16 From Melbourne,
Exploring Germany 2012:)
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Live life to the fullest.
Going to the Physio for your shoulder, walking out in so much pain that it hurts to move from your hips down, but also wrists. Excuse me sir, I don’t think that is meant to happen. I can’t wait for my other Physio to come back from holidays!
Okay, so, I moved host families two weeks ago today. I love this family, no problems what’s so ever, but I thought that we going to change 30 minutes or so ago when my window just decided to crack. You know, I walked into my room, facing my mirror getting clothes out of my drawer, then my window just decides to fall open a bit. (for those who don’t know, most windows in Europe, you can open them 2 ways, one fully like a door, then if you turn the handle more, it opens just from the top about ten or so cms.) and cracks! Like what the actually hell! It scared the living shits out of me! I walked to look at it, and all the thoughts started running through my head! I can’t just leave it and pretend I didn’t notice it. This isn’t my real room. Nor house. Do I tell my host parents? Or do I not? Will they think I’m lying? Will they tell at me? Will I have to pay for it?
So I took a photo, and went down to my host mums room. Knocked on the door, and showed her a photo of it. What did she do? Laughed. Then she yelled down their stairs at my host dad, my heart started pounding. All the thoughts started going through my head again. It felt like forever until he came, as when he came, I showed him the photo. I was kinda expecting him to get angry or what not, but instead he walked up to my room, looked at it, while staying rather calm. He asked a few questions, and just said we will get it fixed in the next few days or whenever, don’t touch or open the window, use the bigger one instead, that we will put paper on it tomorrow to keep my too dark in the morning while I’m trying to sleep, and that they are happy that No one was hurt.
I must say, I already loved this family for making me feel apart of their family, but also for not getting angry at me for something I couldn’t help, I love them even more
Take a minute to read this please.
Dear Australian teenagers,
You might hate the school system but you should be extremely thankful. You start school at about 8:30-9, and finish between 2 and 3:30, complain about how hard and boring it is, then complain how much homework you get?
When really, it’s not that much or hard if you put in a little effort. You are actually extremely lucky.
In Europe, most students start school at 7:55. They have already finished one class, and nearly halfway through their second by the time you are starting school for the day.
By the time you are at home watching tv, on Facebook, with friends, or even playing sport, they still have a pen in their hand writing and listening to that boring teacher struggling to keep their eyes open.majority of the time they finish any where after 2:30, most of the time, some even not until 4 or 5.
They don’t have breaks like you do for half an hour to an hour. Instead in between every classes they have a 5 minute break and every second break 15 minute. But in this time, they must eat, and get to class. They don’t have much time for socialising.
They get homework, and a lot of it. The equivalent student in Europe to year 10 student in Australia, they get a good 1-6 hours of homework. A night. Yes, you probably don’t even do 6 hours a week let alone one night. On top of all this, if they don’t understand something that is done in class, they must learn it by themselves at home without help, normally that night so they do fall behind in the next class. But not only that, they also have to study for tests.
Most teenagers also have to travel to school for anywhere up to an hour and a half, sometimes even longer.
You complain about one language being hard enough? Most teenagers know 2-4 languages, sometimes even more, close to fluent by the time they are 17.
If they want to get good marks to go on after school, they don’t have much time for sport, or even catching up with friends, because they are studying, to tired to do anything, or it is to late to do so.
For some students in Europe, this isn’t a Monday to Friday thing, sometimes it involves going to school on a Saturday.
Be thankful for what you have, make the most of it because one day your not going to have this. There are teenagers out there in the world who would do anything for what you have.
Much love exchange students who are experiencing the difference between two totally different lives. One in their home country, and another in a foreign country.
(I am personally an exchange student, in Germany from Australia. I wrote this this morning in biology simply for only one reason. What’s that reason? I am over reading on multiple website what teenagers think of the schooling system in Australia and how unfair it is.)
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So, for anyone who is thinking, why am i only posting things from three months ago now? its because i was using a blogging website, but it got to complicated and crashed, so now I’m moving it all to tumblr, give me a few weeks and ill have it up to date!
I don’t think i have ever been so ah, i don’t know the word, amused/ashamed by my photo in the local news paper. All i can say is thank-god this new paper is only online!
Photo reblogged from Gabby In Germany with 4 notes
This may or may not be my draw in my room…
gabbyingermany:
This is the food stash that another Australian girl has in her room in Germany.
God, I wish it was mine. She has inspired me to achieve great things.
We’re not fat; we’re exchange students :)
Source: gabbyingermany
This has to be one of my favourite photos I have taken on someone without them noticing.
Her name is Dora, and is from Taiwan. I have basically lived 2 weeks straight with this girl, and not only myself, but the other 53 people have see a huge change in her. She used to be so quiet and shy, now we can have conversations with her, and even taken photos of her smiling, we love you Dora
So, this song. I personally think it is amazing. The talent some people have in this world is just uncredible. Why can’t i have an amazing talent like this?
;)
Take a few minutes to read this, and maybe help some people out there in our society<3
It might not be Valentines day where ever you are in the world, maybe its not at all anymore, not for a couple of months where it will be in another country, but i would just like to ask one simple question. Can you please take the time to read this. We have to change it. We need to get our society back on the road again.
While you are complaining about not having a boyfriend or a girlfriend, your day will come. You will one day, and the sooner you stop complaining and actually try is the sooner you will find someone for you.
Having a boyfriend or girlfriend who didn’t buy you a rose, a teddy, or chocolate, it is not the end of the world either.
Maybe you need to think about other people in this world for once. The couples who are are distance , but still in each others heart. Just because one may be at work, on a holiday, or who knows what else, maybe by choice or not by choice, but some are working their arse off for their own country. They might never return. They might die. Never see their loved once again.
What about the people who have lost their loved once, by accidents, illness’ and things they wish never happened. Things they wish they could change but which can’t be. They are never going to be able to give their loved one a present in person.
And also what bout the people who see people loving their life, but then others complaining, and commit suicide. You are also apart of the reason why valentines day is the day where most people commit suicide. Our society is a mess, it needs to be changed. People need to stop thinking about themselves 24-7 and think about other people a little more and try and make the world a better place. You just thinking and voicing to someone who is not in a good position could save their life. Why not try and save a life? It will help a lot of people in this world, and even saving more than just one person.
Photo reblogged from The Best of Blog - 1000notes.com with 47,618 notes
Submitted by nessastooshort
Source: whitepaperquotes
Photo reblogged from radiate love♥ with 19,244 notes
And my journey has begun with Germany, in just over a month, I will be travelling on my Europa trip. I am a little excited!
Source: weheartit.com
Video reblogged from The Best of Blog - 1000notes.com with 32,144 notes
This is one of the cutest videos ever. Within seconds of knowing what it was about, i was crying. These two boys must be two of the strongest boys our there. Your mum will forever and always be in your heart2 boys rewrote the lyrics to a thousand miles for their mom who passed away.
Source: d3lusi0nal
Getting to know Germany!<3
Saturday 28th January 2012.
So not much was done during the day, but during the night, I went to met with Delfi, and exchange student from Agentina, her two friends from school, and my last host mum! They were all excited to meet me for the first time, and I was just as excited to meet them. We had cake, and coffee/tea then played monopoly!:)
Getting to know my last host mum was realy good, and she seems lovely!
Sunday 29th January 2012
So today, I went to his littlys Handball game with Artur. This was a really good experience watching little kids mix, and just to have fun! They were all so very excited to see me again!
Monday 30th January 2012
Not much was done in the day again, just settling into my host family, and Germany. In the afternoon/night, I had handball training for an hour and a half. This time it was not with littlys, it was with people my age, because Artur has organized a team for me to join. Sport is extremely similar in Germany compared to Australia. Not all sport is taken seriously, and they know how to have some fun. This team, is not serious at all, they only do it for fun which is always good.
Tuesday 31st January.
So today, Dagmar wanted to take me to a shop that I wouldn’t even know how to explain it. It is a supermarket, but then like big W, K-Mart, and target all in one! It was extremely bizarre for me! Here, Dagmar wanted to buy a toasted sandwhich maker for me and Johanna to use. Not much else was done for the day
Wednesday 1st February
Once again, It was a very chilled day! I didn’t do much, but in the evening I went to handball with Artur. Here the kids started opening up and talking more, and involving me. Artur thought it would be fun, to tell the kids, Freddie(Junior Coach) and Antony(Exchange student from Ecuador) to gang up on me and not to let me get the ball. Except, the three little girls did not like this idea, and helped me get the others out!
After Handball, I went with Johanna, to have a coffee at a bar with one of her friends Sarah. This was such a strange thing for me. In Australia, you would never do something like that. It was really good to met one of Johanna’s friends and to learn a lot more about Germany through someone else’s eyes, who isn’t from the same Family.
First few days in germany!
Monday the 23rd January.
I woke up, and thought I only arrived in Germany not even 24hours ago, wow, it only felt like yesterday that I was being interviewed. I got up, had some breakfast, and started to unpack my things and started to settle in. I also went for a walk with Dagmar around the area where I’ll be living for a few months. We also had to do administration work, where we had to start the application for my Visa. Finally after this was all done, Dagmar showed me the local church, and library where.
Tuesday the 24th January
After another long sleep, I woke up, and not much for the day. I still wasn’t sure of where I was. I started to learn a little German, and went to the town where I will be going to school Bünde. We walked around Bünde, looking at a few shops, churches and all that sort of things. Then it was for me, another early night! I felt very lost that day, didn’t know how to feel. Nothing… at all.
Then we went to pick Johanna up from school, where she showed me around the school a little. SO BIZARRE!
Wednesday 25th of January.
Uh, so I woke up at about 8:30, and got ready because I was going to school for a few hours. I didn’t know what to think, to be excited, scared or what. When I arrived I met Verne’s who is family friends with my host family, so I when i am at school, I will be with her until I get a timetable.
Everything was so different compared to what I was used to. There were no school uniforms, there are basically only 3 buildings, no grass, hardly any fences, and I realized that anybody could walk in that school and not be questioned.
The first class I went to was an art class. Verne’s introduced me to her friends who were all really shocked about how I could go on exchange, and they were excited about my English. They did not work much that lesson, nor listen to the teacher, and just wanted to ask me questions.
After Art, Vernes’ had a free period, where we went to the cafeteria where everyone goes when they have no classes or to met friends for class. We sat there and I met some others and they wanted to talk about Australia.
Then we went to their English class. Oh. My. God. That was horrible! The teacher could hardly speak English! and what they were watching had the worst English ever, but suprising the students had very good English and wanted to practice it with me, so once again, not many students listened to the teacher. After English, I went home because Johanna had finished school for the day so Dagmar picked us up.
After this exasusting day at school, Artur(Host dad) asked me if I would like to go and help his little handball team train, so I decided to go and help. They are all between the ages of 8-11, so they are rather little, and know a few English words, which they loved to practice on me with these. They were all so very welcoming, and wanted to know if I was going to go back every week and train with them.
Thursday 26th January 2012
So, after being in Germany for 4 days, Dagmar kept telling me a supermarket can show you lots about another country which I thought was crazy, so we went on an ‘expedition’ as she called it to the Supermarkets.
Even though it sounds crazy, infact it is actually true. You can learn a lot about a country by their supermarket.
Compared to Australia, the super markets are so bizarre. They are rather small compared to Coles and Safeway. They don’t have super markets like that, never really that big. They are a lot smaller, and just different. I knew one supermarket, Aldi, but even that was strange. Dagmar thought it was important to buy me… CHOCOLATE. CHOCOLATE, AND MORE CHOCOLATE! I am going to put on weight this year, for sure!
I got informed that if you buy a certain bottle, when you finish with it you take it back to a supermarket and receive 25c for it, like really?! What? Why couldn’t Australia do that! It was so depressing finding out that other countries have it, and when i go back to Australia, there won’t be that excitement for going food shopping! The machine was pretty amusing for this! It was quiet mind blowing…
Friday 27th January 2012
So today, I went back to school for another day… It was still very strange, but good to get to know some people. Not much else was done other than spending time to get to know my host family…
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