July 13 - Tuesday
First thing to do was of course eat a wonderful breakfast that usually includes some very fresh and delicious bread with butter, cream cheese, this special chocolate organic yumyness that is a nice topping, or whatever. Always delicious every morning.
We then went to school - Anja to hers and Svenja and me to ours. To explain a little bit the school schedule I will say that there are 5 different days, each one ending or starting at different times with different orders of classes each day. If anyone thinks block scheduling is sometimes confusing, try getting used to 5 different days to remember instead of 2! Anyways, she had an Italian test that was oral and I could not be present so I chilled out in the "chill room" while she did amazing on it because she is such a good student and smart person. Then we were able to wait around for about an hour because the test was only 20 minutes long and we were given the rest of the time to do whatever. Next we went to German class. This was interesting, because I had virtually no idea what they were talking about. During a short 5 minute break (because the class blocks are normally 2 hours time) the teacher talked to me in English and she spoke very well and was nice. This surprised me a little because I was thinking she would only know German, but I had forgotten that in Germany you are required to take English. So really everyone knows at least a little English. It goes to show you that you can´t underestimate anyone, or prejudge them because you just do not know the whole story of who they are. After class started up again the teacher had everyone write a poem on naturalism.. Meaning letting things be as they are and not so much looking into anything confusing. She let me do it in English. I don´t know how well I did, but here it is, and I might remind you it was only a poem written in 10 minutes so it is not that fantastic:
Always new things here today,
Every day and in every way:
There are babies and sprouts,
And laughter and tiny snouts
In the light the phloem goes;
And from the xylem the water flows.
For without these things forrests don´t grow.
Then life becomes dull and colorless.
Rainbows of shades can be created by man,
But this isn´t the only way they can.
For out of a flower comes a buzzing bee
And there and everywhere life is thriving, free.
Nature exists on its own,
And for no reason does it need man alone.
In fact because of us the wilderness is fading,
For away runs life from negligence and wastefuless.
Next we had lunch. How the lunch system works in this school is in between the first two periods there is a 15 minute break and another 15 minute break after the next period and then there is a 35 minute break after the next. I have not been able to make it to this 35 minute break because the school has been a strange schedule due to releasing early because it is so hot. Heiß... Anyways, it is not such a bad thing because the school has no air conditioning and it is 85 to sometimes 95 Fahrenheit outside. The weather is not usually this hot in Germany.
The last class of the day was Biology. Oh, sweet, loving, friendly Biology, how I love thee so. I understood very much during this class. Why? Because I had already learned it all! They drew a diagram of selective permeable membranes on the chalkboard and many of the words describing it was the same in English, or at least close. Ex, the heading was: Selektive Permeabilität der Membran. I felt right at home.
I helped make lunch, or well, sort of a before dinner meal. Unless we can call the lunch I had at school a snack. Oh well. We had these chicken kabobs (really really yummy) and a delicious salad. It was interesting because I learned that there are so many ways to say chicken to get someone to understand what you mean!
Florian had me set up this ridiculous little lounge chair outside for his own amusement.It took me a few minutes to figure out how to put it out together, it was a little confusing. Well, he said he does it to everyone, and I don´t blame him because It must be hilarious.
We went swimming at the lovely lake again, I just love swimming in that clean water. I do not have the chance to swim all that often. My goodness there were so many speedos.. It really is a German thing! Then we went to try and find some raspberries but no, there was none to be found because the organic foods place where you go and pick the foods yourself was closed. We got ice cream instead that we ate the next day. Mmmmmmmmm... It is more like gelato though. Not quite made in the same way as America, I loveeee it. We also went and visited quickly this little town fair that is small and just a quick bike ride away. We wanted to hear some traditional bavarian music Florian wanted to show me, but there was some country band playing and we both were disappointed. The beer jugs were huge and I saw much traditional bavarian clothing though!!
Dinner was.. Priceless. You could not find something so delicious anywhere else. Well, I can´t imagine that it could be better anyways. This meal was a traditional bavarian favorite a couple hundred years back, Weißwurst. It was this yummy white sausage/brat type hot dog thing and what I was expecting was to eat it like a hot dog. Boy was I wrong. We cooked it in boiling water and then peeled the skin off, and then, we just cut it litte piece by piece and dipped it in this yummy mustard. It was not normal mustard, it was a special bavarian mustard, and it was sweet and delicious. Keep in mind I usually never like mustard. I am loving to be exposed to all these wonderful traditions. For a drink we had freshly squeezed grapefruit mixed with fresh orange and this was then mixed with delicious apple juice from Italy that is too delicious to describe.. Mmmmm.. I love Germany.
July 14 - Wednesday
This day I only attended Math class. We had nothing for the first two hours because it was one of those strange schedules with no classes in the morning and then we went to Math. I did not understand so much this day, I am thinking it is new material I did not know. Next we tried to go to History class but the teacher had fallen ill and it was another early release day so we went home. Amazing how quick these things go!
We came home and soon had an Indian meal. Florian has a beautiful collection of spices to make all sorts of amazing things, and this was one of them. It was some broccoli and rice to be topped with a special sauce, "sausage" as Florian likes to call it, and it was full of the most delicious mushrooms I have ever tasted, meat, and whatever other delicious ingredients he had in there.
Later on Anja came home with some friends and we ate the ice cream we had gotten the day before. Then we went to watch tv and I fell asleep. It is funny because I have fallen asleep pretty much in every bed or couch there is in the house.
Here comes the BERRIES!!!!!!! We went out to pick some organic raspberries... Oh, they were so fresh and delicious. While I was picking I put more than a few in my mouth and it was very good. They don´t mind because there are so many. Ah, it was so beautiful to see so many and I enjoyed picking them. It was heavenly. A boothberry heaven! Then we picked up some more fresh bread at the store that is near enough to walk to. We went swimming again and I am noticing a German tradition, maybe just European while I am there. It appears everyone changes within a wrapped towel! I have to walk over to the restroom, because I do not have the skills and I would like to avoid exposing myself to anyone. Another thing I noticed is that most younger children just go swimming in their birthday suits. This is interesting as well.
We came home and watched the movie Stepmonster, about a horrible step mother, except the title was different because it was in German. I had my subtitles. We then had a delicious salad... It was so beautifully placed and the cheese and tomatoes were magnificent. It seems like every meal just blows my mind because it is so fantastic. Then we had a very delicious dessert Anja made, it was something like chocolate mousse, and it was filled with raspberries. MMmmmm!!
I can not believe this family is so used to these delicate deliciousnessities.. My mother is a fantastic cook and I get more than most people, but this family eats like Kings! Oh wait, that explains it, because their last name means King in English (König).
