Rain and Retrospect

Hello Readers! We’ve had amounts of rain comparable to a tropical rain forest. It has rained for four days now. I wouldn’t be surprised if I bumped into a tree and it fell over roots up. Five days ago I sent my camera home for repair which made me somehow less inclined to venture outside . Which means that this blog is going to include pictures from the beginning of my journey up until now. The first month I was in Germany I could not figure out how to attach photos into my blog so come with me and lets look back in retrospect. The second part of this blog I’m going to answer a couple of basic questions from a friend that I thought would be good for everyone to know.

Plant at Oma's house with woven spiderweb
and caught raindroplets.

  How is school going? 

School is going well. I just finished reading my first BOOK for German. It was one-hundred fifty pages long and I read it from front to back. I could not understand every word but I can understand paragraphs. I started the first chapter looking up every word I didn’t understand. A couple hours later and only three pages completed, I decided to try a more relaxed approach. I packed my fluorescent yellow dictionary in the drawer, and just read. I understood the plot line perfectly, and learned phrases that I wouldn’t have picked up in conversations. For example,‘This place is not the bellybutton of the world’. Who would have thought in three months I could complete a novel cover to cover in a week?

I live near the dot on the right and I will be traveling
for my midyear camp to the dot on the left.
Practically across the country!
http://www.wordtravels.com/images/map/Germany_map.jpg

Are classes and expectations different (more difficult?) Than here in the U.S.? 



American high school seniors have SAT’s, German seniors have the Abitur, or known as ‘Abi’. The last two years of highschool are in preparation for this test. The student can choose two primary subjects (History, English, German, Math) and four others (Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Economy, Geography, Politics, French, Russian, Latin, PE). The primary subject tests last six hours each and the others last four hours. In total, twenty four hours of testing. Doesn’t seem so hard compared to our six hour SAT break included test anymore does it? The teaching methods are also different. Rather than taking for example one course on the French Revolution and jamming decades of history into six months, the Germans learn gradually. Their method is to teach for example the French Revolution starting in 8^th grade and every year go more into depth. This way of learning would have really benefited me, and students in general. The majority of my USA school classmates including myself would tell you based on how much we are expected to learn and be evaluated on, we memorize facts and concepts until the test date. Then somehow we relearn everything a couple days (a week or two for me) before midterms or finals and somehow pass with flying colors.

Chandelier in the Celle Castle

The information isn’t completely gone, but it would genuinely take a while for me to recall a piece of knowledge, like finding a piece of paper filed in an eighteen-wheeler sized file cabinet. Which brings me to my answer of the question, there are different expectations for students because their tests are different. I am in the 11^th grade and am watching the frustration of my classmates. They said that the jump between 10^th and 11^th grade was too big, what is expected from this is too much. Can I get an American High School junior amen? The teachers are frustrated that students don’t complete homework, and the students are frustrated with the amount of homework. But they don’t meet everyday like we do, I only have Economy once a week. English meets on Wednesdays and Thursday. German on Monday and Friday. As an unbiased witness, I can understand both sides of the situation.

Are you living in the country or the city?



I currently live in a village, or small town. There are no grocery stores or any official buildings other than a hair salon. More than anything we are a residential village, we are fifteen minutes away from the central city. The ‘city’ is a cobblestone town square with a ‘CVS’, Church, Café, Travel Bureau, Clothing store and Shoe shop including repair.

Door. But their really cool here!

Eating my first Döner.Contents: big pita pocket with
lamb/meat (hah the vagueness)
cucumber slices, white cabbage, red cabbage, tomato.

Is it a long distance from “home” to school?
I am a fifteen minute bus ride from Boizenburg, the central city. Five minutes from a train station. And seven minutes from the closest grocery store and gas station. There are a lot of places to ride a bike in Dersenow that will lead you to other residential villages, but there is no sidewalk on the main road. Also, the main road is more like a highway because it is the only toll-free way between Hamburg and Berlin. That means we have cars and eighteen-wheelers driving by 24/7.

Host Dad picking pears in our tree.
We also have an apple and walnut tree!

Do you feel that it was a more positive choice to attend your senior year away rather than at your home highschool?

I knew that it would be at times difficult to complete my senior year away from home. The excitement of hearing from ‘dream’ colleges, writing dozens of essays, studying for midterms the last time….hahaha that doesn’t sound fun at all. More than anything I would be ‘doing’ I miss the friends I have grown up with. But those who are really important to me will be there when I come home no doubt. A test of true friendship. I know other exchange students are completing their college applications and will be graduates upon arrival, but I chose to complete the year in CT. I will be graduating with the class of 2013.

Flying out from Orientation Camp to Germany!
SO unbelievably hot that day.

I welcome any of your questions that I can answer as a comment. Enjoy the pictures and let me know what you guys think!

Blessings, Genevieve

Progressing

Good Morning All!
I had the in home interview! This part of the process is required by the AFS faction of CBYX. It was on Tuesday for about two hours, all the typical questions. My whole family was requested to be there for the meeting to get a sense of our "family structure". Because I'm going my senior year I won't be back in time to graduate with my class. Most of my teachers and friends were totally enthusiastic for me to take this opportunity, and some suggested I finish my senior year and take as many college credit classes as I can.

So, in the big scheme of things lets take a look.

 I received a full scholarship to study abroad in Germany for ten months, who knows how this will develop my character and my brain! Or take college classes while I'm still in high school to get a head start on the whole college process and graduate with my friends. After a bit of research, it became pretty evident that graduation is an "american" thing. I talked to the assistant principle and she said yes I would graduate and get my diploma, just not get to walk across the stage. For my family (they're SUPER supportive!) and almost everyone else's this process is important because it's a final wrap up for all the things that have happened during the time their son or daughter has been in high school.  For the kids, its a last whoo-rahh before everyone leaves for college as I'm sure you know.

It took me about a millisecond to weigh the options, I was blessed with this opportunity and I have peace about going. The next step is waiting for more information on Germany's behalf, they have yet to accept my application (CBYX already has). I also have to save up some money to get my German residence permit and clothes(?) Is it cheaper to send it over plane before I go or try to bring it all during the initial flight (45 or 55 lbs limit), I don't know. It still amazes me and the reality of this happening is beginning to come into full swing. As for now, its absolutely gorgeous outside and I'm going to enjoy this day!

God Bless,
JG