My last weekend of freedom

One week from today, I will begin my teaching certification program. For the next nine months, I will be working hard on furthering my career and expanding my knowledge base. I am excited and nervous. The last time I was involved in university-level learning was 7 years ago. Boy, time does go by fast.
I think I am about as ready as possible. Books have been in for a while, even a Psychology textbook I ordered just to have on hand as a reference. Amazingly, despite keeping strange school books, like Moby Dick, I sold back my Psych book. Grrr! Tuition is paid. I have set up my new school email and e-Learning accounts.
And I received a big surprise today! Joern bought me a new laptop with a mobile-internet stick. I am so excited!!! The new laptop is a new Eee-PC, like my pink one, just with Windows, a larger screen, and a slightly larger keyboard. It is black this time, but no complaints here. I feel really like I am getting ready for my first day of school, and remember beginning college with my brand new laptop. Okay, that lasted me four years, and I am going to make this stretch a whole 9 months, but still, it feels so exciting!
I am going to do lots of housework this weekend, because I know that will decline slightly when I begin school. Otherwise, I am just going to try to relax a bit this weekend and know that this is it for a while!

A weekend away in Austria

Wow, I can't believe its been a week since I've posted. I guess my life is pretty boring. Actually, my life is totally stressful, and boring is something I would love, just nothing is really blog-worthy.
I did manage to spend the weekend with some of my colleagues in Austria though. They do a weekend every year, and I decided this year would be a good time to go.
We left work at 3 pm on Friday, and headed to Tschagguns, Austria, nestled in the Alps. The ride was about 3 hours, and was really easy and a lot of fun, because I rode with two of my friends, Maxine and Iris. We were the assistants car, and am sure we were the most fun too :)
We arrived at the house we had rented for the weekend around 7 pm, which was great. The house was lovely, and fit all 16 of us perfectly!

Even better, since we arrived earlier than most, we scored the best room in the house! This was our view-

We had a nice dinner of Maultaschen, a traditional Swabian meal. After dinner, we all played one of my favorite games, Apples to Apples.
What made me laugh was that I have played the game many times before, but only with Americans. In a mixed nationality crowd, I began to notice the American culture which comes out in the game, something which other countried believe our nation lacks. It was fun!
After an amazing breakfast on Saturday morning, everyone left for a hike in the mountains. The hike was supposed to be four hours, and involved taking a gondola high up a mountain, and then walking down. I knew that the hike was a task that would be far beyond my capabilities, so I chose to stay at the house and study for my driving test. It was really great to have four hours, which turned into five hours, to myself. I had no distractions (laundry included,) to study for my test and to start reading for my upcoming class. Not only was the solitude useful, but I had an incredible view while studying!

This was the view from the terrace of the house. Obviously, we were also incredibly lucky because we had amazing weather. And the view was enhanced with the beautiful colors of autum.
I did take a study break, and take a little walk around the area. I even made some Austrian friends.

After everyone returned, all extremely sore and limping, my decision was confirmed. Dinner on Saturday night was a delicious Raclette. Raclette is in a way similar to fondue. It comes from Switzerland. In raclette, diners sit around a small grill, under which small trays of vegetables covered with cheese heat up. People usually grill small pieces of meat on top of the grill. It is a definite party meal, and takes a rather long time. But, sparks some great conversation.



After our delicious meal, we had some singing. At one point, we even tried to call a retired colleague, who is now home in Australia. Sadly, she did not pick up the phone. Although I can't imagaine why, it was only 4:30 am her time! After our song time, it was time for another board game, Loaded Questions. It was fun, but nothing like Apples to Apples.

Sunday morning was another beautiful morning. We left the house around 11:30 and headed into the valley, the starting point of another smaller hike. The group took another gondola up a mountain, and hiked about 2 hours. Unfortunately, my friend Maxine was not feeling well at all, and decided to leave early. I chose to drive back with Maxine for various reasons. It worked out fine well though as we had a lot of great laughs on the ride back. It was nice to be able to spend so much time just with Maxine, as she is really a great person.

All in all, it was a nice weekend. I'm glad I went. It afforded me the opportunity to get to know some of my co-workers. It was also a great time to spend with some of my friends that I rarely get to see!

A taste of home, both of them

One of the great things about Jörn's job is the great access he has to the food industry. Today, Jörn brought home with him two very different items, both hold very special places in my heart as being food from my two homes.
Unfortunately, Jörn had to work yesterday. This was especially sad because Friday was a holiday, and we had been excited about our first long weekend since school started. Making the whole thing even more difficult was the fact it was a Sunday, and nothing is open on Sunday, but poor Jörn had to work. He was representing his company at a butcher fair held here at the Stuttgart Fair Center. Hmpf! Despite his reluctance to work yesterday, it turned in to a great experience. He spent the day sitting next to the man who runs Subway Germany. But, he was most excited to tell me about the bagels. Yup, bagels! Not that impressive, except for the fact that our bagel choices here are abysmal. Sure, you can get a bagel at Starbucks, but they don't taste good at all. Nor can you get a bagel with cream cheese at Starbucks, it comes with a fluffier version of cream cheese with sprouts and lettuce. We have occasionally had luck with some bagels prepackaged in the grocery store, but finding them can be really difficult.
Better yet, Jörn was able to score some bagels today at the fair! They are by far the best bagels I have had in southwestern Germany. We had a great experience once in a bagel shop in Leipzig, but that is over 6 hours from here. We now have cinnamon raisin, sesame, onion, and multigrain. I love them! Now, we need to send these guys lots of luck that they can find their way here, so that one more thing missing from my American life is back.

Besides all the bagely goodness in a box, Jörn brought home one other surprise from one of his customers today. He brought home a Spitzkraut.

Spitzkraut, pointed cabbage, is unique to our region. It is grown in the Filder, a plain located south of Stuttgart. The area is very fertile, and perfect for growing this unique cabbage. Although it can be found in markets all over Europe, it is only grown here.
Spitzkraut, or Filderkraut as locals tend to refer to it, is known for its very refined taste. It makes excellent sauerkraut, and even better Krautkuchen. For those faithful readers, you already know Jörn's plans, it is time yet again to fill our kitchen with wonderful Krautkuchen!

Gingerbread lattes and a project

I realized that I haven't posted in a while. Last week was very busy, and Joern and I have been coming down with a wonderful bug. We've been really tired and congested. It hasn't been too much fun.
Thursday marked my transition in my carreer. We had a teacher workday. The assistants had a Macbook workshop and talked about professional development. The teachers had a workshop on action-research groups. I really wanted to go to the Macbook workshop, since I have no clue how to use them, and I also wanted a say in the professional development. But, my principal and I talked about it, and decided it would be best if I attended the teacher workshop.
The workshop ran the whole day Thursday, and was partly interesting. By the end of the day, we had formed small groups with specific interests. I stepped out of my comfort zone by joining a group of teachers I don't know very well. My friends all ended up in one group working on handwriting, but that is not where I felt I could be useful. I am in the group focusing on literacy across grades. I am very excited to be working on something close to my background in speech and language. But, I am very scared to be taking part in a group to which I feel I can contribute relatively little.
It was also a little sad that I wasn't able to spend the day with my assistant friends. It is sad to me at our school that the teachers and the assistants don't really hang out together. There seems to be a divide. Right now, I am in the middle of that divide, which is tough. At my old school, my friends were all teachers, and I didn't really spend time socially with the other assistants. It is strange how different schools draw lines socially.
This weekend, we relaxed and visited Joern's friends who live along the Czech border. We are hoping to be able to go back to their house in a few weeks as the starting point in our hopeful trip to Prague.
Right now, I am in heaven, enjoying the wonders of artificially flavored syrup. We bought gingerbread syrup the other day. Now, I am enjoying a gingerbread latte. I feel like I'm at home in Starbucks! Aahhh. If only I could find a pumpkin spice syrup, it would all be perfect!

Volksfest

Although Munich is well known for Oktoberfest, it is not the only city in Germay to hold such a celebration. Stuttgart holds it's own Volksfest, the Cannstatter Wasen. Our fest begins one week later than the much more famous Oktoberfest, but in size and spirit, it is quite comparable.
I have never actually been to any such fall fest. I figured after 7 years of missed opportunites, that this would be the year I made it to at least the Cannstatter Wasen. We decided to take advantage of the incredible fall weather this weekend, and head out to the fest on Sunday.
Since we aren't heavy partiers, going to the Fest at night just didn't seem that fun to us. Instead, we went in the afternoon, and really, it was an awesome day.
Joern, Marcel, and I arrived around 1:30, which was just in time to catch the last 15 minutes of the Volksfest Parade. The parade was about 2 hours in total, which would have made me very antsy. I am sure I missed some cool things, but I am glad I got to see at least some of it.
The parade was filled with great groups though, like marching bands and my favorite, the Beard and Moustache Club of Stuttgart.
What did make me laugh the most though was the "White Buffalo Club." After spending lots of time on their website, I still can't totally figure out the purpose of the club. They had a very large group of marchers in the parade, which featured an old Chevrolet, a group of women dressed as cowgirls, some ladies and gentlemen in "Wild-West" clothing, a Native American couple, and Jörn's favorite, the undertaker.

Of course, I am pretty sure that the main purpose of the club is that of most German clubs, an excuse to get together and drink beer :)

After the parade, we headed over to the actual Fest. Upon entering, we immediately saw the Früchtsäule, or Fruit Column. Atop the colum were various symbols of the harvest, including local Spitzkraut and pumpkins, as well as the horse, a symbol of Stuttgart.

We then made our way into one of the beer tents. Beer tents, or Festzelten, are pretty much the main draw of the Fest. Each tent has a capacity of 1000-5000 people, and this is where the famous Maß beers are served. A Maß is a liter of beer. Many tents are sponsored by local beer companies, but others are run independently.


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Since we found out recently that Stuttgarter Hofbräu is owned by a large conglomerate, Jörn refuses to drink their beer. So, we went to the Schwaben-Bräu tent, which is fine, as we attended the Schwaben-Bräu Brewery Fest a few weeks ago.

The tent itself was HUGE! The tent holds 5200 people, making it the largest capacity tent at the Fest. They were serving food, and of course, plenty of Schwaben-Bräu.



There was a huge stage, and plenty of singing, and Swabian pride.





Marcel blocking his ears in protest to a song from Baden, one half of our state.

After enjoying the tents, it was time for the rides. The rides and sights at fests are amazing, considering that past 4 or 5 pm, everyone is walking around with a couple of liters of beer already downed. I can't imagine this is easy on your stomach, and I wouldn't really want to be on the rides at night.

I enjoy just the feast for your senses. There is so much to see and smell and taste. You can get any food, from traditional chicken to gingerbread hearts to candy to fish sandwiches to corn on the cob.

I also rode on the ferris wheel in an attempt to get some great pictures of the surroundings. I was right. Most of the view involved Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz. Near the fair grounds are a huge Mercedes plant, as well as the Mercedes-Benz Museum. The soccer stadium for VfB Stuttgart also is quite near the fair. And, I even got to see part of the test track for Daimler! But, beyond all things car-related, you could see the beautiful vineyard-covered hills surrounding Stuttgart, as well as the Neckar River.



The day was incredibly fun. It made me realize that there are so many treasures here to take advantage of. I will definately go back to the Fest before it is over for the year!

Lessons learned about my country from living abroad

It is Saturday morning, and I am watching the recast of the Presidential Debate on CNN. Embarassingly, I only registered to vote abroad this summer. I can't believe that I waited 6 years. I blame part of it on laziness, part on not getting it, and part on just not being educated enough to really take interest in politics.

I moved to Germany less than one year after graduating college. Growing up, I was taught not to talk about politics, which also bred indifference in my mind. My college, while I abosolutely loved it, did little to expand my mind in terms of our country and its function in the world. The values I did learn from Loyola were more locally focused, that our community needs us.

When I moved, I was upset that we were unable to get a Greencard, which tainted my view. The move also exposed me to the world-view of America. It was far different than I had understood. Eight months after moving here, I also got a job on a military base. I was thrown into a military community, a group about which I knew dreadfully nothing. I also had to do classroom support in two 8th grade US History classes, for which I will be forever thankful. Although I did well in 8th grade US History the first time, I don't believe a 13 year-old is able to make the important connections through wich history actually teaches us the lessons far beyond facts.

Looking back on my 6 years here, and the lessons I have learned, I can see that my view of my home country has changed incredibly. I guess it would start with my patriotism. I have become incredibly patriotic. My eyes tear up when I hear the Star-Spangled Banner, and my heart swells when I see the flag. Our apartment has a growing amount of patriotic paraphalia. You can see that I have gone from desperately trying to not stick out to someone who is quite proud to show that I am a foreigner here, proud of my home. I am proud of our military, and my heart breaks when I think about all the soliders who are deployed. I don't think the war in Iraq would have been of any concern to me had I never left the States. Now, I find my mind thinking about the war daily, and sending thoughts to all those soliders and their families that they will have a safe return. If I hadn't moved overseas, I am sure my primary concern now would be the price of oil, or anything which directly impacted me.

I have also learned the key role our country plays in the world. I do think that too many Americans don't know, and don't care, about the rest of the world. It turns out that we play a very important role in all world aspects. It is important that we maintain strong diplomacy. We do not realize that is is necessary that countries have a good impression of us. To quote my mom, you really do get more bees with honey. Too often I hear from others, "they don't like us anyway, who cares?" But, I have come to see that it really matters.

I am really excited to vote in this election. I am also eagerly reading about candidates and their policies. I am so glad I watched this debate, and am anticipating watching the next ones. I want for the country that we make the right choices not only in the next president, but in the direction in which we go. We are a world leader, and I want us to remain that way. I don't think its impossible, I just think more people need to care.

How many liters of water are polluted by a drop of oil?

Right now, the main thing occupying all of my free time is studying for the driver's exam. I love Germany, honestly. But sometimes, as a carefree, relaxed American, you have to wonder about people who create life here. Take for example, the driver's license written exam.
I vaguely remember my study materials for my state of Connecticut license. It was a small book from the DMV with rules, regulations, and a few pictures. Looking back on my Driver's Ed class, it was more of a social event than anything else.
I honestly cannot imagine trying to get my driver's license here as a teenager. Even at 18. The driver's exam here already seems to me to be more like a high-level high school or even college exam when it comes to the sheer volume of information you must know. I have a triple advantage working for me: 1) I have been driving for over 10 years, 2) I have taken the watered down American version of the German Driver's exam on base, 3) I drove here for almost five years. I feel that I have a good basic knowledge about driving in Germany. I rock at the basic driving rules. Give me a diagram, or better yet, one of their adorable pictures, and I can tell you who has the right of way without hesitation. I am highly confident with my knowledge of signs as well. I remember studying over 100 signs while trying to get my license on base.
Where I have more trouble is on the mathematical equations, the questions concering driving a car with standard transmission, the weight allowances for driving with a trailer, and some of the environmental questions.
The study materials are a series of worksheets that are set up like the driving exam. Each sheet has 20 multiple choice questions, and you have a little card with the answers. There are, in total, about 1600 questions and answers you have to plow through in order to adequately prepare for the exam. I swear it wasn't like this at home!
Here's a smattering of questions, the answers, of course, are what I wish I could write:
1) You are holding a driving permit class B (regular car.) Your car has the following specifications:
- empty mass - x grams
- permissible total mass- y grams
- permissible towed load- z grams
Which trailer are you allowed to tow?
Answer: Why on earth should I care? I will NEVER tow a trailer!

2) At which intervals must you submit your car for an exhaust test?
Answer: Not my job. That's Jörn's job. If he can no longer maintain my car, I will no longer be living in Germany.

3) What are frequent causes of traffic accidents after a visit to the discotheque?
Answer: Um, I am almost 30 years old, married, and hopefully soon a mom. My visits to the discotheque are LONG GONE!

4) How is the intoxicating substance in hashish broken down in the body?
Answer: Hashish? Hashish? Hello! Please refer to my answer in question #3.

5) What can help save fuel and reduce pollution?
Answer: By paying attention to the fuel consumption of a motor vehicle when buying it. My response- my two cars that are waiting for me to drive are both enormous gas guzzlers, one gets about 11 miles to the gallon. But, they are so fun to drive! My two requirements when I buy my next car are horsepower and a very large engine.

6) How many liters of water are polluted by a drop of oil?
Answer: This is my favorite question because it is the most often repeated question in the study materials. I know that we all should protect the environment, but I am trying to prove that I am a safe driver. Knowing this answer will not mean I do anything to protect the environment.
Besides the lovely questions that do not apply to me, there are terms that an American-English speaker struggles with.
Why must I be careful following a Lorry?
Where can I not park near a sunken kerbstone?
How can I put my luggage in the boot of my car when my boots are on my feet?

I am completely amazed by the level of preparation required for a German driver's license. It would be wonderful if it really made for better drivers, but I think that driving in Germany is much simpler because it is in the nature of the people here to follow the rules. The test preparation is keeping me quite busy, but I am so excited to think of the day when I can legally drive here!