Tuesday, June 30, 2009

DAY TWENTY TWENTY-ONE

HELLO
BONJOUR

We just got computers.
We hzve been preparing for children to come. posters posters posters. I hand hurts from poster making. we have to make english signs. some are funny like; WALL, CHAIR.
I swam (almost) across the lake yesterday. We have been doing yoga in the TP every morning.
Today I will be going to PARIS on the train with Ariel (the french girl) to bring the 43 children back tomorrow on the train. OOO that will be interesting. But I get to stay in a french hotel and eat parisian food for FREE.
I need to go pack;

LOVE

Sunday, June 28, 2009

DAY 17 18 19

SOOOOO
I obviously have not had access to a comp in a couple days.

I am now at "camp"!!!!!!!!!!!!
i got here yesterday around 4.

I will start by doing a brief summary of the last couple days: (i dont have too much time)
17: I WENT TO AN AMAZING festival in BRUSSELS with ELINE!!!!! it was called COULER CAFE. It was soooo fun. I would like to go into great detail, but cant, i will tell yall when i get home. in short, it was a world music festival with artists and food from all over the world. One artist did a little ode to MJ; RIP.
GREAT GREAT GREAT
18: I took the train, all day. Met my coworkers!!! they are all great. 2 canadiens, 2 californians, 1 Michiganian, 1 St. Louisite, 1 massechusetian, 1 oregonian, 1 parisian, and MN (repen)
We just hung out last night, got to know eachother,
the camp site is SOOOO great
right on a lake, trees, T-ps,
our dorms are nice, beds suck,

i lost my rain jacket in brussels

the food here is NICE (and there are 3 vegetarians!!!)

i should prob go, there is only one comp at the moment, the others come tomorrow.

YAY i can already tell this is going to be a blast!!!!!!!
(and it is not a scam, that is a definite plus!)

Thursday, June 25, 2009

DAY SIXTEEN

Today was a day. A good day: This post is going to take me a long time to write, the belgian keyboard is even more scrambled: (: is a period ok,)
^that took me 5 min^

I woke at 7 this morn and checked out, got b fast and went to take the tram to the train station (I never payed for the tram once, they never asked, muahhaha) Everything was going smoothly untill I realized I had gotten on the tram going the opposite direction of the station: awesome. I got to THE opposite end of town and switched: my 10 min tram ride turned into 45 min: My train was at 8 26 and I was on the tram till 8 28: meaning i missed my train: luckily I there was another train at 8 54 that i could take: ufda: but i had to somehow contact eline and tell her i would be later,,,so, sorry mom and dad, i resorted to my cell phone,,,and i didnt have a phone card: sorry: it worked and she was at my gate when i got there! with her friend dafney:
From there we put my stuff in a locker at the station and met thier friend BJ and started the "tour" of Brussels: BJ knows everything about everything, so i learned a lot today; we went allll over; i saw many sights, there is very beautiful architecture here; we went to this nieghborhood where everyday they have this junk market, used everything; i was in heaven!!!!!!!! i was so overwhelmed i could barely think to buy anything; i could buy everything there;
we saw the "little piss boy" a very famous attraction in brussels; i dont get it; it is literally a 1 foot tall statue of a little peeing boy; there were people poseing for pics infront of it; hillarious; there is also a little peeing girl, ze saw that too; ha!
i stood in the center of belgium:
i saw the most beautiful town square in the world
i saw a giant molecule of iron;
i at belgian fries
i learned some dutch
i realized i dont remember any french
i got sun burned
i tried cherry beer
i went to a bar with the largest beer selection, the menu was a novel
i saw a palace

gooood day; again, my feet hurt, hurt, hurt

ELINE SAYS HI MOM AND DAD and to EVERYONE ELSE (that knows her)
{elines appartment is sooo nice!!}

tomorrow we are going to attempt to get me a ticket to the festival that they are going to, it is sold out, if there is a will there is a way! cross your fingers!!!

i still didnt get shoes mom;

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

DAY FIFTEEN

Hello! today i got lost again. whats new. Amsterdam is the strangest city. the streets get me sooooooooooo lost. I have never encountered such a strange system. A good map of amsterdam could not even prevent one from losting. Getting lost makes my feet hurt.
It is hot today, very nice. Attempted to shop for shoes, one pair of mine have a whole growing in the sole. But since I refuse to pay 40 euro, I walked home empty handed. I really need some purple hightops though.
I met my friend Will at 1:30 (I was late of course due to the fact that the streets got me very confused.) and we sat in the very nice, very large park. Sitting was important. My feet really hate me. I got a death threat from the right one yesterday. Now I am on the internent. Who knows whats instore for tonight. Not me.
Tomorrow I am off to Brussels to meet ELINE! that will be fun!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

DAY FOURTEEN

HELLO WORLD ITS MR> ME TOO.

SOOOOOO yesterday i didn"t have much time at all to write. if you didn't notice. (i have to get used to a normal keyboard again.)
I am in AMSTERDAM! I got here at about 3 yesterday, and i immediately went to walk around. AND I basically walked around the whole city. I had no map and I got very lost. I walked for 7 hours. saw it all, 3 days might get long here haha. There is an extreme lack of momuments here, but an ecessive amount of tourists. (lots of hippies. *wink) I saw lots of things, but since i had no literature on anything, i had no idea what i was seeing. hmm...should have done that maybe. Everything closes at 6 here btw. Ecept coffee shops and bars. There are H&Ms on every corner. Followed by a Steak House, then a coffee shop. I am staying right by the Rijks museum, and there is a very nice park there witch I have been hanging out at.
Last night I met a guy from Ohio who is an art major here "studying" for 2 weeks. I also met a girl from Switzerland who is here for the ACDC show today (i don"t know her name so I call her ACDC girl.) Well, the 3 of us went walking around last night. So I saw the whole city again. We went to the redlight district, saw girls in windows and such. Then we went to the "ROck Bar" (ACDC girl's idea) where they were BLASTING ACDC. It was hillarious, Will and I were VERY out of place. FYI ACDC girl wears ONLY ACDC shirts and spider rings, but I don't think she is as hardcore as she dresses. ahha. She barely speaks english and always looks at me blankly.
I was POOPED and I fell asleep instantly in my VERY comfy bed.
Today Will and I went to the Rijksmuseum, it was surprisingly SMALL, I think most of it is under construction. bummer. It was very nice though. Then we attempted to find another museum and failed. Streets here are confusing, and we were lazy and lacking a good map. Everystreet is somethingSTRAT. We walked and walked all day, saw the entire city for a third and forth time. IT IS SMALL. We found the queen's palace, but it cost to get in, so we didn't go. We found some cool galeries and went in those. Bassically we were just lost all day, then we finally found our way "home" and I took a nap.
This hostel is very nice. IDK what I am going to do tonight or tomorrow.
Maybe I will splurge on some food. I haven't bought anything but a baggett, nutella and an orange. Saving money.
LOVE

Monday, June 22, 2009

IN AMSTERDAM AND SAFE. WILL WRITE MORE LATER LOVE YOU ALL!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

DAY TWELVE

Today is another chill day. I am getting ready to leave Sab's. I am ready for more Europe, lets go.
I played with Sab's little sister Svenya for most of the morning. She is cute. Welllllll....I am going to buy train tickets now. $$$$$$$ (damn)
PEACE

Saturday, June 20, 2009

DAY ELEVEN

Hello all!
Today we woke at 5 30 to go decorate the theater for Sab's graduation. And then.......I spent 8 hours there. OOF. The cerimony started at 10 and lasted till 1 30. It was VERY similar to an American High School graduation, but minus the cap and gown and plus a lot of German. Sab's mom tried to translate a lot of it, nice. Sab wore her cap and gown from MN and switched the tassle and everything. It was cute. If you didn't hear them speak, ALL the students look like they are straight from Roseville Area High School. The girls were wearing thier sweatpants and little lacey tanks with messy buns and the boys were wearing thier jeans and tees (that was prior to the cerimony, before they had dressed up) (the boys are slightly more stylish than MN boys, I must say.) I never realized how truely Americanized Germany is.
After the cerimony we went back to Sab's and had a GERMAN BBQ. Meaning-MEAT. LOTS. I have pictures its rediculous. I am not going to lie, I ate some, and some, I admit, was good.
Now I digest tiredly.

(spelling = terrible)

SURPRISE! Moday I am going to Amsterdam for 3 nights! I realized that I have over a week left b4 work so I thought I might as well take advantage of the fact that I am here and everything is so CLOSE! (I also feel kinda bad about making Sab entertain me for so long. She is great). Then on Thursday I am going to BELGIUM to stay with ELINE for 2 nights. We are going to a festival of some sort on Friday and then I leave for camp Sat morn.
Thats whats up with me.

BISOUS

Friday, June 19, 2009

DAY TEN


This is a photo from the trip to Wismar.
(Mom, your knomb is really gettin around)
(sorry I can't figure out how to flip it)


TODAY-Lay low at Sabrina's. Thats all.

p.s. my camera is a piece of shit. the display is already messed up. i hate bad purchases! anger boils in my viens.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

DAY NINE

Today we woke at 9 30. Quite late considering we went to bed at 10 30pm. We first went back to the Berlin Dome and went inside. It was AWE-INSPIRING, it is the church that got bombed durring the war, right through the center and had to be rebuilt. Again, MASSIVE and OLD. We climbed to the very top and got to see all of Berlin! That was fun. We then walked to a "museum" or so I thought. I found it online before we went, it is called the Digital Art Museum. Turns out it is a one room GALLERY, and it was FREE! Not what I expected, but turned out to be cool, cause it was by a few other galleries that were FREE. The art was very contemporary. I didnt like the DAM that much but the others were very nice.
AND THEN we went to the car and drove HOME.
All I have eaten the past 3 days is Nutella and bread, and more bread. I feel funny.
Overall, I LOVE BERLIN.

(I am making these posts more brief, hope you don't mind.)

DAY EIGHT

Woke up in the back of a car, quite comfy actually. Had nutella for breakfast. Walked around the town a bit. Meh. It was the same same. Then we drove to the island Rügen to the town Alterfähr and walked along the ocean for awhile. Nice. The houses were cute.
Off to BERLIN! I was so tired in the car, I tried to stay awake to keep Sab company but it was nearly impossible. The drive was sooo beautiful. Rolling hills and windmills. When we got to Berlin, we found a parking spot just outside the city and then took the equivalent to the Metro into the city. I loved it instantly. I am moving there, 2014 perhaps, anyone wanna come? Sab hates Berlin, but I love it. We went to the Berlin wall park, got kinda lost getting there. It was cool, I got a little history refresher which was nice. Colorful. Then we walked to Postdam Platz and then to the Berlin Gate and then to Reichsthe/Bumdesthe (the senate building) We sat infront of it for a long while. It is a really cool old building, (again, like most). I like the Berlin residents. Then we walked to the Berlin Dome and then around. GOOD DAY.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

DAY SEVEN

Today Sab and I are going on a little roadtrip! We are driving north to some ocean towns and sleeping in the back of her car! So euro 1965 I know. We are bringing a gas stove and we are going to cook our food in dark corners. We just started packing today, and we are leaving in about an hour, so hopefully we bring what we need. Whatever. Then we are going to drive to Berlin and stay a night. I would really like to go to a museum, we will see. Auf Wiedersehen! Be back in 3!

CONTINUED

We drove to Wismar, we got there around 5 30. Then we cooked dinner next to our car. Then we wandered around the CUTE town. The architecture was adorable and everything was painted pastel colors! Sigh. We went into this church that was AMAZING! It was massive and old (like a lot of churches around here, but for some reason this one was especially enjoyable). Then we walked to the harbor and say boats and a sun. It was very nice, I liked it very much. THEN we drove to Strasund, another beach town popular with German tourists. We parked the car by the side of the road and went and had a drink at a cafe. then BED.

Monday, June 15, 2009

DAY SIX

^Check it ^

Today we went to breakfast in Braunschweig, then did some shopping. We are going to go on a little road trip tomorrow to the ocean and then to Berlin. We bought asparagus, they grow lots here, but it is white and fat...strange. Did you know it grows below ground? I learned a lot about it today. Hmm, interesting. I think we are going to a windmill museum today.
PEACE
>We went to the museum and it was very beautiful. SO german, so quaint. Nice. Lots of windmills. I DROVE A STICK! Not a branch silly! Harharharhar. I got to drive Sab's car! It was fun, I was pretty good except for the parking part.
BYE again.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

DAY FIVE


Here is a pic from when we walked the Champs Elysees. (thats Claudia)
GOOD MORNING.
NOT.
It is late late afternoon. I slept till 1 30!!!!!!! and I went to bed at 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ummm.....I didn't think I was jet lagged, but I thought wrong! I am still half asleep and it is 4pm. We were going to go to lunch with the whole family at 1 30. But I was sleeping so we are now going to dinner. Yikes. I feel bad. Right now I am sitting in Sabrina's room with her and her friend and we are drawing and making decorations for graduation.
I have VERY BAD NEWS EVERYONE!
Here it is....................................................
I left my sketchbook on the train. I am soooo sad. I ALMOST cried. I swore it would never happen again, and it did. And it happened in the same way, traveling a long distance to meet a friend, and tiredly and forgetfully leaving it on the bus/train. RRR. At least there were only 4 days worth of journaling in it. BUT STILL. Now I am using a little book Sabrina nicely gave to me. Maybe the nice person that finds it will mail it back to me...maybe. DAMN.
I think the plans for the rest of the day are just to hangout and then go to dinner.
BYE.

CONTINUED

OK false alarm! I HAVE MY SKETCHBOOK! Here is the crazy crazy story about how I got it back...
So the phone rings at sabrina's house and her mom answers and she says its for me, um...who would call me? She keeps talking to the mysterious person on the phone and she shouts "THIS MAN HAS YOUR BOOK!" I jumped with joy and we hopped in the car and drove to this man's house, witch coincidentally was very close to Sab's. When we got there the man gave me my book. He spoke perfect english, he barely had an accent and he had been to the US several times and he had even been to MN! THIS is the crazy part! Where did he find it you ask? He found it at a club/bar on Sat night! His friend found it on a bench and it ended up in his car and he found it the next morning. I was not at any bar or club, so somehow it got from the train to the bar that day! OOO I love it! Sabrina and her sister got text messages on Sat (but didn't see them till today) from another person, saying they have madeline's book , they found it on the train and that she probably wants it back. THEY WERE RIGHT! So that person probably brought it with them to the bar and then left it and then this other dude found it! O god I love stories like this. I wish they would have written in it. Good thing I had a millon phone numbers in there, right? eh?
You can all stop your worrying.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

DAY FOUR

Today I woke up at 5 in the morning to catch my train to HANNOVER and then to LEIFERDE to see SABRINA! I took the metro to the train staion, and as I was leaving for the day, people were stumbling home all drunk, it was funny. The train was long. boring. whatever. When i got here sabrina was there waiting for me! YAY! now we are painting a giant cardboard ship for her graduation's decorations. I am cutting out cardboard waves. I escaped to call the rents and do this. did i mention i am very tired. Sab's house is very nice. they have many colorful things. Germans are cute. They, like the Icelandics, are very blonde and blue eyed. this german keyboard is trippin me up. the Z and Y are switched. I am going to go build a ship. LOVE ZOU ALL!

Friday, June 12, 2009

DAY THREE

BONJOUR!
literally it is early. I just had a little french petite breakfast and now I am trying to get my ticket to Germany, (I really should have done that early. God damn it. I have to call them). I met 2 people at breakfast. One from BRAZIL (hannah, cool eh?) and another girl from Portugal, who lives in London. I am going to take the metro with her to the area with Notre Dame and the Pompidu today. (INSERT: yes i know my spelling is terrible, I am in a hurry and there is no spell check and this is a french keyboard).
Last night I walked to the Eiffel Tower and got lost for about 2 hours cause my map was shitty, it was a good walk though. I ate dinner at a cafe and then climbed all 702 stairs to the very top (the second floor anyway) it was the PERFECT TIME! It was dusk and I got to see the sun set! The line was INSANE! But savy me took the stairs route witch had a much shorter line than the elevator (the elevator is LAME). I spent awhile on top and then I climbed my way down and took the metro home. At this point it was about 11:30! I was pooped. I showered in the COLD shower and went to bed in my EMPTY room, there are 4 beds and no-one else came last night, kinda cool, but a bit lonley. I didn't meet anyone yesterday :( today will be better, I already have a buddy :)
I must go! BISOUS!

CONTINUED

So I wrote all of this whole heartedly yesterday and then it didn't save. so here is a half ass version.
So I met Claudia and then we took the metro to Notre Dame. It was nice. Claudia loves taking photos. in front of everything. it is hilarious. then we walked around. shopped and tried not to buy anything (i have to carry it around so no thanks) then we went to the Pompideu! I LOVED IT. favorite part of the day. they had a kandinsky expo. brilliant. I could have spent all day there, but claudia was not as thrilled as i. then we ate, and walked and walked and walked. then we went back to the hostel and napped. then we met up again and went to the moulin rouge. very shady part of town. funny. then we went to see the pyramids at the louvre at night. again it was the perfect time, and the sun was setting and the pyramids cast a shaddow on the louvre. sigh. then we walked and walked down the champs elysees. i was so tired. still am. my feet hurt. then we returned and slept. the end. good bye.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

DAY TWO

OK so I am HERE! I AM IN PARIS!
I think I was meant to live here. The men are so attractive here! STYLE anyone?
I had a long flight...got about 4 hours of sleep total. Feelin good. I made it to my youth hostel! I had to take the train and then the metro and then walk and of course I got lost on the walking part. I showed up to ALOHA HOSTEL sweating and panting cause I had just walked a mile or 2 with all my stuff. I packed surprisingly light however, I was impressed with myself. Now I am just bumming around till 5pm so I can check in and get my room at the hostel. I went to a cafe for awhile and had a cafe au lait. I felt so french, ecept for the fact that I have a terrible american accent, the server was not fond of it. This whole jet lag thing is wierd. It is dinner here, and breakfast at home. My layover was in Iceland, and I decided that I need to go back! It is such a facinating country! I learned that the population is only 300,000 and it is the size of england and 60% of the population lives in one city! Plus, everyone is blonde, its hilarious. I have yet to meet anyone at the hostel, none of them are speaking english or french. Tonight I am going to walk to the Eiffel Tower! YAY! This part of the city I am in is very nice, there are lots of schools, all the kids smoke cigarettes and ride razor scooters. I haven't seen many tourists though, or if I have they are good at blending in. I am trying to do that, I think it works if I am not carrying my huge backpackers pack. Some little french boys tried to scare me, that was funny, I just gave them a look of disgust. I only have a little longer with the internet...so AU REVOIR!
(p.s. I am safe safe safe mom and dad! LOVE YOU!)

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

DAY ONE

I leave for FRANCE today! So here is the deal with this blog now: I will hopefully be updating this everyday/every-other/whenever I can with pictures and what I've been up to.  
Last night I had a lovely fete with all my very closest people, it was very nice.  Great turnout I would say.  We ate cupcakes and sang American songs.  Right now I am "packing" and then I am off to the airport at 4:30! I get to stop in Iceland OOOO. I will get there at 2 pm FRANCE time and then I will try to find my youth hostel on the metro. yeeeeaaahhh. Cross your fingers I don't get lost.  I am planning on climbing my way up the Eiffel Tower my first night, the rush will be awesome when I am all jet lagged.  I did it last time I was there, I should make it a tradition.
TA TA FOR NOW! A LA PROCHAINE!

Monday, June 1, 2009

Analogies

Life is like a room filled with loosely hung twine, zig-zaging from wall to wall, up and down.