The Wonder of Weinachten

Christmas in Germany is a big deal. All the shops start only selling xmas paraphernalia, all the food being sold is wrapped up festively and all the shop windows decorate their displays with some sort of fake snow base with festively dressed mannequins. Its pretty cool and spirited… I've quite enjoyed getting all involved, and found these little gems…

If you didn't know, the Teddy Bear was "invented" in germany, and also so was the Gummy bear…. and when its christmas, they too decided to get in on the fun and turn their gummy bear product into "Weihnachtsbären" = Christmas bear.

Somewhere on the way, I think they messed up the mould with "Gremlin Bear" and came up with millions of little scary gummy things that I'm sure are planning on haunting me in my dreams tonight.

Another slightly strangely spun christmas was in the below shop window…. which I found rather un-PC…. this half naked gentleman perched in the window has been decked out in a burbury scarf, fox fur hat, selling pipes and holding a digital photo frame…

Lucky for us, with all the other less strange decorations, yummy food, drinks and merryment, we got a 15cm dumping of snow last night and looks like we are heading for a white xmas!

Very white city

Outdoor table tennis anyone?

Being merry in the snow at xmas markets with my boyfriends parents

PS. I also learnt that the song "O Tannenbaum" - means "Oh Fir Tree"! (has a better ring to it in German I see!)

On the home stretch - kinda

So in a few weeks we plan to head back to Australia for a month. I plan to get some sunshine (which was poorly missing from Vancouvers' summer this year), rest my brain (from previous blog - self inflicted alzheimers) and adjust to driving on the left side of the road.

In preparation for the sun, I have been thinking about why people live in the cold. Many people prefer the colder weather, but countries that get anything below 5 degrees for weeks on end, I have little understanding why the place was colonised in the first place, let alone kept functioning for years.

So far, I've figured out your skin turns into snakes skin, your eyes dry out, you lack vitamin D, you get dark circles under your eyes from having to wake up in pitch black the morning (which feels like midnight), you aren't allowed any fashion - and if you try, you either freeze or its covered by layers of coats, hair styling goes out the window with constant use of beenies/toques/hats and we all get fat due to lack of activity outside the household.

On the plus side when its cold, you can ski, spend copious amounts of time reading and watching TV, its the only time you get to enjoy HOT red wine (called Glüewein), you usually have it as a good excuse to stay in bed, and lastly, if you do get fat, you can cover it up with puffy winter clothes pretending its just fabric padding.

I still don't think these things can make up for feeling like your going to freeze to death 60% of the time so I'm going to invest more time trying to figure out why the Germans (and really anyone from the north of the northern hemisphere) likes coping with this.

But! Before all these investigations and going to Australia - there is an Austria ski trip & xmas Germany style - here I come!

Below is a crappy picture of a very fancy xmas tree I found at a christmas market - if you look closely, you can see it is self snowing!!!

Ich habe vergessen… (I have forgotten….)

It seems with the 'pro's of learning a new language full time (culturing, brain exercise, expanding the mind and of course being able to function in Germany society!) comes also with less enjoyable cons. There is the permanent tiredness, constant dread of homework, repetition of work that seems like child's work but some reason you can't even understand what a 2yr old can… Then there is the worst, memory loss.

I have never been known to be to irresponsible (teenage years excluded) and have never been described as aloof or forgetful - yet I seem to have delved into the dimension of accidental Alzheimer's whilst learning a language (might I add first named by German psychiatrist and neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer).

Never in my life have I lost a wallet or keys… yet in the past two months of German learning I have forgotten/lost:

My German bank account pin number

Both my Canadian pin numbers

My handbag

My mobile phone

Left my handbag at a restaurant

Anything my boy asks me to bring when I meet him after work (receipts to return items, shopping lists, measurements for furniture items, gift vouchers).

Useful information like: what time your friend arrives into the airport to pick them up

And sometimes (yes, more than before!) how to speak english properly.

It seems the capacity to take in a certain amount of new information daily has reached its max when learning a language and carrying out homework tasks is the extent of what output my brain can do.

I have officially found a new patience for old people who forget things and genuinely don't know how and are confused as to why. So until I get a little more relaxed with this whole brain exercise with language thing, feel free to call me Nanna, or at least forgive me if I've temporarily forgotten who you are!

Here is what I haven't forgotten - more pictures!

walking through the streets, i found a street filled with rose petals leading up to this doorway (if you look closely), awwwwwww

coolest outside fireplace design!

looking up at the castle from the christmas markets

pretty snow on grasslands

autumn (leaves bottom of photo) meet winter (snow on mountain far at the back)

cute snowy streets

over the Neckar River

looking over the castle to the city

us chubby and slightly cold snowmen

The sickly, the snow and the city

Over the past few weeks I've had the reverse pleasure of learning about the German health system. Last week I managed to get myself sick enough to end up in hospital at 3 in the morning for an allergic reaction to other medication for another sickness.

This fun little trip taught me two things -

1: Hospitals here are clean and efficient - like most German observations - which I love.

2: Don't deal with a male doctors here over about 40 - they are WAY too old school with no bedside manner. Couple this with their strange "women are the weaker sex" and "hand washing is for pansies" attitude, and you have one very unpleasant experience.

After a week in bed, no language learning and bad moods, I emerged from the house to find its been snowing all week, there is snow on the mountains next to the city and finally, some of it has stuck to the ground in town making it all look that much prettier.

And the snow pours down

Oh the germans, how you love to ride, regardless of weather...

If you really wanted to sit outside, you could...

Christmas market stall with real snow and real yummy Crepes!

Whilst in my recovery state and spending probably to much time on the internet, I was super excited to find out that we live in a city that is rated #2 in Trip Advisors Best Destinations in the World!

http://www.tripadvisor.com/TCDestinations-cTop25-g1

I know those of you who have visited here and come over for work (looking at you Vancouver-ites) think this is madness, but let me have my little moment of pleasure that I'm living in a pretty cool city (I tell my self whilst its -4 outside).

Paris - An aussie, a german and a saffa wander into france...

Had a quick trip to Paris over a cold weekend in October to catch up with an good old friend from South Africa, see some sights and try to get away from the rat race. Was a 6 1/2ish hour drive there, but only 4 hours 20 min back! We went to the Louvre, Eiffel tower, Notre Dame Cathedral & Sacre Coeur. Next time we have La Defence and the Catacombs on the list of things to see (oh, and of course the Louis Vitton shop - not to buy but to ogle at the building built in the shape of a suitcase).

Few pics we took below.

Notre Dame

Cuddles at Notre Dame

South Africa freezes at Sacre Coeur

Love at the Louvre..

Us? Lost?

Nahhhhhhhhhh

Photo of people taking photos of Mona Lisa

More map reading at the Arc to find the Eiffel...

Found it - we rock the Eiffel...

Finally, home sweet home

Houses here usually come with nothing when you rent or buy. That saying "what did you bring? the kitchen sink?" is true to Germany. Houses come with rooms and a bathroom fitted. Nothing else. No lights, no kitchen cupboards, sinks, taps etc, no curtain racks, even no in built cupboards. After a long hunt after two months here, we found a lovely place in the old town (Altstadt) of Heidelberg. 2 months is actually a short period of time here to find somewhere to rent and that came with a hefty commission to the real estate agent (they call it provision) which wasn't so pleasant.

We were also lucky enough to find a place with a kitchen, but as you can see below - no lights. Thankfully my man has a drill, a table to stand on and some idea of how to install light fixtures!

We had to buy most things new to fit out the place which comes with the pros of having new stuff to get comfy in but the con of ikea assembly. Bought new knifes, and I trialled the effectiveness of them on my finger - whilst trying to cut bread as hard as a brick (damit Germany, get some self raising flour or something!), I found out its easier to slice clear through your finger & nail than the actual bread.

Everyone has been asking for pictures of the new place - so below is what it looks like in its current state. Hopefully next update will have a slightly more liveable slant on it (couch comes in 2 weeks, chairs for tables 3 weeks and we'll stop sleeping on a mattress on the floor this weekend when the bed frame shows up).

The living room

The Kitchen

The hallway

Creature comforts

Instead of finding something weird to report about Germany, instead I have found something rather decent. The toilets.

Some of you may/may not know, I seem to have a strange fascination for public toilets internationally. Thailands 'no flush, just use a bucket of water' method, also Thailands 'don't flush the toilet paper' policy, Japans squatters & built in bottom cleaners, Italy's Piza was my first experience of the automatic toilet in 2003 and of course the awesome American public bathroom hand dryers by dyson.

Although I loved living in Canada, one thing that I couldn't get past or understand was public toilets.

Canadian toilets have three vital floors:

1. You can see in - the doors have large gaps on each side (hinge and handle side), below and top, so you can see if someone is sitting, standing or doing any other business that is TMI ! To Canada's defence, my boss once told me she liked the Canadian loo encasing as it provided her the safety of not being locked in a claustrophobic jail cell..

Picture I found on the internet that sums it up

2. They are structured like a pigs troff. Longer than your home toilet. Why can't they be the same as ones in Canadian households? And what's with the a gaping hole at the front of it for no particular reason I could see.

3. Cleanliness. Some reason public toilets in canada are treated with the utmost disrespect (for you Vancouver-ites saying "huh?"… one example to prove my point: The Cambie pub bathrooms) and on numerous occasions I thought I'd contract rabies (especially at any pub after 10pm).

In experiencing Germany, thus so far they are satisfying my 'norm'. Here privacy is key - so you get a giant, completely enclosed room to do your business (Including hook to hang bag & coat, often enough room to even change clothes - or take off jacket without touching the toilet seat). Sometimes the Germans go a little overboard with the whole 'privacy thing' but this is one time I'm thankful. The toilets are the same as my house so there is no confusion on what to do and I'm also very excited to report that germany has rotating, self cleaning toilet seats. I'm yet to find one, but when I do, oh that will be my new local spot.

So Germany, as with most of the items in your country, thank you for being clean, private and internationally normal (by my standards).

Things that fascinate me

Its not that often you get to be a kid and experience new things that fascinate you over and over. Unfortunately with age, this becomes a rarity.

For me, I'm lucky enough to have found the child like experience again here in Germany every time I pass by one of the numerous GIANT wind turbines, the Graduation Towers and the city of BASF (a chemical company).

Let me explain....

Wind Turbines: Everywhere you drive, looking across the skyline, you notice a Wind Turbine. These colossal structures are bigger than I ever expected up close, totally random to the green natural landscape yet surprisingly engaging to watch for long periods of time. They even have a soothing "whoosh" sound. Every time we go past in the car I either need to squeal and look out the window till I can no longer see them, or I stop conversation just to catch a glimpse and awe at these amazing structures.

Graduation Towers: It is a sea smelling wood giant house type thing - in short. I don't quite understand the concept of these still, but basically these things are used to produce salt or just to produce the smell of salt air. Thats not the fascinating part. Its that people come from all around to breath in the air given off by them as a 'therapeutic' treatment. Because they don't have sea air, this is the next best thing. For an Australian who's always lived close enough to water, its strange to watch people all walking around this structure just to breathe the air.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graduation_tower

BASF - in Ludwigshafen:

This is a massive chemical company that has created a mini city of strangely structured buildings, smoke stacks at every corner and an oddly lit night culture where all the lights are left on 24 hours. The fascinating part is the look of this city. It is structured so differently, brightly and almost creepy that every time we go past, I can't help but want to know what is going on in there. Unfortunately its not easy to understand the imagery over a blog, and this site provides a snippet of the entire structure/city: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3415/3253192969_cd5fa6670d.jpg or this site http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/210880/210880,1213156979,1/stock-photo-chemistry-production-by-night-13626184.jpg.

I feel its like going into the ocean, as deep as you can go, and all of a sudden you come across a brightly lit, strangely structured city without the normal high-rise buildings or house night lights. Or, as my boyfriend describes it (for you nerds out there), its like in Star Wars Episode 1, look for the city under water, Otoh Gunga .

Those are the main three things for me for now, but there are more! Here are some other minor ones to note:

- The gypsies are rich but act poor

- They play John Farnam on the radio WAY to often

- You need your passport to use a library (but not allowed to borrow a book…?)

- The bread is always stale, and they find it the best in the world. They also will eat it plain. Maybe the germans have more saliva?

- Garlic never leaves your hands when you chop them. I'm six days after chopping and still smell like an italian kitchen.

- You answer the phone, instead of saying hello, you state your last name as the greeting.

- I will get killed by oncoming bikes. My brain doesn't quote acknowledge bike lanes - therefore I pay no attention to where bikes get to ride and people get to walk.

Eat My Words

It will be hard enough having to retrain my brain on the alphabet, numbers and grammar.. but here is something I never thought I'd come across…. animal noises are different.

When adults ask the child "What noise does the rooster make?" a completely different noise comes out…

Stewie from family guy summed it up perfectly for me here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1n0zdeTaRk

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry...

Today I started my first day of german language school. Its in the heart of Heidelberg and when we move house into Heidelberg (November), it'll be about a 5 minute walk thankfully (instead of the 1 hour 45 min commute now). I'm in a class of 10 people, me and 9 middle eastern men who speak a touch of english and no german either. Practising german with each other proves to be harder than expected due to heavy accents on both sides and therefore causing more confusion. Also being the only female in the class may prove interesting (or lonely) when the men only wish to talk amongst themselves. The teacher seems very patient (thankfully) but the speed of which they expect you to pick it up I will find challenging.

They say the key to learning a language is the more people speak to me in German, the more it should seep into my brain and I'll understand. It seems like that method - so far - isn't quite working - I have a permanent blank look on my face in school and when buying lunch in the city.

PS. it seems I may have jinx'ed myself (well, or someone else) with the last post. Tomorrow I'm off to a funeral at the very same graveyard.