wow. theres always so much to do! and when theres not, everyone always knows where to find me....sitting on my bed, studying my red vocabulary book. this little book is famous i tell you! my two best friends in germany, my red vocabulary book and my beautiful and always-used german to english dictionary! : )
currently, im participating in my schools choir here, just for you brent! : )
its really fun, and so interesting, because were singing like a song from every language to ever exist. : )
not really, only german, french, english, and latin. but its so funny reading the lyrics because i dont understand what im even singing! well the german and english, yes. but definitely not the latin and french. thats over my head. one language at a time please!
on my last post, maggie croxville had commented that when she was in europe, a group of people were talking. and when they couldnt find the right word in the language the were speaking, theyd just switch to a different language. so in one conversation, they spoke 3 or 4 languages, and it was completely normal. and nobody thought twice about it. like they didnt even realize they were talking like 204802843 different languages at once. and as scary as it is, thats completely true. and us americans, were doing good if we can speak a little bit of spanish!
so as im learning german, im obviously trying to be very involved. for multiple obvious reasons. more friends. easier to pick up the language. more fun. more memories and etcetera. so im playing handball! handball is a totally european sport! similar to soccer. except the ball is a little bigger than a softball, the firmness of a football, and played with the hands. (obviously.) the point is the same as soccer, getting the ball in the goal. but theres only certain areas you can throw from. and theres all this weird jumping footwork youve got to do. and the team im playing with is their 5th year of handball, and this is my first month. so i hope i catch on quick! : )
after Christ died, and all the apostles did their own thing, one of them, james, headed towards what is now spain to spread the Word. his route was tracked and now its a very famous walk that many people take! in german its called 'jakobsweg'. and im assuming in english its called 'pilgrims way.' or 'st james way' but im not sure because ive never heard of it before now. the hike is a little less than 800 km. which is about 500 miles. it takes about a month to walk. the hike starts in france, and ends in santiago in the northwest of spain. so you walk the whole width of spain, east to west! there are like refugee places to stay over night. but thats with like 30 people. disgusting bugs everywhere. and only one shower. : / its a beautiful walk and goes through a lot of beautiful country side and small villages. and even bull fights! : )
my host mom and i want to go and may. and walk the whole thing! but who knows if it will ever happen. id have to get permission first, because id have to skip school for a whole month, and im here on an ACADEMIC scholarship. and its incredibly expensive. to go for only 13 days, costs almost 2000€. which includes the plane ticket and hotel fees. but thats still a LOT of money.
ive been watching a documentary on the walk. and been to a presentation on it. and read a book. and it all just seems so spiritually fascinating! and beautiful for the eyes! and just one more experience to have! man. id love to go! : )
todays the start to a week long holiday! so on wednesday, the bischofs and i are heading to passau. where they all originally came from. everyones been telling me they speak really really bayrisch. when you speak with a bayern accent, you dont pronounce the 'ch'. and that is a very common sound in the german language. so im getting slightly scared for this! im doing good to understand just normal german! im going to have to try really hard to understand what everyone is saying to me! : )
instead of saying 'ich platze gleich.' or 'ich auch.'
they say 'i platz glei.' or 'i au.'
and those phrases sound completely and totally different. : /
so wish me luck! ill need it! : )
and its now bedtime! happy saturday everyone!
: )
-tori
4 comments:
TORI!!
Your experience sounds so exciting!!! i just found your blog and i can't imagine how amazing it must be to do what you're doing!!! :] i love you babe, and i know you're getting the absolute most out of your trip! God Bless!!
Love, Danielle :]
Thank you for reminding me with an email. I hadn't look since you first said you had a blog. Glad to hear you are having such great experiences. Please keep writing they are so fun to read and keep up with you.
Love
Tori--
Just asked your sister on Wednesday if you'd posted any updates, so it's good to see that you actually have gotten after it since then. How timely.
Glad to hear (read?) that you're singing; it's great fun, yes? And you have such a lovely voice, so it's good to share that gift. I can't believe that the Latin is beyond you...you'll have to take some more Spanish or Italian so it looks vaguely familiar...or convert to Catholicism? Maybe a degree in medicine would help, or vice versa (that's Latin for "the other way around" (HAHA!))....
The walk sounds awesome, and you should try to make it work. Maybe you could extend your trip instead of skipping a month of school. As for raising money to fund it...dunno how you'll do that. Maybe you could find something American that the Germans are mad for but can't get easily (purely legal, mind you) and provide a market for it in cahoots with your family back home. Of course, with globalization (and I use the term as an expletive), there's a McDonald's and Starbucks on every corner (except in Italy, thank goodness), so it may be difficult to figure out what's missing that's craved. In Russia, back in the iron curtain days, it was Levi's...can you say "Black Market?" Personally, I miss English Rountree Pastilles, but once in a while (at Disney Epcot, which I visit everso often...not!) I can find them. Then again, they're very sticky and tend to rip out my dental work, so perhaps it's just as well!
At any rate, do continue to keep us posted. We're all jealously (but in the most Christian fashion) waiting to hear of your exploits and living a globe-trotting life vicariously through you. Know that we think of you often and hold you in our hearts and prayers in this little corner of the planet. As they say at the MaidRite in Iowa, "Travel the world, but come back again!"
Y'all have fun now, y'hear?
--Maggy
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