Yad's time in Dresden

I was one of the few lucky people out of the many applicants to receive this lovely scholarship from the Dresden Trust Organisation, and I can say that the scholarship was one of the best opportunities I have had in a while.

I was greeted by my kind host mother at the airport, who also took me back to their place and introduced me to her friendly family (and their lovely pet dog!). My host family made me comfortable throughout my stay and didn’t hesitate to tell me to ask whenever I wanted anything. My host family was kind enough to take me to a German War Museum, the State of Saxony’s government buildings, and an amazing hike through the region of Bastei (one of the most scenic hikes I have even been through)

The host father of one of the other scholars organised the trip, and I was also kindly invited to visit one of the German concentration camps in Weimer called Buchenwald memorial. Whereby, we learned in person the horrors of the concentration camp during World War 2.

I also felt very welcomed at St-Benno; since they were used to foreign exchange students regularly, I had no trouble making friends with some friendly people at St-Benno. I also learned the differences between German and English schools, specifically to their early start to their school day, which I personally had difficulties with. I mainly focused on improving my German during classes since I had already finished my A-levels and GCSE’s.

The city of Dresden is one of the most scenic cities I have seen, with a rich history and culture that I was taught throughout by my host family. I was also taken around by my host family to beautiful wine gardens and nearby castles.

The Frauenkirche is a church filled with beautiful architecture and history that fascinated me and possibly many of the other scholars as well. We could all still see the old structural reminders from the bombing by the Allies during World War 2, they were slightly leaning forward and darker/ashier than the rest of the restructured church.

I am excited to visit the city of Dresden once again and explore even more of what the city has to offer, and also visit my host family again as well, thanks to them I was able to have such an amazing experience that I haven’t had before receiving this scholarship.