Nikolaus Tag

German children celebrate a jolly old man, dressed in red with a long white beard, on the 6th of December. He is known as Nikolaus or Weihnachtsmann. Children leave their shoes outside their door on the evening of the 5th and wake up to little presents from Nikolaus.  On Christmas Day, presents are brought by Christkind (Christ child).  Therefore, Santa Claus, the man who sneaks down the chimney and leaves gifts under the Christmas tree, is a foreign idea.  We celebrated the day by hosting a lovely party.  There were 20 or so children and 20 or so adults.  Quite a house full!  The itinerary was as follows, Nikolaus made an appearance, dinner was served, a film was shown.  Nikolaus was great fun!  He called every child up to sit with him and discussed what they had promised last year.  They also discussed new promises for the future.  He then gave them a gift.  It was incredibly organized.  Each parent had sneakily brought a gift and a letter for each of their childen.  A book was created in which each letter was placed.  This was Nikolaus' book.  Therefore, he knew what each child was supposed to own up to.  I can see myself creating a similar event!  Dinner was delicious!  Tapas for the adults and naturally, Wuerstchen und Smiley's for the children.  My room was turned into the "movie theater".  We watched Mickey's Christmas, in German of course.  It was a wonderful and successful evening!

on my own

Max, Tom, and I have spent the last 31 hours together without Nils and Sabine. Not only was it my first time on my own with the boys, but it was also Nils and Sabine's first time leaving them with their Au Pair. In the past, Sabine's sister has been able to stay the night, lending her helping hands. Yesterday morning we met Sabine's sister and mother at the Heidelberg Zoo. The boys paid no attention to the animals. Instead, they searched for any and every surface with enough snow to make a snowball. There hasn't been any notable amounts of snow in Heidelberg since the boys arrival; hence the excitement over one centimeter of snow. Sabine's mother made steaming hot Kartoffelpfannkucken (potato pancakes) with homemade applesauce for lunch. It was a wonderful treat after being out in the cold for several hours and helping the boys make snowballs with only my cotton gloves on. After lunch, Sabine's mother and sister hit the road and the boys hit the hay. After their nap, we made sugar cookies with cookie cutters in the shapes of all the animals at the zoo. After that it was the regular routine - showers,dinner, "Fang mich doch!" (tag), Duplo and Brio Eisenbahn (railroads). We finished the evening off with Shrek. Sabine has needed to attend to Tom alone eight times in one night; I was obviously hoping that last night would not be a record breaking night. Luckily, Max and Tom only woke up once in search of some water. Tom did scream "Mama!" early this morning and it was louder than any alarm I have ever set. I must say that I prefer to wake up naturally to sunlight; unfortunately, there wasn't any at the time to startle my sleep before Tom got to. This morning we made raisin pancakes together. The boys enjoy helping with the cooking of pretty much anything that involves flour, sifting, and mixing. Although they weren't sticking, there were lots of snowflakes flying through the sky this morning. As the house has floor to ceiling windows, the boys were excited to go outside. We geared up to ride bikes to the monastery where we checked out the inhabitants. Once we got too cold, we went to the Hofladen for heisse Schokolade to help us warm up a bit before our ride back home. The afternoon was simple - lunch, naps, and building a Christmas tree. Because there is no Thanksgiving, all of the stores have already prepared for Christmas. And with the recent snow, the boys have Christmas on their minds which is why we constructed a temporary Christmas tree out of paper and watched a holiday film, Mickey Mouse's Christmas. It was a wonderful weekend!

Frankfurt

I spent Saturday in Frankfurt with Hauke, another friend from the german exchange that I was a part of in highschool. I have flown in and out of Frankfurt at least half a dozen times but I have never seen more than the airport. Due to the global financial crisis, the Frankfurt skyline is in the papers nearly every day because it is the "financial district" of Germany. It was exciting to finally get to see it for myself. I saw the Bull and the Bear in front of the Deutsche Boerse (German stock exchange), the European Central Bank, the Opera House, the Fachhochschule, two wonderful eateries - Cafe & Bar Celona, Zimt und Koriander. I got to see it all again and even more from atop the High Tower. Best of all, I showed my Maryland student I.D. and saved money on the ticket. There are no dates on the I.D. - issue or expiration - so I plan to use it forever. Hauke was a fantastic tour guide! He even introduced me to my new favorite show on Saturday evenings which covers all of the day's highlights from the Bundesliga (Fussball league). Hopefully, next spring I will be able to find tickets to a TSG 1899 Hoffenheim match. They have been top of the league this season and will move to their new stadium after its completion in January 2009. A perfect combination for a good time!

Martinstag

Last Tuesday was a holiday - Martinstag. It is not a national holiday, more a holiday for kids although adults usually enjoy a goose dinner with friends. The holiday derives from a knight who lived in France. He had a really big red coat and when he saw a cold homeless man outside the castle, he used his sword to cut the coat in half and share it with the man. This act of kindness granted him the title St. Martin. Max, Tom, Moritz, Sabine, Isabelle and I went to the Kindergarten to celebrate which includes a parade with lanterns and songs. There are also special cookies which are in the shape of a man. They are not like American cookies, they are big, fluffy and taste like challah bread. It is also the start of the Gluehwein season so there is plenty of that to be found. Lots of fun!

Obama hat gewonnen!

While I think that being in America on Tuesday night at 11 o'clock would have been memorable, I think that celebrating in Germany was wonderful. I did not attempt to stay awake the whole night. Instead, I woke at 7 o'clock (1 a.m. EST) to a massive number of bbms informing me of the event. That, of course, started my day off on the right foot. I had to fetch my VISA an hour and a half later and I was excited that I would only need it for one year, not for the next four. Throughout my day, I was more than surprised by the personal attention I received for Obama's victory - I received two congratulatory texts, one hug, and one rose. It felt like my birthday!

Halloween

Halloween is a holiday that could pass without being noticed in Germany. Within the last 10 years it has grown to become more popular but it is still virtually nonexistent. But of course, we celebrated! We began preparing for the holiday by carving pumpkins with Moritz, the son of family friends. Only Tom was really keen on pulling out the seeds. The other two boys were content watching Isabelle and me do all the work. Tom and Moritz insisted on scary pumpkins while Max requested a silly. They all loved the end results, especially with the glow of a candle. On Halloween, we dressed up in last year's costumes which were big then and now are quite perfect. We had a playdate in the afternoon so we dressed Vania up in the new costumes which are again too big but just perfect for Vania. We went trick-or-treating along the street and collected some goodies. Sabine always has plenty of Schokolade und Gummibaerchen in the house so the treats really didn't compare. But it was all in good fun!

My first package arrived today! Stefanie sent me lots of Halloween treats. Max noticed that I had a big box and asked to help me open it. He couldn't believe all the candy that he found inside! He loved the ghost marshmallows and when he asked what they were I said, "Peeps!" He thought I was using a bathroom word and started laughing which of course made me laugh. Then he found Mallomars. I should preface this story by explaining that cookies are not popular in Germany; instead, everyone prefers to buy fresh cake from the bakery. Therefore, the process of obtaining cookies is a little foreign to a 3 1/2 year old. The conversation went as follows:

Max: Can we eat them?
Me: Of course, they are cookies!
Max: Do we have to bake them?
Me: No they are already cooked.
Max: Did your mom cook them and send them to you?

I couldn't help but laugh. These are packaged cookies preserved in a nonorganic fashion in a box that was developed by some marketing team and Max thinks that my mom could have simply done the same. I love the innocence of kids!

German + English

Tom went on a three hour walk/hike with the "big kids" in Kindergarten on Thursday. Usually they don't take kids that are still in diapers. Naturally, Sabine didn't sign him up or send him to Kindergarten prepared but Tom found a way to convince the teachers to let him go. He's much more independent than Max when it comes to trying new activities. He had a great time but was totally worn out and fell asleep on the couch at 7:30 while the television was still on I should mention (television usually keeps Tom awake). That left Max and I to plan all sorts of adventures. We pretended to be animals and built ourselves a cave. Max and Tom both love to help Sabine bake; they love Apfelkuchen. Max had a wonderful idea and decided we should make the imaginary Blaetterkuchen (leaf cake). What fun! The best part of the evening was listening to Max talk. He and Tom both only use cool English words like "fire station" and "asparagus" and "ellow" (that's the color). But Max has taken on a new approach to the language. He has combined the two. It might not be as enjoyable of a story if you do not understand the German language but I will quickly try to explain. When using the past tense in English, you add an 'ed' at the end of most verbs. When using the past tense in German, you add a 'ge' at the beginning of most verbs. For example, the verb 'to make' is 'machen' and the past tense is 'gemacht'. Max now uses the English verbs BUT forms the past tense as though they are German verbs. When I told him not to burn our Blaetterkuchen, he replied, "Ich habe den Blaetterkuchen nicht geburned" (I didn't burn it). Haha!

Alison, the former Au Pair of the Herzberg family, send the boys Halloween costumes and we had great fun last night playing in them. They are super cute monkey costumes made by Old Navy. They even have a banana sewn into the pocket. It makes me miss being a kid!

missing photos

I miss the first two days when the weather was warm enough to wear sandals! But now I can wear scarves which are also great accessories! This is a picture from one of my first days. Sabine took it of me and the boys at a playground and I have just gotten my hands on it. I love these swings; they are at every playground. I think it is a cross between a birds nest and a hammock.

There are so many things that I wish I could take pictures of but it just wouldn't be appropriate. I have two examples. One morning while I was jogging I passed a man with an athletic stroller (you know, the one with three wheels and a big cushy handle). The odd part was that he was rollerblading behind it! He would shove it ahead a few feet then glide after it and do it again! I also recently saw a man riding his bike. But, he was wearing a suit and had a briefcase in his little basket! Maybe I'll hide in a bush and try to capture these moments.

Marienkäfer

Apparently there is a ladybug plague in Heidelberg. Yesterday, I spent half of the afternoon vacuuming the little critters off the windows and walls inside the house. They were everywhere! I really cannot exaggerate the event. No matter how I describe it, no one could possibly imagine the magnitude. In preparation for another attack, Sabine and I vacuumed all of the seals around the doors and windows of the house before locking them shut this morning. It seemed to work but it was still important to make quick entries into and exits from the house. I even locked myself out of the house once today cause I closed the door too quickly without grabbing my keys. I no longer find ladybugs cute.

Hamburg

After over four years, I finally returned to Hamburg to visit Katja. Friday was a national holiday; the reunification of Germany is always on October 3rd and since this year that fell on a Friday, I had a nice long weekend. Unlike my transportation adventure to Munich, my transportation to Hamburg was smooth. Everything was on time to and from! I arrive in the afternoon and went straight to Katja's new apartment. It is a wonderful walk up apartment (although I am sure that is all you can find in Germany). The rooms have all been freshly painted with warm colors which makes it very welcoming. Both Till and Kaya were home so we caught up on life. I also got to meet the random roommate whom I liked very much. Katja made a wonderful vegetarian pasta dish which I ate seconds and thirds of. As you read on you will learn that she is a wonderful cook! After dinner we all went ins Kino to see The Baader Meinhoff Complex - a movie about the RAF terrorist group in Germany during the late 70s. While it was quite graphic, I truely enjoyed the movie and was a little ashamed that I had never heard of RAF before. Once I had seen all that they had done, it seemed impossible that I could have not know about them. The movie was all in German which I also really enjoyed. I obviously missed out on some details but it was still entertaining.

On Saturday, while Katja was working, Kaya took me into Hamburg to enjoy the city. I did some shopping (Danielle and Lauren, your Christmas gifts have already been purchased!). We also went to the harbor to enjoy the Bundeslaender festival. Every state had their own tent that displayed their own culture (so each tent was selling beer of course). I got to see the new harbor city which is still in the making. I have never seen so many cranes in my life. There must have been two dozen standing behind the buildings that had already been constructed. As it is Hamburg, the weather quickly changed from beautiful to horrible so we ran (literally) back to the train and headed home. Once Katja arrived back to the apartment we prepared a vegetarian feast for six (only two of which (Katja and I) are vegetarians). It took most of the afternoon but it was totally worth it! We ate and ate and ate. After dinner, all the girls got ready to go out. We went dancing all night, so much that I was sore the next day!

On Sunday we slept. We went to Katja's parents house (the house I stayed at when I was last in Hamburg) for coffee and cake. The cake was fantastic! The apples were from a tree in the garden which made me love it even more. It was nice to see her parents and her brother again. It was a really nice visit. Once we got home Katja and I jumped into bed and just watched two movies. We were too cold and tired to do anything else! Plus, we had to get up early to make sure I caught my train. Overall, :)

Eine traurige Woche

Last week Sabine received news that her father's health was rapidly deteriorating. He has been ill for many years but the news was still a surprise. Unfortunately, he passed away late last Wednesday night. It was a sad and difficult week. The boys took the news as well as three and a half year olds can. We did plenty of things together which kept them busy. We had a play date on Thursday, we visited the monastery on Friday, and on Monday we spent the afternoon at a playground (hence the picture of Max to the right). We have also been reading Dr. Suess's ABC and Tom can already recite the alphabet on his own! I don't think I could do that until Kindergarten!

As all of you know, the smallest things in life make me happy. I'd like to list a few that I have recently discovered. Nearly everything in Germany can be recycled, that includes all Gummibaerchen wrappers; if you get caught riding your bike while intoxicated, you can lose your driver's license; Radler is a popular beer which consists of 3/4 beer and 1/4 Sprite; when you purchase a beer at an outdoor festival you have to also put down a deposit for the glass as an incentive to return it; it only costs 8 Euros to tailor jeans with an original hem and it is completed in less than 24 hours.

Oktoberfest

Getting to Munich was stressful! I allowed myself 50 minutes to catch the train to Mannheim where I was to meet my cousin, Annika. I arrived to the bus early and it never showed! After waiting for half an hour, I caught a bus and made it to Heidelberg Bahnhof. I found a nice student to help me operate the machine and purchase a ticket. When I arrived at the track, I found that I had missed the train that I was meant to catch. The next one was only 15 minutes later which I thought would be cutting it close. I made it to Mannheim where my cousin told me that our train had been delayed 80 minutes! Ha! All that stress and worrying about catching a train that was delayed! We went to the information booth and they let us get on the next train to Munich which was slower than the I.C.E. but it would still arrive much earlier. We spent the next 3 1/2 hours on the train.

We arrived in Munich and hopped on the U-Bahn to Oktoberfest. It looks like a big state fair or something; it has tons of rides for all ages, some for small kids and some for crazy adults. We walked around so that I could see all the vendors and tents before deciding what we wanted to do. Annika decided to ride in the Ghost House and I decided ride on the ferris wheel. I should note that this was my first ferris wheel ride EVER! We ate TONS of food which was all really good. First, we got this Baverian pizza thing which was vegetarian and good. There is lots of meat and eating half a chicken is really popular but of course that is not for me. There is a lot of fruit covered in chocolate and candy and glaze. I had strawberries covered in dark chocolate on a stick. We also had a HUGE pretzel which was fantastic but now I don't want to eat one ever again. You can see just how HUGE it was by looking at the picture. We met some Aussies and one asked if he could have some of our pretzel and of course I gave him a nice big piece. If I hadn't, I think I would have exploded from all the food. Beer was a must but all the tents were at maximum capacity. Apparently you need a reservation or you need to get there really early to get in. So we went to a smaller vendor with a mini beer garden and I had my Paulaner. No, I did not steal a stein!

We even had enough time to walk around Munich. It was really interesting to see because it's where I originally thought I was going to be an Au Pair. It is a wonderful city with lots of old gates and churces; bells seem to be ringing ever 5 minutes. But the German is so different in Munich that I don't think I'd ever be able to carry on a conversation!

snapfish

I have created a Snapfish account so that I can upload and share my pictures. Snapfish is a fantastic way to share photos BUT others cannot view my photos without being invited. Therefore, you will periodically get emails from me inviting you to view my new albums. Once you have been invited, you can view them whenever you want. I have already sent a mass email inviting everyone to view my first two albums. If you did not receive it, please shoot me a quick email and I will try again. I am still trying to work things out on my end and it might take a few attempts to get it perfect. In other news, there is a half marathon next April which I plan on running.

a new week

My room is on the ground floor and I have a door that leads straight out onto the driveway. I also have a full wall of widows in front of my desk which grant me this wonderful view all day, everyday! The sun has been shining in the bright blue sky but I should mention that the highest temperature that has been reached in the last few days is only 60 degrees. Fall has arrived! On Sunday I met a new friend, Mara, at the Neuenheim Marktplatz and we made our way up the Philosophenweg, an extremely steep path that leads to the best views of Heidelberg. We had a wonderful morning huffing and puffing and decided we should attempt to make our way up the path once a month so that I could document the changing seasons over the next year. In the afternoon I met my cousin, Annika, to spend some time in the Altstadt. She showed me all the places to have fun on a Friday night. I'm excited to see for myself! Last night a package arrived in the mail so Max wanted to turn the box into a robot costume. Sabine explained how to cut out an area for the neck and both the arms and then poke holes in the back to thread string. It was hysterical watching Max run around flailing his arms about. I wish I had taken a picture. I hope he will wear it again tonight so that I will have the chance.

das Internet

My internet was a bit dodgy since my arrival. I did go into town today in search of an internet cafe. Of course I found two Starbucks which I already knew were T-mobile hotspots. This was a last resort as the rates are terrible. I did go into Starbucks to find out if there was another place to go and a very nice barista told me about a shop down the road. I was able to enjoy lunch and work on the internet! I planned ahead and even brought my charger in case my battery died. I was so proud of myself for being prepared until I realized that I didn't have a transformer. Typical. Regardless, it was nice to be out of the house and enjoying some fresh air in between the bouts of everlasting European rain :) And now Nils has just added wireless connectivity in my room and I have unlimited access! Email away!

my first days

I have had a wonderful first five days and I expect that the rest of them will be just as spectacular. I'll give a brief rundown, starting at my arrival.

Saturday: I safely arrived in Frankfurt mid morning where Sabine and Max were waiting at the baggage. We drove an hour south to my new home in Heidelberg where Nils and Tom were waiting (Sabine and Nils are the parents of Max and Tom). I was given a tour of their fabulous home which has windows from floor to ceiling in nearly every room. The view is breathtaking; a vast green mountain stands on the other side of the valley and I cannot wait for the leaves to begin to change colors next month. Max and Tom had a birthday party to attend so I had plenty of time to unpack my overweight baggage but I found a place for everything. I have my own little apartment fit with a bathroom, a kitchenette, and a living room that converts into a bedroom at night. It is nicer than any studio I will ever find myself living in NYC. In the evening we attended a party at Heidelberg Suites, an newly remodeled hotel which awaits its unveiling next month. From the penthouse balcony, we watch the fireworks explode above the bridge and the castle. I have never been one to get excited over fireworks but it was fantastic; the entire show seemed like it was a finale with several fireworks exploding at every moment.

Sunday: I enjoyed some much needed sleep late into the morning. As soon as I got out of bed, I hopped in the car to go to the zoo. We caught the latter half of the seal show and then played at a ginormous playground structure. It really cannot be described; I will just have to take a picture the next time we are there which I suspect will not be too long from now. The boys enjoyed their wurst while I savored my "Bretzel", meine Lieblingsessen. After lunch we walked in the "Altstadt" where I got to know all the shops along the mile long pedestrian street. And of course we stopped for some ice cream before returning home. I should explain that ice cream is not just bought in a little shop; you actually sit down at an "Eiscafe" and order from a menu of crazy creations.

Monday: I ran lots of errands with Sabine while the boys were in Kindergarten. I learned the ways of the shopping markets, as there are many different ones that fulfill different needs. After their daily nap, Sabine and I took the boys to a playground on the Neckar and watched them run around. They invited me to join them in a giant swing which meant they were warming up to me. They dropped my off at my language course in the evening and I met some potential friends. I am looking forward to my next class.

Tuesday: I went on my first walk. It was supposed to be a run but it was entirely uphill and on a path in the forest above the house. After nearly two miles and five forks, I decided to turnaround in fear that if I continued farther I would not be able to find my way back home. It was a good workout none the less. In the afternoon, the boys had a new gymnastics class to attend without mom which of course did not go so well. There was lots of crying and mommy couldn't leave the class. But a promise was made that next week they will both be big boys and let mommy and me wait outside the gym and there will be no crying. I'm crossing my fingers for Sabine's sake. Sabine and Nils went to a Madonna concert and were kind enough to invite Brigitte, Sabine's sister, to come and help me with the boys for the night. We had a night filled with bubbles; a quote from Knocked Up truely sums it up, "Kids go apeshit over bubbles". Tom had a little trouble with bedtime and while his aunt tried to soothe him, he eventually called for "meine Rachel" which means my Rachel :)

Wednesday: I went on my first official run after the rain stopped. This time I ventured along the Neckar which is a straight, flat path. Perfekt! A boy from Max's class came over for a playday and we ate the entire play grocery. Cleanup involved five of us. Sabine and Nils had a meeting in the evening so I took the boys into my room for a party. We ate "Gummibaerchin" and did puzzles and pretended to be crocodiles. We also played with the webcam which is where the photo comes from. The meeting was quite long so I attempted to bring the boys upstairs for bed. With a little whining, but no tears, both went to bed. I did it without Brigitte, without Sabine, and without Nils. I'm good to go!

I don't plan to outline everyday of my stay but the first are always some of the most exciting so I thought it would be of interest.