While some people have commented that I'm "leaving a dream" here in Germany, some days are actually a nightmare. I absolutely love being here, but this week has not been so grand and the stress continues to build!
1. You may have read my driving license post last week and here's an update. While I have done everything I could so far to get the needed materials completed as quickly as possible, I found out on Friday morning that there really is NO WAY I'm going to get my license by my November 16 deadline. That means I'm going to have to beg for rides from friends and figure out a way to get around this rural area of SW Germany via public transportation. The local driving office said they have all my materials, but they have to send it to an office in Northern Germany for approval, which takes 3-4 weeks. I heard from someone else that it usually takes 6-8 weeks, and there's nothing I can do to expedite it. I just have to wait!!! To top that off, I heard that 30% of people fail the test the first time, so I'm freaking out because if I don't pass it, I'll have to go at least another 2-3 weeks with no license.
2. I'm starting some new Business English classes soon and one language school I work for has said I'm one of their top trainers right now and they are choosing only the very important clients for me. Sounds good, right? Sure, except I found out on Friday that newest group, which I'm meeting on Tuesday, has had English training for a few years, but they weren't happy with the quality anymore, so now they've hired my language school to take over. I thought that wasn't a big deal, but since the company has always hired their own trainers directly (not through a language school), the HR Manager at the company asked for the training profile of each new trainer. NOT THE RESUME, JUST THE TRAINING PROFILE. I've only been training for four weeks and I have no official certifications for it! My manager said, "We know you're a great trainer, but the HR Manager at the company is very skeptical of your skills because you aren't certified and you don't have much experience. She's going to be in your first class, so please do a really good job and prove her wrong." No pressure there!!! "Oh, and by the way," my manager says, "don't use the books on the first day because we don't want students to write in them in case they want to switch classes, so just do a lesson with no book that day." Lovely.
3. It's getting cold here...very cold...and we're already seeing ice on the cars and roads. Thursday morning there were several accidents in our area due to black ice, which if you didn't already know, scares the crap out of me, because in March 2008, I hit a patch of black ice in Indianapolis and ran into a guard rail. My car and I weren't in too bad of shape, but my nerves when driving in cold weather are totally out of whack now. Every time I see a guard rail, I can picture myself slamming into it! I'm uncontrollably nervous when I have to drive on slightly wet roads and I'm also nervous when I'm riding with other people in those conditions. It's so stupid that I can't get past the anxiety, but it won't go away and I almost feel like it's worse here in Germany because I'm not familiar with my car's handling capabilities and I still have basic nerves every time I drive due to the different driving rules and my assumption that I'm going to do something wrong and have an accident. Plus, since I'm driving Alfons' Yaris, I have the added stress of damaging someone ELSE'S car and not just my own! He assures me that German cars are the best and that we won't slide off the road, but soon after saying that he reminds me to be very careful in the mornings when the temperatures are near freezing. I know I should always be careful when I'm driving, but how am I supposed to not worry? It's an impossible balancing act!!!
4. While it's not a big deal for most people in the States, the Euro/US Dollar currency exchange rate is going crazy and that's a VERY big deal for me right now. Since I'm earning euros here in Germany, it's nice that the exchange rate is high at 1.39 (that means it costs $1.39 to buy 1 euro). But until I get my paychecks, it's not a good thing! This summer the rate was as low at 1.19, which was great because I was living off the US dollars I brought with me from the States. Exchanging those dollars for euros wasn't SO expensive, but now I'm paying a crazy amount for the same one euro! The stress I have today regarding this currency exchange rate is that since I didn't start working until Sept 20, my paychecks in October are very small, so I have to keep pulling money out of my US bank account for expenses. One school I work for pays on the 12th of the next month, but the other school doesn't pay until the 26th of the next month. Today's the 23rd, so I haven't even received my September check from the second school yet and it will only be for two weeks of training anyway! So while I'm working my tail off this month, I'll get a little check (from school #1) on November12th, but my main check (from school #2) won't come until NOVEMBER 26th!!! I thought since I started working in September that the currency exchange rate hike wouldn't be a big deal, but it's a huge deal since I am forced to exchange money until I can get caught up in a month or so.
5. And finally, there's little to no sugar coating here in Germany. As you probably know, most Germans are very direct and that's something that's hard for me to get used to. When I have these stressful situations and my mom's not here to say, "it'll be okay," I have to hear, "that's the way it works here," from my German friends. There's not a lot of, "you can do it" or "hang in there" talk, which is extremely detrimental to my self-confidence right now.
I'm trying to keep a positive attitude and I keep reminding myself that in January, I'll look back and all of these stories will be laughable. Let's hope so anyway...
Note: I am totally aware that many people have far more stress in their lives than I have right now and that I have it REALLY good here in my dream land. But those who follow my blog have said they want to hear the ups and downs of this adventure, and I like use this blog as therapy sometimes as well. :-) So thanks for reading and send some good thoughts my way this week if you have a minute or two.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Homesick?
I wouldn't call it homesick just yet, but I MISS MY MOM!!!!!!!!
While I wasn't working this summer, I had the luxury of talking to my family (and particularly my mom) nearly anytime I wanted. With my helpful US-based Skype phone number, I can talk to everyone at home for free from 4,500 miles away...nice! The problem is, now I'm working and trying to catch people in the States with this 6-hour time difference is a nightmare!
When I get up in the mornings, everyone's sleeping at home. Then I have to go to work and by the time I get home from work, everyone else is at THEIR work. If I'm lucky, I can catch people at 4 or 5 o'clock their time, just before I go to bed and just after they leave work. But that only happens once or twice a week and some people are still impossible to catch.
Why not call people on the weekends, you ask? Since Alfons works outside Germany during the week, I only have the weekends to spend time with him. I would love to chat with people on Saturdays and Sundays, but usually Alfons and I are out and about, and when we're home, I don't want to spend too much time sitting at my laptop, when I know he'll be gone again on Monday morning!
We just booked our tickets to the States for the holidays and Christmas can't get here soon enough...I need a mother-daughter hug!!!
Important Note: I also miss my dad, sister, niece, extended family and friends....but it's a girl thing to cry for mommy first! :-)
While I wasn't working this summer, I had the luxury of talking to my family (and particularly my mom) nearly anytime I wanted. With my helpful US-based Skype phone number, I can talk to everyone at home for free from 4,500 miles away...nice! The problem is, now I'm working and trying to catch people in the States with this 6-hour time difference is a nightmare!
When I get up in the mornings, everyone's sleeping at home. Then I have to go to work and by the time I get home from work, everyone else is at THEIR work. If I'm lucky, I can catch people at 4 or 5 o'clock their time, just before I go to bed and just after they leave work. But that only happens once or twice a week and some people are still impossible to catch.
Why not call people on the weekends, you ask? Since Alfons works outside Germany during the week, I only have the weekends to spend time with him. I would love to chat with people on Saturdays and Sundays, but usually Alfons and I are out and about, and when we're home, I don't want to spend too much time sitting at my laptop, when I know he'll be gone again on Monday morning!
We just booked our tickets to the States for the holidays and Christmas can't get here soon enough...I need a mother-daughter hug!!!
Important Note: I also miss my dad, sister, niece, extended family and friends....but it's a girl thing to cry for mommy first! :-)
Monday, October 18, 2010
A Few More Things
Here are few more things that take some getting used to here...
Light switches are upside down.
Toilets are tankless and don't touch the ground.
Stoplights turn yellow before going red AND before going green.
Keyboards have the @ symbol on the Q key, not the 2 key.
There are no 4-way stops. Instead the person coming from the right has right-of-way.
Light switches are upside down.
Toilets are tankless and don't touch the ground.
Stoplights turn yellow before going red AND before going green.
Keyboards have the @ symbol on the Q key, not the 2 key.
There are no 4-way stops. Instead the person coming from the right has right-of-way.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
To Drive or Not to Drive
I knew I had six months to transfer my drivers license from an American one to a German one, but until now, I've had more important priorities. I thought it was silly to switch my license before I got my permission to work, because if I wasn't able to work, I would have to go back to the States and wouldn't need a German drivers license. Once I got my permission to work, I was so busy planning the lessons for my 30 hours of teaching each week, that I didn't have time to worry about much else.
Knowing that Nov 16 (my six-month mark) wasn't too far off, Alfons suggested I start studying for the driving test in early September. (My Indiana license only exempts me from the practical, on-road driving test, but not the written one. Thank goodness they offer the written test in English, although I still have to be able to read the German road signs.) So I bought a training CD in mid-September and started to go through the 900+ questions I have to master for the test. I thought studying would be the most time-intensive part, so that's where I stopped...for a bit.
Last week, Alfons suggested I go to the local county driving office to find out how the license transfer process works since he couldn't get any answers online or over the phone. So his sister and I went to the driving office (similar to the BMV) at 7am on Thursday when they opened. Luckily, we were the first ones in line, so we only had to wait a few minutes for the staff to get ready for business, then his sister explained my situation to the worker. While I couldn't understand what they were saying in German, I knew it wasn't good because their body language was not what I wanted to see. After a few minutes of wondering what was happening, his sister finally turned to me and said, there's a lot to do and the lady doesn't think you can get it done in four weeks by Nov 16. :-(
It turned out there were several steps including;
1) Get a paper stamped by the foreign office where I got my residence permit
2) Have my American drivers license translated by a certified translator
3) Return those items to the driving office to wait for an approval to take the written test
4) Schedule the written test (after approval)
5) Take the written test
6) Wait for the results to be returned to the driving office
7) Wait for the driving office to process the results and make my license
8) Pick up license!
The worker at the driving office said each step averages two weeks, and that it would be VERY unlikely that I get my license by the Nov 16 deadline.
While we knew the probable outcome, we wanted to get the process started as soon as we left the driving office that day, so we went across the street to the foreign office, but of course they didn't open until 8:30 and it was only 7:20. Alfons' sister needed to get to work, so she couldn't wait any longer. I suggested we knock on the door just to see if anyone was working early and sure enough, there was someone!!! She wasn't quick to help us, but once we explained that all we needed was a little stamp and five minutes of her time, she obliged. Step 1 complete!!!
Then Alfons' sister called the local auto club that does translations (since the driving office suggested this route), but they said it really would take nearly two weeks to get the translation. About the same time she made that call, I remembered a friend of mine in Stuttgart works for a translation company. Surely they have a "certified translator" for official government documents, I thought. So I contacted my friend that day (Thursday) and she said she could get me what I needed by Wednesday. Hallelujah!!! Step 2 in the works!!!
Sorry to end the story here, but that's as far as we've gotten...
I'm cautiously optimistic that we can expedite this process, although I'm already researching back-up ways to get to my training classes if I don't have a license for a few weeks. While I can work hard to speed up the first few steps of the process, I have no control over the length of time needed for the last few steps and will be at the mercy of the testing place and driving office.
Keep your fingers crossed for me and I'll be sure to post an updated story once the license is in-hand!
Knowing that Nov 16 (my six-month mark) wasn't too far off, Alfons suggested I start studying for the driving test in early September. (My Indiana license only exempts me from the practical, on-road driving test, but not the written one. Thank goodness they offer the written test in English, although I still have to be able to read the German road signs.) So I bought a training CD in mid-September and started to go through the 900+ questions I have to master for the test. I thought studying would be the most time-intensive part, so that's where I stopped...for a bit.
Last week, Alfons suggested I go to the local county driving office to find out how the license transfer process works since he couldn't get any answers online or over the phone. So his sister and I went to the driving office (similar to the BMV) at 7am on Thursday when they opened. Luckily, we were the first ones in line, so we only had to wait a few minutes for the staff to get ready for business, then his sister explained my situation to the worker. While I couldn't understand what they were saying in German, I knew it wasn't good because their body language was not what I wanted to see. After a few minutes of wondering what was happening, his sister finally turned to me and said, there's a lot to do and the lady doesn't think you can get it done in four weeks by Nov 16. :-(
It turned out there were several steps including;
1) Get a paper stamped by the foreign office where I got my residence permit
2) Have my American drivers license translated by a certified translator
3) Return those items to the driving office to wait for an approval to take the written test
4) Schedule the written test (after approval)
5) Take the written test
6) Wait for the results to be returned to the driving office
7) Wait for the driving office to process the results and make my license
8) Pick up license!
The worker at the driving office said each step averages two weeks, and that it would be VERY unlikely that I get my license by the Nov 16 deadline.
While we knew the probable outcome, we wanted to get the process started as soon as we left the driving office that day, so we went across the street to the foreign office, but of course they didn't open until 8:30 and it was only 7:20. Alfons' sister needed to get to work, so she couldn't wait any longer. I suggested we knock on the door just to see if anyone was working early and sure enough, there was someone!!! She wasn't quick to help us, but once we explained that all we needed was a little stamp and five minutes of her time, she obliged. Step 1 complete!!!
Then Alfons' sister called the local auto club that does translations (since the driving office suggested this route), but they said it really would take nearly two weeks to get the translation. About the same time she made that call, I remembered a friend of mine in Stuttgart works for a translation company. Surely they have a "certified translator" for official government documents, I thought. So I contacted my friend that day (Thursday) and she said she could get me what I needed by Wednesday. Hallelujah!!! Step 2 in the works!!!
Sorry to end the story here, but that's as far as we've gotten...
I'm cautiously optimistic that we can expedite this process, although I'm already researching back-up ways to get to my training classes if I don't have a license for a few weeks. While I can work hard to speed up the first few steps of the process, I have no control over the length of time needed for the last few steps and will be at the mercy of the testing place and driving office.
Keep your fingers crossed for me and I'll be sure to post an updated story once the license is in-hand!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
The Blood Drive
I've always wanted to donate blood, but figured it wasn't going to happen, because whenever I've had simple blood tests done at the doctor (where he only needs a little tube), I've always gotten lightheaded and nearly passed out. I assumed giving a big ol' bag would just do me in!
Alfons, on the other hand, is a pro at giving blood and since he was doing it last week, I thought I should give it a try too. Plus, I had some added motivation because my sister needed blood a couple years ago after a birthing complication and so I felt even more compelled to at least give it a try!
So...last Friday, Alfons and I went to a little community building in a nearby village that was having a Red Cross Blood Drive (or Blood Spend as they say in Germany). I was nervous on the way there thinking of the few times I'd been lightheaded when I gave little bits of blood in the past, so I warned Alfons that I wasn't 100% sure I could do it.
When we arrived, we got the paperwork to sign in (in German of course, which always makes me stressed), then we sat in a hallway where the doctors had little temporary offices to talk one-on-one to each patient. As we sat and waited, I began to recall the event two years ago when my sister needed blood after giving birth to my perfect little niece. Those emotions welled up in me and I couldn't hold back a tear or two. Alfons had no idea why I was crying and just said, "you don't have to give blood if you don't want." I answered, "I WANT to, but it's so scary!"
Alfons and I assumed we could go in to talk to one doctor together (so he could translate), but when the first available doctor said "next," she said only one person could go in at a time. That doctor said she didn't speak English very well, but assumed one of the other doctors would, so Alfons went with her and left me in the hall by myself! My stress level continued to rise as I didn't know what this doctor was going to ask me or even if he/she would speak English very well.
So the next door opened and I went in slowly. "Sprechen Sie Englisch?" I asked. "Oh, a little bit. Come on in and sit down," he said. It turned out that his English was excellent and he had a son living in Boston. He told me all about his son's triplets who are seven and how his son can't visit Europe so much since he only gets a few weeks of vacation time per year (silly Americans!). My visit with that doctor ended up just fine, but I was still super nervous and we hadn't even gone to the room where all the needles and empty bags were!
So Alfons was waiting for me outside and we walked upstairs together. The doctor had told me to drink some Coke before I gave blood because I hadn't drank enough that day yet, so Alfons and I went to the little drink station, poured me a big glass of Coke and sat down for a break. Unfortunately, I don't drink Coke very often and the bubbles made my stomach hurt. That didn't help my nerves any.
After I finished my soda, we walked into the donation room and there were lots of people laying on little cots giving blood and other people over at a table reading the newspaper with their arms held above their heads. I tried not to look at any of the people laying down just in case it would make me woozy, so I walked with Alfons straight over to the nursing table to get my finger pricked. Again, I thought Alfons and I could do that part together so he could translate, but they separated us and the lady who pricked my finger didn't speak English. I didn't mind the prick, but she started talking to me in German, which I couldn't understand, and when I looked over for Alfons' help translating, he was too far away to hear me.
At that moment, I couldn't play strong anymore. I started crying (quietly) and another nurse came over to me and said (in English), "It's okay. You don't have to give blood today. Come back another time." I told them I just needed a few minutes to calm down because I REALLY wanted to give blood, but by that time, they had taken my paperwork away and told Alfons I couldn't give blood because I was too upset. Alfons said they don't want anyone to feel forced to do it, and I understand that, but I just wanted a few minutes to get hold of my nerves and then try again. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option at that point.
Alfons still wanted to give blood while we were there, so the English-speaking nurse suggested I go with him and watch so I know how it works. She showed me how they measure the amount and calculate the time, then let me sit on her nursing stool. That was good, because going through the motions this time will surely ease my nerves for the next try.
After seven and a half minutes, Alfons was done and we walked over to the newspaper reading table. I noticed it was mostly guys and just one girl. I assumed more girls gave blood than guys, but now that I've been through it, I suppose guys do it more because they're stronger. But Alfons said I'm the strongest chicken he knows! :-)
Next time, I'm GOING to give blood...and I'm going to get a sticker too!!!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Entschuldigung, Wiederholen, Bitte?
While I felt like my German was improving so fast the first few months I was here, that has taken a nose-dive!
I can finally communicate basic things with the children playing outside and I can order food at a restaurant, but if someone starts talking to me in German, I have NO IDEA what they're saying. I know just enough vocabulary to ask for what I need, but it's not enough to understand other people when they respond.
Plus, the Germans I meet don't know which words I have learned and which words I haven't. For example, when I order something at the bakery, if the lady says, "Is that all?" in German, I understand it and can say, "Yes, thank you." But if she says the equivalent of, "Do you need anything else?" or "Will that be it for you today?" I have no idea what she said and have to tell her that my German is bad, ask her to please repeat it more slowly, blah, blah, blah...it's a huge hassle!
Lucky for me, no one knows I'm not German until I open my mouth, so if I go through the grocery store and don't talk to anyone, I'm just fine. But on the other hand, since no one knows I'm not German until I open my mouth, they usually talk fast and use slang when they do talk to me. Then I have to look like an idiot and say I can't understand them.
One day at the grocery store, the package of sliced ham I was buying didn't have a bar code on it (because the sticker fell off), so the guy at the register called a service person on their phone system (and I couldn't translate it), said something to me (which I didn't understand), set the ham aside, finished ringing up the rest of my things, took my money, and then started ringing up the next person. I had no idea if I was supposed to get another package of ham myself, wait for someone to bring me another package of ham, or walk away with no ham. I had no idea! I stood there for a minute (thinking the person from his phone call would bring me a new ham), but I tried to look busy so people didn't think I was standing there for no reason in case no one was bringing me a ham! Thank the Lord, my neighbor came to the rescue. She was a few people behind me in line and so I went to her, asked if she could translate (since the cashier didn't speak English), and then she figured out that I should go get another package of ham myself, but I didn't have to pay for it since I was inconvenienced. Whew!
PS: Here are the definitions of the words in the title, which I use OFTEN:
Enschuldigung = Excuse me
Weiderholen = Repeat
Bitte? = Huh? (or please)
Thursday, October 7, 2010
For Every Season...
Maybe we have the same trees in the States and maybe we don't, but I truly believe the autumn colors here are more beautiful than at home!
We live near a small forest, so I'm blessed to get to drive past the variety of trees almost daily. And at the train station the other day, I noticed some amazing leaves changing colors that were so pretty, they looked fake! I actually went up and touched the leaves just to check, even though I knew I had parked under those trees all summer long.
I hope the train station doesn't mind, but I brought a nice red one home as a keepsake. :-)
We live near a small forest, so I'm blessed to get to drive past the variety of trees almost daily. And at the train station the other day, I noticed some amazing leaves changing colors that were so pretty, they looked fake! I actually went up and touched the leaves just to check, even though I knew I had parked under those trees all summer long.
I hope the train station doesn't mind, but I brought a nice red one home as a keepsake. :-)
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Stuttgart Cannstatter Volksfest
While most people know about the Oktoberfest celebrations in Munich, Germany, few people realize that the Stuttgart Cannstatter Volksfest is actually the oldest celebration of that kind. Alfons and I, along with some friends from an English-speaking expat group, went last Saturday night for great beer, great food, great music and great fun!! See for yourself...
Ready to get our Volksfest on!!!
Yummy chickens!!!
Dancing on the benches
Proof that Alfons was on the benches too!!!
Can you spot the lederhosen???
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Explaining English
If you haven't noticed, it's been a while since my last blog. That's because I'm finally teaching! Once I have my lessons planned, I hope to blog more regularly again, but for now, I'm brushing up on my grammar skills from way back when!
It's much harder than I thought it would be to explain the language I've been speaking for nearly 30 years. Below are some things my students have asked me in my first two weeks. YOU try to explain them!!!
What's the difference between "rise" and "raise?"
Why can't I put "ing" on the word "need?"
Why doesn't the word "funny" describe something that is "fun?"
Why does "clothes" sound like "close?"
Can I describe scenery for a movie as "cute?"
Are the job titles "accounter" and "musicist" right?
Can I ask "How many luggage are you taking?"
Why do "pear" and "pair" sound the same?
It's much harder than I thought it would be to explain the language I've been speaking for nearly 30 years. Below are some things my students have asked me in my first two weeks. YOU try to explain them!!!
What's the difference between "rise" and "raise?"
Why can't I put "ing" on the word "need?"
Why doesn't the word "funny" describe something that is "fun?"
Why does "clothes" sound like "close?"
Can I describe scenery for a movie as "cute?"
Are the job titles "accounter" and "musicist" right?
Can I ask "How many luggage are you taking?"
Why do "pear" and "pair" sound the same?
Monday, September 20, 2010
My First Day of School
I started teaching English today. What a day!!!
As a new teacher, it's tough to know how long activities will take in class, especially when you don't know the language level of your students before you arrive. While I made tentative schedules to follow for each class, I had to make adjustments and improvise throughout the day. Luckily, I'm fairly good at thinking on my feet when I need to!!!
The biggest adjustment was at my last class from 5-8pm. I arrived WAY early and talked to the students who walked in a few minutes before 5, but didn't notice until just after 5 that none of the students had books, so I had to make copies...quickly! I thought they'd take it out on me for not having their materials ready (which I had nothing to do with), but they didn't mind once I handed them the copies. We actually had a great three-hour class and I was able to share my MBA knowledge to teach them about entrepreneurs and venture capitalists.
The language levels here are as follows from the least amount of knowledge to native speaker: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2. My classes range from A2 to B2, so there's quite a difference in the vocabulary they know and the grammar rules they are familiar with. It's tough to switch from one class to another in the mornings when I have a B2 group from 8-9:30, an A2 group from 9:30-11 and an A1 group from 11-12:30. I have to slow down my pace as the day goes, which is harder than getting faster as the day progresses.
Another tough thing is that some students learn faster than others. As the teacher, it's important for me to keep the faster learners from getting bored, while not overwhelming the students who need more time. That's my objective for two of my classes, as the knowledge gap is quite large from one student to another.
Finally, I have always known that a lot of work goes on behind the scenes with teachers, but never realized how difficult it truly is to prepare for classes and be ready to take any questions that are likely to arise. As the "expert" in the room, I feel like I should be able to answer any question, but today an A2 students asked "what's the difference between 'do you have some money' and 'do you have any money?'" I know when to use each one, but it's hard to explain on the spot! I know experience will help me with this one!
Almost forgot...the icing on the cake of the day was when I pulled out of the last company (it was dark), I thought the two lanes were for left turns and right turns. WRONG! It was for travel going in two different directions, so I was sitting in the lane of oncoming traffic. Luckily no one was turning into the company since it was late, but all my students saw me pull into an imaginary lane trying to turn where I wasn't supposed to. I hope they forget that happened before our next class on Monday!!!
As a new teacher, it's tough to know how long activities will take in class, especially when you don't know the language level of your students before you arrive. While I made tentative schedules to follow for each class, I had to make adjustments and improvise throughout the day. Luckily, I'm fairly good at thinking on my feet when I need to!!!
The biggest adjustment was at my last class from 5-8pm. I arrived WAY early and talked to the students who walked in a few minutes before 5, but didn't notice until just after 5 that none of the students had books, so I had to make copies...quickly! I thought they'd take it out on me for not having their materials ready (which I had nothing to do with), but they didn't mind once I handed them the copies. We actually had a great three-hour class and I was able to share my MBA knowledge to teach them about entrepreneurs and venture capitalists.
The language levels here are as follows from the least amount of knowledge to native speaker: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2. My classes range from A2 to B2, so there's quite a difference in the vocabulary they know and the grammar rules they are familiar with. It's tough to switch from one class to another in the mornings when I have a B2 group from 8-9:30, an A2 group from 9:30-11 and an A1 group from 11-12:30. I have to slow down my pace as the day goes, which is harder than getting faster as the day progresses.
Another tough thing is that some students learn faster than others. As the teacher, it's important for me to keep the faster learners from getting bored, while not overwhelming the students who need more time. That's my objective for two of my classes, as the knowledge gap is quite large from one student to another.
Finally, I have always known that a lot of work goes on behind the scenes with teachers, but never realized how difficult it truly is to prepare for classes and be ready to take any questions that are likely to arise. As the "expert" in the room, I feel like I should be able to answer any question, but today an A2 students asked "what's the difference between 'do you have some money' and 'do you have any money?'" I know when to use each one, but it's hard to explain on the spot! I know experience will help me with this one!
Almost forgot...the icing on the cake of the day was when I pulled out of the last company (it was dark), I thought the two lanes were for left turns and right turns. WRONG! It was for travel going in two different directions, so I was sitting in the lane of oncoming traffic. Luckily no one was turning into the company since it was late, but all my students saw me pull into an imaginary lane trying to turn where I wasn't supposed to. I hope they forget that happened before our next class on Monday!!!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Bringing Back the Mustache
The Wilhelma Zoo & Botanical Gardens is one of the top attractions in Stuttgart. It has amazing animals and plants of all kinds. While we saw lots of typical zoo animals like giraffes, elephants and tigers, these were my favorite!!!
(Background noise on video is loud...sorry!)
And here are some gorgeous shots of the gardens...
What Goes Up - Must Come Down
There's an old elevator open to the public in the Rathaus (Townhall) in downtown Stuttgart. Dad and I visited it during his trip! It's called a Paternoster. You can see more information about the mechanics and remaining locations around the world at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paternoster.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Do you like THIS blue or THIS blue?
Alfons said I could redecorate some things at the condo, so I've been spending some of my free time looking for inspiration for each room. I try not to pick things that are too girly and luckily he and I like most of the same colors and designs. We haven't painted any walls yet, but here's our progress so far...
BEDROOM BEFORE
BEDROOM AFTER
SMALL BATHROOM BEFORE
SMALL BATHROOM AFTER
(those are seashells on the wall)
TERRACE BEFORE
TERRACE AFTER
(we built this new door and the bench is gone now too)
Monday, September 6, 2010
One Potato, Two Potato
Our friends are hobby farmers and several weeks back they asked if we would help harvest their potatoes since it takes at least three extra people. I didn't know what exactly we were signing up for, but we said, "sure!"
So Saturday morning we got the call that it was potato harvesting day and that we should meet them at the field at 4pm. It was a gorgeous day outside, so we put on our work clothes that afternoon and headed about 5 miles away to their field.
We arrived just as the potato machine was pulling up. I had no idea how this thing worked, but I was about to get my first lesson. There were three conveyor belts on the machine: one big one in the middle and a smaller one on each side of that. There was enough room for three people to stand on each side of the machine, and thank goodness for that, because it took all the hands we could get. This crazy machine dug up the dirt where the potatoes were growing and put the potatoes and dirt on the conveyor belts. It took the small clumps (assuming they were dirt) and shoved them to the small outside belts, while the larger clumps (assuming they were potatoes) were shoved down the big middle belt where they landed in a large bin that would be transferred to a truck later.
Our job was to get the dirt out of the middle belt and put it on the outside belts, while also checking the small outside belt on our side for little potatoes that should be on the middle belt. For both jobs, we had to watch our fingers so they didn't get caught in either belt. The belts were only made of little metal bars going across about every inch (so dirt could fall through), so it was easy to get yourself stuck in between the bars.
You'd think with six people at one time that this task wouldn't be so difficult, but sometimes we'd have to yell at the man driving the tractor to stop for a minute, because there were more clumps of dirt than we could fish out in time! It was crazy!
I asked if anyone knew about "I Love Lucy" and her time spent at the chocolate factory. (Unfortunately, they didn't.) That's exactly how I felt! The conveyor belt was going so fast and we couldn't keep up watching both belts....dirt here...potatoes there! I kept yelling to the other side, "save the little ones," because I could see them falling off their side when they were too busy getting the dirt out of the middle.
There were eight rows of potatoes to harvest and each row took about 15 or 20 minutes on the machine. After the 4th row was done, our shift replacements arrived so a couple people could take a break. We told the replacements how fast we had to work and sure enough, their first row was a piece of cake with very little dirt on the main belt. They thought we were crazy, until they experienced the madness during their second row.
After our evening of harvesting, our friends made dinner for all six of their helpers. It was delicious, but I want to know when I'm getting my free potatoes!!! Hahahaha!!!
(Sorry I didn't get any pictures of this. I forgot my camera that day.)
So Saturday morning we got the call that it was potato harvesting day and that we should meet them at the field at 4pm. It was a gorgeous day outside, so we put on our work clothes that afternoon and headed about 5 miles away to their field.
We arrived just as the potato machine was pulling up. I had no idea how this thing worked, but I was about to get my first lesson. There were three conveyor belts on the machine: one big one in the middle and a smaller one on each side of that. There was enough room for three people to stand on each side of the machine, and thank goodness for that, because it took all the hands we could get. This crazy machine dug up the dirt where the potatoes were growing and put the potatoes and dirt on the conveyor belts. It took the small clumps (assuming they were dirt) and shoved them to the small outside belts, while the larger clumps (assuming they were potatoes) were shoved down the big middle belt where they landed in a large bin that would be transferred to a truck later.
Our job was to get the dirt out of the middle belt and put it on the outside belts, while also checking the small outside belt on our side for little potatoes that should be on the middle belt. For both jobs, we had to watch our fingers so they didn't get caught in either belt. The belts were only made of little metal bars going across about every inch (so dirt could fall through), so it was easy to get yourself stuck in between the bars.
You'd think with six people at one time that this task wouldn't be so difficult, but sometimes we'd have to yell at the man driving the tractor to stop for a minute, because there were more clumps of dirt than we could fish out in time! It was crazy!
I asked if anyone knew about "I Love Lucy" and her time spent at the chocolate factory. (Unfortunately, they didn't.) That's exactly how I felt! The conveyor belt was going so fast and we couldn't keep up watching both belts....dirt here...potatoes there! I kept yelling to the other side, "save the little ones," because I could see them falling off their side when they were too busy getting the dirt out of the middle.
There were eight rows of potatoes to harvest and each row took about 15 or 20 minutes on the machine. After the 4th row was done, our shift replacements arrived so a couple people could take a break. We told the replacements how fast we had to work and sure enough, their first row was a piece of cake with very little dirt on the main belt. They thought we were crazy, until they experienced the madness during their second row.
After our evening of harvesting, our friends made dinner for all six of their helpers. It was delicious, but I want to know when I'm getting my free potatoes!!! Hahahaha!!!
(Sorry I didn't get any pictures of this. I forgot my camera that day.)
Sunday, September 5, 2010
The Work Story
I knew the process to get permission to work in Germany wasn't going to be a breeze, but I had no idea what I was in store for. Here are all the juicy details (that I still remember) that I can finally share with you!
I knew I wanted to teach English to business professionals as my first job here, so I began applying to language schools in the Stuttgart area about a month before I left the States. Before I arrived in Germany, I had one interview scheduled and they offered me a freelance opportunity at my interview, but they said I needed to get another school to also hire me as a freelancer before I would be able to obtain working permission, since the government wants to be sure you'll be able to support yourself financially. So I continued applying to more schools and within two weeks, I had another letter of intent for freelance work from a second school. That's when I submitted my paperwork at Office #1 on June 4.
Office #1 then added some items regarding my residency in our small village and sent it to Office #2 to be processed. Office #2 said they needed approval from Office #3 to prove that these companies and my freelance contracts were legitimate, so they faxed the information to Office #3 on June 17. For full-time employees (not freelancers), Office #3 has to process these items, but as soon as they saw the application was for freelance work, they shoved it to the side thinking it was sent by mistake (or so we think). So Office #2 (and we) waited for 8 weeks to hear back from Office #3, not knowing they had no intention to process my paperwork.
Along the way, Alfons tried to call Office #2 and Office #3 every week for a status update (since they claimed they didn't speak English when I called). He got more and more frustrated as time passed because one person was on vacation, then another would be out for surgery, then when the first came back from vacation she said she's not the person responsible for my paperwork, etc. The worst part was never knowing if we were even leaving messages on the right answering machines since we got tossed from one person to another. Most of our messages fell on deaf ears and few people returned our calls.
When Alfons reached someone on the phone at Office #3 by accident in early August, the guy checked his system and said my name wasn't even in there. So Alfons called Office #2 and had them fax the paperwork to Office #3 again since it had been "misplaced."
Side note: Most gov't offices here are only open in the mornings and most gov't employees only work two or three days per week since many are stay-at-home moms. That made it even tougher to reach people since their answering machine messages and reply emails did not say their schedules.
On Friday, August 20, Alfons finally reached someone on the phone again at Office #3 who said her office did not need to process the paperwork since it was for a freelancer. He explained to her that Office #2 said Office #3 only had to APPROVE the companies, not PROCESS the paperwork. That's when she realized what was going on and said that their office COULD do that. By the end of the phone conversation, Alfons assumed that she would take care of that approval. WRONG!
Another side note: Americans are allowed to visit Germany for 90 days with no visa. And as long as your paperwork for a visa or residence permit is in process, you can stay beyond that time, but you need a letter from a gov't office stating you are still waiting for your confirmation.
So as my 90th day drew closer and I still had nothing saying I had permission to stay, we decided to go straight to Office #2 on August 23, a day we knew our contact would be there (because we had figured out her schedule by then). The woman was very pleasant and sorry that the process had taken so long. She couldn't believe her office hadn't heard back from Office #3 after Alfons told the woman what she need to do, so our contact at Office #2 started by calling the woman Alfons talked to the previous Friday at Office #3. Thank goodness the woman answered the phone, but when our woman at Office #2 asked for the approval of the companies, the lady said that wasn't her job! She didn't tell Alfons that on Friday! And she didn't tell us we needed to contact someone else to take care of it!
The Office #2 woman in front of us was appalled and asked who she should contact to get the approval asap. The woman on the phone passed her along to another woman at Office #3 and within 90 minutes Office #2 faxed the paperwork to Office #3 (for a third time), Office #3 sent an approval letter back to Office #2, Office #2 printed out my residence permit with permission to work, and we left!
Whew!!!
I knew I wanted to teach English to business professionals as my first job here, so I began applying to language schools in the Stuttgart area about a month before I left the States. Before I arrived in Germany, I had one interview scheduled and they offered me a freelance opportunity at my interview, but they said I needed to get another school to also hire me as a freelancer before I would be able to obtain working permission, since the government wants to be sure you'll be able to support yourself financially. So I continued applying to more schools and within two weeks, I had another letter of intent for freelance work from a second school. That's when I submitted my paperwork at Office #1 on June 4.
Office #1 then added some items regarding my residency in our small village and sent it to Office #2 to be processed. Office #2 said they needed approval from Office #3 to prove that these companies and my freelance contracts were legitimate, so they faxed the information to Office #3 on June 17. For full-time employees (not freelancers), Office #3 has to process these items, but as soon as they saw the application was for freelance work, they shoved it to the side thinking it was sent by mistake (or so we think). So Office #2 (and we) waited for 8 weeks to hear back from Office #3, not knowing they had no intention to process my paperwork.
Along the way, Alfons tried to call Office #2 and Office #3 every week for a status update (since they claimed they didn't speak English when I called). He got more and more frustrated as time passed because one person was on vacation, then another would be out for surgery, then when the first came back from vacation she said she's not the person responsible for my paperwork, etc. The worst part was never knowing if we were even leaving messages on the right answering machines since we got tossed from one person to another. Most of our messages fell on deaf ears and few people returned our calls.
When Alfons reached someone on the phone at Office #3 by accident in early August, the guy checked his system and said my name wasn't even in there. So Alfons called Office #2 and had them fax the paperwork to Office #3 again since it had been "misplaced."
Side note: Most gov't offices here are only open in the mornings and most gov't employees only work two or three days per week since many are stay-at-home moms. That made it even tougher to reach people since their answering machine messages and reply emails did not say their schedules.
On Friday, August 20, Alfons finally reached someone on the phone again at Office #3 who said her office did not need to process the paperwork since it was for a freelancer. He explained to her that Office #2 said Office #3 only had to APPROVE the companies, not PROCESS the paperwork. That's when she realized what was going on and said that their office COULD do that. By the end of the phone conversation, Alfons assumed that she would take care of that approval. WRONG!
Another side note: Americans are allowed to visit Germany for 90 days with no visa. And as long as your paperwork for a visa or residence permit is in process, you can stay beyond that time, but you need a letter from a gov't office stating you are still waiting for your confirmation.
So as my 90th day drew closer and I still had nothing saying I had permission to stay, we decided to go straight to Office #2 on August 23, a day we knew our contact would be there (because we had figured out her schedule by then). The woman was very pleasant and sorry that the process had taken so long. She couldn't believe her office hadn't heard back from Office #3 after Alfons told the woman what she need to do, so our contact at Office #2 started by calling the woman Alfons talked to the previous Friday at Office #3. Thank goodness the woman answered the phone, but when our woman at Office #2 asked for the approval of the companies, the lady said that wasn't her job! She didn't tell Alfons that on Friday! And she didn't tell us we needed to contact someone else to take care of it!
The Office #2 woman in front of us was appalled and asked who she should contact to get the approval asap. The woman on the phone passed her along to another woman at Office #3 and within 90 minutes Office #2 faxed the paperwork to Office #3 (for a third time), Office #3 sent an approval letter back to Office #2, Office #2 printed out my residence permit with permission to work, and we left!
Whew!!!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Festivals Galore!
Germany is known for its great festivals and I recently had the pleasure to attend these!
Wine Fest (Weindorf) in Stuttgart
Restaurants from the area bring their cooks and servers downtown to offer great food and great wine outside. We had small portions of different German food to try several things and, of course, ordered a few bottles of wine for the table! Don't worry...I took the train home!
This was a beautiful fountain with restaurants all around.
These were the musicians at our tent who had the whole place singing!
Summer Night Fest (Sommernachtsfest)
This is a great evening event held in Schwabisch Hall, which is about an hour outside Stuttgart. There were thousands of candles in small cups all around the park that lit up the pathways and made shapes in the grass. There were lots of stages with different bands, big fireworks after dark, and there was a neat traditional show with a marching band, dancers, gunmen, cannons and more!
Here are the paths lined by candles throughout the park.
I love seeing the traditional dresses, dances and music!
(Sorry for the random light in the middle.)
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
My Apology
I owe some friends an apology for a true culture and personality gap. I honestly thought my perspective was more appropriate than someone else's and I was wrong.
Here in Germany, personal privacy is a big deal. The thought of having full-body scanners at the airports is an absolute joke and sending your resume to companies without asking first if the position is still available is seen as revealing your information to more people than necessary. In the States, many people think their airplane is more safe with more scanners and that you should get your resume onto as many desks as possible.
And to top off the typical American view of not needing so much privacy, I am an extremely open person in general. In fact, I've had new people I meet say, "Wow. I've learned more about your life in this first 10 minutes than you'll probably ever know about mine." And many people have asked if I have any secrets...I don't. I'll answer any question you ask and often times I'll share personal information without being drilled for it.
I knew this would be an adjustment for me, because my German friends told me before moving here that I tell way more about myself than anyone in Germany does. I actually have to hold myself back when talking to new friends, because I'm afraid I will push people away if I share too many details too quickly. While some people like my openness, lots of people here think it's really strange!
So here's the story that deserves my apology: While I was visiting Germany at Christmas time last year, I took lots of fun photos and put them on Facebook. Once I arrived here in May, I learned that many people in Germany are not a fan of Facebook because they want to keep their private lives private. While I understand that nothing is 100% secure from hackers, I do have my Facebook settings set to where only my "friends" can see my information and photos. I thought that was private enough that my German friends wouldn't mind being in the photos since it's just for my "friends" in the States to learn about my German adventures. WRONG! My German friends recently found out I had posted pictures of them online and were very upset!
To be honest, my first reaction was that they are too conservative and since my privacy settings are as strict as they can be on Facebook, it shouldn't be a big deal. I thought maybe they didn't understand that it's not on the open Internet, but instead just in a place where my friends can see the photos. I also (selfishly) didn't want to take the photos down because they were great shots of what I'm experiencing here and I didn't have good photos of those locations without the people in them. But the more I thought about their perspective, I realized that I should have respected their wishes and taken the Christmas photos down as soon as they mentioned in May that they didn't want to be on the Internet. That comment, as surprising as it was to me, should have triggered me to go back to the album and delete the photos immediately. But I didn't. And I'm sorry.
So I've learned there are many cultural differences here, some which I agree with wholeheartedly and some which I don't. Understanding these differences, however, does encourage me to do better at respecting others' wishes and perspectives.
Here in Germany, personal privacy is a big deal. The thought of having full-body scanners at the airports is an absolute joke and sending your resume to companies without asking first if the position is still available is seen as revealing your information to more people than necessary. In the States, many people think their airplane is more safe with more scanners and that you should get your resume onto as many desks as possible.
And to top off the typical American view of not needing so much privacy, I am an extremely open person in general. In fact, I've had new people I meet say, "Wow. I've learned more about your life in this first 10 minutes than you'll probably ever know about mine." And many people have asked if I have any secrets...I don't. I'll answer any question you ask and often times I'll share personal information without being drilled for it.
I knew this would be an adjustment for me, because my German friends told me before moving here that I tell way more about myself than anyone in Germany does. I actually have to hold myself back when talking to new friends, because I'm afraid I will push people away if I share too many details too quickly. While some people like my openness, lots of people here think it's really strange!
So here's the story that deserves my apology: While I was visiting Germany at Christmas time last year, I took lots of fun photos and put them on Facebook. Once I arrived here in May, I learned that many people in Germany are not a fan of Facebook because they want to keep their private lives private. While I understand that nothing is 100% secure from hackers, I do have my Facebook settings set to where only my "friends" can see my information and photos. I thought that was private enough that my German friends wouldn't mind being in the photos since it's just for my "friends" in the States to learn about my German adventures. WRONG! My German friends recently found out I had posted pictures of them online and were very upset!
To be honest, my first reaction was that they are too conservative and since my privacy settings are as strict as they can be on Facebook, it shouldn't be a big deal. I thought maybe they didn't understand that it's not on the open Internet, but instead just in a place where my friends can see the photos. I also (selfishly) didn't want to take the photos down because they were great shots of what I'm experiencing here and I didn't have good photos of those locations without the people in them. But the more I thought about their perspective, I realized that I should have respected their wishes and taken the Christmas photos down as soon as they mentioned in May that they didn't want to be on the Internet. That comment, as surprising as it was to me, should have triggered me to go back to the album and delete the photos immediately. But I didn't. And I'm sorry.
So I've learned there are many cultural differences here, some which I agree with wholeheartedly and some which I don't. Understanding these differences, however, does encourage me to do better at respecting others' wishes and perspectives.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Everyone's Connected to Germany
I didn't hear much about Germany before 2009. I had never been to Germany or known anyone close to me who had traveled there in recent years, but as I told people about my plans to move this spring, stories came out of the woodwork.
One person would say, "Oh, my family was stationed there when I was a kid." Another would say, "I was an exchange student there in college." Then I'd hear, "My uncle married a woman from Germany." And last, but not least, someone would add, "My ancestors were German. I'd love to trace back to where they lived."
While no one ever mentioned German roots to me before 2009, now I feel like nearly every person, or at least every family, has a connection to this great country. And while I found a few stories online about some women (military wives in particular) who did not like living in Germany and wanted to return to the States, every person I know who's been to, or lived in, Germany loved every minute of it and would love to go back again someday. It's just different enough to be exciting, but still similar enough to our US culture that it's not too scary.
Recently, I've even learned that some folks reading this blog have a special connection to Germany, which is why a friend sent them the link. So now I know there are people I've never met who read this blog and I'm glad it brings back good memories for them! I love the idea of making people smile as they remember their own adventures in Germany and the similar transition stories they experienced.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Lessons from a True World Traveler
I wanted to share this great article a friend found online called "20 Things I've Learned from Traveling Around the World for Three Years." Click here to read it.
From what I've learned in my first three months outside the US, I couldn't have said it better myself!
From what I've learned in my first three months outside the US, I couldn't have said it better myself!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
100 Days
Today marks the 100th day I've lived in Germany. What a transition it's been!
After submitting my paperwork on June 4th, I finally received my residence permit with permission to work yesterday...day 99! This means I'll start teaching business English at companies around the Stuttgart area in the next couple weeks.
While I'm still no where near fluent in German, I can now say important things like "Can I have...," "I need...," "Sorry, my German is bad." and "How much does this cost?" I'm far more confident today going out by myself than I was when I arrived in May. I used to be petrified someone would talk to me in German and I wouldn't know how to respond. Now I'm used to it and have some basic phrases ready to go!
Many people from home have asked me if I'm happy here. The answer is a resounding YES! I am learning so much about myself and about what's really important in life as I explore this new culture. When you grow up without an international presence in your life, you tend to think things are done the American way all over the world...WRONG! Now that I'm seeing the way Europeans live, I can analyze the differences and decide which way I think is the best for me. They have different education systems, governmental structures, recycling laws, and general ways of living. I know I've mentioned some of these things before but most places are closed on Sundays, there are bike paths everywhere, cars are much smaller here, people aren't attached to their cell phones or jobs 24/7, and energy usage is a big deal here! That all takes some getting used to, but allows me to determine what matters to me and what doesn't.
When I see Alfons put away his work phone on Friday evening and not check it again until Sunday evening or Monday morning, that's pretty telling that he wants to focus on what's going on at home on Saturday and Sunday. He knows that if his company had a real issue he needed to tend to, that they'd contact him at home. He doesn't need to carry both cell phones and check work email every few hours, like most people in the States do. That doesn't mean that he doesn't work hard Monday-Friday. It just means he knows how to separate those areas of his life from one another, which is nice!
And regarding cars here, did you know that all the car companies make a smaller model than the ones you've seen in the US? Ford makes a Ka, Nissan makes a Micra, and Toyota makes an Aygo and IQ (both smaller than my Yaris). While these vehicles probably wouldn't be successful in the States since people love their pickups and SUVs, they are great cars and are a good option here since parking is limited and the city roads are small.
So those are some of my thoughts on Day 100. Thanks for following the blog and here's to more great adventures in the next 100 days! Cheers!!!
After submitting my paperwork on June 4th, I finally received my residence permit with permission to work yesterday...day 99! This means I'll start teaching business English at companies around the Stuttgart area in the next couple weeks.
While I'm still no where near fluent in German, I can now say important things like "Can I have...," "I need...," "Sorry, my German is bad." and "How much does this cost?" I'm far more confident today going out by myself than I was when I arrived in May. I used to be petrified someone would talk to me in German and I wouldn't know how to respond. Now I'm used to it and have some basic phrases ready to go!
Many people from home have asked me if I'm happy here. The answer is a resounding YES! I am learning so much about myself and about what's really important in life as I explore this new culture. When you grow up without an international presence in your life, you tend to think things are done the American way all over the world...WRONG! Now that I'm seeing the way Europeans live, I can analyze the differences and decide which way I think is the best for me. They have different education systems, governmental structures, recycling laws, and general ways of living. I know I've mentioned some of these things before but most places are closed on Sundays, there are bike paths everywhere, cars are much smaller here, people aren't attached to their cell phones or jobs 24/7, and energy usage is a big deal here! That all takes some getting used to, but allows me to determine what matters to me and what doesn't.
When I see Alfons put away his work phone on Friday evening and not check it again until Sunday evening or Monday morning, that's pretty telling that he wants to focus on what's going on at home on Saturday and Sunday. He knows that if his company had a real issue he needed to tend to, that they'd contact him at home. He doesn't need to carry both cell phones and check work email every few hours, like most people in the States do. That doesn't mean that he doesn't work hard Monday-Friday. It just means he knows how to separate those areas of his life from one another, which is nice!
And regarding cars here, did you know that all the car companies make a smaller model than the ones you've seen in the US? Ford makes a Ka, Nissan makes a Micra, and Toyota makes an Aygo and IQ (both smaller than my Yaris). While these vehicles probably wouldn't be successful in the States since people love their pickups and SUVs, they are great cars and are a good option here since parking is limited and the city roads are small.
So those are some of my thoughts on Day 100. Thanks for following the blog and here's to more great adventures in the next 100 days! Cheers!!!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Get it? Got it. Good!
Have you ever realized how people change the way they talk when speaking to kids? Adults unconsciously change the vocabulary they use and speed at which they talk to match a child's age and situation. There's a technical term for this called rough-tuning, and nearly all adults do it without needing to learn how.
As I meet new people here in Germany, I am now able to rough-tune my speech fairly quickly based on the person's English skills and understanding of what I say. It only takes a couple sentences for me to translate their facial expressions, and I have to be careful because there's a fine line between sounding condescending and properly rough-tuning to the person's language level.
What's funny about rough-tuning is that you immediately bounce back to your regular level when necessary. When I call my family and friends back home, I talk super fast and use typical slang no one here would understand, such as "get my ducks in a row."
Did you ever realize that "get" is a slang word that has multiple meanings? Do you get me? Go and get it! Get into it! Get up! Get going! Got it? The Germans who only know basic English have a hard time with this one, so I have to remember not to use that word since there are better words to describe what I am trying to say. Do you understand me? Go and buy it! Wake up!
With Alfons, I can use about 95% of my regular (American) English vocabulary and I speak at about 90% of my regular speed. He's familiar with most daily slang, and I can use words like gonna, wanna, shoulda, etc, but I still try not to use the true slang stuff like what they say on Jersey Shore. (I hope he never has to learn what those fools are saying!)
With some of my friends whose English skills are pretty good, I just slow things down and again try to choose my words wisely so they understand me the first time without having to ask or be confused. If I say an uncommonly used word they probably never learned, like shuttle or bumper car, then I usually say "do you know shuttle?" before going on, so they don't feel silly asking.
With some folks I meet whose English skills are not so great, I speak very slowing (in a non-condescending way) and I smile a lot. I praise them for what they say correctly and I show them how bad my German is, so they feel better! In fact, I just learned the German words for, "Forgive me. My German is very bad." That usually makes people smile and at least they know I'm trying!
Here are some basic words I have learnd to replace when possible to help ensure a mutual understanding:
Get = buy, understand, grab, etc.
Right = correct
Niece = sister's daughter
Do laundry = wash my clothes
Awesome = super (Super is a German word too.)
So if you decide to visit and would like to meet my German friends, don't be surprised if I need to translate some of your English into their English to be sure my friends don't misunderstand you!
As I meet new people here in Germany, I am now able to rough-tune my speech fairly quickly based on the person's English skills and understanding of what I say. It only takes a couple sentences for me to translate their facial expressions, and I have to be careful because there's a fine line between sounding condescending and properly rough-tuning to the person's language level.
What's funny about rough-tuning is that you immediately bounce back to your regular level when necessary. When I call my family and friends back home, I talk super fast and use typical slang no one here would understand, such as "get my ducks in a row."
Did you ever realize that "get" is a slang word that has multiple meanings? Do you get me? Go and get it! Get into it! Get up! Get going! Got it? The Germans who only know basic English have a hard time with this one, so I have to remember not to use that word since there are better words to describe what I am trying to say. Do you understand me? Go and buy it! Wake up!
With Alfons, I can use about 95% of my regular (American) English vocabulary and I speak at about 90% of my regular speed. He's familiar with most daily slang, and I can use words like gonna, wanna, shoulda, etc, but I still try not to use the true slang stuff like what they say on Jersey Shore. (I hope he never has to learn what those fools are saying!)
With some of my friends whose English skills are pretty good, I just slow things down and again try to choose my words wisely so they understand me the first time without having to ask or be confused. If I say an uncommonly used word they probably never learned, like shuttle or bumper car, then I usually say "do you know shuttle?" before going on, so they don't feel silly asking.
With some folks I meet whose English skills are not so great, I speak very slowing (in a non-condescending way) and I smile a lot. I praise them for what they say correctly and I show them how bad my German is, so they feel better! In fact, I just learned the German words for, "Forgive me. My German is very bad." That usually makes people smile and at least they know I'm trying!
Here are some basic words I have learnd to replace when possible to help ensure a mutual understanding:
Get = buy, understand, grab, etc.
Right = correct
Niece = sister's daughter
Do laundry = wash my clothes
Awesome = super (Super is a German word too.)
So if you decide to visit and would like to meet my German friends, don't be surprised if I need to translate some of your English into their English to be sure my friends don't misunderstand you!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Aleve Me Alone!
I've now realized that Americans are pill lovers! We have an over-the-counter pill for every problem...even for different versions of the same problem. We not only have cold medicine, but there's sinus cold medicine, sore throat cold medicine, coughing cold medicine, body aches cold medicine, daytime cold medicine, nighttime cold medicine, etc, etc, etc.
Here in Germany, there's just all-natural heal-the-body medicines. Their medicines don't really cure the problems, but are supposed to make you get over it more quickly. And the selection available is not great!
Alfons and I got a head cold this week and luckily I had some Aleve Cold & Sinus in my purse. When he asked what type of medicine it was, I said "it will make you feel like you're not sick and you can plow through the day like normal." He then replied something like, "so it's not going to cure the sickness, but instead just cover up the symptoms? How does that help me get better?" I laughed!
Americans have too many things on their to-do list to be sick! They have work to do, kids to pick up, meals to cook, bills to pay, lawns to mow...and there's just no time to be sick, so they do what they can to just "plow through it."
While I didn't mind being sick this week since I'm not working right now and have nothing on my to-do list, I wonder how I'll feel when I have to call in sick to work or cancel evening plans once my Aleve runs out.
Here in Germany, there's just all-natural heal-the-body medicines. Their medicines don't really cure the problems, but are supposed to make you get over it more quickly. And the selection available is not great!
Alfons and I got a head cold this week and luckily I had some Aleve Cold & Sinus in my purse. When he asked what type of medicine it was, I said "it will make you feel like you're not sick and you can plow through the day like normal." He then replied something like, "so it's not going to cure the sickness, but instead just cover up the symptoms? How does that help me get better?" I laughed!
Americans have too many things on their to-do list to be sick! They have work to do, kids to pick up, meals to cook, bills to pay, lawns to mow...and there's just no time to be sick, so they do what they can to just "plow through it."
While I didn't mind being sick this week since I'm not working right now and have nothing on my to-do list, I wonder how I'll feel when I have to call in sick to work or cancel evening plans once my Aleve runs out.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Only if You're a Farmer
Disclaimer: I don't know the actual farmland laws here, but this is based on what my farming German friends have explained to me.
The housing outside the big cities is separated into small villages where all the houses are clumped together. While some people have a very small front or back yard, many don't have anything but a little landscaping with a sidewalk.
In between each of the villages is typically farmland. The only houses you can find between villages are farmhouses with a barn. That's because people are not allowed to purchase farmland to build a house with a big yard. In order to purchase farmland or a farmhouse in Germany, you must prove you are a farmer. You have to go in front of a judge and discuss your farming experience, which for most people comes from growing up in a farming family. Typically when those children grow up, they rent a few acres from farmers to grow their own fruits and vegetables to get more experience and practice before owning their own large farms.
The housing outside the big cities is separated into small villages where all the houses are clumped together. While some people have a very small front or back yard, many don't have anything but a little landscaping with a sidewalk.
In between each of the villages is typically farmland. The only houses you can find between villages are farmhouses with a barn. That's because people are not allowed to purchase farmland to build a house with a big yard. In order to purchase farmland or a farmhouse in Germany, you must prove you are a farmer. You have to go in front of a judge and discuss your farming experience, which for most people comes from growing up in a farming family. Typically when those children grow up, they rent a few acres from farmers to grow their own fruits and vegetables to get more experience and practice before owning their own large farms.
(Forgive the fogginess in this picture, but it offers a good example of the village/farmland layout in our area. You can click to enlarge it.)
Both agriculture and the beauty that nature brings to Germany are very important to the people here. While some villagers would like to own a small piece of land for a horse or large garden, it is more important to them to preserve the landscape and beauty of this country. So those folks are left with only the option of renting an acre or two from a farmer down the road.
Since only farmers can purchase the large properties, someone who owns a farmhouse with land cannot sell it to just anybody. Even if a family with a lot of money wants to buy the property, the farmer typically cannot sell it to them if they cannot prove they have farming experience and plan to use the land for agricultural purposes. In rare cases, a judge can determine that the property in question doesn't need to be farmed anymore and someone else can have it, such as if a village wants to purchase a portion of a farmer's property to expand its size. That doesn't happen very often though, because most villages want to stay small and quaint.
Friday, August 13, 2010
No Buttons Please
We live about 15 miles outside a big city in a small village of about 3,000 people and are surrounded by farm fields. Many non-farmers rent a small piece of land from a farmer so they can have a garden to grow their own fruits, vegetables and flowers.The great thing for me is that those hobby farmers usually grow more than they need, so in many places around this area you'll see a sign or cart by the road that says "Blumen" (flowers) or "Gemuse" (vegetables). Since it's not possible for these people to man their field or cart all day, they charge people using an honor system. There's typically a small sign with prices listed and a locked cash box with a small hole to drop in your coins.
My friends sell zucchinis, pumpkins, potatoes and some vegetables I've never seen and thus, cannot translate for you! So far, they've had great sales on the weekends and there was only one day that five zucchinis were gone, but there was no money in the box. My friend was really disappointed that day, but I suggested she just think of it as charity and assume those people needed a free meal for their family that day.
So it's a win-win for everyone. The hobby farmers get a few extra euros each week and I get fresh flowers and vegetables any time I want...so long as there's change in my pocket!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
In the Moment
Life in Germany is different. People aren't in such a hurry here and they tend to focus more on the moment at hand rather than what could be. For example, people here do not put their cell phones on the table at dinner. That is considered extremely rude because the person sitting in front of you should be more important than any potential phone call or text.
I think in the States, we've been conditioned to always be available and if we don't answer a phone call or text immediately, others get annoyed or worried. I've now realized that those people can wait and that I'm not important enough to get any calls or texts that are so urgent they can't wait until after my dinner.
Speaking of dinner, that's a whole different experience too. Servers take your order, bring your food, then leave you alone. One reason they can do this is because there are no free refills, so people don't chug their drinks and expect a full glass to appear in front of them. There's also very little tipping, so the servers don't have to be your friend by the end of the meal to get a good tip. You typically leave less than a buck if everything was fine and stop there. Since the servers are paid by the hour at the restaurant and not from the tips, you can sit and have a drink or meal for as long as you want. No one pressures you to get up from the table and the server just waits for you to flag them down to get the bill whenever you are done. They don't usually drop it off because you might decide you want another beer or coffee. It usually takes Americans a while to get used to this dining style, and I've finally adjusted. It's nice.
Life on Sundays is very different. Stores are closed here and it's supposed to be a family day, whether you are religious or not. Neighbors do not want to see you mowing the grass or washing your car. You are supposed to be spending time with family or friends just enjoying one another's company. The only things that are open on Sundays are restaurants and cool places to take your family like castles, pools, amusement parks, etc. It's great to see moms, dads, sisters and brothers all spending real quality time with each other.
Professionals also get six weeks of vacation time per year here. This, again, promotes quality family time and reduces stress and burn-out at work. While I'm a hard worker at the office, I really like that the culture here doesn't expect people to work around the clock and be attached to their BlackBerries 24/7. Germany truly embraces the concept of a work/life balance, which most American companies only pretends to support.
Monday, August 9, 2010
No Kangaroos in Austria
Alfons whisked me away to Vienna, Austria this past weekend to see a beautiful city with hundreds of years of stories to tell. While the weather did not cooperate for our city tour on Saturday, Friday evening and Sunday afternoon were delightful!
When we arrived, we walked down Maria Hilfer Strasse (the shopping zone) to the city center to see the Parliament building and other gov't buildings that were hundreds of years old. They were beautiful, but both Alfons and I were surprised that the city wasn't cleaner and better maintained as far as sidewalks and streets. The very touristy places were nice, but as soon as you were off the main grounds, things weren't as well-kept.
The food was my favorite part. We went down a small side street and found an awesome little cafe on Friday night that served delicious steaks, the best-cooked broccoli I have ever tasted and perfectly seasoned potatoes. On Saturday, we had wonderful schnitzel as we sampled each of the house wines. We wrapped the meals up on Sunday with a slice of Mozart Torte and Sacher Torte, traditional chocolate Viennese cakes.
The highlight of the city was the beautiful Schoenbrunn Palace where the infamous Austrian Empress Sisi lived. The gardens were unbelievable and the interior decorations of the palace weren't too over-the-top like most palaces. It was very tastefully done...for an Empress anyway!
The food was my favorite part. We went down a small side street and found an awesome little cafe on Friday night that served delicious steaks, the best-cooked broccoli I have ever tasted and perfectly seasoned potatoes. On Saturday, we had wonderful schnitzel as we sampled each of the house wines. We wrapped the meals up on Sunday with a slice of Mozart Torte and Sacher Torte, traditional chocolate Viennese cakes.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Rosetta Stone Review
Tons of people have asked about my opinion on the Rosetta Stone language learning software. I have finished the first of three levels in German and I'm fairly satisfied with my progress, but it's not easy. I've read lots of reviews in the last few days to get more thoughts and here are my conclusions:
1) The first level is extremely basic and doesn't teach conversation. It's focused more on simple vocabulary and sentence structure, which is important if you really plan to learn the language. But if you just want to know enough to get by on a vacation, you'll be frustrated that it's teaching you "the ball is blue." Levels two and three (from what I read) are far more conversational.
2) You cannot return (past a month or so) or resell the product...ever! The company was sneaky enough to put controls on the disk so if it's ever put in a second computer, you have to call the company for them to unlock it so you can use it again. From the reviews, I have heard this is a nightmare and that you have to prove your purchase. Even if you never officially register the product, it somehow knows the original owner. In short, you're not going to get any of the money back and it is VERY expensive, so you had better use it!
3) Since the software is self-paced and you need discipline to get through it, it's really best for people who MUST learn a language rather than for those who just WANT to learn a language. It gets hard...really hard at times. It also gets frustrating when the sentences don't make sense or they teach you a word that doesn't have a direct translation into English. We think the translations should be one-to-one where each word has a different meaning in that new language, but it's not that simple. German, for example, doesn't have a direct translation for "sorry" so you have to say "it does myself sorrow."
4) It shouldn't be your only tool for learning the new language. I would recommend having small phrase books or quick learning manuals by your bedside to teach yourself for 10-15 minutes per night as well. It gives you another way to learn and you can look at the subjects you want to know.
5) Speaking of subjects, Rosetta Stone has its own curriculum and there's no skipping things. While I have already learned the names of many sports in German (which aren't particularly interesting to me), I still have not learned the parts of the body. That means when my neighbor's kid falls down and hurts himself, I don't know what is injured, his wrist or his shoulder. I had to look to other resources to teach myself those types of things I wanted to know.
6) There's no language teacher available for asking questions. If you don't have someone close by who knows the language you're learning, you'll struggle with the Rosetta Stone. There will be times when you have no idea what the program is trying to teach you and you'll need a multi-language dictionary, or better yet, someone you can discuss it with. Rosetta Stone doesn't explain the grammar rules or sentence structure. It tells you the sentences and expects you to figure out the patterns.
Overall, I'm reasonably happy with the product and my progress so far, but I don't think I'd buy it again if I had the choice. I would opt for an actual language class that was scheduled weekly and that expected me to do some homework so I could move forward more quickly. At home, it's so easy to think you'll just do that module tomorrow. I should be a lot farther along in my software than I actually am, and that's frustrating.
If you decide to buy it, good luck and stick with it! If after reading this you think there's probably a better language learning method out there for you, I encourage you to put it on your to-do list (today) and find out when there's a class or club meeting near you. And go on Amazon right now and order a cheap language learning book to get you excited about the potential!
1) The first level is extremely basic and doesn't teach conversation. It's focused more on simple vocabulary and sentence structure, which is important if you really plan to learn the language. But if you just want to know enough to get by on a vacation, you'll be frustrated that it's teaching you "the ball is blue." Levels two and three (from what I read) are far more conversational.
2) You cannot return (past a month or so) or resell the product...ever! The company was sneaky enough to put controls on the disk so if it's ever put in a second computer, you have to call the company for them to unlock it so you can use it again. From the reviews, I have heard this is a nightmare and that you have to prove your purchase. Even if you never officially register the product, it somehow knows the original owner. In short, you're not going to get any of the money back and it is VERY expensive, so you had better use it!
3) Since the software is self-paced and you need discipline to get through it, it's really best for people who MUST learn a language rather than for those who just WANT to learn a language. It gets hard...really hard at times. It also gets frustrating when the sentences don't make sense or they teach you a word that doesn't have a direct translation into English. We think the translations should be one-to-one where each word has a different meaning in that new language, but it's not that simple. German, for example, doesn't have a direct translation for "sorry" so you have to say "it does myself sorrow."
4) It shouldn't be your only tool for learning the new language. I would recommend having small phrase books or quick learning manuals by your bedside to teach yourself for 10-15 minutes per night as well. It gives you another way to learn and you can look at the subjects you want to know.
5) Speaking of subjects, Rosetta Stone has its own curriculum and there's no skipping things. While I have already learned the names of many sports in German (which aren't particularly interesting to me), I still have not learned the parts of the body. That means when my neighbor's kid falls down and hurts himself, I don't know what is injured, his wrist or his shoulder. I had to look to other resources to teach myself those types of things I wanted to know.
6) There's no language teacher available for asking questions. If you don't have someone close by who knows the language you're learning, you'll struggle with the Rosetta Stone. There will be times when you have no idea what the program is trying to teach you and you'll need a multi-language dictionary, or better yet, someone you can discuss it with. Rosetta Stone doesn't explain the grammar rules or sentence structure. It tells you the sentences and expects you to figure out the patterns.
Overall, I'm reasonably happy with the product and my progress so far, but I don't think I'd buy it again if I had the choice. I would opt for an actual language class that was scheduled weekly and that expected me to do some homework so I could move forward more quickly. At home, it's so easy to think you'll just do that module tomorrow. I should be a lot farther along in my software than I actually am, and that's frustrating.
If you decide to buy it, good luck and stick with it! If after reading this you think there's probably a better language learning method out there for you, I encourage you to put it on your to-do list (today) and find out when there's a class or club meeting near you. And go on Amazon right now and order a cheap language learning book to get you excited about the potential!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Formality Bites
I ran across a website the other day comparing the differences between American and German culture. I laughed my head off when I read these two things. (I've edited them into my own words.)
1) Germans use a fork AND a knife to eat their food, while Americans typically use the fork AS the knife. Americans also like to eat with their hands, skipping the utensils altogether, which is a no-no most days in Germany.
When I first moved here, Alfons asked me multiple times to please use my knife to cut things. It took me a while to get used to it, but now I can use both utensils without looking stupid. Of course, I still cut things with my fork at home when we're eating alone and I just accept his eye rolling.
2) Germans like formality, while Americans tend to think formality is hoity-toity and that genuine friendliness calls for informality.
Before I came to Germany, I told a friend I was worried that people overseas wouldn't like me, since the Germans I met in my MBA classes told me I was TOO open and friendly for the German culture. My American friend quickly replied, "One moment. I'm getting a news flash from the Stuttgart Times. The headline reads 'American woman singlehandedly makes entire country of Germany 70% more friendly.'" That lifted my spirits! I do think I'm making little changes in our neighborhood. I wave at neighbors I pass in my car and say hallo to anyone I walk past on the roads. In the first few weeks, no one waved back or said anything in return, but now that people are meeting me (or hearing about me from other neighbors they know), people are waving back and saying hallo too. :-)
I mentioned to Alfons that many Germans I have met so far judge people as soon as they see them. He actually confirmed that to be fairly true and I replied, "I hope they label me as 'that friendly American girl!'"
Friday, I signed for a package that belonged to another guy in our building who wasn't home. I didn't know what the guy looked like, but later that evening, Alfons saw him pull up in front of the building so I grabbed the package and started to walk out the door. I figured the guy probably didn't speak English, so I asked Alfons if I could say "Das ist fur dich," which means "This is for you," only the "you" in this case is the informal "you" in German. Alfons immediately corrected me and said don't EVER use the informal "you" with an older person you don't know. So I went out the door, said the man's last name to be sure I had the right guy, handed him the package, and he said, "danke (thank you)" and smiled. I hope he thinks I'm friendly, even though Alfons wouldn't let me use the informal "you." Uh oh! I suppose the guy I met in the laundry room last week thinks I'm crazy for saying "Wie geht's?" which is the very informal version of "How are you?" Now I know better.
The article I found online was not only right about the general American culture, but it was dead-on regarding my behavior. It's certainly an adjustment being here in Germany, but I'm not going to let anyone change my genuine friendliness. Most people who have gotten to know me here say it's refreshing and they don't mind my informality at all. Thank goodness the English language doesn't have a formal and informal "you" because I bet I would have gotten in trouble with that all my life!
1) Germans use a fork AND a knife to eat their food, while Americans typically use the fork AS the knife. Americans also like to eat with their hands, skipping the utensils altogether, which is a no-no most days in Germany.
When I first moved here, Alfons asked me multiple times to please use my knife to cut things. It took me a while to get used to it, but now I can use both utensils without looking stupid. Of course, I still cut things with my fork at home when we're eating alone and I just accept his eye rolling.
2) Germans like formality, while Americans tend to think formality is hoity-toity and that genuine friendliness calls for informality.
Before I came to Germany, I told a friend I was worried that people overseas wouldn't like me, since the Germans I met in my MBA classes told me I was TOO open and friendly for the German culture. My American friend quickly replied, "One moment. I'm getting a news flash from the Stuttgart Times. The headline reads 'American woman singlehandedly makes entire country of Germany 70% more friendly.'" That lifted my spirits! I do think I'm making little changes in our neighborhood. I wave at neighbors I pass in my car and say hallo to anyone I walk past on the roads. In the first few weeks, no one waved back or said anything in return, but now that people are meeting me (or hearing about me from other neighbors they know), people are waving back and saying hallo too. :-)
I mentioned to Alfons that many Germans I have met so far judge people as soon as they see them. He actually confirmed that to be fairly true and I replied, "I hope they label me as 'that friendly American girl!'"
Friday, I signed for a package that belonged to another guy in our building who wasn't home. I didn't know what the guy looked like, but later that evening, Alfons saw him pull up in front of the building so I grabbed the package and started to walk out the door. I figured the guy probably didn't speak English, so I asked Alfons if I could say "Das ist fur dich," which means "This is for you," only the "you" in this case is the informal "you" in German. Alfons immediately corrected me and said don't EVER use the informal "you" with an older person you don't know. So I went out the door, said the man's last name to be sure I had the right guy, handed him the package, and he said, "danke (thank you)" and smiled. I hope he thinks I'm friendly, even though Alfons wouldn't let me use the informal "you." Uh oh! I suppose the guy I met in the laundry room last week thinks I'm crazy for saying "Wie geht's?" which is the very informal version of "How are you?" Now I know better.
The article I found online was not only right about the general American culture, but it was dead-on regarding my behavior. It's certainly an adjustment being here in Germany, but I'm not going to let anyone change my genuine friendliness. Most people who have gotten to know me here say it's refreshing and they don't mind my informality at all. Thank goodness the English language doesn't have a formal and informal "you" because I bet I would have gotten in trouble with that all my life!
Friday, July 30, 2010
It's a Big World
Since the only English television stations we get here are CNN and BBC, I watch a lot of news shows, and most of them are world news programs to be more specific. Watching these shows has made me realize that I know nothing about what's going on in most countries around the world. While I am pretty good at geography and at least know where the countries are on a map, I can't tell you the president or prime minister's name of any places outside the US. I don't know which countries are democratic and which are not. And I certainly can't explain the history of any country except the US...and that's still iffy.
I remember many years ago at an interview, the man on the other side of the table asked the infamous, "So what are your weaknesses or areas you'd like to improve upon, Cara?" While there's a mighty list of these things, the first one that came to mind was current event knowledge. (I had always been poor in history classes at school since my comprehension skills weren't up to par.) So I decided that day, many years ago, that I would try to do better at understanding current events and major happenings in world history so I wouldn't be the idiot in the room if someone wanted to discuss WWII.
I failed. I tried to watch some news, but quickly became overwhelmed by the names I couldn't pronounce, the cities I couldn't find on a map, and the religious groups I didn't know existed. While I don't expect to catch up on everything, being forced to watch CNN and BBC here in Germany have certainly boosted my current event knowledge and I am not afraid to ask Alfons to explain past events to me, as he's far better versed in history...be it European or anywhere else.
One thing I've learned so far is that I am extraordinarily blessed to have the opportunities I have had in both the USA and in Europe. Had I been born in a third-world country or one torn apart by war, I could not be where I am today.
Even when your day gets tough, remember your blessings. It may be difficult, but be thankful for everything you have, even a crappy job, a car with no A/C or a leaky faucet, as those things are only a dream for millions of people around the world.
I remember many years ago at an interview, the man on the other side of the table asked the infamous, "So what are your weaknesses or areas you'd like to improve upon, Cara?" While there's a mighty list of these things, the first one that came to mind was current event knowledge. (I had always been poor in history classes at school since my comprehension skills weren't up to par.) So I decided that day, many years ago, that I would try to do better at understanding current events and major happenings in world history so I wouldn't be the idiot in the room if someone wanted to discuss WWII.
I failed. I tried to watch some news, but quickly became overwhelmed by the names I couldn't pronounce, the cities I couldn't find on a map, and the religious groups I didn't know existed. While I don't expect to catch up on everything, being forced to watch CNN and BBC here in Germany have certainly boosted my current event knowledge and I am not afraid to ask Alfons to explain past events to me, as he's far better versed in history...be it European or anywhere else.
One thing I've learned so far is that I am extraordinarily blessed to have the opportunities I have had in both the USA and in Europe. Had I been born in a third-world country or one torn apart by war, I could not be where I am today.
Even when your day gets tough, remember your blessings. It may be difficult, but be thankful for everything you have, even a crappy job, a car with no A/C or a leaky faucet, as those things are only a dream for millions of people around the world.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Making Memories with Mom
Before she left, Mom said she wished she had written everything down that we did so she wouldn’t forget anything. Well, here’s our list, Mom. Now everyone will know how much fun we packed into your eight-day visit!!!!
Day 1:
Picked up at Zurich airport in Switzerland
Saw cute little Swiss houses
Visited not one, but two seas with a beautiful view
Drove up the Alps and saw cows wandering
Bought some Alp Butter Cheese
Heard cow bells that sounded like wind chimes
Ate at a café where Mom had her first Wurstsalat
Drove to Hildrizhausen to see Cara & Alfons’ place
Day 2:
Took train to Stuttgart
Walked down Konigstrasse checking out the shops
Saw the old wooden elevator (out of service unfortunately)
Ate lunch outside at a Paulaner Café and tried more Wurstsalat
Watched a crime show being filmed
Found a beautiful fountain and park downtown
Day 3:
Celebrated Mom’s Birthday in Tubingen!!!
Had lunch at NeckarMuller on the water
Took a wooden boat down the Neckar River
Shopped for Cara’s Birthday gifts (hehehe)
Picked up by Angela for convertible ride
Ate dinner at Krabba Nescht near Black Forest
Day 4:
Picked up curtains from seamstress by the pool
Our neighbor Heike made Kasespeztle for lunch
Returned bottles at grocery store and got fresh bread (Mom’s favorite)
Cleaned house before Alfons’ arrival (typical Thursday)
Started project to recover dining room chairs
Day 5:
Took train into Stuttgart again
Had a ham & cheese croissant for lunch at Kamps
Took a 2 ½-hour city tour of Stuttgart
Tried to see the city from the television tower, but too foggy
Mom ate CurryWurst for the first time and loved it
Stopped at farmer’s market stand in Hildrizhausen
Ate at Schnitzel Academy with Angela & Wolfgang
Day 6:
Delivered recycling stuff and got yelled at by an old man
Went nordic walking in the fields and dodged the goats
Visited a Skoda dealer to look at new cars for Alfons
Visited a Skoda dealer to look at new cars for Alfons
Shopped at Real (Germany’s version of Wal-Mart)
Saw Wolfgang’s new wood table project at his parents’ home
Visited Angela & Wolfgang’s vegetable field
Bought chocolate at Ritter Sport factory
Prepared a very late meal for their arrival (meats, cheeses, fruits)
Day 7:
Walked up to an old fort with a great view
Stopped in a very old city called Esslingen
Tested two ice cream parlors for comparison
Cooked on new grill with Angela and Wolfgang
Played CatchPhrase and laughed our heads off
Day 8:
Drove to Irndorf to visit Alfons’ parents
Watched Cara make homemade Spetzle noodles
Walked to a lookout point of the Danube Valley
Stopped by the Lake of Konstanz (aka Bodensee)
Drove back to Zurich, Switzerland
Ate cheese fondue, raclette and cordon bleu at Adler’s for dinner
Walked down the cool streets of Zurich in the rain
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)