Thanks, Britney

Two months (or so) ago I read Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen and I must say, I loved it.  

So much, in fact, that I think I have started to subconsciously adapt circus-freaky things into my life. Like possibly the melodrama that is this post. But no, what I mean is, I drink gin and ginger ale (the choice drink of the elephants) and have started to juggle. I also seem to have a stronger nomadic urge than ever before.

But what I really want to say is that I just saw the new(ish?) Britney Spears video and I am in love. Get it, girl. 

Success!

I got my results back for the DSH (aka bitch of a German test) today and I got the score I needed! 

That means, of course, that my adventure will be continuing until at least January!

Next up: Apply to (and be accepted to) Masters program.

and for posterity: "Depressive Menschen hätten schon früher mit dem Lauftraining geholfen werden können" 

Hobbies or how to be the perfect German

I wrote a while back that I wish I had a hobby. This fact holds true. 

You see, the truth is, I have never really had a hobby. Not that I never wanted one, oh no, but hobbies and I don't really seem to match up very well. One needs patience, talent, money, or creativity for a hobby. I unfortunately don't seem to really possess any of these qualities. 

I mean, I consider myself a quite-patient person in the "real world" but in the hobby world I tend to give up when I realize that my attempts are going nowhere, slow. Take for example the "I play guitar" phase of 2001 (which lasted approximately four weeks. I mastered power chords and felt that that was enough, thank you) 

I really think I would like photography, but the start up costs are far too high to take the risk of possibly not loving it (which, based on the fact that I am not one of those people who is naturally good at things and therefore gives up easily, is rather likely) 

So I am (and have been, since my mom took me out of ballet when I was four because, and I quote "my daughter was the elephant in the room of swans") at a loss. Don't do sports. Don't play an instrument. Have only the average person's affinity for nature/animals. Art? Ha!

Luckily, though, I am now in Germany, and am being introduced to a whole new world of hobbies that one would never really think of at home. 

My favorite hobby that I have recently adopted is juggling. Juggling! Why didn't I ever think of it? It's perfect! It costs almost nothing. It is relatively quick to learn, but you can add on to it. It is a stress reliever. It is positively lovely.

I have also taken to making transparent window stars. Last weekend I met with a student, who taught me the ins and outs of this time consuming but very rewarding crafting activity. I think I am hooked... so look forward to many a star in your future!

Finally, I think I am going to look into the other very German art form of... felting? 

I can make dwarves and mushrooms (and other very useful things like egg warmers) out of sheep's wool! I know you probably all think I am crazy, but I think it is cute... and oh so German. 

Add these three things to my already-mastered roasted pumpkins, beets, and brussel sprouts and the best butterkuchen you have ever tasted and hell, I am a pretty awesome German.

Video hello!

First Snow

It's wintertime! 

Today was the first real snow of the year, which I think might be a good sign, considering two years ago the first snow was in January. It is looking like I might be celebrating my very first white Christmas!

apropos Christmas, the market has been set up and is opening day after tomorrow. My students have been asking if we can take a field trip to drink Glühwein, and I think I might just oblige. 

Life in general has been quite nice. I work a lot, but I love my students and the feeling I get when they say something I taught them, so it is a pleasure fighting with my alarm clock every morning at 6:30. German school is good, my grades are consistently good enough and I really like my friends there. There's a French boy, Michel, a Cypriot Girl, Eleni, a Tunisian Fellow, Houssem, and a Chinese Couple, whose names I won't even try to spell (or pronounce, really. to be honest, when people say their names they sound exactly the same to me. tricky) and we all speak German and make each other laugh. So the day goes pretty quickly. At night I cook dinner, usually with the food I bought from the farmers market. I have pretty much become a vegetable roasting master. Then I go to bed.

It's a simple kind of life, but there is enough in it that makes me happy. I laugh a lot, which I think is important.

In three weeks I have my German test, on which I have to make a near perfect score if I want to continue this little cozy adventure of mine. And if that doesn't work out... I don't know. Japan, maybe? 

Anyway, right now I don't want to think about that. I want to bake a cake. (Incidentally, it is the only cake-like cake to be found in Germany. Anything else, I find, is only pleasantly flavored bread) 

And tomorrow I think I will attempt pumpkin pie. oh oh! 

One awesome (?) thing about Germany

The lack of Halloween and Thanksgiving as formal holidays opens the door for Christmas really, really early. All of the Christmas goodies have been abound in the supermarket for about two weeks now. yum! Within a week I will probably be listening to carols. 

way too long, way too much

been a while, eh?

quick update:

15 hours in the train with Eike

was awesome. second most open minded, easy to get along with German I have ever met.

Sweden/France Extravanganza

was good. stressful at times, frustrating at others, stupidly expensive, but a month later I have zero regrets. particularly awesome were our couchsurfing hosts, swedish pastries, and lots and lots of hours lounging in Cafes. OH! and swedish grocery stores. yum.

The German Bureaucracy

was a joke. I can hardly believe how easy it was to get settled into Germany. it took approximately 45 minutes and everyone was nice (even smiling!) along the way. At the end I told the man that I was surprised and that Germans are not known for being so, well, uncomplicated, and he just smiled and said "yes, Frau Johnson, but you're in Freiburg"

Sprachenkolleg

pretty good. It is sort of a trip, because I have the most German experience (by 7 years) and certainly am more comfortable with German than anyone else, but have been made aware that my knowledge of the rules and systems in German are completely lacking. But, just four weeks in I have already placed out of the spoken section of the DSH, which is the standardized test you have to take that you can speak German like a German. sort of. awesome.

Teaching

is finally picking up speed. Three weeks ago I started a class with two women who want to improve their English for work at a contact lens studio. So my spare time has involved a fair share of contact lens related research. This week I started covering for a coworker at inlingua, which is indeed teaching heaven. next week I start my own schedule... I will be teaching a class of 8 unemployed people (who have to take english to get money from the government I guess) who are ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS. every morning. at 8 am. I can hardly wait. I'm glad, too, because I am broke as a joke. The damn dollar worked against me the last few months... the day I paid for Celta the Euro was at $1.60, today, with only $12 to my name, it is at $1.28. If it goes down a bit more I might just be able to withdraw those last ten euros and make them last until pay day. ha.

Life in General

has been pretty good. being back in Alban is nice, though the character (and characters) has changed a bit. all of a sudden I, at the old age of 22, feel quite old and as though I have very little in common with many of my mitbewohner. That, and we have quite a few oddballs who replaced quite a few of my favorites. I think I am slowly yet surely grounding myself in a group, though right now I would say my role is more that of "silent observer" which I am naturally not very proud of. I have been trying to assert my personality and sense of humor a bit more, but I'm not sure how well it is being received. Like I don't know if they think it is funny or embarrassing. or hell, maybe it's just grammatically incorrect. (sometimes they repeat exactly what I say and laugh, and I don't know what that means. oh well)

I really wish I had a hobby.

I am dreading winter.

being around Mark has been fun and interesting and nice, though I would not say it has been without growing pains. but uni started this week, and it is nice to be on a regular schedule again. I mean, it's nice that we both have something to do with our lives. 

My freetime has been spent hiking, baking, reading and riding my bike. The outrageously gorgeous fall is just now turning into the not-so-gorgeous "oh crap winter is coming" but it was nice while it lasted. The transition seasons in Germany are phenomenal.

Good night!