola did mention something about taking it downstairs...but it is always freezing in my room so that may not be such a good idea. I have decided that I want to find the fabric store around here, and if they dont have what I want the internet will have to do: zebra striped fleece. OH yes---I am going to make zebra fleece sweatpants and a zip up fleece jacket...probably with a hood since I love hoods so much and when I am home in the winter I dont really take mine off. They will match perfect with my gloves and headband and wallet and velvet undershirt. muhuhahaha. Might as well cut a little extra and cut out a scarf.

And onto the cooking part....when I am bored, I find myself dreaming away at allrecipes.com or gazing into my cookbook (that is filled with mostly allrecipes.com recipes, but also 3 big packets specializing in Italian, Mexican, and Chinese food that I kept from Senior Life Skills class last year...I think I was suppose to turn them in, but I couldn't resist the urge.....), longing only to just cook and taste and cook and taste. Ah, I love making new things too, things I have never tried before, even if they turn out gross. Today after school I made a minestrone soup that I got from allrecipes.com and that lovely focaccia bread was disqualified from the fair because I forgot to cut off a slice. The soup was good, but not minestone-ee enough for me, it was more just like veggie soup with lots of herbs. So I decided I need my mom to send me the recipe of the stuff she made last winter that was the best I have ever had in my life. The bread was delicious, and is mostly gone. Man i love it. Sonday I am making stir fried rice (keepin it simple with one dish, but still yummaliscious...there's a word for you, Pop). Oh MY GOODNESS! Look, I spelled Sunday wrong!! That is a sign...because that's like the German spelling, Sontag....Hooray!!! I actually find myself doing that here and there...like writing in my journal or something and I might write October with a K, or something of the like. I told the kids at school to talk to me in German, so I know that is helping. Of course, things need to be said in English if I dont understand, but it's helping.

Some girls came up to me today in the break and asked me to help them with their homework....it was for English class, asking things about America like the name of the National Anthem (which I feel like an idot because I went brain dead and couldnt remember so I put ?OH say can you see?? Hah now I remember that Star Spangled Banner!), who replaces the prez and vice prez if they die, the writers of the Delcaration of Independence and whatnot. And then they were saying they wished they lived in California but were wondering how I could survive in the heat. heheh And then a girl who I met at the party last friday came to me and said that her boyfriend (who I also met and had good taste in music), wanted to interview me for the newspaper he worked for. AWESOME!!!! And if it is the newspaper I know, then it is pretty big. I think there are 2 main papers around here, so that'll be neato!

Anyway, I think that is all. Hopefully this time tomorrow I will have my normal hair color back...I hope it works. Once I got the appointment, the anxiety is now hoping that it turns out ok. Well better go...

What? A Flag in every classroom?

In English today we were talking about the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem (I believe the current unit in the class is focussed on the US), and the class and teacher were all astounded to hear that in most schools the we say the Pledge of Allegiance every day, and that there is a flag in every classroom. They were really surprised. They said they could never imagine anything like that, even having a flag in every classroom, in Germany.

And I read a funny joke today on a laffy taffy that came with a lovely package from home:

What did the potato say to the cow?

Give me some milk and we can make mashed potatoes.

OH man that one is so funny, seriously. I laughed. A lot. And Mrs. Manning, if you see this, thanks for the little bonus that came in the box my mom sent, that was so nice of you!!!

And Pop, check mom's email, there is a message there from me.

EIN MONAT!!!

Can you believe it?? I've already been here a month...nearly. About 6 more hours and I will have actually been here a month. But I have been away for a month and that seems rather crazy. Time goes faster and faster every week here, I think.

And Yes, I made a slight mistake in the last post. I meant to say that the students automatically speak to me in English because they think I don't know any German.

Good news!!! I am probably getting my hair changed on Friday! HOORAYY!!! Karola is going to make an appointment today I think, because Stefanie is getting a cut too. I am so happy. But I am not going to get mine cut, I am holding out on trying to let it grow out. As much as I like it short, this is an experiment, and I am not going to cut it after it's already actually resting on my shoulders. lol that sounds funny. And thank you everyone that has been writing me and posting.

In other news I am very happy that I brought peanut butter with me. Man I love that stuff. I don't think I could even go a week without peanut butter these days. Every day I love it more and more. Kinda like chocolate. ahhhhh dark chocolate...mmmmm. Ich liebe Schokolade.

Oh and I saw Pretty Woman last night, for the first time. Except it was in German, but I still got the gist. Cute movie.

winter brings sunless days...which means pigmentless skin

Ah, I see the picture of me from the blog with Zoe, and it makes me long for my Jack Russels, and then I also see the tan skin that summer brings. Well now that I am pretty much in the winter time (Redding style, that is), I have no tan. I am so white!!!! And my red hair brings it out even more (bleh I hate this hair color...seriously thinking of changing it to my natural color...as in soon, very soon. I hate the red).

Well nothing interesting has happened in the last day or two, except that this morning we all went for a walk ''in dem Wald,'' (in the forest/woods), and Manfred points out something white underneith the bushes next to the road. Cold weather + moisture = SNOW!!! In October!! Well actually, it was more like slush, and there wasnt hardly any at all, but enough that I knew what it was!!!! It is pretty cold outside...40 somethin, so at night I assume its getting pretty cold-er. Woo Hooo!!!

Oh, and Aunt Kathy, to answer your questions:

1. are you speaking mostly german or english at home? I pretty much only speak German at home. When I don't understand, they repeat it in English, or a German-English combination and explain what the words mean. at school? I don't speak as much at school. And sadly, the other students seem to think that I know NO German at all, so they just automatically talk to me in German. I mean, if they bump into me, they even say ''sorry,'' instead of the German equivalent, ''entschuldigung.'' I officially decided on Friday that I am not going tot learn fast enough, so I am telling them to talk to me in German, just keep it simple and slow. That way I will learn faster.

2. is your german vastly improving? My German is not vastly improving, as in super fast, but it is improving. I think I can speak much more that I can understand, since I am much more of a visual person than oral. I think I might rather have it the other way around in a way...so then I might understand what my teachers are talking about. are you fluent? What the heck are you thinking?? lol, No, I am not fluent. Not for a few months, I presumer will I be fluent, or close to.

Oh, and for my mom's 6th grade class: thanks for keeping updated with my blog! SOrry if I haven't answered your questions directly, but keep reading it...who knows, you guys could be an exchange student one day, you'll love it!!!

Mm I like using color, it really brightens up the post. lol...no pun intended!! HAHAH!

I miss the doggies

Thos are some fun pictures from the gargen. Not such a good one of me, but its funny anyway...I dont care what I look like anyway...I'm in the garden, afterall.

I see the picture of me with Zoe when I log in to blogger and it makes me sad (well not really sad), because I miss Ozzy and Zoe!!! And Hankie too...I want to see them run up and down the hall chasing the squeaky toys and going crazy and I want to see Ozzy howl. mmmm I love those doggies. And a little about German students: they are all very organized. And I conformed to the European way and got a pencil case. I figure that I might as well because I have to bring special pencils for art class and I dont want them bouncing around in my backpack...and then in addition all my other pens. EVERYONE has them here...seriously no one in America did...just a little leather or vinyl case for their pens and pencils and variety of colored pens and rulers and protractors. The German students are perfect...every line under a heading is drawn with a ruler and instead of making a bubble diagram with free hand bubbles, they use one of those little devices that draw perfect circles (what are those called? I forgot since I haven't been in a math class for 2 years), or they make a square with the ruler. And everything is color coded, and they all use quill-tip style pens, and almost always is in blue ink. And then little magic inc eraser pens. And they all have student planners and calendars and write everything down in it. They are super organized...dont see anyone walking around with a binder with papers just thrown everywhere. I find myself pretty organized but compared to them I guess I am a little messy. They mostly only use graph paper, for every class. No matter what kind of paper I write on, it seems like my notes look messier than everyone elses. I don't really like the binders they have here so I bought one of those divider binder things that flip open with a bunch of slots....like what a lot of American students use. The other binders are too big and most of the papers I get from teachers don't have holes in them. So there is my bit about the students.

And to any of you that seem to have thought that I am dropping out of all my classes, I believe you were a wee bit confused. Ther German course I was talking about would have been in addition to regualar school...it was a German as a foreign language class offered on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. The lower level one is only offered on Monday's and Wednesday's, and I am not giving up soccer. I am bound to learn German, now it's just a matter of how long it will take. As for my classes in school there are 11 periods throughout the day, one being lunch. The first begins at 7:50 and the last gets out some time around 5 i think. Each class is 45 minutes long and lunch is 50. Most kids get out at 1pm 3 or 4 times a week and at 3:30 or 5ish the other days. Most have more classes than me too, heheh. But thats ok, I can handle what I got. Afterall, I was actually told in my Rotary interview that I should not worry as much about school as I usually do anyway. muhuahahah!!! This is what I have:

Monday:
1. free
2. free
3. Deutsch
4. '' ''
5. Politics
6 '' ''

Tue
1 free
2 free
3 free
4 English
5 Ethics (kind of a philosophy class too...I wish I understood because I like that kind of stuff)
6 '' ''
7 lunch
8 Sport (PE)
9 '' ''

Wed
1 free
2 English
3 '' ''
4 Math
5 Art
6 '' ''

Thurs
1 free
2 free
3 Deutsch
4 math
5 '' ''
6 English
7 lunch
8 sport
9 '' ''

fri
1 Chemistry
2 '' ''
3 math
4 Deutsch
5 History
6 '' ''

So there is my school life for the next year. Oh and I have 2 sport classes....I guess that is unusual, most only have one. Oh, and here Carhart is a popular name brand. Like kids wear sweatshirts that say Carhart on them like they would say Adidas or Volcom or something. And there are girl carhart clothes too, and some of the jeans are really cute!

Last night I went out with Metina from my soccer team to a going away party for a friend of hers going to Australia for 6 months...to travel...for 6 months!!! Anyway, I was really excited that she invited me to come, and her mom even called to ask Manfred and Karola (I just found out it's spelled with a K), if I could go with her. Most of the people were older than me, but the ones friends with Metina were all really nice and inviting to me. Metina's boyfriend talked my head off the whole night. I asked him to try in German but he insisted speaking in English because he loved the language and wanted to practice. And the mom of the kid going to Australia talked to me a bit; her other son spent a year in the USA as an exchange student also. And they were surprised that I didn't drink alcohol, but were more impressed about it than thinking that it was stupid of me. That's nice to know that they respected me for that. And the only major thing I am not liking about Europe is how many people smoke. Too many...and lots of places too...in public buildings, at school, etc. So I can home last night and I smelled like a cigarette, even my hair (eck). So I sprayed my hood with perfume and put it on. Made for a bit of difficult breathing going to bed. A wee bit of choking...guess it wasnt that good of an idea.

Oh yeah and yesterday Stefanie and I helped Karola pull the carrots and onions out of the garden. That was fun...it gave me sort of a good feeling just yanking the carrotts out of the living quarters (the dirt), to leave a blank space in the ground. Overall satisfaction. It was fun. Lots of carrotts to eat now...or maybe...carrott cake to make?? mmm I already looked up a recipe muhuhhaha.

And today I made tacos and my apple pie. They loved the tacos, and they turned out good, and the meat turned out really good too. And I can say my apple pie is now ''World Famous,'' literally. The family and a friend that was here absolutely loved it. Manfred said it's okay for me to stay now, hahah. For the rest of my life...instead of me going back, Stefanie can go for me and I can stay and cook and bake and sew. hehehe Ah and it tasted so good! I have been making sure to exercise though since my appetite is back, and back in full swing for those of you that know how much I can eat. Yesterday I went running for a good 30 minutes and today for about 40 minutes, in the rain and the wind. Ah its was nice though. I started out running harder, which was weird because then it seemed like I had more energy to keep going. So I think that's it, this was a nice long post. Auf wiedersehen....