Holy Maß!

I apologize for my lack of blogging/contacting the outside world for the past two weeks.  I've been beyond busy with two trips to Munich, girls nights, work, eating candy, and life.

Let me catch you up to speed on my Munich experiences.  The first mini vaca was on a Monday night.  It just so happened that all of us girls had the day off and had nothing to do, so when a guest offered up his Bayern ticket (a ticket that is valid for up to 5 people) we were down for the adventure.  We arrived in Munich just after 8 and after checking into our hostel, The Wombat, we headed straight for the Hofbrauhaus where we could get our fill of bier and pretzels.  Along the way we picked up an Aussie who took a liking to Christina and was determined to spend the rest of his night in our company.  He asked several times if all Americans were mean and bossy - referring to Danielle who was annoyed that he kept directing us down the wrong streets.  At least he was something nice to look at!  By the end of the night we found ourselves running through the train station with some other new found friends and eating döner kebap at 4am.  The next day we were all exhausted but found the energy to walk around the city, look at some touristy things, dirndl shop, and stop at several cafes for our liquid diet.  The train ride home was a quiet one while we all nodded off and dreaded going to work the next morning

Now my second Munich experience was easily one of the most fun days of my life!  Christina and I won a raffle at work and had VIP tickets that included transportation, food, beer, and a seat at a table.  Of course we indulged in some alcoholic beverages on the train so by the time we arrived we were ready for a good time.  We didn't waste any time and found ourselves a beer while we were waiting for our table to open up at 5.  It was incredible how many people were at the festival and the amount of fun lederhosen and dirndls!  It was quite the experience having a table in a private section.  We were given wrist bands and had "security" at the entrance.  We sat at a table with the hotel's GM, his wife, several of his friends, some other hotel employees, and the security director.  Luckily the GM was a good sport when Christina and I were the first to climb on the table to dance and roused the rest of our section to do the same.  He even recorded us on his iPhone.  I'm not positive, but I don't think that will be posted on the Edelweiss website??  We definitely had a bonding moment the next day though when he stopped by the desk and asked how my hangover was treating me.  The rest of the night is a blur and if it weren't for the 109 pictures Christina took I would have a vague recollection of running down the aisles dancing and talking with all of the other tourists and Germans.  Oktoberfest, you get an A+

This is your hotel??

I've been in Germany for almost a month and I'm still loving it just as much, if not more than I did on day one.  I'm still struggling with the language and with the non-American hours of stores.  It's been difficult saying goodbye to the 24 hr Walmart that carries every necessity of life.  You won't find the convenience of department stores in Garmisch, everything can be found in different shops that feature specific items, similar to the small town feel of New Carlisle.  Most stores open mid morning, close for an afternoon break, and then close for the night between 6 and 8 (with the exception of restaurants...most have "normal hours"). Oh, and nothing is open on Sunday...nothing!  Europeans tend to have a more laid back attitude about work and have their own interest at heart, so if they want to take a 2 hour lunch on a Saturday that's okay because their European customers will understand, it's the tourists who aren't used to this type of operation.  They also don't bulk shop.  Food and other daily items are purchased with the intent of using them within the next couple days.  One reason for this is the lack of preservatives in their food, everything is so much fresher!  They also do this because similar to any big city in the U.S. they don't have cars and have to carry their groceries home. 
Friday night was something else!  Even though all three of us girls had to work at 7am on Saturday we decided to go to our favorite German bar, Peaches.  Bret says it sounds like a strip club haha and other than the Porno Party (I didn't attend), it is far from it.  Of course we set our usual "curfew" and all discussed how we would walk home early so work would at least be bearable, so when we strolled in at 3:30am that was no longer an option. I hate to admit it, but we stopped at McDonalds on the walk home where we happened to run into the group of German boys we had just left at the bar.  My excuse for not staying was that I had to work in a couple hours so when we saw them one exclaimed "SOOO Jennifer, this is your hotel!?".  Haha I was a little embarrassed and decided to pass on food for the moment so I could get out of there.  I did try a french fry though, also hate to admit this, but it was much better than what I'm used to getting at home.  We all made it to work with a couple minutes to spare to grab some coffee from the staff cafeteria and went our separate ways.  Eight hours later when we met in the locker room our "morning drunkeness" had worn off and we were a pathetic group.  Was a lesson learned?  Probably not.

Check out those forearms and those massbiers!

For my American friends who are curious about the bar atmosphere I'll give you a little run down.  Most bars close around 3am, but several in Garmisch do not close. Beer is very inexpensive...a 16oz glass of beer is about 2.50 Euro and a mass (about 64oz) is roughly 8 or 9 Euro.  For my fellow liquor lovers, you're not going to like what I'm about to say.  Shots are fairly cheap, running about 3 Euro each.  Mixed drinks on the other hand, start around 7.50 Euro and aren't the strongest drinks I've ever had.  You also can't get a glass of water or soda at the bar for free...makes me miss the pitchers of water they hand out at Sports!  Good news though, they play American hits like The Macarena, YMCA, and more recent pop music. Overall, they're very similar to U.S. bars, as long as you can handle the European smell lingering on the dance floor.

Dino-mite!

Here I am on this cloudy Saturday afternoon, manning three different computers, answering every incoming call to the hotel, and still finding time to facebook and update the ol blog.  If you don't count the two trips to the Eurostore, it's been a pretty uneventful week around here.  Last night was a little adventure though.  A group of us hiked up the Kramerspitze, the little mountain that I can see from my Abrams window, and had a bonfire complete with hotdogs, smores, koolaid, wine, and ghost stories.  After the strenuous hike we laid out our blankets and let the boys get to tending the fire and finding our poker sticks.  Us girls sat around shivering and asking if they could move any faster haha I felt like I was 10 and camping with my Dad.  The highlight of the night was when Christina (our one friend fluent in German), Danielle, and I hiked up a little farther to use the "restroom".  Christina lost her footing and started to tumble headfirst down the hill.  It actually could have been a serious situation, but we were laughing too hard to notice.  Luckily we all made it back down the mountain in one piece...with our pants on.

Our Favorite Dino

During my spare time this morning I've also pieced together a list of traveling destinations for the next 13 months.  It's apparent that money and time are both going to be obstacles in completing the list.  Maybe I'll just have to extend my time here at Edelweiss! Just kidding, Mother! 

VERY EXCITING NEWS!  Danielle and I rearranged the furniture in our room!  I wasn't kidding when I said it had been an uneventful week.  Anyway, our room looks phenom!  We hung streamers from our wardrobes to the door and also perked up the place with dinosaur stickers! Next we just need some chairs without broken legs and we'll be the envy of the Abrams!