Sonntag, September 18, 2005
If I am still this happy in 6 months...
I am staying here!
It was a wonderful weekend. I got to have a laaaaazy Saturday morning. I wrote in my journal, listened to music, and hung out with the family until about 3:30 when I went running! Finally, I am getting my hardcore runner-self back. I have only been running about 4 miles at a time, but I got them in under 35 minutes, so that was good. I picked up my friend Tara at Kurze-Kamp-Strasse (the stop for UBahn 7) at about 4PM and brought her home for a sleepover and the 'Last BBQ of the Summer.'
My friend Tara, Ina's mom "Omi Goody," Lars' mom "Oma Karen," and Henrik's friend Leon joined the family for bratwurst, various 'pieces of meat' (as Lars calls them--meaning chicken and pork and such, although I tend to have very different connotations), potato salad, and wine! Because we had done the German tradition of stuckbröt the night before, I introduced the family to the American tradition of S'mores! Well, these were S'mores with a twist, because in Germany they don't have Graham crackers (which are an American tradition through and through), or Hershey bars, or plain white marshmallows. Their marshmallows are multicolored and have a sugar-coating, but we threw them on skewers and roasted them anyway. We used plain 'butter cookies' for graham crackers and some delicious German chocolate in place of the Hershey's--- you could barely tell the difference! ;-)
Afterward, Omi Goody and I smoked a 'hookah' with orange tobacco. (Is that the right spelling??) Lars had gotten it as a present from some Kuwaitis for Xmas. It was funny--I am a good little smoker (thanks for the smoker genes Dad!). We drank a lot of wine and I tried sherry as well. We started drinking at about 5:30, so at about 7 I had a really good buzz... Then you hit that danger zone where you could get wasted or lose the buzz. Obviously I opted to lose the buzz, which is so sad, don't you think? :(
Lars, Tara, and I watched Knotting Hill while Tara and I knitted. Lars set up the projector so it was like being at the movies! We even had popcorn, although Germans put sugar on their popcorn. I had not seen any tv in so long (I have only watched Forrest Gump since I have been here) that Tara and I decided on a double-feature and watched Shakespeare in Love. I had never seen Shakespeare... before and really enjoyed it. Now I have to make a dent in some of the other Oscar-winning movies the family owns that I have never bothered to see--American Beauty anyone? Tara and I stayed up late and chatted--it was really cute. I got to pull out my couch for the first time! It is a great couch bed--come visit and check it out yourself!
Today was sooo exciting! It is election day in Germany. The Chancellor asked for a vote of confidence, meaning that the Parliament gets to vote on whether or not he is doing a good job. He also asked his own party to abstain, so of course they voted 'No Confidence'--that the Chancellor is not doing a good job--and Germany gets a special election. I think Schroeder basically felt that he had hit a wall. He felt powerless to enact change and wanted to see what the people want. At the moment, his party (the SPD) is tied with the CDU (Christian Democratic Union...very conservative). I can't keep all the parties straight right now, but I will research that and post soon.
We went to a local school to vote. Ina checked in and we walked over behind this little stand. It looked like elementary school when you put your notebooks and folders around your desk to make sure no one cheats off you. Ina let me make the X's on her ballot! Then, I got to put the ballot in the big bin. Ina, Lars, and Kathi cheered me on and took pictures. I was really excited about it. All the voting officials looked confused. I bet they thought I was 'special.' :-)
After voting, the family and I met some of their friends at 'Campo,' which is this big indoor/outdoor Sports-plex. Almost like a cross between RexPlex (near Ikea off the Jersey Turnpike) and Explorations. It has climbing walls, hi-ropes courses, places to skateboard and rollerblade, soccer fields, ballpits and climbing areas. It was awesome. I climbed a rockwall and did some hi-ropes. We all sat out in the sun and chatted and ate hot dogs. It was a lovely day.
When I got home I went into Hannover to say good-bye to Agata. She is a Polish girl who is finishing up her au pair year and heading home to Poland tomorrow. Tara had a bad day today and was venting about her family--they don't include her or make her feel welcome. The mom was being really pissy with her. I felt bad for her, but also so so blessed about my situation. I went home and hugged Ina and told her for the billionth time how happy I am :) I think she is getting sick of having this discussion!
Anyway, she asked me to stay for another year. The job would be even less next year, and she said I could even have the apartment below their house (my own 2bedroom apartment with my own kitchen, laundry, etc). I guess I will see what happens. Right now I am so so happy!
This happiness has one caveat. My parents told me today that my younger brother is leaving school (he is a sophomore at Ohio University) to enlist in the Army. I don't understand his decision and I am really scared. Keep my little bro in your thoughts.
<3<3<3
It was a wonderful weekend. I got to have a laaaaazy Saturday morning. I wrote in my journal, listened to music, and hung out with the family until about 3:30 when I went running! Finally, I am getting my hardcore runner-self back. I have only been running about 4 miles at a time, but I got them in under 35 minutes, so that was good. I picked up my friend Tara at Kurze-Kamp-Strasse (the stop for UBahn 7) at about 4PM and brought her home for a sleepover and the 'Last BBQ of the Summer.'
My friend Tara, Ina's mom "Omi Goody," Lars' mom "Oma Karen," and Henrik's friend Leon joined the family for bratwurst, various 'pieces of meat' (as Lars calls them--meaning chicken and pork and such, although I tend to have very different connotations), potato salad, and wine! Because we had done the German tradition of stuckbröt the night before, I introduced the family to the American tradition of S'mores! Well, these were S'mores with a twist, because in Germany they don't have Graham crackers (which are an American tradition through and through), or Hershey bars, or plain white marshmallows. Their marshmallows are multicolored and have a sugar-coating, but we threw them on skewers and roasted them anyway. We used plain 'butter cookies' for graham crackers and some delicious German chocolate in place of the Hershey's--- you could barely tell the difference! ;-)
Afterward, Omi Goody and I smoked a 'hookah' with orange tobacco. (Is that the right spelling??) Lars had gotten it as a present from some Kuwaitis for Xmas. It was funny--I am a good little smoker (thanks for the smoker genes Dad!). We drank a lot of wine and I tried sherry as well. We started drinking at about 5:30, so at about 7 I had a really good buzz... Then you hit that danger zone where you could get wasted or lose the buzz. Obviously I opted to lose the buzz, which is so sad, don't you think? :(
Lars, Tara, and I watched Knotting Hill while Tara and I knitted. Lars set up the projector so it was like being at the movies! We even had popcorn, although Germans put sugar on their popcorn. I had not seen any tv in so long (I have only watched Forrest Gump since I have been here) that Tara and I decided on a double-feature and watched Shakespeare in Love. I had never seen Shakespeare... before and really enjoyed it. Now I have to make a dent in some of the other Oscar-winning movies the family owns that I have never bothered to see--American Beauty anyone? Tara and I stayed up late and chatted--it was really cute. I got to pull out my couch for the first time! It is a great couch bed--come visit and check it out yourself!
Today was sooo exciting! It is election day in Germany. The Chancellor asked for a vote of confidence, meaning that the Parliament gets to vote on whether or not he is doing a good job. He also asked his own party to abstain, so of course they voted 'No Confidence'--that the Chancellor is not doing a good job--and Germany gets a special election. I think Schroeder basically felt that he had hit a wall. He felt powerless to enact change and wanted to see what the people want. At the moment, his party (the SPD) is tied with the CDU (Christian Democratic Union...very conservative). I can't keep all the parties straight right now, but I will research that and post soon.
We went to a local school to vote. Ina checked in and we walked over behind this little stand. It looked like elementary school when you put your notebooks and folders around your desk to make sure no one cheats off you. Ina let me make the X's on her ballot! Then, I got to put the ballot in the big bin. Ina, Lars, and Kathi cheered me on and took pictures. I was really excited about it. All the voting officials looked confused. I bet they thought I was 'special.' :-)
After voting, the family and I met some of their friends at 'Campo,' which is this big indoor/outdoor Sports-plex. Almost like a cross between RexPlex (near Ikea off the Jersey Turnpike) and Explorations. It has climbing walls, hi-ropes courses, places to skateboard and rollerblade, soccer fields, ballpits and climbing areas. It was awesome. I climbed a rockwall and did some hi-ropes. We all sat out in the sun and chatted and ate hot dogs. It was a lovely day.
When I got home I went into Hannover to say good-bye to Agata. She is a Polish girl who is finishing up her au pair year and heading home to Poland tomorrow. Tara had a bad day today and was venting about her family--they don't include her or make her feel welcome. The mom was being really pissy with her. I felt bad for her, but also so so blessed about my situation. I went home and hugged Ina and told her for the billionth time how happy I am :) I think she is getting sick of having this discussion!
Anyway, she asked me to stay for another year. The job would be even less next year, and she said I could even have the apartment below their house (my own 2bedroom apartment with my own kitchen, laundry, etc). I guess I will see what happens. Right now I am so so happy!
This happiness has one caveat. My parents told me today that my younger brother is leaving school (he is a sophomore at Ohio University) to enlist in the Army. I don't understand his decision and I am really scared. Keep my little bro in your thoughts.
<3<3<3
# posted by Heather @ 10:43 PM 
