New York City Trip

My next destination was North America - first stop NYC! I did not want to pass up the opportunity of seeing this cosmpolitan city, well-known for its incredible skyscrapers and its glamour - not to mention Times Square, also known as New York busiest spot. So I planned on staying 3 full days in New York City. I liked the idea of a trip-diary. Nevertheless, I hardly took any notes since i was mostly too busy and too exhausted by the time i got back to the hostel in the evening. So i´ll just draw up the main things - highlights and hilarious moments :) scroll down a bit and check it out!

on top of Rockefeller Center - Empire
State rises aloft in the back

30th June: I arrived well at international airport in Toronto and wanted to continue my journey to New York. But the flight got put off due to heavy thunderstorm. So, after an delay of 3 hours, I finally reached NYC, at 3 am in the morning i stepped into the hostel. I stayed in a 4 Bed Dorm, sharing the room with two other dudes at that time. Anyways around 11 am I set off to explore Manhattan. The hostel was located centrally in Manhattan and virtually an ideal starting-point. My guided sightseeing tour booked in advance started just at 5pm. Till then I wandered around midtown Manhattan checking out places such as Empire State Building (did not go up though, line-up is too crazy), Times Square and Rockefeller Center. I ended up having lunch with plenty of businessmen around, who were enjoying their lunchbreak. The tour I booked is called NY See it All. Main stops are Times Square, World Trade Center Site, New York Exchange, Wall Street, World Financial Center, South Street Seaport, Central Park - Strawberry Fields Memorial and even more. One highlight was without a doubt the ferry ride to Brooklyn from Manhattan. It is absolutely free of charge and you get a marvellous view over Downtown. Weather turned kind of bad but the tour was enjoyable though. I can highly recommend to take such a tour on your first visit to New York. You get a good overview of the city and makes it way easier to decide what else you´d like to do on the days ahead.

busted by NYC cop ha ha

Times Square covered by yellow cabs and shiny
screens

at South Seaport - Brooklyn on the other side
Husdon River

on the ferry to Brooklyn

Statue of Liberty

New York Stock Exchange/Wall Street

Ground Zero

1th July: What a sunny day! I got waken up by sunbeams through the windows and of course the massive traffic - I can tell you NYC is never completely silent, whether people yelling on the streets or cars driving like crazy, something is always going on. I left the hostel around 10:30 am after an american breakfast on the hostel´s roof, consisting of bagels, muffin and some fruit juice - bearlike breakfast, just kidding :-). I caught the Subway to head towards Downtown and the harbourfront. I most enjoyed the harbourfront the day before, thats why I decided to come again. While I took a breather at south seaport watching some acrobats perfoming extraordinary moves, i discovered a woman who draws hilarious caricatures of people. So I had one drawn of me as well. Walking underneath Brooklyn Bridge after this, i was kind of curious about China Town - so next stop Chinatown. However it was not that overwhelming as i thought in the first place, just lots of cheap stores and did also come across some awesome restaurants. Then I got on the subway towards Ground Central Station, the major railwaystatdion located centrally in Manhattan. Last but not least I went up to the Observation Deck of the Rockefeller Center, plus ended the day with a walk through Central Park. Briefly, an amazing day!

Harbourfront

caricature

Grand Central Stadion

Rockefeller Center

on top of Rockefeller

Central Park from Rockefeller´s observation
deck

2th July: wow, time goes by way too fast. Last day in NYC, so what am i going to do? I decided to take it slowly since i did tons of sightseeing the past 2 days. I did some shopping and explored the Wallstreet district - there is always actions - lots of street stalls of people who are desperately trying to sell their stuff. I walked along Broadway as well. you find a wide range of stores there - definetly anything for anyone for sale :) Then I had a good long rest on the open space of central park. There are so many things to do, may it be sport acitivies or anything else. New Yorker see it as kind of a retreat, taking refuge from the massive metropolitan noises. At 7pm i took part in the guided sightseeing tour called "NY see the Light". Highlight was the final stop at an outlook-plattform in Brooklyn from where we got to enjoy the sight of all the skyscrapers/downtown.

big lake in Central Park

Central Park open space

Traffic in Manhattan

one of my fave pics with Manhattan´s skyline

Conclusion: The city is definetly worth a visit. It is very crowded, noisy and pretty dirty also. Personally I could not image myself living there right now, maye sometime later :)

Un stage à Paris

Aloha, SALUT tout le monde out there readingthis :) Well, now it is august and I kind of neglected my blog lately - whatever :) Anyways after my fabolous time in SA I intended to do an internship in France, more precisely in Paris. The idea of doing an internship in Paris crossed my mind all of a sudden while I was still in SA, towards the end of my stay pretty much. So I posted 10 applications to different hotels in paris hoping one would at least be willing to offer me an internship. Le Grand Hotel du Palais Royal did so and in februrary I was on my way to paris in order to complete my 5weeks long parisian internship.

I used to work at the reception helping out the staff with guest service, putting reservations into the computer and lots more. Another field of work was the petit déjeuner. Providing guest service, filling up the buffet, washing dishes all that was part of my job. :) Also I run some errands around Paris, mainly the district of the Louvre where the hotel is located, for instance achèter des fleurs ou aller au supermarché haha :) All in all, briefly I learnt quiet a lot in terms of hotel business. The staff of the hotel was patienced and helpful.

Other than that I explored Paris whenever I had a day off amd spent time with mes amis - friends :) I love Paris :P Enough talking, check out the pics!

areaway of Montmartre

Hubi, Agi et Maren et moi at Monmarte by night

in courtyard of Louvre during lunchbreak
I mostly spent my lunchbreak there :)

one friday night Louvre-Visit with Gerald,
Krissa et Molly

one night in a pub with Megan and Krissa (f.l.)

Posing in my working clothes - classy suit :-)

le monde du travail - doing roomservice with
one of my colleague

the eiffel tower by night

les américans Christina et Lee (my roomate)
and I in front of the Centre-Pompidou

Moulin Rouge - the red light district :D
better known as the place of entertainment

Musée D´Orsay

France versus USA ? ha ha

view over Paris et la Seine with plenty of bridges
overwhelming outlook from Eiffel tower

Paris most famous Cathedral -
Notre Dame

A brief Conclusion about my stay in South Africa

Well,I´ve summed up the main things, that made an impact on my personality:

1. I have learned to live with at least twice less than in Germany. During my visit at the Thembinfundo special School (near Durban) I learnt a lot about the modest way of life and the living circumstances of the habitants.
2. I worked voluntarily in the school, which was a completely new experience. It has been an experience of life that I will look back on in a positive way.
3. I have gained more insights into the south african way of life and its customs in general. Besides I have discovered more of the beautiful scenery (great beaches, massive mountains all over around Cape Town...)
   
4. I have experienced what it means being indepentent and having resonsibility for myself. Thanks to all the people that supported me during my stay in South Africa.
5. I have worked as a waiter in a restaurant. This way I have improoved my english enormously and got to know many new people.
6. I have found new ways of dropping prices on street markets ;)
7. I did some travelling to different places in South Africa (Durban, Pretoria, Lesotho, Cape Town...). I am passionate about travelling and I like discovering new cultures.
8. I came across a lot of people and shared fun and unforgettable moments with them (my hostfamily, friends, workcolleagues, german tourists...)

Beach Plettenberg Bay ( 6 hours away from Cape Town)
- New Years Trip

coastline near Cape Town

photo was taken from Tablemountain(well-known
tourist attraction behind Cape Town)

on Tablemountain while sunset

Time to say Good Bye....

Time passed quickly and my 5 months stay in South Africa has ended. I finished working at Manuka, one of the most popular restaurant (including wineshop) on the 29th of December. Altogether I have worked in this place for a bit more than 2 months. Places around Cape Town like Somerset West are favoured travel destinations, in fact Somerset West is the most liked place in the Cape for holidaymaker particulary from Germany. Besides, many Germans have settled in this area. If I had the choice between living in Germany and South Africa/Somerset West, I would pack up as fast as I can and move down there - its a stunning place!In any case, celebrating Christmas in SA was also a memorable experience. According to the tradition, the christmas presents are opened up on the 25th of december after going to church. After this the banquet is prepared. While I was wearing short pants on Christmas, you guys in Germany certainly put on 2 jackets ha ha. For New Years some friends and I traveled together to Plett, which is about 6 hours away from Cape Town. We stayed on the Campside and partied New Years on the beach with bubbly and so on :)! As Result of the whole trip, it was worth going there - handsdown a great place with lovely beaches and quiet a lot gorgeous women :)
I plan on coming back to South Africa in 2010 for the Worldcup. Let´s hope it is going to work out according to plan!

shaking hands with a guy thats carrying 20kg stuff
on his head, impressive!

my hostmum and I messing around on the beach :)

Christmas Picnic (21.12.) for Friends & Families in the
frontyard of my hostfam´s house


familytrip on the day after Christmas (25.12)

New Year´s night on the beach - f.l.: Mike, I and
my host bro Robert

Mike, Judy, Me and Dale on New Years Trip

I love those beaches :)

Welcome to Capetown

awesome Photo from Tablemountain/ the view is simply marvelous

Cape Town is the third most populous city in South Africa. It is the legislative capital of SA where the National Parliament is located. Cape Town is famous for its harbour as well as for its natural settings (f. ex.: Tablemountain, Cape Point...). Moreover, it is often considered as one of the world's most beautiful cities due to its geography. Generally, Cape Town is one of the most popular south african destinations for tourism. More infos on Cape Town? Then Follow the link: http://www.southafrica.info/

On the 10th of October it was time to pack up and head for my final destination in SA - Cape Town. I have been looking forward to it so much :). Since I participated in youth exchange in 2005 and kept contact to friends living near Cape Town, they offered me to stay with them. This was kind of a major relief for me as I did not have to worry anymore about board and lodging. My hostfamily lives in Somerset West, which is about 40km far way from Capetown. Anyway I have determined to find a job either in the gastronomy or in the hotel industry. My long term goal is to work in this industry.Thats is why I want to take the opportunity in order to gain experiences. Thanks to my hostmum Lizanne I got a job straight away. We went to a Restaurant called Manuka (Wine restaurant that originally comes from New Zealand) and the owner was willing to offer me temporary employment. Since nearly 7 weeks I have been working there and I dont regret it at all. It is hard work but it is fun as well since I get to know plenty of people etc.! On one day my hostmum and I went sightseeing to Capetown. We have visited the most popular tourist spots like Tablemountain and Capepoint and drove through the City of Capetown.

The weather here is basically terrific - it is heating up whereas it must be pretty cold in Germany now - sorry guys in good old Germany ha ha :) I love the beaches and want to go surfing soon. I did go fishing for a couple of time with one of my mates. We did not catch the big ones but enjoyed yourself anyway. More news coming up soon!

Check out photos below! :)

my hostbro Robert and Me

my hostdad Hardy and Me/ having a braai in the backyard

my hostmum Lizanne and Me/ Capetown in the background

close to Capepoint

Cape Point (where Atlantic and Indian Ocean get together)

Distance board ( Berlin = 9975 km)

stunning outlook on Capetown surrounded by mountains -

far in the back you can spot Robin Island

its been quiet cloudy on that day :)

Posing in my working clothes :)

My week at the Thembimfundo Special School

Well, beforehand I would like to tell you about the Thembimfundo Special School in general and the way I learnt about it. Secondly, I am going to report on experiences at the school and the everyday life in this particular rural area.

The Thembimfundo School is located in a village called Mbongolwane, a hilly area, which is about 200km north of Durban. It is a school for mentally and physically retarded kids and youngster.
The name of the school "Thembimfundo" means to obtain chances of education - in other words: Even the poor and neglected children should be entitled to have access to education (equal opportunities). The school has been established through private donations from Germany in Mai 2002. In order to provide financial support to the project, friends from Dringenberg (village in North-Rhein-Westphalia/Germany) have found the "Yebo Zululand Initiative e.V." For more information on the school and the initiative you can visit its website: http://www.yebo-initiative.de/.

Before I left Germany for South Africa on the 8th of August I got to know Mrs Parensen, an active member (kind of the chairwoman) of the initiative and she introduced me into the project by showing pictures and telling me stories. Eventually, she inspired me to visit the school during my stay in South Africa. So I considered it as one of my major trips in South Africa.

In the middle of September I headed for Mbwongolwane from Durban accompanied by a black guy who is grown up in this area and was willing to help me. I got in touch with him thanks to Mrs Parensen who knows him quiet well by having seen him in the recent years. We got to know each other better and ultimately become good friends. Here is one picture of the two of us at the school.

Anyway during my visit I was accomodated at a mission of the "Oberzeller Franzikanerinen" and slept by myself in a roomy guesthouse. The hospitality was great and i could make myself comfortable. From the accomodation to the school it was about 3km one way. Every morning after breakfast Mrs Parensen and I set off to the school. I still do remember exactly my first day.After arriving at the school I was introduced to the main supervisor and all the staffmembers. Shortly after this, Mrs Parensen showed me the different buildings for instance the classroom and the dormitory. After all it was time to introduce me to the kids, said Mrs Parensen along the way whilst showing me around as they were curiously looking at me, trying to figure out who the new guy might be. Everyone was gathered in the classroom and all the children did sing a couple of songs. I really enjoyed listening to them.

Afterwards it was question-answer time :). The children asked me questions about my family, myself and Germany and I happily answered all of them. It was something special for the kids and for me as well. After lunchtime the children are usually allowed to play and have some fun. I joined them for a soccergame and some boardgames. It was amazing to see how single handed they are. They organized themself whilst playing and considered everyone. The teacher did not have to get involved. Even though these kids are disadvantaged, either mentally or physically, they still do express such a vitality, which impressed me totally.

Let me tell you about this guy in the picture on the left hand side. His handicap is that he is deaf-mute, in other words he is not able to speak and to hear which is sad. I got to know him and I think he has got a lot of potential. His disability does not prevent him from being happy and spreading positive vibes allover the place. Whenever we took out a soccer ball he was there first to join us. Besides, he is quiet curious about news things. One guy who helps out at the school at times brought his harmonica. As he saw the harmonica he wanted to play on it. We all listened to him .He did well and has quiet a good persistence, that is for sure :). Basically most of the children are smart in a way. Despite the fact that they can never lead an ordinary life due to their handicap, they try to enjoy it to the fullest. I think nearly all of them are perceptive, curious and inquisitve. There is one story that proves this fact downright. One day Mrs Parensen asked me whether I could teach the children some gymnastic exercies that were illustrated on some papers. The guy that came with me from Durban and I made an effort to teach to them various positions. But long exercises were not necessary. Once they have seen it, they knew how to carry out a particular position. They even figured it out on their own subsquently. A couple of days later the teachers decided to let them perform what they have learnt and to see if they still remember. The performance was a huge sucess. All the viewers were totally blown away. They managed everything on their own - including self-organization.

Generally the tasks of the teacher are mainly tutoring and looking after the children properly. Those kids need devoted people wo give them love and hope. It takes up patience and energy working with such kids. I was quiet strange for me at the beginning but after a short while I got used to it. I tried to make the most of my visit and make it a memorable experience and I am sure i did. Basically, it made an impact on me since i have never worked with retarted kids before. In my eyes it is precious to experience the work with such kids. It makes you understand their way of living and thinking. It is definetly worth it visiting the school.

the kids and mrs Parensen playing boardgames

cute picture of the little ones

As for the everyday life in this specific area of South Africa: The people in the village do not live next to each other as we are used to it in our neigbhourhood. Basically the whole village is a settlement with scattered buildings. The Zululand is known for its hilly areas. It is also called "the land of the 1000 hills". Long distances have to be walked every single day. Furthermore nearly all the houses are not connected to the power supply system as it would be too expensive to get the connection over quiet big distances. Consequently there is only light available through candles. Food has to be cooked by wood on a fireplace. The wood has to be collected every day. This type of work is normally done by the women of a family. The people living in this rural area are very poor and often struggle to make ends meet. Many are affected by unemployment and HIV. A lot of young people try their luck in bigger cities such as Durban. However, it is quiet complicated as the old generations of the family need the support of the young ones. The strong company in an ordinary family is amazing. This consequently however prevents the young people from moving on with their on life.

If you are interested in the project,feel free to get in touch with me anytime!

Mountain of Zululand in the background