november 20, 2008

Hello everyone,

Its your neighborhood austausch schuler Jacob and I am sure you have been wanting to hear what I have been up to.

Well I havent really taken pictures this month because I havent gone anywhere special. I did go and see Kaiser Willhelm the man who united Germany a long time ago. I cant really remember the century. I have a picture of it but it is on my host dad's camera and I dont know where that is. As soon as I get it from him I will have a picture up. They have a memorial of him in every area of Germany.

I did however start Muay Thai. If any one doesnt know what that is it is Thai Kickboxing. If you look it up on youtube you will see what I am doing. Dont worry I havent gone in the ring yet so my face is still as beautiful as before. Alot of yall are prolly thinking "why is he doing this?" Well I decided to do this because I wanted to get into shape. And I've been gaining weight but it has been going to no good use. So thats what this is helping with. Also to learn how to defend myspelf. Its a crazy sport that involves alot of flexibility. Something of which I dont have. The kids in my class can kick up to my head and hold it where as I can only kick up to their waistes. Another great thing is all my fat which isnt alot is turning into muscle. So when I get back I might be bigger but I know I will be alot stronger.

I did get to miss school because of the schuler streik. It is a big strike with all the students from the area protesting the prices of college. It is expensive for the books and what not so they protest against the high prices. My polotik teacher told me to go with the class so I got to miss a day of school. I saw about 5 minutes of it becuase they were walking around the Hannover center and then to the Rathaus. But the people I had been with, that we all shared a 5 person ticket, wanted to go shopping so I didnt argue. Its hard to argue with German girls in German. I never win.

Big news it is supposed to snow this weekend. Which reminds me all the North American Rotary kids are having Thanksgiving in Braunschweig so I'm going to that which will be awesome. I get to stuff my face and chill with my friends from SC and Penn.

Also the new James Bond movie is awesome. I saw it in German but what I understood was great. And the new song is awesome too.


that is all for now.

yours truly
jacob

p.s. Thank you Greer Family for the Thanksgiving card. I will send you a postcard when I find a good one.

p.s. also Home Improvement isnt the same except for the grunts from Tim Allen

p.s. if you want to see my town of Rinteln via webcam there is a constant live video feed at this link: http://webcam.prorinteln.de/bewegt.php . That is the city center.

its been a while 2

so i cut my last post short and forgot to say happy halloween.

i cut it so short because i went to a club called p.w. which is a club in a small town called p.w. something else haha. it was a big halloween party like really big. we went to the main room and and towards midnight we couldnt because it was to full. but once again this place had 3 rooms to dance in. alot of fun.



this is how halloween started for me. went to work at 8 and got out early at 2:30 to go to the opening of the Rintelner Messe. it is a big festival in the city of rinteln. and it starts on halloween. well my host mom, ursula, is apart of the counsel so she was invited and she took me along. i met the mayor of rinteln. it was really cool here is a picture of me with him.















then after that i went home and just sat there trying to figure what i was going to do on this great night of tricks and treats and i just couldnt figure it out. i went to my friends on my street and all of there cars to go to another club were full. i was thinking i would have to stay home with no horror movies in sight. i was worried. well i called some people and worked my magic and i ended up getting a ride from my friend dennis. it was awesome. i have never networked like that in my life. well they picked me up and we went. i ran into two people from rotary. one was a rebound named constantine. he went to brazil. and then my bro from brazil gabrielle. he is here for a year just like me. he came with a kid from my school named gabrielle also. so i partied with them and some girls and what not. some of the club promoters were dressed up for halloween and gabrielle got a picture. i didnt want to take my camera in fear of losing it. after that i was waiting outside with everyone that i came with which was daniel from my class, dennis, and laura when this guy started trying to mess with a bouncer. ok this bouncer looked like jean claud van dam except no hair and bigger. i talked to him he was pretty cool. just wanted to make sure everyone was safe and not trying to ruin the night for everyone else. well this kid just woundt leave or anything and this bouncer pushed him out with one arm and this guy kept trying to go back to get some more. but his friend ended up pulling him away. which was good until about 5 minutes later when he tried fighting another guy. this guy was severly drunk and i think would fight anybody. dont worry i wasnt drinking. honestly. but it is weird they give you this card and they punch wholes in certain places to show how much money you owe at the end of the night. anyways, we left and i went right to sleep after cleaning my shoes from all the people that scuffed them.


thats about all that happened on the great night of halloween.


p.s. if you havent noticed by the picture but i have changed my hair haha.

its been a while

yes yes i know it has been a while but i have been very busy. i will start posting more frequently becuase i should.

well the news is that im loving germany. everything is changing because im starting to understand more german. now i can barely speak it but i am learning. my friend from brazil manuela is acutally speaking a full conversation. yes i am jealous but im thinking in a month or two i will be just like her.

school is such a pain sometimes. my teachers are great except for my english teacher. my favorite teacher is my biology/ chemistry teacher. he is awesome. even though i dont understand anything he is very funny. back to my englsih teacher, she is a quack. she got mad at me for writing mom instead of mum. and then she had the nerve to say that i dont know my american war history. hello rotc for four years. what do you think we learn besides drill and pt. my class teacher is cool but very strict. if a kid shows up late by a minute he counts up the minutes and when they equal 30 to 40 mins you have to stay for an extra lesson. i havent been late so it is ok. and for school if you are in 11th grade, which i am, you have to do a thing called praktikum. it is basically a two week internship and then you have to write about it. it is for government class. i am working for 1a koegel and team. it is an auto repair shop that specializes in electronics like bosch systems. i mostly do winter tire changes which arent hard. i learned how to balance tires too. they reason mercedes wants you to bring your cars to them for repair is because they are so imposible to work on. its complicated work with those cars. i have helped change a part inside the door because the window fell down. it was a pain but i learned alot. i would prefer to be a person who installs things like turbo chargers and what not then be a repair guy. crazy fun though. all the people are great. micheal is nuts and funny. ramesees (i think that is how you spell his name) is great. he introduced me to his dog lola. and then thomas hedwig and he is my teacher. the owner which is koegel is great too. he let me work there. there are teaching me german along with german for the auto parts. ohh yeah and i am taking theater i know haha.

so big news the 23rd was my host moms birthday. i didnt ask how she was because that is rude. so saturday the 1st of november we are having a little get together with her family. i was also with them in borkum which is an island a part of germany. really cold and windy but great. stupid people with little body suits on were strapping them selves to a giant kite and going on a board out into the north sea. i want to do it haha. it would be crazy fun.

before i went there i went to gouda, holland to sea where my dad was born. for those of you who dont know about gouda then go to wal mart and look for gouda cheese. it is the best cheese in the world. trust me. it is the best cheese. well it is made there. and everywhere they have giant cheese wheels haha. this is the hospital my dad was born in.

and this is the city house which is beautiful.

at the moment i will have to finish later because i am about to leave. there will be more dont worry. i will now post like every other day.

Sep 27 2008

hello

sorry i havent updated but i have been out of town.

i had a rotex weekend in hannover and i bought my golf shoes and glove. we had alot of fun but some how i injured my knee playing some soccer and basketball.

ive been having a great time here in germany and i think it will get better and better. tomarrow i will go to hannover for the day. they have the best ice cream at Giovanni L. and then there is a guy who has a grill on him like a backpack. it sits in front of him and he walks along with a carry on typed bag and makes wurst. it is so good and apperently there are three guys like him in new york city.

then my week was pretty good. school is really hard but it is getting better. i started german classes to help teach me german. im the only american and there are three polish people and one person from kazahkstan (i might have spelled that wrong) and one girl from china. i got my books for the class and they are pretty cool. one comes with a cd that should help me i think.

after that i decided to dye my hair. i am now a blonde. it was funny because it turned ginger and then it turned blonde. it is weird so far and i dont know if i like it that much.

all the shows are in german so i have been watching things i know. the two main shows i watch are the original pokemon. ohh yeah i think all the younger readers know what im talking about. and the other show is home improvement. it is really funny and it just sounds really funny in german.

well that is all i really have now. its changing because i have been here for a month and everything is like a regular day. so nothing special happens except school. the parties are kinda the same because you go and have fun and then you go home. thats about it. you meet new people and thats always fun but other then that its just chillin and dancing.

one item i miss is spicy foods. i of course miss my family and friends but the spicy food is a big thing. they dont have many spicy foods here but i found a bar that serves mexican food so i will be going there soon. dont worry i wont drink.

well thats all for now.

everyone be safe.

love jacob

p.s. i am sorry that i will not be able to attend Great Aunt Mildred's funeral please tell everyone i love them and that she is in a better place.

week 4

sorry i missed the last scheduled entry but i was out of town in Walsrode. it was alot of fun. rotary weekend with bbq and all that. i actually had a soft boiled egg which is like hard boiled except that the yoke is still liquid.

nothing really special happened except the weekend and all that. i havent done much new stuff. i rode on a train from rinteln to walsrode and that was pretty cool. except these two guys kept giving me looks like they were going to jump me. i wasnt really scared because they werent that big.

school hasnt been too difficult. except today i only had like 2 classes. out first and second period teacher was sick so we didnt have to go to first period and then they re-scheduled us to do biology for one period. after that the teacher wasnt there for two periods so we had two hours of chill time. then we had one class and after that a free time which meant go home early.

that is all so far nothing really special so when there is i will write it as an entry and you will read.

until next time...

tchusse.

week 2

So this week has been...fun. Sunday I went to the Rotex meeting and Otto von Blumburgs ranch. It was fun. After that the Mueckes took me to the castle Schaumberg. It is high on the mountain and when you go to the top of the tower it is awesome. Mom you might like the tower but not the heights.

Monday I had school and it was so boring. Ive never been so bored at school in my life and i couldnt sleep or I would get in trouble. All of my teachers are really nice. And I have some more friends.

Tuesday I went to a gym to check it out and see if I would work out there and I might. I did work out there that day and I went all out haha. Then I had a protien shake and it was so good. Not like those other protien shakes that taste terrible you know this on was good.

Wednesday I went to a girls going away party. Her name is Annabelle and she will be in Minnasota. She is really cool and she was in my class.

Thursday I went to my Rotary meeting in Buckeburg. Otto von Blumburg then showed Manuella (girl from Brazil in my district who goes to my school) and I the castle of Buckeburg. He also bought us coffee and i had the best cup of coffee ever in my life. After that I went to the golf course with Fabian and Maximilian and I got training from a proffesional there. It cost two Euros but the pros that taught were both from the UK and the one who handled the money said only Germans have to pay so I got a free lesson. It was hard though because I was sore from working out on tuesday.

Today I have two parties to go to and i have to balance it out. One is a going away party for Tabia. She is a girl who lives across the street from me and goes to my school. She is going to Great Britain fro three months. I think.

August

August 19, 2008

Hallo,

Today was an amazing day. I arrived in Frankfurt Int. at 8:35am due to the delays in Houston. On the plane I met a man named Ron and we talked about the food on the plane and how terrible it was. This picture is of dinner.

It was so bad and then there was breakfast and Ron couldn't eat that. I mean who serves spinach with an omlet. Probably alot of people but still.

After that we got off the plain and said goodbye and wished each other luck. He is a very nice man.

After that I waited for 5 hours in Franfurt Int. Airport to wait for my next plain.

I then took a bus outside onto the Tarmack to get to my plain. I know suprise suprise for me and it was so cold. Like Texas doesnt get that cold until december.

After that we ascended and as soon as we got to the maximum ascended height we descended. The plain trip took a whole 30 minutes.

I then met my host family and we took the Autobahn back to Rinteln.

We get home where they show me my room. Not gonna lie it is very girly but that is because it was there daughters room. It really doesnt matter to me. After that I went shopping and returned the glass and plastic. It is very cool how they do this stuff. When you are done with your glass bottles and plastic bottles you return them for recycling and they pay you for the returned recycables. After that you pick up what you need like beer and sparkling water and when you go to the check out you show them your reciept for the returned glasses and plastics and they mark that off the price of what you buy. You really only pay for refills I think.

They have alot of beer by the way.

After that we went shopping for food and all that kinda stuff.

August 20, 2008

Toady their daughters friends took me to the school and showed me that and the market place of Rinteln.

And that was the day.

August 21, 2008

Today was the first day of school and it was fun. I am taking spanish haha. I dont speak German and already I am taking another language.

I am also taking Chemistry and sports.

But today I hung out with Hannah, Henrietta (I think that is how you spell her name), and Annabelle.

It was fun though and I will have more updates for you.

Until next time.

Auf Weidersehen!

Hello,

I am Jacob Romijn and i am going on an exchange to Germany. I will be there 10 months and I leave Monday, August 18, 2008. I will be staying in Rinteln and Buckeboerg. I dont have a map just yet but as soon as I get one I will post it. I'm super excited! I will be flying from Houston Intercontinental to Frankfurt International. From there i will fly to Hannover International. If you have any questions you can email me at romijn.rotary@gmail.com. Or my facebook to find me by email is jromijn@sbcglobal.net. More posts to come in the future along with pictures.

Till next time...

Jacob!