Hellooooo...!!! :)

Hi ;)

Oh, man!! I dont really have so much more ideas about how to start my post. Choosing the title is hard too. I'm just getting weird ;)

Okay. So... Today's topic is.. Just kidding! :D Nothing really happened. This week was kinda like normal, even though I thought that I would never use the word "normal" while I'm here! Never! So so.. It just happened :D I bet that most of you will become impatient right now and will think something like "what's your point? Just say it!" and to be honest.. I kinda like that feeling :D Not to be mean, but I think it's hilarious! :) Okay. But I don't really want you to be upset or something, so I'm gonna tell you something about my "normal week" :)

The Monday was "Veteran's Day" and we had an assembly, where one student's dad was talking about his time as a military pilot. It was an amazing story. At the beginning, our Madrigals choir was singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" (National Anthem) and it was so touching because we had to soldiers, holding the flag of the USA and a flag with the president's seal on it. Then we all said the "Pledge of Allegiance" :) Amazing!!! :) In Choir we learned a new song called "We're his gold" and it's my favorite one for the Christmas Concert!! :)) (Listen to it!!)

The Tuesday was awesome,too, because I got a 94% on my test in "Human Biology" :)) The best one was 96%, the 2nd-best es me and the rest had something about 38%, 56% and something like that. So.. I'm kind of proud!! ;) After school I was hanging out with Clara and we were playing "hide and seek" with the kids. Then I tought her a bit of German because the only thing she could say was "I'm a potato" or "Ich bin eine Kartoffel" and that's weird... But that's why I love her! :)... And I'm kinda weird too..to be honest ;P 

Today was a good day, too :) We had Young Women's in the afternoon and we were making mini pizzas and we were painting our fingernails :) An we had soda :) 

I don't know what's gonna happen during the next few days, but on Saturday I'll go up north and watch my first College Football Game with Young Women's :)) It's gonna be so awesome because Clara will come too and Paige and some other super awesome girls :))

So I'll probably write my next post on Sunday and not in 2 days, but I'm not sure yet :))

Bye for now!!!!

Charly :)

P.S. Guess what??? I love you all :))

It's me... again :)

Hey! :)

How are you guys doin'? I'm very proud of myself that I found time to write a new post! It really was a good idea, to write something every 2nd day!! ;)

So.. Since my last post, nothing really happened :D On Friday, I watched the play "West Side Story". It was a play, performed by people from my high school and an other high school in the same city. It was soo freaking awesome because they were performing it soooo well!!! And it was also very funny to run through Walmart after that because it was like 10:30 pm, we were super tired, Clara an me couldn't really breath because o our cold, so.. We looked fabulous!! :) On Saturday we went to a little birthday party. The girl turned 6 :) After we went home, we played a bit. Today I went to church (Stack Conference) and tonight we went to the little girls' birthday party again!! :)And now that we're home, we are all ready for bed. In fact... I'm lying in my bed right now, while all the other people are still upstairs and awake!!But it was great fun😥😉

That's it for today though! :)

Have a nice day and a nice week!!

Bye,

Charly :)

Hey strangers!! :)

Hi guys! :(

So, first of all, I'm really, really sorry that I only posted like two things since I'm here, but I'm just super happy!! After Anna gave me the advice to try to post something everyday, I decided to TRY (!) it!! :) I think it'll be so much easier because I would probably know, what to write about :D

Okay.. So this time, I'm gonna write something about the last month, so October:

The October went by soooo fast! It's just crazy! The first week wasn't that interesting, which means that it was interesting for ME because I see and learn so many new things everyday, but it probably won't be interesting for you guys out there in Germany! So the only important thing was my mom's birthday ;) After that it was my aunt's birthday :) Okay. Whatever. So October, 18, was Clara's birthday and it was just awesome! Danielle and me made an amazing birthday cake one day before Clara's birthday and I got some little presents. Then on her birthday, we went to her house and surprised her with the cake and some presents and we were singing Happy Birthday :)) After that she came to my house and Danielle, Clara and me watched a movie and just had fun! :) (We were playing with my little (host) siblings, too, of course!! ;) ) The week after that, on the 23rd of October, we had our first Choir concert! The topic was kinda like "Africa" and it was just amazingly awesome!!!! We were singing two traditional South-African songs ("Tschotscholoza" & "Nginangina"), "Keep your lamps" and "Africa" from Toto!! It's a song from the 80s or something and I just love it!! :) We were wearing gowns! It was just an amazing feeling, standing there on stage, wearing a teal-colored gown with a golden sash on it!! :) Love it!!! So.. The concert was amazing and we got many compliments from other students, parents and teachers. It also was a combined-choir concert, which means that all different choirs of our school sing their songs and then in the end we sang "Africa" together, so there were like 250 people, singing this beautiful song at the same time!! Sorry, that I'm repeating myself so much, but it was AMAZING!!! :) Our school has a "Madrigals" choir and only the best Juniors and Seniors can sing in this choir, which means that this is the BEST choir in the whole school. My best friend Clara is in "Madrigals" and she had a solo: AWESOME!! They sang a song called "Earth Song" by Frank Ticheli and it's so beautiful, so I...No!...everyone had to cry!! :)...Now is the time to look it up and to listen to it. You don't even have to understand what they're singing, just listen and relax!! (The real version is the one called "EARTH SONG by Frank Ticheli- CENTRAL ISLIP" on YouTube!!)

Okay. Anyways... :)The days after the concert weren't that good because my little host cousin Austin died. He was only 12 days old and it made me sad too.. :(

Then there was Halloween and it was awesome. I went trick or treating with my little siblings and my host parents and my host uncle Jonny's family! :) (Yep! Our family is huuuuuge!! :) ) So, we went trick or treating all together and with was great fun!! :) An then it became November and with the November, the snow came too!! We had snow on November 4 and we still have some!! We don't have that much, but there's still a thin layer of snow in our yard :) And tomorrow is my granny's birthday!! ALLES GUTE, OMA!!! :) HAB' DICH LIEB!!! :)) ❤️

So.. I guess, that was everything for now :) I'll really try to post something every second day, though! :)

Love,

Charly :)

P.S. And again! If you have a question, just ask!!! :)

My first real post? :)

Hey guys!! :)

I'm so sorry I didn't write something down in my blog so far, but I'm so busy and to be honest: What shall I write?? :)

I have such a great time here!!!

Maybe I can tell you a typical day in school and after school:

I have to get up at 5.30 am and my bus comes at 6.30 one or two blocks away. I prefer to walk down to the bus stop, but usually my host momma has to drive me down because I'm late :) Yeah... That's me :D In the bus everybody has his own seat and we're not allowed o switch 'em, but Cindy (our bus driver) told us that we (high schoolers) are allowed to switch around seats as long as we won't tell the middle schoolers that we're allowed to do it :D The bus drive to school is always a bit quietly because most of the people try to have a nap during the one-hour-drive. Clara (my best friend), Raul, Danielle and me and sometimes two other people are always joking and laughing and telling stories from the day before. :)

We arrive at the school at 7.35 am and then Clara and me are walking through the school and meet Alyssa. Our school is built like two circles so it's normal to meet the same person 6 times before the first bell rings :D

When the first bell rings we're going to our classes. On A-Days I have U.S. History first. :) The class starts at 7.50 am and ends at 9.17am. Then we have 5 minutes to go to our next class. First I have been late all the time because I had problems to find my classes, but after Clara showed me my classes 4 times and after 2 weeks of practicing I got it :D

The second class starts at 9.22 am and it's Foods 1 on A-Days :) We (all American schools) have "tardy bells". It's the second bell which rings and if you're not in your class at this time you got a tardy, what means that you're late and maybe miss a Bell Quiz or can't hand in Bell Work and can't get the credits for it. So: Be on time!!! :)

The second class ends at 10.51 am. Then we have lunchtime till 11.41 am. The whole "school lunch thing" first confused me and I had no lunch the first day because Clara had a meeting and I had nobody to show me how I could get lunch. But I wasn't hungry so it was okay :) After lunch I have Human Biology on A-Days. The class starts at 11.41 am and ends at 1.08 pm. This class is very hard because of the words they use for body parts and I got the feeling that they're smarter in Biology than Germans are :D After this there's the fourth period and it's A Capella (Choir) on A-Days. A Capella is definitely my favorite class!!! It's soooo awesome!!! People, if you have the chance to take a choir class, take it!!!! It's so awesome!!!!! :)

This class ends at 2.40 pm and school is over. We have to be in our bus till 2.50 pm, but I think it's no big deal, if you're late :) The bus ride home takes one hour again and this is my favorite hour of the whole day!!!!! Today I almost died in the bus from laughing!!!! It's so fun!!!!!!! :) I love all the people in my bus. Two are scary because they only stare at us and never say something, but it's good :)

I walk home from my bus stop together with Danielle and two of her younger siblings. The walk home is always funny too because Danielle is awesome!!!!! We have so many insider jokes, nobody will ever understand!!!!! :D

I'm home at 4 pm, I guess. Then I usually do my homework and study for tests on the next day :) I do it in my own room on my bed which is very comfy!!!! :) I have no books to carry home with me. Actually, I only need a book in two classes :D

After I finish my homework I use to play with my younger host brothers and sisters or just sit and watch "Team Umizoomi" with my whole host family :D

Sometimes Clara comes over and we play checkers or just hang out or she has dinner with me and my family. In the evening I go to bed and that's my day :)

Here is my schedule, if somebody cares:

A-Day:

1. U.S. History

2. Foods

LUNCH

3. Human Biology

4. A Capella :)

B-Day:

1. Junior English ("Junior" because I'm a Junior :D)

2. Algebra 1 (maths)

LUNCH

3. Computer Animation

4. Arts (Foundations 1)

And I'll join FCCLA club  (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) and the Foreign Language Club :)

On the weekend we used to go camping for hunting, but now the bow hunting season is over :) So I'll hang out with friends on Saturday or go to St. George with my host fam and on Sunday we go to church :))

I really love the church!!! Everybody is so awesome and I think we shouldn't judge about Mormons like we use to do!!!! They are normal people!! The difference is that they have high standards, what means that they don't say swear words and don't date till they're 16 years old and don't drink alcohol. To everybody who's afraid to live with Mormons during his/her exchange year: Don't worry!!! They are normal people who accept every religion!!! Believe me: it's the best thing which can ever happen to you!!! :)

Now I don't know what to write....

Wait!!! My host parents will compete in a Relay Race from Friday to Saturday so Clara will maybe come over and we'll watch the kids and have fun!!! :)

To all of my friends and my family:

I LOVE YA!!!!!!!! :) I feel bad because I'm not homesick yet, but I think you can handle it ;) (By the way, I knocked on wood three times, so I won't get homesick ;) )

Bye for now!!!!!!

Charly :)

P.S. I don't know what you'd like to hear or read, so please ask me, if you would like to know something. I don't really care, if it's by email, text message, phone call, skype, in the comment box down there or whatever!! :)

I'm still alive!!!! :)

Hey guys!! :)

Yes, I'm still out there. Sometimes in the middle of nowhere, but I'm there!! :)

I'm soooo sorry that I didn't write anything for more than a week now, but I was so busy and still am!! When I'll find a little space in my life here, I'll post something about the flight and the five hours at the Newark Airport in NYC, but its 10 pm and I have to go to bed, because tomorrow I have to get up at 5.30 am!!! My bus will come at 6.30!!! But I don't care... As long as I can have a nap in the bus or something like that :)

I'll give you a short view on my time in Utah:

Last Thursday my plane arrived one hour too late in Las Vegas. After a confusing trip with the tram to the wrong terminal and the wrong baggage claim a policeman helped me out and I finally arrived at the right terminal and on the right baggage claim. My host family was still there and waiting for me. We were all so excited to meet that the little boy ran against a wall... I'm sorry, but it was sooo funny and we were all laughing. :) The ice was fast broken cuz' my host dad was looking for me and got lost somewhere in the terminal. He arrived my host family a short time after I did and when he told me that he got lost while searching me we couldn't stand it and started to giggle so that other people at the baggage claim stared at us!! :D

Then we walked to the car and it was so hot in Las Vegas!!!! They took me to the Las Vegas strip and everyone was just staring at the crazy people of Las Vegas... I've never seen something like this before!! It was awesome!!! :)

We arrived at "home" at 2.30 at night... or in the morning? :)

I couldn't sleep so I put all my things out of the baggage and into my closet (it's not a toilet!!!!!!) and then fell asleep after the done work! Mama, you can be proud of me!! :)

The following week was busy, busy and busy. But it was so fun!!! I can't imagine a better host family than the one I have!!!!

I bought a school bag, pencils (but no pencil sharpener :D) and new earphones because my other ones broke on the flight to New York :(

I got a wonderful lamp!!!! Green with flowers :) 

I survived my first day at school which has been the second day for all the other students, because my organization in the U.S. didn't tell my host mum that we had to register me in school. My appointment to choose my classes has been on the usual first school day. But it was no problem, because nothing really matters and happens on the first two school days :)

As I said I'm looking forward to post something, but I'm still busy :)

Greetings to my family, friends and other readers!!!!!

Love ya

Charly :)

P.S. I was camping and hunting antilopes and elks this weekend and met a not surprised rattle snake. Everything's okay!!!

But this is an other story... :)

GASTFAMILIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Hey Leute!

Man! Endlich kann ich es schreiben: GASTFAMILIE!!! :D
Ich habe heute meine große Gastfamilie bekommen. Es kam sooo plötzlich! Ich hab nur durch Zufall gesehen, dass mein Name nicht mehr auf der "Liste der Familienlosen" steht und bin morgens um 7 schon halb ausgetickt! :D Heute bei der Arbeit (bei meinem Vater) hat er mich ins Zimmer geholt, mir einen Zettel mit einer Telefonnummer hingeschoben und gefragt, ob ich diese Nummer kenne. Irgendwann hab ich gerafft, dass es die Nummer von meiner Organisation in Frankfurt ist!! Ich hab meinen Vater erstmal ausgequetscht und er hat es mir dann erzählt: Ich komme in einen kleinen Ort in Utah mit ca. 270 Einwohnern. Die nächstgrößere Stadt, in der ich zur Schule gehen werde, hat sogar einen Flughafen und ist nicht weit weg von "Zuhause". Die Eltern sind 31 und 34 und haben vier kleine Kinder von 9 Jahren abwärts (3 Mädchen, 1 Junge)!! :)
ICH FREUE MICH SOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
Ich fliege entweder am 6.8. oder am 8.8., also in weniger als einer Woche!! :O Die Schule fängt nämlich schon am 15.8. an!!
Ihre Hobbies sind Campen und Wandern und Familienausflüge. Wahrscheinlich sind sie Mormonen, aber ich find's cool :))

Ich hab noch nicht sooo viele Infos. Wenn ich mehr weiß, blogge ich noch mal für euch!!


Carlotta :)

Visumsbeantragung in Berlin :))

Hallo Leute!! :)

Wie der Titel schon sagt kommt jetzt endlich mal der Eintrag zum Visums-Termin.
Ich bin am Freitagmorgen vom Hotel aus mit der U-Bahn zum Konsulat gefahren. Um Punkt 8:30 Uhr stand ich hinter 10 anderen Austauschschülern in der Schlange (Mein Interviewtermin war um 8:30 Uhr) . Schon vor dem "Einlass" kam ein Typ rum und hat jedem einen Zettel gegeben auf dem draufstand, wie man die unterlagen zu ordnen hat. Keine Panik!! Man muss dafür kein Sortier-Genie sein :D Sieht nur so aus :P
Nach und nach wurden die Leute in 4er-Gruppen reingebracht. Ich war in einer Gruppe zusammen mit drei weiteren Austauschschülern...Also ca. 80 % aller im Konsulat anwesenden Personen waren Austauschschüler :D Zuerst wurden wir von einem Polizisten (?) abgezählt und dann wurde hinter uns Vieren das Absperrband wieder zugezogen. Dann ging es im Entenmarsch zu einer Sicherheitskontrolle, die eigentlich genauso wie am Flughafen ist: Taschen zusammen mit Jacke, Gürtel, Armbändern usw in eine Kiste, in den Scanner (?) schieben und dann durch dieses komische "Scan-Tor", "Piep-Dings" oder wie es auch immer heißen mag gehen. Dann hat uns der "Polizist" ~ nennen wir ihn "Larry" ~ gesagt, wie man ins Konsulat reinkommt. Larry konnte aber leider nicht mit rein kommen :D Wir mussten erst durch eine Tür gehen, dann kam eine weitere Tür, wo man aber erst klingeln musste (!!!!!) und dann musste man ein kleines Stück zu einer dritten Tür (Die Amis haben's halt mit ihren Türen :D) gehen. Da hat dann eine Frau auf uns gewartet die riiiichtig nett war. Echt mal!! Die war total putzig. Die hat gesagt: "Kommt mal her, meine Süßen. Habt ihr auch alles richtig geordnet? So.. stellt euch jetzt mal bitte genau an dieses Absperrband. Super!" Das alles in so einem Oma-Ton. :)
Dann standen wir eben in einer Schlange und haben auf unser Interview gewartet. Als ich dran war, bin ich zu einer Frau gegangen, die hinter einer Glasscheibe saß. Die hat mir dann gesagt, dass ich meinen Pass und noch so ein paar andere Sachen in so ein Fach legen sollte. Dann hat sie sich die Sachen genommen und kurz was draufgeschrieben und irgendwas zusammengeheftet. Ich hab von ihr dann zwei Zettel bekommen und sollte mich in den großen Wartebereich setzen. Auf dem blauen Zettel stand, was die beim Interview fragen könnten und auf was man sich gefasst machen muss. Der andere war eher ein Prospekt, in dem stand, welche Rechte man in den USA als Austauschschüler hat - auf Englisch!! Da habe ich erstmal ordentlich was zum Lesen gehabt :D Ich wurde schon nach 5 Minuten aufgerufen, was ziemlich schnell ist, da dort noch einige Schüler saßen, die vor mir schon dort saßen. Das Aufrufen funktioniert so, dass immer der Name gesagt wird und der Schalter, an den der-/diejenige kommen soll. Also z.B. "Anne Müller, Schalter 7" oder so. Das klingt zwar uninteressant, ist es aber nicht! Die rufen dich mit einem tiefst amerikanischen Akzent auf, was ziiiiemlich lustig ist :D Man geht dann eben zum Schalter und setzt sich hin. Dann begrüßt dein Interviewer dich und fragt standardmäßig, warum du in die USA einreisen möchtest. Dann kommen noch die Fragen, ob du schon einmal in den USA warst, ob du schon weißt, wo genau du hinkommen wirst usw. . Bei mir war alles auf Deutsch. Entweder hatte ich Glück, oder das ist in Berlin einfach so :D ich hab einfach ganz normal geantwortet und nachdem er alles gefragt hatte, hat er mit einem strahlenden Lächeln gesagt, dass mein Visum genehmigt wäre. Yiiiiihaa!!! :)) Den blauen Zettel musste ich dann zusammen mit der Information, wie man seine Unterlagen zu sortieren hat, bei der netten Frau abgeben. Das Info-Material über meine Rechte durfte ich behalten. Na Herzlichen Dank auch :D Wollte ich schon immer mal haben :D
Ich bin dann rausgegangen und Larry war sehr freundlich. Er hat mir den Ausgang (ein Drehkreuz) gezeigt und einen schönen Tag gewünscht :D
Dann hab ich mit meiner Mutter noch ein Wochenende Berlin-Urlaub drausgemacht...Natürlich mit der Begründung, dass sich die Fahrt nach Berlin sonst nicht gelohnt hätte ;D


Sooooo... Das war's auch schon wieder. Ich hab heute gesehen, dass ich jetzt schon weit über 600 Seitenaufrufe habe, was mich ziiemlich erstaunt hat! Hätte nie damit gerechnet, dass jemand, der nicht zum Freundes- oder Familienkreis gehört sich meinen Blog reinzieht :D Deshalb möchte ich mich bei allen bekannten und unbekannten Lesern bedanken :) Ich freue mich wirklich, dass dieser Blog Anklang findet!! :) Wenn ihr irgendwelche Fragen habt: Bitte FRAGT einfach!! Keine Scheu. :P
Ich werde alle Fragen beantworten, es sei denn sie sind hochgradig asozial oder ähnliches :D


Carlotta :)



P.S. Nein, ich habe noch keine Gastfamilie :D Und ich weiß auch weder wo ich hinkomme, noch wann ich fliege. <-- Schonmal so prophylaktisch :D

P.P.S. Sorry, dass ich in fast jedem Eintrag mindestens ein "P.S." mache :D