SO much has happened in the last several weeks that I'm going to revert back to my beloved bullet points to get it out in a timely manner.
-First and foremost, my gallbladder: I had a marvelous three day, two night stay in the luxurious Brake Hospital where they determined that the best thing for me to do would be to remove my gallbladder. However, my insurance wouldn't pay for the surgery since it wasn't an emergency (despite being deemed medically necessary by the doctors) so I didn't have it. I went to Germany with my gallbladder, and I left with it, too.
-Something that I decidedly omitted from my blog posts was the state of my relationship with my host family. For the last two months, things have been... rough. Although things seemed to be fine most of the time, there were times (including one huge blowout in March) where things were not fine at all. I'm not sure if it's a cultural issue or if I'm just daft, but communication was once again an issue... apparently. Once again, this family (mother) was irritated/frustrated/angry with me for this/that/the other but didn't talk to me about it. Instead, she acted irritated/frustrated/angry which was only furthered by my lack of knowing why. We had a second blowout the day before my contact with them was over, and she told me (among many other things I don't care to go into) that she had thought a lot about the situation and couldn't come up with a solution- at which case I pointed out that she had never once tried to work it out with me. Every time she tried to talk to me about something, she was talking at me in an irritated/frustrated/angry manner... and then she was further irritated/frustrated/angry because I reacted defensively to such confrontations. So. That's that.
-I had a lovely time in Hamburg with my friend/former teacher from Olaf Sarah. Hamburg was having a celebration for it's harbor that weekend, so there were a bunch of booths by the river selling assorted goods (mainly of the beer and food variety). The weather was cold and cloudy, but we didn't have too much rain. We saw a good amount of Hamburg - including the Red Light District. For the life of me, I can't see why it's a tourist attraction, but c'est la vie. We climbed a church tour which made me feel as fit as couch potato and as spry as my 90 year old grandmother, plus it irritated a knee injury I haven't felt for almost a decade now... so that was good. It was nice to see the city from way up, but the legs-like-rubber feeling once we had climbed down wasn't quite so pleasant. My knee is still giving me a little pain, but it was especially bad the first week after.
-I then headed to Berlin where I was nervous to be alone for three days. Almost immediately upon my arrival, I befriended one of my hostel roommates (a nice German fella) and we went about town together. I kind of went to Berlin as an after thought, but am so grateful that I went. The history in Berlin is truly incredible. I think of history as being something in the past, something that happened generations before me. Although I'm aware of "history in the making," as it were, such as the War in Iraq, President Obama, the World Trade Centers, it isn't quite history yet because it's all still happening (or at least happened recently). However, to think about the role that the Berlin Wall has played in history and to know that it's defeat happened during my lifetime is truly amazing. There is a double cobblestone line that represents where the wall stood in Berlin, and now cars are parked over where this symbol of division and hopelessness once was. That, to me, is baffling. Anyway- I took a site-seeing bus tour and got an overview of the city, and then went back to a few spots. I saw Checkpoint Charlie and went into the museum there (the wall went up in '61, and the museum started in '62- so amazing) plus made my way to the Holocaust Memorial and museum. I've been to one Holocaust exhibit before (in London), and I was really glad and impressed to have learned so much new information. I wasn't sure if all exhibits of this kind would be the same, and maybe outside of Germany they are... but to see the perspective of the German's from after the war is really quite something. Not necessarily more profound, but at the same time more meaningful. The World Wars are apart of our history, too, but in such an incredibly different way. It's interesting to see a non-American perspective, especially that of the Germans. Moral: history in Berlin = fascinating.
-When I returned to Berne, I only stayed one night. The next day, my friend (and non-sacrilegious savior) picked me up to come stay with him. It was strange to say such a hasty goodbye to Linus, especially since I know he couldn't possibly have known that's what it was. Jakob didn't really understand either, since when I said I was leaving he just said "Tschuess!" from the other room. Once I got a proper hug and goodbye from him, I shook the parents hands and simply left.
-I spent my last few days in Oldenburg staying at my friend Jonas' house. He and his parents were so kind to me, and being away from my host family really made my last days in Germany more relaxing. I had to get a lot of things done, including close my bank account - which did not go smoothly - but it was much easier being in Oldenburg. I got to spend some time with my friends, and I of course cried when I had to say goodbye to them. I had a mild/moderate panic attack the night before leaving, thinking "what have I gotten myself into" and "I can't possibly go through with this once more" and other such things. Sleep helped, and before I knew it I was saying goodbye to Oldenburg.
-I spent almost exactly 48 hours in Copenhagen, where I stayed with a third cousin I had never met before. He was an extremely gracious host, and I was both shocked and impressed by the fact that he talked just as much and just as fast as me :) He wasn't able to take off work to show me around, but his roommate had Tuesday free so she took me around and showed me parts of town I would never have been able to find as a tourist. Fun fact: the Danish language sounds ridiculous. Seriously, it sounded like they were speaking Klingon or something. The only words that even sounded like words were the English ones thrown in. It's bizarre. Anyway, we had really great weather that day and after lunch she said "If you really wanted to do something Danish, we would go sit on the wall by the canal and drink beer..." So we did. The weather, again, was just perfect so it was great to just sit out in the sun. I'm not much of a beer drinker, but I had a couple ciders. A couple of her friends joined us as time went by, and eventually Karim (my cousin) met us after he got off work. We ended up sitting there for somewhere between 3-4 hours (I may or may not have gotten a sunburn). We then went to get dinner, and they all decided I needed to have a proper Danish meal. They took me to what they said was one of two places in town that made a great traditional meal (some sort of pork with potatoes and white gravy). We were the only people in the restaurant, but the food was quite good and we talked - rather loudly - about many different (politically related) subjects. Day Two involved me wandering around aimlessly for several hours before meeting up with Karim for dinner and then heading to the train station.
-I took an overnight train from Copenhagen to Munich. Word to the wise: even if you pride yourself on being able to sleep just about anywhere, don't count on getting too much sleep on a train. Small "beds" and frequent stops throughout the night do not a good night's sleep make. After 13 hours on that train plus another three hour train, I finally arrived in Schladming, Austria where I met Roman's mom, Margarita. I've been with the Royers here in Ramsau (am Dachstein) since Thursday, and will stay through Wednesday... but I'll update on that another time.
After Ramsau I head to Vienna for a few days where I hope to catch either the Philharmonic or an opera or really any sort of musical experience to satisfy my soul. I will arrive in Italy this coming Saturday, and I am getting more and more excited for it every day (although I do anticipate a mild/moderate breakdown approximately 24 hours in advance of my arrival).
Well, it seems as though my idea of getting this done in a "timely manner" turned into an hour and twenty minutes... so if you thought this took forever to read, just realize it took even longer to write. But, there you have it- an official update. Now go forth and prosper- I sure intend to :)
Alles Liebe,
~Julia~
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Body On Strike
I will be leaving Germany two weeks from tomorrow. That, my friends, is bizarre. Before that time comes, however, there will be a wee bit of action regarding some exciting, albeit not-so-great news concerning my health.
This past week I started experiencing pain in my mouth, and after locating the source of the pain, I gave a self-diagnosis that I was one of the few people in the world who had a second wisdom tooth coming out of the same socket. A panicked dentist visit later, I am corrected by an actual professional who determined I did NOT have a second wisdom tooth, but instead a herpes blister... which they (only partially) removed. I may need to go back and have them finish the job.
More exciting than THAT, however, is the return of the incredible stomach pain. The first time I had it was Christmas 2008, followed by April of last year, with a third appearance this past December and, finally, last Thursday. I decided on Thursday night that I just needed to get to a doctor the next day, even if the pain was gone. The pain was (mostly) gone the next day, but I did still go to a doctor... and he found a gallstone. He isn't convinced it's the source of my pain, so tomorrow I'm heading to a hospital for second go around. I believe it will involve another talk with another doctor, possibly another ultrasound (if the picture of my gallstone baby doesn't satisfy the Doc) and then an endoscopy. If they can find something wrong with the stomach itself, we'll go from there... if not, I'm looking at surgery for gallstone removal, or even possibly the removal of my entire gallbladder. Oo-de-laley.
This is, of course, perfectly timed. My contract with this family is up on the 8th, so this is my last work week. The doctor recommended I get this taken care of immediately instead of waiting until my September return to the States, and it needs to happen before I leave Germany. I was planning on visiting a friend in Hamburg this weekend, followed by a few days in Berlin... so if I end up having an operation, I won't be able to visit these two major cities - and even more upsetting, I won't be able to visit my friend.
Although I'm eager to do whatever it takes to have this pain go away, ne'er to return again, it does put a kink in my plans. However, if I do require surgery, I should be back on my feet with plenty of time to hit my big trip starting on the 17th.
In other, though related, news... I'm starting to really realize that my time with these kids really is limited. I put Linus to bed tonight, and it kind of broke my heart. I've grown the closest with him, and it feels so amazing to have him fall asleep on my shoulder as I sing to him. I think leaving him will really break my heart. I've also started bonding a lot with Jakob lately, and leaving him won't be easy, either.
So, here are my prayer requests:
-That the doctors will figure out what's wrong with my stomach and fix it.
-That I will get on the ball to ship my things home and send my luggage ahead of me to Italy (I can't very well travel with three giant suitcases on trains by myself).
-That my last two weeks with this family will be very pleasant, and we will go our separate ways while thinking fondly of one another.
-That God will comfort me as I not only say goodbye to Jakob and Linus, but also to Sara and Simon (who I will see before leaving)... not to mention as I say goodbye to my friends here in Germany.
Alles Liebe,
~Julia~
This past week I started experiencing pain in my mouth, and after locating the source of the pain, I gave a self-diagnosis that I was one of the few people in the world who had a second wisdom tooth coming out of the same socket. A panicked dentist visit later, I am corrected by an actual professional who determined I did NOT have a second wisdom tooth, but instead a herpes blister... which they (only partially) removed. I may need to go back and have them finish the job.
More exciting than THAT, however, is the return of the incredible stomach pain. The first time I had it was Christmas 2008, followed by April of last year, with a third appearance this past December and, finally, last Thursday. I decided on Thursday night that I just needed to get to a doctor the next day, even if the pain was gone. The pain was (mostly) gone the next day, but I did still go to a doctor... and he found a gallstone. He isn't convinced it's the source of my pain, so tomorrow I'm heading to a hospital for second go around. I believe it will involve another talk with another doctor, possibly another ultrasound (if the picture of my gallstone baby doesn't satisfy the Doc) and then an endoscopy. If they can find something wrong with the stomach itself, we'll go from there... if not, I'm looking at surgery for gallstone removal, or even possibly the removal of my entire gallbladder. Oo-de-laley.
This is, of course, perfectly timed. My contract with this family is up on the 8th, so this is my last work week. The doctor recommended I get this taken care of immediately instead of waiting until my September return to the States, and it needs to happen before I leave Germany. I was planning on visiting a friend in Hamburg this weekend, followed by a few days in Berlin... so if I end up having an operation, I won't be able to visit these two major cities - and even more upsetting, I won't be able to visit my friend.
Although I'm eager to do whatever it takes to have this pain go away, ne'er to return again, it does put a kink in my plans. However, if I do require surgery, I should be back on my feet with plenty of time to hit my big trip starting on the 17th.
In other, though related, news... I'm starting to really realize that my time with these kids really is limited. I put Linus to bed tonight, and it kind of broke my heart. I've grown the closest with him, and it feels so amazing to have him fall asleep on my shoulder as I sing to him. I think leaving him will really break my heart. I've also started bonding a lot with Jakob lately, and leaving him won't be easy, either.
So, here are my prayer requests:
-That the doctors will figure out what's wrong with my stomach and fix it.
-That I will get on the ball to ship my things home and send my luggage ahead of me to Italy (I can't very well travel with three giant suitcases on trains by myself).
-That my last two weeks with this family will be very pleasant, and we will go our separate ways while thinking fondly of one another.
-That God will comfort me as I not only say goodbye to Jakob and Linus, but also to Sara and Simon (who I will see before leaving)... not to mention as I say goodbye to my friends here in Germany.
Alles Liebe,
~Julia~
Sunday, April 25, 2010
The American and the Green Cabbage
Here's a little (past due) story:
Before I participated in the Kohlfahrt, I decided to look it up online and find out a little about it. However, nothing I found said why people did Kohlfahrts, or how it started. While on our little tour, I asked Kurt (the guy who sells us eggs from across the street) how it all started, assuming he knew everything there is to know about local traditions and cultures. Unfortunately, I assumed wrong. However, it did spark Kurt's curiousity, and he decided that WE should take it among ourselves to find out the answer and share it with the community.
I kind of went a long and said "Yeah, good idea" with absolutely no intentions of following through. I didn't care THAT much.
A few weeks later on my birthday, Kurt came over and, along with a flower and small egg covered in the number 23, brought me a packet of information he had found in literature about the Kohlfahrt. He asked what I had found, and I told him I hadn't really found anything yet.
Within the next week, Kurt came over again and told me that he had arranged for an interview with the local newspaper. I wasn't available the time he had already set up, to which I was like bummer, I guess I can't do it. Kurt asked when I was available, and I revealed to him that I really wasn't interested in doing the interview, and I hadn't found (um, looked for) any new information, and I didn't feel like it was that interesting for me to be involved... but he insisted that it was news-worthy for an American (actually, he kept referring to me as an Idahoan instead of an American) to be in Hiddigwarden and to be curious in the local culture... at which point he pulled out his cell phone and called the woman from the newspaper to reschedule the interview.
Here are the results.
Please, enjoy the fruits of my local humiliation.
Before I participated in the Kohlfahrt, I decided to look it up online and find out a little about it. However, nothing I found said why people did Kohlfahrts, or how it started. While on our little tour, I asked Kurt (the guy who sells us eggs from across the street) how it all started, assuming he knew everything there is to know about local traditions and cultures. Unfortunately, I assumed wrong. However, it did spark Kurt's curiousity, and he decided that WE should take it among ourselves to find out the answer and share it with the community.
I kind of went a long and said "Yeah, good idea" with absolutely no intentions of following through. I didn't care THAT much.
A few weeks later on my birthday, Kurt came over and, along with a flower and small egg covered in the number 23, brought me a packet of information he had found in literature about the Kohlfahrt. He asked what I had found, and I told him I hadn't really found anything yet.
Within the next week, Kurt came over again and told me that he had arranged for an interview with the local newspaper. I wasn't available the time he had already set up, to which I was like bummer, I guess I can't do it. Kurt asked when I was available, and I revealed to him that I really wasn't interested in doing the interview, and I hadn't found (um, looked for) any new information, and I didn't feel like it was that interesting for me to be involved... but he insisted that it was news-worthy for an American (actually, he kept referring to me as an Idahoan instead of an American) to be in Hiddigwarden and to be curious in the local culture... at which point he pulled out his cell phone and called the woman from the newspaper to reschedule the interview.
Here are the results.
Please, enjoy the fruits of my local humiliation.
Monday, April 19, 2010
the Final Countdown
*cue GOB and cheap pyrotechnics*
First of all, I have posted a ton of pictures on Snapfish (for those of you non-facebook users)... so if you haven't received an email invitation to see my pictures (apparently the only way one can see pictures on Snapfish), and/or are required to register just to see the pictures, send me an email and I will hook you up. So... go look at my pictures :)
So, I have a semi-official timeline for my final month here in Germany:
May 7-9 : visit Hamburg with my former German teacher from Olaf (a Hamburg native in her mid-20s, so not creepy, I promise :)
May 9-12 : visit Berlin, sadly alone (no one to go with... sad.)
May 12-17 : my very last weekend in Berne/Oldenburg - crazy!!
May 17-20 : visit Copenhagen and stay with some obscure Danish relatives of my Dad's
May 20-26 : visit the Royers in Ramsau (am Dachstein), Austria! I'm so excited to get to go back!!
May 26-29 : visit Vienna (once again, alone)
May 29 : GO TO ITALY FOR THE SUMMER!!
As you may have cleverly deduced from looking at that, I have a very busy few weeks of preparation before all that travel takes place. I tell you, planning is stressful. Well, lack of time and money is stressful, which makes planning itself quite hard on the ol' nerves. Speaking of money, how might one afford to go on all of these trips? The answer: Eurail pass. I'm not sure how the rail systems agree to it, since it probably jips them out of a ton of money (unless it pays off by taking away from air travel?), but it somehow allows you to travel within (up to) five countries on five (or more, depending on your needs and pocketbook) days within a two month period. I'm paying what it could easily cost for two of these trips to make them all - nice! There are still some kinks to be worked out (such as whether the overnight from Denmark to Austria will count as one day or two, and forwarding my luggage), but overall I'm very excited and grateful to be able to do all of this traveling. I am, however, bummed that there are some countries I won't be able to (afford to) hit in my remaining time here (including Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland)... but that just means I'll have to come back eventually. I'LL HAVE TO.
Once in Italy, however, there are some locations that will be at a more convenient distance: Southern France (Marsaille and Nice), the Basque country, and most importantly, GREECE! Greece is the only MUST on this list, but if you look at a map of Europe, you can see how really quite close Liguria, Italy (my future home) is to the famous French cities and the Motherland of so many Boise folk :) Also, my dad has another batch of semi-obscure relatives in Gothenburg, Sweden, who have invited me to come visit them. I'm going to try and arrange it (since Ryan Air flies out of Milan to Gothenburg). It's also where a friend of mine has not-so-obscure relatives (grandparents) and has spent the last three or four summers working in a cheese factory... hey Daniel, if I mention your name will I get some sort of discount??
As for things here on the home front, things have been... complicated. Although things are not by any means awful, the mother and I seem to have some "irrevocable differences" that I've been largely unaware of up until recently. It's not the end of the world, and most of the time we get along quite well... there are just some things that don't seem to add up. However, we're both trying our best and it seems to be working out well (most of the time). She even took me into the city center of Bremen yesterday just to show me around, which was quite kind of her. We had a good time together :)
Good things that have happened:
-I had an amazing time in Spain! We were completely blessed with beautiful weather (even though we were supposed to get two days of rain), and got to know the city relatively well for only four days! It was seriously wonderful, and it made me SUPER excited for my future Mediterranean living plans :)
-our sheep had her baby!! Lissy and Nate are the proud parents of the now two week old Sandmeer (named by Jakob)... Lissy has gotten feistier and won't let me near the little bugger so I can at least pet her... or, you know, pick her up... Nate is now across the street living with a bunch of other (male) sheep, and we've received a couple of new boarders: a black sheep and her (slightly older than Sandmeer) baby. Apparently you have you separate sheep in the summer to give the females an, *ahem*, break from the males. Otherwise babies get born at the wrong time and can freeze to death (happened to a donkey at the zoo- still very upsetting for the donkey... true story). I WILL pick up that little sheepie before I leave here, you mark my words.
-Linus turned 1!! We went to the zoo (hence aforementioned true donkey story) and had a really nice time. There were a few little dinky rides and a walk-in goat area where one got mauled by goats upon exposal of purchased animal feed. Linus, who loves goats, did not appreciate them as much up close and personal. Personal trauma aside, I think he had a really nice birthday :)
-The weather has FINALLY picked up and we're experiencing some nice SPRING weather! We're outside in our HUGE backyard/garden a good part of each day, which is really nice (if not still a bit chilly).
Man, I really DO love bullet points.
So maybe if I posted once a week (like my more dedicated Au Pair friends), I wouldn't have to write so much and, thus, use so many bullet points... but lets be honest, that's just NOT going to happen. I hope you've all embraced it... because, well, I have.
Alles Liebe,
~Julia~
First of all, I have posted a ton of pictures on Snapfish (for those of you non-facebook users)... so if you haven't received an email invitation to see my pictures (apparently the only way one can see pictures on Snapfish), and/or are required to register just to see the pictures, send me an email and I will hook you up. So... go look at my pictures :)
So, I have a semi-official timeline for my final month here in Germany:
May 7-9 : visit Hamburg with my former German teacher from Olaf (a Hamburg native in her mid-20s, so not creepy, I promise :)
May 9-12 : visit Berlin, sadly alone (no one to go with... sad.)
May 12-17 : my very last weekend in Berne/Oldenburg - crazy!!
May 17-20 : visit Copenhagen and stay with some obscure Danish relatives of my Dad's
May 20-26 : visit the Royers in Ramsau (am Dachstein), Austria! I'm so excited to get to go back!!
May 26-29 : visit Vienna (once again, alone)
May 29 : GO TO ITALY FOR THE SUMMER!!
As you may have cleverly deduced from looking at that, I have a very busy few weeks of preparation before all that travel takes place. I tell you, planning is stressful. Well, lack of time and money is stressful, which makes planning itself quite hard on the ol' nerves. Speaking of money, how might one afford to go on all of these trips? The answer: Eurail pass. I'm not sure how the rail systems agree to it, since it probably jips them out of a ton of money (unless it pays off by taking away from air travel?), but it somehow allows you to travel within (up to) five countries on five (or more, depending on your needs and pocketbook) days within a two month period. I'm paying what it could easily cost for two of these trips to make them all - nice! There are still some kinks to be worked out (such as whether the overnight from Denmark to Austria will count as one day or two, and forwarding my luggage), but overall I'm very excited and grateful to be able to do all of this traveling. I am, however, bummed that there are some countries I won't be able to (afford to) hit in my remaining time here (including Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland)... but that just means I'll have to come back eventually. I'LL HAVE TO.
Once in Italy, however, there are some locations that will be at a more convenient distance: Southern France (Marsaille and Nice), the Basque country, and most importantly, GREECE! Greece is the only MUST on this list, but if you look at a map of Europe, you can see how really quite close Liguria, Italy (my future home) is to the famous French cities and the Motherland of so many Boise folk :) Also, my dad has another batch of semi-obscure relatives in Gothenburg, Sweden, who have invited me to come visit them. I'm going to try and arrange it (since Ryan Air flies out of Milan to Gothenburg). It's also where a friend of mine has not-so-obscure relatives (grandparents) and has spent the last three or four summers working in a cheese factory... hey Daniel, if I mention your name will I get some sort of discount??
As for things here on the home front, things have been... complicated. Although things are not by any means awful, the mother and I seem to have some "irrevocable differences" that I've been largely unaware of up until recently. It's not the end of the world, and most of the time we get along quite well... there are just some things that don't seem to add up. However, we're both trying our best and it seems to be working out well (most of the time). She even took me into the city center of Bremen yesterday just to show me around, which was quite kind of her. We had a good time together :)
Good things that have happened:
-I had an amazing time in Spain! We were completely blessed with beautiful weather (even though we were supposed to get two days of rain), and got to know the city relatively well for only four days! It was seriously wonderful, and it made me SUPER excited for my future Mediterranean living plans :)
-our sheep had her baby!! Lissy and Nate are the proud parents of the now two week old Sandmeer (named by Jakob)... Lissy has gotten feistier and won't let me near the little bugger so I can at least pet her... or, you know, pick her up... Nate is now across the street living with a bunch of other (male) sheep, and we've received a couple of new boarders: a black sheep and her (slightly older than Sandmeer) baby. Apparently you have you separate sheep in the summer to give the females an, *ahem*, break from the males. Otherwise babies get born at the wrong time and can freeze to death (happened to a donkey at the zoo- still very upsetting for the donkey... true story). I WILL pick up that little sheepie before I leave here, you mark my words.
-Linus turned 1!! We went to the zoo (hence aforementioned true donkey story) and had a really nice time. There were a few little dinky rides and a walk-in goat area where one got mauled by goats upon exposal of purchased animal feed. Linus, who loves goats, did not appreciate them as much up close and personal. Personal trauma aside, I think he had a really nice birthday :)
-The weather has FINALLY picked up and we're experiencing some nice SPRING weather! We're outside in our HUGE backyard/garden a good part of each day, which is really nice (if not still a bit chilly).
Man, I really DO love bullet points.
So maybe if I posted once a week (like my more dedicated Au Pair friends), I wouldn't have to write so much and, thus, use so many bullet points... but lets be honest, that's just NOT going to happen. I hope you've all embraced it... because, well, I have.
Alles Liebe,
~Julia~
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Past and Future Happenings
Lots of things have happened and will be happening (starting tonight) so I'm going to do my best to make this short and sweet:
Things that have happened:
-I participated in a "Kohlfahrt" (I recommend googling that or "gruenkohlessen" for an explanation of what that is. Just know that it was a family kohlfahrt which puts an interesting twist on the whole concept...)
-I celebrated my 23rd birthday and got to have sweets (liturgy allows you to break Lent on your birthday- hurray!). I celebrated with two of my Au Pair friends here, and we had a delightful time together. I'm actually excited about being 23, although I couldn't really explain why. Maybe since it gets me just a little bit closer to that last great milestone of being able to rent a car... who knows, but it's still exciting :)
-I have permanantly moved back into my original room (which is thankfully no longer an ice cavern of death) since the repairs to my bedroom and our kitchen have taken about twice as long as they had promised. AWESOME.
-Linus is starting to walk!!
Things that will happen:
-Tonight, a friend and I will go to Bremen for the night so we can take a SUPER early flight to Barcelona, Spain! We'll be there through Friday, just in time to come back to a full house of Hanno's sister, husband, and four kids who will be visiting for Easter.
-I will be moving to Italy at the end of May/beginning of June! I've found a host family outside Genoa in a little town called Liguria, and I'll be there exactly 90 days (since that's how long I'm able to stay without getting a Visa). Have no fears - I don't want to stay away forever, but I do want to milk this year for all I can. I planned to come to Europe for a year, and I wasn't prepared to leave after only 10 months... so now my trip has been extended for an extra month or so.
Alright, I've got to get going... so wish me luck in Spain, and I'll see you on the other side!
LG,
~Julia~
Things that have happened:
-I participated in a "Kohlfahrt" (I recommend googling that or "gruenkohlessen" for an explanation of what that is. Just know that it was a family kohlfahrt which puts an interesting twist on the whole concept...)
-I celebrated my 23rd birthday and got to have sweets (liturgy allows you to break Lent on your birthday- hurray!). I celebrated with two of my Au Pair friends here, and we had a delightful time together. I'm actually excited about being 23, although I couldn't really explain why. Maybe since it gets me just a little bit closer to that last great milestone of being able to rent a car... who knows, but it's still exciting :)
-I have permanantly moved back into my original room (which is thankfully no longer an ice cavern of death) since the repairs to my bedroom and our kitchen have taken about twice as long as they had promised. AWESOME.
-Linus is starting to walk!!
Things that will happen:
-Tonight, a friend and I will go to Bremen for the night so we can take a SUPER early flight to Barcelona, Spain! We'll be there through Friday, just in time to come back to a full house of Hanno's sister, husband, and four kids who will be visiting for Easter.
-I will be moving to Italy at the end of May/beginning of June! I've found a host family outside Genoa in a little town called Liguria, and I'll be there exactly 90 days (since that's how long I'm able to stay without getting a Visa). Have no fears - I don't want to stay away forever, but I do want to milk this year for all I can. I planned to come to Europe for a year, and I wasn't prepared to leave after only 10 months... so now my trip has been extended for an extra month or so.
Alright, I've got to get going... so wish me luck in Spain, and I'll see you on the other side!
LG,
~Julia~
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Reflections On a March Morning
The sun crept through the bedroom window and fell gently upon Avril's alabaster skin. At first a soft sensation, the warmth built into into an uncomfortable heat, waking her from a deep and pleasant sleep. Avril slowly sat up in her bed, cherishing the last of sleep's fleeting moments upon her eyes. As they finally embraced the new day, her attention was drawn to the garden just outside her window. Her crystal blue eyes were lit with rapture as she spotted the tiniest new bud peaking its head through the still frozen earth. She reached for her shawl and, so as not to wake the others, tip-toed briskly to the kitchen door. With a heart full of joy she leaped into the yard to welcome Spring's triumphant return, but was then halted with a sharp and bitter breath.
Another deceptively cold morning, devoid of Spring's elusive splendor.
A friend of mine told me to reflect on the "gorgeous weather" we're having in the style of Anne Shirley. This is the best I could do, keeping in mind that my vocabulary is substantially less extensive than hers.
So, as to my life.
Well, to be fair, it certainly LOOKS warm outside, but it's assuredly colder than I would like. It's March and I don't live in Minnesota anymore, so I was kind of hoping for an early Spring. That, apparently, is too tall an order for Northern Minnesota. However, the snow is FINALLY melted (after two and a half months!) and Jakob is enjoying playing outside on our (former hayloft) "play plateau." It's brilliant! He gets fresh air, gets to ride his tractor, run around, and he can't get out (thank you, childproof gate door) so I can stay inside where it's WARM. I have gone on a few walks in the area, though, which has been really nice. There's a little side road that goes across the river behind us and between the fields, and beyond stepping aside for the occasional tractor you're have it all to yourself... which is excellent if you happen to enjoy singing aloud to your iPod :)
A few weekends ago I went to Mainz (situated on the Rhein where the Main river connects) to visit Hanno's parents. It was during Karneval, which is celebrated by all the cities along the Rhein. It's like a five day festival right before Lent (Fastenzeit) begins, but it's based in politics. It even has official colors, which are blue, white, red (as in the French flag) and yellow. Not that I can tell you exactly why, but it's got something to do with the French Revolution and... what a good idea it was? Okay, officially not a German history buff. HOWEVER, this is the time of year when Germans wear costumes- NOT Halloween. Halloween is an American holiday brought overseas to make money, and the Germans don't really dig it... and probably because they have their own costume holiday, and they don't need our stupid candy holiday because theirs has alcohol. Probably.
Anyway, the first night we went over to a "party" at friend's from Hannos where they were watching a live show that was happening in Mainz. It involved some sort of counsel, a jester, and several other people to give (what I'm sure was very witty and relevant) political commentary. Every time somebody said something even REMOTELY funny and/or pertinant, the band blasted one note- BAAAAH. Also, apparently each city on the Rhein has their own greeting for the Karneval zeit. In Mainz it's "Helau!" which is really only yelled in threes. Lets be honest, I was starting to crack. However, Hanno then introduced me to a girl who is from the Ukraine and first came to Germany as an Au Pair, but then stayed to go to University and has been there for seven years now. She invited me out the next night, and even gave me cat ears and drew whiskers on my face to help me blend in the with the crowd :) We had a really great time, even if every bar DID have a cover charge (eight bars went in together for a 10 Euro cover that would let you into all eight bars. We only went to two, but it was worth it... otherwise we wouldn't have had anywhere to go). We then found our way to a Döner restaurant where I heard someone singing the Canadian national anthem (which I learned for a play I did in college). I began singing along, and thusly introduced myself to a Canadian. We then sang the Canadian national anthem very loudly, called each other North American sisters while sliding backhanded compliments at each other's country, and spoke English faster than either of us probably had in several days (due to lack of native English speakers). It was bizarre, and glorious.
So, for Lent I decided to do a double whammy this year. Not only did I give up sweets (ice cream, chocolate, gummy bears, muffins, gummy bears, cookies, gummy bears... etc.) but I also decided to ADD something for Lent! I bought a daily devotional book back in November, and as of the beginning of Lent I was up to January 6th (having started at January 1st)... so I decided to add a daily devotional to my Lenten challenge. I actually was going to try to add going on a half hour walk every day, but that didn't work out. But come on, two things is still pretty impressive, right??
Exciting news! A friend and I (a Canadian Au Pair in Oldenburg) have booked our tickets and will be going to Barcelona March 28-April 2! I am SO excited, and even though I don't speak more than five words of Spanish, I am really excited to pick up a dictionary there and attempt to communicate! SWEET! We were going to try couch surfing, but we didn't get any responses so we just went with a cheap hostel :)
Confession (this one's for you, Grandpa): My time with this family ends in May, but I've been putting off calling my grandpa about buying a plane ticket home... because I'm hoping to find a family for the summer in the London area. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten any positive responses yet, and I know that I need to buy a ticket soon if I'll be coming back at the end of May/beginning of June (travel time!) My dream is to live in London, but I don't want to be gone another year. I figure, I was going to be gone until the middle of the summer anyway, so why not just go until August or September and then come home? Of course, ideally I wouldn't be there as an Au Pair... however, I's po and can't afford to stay there any other way. Yesterday the thought occurred to me that although I'm hoping/planning to visit both Italy and Greece before coming back, maybe I should consider those two countries for the summer. Who knows, it could be an amazing, exotic experience. There is, of course, the language barrier... because unless we communicate only in art songs, I don't speak Italian, and I CERTAINLY don't know a word of Greek. But maybe that would be good, right? Pick up a third language?? Or, you know, a few phrases here and there.
So, in terms of prayer requests, I would ask that you all pray for my post-Germany plans! Matthew 6:25-34 has helped me so much in the past few months, and I know that I can give God my worries so that he will work things out according to his plan. I do, however, need to figure out what he wants me to do. My plan is to explore all opportunities and let him open the doors I'm supposed to go through. But I could use some prayer help :)
Final thought: I TOTALLY found a gray hair today. To my own surprise, it didn't make me freak out about getting old (*reminder- my birthday is in 17 days! I'll be 23!!*)... it actually made me feel kind of... mature? Weird.
Okay, bis später!
Liebe Grüße,
~Julia~
Another deceptively cold morning, devoid of Spring's elusive splendor.
A friend of mine told me to reflect on the "gorgeous weather" we're having in the style of Anne Shirley. This is the best I could do, keeping in mind that my vocabulary is substantially less extensive than hers.
So, as to my life.
Well, to be fair, it certainly LOOKS warm outside, but it's assuredly colder than I would like. It's March and I don't live in Minnesota anymore, so I was kind of hoping for an early Spring. That, apparently, is too tall an order for Northern Minnesota. However, the snow is FINALLY melted (after two and a half months!) and Jakob is enjoying playing outside on our (former hayloft) "play plateau." It's brilliant! He gets fresh air, gets to ride his tractor, run around, and he can't get out (thank you, childproof gate door) so I can stay inside where it's WARM. I have gone on a few walks in the area, though, which has been really nice. There's a little side road that goes across the river behind us and between the fields, and beyond stepping aside for the occasional tractor you're have it all to yourself... which is excellent if you happen to enjoy singing aloud to your iPod :)
A few weekends ago I went to Mainz (situated on the Rhein where the Main river connects) to visit Hanno's parents. It was during Karneval, which is celebrated by all the cities along the Rhein. It's like a five day festival right before Lent (Fastenzeit) begins, but it's based in politics. It even has official colors, which are blue, white, red (as in the French flag) and yellow. Not that I can tell you exactly why, but it's got something to do with the French Revolution and... what a good idea it was? Okay, officially not a German history buff. HOWEVER, this is the time of year when Germans wear costumes- NOT Halloween. Halloween is an American holiday brought overseas to make money, and the Germans don't really dig it... and probably because they have their own costume holiday, and they don't need our stupid candy holiday because theirs has alcohol. Probably.
Anyway, the first night we went over to a "party" at friend's from Hannos where they were watching a live show that was happening in Mainz. It involved some sort of counsel, a jester, and several other people to give (what I'm sure was very witty and relevant) political commentary. Every time somebody said something even REMOTELY funny and/or pertinant, the band blasted one note- BAAAAH. Also, apparently each city on the Rhein has their own greeting for the Karneval zeit. In Mainz it's "Helau!" which is really only yelled in threes. Lets be honest, I was starting to crack. However, Hanno then introduced me to a girl who is from the Ukraine and first came to Germany as an Au Pair, but then stayed to go to University and has been there for seven years now. She invited me out the next night, and even gave me cat ears and drew whiskers on my face to help me blend in the with the crowd :) We had a really great time, even if every bar DID have a cover charge (eight bars went in together for a 10 Euro cover that would let you into all eight bars. We only went to two, but it was worth it... otherwise we wouldn't have had anywhere to go). We then found our way to a Döner restaurant where I heard someone singing the Canadian national anthem (which I learned for a play I did in college). I began singing along, and thusly introduced myself to a Canadian. We then sang the Canadian national anthem very loudly, called each other North American sisters while sliding backhanded compliments at each other's country, and spoke English faster than either of us probably had in several days (due to lack of native English speakers). It was bizarre, and glorious.
So, for Lent I decided to do a double whammy this year. Not only did I give up sweets (ice cream, chocolate, gummy bears, muffins, gummy bears, cookies, gummy bears... etc.) but I also decided to ADD something for Lent! I bought a daily devotional book back in November, and as of the beginning of Lent I was up to January 6th (having started at January 1st)... so I decided to add a daily devotional to my Lenten challenge. I actually was going to try to add going on a half hour walk every day, but that didn't work out. But come on, two things is still pretty impressive, right??
Exciting news! A friend and I (a Canadian Au Pair in Oldenburg) have booked our tickets and will be going to Barcelona March 28-April 2! I am SO excited, and even though I don't speak more than five words of Spanish, I am really excited to pick up a dictionary there and attempt to communicate! SWEET! We were going to try couch surfing, but we didn't get any responses so we just went with a cheap hostel :)
Confession (this one's for you, Grandpa): My time with this family ends in May, but I've been putting off calling my grandpa about buying a plane ticket home... because I'm hoping to find a family for the summer in the London area. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten any positive responses yet, and I know that I need to buy a ticket soon if I'll be coming back at the end of May/beginning of June (travel time!) My dream is to live in London, but I don't want to be gone another year. I figure, I was going to be gone until the middle of the summer anyway, so why not just go until August or September and then come home? Of course, ideally I wouldn't be there as an Au Pair... however, I's po and can't afford to stay there any other way. Yesterday the thought occurred to me that although I'm hoping/planning to visit both Italy and Greece before coming back, maybe I should consider those two countries for the summer. Who knows, it could be an amazing, exotic experience. There is, of course, the language barrier... because unless we communicate only in art songs, I don't speak Italian, and I CERTAINLY don't know a word of Greek. But maybe that would be good, right? Pick up a third language?? Or, you know, a few phrases here and there.
So, in terms of prayer requests, I would ask that you all pray for my post-Germany plans! Matthew 6:25-34 has helped me so much in the past few months, and I know that I can give God my worries so that he will work things out according to his plan. I do, however, need to figure out what he wants me to do. My plan is to explore all opportunities and let him open the doors I'm supposed to go through. But I could use some prayer help :)
Final thought: I TOTALLY found a gray hair today. To my own surprise, it didn't make me freak out about getting old (*reminder- my birthday is in 17 days! I'll be 23!!*)... it actually made me feel kind of... mature? Weird.
Okay, bis später!
Liebe Grüße,
~Julia~
Friday, January 29, 2010
Ich bin noch hier!
I realize it has been far too long since I've posted, but I can safely say that life has been nothing short of busy.
I moved in with my new family on January 6th. I am just so grateful to be in this new environment! I get along really well with the kids (Jakob, 3 and Linus, 9 mos.) and seem to both really like me. Jakob is just starting to realize that he has to share his toys with his brother, which has led to several instances of Jakob having to play by himself since he can't play well with others. The parents here (Doris and Hanno) actually agree with (or are at least okay with) my tough love with the kids and have said that I'm good with the kids - even when I'm being firm with them! Even though I've been firm with him, Jakob still really seems to like me and tries to learn from the past! He's getting better at using "bitte" (please) without me prompting him, and he doesn't tend to make the same mistakes over again (except, of course, taking toys out of Linus' hand... or mouth...)
It just feels really good to have the parent's support. It's just so different than at my last house. They've taught Jakob to ask if he's allowed to leave the dinner table ("darf ich bitte auf stehen"), and one day he asked me. I said he had to ask his parents, but Hanno told me that I'm an adult in this house and it's okay for me to decide if he can or can't. Usually he just needs to have taken a few more bites (if there's anything left on his plate), finish his drink, and maybe we'll offer him a yogurt (kid loves his yogurt). It's just SO different from before, and so nice to feel trusted and like I'm actually an adult in the house who is there to help with the kids. It feels so nice to be trusted and respected like that.
I do have to say that being an Au Pair does tend to bring out my imperfections... namely that of my tardiness. I've run into a few scrapes here with that, and although it's extremely embarrassing and makes me feel completely ashamed, I appreciate that they're willing to tell me up front. We don't need to have weekly meetings because they tell me how they feel. They just give me a printed schedule over the weekend (which I actually don't have to work during!) and let me know if there's anything particular I need to know. I have made a few really dumb mistakes here and there, but even though it's thoroughly humbling, in the long run it helps me grown. Sometimes, though, I get afraid that I'm not good enough and I feel like a red-headed step child (not because of them, but because of the stupid things I do).
So here are a few highlights of the last few weeks:
-I spent the first week or so in the guest room (house is being renovated downstairs and my room didn't have a door). The heat has had several problems which are now resolved, but during that first week I was living in the ice cavern of death.
-I went to London!! It was magnificent. I just adore that city so much it's out of control. I saw four shows, met with friends from Olaf studying theatre there for a month (which I did in January 2007), met another friend who I graduated with who's studying music composition outside of London, and met a new friend! My dad has been telling me for several months that there's a Rotary Scholar from his club studying there and she had a free bed... so I emailed her a week before I was coming and asked if she was interested in hosting a perfect stranger. To my surprise and delight, she said yes!! We got along really well and I'm so grateful to her! I enjoyed wandering around London and getting to know the city better, and I was reminded of how much I really do love that city, and how much I would love to stay there for an extended period of time...
-I moved into my new room!
-The renovated kitchen was ready to be used and we moved everything downstairs!
-The heating, which had been poorly functioning, began not functioning at all throughout the whole house. We spent a day over at Doris' parent's house because it was so cold.
-The heating was fixed, but the pipe leading to the upstairs bathroom froze.
-The frozen pipe warmed up, and then burst during the night... and flooded our new kitchen. I was awoken at 7:20, and the pipe was fixed around 9. However, the water caused a good amount of damage, and not only to the kitchen. My room is adjacent to the kitchen, and accordingly received a small amount of damage. The water seeped through the wall and soaked half of my floor. The water followed the paramater of the room and even managed to sneak it's way into the ceiling and wall of the room on the other side of mine.
-I have moved back into the ice cavern of death, which although not as cold as before is still assuredly quite cold. A few days ago it was a mere 57 degrees, but it's now up to a whopping 64. Trust me - as anybody in Minnesota will tell you, the difference those degrees make is pretty huge. And maybe you're thinking to yourself "64 degrees sounds pretty warm to me," just remind yourself there's a difference between 64 degrees in the Spring and 64 degrees in your bedroom.
-We have been using the upstairs kitchen (although bringing our dishes downstairs to the dishwasher), but will now have to move back upstairs as the repairs will take 2-3 weeks. They might have the dishwasher brought upstairs in the meantime.
-I have turned a friend of mine into a fan of Anne of Green Gables. If nothing else were to come of my time here, at least I know I've changed one life for the better ;)
Quite the few weeks, right?
I have tomorrow off, mainly because Hanno will be gone Thursday and Friday and I will working all day those two days. Wish me luck...
Liebe Grüße!
~Julia~
I moved in with my new family on January 6th. I am just so grateful to be in this new environment! I get along really well with the kids (Jakob, 3 and Linus, 9 mos.) and seem to both really like me. Jakob is just starting to realize that he has to share his toys with his brother, which has led to several instances of Jakob having to play by himself since he can't play well with others. The parents here (Doris and Hanno) actually agree with (or are at least okay with) my tough love with the kids and have said that I'm good with the kids - even when I'm being firm with them! Even though I've been firm with him, Jakob still really seems to like me and tries to learn from the past! He's getting better at using "bitte" (please) without me prompting him, and he doesn't tend to make the same mistakes over again (except, of course, taking toys out of Linus' hand... or mouth...)
It just feels really good to have the parent's support. It's just so different than at my last house. They've taught Jakob to ask if he's allowed to leave the dinner table ("darf ich bitte auf stehen"), and one day he asked me. I said he had to ask his parents, but Hanno told me that I'm an adult in this house and it's okay for me to decide if he can or can't. Usually he just needs to have taken a few more bites (if there's anything left on his plate), finish his drink, and maybe we'll offer him a yogurt (kid loves his yogurt). It's just SO different from before, and so nice to feel trusted and like I'm actually an adult in the house who is there to help with the kids. It feels so nice to be trusted and respected like that.
I do have to say that being an Au Pair does tend to bring out my imperfections... namely that of my tardiness. I've run into a few scrapes here with that, and although it's extremely embarrassing and makes me feel completely ashamed, I appreciate that they're willing to tell me up front. We don't need to have weekly meetings because they tell me how they feel. They just give me a printed schedule over the weekend (which I actually don't have to work during!) and let me know if there's anything particular I need to know. I have made a few really dumb mistakes here and there, but even though it's thoroughly humbling, in the long run it helps me grown. Sometimes, though, I get afraid that I'm not good enough and I feel like a red-headed step child (not because of them, but because of the stupid things I do).
So here are a few highlights of the last few weeks:
-I spent the first week or so in the guest room (house is being renovated downstairs and my room didn't have a door). The heat has had several problems which are now resolved, but during that first week I was living in the ice cavern of death.
-I went to London!! It was magnificent. I just adore that city so much it's out of control. I saw four shows, met with friends from Olaf studying theatre there for a month (which I did in January 2007), met another friend who I graduated with who's studying music composition outside of London, and met a new friend! My dad has been telling me for several months that there's a Rotary Scholar from his club studying there and she had a free bed... so I emailed her a week before I was coming and asked if she was interested in hosting a perfect stranger. To my surprise and delight, she said yes!! We got along really well and I'm so grateful to her! I enjoyed wandering around London and getting to know the city better, and I was reminded of how much I really do love that city, and how much I would love to stay there for an extended period of time...
-I moved into my new room!
-The renovated kitchen was ready to be used and we moved everything downstairs!
-The heating, which had been poorly functioning, began not functioning at all throughout the whole house. We spent a day over at Doris' parent's house because it was so cold.
-The heating was fixed, but the pipe leading to the upstairs bathroom froze.
-The frozen pipe warmed up, and then burst during the night... and flooded our new kitchen. I was awoken at 7:20, and the pipe was fixed around 9. However, the water caused a good amount of damage, and not only to the kitchen. My room is adjacent to the kitchen, and accordingly received a small amount of damage. The water seeped through the wall and soaked half of my floor. The water followed the paramater of the room and even managed to sneak it's way into the ceiling and wall of the room on the other side of mine.
-I have moved back into the ice cavern of death, which although not as cold as before is still assuredly quite cold. A few days ago it was a mere 57 degrees, but it's now up to a whopping 64. Trust me - as anybody in Minnesota will tell you, the difference those degrees make is pretty huge. And maybe you're thinking to yourself "64 degrees sounds pretty warm to me," just remind yourself there's a difference between 64 degrees in the Spring and 64 degrees in your bedroom.
-We have been using the upstairs kitchen (although bringing our dishes downstairs to the dishwasher), but will now have to move back upstairs as the repairs will take 2-3 weeks. They might have the dishwasher brought upstairs in the meantime.
-I have turned a friend of mine into a fan of Anne of Green Gables. If nothing else were to come of my time here, at least I know I've changed one life for the better ;)
Quite the few weeks, right?
I have tomorrow off, mainly because Hanno will be gone Thursday and Friday and I will working all day those two days. Wish me luck...
Liebe Grüße!
~Julia~
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