Happy New Year!
Hey, hey!
As you probably know I've been to Alabama over New Year. We spent there eight days. It was very interesting to see a part of the country that tourists usually wouldn't get to see. Why no tourists go there? Because there is NOT much! Everything is very far away, there were to museums close to where I stayed, there wasn't a city or something like a bigger town and mostly there are fields with cows or horses on it.
I learned to appreciate my host community even more than I already did. I am not saying it was bad or boring, it is just that I am glad that I came to Duxbury, which is very close to Boston and to the sea. There is actually something to do. I think that way for sure as well, because I grew up in the city and always had something exciting around me. We hadn't many plans and so I was thinking a lot, which made me a little more homesick unfortunately, but it wasn't that bad.
My New Years Eve was also very different than we would celebrate it at home. Although we went to a folk-banjo music concert, the family I was with, was asleep right after we got home, which was 10:30pm. I was called my exchange student friend from Germany, Lea who was in Duxbury to celebrate a little with her New Years, but it wasn't midnight in Alabama yet. Close to "my" midnight, my friend, who is an exchange student in Sweden (not the same as Switzerland!) woke up early in the morning for me, so we can talk on the phone and so I could have a good start in the new year too. I really appreciated that a lot! - Thank you Sofia!
In Alabama I stayed with my oldest host brother, the son of my host parents and his children. My host dad and I visited them. They live close to the little town Huntsville in a even smaller town, that doesn't even owns a grocery store or another kind of store. All the houses in their neighborhood were built very recently and I am sure that six years ago there was nothing but a field. It was very special to see so many new houses at one place, because I have never seen that at home.
We visited the Space & Rocket Center and a cave that is in a national park.
They also took me to a german restaurant. It was very funny to see how the Americans react to Schlager and I could eat dishes that I usually eat at home like Apfelstrudel, Sauerkraut, Kartoffelsalat and Spätzli.
Although we did some very interesting activities, one of my favorite experiences in "the south" was when my host dad and I were on the way home and stayed in a hotel close to Nashville, Tennessee. We went to a place called Wafflehouse. When we entered that place, I felt like in a movie and this time I had the feeling that I am really an actor. I've felt that everything around me is that extremely unreal. In the shop a music box was playing some country songs, it smelled like waffles, pancakes, fries and burgers and there was an older lady working there who looked a bit angry and unfriendly. Next to her was a tall guy wearing a flannel, denim jeans and a west. He asked us with his very southern accent something and told us a joke and I couldn't understand him at all, because his accent was that thick. Southern accents are very hard to understand, although they're talking actually very slow.
Two days ago a snow storm started here and we got almost 50cm of snow. It is still snowing so I'll let you know how much it was at the end. I spend today about three hours outside playing with Adam and Ziad my host brothers and building a igloo. I really enjoyed it being outside, but I had the feeling I am one of the only one who loves the snow that much. Many people at my school here say that they don't like the snow and that they are sick of winter, although is hasn't even really started yet. I have the feeling that the relation ship between the snow and the people in Switzerland is much different than between the American people and he snow. You probably can't say "relationship" in this context, but I don't know how else to describe it. What I mean by that is that the American more "fight" against the snow and want to get rid of it as fast as possible and the Swiss are enjoying the snow and go outside to ski on it or build something with it. It is probably just me but I had that feeling over the last days.
In a week we'll have the midterms in school which are huge exams which could mess my grade up really badly, but I am going to try my best.
What also comes up in the next week is my birthday and the mid-year orientation.
I can't believe I spent already five months here, it is 2017 and I am turning 16 already. The time is flying so fast!!
I hope all my readers had a wonderful start in the New Year and are all healthy and happy!
Best wishes from the snow,
Nadia
As you probably know I've been to Alabama over New Year. We spent there eight days. It was very interesting to see a part of the country that tourists usually wouldn't get to see. Why no tourists go there? Because there is NOT much! Everything is very far away, there were to museums close to where I stayed, there wasn't a city or something like a bigger town and mostly there are fields with cows or horses on it.
I learned to appreciate my host community even more than I already did. I am not saying it was bad or boring, it is just that I am glad that I came to Duxbury, which is very close to Boston and to the sea. There is actually something to do. I think that way for sure as well, because I grew up in the city and always had something exciting around me. We hadn't many plans and so I was thinking a lot, which made me a little more homesick unfortunately, but it wasn't that bad.
My New Years Eve was also very different than we would celebrate it at home. Although we went to a folk-banjo music concert, the family I was with, was asleep right after we got home, which was 10:30pm. I was called my exchange student friend from Germany, Lea who was in Duxbury to celebrate a little with her New Years, but it wasn't midnight in Alabama yet. Close to "my" midnight, my friend, who is an exchange student in Sweden (not the same as Switzerland!) woke up early in the morning for me, so we can talk on the phone and so I could have a good start in the new year too. I really appreciated that a lot! - Thank you Sofia!
In Alabama I stayed with my oldest host brother, the son of my host parents and his children. My host dad and I visited them. They live close to the little town Huntsville in a even smaller town, that doesn't even owns a grocery store or another kind of store. All the houses in their neighborhood were built very recently and I am sure that six years ago there was nothing but a field. It was very special to see so many new houses at one place, because I have never seen that at home.
We visited the Space & Rocket Center and a cave that is in a national park.
They also took me to a german restaurant. It was very funny to see how the Americans react to Schlager and I could eat dishes that I usually eat at home like Apfelstrudel, Sauerkraut, Kartoffelsalat and Spätzli.
Although we did some very interesting activities, one of my favorite experiences in "the south" was when my host dad and I were on the way home and stayed in a hotel close to Nashville, Tennessee. We went to a place called Wafflehouse. When we entered that place, I felt like in a movie and this time I had the feeling that I am really an actor. I've felt that everything around me is that extremely unreal. In the shop a music box was playing some country songs, it smelled like waffles, pancakes, fries and burgers and there was an older lady working there who looked a bit angry and unfriendly. Next to her was a tall guy wearing a flannel, denim jeans and a west. He asked us with his very southern accent something and told us a joke and I couldn't understand him at all, because his accent was that thick. Southern accents are very hard to understand, although they're talking actually very slow.
Two days ago a snow storm started here and we got almost 50cm of snow. It is still snowing so I'll let you know how much it was at the end. I spend today about three hours outside playing with Adam and Ziad my host brothers and building a igloo. I really enjoyed it being outside, but I had the feeling I am one of the only one who loves the snow that much. Many people at my school here say that they don't like the snow and that they are sick of winter, although is hasn't even really started yet. I have the feeling that the relation ship between the snow and the people in Switzerland is much different than between the American people and he snow. You probably can't say "relationship" in this context, but I don't know how else to describe it. What I mean by that is that the American more "fight" against the snow and want to get rid of it as fast as possible and the Swiss are enjoying the snow and go outside to ski on it or build something with it. It is probably just me but I had that feeling over the last days.
In a week we'll have the midterms in school which are huge exams which could mess my grade up really badly, but I am going to try my best.
What also comes up in the next week is my birthday and the mid-year orientation.
I can't believe I spent already five months here, it is 2017 and I am turning 16 already. The time is flying so fast!!
I hope all my readers had a wonderful start in the New Year and are all healthy and happy!
Best wishes from the snow,
Nadia
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| At the space and rocket center |
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| In the cave |
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| In the cave with my hosted, me, Felipe and Sofia |
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| Fondue in American style |
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| Neighborhood where I stayed |
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| View from the window |
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| Folk music concert on New Years Eve |
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| Christmas trees in Huntsville |
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| Downtown Huntville |
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| Downtown Huntsville |
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| Downtown Huntsville |
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| My little host brother throwing a snow ball at me |
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| The house I live in during the snow storm |
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| My host brother doing a snow angel |
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| The house from the other side during the snow storm |
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| The street I live on |
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| The morning after the snow storm |
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| torwards the back yard |
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| the snowy back yard with the igloo I built |
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| The back yard |
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