First Days

Sorry I have not been writing! I feel like it is never a good time…. But I know I always stalk other exchange students’ blogs, and when they don’t post it is annoying.  After leaving my family in Detroit, I boarded the flight to Chicago. I sat next to a nice ginger businessman. He was talking about Europe, but I was sad and didn’t really want to hear it- although to his credit he did try to make me feel better. After landing in Chicago I followed the signs and monitor boards on a long walk to another gate. On the way I noticed another teenager who seem to have a blue blazer on and did one of those walk- past- and- do- a- quick- glance- back type walks and she noticed and told me she was an exchange student headed to Brazil from Mexico. It was nice to see someone in my position. It turned out we were walking to the same gate except her flight was the one leaving at that gate after mine. After getting in line I waited and waited to get on the plane and finally did. I got Erik (pillow pet) out during the walk so all the little kids stared. Did I mention at the airport I felt like a was a zoo animal? Not in a bad way, just that when every other passenger walked past, they stared at my pin filled Rotary jacket. They wouldn’t ask me, just would stare at my jacket. Anyways, my plane to Frankfurt had to decks, three rows of seats. 340 passengers. The man behind me to the right was quite attractive. He had his son with him who looked to be about two.  The little boy was really cute- but he cried a lot. So on that long flight I got about 2 hours of sleep. Landing in Frankfort we were picked up by shuttle. I’m going to be honest, I’m not a big fan of that airport. I didn’t know what was going on and the English speakers I talked to didn’t either. We were taken right to a monitor board and I didn’t see my plane. So I asked this man and he told me the new gate. Then I tried to go through to get to my gate (past this visa stamp thing) and the man and woman were like “Did you read the sign?!?” Of course I said no. Then the woman snipped “Next time read the sign!!!” I still didn’t have any idea what she was referring to but I just handed over my passport and the guy says “Are you a European Union citizen?!?” And again said no. And he told me in a not so nice way that HIS little gate thing was for only European citizens, but that he would sign it anyway, and to next time “read the sign!!” So then I went through security and then began the longest walk to find my gate which was the 2 to last gate at the other side of the airport. I sat there and tried to call my parents with my mom’s phone (she got it in Italy) and tried to call but it kept telling me the number was wrong. (Or something like that because it was in a different language) and then I had no wifi. So for about an hour and a half I sat, with nothing to do because I finished my “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” book on the last plane. Finally I was boarding and they told me my carry-on was too big, they would store it. In the back of my mind I could hear my dad “keep your carry-on!” but there was not much I could do, and I had all the important papers in my purse. Boarding this plane marks a low point. I felt alone. No English speakers. It was just me now. To keep from being sad I slept. When I woke up we were about to land and my nerves kicked in.  As I walked off I felt more nervous than I did for my mini IOP in English class. My knees were wobbling and my stomach was in knots. I got my luggage and walked around the corner. I saw my host mom jumping up and down and smiling and waving. My nerves disappeared. I was showered with gifts and the boys took my suitcases. We again tried to call my mom and it finally worked. We got in the car and drove home. My sister and I immediately started talking, and we get along well. I’m glad she can relate because last year she was in Argentina and knows how it feels. When we got home I gave them their gifts, which they thanked me for. I did a bit of unpacking and then got on the computer. My mom, sister and I were all checking facebook and emailing. Then my sister took me on a walk around the city and we talked about school. We went to the store, and then came home and ate. We then chilled and went to bed. This morning I woke up around 5:45 my time (11:45pm  Midland Time). We got up at like 6:30 and got ready then walked to school. For celebrations  they always wear a traditional outfit. It’s not the cutest- but that’s okay because all the girls were wearing the same thing, and the boys had on suits. At the beginning of the first day of school they stand out in the courtyard and some students perform. This marks another low point. I again felt alone and missed my friends at home. When that ended we went to class. First we just had the beginning hour, I don’t think it has a name. Then I went to German 1 and Barbi went to a higher level of German. The teacher didn’t speak any English, I don’t think many of classmates did either. She tried to talk to me which was an epic fail. Then she said something that sounds like “nem, too dumb” which to me meant “no, she’s too dumb” and then the class laughed.  I wanted to say “I’m not that dumb, I haven’t even been here 24 hours! But I didn’t when I asked Barbi she said it means “I don’t understand” which makes much more sense. I went to history, art, chemistry, literature, and English. I liked my lit class because the teacher had me introduce myself to the class, and they were suppose to ask questions. Barbi wasn’t in this class, but luckily I met a girl named Martina who speaks English well and she was my translator. One boy (he looks like Amanda Bynes love interest in “What a girl wants”!) gave me a piece of bread that was like a cinnamon roll. Then I went to English and we listened to Madonna and some other 80’s band and we were suppose to fill in the blanks for the lyrics. It was kind of hard! The teacher really likes British English so she sounds British. She kept asking me the meanings of the songs. Anyways, school ended and we went to get ice cream. Then I went to get money from the bank and ate lunch when I came home (3:30ish) and then I just chilled. The good news is I’m learning lots of Hungarian terms. J Sorry that was so long. I’ll post more sometime next week.