I think I just realized how much of an impact this experience is going to have on me. My life has completely changed from start to probably the finish…. and I am loving every minute of it. It’s hard to explain the emotions I am finally feeling. For a while I was cool and collected no worries, no cares. But now, I am starting to transition my life and conform to a whole new one.
Staying in Berlin with my friend Bettie and Luc was really fun. Berlin is a big city with lots of people. Obviously there is so much history and culture. I liked it up in the north, but I think I like the south even more. There is a rivalry between the north and the south of Germany. Kind of like California. The north thinks that the south is full of hicks and talk really funny, and the south think that the north is rude and unpleasant. So I have lived two different perspectives. The south is so beautiful. There is more of a home feel. It is the quintessential German life style. When you think of the cute German houses and the chocolate and bread plus the beer, think of the south. I am next to the Schwarze Wald (Black Forest), so I will take full advantage of that and go on walks with my host mother.
Yesterday I arrived in Horb, the quaint little town outside of Tuebingen. It is about a 50 min bus ride from my beautiful college town of Tuebingen. I will return there after six weeks of this language immersion program. In Horb, there is a lot of farming and nature. When we arrived in Horb, the students were placed on one side of the room, and the host family on the other. We faced each other like a Mexican standoff, but this was the German version. The students looked at the families with curiosity, because we had no idea who our families were. The host families ( die Gastfamilie) knew who we were because they had all of our info and a picture, but we were clueless. It was a very strange feeling to be staring at the families who were going to take care of us for the next six weeks. A lot of the families were farmers and lived quite a ways from the town, but I got real lucky with my family….
I live within walking distance from the main square. It is a 20 minute walk to school. I will have no car, but my family gave me a bike. School is Monday – Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. My family is the Bok family. My guest mother is Simone ( you pronounce it Zimona). She is very nice and speaks only German to me, infact, my entire family only speaks German to me. They think my German is very good. My guest father is Rolf (Rulf). They have a daughter named Larissa (15 yrs) and a son Niklas (13 yrs). They live in a large house with like 3 levels, even though the levels are laid out pretty weird. Today, I will go with Simone to meet her mother down the street. She has fresh vegetables to give us. Later on today, there will be a community BBQ next to the river. I will meet all the people in this village.
All the meals are very good and simple. Fresh Food!!!! Last night we had fondue German style. There are individual little pans that you fill up with the vegetables and cheese and put it in the mini fondue oven on the table. The house is powered by solar energy. Every house is powered by solar power and water is stored rain water. I feel like it is very different, but much simpler. You don’t take 30 min showers. You conserve. That’s the way it should be. They grow their own vegetables and fruits, and the meat is very fresh and farm raised. I know, because there are happy cows down the street. Rolf gave me some German wine, and I felt right at home. Then the family played chess. I have never played, so I watched.
I am part of this German family, and they have been very hospitable. They feel comfortable around me to only speak German to me, because they know I understand. I am surprised that I understand, I just am not very good at formulating my words and speaking back fluently.
I stayed in Tubingen for two nights when I arrived in the south. It is a small unique city west of Munich. The buildings are so cute and the town is very simple to navigate through. It is perfect for people who are learning German, because it is not too overwhelming. I met the other 55 students from all over California. I shared a room with 3 other girls, who are from Monterey and San Francisco. Their names are Megan, Jackie (Monterey girls) and Angela ( San Fran). There are only two people who were accepted from Long Beach State. For two days the students ate together, drank together, and explored Tuebingen together. Our coordinator Anita is the sweetest German lady. She parties with us, and has also made our lives very comfortable. Everything has been organized for us…our health insurance, bank account, bus tickets, you name it, and they did it. We went on a Stocherkahn Fahren (river boat ride) down the Neckar river in Tuebingen. It was so beautiful and relaxing. I threatened the driver , so he wouldn’t tip the boat, because he had a very playful manner about him. In the hostel I met some German students who were preparing to do their service. You have the option in Germany, you can either join the military for a year, or do a service like teaching overseas. It doesn’t matter if you are a student, everyone has to do it
I am very happy to be with my family here in Horb. I am also very excited to live in the city of Tuebingen….it might be hard to move back to the states, because I have already grown an attachment to Tuebingen. I will post pictures as soon as possible. I miss you all !
Lots of Love,
Julie
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