Helllllllllo everyone!
It's about 9:19 am on Tuesday, and I'm eating some breakfast while listening to my all time favorite band, The Books. School today begins at 10:30, and I think I'll ride my bike to school today, which takes about 20 minutes, although there's snow outside today. It had been warm, but it apparently got cold again :(.
I'll give you a quick update of what's goin on...
My German had improved OUTRAGEOUS amounts since I've gotten here. It's difficult to gain a perspective sometimes, because sometimes (like when I'm watching the Simpsons with my host brother, hehe) I understand almost nothing. While other times, like in class, I can understand most everything. And I can have a normal conversation in German now...
And I wanna say how weird it first was for me to realize how much English really is the World Language.
-In any sort of international place, like the airport I was at in Amsterdam or the tourist areas I was at in Spain, the workers automatically speak English to you.
-Phrases on shirts here are all in English.
-I was in a shoe store, I told the worker I didn't understand his German, so he started speaking English. I said, "Hey, how did you know I spoke English?" He said, "I didn't, but I know that basically everyone speaks English."
-At the Rotary meetings, even though the foriegn exchange students come from ALL OVER THE WORD, English is the default language. If our German isn't good enough, the leaders speak English. All these foriegn exchange students know their Native language AND English fluently. They all learn it in school.
I hope English doesn't make all other languages obsolete!...
Oh, we just watched Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth in my English class. It's also a popular movie over here. Before that, we read a book called The Tortilla Curtain, about the struggles of Mexican Immigrants. It's a pretty in depth English class, and some of the students speak more efficient English than I do, really. Everyone in my English class, I would consider fluent speakers. Wierd, huh? But this is an AP English class, not everyone in my grade speaks fluent English.
In other news, now I have to do a 10 minute presentation about Elizabethan London for my English Class. Ich habe keine Lust. (I don't feel like it.)
Oh, and in Febuary, I'm going to Cologne (big German city) for "Karnival". I have to find a costume!
Okay, I hope that's enough for now. Keep in touch.
jennyg
4 comments:
hallo there!
i think when you come back, you should stop speaking english all together, and make all of US start speaking german. that way, atleast german won't be obsolete in champaign, illinois.
yeah yeah yeah yeah!
Of course everyone speaks English. That's what AMERICA speaks. I'm kind of wondering why you're watching An Inconvenient Truth in English class. Is it a cultural class or something? Even then it doesn't really make sense, more science or social studies I would think.
i thought andrew bird was your favy!?!?!
the books are amazing though.. so it's understandable
love,
seany
no you're BOTH wrong.... i just read in your diary, jenny, that you have a crush on justin timberlake and that n'sync is your favorite band. AM I RIGHT JULIE?
," quoth steve.
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