Well, it's hard to believe it but 2007 is on it's way out. After all of the planning, researching, moving, cursing, good-byes, hellos, laughs, and tears, we have survived our first 6 months in Berlin.
Our friends who moved overseas before us warned that it would take 6 months to begin to acclimate to a new culture. Perhaps, it speaks to the strength of our induction training courses that we have yet to be shocked by living in a foreign culture. That's not to say that it has been easy but it hasn't been hard either. So, I'm curious about what's around the next corner. What does 2008 have in store for us? What will our first full year in a foreign country be like? I don't have a crystal ball but I do have alot of hope.
I have hope that we will continue to discover things within ourselves that we never thought we had. I have hope that the summer will be a real summer packed with hot weather, sunny days, and long, lingering nights. (No mosquitos though, the national bird of Germany). I have hope that the German language will not, will not, will not get the best of us. That we'll look back and think--Oh, that silly language? I never doubted we'd catch on. I have hope we will eat strange food and exotic drink and discover that we like it, we really like it. I have hope that our small circle of friends will grow into a huge foster family and that our discomfort zones will shrink. I have hope that our little family will continue to grow closer in 2008 to the point that we will one day look back on this experience with tears.....of joy and nostalgia of what was.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Monday, December 10, 2007
The Most Wonderful Time
So, this is what we've been waiting for the past six months. Christmas. Beautiful, hopeful, Christmas.One of John's friends invited us over for kaffee and kuchen yesterday and then took us to their favorite Christmasmarkts. It was as quaint and lovely as we imagined.
All of the typical grum-grumbling is put aside in favor of the festive spirit. Christmasmarkt's overflow with cheerful-yes, cheerful-Germans who want nothing more than to share a warm gluhwein, munch on a toasty bratwurst, and shop for holiday trinkets before the big guy arrives. You might even get an "Excuse me." should someone run into you in an effort to push through the crowds of wishful patrons standing in the Dresdener Stollen line. Like I said, it's down right festive in these parts. I've never seen so much civility in my life. The Ho-humbugs don't stand a chance.
I've not felt more jubilant or grateful to be part of the local scene since we arrived six months ago. Who knows, we might even miss Christmas Berlin while we're in Atlanta during the next month.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
On the first day of Christmas...
Germany's known for their Christmasmarkts and it is obviously why that is having lived here. Every square inch of public space has now been filled to the brim with lights, food booths, huge Christmas scenes, and ornaments. They are one frosted tree away from gaudy but it's been alot of fun seeing the city come alive with the holiday spirit.
Today, we took these pictures in the main downtown mall, KaDeWe. Father Christmas, Frosty the Christmas tree (?), and his snow elfs paid us a visit. They were all on stilts--standing 12 feet tall. I'm not sure what the significance of that was other than to give children joy today and nightmares tonight. Notice the little boy in the last picture cowering away from the ice princess. I have a feeling we've only seen the beginning of Winter Madness in Berlin.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Good Again
In the life of an expat, a day can quickly turn from good to bad to good again.
It's a good day when you wake up at 8am and the sun is peeking through the clouds. It's an excellent day when the aforementioned sun is still visible by 10am.
It's a good day when you understand the grocer when asked if you have 10 cents to round out your bill. It's an even better day when you can quickly hand over the change and also respond coherently...in German.
It's a bad day when you get to the post office, after driving around it for 30 minutes trying to find a space for your bus-sized SUV which screams enthusiastically "HELLO, I'M DRIVEN BY AN OBNOXIOUS AMERICAN!," only to find after waiting in line for 30 minutes that this neighborhood post doesn't have your package--the other post across town does. Did I also mention that the post across town closes for the day the moment you get to the door? "But, wait, I just stood in line for 30 minutes across town. Can't I just...." It's a really bad day when after arriving back to your car flustered by this fruitless ordeal you find the German ticket fairy has paid you another courteous visit. Brilliant.
But, you see, luck changes quickly here. Just as you are prepared to discount the entire day you receive an unexpected call from a new friend or an unexpected invitation to a social event.
See, things aren't all that bad. It's still sunny. You can speak a little intelligible German. Your butt still fits into your skinny jeans.
And then, the bell rings and wait a second--a package has arrived....and it's not for John but for you. Hey, it's a package from an old friend, to little ol' you, full of store bought and hand-made gifts to keep you warm and a thoughtful card that warms your heart. Someone likes you, they really like you.
Just like that, in under an hour, you're transformed from a harsh and bitter water buffalo to an thankful and nostalgic lilac crested roller. The days don't get any gooder than this. They just don't.
It's a good day when you wake up at 8am and the sun is peeking through the clouds. It's an excellent day when the aforementioned sun is still visible by 10am.
It's a good day when you understand the grocer when asked if you have 10 cents to round out your bill. It's an even better day when you can quickly hand over the change and also respond coherently...in German.
It's a bad day when you get to the post office, after driving around it for 30 minutes trying to find a space for your bus-sized SUV which screams enthusiastically "HELLO, I'M DRIVEN BY AN OBNOXIOUS AMERICAN!," only to find after waiting in line for 30 minutes that this neighborhood post doesn't have your package--the other post across town does. Did I also mention that the post across town closes for the day the moment you get to the door? "But, wait, I just stood in line for 30 minutes across town. Can't I just...." It's a really bad day when after arriving back to your car flustered by this fruitless ordeal you find the German ticket fairy has paid you another courteous visit. Brilliant.
But, you see, luck changes quickly here. Just as you are prepared to discount the entire day you receive an unexpected call from a new friend or an unexpected invitation to a social event.
See, things aren't all that bad. It's still sunny. You can speak a little intelligible German. Your butt still fits into your skinny jeans.
And then, the bell rings and wait a second--a package has arrived....and it's not for John but for you. Hey, it's a package from an old friend, to little ol' you, full of store bought and hand-made gifts to keep you warm and a thoughtful card that warms your heart. Someone likes you, they really like you.
Just like that, in under an hour, you're transformed from a harsh and bitter water buffalo to an thankful and nostalgic lilac crested roller. The days don't get any gooder than this. They just don't.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Seriously?
I'm at a loss. I took a book quiz on a whim and this was the result. I'm not sure if I should be concerned or feel more bitter about my existence than this quiz tells me I already am. Seriously? Is it that bad? I guess November in Berlin really is tough your first year but come on, seriously?
You're The Things They Carried!
by Tim O'Brien
Harsh and bitter, you tell it like it is. This usually comes in short, dramatic spurts of spilling your guts in various ways. You carry a heavy load, and this has weighed you down with all the horrors that humanity has to offer. Having seen and done a great deal that you aren't proud of, you have no choice but to walk forward, trudging slowly through ongoing mud. In the next life, you will come back as a water buffalo.
Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Weekend Jaunt
Charity would disagree with me here but if you were thinking about visiting Leipzig when you come to Germany, I'd tell you to skip it. We spent last weekend touring Leipzig and Dresden. We were lookin' for a little adventure, German style, and we found two quaint towns with distant personalities.
Baroquely beautiful Dresden was much more to my liking. Here, we also found a 65 Euro a night room but it was more like an apartment and was centrally located and very comfortable. I wasn't afraid of getting bedbugs in that hotel which was a plus! Dresden was bombed in World War II down to its very foundation (50k killed and 85% of historical center gone) but the city has done a remarkable thing. They have begun to painstakingly restore all historical buildings and surrounded those buildings with architechurally appropriate hotels and stores. It's a marvel to see buildings that you know should look old and dingy stand before you gleamingly new. There were
several museums including the Old Masters Gallery (which Charity said was the one of the best collections of the great artists she's ever seen), the Palace of Culture, and the Porcelain collection. We spent a few hours in the Royal Palace looking at the treasure trove of items Augustus the Strong horded and then walked in courtyard of the Zwinger, a Middle Age fortress that houses many of the cities art. The highlight again involved music where we bought last minute tickets to hear a choir sing in the Frauenkirche, Germany's largest Protestant church which was bombed in the Second World War and then reconstructed using a third of the original bricks. Another interesting thing is that while the city is brimming with tourist, the majority of them are German. Hardly an American in sight!
Leipzig is the largest federal state in Saxony and is probably best known for its church--Thomaskirsche, the place where Johann Sebastian Bach worked as a cantor. The city is very proud of reminding visitors of their musical legacy so lovers of organ and choral music would have no
problems finding a concert to enjoy or getting lost in the musical history. There are the Bach archives, the Bach museum, the St. Thomas Boys Choir, and Gewandhaus orchestra. For two Euros, we were able to see the Boys Choir perform on Saturday night which turned out to be the highlight of our trip ironically. The city itself was cute enough. It had the charm that a one-day visitor could appreciate but for my taste a one night stay was enough. I have to admit that my memories are slightly altered by the remembrance of the hostel was stayed in that night. We chose it for their 65 Euro a night rate and we got 65 Euros worth of accommodations--a rickity bed, no heat (we slept in two layers of clothes), noisy floor, and dim lightly to hide the carpet stains. Like J said, we're too damn old to be staying in hostels--that or too snobby, take your pick.
problems finding a concert to enjoy or getting lost in the musical history. There are the Bach archives, the Bach museum, the St. Thomas Boys Choir, and Gewandhaus orchestra. For two Euros, we were able to see the Boys Choir perform on Saturday night which turned out to be the highlight of our trip ironically. The city itself was cute enough. It had the charm that a one-day visitor could appreciate but for my taste a one night stay was enough. I have to admit that my memories are slightly altered by the remembrance of the hostel was stayed in that night. We chose it for their 65 Euro a night rate and we got 65 Euros worth of accommodations--a rickity bed, no heat (we slept in two layers of clothes), noisy floor, and dim lightly to hide the carpet stains. Like J said, we're too damn old to be staying in hostels--that or too snobby, take your pick. 
Baroquely beautiful Dresden was much more to my liking. Here, we also found a 65 Euro a night room but it was more like an apartment and was centrally located and very comfortable. I wasn't afraid of getting bedbugs in that hotel which was a plus! Dresden was bombed in World War II down to its very foundation (50k killed and 85% of historical center gone) but the city has done a remarkable thing. They have begun to painstakingly restore all historical buildings and surrounded those buildings with architechurally appropriate hotels and stores. It's a marvel to see buildings that you know should look old and dingy stand before you gleamingly new. There were
several museums including the Old Masters Gallery (which Charity said was the one of the best collections of the great artists she's ever seen), the Palace of Culture, and the Porcelain collection. We spent a few hours in the Royal Palace looking at the treasure trove of items Augustus the Strong horded and then walked in courtyard of the Zwinger, a Middle Age fortress that houses many of the cities art. The highlight again involved music where we bought last minute tickets to hear a choir sing in the Frauenkirche, Germany's largest Protestant church which was bombed in the Second World War and then reconstructed using a third of the original bricks. Another interesting thing is that while the city is brimming with tourist, the majority of them are German. Hardly an American in sight! Monday, November 19, 2007
The Holiday Spirit
Thursday is Thanksgiving. The second holiday after July 4th that we'll celebrate here and the first truly nostalgic one that we'll attempt to recreate.
We have to keep reminding ourselves these days that 1) what we perceive to be important days of the year are not so here, 2) celebrating these so-called holidays keep us connected with our previous life and give us the opportunity to create new traditions, 3) and that it is the new memories that we create in Berlin that will, in hind-sight, help us to remember this city fondly when we move on.
We have a good start so far. Charity smuggled in a can of whole berry cranberry sauce in case we have trouble finding real berries here and a guv'ment sized loaf of velvetta for my sinful mac and cheese. (What is Velvetta cheese anyway? And why is it self-stable? It's kind of insulting to cheese to call it cheese, really.) We can buy Stove Top Stuffing (which is not more like stuffing than Velvetta is cheese) if we are willing to pay $5.00 a box for it so instead we'll-stratch that- I will be trying a new recipe this year. I've been told that I could have ordered a turkey from a local butcher had I done it sooner but I didn't. My only other alternative is to either buy a goose (how does one prepare a goose? and how does it differ from a duck?) which are readily available or go for chicken instead. In my attempts to speak German to the butcher, I asked what I thought was "Do you have a turkey (Haben sie Guflugel)?" after asking her to wrap up a whole chicken for me as back-up. When she answered, rather indignantly, that "Yes, everything in front of you including what you just ordered is Guflugel." I realized that Geflugel means poultry and not turkey. Ooops. Needless to say, I apologized and left quickly with my bird and my tail between my legs. Chicken for thanksgiving, it is.
So, it will be an interesting holiday for the kids this year. Having Charity here will be like the old days in DC. Lots of procrastinating. Lots of drinking. Lots of laughs. Lots of fun. What better way is there to celebrate the season of thanks than that?
We have to keep reminding ourselves these days that 1) what we perceive to be important days of the year are not so here, 2) celebrating these so-called holidays keep us connected with our previous life and give us the opportunity to create new traditions, 3) and that it is the new memories that we create in Berlin that will, in hind-sight, help us to remember this city fondly when we move on.
We have a good start so far. Charity smuggled in a can of whole berry cranberry sauce in case we have trouble finding real berries here and a guv'ment sized loaf of velvetta for my sinful mac and cheese. (What is Velvetta cheese anyway? And why is it self-stable? It's kind of insulting to cheese to call it cheese, really.) We can buy Stove Top Stuffing (which is not more like stuffing than Velvetta is cheese) if we are willing to pay $5.00 a box for it so instead we'll-stratch that- I will be trying a new recipe this year. I've been told that I could have ordered a turkey from a local butcher had I done it sooner but I didn't. My only other alternative is to either buy a goose (how does one prepare a goose? and how does it differ from a duck?) which are readily available or go for chicken instead. In my attempts to speak German to the butcher, I asked what I thought was "Do you have a turkey (Haben sie Guflugel)?" after asking her to wrap up a whole chicken for me as back-up. When she answered, rather indignantly, that "Yes, everything in front of you including what you just ordered is Guflugel." I realized that Geflugel means poultry and not turkey. Ooops. Needless to say, I apologized and left quickly with my bird and my tail between my legs. Chicken for thanksgiving, it is.
So, it will be an interesting holiday for the kids this year. Having Charity here will be like the old days in DC. Lots of procrastinating. Lots of drinking. Lots of laughs. Lots of fun. What better way is there to celebrate the season of thanks than that?
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