German Gymnasium

Although I've technically graduated high school I am back again. I am an 11th grader in a German high school called a Gymnasium. This doesn't mean that the majority of my classes involve handstands, handball, or anything else to do with physical education. (Even though I do have a volleyball class). Actually, Gymnasium is just the German word for the high school where most graduates go onto attend a University. To better explain the German School System I found this link, which covers the different types of schools:

http://www.howtogermany.com/pages/germanschools.html

The link might have some other interesting factoids about Germany as well.


I go to school Monday through Friday.

The day is broken up into ''hours'' or what we would call ''periods''. There are 8 hours everyday although you may only have 4 or 6 on certain days. I have 8 hours 3 days during the week and 6 hours the other two days. Every class is allotted two hours. That means that I wouldn't have 8 classes in one day, but instead I would have 4 classes, two hours each. After every two hours there is a 15 or 20 minute break. After the 6th hour the break is 33 minutes. This gives students time to go to the cafeteria if they want two. There isn't a lunch or study hall period in school here like there would be in the US. I am currently taking Latin, German, English, Ethics, History, a college prep course, Music, Politics, and Sport (volleyball). My favorite classes are Ethics and English. English, not because it's my native tongue, but more so because the theme of the class is Globalization and the subject matter covered is interesting to me. The English classes here, a foreign language class mind you, is almost at the same academic level as my English classes in the States were. The students use formal English when speaking to one another, and they are also learning Oxford English. (British English). I think the German/ British accents are cute, which also adds to the class's appeal. I also really like my History and German class. I try to take part in class, especially when I am interested in the topic. I find myself learning a lot, and the best part is I am learning things from an average German's point of view. I see how they see the United States, and matters concerning Americans. It's interesting to stand in a German's shoes and look at moral and ethical issues as well. Most of the day I am completely bored though. Everything (other than my English class) is in German. Classes are sometimes too fast for me to follow because of my limited language ability, and I can't do many of the assignments. Writing in German is very very hard for me. Although I am learning a lot and I can watch movies, speak, understand, etc. in German I can't write well and reading is not far behind that. Every day I get better though. I know I just have to apply myself by reading books in German and speaking ONLY German, but I am a slacker sometimes. I do speak mostly German at home unless I don't understand something. In school it's the same way. If there is something I have no idea how to say, I will say it in English, but for the most part I speak German. My German is dreadfully broken and simple, but it is coming a long. There are a few friends, who I speak all English with when we are alone though, or with particular friends. Tisk Tisk.

I am usually home by 2 or 4 to eat a meal, and then I have the rest of the evening to not write blogs, play my ukulele, drink tea, and creep Facebook. Now it has come to the time when scholarship essays for college need to be written. Sadly, my English is getting worse as my German gets better, which is my excuse for my lousy grammar and spelling in these posts. I am also a bad/lazy proof reader. (A.k.a. no attempt is made to edit what I write other than an electronic spell check). 

I hope no one is bored to death my posts like this. I don't have any particularly amusing stories to tell. When I do though this will be the second place (after Facebook) where I share them. Mostly I'm trying to keep my darling parents from nagging me every time I call. ;)

Happy Belated Christmas and New Years!

As the title says I'm once again late in relaying information.

I did in fact celebrate a Christmas here in Germany. While many American families were preparing pies, putting out stockings, and attending a Christmas Eve church service I was enjoying a Christmas dinner with my host family. Christmas is northern Germany is celebrated on the 24th instead of the 25th. I have found that it is the same way in many other countries as well. The next two days are called the first and second Christmas days.

CHRISTMAS DAY (24th of Dec.)

Morning:

Breakfast
Cleaning
Decorating the tree with real apples and actual candles

Afternoon:

Visiting Grandma for tea and cake
(She knit me two scarves, a hat, and gloves!)

Evening:

Church with my family
Dinner with my parents and sisters
Exchanging gifts: We rolled a dice to see who would get to pick the next gift to be opened

12:00AM:

The neighbors came over and we toasted my dad's birthday together
We sat around for two more hours until we finally went off to bed

The next two Christmas Days were spent visiting friends, eating, and then celebrating my Dad's birthday at the house with all of his gentlemen friends.



NEW YEARS!!!

On the 30th I went to a friends cabin to play a trivia game with her and her friends. On the 31th I drove with my cousin and a couple friends to Münster (a city in western Germany) where my older sister, Sophie, was going to school. She had an apartment party there. We played board games, cards, and at midnight we went out on the sidewalk to light fireworks, sparklers, etc.

Germans have a really fun tradition of watching the skit ''Dinner For One'' EVERY SINGLE NEW YEARS. It's a British 20 minute skit in English, and it's worth taking a peek at. Everyone at the party was quoting it, laughing until they were crying, and enjoying the tradition. It is something I am bringing back to the US with me.



All and all I had a very lovey holiday. The two weeks off from school were also very nice. I spent a lot of time at Christmas markets in the City and in near by villages with my family and friends. Although it wasn't a White Christmas it felt enough like Christmas for me not to miss home too much. I was surrounded by family, friends, and laughter. That is part of what the Christmas season is all about.


I apologize for not keeping up on my blogging. I will try to make that my New Year's Resolution: Be a better blogger. :D