The Garlic "Incident"

I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned this before, but the clouds move so fast here. I know that talking about the German clouds is a bit of a random way to start, but as I sit here trying to think of how to begin this entry I happened to look out my window and notice it. I don’t know why I like how fast the clouds move here, all I know is that I do.

On Saturday was the German Remembrance Day for WWII. Katrin and I talked about how Remembrance Day here in Germany is more for older people. Nothing was mentioned or talked about at school and we didn’t have a big assembly like we do back in Canada. I went to a concert that evening which was especially for Remembrance Day. It was in one of the old churches in town. So of course the acoustics were incredible.
The singing and the orchestra were also quite incredible. I actually had goosebumps when they were singing and I only understood, very generally what they were singing about. We also weren’t suppose to clap until the very end, so when they stopped before going onto their next number I don’t think anyone in the church could breathe. I know I couldn’t. I couldn’t even move. The music was so haunting. The few sentences I picked up here and there were also heartbreaking. I am getting goosebumps just thinking about it.

After the concert was over Katrin and I talked about the movie the Pianist. It was a true story about a German Nazi who helped some Jews escape the Holocaust. One of these Jews was a famous composer and anyways this German Nazi lived in Fulda, which is only 50 km from where I am living. I find it absolutely incredible how surrounded in history I am.

Speaking of being surrounded by history, my walk to school is no exception. On my way to school I walk down a street in Rotenburg where the largest Jewish school in Hessen was before Krystal Nact where the Jewish Synagogues, schools, and homes were looted and burned. I walk down a few streets where many Jewish homes and shops were. I think this is rather incredible.

Also, my school is called Jacob Grimm Schule. It is named after one of the Grimm brothers. The Grimm brothers wrote a lot of fairytales that many children know. They lived in this area where I am living.

After the concert, I met up with some exchange students who had come to Rotenburg. All of the January inbounds were in Rotenburg for the weekend so I hung out with them for awhile. I didn’t know any of them very well, because I had only met them once. So I was thrilled when one of the Australian guys I talked to a bit in Kassel did a double take when we saw me, rushed over, and asked me what I was doing there. When I explained that I lived in Rotenburg he said, “Get up and give me a hug! It’s so nice to see you.” I was stunned and thrilled. We chattered away in English for awhile and I have to say Australian accents are sooo excellent. It doesn’t matter what they say it always sounds exotic and interesting.

I also got to know another boy from Australia who hadn’t been at the meeting in Kassel, so that was really nice. I had a chance to talk to the daughter of my third host family. We had met once before, so I sort of knew her.

Renato, the Brasilien exchange student, came late and was really happy to see me. He also came over gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. (Such is the Brasilien way.) We’re quite different, but I am always really happy to see him especially at school. He knows exactly what I am going through and always gives me an encouraging smile or stops and talks to me for awhile. I think he also likes seeing me around too, so that’s really nice.

Wow, so I had a lot to say about the rest of my Saturday. Hahaha so now onto Sunday! Sunday was a bit distressing for a few reasons. I had major hard core computer problems which made me a little frantic. That was the first thing. I spent a few hours on the computer trying to open my Rotary Powerpoint Presentation with no success. I tried both my portal hard drive version and my CD version. I was really upset, because I wanted to show my host family that day AND I was eventually going to have to present this presentation to my Rotary Club.

I eventually had to download something off of the Microsoft site and I was able to open it, but I was a bit frantic. I showed my presentation to my host family and they thought it was pretty cool. I went for a walk with Katrin and we ate these special German waffles with powdered sugar in the shape of hearts. YUM!

Then I used SKYPE for the first time. I talked to my parents and sister and it was so nice to see their faces. We had some trouble with the audio sometimes, so that was a little frustrating, but it all worked out. Then I ate supper with my host family and I made a SKYPE call to my best friend in Waterloo. It was so nice to see and talk to Tannis again.

Monday was really uneventful so I am going to skip it, seriously you’re not missing out on anything. Tuesday was also rather uneventful, but I did eat at the school cafeteria at school for the first time. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t brutal. I was feeling really cold all day and rather sick. In the line for food I thought I might faint. Luckily I didn’t, but there was a teacher standing behind me and I figured if I crumpled they would at least make sure I was OK. I also had Drama. I now have Drama on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s. I wasn’t feeling really good that day and after having some supper at home I went to sleep really early. The next day I felt better, but not quite completely myself.

On Wednesday I cooked for my host family and it was a hit. Phew! I also had a short school day which I really appreciated. Thursday was more eventful this week. I wore the Bunnyhug and it ended up being a pretty good day. Lately I’ve been more discouraged than usual about school. I’m feeling a bit better now, but I know that the trials of High School are not over for me yet. BUT I’m doing the best that I can. In my quiet nature I haven’t offended anyone. I haven’t stepped over boundaries. I’ve been pleasant, helpful, good natured, and offer a smile and encouragement when I am able. I have trouble following their conversations so I can’t jump into a conversation, but when someone starts talking to me I can keep up a small, but good conversation.

I think some of the students are starting to get a little bit more curious about me. I think one of my problems in school is that the students are in a very heavy academic program and have little time to do a lot of other things, but I’m glad that Rotary didn’t stick me in a class with kids younger than me. Those kids might have more time to spend with me, but I think it would be difficult. I have mentioned before that I’ve found the German students quite cold, but I don’t think Theresa and her friends mind me being around. When there is a change in the schedule or if they get up to do something they explain what is going on and they don’t seem to wish to be rid of me. They can be a bit wrapped up with themselves, their group, their studies, and don’t pay a lot of attention to me.

However, little conversations have been starting up lately and I think that thing will get better. I know it’s still going to be a long, sometimes hard process, but I’m trying to concentrate on the little victories. For instance, one boy came up and started talking to be about going on an exchange. He wanted to know what organization I was with and we talked a bit. In the next few days he has talked to me a little bit here and there. I’ve really appreciated his acknowledgment and his kindness. I know it’s mostly because he’s interested in having his own exchange, but nevertheless I am grateful.

My Deutsch lessons were cancelled so I got to go home at noon. I ate a donner at a donner shop called Aladin. It had a picture of the genie from the Disney version of Aladin on the window. I thought this was rather excellent. The women who worked in the shop had a thick accent, but I was thrilled that I recognized that she had an accent.

I walked home completely reeking of garlic from the tzaziki sauce and I brushed my teeth 3 times and then I finally couldn’t taste garlic in my mouth. I sure hope that people couldn’t smell it after that. I walked back to school and made a really cool fight scene in Drama. I came home and stayed up late watching a crime show in German.

Oh I almost forgot. I’m use to smiling to people on the streets in Canada and having people smiling back at me. In Germany this is definitely not the case. So on Thursday it was the first time that I smiled at someone on the street and they smiled back at me. I thought it was a really great moment.

Today was another good day. I had 2 hours of Gym class and we are still playing Badminton which I am pretty good at. I paired up with one of Theresa’s friends and we laughed, smiled, and talked a bit. I really appreciated this small connection. The rest of my classes went by pretty quick and I came home through the rain. I was picked up half way by Caroline’s father who had also driven Caroline and I to school that morning so that was really nice.

My tongue hurts a little from my hard core brushing from yesterday’s garlic incident and I burnt my tongue on the yummy soup we had for lunch. It was so warm and so good. Then we had chocolate fondu with pineapple and I spent most of the afternoon reading, catching up on my diary, and of course writing this entry.

OH MAN! I almost forgot. It snowed today!!!! It wasn't cold enough during the day for the ground to be white, it was just wet, BUT now that it's dark and colder the ground is covered in a thin layer of snow. I felt so close, but so far from home at the same time when I saw it. BAH SNOW! Oh how I've missed you.

So reading now you’re all caught up on my life. I’m not feeling sick anymore. I think I was just mentally and physically exhausted. My German is getting better and better, but I can’t help, but feeling that by the end of the year there is no way I will be fluent. I think that I will understand what is being said and I will be able to respond fairly well, but I think I will have only grazed the surface of the German grammar. It is so complex and confusing. It’s better to get somewhere than no where with the language so I’m going to keep at it. I can understand, read, write, and speak about 1000 words, but I understand a lot more than that. 1000 words doesn’t sound like all that many, but believe me it is when you have to memorize each one of them. Not to mention that I have had to memorize sometimes 4-5 meanings for a specific word.

In English we have a lot of words with different meanings, in German one word can have a lot of different meanings. That just adds to the confusion! It’s getting better though and people say I’ve made a lot of progress in these first, almost 4, months. So I am going to hold onto that warm and fuzzy feeling. I’ll also send some of that feeling your way. Take care reader. Oh ya and this post is for Julilla as she wraps up her week of Drama craziness! I know it was a blast and that you blew them away kid.