Tuesday, July 5 2011- Another schoolday and a very happy birthday!

By (von): Emi Coffin

Guten Abend! (for all of the English speakers, that means "Good evening!"). Today was our second day of school in the secondary German school Gymnasium Augustinanum. Having already had a weekend with our host families and our first day of school finished, the American GAPPies are adjusting fondly to their German homes in addition to the German teenager´s lifestyle. German-speaking abilities are increasing among the American GAPPies, as well as the ability to comprehend a foreign environment and function comfortably in social environments consisting primarily of the German language.

The structure of German secondary school is incredibly different than the American secondary school system that we are accustomed to. First of all, each German student has a unique schedule in which classes vary from day-to-day, as well as the time in which the student is released from school. One student may not be entirely finished with their schoolday until 5:00pm, whereas another student may be released as early as 1:00pm. With this being said, for the most part, each American GAPPie shadowed their German GAPPie partner and attended the classes assigned to the day. For me and my German partner, Jacqueline, this included Mathematics, Philosophy, and English class. However, unsere Lehrerin (our female teacher), was not present as school today, so we were able to use the period to engage in other schoolwork. It is typical for German students to have freetime when their teacher does not attend school due to illness. The German system of personalized schedules gives one a sense of freedom and ability to relax, when coming from being accustomed to the consistent and strictly structured American school system. A wonderful (and eye-opening) experience indeed!

Personally, I found the second day of school to be much easier to function than the first, and therefore was able to converse with other German students much more comfortably. I understood more of the instruction during classes than I did yesterday, and was generally able to comprehend my surroundings more clearly. This naturally gave me a stronger sense of belonging in the school environment. During the second large break of the schoolday, we had a wonderful surprise-- our teacher from German 2 class who is originally from Germany, Frau Brazee, paid us a visit! I found this to be a very nostalgic and exciting experience :) Visiting with Frau Brazee after living in her homeland for a week was really incredible. I was able to understand the habits of hers that are due to cultural differences much better, and made me appreciate having her as a teacher even more than I did before (which, take my word for it, I already appreciated thoroughly!).

Frau Brazee visits us at Gymnasium Augustinianum during the second, big recess.

After school, I explored the town of Greven (where we attend school) with several other American GAPPies as well as my German partner. What a lovely place! There is a reasonable selection of boutiques, in addition to markets, bookstores, bakeries, and ice cream cafes. It has the lovely charm of any German town, with the cobblestone streets and the quaint European feel. During our adventure in Greven, I was finally successful in finding a pair of vegan sandals with a similar quality to the famous German namebrand Birkenstock. Furthermore, they only costed 15 Euro-- an INCREDIBLE deal compared to the prices of Birkenstocks in America! I definitely felt a sense of triumph as a shopper today :) Although our German classmates rolled their eyes at our excitement for visiting such a small town, I thoroughly appreciated my visit in Greven, and will always treasure it as a fond and endearing memory.

Liz, Jordayn, and Amber at Erica's birthday party.

One of our American GAPPies, Erica, turned 15 today. It wasn't much a surprise to us that Germans like to party too, and likewise, a surprise birthday party was held for Erica at her German partner's house! Yay! :) Just as any American birthday party, food and beverages were served, presents were given, birthday wishes were made, games were played, and people socialized. The birthday party was a great situation for American and German GAPPies to bond with each other, and get to know each other a little better. I noticed my German comprehension skills had greatly improved in this social group setting, as I was able to interact with other German GAPPies with much ease, even those I had not been acquainted with. From what I observed, other American GAPPies seem to also be improving in speaking and comprehension of German. In addition to improving our German and bonding with German GAPPies, the party was another reminder of how much the Americans are bonding as friends. Although many of us barely knew each other when the trip began, we all seem to feel a sense of welcoming familiarity when we are together, and are developing a unique bond unlike that of friendships we have made in America. It is really rewarding to see our hard work and alienation in another country pay off with such incredible results. I can't help but smile about it.

All in all, the American and German GAPPies are adapting well as one whole group of friends and cclassmates. Each in our own individual ways, we are all growing as German-speakers, students, and experienced human beings with a global perspective. I had been happily ancipating this trip for months, but I could have never previously comprehended how truly incredible this experience would be. And to think... we still have two weeks! Woo-hoo!

And now, after a day filled with new knowledge, experiences, and much fun, I must sleep in my ever-so-comfortable German bed. Gute Nacht-- bis dann! :)