6 Hours Ahead of You

New Year's Resolutions

2012-01-17T21:45:00.000+01:00

I know new year's resolutions are boring and have a reputation of not being followed through on. I also know it's not even the first week of January. But I tend to be a procrastinator and often give up on long term goals if no one is watching. So, for the sake of accountability, I will pretend I have readers and put my resolutions or rather goal for 2012 out there on the Internet for all to see.

2012 Goals

#1) Successfully complete my Dr. degree - this is really the most important thing I can and will do this year.

#1a) Be proud of anything I put my name on, specifically as it applies to paper writing - this will hopefully work on the procrastination induced stress habit I have.

#2) Lose 7kg via sustainable methods and sustain healthy habits beyond 2012.

#3) Sell mostly all of my belongings before moving at the end of the year.

#4) Be happy and make time for things that will make me happy. :)

#5) No shopping before June (hopefully by then I will have lost those 7kg) In 2009 I didn't buy anything (aside from food and such) for the whole year, this year I aim for 6 months and then will reevaluate.

#6) Visit a new continent.

#7) Start project 365 on my birthday and keep it up

#8) Finish the year with holidays in RI and make time to visit the ocean.

Bonus: Take kite surfing lessons in north Germany (if I get the chance to do this there will be many photos to share but it depends on improving my core strength as well as finding the time for travel and lessons which may push it to 2013 but it is surely on my bucket list).

Those are my mostly spontaneous previously thought out goal for 2012. To keep myself in check, I will check in every couple of months or so and see how they are going. So far, I've gotten started on a couple and are happy with my progress but it's still January so that barely counts as an accomplishment. Maybe I should have added a line about the blog but I still am not able to make the daily commitment necessary to recruit readers, maybe some day.

Ischgl

2011-12-29T18:18:00.000+01:00

At the beginning of December, I spent a long weekend skiing in the Alps with some friends. This was my second alpine skiing adventure with the first being in 2009. I love the Alps. Howwever, when it comes to the actual skiing, I am way out of my league. I do have some really great friends though and they really helped me with tips and support through each run and I knew when it was time for me to train myself on the baby slope.

I love that I rented tiny skiis and bought myself some hot pink pants for the occasion. One of my favorite things about skiing, aside from being in the mountains is the style. I'm not sure it's exactly ski fashon but the style is very fun for me. Much like I have always liked bathing suits and the associated ocean style which is sort of similar despote the weather differences.

Then there is Apres Ski which is really so much fun even if the bar is filled to the brim with sweaty, drunk Germans and the music is rediculous with a capital R. This bar was screaming for VMJ BTW, too bad we were never old enough for Apres Ski back in our college ski trip days.

Going with a large group of friends is also part of what makes a ski trip for me. I still don't consider myself a skiier but I promised my friends I would go at least one weekend a year to work on it.

And really when I think skiing is not my sport, I remember the mountains and I am totally committed to one weekend a year.

Sadly, I think my non-skiing husband would have a terrible time if he were to come skiing with me because I am still a beginner and struggle to keep myself motivated after day 2. I think we will try it together at least once though as long as he promises to wear a helmet. On this trip, I had a wipe out that taught me the reason for ski helmets.

I also LOVE slying over the Alps. In my old job, I got so excited to fly with Swiss Air because of the georgeous views on the way into Zurich. I really should plan a summer weekend in these mountains to fully appriciate them.

Fun Fact: Ischgl spreads across Switzerland and Austria and at least one ski trail is over 20 km long!

Spending vs. Saving - where to draw the line and should I pay attention to the inflation rate?

2011-12-29T17:37:00.000+01:00

This post is kind of all over the place in that train of thought thing I do. If you are looking for a more straight forward post, move along, this is not it. Sometimes, I just don't have structure. I'm currently outlining 3 versions of a research paper so my capacity for structure has been exhausted today. Appologies.

I have a pretty simple system of money management that I learned at a young age from my parents. It works like this. Get money (gifts as a child than income), put most of it into a bank account and leave it there. You are able to keep some cash on hand for spending based on income and needs but mostly save just in case. In hind sight, I don't see my parents operating this way and it really only makes sense when you are a child and don't have expenses like rent or an income which is direct deposited into your account. So, I've honestly adapted a bit to a much more simple version. Get paid each month, direct deposit all income into bank account, direct deposit a smaller portion into savings account which is untouchable. Visit ATM weekly for spending money, pay for things with debit card, keep a mental note of account balance. Check bank account every 6-8 weeks to be sure you are not running out of money. This is a TERRIBLE system but it sort of works. The point being is that I tend to focus on saving money as much as possible while still living my life. I aim to live below my means for as long as possible and hopefully build up a bank account to support owning a beach house one day in the near future.

In 2009, I challenged myself to not shop for a whole year and it really changed my outlook on needs vs. wants. It also took the excitement out of "retail therapy". At the time, I had recently took a new job which resulted in a decrease in income and wanted to be able to continue taking weekend trips so I cut out shopping in order to afford flying. Now I see the exercise, had long term positive effects on my spending outlook.

To the point, I have been holding out on owning a smartphone for some time since I was on a pay as you go type contract that I started in 2007 and my monthly phone bill was under 10 EUR most months. I saw that a smartphone would require the initial investment of a new phone to the tune of 500 EUR and then an increased monthy usage fee which I estimated would be around 50 EUR based on what friends pay for theirs. I was never against the technology, I was against cost. As more and more of my friends got on the smartphone bandwagon and I became more involved in social media, I couldn's escape the teasing. My Samsung slider from 2007 was not cutting it socially although it worked for phone calls just fine. I figured I would get a work phone with my next job and I could wait until then. For Christmas, P gifted me a very pretty white Samsung Galxey S2. I was completely surprised. Then I whined a bit about how much it would increase my monthly costs. He told me I could afford it and to get over it. For him it was not a price issue, it was more of a quality of life issue. I should add that he is now fully involved in the manageing of my finances since we combined so he knows what our bank accounts look like. I pointed out that 50 EUR per month amounts to an intercontinental flight (I'm still thinking about my airplane tickets) at the end of a year. This is when he asked when I have been in a situation where I wanted a flight but didn't buy it because of money. I haven't. This is also the point where I remembered we have totally differnt values on saving vs. spending. I think we both agree savings should be invested but again he is a bit more agressive than I in the investment sense.

The point of all this is that it made me reconsider my ideals. As a business student, I have taken my fair share of finance courses and I know money in a bank account with no interest is stupid. Especially in our current situation where inflation is coming on strong and governments are cash poor. I also can see that there are very few safe investments and most things are not inflation proof. Gold is the exception but it is also pretty high priced these days and storing gold is not exactly realistic when I plan to move across country boarders in the next year. So, what whould I do in an effort to be fiscally responsible? Spend my money and buy things while I can still afford them? This is stupid for many reasons but the moving plan is high on the list. I want to buy a beach house but that costs significantly more than what I have saved until now and is also not really practical at this point.

So, I will continue on my plan of putting money in the bank, taking money out of the bank, limiting unecessary purchases and giving my husband investment privelages. I do have my smartphone now but to my surprise, I was able to get a data plan for half of what I expected the monthly fee to be which made me happy. I still want to simplify my life and own fewer things. In the mean time, I guess I'm looking for advice on how to avoid losing savings to inflation. Anyone come across a good plan yet? Please share.

Merry Christmas & Frohe Weihnachten

2011-12-22T14:03:00.000+01:00

It has always been said that the best way to understand a culture fully is to live within the culture. I think I can safely say I have lived in Germany long enough to understand and feel a part of the culture. The Germans have a word for things (most often words) that have been Germanized and I often refer to myself as "eingedeutsched." However, no matter how long or how Germanized I become, I odn't think I will ever forget my own holiday traditions. I was so excited to spend Thanksgiving with my family in 2011 for the first time since 2005 and that long weekend surpassed all of my expectations.

Since Germans don't celebrate Halloween or American Thanksgiving, Christmas is a season. Christmas candy starts popping up in grocery stores at the end of August and slowly takes over by October. In mid October, most shops have already put up Christmas decorations and you would be hard pressed to not find Christmas sweets in every grocery store. The large public celebrations of the season begin just about the same time as American Thanksgiving in the form of outdoor Christmas markets. All large cities and many small towns have Christmas markets where people drink warm alcoholic drinks to stay warm while socializing, eating and shopping in the stalls for the month before Christmas. Christmas markets set the scene for the season and serve as a general meeting place for colleagues, friends and tourists alike. This year a visiting Prof. asked me what Germas buy at Christmas markets and quite frankly, I think food and drink is the local favorite while the goods are consumed by maily tourists but my answer comes with the disclaimer that I am not actually German. The closest American comparison I can think of are church Bazars (sp?) but they are often only open for a weekend, most always indoors and usually contain at least 1 raffel or other game of chance, something you won't find in a German Christmas market. They are also sponsored by a religious organization and generally used as a form of fundraising for said organization (mostly Churches of Christian denominations). German Christmas Markets also have a religious element to them although they are not run by any religious organization. Here there is no seperation of church and state. Furthermore, Germans don't say happy holidays or seasons' greetings, it's Frohe Weihnachten (Merry Christmas) and guten rutsch (literally translates to good slide but is more like the English "happy new year").
Back to the actual holiday, Germans celebrate Christmas in a way that I do not think I will ever fully be able to support. However, I do love the Christmas cookie tradition that takes place mid December where everyone bakes about 8-12 varities of cookies and shares them in homes and offices. I also like the tradition of the advent calendar which I have experienced as a recipient first hand this year and will have to let you know how I do with coming up with 24 gift ideas next year. The main Christmas celebration is universally on the 24th of December. The tree is often only put up on the 23rd or 24th. Traditionally there is a family meal. I'm still not sure if this is the meal that consists of Goose, rot kraut and some form of potato or noodle or if that is served on the 25th. There is also a tradition I've heard of which involves eating a minimilistic dinner on the 24th in tribute to Mary and Joseph's struggles and then feasting on the 25th in celebration of Jesus' birth. My in-laws serve a completely different meal on the 24th which I much prefer so I have not experienced a Christmas goose. Christmas presents are also exchanged in the evening of the 24th. This is where everything is different. I may have ranted about this in year's past but for me, Christmas is the 25th. On the 24th I like to go to church with family (and take in the lights at LaSalette) and when I was a kid, spent Christmas eve with one side of the samily and Christmas day went to church in the morning and then spent the say with the other side of the family. As I grew up, I often spent Christmas eve with a friend's family prior to the tradition of going to mass at night with my family. In either scenario, Christmas was celebrated on the 25th with a gift exchange and a full family gathering at my Grandma's followed by a dessert party at my aunt's. These day's both dinner and dessert are enjoyed at my aunt's. However, it is always a buffet of dishes prepared and brought by everyone. My family is not very large but holidays generally involve 12-17 people in one place, eating, talking, watching TV, playing board games or cards and generally being loud and hanging out. There's always a sense of chaos and warmth that come with my family, and too many posed photos. I miss this when I spend holidays in Germany. A mature dinner on the 24th with 1 table, 6 adults and wine is enjoyable, just not my type of Christmas. Maybe I'm weird but I miss the chaos. This year, I hear my in-laws have a pre-Christmas plan to gather with the entire family on the 23rd. I am not so secretly hoping this gives me my fill of family and chaos and very vocally pled my case to add a dessert course which I volunteered to bake. Looksl ike I won't be participating in Germany cookie traditions this year as I have not had the time but I will hopefully make a nice simple chocolate chip M&M cookie tomorrow.

What is a key component of holidays in your family? Is this a cultural thing or something your family does?

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I'm Back

2011-11-29T18:22:00.000+01:00

I have been avoiding blogging because I wanted to surprise my family with a Thanksgiving visit last weekend. This may seem like two unrelated points but there was one time in the past I tried to surprise my family for Christmas and, without thinking, I blogged about my upcoming trip which resulted in my aunt reading my blog and calling my parents and my surprise being ruined even before I got stuck in Toronto overnight due to a snow storm 2 days before Christmas.

I was only in RI for about 4 days making this my shortest visit across the Atlantic but it was so great to have a weekend surronded by family who I have felt out of touch from over the past year. Thanksgiving was loud and overwhelming and so very American and I loved it. 36 lbs spread over two turkeys plus two hams is an indulgence Europeans would not even think of. And 20ish people together in my aunt's dining room/kitching/den was comforting.

And driving...I now have a liscence again it feels like I just turned 17! Pictures to come.

My only regret was I was not there long enough to have time to catch up with friends. Also, I never left my German time zone which meant I was awake at 4 am and in bed each night by 7pm so my days were not exactly compatiable with anyone.

xoxo,
Jen

Japan is Making a Come Back

2011-10-12T21:40:00.000+02:00

Since I'm on the look out for social media marketing, I was interested to see this article on Japan's proposal for increasing tourism. Interestingly enough, I saw a research presentation in Feb. 2010 that found Japanese people to respond to electronic word of mouth less than Americans. The findings struck me as odd since Japan is known for its mobile internet culture. The researchers never responded to my email for more information on their study so I really don't know more. That's neither here nor there as this campaign is clearly targeting foreigners.

As I understand it, the Japanese tourism outfit is proposing a government funded grant of 10,000 airline tickets to bring visitors to Japan and increase tourism. To qualify for the promotion, applicants will need to use social media (e.g. blogs, facebook, etc.) to talk about their travel plans and eventual trip. By the way, I've already blogged my 2009 trip to Japan and adventures on Mt. Fuji. Based on the 2,000+ responses on yahoo, I see that people are already not taking this promotion seriously. It seems that everyone sees FREE and is instantly ready to sign up. My social media marketing experience/research tells me that Japan needs to really plan this out before going live. Common sense tells me that they can't actually give away completely free flights and expect it to be a success. People will need to pay something, my guess is taxes but a nice round number like $100 would work as well. If the output is nothing, what is to stop 10,000 people from signing up but never actually going? Then the money will be set aside to sponsor these flights and go to waste and Japan won't get the social publicity they want. I realize this promotion is a long way off with a potential start date of April 2012 but it's an interesting case study coming from a county famous for saving face and upholding impressions, it almost comes off as desperate.

All that being said, I loved Japan and have wanted to return since I left in 2009. I still talk about the sushi and Indian food and clothes that could never fit and our friends have a new baby I'd love to meet. Make no mistake about it, I will be the first in line to sign up if this promotion comes to fruition. In fact, I would say any offer that gets me a round trip flight to Japan for $200 or less and requires less than 17 hours travel time would be a bargain in my book. I guess it would take a bargain to get me back though as there are so many other countries I've never visited that are vying for my vacation days!

October Photos

2011-10-01T20:53:00.000+02:00

I think I'm going to try out this photo challenge for the month of October. This will give me daily inspiration and I'll post the photos at the end of each week. Day 1 and 2 seem easy but some of the later ones clearly require a bit more creative thinking.

Weird People in the Mann

2011-10-01T20:50:00.000+02:00

Wow, this week is one of those weeks where I felt I was meeting all the weirdos and as soon as I spoke up, it just kept going. Where do I even begin. I guess I should start on the strassenbahn where, as I've mentioned before, I meet the most interesting people. This week there was even a dog, a Great Dane to be more specific and he was bigger than me, let's start there.

Grate Dane
There's a middle aged woman of petite stature with a long grey ponytail who owns a black Great Dane. I've seen her once before in the city but was glad that she was not sitting nearby. This time, she got off at the same stop as me in one of those this train ends but he next one is coming in 2 minutes so everyone gets off and stands around for two minutes situations. Side note, does anyone else experience such insane train switching situations on their route or is it just me? Anyway, she gets off with the dog and seemingly continues an argument with this random guy as the dog hangs out on its leash. At the same time, a young girl about 7 comes over and tries to ask if she can pet the dog but the woman is still yelling at this guy and some other seemingly random guy gives the girl permission. Suddenly the little girl's mother realizes her daughter is petting a dog that could easily fit her entire head in its mouth and comes over...and also starts petting the dog. The girl and her mother are oblivious to the argument going on and the mother's other two sons are playing with vampire teeth about 5 ft. away. Then the strassenbahn pulls up, the dog lunges forward and its owner, who I thought was about to get dragged onto the strassenbahn, has him under control in under 30 seconds. Commotion over, all get on and I enter a completely different car.

Indian Over Ask
We have a lot of Indian exchange students come through our department and it always seems the Indians are the most friendly and not afraid to ask personal questions. I experienced this to the extreme at a local Irish pub where our Indian waiter told us his life story on our first visit and remembers us every time we come in (I've been there about 5 times in 3 years). Last time I was there he even told me he saw me at a University event that took place a month or so prior. Considering my experience, I was not surprised to turn around and see a woman of Indian descent behind me in the strassenbahn when I heard all sorts of personal questions being asked in a clear first time meeting. In German, I overheard her asking her friend's age and if she is married which started out normal until the German friend said she was 29, married and had a child. Then the questions got personal, how old were you when you married? Was your child planned? Are you happy you have a child? Then the conversation turned professional and they started talking about a potential job at the company of the 29 year old. It was loud and in a public place, even as an American, I would have been shocked to hear those questions from a new friend.

The Rule Breaker
This was not my encounter but too good not to share. My friend was cycling to work early one morning and crossed a small street while the light was red. This is frequently done by cyclists, especially when you know the route and traffic patterns. A strange woman also on a bicycle followed her across the street on red and began riding on the side of her lecturing on the penalties for crossing on red and pointed out that she herself risked a fine just to enlighten my friend. This was 2 weeks ago, this week my same friend was praised by a woman with child as a model cyclist while she waited at a crossing for the light to turn green and others rode by. FYI: It's generally not acceptable to cross on red if children are present.

The Drunk and The Gypsy
My Monday night training had me riding home across the city around 7:15pm. I entered a strassenbahn car to an overwhelming smell of alcohol and stale cigarettes and instantly regretted my choice of doors but with a full train, I was happy to have 2 seats to myself so I stayed put and held my nose. I scoped out the car to determine who was omitting the smell and first focused on the two people in front of me. They may have accounted for the stale tobacco but all too quickly I honed in on the boozers by their conversation and their clothing. These two across the aisle from me, middle aged, looking like they could use a shower and siting in front of each other ant side by side requiring them to talk loudly. She was wearing ankle boots with black pants with sequins down the side, one pant leg half tucked into the boot, the other over the boot and the sequins were enough to distract me from noticing her top. He was wearing a 90's track jacket and some ill fitting Levis. And then their friend got on holding about 5 dozen roses, each individually wrapped and sorted by color. And then came the punch line when he asked for their tickets and they asked for his tax number. Who knew Monday night could be so interesting and who knows where he was selling so many roses on a Monday night.

The Lost Traveler
The cherry on the top came this afternoon when I went to meet P at the train station. He indicated that his train seemed to be arriving later than expected so I took my time and read all the boards to see if it had arrived before wandering to the track a full 10 minutes after the scheduled arrival. Since the train was in fact on time, I found a pretty deserted platform with P and some random guy in a suit at the stairs. Turns out this guy needed to make a phone call and P was nice enough to lend his phone. Random guy spoke about 10 words of German and a few more in English so communication was challenging. He traveled from Pakistan, possibly via Milan and was in Germany for the first time ever. His brother, a taxi driver, told him he would meet him at the train station and said brother did not show up hence the need for a phone. Since he said his brother is a taxi fahrer (but could not understand taxi driver so you know things are getting lost in translation), I suggested we go out to the taxi stand as it is possible he could not park his car. Once outside, P gets the brother on the phone only to learn he's about 15 minutes out. P told his brother where we were and tried as best as possible to convince our new friend to stay put. We didn't wait around but headed into the city thinking about what an asshole this guy's brother is to forget him in a foreign country where he lacks language skills, a cell phone or direction. Not to mention, the poor guy had 2 suitcases and not a clue. I hope he stayed put and got picked up.

I know some of these are in the you had to be there category and all would have been improved with photos but that's a small window into my week and we all know I don't have a smartphone. However, I recently bought a Touchpad thanks to HP's fire sale so hopefully I can use it to take discrete photos on the strassenbahn going forward. No promises but I'll try my best to document these encounters with photos going forward.

Food Food Food

2011-09-12T18:57:00.062+02:00

There has been a lot of food in my fridge recently and it is overwhelming. At the end of August, P and I self catered a lunch buffet for about 60 people. This was the first time either of us set out to prepare food to feed such a large group and there was a lot of gestimation. On top of what we prepared, he ordered vitello tunato and carpacho from a local caterer. We focused on small bites with a Mediterranean inspiration, and I imagine a bit of an American feel came through as I made a lot of menu suggestions based on what I knew from home. Ultimately, we had 8 full trays of food as well as some bowls. We prepared the classic; veggies and ranch dip, mozzarella and tomato, pasta salad, pigs in a blanket, ham and melon and olives, as well as the not completely classics including hummus, Greek salad and puff pastry with cheese and salami. I complained about the long day but it was actually a lot of fun working together to plan the menu, buy the ingredients and then prepare the food. However, we're far from caterers as we bought way too much food. On top of over buying raw ingredients, there was a miscommunication with the caterers which involved double veggies and dip as well as a whole lot of marinated veggies and generally lots of left overs back in my fridge as there was no place to keep the food at his office. I tried so hard to not throw out any food but waste was inevitable. I guess we won't be opening a catering business anytime soon but at least we have a better idea of how to feed a large group of people.

While on the topic of food, I must include my latest baking feature. I seem to have gotten a reputation around my office for making chocolate chocolate whoopie pies. Nina had a birthday last week and a birthday BBQ so I asked what I could bring and without hesitation she asked for chocolate chocolate. I had a strawberry variety i wanted to try on my own birthday but due to a flour shortage made chocolate cupcakes instead so I thought I would have made strawberry whoopies for her birthday but I was shot down. As my boss would say, don't mess with a running system. In a bit of rebellion, and to break up the chocolate, I added multicolored sprinkles. I also made a special larger one for P to take on his trip but he got stuck in traffic and needed to go straight to the airport without stopping home so he never got it. I am happy to report that none of the chocolate chocolate as they are affectionately called were thrown out.

Finally I had to include this in my food post. I often complain that I can't get the same ingredients in Germany or I don't know the translation for something but this photo is just to prove that sometimes it simply is not my fault. In an effort to organize my baking cupboard, I bought these glass canisters and opened the two bags of brown sugar I had on hand to store them int he jar. As you can see both bags are identical, yet the sugars are different levels of brown. It must also be noted that I have never seen dark brown or light brown sugar at the store so I just assumed Germans didn't differentiate. It seems they just classify it all as brown. I guess this could explain why Lauren was upset her cupcakes tasted different when she followed her American recipe in my kitchen and I blamed the hard water.

Commuting is the New Settled

2011-09-11T18:56:00.000+02:00

Since I realized P and I would not be living together on our first anniversary somewhere around 4 months ago, I have been coming to terms with the concept of living alone. It seemed so unusual to live in a different state and country than one's husband. Then I opened my eyes and realized it's not. In fact, quite the opposite, many people I know have partners who they only see on the weekends. I looked first at my immediate surroundings and noticed that of my 6 colleagues, only 3 actually live together with their partners and only 1 of those full time at the moment as the other two have partners who live elsewhere during the week. It is true none of them are married but some of my sample has actually been together much longer than p and I. I began to feel like it was less unusual to live apart and commute on the weekends. Then, lat Friday, at the MBA graduation, I was talking to a Professor and he casually mentioned how he commuted 3 hours round trip each day when he first took the job here and then he finally moved to a great neighborhood in the city. Now, he commutes to Copenhagen. He was making light of his situation but inside I was laughing because suddenly Basel didn't seem so bad. In a country where commutes are often minimal, splitting time between two cities to support two careers is not uncommon and once again, I find myself thankful that Basel is only 2.5 hours by train, especially because a new friend just told me how to buy discounted last minute train tickets.
On related news, my very oldest friend is going to be in Europe next month on business and I'll be using the Deutsche Bahn to meet up with her for a weekend. A welcome surprise which I am already looking forward to.

Big Changes Ahead

2011-08-24T20:27:00.000+02:00

I guess it's time to make an official acknowledgement about a big change in my life. It has not been a secret for awhile but I sure have been doing everything I can to put off dealing with the fact that P is moving to Switzerland. Just before we make it to our first wedding anniversary, he'll be moving out and I"ll be living alone for the first time in my life. It's funny how I sometimes thought I missed out on that having my own apartment phase as I always had roommates in the US and then moved straight to Germany to live with P. For the next 6ish months, I'll have the apartment all to myself, unless I find a worthy roommate to live in the 2nd bedroom that is. I've already threatened to paint the entire place pink but in reality I'm much too lazy to do any more wall painting.
Last weekend, for the first time, I visited the city I will soon call home and am pleased to report it makes me happy. The old town is great and the location is nice but, far and away, the most exciting thing is that you can swim in the river! I miss the ocean so much here in southern Germany that swimming in a river is super appealing. Especially when the river flows right through the center of the city. I know there will not be any waves to catch but to walk down town and jump in the river and float in its current is somehow super appealing to me. Maybe that's because it's been over 30 degrees C every day since last Friday and I'd love to jump in any body of water these days! But maybe the idea of urban nature is really just that appealing to me. Either way, I've already bought he local fish bone bag to keep my clothes and shoes dry while I have a nice city swim. Hopefully I'll get at least one hot weekend in September to put it to use.
For now, I'm still planning to enjoy the last days together with P and daydream of cool new downtown apartments while avoiding the living on my own reality.

so tell me, have you ever lived alone? What was the biggest adjustment when transitioning from cohabiting to solo living? Will it be hard to live together after getting used to being alone? Here are a few snaps from my visit for your own day dreaming pleasure.

The Island of Gozo

2011-08-09T11:03:00.102+02:00

Gozo is the small(er) island to the north of Malta island and the perfect day trip. For RIers, it's easy to think of Block Island, you take a similar ferry and the lifestyle is calmer, the views better and the beaches more natural. As you may imagine from my brief description, I loved Gozo. Beyond the island the name is just so much fun to say and they make Gozo cheese which is kind of weird but an interesting concept as it survives at room temperature which can be upwards of 25 degrees celcius on a normal day. Since I took so many photos, I decided to narrate our day pictorally with brief descriptions. So, jump in the baby Kia and load in...

The boat ride was rather windy, and some of us :cough:me:cough: were more prepared for the elements while others had to run down to the car deck and retrieve their jackets.

The island quickly came into view and if it's possible, the water became a deper blue.

These islands were once British but I'm not sure if that is the explanation for this phone booth which was located across the street from...

this church. I wish I knew the name of it but we were somehow drawn to it on the horizon as we drove of the boat and came straight here. Mas was just gettign out so we were able to get a parking spot and have a look around.

P ventured inside as I was wearing a neon yellow t-shirt and bermuda shorts thus declearing myself inappropriately dressed to enter a church. Although I did peek in the entrance when he told me I was missing out on the immaculate interior. Below, you can see a crystal chandelier covered in plastic. I had previously read that all church decor is covered during lent and this photo was taken about a week before Easter. We saw other Maltenese Catholic churches on our trip and they had similar coverings on lights as well as statues and golden alter decorations. Things that were not functional like lights always had a deep purple and black covering so you could not really know what was underneath.

This church didn't suck us in as much but was still impressive and one of our first impressions of the island.

As we drove along, we quickly reached the end of the port town and island.

We continued our island drive down toward the ocean along narrow, twisty roads, stopping many times to take in the views which can be described as no less than breath taking.

Finally we reached the water (pictured above) and I was excited to get my toes wet. The water was a bit cold but this area had lots of small jelly fish which worried me more than the temperature. After hearing stories of crazy warm water jellies in Australia, I no longer trust unfamiliar jellies near my body.

We eventually decided to stop for lunch al fresco.

I ate delicious fresh calamari (it was not breaded or fried) and P had a pizza with Gozo cheese while we took in views of waves and the old city.

Then we got back on the windy coastal road, we didn't much of a map and the road lacked signs but every now and again you would come across a sign listing the location of the capital city and various cultural points of interest. I would say it was a relaxed drive but it becomes a bit tense when faced with oncoming cars or any sort of delivery truck and the locals overtakeing constantly.

We drove to a coastal overlook which may or may not have beent he highest point on the island.

Then we found a cave. You could enter the cave but it was dark even in daylight and no one had a flashlight so most people only peeked in. I briefly lost P to the cave but when he realized he could see nothing he emerged in search of a flash light (as if our Kia was so prepared). I could offer a camera flash and off we went.

Eventually the cave narrowed and we decided to set our sights on the below beach instead.

Hello beach sand! Once again some of us were more prepared for the natural elements of this island than others.

Once he saw the clear water and soft sand together with my refusal to stand anywhere else, those German shoes and black socks were quickly disgarded.

After we had our fill of wading in kneed deep ocean, we washed the sand off of our feet and hopped back in the Kia. We drove until we found the Ggantiga Temples. These were our first temples of the trip and turned out to be the best choice. These particular temples are the most in tact on the island and really allow visitors to grasp the intricate design and build of such ancient structures. These date to before the pyramids and were once 7ft tall stone structures with roofs.

After our visit to the Temples, we were quickly getting tired from a day of island exploring so our baby Kia hopped back on the boat and we sailed home to Malta Island, content with our day and still enamored with the color of the water (maybe that was just me).

Malta Continued

2011-08-07T11:03:00.000+02:00

Since I didn't debrief from one trip before going on the next and I don't have any upcoming vacations planned I figured I better get some Malta photos up here to do some quick recaps. Malta was a really great island and here are a few more snapshots with captions.

This is St. Agatha's tower and it dates to 1649. It was a watch tower and mostly defended by 4 men although it has a much greater capacity of 50 according to the plaque. From below it looks much more impressive but somehow I love it's imperfect coloring and weedy surroundings.

View from the hillside by the tower of the ocean and the hotel we almost booked, not a bad location but much more isolated from the rest of the island than where we actually stayed.

The best part about this photo is that it was taken by an Ed Hardy family (the dad) who made a snide comment about the fact that I had an actual camera. He prefers to use his iPhone but ironically walked up to us and offered to take a photo so he could not feel guilty asking us to take one of his family. We got a good laugh out of them.

This one ominous wall was further along the path towards the sea. It somehow represents Malta well in that it appears to be the start of something great that was abandoned all to soon. Malta is a small island with great potential but somehow lacks follow through.

I just liked this abandoned cluster of buildings. Not sure what they ever were or how old they are. Thought they looked eerie and destitute against the sky and cement.

I wish I was on that sail boat in the middle of such beautiful blue ocean.

One of my favorite things about Malta was the color of the ocean...too bad it was too cold for swimming on our Easter visit.

This is Popeye's Village a left over set from the movie (I've never heard of or seen said movie) which has been turned into an amusement park of sorts.

After our return from Gozo (next post) we watched the waves crash on Popeye's village and took some photos as we waited for the sunset.

I'm a sucker for a sunset over the ocean.

One of the many ornate and well kept churches on the island. This photo was taken from our Kia while driving up a super windy road.

The Malta bus. These guys are an interesting part of the island culture and as I learned will be extinct by now. All of the buses on Malta were privately owned. We were told by this summer that would change and a private company would bring in new buses and take over the service while retaining some drivers and putting others out of work. However, we experienced the privately owned/operated buses which means some buses are much cleaner/newer/quieter than others. There are a lot of buses and I have no idea how they determine who runs which route but the bus schedule means very little in reality as buses just seem to turn up at bus stops. Bus fare is super cheap, we paid 60 EUR cents for a 30 minute ride to Valetta. Knowing that the bus drivers are essentially businessmen I was surprised to see them turn people away when the bus was not yet at capacity. If anything, I would have expected over crowded buses. I'm not sure if the buses actually changed but it would be nice to have cleaner running buses although there are hundreds of these and junking them all at once is not really so great for the environment either. I'm also curious to know what will become of the million souvenirs with buses on them.

Next up, our day on the island of Gozo.

Living Under Construction

2011-07-26T09:03:00.000+02:00

Literally, my street and apartment have both become construction zones. Just as the construction near my office all but finished, the project on my street started amping up big time and getting closer to my home. On top of that some sort of pipe replacement project is going on in my apartment building and will eventually be in my apartment. But, this morning it all came to a boiling point when the noise outside started at 5am! It was not even light out and I could hear bump...bump...bump...bump... followed by beep beep beep beep. Turns out that is the way of removing a barracade to parking, knocking each post over one at a time and then getting in a truck and backing down the entire street so you can pick them up. I live on the 3rd floor and even with our double pane windows closed, I could still hear the truck! Not how I wanted to start my day.

Here Comes Malta

2011-06-07T21:00:00.000+02:00

It seems I am constantly composing blog posts in my head in the moment but never actually typing them out. This was the case throughout our Malta trip back in April. I also took almost 700 photos over the course of the trip and thought about which ones I'd blog. Then I came home and didn't blog the trip at all. Last weekend I finally completed a photo book I'd been working on (only for a week, not since April) and it reminded me about blogging the trip. So, expect Malta posts about one per day from now on.

I will remind you that I arrived sans suitcase to an island off the coast of Africa known for its warm spring and sunshine only to be greeted by rain clouds and reports of 25 degrees back in Germany (this is insane for April). I'v prepared a brief photo intro to set the scene.

Picked up our rental Kia around 2:30am, luckily there was another German couple doing the same as it came with no maps and our Google map showed street names but the streets we drove on were largely unlabeled and we had to drive across the island. Later, I learned that there used to be plenty of signs indicating the distance to the capital city of Valetta but they were removed because they made it too easy for enemy soldiers to find the city when the island was occupied. No one thought to reinstall them for tourists?

The beach by our hotel on day 2

Palm trees along the side of the road always make me happy, even when wet.

Patent leather ballerinas are not the appropriate shoes for rocky beaches. Since my suitcase missed 4 flights, I eventually bought flip flops the following day, unfortunately it was too late and these shoes had to be thrown out during the trip. Also, the day I got the flip flops was the day we decided to wander around on a cliff with cacti.

Despite it all, we were greeted by the prettiest water I have ever seen!

Spring Fever

2011-03-11T06:09:00.003+01:00

It's finally starting to feel like spring in Mannheim and I couldn't be happier with the morning sunshine in my office. In fact, it's prety addicting and making me crave more sun.

I'm ready for spring break! Too bad, that does not exist beyond college...I'm sort of in college, where' my break? The worst part is, Spring break is next week or at least, I'm pretty sure it would have been if I were still at URI since it was always over St. Patrick's Day. It also seemed that spring break fell on the birthday week of one of my college besties. I guess sharing your birthday with Spring break is a bit like having a summer birthday, something I know a lot about. It seems either you get to celebrate your birthday in a fun place (Miami and Ireland come to mind for M, while I remember Oslo and amusement parks for me) or you're celebrating alone because your friends are all off on vacation somewhere. This was supposed to be about vacations but alas I got distracted by birthdays, Happy Early Birthday M!

However, all is not lost as I do have a vacation planned for Easter. It just means I have to wait a little longer and hope the local sun remains consistant in my office window because I'll be spending a lot of time in the office between now and then!

The most exciting part about booking a vacation months in advance is the anticipation, somehow I have to build up more. We're going to the tiny island of Malta, a place I, nor anyone I know, has ever been. So I need some help with the anticipation. Have you been to Malta? What would you recommend we do? We'll have plenty of time to check out the entire island as well as it's neighbor Gorzo.

Anticipation inspiration:

The Europe Packing List - What Not to Bring

2011-01-29T16:46:00.000+01:00

I mentioned that I was most looking forward to this post on what not to bring to Europe. That's mostly because there are so many "tips" on things you should leave at home that i don't agree with. However, there are some things that you just should not bring unless you want to call attention to yourself as an American tourist*. Some of the things I would leave at home include:

Sweat pants/yoga pants - Unless you plan on engaging in sports or using the hotel gym do not fly in or pack active wear. I love my yoga pants and sometimes wear them on the train home from pilates but that's when I'm literally between the workout and my shower so I give myself a pass. There is no other excuse to wear lounge wear in public, Americans get a reputation for being sloppy largely because of this.
White sneakers - same exceptions as above. These also carry an American stereotype, besides they'd be grey by the end of your trip so leave them at home.
Backpack - I know this is a traveler's best friend but I hate them, if you're not a student they pretty much scream tourist. How about a messenger or tote instead?
Shorts - Unless it's over 30 degrees Celsius for an entire week, most Europeans won't be wearing shorts. Again, there are activity based exceptions and shorts will come out at BBQs in the park, by the beach, etc. but not in a city and not unless it is really hot. As a woman, wear a skirt, it's suitable for more occasions anyway. Men, you're out of luck unless you like the look of man-pris.
Hair dryer - aside from the electricity being a different voltage and potentially frying your device, save room in your luggage. Sadly, the same applies to hair straighteners.
Traveler's checks - This also applies to American Express/Visa gift cards. Such things are often nearly impossible to redeem, specifically if they are not in the currency of the country you are visiting. Make sure your ATM card works abroad and let your bank know where you will be so they don't freeze the card for suspicious actions. Pack a Visa as well, it really is everywhere you want to be.

Things other people tell you to skip that I would bring include:

Flip flops - (for walking around the hotel room if nothing else) but this is a vice of mine.
Jewelry - Yes, diamond engagement rings are not typical in most European countries so that may be a leave at home piece but I find it stupid to leave all jewelry at home. If you feel uncomfortable wearing the necklace that your late grandmother gave you as a present for your 18th birthday, leave it at home but there's no reason to leave everything behind, you most likely have a similar chance of losing it/getting robbed in a local big city, just be aware of your surroundings.

So that's the last of my packing segment, hope it can help someone prepare. Again, please feel free to add or subtract from my lists. I am interested to do more mini series type posts on worthwhile topics going forward so please email me if you have a topic you'd like to see me post on.

*I don't think anyone should be ashamed of their nationality and I am proud to be an American but I don't like to contribute to negative stereotypes of my culture and therefore won't encourage anyone else to do so.

If I had a Smartphone

2011-01-27T12:05:00.002+01:00

...my blog would be so much more entertaining because I could take discrete photos of all the random people I see on public transportation each day. Seriously, there's just no way to use a camera without being rude and my phone has a camera but not blogging capabilities.

The Europe Packing List - The Suitcase

2011-01-23T09:58:00.010+01:00

Here's the second installment of The Europe Packing List and this time, I'm going to tell you what I put in my suitcase. To be completely honest, this is more what I would put in my suitcase for vacation because what I actually put in my suitcase when flying from the US to Europe is often unpractical for most. If you make it to the end of the post, I'll share a list of the most random things I've packed on my recent journies across the Atlantic.

Checked Luggage

Note: Most airlines allow one piece of free luggage on flights between North American and Europe and enforce a strict weight limit For a

vacation, I would suggest you adhere to tis limit in order to both save some $$$ and save yourself the hassle of schlepping 2 large suitcases around.

Toiletries (and other liquid essentials) - save yourself the hassle of trying to carry these things on and just check them, better yet, travel light and use what is offered by the hotel.
Jeans - despite some rumors, jeans are very popular in Europe and are just as versatile as as hope. Currently trends in Germany are straight or skinnies with the ability to be tucked into boots in the winter. For a week, I'd wear a pair on the plane and bring two more.
Skirt/dress - Depending on the season and what you plan to do, I would bring at least one skirt and one dress (more in the summer, tights in the winter). These are clothes you can dress up or down and they take up less room in your suitcase. Of course, this does not apply to men. Men bring a pair of chinos. Likely there is no where that will forbid your jeans but sometimes it's nice to have options to dress up a bit.
Tops - I can't stress layering enough! Pack one cardigan no matter what the season. In spring/fall, I'd suggest a short sleeve T/polo or a tank top as a base layer for each day. Then I'd bring one button down and a couple of long sleeved Ts. I'd rely on my scarf and cardi under a light weight coat in cooler temps and have the option to use just one as the sun comes out.
Underwear/socks - I trust you can figure out that you should have enough of these basics for each day or plan to do laundry.
Shoes - This can be a serious space suck in any suitcase. I learned in college that it's important to travel with a pair of black shoes which can be worn with jeans or black pants. My tried and true shoe is a black patent ballet flat with moderate support. I've gone through two pairs in recent years and can confirm that these also work well with business dress. The male equivalent is a boat shoe or slip on leather shoe. Sneakers are, for me a question mark and I only travel with sneakers when I intend to engage in sport (hiking, hotel gym, etc.). If you wear white sneakers in Europe, you will automatically be identified as an American tourist. If you are more comfortable in sneakers, I would suggest investing in a pair that are not classified as running shoes, maybe in a black or brown leather, "Chucks" are also popular these days but I find them both uncomfortable and on their way out. Flip flops but only for the shower and as house shoes. I always travel with my Havianas as they are completely water resistant and nearly indestructible. They work by the pool, around the hotel room and in the shower (should it look like it has not been cleaned thoroughly). I wear them in cities as well but don't be surprised if people, particularly in Germany, stare at your feet and talk about your shoe choice, I've even had strangers ask if my feet were cold. In coastal regions, flip flops are more acceptable. From June-August, if you want to blend in add a strap-y sandal like a gladiator or something else with a bit more substance that is not rubber.

What to Wear on the Plane

Jacket - Again, this varies by season and location. Check the weather via www.weather.com or another online weather source. Don't just look at forecasts for your dates but pay attention to the actual temps for the week before your travel. Don't waste space in your suitcase though, wear this on the plane and shove it in the overhead bin.
Socks - I love to take my shoes off on long plane rides but won't walk around barefoot so wear or bring some warm comfy socks.
Boots - if you want to bring boots, wear them. They will be your largest pair of footwear and you don't need them taking up space in your suitcase. This is slightly annoying when going through security but you'll get over it when it means you have room to pack a bottle of wine (or another recent purchase) on the way home.
Sweater - I think I mentioned before that planes are cold when telling you to carry on a scarf but wear a sweater of some sorts with a t-shirt underneath regardless of the season. Even in the summer, planes are cold and you can always remove the sweater if you are too warm.

I hope I covered everything you'll need. What would you add/subtract from this list? I tried to keep it as basic as possible to be used in multiple locations/seasons but please let me know if there's something you can't live without or just don't think is necessary, I'm always open to new tips.

When you live in Europe, you try to bring back as much as possible as evidenced by the below photo taken after a Christmas trip in 2009, right before the checked baggage allotment was reduced to 1. That was luggage for two people! If you notice, P was wearing the largest coat he had with him together with his bulky hoodie in order to save space.

Over the years I'e traveled with some random things in both directions. Some of the notables include, 18 bottles of beer, 36 bottles of wine (over several trips), 2 area rugs, a dutch oven, toss pillows, my entire wardrobe (again over several trips and not all the clothes I own just the ones I wear on a regular basis). Specifically to that trip, I know that in one of those suitcases, you'd find a KitchenAid mixer.

Next up, the final installment of this series, and one I'm most looking forward to writing, what not to bring.

The Europe Packing List - The Carry-on

2011-01-21T19:13:00.002+01:00

Maybe I want more American visitors or maybe it's because I've been asked this question several times in 2010, but I decided to dedicate some time to useful posts starting with packing. While everyone loves a good rant, I think it's about time to focus on writing style and get out of my stream of thought rut. So, packing seemed like a great place to start. For the last 4 years I've been living in Germany and since I spent most of the first 2 years traveling around Germany for my job, I learned how to pack useful and light things. There are a lot of dos and don't for packing floating around the Internets but I often disagree with some common points. So, here's my go at a Europe an packing list. Please feel free to add to it in the comments suggestion. This first installment of The Europe Packing List outlines my suggestions for a carry-on. The next installment will cover checked baggage and then there will be a final installment of what to leave at home. 2010 was a monumental year for losing my luggage so I've learned the importance of a carry-on. I really love my Very Bradley large duffel and it took me awhile to admit that I was a fan of the often motherly bags but it really is the perfect size for an international flight carry-on. Just be careful not to overstuff or you'll exceed the weight limit. In heindsight, white is not the best color for something that spends so much time on the floor but at least it's washable and has a huge pattern to hide the dirt. Carryon Necessities

Underwear (2 pairs) - If your luggage is lost or the flight is delayed once you've checked in your suitcase you'll really thank me.
Toothbrush - To brush on the flight, if you want to bring liquids bring the paste, if not you'll survive with wate
Headphones - Some airlines provide them for your use, others rent or sell them but save yourself the trouble and pack your own airbuds. You may only be able to hear in one ear but it's sure better than nothing.
Eye mask - you'll want to sleep and there are a lot of lights and moving around on a plane, there is a reason these are provided in business class.
Cardigan/small hoodie - Temperatures vary in planes and I tend to find them cold over the Atlantic. There's usually a standard issue blanket but it's always helpful to have layers and a soft sweater can double as a pillow if you're warm and tired.
Large scarf - For the same reasons as above and specifically it's pillow potential.
Chapstick and Lotion (if you're packing liquids)- Simple really, recycled air lacks moisture.
Cash - The correct currency for where you will land is best but if not, use an ATM once you arrive and avoid those currency exchange booths charging large commissions. Tip: My US credit union, Navigant CU does not charge me fees to use foreign ATMs up to 4 times per month which is amazing when traveling.

Don't forget most airlines allow 1 carry-on AND 1 personal item such as a purse which also applies to men. Therefore, if you want to travel light and skip checked bags, take advantage of this and use your carry-on to hold your clothes and put these things in your purse (or messenger bag if you're a man). I am a fan of large lightweight purses that can easily fold up and often travel with my Longchamp shopper folded in my carry-on in case I need to carry additional items on the way home. Also, learn from my mistake better than I did, don't buy a white Longchamp bag (even if it'S summer and you are in the Flagship store in Paris) if you're going to use it to travel and don't think lt. grey (see link above) will be any better, mine is so gross I stopped using it and it's only 6 months old. They are spot clean only so stick to dark colors like navy and black for international travel and daily use.

Thrifting

2011-01-13T23:34:00.001+01:00

A couple of my favorite blogs as of late (http://thatwifeblog.com/ and http://www.academichic.com/ ) have talked about thrifting as well as http://www.newdressaday.com/ where thrifting is the complete focus. I'm not sure if it's the retro 80's trends coming back, a slow economy that's making people aware of their spending habits, the positive impact on the environment or some other reason but it seems like thrifting is trendy. This "new trend" which has been around forever makes me reflect on my childhood a bit. See, I was the only girl in a family of boys. It was quite often that my brother would get clothes passed down from one of both of my cousins and the same to the next brother although he was a rather skinny child and often didn't fit in hand-me-downs but you'd never guess it to meet him now. Anyway, the point being is I was super jealous of the bags of clothes that went back and forth! Even my mom's best friend would play with her kids' clothes but her daughter is 4 years younger than me so she got my clothes and I got nothing. Of course her son is a year older than one of my brothers so he would get the incoming bags of clothes. This maybe happened once a season or so depending on how quickly we were growing and when our respective parents made us clean out our closets. Despite my clothing jealousy, there are other benefits to being the only girl in the family and occasionally I'd get a bag of clothes from the daughter of one of my aunts' friends who were a couple of years older than me. To me, this was super exciting becasue it was always a suprise. Besides, I felt so fashionable to wear the clothes picked out by high school girls when I was in middle school - haha I was pretty lame when it came to dressing myself. I distinctly remember my 6th grade wardrobe (the stuff I picked out myself without) consisting of colored Arizonia jeans, a few crewneck sweatshirts in size L when I should have worn an S, white, pink and neon yellow Asics high top sneakers , way too many giant t-shirts, most containing the logos of sports teams of the teal and purple variety (i.e. Charlotte Hornets, Phoenix Suns, Colorado Rockies) and a Starter jacket or two (I think I had Hornets and Suns in different styles one year after the other). Back to the topic, my grandmother was a big fan of thrift stores in her retired days, I think for her it was more of a group sport she could do with her other retired lady friends than any any of the other motives I suggested above. Eventually I got to raid her closet for button down shirts that don't wrinkle and velvet blazers (another phase I may have over done on the weekends). I made it through 4 years of high school uniforms, my style was equalling out just in time for college. Of course there were a few oh nos thrown in but I pretty much found a happy medium. The point to all this embarrassing sharing or my self dressing fails is that I never got into thrifting. I'm not sure why because the idea of making something new again really appeals to me and I certainly love old wood furniture. Now I see all these instances of thrift store finds and wonder where I could score a "vintage" dress for a dollar or a museum scarf turned into a belt. I think specifically of a silver dress that used to sit in my grandmother's closet and wonder if it ended up being someone else's thrift store find (think retro 60's metallic knit, it's totally a find) once my aunts cleaned out her stuff or if it is sitting in someone's closet collecting dust once again. To be honest, I have no idea where to find a good thrift store around here, maybe I'll do a little googeling this weekend and see if I can score a vintage durndle! And maybe I'll email my aunt and see if she has that silver dress per chance. Do you ever go thrifting? Please show me your finds!

On Changing a Name

2010-12-29T09:49:00.002+01:00

It's no secret that I got married and changed my name. In fact, the name change process has been almost completely finished so you see can find my new name on my mailbox, University id, bus pass, passport, and office door. However, there are a few things that still need to be changed which have caused me some headache such as my US drivers liscence, ma Germany visa and my frequent flyer card. The liscence was the first road bloack, aparently, due to a 24 hour computer update cycle you can't change your name at the social security office and the DMV on the same day. Since I was only in my home state for about 10 hours, I had no chance but I tried. Now, I'll just wait until it expires and I have to renew it in August +/- 3 months which is another assanine policy for another post. The visa is not done because I'm not really sure what the steps are, some one says I need an appointment, someone says I don't maybe I can change status, maybe I just need the same one transplanted into my new passport and maybe I have to go to a different office completely. I don't think it is really a problem at this point as mine is still valid for some time. Finally the frequent flyer card is more of a hassel than I ever would have thought. Can I change it on the phone? no. Online? no. They need a copy of my new passport, ok. can I email it? no. Per fax or mail only. To complicate matters, I have an outstanding reward which expires next month but I can't book a flight for next wek then fax in the name change because I can only use the reward for myself and clearly a changed name makes me a different person before I change it! This is one of those situations where I just gave up because my German is not good enough to argue with customer service and when they are charging me 26 cents a minute I don't really feel like wasting my Skype credits in ultimately being put on hold so she can check with someone else. So that's the name change status update. It's not too hard, a little stressful but I keep telling myself I only have to do it once. Which reminds me, I still have credit cards to change over/cancel. I also see it as a chance to simplify my life and get rid of cards I don't use instead of changing my name. From a social perspective, it's been a bit more fun. My work phone now shows my new name whenever I call anyone which has led to a few fun reactions. My work email has also changed and the sign on the door is the best. I've had one completely lost student thus far and just this week, I had a student, who clearly knew who I was despite the name change, look at the door, look at me and then as I watched it click, he asked, "Did you get married?" I think, next time I should say no for fun. There have been some negatives as well. First of all, I am taking a huge hit in the alphabet falling from F which always left me in the first 1/4th of any alphabetical list to T which will put me in the last quarter. I guess now I'll know what it's been like for my cousin to be a W all these years. Secondly, my initials have changed. Anyone who knows me, knows I really liked my old initials, I even had a perfect one motion connected initial for signing off on things. It just does not work anymore, there's no way to connect a J and a T without it looking like a messed up version of one of those letters. Not to mention my initials are now JT...eww. To finish on a high note, Germans can finally understand/pronounce/spell my new name (sometimes with a bit of assistance on the end) which is a huge improvement when making appointments and reservations!

Snowed In

2010-12-27T12:25:00.001+01:00

Snowed In von Jen Thomsen, acrylic gloves enthaltend

Inspired by M -http://jem4415.blogspot.com/2010/12/snowed-in.html, I've been using Polyvore again and it'S a lot of fun. I first found Polyvore while wedding planning although I find it more practical for interior decorating. You can search from a huge international database and find everything from clothes to furniture to food. I find it to be a great way to mix and match colors and test out particular pieces of furniture. I made a board that mimics my actual living room and asked friends to suggest a new coffee table and the result was an Ikea model I was contemplating myself. This bord is in honor of the snow in Mannheim and RI. My ideal snowed in day would involve a fireplace, a cozy blanket, oversized sweater, hot chocolate and home baked cookies.Pretty much how I spent yesterday if you replace the fireplace with movies and Wii!

Wealth

2010-12-15T13:55:00.003+01:00

I just read this article about a man who shot at the FL school board. In the end, he was the only fatality. However, the article quoted his Facebook page which it appears he started only days before to leave a message. In his message, he says he was born poor in a land where the rich rule (not a direct quote). However, I could not disagree more with that statement. Maybe I could agree that the power is in the hands of the rich but I certainly don't think being born poor in the USA is irrreversable. Sure, money makes it easier to get ahead but the USA is one of the most upwardly mobile countries I know. Taxes are relatively low and even the poorest of the poor have more opprutunities than people living in several other ocuntries. Education is free and even though University is expensive, there are many opprutunities for need and merit based scholarship. In my experience, it is easier to jump income classes in the US as compared to Europe. In fact, on a daily basis, I notice that most of the students I meet at University here come from priveledged backgrounds and/or educated parents.
It really frustrates me when people blame thier status in life on thier parents or upbringing. I firmly believe in the self made man. American was built by the self made man so it especially baffels me when Americans feel they are restricted based on class. I believe you do need a certain level of internal motivation to suceed and a willingness to leave your comfort zone and comform to accepted norms but if you really want to make something of yourself, money and the financial status you are born into should not be a glass celing. Is this too idealistic of a view? I'd love for opinions, even if they disagree with me.

Spinach Salad Pizza

2010-12-12T20:44:00.000+01:00

I wanted to make a spinach salad for dinner but I was cold so i decided to turn it into a nice warm pizza. I was a little nervous so I only topped 1/3 of the pizza with spinach and did the other 2/3 in a sauce/cheese/meat/vegetable combo. The spinach side turned out amazingly delicious. Here's what you'll need to make your own:

fresh baby spinach
goat cheese
walnuts
honey
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
dried basil and oregano
salt and pepper

I washed the spinach and set aside to dry on a paper towel while mixing the dressing. I used a heaping teaspoon of honey, a bit of olive oil and about 2 teaspoons of balsamic. Mix those liquid ingredients together and add basil, oregano, salt and p

epper to taste. I then put the spinach leaves in a bowl and coated them with dressing. Spread the coated spinach on pizza dough (mine was bought but you could make your own if you are so inclined), top with crumbles of goat cheese and walnuts. Bake, cut and eat. The dressing gives it a bit of a sweet taste while the spinach gets nice and tender and the goat cheese melts on the inside. I apologize, I ate the nicer looking slices before I thought to take a photo.

As for the other 2/3, in a much less creative way, I topped with shredded pizza cheese, feta cheese, one chopped up slice of deli ham and 2 chopped up green pepperoni (not salami but not jalepenos, I've forgotten the English word for these).

Halloween

2010-12-11T21:25:00.003+01:00

I'm a bit behind schedule since Christmas is in 2 weeks but here are a few photos from our Halloween weekend in the north. I picked the last apples of the season. We made some spicy chili using the chili peppers from P's parents' garden and the ingredients we bought from a store that sells 16kg blocks of cheese but only super tiny pumpkins. You can't really tell from the photo but I was a mermaid wearing a cardigan because it was cold. For most of the guests, it was their first Halloween. I love sharing Halloween with others! Someone else has more photos from the dinner though, KOK is it you?

The Lion King

2010-12-11T21:06:00.003+01:00

In getting away from posting about things I hate, I"ll write about something I love, The Lion King. Disney first made this movie when I was a child and I was in love. I even had a Lion king birthday cake from BJ's one year, complete with a plastic Simba and Nala. Then, The Lion King opened on Broadway and I was sad to miss out when the drama club saw it as part of the NYC trip I didn't participate in my freshman year (you better believe I went each of the next 3 years). Finally, while studying abroad in London, I saw the Lion King musical - the day before I left. After all those years, it did not disappoint. To top it off, we got amazing orchestra seats at a great price with our student IDs. I left the theater and later the country happy with my Lion King experience.

This summer, for a birthday present, P's parents bought us tickets to see the Lion King in Hamburg. I had recently learned from friends who went that the Hamburg theater is on an island and you need to take a boat to get to it. We went to the show a couple of weeks ago.While, that's not completely geographically correct, the boat part was right. For the first time, I was going to see a musical in German and one I had already seen. I was worried I would not understand and it would disappoint. Once again, the Lion King did not let me down. The boat to the theater, while short, really added to the experience - once you got on there was no going back. The theater itself was nice and our seats were right on the aisle which meant we got a close up view of many of the animals as they entered. As for the German, it was hard to understand, many of the actors were not native speakers and had strong accents which could be attributed to that or to their characters. The songs seemed off with German words but it was still a lot of fun. I could understand a good bit of the show and what I didn't get in language I filled in with my knowledge of the story. It was a really great evening!

Face Piercing

2010-12-11T19:42:00.003+01:00

I was sitting on the strasenbahn across from a girl with a labaret (that under lip piercing) and she was playing with it internally. So, picture a round metal ball slowly being sucked into her skin until it almost went through and then popping back out. It gave me the chills.

Last week, I was sitting across from another pierced face on the strassenbahn. This girl was quite pretty but looked like she had something coming out of her nose because she had a black nose ring through the middle of her two nostrils.

I realize I've been writing a lot about what I don't like lately and this is another one of those posts. I just don't understand what makes someone want to pierce their face. Before you tell me I'm just not the piercing type, I should divulge that a former version of myself longed for an eyebrow ring and a nose ring but my uncle forbid me (not that his opinion counted) from piercing anything on my face right about the time I turned 18 and had 8 holes in my ears and one in my navel. I took his advice pretty seriously though because even my teen aged rebellious self knew I didn't want scares on my face and I did want a real job some day. For that matter, I guess I would have lost my part time job at a conservative insurance agency that forbid even earrings on men as part of the dress code.

Now, I think about it every time I see a girl with a pierced face on the strassenbahn, what kind of aspirations can she possibly have? Unless she works as a piercing model or in some related industry (art, music, etc.), it's pretty much career suicide. Also, it often looks bad. Do you want people to think you have something sticking out of your nose? The worst is when face piercings get infected and the jewelry is surrounded by a swollen red circle, so unattractive. In my opinion, there is no real justification for face piercings. To me, it's a screaming sign of someone crying out for attention or trying to fit in, someone with very little foresight. Am I missing something, is there another side to this story? Can someone enlighten me to the benefits of face piercings?

Do they have Thanksgiving in Germany?

2010-11-19T22:07:00.003+01:00

Despite the obvious reasons why Thanksgiving is an American holiday, people still ask me if Germans celebrate Thanksgiving. To be honest, it's not such a stupid question since Canada has their own Thanksgiving and it is always asked by intelligent people. This week, I started thinking about the different holidays in Germany and the US. There are some holidays Americans celebrate that would never fly here such as VJ Day but that barely flies in the US any more. however, most of the German public holidays would cause so much controversy in the US. Most German public holidays are somehow based in religion, specifically Christianity. We get days off for All Saints Day (Nov. 1), Good Friday, Easter Monday, Corpus Christi (I always thought this was a city in Texas). We don't have many non-religious holidays besides reunification (Oct. 3) and labor day (May 1) and even this is lost if it falls on a weekend. You can see the whole line-up for 2011 here. Most of these holidays would scream for separation of church and state. However, Thanksgiving is different.

Thanksgiving is really a holiday every country should adopt. Maybe we could have a world Thanksgiving. A day to take time out from your normal life and eat a decadent mid-week dinner with your family and/or close friends. A day to be Thankful for what you have in and the people who you love and love you. A day to share your "harvest" and enjoy the people in your life. I know Germans have resisted other American "holidays" due to their commercial nature (i.e. Halloween or Valentine's Day) but Thanksgiving is not really commercial at all. You don't even need to kill a Turkey, vegetarians like Thanksgiving too.

Oddly enough, this year I won't be having a Thanksgiving. Due to several factors, mostly my work schedule next week, we choose not to prepare a turkey this year. I know it is the right decision but part of me still wishes we could have a bunch of people over to sit around our long table and eat a stuffed bird. There's something special about Thanksgiving that I'll miss this year. I'm hoping I can get through the week and at least have time to bake an apple pie or maybe I can try my new whoopie pie pan out!

Maybe next year, I'll be able to celebrate Thanksgiving in the US with my family. The last Thanksgiving I had with my family was in 2005 when I was still at URI. That seems so long ago and so does college. Would you adopt Thanksgiving in Germany? Do you think other countries would take it on board too?

Putting the Pieces Together

2010-11-14T20:56:00.002+01:00

After a wedding, there's still a lot to do to merge two lives. I started playing the name change game the day we returned fro our honeymoon. We had about 8 hours in RI before flying home so I hit up Social Security where a very friendly an changed my name. He asked if I wanted to keep my maiden name as a middle name which was kind of stressful in the moment. Clearly I had already thought this through and made a decision. He had to remind me of the option I turned down and for a milisecond I thought about saying yes. Then I remembered that my maiden name has 10 letters, my first name has 8 and my new last name has 7, add on the 3 in my current middle name and I'd have to fit 28 letters on every form for the rest of my life, no thank you. Considering I live in a country which requires you to use all of your legal names on everything, I can only imagine what my ATM card would look like if I had chosen to keep both names. unfortunately, I could not change my licence due to the antiquated system that only updates every 24 hours but it's not such a big deal as my licence is due to expire in 2011 anyway so I'll have to get it taken care of sooner or later.

Last Friday, I mailed off my passport to begin the name change process on this side of the Atlantic. Until it comes back, I can't get on a plane or legally cross any boarders so I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of my new identification. I'm not even sure if I have any way to legally prove my permission to stay without it. When I get my new passport the fun really begins. I'll need to renew my permission to stay in my new name, change my buss pass at an office that always has lines, change my address at the post office, change my name with HR and most significantly change my email addresses! My work email will need to be changed but what about my personal email address? How long can I use the two addresses containing my old name? I'd like to keep them but that can be confusing, especially in a couple of years when I start the job search again. Which reminds me, I'll need to change my resume.

Despite all of that work to change my name, I will still be me. Somehow, I feel like I need to alter my image in order to fit my new persona. I was thinking a hair cut and wardrobe injection, two things I could use anyway. Any other idea? Should I change my email addresses or just leave them alone for now?

Leftover Lasagna

2010-10-26T18:28:00.000+02:00

Lately, I've been lacking inspiration when it comes to cooking dinner. While Patrick was on a business trip last week I mostly ate bread and cheese which is fine by me but not exactly full of nutrients. I decided I wanted to get back into cooking healthy dinners, the kind that involve veggies and are warm since it's cold outside. However, I was pretty uninspired on my last trip to the grocery store. I bought broccoli, zucchini, chedder cheese wheels (these are a treat and only avaliable for a limited time), tziki, yogurt, ground turkey, a gurken and bread. All had potential but did not combine so well. I had some apples at home which were the product of an unmade apple pie project from the weekend before and some super delicious squash soup that I burned my mouth on and proceeded to ignore until it went bad and I had to throw it out. As you can see I was not doing well with food planning on my own.
On Sunday, I went into the office for a bit. While there, I decided I would make a nice cohesive dinner with a pasta foundation. The problem was nothing in my fridge screamed cohesive. Broccoli and zucchini? eh, tziki and zucchini sound nice but slightly boring without other vegetables and gurken is only good with salad or sandwiches. I also had a red pepper at the end of it's life, some turkey deli meat, 4 slices of salami, half a package of shreaded mozzarella and lots of cream cheese in my fridge. So, I decided to make a lasagna with whatever ingredients I could find. Luckily, I had to travel through the train station as that is the only place open on Sunday and I needed more shereaded cheese.
I should begin by mentioning Patrick is particular about Lasagna and its ingredients. He believes vegetables are not part of lasagna and ground beef is necessary. So, when I excitedly declared I would make lasagna his first comment was, "we don't have any ground beef." I decided we better call this something else, leftover lasagna. Long story short, it got Patrick's approval with a stamp of awesome and he even came back for seconds. So, now that I rambled on about the ingredients of my fridge, here's how I made the lasagna and what I eventually used. Feel free to improvise, anything works as long as you remember a lasagna can never have too much sauce or cheese. Ingredients: Pesto Lasagna noodles Tomato sauce Cream cheese Salami Zucchini (or other vegetables, muxhrooms, eggplant, peppers, etc.) Shreaded cheese (I used gouda and mozarella) Fresh basil leaves Black olives Pre-heat the oven to a temperature you like (I used 180 C). Take out your lasagna pan and pour a think layer of tomato sauce on the bottom. Add some spices if you are using the plain variety then cover with a layer of noodles. Put a layer of vegetables over the noodles, add shreaded cheese and another thin layer of sauce. Layer on another round of noodles and coat them in pesto. Add cream cheese in clumps, fresh basil leaves and salami. Cover with noodles, cover with a generous amount of sauce, layer on vegetables, black olives, and shreaded cheese. Cover with noodles, coat noodles in pesto sauce, add the rest of your vegetables, basil and cream cheese. Add final layer of noodles, rest of the sauce and rest of the cheese. Cover with foil and bake in the over for 45mins. to an hour, removing the foil for the last 15 minutes if you like your cheese to brown off a bit. Eat. That's my first attempt at a recipie, let me know if you try it out! P.S. Something is wrong with the spell check function on Blogger right now, sorry for the errors.

Followed by My Epic FAIL

2010-10-25T20:03:00.002+02:00

...at returning to this blog that is. I promise, I really am coming back now that the wedding is over. Maybe I'll bring some photos, maybe I'll find something else to write about but first I need to finish a few PowerPoint slides.

My onion infested husband is taunting me at the moment but I will be back soon for real.

I'm currently trying to think of a new sub-heading as I've just begun year four. Suggestions?

My Big Come Back

2010-07-27T12:50:00.002+02:00

Since I am completely bored with wedding blogging as evidenced by my lack of entries and dying to get back to documenting my life as it unfolds I decided to come back to the world of normal blogging. In my head, I have continued to compose blog entries that never made it onto the keyboard. To ease back into this blogging thing I will start off with a rant in the form of a letter to the German Post office. Dear Deutsche Post, I would like to mail my wedding invitations to our German friends and relatives but you are making this so difficult over a measly 0.02cm. I would even say 2mm if that helps to illustrate the ridiculous aspect here. a standard letter can travel anywhere in Germany for 55 cents. I sent off six of my "oversized" invitations with carefully chosen 55 cent stamps and 5 of the 6 never returned. I know for a fact that one arrived at its destination and one came back to me. Today, I went to the post office prepared to buy new stamps for the rest of the invitations at 90 cents each. I can deal with 90 cents, it is still less than 1 EUR. However, when I spoke to one of your mitarbeitern, he informed me that it actually costs 1.45 EUR to mail each one because I want to send over sized (by 2mm) letters! I was shocked and flat out refused to buy the stamps. Do you realize that I could have sent them from the US to Germany for 90 US cents?!? They would have traveled across the Atlantic ocean one by one creating more work for the USPS and I could have saved about 65 EUR cents on each considering the exchange rate! It would have been half the price to mail my invitations easily 10 times the distance. Any intelligent person can see that this makes absolutely no sense. If I had the time and didn't have to use Deutsche Post to ship the envelopes back to my mom, I would completely have her mail them from the US! This is seriously robbery. I think I will try to mail a few more with 55 cent stamps and cross my fingers for nice postal workers who will deliver them despite their 2mm height difference. I now understand why Germany use email to distribute invitations. Sincerely, J.

Things I Don't Like Part Duex

2010-06-01T10:40:00.004+02:00

I've been asked to write another post on things I don't like. I feel like this makes me seem kind of negative and judgey but I'm only doing it to satisfy a request and because I have seen a pattern developing lately that I just don't like. Adults on scooters. I'm not talking about Vespas (those can be super cute) or Segues, but tiny little Razor like scooters. In recent days I have seen multiple men and one woman wearing a suit and scooting along. I thought the worst was the guy in a suit and tie and helmet and then today the woman sitting in front of me on the bus (sometimes I ride the bus because it is faster than the Strassenbahn) stood up to get out and revealed her scooter. Dressed in business attire complete with loafer heels she mounted her scooter and rode the 50 meters to the train station. There are so many things wrong with that picture I almost don't know where to begin. First of all scooters are for children aged 13 and under. Second, scooters are a mode of transportation, if you are riding the bus to the train station and then taking a train do you really need a scooter to travel between the two? Third, do you really think scooting is more efficient than walking? Answer that again as you balance your briefcase/purse in one hand hold the scooter in the other and try to get out of the bus door, mount your scooter and use one foot to scoot, one hand to hold on and the other hand to hold all your stuff all while dodging the pedestrians in front of the train station then dismounting and carrying the scooter through the station doors because you can't scoot in the station. Really if you don't like to walk, get some Heeley's for the commute, you would at least look more coordinated. Adults do not belong on scooters. FYI: I can't even find a picture from Google to illustrate the ridiculousness of an adult riding a razor scooter to work and everything exists on Google.
Oh also, I don't like this constant rain we've been getting. May was full of grey clouds, umbrellas and wet sidewalks. I can only hope those were the April showers and now we will get June flowers and have a beautiful summer. It's torture to read Facebook updates and see that my RI friends are spending their days at the beach or in the sunshine and I'm wearing a sweater and carrying an umbrella everywhere I go.

Things I don't like

2010-04-29T20:59:00.003+02:00

Some things I recently observed which I don't like include faux leather leggings or as I tend to call them, plastic leggings. To my knowledge these became popular via the Hills (since LC left I am not sad that show is being canceled) and Heidi Montag circa 2008, which is reason enough to hate them. Well, they have recently trickled down to Mannheim and I'm sure they are in all the trendy shops because I see them on someone every time I walk through the city. However, my biggest gripe with these plastic leggings is that they are nearly impossible to pull off without looking cheap. First, you must be tall and have sticks for legs - thigh differentiation is an automatic fail. Second, the leggings must be of a certain quality to not look like, well actual plastic. Third, they are very night time if you are not incredibly trendy or living in a large metropolitan city. Finally, you kind of have to wear them as pants which breaks the leggings are not pants rule but they just don't look good under most skirts (some ultra minis may work). In general leggings should be black and that is the only good thing these have going for them - I've never seen them in another color. Today was the worst sighting thus far, an overweight, unkempt, middle aged woman wore them under a floral dress and I think she was on her way to work.
Overly preppy boys. You know the ones with the constant popped collar, side parted long hair and multiple pastel colored sweaters. This may be surprising because I love preppy boys but there is a strong line that should not be crossed. Generally, dressing like you just walked off the Ralph Lauren runway every day of your life is crossing the line - use discretion when adapting fashion for life. Also, boys who carry LV satchels cross that line.
People who don't use the space bar or punctuations. I can excuse a lack of punctuations online but if you are handing me an academic paper for grading it better be properly spaced and have 95% of the punctuations required by the laws of grammar. While you're at it, please also include your name and the course section so I know where to file the attachment you sent me. Oh and when you ask me for advice, don't answer your own questions because if you do that you're wasting my time and you're going to do it wrong. When you come to class and see an empty seat with a bag, binder and bunch of loose papers, sitting in front of it, it's probably taken, please don't just decide to dump your stuff on top of my papers and sit there.
lick slime.

The Life of a Grad Student

2010-03-25T12:33:00.001+01:00

Today I really feel like a stereotypical grad student beginning the moment I stepped out of the house wearing a cord blazer. I proceeded to whip out my binder of student presentations for correction on the Strassenbahn and got through most of my work in time for my stop. Thursday mornings are, perhaps my favorite because, every second week, I get off at a different stop than normal in order to get to my course. This stop is right near my most favorite coffee shop in all of Mannheim. On most days I don't drink coffee but, every second Thursday I allow myself to indulge and it gives me something to look forward to when I leave the house at 7:30. Today I was particularly early and had work with me so I sat inside and had a leisurely coffee while reading case studies. In the spirit of spring, I ordered my first ice blended concoction of the season. You walk in and are always greeted with a chipper hello, usually in the form of Morgan!, by the barrister. Since the barrister(o?) is always the same man, I guess he may own the shop. His accent gives away that he is Italian and the way he foams the milk and pours the espresso into my latte/cappuccino/iced mocha demonstrates his passion. The reason I've never had a bad beverage is because every thing is made to order with love. Maybe I read too many Nespresso cases this morning but I really notice the difference in coffee quality and overall experience. Even if you take your coffee to go, you get the same friendly greeting and service and everyone gets a ciao on the way out the door. Two weeks ago, while waiting for my caramel macciato, a man walked in. The barrister knew him and asked if he wanted his usual cappuccino to which he replied, he would take two today. Apparently this man met a woman on the Strassenbahn and offered to buy her a coffee. As he explained, a giddy expression over took his face and the barrister shared in his joy like an old friend. Clearly this place has a lot of regulars and I long to be one but it is just not close enough to my office or home for daily visits and I don't really need a coffee habit. Back to my day as a stereotype, I put my blazer back on and left the coffee shop, stood in front of a class of bachelor students and proceeded to sit on desks and ask thought provoking questions. Maybe that is not so much of a stereotype. Once the course was over, I headed back to my office for a day of research. As I unlocked my door, I learned from a colleague that we now make more money. Before your celebrate for me, in typical University fashion, it's not a significant change, about 5 EUR per month which results in close to 3 EUR after taxes, but it's enough to buy a coffee.

Travels

2010-02-07T10:38:00.002+01:00

I feel like I was just in the US even though I've been here in my new apartment for about a month now. Not that you could tell if you saw my kitchen-less, half painted, still partially boxed up living quarters. However, I'm about to head back to the US next week. It's kind of bitter sweet. On the one hand, I'm super excited to be going and beyond happy that my paper was accepted by a conference. On the other hand I really wish I could get this moving in stuff settled. Not to mention, I have a lot of work to do this week before leaving on Monday. Back to positives, I did work some vacation into this trip. First, a good friend from college who I haven't seen since will be meeting me in NOLA for the 2 days before the conference including Mardi Grais. I'm excited to spend time with her exploring a new city and with a little bit of luck, we may even be able to celebrate the new Super Bowl champions after today! Then after the conference, I'm flying out to SOCAL to spend a couple of days with an old friend who recently moved across country. Initially I was going to spend these post-conference days in RI but my mom pointed out the likely undesirable weather in RI in Feb and I was just there in Jan so I decided to take this chance to see the West coast and hope for a bit of sunshine. My ideal itinerary for my first trip to the west coast would include the San Diego Zoo (I've wanted to go since I saw it featured on Sesame Street as a child), dipping my feet in the Pacific and hanging out by a fire on the beach. above photo is from such a random website I have a long week of work ahead of me then some fun, my first academic conference and a lot of flying but there's also a lot of ocean so I'll be happy.

Wedding Blogging

2010-02-02T16:55:00.002+01:00

Since my dad was shocked to find out I was keeping another blog and he was reading this one, complaining about my infrequent posts, here's the link to the wedding related blog (dad you need to click on the words to get the link). I also realized since he does not have a Blogger account I can make fun of my dad on here and he can't even comment ;) Anyway, for now, I'm off writing about wedding related things and chronicling everything that we did last month in RI. I'd love some feedback so feel free to pop over and leave comments.

2010 Goals

2010-01-15T13:03:00.002+01:00

As promised, here are some goals for 2010. I suppose some are more easily attainable than others but I'll try my best to reach them all. 1. Get married, 2. try a new sport, 3. visit 3 countries I've never been to, 4. lose 15kg, 5. go in the Pacific ocean, 6. make spontaneous decisions, 7. climb a mountain with P., 8. Finish 2 complete studies/papers, 9. make a new friend outside of work, 10. be proud of myself. See you in a year with an update. :)

2009 Firsts

2010-01-15T12:53:00.003+01:00

I lied, I have some things to blog so I'm going to do it. I recently came across a blogger who wrote down her 2009 goals last year and then looked back on the list now to see what she accomplished. It was a nice reflection of where she was and how far she came. Since I didn't do that I thought I would start with listing some things I did for the first ime in 2009 and then follow up with a list of goals for 2010 so I can reflect in a year. 2009 Firsts

visited Asia (Japan)
skiied in the Alps
enrolled in a German course and actually made an effort to speak more German
began pilates classes
took up bike riding as a mode of transportation (and a fun summer hobby)
did not see the Atlantic ocean from RI at all (weird but true)
did not swim in any ocean (sadly not even while in Japan)
tried new foods
hosted my first adult birthday party
packed up an entire apartment
drove on the autobahn
got a German speeding ticket :(
picked a wedding cake
shot off a firework

Catching Up

2010-01-15T11:19:00.003+01:00

It has been a long time since I've written. I have composed countless posts in my head but somehow none of them made it to the keyboard. In re-reading the last few posts, I feel like I was in a completely different mindset when writing those. It was that time of year when summer quickly turns into fall which fades to winter but is not yet the holiday season and I was eagerly anticipating my visit to the US. Now, it's winter, after the holidays, there's still snow on the ground but the new year has begun, groundhog's day is fast approaching and spring is just around the corner. I recently returned from almost 3 weeks of vacation in the US surrounded by family and friends where we successfully planned a wedding in 20 days. Yet the semester is still a couple of weeks away so I have time to catch up on my research. I'm anticipating a "business" trip to New Orleans which I've added a few vacation days to so I can visit SOCAL for the first time in my life and shortly after I return I will be heading out again for a wedding in the Caribbean over Easter break. Life is good and exciting. My plans for the next couple of weeks are to focus on actually moving into our new apartment and organizing the wedding plans, making sure checks are written, budgets categorized and all tasks checked off our list appropriately. Following up in the world of wedding, I plan to post more on the wedding blog for the next couple of weeks until I have chronicled all that we did in these past weeks. Basically, I'm saying the light to non-existent posting will continue but updates will happen on the wedding blog because that's where my life is headed for now. Happy 2010!

Hallothanksadvent (I)

2009-12-02T20:14:00.004+01:00

Last weekend brought a tornado of holidays into my life. We had been planning to celebrate Thanksgiving on Saturday. Patrick's family was going to drive down and we were going to cook a large bid. As you may have guessed, that was canceled at the last minute. I hope that the turkey we ordered was at least spared. In my subconscious, the absence of Thanksgiving automatically means Christmas, without realizing I was doing it, I went into Christmas mood the day I found out Thanksgiving was called off. I made plans to have dinner at the newly opened Christmas market, bought twinkle lights for our office plant friend and picked up an Advent wreath at the grocery store. The tree was decorated before I realized what I was doing. As we ate our 1/2 meter wursts, there was a bit of an empty feeling inside, partly because it was not cold enough, partly because it was Thanksgiving, and partly because I had burned the roof of my mouth the previous evening and was unable to indulge in a hot drink. We called it a night and decided to stop at the grocery store on the way home. While there, I had a change of heart which started in the dairy section when I heard Christmas music coming from the speaker above. It continued into the produce section where I saw a sign explaining the concept of buying apples by the case and not individually and got all the apples I needed (and more) to make my Thanksgiving apple pie. Finally, we strolled through the meat section where Patrick pointed out a sole Turkey leg sitting in the fridge. We picked up that leg and with it decided to have our own Thanksgiving the following evening, just the 2 of us. It was perfect. (Note: photos to follow, Blogger is having technical difficulties)

Once again, waiting for my life to begin

2009-11-10T13:15:00.004+01:00

You know that feeling, when you're in high school and again when you are in college, just 4, 3, 2, 1 more year(s) until my life begins. I feel that way again but, speaking as someone whose life has already begun in a not so traditional sort of way, I can't decide if this is a good or bad thing. I lived in RI for the first 22 years of my life, in the same house, on the same street, in the same city, until I went to college. I spent my college years in and out of dorms, my parents house, London, camp bunks and shared houses. For the 4 + 1 years I lived in college, I never spent 2 years in the same place. In the 3 years since I've finished grad school I've had a brief stay over in my parents house followed by two apartments in two different German cities. Next month, I move into my third apartment. I claim I hate to move but somehow moving always excites me. New apartment, new decoration, new colors, new set up, etc. I sit here staring at my computer, overshadowed by the gray, cold day out my window and think about moving. Moving out of Mannheim, in 3 years when my life begins. I daydream about a summer in the US. First I think about the familiar East Coast and then my mind wanders across the country to California's sunshine and the idea of new beaches, new waves. I slip and let myself contemplate a summer in Tokyo, two months to explore the rest of Japan on the weekends. It all sounds so appealing. It makes me wonder if I can ever be happy in the present, although I often am, for long periods of time. One day, I plan to own a house with land and ocean proximity will that keep grounded in one place or am I destined to day dream of the next big adventure. Will my American summer become a reality or remain a figment of my dreams? Sunshine would make me so happy right now...summer just left and I am already begging it to come back.

Project 365 - 12 - 22

2009-10-09T21:53:00.005+02:00

Aug. 30th - Today was biking day on the wine street but since I posted photos of bikes and vineyards in its own post, here's one of a mama swan and her ugly ducklings swimming in the Rhein. Since we did more eating and drinking than biking, we took the scenic route home by the river. Aug. 31st - I have no idea what this is but it was dated Aug. 31st so I felt it was better than nothing. Bonus points if you can figure out what it is a picture of. Sept. 1st thru 3rd -missing Sept. 4th - We went out to dinner with two of my friends and their boyfriends at Osaka. It's a Japanese cook at your table deal and they dressed us all in these rose scented robes. It was a classic good food and good friends kind of night. I still can't believe people had room for chocolate cake, I think I would have exploded. Sept. 5th - I have no words, I found this thing and just handed Patrick the camera, I was completely in shock. It's some sort of cabbage. Sept. 6th thru 8th - missing Sept. 9th - This was another apartment we looked at, it had a lot of character and a great location and look how huge this private balcony is. But it was run down and the land lord wanted to raise the price so we took ourselves out of the running.

Project 365 - 6-11

2009-10-09T21:27:00.006+02:00

I loved the idea of taking a photo EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR but it just has not happened so I've decided to keep trying and if I miss a day, I'll note that. The first day I missed was day 10. Aug. 24th - I started the refinishing/upholstering this chair for my friend's baby's 1st Birthday. It's an antique that I picked up last year in my chair phase. Aug. 25th - A colleague and I hosted the tutors for a raclette dinner (we didn't use the real raclette cheese). It was a nice evening but the only picture I took was of setting up the table. I love raclette. Aug. 26th - Today we looked at a nice apartment practically across the street from where we live now. It was great but we didn't get it because we were not ready to move in Sept. 1. Look at that bath tub, someone is going to enjoy a nice relaxing bubble bath in there. Aug. 27th - This is the only picture I took on the 27th and we were goofing off, oh well we are fun people. Aug, 28th is without a photo. Aug 29th - I finished that chair and made a bow out of the leftover fabric. Kayla's birthday is Sept. so, just in time, hope she likes it!

Californication

2009-10-07T01:07:00.003+02:00

I've been sick for almost an entire week. I've been to the doctor twice and he seems to think I just need time and rest (no swine flu for me). So, I needed to find something to occupy my time. Naturally, I turned to the internet, although I did watch a bit of trashy MTV on the projector (we don't own a conventional TV and I love it). You know an MTV show is super trashy when they don't even bother with voice overs in German, just a text translation and I love it. Anyway, I can't lay in bed and watch actual streaming TV so I turned to my lap top. I actually got sick just in time for the return of the fall schedule in the US and thanks to the Internet I am caught up on EVERYTHING.
Going beyond my favorites and the new Pilots, I needed something else to occupy my time that fit within my low energy attention span. Welcome Californication. I always liked the name of the show but hadn't had much of an idea of the plot. I assumed it took place in California but now I know it is a lot more about fornication than California. The main character is a novelist with a teenage daughter and a baby mama otherwise known as his soul mate. He chases her and they raise their daughter together. Sometimes they are together, sometimes they are not, when they're off, he's catching up on his fornication in California. The underlying theme seems to be sex drugs and rock and roll, it's clear why this is Showtime's baby. I'm not sure if it is at all reflective of life in California but it's not that far off from the Hills and that was a reality show. Either way, it's captivating. In 3 day's I've watched two full seasons and will easily watch the 2 episodes (I've already seen the most recent one) of the current third season tomorrow.
Anyone else watching this show? What other series came out in the past 3 years that I may have missed while being out of the country? I still have 3 days of being home sick and will surely require further entertaining.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

2009-09-03T11:05:00.004+02:00

I live in Germany. I work at a German University. I want to take a German course. There are German courses offered at the University. I am not allowed to take them. Today was thebreaking point. For a week, I had been waiting to hear back from the woman in charge of courses. She called me back today, I was optimistic based on our last conversation. She told me she looked into it and since I am not an exchange student, I will be unable to take a course. The best (scharciasm is necessary) part, the decision was made by the various departments because doctoral canidates do not need German. While this is true to a point, I have to attend staff meetings in German, my students mostly speak German and the majority of hte administrative staff at the University speaks only German, but it is not necessary for my job and thus I can't have a course. Seriously? I got so frustrated when, after a year of searching for a course, I hit this wall I just cried, in. my. office. - talk about professional. **Update: I have a German course. I had a meeting with my boss this afternoon and expressed my frustrations (in a much calmer way than above). She called the business school and now I have a German course. I have no idea about the level, all I know is it meets 3 hours per week and they will let me in. She told me to try it out and I am more than happy to do so. Yay German!

Good Things Come in Small Packages Part 1

2009-09-01T16:22:00.008+02:00

Edit: This post was written for the wedding blog but I posted it in the wrong place. Since it is so photo heavy, I am having trouble moving and don't want to start over but thought I should explain the RI/wedding references. Apologies for the confusion. I just found this link via a Tweet and it inspired me to start posting about RI. If you have not been to RI, and I know this includes about 10% or so of our guest list, hopefully you will learn a little bit about the smallest state in the nation.

The focus of this post, in case you haven't clicked on that link is food. Particularly RI specialties. Let's take a bit of a culinary photo tour featuring the foods I grew up on and nicely compiled in the link above, shall we.

Starting with what I like to call cold pizza. This culinary delight is a native Rhode Islander, best from Crugnale's bakery or any bakery in Cranston. Sometimes it is referred to as bakery pizza (because you buy it at a bakery, not a pizza shop) or party pizza (aou will find it at EVERY party). Since I just told you you can find it at every party, I guess this should be on our wedding menu, maybe the caters will let us bring some in. In looking for a photo, I found some cute commentary, you can read about cold pizza from a fellow transplanted Rhode Islander. I loved this quote, "...you can find it here and there in the Northeast. But Rhode Island owns the niche."

Moving on, you will need a nice refreshing treat and you MUST have a Del's soft frozen lemonade while in RI. Pictured is the watermelon and lemon variety. As a kid, we only had the lemon, followed by lemon lite and then watermelon. Last May, I went to Del's and found a whole selection of new flavors but I still prefer the original. Mr. Lemon in Providence is rumored to be better than Del's (which is a BIG statement to make in RI) but I can't sing their praises since the one time I had it, ended in a car accident (I was sitting in the back seat). Del's is a must "eat" while in the ocean state and available at several Del's shops, trucks and carts.

Photo Source

Now that we left the snack food behind, let's talk main dish in the form of a Lobster Roll (the picture here looks so delicious but was too big for my blog and I couldn't do the necessary resizing right now). The lobster roll is the ultimate in fancy meets casual. You can get one of these babies at a clam shack or a formal restaurant. In the right area, you can even buy one from McDonald's during the summer. Think lobster tail chopped up with a dressing in a toasted hot dog style bun with a pickle on the side, nom nom nom. I was never a fan of the lobster roll, until I tried one (in 2006), unfortunately I'm not in RI during the summer enough to tell you where to eat my favorite but I'm sure you could find one on your own. I have never had the McD's version but would not make that your first.

For a seafood treat that I am a lot more familiar with, try some clam cakes and chowder (say: chow-da). The basic ingredients in clam chowder are clams, potatoes and onions, often other ingredients are added and every chef has his or her own twist. There are three main types of clam chowder available in RI.

For the purists, there is the ever elusive, RI chowder, sometimes referred to as quahog chowder. When done right this is super delicious but not on many menus.

Photo source

The always available and my choice is New England or White clam chowder. I love to drop in oyster crackers or dip my clam cakes! I am trying really hard to get this on the wedding menu. If you want an upscale version, try the Blue Fin Grill in the Providence Marriott, they serve New England clam chowder year round, clam cakes are not on the menu but the calamari appetizer is pretty good too if you are looking for a pairing but be sure to share, the chowder is filling.

The third type of clam chowder is Manhattan or red, which is the favorite of my mom, a non seafood eater. This is also easily available at most clam shacks or seafood restaurants. Typically it is more of a soup and less clammy than the others (which naturally explains why mom likes it so much).

Photo source

You MUST pair your chowder with clam cakes. These deep fried little guys are not light and I would not recommend more than 3 per sitting, your stomach will thank you later. The ones pictured below are from what is quite possibly, my favorite clam shack by the beach, Aunt Carries.

Photo source

All of this delicious RI food is making my mouth water and my stomach grumble so I am going to stop daydreaming and think about a more realistic dinner. Don't think that's all RI has to offer, I will be back with more temptation from the smallest state.

Sunday Fun Day

2009-09-01T10:58:00.006+02:00

My day went something like this... bike, train, wine, bike, wine, bike, photos (repair pause), bike, wine, lunch, bike, ice cream and sekt, bike, wine, bike, strasenbahn, bike. This sequence could never happen in the US for so many reasons but it was such as great day, the US should really rethink that public consumption lay and encourage cycling and riding public transportation, it would all make people happier and is great for the environment. I digress, back to the story...

Last Sunday, along with 330,000 people, we went on a cycling tour in the Pfaltz, along the Germany wine street. One day per year, the street is closed to all motorized traffic until 6pm, in this time cyclists, in line skaters and a few walkers descend on the Pfaltz to sample the regional wine and culinary delights. We arrived at the station to learn our train was delayed, after a 20 minute wait, we barely made it into the train in Mannheim. The bike car below is intended to carry 12 bicycles and was one of two on this train, looks like DB was not ready to meet the demand. We anticipated riding the train to Neustadt but decided to get off one stop earlier and bike to the trail to avoid being overwhelmed by people and bikes at the station. You can see a map of the wine street for the event here. We started toward the middle and rode north.

Once on the trail, we were instantly convinced by the apres-ski style music. There were so many cyclists, I was overwhelmed. About 10 minutes into our ride, we stopped for our first wine schorle (Riesling with sparkling water in case you forgot). Prost!

Our stop was at a roadside tent manned by a dive club. They were very prepared but it was still 11am and most people were just starting out. I think we were the first group to stop here. The schorle was refreshing and the dive team was more than happy to entertain us. They even let us sample their flammkuchen. Excited for the day ahead of us, we rejoined the trail and continued our trek in the direction of Deidesheim, set to meet more friends for lunch at 1. We soon realized we had an hour to ride 4km and decided to stop again.

This time we had a sweet schorle which was very nice. It tasted a bit like a berry ginger ale in case you were wondering. Soon we were biking through the vineyards.

The weather was just perfect but our trek was about to hit a real roadblock. Patrick spent the better part of Saturday getting his bicycle in line on account of the fact that it has not been used since before he went to the US in 2005. He replaced the chain and checked both tires for leaks. It was at this point in our day that the new chain broke. It literally snapped off his bike. Luckily we were pretty close to a bike help station set up by the TKW.

While the bike was on the operating table (they literally put it on a table to fix the chain), the girls wandered into the wine fields for a brief photo shoot.

About one hour and 20 EUR later we were back on the trail and late for lunch. Luckily the friends we were set to meet were also running late and we were able to flag them down as they rode past. I managed to take a picture of the schorle but we were hungry and the camera was away by the time the food came. I had a delicious home made bratwurst and I am generally not a fan of the brats so this was either really good or I was hungry, I would tend to argue in favor of the former.

After lunch we were on the move again, heading towards Wachenheim, home of Schloss Wachenheim which is actually a winery famous for their Sekt. We were not without proper castles. We found this one along the way, we first saw it from a distance when we stopped looking for meat skewers and found an American flag (only waffles so we moved on). When we got closer, it was really picture perfect.

So perfect, in fact, that we asked another cyclist to take our group photo with the castle in the background.

All in all it was a great day and we all instantly agreed to do it again next year. I think this may be my favorite photo from the day, we all look so naturally happy and the sun is shining and the castle is peaking out. This was also where the pony rides were offered by the same family who was selling grilled horse meat but that's a different story.

365 : 1-5

2009-08-23T22:52:00.004+02:00

I mentioned before that I would start Project 365 on my Birthday and use this as the medium. I'm doing the version where you take a photo of something each day, not necessarily your face, and include a brief caption/explanation. Ideally, it will be fun to look back on and remember what I did each day during the year. This may be mostly self serving but I decided to post the pictures to hopefully provide a glimpse into my daily life in Germany. August 19-23, 2009. 19.08.09 -Patrick took me to an amazing 4 course dinner in the wine region to celebrate my birthday. This was my main, sea bass. We drank a white wine made from red grapes for the first time, it was from the winery. 20.08.09 - This was the hottest day of the year and Mannheim recorded the highest temperature in Germany. After work, Nina and I headed to the lake in Heddesheim, we waited in line to get in and swam as late as 7pm! This picture was taken around 8pm as we readied ourselves to leave. 21.08.09 - Went shopping to prepare for the B-Day/end of summer BBQ I am hosting tomorrow. This is what a BBQ for 20 guests looks like. 22.08.09 - Birthday BBQ was a success, served burgers and dogs and everyone sang the German Happy Birthday song to me, it is much nicer than the simple English Happy Birthday. 23.08.09 - Baked my own Birthday cake to bring to the office tomorrow. Since half the dept. was on vacation on my actual birthday we will have cake at the jour fixe. It's a Betty Crocker mix and frosting and I can't remember the last time I ate an Americna box cake, I hope it will be as moist as I remember. Brought the box and frosting in my suitcase from my trip to the US last Feb. just so I could make a birthday cake.

August 19th

2009-08-19T17:10:00.003+02:00

Twenty six years ago today I was born and this is the first birthday I have ever spent at work (or school for that matter). I have been working (at least during the summer) since my sixteenth birthday thus I have had 10 previous opportunities to work on my birthday and have avoided each of them. I know this is kind of a lame topic but I'm sitting at work, waiting for the day to end and realize this is not the way to spend a birthday. My colleagues and I all went to a nice lunch at the Bootshaus overlooking the river and it was a perfect day for sitting on the deck and celebrating the day.

As a summer baby, I have had some pretty good birthdays. As a kid, pool parties were always a possibility but hardly happened due to the weather. I had more than one outdoor party though and I recall one at Papa Ginos, although none were actually on the 19th. As I got older, I've spent my birthday at an amusement park, at Alton Jones, on the beach, on Block Island (with Patrick), and last year on vacation (Oslo). As is the German way, this year I will be hosting an American style birthday BBQ in my honor (it's kind of weird to throw your own birthday party as an adult but that's how it is, make your own cake and bring it into the office too) on the weekend. There will be hot dogs and cheeseburgers and watermelon if all goes as planned.

I always took the day off. This year, my birthday fell on a very quiet Wednesday and I couldn't justify using the vacation day since I am trying to save as many as possible to carry over into next year so I figured I'd try the office thing. Besides, pathetic as it sounds, what else would I do when everyone else is working, the lake is not fun alone and we are too far from any ocean, the only place I would spend the day alone. My boss even suggested I leave after lunch but I figured I would wait for Patrick to pick me up so here I am, waiting. He's up to something but the only thing I know is we have a date this evening.

Well, here's to 26. I'm officially over the hump and getting closer to 30 everyday. In order to document the first year of my second quarter century, I am going to start (and finish) a Project 365. I am not sure if this will be the main place I post the photos but I'll at least put some up here, maybe a weekly photo post. I haven't taken today's photo yet but it will be forthcoming and potentially document previously mentioned surprise.

I'm over working on my birthday so I'm off to enjoy the rest of the day while the sun is still shining.

Mt. Fuji Part 2

2009-08-11T10:45:00.003+02:00

I left you hanging for a while on this one. Was I trying to build suspense? Not really, I just got distracted by other things and sort of forgot that I promised a second part. Since it has been so long and I put the photos on Facebook, I'm sure most of you know how this is going to end but in case you are unaware of the outcome of our climb, I'll indulge myself in the story once more. When we last left off, we could not see the mountain, and headed home with our bellies full of Indian food to make a plan for the next day. We explored the Hostel a bit, tried to get on the broken Internet and resorted to reading a tour book from 2007 when the Internet was not revived. I borrowed a DVD from the TV room and we headed to our room to watch the movie on the lap top Patrick insisted on lugging throughout the trip. I must take advantage of this opportunity to point out that we NEVER used the laptop and I ended up carrying it in my luggage after the third day. I was against bringing a lap top from the start but Patrick insisted it would come in handy. I quickly realized my 3 prong plug was not going to get into the 2 prong outlet and gave up on the movie. We resigned to an early night in favor of an early morning exploratory trip. When we got up the next morning, the hostel van was heading to the train station with some departing travelers so we asked if we could hitch a ride. From the train station, we proceeded to wander around another part of the lake. There were several tourist shops on this side along with the tour boat we contemplated and some paddle boats shaped like swans. Patrick really wanted a to rent a paddle boat but at about 20EUR per half hour we took a pass. There was also a rope line over hydrangea bushes and up into a small mountain that did not appeal to us. We browsed the shops and thought about taking the bus to the 5th station and back just so we could at least visit Mt. Fuji as it was still completely hidden by cloud cover. Hungry and indecisive, we headed back to the hostel to regroup. As we were getting back, I overheard a few new friends saying their post hike goodbyes. Being the American that I am and recognizing their nationality in their accents, I approached one of the girls to inquire about the mountain. Apparently they began their assent the previous night and reached the summit just in time to see a beautiful sunrise. I was now convinced that we needed to do the same. We were here to climb the mountain and I would be disappointed to go home without even trying. Armed with the bus schedule, Partrick was an easy sell. We were off for a quick lunch, followed by a supply trip to 7/11 and a 2 hour nap before catching the last bus. Once we reached the 5th station it was about 7pm and still light. Full of energy and adrenaline, we began our hike. Sorry, now it's time for the suspense, the photos are not on this computer and I can't go any further without visual aids.

This is Not What You Think It Is

2009-08-04T19:12:00.003+02:00

I'm not becoming a health food nut or turning this into an exercise/weight loss blog. However, I wanted to tell the world I've started counting calories and I love it. I feel so much more aware of my actions now. I started biking to work more often because I can burn about 120 calories just going to work and back at a leisurely pace. I need to get to and from the office anyway, may as well kill some calories on the way. Last week was my first full week of this calorie counting with the assistance of www.caloriecount.about.com and I already lost 3lbs. I know it is not healthy to continue at that pace and I'm sure my body will adjust but it's still exciting. Here's to a healthier slimmer version of me by Christmas. I'm still working on the healthy but the Calorie Counter stores all of my foods for the last 2 months so I can see that I maybe should not have had ice cream 3 times last week (only one scoop on each occasion) but I've also started eating more veggies and less food in general and I'm wicked excited to keep going. Once I get the calories down, I'll start reducing saturated fats.

Can You Tell?

2009-07-30T20:53:00.004+02:00

I got a new camera while in Japan (Narita airport on the way home to be exact). All photos in the previous post were taken with my new camera. Can you tell the difference? Is it for the better? The new camera is 9 mega pixel Sanyo a point and shoot camera/video camera, if you like the results and want to know the exact model just ask via comments. It was a complete impulse buy which actually surprised for several reasons. 1) I have a perfectly good camera that even takes good quality video clips. 2) I talked myself out of buying a super cute and waterproof camera just days prior based on reason #1. 3) The vacation was over, it's not like I could even justify this purchase with immediate use. 4) I pledged to myself that I would not buy anything unnecessary in 2009 and while this was focused on clothes and shoes, I didn't NEED a new camera. However, I am not having buyers remorse. It is super cute , easy to use and holds way more video than my Cannon. It also has a rechargeable battery and the shop assistant gave me a nice little converter to switch the plug from Euro to US (Japanese) when I travel. It has a flip around screen to improve those self (or duo) portraits, we all know I love to take. Best of all, it is no bigger than my current point and shoot and also stores to an SD-Card. I've never bought a camera with out either personal or Internet reviews and now that I have read some on this one, I'm not sure I would have purchased it as I've seen mixed reviews, but it received a very good in a meta analysis so that may have convinced me. I haven't had enough time to really give it a proper approval but thus far, I like it. The controls are super simple, the only downfall is it is a bit slow on taking pictures but I am confident that with a bit more use, I will figure out how to adjust this in settings. My one true negative on this camera is that the lens does not close so you need to me careful to avoid smudge marks and scratches. Don't worry, I resisted the urge to get the pink one and went with a red version with a matte finish.

22km to Heidelberg

2009-07-27T14:28:00.007+02:00

I am taking a break from the Japan posts but not a break from the photos, I will give you a peak into one of the nicest summer days this year. On a whim, a friend and I decided to take a bike ride to Heidelberg on Sunday and the weather happened to be on our side. Blue skies and fluffy white clouds guided our way along the river, through; fields (including one especially nice sunflower field), parks (where sunbathing was the topic of the day) and villages until we arrived in the old part of the University city, Heidelberg. It took us about an hour and a half and would have only been a 15 minute journey by train but it was Sunday and we had time.

After a cool sweet lunch at my new favorite place in HD, we walked about the city for a bit, and then stopped to chat over a Radler (half beer, half sprite and all refreshment). Eventually we hopped on a train back to Mannheim, two happy girls with bicycles and some odd new tan lines. Welcome summer.

Mt. Fuji Part I

2009-07-26T09:01:00.011+02:00

Mt Fuji was one of my most anticipated destinations of the trip. I researched the climb on the Internet and we made some decisions about how and when we would attack Japan's highest peak. We booked ourselves a backpacker's hostel a short distance from the train station in the lakes region. From the train station, we knew we would need to take a bus to the fifth station of the mountain and hike from there. We were prepared with a headlamp, gloves and waterproof jackets for hiking through the night. The plan was to arrive, check-in, sleep a bit then wake up for the adventure and return to the hotel the next day for another nap and relaxed day by the lake. We arrived a bit later than anticipated because of rain and train transfers (only one train runs to the station we needed). Upon arrival, we were tired and could not see the mountain but were not yet discouraged. While Patrick took care of checking in, i took advantage of the Internet access computers in the lobby. Sitting next to me were two guys so I took the opportunity to ask about the mountain. One had been up the night before and everything he had to say was negative - cold, wind, rain, fog, no sunrise (I think everyone makes the climb for the sunrise). He returned wet, miserable and tired. He also pointed out that it is just too early in the climbing season for these overnight hikes. My research told me the season runs from July 1 to the end of August and I was excited to be one of the first hikers of the season on July 2/3 climb.

We went to our room, took a quick photo break to appreciate its Japanese style and discussed our options. Neither of us were motivated to tackle the mountain tonight, especially after the description from the guy in the lobby so we decided to take the rest of the evening to explore the area a bit, have dinner and make a decision for tomorrow.

Hiking seemed like it was not going to happen so we began to consider other options such as a lake cruise (the instant favorite), paddle boats shaped like whales (Patrick's favorite), a rope line up a different mountain (kind of stupid) or possibly taking the bus to the mountain in the morning and exploring the 5th station without hiking further (I at least wanted to be on the mountain since we were so close). We didn't make a decision but it was time for dinner so we went exploring.

First we found the lake. There were a few locals fishing and a few touristy looking boats docked for the evening. It was mostly quite but very pretty in our small alcove.

We knew there had to be more and our tummies were getting anxious so we left the lake and headed for town. I can't really call this place a city because it was so small. I was craving sushi but that was not on the menu this evening. Our restaurant choices were limited to Chinese, a cafeteria style Japanese place, Moss Burger (Japanese burgers and coffee), 7-11 or a small Indian restaurant. Based on delicious experiences in Tokyo, we chose Indian and were not disappointed.

After filling our tummies we headed back towards the lake, partly because it was on the way and partly because I wanted to see what was on the other side of the bridge (crossing the bridge to the next town was also an option for the next day).

While on the bridge I tried to find the mountain. If were were going to see it from anywhere, this was our chance. However, neither of us could find more than the base of any mountain so it was hard to distinguish what may be Mt. Fuji. Patrick asked the first Japanese man to pass and he pointed us in the right direction. Mt. Fuji is that way. Don't you see it? he laughed at us and continued on his way. We laughed too, this was hopeless.

Big in Japan

2009-07-22T19:38:00.009+02:00

Patrick is really not that tall but he stood out in Japan.

On our first day in Japan our friends* took us to lunch and then we visited a shopping plaza. Shopping plaza sounds a bit fancy but it was just like any collection of stores sharing a semi-communal parking lot you would find in the US (think RT. 1 in MA) or Germany (think Real and Baumarkt type, not downtown), nothing special there. we made three stops. First to Uni Qlo which is the Japanese equivalent of H&M and was semi familiar to me from my time in London. Next we went to a 100 Yen shop which I had heard so much about. 100 Yen is traditionally about 1 USD so I didn't expect it to be so different from a Dollar store but it was a bit more chaotic and there were many things over a dollar. I could best describe it as an over packed Family Dollar with some additional neon colors.

A view inside the shop.

While wandering around and trying to control our overstimulated senses I heard giggles. Clearly Patrick and I are foreign and, unlike in Germany, I didn't need to open my mouth to confirm my foreign status. Two young girls were following us and when they realized we were onto them, then they linked arms, marched up to us and said "Hello, how are you?" in the sweetest most polite English. We responded and then it was my turn to giggle - we had groupies. They followed us for the remainder of our stay and randomly asked other questions such as "what is your name?" and "Where are you from?" All of the talking was done by one well spoken little girl named Megan (maybe she spent some time in the US as Megan is not common in Japan and neither is speaking English) who could not have been more than 8 years old. Each time she would come up to us, she would accumulate more giggling children. Before we left, I asked Megan and her first friend whose name I have since forgotten if I could take their picture. hey were happy to oblige and even grabbed another friend for the shot.

Megan is on the left in the stripes and her original partner (sister) is in the cameo on the right.

In case you were wondering - and we defiantly were - there is no reason behind the peace sign in photos. ALL Japanese do it and when we asked no one could explain the motivation, our friends did not even think of it as a sign of peace. We observed photo subjects of all ages doing this and even adopted it in several shots - when in Rome...

The entourage became a bit overwhelming so we left. Our next stop was a brief trip to the Supermarket next door in search of a "Fanta furufuru shaker," an only in Japan half soda half gelatin beverage Patrick saw on YouTube and needed to try. Apparently it is a relatively new product in Japan and was not available at that supermarket so we headed back to base and had fresh edemame followed by coffee and cake with the family before going to dinner (did I mention we just ate lunch).

*Patrick's family has been friends with a Japanese family since he was in kindergarten so when I mention our Japanese friends, it is this family, I only met them on our visit but they were so nice and friendly I consider them my friends now too.

I Like Charades and Fish

2009-07-21T20:51:00.005+02:00

Sometimes speaking to our Japanese friends was like playing charades. My favorite was when they sent us SMSs (TXTs for the Americans) with clip art and moving icons. Once Youmi sent photo message which also included two wine glasses "prosting" and a waving Hello Kitty. I couldn't handle the cuteness! Anyway, I decided it would be fun to start my Japan recaps with a bit of a photo post. Let's hope my meager blogger formatting skills can get me through this. On our third day in Tokyo, we woke up at the crack of dawn (3:30am to be exact) to visit the Tsukiji (say: Skijee) fish market. We heard from several people and tour books that this was an unique attraction not to be missed and you better show up early to witness thee Tuna auction. Our local friend had never been but as wiling t pick us up so early. After we found a parking spot and avoided several forklift drivers while running across the lot in the rain, we saw this and knew we were in the right place. It is true, there is a lot of packaging waste in Japan and the fish market is no exception. We quickly ducked inside out of the rain and made our way to the auctuction floor. It was a lot like the Chicago mercintile exchange, but a bit more literal. Once the fish were accounted for, they were quickly slid across the floor and loaded onto forklifts for delivery into the ajoining market. After they reached their new owners, the frozen Tunafish were cut up with electric saws and large knives. Tuna were the only fish avaliable at the auction but the expansive market sold every type of seafood I could imagine and then some, including this bright guy and giant mussels. Once we had an eyeful of tuna and sea creatures, we were off in search of breakfast. Our Japanese friend searched out what I equate to a Japanese diner. The other guests were fresh off their night shifts when we arrived around 7am. Unfortunately, I can't eat so early but Patrick enjoyed a delicious looking spread of fresh fish, rice an miso soup.The soup looked so good, I had one and best of all it was served by this woman: so it must be authentic.

AK-47 and a truck

2009-07-17T20:16:00.003+02:00

Does God want us to have guns? WWJD? Would he carry a gun "they didn't have guns back then but I believe he would carry a sword if he needed it but he wouldn't need it, he's so powerful." Seriously, watch the clip yourself, I think this anchor woman did a good job of keeping her cool. So glad I'm from New England.

USA

2009-07-15T19:11:00.002+02:00

I am proud to be an American (most of the time) and I really do love my country. July 4th is one of my favorite days of the year. I begin with this because what I am about to say is pretty critical of the US. Over the past few years, I've had the opportunity to experience the world outside of the US for an extended period of time and it has really opened up my eyes when it comes to US stereotypes and anti-American sentiment. At the moment, I'm watching the live coverage of Hilary Clinton's speech.
CNN is getting all in a twitter about Hil's mention of Twitter, pun intended, but I don't really think that was a main point. Mrs. Clinton stated several times that there are current global challenges that no country can take on alone, which sounded very cooperative. However, she followed with a statement about how no challenges can be solved without the US. This is where I can understand anti-US feelings. It just comes off as cocky at a time when the US literally can't afford to be perceived as such. Hello, we are in debt and in the middle of a world economic crisis which started in the US. Clinton, in no uncertain terms, referred to the US military as the strongest in the world. She also mentioned the US commitment to reduce nukes and ensure they are not used. I am all too aware, after visiting Hiroshima, that several countries possess enough nukes to annihilate the population of the world. I guess it does not matter how strong your army is if you piss off the wrong person.
I know this sounds like a rant, but I am truly worried for my country. We have an elitist attitude based on an elitist past. As Hil mentioned, we can not live in the past and we must deal with challenges in the present. She also referred to a diminished image of the US as of recent. A professor speaking to Doctoral students about publishing our work recently said, don't tell us how important your results are, show it. This is immediately what I thought as I listened to Hil. I think we need to seriously improve our world image and maybe the road to change needs to begin with a bit of realism. I believe the US has the ability to regain that top position in the world and Obama is certainly positioning himself to be an international leader but the steps taken along the way will soon show how well US actions are received in the world and I am done listening to what the Secretary of State tells me the US is capable of and ready to see the results.
On a related note, legislation is in the works for mandatory health care in the US. This has the potential to be life changing for many people and I am waiting to see what comes out before the legislature goes on August break.

Japan

2009-07-14T21:07:00.005+02:00

As you know, we were in Japan for the past 2 weeks. I don't even know where to begin. I want to share so many impressions and stories from Tokyo to Fuji to Kyoto and especially Hiroshima, I took so much away from this trip. It was anything but relaxing but I would consider it a perfect vacation (even though we never made it to the beach). There was meeting of new old friends, engulfing in a completely foreign culture and still some of familiar things from the US made unexpected appearances, it is a baseball country after all. I ate less sushi than expected and enjoyed more naan bread than anticipated. The days were hotter an wetter than I believed possible and Fuji was colder than I would have liked. Tokyo was not as crowed as I had imagined but much larger then I knew. Hiroshima was filled with history and hope but lacked beaches, Miojima made u for the coast but the jungle was off limits. Patrick fell in love with Kyoto but quickly came to the realization that we would never see all of its historic sights (with 1 World Heritage sites along, i never imagined we would gt close). We bought yukatas (think summer kimono) and Japanese tea cups. We frequented 7-11 for the ATM and Vitamin Water and we walked a lot. The weather prevented us from summiting Mt. Fuji but it was for the best, we had a good climb and now understand the Japanese saying which implies you are a fool to climb twice. I have literally thousands of photos on 3 SD cards and a couple of videos which I have just begun uploading. I want to share so many but it will take me some time to get over this jet lag and sort through them. I can imagine I will get about one Japan story in blog form per week. Here are a few teasers:

Ranting

2009-07-14T21:07:00.001+02:00

I just got off the phone with the IRS, why I was on the phone was irrelevant but the conversation I had made me say WTF! I spoke with a very nice woman and of course needed to provide my current address for confirmation. When she confirmed my address she commented on what a great phone connection we had -hello it is not 1980 I could call you over the internet and have a good connection. She answered my question and after providing the mailing address I needed asked if I like living abroad. I was a bit taken aback because call center operators don't usually make small talk. I paused briefly and then answered with a simple yes in order to avoid divulging details of my life to a woman who has my personal file open on her computer complete with social security number and all I know about her is her last name. Without hesitation, she countered my yes by saying she would never live outside of her United States. Of course, I love my country (USA) but I firmly believe no one from any country should have an attitude of superiority and ignorance toward the rest of the world. I simply stated "there's so much more out there" I intended to leave it here and end the call. I guess I underestimated the American ability to have a conversation with a stranger. She began gushing about how the US is the best because it is a new country. I don't think 200+ years is all that new anymore but that was not up for discussion. I told her we need to be more open to other cultures and be aware of what we can learn from other countries. She said something about the infrastructure and I explained to her how, in Germany, short work weeks have been instated in many companies in order to minimize layoffs and gave her an example of the benefits for the person, firm and government. At that point, she told me how the economic downturn needed to happen because people were spending above their means. I agreed with her (I do think consumer spending was unsustainable but I also feel for the people who are now unemployed and would not go as far as to say I was glad this recession happened). That was a long story to illustrate the real views of SOME Americans. I don't get why people think they are better than everyone else simply because of their country of origin and also question why others hate them based on their nationality. This was a very fitting time for me to have this conversation since I spoke with a student this morning who is about to study in the US. To be fair he has already done a year of high school and a semester of his MBA but he is going back to finish. Moral of the story is that we both agreed Europeans see the advantages of studying and working outside of their home country but Americans are much more hesitant to leave. Maybe we could blame the Atlantic ocean but I am kind if in love with the Atlantic so it can do no wrong in my mind. ;) Seriously, I really and truly believe it is so important for Americans to prove the stereotypes wrong and open our minds to other cultures. The melting pot may have boiled over but the world is only getting smaller and America is no longer the super power it once was from an economic, cultural or military standpoint. We need to face facts and make improvements if we ever hope to regain status in the world otherwise we will be consumed by China, and the EU. Look at the dollar, at one point ALL countries were on fixed exchange rates against the US dollar which was backed by gold now it is worth less than the EURO, GBP (sometimes Swiss Franc) and reached an all time low against the Yen. The world is changing American needs to adapt and we as Americans need to become aware of our surroundings and teach our children a second language from grade school! That's my rant, feel free to share yours in the comments, promise I'll read.

Bachies Finale

2009-06-04T21:02:00.003+02:00

This is the University where I work - it is a castle, literally.

Yesterday was the last lecture of the semester for all the Bachelor students at the University of Mannheim and it was glorious. In case you haven't guessed, this was also the last lecture of the first course I co-organized. It was also the first bachelor class to graduate from the University which sounds crazy but you must remember that Germany did not have a bachelor/master degree structure previously so you could only get a diplom. Anyway, I think I was as excited as some of the students to see the course come to a close and anticipate having free time on Wednesdays again so I can focus on my own research. Of course, there are still grades to distribute and exams to administer and correct but the lectures are over.
During this last lecture I was quickly reminded that there is no such thing as a dry campus in Germany and it was odd. First of all, we noticed a few students with sunglases on inside and a couple who brought along a beer. About 10 minutes into the lecture the class got loud and we heard yelling from the hallway then three students entered. These students were dressed rather unusually, kind of Germany's version of white trash - a wife beater, sweat pants and socks with adidas type slides. They were appropriately accessorized with cliche tattoos, a grocery store bag of "stuff" and large cans of beer (5,0 brewed in Braunscherig), one even wore a mullette wig. They stopped in the front of the class and yelled something in a crazy accent then popped their beers and "prosted" the class in unison. At this point we realized there were more drinkers in the class than I thought becasue suddenly they wanted to be part of the toast. The class erupted in laughter and applause, I didn't know how to react. They just intereupted the professor's lecture and loudly drank beer in front of the classroom but it was funny, but I'm her support staff - can I laugh? I was not confused for long, when I looked away from our visitors, I noticed my professor laughing uncontrollably so much so that she stopped lecturing and asked the students if they had an extra beer for her. It was all in good fun and she recognized that. The students climbed over some empty chairs and "ordered" others to move so they could sit in the center of the lecture hall and maintained character throughout. At one point, they showed their appriciation of the professor by yelling (in the crazy accent) at the rest of the students to be quiet or go home so they could listen and when I needed a volunteer Mr. Mullett quickly volunteered one of his wingmen who executed without a problem. The lecture went off without any (other) major distractions and I learned that drinking on cmpus is not terrible. I really have no idea how this would go oveer at URI, I guess it would depend mostly on the professor and his or her sense of humor and respect for the rules. Who knows, maybe URI's days as a dry campus will soon come to an end with the end of Bobby C.'s reign.
Yesterday was also monumental for our department as one of my colleagues became a Doctor, the first one from our department of which she was a founding assistant in 2005. Congratulations Dr. S if you find this!! It was super exciting/emotional for all of us and motivating to me in a way that i can't explain. Every time I am in the atrium of the building in which the theses defense takes place, I see the candidates surronded by family and friends who have come to show their support (and grad students who have come to say congratulations, maybe fantasize and enjoy the refreshments). These occasions make me think of my family coming over to support me on my day. I don't even know if they will be able to but, I hope my parents and my brothers and my aunts and uncles and cousin will be there to see me become a doctore one day (I have a few years). It means so much to me that I've alread put the bug in their ears and mentioned a trip to Rome as a celebration/bribe. One da it will be my turn but there is a lot of hard work and luck standing between me and that day.
In case you were wondering FoKuHiLa (pronounced as foecoheela) is the Geramn word for mullett which I happened to learn ast weekend. The first letter should be the only capital letter but I capitalized the others to point out that it is actually a word play of sorts comprised of (Forna Kurtz, Hinter Lange) which translates to Front short, back long. Proving once again that Germany truely deserves it place as the most low context culture and a common textbook example.

Finished Product

2009-05-16T21:21:00.003+02:00

Today, I completed my chair. I didn't actually build the chair but I gave it a new life.Yay for recycling! This chair was old and wooden with a terrible cork looking (but actually not) seat. I guess I should have taken a before picture for reference but I have another chair just like it so I will try to remember the before picture next time. I rescued these two chairs on my way home from work one day last fall. From the start, I planned to sand, paint and upholster them but they sat in the garage all winter awaiting a nice spring day and a trip to the local hardware mega store for the proper tools. In case you are interested, you would need sand paper, paint, foam and a staple gun. I got the fabric from a textile shop. Total cost of materials for the two chairs was just under 25 EUR but one third of the cost was the staple gun which I can use again.
I know I said I had two chairs but there is only one here and that is where this story gets a bit more interesting. Unbeknown to me someone had completely reinforced the other chair with screws and glue around the seams which means I was unable to remove the cork looking seat. At this point, I do not have the set of two I was hoping for, however, I have two options. the first and plan would be to go through with the sanding and painting of the other chair as is and upholster the entire bottom, not just the seat bit and maybe the top so it matches. This is more difficult because all of the seams would be visible and thus I would need to cover the staples and make sure all of the lines of the fabric line up on two sides. Option number two at first seemed unnecessary but may actually be the easiest. Apparently this was a popular chair style in its day because when we were at Patrick's parents' house last Christmas, I noticed they had one just like it sitting in the kitchen. When I mentioned that I recently picked up two identical chairs his mom offered me hers. Since we were there by plane, I didn't have a way to bring it with me and I didn't really need 3 chairs anyway so it stayed behind. Next week, Patrick will travel to his parents house by car so there is a possibility for him to bring it back this time. I like this plan because then I could have two identical chairs and get a different, black and white fabric to do the third one as a coordination.
I wish everyone could see the Eurovision song contest, mostly for the incredibly ridiculous teal 80s dresses the current group (representing Iceland) is wearing! The lead singer actually looks like she is going to the prom wearing a dress inspired by one of those toiletpaper cover dolls - insane!

Dieter Thomas Kuhn

2009-05-02T22:46:00.006+02:00

Last Tuesday we celebrated my friend's Bachelorette days by going to a concert of one of her favorite performers, Dieter Thomas Kuhn. Basically he covers a bunch of 70s' songs and people dress in retro garb. I was told to dress like a hippie so I did. However, I expected pot-smoking, mellow, dirty hippies to be in attendance. It was actually super upbeat music sans drugs, dreadlocks and dirt. Here' what some of my friends wore: Because it was a Tuesday we got dressed in the office and because we are classy ladies, we walked across the city in our outfits, sunglasses down making one stop to buy two bottles of sparkling wine from a discount grocery store. We met up with the MOH and surprised our friend at her house, kidnapping her and making her dress in the van we were on our way. Once we arrived at the concert, I began to notice that EVERYONE was dressed and we were actually a bit under dressed. In keeping with German tradition for a bachelorette party, our friend had a list of things she needed to do in order to be allowed to marry (of course this is not serious but it makes it fun). One of her first tasks was to get men to sign her T-shirt. Check. Next, she needed to get 5 photos of her posing with shirtless men. This proved a bit more difficult and even though these men had nothing to hide, they refused to take their shirts off. I guess they didn't want to remove their green track suits. Apparently the band/lead singer often wears this same track suit to perform but during our show he wore something a little different. In the middle of this task the lights began to flicker so we headed into the concert hall to stake out a good place on the floor. unfortunately, several hundred people beat us to the best spots so we did our best to get close to the front of stage left. This later paid off big time when Dieter entered the audience and our bachelorette was able to talk her and 5 friends onto stage to dance with dieter. I was actually one of those friends, however, I got kicked out before I could get to the dancing part. It was probably for the best because I don't think I could have handled a solo dance with Dieter. Which reminds me, you must be wondering what Dieter wore, wonder no more you can revel in his three piece suit covered in silver sequins. Don't overlook that horrid moustache which was NOT on his face for the promo poster.

Throughout the performance, I thought he was serious and that his fans were insane. Last Friday, I wondered aloud if he wears his hair like that on a regular basis and my friend informed me that the whole show is a joke. Aparently he and his band started in the late 90s as a parody and soon found themselves playing to sold out audiences. After a couple of years, they retired on top convinced this insanity could not sustain its success and determined to quit while they were ahead. After several unsucessful attempts at their own music they disapeared. Recently they put out a new CD and began touring again to solidify their comeback. It is kind of visable that they are not in concert shape and Dieter didn't actually sing any of the songs. If you notice in that second to last photo, I was standing right next to him and could not hear his voice.
After the concert, we went to the impossibly packed afterparty, ditched for some frozen margaritas and capped the night off with a late night Italian dinner. By 4pm I was home in my bed and by 8:30 I was awake and headed to my longest day of work ever. Thanks to a large coffee, an ice cream bar and Coke light I made it through until 11:00pm the next day. I consider that a huge success.

Restoring My Faith in My People

2009-04-20T22:00:00.003+02:00

If you live in MA or ME, today you celebrate Patriot Day. Unfortunately for me, I am not now nor was I ever a MA resident which means I don't celebrate Patriot Day and I don't get a German driving licence (but that's another story). In the spirit of this little known holiday,and because I'm a fan of the New England Partiots, let me know you a story.
Last Friday, I left my office like any other day, happy to be heading home after what felt like the longest short week ever, I called Patrick to gauge his arrival at the apartment. Upon closing my phone, a girl from behind asked "Where are you from?". If you are not German, you should know this NEVER happens, Germans may listen to your conversations but they never ask personal questions on the street (or at the strassenbahn stop) which reference said conversations. For a minute, I almost ignored her, not believing she was talking to me but then I caught on and I like new friends so I answered vaguely by saying, the US. She shot back, "I know that. Where in the US?" Already I didn't like this chick with her attitude and the rest of the conversation went a little something like this:
Me: RI, where are you from? Rude Chick: I'm American too, California. Me: Oh, I had to ask since I've met several Canadians in Mannheim (true story). RC: What are you here for, studying? Me: Yup, you? RC: Me too, what are you studying? Me: Marketing RC: That's pretty boring! Me: What are you studying? RC: Graphic Design Me: (realizing the University of Mannheim does not offer Graphic design) where? RC: at the Fachoschule (kind of like community college/trade school), it's just like a college degree.
::Around this time, I am beyond done with our conversation and thankfully see my train approaching, as I try to politely excuse myself to get the train, I learn she is taking the same train, ugg::: RC:(after we go about one stop and she tells me how hard German high school is, she asks) Isn't the University in the other direction? Me: It is actually back by the stop we got on at but I'm not going to the University. RC: What stop are we at? Me: ::reads stop off of the train sign:: RC: oh my stop is next. Me: Thank God! There was a lot more conversation on the train but mostly her telling me how hard her studies are and how she is doing so well in Germany for the past 5 years and speaking German, etc. I never got her name and hope to never see her again. I went home questioning the American attitude, are we really that obnoxious? Have I been in Germany for too long? Fast forward to Monday morning. I walk to my stop on my way to work a bit earlier than normal and sitting on the bench in the stop is a girl who screams AMERICAN. First of all she is wearing a UCONN Hoodie, jeans and sneakers, topped off with a ponytail and rhinestone sunglasses on her head and a mini sport Huskies back pack. She stands out like a sore thumb in my mind but after last week's experience I don't know if I should approach her or even stay anywhere near her in case she catched onto me. For the record, I was blending in rather well with my white pants, black polo, jean jacket and black and white scarf, my hair was in a loose bun with a head band and I was carrying my Longschamp tote. I sat down next to her and took out my keys in the hope that she may notice my Vera Bradley ID holder (only an Amei would recognize a Vera pattern). It didn't work and in an effort to restore my faith in my people, I said excused myself in German and asked her if she was from CT. Apparently she was from MA but went to UCONN and is now in Germany to go to the Music school but it didn't live up to her expectations so she is soon to transfer to Holland, at UCONN she studied accounting and worked as an actuary before deciding to study opera in Europe. Her parents are both opera singers so it is in her blood. Her name is Brittney and we had a short conversation, she was very nice and talked more than I so I kind of know her life story. I guess I just needed a New Englander to restore my faith in Americans abroad. Now I can rest easy once again.

I've got Mail

2009-04-17T09:25:00.002+02:00

This morning I was pleasantly greeted with photos in my inbox. The first email was from an MBA classmate who I had all but lost touch with for the past 2 years. She had a baby in March and sent the cutest newborn photos, what exciting news! Following these pictures of the future I had another message with a photo from my past.
One of my best friends is moving across country and in the process of packing things up from his parents house, he came across a pre-digital photo from a high school era party in his back yard. I won't share the photo but will tell you it is of my favorite girls from Pawtucket and we are somehow making a human chair with our arms. Thankfully we had good taste and our outfits are not regrettable circa 1998 summer tank tops and shorts. This picture came with a note, "Wish we could all be back here again for one summer's afternoon". It really gave me something to think about on my morning commute. What are the odds that we could ever recreate that moment from the not so distant past...slim. Of the three of us in the photo, one is in NYC, the other Boston and I'm across the Atlantic, the sender is about to be in San Diego. I started thinking of great high school times I had with these three and it is hard to realize we have all grown up and moved on. It has been 10 years since we were sophomores in high school but so much has changed. We could barely drive then and now we graduated college and past our sophomore years in the real world. Maybe we will all be home for the holidays, maybe we won't. We keep in touch via phone, email and facebook but we miss birthday parties and random meetings. Thinking back to high school and even college, it was so easy to have all of your friends at arms length, walking distance even. Now I am a world away and the distance is increasing. I long for the days of bathing suits and volleyball when Mapquest could tell us how to get anywhere and we could just drive. We worked part time to pay for gas, movies and clothes and did sports every day after school. At the same time, I am happy to move forward, to accomplish things on my own and not need to depend on my parents (although I miss their swimming pool on warm summer nights) but I miss those summer days that often ran long into the night.

What a Wreck

2009-04-16T21:54:00.005+02:00

The kitchen was super clean and I just saw a recipie for cherry vanilla cupcakes and frosting today so I thought I would try my hand at making a cake from scratch. Up until now I'd only ever made cakes from packages and used frosting from the can (or whatever you want to call the plastic thing that frosting comes in) so this seemed like as good a time as any to try to bake a cake from scratch. I alreadz planned to bring my nice fluffy cake to work tomorrow and share with my colleagues. Well, as you may have guessed it didn't turn out as I was expecting...or really anything like I could ever imagine. I decided to make a chocolate cherry cake insead of vanilla because, really who does not like chocolate!? I also added a drop of red food coloring since the cherry juice made the frosting look a dirtyish pale pink but none of this mattered becasue the cake looks like this. That leaf looking thing is what I saw when I flipped the cake out of my spring form pan. I know the point of a spring form is so you don't have to flip but I wanted to see what the underside looked like. When I put in the toothpick to test if it was done I suspected the middle to be hallow. I never tried to make it hallow, all I wanted was light and fluffy. This is the most dense cake I have ever made. Oh and the frosting, don't bother. However, I will share my new found frosting knowledge that is is all butter and sugar, eww! So, I had a couple of problems and I think the main reason is that I don't own a mixer so this "cake" was completely mixed by hand with a whisk and aparently I suck at whisking. I should also admit that the frosting was looking more like a cake sauce than frosting at one point after I gave up and added lots of cherry juice so I threw in some flouer to get it back to that icing consisenct. Clearly my colleagues are not getting cake tomorrow but maybe I'll show them what they could have had haha. Betty Crocker is my new best friend. *Edit: I forgot to mention that I broke a bowl (one of my favorites) and spilled half a bag of sugar in the process of making this wreck.

Prague Pub Crawl

2009-03-28T21:56:00.005+01:00

On our last night in Prague, we decided it was time to create our own pub crawl/beer tour. There are several of these geared at tourists which range from 3 hours (including dinner) to a full night of clubs. However, it was Sunday night, we already had a favorite restaurant where we intended to eat our last dinner (except it was closed so we didn't) and we knew which local beers we wanted to try so we went rogue on this one with incredible success. There were some ground rules, we could not drink the same beer twice, we each had a must have, we would drink no more than 6 half liters each and a photo must be taken of each beer. The night was about to start off with dinner at our favorite restaurant, Geronimo. This was our favorite restaurant because it was right next door to our hotel, already served us 2 delicious dinners and was super cheap. Besides, they had Patrick's choice beer on tap so we could knock that one out early. I should mention that the Czech Republic, like Germany, is a beer country. That being said, we were surprised to find that each bar/restaurant only had one or two beers on tap. Sometimes one restaurant would have the same beer offered at 2 or 3 different levels of potency (10, 11 or 12 with the price reflecting the increase in alcohol %). Moving forward, we found the Music Cafe where we decided to have dinner and our first beer of the night. The appetizers and atmosphere were up to par (funky but not touristy) but neither of us were satisfied with out main dish. Gambrinus was on tap and we had out half liter but it was not our favorite, it was by no means a bad beer but it didn't leave a lasting impression but I would go back to this restaurant and have the schafkase appetizer with a non-local main dish, I can't handle those dumplings! We were off and looking for Budweiser since it managed to elude us all trip. I observed a sign earlier so we headed to what we thought was a pub. Upon entering, we were told they would close at 9p,. Unaware of the time due to a dead battery in my cell phone, I mentioned that we just wanted a beer and asked if we would have time for a Budvar (the local word for the brand). This is where everything unraveled. The woman who greeted us told me they only had one type of beer, Pilsner Urquell in bottles. Disappointed, we walked out and reread the menu posted outside. It appeared that what used to be a restaurant was now more of a cafe serving cake, ice cream and coffee but instead of removing the light up Budweiser sign, old menu and name of the former restaurant they simply added another (smaller and unlit) sign proclaiming Lamborghini Cafe - only Italians would find this acceptable! After taking the strassenbahn back and forth between the same two stops for 10 minutes, we found another bar very close to our hotel advertising AND serving Budweiser. From the outside this place looked impressive, large light up signs with multiple logos, a fresh coat of paint and a side street location reassuring us it is not a tourist destination. Don't judge a book by its cover. When we walked inside, this is what we saw. It looked like it may have been decorated by the owner of a Greek restaurant complete with pastel walls, random decoration, and blue carpet on the floors. There was also a sectional sofa in one corner and a DJ set up in the middle of it all complete with a keyboard and light setup. But the entire place was empty except for a handful of locals hanging out in a small side room who said something to us in Czech when we entered. I quickly ordered our 2 Budvars and took in the atmosphere...
I'll leave you in a bit of suspense as you will never guess what was about to happen. We were so surprised, we broke one of our own rules and had 2 of the same beers in the same location.

The Grinch Stole Christmas

2009-03-07T21:38:00.003+01:00

...and Patrick ate Easter. While we are on the topic of food, I need to put this out there. At a recent business dinner, Patrick consumed the following; goose liver (the forced fed kind), what he describes as "some rabbit dish that tasted good" (I have no idea what was done to this poor bunny) and milk lamb (the lamb was killed before it weaned from its mother). He came home delighted with his dinner and excited to describe the ingredients, not at all disturbed until I freaked out a little. I think each course is on PETA's list of tourtured animals. I'm usually not one for animal rights but I'm also not one to eat odd animals, I stick to pig, turkey, cow and chicken. Next time Patrick talks aout how important it is to get free range eggs, I'll have to remind him of his milk lamb. ;)

Mmmmm...sushi

2009-03-07T21:27:00.002+01:00

Twice in February Patrick and I made sushi and it was delicious. For Christmas, I bought him a book called "Easy Sushi" and it was easy and really delicious and fun. The first time we made sushi was on Valentine's day. For fillers we used, tuna, cuccumber and crab stick. We had enough sea weed "wrapping papers" left so we decided to do it again the following Saturday with avacodo and since the tuna was not avaliable that day, we substituted avacado and omlet. From an asthetics perspective, the first attempt looked nicer due to the colors and the tuna was amazing. These pictures are from attempt #2 because my camera was in the office the first time so you can notice the lack of color but the taste was not lacking. Look how nice our living room looks as a sushi shop, like the pillows belong on the rug...

Catching up

2009-02-27T18:19:00.003+01:00

It's been quite some time since my last entry but I guess you shuld expect the irregular blogging by now. It's not that I haven't wanted towrite or that I didn't have anything to write, it's more that I didn't have the time but enough with excuses, I'm making time to mostly post some photos. At the begining of the month, the weekend after I returned from the US, I went skiing in Austria but more excidely, I saw the Alps from the ground for the first time. Here are a few views:

The snowman family Barbra and I built. (note: the neon colors are what highlighters look like when you use them on snow.)

This is the village in which we stayed.

The mountain we skiied on day 1 (that's the gondola you can see, the actual skiing portion is above the fog.

A view from the gondola.

Waiting for the ski bus -my helmet is on my head but looks like it's too high because of the hat, trust me Niki shook it to make sure I was safe!
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The Economic Crash

2009-01-19T11:24:00.002+01:00

This whole economic downfall has always seemed to be at arms length. Clearly, I am working in the world of academia and Universities are possibly the only institutions to benefit from an economic downfall. Even in Germany, with tuition, enrollment is up and all openings in our department are currently filled. However, yesterday I learned that Circuit City is going out of business. This one really schocked me both because of their history and reputation but also because of how it is presented on their website. There is a letter explaining the situation and attempting to answer FAQs. In the aforementioned letter, it outlines that Circuit City employs 34,000 people in the US and all will eventually lose their jobs with 60 days pay but some will stay on during the liquidation process which began January 17th and is estimated to end in March, a period of about 60 days give or take. In less than 3 months, the company will no longer exist in the US (they will continue to operate in Canada where they have 3,200 employees and several hundred stores according to the website) and 34,000 people will be added to the unemployment roster. This is a huge hit on the economy and the unemployment pool. I can't imagine unemployment will have the funds to continue paying everyone looking for benefits in such a time. Which leaves me with many questions; What is the next step? Where is the bottom? What can I do to protect myself? In a time like this, even a savings account is not immune to the anticipated deflation of currency. Speaking of currency, the once powerful British Pound is currently valued at 1.10 EUR, I've never seen these two curriencies so close since the introduction of the euro (I'm not saying it hasen't happened before but not since I started paying attention circa 2002). The world's economy is seriously depressing me today.

Over Caffeinated and Under Focused

2009-01-14T11:16:00.003+01:00

I know I shouldn't be over caffeinated and currently drinking a cappuccino but, you must understand the circumstances. First of all it is COLD, and I'm not exaggerating, the temperature has been below zero (Celsius) for over a week solid as evidenced by the snow that fell last Monday morning (welcome back from Christmas vacation) and still covers the ground 9 days later with no sign of melting. So warm drinks are eagerly welcomed by my body. Secondly, my boss has been home sick since late last week and I'm impatiently awaiting her feedback to a paper I wrote (my first) for submission to an international conference. The submission deadline is TODAY. I also have loads of PowerPoint slides to make before I can visit my family (recall that I spent Christmas in Germany) the last week in January as they need to be completed by Feb. 2nd and I arrive in Germany the morning of. Needless to say my finger nails have no chance of survival under such circumstances so I've turned to caffeine (not healthy) and sport (better) to relieve some of my tension and stress. Either way, I can't concentrate on my slides until this paper is officially submitted correctly so I impatiently await the feedback and try to plan out my slides with as little distraction as possible. Clearly it's not working as I'm blogging is not part of the slide making process.

Walking on Eggshells

2009-01-06T20:48:00.002+01:00

I learned a bit about German sensitivity yesterday. Tasked with creating "sexy" titles for each week's topic in our upcoming Marketing course, I thought it would be interesting to change International Marketing theory to "The Theory Behind World Domination." This was one of 14 titles and the only complaint I could foresee was that it was too cheesy. Well, when I showed my co-collaborator, it was the first title he wanted to discuss. Apparently you can't use phrases like world domination so freely when dealing with a German audience. Something about the history of German leadership wanting to take over the world...oops!

Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt

2009-01-03T23:08:00.003+01:00

It took me, three Christmas seasons in Germany but I finallz made it to the Christkindlesmarkt in Nuremberg. This is THE Christmas market known around the world, the one where you meet the most tourists and the fewest Germans. Don't quote me on that ratio but we did hear English, French, Italian and Japanese while there. After hearing so much about Nuremburg from my parents, friends' parents, former residents and friends, I had high expectations for this evening but not too high as I didn't want to ruin the evening. I'm sure you are dying to hear what I thought Overall, I would reccommend it but not if you can only choose one Christmas market to go to in Germany. I consider myself an experienced Christmarket go-er and Nuremburg was very different than all the otheres. It was the biggiest I've visited, although Lubeck is a close second. We were there on a cold, rainy, Sunday which, I think kept crowds low but it was still bretty busy. Christmas markets usually have interesting "specialty" food stands and we intended to eat dinner there. However, in Nuremburg you could pretty much get Nuremburger wursts (3 small sausages in a roll). Not that these are bad, I'm just not a wurst kind of girl and was looking for a little variety. We found one stand selling corn on the cob which made me think they may have something interesting but they only sold 1/2 meter wursts and frikdelle (what would result if a hamburger could breed with a meatball). I chose the latter and gave up my desire for an exotic dinner. In addition to a less than desirable food selection, there was a limeted selection of booths, Not including the international sister city booths where Atlanta was represented by Coke T-shirts, peanut butter, Betty Crocker and hard apple cider unfortunately not the authentic American version) staffed by a very friendly Georgian woman. For German booths, the selection was a bit repetitive. Basically there were the aforementioned sausages, lebkuchen (like gingerbread and considered a local specialty even though you can get it throughout the country), prune men, christmas ornaments and the standard candy booths. Overall, I'm so lad we went and it was not disapointed with the exception of starbucks for closing just when we were excited to get out of the rain and enjoy a Christmas latte.

Ringing in the New Year

2008-12-31T18:34:00.002+01:00

First off, let me just say, there are Christmas posts in my brain which are forthcoming when I can upload the associated photos sometime after Sunday when I'm reunited with my lap top. Due to Ryanair's strick handbaggage allowance and rediculous checked baggage fees, we traveled with one piece of hand luggage for 11 days and I just could not get my lap top into my 10 kilo limit. On to New Years, I'm currently preparing to head to a friend's apartment for what I anticipate to be a calm NYE in comparrison to my ringing in of 2008 in NYC. We will be eating fondu and setting off fireworks. I'm a bit skeptical about tha latter activity as all of Germany has fireworks for tonight as NYE or Sylvester (yes, like the cat) as it is known in these parts is the only day fireworks are legal and absolutely everyone takes advantage of this. As a fireworks novice, Patrick bought me the XL kids pack, consisting of poppers and sparklers, but he has 15 rockets and 80 of those red explosive sticks for himself. Fireworks are for sale at all the grocery stores, home depot type shops and most likely gas stations for the last three days of the year. Here's to hoping I make it to the New Year ;) Good Slide!! See you on the other side.

Please Excuse my Technical Inability

2008-12-16T22:56:00.007+01:00

Somehow my last post turned into a link to one photo but the links on Merkel and Bad Wimpfen, etc. still work. I don't know how to fix this. I also don't know how to add more than 5 pictures to a post (I think I solved this problem) and as you may have noticed my blog layout is pretty boring. I guess this all means I should learn htma. An suggestions? For now, I'm just going to post 5 more photos her and 5 in a following post. On the topic of Christmas Markets, Patrick and I met up with Paulo, an old college friend of mine (think frehman year in Bressler) who hapens to be living about 30 minutes away and was in town for business and looked me up on Facebook (now that's a good reason for social networking mom). We went to the Mannheim Christmas Market by the Water Tower which also happens to be the one "scenic" thing in Mannheim besides the Castle. I hear there is a museum in the castle but I digress. Are you geting into the Christmas spirit yet?

The oh so Famous (or not) Water Tower, it is actually pretty and surronded by fountains in the summer. RI Representin'

On the way out, we saw Barbara...

standing under this "secure" disco ball in a tree.

(M, that one is for you) This is the Heidelberg Christmas Market from after work last Wednesday. One of the many incognito trash cans.

I love how the candy booths look, so much color and sugar!

My colleagues and I in a wine cellar at a Christmas party.

Angela Merkel is in Town

2008-12-16T22:30:00.003+01:00

Frau Merkel came to Mannheim (sorry the English press didn't yet cover it) for the first time as Chancelor today. She was actually giving a speech in the building across the street from my office as a guest of a University of Mannheim Professor at the ZEW (translates to Center for European Business). Tried as we might via the 4th floor window, 3rd floor window and a solo attempt by ours truelz for a viewing and photo, I could only get as close as her cars (3 Mercedes and an Audi, all black, 2 registered in Berlin and the third from Bonn) and didn't want to look suspicious to the police by taking a photo. Suprisingly for an American such as myself, the security was minimal, a few uniformed police and a couple of plain clothes guys on foot patrol and no closed off street. In fact, you can find way more security on a Satrday in and around Mannheim soccer games - and they aren't even in the 1st league! According to the article I referenced above, she was in town for only 2 hours to hold the presentation and then she left via helicoptor. She as one black away from the Castle and didn't even visit it. Since my whole Merkel experience (or lack there of) was a bit of a disapointment, I've included the following photos from the Christmas Market we visited last weekend in Bad Wimpfen . Of course, I felt obliged to include the standard Christmas 1/2 meter sausage (in case you forgot I was still in Germany). It is an old walled city that has remained mostly old and I look foward to visiting in the daylight/spring but it was the perfect back drop to a traditional Christmas Market. You can even bring your own mug! This weekend we are hoping to go to Nuremburg - the mother of all Christmas Markets, I only hope it can live up to its reputation.

A peek into my Office

2008-12-07T18:50:00.002+01:00

It've wanted to put these up for some time now but I kept forgetting to take them and then I got new furniture so I figured now would be the best time. Here's a look at the place I go everyday, the Lehrstuhl for Marketing III, otherwise known as the Department of Marketing 3. Basically there are three marketing departments at the university, soon to be four. This is different than what I was used to from URI where there was only one marketing department and several marketing professors. We have 3 departments each headed up by a professor and each working towards their own research in a style of their choosing. Each individual department is responsible for teaching classes in the B.S., Masters and various MBA programs at the University and the Mannheim Business School (which is seperate from but intertwined with the University in a way I'm not yet 100% clear on). So, without further explanation, here is my office, starting with the name plate.
the view from my window
the before shot with my small desk and couch
after the new furniture came, note the second desk for my future roomate

This is the man who looks like he is going to jump. He's standing on the ledge in the middle of the second floor of the Mannheim Business School building and I'm not sure if he is intended to look like a jumper or just be a symbol of a business man, regardless of intentions, his positioning is ironic.

Snow in November

2008-12-01T15:09:00.003+01:00

Last weekend it snowed in Mannheim. On Friday I heard a rumor of snow expected nearby but was asured that Mannheim was not getting any yet. Saturday morning proved my source wrong. We woke up to find the back yard covered in snow. By Sunday morning the snow was completely gone and it snowed again in the evening. This time Patrick and I were out on the town. We tried to go to a Christmas market that did not exist and ended up at the Starbucks by the market place. I hapily drank my lebkuchen latte and watched the flakes sprinkle down on the palm trees out the window - so weird! Of course, I had to take some photos of snow covered palm trees and the bike that was locked up to one of the plams.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T17:13:00.004+01:00

Since Thanksgiving is not a holiday in Germany (it really means nothing to Germans), we don't get Thursday and Friday off and have to settle for a postponed celebration on Saturday. Thus, yesteday served as Thanksgiving. I didn't take many pictures of people but the food was a huge attraction. The bird was about 7 kilos, around 16lbs. in American terms, and barely fit in our oven. In fact, our oven is permantly damaged as a result but it was delicious. Here are a few photos of the spread, and this is not including dessert which went largly untouched due to lack of space in everyone's bellies. In an effort to be good hosts, Patrick and I were prepared with 10 bottles of wine (5 white and 5 red). W anticipated that everone would drink wine with dinner but also know some people would need to drive home so we also got 3 large bottles of soda and 2 different types of juice. The reality of drink choice completely shocked me, all soda was completely gone, neither juice was touched and only 2 of our 10 bottles of wine had been imbibed. In addition, Sam and Enrico brought some wine, one bottle was gone, they left one with us and took 4 back home and 2 other bottles of wine were left as presents. Which means we now have more wine than our (usually empty) wine holder can handle. Patrick is already having thoughts of Feuerzangenbowle.

We were 10 people and managed to reach 30% Americans this year. It was a bit of a joint Thanksgiving with my friend Sam, we each invited friends and did some of the cooking and everyone got along nicely. Sam and her husband, Enrico have a cute baby girl who is about the same size as the turkey as you can see in the photo (the baby is the one dressed as a cow in case you couldn't tell) All around a good effort and a great evening.

Before

After

The Rate of Exchange

2008-11-20T13:37:00.003+01:00

Thanks to www.xe.com I can monitor the ebbs and flows of the, sometimes fragile, Euro/USD relationship. Since mid to early October, the dollar has been strengthening against the Euro (or the Euro weakening against the dollar). This would normally have been a welcome suprise, up until September I was getting paid in USD. However, just as Europe became a realistic travel destination for Americans once again, I traveled to the US and returned to work in the Euro zone where my salary is now paid in Euros. One year ago, shopping in the US meant an automatic discount of about 40% on everything because fo the exchange rate. As Christmas approaches this year, the Euro is only worth about 1.25 (good for buying Euros with USD). In fact, I've been in the market fora flight to Boston. In the past it has ALWAYS been cheaper to purchase flights, and everything else, in dollars. Now, I can actually save between $20 and $60 by buying the exact same flight on the US website in dollars. This example got me thinking about what else may be cheaper in Euros at this point and I did a little searching. As one may imagine, typicalls American products like Dell and iPods are still cheaper in dollars, only marginally based on the actual number being the same. Products imported to both countries, such as UGGS are still significantly more expensive in Germany but this is probably due in part to greater taxes on clothes and in the case of UGGS, they have only recently been introduced to the German market and are not competing with copy-cat boots. European makers, such as Longchamp (France) are actually cheaper in Germany now. When I bought my large Longchamp tote in Miami in 2007, accounting for the exchange rate of roughly 1.50, the price was almost the same on both continents and it ended up being cheapest to buy at the airport tax free. Now you will pay 79 EUR in Germany and $125 (before tax) at Nordstroms, realizing a discount of about $25 or 20% buying in EUR. Some things, such as flowers and frozen pizza, have always been and continue to be cheaper in Germany while shoes and electronics will cost you less stateside. The exchange rate can only account for so much as taxes are 19% on everything you purchase in Germany so shopping in NH will help increase the value of your dollar. For the first time, I find myself contemplating purchasing a flight in EUR and hoping if I wait a little longer the EUR may fall just a bit more and, with a bit of luck, rise in the months leading up to my trip.

Returning to my (German) home

2008-11-14T11:17:00.003+01:00

It is weird to think that in 2 years I have lived in as many German states. I've only ever lived in 2 states in the US in all my 23 years there, and one was a temporary home while working at camp. This weekend, we will drive up to Braunschweig to attend a birthday party and visit friends. Braunschweig is in the center of the country, about 5 hours north of Mannheim but most people from the south of Germany (where I live now) think BS is in northern Germany. Since Patrick comes from a town an hour out of Denmark, it is hard for me to see BS as northern. I have no reference for the western part of the country but I tend to identify much more with northern Germans on traditions and perceptions. If you can drive from the top of RI to the bottom in an hour, you can do Germany top to bottom in about 8, Germany is comprised of 16 states. Everyone in Germany has the RI mentality when it comes to distances and somehow I'm the one convincing people that 3 hours isn't so bad and anything less can easily be done in a day. I digress, the main point I was trying to make is that I am now returning to a place in Germany where I have friends and favorites. This weekend I am hoping to visit several of both. On the favorite front, we will hopefully find time for the lion statue, ice cream and sunday brunch and I am also excited for the mall (which you may remember from posts in 2007 is not so exciting) including the best craft store in all of Germany! A´highlight in the friend category is a new baby who is about 7 months old and I will meet for the first time. I usually hate long drives but today I am beyond excited to get in the car for the 5 hour drive with Patrick and our necessary stop for dinner at McDonald's or a rest stop serving schnitzel mit pommes (there's no eating healthy on the road). It's always nice to go home.

Pink

2008-10-30T10:47:00.002+01:00

Aparently pink puts me in a good mood. Yesterday, I woke up in a rather depressed mood and I dressed myself in a pink dress and brown leggings (they also make me happy through comfort and warmpth), after a quick consultation with Patrick, however, I changed to a lt. brown skirt and white sweater for a more professional look since I had a meeting with my boss. Today I woke up and decided it would be a good day, when I realized my jeans were not yet dry, I grabbed a pair of black pants and, without consideration, a bright pink shirt and my redic cardigan with giant black polka dots. Somehow, bright clothes put me in a good mood especially when it is grey outside. I also feel more inspired and productive but maybe this is based on my decision to have a good day or the coffee I drank this morning. Either way, here's to a good in spite of nature.

The Lunch Countdown

2008-10-28T11:57:00.002+01:00

Lunch has become a significant part of my day as a doctorate student. It is the one point when we all drop what we are doing, lock up our offices and walk a couple of blocks to eat and socialize (mostly within the department, sometimes with others). It's also, more often than not, the first food I eat all day. We typically leave between 12:15 and 12:30 to go to lunch and one of our most frequented places is a Pizza/pasta/salad shop called Clarissa. Their pizza is amazingly delicious, cooked by a legit Italian and so cheap, 5.90 will buy you any pizza on the menu and a Coke (light for me). The pasta dishes look nice and cost the same but I'm just not a big pasta friend and while I always tell myself I should try the salad, I've never seen anyone eat one and I'm worried I'll be disapointed since I know how good the pizza is. In 2 weeks, I've eaten there 3 times. I'm not sure where we are going today but it's that time of the afternoon when someone will pop their head in my dorr and say lunch. Right now, I'm having a bit of a craving for a chicken patty with sauce and cheese on a bulky roll from my high school cafeteria...mmmm! There's something so weird about that combo that it took me years to finally try it but once I did I was hooked and am happy to report I stopped by my former high school in May and it's still on the menue and still tastes the same (I had to have one). I guess I haven't anticipated lunch this much since high school.

Rise Dollar Rise!

2008-10-27T11:13:00.003+01:00

In the midst of this terrible financial crsis, the US dollar has been gaining strength on the Euro like crazy. As of two minutes ago, http://www.xe.com/ told me the exchange was $1.24 to 1 EUR. That is about ten cents stronger than when I first moved to Germany two years ago, and the EURO costs 4 cents less today than when I went to t he ATM last week! Mostly, I've been paying attention to the USD/EUR relationship for obvious reasons but thanks to a new format on http://www.ex.com/ where they display popular currencies at a glance, I noticed the USD/GBP ratio is 1.53/1 which is about the rate it was in 2003 when I lived in London. At that time, in 2003, the USD/EUR ration was about 1.15/1. Which makes me think that the EUR is holding its value better than the GBP. It's also kind of interesting that it took a global financial crsis to bring the dollar up. I'm going to start paying for everything I can with my dollar based crredit card from now on ;) In case you were wondering, it's safe to go to Canada again, the USD is worth about 1.29 Canadian dollars today.

Stepping into Year 3

2008-10-24T10:02:00.002+02:00

It's weird to think that I've been living in Germany for the better part of 2 years. In that time I've...

lived in 2 apartments in 2 cities, 5 hours away from each other
had 3 different jobs
visited over 2 dozen German cities (and towns)
joined a team
never been to Oktoberfest or Karnival
fell in love with Christmas markets
eaten countless döners and schnitzel
rode zero bikes
only swam in the ocean once
traveled to almost all scandinavian countries (except Sweden)
made new friends, then moved and started over
became friends with 4 other Americans living in Germany
got engaged
went camping once (Denmark 07)
flew to the US 5 times
spent 1 night in Toronto due to snow
driven in Germany (once)

I'm sure I could come up with several more things I've done over the past 2 years but I'm going to leave it at that, please feel free to add any milestones I've forgotten via comments. In recognizition of the begining og my 3rd year in Germany, I'm going to go try and sign up for a German course.

Currency Exchange

2008-10-13T18:04:00.002+02:00

The Dollar started to gain value against the Euro about a month ago, right around the time the current financial crsis started to his Europe and talks of a 700 billion dollar bail out plan began. In the past month international markets have been up an down and down and up. I don't have much money in the stock market and I don't have a 401K but these fluctuations have had a significant impact on my life.
As an American living in the Euro zone but maintaining a dollar bank account I watch the currency exchange rate a lot more than most and can tell you there is a seemingly strong correlation to the stock market. Unfortunately for me, I was in the US while the Dollar gained on the Euro and as soon as I return the dollar is instantly down 2 cents to the Euro. Ultimately, I shouldn't complain at all as the dollar was at it's lowest in comparisson to the Euro a few short months ago but for me the timing, couldn't have been worse. I spent the last 3 weeks in the US and in 2 days I begin a new job where I will be paid in Euros. It felt so nice to think of my Euro income in dollars at a ration of 1:1.60 and now I'm looking at 1:1.35 - it's like I've had a decrease in pay before I even begin. I guess if this is the worst I see of the financial crsis (more expensive trips home) then I shouldn't complain. While in the US, I really began to realize the seriousness of the situation. People are losing their jobs or seeing decreases in hours. Consturction is being scaled back and layoffs are more prominent than last year in this volitile industry. I'm thankful to be living outside of the US during this time but worry for my family and friends at home, for the economy and for the reutation of our nation. I am thankful that Bush is about to be out of the Whitehouse and hopefl that Obama will make it in and be able to enact change. Now more than ever, I see a need for a strong government and hope that my country will be able to come out of this "financial crsis" on top. I'm off to secure my place as an absentee voter...

Vigeland Park

2008-09-15T12:53:00.003+02:00

While in Oslo, we visited Vigeland Park this was one of the first things I heard about when I started trying to find things to see in Oslo and it was not disapointing. Wikipedia tells me it is 80 acres and home to 212 schulptures. All of the schulptures are made of bronze or stone and all are naked. The park was beautifully landscaped to showcase this art but mostly I loved the emotions in these stone faces. Here are some of the photos I took in the park.

Oslo, Day 2

2008-09-15T12:18:00.004+02:00

I realized Oslo was a costal city but I never thought about how much of our vacation was about to be spent on boats. Our second day became boat day. We woke early up on our boat hotel because we had made reservations for a lunch cruise thanks to our Oslo Pass. The woman who took the reservation weeks before we left told us we would need to arrice at 9:00am to pick up our tickets for a 10:30 departure. I wanted to get off to a good start so we arrived around 8:45, picked up our tickets and were instructed to wait...so much for getting an early start. With an hour to go we thought we popped into City Hall, this is where the Nobel prize is awarded and the tour was includedi n the Oslo Pass but aparently the tour starts from the back of City Hall, we entered the front and it was more difficult than we anticipated to get to the back fromt he front so we looked at the posters outlining Oslo's commitment to being a Green city and then headed outside to walk along the harbor. We popped into a shopping mall to learn that none of the stores open until 10 and returned to the waiting spot for our cruise. It is worth mentioning that the sun was shining at 9:00am and had given way to serious storm clouds and rain by the time we boarded the boat. We were able to get 2 of the last places under the deck tarp which promptly soaked half of my body. I am prod to say that we stayed outside to eat lunch when most people headed in for cover. We say across from 2 Italians, next to 2 Australians and behind us heard a brit, 2 girls from the north of Norway and a German couple, there were several Asians on our cruise as well but they sat indoors so we didn't get to determine where they were from. The lunch was a Norwegian prawn buffet. I saw photos but somehow didn't realize how much work skinning prawns actually is...and then I got a pregnant one, screaming ensued and Patrick threw it overboard to some eager sea gulls. There were several with eggs and I quickly lost my appiteite but the bread and butter was delicious.

The cruise stopped at Oslo's version of Berlin's Museum Island. It's actually not an island and the museums are spread out but the houses in this area are the nicest ones in Oslo, we sailed by a house with it's own giant budda and an amazing boat. We took in the FRAM museum and the Kontiki Museum. I learned a lot from both museums as I was not familiar with any of the voyages. The FRAM museum is a triangular building which was literally built around the boat right at teh water's edge. The rain stopped about the time we entered our first museum and my right side dried right around the time we were leaving the second museum. We stopped for a pizza dinner at a local chain called Dolly Dimples and headed back to our boat in time to avoid a second rain. We were exhausted and happy to stay in out of the rain and plan the next day.

I've been Absent...It's not about to Change

2008-09-13T10:03:00.002+02:00

Sorry about that, I was suddenly inspired to revamp my blog and then I got really busy and despite the fact that I have alot of posts in my head, I haven't had the time to get them on here. I guess this is what happens when I don't spend any time in airports. SO many things have been happening and will each get their own posts soon (I promise). First of all, I'm officially done with my job (even though I will be working unofficially for 1/2 day on Monday) and unemployed. I won't be unemployed for long becasue I am about to begin my doctoral studies at the University of Mannheim. I'm wicked excited and a bit nervous, if you're interested you can read the CV of my soon to be boss. I've recently learned that I'll have some free time between now and my start date of October 15th and thanks to Lufthansa was able to get a cheap flight to Boston, it was such a good deal that Patrick's coming too. He likes to remind me that he gets 25 vacation days each year so he'll be putting 10 of them towards this trip and we're hoping to combine a family visit, a friend's wedding, a suprise birthday party, our own wedding venue sourcing and a New England vacation in the time that he is there. We're also hoping the Euro will remain strong against the dollar for the next month as we are both looking foward to a visit to Wrentham ;)
However, in light of the big plans we have, including a wedding and 60th birthday party next week, we are going away for the weekend. We will be visiting the Castle Neuschwanstein which is a 3 hour drive but before I leave, I'll leave you with Wikipedia's insight into the Disney Castle.

Oslo

2008-08-21T11:13:00.004+02:00

Did you miss me? I haven't posted in awhile because it was finally time for our trip to Oslo, aka my first real vacation that did not involve the US. The trip was delightful and ended up with a serious boat theme. We started out our vacation with a quick visit to Braunschweig where Patrick attended a Bachelor party for one of his college friends and I hung out with a bunch of my English teaching colleagues and SingStar. It was really nice to see "old" friends. We had a lazy morning at the local breakfast buffet and then I met up with Patrick for our drive onto Kiel where we would spend the night with his parents and hop on the Color Magic to Oslo the next afternoon. This cruise is not your typical cruise, it's a cruiseferry, it only takes a night to get to Oslo and that is the only destination so you can do a 2 night cruise and have 4 hours in port or, like we did, you can choose to stay longer in a hotel and return on a later voyage. We stayed 4 nights, the first two were spent at a B&B called MS Innvik or as i like to call it our boat hotel. It was actually pleasantly suprising despite the fact that we slept in bunk beds. The beds were comfortable, the location was great (right across from the train station) and the view was amazing (all we saw was the new oper house right out of our port hole). To top it off, breakfast was included and involved make your own heart shaped waffles. So we disembarked from the Color Magic, dropped our suitcase - yes we both packed all we needed for 6 days into one communial suitcase - at the Innvik and then set off to explore Oslo. Day 1 involved loosely following an urban hike I found on the internet which was great if not a bit too ambitious. Unfortunately I didn't save the link so I can't share it but I'm sure Googling Urban Hike Oslo would be a good place to start if you're interested. We saw a lot of the sights along the main street and spent some time at the fortress. One of the first stops on this hike was the cathedral which was, unfortunately, under construction so it looked like a huge box. By the end of day 1 we were tired from walking and excited for Day 2 which could appropriatly be titled Boat day... Below are a few photos of us and/on the Color Magic

Painting to avoid people

2008-08-03T21:35:00.003+02:00

Last night, a friend of Patrick's called and asked if we would be able to provide a place to sleep for a friend of his girlfriend. Aparently she was planning to stay in his apartment overnight to catch and early morning flight while he and his roomates were away. The problem was that he forgot to leave the key with the neighbor. So about 3 hours before she was due to arrive he called us in a panic and asked if we could provide shelter. Now this put me in an interesting place. Of course I didn't want to say no because then she would be in a terrible situation but I also didn't want to spend my Saturdaynight making idle German conversation with a stranger. Patrick being the ore compassionate one, was ready to say yes in an instant. I, on the other hand being DSL was worried about the awkard situation that would leave me feeling uncofortable in my apartent. We came to the concludion that we would let her stay and I would just be doing something when she arrived so I didn't have to get into an awkard evening of German small talk and it all worked out...kind of. I hung out on the porch painting which actually intrigued her and let to small talk but it was in English and she was interesting enough for the 20 or so minutes she was awake considering she got in around 11:30 and needed to leave before 7:00am. < >

In case you are interested, I've included 2 pictures of my painting. This was my first attempt at shading and painting a big flower and I quite like how it came out.

New Style

2008-07-30T09:54:00.002+02:00

I've decided to revamp the blog. I'm going to make an effort to write shorter posts and include more links to the things I am talking about. I will still add my own photos when I have them. Hope you see this as an improvement.

Vacation

2008-07-11T16:04:00.002+02:00

In exactly one month from today, I will board the Color Magic and start my first real vacation as a working adult which does not involve traveling to the US. I'm beyond excited...Oslo, here we come!

The Army does NOT mess around

2008-07-10T20:14:00.005+02:00

American Independence Day in Germany sounds seriously anticlimactic but thanks to my softball club and the US Army it was actually a great celebration. Last year, the holiday, which has always been a personal favorite and deep seeded in childhood traditions, was celebrated by a last minute BBQ at our apartment in BS. This year, I didn't need to give it much thought as the baseball/softball club I play for put up a sign in June announcing a party for American Independence day. When I woke up on the 4th, I dressed in red white and blue (there's a photo to prove it), I had waited for this party for weeks. I heard stories of grilled cheeseburgers and hot dogs, American beer, corn on the cob, cocktails and even watermelon and all were present except for the watermelon. There was even a live band playing a mixture of country and classic rock songs and there was no shortage of American flags.

A few days before the 4th a fellow American told me about a German American festival hosted on the Army base which puts on fireworks. I'm a sucker for fireworks on the 4th and it was not hard convincing Patrick that fireworks would be a mandatory part of the night so we planned to leave the party at 9:45 in order to get to the festival for 10:30 fireworks. This was plenty of time to make the 15 minute drive and find a parking spot. We got lucky and found one of the last illegal spots when we arrived and headed in the direction of the two men walking down the road assuming they were going to the same place. They were and we soon arrived at the gate, showed our ids and excitedly looked through the chain link fence at the carnival full of people. Suddenly we were in a very long line. Turns out everyone needed to go through a metal detector. We stood in this line for about 30 minutes. Just when we advanced to the last 1/4 of the line and behind a row of thick trees, the first firework shot off. We missed all but the grand finale (we saw that from outside of the fence) but continued in to enjoy the festival. A true mix of Germans and Americans, I almost felt like I was in Pawtucket. I haven't seen so many baggy shorts, long Ts and baseball caps and the DJ in the food tent was straight hip hop! I loved it!!! Saddened by the missed fireworks, we vowed to return on Sunday for the fireworks show which symbolized the closing of this week long festival. The photos here are from Sunday when we enjoyed such American delicacies as A&W Root Beer, taco salad in an edible bowl (mine) a burrito (Patrick's) and American ice cream - peanut butter cup all while listening to a country band from Montana. It was a classic American evening. < >

The German American Folk Festival has been going on for 52 years or as Patrick pointed out "It's as old as my [his and mine for that matter] dad!" This year I truely have the Amred forces to thank on Independence Day - both for all the service men and women who have fought for Independence over the years and for putting on a great event and a fireworks display that could rival McCoy

Softball

2008-06-23T10:51:00.005+02:00

Ijust went onto the website and saw that my picture was on the homepage...

I think you need to either click on the photos above or follow the links below to see.

look at my new jersey :)

Here's me from the front

If you want to check out the actual homepage, you can find it here but it is in German.

EM Fever

2008-06-21T23:04:00.002+02:00

The European Championship (EM) happens every 4 years, alternating even years with the World Cup, of course I'm refering to soccer or football as those involved in the EM. We are now in the quarter final round and this round has brought about quite a few nailbiters that my American friends can't watch. Let's talk about last night's game featuring the Turkey v. Croatia. I was tiredall day and even more so after a hot and humid softball practice so I showered and planned to skip the game in favor of bed but as I walked over to say good night to Patrick, they were about to enter overtime. After 90 minutes the score stood at 0-0 and the trainers were called in to massage muscles before the 30 minute overtime began. I was dying for a shoot out and things were looking good as the score remained 0-0 until the 119th minute and Croatia scored, seemingly winning the game in over time. The team jumped on each other and the fans cheered, there was still one minute of injury time to play and one minute, 15 seconds later, Turkey equalized with no time left. I was psyched, it was shoot out time. Each team gets 5 players to each take one shot each....after7 total shots the game was over and Turkey won. Croatia was shocked, the men literally cried. You actually felt bad for them through the TV. This means that Turkey will play Germany in the quarter final. I'm looking foward to this game becasue Turks are the largest minority in Germany, at least in these parts but I think nationwide. Whatever the result, there will be parties in the streets for hours.

Today, I'm sitting her watching Russia v. Neatherlands in over time. It looks like it won't be quite the nailbiter as Russis just scored (after so many unsuccesful shots on net). Russia wins, Netherlansd are out. The betting pools are going to go crazy as the Netherlands was an early favorite to make it to the final. I'm sure many Germans are celebrating as this is the local rivarly.

On Wedensday, Germany plays Turkey, softball practive was appropriately cancelled so I'm planning to go to an open air viewing at a local brewery and watch the game with about 3,000 fans. I can't wait, my yellow flip flops are out, my red shirt is ready and today, Patrick bought me a Deutschland bracelet. The atmosphere is saturated with soccer and I'm soaking it up!

Spain - the country of balconies

2008-06-15T09:46:00.003+02:00

Spain will always hold a place in my heart as the place where some of my important friendships were strengthened and my window into Europe. That being said, I now realize I could never live here. In theory, I love the idea of a loose time schedule, the possibility of daily siestas, beaches, countryside, balconies, ice cream, soccer, history and the laidback lifestyle. In practice, I can’t stand waiting on people, waiting for people and when entire countries shut down for summer holidays – never mind daily siestas. I sometimes wish I could be this laid back but I need to face facts and realize I’m just too easily frustrated (maybe I’m high strung but I like to think I’m goal oriented). My most recent 1.5 day trip to Madrid was motivated by work but we managed to go to the Plaza Mayor for dinner. In Spain dinner does not begin until around 8pm (that’s a bit early for locals). My colleague had an early morning flight so we decided to do a brief tapas bar hop. Considering our meeting didn’t end until half past 7, we were downtown around 8 and set to begin out tapas tour. I always heard about Spanish tapas in the toothpick fashion, where delicious bitesized dishes sit prepared on the bar and you collect the toothpicks and pay at the end based on how many toothpicks you have. It’s a tradition based on trust. I must admit, I’ve never experienced tapas in Spain because my 16 year old self here in a school trip was just not that adventurous. I clearly remember one day of the trip where we were given free time to eat and encouraged to try tapas but my friends and I found a café serving chicken sandwiches and happily steered clear of the local dishes. After spending the past year living and traveling around Europe I’ve opened myself up to try almost anything and excitedly got behind my Spanish guide and supported whatever he ordered for us. Augusto asked if we like fish, this question worried me a bit but as I watched the group of 20sometings next to us receive a plate of calamari and heard him use the word frites I became hopeful. We didn’t get calamari, we got fried whole fish that looked like sardines. Unsure of how to eat these guys and slightly frightened by them I held off until my 2 dining partners had each had one. Auguato picked one up and ate all but the tail, including the bones. Christine was a bit more delicate, first adding the lemon and then slowly attempting to bite in. It was now my turn and I couldn’t get around these fish as there was no other option so I added the second lemon and picked one up. The small fish was so hot I could barely hold it without wrapping it in a napkin. With all the courage and capacity I had for strange foods I took a bite. It tasted like a fish – one whose head I’d just bitten off. I asked, for clarification purposes and to buy some time, if it was appropriate to eat the bones. I took another bite including paart of the bones. I could not do this. The fish itself as actually not so bad as long as you didn’t think about eating the skin or look too closely at its form. It tasted like white fish, a bit like chicken actually and the lemon did wonders for flavor. I just could not bring myself to eat the bones. Luckily for me, the fish came off the bones pretty easily and in this process, I could slowly eat my fish while my companions worked on the plate of fish at hand. I was almost relieved to see a plate of Spanish ham (jamon) delivered next. Normally I avoid this sort of ham because it just looks raw . On my visit to Toledo last year, jamon was served in so many different styles it was practically the only option and I finally tried it. To my surprise, it was quite good and I realized it was the local specialty and I was at dinner with the chef of the restaurant so I felt I didn’t have a choice but to try it. By the time it arrived, I had already eaten 2 fish and it was a welcome change. The actual taste of the fish wasn’t so bad and it was worth it because the wine we were drinking was amazingly delicious. We finished up and wandered around Plaza Mayor before deciding on a second tapas bar. The second bar had a selection of dishes laid out under the glass counter. As we entered I saw olives and when Augusto asked what we like, Christine said she would really love some olives – I jumped in and echoed her love of Spanish olives. She also ordered the fish located next to the olives. I didn’t think I could handle any more fish for the night so I suggested a second variety of olives. In the end, we had a plate containing 2 types of olives, 2 types of small fish (without bones and heads this time, octopus and some sort of chutney involving pickles and peppers. I was happy with the olives and the white fish in garlic was pretty good on a bead of bread. I did not try the dark fish, the octopus was not so bad but it brought back the memory of when M and I dared each other to eat the octopus at Haruki Cranston and it was so chewy and then she spit hers out so essentially I won but it was a bitter victory in more ways than one. I avoided the pickles fearing they were sweet and had another glass of red wine. It should be noted that tapas portions of wine are about ¼ of a regular glass of wine and this one left me longing for more of the first wine. After leaving the second bar full, we wandered to Plaza del sol in search of the center of Spain and stopped for a cone of ice cream on the way – 2 things I remembered fondly from my first trip to Madrid. Then we took a taxi back to the hotel. En route, our stomachs realized fish with vinegar and ice cream are just not meant to combine and the heart burn crept up on us. No wonder why Augusto passed on ice cream in favor of coffee. I guess there’s truth in the idea of following the local. Oh well, it was a good night and the heartburn soon faded as I fell asleep in my unfluffy Spanish bed knowing that my flight was not leaving until 12:45 and I could sleep in. Note from Spain: Apparently Spanish ham has recently been discovered by the Americans and Chinese. Since the best jamon comes from pigs who only eat the fruit from a certain tree which needs 100 years to grow and produce this fruit, the supply cannot grow to meet this new demand and prices will soon soar. Spanish pig farmers are excited for this development but the local consumer is cursing globalization.