so ist das leben

I'm sitting here watching Man vs Wild in german and I thought that I would write a blog post.
I have been pretty busy the last 2 months. I have done so many things and I cant really remember all of them. But my time here in germany is coming to an end. I only have about 10 days to go at the time of writeing this. I get a really weird feeling in my stomach when I think that ill be home soon! I have been gone for 10 months!uhh..its just weird....i know that I keep rambling on and saying the same thing..but I cant help it!

So ill just talk about some topics that you all might find interesting.

Language
I am pleased with my language skills and my progression throughout the year. I understand pretty much everything said to me. I am now (finally) starting to grasp the terrible unmerciful German grammer. Im kind of disapointed that I didnt get it earlier... but it almost happened all at one. I had, in the words of Samuel L Jackson, a moment of clarity. Eine Moment der Erleuchtung. I literaly woke up one day and thought...oh! Now I get it! I still do make mistakes, but im much more confident when I speak.

School
Im also pleased with my school progess. I got an average of 2.27 on my report card... It goes from 1-6.. (1 best 6 worst) So I think I did pretty good! I ended up not failing any of my classes. It went as follows. Physics- 4, Politics – 3, Bio – 3, German – 2, Religion – 2, Math – 3, English – 1, Art -1, Gym – 2, History – 1, Chemistry – 3. So I'll continue into the 11th grade next year.

Germany Overall
Hmm. Well. Im glad I came here. I think ill even come back! I would love to be fluent in german, so I think that between highschool and college, I will make another exchange year. But im kind of stuck and im not sure wether I should do it again in germany, or in a spanish speaking country. Because then I could speak spanish! And experience another culture. But I have two years to think about so remember to check this blog ;)

These last few months have been really awesome though...especially this last month. Ive done so many things! I can really barley remember it now.

Here is some highlights.
My friends gave me a surprise going away party
Visited berlin again
BMX World Championchip
Saw Handel

And on top of that, I have been doing something almost everyday! Its really great just hanging out with friends, enjoying my last weeks ( and now days) in germany.
Das leben ist schön.

Its been a while

It has been quite a while since my last post...but i do have an excuse...i havent had internet! for the past 5 weeks, my house has been without internet..so i have to use the internet at a bank! but i will get it sometime next week and ill try to make a big post! I only have about 10 days left untill i come home! wow...scary...
but yes...i just wanted to let you all know that i wasnt dead.

Video!

So made this video a while back in german and posted here.. and i fianly got around to putting subtitles in..
i hope you enjoy it!

School. and more

My classes are starting to write our finals now because the year is coming to the end. My school ends june 26, but since we have differnt classes everyday, we need to write all the finals now, because classes often fall out.
I have already written Religion, which i got a 3 in. im actually quite pleased. A 3 in the equivalent to a C. i wrote Bio today and i think that i either did well, or failed it. It could go either way.

Tomorrow i write english, and friday math. I hope english doesnt give me to much of a problem. Otherwise im in trouble.
As for math, our topic is Probability and Statistics. This theme understand i pretty good. As long as there arent too many surprises, ill do ok.

Next weekend, ill be heading somewhere and meeting with AFS. Ill see some people from my language course and im pretty pumped. Ill post some picturs

And i'll be home relatively soon! In under 70 days. I dont know what to think! Das ist doch wunderbar! ich sehe meine familie wieder! and then Aber nee! ich habe deutschland noch nicht voll erlebt!

Dresden Pictures

Eating a Pulverturm!

WAnderer who asked for some cash

Crazy Treppe

4000 Euro Porcelain Parrot

Zug der Konig

Frauen Kirche

On saturday, i drove to with Thomas and Leo to Hannover for the day. We saw a professional soccer game! It took about 2 hours to get up there. and it was an awesome day. The weather has been really great lately.

It was Hannover against Berlin. We didn't really care who won but i ended up rooting for Berlin because i bought i hat while i was there, so i had something to represent my team :)

A couple of goals, an amazing amount of yellow cards, and thousands of screaming fans laters, i left the stadium with my hat crumpled in my hand. Berlin had lost.

Anyyyyway. The atmosphere was great. It was alot of fun watching the game and just wathcing all the fans. Our side was primarily Berliners and when hannover had a cornerkick in our side, everyone starting screaming/giving the middle finger at him.
Im sad that i didnt have my camera. I would love to go see another game!


So i really want to do some traveling. I have been to hannover, berlin, frankfurt, and cologne. But i didnt see much of frankfurt. i definitely want to go back! And i would love to go to Munich! I want to see what its all about. I want to experience "typisch Deutschland" and see Bavaria! where lederhosen is the only type of clothing,where beer is easier to find than water,and where i cant understand a thing cause Ive never learned Bayerisch! ;)
IWANTTOTRAVELINGERMANY!
EXCHANGESTUDENTS...CONTACTME

I have been in germany for 7 months.
Here are my thoughts at the moment...not really thoughts...just things.

I went to the movies today. I understand the majority of the film. IM quite happy.

Im not sure what im going to do with my life but maybe something with germany might be where im headed. But dont hold me to it.

Turkische Pizzas are one of the most delicious things i have eaten in this entire year. If your going to germany, make sure to hit up a Doner Laden and get some.

Im starting track next week! Its a good thing to because im really out of shape. I havent done much in the way of excercise this entire year. Im also continueing tennis! I also just got a 1 month free trial at our local gym! pretty cool!

My grades are up and down. I can never rely on myself to do good on a test. The past few weeks have been pretty good though. I'm dreading the next few weeks in school though. Ive got 2 hour tests in everyclass that i have. I dont know how im going to manage.


So i created an email because alot of kids that got the CBYX scholarship are stumbling upon this blog. So if you have any questions, email me at

jroganingermany@googlemail.com


I wasnt sure what to write about. so i simply wrote. give me ideas of something to write about.

Berlin!

Well.
I went to Berlin over the weekend! I decided to met up with erica, who is traveling europe right now and catherine, who lives here! It was great to be talking to americans that i know in person and it was like being with a tiny piece of home! I didn't see much of Berlin though. I saw the brandenburger Tor. it was pretty astounding. I wasn't really trying to see everything thought. I will be going back to berlin atleast once. Il be going with AFS where we will see everything! But i think ill go back again to, with some exchange students... I also might go back to meet with a person who works in the Bundestag. He is a friend of the Leimbachs. Anywayyyy....

I have been here in germany almost 7 months... I can't believe it! I have a little over 3 months left and its kind of hard to comprehend! I cant put into words what im feeling at this point but...yeah. its some type of feeling.

video!

Sorry if you have seen this video already!




how would you all like seeing a video of me thats just for this blog?
I could answer questions and stuff like that! COMMENT!PLEASE

Cologne!

I went to Bonn for the entirety of last week with my exchange group AFS. It was the mid-stay for the CBYX scholarship winners. There were 19 other americans there and 5 or 6 Betreuers...i cant remeber the word for that because even when we spoke in englisch, we said Betreuer...but its meens the person who was in charge.

I got up at 8 on Tuesday morning and took a 3 and half hour train ride to Hannover. There i met up with 2 other amerikaners. We ended up finding 2 other, but they had reserved seating on the train. We just kinda camped out by the door. In hannover, i had to talk to a couple of differnt germans about trains and how they were changing. My german worked out and i figured everything out. Our train going from hannover to Bonn ended up delaying itself. We evertualy figured everything out and got into Bonn. The first night we spent speaking a suprising amount of german. It was interesting to see how everyone elses German had progressed and all the differnt akzents. After the first night, we pretty much switched to englisch though because it was just easier. WE also spoke alot of Denglisch.

On wednesday, we went to Bonncity and went to the national german history museum. I understood alot and also didnt understand alot. Nevertheless, it was interesting. I dont have anypictures because i totaled my camera the first night. Awesome. Perfect. Nice.
It also consisted of doing workshops and talking in groups. I dont remember what the workshops were about, so i guess they werent that effective/important.

On thursday, we went to an art museum and walked aorund Bonn. It was alot of fun. Once again, i regret not having my camera.

Friday was the day that we went to Koeln (Cologne)! It was really cool! We saw this huge church, the Dome. It was the biggest church i have ever seen. You could fit about 7 saint Patricks in there. It was insainly huge. We climbed 505 steps to the top. My thighs wanted to explode, to say the least. The rest of the day was spent exploring cologne. It was fun just talking with all the other exhcnage students about germany. That night, afs brought us to a Brewerie. It was alot of fun.

Saturday was a liesure day. It was amazing outside and we played alot of hockey and basketball. It was about 70 degress out. It hard to explain the feeling that you get when you dont have anything to worry about and everything is going good. but it was that kind of day.

We all went home sunday morning. Of course, a couple of trains were late but it all worked out in the end. This week was so much fun. I really cant want to see all of these people again. We're going in MAy to Berlin. Except it will be all 50 kids from Washington Dc. I cant wait!

Ill try and post some pictures from the week. I need to get them from people.

Language

So i came to germany with no german language skills at all. So i have been learning pretty much on my own since i got here. I had a month long language school in my first month, but it didn't really help to much. Of course it benefited me a little, but i think i would have learned faster/better if i would have began school when i first got in germany.

But i have gotten better since i got here! Ive been here a little longer than 5 months and i can understand most things... i want to say that i understand alot, but i also dont understand alot. When people talk directly, i can understand alot. But when people are talking in groups, its alot harder. For example, in class, its extremely hard to understand. Like history. She talks the entire class, and i dont have enough vocab to understand. That being said.. sometimes i understand and sometimes i dont. Its hit and miss. One good thing that i can do now is that when i dont understand a word in a sentence, i can ask a person to explain it to me in german so i dont have to speak englisch. Most of the time, i can figure out what they meen! It feels good to figure it out like that.

Im "conversational"...
somewhat.


Dreaming in german. I dont really dream that much. I think i have about one dream every month. I had a short one last night and it was in german. I wish that i would dream more (or remember them) so i could practice my german while ill sleep! PLus that would meen that im understand the language more!


Thinking in german/translating. I wouldnt say that i "think" in german yet... i think that i think in the language of the hour. When im speaking englisch.. i think in english. But when im speaking in english, i dont have to think....it just comes out. When i speak german, i dont think of the english sentence, and then translate it. I just simply say it. It not like i think.. tree. oh thats Baum... Baum is just simply tree. And when people speak german to me, i dont translate their sentences into english as its coming into my brain. It just simply is what it is. This is hard to explain.

As you all can probably see by reading this post, my englisch skills are deteriorating. I cant spell or use proper grammar anymore. I also forget words constantly. I can always picture the object in my head, but not what its called. It can be extremely frustrating.. especially when i know it in german!

It was difficult to articulate what i was trying to say in this post. Mainly the thinking in german thing. If any of you out there speak another language, how do you think? Post in the comments!

Ill be gone next week. So i wont be posting at all.

Comments

so i do enjoy reading everybodys comments on my posts..and i think you all should do it more often.  So i just went back through all my posts and reread the comments...  Now im going to answer all the questions that you all asked.... and i also figured out that there were not to many questions... ASK MORE! Give me something to write about.

It's foosball you goofball. Still remember what that means? Is that Leo with you in one of the pics? He went to the camp too? How many kids were there? - Myan

So that whole foosball thing... i completly forget what it was called..and even after getting the answer.. i still didn't quite believe it.  It sounds like such a wierd name.   Yes that was leo in the pictures.. he came to the camp too because hes going with AFS to panama next year.   There were 6 kids there including me.  Genix(france) Bjarni(Iceland) Maeve, (USA), Ariel(USA) Leo(dland) and me.


Is it easier to write this, or say it? Dad

That was for my german post.  And it definetly easier to say all of that.. because with speaking, i can get away with saying the wrong article...because all i have to say is Duh... und not die,das,der... as long as i mumble a little and say duh, it comes out perfectly. But its the easiest to understand everything. by far


that's very strange about the tv shows.. don't they have german actors? so do they have the office with german voiceovers? Molly

They do have german actors but the majority of the shows are american with voiceovers.  I acutally have not seen the office on TV in germany.  But its not on very often apparently.  the germans dont find it funny


The butter thing sounds good, I thought butter came salted and un-salted.
Is it richer or lighter than American butter? Dad

It comes in tons of differnt ways.  Fresch Butter, Cheese Butter, Krauter cheese butter. Normal butter. Margerine.   there are really way more..but i cant remeber them all.


that's cool so they're not even really grading you? you just get an A for effort? Myan

Im getting grades now...and it seems that all my classees got double difficulter because its the second half year.....difficulter is not a word... atleast I dont think it is but im using it anyway.


it's good that you're taking a politics class..that should be interesting i think..physics sounds rough for a sophomore..do you like any of your classes? Molly?

Some of my classes are...ok. and some, I hate. I really hate history because the teacher talks the entire class. And never writes anything down on the board.. I dont have enough vocab to understand what shes saying. Bio ist ok and so is englisch. I understood chemistry yesterday. Physics isn't horrbile. Sometimes I understand whats going on. But not all the time. Politics is also difficult. we just changed themes so ill let you all know how it turns on.


how is the german coming?

Hmm. The german is coming. Thats the only way to put it.
Ill write a post about the language soon... maybe today depending when I finish my german AFS report thing.

ALPs

LEDERHOSEN!

I went to the Alps from the 31st of january until the 7 th of February! It was only a 6 hour ride from aschersleben to the house in austria I find it crazy how small germany actually is! because if you drive in any one direction for a couple of hours, you could have gone through a couple of differnt countrys!

We skieed there for a week. I skied everyday, atleast half the day. Most of the time, i skied most of the day. It was pretty exhausting. But i havent skiied all winter and i really missed it! it felt really good to be back on the hill. and the hills were awesome! its hard to compare jackfrost to a place like the alps. its so big! You could take a couple of gandalas. and then ski down the other side of the hill, and be in a completly differnt town. Its quite easy to get lost.

If you all dont know already, and cant see by the pictures... i bought some lederhosen. it was so worth it.

On Tuesday the 24th (hmm..24...something interesting about that numberr) im taking a train to bonn! AFS is having a midstay camp fur the other congressbundestag exchange students. I will be gone for a week and im sure it will be fun. I think ill write a little bit about if when i get back. im sure there will be plently of pictures.

If you interested in hearing my spoken german! Check out my latest video at Amikinder!
I talk with another german about Fasching or Karnival!



http://www.youtube.com/user/amikinder

I havent put any subtitles in yet. sorry!
I might make a video thats just for this blog. If you all have any questions that you would like to be answerd, post it in the comments! give me something to talk about.

Update

A few weeks ago i went to an AFS camp. We arrived late friday night and stayed till sunday morning. Friday night consisted of playing....the game with the ball...and its like soccer..and you hit the ball with little men....i forget the name...Post in the comments if you know it. We watched some movies, ate some food, and spoke alot of english. But i did have an hour long conversation in german with someone that night.

Whats this called?

Saturday we went hiking from 12 to 6. I dont remember what it was called but it was nice.

When we got back to the house, i went to take a shower....i walked down the stairs to find a puddle of water coming out of some door. I told someone and 10 minutes later, they opened the door. Water came flooding out and the entire thing was under about 3 inches of water. It was a pretty big basement and there was sitll about 3 inches of water...it was crazy. We spent an hour trying to bucket it out but we ended up calling the firemen.. They came and saved the day.
I also made perogies with a polish girl. She found it funny when i told her only real perogies have old ladys fingernails in them.

I'm in the Alps now in Austria. Ill make a post on the weekend about it.

Ubersetzung

Hi! I will only write in german. Maybe later, i will translate it if im not lazy. I think my german gramatic and sentence structure will be crappy. I find it hard because im dum!

I'm not fluent yet and its starting to annoy me! I try and try but it never gets better! I am here almost 5 months and i can't say everything! I hate it! I hope that when i come back to america, i can understand and say everything.

I will write about my hostfamily now. Thomas and SYlvia are my hostparents. They can both speak fluent english. ( and german of course) They are very nice. They both play golf and they are very good! I think that that is awesome!

Then comes Theresa. She is 18 and very cool! She was in Wisconsin for 1 year so she can speak fluent english also! She takes me (me? no idea) to partys sometimes. I think that it is very nice because she doesn't have to. Her boyfriend is Dave. He is very nice and funny. Hazzy is a big monkey. He is cool and cool and funny! But never the less, a big monkey. Hazadus!

Leo is my host brother and he speaks english too! But we speak only german together. He plays gold and a little Basketball. We are both in the 10th grade. He will fly to Panama next year.

I consider Christina and Stephanie like my host family too! Christina is always at the Leimbachs and i see her often. She can speak a little English and i think its very good. I dont see Stephanie very often because she has alot of work. But when i she her, its always fun. STEPH. We need to see Die Arzte in concert! That would be so cooooool. Yeah... Steph is also fluent in English because she was in America for 1 year. She is in Amireca now visiting her host family. Steph, you mst correct my deutsch because its aweful! You also need to write a post and when you come home, we can make a video!

OK! Ciao Tschuss! Aufwiedersehen! Bis Dann! HAB EUCH LIEB!
OK...Bye...love you all!

I finally got my german post up... In the next few days ill post a translation.
Ill also post some photos and tell about my weekend with AFS.

Schließlich!

Hallo! Ich werde nur auf Deutsch schreiben. Vielleicht spaeter, werde ich es ubersetzen wenn ich nicht faul bin. ich denke mein Gramatik und Deutsch Setzaufbau werden scheisse sein. Ich finde es schwierig weil ich dumm bin.

Ich bin noch nicht fließend und es nerft mich!Ich versuche und ich versuche aber es geht nie besser! Ich bin hier fast 5 Monate und ich kann alles nicht sagen. Ich hasse es. Ich hoffe, wann ich weg gehe, kann ich alles verstehen und sagen.

Ich werde ueber meine Gastfamilie schreiben. Thomas und Sylvia sind meine Gasteltern. Sie koennen beide fliessend Englisch( und deutsch, natuerlich) sprechen. Sie sind sehr nett. Sie spielen viel Golf und sie sind sehr gut! Ich finde es ganz toll.

Dann kommt Theresa. Sie ist 18 und uebeltzt cool! Sie war shon in Wisconsin fuer ein Jahr. also sie kann auch fliessend Englisch sprechen. Sie nehmt mich (mir? keine ahnung) nach Partie manchmal. Ich finde es sehr cool weil sie nicht muess. Ihre Freund ist Dave. Er ist sehr nett and lustig. Hazzy ist ein grosse Affe. Er ist cool, geil und lustig! Aber trotzdem, ein grosse Affe. Hazadus!

Leo ist meinen Gastbruder und er spricht auch englisch! Aber wir sprechen nur Deutsch zusammen. Er spielt Golf and ein bisschen Basketball. Wir sind beide in zehnte klasse. Er wird nach Panama naechste Jahr fliegen.

Ich betrachte Christina und Stephanie wie meine Gastfamilie auch! Christina ist immer bei Leimbach und ich sehe sie oft. Sie kann ein bisschen English sprechen und ich finde es sehr gut! Ich sehe Steph nicht oft weil sie viel Arbeit hat aber wann ich sie sehe, Es ist immer lustig. STEPH. WIR MUSSEN DIE ARZTE IN CONZERT SEHEN. DAS WIRD UEBELTZT GEILLLLLLLL SEIN. Ja...... Steph ist auch fliessend in Englisch weil sie in Amerika fuer ein Jahr war. Sie ist in Amerika jetzt. Sie besucht ihre Gast familie. Steph, du musst mein Deutsch corrigieren bitte weil es sheisse ist! Du musst auch ein "Post" schreiben. und wann du zuruck bist, koennen wir ein Video aufnehmen! und wir konnen bis zum verlust der muttersprache...essen.

OK! Ciao Tschuss! Aufwiedersehen! Bis Dann! HAB EUCH LIEB!

"Can i open the window please?"

Sooo. I haven't written a post in a while. Sorry about that. I went back to school last wednesday and i have been back in school for almost a week and a few days. I got a few grades back the past few days and they haven't been too bad. My grades won't actually start counting until february because that is when the 2nd half of the school year starts. I have been taking tests just to get used to them though... Im averaging a 3 which is almost like a C.... it goes 1-6 like A-E... I don't think thats too bad for not understanding everything on the test.

We switched from Trig to Geometry today in Math. I was almost understanding the trig before and now im completely lost with this new stuff. I'll let you know how everything turns out.

When it comes to the language, sometimes i have good days and sometimes i have bad days. Some days ill understand (almost) everything and i feel really good and i talk to lots of people and other days i cant understand anything and i dont talk to people in school. Once again, well see how it turns out.

At the end of the month, we have another 1 week holiday but im not sure why. But im going with my host family to Austria to ski in the ALPS! I'm sooooooo excited. i love skiing and im used to doing it every weekend( even if its only at frost) and i really miss it!

I started Tenis on Tuesday. I'm pretty bad but need something to do! I havent dont any sports since i came to germany! I have also started running! I will join Track and Field in April. I'm also thinking about running a 10K in Hanover which would be great. I really want to run a marathon too but i need alot of training for it. If anybody has trained for a marathon before and wants to give me a marathon training scheudule, email me! I would really appreciate it.

For everybody that has sent me letters and packages, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I really love everything little thing that i get. I'm trying to reply to the letters with other letters but its taking time. Keep your eyes on your mail for the next few months!

Ill post some pictures in the next few days!

John

Sometimes i use a translator to confirm that im right.....
othertimes....i use it cause its funny.

"hast du schonmal deutsche filme gesehen?"
translated to
"have you ever seen Canadian movies"