almost two weeks

Not so much to say about today. I'm still sore from yesterday. I went to the rotary bbq today and Meghan was there so I had someone to hang with :). That was basically just parents talking and teens talking and we all eating. Then I changed and went to my first ball room dance class with benni. I liked the teacher alot. He was cool and even knew some english, so he explained some stuff when I was confused. It was a class for teens so I didn't feel as foolish. He told me just to come to him if I was having any problems. In Germany, the highest class and sometimes the 11th and 12th class get to go to this ball at the end of the year. It's the only "school dance" they have. I think it's like prom. And it's a huge deal. Like mega huge. So that's why benni is taking the classes. So that when he askes a girl to dance, he will know what he's doing. I thought that was sooo sweet. Teenage guys in America don't really care that much about it, but apparently it's common for guys in Germany to take dance lessons for this reason. There was some family over later and the rest of the afternoon was just relaxing and talking. School tomorrow. I'm gonna get my residence permit and get my phone card and look at shoes during my two free periods with meghan. Well, the latter two. The first with Sofia before school. Chau!

exercise

No one. Absolutely no one, can say I'm not exercising while I'm abroad. You know what I did today? I biked thirty kilometers with Rebekka and her friends. I feel like I have diaper rash and my back and legs are sore. I did it all on a bike that was too big for me. I can't even touch the ground on it. I haven't rode on a bike for so long that I had to relearn how a couple minutes before this charade. I had to learn how to ride, stop and start riding the bike that was too big for me the german style. Then I biked 30 kilometers. I only fell once in the bushes that happened to have a plant that gives you a rash. So my hands don't feel so good. And I did it all for you people. Cause I wanted to see the castle and take pictures for you. Hope it was worth it! LOL the pics will go on facebook shortly. I also rode the bike to Rebekkas horse school. One of the horses took a liking to me. I never knew how soft they are! This one kept sticking his head out of his stall and breathing on me and nudging me and trying to get my attention. He went as far as pulling my shirt with his teeth. I think he was trying to eat me. But he was cute! Theres something about horses I noticed today. They have alot of personality and they seem so sincere. I look at them close up and I almost feel.....like they're sad all the time. But thats probably just me. The disko was awesome!! Everything I thought it would be and more. I love it. The only thing was that I thought it was a big group of kids going, but it was just me and benni and christoph. It was still fun though. They pretty much just sat on the couchy thing and I danced. It will probably be way better with some girl friends. Muahahahahaha....tomorrow benni has to dance. You know why? Cause tomorrow is our first ball room dancing lesson. This will be interesting. Hes really tall and I'm....not. lol. Tomorrow is also a rotary bbq so full day. Today was exhausting. Early bedtime? I think yes.

Buses...

Buses are terrible. They are shortist. They are not for small people lol. I was almost pushed off the bus today when people were getting off. It's no mercy here. I also almost fell quite a few times. I'm excited for tonight. There's some things I need to do first though. Like get money for the sleep over off my account. And I was told that I would be provided with a phone here, but that doesn't seem to be the case so I'm gonna go and get a phone card at Aldi. It's cheap and everyone does it here. I also found that people here wear skinny jeans alot. I have two pairs, but I don't have any shoes to go with them because my tennis shoes look terrible with skinnys. My flats are not appropriate for the amount of walking I do each day, and my other pair of shoes are uggs and not seasonally appropriate. Girls here seem to either wear flats or converse or what look like keds. So I'm going to get some of the latter. So I have to get money for shoes and a phone card too from a different account. I also will probably shower cause my hair is straight for the first time today and its gonna look terrible if I get sweaty. Thats about it for today. Nothing too exciting at school. Just boring classes. I'm just happy I'm finally making a few friends!

Two new things

Two new things today. I got to try my first bit of champagne :). I was surprised when it was offered to me by my host parents, but then I remembered and decided to try it. I wasn't sure what I thought of it, so they mixed it with orange juice and I had a glass of champagne mixed with the juice. They were also drinking this. I also made a new friend today and she asked me to go dancing with her and her friends sometime. I was also asked this by christoph, but I told him no because I need to go with girl friends first. And I just thought it wouldn't be good for me to go dancing with just me and a big group of guys. Then later today Sofia said that Christoph had come by earlier. I have to hand it to the boy. Turns out a huge group of kids that all live near here are going dancing tomorrow and my new friend and Christoph had talked and both wanted to invite me and Benjamin. So I get to go dancing tomorrow! Since Benjamin is 18 now, his birthday was today, he can write on a slip of paper that he is responsible for me and I can stay out later than midnight. He could also drive me there, but some parents of the kids are driving everyone. Or Sofia said she would drive us. School was boring. Some friends of Rebekka's came today and are staying until tuesday. They are very nice. There's one in particular that has alot of common interests as me. That's about all for today I think.

oh!

And after the second period there is a 20 minute break. And after the fourth period there is a 15 minute break. But no lunch break or anything. Five minute passing periods. Thats it.

Schedule

Mondays: Four free periods so I don't have to show up until 11:20, so at 11:20 Physics, then free period. Then on week A I have music from 1-2:30. On week B I have English from 1-2:30...

Tuesdays: 7:35-9:10 Deutsch (German), 9:30-10:15 tutor group (German language tutoring), 10:20-11:05 Vocal Practice or singing (its not choir, more like practice for ppl wanting to sing opera. No performances), free period, 12:05-12:50 Math....

Wednesdays: 7:35-9:10 English, 9:30-11:05 Music, free period, 12:05-12:50 Religion....

Thursdays: 7:35-9:10 Math, 9:30-11:05 Physics, 11:20-12:50 Deutsch, no afternoon classes on week A, but week B I have Vocal Practice at 1-2:30...

Fridays: Two free periods in the morning so I don't have to be at school until 9:30, so 9:30-11:05 Religion, 11:20-12:50 English, no afternoon classes on week A, but week B I have Deutsch 1-2:30...

That's it. I know that's confusing. Week A and Week B just rotate. The only difference is if I have afternoon classes and which ones if I do. Tell me what you think of my classes!! Different eh?

Sorry about the delay

Sorry about not posting last night. I was exhausted. There was so much stuff to do and so little time and I had to get to bed to get up for school in the morning. Ok so...where was I? Second day of school? Yes I believe so. I met Mr. Rose at the beginning of school because he had my schedule. The first class period I had to be with him as he taught 6th grade English. My German class wasn't ready for me yet because she was preparing and I would have just been in the way. So I helped him teach the 6th grade English. It was the cutest thing. They could only speak in simple sentences. So he had them go around the room and each ask me a question. They thought it was the coolest thing ever that I'm from America. I learned something too. I learned that 6th grade German boys are very attracted to me. I was hit on several times by the little ones. They were all nervous to talk to me, but made it very obvious they thought I was pretty. One whispered to his friend that he wanted to ask me if I had a boyfriend. A big group laughed because he didn't say it as quietly as he thought. But by the end of the class I think they liked me because they asked if I could come back more often. After first period Mr. Rose asked me if I wanted to go to his second 6th grade English class that day and help again or if I'd rather go to the German class. I went with him because the German class isn't my German lessons. It's just like how Americans take English. I wouldn't be learning anything. The second class I didn't like as much because there were two boys in the front that were bigger than the others. The same age, just matured faster. They took an extra extra obvious liking to me and were constantly asking me questions such as...what is my favorite color, astrological sign, etc. One thought he was being funny and asked for my number. I told him I didn't have one. They kept staring at me and it was uncomfortable. I liked all the other students. It was just those two. You know how when someones staring at you and you can't quit checking to see if they're still doing it? Then you meet their eyes and it's way weird. Well that's what kept happening with these boys. Except worse because I think they saw it as encouragement. I was glad to be done with the class. But over all I liked helping to teach the kids. Then I had tutoring in German. After that singing and then free period (I have nine free periods a week). Then math was my last subject that school day. I went home and almost got on the wrong bus, but Benjamin saved me at the last minute. At four I went to the bank and got my account set up. At seven was the rotary meeting. I had like three dinners that night because I ate some before the meeting, during the meeting, and after was Hartmut's party. I didn't realize they would be feeding us at the meeting so I ate before to tide me over until dinner after at Hartmut's party. It was really boring, the meeting was. They had this huge slideshow of a 60 million dollar boat. I have no idea why. I was sleeping with my eyes open. Then I left, came home, socialized for an hour, showered, wrote to you, and slept. Today was alot simpler. I got up. I went to school. I made a new friend at school named Jasmine. She is very enthusiastic that I'm an American. So she introduced me to all her friends and they were nice too. Theres a few kids in my classes that are starting to recognize me. Everyone says cool when they find out I'm from America. So I spent my free period with her today. My classes were boring. I had English today though, normal English. And I had to be their walking dictionary. I also had to read an article out loud about President Obama taking our troops out of Iraq. It was from the New York Times. Then I had to explain all about that subject and September 11th and such. It wasn't a fun subject. I didn't realize there are German and Australian troops out there too! The American news doesn't tell us much about this. Only about the American out there. Then I had my other classes and my free period and went home. And this is where I've been. Nothing going on tonight except Benjamin's birthday is tomorrow and Philip's dad's is tonight so Hartmut and Sofia are going over there. I'll make another entry for my schedule. It's complicated. ttfn