Deutsch Lessons

Two posts in One DAY!!! CRAZY?! Yuuup! But mixing them was just too erratic, even for me! So here is the second post of the day.

I Never knew before what eternity was made for. It is to give some of us a chance to learn German.
- Mark Twain


My German class are a lot easier than I expected, and I totally underestimated how much German I knew. That being said I still think German is a crazy hard language to learn!!

My philological studies have satisfied me that a gifted person ought to learn English (barring spelling and pronouncing) in thirty hours, French in thirty days, and German in thirty years. It seems manifest, then, that the latter tongue ought to be trimmed down and repaired. If it is to remain as it is, it ought to be gently and reverently set aside among the dead languages, for only the dead have time to learn it.
-Mark Twain

I sometimes mixed up my Spanish words with my new German words, its like language word vomit. It confuses who I'm talking to, it frustrates me a little bit. Its typically pretty funny and I get a pretty good kick out of it. Example: "Was ist la hora...I mean que es die Zeit...Dahhh..I MEAN, Was ist die Zeit." and then normally if the German I am asking understood half of what I said they start laughing and say something like "the time?" and I just nod and say "ja" 

Anyways, My German class has 18 students and I'm the only English speaker! Awesome. That was only partially sarcastic, I like that I am forced to use German all class. However, It would be nice to be able to study with someone outside of class. There are Polish, Russian, Romania, Colombian, Gambian, Vietnamese, Greenland(eran?), French-Canadian, and Normal French people in my class. It is quite the mix!! & like 8 are polish. 

The class is located in the heart of the city near the Central Station, and that makes it REALLY easy to commute to. Plus there are lots of things going on there. I pass the theater house and movie theater on my way to class. It makes me want to go see one of the plays coming up =]

Until my next random post! 

"It is easier for a cannibal to enter the Kingdom of Heaven through the eye of a rich man's needle that it is for any other foreigner to read the terrible German script."

-Mark Twain

Spring is coming!

I wish....

The weather here is very, very mild if compared to what I am used to! I loved spring when I could pull out all my spring dresses and sandals. However, spring is northern Germany means that the sun is up early (if there is a sun lol) but you still need a thicker coat. It's nice seeing flowers start to bloom and some of the trees get a little more greenery!(when its not foggy)

With the start of spring there is this thing here called the Hamburger Dom. It is much like a county fair without the 4-H (animals) section. There are carnival rides and booths set up for almost all ages. Except here instead of a week its a full MONTH =]!!!!
The Germans need something cheerful to brighten up this city ;) haha

Since the weather is above "OH MY HEAVENS FREEZING" I've decided to go to the city zoo later this week. I am super excited because I love seeing all the zoo animals! *side note* I love animals in general and used to watch Animal Planet until my mom would tell me to get outside and go play, and then I would pretend to be an animal..yup.

Also I'm planing my next trip and would like some input. The cities I am debating are: Paris, Rome, Dublin, Edinburgh, and London. So many places to see and I can decide which to see first!!! =]

City of Bikes

My trip to Holland was great! I saw everything I wanted to see and even met some really fantastic locals. I stayed in Amsterdam which was full of things to do. Amsterdam's official name dates back to the 27th of October 1275. When there had been a bridge built with a dam across the Amstel. It is home to many impressive museums, the oldest building in the Netherlands, and is the #1 tourist destination in Europe.

Captains Log Day 1:
 My friend and I took separate trains to Amsterdam but arrived only about an hour apart. So once we met up a little after 11:00 our adventure began! We started off by walking around and completely amazed about everything around us. Since it was a nice sunny day everyone on the streets was out smiling, laughing and enjoying the warm weather. We ran across the flee market which was impressive. Each time you though you were at the end another 20 more were around the corner with their tents pitched selling things. From clothes, books, furniture, and food to antiques, paintings, and rugs. Had I been able to, or had a reason to I would have bought a rug. The rugs there were beautiful and super cheap! After that we kept walking until we found one of the " I AMsterdam" tourist signs. Its very touristy, but I would recommend seeing it. The first one we found was covered with kids on a field trip playing inside the letters and sliding  down the "S" 

Basically at this point I began to fall in love with this city! (but I fall in love with every new city so bare with me...) I would consider Holland/Amsterdam a solid runner up behind Austin. 

Walk, walk, walk, see amazing architecture and some extremely crooked buildings (and taxi boats in the canal)...and BAM now its nearly 3pm and my friends and I are both completely distracted by anything that looks like food. So what better way to eat than to have a bunch of Dutch cheese samples, crackers, and some wine. The cheese, oh my heavens! The Dutch really know what they're doing and everyone else is wrong. It was by far the best cheese I have ever had in my life, it was rich, creamy and packed full of flavor.We both sat there eating cheese and soaking up the sun until it was time to call it a day. But on our way I discovered that bikes run the city the hard way.

A bicyclist in this city is of a higher status then cars, trains, trams, buses, and ESPECIALLY people walking. So there I am just walking down this cute little "straat" that has a good amount of room on each side. There would be plenty of room for, oh lets say a bike, car, and walker. Apparently that was NOT the case in the eyes of the bicyclist that tried to run me over. They were shooting down the street as if I wasn't even there. I had to side step to avoid them and then they continued to drift more my way. Its like they had a target on me! To speed the story up I had to keep getting over to the point where a driving car bumped me. Granted that the car wasn't going fast, but none the less bikes are insane in Holland. For the rest of the trip I probably looked paranoid every time I had to cross a bike path.

Day 2:

The first thing we got to do was figure out the bus system. Since bikes are #1 and everything else is #2 and its as simple as that. Luckily we managed to map out a route to the Anne Frank house that avoided bikes =]. I wasn't completely impressed with the house, which was a huge let down because I read the diary again just for this trip. However I did find it quite nice to see the neighbor hood around it and really paint a picture as to what she saw in hiding. After that we walked to the Van Gogh Museum. I will keep this part short. It was AMAZING we spent over 3 hours in there and anyone who goes to Amsterdam NEEDS to see it. Once we left the museum we met a local who was one of the nicest people I had ever met and they invited us to a soccer game the next day.

I really think the best way to see a city is to walk, observe, and talk to locals. The city is so much nicer when you see the cute attractions for tourist & everything the residents there do day in and day out. 

Day 3:

After a long 2 days of walking it was so good to just watch a soccer game. Fun little fact, the soccer game was the first game I have actually watched the whole way through and payed attention to. I may have a new interest in soccer, but don't worry American football is still #1 in my book and will always be! After the game my friend and I took a nice long walk through Vondelpark, I think the park would look nicer later in the year but it was still very pretty! After a game and a long walk whats better then getting some pizza at a little sports bar cafe, I'll answer that for you! Nothing! 

Day 4:

It was a only a half day since we had to catch a train back to Germany. Regardless with all the museums and walking we were doing we realized we never actually saw Amsterdam's main attraction. You got it, the red light district. Now I'm just going to say it, I am SO thankful we went during the day. Yes it was interesting to see a different culture and what they call the worlds oldest profession. All in all though I'd much rather spend my vacation trips hiking, and seeing museums. Not walking down a street of half naked women in windows, that smells like beer,pee, and regret. 

After a long trip it was hard to say good-bye to such a pretty city and culture! I really liked how active everyone in the Netherlands was and all the history behind the city. Plus, show me a city with nice locals that smile and are very hospitable and I am SOLD. =]

Until next time! Bis Bad! 

Dum-Ditty-Dum-Dum

I actually just had no idea what to title this post. What do you call a post about not being sick, a "vacation", and other random things? Well, I used more of sounds than words. Let's get down to business!

First, this bit is more so for family. I was super sick with tonsillitis and a penicillin resistant form of strep for over a week. It sucked and I had to see the doctor a few times! However, I am finally better and back to my smiling, laughing, running, spontaneous self! So now that my family knows I am well again I will get more into my "vacation" trip to Karlsruhe and Oberderdinger.

I put it in quotation marks because it was my host families vacation to see family. I went along to continue to watch the kids. That's pretty much one of the dilemmas as an au pair. You get to go on the families vacations, but at the same time you're still working so its not like you get to do what you want. The trip began when I picked up the kids early from school and took them to the train station. I took the 6 hour train ride with the kids and the parents drove. That way there was a car available when we got there. This was my first train ride in Europe and I was glad that it went smoother than I expected. I was preparing for the worst in my head...Anyways, when we got there it was very relaxed. For most of the day it was visiting family. But we did take three trips I would like to spot light. Trip #1) a nature walk that had workout stations along the way. For a nature and fitness junkie like me this was just AWESOME! There was push-up sections, balance beams, monkey bars, high jump, rope climb, long jump, and at the end a play ground! I would highly anyone traveling in Germany to look for these. They make great day hikes/walks for all ages! I recommend asking locals for the directions to such things sense most aren't publicized or mapped out. Trip #2) A winery hike! Because its fun to take an hour hike up the hills of a winery to a restaurant. I'm not even being sarcastic! =] We hiked an hour up, had lunch, and then hiked/walk back down. It was more of a walk for us but I'm sure there are others that have hiking trails available. Now Trip #3) Karlsruhe Zoo, it is RIGHT by the train station. We had were actually just gotten to the train station 5 hours early and had a ton of time to kill. So we went to the Zoo. I LOVE animals, so being able to walk around a park, flower garden, and zoo all in one was an awesome trip! This place was another fun for all activity.

None the less, I had a good time there but during this whole time I was working. So it was a little like... go keep the kids busy while we do this, or we do that. Luckily for me I enjoy going to the parks and playing soccer, swinging, tag, and other made-up games.

Now, my vacation coming up is to the Netherlands!! I have three (I guess 3 is the number of the day..) things planned to do while I am there. My #1 times a million is to see the Anne Frank house. I even read the book again. I like history and a place like that is so significant in history. Next I want to see the Van Gogh Museum. I think it will be gorgeous! And I've saved the best for last, a bike trip in the country side that I plan to make a full day out of! I am pretty excited to go and will make a post of my trip.

Ich brauche einen Arzt =(

I need a Doctor =(

Lets go back to when I first started to feel a bit under the weather. Friday the 7th I noticed I just wasn't feeling very well. By the weekend I had a fever and felt so tired I stay in bed pretty much the whole time. On Monday I was beginning to feel pretty lousy, but through the week I sucked it up and kept on with work. When Friday approached and I hadn't felt any better, actually progressively worse I decided I needed to see a doctor. Its a scary thing to have to do in a foreign country, alone, and they don't speak English. (well the first time I went they didn't but the second doctor I saw later did, thankfully)

My host mother wrote the address for me on a piece of paper and gave me directions how to get there. She thought that someone would be able to speak English and help me. My German is improving but I'm not THAT good yet. So, I arrived at the German doctors office and wait for the receptionist to call "bitte" which I've learn is a universal German word for everything in every situation. Anyways I get to the desk and handed her my insurance card and said "ich brauche eine Arzt, kannen sie sprechen English?" which basically means I need a doctor, can you speak English? and unlucky me got a very sympathetic, Not no good. (well awesome, maybe the doctor can?) I told her thanks anyways and not to worry (in German) She then pointed me to a waiting room and told me to sit on a bench and wait.

While waiting I noticed a few things. The ill/sick Germans seems nicer than the healthy ones. At the doctors office they all said good morning and had on half smiles, which is more than any of the other Germans I have seen so far.

After a good wait the doctor called me in, Frau Krupsky. I got up and followed her to the room. Once in there I quickly asked Kannen sie sprechen English? The Doctor responded very hesitantly, not a lot but I will try. (At this point I am thinking of course, I would get sick abroad and not know a ton of German to explain my symptoms.)   I managed to tell the doctor, Halsschmerzen und Kopfschmerzen. Which is a sore throat and head ache. She followed up with simple questions, where does it hurt? fever?Does this hurt?(as she pressed on my head) and then she did a quick up and down look and listened to my lungs and heart. Finally she asked me to open my mouth and say AAHHH!
Well one look in my mouth and she knew what I had, Tonsillitis. And from her reaction a pretty good case of it, she called a coworker over to also look at it. After that little adventure I got a prescription and went home. The tonsils basically work as filters and help the immune system. Since my tonsils have become overwhelmed with all this new bacteria and viruses for moving abroad, they themselves have become infected.

Oh the story isn't over yet, ending it like that would be WAY too simple for someone like me. After 3 days of antibiotics my symptoms got worse, yes worse. My throat swelled up to the point where I was having shortness of breathe. I was coughing up mucus and I could taste the pus in the back of my throat. I decided it was time to see another doctor again, (I decided to see a different Dr. one that my host mom knew spoke some English) and that brings me to today.

I just got back from the doctors, my severe tonsillitis that was unresponsive to my first round of antibiotics is now in for a new prescription. A new antibiotic, an anti-inflammatory, and a throat rise to help with the pus. The doctor said that by tomorrow the swelling should go down and within 48 hrs I should see signs of improvement. I have a check up with the doctor on Thursday to reassess things. If my conditions don't improve he will recommend me to an Otolaryngologist (Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist) for a deeper evaluation! =( I don't want that!! I just want to get better so I can enjoy my time here!!

A couple things
1.Being sick sucks, ESPECIALLY ABROAD
2.Being sick makes me miss home
3.I've surrounded myself with books, movies, and lots of tea.
4. Staying hydrated it hard when swallowing hurts, ugh, even breathing hurts.
5. My next post will hopefully be a healthy update and pictures of some new place I've explored! =]

Rich with History!

“If you don't know history, then you don't know anything. You are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree. ”  - Michael Crichton

"This Old Hamburger Mansion is one of the last Baroque buildings in Hamburg. It was built in 1761-62 as a new front building and brewery. The narrow land originally extended to the road Zippelhaus. Additions to today's customs channel and a former Fleet during the East-West road allowed the transport of goods by water. 

The house was formerly at the close Gröningerstraße. The east-west road was 1953-63 by the 2nd World War destroyed downtown broken."

And there is your very 1st German translation! I won't do much writing on this post, just think of it like a tour with very little side chat. Yes,  a tour! Now on your right we have...

"1900 designed by George Radel built as a (hotel, rental house). 1906 expands on the east side. 
Two courtyard wings lead from the front building and parallel to the rear. They correspond to the long land of the former inner dike houses on the entire block. The well preserved building has a sandstone facade with Art Nouveau decor. Asian motifs refer to trade with the Far East. The impressive entrance hall has skylight, tiled walls, a marble staircase with Art Nouveau railings and laterally located elevators."

Please watch your step, these cobble stone roads can be dangerous if you're not paying close attention. (I'd make a good tour guide)





"1857-59 the harbor road on the River Elbe. in St. Pauli was built between Landugsbruken and Pinnasberg (Name of places). For this purpose, it was situated near the main factories, shipyards, and storage centers. To make this happen residential buildings had to be demolished. In 1862 stone steps were built leading down to the street from other residential buildings. Of the historic floor houses on the north side, particularly the homes that parallel Bernhard-Nocht-Street and the banks of the Elbe River of St. Pauli, only a few remain. 
In 1981-83 more construction near the River Elbe."

"These half-timbered houses belonged to the transition quarters of the "New Town" and are the last remnants of this once densely populated districts, it emerged in the 17th Century as the living quarters of the urban lower classes. 
The houses No. 49/50 were built around 1780, Nr.51/58 at the beginning of the 19th century. 

The ground floor apartments and the upper floor have a private entrance, respectively."

Now allow me to show you just how great of a tour guide I would be... =]

The Gothic Revival Church of St. Nikolai was originally founded in the 12th century, as a chapel dedicated to Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors. The first church was lost in The Great Fire of 1842*. It was formerly one of the five main Lutheran churches in the city of Hamburg. The second church that was built in 1845-8 lies now in ruins, with only its spire remaining, serving as a memorial and an important architectural landmark. The current Church of St. Nikolai is the result of the bombing of Hamburg in World War II.

*The Great Fire started on May 4th, 1842 in the night. It fiercely spread through the heart of the city. It wasn't extinguished until May 8th. The result of the fire was catastrophic. It left three churches, the town hall, as well as many other buildings flat. It killed 51 people, and left an estimated 20,000 homeless. Reconstruction after the fire took more than 40 years.

Schrodinger's Cat, Schrodinger's Katze?

Between signing up for an official language course, walking the city, and watching the Super Bowl, I apologize that this post is slightly delayed. To kick things off, BRAVO SEAHAWKS!!! No I am not jumping on the band wagon. I am simply giving credit where credit is due. I am a native north westerner, the Seahawks games always got priority game air time. Speaking of air time, watching the Super Bowl in Germany was not an easy task. In a summary I had to stand on my head, cross my toes, spin my lap top and constantly refresh my web page to stream the game. Germany is not a very American Football friendly country when it comes to trying to really watch a game =(  I also terribly miss The Big Bang Theory.

Language Course!

Ja oder nein? JA! BITTE!  

So I didn't get the class I wanted, bummer. I ended up with a class that doesn't start until March. Oh well, at least I got a placed in one! (A lot were full, and others were filling up fast) However, there is a sunny side to this delay. Since my course is later than planned I get to go over my book material now (I am actually excited about that) and somewhat familiarize myself with it. (So basically I am going to rock this course!) The class is also downtown, so hopefully I will get to see more of the city and meet more people.

I really, really like this city. I really, really, really don't like being cold. I know, for a girl who doesn't really like months of winter what was I thinking moving to northern Germany! I like winter from a distance, or maybe a bit of an extreme winter (like 3 weeks) followed by a warm spring. I mean give me feet and feet of snow, a real winter. But.....don't make it stay too long. A more than slightly unrealistic preference, I am aware. With the topic of weather out of the way I promise not to bring it up again (unless a good story will come out of it or I have something positive to say) Onto a brighter more cheerful topic, architecture.

It amazes me how beautiful a well constructed building can truly be. Not just the museums either. Office buildings, shops, homes, ALL OF IT! Walls and pillars, windows and statues, I feel like Dorothy. Lions, tigers, bears, OH MY! In a less scared and more mystified kind of way. My favorite is when a building has this blue plaque on it that gives viewers a historical background lesson. So far I have seen quite a few. I like to take a picture of the building & the plaque then translate it when I get home. I will post a building history topic soon! I have a lot of great stuff to share. 

IF YOU DON'T READ THE WHOLE POST, FINE. AT LEAST KNOW I GOT TO SEE FOOTBALL& I AM STILL ALIVE =] (Also, the next post will be worth reading.)

Its Winter, Lets Go Swimming.

What do Germans like to do in winter? Go to a water park of course, but I'll get to that later.

I've survived my second week in Germany! & this weekend has so far been great. To begin my weekend the children got out of school early Friday around noon. My host family and I went to a ceramic painting shop where I painted what they called a "traditional bread board" (because Germans have bread 90% of the time, and the remaining 10% is a mix of beer and meat..) We all had a great time painting them and then we went back to a friends of my host families for dinner. Saturday we took a trip through Lubeck and then to an awesome indoor water park RIGHT on the Baltic Sea! For a quick fun fact, In 2005, a Russian group of scientists found over 5,000 airplane wrecks, sunken warships, etc., (mainly from the Second World War) lying in the bottom of the sea. WOWZA.

I love the coast (my preference being a tropical coast) and the Baltic Sea was another coast line that I had to photograph. My host family laughed at me as I ran towards the coast to snap a picture. It was 14 degrees and felt like -4 degrees, you can imagine how crazy they thought I was. Despite the bone chilling wind, the water and view was beautiful. The sand was also surprisingly very soft. I was expecting it to be very rocky, I had this image in my head of a rough, and rugged viking sea shore. I don't know why I thought it would be like that exactly, but I did.

Once we got into the water park I noticed a few things about the people in there..

1. ALL VERY VERY PALE. I mean like pasty white. I guess that's what happens when you only see the sun a handful times a year.

2. The swim suits. haha, wow! The women's suits were pretty normal, or what I consider normal. However, the male's suits (this is where I had to try and not laugh) looked like ladies booty shorts. 

3. PDA, Germans don't care. They also had very creative paintings on the wall depicting very adult activities.

4. It's not German without a bar, or 2, or 3. They seemed to sell liquor and beer everywhere you looked.

Over all I had a great time, but by far my favorite part was the outdoor section. 95% of the water park was indoor but there was a section outside that you could swim to. The pool was heated, don't worry. Anyways, out there I managed to be in pool, in Germany, while looking at the Baltic Sea. It was incredible and there is MORE! The steam coming off the outside pool was being swirled around by the arctic wind and it was freezing on the statues, plants and grass outside of the pool. If I would have been thinking I would have brought my phone with me to take a picture. My handy dandy phone has a water resistant case =] But I wasn't, and for that I am sorry!

Another farewell fun fact: The basin containing the Baltic Sea was created by glacial erosion during long-term Ice Age periods.

Diagnosed by Dr. Suess

“Out there things can happen, and frequently do, To people as brainy and footsy as you. And when things start to happen, don't worry, don't stew. Just go right along, you'll start happening too!”
- Oh, The Places You'll Go

Many people are hesitant to travel because they begin to think about all the things that could go wrong. I am not here to tell you GO TRAVEL THE WORLD SOLO. Traveling abroad for an extended time isn't for everyone. (I personally love it. So far it is the most fulfilling thing I have ever done) But I am here to address the concerns of traveling solo.

If I spent all my time concerned about what could go wrong I would never get anything done. I could fall getting out of bed and hit my head, I could lose my shoes and have nothing to wear, I could give myself a paper cut reading the daily paper, I could take the wrong train home and have to take another one back....I could go on and on about all the things that could happen. (I could be kidnapped and sold into a sex traffic circle, that one is a bit extreme but I thought I would throw it in. Sorry Mama.)

I simply like to make the best out of what is happening around me. Short history lesson, I have completed 2 years of college and found the study grid a bit boring. I felt like I was wasting my time (and $$$) taking loads of classes. I have taken interest in almost everything I have ever done, and settling in on one degree just isn't for me. So until I find a "true calling" I am going to keep searching and questioning the world around me. When I travel I love engaging in conversations, debates, and stories with all sorts of people.

*Back to making the best of things* While I have taken the wrong train home already, twice, instead of worrying I went along for the ride. I saw new parts of the city I would not have seen had I not allowed myself to enjoy what was happening. I have made many unintentional turns since I have been here, and each one has turned out to be something great. So lets cut to the chase, traveling solo can be dangerous if you're not prepared.

Traveling Solo List:
*I began my travels solo, but since then have made friends along the way

1. Read, Read, Read. Read about where you are going& what its like. I checked out my governments write up about my travel location and signed up for travel alert emails. Read up on the local sites and political/social history, but most importantly READ your surroundings while you are there. Be aware of everything going on around you and if you don't feel comfortable, leave. You'd also be surprised how willing locals are to help! If you feel uncomfortable while alone go into a public building with people, simple solution.

2. Don't market yourself as a tourist. Tourist's are often targets in my opinion. Maybe it is because tourist always try to look their very best and carry all their fancy new toys. I personally feel more comfortable traveling when I blend in a bit, or just look like a student. I travel with the minimum day to day and try to live like the locals. (Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of things I leave at home! I am by no means a nomad, I just don't use my bag as a way to hoard useless junk around)

3. Always have/know a way home. Where ever your home is, always have enough in savings to afford that plane/bus/train ticket from wherever you may be! =]

4. And finally while you are out and about try to keep a map& watch of some kind with you. First, learn to read maps if you don't know how to already! In my experience it helps to know the time, and be able to look at a map and figure out where you need to go. I have an offline app map on my phone. Whenever I need to see it I slip into a coffee shop or bakery and then check it out ( I do it this way so I am not all eyes-locked on my phone screen and standing there like an idiot. Germany is also cold so I don't like to be out longer than I NEED to be)

5. Stay in contact with someone you trust and always let them know the general places you will be and around what time you will be back. That way if something does happen (like you trip, roll your ankle, and are taken to the ER) and you don't return someone will know something isn't right.

Those are my 5 tips to traveling S..O..L..O... (I hope someone reads that like Jason Derulo) Like Dr. Suess said "today is you day" something, something, something "get on your way!!!" Or don't. I wont try to pressure you into traveling, but I will say it IS pretty awesome.

Goals of an Au Pair

"Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown."-Gaby Basora

Many people have asked me about what it is I am doing here in Germany.(They have also asked me a lot more but I'll stick to the basics) I have decided to dedicate this post to explaining; What I am doing, Why I chose Germany, How I like it, What I wish to accomplish, and a bit more. It won't necessarily be in that order though, not really sorry.

What is an Au Pair?
Glad you asked! Whats an Au Pair, I am an Au Pair!! haha. Sorry, I had to. But, an Au Pair is a french term that basically means I am a live-in nanny abroad. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, right? Well it is, as long as the individual doing it likes working with children and doesn't have a hard time adjusting to foreign cultures. Which I do and I don't, win-win.

I found my Au Pair family through one of many au pair web pages. They are a lot like care.com and are fairly easy to do yourself. I did mine myself. To be safe, ALWAYS be sure to ask A LOT of questions, and skype them multiple times! You're going to be living with them, don't be shy!

My duties are very straight forward. I clean my own things, set the table, and run the dishwasher each night. My main duty is to be ready for breakfast at 7am, go with the kids to school (drop them off), then I attend a language course which my family pays for, I have a bit of free time to explore the city and travel within it. Later I pick the kids up from school and take them home. Often stopping to play or get something at the bakery.

Why Germany?
Why not? Germany has a very rich culture, and history. Many people speak English so I'm not terribly homesick. I can travel to MANY of the other European countries from here. Plus, the German language has always interested me. The best way to learn a language is to immerse yourself in it, and I am diving in head first!

What do I want to accomplish here?
Fluency in the German language. I feel like being from America, or perhaps an English speaking country in general, a second language is not heavily pushed. Many Europeans learn a second, or even a third language. I definitely admire that!

I want to continue my education of the world. I want to travel to many different places and see multiple walks of life. As a traveller I am able to see things not everyone gets to see. The simple task I get to do living abroad become adventures. Such as shopping for food, taking the train, trying to find out where the bathroom is, walking around a park, watching the locals go through their days, figuring out which is trash/recycling, ordering food, washing clothes/dishes, etc... Its the normal things I do without a second thought back home that have become extremely interesting here. A few even funny. (Hold on, I'm about to detour) An example; I was walking around the lake here in Hamburg and I saw a really pretty steeple and wanted to know what it belonged to. I thought I would be able to just follow one street straight to it. Not the case, in Germany the roads grew as the cities grew. In most American cities the roads are planned out for future growth, often in a grid. I managed to make a couple lucky turns and guesses on which direction would get me to the mystery landmark. When I finally got there it was a really old church, and it was quite amazing!

Back on track... simply put, I want to travel. I love moving around and being new. When I am new to a new city, everything is awesome.

How do I like Germany?
I miss people smiling, saying hello, good morning, good day, afternoon, holding doors, and helping out regardless of whether they know you. I also miss taco bell, sweet tea, football, barbecue, and my family. Besides that list, I love it here. The mix of architecture is beautiful, public transit is very effective (once I figured it out), and the German life style is a nice change from what I am used to. I like going to the store every few days for meals, I LOVE the quality of products here (I cant say I'm a fan of how damn expensive stuff is), I like a cash based environment, and I also enjoy all the people from all over that I get the pleasure of meeting.

A bit more...
Yes, Germany is cold. I am on the 53N parallel, that is equivalent to Attu Island, Alaska or Quebec, Canada. So yes, I am very cold here and miss the Texas sun. In Texas I was at the 30th parallel, that was about the same as parts of Egypt. Even in Oregon (the coldest place before here I thought I would ever allow myself to live in) I was only on the 45th parallel, which is equivalent to parts of Italy.

No, I don't hate Germany because of WWII..(seriously someone asked me that) That's a bit ridiculous, it was a part of history and I did enjoy learning about it. But I don't hate Germany because of it. I actually find it very interesting.

Yes, the German language is hard. I have a difficult time pronouncing things and don't get me started about the sentence structure!

Yes, I will post more picture. Get off my case, I have a life and can't spend every minute updating you (You know who you are). I will post them when I have some free time, until then, I will keep exploring Germany =]

Bis Bald!!

"Take the time to put the camera away and gaze in wonder at what's there in front of you."
-Erick Widman

Problems No One Tells You About

Take the Red line to the blue line, then hop off at the "shlumlumlumburg" stop, and then walk the "hausrawr-rawr" bus stop, catch the T238K7S3, ride that four stops, spin in circles three times, buy a beer and your there...

Public transit in Germany, Very effect. Learning to use public transit abroad is one thing someone would be happy to accomplish. Learning to use public transit for the first time in a language I hardly understand is down right cruel. Twenty minutes of waiting at a plat form, to then figure out platforms go in different directions. Simple things like this are the problems of a girl who is using a S/U bahn for the first time. Please, remember everyone (using transit for the first time), know the major station stops along the way and not just the next one. The reader boards don't tell you those. When in doubt just go back to Hauptbahnhof! Next thing no one tells you..NOTHING is free. You pay to use the bathroom everywhere, If you don't have grocery bags you pay, and NO free water. Its truly heart breaking that last one. I drink water like no ones business. It's the simple day to day tasks that turn into the big adventure while you're abroad.
  (Next Day...)
I met a few other au pairs and I can't wait to start exploring Germany and the rest of Europe!! Being my first time in Europe I want to meet as many people as possible and see as many things as possible!!

"I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list."

So far though I have been in Germany for 6 days. I think I am starting to get the hang of things with my host family. Next on my list is to start sight seeing, and planning other European trips.

 

German language of the week:

Ja= Yes             1. Wie geht es dir? = How are you?
Nein=No            2. Wie kann ich sagen..= How do I say..

Wo= Where       3. Wo ist die Toilette?= Where is the bathroom?

Was= What        4. Ich wurde gerne ein X bitte.
Danke= Thanks      = I would like a(Food)please
Bitte= Please      5.Ich verstehe ein bisschen Deutsch.

Sehr= Very             =I understand a bit of German

Gut= Good

Wie= How

Welt= World

Deutsch= German

Wer= Who

Wenn= When

Warum= Why

Toilette=Bathroom

Turkey to Hamburger?!

Hallo Hamburg!

My arrival to Germany was wonderful! I spent my first two days with my host family seeing the city and just getting a feel for the place. On my first day I simply found my new home, and the major work/school buildings. Which was enough for one day because streets in Germany are NOTHING like the US. I don't think a street goes straight for more that 5 blocks. Plus, in Hamburg there is NO shortage of bridges. Bridges are to Hamburg as Trees are to the Pacific North West. My Second day I saw the fisch harbour, the Reeperbahn, and the Rathaus. Simply put; The fish harbor which is like many other large harbors, and the Rathaus, which is City Hall, and one place I will write its on post about in the future..The Reeperbahn aka Red Light District. haha.

My third day was much more business less relaxing. I woke up and finally unpacked. After breakfast (which is a main point to the German day) I became a Hamburg resident, got my Au Pair work permit, got my U bahn/S bahn/Bus/and train pass, found out how to open a bank, and had dinner with some of my host families close friends at a lovely Italian place. Since most of my early days I was too distracted to bring a camera I will post later with more photos. As for now lets talk about what I noticed about Germany.

To begin, bakery's and coffee shops are plentiful. The people here all have gorgeous blue eyes. Portland and Austin combined have nothing on Hamburg as to the amount of bike riders. Its cold here. Like really cold. I'm going to be buying a much thicker coat VERY soon, cold. The buildings are beautiful. People walk everywhere that they possibly can. Houses are very cute. Squirrels are very red. One word can mean a half of dozen things. Everything must be taken in context. Toilets are weird. Water is carbonated. Shoes are made at a higher quality. Their states, city states, and regions are strange to me still. And I think I love it here.

Istanbul, Airports, and Dead Batteries

Merhaba! Hosgeldiniz!
Hello! welcome!

Where is Istanbul you ask? Turkey. Not the kind that we Americans enjoy during Thanksgiving either, but the middle eastern country that connects Europe and Asia south of the Black Sea. I'll add a map farther down so you wont have to do any extra googling =] (You're Welcome) Well after a 12 hour flight and half a dozen things to keep me entertained I made it from America to Istanbul.

In America, my flight with Turkish airlines was fantastic. That wonder service carried over into Istanbul. My flight was complete with 2 decent meals, a T.V. screen with a great selection of entertainment like: movies, music, games, news articles, and a flight map. Not to mention, I managed to get an open seat next to me so I could stretch out!! WHOO HOO!

Once I landed I had a slight problem, my e-visa (electronic visa) APPARENTLY couldn't be electronic and had to be printed. I had to make a few at least a dozen trips round the airport looking for a working printer and an employee who was willing to take 10 seconds to print it off for me... I smooth talked (with a Turkish, English translator app) a very helpful young boy working for the airlines to get one of the office officials to print it for me finally. On the bright side by the time I went through customs there was no line and I walked straight through. From there I went to the hotel desk and they booked me a free nights stay due to my 16hr layover.

When I arrived at my hotel I had a difficult time. Here is a list of a few things that are different in Turkey then in the USA.. Light switch's, door knobs, draw handles, and my favorite, drum roll please, power outlets!!!! Thankfully I was gifted a wonderful converter/adapter before I left the USA. Unfortunately I failed to read the instructions about it, or anything else regarding charging my electronics while abroad. I frantically sent my sister a detailed SOS imessage with the free wifi at my hotel (she is currently abroad). I had only 6% battery on my laptop and my phone had already died, and managed to get a "sure" and a "USE YOUR CONVERTER/ADAPTOR" but I personally wasn't 100% convinced I wasn't going to fry my things. I was terribly worried that if I didn't figure this out I would forever be out of touch with the world!!(a bit dramatic, but hey now don't be critical) Regardless, I held my breath and plugged it in bit by bit with one eye closed hoping nothing started to smoke. Nothing smoked immediately but after about 30 minutes my phone cord got hot and started to smell toxic so I unplugged it. Not trying to burn down a Turkish hotel, or poison myself with hazardous toxins. Later that night I decided I wanted to wash my pants in the hotel sink because I spilled some tea on them. ( I made tea in my hotel room) I thought it would be fairly easy. Well, getting my pants soaking wet and soapy was simple. Rinsing them wasn't that bad. The trouble didn't even start until I woke up the next morning at 4:45am and they were STILL soaking..

Never doubt the ingenuity of a slightly desperate young adult. I found a wonderful solution, I call it The Hotel Hair Dryer! and boy oh boy. That hair dryer was going nonstop for at least 40 minutes until my pants were dry, and they did eventually dry.

Over all my stay with Turkish airlines was pretty great. I left the my hotel that morning and caught a shuttle back to the airport and got my last flight to Hamburg (where I am currently writing this blog entry) =]

Operation: Procrastination

"If it wasn't for the last minute nothing would ever get done."-Someone I can't recall right now

Actually I'm not even sure if that's a saying. If it isn't it should be. End of story.

So, I said farewell to my family in Oregon yesterday and headed home to Texas. My travel experience this time wasn't that bad. Definitely wasn't my best airport experience, but I've had worse. To start off my trip I'm pretty sure I was poisoned by unknown fumes in my brothers truck (seriously I got light headed and a little dizzy, he laughed) Then I got to the airport and the wonderful lady checking me in informed me my flight was delayed in a less than caring tone. Some people should really thank my mother for teaching me "If you have nothing nice to say don't say anything at all"

So what do you do when you're 2 hours early for a domestic flight? I walked over to the Starbucks so I could hook up to the wifi and kill some time with pinterest and my chess app. (I've won twice..the computer is good, real good.) As I got there and sat down I realized I left my plane ticket at the check in counter. It wasn't all that surprising because that's something I would do. I took a second lap around the airport and picked up my ticket but this time I just went through security.

Once I got my ticket and I went through Mr.TSA without a hassel I found a seat next to my gate. There I proceeded to play with my phone and its case for an hour. I'm easily entertained, its actually a little scary. After that became boring I set my phone to German and tried to navigate it. That was interesting and helped pass more time. Finally after my flights second delay time arrived (yes, there was a delay on top of the first delay) I was able to get on my plane! whoop! hallelujah! yahtzee!

I have an easy time flying, the secret is to just plug in and sleep. Ignore the crying babies and the gabby old ladies. If I was forced to choose between the two I would take the crying babies. No ma'am, I don't want to hear about your cousins, nieces, best friends, fiance that is a competitive knitter and made you those gloves last christmas. I'm not mean, I just don't find a story like that, all that interesting. (Yes, I am aware that it is sometimes hard to tell that I actually enjoy the company of people.) All in all though I have to say I LOVED seeing my family and friends before I run away to Germany and never come back (just kidding mama I'm coming home..maybe) =] & All the travel advice I got was helpful and reminded me just how much I had, well have, to do. For starters here is a bullet friendly list. BEFORE YOU GO:

• Copy Passport & other documents
• Inform banks of travel plans
• Check into your flight online
• Keep in touch with your wonderful host family
• Began cleaning your room
• Get distracted by facebook and other social media sites :)
• Start cleaning again
• Discover clothes/things you forgot you had in you room
• Wash all the clothes and then throw them on your bed
• Just look at them for awhile....
• And then start packing

Here is a mid way point where I had some clothes washed and packed, some are still dirty, and the rest is random stuff I found from all over my room. Lets play a game.
I Spy:
1. A mini leatherman
2. Sunglasses
3. two Christmas tree ornaments
4. crocheted ear warmer
5. Leopard onesie
6. Starbucks gift card
7. socks that may or may not be clean...

Okay, I know I don't have that much stuff. However, every time I pack I feel bad for those who do have a lot of clothes. I've managed to separate my clothes into halves. Half of it I'm leaving for my sister to claim while I am away. The other half I'm taking with me because I think I might wear it, I might not, but I might...but in the off chance that I don't I'll just get rid of it somewhere in Europe.

My single suitcase for an entire year is a bit impressive. Its not a GIANT bag (thats cheating) but it does fit all of my clothes...Prepare for another list. duunnn duunnn duuuu....THE PACKING LIST

• Undergarments ie. underwear, bra, sports bra, tanks, socks, spandex
• Sleep wear (I'm a proud owner of onesies..yes multiple)
• Randoms... Swimsuit, scarves, beenies, gloves, belts
• Jeans, shorts, skirts
• T-shirts, long sleeve, sweaters
• workout clothes ie. shorts, yoga's, leggings, tanks, and other tops
• Jackets and Coats

That covers my clothing list. I also brought sneakers, sperry's, a wedge, and boots. AND in this same suitcase I have my hygenic things. Here is the full and almost ready to go bag! I just need to add an extra duffle for my trip home next winter. I 100% anticipate bringing home more than I take over there.

In addition to this I will have my carry on and purse. My purse contains a cell phone&charger, wallet, passport, camera&charger, a few cosmetics (not tryin' to look like I walked out of Left4Dead), headphones, ipod, sunglasses, my retainer (I dont need to wear it anymore but have an irrational fear that if I dont my teeth will shift), a toothbrush (I really really like brushing my teeth..its not weird), and my converter/adaptor.

My carry on, which is a back pack, will have: my planner, address book, laptop&charger, notebook, and gifts for my host family (Because I'm basically Santa) so its actually pretty empty.

So recap.. Operation: Procrastination
Wait until the day before I depart for a full year on an international flight to prepare.
 SUCCESS

Next update will include my flight out of Houston, customs, my layover in Istanbul, more customs, my arrival in Germany, even more customs, and meeting my host family in person!

Follow me on Twitter&Instagram for real time accidents and failed translations =]
Twitter @Rkrupsky Instagram @Krup3

How to Drive Yourself Crazy

I've been perfecting driving myself crazy for about 20 years. To be successful you need to set BIG plans (Like moving to Hamburg, Germany for a year to au pair) and take VERY little steps to prepare for it. For example, I leave the states Jan 8th and haven't even started to pack or do anything for my travels. Aside from finding my passport and booking my ticket. Let me paint a picture.. I'm at my parents house in Oregon with only a small duffel bag of clothes. I should probably be doing something productive preparing for my international trip that's about a week away. Instead I'm watching pointless YouTube videos, Facebook stalking, and pinning for my best friends wedding. (Shout out to TKE, soon to be TKM <3) As I sit here and blog a little more I realize just how NOT prepared I am to be an au pair in a non-English speaking country. Whelp, no sense in starting to worry now. It's New Years Eve after all.... Ein Bier Bitte?