Bakery and Breakery

Today we didnt have double music at the start of the day because the teacher was away. We still left the house at the normal time, caught the bus to the station, caught a train to Mössingen, and got on a bus at the station. But instrad of getting off at school, Laura, Sandra, Luisa and I got off the bus at a bakery on the way. I bought a chocolate croissant and so did Luisa, Sandra bought a Brezel and Laura bought some pastry ball things. It tasted good but we had to wait half an hour for the next bus in the cold wind. The bus took us to one of the streets near school so we walked the rest of the way. After recess we had a single GK and double German but Murray and I went to the cafferteria so we could do stuff because they are still doing the book they read. After lunch which was Mautaschen, we had triple MUM.

During lunch Murray and I were in the break room doing duo lingo and other stuff when we heard one of the girls on the other side of the table say something about Australia. Murray and I looked up and looked we looked at each other. A couple of the girls from our class also looked up. Then Murray asked what she said about Australia and that we were exchange students from Australia. Then the whole room went silent. The girls opposite us who were in either 10+ or year 11, asked us about how long we were here for and why and they were very surprised that we were there and that we were only 15 and 16. It was pretty funny though how it was pretty noisy then it was silent as soon as we said we were Australian and were speaking German.

During our break in the middle of MUM we were looking at all of the school photos and saw that every year has a class A and a class B such as 9a and 9b, except year 10 who has 10a, 10b and 10+ which is bigger. All the people in 10+ looked older than the rest of year 10 and Murray suggested that it might have something to do with the loosing of 1 year of school. That they were the inbetween year when when it happened so is got a bit messed up. But I am going to look into it more.

No presentation, thus more break!

Today we went back to school as per normal. The day started with double Math which was ok. Then came the onslaught of break. We would normally have double sport after recess, but the teacher was away so we didn't have it.  After the double break, Murray and I had another free because the Germans had French and Latin. Last week the GK teacher asked Murray and I if we could do a presentation about Australia to his Year 9 English class. We said that would be fine and planned for it being today because he said Monday period 4 and 5, which was the second period of sport and the single language period. We weren't sure if we should go to sport and leave early or not go at all but our choice was made simple by the teacher being away. So we turn up to the Year 9 class and it turns out the teacher meant next Monday. So we had 4.5 hours of breaks...fun. After lunch was double physics which was alright and to finish the day we had English. It was very interesting because Frau Watts (English Teacher) brought in the head chef for the cafeteria. This is because we are learning about Britain and the Caribbean and its influences. The chef guy came from the American Virgin Islands and other Caribbean islands. It was interesting to hear his story and life in the Caribbean and how he ended up in Germany. So he is part American and part French, and his wife is part German and part Icelandic, moved from the Caribbean, now living in Germany! Lots of variety!

Esslingen Christmas Markets

Yesterday I didn't make a post because I did nothing. It was a late start and I just lazed about. I just stayed at home and rested because I've got a bit of a cold.

Today we didn't go to church because we instead went to Esslingen Christmas Markets. Esslingen is a city to the east of Stuttgart on the river Neckar. It was in the old city part so everything was Middle Ages themed. The markets were packed to the max with people left right and centre. There was a constant stream of people entering the markets even until the sun started to set. And apparently Stuttgart markets are even bigger! It was interesting to hear a few Americans talking aswell. Interesting for them to be in a smaller suburb and its not even holidays yet.

And a photo from the St Nicholas Market at school on Friday

Bus madness and St Nicholasmarkt

So today we were meant to go to the church in Moesingen to practice for the church service the week after next where I think year ten is putting on something. So Laura said as we walked to the bus stop that we catch a different bus at the train station. This was all good. So we catch the bus to the train station in Bodelshausen, then catch the train to Moesingen. This is where everything went wrong. I got separated from Laura and her friends as it normally happens when mass amounts of people boarding and leaving at once. This is normal. So I walked over to the bus stop as I have been doing for the past 3 weeks. I get on the bus as normal. I was a little confused that I didn't see Laura herself but I saw one of her friends so I assumed it was right. I also so Murray and Leon getting onto the bus behind as they normally do because not everyone can fit on the one bus. I even saw them getting onto the bus. I thought its all good. But once I got to school and got of the bus there was no Laura or anyone else. I waited for the bus which was behind. It showed up but Murray nor Leon nor anyone from year 10 got off. So I walk into the school and using the wifi in the school I message both Murray and Laura on WhatsApp asking where they are. While I wait for a reply I went to the room we were meant to have a class in and it was locked and no one was there. This is when I really began worrying. I got a message back from Julia saying that from Laura to catch a different bus. and that they were at the church and I should just wait at school. So that's what I did. I waited at school. I thought that we were going to school and then later were going to the church and what Laura meant was that we go from school to the train station, then catch another bus from the  train station rather than catch a train. But I was wrong. Once everyone got to school at about recess it was fine. I just went to the break room.

My only subject today was double chemistry. Ratio of breaks to work was 3.5 : 1.5.

Later in the afternoon we came back to school (in the car, no buses!) for the St Nicholasmarkt. 10a (my class) held a waffle store where we sold German waffles with Nuttela, sugar and apple sauce (or in a direct translation apple moose!). It was good. It reminded me of the Country Fair minus the rides and was inside and was for Christmas. All the funds raised went towards helping people in Syria.

Bad photos courtesy of my phone :)

Breaks, breaks and guess what, more breaks!

Today we had more breaks than we had school. It started with having double German. Murray and I had about the first 10 minutes but then the prac teacher said that we could go to the library because it is too boring in German because they are just going over a book they read which Murray and I haven't. Then with 15 minutes recess we have had 1.5 hours break. After recess was double chemistry where we learnt about elctron bonding kinda stuff. Sub total, 1.5 hours break, 1.5 hours work. 50:50. On Tuesdays we have KL go into lunch, but what that means is we have a free period before lunch on Thursdays. 45 minutes runs into 2 hours lunch. (BTW that made lunch almost 4 times as long as it is at WAC) This brings the sub total to almost 4.5 hours break for only 1.5 hours of school work. After lunch we had double music. This would have helped even the break to work ratio, if the lesson wasn't cut short. The teacher had to go do something in the last half hour so that just turned into more break. 5 hours break for 2.5 hours work. Finally we had a single GK. This brings to total to about 5 hours of breaks for only 3 hours of work..... Today we had enough breaks alone to have an entire school day's worth of work at WAC....ONE DAY OF WORK WE HAD PURELY IN BREAKS. Don't get me wrong, some of the German's way of school is cool but WOW.

Tübingen Chocolate Festival

Today was Wednesday so shorter school day! Double physics was alright as was double math. In double English we did a quick vocab test which Murray and I barely knew any! We also did some more stuff about Britain. After school, Leon's Mum, Leon and Murray picked Laura and I up from home and took us to Tübingen to the Chocolate Festival. It was a similar to a Christmas market, but purely for chocolate! Chocolate left right and centre! It was in the same square where we met on both the 2013 Germany Trip and 2015 Europe Trip. It brought back many memories (even though I was only there about 2 months ago!) Enjoy the pics!

School as per usual

Today was a pretty average day. It started out with a double music where we played a simple base line on a one stringed guitar thingy. It was kinda boring because it was really simple. After recess was a single GK, the economics kinda subject. Then was double German where Murray and I only had the first period. This was because in the second period the prac teacher was having her test where people from the uni come out and mark her. She said it would be alot easier if we weren't there so Murray and I just went to the break room. After that was lunch time but we had KL, the roll call kinda subject. This also meant that lunch wasn't extremely long. I think today was also one of the first very stereotypical German lunches with Wurst, Kraut and Kartoffelbrei. (Sausage, Cabbage and Mashed Potato) The kraut wasn't sauerkraut but it wasn't just straight cabbage leaves. What ever it was, I think it is one of the best ways to eat cabbage. It tasted great! After lunch was tipple MUM which wasn't as bad as last week. We were in a computer room and learnt about Exposé and watched a small one.