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.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Our European Thanksgiving
I was pretty bummed about being so far away from home for one of my favorite holidays, since Thanksgiving is a purely American holiday. In years past I have spent weeks thinking about and preparing for this one meal. Since I have come to love cooking so much over the past 4 or 5 years I always look forward to the chance to go "all out" for the event.
One of my responsibilities now is to make lunch for everyone Monday through Thursday ever week. Since I would already be cooking on Thanksgiving anyway, I decided to make a little Thanksgiving meal for everyone. Since I am not in charge of the shopping I try and keep things as simple as I can or at least use mostly ingredients that can usually be found here in the restaurant. Luckily, most of the traditional Thanksgiving foods are made with things that they keep on hand. I wasn't sure if I would be able to get a turkey but Uli, who does the shopping, was able to find one albeit a small one.
So the line up was as follows. . .Turkey and turkey gravy, mashed potatoes, sausage and apple stuffing, green beans, peas and cranberry sauce, although cranberries are very hard to get here so it was actually made with preiselberry but I don't know the English equivalent. Everything turned out perfectly and was very delicious. It was a nice taste of home even if I couldn't go to the extent I usually would and even if I didn't get any pumpkin pie or sweet potatoes.
So, Thanksgiving was a success and I even tried to come up with a few things I was thankful for :)
One of my responsibilities now is to make lunch for everyone Monday through Thursday ever week. Since I would already be cooking on Thanksgiving anyway, I decided to make a little Thanksgiving meal for everyone. Since I am not in charge of the shopping I try and keep things as simple as I can or at least use mostly ingredients that can usually be found here in the restaurant. Luckily, most of the traditional Thanksgiving foods are made with things that they keep on hand. I wasn't sure if I would be able to get a turkey but Uli, who does the shopping, was able to find one albeit a small one.
So the line up was as follows. . .Turkey and turkey gravy, mashed potatoes, sausage and apple stuffing, green beans, peas and cranberry sauce, although cranberries are very hard to get here so it was actually made with preiselberry but I don't know the English equivalent. Everything turned out perfectly and was very delicious. It was a nice taste of home even if I couldn't go to the extent I usually would and even if I didn't get any pumpkin pie or sweet potatoes.
So, Thanksgiving was a success and I even tried to come up with a few things I was thankful for :)
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Nuremberg Photos
I just added some new random photos of Nuremberg. Nuremberg is the closest big city. Cindy and I go there frequently in our free time to hang out. We usually go on Sundays when all the stores and many restaurants are closed. All of the tourist stuff is open all the time, though. So far we've been to a museum, in some of the cathedrals, and basically just walked around the Old Town a lot, looking at everything.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Duck, Duck, GOOSE!
Starting at the beginning of November, Enzensteiner hosts geese dinners every weekend until Christmas. Apparently nothing says holiday like greasy bird! Sometimes if there is a holiday or special event there will be one during the week as well. These are reservation only dinners so most of the work is done ahead of time. There are all kinds of jobs to keep me busy during the week getting ready for the big weekend. Folding napkins, prepping food, cleaning, and PLUCKING GEESE!!! Yes that's right, I am now an expert in fowl plucking. Geese actually aren't that bad, there were a few duck dinners a few weeks ago, and that was torturous. However, it is very tedious work because they usually kill anywhere from 10 to 15 at a time. Enzensteiner raises both geese and ducks especially for these dinners, so the whole process takes place right here in the barn. It's been really interesting to see this side of it. It just makes it all real for me, instead of just going to the store to buy my beautifully packaged, ready to go deboned chicken breasts.
They really transform the restaurant for the event. Usually the place is quite rustic but they cozy it up pretty nicely. Tablecloths and fancy napkins can do a lot :) It's a really popular thing here so there are usually a dozen or so groups over the course of the weekend that come in for it.
They really transform the restaurant for the event. Usually the place is quite rustic but they cozy it up pretty nicely. Tablecloths and fancy napkins can do a lot :) It's a really popular thing here so there are usually a dozen or so groups over the course of the weekend that come in for it.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Consumenta
We had hoped to give the Germans we are staying with a taste of an American Halloween and set up a really awesome Haunted Woods on their property, which is perfect for such a thing. They have a bit of woods that borders part of their property and they have a truck we could have used to do a hay ride through it. However, it just so happens that the largest Expo in Germany started on Halloween day and Enzensteiner was participating in it. There was a lot of preparation that went in to that and it's a week long event that goes from morning to night every day so, needless to say, we did not get to have much of Halloween celebration. There are two hug jack-o-lanterns in front of the house though :) so at least we got a little.
So, the expo that I mentioned is called the Consumenta, and it happens every year in Nuremberg the first week of November. As I said before it is the biggest expo in Germany and possibly the largest in Europe, but I am not so sure about that. Enzensteiner was one of many breweries to tae part in it, but one of the few to actually have a brewery set up and actually brew beer everyday. They were testing out some really high tech brewing equipment for a friend of the brewmeister. It runs a full week from Saturday through the following Sunday, and I got to tag along on the first and last Sundays and check it all out.
There are 12 halls that house all the participants and each hall is the size of like, a small wal-mart, so you can imagine how long it takes to walk through the whole thing. Some of the halls have definite themes and some are just a mish mash of the leftover stuff. Food, restaurants, cafes, cooking demonstrations and the like took up 2 full halls at least and then there were random other places selling food in other halls. There was a health awareness hall with all kinds of doctors and homeopathic remedies and massage and the like and Brandon and I got to have a free health screening. Of course, we don't speak German very well so we could only understand about half of what the girl said but I did understand that she said we were very healthy. There were also halls for clothing and textiles, construction materials, roofing and hot tubs, fountains, kitchens, bathrooms, home decor, trinkets and lots of other stuff I can't remember. Half way through the week they open up another hall that houses horses and all sorts of horse accessories to buy, and you can go watch horses and riders performing.
We had a really fun time just wandering through and trying all kind of things that people were handing out. We got to eat some food we can't always get since we are in a small town, and just to see what all is out there and what people are interested in. The crowds were obnoxious as usual but I tried to not let it get to me. It was really nice to get out and do something totally different, after having been here for a month. Things are going well, and we are learning a lot and having a good time.
So, the expo that I mentioned is called the Consumenta, and it happens every year in Nuremberg the first week of November. As I said before it is the biggest expo in Germany and possibly the largest in Europe, but I am not so sure about that. Enzensteiner was one of many breweries to tae part in it, but one of the few to actually have a brewery set up and actually brew beer everyday. They were testing out some really high tech brewing equipment for a friend of the brewmeister. It runs a full week from Saturday through the following Sunday, and I got to tag along on the first and last Sundays and check it all out.
There are 12 halls that house all the participants and each hall is the size of like, a small wal-mart, so you can imagine how long it takes to walk through the whole thing. Some of the halls have definite themes and some are just a mish mash of the leftover stuff. Food, restaurants, cafes, cooking demonstrations and the like took up 2 full halls at least and then there were random other places selling food in other halls. There was a health awareness hall with all kinds of doctors and homeopathic remedies and massage and the like and Brandon and I got to have a free health screening. Of course, we don't speak German very well so we could only understand about half of what the girl said but I did understand that she said we were very healthy. There were also halls for clothing and textiles, construction materials, roofing and hot tubs, fountains, kitchens, bathrooms, home decor, trinkets and lots of other stuff I can't remember. Half way through the week they open up another hall that houses horses and all sorts of horse accessories to buy, and you can go watch horses and riders performing.
We had a really fun time just wandering through and trying all kind of things that people were handing out. We got to eat some food we can't always get since we are in a small town, and just to see what all is out there and what people are interested in. The crowds were obnoxious as usual but I tried to not let it get to me. It was really nice to get out and do something totally different, after having been here for a month. Things are going well, and we are learning a lot and having a good time.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
New Site
From now on this will be the site where Cindy and I update. It doesn't look as good as the previous site, but it's a lot more functional for our situation. We hope you like it and we should be able to update more frequently from now on.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Herbst Markt
Ignore the date above. Correct date: October 11, 2009.
We had a very full and very fun weekend! Saturday night we had a band come to Enzensteiner, the guys had set up a stage in the barn for them to perform on. “In the Doghouse” played covers of tons of rock classics from The Stones to The Police to Eric Clapton. It was great to hear some familiar music. Tons of people came out for the event so we were busy working for a while but later on we got to hang out in the barn and enjoy the music.
Sunday, we had the day off. Herbsmarkt was going on in Schnaittach, which basically translates to Fall Festival. They close down a bunch of streets and have booths set up all up and down the streets. Basically the whole town comes out for this, there were a ton of people there, which was kind of surprising considering the size of Schnaittach. So, we headed out around lunch time and made our way through the crowds to find some good festival food. We started with a crepe. They of course have the traditional crepes which are filled with sweet stuff, cinnamon and sugar, or lemon, or strawberry, and of course the ever popular Nutella crepe, but they also had savory crepes, so we got a Mediterranean crepe with tomato, feta, olives, and peperoncini. It was delicious. This was at one end of the festival so we made our way towards the other. As we were finishing our crepe, the band which is in the picture above, gathered and started marching down the street playing traditional German music. There were several bands set up a different points around the festival. Some were playing German music but a lot were just doing covers of popular American music. One of our friends from the brewery got up with one of the bands and did a soulful cover of a song which unfortunately I do not know the name of. Something about Chicago. But he blew me away, he was awesome! After that we made our way to some steak and sausage sandwiches. Not in the same sandwich, but we shared :) We found a great little stand that was selling books, and got several for a steal! I found a traditional German cookbook for 1 euro, so now I really can come back and make a German feast. I have to admit that looking through the book, a lot of the stuff looks kind of disgusting, but there are a lot of keepers in there too. So, by this time we were craving something sweet so we found a waffle stand and got one with chocolate sauce and powdered sugar. While they went a little light an the sauce, it was quite good. We also passed a fruit stand that was selling fresh coconuts with a hole poked in the top so you could drink the milk. Brandon wanted one so I figured I would try it. EWWW! Not what I was expecting at all. I’m not a huge fan of coconut as it is but I did not like this at all. So, we stopped at a few more stands along the way home. There were all kind of things for sale, handspun yarn, beeswax candles, trinkets, and knicknacks. All in all, a very fun way to spend an afternoon.
-Cindy
We had a very full and very fun weekend! Saturday night we had a band come to Enzensteiner, the guys had set up a stage in the barn for them to perform on. “In the Doghouse” played covers of tons of rock classics from The Stones to The Police to Eric Clapton. It was great to hear some familiar music. Tons of people came out for the event so we were busy working for a while but later on we got to hang out in the barn and enjoy the music.
Sunday, we had the day off. Herbsmarkt was going on in Schnaittach, which basically translates to Fall Festival. They close down a bunch of streets and have booths set up all up and down the streets. Basically the whole town comes out for this, there were a ton of people there, which was kind of surprising considering the size of Schnaittach. So, we headed out around lunch time and made our way through the crowds to find some good festival food. We started with a crepe. They of course have the traditional crepes which are filled with sweet stuff, cinnamon and sugar, or lemon, or strawberry, and of course the ever popular Nutella crepe, but they also had savory crepes, so we got a Mediterranean crepe with tomato, feta, olives, and peperoncini. It was delicious. This was at one end of the festival so we made our way towards the other. As we were finishing our crepe, the band which is in the picture above, gathered and started marching down the street playing traditional German music. There were several bands set up a different points around the festival. Some were playing German music but a lot were just doing covers of popular American music. One of our friends from the brewery got up with one of the bands and did a soulful cover of a song which unfortunately I do not know the name of. Something about Chicago. But he blew me away, he was awesome! After that we made our way to some steak and sausage sandwiches. Not in the same sandwich, but we shared :) We found a great little stand that was selling books, and got several for a steal! I found a traditional German cookbook for 1 euro, so now I really can come back and make a German feast. I have to admit that looking through the book, a lot of the stuff looks kind of disgusting, but there are a lot of keepers in there too. So, by this time we were craving something sweet so we found a waffle stand and got one with chocolate sauce and powdered sugar. While they went a little light an the sauce, it was quite good. We also passed a fruit stand that was selling fresh coconuts with a hole poked in the top so you could drink the milk. Brandon wanted one so I figured I would try it. EWWW! Not what I was expecting at all. I’m not a huge fan of coconut as it is but I did not like this at all. So, we stopped at a few more stands along the way home. There were all kind of things for sale, handspun yarn, beeswax candles, trinkets, and knicknacks. All in all, a very fun way to spend an afternoon.
-Cindy
Nuremberg
Ignore the date above. Correct date: October 13, 2009.
Monday, our boss gave us the day off as well, because the forecast is calling for cold weather this week, and we both needed to get winter coats, and Brandon still needed to find some boots. So we headed to Nuremberg for round two of trying to shop. A friend came over in the morning and helped us map out a plan of some good shops to check out, and we had a few in mind from our last excursion in Nuremberg. Unfortunately, the rain decided to start about the time we got on the train so we did not have our umbrella. Stop number one. . .get an umbrella. So, armed with maps of Nuremberg, an umbrella, and good walking shoes, we descended upon Nuremberg. We decided to scope out a few places before actually buying anything, so we went into Karstadt, which is a gigantic department store, and went up to the 4th floor, that’s right, 4 floors of consumerist wonder. Anyway, the Europeans are really into their outdoor wear so the whole floor is dedicated to it. They had an amazing selection of coats and boots, but like most department stores, everything was super expensive. Not to mention that clothing is way more expensive here anyway.
So, by this time we were getting hungry and decided to try and find a Thai place we had seen last time we were in Nuremberg. We actually found it very quickly. . .shocker! We had the best Thai meal I have ever had. It was all pretty standard Thai food, spring rolls, chicken with veggies in coconut sauce, pork with veggies in brown sauce, it was all just really fresh and delicious. And they served this salad, sort of like kimchee, before the meal, oh it was good.
So, from there we went to the American Army store. We had seen this last time we were here too. It was really like any army store back home, if you’ve ever been in one. Tons of different kinds of army jackets and coats, hats, gloves, bags, and of course Vanilla Coke, and Cream Soda. I found my coat here, naturally. It’s like some kind of Navy coat, water resistant, totally warm, I had to get an XXS because I think they all come in mens sizes. Brandon found his coat at the next place we went, C&A which is a sort of discounted department store. But anyway, he found a really nice green ski coat. They had lederhosen and dirndls on major sale right next to the coats, and while we considered stocking up for the next Oktoberfest, we thought better of it and passed. We went back to Karstadt for Brandon’s boots which he proceeded to take 2 hours of trying on shoes to find. I was ready to shoot myself rather than be shopping anymore, so he bought me cake in the train station for the ride home to make up for it.
We got prepared just in time because it hailed 2 days later and snowed the next 2 days.
-Cindy
Monday, our boss gave us the day off as well, because the forecast is calling for cold weather this week, and we both needed to get winter coats, and Brandon still needed to find some boots. So we headed to Nuremberg for round two of trying to shop. A friend came over in the morning and helped us map out a plan of some good shops to check out, and we had a few in mind from our last excursion in Nuremberg. Unfortunately, the rain decided to start about the time we got on the train so we did not have our umbrella. Stop number one. . .get an umbrella. So, armed with maps of Nuremberg, an umbrella, and good walking shoes, we descended upon Nuremberg. We decided to scope out a few places before actually buying anything, so we went into Karstadt, which is a gigantic department store, and went up to the 4th floor, that’s right, 4 floors of consumerist wonder. Anyway, the Europeans are really into their outdoor wear so the whole floor is dedicated to it. They had an amazing selection of coats and boots, but like most department stores, everything was super expensive. Not to mention that clothing is way more expensive here anyway.
So, by this time we were getting hungry and decided to try and find a Thai place we had seen last time we were in Nuremberg. We actually found it very quickly. . .shocker! We had the best Thai meal I have ever had. It was all pretty standard Thai food, spring rolls, chicken with veggies in coconut sauce, pork with veggies in brown sauce, it was all just really fresh and delicious. And they served this salad, sort of like kimchee, before the meal, oh it was good.
So, from there we went to the American Army store. We had seen this last time we were here too. It was really like any army store back home, if you’ve ever been in one. Tons of different kinds of army jackets and coats, hats, gloves, bags, and of course Vanilla Coke, and Cream Soda. I found my coat here, naturally. It’s like some kind of Navy coat, water resistant, totally warm, I had to get an XXS because I think they all come in mens sizes. Brandon found his coat at the next place we went, C&A which is a sort of discounted department store. But anyway, he found a really nice green ski coat. They had lederhosen and dirndls on major sale right next to the coats, and while we considered stocking up for the next Oktoberfest, we thought better of it and passed. We went back to Karstadt for Brandon’s boots which he proceeded to take 2 hours of trying on shoes to find. I was ready to shoot myself rather than be shopping anymore, so he bought me cake in the train station for the ride home to make up for it.
We got prepared just in time because it hailed 2 days later and snowed the next 2 days.
-Cindy
DAF Class
Ignore the date above. Correct date: October 5, 2009.
Tonight, Cindy and I went to our first Deutsche als Fremdsprache (German as a foreign language) course. The teaching methods and approaches in DAF are similar to ESL/ EFL instruction (perhaps even based on ESL, but I need to verify that). It was interesting being on the “other side of it all” after years of ESL teaching experience. I saw so many of my past students in myself, Cindy, and my classmates tonight. The class is way too easy for me, but I still enjoyed it. It seems a tad bit too difficult for Cindy (at the risk of speaking for her), but in the long run, it will be a better learning experience since it is immersion based instruction....fluency will come quicker to her than if she were in a traditional English based instruction German course. The teacher told me (in front of the whole class, which I found odd) that the class was too easy for me, but that I was welcome to stay because she doesn’t know of other courses in the area, except Nuremberg which really isn’t that convenient.
-B
Tonight, Cindy and I went to our first Deutsche als Fremdsprache (German as a foreign language) course. The teaching methods and approaches in DAF are similar to ESL/ EFL instruction (perhaps even based on ESL, but I need to verify that). It was interesting being on the “other side of it all” after years of ESL teaching experience. I saw so many of my past students in myself, Cindy, and my classmates tonight. The class is way too easy for me, but I still enjoyed it. It seems a tad bit too difficult for Cindy (at the risk of speaking for her), but in the long run, it will be a better learning experience since it is immersion based instruction....fluency will come quicker to her than if she were in a traditional English based instruction German course. The teacher told me (in front of the whole class, which I found odd) that the class was too easy for me, but that I was welcome to stay because she doesn’t know of other courses in the area, except Nuremberg which really isn’t that convenient.
-B
The Apartment
Ignore the date above. Correct date: October 2, 2009.
We’re now settling in to our apartment in Schnaittach. It’s quite odd, but it will do. In the bathroom there is a tiny sink that sits immediately next to the toilet. So basically, you have to sit sideways on the toilet in order to use the sink. There is a bathtub which is wedged in to the pitch of the roof (we have an attic apartment). I can stand in the very end of the tub without my head touching the ceiling, but if I go any further in to the tub, I have to starting squatting down. The landlord who did the remodel is a very short man. There is glass block window above the apartment entry door. At night, when people are walking through the hallway to their apartment, it lights up our entire apartment. Brilliant. The landlord has 2 old BMWs in his garages downstairs that he has restored quite beautifully. Perhaps he should stick to refurbing just cars.
-B
We’re now settling in to our apartment in Schnaittach. It’s quite odd, but it will do. In the bathroom there is a tiny sink that sits immediately next to the toilet. So basically, you have to sit sideways on the toilet in order to use the sink. There is a bathtub which is wedged in to the pitch of the roof (we have an attic apartment). I can stand in the very end of the tub without my head touching the ceiling, but if I go any further in to the tub, I have to starting squatting down. The landlord who did the remodel is a very short man. There is glass block window above the apartment entry door. At night, when people are walking through the hallway to their apartment, it lights up our entire apartment. Brilliant. The landlord has 2 old BMWs in his garages downstairs that he has restored quite beautifully. Perhaps he should stick to refurbing just cars.
-B
First 3 Weeks
Ignore the date above. Correct date: September 29, 2009
Our first 3 weeks have been packed. Some of my favorite experiences in the first few weeks have been: Lebanese food in Berlin, bike ride along the Danube to visit some beer gardens, flying down the Autobahn, riding in a British Jaguar (as a left side passenger) through the tiny city streets of Bamberg, to brewing a 1,000 year old beer at the Medieval festival at Enzensteiner.
-B
Our first 3 weeks have been packed. Some of my favorite experiences in the first few weeks have been: Lebanese food in Berlin, bike ride along the Danube to visit some beer gardens, flying down the Autobahn, riding in a British Jaguar (as a left side passenger) through the tiny city streets of Bamberg, to brewing a 1,000 year old beer at the Medieval festival at Enzensteiner.
-B
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