The Big Move, Walks with a LAB, and A Cute Pumpkin.

I'm now officially a citizen of Rotenburg an der Fulda. Well not officially, but you know what I mean. The big move has taken place and I think I've settled in nicely. I'll talk more about that later, because I have a few things to say about my last days in Oberellenbach.

The evening before I left I gave some presents to Lutz and Marion as a Thank You for everything they had done for me. I gave them each something and I also gave them a big thing of maple syrup for the family. I have to say it went quite well and they loved the maple syrup, but HELLO it's maple syrup! Everyone loves maple syrup! =)

Oh that reminds me, at dinner Jonas said that he thinks my new host mother is going to need a bus for all my stuff. Hey EASY Jonas EASY! Hahaha, it's not really that bad. I mean 2 large suitcases, a small suitcase, a purse, and my Rotary Jacket isn't a lot, especially when I am gone for an entire year, I had to pack for every season, and of course I had to bring lots of gifts for host families, exchange students, friends I meet, or any other random person that happens to make an impact on me here. I've given out quite a few things, but that sure didn't show in my gift suitcase. It looked as full as it had when I brought it, but that's OK because I still have quite a bit of time left here to give presents.

So now onto the morning of the big move. So Jonas left pretty early, but Lutz worked at home today. I was pretty thrilled about that because that meant he could see me off. Marion of course would be the one to take me into Rotenburg. So I woke up to SNOW. YES that's right I woke up and it was snowing. No way! I know!

It wasn't REAL snow in fact it was more slush, because the ground wasn't white, but wet instead. In a way it was a good ending because I came on one of the hottest days of the summer and I left on the day of the first snow. A tidy ending, well at least weather wise.

I spent the morning trying to keep myself busy. I figured I'd stay indoors, so I didn't go for one last walk. I packed a few last things, tidyed up my room, searched my room for any stray belongings, and then tried to go onto the internet. To my dissapointment the internet was down! So I was running out of things to keep myself busy. I ate a bit of lunch and Anton and I spent a bit of time together. We said a goodbye of sorts. I will miss him.

A colleague of Lutz came and we had coffee and some butternut squash scones I made yesterday. I love those...they were a bit too well done though! We also ate this really random fruit that someone gave as a present to the Wildenhayn's. It tasted a bit like a mild grapefruit, it was strange, but it wasn't bad. Lutz thought we should dip it in maple syrup, so we did. It tasted quite good with maple syrup. Yum!

Then Marion came home and it was time for me to leave. Lutz gave me a big hug and assured me we would see each other again and then we were off. In the car Marion told me how strange it was for her that I was leaving. She said it was never this way with other exchange students. She's said this a few times and it has really touched me. I really wanted them to like me. Don't get me wrong I would never change myself so someone would like me. I think just the way I am, I am a likeable person. So I was glad I had made an impression on them, because they certainely have made one on me.

I hung out in her shop for a little while and as it turned out Katrin (my new host mother) would come to Marion's shop while I was at my Theatre practice and she would pick up my things. So then the time came to say Goodbye to Marion. We were both quite teary eyed and it was so hard to leave her shop. I mean it wasn't the last time we were going to see each other, but it was still hard and it hurt.

As I walked from her shop to my school I was fighting tears, but I kept it together. I didn't want the other kids to see my crying. Drama of course was great. I am so thankful that I took a chance at Churchill when I auditioned for my first play. I loved being in Greg's plays at Churchill and those positive experiences pushed me to join the Drama club at my new school here in Germany.

The teacher is so great. When I don't understand what we are doing he speaks slowly in German, or tells me in English. He makes sure to include me and the other kids are good about doing this too. One of the things we did that day was improv a scene from the book. Now of course there was no way I could do that would my limited German. I have made huge leaps and bounds with the German langauge, but there was no way I could do that. I've read the book in English. (The book is actually orginially written in English by an American Author who is originally from Germany.) It's a great book...but anyways I was prepared to sit out and my teacher turns to me and tells me that I can play the scene in English. The other students would speak in German and I could speak in English or a mixture of English and German.

I gazed at him completely astounded and asked him if he was sure that was OK. He said it would be fine, so I did. It was incredible! I understood what the other people in the scene were saying and after I finished playing the scene my teacher asked the other kids if they could understand me and they said they could. So it all worked out. I was over the moon thrilled. I will have to give him something Canadian when all of this wraps up, because he has been so good to me.

Once Drama was finished I slowly ascended the stairs. On my first day of High School my legs shook as I climbed the stairs and now they shook as I ascended them. I was soo nervous. I probably shouldn't have been because I had met the whole family before and they were incredibly nice, but I was just so nervous.

Katrin was there to pick me up and she was very kind to me in the car. When we arrived at the house both my host father (Eberhard) and my host brother (Johannes, he's 14) were waiting for me. They helped me bring my suitcases in and showed me to my room. It is a really cute room and I also have my own bathroom which is nice for them and for me. Hahaha

We ate supper together and Johannes spoke in slow German so I could understand him. It was really sweet of him. I found that for the most part I can understand what the Wagner's are saying when they talk to me. They speak slower and I'm sure they must modify their vocabulary. There are usually 1 or 2 words in a sentence that I don't understand and I'll ask. I wasn't always good about asking before, so I figured I had better start now. I feel a bit more comfortable asking what these few words mean beacause it's not like at the begining where I maybe understood one word and I would have to ask what every other word meant. So this is an improvement!

Speaking German is a bit difficult for me, especially gramatically but people correct me which is really good. There were times though when I made a sentence just right. Of course these times are few and far between, but this is PROGRESS!

That evening Eberhard and Katrin went over some basic information and First Night Questions, so I know what is expected of me and what to expect while I live here. So that was good. Katrin also gave me some chocolate and said she hoped I had a "sweet start" with them. That was incredibly cute and not to mention sweet! Oh that pun was completely intended! Then I called it a night.

That leads me to yesterday which was Halloween. I almost forgot, because of course people don't talk about it a lot around here. It is a fairly new idea, about 10 years old. So it is not widely celebrated.

I woke up late because I didn't have school or Prakticum and I ate breakfast. I've already found two things which I like a lot here. There is this really good jam that is made of wild berries but it also has ginger and cinnamon in it. It's store bought and delicious. I also like their honey, which is really different from what we have back home. It has a bit of a grainy texture, but I really enjoyed it.

Katrin talked with me while I ate breakfast and then she had some things to do in the Kitchen so I went downstairs and unpacked all of my stuff. I did a good job, it took me a while though. Then I helped her make a soup for lunch. We ate with Johannes. He's younger so he doesn't have school nearly as long as I do.

Katrin then took me out for a walk, because she knows I love to walk and she showed me some places I could go. They live on the edge of Rotenburg, so if I walk for about a minute I am surrounded in nature. It really is beautiful. It was a wonderful temperature. It wasn't too cold, but it was cool enough that my cheeks felt warm and my hands were cool. There was also a blue sky! I freaked out! I was so happy to see a blue sky.

Katrin and I took Mira, the dog, with us. Mira is a Lab, so needless to say she is pretty big, but she is quite old and loveable. We've had no problems and I am quite at ease around here which is strange and thrilling for me. I have come a long with my fear of dogs.

After we returned home we had tea and cake all together and then I carved a pumpkin with Johannes. I have a picture of it, so a picture will come once all this camera business is sorted out. It is an excellent pumpkin.

Then I helped make Zweibel Kuchen which is bascially onion cake. It is a Southern German speciality. It's actually pretty good, a ton of onions, but actually pretty good. We were joined by Eberhard's brother. I have met him before, because we stayed with him in Hamburg. He was just staying the night before driving to another city for meeting.

I got the cutest text message that day from Marion. Translated it means: We're sending you greetings and we hope everything is going well where you are. It was really sweet. Lutz and Marion left for Australia for a month on the 31st. I hope everything goes really well. =)

Today I slept in again, had a late breakfast, wrote some e-mails, and then Eberhard asked if I would like to go for a walk with him and Mira. Of course I said yes! I was thrilled that he asked. We went on a different path than Katrin had taken me on. It was beautiful and the weather was nice cool, but not cold. The sky wasn't blue, but it didn't bother me too much today.

He let me hold the leash and taught me some of the commands for Mira. It was really thrilling because I felt very at ease walking with Mira. She's a HUGE dog, like 3 months ago I would have been terrified and I would have laughed really really hard if someone told me in 3 months I would be taking a Lab for a walk. I would have died laughing. Seirously...

After I got back I wrote this blog entry. So that leads me up until now. So I hope you enjoyed this entry reader and thanks for those of you who sent warm wishes. The move went well and it was very comforting for me to know you were thinking about me. Take care and as always I miss you and I hope everything is wonderful where you are. =)