So well, I figured I´ll do this in English so it´ll be easier for you to follow...

I´m nineteen years old and I live in a middle-sized town in southern Germany. I still go to school - I´m in 13th grade in High School (Gymnasium) and this schoolyear, in march, I´m going to have my final exams (Abitur)... yeah so my life atm is pretty much school..... school....and yeah you figured it out: more school.

A schoolday starts for me usually at 5 a.m. with getting up, running to the shower, getting dressed, having breakfast, running to the suburban train....
I arrive at school at 7.30 a.m. and the first lesson starts at 7.50 a.m.

In grade 12 and 13 we have like separate classes for each subject, so, in every class there are different people what´s kind fun^^

On a normal schoolday, school starts at 7.50 a.m. and ends at 4.30 p.m. - lunchbreak is from 1.05 p.m. - 2.00 p.m. - and when I arraive at home there are still loads of undone homework waiting...

probably the same with you, huh?

In my spare time - between studying for exams, doing homework and school - I like to be online, read books, meet with friends and go to rock concerts^^

Oooh thank you for putting this up!
I'm always curious to see how different people's lives from other countries are.

So in school, is it mandatory that you learn english? Or is it something you just picked up xD

Hi Brightside!
No, it´s mandatory, I learn English for nine years now^^
I learned Latin, French and Spanish as well, but English is one of my favourite subjects (together with Ethics and Art).

My main subjects are: Math, German, English, French and Art...

We can choose them after 11th grade (Math, German and one foreign language are mandatory, the other two you can choose free).

Yeah well this week it´s Math exam (Trigonometry *ugh*) on Wednesday....

Whoa. That's AWESOME.
I'm really into languages, and I'm trying to learn as many as I can. I'm planning on spending my whole summer in Switzerland with my uncle who lives there and my friend who moved there from South Africa.

So thank you for giving me a little bit of insight !
And I'm just wondering, but what do you do in the summer? Can you get like a job or anything of the sort?

We have summer break (in Baden-Württemberg where I live) from july 30th 2009 to september 12th 2009 and many students do in fact get a job for this period of time.
It´s also very common to go on vacation with your parents or friends. I usually stay home and study so I´m still able to follow when school restarts. (Í had my last real school summer break this year ´cause I´m leaving school in june^^ and then in october I´ll either be at university or doing an internship at the theatre)

Oh and next saturday christmas break (december 20th till january 11th) starts *yeah*.
I´m going to see my Grandma who lives quite far away (6 and a half hours if you go by train), that´ll be great^^
But on New Year´s Eve (we call it Silvester) I´m going to celebrate with some of my friends like every year...

Yeah and then in february the Abitur (the diploma from German secondary school qualifying for university admission or matriculation) will start... my last written exam is on april 1st (Art) and I think the oral exam is after the whit holidays (june 2nd - june 13th 2009, around whitsunday)...

Whoa. That's complicated! haha. But thanks, I think I got the jist of it

And you all use the Euro, right?

right^^

We had the DM (Deutsche Mark) till 2001, since then we have the Euro.

1 Euro equals 1.35023 Dollar^^

Oh whoa that's weird. I didn't know about the DM. That would suck to have to change it. I can't imagine that happening in America.

Hahah, so is everyone one over there like obsessed with soccer? 'Cause I went there this summer during the EuroCup and it was MADNESS.

Well, having the Euro is kinda nice^^ You don´t have to change money when you go to another country of the EU (I think it´s only the English clinging to their currency....)^^

But giving up the DM was hard... and suddenly everything was more expensive that before, what costed about 30 DM now costs about 17 Euro...

And about the soccer.... well..... there are many people here obsessed with soccer (we call it Fußball (translated: football) here *lol* and your football we call "American Football")...
But I think they are obsessed with football in Britain as well^^
And I´m clearly NOT obsessed with it...
I can hardly stand a championship match or an international match (my Dad fortunately only insists on watching these, not all the GFL (German Football League = Bundesliga) matches as well...)
But many boys do play football (and get their hopes up to make it someday into the national team)^^

I´m only watching the women´s matches voluntarily^^
Our women´s national team holds the title of the world champion and the next women´s football world championship in 2011 is going to take place in Germany^^

Go Prinz!!! (Birgit Prinz is one of the best of our female football players)

Oooh. So do you go out of the country a lot, since everything's so close?

Heheh. I was pretty obsessed with the German men's team. That Podolski is a babe hahaha. Do you play sports?

Well...if you compare Germany to the US of course everything´s close but not THAT close^^
But yeah people usually go on holiday in Europe, to France, Austria, Italy, Spain... because you can get there by car in a few hours^^

And do you really think Podolski is hot??? He´s not at all my type but I´ve heard more that on person call him hot...
Many girls also find Ballack quite nice^^

And no, I don´t do sports because I really suck at it... like Bella I seem unable to do sports without hurting myself or others^^

Ooooh that's so cool. -sighs- You're really lucky. America sucks.

HAHA. YES, Podolski is pretty hot. Same with Lahm. And I like Schweinsteiger (probably spelled that way wrong haha) 'cause his hair is AWESOME.
My cousin dude who lives in Switzerland met Ballack and said he was an arrogant jerk, so I'm not liking him too much
Hahhah.
I don't really have any other questions at the moment, but I'll probably think of more later. Thanks for explaining everything!

You´re welcome^^

I don´t mind explaining things^^ That´s what I´m here for so ask whatever you like to know^^

And no, you spelled Schweinsteiger correctly^^ Many girls call him "Schweini" here^^ His hair really is nice but his face... I don´t know^^ Not my type but he seems to be a nice person (I think Ballack arrogant too....)

I thought you might want to know about Christmas and New Years Eve in Germany^^

Oh yes! Do you guys believe in 'Santa Claus' and such?
I would love to hear about your traditions [:

Well, traditionally we don´t have "Santa Claus" who brings presents on Christmas Eve but we have the so-called Saint Nikolaus who had been a Bishop and who brings the nice children sweets and nuts and tangerines the night of december 6th.
The nasty children only get a birch^^
Saint Nikolaus has an aid called Knecht Ruprecht, a very nasty looking guy^^

And traditionally, the Christkind (that is little Jesus) brings the presents on the 24th in Germany.
But in the last few decades this beliefs started to fade and many children now belief in your Santa (here called "Weihnachtsmann") as well... they don´t even know about Saint Nik and Knecht Ruprecht anymore...

It´s still quite common to go to church on Chistmas Eve and in many traditional families Christmas is really a religious holiday. But in most of the families it´s only about the presents... and our traditions get lost.

You have to know that Christmas in Germany, traditionally, is a very quiet holiday, meant to bring the families together and used to steady the belief in Jesus Christ...

You´ll think I´m a Chistian^^ But actually I´m not. I´m not that much about Jesus been born or something but I don´t like all that ado about the gifts and presents.
To me Chistmas means being with people I love and care for, not getting presents and helping people in need.
That´s the true Chistmas spirit many people seem to have forgotten, I think....
(not only here, in Germany but all over the world....)


Sorry, I wandered form the subject a little.....