mausi

Willkommen auf meinem Weblog

noreply@blogspirit.com (Katja) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 10:21:00 -0400

Das Schuljahr von August 06 bis Juni 07 verbrachte ich als Austauschschülerin in den USA und veröffentlichte hier in diesem Blog wöchentlich meine Erlebnisse. Anlässlich meiner Maturaarbeit entschloss ich mich, meine Tagebucheinträge in korrektes Deutsch umzuschreiben, auszubessern und anzureichern und als "traditionelles" Tagebuch zu veröffentlichen.

So haben Sie nun die Wahl, die Originaleinträge (Schweizerdeutsch und Englisch) auf diesem Blog zu lesen (rechts im Menü finden Sie eine Archivübersicht), oder sich mein Buch "Living abroad - Mein Jahr in Amerika. Tagebuch einer Austauschschülerin" als PDF Datei herunterzuladen und bequem zu Hause auszudrucken. Das Buch können Sie auf dieser Webseite herunterladen: http://www.fileuploadx.de/433086. Einfach kurz warten und danach auf "Download File Now" klicken.

Natürlich interessiert mich Ihre Meinung. Lassen Sie mich via E-Mail (katja.fiechter@hotmail.com) wissen, wie Ihnen das Buch oder die Weblogeinträge gefallen haben. Auch bei Fragen können Sie sich gerne an mich wenden.
Ich wünsche viel Spass beim Lesen,
Katja Fiechter

~ Finally back home ~

noreply@blogspirit.com (Katja) — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 16:35:00 -0400

So, after spending 5 wonderful days in New York City, and 3 great weeks in Florida with my parents, I'm finally back home =)
Now that I've been home for 2 weeks, I feel like I've never been gone. Okay, sometimes I still feel kinda like a stranger, or an observer, but now I think I'm pretty much back in the Swiss life.
I really really miss speaking English though. I am totally in love with that language, and in the beginning it was hard for me to accept not being able to speak it all the time. But I'm still in contact with my host family and friends from the US, I read a lot of books and journals in English, and sometimes I think in English - just because I can and because sometimes it's easier. To me it seems like I can express feelings better in English for some reason...

Well, anyway, now I am back here in beloved Switzerland. I have my room back, my bed, my computer :) And, most importantly, I have my family and my friends back =)

This entry here should kinda put an end to this weblog. It certainly does not put an end to my exchange year - the memories are gonna be with me forever in my life. I am so glad that I decided to do it, and I'll surely never regret it! Everybody who's thinking about going to another country for sometime (no matter if it's 2 months or 3 years) - do it! It won't always be easy, but it's definitely gonna be worth it!

Last week I opened up a new weblog about my life here back in Switzerland. It's actually for my friends back in the US (it's written in English), but everybody's welcome to check it out:
http://k-swiss.blogspirit.com :)

I wish everybody much success with whatever you're doing. If you'd like to write me an email, feel free to do so. My email address is katie.usa@hotmail.com.

It was great having you as a reader,
Katja =)

~ Last Day of School ~

noreply@blogspirit.com (Katja) — Fri, 25 May 2007 16:13:45 -0400

I just got home from my last day of school... and it kinda feels so... incomplete. I had 2 Exams today, and that was pretty much it. No sitting around in a class room, eating cake and watching TV. Not that I necessarily would want to watch a movie or eat cake, it's more about sitting together with people you won't see for a while (in my case a long while I assume). I wish I could have really said bye, or really realise what's going on. Because ppl with a car could leave school 15 min. early, and Martine & I had to get a ride from Lindsay, I couldn't even say bye to most of my friends, some of the teachers etc. It makes the whole Last Day of School thing feel very incomplete. I'm still kind of mad that I didn't get the chance to say good - bye, to go to my locker for one last time, or to slowly walk through the hallways and take in everything I see... Luckily I'll have a "Good-Bye K-Swiss" Party tomorrow, where I will at least see my closer friends again, and then next week is Graduation and a couple of Graduation parties where I'll hopefully will see a few more people again.
Wow, summerbreak! So surreal! And the fact that my exchange year is almost over even more! Okay, I probably should stop writing cuz it ends up in some psychological thing every time I do lol ;) I guess I'll just try to start realizing what's going on, prepare the party, then ejoy the party & later tell yall how it was =) Cuz right now I still feel like I'm in a bubble, or in a dream or something...
Well yeah, yall enjoy your weekends!
Katja

~ California rocks! - Part 1 ~

noreply@blogspirit.com (Katja) — Thu, 24 May 2007 21:23:32 -0400

PART 1:

S letzte Wucheend isch eis vo mine absolute Highlights vo mim (bisherige) Ustuschjohr gsi!
CA isch cool & d Luet woni doert troffe ha sind eifach nur AWESOME!

Am DO am Morge bini no fuer 5 Stundene in d Schuel, ha doert mi lunch gesse & bi denn um die 12.40 vo dr Shirley abgholt worde.
Si het mi denn zum Flughafe brocht, woni denn mi Gepaeck icheckt ha, dure Security-check bi, und denn ha miese erfahre dass mi Flug vo Augusta nach Atlanta 30 min. Verspoetig het.
Zum Glueck hani aber sowieso 2 1/2 Stund Wartezyt in Atlanta gha, und denn hets au kei Rolle gspilt dass mer - nach 40 min. Flug endli in ATL acho - no ca. e halb Stund hend miese warte bis mer en "Parkplatz" gha hend.

In ATL hani denn scho die erschte andere Ustuschschieler atroffe (uf em trip sind insgesamt 18 Ustuschschieler us dr ganze Welt, bzw. jetzt USA, gsi) - irgendwie chame Ustuschschieler vo andere Luet unterscheide ;), u.a. au die 2 girls wo im YFU - Treffe in ATL bi mir in dr Gruppe gsi sind.
Die knapp 4 1/2 Stund Flug sind mer zwar recht lang vorcho, abr irgendwenn denn au verbi gsi.
Und ploetzlich sind mer in L.A. glandet - und dr Flughafe het eigentli wie jede andere usgseh ;)
Denn also ab zum "baggage claim", womer uf no es paar anderi Ustuschschieler & dr tour guide, Loren, und d chaperone Adrienne gstosse sind. Bald het sich usegstellt dass dr Loren en mega luschtige isch, und das het sich denn uf em witere trip au imr widr bestaetigt ;)

Nach ca. 15 min. Bus fahre sind mer denn im "Holiday Inn" acho & sind endlich au uf die andere Ustuschschieler (mit einzelne Usnahmene wo noni acho sind) gstosse. Scho bim Pizza esse, rede & Movie luege het sich usegstellt dass mir eus alli guet zemme verstoend =)

Irgendwenn um die 11 ume (Ortszyt - 3 Stund Zytverschiebig vo Georgia nach CA) sind denn nach und nach Luet in ihrne Zimmer verschwunde, bis denn am Schluss nur no d Carina (mini Zimmergenossin), ich und no eber anders uebrig gsi sind ;) Mied sind mer denn au gli drufabe in eusi (uebrigens mega bequeme) Better gfalle :)

Am FR am Morge sind mer denn irgendwenn um die 8.30 odr so go Zmorge esse (tolls Morgebuffet *yummi*), und denn no in dr Hotel - Lobby umeghange, wo me sich denn het afo besser kennelerne.
Um die 10ni ume sind denn eusi 2 Buse cho wo eus denn richtig Innestadt LA transportiert hend.
FR isch euse "LA - City Tour" - Tag gsi, und so sind mer denn zum Hollywood sign, verbi an best. Plaetz & Hueser, zum Walk of Fame (het mega vili crazy people doert ;)), zu Beverly Hills, dure Rodeo Drive etc.
Jedesmol natuerli stops mit viiiilne Foetelis, denn no e kurze Walk uf em Walk of Fame (d Sache fuere Oscar sind scho parat gsi ;)).
Am MI hemer denn no e lunch imene chline Paerkli gha (natuerli mit em "Beverly Hills" - sign *lol*), und sind denn drufabe Richtig Santa Monica Beach gfahre. Doert acho hend mer denn beschlosse zum Venice Beach z fahre. Doert hend mr denn 1 1/2 Stund fuer eus gha... zerrscht sind mr eigentli alli mehr odr wenigr lang am Strand umeglofe, d Fiess (odr z.T. sogar dr ganz body) badet, und d Sunne gnosse.
Denn sind denn nach und nach alli Richtig Strandpromenade gange um es paar Souvenirs (mostly t-shirts - 3 Stueck fuer nur 10 US Dollar!) z kaufe.
Am 5i hend mer denn imene Restaurant grad am Strand a zNacht gesse & hend hervorragende Blick uf e mega schoen Sunneuntergang gha (& das natuerli usgnuetzt und vili vili schoeni Foeteli gmacht :)). Es het echt ussgseh wie im Paradis! =)
Um die 7ni ume sind mer denn zu eusem neue Hotel, ca. 5 min vo Disneyland entfernt, gfahre (sisch ca. 1 Stund Fahrt vom Beach gsi).
Doert hend denn eigentli fascht alli d Glegeheit gnuezt & sind in Pool & Hot tube ghuepft =)
Um die 11i ume sind denn die meischte eigentli au scho widr ins Bett, wells en schoene, heisse, abr au astrengende Tag gsi isch :)
(Angeblich hemer sogar dr einti Saenger vo the Fugees gseh *lol* ;)).

Am SA & SO hets denn gheisse (mehr odr weniger) frieh ufzstoh, und in chlinere Gruppene womer am Vorobe gmacht hend ab ins Disneyland.
Ueber de (mega geniali) Teil vo mim trip wirdi noegscht Mol schribe =)

~ One more day of school :'( ~

noreply@blogspirit.com (Katja) — Thu, 24 May 2007 21:16:04 -0400

Wow! It's Thursday night, and tomorrow is gonna be my last day of school here in the US. It is absolutely crazy! Everything seems so surreal, like in a dream, and it just feels like this year just flashed by. Somehow I don't feel ready to leave yet. I don't feel ready to say bye to my teachers and just walk out of the room, not knowing if I'll ever see them again! I'm definitely gonna keep in touch with certain teachers, and of course my friends here and my American family... but still, things here for me are never gonna be the same again... and that fact is really, really scary! But yeah, I can't stop the time - which is probably good, since I actually wanna see my parents again, wanna go home etc. - and so I'm just gonna enjoy my last day of school here, my last day as a student of the Academy of Richmond County. About 9 months ago I had my first school day here... and sooo many things happened in those 9 months, it feels like so many things around me have changed... but actually I am the one that has changed... I'm not aware of it that much right now, but I probably will be in a couple of months when I'm back home. I wish I could combine those 2 worlds I've seen. Both cultures have good and bad things and I'd just love to create a world mix out of them. Reading those nice comments in my yearbook from both my friends and my teachers just makes me very... sad. I feel like I should have enjoyed my time here better, although I enjoyed it as much as I could. Still, I am looking forward to coming back to Switzerland, seeing my family & friends again, having my own room, I'm even looking forward to things like rivella, bread, and Swiss yoghurt. Bein an exchange students is a great experience! Everybody out there who reads this and gets the opportunity - do it! You might regret it very few times during your stay, but in the end, you'll know, it's one of the best things you can ever do. It'll change your life & way of thinking. Go for it!!!

~ Just a random post ~

noreply@blogspirit.com (Katja) — Mon, 21 May 2007 16:58:23 -0400

Haha, huet hani mol widr e Unterschied zwuesche amerik. und schwyzerische Schuele miese feststelle: In de afternoon announcements het dr Christman doch tastaechlich akuendigt, dass Schieler am FR - dr letzt Schueltag vor de Summerferie - keini Rucksaeck, odr Taeschene und aehnlichs doerfe mit in d Schuel naeh. Mi erscht Gedanke: What?!? Anschinend isch das e Sicherheitsvorkehrig? Ich weiss jo nit, abr irgendwie dunkts mi d Amerikaner werde langsam paranoid lol. Okay, dass si nit wend dass me choennt Esse in d Schuel schmuggle well si keini Parties wend ha, okay, weird, aber okay. Abr well si schiss hend dass am LETZTE Schueltag no eine mitere Waffe in d Schuel latscht? Was isch denn an de andere 250 (odr wieviel au immer) Taeg??? Vor 2 Wuche sind mol eusi Taeschene durchsuecht worde well anschinend am Vortag 3 versch. Waffene in dr Schuel gfunde worde sind. Okay, das zeigt, dass es noetig isch dass si Taeschene durchsueche... vo mir us au nit jede Tag (nimmt eh vil z vil Zyt i) sondern halt random, aber wieso bitte am letzte Schueltag? "Die spinnen die Amerikaner" ;)

Jo, was gits no neus? Wie gseit, huet het die letzti Schuelwuche agfange *freu* Im Gegesatz zur Schwyz heisst das leider nit nur Kueche esse & Film luege lol, sondern - abgseh vom MO - jede Tag 2x2 Stund lang Exams schribe! Fun fun *sarcastic* Naja, wuerklich serious nimmis jetzt au nit lol, und morn hemer statt 1st period Drama Exam denn au eifach d Uffiehrig vo eusem Theaterstueck womer scho sit Wuchene dra schaffe. Genauergseit heisst das ca. d Haelfti vo dr Klass het dra gschafft, dr Rest isch jede Morge (wenn ueberhaupt awesend) dumm im Zimmer umegsesse. But who cares, s Stueck wird eh crappy werde (morn am Nomittag ischs, und mir hend nit emol no e Iebigsuffiehrig gha), und zum Glueck bini jo nit e Schauspieler und blamier mi denn nit haha ;) Ich bi mies, ich weiss, aber d Organisation vom ganze isch eifach obermies... naja, immer no besser als Test schribe ;)

Am MI am Morge hani denn e American Lit. Exam (vermuetlich uebere Film Moby Dick welmer de grad am luege si, i weiss es aber nit mol no genau... in dere Klass wird me abr au echt nie informiert wenn me was muess ha, so annoying...), und denn am Nomittag e Guitar Test wos hauptsaechlich drum goht e Concert DVD azluege und denn Frogene z beantworte, wie dr Lehrer eus huet mitteilt het.

Am DO gits denn Math und US History Exam, und am FR Spanisch und Physik, und fuer die alli muessi denn wohl scho chli lerne... obwohl i ueberhaupt kei Bock ha so kurz vor de Summerferie...

Naja, nur no 4 Mol frieh ufstoh fuer e amerik. High school, und denn chani endlich mini laaaange Summerferie gniesse =) Am SA gits denn no e tolli Abschiedsparty fuer mich *freu & schnief*, und am FR Zobe wirdi hoffentlich au no ebis mit Fruende mache =)

Jo, weiss jetzt eigentli au nueme was schribe, ha dae Itrag eigentlich meh us langwil gschribe lol ;) Oh, mir hend uebrigens letzt Wuche widr mol e falsche Fueralarm gha, abr jo, sind mer jo mittlerwile dra gwoehnt ;) Obwohl s jetzt nit dr sinnvollsti Blogitrag vo allne gsi isch, hoffi doch uf es paar Kommentaerli *Hundeblick* ;)

Wuensch euch e schoeni Wuche, talk to yall soon,
Katja =)

P.S.: Huet Zobe isch s Heroes (=TV Show) Finale! :)

~ Something big & scary? -> the AP US History Exam! ~

noreply@blogspirit.com (Katja) — Thu, 17 May 2007 17:59:15 -0400

Last Thursday the Starbucks in the Barnes & Nobles book store surprisingly had more customers than usually, a lot more. Reason for that: Mr. Christman's AP US History students from ARC were having a meeting that Thursday night at 6 p.m. With a coffee in one hand & papers, books, and pens in the other, students took their places in the comfortable chairs or on the slightly less comfortable floor. Probably around 30 students were sitting there for about 2 hours, to review questions about the history of the United States of America. No, I am not talking about questions like the name of the first town, nor am I talking about easy questions like the first president. I am talking about the Whiskey Rebellion in Pennsylvania, mercantilism, Scopes trial, Bacon's rebellion, Wilmot Proviso etc.
There was a Swiss girl sitting in this crowd, her head pounding with historical information about a country she's been calling home for several months now; information about a country she's about to leave soon for a longer period of time.

To say it in a less elegant tone: Last Thursday AP US History students met at Barnes & Nobles to review their material & ask the last questions before the big exam. AP is a worldwide program, something like a higher class (I'd say probably about the difficulty grade of our Gymnasiums in Switzerland, maybe slightly lower - I think we might compare our "high school" with the IB program), which also includes a big exam at the end of the course. Luckily *sarcasm* I was one of those students. Learning A LOT of information about a foreign country can be fun. Learning it in a foreign language isn't always easy, but it gets easier after time. Writing a BIG exam at the end of the school year: NOT funny! The test included 85 hard multiple choice questions (Quote Mr. Christman: "Don't worry if you don't know the answer for every question, I couldn't even answer all of them correctly."), a DBQ (Documentary Base Question) which means there a question, a whole bunch of documents, pictures & information, and you're supposed to write an essay, plus 2 other free - response essays (2 questions, you choose one, write an essay about it, and that twice). Fun fun *sarcastic once again*.

Well yeah, the best part about the 3 hour exam was to get it over with lol ;) I don't think I did very well, and I probably didn't, but who cares, since it doesn't count for me (I could get credit for College, but I'm not gonna study history in College anyways, so yeah).

The cool thing about that FR was, that I went eating lunch after the test with Katie Anderson, Marjorie McElreath, Davis McKnight, Will Fletcher, and Ethan Padgett. We went to the Village Deli which is about 3 min. from where I live, so I could easily walk home after eating a big plate of a nice hamburger & very good fries =)

So, that was the promised story about my AP Exam lol. More about my weekend you'll find here later. Some comments would be nice though :)
I'll see yall,
Katja =)