|
|
|||||
|
July 2003 to February 2004 |
|||||
|
|
|||||
|
July 14th |
Ok hi everybody, I suppose by now you all want to know what my new host family are like. Well it is a house full of girls. Birgid, my host mum, owns a security company. She is soo cool, I love her heaps. She is a person that can tell when you are excited ,happy or when you are angry or sad. You can talk to her about everything and anything. She is such a fantastic person. I have my two host sisters. They are both 18, yes, that would make them twins wouldn't it. They are so lovely and really make me feel like a family member. Oh I nearly forgot another major part of the family, Spike. He is an Australian Shepherd and soo sweet and cute. I sleep in the same room as Laura. We put a bed in there and stuff (yes, surprise surprise, Emily is sharing a room). So I suppose you all want to know what I have been doing lately. Well on the 27 to 29th of June I went on a Rotex weekend (Rotex are exchange students that have come back and they do excursions etc). So we went to Wesel for the weekend and went canoeing and surprisingly we all happened to accidentally fall in, NOT!!!! On the Sunday my friend Will left to go home to America, that shed a tear. His parents didn't recognise him because he lost 15 kg, grew a goatie and got his eye brows pierced. He walked straight past his parents lol. This week in Düsseldorf it is "Kermis" which is a huge fun fair and nearly every town in Germany has it. I have Friday off so Brent and I might go to it. My last host family's daughter who was in Texas (America) for one year on Rotary exchange has just got back and she is very sweet. On Saturday we have a huge school party. Our principal Herr Kuhl is leaving so we are having a big party to honour him. I suppose you want to know the main differences here in Germany, well for the boys, one major difference is when I walk out my door to school etc there is a line of cars parked down the street and every second one is a BMW and really the rest are Mercedes which is what this family have. Another major difference here is the food, sorry Dad, there are no dim sims, pies or sausage rolls here. They have very healthy food here. They have about 500 different kinds of breads and 500 different kinds of cheeses. Sheep cheese is really popular here to and I am glad because I actually really like it. They hardly ever have tomato sauce on their hot chips (they eat mayonnaise) which is really yummy. You all should try it. The cakes here are really yummy too, especially the cheese cakes and the strawberry shortbread cakes. They also have lots of slices of meats here (like 500 different types of salami). Well I don't get lost anymore Mum. I use the trains, buses and taxis all the time to go to and fro from Köln, Düsseldorf and downtown Neuss. So this I have improved on. Anyway I promise I will update more often ok. Oh Pa, guess what I learnt yesterday, in Ireland they don't speak English, well they do but it isn't the major language. The major language is called Irish and it sounds a bit like half German and half the Netherlands. WOW, you learn something new every day, don't ya. Anyway sending lots of love to you all Love always and forever Emily |
||||
|
|
|||||
|
August 11th |
Hallo Alle, Denmark was sehr gut und ich liebe dänemark so viel und du kann nicht verstehen mich und das ist sehr lustig aber das ist ok ich liebe und ich vermiss alle,meine tante kommt heute und ich bin aufgeregt,wile karen ist meine lieblings Tante,und dann ich gehen zu großbritannen zu sehen meine Onkel colin und das ist auch sehr gut. Heute Ich schrieben in Deutsch nicht Englisch,Wann Du verstehen dann diese ist besser,und Geelong meine fußball lieblings bist gut nicht schlecht,collingwood bist schlecht. Ok then English as one has no idea what I am writing. You will all have to get your German dictionaries out and understand what I just wrote. Well yes, I was in Denmark for a week and it was so awesome and peaceful. I was on the Island Fyn and we went swimming and sunbaking on the beach which was great. It was really hot in Denmark like 30 degrees when I thought that it would be colder. The couple we stayed with were so nice and did so much with us and we had such a great holiday. They took us too Copenhagen for the day and we went to Tiville which was a great big funpark. We went on a boat trip around the harbour and did some shopping and ate some traditional Danish food. Sven, the guy we stayed with, owns Coppers, a big boating thing in Denmark but it is worldwide and he has been to Portland for it. So Nana, next time you hear about Coppers in Portland you can remember I know who owns it in Denmark. A little inside info if anyone wants to know who the next Queen of Denmark is most likely to be. It is an Aussie from Tasmania. Well, not much else to report. I am having a great time here and I only have 5 months to go which isn't long at all. I am going to be very sad to leave Germany because I love it here so much and love all the people here. This was the greatest thing I have ever done in my life. Ok, well I have to go because Karen is coming soon. I am so glad I get to see her. Sending lots and lots of love and keep safe. My love and hugs and kisses to you all. love Emilia |
||||
|
|
|||||
|
August 23rd |
Hi all, Well I know that you have all been waiting for an update and here it is. Well as you all know I went to England for a week with Uncle Col and Toni and it was really an experience. The first place we went was Bath. Toni and I went to the Roman baths which are the greatest Roman religious spas in Europe. Toni and I really enjoyed looking around the old roman baths. We then drove up too Huddersfield to Peter and Judith`s house for about 4 nights. It was really nice there and we had fun with the kids. They have a really cute dog, a Labrador. We went up to York for the day and it was pretty cool with lots to see. I really liked the York minister. We then went down to London and Toni and I did an open roof bus tour which was an excellent tour. We went around for ages looking at all the sights. We also went to the store Lillywhites, doesn't that name sound familiar. I also met up with a good friend of mine, Nic, who is also from Australia. We went to an Aussie pub and watched a soccer game between Ireland and Australia. Unfortunately Australia lost by a goal. The whole England trip was a really great experience and I am very grateful to my aunt and uncle for giving me that great opportunity. Well all must keep going, my love to all, miss you all Love always and forever Emily |
||||
|
|
|||||
|
September 13th |
Hello everybody. Well, my holidays have finished now and I start school again on Monday. In the last 2 weeks I
was in Belgium with my first host family. We were right on the beach and it was really good. I went swimming, collected
shells and did lots of walking along the beach. My host family also took me to Oostende and Brugge for the day
and also to Brussels, the capital of Belgium. It was a really nice 2 weeks for relaxing and indulging on Belgium
chocolate, the best in the world, and the best pommes (hot chips)in the world. Now I have to get ready for school with books and everything, because here it is the start of the school year and I am in the 12th year in Germany. New exchange students are coming from North America and Europe etc, and we will meet them soon on a rotex weekend. Unfortunately there is none coming to my club. My Rotary Jacket is also starting to fill up with lots of badges and I love it heaps. I also have lots of little things and presents from people here so I have a lot to take home. Well I have been in Germany now for 8 months and it has been a great experience. I have 4 months to go and there is still so much I haven't seen or done. Europe is a very big and beautiful place. I have met a lot of great and amazing people that I will never forget. Well all, I better get going, my love to everyone and missing you all. I hope everyone's holidays go well. Love Emilia |
||||
|
|
|||||
|
October 13th |
Hi everyone, sorry it's taken so long to update, been busy at school and meeting people etc. Well I am doing the
12th year at the moment which is a little harder than the last year. We went bowling for Constantein's (my first host brother) 15th birthday which was fun and it was a nice family outing. We (my first host family and I) had a family lunch and it was really nice just to talk to everyone and see everyone. I love the Meurer family because I really feel like a family member. We had a Rotex weekend to meet all the new exchange students and at 3am in the morning we went to a bakery and watched all the bread being made and everything which was pretty cool. We also went to a castle. We were in a little town called Lüdinghausen that no one in my school had ever heard of. I met all the new exchange students and they are all pretty awesome, especially the ones from America. I have already made a great friendship with Lane. She is from Colorado in America. One time when I was out with Lane I ate snails. Yes I know, I ate snails. They weren't that bad. They really didn't have a taste. I found them ok but it was more to the point that I remember seeing them at home in the backyard and then thinking about eating them but they were pretty good and I would eat them again. This last weekend I went to a thermal swimming pool with my host sister and her boyfriend. It is open till midnight and has heated pools, spas and whirlpools and also waterslides which I thought was really cool. I was also at a birthday lunch for a friend of my current host family. It was good because I met a lot of new people and spent time with my host mum`s mother who I really adore. She is lovely and I love talking with her heaps. She has improved my German heaps. Well everything is really good here in Germany but the weather is starting to get colder which is a bummer. I really love it here a lot and my time here has gone so fast. I have been here for 9 months this Sunday. Everything is fantastic here. I have this week left at school and then I have 2 weeks holidays which I am looking forward to. Well everyone, must keep going, thankyou everyone for your emails. I appreciate them. Thankyou Pa and Susan for sending me a letter every week since I have been here. I really really appreciate them. My love to everyone and miss everyone heaps Love always and forever, Emily. |
||||
|
|
|||||
|
November 5th |
Hi everyone, Just a quick update to tell you how everything is going here in GERMANY. Well I just had 2 weeks holidays in Germany and didn't do much. I have been learning German in a course during the holidays and this week too. Other than that, just un-stressing myself and doing a lot of German, studying, meeting with friends, and catching up on sleep from starting school every morning at 8 lol. I met with the exchange students a fair bit. I also did a lot of little things like family's do in the holidays like sitting and watching a movie, going to the movies and sitting down with everyone and having a home cooked meal because usually we are all racing around doing our own stuff. I have a Rotex weekend this weekend which should be good. The cleaning lady sewed some pins on my Rotary jacket the other day, which was nice. I can't wait to hand out some of my beautiful hand made badges. Mine are the best. They were hand made by Kaye Robinson and a group of ladies at the Goroke community health center which was really nice and sweet of them I think. I am back at school this week, learning learning learning. Well its normal to do that in a school, right. I am also getting right up to date on the history of Europe. My host sister has been teaching me heaps of things I didn't know about European history. I am glad to learn a lot about European history and German history. It is always good to know these things, especially as I'm here for a whole year. Anyway, I better get going. Finally I updated hey. Anyway my love to all, I love you all and miss you all, keep the e-mails coming. I may take a few days to reply but I still will. I promise. Love always and forever Emilia |
||||
|
|
|||||
|
November 23rd |
Hello all, Well a quick update so you all know what I am up too these days. I have just completed the last week of a German language course. Oh, I did my speech for Rotary on Wednesday for 10mins with questions. I had the Aussie flag and map up and I have never been so nervous about speaking in front of people in my life. There was like 40 Rotarians sitting there and my host mum. I had butterflies the whole way through and was so nervous of my German but it went well and everyone understood and thought it was great. I had questions asked and my host mum said it was the best read since we had practiced it a hundred times at home. Well other than that I saw finding Nemo in the theatre the other day mmmmmmm Sydney home Australia. We have been putting up decorations for Christmas this week. Well a little info about Christmas that will be different for me this year. On the 6th of December Saint Nicholas comes and puts some presents in our shoes. He is similar to our Santa Claus. We set the Christmas tree up on the 23rd of December here not early like us Australians do. Then we have Christmas dinner and the giving of presents at 6pm on the 24th. There is no Santa here. There is Chriskind, an angel like messenger from Jesus, who comes between 4 and 6 and we have to stay upstairs until 6pm. Well next weekend I am going to Hamburg with my two host sisters, Marc (my host sister's boyfriend), and their dad. Well that's about all the news for the last few weeks, I love you all Miss you all Love always and forever, Emily. |
||||
|
|
|||||
|
December 4th |
Hello all, Well my update today is about Hamburg on the weekend. It was an awesome weekend. I had a lot of fun with my host sister and my host dad. We went to a big fair there which goes for one month. We also went shopping and out to an Indian restaurant for dinner which was really cool. I had a great time. We went to a Hamburg history museum which was interesting too as Hamburg is the 2nd largest city in Germany and has a huge ship port. I went to the fish markets. They were just across the road from the hotel we were in. I had a lot of fun spending time with my host sister. Well this weekend Nickolos comes and on the Friday a friend of my host mum has her birthday party and also there is our class party which I hope is a fun time too. Christmas is coming up and I have a Christmas calendar, a kinder one, which is great. There is only 24 days to open as Christmas here is 24th, cool hey. Tomorrow we are going to the movies. We (English exchange students) go every Thursday to the English cinema in Düsseldorf which is excellent because its cheap too and a cool night out to watch a film together. Ok well I better get going,I am having fun in my last month everyone and has this time flown by. I really wish I could stay here but I couldn't because I love and would miss everyone to much at home. Its just that I have had such a wonderful time here and have met so many wonderful friends now that its going to be hard to leave. I don't want this great year to end but in reality all good things must come to an end. Well my love to all, I love you all and miss you all Bye, Love Emily Love always and forever Emily |
||||
|
|
|||||
|
December 2003 |
Happy New year too,I hope the New year is a wonderful year too
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
February 2004 |
Hi everyone,
|
||||
|
|
|||||
 |
|
|
|||
|
All graphics on this site are subject to copyright |
|||||
I miss you all and love you all so much.
