My host-family at the "school."
The Karlspreis 
My exchange classmates--one of the 7 Americans is sick and not present.
The month of my immersion training has come to an end. It was a very worth-while preparation before the school year, since all of my lessons will be conducted in German (except for English class). I start school on August 30th at Dietrich Bonhoeffer Gymnasium (college-bound high school, not PE class) in Hilden, North Rhine-Westphalia (same province).
Every bit of preparation at the immersion was so benefitial. Every-so-often, the teachers would have the ten of us visit local businesses in town. We asked store owners assigned questions, and would usually buy something to prove that we went there. This last week we took the train from Geilenkirchen to Aachen (one of the biggest cities in North Rhine-Westphalia). We visited historical sites such as the Karlspreis. This is the best award to receive in Europe; it's given to one that vigorously works to establish peace and prosperity in the European Union. (Former President Bill Clinton was the recipient of the Karlspreis in 2000. In 2002, the Euro received the award when Germany reestablished its currency from Deutsche Marks to Euros.
All in all, this was a very successful preparation for me. After 20 lessons (4 weeks), 7 hours a day of German culture, history, politics, and grammar, (not to mention it was taught only in German) I can finally hold a lengthy, but simple conversation in a second language. What was very interesting was the way the teachers taught us. German students learn English in first grade, and teachers only teach in English, whereas most American students start in high school. It's becoming easier and more natural, however next week and the rest of the year, I won't have the luxury of being near other American English-speakers, since we all go to different schools!
