it sometimes sucks to be english

Life at the Bode is good; slightly overwhelming at times, but good! I’ve decided to write these posts in my room and then just copy them onto here when I get chance to go onto the internet, which I think is going to be a bit of a rarity. In a way I think it will be kind of good not to be on my computer much, because it means I’m spending more time with other people, chilling out and getting to know them. And boy are there a lot of people to get to know.

So this year at Bode there are 104 of us ...104! It’s pretty much as full as it can be. Now, remembering names is not one of my strong points; literally, I’m useless and end up feeling really rude when I ask someone’s name, knowing that I spent the previous dinner time with them, or went for a walk with them. So learning 104 names is going to take me some time. Good job I have 6 months with these people.

I’m rooming with 2 Canadian’s and an American, so I think we are one of the most international rooms. And if you maths is pretty good you’ll realise that I’m in a room of 4...phew! There are a couple of rooms that have 10 people in, and I’m pretty glad I’m not in one of those. I think that would just be a little too much for me right away. We switch rooms after Christmas, so potentially I could be in a 10 room after then, but I’ll be more used to sharing a room by then so I might hack it better.  

There are only 6-7 countries represented here I think, I was kind of expecting more. And I’m the only British girl. OK, so typical conversation with someone I’ve just met...

‘Hi, I’m so and so, and I’m from Canada’
‘Oh hi, nice to meet you, I’m Steph and I’m from England’
‘Woahhh, you’re from England!? That’s cool, keep taking so we can hear you accent’.

It’s so funny. And they ask if I think they have an accent?! I’m like ‘yeah, OF COURSE you have an accent, what are you on about?!! You sound North American’. Also, I’m really scared that I’m going to come home with a North American twang to my accent. I miss the English accent, thank goodness for skype so I can get my English fix!

On another  kind of English note ...OK, so there is an international night coming up and basically each country has to do a little (well not so little in my opinion!!) like skit/sketch/whatever you want thing of something that represents their country. Now, if you’re a Canadian there are like 50 odd people to work together with ideas to pull off a really funny sketch. And if you’re American there are I think like 20-30 people to come up with something and share the 15 minutes (!!!) of stage. Even if you’re German there are like 6-7 of you again to come up and share the joy of representing your country to the rest of the school. But it sucks to be you if you’re English. Not only do you have to come up with something on your own to do, but then you have to actually go through with that idea on your own. Fair?! I think not! What the heck am I going to do?! Seriously, please help me think of something because I have not a clue how I’ll fill 15 minutes with Englishness!!

Anyway, I don’t want to bore you with every little detail about what I’ve done so far, so I’ll give you some highlights briefly. Yesterday we just had some intro lectures, filled in some forms for visas etc etc. In the afternoon there were different options of what to do; football, volleyball, I opted to go into town on the bus and get an ice cream though! Last night was like an open testimony night, there was just a microphone at the front and if people felt called to share their testimony briefly they could (We have the same again tonight). Today we had our first ‘church’ service. I think it’s just pretty much us students that go, with the odd visitors from the local town. It was good to listen to a sermon, and it made me realise how excited I am to start actual lectures here. Bring on tomorrow.

names

Thank goodness for name tags, that's all I can say.

plane, train, ferry

Hello Friedrichshafen, my new home for the next 6 months. I’ve arrived safely, and have decided that I am defiantly a traveller. I flipping loved the journey here. The flight, train, boat...all of it, I loved being on the move, getting to somewhere new and exploring.

The flight was a short one and a half hours, felt like nothing compared to the flight back from Calgary a few weeks back. I’d barely gotten my book out of my bag and we were descending. OK, so that’s a slight exaggeration, but it did seem to go fairly fast. And it was nice to fly in daylight for a change. The past flights I’ve had have been in the dark; all my flights going to Tanzania, coming back from Calgary, and although going to Vancouver was in day light I was in the middle row so didn’t exactly get chance to look out of windows. But flying here I had a window seat, and there were hardly any clouds. It was beautiful. I sat and quite literally watch the world go by. 

After arriving in Zurich I bought myself a train ticket and off I went to catch my train...which was double decker by the way. I’d like to say I went up to the top seats but seriously, if you felt how heavy my case was you would understand why I chose to sit on the bottom. During this part journey was the only blip of my travels here. As I understand naff all German/Swiss, I wasn’t exactly sure what the announcements said as the train moved along. And as I don’t actually know how to pronounce the places I’m going to, it made knowing when to get off a tad difficult. So I thought I’d ask the guy next to me when we stopped. I was like ‘do I get off here?’ (showing him my ticket in case he didn’t understand English, and making hand gestures as if I was playing charades and asking that questions was what my card said). And he was like ‘yes, yes’ (nodding his head vigorously), so off I got. But you know when someone tells you something, and your gut tells you ‘wait, that person is wrong, don’t listen to them’ ...my gut was telling me this. And so I ran down the platform a little, caught the eye of the train lady and asked her. Random Swiss man: 0. Steph’s gut feeling:  1. Back on the train I got.

After getting off the train for a second time, this time the right time, I caught my boat across Lake Constanse which took me right to Friedrichshafen. All that I had left was to find my hotel, and oh my gosh am I glad I found it without getting lost. Lugging a 29.2kg suitcase around, with a back pack going on for another 9kg, and carrying 2 coats is pretty tough going!  I feel like I don’t need to exercise for at least a week now!

I’ve spent the rest of the day just chilling out in my new town. I kind of half expected to bump into other people going to bible school, but despite hearing out for a Canadian or American accent as I was wandering around I didn’t see anyone. Which in a way has been kind of nice; I enjoyed walking around on my own, exploring the town. I sat and ate pizza looking out onto the lake where you can see the Swiss Alps in the distance. It was pretty sweet. And on a slightly more random note, as I was walking around the town I came accross a man with a camel. Yes, a camel. Ramdom.

Tomorrow I have to get myself to the actual school. It’s a little bit out of the town I think so a bus is in order I think. I went to find the bus stop tonight so I have a bit more of an idea where I’m going in the morning. Fingers crossed I make it.

Being here makes me wish I listened more in German lessons. Seriously, I know nothing of this language. Guten tag, danke ...and that’s it; that’s my German vocabulary exhausted. 

packing skills

My countdown is finally coming to an end. In 24 hours I’ll be in Germany ... that’s just one sleep away.  Oh gosh. This new adventure of mine has been a long time coming, so the fact that it’s actually becoming real within the next 2 days or so still seems pretty surreal. I can’t quite get my head around it.

It’s made it kinda weird to say bye to people, because I just don’t feel like I’m going yet. Also because I’ve said bye to most people twice because of the surprise gathering at mine that was organised that I had no clue at all about. (Deb, your totally right, I am pretty dippy not to have worked out what was been planned up behind my back). 

It not totally hit me that I won’t see any of my family and friends again for a few months. OK, so it’s hit me a little bit after last night reading some cards that people have given me. Let’s just say I hardly needed make up remover for my mascara after reading them, my tears did a pretty good job by themselves.

I’ve been reminded the past few days just how blessed I am to have friends like I do. Friends who have always looked out for me; friends who I know I could turn to if I ever needed advice; friends who support me. I know (or at least I hope!!) that I’ll be making lots of new friends over the next 6 months, but that won’t stop me missing the people I have here in England.

OK...let’s move away from the soppy stuff now, pull yourself together Steph yeah?!

I’m pretty much all packed now and mann am I glad I opted for paying more for the extra 9kg. I mean, my study bible alone weighs like 2.5kg... yep you did read that right, 2.5kg!! It’s a bible and a half! I think it might have to go in my hand luggage though, along with my laptop and camera. Lets flipping hope they don’t weigh that bag because there will be NO WAY that it’ll be less than the 7kg that it’s meant to be! 



my impressive packing skills



It’s hard to know what to pack. I think it’s going to be fairly decent weather when I first get there, but them it’s bound to get pretty chilly as it get to winter. The facebook group for the students going this year has a comment asking if anyone is taking two suitcases. And actually a fair few people are which I’m kind of surprised about because I doubt we will have all that much space in our rooms. So I’m pretty proud of myself for fitting 6 months of my life into just the one suitcase. Yeah OK, I know I’m cheating because I’ve paid for extra weight allowance, and I’m planning on wearing my winter coat, body warmer, and my boots (so basically all the heavy and bulky clothes I own) on the plane. But still, I only have the one suitcase. I feel this is quite an achievement. I also feel the flight is going to be a hot one wearing a substantial amount of layers. Good job it’s a short one huh.

Anyway, I think I’ll end it there for now; this post is getting longer and longer. Thanks for reading and following this blog. I’m aiming to post on here semi regularly whilst I’m in Germany to keep people updated on my happenings ect. I know some people have trouble commenting on these posts, but feel free to have a go if you want. I’m not sure if I’ll have a phone out there or not yet, probably will but may have a different number. I’ll put all my contact info on my facebook info page so you all to keep in touch *nudge nudge* ;)

empty plates

Do you ever see or do something that to other people would seem really small and insignificant, but to you means the world? Well last night it happened to me.
Because I'm soon to go to Germany, and my cousin is moving back down south for his placement year, my Grandad and Grandma took a few of us cousins out for a meal, and it was one of the best night's out I've had in a long time. We were taking away, struggling to get words in edge ways. We were laughing so much that grandad was nearly spilling his drink. But most of all we were all eating.
OK, so to an on-looker that's just a normal scene right!? I mean, when you go to a pub for a meal you expect to see all the people scoffing the food down when it comes. But to me it meant so much more that all of us had empty plates at the end of the meal.
I remember all too well that only a few months ago when I would visit Grandad he would struggle to eat because he was just to ill. I mean, he didn't hardly eat kitkats and they are like his favourite biscuits. But last night he had gammon with egg and pineapple, potatoes and vegetables. And not only that but it was followed by bread and butter pudding with custard. And every plate was empty.
God is good.

Fact 197

I'm just casually trolling though the internet, killing a little bit of time before I head to bed, and I come across on pintrest (my new fave place to go on the nternet when facebook becomes boring and I'm all caught up with my blogs) a photo saying the following:

'Harry Potter fact 197: Every 30 seconds someone begins reading Harry Potter'

I laughed out loud.

By the way, I've finished book one, watched the film, and am now cracking on with book two. Harry Potter geek?! Not quite, but give me time and who knows!

I'm still learning...

A little encouragement

Why hello there September 2011, your finally here huh?! And you bring with you the end of my uni career, and the start of my German adventure! Well, you can't get much better than that can you!
I thought seeing as it's a new month, and my bible reading has gone seriously downhill recently, I'd make an extra effort to try to get into a routine again! I really have no excuse for not putting time aside for my quiet times, its pure laziness!
My Grandad and Grandma get me this little book of daily bible readings. I'm not going to lie, but sometimes I don't really like these; I don't always find them that helpful. But this evening when I opened my bible I noticed that today would be the very first one in this issue. And, as I was starting my new routine I though I may as well have a read of this too. It took me to 2 Kings 22:8-23:3 which talks about when King Josiah and the people of Judah 'rediscover the joy and importance of God's Word'.
I'm just going to quote the last paragraph of the entry that I read ... 'Many today have unprecedented access to God's Word. Let's renew our commitment to 'find' it every day and by our lives show its prominence'.
Now, if that's not God encouraging me to again start seeking his guidance, love, joy, wisdom, etc etc, by reading his word then I don't know what is!