31 October 2006
German Traffic Signs
I'd just like to state, for the record, that I scored 100% on this brief Verkehrszeichen Quiz! And I didn't even have to study first!
30 October 2006
Happy Halloween!
[If you haven't already figured it out, all the "cute baby" pictures are of my (first!) nephew, Mason, who is already one month old!!!]I'd like to take the occasion of this most non-momentous of holidays to point out that I have now been here for four months! Time flies!!! [A statement with which my Mom will most certainly wholeheartedly disagree!]
A question: Can a bed catch a squeak? You know, like we catch a cold?? My bed has developed a squeak. Since Saturday. And not just the one-little-spot-squeak, the all-over-squeak. The "when I breathe, my bed squeaks" kind of squeak. (The more I write the word "squeak" the funnier it looks.) Seriously, though, I never noticed that my bed squeaked before. I changed my sheets on Saturday and ever since then, it squeaks.....maybe it hates these sheets? I don't know, but seriously, I am sleeping terribly, because every time I turn over, it squeaks. Every time a cat jumps on or off the bed, it squeaks. You get the idea. It is awful. And now the question is, what do I do??? I tried moving the mattress a little bit, thinking I had moved it when I changed the sheets and therefore caused the squeak, but that didn't help. I don't know.....
Saturday I participated in pumpkin carving. "Participated" meaning that I separated the pumpkin seeds from the pumpkin goo. (Joy!) It was an interesting mix of American expats and Germans. I don't think any of the Germans had actually carved a pumpkin before, so it was really fun for them. I have to say that being an expat creates interesting relationships. Not in a bad way at all, but it's definitely something unique. For example, the family who hosted the pumpkin carving - he's an engineering manager at my company. I knew him pre-Germany, but not well, there were certainly other managers that I knew better. But since moving here, I've been over to their house several times and am invited to Thanksgiving there. Which is really nice, in all sincerity. It's just interesting, because it's something that probably would have never happened in MI.
Late Saturday afternoon, I was driving home (from a different house than the pumpkin carving house....) and I realized that I had left my purse behind. Seriously, I only have to keep track of myself and somehow I can't even do that. But I was so close to home and where I left my purse was almost thirty minutes away, so I decided to hope that they would be online that night so that I could ask them to bring my purse to church. (I would have called them, but I couldn't. Because where was my cell phone? In my purse. And where was their phone number? In my cell phone.....) Eventually, D. was online, so I asked him to bring my purse to church, but they weren't going to be at church, so they would bring it to the birthday party that we were invited to yesterday afternoon. Let me just tell you that I drove very, very carefully Sunday.
Sunday was not my "smartest" day, definitely not an improvement from my forgetfulness on Saturday.....We "fell back" on Saturday night, just like in the States. Supposedly, I have a radio-controlled clock, which theoretically should set itself. So when the alarm went off, I got up and got ready for church. When I checked my email before leaving, I noticed that my computer clock was not in sync with my alarm clock. For some reason, it was an hour behind my alarm clock (yep, that should have been a clue to me, but it wasn't). I figured it missed the time change somehow and thought I would adjust it later (I should have noticed that to correct to what time I thought it was, it would have to spring forward an hour, but I didn't....) On my way to church, the low gas light went on. Here, I try not to procrastinate on filling my tank (unlike in Michigan), because you never know when you might run into a Stau (backup, but not like anything you Metro-Detroiters can imagine, seriously, but that can be for another time). But where was my money? In my purse. And where was my debit card? In my purse. And where was my purse? Not with me! Fortunately, I had 15 Euro that I had stuck in my jeans pocket on Saturday, when S. paid me for their half of the gift that I bought for us to take to the birthday party on Sunday. If I hadn't had that money, I either would not have been able to go to the birthday party on Sunday night or I would have had to have borrowed money from someone at church on Sunday morning (which would have been totally mortifying!). After the gas station, I looked at my clock in the car and thought "how cool, the clock in my car must be radio-controlled, too", as it had apparently "fallen back" all on it's own. (Yes, go ahead and start laughing now....) I pulled into the parking lot and church and ................................................... there were two cars in the parking lot. And the announcer on the radio said, "It's 10 minutes to 9." [A note here on time: here in Schwabenland, they don't say "It's eight fifty." Nope, they say, "it's 10 before nine." And they don't say it's 8:30 either. They say that it's "half nine" when it's 8:30. The best ever was when I heard someone say, "It's 5 after 10 before half nine." Now, you tell me what time that is??? Even the Germans who aren't from here have to think about that one twice.] Anyways, church starts at 10. So I went back home, because I was not going to sit in the parking lot for an hour. And somehow, after being an hour early for church, I still managed to be ten minutes late. Now that's talent!
On to more serious issues....my house in Michigan still has not sold. It seems that I need to consider truly dropping the price drastically in order to sell it. Imagine taking a whole bunch of money, throwing it in the toilet and flushing. That's about how I feel right now. Sometimes I don't understand. I believe that moving to Germany was the right decision. And I have seen His Hand in this move in more ways than I can tell you (someone told me I should write all the ways out, so that I never forget the immensity of all that I've experienced). So I struggle with why my house won't sell. But like almost everything else in my life, I can place this in perspective....Michigan's unemployment is the highest in the nation at more than 50% higher than the national average. Consider then how fortunate I am that I have a job, that my family members have jobs, that my friends have jobs. To be honest, I don't know anyone who's lost their job because of the economic situation in Michigan, which is pretty amazing, considering that I work for an automotive company! In that light, losing some (well, okay, a lot, from any perspective) money on the sale of my house is still upsetting, but seems less devastating.
On to happier topics...I'm headed into a 5-day weekend! Tomorrow is All-Saints Day and since I live in a Catholic state, it's a state holiday here. And then I have vacation on Thursday and Friday. Well, really this isn't so happy, because I need to really sit down and work on my paper. I hope I'll be disciplined to do that, because I've already made some plans for my long weekend and I can see the possibility of more being added. But the draft is due on the 15th of November if I want to have the opportunity to revise it for an improved final grade, which I do. So, enough said. One large dose of self-discipline, please. I also need to get my winter tires (yep, we have to switch between summer and winter tires, please don't ask me, I don't know....) and pick up my German driver's license, which I'm looking forward to getting - imagine, though, the office is only open from 8:30 to 13:30 Monday through Wednesday and Friday and from 13:30 to 17:00 on Thursday. If a government agency had hours like that in the States, there would be an all-out revolt, with demonstrations and picketing, I do believe.
There's a challenge going around right now to blog for every day of November. I haven't signed up, because I don't know if that's something that I can commit to. But I'm going to make an attempt and we'll see if I can make it....
To all my friends in Detroit....so sorry about the Tigers. But it's pretty impressive that they made it as far as they did, don't you think? Now it's time to focus on my boys - the Red Wings. Unfortunately, I don't see the games, but you know I'm watching those stats! And while the boys aren't looking too bad, Anaheim, Dallas, Atlanta, Buffalo and Minnesota are doing pretty well. All I have to say is "Go Wings!"
Okay, that's all from me for today. Happy Trick or Treating!
27 October 2006
Happy, Happy, Happy....
Happy Weekend!!!! And "Go Tigers!!!!!!!"
Oh, and.....Delirious? - you know, the music group? Well, they're going to be here. Not just here as in Germany. And not just here as in Stuttgart. Here as in Stuttgart-Feuerbach. Here as in at Gospel Forum, like two minutes (well, okay, maybe four minutes) from where I live......I am so going! Now I just have to find somebody to go with me......Any takers???
26 October 2006
Who am I?
And what have I done with myself?????
I take the stairs instead of the elevator.
I drink fruit juice that's 100% fruit without any added sugar (the kind you have to shake because it separates).
I prefer bubbly water to tap water.
I can't drink fruit juice straight any more (it's too sweet) - I have to mix it with the bubbly water.
I haven't had a soda in over a month.
I eat mushrooms.
I take vitamins.
I no longer work 50 hours a week.
I eat breakfast (almost every day).
I eat lunch every day.
And if all that wasn't enough, I live in a foreign country, which is close to no longer feeling foreign......
Scary, huh?
Today was gorgeous! 76 and sunny. We actually had to open the windows at work, it was so warm (so glad we can open the windows here, in Michigan we couldn't). It doesn't feel like the end of October. And actually, they're saying that it's bad, because it means that everything's off-balance.....bugs, plants, etc. and that this probably means the leaves won't turn and so on. I really, really want the leaves to turn - it's my favorite part of fall, which is my favorite season.
By the way, Sarah H., I'm watching "Never Been Kissed" auf Deutsch. Good times. :o) Well, to be honest, I'm flipping between that and the German version of Wife Swap (Frauentausch).
I take the stairs instead of the elevator.
I drink fruit juice that's 100% fruit without any added sugar (the kind you have to shake because it separates).
I prefer bubbly water to tap water.
I can't drink fruit juice straight any more (it's too sweet) - I have to mix it with the bubbly water.
I haven't had a soda in over a month.
I eat mushrooms.
I take vitamins.
I no longer work 50 hours a week.
I eat breakfast (almost every day).
I eat lunch every day.
And if all that wasn't enough, I live in a foreign country, which is close to no longer feeling foreign......
Scary, huh?
Today was gorgeous! 76 and sunny. We actually had to open the windows at work, it was so warm (so glad we can open the windows here, in Michigan we couldn't). It doesn't feel like the end of October. And actually, they're saying that it's bad, because it means that everything's off-balance.....bugs, plants, etc. and that this probably means the leaves won't turn and so on. I really, really want the leaves to turn - it's my favorite part of fall, which is my favorite season.
By the way, Sarah H., I'm watching "Never Been Kissed" auf Deutsch. Good times. :o) Well, to be honest, I'm flipping between that and the German version of Wife Swap (Frauentausch).
23 October 2006
Awww, shucks.....
Thanks for all the comments, guys! I really, really appreciate it. 5 comments on one post is an all-time high! And just to reiterate, I will not stop blogging.
Hmm, it's raining so hard here right now. But I'm not complaining, because the weekend was beautiful!!! Saturday, I went to the Stuttgarter Culture Night that I mentioned in my last post. It was so cool! There were 70 different places in the city of Stuttgart that participated. There was classical music, jazz, opera, dance, theatre, film....pretty much you name it and you could see it. And there were buses to take you to the parts of the city that were too far to walk. So, what did we do? We heard a classical organ concert in this really beautiful church, we saw a really funny dance performance and we heard opera. And we learned a really, really valuable lesson for next time (yep, we already decided that we're going next year!). We have to buy tickets in advance so that we can get the program in advance so that we can make a time table of everything we want to see and where to go when. Imagine....70 venues with 500 collective hours of culture! You can't do everything in the 7 hours during which it takes place, so you have to be really organized. And next year, we will be!
Sunday after church, I went to Bretzfeld. I had a delicious lunch!! I eat well here, but never better than there. (Yum!) It was fun, because we haven't seen each other in about six weeks. I saw fun pictures of lots of my friends from C3 (miss you guys!!) and my Mom and Dad (miss you guys, too!!). :o) And then they gave me the items they brought back from Michigan for me. So I now have brownie mix!!! I am very much looking forward to having some brownies!!!
Sunday evening, we had a dinner at the home of a family from church. They live in a village. Really a village. So small it doesn't show up on my map or in the route planner program in the internet. Well, I didn't think it was that far from Bretzfeld, but it was! It was over ninety minutes away.......So I was an hour late getting there (and not because I go lost). But the drive was beautiful! Through the mountains, leaves are all changing, it was gorgeous.
Today after work I went to check out the place where the cats will stay while I'm in Michigan. It's near the airport, which is a plus. The second and third floors of the house are both multiple rooms with all kinds of cat toys, cat beds, etc. And the lady seemed nice enough. Hopefully they won't be to sad to go there. They'll be together, of course. And if the other cats don't get along with them, she'll put them in their own room. So they'll be fine. (Right?? I feel like I'm leaving my kids....or at least what I think it would feel like if I left my kids.)
And what I'm so excited about....I'm going to volunteer at the Children's English Library here in Stuttgart!!! The training is in the first week of November and then I'll be on one Saturday a month for about three hours. I'm really looking forward to this. I love books!
Miscellaneous Germany items that are floating around in my head.....
-I have to get winter tires for my car. Yep, that's right. There are two kinds of tires and people change them over with the seasons. This is actually something I need to do pretty soon. Thankfully, someone at church has offered to help me....
-Shopping isn't so easy. I need new pants. But all the pants are too long. And expensive. And the sizes here.....clothing size 8 in the US is a size 36 in Germany. How fun is that? And the shoes are similar. US size 7 is size 38. This doesn't mean anything, because it is what it is, but imagine how weird it is to walk up to a sales clerk and ask if they have a shoe in size 38....
-There is not Diet Coke in Germany, there is Coke Light. And it does not taste the same. And I do not like it, Sam I am. (Sorry, that really made me think of Dr. Suess.) I want a Diet Coke! I'm not craving much, but that is something I am craving.
-Now that I have TV again, I'm noticing how much American programming is dubbed into German. Right now, I could watch Sleepless in Seattle, Crossing Jordan, Lost or Married with Children (yuck!). Other than that, it's mostly all news programming.....
Happy Monday!
Hmm, it's raining so hard here right now. But I'm not complaining, because the weekend was beautiful!!! Saturday, I went to the Stuttgarter Culture Night that I mentioned in my last post. It was so cool! There were 70 different places in the city of Stuttgart that participated. There was classical music, jazz, opera, dance, theatre, film....pretty much you name it and you could see it. And there were buses to take you to the parts of the city that were too far to walk. So, what did we do? We heard a classical organ concert in this really beautiful church, we saw a really funny dance performance and we heard opera. And we learned a really, really valuable lesson for next time (yep, we already decided that we're going next year!). We have to buy tickets in advance so that we can get the program in advance so that we can make a time table of everything we want to see and where to go when. Imagine....70 venues with 500 collective hours of culture! You can't do everything in the 7 hours during which it takes place, so you have to be really organized. And next year, we will be!
Sunday after church, I went to Bretzfeld. I had a delicious lunch!! I eat well here, but never better than there. (Yum!) It was fun, because we haven't seen each other in about six weeks. I saw fun pictures of lots of my friends from C3 (miss you guys!!) and my Mom and Dad (miss you guys, too!!). :o) And then they gave me the items they brought back from Michigan for me. So I now have brownie mix!!! I am very much looking forward to having some brownies!!!
Sunday evening, we had a dinner at the home of a family from church. They live in a village. Really a village. So small it doesn't show up on my map or in the route planner program in the internet. Well, I didn't think it was that far from Bretzfeld, but it was! It was over ninety minutes away.......So I was an hour late getting there (and not because I go lost). But the drive was beautiful! Through the mountains, leaves are all changing, it was gorgeous.
Today after work I went to check out the place where the cats will stay while I'm in Michigan. It's near the airport, which is a plus. The second and third floors of the house are both multiple rooms with all kinds of cat toys, cat beds, etc. And the lady seemed nice enough. Hopefully they won't be to sad to go there. They'll be together, of course. And if the other cats don't get along with them, she'll put them in their own room. So they'll be fine. (Right?? I feel like I'm leaving my kids....or at least what I think it would feel like if I left my kids.)
And what I'm so excited about....I'm going to volunteer at the Children's English Library here in Stuttgart!!! The training is in the first week of November and then I'll be on one Saturday a month for about three hours. I'm really looking forward to this. I love books!
Miscellaneous Germany items that are floating around in my head.....
-I have to get winter tires for my car. Yep, that's right. There are two kinds of tires and people change them over with the seasons. This is actually something I need to do pretty soon. Thankfully, someone at church has offered to help me....
-Shopping isn't so easy. I need new pants. But all the pants are too long. And expensive. And the sizes here.....clothing size 8 in the US is a size 36 in Germany. How fun is that? And the shoes are similar. US size 7 is size 38. This doesn't mean anything, because it is what it is, but imagine how weird it is to walk up to a sales clerk and ask if they have a shoe in size 38....
-There is not Diet Coke in Germany, there is Coke Light. And it does not taste the same. And I do not like it, Sam I am. (Sorry, that really made me think of Dr. Suess.) I want a Diet Coke! I'm not craving much, but that is something I am craving.
-Now that I have TV again, I'm noticing how much American programming is dubbed into German. Right now, I could watch Sleepless in Seattle, Crossing Jordan, Lost or Married with Children (yuck!). Other than that, it's mostly all news programming.....
| You Are Pumpkin |
 Realistic and practical, you see the world for how it is. You know what it takes to succeed in life... And you're happy to help others reach their goals. |
Happy Monday!
21 October 2006
Hello again.
I was contemplating not posting anymore. Not because I don't enjoy it, mostly I do. More because I hadn't posted in a good week and it seemed like nobody had noticed. Don't misunderstand - I'm not throwing a self-pity-party or anything. I just thought that I wouldn't bother messing with blogger anymore if it didn't seem like anyone even noticed my "absence." Then two things happened. First, Miranda left a comment on my last post (thanks, Miranda!). So I was reminded of how blogging can connect people who have never met and are miles apart (LeAnne). And then my sister-in-law sent me an email with this too-cute picture of my nephew and mentioned that she noticed that I hadn't blogged in a while.
So I'm back. Now, on to more interesting topics than my temporary hiatus from blogging...
I have been really busy the past couple of weeks. So busy that I have started to use my planner again, because I tried to double book myself, which meant that I had to apologize, reschedule and just generally feel disorganized. Is this good? Well, on one hand, it's nice to not be sitting at home. And I've been spending time with some really fun people. On the other hand, if you know me, you know I need/crave/must have "down time." Otherwise I wear out. Well, not literally like an old shoe, but I just get run down. So I have been trying to schedule myself some "time out" and that seems to help.
Here are some highlights:
-I met with a group of expats from my company. That was fun. I've met some of them before, but others I have not met (at least not since I've been here in Germany ~ I do know some of them from work in Michigan, not well, but at least by name). When I said that I had been here for over three months, they were pretty surprised, because apparently they do a lot together and so they asked me where I "have been hiding this whole time." It seems that when you arrive in Germany, you should announce your presence to the other expats from the company who are already here in Germany.
-Last week, the Electrician from the satellite company came over and established that there's nothing wrong with my satellite connection. He brought a test receiver with him and when he hooked that up to my TV, it worked perfectly. But when he hooked mine back up, it didn't work. So he told me that the receiver was broken and I should take it back. That seemed odd since it's only two months old and has not been used for 1.5 of those two months. And since it worked at the beginning, until the exact time that he switched over the other satellite dish. But he's the electrician and I'm not (obviously), so he must be right. So I went to Media Markt (Germany's Best Buy). But they won't just take it back on your word (which is smart), so I had to go over to Customer Service. And the guy there hooked it up to his TV, initialized it and (guess what??) it worked perfectly. He tells me there's no way it can work at the store, but not in my apartment and that I should take it home, initialize it again and it should work. And you know what......it did. So somehow, when the satellite that I was not connected to was switched over, my receiver was set back to zero. And all I needed to do was run the set-up program.....Oops.
-On Monday, I was in a hurry. I came home for work for two minutes to change my clothes and leave again. But there was no parking on the street (have I mentioned that I don't use my garage??). So I thought, well, it's only going to be two minutes, surely my neighbor with whom I share my garage won't come home in the next two minutes and so I parked in front of the garage. I ran (literally) upstairs, and was just putting on my shoes when my doorbell rang. And who was it? Yep, the neighbor with whom I share the garage. I apologized (lots) and told her that I would be right down to move the car. She said she wasn't worried about that, but she wanted to know if (loose translation) I had fear of my garage. Because with winter coming and all.....so she offered to practice with me. And so we practiced. And I'm now proud to say that while I still have some fear of parking in the garage, I can and do actually park there!
-I saw "Der Teufel traegt Prada." (Or, The Devil Wears Prada....) Meryl Streep was amazing. And it was funny. But the book was better.
-I drove to Bamberg and back for work on Wednesday (2.5 hours each way). It was a good trip work-wise, but I didn't get to see any of the city. I think I was there in 1998, (I'm pretty sure we got lost in Bamberg looking for the nativity scenes for which the city is known, never saw one and walked for what seemed like hours...) but I don't remember much, so I hope that next time, I'll be able to at least stay overnight. Can I just reiterate how much I love the Autobahn, though!!!!
-After multiple trips to the store and purchasing 5 varieties of light bulb, I finally bought the right one that fits into the fixture in the stairwell (we're each responsible for our own landings, which means that I have to change the bulb there). I have to say that they seem to have way more variety in light bulbs here in Deutschland!
-I am helping my 16 year-old neighbor with her English homework. She's having a hard time, so her dad asked me if I would tutor her. Well, let's see, he fixed my washer, he's in the process of fixing my bathroom mirrors and well, I can speak a little English. The problem is just that I don't remember all of the grammar rules perfectly. When is it "dark of night" and when is it "the dark of night"? (It's a good question, right??) This is mutually beneficial, because she learns English, I (hopefully) improve my English and simultaneously have the opportunity to improve my German.
So, let's see, I use the garage, I have light in the stairwell, my washer runs without dripping, I have TV again and my bathroom mirrors are repaired and just need to be hung up (by my neighbor...). I have a social life. I'll be able to see my family and hold my nephew in less than two months. Things are going pretty good.......[If only my house in MI would sell!!]
Hmm, the bathroom mirrors....you might be wondering why my neighbor has to fix them. Well, let me just tell you that fun little story. The mirrors are actually doors on the bathroom vanity. I am pretty lucky, because the cabinetry in the bathroom came with the apartment (not always the case here). So, I came home from work last week and the water in the bathroom sink was running. Now, I have been known to sometimes be forgetful, but, people, I live in an apartment. As soon as you come in the front door, you can hear that the water in the bathroom is running. How could I possibly have left it running when I left for work?? So I go into the bathroom and two of the mirrored cabinet doors are hanging on an angle. Somehow, they had worked free of the adhesive which holds them to the hinge (that's right, they're basically fastened to the hinge with double-sided tape!!) and had fallen to a funny angle and in the process, had hit the faucet in just such a way that the water went on. (I seem to have very odd household issues....)
So, it's 11:00 on Saturday, the day of housework (it's like a crime to do housework on Sunday), which means that I need to stop blogging and go grocery shopping. (Even if it is raining....again.)
Tonight, I'm going to the Stuttgart Culture Night with a friend, so I'm looking forward to that.
Oh and just because.....
That's a relief! I would have thought that my Control Freak factor would be much higher.
I hope that you have a good weekend!
So I'm back. Now, on to more interesting topics than my temporary hiatus from blogging...I have been really busy the past couple of weeks. So busy that I have started to use my planner again, because I tried to double book myself, which meant that I had to apologize, reschedule and just generally feel disorganized. Is this good? Well, on one hand, it's nice to not be sitting at home. And I've been spending time with some really fun people. On the other hand, if you know me, you know I need/crave/must have "down time." Otherwise I wear out. Well, not literally like an old shoe, but I just get run down. So I have been trying to schedule myself some "time out" and that seems to help.
Here are some highlights:
-I met with a group of expats from my company. That was fun. I've met some of them before, but others I have not met (at least not since I've been here in Germany ~ I do know some of them from work in Michigan, not well, but at least by name). When I said that I had been here for over three months, they were pretty surprised, because apparently they do a lot together and so they asked me where I "have been hiding this whole time." It seems that when you arrive in Germany, you should announce your presence to the other expats from the company who are already here in Germany.
-Last week, the Electrician from the satellite company came over and established that there's nothing wrong with my satellite connection. He brought a test receiver with him and when he hooked that up to my TV, it worked perfectly. But when he hooked mine back up, it didn't work. So he told me that the receiver was broken and I should take it back. That seemed odd since it's only two months old and has not been used for 1.5 of those two months. And since it worked at the beginning, until the exact time that he switched over the other satellite dish. But he's the electrician and I'm not (obviously), so he must be right. So I went to Media Markt (Germany's Best Buy). But they won't just take it back on your word (which is smart), so I had to go over to Customer Service. And the guy there hooked it up to his TV, initialized it and (guess what??) it worked perfectly. He tells me there's no way it can work at the store, but not in my apartment and that I should take it home, initialize it again and it should work. And you know what......it did. So somehow, when the satellite that I was not connected to was switched over, my receiver was set back to zero. And all I needed to do was run the set-up program.....Oops.
-On Monday, I was in a hurry. I came home for work for two minutes to change my clothes and leave again. But there was no parking on the street (have I mentioned that I don't use my garage??). So I thought, well, it's only going to be two minutes, surely my neighbor with whom I share my garage won't come home in the next two minutes and so I parked in front of the garage. I ran (literally) upstairs, and was just putting on my shoes when my doorbell rang. And who was it? Yep, the neighbor with whom I share the garage. I apologized (lots) and told her that I would be right down to move the car. She said she wasn't worried about that, but she wanted to know if (loose translation) I had fear of my garage. Because with winter coming and all.....so she offered to practice with me. And so we practiced. And I'm now proud to say that while I still have some fear of parking in the garage, I can and do actually park there!
-I saw "Der Teufel traegt Prada." (Or, The Devil Wears Prada....) Meryl Streep was amazing. And it was funny. But the book was better.
-I drove to Bamberg and back for work on Wednesday (2.5 hours each way). It was a good trip work-wise, but I didn't get to see any of the city. I think I was there in 1998, (I'm pretty sure we got lost in Bamberg looking for the nativity scenes for which the city is known, never saw one and walked for what seemed like hours...) but I don't remember much, so I hope that next time, I'll be able to at least stay overnight. Can I just reiterate how much I love the Autobahn, though!!!!
-After multiple trips to the store and purchasing 5 varieties of light bulb, I finally bought the right one that fits into the fixture in the stairwell (we're each responsible for our own landings, which means that I have to change the bulb there). I have to say that they seem to have way more variety in light bulbs here in Deutschland!
-I am helping my 16 year-old neighbor with her English homework. She's having a hard time, so her dad asked me if I would tutor her. Well, let's see, he fixed my washer, he's in the process of fixing my bathroom mirrors and well, I can speak a little English. The problem is just that I don't remember all of the grammar rules perfectly. When is it "dark of night" and when is it "the dark of night"? (It's a good question, right??) This is mutually beneficial, because she learns English, I (hopefully) improve my English and simultaneously have the opportunity to improve my German.
So, let's see, I use the garage, I have light in the stairwell, my washer runs without dripping, I have TV again and my bathroom mirrors are repaired and just need to be hung up (by my neighbor...). I have a social life. I'll be able to see my family and hold my nephew in less than two months. Things are going pretty good.......[If only my house in MI would sell!!]
Hmm, the bathroom mirrors....you might be wondering why my neighbor has to fix them. Well, let me just tell you that fun little story. The mirrors are actually doors on the bathroom vanity. I am pretty lucky, because the cabinetry in the bathroom came with the apartment (not always the case here). So, I came home from work last week and the water in the bathroom sink was running. Now, I have been known to sometimes be forgetful, but, people, I live in an apartment. As soon as you come in the front door, you can hear that the water in the bathroom is running. How could I possibly have left it running when I left for work?? So I go into the bathroom and two of the mirrored cabinet doors are hanging on an angle. Somehow, they had worked free of the adhesive which holds them to the hinge (that's right, they're basically fastened to the hinge with double-sided tape!!) and had fallen to a funny angle and in the process, had hit the faucet in just such a way that the water went on. (I seem to have very odd household issues....)
So, it's 11:00 on Saturday, the day of housework (it's like a crime to do housework on Sunday), which means that I need to stop blogging and go grocery shopping. (Even if it is raining....again.)
Tonight, I'm going to the Stuttgart Culture Night with a friend, so I'm looking forward to that.
Oh and just because.....
| You Are 32% Control Freak |
 You have achieved the perfect balance of control and letting go. You tend to roll with whatever life brings, but you never get complacent. |
That's a relief! I would have thought that my Control Freak factor would be much higher.
I hope that you have a good weekend!
11 October 2006
Customer Service?
I have complained previously about the lack of customer service in my host country. Remember the T-Com saga? And I've heard the same complaints from the natives here. And read similar complaints on other expat blogs. But I was reminded today that the customer service in the US isn't always stellar.....
I downloaded the application for an absentee ballot from the Michigan Secretary of State's website. But I couldn't tell if they would mail the ballot overseas as the form required a state to be part of the mailing address and did not provide a spot for the country. I also wanted to know if I could fax my request in rather than mailing it, since the election is getting pretty close. So I called the City Clerk's office.
When I asked if they would mail an absentee ballot overseas, the first woman I spoke with said, "Well it's getting kind of late to be mailing a ballot overseas. Hold on." and transferred me. Nice talking to you, too. Hmm, what percentage of the population of Michigan doesn't bother to vote at all? (Good question, huh? I Googled it and only 25% of Michigan voters ages 18 to 29 voted in the 2002 election.) You'd think they'd be happy that I'm attempting to do my civic duty from overseas, nonetheless, even if it is a little tight on the timing.
The next lady I got asked me if I was "the young woman in Germany?" Umm, scary! How did she know? Caller ID? So I said yes, but asked how she knew. And she tells me that they already sent me everything via email. And I replied that I hadn't requested anything via email. And she said that my mom had requested it for me. (Mom, as far as I know, she's talking about another Mom and another Michigander in Germany. Right??) Don't think that was me. Oh, she replied, then I must be somebody else. Yup. But how did I find the form? (Has she not heard of the web? Does she not know that their form is online??) Anyways, yes, she'll send the ballot overseas; yes, I can fax in my form; and oh, be sure to have it notarized.
[Notarized? Are there notarys in Germany? Have to ask at work tomorrow.] Well, it's required on the form, she said. Me, trying to be polite as possible, "Where?" Isn't it there? Umm, not on the form I downloaded..... She says, oh, well it is on my form. Well, super dandy! And where do I find "your" form? Well, on the city's website, of course. (Silly me, using the Secretary of State's form.) And THEN [this is where it gets good - or better!] she asks why I didn't come into the City Clerk's office before I left the country to pick up my ballot. So I asked how I was supposed to know that I should come into the city clerk's office ~5 months before the election to pick up my ballot.
She didn't answer. I guess she thinks it's a given that everybody knows that. She instead answered my question with her own, asking when I left the country. A couple of months ago, I said. Oh well, then I really should have come into the Clerk's office.....Okay, I think we already covered that and we've even been over the fact that I didn't know to come into the Clerk's office. It didn't show up on my checklist, sorry! I mentioned that the Secretary of State could have told me when I asked them about moving overseas. And she replied that I really should have known to stop by.
HOW????????????????? (Question will probably never be answered.)
Trying not to be smarmy, I replied that I have never in my life been to the City Clerk's office, it didn't cross my mind to go to the City Clerk's office and that I had a few things to do before I left to move to a foreign country an ocean away.
Well, I should hurry and send in my notarized form, so that she can send me the ballot. Okey-dokey. Then she proceeds to ask me my name so they can look for my form. I was so tempted to give her a fake name. But I didn't. I hope this doesn't go onto my record, so that every government official in the city or maybe the state of MI can read in my record that I was too dumb to go to the City Clerk's office to pick up my ballot before I moved overseas......I think I might pop in at Christmas time, just in case I can pick up my ballot for some minor election next year.....And maybe I'll make it a ritual, stopping at the City Clerk's office every time I'm in MI......Pretty soon, they'll know me by name. And they'll anticipate my visits - "Oh, it's getting to be Christmastime again. Sarah should be in soon for her ballot." "Oh, it's summer and time for Sarah's annual home trip. She should be by soon to pick up her absentee ballot."
I went to the City's website to download "her form."
There
is
NOT
an
Absentee
Ballot
Request
Form
to be found
on the
city's
website
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Instead, I found an affadavit that you live overseas on the Secretary of State's website, which does require a notary's signature. Is that what she was referring to? Why didn't she just say so!
The washing machine's still leaking, even with the Silicone my neighbor used to seal it. I think I have to go ask him for more help.....
The TV man is coming on Friday. It will take about two hours (!!!!) for him to install the satellite cable.
In the good news section, my cold is better. I still sneeze a little and my nose is pretty sore, but I didn't even go through a whole package of tissues today. (On Monday, I went through 4 packages!)
Oh, and the US Federal deficit is at it's smallest level in 4 years. But don't get too excited, the Dems say that the Baby Boomers are going to ruin that trend and the deficit is going to "explode" as they start to retire.
I downloaded the application for an absentee ballot from the Michigan Secretary of State's website. But I couldn't tell if they would mail the ballot overseas as the form required a state to be part of the mailing address and did not provide a spot for the country. I also wanted to know if I could fax my request in rather than mailing it, since the election is getting pretty close. So I called the City Clerk's office.
When I asked if they would mail an absentee ballot overseas, the first woman I spoke with said, "Well it's getting kind of late to be mailing a ballot overseas. Hold on." and transferred me. Nice talking to you, too. Hmm, what percentage of the population of Michigan doesn't bother to vote at all? (Good question, huh? I Googled it and only 25% of Michigan voters ages 18 to 29 voted in the 2002 election.) You'd think they'd be happy that I'm attempting to do my civic duty from overseas, nonetheless, even if it is a little tight on the timing.
The next lady I got asked me if I was "the young woman in Germany?" Umm, scary! How did she know? Caller ID? So I said yes, but asked how she knew. And she tells me that they already sent me everything via email. And I replied that I hadn't requested anything via email. And she said that my mom had requested it for me. (Mom, as far as I know, she's talking about another Mom and another Michigander in Germany. Right??) Don't think that was me. Oh, she replied, then I must be somebody else. Yup. But how did I find the form? (Has she not heard of the web? Does she not know that their form is online??) Anyways, yes, she'll send the ballot overseas; yes, I can fax in my form; and oh, be sure to have it notarized.
[Notarized? Are there notarys in Germany? Have to ask at work tomorrow.] Well, it's required on the form, she said. Me, trying to be polite as possible, "Where?" Isn't it there? Umm, not on the form I downloaded..... She says, oh, well it is on my form. Well, super dandy! And where do I find "your" form? Well, on the city's website, of course. (Silly me, using the Secretary of State's form.) And THEN [this is where it gets good - or better!] she asks why I didn't come into the City Clerk's office before I left the country to pick up my ballot. So I asked how I was supposed to know that I should come into the city clerk's office ~5 months before the election to pick up my ballot.
She didn't answer. I guess she thinks it's a given that everybody knows that. She instead answered my question with her own, asking when I left the country. A couple of months ago, I said. Oh well, then I really should have come into the Clerk's office.....Okay, I think we already covered that and we've even been over the fact that I didn't know to come into the Clerk's office. It didn't show up on my checklist, sorry! I mentioned that the Secretary of State could have told me when I asked them about moving overseas. And she replied that I really should have known to stop by.
HOW????????????????? (Question will probably never be answered.)
Trying not to be smarmy, I replied that I have never in my life been to the City Clerk's office, it didn't cross my mind to go to the City Clerk's office and that I had a few things to do before I left to move to a foreign country an ocean away.
Well, I should hurry and send in my notarized form, so that she can send me the ballot. Okey-dokey. Then she proceeds to ask me my name so they can look for my form. I was so tempted to give her a fake name. But I didn't. I hope this doesn't go onto my record, so that every government official in the city or maybe the state of MI can read in my record that I was too dumb to go to the City Clerk's office to pick up my ballot before I moved overseas......I think I might pop in at Christmas time, just in case I can pick up my ballot for some minor election next year.....And maybe I'll make it a ritual, stopping at the City Clerk's office every time I'm in MI......Pretty soon, they'll know me by name. And they'll anticipate my visits - "Oh, it's getting to be Christmastime again. Sarah should be in soon for her ballot." "Oh, it's summer and time for Sarah's annual home trip. She should be by soon to pick up her absentee ballot."
I went to the City's website to download "her form."
There
is
NOT
an
Absentee
Ballot
Request
Form
to be found
on the
city's
website
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Instead, I found an affadavit that you live overseas on the Secretary of State's website, which does require a notary's signature. Is that what she was referring to? Why didn't she just say so!
The washing machine's still leaking, even with the Silicone my neighbor used to seal it. I think I have to go ask him for more help.....
The TV man is coming on Friday. It will take about two hours (!!!!) for him to install the satellite cable.
In the good news section, my cold is better. I still sneeze a little and my nose is pretty sore, but I didn't even go through a whole package of tissues today. (On Monday, I went through 4 packages!)
Oh, and the US Federal deficit is at it's smallest level in 4 years. But don't get too excited, the Dems say that the Baby Boomers are going to ruin that trend and the deficit is going to "explode" as they start to retire.
10 October 2006
Jemma
I have cats. I like them very much. Most of the time.
Tonight I took off my earrings and laid them in this little dish that I keep on the bathroom counter for my earrings, watch and a bracelet (if I'm wearing one). Actually I bought the dish (there's probably a better word, but it's escaping me) on my first trip to Germany in 1998, when I came here to visit my highschool counselor, who was teaching here for a year on sabbatical. Anyways, shortly after I took off my earrings and placed them in the dish, I went to bed. A few minutes later, I heard a very strange sound. So I got up and turned on a few lights. As soon as she saw me coming, Jemma ran away. Hmm, not a good sign. As the sound had been coming from the bathroom, I checked there first. Nothing on the floor (good), nothing odd on the counter (good), and only one earring in the dish (bad). Checked the floor again, but couldn't find the other earring. We haven't been to the vet here yet, why not make the first trip because my cat swallowed my earring? So I go looking for my cat. She's in the living room and what's between her paws? My earring. Doesn't look worse for the wear and I'm happy to not be having our first vet visit in Germany on account of an earring being swallowed.
This is the cat who thinks that she should get some of whatever I'm eating, whenever I'm eating. This is the cat who thinks that paper is a food group (newspaper, wallpaper, notebook paper). This is the cat who thinks that toes are good for biting. This is the cat that wakes me up because she's chewing on my hair (yes, you read that correctly). This is the cat who thinks a baby sock is better than any toy I could ever buy her. This is the cat who thinks that anything left on the countertops belongs to her (hair bands, money.....). This is the cat that will
only sit still to be petted for two seconds before she runs away. This is the cat who climbed out the window onto the roof. This is the cat who will close drawers if I leave them open and remove items from the medicine cabinet if I leave it open. This is the cat that had lived me for one entire year before I ever heard her purr. And this is the cat that is so stinkin' cute, she can get away with all that and more.
Tonight I took off my earrings and laid them in this little dish that I keep on the bathroom counter for my earrings, watch and a bracelet (if I'm wearing one). Actually I bought the dish (there's probably a better word, but it's escaping me) on my first trip to Germany in 1998, when I came here to visit my highschool counselor, who was teaching here for a year on sabbatical. Anyways, shortly after I took off my earrings and placed them in the dish, I went to bed. A few minutes later, I heard a very strange sound. So I got up and turned on a few lights. As soon as she saw me coming, Jemma ran away. Hmm, not a good sign. As the sound had been coming from the bathroom, I checked there first. Nothing on the floor (good), nothing odd on the counter (good), and only one earring in the dish (bad). Checked the floor again, but couldn't find the other earring. We haven't been to the vet here yet, why not make the first trip because my cat swallowed my earring? So I go looking for my cat. She's in the living room and what's between her paws? My earring. Doesn't look worse for the wear and I'm happy to not be having our first vet visit in Germany on account of an earring being swallowed.
This is the cat who thinks that she should get some of whatever I'm eating, whenever I'm eating. This is the cat who thinks that paper is a food group (newspaper, wallpaper, notebook paper). This is the cat who thinks that toes are good for biting. This is the cat that wakes me up because she's chewing on my hair (yes, you read that correctly). This is the cat who thinks a baby sock is better than any toy I could ever buy her. This is the cat who thinks that anything left on the countertops belongs to her (hair bands, money.....). This is the cat that will
only sit still to be petted for two seconds before she runs away. This is the cat who climbed out the window onto the roof. This is the cat who will close drawers if I leave them open and remove items from the medicine cabinet if I leave it open. This is the cat that had lived me for one entire year before I ever heard her purr. And this is the cat that is so stinkin' cute, she can get away with all that and more.
09 October 2006
ich bin erkaeltet
Or, I have a cold. It's not the little sniffly kind, either. It's the full-blown sneezing, watery eyes, hoping it will stay out of my lungs kind of cold. It's the kind of cold that makes my colleagues ask if I shouldn't go to the plant doctor? No, I'm pretty sure it's just a cold. It started Friday with just a touch of stuffiness, but I had that sense of impending doom......and it's continued until today, when I felt like I accomplished nothing on account of the fact that my brain has been replaced by cotton. If I hadn't had a meeting which couldn't really be rescheduled, I probably wouldn't have made it into work. And unfortunately, I have another pretty important meeting tomorrow, so hopefully I'll feel better by then. I'm taking Vitamin C with Zinc, Eucalyptus capsules for the symptoms and drinking lots of water and Erkaeltungs Tee (Tea for colds).
So, bear with me as I ramble through my weekend.....Friday night, we had Hauskreis. It was at David and Irena's. But what did I do? I went to Martin and Irena's. Martin's Irena was at work and Martin had fallen asleep while putting the kids to bed. But he wasn't sleeping any more after I rang the doorbell. I got all the way up to the third floor and he's standing in the doorway, looking sleepy and grinning. "Sarah.....Hauskreis is not here tonight." What??? "No, it's at David and Irena's." Oh no, did I really read the email wrong? Yep! Well, Martin decided that since the kids were sleeping and his mother-in-law was there, that he would go with me to Hauskreis. So I showed up late once again, but at least I had Martin with me.....Made for a good story, anyways. My excuse is two-fold. First, I have a cold and my head is kinda fuzzy. Two, Stefan wrote "Irena and David" in his email and when I see the name Irena, I think of Martin and Irena, because I think of David's Irena as Ira. So, when I saw "Irena", I just thought Martin and Irena and glossed over the David. Actually, it's three-fold...they both live in Fellbach, so the city didn't help me to know that I had read incorrectly.....
Saturday, I did....................nothing. As usual, it rained. I was not feeling great, so I didn't do anything until I went to the grocery store at about 4. It was either that, or not have anything to eat on Sunday, because I had no food here and the stores are closed on Sunday.......And what did I find at the grocery store?? Act Microwave popcorn!!!!! Yum! Now if only I had a Diet Coke to go with it. Then my downstairs neighbor came over to look at my TV. He couldn't find anything wrong, so he said he would tell my landlord that the technician needed to come out and check the wiring...And then he looked at my washing machine connection (the one we jerry-rigged) and said he could use silicone to make it leak proof.....much better than my duct tape. Although, he was very impressed by my duct tape job, saying that he could hardly remove the duct tape. :) He was very nice, too, telling me I should feel free to stop by anytime I had a question or needed help with anything.
Saturday night, I was multi-tasking, IM'ing with two people at the same time and talking to my Mom on Skype, when my cell phone rang. Too much at once! Derrick (who has a cold, too) was on the phone and he helped me to configure my wireless router. So I'm writing right now from the comfort of my bed. Oh, how I love being wireless!! (Thank you, Derrick!!)
[Side note: I've seen many blogs where bloggers only use an initial for people's names. I'm not going to do that, because 1. I'm not saying anything bad about the people I'm writing about, 2. I'm not using last names 3. I don't share overly personal information about anyone and 4. It just seems more confusing....But if you're ever unhappy about me writing about you, you should please just let me know.]
Sunday was church, which I was late for, because I left a little too late and then the parking lot was full, which meant I had to drive around looking for a spot. My beloved C3ers are accustomed to people coming in late, but not in Germany, or at least not at the FeG. And then, it was really full! (Why couldn't I have been late last week when there was space in the back????) So the usher escorts me to a seat in the front row on a sort of raised dais off to the side....everyone saw that I came in late and then everyone could see me through the whole service as I casually tried to blow and wipe my nose, without being totally disgusting. Nice.
After church, my neighbor came over and fixed the washing machine connection. So I should be able to use it tomorrow without duct tape and a pot underneath for the drips. :o) It seems that his daughter needs help with her English grammar, so it looks like I'll probably have more than one student. If I ever decided to leave my company (not even thinking about it, don't worry!), I have an idea for a subsitute career.....teaching English!
In the afternoon, I went to the Fellbach Herbst (Autumn) with David and Ira and Irena and Martin (see how confusing that is??) and their kids. I thought the fresh air would be good for my cold and it really was a beautiful day. It was like a big street fair with carnival rides, a flea market, vendors selling food, drinks, crafts, etc. and all of the shops were open. It was fun. I went on the Ferris Wheel, which gave a great overview on the area. (Yes, I was holding on the whole time.....as much as I love the view, I am soooo afraid of heights!!) I also ate warm chestnuts. They were tasty, but I think I'll stick to roasted almonds (yum! Had some of those, too. By the way, the word for almond in German is the same as the word for tonsil - yuck!). We were there for a long time - over four hours, so by the time we came back to Martin and Irena's, the adults (counting myself in that group ;) were all exhausted. But not the kids. Or if they were, they weren't showing it. Irena made us waffles (yum) and we all had dinner together, which was nice.
As I was driving home, I was thinking about how much I miss my friends and family in Michigan (a lot!), but how really, truly blessed I am that I know people here and that I have someone to call if I need something or want to talk or whatever. Isn't that pretty cool, that after just three months here, I can already say that? I think so......
Today, my landlord called and he's decided that I should use the new digital satellite dish after all AND he'll pay the costs. So I'm just waiting for the company to call me so I can make an appointment for the new cable I need to be hooked to that satellite.
Speaking of TV, I have a question for my technically-able readers.....can someone tell me how I can watch US TV on my computer? I did a google search and there are tons of companies with various price ranges.....does someone have a recommendation? With winter coming, I wouldn't mind being able to watch some of my favorite shows.
Even though I have a cold, I still remember that it's Monday! So............
So, bear with me as I ramble through my weekend.....Friday night, we had Hauskreis. It was at David and Irena's. But what did I do? I went to Martin and Irena's. Martin's Irena was at work and Martin had fallen asleep while putting the kids to bed. But he wasn't sleeping any more after I rang the doorbell. I got all the way up to the third floor and he's standing in the doorway, looking sleepy and grinning. "Sarah.....Hauskreis is not here tonight." What??? "No, it's at David and Irena's." Oh no, did I really read the email wrong? Yep! Well, Martin decided that since the kids were sleeping and his mother-in-law was there, that he would go with me to Hauskreis. So I showed up late once again, but at least I had Martin with me.....Made for a good story, anyways. My excuse is two-fold. First, I have a cold and my head is kinda fuzzy. Two, Stefan wrote "Irena and David" in his email and when I see the name Irena, I think of Martin and Irena, because I think of David's Irena as Ira. So, when I saw "Irena", I just thought Martin and Irena and glossed over the David. Actually, it's three-fold...they both live in Fellbach, so the city didn't help me to know that I had read incorrectly.....
Saturday, I did....................nothing. As usual, it rained. I was not feeling great, so I didn't do anything until I went to the grocery store at about 4. It was either that, or not have anything to eat on Sunday, because I had no food here and the stores are closed on Sunday.......And what did I find at the grocery store?? Act Microwave popcorn!!!!! Yum! Now if only I had a Diet Coke to go with it. Then my downstairs neighbor came over to look at my TV. He couldn't find anything wrong, so he said he would tell my landlord that the technician needed to come out and check the wiring...And then he looked at my washing machine connection (the one we jerry-rigged) and said he could use silicone to make it leak proof.....much better than my duct tape. Although, he was very impressed by my duct tape job, saying that he could hardly remove the duct tape. :) He was very nice, too, telling me I should feel free to stop by anytime I had a question or needed help with anything.
Saturday night, I was multi-tasking, IM'ing with two people at the same time and talking to my Mom on Skype, when my cell phone rang. Too much at once! Derrick (who has a cold, too) was on the phone and he helped me to configure my wireless router. So I'm writing right now from the comfort of my bed. Oh, how I love being wireless!! (Thank you, Derrick!!)
[Side note: I've seen many blogs where bloggers only use an initial for people's names. I'm not going to do that, because 1. I'm not saying anything bad about the people I'm writing about, 2. I'm not using last names 3. I don't share overly personal information about anyone and 4. It just seems more confusing....But if you're ever unhappy about me writing about you, you should please just let me know.]
Sunday was church, which I was late for, because I left a little too late and then the parking lot was full, which meant I had to drive around looking for a spot. My beloved C3ers are accustomed to people coming in late, but not in Germany, or at least not at the FeG. And then, it was really full! (Why couldn't I have been late last week when there was space in the back????) So the usher escorts me to a seat in the front row on a sort of raised dais off to the side....everyone saw that I came in late and then everyone could see me through the whole service as I casually tried to blow and wipe my nose, without being totally disgusting. Nice.
After church, my neighbor came over and fixed the washing machine connection. So I should be able to use it tomorrow without duct tape and a pot underneath for the drips. :o) It seems that his daughter needs help with her English grammar, so it looks like I'll probably have more than one student. If I ever decided to leave my company (not even thinking about it, don't worry!), I have an idea for a subsitute career.....teaching English!
In the afternoon, I went to the Fellbach Herbst (Autumn) with David and Ira and Irena and Martin (see how confusing that is??) and their kids. I thought the fresh air would be good for my cold and it really was a beautiful day. It was like a big street fair with carnival rides, a flea market, vendors selling food, drinks, crafts, etc. and all of the shops were open. It was fun. I went on the Ferris Wheel, which gave a great overview on the area. (Yes, I was holding on the whole time.....as much as I love the view, I am soooo afraid of heights!!) I also ate warm chestnuts. They were tasty, but I think I'll stick to roasted almonds (yum! Had some of those, too. By the way, the word for almond in German is the same as the word for tonsil - yuck!). We were there for a long time - over four hours, so by the time we came back to Martin and Irena's, the adults (counting myself in that group ;) were all exhausted. But not the kids. Or if they were, they weren't showing it. Irena made us waffles (yum) and we all had dinner together, which was nice.
As I was driving home, I was thinking about how much I miss my friends and family in Michigan (a lot!), but how really, truly blessed I am that I know people here and that I have someone to call if I need something or want to talk or whatever. Isn't that pretty cool, that after just three months here, I can already say that? I think so......
Today, my landlord called and he's decided that I should use the new digital satellite dish after all AND he'll pay the costs. So I'm just waiting for the company to call me so I can make an appointment for the new cable I need to be hooked to that satellite.
Speaking of TV, I have a question for my technically-able readers.....can someone tell me how I can watch US TV on my computer? I did a google search and there are tons of companies with various price ranges.....does someone have a recommendation? With winter coming, I wouldn't mind being able to watch some of my favorite shows.
Even though I have a cold, I still remember that it's Monday! So............
| You Are 27% Impulsive |
 You're a pretty stable and serious person. You don't take things lightly. This doesn't mean you can't have fun - you just have fun responsibly. You definitely have a spontaneous side, but you only let loose when it's appropriate. |
04 October 2006
The Wednesday that felt like a Monday....
I had to perpetually remind myself that it's Wednesday today. It felt so much like a Monday.....I could have taped or glued the phone to my ear, I was almost constantly on it today. And that's not easy. Everybody keeps telling me that my German is good, but it's pretty strenuous to have to be on the phone so much in so few hours. So it wasn't my favoritest day. But also not the worst. Everybody else was kinda in a bad mood, too. I think it might be the weather (cold and rainy, had to turn the heat on yesterday, plan to add some more blankets to the bed today)......(And yes, I know favoritest is not a word.)
After work, we went to the Cannstatter Volksfest. That was really fun. What's so cool is the way the people sing with the bands and have these folk songs that everyone knows. And then there's a song that goes "Ein Prosit, ein Prosit der Gemuetlichkeit" or "Cheers, cheers, to Gemuetlichkeit." What's Gemuetlichkeit? LEO translates it as coziness, snugness, sociability. But that doesn't really tell you what it is. Wikipedia does a good job with Gemuetlichkeit: "However, rather than basically just describing a place as not too large, well-heated and nicely furnished (a cosy room, a cosy flat), Gemütlichkeit connotes, much more than cosiness, the notion of belonging, social acceptance, cheerfulness, the absence of anything hectic and the spending of quality time in a place as described above." The rest of the definition is here. It's a really good concept.
And Stuttgart being the small big city that it is, I of course ran into a German that I know from Bosch in Farmington Hills while at the Volksfest. But I'm not complaining, I was really happy to see him and we agreed to talk later - it was soo loud there we couldn't hear each other - because he's back to working here in Germany now. (Don't worry Mom, married with kids, just a really nice guy....)(I know you were gonna ask anyways, Andy!)
I said Mondays would be Blogthings day and I forgot this past Monday. Since today felt like Monday anyways, I'm going to indulge myself.....what do you think of this one?
After work, we went to the Cannstatter Volksfest. That was really fun. What's so cool is the way the people sing with the bands and have these folk songs that everyone knows. And then there's a song that goes "Ein Prosit, ein Prosit der Gemuetlichkeit" or "Cheers, cheers, to Gemuetlichkeit." What's Gemuetlichkeit? LEO translates it as coziness, snugness, sociability. But that doesn't really tell you what it is. Wikipedia does a good job with Gemuetlichkeit: "However, rather than basically just describing a place as not too large, well-heated and nicely furnished (a cosy room, a cosy flat), Gemütlichkeit connotes, much more than cosiness, the notion of belonging, social acceptance, cheerfulness, the absence of anything hectic and the spending of quality time in a place as described above." The rest of the definition is here. It's a really good concept.
And Stuttgart being the small big city that it is, I of course ran into a German that I know from Bosch in Farmington Hills while at the Volksfest. But I'm not complaining, I was really happy to see him and we agreed to talk later - it was soo loud there we couldn't hear each other - because he's back to working here in Germany now. (Don't worry Mom, married with kids, just a really nice guy....)(I know you were gonna ask anyways, Andy!)
I said Mondays would be Blogthings day and I forgot this past Monday. Since today felt like Monday anyways, I'm going to indulge myself.....what do you think of this one?
| You are a Black Coffee |
 At your best, you are: low maintenance, friendly, and adaptable At your worst, you are: cheap and angsty You drink coffee when: you can get your hands on it Your caffeine addiction level: high |
| You Belong in Fall |
 Intelligent, introspective, and quite expressive at times... You appreciate the changes in color, climate, and mood that fall brings Whether you're carving wacky pumpkins or taking long drives, autumn is a favorite time of year for you |
What Season Are You?
These Blogthings' quizzes are pretty accurate, don't you think?
Well, I'm ready for bed.....gotta get some sleep, because I've got more telephoning to do tomorrow.
But first, 'cause this is my blog and I'm a proud new aunt, here's another pic of the little cutie pie, wearing an outfit that I bought him....
Does anyone else think he looks like Andy???
Well, I'm ready for bed.....gotta get some sleep, because I've got more telephoning to do tomorrow.
But first, 'cause this is my blog and I'm a proud new aunt, here's another pic of the little cutie pie, wearing an outfit that I bought him....Does anyone else think he looks like Andy???
03 October 2006
Tag der Deutschen Einheit
Today is "Day of German Unity." And while it's a holiday that shuts all the schools and shops down, it's not celebrated in the same manner as the American Fourth of July or other countries' national holidays. On Sunday I asked if there was anything "special" that would happen today in honor of the holiday. My question was met with fairly blank looks and I had to clarify "fireworks, parades, picnics?" No, there's nothing like that.
This holiday commemorates the reunification of Germany in 1990, when East Germany (German Democratic Republic ~ GDR) was integrated into the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany). The Berlin Wall came down on November 9, 1989, but this date was not selected, most likely because it is also the anniversary of Kristallnacht in 1938. Therefore, the day of official reunification, October 3rd, was set as the holiday. And this, I think, also provides clues as to why there are no real nationalistic celebrations of German reunification. This is a complex topic and I don't pretend to understand all the intricacies. But briefly and basically.....Nationalism and patriotism are sensitive topics here, largely because of the history of this country. It was nationalism that was abused by the political leaders to start a war that destroyed this country. And the post-war effects can still be felt and seen.
It's unusual to see private citizens with a German flag.....during the World Cup was the first time that many Germans purchased and flew the national flag. Germans don't stand for their national anthem. Many Germans complain about how bad things are in Germany. To be proud of Germany or of being German still carries some negative overtones. On one hand, that is, in a purely historical context, understandable. There are some aspects of nationalism, in all countries, not just here, which are negative and result in atrocities against other nationalities or abuses of power by politicians. On the other hand, Germany has reunified and rebuilt a pretty amazing society. Unemployment at 10.1% is higher than in the US (and Michigan), but crime and poverty are lower. Germans have a lot to be proud of.
So, since there's not much (of anything) going on today and because it's pouring rain (so not good for sightseeing), I have been catching up on US news. And sometimes I ask myself why I bother. What I have read today has brought me to tears. The schoolhouse shooting in peaceful Amish community in Pennsylvania, with 5 small girls killed and 5 others in critical condition. This is the third school shooting in the US in less than a week! Then I read about the woman on trial for murder in the death of her foster child in Canton, MI. Details aren't being released and of course she's innocent until proven guilty, but the very occurrence of the trial is saddening. And then there's the story about Rep. Mark Foley resigning after being confronted with his explicit online conversations with congressional pages, ages 16 and 17.
So I have to ask, what's being done to protect the children of America? If the Amish, who have to be one of the world's most peaceful societies, can't send their children to school without fear of violence..........
So then I decided to watch the debate between Gov. Jennifer Granholm and candidate Dick DeVos. Because certainly our political leaders have a responsibility here. And soon the State of Michigan will decide on their political leader, at least for the next four years......But what a bunch of fluff! I said before that I wasn't going to air my political views here, because you can get that lots of other places. But I would like to offer a few opinions/make a few observations on the debate.....
Did DeVos remind anyone else of a Televangelist, smiling at all the right places, or maybe even too much, and answering the questions without answering the questions? If he thinks Granholm has made mistakes, why doesn't he just say so? Why couldn't he give a straight answer to the question of whether or not he will consult his wife on strategic decisions? Sure, one way or the other people are going to fault his answer, but at least he could give one! You know the saying from your Mom - "Say what you mean and mean what you say." I think Mr. DeVos may need to be reminded of that. He didn't come across as an inspiring candidate.....
And Gov. Granholm. First a compliment, her voice was incredibly well-moderated. She's obviously been an excellent pupil of whomever taught her....But it just reinforced for me that she's all politician. And I thought she was rude. I know there were no rules, but interrupting her opponent and commenting while he's talking? And.....if she has such a spiffy plan to turn around the economy, why is Michigan unemployment at 7.1%, which is 51% higher than the national average? Why have thousands of jobs left Michigan in the last four years under her watch? I understand that Michigan is an automotive state and that with problems in the automotive industry, Michigan suffers more than other states in the US. But I don't understand how she couldn't have put this plan into action much earlier, it seems pretty convenient timing to the election. And I find it annoying when she repeatedly refers to the unemployed of Michigan as victims of the global economy. Our world is changing, it's a fact. And the governor should be the first one in the state to grasp that and see what needs to be done within the state to change with the times. And to blame the global economy, to blame Engler (4 years later), to blame Washington, to blame, to blame, to blame......Are you able to lay blame for your shortcomings at work on everyone else? Sure her job is different, but didn't she herself promise that 2005 would be the turnaround year? Where's the delivery on that promise? And finally, when the candidates had to provide one fact about themselves that would be news to voters, DeVos' response may have been cheesy, but it was an answer to the question. Is it just me or was Gov. Granholm making a pathetic attempt to garner conservative votes when she said that her father's an elder, her brother's an ordained minister and her husband was going to be a Catholic priest, but then they met "praise the Lord"?????
I don't think anyone "won" this debate.....and sadly, based on this debate, I'm not inspired by either candidate.
Well, that's my opinion, anyway.
This holiday commemorates the reunification of Germany in 1990, when East Germany (German Democratic Republic ~ GDR) was integrated into the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany). The Berlin Wall came down on November 9, 1989, but this date was not selected, most likely because it is also the anniversary of Kristallnacht in 1938. Therefore, the day of official reunification, October 3rd, was set as the holiday. And this, I think, also provides clues as to why there are no real nationalistic celebrations of German reunification. This is a complex topic and I don't pretend to understand all the intricacies. But briefly and basically.....Nationalism and patriotism are sensitive topics here, largely because of the history of this country. It was nationalism that was abused by the political leaders to start a war that destroyed this country. And the post-war effects can still be felt and seen.
It's unusual to see private citizens with a German flag.....during the World Cup was the first time that many Germans purchased and flew the national flag. Germans don't stand for their national anthem. Many Germans complain about how bad things are in Germany. To be proud of Germany or of being German still carries some negative overtones. On one hand, that is, in a purely historical context, understandable. There are some aspects of nationalism, in all countries, not just here, which are negative and result in atrocities against other nationalities or abuses of power by politicians. On the other hand, Germany has reunified and rebuilt a pretty amazing society. Unemployment at 10.1% is higher than in the US (and Michigan), but crime and poverty are lower. Germans have a lot to be proud of.
So, since there's not much (of anything) going on today and because it's pouring rain (so not good for sightseeing), I have been catching up on US news. And sometimes I ask myself why I bother. What I have read today has brought me to tears. The schoolhouse shooting in peaceful Amish community in Pennsylvania, with 5 small girls killed and 5 others in critical condition. This is the third school shooting in the US in less than a week! Then I read about the woman on trial for murder in the death of her foster child in Canton, MI. Details aren't being released and of course she's innocent until proven guilty, but the very occurrence of the trial is saddening. And then there's the story about Rep. Mark Foley resigning after being confronted with his explicit online conversations with congressional pages, ages 16 and 17.
So I have to ask, what's being done to protect the children of America? If the Amish, who have to be one of the world's most peaceful societies, can't send their children to school without fear of violence..........
So then I decided to watch the debate between Gov. Jennifer Granholm and candidate Dick DeVos. Because certainly our political leaders have a responsibility here. And soon the State of Michigan will decide on their political leader, at least for the next four years......But what a bunch of fluff! I said before that I wasn't going to air my political views here, because you can get that lots of other places. But I would like to offer a few opinions/make a few observations on the debate.....
Did DeVos remind anyone else of a Televangelist, smiling at all the right places, or maybe even too much, and answering the questions without answering the questions? If he thinks Granholm has made mistakes, why doesn't he just say so? Why couldn't he give a straight answer to the question of whether or not he will consult his wife on strategic decisions? Sure, one way or the other people are going to fault his answer, but at least he could give one! You know the saying from your Mom - "Say what you mean and mean what you say." I think Mr. DeVos may need to be reminded of that. He didn't come across as an inspiring candidate.....
And Gov. Granholm. First a compliment, her voice was incredibly well-moderated. She's obviously been an excellent pupil of whomever taught her....But it just reinforced for me that she's all politician. And I thought she was rude. I know there were no rules, but interrupting her opponent and commenting while he's talking? And.....if she has such a spiffy plan to turn around the economy, why is Michigan unemployment at 7.1%, which is 51% higher than the national average? Why have thousands of jobs left Michigan in the last four years under her watch? I understand that Michigan is an automotive state and that with problems in the automotive industry, Michigan suffers more than other states in the US. But I don't understand how she couldn't have put this plan into action much earlier, it seems pretty convenient timing to the election. And I find it annoying when she repeatedly refers to the unemployed of Michigan as victims of the global economy. Our world is changing, it's a fact. And the governor should be the first one in the state to grasp that and see what needs to be done within the state to change with the times. And to blame the global economy, to blame Engler (4 years later), to blame Washington, to blame, to blame, to blame......Are you able to lay blame for your shortcomings at work on everyone else? Sure her job is different, but didn't she herself promise that 2005 would be the turnaround year? Where's the delivery on that promise? And finally, when the candidates had to provide one fact about themselves that would be news to voters, DeVos' response may have been cheesy, but it was an answer to the question. Is it just me or was Gov. Granholm making a pathetic attempt to garner conservative votes when she said that her father's an elder, her brother's an ordained minister and her husband was going to be a Catholic priest, but then they met "praise the Lord"?????
I don't think anyone "won" this debate.....and sadly, based on this debate, I'm not inspired by either candidate.
Well, that's my opinion, anyway.
02 October 2006
How cute!
Isn't he cute??
Yesterday we went to the pumpkin festival that I mentioned in a previous post. It was really fun. At the Bluehenden Barock (Fanciful Baroque), they have the most beautiful gardens. It was amazing. In addition to the pumpkin festival, they also have a Fairy Tale garden at all times. This garden has things like a little boat ride through some different fairy tale exhibits (like the stomach of the whale that swallowed Pinnochio) and a tower where, if you yell loud enough, Rapunzel will let down her hair and more.
Yesterday we went to the pumpkin festival that I mentioned in a previous post. It was really fun. At the Bluehenden Barock (Fanciful Baroque), they have the most beautiful gardens. It was amazing. In addition to the pumpkin festival, they also have a Fairy Tale garden at all times. This garden has things like a little boat ride through some different fairy tale exhibits (like the stomach of the whale that swallowed Pinnochio) and a tower where, if you yell loud enough, Rapunzel will let down her hair and more.
01 October 2006
Why I love Sundays
In Germany, you're not allowed to "work" on Sunday. Sure, I can run the washing machine or the vaccuum cleaner. But say I decide to mow my lawn (I don't have one, but others do). If my neighbor finds it annoying, he can call the police. And as far as I understand it (honestly, I haven't read the law myself), the police can write a citation with a monetary penalty. So Sunday truly is a day of rest here. I think it's wonderful!
Church starts at 10 on Sunday and my cats can't go past 8 without eating. So I get up early, make myself a coffee and check my email. It's totally relaxing, unlike rushing around on weekday mornings to get to work.
Almost inevitably, someone from church will suggest something interesting to do on Sunday afternoon. Two weeks ago, we walked through the city center. Last week, we went to the Monet exhibit.
For all these reasons, I love Sundays!
On Thursday as I came home from work, I found several of the books I had ordered (but none of the textbooks) waiting outside my door. One of my neighbors has signed for them. I read one whole book yesterday (told you I'm a nerd)! It was great, because I haven't done that in ages. Then last night, I went to the movies with one of my co-workers and her husband. The movie wasn't good, but we had fun afterwards sitting and talking in a cafe.
Here in Germany, you have to pay to park pretty much everywhere. When parking in a parking garage, you take the ticket from the machine at the entrance, park and then go on your merry way, with your ticket. When you come back, you put your ticket into a machine, BEFORE going to your car, like at Detroit Metro (very important lesson that I learned via trial and error in April - well it was more error and less trial, to be honest). The machine tells you how much you owe - 6 Euro for less than five hours last night!! (It's expensive here.) - you put the money in and it spits your ticket back out. Normally, you should be able to go get your car, drive to the exit and put your ticket in the machine there and the gate blocking the exit lifts and you drive away. Well, why should things should work "normally?" It's 12:15 a.m. and I'm not so happy about having paid six Euro. I put my ticket in the machine at the gate and instead of the gate opening, the ticket comes back out - "your ticket is not valid or could not be read." Hmmm....I turn it over and stick it in again. Nope. I turn it around and stick it in again. Nope. I must have tried like 10 times. Someone behind me honks and I think, great, I'm stuck in the parking garage. Maybe I owe more money in some odd and unreal way. So I back up (don't you dislike people who do that at a parking garage? That used to happen at Wayne State all the time and it was so annoying....), park again and go back to the machine where you pay. I put the ticket in and it spits it right back out. Well, either there's an error there, too, or it's all paid up. So I go back to the car, drive back to the gate and try again. Error. So I press the little call button and tell the disembodied voice that I've paid my ticket, but it won't work. He says to try it again. I do, but it's still not working.
He opens the gate and I drive away, freed from the confines of the parking garage!!!!!!
Then it took me twice as long to get home, because they're doing construction on my normal route and had blocked it off (I heard on the radio that alone in the state of Germany in which I live, there are 55 construction sites going. When you consider that all of Germany fits into like Minnesota or something, that's quite a lot for my little state. It means that you're almost always caught up in construction traffic....) So I had to take a detour, which took me quite a way out of the way. But I got here eventually....
Fun times! But it's not so bad, because I have a four day weekend!!!! Did I mention that already?? :o)
Church starts at 10 on Sunday and my cats can't go past 8 without eating. So I get up early, make myself a coffee and check my email. It's totally relaxing, unlike rushing around on weekday mornings to get to work.
Almost inevitably, someone from church will suggest something interesting to do on Sunday afternoon. Two weeks ago, we walked through the city center. Last week, we went to the Monet exhibit.
For all these reasons, I love Sundays!
On Thursday as I came home from work, I found several of the books I had ordered (but none of the textbooks) waiting outside my door. One of my neighbors has signed for them. I read one whole book yesterday (told you I'm a nerd)! It was great, because I haven't done that in ages. Then last night, I went to the movies with one of my co-workers and her husband. The movie wasn't good, but we had fun afterwards sitting and talking in a cafe.
Here in Germany, you have to pay to park pretty much everywhere. When parking in a parking garage, you take the ticket from the machine at the entrance, park and then go on your merry way, with your ticket. When you come back, you put your ticket into a machine, BEFORE going to your car, like at Detroit Metro (very important lesson that I learned via trial and error in April - well it was more error and less trial, to be honest). The machine tells you how much you owe - 6 Euro for less than five hours last night!! (It's expensive here.) - you put the money in and it spits your ticket back out. Normally, you should be able to go get your car, drive to the exit and put your ticket in the machine there and the gate blocking the exit lifts and you drive away. Well, why should things should work "normally?" It's 12:15 a.m. and I'm not so happy about having paid six Euro. I put my ticket in the machine at the gate and instead of the gate opening, the ticket comes back out - "your ticket is not valid or could not be read." Hmmm....I turn it over and stick it in again. Nope. I turn it around and stick it in again. Nope. I must have tried like 10 times. Someone behind me honks and I think, great, I'm stuck in the parking garage. Maybe I owe more money in some odd and unreal way. So I back up (don't you dislike people who do that at a parking garage? That used to happen at Wayne State all the time and it was so annoying....), park again and go back to the machine where you pay. I put the ticket in and it spits it right back out. Well, either there's an error there, too, or it's all paid up. So I go back to the car, drive back to the gate and try again. Error. So I press the little call button and tell the disembodied voice that I've paid my ticket, but it won't work. He says to try it again. I do, but it's still not working.
He opens the gate and I drive away, freed from the confines of the parking garage!!!!!!
Then it took me twice as long to get home, because they're doing construction on my normal route and had blocked it off (I heard on the radio that alone in the state of Germany in which I live, there are 55 construction sites going. When you consider that all of Germany fits into like Minnesota or something, that's quite a lot for my little state. It means that you're almost always caught up in construction traffic....) So I had to take a detour, which took me quite a way out of the way. But I got here eventually....
Fun times! But it's not so bad, because I have a four day weekend!!!! Did I mention that already?? :o)
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