By Waldsee | Published:
August 26, 2010
Yesterday was Fastnacht. Fastnacht is a tradional party that is celeberated in German speaking countries before lent. The party started with a game called Das Böser Bäcker Spiel. The counselors were all given socks filled with flour, and they had to chase the villagers and hit them with the socks. The story behind the game was that one of the villagers had stolen the counselour’s bread, and the counsleors were out to find out who did it. The game was very fun and everyone had a fun time. After the game, everyone went back to their houses to prepare for Fastnacht. Their instrunctions were to come up with a theme for each house, and then dress up accordingly. One house was gangsters, one was superherores, and one was 80’s punk. It was very funny to see every one dressed up. Once everyone was seated each house had to then put on a “show” so to speak. There was a judge table and they gave points to each house for their costumes. After the judging, came a tasty dinner of Döner Kebab, Bratwurst, Brezeln, and Berliner. After dinner, everyone went to the Gasthof where there were carnival-style games to play. The villagers could play these games to win points for their houses. Whoever had the most points with costumes and carnival games combined won. It was a very fun and exciting day. This blog is probably the last blog that will be written by the Lehrlinge. It has been a great four weeks, and we look forward to coming again next year. Henrik- Waldsee Lehrling
By Waldsee | Published:
August 25, 2010
With only three days left at Waldsee, the four-weekers and I had some time to think about our experiences here. We thought about how much we have learned, the friendships that we have made, and the experiences and adventures that we’ve had. We have really enjoyed our time here at Waldsee, and hope to come again next year. I think all of us four weekers would agree that Waldsee was a valuable and priceless experience that we will carry with us throughout our lives. We are happy to be here in Waldsee.
Tuesday was a normal day here at Waldsee. The Abendprogramm for yesterday was a capture-the-flag game, but styled after the story of William Tell. The LKTs performed the Vorspiel , or introduction, to the game. After the Vorspiel the LKTs and Lehrlinge had their second to last Lernzeit. They prepared their portfolios for Thursday, when they are all due. Each portfolio consists of five projects, including work completed in an Arbeitsgruppe and grammar. The Lehrlinge have to write a “journal” about their schedule and experiences in Waldsee. They have to describe the type of work they do and write about what they like or what could be better about Waldsee. By Thursday night everyone will be finished with their work, and we will be able to feier in our last day here in Waldsee.
By Waldsee | Published:
August 24, 2010
Monday was arrival day for the Ts, the one week villagers. Monday was also the beginning of Schweizer Woche, or swiss week. New families arrived specifically for this week yesterday. They learn not only German culture but also Italian and French as well. The one week Ts got a “tour” of Waldsee so they could learn about all the fun things that there is to do at Wakdsee. It began to rain later in the day, so the Abendkreis and Programm was inside the Gasthof. At the end of the day, all of Waldsee get a special treat: Ice cream at the end of the day.
By Waldsee | Published:
August 23, 2010
Saturday was Restaurant night! The morning of Saturday was a normal Waldsee day, but the normal flow of activities ended after lunch. Everyone had time to get ready for “Restaurant night” at Waldsee. This time around the restaurant was Thai themed, entitled “Chaang Yok”. Everyone made reservations the day before and were supposed to get dressed up in their fancy clothes for the night. The food included curry chicken, tofu soup, and Thai banana puree. All of the food tasted very good and everyone enjoyed getting dressed up and going to a “sit-down” restaurant. After dinner, we had a raving disco. There were strobe lights, loud music, and Sven, the best DJ on the entire planet.
The next day, on Sunday, we got to sleep in. We had an amazing brunch of bacon, egg skillets, and Muesli. It was so tasty. After brunch, we carried benches and tables from the Gasthof to play a giant game of foosball. There were four Mannschafts, and the winner played the Betreuerschaft later in the day. The teams also competed in water relays at the beach. Some included swimming in the lake to climb an inflatable iceberg and filling water jugs. It was very fun. After dinner, we had a fire Abendprogramm. It was a game similar to Capture the Flag where the four Mannschafts had to put out each other’s fires with cups of water.
By Waldsee | Published:
August 21, 2010
Friday was “Counselor for a Day” day! All villagers were allowed to pick a counselor that they would shadow for the whole day. Many villagers picked counselors that were in their houses while others picked counselors that they didn’t know very well. It was very interesting and fun for all those that participated. Later in the day, after dinner, there was a super tolles Abendprogramm. The Abendprogramm was a game in which the goal was for all the KTs to throw paint filled sponges at the Lehrlinge, LKTs and Counselors. There were three groups of KTs with a different color of paint per group. Whichever group had the most paint on the counselors won. It was so much fun and everyone had a good time.
By Waldsee | Published:
August 20, 2010
Thursday was pizza night in Waldsee, and after the delicious dinner a few houses (LKTs, Lehrlinge, Salzburg and Tubigen) were lucky enough to take an Ausflug to the Arabic camp- Al-Waha. We walked on a path for about a half mile until we reached Al-Waha, where the campers were eating dinner late in observance of Ramadan. While we waited for them to finish, Waldsee campers played glow-in-the-dark dodgeball in their gymnasium. It was fun and everybody worked up a sweat. We then joined our hosts in their dining hall where we shared songs and then split into two mixed groups. One went downstairs to learn about the history of coffee (in Arabic) and sample a Middle Eastern variety. Upstairs, German counselors also has a skit prepared to explain the Chinese roots of tea and also tea drinking customs in Northeast Germany. We learned a few new dialect words and tried the tea flavored by Darjeeling and Ceylon spices. The groups traded and after we had all tried both coffee and tea we reunited for baklava and cookies before thanking them and leaving. We walked back in the dark and returned home a little past 11. It was a fun-filled and busy day!
By Waldsee | Published:
August 19, 2010
Wednesday was Oktoberfest day! The day began with breakfast and Gesang as normal, but after lunch, in the afternoon, the party started. Everyone gathered in the Marktplatz for Abendkreis. Many Betreuer and villagers were dressed in traditional German outfits such as Dirndls and Lederhosen. After Abendkreis, everyone went to the Gasthof for dinner. All the tables were set outside because of the nice weather. Waldsee’s DJ, Sven, had Polka and other traditional German music ready to go in a playlist. When the root beer came out of the kitchen, the party began! Everyone drank and began to eat. The food consisted of Brezeln, Bratwurst, Brötchen, Döner Kebab, and Pommes. After dinner, there was a fest in the Marktplatz. There were many games to be played, such as Betreuer bowling, three-legged races, and balloon popping. After the fest, everyone went back to their houses, tired and ready for bed. Gute Nacht!
By Waldsee | Published:
August 18, 2010
Tuesday was a fun day. It began with a normal breakfast of Brötchen and Nutella. Many announcements were given at breakfast for the KTs and Families. The announcements included information about the swim tests, Sprachmeister Namenschilder, and even some songs. After breakfast, the KTs and Families went to Gesang while the LKTs and Lehrlinge went to Unterricht or Arbeit. Veranstaltungsstunde came later in the morning, and many activities were available. Some of these activities included Fussball spielen, Volleyball spielen, and Kartenspielen. Lunch came next, which consisted of Frikadellen with mashed potatoes. In the afternoon there was another Veranstaltungsstunde and also a Coffee and Cake hour in the café. During their class time the Lehrlinge went to the ropes course called the Matterhorn. They practiced trust exercises and also learned German prepositions. Then came dinner, which was Kaiserschmarren. Kaiserschmarren is a pancake like crepe that is eaten with applesauce and fruit. It was so good! The Abendprogram was a pirate game in which villagers had to buy one of the counselors free from pirates by winning different games and earning points.
By Waldsee | Published:
August 17, 2010
Monday was the start of the last two-week session for Waldsee. The LKTs and Lehrlinge had a normal morning with breakfast and Gesang and then after lunch, the KTs and families arrived in Waldsee. Some have been to Waldsee many times, and they greeted their old friends. For others this was their first time in Waldsee, and they were making new friends. They received their new names and were guided to their houses. Everyone looked very excited to be here in Waldsee. After everyone was acquainted with Waldsee and unpacked, they all came down to the Marktplatz to play some games until Abendkreis. When the bell rang, the entire camp gathered in a circle in the Marktplatz. We sang and then went to the Gasthof for dinner. We had a traditional German meal of Schnitzel and Pommes. After dinner, we all went down to the beach and had the customary Lagerfeuer. While the camp sat cozy by the fire, the Betreuer and Lehrlinge explained some of the many things that one can do at Waldsee, such as Grüne Welle or Märchenwald. They also taught some songs to the camp, which the families and KTs enjoyed. After the Lagerfeuer, the entire camp went to the Gasthof again. There was a special surprise for everyone: chocolate fondue! After we ate our dessert, we all went back to our houses, ready for the coming two weeks.
By Waldsee | Published:
August 16, 2010
This past weekend- affectionately known as “Free Weekend”, was bittersweet. It was sad to see our LKT/Lehrlinge 1 and KT friends go, but we had fun getting out of Waldsee for a few hours. Saturday, the Villagers left and many parents came to visit and see a presentation of the various activities and programs we have at Waldsee. By 11, the camp was almost empty, and LKT and Lehrlinge 2, along with a few “Vieries” (4-week KTs) were set loose in Bemidji- we did laundry, went shopping at Paul Bunyan Mall, dined at Applebee’s or fast food joints, and ended at the movie theater for some American entertainment. We were allowed to keep cell phones and iPods as well as American food overnight for our Schmugglewaren party where we watched an English movie in Biohaus and stayed up until midnight! We slept in Sunday morning until 9:30, brunched on bacon, chocolate chip pancakes, and American cereals, then headed out to Bemidji Bowl for bowling and an arcade. A few of us ordered pizzas while the others bowled and some won over 1,000 tickets in the arcade. After a few hours here we went to Bemidji square where many of us ended up at a coffee house with free internet. There we enjoyed coffee and sweet desserts as well as a piano and a few board games. We got back on the bus for Waldsee at 5 when we surrendered our electronics and got back to normal Waldsee life. We ate dinner which was followed by Lernzeit and regular bed time. It was a refreshing break that has us prepared for our next (and last) two weeks of learning German and having fun!
Receive update alerts to our site: Subscribe to our RSS Feed or via Email
