Josh’s Adventures

venice "streets"

Last Saturday, we went to Venice, which was absolutely incredible.  Everyone told me it would be full of tourists, which is mostly true, but that didn’t really detract from the beauty of the city.  Really, tourists were only an issue in the city’s center, Piazza San Marco, where crowdedness made it hard to walk.  Elsewhere, it was fine.  And, even the Piazza San Marco was stunning.  Getting there from the train station was definitely a challenge.  There were many signs to Piazza San Marco, but we would follow the series of signs, but then not see any for a while, as if we had lost the trail.  Then, we might see another sign, but they all seemed to be pointing different ways.  I guess we definitely took the “scenic route” to the= city’s center.  I have no problem with this, as the journey was just as remarkable as the destination.  But one touristy t-shirt summed up our thoughts perfectly: it had the words “Piazza San Marco,” and below them, two arrows pointing in opposite directions.

Once in the city’s center, we had lunch, and then, went to Piazza San Marco’s bell tower, which overlooked the city.  In the tower, I was surprised to be showed into an elevator; in Florence’s bell tower, we had to climb every step to the very top.  Speaking in Italian, I asked the elevator worker if it was possible to take the stairs to the top, to which he replied no.  I asked why not, and he said, “because an elevator is more practical.”  I joked, “but that’s too easy.”  The view from the top definitely did feel like an undeserved treat.  As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, I was breathless; the whole city lay before me. I took a lot of pictures.  The city as a whole was just as picturesque as the view from every little bridge traversing a canal.

I’ve been to Venice once before, when I went to Italy for the first time.  I was about 5, and I don’t really remember any of it, but I do have one picture of me sitting in a gondola, looking a little bored, but nevertheless content.  Now, back on the bridges of Venice, I would watch gondolas go by, and think of me as a kid.  Now, I was more than content, I loved everything about Venice, even though I didn’t take an expensive gondola ride.  I guess I can appreciate more these days. I think Venice is pretty much a perfect city.  There’s no noise, since there are no cars.  The entire city smells amazing, because of all the restaurants and bakeries; Florence, on the other hand, smells like sewage more often than amazing.  Every scene of Venice is perfect, from the pastel-colored houses, the blue of the canals and sky, the bridges and architecture, the view from the bell tower.  I hope to one day return, and look back not only on my childhood picture, but also on my memories of last Saturday, and be able to assess my growth since both experiences.

Also notable this week were our trips on Wednesday to the Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens, and on Thursday, to the Villa Sesto.  The Villa Sesto and Palazzo Pitti were both once homes of the extremely wealthy Medici family, which ruled Florence several hundred years ago.  While the Palazzo Pitti has been turned into a museum, the Villa Sesto has simply remained a home, so its deluxe bedrooms and dining rooms are still intact.  In either case, it’s amazing to see the conditions in which they lived. The ceilings of each room are covered in complex frescoes and intricate wood carvings, and the walls are covered with silk.  Perhaps more amazing than= each palace, however, was its backyard.  The Giardino di Boboli is a vast garden full of trees, hedges, flowers, and one lake, behind the Pitti Palace.  We went more or less straight through the garden, all the way to the top.  This hike probably took about 20 minutes, and I would guess we saw about one fifth of the whole garden.  From the top, we could see downtown Florence in the distance on one side, and the hilltop town of Fiesole on the other.  The garden of the Villa Sesto was a lot smaller, but probably more beautiful.  The hedges formed intricate patterns where they lined pathways, flower gardens, and the central fountain.  There was a huge view of downtown Florence, and the mansion itself was beautiful.  It was a great way to spend our last afternoon in Florence, but it makes me really sad to leave.  This month has gone by extremely fast, but it’s had quite an effect on me.  I’ve gotten much better at Italian; my host mom told me this at dinner a few nights ago.  I really can think in Italian, instead of having to first translate to English to reach a meaning.  I even dreamed in Italian last night; I don’t really remember exactly what happened, but I remember explaining something in Italian.  Sometimes, someone will speak to me in Italian, and I won’t even realize it’s Italian. I’ll only know the meaning, and not distinguish the language with which this meaning was delivered.  Also, I’ve gotten to know this city a lot better, in addition to the other people in my group.  Me and Nik are already talking about a euro-trip next summer.  This has been a great month. I love this city, my group members, and Italy in general.  I’m going back as soon as I can. And, I have some big expectations for this weekend in Rome.

Biting your nails isn’t German!

This is frightening. There are only six days left until I return. I can’t believe it is almost over. Reverse culture shock will be really irritating. I’m already so used to calling a cell phone a “handy”. I just know that at least once I’ll accidentally ask my parents for something in German once I am home.

My German class ended today, it was sad. I feel like I had learned a lot in the class though. One of the things on my list of “Things that I want to be able to say in German” was order in a restaurant with confidence, which I am now able to do! I can also ask useful questions like; Where is the subway? Or; How much is that book? I look forward to continuing learning German in the US, although it probably won’t be nearly as fun.

I met new German friends once more! I just wish I had become friends with them earlier so I would have more time to hang out with them! I’m really going to miss everyone that I met here. I have had countless adventures with them that I will never forget!

Last Saturday my “Host Grandparents” came over. They were really nice. I liked them a lot. They showed me pictures from some of their children’s weddings and their trip to Egypt! I literally felt like one of their grandkids at one point when I was biting my fingernails, and my host Grandma swatted my hand away from my mouth. She said “Es ist nicht deutsch, Ihre Fingernägel zu beißen!”. For those who don’t speak German, that means “It is not German to bite your fingernails!”

Technical Museum

Also on Saturday, I went with my host sister to see the Technical Museum, which was really cool. I love technology and engineering, so I was like a kid in a Candy Store. On Sunday, I peddled 27 kilometers. We went on a draisine tour through the country. It was gorgeous, although unfortunately my camera battery was dead, so I didn’t get any pictures. Sorry guys.

We met our new onsite coordinator, Caroline on Tuesday. She took us on the boat tour, and then to a nice park. We sat and people watched for a little bit, which is a part of the culture here. I’m starting to feel very European.

 Tomorrow we depart for Dresden and Prague. I get to wake up at 6 AM….hooray. Besides waking up early, I’m really looking forward to the trip. Everyone who I have talked to about Prague says that it is really beautiful. I cannot wait.

Potsdam Adventures

Dutch Homes In Potsdam

This week has been pretty great so far. On Monday, I showed the other students my favorite music store, and they went crazy. The place literally has 400 square feet of vinyl records. It is tempting to buy the entire store. Back home no one listens to vinyl, so I was literally a kid in a candy store.

On Tuesday we went to Potsdam! It was really great. I had my first Authentic German salami pizza, which was actually really good. We walked around the Dutch neighborhoods and saw the famous Palace in the area . It was beautiful. It was also so hot that day that people were actually swimming in some of the fountains. Also, we had found a candy store, and I bought gummy Ampelmännchen.

Potsdam Palace

 

My language skills are progressing rapidly! I can now order in a restaurant with confidence, and hold a short conversation with people on the train. Currently in class, we are working on grammar, which is difficult because German grammar is much more complex than English grammar. It also seems like everything is backwards. For example, the sentence Ich spiele nicht gut baseball means I don’t play baseball well, but it is difficult because it’s literally translation means I play not good baseball. After about 30 sentences, I find myself saying in English, “I speak not good German.” Besides the grammar, we’re also learning a few more vocabulary words. I can occasionally point out an object in my house and tell its name to my host family which is nice. I hope that once I return home I’ll be able to continue studying German. The schoolbooks that they gave us come complete with audio CDs, so I might be able to use that to continue learning once I’m back in Connecticut.

Dutch-style school

Only 12 days left before I return home! When written out, I realize that it is barely any time at all! These weeks have flown by! I can’t believe I only have almost 2 weeks left, I still feel as if I’ve just arrived here! I learned from my mom (My real mother that is, not my host mother) that I’ll be returning to Germany over Christmas break either this year or the next. I hope that I’ll be able to surprise my host family with a visit. I’ve grown extremely close with them and do not want to leave them! Still, there are things I miss about home too. I’ve been craving some of my best friend’s macaroni and cheese for the longest time. I miss my friends and family, but I’ll be seeing them soon, so the homesickness isn’t really getting to me.

Lastly, my parents told me that when I return home, they are going to try and apply to be a host family for a person coming to the US as an exchange. I thought this was a wonderful idea. All three kids in my family have done exchanges like this, and have all had life changing experiences. Why not try to impact someone else’s life in the same manner? I strongly agreed with my parents’ idea, and asked to see if it was possible to get someone from Germany. If it happens, hopefully I’ll be able to practice my German a little bit with them!

Alley Garden in Potsdam

Easy as Eins, Zwei, Drei …

WWII Memorial

Week two has been great! I really love this city. I have learned a little bit of conversational German, and can now count!  It is a little bit easier to order things at restaurants and calculate how much things cost. I still cannot really follow the conversations that my host family has, but I can pick out a few words that I know.

On Monday, the other exchange students and I went to a near by mall for a shopping excursion. We all stick out pretty easily among the Europeans, so we decided we’d buy some new clothes in an attempt to fit in more. However, we strayed from this idea a bit when we just ended up buying some of the most ridiculous clothing that we could find, and parading around the mall. It was fun.    

Statue of Alexander Humboldt

I’m starting to become closer with some of my host sister’s friends. Also this past Monday I went to a surprise birthday party, which was a lot of fun. We went swimming in her pool, which felt great because it has been pretty hot. Tuesday, I also went to see Slum Dog Millionaire with another friend of mine. It was in German, but I had seen it previously in the US, so I didn’t mind.

On Wednesday, our onsite coordinator took us to see the Hackescher Market, and the Jewish Synagogue, but first we went and had lunch at a really great Indian restaurant. In the town where I am from, we also have a pretty good Indian restaurant, however it is terrible compared to the one that we went to on Wednesday. The Synagogue was really interesting! It was completely destroyed after the Second World War, but it has been completely rebuilt since then. It has a really nice Jewish history museum dating back about 200 years. It was quite interesting.

The German History Museum

Today, my host father took me to see the German History Museum in Alexanderplatz. It had exhibits from the entire history of the nation, from the Germanic Tribes and the Holy Roman Empire, to the Unification of Germany. It was very interesting. They had all the uniforms and weapons of the soldiers that fought in all the wars. It also had a special exhibit on the year 1989, which is the year that the Berlin Wall fell. On our drive home, we stopped by a section of the remnants of the Berlin Wall. They had left a large chuck of it up because numerous people had drawn lots of art on to it. A lot of it was really cool political art from when the wall was still around. I got a ton of really great pictures!

I am starting to miss my family a little bit, but at the same time, this is an incredible experience. So I’m trying to enjoy every moment of it. It is a little difficult at times, but I’m keeping in touch with them as much as I can.

Great first weeks in Germany!

Art On The Berlin Wall Writing on the Berlin Wall

The language encounter

My school from the street

Today, I had my first real German lessons! In what essentially is a German kindergarten class, there are people from all over the world. We have a girl from Africa, a girl from Romania, a boy from Poland, a girl from Russia, a girl from Korea (I’m not sure whether its North or South- I suspect South) and a girl from Taiwan! Today we learned how to introduce ourselves, how to ask where people are from, and how to count to ten. I wasn’t kidding when I said it was kindergarten. The only thing we are missing is the coloring books.

After school, our group went to the Berlin city museum. It was really cool! It followed 800 years of Berlin history. They even had real pieces of

Plaque in East Berlin of Vladmir Lenin

the Berlin Wall. It was very interesting and I really enjoyed it. In the gift shop, I decided I would buy a Berlin T-Shirt as a keepsake of my adventures. Unfortunately for me, I neglected to look at the size, and ended up buying a girl’s small. I think I’ll just end up giving it to my younger cousin Caroline.

Tower of Berlin

After the Museum, we went out for lunch at this really nice Italian restaurant. Once we were done eating, the waiter asked me in German if I would like water, to which I replied “yes”. Then he asked me what I supposed was, “would you like to order anything else,” to which I replied “Nein”. All of a sudden, Sol, our on-sight coordinator, bursts out laughing hysterically. Confused, I asked her what was so funny. She replied that the waiter had asked if I liked my meal, to which I had replied no. I quickly turned around and told the waiter that I didn’t speak German and that everything was great. I dodged a bullet on that one.

Sunset in my Village

Tonight I played badminton at the village center. It turns out that I’m actually quite good at it. It is a lot like a mix between tennis and volleyball, so it was pretty easy for me to win games.

Friday, I go to a “Der Toten Hosen” concert with my sisters and their friends. The name literally translates into “The Dead Pants”. German music is strange like that.

Travels to Berlin- made it!

Syline of Berlin

               I finally made it to Berlin! What an interesting few days. Two days ago I flew in to Washington D.C to go meet up with my cousins and then fly off to Germany. When we arrived at the airport, I promptly said my goodbyes to my family members and headed off to the gate. Sitting there was one of the other kids.We got talking immediately about what we expected Germany would be like and so on until all the other kids had arrived. They all seemed very nice and also very excited to go to Berlin.

                The plane ride was rough, and my new found fear of flying didn’t help. In my systems of technology class that I took this past year, we learned about flight and aerodynamics. My teacher also insisted on teaching us every single thing that could go wrong with a flight in mid-air. So, naturally, when the flight was taking off, I was stuck there thinking of every thing that could go wrong if the pilot didn’t do his job correctly. Once we were off the plane though, we had about a 5 hour layover between the time we arrived and our next flight. We found a nice coffee shop in the airport to get some breakfast, and then sat at the gate playing I Spy for a long time. 

Me and My Host Sisters

          Finally after our short 45 minute flight, we arrived in Berlin. Our host families were waiting for us there. My family is absolutely adorable and I really like them a lot! They live in a small village just outside of Berlin. They all speak at least a little bit of English, so I don’t really feel overwhelmed by German. Often they have their convocations inBefore dinner last night, my host mother and sisters took me for a short tour of Berlin. It really is a beautiful city. It is kind of a mix of 1940’s style architecture, surrounded by giant modern works of engineering. It is really fun to look at for someone like me who is interested in all the design aspects.

            I cannot wait to start learning German, and to start being able to speak it with my family!

View of My School's Street

 

Inside the Reichstag Tower Government Building

 

 

 

 

 

 

Germany bound…thoughts before the hop accross the pond

As the summer approaches, I could not be more excited to get out of school and head off to Germany! I’m anxiously counting down the weeks until my departure. The school year keeps moving along and seems to be getting slower and slower with each oncoming day! I cannot wait to find out who my host family will be, what they’ll be like, and begin to learn German! I know only a little bit currently, because I bought the German for Dummies booklet, but I’m not very worried about not speaking the language. Hopefully it’ll help out a little when I first arrive. I hope I make friends with both the other kids in this program, and German teenagers that I meet there. I really look forward to seeing the sights of Germany, and learning my way around the city of Berlin!

I’m expecting that living in Berlin will be much different than living here in Connecticut or even in New York City. I’ve heard that Berlin is HUGE and extremely modernized, which I think I’ll really love. I’ve also heard that German people are stereotypically strict with rules. My friend George has German cousins, and he says that they are always telling him “You must do this! You must do that!” I think that, if this is in fact true, that it’ll actually be good for me! There is nothing wrong with an orderly life style  (and I’m sure that if do become like that, my parents will appreciate it when I return!)

Something that I’m wondering about is if I’ll be able to travel out side of Berlin a little bit and see the rest of Germany. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to, but if given the opportunity, I’ll certainly take it! I’d really like to see what the country looks like, not just its major cities. One other thing that I’d really like to do before I leave Germany is to go on the Autobahn. I’ve heard its terrifying at first, but after a little bit it is really fun!

There is not much that I am worried about before leaving, but one thing that I am worried about is homesickness. I know I will truly miss my friends and family while gone, but on the other hand, I strongly believe that I’ll be having so much fun in Berlin that it will not really affect me that much. I’ll just keep in touch as often as I can with friends and family.  The other thing that I am worried about is that I am not sure that I’ll like the food. I’m not huge on seafood and other things like that, but I’m willing to try anything and everything that my host family gives me. But I’m a little concerned that I’ll end up insulting my host family if I don’t like something. Nonetheless, I am excited and more than ready to embark on this European adventure. I can hardly wait to go!