It has already been one month?
The expression 'Time Flies' has never had a more appropriate use, because time has really flown by. I arrived in Germany nearly a month to the day, and the experiences I have had are fantastic.
The beginning.
I flew from the Toronto airport to Amsterdam, and then finally to Bremen, close to my Host City of Achim. This was my first time in Europe, and after I was greated by my incredibly friendly host family, my first remark was 'where is the skyline'. After stepping out of the airport, the first thing that struck me was that there were no skyscrapers or appartments, as I was in a large city in Europe! and that most of the buildings were fairly low to the ground, albiet looking very similar in design. This was the first of many small yet shocking differences for me. From the airport we took the autobahn (highway) to Achim, the city I will be staying at for the year. On some portions of the autobahn, there is no speed limit (marked by a 0 with a cross through it, diagonally), and the autobahn itself looked very nice and well kept, less like a highway and more like a busy and important street, with fields instead of houses on either side. When we arrived to my house, I was greeted by lunch (with bread and meat) and a cake, made by my awesome host sister!
When I arrived at my host house; I had more culture shocks! (believe it or not) The roofs of the houses are more slanted than in Canada, adding a different appearence to them. You would not be able to walk on them without sliding down, and are made of tiles (I think ceramic or similar material) instead of our sheet-like material that can be stapled down to the roof by workers walking on top of the roofs. ALSO, AND THE BIGGEST CULTURE SHOCK OF THE DAY WAS; the windows. Yes, just the windows were enough of a culture shock to last me several hours. They have no SCREENS! The windows can be flipped open at any angle as long as there is a hinge, and you can stick your entire body outside some of them if you wanted to, because there is no screen to stop you. My first thought was 'MADNESS; the bugs will fly in!' And then my second thought was 'Where are all the flying bugs?' This was another big culture shock. I have seldom seen any bugs, which are in abundance in Canada, and so there is no worries about them flying into the house, hence the windows with no screens.
Food
Surprisingly similar to the Canadian diet, or a portion of Canada's diet: because we have many different cultures and therefore many different types of food. The majority of food I have had in Germany has involved bread, and meat. The bread is more gourmet than the average Canadian bread, and the meat is very similar as well, although different in miniscule ways. There are many different types of bread, and my favourite is a kind baked in a wheel of six fist sized loaves, that can be pulled apart. Also, potatoes are common. My observations are that everything tastes good!
They have a chocolate marschmellow treat that comes with decoraive icing. I had a lot of fun makeing mine.
Travel
Very different from Canada, or atleast from what I have experienced, German public transportation is fantastic and well organised. I have taken the trains many times to the neighbouring cities and it is very easy and cheap. For 16€ you can buy a ticket that works for the entire month, allowing you to go after 2:00 any day at anytime (in that month). I once took four trains in a day, and everything was a breeze thanks to the ticket. The bus systems are also very good, and I was even able to take a joined bus (two carriages attached by an axle hinge) for 1€ to school, so that I would not have to bike in the rain. Mentioning bikes, you can go anywhere with yours! You can take them on the trains and buses, or go through bike trails in between cities; bikes are incredibly usefull! I use my bike everday to travel to school, (10 minute bike ride, even longer walk) and then to travel with friends to different events and places. Without my bike, I would have a very hard time getting places without takeing a train.
School
Different yet similar to Canada. School starts at 7:25 SOMETIMES. Sometimes it starts at 8:25. Sometimes it may end after eight classes. Sometimes only after 4. I am still having trouble with the system, so I just follow my classmates around. You have different classes in a time schedual for the week, with some classes appearing three times in your week, while others only happen once. If a teacher is sick, you have that class off, unless your other classes are then changed around so that you have a spare period on another day. It is very confusing for a foreigner (me). I am in a grade ten class in Germany, not grade 12 like I would be in Canada, and I have the same 'core' class for the day, except for english history and french, where the classes seperate based on their course selection. My class is great, they are all very kind and they are incredibly helpful. My German has been getting better and better every day thanks to my class, and they teach me new phrases and sayings so that I can keep adding to my vocabulary. It is like a third family for me (the second being my host family) and I am looking forward to spending the year with them.
Activities.
I have been doing many things in Germany, and here are a few of my biggest examples:
Pathfinders/Rovers, -German Scouts, I have joined the Achim group and it has been an amazing experience for me already, just three meetings in. They are an incredible group and I am blessed to know them. They have taught me common German games, songs (of all genres) and have brought me to local events I would have never known about otherwise.
They showed me a game called 'Riple Tiple'. The players are given a number starting from 1 to the number of how many players there are in the circle. For example if there is ten players, there are players with numbers from 1 to ten, known as Riple Tiples. You must say '
Ich bin riple tipple Nummer (your number, for example 1) eins, mit (amount of ripple tipples ripple tipples auf meinem Gesicht. Und ich wähle ripple tipple Nummer zwei.
---I am riple tipple number one, with (amount of ripple tipples) ripple tipples on my face. And I choose ripple tipple number (and then chose any other player) two. You have to say this sentance when you have been chosen, and if you make a mistake, you get a ripple tipple on your face. A ripple tipple is a black soot mark, made by burning the end of a cork so that there is black residue, and then dabbing the players face to mark them with a ripple tipple. When a player has a ripple tipple on their face, other players must now say 'I choose riple tipple number two, with one/two/ect ripple tipples on their face. This game goes very fast and is tons of fun, because everyone makes mistakes. I made a couple.
Vollyball - On tuesday nights, there is a fun game of vollyball for teachers and students, playing for fun every week to help keep active. It is a fun experience and has helped me make new friends, and stay competetive in sports.
Badminton- On friday nights, my host father is in a badminton fun leage, and he invited me to tag along and play. I quickly learned I am not a very good player, but I try and I have fun. And I am getting better and better! I have also learned that after playing badminton, you cannot raise your arm the next day because of the muscle strain. Good times.
Rifle Range- One of my dreams was to join a rifle range. And it came true! My host mother learned of a local club from her friend, and brought me to the range for the first time. I learned a lot about shooting and aiming, and made some very good shots they said (for a begginer), as well as new friends and a new hobby. And the best part is that it is only 500m from my house!
Movies!- I went and saw the premier of Resident Evil; Retribution in Imax 3D with my friends. We took a train to buy tickets the morning before, and then came back the next day after school to see the movie. It was a great movie (it is a action zombie movie by the way) and the best part was that I saw it in deustch, and I could understand what was going on! And the voice overs were pretty good, it could have been a German movie. (It is an english movie)
This is me, wearing three pairs of glasses. My regular glasses, 3D glasses, and then the Imax glasses overtop.
Rotary Sleepover: One of my favourite days was the orientation for new exchange students. This was a orientation sleepover in a city within the district, and I was able to meet exchange students from around the world, and make a ton of friends. Some of my friends have started calling me 'My favourite Canadian'. I think thats a pretty good title for just one day.
I would like to thank everyone who has made my exchange year possible (Especially my family, and Rotary International), and I look forward to the rest of my adventure!
Veilen Dank (Many Thanks) Brantford Rotary Sunrise Club for sending me on such a fantastic experience.
