This blog will serve as a record of the 2019 Cary Academy student exchange trip to Germany. We hope that you enjoy following along on our adventures as we tour Berlin and visit our friends at the Feldbergschule in Oberursel near Frankfurt. Below is a video preview of some of the sights that await us in the German capital and in our host community.
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=22&v=RK5Ku1YtUKY
It’s hard to believe that today was our last day with our friends at the Feldbergschule in Oberursel. We began our morning with a final round of class visits, then participated in a theater workshop, where we performed some skits and played a few improvisational games–all in German, of course. After school we all headed our separate ways to enjoy the afternoon and evening with our exchange partners.
We are all very grateful to our host teachers and our host families for the wonderful time we have had here in Oberursel, and we will be returning to North Carolina with many happy memories of the time we spent in the Taunus area. As it turns out, about half our group will be staying on in Europe to travel with family, visit friends, or, in one case, to pursue a summer internship. The rest of us will be flying back to Raleigh tomorrow, where we look forward to reuniting with our family and friends. Until then, all the best from Germany, and see you very soon! ~Frau Greene
The penultimate day to the grand finale, Monday served as a beginning to the end for this wonderful exchange trip. Throughout this trip, my classmates and I have added an incredible amount of firsts to our arsenal. Specifically for myself, I can say that I have experienced my first time in Germany, my first extended trip away from my family, and my first time being incredibly hot and sweaty for fifteen days without relent. However, this Monday served as the inception of the countless lasts we were bound to encounter.
Our day began with an activity that has frequented our schedules not only during the time constraints of this trip, but also the entirety of this past school year, class. Throughout this trip, I have been awakened to the culture surrounding German schools and classes. Many classes have been dismissed an hour early, contained no teacher, or were merely talking instead of truly working and learning. [Frau Burgbacher and Frau Greene tell us this is because it’s the end of the school year and the Germans have just finished exams, making last week similar to the week after AP exams for 11th and 12th graders at our school.] Today’s classes were a nice refreshment though, as in biology, interesting topics were discussed as tired students began to take an interest in subject material that quickly transitioned into educational discussions between faculty and students. The period seemed quite productive and beneficial for everyone in the room, even if I understood few of the complicated German biology terms. Another interesting part of the day occurred when engaging in a politics class built specifically for us exchange students. We were taught the inner workings of Frankfurt and the regions surrounding it and also learned about their unique stance on the environment relative to other regions in Germany.
Then came the first of many lasts, as we set off on our last field trip of the entire exchange. On this excursion we traveled to the West-End campus of the Goethe University in Frankfurt. This campus has an interesting history, in that the main building was originally the headquarters for a giant chemical and pharmaceutical conglomerate (IG-Farben) that later became tied up in Nazi politics and produced among other things the infamous Zyklon-B gas used in concentration camps. [After the war, the building was re-purposed as the headquarters for U.S. occupation forces and the principal location for implementing the Marshall Plan. The U.S. Army returned the building to Germany in 1995, and in 2001 it became the new site for the Goethe University.] Although the site has some negative historical connotations, its modern day use of educating young minds has redeemed it.
Another last that was encountered was the last dinner with my group of exchange friends. We indulged on huge hamburgers, ultimately resorting back to “American” cuisine even while in Germany. The dinner was a satisfying parting event, as we all realized this meal together would be one of the last times we spent together as a group. Taking that into account, we cherished the moments we had together, and enjoyed a great meal as close friends.
Ultimately, as this trip concludes, we are bound to experience lasts. It has happened, and will continue to transpire tomorrow and Wednesday. But as this trip winds down, all I can find myself dwelling upon are the firsts. Looking back upon this trip, the experiences I have cherished have been the ones that have been unique and remarkable to me, something I wouldn’t experience back in the bustling hub known as Cary. Our exchange could be described in many ways: it could be described as incredible, once in a lifetime, intriguing, and eye-opening. But truly, I believe this trip has served as one main thing, and that is proof. Proof not only that our German capabilities are at a level that allow us to function in an immersion environment, but proof that we have fully undergone the transition from mere kids to young adults as we finally grasp our abilities to adapt to new environments and truly make bonds with new, interesting people. In summation, on this journey we not only learned an incredible amount about Germany, but we also gained depths of knowledge about ourselves in the process. ~Finn K.
Today I started by waking up at 9 AM so that we could go to church. The service started at 10:30 so we had some time to spare. After I got ready, I headed downstairs to eat breakfast. For breakfast, like we usually have, we ate bread with various spreads. I decided to have Nutella on mine, which interestingly enough, is manufactured partially in Germany. After eating breakfast we headed to the church service. Michael’s family usually goes once every two weeks he told me. While I myself don’t usually go to church, it was very interesting to hear everything the priest had to say, in German. Coupled with German songs, the experience was truly insightful, as different vocabulary was being used and songs in German are written rythmically instead of how we traditionally write in class. Following the ceremony, we headed back home and hung out for a few hours. I ended up talking with Michael’s father some about the Civil War and American history. He has a vast collection of books about history all around the world. (The photo above is just about a tenth of his collection). Soon after, we discovered that the location of the evening dinner would have to be changed. Originally, we we’re going to have a group garden party at one of the host families houses. However, due to questionable weather, it was moved to a restaurant near Saalburg. We decided that this would be a great opportunity to go to the Saalburg reconstructed Roman fort. This fort was originally on the border of the Roman controlled territory in Germany and had an entire village surrounding it. So, his dad showed me another book about Roman fort construction as a primer for the historical site. We then drove on the Autobahn to Saalburg and walked to the historical area. As we entered through the main gate of the fort, you could clearly tell how well constructed this recreation was. It looked amazing. Just inside the entrance, there was a museum where various Roman tools and weapons were displayed, with descriptions of how they were used. There was even a primitive lock and key latch made out of wood on display. We then moved on to find some paintings displaying typicaly Roman activities, and they we’re just begging to have photos made. As we explored the outer area of the fort, I found that Michael may know a bit of Latin (see photo)! After all of our sightseeing, it started raining a little bit. Good thing we changed plans! However the rain soon died down. We met up with the rest of the exchange group at the Landgasthof Saalburg Restaurant. The food there was excellent and offered many German specialties, including Schnitzel, Spaetzle, and Frankfurt’s green sauce. I decided to get a salmon filet in the green sauce with potatoes, it was amazing! After the meal, some of us found a nice climbing tree outside, and enjoyed some time there. It was a bit cloudy, but the weather was good from then on. Soon after, we said our goodbyes and headed home for the evening. Michael and I watched some German TV shows later that night. Funnily enough, while watching, I came across a surprising number of beer ads during the shows, sometimes back to back! After that, we headed to bed. ~Matthew M.
My morning began at 9am when I woke up to make my host family breakfast! I walked downstairs to find the American style bread and eggs already set out, and my host mother ready to learn how to make French toast. In my family, French toast is a typical weekend breakfast food, so I’m so glad I got the chance to make it for my host family. It was a little harder than normal to cook because we don’t have the same cooking utensils, but we made it work with a little oil to keep everything from sticking. 😊 My French toast was a big hit with everyone, including Leoni’s friend,who had spent the night with us the night before. (Leoni is my exchange partner’s sister.) Before breakfast was even finished, Mareike’s sheep came out to play and eat their breakfast! They were so cute I just had to feed and play with them, even when I was still in my pajamas! After breakfast, we didn’t have anything to do, and it was too early to call my parents to say hello, so I took a nap. Throughout this trip, naps are the most needed part of my day.
Around 12 I woke up again, and Mareike and I walked from her house in Oberursel to the train station. There we had a little struggle trying to buy a train ticket, but it all worked out in the end. Once on the train, we met Mareike’s (and now my) friend Neele, who came with us to the mall in Frankfurt. The Frankfurt skyline was filled with skyscrapers and big oddly-shaped buildings. Once exiting the train at the Frankfurt am Main Messe station, we walked to the Skyline Plaza mall and shopped. There were so many stores! Mareike, a lover of shoes, wanted to go into every shoe store we passed. And Neele, who will be traveling to Cuba in a few weeks, wanted to make sure her wardrobe was all set. After searching 3 floors, we found Neele a new pair of shorts and a jean jacket. Sadly, no shoes for Mareike. Then we walked up four flights of stairs to reach the Skyline Garden, where we could see all of Frankfurt from high above. Main Tower was the name of the highest skyscraper in all of Frankfurt and had a super cool triangle coming out of it. There were also multiple playgrounds for little kids, with lots of grass and areas to climb. A fun fact is that another name the locals use for Frankfurt is Main-Hattan, because it is on the river Main and the skyscrapers remind them of the US and Manhattan!
After the Skyline Plaza we went back to the train station and rode the train to the Hauptwache area of Frankfurt. There we went into another shopping center where I was able to find gifts for my family. Walking around the Hauptwache, Neele advised me to make sure I could view all of my stuff and that no one was trying to steal it. I was also told not to talk to anyone on the street who approached me because they could be trying to pickpocket or scam me. Although this was very scary for me since I hadn’t been in many big city areas like this before where criminals try to take advantage of the tourists, Mareike and Neele kept me safe and all was good. Frankfurt was an interesting city. One second you could be listening to beautiful professional piano music and smelling perfume, and the next you’re being bombarded by both the smell and smoke of many cigarettes. It was easy to focus on the perfume and pretty music because I was having a great time with my new friends.
After our second shopping excursion, we walked down the street to the riverfront to see a big iron bridge built in 1912 (the Eiserner Steg). Here every possible square inch of space was covered with locks to represent the love between the 2 people that put the locks there. It was such a sweet sentiment, so I can understand why it was so popular. We also walked past a souvenir shop where I got to see a bunch of traditional cups the Germans use to hold alcohol. One is solely for Apfelwein and another was used to drink beer out of. It was so cool to see these because they looked very similar to what I associate with old Germany from what I’ve seen in the Germany pavilion in Disney World. 😊 On our way to a late lunch, we passed Obinna and his exchange student Emre. I had lots of fun helping Obinna look for gifts for his family. Then we went next door and enjoyed one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. The names of the burgers were in English, but the toppings were listed with German names, but I could thankfully understand it all. With my burger I had some really yummy sweet potato fries and a Fanta. If you ever get the chance to try German Fanta, do it! Fanta is my favorite drink in the US, but German Fanta is somehow ever better.
Once we all finished eating (the Germans eat really fast!) we were all extremely tired, so we walked back to the train station and went home. Neele continued on to her house in another town. Right as we got to Oberursel, it started to rain, and sadly, Mareike’s mother was unable to pick us up. As a result, we walked the 15 minutes home in a record 7 minutes. After arriving home around 6:30pm, both Mareike and I were very drained, or in German, kaputt. Shortly after arriving home, dinner preparations began. We had a smoked pork from the grill, and the traditional NC BBQ sauce I brought from home was well liked. I also tried white asparagus with hollandaise sauce for the first time and had salad and baked potatoes. The most interesting part was the way the asparagus was cooked. Mareike’s family has this really cool machine that gives you directions for a bunch of recipes and has a scale to tell you how much of each ingredient to add. Then it steams your food, and in several minutes, dinner is ready! I wish we had one of these at my house. 😊 After enjoying our supper and talking about our days, Mareike’s 10 and 13-year-old cousins came out to play on their trampoline (they live next door). When Mareike’s father dared me to go jump on the trampoline with them, I didn’t think twice and just ran over and started jumping. It was so much fun to just play and act like a kid again.
To wind down our day, we ate a bunch of different candy and played a traditional card game called Skipbo. We started eating our delicious candy outside, but then it started to rain, so we ran inside just in time before the bottom dropped out. The card game was really complicated, and I could not win no matter how many times we played. Vanessa (Mareike’s 13-year-old cousin) came and played with us and won like 4 times.
Overall, it was a great day with my super sweet host family here in Germany. I know we all miss our parents at home, but please be assured that we are having a great time!
Gute Nacht! ~Katie G.
My day started by waking up at 6:40am and catching the bus, S-Bahn and another bus to school. Once at school, I got to see my friends and catch up for 20 minutes before we all (Germans and Americans) departed for the day to Hessenpark. After a short 20 minute drive we arrived and we waited for others to arrive that drove themselves. Our day at Hessenpark started with a quick 30 minute tour. Hessenpark was beautiful; filled with old historic buildings, it was perfect for some instagram scenery photos. We also met some pretty amazing animals, including some chickens and 3 pigs. Teo even got to touch the pigs. Following our tour we broke up into three different groups to get our hands dirty and make things common from the middle ages. The first group went to go dye pouches with indigo, making different patterns with rubber bands. The second group partook in weaving and created beautiful cloths in all different colors and patterns. The last group, my group, learned how to make baskets. We learned how to start the base, weave the sticks in and out, and finish. We had to be sure when weaving to push the previous line down or it would be too loose. We also had to make sure that when starting new sticks we matched thick ends with thick and thin ends with thin. Weaving two thick ends together proved to be quite challenging. Although it took nearly 2 hours and was tedious, it made for a beautiful product. After we all completed our projects we met up again to share our works. To finish off our day, we all had lunch together in a restaurant called Zum Adler. Following a few spilt drinks and a broken glass, we all received our food. It was delicious–the most popular food choices being Spätzle and Schnitzel. To kill time before our bus arrived, we got to walk around the common area and go into some open stores, including a bakery. Finally it was time to go home. While most went home on the bus, Luzy, Sebastian, Constantin and I went home in Sebastian’s car. To finish off my day, Luzy and I went to the local supermarket ReWe and purchased some typical German sweets for me to try. Out of the 15 different things I tried, my favorites were Happy Hippos, Bueno, and Nimm 2. All and all today was another successful day in the Frankfurt area with tons of different activities and eating for everyone to enjoy. ~Taylor W.
PS#1: Ten days into the trip, our missing suitcase was finally delivered to its incredibly patient owner…
PS#2: See our weaving workshop in action…
Thursday started the same way that it has for me over the past four days. I woke up, showered, ate breakfast, and then went to school. My first class was economics, after which all of us Cary Academy students headed to the Oberursel town hall to meet with council member Christof Fink. We arrived at the town hall after a short walk from school. Along the way, we saw a couple of students walking back to class a bit late. We waited outside the town hall for a while, and received the questions we wrote at the beginning of the week. A while later, we finally headed into the town hall. It was quite nice in the room where we asked our questions, and the chairs were especially comfortable. We were there for about 20 or 30 minutes, and then headed back to the Feldbergschule to meet up with our exchange partners. I met up with Yannick and got some food to eat during the break. Brett came with us, as his partner Robin had gone home sick when the CA students left for the town hall. Brett, Yannick and I went to biology next. It was interesting, because I could remember what had been taught in the last biology class. That class was obviously a continuation of the last lesson, as we were still talking about the cell cycle. After biology class ended, Brett and I went with Yannick, Eileen and Addie to buy some Döner. The Döner place was quite far away, so we had to walk really quickly to get there. On the way there several people passed us heading back to school. How did all those people get there so fast? While I don’t know how they did it, after we got our food, we headed back to the Feldbergschule as fast as we could. Unfortunately, we ended up being about 3 or 4 minutes late. Immediately upon our arrival at the school, most of the CA students headed to an empty classroom to hear a presentation about the student council of the Feldbergschule. A few students, including Brett, went to give some presentations in other areas during that time instead. The presentation that the majority of us heard was quite interesting, and we headed to the train station after it was over. Along the way it started to rain, which was unfortunately when I realized that my raincoat was not really waterproof. After arriving at the station, we waited in a good shop for the rain to stop a bit before getting on our train and heading to Frankfurt. Upon our arrival in Frankfurt, we had about an hour and a half to walk around and shop. [We were originally supposed to have a short tour around old town Frankfurt during this time, but that was cancelled due to the rain, and the group took refuge in a nearby shopping mall instead.] I found a T-Mobile store, which wad good because it meant that I could finally activate my SIM card. However, this one T-Mobile store decided I had to be 18 to activate my SIM card. This seemed odd, as the other two stores had been fine with me being 16. After buying a new SIM card at Vodafone, I met back up with the group, and we headed to the theater to watch a play. The play we saw, “Die Welle,” was quite good, and an interesting look into how a repressive regime can be started. The actors in the play were all from the Feldbergschule, and some of the actors were a part of the exchange last year. After the play, Yannick and I were driven home by Constantin and his exchange student Sebastian. Overall, today was another great day in Germany, and specifically in Oberursel. ~Jono J.
At 6:20 am, I was up, well sort of up, and ready to take on the day. I ate a quick breakfast of Brötchen (breakfast bread) with jam and fruit. I then headed off to the train station with my exchange student, waiting a little under 10 minutes until the train arrived. It was a quick ride to Oberursel, where we hopped off and departed from our exchange students as we waited at the train station for the other American students to arrive. After a few minutes, we were on our way to Mainz, a small city about 40 minutes south of Frankfurt. However, our journey was not this simple, as it seemed like everyone was trying to board onto the one train all at once. Surprisingly, we all managed to squeeze onto the small train; I was going to take a picture, but there was no space around me to reach for my phone.
Anyway, when we arrived in Mainz we first went to the Johannes Gutenberg Museum. If you don’t know, Johannes Gutenberg was a German man who invented the printing press in 1439. In this museum, we were able to see all of the different books that were printed with his press, all under a special light to protect the pages, and we got to see some of the printing presses as well. At the very end of the tour, Constantin and Hunter were actually able to use a printing press to make a replica of one of his pages, which was very neat to see. We then went to the Mainz Cathedral, dedicated to St. Martin of Tours, and it was very pretty inside with all of the stain glass windows and paintings and I was very surprised how big it was.
We then walked through the Kirschgarten which had many pretty, old German styled buildings and flowers to get to the Main Street, where we ate lunch. A group of us went to a restaurant called Aposto, and I got pesto linguini with beets and chickpeas and it was amazing. The waitresses at Aposto were very nice and very surprised that we were able to speak German. We then headed back to the Mainz train station to head back to Oberursel. After spending a little bit of time back at my exchange student’s house, in Steinbach, we headed off to her Taekwondo practice for a bit, and then I went to practice with MTV Kronberg, a German field hockey club. This was my second day of playing with this club and it is so much fun, even though it is hard to understand the drills and communicate with the players on the field. I am starting to pick up on all of the different German field hockey terms, and it’s cool to actually use them in a game.
After both of our practices, we headed back to the house and enjoyed Turkish meatballs, potato salad, mozzarella and tomatoes, finished with a chocolate pudding. We ended the day by making some progress on our North Carolina puzzle. Overall, today was a very warm, busy, and fun-filled day! ~Dorrit E.
My morning began with the beeping of my phone’s alarm at 6:30am in order to get me up for my second day in the Feldbergschule. I had a typical German breakfast of bread (with peanut butter- I had to add a little American touch) and fruit. After Tammy’s mom dropped Tammy and I off at school, we went to her gym class where I witnessed a version of tag and watched the students run laps around the campus pond. All classes in the Feldbergschule are equivalent to our double blocks at Cary Academy, so there was a lot of standing around as these activities didn’t take the entire class time. To fill the last 15 minutes of class, the gym teacher asked Hunter and I if we would be willing to talk to the class about what sports and gym class are like in America. We agreed, though nervously, and ended up talking to the class about the different sports Cary Academy offers, and how our PE program works. I’m happy to say it went better than expected! After gym class, I went with Tammy to her accounting class where the students took a test and then solved more problems. Hunter, Taylor, and I all got a copy of the test the German students took, and it’s safe to say that we had no idea how to solve those accounting problems. This class was the last class that I went to with Tammy, as the American exchange students all went to Bad Hamburg for the rest of the day.
After getting off the train in Bad Hamburg, we walked to the main shopping area where we had free time to eat some lunch and look around the city. I ate a tomato mozzarella sandwich from Wiener Feinbäcker, a bakery that’s everywhere in Germany, and then bought some ice cream from a nearby ice cream shop (did you really have a German meal if you didn’t eat ice cream? Nope.). When sitting down to eat, I was surprised to find that Bad Hamburg has wifi for those in the city. It has no password and anyone can use it. Super cool! When the group came back together, we walked around the Altstadt in Bad Hamburg and then to a castle in the midst of a beautiful park. Due to all this walking, Addie got blisters on both of her feet. It was a great bonding moment when several people from our German class came together and offered to help relieve Addie’s pain. Bandaids, Advil, Vaseline, and yes even pads were offered to Addie. Luckily for her, this excursion was short, so after the castle we made our way back to the train station. However, instead of going back to school with the rest of the group, Dorrit and I stayed on the train for one more stop and made our way back to Tammy’s house. Here, we had a German candy taste testing with food/brands that we have never seen in America before. I love all sweets, but Hanutas and Kinder Schokobons are something special. To finish off the day, my host family and I went to the Biergarten where we enjoyed a great dinner of German classics. Although I am super tired from all we did throughout the day, I can’t wait for more! ~Hannah G.
My day started with preparing for my first day at the Feldbergschule. I was excited not only because I would get to experience a German school for the first time, but also because I would be able to see the German students that I haven’t talked with since March.
Emrecan and I carpooled with Esra and Dorrit for the ride to school. The Feldbergschule Oberursel looked quite different from what I imagined. We came in through a small door and immediately walked downstairs where our teachers were waiting. There we met the principal, Peter Selesnew. He seemed quite nice and was quick to speak to us in English. He asked us some questions and we asked a couple in return. Overall, I enjoyed his visit. After the principal left, we walked around the school for a bit. The school looks really pretty from outside. The building itself looks nice, and the pond and plant life outside added to the campus’s beauty. Inside the building, we saw the Still Room and the media room. The Still Room was pretty interesting and looked like a nice place to work or relax. I wonder how many people it could hold at a time, though. The room did not seem to be equipped to hold several students at once.
After the tour of the school, we went back to the first room to hold political discussions. Several people gave speeches on the podium that related to political issues they cared about. Jono, Matthew, and I gave an impromptu speech on how violent criminal acts are often blamed on video games, and why things like lawmaking, police enforcement, and mental health awareness should be focused on instead. My personal favorite speech was the first one given by a student from the Feldbergschule’s English class. It was a riveting speech about the underestimated power of youth and our need to make change in our community. The speeches were followed by unregulated political discussions and debates. There was some harsh clashing of ideals, but this was still my favorite part of the school day. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing other people’s ideas while thinking about the political climate of the present.
Afterwards, I followed Emrecan to his final class, where he was excused after a short amount of time. I was surprised by how quickly the day ended as well as by how abruptly it ended. Most days at CA end at a constant specific time and are book-ended by a stricter end-of-day activity and semi-formal dismissal. This is in stark contrast to the way the German students left the second they were finished learning.
I spent the rest of the day with most of Emrecan’s immediate family in Frankfurt. There we visited the top of the Helaba building, the Eiserner Steg Bridge over the Main River, and the Zeil shopping promenade. My favorite part of the trip to Frankfurt was the Helaba building, because it was one of the tallest buildings in Frankfurt, which meant it had a wonderful view from the top, which was made even better by telescopes available on the roof. The bridge was also pretty cool. Hundreds of couples had put locks on the bridge to represent their everlasting love. It seemed a bit cheesy to me, but it was interesting nevertheless. ~Obinna M.