Yo. Willkommen! I’m Suzanne, I’m going to Germany to be a Rotary Youth Exchange student, and here is my blog.
So here’s the dealio: I’ve always been jealous of anyone who’s bilingual, and that’s how this whole thang got started. One of my best friends (Christa, who is often so lovingly referred to as Our Lord) is actually Greek. A REAL Greek. Like, her family is FROM Greece and she SPEAKS Greek at home. Even her little teeny tiny sister, Anna, is bilingual. And she is 3 years old.
I’m 17 now, and I am ever so far from being as cool as Christa or her bilingual super-toddler of a sister. I’m taking my sixth year of French this year, but I’m definitely not fluent. My writing is okay, but boi o boi, do I have some troubles communicatin’ in the verbal sense.
Anyways, as I said, I’m 17. I’m a senior right now at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School in Acton, MA. And I’m going to Germany next year for a year! And it’s all because of Rotary International. Rotary International, if you haven’t heard of it before, is a service club organization. There are Rotary clubs all over the world that all strive for the same thing: “Service above Self.” According to rotary.org, “Rotarians provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.” And it’s true! Rotary International and their associated clubs are really quite impressive. I’ve witnessed it myself.
I think it’s pretty obvious that this will be a cool experience and all, but a lot of people have asked me why I specifically want to be an exchange student. Why not just skip the whole extra year of high school and travel around Europe? Well, I think I already made it pretty clear that I want to learn another language. And not just learn one, but actually become fluent in one. I feel like the only way to really be fluent in a language is to be completely immersed, which I will be when I’m plopped down in a German school. Oh, by the way, I don’t know any German. At all. I know how to say “I love you” (ich liebe dich) but I’m trying to learn some more on my own. I just have this feeling that if I arrive in Germany not knowing how to say anything other than “I love you,” I might seem too forward.
…I’m learning. I know how to say: my name is Suzanne (mein name ist Suzanne), Wie geht es Ihnen? (how are you?)…and well, that’s pretty much it. Oh, and I know the word for eleven, which is ‘elf.’ But I only remember this because elves are funny little creatures. And I love Harry Potter. The thing I don’t really understand at this point is when things are capitalized. I will learn soon enough though.
Recently, I have been frantically researching Germany, land of germs. Just kidding, it sounds to me like it’s actually a pretty sanitary place. I have learned from extensive google searches that:
- the squirrels are much smaller than in the US.
- the doughnuts have no holes.
- the jelly doughnuts have less jelly in them.
Mouthwatering Wiener Schnitzel
I have also begun to learn about much more trivial things (har, har) such as the history of Germany. I’ve also been looking at all the delectable tasties on wikipedia. Any kind of schnitzel looks like a dream. I am a carnivorous animal, so I look forward to the endless opportunities to devour the many meats of Germany.
Well, that is all I have to offer for today.
Very fun to read, Suzanne! Your blogs owns my blog. Anyway haha. May I offer some German knowledge? I am no expert but I thought what the hell she might be interested. Some of this you may already know so if you do just say “Shut up Austin, you’re gay go away”. Haha. Anyway just because I am bored not because I am correcting you haha. Random knowledge follows.
Wie geht es Ihnen means how goes it for you. So yes you are right it is the equivalent of how are you. Ihnen means for or to you formal. (think indirect object) So thats why you said Wie geht’s Ihnen and not just Wie geht’s Sie? And geht es is often contracted into geht’s. If you ask a friend Wie geht’s ihnen and not Wie geht’s dir they will think you are calling them old! Haha. In case you didnt know. dir is like ihnen, an indirect object pronoun but it is you-familiar/informal.
Oh and you are absolutely right about how to say my name is Suzanne. But most people say “Ich heiße Suzanne.” The equivalent of my name is but more like “I am called Suzanne.
And as far as capitalization. The Germans do it to all nouns. It is pretty cool!
[/random shit you may have already known/ didnt ask for, etc]
PS: If you ever feel like you need some answers to some German questions just let me know! I am learning too so like alot of the questions you will have, will be the ones i have already sought answers to! So just hit me up silly suzannr. You know where to find me, 5th and Main every friday and saturday night.
AH! You are far more knowledgeable than I. I will be sure to talk GRAMMATIK with ye sometime. Danke for the clarification!