Living in Germany

Coming Home!

2008-07-30T02:34:00.000-07:00

Our trip home starts at 4am Thursday morning. We drive 2 hours down to the airport and get on the plane at 7:20. It's a 2 hour flight to London where we have to wait 3:2o hours for our next plane. Then its 8 hours over the ocean and into Chicago. My grandparents will pick us up and drive us 7 hours home to Rhinelander. So all together it will be 24 hours. I can't wait!!!

April April, er weisst nicht was er will.

2008-04-27T23:25:00.000-07:00

On the 5th I went to do fire wood with Martin. They buy rights to a section of woods that has been logged and then collect whatever is left. So we had a tractor from Norika and a big steel dumping wagon and we did the rest just like home. On the 10th we went on a trip to Freiberg with some friends. The first day we went to Konigstein- a big fortress up on a small mountain. It was very old and very impressive. Then we went and hiked near there in a mountain village called Bastei. It was like a fairy wold with wet moss all over and some streams flowing down the little valleys. It was an awesome hike.We drove to Dresden the next day and saw the city. It was a very old city with lots of history in it. Than night we had a cook out at the other peoples cousins large riding farm. They had a whole bunch of horses. Just before we ate I put my hand out to pet one of the tiny devil dogs and before I even got close he lunged out and grabbed my hand. Good thing he was old and weak cuz he couldn't to to much except try to hold on. So he held on to my middle finger and shook it around a little and then let go and ran away. It didn't really hurt. On the last day we parted with our friends and they went to visit family and we went to a little town on the Czech border. It was a town know for its hand crafted toys. We went to a museum and and looked around the little shops. It was really cool. Lots and lots of little wooden nut cracker type things. Then we took and hour to take a drive into the Czech Republic. It was beautiful. We were in small mountains and the drive we very nice. And we can say we were in the Czech Republic. On the 19th we drove to Wittenberg with a family from our church. This is where Martin Luther had his base and started the reformation. We walked around for the day and saw the churches and had pizza for lunch. After church the next day we went to the Zimmerman's house. An elderly couple from the church. we had coffee and then went for a walk on the beach. It was quite cold with all the wind but still very nice. We came back and showed them pictures and did all our communicating in German!!! That week we started to have spring. the sun was out almost every day and it was gorgeous. We really enjoyed the weather. On the next Sunday after church we had a picnic with the Canadian that works at our school. (She has a bachelors degree and is a teacher helper at our school. Aaron and I have German lessons with her). The weather was perfect the sun was shining the wind wasn't strong and its was like 70 degrees- thats a record!!!! On the same beach as last Sunday we were cold in coats and now warm in shorts and t-shirts. Then we walked down the beach and then got ice cream.
The weather is getting increasingly better. I even got sun burned on the beach!

Febuary and March

2008-04-25T00:05:00.000-07:00

Things have been a little busyer and I think I've put this off for too long.

A quick sum of the past few months:

February- The Beginning of February was our trip to Italy which you've heard about. After we got back we switched around our school schedules so we weren't in so many classes that weren't doing us any good. For the last few months of February and the first week of March a group of Canadian students came to the school on an exchange. It was really great to have some english people around and I hung out with them as much as I could. So when they left after 3 weeks i was sad but their presence for those weeks helped to break the ice a little with the Germans.

March- In the middle of March we took a trip to Denmark to visit a potato breeding station. We saw the north sea and drove past Lego Land!!! The day after we returned, Aaron and I headed off to the youth retreat with the other youth from our church. It was a four day conference in German so it was a little boring. But we got to know some people and Aaron learned to juggle. On the 24 the stork came to his nest across the street. Mom was very excited and we've enjoyed watching them.

Florence

2008-02-16T04:18:00.000-08:00

We went to the train station Sunday afternoon and bought our tickets. Then we went out to the platform to wait. Two days before while hiking we met a boy from Minnesota who was taking a semester abroad in Florence. He had come to the park for the weekend. This same boy was riding on our train back Florence. He and some other kids from the US. It sure was nice to hear some real Americans talk, other than the family. The train ride was again pleasant and we only had one close call with missing a train while switching. In the end we just followed the students. We got the Florence in the late afternoon and found our way to the appt. We talked to the owner and then went and got food to cook. Then we came home and made spaghetti. After supper we read and then took showers. The bathroom was the shower...it was a tiny room with only enough room for a toilet and a sink...so they put in a swing out curtain to keep all but the floor and side wall dry (and even the curtain didn't deep everything clean). My turn came and all went well until it was time to exit. There was no real place to put a pile of clean cloths so i left all but my t-shirt and boxers out side. I went for the door handle and turned it...it turned and i heard a click and the latch slipped past the catch point and the bolt didn't come out of the door frame. It was a very very old door and the latch mechanism had apparently worn out...while i was in the bathroom. A long story short (and i mean about an hour and a half) I WAS STUCK IN THE BATHROOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't make you fully appreciate this situation. With European doors there are no cracks. No way to slip anything to me of any size. The landlord came over with some tool and we worked at the door. There were two pins holding two old hinges which if slipped out should let the door fall open, but there was no hope of getting the bolt to open. The old mechanism provided no way of escape when the door was closed except to open it the normal way which was imposable. My only hope was to free the hinges. I got the top pin out with no trouble but the bottom pin was bent so that it must be pulled back where the corner the wall and door made would not allow. They were able to slip me a saw blade and with this I worked on carving away the door until I was able to get the pin out. Then i said "OK, she's free. Slam the door in!" They did so but it would not budge. So then there was no hope of really saving the door, so they took a drill and bored a whole to the back of the mechanism box. Then they put a steal bar into the hole and with the bar drove the box off the door. That was it. The door fell loose. I was FREE! I thanked the landlord many times. That was it for that day and I went to bed.
For the next few days we walked around the city and visited museums and churches. Nothing else too special happened but the city was a very nice place to visit.
On Thursday the 13th we took a train back to Pisa and got to the airport. While checking in we met the same boy we had seen two times before. This time we gave him our e-mail address:) We flew out at 5:30 pm and landed at about 6:10. Then we drove home, and that took almost as long as the airplane ride. We made it home safely. The whole trip we didn't have one problem with transportation. It was a great time!

Cinqueterre National Park

2008-02-15T13:14:00.000-08:00

We took a train from Pisa up to the national park arriving on the 7th. There are 5 small villages in the park where there are many shops. They are small villages set back in coves built right onto the rock. It is a very rugged coast so there were lots of tunnels. When we got to our destination we went to the beach right away. The weather was clear and the sun felt so warm i just felt like jumping in. But really the water was like Lake Superior when it isn't warm. It was picture perfect no joke.
Eventually we went and found the place we were staying at and asked where to get food and stuff. Then we went back to the beach and watched the sun go down.
The next day we hike around the village and up the mountain behind it. I just can't explain how beautiful it was. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and in the sun it was warm enough to wear a t shirt and jeans rolled up to you knees. In the shade it was cool and refreshing. I couldn't have asked for anything better.
The day after that we hiked south east along the coast. Skirting the edge of the mountains and dipping back into shaded valleys. We hiked through one town and into the next. We took the train back to the village we were staying in.
For food we ate cereal and fruit for breakfast, bread, cheese, and fruit for lunch and spaghetti for supper. this was our menu for the entire trip. We had spaghetti for 7 straight nights and no one got tired of it. it was the best spaghetti I've ever eaten.
On Sunday the 10th we ate breakfast and packed up. The first thing we did was release the shell abbey had picked up the day before. She had put it on her dresser and in the morning it was under her bed! We soon found that it was actually a hermit crab that had a shell big enough to allow it to pull back so far you couldn't see it. After that we sat on the beach and built rock towers until train time and then preceded to Florence.

Yeah For Vacation!!!!!!

2008-02-15T06:29:00.000-08:00

We left at 2:00 and headed for the airport in Lubeck which is and hour away. we got there and waited until the plain got there. We waited in an big sheet metal shed that had a few shops in it and a wood floor that didn't look too stable. we flew out at about 8:00 toward Pisa. We arrived around 10:00 and found our way to our appt. Then we collapsed.
The next day we walked around the city. There wasn't a whole lot to see. Just the leaning tower and some churches. To me it was a city and i don't like all those people. That night we ate real Italian pizza! It was delicious!!! We spent one more night there, and then went to the national park.

Fußball

2008-02-01T11:27:00.000-08:00

I've recently joined a soccer team consisting of 13th, 12th, and 11th grade boys. They (unlike me) have played their entire lives. So put simply...I stink! I'm not such a bad player considering i haven't really played ever. I'm fast and have good reaction time, but my ball handling skill is quite terrible. The reason i joined this team is to learn from the best. I hope it works. I have already made some progress but i still lack much, especially leg strength for kicking hard.
So today was my third practice. I got there and we started playing as normal. And then one of the players walked into the gym with a big crate of beer. It was the last practice before our two week vacation so i guess the wanted to celebrate. we played for about 45 mins. and then stopped and went to the benches and they talked and started drinking. Right there in the school gym. Huh!
I didn't know what to think. I'm not what you call a drinker by any means so I didn't have any. The drinking age is 16 so its not anything out of the ordinary. Just part of German culture. I just sat there and listened to there german babbling not knowing what to do. After they each had one or two we went home. Thats it.
Not what I expected at all.

Salzburg

2008-01-17T01:23:00.000-08:00

On new years eve we went to the community party. loud music and lots of food. and fireworks at the end. we only stayed up until 1:30 but we were exhausted.
In the morning we drove to Salzberg.
It took all day but it was a beautiful drive through the mountains. after we got settled in the pension, we went and found a pizza restaurant. we ordered "phefferoni" one the pizza for mom dad and i. directly translated, phefferoni is pepperoni. it turned out it was actually hot peppers:-)
In the morning we went up the mountain in the cable car. i could have done that the whole day. mom on the other hand looked at the floor. standing on the top of a mountain was magnificent. then we went to the big fortress. we also got to see the sun go down over the mountains from a cafe window drinking visionary hot coco and tea. (that is only funny if you know the story of the visionary hot dogs on the shore of lake superior:).
on the 3rd we went to many museums and a marionette theater. the show was very impressive. they can really make the puppets move like humans. for supper we went to a very homey restaurant recommended by one of the puppeteers. i had a slab of schnitzel as big as a plate.
In the morning we drove home. the full length of Germany.
It was the best vacation yet.

hungarian cultur

2008-01-10T23:59:00.000-08:00

The moring of the 27 dad got me up at 5:00. we ate breakfast with zsolt and then went to the neighbors. all the men of the community piled into cars after a glass of wine and we headed to the pig farm. when we got there they picked out a huge boar and weighed it. then the killed it.......i won't go into great detail because it was a rather...interesting prosess! after the pig was killed we headed back to the house to bucher it. it took all day and it was really quite the ordial. they used almot everything exept the guts. they made sausage too.
For the rest of the week we ate, sleept, sleded, went to a swimming park thing, ate, and........ate more. it was a cool experience.

Last days in Germany and the first in Hungary

2008-01-05T06:49:00.000-08:00

I haven't had a good time to write here for quite a while so there's a ton of stuff to say. but i don't want to sit here for ever and type....so this will be a bit vague on details:-)

On Christmas Eve we went to a 3:00 church service in the tiny church here in Thulendorf. The whole church was totally filled (about 80 people) Then we visited with our land lady and here two daughters. At 11:00 we went to another church service in rostock...(mostly we just tryed to stay awake. the music was lulling us to sleep and it didn't help that we couldn't understand anything.)
On Christmas Day we got up and made a special breakfast and then opened our presents. Then at 2:00 we went to another service in the church in Thulendorf. that one wasn't at all full (20 people tops...and 3 got baptized.)
The day after Christmas was the one year anniversary of my big accident!!!!! we spent the whole day in the car driving to Hungary:-( not much potential there for a repeat of last year:-/ It was a 12 hour car drive.! i navigated the whole trip and didn't even get us lost once. we were going to stay with the Polgars. they are a family that live with us at the farm for a year when i was 2. Zsolt (the dad) was doing the same thing as my dad. we got there and we ate supper right away. our first taste of what was to come in the next week. the food was delicious and there was tones of it. After supper we went sledding on a ice covered road:-)

Saturday- Christmas Eve Eve-Eve

2007-12-22T12:31:00.000-08:00

Today i woke up at 5:30 am to talk to whoever was online! i was really tired but figured it was worth it...and it was. i got connected with some people and relieved my loneliness a little. then i went back to bed and slept until 9:00. thats the latest i've slept since the first night we were here! then i slept till noon (jet lag).
so then i woke up for the second time and we proceeded to rostock. we were headed to the new IKEA!!! it has been open for about 6 days. mom was pumped:-) we got there and it was all that we imagined. just like minneapolis.
then we went to the Christmas market to eat. we got 6$ to spend on what ever food we wanted. i got a polish brat and a huge dish of little donut things with powdered sugar. it was great.
then we went to globus for groceries.
when we got home we ate supper and then watched pirates 3. dad was overwhelmed:-) we had to fill him in every 10 mins.
that is all.

VACATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!- Merry Christmas

2007-12-20T09:13:00.000-08:00

school is done for two whole weeks!!!!!!!!!!! yeah!!!!!!!
boy, it sure will be nice not to have to go to school every day for 2 weeks:-) its not that i don't like school but simply put its harder than an 8-hour work day at the farm.
the plan is to stick around home till the 26. we'll attend all the church services and go to the christmas market one more time. then on the morning of the 26 we'll head to Hungary!!!!!!!!!!!! there we will stay with a family who came to rhinelander when i was 1. they were in the same kind of deal as us only for 3 months and their only child at the time was a girl my age. now they have a boy a little younger. we will stay with them for 6 days. on the 27 they're butchering a pig for a christmas party they're having. on the 2nd we will make our way back home stopping here and there to see the sites. can't wait!

Have a merry christmas and a happy new year:-)
I miss you all and wish i could be with you.

trip to schwerin

2007-12-18T08:28:00.000-08:00

so we drove to schewrin. it was about 1 hour. we found our way to the castle and then took a tour. it was much nicer than the palace in potstam. also it was very cheap. there were three floors open to the public and we took our time. then we went outside and walked around the garden. there was a pond out on the lawn with seagulls, ducks, and a swan in it. also a lot of small trees.
then we went home. (the trip was better than it sounds...i just don't feel like going into detail)

End of the Week

2007-12-14T22:52:00.001-08:00

its finally Saturday and we only have 4 days of school left till christmas vacation!!!!
the week was normal. except thurs. our class went to Lubec. it was a pointless trip for me cuz all we did was go the the christmasmarket and a museum about thomas mann. they just did a quick tour and it was in german so i didn't get anything out of it. then we just came home.
on friday night we went to the pizzaria for mom's birthday. holger met us there and we ate the best pizza i've had in a long time. it was thin crust and each pizza was at least 12 in. in diameter. i ate my own and could have eaten more.
today (sat.) we're headed to shwerin. there's a castle there that we will visit and we'll probably find some other stuff to do.
And about the whole fishing trip to norway...well, its something i would give a whole lot to do....but 500 euros is an awful lot!!!! thats the equivalent to 750 dollars! that will leave my just about broke:( with no money to buy new ski boots for next season or a new bow if i grow out of my current one:-( also im missing a summer where i would normally get all my money . so...if i go i will be broke and without money for about 10 months!thats a loooooong time!!!
i'll find a way(i hope)

Outing on Sunday

2007-12-10T09:28:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we didn't go to church. We read some scripture and then got ready for a little outing.
We started with the intention of getting to a little peninsula west of rostock. But once we got to rostock dad said he wanted to see what time the services were at the old cathedral buildings. We went to one and didn't find anything so we proceeded to another. This one was filled with vendors who were selling crafts and souvenirs.
Also this church had a huge steeple (pics. at http://picasaweb.google.com/bowenethan/ ). You could go up stairs or an elevator to the point where the masonry hit the steeple. We took the stairs.
They were old original brick, winding stairs. Very mideveal. From the top the view was spectacular. The houses looked like models.
After that we went to the beach just east of rostock. Its the closest beach to our house. by that time the sun was setting so there was a nice sunset over the harbor looking west. periodically huge ships pulled out of the harbor. Then we made our way home and also drove around in the suburbs.

Thursday and Friday

2007-12-07T06:21:00.001-08:00

On Thurs. i again stayed home from school. But this time Abbey and Aaron stayed with me. We all had colds and were glad to sleep in. When we got up we found that st. Nick had stopped in. Or boots were stuffed w/ candy. later we did a little homework and made lots of Christmas decorations. That was about it.
Today it's raining very hard and the wind is terrible. We all went to school again. For me it was a pretty good day. I talked to isaac over the internet a little in information technology. Music was boring, and in Math i did my best to follow the lesson. also i even talked to some people. We're having pizza for supper with "meet the robinsons".
Tomorrow we head to Reugen Island to visit the johnsons who are there while Brett (the dad) fishes pike in the Baltic.

Sick for the first time

2007-12-05T01:46:00.001-08:00

Today i'm staying home from school. All three kids are in some way sick but i'm the only one who decided to stay home. I don't have any classes today that i really gain anything special from so i figured its best to just stay home and recover.
And good news: My buddy Martin ...(the newest member of my forty and older club invited my to come on a 10 fishing trip to Norway in July!!! Very exiting.

Sunday the 2

2007-12-03T05:51:00.000-08:00

I can't believe i've been in Germany for a whole month!!!
We visited our second church today. It was a Baptist church. About 100 people.
The service was interesting. They tend to be when you can't understand the preacher.
Afterward the pastor found some english speakers. One didn't even know german:)
Then we came home and ate and then played soccer.
Thats all.

Touring Berlin

2007-12-03T05:17:00.000-08:00

On Friday we got up and headed to the train station. We made our way to the Brandenburg Gate and then to the parliament building. There we stood in line for an hour so we could see the whole city from a giant glass dome on top. We went through security and i got my key chain and hackysack taken away. We went up to the roof in an elevator and then into the dome. There are ramps around the inside spiraling up and down. It was raining so we couldn't see very well. In the top there is a big whole.
After we had enough of that we went to the Holocaust memorial. It is a big area covered in thousands of big rectangular stones arranged in rows and columns. Some were up to 20 ft. tall. There was a museum underneath but we didn't go in.
Then we went to Checkpoint Charlie. There was also a museum there but it was all reading. After that we went to the museum of communication. It was pretty cool. There was a computer gallery upstairs so we all did email and played games for a while.
Then we made our way home and ate pizza for supper and watched TV.
In the morning we again drove to the Johnson's house and we ate cake. Then we went and met at the aquarium and walked through it. That was really cool. Some of those fish didn't look like fish at all.Then we said our goodbyes and found out way home to Thulendorf.
It was a great trip.

Sart to our First Vacation

2007-12-02T08:11:00.000-08:00

On Thursday the 29 we skipped school to go on our first VACATION!!!
We headed to Berlin to see the sights and visit my mom's friend who happens to be saying in Berlin for 3 months.
Before we went to Berlin proper we stopped in Potsdam to see Prince Fredrick's palace. Turns out most of the place shuts down for the winter months and the only big thing open was the main palace. Before the tour some of us had to use the "Water Closet". This is a bigger deal than you would think in Europe. It costs 30 cents. On the door of the bathroom it was clearly stated twice that there is no smoking. We went in and...there was a lady there collecting the spoils...and she was smoking. I told Aaron that Prince Fredrick needs to raise his standards. We started a tour of the place and soon learned that taking pictures is not allowed and that its hard to heat a huge palace so they don't even try. It was colder in that place than it was outside. The building was beautiful and i don't know how one person could be so rich!!! In one room the walls were decorated with thousands of seashells.
After the tour we went into the suburbs of Berlin and found the place that we stayed at. It was an appt. much like the one we are living in.
After we settled in we proceeded to my mom's friend's appt. She is staying in Berlin while her husband is on a sabbatical. We ate sweetish meatballs for supper. Then we socialized until about 10 and then we went to our appt.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2007-11-22T07:08:00.000-08:00

This entry is well over due but there's been enough going on to give me an excuse not to spend enough time siting still to write.
Last Saturday a guy from Norika (the potato company my dad is working for) took me fishing on the small lake by the farm head quarters. Sat. morning he took me and dad to breakfast at his friends house. We ate traditional bread cheese and sausage. Then dad walked home and we went to the lake. Martin (the guy that took me) has a small row boat on the lake and we rowed out to the hot spot. We were going for northern pike which are abundant in all the lakes in the area. We spent 2 hours on the lake in wind and cold but we came home with 6, 20 -25 in. pikes. we ate them on Monday and it was pretty much the best fish i ever ate! Can't wait to go again.
After fishing my friend Konrad took me to a basketball game. Konrad is pretty much me guardian at school. I follow him around and ask him all my questions. The game was OK. It was a high school aged team but its a club not a school origination. They aren't as advanced as teams are in the US but it was something to do and it was encouraging to spend time with a friend.
On Sunday, we had home church and then went for a drive around the county side. This sure is a beautiful area around here. It's surprisingly legal to walk around pretty much where ever you want. I guess there's no such thing as private property here.
On week days we go to school and just try to understand whats going on and then come home, eat, and then do "homework" and study German. I still can't understand anyone but I'm learning to just keep trying.

I'll try to write more consistently but email me if i don't and you want to read more.

Getting Better

2007-11-08T23:37:00.000-08:00

Things are finally starting to pick up.
Last night I helped work on the buliding that the landlord is redoing. I think it's an old garadge or something and they are tuning it into a party hall for newyears. There is a foot thick concrete wall dividing the small building into two parts and they're tearing the wall down. I was cleaning up the chuncks of concrete. Whoever disighned and builed the building didn't do a good job. It sure was nice to finally do some phisicall labor.
Right now im in a computer lab in the school. Not quite sure what everyone else is donig. Java script or someting. I sure wish I knew German. It would really come in handz at a time like this.

Also, for anyone reading this, go to http://picasaweb.google.com/bowenethan. Im puting some pictures there if you'd like to take a look.

school school school

2007-11-07T09:42:00.001-08:00

We've settled in to our new home. It's a nice place but theres nothing to do except watch TV or go on the computer. Thats why I can never live in the city.
Each day seems like about a week. I crawl out of bed at the latest time possible in the morning. School isn't as good as I expected it to be. Thing is, they all speak german. I can only understand less than 2% of what they say. My only goal in school is to learn german. All day i sit there with my "Worterbuch" and look up words that seem important. VERY BORING. Its the same every day. Can't wait till we go on vacation :-)

First Few Days

2007-11-03T10:57:00.000-07:00

Our flight over was uneventful. It was dark by the time we took off so there was nothing to see but lights. Each seat had a TV on it so I watched Man vs. Wild and then Evan Help Us. Going to sleep was a task but i finally dozed off over Newfoundland. I woke up just over the coast of Great Britain. We landed in Heathrow about 6:30 and had a good 2 hour wait till we flew out at 8:50. We all got through customs ok except Abbey who had 2pairs of scissors in her backpack. They didn't confiscate these in Chicago. This plane was smaller with no TV's but i was next to a window so i survived. everyone but me slept the whole way but i stayed awake. We landed and retrieved our luggage and Holger met us and drove us home. Holger is the breeding director and Norika where my dad will work. I was a 2 hour drive to Thulendorf and when we got to our apartment we settled in with no problem. We sat around until 8 when we went to bed.
The next morning we woke up at about 12:00. Our big adventure for the day was to go grocery shopping. We went to Globus, the walmart of Germany. We got enough food to survive for a day or two and went home. We laid around and watched TV until 10;00. We then went bed...but not to sleep. Us kids were up till 1:00. Thats Jetlag for you. This Whole Germany thing is going to get some getting used to.