Spring Break

If you've been wondering where I've been for so long, I'll have you know that spring break is a blessed two weeks in Germany. Nordrhein-Westfallen had its break from the 10th of April to the 23rd.

Many German students, if you ask them what they did with themselves over the two weeks, will tell you, "Ich hab' zu Haus gesessen und langeweilt." In other words, I bored myself sitting at home.

Other Germans will say they didn't even have time to sit. Such was my case. From the day we got out of school there was chess, directly followed by a big Abi Party, and, after 6 hours of sleep, Kölner Zoo. And that's all in the first 36 hours.

Abi Parties are like mini-discos, directed for German students in the 10th-13th grades (and then some crust to that). They're fun, if you have a group of people with you or you know a lot of people there you can hang out with. The great thing about this particular Abi Party was that it was specifically for KDG and AVG, the two Gymnasiums in Wesel (to celebrate the last day of school for the 13th graders). So virtually everyone from my class was there. There was a large dance floor with disco lights in the Niederrheinhalle. There were two live bands, from AVG and KDG. I had a great time with my friends and the exchange students from AVG, and wished I could have stayed longer. But the zoo would probably have been unbearable after an all-nighter.

Claudia, her mom and I went to the zoo mainly to see the new baby elephant. It was 11 days old or so when we went to visit. The zoo also had an attatched terranium, aquarium (with all the fish native to the Rhein) and insectarium. It was fun.

Sunday was finally a day of respite. And packing. Monday I left to visit Gabi, a Brasilien with whom I made friends in Midstay, and after four days there would be going directly to the Eifel with the Kaluses without stopping back in Hamminkeln.

Gabi lives in a Dorf (aka a small town) called Weeren about 45 minutes from Magdeburg in Sachsen Anhalt. Four days was not enough to explore the surrounding towns, visit with exchange students, and see Magdeburg. We spent a lot of time looking at pictures from her home, school, and friends in Brasil. Guess which country is next up on my list of places to go. We had a movie night with some exchange students from Argentina, Columbia, and Brasil (chick flicks with two guys, fun, no?) . They were just there to eat the Ernadas.

The train from Stendal to Remagen to meet up with the Kaluses was long. It should have been only 6 hours, but it took 10. Bonn central train station was closed off to all trains for hours because someone threw themself in front of a train. The train I was on took me to Bonn Beuel, which is practically on the other side of the world from Bonn Hbf (ie, the other side of the Rhein). Somehow Judith and I managed to meet up there and get ourselves to Bonn Hbf where we met with Peter. Trains still weren't moving for the next 2 hours or so. But in the end we managed to reach Remagen and drive safely to the Kaluses' vacation home in Wehr, a small town in the Eifel.

We spent the first few days relaxing. The weather wasn't exactly warm, but we went for walks every day in the hills. The Eifel was once a volcanic region.

Then Easter rolled around, with an Easter egg hunt (not quite as complex as Aunt Kathyrn and Aunt Susan's) and more chocolate than you could eat in a week. I got some 4 chocolate easter bunnies from Judith, Peter and Regina, my host Oma and Opa, and Regina's cousin. Judith, Peter and Regina also got some 6 easter bunnies altogether. But the Kaluses don't eat much chocolate, because it's "too sweet" (they say that about a lot of foods which I think could actually use more sugar). So who gets to eat all the chocolate? I must have gained another 7 Kilos over spring break.

On Easter Judith and I went to a Jugend Gesellschaft Verein (JGV, youth society club) party on the edge of another small Dorf with one of her Eifel friends. There were also two live bands there. But Judith was the only person I knew, and Judith didn't know many other people there either. After we got back, I called home at my grandma's to wish everybody a happy Easter. It's good to speak to everyone again.

During the week we visited a few castles, Mayen, and Koblenz. Mostly we stayed at home reading books or going for walks. It was a good week.

It ended on earth day. The Kaluses woke me up singing "Happy Birthday" in English holding candles. Then we all went downstairs to eat cake for breakfast (again, too sweet. all the more for me) and they gave me a T-shirt with their picture printed on the front. We drove back to Hamminkeln a few hours later, after cleaning up the house and closing everything up.

That afternoon we went bowling together, which I haven't done since leaving the US. It was fun. Then I got to talk with my mom and David on the telephone, and open a pair of packages from home. Jenn and I talked on Sunday for an hour and a half, because Saturday night I didn't have time. Judith and I went over to her friend Andreas with Natascha and talked and played games.

Now we're back in school again. 2 Weeks almost seems too short for a break. From now 'til summer break, however, is practically every other weekend three or four days long. That will make it more bearable.