(continued from before)

Later that night we went out to eat. We went to an Italian restaurant and i had rice with some kind of cheese, peas, and artichoke hearts. It was really good, but it was an enormous serving. I probably would have been fine with semthing a third of the size. Then we went out for ice cream to an Eis Cafe. I had cappucino eis and it was yummy. It, too, was huge.

After dinner and everything, Julia and i went to a party with other exchange students to play volleyball. Really, it was an excuse to smoke and get drunk. Julia doesn't drink. I think we were paired nicely.

We came home and went to bed.

I woke up at 8 am on Saturday, thinking I may have slept too long. I got a shower and everyone was still in bed when I got out. Everything seems like a blur. We breakfasted and Doris, Jan, and I went grocery shopping while Julia studied. It was very frustratingto go grocery shopping because I knew nothing. We bought Schafskäse for me for the barbecue.

Lunch was a sauerkraut and pepper dish over mushrooms and rice.

Later Julia and I went to the "beach." It's really a lake, but a lot of people lay out in their swimsuits and there. We swam and met up with Jordan, Ricarda, Eddie, and Matthias. We played volleyball for a little while. Then Julia and I went to a concert called "Arena of Pop." There was a German boy band called Tokio Hotel and Melanie C from the Spice Girls We met Sam, Jeffrey, and Christoph there. We had driven to Heidelberg to drop off julia's parents at a birthday party at a vineyard. Then we drove to the train station to get to Mannheim. The concert wasn't great, but the night was fun. We came home around 12:30 and I went straight to bed.

Then yesterday I woke up around 9:30, this time I was the last up. We breakfasted (I think this was the day Julia and I went to the Bäckerei) and then we went somewhere very far away to see a cave. Christoph and Jeffrey and both our families came. It was cool to see, and it was such a long way back. I probably fell asleep 4 times on the way back. I really didn't think I had jet lag. We drove nearly 190 km/h on the Autobahn (150ish mph) and it was fun.

After the caves, we went to a cookout at Benny's house for all the exchange students. it was fun, but Julia had to go study. It was quite awkward at first; I felt like a leech if I clung onto her, like an intruder if I tried to mingle with other germans, and an idiot if I stuck with Americans. When Julia left, I sat with Jeffrey and the others who were drinking. Same, Cad, and a few of the Germans began playing guitars and singing songs I knew, so i joined in. Before that point, I caved to the urge to hang out with my Americans. I tried beer and it was disgusting. After a while, though, it wasn't so gross. Something, I'm not sure what, made me want to get drunk. I have no idea how much I had to drink, because people kept refilling my cup when they thought I wasn't looking. I wasn't drunk (it was more fun acting like it). Darlene swore she'd get me drunk by the end of the trip. I met a guy named Benny who was very nice. He spoke like an American, because his mother is from Vancouver. He's very good at English. I was reminded of Austin so often. Christoph and Jeffrey brought me home since Julia was studying. I probably reeked of beer when I walked in. Christoph's pretty nice. Julia says she finally quit studying around midnight.

Julia woke me up at 6:20 this morning. I felt like a slob, sweaty, hair and drool everywhere. My stomach hurt a little this morning (hooray German food) but that may have been because of last night.

Today was our first day of school. Julia's mother made me lunch (which I didn't end up eating. We drove to school because Julia had a group project to work on this afternoon.

First all the exchange students met by the teachers' room. We had a small tour around the school. Then I went to Julia's physics lesson. I understood about half of it. Then, in the first break, we had another meeting in which we were paraded around the school. Then I went to math with Christoph and Jeffrey since Julia had a test. I understood the calculus part of the math, but not the vector geometry part.

I saw Benny again a couple of time during school. He's very nice, and reminds me so much of Austin. Actually, everything reminds me of him.

After Math was biology, and everyone was eating in there. Apparently, as a punishment, students must bring in a cake for everyone if they're late 3 days in a row.

Next, and last, was geography. I had no idea what was going on most of the time. Then I was asked where I was from and what kind of dirt we had here. I felt so stupid because I didn't know there was a difference other than red dirt, brown dirt, and sand. We have all kinds of dirt here, and that wasn't really a good question. Later, the geography teacher began talking about a field trip - by bike - 40+ kilometers! I think I'll pass on that one. I might be good with 3 km.

Doris picked me up from school and we talked on the way home. She says my German is getting better. I told her how school went and everything. All the Stifters are really nice. When we got home, she continued preparing a meal that she had abandoned when she came to get me. It was potatoes and kohlrabi - delicious.

I've come upstairs maybe an hour ago. I'm really exhausted, but I don't know if I should go to sleep. I'm so so glad that I'm finally caught up.

Dann, Bis später

second day at Stifters

I'm sitting in my room and I've just finished my second breakfast with the Stifters. I suppose a recap is in order.

After we left our belongings in the hotel, we went up to Frankfurt am Main. it was beautiful there, and I fianlly bought decent batteries for my camera. I also got some postcards there,. We walked out of the mai Frankfurt am Main Platz, across a bridge, and found a boat cafe. It is very frustrating to be the only one who understands! Everyone asks me if they don't get something. Anyway, we went to the boat cafe, but nodoby was there, even though they had movable signs that were out and advertising and appeared to be open. We walked into the inside, since nobody was on the deck. It was a bar, but we thought, at first, we had walked into the owner's house. She asked if we'd like to sit on deck, and i thought she was telling me that they were closed. Once we finally got sorted out and sat down, I ordered veggie lasagna and mineral water. It was delicious, but it was 7,50 euro. Food's not cheap there. Walking back from the cafe, we found drunk guys with beer boxes on their headds. They wanted us to give money to have our pictures taken with them. Then we went back to Frankfurt am Main and there was a protest. Community (public) doctors were on strike because they were having to work longer hours but were getting a paycut.

We walked back to the hotel and watched the Fairly Odd Parents in German until Frau Koch arrived. All of us were so tired, she gave up on even trying to speak to us in English.

We had a welcoming party when we arrived in Hockenheim. Julia gave me a hug and her mother fave me flowers. Her family was very nice, but it was intimidating to suddenly need to speak in German. We had coffee and cake at the party, everything was good. I really love German coffee.

We came home and I unpacked and gave everytone their gifts. Julia got me some nice Puma lotion and shower stuff.

I just wrote an e-mail to mom on the computer in the hotel lobby. It was very difficult because the letters were all switched around.
Now I'm sitting in the hotel room and it's very hot. It's probably 85 degrees, but outside it's in the high 70s, much cooler.
I've just put on makeup and I feel extremely fake. It reminds me of why I don't usually wear (much) makeup.
Last night it turned to dusk around 9, twilight at 9:45, and finally got dark at 10:30. This morning I woke up around1, thinking it was time to get up because it was light out. That light was because of the party scene around the hotel, though. Then this morning I woke up again around 4:30 or 5. The sun was coming up and people were already working outside. I love having it light so long, except that the Germans sleep very late.
Breakfast this morning was good. The man said "Good Morning" (I didn't think we looked like Americans) but I said "Guten... Morning?" He threw me off. I had a roll with poppy seeds with butter and cheese. They eat sandwiches for breakfast. I also had a small bowl of granola with very thick milk (it may have actually been cream. ew.), coffee, and what the guy in the hotel called "multi-juice." Everything was good. The juice was grapefruit, orange, and pineapple mixed with mineral water. I looove mineral water, and I thought I wouldn't. The coffee here is great. The sugar at breakfast came out in little pellets, and I didn't realize that each little tiny pellet was about a tablespoon of sugar. They were so small, so of course I took about a dozen little pellets into my coffee. It was a 4 ounce cup.
My hair feels really good, and I don't know if it's because of the water. The shower has a detachable head and the toilet has buttons on the top. At first, most of us (myself included) thought the toilet buttons were a box of tissues.
It's almost time to check out. We're seeing if we can leave our things at the hotel so we can wander Frankfurt. Jeffrey says the drive to Hockenheim is 3 hours long. Perhaps during that time I can learn subjunctive mood and a little more vocabulary. I need batteries for my camera. I've been through eight batteries to take 3 pictures. Rebekkah says I need digital camera batteries.
Bis Später.

it's sooo hot.

I'm lying in my hotel bed in Frankfurt, where I'm roasting. No building here in Germany, with the exception of candy stores, has and air conditioning unit.
My second flight was good. It was very short. Kaci and I walked aroud the area of Frankfurt near where we're staying. There are TONS of porn/erotica shops and clubs on our block.
Tomorrow I'm meeting Julia.
After walking around Frankfurt, we took a nap. We were told to be ready to go by 4:30, but Kaci and I were the only ones ready. So Dr & Frau McCulloh took us out and I got a vanilla milkshake. In Europe, milkshakes are actually drinkable (mine was great).
Then we had dinner at the opera house in Frankfurt. Very classy and expensive. Our Kellner/waiter came up and asked a question to which we responded by looking to the McCullohs for help. He asked again in English. Nobody wanted to answer for the whole group, so we just looked at each other. Frustrated, he asks, "WHAT, must I speak in FRENCH?" It was pretty funny.
For dinner I had a salad that was a work of art, followed by spaghetti with truffles. It was super fancy, but I was kind of afraid to try the truffles. They were yummy, and they're very similar to mushrooms. I drank mineral water (also good). For dessert, Darlene and I shared a tiny little cake that cost eleven euros. It was delicious, but that was a fifteen dollar cupcake!
Now it's late and I need sleep.
Til later.

Flughafen

Jetzt bin ich in dem Flughafen von München. Es is sehr groß. München ist schön. Ich habe in der letzter Stunde ein andere Flug verlassen. Wir gehen nach Frankfurt. Der Flug hier war nicht schlecht. Ich freue mich auf für alles ich soll sehen. Ich habe eine Zeitung, "Die Zeit" bekommen.

Airport (translated)

Now I'm in the Munich airport. It's very big, and Munich is beautiful. I've just left a plane within the last hour. Today we're going to Frankfurt. The flight here wasn't bad. I'm looking forward to everything I'll see. I've gotten a newspaper, "The Times"

Ich bin sehr muede. Ich soll schlafen, aber mein Freund Austin spricht mit mir. Er ist sehr nett. Ich finde er toll. Diese Theme ist nicht ueber Deutschland, aber es ist auf deutsch.

Ich habe nur fuenfzehn Stunden mehr vor die Arbeit, bis ich bin fertig.

Ich habe gewusst nur heute was habe ich im naechsten Semester.

Deutsch, naturlich
Religion
Mathe (Integralrechnung)
Kunst

Mooresville.

Hallo alles!

Jetzt bin ich in mein Zimmer, und ich habe schon bald gewusst, dass ich gehe nach deutschland in nur zwei Wochen! Vierzehn Tage! Es ist komisch, jetzt es sieht aus, dass es ist nicht so weit. Ich muss alles packen.

Die Arbeit geht schwer. Es gefaellt mir nicht viel, aber es ist nicht schlecht.

Das ist alles. Bis Spaeter!

Ach ja, ich weiss nicht, wie man schreibt mit der Umlaut auf dem Computer.

Hello all,

Right now I'm in my room, and it's suddenly occurred to me that I go to Germany in 2 weeks! 14 days! If I knew how to say "a fortnight" in German, I totally would! It's funny/weird, it seemed so far, but now it's really not. I have to pack everything.

Work is hard. It's not fun, but it's not bad.

That's all! Til Later!

Oh yeah, I don't know the keyboard shortcuts for vowels with umlauts.

test test test

This is a test entry. I want to know that I'll be able to use this in Germany. And backdate, because computer use shall be sparse.