Today began just like Monday. I woke up and headed to our exchange students’ school in Graz, Akademisches Gymnasium. I got to sit in on one class I had been to on Monday (German) and one class I had not (French). Observing the classes our exchange students take is really interesting to me because it allows me to see how people learn in other countries, and really as far as I can tell there are more similarities than differences. Their German class seemed especially similar to our English classes at Cary Academy. After sitting in on classes, Cary Academy students gave a presentation to an English class at the school about North Carolina and some of the cultural differences and similarities between Austria and the US. The most interesting part of this presentation was the time for questions afterwards. The questions from the Austrian students ranged from intriguing political inquiries all the way to, “why are there so many fast food restaurants?” and surprisingly each question was equally challenging, yet interesting, to answer. After the presentation the CA group walked to the University of Graz to see the campus and do a tour of the facilities. The tour was very similar to many I have been a part of in the US, but also highlighted the big differences between colleges in Austria and colleges in the US. After the tour was over we had the rest of the day free with our exchange students. My exchange student and I, along with a group of friends, went to an Italian restaurant in downtown Graz. Being pretty close to Italy, the Italian food in Graz is great. After lunch William and I continued our righteous quest for the Spear of Destiny (in German “Heilige Lanze”) which we are sure is hidden somewhere in Graz, and visited yet another Catholic church in the city. Seeing all of these amazing old churches really gives a new perspective on just how young the US is as a country, given that most of these churches are upwards of 100 years older than our country. Later in the day, a group of people went to a place in Graz that is sort of like a ropes course. Sadly, because it rained earlier in the day, the place was closed. Instead of climbing we played both frisbee and soccer (occasionally simultaneously) and had an all around great time. Overall it was a great day! ~Matthew
