weekend of 22. January

So….It’s been a really long time since I have written. I’m sorry about that. What is new….hmmm. Well now I am living in Berlin. I’m actually on a train right now for 6 hours from Muenchen to Berlin. I just spent a wonderful weekend in Muenchen. I stayed with Traudl a member of the TOE project that I met when they had their meeting in Chicago. She is one of the sweetest people I have ever met in my WHOLE life. Her husband is also very awesome! Friday was my last day of school in Ilmenau. At 16:11 I got on a train and headed to Muenchen. I had all my stuff packed up; three suitcases, a computer bag, a duffel bag, and a bag of stuff to give to Moria. It was all very heavy. I had to change trains two times. I changed trains in Arnstadt and Saalfeld. In Arnstadt I was able to get off the train and from platform 2 to 1 with ease. I was thankful for the elevator. While waiting for my next train a man who had his skiing gear asked me if I needed help on to the train. I told him that I would like htat very much! WE then started to talk, and he was like o well I’m also getting off as Saalfeld, so I can help you off the train too. We made it on the train very easily. In Saalfeld I only had 6 minutes to change trains and get from platform 1 to 4. I knew this beforehand so I had called Moira and asked her to meet me there, so I could give her the bag of stuff, and have her help me get form on platform to the other. When I got off the train the nice man helped me off the train. Moria came running up with her host mom and sister. We grabbed my stuff and started running for the next platform. We were able to make it there in one minute. I was very thankful! When I arrived at the platform I saw that the nice skiing man had carried my heaviest suitcaseto the next platform, and Moria’s host mom had carried his Skiing poles. I thanked him again. I had also called Moira and asked her to get me something to eat since I knew I would not be getting to Munchen until almost 9 pm, and I had no time to get anything. She got me a döner. It was my first actual döner. It was delicious! J (DANKE MOIRA!) I gave Moira the bag of stuff, and gave her a really big hug; WE had just enough time to cry say our see you laters, and then my train came. Moria and her host family helped me onto the train really fast, and then got off the train so they would not be take to Muenchen with me. I could not have made that change of trains without them! Once on the train I called Traudl to let her know I made my train, and that I would be arriving in Muenchen right before 9. One I got to Muenchen I washelped off the train by all the nice German people. I then began to head toward to the front of the platform. My train actually came in 10 minutes early. Traudl and I then went to the ticket counter and bought my ticket from Muenchen to Berlin. It was a very good thing my train got in 10 mintues early because I was the last person the counter had taken before they closed. After buying my ticket Traudl and I had shared a soda to kill some time before the next S-bahn train came. We took some pictures and I had a traditional Muenchen pretzel. It was a nice beginning to my weekend in Munchen. We then headed to Traudl’s house. WE took the S-bahn to her house in graeffenfella (perhaps misspelled). At thet rain station we were greeted by her husband, Walther. He is just as nice and sweet as Traudl. Upon arriving at the house they gave me a key to their guest house. It is connected to the house but the entrance is on the side of the house and has plenty of space for all my stuff without having to take them up stairs. Traudl then took me on a tour around the house. It was soo pretty. Walther is an artist, so the house was very well decorated! I marveled at the beauty of their house. (The house was built on land that Traudl’s grandfather had owned. She used to go there on weekends and play. The 20 years ago they received the land, and built a house on it.) After the tour, we sat at the table had a little bit to eat and I had my first Bavarian beer. We talked for a very long time. Traudl and Walther have the best stories to tell about their life! It is so interesting. I then called my mom to let her know I was safely in the hands of Traudl. The next day we had breakfast around 10. Then Traudl and I made a plan of what we were going to do for the day. WE decided to go swimming in a swimming pool that was outside with snow around. I had been to München before, so I wanted to do something that I wouldn’t be able to do if I came back at another time other than winter. It was soo relaxing and the water was very warm. After swimming we went back and ate lunch. Traudl had then told me that she had called AFS München to see if there were any AFS American students in the area from München. There was not, but there was Turkish student that spoke really good German. Traudl had called her up, and asked her if she would want to meet up with me and do something in the night. The Turkish girl’s name is Müge. She came over for coffee and cake. I found it was really good to meet up with her because she is an AFSer, and I will be staying with a Turkish family in Berlin. (I do not know much about my family besides that they are of Turkish decent, there is a mom, dad, a daughter, and two sons. The kids are all in my age group.) WE then went into the city and had the plan of going to see a movie. When we got to the theater the line was way too long and by the time we would have gotten to the line the movie would have already started. We then left and went to another movie theatre. While walking through the city I recognized lots of things that I had seen 5 year before. It was really cool that I was able to remember them after 5 years. WE then went to another theatre, but by the time the movie would have ended it would have been too late because Trauld was going to pick me up around 11 in the city, so I wouldn’t get lost trying to get back to her house. We then kept walking and saw more of Müchen, and I could remember more and more the closer we went to the Rathaus (Glockenspiel). WE then went to another theatre, and found a movie called Friendship. We didn’t really know what it was about besides from the pictures we had seen that were from the U.S.A., and it looked funny. We went in asked how late the movie went, and the time was perfect. It was planned to let out around 10:30. WE then had an hour and a half to go and do what we wanted. We then walked to Maerienplatz (perhaps misspelled); the place where the Glockenspiel is. We took pictures in front of it, and headed towards the Hofbräuhaus. I had never seen it in the night. We walked in and took some pictures then decided to go across the street to the Hard Rock Café. There were no tables available so we sat at the bar. We order drinks and a little bit to eat. It was cool I wasn’t once asked for my ID. Every time we tried to talk to a waitress or waiter they could tell we were foreigners, and kept asking us if we wanted to speak English. Müge and I both kept talking German anyways. It was cool. I pretended I didn’t know English. It was a little annoying that they would still talk to me in English, but I stood strong and used only German. I automatically talk in German. To talk in English I have to think about it. It’s pretty cool! After we had our drinks and eats we headed over to the theatre. The movie was really good! It was about two teenage boys who lived in the DDR (East Germany), and wanted to go to the U.S.A. because one of the boy’s dad lived there and he had not seen him for a long time. They wanted to go to San Francisco, but they only had enough money to go to New York. During the film they travel across the country with very limited English. It was very funny and mostly in German, but was also a little bit in English. It was a very good movie. After the movie I called Traudl, and she and Walther came to pick me up. IT was a really good night! I was so thankful (Dankbar) that Traudl had made these plans with Müge! She and I will stay in contact for sure. When went back to the house we drove on the autobahn. It was cool! I really like the fast speeds! When we got back to the house we drank some more Bavarian beer, and talked for several hours. WE talked until almost 1 am. We lost track of time, but Traudl and Walther are VERY interesting people and have lived enough that their stories are so fascinating. WE then went to bed, and I wrote them a thank note that I left behind for them. This weekend was really really great! I couldn’t have asked for anything better other than more time! This morning (Sunday, January 24, 2010) I packed everything up again, and loaded it into the car. WE had to be at the translation before 12, so I could make my train. After a nice breakfast at 10 we headed off to the transition. At the train station I bought USA Today (the newspaper) to see what is going on the USA. Traudl and I had been talking about what is going on in the USA and I felt so lost! She suggested that I buy a newspaper, so I can know what is going on with the government (Obama, the health care plan, the new Massachusetts Senator elected being Republican making the difference in the Senate even closer.), and with Haiti (the earthquake). We then bought another pretzel, and they gifted me a book on Berlin. I was sooo thankful! It will help me know what to do, and to ask people to do stuff. I believe I will never be bored living in Berlin. There is just so much stuff to do, and always stuff going on! I am looking forward to living in one of the best cities in Germany! Right before I got on the train I met up with David. (He was also on the German TOE team, and I had met him too when he came to STL to visit before the meeting in Chicago.) He told me his girlfriend lives in Berlin, and he visits often, so once I am settled in that we can meet up. I then said my see you laters to Walther, David, and Traudl. It was hard to leave them after such an AWESOME weekend! München is a very amazing city! I will deffinatly have to go back especially to visit Traudl and Walther. They are really really some of the most Amazing people I have ever met in my life!

Right now I am sitting in the train a direct train to Berlin from Muenchen. I will be picked up by my host family that I will be staying with for a week before I go into my real family. After that I have no clue what will be happening. I’m just gonna go with the flow. This new chapter in my AFS year is beginning, and I am looking forward to what my second half year has to bring me! :D