Travelin' Trick

School is out.  Snow has fallen.  Cookies are being baked. That can only mean one thing: Christmas time is here!

Of course, I'm no huge Christmas fan, but when you're in a foreign country, you try to understand and enjoy their customs and traditions.  Well, I've been enjoying them quite well, I might say.



A week ago (or longer?) I went to Frankfurt to the German stock exchange and the Christmas market.  A teacher had invited me to come with a class I had never visited, so I got to know some more cooler Germans.  Unfortunately, they're a banking class that has no English class, hence, the likely of seeing them again is slim. Aside from the stock exchange being a tad boring due to our not so enthusiastic tour guide, I enjoyed Frankfurt very very much.  Being there made me miss living in a big city, even though I'm quite comfortable in Giessen. 

The market in Frankfurt is bigger and more festive than the one in Giessen.  At this one booth in the Römer Platz I had Heidelbeerwein (Raspberry flavored Gluehwein) and Rahmbrot with Rakletkäse, which was a dark bread with melted swiss cheese on top.  I did a lot more adventuring through the markets and was truly astonished.  However, I decided in the end that you could find just about everything in the Giessen market that you could in the Frankfurt one.  There might be a few things you can't buy in Giessen, but I don't think it's anything worth noting.  Let's just say I won't be going to Frankfurt for the Christmas markets anytime soon because I'm missing out on something.


I also decided to do a little touring through the city on my own time.  It was my first time in Frankfurt, and even though I didn't get to spend any real time seeing the city, I enjoyed what I did see.  Enjoy some of the pics I took :).




<(Rahmbrot with different toppings)


Later that night I went home and helped Kathrin and Timo prepare for our next event on the following day, a Weisswurst Frühstück.  We invited several people over and cooked these special Bavarian white breakfast sausages with handmade Brezeln (pretzels), German potato salad, and an egg/cheese dip.  To top it all of we had Paulaner Weizenbier.  This was probably the first real authentic German food we made in the house together.  The sausages were sweeter than I had expected; nonetheless they were still very enjoyable.  My favorite part of the meal had to have been the Brezeln though.  There is NOTHING like a homemade, fresh-out-of-the-oven Brezeln.  A "Fressmaschine" (eating machine) is what I feel like after having eaten so many.  The dip was very much like deviled egg filling, and even though strange at first bite, I appreciated it all the same.  At last the Bier was obviously refreshing and complemented the food well.  No mystery there.


Here in Germany when it comes to Christmas, eating and eating and eating is the thing to do.  I don't think in the States we eat this much around this time of year, or maybe that's just my family.  We do often have one or two meals extra if we have to see different family, but it doesn't quite nearly rival up to the frequency of Christmas meals here in Germany.

Not long after the Weisswurst breakfast, Heike, a German teacher at the school, invited me over for a Christmas dinner.  We had some kind of Niedersachsen specialty which was like a cabbage stew with spicy sausage and tomatoes.  Doesn't sound too lovely at first, but it looks, smells, and tastes amazing.  I think Campbell's Soups needs to get on that recipe stat!

Anyway, shortly after that meal, I ate again at Conny's, my mentor teacher.  There we had a huge roasted goose with an amazing sauce, Böhmische Knödel, Rotkohl, and a goose giblet soup.  For dessert, Conny made all kinds of cookies, even some were a special recipe from her grandma.

And it doesn't end there.  Tomorrow I'm heading off to Timo's place in Karlsruhe where his mom has already prepared several things to cook.  On the menu already is the following:  homemade Maultaschen (German ravioli), meat fondue, smoked mackerel, and countless cakes and tortes and other desserts.  The only concern I originally had about was the meat fondue.  At first it sounded like processed meat that's been cooking in a fondue pot and one is supposed to dip vegetables or something of the sort into it.  However, I was gladly informed that it's actually pieces of meat on a stick that stick into a fondue pot of some kind of fat.  So it's frying your own meat.  I'm very intrigued.

Aside from gaining pounds in our waist area, Timo and I plan on doing some traveling/sight-seeing while we're there.  Supposedly there's a castle in Karlsruhe and several museums.  They may or may not be open, but we're going to try.  If time and money permit, we'll go off into German-Franco land a.k.a. Alsace.  Strasbourg is not far at all, and it will be my very first real time (airports don't count) in France.  I can smell the croissants already! That is, if I'm ready to take on a few more pounds :D.

At last, some German words:

der Spachtel - spatula
die Bohrinsel - oil rig/oil platform
abkacken - to screw up i.e. I screwed that test up/I screwed it up with her.
jemanden in den Wahnsinn treiben - to drive someone mad/insane
absetzen (Gewicht) - to relieve weight
ätzend - lousy/corrosive/pungent

There hasn't been much going on the past few days except for me working my butt off.  Well, the work really isn't any more than before, I'm just also dealing with issues going on at home.  While there's schoolwork and tutoring work to prepare, I'm calling over to Kentucky just about every day.  At least trying I'm trying to. 

There's also the roommates contingent.  We all love to cook, so just about every night we try to get together and make something.  What we make ranges from typical German to American, even experimenting with fusion foods.  That's like Mexican food with Chinese ingredients.  After we eat, we normally spend quite a bit of time quatschen about whatever we feel like.  It's easy to forget that I have to be in school 9 a.m. the next day.

The teachers at the school and I are also really starting to develop relationships.  Since the beginning of my time here in Germany, I've been spending time with my mentor teacher.  I'll never be able to stop repeating how amazing she is. I owe all of my positive experiences to her.  Now that quite a bit of time-- more than three months-- has passed, the teachers have started inviting me over for dinners (tonight I'm going over to a teachers for dinner and Glühwein) and I've even been returning the favor, even though our small Wohngemeinschaft doesn't compare to their large beautifully furnished apartments.  However, they seem to be even happier to have been invited and included in my life outside of school.  On the other hand, I feel like it's the least I can do.

It's nice to have three different kinds of age groups as friends.  The Lehrern satisfy my hunger for professionalism, the roommates and their friends for relaxation and student culture in Germany, and the students for new trends in the language.  You could say my bases are covered! 

But...

Even though one could argue that this is the best possible way to spend a time abroad, I'm getting oddly homesick.  In Vienna I didn't get nearly as homesick as I am now.  I just feel like I'm missing a lot going on at home, and it doesn't help the fact that my mom is having hardships AROUND CHRISTMAS.  I want to be there so much for them!  Everyone keeps reassuring me that this will past and eventually I will feel so at home that I won't want to come back.  That may come true, but I don't know if it's ever going to feel comfortable being out of reach with the persons I've loved for a long time now. 

I don't want anyone worrying about me, of course.  Everything will be fine.  I can't reiterate that enough.  Writing in this blog about it constantly just helps me put my thoughts into words which I can reflect upon.  Christmas is coming, and, even though I won't be spending it at home with family and friends, I will be in good company at my roommate's place outside of Karlsruhe, or K-town, as the Germans love to call it.  It's pretty exciting that I'll get to see how the people here spend Christmas while getting to know my roommates and their families better.  Oh! Forgot to tell you that Timo, the roomie from K-town, and I will be stopping by Kathrin's place in Mannheim, who also lives with us.  So there will be quite a bit of traveling this month, and I'm super stoked!  THEN! If that weren't enough, we're going skiing in the Alps sometime the beginning of January!  My Christmas break won't be bad at all :).

Alright, well I gotta head out!  I'll leave you with some new German words/phrases I've learned in the past few days or so.

fiese Socke - nasty sock! (used as a not-so-vulgar insult)
ätzend - god awful; corrosive; acidy;
Angeber! - Show off!
Ziegelstein - brick
einschätzen - to gauge; to assess; but also appreciate?
locker - lax; casual; "locker bleiben" - to stay cool
lahm Arsch - lame ass
scharfer Hund - like a teacher who's too hard/strict, some Amis may say "He's a Nazi!"

It doesn't phase me anymore.  I'm so used to the often strikes of bad luck that it has no affect on me.  No reaction.  Hardly any emotion. Deep inside I'm actually numb. I just shrug it off and then laugh.  Just gotta laugh.

My mom's bedroom caught on fire this past Friday.  I found out when I woke up early morning the following day.  My step mother sent me the news via e-mail.  The first thought that came to me was, "Oh great.  Another misfortune."  Don't get me wrong, I was worried, but I also knew in the e-mail that everyone survived with no injuries.  That is the main thing.

A lot of stuff is damaged and lost. They have no place to stay at the moment other than a temporary stay at a hotel the Red Cross has provided.  They've even given them some money for food and clothing. Everything will be fine.  They're just still a tad traumatized and worried they won't find a place to stay.  That's what really worries me, not to mention the fact that I feel completely helpless.

My mom says she didn't want anyone telling me so that I didn't worry or stress.  I'm glad my step mom did tell me.  If she hadn't, I would have been upset.  Of course I'm going to worry, I'm a family member and that's what we do when our kind goes through a traumatic experience such as this one. 

But things are already looking up for them.  The other day they were at Red Lobster and a random police officer at another table heard them talking about the fire and gave them 100 dollars.  The workers at Red Lobster have even put some money together, and whatever they make, Darden, the company that owns RL, will match what they make.  So far they've got $500 saved up.  Then randomly today at Waffle House, the waitress went around the restaurant and asked everyone if they wanted to pitch in.  That must have been pretty emotional for them.  Makes it hard to believe that miracles aren't possible especially since it's in a time of economic hardship.

So I'm not worried or sad.  I'm fine.  Maybe it's the numbness I talked about earlier, but I just knew deep down inside that we will get through this just like every other misfortune we've endured before. Thanks for everyone's concern, thoughts, and kind words!  You all are the best :D.

So tutoring has been going on full blast this week.  I'm so exhausted and drained, it's having an affect on my social life.  I haven't even seen some of my roommates in a few days. You'd never think it'd be so hard to teach the language you've been speaking for twenty plus years, but it is.  Can YOU explain the difference between simple past, "I ate (something)" and "I have eaten (something)" in English?  Most native speakers of English probably can't. The students never seem to be satisfied with my answers or explanations.  Ah well.  Not a big deal.

My German's coming along.  Still not speaking quite fluently or anything, but I'm experimenting with the language a lot more with this new-found confidence.  Now I've just given up thinking too much about how to say everything correctly and just dodge into the language head first without any inhibitions.  I'll likely often sound like a small child, but that's probably the only way I'm going to be able to beat the language into my head.  It's not that I don't KNOW the language; I can write it almost flawlessly and fluently, but I haven't gotten quite used to thinking on the spot.  They'll notice that I'm a foreigner, and that's exactly what I am.  Speaking like a native will come in due time.

There's going to be a lot going on within the next few weeks or so.  Next Thursday I'm headed to Frankfurt for the FIRST time!  We're going to the Christmas market there and doing some other sightseeing.  Some time after that, I'll be traveling to Nürnberg, my grandma's birthplace, to visit the famous Christkindlsmarkt and to discover and document the area where my grandma grew up.  For New Years, I'm still awaiting word on Mary's passport status, otherwise I'm headed to Wien (Vienna)!  Super stoked!

About the roommate issue, Conny has found a solution for me.  She said that if I work for her, she'll pay part of the rooms rent for the month of Feb. and March.  That way I can stay in the same apartment AND we'd have an extra room for any GUESTS that might want to visit in February or March ;) ;) ;).  Just lettin' ya know what it iz!

No new German words today that I can think of :(.

It's been a while.  I know.  I just gave up, because I really didn't think anyone was reading.

Anyway, here's the revival.  I realized after having been interviewed about my experience as a Fulbright scholar, that it would be wise of me to still document my life here, if not for others, than for myself.

Last week we went on a school field trip to Weimar, Thuringia in the former East Germany.  At first I was a little reluctant about going because I didn't have a lot of money at the time and it'd mean I'd miss Timo's anniversary of separating from the Church and cutting it close to Thanksgiving.  Then I realized I hadn't been on one single trip since the last to Amsterdam in October.

We left on an early Monday morning by bus.  Halfway there, we stopped at checkpoint Alpha (above), a once upon a time gate that led into the former East.  Although freezing, it was a neat experience especially seeing the American post there.  Every time the tour guide said something about Americans, the students would turn and look to me like I was supposed to give some kind of input.  I had no clue though!

This was the first place where the students first noticed that I spoke German.  Several mentioned, "Wow! He speaks better German than we do English!" That, of course, provided a lot of encouragement for me to use my German the time I spent there.

However, I somehow found it difficult talking to the teachers.  They kept saying, "Students this, students that, yackity yack."  Then when I talked to the students, they kept saying, "Teachers are mean, Teachers are unfair, blah blah."  I was definitely caught in the middle.  However, I did get to hang out with one of the classes and had a really good time.  They, too, were really surprised at my German ability.  I only wish I could feel just as surprised as they do!


Weimar (below) itself was nice.  The town is small, though pretty, and has lots and lots of culture.  Think of it as the Canterbury or Oxford of Germany.


 We also visited the nearby Concentration Camp Buchenwald.  Ever since my first trip to a "KZ," I've had just about the same feeling towards all the other concentration camps.  Everyone seems to expect for you to smell death and feel completely uncomfortable.  I, however, did not.  Of course, it's sad every time I go, but I wouldn't know what thousands of dead bodies smell like and couldn't possibly imagine what it would have been like as an inmate.  Or perhaps I'm numb from all the history lessons?  Most camps nowadays are less than half of what they used to be.  Most look like ruins.



But what I hate most about it all is how it's become a tourist destination.  While I understand the importance of remembering history, I also don't feel at ease seeing hoards of people at the sites taking pictures of themselves in front of the ovens or gas chambers.  Do you REALLY enjoy the thought of having been there?

In Dachau right outside Munich I saw an American family of four.  Of course they were loud, heavy set, and only spoke English, but I had gotten used to that already.  What really NERVED me was the fact that the two parents kept telling their children to stand in front of memorials and what not and pretend to be sad while they took photos of them.  The kids went along with it merrily.  Right after the parents took the photo of them looking like Barney had just died, they came skipping right back towards their parents because they were so proud of how sad they really looked.  I could have vomited.  Those kids have no idea WHY they're being told to act sad, and I think it's very shameful of their parents to ask them to do such.



Again in the same camp, my ex and I saw two Californian girls.  They noticed somehow that we were American-- one even pointing out that she could tell that *I* was Kentuckian by my "accent."  When we got to the crematorium, they kept repeating how they could just SMELL death all around them and how sick it was.  I felt like throwing rocks at them.  No, scratch that, boulders.  Have they ever really smelled death before to be able to distinguish it?  Don't you think the place had been cleaned and had enough time to air out any smell left over?  Go to a funeral home and tell me you smell death.

Buchenwald then was an interesting memorial.  The tour guide was very knowledgeable and I learned a little more history.  That's what concentration camps make me feel. Ok. Done with the rant.

I did learn some great German words during my time there and within the last week, though:

Frankfurter Applaus: you make the gesture of tapping the inside of your arm like you're about to shoot up.  Supposedly there's a lot of druggies in Frankfurt.

Warmer Bruder: means "warm brother" literally, but "gay man" figuratively.

Arch schee:  Spelling? Hessisch for "very pretty," hochdeutsch is "ach schön"

In die Pampa: BFE

Auflauf: casserole

wesentlich: essential/significant