Well, the reason why I havn't blogged recently is because not too much has been going on. The weather in Berlin has been horrible. The snow on the ground is frozen like a rock and the sidewalks are like ice-rinks. IT IS SO COLD! To make things worse, before last week there was NO SUN for 16 days! I felt so down during that period- I had absolutely no energy. When we finally got some sun last weekend, I just stared at it for a few moments and literally felt my mood lifting!
(walking the schoolkids to the afterschool. DULL, DREARY, COLD)
I've just been working at the school everyday- learning a lot from the kids. (I have been reading with them almost everyday. With the younger kids we read easy lines like, "I drive with the bus" and when they have finished I must write down the number of mistakes they have made. The 2nd class we read harder books and I am learning many vocabularies) It is sad that I only will be with them and my wonderful colleugues untill this Thursday! To make things worse, right now I am not feeling well at all. I have a bad cough, throatache, and headache. I went to work today, but told them that I will not be there tomorrow. Hopefully, I will be well enough by Wednesday, because me and the other Practicant will be bringing in treats for the teachers.
Last weekend Friday a friend of mine had a party at his house and I went there. we just all chilled and had a good time... practiced German. On Saturday me and my host brother went to his "abi party" which is a party for a bunch of people starting their Abitur which is this huge test Germans have to take before their graduate (it's like the BAC in France). I really wasn't in the mood to go to a party that night, but I'm glad I went because it was really cool club. It was massive. there were about 1000 people there and the club was built in a former factory- it was built like a mini Berlin, and there were all of these different places people could sit at, and downstairs was a techno hall and it was really amazing... but I didn't really know anybody, and I didn't have any lust to dance or anything so it was lame at the same time- but I'm glad I went!
This weekend Friday was interesting for me. It was the 5 month anniversary that I have been in Berlin, and I was at the airport saying goodbye to an exchange student Daniel. He was going back home to Brazil. It was the first time I had been in the Berlin airport since I had said goodbye to my host sister in August... and it was really weird. It made me really think about going home and how it must feel, and it made me have fear. I love my family and friends and home... but going back? just unimaginable at the moment.
Anyways, after the airport, I had some friends come over to my house and we just hung out. On Saturday I was with my favorite mexican Maria- We watched a really old film in German with my host family. Sunday, I just chilled at home- enjoying not doing anything in particular. However, it was quite tense in the house because something happened between my host sister in Equador, and my host family. She was robbed sometime last week when she was out one night, and there is a ton of drama going on due to the reaction of my host parents- it caused me a lot of stress! But I believe it has been resolved now, so all is good.
Despite the fact that I m sick, I have so many things to look forward to! On Friday I have a meeting with all of the 11th class at my school to debreif about our praktikums, and after that I have my Winter Holiday Break and I am off to Austria with my host family!!! We will be going on a ski/snowboard trip for an entire week and I could not be more excited. I LOVE SNOWBOARDING! After that, starts school back up again, and it should be good to get back into the swing of things.
:) life is good :)
... can I just say how AMAZING exchange is!!! I know a lot of people have troubles with their exchange year- host familes, friends, school, location... butt so far, this has been the best year of my life. Sure there are things that wrong happen, but as a whole, I have experienced so much, met so many people, seen so many things, lived in a new house with new people, gone to school in a new langugae and location, and lived in a new CITY with some of the best friends I could ask for.
Mein Austauchjahr könnte nicht besser sein!
(walking the schoolkids to the afterschool. DULL, DREARY, COLD)I've just been working at the school everyday- learning a lot from the kids. (I have been reading with them almost everyday. With the younger kids we read easy lines like, "I drive with the bus" and when they have finished I must write down the number of mistakes they have made. The 2nd class we read harder books and I am learning many vocabularies) It is sad that I only will be with them and my wonderful colleugues untill this Thursday! To make things worse, right now I am not feeling well at all. I have a bad cough, throatache, and headache. I went to work today, but told them that I will not be there tomorrow. Hopefully, I will be well enough by Wednesday, because me and the other Practicant will be bringing in treats for the teachers.
Last weekend Friday a friend of mine had a party at his house and I went there. we just all chilled and had a good time... practiced German. On Saturday me and my host brother went to his "abi party" which is a party for a bunch of people starting their Abitur which is this huge test Germans have to take before their graduate (it's like the BAC in France). I really wasn't in the mood to go to a party that night, but I'm glad I went because it was really cool club. It was massive. there were about 1000 people there and the club was built in a former factory- it was built like a mini Berlin, and there were all of these different places people could sit at, and downstairs was a techno hall and it was really amazing... but I didn't really know anybody, and I didn't have any lust to dance or anything so it was lame at the same time- but I'm glad I went!
This weekend Friday was interesting for me. It was the 5 month anniversary that I have been in Berlin, and I was at the airport saying goodbye to an exchange student Daniel. He was going back home to Brazil. It was the first time I had been in the Berlin airport since I had said goodbye to my host sister in August... and it was really weird. It made me really think about going home and how it must feel, and it made me have fear. I love my family and friends and home... but going back? just unimaginable at the moment.
Anyways, after the airport, I had some friends come over to my house and we just hung out. On Saturday I was with my favorite mexican Maria- We watched a really old film in German with my host family. Sunday, I just chilled at home- enjoying not doing anything in particular. However, it was quite tense in the house because something happened between my host sister in Equador, and my host family. She was robbed sometime last week when she was out one night, and there is a ton of drama going on due to the reaction of my host parents- it caused me a lot of stress! But I believe it has been resolved now, so all is good.
Despite the fact that I m sick, I have so many things to look forward to! On Friday I have a meeting with all of the 11th class at my school to debreif about our praktikums, and after that I have my Winter Holiday Break and I am off to Austria with my host family!!! We will be going on a ski/snowboard trip for an entire week and I could not be more excited. I LOVE SNOWBOARDING! After that, starts school back up again, and it should be good to get back into the swing of things.
:) life is good :)
... can I just say how AMAZING exchange is!!! I know a lot of people have troubles with their exchange year- host familes, friends, school, location... butt so far, this has been the best year of my life. Sure there are things that wrong happen, but as a whole, I have experienced so much, met so many people, seen so many things, lived in a new house with new people, gone to school in a new langugae and location, and lived in a new CITY with some of the best friends I could ask for.
Mein Austauchjahr könnte nicht besser sein!
Oh I remember that! In Slovakia, we had only 5 days with sunshine out of all January, February, and March... it sucked! But you'll pull through... hold out for those sunny days!
Your blog makes me smile :) And I'm super jealous of working with those kids!