ISTANBUL

During ski week I went to Istanbul! The flight is only about three hours, and I took full advantage of the fact that I have cousins living there.  Not only did I stay with them, but they gave me the grand tour.  I loved it! My pictures can't begin to do this place justice, but I'll show you anyway.

My favorite: the Haghia Sophia; originally a church, then a mosque, now a museum

inside the Haghia Sophia

Field trip to the Haghia Sophia: one teacher (not shown), a couple of moms, and at least forty students...We ran into them again at the cistern. I wished so badly that I spoke Turkish; I wanted to tell the teacher how impressed I was with how well her students behaved.

It doesn't look anything like any cistern I'd ever seen!  Thanks to my cousin Lee, I saw it again that night in the James Bond movie From Russia, With Love.

Sultanahmet Mosque ("The Blue Mosque") 

inside the Blue Mosque

Turkey has so much history, it doesn't know what to do with all of it! These pieces were in an alley behind the Archaeological Museum and the Topkapi Palace with a sign that said "Please don't touch the artifacts!"

Inside the Chora Church; it was built in the 11th century and decorated in the 14th

How's this for a family tree?  24 of Jesus' ancestors are depicted in this mosaic "The Genealogy of Christ" (Chora Church)

I forgot to mention the fabulous food!

Spice Bazaar

a look inside the thick walls of Constantinople

 

Rumeli Fortress, built on the Bosphorus in 1452

There weren't any handrails in the 15th century!

Schönes Wochenende

Last week we were off for "ski week".  I don't ski, but I did travel to a fabulous location where there was some snow (more on that later!).  I didn't leave right away, though.  The Saturday before I left, I decided to get on a train and just ride. The Germans have just the thing for that; it's called the "Schönes Wochenende Ticket": on Saturday or Sunday up to five people can ride anywhere on the regional trains for just 40 Euro.  The regional trains are slower than the ICE trains, so it's perfect for just sitting and staring out the window...which is what I did on the way to Koblenz.

The train took about two hours to get there from Frankfurt, and the train followed the Rhein...I was able to see many of the castles I saw on the Rhein River cruise.  Once I arrived, I made my way to the Deutsches Eck, where the Rhein and Mosul rivers meet.  There Kaiser Wilhelm II had a massive monument made to honor his namesake, Kaiser Wilhelm I.   

 

The Kaiser was knocked off his pedestal during WWII. When he was returned to the top of the monument in 1993, a memorial was erected behind him:

The memorial is dedicated to those who suffered from the partition of the country; June 17, 1953 was the date of uprisings in East Germany, and November 9, 1989 was the day the Wall came down. It seemed to me to be an odd place for that memorial, but then I thought better of it...Germans have a thoughtful sense of history--perhaps they feel they have to counterbalance this massive memorial's show of might with some mitgefühl, or maybe it serves as a warning of what that might could lead to when left unchecked.

Coventry

This past weekend I was sent to Coventry for a conference.  My American friends who are reading this are no doubt thinking, "Jan is so lucky! She gets to do all of the cool stuff!"...while those of you from the UK are chuckling to yourself and wondering what I did to deserve it. You see, in the UK if you say someone is being "sent to Coventry", it means he is being punished or ostracized.

Whatever may be said about Coventry, the people were the friendliest.  It seems to me that Coventry got a bum rap, but what do I know? I only spent a few hours outside of Warwick University, where the conference was held.  That conference was work; when we finished each day I just wanted to sleep, and I stayed in a dorm room that made the Jester dorms at UT look large and even slightly luxurious. (Maybe I was sent to Coventry?!) 

Valentinstag

It's refreshing to be in a country where Valentine's Day isn't such a big deal. I think the only commercial I've seen about the holiday was an advertisement for the movie Valentine's Day, which will be showing on German TV on Sunday.  Most of my fifth grade students seemed blissfully oblivious. When a student's mom (who is a fabulous baker, and, by the way, is also from Texas) brought in delicious pink cupcakes with red sprinkles this morning, some of my students asked, "Whose birthday is it?"

A few of my students knew, of course, and I did get some Valentine's Day cards. They were the best kind, too: the homemade kind. :)

some of my Valentine's Day treats...and snow, too!

It Can't Be All Smooth Sailing

Next week I will have been living in Germany for six months, at which point my driver's license is no longer valid.  Since I plan to live here for more than a year, and at some point I'd like to rent a car, I need to get a German license.  I am one of the lucky ones whose state has a reciprocity agreement with Germany, so I can get a German license without taking any classes, or even a driving exam. All I need is:

• my Texas driver's license  + a photocopy
• an official translation of my license
• copy of my passport
• copy of my registration from the local city hall (yes, you have to register when you move here!)
• application, completed and signed
• 35 Euros

...or so I thought, until I went to the driver's license office Tuesday. Co-workers of mine from other states with reciprocity agreements left the office without a hitch, and then I went in. "Hmmm, Texas. Sie brauchen einen Sehtest".   I need an eye exam, because I am from Texas.  I didn't see that coming (ha), but okay. I wasn't that disappointed or surprised, really. When you live in another country, you come to expect these things.  What I didn't expect was that somewhere between that office and my classroom (in a span of about 20 minutes) I would lose my driver's license.  I've NEVER lost my license; the only time I had to replace one was when it was stolen.  How is it that I managed to lose it at this critical moment?

I felt physically ill.  By the next day, though, I was resigned to the fact that I wouldn't have a license--any license--until July, when I would go home again.  Then I would have to start the whole process all over again, except it would be longer (more paperwork!) and more expensive, because it would be after the first six months.

Today my license appeared. Someone had found it and turned it in. I never actually doubted someone would turn it in--I have found people here to be very honest.  My concern was, to whom would they turn it in? If it were to the reception desk of a different office, how would I know? How would they let me know? They can't just drop it in the mail; it's from Texas.  A super-nice lady from the HR department at my school called another office in the same building as the driver's license office, and there it was!

It turned out to be my lucky day.  I passed my eye exam, picked up my old driver's license, and turned in all the paperwork for my new Führerschein.  It should arrive in about two weeks, at which time I have to give up my old one.  Until then, I'll be keeping my license in a safe place. :-)

Sag's auf Deutsch!

I'm trying to get back into learning German, and so lately I have been watching more TV.  I was recently watching an afternoon soap, Alles was zählt, when I saw this commercial featuring celebrities in Germany who are not of German descent:

It's a great public service announcement that encourages people to learn German.  At least, that's what I gathered from my limited language ability.  You see, the problem with this commercial is that it's ALL IN GERMAN.  The people this announcement is trying to reach aren't going to understand it.

Thank goodness for YouTube. Someone thought to add German and English subtitles*! It's too bad this version is not the one you'll see on the RTL channel.

   *You may have to watch it on YouTube to see the subtitles.

Seasons

It finally snowed this morning! It's not much by German standards, but it's enough to cover the ground and to make me feel that winter has arrived.

Seeing true changes in seasons is a new thing for this Texas girl.

view from the balcony in August

November

January

I love fresh snow!  I quickly took some pictures this morning because I knew the snow wouldn't last.  On my walk to the grocery store, it started raining.  On the way back, then, I carried groceries uphill for half a mile in the snow while it rained. Jealous? ;)

New Year's Resolutions

Exactly one month ago today I flew home for Christmas.  During those two weeks at home I reverted back to my old self--you know, the one that never remembers to take her camera anywhere. So, I did a lot in those two weeks, but I don't have a lot to show for it (except for maybe a couple of extra pounds!).

I usually make new year's resolutions, but I like mine to be fun--they are more likely to be accomplished that way. I think I am also more likely to accomplish them if I tell everyone my resolutions, so here they are:

1. Learn more German!  (Specifically, by the end of 2012 I want to be at or surpass a B2 level.)
2. Visit at least 10 cities/towns on my list of "German Places I Haven't Been Yet".

What cities/towns are on the list?

1. Aachen
2.  Bamberg
3.  Berchtesgaden
4.  Eisenach
5.  Freiburg
6.  Garmisch
7.  Köln
8.  Nuremberg
9.  Quedlinburg
10.  Rüdesheim
11.  Sylt
12. Trier

If you are wondering why Berlin, Dresden, Hamburg, Munich, and Oldenburg (among others) aren't on the list, it's because they used to be on it. :)  I am sure the list will grow as the year goes on. Are there any others that need to be on there?

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!