Merry Christmas! Fröliche Weihnachten!

I have been in Texas for a week now, and it's been a whirlwind of friends, family, and Mexican food. 

My dog Allie on a trip to the farmhouse over the holidays

I drove for the first time since July. I went shopping (on a Sunday!), and this time, converted from dollars to Euro...and decided I could buy a little more.  I've made Christmas cookies and sweet potatoes with real brown sugar, too. Not everything about this Christmas is American, though;  I brought a little taste of Germany home with me for Christmas: an Adventskalendar, chocolate, Lebkuchen, Spekulatius (cookies), honey, and marzipan. I didn't bring home any Glühwein, but I did manage to bring some Glühwein gummi candies. 

The day after I arrived home, Mom and I went to church at St. Martin's in Austin; it's becoming a new Christmas tradition for us.  Each December St. Martin's has a church service entirely in German.  It's my kind of church service:  heavy on the singing, light on the sermonizing. :-) 

I was excited when I realized I was able to follow the sermon (all in German!) much more than last year. Hopefully next December I'll understand even more...I guess I already have my New Year's Resolution for 2012.  Fröhliche Weihnachten und alles Gute zum neuen Jahr!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

I have so much more Christmas spirit this year!  Part of it could be because I have been away for a while, and I am excited about going home for the holidays.  It could also be because Wiehnachtszeit in Germany just feels like Christmas. No talk of Black Friday here; it just feels festive.  I can't seem to get enough of the Christmas markets!  Lots of things are for sale, of course--Christmas ornaments and decorations, hats and gloves, candles, and jewelry--but mostly it seems (to me, at least) to be about hanging out, eating and drinking.

This booth was typical of the Hamburg Christmas market:  Lebkuchen, candied almonds, and candied apples. The best part? Fruit skewers covered in chocolate. (Or was it the Poffertjes? or the Belgian waffle on a stick? I don't know. The Bratwurst was pretty good, too.) 

Christmas market by the Rathaus in Hamburg

What says Christmastime more than a Glühwein stand with a manger scene on top??? :)








Salvation Army organ grinder at the Lübeck Christmas market...so much more pleasant than the bells!

Lots of colorful lights in Frankfurt

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...that's not something I am used to getting back home! Now, if I could just get a little snow before I leave...

A Different Thanksgiving

Last Thursday was Thanksgiving, an American holiday that has become a time in which families get together to eat way too much food and watch football. (Needless to say, it's my favorite holiday.) The idea of Thanksgiving dates back to the first settlers who celebrated and gave thanks to God for their own survival in their new land. Though most Americans are not descendants of those who came over on the Mayflower, our ancestors also had their own struggles in their new homeland. I have been researching one such family--a German family--for years.

Since I had last Thursday and Friday off for Thanksgiving,  I thought it would be a good time to visit the archives and research my German roots. It seemed fitting, too, that since I couldn't be with my family for Thanksgiving in Texas, I should use Thursday to look for clues about my immigrant ancestors.  I don't yet have all the details, but here is what I know:

My third great-grandfather, Heinrich, boarded a ship bound for Texas in October 1849 with his wife, Dorothea, and their two children, Max and Rudolph. This was his second time to start over.  Born in Holstein, Heinrich moved east to Posen as a young man. In the early part of the nineteenth century, the king of Prussia wanted to populate Posen  (an area he had recently taken from Poland) with German-speaking people.  Heinrich and others from Holstein went there in search of a better life, and maybe even hoped for some land.  Things weren't much better in Posen, though; in fact, by mid-century they were worse.  Thanks to industrialization and war, there were few jobs, and people were looking elsewhere. 

Heinrich had lost his job in 1847, and maybe he was desperate...what else would motivate a man to start over again in a completely new land at the age of 55? Maybe he and his wife already knew someone who had immigrated to Texas; maybe he didn't want his son Max, who was already 16, to face military service.  Whatever the reason, Heinrich took his family to Hamburg and set sail aboard the Hamburg-Knollen in 1849.   

steerage deck of mid-nineteenth century ship (picture taken at the Ballinstadt Emigration Museum in Hamburg)

If the Hamburg-Knollen was like most ships at the time, the conditions were pretty bad--inhumane by today's standards.  Shipping companies took more passengers aboard than the ship could safely transport in order to make a larger profit; the travellers were packed into the steerage deck, or "in-between deck", where there was little space and virtually no privacy. Travelling for nearly two months on a ship without sufficient space, food, or supplies, you can be sure illnesses spread rapidly.  In those days up to one-fifth of the passengers died. Unfortunately for Heinrich, this was the fate of his young son, Rudolph, who was only six years old.

Heinrich and his family eventually made it Frelsburg, Texas, but their struggles were far from over.  Most Germans came to the U.S. with dreams of owning their own land; Heinrich would never fulfill that dream. His son, Max, would own land in Texas, but not until after he fought in the civil war.

Max, his wife Elise, and their daughter Antonia (about 1890)

Every generation since then, though, has had an easier time. Though I was sad not to be home having turkey and dressing and watching my team win (Hook 'em!), I know I have so much to be grateful for. 

A Few of My Favorite Things

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings...

If you are singing right now, then this post is for you!

I grew up watching the Sound of Music, and for as long as I can remember, I have wanted to visit Salzburg, Austria. Apparently, I am not the only one, because one of the main reasons people travel to Salzburg is because of the movie. At least, that's what Peter--our guide on The Sound of Music Tour-- said.

  Imagine travelling through the city, visiting the famous sites from The Sound of Music while singing along to your favorite songs from the film. Cheesy? Maybe. Fun? Absolutely!Here is a short version of the tour:

The first stop: Leopoldskron Palace, where the terrace scenes were filmed.  The gazebo used to be there, but it had to be moved to a nearby park to give the many tourists access to the famous site.

Yes, that's me with my hand on the door handle, but I couldn't go in. The door is locked. It used to be open, and apparently everyone who entered wanted to jump from bench to bench like Liesl did, including an 84-year-old woman who fell and went through the glass.  She wasn't seriously injured, but the decision was then made to keep the gazebo locked.

We also visited the church from the wedding scene. The real wedding of Georg and Maria took place at the Nonnberg Abbey, but the movie version was filmed in Mondsee, Austria.

The wedding scene was filmed inside this church in Mondsee



inside the church--it looks much larger in the film



We also went to the famous cemetery that was the inspiration for the cemetery scene...

...and the Mirabell Gardens, where the Von Trapp children sang Do-Re-Mi.

We didn't exactly have a "The Hills Are Alive!" moment here, but we did get a few shots like those at the beginning of the film:

Maria Von Trapp's dirndl, on display at the Panorama Museum

Once we arrived in Salzburg, we found a Sound of Music exhibit at the Panorama Museum. You might think it was aimed at us tourists, but it wasn't...the exhibit coincided with the opening of The Sound of Music at the Landestheater in Salzburg, in the hopes of getting the people of Salzburg interested in the story.  It seems that The Sound of Music--the most watched movie ever--is famous the world over, except in Austria. Seriously. They don't even know the song Edelweiss.

 


 We drove by a little too quickly (or I was too slow) to get pictures of the Nonnberg Abbey and Frohnburg Palace, so I'll just have to get them next time. Yes, I want to go back.  There is so much more to see!

Landeskron Castle; you can see it from all over Salzburg, and in many scenes in the movie

11/11/11

In Germany and Austria, November 11 is St. Martin's Day (Martinstag). St. Martin was a soldier in the fourth century who, according to legend, tore his cloak in half and gave it to a beggar. On St. Martin's Day children parade through the streets with paper lanterns, singing songs about St. Martin.   



St. Martin's Day Parade in Mondsee, Austria



In my classroom, though, it was Pepero Day!  What's Pepero Day? It's relatively new holiday celebrated in South Korea.  "Pepero" is the name of a cookie stick dipped in chocolate. The sticks look like the number "1", so 11/11 is Pepero Day.

One of my students brought boxes of Pepero for the whole class. My fifth graders decided that we should continue the "11" pattern, and eat our Pepero sticks at 11:11 A.M.  When I told them it was exactly 11:11, they spontaneously started counting, and it wasn't until they reached eleven that they began eating the Pepero.

So, if anyone asks me what I was doing at 11:11 with eleven seconds on November 11, 2011, I can tell them...I was eating chocolate.





THE Castle

It seems I can't get enough of castles since I have been in Germany, and if you're crazy about castles, you can't miss the granddaddy of them all, Neuschwanstein. I went south recently to see it for myself.  First, though, there was Hohenschwangau, the place where King Ludwig II spent his childhood.


Hohenschwangau Castle






view from the path to the Hohenschwangau Castle



the path to Hohenschwangau

Ludwig's father built Hohenschwangau Castle out of the ruins of a 12th century fortress. Once Ludwig became king, he decided to build his own larger, more extravagant castle.  He had it built high above his father's castle, but within walking distance.  

view of Neuschwanstein Castle from Hohenschwangau

picture of the Neuschwanstein Castle, taken on the Marienbrücke 

The tour of the two castles took about two and a half hours, and half of that time was spent walking.  (It doesn't seem like such a long walk, though, when you stop to have Quarkbällchen along the way.)  Despite the chilly weather (okay, I thought it was cold), there were LOTS of people...I can't imagine how crowded it must be in the summer. I could probably be persuaded to go back in the winter, though; imagine this covered with snow!

Culture Shock?

The new teachers at school had a meeting yesterday to discuss how we felt in our new surroundings, and how we were coping with "culture shock".  According to the W-curve of cultural adaptation, when you move to a another country, you go through certain phases:

1. Honeymoon. Everything is new and exciting!

2. Crisis/Cultural Shock. The novelty wears off, and anxiety sets in, as you start to notice real differences in lifestyles, social customs, communication, etc.; you find yourself asking things like, "Why can't they just do it this way???" [or maybe, "In this town there is a Korean market and a Turkish market--why isn't there an American one, too?!" :) ]

3. Recovery and Adjustment. You begin to feel more comfortable in your new environment, and more accepting of the culture and the differences.
 

I've been working in Germany in three months now, and I'd like to think that I am already at the recovery phase (even though I think I see a few symptoms of "culture shock", like sleeping more now than I probably did as a child).  There are many things I like about Germany, including some that surprised me. For example, I thought it would drive me crazy that nearly everything is closed on Sundays. I am actually starting to like this; it kind-of forces you to chill out...of course, going out-of-town on the weekends helps, too.  :)  Here are a few other random things I like:

1.  I don't feel like people are always trying to sell me stuff I don't need.  So many examples...Here are two: 

• The salesman who sold me my cell phone plan told me that his store didn't have the best price on a cell phone (in Germany you can buy a cell phone without a contract), and suggested I go somewhere else to buy the phone. 
• I stopped in an electronic store to buy an antenna for my TV.  The guy told me that all I needed was the little antenna that cost 10 Euro. When I took it back the next day (because I could only see 3 channels), he GAVE me a cable so that I could put the antenna closer to the window.  Seriously?  Don't you want to sell me the biggest, most expensive antenna you have?!?    He was right, of course; I now get about 20 channels.   

2.  The price you see is the price you pay. Taxes are already figured in, so you know what you are paying. This is not just at the supermarket.  No extra "taxes and fees" on your cable or phone bill--that 40 Euro plan actually costs 40 Euro.

3.  I'm learning what produce is actually in season.  Before coming to Germany, I couldn't tell you when many fruits and vegetables were available locally.  Believe me, if you're here when asparagus is in season, you'll know. 

4. Cars actually stop for pedestrians in crossings. The first few times I saw someone walk into a crosswalk without even looking, I thought, "Wow, she's brave."  (I'm not completely acclimated--I still look.)

5. Rote Grütze. It's made from fruit (cherries, raspberries, Johannisbeeren) and SUGAR, and it's sweet enough for the American palate. I have only had it with a kind of vanilla yogurt, but I can imagine it on ice cream, with cream cheese...so many possibilities!

Yum!

6.  Taking the train. I've always liked taking road trips, but I like driving, too.  I LOVE the train.  Mostly I think I like it because I can just sit and stare out the window; there's usually something nice to look at.  Plus, if you somehow got tired of Germany, in just a few hours you could be in another country!

 

Happy Reformation Day!

Halloween isn't the only celebration going on today.  October 31st is also Reformation Day, which is a holiday in several German states (although not in the one I live in, unfortunately).   On this day in 1517, a Catholic monk named Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church (Schlosskirche) in Wittenberg, marking the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.

The Castle Church ("Schlosskirche") in Wittenberg

top of the church tower; it reads "Ein Feste Burg ist unser Gott" (a mighty fortress is our God)--the title of Luther's most famous hymn.

The original door on which Luther had nailed the 95 Theses burned in 1760; King Friedrich Wilhelm IV had it replaced with a bronze door with the 95 Theses inscribed.

Luther's writings may have made him popular with the people, but not so much with the pope and the emperor.  Luther was excommunicated from the Catholic Church in 1521, but he continued to preach in the City Church (Stadtkirche) in Wittenberg. That year, the Stadtkirche went against the Catholic Church and held its first "Lutheran" (in German, Evangelisch) service. 

The Stadtkirche in Wittenberg where Martin Luther preached; it was also where he married and where his children were baptized.

It's hard to imagine the sleepy, picturesque town of Wittenberg fomenting any kind of fervor, religious or otherwise. I saw a number of tourists in Wittenberg this weekend, but there weren't any Reformationstag festivities. Surely something would be happening on the days before the actual Reformation Day, right? (Of course, I come from a place that, if people realized that could make money out of it, would turn Reformation Day into Reformation Month.)  To the Germans' credit--and most likely their economic detriment--they began setting up for Reformationstag only the afternoon before (Sunday, October 30th). 

workers setting up the Reformation Day celebration on the town square; the top of the city church (Stadtkirche) is in the background

near the entrance to the Lutherhaus, the Luther museum; it was originally a monastery, but later housed Luther and his family

It is a shame, though, because this town looks like it could use an economic boost.  I heard, though, that the town has a large celebration that lasts for several days in the summer: Luthers Hochzeit (Luther's wedding).

Hundewetter!

Hundewetter = foul weather
[literal translation: dog weather]

This morning it was 35°F--with a wind chill of 28°F--and it's only mid-October! It may not be Hundewetter yet (the sun was out), but it definitely gives this Texas girl a chill.  All week long I have heard discussions about the weather that begin with "Ohhhh, just you wait! Last year it was horrible. Did you hear about....". 

Speaking of Hunde...you know I'd like to have Tostitos (along with salsa, peanut butter, and warm temperatures), but what do I really miss from home?  Along with my family and friends, of course, what I miss most is my dog.  I decided to leave Allie in Texas for several reasons, one being that I wasn't sure what it would be like for her here (I travel on days off, she hates rain, I'd have to check her on the plane, etc...), and another was that I knew she would be very well loved and cared for by my family in Texas.




Allie at the front door when I left home

 

I still miss Allie, though, and I blame the Germans for that, because I can't seem to go anywhere without seeing them with their dogs! They take them everywhere...

Yes, that is a dog in there!

sightseeing with the family on vacation...

to the mall...

                                                                              on the train...

out to dinner...

I've also seen them inside the city hall and the farmers market, and I've been told they've been known to frequent some bars.  The only place it seems that dogs are not welcome is at the grocery store, where they are left near the front door and calmly wait for their owners.  This, of course, makes me think of another sticking point about bringing my dog over to Germany:  she and I both would have to undergo some serious training before that could happen...German dogs are some of the best behaved dogs I have ever seen!

Vacation

Germans seem to really value their vacation time, which is a good reason to work here! After the first six weeks of class, my school had its fall break. So, what did I do for my first vacation as a European resident? I did what is arguably the most American thing possible:  I went on a cruise.

This cruise, though, went to several places in Europe I'd never been to before, like Taormina (Sicily):



For a moment I felt like I was back in Tlaquepaque, Mexico...




or maybe it was Guanajuato?

After a day at sea, we moved on to Chania (Crete):

Look at all of those fish!

Then came my favorite, Ephesus:

The Library of Celsus

Mosaic floor in front of ancient shops and homes

About to have lunch in the country

It was good!

We were originally supposed to be in Athens on Wednesday, but the itinerary changed because of strikes in Greece that day.  We encountered no problems in Athens on Friday...unless you count the hordes of tourists as a problem.

 We went to the Acropolis in the morning, but 10 a.m. wasn't early enough to beat the crowds. That place was packed!

I returned to Germany on Sunday with a little sunburn, lots of pictures, good memories with friends, and a few extra pounds.  The week went by too quickly! Our visits to the shore were too short, and it always seemed like we had to hurry to make it back to the ship, but at least now I know what I want to do next time I am there!