Deutschland!

I got a haircut! Yay!

In other news though (prepare for a long post!), over last weekend (From Friday 18th-Sunday 20th) I went on a trip to Germany with my host Papa Georg, Carl and Theo! So. We set off on Friday evening about 6.30pm in the miserable, cold rain. It had been miserable and raining for the last few days, and it wasn't any exception then! Driving, driving, driving. Our destination was Magdeburg - about an hour west of Berlin and the route we were to take was from Vienna, up through the Czech Republic, passing through Brno (or 'Brünn' in German) and Prague, then into Germany, passing through Dresden, Leipzig and then to Magdeburg! The drive took about 7 hours all up, but I love long car trips and it reminded me a lot of trips I would take with my family in Australia. There was rain in Austria, snow in Czech Republic, then by the time we got to Germany, the skies were clear. We listened to Dire Straights through the Czech Republic, then some golden oldies. Then Georg and I talked and talked about all kinds of things: language, Australia, Germany, animals, music, work... it was really great! The last hour of the trip we listened to The Cat Empire, which was nice but difficult because it reminded me of home (although it's getting better). We arrived at Oma Nate and Opa Thommy's house (My host Mum's parents), and were sent straight to bed.

Beautiful weather as you can see...!

Saturday was a lovely, amazing and difficult day. After stumbling downstairs I joined the rest of the family and we all had breakfast together. Really lovely and German: bread, honey, jam, salami, wurst, nutella and eggs. Very yum! Nine's parents were (and are) really lovely and welcoming. Then Georg took us kids (and himself) on another 45min drive or so to a little town called Miesterhorst, to celebrate Ur Oma Charlotte's 90th birthday (Georg's great-grandmother).

On the road... ACTUALLY beautiful weather!

We went to a little cafe just down the road, where I met what felt like relative after relative after relative! It wasn't too bad, and Georg's Dad helped me draw a family tree so I could figure out who was who and what each relation was! Nine (pronounced 'Nina' - my host Mum) had given me some homework to complete at the party: 'Familien Bingo'! I got a piece of paper with about 30 different questions on (all written in German) - such as "Who has two sons?" "Who flies planes?" "Who likes to drink whisky?" "Who used to raise pigeons?" "Who can milk cows?". I looked at it and was basically completely overwhelmed. What on Earth was I supposed to do!?! How could I find any of this out?! I would have to TALK to people and ASK them! Gah! So I had to ask around - mostly getting help from the same few people (Georg's brother and father, and one of the [many] Omas!). However everyone was willing and thought it was all great fun, and it was actually really good for me, because apart from having to actually talk to people and use my German, it meant that I now know who most of the family are, and a bit of trivia about each of them!

Ur Oma Charlotte with her children - Opa Norbert and Tante Anne. Cheers to 90!

Lunch was an excellent 3 course meal, and was followed by a very traditional German 'Kaffee und Kuchen' (Coffee and Cake), where there were literally about 10 different types of AMAZING, DELICIOUS, INCREDIBLE, WONDERFUL types of traditional German cakes. They were all made by the lovely old German women, and probably all delicious - but there are only so many slices of cake one can eat after a 3-course meal! It really inspired me though. I really want to be able to go back to Australia and cook amazing German cakes. I think I'll have to rope my own Mama and Oma to help me with this!!

'Frankfurter kranz' - i.e. the most delicious cake EVER. And coffee.

As the afternoon drew on, I got a little sad, because I was thinking so much about my OWN Oma and Opa. I was watching Theo and Carl playing and being doted on by all the Germans, doing the same things I did when I was little. It was really lovely to see, and I feel so special to be part of this family and experience it all, but it was also difficult in a lot of ways. I guess being here I've been forced to face all these things about nostalgia and growing up and changes, and it's a really hard thing to do. It's hard to deal with but I guess it all just boils down to time. This kind of change is inevitable, but it doesn't make it easy to face! I had a bit of a cry, and Georg took me outside and we had a little chat about everything, and he just gave me a big hug, which was just what I needed. It was lovely :)

After the lunch and afternoon tea - around 4.30, we (the whole family) all went back to the amazing house/farm where one of the relatives lives (one of the Oma's, but I'm not sure which one). We all sat down in the living room with the adults drinking champagne/beer/schnapps, and just talked. I understood quite a bit, but after a while you just kind of stop listening... Everyone was really nice, sometimes talking to me, and I got lots of hugs and love! It's amazing. I've instantly made a whole new family, and everyone was really accepting, and it was just a lovely feeling.

An Oma trying to get the birthday balloons through the door!

The really cool (and German!) house + old stables

In the 'garden', Carl (above) and Theo were playing on the hay rolls.

(Some of) My new family! Mark, Ur Oma Annemarie, Tanja, Tante Dirte, Me, Tante Anne and Oma Heidi.

At about 8pm, Georg took us back to Magdeburg, and we basically went straight to bed. I got a special treat just as I was getting into bed though - I had an AMAZING private firework show out my window a few houses away! The perfect ending to the day.

On Sunday, after having another lovely breakfast, I went for a short walk with Oma Nate, who told me some things about the area, how the Russians had occupied most of it until about 1993, and what life used to be like there. We walked along the 'Alte Elbe' river, and she told me about it flooding and other such things. It was really interesting hearing about the history from someone who had lived there and experienced it all.

A photo to start off the day! With Theo and Carl (front) Oma Nate, Me and Opa Thommy

We then ALL went into town to show me some sights of Magdeburg! First we went to one of Hundertwasser's buildings. Check out some of his architecture - It's REALLY COOL! This particular block of apartments is called the Grüne Zitadelle or Green Citadel and was the last of Hundertwasser's projects to be completed. There's a lot of his architecture around Austria (well, he's from here...) and I've seen two of his other works: the heating plant Fernwärmewerk Spittelau and Hundertwasser-Haus, both in Vienna. Talk about crazy and funky!

Old and New...

After wandering around there for a while, I went with Georg and Oma Nate to the Magdebuger Dom (Church) for a tour. It was really lovely to see, and very, very different to all the Catholic churches I have seen in Austria. It's plain, simple and bright, where as a lot of the Catholic churches are very dark and over-the-top, usually in a strong gothic style. The tour was in German, but Oma Nate (who is also a translator like Nine) translated for me, just for this time, which was lovely of her and meant I got a lot more out of the experience. I found the whole history of the church really interesting - like the over 2000 year old baptism font from Egypt, the intricate and beautiful alabaster carvings, the graves of Otto the First and his wife and a bishop or two. I was captivated by it all! Hearing all of this history is something really great, and makes me realise how totally different and unique Australia is. I could go on and on about this Church, but if you want more info you can check it out here and here! After the long (and kind of cold) tour, we went to pick up the boys and Opa Thommy.

The Dom and with the new organ.

View of the steeples from the courtyard

A (seemingly empty) typical cobble-stone street in Magdeburg

We went home and had lunch - Kartoffelpuffer mit Apfelmus (potato cakes with apple... mush... again very German!), then we eventually set off to ANOTHER Oma and Opa's house in Halle - about an hour's drive south. It was Ur Oma Ilse's 85th birthday, so guess what: we had MORE cake! After such a long and busy weekend, it was very overwhelming, and I was asked lots of questions, and my brain just wanted to stop thinking and escape for a while! Oma Heidi (Georg's Mum... see? SO MANY RELATIVES!) was really nice and gave me a heap of hugs and looked out for me. My new family are all so nice though!

Finally, we left again and started the long drive home. Along the Autobahn is very... exciting? One of the questions which I have been asked quite a few times is "What's the speed limit in Australia?" and I usually get a pretty amusing reaction! Everyone thinks is crazy that we can only travel (legally...) at most 110km/h (130km/h in some places in the Northern Territory), and when my previous host mother in Salzburg asked me, the response was something like: "110?!?! That's so slow! The speed limit's 130 in Austria, but that's too slow, so sometimes I go 160!" I laughed about that for so long. So yes. The speed limit is legally 130km/h in Austria, but rarely seems to be enforced, but in Germany on the Autobahn, there is often no speed limit at all! Very. Scary. I can now say I've been 185km/h in a car though (NOT the fastest car on the Autobahn at any rate), and I don't know that I need to do it again any time soon!

PROOF! Although, this was before we got to 185km/h...

We stopped just before Dresden in a petrol station/shop and had a big picnic. There was LOTS of food, as both the (main) Oma's had stocked us up, so we didn't buy anything - which was a good idea, because everything was SUPER overpriced. Totally to be expected though, because it was a bit of a tourist trap and one of the only shops for kilometres. We drove all the way home, listening to music of my choice (yay!), and it was all really nice. I had a super weekend!

And the weather the whole time we were there was LOVELY. This was as we were driving home on the Autobahn. What a sight!

These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things...

As many (if not all) of you know, Austria is famous for a number of things. There are all these wonderful stereotypes - many created by the American musical The Sound Of Music. Things like all the scenery, apple strudel, dirndls and lederhosen, little alpine huts, schnapps, skiing, the glorious music and culture, and this quaint little idea that, stuck in the middle of Europe, is this tiny country holding proudly and strongly onto it's traditions and "old-fashioned" life. The best part about all of this is that a lot of the stereotypes are true! I was honestly gobsmacked and thought it was hilarious every time I discovered a little stereotype that was true. They're simply so proud of them, which I think they really ought to be!

Then I had this idea - taking the lyrics of the song These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things from The Sound Of Music, I would gradually explore the stereotypes and give my take on each of these aspects. This is mostly for my entertainment, but also for everyone's education and enjoyment! Here are the lyrics:

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,

Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens,

Brown paper packages tied up with strings,

These are a few of my favourite things.

Cream coloured ponies and crisp apple strudels,

Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles.

Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings.

These are a few of my favourite things.

Girls in a white dresses with a blue satin sashes,

Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes,

Silver white winters that melt into springs,

These are a few of my favourite things.

When the dog bites, when the bee stings,

When I'm feeling sad,

I simply remember my favourite things,

And then I don't feel so bad.

I've always loved The Sound Of Music - as ridiculous as it sometimes is, and I've shared that love with a lot of my friends. During my exchange, it's sometimes been difficult to get through the hard times, and remember that things aren't always as bad as I might think they are. A lot of my favourite things are still here, and I have so many opportunities to do so many things here, and it's just awesome!! So I simply need to remember my favourite things, and then not feel so bad :)

So over the next however-long, I will intermittently post updates on my exchange, but also takes on each thing in this song, and maybe even a few of my own favourite things. This will be fun!

love :)

(P.S. YES I'm that lame, and proud of it!)

There's No Place Like Home

So! I know I said in my last blog post that I would post again within the next couple of days - which I promptly didn't do. I know many of you have probably been wondering what's the hip-hap-a-happening, but I simply haven't known myself, so I was at a bit of a loss as to what to tell the REST of the world.

So here goes. Much much much has been happening the last 2 weeks. So I will start at the ... end! I am now living with my first host family again - Janina, Georg and the kids, and I have officially moved here for good. To cut a long story short, basically everyone agreed that we should do what we could to make me happy and comfortable again, which has been quite a long road, but hopefully it's going to just be getting better from here! So it was decided that I go back to Vienna and we sort things out from there.

The last night at my host family's house in Salzburg was actually really nice. I had spent a few days at my area rep's flat, just to sort some stuff out and talk, but I also got to wander around Salzburg a little, and I'm really glad I got to say a proper goodbye - both to the city and my host family. That night we went to a really lovely Italian pizzeria and had a nice little farewell for me. We have decided to keep in contact (which is great!), and I'm glad I could finish my stay there on a positive note! I will miss the area and the school, the friends I made, Salzburg, and a number of aspects of my host family, but ultimately I think I will be more comfortable and happier here. Having a place to really call home is an immense relief, and I feel like I can finally and really start my exchange. I guess that sounds kind of funny, since I've already been here for more than two months now, but I had my "temporary" family first, then I never quite felt at home in Salzburg, then these last two weeks I've been in a kind of 'limbo', so now I'll finally be able to settle down. Hurrah!

I always like to have a picture of something in my blog post, just to make things a little more interesting. So to finish this post off, I'll end with this. I found this on a website, and I thought it was just so suitable:

What about Dorothy? She just wanted to go home. She knew there was no place like it. It was what she longed for and searched for. In vain she followed that yellow brick road. All she found along the way was trouble, a wicked witch, flying monkeys, magic spells, and not a moment of peace. The power to go home was within her all the time, on her feet, those shiny, red shoes.

I suggest you take a look at the rest of this article here, because it is simply lovely and sums things up well. I will be trying to post more often (Really! I mean it this time!!), so stay tuned. Over and out for now!

Two Months and Recipes

Indeed. Sourced from here :)

There is no recipe for exchange. No matter how hard I try, how much I look for one, or how many people I ask, I still have to ultimately make it all up for myself. I've been trying to face this difficulty - but that's exactly what it is at the moment: difficult. I would never have believed it possible to be in so many mind-sets all at once. In some ways, I can't believe 2 months of my exchange have already passed! 2 WHOLE MONTHS. It's crazy. In others though, they've been the longest two months of my life, and I have no idea how I'm going to get through the next however many. All these feelings spinning around: happy, sad, frustrated, depressed, elated. It's overwhelming!

This year is going to be a huge learning journey for me. I have already learnt so so much about myself, started asking myself ridiculously difficult questions, and have actually really been SEARCHING for an answer, instead of just letting them go. At the moment, I miss myself so much. These last few months have really been about finding myself, who I am, what I can cope with, why I'm here and what I'm doing with my life. Top this off with a new country, language, family (or few), plus old ones of each of these, and it's no wonder I'm exhausted! Finding yourself is a difficult task, which I think most people are never forced to face - or at least so brutally and so early on in life. I keep comparing myself to other exchange students, other people, and their experiences, wondering why I'm not the same, why I can't be like that. But that's the thing. I'm my own person. I need to have my own experiences, my own adventure, my own struggles.

Along my search for wisdom and advice, I came across this website, from which I take the following quote:

"We complain about the cross we bear but don't realize it is preparing for the dip in the road that God can see.

Whatever your cross, whatever your pain, there will always be sunshine, after the rain. 

Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall; but God's always ready to answer your call. 

He knows every heartache, sees every tear, a word from His lips can calm every fear.

Your sorrows may linger throughout the night, but suddenly vanish, dawn early light.

The Saviour is waiting somewhere above, to give you His grace and send you His love. 

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.

It is so true that people don't want to bear heavy cross. Everyone wants a smooth and less troublesome life but we do not know the deep purpose of everything why we must face challenges, failures, and fears. It is meant by God to prepare us for the future!"

Its little things like this that, piece by piece, make me that little bit calmer. Anything that doesn't kill me will just make me stronger. This post has taken a few days to actually get out into anything close to something that makes sense. A lot's been going on lately, but I'll tell you about that in another blog post within the next few days. I've had my on and off days, mostly off, but everything is slowly getting better. I find little bits of reassurance each day, which are gradually building.

I don't really feel like I have much else to write at the moment. I thought that I should commemorate the 2 months I've been here with a post, but I promise I will write more within the next few days, because I have so so much to catch up on!  Even though this may not be the typical exchange experience blog (trust me - I was expecting it to be more so too!), this is what my exchange is about at the moment, so that's what I'm writing about. Wishing everyone out there well!

Bussi!