“A Quarter Already Gone By”
During my period of homesickness a while ago, I was so down in the dumps that I actually counted my weeks here- how many I’ve been here, how many to go. This turned into a positive thing, when I realized this past Wednesday marked one quarter of my exchange year. My emotions suddenly changed from feeling like the end of this year would never come to freaking out because it’s already gone by too fast! I had a really great week, and once again, as always, much to say.
Multi-Language Life
Here, I here so many languages and I find it beyond interesting. I really hope to learn French when I get home, and I may even start studying it later while I’m here. Daria and Andreas just started speaking French the other night at dinner, and I was surprised when I understood some. In choir I am singing in Latin (and have written a second line of pronunciation reminders). In my private class I am singing Italian. At home I am listening to Swiss-German rap. It’s amazing. It’s not that I understand these languages; I just like hearing the different sounds and feeling like I’m more culturally educated than I am. In choir we are also learning an English song. There was a five minute pronunciation lesson which was hilarious, because the conductor clearly didn’t speak great English. I half wanted to interject, but I never want to come across as a know-it-all. Plus, every time I consider it, I suddenly wonder if I’m wrong and I’d just be embarrassing myself! I also think I need to look into Spanish a bit. I was with a lot of other exchange students Saturday night and we were dancing. My lack of rhythm and ability to look cool is exaggerated more so than in Canada when I’m dancing with six Latin girls. I also realize I’m the only one who has to mumble the Pitbull lyrics. While my Spanish is non-existent, my ability to understand Swiss German is finally started to improve- even though it’s only slightly. However, sometimes I don’t even recognize that it’s Swiss German I have understood! Yesterday I took Luca to Lydia’s theatre production. He only speaks Swiss German, but I actually understood him. The play was also in Swiss German, but I found that with only one person talking, and the rest of the room dead silent I was surprisingly able to translate into High German. I have realized that now I don’t always have to translate High German into English. Probably most of the time, but not always. It’s not like I’m changing everything around in my head now, because what I am hearing, or saying, just makes sense in German. I understand what I’m hearing in German, and so I am naturally starting to think in that language. It’s a little hard to explain.
School
School is also becoming easier, slowly but surely. I had a bit of an embarrassing experience last week though. They were correcting a test in geography (which h of course I didn’t write). I was bored out of my mind, and extremely tired. I figured it’d be okay for me to close my eyes for a second until they were finished. A while later (still no idea how long) I was suddenly aware that things had gotten extremely quiet. The teacher had stopped his lecture and was looking directly at me, along with the rest of the class, completely passed out in my chair at the back. I suddenly felt as if someone had lit a fire by my face and I knew how red I must have looked. Thankfully he wasn’t too angry. As a way to make up for my lack of concentration in geography, I decided that I would one hundred percent, whole heartedly, pay attention for the entire double period of history. With the love of my life close by my side (my dictionary), I prepared to try my best. The first forty five minutes left me totally in awe. I had understood. Everything. It was some lesson on the hierarchy of law and power in Siena, Italy a long time ago. After these forty five minutes I was totally exhausted, and my concentration for the day was totally used up. But, it was pretty cool.
In other news: I got the results from my biology test last week. Here, grades range from the points 1-6. A 4 is a pass. I took my test and checked to the top corner. I wasn’t nervous, just interested how things had actually turned out. My mark was very special. Different than any other in the class. I simply had a smiley face and- “Great try Stephanie!” It was fabulous. I don’t know what would have been more embarrassing, a 1, or a J. But I was okay with it!
In better news: last week I understood the gym teacher properly and there was no more gymnastics. Our rugby lesson was totally unbelievable and fun. It reminded me a lot of elementary school. I used to go to school in my worst clothes I owned because I knew for a fact I’d be returned, muddy, bruised, wet, limping and possibly bloody from the day’s tackle football experiences. We were inside last week, but it was still so much fun. Everyone put in full effort in every sprint, every tackle, and every throw. I made a couple of appreciated plays, but ended up flat on the ground with no ball more often. Injuries were limited, to pulled muscles, bruises, a fat lip, and minimal bloody scratches or gym-floor-burns. These girls are tough.
In art we had another photo-shoot, but this time our theme was “Recycling”. I ended up being dressed up in newspaper and asked to pose like a ballerina. This was going well, except for the occasion time I would try a new pose and hear a big ripping sound occurring somewhere in my wardrobe. We had a large role of tape that was necessary the entire photo-shoot for fix ups. My outfit was surprisingly most durable and stable- the other two girls in my group were dressed in maple leaves and toilet paper! I laughed so hard that tears rolled down my face reviewing the pictures, deleting ones with clearly visible (and embarrassing) outfit malfunctions, and seeing the hilarious pictures we came up with. I really love the girls in my class- we have so much fun together.
Soccer
Just when I had totally and finally accepted that I wouldn’t be playing a soccer game this year, something crazy happened. When I had packed my cleats away, and stopped showing to practice, I got a phone call. I got my soccer licence!! Isn’t that how it always goes? My first game (and last- season is now finished) was on Wednesday just after I got a call saying I was finally approved. I was nervous out of my mind, totally unprepared for being in a game. I suddenly realized I don’t even know who is forward, mid, and defence…I didn’t even know who our goalie was! I showed up at our meeting point Wednesday night and tried to get a grip on my nerves. We dressed in our gold, black, and red, each got identified by the ref with the book of licences, and stepped onto the field for our warm-up. I hadn’t even realized before then that I am playing in a women’s league until then because my team is really young. I realized just how little I knew about this league, and this game. We all shook hand before the game (Canada we always do it after), then held hands and bowed to the crowd (a few old men smoking on the sidelines). I was thankful not to be chosen for first string, and watched attentively to see how we play our game. Our right forward was starting to slow down and my coach was getting frustrated. I tried to telepathically send him messages (along with making obvious puppy eyes) to get me on the field. When he told me to start warming up I practically shot of the bench. I have never been so happy to be asked to do high knees and accelerations. I ran my heart out on the field, took a few women out when necessary and just tried as hard as I could. I knew I had to prove my play to start second half. At the half, we walked into the change room to relax, have another team talk and get something to drink. There was colored liquid in plastic glasses served to us, and I was so happy because I thought it was Gatorade (with a weird-colour). Turned out to be hot tea. Leave it to Switzerland. Second half I played centre mid, and felt pretty at home. Even though we lost brutally, I went home like a kid who just got their first goal. I had totally forgotten how much I love the sport. I am looking now for a new team that is accessible from my next two houses. This means…a new license. Wish me luck!
Halloween
A lot of people have asked me if they celebrate Halloween here and the answer is not really. We had about 10-15 trick-or-treaters, even though there are tons of kids in town. There were no decorations, parties, or orange and black clothed people. However, on Thursday night last week I did go to a kind of festival that takes place every October within Swiss (and German) towns. All of the kids in kindergarten or younger are given a vegetable that I have no idea what is called in English. It’s somehow a large, round-ish root vegetable that is purplish, orangish white. Sorry for that horrible explanation. The kids decorate these during their school day (carving them in the same way we carve pumpkins). At night, the street lights and house lights in town are all turned off and the children walk in a parade of candle-lit lanterns and sing songs. Afterwards people drink tea and eat cake. It was really interesting to see!
Movin’ on Out
Since it is less than four weeks before I go to me next family, I went there on the weekend so see my new house and bedroom. This was the best possible idea. Before I was so nervous, not because of my next family, just of dealing with the change. I have already met my next family before and I know they are wonderful people, but it’s hard, and it’s scary starting all over again when I am just now starting to feel totally grounded in my home. Then again, what is this year if it’s not a learning experience? Anyways, I am feeling one hundred percent more confident after seeing my gorgeous next home. An old farm house completely renovated into a totally cool, edgy, modern, black and white, hardwood floored, big home. My room is huge, and the only problem is that I have so much space I don’t have any excuse in the world for spreading out my possessions over the floor. Out the kitchen window is all rolling hills of farms and looks like a post card. I can’t wait to run there. The bus system isn’t great, and it’s too far up on a steep hill to bike, but just seeing this place has reassure me it’s going to be okay, and I am going to be just as happy in my next third of my exchange.
Have a great week everyone. Hugs and kisses to all around the world who still take time to catch up on all my adventures and such. Love from Untersiggenthal <3 !
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