Drama + A Castle = A Happy Red Blazer Clad Canadian

I haven't written in awhile, so I wanted to update everyone about the last week. I recieved a phone call from my parents on Sunday, which was so nice. I feel really good after having one of those phone calls. I also love being able to talk really quickly in English and use some of the slang words that I'm use to. Here if I speak English I have to watch my vocabulary so I don't confuse the person I'm talking to.

So I was back at school again this week. I've found that this week I am understanding more at school, than I did before I left for the camp. That was extremely encouraging. I still don't have a good idea about what's
going on in my classes, but I can understand a bit more.

Oh that reminds me! Before I forget I need to tell you that I had an entire phone call in German, with my neighbour's daughter. She's the girl who takes me to all of her classes. She talked really slow and I know my German grammar was terrible, but I was able to understand her and she was able to understand me. There was only one thing that she said that I didn't understand so she told me that in English. I was so proud of myself.

There is a boy from Brasil who is also hosted by my Rotary club and I saw him at school throughout this week. He got pretty homesick this last week and he wasn't doing too well. Homesickness hasn't hit me hard yet. There are definetly times when I feel some homesickness, but it hasn't slapped me across the face yet. I wonder when it will come, because I know that it will. He's doing better now. I saw him at school today and he looked a lot more like himself.

I went to my second Rotary meeting this last week. The Rotary meetings alternate between two locations so that it's easier for the Rotarians who live farther away to attend. I'll see the second location next week. However, back to the first location. It was in a castle. YES WAY! It was in a castle. Bahhh I was so excited. The food was good and the Rotarians, were all very nice. The presentation was about Insurance and it was all in German so I understood very little, but I was glad I was able to attend.

On Tuesday in my politics class the girl beside me passed me a note. It was all in English, but I answered in German. I really appreciated the gesture, because it can be a bit lonely at times. I'm never alone there are always people around especially at school, but no one who I've befriended. They are all friends of Theresa. They are good to me, but I haven't been able to find my own friends. The language barrier is definetly a problem, but I'm working on that.

I don't believe I've told you what my classes are. Here you go reader, these are the classes I am taking:

History
Politics
Art
English
Deutsch
Biology
Physics
Math
Music (Theory)
Sport (Gym)

I start school most mornings at 8:15, but on Thursday's Theresa has an early class so I have to be at school at 7:25. Monday mornings I get to sleep in because she has a spare, so I don't have to be at school until 9. Every day, but Wednesday's & Friday's I get off school at 3:50. On Wednesday's and Friday's I get off school at 1:30. I also joined a Drama production. So I stay even later on Thursday's. Drama goes from 4 to 6. (Thursday's are a little brutal because I am at the school from 7:25 am to 6 pm. OOOCHHHH....but I'll talk about how much I love Drama later, so it is worth it.)

So I am taking Art for the first time. I've always wanted to, but I never really got around to it. It's fun and I like it. I enjoy that class alot because I can actually do something. That's how I feel about Sport too. I'm able to do something so I look forward to those two classes. We are kayaking on the Fulda river in my Sport class. Pretty cool eh? I also enjoy English, because it is the one class where I know what is going on. The teacher often asks me questions, so I feel useful.

During the rest of my classes I work on my German. I try to listen to what the teacher is saying and when my brain is too exhausted from concentrating then I work on my German. I'm learning about 20 new words a day. I'm making sure that I can spell them, say them, and I know which article to use. (der, die, or das) When I have memorized them then I write them down in my notebook which will become my very own dictionary.

One interesting thing about school, is if a teacher is sick then class is cancelled. Weird eh? So I have had a couple spares this week because one of my teachers has been sick.

In my little village, the small grocery store had it's 10th Anniversary so my host father Lutz took me there in the evening and we watched a movie outside and ate bratwursts to celebrate. The German's definetly know how to make a good sausage. =)

Now I will talk about Drama. All the people there are great. They make sure that I know what's going on and I was able to participate in all the Drama games even though my German is very limited. They are going to make a play based on the German translation of the book I Never Promised You A Rose Garden, by Hannah Green. I have ordered a copy, but it hasn't arrived yet, so I haven't read it. Basically it is about a girl with Schitzophrenia. The director split us up into two groups. One group played around with a scene, and the other group I was in had to create a scene where the girl is hearing voices set to music. The music was so creepy. I ended up being the girl so I didn't have to say anything, but I was able to act which was excellent. I really wanted to prove myself. I think I did a good job. I also had to scream in the scene, so my throat is a bit sore today. All in all, I had a wonderful time! They are also planning a trip sometime in the fall which I am invited to go on. I am sooo excited!

I also found out when I will doing my presentation about Canada, myself, my family, and my school. It's on October 27. AHHHH. I hope my German is OK by then. Marion said that I could do the presentation in some German and some English if I wasn't able to do it all in German. I hope it goes OK. I do have some time though. Well that's all for now. Take care and try not to miss me too much. Hahaha. I miss you.

P.S. Forgive my atrocious spelling, but for some reason blogspot's spell check has failed me! Also, I'll explain my title a little bit. For my Rotary year I was given a blazer, because I'm from Canada it's red, and by the end of the year it should be covered in pins, keychains, that sort of thing. (It's going to be a pretty neat keep sake. If you want to check out a picture of it check out my blogspot profile.