Stuttgart/Konstanz/Heidelberg/Tuebingen

09-16-2010

Stuttgart/Konstanz/ Heidelberg/Tübingen

                CHANGE is never easy. I am starting to realize that. Sometimes it seems exciting and other times it is incredibly intimidating and frightening. My life has flipped upside down, right side up, inside out, and every which way.  It has taken so many new directions, sometimes I feel a bit confused, but never lost. Chapters in my life are coming to an end, and new beginnings are ahead. My life in Nordstetten has already come to an end too soon. I am a bit sad to think that again my life will change and I will have to leave my new family. These past six weeks have come and gone so fast I realized that a year is going to fly by.  That freaks me out. I want to be ready to leave Germany, and not like I was torn away too soon.  I feel that way about my German family. Finally I feel completely and utterly comfortable in every possible way, and now I have to leave them. That saddens me beyond belief.  Once something is perfect, it has to end. It’s probably for the best, ending something on a good note. You have to end it before it goes bad. It’s like a great T.V. show, it has to end in a good way, otherwise the following seasons will just suck, and then it will be known as having a shitty ending. Does that make any sense?

                I just want to thank my family for giving me the best experience in Germany. When I think of Germany I will always think of the Bok family, and my life in Nordstetten. No matter if I go through some crazy bizarre experiences in Germany, I will always think highly of my family and the time I spent in my Schwäbisch region of Deutschland.

                I have been in Germany for seven weeks, and I can say this year is going to fly by. Life is crazy busy, but very fulfilling. I am starting to miss Mexican food and Ruby. Every time I see a little dog, I wish she was with me.  I am even starting to like the cheesy American pop songs from Katie Perry to I hate to admit, but Enrique Egalsias. I looked at my friend’s pictures of LA and I am surprised to say that I do miss some parts of my So Cal life. I am starting to miss the Southern Cali culture, and yes, there is a So Cal culture, even though it flashy, extreme, exaggerated, and 95% fake, I do miss it.  Some of the CSU students and I were discussing how much we miss the Cali lifestyle. We understand each other’s lives’ so much more and feel at ease. We reminisce of our lives in Cali from the music, humor, clothing, food, TV shows (Flight of the Conchords) classic American movies (Ace Ventura, and Dumb and Dumber) we talk about everything!  I am definitely not homesick, just coming to grips with the fact that life is very different here. It’s different, but not hard. It’s  Germany! Everything I have done, they  basically  have spoon fed me. Most things are very organized and precise. I definitely come across as the bubbly, out-going, and sometimes airheaded American, but it seems to be working in my favor. I have met so many great people here. It’s fun being in a classroom of mixed cultures from Thailand to Georgia (not the state in the USA, but the country that is situated at the juncture of Eastern Europe and Western Asia), Italian Swiss and French Swiss students. Since all of us are here to learn German, we only speak to each other in German, and that can be very interesting.  I sound like a two year old speaking German, but hey, I am here to learn. You have to start somewhere.

Stuttgart

                A few weeks back we traveled to Stuttgart.  Stuttgart is the capital of Baden Württemberg, a state within Germany.  Germany comprises 16 states “Bundesländer” within the country of Germany. Berlin is the largest city within Germany, and also the country’s capital. Here is a picture to give you a better understanding.

(www.nationsonline.org)

We went to the Fernsehtum. It is a huge tower that overlooks Stuttgart and the rest of Schwäbia. You can see the Black Forest for miles and miles. It was quite beautiful from the top. Right now there is a huge issue in Stuttgart with the Bahnhof (train station) and the citizens of this area. Protests are conducted in the Stuttgart mixed with Fuβball games = a lot of Polizei (Police). Swarms of police bombarded the station as well as protestors and drunk people from the soccer games. It was an interesting scene. I liked watching a drunk guy try to find his train ticket, but was having issues because his hands were full with his sausage and beer. So the man gave the sausage and beer to the police officer for him to hold. The police officer was super cool and laughed at the man, while he was sloppily searching through his pockets for his ticket. The police officer didn’t care. For some reason, I don’t think they would have worked in the states. In the states, the police probably would have arrested him for being drunk in public. The police here have a different mannerism. I don’t think they sweat the small stuff, which is good.

We saw the Schlossplatz in Stuttgart and explored various buildings like the opera house and an art museum. It is lovely city. There are cute parks to lie down and people watch or eat lunch. In Stuttgart we checked out the wine festival. There were loads of tiny little vendors where one could buy typisch=typical Schwäbisch essen (typical Schwäbisch food) wine,  and other goods. My friend Heather and I opted for the ½ meter long Fuerwurst=fire sausage. It is a long thin red sausage that is longer than the bun it is placed in. I usually smother mine with Send= mustard and either curry ketchup or regular ketchup depending on the mood I am in. Since living in Germany I decided to declare every Saturday “Sausage Saturday.” Where ever I am, I must find a sausage on Saturdays. It’s a fun concept.  

Fernsehtum

Sausage Saturday

Sclossplatz

Stuttgart is the main center where we pick up the train or connect to. So we are often in Stuttgart.

If you would like more information regarding the Stuttgart protest here is a link in English.

“http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,717575,00.html.”

This is a pretty big issue right now in Baden Württemberg, so check it out!

Konstanz

              
        You wanna know a place where you can see Austria, Switzerland, and Germany? Konstanz of course! Konstanz is at the southern most tip of Deutschland and is separated by the Bodensee. Don’t mistake the word See for Sea. See auf deutsch  is “lake.” The Bodensee is a huge beautiful lake that separates the countries towards the south. In summer, Konstanz is absolutely gorgeous. The weather is nice, people are in the lake doing various water sports, and the town is a chic classy city with chic people. It is quite an international destination. I saw a lot of beautiful  people who had some unique Euro style.  In Konstanz we went to the Müsterturm  in the church. It is a large tower that overlooks the entire city and various areas around Konstanz. Again, one can see Austria, Switzerland, and Germany from this tower. The view was absolutely incredible. The town reminded me a little bit of California. I told a couple of Germans this, and they thought I was crazy.  One even said, “don’t ruin my vision of California.” I think he said that, because he envisions California only palm trees and everyone is walking around in their bikinis. But the Bodensee mixed with the various trees that grow along the water reminded me of northern California. I loved it. It was a very relaxing place.

http://commons.wikimedia.org

The view from the Muesterturm

The view from the top was incredible, but the walk up there was another story. Walking up this narrow wooden staircase was an adventure in itself. Take a look of what I am talking about.

 

                                                               The church where we saw the incredible view from.

On top of the Muesterturm

Die Imperia Statue

    The Imperia statue stands at the entrance of the harbor of Konstanz. This sensual woman commemorates the Council of Constance  that took place between 1414 and 1418. It was created by Peter Lenk who also created the incredibly voluptuous woman in Horb that I took tons of pictures with. This statue is a satire of the of the Catholic clergy's morals. The Imperia shows a woman holding a man in each hand, Pope Martin V and Emperor Sigismund. The statue refers to the story by Balzac "La belle Imperia" where the Imperia seduces cardinals and princes at the council of Constance and has the power over them all. This seductress knew what she was doing.

Heidelberg

                If you want to feel like you are in a period film from the middle ages go to Heidelberg. Walking through the town made me feel like I was walking back in time several centuries ago. This enchanted city has quite the essence that could captivate anyone who enters its quarters. But this town wasn’t always so enchanting, it also had a very dark past throughout several centuries. Heidelberg has gone through many harsh endeavors and many parts of city were destroyed during the 30 Years’ War and the Palatine War of Succession. Even up to WWII, Heidelberg was a stronghold of the NSDAP (Nazi Party).  This city played a leading role in the era of Humanism and the Reformation and the conflict between Lutheranism and Calvinism in the 15^th and 16^th centuries. You can trace this town’s beginnings as far back as the  5^th century.

Old Town

The Heidelberg Castle is a mix of styles from Gothic to Renaissance. The interior of the castle is in Gothic style. During the Heidelberg Castle of Festivities in the summer, one can go to the courtyard to experience  open air musicals, classical concerts performed by the Heidelberg Philharmonics, and theatre performances. We got to enjoy a  real life fairy performance. Although, I thought fairies were supposed to be small. These fairies were quite large, so I don’t think it was a very accurate performanceJ.

Photo by Whitney Stouse

I enjoyed the little shows that were performed in the courtyard by whimsical fairies frolicking around.  People dressed in “mittel alter” attire walked around and talked to the tourists. I even took a picture with one. Whoever is in charge of the live performances in the Heidelberg Schloss should get an award. You are literally walking back in time. We visited the “Deutches Apotheke” where we got to see medizin =medicine from the middle ages. I am pretty happy I live in the 21^st century, because some of the medicine was BS if you know what I mean. 

The University of Heidelberg is the oldest university in Deutschland. It was founded in 1386, and is a prominent research university. A couple of famous thinkers associated with the institution of Heidelberg were Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (a German philosopher- one of the creators of German Idealism) and Karl Jaspers  (a German psychiatrist and philosopher).

part of the university

Oktoberfest in München

                This year was the 200^th anniversary of Oktoberfest in München, so of course we had to go. It is the quintessential foreigner hot spot when traveling around Europe. One must go and explore the wonders of Bayern and the endless amounts of beer . Since I have a traditional Dirndl I had to wear it to Oktoberfest. I felt like the St. Pauli’s girl, but with alcoholic beer. I didn’t really know what to expect for Oktoberfest, but millions of people wearing Lederhosen and Dirndls and the ever flowing amounts of beer in huge beer steins. The funny thing is, they are not called beer steins in Germany. That is only an American thing, well maybe they do, but every German I have talked to doesn't call it a stein. They call it Maßkrug . “Stein” actually translates to “stone.” Anywho… yes, Oktoberfest did meet my expectations. Millions of foreigners dressed to impress, and 10 Euro beers that taste much better than any other. You are probably thinking, 10 Euros for a beer!! That is incredibly expensive! Well, yes it is, but in that 10 Euro payment, there is a deposit for the glass, so you get like 2 or 3 Euros back when you return the glass. If you don’t return the glass, like me, then you will pay 10 Euros.  My older brother Andy insisted on me bringing him a beer  “stein” back from Oktoberfest, so I had to carry through with his wishes.

We never got into the tents, but we didn’t really try. There are so many beer stands and areas that sell crazy amounts of beer, so it wasn’t a desire of ours. We were completely content drinking our beer outside and walking around. There were so many vendors and delicious treats for us to explore. The air smelled like baked goods from enormous bigger than my head Bezels (pretzel) cookies,  and  cotton candy. It was like walking through candy land. I did a lot of random dancing to traditional German folk music, and consumed about 5 beers. My brothers would call me a rookie for only drinking 5 beers, but I am still a girl, and can’t consume as much as those behemoths.

Coming back from Oktoberfest was more than a little stressful. We were traveling in a large group of 10 people, so things got a little hectic. We purchased the cheapest tickets possible. The tickets were called schönes Wochenede tickets. You must have a group of 5 people to purchase these tickets. It cost us 7 Euros each, but a headache at the end. Half the group wanted to make the 5:30 p.m. train home and the others wanted to take the 6:30p.m. home. I didn’t care at this point which time I was leaving.  So one half of the group split off to go home. The only problem was they had our tickets with them. So we had no way of getting back, otherwise we would have to purchase another set of tickets but the price increased tremendously…like to 200 Euros. We were not paying that. So we rushed to the train station to meet up with our friends. They missed the 5:30 p.m. train and waited for us so we could all go on the 6:30 p.m. train. The huge problem with the 6:30p.m. train was that this train had many more stops on the way home than the one going to München. Instead of traveling 2 hours we traveled like 7 just to get home. The second to the last train we took was extremely late, so we missed our final train back to Horb. There were no other trains going back to Horb till 5 a.m.  It was a very draining adventure. Since the train was so late, it wasn’t our fault that we missed the final train back to Horb. The Bahnhof (train station) paid for us to take a 50 min taxi ride home. So all in all it worked out. We were dropped off at the Bahnhof in Horb and then walked home in the rain and pitch black night. It was kind of scary walking home that late in the dark through the Schwarzwald. Yet, it was an adventure in itself that I am glad I experienced.

Horb/ Freiburg

A lovely church in Dornstetten

It’s nice to be the oldest kid in the family. Even though I am not the legitimate child, I am treating as one of the Bok children, and it is fun. Being the oldest, I actually feel cool for once. My little   brother and sister think the dumbest and most ridiculous things I do, is cool. So that works for me. Niklas, my host brother, helps me with my homework. German grammar is insanely difficult. Even Germans have a hard time with their own grammar. I could go on for days to explain the complexity of the language, but I won’t bore you with this. Instead I will tell you how much I suck at playing cards, and how much fun it is to embarrass oneself in lacking the ability to even shuffle cards. My family is huge fans of card games, and they insist that I join in… I insist on drinking while playing so it numbs my frustration of the game. Anywho… there is a game that we played .. I don’t know the name, but lets just say the point scale ranges from the lowest 21 to the highest 200 points. Everyone averaged about 150 and well, I averaged at 21. Yeah, even drinking Schnapps sounds appealing at this point. In times when your dignity and pride are completely smashed, you might as well continue to make fun of yourself for others to enjoy. I continued to say I was blonde and Polish, and they got a kick out of that. 

Cassie (a family friend) Rolf and Moi having our nightly Schnapps

Sunday was again family day. Since my family knew I used to ride horses, they took me to a horse show. It was great being around riders and the beautiful horses. I miss the sport very much, and it is my dream to ride here in the country side. After that we drove to a town called Freudenstadt where we checked out a cave. We were in a Besucherbergwerk from the 1500’s . The name of this cave adventure was Heilige Drei Könige. It was a cave tour. Since the whole tour was in German, I could only understand maybe about 10% of what the tour guide was saying. He has a strong Schwäbisch accent, and there was no way I could even try to understand what he was saying. So I just went along for the ride and dove down deep into the cave with the other tourists.  After the cave diving experience we then drove to a town called Dornstetten where we looked at the most typical German style homes. These homes are called Fachwerkhäuser, and they are what the auslanders imagine Germany to be.  They were absolutely the stereotypical Deutsch homes. I loved it! Now I just need to wear my Lederhosen and joddel and I will be a true German! Just kidding!

Dornstetten mit Simone

        

We were stylish cave women

Horse Show

Freiburg

Freiburg not Freiberg. There is a difference! This past weekend’s excursion was to Freiburg.  Every weekend the students get to go on an excursion to other German towns. It took us three hours to get there and three hours back.  The train ride wasn’t that bad because we would switch trains every hour. So everyone better pay attention to the next stop, or their asses would be left behind! Germans are very punctual, so you better be on time or you are S.O.L as my mother would say…

                                                  

The scenery was beautiful and the Black Forest is always nice to look at. Once we got to FreiBURG we took a walking tour around the city. In a lot of German cities every Saturday there is a farmer’s market where one can buy great chocolate, flowers,  produce, cheeses, breads, and of course Fleisch (meat)! The town is very nice. I like the layout of the city, it’s easy to navigate through . The Münster church is fantastic. I love checking out the various churches here in Europe, because they are so captivating and powerful. I could also say that I went to church this week, so again, mom and pops would be happy.  I like the churches here much more than in the states because of the beautiful architecture, décor, and detail to every piece of art within the church. Even though I may have different views on religion or maybe even a more liberal perspective, I appreciate the beauty of these buildings and take in the moment instead of being frustrated about historical or religious views and biases.  I believe  you should educate yourself not only scholastically, but by also a first hand perspective by actually being there in person. One can really learn about history or a culture not only by reading about them, but by viewing the environment.

So I guess the church was the main highlight of the Freiburg trip. I got a kick out of the cool Burger Kings and Subways here in Freiburg. Burger King and Subway are in a beautiful medieval building with gargoyles as décor. Only in Europe!

Food

Food is very important here in Deutschland… well I guess it is important everywhere else too! But I would like to take a moment to explain  my take on the German cuisine.

Viewer discretion is advised!!!! If you are a vegetarian, you might not want to read this next blog or view the pictures.

So like I said before, I have eaten chocolate and bread for every meal. Germans take their Bier (beer), Schokolade (chocolate), Brot (bread), Käse (cheese), and Fleisch (meat) very seriously, and they are good at it. Atkins, Southbeach, and the Hollywood cleanse are unknown here. One doesn’t really need to worry when you walk everywhere and when your food is fresh and not processed.

Turkish influence is very prominent here in Deutschland. It is a torn relationship between both parties. They have their love/hate relationship. But for me, I am in love… and what I love the most is Dörners. These hefty sandwich-like/ pita stuffed deliciousness satisfies my cravings everyday.. well a few times a week. I have scoped out every Turkish place here in Horb, and I have found one that I became a regular at. The owners know me and treat me like a princess because I have recruited other students to go there. The place is called Shilly’s and the owners are Yassi and his wife Shnea… I think this is how their names are spelt.  Anywho.. they are  wonderful people that give us free shot of Schnapps and Schwarz Tee. Everyday I try something new from pizza to vegetarian Döners, but my favorite is the Fleisch Döner im Yufka. It looks like a giant burrito, but is filled with purple cabbage, lamb, onions, tomatoes, tons of feta cheese, and a secret sauce… it tastes like a cucumber sauce. This is a tasty treat. 

Sausage

When one thinks of Germany, they always think of sausage. It’s true, the sausage is good, but there is a special sausage here in Deutschland, and that is the “Currywurst.” Berlin is known to have the best Currywurst, and thus so far, I would say Berlin’s is the best! Currywurst is sausage that is doused in a reddish- brownish curry sauce. It looks kind of like teriyaki sauce smothered on sliced sausage. A bun is served on the side, and you eat it however you like.  There is even a song about Currywurst that we sing in our class. 

Currywurst

Since I am living in a Schwäbisch area, it is necessary to talk about the Schwäbisch dish I have already had numerous times….Spätzle. It is so common here that when one uses sweet words of endearment or gives another a pet name, they call the other a “Spätzle. ” You are probably wondering what the heck Spätzle is… well I myself am still trying to figure it out. It is a noodle made out of a pancake like substance and thrown into soups or casseroles. It is a common dish here in my state of Baden Württemberg. 

I had to make this picture big, so you can get a good idea of what the meat looks like.

Fleisch

The other night I had an assortment of meats. Some I loved, and some I have no desire to try again. Some looked like they had just been removed from the animal it came from, and others were in a tube. The tube meat wasn’t so bad, in fact I kind of liked it. I had Leberwurst. Growing up, I thought Leberwurst was absolutely disgusting, but slab that on a piece of bread and we will call it a day! It is pretty great! The other meats I am partial to. I had this type of meat called “ Schenken Schpekt   “  and it was a dark red block of meat with a thick white outer shell of fat. It had the texture of sashimi and one can eat it alone or with breads and cheese. If you mix it with cheese and bread or even Leberwurst, it’s okay, but by itself, I wasn’t a fan of it. I think it might be an acquired taste. I then tried a type of meat that came in a circular block form. This meat looked liked it had various types of other meats crammed into one big block. It had a gelatinous layer of fat mixed in and completely covering the outer shell. This meat was called “ ? “ and I only had it once. I wasn’t a fan of the texture. But I tried everything. Here in Germany, the hot meal is served for lunch and for dinner people eats lighter meals like various meats and cheeses with tomatoes or cucumbers. I eat tomatoes and cucumber everyday in every kind of form. From caprese salads to cucumber salads, it is a staple to my everyday diet. One can’t pass it up, because the tomatoes and cucumbers are fresh from the garden and so lecker (delicious)!

Coffee (Kaffee) is very strong here! I like it because it gets the job done. I met a few Germans that will say coffee in the USA is shit, and in some ways I agree. But for those who don’t like strong coffee, I don’t know if you could handle the coffee here in Germany. 

Every day when I get home from school my host mother offers me a snack. The snack is usually a cake my mother had just baked or some sweet delight. Desserts are different here. They aren’t as sweet.  Lots of foods here are made to enjoy the natural flavors of the food itself . Adding extra flavoring isn’t a common thing like it is in America. One is supposed to taste the flavor of the food. So for the sweets here in Deutschland it is different. I like the cakes and desserts my host mother makes. They are lighter . I also like the super sweet desserts in the USA as well. It just depends on my mood. 

Simone with Bisquitrolle... Super good!

Chocolate is a staple to my diet. I have it for every meal either in my Musli in the morning, Nutella on my bread, or as a snack, chocolate is consumed heavily. The chocolate candy bars here are soooooo good! I will miss them very much when I leave Germany. There is an amazing assortment of chocolates with great fillings that melt in your mouth! My favorite is a dark chocolate with a mixed berry yogurt filling. Mmmmmmm! I will be sending my parents back to the states with loads of chocolate.

We sit by the river after class and drink beer. This bottle cost $0.65 cents. Good and cheap!

Beer (Bier)

Das Bier! The beer is better here in Deutschland. Hands down. I don’t think anyone could argue with that statement. Germans have perfected their beer for centuries, so why would anyone try to compare or compete. The taste, the smell, and the alcohol percentage is higher = besser Bier. It’s not like drinking American beer that is watered down. This beer actually has some substance. I might be a beer snob when I return home to the states, and I apologize for that in advance. Unless you get your beer from a microbrewery, I don’t know If I can return to Miller or Budweiser. I might have to because I will be so broke I won’t be able to afford anything else. And it’s true! There is a beer boot. I drank out of a 3 liter glass called a

“ Leisel “  with real life Germans cheering me on. Another point which most Europeans follow is the cheering – toast of the drinks. One MUST look into the other person’s eyes while toasting (Prost) otherwise it is 7 years of bad sex. It’s just a tradition, I don’t know if it is true or not. So if you are in Europe and wonder why everyone is starring into your eyes while you are toasting, they are doing it so they won’t have 7 years of bad sex.

Every  night I drink with Rolf our Birnenbrand Schnapps and sometimes a Hohenberg Sekt. It is not a champagne, but tastes like a champagne. I don’t know how else to describe it. Another fun fact, Germans recycle everything!!!!!!!! So when you buy bottles, you can return them to any store and get a ticket back with credit or money on it to buy whatever in the store. There are like 5 different trash cans in public places for glass, plastic, paper, fruit peels... and many more. 

Rose Sekt

         

                                        This is a map of where I live in the south. Pretty rad! 

Meine Schwester und Ich

At the horse show



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFXwp3sI-zA&feature=related

Check out this song. It is the theme song to my life in Germany. Doener everyday!

Horb/ Ludwigsburg

                                                                    It's true! There is a beer boot!


It may seem difficult to understand how one can live in an environment completely unfamiliar to what they are used to, but it can be done! It’s weird to think that I am living in Germany, far far away from home. I guess it hasn’t hit me yet. It should have, but things don’t seem that different to me. Well, yes maybe, but for the most part, I feel like I am part of the Bok family. Even though we live in worlds divided by language, I understand everything they say to me.  I think we become more aware of our senses and how to tune them in. I understand everything my family is saying to me through their gestures, body language, the tones in their voice, and their animated facial expressions. Yeah, I understand some of the words they are saying, but when you actually take the time to focus on an individual, you may learn more about them than you thought you would. It’s just a matter of engaging yourself to people and your surroundings.  Yes, the architecture and land is completely different, but navigating through the streets, figuring out the public transportation, and conversing with different cultures is quite a unique and easy thing to do.

                                                                 The view from the beer garden

 I started my language program in Horb this past Monday.  Every day I walk with some other students that live in my neighborhood to school. We have two options: walk through the Black Forest or walk along the street. We mix it up from time to time to amuse ourselves. I can take the bus, but it’s more fun walking to school. I feel like a kid again. My host mother prepares all my meals, washes my clothes, takes me on 10 mile bike rides through the country and forest, life it good. Every day I walk around four miles, and sometimes six depending if I go to the beer garden after class. My host mother asked me if I was athletic… I lied, and said I was….. now every other day or so after dinner we take a bike ride through the country.  I pretend like its easy, but I am secretly dying inside. It is very hard, but I am getting a great workout, so I can’t complain. Plus, I am on the all carb diet here in Germany, so a long bike ride from time to time doesn’t hurt.  I like the active lifestyle. I like the simplicity of it all. Sometimes I feel like I am in a movie or stuck in time. The architecture is incredible, and the elder folks dress like they are living straight out of the 40’s. It’s cute.                

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                                                                         This is Horb. I took this picture while walking to class.

I have grown really fond of my host parents. They are so caring and accommodating. Every night Rolf (my host father) and I drink beer together with our meals, and afterwards a shot or two of pear Schnapps. He explains the whole process to me… how to drink it, what it is made from, and the etiquette of drinking. Simone (my host mother) takes me everywhere with her, and introduces me to all of her friends. She is the nicest lady. Whenever I have a problem, she is there to help. And I have had a few problems while living here. Not too big, just inconvenient luggage issues, bank issues, and my camera issues. She has helped throughout this process with a smile on her face. It’s was really nice to have someone help me especially when living abroad. Everything worked out; it just takes time and patience. I thought I could avoid these issues, but sometime in your life, you are bound to have these problems while traveling.

                                                                      Marketplatz

  It is kind of crazy how this program forces you to bond with each other, but it is so easy. I feel like I am part of the family. They only speak German to me, and yet, I understand everything they are saying. I even get the German jokes!

                                                                 Climbing up to church

 Yesterday, I had kind of a rough day. We traveled to Ludwigsburg (look it up, it is amazing) to visit the palace. Life was great. It was a beautiful day until I dropped my camera in water. I thought it was broken forever, but a fellow techie student told me to completely dry it out and dip it in rice. Apparently rice absorbs the moisture. Now, my camera works! So for any of you that are like me, and drop technology in water… dip it in rice. The palace was beautiful, and our tour guide was a lot of fun. She was a German girl from Baden. She had an English accent, mixed with a German flare. I could listen to her all day. After our palace excursion we headed to Stuttgart for shopping. The shopping in Stuttgart was endless. There were like 4 H&M in one street.  I thought the part of Stuttgart where we were at was okay. It was a modern higher pace version of Germany. I think I have fallen in love with the old medieval architecture instead of the modern. With the medieval architecture, everyday is like a fairytale…well only in my mind.

Horb 

The Palace in Ludwigsburg 

I then walked home after our all day excursion and wanted to go to sleep. But there is no time to sleep!! My family is always doing something. My host mother took me to the Beat Parade. Well, we parked and walked around the perimeter of the parade. I am glad we didn’t go inside. It is a rave with thousands of teenagers mixed with weird older middle aged people. The music is techno and the crowd was kinda lame. So we just watched the crowd and made fun of everyone. Again, this was all in German… so I am getting used to the humor of my host mother.  There was an awesome fireworks display from the parade, so it was well worth it in the end. I guess I could say I went to a rave minus the ecstasy and flood pants.

                                                       Simone, my host mother. We go on bike rides through the Black Forest

                                                               Rolf, my host father. German BBQ .

 Today, which is Sunday, are family days. Our schedule is very precise and you have to follow it! Breakfast at 9 a.m. bike ride to the lake at 10, swimming at 11, riding home at 1, lunch,  Fuβball game (soccer) then a Schwäbisch party.  Oh yeah, and I drank with the Nordstetten Fuβball team. Check out the photo below. . . . Mom and dad, this will make you so proud. Wow! I can’t wait to go to the Schwäbisch party. Even though the people speak German it is with a Schwäbisch southern dialect that I can’t understand. It sounds like the words just blend into one another, but the people are so fun and generous. They always want to feed you and give you alcohol. I can’t complain.

 
                               Yeah that's what's up!Rolf and me.Sunday Funday bike rides. Watch out Lance Armstrong!

I definitely think when I return I will be making some changes in my life. Fresh fruit and Veggies every day, more walking, more bike riding to a from the store (I will have to get a good bike with a basket, not a cruiser) air drying my clothes… not machine drying.. it is terrible for the environment.  And eating German chocolate and bread. Germans got those things down. I don’t feel guilty with what I eat or drink, because I eventually burn it off. Body image is another thing here. You accept yourself and who you are. If you are healthy and fit, you are fine. Not everyone has a perfect body, and Germans know that. That’s why people go buck naked at the nude beaches and parks. No biggy if you have stretch marks or cellulite. Germans are very honest, and sometimes blunt. As an American, we sometimes “sugarcoat” things. Both have their pros and cons.  I will also not refrigerate everything. You don’t need to refrigerate everything. Yes, dairy and cold products, but my host mother if there are any leftovers leaves them out. If it won’t parish within the night, then there is no need to refrigerate and reheat. You lose the flavor of the food and nutritional value.

This weekend I will be in Freiburg, so I am sure I will blog about it next week.

 I have an awesome recipe if anyone wants to try it. It might change your life. Whenever you have a BBQ……

1.       Get bread dough and make little one – two inch balls (spheres) and put them on the grill. Let them bake.

2.       Once they have baked, cut a hole in the middle of them and put your favorite candy bar in it. We used a milk chocolate candy bar that had white chocolate in the middle. It melts all over the place and is super delicious and easy.

3.       If you like Nutella and bananas, place bananas on the grill too and wait till they are black. Open them up and smother Nutella all over them  and eat them straight from the peel. If you are not a banana fan, then you probably won’t like that one..because the bananas are kind of mushy. Anywho… these are good simple things to do when having a BBQ.

Well I will keep you posted on my life, and I can’t wait to see your faces either here in Germany or back home. I miss you all and love you very much!

Kisses,

Julie

The Theater

The palace in Ludwigsburg

Drinking at the Sportheim with the Nordstetten Mannschaft

   Walking to the town square in Tuebingen

Tubinger houses

The university of Tubingen

German Beginnings

Deutschland

                I think I just realized how much of an impact this experience is going to have on me. My life has completely changed from start to probably the finish….   and I am loving every minute of it. It’s hard to explain the emotions I am finally feeling. For a while I was cool and collected no worries, no cares. But now, I am starting to transition my life and conform to a whole new one.

                Staying in Berlin with my friend Bettie and Luc was really fun. Berlin is a big city with lots of people. Obviously there is so much history and culture. I liked it up in the north, but I think I like the south even more. There is a rivalry between the north and the south of Germany. Kind of like California. The north thinks that the south is full of hicks and talk really funny, and the south think that the north is rude and unpleasant. So I have lived two different perspectives. The south is so beautiful. There is more of a home feel. It is the quintessential German life style. When you think of the cute German houses and the chocolate and bread plus the beer, think of the south. I am next to the Schwarze Wald (Black Forest), so I will take full advantage of that and go on walks with my host mother.

Yesterday I arrived in Horb, the quaint little town outside of Tuebingen. It is about a 50 min bus ride from my beautiful college town of Tuebingen. I will return there after six weeks of this language immersion program. In Horb, there is a lot of farming and nature. When we arrived in Horb, the students were placed on one side of the room, and the host family on the other. We faced each other like a Mexican standoff, but this was the German version. The students looked at the families with curiosity, because we had no idea who our families were. The host families ( die Gastfamilie) knew who we were because they had all of our info and a picture, but we were clueless. It was a very strange feeling to be staring at the families who were going to take care of us for the next six weeks. A lot of the families were farmers and lived quite a ways from the town, but I got real lucky with my family….

I live within walking distance from the main square. It is a 20 minute walk to school. I will have no car, but my family gave me a bike. School is Monday – Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  My family is the Bok family. My guest mother is Simone ( you pronounce it Zimona).  She is very nice and speaks only German to me, infact, my entire family only speaks German to me. They think my German is very good. My guest father is Rolf (Rulf). They have a daughter named Larissa (15 yrs) and a son Niklas (13 yrs). They live in a large house with like 3 levels, even though the levels are laid out pretty weird. Today, I will go with Simone to meet her mother down the street. She has fresh vegetables to give us. Later on today, there will be a community BBQ next to the river. I will meet all the people in this village.

All the meals are very good and simple.  Fresh Food!!!! Last night we had fondue German style. There are individual little pans that you fill up with the vegetables and cheese and put it in the mini fondue oven on the table.  The house is powered by solar energy. Every house is powered by solar power and water is stored rain water. I feel like it is very different, but much simpler. You don’t take 30 min showers. You conserve. That’s the way it should be. They grow their own vegetables and fruits, and the meat is very fresh and farm raised. I know, because there are happy cows down the street. Rolf gave me some German wine, and I felt right at home. Then the family played chess. I have never played, so I watched.

I am part of this German family, and they have been very hospitable. They feel comfortable around me to only speak German to me, because they know I understand. I am surprised that I understand, I just am not very good at formulating my words and speaking back fluently.

I stayed in Tubingen for two nights when I arrived in the south. It is a small unique city west of Munich. The buildings are so cute and the town is very simple to navigate through. It is perfect for people who are learning German, because it is not too overwhelming.  I met the other 55 students from all over California. I shared a room with 3 other girls, who are from Monterey and San Francisco. Their names are Megan, Jackie (Monterey girls) and Angela ( San Fran).  There are only two people who were accepted from Long Beach State. For two days the students ate together, drank together, and explored Tuebingen together. Our coordinator Anita is the sweetest German lady. She parties with us, and has also made our lives very comfortable. Everything has been organized for us…our health insurance, bank account, bus tickets, you name it, and they did it.  We went on a Stocherkahn Fahren (river boat ride) down the Neckar  river in Tuebingen. It was so beautiful and relaxing. I threatened the driver , so he wouldn’t tip the boat, because he had a very playful manner about him. In the hostel I met some German students who were preparing to do their service. You have the option in Germany, you can either join the military for a year, or do a service like teaching overseas. It doesn’t matter if you are a student, everyone has to do it

I am very happy to be with my family here in Horb. I am also very excited to live in the city of Tuebingen….it might be hard to move back to the states, because I have already grown an attachment to Tuebingen. I will post pictures as soon as possible. I miss you all !

Lots of Love,

Julie