OH HI WOW LONG TIME NO SEE
So it has been quite some time since my last report, but that seems to be a repetitive occurrence since about the middle of my exchange year, where everything started to get a little bit crazy! I can hardly believe that nearly eleven months have already passed by, and that there are only five weeks left on my exchange.
So I guess I need to go back to september! I ran my very first half marathon in September this year, with my Luxembourgish aunt, along the banks of the Mosel river in northern Luxembourg! It was a beautiful day, sun shining and far far far too hot for a 21 kilometer run, but I still managed to achieve my personal goal of 1 hour and 38 minutes, and even took away 6th place in my age group (which is 18-21 year old youth). After this wee trip I headed back into Germany by train and enjoyed the beginning of Autumn here in Germany. All the leaves have fallen from the trees by now, but about two weeks ago the Black Forest where I live was a canvas of warm golden colours, with splashes of remaining evergreen trees in patches all over the hills. It was so picturesque that I ended up often walking up the hill to get home instead of taking the bus as I normally would! The Autumn holidays in October/November gave me a two week pause from the busy school life, and gave me a chance to visit a friend of mine in Bitburg, which is another very small German town famous for its internationally exported beer! After a few days in Bitburg I visited my uncle and aunt in Luxembourg again, where I managed to organize and obtain my Luxembourgish passport! I am now officially a citizen of the European Union, which is great great news, as I can now come back to my beloved Germany and stay as long as I want haha!
November has been a really really cold month, and the big fat winter jacket has saved me from freezing to death on numerous occasions. I have, however, been a little sick for the last month, with Bronchitis and a Sinus Infection causing a brief spell in bed and two rounds of antibiotics and nasal spray. Fortunately I have gotten a lot better in a short time and now all I need to do is organize the insurance claims for the medicine I had to take. When you need to buy it yourself you begin to realize how expensive medicine really is!
The end of November is the start of a VERY important time of year here in Germany. The entire country is crazy about Christmas! On the 27th it all began with the first advent, where I had the honour of lighting the first advent candle, and we all drank christmas tea and ate a special kind of gingerbread (called Lebkuchen) and festive christmas biscuits! For the last week the Christmas Market has been thriving under sales from Mulled Wine and delicious German specialties. The entire main street here in Karlsruhe is lit up with trains of beautiful christmas decorations and lamps. There are huts everywhere selling this and that and you can almost feel the spirit of Christmas on your skin. Although I am very much looking forward to Christmas, it shall be quite tough being away from my New Zealand family during such a family-oriented time, however I am deeply comforted by the fact that I will have the wonderful chance to spend Christmas with another family of mine who I really love too!
And once Christmas is done and dusted, I may have to slowly start getting my stuff together for my return and pre-course studies for first year health sciences at Otago University! Wooh!
All the best to all readers and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years!
See you all in January!
Niklaus OUT.