I was quite curious in the days leading up to Christmas what our day would have in store for us. We didn't have much planned and it was going to be very different not having a Christmas tree or really any Christmas decorations up except for a teeny tiny advent calendar. The only thing on the agenda was going to a friends house for a special Christmas dinner. This is a couple who are good friends of the family we work for and we hit it off with them immediately upon meeting them. Markus works from home and makes his own schedule so he stops by the brewery quite frequently and we got to know him pretty well, and Stephanie, his wife is soft spoken but incredibly friendly. We were looking forward to getting to see them in their own element in their home and getting to know them a little better.
Christmas day proved to be pretty uneventful. Lots of TV watching, including some Christmas music videos and Sleepless in Seattle. Although it was no Christmas Story marathon, the down time was much appreciated. However, I did convince Brandon to go on a short hike with me in the afternoon.
So, we made it to Markus' house around 6, and joined the others who had been slaving away for hours to make an incredible feast. There were 5 couples joining in on the festivities. Markus and Stephanie, us, another couple we know from the brewery, and 2 we did not know. We got to explore their house a little bit and have a pre dinner drink and they even let us help out in the kitchen a little bit too. Around 8 we settled in around the table and started our meal with carrot ginger soup topped with a coconut shrimp skewer, then moved on to a bacon wrapped scallop with salad in citrus vinaigrette, avocado and mango. Both amazing dishes, these were my favorites of the meal. Then we moved on to the more heavy dishes, with the traditional German Christmas dinner nod to goose breast, blaukraut, and sauteed celery (which is celery root not celery stalks which are actually quite hard to come by here). Then roasted rabbit with fried polenta stars, which I got to cut out and were of course the best part :) At this point we took a bit of a longer break and started opening up some beer that Brandon had brewed along with some harder liquor to make the evening a bit more exciting. At this point Markus decided to add an extra course before dessert because his friend had brought some great cheese from Switzerland so we got to try three different white swiss cheeses. I must say though that to me they all tasted quite similar. Very strong aroma, good flavor, but not something I would want very often. So then we got dessert which was a Spanish creme with orange cream and pomegranate sauce and assorted tropical fruits. Perfect way to end the meal. Not too heavy. We ended up finishing eating around 12:30 or so. Markus was sloshed and I think they went on to party for a while but we decided to call it a night and headed back home.
So, the verdict for Christmas in Germany: very different but superb!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Wurzburg
Today we took a trip to the city of Wurzburg. The Main River runs right through it and makes for some amazing cityscapes. On the west bank of the river sits a fortress on a hill that took us about 20 minutes to hike up. Definitely well worth the effort. Although it was mighty cold we got to wander around the fortress grounds and imagine what it might have been like to live there so many years ago. Mostly we figured there would be horse poo everywhere! :) We had an awesome view of the city from the top and could see all the major sights from a distance and also saw that the north side of town was filled with vineyards which explains the fascination with wine here. There are many wineries and places to do tastings. But with it being so cold we decided to stick with tea and coffee instead.
Of course there was a Weinachtsmarkt, every city seems to have one, so we wandered through and actually it was really great because in Nuremburg it is too crowded to get pictures but we had the opportunity here to do so. It was still just the typical stuff, Wurzburg didn't seem to have its own specialty. Across the street from the markt, was 2 huge churches literally 50 feet from one another. One was more ornate and had paintings and murals on the ceiling while the other was done in more of a gothic style. On the back side of the churches sits the Residenz which is a huge palace that was for the bishops. We got here too late to go in and get a tour but even just seeing the outside was amazing. It started snowing as soon as we walked up and it made our walk through the gardens magical.
As we made our way to the train station to head home Brandon noticed the "House of 150 Beers" so we had to stop and get a drink. We shared a Berliner Weiss, which is a low alcohol Weiss beer mixed with fruit flavor, typically raspberry or this local herb which I can't remember the name of. We had raspberry and it's a totally "girly" drink that is served in a goblet with a straw but it was really good. The perfect end to our day in Wurzburg.
Of course there was a Weinachtsmarkt, every city seems to have one, so we wandered through and actually it was really great because in Nuremburg it is too crowded to get pictures but we had the opportunity here to do so. It was still just the typical stuff, Wurzburg didn't seem to have its own specialty. Across the street from the markt, was 2 huge churches literally 50 feet from one another. One was more ornate and had paintings and murals on the ceiling while the other was done in more of a gothic style. On the back side of the churches sits the Residenz which is a huge palace that was for the bishops. We got here too late to go in and get a tour but even just seeing the outside was amazing. It started snowing as soon as we walked up and it made our walk through the gardens magical.
As we made our way to the train station to head home Brandon noticed the "House of 150 Beers" so we had to stop and get a drink. We shared a Berliner Weiss, which is a low alcohol Weiss beer mixed with fruit flavor, typically raspberry or this local herb which I can't remember the name of. We had raspberry and it's a totally "girly" drink that is served in a goblet with a straw but it was really good. The perfect end to our day in Wurzburg.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
random cross cultural observation
Our German as a Foreign Language course takes place in a public school. Our classroom is for middle school aged students during the day. I believe they are the age equivalent of sixth graders in the U.S. Currently on the back wall of the classroom some student work is displayed. They essentially made personal bios, including a picture, favorite food, hobbies, etc. What they want to do as a career when they are older was also included.
As a middle school teacher for 2 years I recall what many students said they wanted to do when they were older. In the U.S., I remember almost all of the students saying things like “football player, basketball player, baseball player, model.” Other more realistic students would say things like “doctor” or “lawyer.” Still many of the students would have no idea.
I found a huge contrast between the German answers and the American answers. Of course a certain level of homogeneity among the German students’ answers existed just like the Americans. After all, it is a middle school. So, I tallied up what the students said on the wall in this German classroom. The results are: 1 farmer, 2 hair dressers, 3 mechanics, 8 kindergartner teachers , 1 soccer player, 1 actress, and 3 carpenters. Talk about a society more productive than lawyers and ignorant athletes.
Personally, I believe our education system in America is a failure (in certain areas, anyway). We push University degrees and college prep courses so much. Students are (indirectly) taught that they will have no job skills unless they complete a four-year degree (minimum). Technical college students are seen as second-class citizens to University students, and high school students that participate in “career center” programs in H.S. are just seen as weird. My opinion.
Many non-University students in Germany participate in work-study programs. They study and apprentice in their field for 3 years. These programs finish about the time they are 19 years old. Upon completion they have marketable skills to present to potential employers. I’ve met people who just finished or who are participating in apprentice-study programs. One is now a baker, the other is studying stone cutting (for restoration of historic buildings).
It’s unfortunate that we have become a nation of consumers and lost a lot of our productive edge that made our economy so strong in the past. A lot of it has to do with cheap products from China, globalization, and big box stores. Those things aren’t all bad, and it’s certainly more complex than just those three things. I’m not trying to speculate on the roots or solve any of these problems, I’m just ranting about them.
Date Night in Nuremberg
On Saturday evening Brandon and I decided to go to Nuremberg and just have some fun. We needed to use the internet, which we use Starbucks for and there was a movie we wanted to see, Zweiohrkuken, a romantic comedy. It ended up just being a comedy of errors and not quite the experience I had in mind. We went to 3 different Starbucks before we found one with space to sit down. After about an hour we decided it was time to eat and went back to an Indian restaurant we had passed on the way that wasn't too far from the theater. We were seated very quickly and then sat and sat, then we had to ask for menus then we sat and sat. I went to bathroom in the mean time and realized there was no toilet paper in the entire restroom. Argh! Then back to table and more sitting. Finally it was just getting too late so we just left and decided to go to the theater. I had seen in the movie review paper that the theater was a multi use facility with restaurants and other things so we thought we would try our luck there. We only had an hour before the movie started so we bought tickets and headed out to find food. We came across a diner but it was full and there were people standing around everywhere waiting to pounce on an empty table so we didn't see that working out. We also saw another restaurant but didn't think we had enough time so we exchanged our tickets for a show an hour later. Here, they assign seats for the movies and the only seats open were in the first 3 rows and in "camping seats" the girl said. Well, it didn't sound good but they were cheaper seats so we went with it. Then we headed back down to the restaurant to give it a try. After sitting for at least 1o minutes the waitress came to take our order. Then it was forever before we got our food so we scarfed it down in like 4 minutes flat and rushed up to the movie. The theater actually was quite a lot smaller than I expected so sitting so close was perfect and the seats were just like reception area chairs so they were kind of comfortable. The movie ended up being pretty good too. Pretty funny and even though I didn't understand a lot of what they were saying, it was pretty easy to follow. So the night kind of redeemed itself after all.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Dachau
Friday, Brandon and I both had the day off so we decided to take day trip to Dachau and visit the concentration camp memorial, something we have been wanting to do for some time. I didn't really know what to expect but was excited about seeing it and learning more about what actually happened there. It is outside of Munich and took a few hours to get there so we only had the afternoon, from about 2 until 5 to check it out. I thought we had plenty of time but quickly realized that I could have spent the whole day there.There is an information center when you first arrive and we decided to get the audio tour which is an electronic paddle you carry with you. There are information boards all around the camp and corresponding numbers to type into the guide and it will give you the appropriate info.
You first walk up to the gate and right outside are the remains of the old train stop where prisoners were dropped off. Then there is the steel gate which says "ARBEIT MACHT FREI" which means work will set you free. When you enter you are looking out onto the roll call field and to the right is the building which housed the kitchen and enrollment areas and to the left is where the barracks were. The first 2 barracks still remain and you can walk through them but the rest are gone with just memorial stones at the head. In the building that housed the kitchen there is now a museum. There were about 12 rooms and each section told a different part of the story. It started out telling about how Hitler came into power and all the propaganda used to make people hate Jews and really anyone who was different. It went on to tell how the camps were built and how it coincided with political activity at the time. Immigrant, Jews, homosexuals, convicts, political activists, ans others were all taken as prisoners, sometimes several times. It told about the living conditions or lack there of and different kinds of torture or medical experiments used on prisoners. There was chilling 2o minute documentary as well, which showed horrifying footage of the camp. At the rear of the camp was the crematorium. Next to that was a gassing room disguised as a shower, however this was never the used.
It was very interesting and I'm glad I got to go, but it was disturbing. I just will never be able to wrap my mind around how a group of people could do that to another.
You first walk up to the gate and right outside are the remains of the old train stop where prisoners were dropped off. Then there is the steel gate which says "ARBEIT MACHT FREI" which means work will set you free. When you enter you are looking out onto the roll call field and to the right is the building which housed the kitchen and enrollment areas and to the left is where the barracks were. The first 2 barracks still remain and you can walk through them but the rest are gone with just memorial stones at the head. In the building that housed the kitchen there is now a museum. There were about 12 rooms and each section told a different part of the story. It started out telling about how Hitler came into power and all the propaganda used to make people hate Jews and really anyone who was different. It went on to tell how the camps were built and how it coincided with political activity at the time. Immigrant, Jews, homosexuals, convicts, political activists, ans others were all taken as prisoners, sometimes several times. It told about the living conditions or lack there of and different kinds of torture or medical experiments used on prisoners. There was chilling 2o minute documentary as well, which showed horrifying footage of the camp. At the rear of the camp was the crematorium. Next to that was a gassing room disguised as a shower, however this was never the used.
It was very interesting and I'm glad I got to go, but it was disturbing. I just will never be able to wrap my mind around how a group of people could do that to another.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Gatlinburg of Germany
This past Tuesday, Cindy and I visited Rothenburg ob der Tauber. The city is called Rothenburg, and it overlooks the Tauber river. A lot of cities here have "suffixes" of sorts after their name to distinguish themselves from another city in a different part of Germany with the same name. Anyways, Rothenburg is in northwest Bavaria.
We saw a handful of American tourists, and busloads of Japanese during our day trip. It was busy with lots of tourists in general, even on a Tuesday.
We basically just walked around the whole day, snapping photos and taking it all in. There are quite a few stores there that sell lots of trinkety handmade garbage that you're supposed to buy for Christmas: ornaments, figurines, and come to think of it, that's about it, just more of the same. Postcards, keychains, and snow globes can be found in the tackier shops. They even have a store dedicated to selling all things Teddy Bear related. And with the consumer in mind, there is a competitor on the other side of town. It really is important that you find the cheapest price and don't waste your money when it comes to teddy bear themed purchases.
All cynicism aside, it is a really well preserved medieval town. It's not something you ordinarily get to see in Germany. So many of the buildings were destroyed in WWII. Most "old" buildings you see in the country were rebuilt in the 1950s. It's amazing to see originals and realize how long they've been around.
We also went up in a tower in the center of town. It was a very windy day, and it was a very skinny, tall tower. I really did NOT like it. Remember.....how old are these buildings again?
They have a local junk food too. Schneeballen, or snow balls. It's a bunch of dough that's rolled together and baked. They come in different varieties, powdered sugar, apple cinnamon, etc.. I found them a bit too hard, but worth trying once.
Also, I've added a link to photos of Rothenburg on the right side of the page.
We saw a handful of American tourists, and busloads of Japanese during our day trip. It was busy with lots of tourists in general, even on a Tuesday.
We basically just walked around the whole day, snapping photos and taking it all in. There are quite a few stores there that sell lots of trinkety handmade garbage that you're supposed to buy for Christmas: ornaments, figurines, and come to think of it, that's about it, just more of the same. Postcards, keychains, and snow globes can be found in the tackier shops. They even have a store dedicated to selling all things Teddy Bear related. And with the consumer in mind, there is a competitor on the other side of town. It really is important that you find the cheapest price and don't waste your money when it comes to teddy bear themed purchases.
All cynicism aside, it is a really well preserved medieval town. It's not something you ordinarily get to see in Germany. So many of the buildings were destroyed in WWII. Most "old" buildings you see in the country were rebuilt in the 1950s. It's amazing to see originals and realize how long they've been around.
We also went up in a tower in the center of town. It was a very windy day, and it was a very skinny, tall tower. I really did NOT like it. Remember.....how old are these buildings again?
They have a local junk food too. Schneeballen, or snow balls. It's a bunch of dough that's rolled together and baked. They come in different varieties, powdered sugar, apple cinnamon, etc.. I found them a bit too hard, but worth trying once.
Also, I've added a link to photos of Rothenburg on the right side of the page.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Visa Schmeesa
So our 90 Tourist Visa will end on Monday. We went to the Auslaenderamt (Foreigner Office) today to see what our options were. Since we're studying German and I'm working as an apprentice, we were hoping they would grant me some sort of a student visa to keep us here legally. If that wasn't an option I figured they would be able to grant us an extension on the 90 day visa until January 12th (when we fly back to the states). If THAT wasn't an option, we would have to leave the Schengen zone for a few days, and then come back to receive a fresh 90 day visa. Translation: a last minute and potentially really expensive trip to Croatia or Turkey.
When we entered the EU on September 8th, through Zurich, we never received stamps in our passports. We went in to Zurich for the day because of the long layover. The customs officer just glanced at our passports, and waved us on through to the Swiss paradise. That afternoon we flew to Berlin, which is essentially a "domestic" flight from Switzerland and nobody even looked at our passport in Berlin.
So, back to today. When we went to the Auslaenderamt they were somewhat befuddled that we had no stamps and of course could not verify how long we had been in the country. We were up front about everything. I started my apprenticeship on September 24. They said that "officially" my apprenticeship started one month later and that we could stay in the country on the same visa until Janunary 12th. I'm not sure how my apprenticeship starting a month later makes us any more legal, but I'm not asking any questions. We all laughed it off with the two ladies working in this office.
For all the rules, procedures, and bureaucracy stereotypes that get thrown on to Germany and Germans, it sure was smooth today. Though a winter special flight to Istanbul would have been OK, I'm more than happy to stay put.
When we entered the EU on September 8th, through Zurich, we never received stamps in our passports. We went in to Zurich for the day because of the long layover. The customs officer just glanced at our passports, and waved us on through to the Swiss paradise. That afternoon we flew to Berlin, which is essentially a "domestic" flight from Switzerland and nobody even looked at our passport in Berlin.
So, back to today. When we went to the Auslaenderamt they were somewhat befuddled that we had no stamps and of course could not verify how long we had been in the country. We were up front about everything. I started my apprenticeship on September 24. They said that "officially" my apprenticeship started one month later and that we could stay in the country on the same visa until Janunary 12th. I'm not sure how my apprenticeship starting a month later makes us any more legal, but I'm not asking any questions. We all laughed it off with the two ladies working in this office.
For all the rules, procedures, and bureaucracy stereotypes that get thrown on to Germany and Germans, it sure was smooth today. Though a winter special flight to Istanbul would have been OK, I'm more than happy to stay put.
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