You Just Don’t Pass That Up

15. Januar 2011

Seriously. You just don’t pass up a chance to go skiing in the Italian Alps for a week. You just don’t. And so here I am, a 10-hour bus ride later in a cozy ski-house in Lappach, relaxing in bed after my first day on the slopes.

Every year the 11th grade students at the Gymnasium where I work have the chance to attend “Ski School” as part of the Abitur P.E. class, and I’ve elected to join them. If you’re thinking, “Wait, I didn’t know N* skied,” no worries, you haven’t missed anything. For someone whose family lives in Colorado and enjoys outdoor sports, it’s remarkable that I’ve only downhill skied once before this. I went five years ago with my high school orchestra senior year and was enamored with the speed of it. Ever since I’ve been lobbying for another chance, and here it just fell into my lap. Not to mention the fact that I don’t think I could pass up a trip to the Alps, no matter what the activity.

Skiing today was as good as I remembered, and I am studying along with the middle group, so I’d say I’m doing pretty well for my second time ever on skis. We’ll see if they just can’t make a “Profi” (what the German students jokingly call their best skiers) out of me by the end of the week!

Deine,
N*

Ein Ausflug nach Werni

16. December 2010

The car strained up the incline, wheels alternately whirring and grinding as they slipped, gained purchase and slipped again. Being native to an area often blessed with copious amounts of snow in the winter, less-than-ideal conditions are nothing out of the ordinary, but this snow-covered sloped was nothing short of ghastly. The snow shone eerily in front of us, lit only by the outdoor lamps shining dimly through the mist from the adjacent buildings.

“I’m going to try to find the reception,” H finally decided, and she climbed out of the car and trekked crunchily up the hill in front of us. J and I sat in silence, chilled by the sharp blast of freezing wind and the prospect of attempting the incline again.

“This can’t be the entrance,” J mused and began backing down the road. The car fishtailed wobbily and he cursed worriedly under his breath. We cleared the tree and turned back onto the main road. And this was the start of my weekend in Wernigerode. Thankfully, this first grueling episode didn’t translate into a grim tone for the rest of the weekend.

In fact, it was quite the contrary. I left H and J with their family and met my friend, Erin, who also works as a teaching assistant. We took refuge from the wind and she cooked a fragrant tortellini soup in her cozy apartment. Between soup and lots of tea that we cooked whenever we came in from the cold, we had no problem staying thawed.

The next day the shopping activities revolved around cookies – the sugar kind with icing. Unfortunately, there was a minimal selection of sprinkles, and there were no red hots to be found. Erin’s apartment has a kitchen, but no oven, so we had to use the kitchen in the WG (Wohngemeinschaft – shared apartment) next to her apartment. Mixing the ingredients posed the challenge of converting everything in the recipe to metric, and then I proceeded to mix away as one of the WG guys watched curiously.

While the dough chilled, Erin and I braved the cold once again to visit the Weihnachtsmarkt. A giant Pyramid spun in the main square, and we perused the wares. I completed my Christmas shopping and treated myself to melt-in-your moth Creppelchen, which are called “Schmalzkuchen” in Werni. Then we saw something odd.

“Puf-fer-fies,” we stuttered, “What’s that?”

“I think we have to try it,” Erin decided.

I agreed. Pufferfies turned out to be like little pancakes with a hollow center. They are made on a griddle with rows of round indents by pouring batter into each indent and then flipping it when it’s halfway done to create the aforementioned hollow inside. We tried some with Eierlikor (literally translated: egg liquor…but I’m still not 100% sure exactly what it is), which was odd, although the Pufferfies were very tasty.

On our way home, we also purchased a Schneeballchen (like pie crust remnants formed into a ball, baked and then coated in almost anything to can imagine) because it was just one of those “have to try it” kind of days. Hmmm…possibly we enable each other…

Cookie time was quite a success, although we have a small disaster trying to boil sugar in water to make a corn syrup substitute. As in the common German Christmas song, “In der Weihnachtsbäckerei” (In the Christmas bakery): Gebrannt! (burned). Then WG guy had a lot of fun stirring up a new batch and using it to “thicken” our green frosting. Really, I think he just wanted to experiment with his concoction. It was funny, though. I wish he and I would’ve had Erin’s saintly cookie decorating patience; sadly, our contributions were rather haphazard. But they tasted good.

Riding home on the train the next day, I felt utterly content. Sometimes going away for a few days really helps you put a different perspective on things.

Bis bald!

Deine,
N*

Let It Snow!

*Even if it’s a little late in coming, my blog wouldn’t be complete without a post about German Christmas!

December 15, 2010


Since the week of Thanksgiving, winter has set in for good. Last week the temperature dipped below 10°F and settled there. We also received a hefty helping of snow – unusual for this early in the winter (December).

Although it’s milder this week, I’m still aware of my first real winter experience in four years. Sure, I visited Colorado winter over my breaks, but let’s face it, South Carolina, where I went to university, isn’t exactly known for its frigid temperatures, so it’s been awhile since I’ve actually had to LIVE winter. Huh. I like winter, and I don’t particularly mind the cold. Walking everywhere through the slush isn’t particularly thrilling, and neither is standing in a freezing train station waiting for the trains to overcome the railway chaos that descends the moment the first flakes start sticking to the steely tracks.

All in all, I really don’t mind most of the previously mentioned winter qualms, but there is one thing that would make it all worth it, if I really had a problem with winter: Weihnachtsmärkte! For those sad souls who are unfamiliar with the German Christmas Market, prepare to be awed. Almost every German city and town has at least one Christmas Market and the larger ones often last the whole Advent season. Big deal, you say? But going to the Christmas Market is THE activity for this time of year. In the evening the town squares transform into veritable fairylands and the hum of laughter and joyous voices fill the twinkling rows of stand keepers peddling their wares.


Our Pyramid at home in Colorado

Germany is known for its handmade wooden crafts: ornaments, pyramids (wooden centerpiece contraptions which spin with the help of candles hitting the fan blades attached to the top of the spinning mechanism) and Schippbogen (semi-circle, wooden-carved candle holders, which many Germans display in the windows in the evening during the Advent season). You can also find nutcrackers and smokers (little wooden men with hollow bellies for incense, a hole making a droll open mouth from which a pipe protrudes, so they appear to be smoking…hence their name). Baskets woven from chestnut-colored branches are also a traditional craft and are sold frequently. Many German Christmas stars, folded intricately to create paper ornaments and decorations, are also to be found.

So, perhaps you can imagine that someone who comes from a family that loves these types of decorations, Weihnachtsmärkte are a Mecca of all things fascinating, beautiful and easily giftable. They are also the scene of a sizeable sum of money *ahem* leaving *ahem* my purse.

All this, and I haven’t even mentioned the food yet. It might be easier just to make a list, since these are not items commonly known in the U.S.:

1. Lebkuchen – Soft, gingery cookies with lots of flavor from Christmas spices like cinnamon, ginger and cloves, which are then coated with either a clear sugar glaze or a thin layer of chocolate. Mom and I made them one year from a traditional recipe and worked all day for almost 200 cookies. They are complicated, but well-worth the effort. Here, though, I just get to enjoy the goodness. Aldi sells 7 cookies for €0.89!

2. Stollen – A dessert bread with raisins (and sometimes other candied fruit) and marzipan inside, coated with a snowy dusting of powdered sugar. So yummy. And marzipan in chocolate is also good, by the way. I love almond flavor, so I should’ve known marzipan would really grow on me! (*Note to Michelle about the marzipan pig incident of 2010…those pigs did NOT taste good!...marzipan revisited is much better!)

3. Creppelchen – This is market food. It’s basically just cubed inch, friend pieces of dough covered with powdered sugar, but they taste like the homemade French Beignets. For a while my family was making these “doughnuts” a couple times a year. *On a related note: Fair food in Germany is so much better than in the U.S. It’s definitely not healthy, but it tastes real, instead of tasting just like a fried grease mess.*

4. Gebrannte Mandeln – Toasted almonds covered in caramelized cinnamon-sugary goodness. Often they’re still hot when you buy them, so they’re both tasty and functional as a handwarmer.

5. Glühwein – Hot red wine with lots of spices in it. I guess the English equivalent would be mulled wine. If wine is not so your thing, they also have Glühpunsch.

My Adventskranz

All in all, if I have to be away from home during December, at least I’m somewhere where they really do Christmas right! The lady I rent from even brought me up an Adventskranz (Advent wreath), so I could burn a candle each Sunday of Advent, adding one each week, until they were all lit for the fourth Advent.  Here's to starting new traditions.

Deine,

N*

Yes it's true...I love school!

*I apologize for the long blogging hiatus!  Between life and visiting my family for Christmas, well, not much got done.  However, now I'm back!

Believe it or not, I do actually work! I know I haven’t written a lot about school up until now, but I seem to keep pretty busy between one thing and another. I only work on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays (Wednesdays I help H with the language festival or work from home, and Fridays are my day off), but Monday and Tuesday are very intense. I’m in five classes and one English A.G. (Arbeitsgemeinschaft, or afterschool club), and I’m in six classes, one English A.G. and two Dance A.G.s on Tuesday. I’m up at 5 AM, at school by 6:45 and not home until 5 or 7:30 PM depending on the day. I’m just in two classes on Thursday, which, thankfully, isn’t so strenuous, since the other days are so long. I really enjoy it, though. I’ve been going to the same classes long enough now that I know most of my students by name, and many of them are super-friendly because I’ve been around enough that they aren’t so shy anymore. I do a lot of team-teaching with H, work in small groups with students, lead parts of lessons and give long presentations. I also run/help run A.Gs., and I’m even setting a piece of jazz choreography for the dance groups. My work is varied, and I like being active in the classroom and having the chance to work with so many students.

It’s kind of a weird in-between situation that I’m in as a teaching assistant; I’m half a teacher, half a cultural exchange partner. I sit in a Russian class, and sometimes I see students outside of school. *Fun fact: It’s normal for some teachers to invite students to their houses, and that students sometimes know where their teachers live.* I really enjoy that I have the chance to get to know my students outside of the classroom because I think being able to speak without conforming to a curriculum allows the students a chance to speak English where they don’t have to worry about grades and thus facilitates a deeper level of intercultural exchange.

I know two of the classes of 9th graders the best of all my other classes because I work with them in small groups and correct a lot of their papers. One class has lots of smart students and always works really well. One of the girls from that class, Lena, has befriended me and sends me long e-mails every week. She is sweet, loves learning English, and like many of my students, she is very interested in knowing all about America. The other 9th grade class is very friendly, and I must admit, though, some of my favorite classroom personalities are in that class. There are only three girls, and one of them is Nadia. She is one of the best students in both classes, but she has no idea. Her content is always excellent and well-developed; she just needs someone to push her for perfection. I wish she realized how much she is capable of, but she’s so modest that she just sees it as part of her job as a student. Then there’s Antonin. He’s smart, but his brain goes a million miles a minute, and his mouth (and pen) just can’t keep up. He’s got great ideas, but sometimes no one can understand what he’s saying. It’s always “Slow down, Antonin.” Mercifully he’s realized what a hard time I have reading his handwriting and types all his assignments for me. Frank is also in this class. Frank’s name is really Frederick, but there are two Fredericks in the class, so the first day, when he said he is sometimes called “Frank”, I started calling him “Frank Frederick” and it stuck. He’s always laughing a smirky little laugh, but it’s not meant in a bad way. I think he just likes to see the humor in everything. I don’t mind; if something I do can make his day better…cool with me. I like to see someone get such true enjoyment out of life. He always writes funny essays and sometimes leaves little jokes meant for me in them when he knows I’ll be the one grading. I guess he thinks I’m alright. The moments when I feel accepted by my older students, who were leery of me at first, really makes me feel like I’m accomplishing something here.

Those are just a few students who jumped to my mind, but really there are so many who are eager to learn and bring their bright personalities to the classroom. Hopefully, I’ll have the chance to mention many of them in the future.

Deine,
N*

Extraordinary Day

16. November 2010

Saturday night I stayed up late at Alina and her cousin’s goodbye party. (Alina is the intern at the newspaper who did my interview for the paper…if you want to see the article, let me know and I can send you the link…anyways, we ended up becoming friends after that.). As we made our way groggily out the front door the next morning, we blinked in surprise at the bright, blue sunny sky and fluffy wisps of clouds. It had been rainy for days, but the lack of moisture wasn’t the only difference – it was warm. “What is this? It’s like Spring!” we exclaimed. It was the middle of November, and we were astonished.

The day was so nice that I couldn’t not be outside, so I went out on my bike. (I know, it’s surprising.) The Elbe was calm and deep as I pedaled across the bridge and coasted down the ramp onto the path on the flood plain. Soft gusts of wind purred across the path and filled the sails of several kites floating overhead. “What a day!” I thought vaguely as I let my mind wander and my feet spin. Legs burning, I raced across the level plain and felt as thought I might take off at any moment. Entering the forest, I paused for half a second before pedaling pell-mell down a dappled path to my right, wet leaves making an odd swish-squishing under my whirring wheels. Navigation was slightly trickier through the mud and puddles, which still lingered on the leaf-strewn paths, but I relished the slight thrill of not knowing quite where my wheels would land. After a final hill, I coasted down towards the bridge that marked the opening of the Luisium. Even at 3:30 P.M., the sun was sinking lower and lower in the sky, so I just took a leisurely tour of the bike paths around the square-looking castle, leaf-bare trees and the lake – now barely recognizable, so covered over was it with the debris of autumn.

As I made my way back, I was consumed by my own pensive thoughts and veered left towards home at the fork in the path. As I continued, the leaves covering the ground got stickier with mud, and finally I had to stop altogether when my front wheel lodged itself in a sinkhole. Only then, with a panicky flutter in the pit of my stomach, did I realize I didn’t recognize the path. It was getting dusky and I didn’t want to be caught in the forest after dark. Wild pigs are native to the area, and it’s also full of hunting stands, not to mention the pitch black that would surely descend here far from the glow of street lights. I turned back towards the main path and was plagued by nightmarish images of all the things that could happen to me in the forest after dark. At the crossroads once again, I paused for a moment and had the epiphany that maybe I’d turned too early, that I actually needed to go further away from the main road to connect with the path that would lead me back to it. This did indeed turn out to be true and my bike burst from the forest into the open meadow. The church tower of Roßlau appearing in the distance restored my previous feeling of euphoria, and my intense relief at being found again fueled my furious pedaling towards home.

Deine,
N*

London Lights

8. November 2010

Our tour guide told us that 11-16 million people are in London on any given day. I never thought that such a big and bustling city could still have a certain charm, or that I would like it so well. After a 14-hour bus ride complete with a ferry trip from Calais to Dover, we arrived in London. I was still really tired, but 48 hours is not such a long time, and there was no way I was wasting more time sleeping than I had to.

The group set right out to sightsee, and I can’t believe how much we did manage in the time we were there: Trafalgar Square, Westminster/the changing of the guard, St. Paul’s, the Globe Theatre… One of our events was a presentation in the Globe, and it was all about what plays and attending a play was like in Shakespeare’s time. Id’ studied a lot of it in my English classses before, but the actor who led our presentation was super cynical, and it was interesting to watching how the students reacted to the information and his attitude.

I also visited three museums: The British Tate, The Tate Modern and the National Gallery. Many of the museums in London are free, which was really convenient because it allowed me to at least take a look inside, even if I didn’t have a lot of time. The British Tate has a lot of Turner and Pre-Raphaelite art, which I enjoy, but they’re currently redoing some of their exhibits, so some of the works I most wanted to see weren’t on display. (Excuse to go back?)

At the Tate Modern there was a piece, “The Unilever Series” by Ai Weiwei, in the large exhibition hall made up entirely of millions of hand-painted porcelain sunflower seeds. When it first opened, you were allowed to walk on/play in the seeds, but they stopped letting people because too much porcelain dust was getting tracked around the museum. It’s really a shame that you can’t do it anymore because I think the interactive nature of the exhibit and being able to turn the visible enormity of the work into a more tangible (literally) enormity would add an element of relatable empathy to the artists’ meaning for the piece. The main exhibition at the Tate Modern was also grand. I love the movement of Braque and Picasso’s works as they pushed artistic boundaries towards abstraction. There is something so poetic and oddly musical about the way some pieces of the subject are visibly discernible and how the subjects of the painting, when juxtaposed, create a visually stimulating, unsolvable, yet somehow coherent puzzle. And I saw works by Rineke Dijkstra live. I find that her photos really capture the subjects’ essences. They are stripped bare (sometimes literally), raw and in your face. I like art that brings true emotion (the way I see it anyways) right up to the surface, so that it’s undeniable and unavoidable. In short: Tate Modern is definitely worth a visit.

My favorite place, possibly of the whole trip, was the National Gallery. It’s ginormous, and there is some well-known work of art hanging almost everywhere you look. As I entered the gallery through the high-arching doorway, my pulse began to race, and I felt vaguely dizzy. So much art…so little time. I think I wandered around with my eyes glazed over in a state of catatonic art shock for about five minutes before I was able to pull myself together. I managed to view most of the art from the 1800s as well as the Impressionist collection. I also made a brief foray into the medieval art to view the “Arnolfini Wedding Portrait”! I hate “fame jumping” in galleries, but sometimes it can’t be helped.

Very impressive. Seeing all these works that I’ve studied over the past four years lends a whole new dimension to the lectures I’ve attended. Sure I’ve seen the slides, but there’s just no way to emulate the barely-visible, yet illuminating brush-stroked details and their heart-stopping delicacy, which unite themselves into a coherent, monumental piece of work. Mmmm, it makes me a little giddy just thinking about it. Someday I hope I will be able to help others see art in a way that moves them this tremendously.

I also met with two long-time friends – one from high school, who I’ve known forever, and one from Britain, who was one of my closest friends in middle school. We always said we’d see each other when I came to England one day, but I never thought it might actually happen. Both nights involved good food (I have yet to be disappointed by a restaurant in Europe), great company and strolling past the fantastic London lights. So far European cities are taking the cake for nighttime brilliance.

Sunday morning I suggested an early-morning walk in Hyde Park before we had to board the bus to head back to Germany. Since I was going out at 6 A.M., I was surprised when not only the teacher I was with joined me, but also two of the students on the trip. It was dark when we set out, and seeing the sky lighten as we strolled through the park was sublime. It was slightly nippy – you know, that funny not-quite-cold temperature, where your breath nearly freezes in the air before you? – but perfect. To top the morning off, I spent the whole ferry ride, rain and all, watching the white cliffs of Dover evaporate into the mist and the green countryside of Calais emerge across the channel. One of the students, Mark, also braved the rain outside with me, and we agreed it was the perfect ending to the England portion of our trip

The bus ride to Bremen took all day, but it felt faster. I finally finished Les Miserables, and I made significant progress on my knitting project. The students spent a lot of the trip playing add-a-line story games together. They all came from different cities in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, and seeing how well they got on and laughed together made me smile. It’s really heartening to see that even in our technologically driven age, some young people are still able to use simply things like words, laughter and good company to pass the time.

We arrived in Bremen too late that night to see anything, but four of us – Mark, Lexi, Jean and I – agreed to stay a little longer the next morning. Mark had visited Bremen before, so he showed us some of the Old Town and Downtown areas. The central part of the city is very historic; it’s nice to look at, and I’m certain I’d like to learn something else about the town besides the Bremen Town Musicians connection. We did see the Bremen stacked animal statue, though.

The train ride home was rather eventful. Jean and I got to hang out with Mark and Lexi longer than we expected. The four of us took the same train. Mark and Lexi were supposed to switch trains in Hannover, while Jean and I were to ride the whole way to Magdeburg, where she lives, and I would switch trains. We said goodbye to Mark and Lexi in Hannover, but ten minutes later, we were greeted by peals of laughter. They had failed to notice that the train they needed to take from Hannover was the one we were already on. Just wait, it gets better. By the time we got to their real stop, the train was running about ten minutes late. Mark and Lexi took their sweet time getting off the train, which shouldn’t have been a problem because we were scheduled to stop for several minutes. Well, because of the delay, the train didn’t stop for as long as it should’ve and Mark and Lexi were stuck on the train! Secretly, this is something I’ve always worried about having happen to me, so I was sympathetic, but it was also kind of funny (sorry, Mark!) The whole train car knew this was the second time they’d come back, too. Oops. Now watch something like that happen to me next time now. I’ve probably gone and jinxed myself.

Our little group REALLY said goodbye in Magdeburg, which was sad because the trip was so unreal that actually realizing I was headed home was a harsh jolt back to reality. We want to meet again, though, so hopefully this won’t be the last time I’ll relate you stores about the adventures of the fantastic four. I’m sure they’ll be interesting.

Deine,
N*

P.S.  Remember me telling you about "Janchen"?...He was on this trip too...that story still makes me laugh.

Prague Reflections

Sorry for the lag-time on this last Prague post...I know it was a while ago, but I still want to put it up.  Also, London is coming soon!

20. Oktober 2010

Just some things I thought about or found interesting on my trip:

1. I loved Prague. It’s a beautiful city – so full of culture and character – and the history, good, bad, beautiful and devastatingly moving lurks everywhere, just waiting to be remembered. What a place it is that can hold it all with such grace. I hope to go back someday! Being ¼ Czech myself, I’d like to have a greater knowledge of the language and history before I go, and I’d also like to venture away from the capital to see another side of the country.

2. Here are some things that made me react emotionally on my trip: Jewish History and Holocaust remembrances, beggars kneeling on the streets at night with their foreheads to the ground, their hats outstretched for almost before them, street musicians who play brilliantly, but can barely eke out a living, the willingness of so many Czech people to help me however they could in whatever language they could (even their language, when I couldn’t understand), even though I can barely speak five words in their language, the history – it’s everywhere and from every time period – and to me, the care and preservation of so much in spite of all that’s happened there gives me hope for the future. I’ve never seen a city that is so alive – not just the people’s visages, but the face of the city itself is alive with the past, present and future all at once.

3. Traveling alone suits me. I was apprehensive about it, but I shouldn’t have been. It’s freeing to not answer to anyone and experience a new place completely on your own terms. I never once was bored or lonely. Occasionally I was anxious, but that’s not so unusual for me. It was nice to have the company I had, and I’ll always be glad for a travel buddy, but now I’ll feel good should I decide to be independent. I think everyone should try taking a solo vacation once. If you haven’t…do it!

4. Having a student ID is awesome; it saved me so much money. Also, I found out I don’t like having to stop for lunch. It takes too long when I could be seeing things, and it’s too expensive. I took a bunch of fruit with me from home, and I will also bring small snacks with me next time. I honestly wasn’t that hungry because I’d eat a big breakfast at the hotel and by dinner when I was hungry, I’d really enjoy the meal. Win.

5. Prague “things”: colorful patterned scarves imported from Cashmere, Matryoschka dolls hand-painted in the area, ornately patterned, hand-decorated eggshell ornaments, hand-made marionettes, hand-made jewelry made by street vendors on the Charles Bridge, Czech glass and glassware items, hand-carved toys and Christmas ornaments.

6. The Metro: easy to use, fast and awesome. I’ll miss that.

7. It’s hard to get veggie food in Czech restaurants. Many have fixed menus and substitutions aren’t smiled upon. The Czech cuisine in general is meat-based, so it’s not easy. I’d really have liked to try some dumplings, but it really wasn’t feasible. Luckily for me, I can also get something similar in Germany, so I’ll have plenty of other opportunities. The food I did eat was all excellent. If you go to Prague, go to the Lesser Town area by crossing the Charles Bridge, go up Bridge Street turn right as if you were going to go to Prague Castle, and then turn left up Neruda Way. About halfway up the street, you’ll find a sign on the right side “All you can eat vegetarian food”. The restaurant is through the art gallery, across the courtyard and down the steps in the cellar. If you enjoy ethnic food, I promise you won’t be disappointed! The owner and atmosphere are authentic and you can’t beat the price!

8. Pick pockets were a large concern of mine…I wore a waist-belt for my money and passport. It worked great, and I never had to worry!

9. Prague is beautiful at night. Even though I was nervous about being out alone at night, there were tons of people around, and I felt relatively safe. (Minus the gypsy episode!) The lights on the castle, water, bridges and theatres are dazzling, and I wouldn’t have missed my night strolls for the world.

Hope you enjoyed my Prague saga! Get ready for London in two weeks!

Deine,
N*