German Capital .....BERLIN!

So this past weekend I got to take a trip with the Internation Office to Berlin. I figured why not go there I mean I would expect people to take a trip to Washington DC if they were on the East Side.

So the trip was a ton of fun. I got to meet a lot of cool people from all around the world. It is very interesting to me that "Mutual" language is English. People for Spain Russia and so on could all speak english which was cool for everyone getting to know everyone. We took the 4 hour bus ride on the Autobahn. Our top speed was 62mph......other cars...FAST. It is crazy how fast some of the cars are going on the highway.

I went all over the city and had a blast. A lot of interesting places in memory of the wall. A lot of history in that town.

While there I went to a Theater Production. It was pretty cool for me because I understood about 70% or so of the play. It was all in German which is why I only understood 70%.

Just yesterday my Sprachpartner asked me to go play some soccer with him. I had a BLAST. I mean I really enjoy playing soccer and being able to go out there and play against some Germanys was a good time. .........Yes dad I was able to keep up with them and score some goals!

Other than that today marks my 2 weeks from today until I come home. I don't know how I feel about that. I mean I am having a great time here. But I would also be nice to get the normal life back. Germany is filled with smoking so a little break from the smoke will be well welcomed.

This weekend is basically my last weekend here because next weekend I will be going to Paris to end my abroad experience.

I am sorry this is so random, but my mind isn't working very well right now. And also I am having a slight problem with my english. For example I first wrote how I wanted to make a trip to Berlin. Because in Germany you make a trip or you Make a break. Its a little rough. So please have no fear asking me some questions or emailing me....I ALWAYS have time for friends and family.

Have a great week I heard the weekend is to be nice!

Random things

So I just figured I would give a little update on what is going on since spring break.

So I would like to start off by saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Mom. Yes I did send her a postcard and I did remember.

Other than that got my grade back for my second class finished. I got a B. So far over here I have a B and a B+. Which isn't bad isn't amazing so I am happy. The other class that I wasn't doing so well at all I was able to switch it over to an Audit. Which is good because I wasn't of ability to be in the class. They only speak German in that class and I can understand about half of what was going on. And I switched it just in time because now we would be required to have a 20 min presentation only in German. That had to be based on my favorite book. Plus I had to have a 2-3 page paper to go with it. And so I wasn't so cool about that.

The weather...... as much as I like spring flowers and air, I hate the warm and then a sudden cold. I wish it would just always be 40-50 outside. Instead of going from 40 -25. It gets you all excited and then upset when you have to wear the winter coat. You know the saying in ohio if you don't like the weather wait 10 mins and it will change. (or something like that).... well that is the saying for here in german. I was really excited when I woke up this morning the sun was real bright with a blue sky. By 945 it was raining; by 10 it was snowing; by 1030 it was sunny, windy and cold.....

Rough news got me this past week finding that Boy from church, the Youth Pastor, was leaving. It was really rough because someone said something about it and I didn't know what to think and I looked into it and found out about it and was like o....ok. Finally about 5 days later he talked to me. Wasn't mad just wanted to know what was up. Found out hes is going to First Friends Canton which is totally cool have no problem with that. But now I look into what is next to come. I am all about the Youth Group. For the past months before I came to Germany I was an intern and really involved in the Middle School youth group. Now I found that by the time I get back to my church they are going to have a new Youth Pastor in there. Which has its advantages and disadvantages. They are trying to get all the applications done by the 6 and they job filled by the 26 of April. I just hope we get the right guy for the job. It seems like sometimes a Youth Pastor makes the youth group. So we will see. I hope to still help but I am not sure whats going on.

IN THE NEWS: NCAA basketball march madness......LOVE IT! Every year my dad brother and I don't bet but we have a friendly contest as to who can pick the bracket the best. I would just like everyone to know I am on top.

Other than that I will be getting home in 42 days. Excited yes. Will I miss it here, yes. But am I ready to get a job and move a lot more than I do here......OH YEA! I almost had a 6-pack before getting here. now that I am here I am not very close and not so happy with it. But atleast mama knows I am eating.

High point of this week is tonight! Juliann had a big project due today for Government and so we are going to have Hamburgers for dinner. Its the all American Grill -minus the grill Night!

Also an aside: If anyone reads Liberty and Tyranny by Mark Levin. Please fill me in on it. THANKS!

Everyone have a great week! I miss you all and hope your doing well!

Adam

SPRING BREAK!

Gotta love Spring Break. Its the hump of the semester. If you made it to this point hold onto your hat because the last little half goes by really fast. Which is cool, but being abroad its kinda sad because who knows when I will be over here for this long ever again.

So the plan for Spring Break 09 was Salzburg Austria and Munich. And I am/was pretty excited I mean I am Germany so why not see the culture.

Coolest part about the idea of going down there was the fact that my Professor was going to be over here and showing us around and stuff.

He got in on Sunday and so he invited the Mount students that are over here to go with him out to dinner. So his form teaching assistant and my current teacher and her husband Juliann, me and himself all went out to dinner like a "HEY DOC WELCOME TO Lüneburg." So that was pretty cool. Then Monday hung out went around town and then rolled we went over to William-Watt-Str. which is where I live. And so Juliann and I cooked dinner for Doc that way he knew we were able to survive and save him a few dollars.

Tuesday we then got on the 6 hours of train to Salzburg Austria. This is the location of focus for

'The Sound of Music'. Which is also where my Dad would love to one day visit. but I got to come here first. So we just made our way to the Hotel then got to walk around the city in the dark for a few. Wednesday we went out and started to do some touring.

Through all the week Austria wise, we toured: The Salzburg Zoo, Stiegl-Brauwelt(AKA brewery), Mozarts Birthplace and Residence, Hohensalzburg Fortress, and Museum, Hellbrunn Palace and trick fountains (which weren't on because to cold), Many Cathedrals, Catacombs, and many more.

One of the things I found pretty cool was the Cable car.

This is one of the sights from on top of the ALPS! It was an amazing view. And very windy. I didn't get a chance to go skiing because the weather just wasn't that great until the last day. So while I was up on top of the Alps I took a walk which at times I felt like I was skiing with hearing nothing but the wind and like higher than everything and nothing but white and hills. Gotta LOVE IT! It was like 1.2 miles high. The ski route to get down if I would have been able to was over 4.3 miles long!

Overall the Austria part was really cool really an amazing place to visit if your not into the whole beach thing because it might be a little colder but it was really relaxing and fun.

With this I must give props to Doc though because he was a personal tour guide so I gained a lot of information about the different buildings, Cathedrals, Palaces, and places to be German/ eat. Which was cool. I mean I am just lucky he puts up with me! HAHAHA

After that we made the trip to Munich. In Munich saw some cool sites. A few different churches and a lot of Lederhosen. What is that you might ask? Well its what I pictured in my mind what I thought all Germans wore. Those goofy outfits. Well I think they are sweet so that is on my Christmas list for next year. But it was funny because you got people wearing their Nikes sweats and jeans and then here is a guy looking like a German Paine Stewart with a cap and feather. ( Please note normal these guys were just standing on the side in front of a Pub drinking.) Must be the German thing to do.

O and have no fear I have a New 3 LBS of Peanut Butter thanks to Doc brought me that and I love Peanut Butter even if it did give me salmonella.

So there is a lot of little things that I didn't so much put in there not because I am lazy just because its really hard to think of all of the things. It just comes up in random thoughts and such. But I did put some pictures up on FACEBOOK and I am always open to talk about w/e and/or questions.

Have a happy st. Patty's day......

And in honor of my trip to Austria.......So long farewell Auf Wiedersehen, good night I hate to go and leave this pretty site..........

Me Juliann and Doc Himmelein

LONDON

What an amazing experience I just had getting the chance and taking it to go to London, England. A very large but beautiful city. This city didn't seem like a short New York. And you New York lovers are going to hate me for saying that but its very true. I mean I got to ride up in the London Eye and in every direction that I looked I didn't see an end to the city.

.....but first getting to London.....

So the flight leaves from a small airport at 5:05. The gates close at 4:25. So we (Juliann and I made this trip together....buddy system) knew the train we needed to take to get there took 1 hour and 10 mins and it came every 33. So why not just get on the 2:33. We were going to do that but to play it safe we took the 1:33 and good thing we did. We rode the bus to the train station and once we got there the train we needed wasn't running on thursday or friday. So now waht do we do. We don't have a car or a map. So we ask the people for help. They could tell my German wasn't very good so Juliann did all the talking. But the lady talked so fast that we had no idea what she was saying all the time. But they were trying to get us to the airport as best as they could.

Sure enough they found a way that took us to the airport with 20 mins left. So that means that we got to the airport at 4:05. We got in jumped on the plane and made our way to London for the 1hour and 35 minute flight. Now let me mind you I haven't flow that much but after making it though an airport doesn't that mean that if you have the same stuff that you got over to England with you would make it home with the same stuff NO!....thats a story for another blog....

So we finally land in London which is cool because they are an hour behind us so it ended up being a 35 min flight. This is a very cheap line so ofcourse its a 46 min ride by train to the city. So we take a train to the city and then from the city we were going to have to go all the way to Reading which is where my cool friend Michaela is living for her study abroad experience. It was cool because Michaela I met her over the summer doing the Ulster project. She was one of the host families sisters. And we were like o that would be so cool blah blah blah and sure enough it helped because I had a free place to stay. So finally at 10:30 at night we finally got to her place. Talk about a lot of traveling!.....

So now Friday finally got to London after missing our stop on the bus. We wanted to get off the subway, undergroud, or THE TUBE and go to Buckingham Palace first and then slide on down to Westminstser Abbey Big Ben and Houses of Parliament. So we were walking down the street and trying to find Buckingham Palace. Good thing I can use a Map because you can count the number of times we got lost on a boxing glove......0

So we are walking down the street and were like wow a lot of people are here. Sure enough we got there at 11:15 at 11:30 was their changing of the guards which is to be a very big thing. This only happens once every other day. So we didn't think about it until they were actually getting ready to do it. The changing of the guard was very impressive. A Buckingham Palace is huge with huge gates and such. But when they bring probably 50 people out to do the changing of the guards its impressive. They brought two groups of marchers out and then 2 bands came rolling in from a distance playing the whole time. This whole process took about 45 mins but it was worth it I feel. A lot of marching and their outfits were pretty cool to check out.

Following that walked through the one of the 1,000 parks they have in London. Toward Big Ben. Now all these pictures show Big Ben being so huge over everything. ITS NOT!.....i had no idea I was like what?!?! But have no fear it is still totally sweet. I was loving it.


Some other things I saw were Covent Garden, Westerminster Abby, Houses of Parliament, The Temple, The London Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Tate Modern, St. Paul's Cathedral, London Eye, and Chinatown.....





Alright so chinatown is pretty cool with a lot of stuff in a little area. But around it and all through it is random clusters of things. Such as Leicester Square which has a whole but of Tickets for sale. Leicester Square is to London as Broadway is to USA. But since I got off work from Abercrombie and Fitch to come to Germany the only A&F I have seen and smelt is what I own. And I don't own any Fierce so I have just been wearing the name. But while walking through Chinatown I saw a Fitch bag and got really excited at being pointed in the right direction I found myself upon a really really rich road.....you name a car that costs a lot it was on this street and why were these cars on the street? because there stores were really high end your Prada and such....and so finally I turn down the street and find it......





ABERCROMBIE AND FITCH LONDON= Amazing huge. I was in aw the entire time in there. They had so maybe people working. They had models standing at spots with a camera and people would take pictures with these guys with no shirts and such. People were just standing up there dancing. It was a zoo. But I couldn't believe it. It was everything I wanted to do while working but it actually happening. Like I model at work the boss doesn't like it....I dance at work....boss doesn't enjoy it all the time but these people do it because they are told to do it. Ok had to throw that out there........





I then went to the London Eye which is a totally cool Ferris wheel thing. It was built in 2000 and was only to be up for 5 years but because of the number of people that use it they left it up. And I could see why. Like I said before this place is not very tall. So in the London Eye you got a perfect view the entire time.

As you can tell I am higher than Big Ben himself.

Well I don't want you to spend your day reading this book so I will write THE END

But if you really have questions of want to chat it up....hit me up!

Adam

Quick update on to be travel

So I have been doing a lot of booking recently. Trying to find the best deals and then take it.

I will be going to London this weekend. If anyone has any tips for there I am open for ideas. I will be leaving here on thursday night and then going to try and find where my friend Michaela lives because she too is studying abroad. So once I get there I feel like it will be a little easier. I then plan on traveling all around friday and saturday then leaving on sunday morning.

Following that I have a weekend of class with a final on Friday then Doc H is coming to visit and then Doc, Juliann, and I will be making a trip to Salzburg. This is spring break. This is said to be a pretty cool place. If the snow is happening I would love to take one day and hit the slopes. Skiing in the Alps...COOL? I think so. Following 3-4 days there we will be going to Munich and then leave Munich on sunday at 1050 for the 6-hour train trip back to Lüneburg.

As of right now there is not plans until the 4th week of April when I go with the school to Berlin. I still have to drop them some money for that. I will be in Berlin for that weekend then get home have one week of class FINAL of all FINALS on thursday. Following that final....

I booked a trip to Paris! So far cost of travel and Hostel is less than driving to New York city. I will get home Sunday morning May 3 and then at 715am May 6 Germany will be changed forever because I Adam will no longer be making my presents known here in Germany.

Finally arriving back at the Akron Canton airport at 6:49pm.

So in other words I have 75 days left until I am home.

So I am summer job searching. I did apply for Cedar Point and I am waiting to hear something from them because I need a job. I would LOVE to work for the school admissions but they won't tell who they are going to hire until the very end of April......so with 17+ people trying to apply for the 2 or 3 jobs its tough because who is to say that I even have a chance?

......check back in a day or two because I have a short story about my backpack that I bought....

Grades and such

So here school for Track I is broken up into 4 parts. I do one part at a time and after 4 weeks I take an exam on it and that is my grade for that class. For example I just finished Elementary German I so I am now plus 4 more credits and a B+ as a grade. I wasn't to upset about the grade but I was thinking Germany was to be a GPA booster so strait A's. O well not that big of a deal. A few things that made me wonder though is I got a B+ for homework. On all the homework we don't get a 16/18 or a -2 or something like that we just get a check. So I was thinking well heck that should bump up my grade getting all these checks cause I turn everything done and complete on time. NOPE I was slightly wrong. I guess she keeps a mental note of our papers and gives us a grade. Same thing with Interviews/Dialogs. There is no paperwork for this its just a w/e she wants to write down. I wasn't totally mad just a little upset that there is no reasons for the grades. Then the one statement that if I ever become a teacher hope to never use is "Well no one is perfect so it is hard to get an A". WHAT?!?! I can't get an A for Participation? I mean I talk, don't sleep, and shockingly not day dreaming. O well B+ shouldn't be too bad. I just worry about conversation class cause I CAN NOT pass a test in there for anything. I try so hard but everyone else is a lot more advanced than myself. But I keep taking a beating everytime I go to that class because I feel that I am learning a lot in the class. It just doesn't show grade-wise.

Wednesday: I got invited by some Germans to go check out the Bremen vs. A C Malland international match. It was quite cool to watch a game with Germans. They are a lot more into the game and focused on it then people are at home. Its like us watching the BROWNS, CAVS, or INDIANS!!!!! just for soccer. Coolest part about the party was that I got to TRY and speak some German. They were very helpful correcting my phrases and such.
At this party they were like try this trick. So they handed me a bottle. This bottle had a cap attached to it. And what I was to try and do was flip the bar and swing the cap to the top of the bottle and one point for it to stay on and 2 points for it to go back in the hole like how it came. I first try....got it in the hole.
So because of my sweet talent they were like now close it up and try and slide ur finger over it and have the lid come off. The guy showed me a few times and then was like you try. After a few tries i got it. Then I was like wow this is fun so I did it one last time. And the bottle broke in half. So I don't know if it was a german trick or if I am really that strong. IDK but overall a good time.

It turns out I will not be attending the Russia trip this time around. Just wasn't going to happen. So I started to then search for tickets. Found a few flights and was like nah I will look tomorrow. Prices then went up and then I was like o man not cool. So I kept searching talked with the parents and then got myself a ticket home. The ticket is a round trip ticket for $630 thats final cost. Or i could have bought a one way ticket for over $1,200. So I felt that is was better for some reason to get the round-trip for half the cost. So I will be flying from German at 7:10 AM into paris...paris to atlanta then to CANTON. where i will touch down around 6:49pm. AKA AMERICAN DINNER may 6!

So if anyone knows of anyone that would like to fly TO Hamburg Germany for free? $10? idk w/e I have a ticket for 6/20/09

London NEXT WEEKEND!!!!

Lovin' Germany

I have just finished my 5th week in Germany. I am having a great time. I have been out a lot people to different places and I am gettin more confident with/in my German speaking ability.

On friday we had an 80's party with all the USAC kids. I didn't bring any 80's clothes with me so I just though really hard about how the basketball players had some really short shorts so I took my shorts and made myself look like an idiot but I had fun so its all good.

On Saturday Juliann and I made a trip to Golsar. Quite a nice little town. The downside it was

-4C and thats not very fun for walking outside and taking pics. The town how large hills all around it which built a lot of character to it. The trip by train took 3 hours. It was south so it seemed to be getting less flat. Basically like going from Alliance down to Cabela's in WV. How its not total flat like findlay but then it gets bigger. ANYWAY......

Went to a Donner shop in Golsar that was really nice with table settings and candles on the table so I guess you could say we had a candle light lunch. Yes mom I did buy Juliann(my valentine's) lunch. I wouldn't hear the end of it if I didn't.

So back on the train I saw this guy that looked like he had a Boy Scout uniform on. So I couldn't help but as him hey are you a boy scout. He said yes. And so we talked for 5 mins about differences in how things are ran differently. Then I asked for a pic:

So finally got back to my house around 7 or so. And then Juliann was making Valentine's dinner. I was pretty pumped because A I didn't have to cook and B it was probably going to taste better then anything I have made.

So we had cheese noodles and a large salad with bread. And thats where I came in saying O sorry i didn't have a desert....I then ran over to my house where I pre-made banna splits for us. So i grabbed them out of the freezer and heated up the caramel and it made for a nice dinner.

Overall I had a much better Valentine's day than last year!

Some other news that happened this week we booked tickets for London so we will be there at the end of Feb til march 1. This will be pretty cool cause my friend Michaela lives there cause she is abroad too and he hopefully will hook us up.

Other things we are looking at is booking the Paris trip and home.........

Hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day. Have a wonderful week!