#14 - Auf Wiedersehen, Leipzig!

April 5, 2025

And just like that, two intense weeks have come to an end. For the final blog entry, here are a few pics from the soccer match before the kids have the last word. I hope you've enjoyed reading our blog, and we'll see you tomorrow in Atlanta. 

Luay writes: (Just for fun, I will not edit his spelling/grammar today.)

Today we went to the Leipzig game against Hoffenheim and I was really looking forward, we were seated next to the Hoffenheim ultras with their 10 whole fans it was pretty funny. I ended up going to get a Apple juice which costed me 6 whole dollars like I could’ve flown to like the Caribbean with that 6 dollars like what the heck and then once the game started and then Hoffenheim scored soon after, but Leipzig came back and ended up winning 3:1. Oskar also took me to the fan store and got me a jersey it was really nice. Then later on me and Oskar and Mariana packed my bags together it was very stressful but it worked and then we went to go eat some spaghetti ice and it was 10 euros like bro I’m going in Debt. And now I’m currently staying up till we have to fly tomorrow morning. But overall I had a great day

Kelvin writes: (in impeccable English)

This trip truly went by so fast! One of the biggest differences with GAPP was that it felt like we had so much more time when the Germans were in the US than we did the past two weeks. We were able to do so many more things, but there wasn’t as much downtime to chill with our host families.

Some other notable events that I didn’t talk about in my other blog entries:

- I took a math exam and scored a 14 out of 15 (I’m very proud)

- Julia and I biked to a lake near her house and watched the sunset

- I went to the Panometer in Leipzig and saw the Monet exhibition (that makes 3 panoramas exhibits total for my time in Germany!)

I’m going to miss having public transportation and so much pretty architecture and graffiti just randomly everywhere, and I’m especially going to miss the food. My favorite foods I ate on the trip were Brötchen, Pommes, Currywurst, Bratwurst.

After watching the Fußball game, I ended the day by playing a German board game called Elfer Raus! which I was able to keep a copy of as an “international understanding bonus" (I won by a landslide).

This trip was not only nice culturally because I got to learn about the history and important buildings and events, but I feel like my German skills improved a huge amount while I was here. Thank you, Frau Legall and Herr Strecker, for the opportunity!

Lee writes:

During my time in Germany I’ve come to appreciate the deep and rich history in addition to the incomprehensible structures built centuries ago. This trip has reignited my passion for photography and the beautiful architecture has completely drawn me into a new world of art and detail. I would like to thank all who made this trip possible and thank our directors for facilitating cultural immersion and exposure.

The final (?) count is in! So far on this trip I have eaten:

- 5 whole pizzas 

- ⁠1 spaghettieis

- 2 Curry Wursts

- ⁠10 Fanta/Cola Beverages (Spesi, Mezzo Mix)

- ⁠9 Rosinenschenke/Rosinenbrötchen

- ⁠5 Rittersport Bars

- ⁠4 Döners 

- ⁠3 Bratwursts

- ⁠plenty of water and vegetables

And to wrap things up, here are Lee's best shots from the past two weeks:

UND TSCHÜSS!

#13 - Leipzig Völkerschlachtdenkmal

April 4, 2025 - Leipzig

Ida writes:

Hey everyone, it’s Ida from Germany again! Today was packed but awesome. Sofia, Praha, and I talked to some super curious kids about life in the U.S.—they were all ears and full of questions. Later, I visited some kids I met last week, and they totally made my day with hugs and little gifts. I read them Mouse Soup—big hit! They didn’t want us to leave, which was sweet but also heartbreaking. 

Then we checked out a giant monument called Völkerschlachtdenkmal (try saying that five times fast). I may have cracked my phone tripping over my own feet, but the view from the top—after 400+ stairs—was worth it. Wrapped it all up with Schnitzel and dinner with Lana’s family. Delicious. Today was definitely one for the books!

Amelia writes:

Today went by ever so fast, as did this whole week!! This Friday specifically was a very special Friday! It was my host partner's birthday!! She turned 16! Now a new cultural difference that I’ve found out is, instead of eating cake at the end of the day after dinner like my family would do, they eat it for breakfast! Now younger me was jumping for joy! Cake for breakfast is every kid's dream (at least it was mine). 

Today was meant to be a normal school day but the universe had other plans. We had math this morning and the teacher was kind enough to give us a test of our own. My face told another story when the teacher gave us a nice 15ish question test to “try.” With the test behind us, the German teacher was sick and here’s another cultural difference: When the teacher is sick, it’s only sometimes that a sub will come, whereas in the US there’s a sub every time without fail. Anyway with no class, we did what any American would do - we went to Starbucks. I won’t dare say how long we stayed, but after a while the clock struck 12, and we started planning transportation to the Völkerschlachtdenkmal. 

It was a pretty cool experience from the great pond in front to the architecture inside, it was a real monument for a monumental time in history. As we then headed home after climbing (we took the elevator) the tower for quite the view, I started packing for Sunday as there’s a lot that need to come home with me. 

As I said earlier my host sibling's birthday was today, so we went to a fancy sushi restaurant that had the most life-changing sushi, and shortly after, we had waffles for dessert and headed on home, but not before hanging out with friends to end the day with a bow on the top!

Nitya writes:

Today was a total vibe from start to finish. I started off strong by sleeping in, which honestly felt like the most luxurious part of the day. No alarms, no stress—just vibes.

After that, I went out for some normal shopping, which quickly turned into me justifying a lot of very unnecessary purchases. Then came gothic shopping, and that was a whole experience. Dark clothes, dramatic accessories, and way too much black—loved every second of it.

Somewhere in the middle of all that, I had a hot dog, and I’m not gonna lie—it absolutely slapped. Like, suspiciously good. I was weirdly happy about it for the rest of the day.

Later on, I hung out with a few different groups, and then in the evening, I joined Klara and Maria’s German friends. It was actually a really nice time—chill conversation, lots of laughs, no awkward silences, and good energy all around.

Overall rating: 10/10. I didn’t run for a single train, I got cool stuff, made new friends, and ate a great hot dog. No notes.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Reading to the elementary school kids (who are on the bilingual education track) in English was indeed a lot of fun for all. The children were raptured, not so much by the stories we read, but by our sheer presence. Cute anecdote: In the afternoon, out of nowhere, I was tackled by a first grader who was leaving the elementary school. As she was hugging me, she yelled, "Schau, Mama, das ist unser Amerikaner!" - "Look, mom, that's our American!"

Holden did not only give out high fives but also autographs!

It's hard to believe, but tomorrow is our final day in Leipzig. We will spend the afternoon watching a Bundesliga soccer match, and in the evening, some of us will attend a concert in the Thomaskirche by the Leipziger Vocalensemble to finish two eventful weeks in style - music by Bach in the church where Bach worked. Gute Nacht!

For more photos, click here.