2009 will be an interesting year, and a very international year too!
First there will by my awesome trip to the
US which I am very very much looking forward to!! For those who are interested: I'll come over on March 8 and will stay with the Arlottis in Phoenix for two weeks. On March 21 I will then come to Philly. Until going on to New York City, where the NMUN project is going to be, and from where I will then go back to Germany on April 11, I will stay with Aunt Judy and Uncle Ned - thanks so much for hosting me!! Gosh, I'm looking forward seeing everyone again!! :)
But that's not enough!
First, some backgound: Well, it's nice to be able to speak a foreign language fluently. But in today's world, often one foreign language isn't enough. In school I had 4 years of French class, and in university I am in my third semester of Russian. But I know from my stay in the States you don't really learn a language thoroughly if you don't live in that country for some time. So what is to do? Living in Europe and envisioning to maybe work with some European institution later, I came to realize that it would be of great advantage to speak French very well. It wasn't easy for me to accept that. You should know that I've learned that language from grade 7 to 10. But I didn't like it, that's why I didn't continue with it in my last two years of High School. Last semester I did a French course in college, which I am continuing this term. I kind of like the language a little better now, one could say. :)
Coming to the point now: I realized that I should go abroad, studying in France for a semester. I know it will be kind of hard since everything will be exclusively French (in colleges of other countries there are always some courses in English for the foreign students, but not so in France, since those people are very (!) proud of their own language!), but I will never learn it any other way! So I've applied for a semester abroad, and got the answer on the day of my birthday last year:
I will spent my next fall/winter in
Perpignan, which is in South-West
France, very close to the Spanish border!
Exciting year ahead! :)
the whole group
this was the house that fitted 19 people
the Alps are gorgeous - in summer as well as in winter!
but most evenings we spent at home - I was always so tired after 7 hours of skiing!
gosh that was breathtaking - the clouds emerged down in the valley but didn't come up!
right before sunset
