Letter to a future exchange student*

Dear Self (in the future),

Enjoying watermelon at present. Sitting on padded chair with lop-sided backside. Watermelon bigger than Miki’s head. Whilst away, primary goal is to gain fluency in host country’s language. Dream and dream in foreign tongues. 将来、 あなたの日本語がとてもいいなりたいですよ！
Brought to attention by group; don’t gain over 5 kilograms. Hope for Japan. If don’t get it, who cares?
You know what? You’ve grown up. You’re certain of who you are. You’re comfortable in your own skin, and you have lived a year of fulfillment. Feel proud.
To future self, perhaps you now have nicer hair? That’d be good. If not, go to hairdressers immediately.
In your country, you should have visited at least two major cities, seen at least 20 major tourist attractions, thrown an amazing 18th whilst away. Brag to friends about it being better. Stay in touch with host families nag-dammit!
Hopefully you’ve become a human. Grown from any form of selfishness and evolved. This is the only prayer you will ever pray.

Ryan :]

19/06/2010

*Written prior to going on exchange in 2011 to Germany. One can see how psychotic I once was.
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12 months in photos.

As much as many of the more conservative and less tech-saavy people seem to think that social networking sites are the work of the devil, I do have to agree. And when it comes to something as important as connecting with loved ones across the world, what an easier [and more practical] way to do so by using facebook.

And what’s my favourite thing about this Zuckerberg founded web-giant? :]
The profile pictures. Simple images that depict what you’ve recently been up to… and after 12 months of traveling around Germany and Europe, experiencing the best it has to offer, I’ve had a range of pictures displayed on my facebook account that give an insight into my adventures. So here’s a little look in to those people who I don’t have on facebook. :]

NB: They get soooo much better as you go along. ;]

Strangest feeling in the world.

No, it’s not having a baby move inside a mother’s belly, it’s not the numbness surrounding my fresh septum piercing and it’s definitely not about what happens to every man when he (and his best friend) wake up in the morning.

I’m referring to being back home in the western suburbs of Sydney, Australia, after a year living in one of Europe’s oldest cities, and Germany’s third oldest. I miss it already. Everything here feels as if it’s part of a Salvador Dali dreamscape. My vision is warped and all I’m seeing is pretty colours, hardly seeing the Sydney, or home, I once knew. I’m not sure if it’s the jetlag after a 28 hour trip or it’s the strange Australian food… but all I can say is, if I’m not feeling back to normal within three weeks, i’ll still be asking myself “what the bloody hell am I doing here?”.

Augsburg, I miss you baby. And to all those people who are wondering where a blog about a year on exchange goes from here, it doesn’t stop. Those cute little Animails cartoons shall be frequently posted and I shall simply move my home base from Germany to Australia, so expect a lot of lovely pictures of Sydney! She is a beautiful city, I have to say… it’s just a little hard seeing all her beauty when I haven’t slept well in the past 96 hours.

A very tired chump,
your Ryan. :]
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Gluttony… hardly a sin for an exchange student. [Animails #7]

Delicious, Delicious food…

That’s all that exchange students seem to worry about between classes, after school, and in my situation, even throughout my entire gym workout.

I wonder if any other exchange students out there are in the same boat as me. ;]

Ryan
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Mein Herz wird immer noch in Deutschland bleiben

Translation found in comment section. ;]

Für meine gute Deutsche Freunde,
Das Jahr bei euch war toll, und ich würde gar nix verändern.
Ich danke euch für alles. :]
Hier ist ein kleines Gedicht für euch. :]

Im Januar da kam ich an.
Ich wollte ein Jahr nur mit FUN.

Auch Sprache und Kultur wollt ich verstehn,
und viele Teile von Deutschland sehn! 

Ich lernte viele Freunde kennen
und werd sie für immer auch so nennen

Die Familien waren auch sehr nett
Immer hatt ich ein bequemes Bett

Erwachsener nach dem Jahr, das bin ich wohl
Jetzt mag ich sogar Blumenkohl

Meine Zeit in Europa war nicht lang genug
Ich freue mich nicht sehr auf dem Flug.

Ich will denn nicht so bald zurück.
“Ich bin ja Deutsche”, sag ich mit Glück.

Jetzt ist mein Herz nun doch geteilt
Da es nun auch in Deutschland verweilt!

Ich hoffe, dass ihr es gerne mögt. :]
Liebe Freunde, nicht lang mehr!
I don’t want to go home! :’[

Viele Liebe,
Ryan
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