I am leaving

I am a graduate. I graduated. Summer is here and I am studying german. I leave on the 29th of July. Things are crazy trying to get ready. I am going to work out all the picture uploading details asap. uuuhhhhh... I am so tired. gute nacht

still waiting, sorta

hey!... I'm going to the north sea. Its my 18th b-day and i found out on friday where, and then today i found out my host family's email. Tomorrow I will write them a letter. When I know more info i'll update. Whoooo hooo. btw... i got lugguge today. haha.

waiting

and day now... I should know any day now.... how many months have I been saying this? We can't get ahold of Volker, my country representative. Prom is come and gone... o fun. any day now...

exploding frogs

this frog story has got me a little freaked out. I guess they resolved it though...


Hamburg's toad population is exploding -- literally. Toad entrails and mangled body parts now litter the city's once bucolic lake. What's the cause?

AP
Quite an undignified death. The toads puff up to close to four times their size and then pop.Hamburg is often known as an idyllic port city of book publishers and media giants. Lately, however, the city's peace and quiet has been interrupted by a sickening natural oddity. Over 1,000 of the city's greenish-brown toads have swelled up to almost four times their normal size and then -- BANG! -- exploded, sending horrific entrails and body parts several feet into the pristine air. Stunned residents have nicknamed their city's once bucolic lake the "pond of death" and officials have cordoned off the area for investigation. Vets and animal welfare agencies have spent days puzzling over the deeply troubling and downright disgusting mystery. Is it a fungus? Is it a virus? Are the toads simply suicidal?Now, one amphibian specialist in Berlin, Dr. Frank Mutschmann, has come up with a clear -- albeit frightening answer. "It was probably crows," he said. Apparently, the nasty black bird's favorite treat is tasty foie de frog. The birds likely have been attacking the toads, pecking out their livers and then flying away. The rightly-terrified toads have then tried the only defense nature has given them -- they've puffed up in hopes of scaring the attacking bird away. But, with a hole in their bellies and no liver left, the "the lungs burst and the rest of the organs shoot straight out of the toads," Mutschmann said. The truly scary part is that about three to five hungry crows may be responsible for all the deaths. "Crows are very intelligent animals," Mutschmann said. "They learn quickly where, in just a short amount of time, they can come across lots of delicious livers." Perhaps it's time for a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds." (2:30 p.m. CET)

Over the weekend, the chorus went to Virginia Beach and Busch Gardens for a competition. We won, swept it. However, I learned a valuable lesson at Busch Gardens because the park is designed to be a "tour of europe". Well, lets just say that the romatisism associated with different countries do not end, even when you know they are not true. Read between the lines as americanized Germany (ie: Bavaria) and a horified Denis, and frontier america with american jukebox music...

toads

I think I am sick again, so I home from school. I found the strangest news article....

BERLIN (AFP) - Hundreds of toads have met a bizarre and sinister end in Germany in recent days, it was reported: they exploded.

AFP/DPA/File Photo

According to reports from animal welfare workers and veterinarians as many as a thousand of the amphibians have perished after their bodies swelled to bursting point and their entrails were propelled for up to a metre (three feet).

It is like "a science fiction film", according to Werner Smolnik of a nature protection society in the northern city of Hamburg, where the phenomenon of the exploding toad has been observed.

"You see the animals crawling on the ground, swelling and then exploding."

He said the bodies of the toads expanded to three and a half times their normal size.

"I have never seen such a thing," said veterinarian Otto Horst. So bad has the death toll been that the lake in the Altona district of Hamburg has been dubbed "the pond of death."

Access to it has been sealed off and every night a biologist visits it between 2:00 and 3:00 am, which appears to be peak time for batrachians to go bang.

Explanations include an unknown virus, a fungus that has infected the water, or crows, which in an echo of the Alfred Hitchcock movie "The Birds", attack the toads, literally scaring them to death.

There seems to be a lot of strange things that happen in Hamburg. Hmmmm... should be an interesting year. haha

the latest.... i've been busy

ok, so i need to get the picture viewer thingy up, and get my computer to stop switching to german randomly (especially the keyboard, omg... i type y's and they do z's and the dash is a ß, and aaaaahhhhhh) , and it's so sad that the musical is over, it was hotter than hot... and my paper plate award was "I heart germany"... because I apparently"love the man and the county", wut an embarresment. This upcoming weekend is our Rotary district conference and it should be tons of fun. But that means i miss all the earth day celebrations tomorrow, *tear*. I need to learn german. More german, faster, faster, faster! Oh... and I am officially going to the college of Wooster in ohio when i get home. I am so excited. In the middle of amish country. Yeah!

I helped sell candy for the foreign exhange club... and that was really fun. French and spanish candy. Denis sold all the german chocolate. Lost of stuff to do this week... thank god i don't have to babysit. I just have to do half of my art AP protfolio and learn german, and fill out some scholarships with some "personal essays"... doesn't that sound sweet?

Last weekend we had cougar creations. It was awsome. I have been looking forward to it for many many years, because I could have a senior board! Oh yea, an entire board with my name and my stuff. I had the best stuff and the most desturbing. hehehe. I think it is the skeleton theme. random bones and body parts scare people. but today i desected an owl pellet with the girls (babysitting) and found lots of deer bones too. Mrs. Agar gave me some skeletal remains too. I even got to borrow TWO Mr. Skeletons from the art department. 'cept dad broke one, so I go to fix it.

I feel really bad that I am sorta phasing out of the youth bureau. I mean, I love it and it has been one of the most influential things to happen to me... but I am starting to feel like it is hopeless. Kids just don't care. I feel like I'm growing out of the group. I don't fit in anymore. I have been so busy, and still so tired, that its hard to keep up with anything anymore. and now that I can, the school year is almost over, and I'm leaving. Its sad and really depressing. Maybe I just need to hang out with my EDIFY groupies sum more... it'll fix me. I had a blast with Donny last saturday (not that kind... it was like old times, chatting).

So I guess it is ta ta for now. Auf Wiedersehen.

so much about germany comes up these days I don't even remember to remember them to type about them. I discovered that one of the Rotex members, Anthony, that I met at the interview weekend, lived in the Bremen area, so i'm really excited about that. I have no energy to do anything school related. I'm so tired of being tired. It sux. The musical went amazing. And it is so sad that it is over. But at the same time, its like, omg, i'm done with the only thing that really mattered in my senior year (except cougar creations, finalizing my college choice which is probably wooster, and the virginia beach trip which are all this month) so its like, omg... its all down hill from here. I'm already making mental notes of wut to learn, to do, to see, to take pictures of... even wut to pack. I have to sort thru all my stuff and make 4 piles... germany, college, trash, and keep at home (until i have my own place and i'm married, omg). 4 and a half months. I have to learn the language. My goal is to have a conversation in german with denis b4 i leave. He leaves for home a month b4 I leave. I can't believe I will go, it like all hit me really, fully, today. I must get some sleep. The end of the marking period is friday, I miss school on thrusday to set up my cougar creations board, and I pretty much couldn't care. AP's aren't looking to promising.

i know where im going!

I'm going to lower saxony, niedersachsen, the upper part, near Bremen. From what I have gathered so far, there is a lot of heather and blueberries.... o! heather on the hill.... just like Brigadoon. There is a huge interest in bicycling and health there (YAY) and lots of asperagus (good thing i like it... although i'm not all that sure of white asperagus), tons of seafood, and a whole bunch of railroads... including steam! It is an extremely large and diverse area. Supposedly I find out my host family and town next week. YIPPIE!

food

i just watched Super Size Me and I am happy to note that they themselves mentioned that europeans tend to eat healthier! Well, i knew that, but I like to hear others say that. I'm lookin forward to real food! Not Micky-D's, boxed scallops, and canned soups. We don't eat that stuff much at my house anyway, but its stressful that my school and it seems american culture perscribe to deep fried food and proccesed junk.

Lessons are coming along. I have been really busy trying to catch up with hw still and with the school musical... Brigadoon. This upcoming week is the show, so it is going to be a looooong week. Call is at 5:30 and the curtain falls at 9:30, so I don't get home till 10:30. We have shows and full rehearsals monday, wednesday, thrusday, friday, and two on saturday. Ugh. Its fun though, and almost over.

ich heisse becky

For every hour in class (tutoring), i am getting about 4-5 hours outside of class of homework. I even have to do projects and tests! ick! but i am learning really fast. She is grading really hard and i am still pulling off 90's and i am working really hard b/c my survival depends on this. I should know any day where i am going. I emailed Volker, my country represenative but I haven't heard back from him either. I want to practice my german, but i wouldn't get very far if I tried to talk on ICQ... an international IM. Its way cool. also, bis bald (well, see you soon)

Veggies

I'm a veggie girl... so learning that wursts are conglomerations of minced meats, including horses, has me a bit concerned about my diet for the upcoming year. I just found the coolest audio "teach yourself" french cds, that have german equivalents that I am going to try and find. My art teacher has decided to learn german with me, so he ordered a different company's program. Currently, I can't even find time for my lesson hw, let alone get a grasp on the Berlitz program i've been chipping away at. I am so behind in school, and along with musical practice, I have little time for anything, including sleep. But i'm so used to being tired, i don't notice much anymore. That could be a good thing and a bad thing. I can''t wait until the musical and AP tests are over because there are stackes of books I want to read in the library about france and germany. I may be going to germany, but I intend on learning as much about france as I can too. I wish I was going to france almost, because I know the language a lil already. o well, the consolation I have is that in the end, I will know 3 languages, intead of one. Plus, learning french from german instead of english will be a really neat challenge... might even prove to be easier than a german english class. I'm no good with english grammer. Libraries are the neatest places... free too!!!

Albnay

I did in fact go to Albany with my EDIFY youth group. Despite the fact that I got a TON of things accomplished... I am shocked by my 1.5 hour trip to the NY State Museum. I want to say that it was more intriguing than the Smithsonian. I found a small display on the Holocaust.... and the untold American story. I know many of us have heard of the Japanese camps during WWII. BUt have you heard of the GERMAN JEW camps? Only 50% of the quota for german immigrants were filled during WWII and of all the german jews that escaped to America, the majority were forced to sign documents stating their willingness to be placed in camps and to be sent back to Europe following the war. I am shocked. I can't even describe how horrified I am. I have some pictures that I would like to upload on the subject... but I haven't gotten around to loading the picture viewer thing. I didn't get much of a chance to read any of it, but what I did learn, I can't believe.

Olympics

The 2006 winter olympics will be held in Italy. Do you think I will get a chance to go to the Olympics!? It is certainly a possibility. I watched the greatest movie today... Run Lola Run. It is like a muture amature movie. The entire movie is about Lola runing from her appartment to meet her boyfriend in a telephone booth in 20 minutes. In that period of time, she needs to obtain 100,000 marks. The situation is played out three times, each a little differently. Deffinatly one of my new favorite movies, hehe, although it is a lil violent at times. I watched a special on Berlin today and also another special on Aucshwitz. Tim finnished up Mein Kampf and claims that Hitler writes with even more hatred and zeal later in the book. I can't believe that with all the time spent in class learning about this stuff that it never really phased me.... I was actually board of it! I can't even comprehend it. And I know I won't be sleeping well tonite either. I don't think I could stomach visiting a concentration camp anymore.

Roots

My dad is making me watch Roots so that I understand that the Germans were not the only ones to have committed mass murder and cruelties. It's an odd documentary because the acting and sets don't quite seem right... they are very much "modern" 70's versions. I'm to stay home for another four days and unfortunatly I won't get much done cuz I have to watch this movie... its 6 tapes long! UGH. But, I also rented Run Lola Run, which I found in the foreign films section. The video store has a whole section of foreign films... in other languages. wooo whooo! The funny part is that it is easier to find dubbed english VHS than duel language dvd's because the dvd's don't label the language selections half the time.

anxious

I'm getting a lil anxious to know where in Germany i'll be. It makes a big difference. I really hope that I get placed in a "art and music" school versus just a regular "liberal arts" one. I want to know!!!

Hitler

In germany, Mein Kampf (autobiography of Adolf Hitler) is illigal... banned. Which makes sense since the history of Germany is so sensitive. However, I learned several important lessons today. First of all... America does not censor it's books. Denis didn't believe me that I could find any book I wanted from the library. So, I went down and checked out Mein Kampf and brought it in to show him. Well, in the process, I read some of it. There is a reason this book is illigal in Germany... in the wrong hands, especially a neo-nazi... it would be the bible. It is a satanic work of a genius and of insanity. I only read bits and peices, but I had a very difficult time sleeping last nite and getting through my classes today. But the most important thing I learned today is that if I don't know what I am talking about, I should not be talking about it.

The cultural difference between Germany and America is very very sensitive when it comes to the Hitler and the Nazi party. So while it is important that I know about WWII and the related events, I should probably not ever bring it up. And I should never tell anyone in Germany that I have actually read Mein Kampf. Hitler is a phycotic nutcase. I have an extreme respect for books... but that is one book that would be better off burned. I gave the book to my friend Tim and told him I never want to see it again. It is acutally a very fascinating read, but a lot to handle and digest. Deffinatly not one to read while half asleep. Those who tend not to be objectionable should not read it either. I have decided that the word hate is now not a part of my vocabulary anymore. Gute nacht.

Stickies!

I got lil stickers all over the house... almost 150 of them, labeling the walls, doors, rooms... even stuff inside most of the cupboards and drawers. hehe.

I threw Denis a surprise b-day party and he was extrememly happy about it. I spent quite a bit of time reading about cultural stuff and I learned a lot about b-day traditions and sum related vocabulary. cool! but nothing beats having 150 labels all over the house. hehe.

Auschwitz

This week is the 60th anniversary of the end of WWII and the liberation of Auschwitz. I have discovered that while in Germany, the Holocaust memorial in Berlin is to open, or something, i'm not sure... I should tho. PBS has an extensive documentary series on Auschwitz of which I watched tonite. horrendous. I plan to make it a point to visit a camp b4 I come home. A mojor issue that world leaders have been stressing is that at the next anniversary, the 70th, most of the remaining 1 million survivors will not be alive anymore. The reason is because children were systematically killed unless they were used for medical experiments or escaped. That makes older teens and 20 somethings the youngest gerneration to survive. I am amazed that these victims are still alive because the whole situation seems so remote yet I am disapointed by the fact that I will see a headline in my lifetime that claims the last holocaust survivor has passed away. Very strange concept indeed. It's a tough issue that I know I will have to face. Germany is forced to face it as this year being a whole string of 60th's which means that I won't have to confront it, it will confront me. My country and Germany were at war. Volzer's fought on both sides. its horrendous.

Genealogy

I just found all my dad's genealogy research. I knew that we are descended from Germany, but I didn't understand anything about it before. Now, I am shocked at the letters and the amount of information that is simply so jumbled that I wonder how I will sort thru it. It was my father's dream to put a genealogy together, inspired by when he visited Germany in '91. But also, he wanted to have a "reunion" in 2010, similar to one held in 1910, 'cept with the whole family, German and American branches. Although I had decided years ago to take up the project and lost interest due to time and no motivation.... I am realizing that my trip to germany and a thorough understanding of both sides of the family could prove invaluable towards the compliation of the records. And since I will know the language, I will be able to comunicate with more of my family. Plus, there are rumors that we come from southern france a bit... not sure about that, but I would certainly be thrilled to get to the bottom of that. I know a bit of french too.. so that would prove invaluable as well.

Although the task is immense, I feel that it is necessary to complete these records before my departure. Perhaps not extrememly comprehensive, but at least an accurate list. An ultimate goal would be to get letters and photographs of as many family memebers and a complete enough list to orgaize the "family reunion". A lot of work has already been done but a language and cultural barrier between the fatherland and "Amerika" has created an immense gap beyond the mid 1800's. My first problem is to either locate our old genealogy computer program, or to get a new one. Perhaps if possible, I can get these records online and linked to my blog.