Thursday 4/12/14
Day 16, Amsterdam
Amsterdam! Finally! I am given the opportunity to write about one of our day outs, I shall cherish it and waste it not by producing a masterpiece of writing. J.K Rowling better watch out as I new writer is about to replace her as the greatest modern author. In fact, Charles Dickens needs to watch out, Roal Dahl, Allen Poe, Shakespeare.
Our day began with an early meeting at the main station in Düsseldorf, 6:45 to be exact. I was the first one there, tempted by the warm Starbucks store right next to me, I very much wanted to purchase some sort of beverage and sit inside away from the chilly weather. I resisted and soon after, others began arriving. We went on board, the ride took two hours and time was passed with card games, chatting and sleep for those who thought 6:30 was too early.
The first destination in Amsterdam was … the station …
Nah, it was the Anne Frank museum, which gave detail into the hidden life of Anne Frank. A fascinating piece of history, Anne Frank was a young girl caught in the huge second World War, she was forced into hiding due to her Jewish heritage, accompanied by her family and another. She wrote in her diary which when published, became the most well known written book about WW2.
We had probably, our largest break so far in this whole tour, the teachers were generous to give us almost two hours of exploring time. I was grouped with Struan and Alex, who wanted first to visit a nearby shopping centre. Inside, there were three floors and we went to the top, it was very high, well, most things are high in Amsterdam. Another thing that was high, was the prices in there, I invented the game, Guess the Game, and we always underestimated.
AHH, there are too many things to talk about in Amsterdam! We ate, there was talking, we had a canal tour in a huge river around the city, it was nice.
We saw an exhibition named Body Works which was all about biology and psychology. It was based on the concept of happiness and the brain’s relation to it, it was as we would all agree, extremely interesting. The train ride was again two hours. By the time we arrived back in Düsseldorf, it was 9:30, time for sleep.
~Harry
Tuesday 16 December 2014
Monday 15 December 2014
Wednesday, 3/12/14
Day 15, Düsseldorf
Today, we had another English class with a different teacher. We were analysing 'Of Mice and Men' characters, and again, the students were too shy to speak up. I was talking to a German student and he said that the teachers point out all the mistakes made by the students, making them more hesitant towards speaking out loud. "Yeah sure, they get some words wrong," I said to him, "but they still get their message across, and that's all that really matters."
We had orchestra at the end of the day, and all the music students got together and played Christmas songs for their concert. They sounded really good, but the instruments were very unbalanced. 6 clarinets, 4 trombones, 2 saxophones, 4 tubas, 3 french horns, 1 bass player, 1 drummist, 1 trumpet, 4 flute, 1 cellist and 1 violinist! Pretty much the opposite of our orchestra! They played well, (I think Macleod is better) but lacked the players of importance.
Tuesday, 2/12/14
Day 14, Düsseldorf
I had an English class today. It was really good, because the teacher made them speak in English. The Germans were analysing 'American Beauty', but they were underestimating the skill of their English. In my opinion, they made a few mistakes, but they were very good, and using words I didn't even know! They also depend on the ability of the teacher and what kind of accent they have, too. It's sometimes funny when a German student speaks English with a British accent, or an American accent, even if they've never been to either of the countries.
Monday, 1/12/14
Day 13, Düsseldorf
The first day of December! I got a few pinches and punches, but nothing too bad. Just like the first day of school, I had religion. I learnt that it is not a compulsory subject, but most students do it because it easy. As usual, I had no clue what was going on, and I didn't even bother.
My host, and a few others had exams, so we got frees during the lessons. We played Korean poker during these hours, and we played loudly. Soon enough, a teacher came in a told us off for being to loud, in German. So we were quiet for a bit, then he came in again, more aggresive with his voice and raised his voice, in German. I was a bit nervous, because our teachers said that they wanted no complaints from the school. In the end, everything was okay.
~Charlie
Friday 12 December 2014
Sunday, 30/11/14
Day 12, Düsseldorf
I'm sorry to say, but personally for me, there's not much I can write about today. For me, it was more of a relaxation day. I got to sleep in, read, and just relax in general. My whole day was completely free until around 7 o'clock.
This is where the fun begins. My family took me on a guided tour of a shut down steelworks. Now, the sun sets at 5, so wouldn't it be dark? Well, yeah. But lights on the machinery illuminate it all. Unfortunately, the tour guide was French, meaning she spoke her German with almost no pauses. Oliver, my host father, had a little trouble keeping up to translate it all to English, but I understood most of it. The sights were absolutely amazing, the facts were interesting, and the best part of the night was when we got to climb up the machinery via stairs and view the surrounding cities at night. Not only was Düsseldorf in close view, but also Essen!
The steelworks was absolutely amazing, but it was really all I did on the relaxing weekend day. I was just happy that it wasn't another 6 o clock wake up like school days!
~Troy
Day 12, Düsseldorf
I'm sorry to say, but personally for me, there's not much I can write about today. For me, it was more of a relaxation day. I got to sleep in, read, and just relax in general. My whole day was completely free until around 7 o'clock.
This is where the fun begins. My family took me on a guided tour of a shut down steelworks. Now, the sun sets at 5, so wouldn't it be dark? Well, yeah. But lights on the machinery illuminate it all. Unfortunately, the tour guide was French, meaning she spoke her German with almost no pauses. Oliver, my host father, had a little trouble keeping up to translate it all to English, but I understood most of it. The sights were absolutely amazing, the facts were interesting, and the best part of the night was when we got to climb up the machinery via stairs and view the surrounding cities at night. Not only was Düsseldorf in close view, but also Essen!
The steelworks was absolutely amazing, but it was really all I did on the relaxing weekend day. I was just happy that it wasn't another 6 o clock wake up like school days!
~Troy
Saturday, 29/11/14
Day 11, Düsseldorf
After a party the Germans threw me on Friday, I was sooooo tired in the morning! They drank lots of beer and had a great time … in German. Thankfully, I had some of my tour friends with me so I could at least keep my sanity. It was a fun time, but I was absoloutely wrecked in the morning!
Our family went to the Christmas markets in the aftenoon and we bought 'Kartoffelpuffers', which is a home-made hash brown, really, but you dip it in apple sauce. There were all kinds of beautiful shops: hats, wallets, souvenir shops and craft shops. But there was one shop that sold incredible hand-made wooden toys and gadgets, at a cheap price. The thing I like about Christmas Markets are the smell of them, and how they seem to radiate warmth with their bright, luminous lights. A common smell that I love are the smell of roasted almonds. Mmmmm …
Later, a few of our friends and their hosts went to a gig of one of the schools' bands. As we entered the café, there was blazing techno music and lots of young people. After my ears started to bleed, the band members took their places on the instruments and played all of the punk songs from the song-list. It was good, but after about seven songs two dudes from the audience began to … um … dance? They were very drunk and it was hilarious, but it was kind of alarming because they knocked a few people down in their jig-like circle dancing (including the lead guitarist!).
I couldn't even get out of bed the next day.
~Charlie
Day 11, Düsseldorf
After a party the Germans threw me on Friday, I was sooooo tired in the morning! They drank lots of beer and had a great time … in German. Thankfully, I had some of my tour friends with me so I could at least keep my sanity. It was a fun time, but I was absoloutely wrecked in the morning!
Our family went to the Christmas markets in the aftenoon and we bought 'Kartoffelpuffers', which is a home-made hash brown, really, but you dip it in apple sauce. There were all kinds of beautiful shops: hats, wallets, souvenir shops and craft shops. But there was one shop that sold incredible hand-made wooden toys and gadgets, at a cheap price. The thing I like about Christmas Markets are the smell of them, and how they seem to radiate warmth with their bright, luminous lights. A common smell that I love are the smell of roasted almonds. Mmmmm …
Later, a few of our friends and their hosts went to a gig of one of the schools' bands. As we entered the café, there was blazing techno music and lots of young people. After my ears started to bleed, the band members took their places on the instruments and played all of the punk songs from the song-list. It was good, but after about seven songs two dudes from the audience began to … um … dance? They were very drunk and it was hilarious, but it was kind of alarming because they knocked a few people down in their jig-like circle dancing (including the lead guitarist!).
I couldn't even get out of bed the next day.
~Charlie
Wednesday 10 December 2014
Friday, 28/11/14
Day 10, Düsseldorf
To be completely honest, I feel like I am boring whoever may be reading this. I get Tuesday and Friday to write about, two school days while Troy and Charlie get to write about their experiences in Bonn and Köln, two much bigger and filled days.
I will try, but I cannot guarantee that what you are about to read is in any way entertaining or enjoyable.
My first class was education, and when I heard that this class existed I was surprised. In education, the students learn about other education systems, their own, character building and things that Australian classes often avoid. Most memorable was the video about Japanese education which the class really enjoyed, since the rest of the class was simply reading worksheets.
The next period was free for me while the last period was free for most others. This meant I did not have many Australians to meet up with during this time and so I ventured around the school watching others and buying food from the cafeteria.
However, the thing that I would like to discuss the most is the sport class which I was very, over excited about. I’m not sure why but after hearing that we would be playing basketball, I immediately jumped for joy as it is my favourite sport and probably the only sport I play regularly. First, the girls and boys were split before being split again into two teams. I watched the girls play and it was all over the place, there were many turnovers and lost confused people yet everyone obviously enjoyed it.
When it was the boys turn, I was determined to show my skill (what skill?) in the sport. On the other hand, I did not want to seem too over confident either, so I was caught between how aggressive I should play. So when the ball was unexpectedly passed to me, I stuttered and turned my head to find an available teammate to pass to. I succeeded but I knew that I looked bad, which was my aim.
It was a good way to end the week.
~Harry
Day 10, Düsseldorf
To be completely honest, I feel like I am boring whoever may be reading this. I get Tuesday and Friday to write about, two school days while Troy and Charlie get to write about their experiences in Bonn and Köln, two much bigger and filled days.
I will try, but I cannot guarantee that what you are about to read is in any way entertaining or enjoyable.
My first class was education, and when I heard that this class existed I was surprised. In education, the students learn about other education systems, their own, character building and things that Australian classes often avoid. Most memorable was the video about Japanese education which the class really enjoyed, since the rest of the class was simply reading worksheets.
The next period was free for me while the last period was free for most others. This meant I did not have many Australians to meet up with during this time and so I ventured around the school watching others and buying food from the cafeteria.
However, the thing that I would like to discuss the most is the sport class which I was very, over excited about. I’m not sure why but after hearing that we would be playing basketball, I immediately jumped for joy as it is my favourite sport and probably the only sport I play regularly. First, the girls and boys were split before being split again into two teams. I watched the girls play and it was all over the place, there were many turnovers and lost confused people yet everyone obviously enjoyed it.
When it was the boys turn, I was determined to show my skill (what skill?) in the sport. On the other hand, I did not want to seem too over confident either, so I was caught between how aggressive I should play. So when the ball was unexpectedly passed to me, I stuttered and turned my head to find an available teammate to pass to. I succeeded but I knew that I looked bad, which was my aim.
It was a good way to end the week.
~Harry
Thursday, 27/11/14
Day 9, Cologne
We were in a shopping mall, after a nice train ride to Cologne (the trains are very nice here!). We were just about to leave the mall, when suddenly, "STOP!" shouted Mr. Jäckisch. "Wait a second," he said stretching his arms out, forming a wall. "Before you exit the doors, I don't want any of you to look up until I say so." We had no idea what Mr. Jäckisch was on about. So, he made us form a file, each person with hands on the shoulders of the person in front on them and heads facing down. Slowly, 14 teenagers shuffled toward the doors of the mall, like we were all condemned prisoners. In the corner of my eye, I could see that people were just standing there, just as confused as we were! We got outside, and "Wow!" was all we could say, as we gazed in amazment at the colossal, 140 meter high brick cathedral.
As we walked closer to the architectural wonder, it sort of loomed over us, as tall buildings sometimes do, as if they are just ready to unfold. The people who weren't feeling up for climbing 509 stone steps went shopping and the rest of us went into the cathedral church. It was absoloutely amazing! The church had incredible stained glass lining all the walls, and a 30 ft tall roof! The stone spiral staircase gradually got thinner and thinner the higher we went. Once we got to the top, we were rewarded by a fantastic eye-opening view of Cologne. For miles and miles, full of shopping centres and buildings.
Next, we went to Cologne's Hohenzollern bridge. It was packed with locks belonging to couples as proof of their love. It went for 100 meters and literally every fence was smothered by indented love locks! There were some locks that looked at least 20 years old!
After that, we spent some time loading candy into our bags (and mouths) at the official Haribo retail store outlet, right next to the Haribo factory! It was a paradise. We were overwhelmed by the shear amount of gummy bears and the different possibilities there were. It. Was. Awesome. I did have a sick stomach, but it was soooo worth it.
Cologne and Düsseldorf are close cities, and are old rivals. Cologne may have an old battle-worn cathedral, a Haribo factory and a bridge, but in my opinion Düsseldorf is greater!
~Charlie
Day 9, Cologne
We were in a shopping mall, after a nice train ride to Cologne (the trains are very nice here!). We were just about to leave the mall, when suddenly, "STOP!" shouted Mr. Jäckisch. "Wait a second," he said stretching his arms out, forming a wall. "Before you exit the doors, I don't want any of you to look up until I say so." We had no idea what Mr. Jäckisch was on about. So, he made us form a file, each person with hands on the shoulders of the person in front on them and heads facing down. Slowly, 14 teenagers shuffled toward the doors of the mall, like we were all condemned prisoners. In the corner of my eye, I could see that people were just standing there, just as confused as we were! We got outside, and "Wow!" was all we could say, as we gazed in amazment at the colossal, 140 meter high brick cathedral.
As we walked closer to the architectural wonder, it sort of loomed over us, as tall buildings sometimes do, as if they are just ready to unfold. The people who weren't feeling up for climbing 509 stone steps went shopping and the rest of us went into the cathedral church. It was absoloutely amazing! The church had incredible stained glass lining all the walls, and a 30 ft tall roof! The stone spiral staircase gradually got thinner and thinner the higher we went. Once we got to the top, we were rewarded by a fantastic eye-opening view of Cologne. For miles and miles, full of shopping centres and buildings.
Next, we went to Cologne's Hohenzollern bridge. It was packed with locks belonging to couples as proof of their love. It went for 100 meters and literally every fence was smothered by indented love locks! There were some locks that looked at least 20 years old!
After that, we spent some time loading candy into our bags (and mouths) at the official Haribo retail store outlet, right next to the Haribo factory! It was a paradise. We were overwhelmed by the shear amount of gummy bears and the different possibilities there were. It. Was. Awesome. I did have a sick stomach, but it was soooo worth it.
Cologne and Düsseldorf are close cities, and are old rivals. Cologne may have an old battle-worn cathedral, a Haribo factory and a bridge, but in my opinion Düsseldorf is greater!
~Charlie
Thursday 4 December 2014
Wednesday, 25/11/14
Day 8, Düsseldorf
We all awoke in our German houses, excited and ready for our day trip. We had a day off school (yay!) and instead we went too......
PHANTASIALAND (fan-tah-si-a)! A winter themed, well..... Theme park.
We all still had to go to first period, so a few other students and I went to an English class, all happy we could finally understand what was being said by the teacher. But we all couldn't wait until the clock hit quarter past 9, which is when we could finally leave. Another train and bus ride, and we were finally at Phantasialand. We were greeted by a massive carousal and snow! Already, everyone was taking photos and enjoying the scenery.
Everyone split up to do their own things. A large group of students went with the teachers to explore the entire park and go on almost every single ride. And then the unadventurous ones (me) and the ones who wanted to go at their own pace wandered off elsewhere, doing as they pleased. The best ride there was obviously the log ride, and I have the photo to prove that Harry and I were having SO MUCH FUN.
What mostly made the theme park was it's scenery and winter and Christmas setting. Sure, there weren't as many thrill packed rides as say, Movie world or Dreamworld (phew), but the visuals were absolutely stunning. Speaking of visuals, we all got to see a great 4D movie. Yep, that's right, 4D. The movie, unfortunately in German, was not only in 3D, but we wonderfully greeted with sprays of water and blasts of air to our faces and bodies. Because who doesn't want that when watching a movie about pirates?
Finally, once all was done, we met up for a picture run, which was basically the teachers herding us around to get pictures. We all jumped onto the carousel to end the night with the something. We were picked up from the Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof by our host families, and then all underwent whatever activities we did with our families that night.
We all fell asleep, once again happy that tomorrow would be another adventurous day - in Cologne. Hmm..... Must smell pretty great there to be called Cologne!
No … No one? Well I thought it was funny …
~Troy
Day 8, Düsseldorf
We all awoke in our German houses, excited and ready for our day trip. We had a day off school (yay!) and instead we went too......
PHANTASIALAND (fan-tah-si-a)! A winter themed, well..... Theme park.
We all still had to go to first period, so a few other students and I went to an English class, all happy we could finally understand what was being said by the teacher. But we all couldn't wait until the clock hit quarter past 9, which is when we could finally leave. Another train and bus ride, and we were finally at Phantasialand. We were greeted by a massive carousal and snow! Already, everyone was taking photos and enjoying the scenery.
Everyone split up to do their own things. A large group of students went with the teachers to explore the entire park and go on almost every single ride. And then the unadventurous ones (me) and the ones who wanted to go at their own pace wandered off elsewhere, doing as they pleased. The best ride there was obviously the log ride, and I have the photo to prove that Harry and I were having SO MUCH FUN.
What mostly made the theme park was it's scenery and winter and Christmas setting. Sure, there weren't as many thrill packed rides as say, Movie world or Dreamworld (phew), but the visuals were absolutely stunning. Speaking of visuals, we all got to see a great 4D movie. Yep, that's right, 4D. The movie, unfortunately in German, was not only in 3D, but we wonderfully greeted with sprays of water and blasts of air to our faces and bodies. Because who doesn't want that when watching a movie about pirates?
Finally, once all was done, we met up for a picture run, which was basically the teachers herding us around to get pictures. We all jumped onto the carousel to end the night with the something. We were picked up from the Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof by our host families, and then all underwent whatever activities we did with our families that night.
We all fell asleep, once again happy that tomorrow would be another adventurous day - in Cologne. Hmm..... Must smell pretty great there to be called Cologne!
No … No one? Well I thought it was funny …
~Troy
Tuesday 2 December 2014
Tuesday, 25/11/14
Day 7, Düsseldorf
Hello parents!
Tuesday was the second school day for the tour’s participants, no longer could we consider „Oh, I didn’t know“ a valid excuse. Somehow, we could be considered full fledged students with enough knowledge to act with responsibility within one day. Now, I know little of all the other people’s actions during this day but for me, I began with a tiring awakening due to the last day’s soccer game.
Me and my host partner almost rushed to school to be on time for the first class, which if you haven’t heard, begins at a very early time. When we arrived, still mourning over the loss of another full hour of rest, we were informed that the class for cancelled. It was a painful time for us all, there were many downcast faces.
The next class for me was French if I remember correctly and I had Jasmin as a friend to accompany me. It was hard enough attempting to understand a language we haven’t mastered yet but learning a language through a language we haven’t would be an impossible task. Hence, Jasmin and I drew pictures and amused ourselves with games such as Guess the Song or 20 Questions.
Last class was biology which is something I have some experience with since I finished the first two units of VCE Biology. Interestingly, the biological terms often sounded similar to their english counterparts, most if not all the organelles I could guess and many other biological words were quite clear to me.
Nothing special occured that day, it was merely another school day but tomorrow will definitely be exciting
~Harry
Day 7, Düsseldorf
Hello parents!
Tuesday was the second school day for the tour’s participants, no longer could we consider „Oh, I didn’t know“ a valid excuse. Somehow, we could be considered full fledged students with enough knowledge to act with responsibility within one day. Now, I know little of all the other people’s actions during this day but for me, I began with a tiring awakening due to the last day’s soccer game.
Me and my host partner almost rushed to school to be on time for the first class, which if you haven’t heard, begins at a very early time. When we arrived, still mourning over the loss of another full hour of rest, we were informed that the class for cancelled. It was a painful time for us all, there were many downcast faces.
The next class for me was French if I remember correctly and I had Jasmin as a friend to accompany me. It was hard enough attempting to understand a language we haven’t mastered yet but learning a language through a language we haven’t would be an impossible task. Hence, Jasmin and I drew pictures and amused ourselves with games such as Guess the Song or 20 Questions.
Last class was biology which is something I have some experience with since I finished the first two units of VCE Biology. Interestingly, the biological terms often sounded similar to their english counterparts, most if not all the organelles I could guess and many other biological words were quite clear to me.
Nothing special occured that day, it was merely another school day but tomorrow will definitely be exciting
~Harry
Monday, 24/11/14
Day 6, Düsseldorf
Hello parents!
Today was our first day at school! My host parents were very kind, friendly and did anything to make me feel comfortable in their home. Before meals, "Guten appetit" is said by the host. It is a way to say: "eat well; have a good appetite". People don't use this often in Australia, but I think it's a nice thing to say to your friends that you want them to eat well. Before I slept, I set my alarm for 6:30am, just like I would if I were at school in Australia. As I woke up, I was confused about where I was. I had to remind myself that I was half-way across the world, far, far, away from my bed!
We were eating breakfast and there I was, spoon half in my muesli, and waiting for the traffic lights to say "Guten Appetit". I gulped it down in five seconds, and was out the door in two. I thought we had to trek over the Alps to get to school, but it was only a two-minute walk! Two minutes!! They live a short bike ride to the city, and only two minutes to get to school! Crazy! It was a fantastic feeling to see my friends again, a heartwarming feeling, that couldn't stop me from smiling. We shared our experiences with each other, and laughing. Lots and lots of laughing.
I had no-idea of what class I had in the morning until I was told later on. The only thing I think I learnt in that class is how fast they talk in discussion. So I just sat there, listening to the endless stream of connected words flow out of their mouth, occasionally picking out some words, like Australia, and … yeah that's it.
Halfway through the day, we and our German partners, were given a short introduction and welcome to the school. Also, we were given a green-paper booklet with the school's map, rules, time-table and, some German tongue twisters! This time-table was a student sheet-form-thing that we had to fill out and get the teacher to sign at the end of the lesson.
All of the hosts decided that it was a good idea to take us to a Bundesliga (2nd league) match. The train was very packed, and everyone had to squeeze in. Lots of people had beers in their hands. When we went in the 'Esprit Arena' (a stadium similar to the MCG, but square), the first thing I noticed was the liveliness of the crowd. I was standing right behind the goals (standing up), so I thought "I might get squashed by this guy behind me", but thankfully only my host got squashed. Phew!
The game started, drums thrummed, fans roared, smokers puffed and I gasped for clean air. There was a lot of smoke. I eventually just gave up. At the start pf the game, a gigantic TV screen appeared and showed a man in a soccer outfit. Before I had time to read his name a man on a speaker said: "Andreas", then a pause, "LAMBERTZ" the crowd responded. I had no idea what was going on, but then, I got the hang of it and started to join in myself! Hahaha! The score was 3-3 and I must admit, I fell asleep before I hit my head on the pillow!
~Charlie
Day 6, Düsseldorf
Hello parents!
Today was our first day at school! My host parents were very kind, friendly and did anything to make me feel comfortable in their home. Before meals, "Guten appetit" is said by the host. It is a way to say: "eat well; have a good appetite". People don't use this often in Australia, but I think it's a nice thing to say to your friends that you want them to eat well. Before I slept, I set my alarm for 6:30am, just like I would if I were at school in Australia. As I woke up, I was confused about where I was. I had to remind myself that I was half-way across the world, far, far, away from my bed!
We were eating breakfast and there I was, spoon half in my muesli, and waiting for the traffic lights to say "Guten Appetit". I gulped it down in five seconds, and was out the door in two. I thought we had to trek over the Alps to get to school, but it was only a two-minute walk! Two minutes!! They live a short bike ride to the city, and only two minutes to get to school! Crazy! It was a fantastic feeling to see my friends again, a heartwarming feeling, that couldn't stop me from smiling. We shared our experiences with each other, and laughing. Lots and lots of laughing.
I had no-idea of what class I had in the morning until I was told later on. The only thing I think I learnt in that class is how fast they talk in discussion. So I just sat there, listening to the endless stream of connected words flow out of their mouth, occasionally picking out some words, like Australia, and … yeah that's it.
Halfway through the day, we and our German partners, were given a short introduction and welcome to the school. Also, we were given a green-paper booklet with the school's map, rules, time-table and, some German tongue twisters! This time-table was a student sheet-form-thing that we had to fill out and get the teacher to sign at the end of the lesson.
All of the hosts decided that it was a good idea to take us to a Bundesliga (2nd league) match. The train was very packed, and everyone had to squeeze in. Lots of people had beers in their hands. When we went in the 'Esprit Arena' (a stadium similar to the MCG, but square), the first thing I noticed was the liveliness of the crowd. I was standing right behind the goals (standing up), so I thought "I might get squashed by this guy behind me", but thankfully only my host got squashed. Phew!
The game started, drums thrummed, fans roared, smokers puffed and I gasped for clean air. There was a lot of smoke. I eventually just gave up. At the start pf the game, a gigantic TV screen appeared and showed a man in a soccer outfit. Before I had time to read his name a man on a speaker said: "Andreas", then a pause, "LAMBERTZ" the crowd responded. I had no idea what was going on, but then, I got the hang of it and started to join in myself! Hahaha! The score was 3-3 and I must admit, I fell asleep before I hit my head on the pillow!
~Charlie
Saturday 29 November 2014
Sunday, 23/11/14
Day 5, Berlin - Düsseldorf
Hello parents!
Well, today was a very packed day. After breakfast we all ran up stairs and packed anything we had left to pack, in a rush to be ready for checkout. We rushed to the Hauptbahnhof and caught our train to Düsseldorf just after 10am.
I would be lying if I said we found out seats easily. We all had to walk up many carriages looking like the tourists we were, before we found our allocated area. The train ride was different for everything, but I'm sure we'd all agree that it was relaxing. Some of us listened to music, read, socialised, enjoyed the great scenery, even slept! The train ride was relatively long, with us arriving in Düsseldorf just after 3pm. Feet sore, and desperately needing to stretch, we were greeted by our host families and everyone was taken home to settle in.
From here our experiences differentiate, but I'll just talk about mine. I had an hour or two of relaxing, before we went to a Mexican and Italian all you can eat type resteraunt. After a few bowls of a tasty spaghetti, we went home and I was told when I had to wake up and be ready for school the next day, and then fell asleep well before 10. I was nervous as I had to attend a German school the next day, but a good sleep helped that....... Just a little.
~Troy
Day 5, Berlin - Düsseldorf
Hello parents!
Well, today was a very packed day. After breakfast we all ran up stairs and packed anything we had left to pack, in a rush to be ready for checkout. We rushed to the Hauptbahnhof and caught our train to Düsseldorf just after 10am.
I would be lying if I said we found out seats easily. We all had to walk up many carriages looking like the tourists we were, before we found our allocated area. The train ride was different for everything, but I'm sure we'd all agree that it was relaxing. Some of us listened to music, read, socialised, enjoyed the great scenery, even slept! The train ride was relatively long, with us arriving in Düsseldorf just after 3pm. Feet sore, and desperately needing to stretch, we were greeted by our host families and everyone was taken home to settle in.
From here our experiences differentiate, but I'll just talk about mine. I had an hour or two of relaxing, before we went to a Mexican and Italian all you can eat type resteraunt. After a few bowls of a tasty spaghetti, we went home and I was told when I had to wake up and be ready for school the next day, and then fell asleep well before 10. I was nervous as I had to attend a German school the next day, but a good sleep helped that....... Just a little.
~Troy
Friday 28 November 2014
Saturday, 22/11/14
Day 4, Berlin
Hello Parents!
Today's activities, unlike the last few days' consisted of much less activity and more relaxation. One of the biggest selling points which we were all excited about was the tropical island dome which was a huge environment fully-loaded with a food court, pool and much more. As usual, the start of the day began with breakfast at nine. Soon afterwards, we walked through the cold weather to the station and hopped on a double-decker train!
A certain highlight of the day was learning about the German people's love for soccer through some of the citizen's loud and enthusiastic chants on the train.Yes, a group of people shouted throughout the whole trip and I could see each our passengers cringing on the inside. Though I cannot recount all of the students's activities, most of us attempted to swim in the artificial beach, brave the water slide and dine luxuriously in the food court. At regular intervals, we would encounter each other and exchange new information about this or that attraction. Without a doubt, I believe we were still tired despite the day's supposed relaxing purpose.
Right before our departure from the islands, I, unfortunately, was left behind, because I was, umm … busy. The bus left without me but Mr. Jäckisch and some other kind students returned me safely to the train.
All else is the same for the day, with a casual dinner and a briefing of the day events.
~Harry
Day 4, Berlin
Hello Parents!
Today's activities, unlike the last few days' consisted of much less activity and more relaxation. One of the biggest selling points which we were all excited about was the tropical island dome which was a huge environment fully-loaded with a food court, pool and much more. As usual, the start of the day began with breakfast at nine. Soon afterwards, we walked through the cold weather to the station and hopped on a double-decker train!
A certain highlight of the day was learning about the German people's love for soccer through some of the citizen's loud and enthusiastic chants on the train.Yes, a group of people shouted throughout the whole trip and I could see each our passengers cringing on the inside. Though I cannot recount all of the students's activities, most of us attempted to swim in the artificial beach, brave the water slide and dine luxuriously in the food court. At regular intervals, we would encounter each other and exchange new information about this or that attraction. Without a doubt, I believe we were still tired despite the day's supposed relaxing purpose.
Right before our departure from the islands, I, unfortunately, was left behind, because I was, umm … busy. The bus left without me but Mr. Jäckisch and some other kind students returned me safely to the train.
All else is the same for the day, with a casual dinner and a briefing of the day events.
~Harry
Friday, 21/11/14
Day 3, Berlin
Hello parents!
We rose from our jet-lagged sleep, rubbing our eyes and at the same time checking the time with disbelief. "9 … 9.15?? What?? Everyone, wake up we're late!!" Hahaha! After having half a bowl of cereal, we hurried to the shopping mall where we met our tour guide, Enrico. A 20-foot christmas tree guarded the mall like a king at the entrance and it's star was a bright, brilliant damsel overseeing Hauptbahnhof. Beaut-iful.
Our first destination was the Brandenburg Gate. We took a train (which was designed specifically for the transport of politicians) and were given quizzes of Germany's history. The Brandenberg gate looked so much different during the day. Looking through the gate, we could see a feint, golden statue in the distance, the Victory Column. The view reminded me of the Shrine of Remembrance and the wide, open path dividing the trees.
We travelled on these trams that looked like massive piano-accordions, and then got off at Alexanderplatz (a large city square). The next activity that we did was an interactive experience with actors in scenes. It was called 'The Berlin Dungeon', and the scenes were about Berlin's dark history. Some people of the audience participated in some of the scenes, including some of the students.
Next, we visited the Berlin Wall. This was very special for us because we had heard and read of the wall, but never seen it in real life. The people of Berlin decided that it was a good idea not to destroy all of the wall, but keep some of it up for history, and for a reminder. The wall is now covered in artistic paintings, symbolic drawings and writing. Although it is just a wall, it has a lot of meaning.
Finally, we visited a wax museum. The figures in the wax museum were so real, that I was slowly starting to go crazy. Even up close they were intimidating! They had wax leaders, celebrities, villains, musicians and Justin Bieber. It was exciting and scary at the same time!
~Charlie
Day 3, Berlin
Hello parents!
We rose from our jet-lagged sleep, rubbing our eyes and at the same time checking the time with disbelief. "9 … 9.15?? What?? Everyone, wake up we're late!!" Hahaha! After having half a bowl of cereal, we hurried to the shopping mall where we met our tour guide, Enrico. A 20-foot christmas tree guarded the mall like a king at the entrance and it's star was a bright, brilliant damsel overseeing Hauptbahnhof. Beaut-iful.
Our first destination was the Brandenburg Gate. We took a train (which was designed specifically for the transport of politicians) and were given quizzes of Germany's history. The Brandenberg gate looked so much different during the day. Looking through the gate, we could see a feint, golden statue in the distance, the Victory Column. The view reminded me of the Shrine of Remembrance and the wide, open path dividing the trees.
We travelled on these trams that looked like massive piano-accordions, and then got off at Alexanderplatz (a large city square). The next activity that we did was an interactive experience with actors in scenes. It was called 'The Berlin Dungeon', and the scenes were about Berlin's dark history. Some people of the audience participated in some of the scenes, including some of the students.
Next, we visited the Berlin Wall. This was very special for us because we had heard and read of the wall, but never seen it in real life. The people of Berlin decided that it was a good idea not to destroy all of the wall, but keep some of it up for history, and for a reminder. The wall is now covered in artistic paintings, symbolic drawings and writing. Although it is just a wall, it has a lot of meaning.
Finally, we visited a wax museum. The figures in the wax museum were so real, that I was slowly starting to go crazy. Even up close they were intimidating! They had wax leaders, celebrities, villains, musicians and Justin Bieber. It was exciting and scary at the same time!
~Charlie
Wednesday 26 November 2014
BUNDESLIGA MATCH!
Hello everyone!
Last night we had a blast at our very first BUNDESLIGA MATCH! We all had plenty of fun even though the match ended in a tie.
We are all looking forward to our trip to Phantasialand tomorrow and will have a great time.
Tschüss!
Thursday, 20/11/14
Day 2, Berlin
Hello parents!
Today was our first day not on a plane! Hoorah! We started off by eventually making our way out of Berlin Airport, and all boarded onto one bus. From there we were driven right to our new home, the Meininger Hostel!
It is convieniently located right next to the Haupbahnhof, a massive shopping mall. Shopping, everyone's favourite! We eat some quality German-made bread from the local bakery and it was absolutely brilliant!
After the meal, we walked towards the Brandenburg Gate, and everyone had fun taking selfies and pictures and so on, typical teenage tourist activities. However, the sun here sets at 4:30pm, so it was pretty dark, ruining everyone's pictures.
After some dinner back at the hostel, we were gifted with a tour of the Reichstag, the German parliment! Unfortunately, we were all really tired and jetlagged and may have dozed off at some points in the tour. Oops!
The glass dome on top of the Reichstag gave a fantasic view of Berlin, and the cool air woke us up a little, just a little bit. And then finally, we all received what we wanted. We walked back to Meininger, got into our rooms and fell asleep in an instant. The day was very jam-packed and we were all jetlagged, but it was still amazing.
~Troy
Day 2, Berlin
Hello parents!
Today was our first day not on a plane! Hoorah! We started off by eventually making our way out of Berlin Airport, and all boarded onto one bus. From there we were driven right to our new home, the Meininger Hostel!
It is convieniently located right next to the Haupbahnhof, a massive shopping mall. Shopping, everyone's favourite! We eat some quality German-made bread from the local bakery and it was absolutely brilliant!
After the meal, we walked towards the Brandenburg Gate, and everyone had fun taking selfies and pictures and so on, typical teenage tourist activities. However, the sun here sets at 4:30pm, so it was pretty dark, ruining everyone's pictures.
After some dinner back at the hostel, we were gifted with a tour of the Reichstag, the German parliment! Unfortunately, we were all really tired and jetlagged and may have dozed off at some points in the tour. Oops!
The glass dome on top of the Reichstag gave a fantasic view of Berlin, and the cool air woke us up a little, just a little bit. And then finally, we all received what we wanted. We walked back to Meininger, got into our rooms and fell asleep in an instant. The day was very jam-packed and we were all jetlagged, but it was still amazing.
~Troy
Friday 19 September 2014
Welcome To The Blog!
Welcome to our 2014 German tour blog! We will be using this blog to update everyone on our adventures whilst we are in Germany. We will be posting on a daily basis so you will be able to check it out at your leisure.
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