Haaaallllloo!
So the weather this last weekend was fantastic! I had a friend (her name's Larissa and she's from the States) that I worked with in Amsterdam come visit me for the weekend and we had a wonderful time (this is summerizing the weekend) climbing the Dom towers (533 steps going up....and what a view!), walking along the river, shopping, sun tanning, running, I cut her hair, talking, etc!...and it was around 22 degrees both days! A wonderful weekend with a girlfriend, doin' girlfriend kinda things!
...aaannndd tomorrow night, my friend Stephanie (she's a friend from home who is doing a 1 month practicum in Germany) is coming to stay with me till Friday! lol....it seems when it rains it pours! But I like it this pace! and I'm excited to see her!
I've learnt ALOT about hosting people and being hosted this year! I've been a guest at many houses and also housed more people then I ever have in my life so far. Its funny how its different everytime....depending on peoples interests, what they want to see in the city, weather can make a big difference etc.
I really like being in Europe in the spring and I bet the summer is awesome too! The people are just more freindly, there's way more stuff to do, when it rains its not as miserable, and everything looks so much more beutiful!
Till next time!
K
Monday, May 11, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
M to the UNICH!!....Part 1
So, let me tell you about one of the highlight trips of this year! Munich!
So last Thursday, me and my friend Frida (who is another exchange student from Finnland) got in a car with a Bavarian boy named Thomas (who later not only became our carpool driver, but also our Munich social convener and we changed his name to "Tommy" :)......and drove with him 5 and a half hours across Germany on the Autobahn (the German highway...LOVE IT!.....people drive super fast always!)
After talking with Tommy for about 10 minutes in the car, he had already invited us to go with him to his friends house for breakfast the next day, then go to a Frühlingsfest (Spring Festival) party in another town, then to some other place and then we could sleep at his parents house for the night!! hahahaha Me and Frida looked at each other and mutually decided we would love to join in the breakfast, Frühlingsfest and town party...bbbuuuuut perhaps we'd skip the sleepover with his parents :)......we did however somehow get to meet them.....
So the next day we took a train to a town in the middle of nowhere, were picked up by T., found out he had forgotten something at home so we just had to "pop" back in......went to his house, were invited out of the car and somehow ended up sitting on the patio, talking with his parents while they had breakfast and Tommy was collecting his things somewhere in the house! Me and Frida could not make eye contact during this convo, cause we would have burst out laughing at the wonderment of how we got into this situation!
Anyway, we left shortly after and were on our way to Max's house (one of Tommy's Bavarian friends) for breakfast. This was really cool! There were about 10 of us and everyone was in Lederhosen and Dirndles for the festival! We really had no idea what to expect, so when we were ushered into the house to find a giant long table all set up with warm pretzels, weißwurst (a special kind of sausage) and beer.....we were presently suprised and definilty had a great time! Tommy's friends were all great! Some of the nicest and open Germans we've met!
After breakfast, we headed to the town festival! This was EXACTLY like all the German Oktoberfest stereotypes! Picture a big tent and a Biergarten outside.....everyone in Lederhosen and Dirndles, sausage, sourkrout, massive preztles (like 2 times the size of my head) massive beers ( 1L in every mug)....a polka band etc. What a blast!
We didn't stay too long though cause it was our first day and we wanted to make sure we saw the city of Munich too! lol
....and what a beautiful city! It was very different from anywhere else I've been in Germany so far. Its only about 50 years old, but all the architecture was built in the style of pre-war times. I think I will get into that history in the next blog. Anyway, first day in Munich equalled fabulous!
Prost!
K
So last Thursday, me and my friend Frida (who is another exchange student from Finnland) got in a car with a Bavarian boy named Thomas (who later not only became our carpool driver, but also our Munich social convener and we changed his name to "Tommy" :)......and drove with him 5 and a half hours across Germany on the Autobahn (the German highway...LOVE IT!.....people drive super fast always!)
After talking with Tommy for about 10 minutes in the car, he had already invited us to go with him to his friends house for breakfast the next day, then go to a Frühlingsfest (Spring Festival) party in another town, then to some other place and then we could sleep at his parents house for the night!! hahahaha Me and Frida looked at each other and mutually decided we would love to join in the breakfast, Frühlingsfest and town party...bbbuuuuut perhaps we'd skip the sleepover with his parents :)......we did however somehow get to meet them.....
So the next day we took a train to a town in the middle of nowhere, were picked up by T., found out he had forgotten something at home so we just had to "pop" back in......went to his house, were invited out of the car and somehow ended up sitting on the patio, talking with his parents while they had breakfast and Tommy was collecting his things somewhere in the house! Me and Frida could not make eye contact during this convo, cause we would have burst out laughing at the wonderment of how we got into this situation!
Anyway, we left shortly after and were on our way to Max's house (one of Tommy's Bavarian friends) for breakfast. This was really cool! There were about 10 of us and everyone was in Lederhosen and Dirndles for the festival! We really had no idea what to expect, so when we were ushered into the house to find a giant long table all set up with warm pretzels, weißwurst (a special kind of sausage) and beer.....we were presently suprised and definilty had a great time! Tommy's friends were all great! Some of the nicest and open Germans we've met!
After breakfast, we headed to the town festival! This was EXACTLY like all the German Oktoberfest stereotypes! Picture a big tent and a Biergarten outside.....everyone in Lederhosen and Dirndles, sausage, sourkrout, massive preztles (like 2 times the size of my head) massive beers ( 1L in every mug)....a polka band etc. What a blast!
We didn't stay too long though cause it was our first day and we wanted to make sure we saw the city of Munich too! lol
....and what a beautiful city! It was very different from anywhere else I've been in Germany so far. Its only about 50 years old, but all the architecture was built in the style of pre-war times. I think I will get into that history in the next blog. Anyway, first day in Munich equalled fabulous!
Prost!
K
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Home..
Today was a day I really just wished I was home.....
Its so weird to think of how much time has gone by.....I just can't believe how many things have changed and that I've missed. Some of my best friends have had new boyfriends for a while already and I havn't even met them!....It makes me sad cause I want to know these guys that they are sharing massive chunks of their lives with!....Other friends and cousins are graduating highschool and University this year! or accomplished major things like 3rd year singing recitals, getting awesome jobs working for parliament, going through the steps of getting married....my parents have built a totally new section and main floor of our house!....my Oma and Opa moved into an appartment...the list goes on and on and I miss it all SO much!
Know, that truley not a single day goes by that I don't think about home...not always in a sad way, don't worry!....but I think about it always in some kind of way. One of the many things I've come to realize this year is that apart from God, people are the most important thing in life!! And for me, those people are you!
I love you!
K
Its so weird to think of how much time has gone by.....I just can't believe how many things have changed and that I've missed. Some of my best friends have had new boyfriends for a while already and I havn't even met them!....It makes me sad cause I want to know these guys that they are sharing massive chunks of their lives with!....Other friends and cousins are graduating highschool and University this year! or accomplished major things like 3rd year singing recitals, getting awesome jobs working for parliament, going through the steps of getting married....my parents have built a totally new section and main floor of our house!....my Oma and Opa moved into an appartment...the list goes on and on and I miss it all SO much!
Know, that truley not a single day goes by that I don't think about home...not always in a sad way, don't worry!....but I think about it always in some kind of way. One of the many things I've come to realize this year is that apart from God, people are the most important thing in life!! And for me, those people are you!
I love you!
K
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Singer DRAMA!!!
OK, this just in.......DO NOT accidentally get your arrogant German singer teacher mad!
As a little background FYI, lets just say, the beginning of this semester has been the opposite of smooth! The international office forgot me, therefore I wasn't registered in the school...therefore, therefore,....I didn't have any kind of instrumental lessons (being a music student, these are somewhat essential )
Step 2, I got registered and was excitingly told that I could take piano AND singing lessons! Horray!
Step 3, I contacted, arranged, and had first piano lesson with my teacher and contacted, arranged, and had first talk/set up class with my singing teacher.
Step 4, ....was told that apparently now exchange students can only have lessons in one subject and that piano teacher was full, therefore I couldn't have piano lessons so I had to take singing................oooookkkk.
Step 5, was told that I could no longer take singing lessons with my first singing teacher.
Step 6, ...Now had to get in contact with a new lady and set up lessons with her.
Step 7, ...Contacted second singing teacher who had no idea that I was studying with her, and wondered basically what I was talking about.
Steps 1 through 7 came out to equal a VERY aggravated me. So, after talking with my mom, it was executively decided that I needed to stick up for myself and stop getting thrown around. So I mustered up all my courage and sent an email to the Prof. in charge of me, telling her how it was, that I was real frustrated and I wanted her to get to the bottom of this.
Well, the next day my singing teacher emailed me...said come by and sing for me and we'll arrange lessons. "Excellent!" I thought...wow, I have to do this speaking up thing more often....
So that brings us to today...where I went for my first lessons with Frau Kelling. An extremely skinny lady with pencil thin eyebrows and a real singers attitude (which means you think you are the best in the world)......who now reminds me of Cruella De Vil!
The lesson began with her telling me a couple ....lets say "unpleasant" facts....(and these were all in German so they sound even more intimidating!)
#1. Did I know that I had the President of the University calling her at 10 pm on a Thursday night becasue of the email I had sent?? (believe me, my intetion by telling one Prof. I was frusterated was not to get the president involved!)
#2. Did I know what an amazing and well known teacher she is? and who do I think I am?...followed by her saying that she thought I must be an absolutly brilliant singer in order for me to create such a stir...followed by me saying I've never taken singing lessons IN MY LIFE!
Yes, well, after I had apologized a few thousand times and told her the real story, she decided it was actually time to sing and let me know AGAIN that she thought I must be like some famous singer named "Colours" (that I've never heard of)........
So, I sang "la, la, la" about 4 times and she said I actually had a really lovely voice and now we're meeting twice a week for lessons cause I only have............6 WEEKS LEFT!!!!!!
And that my friends was I feel just the beginning or the drama that revolves in the "Singers" world. I'm hopin' I can make it through!!
LOVE
K
As a little background FYI, lets just say, the beginning of this semester has been the opposite of smooth! The international office forgot me, therefore I wasn't registered in the school...therefore, therefore,....I didn't have any kind of instrumental lessons (being a music student, these are somewhat essential )
Step 2, I got registered and was excitingly told that I could take piano AND singing lessons! Horray!
Step 3, I contacted, arranged, and had first piano lesson with my teacher and contacted, arranged, and had first talk/set up class with my singing teacher.
Step 4, ....was told that apparently now exchange students can only have lessons in one subject and that piano teacher was full, therefore I couldn't have piano lessons so I had to take singing................oooookkkk.
Step 5, was told that I could no longer take singing lessons with my first singing teacher.
Step 6, ...Now had to get in contact with a new lady and set up lessons with her.
Step 7, ...Contacted second singing teacher who had no idea that I was studying with her, and wondered basically what I was talking about.
Steps 1 through 7 came out to equal a VERY aggravated me. So, after talking with my mom, it was executively decided that I needed to stick up for myself and stop getting thrown around. So I mustered up all my courage and sent an email to the Prof. in charge of me, telling her how it was, that I was real frustrated and I wanted her to get to the bottom of this.
Well, the next day my singing teacher emailed me...said come by and sing for me and we'll arrange lessons. "Excellent!" I thought...wow, I have to do this speaking up thing more often....
So that brings us to today...where I went for my first lessons with Frau Kelling. An extremely skinny lady with pencil thin eyebrows and a real singers attitude (which means you think you are the best in the world)......who now reminds me of Cruella De Vil!
The lesson began with her telling me a couple ....lets say "unpleasant" facts....(and these were all in German so they sound even more intimidating!)
#1. Did I know that I had the President of the University calling her at 10 pm on a Thursday night becasue of the email I had sent?? (believe me, my intetion by telling one Prof. I was frusterated was not to get the president involved!)
#2. Did I know what an amazing and well known teacher she is? and who do I think I am?...followed by her saying that she thought I must be an absolutly brilliant singer in order for me to create such a stir...followed by me saying I've never taken singing lessons IN MY LIFE!
Yes, well, after I had apologized a few thousand times and told her the real story, she decided it was actually time to sing and let me know AGAIN that she thought I must be like some famous singer named "Colours" (that I've never heard of)........
So, I sang "la, la, la" about 4 times and she said I actually had a really lovely voice and now we're meeting twice a week for lessons cause I only have............6 WEEKS LEFT!!!!!!
And that my friends was I feel just the beginning or the drama that revolves in the "Singers" world. I'm hopin' I can make it through!!
LOVE
K
Hitchhikers!?
SO, I have to write about my time in Munich because it has a whole bunch of great stories that come along with it.....but I am going to save that for a day where I have nothing to say....that day is not today :)
Today, I just said bye to 3 friends that came to visit me from Amsterdam!!
Yesterday I got an email saying "Hey Katrina! 2 of us want to come visit you TONIGHT! is that alright?" (these are people that I worked/lived with when I was volunteering at the hostel).... at first I thought "well I havn't even been home for 24 hours...I have school, blah, blah, blah....but I'm really working on not letting opportunities pass through my fingers AND keeping a busy schedual so I talked some sense into my head and said
"Please come! I'd love to see you!....Let me know when your train comes in and I'll pick you up at the station!"
Reply--"Oh, actually we're going to HITCHHIKE!....so hopefully we get there sometime around 8ish?"
Well, to make a long story short,......7 random rides, 6 hours and a couple funny stories later, I picked up my friends Coen (Dutch), Carmi (New Zealander) and Heather (Candian) infront of the Dom (big cathedral) where they were sitting on the ground eating bread and chocolate spread they had brought with them from home. hahhaha It was so great to see them again!
We went back to my place, hung out, I got caught up on everthing that I've missed in the last month etc. It was really cool to have them here, and I think it was interesting for them to see me in a different setting, outside of our usual house.....when you live together with a bunch of people, its easy to forget that they have lives that go on in other parts of the world.
Anyway, this morning I went to class, came back and we made a big breakfast before they headed off to see a bit of Köln and then hitchhike their way back to Amsterdam.....I hope they're doing alright right now!
I don't know about this hitchhiking thing.....obvioulsy its great cause it costs nothing...but you can't really have a "time of arrival" cause you really never know! Don't worry Parentals.....I don't think this one's gunna try it ;)
Today, I just said bye to 3 friends that came to visit me from Amsterdam!!
Yesterday I got an email saying "Hey Katrina! 2 of us want to come visit you TONIGHT! is that alright?" (these are people that I worked/lived with when I was volunteering at the hostel).... at first I thought "well I havn't even been home for 24 hours...I have school, blah, blah, blah....but I'm really working on not letting opportunities pass through my fingers AND keeping a busy schedual so I talked some sense into my head and said
"Please come! I'd love to see you!....Let me know when your train comes in and I'll pick you up at the station!"
Reply--"Oh, actually we're going to HITCHHIKE!....so hopefully we get there sometime around 8ish?"
Well, to make a long story short,......7 random rides, 6 hours and a couple funny stories later, I picked up my friends Coen (Dutch), Carmi (New Zealander) and Heather (Candian) infront of the Dom (big cathedral) where they were sitting on the ground eating bread and chocolate spread they had brought with them from home. hahhaha It was so great to see them again!
We went back to my place, hung out, I got caught up on everthing that I've missed in the last month etc. It was really cool to have them here, and I think it was interesting for them to see me in a different setting, outside of our usual house.....when you live together with a bunch of people, its easy to forget that they have lives that go on in other parts of the world.
Anyway, this morning I went to class, came back and we made a big breakfast before they headed off to see a bit of Köln and then hitchhike their way back to Amsterdam.....I hope they're doing alright right now!
I don't know about this hitchhiking thing.....obvioulsy its great cause it costs nothing...but you can't really have a "time of arrival" cause you really never know! Don't worry Parentals.....I don't think this one's gunna try it ;)
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