International Winter University

For 3 weeks during the Winter Break the University of Kassel becomes a destination for students from all of the world to study. They had the option of studying a cultural module or an engineering with the focus on renewable energy! All of the students also had a German course!

What was my part in all of this? I was the "Native Speaker" intern and I got to help the students with questions, as well as translate some of the material for the engineering students.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't all work! I also got to go to a hockey game with some of the students and we, of course, checked out some of the bars in Kassel together!

They were such a great group of students, they had a lot of fun, but didn't take it too overboard! It was a bit  of a strange feeling for me to be around so many Americans at once- something I haven't experienced since leaving in September. (Even the seminars I have with my group, we're all in the same boat!) It was great to make some friends from around the states and around the world!

Some of the students and I at Chevys (an "American Bar" in Kassel--watching the Patriots game on ESPN-America!

On the Excursion with the Engineering Students, in Dardesheim at a Wind Park

Ah! A Long Over-Due Update!

SO my friends, family, and those who have stumbled upon my blog- I think it's about time I've given a proper update to all that has been going on!

The Holiday Season: A 3 Day Christmas Celebration
What a crazy fun time here in Germany! I decided for Christmas that I would go see one of my former host families! It was such a fun time- a 3 day celebration starting with searching for the Christmas tree on the 24th! My host brother and his girlfriend from Spain were there and she was so excited to go out into the woods and cut down a tree! As you can see from the pictures, it was quite a decision to pick the tree! In the end, we all agreed upon the winner and we took it back home.

My host Mum and I cooked lunch while my host Dad decorated the tree (not very typical, but we had fun!).

I did have to go to the doctor on the 24th (which was only possible because my host Mum knows the village's doctor) and get some antibiotics because I was sick, but it didn't stop me from having such a good time! My host Mum, Emily (another American student that came with me to celebrate Christmas), and I went to the children's program at a church- as a host cousin was participating. The church was full of history- truly amazing! After we got home, my host brother had to rush to the cousins with younger children, as he was playing the Weihnachtsmann (Christmas Man), bringing gifts to the kids. After he got home, we had a wonderful dinner and shared drinks and stories until late, then my host brothers and their girlfriends went out to see friends. On the 25th we had a late start of the day (as those who went out didn't come back until nearly 6am!) but enjoyed a great day together. On the 26th we met with the greater host family and enjoyed a great lunch in an Indian/Greek restaurant (the chef is from   India but learned in Greece) and then went to cake/coffee at one of the host cousin's house.



New Years Eve in Berlin!
New Years Eve brought me to Berlin! I was so excited to see a friend of mine, Micheal, who is also a student at CMU and I got to meet a former student from England, Simon. I got to also meet his parents, as he comes from Germany. We celebrated at a smaller restaurant in the area of Berlin called Wedding and then went to the Brandenburg Gate at around 1am! The amount of fireworks that are set off at midnight is unbelievable! They are apparently legal and easily available for the NYE celebrations. After seeing how many people had them- even in the middle of the streets and on street corners where there were a lot of people, I can understand why it's the busiest night at hospitals throughout Germany! I'm thankful we decided to go to the Brandenburg Gate well after midnight- as there were more than 1 MILLION people there! Somehow we managed to position ourselves correctly, and were able to get close to the main stage- where there was a DJ. I'm just going to let the video and pictures speak for themselves! Truly an amazing experience!

While in Berlin with Micheal, Simon, and I hit up some of the main sites, as it was Simon's first time in Berlin! No matter how many times I see these areas, it never ceases to amaze me! I have such an appreciation for the history and culture, it makes me feel so blessed to have this opportunity!

View from the TV Tower

Deutche Bahn (German Train Company)

TV Tower

Brandenburg Gate

7 Generations of the Volkswagen Golf

Happy New Years!!

Happy New Years from Berlin!!

In a week or so I'll be back in Kassel, where I'll work on an update about the Christmas and New Year adventures from Kassel to Loburg to Berlin and back!!

Hope all is well! <3

Weihnachtsmarkt

Ahh! It's the Christmas season in Germay!! This happens to be (probably) my FAVORITE time of year in Germany! There is so much going on that it's hard to experience the homesickness that others typically feel around this time year!

One of the main reasons is because of the Weihnachtsmarkt- or the Christmas Markets! The smells of the roasted almonds, the Glühwein (the warm, spiced wine), and the Bratwurst that fill the streets just adds to the atmosphere of laughter, live music, and happy chatter from all those making their way through the market!

It's just an amazing time of year! I love it!


...and of course, pictures don't do it justice!!

New Page!

Hey Everyone!
I created a new page called "Outside my Window!" It's a fun way to see how the landscape around me changes with the seasons!

It's December 9th today, and so far since I've been awake it hasn't stopped snowing! I'm so excited!!

Love from Kassel!

My Speech for 500 People

(To see my actual speech, please check the "Auf Deutsch" page- I put it there, but mind you- it is in German! I'll translate it soon enough, I'm sure!) 

Part of my scholarship obligations is to give a speech at the annual fundraiser- and Advents Tea- that is hosted by the Inernational Women's Club Kassel. Each club member gets a table, to which they decorate it to their personal style. All of the tables were very pretty- I love the German style of decorating!! Then the members send out invitations, as the event is invite-only, and they invite other women to the afternoon tea, which is doubling as the fundraiser. While it's invite-only, there is still a cost for the place at the table and there are also some raffles.

All in all, there were about 500 people there, roughly 498 of them being women. (The only men I saw in the room, besides the servers, was the president of the VDAC and one of the former German students that went to the US.)

No pressure, right?

Well- like a champ, I got up there, gave the speech the best I could with trying to ignore the nerves! Everyone was very impressed, which made me feel really good! The VDAC President is also from Michigan, so we had a good little chat about back home! He knew the area where I am from and also were Central is! (Fire Up Chips!)

I'm really glad I was "forced" to get up there and talk in front of so many people.. auf Deutsch! It really shows me that I am doing well with my language learning and that I can do anything I put my mind to!

....the tea and cake didn't hurt either! :) 

Excursion: Erfurt

Over the last weekend I met with the others from my program (they're spread all throughout Germany) in Erfurt! I had never been there, so I was really looking forward to the opportunity to not only see everyone again, but to explore a new (to me) city with them as well!

Erfurt is such a pretty place, in my opinion! It was only about 5% damaged during WWII, which is not "typical" of most larger German cities. (Kassel, where I am, for example, was more than 50% destroyed.) Because it wasn't really "touched"  during the war, a lot of the historical buildings are still in tact and are just beautiful! Pictures just don't do it justice!

When we arrived on Friday, we were hosted at a little dinner from the club in Erfurt, with the highlight being the opportunity to tap a barrel of beer! A real, vintage-style beer barrel! It was such a fun experience! We had a few rounds, some more than others, and enjoyed talking to the members of the club, as well as each others company.

Saturday was a trip to Wartburg, which I was "geeking-out" about on the inside! A little known fact is that I love history, especially German history, so this was really exciting for me! We went around the Christmas market there (I'm going to have to create a post purely dedicated to this tradition- it's amazing!) and got some Glühwein (mulled wine- think warm red wine with spices...yum!) and some delicious honey-bbq'ed ham! After filling our tummies, we had a tour of the castle and museum.

The castle where Martin Luther once stayed during his exile from the Pope...where he translated the New Testament- therefore laying the foundation for the modernized German language and Protestant religions! Ahh! Yes! I was there!!! Amazing!

On Sunday we finished off the weekend with a walking tour through the cold and windy Erfurt! We couldn't leave without popping into the Christmas market there as well, getting some Bratwursts and more Glühwein, of course!

Overall it was a great weekend to get to see each other and explore Erfurt and Wartburg!