Almost Three Months

 I'm sorry that this update is so late. I'm having an amazing time here but I'm extremely busy. When I do have some free time, most of the time I just want to sleep. Everything is flying by so fast - I can hardly believe that I've been here for almost 100 days. 

After my three weeks in Wernigerode, I said goodbye and traveled by train to my permanent host family in North-Rhine Westphalia. I started school about a month ago (on August 25th) with my host brother and host sister. Luckily, my family is able to speak English and has been really supportive. School here has been a little bit overwhelming since everything is taught in German with the exception of English and French, but each day feels a little bit easier. Fun fact: My school is older than both Canada & The United States. 

The classes I'm taking this year are:

Mathematik (Mathematics) -> Math is a little bit different here since they combine Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, etc. into the same math class. Instead of focusing on one subject each year, skills are expanded in all math categories. Right now we are talking about different Algebra functions, but there will be many other things discussed this year in class. While I recognize some of the things from last year, reading formulas in German is definitely a challenge.

Deutsch (German) -> I'm taking the normal 10th grade German class with the other students in my grade. Later in the year I will have an opportunity to learn more details about the grammar with a lower level grade in addition to this class. We are discussing a lot of figurative language and are learning about the writings of German poet Gottfried August Bürger.

Biologie (Biology) -> Learning about science in a different country is really interesting. Some of the things we've been learning have consisted of things that are taught in the USA, but most of the stuff has been very new to me because many European scientists and their methods are mentioned in class. It's neat to see a different perspective on Biology and I'm enjoying the class so far.

Chemie (Chemistry) ->  I'm in the middle of trying to re-learn the periodic table. "Sauerstoff" is Oxygen! :P This class is fairly confusing, but also one of my favorites. The teacher likes to make lots of experiments - one of which filled the room with a really big cloud of (harmless) gas.

Französisch (French) -> In Petoskey, I learned two years of French. Luckily, I was given the opportunity to continue learning the language in Germany. This class is taught entirely in French, but the teacher talks slowly enough that I am able to understand a large amount of what is being said. My classmates have already been learning French for three years, so this is "French Four", but they didn't finish the curriculum from French Three so we are looking at the book from last year right now which is helping me adjust to the class. 

Pädagogik (Pedagogy) -> To be honest I had never heard of Pedagogy, so this class has turned out to be a surprise for me - although a good one. Pedagogy is the science of development and learning. In class this year we're discussing about how skills and other things are learned by humans. We're starting the year by discussing the different views of education and where they originate from. I'm enjoying the class and learning many new things that will be valuable later in school and life.

Geschichte (History) -> This course is focusing more on German/European history, but also world history as well. At the moment the topic is Caesar and his effect on Western Europe during his reign of Rome. At the same time we're also discussing the specific time periods of history and the events that marked the ends of those eras. While at the moment we're talking about events from thousands of years ago, as the year progresses we will discuss more recent events.

Kunste (Art) -> In Art this year we're doing many different projects including sculptures, photography, and digital art. A large emphasis has been placed on learning about the different artists and techniques. Recently we've been discussing different points of view that are used when looking at a subject of art. Later we'll be making a project combining the different points of view.

Sozialwissenschaften (Social Sciences?) -> I just started this class last week after I switched from philosophy. (German philosophy is difficult.)  We're discussing the stock market and effects that other countries have on Germany. When we talk about American companies such as McDonald's and Netflix, everybody looks at me and smiles. 

Sport (Physical Education) -> On Wednesdays I have three hours of this class, so my day is pretty long and I don't get home until about 7:00. I have three free periods on Wednesdays though, so I'm able to walk into town for lunch and work on my homework during this time. There are a lot of choices for what type of gym class you want to have.  I chose Rückschlag-Spiele (different racket sports - Badminton, Tennis, etc.) This class feels more like an extracurricular activity rather than a school class - lots of fun & everyone is really friendly.

Englisch (English - Two Classes) -> I'm taking two different English classes this year at school. Both are completely instructed in English, although one of them is more advanced and taught in the neighboring Gymnasium (High school). The students at my school started learning English between Kindergarten and Third Grade depending on which primary school they attended. As a result many students in my classes are nearly fluent in English. 

In my first English class we are discussing short stories and the different elements that are incorporated into them. We're also talking about openings and closings to stories.

In my second English class at the other school we're reading The Death of a Salesman and comparing/contrasting the play elements to those of Shakespeare's. Everyone in this class has amazing English - no language barrier! It's so amazing to see how many people here in Germany are multilingual. I really wish that there was more of an emphasis on learning foreign languages at school in the USA. I really feel that it's important skill to have and it's disappointing that so few people in the United States can hold a conversation in a second language when compared to countries in Europe.

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I just finished Autumn Break in Germany. A few weeks ago I went on vacation with my host family to Freiburg, in Southern Germany. It's a beautiful city - although there was a lot of rain. On Tuesday we went on a guided tour of the city (all in German - didn't understand much of it, but it was still interesting) as well as did some shopping. On Wednesday I got to visit Colmar, France. Very interesting but expensive place. But I found some nice souvenirs and ate a French croissant. Then I finished the trip with a 15 km hike. I don't plan on doing such long hikes from now on, but short ones are fine.

During my free time I've been doing a mixture of things. Badminton is very popular here so I have been playing a lot of it with my host siblings. When I get adjusted to my schedule I plan on joining a club or team. My host family never tried pumpkin pie, so we baked one from scratch using a German Hokkaido Pumpkin. It tasted a little bit different since I had to substitute some things that can't be found as easily in Europe, but it was a success! I've also been trying many different German foods. Luckily, my host mom is a very good cook. Recently I went to a Barefoot trail with my host sister. Apparently it's supposed to improve your feet and body's overall health. :P

Although I miss home, I'm looking forward to all of the different experiences that I will have this year. It's a new adventure every day - even something as easy as trying to explain what I want at the bakery is a fun & new (although sometimes slightly embarrassing) experience when it has to be done in German.

Halloween was pretty different, but I still had a good time. Trick or treating isn't really a thing and the holiday isn't really celebrated in Germany since Carnival in February is a much bigger holiday where everyone dresses up and eats candy. However, I went to a party  with my friends and ate Spaghetti Pizza for dinner - tastes better than it sounds. ;)

P.S. Anyone want to become pen pals? Snail mailing is actually kind of fun!

-Josiah

The View From the Backyard

Saw the Premier of The Maze Runner With my Friend from Brazil!

Made Kurbis Kuchen/Pumpkin Pie!

Homemade Cookie Bowls

With Straciatella

The Barefoot Trail

Mud and Leaves

So much fun! Went with some of my friends and had an amazing time.

Vacation in Freiburg, Germany

Downtown Freiburg

The Cathedral in Freiburg is huge!

Visited the Bartholdi Museum in Colmar, France. (Bartholdi was the creator of the Statue of Liberty) The museum had his original models and other pieces of artwork. 

While Hiking - Met Two Canadians on the Bahnhof!

Clean Up After Your Dog!

France est belle!