DAY TWO...
So. My host mother came in my room at 12:30 and said, "Schlaefst du NOCH?" oops, i guess i slept in too much.So I dressed and ran downstairs and lunch was served, pasta casserole with potatoes and cheese. it was good, but not good for when I just woke up. So after that we went into Frauenfeld, and I bought a razor and some tooth paste. The toothpaste cost about 2.- franken, the razor cost 70.- FRANKEN. but I got a 2 year warantee so it's the last razor i'll need. There is no tax in switzerland, which is nice. Then we went home and I helped my host mom cook dinner, I cut the mozerrella while she cut other things. We sat outisde and drank Kaffee until people came over. First was my host uncle, who is very nice. Then came my host brothers girlfriend, who is romanian and speaks no german. Finally my host brother came. In Switzerland, they do the 3 kiss thing. AWK. but I like it. Then my host grandparents stopped by and gave us some fruit and wine. The wine was sooo good & sweet. I think they made it. Then we had pizza, fresh from the brickoven. It had tuna, squash, zucchini, salami, pepperocini (fresh from italy), and onions on it. with fresh mozerella, of course. everything here is either homemade or fresh! It was so good, but they gave me a whole pizza and I couldn't finish it :( That's not rude here though, so isch guet. HOWEVER, it is rude to pop your knuckles, i think. OH BOY. So then we had some wine from italy, barsomethingorother. it was red and delicious, like the apple. Then my host brother helped me set up the internet and told me how to use the trains. He is such a big help, he's great! Then we went outside and talked and then everyone left. Then I went upstairs and took a shower and skyped and now I'm writing this. I plan on sleeping soon.
Gute Nacht, Schoenen Obick!
22.8.10
ERSTE TAG.
Alright blog, here is my first day.
The plane ride wasn’t bad, I couldn’t sleep due to the crazy ridiculous amount of excitement. But oh well. I watched how to train your dragon, auf Deutsch. Then I wrote in my Tagebuch. We had a meal somewhere in there, but I didn’t care for it too much. After that I listened to music, and showed the lovely ladies next to me my pictures from Georgia. I thought I had lost my iTunes library, but I found it! YAY. I also read some of the New York times. Mostly what I did was sit there and let my imagination go wild. That’s my favorite thing to do. So after that we got off the plane and made our way to customs. We got out of there in a good 4 minutes, all 12 of us. I can’t even get INTO America that fast, and I’m a citizen there! All of the employees at the airport were so nice. So we went to baggage claim and I went to the restroom to change out of my sweatpants, because that’s a no-no here. Then I grabbed my bag and we walked through the exit and voila! All of the host families were there, with AFS staff. I didn’t recognize my family at first, but once I found them I gave them a hug and we went to the parking lot. I hopped in the red BMW cross-over type car, and we were off to Felben! The ride was gorgeous, you could see some mountains and the clouds were right at eye level and it was just lovely. So we arrived and I got a tour of the house. It’s not as big as an American house, but it has two stories and I like it. I also have two rooms, which is odd. Ones for sleeping, the other is for school work and friends. Isch guet! So then I unpacked my bags, and my room looks really good (sleeping room, that it) I have an IKEA-esque shelving/cabinets on the wall where I put all my clothes and books. My American flag will be hanging over my bed as soon as I figure out what the word is for thumb tack. On my desk I have my laptop, camera, golden Buddha, the lovely scrapbook my best friends gave me, my 17th birthday candle from Dezmone, a picture frame with me & Andy in it, and my iHome. I hung a red sox hat on my lamp, because I couldn’t live without it being in my eyesight. Also in my room, I have a sink and a half shower. I only use the sink though. Outside my window to the right you see the garage and the street, in front of you there is the lanai with brick oven for pizza and grill. We eat lunch out there, which is the largest meal of the day. And to your left, you can see COWS. And they smell really mad and never stop mooing. But I really like it anyways. So after all that jazz, we had mittagessen. Steak with potatoes and salad. It was good, I think there was chocolate cake involved but I was too tired so I went to take a nap. When I woke up, my host uncle was here and we had coffee. IT IS SO DELICIOUS. No coffee shop in America could ever come close to Swiss coffee, and this was made at home. I can’t wait till Morgen Morgen when I can have another cup. Or twelve. After that, my host mom told me that we were going out, and I though she said jogging, so I changed into work out clothes. Apparently, jogging and going to some large festival is not the same thing. So, we rode the bus to Frauenfeld, it took about 3 minutes. Then we went into the bahnhoff and got my tickets for language camp squared away. Then we walked around and found a place to stand on a wall to watch the most obsquere parade ever. There were Jodlers, a given. Then farmers who passed out their crops, apples and carrots being most common, also fresh cream to drink. Then there were these floats with boys wrestling on them. But they only could hold onto the other boys pants. Whatever. Also, there was another where these buff guys threw a heavy rock around. It was entertaining, to say the least. Then we walked near the Stadium where a million people were camping. There were so many booths selling so many different things, and there were hot air balloons! As I passed one shop, this man said something to me in Swiss German and offered me a piece of cheese. OHMYGOD. My life was complete at that moment. It was so creamy and smooth, I could have cried. He deserved a big merci for that. So, then we went atop this hill and met with some family friends I assume and watched a plane show, it was really good. After that we walked 398247023897641283745610238746123897451928376401238746`0293476 kilometers home. Then we had a real European dinner, bread, meat and cheese. It was the perfect thing too, because I was so full from all the free food that I only wanted a little something. And that’s what I got. Then I came upstairs and checked my facebook and wrote some emails and took a shower, which was interesting. Their shower is amazing, But I don’t know if what I was using was soap, because it was in Italian. Anyways, after you shower, you have to squeegee the glass. You know the things they have at gas stations and you get that dirty soap water and clean your windshield? The thing that dries it off, that’s what you have to do. Huh. So I did all that and brushed my teeth and now I’m writing this. It wont be posted until I get WIFI, so whatever. Tomorrow I’m going to a rodeo and Sunday were going to somebodys house. Monday I start language camp, which should be good, since I will get to see people my own age. YAY.
Tschuess, ciao, bis spaeter,
Mary J
The plane ride wasn’t bad, I couldn’t sleep due to the crazy ridiculous amount of excitement. But oh well. I watched how to train your dragon, auf Deutsch. Then I wrote in my Tagebuch. We had a meal somewhere in there, but I didn’t care for it too much. After that I listened to music, and showed the lovely ladies next to me my pictures from Georgia. I thought I had lost my iTunes library, but I found it! YAY. I also read some of the New York times. Mostly what I did was sit there and let my imagination go wild. That’s my favorite thing to do. So after that we got off the plane and made our way to customs. We got out of there in a good 4 minutes, all 12 of us. I can’t even get INTO America that fast, and I’m a citizen there! All of the employees at the airport were so nice. So we went to baggage claim and I went to the restroom to change out of my sweatpants, because that’s a no-no here. Then I grabbed my bag and we walked through the exit and voila! All of the host families were there, with AFS staff. I didn’t recognize my family at first, but once I found them I gave them a hug and we went to the parking lot. I hopped in the red BMW cross-over type car, and we were off to Felben! The ride was gorgeous, you could see some mountains and the clouds were right at eye level and it was just lovely. So we arrived and I got a tour of the house. It’s not as big as an American house, but it has two stories and I like it. I also have two rooms, which is odd. Ones for sleeping, the other is for school work and friends. Isch guet! So then I unpacked my bags, and my room looks really good (sleeping room, that it) I have an IKEA-esque shelving/cabinets on the wall where I put all my clothes and books. My American flag will be hanging over my bed as soon as I figure out what the word is for thumb tack. On my desk I have my laptop, camera, golden Buddha, the lovely scrapbook my best friends gave me, my 17th birthday candle from Dezmone, a picture frame with me & Andy in it, and my iHome. I hung a red sox hat on my lamp, because I couldn’t live without it being in my eyesight. Also in my room, I have a sink and a half shower. I only use the sink though. Outside my window to the right you see the garage and the street, in front of you there is the lanai with brick oven for pizza and grill. We eat lunch out there, which is the largest meal of the day. And to your left, you can see COWS. And they smell really mad and never stop mooing. But I really like it anyways. So after all that jazz, we had mittagessen. Steak with potatoes and salad. It was good, I think there was chocolate cake involved but I was too tired so I went to take a nap. When I woke up, my host uncle was here and we had coffee. IT IS SO DELICIOUS. No coffee shop in America could ever come close to Swiss coffee, and this was made at home. I can’t wait till Morgen Morgen when I can have another cup. Or twelve. After that, my host mom told me that we were going out, and I though she said jogging, so I changed into work out clothes. Apparently, jogging and going to some large festival is not the same thing. So, we rode the bus to Frauenfeld, it took about 3 minutes. Then we went into the bahnhoff and got my tickets for language camp squared away. Then we walked around and found a place to stand on a wall to watch the most obsquere parade ever. There were Jodlers, a given. Then farmers who passed out their crops, apples and carrots being most common, also fresh cream to drink. Then there were these floats with boys wrestling on them. But they only could hold onto the other boys pants. Whatever. Also, there was another where these buff guys threw a heavy rock around. It was entertaining, to say the least. Then we walked near the Stadium where a million people were camping. There were so many booths selling so many different things, and there were hot air balloons! As I passed one shop, this man said something to me in Swiss German and offered me a piece of cheese. OHMYGOD. My life was complete at that moment. It was so creamy and smooth, I could have cried. He deserved a big merci for that. So, then we went atop this hill and met with some family friends I assume and watched a plane show, it was really good. After that we walked 398247023897641283745610238746123897451928376401238746`0293476 kilometers home. Then we had a real European dinner, bread, meat and cheese. It was the perfect thing too, because I was so full from all the free food that I only wanted a little something. And that’s what I got. Then I came upstairs and checked my facebook and wrote some emails and took a shower, which was interesting. Their shower is amazing, But I don’t know if what I was using was soap, because it was in Italian. Anyways, after you shower, you have to squeegee the glass. You know the things they have at gas stations and you get that dirty soap water and clean your windshield? The thing that dries it off, that’s what you have to do. Huh. So I did all that and brushed my teeth and now I’m writing this. It wont be posted until I get WIFI, so whatever. Tomorrow I’m going to a rodeo and Sunday were going to somebodys house. Monday I start language camp, which should be good, since I will get to see people my own age. YAY.
Tschuess, ciao, bis spaeter,
Mary J
9.3.10
ACCEPTATION :D
& FINALLY, i was accepted by La Suisse. What felt like a lifetime in hindsight now seems like a tiny gap in time. I went BAZERK when I received the email. I was sitting in my car, waiting on a friend, & decided to check my email. Then voilà! The email I had been anticipating for lord knows how long was sitting in my inbox. Initially, I jumped around (in my seatbelt mind you, which must have been a sight). Then I called my grandmother, who was equally excited as I was. After that, I called my parents, who were in the middle of a dinner party but decided it would be a good idea to announce to all of their guests. Finally, I made it official by posting the event on facebook (for nothing is official until it is your status!). Now, a few weeks later, I'm sitting in my bed writing this blog entry to share my excitement with you all.
So, What's Next?! Next is what might be the longest wait. I have to mentally prepare myself for the initial culture shock, try my hardest at memorizing the french dictionary, learn all of the nasty german grammar rules I can possibly fit into my brain (just in case), get my visa, and then, find out who my host family is!! Excitement doesn't even begin to describe how I feel about my departure. I can only dream about all of the experiences I will have. I have a recurring dream where I live on top of a mountain, with 8 different family members, none of them speak english, and they are chocolatiers. Stereotypical? A little. A girl has to dream though.
That's all I have to say for now. I will post more when more information comes along, or when I receive my ChipIn button.
Thanks for reading!
-Mary
p.s- the title isn't spelled wrong. C'est en français!
So, What's Next?! Next is what might be the longest wait. I have to mentally prepare myself for the initial culture shock, try my hardest at memorizing the french dictionary, learn all of the nasty german grammar rules I can possibly fit into my brain (just in case), get my visa, and then, find out who my host family is!! Excitement doesn't even begin to describe how I feel about my departure. I can only dream about all of the experiences I will have. I have a recurring dream where I live on top of a mountain, with 8 different family members, none of them speak english, and they are chocolatiers. Stereotypical? A little. A girl has to dream though.
That's all I have to say for now. I will post more when more information comes along, or when I receive my ChipIn button.
Thanks for reading!
-Mary
p.s- the title isn't spelled wrong. C'est en français!
14.12.09
You gotta begin somewhere :)
Bonjour tout le monde!!
This is the site where I will be telling all of the world about my adventures next year! For now, I have this up as a fundraising tool. Soon (I hope), there will be a cool gadget where you can donate all of your spare change to my tuition!! Money is very tight in these times, and every little penny is helpful!
I'm sorry, I haven't properly introduced myself! My name is Mary Jones. I'm a reckless 16 year old with big dreams. In my spare time I sing, dance, go to the gym, beg my dad to let me leave the country for the weekend, and hang out with my best friends. When I grow up I want to be an ambassador, be fluent in at least 8 languages, and live in many different places. I want to see everything and experience all that I can before the world ends in 2012. Not really, but just in case, I'm living life to the fullest.
Whenever the subject of my being an exchange student comes up (which happens more than one would think), the same questions are usually asked. Below is a handy FAQ list, which should cover most of your questions.
FAQ's:
Why are you leaving me?! - Have you noticed how big the world is? It's the biggest planet I have ever lived on. Why wouldn't you want to discover all of it (or at least as much as you could.)? I'm getting a head start on my retirement traveling. Also, it's more than just a vacation; it's a whole new life, a new culture, a new language. I need to get out of my american comfort zone and start living.
NUH-UH, but, like, how did you get to do it? -I applied with a program called AFS. There are many more programs out there, but AFS seemed like the best one for me (and it is). They offer a solid support system, filled with advisors and volunteers who seem to be angels. If you're interested in going abroad yourself, you can ask me anything or check out afs.org for more information.
When are you leaving? - 8 months, 2 days, 19 hours,19 minutes, 43 seconds. Who's counting?!
Are you going to miss everybody at home? Are you scared? - I'm sure I will miss my cat. Oh, my friends and family too. But I imagine that I will be experiencing so much while I'm across the pond that I won't be too terribly homesick. Also, it's not as if I won't keep in contact with them. God created Skype & Facebook for a reason, right? As for being scared, I wouldn't think that is the right word. The closest thing to how I feel in anticipation of my departure is being next in line for a big roller coaster. You've spent all after noon waiting in line to get on this ride, you look up at how tall it is, you see the people before you get off the line with huge grins on their faces & a thumbs up telling you how fun it was, and you tell yourself that your going to come out alive. There might be some times when you want to get out of line and ride the merry go round, but you know in your heart that this is going to be the ride of your life.
Where are you going? -My first choice is Switzerland. However, if they told me I was going to Algeria my bags would be packed just as fast.
Why did you choose Switzerland? - I really like cheese. Also, it seems to be the perfect little western european country. With the influence of German, French, and Italian cultures, I imagine that it will provide the best example of the ever so sought after "European Lifestyle". Finally, my grandmother had a major influence on my country decision. Ever since I was little I have received countless emails from her saying, "Hi Mary, I'm at the top of *insert mountain here*! You should come see the view :)
We've done/seen, cultural event, museum, monument, visit this place, mountain, eaten this, didn't like this, and sent you a post card from here. Much Love, Nana". All of these emails and stories have sparked a curiosity in my mind about the rest of the world, and in particular Switzerland. Now, it's my turn to send her these emails.
So, do you speak Swedish? -NO!!!!! Nobody in Switzerland speaks Swedish. And no, Swiss is not a language either. In Switzerland, they have four official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansch. Also, they speak their own special dialect of german, called Swiss German (Schweizerdeutsch). I can speak some French and German. I hope that in my year abroad I will mostly be speaking French.
The next year of my life will be the craziest one yet. I already loose sleep just dreaming about it. In that glorious year, there are so many things I want to take out of it. I want to be more proficient in my languages, I want to have a new vision of the world, I want to have a cool accent (or at least be able to fake one), I want a new family, new friends, a new life. When I come back, I plan on continuing my volunteer work with AFS. Also, I would like to start an AFS club in my school/community. It amazes me how little people know about the world/studying abroad. Also, I would like to share my experiences with everybody, whether it be making a swiss meal for my family, or bragging about the benefits of my super secret swiss bank account, or teaching my friends curse words in different languages. :) Also, I want to share with my Swiss community american customs and cultures that I might take for granted now.
When I told my mom about my decision to study abroad she said, "Be mean to me so I can hate you when you leave." My parents support me, but they will miss me. My friends all think I'm crazy. My sister can't wait so she can have my closet. The decision in a way was the easiest and the hardest one I've ever made. I had to give up more than I would have imagined. I lost my softball career, my car, my SAT scores, and my american junior year experience in general. However, what I will gain from this experience outscores the losses by at least a bajillion.
In addition to this blog, I also plan on consigning my clothes to help with my tuition. Also, I have discovered a company that let's you "design your own tea" and sell it for a profit, I think this would be a good idea, but I need to put some more research into it. If you have any ideas, feel free to let me know!
That's all for now, I suppose I will update when I get the Chipin button installed, or when I hear back from AFS-Switzelalnd (which should be in about 2 weeks)
Thanks for reading :)
Bien des choses à tous!
This is the site where I will be telling all of the world about my adventures next year! For now, I have this up as a fundraising tool. Soon (I hope), there will be a cool gadget where you can donate all of your spare change to my tuition!! Money is very tight in these times, and every little penny is helpful!
I'm sorry, I haven't properly introduced myself! My name is Mary Jones. I'm a reckless 16 year old with big dreams. In my spare time I sing, dance, go to the gym, beg my dad to let me leave the country for the weekend, and hang out with my best friends. When I grow up I want to be an ambassador, be fluent in at least 8 languages, and live in many different places. I want to see everything and experience all that I can before the world ends in 2012. Not really, but just in case, I'm living life to the fullest.
Whenever the subject of my being an exchange student comes up (which happens more than one would think), the same questions are usually asked. Below is a handy FAQ list, which should cover most of your questions.
FAQ's:
Why are you leaving me?! - Have you noticed how big the world is? It's the biggest planet I have ever lived on. Why wouldn't you want to discover all of it (or at least as much as you could.)? I'm getting a head start on my retirement traveling. Also, it's more than just a vacation; it's a whole new life, a new culture, a new language. I need to get out of my american comfort zone and start living.
NUH-UH, but, like, how did you get to do it? -I applied with a program called AFS. There are many more programs out there, but AFS seemed like the best one for me (and it is). They offer a solid support system, filled with advisors and volunteers who seem to be angels. If you're interested in going abroad yourself, you can ask me anything or check out afs.org for more information.
When are you leaving? - 8 months, 2 days, 19 hours,19 minutes, 43 seconds. Who's counting?!
Are you going to miss everybody at home? Are you scared? - I'm sure I will miss my cat. Oh, my friends and family too. But I imagine that I will be experiencing so much while I'm across the pond that I won't be too terribly homesick. Also, it's not as if I won't keep in contact with them. God created Skype & Facebook for a reason, right? As for being scared, I wouldn't think that is the right word. The closest thing to how I feel in anticipation of my departure is being next in line for a big roller coaster. You've spent all after noon waiting in line to get on this ride, you look up at how tall it is, you see the people before you get off the line with huge grins on their faces & a thumbs up telling you how fun it was, and you tell yourself that your going to come out alive. There might be some times when you want to get out of line and ride the merry go round, but you know in your heart that this is going to be the ride of your life.
Where are you going? -My first choice is Switzerland. However, if they told me I was going to Algeria my bags would be packed just as fast.
Why did you choose Switzerland? - I really like cheese. Also, it seems to be the perfect little western european country. With the influence of German, French, and Italian cultures, I imagine that it will provide the best example of the ever so sought after "European Lifestyle". Finally, my grandmother had a major influence on my country decision. Ever since I was little I have received countless emails from her saying, "Hi Mary, I'm at the top of *insert mountain here*! You should come see the view :)
We've done/seen, cultural event, museum, monument, visit this place, mountain, eaten this, didn't like this, and sent you a post card from here. Much Love, Nana". All of these emails and stories have sparked a curiosity in my mind about the rest of the world, and in particular Switzerland. Now, it's my turn to send her these emails.
So, do you speak Swedish? -NO!!!!! Nobody in Switzerland speaks Swedish. And no, Swiss is not a language either. In Switzerland, they have four official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansch. Also, they speak their own special dialect of german, called Swiss German (Schweizerdeutsch). I can speak some French and German. I hope that in my year abroad I will mostly be speaking French.
The next year of my life will be the craziest one yet. I already loose sleep just dreaming about it. In that glorious year, there are so many things I want to take out of it. I want to be more proficient in my languages, I want to have a new vision of the world, I want to have a cool accent (or at least be able to fake one), I want a new family, new friends, a new life. When I come back, I plan on continuing my volunteer work with AFS. Also, I would like to start an AFS club in my school/community. It amazes me how little people know about the world/studying abroad. Also, I would like to share my experiences with everybody, whether it be making a swiss meal for my family, or bragging about the benefits of my super secret swiss bank account, or teaching my friends curse words in different languages. :) Also, I want to share with my Swiss community american customs and cultures that I might take for granted now.
When I told my mom about my decision to study abroad she said, "Be mean to me so I can hate you when you leave." My parents support me, but they will miss me. My friends all think I'm crazy. My sister can't wait so she can have my closet. The decision in a way was the easiest and the hardest one I've ever made. I had to give up more than I would have imagined. I lost my softball career, my car, my SAT scores, and my american junior year experience in general. However, what I will gain from this experience outscores the losses by at least a bajillion.
In addition to this blog, I also plan on consigning my clothes to help with my tuition. Also, I have discovered a company that let's you "design your own tea" and sell it for a profit, I think this would be a good idea, but I need to put some more research into it. If you have any ideas, feel free to let me know!
That's all for now, I suppose I will update when I get the Chipin button installed, or when I hear back from AFS-Switzelalnd (which should be in about 2 weeks)
Thanks for reading :)
Bien des choses à tous!
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