Hey Everybody!
My mom and I had an eventful week this past week and she was kind enough to write about it! Grab a snack and your beverage of choice - maybe some alcohol free wine like we ACCIDENTALLY bought this past week!
My time in Germany is almost up and my internet connection is going to be spotty from now till I get back to the States so bear with me on my infrequent posting.
I hope things are great with you!
Love,
Elizabeth
Friday, June 5, 2009
Vicki From Vegesack: Part II
Saturday
Downtown Bremen, the Schnoor, bibelgarten, Jacobs picnic, shopping and little harbor festival walkthrough, Werder Bremen wins!
There you go. The succinct summary. Now I’ll take you through it…. Backwards!
Werder Bremen, la lalala. Late into the night there were literally singing in the streets, horns honking, men shouting. Their beloved soccer team, who as far as I can tell is called the “green/whites,” won the Germany Cup! Sounds like a big deal good thing for the fans of fussbol and it was. The celebration was rowdy and hearty. Elizabeth and I joined in by downloading the Werder Bremen song on youtube. It was all the support we could muster. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzVbgkizKfE
I went to the grocery myself and only had to ask for one thing to be translated! They have some kind of deutsche card I did not understand… thought she might be asking debit or credit. However the 18 year old German girl spoke better English than I do so other than my usual embarrassment all was well. I found everything I was looking for and even translated nutritional comparisons.
We had a nice trip through downtown Bremen which of course centers on the two churches, the Frauenkirche and the Domhof (one for the general public and one for the higher classes in the old days). We ate lunch on the square, and although the picture looks a little gruesome, I swear it was the best baked potato ever slathered with a “kraeutercreme” sauce… some kind of chivey-parsley spice that was great. Everything comes with the most interesting salads, and they don’t even advertise them.
During lunch a man began to chant something very loudly (he must have majored in voice projection somewhere) on the square. He went on and on. At first we thought he was some sort of tour guide but he seemed to be very repetitive and, frankly, I could not figure out even what language he was speaking using, let alone what he was saying. Eventually the police came and hauled him away. The lunch crowd cheered.
In a courtyard of the Domhof, the major church, was a Bibelgarten, where 120 varieties of flowers and shrubs mentioned in the Bible, are planted. Each is labeled with its name and a mention of the bible verse where it is mentioned. The flowers were of course beautiful, as all flowers are here and, really, it has to be said, everywhere else where flowers are. Do I ramble?
Back to the tour.
The Schnoor is the oldest quarter in Bremen (c. 1000) with the tiniest medieval “streets” I’ve seen anywhere. There was one area where I had to turn sideways to get through (yes, I’ve put on weight, but this was inordinate!) We looked in a couple of shops and met my new boyfriend Heinrich, see photo below. He was known as Happy Heini because no matter what he always was determined to be happy. Unfortunately, he will never know of his status as my new boyfriend because he died several years ago at the age of 90+. The town loved him so much they put a statue near where he lived there in the Schnoor.
The Jacobs picnic-festival was to celebrate the end of the year. The theme was 1960’s hippies but not everyone seemed to have received the memo and those who did had some mighty erroneous info about the hippies. However, since the students represented countries as various as Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Poland, the US, Germany, El Salvador, etc. I figured maybe there were different interpretations of the term in different parts of the world. Elizabeth received an elaborate temporary tattoo and we vamoosed.
Shortly thereafter came the aforementioned shopping expedition and on the short walk back to the Blue House I found a tiny area by the harbor where there were food booths and a merry-go-round. Fun! Took some pictures of the harbor/Blue House from the other side and then back to rest. Sleeping is fun and peaceful here… but of course last night we got to vicariously party with the wildly enthusiastic Werder Bremen fans returning at the Bahnhof that is less than fifty yards from our house. Alles Gut, we learned a new song!
Sunday – Monday-Tuesday
Church. Brunch. Rest. Goodbye pizza party at Blue House. Overnight train to Munich. Hostel, could not check in yet. Wander to information office and buy hop on hop off tours. Ride four times to see all the sights, hop off in Marienplatz, walk to Hard Rock Café/Hofbrauhaus. All shops closed due to Pentecost. Elizabeth purely miserable with allergies, in search of Apotheke! No map for me. Final day walking tour.
Church at Jacobs U involves a touring priest (who had a Mass-in-a-rolling-suitcase, hopefully with all appropriate luggage blessings) and about fourteen participants. Including us. Elizabeth was roped in the first week to do setup and readings, and an admirable job she did. “I had to go to church! They would surely have noticed if the altar was not set up or the readings were not read, wouldn’t they?” Clever Father Matthew.
Met more of Elizabeth’s friends and had lunch at the Servery (these Germans go in for fancy names) which is the main cafeteria. Outside we had a lively discussion about movies and other trends (participants from Slovakia, Mexico, El Salvador)
Then back to the Blue House for a little rest and a goodbye pizza party, Tons more kids (although Elizabeth takes offense since many of them are post doctoral students and up to maybe 35 years old. Still. Kids.) And a BABY! Who was very placid for being among so many people speaking so many languages and varieties of English.
Caught the late train from Vegesack, the section of Bremen where E lives, to the main Bremen station, to Munich. Tried to sleep, but really. The “pillows” built into the seats were hysterical. They looked like someone had one of those things you are supposed to inflate to use in the bathtub, ok, not shell-shaped but you get the idea, and then someone let 7/8 of the air out. No point to them whatsoever and they made a lump behind my head that was really not so helpful. What are they thinking? Anyway, not much sleep ensued which was sort of not good since the plan was to sleep on the train, wake up refreshed and see half of Munich, rest at the hostel (my first! And my first top bunk, not a pretty thought… or sight, I am sure) and then gad about the next day as well. We did follow the plan, but whoo were we tired.
Not to mention Elizabeth had a severe attack of allergies which necessitated a trip to an Apotheke. This ordinarily would not be such an adventure worth sharing with our faithful blog followers, since Apothekes are about as numerous in Germany as Starbucks in any major American city. However, today was, you guessed it, Pentecost Monday, when all shops are CLOSED. We eventually discovered, when she was down to her very LAST tissue, that there is an emergency Apotheke in every city! Joy! Cheers! Rapture! We hopped on our hop-on-hop off bus tour and hied our way hence to the part of town where tissues were to be found. (Guess I did not mention the lack of Walgreens or 7 – 11s, huh?) Also Elizabeth found her favorite herbal remedy, Gelo-Myrtol, which she had been planning to stock up on anyway for her return to the states… best thing ever for a stuffy head she says. It was a happy moment!
And followed quickly by Elizabeth’s excellent navigation (Rude daughter’s comment to loving affectionate albeit directionally challenged mother: “No map for YOU!”) that landed us smack dab between the Hard Rock Café and the Hofbrauhaus. More Joy. More Cheers. More Rapture! For those who don’t know, HRC is a destination in any city Elizabeth visits. Long story involving the Flintstones, not appropriate here, but funny. Ask me sometime.
Anyway we had a lovely American lunch there and sadly, PEPSI, not Coke, but with ice cubes AND ice water! Very nice.
Oh. You wanted to hear about German sites, not so much about respiratory distress or lunchtime? Ok.
So the hop-on-hop-off was sort of cool. Because of the tissue crisis we hopped off at some critical juncture that ended up requiring us to circle the city four times to see all the sights. Therefore we heard the interpretations of four different guides. Funny how statistics seemed to change! But we did get to see all the sites and walk around most of the major ones. The old town hall is of course newer than the new town hall, since it was rebuilt in the 1960’s after some major WWII destruction. Ironically, the new town hall (built c. 1900) was built to look older than the old town hall (built c. 1400) in the first place and even though the rebuilt old town hall was built to recreate the original it does look newer than the new one. Got all that? Still with me?
It was interesting to discover that there were only four kings of Bavaria in its history, one of whom was Ludwig II, the mad king that built Neuschwanstein, the castle that was the model for the Disney castle. But the first king had most excellent taste and built some incredible places with a Grecian look. And the second king built a wonderful castle for his wife after she gave him, yes, an heir to the throne. In response she built a church to thank God.
So now to the hostel. Good to try. Once. Not horrible. But the imaginary sight of me climbing up to a top bunk probably tells you all you need to know.
Back to Bremen we rode.
Wednesday
Elizabeth’s across-the-hall neighbors Behnam and Behrang (please pronounce the “h”, it’s important to them and they deserve the attention to detail) cooked us the most superb Iranian lunch! Two kinds of meat (chicken and lamb) lots of vegetables, three kinds of rice! Delectable. And they are very kind and thoughtful young men. We had a very good discussion about the state of the world and their country and our country and I think if everyone could eat that lunch and then discuss things we’d all be a lot better off. At the end we discovered that Behnam had had oral surgery and needed stitches removed so he had done all this in pain! Then he left to go to the dentist and returned for more conversation, holding an icepack to his face! What a guy. They have been very good friends to Elizabeth, and I am so glad she got to know some wonderful people from a place where we might tend to think of everyone as “the same” and with an attitude we don’t like. These two were men I’d be proud to have as sons, brothers, or any other kind of relative or friend.
Elizabeth packed. I read another book!
Thursday
Cooked all day. It was quite relaxing since I had no worries about laundry, grants, dentists, bills or anything else I could resolve at the moment. Made mom’s famous chicken and wild rice casserole, green beans, salad, and served it all up with crusty rolls, apple juice, wine and (oops, surprise, even to me, alcohol free wine!) and of course Coke. Dessert was a disappointment. Unfortunately I used what I thought was a prepared pie crust for my reasonable facsimile of apple pie, but it was more like a doughy cookie. Not so good. Sad. The apples were fine though.
Dinner time came and 10 of Elizabeth’s friends joined us around the table at the Blue House. They are a remarkable group of young people I am so glad to have had the chance to know. And when my chair broke out from under me (!!) they hardly guffawed at all. Well a little bit. But Behnam and Behrang sprang to their feet to help me, and they all were very kind. Got me a new chair and we proceeded. They loved the casserole, Mom. Great recipe… although I needed to substitute a couple items not available at a grocery near us, it turned out just fine.
After dinner, the friends of Elizabeth claimed items she can’t bring back to the States. Some of them can’t carry their items on the bus or bikes at night so they will revisit tomorrow.
To cap off the night, packing. Yawn.
Friday
Leaving day. Got up at 6:20 am to deal with checking out of Elizabeth’s room at 7. They guy never showed up! Guenther and Annemarie are on the way and called to give instructions for packing for a trip to their vacation home in Langerroch (sp?) So we repacked!
Blake, Kate and Adil came to claim items and we shared Elizabeth’s last döner experience. It is a day of very mixed emotions for her, but she is ready to move on. And now, I need to get this posted before our ride appears and we lose our internet connection. More as possible in the days to come.
Love,
Vicki
Pictures from our great journies!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=82227&id=558866732&l=073c6a7ddc
Downtown Bremen, the Schnoor, bibelgarten, Jacobs picnic, shopping and little harbor festival walkthrough, Werder Bremen wins!
There you go. The succinct summary. Now I’ll take you through it…. Backwards!
Werder Bremen, la lalala. Late into the night there were literally singing in the streets, horns honking, men shouting. Their beloved soccer team, who as far as I can tell is called the “green/whites,” won the Germany Cup! Sounds like a big deal good thing for the fans of fussbol and it was. The celebration was rowdy and hearty. Elizabeth and I joined in by downloading the Werder Bremen song on youtube. It was all the support we could muster. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzVbgkizKfE
I went to the grocery myself and only had to ask for one thing to be translated! They have some kind of deutsche card I did not understand… thought she might be asking debit or credit. However the 18 year old German girl spoke better English than I do so other than my usual embarrassment all was well. I found everything I was looking for and even translated nutritional comparisons.
We had a nice trip through downtown Bremen which of course centers on the two churches, the Frauenkirche and the Domhof (one for the general public and one for the higher classes in the old days). We ate lunch on the square, and although the picture looks a little gruesome, I swear it was the best baked potato ever slathered with a “kraeutercreme” sauce… some kind of chivey-parsley spice that was great. Everything comes with the most interesting salads, and they don’t even advertise them.
During lunch a man began to chant something very loudly (he must have majored in voice projection somewhere) on the square. He went on and on. At first we thought he was some sort of tour guide but he seemed to be very repetitive and, frankly, I could not figure out even what language he was speaking using, let alone what he was saying. Eventually the police came and hauled him away. The lunch crowd cheered.
In a courtyard of the Domhof, the major church, was a Bibelgarten, where 120 varieties of flowers and shrubs mentioned in the Bible, are planted. Each is labeled with its name and a mention of the bible verse where it is mentioned. The flowers were of course beautiful, as all flowers are here and, really, it has to be said, everywhere else where flowers are. Do I ramble?
Back to the tour.
The Schnoor is the oldest quarter in Bremen (c. 1000) with the tiniest medieval “streets” I’ve seen anywhere. There was one area where I had to turn sideways to get through (yes, I’ve put on weight, but this was inordinate!) We looked in a couple of shops and met my new boyfriend Heinrich, see photo below. He was known as Happy Heini because no matter what he always was determined to be happy. Unfortunately, he will never know of his status as my new boyfriend because he died several years ago at the age of 90+. The town loved him so much they put a statue near where he lived there in the Schnoor.
The Jacobs picnic-festival was to celebrate the end of the year. The theme was 1960’s hippies but not everyone seemed to have received the memo and those who did had some mighty erroneous info about the hippies. However, since the students represented countries as various as Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Poland, the US, Germany, El Salvador, etc. I figured maybe there were different interpretations of the term in different parts of the world. Elizabeth received an elaborate temporary tattoo and we vamoosed.
Shortly thereafter came the aforementioned shopping expedition and on the short walk back to the Blue House I found a tiny area by the harbor where there were food booths and a merry-go-round. Fun! Took some pictures of the harbor/Blue House from the other side and then back to rest. Sleeping is fun and peaceful here… but of course last night we got to vicariously party with the wildly enthusiastic Werder Bremen fans returning at the Bahnhof that is less than fifty yards from our house. Alles Gut, we learned a new song!
Sunday – Monday-Tuesday
Church. Brunch. Rest. Goodbye pizza party at Blue House. Overnight train to Munich. Hostel, could not check in yet. Wander to information office and buy hop on hop off tours. Ride four times to see all the sights, hop off in Marienplatz, walk to Hard Rock Café/Hofbrauhaus. All shops closed due to Pentecost. Elizabeth purely miserable with allergies, in search of Apotheke! No map for me. Final day walking tour.
Church at Jacobs U involves a touring priest (who had a Mass-in-a-rolling-suitcase, hopefully with all appropriate luggage blessings) and about fourteen participants. Including us. Elizabeth was roped in the first week to do setup and readings, and an admirable job she did. “I had to go to church! They would surely have noticed if the altar was not set up or the readings were not read, wouldn’t they?” Clever Father Matthew.
Met more of Elizabeth’s friends and had lunch at the Servery (these Germans go in for fancy names) which is the main cafeteria. Outside we had a lively discussion about movies and other trends (participants from Slovakia, Mexico, El Salvador)
Then back to the Blue House for a little rest and a goodbye pizza party, Tons more kids (although Elizabeth takes offense since many of them are post doctoral students and up to maybe 35 years old. Still. Kids.) And a BABY! Who was very placid for being among so many people speaking so many languages and varieties of English.
Caught the late train from Vegesack, the section of Bremen where E lives, to the main Bremen station, to Munich. Tried to sleep, but really. The “pillows” built into the seats were hysterical. They looked like someone had one of those things you are supposed to inflate to use in the bathtub, ok, not shell-shaped but you get the idea, and then someone let 7/8 of the air out. No point to them whatsoever and they made a lump behind my head that was really not so helpful. What are they thinking? Anyway, not much sleep ensued which was sort of not good since the plan was to sleep on the train, wake up refreshed and see half of Munich, rest at the hostel (my first! And my first top bunk, not a pretty thought… or sight, I am sure) and then gad about the next day as well. We did follow the plan, but whoo were we tired.
Not to mention Elizabeth had a severe attack of allergies which necessitated a trip to an Apotheke. This ordinarily would not be such an adventure worth sharing with our faithful blog followers, since Apothekes are about as numerous in Germany as Starbucks in any major American city. However, today was, you guessed it, Pentecost Monday, when all shops are CLOSED. We eventually discovered, when she was down to her very LAST tissue, that there is an emergency Apotheke in every city! Joy! Cheers! Rapture! We hopped on our hop-on-hop off bus tour and hied our way hence to the part of town where tissues were to be found. (Guess I did not mention the lack of Walgreens or 7 – 11s, huh?) Also Elizabeth found her favorite herbal remedy, Gelo-Myrtol, which she had been planning to stock up on anyway for her return to the states… best thing ever for a stuffy head she says. It was a happy moment!
And followed quickly by Elizabeth’s excellent navigation (Rude daughter’s comment to loving affectionate albeit directionally challenged mother: “No map for YOU!”) that landed us smack dab between the Hard Rock Café and the Hofbrauhaus. More Joy. More Cheers. More Rapture! For those who don’t know, HRC is a destination in any city Elizabeth visits. Long story involving the Flintstones, not appropriate here, but funny. Ask me sometime.
Anyway we had a lovely American lunch there and sadly, PEPSI, not Coke, but with ice cubes AND ice water! Very nice.
Oh. You wanted to hear about German sites, not so much about respiratory distress or lunchtime? Ok.
So the hop-on-hop-off was sort of cool. Because of the tissue crisis we hopped off at some critical juncture that ended up requiring us to circle the city four times to see all the sights. Therefore we heard the interpretations of four different guides. Funny how statistics seemed to change! But we did get to see all the sites and walk around most of the major ones. The old town hall is of course newer than the new town hall, since it was rebuilt in the 1960’s after some major WWII destruction. Ironically, the new town hall (built c. 1900) was built to look older than the old town hall (built c. 1400) in the first place and even though the rebuilt old town hall was built to recreate the original it does look newer than the new one. Got all that? Still with me?
It was interesting to discover that there were only four kings of Bavaria in its history, one of whom was Ludwig II, the mad king that built Neuschwanstein, the castle that was the model for the Disney castle. But the first king had most excellent taste and built some incredible places with a Grecian look. And the second king built a wonderful castle for his wife after she gave him, yes, an heir to the throne. In response she built a church to thank God.
So now to the hostel. Good to try. Once. Not horrible. But the imaginary sight of me climbing up to a top bunk probably tells you all you need to know.
Back to Bremen we rode.
Wednesday
Elizabeth’s across-the-hall neighbors Behnam and Behrang (please pronounce the “h”, it’s important to them and they deserve the attention to detail) cooked us the most superb Iranian lunch! Two kinds of meat (chicken and lamb) lots of vegetables, three kinds of rice! Delectable. And they are very kind and thoughtful young men. We had a very good discussion about the state of the world and their country and our country and I think if everyone could eat that lunch and then discuss things we’d all be a lot better off. At the end we discovered that Behnam had had oral surgery and needed stitches removed so he had done all this in pain! Then he left to go to the dentist and returned for more conversation, holding an icepack to his face! What a guy. They have been very good friends to Elizabeth, and I am so glad she got to know some wonderful people from a place where we might tend to think of everyone as “the same” and with an attitude we don’t like. These two were men I’d be proud to have as sons, brothers, or any other kind of relative or friend.
Elizabeth packed. I read another book!
Thursday
Cooked all day. It was quite relaxing since I had no worries about laundry, grants, dentists, bills or anything else I could resolve at the moment. Made mom’s famous chicken and wild rice casserole, green beans, salad, and served it all up with crusty rolls, apple juice, wine and (oops, surprise, even to me, alcohol free wine!) and of course Coke. Dessert was a disappointment. Unfortunately I used what I thought was a prepared pie crust for my reasonable facsimile of apple pie, but it was more like a doughy cookie. Not so good. Sad. The apples were fine though.
Dinner time came and 10 of Elizabeth’s friends joined us around the table at the Blue House. They are a remarkable group of young people I am so glad to have had the chance to know. And when my chair broke out from under me (!!) they hardly guffawed at all. Well a little bit. But Behnam and Behrang sprang to their feet to help me, and they all were very kind. Got me a new chair and we proceeded. They loved the casserole, Mom. Great recipe… although I needed to substitute a couple items not available at a grocery near us, it turned out just fine.
After dinner, the friends of Elizabeth claimed items she can’t bring back to the States. Some of them can’t carry their items on the bus or bikes at night so they will revisit tomorrow.
To cap off the night, packing. Yawn.
Friday
Leaving day. Got up at 6:20 am to deal with checking out of Elizabeth’s room at 7. They guy never showed up! Guenther and Annemarie are on the way and called to give instructions for packing for a trip to their vacation home in Langerroch (sp?) So we repacked!
Blake, Kate and Adil came to claim items and we shared Elizabeth’s last döner experience. It is a day of very mixed emotions for her, but she is ready to move on. And now, I need to get this posted before our ride appears and we lose our internet connection. More as possible in the days to come.
Love,
Vicki
Pictures from our great journies!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=82227&id=558866732&l=073c6a7ddc
Friday, May 29, 2009
Quick Update
Hey Everybody!
As you know, my mom has come to visit me! She'll be a guest blogger on here a couple of times to let you know how her trip is going, what we are seeing and doing. Happy reading!
Love,
Elizabeth
As you know, my mom has come to visit me! She'll be a guest blogger on here a couple of times to let you know how her trip is going, what we are seeing and doing. Happy reading!
Love,
Elizabeth
Guest Blogger: Vicki from Vegesack
Good book? $15.00. New shoes for the trip? $40 (a pair) (OK, x 3). Fifteen hours on a plane? Priceless.
I watched people, enjoyed my neighbors, even the young girl who kept nudging me with her feet as she slept curled up in her seat on the long flight across the ocean, and was grateful and amazed at where I was.
I read the book that had been recommended by a friend. The book made me laugh out loud so often I found myself furtively glancing at my airborne neighbors to see if they were wondering about my lunatic tendencies. I got to read a good book for the first time in a very long time.
Annemarie was just as cute as ever, full of charm and energy, and I know she had to get up at 4:00 a.m or something to get me in Duesseldorf. What a hospitable person. Now begins the royal treatment!
After a little snack (cheese and homemade bread) and a nap, it was time for a very “lecker” lunch with Guenther and Annemarie. Yum. And I don’t want to make you envious so I won’t say more. But I would not lie, “yum” is the word.
I got to see all three adult children of the family, which I was assured was quite a rare occurrence. The whole family is a very tight-knit group, but with plenty of room for fun and independence. (Ask me about Karla’s story of Guenther’s scarecrow, those who know them!)
After that, on to the train to Bremen. There my lovely Elizabeth was running along the tracks to meet me like in the old movies! Very exciting reunion followed, and we took another train to the Blue House where she lives and I will stay until next Friday. Next a quick tour of the Blue House, unpack and sleep in heavenly peace.
And now comes the pause for reflection: Whenever I come here, it seems to me for the first few days that people are putting on an elaborate game just for my amusement by speaking this German language. It is so much fun to try to interpret and communicate, and I am grateful for all their work to establish this puzzle for me. Eventually I become less delusional and accept that they do this for themselves and because that’s how they know how to do it but it takes me some time to get there… that’s how self-centered I am! And I wouldn’t say that to just anyone, but you, my devoted facebook and blog friends, would never think less of me, would you?
Anyway, we wandered casually around the harbor and inlet here, before boarding the bus to tour the campus of Jacobs University. There I met several of her friends, a nice group of people from places all over, but surprisingly many of whom were from the United States! How had these people ended up here??? Tonight I continued to meet friends. On next Thursday we will cook dinner for them and Elizabeth will hold a reverse housewarming, donating the items she can’t bring home.
Friday update:
What a wonderful and relaxing day. We had the most excellent lunch and tea with a couple who have helped Elizabeth a lot while she was here. Renata and Hermann are the “host parents” for one of Elizabeth’s friends. When E was in distress early in her time here over her living situation, they took her under their wings and helped her move to this beloved Blue House. They also gave her dinner and company and were just excellent friends. We hope one day they will visit us so we can attempt to repay them. (No snickers, those who know my cooking!)
Then we returned to the Blue House and I lay around like a sloth, reading a novel and just relaxing. Most wonderful and exactly what I needed today.
Tomorrow: Checking out downtown Bremen and an End-of-the-Year Festival at Jacobs University.
Tschuss! Vicki from Vegesack
Komm mit! (Come with!)
The name of Alex's German book and an invitation to you!
"Broken English Spoken Perfectly"
Thank goodness!
Vegesack is an old shipping town
I watched people, enjoyed my neighbors, even the young girl who kept nudging me with her feet as she slept curled up in her seat on the long flight across the ocean, and was grateful and amazed at where I was.
I read the book that had been recommended by a friend. The book made me laugh out loud so often I found myself furtively glancing at my airborne neighbors to see if they were wondering about my lunatic tendencies. I got to read a good book for the first time in a very long time.
Annemarie was just as cute as ever, full of charm and energy, and I know she had to get up at 4:00 a.m or something to get me in Duesseldorf. What a hospitable person. Now begins the royal treatment!
After a little snack (cheese and homemade bread) and a nap, it was time for a very “lecker” lunch with Guenther and Annemarie. Yum. And I don’t want to make you envious so I won’t say more. But I would not lie, “yum” is the word.
I got to see all three adult children of the family, which I was assured was quite a rare occurrence. The whole family is a very tight-knit group, but with plenty of room for fun and independence. (Ask me about Karla’s story of Guenther’s scarecrow, those who know them!)
After that, on to the train to Bremen. There my lovely Elizabeth was running along the tracks to meet me like in the old movies! Very exciting reunion followed, and we took another train to the Blue House where she lives and I will stay until next Friday. Next a quick tour of the Blue House, unpack and sleep in heavenly peace.
And now comes the pause for reflection: Whenever I come here, it seems to me for the first few days that people are putting on an elaborate game just for my amusement by speaking this German language. It is so much fun to try to interpret and communicate, and I am grateful for all their work to establish this puzzle for me. Eventually I become less delusional and accept that they do this for themselves and because that’s how they know how to do it but it takes me some time to get there… that’s how self-centered I am! And I wouldn’t say that to just anyone, but you, my devoted facebook and blog friends, would never think less of me, would you?
Anyway, we wandered casually around the harbor and inlet here, before boarding the bus to tour the campus of Jacobs University. There I met several of her friends, a nice group of people from places all over, but surprisingly many of whom were from the United States! How had these people ended up here??? Tonight I continued to meet friends. On next Thursday we will cook dinner for them and Elizabeth will hold a reverse housewarming, donating the items she can’t bring home.
Friday update:
What a wonderful and relaxing day. We had the most excellent lunch and tea with a couple who have helped Elizabeth a lot while she was here. Renata and Hermann are the “host parents” for one of Elizabeth’s friends. When E was in distress early in her time here over her living situation, they took her under their wings and helped her move to this beloved Blue House. They also gave her dinner and company and were just excellent friends. We hope one day they will visit us so we can attempt to repay them. (No snickers, those who know my cooking!)
Then we returned to the Blue House and I lay around like a sloth, reading a novel and just relaxing. Most wonderful and exactly what I needed today.
Tomorrow: Checking out downtown Bremen and an End-of-the-Year Festival at Jacobs University.
Tschuss! Vicki from Vegesack
Komm mit! (Come with!)
The name of Alex's German book and an invitation to you!
"Broken English Spoken Perfectly"
Thank goodness!
Vegesack is an old shipping town
Monday, May 25, 2009
Southern food, BBQs, and Good-byes
Hey Everybody!
Sorry about the delay in the blog updates – it’s finals time and my life and schedule has gone crazy.
So let’s do a little back tracking to last Friday night, 15 May. It was the last time my friends and I met to cook with each other which made it particularly bittersweet. The theme of the night was Southern Breakfast with Blake (from Tennessee) taking the lead. We made country ham, bacon, scrambled eggs, pancakes, biscuits, and veggies with fruit salad for dessert. Really good food! We had more people than we’ve had in the past, but that was really nice. Maria, Kate, Adil, Tankut, Leah, Blake, and me were all there to enjoy each other’s company and the food.
I had been working like crazy on two of my final papers – one for Asian History class and one for Migration, Globalization, Linguistics, and Literary Taxonomies. After working like a mad woman on them on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday I finished them on Tuesday afternoon – and then took the evening off to recover. Wednesday night Leah had a get together to celebrate us handing in our final papers which was a lot of fun. We sat around eating yummy appetizer things and talking about everything under the sun.
On the Friday the 22 May I had a special session of my Asian History class for just the graduate students who had been in the class. I needed to read 280 pages and outline a chapter to prepare for this so I spent Wednesday and Thursday reading and outlining. I did pretty good getting 230 pages read and the outline done. The 7 hour marathon session went pretty well. We talked about the democratization of China in the first half and the Tibet issue in the second – neither of which I had previous experience with so it was a chance to learn quite a bit.
Saturday 23 May was a huge grill out for all the graduate students which was so much fun! It was actually warm – it got to 70 degrees!!! We took off shoes, rolled up jeans and soaked up the sun. I actually got a little sun burnt which is pretty exciting. It was also the last chance for me to see a lot of these people so that was good. We had a really great day just enjoying each other’s company.
Saturday night I spent the night scouring the internet for sources for my final paper for European History class only to come to the conclusion that there wasn’t any I could get by Wednesday (when the paper needs to be finished). I panicked some then went to sleep.
Sunday was a sad, sad day. One of my closest friends here, Maria from Trinidad, left. We spent the day going to mass together, having brunch with some friends, then getting the very last of her stuff together. She gave me her cookbook from Trinidad and Tobago (which is now very precious to me) and I gave her a Skyline Chili seasoning packet. I’m now looking forward to cooking Trini for y’all!
Sunday night, after Maria left, I entered full on panic mode when it came to my European History final paper. I decided to be proactive about this and headed to the library and came up with six articles dealing with women and the Holocaust so I think I’m doing a survey of how academics deal with the subject of women in the Holocaust, looking for any common themes, etc. It’s Monday morning and I will have this 5000 word paper written by Wednesday. Any prayers, good juju, anything like that you want to send my way would be greatly appreciated.
Wednesday my momma comes to visit which I am really looking forward too. We are going to take some daytrips and an overnight trip to Munich, spend some time in Bremen. I’m looking forward to introducing her to my friends, showing her my room in the Blue House and lots of other fun stuff.
I hope life isn’t too crazy for you right now and that you’re doing great!
Love,
Elizabeth
Tankut grilling some wurst
Sorry about the delay in the blog updates – it’s finals time and my life and schedule has gone crazy.
So let’s do a little back tracking to last Friday night, 15 May. It was the last time my friends and I met to cook with each other which made it particularly bittersweet. The theme of the night was Southern Breakfast with Blake (from Tennessee) taking the lead. We made country ham, bacon, scrambled eggs, pancakes, biscuits, and veggies with fruit salad for dessert. Really good food! We had more people than we’ve had in the past, but that was really nice. Maria, Kate, Adil, Tankut, Leah, Blake, and me were all there to enjoy each other’s company and the food.
I had been working like crazy on two of my final papers – one for Asian History class and one for Migration, Globalization, Linguistics, and Literary Taxonomies. After working like a mad woman on them on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday I finished them on Tuesday afternoon – and then took the evening off to recover. Wednesday night Leah had a get together to celebrate us handing in our final papers which was a lot of fun. We sat around eating yummy appetizer things and talking about everything under the sun.
On the Friday the 22 May I had a special session of my Asian History class for just the graduate students who had been in the class. I needed to read 280 pages and outline a chapter to prepare for this so I spent Wednesday and Thursday reading and outlining. I did pretty good getting 230 pages read and the outline done. The 7 hour marathon session went pretty well. We talked about the democratization of China in the first half and the Tibet issue in the second – neither of which I had previous experience with so it was a chance to learn quite a bit.
Saturday 23 May was a huge grill out for all the graduate students which was so much fun! It was actually warm – it got to 70 degrees!!! We took off shoes, rolled up jeans and soaked up the sun. I actually got a little sun burnt which is pretty exciting. It was also the last chance for me to see a lot of these people so that was good. We had a really great day just enjoying each other’s company.
Saturday night I spent the night scouring the internet for sources for my final paper for European History class only to come to the conclusion that there wasn’t any I could get by Wednesday (when the paper needs to be finished). I panicked some then went to sleep.
Sunday was a sad, sad day. One of my closest friends here, Maria from Trinidad, left. We spent the day going to mass together, having brunch with some friends, then getting the very last of her stuff together. She gave me her cookbook from Trinidad and Tobago (which is now very precious to me) and I gave her a Skyline Chili seasoning packet. I’m now looking forward to cooking Trini for y’all!
Sunday night, after Maria left, I entered full on panic mode when it came to my European History final paper. I decided to be proactive about this and headed to the library and came up with six articles dealing with women and the Holocaust so I think I’m doing a survey of how academics deal with the subject of women in the Holocaust, looking for any common themes, etc. It’s Monday morning and I will have this 5000 word paper written by Wednesday. Any prayers, good juju, anything like that you want to send my way would be greatly appreciated.
Wednesday my momma comes to visit which I am really looking forward too. We are going to take some daytrips and an overnight trip to Munich, spend some time in Bremen. I’m looking forward to introducing her to my friends, showing her my room in the Blue House and lots of other fun stuff.
I hope life isn’t too crazy for you right now and that you’re doing great!
Love,
Elizabeth
Maria making some pancakes for Southern Night
Blake frying up some country ham and bacon
Blake & Tankut hanging out
Leah, me, Maria, Adil, Kate, and Blake getting ready to enjoy some good food!
Lida, me, Tanja, and Maria enjoying the sun!
Tankut grilling some wurst
Maria and I soaking up the sun
Lyazzat and Maria enjoying the scenary and each other's company
Friday, May 22, 2009
In Just A Bit..
Hey!
I'm spending all of Friday stuck in a Chinese History class (yuck), so I'll post a real update tomorrow!
Cheers,
Bits
I'm spending all of Friday stuck in a Chinese History class (yuck), so I'll post a real update tomorrow!
Cheers,
Bits
Friday, May 15, 2009
Last Season
Hey Everybody!
We are getting to the last season – last time to hang out with the friends I’ve made here, last classes, last Friseur, etc. I’m not really a fan of this season. It makes me sad. There are some good things though – knowing that it’s the last time for these things make them sweeter.
This past Saturday Blake, Kate, Maria, and I met up for our last time eating Trinidadian food together. Trini food has become a favorite with us and this was especially good (and especially spicy!). Maria was the lead chef and the rest of us were her sous chefs. We chopped vegetables mostly. We feasted on curried chicken (and curried fish for Kate, our pescatarian), curried mango, rice, potatoes & chickpeas, and mashed pumpkin (my favorite). For dessert, apricot & mango ice cream. It was really, really delicious. Nothing particularly special or that sticks out – just another fun night with friends. Tonight is really our last night cooking – Blake is going to lead us in Southern food.
It was the last week for classes and I wasn’t too sad about that. I was sad to say good-bye to Prof. Dr. Boris Barth, my favorite professor here. He’s a German historian and is wonderful to learn with. He really challenges students to make them think. I did get a chance to spend time with him one last time though. On Wednesdays there is a mandatory speaker that all the Intercultural Humanities and Modern Global History students have to attend. After the speaker everyone, the profs and the students, go out for dinner together. I ended up sitting next to Prof. Barth and we talked about family, Kentucky, and other stuff. It was fun and a nice way to say goodbye to the semester.
My friends and I have the habit of going to the on-campus café after every class and Thursday it was our last time there (unless we make a special trip back to camps). It was just the same as always, discussing our childhoods (there are some surprising international cartoons – everyone knows about the smurfs), class, philosophical issues, and all that jazz. I did remember my camera and got pictures.
Now begins the paper writing season in earnest. I’ve already started two of my three papers and I think I just may have a topic for my third. I have high hopes (i.e. delusions) of getting all the papers written before my mom comes to visit on 26 May.
I hope all is peachy keen with you!
Love,
Elizabeth
We are getting to the last season – last time to hang out with the friends I’ve made here, last classes, last Friseur, etc. I’m not really a fan of this season. It makes me sad. There are some good things though – knowing that it’s the last time for these things make them sweeter.
This past Saturday Blake, Kate, Maria, and I met up for our last time eating Trinidadian food together. Trini food has become a favorite with us and this was especially good (and especially spicy!). Maria was the lead chef and the rest of us were her sous chefs. We chopped vegetables mostly. We feasted on curried chicken (and curried fish for Kate, our pescatarian), curried mango, rice, potatoes & chickpeas, and mashed pumpkin (my favorite). For dessert, apricot & mango ice cream. It was really, really delicious. Nothing particularly special or that sticks out – just another fun night with friends. Tonight is really our last night cooking – Blake is going to lead us in Southern food.
It was the last week for classes and I wasn’t too sad about that. I was sad to say good-bye to Prof. Dr. Boris Barth, my favorite professor here. He’s a German historian and is wonderful to learn with. He really challenges students to make them think. I did get a chance to spend time with him one last time though. On Wednesdays there is a mandatory speaker that all the Intercultural Humanities and Modern Global History students have to attend. After the speaker everyone, the profs and the students, go out for dinner together. I ended up sitting next to Prof. Barth and we talked about family, Kentucky, and other stuff. It was fun and a nice way to say goodbye to the semester.
My friends and I have the habit of going to the on-campus café after every class and Thursday it was our last time there (unless we make a special trip back to camps). It was just the same as always, discussing our childhoods (there are some surprising international cartoons – everyone knows about the smurfs), class, philosophical issues, and all that jazz. I did remember my camera and got pictures.
Now begins the paper writing season in earnest. I’ve already started two of my three papers and I think I just may have a topic for my third. I have high hopes (i.e. delusions) of getting all the papers written before my mom comes to visit on 26 May.
I hope all is peachy keen with you!
Love,
Elizabeth
Friday, May 8, 2009
Cooking, barbequeing, and racing
Hey Everybody!
Last weekend I stayed busy cooking for some friends, going to a barbeque and the Jacobs University Talent Show, and keeping up with my family in Kentucky. I also found out that last Friday, May 1, was the German equivalent of Labor Day, so everything was closed which was slightly annoying for me, but I respect that on the “Day of Work” all the workers get the day off. The school week has been rather uneventful – it’s final paper writing season. I’ve started two of my final papers and am making good progress, but I can’t say I’m really enjoying it.
There are two Iranian guys who live on my floor and have been nothing but nice to me since I met them back at the end of September. This semester we have started teaching each other about our respective cultures and trying food from each other’s home countries. I’ve discovered that I really enjoy Iranian food and was eager to cook for them. Last Friday I got the opportunity too. I made chili-spaghetti, a hometown favorite, which they seemed to really enjoy (they each had three helpings which seems more than polite). I really enjoy chatting with them and this was a nice opportunity to.
Saturday was Kentucky Derby Day back home, but there were no Derby parties here. The Blue House did have a barbeque in the campus garden that day and I was bound and determined to make Derby Pie for this event. Unfortunately I could not find the right kind of chocolate, white syrup, pecans, or pie crust in MarktKauf. I made cookies instead and told my friends about the Derby.
I was also missing my uncles who are the traditional family barbeque-ers. I had brought was I thought was a pre-made hamburger patty to be grilled at the barbeque, but when I got there I discovered that each person had to grill their own meat – something I think I may have done once before. “Ok,” I thought, “I can do this. I know what a hamburger looks like when it’s cooked.” Well, what I thought was a hamburger turned out to be a European hamburger thing – nothing like a traditional American hamburger. When I took it off the grill and ate it, it may or may not have been completely done. I miss American hamburgers. I also need grill lessons!
Spotlight 2009, the annual Jacobs University Talent Show, was a fun expedition Saturday night. I met up with Maria and Blake and we enjoyed performances of singing, dancing, stand up comedy, piano playing, and some other good talent. It was a fun evening.
Lat Saturday night kicked off a flurry of phone calls (with PeterPays) to Kentucky. My youngest sister, Alex, was off to her first prom and I was missing being there, helping her get ready, taking pictures, etc. I did get to call and talk to her before she left so that was nice.
I was also on a mission to watch the Kentucky Derby, but the Blue House TV which has hundreds of channels was not showing it and I couldn’t find it streaming online. I called my grandpa, Curly, when I thought the race was over, but the horses were going to post so I called him ten minutes later and he told me Mine That Bird had won. I’m sorry I didn’t get to watch the race, but I surely appreciate Curly’s help in keeping me updated.
Sunday began the school week for me. Two of my final papers are dealing with the topic of the Chinese suffrage movement and the third one I don’t have a topic for yet. I’m not panicking about this yet because Chinese suffrage has invaded my brain, but I have hopes of finishing these papers by the end of this week.
I’ve been making plans for when my mom comes to visit. We are going to take an overnight trip to Munich and day trips to Hannover and Hamburg. I’m really looking forward to it.
I’d love to hear from you. If the comment thing doesn’t work, my email is bits1212@yahoo.com. I hope all is well with you! Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms!
Love,
Elizabeth 
Last weekend I stayed busy cooking for some friends, going to a barbeque and the Jacobs University Talent Show, and keeping up with my family in Kentucky. I also found out that last Friday, May 1, was the German equivalent of Labor Day, so everything was closed which was slightly annoying for me, but I respect that on the “Day of Work” all the workers get the day off. The school week has been rather uneventful – it’s final paper writing season. I’ve started two of my final papers and am making good progress, but I can’t say I’m really enjoying it.
There are two Iranian guys who live on my floor and have been nothing but nice to me since I met them back at the end of September. This semester we have started teaching each other about our respective cultures and trying food from each other’s home countries. I’ve discovered that I really enjoy Iranian food and was eager to cook for them. Last Friday I got the opportunity too. I made chili-spaghetti, a hometown favorite, which they seemed to really enjoy (they each had three helpings which seems more than polite). I really enjoy chatting with them and this was a nice opportunity to.
Saturday was Kentucky Derby Day back home, but there were no Derby parties here. The Blue House did have a barbeque in the campus garden that day and I was bound and determined to make Derby Pie for this event. Unfortunately I could not find the right kind of chocolate, white syrup, pecans, or pie crust in MarktKauf. I made cookies instead and told my friends about the Derby.
I was also missing my uncles who are the traditional family barbeque-ers. I had brought was I thought was a pre-made hamburger patty to be grilled at the barbeque, but when I got there I discovered that each person had to grill their own meat – something I think I may have done once before. “Ok,” I thought, “I can do this. I know what a hamburger looks like when it’s cooked.” Well, what I thought was a hamburger turned out to be a European hamburger thing – nothing like a traditional American hamburger. When I took it off the grill and ate it, it may or may not have been completely done. I miss American hamburgers. I also need grill lessons!
Spotlight 2009, the annual Jacobs University Talent Show, was a fun expedition Saturday night. I met up with Maria and Blake and we enjoyed performances of singing, dancing, stand up comedy, piano playing, and some other good talent. It was a fun evening.
Lat Saturday night kicked off a flurry of phone calls (with PeterPays) to Kentucky. My youngest sister, Alex, was off to her first prom and I was missing being there, helping her get ready, taking pictures, etc. I did get to call and talk to her before she left so that was nice.
I was also on a mission to watch the Kentucky Derby, but the Blue House TV which has hundreds of channels was not showing it and I couldn’t find it streaming online. I called my grandpa, Curly, when I thought the race was over, but the horses were going to post so I called him ten minutes later and he told me Mine That Bird had won. I’m sorry I didn’t get to watch the race, but I surely appreciate Curly’s help in keeping me updated.
Sunday began the school week for me. Two of my final papers are dealing with the topic of the Chinese suffrage movement and the third one I don’t have a topic for yet. I’m not panicking about this yet because Chinese suffrage has invaded my brain, but I have hopes of finishing these papers by the end of this week.
I’ve been making plans for when my mom comes to visit. We are going to take an overnight trip to Munich and day trips to Hannover and Hamburg. I’m really looking forward to it.
I’d love to hear from you. If the comment thing doesn’t work, my email is bits1212@yahoo.com. I hope all is well with you! Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms!
Love,
Elizabeth
Pretty blooming trees on the Jacobs campus
A close up of one of the flowers
Friday, May 1, 2009
African Heritage Event & Werder Bremen Game
Hey!
This week was rather eventful. The final paper craziness officially started (which I loathe), I went to an African Heritage event, and to a Werder Bremen game.
The African Heritage event was the main event of African Heritage week. It was a presentation that featured a fashion show, several examples of singing and dancing from different regions, a skit, and a poem. It ended with some good food from different African countries (though my suspicion that I do not like anchovies was confirmed). I liked learning about this continent that I do not know too much about.
Tuesday Günther called and invited me to the Werder Bremen football (soccer) game. It was the semi-final for the UEFA Championship which was a big deal. What was a bigger deal was that Werder Bremen was playing Hamburger SV, Hamburg’s team, which is Werder Bremen’s big rival. I agreed to go to the game and am very glad I did. Unfortunately I forgot my camera though so there are no pictures to share.
The Werder Bremen adventure started off with Bernhard, a guy in my Asian History class, who was going to the game also asked if I knew where I was going (and I didn't of course). He said, "You will come with us" meaning him and his girlfriend who was in the play with me and is from China. We caught the train to downtown Bremen and it was a crazy ride – the Werder Bremen fans were out in force already. From the train to an overcrowded strassenbahn then a walk to the stadium where we saw riot cops escorting the big group of Hamburger fans and a fight still almost broke out. It was seriously more cops than I have ever seen at one time before.
I found Günther and discovered that we were sitting in the VIP clubhouse and was very excited – I've never been to anything like! I still have my special VIP bracelet on (but that's because I was too tired to cut it off last night). However I'm very impressed with my bracelet – it’s specialized for last night's game and fabric as opposed to something that should be thrown away. The VIP section had lots of free food, but I only got to try different types of brötchen (bread with different fillings). I have no idea what was in these bread-twisty things, but it was really good so I ate those for dinner. Then Günther showed me where the TV studio is, where the retired players sit, etc. and then we went to the special box where we sat with eight other people. There was more food laid out, a glass screen you could put up and down depending on if you were chilled or not, and a TV. A waiter comes and brings you drinks and cokes kept appearing.
It was fun to watch the crazy fans. The Hamburgers were very sophisticated in the cheering – they got a whole block of people do choreographed movements, they jumped up and down (which looked cool), and set off fireworks (that just seemed dangerous). The Werder fans just had big flags and they sang sometimes. Unfortunately Werder lost the game. We did say that Werder would have won if my cousin Ben (who is an excellent football/soccer player) had been playing for them.
Afterwards, Günther drove me home which I was very grateful for. I was not looking forward to riding the train back with the crazy, drunken disappointed fans. Once back in Vegesack Günther stopped and talked to the döner guys, who recognized me, and then talked to Günther about me. The only phrase I understood was "meine cousine" (“my cousin”). I am very curious to know what was said. Günther did say the döners are lecker (delicious) there. While he ordered the döner, I ran upstairs and got the book & calendar Uncle Bernie sent for him which Günther loved. Günther then told me how glad he was to see me and headed back home. It was a really great night and I’m glad I went.
So that was this past week. Tomorrow is Derby Day in Kentucky which I am missing very much. I’m not sure what all is happening this coming week. I’m going to a BBQ tomorrow for the Blue House. We’ll find out though!
I hope all is going great with you!
Love,
Elizabeth
Lyazzat & Maria getting ready for the African Heritage Event
The African Choir sang some very cool songs
Yummy food! (except the anchovies)
This week was rather eventful. The final paper craziness officially started (which I loathe), I went to an African Heritage event, and to a Werder Bremen game.
The African Heritage event was the main event of African Heritage week. It was a presentation that featured a fashion show, several examples of singing and dancing from different regions, a skit, and a poem. It ended with some good food from different African countries (though my suspicion that I do not like anchovies was confirmed). I liked learning about this continent that I do not know too much about.
Tuesday Günther called and invited me to the Werder Bremen football (soccer) game. It was the semi-final for the UEFA Championship which was a big deal. What was a bigger deal was that Werder Bremen was playing Hamburger SV, Hamburg’s team, which is Werder Bremen’s big rival. I agreed to go to the game and am very glad I did. Unfortunately I forgot my camera though so there are no pictures to share.
The Werder Bremen adventure started off with Bernhard, a guy in my Asian History class, who was going to the game also asked if I knew where I was going (and I didn't of course). He said, "You will come with us" meaning him and his girlfriend who was in the play with me and is from China. We caught the train to downtown Bremen and it was a crazy ride – the Werder Bremen fans were out in force already. From the train to an overcrowded strassenbahn then a walk to the stadium where we saw riot cops escorting the big group of Hamburger fans and a fight still almost broke out. It was seriously more cops than I have ever seen at one time before.
I found Günther and discovered that we were sitting in the VIP clubhouse and was very excited – I've never been to anything like! I still have my special VIP bracelet on (but that's because I was too tired to cut it off last night). However I'm very impressed with my bracelet – it’s specialized for last night's game and fabric as opposed to something that should be thrown away. The VIP section had lots of free food, but I only got to try different types of brötchen (bread with different fillings). I have no idea what was in these bread-twisty things, but it was really good so I ate those for dinner. Then Günther showed me where the TV studio is, where the retired players sit, etc. and then we went to the special box where we sat with eight other people. There was more food laid out, a glass screen you could put up and down depending on if you were chilled or not, and a TV. A waiter comes and brings you drinks and cokes kept appearing.
It was fun to watch the crazy fans. The Hamburgers were very sophisticated in the cheering – they got a whole block of people do choreographed movements, they jumped up and down (which looked cool), and set off fireworks (that just seemed dangerous). The Werder fans just had big flags and they sang sometimes. Unfortunately Werder lost the game. We did say that Werder would have won if my cousin Ben (who is an excellent football/soccer player) had been playing for them.
Afterwards, Günther drove me home which I was very grateful for. I was not looking forward to riding the train back with the crazy, drunken disappointed fans. Once back in Vegesack Günther stopped and talked to the döner guys, who recognized me, and then talked to Günther about me. The only phrase I understood was "meine cousine" (“my cousin”). I am very curious to know what was said. Günther did say the döners are lecker (delicious) there. While he ordered the döner, I ran upstairs and got the book & calendar Uncle Bernie sent for him which Günther loved. Günther then told me how glad he was to see me and headed back home. It was a really great night and I’m glad I went.
So that was this past week. Tomorrow is Derby Day in Kentucky which I am missing very much. I’m not sure what all is happening this coming week. I’m going to a BBQ tomorrow for the Blue House. We’ll find out though!
I hope all is going great with you!
Love,
Elizabeth
Lyazzat & Maria getting ready for the African Heritage Event
The African Choir sang some very cool songs
Yummy food! (except the anchovies)
Friday, April 24, 2009
Springtime and a Slow Week
Hey Everybody!
This week has been really slow news wise for me. I gave the presentation on Thursday to my Asian History class and preparing for that presentation has pretty much dominated my life since last Sunday. The topic was “Has Women’s Status in China Improved after Employment Reform?” and had me brushing up on resources during my free time. The presentation itself I feel went fairly well. I didn’t feel like an idiot in front of the class which was my goal.
Spring is very pretty here in Bremen. It actually looks a lot like Northern Kentucky, but after the months of gray, rainy days I have new appreciation for green leaves and blue sky. (My allergies are returning in full force though.)
I do have some very exciting news – My mom is coming to visit! She’ll arrive on the 26 May and stay till 14 June. I’m very excited to show her where I’ve been living and take her around to some of the places I’ve enjoyed going to.
I guess that’s about all I have to report for this week. This weekend I’m going to a cultural event at the University celebrating Africa, cooking with Maria, and cleaning my poor apartment which has been neglected for the past two weeks while I’ve run around like a mad woman.
I hope everything is good with you!
Love,
Elizabeth
This week has been really slow news wise for me. I gave the presentation on Thursday to my Asian History class and preparing for that presentation has pretty much dominated my life since last Sunday. The topic was “Has Women’s Status in China Improved after Employment Reform?” and had me brushing up on resources during my free time. The presentation itself I feel went fairly well. I didn’t feel like an idiot in front of the class which was my goal.
Spring is very pretty here in Bremen. It actually looks a lot like Northern Kentucky, but after the months of gray, rainy days I have new appreciation for green leaves and blue sky. (My allergies are returning in full force though.)
I do have some very exciting news – My mom is coming to visit! She’ll arrive on the 26 May and stay till 14 June. I’m very excited to show her where I’ve been living and take her around to some of the places I’ve enjoyed going to.
I guess that’s about all I have to report for this week. This weekend I’m going to a cultural event at the University celebrating Africa, cooking with Maria, and cleaning my poor apartment which has been neglected for the past two weeks while I’ve run around like a mad woman.
I hope everything is good with you!
Love,
Elizabeth
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Hopefully the Craziest Week of the Semester
Hey!
Sorry about the delay in the updates. Once you’ve heard about everything this week you’ll understand.
Last weekend was Easter weekend. I went to an traditional German event - Ostern-Feuer (or Easter Fires if you prefer). It’s this event where people burn giant bonfires of tree limbs and some Christmas trees (I’m way impressed people kept their trees that long).
Easter Sunday I went to mass in the morning and a dinner a friend’s house that evening where we feasted on Indian and Thai food – very spicy, but REALLY good. I also got to talk to my family on Easter Sunday, but that touch off a lot of homesickness. I miss them and our family traditions.
Easter Monday is a huge deal in Germany which I was not aware of - no stores are open and everything shuts down. On Easter Monday the Blue House hosted a dinner where we ate lamb (which apparently is traditional), potatoes (mashed and roasted), steamed veggies, and a variety of desserts including thumbprint cookies I baked, cupcakes, and kuchen. Very yummy! It was my first time eating lamb and I loved it. I will definitely be attempting to cook it once I get back to the States.
Tuesday began the craziest week of the semester for me. This is a week where there is so much school work and just other stuff going on that there is no time to think straight. On Wednesday I had to have had read a book and a thirty-minute presentation on Parisian Culture that I had to present. Thursday I had two major outlines due for my Asian History class. On top of all this I’ve been participating in a play and the performances were Friday for me which meant rehearsals almost everyday this week.
My stress level has been over the top.
Amazingly I got most of this done. The book didn’t get read, but we ran out of time to discuss it, so I got lucky and have another week to read it. The presentation on Parisian Culture went well. I turned in the two outlines (one for a term paper, one for a presentation). Unfortunately the professor did not like either outline and told me I am too much of an “American Feminist”. Really, this is all I have to contribute, my brand of feminism, and I try hard not to be ethnocentric. She asked me, on Thursday night, to rework my entire presentation and send it to her Monday morning.
Friday I spent nearly the entire day doing play related activities including the performance that went very well. I could pick out some of my friends in the audience which was heart-warming. Afterwards we celebrated by going out for drinks.
Other highlights of this week include the two Iranian guys on my floor inviting me to eat with them – they’re getting to be good friends.
Today, Saturday, I am going to start reworking this presentation and then help out with the other performance of the play. Tomorrow, Sunday, I have plans to go to church the shut myself up with this darn presentation. Say a prayer for me that I can get it to wherever my professor wants it.
I hope everything is going well for you. I’d really like to hear what is going on in your lives if you want to leave me a comment or drop me an email.
Love,
Elizabeth
Prelit bonfire - if you look closely you can see the leftover Christmas trees
Easter fire roars to life
On stage performing
Receiving a rose for a job well done - I love flowers :)
Sorry about the delay in the updates. Once you’ve heard about everything this week you’ll understand.
Last weekend was Easter weekend. I went to an traditional German event - Ostern-Feuer (or Easter Fires if you prefer). It’s this event where people burn giant bonfires of tree limbs and some Christmas trees (I’m way impressed people kept their trees that long).
Easter Sunday I went to mass in the morning and a dinner a friend’s house that evening where we feasted on Indian and Thai food – very spicy, but REALLY good. I also got to talk to my family on Easter Sunday, but that touch off a lot of homesickness. I miss them and our family traditions.
Easter Monday is a huge deal in Germany which I was not aware of - no stores are open and everything shuts down. On Easter Monday the Blue House hosted a dinner where we ate lamb (which apparently is traditional), potatoes (mashed and roasted), steamed veggies, and a variety of desserts including thumbprint cookies I baked, cupcakes, and kuchen. Very yummy! It was my first time eating lamb and I loved it. I will definitely be attempting to cook it once I get back to the States.
Tuesday began the craziest week of the semester for me. This is a week where there is so much school work and just other stuff going on that there is no time to think straight. On Wednesday I had to have had read a book and a thirty-minute presentation on Parisian Culture that I had to present. Thursday I had two major outlines due for my Asian History class. On top of all this I’ve been participating in a play and the performances were Friday for me which meant rehearsals almost everyday this week.
My stress level has been over the top.
Amazingly I got most of this done. The book didn’t get read, but we ran out of time to discuss it, so I got lucky and have another week to read it. The presentation on Parisian Culture went well. I turned in the two outlines (one for a term paper, one for a presentation). Unfortunately the professor did not like either outline and told me I am too much of an “American Feminist”. Really, this is all I have to contribute, my brand of feminism, and I try hard not to be ethnocentric. She asked me, on Thursday night, to rework my entire presentation and send it to her Monday morning.
Friday I spent nearly the entire day doing play related activities including the performance that went very well. I could pick out some of my friends in the audience which was heart-warming. Afterwards we celebrated by going out for drinks.
Other highlights of this week include the two Iranian guys on my floor inviting me to eat with them – they’re getting to be good friends.
Today, Saturday, I am going to start reworking this presentation and then help out with the other performance of the play. Tomorrow, Sunday, I have plans to go to church the shut myself up with this darn presentation. Say a prayer for me that I can get it to wherever my professor wants it.
I hope everything is going well for you. I’d really like to hear what is going on in your lives if you want to leave me a comment or drop me an email.
Love,
Elizabeth
Prelit bonfire - if you look closely you can see the leftover Christmas trees
Easter fire roars to life
On stage performing
Receiving a rose for a job well done - I love flowers :)
Friday, April 10, 2009
The Barcelona Escapades
I just got back from my spring break trip to Barcelona, Spain. I learned that Barcelona is in the Catalan region of Spain and has its own thing going on there. They speak Catalan in addition to Spanish, fly the Catalan flag proudly, and have their own traditions that are separate from many Spanish traditions. Barcelona sits on the Mediterranean Sea which lets it have a beach on one side and mountains on the other. I spent 3 days there and really enjoyed each of them. I hope you enjoy reading about my Barcelona Escapades!
Check out my Barcelona online photo albums - lots of pictures here:
Best of Barcelona: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2068672&id=164002077&l=3350d9a058
Best of Barcelona II: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2068673&id=164002077&l=8cb3f0feb9
I hope all is going well with you. I'd love to hear from you if you have a minute.
Love,
Elizabeth
Check out my Barcelona online photo albums - lots of pictures here:
Best of Barcelona: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2068672&id=164002077&l=3350d9a058
Best of Barcelona II: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2068673&id=164002077&l=8cb3f0feb9
I hope all is going well with you. I'd love to hear from you if you have a minute.
Love,
Elizabeth
The Barcelona Escapades: Dia Uno
The Barcelona Escapades began very early in the morning. I was up at 3:30 and caught the 4:25 train that took me to the strassenbahn that took me to the airplane that took me to the bus that took me to the metro (subway) that took me to wandering around the Plaça de Catalunya until I asked taxi drivers who spoke no English where my hostel was (the amazing part of this was that I could understand them enough to get the jist of where my hostel was).
The hostel people were very nice. I couldn’t be checked in yet so I left my suitcase with them and got some lunch (a classic ham & cheese sandwich toasted, fruit salad, and a coke) then checked in and took a short rest.
I had done a little bit of research into Barcelona before I went and learned that because Spain hadn’t fought in World War I, there had be an arts explosion resulting in Modernisme. Antoni Guadi was the golden child of the Modernisme movement. I had seen pictures of some of the things he had designed and was anxious to see them so they became my first sightseeing adventures.
I started with the Casa Batlló, an incredible home that Gaudi designed for the Batlló with a nautical theme. It’s so gorgeous there – check out the album for pictures of it! No straight lines, lots of mosaic work. The roof is particularly amazing since it has been designed to look like a dragon’s scaly back.
From there I moved onto Park Güell that is hailed deservedly as one of Gaudi’s greatest creations. It’s a park that has a few show homes all designed by Gaudi, one that has been turned into the Gaudi Museum. The park long curved benches covered with mosaics, this area that has columns and mosaics set into the roof, fountains with giant lizard things, covered walkways. It’s so difficult to describe. It was absolutely beautiful. I loved sitting in the sunshine, eating a manzana verde gelato (green apple gelato), listening to musicians who played in the park, just watching all the tourists.
After the great Park Güell experience I decided to try to find Gaudi’s Sagrada Família Catedral, but couldn’t. I ended up getting lost for the second time that day. Instead I headed to dinner at Origens, a place that had been recommended by my hostel for it’s good, authentic Catalan food.
I ordered escalivada, bread with roasted peppers, onion, and artichoke with some sort of saunce on top, as a starter and canalone, round noodles stuffed with some kind of meat, covered in cheese, and baked, for the main course. For dessert I wrapped it up with goat cheese, walnuts, and honey. It was absolutely delicious! Plus anyone willing to trust me with a giant pot of honey and a dipper just brave. (I did get honey everywhere.)
Back home to the hostel to fall into a dead sleep and recharge for día dios.
The lofts/attic at Casa Batlló that are supposed to remind people of a whale's ridcage
These patterned tiles covered lots of the city and were designed by Gaudi
Sun mosaic at Park Güell
The hostel people were very nice. I couldn’t be checked in yet so I left my suitcase with them and got some lunch (a classic ham & cheese sandwich toasted, fruit salad, and a coke) then checked in and took a short rest.
I had done a little bit of research into Barcelona before I went and learned that because Spain hadn’t fought in World War I, there had be an arts explosion resulting in Modernisme. Antoni Guadi was the golden child of the Modernisme movement. I had seen pictures of some of the things he had designed and was anxious to see them so they became my first sightseeing adventures.
I started with the Casa Batlló, an incredible home that Gaudi designed for the Batlló with a nautical theme. It’s so gorgeous there – check out the album for pictures of it! No straight lines, lots of mosaic work. The roof is particularly amazing since it has been designed to look like a dragon’s scaly back.
From there I moved onto Park Güell that is hailed deservedly as one of Gaudi’s greatest creations. It’s a park that has a few show homes all designed by Gaudi, one that has been turned into the Gaudi Museum. The park long curved benches covered with mosaics, this area that has columns and mosaics set into the roof, fountains with giant lizard things, covered walkways. It’s so difficult to describe. It was absolutely beautiful. I loved sitting in the sunshine, eating a manzana verde gelato (green apple gelato), listening to musicians who played in the park, just watching all the tourists.
After the great Park Güell experience I decided to try to find Gaudi’s Sagrada Família Catedral, but couldn’t. I ended up getting lost for the second time that day. Instead I headed to dinner at Origens, a place that had been recommended by my hostel for it’s good, authentic Catalan food.
I ordered escalivada, bread with roasted peppers, onion, and artichoke with some sort of saunce on top, as a starter and canalone, round noodles stuffed with some kind of meat, covered in cheese, and baked, for the main course. For dessert I wrapped it up with goat cheese, walnuts, and honey. It was absolutely delicious! Plus anyone willing to trust me with a giant pot of honey and a dipper just brave. (I did get honey everywhere.)
Back home to the hostel to fall into a dead sleep and recharge for día dios.
The Casa Batlló
Famous windows at Casa Batlló
A light fixture designed in the style of a whirlpool
A Gaudi "e" - he knew I was coming ;)
The lofts/attic at Casa Batlló that are supposed to remind people of a whale's ridcage
These patterned tiles covered lots of the city and were designed by Gaudi
Curving benches covered with mosaics at Park Güell
Sun mosaic at Park Güell
The famous lizard fountain at Park Güell
The Barcelona Escapades: Dia Dos
Día dios got off to a rocky start with me wandering around for over an hour lost, trying to find something, anything I recognized. I eventually found Plaça Catalunya and was relieved to see the giant "i" that means tourism information. I made a quick decision to get a bus tour right then and there - my feet were killing me and I don’t do well being lost in any city period. The bus tour turned out to be a good idea with two different routes and the hop on, hop off thing. I saw the northern half of Barcelona including the Passeig de Gràcia which has La Pedrera, an apartment building also designed by Gaudi that is meant to resemble rolling waves, the outside of the Sagrada Família Catedral, Mount Tibidabo (the tallest mountain on the outskirts of Barcelona), the outside of the Monestir de Pedralbes (a convent for the order of the Sisters of Saint Clare, but also a museum), the Futbol Club Barcelona, the Diagonal (a shopping district), and where the Museu d’Art Contemporàni de Barcelona (Contemporary Art Museum of Barcelona) is. I confess I didn’t get off the bus for two reasons – 1) I was scared to death of getting lost again and 2) I had signed up for a walking tour in the afternoon and didn’t want to miss it.
By some miracle the bus tour dropped me off in front of the Hard Rock Café where I had a real traditional American cheeseburger and onion rings for lunch (and got another T-shirt!).
After lunch I had more time to kill than I expected to, so I took a walk down La Rambla that my tour guide said everyone should walk down. I had no idea what to expect, but I was very surprised. There were tons of street performers and pet kiosks. You buy your pets from vendors on the street apparently. I took pictures of this to prove it because it seemed odd to me. I eventually found a fabulous market, Mercat St. Josep, which completely overwhelmed all of my senses. There were stalls that sold seafood, meat, fruits, vegetables, candy & chocolate, spices, fruit drinks. It was really cool to wander around. I did buy four small chocolates that were absolutely delicious.
I moved on to my Picasso two hour walking tour. While I was waiting for this tour to start the rain began. The kind of pouring rain that makes a person grateful that they can sit inside someplace warm. I got to go on a walking tour through it. The good news was that I had brought an umbrella with me. The tour was interesting and introduced me to new parts of the city, but even with my umbrella I was fairly soaked by the time we wound up at the Picasso Museum. I took my Aunt Maria´s approach to the museum (walked through it quickly) but enjoyed the gift shop immensely.
After leaving the Picasso Museum I stopped at a beautiful cathedral. It was really peaceful and I loved spending some time there.
By this time it was 6:30-7 and time for some dinner. I found a place so authentically Spanish they barely spoke English. I ordered the daily special salad (very good except for the raw fish on top of it) and paella which I vaguely remembered from a video in my high school Spanish class. I figured this was going to be wonderfully authentic. I was surprised to discover that paella included various kinds of fish, including a whole crustacean skeleton with eyes plus rice and sausage (I think). I ate a considerable portion, but will probably never order it again.
From there it was back to the hostel in the pouring rain. I was fairly exhausted and my feet really hurt. It was great to get back, take a hot shower, dry off, and relax.
By some miracle the bus tour dropped me off in front of the Hard Rock Café where I had a real traditional American cheeseburger and onion rings for lunch (and got another T-shirt!).
After lunch I had more time to kill than I expected to, so I took a walk down La Rambla that my tour guide said everyone should walk down. I had no idea what to expect, but I was very surprised. There were tons of street performers and pet kiosks. You buy your pets from vendors on the street apparently. I took pictures of this to prove it because it seemed odd to me. I eventually found a fabulous market, Mercat St. Josep, which completely overwhelmed all of my senses. There were stalls that sold seafood, meat, fruits, vegetables, candy & chocolate, spices, fruit drinks. It was really cool to wander around. I did buy four small chocolates that were absolutely delicious.
I moved on to my Picasso two hour walking tour. While I was waiting for this tour to start the rain began. The kind of pouring rain that makes a person grateful that they can sit inside someplace warm. I got to go on a walking tour through it. The good news was that I had brought an umbrella with me. The tour was interesting and introduced me to new parts of the city, but even with my umbrella I was fairly soaked by the time we wound up at the Picasso Museum. I took my Aunt Maria´s approach to the museum (walked through it quickly) but enjoyed the gift shop immensely.
After leaving the Picasso Museum I stopped at a beautiful cathedral. It was really peaceful and I loved spending some time there.
By this time it was 6:30-7 and time for some dinner. I found a place so authentically Spanish they barely spoke English. I ordered the daily special salad (very good except for the raw fish on top of it) and paella which I vaguely remembered from a video in my high school Spanish class. I figured this was going to be wonderfully authentic. I was surprised to discover that paella included various kinds of fish, including a whole crustacean skeleton with eyes plus rice and sausage (I think). I ate a considerable portion, but will probably never order it again.
From there it was back to the hostel in the pouring rain. I was fairly exhausted and my feet really hurt. It was great to get back, take a hot shower, dry off, and relax.
La Sagrada Família - it's been under construction for 127 years and still not finished
Hard Rock Cafe Barcelona!
Fruits & vegetables on display at Mercat St. Josep
Spices & goods at the Mercat St. Josep
My paella that featured a crustacean and sea shells
The Barcelona Escapades: Dia Tres
My last day in Barcelona I took it easy and rode the bus tour around for a long time soaking up the sites. I did go into the Poble Espanyol, an exhibit that features 700 years of Spanish architecture in one go. It was built as an example town for the International Exhibition in 1929 that showcases different architectural styles of Spain. There are also stores you can go into watch native craftspeople plying their trade. I bought a beautiful scarf (partly because it was gorgeous, partly because I was freezing in the rain).
I hopped back on the bus for more touring and stopped to get a chicken sandwich that was not like chicken sandwiches at home. I’m still not sure if I liked it or not.
After lunch, more bus tour, more cool Spanish market, and then more bus tour. I saw the Esació de Sants, Anella Olímpica, Fundació Joan Miró, Port Vell, Port Olímpic, Parc de la Ciutadella, and the Barri Gòtic. The Barri Gòtic, the Gothic Quarter, interested me so much I walked around it for a long time. There is supposed to be a museum dedicated to chocolate somewhere in it, but I couldn’t find it (but we all know my propensity for getting completely lost). It was fascinating to walk around it – I did see one of the last examples of the Roman aqueducts that had been built when Barcelona was still a Roman colony way back when.
I hopped back on the bus to the Palau Reial and Pavellons Güell. Palau Reial was first a private mansion for a family, then a palace for Spain’s royal family, now it’s a ceramics museum that I wandered through. The Pavellons Güell are these beautiful gardens surrounding the house/palace/museum. It was raining again, but the gardens were even beautiful in the rain.
I thought to head back to Origens for supper, but I discovered they do not serve dinner till 7 pm so instead I went back to my hostel to pack then eat dinner which turned out to be an excellent plan. I ordered stewed chicken for dinner which I mistakenly thought was chicken stew. No. It was a quarter of a chicken still attached to the bone with skin that had been cooked in olive oil. I created a mess of monumental proportions, but it was very good food. For dessert I indulged in Crema Catalana, the Catalan version of crème brûlée that is an eggy custard with caramelized sugar topping – pretty darn good.
After dinner I headed back to the hostel so I could get up bright and early at 4:30 am to get the bus that took me to the airplane that took me to the strassenbahn that took me to the train that took me home to the Blue House.
I got home around 1 in the afternoon on Thursday and chilled out for the rest of the day.
Prettiness!
The Great Market at the Poble Espanyol
The beautiful gardens at Pavellons Güell
I hopped back on the bus for more touring and stopped to get a chicken sandwich that was not like chicken sandwiches at home. I’m still not sure if I liked it or not.
After lunch, more bus tour, more cool Spanish market, and then more bus tour. I saw the Esació de Sants, Anella Olímpica, Fundació Joan Miró, Port Vell, Port Olímpic, Parc de la Ciutadella, and the Barri Gòtic. The Barri Gòtic, the Gothic Quarter, interested me so much I walked around it for a long time. There is supposed to be a museum dedicated to chocolate somewhere in it, but I couldn’t find it (but we all know my propensity for getting completely lost). It was fascinating to walk around it – I did see one of the last examples of the Roman aqueducts that had been built when Barcelona was still a Roman colony way back when.
I hopped back on the bus to the Palau Reial and Pavellons Güell. Palau Reial was first a private mansion for a family, then a palace for Spain’s royal family, now it’s a ceramics museum that I wandered through. The Pavellons Güell are these beautiful gardens surrounding the house/palace/museum. It was raining again, but the gardens were even beautiful in the rain.
I thought to head back to Origens for supper, but I discovered they do not serve dinner till 7 pm so instead I went back to my hostel to pack then eat dinner which turned out to be an excellent plan. I ordered stewed chicken for dinner which I mistakenly thought was chicken stew. No. It was a quarter of a chicken still attached to the bone with skin that had been cooked in olive oil. I created a mess of monumental proportions, but it was very good food. For dessert I indulged in Crema Catalana, the Catalan version of crème brûlée that is an eggy custard with caramelized sugar topping – pretty darn good.
After dinner I headed back to the hostel so I could get up bright and early at 4:30 am to get the bus that took me to the airplane that took me to the strassenbahn that took me to the train that took me home to the Blue House.
I got home around 1 in the afternoon on Thursday and chilled out for the rest of the day.
Prettiness!
The Great Market at the Poble Espanyol
The Palau Reial
The beautiful gardens at Pavellons Güell
A pergola at Pavellons Güell
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Easter Egg-Stravaganza
Hey Everyone!
I invited nearly everyone I’d ever met and asked Lanie to bring a second egg dyeing kit with her once I realized how many people I’d invited. As it turned out it was just a few of my hard core friends who showed up for egg dyeing. We cooked some frozen pizzas then got into the hard core egg dyeing.
Kate created some beautiful eggs that remind me of stained glass, Maria enjoyed using those shrink wrap covers for eggs (they were her “genius eggs”), Lanie created a smiley face, Lida and Arno created some classic eggs, and I made a sunset egg. Blake was bound and determined to create an American flag egg and, after 2 cracked eggs (one of which got a purple heart) he succeeded.
It was good night and I’m glad I could one of my favorite traditions with my friends.
Maria dyes an egg pink
Kate & her eggs!
Every Good Friday, without fail, my mom, sisters, and I invite people over and dye Easter Eggs. I can’t imagine an Easter season without this, one of my favorite, traditions.
My family gets all into egg dyeing, making sure everyone has a dozen eggs to dye, all the white crayons in the house we can find to write on the eggs (one year it became all the crayons in the house), tape to keep parts of the eggs certain colors, rubber bands for experimenting how they look on eggs, stickers, and anything else we can think of at the last minute that we can put on these plain white eggs.
I wasn’t sure if Germany had egg dyeing kits or not, so I grabbed one the last time I was home and brought it back with me. So my friends here, some of whom had never dyed eggs or hadn’t dyed eggs in years and years could experience the joy of egg dyeing. I didn't think it would be difficult to find white vinegar in Germany, but it did warrent an emergency call to Maria to ask what the word for "vinegar" was (balsamico if you're curious).
My family gets all into egg dyeing, making sure everyone has a dozen eggs to dye, all the white crayons in the house we can find to write on the eggs (one year it became all the crayons in the house), tape to keep parts of the eggs certain colors, rubber bands for experimenting how they look on eggs, stickers, and anything else we can think of at the last minute that we can put on these plain white eggs.
I wasn’t sure if Germany had egg dyeing kits or not, so I grabbed one the last time I was home and brought it back with me. So my friends here, some of whom had never dyed eggs or hadn’t dyed eggs in years and years could experience the joy of egg dyeing. I didn't think it would be difficult to find white vinegar in Germany, but it did warrent an emergency call to Maria to ask what the word for "vinegar" was (balsamico if you're curious).
I invited nearly everyone I’d ever met and asked Lanie to bring a second egg dyeing kit with her once I realized how many people I’d invited. As it turned out it was just a few of my hard core friends who showed up for egg dyeing. We cooked some frozen pizzas then got into the hard core egg dyeing.
Kate created some beautiful eggs that remind me of stained glass, Maria enjoyed using those shrink wrap covers for eggs (they were her “genius eggs”), Lanie created a smiley face, Lida and Arno created some classic eggs, and I made a sunset egg. Blake was bound and determined to create an American flag egg and, after 2 cracked eggs (one of which got a purple heart) he succeeded.
It was good night and I’m glad I could one of my favorite traditions with my friends.
Love, Elizabeth
PS - To see the pictures from egg dyeing go here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2068278&id=164002077&l=2b5cce96fb
Egg dye ready!
Maria dyes an egg pink
Maria takes a break from egg dyeing - it's hard work!
Blake and his American flag eggs. Can you see the purple heart?
Lanie and I taking a pause to smile for the camera
Kate & her eggs!
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