This is an entry from the journal I kept when I went to Germany as part of GAPP. Please check out all the entries using the gapp_journal tag.

Thursday we went and saw this one building with a glass dome on the top. We climbed to the top of it. We also saw some cute Germans in military uniforms, We then saw a museum. It had old temples and such in it and artifacts to got with them, it also had Islamic art, but I didn't see that part of the meseum. We then went and ate lunch, then we were on our own. The five...

Apparently I never finished this entry. It's the last one in the journal. *shrug*

This is an entry from the journal I kept when I went to Germany as part of GAPP. Please check out all the entries using the gapp_journal tag.

Friday we went shopping downtown and I tried to find a pair of white platforms with no luck. We then got home a little late, and went to the good-bye party. A band played and they sang a whole bunch of cool songs, like by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. On Saturday we went to a Star Trek technology exposition. It wasn't very exciting, then we went to an old German farm. That wasn't every exciting either but I bought a bunch of honey stuff.

Sunday morning we got to the train and went to Berlin. We dropped our stuff off at the youth hostel, then went out again. We went on a bus, stopped by the TV tower and went up in it. We saw a few more things then went back to the youth hostel. On Monday we had breakfast at 8:30, and met another American. We talked a little then we went and waited in the lobby. We met a group of German guys and they talked with us until we left for Frau Failing's tour. We saw a bunch of stuff like the Brandenburg gate and the Russian Embassy. We finally got let go about an hour later than we were supos'ta at the Berliner dome. Sam and I went back tot he youth hostel to find a note from those guys we'd met this morning. It was about 1:45 and they wanted us to meet them at 2.

We thought their note said Bannhof 200, and it said Bannhof Zoo, and we ended up running to get to the station on time, and the guys ended up being late. We then went to see a couple of little kids break dance on the street, then wandered into a couple shops, and stopped by the MTV thing that was our afternoon plans. The guys wanted to moon the cameras, and wanted Sam to flash 'em. We got there too late to get in, so we got there too late to get in, so we went to a store w/ a couple of skate ramps on the roof and hung around there for a while. We then went to another skate shop then grabbed some ice cream and headed back to the youth hostel. Sam invited the guys to out room and they showed up in a little with beer. Mellissa and Jenny got a little upset because we didn't warn them so we went down to their room.

We then had to go to dinner so we went to some Italian place. Sam hung out with the guys some more and I called Ken. We talked for a little bit, then I had to go, 'cause my dad had put a 15 minute limit and the Germans waiting for the phone started getting hella annoying. We all then chilled in out room. Tuesday we went and saw San Souci and it was raining (ahh!!!) while we were in the gardens, then got hot after that. We then went to Ceciliahof and saw all the stuff dealing with what it was before the Potsdam conference and how it was during the conference. We then got to lay on the grass for about a half hour then we went to an IMAX movie.

Today we went and saw another palace, then we had to whole rest of the day to ourselves. We went to lunch at Hard Rock Cafe. I had a bacon cheeseburger, and a chocolate malt. I then bought stuff from the gift shop. A t-shirt for my dad, one for Ken, and a lighter (zippo) for my mom (it was 50 DM, or about $25-30). We then went shopping, and I didn't find much of anything, except a Marvin the Martian hat for myself. We then went to dinner, and Frau Failing blew her top because of the way we'd been acting the whole time we'd been in Berlin.

After dinner, instead of the boat tour that was planned we went back to the youth hostle, and I wrote a letter to Frau Failing. By that time my voice was all fucked up, so I'm at this point writing instead of talking, since my voice sounds so fucked up. And we basically chilled all evening, then Mellissa wrote a letter for Frau Failing and we all signed it. So now once again, I'm up to date. The current date is July 22, 1999 at 1:05am. Tschüss!

This is an entry from the journal I kept when I went to Germany as part of GAPP. Please check out all the entries using the gapp_journal tag.

Okay, Monday we took three trains to get to a path to walk down to a beach. The first two were regular public transportation german trains. The third one was an old steam engine called the Molli. We got ice cream on the way to the beach, then rented paddle boards for a half hour. We then walked along an FKK beach (damn it was scary, all sorts of old people like mostly over 60 and gravity had had an major effect, yuck!) and we looked for "lucky" rocks (rocks w/ holes all the way through). We then checked out a town at the end of the beach walk, then Jacob, Jana, Kristin and I went out on a paddle board for an hour. Then after that Jacob and I went for another half hour, and got soaked. Then we came home.

Tuesday was the last day of school and we got out at noon. I got a letter from Sally, then wrote a response and watched TV all afternoon while Jana slept. About 4pm I called Dad, Mom, and Ken. I talked to Dad for a little bit, Mom for a shorter time, and I left two messages on Ken's answering machine. I then sent out the letter to Sally. I watched Ally McBeal, then took a shower and packed for the overnight.

Wednesday morning, Jana and I walked to the school in the rain then we got on this P.O.S. bus for a long ass bus trip which made all the others seem like nothing in comparison. We made two pit stops, once at this little store/restaurant a little west of where the east/west border used to be, then the second in the town of Brenen. When we finally got to the navel base we were going to be stayed at and seeing they talked to us for a short bit after coffee (I didn't have any) and cookies.

We then dropped out crap off where we were staying then went for dinner. We are at a restaurant not far away and sat at tables outside. The dinners they gave us were too big and I don't think anyone finished. We then could do what we wanted until 11 and most of us went back to the ship and hung out on the roof. We had to go inside at 11, and a good size group ended up in Sam, Ulla and my room. We all had to go to our own rooms by midnight.

On Thursday Sam got up about 6am, Ulla got up about 6:30am and I got up about 7am. We ate breakfast on the shit then had to be off the ship by 8:15. We then got on the P.O.S. bus, went back to the room we were greeted in and had a long ass lecture which Frau Failing translated most of. We then ate lunch. The Germans ate lunch in the officer' mess, and because no one knew we were coming, we ate lunch in a restaurant, We then got a tour of one of there biggest ships, which was small compared to our aircraft carriers. There were all sorts of good looking guys in uniform, but whenever I looked at one, I thought of Ken and missed him more. We then got on the bus again and rode home. We made two pit stops, the first at McDonald's and the second at that same store/restaurant we stopped at on the way to the navel base. When we got home, Jana and I talked to her parents. I had gotten a letter from Ken, then I wrote a response and went to bed. Now it's Friday morning about 11:20am. Tschüss!

This is an entry from the journal I kept when I went to Germany as part of GAPP. Please check out all the entries using the gapp_journal tag.

Saturday, I slept until almost 11:30, then Jana and I went downtown with her friend and we went into a few shops, then ran into Tim. We then went home, watched tv, played card games, etc. Then we went down to the video store. I got to pick out 3 videos. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, and two Voyager episode tapes (each had half of The Killing Game on it). We watched Austin Powers that night. Jana hadn't wanted to see Austin Powers when I picked it up at the video store, but by the end she was glued to the tv. We then watched 6 Tage 7 Nächte (6 Days 7 Nights) and I didn't understand much of what they were saying, but I believe I got the whole storyline. I then went to bed.

This morning I slept until 9:30 or so then I watched all 4 episodes of Voyager (two episodes per tape). We then had lunch and watched TV. I went on the computer and showed Jana's mom what HTML was. She didn't understand much, but I also showed some of my web page. After that I checked my E-mail and got off-line. I then played mine sweeper and everyone else slept. After a while we went for a walk then got ice cream. When we got back, Jana and her father watched one of the movies Jana had picked out Saturday and I taught Jana's mom how to play Spite and Malice. She learned quickly and after the practice game I won when she only had three cards left. Then now it's not, so guten nacht! Tschüss!

This is an entry from the journal I kept when I went to Germany as part of GAPP. Please check out all the entries using the gapp_journal tag.

I went with Jana to her Englisch class this morning. Her teacher started questioning the American students like she always does, then asked a question of their partners. Then we watched an ill shot video of the 94' GAPP trip of Germans to America. The teacher couldn't say Ghirardelli right (that annoyed the hell out of me).

After 4th period the Americans and some Germans went to the Stadtbäckerei and we got a tour, some food, and got to make stuff too. The newspapers were there so we'll have pictures of it tomorrow. I need to get a copy. Maybe I'll try tomorrow. When I got home, Jana and I did the end of my hair so now it's all purple. It looks really cool and Jenny says I look good with my hair this color. We went to a garden party at Mellissa's host's home. Then after waiting twenty years w/ Jacob and Kristin, we got a ride hom from Kristin's parents. And tomorrow I can sleep in. Yes! Tschüss!

This is an entry from the journal I kept when I went to Germany as part of GAPP. Please check out all the entries using the gapp_journal tag.

Today was just a day of school. Jana didn't have a first period because she had to turn in her books. Then second period the American students met with Frau Failing. Then third period I went to Jana's Sozialleunde. At the beginning they were talking about Kosovo, Yugoslavians, Croatians and the war (Krieg). Fourth I went with Jacob to the store, that's a usual stop for most of the Americans during school. Then Jana and I went home because was done.

We came back some time after one, and she had music practice. One younger girl started talking to me in German and soon realized I'm from America and started practicing English on me. She was pretty good considering she'd only taken one year of English. I used some German with her. She seemed to like that and continued speaking English. I drew some pictures on the blackboard and she'd write the German word then I'd write the English.

After school Jana and I went out and bought me temporary (4-6 weeks) hair color in purple. After dinner we dyed my hair and found out that it was long enough that I needed two kits not just one. Jana's going to buy the second one after school and we'll re-do the ends after I get back from the bakery tomorrow. It's a cool color and it'll look better once the ends have a little more color. My 'rents will freak when I get home. Well, that's it. Tschüss!