Freiburg 2008

Last weekend we went to France and to an SC (Sport Club) Freiburg soccer game, it was so much fun. We went right over the German border to France and went to a medieval castle that was on top of a huge hill or I think what looked like a mountain. The view was amazing because we got there in the morning around 9 and the weather was perfect! We could see so far and everything was just all green and trees everywhere. The castle itself was really cool too, I loved it because I love really old architecture and learning the history of it. One thing I love is Cathedrals, especially the one we visited in Cologne and we have nearly the same one in Freiburg too, just smaller... I love Gothic architecture, it's just so ornate and detailed. After we went to the Castle we drove in the bus for about 20 minutes to a quaint little French town called Colmar. It was really beautiful, and it was a very stereotypical French town, with Crepes on every corner, bakeries and the typical old French architecture. It was beautiful to just walk around in the town for a few hours.


Colmar, France(Me and Kelly in the weapon room of the castle...this picture is pretty cheesy)
(The buildings in Colmar were so pretty...really colorful...I wish Eldridge Iowa looked like this...lol.) (Me and Kelly at the bottom of the castle) (The castle in Colmar, France...Le Haut Koenigsbourg) (Picture of the really cute buildings as we were coming into Colmar, France.)




Then on Sunday Kelly and I had already purchased tickets for the soccer game and planned on going, then everyone decided they wanted to come too, so we had about 6 of us at the game and it was so much fun! We were really squished in the crowd because we definitely didn't get there early enough but it was such a blast! I don't think there are more dedicated fans than soccer fans! And we learned a lot of chants and songs that they sing at every game, so it was really fun getting into it. The guy in front of me though was getting annoyed with me for sure...hahah I just kept like screaming all the chants with everyone else and I think I was a little bit too close to his right ear...haha. That is one thing I definitely have to again, I think there are still 4 more home games left...so hopefully I can make it to every one.


(At the Freiburg game...Freiburg WON! the bottom picture is of Kelly and I , we bought t-shirts that said "Wir sind Himmelisch..aber wir koennen auch anders" Which means we are heavenly, but we could be different...rough translation.) It was such a fun game.

This week has actually been pretty stressful because my class for the International House has given so much homework and then we had to give a Referat (presentation) on friday, and I definitely hate public speaking more than anything! I have no idea why, because I am not a shy person. But I actually did really well, and was soo happy to get it over with! And next week we will be done with the class on Thursday and we also have one more huge test to take! So hopefully I can contain my stress. I am also getting nervous for classes to start because I have no idea how difficult they will be and if I will be able to understand. German professors are also so different from US professors, being that they really don't care that I am from the USA, they don't usually accommodate for people, so that is kind of scary. Everything about German school is sooo different from the USA because after elementary school everyone breaks off into their own different schools...like Gymnasium(for kids with the best grades) and then there are 3 lower schools and you basically have to choose what you want to do when you are around 13 and stick with it all through college or however far you choose to go in education. In the USA there is so much more leeway in choosing your major, I have had friends that have changed their major 5 times before they graduate college, so it is so different compared to the USA.

Other than the whole school thing, everything has been wonderful here! This whole weekend has been absolutely gorgeous and amazing weather. Last night my roomate Joanna and I cooked dinner for our German roommates, we made baked macaroni and cheese, salad, and baked cinnamon apples! It was soo good, and I think our roommates were kind of amazed that we could cook..haha. I think I am getting sick, it seems like everyone I know is coming down with something, so I am really trying to avoid getting sick because I have so much coming up in the next few weeks! I hope everything is going great back home...well except for all the companies going under!!! I really hope the dollar doesn't totally lose it's value by the time I come home!

Auf Wiedersehen!

Freiburg

So now I have been in Freiburg for almost 3 weeks and it is really amazing. I feel like I have been in Germany for so long already! This week has been pretty difficult with my class because we had 2 tests this week and it was pretty stressful because this 4 week class is counting toward my GPA back home and I am getting 3 credits for it... so it puts a little bit more pressure on me.


Pictures of the Muenster (the cathedral in Freiburg) and of St. Martin's Tor in Freiburg, very well known monuments in Freiburg

This weekend we are going to Alsace, France and on Sunday I am going to an SC Freiburg Fussball game..which is the soccer team in Freiburg, apparently they are pretty good too! I can't wait to go because from what I have seen of European soccer games it looks crazy and soccer fans are unlike any other sport fan! As far as going to Alsace, I don't know too much about the city but I know that it is territory that France and Germany have been fighting over for years. There is a castle there and other cool things to see, I think it is a traditional city. Eric went to Heidelberg on Wednesday September 17 and I think he thought it was really cool! I have read about it and it sounds beautiful! There is a castle there and I think it is one of the oldest German cities. Their University is the oldest in Germany dating back to the 1300s. It is strange that the city only has about 100.000 citizens but they have over 3.5 million tourists per year...so I definitely have to visit Heidelberg soon!

My friends and I (at the Schlossberg Biergarten and at Art Cafe)

Eric and I have been talking about where we want to go for our break that we have coming up. I have 2 weeks off from October 5-19 and Eric has one week off. We think we are going to see Berlin for a few days and then I think I might go to Spain for a week to see Diego in Madrid and hopefully travel to some other cities too, I really want to go to Barcelona and one of the many Spanish islands. I can't wait to start traveling and see new places! I definitely want to go to Switzerland too in the winter time to ski and see Simona. Except Switzerland is FAR more expensive than I would have ever thought, when our AYF group went to Basel everything was closed because it was Sunday and we went to Mcdonalds to eat thinking it would be super cheap, but were we wrong...my meal cost about $15!!! At Mcdonalds!!! I was totally amazed. And when Simona came here she was in awe about how much cheaper things were here, so she bought a ton of shampoo and hair stuff because they don't ever sell it that cheap inn Switzerland.

(Me at the Biergarten beer garden at the Schlossberg, you can see all of Freiburg from there...probably my favorite spot in Freiburg, I also will hopefully be working there in the Spring)

I can't wait to see what new adventures await me!

(Me and Jake standing over the Baechle they are little canals through all of Freiburg, which used to be their water source, it's one thing that Freiburg is well known for, some days there is water flowing through them and sometimes not. Myth is that if you step in one on accident then you will marry a Freiburger)

One thing I also didn't know was the weather here, I figured it would be nicer but actually it has gotten cold quite fast and I definitely didn't bring enough warm clothes so I have had to buy some sweaters and a couple light jackets and of course some scarves, Germans wear scarves all the time, even if it is 80 degrees outside...haha. Oh another thing...Simona is going to try out for the Swiss Idol singing show soon so watch out for her...she will be the next big thing...haha.

I have found it to be so fun just going around by myself in Freiburg and just exploring, I have seen so much that I wouldn't normally see being with a huge group of people. The only thing that is hard is when so many people just assume that I am German and ask me questions and I can't think very fast on my feet and say something fast in German so I end up just staring at them blankly...haha it is pretty embarrassing, but we were warned before we came here that we would be embarrassed quite a bit! and that has definitely proved true!

Auf Wiedersehen!

Already a month in Germany

Today I realized that I have been in Germany for a month already! Although it honestly feels like longer because it feels so natural being here. I am so excited for the year here, I have already learned so much about the language and the way of life here.

This weekend Eric and Simona came to visit me in Freiburg, we had a lot of fun. It was so nice to see Simona again since it has been 3 years since I last saw her! She came here on Thursday night and I was actually pretty nervous to see her for some reason, but then we saw each other and it was exactly how we were in high school which was a huge relief. That night we went to an Italian restaurant and just talked the whole night, it was really fun. Eric came the next day and unfortunately the weather was crappy so we didn't do too much. The weather was actually horrible to whole weekend but on Sunday we woke up to a totally sunny day! I was so mad because it was constantly raining the WHOLE weekend. Nevertheless we had a lot of fun hanging out together.

I have noticed some people here are not very hygiene conscious. An example of that was when Eric, Simona and I got on the Strassenbahn and smelled something so foul that we all almost upchucked! Not saying that people here are all dirty but some really need to invest in a shower once in a while. It seems more of an occurrence in the Strassenbahn because it is usually hot and very crowded in there.

I hope some of you who read this can find a way to come and visit because it is amazing here and the city is gorgeous. I am so happy I have this opportunity here =].

One thing that is a bit difficult for me here is cooking because everything is a bit different and when i go to the grocery store back home I know exactly what I want to buy, but here I spend quite a bit of time going through the stores searching for something I would like. Something great about grocery shopping here though is how cheap it is! The other day I went and bought so much that I could barely carry and it was only 22 Euros which is about $30! Another thing though is that on Sundays basically everything is closed so if you need groceries you really can't get any, Sunday is really dedicated to relaxing and spending time with friends and family, I really like it.

Today we were supposed to go hiking in the Schwarzwald to this lookout point which is about 1 mile high in the air! And once you get there you climb a tower and can even see the Alps! Unfortunately the trip was cancelled yesterday because it was raining all day and I think they thought it would rain again today but it was actually a beautiful day today, about 59 degrees and sunshine all day! It was awesome. Eric and I sat by the lake that is right next to my apartment for a while, it was so peaceful and beautiful. Fall has definitely arrived here, and I love it, it is definitely my favorite holiday, I can't wait for all the leaves to turn orange and red because my whole city is surrounded by trees and the Schwarzwald! It will be so beautiful.

Anyway I will keep updating this so keep reading!

Aufwiedersehen!!!

Finally in Freiburg

I left Duesseldorf on September 1st 2008 and it was a crazy day of traveling, a 5 hour train ride. It was funny while leaving Duesseldorf because Eric and Flo's mom (Andrea) were on the train helping me get all of my huge bags to my seat and all of the sudden the train started leaving! Eric and Andrea had to quickly jump off a moving train which was hilarious to watch, but after they jumped off little old me was just sitting in the middle of the narrow aisle in the train and my biggest bag couldn't even fit through the aisle and all these Germans were staring at me! Finally someone helped me carry them to my seat and get situated. Once I got to the Freiburg Hauptbahnhof (train station) I had to check in at the AYF desk, it was so hard to take all my bags all the way to my apartment. I don't even want to think about coming home because of the packing! HA!
Since we have been here it has definitely been a culture shock but I love it! It helps me learn things so much faster! Although my german language is definitely not by any means great, I really think I have been improving so much, which is such an amazing feeling. I honestly could see myself moving here for a while, I just love the culture and the city is absolutely beautiful with the mountains and Schwarzwald (Black Forrest) surrounding the city! The city is exactly like a postcard.
Last Sunday we went to Basel, Switzerland which is just over the German border. It was a gorgeous city! But everything there was outrageously expensive! Ironically all we bought there was Mcdonalds and it was about 10 Euros or about $13! We also went on a Sunday so nothing was open! =[ So we definitely missed out on the city for the most part. This coming Sunday we are traveling to the Shauinsland which is in the Black Forrest and hiking/ going to a restaurant inn the Black Forrest. I am pretty excited because you can see the whole city of Freiburg there! And Wednesday (tomorrow) we are going to a Biergarten in the Schwarzwald for some formal dinner that the International House if holding for us. So we have to dress up and walk up a mountain...sounds really fun! haha I definitely can't wear heels for that! I just am really excited to start traveling and learning more about Germany and Europe.
Simona and Eric are coming to Freiburg this weekend and I am so excited because I haven't seen Simona in 3 years!!
It has been nice because I have already set up my room in my apartment, fully equipped with IKEA! I love my apartment too because I have 7 other roomates but I don't know all of them yet because there are people moving in and out this month. I have a huge kitchen 3 bathrooms on my side of the apartment, and we also have a balcony, the rent is much cheaper than the USA too!
It is really strange going grocery shopping here because you have to bring your own bags to bag the groceries yourself! haha so I guess you all should be happy for the convenience of Wal- Mart and HyVee. Germans go grocery probably 2-3 times a week I think because you can't carry too much back to the apartment alone.
Another funny thing that happened here was when I didn't realize what a douvee was. The first day when I came into my room there were 2 sheets, a pillowcase and a big comforter on the bed, all WHITE. So the next day me, Zach and Shane were all at Ikea and Zach and I were talking about how dirty our comforters were, and finally Shane interrupted and was like...you guys know that 'comforter' is supposed to go INSIDE the douvee cover! hahah and we had both slept with this dirty white looking comforter over us the night before!
I also love the history of this city. Freiburg was almost completely taken out by WWII but the one thing that was almost completely intact was the Muenster which is the huge cathedral that is in the center of town. There are also bullet holes on some of the University buildings from WWII! The Baechele are so neat too, they are little canals running through the whole city, sometimes they have water running through them and sometimes now. Most days here there is water running through them. Apparently they were the source of water for the whole city years ago. All I can say is that this city is so amazing and beautiful, nothing comparable to flat Iowa, it is nice to see some new scenery.

Aufwiedersehen