New host family!

Its official: I moved today! I now live in Menzingen--population 8000 (eek!)

I'm going to try to explain the topography of Kanton Zug, but visualizing things has never been my strongpoint, so bare with me.

Ok: this is Kanton Zug. The majority of people live near Zug, and the population kind of gets less dense as you move farther away. I lived in Steinhausen before, which is a suburb about a 10 minute drive away. Do you see the city Baar, just North of Zug? Well, Baar is at the base of a mountain (range? or one mountain? I dont know) which basically slices the Kanton in half. Menzingen is IN the mountain. And it is the biggest town to be so high...in fact, we get snow here when they dont, and we can see over the fog of Zug! Luckily, its only a 20 minute bus ride.

My new host family is very nice. I have a host sister who I think is around 12, and a host brother who I would guess is 14 (he doesnt really talk much...I think he is in that awkward "girls are gross" phase). My host father is so funny, and the pastor of the Reformed church here, and a Rotarian. My host mother Barbara also works in the Church, and is very funny too. There family is much louder than my last one, which is different for me. PLUS they have a dog!

This is Menzingen. What you see in the backround is the famous fog over lake Zug, and Kanton Luzern. It is usually 3 degrees Celsius colder here than in the lower villages.

I think you might be able to see my house even in this picture...it would be somewhere around the bottom right hand corner. We are in an appartment, but they own a couple different appartments on the same floor, which is kind of weird. But my room is bigger! I'll be sure to put up some picture when I am able to find my card reader from unpacking.

I have mixed feelings right now. I am excited for the new change, and my new host family seems very nice, but it is hard to leave Steinhausen when it was beginning to feel like home. I will miss being so close to Zug, and having the house to myself often, but its good to be in a family again. Plus, I'm really happy that I have a host Dad, because honestly, not having a father figure here has been really hard for me. I missed my Daddy! And it was hard to say goodbye to Margrit, who has just been so nice to me. Driving away and seeing her alone waving to our car just broke my heart! I am planning on visiting her whenever possible.

I'll write again when I have more news about Menzingen! And CHRISTMAS!!!

NOVEMBER

How is it already November???

Ok, I will quickly try to sum up the last three weeks. After getting back from Holiday in the end of October, I have been going to school regularly, and getting in the swing of things. Zug is getting colder, and the leaves are all turning a vibrant orange, and the fog is starting to set in. My Deutsch is getting better, and I am able to now understand the basic idea of most sentances, if the speaker speaks slowly and in High German (which is not Swiss German!).

School is getting pretty boring, but I knew this would happen, since school is just normal now and not exciting anymore. I usually read in class since I can not understand anything that is happening, all though some teachers are much more helpful than others, and some make me take tests. My friends at school are great, but I am usually hang out with exchange students, since my German isn't good enough yet to have actual conversations.

Here are some highlights from November:

Hometowns from left to right: Yukon, Portland, Seattle, Kansas,
Colorado, and Australia

Me, failing at ice skating

Last weekend was definitely a highlight too. I went to a couple of parties with friends, and ended up at the Baar Chilbe, which is basically a carnival--but at night! It was so much fun! I had no idea Zug had so many people...it literally seemed like every teenager in a 10 mile radius was there.

This month I also went to a concert, went up the Rigi with friends, went to Luzern, had a halloween party for Americans, and have eaten a lot of raceltte! (Cheesy goodness)

Its been a pretty good month, if I do say so myself

I went skating with about 20 other exchange students in Bern a couple weeks ago, when we had school off. It was so so so so much fun! Can I just say how awesome exchange students are? Not to toot my own horn, but all of them are the kindest, funniest people I have ever met. I think its because you have to have some guts to do this, and they all do, which is a quality I really admire in people.

Anyway, skating was super fun. I learned I cant skate! Everyone had to help me, but I got a little better by the end!

Sienna, Laura and I at the Chilbi,
or Swiss fair

Last weekend was definitely a highlight too. I went to a couple of parties with friends, and ended up at the Baar Chilbe, which is basically a carnival--but at night! It was so much fun! I had no idea Zug had so many people...it literally seemed like every teenager in a 10 mile radius was there.

This month I also went to a concert, went up the Rigi with friends, went to Luzern, had a halloween party for Americans, and have eaten a lot of raceltte! (Cheesy goodness)

Its been a pretty good month, if I do say so myself