Östereich

Well this whole blog every week for a year is ruined. It’s not ending, I just missed last week. I am surprised I made it till christmas, 4 months. I was in Austria last week, and I believe that is a good excuse for not having a blog last week. Austria is a place everyone needs to visit once in their life. Something about the Alps and the Austrian’s form of German that make it a special place. We were in Zillertal, Austria, a place I would like to go back to. Our vacation house was in Stumm (Hochzillertal), the middle of the valley. Stumm is a nice small village, but Wessum is better.

Frau, I know now why you love Herr Schmidt’s accent so much. When austrian people speak Hoch-Deutsch (Normal German), their german sounds like how you would expect a stereotypical German to talk. 

Last week was a ski vacation with my host family, and my host dad’s brother’s family. Eleven people in a basement apartment of a vacation house is enough for me. The lady who owned the house was pretty funny. On the fourth day there, the power went out. She comes down stair with her hair in curlers mid coloring with her hairstylist to bring us candles. That turned into drinking shots with them. I am pretty sure everyday, at some point, we talked with her. She reminded me of my neighbor Joan because we always ended up talking for an hour or so. 

I skied once in 2009 for one day. The red slope was enough to convince me I needed ski school. Blue Slopes in the Alps are what a red would be in the midwest. The first day, Sunday, Daniel and Petra were awesome and helped me with my skiing.

My Ski school class was good. I was 8 years older than the rest of the kids and played babysitter for the week. By the end of the first day, I had the hang of skiing so my teacher made me stay in the back of the group and help the kids when they fell, because he was in the front leading us. I am proud to say I went down one of the toughest black slopes twice and didn’t fall once.

I love skiing and was so excited for Friday because on Friday we were going to ski down the entire mountain. Thursday afternoon when I was taking a final round with the family, I noticed that every other lift was being taking down. Friday was suppose to be a bad blizzard. There was a blizzard Wednesday and Thursday on the top of the mountain, so why would Friday be different. Well on Friday, every run was closed. The gondolas wouldn’t even take you up to the top of the mountain. We ended up making a ramp in the back yard and jumping off that.

My School Burned Down

Something happened this week, and the school were I go for German Class caught fire. It was something with the garbage cans and my teacher. It is still standing, and I still have to go to german class and that sucks.

This week, Albert finally said he thinks I am fluent. A compliment from this kid, is like if someone came up with the cure for cancer. I have a goal tho, Petra and I came up with it. Once her parents can understand my German I am officially fluent. Petra's Parents speak plott or blott(don't really know) German and it really means, they speak with a little hollandish. Good thing no one speaks it anymore because regular German is better.

Petra surprised me this week, she can actually speak english. She always acted like she couldn't. She still can't understand me tho, and that's good.

I learned what worst enemy in German was this week, worst friend. I learned that from the Simpsons. I found that to be true statement. People in Germany are so nice. if you have a worst enemy, then it's really your problem because you are not trying hard enough at your friendship. I have not met someone here, that I hated. The people here are simply awesome. 

Finally, Christmas... 

Christmas here was perfect. I could not of asked for a better Christmas. I am finally a member of the family. Petra and Daniel gave me Wooden Clogs. It has to be one of the greatest gifts ever. I think I will wear them to the airport. Petra's parents gave me a photo book of German and Daniel's parents gave me a german cookbook. My host uncle Thomas got the Steve Job's bio in German and I got it in English. I want to see who can finish it first. I haven't started so probably him.

People in Germany celebrate on Christmas eve. We celebrated with both sets grandparents and a sauerbraten. Then on Sunday it was breakfast with the six of us, coffee by Daniel's family, and finally dinner by Petra's. The second Christmas day (Monday), is Stephanus. Stephanus is a day of drinking. Usually brought on by the family. It is also the name day for Steffan and Steffen, but only old people celebrate that.

Fat American is Fat

This week I was the fat American. It all started on Tuesday; there was a line in the deli, so we went to the fast food place. I had currywurst, which is one of my favorite foods. When I got home Petra had made a couple cakes for coffee with her friends. She also had to show off her American, and when you sit even remotely close to a platter with food on it, and Petra is near, you will eat till you have three chins. My dinner that night was cake. I have eaten Mcdonalds once a week since I got here, it is the only place open at 2 in the morning. I always wondered why my food cost less then everyone else. I realized that I never ordered Ketchup or Mayo, which is an extra 40 cents. I tried mayo with fries and it is pretty gross, but ze Germans can't get enough of it. One thing I respect about Petra and Daniel, is that they don't keep "junk food" in the house. My host brothers go crazy when they get there hands on a bag of chips.

Everything has felt like home since the first week here, and that made me wonder, wheres my culture shock! As an American, I can never be blamed for my own problems. I am not sure who to put blame on, my German teacher for teaching so much about the German Culture, or The Germans for not giving me anything to gawk at. I did notice that I don't see my neighbors a lot. Its not like the U.S. where you are really close to your neighbors. Speaking of German teachers teaching things, I was never taught the future tense for verbs. That or I wasn't paying attention. Actually Germans do not use the verb Werden or add   -te to the end of words to make them past tense. Petra said it is how they can see who is actually from Germany and who isn't. This week was Fritz's week to learn the future tense in English and I am so glad I was born in an English speaking country.

People who don't speak English tho, are my Physics Teacher, who looks like my dad, and the Polish cleaning lady that comes every Friday. I haven't practiced my Polish with her yet, but I think if I did she wouldn't clean my room. The kids here love the American slang I have been teaching them. American Slang by The Gaslight Anthem is the soundtrack of this week, that or Welcome to St. Tropez by Dj. Antoine. I miss my altrock but I do have Sirius XM to fix that. I am learning to love house music because that always synonymous with a good time. Black Musik is a thing here, I am not sure what it is.

I never talk about my weekends, and you can probably guess why, but this weekend had to be one of the best parties so far in my exchange. It was a Brezel Party in Ahaus, which translate to a Pretzel Party but there were no Pretzels at this party. Someone took a warehouse and turned it into a disco. Thanks to the party, I know have a bruise on my cheek that makes me look like Will Smith after eating shellfish in Hitch. Its funny too, how the kids at my school are two different people. During school they are quiet and hate life but at night they let their freak flag fly. Next week tho, is Halloween in Index so I have big expectations for that one.

Forgot there was a recession in the U.S. still. Germany is like the U.S. 2000. Everyone has a job, they are happy, and they spend! I know that word is crazy spending, that is bad right? People in Europe work to live, and the people in the U.S.A. live to work. There is a new addition to the family this week. Petra wanted an Ipad, so Daniel bought a cheap tablet knock off, but Petra wasn't going to have any of that and she went out and bought herself a new Ipad. She wouldn't believe me when I said they didn't come in pink. She also wouldn't wait for the Ipad 3 in Janurary.

And finally, I must be doing something right because my 1:00 curfew has been lifted and It doesn't matter when I come home, I just can't ride home by myself. Fair deal, they really had to break my arm for that one. I also got an house key so I can't be that crazy. Really, I locked myself out of the house a few times.