New Years Eve

It is the end of another year and as we prepare for 2009 many people ponder what the current year brought and how to improve the upcoming year.  Some people make resolutions and others make wide claims about how different things will be once the new year begins.  That being said, I am not one of those people.  I don't do resolutions and if things need to change they can happen now and not only when one year ends and another one begins.  

That being said (or typed in this case) let's get to what is really important; how to celebrate the closing of the year.  Our plan here in Munich is to have dinner with some friends and then go to a park and watch fireworks while drinking champagne.  Yes, pictures will be available!!!

Have a safe and happy New Year celebration!

Did someone say "movie night?"

Tonight Carsten and I rented a movie and went to Gary and Klaus' for a movie night.  This time we saw Forgetting Sarah Marshall.  It was not the roll on the floor laugh factory I was expecting, but it was a solid movie with great writing and acting.  It was more of a romantic (less comedy) movie than I am used to watching, but I guess not everything can be a slasher flick!  

Another movie review

Carsten's sister and her partner came to our place tonight for a brief visit and to pick up some things.  We also ate dinner at a near-by restaurant that I have wanted to try since moving here.  The food was okay, not spectacular-a bit disappointing actually.  It was an Italian restaurant, maybe I should stick with places that only serve wurst!!!

Anyway, after they left we watched a movie that Carsten rented.  This time it was the Martin Lawrence flop Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins.  Now, it wasn't all bad.  Some of the writing was quite good with several laughs; however,the rivalry thing went too far and was tiresome after a while.  Mo'nique was fantastic as always, but Cedric the Entertainer I found boring and monotonous.  In the end, Mike Epps stole the show and was the best part of the movie.

My new addiction

While in the German countryside I became a Sudoku lover.  I don't know how I did not get into this craze when it first came out.  So, when I am not trying to learn German, or when trying to avoid learning, I am doing a Sudoku puzzle.  

Speaking of learning German, one of the best things about the week at Carsten's mom's place was being able to communicate with her, if only a little bit.  She helped me practice some words and I was better able to understand things that she said/asked.  Plus, I could answer her some.  I still have a log way to go, but it was nice to feel as though I have made some progress. 

I'm back

So, after one week in Niederbeisheim, I am back in Munich.  It was a wonderful week that can be described in five little words:  food, food and more food.  I can only imagine the amount of weight gained during this trip.  Oh well, I guess that is what the holidays are for!!

As you can see, I have added some pictures from my trip.  One is Carsten and me on Christmas day.  Three are from a hiking trip (one of me and Carsten, one of Carsten's sister and her partner and one of one of the most beautiful pictures from the trip).  And of course one picture is Carsten's mom and her husband, from Christmas.  

Now, let's recap the week.  We left on Sunday, December 21st and after about 5 hours of driving we made it to Carsten's mom's home.  And the first thing we did, after letting the cats out of their kennel, eat dinner!  Oh and speaking of the cats, they did fantastic in the car.  They are so well behaved :)  The rest of Sunday was relaxing and catching up on things.  On Monday morning we got up early to go to Carsten's sister's home so that her partner could do some repairs on the car.  That afternoon we went to the hair salon and I received my first "German" haircut.  It turned out pretty good, though no one can compete with Anthony in Chicago!  The rest of the day was spent eating.  Seriously, Carsten's mom made so many cakes while we where there.  Anyway, the next day was the hiking trip.  We had to drive a couple hours and then walked about 7 miles to the top of Brocken.  A cold and snowy day,but a great workout.  Oh, and we finally broke out our walking sticks, which we coincidentally bought one another last year for Christmas.  On Christmas Eve we spent the day with Carsten's mom running errands, grocery shopping, etc.  We also took a scenic drive through the countryside.  Carsten made the observation that in many ways the area where his mom lives looks quite similar to Wisconsin, which in fact it does.  That evening Carsten, me, his mom and her husband ate our holiday meal and exchanged gifts.  The following day was Christmas Day in the US.  Here we ate more food and in the afternoon Carsten's sister and her partner came over the eat, exchange gifts and celebrate Christmas.  The day after Christmas I practiced my driving, which seriously needs to improve soon.  I can't believe how much I struggle with this.  Anyway, we also went to a neighboring town from Carsten's past and walked around, though it was bitterly cold outside.  The evening was a relaxing day in front of the Christmas tree and I finished reading the book Seeing by Jose Saramago.  On Saturday we spent the day running errands with Carsten's mom and then the three of us went furniture shopping.  Well, shopping isn't the right word, but we looked at options.  It will be great to finally move and begin to feel settled.  In my opinion the first task is buying a bed, but I digress.  Saturday night was my favorite night of the week.  We ate food, watched a German "game show" and just hung out.  On Sunday we had to make a trip to Carsten's sister's house to pick up some things and then back to Niederbeisheim to pack up the car.  In that time, Carsten's mom made one more homemade cake.  We had coffee and cake and then headed off to Munich.  Again the trip took roughly 5 hours and then we were finally back home.  

Now, time to get situated and prepare for our move to Freiburg...one more week and then we will reside in a new city.

We're off...

...to Carsten's mom's house.  I will be off-line for the next week or so and thus won't be posting anything new on my blog until after we return home.  However, once I get back I plan to update the blog with all that occurred in the countryside of Germany.  Oh, and hopefully we will have some pictures as well, especially since Carsten just bought himself a new camera.  Happy Holidays everyone!!!

A holiday party

I am feeling better today and think that within the next couple of days I should be back to normal, or at least as normal as I can get.  So in honor of my improving health and the holiday season, Carsten and I went to Gary's holiday party.  The food was great as well as the company.  And we played Uno, which was a blast and since it has been years since I played, it was a lot of fun.  Too bad Carsten didn't seem able to win even one round :)  I guess I could give him one of my wins.  What really made the night was the public transportation was on our side on the way home, which is not always the case late at night here in Munich.  Now off to bed.

Day 5

Today is the fifth day of not feeling well.  However, Carsten went to the pharmacy (Apotheke) this morning and bought me some medication.  So far it seems to be helping some.  

For whatever reason, Carsten decided today needed to be the day that I open a bank account.  For those of you reading this who are not living in or from Germany, apparently this is done through the Post (Office).  Though we in fact did take care of it, it is still unclear to me how this works.  So, I am either confused because of my fever and loads of medicine or the process really is confusing.  I'll let you decide which of the two it is.    In the end it is done and apparently I now have a bank account for all the money I make while being unemployed :)

At the end of the day Carsten rented another movie.  This time we watched a little film called You Kill Me.  No, I didn't know it either.  It was a bland little film that had some laughs but wasn't anything spectacular either.  The best part in my opinion was Tea Leoni, who I think is fantastic is basically anything.

Now it is bed time and hopefully tomorrow will bring sunny skies and better health.

No real post today

I am still quite ill (day 4) and will likely do nothing but sleep and watch DVDs for the rest of today. Carsten is at his work holiday party and due to poor communication (and now me being sick) I am at home.  May tomorrow be a healthier day :)

Run Fatboy Run

No, that is not what I heard while out on the streets of Munich!  It was the movie we watched tonight.  Run Fatboy Run was the latest movie from Simon Pegg.  It was a romantic-comedy, which is not a genre I typically enjoy.  However, this was cute and had several good laughs in it, plus the writing was spot on as well as the acting.  So, if you want a good rom-com, this might be what you are looking for.  Oh, and based on a few of my recent posts, clearly I am looking for a job in the movie review business :)

Still ill

This day seems to be a total waste.  I think I might have a fever along with aches, chills, a couch and sore throat.  I have slept much of the day and don't have much energy.  On the upside, since I finished my class yesterday I didn't have anything to miss today.  Plus, the weather is cold and gray so who would want to be outside anyway.

Last day of school

Today marked the last day of my first German language course.  I really enjoyed this class and what really made it was the teacher, who is the blonde woman standing next to me in the picture above.  I am looking forward to taking another course once we move to Freiburg and I can only hope my next teacher is as good.  

I am feeling under the weather today, which made me really no want to go to school, but since it was the last day it seemed as though I really should go.  I made it through, though it felt like the longest class ever.  Afterward, Carsten and I met to finish his Christmas shopping.  We also found a refrigerator that we both like for our new place.  All-in-all it was a pretty successful day.  Now though I will go to sleep and hope to feel better tomorrow.   

Another movie

I love watching movies, no matter how bad some of them might be.  The way I look at it, these people spent their time and energy making this piece of crap, so I might as well watch it.  That being said, Carsten rented Bank Job tonight starring Jason Statham.  I was confused at the start of the movie, but I blame that on being ill.  However, about 2/3 into it I really enjoyed it.  What made it even better was finding out at the end that it was based on a true story.  So, anyone interested in watching a movie about a real life bank heist in the 70's, this is the movie for you.

The moving day is set

Soon my next move will be history and I believe it will be my last move for at least a couple of years!  It looks as though the movers will come on January 8th and take our stuff to Freiburg on the 9th, though I will not go down there until the 11th.  Carsten will move down on the 6th as he begins his new job on the 7th.  And, just to add one more thing to the mix, I am hoping to start my next language course on the 12th.  Because when you think about it, who really wants to feel settled before moving on to the next thing :)

Our final movie

We watched the third movie we rented.  I clearly enjoyed it more than Carsten.  Again, the movie was 10,000 B.C.  I found it to be a bit of a love story and was enjoying the action scenes.  The film is completely fictional and quite unrealistic and a bit too much like Apocalypto, but since I am no movie critic who am I to judge!  

McCafe

We decided to take a walk to the nearest McCafe, which is really not all that close, but what can you do.  We don't have these in the U.S. or at least I have never seen one.  Basically it is a cafe inside a McDonald's, err go McCafe!  We each has a slice of cake and split it.  They were so tasty, but I couldn't help fantasize about the french fries I was smelling.    It was my first time in a fast food restaurant since moving to Germany.  In the end, it looked like every other McDonald's in the US, only the menu was in a different language.

A decision has been made!

So, it appears that Carsten and I have made a decision regarding the kitchen.  We will go with our first design/choice of the day yesterday.  Once it is installed (after January 20th) we will take pictures for me to post on here.  Let me just say that it is somewhat modern looking with a chocolate brown/white color scheme.  

It appears that a decision has also been made about my German language classes.  Though I would really enjoy doing one more month here in Munich, it doesn't make much sense with the move, holidays, etc. as I would be in an empty apartment.  So, I will begin my next course in Munich shortly after the start of the new year.  I hope my next instructor is as great as my current one!

And finally, we watched Kung Fu Panda.  It was not as funny as I had hoped it would be, but it was still quite entertaining.   Thankfully I enjoy cartoons like a six year old (wait, do 6-year olds still enjoy cartoons?) so I enjoyed the film.  

Kitchen Nightmare

Well, nightmare might be too strong of a word, but after spending 5 hours and only looking at 2 kitchens, I am pooped.  Of course this would be a lot easier if I didn't have to design the kitchen under budgetary restraints.  Apparently money is an issue!  Alas, the two kitchens we designed are both quite nice and both would do the job.  Thankfully we have the night to think thing over before making a final decision and contacting the two companies on Monday.  

To take our mind off of the kitchen, we decided to rent some movies.  Again we had the three for the price of one so it looks like we will be having some movie time until I return to class on Monday.  The movie we watched tonight was Jumper.  It wasn't the worst movie I have ever seen (that is still BloodRayne) but it is nothing to write home about.  Oh wait, I guess that is basically what I am doing right now.  The other two movies we rented were Kung Fu Panda and 10,000 B.C.  Let's hope they are better.

Off to Freiburg

In a moment we will leave and drive to Freiburg.  The downside of this is that the weather has turned quite snowy and we only have "summer" tires on the car.  The other downside is spending money on a new kitchen, which as you know is quite costly.  The upside is going to Freiburg and seeing our friend Andrea, who has so graciously offered her air mattress to us for the night.  Auf Wiedersehen!  

A long day

Today Rachel left Munich to head back to the states.  We had to get up at 4am today to ensure she made it to the airport by 5:30am.  It was great having her here and I must say it is quite quiet without her, but in a good way :)  Anyway, getting up that early made for a very long day.  I had a good start to my class today, but as it progressed I felt more tired and thus seemed more confused by what we were doing.  After coming home and having a late lunch with Carsten; took a nap, much longer than expected too!  Somehow I still feel tired, though I blame that on spending the past two hours doing homework.  My class ends next week and I still have not decided what to do.  Right now my options are 1.  do another class here in Munich before moving to Freiburg and continuing in classes there or 2.  just move to Freiburg right away with Carsten and start school immediately.  The reason I might stay in Munich is because we will still have the hotel and I really like my class/teacher and the thought of leaving it makes me kind of sad.  I need to make a decision soon as my class ends on Tuesday.  In other news, we are leaving tomorrow for Freiburg again as we need to look at kitchens for the new place.  As much as I like to shop I am not looking forward to this excursion.  

Rachel's last full day

Since Carsten finished work yesterday he was able to spend the day with Rachel while I was at school.  Once my class ended, we met for a lunch on the run and then wandered through the city center.  I took Rachel to one of my favorite churches here, bought some of my favorite candy to share with her and then Carsten went with Rachel into the Apple store, which recently opened here in Munich.  Tonight we plan to go out for dinner to a "typical" Bavarian restaurant in honor of Rachel's last night here.  We have to leave around 4:45am tomorrow to get her to the airport in time for her flight, which means it will be a long day at school, but so worth it.  It has been great having a visitor here and connecting with my roots from the states. 

Tollwood revisited

It sounded from Rachel as though she had a nice day visiting the city.  She participated in the tour that I had done shortly after I arrived here (see a previous post for the details of the tour).  Since I had class and then homework I was unable to spend much of the day with her; however, we were able to go to Tollwood (the Christmas market on the Octoberfest grounds).  We had a nice time there, looking at all the goodies for sale, drank some Weiß beer and ate some Indian food (a curry sampler).  Though it was a nice time, it was a later night, at least for a school night.  So, bed time for some quick sleep before school tomorrow. 

Wanting more free time

How is it that I am not working, but going to language school, and still don't feel as though I have enough time in the day?  Since I had class/homework and Carsten had to work today, Rachel was on her own in the city.  Based on her report, she seemed to have a good time, though did not get through all that she had hoped for today.  One of the things on her list was the BMW museum, which happened to be closed today.  She has more things on her list of sites for Tuesday, so maybe she will find more success then.

Tomorrow, Tuesday December 9th, is Carsten's last day at his job.  He has vacation time to use, which is why he is off for the rest of 2008.  On the upside, he will get to spend some time with Rachel out in the city on Wednesday before she leaves on Thursday morning.  

Bad Tölz

Today we decided to take a train to Bad Tölz to walk through the city centre and check out their Christmas market.  The weather was cold and at times a few flurries would fall, providing a beautiful view.  In my opinion, it looked like what was one expects to see in an "old world town."  We ate some yummy food, had some gelato, which really didn't make sense since we were already cold, and then some hot tea.  We decided to avoid the glühwein after our beer challenge the night before.  It was a pleasant day, even if we were all tired a bit.

A visitor arrives

Today Carsten and I went to the Munich airport to pick up my friend Rachel, who is visiting us until Thursday.  Though we had not planned on having visitors before 2009, Rachel happened to be in Scotland visiting other friends and it only made sense for her to swing on by to Germany.  So, what do we take Rachel to do only a few short hours after landing?  That's right, a beer challenge.  It was great fun, though we were clearly much older than everyone else who participated.  I know, I know, I am only 24 and I was still older than most everyone else, well except for Gary...thanks :)

Third week completed

For those of you keeping track (or counting down the days like me) you know that I have just finished my third week of intensive German language school.  That means I have 7 actual classroom days left (told you I was counting).  I am really enjoying the class, will miss it when it is done and look forward to beginning another course once we move to Freiburg.  All that being said, I also can't wait to give my brain a brief break before it implodes.  Seriously, I am really getting tired of learning.  I mean, how smart should one person really be?!?  All joking aside, anyone wanting to learn a new language, do it while you are young.  Here I am a vibrant young lad of 24 (yes, I am still holding on to this delusion) and I struggle on a daily basis with trying to grasp the simplest of concepts.  That being said, time to get back to my homework :)

My first movie in München

Tonight Carsten and I went to a movie with Gary and Klaus.  It was my first time seeing a film in Munich, though we attempted to go nearly one month ago.  Anywho, we saw the new Bond film, Quantum of Solace.  I really enjoyed the film, though this is not your father's Bond, so to speak.  It had little lovin' happening and no gadgets to speak of.  However, it was high energy and at least for me kept my interest.  Of course it helped that Gary brought some popcorn that was fantastic!  Oh how I have missed popcorn.  Sorry, got sidetracked there.  The theater was quite different from the ones in the US, or at least the ones I am used to going to.  It reminded me of the Broom Street Theater in Madison, Wisconsin.  For those of you not familiar with this theater, it is a garage!!!  Literally, it is a garage that has been turned into a playhouse.  

Let the kitchen drama begin

Well, it appears that we have decided on an apartment.  It was not my top choice, but it does have some nice features; one being Carsten having the ability to walk to work.  One of the downsides of this place was needing to buy a kitchen for it.  Though this seems to be pretty common here, it was not something either of us wanted to deal with.  So, we obtained a quote and thank goodness I was sitting down.  A final decision has not been made regarding the kitchen and I am sure a lot more discussion will take place and yes, I will write all about it (whether you want to read about it or not).  

Tollwood

Tonight Carsten and I met his co-worker/friend Gary at Tollwood.  It is a winter festival that takes place on the same grounds as Oktoberfest and like most things German, it focuses on alcohol, though this time it isn't beer so much as hot spiced wine (glühwein).  This excursion was a great idea.  Not only did I have a blast drinking the glühwein, but I met some of Gary's friends who I really enjoyed talking with.  However, the best part was hearing stories from Gary and his friends, who also went through intensive German courses, and their struggles.  It helped me to feel better about my own progress and to limit some of the expectations I have put on myself regarding this course.

Some things I will never understand, pt. 2

As I had stated in an earlier post, this will likely become an on-going post.  It seems as though i see things almost on a daily basis that take me by surprise, for one reason or another.  It is not possible for me to write all of these down, so i wait until i see something extraordinary and then I make note of it.  Well, that happened today.  It is not that I haven't seen anything this "odd" before, it was just something that caught my eye and made me laugh a bit.  So, here is the scene.  I get off of the bus and walk to the Post to pick up a package that has been sent to me (thank you Katherine for sending all my excess mail).  As I am walking to the Post, a curvaceous woman of about 50 years old is riding her bike in my direction, wearing a dress and smoking a cigarette.  She inhales from her cigarette and then uses that same arm to indicate she is turning left.  It was then that I laughed.  Seeing her smoke and ride her bike was one thing but then to inhale, one more time, before indicating she was turning seemed like too much for me.  The moral of the story, she may get lung cancer, but she will have killer calf muscles!

World AIDS Day

Today, December 1st, is World AIDS Day.  It is the first year in some time that I have not been involved in some sort of outreach or programming that honors today.  For those of you who are interested in more information about World AIDS Day click here or here or here.  

Today is the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day.  In 1988 the World Health Organization announced the first World AIDS Day to increase awareness about HIV/AIDS as well as provide opportunities to understand and support persons living with HIV/AIDS.  If you would like to read what President Bush "wrote" regarding World AIDS Day, click here.  

A restful day

Today was a day of leisure.  I slept in until roughly 9am and then got up for some breakfast.  Much of the morning was spent poking around the apartment.  I also looked on-line for some furniture sine we desperately need to buy some things once we move.  In the afternoon, Carsten and I went for a walk around our neighborhood and then on some path that seemed to lead into nowhere.  It was really quite relaxing.  Though it was chilly outside, it was also sunny, which made for a nice, crisp winter day.  During the walk, we found a bakery that was actually open on a Sunday and we bought ourselves three slices of cake.  Thus, we came home, had some hot tea and cake and then spent the next few hours playing board games.  It was a much needed day of peace.  And now, let the work/school week begin!

A busy afternoon

Carsten and I headed off to the City Centre this afternoon to do some holiday shopping.  Carsten wanted to look for some gift ideas for his family, in addition, a large Christmas Market is happening in the City Centre as well and we wanted to walk through it.  Having come from Chicago I know what "a lot" of people looks like.  However, the magnitude of people that were at the market was incredible.  Of course it didn't help that so many people also decided to bring their SUV strollers along as well.  Funny, the cars in general are smaller here than in the US, but the strollers are huge!  But I digress.  After a few hours we had enough of that scene and came home to watch the final movie, P2, we rented.  It was the best, by far, of the three we rented and even Carsten agreed, which was a bit surprising since he doesn't care for horror films as much as I do.  Once we finished the movie we decided to go to the circus for one last time.  It was great fun!  A lot of laughing and even though I didn't always understand what was being said it was still funny.  This truly is a dying piece of entertainment.  I would recommend attending a circus if you have a chance.  I know that every year one comes to Chicago and I am sure many other cities have traveling circuses come as well.  In summer 2008, Celebrity Circus was on TV and yes I watched every episode.  The acrobatics take quite a bit of physical strength and the comedic component of the circus is not something that appears easy to obtain.  In the circus we saw, they used the audience a lot and so we really became part of the show.  In the end, just go and you will have a great time! 

Video Rental

Finally, a video store has opened in our neighborhood.  I love me some movies and have been going through a bit of withdrawal without anything new to see.  So last night (Friday) we walked to the video store that opened a week or so ago to see how it is.  Well, it has about two rows of movies, all new releases and a section for pornographic films.  In the end we rented three movies, since they had a special three for the price of one.  We watched two of them last night and will watch the last one today.  The two we saw were Funny Games, a film about a family held hostage in their summer home.  I really enjoyed it and thought is was quite different than most movies made.  The second movie we watched was Hancock, the latest blockbuster from Will Smith.  Honestly, I didn't care for the movie.  Carsten picked it but also was not thrilled with it.  The last movie we got was P2, a horror film that takes place in a parking garage.  Since I am a HUGE horror film buff, I am guessing I will like this one, at least let's hope so!

The weekend is upon us

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and didn't eat too much.  After the realtor left last night, I was able to call some people to say hello and wish them well.  It was great hearing the voices of those who I hold dear to my heart.  Though I did not have the time to phone everyone, I hope to be in touch with people soon, either by phone or email.  Oh, and though I had a nice talk with people, it was really, really hard to hear what yummy food you were going to eat (or had just eaten in some cases).  Carsten and I had bread and salad.  Jealous much?!?  

Enjoy the holiday weekend those of you reading this in the US.  Me, not sure what the weekend holds but I hope sleeping in and relaxing is part of it.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.  It is weird to me that I am not cooking or stuffing my face with food (turkey, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie) at this very moment.  Instead, I am preparing to do some homework.  So far today I have gone to class and cleaned the apartment.  The realtor is coming tonight to show the apartment to prospective tenants and so that meant I had to clean.  In the real world no one really cares how clean the apartment is except me and for those of you who know about my cleanliness...enough said :)

I do want to take a moment though to share what I am thankful for today and everyday.  I am most thankful for Carsten-for his love, patience and support.  I am thankful for my family and wonderful friends-who although they are far away from me now, I know they are only a phone call away.  And finally, I am thankful for the support and encouragement I have received from people while on this journey abroad.

Tracy Chapman, pt. 2

We are back from the concert and let me begin by saying she sounded amazing.  The show was just Tracy on stage with her guitar, no one and nothing else.  According to Carsten, Tracy changed guitars more than Cher changes costumes, to give you an idea of just how many guitars she had at her disposal.  The downside of the show was that she played all her typical songs, i.e. her greatest hits plus three new songs, and their were no surprises.  The upside was her voice and how much she interacted with the audience.  Here is the set list of the show:

1.  Why?

2.  Crossroads

3.  Sing For You

4.  Across The Lines

5.  Save Us All

6.  Change

7.  Stand By Me

8.  The Promise

9.  Something To See

10.  Subcity

11.  Fast Car

12.  Telling Stories

13.  Give Me One Reason

14.  Baby Can I Hold You

15.  Talkin' bout A Revolution

Encore:

16.  Cold Feet (Audience Request)

17.  She's Got A Ticket

I can't wait to see what concert I will attend next!!! 

Tracy Chapman

As one of my birthday gifts, Carsten bought us tickets to see Tracy Chapman in concert.  This will be our second time seeing her.  The last time we saw her was in Chicago at the apt named Chicago Theatre.  She sounded amazing and I can only hope she sounds the same tonight.  She has a new CD available and a single out, though we have yet to purchase the CD.  Thankfully I know the rest of her music catalogue and thus shouldn't be too lost during the show.  One of her greatest songs was called The Promise.  However, the song that made her famous was Fast Car.

A funny story

Okay, so funny might not be the appropriate adjective.  It is more of an "oh my, who does this happen to" kind of funny.  For example, when I was taking a cab in Chicago from Beth's (thanks again for letting me stay at your place) to visit my dear friends Craig and Laura (love you both) my cab hit a deer; yes in the urban area known as the Windy City.  Anyway, this story is that kind of funny.

Picture it, Freiburg, Germany, Saturday, November 22nd.  Carsten and I have looked at five apartments and we are about to see the last one of the day.  We are exhausted, cold, hungry and just want to find a place to live.  As we are waiting at a stop light to turn yellow then green (yes, it goes yellow twice here in Germany) a car is backing up toward our car from the passenger side.  Carsten notices it and makes an off-the-cuff comment.  My reply is "No one is in that car!"  Carsten not being a native English speaker did not exactly understand what I meant by this and then the car hit our car.  Thankfully no major damage was done to either car; however, we did have to phone the police since their was no second driver and we couldn't just leave the scene.  In the end, we decided against the apartment because it is too expensive and doesn't exactly fit our needs.  

My current schedule

A couple weeks back I wrote a post about my schedule; however, since I am now in my German language course that has changed.  So, for those of you wondering how I am currently spending my days, here it goes.

7am - Wake up and get ready for the day

7:30 - Coffee and toast

7:54 - Catch the bus (assuming it is on-time); transfer to subway

8:30 - Arrive at my school and review my homework and materials

9am - Class starts

12:30pm - Class ends

12:45 - Take subway/bus home 

1:30 - Arrive at home

1:35 - Check e-mail, mail, etc.

1:45 - Eat lunch

2pm - Do dishes, sweep floors, do laundry if necessary

3pm - Homework

6-7pm Carsten arrives home; prepare dinner, do dishes

8pm - Relax, watch TV, read, play a board game

11pm - Bed

Realization

It has occurred to me only recently (okay so it was about 10 minutes ago) that Thanksgiving is this Thursday.  Yes, it is sad I won't be with my family, yes it is sad I won't have a paid day off of work (of course since I am not working I guess this doesn't really matter), but what is most sad is that I won't have turkey.  I have looked for it in the grocery stores (I am being kind here using that term to describe the stores in my neighborhood) but I have been unable to find a single turkey.  At this time I can't remember the last time I didn't make a Thanksgiving meal.  I think it might have been 1999 when I was living in Arizona and stayed at home with my friend's Amy and Peter.  Alas, life goes on.  Plus, I can always eat wurst and kraut and pretend it is turkey with all the trimmings.  

I need a chip inserted

How ideal it would be if someone could insert a chip into my head that would enable me to speak and understand German.  Now, I am sure you are thinking "But it is so much more rewarding when you have worked for something and see the results."  Yes, that is true, but at this point I want to see more/better results.  I know that in general I am not the most patient person, but for real, this is driving me crazy.  It has gotten to the point where every night I have a dream that involves me trying to learn to speak German.  I wake up with German words in my mind.  So, the upside is I know some German words; the downside is I just want to sleep and turn my brain off.  Well, enough complaining from my end.  I guess it isn't all bad and hey, maybe soon I can actually put a sentence together correctly...a boy can dream :)  

The Weekend!

Well hello.  We finally made it back after a weekend in Freiburg, where we looked at apartments.  We left early on Friday afternoon, around 2pm, to try and beat some of the weekend traffic.  The trip from München to Freiburg is expected to take approximately 4.5 hours by car.  It took us about 6.5 due, not only to traffic and typical road construction, but the weather turned bad.  Once we arrived we ate a cheap spaghetti dinner and then headed off to our friend Andrea's, where we were sleeping the next two nights.

Saturday was a busy day.  We woke up at 7am for breakfast and to get ready and had our first appointment at 9:30am.  Throughout the day, we looked at 6 different apartments, none of which stood out as the best place for us.  We liked several of them, but they all had strengths and weaknesses.  Some were large, others were massive and a couple were on the smaller side.  Some were brand new and others were quite old.  It was fun to see all our options, but also mind-blowing.  We were both quite tired when we finished and were able to head back to Andrea's, which was around 5pm.  

On Sunday we looked at 4 more places.  Again, we had no real winner.  Some were better than others but none of them were crap-shacks.  We again had to get up around 7am to be ready for our first appointment at 9:30am.  Today we finished around 3pm and then headed back to München.  As expected, this time it only took the 4.5 hours.  We were quite exhausted from it all, but still needed to go through all the information to try and pick to right one for us.  At the time of this writing, this is still not clear :)

As many of you reading this know from our talks when Carsten and I were looking for places in München, most apartments here don't come with kitchens.  In addition, the tenant is responsible for light fixtures as well as many added costs that are not typical when looking at apartments in the United States.  This, along with the number of places we saw, added to an overwhelming weekend.  However, we are both secure in knowing we will make the right decision in terms of where to live.  Plus, are next place can't possibly have as many faults as our current place!!!

FRUSTRATED!!!

It is finally Friday and I have finished my first week of German language school.  Let me just say that I am rather frustrated with my inability to grasp this language.  However, what is interesting is how I am able to recall more things from my years of taking Spanish.  That being said, maybe in 20 years I will remember some of the German I have "learned" this week!

Carsten and I will be leaving shortly for Freiburg, as we have scheduled several apartments to look at this weekend with the hopes of picking one for us to move into.  It is raining quite hard currently and is expected to be in the 20's in Freiburg, so basically I am back in the Midwest :)

Off to Carsten's Birthday dinner

Since Carsten had to go to Hamburg for work we were not able to celebrate his birthday.  So we are going out tonight for dinner with our neighbors, Sven and Cathleen (from our night out last week-see earlier post and picture) to celebrate the birth of Carsten.  So, here I am preparing for the night out-though I still don't know where we are going.  But, I could guess that sausage and kraut are on the menu :)

I stink at Math, no matter what language!

I have known for many years that Math is not my friend.  I even learned in college that I have an enemy in Statistics; actually nemesis might be a better word for it.  Anyway, today I learned that numbers and Math, whether in English or German, cause me grief.  So much so, that at one point in class today we were doing an exercise and though I knew the teacher was talking I went completely blank.  I saw her lips move but that was about all.  So when it came time for me to answer a question from what she just said clearly I couldn't.  Since I am not the best at lying I just said "I'm sorry I have no idea what we are doing at the moment."  Though everyone laughed and thought it was a joke I really was clueless...shocker I know.  Luckily the teacher came back to me a little bit later and I could redeem myself, for the most part.  Not surprising, I did pretty well with naming furniture and such for homes.  Interior decorating here I come!  Wait, do I need numbers for that job?   

Day 3 of school

It has come to my attention that I am out of practice when it comes to school/learning and all that is required for this to happen.  Again today I am struggling with staying awake.  Most of my fellow classmates talked (in Spanglish) about being tired, so at least I know I am not the only one.  However, I can't believe how much I am looking forward to the weekend when I don't have to get up so early to get off to school.  Sure, I will still have to get up early, as Carsten is not one for "wasting a day."  But it will be much better to not have to run off to catch a bus.  No, not the short bus, a regular sized one.  I continue to really enjoy my class and the teacher, but I still struggle with retaining the information.  I seem able to say most things; I just need to be prompted on what to say when.  That is something I clearly need to work on.  That being said, I am off to continue doing my Hausaufgabe (homework).

So tired!

This picture shows just how I feel today.  I cannot believe how tired I am.  I think it has to do with now having to get up early to go to school; especially since I have been a Hausmann (house-husband) for the past several weeks.  I was up extra early today with Carsten to send him off to Hamburg, which I think only added to my drowsiness.  Of course, if I wouldn't have stayed up so late last night reading my new book "Seeing" by Jose Saramago I might not be as tired today.  Speaking of books, I just finished reading "Thunderstruck" by Erik Larson and I must say I did not love it.  I really enjoyed his last book, this one not as much.  Though it did get better for the last quarter of the book.  

Anyway, today was a tough day at school.  It shocks me at how little I can recall moment-to-moment in this class and yet I seem to remember most movies, actors/actresses, singers, etc.  Plus, I was not the best dressed today.  Here I thought I looked so dapper and in walked another student and as soon as I saw her I thought, "now she knows how to dress."  Clearly it is time for me to focus less on my appearance, as well as the appearance of others, and get busy with learning German.   And we all know that is easier said than done, not that I am one to judge :)

Carsten's birthday

Today, November 18th, is Carsten's birthday.  However, he had to leave quite early this morning to catch a flight to Hamburg where he will be until late on Wednesday night.So we won't spend his birthday together.  That being said, as you can see from the picture, he doesn't look a day over 40!!!  Happy Birthday Sweetie!

First day of school

Today was my first day of German language school.  The class meets 3.5 hours each day, five days per week for four weeks.  Like every other first day of school, I was a bit nervous.  I had the same thoughts running through my head as when I was younger:  Will I be the dumbest in the class?  Will I say something wrong/stupid?  Will the other students not like me?  and most important...What should I wear?  Let's begin!  I looked fantastic.  I wore black pants and black shoes with a green colored sweater and a multi-colored scarf with a charcoal grey coat.  Whether I was the dumbest in the class has yet to be determined and I definitely said things wrong/stupid.  The class is small with only seven students.  I really only spoke to one of the students who sat right next to me.  Everyone seemed really nice and most appeared to be just as nervous and confused as me.  Oh, and did I mention I was the best dressed?  I realize that could go without saying but I figured I would just say it and make sure everyone was on the same page.  We are given homework each day and that is what I am off to do right now.  Auf Wiedersehen.

Dachau

Today Carsten and I went to the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site.  It was the very first concentration camp and the last one to be shut down.  It was an extremely emotional place for me to visit; as I am sure it is for most people.  I could not bring myself to take any pictures inside the buildings as it felt disrespectful to all the men who suffered there.  The reason I say men is because only men were allowed at this particular camp.  I have attached the link to Wikipedia that talks more about the camp and has some pictures from inside the buildings and crematorium.  Click here to see my pictures.  

It's Saturday; you know what that means?

Yes, another Saturday another day of looking at cars.  However, this time we actually test drove one.  It appears that an Audi is officially out of the picture (sorry John).  We both sat in one and hit our heads and realized we are both too tall for an Audi.  Instead, we drove a VW Golf Plus.  It was a fun little car and reminded me a lot of Dixie (my car in Chicago).  The one we drove was also the same color as Dixie and had some pep to it.  

After our trip to the car dealership we went looking for furniture.  It appears that in only a few months I may be sleeping in a proper bed, instead of a mattress on the floor.  Though we did not find a bed frame we did agree on a mattress.  Oh, and in case you are wondering why we are waiting for furniture, it is easier to move with less stuff so we are waiting until after we are in Freiburg to get anything new.   

How I learn

As I wrote earlier in the week, I have been using the Internet, along with my German in 10 minutes a day workbook, to get a head start on my German language education.  I thought some people might be interested in the web page or possibly trying their hand at German.  So, click here to access the page.    

Also, my official German language class begins on Monday, I am a bit nervous, as evident by my dreams every night.  Seriously, if I have one more dream involving German nouns or getting kicked out of the country for not speaking the language I think I might snap.

Have a great weekend everyone!  

Picture from my night out...

Here is a photo from my night out on Tuesday where we went to the club 8-Seasons.  The people in the picture from left to right are:

Me 

Carsten

Friend of our neighbors  (can't remember her name)

Kathleen and Sven (our neighbors)

What do I do all day?

I get asked a lot what it is I do all day, especially since I am not working at the present time.  Although my schedule will change next week, I thought I would write down now what it is I do to occupy my time.  Here we go...

*  I wake up irritated because Carsten can't seem to turnoff his alarm clock

*  I either fall back asleep or wake up for the day.  If I fall back asleep it is for less than one hour

*  I make the bed (assuming no cat is sleeping on it)

*  I check my email, return emails and look at my facebook page

*  I make some coffee, eat brunch and watch a cartoon DVD, usually Scooby Doo (the kid in me)

*  Now the cleaning begins ~ dishes, sweeping, dusting, cat litter, mopping (if needed), bathroom

*  During this past week I have also been studying my German on the Internet which has taken away from my cleaning schedule

*  Sometimes I will walk to the market for food or to the dry cleaners

*  Once Carsten arrives home I prepare dinner

Basically I am a regular June Cleaver but with better fashion sense.  Of course next week when I officially start my German language course this schedule will change, drastically, but I will wait until then to figure out how to get all my cleaning done.

I'm tired of learning!!!

After 10 years of higher education one would think I have this learning thing down pat.  Well, I don't.  Maybe at 24 years old I am just too old to learn anymore, no I don't believe that either.  Of course I can still learn (and of course I am still 24), but maybe I should pick something other than a new language.  That being said, I can now count to 1000(ish), name the days of the week, the months of the year, the alphabet and greetings and salutations.  My task for Thursday will be German noun suffixes.  I know this is all thrilling for you all to read so just think of how exciting it is for me to actually be doing.  Thankfully, I was given the workbook "German in 10 minutes a Day" by my good friend Jim; yes, I am using the book.  Also, who knew the Internet had free language courses, sort of.  Seriously, what doesn't the Internet have.  On a final note, shortly before I left Chicago I attended a conference on Internet Addiction.  Well, all I have to say is "Hello, my name is William and I am addicted to the Internet."  

Goin' to da club!

Tonight I went to my first German dance club.  I have gone to pubs and beer gardens but never to a dance club.  And as most everyone knows I like to shake my groove thang!  After a day of cleaning and studying German it seemed like the right time to cut loose, even if it was a Tuesday night.  So, Carsten and I, together with our neighbors with to 8-Seasons where we met up with some of our neighbor's friends.  It was really quite cool and I had a blast.  Oh, and this is the song that got me on the dance floor.

Getting my learning on

So, my German language course begins one week from today.  As preparation for my course Carsten has decided to give me tasks to get a jump start on my learning.  My task for today is counting from 1-1000, the days of the week and possibly some greetings.  Clearly I should have been paying closer attention when he was giving me my "homework." 

Circus

No, not the new Britney Spears album, a real live circus.  As most people who are reading this know, I am from Baraboo, WI, home of Circus World Museum.  Now, I could go on and on and write about the history of the circus and what it represents, but thankfully other people wrote about it at Wikipedia and you can find out all about the circus here.  The circus we went to see was the Barelli Circus.  Honestly, it was a blast and really helped to improve my mood.  I don't have many pictures from the circus as my battery went dead (camera battery that is).  Clearly I need to get better at charging this thing on a regular basis.  But, I did manage to get one of me and Carsten (shocking, I know) and of the outside of the tent.  The few I did get from inside did not turn out too well due to how dark it was inside the big top.  

The old keep getting older!!

Today is the birthday of my mom and my brother.  Though I am not able to be with you on this special day,  I hope you both have a wonderful day.  I miss and love you both very much...

More driving practice

Today we decided to look at more cars.  It appears that I have lost the battle on the Audi.  It seemed as though I might be making progress with this task of mine until Carsten had to go and sit in one and bump his head.  Apparently he wants head room.  Whatever; I think looking good is clearly more important than functionality (case in point look at some of the shoes I wear!).  That being said, Carsten has picked the Skoda Octavia for us to drive.  I never heard of it either, so here is a picture of the car.  

After looking at cars I practiced some more driving.  I did not do as well this time as the last, but I think part of that was not being in the mood for driving.  No, this had nothing to do with the Audi, though maybe I would have practiced longer if behind the wheel of one :)

Keeping a low profile

My mood seems to be getting the better of me as of late.  I didn't leave the house today and I only did the most minimal amount of cleaning possible, which is how I really know I am in a funk :)  However, I was able to talk with some of my friends today on the telephone, which was a huge mood booster for me.  So, to all those I was able to reach, thank you for your friendship and encouragement, and for those I did not speak with, don't worry, your time is coming!! 

A breakdown of sorts

This morning we had an early rise as we needed to get into the city to fill out the necessary paperwork for me to officially reside in Germany.  The building was a it overwhelming and a bit like a maze.  I felt much like how I suspect a lab mouse feels.  The process itself was also overwhelming to me.   Think of going to the DMV times 100!!!  Thankfully Carsten was there to help me through.  In the end, I have six months to take what's called an A1 test.  This test will prove that I know enough of the German language.  Now, I am already freaking out a bit since everyone knows how well I am at tests!

When we finally left, Carsten went to work and I went to the grocery store and then home.  Upon arriving home I seemed to have a bit of a breakdown.  The song I was listening to was not a sad song, necessarily, though it was a holiday song.  At the same time, I was looking at a picture of one of my best friends, Alica, and that is when I lost it.   I have been here about one month now and though I am happy to be here and have this opportunity (thanks solely to Carsten) I can't help but miss my life in Chicago.  

Just Keeping Busy

Reading has become one of my favorite past times.  I have enjoyed it for some time now, but with having no TV as a distraction or much communication with the outside world books have become my main outlet.  I finished reading The Other Boleyn Girl this past weekend and really enjoyed the book immensely.  Since then I have read The Good Wife and Last Night at the Lobster, both by Stewart O' Nan.  Now I am reading Thuderstruck by Erik Larson.  

While going to the dry cleaners today, yes I go frequently, I had a new woman wait on me.  This one was also quite friendly and spoke more English than the other attendant I normally have.  She was also very patient with me and helped me to understand what the details on the receipt mean.  Though I had already figured this out from my other times there, I thought it so polite that she would try to help me out in this way. 

In the evening Carsten brought home two board games.  We enjoy board games quite a lot and though most of the ones we play are German games,  we don't play any that have to do with words.  However, since I rarely win I guess it wouldn't make much difference :)  The game we played tonight was Just 4 Fun.  I'd provide a link for it, but it is all in German.  If is sort of like Connect Four, but with more strategy and not as straight forward.

Election Day

Today is election day in the US.  With the time change I am not able to follow the election as I might like.  So what am I to do?  How about shopping?!?  That's right; just walking myself over to the nearest mall.  Carsten and I decide to meet there when he is done with work.  No problem, except I get a little lost.  In the end we find one another and tootle around the mall.  It still surprises me to see a grocery store in the mall.  I don't know why really; I mean, it actually makes some sense.  I went to buy the makings for homemade guacamole only to not be able to find avocados.  What kind of third world county am I living in!!! Okay, it's not that bad; really :) 

Picture this, Munich 2008.  A stunningly attractive American and a German leave the mall and begin to walk home, in the dark, a different way than how the American came to the mall. What happens, you guessed it they get lost.  Now, not just lost but stuck in a muddy field and no light. As most of you know, the American watches way too many horror films.  Let me just say the surroundings were perfect for some one or some thing with a saw, machete, or anything else to come and do them in.  But I digress.  I have been watching too many Golden Girl episodes.

  

Some things I will never understand or "Look what else is new to me!"

I am guessing that this will be an on-going series with my blog.  

Living someplace that is different from my previous experiences gives me plenty of things to not fully understand.  One of the first things that took me by surprise was our garage.  As you can see from the picture below, our garage has two "floors." The car that is in the garage in the picture belongs to our downstairs neighbor.  The empty spot above her car is where our car goes; essentially our garage uses a lift to put our car in or the neighbors car in.  Never in my life have I seen a garage like this.  And this is just one of many things that is new to me.  

Brauneck

Today we went hiking at Brauneck.  We started at the bottom, which was in the village of Lenggries, and climbed to Brauneck.  From there we continued climbing (because really who needs legs) to Latschenkopf.  If you look here at the pictures, you will find a map and some of the views from the outing.  It was absolutely beautiful there.  It was a steep hike and seemed to go on forever, though I was told it was not as high as some of our other hikes.  Of course we could have taken a cable car/ski lift thing up and/or down, but that seems like cheating. Coming down we got caught in nightfall and it was pretty dark by the time we made it to our car.  However, you could still see the beauty that was surrounding us.  

This experience today really helped me to appreciate how fortunate I am to have this opportunity of living in another country and experiencing the beauty that it holds.  Though you are not here with us, I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Driving a Manual 101

Today was a nice and relaxing day.  It started out with some breakfast and Carsten playing around on the computer while I finished reading the book "The Other Boleyn Girl."  Afterward we took a walk to a car dealership to look at possible cars for us.  I found a great Audi A3 2.0 TDI that I think would be perfect for us.  Carsten found a 3 series BMW, I think.  I really was more focused on the Audi.  Anyway, all this talk of cars made Carsten think it was time for me to learn how to drive a 5-speed.  Now, I have been "taught" in the past how to drive a 5-speed and even drove to Colorado in a 5-speed.  But that was a long time ago and I was not that great then.  So, we took some time to practice the basics.  I only stalled the car a few times...or so.  I clearly need some more practice, but I wasn't horrible either.  Personally I think I need that Audi as motivation for learning how to drive a 5-speed.  Here it is and I think you will know what I mean.

Preparing for All Saint's Day

Today is known in many countries as Halloween; however, how and where did Halloween begin and why do people wear masks and costumes, put candles in jack-o-lanterns, and have bonfires?  To find out more about this fascinating "holiday", read here.   

As for here in Germany, November 1st, All Saint's Day this year, is an official holiday with most everything closed.  That means all grocery shopping and errands need to be completed before stores close on Friday.  It also means no looking at Audi's on Saturday; yes, I am still working that angle with Carsten.

Today is also my friend Aimee's birthday.  I hope she has a wonderful day!!!

The life of luxury

Another low-key day and it amazes me at how fast they tend to go by.  It is also shocking to me to think of my current schedule of things to do compared to my schedule in Chicago...how did I manage?!?  Anyway, the highlight of the day was going to see the movie Eagle Eye.  However, unlike in the US where movies change on Fridays at the theater here they change on Thursdays.  Thus, no movie.  Instead, Carsten, his co-worker Gary and his partner Klaus, and I went for a beer, or two, at an establishment near the theater.  It was a great time and the beverages were quite tasty.

I'm going back to school...sort of

Well, today was a day of errands.  In the real world it should have taken a short amount of time, but in a world far, far away where you speak different from everyone else, it becomes a day long event.

The day started like every other day, some coffee, play with the cats, check my email and then head off to get some stuff done.  I walked to the nearest DHL stop to pick up a package that was delivered for me.  You might wonder why I didn't get it at the house.  Great question.  Well, our buzzer doesn't work properly and so when it was delivered I had no way to let the delivery person in or get out to the street before he left.  So, I went to the nearest location to pick it up.  Well, I got there when it was time for their lunch break.  The woman behind the counter didn't speak any English and since I don't speak any German you might be wondering "how did he know everyone is at lunch?"  I will tell you, charades.  It is my new favorite way to communicate with people.   Try it, it is loads of fun and you can do it basically anywhere and with anyone :)  

Now, I left without my package and headed to the dry cleaners.  I adore the woman there.  She doesn't really speak English nor does she appear to be a fan of charades, but her attitude (or what appears to be attitude) it something I admire, plus she is one of the few Germans who I have seen smile.   Picked up the dry cleaning, dropped it off at home and headed to the city centre to register for my German class.  

Before I continue let me just say that Munich has an amazing public transportation system.  It is even better if you can read the signs, but I will get to that later.  I made it to my stop for the language school but struggled at finding the building.  I walked down the street and followed the numbers on the street where the school is located, but never came to the building number I needed.  So I turned around and went back to where I began.  I saw two men and a woman fight in the street with glass bottles being thrown and the woman walking into traffic.  Interesting, but I had my own business to take care of.  I walked around another block, which also had the same street name that I needed but still no luck.  In the end, after 40 minutes, I found the building.  Where was it, oh that's simple, right where it was suppose to be, I just went in the completely wrong direction because not every intersection has a street sign with its name on it.  Then after 5 minutes in the language school reception office I was registered for my class...sort of.  I wanted to start on the 3rd of November but that class is full so I have to wait until the 17th, oh and pay for my classes and books.  Then I headed for the train to take me home.  

Remember how I was saying that Munich has a great public transportation system and all that? So I get to my stop and try to find out what level my train is on.  It seems simple, but this is where not being able to read German causes some troubles.  So, I get on an escalator to take me down to my platform.  However, as I am going down I seem to pass my platform.  That's right, their are several platforms under ground and you have to make sure you get on the right one.  Not only was I going to the wrong level but I was also on the wrong side, meaning I would go in the wrong direction, or something like that.  Finally I made it to the right platform and even in the right direction.  My train arrives, I get on and am standing and thinking about how complicated this all seems and then I start laughing out loud because the song that started on my I-Pod was 9-to-5 by Miss Dolly Parton and I thought, "no one else on this train could possibly be listening to the same song" and for some reason this really cracked me up.  I get to my train stop and then needed to head back to the DHL pick up station but I was out of train/bus passes and I had no money let on me, which meant I would need to continue walking.  I made it, got my package and arrived home safe and sound.  Again, this all seems simple enough, right?!?  In the end it took me over 4 hours to accomplish these simple tasks.   

What did we learn from today's adventure?  That listening to Dolly Parton makes everything better.

More changes ahead!

It has become clear that I like change; from the various styles and colors of my hair to where I decide to live (from Wisconsin to the mountains of Arizona to the fast pace of Chicago and now in another country).  Well, just when I thought I might be done moving for a while, especially after this past summer and all my moving around, it appears that I will once again be relocating.  I will remain in Germany, but I will make the move from Munich to Freiburg.  Carsten has been offered a position there and it is a great opportunity.  In addition, he has lived there before and I loved visiting there.  So, Carsten will move there in January 2009 and I will follow in February.  If you want to read up on Freiburg click here.  

Also, if you click on Freiburg, you can see many, many pictures from my trips when Carsten lived there.

This is worth watching!

I would like to thank Michelle for sending this to me.  Very interesting and scary stuff.

Blog day

Today is the day I created my blog and back tracked what I have done for the past three weeks or so.  As most people know, I am not the most sophisticated when it come to electronics, computers and such.  However, I have had a great time creating this and I look forward to adding elements of my life on here on a regular basis.  

My birthday

Today is my birthday.  For those of you wondering just how old I am, yes, I am still 24 years old.  I try to age, but for some reason I just can't.  It's a curse really.  Maybe next year, but this year I am still 24 and loving it.  Now, I am assuming you are wondering what does one do when they turn 24 (again) and are living in a new city.  Well, I will tell you; you take a 3 hour walking tour. It was entertaining, not the most informative, but it was a free walking tour and you get what you pay for.  Now, don't get me wrong, I did learn some things, but most of the places we went to Carsten and I had already gone to during my first full day in Munich.  The best part was at the end going for free stew and a beer.  Anyway, can you find me in the picture...

Furniture shopping, part 3

Today we went to Segmueller to order the dining room table, chairs and a matching room divider. However, once we got there we found out that they are out of stock and don't expect them in again before January 2009.  So, I was a bit disappointed, but some things just aren't meant to be.  Like most things in life, I believe that things happen for a reason and it is our duty to find out what that reason is.  We bought some other items at the store and called it a day there.  

What does one do when you can't find furniture?  Well, I'll tell you; you go car shopping.  And that is exactly what we did.  Now, we did not buy anything, and likely won't for some time, but what fun to look at all the vehicular possibilities.  I still think we need to get an Audi, but for some reason Carsten doesn't believe we can afford it.  Who am I to judge?

Home alone

Yesterday and today Carsten has been out of Munich for work, so I have been alone with nothing to do.  I had thought of going into the city centre and having a look around, but my fear seemed to get the best of me.  I worried about not speaking the language or being able to find my way around. Since Carsten is gone I wouldn't have him to phone to lead me in the right direction.   I am noticing my independent spirit leaving me.  My belief is that this is due to not speaking the language.  I suppose it could be just an excuse, as many people speak English here in Munich, I just haven't found or heard them yet.  At any rate, I did one of my favorite past times and watched a lot of movies.  Most I had already seen but one was new to me, though we have owned it for quite some time now.  That movie was Bad Education by Pedro Almodovar.  I found it to be a great movie, which isn't too surprising since I love most of his movies, but this one really kept my interest.  So, for those who have not seen it I would recommend it to you.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wS60tlBO49w

Civil Union

Today is the day that Carsten and I had our Civil Union.  It was not the most romantic, but it was still quite special.  I had thought that it would not be that big of a deal, as we have been together for so long and have endured quite a lot in that time.  However, when all was said and done, I felt different.  It is hard to explain, but I felt so connected and loved in a way that I don't think I have ever felt.  It made me think of people who say "Oh, it was no big deal, we just signed a paper" or comments like "We already felt like we were married anyway."  I suddenly felt very sad for those people, not that they asked for my pity.  This event was way more powerful than I had expected or imagined it could be.  Though it was a very private event, I look forward to being able to celebrate the union with everyone once I am in the US. 

If you are interested, here are some pictures from the civil union ceremony.

My first concert in Munich

One of my favorite past times is to attend concerts.  So, Carsten bought us tickets to attend a concert tonight; however, he would not let me know who we were going to see or even what type of music would be played.  Once we got to the venue and he gave me my ticket I saw that we were seeing the band Eskobar.  Like you, I have never heard of this band.  The opening act, whose name I still don't know, had a sound like the Smashing Pumpkins.  Needless to say, I loved them :)  As for the band Eskobar, they are a pop group from Sweden, performed in Munich and sang in English.  At one point during the show I laughed to myself because if anyone would have told me a year ago that I would be living in Munich, attending a concert of a Swedish band who sang in English I would tell them to put the crack pipe down.  Anyway, I liked the music quite a lot and had a great time there.  Take a listen from the show...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPNNXBMXPTU

Trip to Regensburg, Germany

Today we took a day trip to Regensburg with a co-worker of Carsten's, Gary, and Gary's friend Kevin.  It was a beautiful day, though a bit cool outside.  The city is a sister city of Tempe and is known for one of its cathedrals and for its stone bridge.  To see more pictures from the trip click here.

Furniture shopping, part 2

Today we are on a mission to buy some furniture, possibly a mirror and dishes.  We went back to Segmueller, which is where we found the dining room table and chairs.  However, in the end we did not buy it.  Now, you might be thinking, "why not, it seemed as though your really liked that table."  Well, you would be right.   However,one of us, I'll let you guess which one, decided we might want to take some more time to think about it.  

So, we left there and went to IKEA.  Love, love, love IKEA.  We did finally buy some dishes; yes Laura, we got the white ones :)  We also bought some other items, but nothing major.  At this point in time I am sure you are thinking to yourself, clearly they have bought a bed but it has slipped his mind to write about it.  If only that was the case.  No, I am still on a mattress on the floor.  

I got nothing today

Well, I am still not feeling well and don't have much energy to do anything.  I continue to look for work and trying to figure out which language school I want to attend.  Though I am enjoying my time here in Munich, I feel bad for not speaking the language.  I tend to not say much (I know, hard to believe) but I also know how some people in the US feel when people don't speak English and I would hate to think of people feeling that way about me here in Germany.  

Low key day

I decided not to do much of anything today.  So, I slept in a bit, watched some DVDs and cleaned the apartment.  Speaking of cleaning the apartment, I have noticed that I am cleaning basically everyday.  Now, I know what you are thinking...that's because you are anal.  Well, yes, I am, but that is not the only reason.  it is really dusty here in Munich and I am sure having two cats doesn't help.

Speaking of the cats, they are doing quite well here.  Both seem to be playing an running around more and Lela also seems to be more cuddly. Now, if only Zoe would lose some pounds :)

Last day of unpacking...for now

I have decided that this will be my last day of unpacking until we buy more furniture and we make some decisions about what to put where.  Now that all the boxes are empty, except the eight that are holding my CDs, it is time to break them down and fold all the packing paper.  Yes, I spent the time to do this.  In the end, it took me just over two hours to fold all the packing paper.  Now, would the normal person do this?  The answer is clearly no, but who else cleans the inside of a washing machine?  I think I have made my point :)  

Still unpacking

It is now my second day of unpacking.  I have decided not to unpack the CDs at this time, though let's be honest I have more boxes of CDs tha

n anything else!!!  Today my focus is on my DVD collection, books, picture frames/candles and other crap to take up space.  It is starting to feel more like home...if only I had a proper bed :)

Today is also the birthday of my dear friend Michelle.  Since she is becoming quite the starlet in Baraboo I can only assume she is being photographed by the paps or interviewed for some magazine.  Happy Birthday Shel!!!

Time to unpack

At this point in time, I have been in Munich for about four days and the boxes in the apartment are driving me crazy.  To my surprise, I have lasted longer than expected with regards to diving into the project of unpacking all my belongings. 

On the first day of unpacking, I tackled all that is the kitchen.  I am still curious as to how Carsten made it four months without unpacking any pots and pans for the kitchen, but I guess some things will always remain a mystery.   

Wendelstein

On my first weekend in Munich, as I lay on my death bed with jet lag and the flu, Carsten dragged me out at the crack of dawn to go hiking.  Of course, for anyone who knows me I was fine with this :)  In the end, I met some new people and had a wonderful time.  Would I have rather been in bed sleeping, sure; would I have regretted missing out on this experience, definitely.  

More hiking pictures can be found here.

Furniture shopping, part 1

It is time to buy some furniture.  We have been sleeping on a mattress (twin-and-a-half) on the floor and I am so over it.  We also need a TV stand, dining room table/chairs and other necessities, like dishes and a bathroom mirror!  We ended up going to two stores and bought nothing.  We found a great dining room table and chairs but Carsten being far from impulsive, which I so don't get, decided we should think about it some more. Who does this?

Anyway, so far my time in Munich has been quite ni

ce, though I have been sick with the flu or similar illness the entire time I have been here.  We have plans to go hiking tomorrow and I hope to be feeling better.  Let's see what tomorrow brings.

My search for tomatoes!

It is Friday and I am still not sleeping right and continue to feel ill.  However, during our visit to the beer garden I saw someone eating cheese, bread and tomatoes.  Thus my craving for tomatoes begins.  So, while Carsten is at work, I decide to walk around the neighborhood, get a feel for my surroundings and find a market that sells tomatoes.  I walked for about 20 minutes in one direction and was unsuccessful finding any tomatoes so I turned around for the walk back.  While on my way back, I heard a little boy singing the song La Cucaracha.  Of course it was in German, but the beat was still the same.  I had to laugh a little because it just seemed so absurd to me that I would hear this song in Germany.   Okay, back to my tomatoes.  

In the end, I did not find any tomatoes.  I found a nice men's clothing store, an Audi dealer and a great furniture store but no tomatoes.  So, I come home and put in some DVD that I own, probably a cartoon of some sort.  And what song do I hear on this DVD, that's right, La Cucaracha.  Twice in one day I hear this song that is about cockroaches.    That night Carsten arrives home and I tell him about my unsuccessful search for tomatoes.  Apparently just 1.5 blocks away, on the opposite side of the street from where I walked, behind some bushes and a bus stop is a grocery store.