Hello for the pretty cold Germany.

Well i haven't wrote a informational message in a long while. So here is just a short one.

Well the past couple months have been awesome. I have done so much since the last time i wrote that i have to go back and refresh my mind.

Well to start off i went to Cologne ( Köln ) with my Host Rotary Club Counselor. We also went with his son, and the other exchange student from Argentina. First we went to the famous Cologne Cathedral ( Köln Dom ). Wow! It is so huge and so beautiful! We walked around inside exploring and looking at all the beautiful paintings and structures. Then we went to the very top; and it was such a long way. There was one way up and one way down; and you can imagine what it is like on a holiday in Germany when no one is working and everyone wants to go to the Köln Cathedral. Craziness! The spiral staircase that could barley fit 2 people lengthwise was over 500 stairs, adn crowded with a ton of people. When we finally made it to the top it was so beautiful. You could see all of Cologne and the old buildings that filled the cities. What a beautiful sight it was. Then after our tour in the Cathedral we went to the Schokoladen Museum. ( Choclate Museum) There we saw them making chocolate bars and hollow chocolate soccer balls and so on. And they had this huge chocolate fountain where chocolate poured out and you go to try it. As we say in german ( Schmeckt Gout ) which means it takes good. And it was even better because it was Lindt chocolate! At the chocolate museum it told us how chocolate is made and harvested and it was really interesting.

I have been to many other Rotary Functions as well. I have been the the Veltins Arena 3 times ( Which is where one of the most liked soccer teams plays. (Shalke 04) ) The first time i went was from an invite from a Rotarian to go see the fußball (soccer) team Shalke 04 play. Which was awesome. I have never been to a pro game before besides a baseball game and a basketball game. Then the second time was also with my Rotary club for a tour of the Veltins Arena. A Rotary Club from the Netherlands ( Holland ) came to visit us to we took them there as a tour. And the third time was on a Rotex weekend when all the inbounds from District 1870 came together and also had a tour of the arena.

I have also gone to a place called Eifel with my Rotary Club for a weekend. Which is a very beautiful region of Germany. It has a landscape of low mountains with isolated forests, volcanoes that are now extinct and lye under lakes. The region Eifel is located at the triangle where three counties meet. Which are Germany, Belgium and Luxemburg. We went on a tour of a castle, went to a once old mill and had some lunch, and just had fun with all the other Rotarians. We also had a tour of two big volcanoes that are underwater and extinct. Then on sunday we went to what is called a ' Rodel- Bahn'. Which is like this metal track/rollercoaster thing that is build into the side of a huge hill. You go on this cart and you fly down and you have one break in the middle of the cart and that is all. Twists and turns come and go and then you are drug back to the top. I went together one time with the other exchagne student from Argentina and we were going so fast that once when we were around a corner we didnt put on the breaks so we both went flying off the cart. That sunday was also my birthday so my Host parents took me out to a very nice steak dinner and we celebrated my birthday.
I also celebrated my 3rd month in Deutschland on Halloween. I got together with some friends from school and we hung out and watched movies and had a great time.

I can understand basically all the german that people speak to me but now it is just saying it myself that is the hard part. They put words in weird orders and it is sometimes really confusing but i am getting pretty good at it. I am still taking a course at the language school to help with grammar and stuff which is helping me also.
Wow...i cant't believe i have almost been here 4 months now. Time is moving so fast and i already don't want this year to end.

I will be moving to a temporary host family this saturday for two weeks and then i am off to my other official family for 3 or 4 months.

This host family i have now has been great. I think it will be very good to learn how other familes live and different routines that they have.

I have more to say but this is such a long report already so i am going to stop here and i will make sure i write more in a little while.

Thanks so much everyone for reading!
Thanks again Rotary for making this exchange year possible!

Tschüß!
- Ashley Evenrud