Travel+Reports

__**Travel Reports**__ =**1. Ceutì/Murcia Spain**= **Intercambio con Biberach/Alemania**

**Ceutí del 4 al 11 de mayo de 2010** **Biberach del 22 al 29 de junio de 2010**

En el primer intercambio que organizamos participaron 6 alumnas alemanas y 6 alumnas españolas. La razón principal de las alemanas fue practicar el idioma español que es su segunda lengua extranjera que estudian en su instituto. Por estos viajes les quedaron muchas impresiones, como demuestran las voces de las alumnas: «Aprendimos mucho y aprovechamos la ocasión de hablar con todos.» «Este viaje no voy a olvidar nunca. En muy poco tiempo nos hicimos amigas.» «Las familias españolas nos recibieron con los brazos abiertos y nos gustó mucho estar con ellos y ver como viven.» «No sabíamos que muchos españoles tienen una segunda residencia en la costa.» «En Alemania todo es muy verde.» «Los alemanes se levantan muy temprano, a las 6 de la mañana para ir al cole.» «Las comidas son muy diferentes. Eché de menos la verdura y la fruta.» «Muchas gracias a los profesores y profesoras que organizaron estos viajes. Ya sé que voy a apuntarme en un curso de alemán.» A nosotros los “operadores de los viajes nos alegra tener alumnos que están contentos con el intercambio y esperamos que las amistades personales sigan muchos años más (para toda la vida) y que muchos otros chavales tengan la posibilidad de sacar estas experiencias inolvidables.



**¡Hasta la próxima vez! - Aufwiedersehen!**

=**2. Istanbul Turkey**= =Mareike:= i´m one of the 4 student who had the chance to see Turkey in a new way. The week we stayed in the hostfamilies was great and very interesting. We´ve learned a lot about the Turkish history by visiting some beautiful Palaces and Museums. And it was very nice to see the Turkish culturein a different way than the normal Tourists. What a normal Turkish is like and we learned some Turkish sentences. I really liked my hostfamily. They helped me as much as possible and tried everything to make the week became beautiful. The conversation was a little bit difficult because the English of the family wasn´t good. The day we visited Taskim square and the Grand Bazar was very amazing. It would be nice to visit the Bazar again but the headmaster didn´t allowed it. He didn´t speak English well so someone had to translate it. That was pitty. But I enjoyed the week. My Hostfamily was very nice and I hope we will stay in contact and maybe I will visit Istanbul again because the week was very nice. Julia: Visit I’m one of the four german student, which got the chance to stay one week in Istanbul. And now, after this seven days I don’t regret my decision to go to Turkey. On the one had the trips, which were sometimes a little bit short were very great. We, the German and Italian students enjoyed it and had a lot of fun. There were some situations I’ll never forget. For example the Grand Bazar, the Bosphorus Boat Trip or the Taskim Square, we visited one day earlier, before the bomb exploded in this place. On the other hand we had a good insight into the culture of the Thurkish people, who live there, because we lived in hostfamilies. I had a good reation with my hostmother. She helped me as much as possible and I learnd some turkish sentences. But it was very difficult to have a conversation with her daughter Nil, because she couldn’t understand anything I talked. She always asked friends or her mother for a trnaslation. That was one negative thing, which is deporable. Nevertheless I hope I can stay in contact with them.

Melina:

After the arrival in Istanbul we drove to school, where the guest-families waited. My guest-family took me to their home by car. My family was very polite and very friendly they showed me the house and me and my guest sister tried to talk about our families. It was a little bit difficult to talk, because the English of the family wasn’t so good. But Google translate helped us to understand each other. On the second day we saw the Italian students for the first time and together we did a lot of activities. First we went Sightseeing at Miniaturk and after that we went to a social organisation. On the third day we visited three Mosques the Hagia Sophia, Hagia Irene and the blue Mosque. Our teachers were with us. The fourth day was the national day of Turkey. We were alone with our families. Me and my family drove to the Asian continent we drove on a little mountain and we could look down at Istanbul. That was great. And after that we visited the aunt of my family – she cooked for the whole family. On the fifths day we went to the shopping mall and we visited Taksim Square. Then we went to a typical Turkish bazaar, unfortunately we couldn’t spend much time there, because our families waited at the school. But for me this was one of the most beautiful days in Istanbul. At day six we were allowed to make a boat trip on the Bosporus. We drove between the two continents Europe and Asia. That was great. After that we visited the Dolmabahce Palace. On the last day we went to the Panorama Museum and we had lunch with the Mayor, Director of Education and with the Country Governor. The trip to Istanbul was very exciting and I learned a lot of things about the Turkish lifestyle.

=**3. Partinico/Sicily Italy**= Living in a Sicilian family, moreover collecting internati onal experiences, discovering cultural differences and meeting youngsters from all over Europe – when I first heard about the international Comenius project I immediately knew: That’s just my cup of tea! As I had already had the possibility to enjoy a stay abroad with my old school and I only have positive memories of this time,I asked the responsible teacher about the probability to get chosen to come with the German group.When she gave me the written approval for the visit in Sicily, I was the happiest girl in the world.After some formal things and the first, very positive conversation with my host sister over the internet I finally got lost in my thoughts about the travel.The closer the departure date was coming the more nervous I became. Apart from the foreign surrounding I also had a problem with the language:I was the only German pupil who wasn’t able to speak a word Italian. But on the other hand this insecure feeling was exactly the thing that made this trip so attractive to me. On the 26th April 2011 the adventure Sicily started for my fellow travellers and me. A week of ups and downs was ready to begin.
 * **__ Seven days full of impressions __** ||

I’ll never forget the first time I met my host family because I was sitting in their car totally shy and timid and couldn’t believe that I actually had arrived. I found myself in a situation I always wanted to be: I was on my own and had to prove that I can cope with all these challenges.The English of Martina, my host sister, surprised me negatively because I had no comparison to other italian pupils yet. When I first talked to the others I had to recognize that she was a real talent in speaking English because the rest of the Italians spoke less English. But in return the initiative the Italians were taking at the rehearsals of the dance was more than impressive and in my opinion this good behaviour of them brought us all much closer to each other. In fact, they suggested to us to learn their complicated dance and in return we could show them how to do the German dance.After the first steps I learned a lot: The Italians have rhythm in their feet, the Germans rather not and even if we were really embarassed about the rehearsals, the show became a great pleasure and we allunderstood us even if we weren’t speaking the same language.From this day the italian-german-spanish-turkish group sticked together almost everyday. In the evening we often went out to Pubs and explored the sicilian nightlife. Especially eye-catching was the fact that we were changing the location 3 or 4 times on one evening. Sometimes we even were driving to other cities, so the citizens of Sicily are used to drive long distances with the car. I had the pleasure to have a really special experience on the 2nd evening: Martina, me and some other friends of her met in a Pub to play Monopoly. We had so much fun and although we couldn’t understand each other, we were able to notify in other ways. We were so concentrated on the game that we were not noticing the time, we weren’t leaving the Pub until 2 o’clock. After this evening we became friends and I was with them the following days.The language problems were also solved in only a short time: After 2 days i was getting used to talk English and to describe everything. Sometimes I even forgot that I was speaking another language. Also during the official programme the whole international group had a lot of fun: The hosts were caring about us as good as our own mothers and city tours were interrupted all the time by funny photos and a lot of pleasure. Everyone noticed: We were all finding a lot of new friends, with them i almost feel like with my german friends. With them I felt so comfortable and we were like a big family, everyone took care of anyone. A highlight of this friendship was the 1st May. All teenagers were going to a house in the mountains and we spend all day together: While some of us were playing UNO, others were writing songs and played the guitar. I had a really special relation to my host sister and the whole host family: During the conversation we had had on the internet we already saw that we have a lot in common and when I finally lived at her house, we felt connected and familiarized pretty fast. We laughed together, cried together and were talking about everything. I will never forget the great time I had with her and I am glad that we’ll see each other soon: I return to Partinico in summer and she’ll be visiting me in winter to see the cold and snowy Germany. Another highlight of this unbelieveable week was the musical show organized by the Italian school. Apart from great singers and our dances there also were some speeches to say goodbye which were deeply touching. I loved to see how close the connection between Italy, Spain, Turkey and Germany had become. The teachers were moved to tears and we all were very sad about the fact the international project came to its end. But memories and also a lot of friendships will last forever and we were proving it: Europeanisation is happening here and now, in this moment. Everyone taking part in this exciting event will never forget it ! Aber die Erinnerungen und auch viele Freundschaften werden bleiben, wir haben es bewiesen: Die Europäisierung findet hier und jetzt, in diesem Moment statt und alle die dies miterleben durften, werden diese tolle, aber auch nervenaufreibende Zeit nie vergessen! Carolin