Eine Woche in Hamburg

Published on isbi School News dated Wednesday 7th of May 2014

Since the day we found out who are exchange partners were to be, we were all excited to meet them. But as our plane touched down in Hamburg Airport, our minds were suddenly flooded with a nervous sense of anticipation; what would our exchange partners be like, what would their families be like and would we get on with them? We desperately tried to memorise key phrases in our German phrasebooks that we might need in order to survive in Germany. Before we knew it, we were each in a new and unfamiliar home staying with complete strangers.

The next morning, when we arrived at our partners' school, we felt a sense of relief as familiar faces cropped up here and there in our lessons although the fact the lessons were in German was slightly strange and sometimes difficult to follow. That afternoon we explored Blankenese, the town Marion Döhnhoff Gymnasium was situated in, and we managed to get our first glimpse of the river Elbe.

On our second day we visited the Dialog im Dunkeln Museum (meaning dialogue in the dark) where we were taken out of our comfort zone and placed in a pitch black room. You were unable to see anything and were made to cope with different situations such as taking a walk in the park, going to a café, and going to the grocer's. It was a very unnerving experience however it really made us appreciate our vision.
After a weekend spent with our German families and socialising with our German partners and their friends, we met yet again at Blankenese station to visit the Neuengamme Concentration Camp. This was a rather sombre trip, nonetheless it was thought-provoking and we all quietly reflected on the significance of the memorial.

Our penultimate day saw a more light-hearted trip to Bremen with all the exchange students, giving us even more time to get to know one another and hopefully allowing us to form long-lasting friendships. We visited the Universum Science Centre where we were able to explore science through 3 different exhibitions; Earth, Mankind and Cosmos. Once we had taken the tram back into the city centre, we had some free time to discover Bremen for ourselves.

However, in the blink of an eye, our last day in Germany had arrived. We visited St. Michael's Church, a prominent feature of the Hamburg skyline, and to our delight, we were to climb the 453 steps to the top of the 132m high spire. It did, however, provide a beautiful view of Hamburg. After a very exhausting trip, our week concluded with a barbeque on the beach with our German partners, a suitable farewell.
We were very sad to leave Hamburg, after such a lovely week, whilst greatly improving our German and understanding their culture. It was a fascinating experience and we are all very thankful for Frau Thompson and Herr Röhrborn for arranging it. We will all miss the currywurst but personally I won't miss the Wasser mit Gas!