The perfect order.

Some days ago I made a remark about a shitty day I had, due to a problem with an early bus and all the shit it carries. And, as a matter-of-fact, I had a similar problem again, maybe worst because it was not a bus, but a train. I might as well blog about shitty days because in this time my reaction was completely different. I have learned to be grateful for these off days. Those days where you try to look at the bright side but some times it's difficult because the things just aren't going like you would like. Off days, I mean, bad days, and setbacks which are inevitable in our personal and social lives. The other day I had to make some combinations of trains to come back home. But one train what 4 minutes late. Only 4 minutes that proved to be enough time to lose my next combination, and turned out into a shitty night with more than an hour of waiting.

Contrary to the reaction I would have expected, I found myself easy and relaxed. I withdrew my Harry Potter book in German and I started to read, beaten by the raw night, and anyway smooth. You could say it was a really cold night, as a result of sporadic showers happened throughout the day. Also I didn't feel really snug. But I was at peace.

Many people would point out that I am crazy because I didn't seem really altered. And yes, I thought about it. It is another result of this incredible process I am going through. This implies that I have changed the way I face everyday situations. I am prepared to respond to sudden and unexpected changes without becoming a moonstruck out of my boxes. I know I can stay calm if I see that my goals are distorted and the road seems crooked. I understood the perfect order of the things (just because it doesn't exist!). Spontaneous alternatives that break forth are sometimes too good to notice. Or maybe just because after a change we are so wrapped up in our anger that our ability to identify and catch new opportunities becomes blind. So this is the new direction, the new purpose that had taken my search.

Rounded and short, I feel better every day. I have spent a wonderful weekend, and for the first time here, I was involved in a situation that made me feel useful, helpful for someone, and filled with satisfaction. Now, I have stopped waiting for future moments. I have realized mournfully that the time is going faster as expected. Now I hope just shocks, without doubt they are the best way to learn. According to Einstein, the crisis is the greatest blessing that can happen, it makes you open to the world, start a search and just live.

And of course, like a flight, with turbulence, delays, ups and downs during the adventure, I know that my life won't be out of problems. But I know I have to focus on my strengths to develop and improve my weaknesses, and I am on the way, yes sir. Besides, all who know me are sure that I will never ever ever forget to show everyone my sparkling and almost flawless smile, be sure of that.

The flow of knowledge

I have long wanted to write about this stuff, but I think it wasn't really clear until today. Now I have something to say, something that could help you if you are trying to learn something, to make your life a little more interesting, or just to improve yourself.

Have you ever thought about how it works? Actually it's strange what I've been thinking these days about. Are you trying to learn something new every day? Or every month? A new hobby, a new fact, a new language maybe? Perhaps you have realized that it isn't so easy. And perhaps have you also noticed that sometimes one thinks that there is no place enough in his head for acquiring more intellect. And from that point comes the analysis of today.

Now more absorbed than ever, I realized that it is essential just to empty the box. Let's take the following example: when we want to store our freshly washed clothes in the closet, sometimes we think that the place is not ample, that some items will remain out of it. But, if we remove all out and organize everything again, we find out that there was place enough, and also that there is still room to spare.

And what I mean? Full heads, empty heads. What do you prefer? The full heads stand up and pour out knowledge. The empty heads eagerly gobble it up like hungry piglets. Understand what I am trying to explain? Sometimes it is necessary to empty our minds. Throw away everything we have learned, even the deepest thoughts. It is of paramount importance to entrench oneself heavily in what one tries to learn, and forget everything else. The tabula rasa effect, the blank or erased slate as it is known in English. It is truly intriguing and fascinating how great it can be. As an empty blank sheet, an empty head has room for a lot of new fresh knowledge, and that is the only thing we actually need. Sometimes it is not about the fact, but the way.

I know you'll be asking yourself what about the things that you have already learned.
Where are they going to go, maybe to waste? So, here is my answer related to my experience. When I started to learn German, I noticed every day how my English was deteriorating. I also noticed that my Spanish had started to retrogress. And I felt invaded. I was afraid of losing what I had taken so long to achieve. But, I had no choice. If I did not learn German, I could not live here anymore. So, I got carried away. And to my delight, I realized that, with time, things eventually returned to its right place, and then this place looked much bigger and organized than ever.

Now, this applies to everything. No pain, no gain. We have to detach. Move away from what we have had always nearby. Try new ways, new trends. New perspectives and points of view. Empty heads, happy hearts. Think about, it has sense. Try it. Make a skimpy effort from now on. Hope it helps.

English? German? Spanish?

Hello my people! I'm sorry for the delay. As I step into this culture, I am busier and without much free time to think about writing. But things that I can't stop sharing still appear. I am still impressed by the last weekend. I have been in which I catalog as the most famous city of the whole world, important for more than two millennia, one of the world's leading cultural centres... in short: Paris. So, here we go, once again.

We arrived in Clichy (a district of the metropolis), where my hostel was, on a cool spring evening, without knowing exactly where we were, what we were doing and which feelings would arousse that weekend. And just some minutes later it took place the first contact with the fantasy world in which we were immersed: we were face to face with the incredible Eiffel Tower, at night, which was shining immutable in the middle of the settlement. Such a feeling... I mean, after a whole life talking about her and figuring up her curves and shapes... there she was. Standing in front of us, unalterable, slender, rigid, arrogant. The iron monster, the queen of France. 330 metres of beauty and perfection. Enlightened and escorted by the whole world, icon of the human race. It is impossible to explain the situation. It was just her and us, nothing else. And goosebumps, of course.

After that wonderful welcome, we all thought it would be rattling difficult to spring up such strong feelings again. But definitely, we were wrong. As we walked through the city, I bumped into situations that made me feel once more in another place, dreamingly. I had never had this kind of feeling for a city. I had fallen in love several times, specially with London and Buenos Aires, but this time it was different. For the first time I found a city as a place to live in, linked to a whole way of thinking and enjoying life, art and respect. And don't ask me why, because I actually don't know the answer.



I fell completely in love with Montmartre, the district around the homonym hill. There lies the Sacre Coer Basilica, very interesting indeed, because of its byzantine architechture, quite different from the rest. But the view over the city was the most amazing part. We wandered around the small and winding streets at the top of the hill and drunk some beer. The atmosphere was incredible. Montmartre has always had a history related to artists and has many studios and cafes of many great artists in the area (Pablo Picasso, for example). Also the people who frequent that place usually have a particular vision about how to live life that I am really interested in.

Something worth telling: I lived a situation that I found truly encouraging and filled me with pride and self-esteem. And in fact, it has not happened only to me. After having settled in a Germanic culture and got used to the German language, we had to change again to a French speaking country. And at the moment we had to communicate, we found ourselves asking: Excuse me, do you speak English? German? Spanish? Maybe Italian? And, man, that was a great feeling inside. We had never thought about how important languages are, and how valuable it is to know them, therefore how capable we are, even being so young. We had to drink to that.

And yeah yeah, it was probably the most amazing museum I have ever been to. The Louvre, one of the most important institutions in the world. I flew while walking along its royal halls and corridors, steped into history and mystery, and with so much to show and teach. I have to say that I didn't really tickle my fancy when I spotted La Gioconda. The most spoken painting around the world, and it took me ten minutes to actually realize I was in the same room where it lays. Its size of less than a metre (too small), and the people around, so crazy about taking a photo, spoiled the moment. Anyway, I met other masterpieces of Leonardo, Delacroix, and Rembrandt, including the Virgin of the Rocks (that forced me to stop in front of her). I also strolled among millenarian Greek and Roman works, and definitely the experience was worth living.

I always seemed to find myself in staggering and astonishing situations, like the one in the metro station, when a totally drunk man jumped into the rails some seconds before the train arrived and narrowly he did not finish turned into mincemeat. It was a show, especially by the uproar at the crowd. Unfortunately the man lived, and the moment became a simple anecdote more, of thousands. Ok, don't believe what I just said last, haha.

When it seems that one can't learn anything else, boom! One runs into these situations that give meaning to life and make one feel alive. One feels good man, and also believes that he is doing things right, that he is on the right way. And that, and nothing else, is the most important thing, that is what effectively matters. Have a nice weekend.

Again in touch.

Last week was a kind of cultural pump, and not regarding only to German culture, but to an incredible mix of everything. Have you thought about the title of the post? Yes, I had visitors (and yes, from my country... far, isn't it?). I received two friends from my small (and almost impossible to find) town, and as well I have spent the weekend with another guest, my cousin, who is living in Brussels. We have drunk enough beer and eaten enough German sausages, of course. Amazing moments, for sure.

I don't know why I always felt, throughout my whole stay here, the need to show everybody how beautiful and incredible is this place, and how good is my general life. I guess it is because I think in my natural parents, and all the doubts they must have about my new way of life. And I found pretty good the fact of showing all this to someone who would fly again to my country and could talk about it with my parents, face to face. I really took a load off.

Contrary to what AFS preaches, I found the visit enriching in every aspect, and not only for me, but also for my German family, who enjoyed their company as much as me. I discovered how amazing we can be, that when we really want, we can spend unforgettable moments, regardless if we share or not the culture, the skin color or even the language. The visit also woke me confidence in myself, because I realized that I was able to make a truly good thing with my German, due to the role of real-time translator I took.

Another clever remark I want to make is about how German I became (this still surprises me), as much that I programmed each little detail of every single day they would spend with me. And I don't want to boast about it, but I am proud because I knew how to take time together without being absent in the school. You can’t imagine how proud I feel of being such responsible (and I am sure that my friends have noticed that too).

I haven't won the lottery, but things are going really well. The trash that was somewhat stinking up my life has been swept away and although I sometimes want to kick out everything and just lie on my bed for a long long time, the bad moments are no longer so bad. I have not planned so many things (I don't want to be disappointed then), but anyway I know that this year will be even better than I have thought, no doubt.

Hope for tomorrow

Today was kind of a crappy day, for all sort of reasons that weren't in my power to change, you know, the type of unfortunate events that go beyond your control. I had, during almost all the day, a particular kind of bitter feeling inside. So, if you are looking for a post plenty of positivism, today is not the right day. And yes, I know I should probably be welcoming and friendly, and try to lighten up your life, and not succumb to my inner grump. But I am afraid this post will be gray, if any.

Three different bus drivers left me three times today! I think I ran more today than in my whole life trying to catch the fucking buses, screaming like a madman and cursing inside. Besides, I ran all the time with my backpack on my shoulders, which weighs more than two adorable kilos. I wanted to mourn. The reason for my anger is that the bus drivers are always late, but I mean ALWAYS. And I don't understand yet why I had such bad luck today, because the three fucking buses I had to take were so early, that when I arrived to the stop, they were just leaving. Shit.

And shit is not over. I had 4 free hours at the school today, but I still had to get up at 6:15 due to an only fucking hour in the first module. I can't believe how responsible I am. If it were my choice, I would haven't even thought about it, I would have been just absent. I personally think that one hour isn't really important enough to make shitty a whole morning, but I don't have to forget I am in Germany now, and things are different. And yes, I know: this particular sense of responsibility from here sucks.

I really don't want to come across as a stubborn, specially with my bitter complaints against this society. I must admit that it has opened the doors to me and there was no problem at all, in fact I always felt absolutely welcomed and supported. It is just that sometimes the good mood is too costly to wear every day when there are so many weird things around. The bad weather of the last three days has also to do, I think. I must be thankful because here I have a family. In sooth, today on the way back home I thought about locking myself in my room until tomorrow, but then when I met my hostparents and told them of my disgusting experience, everything became better. The smile returned, or at least a hint of it, and I found myself also laughing at my misfortunes. And man, that was a really sudden change of tone.

Right now I am leaned back in my chair, sipping Cappuccino from a cup, closed to all ways of feeling bad again, and thinking in all the stuff that makes life a bit better, brighter and lighter. So, to keep it reasonably short and interesting, these days are inevitably a part of this life, and although some days of my life are black and white, I try always to see them in all the splendid colors of the rainbow. This makes me feel better, as did the special words from grandma or good friends that I am truly missing.

In conclusion, I have something good to say: tomorrow will be better, of course. It could not be worse than today. At least I learned that the bus drivers who are already hateful will never be polite, even if you are fifteen minutes earlier standing at the stop, or if you smile nicely at them every time you show your ticket. And the funniest and most ironic thing of all is that this shit will happen again, a thousand times, and I wont be able to avoid it. So, problem without solution is not a problem. Just learn to make it part of my life. After all, today I did sports, and definitely a lot.

Must be nuts

-Ask me if I am happy.
-Agh?
-Ya, if I am happy, right now, please do it.
-Do you feel good?
-Haha seriously, just do it.
-Oh, come on, don't bother.
-Please, I beg you!
-God! O.K., so... are you happy?
-Check this beam and then, you guess!

Yes, do not tell me. It is clear that I am lazy. It has been almost 15 days without posts. But, you know, no news are good news, or in at least it is better to have no news than to have bad ones, and actually that's to do last have a bit to do with the last weeks.

First of all, I am doing very well, yeah yeah. My German has improved considerably, almost without me knowing it, and my social life has returned after the holidays like a blast of air, full of positivism and energy, thank God. My experience has taken a different course, I think more focused, more underway. I have started to collect the thrills I feel to judge the effectiveness of my program, and I must say that the first results have left me stunned. I have never imagined I could think so clearly and among so well defined thoughts. Of course, the process is still taking place and every day I notice that the things in my mind blow up from one place to another in a completely haywire way. Time ago, it'd have made me go crazy. However, I find it normal now, in fact, also wholly funny.

My blindness to what is not so good has gone away, pitifully. It is always interesting to be in touch with the characteristics of a particular society which are good enough to stick out, and draw them to your own society. That always happens during short periods of stay, which is not my case. Then, one gets bored and used to (and this is, as a matter of fact, really human). So now I am able to break through the negative characteristics of this society, just to try not to implement them. But I won't write my analysis yet. I'm really in a good mood to be negative today.

These days I have been also thinking about my family, but in a completely different way. I realized how much it has influenced on what I am right now and how strong I feel every moment I think of it. Last week it was my sister’s 15th birthday, and as the tradition goes, they organised a huge party to celebrate it. I have to say that I felt sad during almost the whole day and several times I desperately wanted to fly back to my country , to my place, to meet my roots and hug my people. It also came to my mind thoughts about the people who have no family, and I realized how lucky I am just 'cause my family is incredibly marvellous. But what moved me most was the fact that many people do have a family though it seems that they don’t. That is really a shame.

Finally, I thought about all the expats, like me, and about the difficulty of their situation. For me, it's been repeatedly difficult to understand the behaviors, traditions and just the way of life of this society, even when I have an adorable family who really do their own to make me feel comfortable and adapted everyday. Now, I can’t effectively be myself in those people’s place, they who had to move from their country alone, living in a completely different culture, with anyone available to speak to in the evening, or to have breakfast with.

I promise little by little I will update my life. Regards.

Frohe Ostern!

There were many who asked me if the Germans also celebrate Easter. And it is a coincidence that yesterday flipping through the newspaper, I read about a politician who mentioned that, for Germany, Easter festivity was even more important than Christmas. I am not sure of that because I have not experienced Christmas yet, but what I can say is that Germany has some awesome traditions, and Easter is no exception. As I told you, Easter celebrations had started off some time ago with a bang, the Karneval party. But do not let that fool you: that was just the beginning.

The Easter season in Germany is a vibrant one. Something that caught my attention was the decoration of trees (known as Osterbäume) with brightly and cheerful coloured Easter eggs, which can be bought at special Easter markets found all around. However, for many it is a tradition to decorate the eggs at home, out of emptied eggshells or real boiled eggs. We have made our own ones yesterday.


Furthermore, the people are used to attend Oster Feuer (Easter Bonfire) on the Saturday before Easter, an exciting celebration where they get together to burn "last year's Christmas trees" (I write it as a quote because they burn almost an entire forest haha). As you can see in the picture, the flames frequently reach a height of almost five meters. This is often a social event with enough food, beer, and BBQ's. We travelled to a friend of my host family and spent the evening grilling and sitting near the fire. We grabbed some roastbratwursts (typical roasted sausages) and set out to find the perfect spot to enjoy the fire. In Germany it is not very popular to roast marshmallows but bread called stockbrot (a type of bread whose dough has been rolled and twisted over the end of a stick, and baked over an open fire).


'Ostereier suchen' (Easter Egg hunts) are also a popular family tradition in Germany. It is common to get a visit from our furry friend, the Oster Hase (Easter Bunny), even if you are a teenager. Today it was very funny when we had to search for chocolate eggs hidden in the garden behind the house.

The 'honey moon' has past, and not everything is rosy now. As an expat there are many things I miss from home, especially the way the people relate to each other, the involuntary hugs and all that warm stuff to express your feelings. But at the same time I can only smile because I really am blessed to have the opportunity to experience this beautiful German time, and to be accompanied by incredible people who are interested in my emotional state and personal development.

Osterferien

I am back, after a restful week's holiday in the south. I finally met my mother's parents, who would be my grandparents, and I spent a couple of warm days at their home, walking around, knowing incredible places, and eating, of course.

I have to say that all the grandparents' households have something that makes them special, in some way. For me, in my country, grandma's house was someplace where the rules were different from what they were at home. I have always run to my granma's when I felt angry or upset, and my grandma was always there to make me see things from another point of view, more calmy. I also still taste in my mouth her cakes and desserts. And I have discovered that, to a greater or lesser extent, all the people have such a feeling with their grandma's house.

The home of my grandparents here was largely a warm home, you could feel it. There were little things everywhere, souvenirs from different places, handcrafted clay dough ornaments of all kinds and gifts they have been collecting over their lifetime. That is really characteristic. All grandparents love to talk about their grandchildren and being able to show how much they are loved and appreciated by them is a truly wonderful thing.

The grandmothers' meals are also renowned all over the world for their flavor, and this time it was not an exception. Oma (German word for grandma) cooked a variety of typical dishes of the area, and as expected, everything with a strong and delicious taste. I must say that I ate too much. Tons of ice cream, tasty home-baked cakes, warm bread, and pretzels (a type of bread made from dough and savory in a unique knot-like shape) were devoured by the hungry grandchildren, to the joy of the grandmother.

Referring to my progress, I have discovered myself talking German, which is also an incredible feeling inside that fills me with energy and desire to move forward. On the other hand, and much to my chagrin, I notice day after day how my English and Spanish are getting worse. I can't speak without making several grammar mistakes, and all the time my head is full with a mixture of words and languages. I know the situation will change over time, or at least I hope so.

I believe that music is a good way to convey emotions, so here you are a little present, one more window into my world. I am sure you will feel the joy.



Finally, I expect everyone has an outstanding Easter time, enjoying the company of the family and forgetting the problems. Bye!

Smile

It is Saturday morning. I am walking towards the bus stop. I am not thinking in anything special, I am just in a blissful mood because I will meet Flor, a girl from my country. Suddenly, I run into a lady. I steel a quick glance at her eyes and I give her a little smile. And this is how all begin. She ask me if she knows me from somewhere. So I explain that I am an exchange student, from Argentina. And she starts to speak good Spanish. She has lived seven years in Mallorca, Spain. She lives now in Cologne, and she encourages me to visit the city. She is really missing the way that the people interact in Spain. Unfortunately, it is late and I have to take the bus right now. Before my departure, she says to me: I am here every Saturday. Hopefully I see you again. I pleasantly greet her and I leave.

Ok. That was more or less what happened to me on Saturday morning. And the point I want to get is in the cause of all the episode: a smile. A little and insignificant smile, which sparked a warm and confident environment from scratch.

It is well known that 'laughter is the best medicine', despite the fact that when we really need medicine, we are in no position to laugh about it, at all. But I am not talking about laughter. I am talking about Smile. Surely you know the difference.

If someone ask me what is my best quality, I think I would answer: my smile. I am the kind of person who smiles for no reason. And I know a lot of people who are going through dreamy times and they even don't smile. Their foreheads are always wrinkled. Since they are frowned all the time, they build up tension. So I think everybody should do it. All people have to force themselves to smile. Even if they are not feeling like smiling. This helps to relieve the tension, I swear it.

And the great aftermath of all this issue lies on the amazing things you can get only for it. Whenever I am feeling low and someone gives me a smile, it makes me think different. It is funny really, that I am really angry, boiling mad at something or someone, but I am physically smiling. And after a while my mood changes to far better. It works. I used to think that happiness brings out smile in people. However, now I have realized that a fake smile also brings up emotional happiness.

So... what are you waiting for? I am sure you are smiling right now. Cool.

Wheels in motion

Spring is here, which is a welcome and pleasant relief after the cold and hard winter that received me. It seemed as it was never going to end, but at last the nice days are arising. For most people in my country, winter is a good time to concentrate on indoor activities, and here that was not an exception (naturally, nobody wants gardening with 50 cm of snow or with 10 degrees below zero). The weather has been nice for the last week, although I get to enjoy it only a little bit since I spend most of my day in my daily activities. We changed to daylight saving time and the days seem longer now. The unique little drawback of this issue is that we have to go to school under the cover of darkness, but I am sure in a few days it won't be dark any more. I have noticed that the people are taking more often to the streets, the shrubs are becoming greener, those wild flowers like bluebonnets and a lot of tulips are blooming now, and the whole panorama is more colourful and alive. I believe the current atmosphere greatly influences on people's thoughts and emotions, everything seems better.

It is almost a month and a half since I moved to Germany, and the things continue improving. I haven't picked up any of the German accents, not yet at least, but I find myself confident to say things in German without problems. Of course I am not able to discuss philosophical matters, but I am starting to understand what people are talking about, and that makes me happy and full of desires to continue with this program. Lately it has been rather easy to adjust to the life here, I am not entirely sure why, though, maybe it is the language, or the weather. Or maybe it is just that I feel better with my current life and that is all.

They say that good things come in three, which must be the case of me too: today I have a freeschool day, together with my family we have started to plan our summer holidays to Croatia and the sun is shining for what seems like the first time in ages. My brother and his girlfriend and I took a short ramble towards the surroundings of my house, which included a stop in two parks for children and a tour along the river, before I cooked Argentinian Lomitos for everyone. I have done them with Argentinian steak! That was deep-felt.

I have been treating more people and I am glad because every person I bumped into was universally warm and welcoming, despite the naturally curious and hesitant looks I notice every day everywhere. I have learned that if there is something that the Germans need, that is time. People seem friendlier, more attentive. I guess my German has much to do... so there is another reason to keep trying and speaking, of course. It is better to move myself than to wait sat without doing anything. So, wheels in motion. There is no reason to be outdone.

Alele kita conga

Ok. Enough philosophy for these days, now it is weekend I want to tell you some good things that happened during the last time. I’ve been really busy lately. Yesterday I gave my first exam in Germany. Of course it was written in English, but the best part is that it was focused on Brazil's economical history, and don't ask me why but I felt identified with this country. Perhaps because it is in Latin America, or because it is close to my country, who cares... The incredible thing here is how the distances change your judgement and reflections: it is amazing to find yourself in the middle of a speech you would never have imagined to pronounce. Identified with Brazil? I think it is another piece of magic from AFS.

I have been in a concert. A show organized by my school to present its Big Band. Of course, was another delight. There were about fifteen people playing different instruments, including trombones, trumpets, saxophones, guitars, a tuba, a contrabass, a piano and an incredible set of percussion. They played big band jazz of the 30's and 40's. There was also a choir which sang some demotic songs like 'The lion sleeps tonight'. I really enjoyed the show, and once again I reminded myself how important is teamwork.

Today I have travelled to Cologne again, and I have to say it's a wonderful city, plenty of multiculturalism and expressionism. You can't imagine the amount of different people that you may see when you walks through its streets. That makes you feel good because, at least in my case, I forgot I was a foreigner today. I know that the people who was walking by my side had a lot to do, but Cologne still seems attractive and cool for me. The reason of the trip was that some AFS coordinators improvised a meeting for exchange students and I had been invited. So, I went there with my brother and we met, again, with people who share the same feeling and passion. We had a great time there, lying on the grass, drinking beer (of course, I am in Germany) and chatting with the other students (the photo is from the meeting).

Tomorrow is a great day for me because I am playing the piano as a guest in the band of my brother and in the afternoon it's the first presentation in which I am involved. I am not nervous but anxious to see people's reaction, and to see if being on a stage here feels as being on one of my country.

Maybe you are asking yourself what means the title of the note, and what it has to do here. Well, Alele Kita Conga is the name of a kind of ritual I learned at the pre orientation camp in Argentina, and it is about a sort of connection between the people involved in it. It is really awesome because you can make it with anyone, no matter the race, religion or language, and I swear you will feel connected with that person aught. The people who know me know what I mean (I have taken this ritual to the remotest corners of the world lol). I don't know any person who did not like it and I can assure you that you would like to take part in it too. Just so you can watch and listen the chants, I leave you a video of when we did it in the camp of the last weekend. But be aware that is pretty much deep when you get involved personally in these intensive feelings.



I hope you not to ignore all that pretty incredible sights you stumble across everyday. I ardently hope also that you spend an incredible weekend. Bye for now.

Keep climbing.

Imagine that you have set yourself a goal. A very difficult one. For example... climbing a mountain. A mountain that has never been climbed before, because of its danger and risk. Ok, your life has a meaning: climbing the mountain. That is great.
Now imagine you're at the peak of the mountain. You have reached your goal. Finished. You feel incredibly good and accomplished. You think that this is the happiest moment of your life. But... what now? Your life is meaningless, again. And someone comes and advices you to keep climbing. You would probably ask him how you can do it because there is no more slopes to climb, remember that you are at the peak, at the top. Well, that is the point of my post today.

Last year by these days I was taking part in an endurance challenge, a marathon among one of the most beautiful places in my country: The Andes. The competition was basically about resisting the adversities of the mountain and reach 10 km running. Those were not as hard as the 50 km of challenge that my dad took but I was not really trained to complete the path tirelessly and halfway through the race I felt completely bleak. Furthermore, the weather deteriorated significantly minutes before the start. I thought I would not be able to finish. Then I thought about giving up: nobody would notice that and everything would go on without alarums and excursions.
But then I realized why I was there, running, trying to improve myself. I was there because I had wanted. Nobody had forced me, it had been just me. So, I decided to continue, at my own pace, focused mind and clear objectives. I get my mind out of any thinking and I found that if I intended easy targets (like reach the nearby trees I had in front of me), the way became lighter and my mind was filled with positive energy. Gently, the tiredness began to disappear and some minutes later, almost without realizing that, I was crossing the finish line (you can see the photo of the glorious moment). I felt as full as you at the peak of the mountain.

It was not until now that I realized that this kind of challenges has a particular similarity with life in general. All the people have a goal to reach, or at least that is what they think. And all of them have had a problem in the middle of the race that have made them review the situation and rethink the goals. But the problems arise when they think they have achieved their purposes. When they think they are in the peak of their mountains. That is when they feel without motivations. And that is the moment to leave everything behind. Only when we empty our hands we are able to get more things. Only when we go down to the bottom we can climb the hill again. And now I know I want that for my life. A month ago I left an incredible life in my country. I left wonderful people and a place in the community. I left everything to come here with empty hands. And you don't know how grateful I am now.

I can see my life as a highway, and my goals as the cities on it. I have goals they are close and I know I can reach them easily. But I know there are also thousands others. There are cities a bit away from the highway, and rough roads to reach them. But all the big cities are connected each other. And I can travel in any way, because I am sure that I will find cities (goals) everywhere. And I can go back and go forward many times I desire. And I could be talking about this metaphor all night long, but I think you understood the sense. We are used to live our lives towards achieving our objectives. And that blinds us to realize that in fact the important thing is the process and not the result. So, I will keep climbing. Even when I am in the top of the mountain and there is no more place to climb. And that can happen just because I'll never run out of mountains to climb, I'll never run out of cities to arrive.

AFS: Wonder of wonders

Hello dear people. Just wanted to let all of you know that this blog has not been abandoned at all. I have had one incredible weekend involved only in the AFS universe, and of course I was away from the internet. I met so incredible people, you can not imagine how amazing they are. Both students and coordinators manifested how capable humans are to establish kind bonds, regardless any condition unrelated to the personality. I spent three awesome days with students from all over the world, I could notice strong differences between each other and I could find, however, that everybody had the same feeling, pursued the same goal, expected the same thing: share and learn.

It was a strange feeling inside. I used to say and repeat over and over again that we are all equal, no differences, but I had never been in a place with so many different people and in such an incredible mix of cultures before. It is quite hard for me to explain in words how I felt it. Despite the diversity, it was as I said: 'same objectives', so I felt fully equal to all, no superiority or inferiority, no shame, no bother... just equal, and you don't know how good it felt. I think it was the first time I felt like that, so impartial. I realized how many good squialities you can find in a person if you move away from any stereotype and you just let yourself go purely by the instinct that the humans naturally have, haha I don't want to sound like a philosopher at all, it is just I have never experienced the good feelings of this weekend and I want to share them with all of you.

I am absolutely convinced that the main reason for all this great thing is AFS. All the people related to this organisation have a special lifestyle, a different way of seeing and understanding the world, and particularly an amazing ability to enjoy life. When I am among AFS people I think the problems are insignificant compared to how much we can enjoy the good things that happen to us. And there is something really weird yet stunning: whenever you meet someone from AFS, he or she is related to someone who you know in advance from your country or from another place in the world, as if everything was connected to you somehow... I know it sounds like fantasy but it is not the first time it happens, and it is becoming more usual each AFS contact I have.

The last great thing of this weekend I want to remark before I go to bed (yesterday I slept about three hours) it is that after one month of being among foreign people, I met with my Argentinian friend Eli (you can see her in the picture), I hugged her strongly, and we also drank mate. I had forgotten how good it tasted. Thank heaven she reminded me of my accent, my way of pronouncing the Y and my droll habit of hugging everyone at every moment.

The only little thing I have left to say is how much I'm going to miss these great people. I look forward to seeing them all again soon. At least I hope so.

Firsthand

It is 12 o'clock and a crowd remain seated in the auditorium of my school. The last three grades are gathered, waiting, looking forward to see her. Finally, is the vice director of our school who speaks: 'Please all stand up to welcome Brygida Czekanowska'. Everyone cheers a little old lady who walks towards the stage, weak, but brave. It is the first time she speaks in front of so many people. She is the one. A survivor, a witness. A woman who lived the History personally. With soft speech, she starts to speak. 'I have only felt fear...'

Brygida Czekanowska is a former inmate of the concentration camp Ravensbrück, who survived the Holocaust and is now dedicated to informing new generations about her experience. She was born in Poland and lived her first years in Warsaw. When the IIWW started and Poland was conquered by Germany, her father didn't wanted to sign the 'Eindeutschungsvertrag', a sort of contract which made him German, because he said he was Polish and nobody could change that. Because of this, after uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto, she was deported with her mother. Every woman was placed in cattle cars and taken to Ravensbrück, where Brygida was imprisoned for 8 months. She was placed with the other women in tents with straw mattresses. The next day she and the others were taken to barracks where they made ​​them undress and then get their heads shaved. Brygida had never seen a naked woman before. The men gave them blue-gray suits like as seen in movies and they told them they had to work hard. Finally, the SS men took away them the last vestige of dignity they had: their names. They were replaced by numbers they had to sew to clothing.

She said that it was not so hard for her because she spent almost the whole time with her mother, and she luckily had a supervisor who took pity on her and sometimes gave her an apple (they were allowed to eat only rock-hard bread). She also was treated in a better way than the others because she was able to speak German. But the worst of all is that she witnessed all the atrocities done to others, and she felt very helpless especially with older people. I could not understand much of what he said but my brother translated me the main things. Despite she talked for about two hours, I noticed that no one moved even a hair. They had goose bumps.

The conference was actually all about racism, and before she left the place, she thanked everyone and once again reminded us that all people are equal. When she was over, some students were allowed to debrief her. One girl asked her what would she do today if she had the opportunity to sign the contract pleading as a German to avoid all the horror time. Brygida glanced at everybody in the room and then she answered: Of course I would not!

All in good time

When I was a child I used to ask myself if a stone thrown into the river would reach one day the sea. I also thought about what I would be when the time passed. Both questions had no answer. Later I realised there are no answers just because we don't need them. In fact I learned to wait. I learned to see everything in its right place. Everyday is an opportunity to go out and face the wind. Some dreams come true, all in good time.

Someone once told me to be careful what I wished for, because I could get it someday, and that would be only my own responsibility. I know now that where there is a will, there's a way, no matter the tools you have available. Nevertheless, nobody will come and bring down the stars of heaven for me. I am now responsible for my decisions, for my choices. I am responsible for solving my problems or learning to live with those I cannot solve (and that is the hardest part of the issue). Now I am in such a mission to find the pleasure in daily activities, just because I am going to spend most of my life in daily activities, and I won't waste the week time only to live at weekends. Why do I have to wait for the weekend to feel alive? What about all the time we spend during the weeks? Why wouldn't I not seize the day? Accidentally I return to the same subject as always... Will I be finding the meaning of life?

Today I can recognize that the first days here were really tough. I found myself in the middle of a confused world, listening to stuff that I was unable to understand, walking in wholly unfamiliar places, and feeling that my deepest and loved mores were uprooted. Notwithstanding, Rome wasn't built in a day. The thing started to change when I accepted that if I was in Rome, I had to do just what Romans do. And little by little I started to feel better and in symbiosis with the society around me. In the end, the sun always rises again everyday, and the moon shines equally everywhere.

So, as the saying goes, well begun is half done. I have now to complete the other half of the job. It will take the whole year... but luckily I am not alone: I can say I am in family... and that is what most strengthens me.

Transport in Germany

With estimated 81.8 million inhabitants, Germany is the most populous country in the European Union and ranks as the 15th largest country in the world in terms of population. Therefore, and with a developed economy, Germany has a dense and modern transportation infrastructure.

As I could see, public transport is excellent. The German rail network is comfortable, reliable and fast. All major cities feature impressive public transport systems. Subway, tram and buses assure reliable transportation. The trains don't stop working at night, and there often exists a network of night buses, all cheaper alternatives to taking a taxi. Almost all the places I've been have designated bicycle lanes which encourages people to grab their bikes and go out. Punctuality is a matter of first order in the majority of cases, although some buses I took were tardy because of road repairs. The train stations are actually modern buildings with sophisticated designs, but above all the are functional.

Germans are known to be a nation of car lovers. Hence, Germany boasts an excellent road network. However, I don't want you to think I am in the perfect world: one way streets and traffic jams often take the enjoyment out of the journey, and if there is anything I really learned here is to be patient... getting from a small town to other one often takes rattling a lot of time, not because the means of transport are slow, but because you have to wait long until you can make a connection between bus, train and subway.

What about prices? Well, I have to say moving is very expensive. So you can make a comparison, a ticket for one bus trip cost a little more than three beers in a disco. Another example... The same amount of money I pay monthly for my telephone fee is about two bus tickets. That is really dear. However, you can draw cards to move around a particular region for a low cost, and the good thing is that you can choose between bus, train, subway or tram with the same card, provided you move within your region.

What you can see on this photo is such a train in a city called Wuppertal. This particular flying train was built aloft because the city was already established when they wanted to set the rails and they didn't find any free space. So, the answer came from the river: as seen, the railroad tracks were installed on a structure on the river and there were no more space problem. Can you imagine the cost of that technology? And it works for an only one city! Now you are able to understand a bit the real meaning when I say the words: developed country.

Remnants of war

The pudgy fingers of Adolf Hitler gave a soft and squashy handshake to all his luncheon guests, on a distant 1th of September. They had together decided to invade Poland... and that was the first of a series of events we would later call Second World War. That was roughly about 65 years ago. It could be a lot of time... but since I am here I think it is not enough. The wounds have not healed yet.

There is something that caught my attention since my arrival: Germans don't fly their flag. This could be a minor detail but I asked about the issue. They neither are used to sing the National Anthem. So, I discovered a certain relation between nationalist events and the Hitler's universe that, implicit, reach in the true that the German society still feels guilty for the horrors of war, in particular the old people, as my German teacher, for example.

When I was in Argentina I studied a lot about the German History, in particular about the time of the war. And it is a fact that the Holocaust was a consequence of the congruence of four major factors: the personality of Adolf Hitler, the Economic and Political situation of that time, the Culture, and the behaviour of the German society. And this last remark is the one who I am interested today. Some people say that Adolf Hitler's plans would not have developed in a different context, and that is why the Germans feel ashamed. Their parents, grandparents or great grandparents who might have voted for Adolf Hitler in the last free elections in 1933 could still be held accountable, even indirectly, for the war, the Holocaust and Nazi crimes.

I think all nationalities have done atrocities, some more than others, and I am frankly ashamed because I have to say in my country really horrible events happened during the military dictatorships. Every nationality has something in its past that it is not proud of. Americans have black slave trade and the near genocide of the Native Americans. Spanish have the Spanish Inquisition. Russians, Chinese, and Japanese have their fair history of atrocities. Chile, for example, shares some similarities with Argentina, and I am sorry because I know I am leaving a lot of other countries out.

From the moment I arrived I have never heard someone neglected work or speak bad things about it. I noticed that Germans like to work... they see it as a blessing and not as a sacrifice. That is really to highlight. I think we have to base our pride on those things that we have to be proud of, and don't worry about people who we can't change. The History is full of war genocide and plundering, and it is sad, but any people can resort to that behaviour if the situation is there. The History is not to make us feel embarrased, but to prevent things like that from happening again.

The magic of the little things

Today it was a revelation day. I was in the train looking trough the window and suddenly I felt a mixture of admiration and respect for the world. Since I am here I could not help observing everything, from the minimum stone in the way to the most incredible landscape. Everyday, on the way to school, I am just stunned looking out. I am drawn to the smallest detail, everything catches my attention. And unfortunately, I can see that I am the only person with that feeling. All the other people are too busy or habituated, they can't notice the greatness of the moment. However I feel identified with those people because I was used not to care about my routine surroundings in Argentina. Now I think my mind behaves as a child one. Everything is great. Everything could be a wonderful thing, just because everything is new.

And when I realized that, I thought about my country. I thought about my old bed, my old bedroom, my old copybook. I thought about the countryside and the things I was used to be surrounded by. And although those things have nothing to do with my new way of life, I could see the magic which had been lost, here, 10 thousand kms far from home.

So I wonder... Why do humans beings get used to things? Why do we lose the ability to get surprised? Why don't we value anything around us? As the people here can't see the magic I see, I am afraid I wasn't able to see it in my old home. And I would feel very selfish if I don't share this great feeling I have right now with all of you.

Actually, you are reading and that lets me know that you can see, you can differentiate and appreciate the colours and you can notice if something is beautiful or it is not. So... what about your place? Now, right now. Wherever you are. Check out the things around you. If you are travelling, look through the window... look at the landscapes, look at the animals or at the buildings. If you are at home, pay attention to your desk, to the pictures hanging on the wall, go out for a walk and try to find the magic of the little things. You will be glad when you discover that everything that surrounds you has its own fantasy, its own perfection. Your life is wonderful, just as mine is too. Just because the answer lies in the depths of our being, and it is about how can we feel good admiring our surroundings and letting ourselves surprised, like a child, like being ten thousands kms far from home.

Germans also pray to god

Today I have finally been face to face with the way a lot of Germans pray to Jesus. I have been in the church, and it was very interesting. I want to clarify that I do not feel part of any particular religious stream and I actually believe that all religions in the entirely world pray to the same 'thing' in order to go home in peace, fulfilled in some sense.
Christianity is still by far the largest religion in Germany, with the 'Protestant Evangelical Church in Germany'(Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland) comprising the 30% of the population, and Roman Chatolicism comprising another 30%. However, many of them take no active part in church life with Sunday church attendance. Protestantism is one of the three major divisions within Christianity. It is a movement that began in northern Europe in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices. Horst Köhler, the last Federal President of Germany, and the Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel are active members of this movement.

Today it was my first time in a protestant service. I liked it. I noticed that there are lots of shared doctrines between Protestants and Catholics. The protestant doctrines include justification by grace through faith and not through works, the priesthood of all believers, and the Bible as the ultimate authority in matters of faith and order, known as Sola Scriptura. The pastors can marry and have children, and they don't celebrate the Eucharist, or Holy Communion as we know. There is a part of the mass when the father read the gospel and then he gives the sermon, and also the people sing praises. A huge organ is played while the people sing (in this case, my mum was in charge). Are you a foreigner and you don't know the songs? That does not have to be a problem if you know how to read music (everyone here does), just because there are a lot of song books in the church and you can look up for the song you want to sing and voilà! There are the scores of each song sung.

The service was exciting because it was taking place the presentation of the gospel choir I told you I had been being part of. I feel bored during the homily just because I am not able to understand so much German. Even though that, and as expected, everything was great and the choir performed wonderful. My German mum, who was the responsible for the rehearsal and the general performance, was really happy. Of course I filmed the practice of an hour before and you can see the video after all this pile of words (imagine that the live acting was far better).



I am pretty happy because I found out that a lot of people is following the blog, and I received tons of nice messages from them. So, thank you, thank you because today my blog has almost a thousand visits and so I have now almost a thousand reasons to keep writing. You make me feel sure everyday about what I am doing here, too. Welcome, welcome all and from everywhere.

A giant leap.

All along this fifteen days I had to think a lot. I am getting used to this new life. The first days I thought it would be difficult. Sometimes I thought I would go ape. However, as time went on, I had a change of heart. I began to scratch the surface of this culture, and I am fascinated with this new way of life. My German is still improving, time to time, I would say quite slowly, but I am not crazy about that. I don't want to bite off more than I can chew. I know that the fluency will come without me realizing it, and by now it is not a real problem.

During this time my emotions were multiplied by 10, or even more. The process started about fifteen days before my departure, so I can celebrate today one month of the whole issue. I know that the things in my old place will remain almost the same, and the people I used to be loved by will continue loving me when I return. If you want to know what I exactly feel nowadays, I am afraid I am not able to tell you, because I really don't know that. I only know that here my mind is open to everything, just because everything is the rule here and I have to accustom yes or yes. I feel comfortable every time, I don't miss many things and the people here give me good vibes, even though they don't know me. Some situations outside home are still a bit strange, but I try not to care about that. I give it the benefit of the doubt. My brother is great as well as my parents and everyone here. I won't bite the dust.

I know I took a big leap. But it is no time to regrets. I don't want to turn back the clock. That is not my purpose. I am sure I am making a safe bet. I spent a lot of time planning this project. Now, it's time to get the ball rolling. Cheers!

Schooldays

I came across the school yesterday, it was my first time in Germany, and it made me able to see the light about the roots of a country that has never ceased to amaze me.
The German education system is different in many ways from the one I used to be, starting with the fact that in my country the level of classroom content is far much lower. Here, the system produces high-performing students who graduate with almost a university level of knowledge, and makes possible for all kids to keep studying or working, regardless of their families' financial status.

The school works like a university... there are specific classrooms for each subject and even for each teacher. You can choose the subjects you are interested in, and attendance is taken individually. You can go in and out the room wherever you want. The arrangement of breaks is quite similar to ours, they have 45-minutes-long modules and breaks of 5 minutes and 15 minutes each time (these last are called Pauses).10 If the subject takes two modules, the students stay inside the rooms and eat food they bring from home. Some pupils drink coffee they purchase in the school cafe. During long breaks, they go downstairs and meet in a common room where they can gossip, play around or flirt with their partners. Approximately a thousand students attend dialy to this institution.

My first class was Musik. What a coincidence! The teacher welcomed me. Brief description of the room: a grand piano in the front, blackboards with staves, a score projector, the tables arranged like an U, sound equipment. We had to analyze a musical composition and recognize the different types of variation. I was surprised that everyone could read music, and it was a Schubert's piece of music, not anyone.

Concerning to the infrastructure, they have for example boards that slide up and down on a unit so the teachers can write without bending or being on their toes... All the rooms have it own overhead projector and I have not been in any class in wich teachers have not used it. To hold the chalks and write with them there are a kind of plastic covers so teachers don't end the day with their hands full of white powder. Every room have a sink and a tap to wet the dusters so whiting does not spreads. Well, these are the things that more attracted my attention, I think I will discover more wonders as time passes. I deeply believe that the education has to do with the development of a country, and Germany is a prime example of what I am talking about.

Karneval is over, the magic remains.

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am still impressed. Some days ago I talked about the Karneval in Germany. Well, I have to say that I didn't imagine it would be so important and so great. They were five incredible days of celebration. Everyone was crazy about Karneval, as we are used to be during the World Cup time. Oficially, the Karneval starts am elften elften elf Uhr elf (11th November at 11:11am) and continues in a fairly low-key for about three months before the Tolle Tage (crazy days), a huge party that starts on Thursday and ends on Tuesday with the burning of the spirit of carnival to atone for the sins committed during the carnival session. The Monday of carnival it is called Rosenmontag and incredible parades take place this day. I think I did not see many colors together since my kindergarten. Such a party!

Everyone was dressed up, incredibly dressed up, with amazing costumes and outfits. The people's faces were painted, their visages were full of joy and delight. A lot of sweets and another strange things were thrown into the crowds lining the streets by the ones who were in the floats at the cries of 'Kamelle!!!', it was really awesome. Maybe you are interested in hearing some German karnival music. I have inserted a well-known song of karnival that you can listen while reading if you press Play further down. It is called Viva Colonia, and I am sure there is no one here who don't know this song.

Carnival is not a national holiday in Germany, but in this region the schools were closed during almost all Tolle Tage. It always occurs immediately before Lent. I searched for the etymology of the word, and I discovered that Karnival derives from the Latin "carne vale" (meat and farewell), in fact marking the beginning of Lent.
Rightly the people says it, and not only among Germans, that Rheinischer Karneval is one of the most exciting festivals around the whole world. There is a passion here, you can feel it. I am glad to be here, once again.

Frühstück

Here is a particularity: if we decompose the word Frühstück we obtain two different words: on the one hand we have früh that means early in the morning. On the other hand we have stück that means something like a piece or a portion of anything. So, Frühstück would mean 'morning meal' if we want to have a specific translation, but usually we call this moment just breakfast.

Ok... everything you see in the picture is used to be eaten here at morning. A typical German breakfast falls somewhere between what we would call a 'picada' and a continental breakfast. Germany is renowned for their bread and they sport over 200 varieties. For breakfast, crusty rolls know as Brötchen (small bread) are most common. The Germans have a knack for adding flavorful seeds to their breads. Sesame seeds, caraway seeds and poppy seeds are often sprinkled on rolls just before they are placed in the oven to bake.
In addition to the bread, here is typical to have butter, jam, ham, marmalade, peanut butter, some types of cheese and soft-boiled eggs. Many Germans will tell you it's not the topping or filler you put on or in bread that makes a tasty breakfast, but rather the way these toppings and fillers highlight the flavor of the bread. I think that is because the bread really tastes good here.
The most common German breakfast beverages are coffee, hot chocolate, tea and fruit juices. Cereals are popular too, specially one type that it's a collection of grains, seeds, dried fruits and other wholesome ingredients. It's basically granola that was never baked and browned. That tastes good. Yoghurt, chocolates and fresh fruit would round out this large breakfast.

Can you imagine all that stuff on your table everyday morning? It is crazy to us, but that is it. So, if you are a breakfast lover, you will be glad if you travel to Germany. In the end, you won't feel hungry anymore.

Don't worry mum, I won't gain weight. Or so I hope, anyway.

Time flies.

Wow! A week has past. Surprisingly quickly! I can not get used to think that this is my home now. I feel like just travelling. I have not thought about the fact I will live here for whole year. There is something really interesting and it is that I feel like it would have past a very long time since my departure. I feel far away from home but I am not sad about that, I mean, I miss some things but it feels good, there is no sorrow, and that makes me strong and sure about what I am doing.
The uncomfortable situations have been disappearing and I feel more confident with my family and the Germans in general. I shared many amazing situations and I have been in contact with enough people to make myself sure the adaptation is in progress.
Karnival continues all the weekend long, so today I have another big party and I will dress myself like the other day again. I know now I won't feel ridiculous any more.
I kept on eating good food and during these days I have received more letters than in my whole life in my country. Here there are cards for everything, for morning transport, for afternoon transport, for trains only, for school students, for being part of the city... I have also received a number of identification in Germany... that number will last forever (as they told me) so since I got it I can say I am a bit more German and that feels good haha.
As many of you know, my family is made up of musicians, and all of them are very good in what they do. My brother can play the electric guitar amazingly and my father plays really good piano, I will ask him if I can film him performing and then I will show you what I am talking about. And as you can imagine, they have instruments, many instruments, guitars, recorders, an electric piano and yes... a grand piano!!! I am crazy about that. So, as a present, I give you a video of me performing an extract of the National Anthem in the grand piano, just to show you that I won't change my feelings for my country being here... In fact, being away helps you to appreciate the good things you have.



I think I had lots of incredibly amazing weeks in my life, but I have to say that this have been one of them, surely, and I can't wait for the next ones.
Hope you all can feel my bliss. Bye.

Santiago.

Say yes.

There is a kind of rule in AFS that says you can not deny what your family proposes you, at least within the first month. One of the last movies of Jim Carrey is called 'Yes Sir!' and satires the life of a man who starts to say always yes to everything and his life becomes magically full and cool. When I saw this film I thought it was rubbish. I was not used to recommend it, but now I can understand the meaning of the whole thing.

As the rule established, I had to say yes to every proposal since I am here. And I have to say I've done things I never would have thought I would be involved in. Thanks to this rule I have played badminton, and it was a great experience. Specially because I have always thought that badminton was almost equal to tennis, and I discovered a totally different sport which the only similarity it shares with tennis is you have to trough the ball into the opponent's court.
I have been part of a gospel choir like in my dreams, singing all together at the rhythm of snapping fingers and in English, and removing concerns out of our heads, and letting the joy come into our lives.
I have been in a LAN party, such a meeting in where many young guys gather to play network games together. They all bring their computers to the host house and spend some hours playing and laughing loud and drinking beer, of course. And that is rare for us but I found it very interesting, yes sir.
I've tried thousands of drinks and meals and I realized that I like a lot more things than I thought. It was a bit embarrassing just during the first days to say no to a meal, so I closed my mouth and ate everything they offered to me haha. The most interesting part is that I liked everything, including carrots with apple or a kind of cheese burgers with marmalade for dinner, things I was not used to eat in my country.
I found myself dressed with a custom and my hair painted almost without knowing it, just because I had said yes, and I felt comforted when I saw all the people was just doing the same, honouring karnival. I had really so much fun.
So people, if you ask me for advice, I say you: 'Don't say no to anything. You can't imagine how many doors it can open in your life. Say yes!

Santiago.

A short one

Ok, this entry will be short because I just arrived from my first karnival party and I am really exhausted, but I can't go to bed without telling my experience today. I have got that annoying sound you have in your ears after being in somewhere with loud music... You know, it is like a piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, and I have to say it is making me crazy. Please don't laught seeing the photo. It is really normal here to dress and comb as you can see in it.
There are two things I want to remark. The first one, the security. I accompanied my brother because he had catched a job in this party as the lighting engineer. We got to the place at four o'clock in the afternoon because he had to pre-set the patterns he would use during the night. We stayed there for almost 12 hours!!!! The party started at seven, but before the doors opening, a gang of firemen arrived on the scene and controlled every detail you can imagine just for the safety of the party. We were at the stage so I could take a walk around the scenes and I found an elevator for almost 40 people, to be used in case of an emergency. I thought: wow... I have another reason for consider Germany as a first world country.
The second thing that caught my attention was the age of the people: the most of them were adults, around 30 or even more. However, they behaved as I behave normally in a disco of my country. I was fascinated. They all were disguised, with wonderful fancy dresses, and they danced and jumped and shouted until the music stopped. I was impressed... how different can be the people from different countries? Why that is not so common in my country and someone of there might see it ridiculous?
I will try to find the answer this year, here, far from my first bed, but surrounded by people interested in my wellness, I am sure about that.

Karneval arises

The original idea was that today I would talk about the german food, but this country never stops surprising me.
Yesterday I was the whole afternoon in a nearer city with my brother buying our customs for karneval. I never thought this would be so big party. Today at the train station I started to understand what is about (I took a photo of the situation in question, you can see what I am talking about).
Everyone or almost all the people were wearing customs, but no the customs we are accustomed to see: they were great and stylish customs, plenty of colours and brightening things.
I was lucky since I came here because this region is the Karneval region for excellence. There is no person who don't feel the Karnival, they all know Karnival and they seem excited every time they speak about it. I've heard that the Cologne Karneval is one of the most exciting parties in the whole world. I will be able to say if it is true or not in only a few days, what exciting!
During Karnival there are no clases and all the people have to wear customs, everytime, everywhere they go. It is funny because we are not used to see adults with their faces painted or wearing colorful underwear over their trousers haha.
There is some traditional music for Karneval too. They are really catchy rhythms although the lyrics are a bit simple or repetitive. It is the kind of music we would dance if we were drunk and we just wanted to jump and shout for nothing more than having fun. I like it. I find it quite familiar, don't ask me why.


This is truly interesting: everything has been great since I arrived, so I ask myself... How better the things can go from now? I don't want to know it, I will just let myself surprised, as I did until now. Schüss!

Santiago.