Flashback: Rome Update 4
September 20, 2004
Hey Everyone -
I have to warn you, this has been a really exciting week, so this may be a long email. :)
I really got into the swing of classes last week and feel like I am finally 'adjusted'. During my sketchbook art class last week, I was sitting in a corner of Rome's Capitole Hill sketching a Piazza designed by Michael Angelo and a number of tourists were around, and all the sounds of the city of Rome were everywhere, and I finally had the sensation that I am studying abroad, and this is what it is all about. It was pretty cool.
This past weekend was REALLY exciting as I traveled to Munich, Germany with two of my roommates. They stayed with other John Cabot kids in the city for Oktoberfest and I spent Friday afternoon with them, but then I was fortunate enough to visit really good friends of our family who live about an hour outside of Munich, Tim and Heike DeYoung and their kids, Laura (13), Joel (11) and Jona (8). I had SUCH A WONDERFUL weekend with them!!!!
Friday, my roomates and I had a morning flight which gave us plenty of time to figure out the metro situation from the airport to Munich and reached the city in time for a late lunch. We ate that afternoon in THE HOFBRAUHAUS which is one of the more famous Beer Gardens in Munich. It was such a hilarious place with long wooden benches pulled up to long tables where one eats, a Bavarian band playing, and waitresses and waiters in the traditional German wardrobe. The food was German (surprise, surprise) and very good and the atmosphere was a stitch! I am so glad I was able to see it, because I don't think I would have believed anyone who described it to me.
After lunch I split from my roomates and wandered around the old part of Munich (Marienplatz) and window-shopped until I met Tim in the early evening to go back to their home. We know each other because our fathers are best friends from many years back, and our parents travel together and the families usually see each other at least once a summer.
I had SO MUCH FUN at Tim and Heike's home and with their family. It was just what I needed this weekend. I saw so much of the German countryside and met so many really nice and sweet German people and was able to get a much more cultural experience than I'm sure I would have seeing only Oktoberfest. The kids made a real effort to speak to me in English and would remind each other to include me in the conversation when one would speak in German. The whole family was just wonderful and were truly a blessing to me this weekend.
Over the weekend there was a once-a-year market in town, just down the road from Tim and Heike's home (it was a little like an art fair) and so the kids and Heike and I spent some time both Saturday and Sunday at the market. I was able to meet a lot of nice people and see the types of things they sell and it was great to observe the whole thing (and shop a little too).
Tim works at LegoLand and on Saturday all of us but Laura went to a big Back-To-School concert day that LegoLand was hosting and I had such a blast being at the amusement park with Joel and Jona. They showed me all of their favorite rides and thought I was pretty cool for going on the rollar-coasters. If any of you get the chance to visit a LegoLand somewhere (there are four in the world), I would definitely recommend it. It's a great place for kids, but all of the things made out of legos is fascinating and interesting for people of any age. I had a great time.
Then on Sunday I went to church with them and in the afternoon, students of Heike's were in a children's musical/opera. (Heike is an extremely talented soprano singer and now teaches voice lessons). I really enjoyed watching the show and then afterwards, some of the students came over and spoke English with me! They were SO sweet and so
nice to bring me into the conversation and talk with me, and spoke English very well.
It meant everything to me to see Germany and learn about the German culture, but also have a bit of home by the familiar faces of close friends and the fact they spoke English.
Sunday night, Tim dropped me off at the Oktoberfest and I was able to take in the whole event. It was really cool -- somewhat like a cross between a big and happy frat party and a big state fair. It was really cool. I hope I didn't committ some type of sacrelige by only drinking a Diet Coke while I was there...
This was a wonderful wonderful week, and it has me very excited about upcoming weeks and upcoming trips and all the new experiences coming my way. Thank you for all the prayers coming my way -- things are going too smoothly for anything other than Christ to be at work. It's a really cool thing!
- B
September 20, 2004
Hey Everyone -
I have to warn you, this has been a really exciting week, so this may be a long email. :)
I really got into the swing of classes last week and feel like I am finally 'adjusted'. During my sketchbook art class last week, I was sitting in a corner of Rome's Capitole Hill sketching a Piazza designed by Michael Angelo and a number of tourists were around, and all the sounds of the city of Rome were everywhere, and I finally had the sensation that I am studying abroad, and this is what it is all about. It was pretty cool.
This past weekend was REALLY exciting as I traveled to Munich, Germany with two of my roommates. They stayed with other John Cabot kids in the city for Oktoberfest and I spent Friday afternoon with them, but then I was fortunate enough to visit really good friends of our family who live about an hour outside of Munich, Tim and Heike DeYoung and their kids, Laura (13), Joel (11) and Jona (8). I had SUCH A WONDERFUL weekend with them!!!!
Friday, my roomates and I had a morning flight which gave us plenty of time to figure out the metro situation from the airport to Munich and reached the city in time for a late lunch. We ate that afternoon in THE HOFBRAUHAUS which is one of the more famous Beer Gardens in Munich. It was such a hilarious place with long wooden benches pulled up to long tables where one eats, a Bavarian band playing, and waitresses and waiters in the traditional German wardrobe. The food was German (surprise, surprise) and very good and the atmosphere was a stitch! I am so glad I was able to see it, because I don't think I would have believed anyone who described it to me.
After lunch I split from my roomates and wandered around the old part of Munich (Marienplatz) and window-shopped until I met Tim in the early evening to go back to their home. We know each other because our fathers are best friends from many years back, and our parents travel together and the families usually see each other at least once a summer.
I had SO MUCH FUN at Tim and Heike's home and with their family. It was just what I needed this weekend. I saw so much of the German countryside and met so many really nice and sweet German people and was able to get a much more cultural experience than I'm sure I would have seeing only Oktoberfest. The kids made a real effort to speak to me in English and would remind each other to include me in the conversation when one would speak in German. The whole family was just wonderful and were truly a blessing to me this weekend.
Over the weekend there was a once-a-year market in town, just down the road from Tim and Heike's home (it was a little like an art fair) and so the kids and Heike and I spent some time both Saturday and Sunday at the market. I was able to meet a lot of nice people and see the types of things they sell and it was great to observe the whole thing (and shop a little too).
Tim works at LegoLand and on Saturday all of us but Laura went to a big Back-To-School concert day that LegoLand was hosting and I had such a blast being at the amusement park with Joel and Jona. They showed me all of their favorite rides and thought I was pretty cool for going on the rollar-coasters. If any of you get the chance to visit a LegoLand somewhere (there are four in the world), I would definitely recommend it. It's a great place for kids, but all of the things made out of legos is fascinating and interesting for people of any age. I had a great time.
Then on Sunday I went to church with them and in the afternoon, students of Heike's were in a children's musical/opera. (Heike is an extremely talented soprano singer and now teaches voice lessons). I really enjoyed watching the show and then afterwards, some of the students came over and spoke English with me! They were SO sweet and so
nice to bring me into the conversation and talk with me, and spoke English very well.
It meant everything to me to see Germany and learn about the German culture, but also have a bit of home by the familiar faces of close friends and the fact they spoke English.
Sunday night, Tim dropped me off at the Oktoberfest and I was able to take in the whole event. It was really cool -- somewhat like a cross between a big and happy frat party and a big state fair. It was really cool. I hope I didn't committ some type of sacrelige by only drinking a Diet Coke while I was there...
This was a wonderful wonderful week, and it has me very excited about upcoming weeks and upcoming trips and all the new experiences coming my way. Thank you for all the prayers coming my way -- things are going too smoothly for anything other than Christ to be at work. It's a really cool thing!
- B
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for stopping by and joining the conversation.