More! More!

This week has been another amazing one. A selection of my activities...:

I've done a couple of expeditions into the shopping district. Clothes-wise, everything I've bought has been from Zara. Much love for that shop! I have purchased a grey cable knit jersey, a navy blue cardigan and a thoroughly impractical but very pretty cream lace t-shirt with a black Peter Pan collar. Happy girl. Other stores, like H&M etc are great, but we've been there predominantly on weekends and before Christmas everything is CRAZY busy. It's very difficult to move - in the stores, on the streets, even in cafés! So not too much has been investigated... yet.

Last weekend I was lucky enough to be able to catch up with my exchange student from my trip to Paris last year, Pauline! My host family here were so lovely, letting Pauline stay two nights (kicking Lea out of her bed... oops) and taking the two of us out exploring. As Pauline said on the way to the airport: "They are the nicest German family I've ever met!!" (In response, I asked her whether she knew any other German families. "No," she said, "but it's still true.") It was really nice to be able to relax and have a gossip with a friend - I'm not quite at that stage with Lea yet and I was dying for a real hug, so Pauline came at just the right time :) She got on really well with the family, and the family also loved her too. They've exchanged addresses, emails, Facebook friendships and intentions to use each other's houses when travelling :D

On Saturday we went shopping and later that night went to Tollwood, a big winter festival in Munich with stalls, music, food and performances. It was so, so busy, just like everything else on weekends, but it was still nice to have a look around and it was beautiful in the dark.

We got our first proper snow over the weekend, and it's continued until today as well. Fingers crossed it'll last until the weekend for Christmas! Therefore, excuse all my excited snow photos :)

On Sunday with Pauline and Johnny, my host dad, we went to BMW World, the Olympiapark for the 1972 Olympic Games and had a wander around a few different areas of München.

The first BMW ever made.

The Olympia Tower

Going up in the high-speed elevator to the viewing platform of the Olympia Tower. 175m up in less than 20secs. We felt a wee bit ill...

... But it was worth it for the view!

There was a rock music museum in the tower... No I'm not sure why.

Hand-written song lyrics by Freddie Mercury.

 We then decided it was time to get some lunch - more bratwurst on the menu! Delish, as usual.

This is a memorial to Michael Jackson in front of the hotel he always stayed in.

 We visited the Frauenkirche - the main church of Munich. It was beautiful, but I didn't find it as magical as the ones I'd visited previously like the Baroque church or the white one.

This was amazing - outside the Frauenkirche, it's a model of Munich city, all accurately proportioned. It's designed for blind people, to feel how big the Frauenkirche is compared to the rest of the city. Most buildings have Braille beneath them naming them. Really cool.

Inside the Frauenkirche.

This is the "Devil's Footprint". Legend is, the Devil made a pact with the builder of the church that he would finance the construction, providing it had windows. From where this footprint is, if you look down the church, you can't see any windows at all - the builder tricked him. The church was already consecrated, so the Devil couldn't enter - only stamp his foot in the entranceway. Thus: the Devil's Footprint!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Time for a hot chocolate, methinks. It was delicious!

Then we had to say goodbye to the lovely Pauline :(

I spent quite the while making these 'candles' out of biscuits and Haribo lollies for all 80 of Johnny's students yesterday. It was fun!

Last night Lea and I went back to Tollwood, the big festival, to go to a circus show! Firstly, being a weeknight, the ground was much, much less unpleasant and crowded, so we had a look around and I made a purchase or two :) The performance was truly outstanding. A mix of live music, circus and monologues, it was nothing like what I was expecting but I absolutely adored it. Somehow it just felt so honest - three big, hairy Swedish guys dancing and being so graceful in their tricks and singing and playing a bunch of different instruments and talking to the audience about their broken hearts. Really, really great. I left the big tent both wanting to laugh and cry, and I immediately bought the CD to bring home some more mellow Swedish music.

Today was the first day I went to school without Lea - she was home sick. I was a wee bit nervous but it turned out to be absolutely fine, the girls talked to me and made sure I knew what I was doing and where I was going. I like them a lot :) On the topic of school, I've revoked my decision to get my own timetable. Unlike at home, or probably just because they're younger,  the Germans have one class that they go to almost all subjects with. I feel like if I stay with them for most of it, even through German and Italian and Sciences that I remember knowing, I'll become more of a member of the class.

The funniest thing that happened this week was a new boy in Klasse 10D (my class, duh). After a few hours he approached me, asking, in a perfect Kiwi accent, if I was from NZ. I was amazed - turns out he's just come back from a 6 month exchange in Johnsonville, of all places. We had a good chat, and he's often seen wearing his pounamu which reminds me of home :)

Looking forward to Christmas. Sounds like there are going to be a lot of people there, both on the 24th and the 25th. Busy, but exciting. I miss home a bit, would really like a nice hug from Mum and a game of cards with Dad, but nothing horrendous as of yet (hopefully never!) Besides, I'm meeting up with a very, very good friend of mine from Wellington who's on a family trip tomorrow. Much excitement to be had, and hopefully that'll solve my hug craving!

Hope you're all well. Miss you!

Alles Liebe,
Camille xx