James’ time in Dresden

Looking back on the time after a few weeks, I can’t quite believe that I spent three weeks in Dresden, away from my family, speaking German and immersing myself in the culture. Plunging back into school life a day after my return, I almost forgot that the whole thing had happened. However, although the whole thing seems a world away, it still remains fresh in my memory, as it was such an unforgettable experience.

I was probably more nervous than excited before I set off for Dresden; I had the feeling that I had absolutely no idea what I was embarking on, and there was a suspicion at the back of my mind that I couldn’t speak German and would spend the three weeks in silence. I’d also been told by my parents that I’d have a hard time settling in, that it might take a week before I feel at home. So I arrived in Dresden quite terrified, not least because I’d already decided that German food wouldn’t be as nice as the food back home.

I was wrong on almost every account. After a day or two, I already felt at home with my wonderful host family and rang my parents out of duty rather than homesickness. I gradually gained confidence speaking German over the first few days, and the main difficulty was remembering those words which you don’t use at A-level but which are incredibly common in everyday life. (For example, A-level has taught me the word ‘Vergangenheitsbewältigung’, ‘coming to terms with the past’, but in return I’d forgotten how to say ‘I’m going to the toilet’, ‘Ich gehe auf die Toilette’, which I’d last said in my first year of learning German. I therefore kept saying ‘Ich gehe in die Toilette’, which means ‘I’m going into the toilet’, to which my host brother Tom replied asking me if I was going for a swim.) The biggest surprise was the food - well-made German food is, it turns out, far better than anything English cuisine can offer.

My host family was lovely and I am incredibly grateful to them for entertaining me for three weeks! My host brother Tom was wonderful; despite our disagreement on the best English TV show, we got on very well and had a lovely time. He was easy to talk to, a lot of fun and quick to point out all of the landmarks and bits of history as we travelled through Dresden. My host parents, Bernd and Katharina Schultz, were incredibly lovely and accommodating. Several times, they went the extra mile, taking me to Weimar after I’d professed my love of Goethe and posting me underwear which they’d found in the washing basket after I’d left.

Going to German school was a lot of fun; doing maths and French in German was an interesting challenge, and seeing how the school system and teaching differ in Germany was fascinating. I particularly missed the earlier end to the school day when I returned to the UK. 

I had countless wonderful experiences of German culture, the culmination of which was watching the drinking game Bierball on several occasions (which I didn’t take part in!!). Two teams stand in two lines opposite each other and try to bowl over a bottle of water which stands between the two lines; when the bottle is knocked over, the team can drink their beers until the bottle is propped back up. The first team to each drink an entire bottle of beer wins. A personal moment of drinking game glory (in which I also didn’t drink any alcohol) was my winning shot in beer pong, a moment which I will never forget. Another highlight was watching the opera ‘La Cenerentola’ at the world-famous Semperoper.

I also had a wonderful time with the other English students on the trip: Arran, Maria, Anika, Coco, Henry and Rowan. It was nice to speak the odd bit of English, and we ended up spending a lovely day in Leipzig, which ended with a picturesque row down the river. We had such a lovely time that we’re having a little reunion at the end of October!

I learned an awful lot from my time in Dresden: I’ve learned that I can survive three weeks without my family; I’ve learned a lot about German history and culture; and I have got to know some lovely German and English people whom I’m sure I’ll meet again. Most importantly, I feel much more comfortable speaking German, which used to be my least favourite part of German lessons but is now my favourite, and have learned a great deal of vocab - most notably the word Pumpspeicherwerk, taught by my host father, which describes an energy storage plant which pumps water in order to store energy. I hope to use that in my A-level oral exam.

I am incredibly grateful to the Dresden Trust for giving me this unique opportunity; to Paul Stocker for his organisation and support; for Frau Fassbender from St Benno Gymnasium, who made sure that I had all the help I needed whilst I was in Dresden; and to my wonderful host family Schultz, who were incredibly generous in accommodating me for three weeks! My time in Dresden was unforgettable, an experience which I will cherish and remember for a long time.

You can read James’ ‘Versöhnung’ essay here in German and in English!