German Immersion Weekend in Wellington

Kaia Evans was one of 12 students in New Zealand who won a scholarship to the German Immersion Weekend in Wellington.. Here is what she wrote about her trip:

On Friday 10th of March, I flew down to Wellington to spend the weekend with 12 German students from all over the country. Over those three days we explored Wellington centre, visited the German Embassy, ate out at restaurants, made Dirndl and Lederhosen (traditional German clothes) out of newspapers and had a fashion show, painted rocks, clay garden gnomes and Lebkuchen (a heart shaped gingerbread cookie) and so much more, mostly using the German language, and all of it was paid for by the Goethe Institut. 

We had lots of interesting presentations about Switzerland, Nuremberg and job opportunities with German, and we were given lots of cool stuff, like a chocolate rabbit and a Swiss army knife. 

One highlight for me from my trip was the food. The first night we had dinner at CinCin, where we ate pizza, pasta carbonara and garlic bread, all of it delicious. The second night we had pretzels and all kinds of different meats and sausages, then finishing off with a Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, or a Black Forest cake. For breakfast both mornings I had the delicious pancakes that the hostel gave us for free. 

Another highlight was all the incredible people I met there. We instantly clicked as a group, no icebreakers needed, and we did so many fun things together, like visiting Te Papa and playing Poker, Blackjack and Last Card. Being in a group where everyone around you is also a dedicated learner was really helpful for my speaking, listening and social skills. It was a warm and welcoming environment, and everyone was really nice. 

It was an incredibly fun experience and I made so many memories and friends from Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton, Dunedin, Christchurch and even Ashburton. I am so grateful to the Goethe Institut for choosing me to go on this amazing trip. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone learning German!

by Kaia Evans