"Travel, trouble, music, art..."

art

2010-10-22T03:32:00.002+02:00

A couple little things I did. I'm no artist, but I like 'em.

self-portrait

i ended up changing these a bit (darkening the backdrop/butt, respectively)

me again

2010-10-22T02:27:00.002+02:00

Wow, I haven't posted in so long, I can't believe 2010 is almost to an end. How about a quick update? I finished working as an Au Pair, came home for my sister's wedding in May (which was fun, beautiful, happy, and many more things). I got a job working with a state of CA (federally funded) grant program to improve K-12th grade teachers' certification, training, education(http://www.cpec.ca.gov/FederalPrograms/TeacherQuality.asp).
I took a gamble and turned down my dream grad school (the monterey institute of international studies), even after they offered to increase my scholarship a couple thousand. I'm just not sure I can afford it given the loans I have from finishing my batchelor degrees. They said I have 2 more years to decide before I would have to reapply (aka, win the lottery- which means I guess I should start gambling, cause I've never bought a ticket)... We'll see. So I've been working, also working as a nanny for 3 kids (twins- now 3 1/2 months, one 23 month old), spending time with the family, and nieces and nephews. Also got certified to teach English, with a concentration in English Grammar (but don't judge my blog errors- I swear I can speak/write well, in fact, I was second in my class- yes there were more than 2 students)
So that about brings us to now- I'm working to save some money, and move back to Germany in the next few months to be with M. He got a new job working for the state of Saxony as a forrester (to be honest I don't know 100% what his job entails... other than running around in the woods, being manly, and wearing flannel ... all stereotypes... he actually has a degree in forrest engineering- not sure how that translates). The plan is to find work as a teacher (or nanny, housekeeper, translator, barwench... I'm open to options), and *finally* settle down (although I never will, it'd be nice to actually unpack all the way for the first time in... years). Did I mention I still have 2 half-packed suitcases at the bottom of my closet? winter clothes, i swear. it's pitiful really.
This weekend I'm taking my niece (3 1/2 already??!!) to a halloween festival, meeting friends at a tea house (sounds much classier than we are) and celebrating my nephew's 11 birthday. I know it's cliche, but they grow up so fast! That is perhaps the one regret I would have to traveling- but life is too short for regrets.
I leave you with this quote by Andrew Jackson, which relates to my procrastination of writing:
"There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is having lots to do and not doing it."

Lent...

2010-02-18T12:28:00.003+01:00

Yesterday, being ash wednesday, signified the start of Lent (the 40 days of fasting before Easter... typically a Catholic celebration). Although I am not Catholic, I have decided to participate in Lent as a way to test my personal strength and to remind myself daily of my personal relationship with God. I will not be fasting, since I personally think denying your body of food sets it into "starvation, store, store, store calories mode" and I just like food too much. Instead, I have decided to really test my will power in my own healthy way; I am giving up all sweets and processed snacks (i.e. Chips... which I loooove), as well as the wine and/or beer I enjoy on the weekends with dinner or while watching soccer. Perhaps cutting things out will also help me to look my best for my sister's wedding at the end of May (which we are all soooo excited about), but that would be an added bonus rather than my primary motivation.

Everything here is pretty routine, as I wind down the last few months of being an Au Pair. At the end of Jan. we celebrated the bf's 29th birthday by going to a delicious Balkan restaurant, called Montenegro. We shared an appetizer and dessert and of course the main course was delicious too (i ended up taking most of mine home... where we enjoyed it for the lunch the next day). The family is working hard to find a new Au Pair, and the stress is picking up as the time winds down.

At the same time I am looking at Bridesmaid dresses and hair ideas for my sister's wedding, since I will only be home 2 short weeks before the big day. I think I will just order a few shortly before I fly home, and pick one and return the others once I am in the states.

On another completely random note, I found out yesterday that I have been accepted to the Monterey Institute of International Studies for Translation and Interpretation. This has pretty much been my dream since I found out acout the school while attending UC Davis. Now, however, that it is right under my nose, I feel there are so many decisions that have to be made about my future. The school itself is incredibly expensive (16,000 a semster), and without a scholarship being able to afford it seems impossible. (On that note, scholarship notifications have not been sent out yet). And I don't really want to add even more to the student loan debt I have left over from my undergrad days. In addition, the bf has applied to a year-long paid internship in his field in Germany for 2010-2011, so he is definitely staying here. He also desperately wants to break back into his field (forrest engineering) after two years of travelling the world and one year of desperate job searching, and asking him to delay that to live in CA for a year or two is selfish (unless he finds a matching job opportunity in the states). We could also do the "long distance" thing for two more years, but it seems like since the beginning of our relationship we have not been together more than 3 months, and now we only see each other 2 days a week... it's really trying and one longs for the monotony of cohabitation and eating dinner with each other every night and watching a film on the boob tube. The final problem, is that we would like to become financially stable and that's basically impossible as a student.... grrr.. then again, there are the future job opportunities that another degree could bring... Wow, no wonder my mind runs crazy when I try to sleep at night.

2010!

2010-01-21T12:24:00.003+01:00

Wow, so welcome to 2010! It's a bit crazy for me, considering it seems like it was just yesterday that the whole "Y2K" scare was happening. So, it's been a while since my last post, and naturally I have quite a bit to update on.
I spent Christmas with the bf's family in southern Germany, but I had to work on the 23rd, so we ended up catching the train at 6 am on Christmas Eve. After an 8 hour trip (including a few delays and train switches) we made it to Trier. We spent Christmas Eve at his sister's house and spent a lot of time playing with his nephew (who will be 3 at the end of Jan). Then on Christmas we drove to his parent's house. I had a whole 11 days off, so we spent a lot of time visiting his grandparents and friends who also live in the south. We also had family game nights, where his parents and we played UNO, Activity (which is like Scategories I think.... pictionary + acting + describing?) and City, Country, River (Stadt, Land, Fluss? Where there's a random letter and then you have to write down things/places that start with that letter. I basically was losing horribly until they decided to let me write English or German words... then I kicked some serisou butt).

Since then, I've been back at work and just doing ordinary things. On the 19th, the bf and I celebrated our "18 month" anniversary (I know, such a thing doesn't really exist, but any excuse for a nice dinner and going out is nice). And this week I am taking a vacation day (so I have a 3 day weekend) as the bf has a friend visiting from Trier and we want to take him to Hamburg, and sightseeing a little. I feel a little guilty about taking another vacation day so soon after Christmas (especially since the little girl has a nasty cough), but my boss has assured me that it's o.k... so I will just focus on having fun. yay.

I've also pretty much resorted to only using the bf's camera, since my rechargable batteries have been slowly driving me crazy. That said, I haven't been making the effort to go back and get the pictures from said camera. I will do it... and then I will post some of the pictures.. Eventually. Really.

Oh, P.P.S. My sister got engaged over New Years... so I am super duper excited about the wedding in May (even though it means leaving Germany a month earlier than planned).

random updates

2009-12-03T11:03:00.004+01:00

It's (finally) beginning to look a lot like Christmas...... Well, by Cali-Standards, it's been "Christmas-y" for quite a while, prompting me to pull out the warm gloves, leggings, and boots. However, by Germany-standards it's practically Spring. So, we had our first frost (heavy-duty white coating that refused to melt in the sun) and I am now reduced to wearing leg-warmers under my jeans to mute the cold.

I finally finished my application for the Monterey Institute of International Studies, which I procrastinated through, and drew out a lot longer than probably necessary. I still managed to send it in by the 1st deadline (which is best when trying for a scholarship), although applications can be sent until May/June. I'm also looking at some universities here in Germany for Grad School, since tuition here costs 500 euro per semester, so it is inarguably more affordable than in the US.

On another note, I've decided to give up (processed) sugar until Christmas/Christmas Eve since sugar, cookies, cakes and everything are sooooo big in Germany. Then I can indulge a little over the holidays with the bf's family. I figure if I put it in writing then I will "have to" stick to it. lol. Since then I am "back on" coffee. Yum, from one vice to another.

Tomorrow the bf and I are going to the Christmas Market in NeuMunster (the next ok-sized city). I work on Saturday, so I get tomorrow off to go. :) There will be Gluwein (hot, red-wine based Holiday drink), warm soup and much more.... specifics? I don't know, because I've never been to a real Christmas Market, but I will report back on it after.

Thanksgiving

2009-12-02T09:06:00.002+01:00

Happy Belated Thanksgiving Everyone. I hope you all had something to be thankful for. In lieu of a Thursday evening celebration (since I work during the week), the boyfriend I had a cozy Saturday Thanksgiving fest. We bought a 3.3 Lb (1.5 kg) chicken (from the local mom and pop, organic fed ranch), which we stuffed with homemade stuffing (first time I've ever attempted making my own stuffing) and it turned out wonderfully. We accompanied this with self-made mashed potatoes (sooooo much better than the box, or frozen sort), gravy and kale. Delicous. Photos to come, since they are on the bf's camera.

chimney sweep

2009-11-06T11:32:00.002+01:00

Two blogs in one day... wow. Yesterday the chimney sweep came by. Actually, he was here the day before too, but only to ask if we needed his services and then to pencil us in. So, I found this exciting why? Cause I've never seen a chimney sweep.. well, other than in Mary Poppins. He was only like 25 or so, and pretty attractive, although it's kinda hard to tell under all the layers of grime. Mrs. A asked him how long it takes to get clean at the end of the day (we were all wondering), and he said a good 15 minutes of washing. wow. Anyhoo, the chimney is clean. And we should all have good luck, since it's said seeing a chimney sweep brings you luck (although other variations claim you must kiss him or throw soot over his shoulder).

snow!

2009-11-06T11:21:00.002+01:00

This weeks has been rainy, so there have been many crafts constructed. The 4 year old is now addicted to paper-bag puppets, and tiolet-roll figures. Wednesday it actually snowed (crazy!), although it didn't stick and was quickly washed away by the rain- but still, the first snow of the season. :) I've been spending my evenings working on the application process for MIIS (the Monterey Institute of International Studies). It is pretty intense. Two essays, two translations, one abstract, two readings, 2 oral responses, 1 current event summaruzation (two of almost everything... one in English, one in German). And this is all before the acceptance... gees, I'm not sure what I am getting myself into. It's sure to be a lot of hard work, but you know what? I reaaaallly, reaaalllly want it. Today is Mrs. A's birthday. She's off at a photo shoot (like Glamour Shots, I imagine). I am simply looking forward to the weekend with the bf.
In other news, my tiolet is acting up and kinda a bummer. I have to hike down a flight of stairs to pee... not such a big deal except at night. Especially cause the stairs to the third floor squeek... so the everyone in the house is alerted everytime I sneak down to use the loo. Super.

win, win, win

2009-11-01T19:55:00.005+01:00

Yesterday the bf and I went to see Monchengladbach play Hamburg in Hamburg (soccer). Hamburg was ranked number 2, and BGM number 15, so our hopes were low that we would beat Hamburg at home. However, much to our glee, Gladbach won 3:2!!! Who could believe it?! And did I mention we were there? Now we are back up to place 12, and Hamburg has moved down one spot to 3rd. Hopefully we've broken our losing streak (it was 6 losses before this). It was really cold (8` C) but well worth it. Here are some pictures.

me at the game

the boys warming up

the field

game time

things looking down

better....

Final Score. Yay.

celebrating in the stands

a baby is born

2009-10-25T13:29:00.006+01:00

Yesterday was my first day at the women's Gym. It was nice to have a real work-out, and not just bike-riding (although Yoga is not bad either). Afterwards I rode my bike to the 'middle point of Schleswig Holstein' to meet up with the boyfriend who had been out biking while I was at the gym. We then fed some carrots to a few local horses and ponies who are just too cute. Then, we got a huge surprise when we saw on another field that a baby cow had just been born. Of course we had to go take pictures of the adorable new calf, who a little while later took his first steps. Another cow looked about ready to have a baby too. I didn't know that cows had babies so late in the year.. I would have exected Spring babies... but anyhow, today we are going to go check on the baby in a little while. Here are some pictures:

The center of Schleswig Holstein

feeding the horses

Funny Little Pony

Baby!!!

baby

the other prego cow

bike riding

2009-10-20T12:53:00.009+02:00

So, Sunday evening I got a phone call from Mrs. A saying the kid were at their Grandparents for 2 days... meaning 2 more days to spend with the boyfriend. :) So yesteday we spend the afternoon bike-riding and hiking, from about 2 pm until 6... then we had to bike qickly home since it was getting dark. The last few days have provided perfect Fall weather; cold but clear. I took some picture of some cool mushooms, and a cute little newt we came cross, as well as an old water-mill which is still in use. Enjoy.

I know, I know....

2009-10-18T14:17:00.007+02:00

I know, I know, it's been way too long since I've blogged. I've been busy, but mostly I've been telling myself "tomorrow." And, as you know, tomorrow never comes. What have I been up to in the last 2 months? Almost every weekend I'm at the boyfriend's apartment (in fact, I am annoying him by typing loudly right now when we should be watching Gran Torino). But I wanted to get something on here. Yesterday we spent the day bike-riding. We discovered an old Youth-Club biulding, which is falling into despair, but at one time must have been an amazing place for kids and teens to hang out.I blame the internet and video games for its lack of use today (I say that somewhat ironically, since I am online now). We hiked a little and enjoyed the cool autumn weather. It's really beautiful now, cold and crisp and clear... but it rains a little too often for my taste (since Fall is my favorite season). Gladbach (our favorite Soccer team) has lost the last 5 games, and pretty much are sucking unnecessarily... beh, prehaps they'll win today, but they're playing the team who was number one last year, so the chance is.... meh, not great. In two weeks they play Hamburg in Hamburg, so we're considering going to the match, but it may be too depressing. lol. Other than that, I lead a boring life. I've joined the new woman's gym, which opens next weekend, and I had my first yoga class last week. I thought Yoga might be boring... since I have a bit of a short attention span, but I actually really, really like it.
The little girl, S, had her 4th b-day a few weeks ago. She invited 4 friends over for a wild little birthday party which I helped run. The next two weeks Mrs. A works every day, which means I will be working 7-6:30/7 everyday too. Next week the kids still have vacation, so it may be brutal. But the week after I'll be able to send them to school for 4 glorious hours... lol. Ok, at least I broke my 2 month dry spell. Hope this wasn't too boring.

hello again

2009-08-27T11:46:00.004+02:00

Wow, so it seems like I've been on Blog-Hiatus. Yikes, time to get the ball rolling and throw another blog out there. My time has been spent being routine and boring, and since I didn't want to write a boring blog, I have been skirting the task. But no more. The boyfriend, M, has moved into his apartment, and we've cleaned, painted and decorated. Since he lives only 5 km away (3 miles for all you non-km folks), we see each other a few times a week, although we have to limit our visits so as to not forget about my job and all the other stuff I actually have to do. bummer. We've been going to a local sports bar to watch all of Borussia Monchengladbach's soccer games, although last week's loss to Bremen brought us from 4th to 10th place in the Nation. again, bummer. Hopefully tomorrow we'll win, although Mainz (whom we are playing) did beat FC Bayern last week, so they must be arguably good. I only care about BMG for the most part, so I don't actually know how good the other teams are.
Last week we went to the beach again, and M came with. It was a lot of fun. L, the boy-child, spent last week at his Grandparents' in Hannover, so I had lots of one-on-one time for princess S. A friend of hers came to play Monday, so I had the pleasure of entertaining two 3 year-olds instead of one. Really, they were quite cute. Monday the kids start school again, which also means they will have to be getting up earlier, which will surely be an adjustment... hopefully not too painful of one (for us all).
On another note, I finally screwed up the courage and deleted myspace. I know, I know. It isn't like I ever logged in, but it was a security thing. I knew the ability to log in and myspace-stalk my friends, post annoying questionnaires, and comment on photos was there waiting to quell any extreme boredom. So it was a pretty big step for me, but hey, there's still Facebook to ease my addiction...

Denmark

2009-08-02T19:53:00.006+02:00

I think I'll let the pictures do most of the talking, and I'll add the short recaps I wrote while up there. Enjoy.

Day 1-Sat
We survived the 5 1/2 hour drive up (it should have been 4 hours, but there was an accident which caused a lot of traffic), and arrived at the vacation house in Denmark around 4pm. The house is lovely with windows from the floor to the ceiling. We went to the beach, but couldn't swim since it was so windy and the waves were huge. We walked around the small town (Saltrum) a bit, and then headed home to watch a little TV. I have my own room, on the end of the house near the living room, while the other 3 rooms are at the other end. Nice and private. There's a cool loft bedroom with TV and PlayStation for L, the 9 year old. I'm still trying to figure out the monetary conversion here (something like 7 to 1,
in favor of the euro), but I still can't fathom paying 23 anything for 2 scoops of ice cream. lol. Oh, there's no internet here, so I'm writing daily recaps in word, and I will put them together and post them when I get home.

Day 2-Sun
Today the weather was almost perfect. It would have been perfect if not for the wind, which was still better than yesterday. I was woken up at 7:30 by the kids, who somehow where full of energy despite reeking havoc until 12:30 in the morning. Wonders. We spent a few hours wandering around Lokken (the biggest near-by city), where we saw people making candy... which was a very long and painstaking process... but the end result was yummy and very artistic. We then took a brief walk to the ocean. Then we headed home, where I laid out and read for an hour or so, and the kids took a nap before we headed to the beach once more. We walked bare-foot along the shore, and the water was surprisingly warmer than I expected, in fact we may go swimming sometime despite the wind. We came home for dinner, and the kids hung out in my room attempting to play Pac-Man on my laptop. Then at bedtime the little one asked if I would read her her bedtime story- this is the first time she's ever asked me, and is to be interpreted as something of an honor. We read for half an hour, and it went well, despite her short-attention span and seemingly unending energy. I also fell in love with some goofy pants, but we will see if I break down and buy them... I mean, their name does translate to "Harem Pants".. but they're cute.

Day 3-Mon
It rained almost all day today, so we planned to go to the aquarium. However, after driving half an hour there, the line was ridiculously long, and there was no way the kids were willing to wait an hour in the rain. So plan B. We visited a candle factory and L got to hand dip his own candle, which turned out really nice.
Then we stopped by an art gallery, and the little one (S) got a cute little ceramic piggy bank. We then picked up some fresh fish and headed home. I napped a little and we played games indoors (monopoly, guess who, kids Yatzee and so on). After dinner the kids watched Madagascar, and I took a long soak in the jacuzzi tub.
Very relaxing. Hopefully the weather improves tomorrow.

Day 4-Tues
The weather was perfect today, so we spent the day outside. We visited an old lighthouse, which is being swallowed but he dunes. The door is covered, but it has been broken down enough to squeeze through, so of course I had to go in. The stairs were missing railing in some places, but I made it to the top and (despite a fear of heights) got some pretty amazing pictures. We stayed and played in the dunes a little too. After, we visited a museum about the lighthouse, and a history of this particular part of Denmark. We had lunch at the beach, and spent the afternoon playing miniature golf. Nearby on a stage setting up for an evening concert, they performed the sound check by playing a Tracy Chapman CD. In the evening we stopped by the beach once more, and walked along the shore and collected shells/rocks.

Day 5-Wed
Today we drove to the northern most point in Denmark, which also happens to be where the east and north sea meet. Of course we took pictures with one foot in the north sea, and one in the east sea. Much fun! After, we visited a nearby city and then played in some of the biggest Dunes in Denmark.We also visited a cute little church, where we had to climb tiny little steps to get to the top.

Day 6-Thurs
Today we got up early and went to the aquarium. We saw sunfish, seals, and lots of other cool creatures. After we went to the Barracks Museum on the coast, home to 54 barracks built by the Germans during ww2. (over 7,000 in total were built in Denmark during the German occupation). It rained, we bought fresh fish and came home.

Day 7-Fri
Last night was a big storm, I was awoken a few times by the pounding of the rain and wind. We all slept a bit later this morning. The weather was o.k. today, windy but with hardly any rain. We visited a candle factory in Vra today, and I bought a few candles. Then we went to downtown Lokken to shop and walk around. I bought a cute beige skirt, and the harem or Punjabi yoga pants I have been lusting over. They are sooooo comfy, I must learn to make them. :) I also got some postcards. We spent the rest of the day relaxing, packing and cleaning the house to leave early tomorrow morning.

Just back

2009-08-01T22:52:00.000+02:00

We just got back Denmark today. We had no Internet, so I have a lot of pent up stories. Expect them tomorrow, with pictures.

Buesum, and a new place to live

2009-07-23T11:42:00.002+02:00

Yesterday the bf and I returned from a 4-day trip to the North Sea coast (specifically a town called Buesum) to celebrate our anniversary. We stayed at a cute little family owned place (Hotel Siegfried) not far from the city center or the shore. It was lovely, although it rained a little everyday except one. The first day we strolled along the shore, where we were harassed by birds. Evidently they had chosen the rocks on the path as a nesting place, which we discovered upon seeing two adorable babies--- we then left the path and the birds in peace as quickly as possible.
The next day the weather was pretty wet in the morning, so we decided to visit the much heard about indoor swimming pool. It was fantastic! The largest pool was a salt-water pool which had waves every 30 minutes or so. There was also a giant water slide, which we went down at least 5 times, a few heated pools and a jacuzzi. Very nice. Upstairs was the sauna, which we visited since we planned to stay most of the day in this pool wonderland (the weather was so uncooperative for hiking or biking). The thing about the sauna is... it's mandatory to be nude (with a towel of course). There's no option to have a swimsuit on or such, and there are signs and employees every so often who will politely remind you to get naked. ??? A little weird, but since there were also signs asking you not to sweat on the seats (what?) it was pretty much required to have a towel- I had two (they were kinda small). The sauna was soooo nice. There were 4 saunas, one at 90 degrees (194 f), one at 85 (185 f) which was on the roof, a 70 degree one (158f) which had fennel and anise/aniseed, and a 50 degree (122 f) one. There was also a steam bath, which had a big salt quartz in the middle. We tried all of them except the 90 degree one, since we thought the 85 was warm enough, and after an hour or so, we had had enough of the sauna.
The next day the weather was lovely, and we had planned to spend the day biking, but unfortunately I spent the night and most of the day suffering a stomach virus or food poisoning, and stayed in the room until about 6 p.m. when I finally felt well enough to go to dinner, the bf did hike a while, but he was sweet and felt bad about me being alone.
Yesterday after we got back we met with a guy about an apartment we saw in the neighboring town. It's not the city where the bf originally planned to live, but it does have about 6,000 inhabitants, and there's easy/cheap train connections to a few bigger cities. After talking to the guy again the bf is taking the apartment! yay! It's pretty nice, and it even has a washer and refrigerator, which is almost unheard of in small apartments here. It's on the third floor, with lovely big windows, and they are even redoing the floor this week (the only thing we didn't like was the hideous blue carpeting, so they are putting in normal fake-wood laminate). He's putting down the deposit and getting his key on Friday, and on the first he's moving in! Exciting.
I'll put up some picture from our trip soon, I have to work though, since I've had 4 days off, and the family and I are headed to Denmark for vacation on Saturday for a week.

Random Updates, Patience and Gardening

2009-07-15T09:47:00.005+02:00

Today the weather is beeeeautiful- warm and not too humid. The bf arrived last night. He's registering up here (you have to register every time you move (or plan to), so the government can trace your every move here. lol.). This morning he left early to catch a ride with Mrs. A on her way to work, and hopefully he gets everything figured out- and can get the *perfect* apartment we found :). Yesterday I finally got my work visa. *yay* so I can legally stay until 14th of June 2010. Although I believe I will actually be headed back at the end of May... we'll see. It feels nice to be "legal."
They say "Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you and scorn in the one ahead." Ok, by "they," I mean Mac McCleary, although I, myself, admire the patience of ALL drivers on the road when I am learning to drive a manual. Since I was lucky (or unlucky) enough to have only driven automatics for the last 8 years (besides the occasional few times... which were hilarious), I am finally going through the painfully embarrassing process of learning at the ripe age of 24. The bf and I practiced a little in a parking lot behind his house a month or so back, and now I've driven two times here in Gnutz. First I drove to and from the Kindergarten with Mrs. A to pick up the little one- it's only like half a mile away and the car died 3 times... although it was coming out of reverse, and after a stop. ooops.. Yesterday I got to drive back from the library in the neighboring town, about 3 miles away. This time the car died at like every stop, of which there are about 3, and of course, I had to stop at a light on an incline, and the young woman driving behind me (in a flashy convertible, mind you) *had* to pull up sooooo close to me- my biggest fear of driving a stick was coming to life- I nearly wet myself, but I did manage to stay somewhat calm (for the sake of the child. lol). I took Mrs. A's advice and used the hand brake, inadvertently squealed the tires, but managed not to do any damage to her car or "ours", so overall I consider it a win... Mrs. A is very patient with me killing the engine, squealing tires, grinding gears and mostly driving 15 mph under the speed limit. I need to practice a lot more.

I have three plants I got a few weeks back, 2 Gerber daisies and some other mini-tree like thing (that's the scientific name b y the way). I thought one of the daisies was a goner, the poor thing was all wilted. But after researching them online, I read that if may be outgrowing the pot and not getting water to the middle roots. Needless to go into detail I nursed the poor thing back to health and now it seems to be thriving. I do need to get them new homes soon (pots I mean, I'm not giving these badboys away, they're like pets). Anyhoo--- I will post pictures of the pretty little things soon. I think that's all that's new.
Oh, speaking of lovely weather- this was kinda funny: http://blog.statravel.com/index.php/2009/07/13/top-10-things-you-shouldnt-wear-to-the-beach/

Prancing through mainstreet

2009-07-14T20:33:00.003+02:00

Bragging is not an attractive trait, but let's be honest. A man who catches a big fish doesn't go home through an alley (according to the genius Ann Landers). Speaking of which, I like to read Dear Abby, Dear Prudence, and Dear Margo in my free-time. I think at the least I might learn some etiquette. Now onto bragging. I finished my first puzzle this week (I started it a few days after coming here, so it's been about 3 weeks of work). O.k., probably not my first, because I've surely completed numerous kiddie puzzles of 50 or less pieces, and I may have chipped in on larger puzzles that were a group-effort. But I have never done a puzzle all on my own- until now. (Note to all: I am very boring, and when I am winding down after a day with the kids I have turned to puzzling). So, as proof I am posting a picture of it. 1000 pieces. Seriously, I'm pretty stoked- despite this probably not being a very hip accomplishment- don't judge, yo.

Santorini, Greece.

The Foundation of All

2009-07-14T15:13:00.009+02:00

Once again opening with a quote. "This is the foundation of all. We are not to imagine or suppose, but to discover, what nature does or may be made to do."
-Francis Bacon
Sunday the family and I took a day trip to the botanical gardens at Kiel University, which was also hosting a butterfly exhibit. We had a lot of fun, and I thought I would post a few of the hundreds of pictures I took (not joking, I took just over 300).

Jean Anouilh, "Beauty is one of the rare things that do not lead to doubt of God."

Teach me, Father, how to go
Softly as the grasses grow;
Hush my soul to meet the shock
Of the wild world as a rock;
But my spirit, propt with power,
Make as simple as a flower.
Let the dry heart fill its cup,
Like a poppy looking up;
Let life lightly wear her crown,
Like a poppy looking down,
When its heart is filled with dew,
And its life begins anew.
-Edwin Markham

From the mouths of babes

2009-07-13T19:46:00.007+02:00

Maybe I'm behind the band-wagon on this (since she was on Britain's Got Talent a few years ago), but this little girl is amazing. Connie Talbot.

Red Rabbit

2009-07-11T20:44:00.005+02:00

This is just brilliant. It's by Egmont Mayer, a German animator.
http://vimeo.com/4949853
Interpret it as you will...

Red Rabbit from Egmont Mayer on Vimeo.

Kindergarten Caberet

2009-07-10T21:23:00.005+02:00

Today we went to the little one's Kindergarten recital, which opened with a song by the whole class, and continued with group performances by the older children who are "graduating" and will be attending the 1st grade in the fall. (Here Kindergarten is attended for 2 to 3 years, a bit like a pre-school and kindergarten together). Now, I was expecting some cute"Itsy, Bitsy Spider" and "Row, Row, Row your boat" stuff, but this recital was hip, if not a bit more mature than I had anticipated (don't get me wrong, it was entertaining, but quite unexpected.)

The opening song. Cute kids, and all.

So, the first song starts out sweet enough, with a group of little ones dancing to something to the gist of "You are my star," while twirling stars on batons and all that jazz. The next song picks things up a notch with "Ugo and the Girls" lip-syncing and dancing to some German hit. Open on a boy sitting facing the crowd with dark shades and a flashy mic, with a girl on each side in a short (strapless, Hawaiian print) pink dress, matching sunglasses and necklaces. The girls dance around him the whole song, ending by each throwing a leg up on his chair. A bit much? Perhaps, but not quite enough for my to get my camera back out for, but the next song motivated me and I didn't put it away again. Yes, I've got proof of the story I tell. Following to the next song... "Die Perry's" (that's The Perry's for all you non-German speakers, not a death prompt) singing "I kissed a Girl." No joke. Complete with black leggings, Katy Perry Tank tops, matching hats and face glitter and make-up. Wow, luckily at that age no one really understands the words, but they know the title, so I still think it's pushing it. What next? The 3 year-olds performing a Diapered Caberet? Just saying...

yeah, these are 5 and 6 year olds.

Next song is 3 boys, performing the German/Hip Hop version of "Forever Young" (not kidding, it's "Fuer Immer Jung" the translation is easy). This was frankly adorable, with one boy "rapping" and the other "singing" the slow chorus, and one keeping beat on the "drums," but I caught at least 6 curse words, and I'm not a native speaker, so there couls have been more. Isn't that something the sound guy should've caught? Have they never heard of the "Clean Version" of a recording. Shessh. And these were German curse words, not English, so all the kiddies understood them. Yep. Now I have a somewhat dirty mouth, and kids are bound to hear stufft, I just expected it to not be from a song in an organized recital. lol.
Here's pics of the cool guys though:

The last group "The Snuffkins" were dressed as bunnies (or a similar cuddly animal) and accompanied by their stuffed animals while singing "I love you" ("Ich hab dich lieb"). Nothing wrong here, sooooo adorable, and maybe only slightly sickening. lol

All in all, I had fun and it was soooo entertaining, but I just don't think it would fly in the states. But hey, maybe if our recitals were more like this, more people would attend (the mayor's wife attended, and she doesn't have a kindergartener... how's that for attendance and entertainment?)

Last shot of the great kiddos.

Apartment searching and public scratching

2009-07-09T20:39:00.005+02:00

Sorry I haven't written in... a few days (What a flake!), you know I have been working and all that jazz. I tell myself I will turn on the computer when I have a chance and actually write something, but I end up falling asleep... or skyping with the bf for-ever and then falling asleep. Jees, where are my priorities? (Probably asleep somewhere). Today I went for a bike-ride during the hour that is wasn't on-and-off raining. The weather here is so indecisive. It'll be warm and sunny, so I'll change into shorts and a tank top to go pick up the little one from Kindergarten, but as soon as I arrive at the school (via bike mind you... yes, this is a true story), it starts raining and I end up peddling like the wind only to arrive home soaked. Then it promptly stops raining; prompting the little angel to step "dry" out of the tag-along... (or whatever the kiddie pull wagon things that attach to the back of the bike and weigh like a gazillion pounds are called) and ask why I'm "sweaty." Not sweaty darling, SOAKED. Then she wants to play outside, what the heck? It's sunny again. So I uncover the sandbox, spread out a blanket, change into a dry pair of shorts (mind you I only have 2 pairs here) and low and behold... drip drip drop... it begins to rain again. Sheeesh, so I run everything back in the house, and struggle to quickly cover the sand box to prevent it form becoming a mud-box.

So, where was I? Oh yeah, went for a bike-ride then came home, took a quick shower and promptly fell asleep... in my bed where I did not put the mosquito net back in place (since I leave it pulled back during the day). And what happened? I woke up with 4 mosquito bites. My window wasn't even open! I swear the little buggers are camped out in my room somewhere, and wait for me to fall asleep, cause I never see or hear them. I also imagine they only plan attacks on days when I am meeting with a Realtor to check out apartments for the bf. So once again I find myself sneaking in the occasional (and hopefully not too obvious) scratch while checking out apartments. I really love one of the apartments, and the other is ok too (I mean, I really only will be visiting the bf, so he gets the final say... I finally conceded). Oh, so there's the bf on skype again... gotta run.

California, Nudity and Apple Pie

2009-07-04T20:42:00.000+02:00

Yesterday we took a family trip to the beach. Which one you ask? California (or Kalifornien as it is spelled here), which happens to be right next to Brazil. The Germans have simplified vacationing by placing two popular, and usually far apart destinations right next to each other. Mrs. A (the mom/my "boss") claimed the English are responsible for this, dating back to the post-war period, but I'm not convinced, as it seems like just the sort of sneakily efficient thing Germans would do to make travel easier (I can see the travel ads now: "Vacation in California, then Brazil! Cutting out all inefficient travel time and costs! From only 49 Euro a night...). Anyhoo, the weather was lovely (80s I think) and I mostly laid out and read (like any good Au Pair should right?) The boy wanted me to go in the water, but man, it was COLD. I tried, really I did, but my californian upbringing did not prepare to swim in ice water. I am not a polar bear. Besides, he had a friend there anyhow, and they promptly forgot about my chickening out. All in all it was very nice.

Oh, did you know people here get naked on the beach. No, not like a nude-optional, or topless beach; this is just your everyday, run of the mill, kids and families and old people spending the day at the beach. Then I notice people taking off their clothes, changing into their swimwear... no towels, or attemtps at coverage. And guess what? No one cares. I mean, back home women would faint, mothers would cover their child's eyes and shriek in horror. Here, ah naked dude at 2 o'clock? Whatever. Grammy shimmying into here flowered one-piece? No biggie. Well, let's just say I got a couple eye-fulls. My naked, harry old dude butt quota has been filled- probably for life. My boyfriend (who happens to be German too) explained to me (after I excitedly called him to giggle about the naked people I saw... yes, I often behave in a manner befitting that of an 11 year-old boy) that it is normal, and while many people do not change on the beach, no one really cares if others do. Interesting, I think, and while I don't think I will be baring it all anytime soon, it's nice to know the option is out there... in case I ever find myself at the beach, needing to change with no bathroom or towel in sight.

Oh, Happy 4th of July all you Amis (cute nickname for Americans, which also happens to be the French word for friend- Ami. No, I didn't make it up; honestly,I'm just not that frigging adorable/creative). Feeling a tinge of patriotism (OK, I admit I was pretty bored too) I decided to introduce the family to a particularly tasty piece of American culture- apple pie. So I made the dough from scratch (which turned out somewhat chewy and not at all flaky and how I think I remember it should be... oh well) and did the apple-peeling, slicing, thing. They don't have any pie pans like I'm used to (the family I mean; Germany may have them- I honestly don't know) so I ended up using some sort of casserole-like dish. All in all, it looked funny (oblong and not round) but tasted yummy, albeit chewy. Yay for apple pie for making me feel a little closer to home.

Laments of Dawn

2009-07-02T05:09:00.000+02:00

Here it is- 5 am and I have been up for half and hour. Do I have a good reason for this? Am I an avid bird watcher, or have I taken on a second job as a baker or milk delivery-person? Or are one of the children sick, do you ask? No, alas, I am plagued, terror-stricken if you will, by something horrible; no, I do not mean the current state of affairs in Iran or even the US and world economy. Yes, Mosquitoes are my current affliction. Last night I finally got a mosquito net put up over my bed, so not only am I protected from future late night attacks, but I find myself inadvertently dreaming of safaris in the African wild, and unwittingly entrapped during any late night attempts to the Loo. However, alas, the damage has already been inflicted by many a night spent unprotected; 13- yes, I counted them; (at 4:30 in the morning there isn't much else to do) 13 mosquito-bites currently cover my unsubstantial form. To further aggravate matters, an annoying, but hardly life-threatening, allergy to mosquitoes causes the bites to swell in size until they resemble a welt reminiscent of a home-run hit baseball smashing through the stands and into the pudgy flesh of an unsuspecting fan. All this, the day before I am due to meet with a Realtor to see a prospective apartment here in North Germany for Mathias. Hopefully I will not find myself publicly scratching in a most unbecoming manner.

this is my super-cool bed with the much needed mosquito netting. No kidding. I sleep here.

In an attempt to alleviate my suffering and get some sleep, I found myself turning to the internet, yet again, for deliverance (good, but scary movie by the way). So long after the bites have become cortisone-resistant, I am seeking alternative methods of relief. Luckily, I found this site: http://tipnut.com/over-40-mosquito-bite-itch-relief-tips/ (the tip nut is quickly becoming as important a source of information in my times of need as Wikipedia has been for years), and am currently experimenting with various suggested remedies. Toothpaste normally works for me, but to my dismay I was on a particular bout of healthiness when I bought my current brand of all natural, organic tooth-gel, which apparently lacks the synthetic, itch-reliving properties of your everyday garden variety paste; or so it seems. It works great on my teeth still though. Deodorant was my second attempt, and once again I think my consumer choices have lead to my demise, because my extra-frilly, smells like aloe and leaves your pits moisturized, stick is giving me no help. Vick's Vapor-rub is up currently and the relief is subtle, yet I have high hopes for it still (probably because I am running out of possibilities in my room, and have no desire to venture 2 floors down in search of Epsom salt, meat tenderizer or baking soda).
All this and I've wasted an hour of possible sleep time, although I haven't scratched once (granted, it's hard to scratch and type at the same time). Perhaps I can get another hour of sleep yet....

weather: hot and gay?

2009-07-01T08:42:00.000+02:00

So, I just brought the little one to kindergarten (via bike), and when I got back I was sweating. How does this happen? I mean, it isn't a strenuous ride... I'll tell you: humidity. It's abut 69 degrees (or 20 Celsius) with very little wind and a humidity of 1022 hPa- and it's 8:30 in the morning. Now, I have no idea what hPa is, but I do know as soon as I step outside I feel like I've just finished an incredibly strenuous yoga session... sweaty and tired. And I am about to partake in my almost-daily morning bike ride, which I know will leave me feeling energized, but finding motivation in this humidity is tough.
Oh, so you want to know where the "hot and gay" weather thing comes in. No, I wasn't just trying to broaden my scope of readers by luring in people casually searching "hot and gay" on Google; however, if you did so come across here- welcome. I was looking up the weather on Wetter.com (Germany's version of Weather.com, or so I presume, although one would expect it to end in .de ... some things are better left unquestioned). So, laying here sweating in my underwear in my 3rd floor room, with the fan on full blast, I began casually reading the weather, when to my surprise, I saw that the weather today will be hot and gay... What?! I declard in surprise. Upon closer examination I noticed two small dots over the U in Schwul, making it Schwül rather. Curious, I then headed to Dict.leo.org (only the coolest online translation site ever... if you only care about translating english, spanish, or french into german- of course) and discovered that Schwül is humid (something I vaguely remember hearing in the past, but never paid such close attention to. I mean, who am I to judge? Perhaps, I figured, gay was a hip new term for the weather; I mean in English one can hear it used 100 times a day on a High School campus- never once actually pertaining to someone who's enjoying a particular bout of Happiness, or who happens to be homosexual). Evidently those two dots (umlauts if you will) make a BIG difference. As to the pronunciation, I am not completely confident, especially since a few days ago, when out of the blue, the 9 year old says to me: "No, it's "ooooo" with umlauts" after I apparently mispronounced something- as I'm sure I often do. So, I think I will simply stick to saying the weather is feucht (as in clammy or damp), so as to keep myself out of any unnecessary embarrassment.
Now I'm off- to brave this clammy weather for a long, hopefully enjoyable ride.

just for fun, this is a picture of the view from my bedroom. And yes, it is a lot hotter that it looks. Don't be fooled by the pretty blue sky.

Faute de Mieux

2009-06-30T09:11:00.001+02:00

So, perhaps you wonder where the name "Travel, trouble, music, art..." comes from. Or perhaps you don't; I'll tell you anyway. Dorothy Parker (writer extraordinaire, 1893-1967) penned a lovely poem, Faute de Mieux, and so it goes:
Travel, trouble, music, art,
A kiss, a frock, a rhyme -
I never said they feed my heart,
But still they pass my time.
For the time being, this is my inspiration- plus it sums up my desires... to write about my travels and experiences; and possibly my everyday life, which involves much music, not too little laughter, a smidgen of art, and the seldom bout of trouble. Enjoy.

Dorothy Parker

Now, I may as well introduce myself. My name is Meg, travellingmeg, for all you here (and yes, I do know that traveling only has one l... but there is a story behind that). There is a wonderful site, known as Couchsurfing.org, and on that little site (more about it later), there is a demure little character by the name of Travellingmeg... a misspelled pseudonym stemming from late hours, too much coffee and a growing frustration at coming up with a name what would not exhibit the response "this name is already used, please choose another." I thought I would stick with the moniker (if it ain't broke don't fix it... and all that jazz, and misspelled hardly constitutes "broke" in my book), because I mostly like it, and I have no desire to come up with a new, more inventive and perhaps grammatically correct one.
Moving on, I am 24, a college graduate, and currently living in North Germany where I have recently begun working as an Au Pair (read: sometimes cook, rarely housekeeper, and most-often servant to the whims of an almost 4-year-old girl and her 9-year-old brother, who does get in the occasional word- the brother, as for me, I try to just nod, agree, and keep my nose clean). Not that you should think I have it bad; by no means. I am enjoying myself, the family is fun, and if not for the only slightly over-demanding children I should be at a loss for what to do with my time. As for now, duty calls, welcome to my blog- thoughts, ideas, and so forth.