The Christmas markets are here!

---

For the Christmas marktet info scroll straight to Nov 26!

November 23, 2010
I've been in Germany almost ten weeks now. It's starting to get really cold and today it even snowed! It didn't stay on the ground, because it melted too fast, but I love snow and hopefully we'll get some more soon. The famous Christmas markets open Friday all across Germany and will be open until December 24th. Munich has a pretty big one and Nuremburg, which is only an hour away, has the most famous one in Germany. I'm going to Nuremburg December 10th for the weekend to enjoy the Christmas market. If you want to read about the Christmas market, scroll down to Nov 26. The rest is just about new developments in my life. They’re all jumbled together, because I have no internet at my new host family, so all my writings from the week are going in this one blog.

I've been looking a lot at the Ludwig-Maximilian University here in Munich. It's got a lot of really cool language programs and I'm seriously thinking about going there. Especially since it's only 1000 euro per year.

I'm still taking my German classes and this week was the first week in the B2 level. We took a test last week to see if we could move up from B1 to B2 and I passed! The levels are from A1, which is a complete beginner, to A2 then B1 then B2 then C1, which is fluent. There's also C2, but it's incredibly hard to get to because it's the "native speaker" level. So unless one of your parents speaks it, it's pretty hard to achieve.

I'm still working out at "Fitness First", which is only a few minutes from school. Gyms are a lot more expensive in Europe, but it's still ok. A lot of people in my classes want to start working out too and are thinking about coming with me so I can teach them how to train.

I'm really missing home, but I'm glad a lot of my family is coming to see me for Christmas and New Years when I have a break from classes. I really can’t wait to show them all around my new city, most of my family has never been to Europe before so it’ll be a really great new experience for them.

Through the school I got a German tandem partner who wants to learn/practice English. So I was given her email and we can meet whenever we want. We speak German one day and then the next day we meet we speak English and back and forth. She goes to the same university in Munich that I want to go to next year and she's been really helpful with telling me all about it. We even went to one of the lectures at the university. It was on English linguistics and was really interesting for me since I love languages so much. When looking at majors I’m trying to decide between linguistics of romance languages or Slavic. Anyone who’s already been through college anywhere and has advice is welcome to give it! French and Russian would be my main languages and obviously with the romance major I would do French, but with my minor I could do Russian and vice versa if I did Slavic. I think romance would be a lot easier and maybe more practical, but I guess it all depends on the career I want after.

Also this week I have to move again. The "school residence" (a hostel) is kicking out all the students for two weeks for a business fair, so I have to move in with a host family for two weeks, and then move back into the hostel. The host family lives a little ways outside of Munich, but they seem really nice and they have a dog! I miss my dogs back home so it'll definitely cheer me up having one around again.

November 25, 2010
So today I moved all my stuff into my newww residence, which is a host family. My host mom is really nice too! I have the whole basement to myself and my own bathroom too. They also have a washer and dryer, which makes it less of a hassle to get my clothes washed. There’s a boy named Benjamin (about 5 years old I’m guessing) and a really sweet dog too! There’s another student staying with the family too, but I haven’t met her yet. She goes to one of the universities in Munich.

November 26, 2010
It snowed again today! It’s funny that it snows a lot harder in the suburb that my host family lives in than in the rest of Munich. As soon as I arrived in the city this morning there was no snow on the ground and it wasn’t snowing anymore. I really just love snow. Maybe it’s because we don’t get much in North Carolina. But I think it’s all the memories I have with snow in them since almost all of my family live in Indiana and Ohio. They get snow almost every winter and I have a lot of good memories from spending every Christmas there.

Today was the grand opening of all the Christmas markets in Germany and I found my way to the one in Marienplatz. It was pretty much just as amazing as I was hoping. The sun had been down for about an hour when I arrived and the whole square was glowing with Christmas lights. Christmas choirs play at night from speakers all around the market. There’s a big Christmas tree right next to the Neues Rathaus and so so many neat stalls with everything Christmas-y that you can imagine for sale. Christmas trinkets, Christmas ornaments, Christmas snacks, treats, and more. I’ll have more detailed listings of all the cool items later this week when I get to explore more. I know there are a few other Christmas markets in Munich too so I’m going to try to see those this week too. I didn’t get to hang around and see everything there, because I met my tandem partner again tonight. She and her boyfriend cooked dinner and I met them at their apartment. We spoke in German this time and she helped me a lot more with a lot of useful information about the university here in Munich.

---

Photos

In the Christmas Market
the market isn't fully set up yet, but it's getting there. I saw this stall with a replica of the Frauenkirche on the roof. It's right next to the real thing. It's an iPhone pic so nothing fancy :P

I got attacked!
just kidding :) it's our dog and he likes shoes

Neues Rathaus
with the gigantic Christmas tree!

Fasangarten
near my house

Opening night
iPhone pics :)

my s bahn stop
with a bit of snow :)

Comments

[liliram]

Thanks for sharing
It really looks like Christmas! Munich is truly one city that comes (more) alive during Oktoberfest and Christmas! Post more pics pls when all the markets are set up. I love Christmas-sy photos!

[Johnny speaks]

Re:
I definitely will. I'm moving back into a closer residence this week so it'll be easier to get my camera to the market and I have internet again. Thanks for the comment!

[Ling]

Hello!
Hello! It seems that it 's the first time I read foreigner's blog. I was attracted by your Blog title---'The Christams Market are here!'I like Christmas:)! Your Blog is great! ---Your writing, the picture and the description of pictures :D! Christmas is coming---Wish you have a lovely Christmas!

[AASTHA]

VERY BEAUTIFUL PLACE
Neus Rathus is a very beautiful place I wish I could go there.

[deleted_49612]

http://www.travelblog.org/Topics/27559-1.html