two weeks tomorrow

Today Meghan and I did the calculations and I will be in Germany around 40 weeks. I will have been here two weeks tomorrow. It actually didn't feel like two weeks. It's like, as long as I stay busy and always have something to look forward to, it's gonna fly by. Which is funny because you would think it would go by slower because I'm away from home and school is shorter. So there's more time on my hands. But I have so many small things to fill up this time and bigger things to worry about, that I hardly notice. For example, this weekend is the big rotex sleep over in the gym of my school. I'm super excited to meet all the other students. Theres gonna be like 60 there. Meghan says the entire front of my blazer is gonna be covered by the end of the weekend. This is the time to trade pins. Next weekend, Jasmine invited me to stay over at her house Saturday night. She told her mom about me and how I'm from America and her mom wants to meet me. Jasmine's older brother has a basketball game that Saturday so they invited me to come along and since it goes late she asked if I just wanted to sleep over! I'm going to ask my host parents tonight. Tomorrow is another rotary meeting. The routine, once a month ones. It'll be boring, but at least Meghan will be there so I'll have someone to talk to. And they feed us so free food is a bonus. I'm starting to learn a little more German today. I studied in my Physics class. I also got my residence permit today. I should recieve it in the mail in a couple weeks, but now I'm all legalized. After that I went to school and met Meghan. It took awhile to find each other, but once we did it was all good and we went to the Aldi and bought my phone card. I'm gonna ask Benni to activate it and such later. We didn't have enough time to go shoe shopping. So I went to class and she went home to call her dad. Yesterday was Father's Day in Australia. Then I had another free period before English. Jasmine was done with school so she took me to one of the nearest shoe stores during that period. Turns out theres a mall right by my school! I know where I'm going on my free periods now ;) lol. I'm so glad I went with her because I got the pair of shoes I wanted for 12 euro! Everyone said they would be like way more expensive. I love off brands :). I was choosing between two shoes that I was looking for and I just happened upon the off brand of the better one. So yay! I think it was like the German pay less, idk. But it was great. So now I have my phone card and shoes to go with my skinny jeans. And I have extra money so I can save it and have some if I need food or something. Extra money is always good. I don't have anything planned for tonight, so I think that's it for today. Email me and tell me how I'm doing with this blogging thing. If you don't have it, my email is pbandwaffles@yahoo.com. If you're reading this and you have something you want to say to me, but are hesitant because you didn't know how to contact me or you think you shouldn't because you're a friend of a friend and I don't know you, it's ok. Now you have my email, so shoot me one! I need feedback so I know what I need to improve on or if I'm doing ok.

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?