The system with trimesters instead of semesters have advantages and downsides. On the one hand you have more opportunities for your schedule and the ability to try more classes to figure out, which part of education you like, but on the other hand there are tests and projects in less time then in a semester-system. These characteristics of the trimester-system have a big a big influence on my workingstint and time for other stuff. Every other week a test in American Studies or Physiology and sometimes two in one week additional to homework and project assignments create a condition of constant studying and getting ready for performance reviews. Could be that this sounds a bit like school is my life, but it is not. Another option is that the teachers expect “less quality” (attempt to describe it) in homework and I´m just a perfectionist and could pay less attention on school. This does not mean, that I should not care about school. Anyway my weeks are busy and my weekends are busy too. Sunday I was at church, I got a new phone, had a bit swimming practice with Hailey to get in shape for the swimming season, worked a bit at ROK Systems, my dads company, searched for an article about body and bodysystems and did a bunch of homework. Sounds impossible, but I did it. But if success is the result of work, it worths it certainly. In aquatics fitness I´m doing pretty good. Just started yesterday the training of the grils swimming team. Much harder then the stuff I did before, but I will getting used to it. For example : 400 yard pull (freestyle without legkicks) in 6 minutes and this 2 times or 3 times 150 yd kick (only legs freestyle with board) @ 3 minutes. Monday was another waterpologame vs Grand Haven. We won both, although the JV-Game was with 9:7 tighter then the varsity game with 13:5. A big thing is going on today night. The Presidential debate for the election 2012. Very interesting and a bit different to our debates before the big elections. Just the last minutes seen. A bit strange, how open they advertise for their own programs and how blantaly they criticise the other. We will see, how this way to the elction will be.

I had a great last week. The weather was ever about 70°F/22°C after noon every day and it never rained. Not usual in the rainiest town of Germany ;). In the school I´m very successful. On 25 Yards I´m faster with 11.9sec than some Girl-Swimming team. Just got the time on Friday. My test in American-Studies is the best with 102 of 101 points. Only possible, because I did extra credit for it and got 5 extra points. Last but not least I got a bar of Hershey´s for the “Stud of the Week” in English. Sounds a bit self-regarding, but I´m proud. Finally the week wasn´t the whole time great. I got on Wednesday a light sinusitis, but Thursday it was surprising better. Probably sportly activity and enough sleep help a lot ;). Wednesday we beat East-Grand-Rapids in Waterpolo with 13:5 and we got 10:0 before the hometeam goaled. Go RAMS!!! The Friday-Footballgame vs West Ottawa was awesome. We won 24:14, the marchingband showed an indecredible show and the aftergame party was great. Unfortunately MSU lost vs Ohio State 16:17 today. Were some bad calls in it, but all in all it was ok. Pictures are rare, because I don´t have ever a camera with me. Try to get some more in the next days and weeks. Die Deutsche übersetzung der Seite kann jetzt auch direkt über den Link http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=en&tl=de&js=n&prev=_t&hl=de&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=wuppersaver.de erreicht werden. Wenn man dann die Seite als Lesezeichen speichert, sollten die Übersetzungen direkt geladen werden ohne den Umweg über diese Seite.

Last week wasn´t that busy like the week before.
Only one big test in physiology and today one american-studies test about
Industrialization, Immigration from 1890-1920, Segregation and discrimination of african americans and the big monopolists during this timeperiod. Friday we were in Grand Rapids at the Art Price festival. It´s like a really big exhibition with hundreds of artists all over places in Grand Rapids. Restaurants, squares and the Grand Rapids Art Museum. You can register to vote and after 2 weeks there is a winner. One of the artists is a good friend of family friends. She had on Sunday a housconcert at theirs house. The jazz was very fun! At the weekend I had my first orientation by YFU, too. Unfortunately we had about 6°C and the huts had no isolation. Fortunately was the sleeping bag very warm. All in all it was a very nice weekend and i got to know a lot of new people from about 15 countries. And tomorrow is a good day. Two hours less school and two hours longer sleeping. And manufacturing engeneering is a lot of fun. Drawing things first and then create a way to cut them out of metal. Very challenging, but i love it.

I will switch now in English for the rest of the year. I think this will be easier for me to get into the language. If you don´t understand it, google-translate will do a good job 😉 . First of all: The second week had a good part and a really awful part. Good part: I made some friends in school and we get to know each other better everyday. Awful part. 3 Projects for 3 classes. -English: Life map project (photos see picasaalbum) Working time 3.5 hours a day and almost the whole night from thursday to friday, beccause it was due friday.
-Physiology: three diagramms with the planes (see pictures in the picasaalbum) working time 2 hours in school
-American Studies: commercial/advertisement (unfortunately no photo of the advertisement) working time 3 hours
-studying for three Tests in Physiology
-No sleep in the night thursday due friday because of project work and homework.
The weekend didn´t get better. MSU lost 17:3 against Notre Dame!
But Yesterday American Studies was hilarious! We saw the commercials and one was for street cars. During the commercial filming the car started burning. Klingt nicht komisch, war es aber! 🙂 . And Mr. Dekuiper was asking all the time while we saw, how the car was burning out, : are you kidding me? he couldn´t believe, that this really happened. maybe i can get the youtube-link for that. Aquatics fitness is great! Yesterday we did for example 40×50 m kicking with fins @1 minute. Finally i got a blister by the fins, but it is ok. The picasa-webalbum is reachable with the link: https://picasaweb.google.com/108204582564821266521/ExchangeYear201213?authkey=Gv1sRgCMiYt_DT6prcwgE
It doesnt matter, whether your comments are in german or english. I will just answer them in english. Little view into the fortune: The next big date is HOMECOMING. But about this theme later. My language is not perfect. Please apologize mistakes and irritating phrases.

Die erste Schulwoche erschien sehr lang, auch wenn sie nur 4 Tage hatte.
Insgesamt kann ich ein positives Fazit ziehen. Zunächst gab es einige Unsicherheiten wegen der AP Classes, aber Manufacturing Engeneering ist klasse, auch wenn man sich wie in einer Freakshow vorkommt. Physiology ist echt interessant, auch wenn man viele neue Begriffe lernen muss.
Freitag war mein erstes High School Football Game, bei dem man sich wie nach Wuppertal versetzt fühlte. Die ersten beiden Quarts hat gegossen! Meine Regenjacke war nach 20 Minuten durch. Deswegen sind ein paar Freunde und ich dann zu Tacobell gefahren.War nicht schlecht, aber echt günstig. Fast Food halt. Und zu allem schlechten Wetter kam dann noch das Endergebnis. 21 zu 9 für die Gäste. Am Wochenende waren wir dann bei einem Schwimmmeeting, bei dem auch Schwimmerinnen aus Rockford dabei waren. Insgesamt ein 2. Platz. Go Rams! Danach gings die restliche Kleidung kaufen. Heute war ich ausserdem das erste mal hier in der Kirche. Dagegen ist unsere Kirche emotionslos und kalt. War etwas befremdlich, als die Leute anfingen wie in Sister Act zu tanzen. Insgesamt war es sehr anders, aber nicht schlimm.