Christmas Lights

Okay, so today was another lazy day - I have started with Biology, but I can't say I've come very far.
I will be meeting up with a German friend from Winfield next week, and I guess that sums my productivity today up pretty well.

Oh, and we went out and looked at Christmas lights. They're crazy here, guys, believe me. You can't even imagine how much some guys here decorate their houses!

Nothing Special

After the frenzy of the last few days, today was wonderfully lazy and relaxed.

Seriously, all I did was sleep in (I left my bed at 11 am, that is sleeping in!), read, eat, read some more, play Just Dance, answer e-mails and then read some more, and now we're getting ready to go swimming.
Exercise after three days straight of stuffing myself with food? Sounds great, don't you agree?

Germany had another Hockey game today - against the US. You don't even want to know the score, do you? Well, it's 8. For the US. And zero (0) for Germany.
Embarrassing, I know.

Christmas post!

I know it's hard to believe, but here I am, with a Christmas story and pictures! I finally managed to write everything up, and I was once again overcome by how amazing the last few days were.
I'm sorry I had to break my promise in regards to the pictures yesterday - but here they are! :)
Have fun!

 Christmas at Andy's parents house. It was really delicious, and as you can see, there were many people and waaay more food.

I had a really great time, even though I was a bit cold in church!

And I have to warn you: There is a bit about Hockey, but if you skip that, there are more pictures and I talk about today!

 Jenna, me, and Bob Christmas morning.

We had agreed to stand up at eight o'clock, but in wise foresight I put my alarm for seven fifteen. Five minutes later, there was a knock at my door.
Not that I really minded, of course, because I was at least already dressed, and hey, it was Christmas - even though I might not have felt very Christmassy, church the day before had taken care of that!

 So we all trudged upstairs, where the stockings were waiting for us!

Stockings are really awesome. They're like St. Nikolaus' day, just on Christmas, which is kind of.... really A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!

On the right you can see what was in my stocking - lots of sweets, peanut butter (even Santa is making fun of me!), maple syrup, more chocolate, hot chocolate, a shirt (I love it and am wearing it right now!), ball point pens, a subway gift card, shower gel & body lotion (they're really great!) and... the best of all: Two tickets to a Kelowna Rockets Hockey game!
Jenna got "Mario Party 8" and Bobby Just Dance 4 - and yesterday I danced for an hour! (Since I was jumping up and down before hand, my calves are kind of sore today...)

 Here's the tree before we attacked it!


Down below there's Jenna, me and Bob, in the middle of unpacking our stockings - I can tell you, it's waaaaaaay more fun if there are people your age (or closer to your age/younger) with whom you can share your fun. It's just not the same as unpacking it with adults, who anyway know what's inside.








At eight thirty, Andy's sister and his parents came over, and there was more unpacking. Jenna gifted a few truly amazing pictures, and I was stunned - I hadn't known she was that good, and just wow. She is really great with paint and crafts!

That sweater that Andy's wearing (you can see the
maple leave) is the Team Canada Olympic Jersey
and their Jerseys look so much better than the
German one!

We had brunch; an egg dish, a potato dish (I need that recipe, it was just really, really great), lots of fruit, cinnamon buns with icing, and coffee, and a great time.

In the afternoon/evening, we went to Tanya's parents' house, since we'd been to Andy's parents house the day before, and I got mittens (Olympic mittens) from the grandparents and a shirt and Lindor from Brenda, Tanya's sister, and we had another Turkey dinner - after the girls had unpacked their other presents:

Lego Hogwarts Castle and Lego Hagrid's hut.
They were really awesome - we already built Hagrid's hut and are almost finished with the castle!

Before dinner, there were of course Christmas crackers; afterwards we all had to wear the ridiculous (but fun) crowns that had been in them and played with the toys.

The Turkey Dinner was also really good, and I can say that I have honestly never seen so much food at a table that wasn't a birthday party with buffet; it just seemed like the supply of carrots, gravy, turkey, sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes would not end!

We ended up playing Shangri-la afterwards, similar to the German Phase 10, and even though I came last by a huuuuuge margin, it was maybe the most fun game I've had in a while!
You wouldn't believe me how many games I have been playing lately.
I'm almost daily playing Rommee with Bobby, and then there was the Shangri-La yesterday, and ... well, more later (more on today, I mean)

These are my presents, a lot of knitted things from my mom (two awesome pairs of socks, two scarves - the girls got loops, and they LOVE them, Bobby was wearing hers today!), a knitted owl (I am an owl, school mascots are taken serious here, so Who's house? Owls' house!), black gaiters [Stulpen] and, best of all - does anybody recognize him?
The guy sitting there with my headphones? - Eleven. The eleventh Doctor, played by Matt Smith, from Doctor Who. Then, of course, new headphones (I was looking forward to them sooooo much, and they're just as awesome as my old ones. Could be because they are just like my old ones....). There is Kinderpunsch, children's punch, from Lara, and Christmas cookies and a mug, and more soap and my new fountain pen (although not very well recognizable) and my mittens and the wallet Bobbye made, and the bookmark Jenna made, my new jacket (also awesome and really nicely warm) and a shoulder bag, which is really handy. And of course the Calgary shirt!

Here's all the chocolate from my Stocking. I really hope I don't have to eat it all by myself, you would be able to roll me if I did!

This morning, I woke up at eight thirty, not because I couldn't sleep anymore (I couldn't really go to bed last night, so I was tired), but because ... of the Hockey game!

Germny had really ugly jerseys, black with the ugly, ugly, ugly eagle on the front, and I knew all of two guys - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, #9 for the Canadians, and Tobias Rieder for Germany. The former because he was (as far as I know, I'm not sure about the German team) the only NHLer in this game (as I said, at least on the Canadian side) and is a pretty good player for the Edmonton Oilers, of which my hostfather is a huge fan of, and the latter because of two reasons: Andy had been telling me about him, that the Oilers had drafted him but put him in the minor league (the not so good team) and that he was German, and because he is German, in the NHL (well, almost), and since he is from ... Bad Abbach! Talking about that town, best regards to Katrinle and her family! :)

Well, unsurprisingly the Canadians wiped the floor with the German's, and even though I had said I wouldn't cheer for the German's, in the end if was impossible.
I'm kind of glad to know that I still regard Germany as my home country.

The game was ... kind of disappointing. I mean, I have only seen one game in its entirety, and that was the rockets game, but in this game today there were so many passes that didn't connect, and once the Canadian gave the perfect assist on a goal... it was just really bad (for the Canadians) that it was a goal for the Germans!

So yeah. We lost 3-9, but hey, we got three goals against the Hockey Nation out there!

Afterwards, Jenna and I played Just Dance, because Bobby was at her friend's and we couldn't start the Lego without her, but she came back quickly enough and assembled Hagrid's hut.

Then we started on the castle, interrupted when we went for dinner to family friends, and even though I wasn't hungry in the least - Jenna had made Hot Dogs, and I of course couldn't say no - it was a really enjoyable time.

I talked to the older son (first year college), which was really interesting, and then the middle son (my age, tenth grade) and I had to team up for Sequence, a board game which we lost spectacularly against Andy and the other father, Jim, and Tanya and Leslie - we didn't took the rules the wrong way, which is why the former team would have won, but the latter team did in the end:
For sequence you have cards on your hand, put one down and place a playing chip according to it on a board. Aim: Have a sequence of five.
We assumed you needed two sequences of five. Andy and Jim were the first to have one sequence of five, and Tanya and Leslie the first to have two sequences of five.

Jim and Leslie gave each of us a hot chocolate mix, a mug and bath salts, which was kind of the end of Christmas and Boxing Day.

We ended the day by finishing assembling the Lego, but it's not yet completely finished.

And here, as per request, pictures of our Lego adventures. Jenna and Bobby on the floor of the playroom, with Lego all strewn over the place. There were three seperate parts of the Hogwarts castle, which is why each of us took one of the instruction booklets (you can see my part below), and as it was to be expected considering that it's 8-14 and I have a lot of expertise at building Lego houses, I was the first one finished.

So, that was today.
I hope you had an equally fine and enjoyable Christmas, and I have to say that this might well have been the best and most amazing Christmas I have every had the pleasure to celebrate.

Magic Cube

There was lots of family, meeting nice people - Brenda's partner Shane and I bonded over Jenna's magic cube - she disassembled it and left it to me to put it back together, which was harder than I had thought - I failed, then Shane failed, and then we managed to put it together with our combined prowess of mind (and then it only took us like... ten minutes). Here's a step by step walk through - I took it apart again after we had managed it, because I wanted to try it on my own but was afraid that I wouldn't be able to put it back together, so I snapped a photo of each step, showing which part I took off in which direction. You can see it on the right!

So, have a great second Weihnachtsfeiertag, guys, for me ... I have to man up (haha) and do some school work tomorrow!
Enjoy your holidays!

Belated Frohe Weihnachten!

Yes, once again, Merry Christmas.
Even though it is already the 26th here, too - Boxing day, and the first day of the World Junior Hockey Championship.
I'm mentioning that because of two reasons:
One, it's why I won't be writing up my awesome day until tomorrow noon/afternoon, and two it's Canada - Germany!
Well, basically they have already finished, as it is in Russia (I think), but Andy and I will be watching the replay at nine a.m.!

Well, let me just say this day has been awesome and I have gotten like a huuuuuuge lot of presents - thanks everybody who has helped make this day so great and amazing and unforgettable!

The reason this post is so late? I was taking pictures of my presents, and the lighting was really off, so I had to improvise, which took its time.
I really won't be able to post before afternoon, because I promised Bobby and Jenna to help build the Lego Harry Potter Castle and Hagrid's Hut they got - and Lego is way better than editing pictures and writing my blog, sorry guys!

And now my head is collapsing on myself, and I'm going to bed.

Good night!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

So I was looking through my pockets today, and guess what I found - my flash drive!
So you will be getting those pictures - they are at the end of the post.

Today was a really nice day and I am finally getting into the mood of Christmas.

I had trouble sleeping - while I went to sleep at midnight after going to bed at half past eleven,  I woke for the first time at three and for the second - and last - time at half past five, so I checked my mails, checked facebook and did all my Christmas-mail, and then went to watch the Canada-USSR game of 1982.

When I finally ventured upstairs, Bobby and Jenna had already unpacked their first (and only) gift of Christmas Eve, both getting dresses.
I also opened my first present: lovely earrings from Lara. Thanks honey!
I'll upload pictures tomorrow, I promise!

The rest of the morning/noon I helped Tanya prepare the Salad for dinner (Broccoli salad, and I still can't understand why anybody would eat Broccoli raw, but apparently that's a quite common salad) and then doodled a bit around, until we dressed up for Turkey dinner at Andy's parents' house and Church.

The Turkey was delicious. There was Turkey and gravy (Sosse) and peas and Brussel sprouts (Rosenkohl) and sweet potato mash with pecan nuts and mashed potatoes and coleslaw (Kohlsalat) and Broccoli salad and it was just sooooo wonderful!
Andy's mom is a wonderful cook.

Afterwards we went to Church. It's a united Church and it was really laid back, and I almost started to cry when we sung "Ihr Kinderlein kommet" in English ("Come ye faithful") and "Silent Night". I mean, I haven't been to church in ages, but it was just so reminiscent of home and Christmas during my childhood, that I finally got into the right mood.
The biggest difference between this service and the one at home? One, there was no priest. At least I don't think the guy in the suit holding the mass was a priest. And two, when we got the body of Christ (Leib Christi) we got actual bread and dunked that into juice. It tasted kinda gross, because believe me, you don't want white bread soaked with berry juice, but it was also awesome - everybody tore off their own piece of bread.

And now we're back, and I'm really tired. The sooner I get to bed, the sooner we can relieve the Christmas tree of it's crowd of presents. And trust me, there are a lot.

Christmas tree

Presents

From Bobby (sign) & Jenna, for Santa & his reindeer

Decorations

Stockings!

More decorations

Advent calender

 

Gingerbread house (Jenna's side)

Fish! In the Vancouver Aquarium!

Something... I'm not quite sure what it is!

Frog!

Qualle

More Jelly fish - they're like seriously gross

Star fish

More fish

Me in a bubble... Kinda gross, too

There is something in this picture - can you find it?
[I can't]

Dolphin! Isn't she adorable?

More dolphin

And both of the lovely dolphins in mid-flight

That's me, of course. Like my mis-matched greens?

Grouse Mountain. Not Gross Mountain, as I said in my
E-mail to Pascaline.

And here are the reindeer when they're not in Santa's
employment. She's awesome, right?

That's me from behind, filming for my parents!

And... a water fall!

And that's me, too, in my favourite sweater.
I LOVE that thing!

The inside of the Omnimax!

The outside of the omnimax!

One of the traditional thingies - remember it
from the Olympics?

Capilano suspension bridge

Vancouver skyline

Our hotel room on the last day

And Frozen Yoghurt. That stuff seriously is awesome!

And of course a HUGE THANK YOU to Dorothea, who has kindly given me the photos!

Two nights left

Okay, seriously short post, because I hurt my wrist pushing myself off the floor just a moment ago and am typing with my left hand now.

Today was really lazy; I slept till ten (9.5h! Yay!) and then read, watched a few videos, played wii and Rommee with Bob and then wrapped my last two presents.
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve!
And we had the grandparents and Tanya's sister with her partner over for dinner, and it was really nice.

I had said Dorothea would give me Photos, right? She did give them to me, yesterday, but apparently I lost the flash drive in one of the Sears shop when I frantically searching for my phone. I've kinda given up any hope of finding the stick again, but I will look for it, okay?

Well, have a good night! And if you want to, you can leave what you got for Christmas in a comment - I'd be very interested!

Julia

Three nights left

Yes, it's only three nights left!
And Doro and I got to look at all the shoppers hustling along, trying to get their shopping done in time...

It's not as though we didn't get anything - Doro got a Cardigan (I think?) and I got a DVD set about the Canadian team in the Junior World Championship of Hockey, with the 2007 game Canada - USA on it (my favourite players played against each other, Jonathan Toews for Canada and Patrick Kane for USA), because it was reduced to $10 and it's five DVDs with more than 12,5 h of film and seven full games (1982 Canada-USSR; 1985 Canada-Czechoslovakia; 1988 Canada-USSR; 1991 Canada USSR; 1993 Canada-Sweden; 2005 Canada-Russia; 2007 Canada-USA) plus highlights from 2007s Canada-Russia Series, Team Canada's Best Goals and Highlights of the 1982 Gold medal game. All these games of course were won by Canada :).
And I got fresh shampoo, but I don't think anybody's interested in that...

Well, I came home by four forty-five, so we ate pretty quickly (stir-fry) and then went skating!
I didn't want to come, at first, because I don't have skates, but Tanya said I could use hers, so I came along. The girls' uncle, who was a figure skater in his youth, also came along, and first Andy and I only watched them skate (Andy hurt his ankle), before I joined them.

Figure skates and hockey skates are so very different, it's hard to describe. Since my last encounter on ice ended with hockey skates and on an indoor rink, I was a bit wobbly with the figure skates and almost fell a couple of times - but I did remain standing, in the end.

Stopping like skiing (Parallelschwung) is easier with them - or maybe it's just me getting used to ice. But anyway, I hadn't been skating for a long while, chatting with a girl I knew from my bus, when suddenly a girl comes up to me. I didn't know her, she didn't know me, but she invited me to join her and her sisters in a game of tag-on-ice. Bobby and Jenna came to see who I was talking to, and not five minutes later we all found us in a game of freeze-tag. It was really so much fun, even though the out-door rink wasn't empty, and we had to leave all too soon. But we did swap e-mails ;)
Afterwards we had hot chocolate at the grandparents house, and of course ended up chatting with everybody - okay, I was really quiet (which everybody immediately noticed... My talking problem has gotten worse), because I was really tired, so I only listened.

Well, that's it from me. I'm going to bed now.

Good night!

Playing the Piano

I just have to share that right now - chances are, there will be another blogpost, but that doesn't mean I can wait that long to tell you that:

I finally jumped over my shadow and asked the music teachers at KSS whether I can use the piano when it is free. And they said yes! I also had a nice conversation - in German! - with one of the teachers, who is actually Chinese :) He even could say München and not Munchen or Muncen :D

So I got to play the piano. And it felt seriously wonderful - I almost cried because it was such a relief after 1 and a half month of no playing... The teacher said I could come in any time, as long as the piano is unused. I'm so freaking happy right now!

Well, what are my plans for the holidays? People keep asking me that.

Here's a lost (also makes it easier for me to keep track)

• go skiing
• meet Ashley
• finish Biology work booklets
• learn Japanese
• finish Spanish presentation
• read
• celebrate Christmas
• celebrate New Year's day
• get caught up with my Journal
• look at universities and scholarships (yes, I am seriously doing that. The counselor here are just really great, so I intend to make full use of that)
• write two Journalism articles (NHL Lockout and Bilinguality and its benefits)

Wow... that's kind of a long list... Well, I still need to do two more Christmas presents, so I'm singing out.

Life Savers

Wow. I seriously haven't been on the computer at all today. Sure, I've been reading on my kindle (Spanish teacher ill again and the substitute didn't care), but I didn't even open Thunderbird this morning!

Okay, so I don't have to write the Biology test till after the holidays - I missed last week where they were working on the first workbooklet, and while we did have a bit of time yesterday, we were mainly talking about the new pack of notes, and then I missed today's lesson, too, because I am the only grade 11 in a grade 12 class - which means I was the only one gone when all the grade 11s had to go to the gym for a presentation.

It was pretty interesting. Life Savers want to raise awareness for suicide, and it was really good. And emotional. And everybody paid attention. And it wasn't uncool to actually care and participate. This also answers my questions, why we aren't doing such stuff in Germany: Everybody would just mock those standing up and actually doing something, so I'm guessing it's better we're not doing anything at all. Nobody would take it seriously. But students here ... they are so much more serious about such things! And it feels great to be part of such a community.

What else... My English test is way better than I thought it would be - I thought it would be okay, but okay means... 40 out of 46 - and I got 44/46!
Jep, I'm definitely satisfied with that.

I beat Bobby and Jenna at Rummy today (which is one of the reasons I wasn't on the laptop. Mum, you can be proud of me): I had, at the end 53 points minus on my hand - and still beat them 332 to 93 to ... Bobby didn't count hers. I took the whole stack of cards, right up to the last one, after we'd been playing for ... 20 rounds?
It was a lot of cards :)

And everything outside is covered in snow, we have about -6 to -2 here :) It's great. And luckily, I don't have far to school.

Have a good rest of the week! (Three days left! Then HOLIDAYS!!!!)

Family Time

So, I didn't meet up with Dorothea today, but I did finish the Christmas presents for the girls - only to decide that it would be better as birthday presents, so duh.

And I have to make at least two more handcrafted things (you Germans know what I really like to make, and the Canadians I can't tell, sorry!), and I need to have them by Friday and I really don't know whether I'll manage that plus catch up with Japanese plus write a Journalism article about the Lockout (why did I volunteer for that again? No idea.) plus catch a decent amount of sleep. Well, scratch that last one, I know I won't be able to sleep.

Today I met Tanya's extended family - they're in town for a funeral, but it's a really nice crowd.
I'm just feeling right now like I had my social dose for the next months between Vancouver (88 Internationals in two buses, we didn't have much alone time - actually, none. I managed to grab two hours or so before sleeping when everybody else was already in bed, but that doesn't really count) and meeting the family today. And then again tomorrow.
I just ... need a bit time for myself? To work through everything I've learnt?
I'll hopefully be able to grab a few alone-hours on Tuesday, and I really hope this is over soon.

There is a reason why I spend time around people in carefully measured doses (and don't believe everything I'm saying the way I am saying it. I am totally melodramatic and able to cope, I just like to whine. I'm feeling only slightly overwhelmed, but I have my kindle, so it shouldn't prove to be too much of a problem.).

Well, that's it from me for today. I need to take another look at English; Spanish I'll learn during my break ;)

One Hundred!!

Okay, I know I already made a post today, but here is a second one.
And this is a special post:

This Is My 100th Post!!!

Well, and we have only 10 days left till Christmas! Okay, you guys in Germany have only eight (seriously, you're nine hours ahead of us and celebrating a day sooner, so you have two days less!!) to count towards, and that's like really unfair!

Okay, so that were enough exclamation marks for a full post, I guess.

I'm feeling like bursting - I ate so much chocolate, it's hard to believe.
The girls and I were fetched by family friends, and we went to Boston Pizza, where I had Chicken Bites - I had pizza for lunch, and pizza once a day is really enough. It was delicious, though.
Afterwards, went to another friends house in Winfield, where we got pop - I settled with Pepsi, and the caffeine isn't letting me calm down now, although it at least didn't have any sugar - caffeine and sugar is always a dangerous combination for me.
Then we went up to yet another friends house, taking a look at his display of Christmas lights - impressive, I have to admit, and I was a bit miffed that I hadn't taken a camera, but I can't change that now.
We got Candy Canes, and went back to the friends of the friends' house, where the girls and I got sweets, and then the former went to watch a movie (Santa Paws) while I stayed with the grown-ups.
I ate waaay too much chocolate, seriously. Who is gonna clean the mess of me from the walls?
We got back to the house by 10 o'clock, and now I am tired, but also hyped up.
Bwah.

And since Christmas is fast approaching, I have something to get you into the right mind set - aren't hockey teams adorable?

Belfast Giants: All I Want For Christmas Is You

Chicago Blackhawks: Sing-Along Holiday Album

Aaaaand: Last but not least the

Edmonton Oil Kings: All I Want For Christmas Is You (again)

But it's all just HILARIOUS!

Have a very good night, and of course, a laugh, too!

Living Nativity and IT'S THERE!!!

Okay, I stayed home today - nasty cough and dizziness are no fun at all - and (hopefully) slept off my cold. I only cough sometimes now!

In the afternoon there was a surprise: My Parcel arrived!
Yay!
The gifts are already under the Christmas tree, and I can hardly wait for Christmas day!

In the evening we went to a living nativity (Krippenspiel) and it was ... nice. But I miss home... Kind of. Not really.

Bobby and Jenna beat me squarely at Rommé, and I kinda regret teaching them (no, joke of course!)
Tomorrow there is the Christmas party with the Internationals, and I will probably start packing my stuff for Vancouver.
I will leave my laptop at home, but I will take my Journal (I hope to catch up with writing, I haven't written a thing for almost two weeks now!) and I will of course take lots of pictures. Doro and I are sharing a room! (And a bed. It's two pairs a room, apparently.)

Well, that's it for now. Remember: Soak my words up! No posts from Tuesday to Friday (more likely Saturday, but that depends entirely upon how tired I am)!

Hugs from an entirely too warm Canada,

Julia

Sankt Nikolaus

Today is/was Sankt Nikolaus day, a day celebrated in Germany in honor of Sankt Nikolaus of Myra, a Bishop in ancient Greek who helped the poor by leaving coins in shoes outside.

And believe it or not, but he has found me here, too!

When I came home from my long school day, a sack was waiting for me, filled with all kinds of German sweets - Spekulatius, Lebkuchen, Schoko-Nikolaus and a shirt!

I'm kind of missing home right now.

Even worse, I have a headache and am coughing because my throat is really ichy, and I felt nauseous and slightly dizzy in school again. My whole body hurts, and I have an inkling I might be getting a cold.
Oh how I hate this change of season! Especially since the weather here can't seem to decide which way to swing - we already had snow, but the last week it had 13 degrees plus and... my body just doesn't know what to expect!


My Biology teacher was ill today, too, so we didn't get to dissect the foetal pigs, which is a shame.

So, and seeing as my head feels like it's being split, I'm going to bed now.
Good night.

Julia

P.S: And I'm totally astonished:
My parcel is already in Vancouver!
It might even be here by Monday! (Well, hope dies last)

Missed

Noooo!
I actually failed to make my blogpost yesterday!
And yes, I do realize that for most of my readers it doesn't matter anyway, but hey, we lag 9 hours behind you!

Okay, so today we had our Spanish Presentation - it went fabuloso, if you don't mind me putting it that way.

We finished "Of Mice and Men", the movie which we have been watching for the last couple days, and we will have our quiz on Friday. I'm trying to write an essay for that since ... half past eight?, but I just can't get into the flow of it.
I'm kind of hoping that the tiredness will help me, as it as done so previously, but it just won't work.

Our Biology Test wasn't bad, either, I think. I won't say more, as we haven't yet gotten our scores, but I didn't do too bad. And honestly?
I'm slowly getting to the point where I say screw my grades. Seriously, I'm here to have fun just as much as I am here to learn, if not even more.
But that could be just the lack of sleep talking.

I really don't know why I'm having such problems with sleep - although I have read that this is a very normal part of the second (or was it third?) phase of living in a new country.
So I'm hoping it's gonna subside pretty quickly.

I'm kind of missing Sankt Nikolaus. Seriously. My package might be on the way here, but it won't arrive in Vancouver for another few days, and then it'll take some time to get here, too.

I've also been experiencing problems with my English today. Must be because of me speaking German during lunch (I met up with another International), but my vocab and ability to form sentences has been screwed since. Worst point: Spanish.
I honestly wasn't sure which language I was talking in, which made me stop in the middle of my sentence to try to realize what I was thinking.

So, I guess that's it for today.
Tomorrow we have our first part of the pig lab (dissection!!!) and I have really long school...
I'm hoping I can sleep tomorrow, but I guess I'll be learning English.

But the weekend isn't too far off!

Christmas Decorations!

Okay, so today was... not exactly lazy, but not busy either.

I did a bit of school work , learnt Japanese (although I have to do a bit more in that regard still) and started on my Christmas presents. And after dinner, we decorated the tree!

I'll see whether I can get the pictures Tanya took, so that I can show you how it looks! :)

I hope you all had a very fine 1. Advent and lit your fist candle (it's the first, isn't it? We don't do that here!)

Love you all!

P.S.: I just checked: My parcel was released by customs Canada and is now in Mississauga - it should be here some time next week! (So, not the coming week but the week after. It'll probably come while I am in Vancouver, but hey, that's so awesome!)

A very normal schoolday

So, Mr Derksen is still teasing me about my English - I sound so very nineteenth century with my properly enunciated words and correct grammar and big words. Thank you. I guess.

I have a killer headache - 8 hours of sleep in the last 48, that's not really optimal!

Well, next week is gonna be super busy - a Japanese quiz I have to take which I missed last week, another 'proper' Japanese quiz, a Biology quiz I missed, our Biology chapter exam, our Spanish chapter exam and our e-mail chapter exam. Oh, and on Thursday, the day after our Biology exam, we will start dissecting our pigs! :) It's also the last Thursday of Journalism (as far as I know, at least) this year, and since our newspaper comes out the week after, I will be staying late again.

Today we started decorating for Christmas!

It is the only halfway-free weekend, because December is gonna be busy!

Dorothea went skiing today! Check out her blog! 

Tomorro I'll meet Ashley at the mall and we're gonna hang out together, and sometime I really have to fit learning and making my Christmas-presents in there.

I also can't wait to start on my Advent Calendar, so I'm staying up till midnight.
Although I am pretty tired, right now... :)

Love you all!

Julia