Perrydale gets a glimpse of Germany, Norway | News | polkio.com

PERRYDALE — This year, Perrydale is home to two foreign exchange students: junior Sophie Junghans, from Worthsee, Germany, and senior Salome Rossevold, from Aalesund, Norway. The two girls, who made the trip across the world for the first time ever, have been in the Perrydale community since late summer.

Both have spent the winter playing basketball with the Pirates, with Salome playing on the junior varsity team and Sophie practicing with varsity.

The Itemizer-Observer recently caught up with them about what it’s like to play basketball in a foreign country, how their home counties are different from America, and the fun things they have done so far.

I-O: So back in your home countries, have you two played basketball before?

Sophie: Nope, never. I played soccer in Germany.

Salome: Only in P.E. I just lifted weights.

I-O: So what made you guys want to play basketball here?

Sophie: Actually, I really wanted to do something because, I mean, the food is a lot different here than it is at my home, and you actually gain a little bit of weight. And, it’s an experience; we don’t have basketball (at school in Germany), like it’s not a big deal over there.

Salome: And just to be a part of the school sports, because we don’t have school sports (in Norway), it’s usually just clubs and stuff.

I-O: How is basketball different in Germany and Norway from here?

Sophie: I mean, basketball is really a big deal over here, and it is something really important for you, and I mean, basketball is getting a bigger deal in Germany — I’ve seen some pictures from friends, they’re watching games and stuff — but we never really have teams that are really good. America is like the basketball country.

I-O: What are some things you have struggled with being on a basketball team here in America?

Sophie: It’s not so easy to handle the ball, like right away, and we got to the practice late because we were in Hawaii for a week, so it was one week later than the other. And running all the plays–

Salome: — it’s so confusing! (both girls laughing.)

I-O: What do you like about basketball?

Sophie: I like to run, so in basketball, it’s a lot of running and stuff. And the girls are really nice, and the team, and spending time with them.

Salome: Just, like, the community and to be a part of it is what I wanted to do.

I-O: How are the cities you are from compared to Perrydale?

Both girls: (Laughing) They’re a lot bigger.

Sophie: In our town, pretty much everybody knows everybody. That’s pretty much the same with Perrydale.

Salome: I’m from an island outside of Aalesund, so there are just 4,000 people I think.

Sophie: The school is way different. Our school (in Germany) is like 1,400 from fifth to 12th grade, and then coming here, with 100 in high school, I was like oh gosh! But it’s fun, it’s easier to get in contact with all of them.

Salome: Everyone knows who we are.

I-O: That’s fun — kind of like celebrities.

Both girls: (laughing) Yeah!

I-O: Are you guys planning to do other sports in the spring?

Both girls: Track and Field. Salome is thinking about participating in the Javelin, and Sophie is thinking about the running and jumping events.

I-O: What else have you done since you’ve been to America?

Sophie: We’ve been to Hawaii for a week. That was pretty cool.

Salome: You’ve been to Crater Lake.

Sophie: Yeah, that was pretty cool. And Bend, we’ve been to Bend.

Salome: We went to the coast; we went camping; and we went surfing, because I really wanted to surf, because I surf in Norway.

I-O: Is surfing here different than in Norway?

Salome: It’s so hard to get out because, I dunno, it’s just hard. The waves are so much smaller here. Maybe it was just the day? (Laughing.)

I-O: Have there been any language or cultural barriers since arriving here?

Sophie: Yeah. A little bit, yeah. I mean the first days when we just got here. I mean, we don’t really speak English in Germany, it’s only in our lessons. It’s like when you learn Spanish here in school, that’s how we learn English, so you don’t really, like, right away can talk it. So that was pretty hard for the first week.

Salome: For me, I feel like it’s been easy all the way because we watch so much Netflix and YouTube in English, so it’s just already in my brain. (But) once you get here, it’s just a shock. Because it’s been a dream for so long, and when you get here, it’s just unreal.

The girls hope to go skiing while they’re here, and after school gets out for the summer, both girls will travel to California with their real families before heading back home.