4 days left and I am still not nervous =P

Heey,

so, well, the news is:

There are 4 days left until I leave for New Zealand and the other thing about it is that I am really relaxed and not nervous at all!
I think this is quite good because I cannot imagine what would happen if I paniced now!

I hope I won't forget anything important or lose something on my journey (eg the tickets... that would be worst) but in fact I just regard the flight as a necessary sort of "tool" to get to New Zealand where my exchange year finally starts.

Singapore "Changi" Airport is said to be very open and clear and that passengers are able to find their way easily. So this is probably not gonna be a problem.

Another thing that might become a little "adventure" is Auckland International Airport: we will arrive there at 11.45 am New Zealand time but this is about midnight for me [as I am used to the German time zone]. I will have to avoid falling asleep because at 3.25 am (NZL time), I have to get my connecting flight to Nelson. So, in fact, I have to stay up around midnight which is certainly going to be quite hard!

Soooo... well, over here, everything's starting to get hectic: tomorrow, I have to get my suitcase ready because if something's missing, I will be able to buy it on Thursday [the day after tomorrow]!
On Friday, we'll go to Paderborn Airport to check-in my suitcase and on Saturday evening, my adventure starts =P ^^

The last days at school, however, are really relaxed as I needn't do any homework and as I can choose to which courses I want to go. So I have a good sleep every morning and then I see what things I can do at school. But nevertheless, I spend most of the time playing cards ^^

So, that's all for the moment, I hope you still read what I write but I am sure you will when I am in New Zealand. =)

Have a great time everybody,
yours

Chris...tian =P

PS: You're still invited to write comments though! =P

Layout

Hey,

well I hope you like my blog's BRAND NEW LAYOUT! ^^

I got some headers and I edited my link list - it's divided into 4 parts right now but I suppose I'll get some new links someday anyway. =)

Okay, the clocks are still there; the number of posts and archives increases of course; AND I got some logos for the sidebar!!!
So, if you click on the advert "New Zealand on DVD", you'll be put through automatically to the website where you can buy this. It's the same with the airlines and the "All Blacks" - New Zealand's rugby team! This might take some time but just be a little patient - just like I had to be before getting a hostfamily ;-) ^^ Not as long though, lol.
And I'll try my best to get more logos I can add in this list so you have ACCESS to all IMPORTANT WEBSITES from this blog [as far as New Zealand is concerned] =)

^^ Haha, this is like a real advert now - almost at least =) ^^

Right at the bottom of the whole page, you can still see my two "Live Tickers". They'll keep running when I am in New Zealand, too so you can see for how much time I have been there or for how much time I have already been at school down under =)

I have some other headers etc. to make my blog a bit more vivid, so I'll maybe change this layout somewhen. =P But I like the current design very much - what do you think about this?

So, that's all for now!

Have a great time,

Yours
Chris...tian =)

Things to do ...

Hey again!

After some time, I send another post now. =) Today, there are just 13 days left until January 27th and it's really coming closer and closer now... ^^

I made a list about things that have to be done before my departure and it's getting longer and longer. But I think I'll get this until my departure.

Everybody's asking me: "Are you already excited?" - "Is your suitcase ready?" and things like these =)
I can just tell you: it's amazing but somehow I am not really excited yet. I think it'll be really hard on January 26th because we're going to check-in my luggage one day before my departure. :-S I hope I will be allowed to take 30 kilos with me (instead of 20 kilos which is standard for Lufthansa).

Of course, I am actually excited but I cannot possibly grasp that my dream finally is coming true. I already mentioned that I was glad it's taking shape now but this is really the final countdown now! *lol*

I will phone my hostfamily again next weekend to ask some questions I couldn't answer myself and then.... ooooooooooooh! I cannot imagine how it'll be to get in the plane, leaving my family behind me. I think my brother's gonna say: "Oh, he's away! Finally!!!" =P ^^

So, I hope everything's fine among all of you who read this,

Hope to hear something from you soon,

Chris...tian =)

Airplanes on my journey / flight =)

Hey, everybody!

So, as I have got the opportunity to look up the aircraft types I will be travelling with, I searched the web for nice pictures and finally I want to publish the best ones!
(I already wanted to get this done a few days ago but well - I was busy and I really couldn't!)

So, here are some pictures:

I will be travelling with this little plane from Paderborn to Frankfurt (both in Germany)! It can carry about 50 passengers and it is called "Canadair Regional Jet 100-200"!

This is a Boeing 747-400 - Singapore Airlines. This will be "my" plane from Frankfurt to Singapore and from Singapore to Auckland! It is also known as "Jumbo Jet" and just behind the cockpit, it has got two floors!

Finally, this will be the last aircraft type for me on my trip to New Zealand. I will travel 1 hour and 20 minutes with this little plane which can carry about 30 passengers (from Auckland to Nelson). This type is called "De Havilland DHC-8 Series 300" !

So, this is Boeing 777-200! I'll travel with this on my way back to Germany from Auckland to Singapore.

It's smaller than Boeing 747-200!

This is all for now then,

ttyl,

Chris...tian =P

First Phone Call

Hey,

I just wanted to mention that I phoned my hostfamily for the first time!

It was really awesome although I didn't really understand everything at first. But I really have to tell you: many compliments to my hostmother for being so patient with me and her English is just like the slang we always listen to at school --> LISTENING COMPREHENSION!!!

That's really great!

So, I am sorry for this short post but I will have to go now,

you'll get some more information about my flight later, I promise.

So, take care!

Chris...tian =P

Some extra information =P

Hey again,

well, I had to fill in the Visa forms today because Taste wants them back by December 15th and I saw something didn't make sense: they told about an Amadeus-Code to check my trip at "www.checkmytrip.com" but I didn't find it at first...
So, I had a look into the envelope and I discovered my flight details =P Nice surprise...

Okay, so, I am going to leave on January 27th at 7:15 pm from Paderborn in Germany and I will be in Nelson by January 29th at 16:45 or 4:45 pm! There will be a break of about 3 hours and 40 minutes in both Singapur and Auckland whereas being in Auckland it is midnight in Germany... :-S I hope I won't miss my flight there sleeping on a bench...^^ That's just the most "shocking" news because I thought I'd be in Nelson by 3 pm or something :-P

To sum it all up in numbers, this means I will spend 33 hours and 30 minutes in airplanes and on airports! :-S
The total driving or flying distance will be 12,039 miles (= 19,374.84426 kilometres)... That's quite much compared to our flight to London a few years ago *haha*

Okay, that's all for now from me again - just want to keep you informed,
Have a great time everybody,

Chris...tian =)

PS: I forgot one thing - I will depart from New Zealand on July 9th at 09:25 am and I will be back in Germany by July 10th at 08:35 am (Paderborn)!

HOOOOOSTFAMILY!!!!!!! =)

Hello everybody!

I've got some nice news for you... Guess what!

I got a phone call from Taste (my organisation) that they've found a hostfamily for me! ^^ It was an awesome moment, I can tell you!
It was already the day before yesterday (oof, time passes by very quickly!), so on St. Nikolaus Day (which we celebrate here in Germany)! I am sorry, but I was really really busy the last days for school... So:
My mother was downstairs and she came up saying: "Yes, I promised him to hand the phone into him! Hold the line, please!"
It was like... well, as I had heard it, I thought: "Taste has found a hostfamily for me! In a few seconds I'll get to know my hostfamily..." And that's how it was... =)
I was smiling all the time, it was such an awesome feeling. Like "~Can't stop smiling~" =)

So, I'll tell you something about them (just as Taste told me!). And well, now, I think it's the right moment to greet them! I want you to know I am really looking forward to spending about 5 months with you! I am so happy... =)

Okay, I'll sort of quote Taste now:
I have got a hostmother and with her, she has got two children - two boys - who are 15 and 10 years of age. Besides, I will have a Thai hostbrother who will attend Nayland College, too. And there are 2 dogs and two cats.

And the best thing: I can reach Nayland College in 5 minutes - on foot! =) The beach and the shopping centre aren't really far away either... (10 minutes by car)!

I am sooooooo glad that I have finally got a hostfamily because slowly, my exchange year is coming closer and finally, I know where I will stay then and after all - who I will live with!

I already wrote a mail and I plan to phone them [you] this weekend! :-) I am very very excited!

So, well, I'll answer some mails now and some other things... I hope that many people read this ^^

Okay, I'll write some other posts later to keep you informed - I promise! And I hope to get the news from my hostfamily soon!

See you!
Chris...tian =P

PS: This is the best present I've ever got for St Nikolaus!!! ^^

[Annotation for my hostfamily: If you have read this and you don't want me to mention some things about you on the internet, please tell me! I will remove it immeditately then!!!]