GAPP at Burg Eltz and St. Wendel

Okay, I have access to the internet for a bit longer again today.  Time to give you all a proper update.  *Note that I just tried for an hour to upload just a few of the pictures I have taken, but to no avail.  I will keep trying, but I will rely on text for now.*

We had an uneventful flight and a noisy train ride to St. Wendel.  There was some sort of bachelor party going on, so a lot of young men were singing (loudly).  There was also some bicycle event going on, so the train was quite crowded.  It took a few stops, but we all were able to sit down for the remainder of the journey (though in small groups).  We saw beautiful scenery, flooding on the Rhine in Mainz, and lots of vineyards.

Our arrival at the train station was met with warm hugs from the girls and cool handshakes from the boys.  Students and luggage were whisked away.  Apparently all students and host students went out to dinner as a big group in an informal welcome planned by the German students.  They said it was fun.

Monday was the no-school day.  Several students went to the local lake--Mia and Rayna celebrated Mia's 16th birthday in a paddle boat and with spaghetti ice cream (a German classic and very tasty).  Some of the others went shopping--I saw Isabella at the train station getting ready to head into Saarbrücken (the state capital of Saarland) for that purpose.  John M got to sit in on a driver's ed class.  Andrea C helped her host study for an English test and introduced Rena to SparkNotes.  I heard there was a lot of sleeping.  In fact, students seem to have underestimated how tired they would be.  This is normal; their brains are processing so many new sights, smells, experiences, and more and working so hard to communicate that they are mentally wiped out.

Tuesday was the first day of school, and the kids were fully immersed in the experience.  Natalie was in Mr. Schu's PE class and played frisbee, Andrea C. went ahead and took the English test, and generally students got the lay of the land. Isabella and Lucas followed their hosts to classes on another campus.  That meant that while we did see them and they reassured that they were fine, they were not present for our first check in.  Tuesday night, Germany defeated Northern Ireland 1-0 to win their group and advance in the Euro.  Many of the students watched with their host families and friends; a few went to a local "Kneipe" to watch.  While there had been some talk of public viewing, the weather didn't really cooperate.  There were intermittent showers through the day.

Wedensday we took the first of our excursions--to Burg Eltz.  This medieval castle is unusual in many ways.  It is not really a fortress (though it was only taken once--after a 5 year siege), but more of an extravagant living castle.  Records show its existence as far back as the 1100s, and various sections were added on or renovated over the next 800 years.  We got a tour of some of the living and entertaining rooms, including the assembly room.  This was known particularly for its free speech, but of course what happens there stays there.  There was a fool's face carved in the room, signifying the free speech (after all, only the fool was allowed to insult the royalty without penalty) and a rose of silence over the exit door, which signifies the promise to remain silent about anything said in the room.  We saw the women's work room with its spindle and laundry press, the hunting room with trophies from Alaska and Canada, the dining room with its Belgian tapestries and famous (and beautiful) works of art, and the children's room, which is still inhabited--by Agnes the ghost.  We also saw war was once likely a chapel but was converted to a dining room, the kitchens, the treasury (lots of gilded stuff and beautiful etched glass chalices).  The entry hall had been converted into a sort of armory for the display of weapons, though of course the castle was remarkably peaceful (due in part to the diplomatic skill of its family).  The count  today no longer lives there but checks in regularly.

Students had some time to explore the grounds, the gift shop (Norman will be bringing home a small sword), and just sit on the patio and eat a bite.  Then we walked back up the hill along the forrest trail.  This mini-hike was great, but it was a bit muggy.  The drive home afforded us a tremendous view of the Mosel (Moselle) River and valley, though Payton, who was mostly asleep as we passed over and is not fond of heights, had a rude awakening when he awoke to see us on a very high bridge over the valley!  Sorry, Payton, and I owe you a chocolate bar for that!

Last night there were apparently a few sleepovers (Paula and Andrea S. with Rena and Andrea C. while Maija joined Isabella and Jana).  This morning students were feeling a bit more at home at the school.  We checked in during 2nd period, and they are now starting to plan out which classes they want to visit in small groups.  A few of them had a free period and are currently enjoying ice cream with Suzanne.  While there are still some inevitable adjustments and some occasional loneliness, they are adapting well.  A group is going to the lake this afternoon, while others are going to the pool.  John M. and Oliver played yard games last night, and John B. and Linus are planning to test the sword on an unsuspecting watermelon.  Don't worry, adult supervision will be on hand, and the sword is pretty small.  All in all they are having fun and learning lots!

Here are a few of their first impressions from Tuesday (somewhat paraphrased as they were all talking quickly, but the gist is correct):

Isaac:  Large pizzas are square.  The y and z are switched on the keyboard.  I wish my blanket were longer.  It’s weird to have doors closed.  I feel like I can’t walk in rooms sometimes.

John B:  Riding bikes there were a lot of hills.  There is no in between hot and cold in my room.  I am trying to balance that.  The shower is weird because the roof is slanted and I can't fully stand up.

John M:  The translator app my host parents are using is sometimes funny.  "I forgot the toast" became "I forgot the death."  There were other awkward translations.

Payton:  Nobody drinks just water here.  When I asked for it, they looked at me like I had committed a crime.  I wish I could drink more tap water without people looking at me like I am weird [the group advised him to fill his water bottle from the tap anyway]

Andrea S:  It’s not that different from my house because her parents speak English.  Paula's dad is living in Frankfurt during the week.  I wish I could speak German.

Rayna:  They drive really fast.  I wish I spoke German.

Mia:  Lots of tile, especially in the bathroom.  It’s cold in the morning.  I wish I knew how to use the radiator [we have since learned that the radiator is broken, but she was given extra blankets--a whole lot of them!]

Leah:  In class the teachers only talk instead of writing on the board.  The class sizes are small.  I wish I spoke German.

Natalie:  My host parents are concerned I’m going to get sick.  They were very concerned because I hadnt blow dried my hair and because I wasnt wearing socks around the house.  I wish I spoke more German

Andrea C:  I took an English test today.  That was fun.  I read the two stories last night.  I taught Rena what SparkNotes was.  The light switch is on the outside of the bathroom, so that is weird.

Maija:  Everyone apologizes about the weather, but it's not that bad.  They eat a lot of bread--I'm not used to that many carbs.

[Isabella and Lucas were on the other campus, so their thoughts are not here, but they are included below.]

All:  They talk about Trump a lot.  There are a lot of stairsl

Here are some of their thoughts from today.  Check in was not in the basement, but outside on the cool log benches since the day is really nice!:

Andrea C:  We played badminton, which was fun, but we all suck at it.  We (the Andreas and their hosts) made schnitzel last night.  We taught each other the words for cartwheels and the like.  We tried to pronounce street signs.

Lucas:  I suck at soccer.  You try to speak slowly and then overthink it and end up speaking broken English.  Classes are small--only 10 people in Luca’s french class.  They dont listen to Drake but do listen to Adele.  If they miss class, they have to get parent and teacher signatures.

Maija--our American English is deteriorating!  (yesses from the group)

Natalie:  I need to figure out how to get to bed earlier.  We stay up talking until 1 am every time.  French class was fun.  I was surprised that the history of the castle wasnt very violent.  I learned the most random vocabulary.

Payton:  I have only seen one clock in the school

Andrea C:  The tour guide gave a French tour after ours.

Leah:  They listen to Nellie somebody.  You dont know who Nellie is?

John M:  Oliver’s friend came over and we played yard games (bocce, etc.)  They totally ruined the grass.

John B:  We are going to get a watermelon and cut it up with my new sword.  I touched stinging nettles yesterday.  I didn't know what it was.

Isaac:  There’s a guitar at my house, so I am all good now.  You have to use a token for the shopping carts.   

Suzanne:  The bathrooms in the town square cost money.  I’m too cheap, so I held it.  There are little parking timers that people carry in their cars.

Lucas:  They couldn't believe we hadnt seen a castle.  They had asked why there wasnt a castle at crater lake.  All the gilded stuff--I would go there during the purge.  I had to take my backpack off in the store.  

Isabella:  You could tell that it was a living castle because it was so extravagant.

Andrea S:  Their grades dont get changed much.  They have 2 tests per semester that are their grades for the term.  Once the tests are done, they still have 3 weeks.

Mia:  German parents are really conccened about sickness.  They are taking Fabienne to the doctor after being sick one day.