It was another busy weekend in Garmisch. On Friday night Marcel, Rachel, Basti (Rachel's man friend), and I went up to Munich to watch Germany and Macedonia battle it out on the basketball court. Although I have never been to a professional game this was awfully similar to a smaller college game. The game was held in Munich's Olympiahalle, which according to Wikipedia, seats between 12,000 and 14,000 people. The fans politely applauded for every player's name until the man, Dirk, was announced and then they went crazy. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the rest of the team who didn't receive near the recognition. After watching the game start, I could understand why. I'm not in any position to judge any ones talent, but it wasn't the best basketball playing I have seen. During half time there was a laser light show followed by a cheer performance by what I'm assuming was an area all star squad. It was nothing like the cheerleaders for the NFL, NBA, or even college sports. They were wearing uniforms that weren't revealing and their dances weren't provocative. Rachel and I were more than curious about the type of food the arena would serve. Would it be nachos and cheap hotdogs? Nope, it was the usual German fanfare of currywurst, bratwurst, fries, beer, and pretzels. I was still delighted with the selection, of course. The game was fun, the food good, and the company better.
On Saturday Marcel and I traveled to Nürnberg to watch the locals play against Augsburg. As usual, it rained the entire morning when we were exploring the city. To our luck it cleared up in the afternoon just before the match began and we were able to enjoy the game without rain coats and umbrellas. Nürnberg was a cute city that I wish we could have spent more time in. I've heard the Christmas markets are something I shouldn't miss, so hopefully I can make a return trip this winter.
Sunday was a productive lazy day. Christina, Marcel, and I gorged on brunch and mimosas at the resort. It was way too much food, but I'm not complaining, it was delicious and filling. Way too filling. To burn off our late morning indulgence we decided to go for a nice hike through the Partnachlamm Gorge. The weather was perfect, it was sunny and hovering between 60 and 70 degrees, or 15 and 20C. I'm trying to convert my brain to Celsius. Wish me luck. So, during our hike we managed to only get sprayed by the water a couple times, except for when Marcel thought he was being sooo funny and threw a hand full of water in my face. He redeemed himself by showing concern for me while I was walking near the edge of the pathway by saying "This wasn't made for clumsies, walk behind me". I'm not sure if it was an insult to my coordination or a sincere concern for my well being. I think I'll be ignorant and choose the latter.
It's official, the last day of work is September 12th.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Dirndl Heaven
This past weekend the girls and I did a little train hopping and found ourselves in Straubing, a small Bavarian town, to celebrate something. That something we are still unsure of, but with the help of our dirndl and the big beers we accomplished it. Corinne studied abroad in Australia and collected a couple German friends, Patrick, Martin and Matthias, so when they extended an invitation to her for a weekend in Straubing that features the second largest beer fest in Bavaria following just behind the oh so well known Oktoberfest, we couldn't turn it down. We stayed at Patrick's childhood home and the hospitality his family extended was amazing. His mom brought us snacks, made us coffee, fixed our dirndl, and did just about everything humanly possible to make us comfortable in her home. His always smiling and quiet dad was very interested in the group of giggling American girls. He speaks zero English, but he always planted himself in whatever room we were in and had Patrick be the interpretor while he asked us questions about America and our experiences in Germany. I think Patrick was slightly embarrassed by his overbearing family, we didn't mind a bit though. The home atmosphere and escape from the Abrams was more than enough to make the weekend a great time.
The fest was your average county fair. Subtract the animal barns and replace them with beer tents and wine stands and you've got Gäubodenvolksfest. Unfortunately, I couldn't take myself away from the tent long enough to enjoy the great food and treat stands, but I did manage to fit in a ride. After prying my hands from the bars, I was reminded why I'm not a huge fan of swirling and twirling. You can always bring on the roller coasters and mile high plunges, but after a liter of beer no one needs to put their body through that. We spent the better part of the day dancing and singing to our tent's band, Bergratzn (translates to mountain rats), and before we knew it the fest was closing down for the night. We still can't figure out where the 8 hours went. 8 hours?! I know.
Although the weekend went too quickly, I was ready for Marcel's arrival on Sunday night. He's been here for 4 days now and I'm loving every minute of it. Well, except when he woke me up from my mid day nap this afternoon. I don't wish that fate upon anybody.....
But seriously, it's great to have him around. This weekend we will go to Nürnberg for a football (soccer) match and some quick sightseeing. We wanted to extend our time there to get in a visit to the zoo, but responsibility is high and funds are tight at the moment. So instead of making faces at the monkeys all day, we'll either play at Lake Eibsee or maybe hike the Partnach gorge. Not a bad alternative, if you ask me.
It's my last series of greaves, so it's back to the ol game called "pretending to be productive". It really is the final countdown.
The fest was your average county fair. Subtract the animal barns and replace them with beer tents and wine stands and you've got Gäubodenvolksfest. Unfortunately, I couldn't take myself away from the tent long enough to enjoy the great food and treat stands, but I did manage to fit in a ride. After prying my hands from the bars, I was reminded why I'm not a huge fan of swirling and twirling. You can always bring on the roller coasters and mile high plunges, but after a liter of beer no one needs to put their body through that. We spent the better part of the day dancing and singing to our tent's band, Bergratzn (translates to mountain rats), and before we knew it the fest was closing down for the night. We still can't figure out where the 8 hours went. 8 hours?! I know.
Although the weekend went too quickly, I was ready for Marcel's arrival on Sunday night. He's been here for 4 days now and I'm loving every minute of it. Well, except when he woke me up from my mid day nap this afternoon. I don't wish that fate upon anybody.....
But seriously, it's great to have him around. This weekend we will go to Nürnberg for a football (soccer) match and some quick sightseeing. We wanted to extend our time there to get in a visit to the zoo, but responsibility is high and funds are tight at the moment. So instead of making faces at the monkeys all day, we'll either play at Lake Eibsee or maybe hike the Partnach gorge. Not a bad alternative, if you ask me.
It's my last series of greaves, so it's back to the ol game called "pretending to be productive". It really is the final countdown.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
One Year Later
One year ago today I was in "the packing room" with heaps of my things piled around me wondering how I was ever going to pack for one year. I was overwhelmed and nervous at the big step I was taking. Now after being in Garmisch for one year I'm beginning to get the same overwhelmed feeling thinking about my move to Freiburg. You would think after being in Germany for one year a move across the country wouldn't be such a big deal. It's going to be completely different and I'm truly excited for that. I appreciate my American safety net and support system, but the thought of figuring things out on my own and actually being in German culture every day is more appealing to me. Working for the government and being on a military installation was definitely a good stepping stone and eased me into what I'm about to do. I've already located an English speaking club that meets every week, a volleyball club, and hopefully a good German school. Now if I can't make friends through at least one of these activities we'll have some serious worrying to do....
Marcel's family has spent the weekend in Freiburg visiting him. It's their first time to the city to see what he has been up to for the last year. I'm not going to lie, I was a little jealous. I miss the days when Mom would come down to Bloomington (Or when Bret and Mom came to St. Louis...minus the 100 degree weather). It was so great to share a part of my life that she doesn't get to see every day. I could tell Marcel shared the same excitement and I'm really happy for him. I did learn that his family calls me Jenny and even after Marcel told them I really don't like to be called that, they still insist on it.
It's a beautiful day in Garmisch and I don't want to waste any more of it blogging on my balcony fighting off the bees. Happy Sunday :-)
Marcel's family has spent the weekend in Freiburg visiting him. It's their first time to the city to see what he has been up to for the last year. I'm not going to lie, I was a little jealous. I miss the days when Mom would come down to Bloomington (Or when Bret and Mom came to St. Louis...minus the 100 degree weather). It was so great to share a part of my life that she doesn't get to see every day. I could tell Marcel shared the same excitement and I'm really happy for him. I did learn that his family calls me Jenny and even after Marcel told them I really don't like to be called that, they still insist on it.
It's a beautiful day in Garmisch and I don't want to waste any more of it blogging on my balcony fighting off the bees. Happy Sunday :-)
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Confessions of a Front Desk Attendant
Yesterday I began to compile a list of things that guests do that drive me crazy. I'm positive I'm leaving out hundreds of offenses, this at least scratches the surface though.
Another confession. I think I'm going to discontinue the blog once my time in Garmisch ends. It's not that I don't like relaying stories and updating people, but it's a lot of effort and time. We'll see though. Maybe my new life adventure will be so exciting I will feel compelled to continue with the blog and all will be well again.
- Allowing your children to sit on the front desk...when they aren't wearing pants.
- Allowing your children to do anything and/or everything while you pretend you don't see them.
- Asking for a room with a view. We're in the valley. There are mountains ALL AROUND US. This also happened in Bloomington. Would you like a view of the highway? Or the Waste Management bins?
- Making a joke about upgrading you to a suite free of charge.
- Charging up to the front desk without me acknowledging and calling you over.
- Dismissing the line and then charging up to the front desk.
- Charging up to the front desk, laying some papers down, looking at me, and not saying a word. Talk. I can't read your mind
- Staring at me when you can't figure out which credit card to use/how that charge got on your bill/why your wife married you.
- Trying to check in at 10am.
- Wearing your swimsuit up to the front desk.
- Getting mad at me because of a policy. I just work here.
- Watching me run your credit card and then disputing the charge.
- Referencing your $300 bar bill and telling me you rarely ever drink anymore, but it's vacation.
- Insisting the conference bill should be covered by someone else.
- Asking to use the front desk phone to make personal calls....to the states.
- Asking me to google hotels in Munich/Salzburg/Timbuktu.
- Having a mild heart attack because you left a key in the room/car/pool/god knows where.
- Not making eye contact. Talking on your cell phone and whispering goes right along with this.
- Complaining about how much the Army/Air Force sucks. Hmmm is there a draft in place?
- Bringing your dirty towels up to the desk and asking for clean ones. Yes, one moment. I keep the clean linen right underneath my computer.
- Ahhh you're from South Bend, IN? Germany is a little different, right?
- So, you're a military wife.......??
- Putting your child on a leash
Another confession. I think I'm going to discontinue the blog once my time in Garmisch ends. It's not that I don't like relaying stories and updating people, but it's a lot of effort and time. We'll see though. Maybe my new life adventure will be so exciting I will feel compelled to continue with the blog and all will be well again.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Ahh piss on it...
Friends and family, I have decided what to do with the next year of my life, I will be moving to Freiburg to be an au pair. It was more difficult to make this decision than I ever thought it would be. I will be leaving my American safety net and actually be emerged completely in German culture and life. I have also been doing some research and found several German language schools I'm interested in. Hopefully after some time and hard work I can be a functioning member of the German speaking society. Luckily, Stefanie, my host, lived in London for most of her adult life, so she can speak English with me and also help with my studies. I'm excited to be back in a classroom, but I know that will fade after the first session. The thought of studying is always fun until your actually doing it. I already warned Marcel about how frustrated, annoyed, and whiny I'm going to act when I have to study. For some reason he didn't seem that surprised...
So, just to give you the run down on what I know right now. I move to Freiburg on September 16th. I will be staying with Stefanie and her daughter, Iysha, in my own bedroom off of the main entrance. I also have a private bathroom just down the hall. The flat is located just a couple minutes from the city center and is really nice. When I met Stafanie there it was disorganized and cluttered. Her excuse was that she was in between cleaning ladies, so I'm really hoping that whole situation has been worked out. The best news is that her phone plan allows for free calls to U.S. land lines AND she has extremely fast internet for her job as an at home IT consultant. This makes me more than happy. I can finally skype with all of you guys with video, no disconnection or distortion. It's great! So, with my job as the au pair I will be responsible for taking the daughter to and from school, light babysitting, some housework, some meals, yada yada yada. Stefanie seemed really laid back and flexible about everything, so I'm pretty positive it will be an easy going environment. I should have more details about the job within the next couple of weeks. I'll update as information becomes available.
More great news. Marcel got an internship in Garmisch at a children's hospital working on the administration side of things. He'll be here for just under a month and I can't wait for it. We've already decided we can't act like we are on vacation while he's here. We tend to eat out every night and enjoy too many beers when he's around, so after his last visit I felt like I gained 20 pounds. His internship ends around the same time my contract does so it will be so nice to have him help me pack and move my things.
Our trip to Lake Constance was great, as always. It rained the whole weekend. Despite the weather we had a great time. On our last day we visited Insel Mainau, an island with botanical gardens covering every inch. The highlight of the island wasn't the beautiful butterfly house, it was when Marcel got stung by an angry bee. "Yen what is it!?!?" as a huge yellow jacket is hanging from his neck with his stinger in. I flicked the bee away and watched his neck turn more red and swollen than it should have. I kept assuring him that it didn't look that bad and I casually asked if he was allergic to bees. Luckily, he isn't. It wasn't until it started to calm down that I told him it actually looked terrifying, but I didn't want to freak him out. Anyway, the real highlight of the trip was our convertible smart car. I'm in love with these cars now. They're so little! The weather only permitted us to take the top down a couple times. I was thankful for that because the car already draws enough attention, no need to look like a douche bag with the top down for 5 minutes in between the rain showers. For our entire trip we spent $37 on gas. 37!
Have I mentioned I'm coming home for Christmas? EEEEK! I have the best Mother ever. Not only does she send me great cards and care packages, but she is getting me flights as my Christmas present :-)
Oh and the title of the blog is a short shout out to Daddio Martinez. Love you, Dad!
So, just to give you the run down on what I know right now. I move to Freiburg on September 16th. I will be staying with Stefanie and her daughter, Iysha, in my own bedroom off of the main entrance. I also have a private bathroom just down the hall. The flat is located just a couple minutes from the city center and is really nice. When I met Stafanie there it was disorganized and cluttered. Her excuse was that she was in between cleaning ladies, so I'm really hoping that whole situation has been worked out. The best news is that her phone plan allows for free calls to U.S. land lines AND she has extremely fast internet for her job as an at home IT consultant. This makes me more than happy. I can finally skype with all of you guys with video, no disconnection or distortion. It's great! So, with my job as the au pair I will be responsible for taking the daughter to and from school, light babysitting, some housework, some meals, yada yada yada. Stefanie seemed really laid back and flexible about everything, so I'm pretty positive it will be an easy going environment. I should have more details about the job within the next couple of weeks. I'll update as information becomes available.
More great news. Marcel got an internship in Garmisch at a children's hospital working on the administration side of things. He'll be here for just under a month and I can't wait for it. We've already decided we can't act like we are on vacation while he's here. We tend to eat out every night and enjoy too many beers when he's around, so after his last visit I felt like I gained 20 pounds. His internship ends around the same time my contract does so it will be so nice to have him help me pack and move my things.
Our trip to Lake Constance was great, as always. It rained the whole weekend. Despite the weather we had a great time. On our last day we visited Insel Mainau, an island with botanical gardens covering every inch. The highlight of the island wasn't the beautiful butterfly house, it was when Marcel got stung by an angry bee. "Yen what is it!?!?" as a huge yellow jacket is hanging from his neck with his stinger in. I flicked the bee away and watched his neck turn more red and swollen than it should have. I kept assuring him that it didn't look that bad and I casually asked if he was allergic to bees. Luckily, he isn't. It wasn't until it started to calm down that I told him it actually looked terrifying, but I didn't want to freak him out. Anyway, the real highlight of the trip was our convertible smart car. I'm in love with these cars now. They're so little! The weather only permitted us to take the top down a couple times. I was thankful for that because the car already draws enough attention, no need to look like a douche bag with the top down for 5 minutes in between the rain showers. For our entire trip we spent $37 on gas. 37!
Have I mentioned I'm coming home for Christmas? EEEEK! I have the best Mother ever. Not only does she send me great cards and care packages, but she is getting me flights as my Christmas present :-)
Oh and the title of the blog is a short shout out to Daddio Martinez. Love you, Dad!
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