Herzlich willkommen: Cullan Mclear aus Südafrika

My name is Cullan Maclear. I am visiting Germany on Foreign exchange from 15 October 2010 until 04 January 2011. I will spend four days in Switzerland after my stay before returning to my home in Cape Town, South Africa on 8 January 2011. I am here with the Freundeskreis Süd Afrika Youth Exchange along with 39 other South African students who are scattered all over Germany. I am staying with the Urban family in Velen and attend Nepomucenum Gymnasium with their son Adrian-Joe. During class I mostly observe the lesson and do not write tests as I finished my Grade 10 year early back in South Africa in order to take part in this programme. German schools are very different to South African schools; especially because of the lack of uniform. In South Africa we have very strict rules regarding our appearance on the school grounds. Girls may not wear makeup or jewellery or have their hair loose and boys may not grow their hair past a certain length…and we must all wear the same uniform. I must say that being able to come to school in clothes that I enjoy wearing is a welcome break from my school in South Africa. However, suddenly being surrounded by the German language (which I am not yet fluent in) was a bit of a culture shock for me at first. But my time here so far has been very interesting. I have seen a good deal of the country side and have also had the opportunity to experience life in a German city which is very different to life in the city of Cape Town. Of course the weather is also very different; it almost never gets as cold in South Africa as it does here and during this time of year we have Summer. But of course I love the change and the chance to experience a lifestyle that is so different to mine at home; that’s why I signed up to the FSA in the first place! I am very grateful to Nepomucenum for allowing me to attend school while I am here and I hope to be able to give back to the teachers and students what they have given to me: a once in a lifetime experience.