Laura Smith - TAS to Germany

Tue 28 Apr 2009

Laura Smith, from Lindisfarne TAS, took part in a semester exchange to Germany. She wrote to us:

“So, I’ve been in Germany for a couple of months now, and time is absolutely flying by. I’m getting used to life as a local here in Ensdorf, Saarland, but I’m still discovering new things every day. I know that it’s going to be very hard to leave and go back to normal life in Australia. I’m wishing I’d chosen the year program!

I have a host mother and father, Thomas and Myriam, and three host sisters, Svenja who is 9, Tatjana who is 13 and Tamara, who is 16. My host family speaks no English at all, so the first couple of weeks were a bit confusing, with lots of blank looks and a few misunderstandings. Now, my German is far from fluent, but I’m definitely getting there! I get the gist of most conversations, and understand almost everything when people speak directly to me. It’s such a great feeling to be able to communicate with my new friends entirely in German, and people are always commenting on how much my language skills have improved in the last 2 months. I’m also picking up the local dialect, which will be a very interesting souvenir of my time here.

Everything here is so exciting, just because it’s all new and different. My host family thought it was hilarious the first time I saw falling snow, and ran around trying to catch the snowflakes. The whole environment is so different from Australia, the plants and trees, the animals, the houses, the streets. I was wondering why all the gardens had little heaps of dirt on the lawns, turned out they’re molehills!

School is pretty difficult, partly because it’s all in German, but mainly because everyone is so smart! My class learns Math’s, History, Geography, Politics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, German, English, French, Latin and Sport. We can also choose between art or music, and Catholic or Protestant religion. The classes are nowhere near as laid-back as they are in Australia, because if you don’t do well enough in a Gymnasium here, you get kicked out!

My new friends are so nice and helpful, always happy to answer my questions and explain things when I don’t understand. I was a bit shy to talk to people at first because of my lack of German, but now I know there’s nothing to be scared of! Just about everyone I’ve encountered here is really friendly, and keen to know about life in Australia. The most commonly asked questions are have you seen a kangaroo? And do you go to the beach every day?

The food here is also great! The first time I went to a German supermarket I couldn’t believe how many different types of sausages they had, including local Saarlaendish specialty Lyoner. Bakeries and chocolate shops are like little art galleries for food. Everything is so pretty, and soooo yummy!

Highlights so far have been seeing a film with my German class and understanding everything, visiting the Teufelsburg, the first castle I’d ever seen, and my trip to Paris with a youth group from my town. But the best day was celebrating Fasching (Karneval) in Schwalbach on Rose Monday. Everyone dresses up in costumes and they have a big parade through the streets, throwing sweets, dancing and playing music. Then in the evening everyone eats, drinks and dances some more. It was a fantastic way to experience some local culture, and I also met the people who have become my closest friends here in Germany.

I'm really looking forward to the last couple of months here, especially our class trip to Berlin! Sometimes it’s hard to believe I’m so far away from home, and I have to remind myself that I’m really here. This exchange is nothing like what I imagined it would be like, but it’s the most fun I’ve ever had. There have been a couple of hard days, when I felt so far away from my friends and family and everything I know. But the good times far far far outweigh the bad times!”

The photos are: The view from my bedroom window of the street, covered in snow! Me at the Teufelsburg Castle, and my two youngest host sisters next to the Saarlouis city sign.

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