XII. The first tests

   On Monday I had my very first test in school. It was for "Geografie" which is more like Earth Science than Geography. The last time I had Earth Science, I was in 8th grade, so obviously I didn't really know much on this test especially since I wasn't even at school for most of the lectures. I tried it anyway, just for fun and to get a feel for what tests would be like here in Switzerland. Well, a test is a test, and mostly I just guessed on the questions and tried my best to answer in German. It's hard when I know how to name something in English, but I don't know its German equivalent. 

This is Switzerland.

   We got our tests back the next day. Mine had a couple marks (or several) on it to show what I got wrong and what was sort of right. I didn't actually get a grade, but my teacher wrote "gut!" at the top, so I was happy. 

   Today I had a math test. Now, math is something that I've always been pretty good at, so even when the questions are framed in a different language, I can still make out what I need to do after looking up a couple words. Most of the time. It was actually not so bad; the questions that I could understand were easy, but there were three that I couldn't answer because I either didn't understand them or I didn't know what to do because I hadn't done problems like them before (or for both reasons). Altogether I think I did okay.

   School is getting better. I feel like I am finally being a little integrated into my class, and lots of the people are really nice. 

   I'm still really amazed at how much English is used around here. Actually, I think that all my classmates in school can speak and understand more English than I can German. Maybe this sounds kind of stupid, but I used to think that every country sort of had its own Hollywood separate from the rest of the world, but now I realize that Hollywood is Hollywood. If you're in Hollywood, you are performing for the entire world. Actually, I think that it's due more to the fact that the U.S.A. is super cool, and I didn't even know it. Everybody knows about the election (Obama and Romney) and talks about it, and I don't even know the names of the council of Switzerland. "Stop" signs still say "stop". You know those shirts that have the "I 'heart' (something)" on them? Well, logically, you would think that it would be a little different for every language, but it's exactly the same.

   Hmm... learning the language. Yeah, I think that it's getting better, but it is slow going. Really slow. I have officially decided that Swiss-German is not a dialect but an entirely different language. My mom bought me a book that translates Swiss-German to High-German, and even if I can miraculously pronounce those stubborn words, they make no sense. Try making sense of this for example:

     Swiss-German                       High-German                     

    Paprika                                                Gewürz                                 

     Peperoni                                              Paprika                               

     Peperoncini                                       Peperoni

   Yeah. Or those of you who have taken German, try pronouncing "yneglüüsle" or "Chochichäschli". Then, after you wipe the spit off of the computer in front of you, try guessing what these words even mean. Unfortunately, Google doesn't even have a translating function for Swiss-German, so good luck with that.

   As for a difference between here and the U.S., when I go to school, I walk through the parking lot, which is very small. There's a reason why it is small and why it is half-filled of bikes and scooters. I'm not even joking. There are many places to park your bike outside, and there is a big garage room for them as well. Everyday there are hundreds of bikes. When I first came here, I couldn't believe my eyes because we passed so many bikers on the road, and there was a whole parking area full of them at the train station. Well, kids aren't allowed to drive until they turn 18, which is kind of nice for me because then I don't have to feel out of place when everyone but me already has a permit (or a license or a car) like in America. I am young in my grade, so I have to wait to start driving until I get back home, and even here I am the youngest in my class. Most of the kids are sixteen (soon-to-be-17), seventeen, and even eighteen.

   The pictures below are from my orientation weekend for AFS. I learned how to say "hello" in 14 different languages and learned a considerable amount of Spanish and Japanese in two days. Other then that, we didn't really do a whole lot. 

The big house that we stayed in.

Not the Alps, but still beautiful.

My fellow American friend.

Me and a friend from Thailand (I have found that all people from Thailand are SO sweet and awesome).

      By the way, I finally had Swiss fondue, and it was really good. :)