The German Bachelor

In the U.S., The Bachelor is a popular reality TV program whose main personality is a successful, good-looking, 30-something guy who spends a lot of time at the gym and tanning, and whose business can apparently withstand him leaving for a few months while he jets around the globe with about twenty beautiful (though often crazy!) 20-something women all vying for his attention.

I just finished watching what seems like the German version: Bauer sucht Frau (Farmer Seeks Wife).  Take Brad, the last American bachelor, and put him way out in the country (so he is too far away and too busy to get to the gym), add 50+ pounds and about 10 years, and you've got your Bauer!  The women who are interested in him do not have to be models, but they do have to be able to write him LETTERS telling him about themselves.  I think the German version brings a little more reality into its reality show.

Museumsuferfest

This weekend was the Museumsuferfest in Frankfurt, when Frankfurt's museums are all supposed to be open and free.  I was very curious about the festival since I had never been to one, and I had heard it was SO MUCH FUN...  I've heard museums described as interesting and enlightening, but never "SO MUCH FUN!", so I had to check it out.

Large tents were lined up all along both sides of the river and were full of foods from all over the world, full bars, live music, jewelry, crafts, scarves...it was kind-of like a state fair in the U.S. (only safer). It really was fun, but something was missing...Where are the museums?! Well, those large buildings with the lights off behind the large tents? Those were the museums.  Friday night was apparently not the right time to check those out.

On the way back to the train station, we walked in the rain through the old town area of Frankfurt.  This area is very small, but as we passed the Römerberg square lit up at night (and after a few Erdbeerbowles), I had one of those pinch-me moments, when I had to stop someone in the group and say, "Look at this! We live here!"



Römerberg during the day--it looks even better at night



You know you are in a whole other world when...

It's a tradition in Germany to give first grade students a Schultüte on the first day of school. They are usually filled with candy, and maybe some pencils or other small school supplies.  The administration at my new school decided to keep up this tradition and give us newbies a Schultüte, too.

My Schultüte, about 2 feet long

However, in contrast to what you would find in a first grader's bag, the contents of mine were:

So, to finish the sentence I started...You know you are in a whole other world when the school administration welcomes you by giving you a bottle of local liquor and follows it up with a short back-to-school party with beer, wine, and cakes in the faculty lounge.

Home Sweet Home

my new view

I finally got into my apartment last Friday! That means, though, that I didn't have internet service until last night, and five days is a really long time!!!  I have been in Germany for ten full days now, and, well, it has been really cold and wet, but it is beautiful and green. Here are a few things I've learned so far:

1.  You need a Euro coin to use the shopping cart at the grocery store. At the local EDEKA grocery store, the carts are locked together at the handles. There is a slot in the shopping cart handle, and when you put a coin in, the lock is pushed out.  When you put the cart back and push in the lock, the coin comes back out. So, if you want your money back, you will put the cart where it belongs...after, of course, you have bagged your own groceries...in the bags you brought. :) I think it's a pretty good system. I haven't asked, but I bet they have fewer cars in the parking lot with dings on them.



2.  Washing clothes is complicated.

...and that's just the washer. The dryer doesn't actually dry the clothes in the typical (American) sense--it just takes out the water somehow (and you have to empty the water bin after a couple of loads).


3. There is no such thing as free TV.  Even those three stations you can get without cable will cost you.  If you have a TV, you have to register it and pay 17 Euro (about $25) A MONTH.  Yikes!

4. Not everything is more expensive.  Even with a horrible exchange rate, I found a cell phone plan that is comparable to my plan in Texas, but it is cheaper. At the grocery store, water, drinks, juices, and local produce are all cheaper, too.  I've read that the German government subsidizes farms that grow real food (unlike the U.S. government, that subsidizes the inedible stuff that becomes HFCS and the like). 

5.  There always seems to be some kind of festival.

old town Oberursel the day of the Weinfest

St. Ursula's church in Oberursel right before the downpour disturbed the Weinfest

ENDLICH!

endlich = finally; at long last; after all


Well, I finally made it to Germany on Monday, but I am not yet "at home".  My apartment wasn't quite ready, so Mom and I stayed at the hotel a couple of blocks away on Monday night.

the view of the hotel's garden from our balcony

On Tuesday, we took the train to Heidelberg.  We had originally intended to go to Trier, but since we'd had a late start, and then it took us a while to figure out the different train/subway lines, we decided to go somewhere closer. By the way, if you are moving to another country, I highly recommend having someone who likes to travel go with you at the beginning. Having Mom here has made it so much easier (and not just because she speaks German, or because she let me fill up one of her suitcases with all of my stuff), because when someone is traveling with you, you aren't getting lost, you are exploring. 



rooftops and the spire from the Heiliggeistkirche, as seen from our window in downtown Heidelberg



view of the castle ruins, also from our window

I don't know what this is, but I could see it from our window! :-)

 My apartment still wasn't ready on Wednesday or Thursday, so it was back to the original hotel--and the same view. It's nice, but I am ready for the view from my own place!