Experiences.

Hallo all,
Coming up next week I have to take a German test to see how much I am progressing. I am kind of nervous. I am sure I will do fine though. The test consists of 4 parts.
      1. Essay.  I have to write two pages in German about my experiences (good and bad) I have compiled a list of things that have happened to me so far. Well first off everything being new it is always fun. Oktoberfest was the first big thing I went to. It is not what typical Germans are like. Yes it is a typical German festival but people go way over the top when they know they are going to Oktoberfest. Everyone wears the old fashioned clothes and drinks way more than they would on a night out in the town.
     The second thing I noticed was family life. The time of the meals is different and the portion sizes are also different. For instance a peice of bread with cheese and peperoni could easily be your breakfast.... With family life they also say Please and Thank you a lot more than we do in the U.S. Most of our meals here in Germany are home cooked. I have eaten out 2 times in almost 3 months its unbelieveable but I like this very much.
      Host siblings! Not much else to say. I love having sisters and a little little brother. I have to switch families in about a week. It is such a bitter sweet feeling. I also got the chance to experience my birthday here. It was so much fun. My host families helped me get threw it without my real family.They all sang Happy Birthday to me and i cried. I also got to go out with my sister and her friends and see what kids would normally do on a birthday. :)
Ok now for public transportation. Well most people actually use it. Not very many people have cars or drive around in cars like we do in Iowa. I always get these infamous questions: Do you have a car? Can you drive? What kind of car do you have? How many cars do you own? Can we see your license? 
     Lots of people have bikes. It is the most convenient way to get around. I am not very good at riding my bike. I almost ran over 2 people on the road the other day.
    Now for the not as possitive experiences.
          A. Learning German.
             It is so hard and stressful.
          B. School
             School is very difficult. It is a different system then I am used to. It is all in German and I have a super hard time paying attention in class. Last week one of my teachers just now figured out I was from the U.S. I then had to explain baseball to the class and him. It was interesting.
          C. My German course on Tuesdays and Thurdays. I am in a class with tons of People from different backgrounds. I have been asked very difficult questions. Some I had no answer to. I don't look at it as a bad thing. I am simply just getting out and experiencing things I would never be able to get in small town Iowa. It is all a part of the exchange. I have friends from every corner of the world. I am growing way beyond my years.
Ok that is what my Essay is going to be about as for the other parts of the test. I have 100 questions over German government. I need to do some hardcore studying if I am going to pass that part.
     I now enjoy riding the public busses to town and home becuase I always meet intersting people. Never a dull moment here.

     Thanskgiving is coming up soon. It is not celebrated here so I am making my host family a turkey and a big meal like we would have in my house. I am so excited. On the 25th I am going with my counselor and Jaque to and an American German club here in Bayreuth. They have a man from the US and he will prepare a feast. It should be so much fun. I can't wait to share my cutlure with everyone. (:
Well sorry this is so long. I haven't been very good about blogging everyday. I will make it more of a habit.

Quote for the week: When life gives you Lemons, make Lemonade. <3
Auf Wiedersehen.